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Chapter 35
By Wednesday, I'd had enough of Charles and his temper. I was of half a mind to let him have it, take my bride and leave. I didn't, but I dreamed of doing it. It was rather empowering.
Instead I listened as he fumed about the office and watched as he wrote what seemed to be reams of notes.
Three things kept me going and my tongue silent. One, Bella promised to show me her lair, for want of a better word. Two, Emmett was due in the morning and wanted to meet me. And finally, Charles had a long fishing trip planned with Mr. Black and was leaving at dawn on Friday. I could put up with a great deal knowing when he returned, he'd be in a much better temper.
I learned a little more about Bella every day. Tiny pieces of information I hoarded like precious jewels. She loved to dance, hated to sing, adored the colour green, well, a specific shade of green - sage. She didn't like the taste of it as an herb but loved the shape, smell and feel of the leaves. She couldn't draw and disliked having to write in school. She favoured mathematics and excelled in physical sciences.
Much to my joy, I found Bella to be very tactile. When we would talk, after dinner and dishes, she had to have something to occupy her fingers. She always had a small length of ribbon to worry or an acorn, pinecone, or seed pod. Once, when she had dropped her ribbon, she reached for my hand and stroked my fingers as she would the fabric. It was a glorious feeling. She gently ran her fingers across my palm and the lines there before turning it over and playing with the short, coarse hairs and the raised blue veins. In the fading light of a warm fall evening, it was one of the more erotic moments in my life to date. It was intimate and surreal. We had been married just over a week, she was still holding so much back from me, not out of malice, but fear I would react badly. As much as I wanted to, we had yet to consummate our marriage. I had made a promise not to push and I knew she wasn't ready. But her hands on mine as she spoke in that wonderful husky, throaty voice of hers was a sexual experience. One that stayed with me long into the night.
I had always thought of myself as a tall man. I was taller than most, my father and uncle included. Just over six foot with my length predominately in the leg which added to the illusion making me seem taller still. Properly dressed with a hat and I would almost always be the tallest in the room. Emmett McCarty made me feel tiny. Not that he was much taller than I. In fact, I'd say we were very close in height. But the size of him, the huge thick muscles of his shoulders added to his imposing stature. Granted, I hadn't built up the muscle loss I had from my illness and I had always been lean and trim, but standing in front of Emmett was truly humbling. Bella woke me very early and marched me down to the gate to meet the behemoth that was her friend. He was wearing dirty dungarees, suspenders and a faded striped shirt with the sleeves rolled up past his elbows. His forearms were the size of a mutton leg. He wore a cloth cap on his head covering dark brown curls. He looked as if he could be Bella's much larger elder brother.
He took one look at me and roared with laughter. He bent at the waist, slapping his knees in mirth. I didn't really want to know, but I had a suspicion I was the joke that amused him so. I wasn't offended. If he found me amusing then he might approve of me for her because I was non-threatening.
Bella slapped him on the back to get him to contain himself. It still took several minutes before he was calm enough for introductions. I expected him to try to crush my hand when we shook but he was gentle, perhaps a bit too gentle as if I were spindly and breakable. Every time his eyes met mine, I could see his level of giddiness rise. He could only stay for a few minutes, so he chatted with Bella as he unloaded boxes of goods and filled a small cart that was just inside the shed for her to bring back to the house.
When he was done, he turned to me. He took off his cap and wiped his brow.
"I guess I really don't need to worry about her anymore, not with you around. Even if you are a twiggy little thing, I can see you'd never do her harm. And now that you've seen me, you know what would await you should you hurt her. Don't go mucking this up, Eddie-boy." There was no veil to his threat and I nodded frantically. Despite my fear of this mammoth man, his only concern was for Bella so we were united in a way. I appreciated him and vowed to eat more, possibly engage in some calisthenics or other exercise.
Bella spent the rest of the day preparing travelling foods for Charles while he piled task after task on my desk to be completed while he was gone.
As a parting note, just before dinner he cornered me. He reminded me of the promises I made before I agreed to marry Bella. To not touch her until she was ready, to keep her safe and to lie if anyone asks where Charles was that week. He left me a detailed map of where he said they'd be fishing. I knew something was amiss with him and this trip, but at the same time, I was reluctant to inquire the reason. I had a feeling there would be no good coming from it.
I was right.
AN: Thank you for reading. Thank you to Lunabev, JulieToo, IpsitaC77 and Beachcomberlc. Today is a busy, busy, go, go kind of day, so I leave you with a cliffy. I do it out of love, you know that, right?