AN: S.M. owns Twilight, the lucky lady!


Chapter twenty nine. The plot thickens.

"So Bella tell me what you know of Marcus."Jasper asked.

"He was born in Voltura Italy in 1915. His name was Marcus di Volturi. He came to America and got together with a group of others. He acquired the land and house, sometime in the late 1930's. Taos already had attracted many other artists, so this must have appealed to him, I guess."

"Marcus created art for many decades, but started getting frail after he fell and broke his hip sometime in the 1990's. He makes smaller art pieces after that. Sometime during the 1950's my grandparents, who were newly married and young, met Marcus on their extensive road trips through the south west. They had a most interesting relationship, May posed as a life model for Marcus, and they all seemed to have fallen in love or lust together, as a threesome of some sort."

"They spent time together over the years, until May conceived Renee, then my grandparents moved back to Phoenix. A few years after that, my grandpa died. Renee was around two or three years old. May wrote to Marcus that she desperately wanted to come back and be with him."

"Her in-laws refused to let her move back to Taos, without them taking custody of Renee. They had found out about the ménage a trois, and were worried that the scandal would cause big problems for the Dwyer family name. So she stayed with her in-laws, working at their haberdashery shop, in order to keep her daughter Renee from being taken away from her."

"May and Renee stayed in Phoenix. May and Marcus corresponded over all those years until May died when I was 12. My Nanna May, never mentioned anything about Marcus or Taos, New Mexico, ever. I'm not sure if Renee ever knew anything about Marcus either. I really don't think she did, otherwise it wouldn't have taken Renee long to go to Taos and find a way to rip him off or drain him dry. She is such a nasty leech."

"I know that after his fall in the 90's Marcus got his art collection valued and security increased on his home. Up until then, he wasn't that worried about locking up. When I first saw the list of art works in Mr. Jenk's office, I nearly fainted. It was amazing, so many different artists, and not just from the time Marcus lived in the US either. Although I have to say the ones from the early and mid twentieth century, were pretty impressive, particularly the Georgia O'Keefe paintings and Ansell Adams' photographs. They were all living in Taos and working together at the time, so I guess they gave art as gifts, or traded art with each other."

"Some of the more precious pieces had come from medieval and renaissance Italy. There were also some early Russian and Greek religious icons as well as some unusual Ethiopian religious icons. Some of the early medieval Italian works were private altar triptychs, painted on wood."

"I know he also collected many local tribal and Hispanic art and craft. This is pretty much still lying around the house, and as far as I know, none of it has been catalogued.

The bulk of the art collection is housed in Taos in a special storage facility. I took a few framed drawings of my Nan, back here to have her close by me.

The other stuff I know about Marcus is what Esme and you have told me, Jasper. Oh, and he also got Truffles before he died at the ripe old age of 97. Didn't he Truffles? Do you miss Marcus sweetie?"

I patted her and she thumped her tail against Jasper's cast.

"I think it's time for some soup and salad. There are nice fresh bread-rolls and I might have got some dessert for later."

I wanted to give my voice a rest, and find out what Jasper knew.

"Mmm, great soup. I really missed your cookin' sugar lips."

"You weren't in hospital that long!" I rolled my eyes.

"Yes but even one meal without those flavours you magically create, are more than I can stand." Jasper gave me a smile to brighten my day.

"It's lovely to have you back home, now enough of that smooth Whitlock charm. Why don't you put us out of our misery and reveal the mystery of the Cullen's, and what the heck it has to do with Marcus or even me?" I hugged him.

"Oh and here's your pain meds and antibiotics, they should be taken with food." I gave him his tablets and a drink.

"Now Jasper we are all hanging by a thread here, spill what you know!" Steve impatiently demanded.

"Ok keep your shirt on! Let me think where do I start?" Jasper ate some soup, chewed on a bite of bread and looked up at the ceiling.

"Marcus was born into a family that ruled the local area of Voltura for many centuries, they were landed nobility with feudal peasants at their beck and call, and very wealthy as you can imagine. He grew up in a castle and was the only son. This meant he was to inherit the lot. Even though World War One was raging his early life was easy. He was home tutored, and as a teenager went on to do studies in archaeology, art and when the Great Depression hit Europe and Fascism took off in Italy, he went into surveying."

"It was a way for a bright young man to head off, leaving the increasing strife in his homeland way behind him. At this time Italy was expanding into Libya and Abyssinia, or Ethiopia as we now know it. So he worked surveying for the Italian government, and on his return, he found that his home was under threat. Fascism had become hardened and it looked like war was going to break out. Not only that, but Mussolini had gotten close to Hitler; and Italy was becoming a puppet of Germany's war machine."

"Marcus didn't want to get caught up in a European war, so he packed up a fair amount of his family's art, particularly the smaller pieces which he could transport easily, as well as some personal family religious treasures and immigrated to the US, before World War Two broke out."

"At the same time, the US is going through the last horrible years of the Great Depression. There were starving families and farmers every where, and land was a dust-bowl, from the widespread drought and bad farming practices."

"Marcus was a canny, widely-travelled, young surveyor, with a passion for fine art. He hears about Taos, and moves there with some starving artist friends and settles down. He buys the property off another starving artist who needed the money, and creates a new home for himself."

"He is a good artist, but not a great one. He has many artists as friends and neighbours. Life is good. After the Second World War ends, he decides to give the castle to his sisters and their families. He didn't want the upkeep of living and maintaining an old castle, and he enjoyed living in a small house doing the stuff he loved. Not having to live the strange stifling life one of the Italian ruling class."

"He continued to buy swap and collect more art from his friends and contemporaries, as well as local tribal work and created a substantial art collection."

"In the 50's when Marcus is around 40 years old, and he meets the Dwyers, a young married couple. Marcus fell deeply in love with May. He also found he was intensely attracted to her husband, Gerry the roving geologist. They all fell into bed and in love."

"Things were fine, until word got out about the goings-on at Marcus's place. A local land developer called Felix, who had moved in next door to Marcus, found out about their unusual relationship. He had a lot of money, which he'd, come by quickly. He came to the area for his wife Esme who was an artist; they also had a little boy called Carlisle."

"Being the sort of man he was, he built a mansion, rather than something that fit in with the smaller older local adobe architecture. Esme's husband Felix was a dodgy character, he did deals all over. It's even said he sold land to the mafia so they could build the early casinos in Las Vegas."

"Marcus didn't trust Felix, but he liked Esme and they became good friends; getting together with May and Gerry for meals and parties. Felix talked Gerry into doing some geological surveys for him and they both seemed to get on well enough."

"After some contract work Gerry did for Felix, something went wrong and Gerry decided he didn't like the way Felix did business. Felix threatened Gerry to not reveal the details of his business, and if he did he would ruin Gerry and his family."

"Gerry moved away to Phoenix with May, but somehow, word got out about the dubious business Felix conducted, and how the Federal government had lost a lot of money in one particular land deal."

"Unfortunately, Felix blamed Gerry, even though he could never was prove that Gerry spilled the beans on his illegal deals. Information revealing him to be the crook that he was had been leaked to a federal budget committee. Felix was looking at bankruptcy."

"While all of the dirt was being dished, Felix was getting into bed with a well known senator's daughter. He left Esme, for Elaine and got his behind protected by Elaine's Daddy the Senator, who gives his daughter and Felix a quick, quiet wedding. Felix annulled his marriage to Esme and then got custody of Carlisle."

"Felix contacted Gerry's parents and then his colleagues at the Geological Survey Company he worked for; telling them all that Gerry was of 'dubious character', having been in a 'questionable relationship with a man'. In those days homophobia was rampant."

"He got the sack, and his parents threatened him and May. They had found out May was pregnant, and insisted that Gerry and May move away from Marcus and never contact him again. The house that Gerry, May and Renee ended up in was purchased by Gerry's family to keep them in Arizona."

"A year or so later, Gerry was diagnosed with a brain tumour and died. May was still bound to her in-laws and they focused all their misguided attentions onto Renee, who turned out to be a spoiled immature brat."

"May had to pretend that Marcus never existed. She did her best, getting a second chance when Renee came back home with a tiny little baby swan. Little swan was such a loving delightful child that May overcame a lot of her own disappointments and started enjoying life again. May used to send regular letters back to Marcus, along with photos and Bella's kindergarten drawings, which in turn gave Marcus hope again to live life boldly, and stop worrying so much about getting old."

"So Miss Isabella Swan, became an inspiration to two lonely hearts Marcus and May, and she gave them a reason to live life fully again."

"Is everyone following so far? Any questions?" Jasper asked.

"I think I understand now where Marcus's early Italian art came from, and maybe the Ethiopian, as well as the twentieth century American artworks. I also get why Nan never went back to Marcus when she was widowed, that makes sense. As well as, how Esme knew my Nan, and how Carlisle got brought up by his father and step mother, rather than with Esme. But what does all of this, have to do with Carlisle and his kids?" I still needed more information.

"I don't know about you guys but I'm thirsty, how about some coffee?" Vlad got up stretching.

"Yeah and what happened to that dessert? I can't tell a good story on an empty stomach. I need all the strength I can get." Jasper chuckled.

"That's a yummy sticky date pudding, can I have another helping?"

"It's all gone, sorry. I promise to make you something delicious tomorrow. Now that you've been fed; do you feel like telling us the rest of the story Jasper?"

"Please, please Jasper, tell us everything; we are completely beside ourselves with excitement!"

Steve got down on his knees and clasped his hands together and batted his lashes, begging.

Jasper waved his hands and smiled, "now where was I?

*Marcus continued living alone, collecting and making art.

*Esme lived alone next door to Marcus and painted.

*Felix married Elaine and took Carlisle to live in Albuquerque.

*Gerry died and May lived with Renee in Phoenix.

*Renee went off for a short time; returning after being married for a few short tumultuous months to Charlie Swan. Arriving back on May's doorstep with a little baby swan.

*May and Marcus kept in touch, but in secret."

"Good, everyone got that? Now while Carlisle was growing up, there was only a small amount of contact with Esme, she sadly wasn't allowed much influence in his life. The only good thing to come from Esme's marriage annulment was that Felix gave her the full title of her house. This encouraged her to sign the document dissolving her marriage. She refused any alimony from Felix or payment of any kind after that."

"Esme changed her name to Whitlock, her maiden name. Felix thought he could hurt Esme more by annulling their marriage, rather than divorcing her. It was in a legal sense, as if they had never been married in the first place."

"Hang on, let me get this straight." Steve said. "Esme got her marriage dissolved, as if it had never happened. She goes back to being Esme Whitlock, and keeps the house and receives no money or support from Felix."

"Correct, the other thing that you need to know is, Elaine officially adopted Carlisle. Esme wasn't given the chance to really establish or enforce her true parental rights. This caused her to become very bitter and depressed."

"Carlisle continued to grow and he met his wife Liz. They married and started a family. He learned all about dodgy business practices from dear old Dad. Carlisle moved into real estate, rather than land developments like Felix. He and Liz started having children, and when Edward was around ten, Carlisle and the kids started to make trips up to see Esme in Taos, without Liz."

"Now you might ask yourself why did Carlisle after two decades of hardly having anything to do with his natural mother, suddenly want to make contact and get her to meet his children?"

"Did his children suddenly demand to know all about their grandmother?

Did he want to learn more about his mother and her art and life?"

Jasper quirked his brows and shook his head slowly.

"It wasn't entirely clear at the time, why contact was reinstated and why Carlisle wanted to play happy families with Esme. The whole change of heart also coincided with a big event in Esme's life."

Jasper looked stuck for words. The story was getting harder to tell.

He coughed; I passed him a drink and then rubbed his back.

"Just before Carlisle made a comeback, Esme got some sad news. Her nephew, his wife and their baby girl, had all died in a terrible house fire in Texas. Esme's nephew was her only living relative on the Whitlock side of the family; apart from the nephew's two sons and baby daughter."

"The two boys survived the fire, without anything else to their name except the pyjamas they stood up in and one teddy bear. So that's how Esme got to adopt two little waifs, me and Pete, who'd suddenly lost everything in the world."

"Tissues?" Vlad asked passing the box over to Jasper, Char and me.

"That's horrible, oh God, pass me those tissues!" Steve howled.

"So Esme adopted you and you became a sweet little family. Esme needed you and Peter, and you boys needed Esme. At a time of despair you helped each other heal. At least you could be together. I hate to think what would have happened if you had been left to stay in foster care."

I blew my nose and reached over to hug Jasper.

"I think that's enough for now. We need to get something rustled up for dinner, and Jasper looks as if he needs a good rest. Maybe we can finish this story tomorrow morning?" Char stated calmly.

Jasper nodded and I hugged him.

"I've got you. I'm not letting you go. Ok? Just remember that I love you." I whispered in Jasper's ear.

"How about I make some toasted cheese sandwiches and heat up some more soup? Jasper hon, do you want to lie down? I can bring you some food and your tablets in bed."

Jasper was helped to the bathroom and then bed by Vlad and Steve. Char and I stayed in the kitchen and we cried while we cooked.

"What a day! I have to warn you Bella sweetie, there is a lot more weirdness to come. This story still hasn't finished, it's actually still unfolding at this very minute. There are still things that Peter, Jasper and Esme are still piecing together. Some of it still doesn't make much sense. But Jasper telling it in one long sequence really helps to get to grips with the mystery and intrigue." Charlotte stated, and then hugged me.

"I'm glad I can call you a sister. I love that Jasper has a true kind-hearted woman by his side, who isn't scared of anyone, watching over him. You are like a tigress that'll protect her mate. I love that about you."

"Thanks Char, I love you too. Heck! The time has flown and we haven't even talked about your wedding yet!"

"That can wait, one thing though, I'm completely positive that after today, none of those damn Cullen's will be getting an invitation!"


All reviews happily received!