Chapter Forty Three
Carlisle
We were glad this was all over and the children had suffered no lasting ill effects from their kidnap although Charity was very insecure for some time. Caden was quieter and we all knew he felt somehow responsible for Charlie's death although everyone had told him the same thing, he had done all he could. I think it troubled him most that he hadn't been able to recover Charlie's body for his mom but in that area there were plenty of predators who could have made away with the body before the Denali guardians went back out to recover it. I was surprised there was no trail to follow but thought the guardians probably couldn't be bothered to find it and the weather had become worse, heavy blizzards making things even more difficult.
Carmen, Tanya, Irina, and Eleazar came to visit about a month after she returned the children to us, just before we left Forks and introduced their new friend to us all. He was a fugitive from the Romanians having decided he wanted nothing of a fight with the Volturi. He had heard of Eleazar and decided to make his way to the United States in the hope he would be willing to help him adapt to a new way of life.
"I couldn't tell you who our mystery guest was when I dropped the children off, we were concerned word might slip out where Anthony was, he was so scared even though we told him he could trust you."
"We understand. I hope you have found Denali not too strange a world for you Anthony."
"Not with my beautiful companion to show me the ropes Carlisle."
He was holding Irina's hand and she smiled lovingly at him. I wouldn't be surprised if we didn't hear of a wedding very soon.
Esme
I was surprised Kate wasn't with them, the girls were usually together but when I asked Tanya she just shrugged,
"She's been acting really strange these last few weeks, disappearing without saying where she's going and staying away for days at a time. I think she's found herself a boyfriend she's keeping hidden, I can smell a strange man on her clothes and she acts really coy when we question her."
"I would have thought she would be only too pleased to show off a boyfriend."
Tanya looked over at Irina and Anthony,
"I think she feels guilty. Irina has Anthony and she has a mystery man which leaves me the odd one out but I would be only too pleased if she found her mate."
"I seem to remember a problem some years ago when you brought a young man home and she tried to take him from you. Perhaps she's worried you'll try to pay her back."
Tanya grinned,
"You know I'd forgotten all about Derek and yet at the time I thought I was madly in love with him. You could be right Esme, I hadn't thought of that."
Bella and Jasper had been away for a week taking Caden to Disneyland along with Rosalie, Emmett, and Charity, and only returned the day before Carmen and the others were due to leave. Of course they all made a fuss of the children who were happy once more to thank Carmen for bringing them home. As they all sat talking I noticed Anthony watching Caden with a slightly puzzled expression and later he asked if he could have a word with me in private. We went out into the garden ignoring the mist that damped our clothes and hair as we walked and it wasn't until we were almost at the creek that he spoke.
"Caden was in Denali with Charity wasn't he?"
"Yes, Carmen brought them home but I'm sure you heard the whole story from Eleazar."
"I did but there is something that puzzles me. Did Caden come into contact with Kate while he was there?"
"No, he tried to escape there but they were caught before they made it, why?"
He shrugged,
"I don't know but I get a feeling there's some connection between Caden and Kate."
After they left I brought the subject up with Carlisle,
"He seemed so sure there was a connection."
"Well, I don't see how there could be Esme, we know the children were recaptured before they reached Eleazar and the only other time they met was when he was small. You could hardly call it a connection."
I shrugged,
"Oh well, I guess it will all come to light in the end if he wasn't mistaken."
Two weeks later, we had just settled into our new house in Missouri, we received a call from Carmen asking if they might visit, they had someone they wanted to introduce us to. Of course they were always welcome although the house was a little small for the whole family to be squeezed in.
"It's OK, there will only be four of us."
She was very mysterious on the phone and I wondered if maybe this trip was to tell us Anthony and Irina were getting married. Of course Peter and Charlotte turned up along with Darius two days before so the house was full to bursting although the guys spent a lot of time outside with the children. It was good for Caden because it stopped him brooding on Charlie.
Bella
When Jasper told me he and the guys were going on a camping trip with Caden to free up some space in the house for the visitors I felt a little left out but seeing how excited Caden was at the idea of an all guys camping trip especially as Darius had promised to do some fishing with him I could hardly complain. It was so quiet after they left though even with Charity chatting away as Charlotte made her some new clothes for Daisy who was beginning to look a little worm herself. Strangely Charity refused to let Rose throw away the bloodstained dress or wash it.
"She just keeps saying its Uncle Charlie's and he'll want it back. Not sure what bedtime stories Emmett's being reading her but he and I are going to have words."
"She's remarkably unscarred by her experiences in Denali Rose. I wish Caden was."
"The difference is that he was old enough to understand what was going on Charity wasn't thank goodness but we're all proud of how he looked after Charity and almost got them free. Have you noticed how much more grownup he seems since then?"
I nodded,
"Yes, my little boy is more like a little man now. He's growing so fast too Rose. In a way I envy you, you have years to watch Charity grow up while Caden is growing by the month."
Rose put an arm around me,
"I know but then think, as Charity grows up we have to worry about her finding out our secret or telling someone else about it, you don't have that worry and one day we'll have to say goodbye to Charity, she'll grow older than us and that idea really freaks me out."
We heard the car draw up and Esme went to greet Carmen and the others while I went upstairs to put some laundry away only to find Alice sneaking some more new clothes into Charity's closet.
"Rose is going to string you up when she sees that lot Alice."
Alice smiled and sighed,
"I know but what good is it having a niece if you can't spoil her and..."
She stopped mid sentence and her eyes opened wide,
"Oh Bella, how come I didn't see this. Come on."
She took my arm and dragged me down the stairs three at a time, hitting the bottom step as the front door opened and Carmen and Eleazar stepped inside. Behind them came Kate and with her was someone I recognized only too well. I gasped and ran to him throwing my arms around his neck,
"Charlie! You're alive."
