Chapter Forty Nine

Edward

I had no idea how but things began to trickle out about my activities, not just that I liked human girls, that was common knowledge in the family but somehow the suspicion that I might be attacking human females, raping them and maybe even impregnating them had grown into a distinct possibility. First of all, I noticed Esme behaving coldly towards me. I got strangely disgusted looks from her and then the same appeared on Rosalie's face. Of course, where she went Emmett followed so he too began to avoid me and this really annoyed me. How dare they consider themselves better than me? Especially Emmett who was responsible for the death of two young human females, two singers. His activities were excused because their blood called to him so strongly, my misdeeds were looked at altogether differently by the hypocrites I shared a house with.

Eventually, I cornered Emmett and demanded to know what he knew and how.

"I don't know what you are talking about Edward."

"Yes you do, why is your wife looking at me like I'm something she found stuck to the bottom of her shoe? Esme too."

He pulled free of my grasp on his arm,

"Maybe because you are. We all know what you've been doing and you expect us to condone it? To condone rape?"

"Hardly rape, I admit I occasionally had to use persuasion but rape is putting it a little strongly."

"Oh really? Well, I guess we see things differently."

"And just who has been spreading these lies about me?"

"No idea, I heard from Rosalie and you can imagine what she thinks of you. Left down to her Carlisle would boot you out after castrating you first."

I laughed,

"Like that will happen, you seem to forget I am Carlisle's first, his favorite so I suggest you tell my dear sister to keep her mouth shut and her dirty looks to herself or I might have to do so for her."

Emmett seemed to grow six inches but I could read his thoughts,

"So, it's my dear "mother" Esme. Fancy her saying such things about me, some mother figure she turned out to be. She should have done a better job when she threw herself off that cliff, she would have done us all a favor."

"Don't you say things like that about Esme, she's a good mother figure. She just sees through you to the rotten core Edward and don't think for one moment she'll shy away from asking Carlisle to act."

"She can ask as much as she likes, she can grovel on her knees, it won't make any difference Emmett. Carlisle loves me a damn sight more than he does her."

Carlisle

Things were getting complicated in the family. Esme and Rosalie had suspicions that Edward was acting with a total disregard for the laws of man or vampire and attacking females. I had checked as best I could and found no hybrid children born as a result of his attacks, not even Bella whose existence had been quite a shock when she appeared at our door. What was I going to do, I could hardly condone his actions, Esme and Rosalie would be looking to me to do the right thing and even Emmett was scandalized. My options were however limited, I didn't want the Volturi spotlight shone on the Cullens, that never led to a good place, I could try to talk him out of any more attacks but I sensed he had no control over his actions in these cases. I could banish him from the family but if he were then caught in the act I too would be under suspicion for setting him adrift. It was a dilemma but one I had to make a decision on before the whole family ripped itself apart.

There was also the problem of Alice who was as determined to make Bella's life a misery as I was to keep the peace. Unfortunately, Alice marched to her own drummer and persuading her to change her views was near on impossible. If I put pressure on her to leave Bella and Jasper alone I would be accused of siding with them and not my "daughter". Just occasionally I wondered if creating this family had been such a good idea after all but that didn't usually last long. This time though, I felt I was in very deep waters and struggling to stay on the surface while the sharks circled hungrily below.

Ironically Esme's other complaint was my lack of welcome for Bella. What had she expected? The girl came into my house looking for her husband. Yes, she was scared but her fear wasn't my business. The fact she was married to Alice's "husband" however was. It was my daughter who was devastated by this revelation and yet my wife thought I should have welcomed her with open arms. Telling me that Bella was innocent, that I should be taking out my displeasure on Jasper alone really didn't help matters, the woman was crazy sometimes. Crazy but determined and I knew things were coming to a head. As the patriarch of the Cullen family, it was for me to make the decisions, to rule on any family disputes but doing so, this time would quite likely end in a fracture of the family, something I really didn't want to happen. I should be blaming Edward I suppose but instead, I blamed Jasper and Bella.

Esme

I knew Carlisle was aware of the tension in the family and it was affecting him too. I had always found him easygoing and sweet natured but lately, he had been short tempered, snapping at silly little things, more stressed than he had ever been. Sometimes when he lost a patient to death he would be upset but not like this. Ever since Bella had appeared and Jasper announced she was his wife Carlisle had changed. I knew he loved me, I knew he often relied on me to run the household but recently he had even argued with me, snapped at me on one occasion. Was it because we had decided we didn't like the way Edward had been acting?

Alice had inadvertently let slip that she had seen Edward attacking a human girl and both Rosalie and I had been shocked. Alice wouldn't be drawn any further except to say that Carlisle would deal with the problem on the quiet. I had watched for the two of them to have a serious discussion and was relieved when Carlisle asked Edward to join him in his study. I had made sure I was around when Edward came out hoping to see on his face the outcome of the discussion but when Edward came out he was smiling, a nasty sneering smile and I knew whatever Carlisle had said didn't have any effect on Edward.

I had told Rosalie and Emmett what I saw and promised to bring the subject up myself with Carlisle. They were relying on me to sort things out. If I couldn't they had already threatened to leave and I hated that thought. I begged Rose not to make such a threat,

"I couldn't possibly leave my mate and I need your support if I am to sort out this problem."

Rose had wrapped an arm around me and spoke very low in my ear,

"If Carlisle cares about you then he will listen and act against Edward. If he doesn't Esme then I think you know what that means don't you?"

Of course I did, it meant he thought more of Edward than me and the very thought hurt me so deeply I couldn't even consider it. I was forced to of course when I saw Edward's expression, Carlisle was still putting Edward's feelings and needs before those of anyone else including me, his wife.

Deciding the best thing to do might be to speak to Jasper and get the truth of the matter from him because I was sure at least some of the trouble had been caused by Bella's arrival I rang him. I explained what had happened here and asked if he had any idea what was really going on.

"Nothing I can discuss Esme but I would stay away from Edward, he's trouble."

"And Alice? Why would she try to get Edward in trouble?"

"Again I can't tell you anything but I would hazard a guess that she wants to be the center of attention and Edward is in her way."

"So, she's lying about Edward after all?"

"What do you think Esme?"

His tone of voice gave me my answer,

"So, there's a lot more going on here than I suspected at first?"

"There are very few in the family who don't wear a mask Esme and masks are worn to hide the identities of those with something to hide. If I were you I wouldn't ask too many questions Esme, you might find yourself in trouble if you do."

Well, I guess I had my answers but now I had to decide what I was going to do about it.