Good morning, all!

I'm starting to think Laura B and VD are the same people.

Laura B: I think a governess is a splendid idea. Out of sight, out of mind (by the way, when I read that, I did it in the voice of Beaker from the Muppets)

Laura, if you're not VD, then sorry (not really). Look, I've already said this to VD, but I'll recap. Trolls don't bother me. Not one iota. Keep at it. All you're doing is entertaining me and bumping up my review count. I win in both situations. If it did bother me, I could easily block you and remove your reviews. It's that simple, LOL

Isabella Cullen

"And if anyone says anything to you, anything at all that upsets you, you come to either Edward or I, do you understand?" I asked Charles as I adjusted his clothes where we stood in the nursery.

The rest of the week had flown by at a rapid pace and my time had been filled with asking the staff to make sure all the rooms and bathrooms were ready for our seventeen guests.

To say that I was nervous would be an understatement, but I knew that with Edward by my side, I would get through the next month.

"I promise, and I will make sure to look after Charlotte and Henry, too." Charles grinned back at me, and I knew that he was taking his role very seriously after Edward had spoken to the children last night.

We had made sure to ask them to be polite and well behaved but had also reminded them that this was their home above all things, and should someone upset them, they were to come to us straight away.

I was not prepared for my children and brother to be uncomfortable in their own home; it was as simple as that.

"The first guests should be arriving soon, so how about we go and find the others?" I smiled at him when he nodded, and then Charles took my hand before leading me out of the nursery and downstairs toward the large sitting room.

Esme had done wonders at making sure all the right places in the house had fresh flowers, that the fires were lit, and of course to make sure that dinner would be on time for when the last of our guests had arrived.

We met with the others in the sitting room, but I was too nervous to sit, so I took the children into the back garden for a small walk.

"I cannot wait until spring when all the flowers are out in bloom, Mamma," Charlotte said with a smile as she helped Henry climb over a large log by the side of the large lake.

I knew that I should have stopped him climbing because he was in his best clothes, but he was a small child and wanted to explore. He had no understanding of dressing smartly just yet, and I wanted to keep him innocent to the expectations of society and how one looks.

"Neither can I, Charlotte, it will be so full of color out here," I replied.

Thinking of spring had me wondering about other things that would happen around that time. The farm would be finished with planting up, Rosalie's baby would be due, and we might even know by then if I was expecting a child of my own or not.

When Esme had first mentioned the possibility, I'd brushed her off and explained my tiredness on all the travelling that we had been doing. However, I would have been lying if I wasn't hoping that I was indeed carrying Edward's next child.

"There you are." I heard Edward's voice, which broke me from my thoughts, and when I looked around, he was walking toward us with a large smile on his face.

"Hello there, husband of mine." I giggled and held my hands out for him to take.

"The first of the guests have arrived and I was sent to search for you. By the looks of it, we need to have our child changed before he greets the visitors." He chuckled and I turned around to see Henry knee deep in mud by the edge of the lake and trying to reach the ducks.

"I think that would be best." I laughed.

…

The first of our visitors were a nice, older couple called Mr. and Mrs. Michaels, and while the gentleman was rather loud and certainly not reserved, his wife was as quiet as a church mouse and screamed 'regal'.

I was introduced to them only as Isabella. Edward explained to me that he wanted to sit back and watch people's reactions when they found out about our secret. I rolled my eyes when he said it, but I could not deny that I would like to see the reactions, too.

Carriage after carriage turned up throughout the day. By nightfall, the house was loud, teeming with people looking about the place, and I had started to feel uncomfortable.

I knew that everyone there was known to the family, but to have so many strangers in one place was a little unsettling for me.

As much as I did not want to usher the children away, by dinner time I thought that it would be best for them to eat in the kitchen rather than to sit at the long dining table with the other guests. It had been a long day for them, and they were tired and getting irritable just as much as I was.

"Are you sure?" Edward asked when I mentioned it to him. All I could do was nod.

It was only the first day of the guests being there and already I was tired of seeing posh dresses and all the talk of money and town.

The following morning, I woke up in Edward's arms, smiling widely before my stomach churned at the thought of sitting with all those people at breakfast.

It was not because I did not want to be around them, but I realized that I did not want mine and Edward's bubble to burst.

Although Esme, Carlisle, and the children had been around us, I'd felt as though Edward and I were in our own little world, celebrating our union and our happiness, and with him about to be out hunting for most of the days to follow, I was not liking this hunting season at all.

Once I had pulled myself from the bed and made myself presentable for the day, I went to gather the children from the nursery to have them downstairs and ready for breakfast.

They were still tired, but somewhat less irritated at all of the noise. Edward met us at the door of the dining room and cheered the children up with the promise of horse riding later if they were good, which I knew they would be.

"Oh, here they are." I heard Esme say as we walked into the room, and then I blushed the instant everyone turned to face us.

"Sorry we're late, these little ones did not seem to want to get up this morning," Edward said before I could open my own mouth.

"No matter, you are here now," Carlisle replied while we sat down.

I tried not to feel anxious about the looks some of the women were giving me.

We soon settled into an awkward silence as the food was served. I was glad that I had asked Heather to provide some extra ham as it was going down nicely with the guests.

"Esme, may I be so bold as to ask why the children are with their governess in here and not in the nursery?" I heard a woman's voice whisper, and I did not know whether to be offended or laugh.

I kept my eyes down but shifted them to the side to see Edward fighting hard not to laugh, and I knew that it would be okay.

"Because they are family, Miss Mallory, and as such, they dine with us," Esme replied, not worried about keeping her voice low like the other woman.

After breakfast, the noise level picked up in the room before we all retired to other parts of the house. The men were soon to leave for their day of hunting, but I was pulled to the side by Esme before we went into the sitting room.

"Do not bother with what the girl said, she can be a spiteful girl at best. Know that I will have words with her mother if she says anything else," she promised, and I nodded before walking into the room to join the children and the other women.

We spent the rest of the morning reading and talking, but by lunch the children had grown restless, so I took them to the nursery to play for a while after they ate.

"Mamma, can we walk outside?" Charlotte asked after a time of playing with her dolly and I saw no reason not to. Dinner was a long way off and the fresh air would do them good.

"Go and get your coats," I replied with a grin when I saw them all smile.

We spent the next two hours walking around the gardens, the lake, and the horse stables. The children had great fun when I gave them clues to look for things like leaves, stones, and stable items. It was a great game, but it also taught them about outside, which was invaluable when we lived in the country.

When it got a little too cold for comfort, we headed back in, and the children were quick to hunt down their grandma to tell them of their treasure hunt.

They laughed and ran down the hallways in search of Esme and when they found her in the glass hot house, I should have smiled with them, but I could not.

I just saw red.

Uh, oh... What do you think Isabella has just walked in on? I'll see you later... x