CHAPTER NINE

"I leave you with this…if ever there were witches, Men, and Women in covenant with the Devil, here are multitudes in New-England. As in our text from John six-ten, there was a devil among the twelve disciples…so in our churches God knows how many Devils there are." – Samuel Parris

Edward warned me before leaving the house today that our behavior would be closely scrutinized by our fellow parishioners. His counsel, which was completely warranted, I had readily accepted…until he continued to go on and on and on.

I wasn't sure which lecture I hated more. The man standing at his pulpit, who seemed determined to give every last one of us a taste of hell, with him droning on about wickedness and damnation, or Edward buzzing around me like an annoying gnat, nearly causing me to forget our lovely conversation from the night before.

The first religious sermon I ever heard would be given by the infamous Samuel Parris. The first accusations had taken place in his house by his daughter. From what I remembered, the girls blamed the Parris' house slave, Tituba. However, after sitting through an hour or more of his sermons, which talked constantly of witches, the devil, and hellfire, I could see where these machinations could find their fuel.

Edward, in his rules for the day, stated he didn't want me staring at anyone. He knew I would have a hard time, knowing what I knew. He was right, because since we had entered the small church, I couldn't take my eyes off the child who would send twenty people to their death.

Edward's second insistence was to remember not to judge. He said I had a horrible poker face. However, it was easy for me to do as he asked, except when it came to listening to the man before me. How could I not judge? I had been reading the Bible for over a week, and clearly, the man had chosen to focus on only a few small sections. Edward said he was a believer, so did he believe as Samuel Parris? God, I certainly hoped not.

My eyes shifted toward my left, where Edward's mother was sitting in a pew next to her father. She caught sight of me and smiled back warmly. Edward poked me in the leg to get me to look back at the preacher. It took everything in me to not scrunch my nose in defiance.

There was a prayer said, asking each of us to repent and beg God for forgiveness, before we were allowed to leave. The whole room creaked, as we rose out of our pews and began shuffling out of the church.

Every person quietly exited, with their heads bowed in reverence. Some went towards their horses and carts, while others stood around outside the church, waiting to thank the good reverend for his wise words.

I saw Esme, or Ann, as I'd suppose she was called, and walked towards her.

"How are you this fine day?" she said as I approached. "Did you enjoy the sermon?"

I opened my mouth, and then I remembered that honesty was not always the best policy…at least, not now it wasn't.

"It was unlike anything I have ever heard. Reverend Parris certainly has a way with words."

Okay, not a complete lie.

"Have you lived here long?" I asked, hoping to get off the topic of the church.

"Yes, nearly my whole life. My father moved us after my mother passed."

"So, you know everyone?" She would be a good source for information, and I already knew she would be kind enough to share with me what she knew.

"Yes," she replied.

I caught sight of a woman dragging a child with her. She looked unclean and narrowed her eyes, when she saw me staring at her.

"Don't worry about her. Sarah Good never comes to church. She often looks like that as she passes. Please, don't take personal offense."

"That's Sarah Good? I should probably introduce myself to her. It would be the kind thing to do."

"Yes…however, I should probably inform you that she might not take kindly to you. There is a division between those who live in Salem village and those who can afford to live in Salem town."

I closed my eyes, irritated by my lack of education. What I wouldn't give for a decent history book on the subject. I wanted to kick myself for not spending those last few hours in Edward's parents' house researching. I wasn't even aware there was a difference between Salem town and Salem village.

"Isabella, are you ready to leave?" Edward asked from behind.

"Yes," I replied, before turning back to Esme…Ann. "It was lovely to see you again. Perhaps, I could come by sometime this week and have a chat? Since I am new to this area, it would be nice to have a friend who could inform me of the town?"

This time, I felt Edward tug on my elbow.

"Surely, as I would welcome the company," she said with a smile.

I turned and gave Edward a glare, before walking in the direction of our horse and cart.

I effortlessly maneuvered my way with the heavy, long dress up and into the cart, as if I had been doing it my whole life. I could see out of my peripheral Edward's tight face, which usually meant an argument was in our near future.

He didn't say a word to me the whole ride home, and I was rather surprised that, even as we entered our small abode, he still restrained himself. I turned, prepared for the tongue lashing, dictating every one of my infractions.

"Is there something you'd prefer?" he asked, leaving me in utter confusion.

Prefer? Preference to what, exactly? Was this like dueling, where I got to choose my weapon? I narrowed my eyes in confusion.

"…to eat?" he finished, seeing my face.

My mouth opened, somewhat shocked, and yet, somewhat unaware of what I should say.

"A…sandwich?"

He nodded and flopped down on the chair next to the table.

"Give me an idea of what kind, and I can be back in a jiffy."

I walked over and sat down cautiously, wondering if he was planning something. Planning to possibly poison my sandwich, maybe.

"Why aren't you yelling at me? Admonishing me for everything I did wrong? I know you must've made a list in your head. I may not have known you long, but I think I have a fairly educated mind on your…conduct by now."

Edward looked down at the table with his brow furrowed.

"You did well. I have no issues with how it went today."

I narrowed my eyes in suspicion and stared at him, waiting until he would look me in the eyes and make me believe the words which seemed a struggle to trip off his tongue.

"Bella! I have no problem. You did…fine today."

I continued to stare.

"Okay, it'd be in our best interest if you'd keep to yourself while we're here. Perhaps, making a coffee date with my mother is unnecessary. The more we make ourselves available to these people, the more of a target we could be. Understand?"

I nodded thoughtfully, but I prepared my rebuttal.

"Understandable. However, how, exactly, are we going to make any headway with our mission, if we keep to ourselves and resist integrating into the town?"

"I've already made some inroads. I've been speaking with Reverend Parris and made myself available for a teaching position. This way, I can get to know many families all at once. It's common for a teacher to come into the home of their pupil and discuss academics. You don't need to do anything, Bella. Just…play your part. Be the good wife to the town teacher."

Already, I could feel my blood begin to boil, but since he was being so patient, I was not one to mess up the flow of our conversation by acting like a petulant child.

"Play my role? I can do more than gather eggs from chickens or be your arm candy at church. Just give me a chance. Perhaps, I can find out some things, too. Shouldn't we both gather information and combine our intelligence?"

Edward waved his hand dismissively. "You needn't worry about it. I can have this wrapped up quickly and quietly. We're running out of time. Abigail and Betty Parris are set in just a few short weeks to begin their accusations. I'd prefer to be out of here before any of that happens."

I backed off a little from Edward. I could sense his concerns for my wellbeing. I told myself he wasn't acting this way because he didn't believe I could be of help. He was acting this way only out of concern for my well-being.

I spent my days staying near the homestead and gathering eggs. I had so many eggs, I began to wonder why I was wasting my time with them, especially since Edward brought in our meals.

Edward had been into town during the day, leaving me all by myself. After three days of doing as he had asked and staying out of the way, I couldn't help myself. My scant knowledge of Salem and the accused was going to have to be all I had to begin my own investigation.

I took a few blank pages out of the back and front of the bible, ready to begin my notes. I felt incredibly stupid when I realized I hadn't anything to write with. I looked over at Edward's small desk and saw ink and a quill. I cringed, knowing how frustrating this task would be. Perhaps, I could procure some chalk and make markings on a hidden wall.

It would take me over an hour to walk into town, but I was determined to not wait any longer, even if Edward had asked me to not reach out to his mother.

As I traveled on my journey, I began to go over what I did know.

Sarah Good had been one of the first to be accused. She had a daughter who was the youngest to be accused. Giles Corey was the elderly man who had died from being pressed to death. The Reverend Samuel Parris, who preached about witches ad nauseam, housed the very girls who would begin the whole damn thing. Plus, he had a slave who would be implicated as well for witchcraft.

This whole thing centered around this one family, and as I had said before, the mightily pious tended to be highly guilty of the sins they damned others for. But I couldn't count out others, either. Anyone of the accused could have reason to burn that book, if they felt it might implicate them.

By the time I had arrived in town, my feet hurt from the less-than-helpful shoes I had been provided. What I wouldn't do for proper arch support. When I made it to the small store, I must have looked worse for wear.

"Isabella," Esme said upon seeing me. She was outside sweeping the front, which seemed like a useless task, with the dirt roads and windy atmosphere.

"Hello. I was out for a walk and thought I would pop on by."

"Pop?" she questioned.

My mouth dropped, knowing I should explain myself.

"It is…uh…the new word they are using in Boston. It just means to stop in."

She said the word a few times, thinking it over. My hand ran towards my neck, wondering if the language thingy Edward had given me was in place. He had warned me to be careful with slang terms.

"Pop? I like it," she relented.

I breathed out a sigh of relief and relaxed.

"Well, how are you this fine day?" I asked.

"It is a great, beautiful day the Lord hath given us. I am thankful."

"That it is," I replied. "So…I was wondering if it would be an awful imposition to possibly procure some chalk and place it on my husband's account?"

After the "pop" slang snaked its way into my vocabulary, I concentrated extra hard on every word I said to ensure another disaster wouldn't occur.

"Chalk? What would its use be? I am not sure if that is something we could obtain. I would have to ask my father."

I cringed, wondering why she wouldn't know what its use was. Had chalk been invented after this time period? How was that possible? They had chalk drawings from caveman times.

"It was…a silly question. Another thing I heard about in Boston. Forget I ever asked."

This visit was not going as well as I had hoped. Maybe Edward was right. I would be the death of us both, if I continued to speak of things not yet invented.

"So, Ann. I have some extra eggs. Our chickens seem to be laying well, and I was thinking it might be nice to share our good fortune with some in town who might benefit most. Could you tell me if there is a family in need of some eggs?"

Hopefully, my topic would distract her from my many blunders.

"That is so very kind of you. I am sure the Good Lord will reward you in kind for your generosity. Perhaps a few families down in Salem village could benefit. If you bring them down, you could meet some of the lovely people."

This was a good plan. Spread my eggs among the community to gain entrance to their homes. Before I left, I asked Esme for some of those orange peel candies, which I put on Edward's tab. I wasn't going to keep my travels hidden. I had every intention of telling him, even if he hadn't caught me on my walk back.

I heard the horse coming down the path, and I didn't need to ask what the chances were that it would be anyone but Edward.

"What are you doing out here by yourself?"

I had every intention of being honest, but seeing Edward's flustered state made me question whether honesty was the best policy.

"It seemed like a brilliant day for a walk. Not too cold. Not too hot. What brings you here this fine day, Mr. Bennett?"

"Cut the acting. Get in the cart. You have no idea how dangerous it is to be out here by yourself. There's a lot more wildlife in these parts than you're used to. Why do you think I carry around this gun?"

He held his hand out to me. I hadn't even thought of the wildlife. I quickly took his hand and jumped in. We rocked along with the cart, not saying anything to one another. I caught sight of our house up ahead and felt a small twinge of relief.

"So, are you going to tell me what you were really doing?"

I sighed. "For the sake of our current relationship, I want to be completely transparent. I did head into town to see your mother again. I wasn't planning on keeping it from you, and if you don't believe me, then please note the transaction I made at the Foster's store, when I purchased this small bag of candied orange peels."

"I figured as much. Did she tell you anything?"

I shook my head. "I didn't really press her for information. I…uh…" I stopped, wondering just how transparent I should be. "Once again, for the sake of our current relationship, I want to be completely trans…"

"Just spit it out, Bella," he interrupted, growing impatient.

"So…it's the funniest story. If you could allow your brain some room for this small anecdote, it might upset you at first, but in the end, I'm sure this could be a story you'll laugh about for years to come, when you find your next time traveling bimbo."

The cart stopped, and he looked at me with his eyes already angered. I carefully got down from the cart and scurried inside, hoping some distance between us might help our survival rate, but he was right behind me.

"Um…well, so…I was sitting here today and thought about making a small chart of what I knew and adding to it as I came across new information," I slowly walked around the small room, but I noticed Edward pacing with me, keeping himself nearly at arm's reach. I tended to babble when I got nervous, so I was sure my shaky words did nothing to help calm his nerves.

"I thought it could help us eliminate certain suspects. Anyway, so, I was looking for a writing implement, and I noticed your lovely ink and…feather, but since I'm not adept at utilizing these medieval tools, I thought I might ask Esme for something a little easier, not realizing that she didn't know what I was referring to. I mean…honestly, how was I supposed to know people didn't use chalk in this day and age? It seems like a fairly common item. Hell, the cavemen used it to draw pretty pictures on their walls…"

Edward stopped and placed his hands on his hips. I could see his jaw tense, as he prepared to say something.

"Chalk wasn't common to use until the eighteen-hundreds. There's a reason I don't want you talking to people. You have no idea what you're doing! Why didn't you just ask my mother to order you up a ballpoint pen? How about a typewriter? A computer? You see, you think you know enough, but you don't know anything!" he yelled.

I looked down towards the floor and willed away the tears forming in my eyes.

"This is my fault. I should never have brought you here. My father didn't even trust me to come along until I'd been thoroughly educated. God, he...if he knew about this, he'd smack me good for being so incredibly stupid. He'd tell me that, if I died on this undertaking, I'd have no one to blame but myself. How could I expect someone so uneducated to be helpful?"

I cleared my throat before speaking. "Perhaps, you should just take me back. Before I…get you killed. You're right. I shouldn't have come. Just…take me back."

I felt my dam ready to burst, but I didn't want Edward to witness my humiliation any further, so I quickly fled the kitchen area into our small bedroom.

Edward's words hurt. A lot. But everything he had said was true. I kept wiping away the tears that fell down my cheeks. It took everything in me not to sob, so my jaw began to hurt from clenching so tightly to keep my emotions in check.

I lay down in the bed and waited for Edward to join me. He always had this thing about laying down, when it came to long jumps in time. What would happen next, when Edward dropped me back in my present? I would never find out if the future was safe from some killer virus. I doubted Edward would ever contact me again. Perhaps, he would drop me off in a time before he had ever met me, and I would have everything erased. No knowledge of time travel and the mysterious time changer.

It was about a half-hour after my last tear fell, when Edward finally entered. I focused on the wooden ceiling above.

"I'm ready," I whispered.

Edward lay next to me, but he didn't touch me. He had a small brown bag in his hands and placed it beside me.

"I'm not taking you back. You agreed to come and stay until this was finished. Besides, it'd raise too many questions if you suddenly were absent, and I don't fancy starting all over again. Your blunder wasn't…that bad. I'm sure you explained it away. You seem to be fairly good on your feet…"

"That's surprising for someone so uneducated…" I replied, noting his insult of me.

"Of course, you're uneducated. If you held a doctorate in historical artifacts, you still wouldn't be prepared for this journey. My whole life, I was trained for this. I didn't attend normal schooling. I studied and studied, and my father had high expectations. Rigorous tests and expectations. Any wrong answer would result in me spending a week in our library, writing a dissertation to ensure it wouldn't happen again."

I sniffled and bit my lip once again. "Your dad sounds like a douche," I said quietly.

Edward's hard frown instantly turned, and his eyes brightened from my words. "You have no idea."

My eyes looked towards the brown bag. "Dinner?" I asked.

"No, something I thought…you might think better than food."

He rose from the bed and nodded his head once more towards the bag before leaving. I sat up and cautiously opened the bag, wondering what it could possibly hold that was better than food.

I gasped, as I saw the first item sitting on top. A toothbrush. It wasn't fancy or nearly the kind I was used to. It was made from a wooden stick and had thick, cream-colored bristles. I nearly cried.

The next item was a pencil. One that looked to have been roughly carved from a tree branch. All items would be easily destroyed if anyone questioned them. The last was a small linen bag of powder. I sniffed it, and it smelled good, but I wasn't quite sure what it was to be used for. Was this like a deodorant? Was Edward finally noting my less-than-clean smell from the lack of proper bathing?

Edward walked back in with the door handle grasped firmly in his hand.

"I made soup if you want some…"

"What is this?" I bravely asked.

Edward shrugged with a small smile. "Dry shampoo. I couldn't keep it in the normal container, just in case someone saw it. You should be able to keep it in that bag without any issue. I thought you might like it," he replied, sounding as if that last part was in question.

"I do! I love it. Thank you! Thank you so much," I gushed. "I'll be right out to have dinner. I just want to try it out."

Edward closed the door, and I couldn't contain the smile on my face, as I looked at the three items he'd brought me. Briefly, I wondered what it would take to obtain a small history book on Salem, but I thought I might be pushing it by asking.

I worked some of the dry shampoo through my hair. So far, I had used the cold water to run over my scalp every other day, but it wasn't nearly as wonderful as this shampoo was. I began to feel like a normal human being after I was done.

I walked out into the small living area with a new sense of confidence. I would have run off to brush my teeth as well if I wasn't about to eat. I ladled myself a small bowl from the cauldron and sat down across from Edward.

Here was the odd thing. At home, I was used to eating by myself in silence as I read a book. You would think I would have no issue sitting in silence eating my dinner now, but for some strange reason, I found myself searching for a topic to discuss. The silence somehow felt wrong.

I found my mouth opening a few times, but just as quickly, I would choose to not say anything and opt for filling it with more soup. Edward showed signs of trouble as well. A few times, I would catch him opening his mouth and looking up, but when he caught sight of me looking at him expectantly, he would busy himself with his soup and stare back at the floor. Finally, I decided to break the ice.

"So…when does your teaching position officially begin?"

"Probably next week. They're speaking to the current teacher, and he's being requested to retire. I already spent a great deal of time in the Parris' home, looking through the books they have, and nothing looks like the book I've been searching for."

"They just let you go through their library?"

"Well, I'm a teacher, so they've been very accommodating to let me peruse their library, since we lost a great deal of our books in Boston, or so I told them we had."

I nodded and cringed slightly already, worried for how he would react to my request.

"Speaking of books…I was wondering what the chances are of obtaining a brief history of this period of time. I'd read it very quickly and burn it straight away if that's your concern. I just think it'd be helpful in my time to know how everything works. For example, I wasn't even aware there was a difference between Salem town and Salem village."

Edward set his soup bowl down. The light from the fireplace was just bright enough for me to discern that he was planning to turn down my request.

"Bella…you're a fast reader, but I can't take that chance. If anyone found a book that essentially predicted the future, we'd have a hell of a lot more problems than being hanged for witchcraft. I know it must be frustrating to not feel like you have a common knowledge of this time. In some ways, I'd argue that, the more you know, the more problematic that could be. You could unintentionally give too much away. You could change history without meaning to. Please, just be patient. I'll no doubt have the information we need within the first week of my new position. I want to get out of here just as quickly as you do."

But Edward didn't have the information within the first week of teaching. He didn't even have it within the first two weeks of teaching. After my blunders with Esme, I did as he requested and stuck to the homestead, only going out for church and small trips into town escorted by Edward.

I was feeling antsy. We were closing in on when the first accusations would hit. We were running out of time, and as much as I couldn't keep my eyes off of the young Abigail Williams while we attended church, the last time I went, I had noticed that she couldn't keep her eyes off me.


AN: Thank you for reading and reviewing. This story has been nominated for the Twific Fandom Awards as well as The Loser and Degrees of Deception. Tomorrow is the last day to vote in Round One and I would really appreciate all the help if you could take a few minutes out of your day to go and vote over at Twificfandomawards dot blogspot dot com.

Thank you as always to DOLLYBIGMOMMA for editing this so quickly so I could get it to you.

STORY IS MINE. CHARACTERS BELONG TO STEPHENIE MEYER.