Chapter 13 - Highgate Woods
Car Ride. Seattle. Airport. Plane. Travelling moulded together, a blur of time, that felt almost wasted. If it hadn't been for Carlisle's company, Jenny didn't think she could have survived it. The journey was long and arduous; Jenny's back ached from the stiff plane seat. But Carlisle made the journey easier. He made everything easier. He was just so frustratingly, effortlessly perfect.
They'd chatted throughout the car journey — the whole three hours of it from Forks to Seattle. They flew through every conversation topic, like birds tweeting during sunrise. But no mention of Carlisle's nature. Or his past. Or his family. They were saving that for later. For a time where they could relax and enjoy one another's company. For a time and place where Jenny was truly ready to understand Carlisle, without feeling afraid of him.
Thirteen hours. Jenny had never been on a plane for longer than six. They sat in two reserved seats by the window and the exhaustion hit her like a ton of bricks. After laughing about Carlisle's effortless skill to attract every stare on the plane, Jenny quickly drifted to sleep, utterly aware of Carlisle's arm brushing against hers. By the time she woke, Carlisle had finished The Great Gatsby and had begun reading another book.
For the rest of the plane journey, they debated over Fitzgerald's use of the roaring twenties background, their utter loathing of Daisy and the sorrowful ending. Jenny was appalled that Carlisle had disliked the character of Gatsby; she argued thoroughly against this, but to no avail.
They'd finally arrived in the early hours of Saturday morning. One final drive to their lodgings and Jenny would be free to explore the city she'd longed to visit. And she'd finally unravel the mystery of Carlisle Cullen.
The travelling and Carlisle's company had dissipated her fearful thoughts. It was easier to accept Carlisle's nature — he was more human-like than she'd given him credit for.
"Where are we going, are we not staying in the city?" Jenny asked sceptically, as the taxi drove them away from the bustling city centre of London. Red buses and endless cyclists passed their black cab, whilst hundreds of cars clogged the narrow roads.
"This is supposed to be a surprise, Jenny," Carlisle replied, chuckling at her impatience.
They remained in a comfortable silence throughout the three-quarters of an hour drive. Jenny watched in awe as the cab drove through the historical city. The architecture was tremendous; the town houses radiated their history, with their tall pillars and magnificent doors. Jenny could already feel the cultural presence of the mysterious city as they passed endless beautifully old buildings.
"We're here." Carlisle smiled when the taxi pulled up onto a street clustered with townhouses.
"We're staying in one of these?" Jenny asked in surprise, her eyes fleeting over the cobbled street and tall houses. She climbed from the cab, following Carlisle's to the trunk.
"Here, let me get that for you," Carlisle said, politely grabbing both their suitcases from the trunk before she even had a chance. He masterfully avoided her question.
Jenny followed like a giggling little girl, unable to reign in her excitement. Carlisle's responding smile radiated through the street, brightening the overcast day.
"Here we are," Carlisle announced as he stepped in front of a large, victorian house on the corner of the street. It stood apart from the semi-detached townhouses that lined the street and was largely hidden by beautifully wild vegetation. Cobbled steps led the pathway to the tall, light brown panelled house. It looked like something from an old victorian movie.
"This is…" Jenny was breathless. She couldn't describe it. It was as if she was living in a dream. "This is amazing."
Carlisle's dazzling grin widened. "You've not even seen the best of it yet."
Jenny followed as Carlisle carried their luggage up the path and opened the door, revealing the grand entrance. Despite the modernistic design, the house radiated it's culture and character. The grand chandelier contrasted yet perfectly complimented the chic walls and furniture. Jenny looked round in awe — the walls were neutral coloured, brightening the tall and narrow corridor and the large chandelier stole the attention from the steep wooden staircase on the right.
Placing down the suitcases, Carlisle held out a hand for her. Jenny took it without hesitation and allowed him to lead her through the house, her expression of awe ingrained in her face. Passing both the lavish living space and kitchen, Carlisle led her to the very back of the house and to the large glass door that overlooked the back of the house. A magnificent willow tree stood in the back corner of the garden, masking an old wooden fence that led away from the house. The garden was filled with wild flowers and greenery, creating a beautifully serene expanse. A collection of birds tweeted joyfully, taking turns to eat from the bird feeder, whilst a lone squirrel perked on the bark of the willow tree. Behind the rustic fence stood a large amass of trees, creating a Forks-like forest.
"The house is connected to highgate woods. It is a very old and beautiful forest. It was larger when I lived in this area and was known as Gravelpit Wood. Although it was owned by numerous different tenants at the time, I used to visit here to read when I was young… It became my hiding place when I was turned," Carlisle explained delicately, his eyes never leaving her face.
"This is…" Jenny shook her head, unable to believe the view around her. "This is beyond amazing. Thank you… for bringing me here and for sharing that." Jenny turned to meet his glowing topaz eyes.
"You are very welcome." Carlisle's expression glowed like the sun. Jenny had never seen him this happy, even when he was treating patients. It warmed her heart knowing that this happiness was because of her. "I have something else to show you…"
Jenny followed again as Carlisle carefully led her back down the corridor and up the steep staircase. The house appeared to have three bedrooms, with a large bathroom between them all. Carlisle opened the only closed door, leading her through into the most wonderful room she'd ever seen.
A library. A small one, but still an in-house library. Tall, dark-wooden bookshelves surrounded the walls, while the large bay window and its ledge provided the perfect seating area to curl up on and read. In the centre of the room stood an old, classic mahogany desk and it was neatly filled with books and paper with scribbles across it. Behind the desk at the back wall hung two large, bewitching paintings, that appeared to be from the nineteenth century. This was the room she'd dreamed of in her future house.
"Do you like it?" Carlisle grinned.
"I thought the forest was beautiful but this is even more perfect," Jenny commented brightly, her eyes gazing over the shelves worth of books. "Have you read all of these?"
Carlisle nodded.
Jenny gaped. There must have been at least a thousand books.
"I have owned this house since it was built in the middle of the eighteenth century. After learning of a better way of life, I spent years researching here and began perfecting a number of skills. I lived here when I met an old friend of mine, named Alistair. He was the first person I met who shared my nature. He loved living in solitude, whereas my loneliness was beginning to get the better of me," Carlisle explained, watching her every reaction.
"How long did it take you… to learn the better way?" Jenny asked quietly. Her expression softened at Carlisle's words, her wonder and sympathy reached out to him. She was curious to discover his past — the life that had led him here, to her. All her anger and fear faded to nothingness.
Carlisle laced his fingers through hers and led her to the bay window, sitting down on the large ledge. Jenny leaned back against the orange pillow, her eyes following Carlisle's gaze to the view of the woods. The brilliant trees stood tall and mysterious, hiding the lowering sun. It was almost dusk.
"After I was changed around the middle of the seventeen hundreds, it took me almost a century to learn that I could survive from animal, rather than human blood," Carlisle answered.
Jenny's eyes widened and she tightened her grip on Carlisle's hand. "You hid yourself in these woods for a hundred years?" Her mind couldn't comprehend that amount of time.
Carlisle nodded carefully. "I hated my nature. I had been taught by my father to hate the supernatural. I could not bare the idea of hurting another human being, so I hid myself away from the city, keeping a safe distance from all human contact."
"You were alone throughout all of it?" Jenny couldn't imagine it. The loneliness. The self-control. Carlisle's story was truly remarkable and she hadn't even heard the half of it.
"I couldn't risk contact with anyone else. I starved myself for as long as possible, before a herd of deer caught my attention. I was weak and I was losing control. I attacked them without thinking — my instincts controlled me. Those poor deer taught me a new way of life and gave me a reason to accept myself. I hid until I regained part of my past self."
"I can't even imagine how difficult that must have been for you…" Jenny could feel the tears stinging the corner of her eyes, but she refused to release them. "And to think I was so afraid of you, when you spent a century on your own so you wouldn't hurt anyone."
The first tear spilt. More followed. Jenny wasn't strong enough to hold back her flooding emotions.
Placing a hand on her cheek and brushing away a stray tear, Carlisle tilted her head towards his and gazed deeply into her eyes. "You have nothing to feel guilty for. Your response was natural. I was afraid of my nature for far longer than you were."
"But I should have tried to understand you first, before I made any judgement. I was a horrible person to you." Jenny shook her head, small tears staining her cheeks.
Carlisle moved his hand to cup her cheek, his eyes never leaving hers. Jenny froze, her lips parting as she let out a single breath. Carefully, Carlisle began to lean forward, giving her enough time to object. Jenny remained so still. Her heart pounded in her chest. Carlisle's lips brushed hers - cold marble against cotton. It was over in less than a second. But it was the most wonderfully real moment of Jenny's life.
"You are the kindest person I have had the pleasure of meeting," Carlisle whispered softly, his voice angelic. "Please do not blame yourself again."
Jenny nodded, unable to speak. A soft smile tugged at Carlisle's lips as he moved his arm around her shoulder, pulling her softly towards him.
"Tell me more," Jenny said, leaning her head against his muscled shoulder. "Start from the beginning."
"In the earliest memory I can recall, my father forced me to watch a woman who had been accused of witchcraft stand trial. She was burnt to death."
Jenny flinched, but allowed Carlisle to continue as his grip tightened around her.
"My father was a pastor and he believed it was his duty to rid the world of sinful creatures, like witches and vampires. He spent his whole life prosecuting people and not a single person was guilty of the crime. Although I did not want to, he taught me everything he knew and I began to research the creatures myself, wanting to impress my father. I eventually found a real coven and I assembled a group of people to help me kill them. I didn't know much about their nature at the time."
Carlisle's hand brushed over her hair, soothing her racing heart.
"They killed every member of my group in minutes. I am not entirely sure of the details, but the one feeding from me left me bleeding in the street. I used my remaining strength to crawl into a potato cellar in fear that my father would find me. I remained hidden there through the pain of the transformation."
"How…How painful was it?" Jenny asked.
Carlisle shook his head, looking down at her. "Words cannot describe it."
Jenny cringed at the thought.
"I awoke after a few days and hated my very existence. I fled to highgate woods, the only place I knew where not a single soul could find me. I made numerous attempts at taking my life. Drowning, falling, starvation…but it is very difficult to kill my kind."
Jenny sat up, her eyes wide with pain as she stared at Carlisle. His soft eyes met hers in worry. "Carlisle…" she whispered, shaking her head. "I can't… I'm so sorry."
"I think that may be enough for today," Carlisle said, his hand brushing gently over her cheek, whilst studying her expression. "You look hungry and tired."
Jenny used the back of her hand to wipe away the remaining tears. "I'm just tired, but honestly I'm fine. I want to hear it all. Every moment of it."
"We have time. You need sleep." Carlisle stood up and took her hand, leading her out of the library and into the master bedroom.
Despite wanting to, she held back her protests, allowing a yawn to escape her lips. The master bedroom was as luxurious as the rest of the house. A wooden four-post bed dominated the large room, whilst a rustic chest of draws stood in the corner with a mirror by its side. Jenny gasped in surprise as Carlisle disappeared then reappeared with both suitcases — he held them with ease. She'd have to get used to his speedy movements.
"The en-suite is through this door." Carlisle pointed to the left corner of the room.
Jenny blushed as she picked up her suitcase and went through into the bathroom. She changed quickly, spraying deodorant to mask her travelling smell and scrubbing her teeth clean with her travel toothbrush. She worked efficiently, feeling almost lost without Carlisle's presence.
Nervously, she left the bathroom to find Carlisle sat at the far side of the bed, leaned against the back post. Jenny's cheeks reddened as she climbed into bed next to him, her body facing him.
"Are you not sleeping too?" Jenny asked. Carlisle sat on top of the covers, still wearing his white shirt and jeans.
"I can't sleep. My body doesn't require it," Carlisle answered, smiling at her shock.
"Never?"
He shook his head.
"But how-"
Carlisle hushed her. "I understand that as a doctor you likely have millions of questions for me. But I will only answer them once you have slept." He brushed his hand over her hair, a smile growing on his rosy lips.
Jenny rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Fine." She huffed jokingly.
Carlisle chuckled. "Sleep well, Jennifer."
As Jenny settled her head into the feather pillows, Carlisle placed a light kiss on her forehead and tucked her into the covers. With a smile permanently embedded on her lips, Jenny fell into a peaceful sleep, with Carlisle sat by her side.
A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! This is the first of 3 chapters that take place in London. Please let me know what you think and thanks for all the support!