Disclaimer: as always, I don't own Twilight, you all know who does;) and I'm really sorry it took me so long to update.
Chapter 13
Don't kid yourself
And don't fool yourself
This love's too good to last
And I'm too old to dream
Don't grow up too fast
And don't embrace the past
This life's too good to last
And I'm too young to care
Don't kid yourself
And don't fool yourself
This life could be the last
And we're too young to see
Blackout, Muse
I was fuming when I left the balcony.
"How could he? That man is insufferable!" I said mostly to myself as I dragged Rosalie towards the elevator. When we got in, I persistently pushed the "close" button to make sure that the "millionaire couple" wasn't following us.
"What was that all about?" Rosalie asked.
"He had the nerve to accuse me of having an affair with Henry. Can you believe that creep? I mean... I saw him yesterday being serviced by that… that… lady, and he's pissed because I went with Henry to that damn party and didn't pick up the phone when he called me today. And on top of that, he's annoyingly persistent. " I was having a hard time keeping my chain of thought coherent.
"Back up a little… what do you mean by servicing?"
"She was on his knees in front of him while he was moaning loudly, what kind of service do you think she was paying him?" I asked her sarcastically.
"Oh my God. And the prick called you? He saw you?" Rosalie asked, baffled.
"No, he didn't see me… and yes, he called me. Persistently, I might add. I wanted to choke Mom when she went snooping at my phone."
"I can see why now. But wait a minute, did you tell him what you saw?" Rosalie asked with a facial expression that was a mix of shock and amusement.
"I implied… and I think he understood."
We stared at each other for a couple of seconds before we both start laughing a little hysterically.
"That's so messed up," Rosalie was eventually able to say between giggles. "Let me see if I got this straight: first he's trying to get in your pants but you turn him down. After that you end up going to a party with the man that pretty much owns his ass where you find him in some dark corner being 'serviced,' as you put it, by the supermodel for his campaign slash girlfriend? And still he calls you desperately like a love sick puppy and makes a scene because he's jealous of grandpa Henry?" she asked.
"He didn't try to get into my pants…" I corrected her.
"Right," she almost snorted.
"Now please, can we keep this to ourselves? I really don't feel like sharing this with Mom." I opened my eyes as wide as possible for dramatic effect.
"Sure," she chuckled, "I don't blame you for not wanting to tell Renée. I think it's wise to keep this to ourselves. Who knew that your visit would end up being so fun?" she teased me.
"Emmett!" I called, waving in his direction when we entered the casino playing area, effectively ending the conversation.
"Hey, you took your time getting back to the car, I was beginning to worry. What do you want to play, little sis?"
"I'm not much of a player," I told him earnestly, "can't I just watch?"
"Sure, now come on. Let's get this party started." Emmett placed his arm tightly around Rosalie and led us to the poker tables.
The rest of the evening went by uneventfully, but I couldn't help but constantly look over my shoulder. I felt like I was being watched, but I knew that it was probably just my imagination playing tricks on me. He was probably gone by now and there was nothing for me to worry about. It's not like Tanya was going to let him go anywhere without her - she seemed like the clinging type.
We went home around two a.m. When I was getting ready to go to bed, I got a text message on my cell phone. I hesitated at first before reading it, but decided to stop being a coward and get done with it. Nothing could prepare me for what it said.
"Hello Miss Swan, this is Greta Masterson, the Duke's assistant. If you're still awake, please call me back at this number. It's urgent."
That's when I noticed that I had three missed calls from the same number in the last thirty minutes. I must have missed them; I still had my phone on vibration mode.
Damn you Edward Cullen!
I went to the library and redialed the number immediately. It only rang once before I heard a familiar female voice.
"Hello, Miss Swan?" she asked in haste.
"Yes. Is everything all right, Greta?"
"Henry is in the hospital."
"What happened?" I began to worry.
"I don't know exactly. He fainted after lunch and I couldn't wake him up. I brought him to hospital but he never regained consciousness." She stopped sobbing and I waited for her to regain her breath before continuing.
"He started having some abdominal discomfort after breakfast, which was something he usually had because of his known condition. After a couple of hours the pain increased and he began vomiting. I told him we had to go the hospital but he didn't want to. That's when he lost consciousness and I called an ambulance."
"How is he?"
"I don't know, they won't let me see him. I think he's still in surgery now. I'm sorry I'm disturbing you, but you're the closest person to him here and I'm beginning to panic. I know he'd want you to be here."
"Of course, I'll be right there. What hospital are you at?"
"I'll send Mathew pick you up. His Grace would be furious if he knew you were driving alone at this ungodly hour. He'll be there in fifteen minutes."
"Ok, I'll be there as soon as possible. Try to stay calm."
I went back to my room and changed into something more comfortable. I knew I'd probably have to stay there for a long time.
"Mom, are you sleeping?"
"Almost, honey. What's happening?"
"Henry is in the hospital. I have to go there; his assistant just called me. I think it's serious."
"Do you have to go?" she asked sleepily, but I could tell she was getting worried.
"I don't have to, but I want to. Don't worry about me, his driver is coming to pick me up. I don't know what time I'll be able to get back but I'll call you as soon as I have news, ok?"
"Be safe."
I kissed her goodbye and headed to the door. As I opened it, the familiar black Mercedes was already parked at the curb with the motor running. I got into the front seat without delay.
"Bella, you´re going to get me fired, you should know by now that you must sit in the back," Mathew said as he drove off.
"I'm sorry, Mathew," I told him honestly, surprised by his harsh tone. "Do you know what's going on?"
"I'm not really sure, Bella. Whatever it is… it isn't good. I'm sorry if I snapped at you, it's just that… we're all afraid. His Grace's health has been deteriorating over the last couple of months and… this might really feel insensitive to you, but if something happens to him I'll probably lose my job."
"Why do you say that?"
"Don't you know who the next duke is?"
"Oh… right. But you don't know that. It's too soon to tell, we don´t even know what's happening right now."
It took us only 15 minutes to get to the hospital. Greta was sitting with her head down and didn't even notice me at first.
"Hey… do you have any news?" I asked her as I sat on the empty bench next to her.
"No, still nothing. He's been in surgery for over two hours now…"
"Did they tell you what was wrong with him? Why he needed surgery?"
"They said something about mesenteric ischemia."
"Oh my…" was my only response. I decided against telling her the prognosis.
Please God, don't let him die now.
We sat in silence for a while. Finally Greta spoke. "Miss Swan…"
"Please, call me Bella."
"Bella, thank you for coming"
"Don't mention it. Henry is my friend," I told her simply, in a weak voice.
"I know. Do you think that he'll live?"
"I don't know…" The prognosis depended on so many factors I didn't know, like the amount of intestine involved and the time from the onset of symptoms to the diagnosis and treatment… I honestly didn't know… But the success rate wasn't great, especially considering Henry's prior history.
We saw a surgeon slowly approaching us. At the sight of him, Greta stood up immediately and nearly ran in his direction. The look on his face told me everything I needed to know. His eyes were tired and sad. He was focusing on hiding his frustration…. I had worn that expression before.
The surgeon lost his patient, which meant that Henry was dead.
I sat still in shock, trying not to blink in a vain effort to hold back the tears. When I was unable to contain myself anymore, I closed my eyes and felt the tears follow a path along my nose to the corner of my mouth.
After the surgeon told us what happened during the surgery, we were informed that an autopsy was going to be performed in the morning.
"We should probably go home," I forced myself to say. "There's nothing more we can do right now and tomorrow is probably going to be a long day for you."
Greta was staring at the phone booth in the corner of the waiting room.
"Of course, you're right," she said, looking at me for the first time since the doctor had left the room. "I just feel like the moment I step outside this hospital everything will be real, and that I'll have to start calling all those leeches in England. What time is it?"
I looked at my watch. "It's 6:30 a.m."
"Which means it's 7:30 p.m. in London. I have to start calling right away," she said in a near whisper. "Bella, there is a lot we need to talk about. Come on, Mathew will drive us home and we'll talk on the way."
I followed her in a daze and sat in the back seat, earning myself a weak approving smile from Mathew. I couldn't help but notice that several of Henry's security team were following us.
"Bella, I'll start to make the arrangements for the funeral. I believe it will take a few days to have everything ready. With the autopsy and the translocation of the body to England the funeral will most likely be in five days. Do you want to attend? His Grace left very specific orders as to the procedure we should follow after his death."
"I don't know…It's just too much for me to deal with right now."
"I know, and I'm sorry, but His Grace was very specific. He told me that if he needed to go to the hospital, you were the person I should contact first and that I should make sure everything was prepared to receive you at the Vidal Palace. He was expecting you to go… Also, I have to make sure that you're safe until then, so you're keeping his security team until after the funeral."
"Why wouldn't I be safe? It doesn't make any sense. He barely knew me!"
"He knew you a lot better than you might imagine. I just have to make sure his final wishes are respected. I'll send you the details as soon as I have everything sorted out. Until then I advise you to stay under the radar. His Grace's death was to be expected, but not this soon."
The car stopped in front of my brother's house.
"Get some sleep. I'll call you later, I promise."
"You have some serious explaining to do…"
"I know, and I will, I promise," Greta said. "I just have a lot of things that I need to attend urgently."
I got out of the car and went inside. When I looked over my shoulder I saw that the car that was following me was parked on the other side of the street. I waved at the two men in the car and they nodded back in response.
Sleep didn't come easy in that morning. The sun was already up when I got to bed. Even in the artificial darkness I created in the room I could only sleep a couple of hours. After everything that happened over the last few days, I felt cheated because I would never have closure when it came to Henry, there would always be too many things left unsaid. He was always so cryptic, and delivered information in small pieces. I couldn't help but feel that I was missing the big picture, but what big picture? Maybe I should have called him. If I had I might have realized in time what was wrong with him. After I tossed and turned in my bed for a significant amount of time, my tired brain finally succumbed to a restless sleep.
It was midday when I woke up. My eyes burnt from all the tears I shed and didn't want to acknowledge before.
"God, I barely knew him!" I mumbled to myself.
Although I knew as much to be true, the part of me that remained rational was aware that his death had awakened feelings that I buried deep inside. To an extent, I was probably reliving the grief of Grandma's death. I never missed her more than now.
I went to the living room and all of a sudden I hated all the over the top Christmas decorations. Had I been alone I probably would have ripped them off the walls and hid them in some dark, forgotten corner of the attic. I briefly considered calling Greta to ask if she needed any help, but decided against it. She was probably sleeping by now considering that she was supposed to start calling Henry's relatives, "the leeches" in England as she called them. A wave of nausea hit me at the thought that somewhere across the globe, someone was rejoicing in someone's death, someone who died alone in the middle of the night in a foreign country.
"Hey, good morning sleepy head. Glad to see you're up!" Emmett said when he noticed my presence in the living room. He was focusing on his Playstation 3 game, Far Cry 2. Because I didn't answer soon enough, he hit pause, lifting his eyes from the TV. What he saw must have been scary because he asked "Jesus, Bella. What happened to you?"
"Henry died," I stated simply.
"The duke?"
"Yes, that's why I left last night. I went to the hospital."
"Oh man, I'm really sorry. You'll be all right, little sis?"
"Yes," I answered, but I felt a lump forming in my throat.
For the rest of the day, everyone at home walked on egg shells around me. My mom looked at me disapprovingly, Rosalie looked at me worriedly and Emmett was sad for me. I encouraged them to go out in the afternoon without me because I was lacking the outdoorsy spirit. I texted Greta to let her know that if she needed anything, even if it was just company for dinner, I was at her service.
I was vegetating on the couch watching trash TV when around four o'clock my phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Bella, it's Greta. I'm sorry I didn't get to reply to your text, but I had so much on my mind."
"Of course, you don't need to apologize," I reassured her.
"Is it too much of me to ask you to come over?"
"No, where do you want me to meet you?"
"I'm still in the same hotel, in His Grace's suite. Mathew is at your front door. Just let him know when you're ready to come."
"Why is Mathew at my front door already?" I asked her, a little miffed.
"I'll tell you everything, but I'd rather do it in person."
"Ok. I'll be there soon."
And we disconnected. True to her word, I found Mathew leaning against the car outside. I could tell he was making a serious effort to maintain a neutral face, the same effort I was making. His eyes were tired and swollen and he had dark circles underneath.
"Hey Mathew, didn't you get any sleep?" I asked him as he opened the door for me.
"I could ask you the same question," he answered with a hint of amusement in his tone.
"Right."
We drove in silence, the need to make small talk long gone. Why death was the stage for such strange social conventions was always fascinating to me. I'd always feared death for the unknown. The concept of non-existence was difficult to grasp for a living being. I remember the first time I felt the true weight of living. I was twelve and I was watching a movie in a theatre where a family had died. I remember going home and waking up in the night screaming, knowing that one day it was going to be my loved ones, my family. Grandma Marie was the one that held me and told me that it was the way God created us, that mortality was our only reminder that we weren't God, that we didn't have all the time in the world to make it right. At the time I questioned her; I still do, to be completely honest about it.
I have to admit that because of her faith, she faced disease and death peacefully, with serenity – which is something I know Henry didn't. And even though I now regard death as something natural, as is expected from a doctor, I still don't take it calmly and with a light heart. I still remember the name and age of the lady I performed my first autopsy on and I can count and tell you everything medically and personally relevant about every person I have ever seen dying. I never took death lightly. My Grandma used to say that I was going to be a great doctor, but that I went to med school for the wrong reasons.
She was, as usual, right.
But I didn't have the time to delve in it further, because there was a middle aged lady waiting for me.
"Thank you for coming, Bella." Greta hugged me forcefully and then let go. "Please take a seat," she said, pointing to a big, black leather couch.
"I believe there are a lot of things that I need to explain to you. His Grace's death was unexpected, and he didn't have the time to prepare you, like he wanted to do. First of all, I have to ask you if you wish to attend to the funeral. Arrangements have been made, he will be buried on the 26th of December in the More private cemetery like all his predecessors, alongside his only daughter, Marie More, your aunt." She tried to give me a reassuring smile.
My eyes were beginning to prick and I was making a conscious effort not to cry.
"I'm not sure if I can make it," I told her weakly.
"Do you want to go?"
"I would like to."
"I have everything sorted out. The More private plane will take you to London and from there you will be escorted to His Grace's estate outside London. Everything was done according to his instructions. Until then, and because we fear for your safety, you will be escorted everywhere by the Duke's personal body guards."
"Wait a minute. Why would I need body guards?"
"He left very specific orders regarding your safety, Bella. Waiting for you in the hotel bar is Mr. Greene, His Grace's lawyer. He asked to meet with you as well. I know this is too much, but I believe that the sooner you're fully informed the better. Can I tell him to meet us here?"
"Yes. Although I don't see why I need to speak to Henry's lawyer. What's happening, Greta? It's tiring to never fully understand what's happening. Since I met Henry my life is nothing but confusing. Everyone seems to be determined to make decisions for me. I don't like being confused," I told her, frustrated.
"I know, and I'm sorry. He'll be up in a minute and I'm sure he'll try his best to tell you everything. I'm just following orders, Bella."
"All right."
After a couple of minutes there was a light knock on the door. A man that I recognized as one of the lawyers Henry introduced me at the party entered the room at a fast pace.
"Miss Swan, I'm Steven Greene. I'm the personal legal representative of Henry More, the Duke of Vidal," he said, shaking my hand.
"First of all, let me tell you how sorry I am for your loss."
"Thank you," I told him honestly, although I was surprised by the way he made his approach. He thought I was the one who lost the most, but in my opinion he should probably have addressed his words to Greta - she was closer to Henry than I was, no matter how intense the last few days were. I was starting to wonder if the world had gone mad.
"I asked to see you because there are several issues that we need to talk about. I know this all must be confusing to you, but before we start I have to tell you that I'm not allowed to disclose everything just yet. Nevertheless, I believe that you'll still find our conversation enlightening. Did Miss Masterson inform you of the funeral arrangements?" he questioned.
I nodded.
"And you're attending?" he pressed.
"I don't know. I was caught off guard, but I believe Greta made all the arrangements for me to go, so I think I can go." I hesitated a little before adding, "I think I should go."
"Good, so you'll be in England on the 26th of December."
"Yes."
"Excellent. Now, I believe you're not aware yet, but your name is mentioned in the Duke's last testament," he continued.
"It is?" I questioned disbelievingly. "What does that mean, exactly?"
"It means that you must attend the reading of the testament. It's scheduled for the 28th of December at 9 a.m."
"Do I have to go?" I asked him nervously.
"You don't have to, but you should. Look, I'm going to be honest with you. This might be a little too hard for you to bear, since His Grace's death was so unexpected. I know for a fact that he wanted to prepare you for this, he just didn't have the time. There are a lot of people, Bella, that are expecting to be mentioned in that testament… Most of them aren't, but you are. It's in your best interest to be there."
"How is this conversation supposed to be enlightening?" I was beginning to feel a little miffed.
"His Grace contacted me to be your representative in that meeting. You can choose another lawyer, of course," he added quickly.
"But why do I need a lawyer?"
"Look, he contacted me because he wanted someone who doesn't work for More Enterprises in London to be by your side, someone foreign and without direct links to his company. I have worked before with him on few personal matters and that's why I was picked to be your representative. To answer your question, I'll be there just to make sure everything goes smoothly… there are a few people who might try to use your lack of experience in these matters to harm you. And if things go really badly and someone tries to contest the validity of His Grace's last will, you'll need me too. His Grace expressed his concern about one person in particular."
"Who?"
"Lord Edward Cullen."
"Am I never going to get rid of that man's shadow? I feel like he's haunting me! And I'm not even sure why he does the things he does, or why I keep hearing that name."
"So I assume you've already met him?"
"Yes."
"And that you dislike him?"
"Yes, I guess you can say so… Can I ask you something?"
"Of course."
"If my name is in the testament, is it safe for me to think that Henry left me something?" I inquired of him.
He chuckled at my question. It irked me because I wasn't really fond of being teased without knowing why.
"Yes, he did. For confidentiality reasons, you understand that I can't divulge more. I was instructed that you should only know exactly what you're inheriting when everyone else does. I believe His Grace wanted to orchestrate his last scene. Please, I beg you to respect his last wish."
"I will. It's just that everything is so confusing, I don't even know why would he leave me anything. He barely knew me!"
"I understand. Look, I'm going to give you my first official advice, as your solicitor. Please refrain from saying that to anyone else but me."
"Why?"
"Just trust me. Less is always more. For the time being I believe that is all." He stood up, shook my hand and was halfway to the door when he suddenly turned around.
"Oh, I almost forgot the most important thing that brought me here." He fetched a blue envelope from his jacket and handed it to me. "This is a letter that I was entrusted to give you. I leave you to your reading. I'll see you at the funeral." He turned around and resumed his walk to the door but turned suddenly once again. "Oh, and Miss Swan?"
"Yes?"
"Merry Christmas."
A few minutes after Mr. Greene left, I was still staring at the unopened envelope, sitting heavily in my hands. Greta suddenly materialized next to me. I almost jumped out of my seat because I didn't even realize that she had left the room in the first place.
"So, Bella, I believe that you have a lot to process. You understand now the need to keep security at all times with you, at least for the time being."
"I don't know. Is it really necessary?"
"Yes, His Grace thought it was and he was usually right. Just until you go to England. After that, if necessary, we'll make other permanent arrangements."
"Fine," I conceded, too tired to argue with anything. She looked like she could use some rest.
"I'm going home now. I'm really tired and I believe you must be as well."
"Yes," she agreed, "I really am tired. Mathew is taking you back home. He and Sean will be with you at all times for the next few days. I'll email you all the details of your flight to London. You should probably make arrangements to leave on the evening of the 25th. With the difference in the time zones, you will arrive on time for the funeral. I remind you that you'll stay in His Grace's castle at least until the 28th. Please clear your schedule according to that. If you wish to bring your family with you, just let me know and I'll make the additional arrangements needed, ok?"
I exhaled loudly before answering with a weak, "Ok".
"Bella, I know this is too much, and I'm really sorry. You can do this. Have a nice Christmas."
"Thank you, to you as well. Can I ask you when you're going back to England?"
"Tomorrow morning."
"Thank you, and I'm sorry if I'm behaving in a puerile manner," I told her sincerely.
"You're not. Trust me. I've dwelt with puerile before, I can tell the difference," she smirked.
I hugged her goodbye, which surprised her, and met a very eager Mathew in the hotel lobby.
"So you're stuck with me for the rest of the week, huh?" he asked, smiling for the first time in two days.
"I guess so. I'm sorry for that."
"Don't apologize, I'm more than happy to oblige."
"You know what?" I asked him without waiting for a response, "I never realized how thick your British accent is until now."
"I believe we have the time to get you better acquainted with my British accent, Miss Swan," he joked.
My mood wasn't light enough for teasing so I just gave him a weak smile and followed him to the familiar black Mercedes. As always, he forced me to ride in the back. When we got home he ran to open the car's door for me and I just glared at him.
"Bella, take this card. If you need to go anywhere you give this number a call. Sean and I will always be at your disposal to take you. There will always be two men at your door to make sure you're safe. You met them before. They're the same two that guarded His Grace. If you happen to see anyone you don't know, you give me a call. Ok?"
"Ok," I said, accepting the card. "If I notice anything out of the ordinary I'll let you know. I think you're blowing this out of proportion and I'm 100% sure that I don't need to be watched 24 hours a day, but I came to the conclusion that even if I fought this you'd probably do it anyway."
"Probably," he chuckled. "I'll see you tomorrow?" he questioned me.
"Yes, see you tomorrow."
I patted him gently on the shoulder and went inside.
"Bella! Where were you? We got home and you were gone, we were worried sick!" Emmett admonished me.
"Sorry. I went to see Henry's assistant. She needed to talk to me. What are we having for dinner?" I asked.
"Pizza!" Mom said, entering the living room.
"Ok. Guys there are a few things I'd like to discuss with you. Can we talk after dinner?" I asked Mom and Emmett.
"Sure, honey. What's it about?" Mom asked.
"I'll tell you everything later. Do you mind if I go to the library for a little bit? I need to check my email."
"Sure. You'll know when dinner is ready… just wait for the bell, Bella," Emmett said playfully.
"Right, thanks."
I had had a burning feeling since leaving the hotel. I fetched the letter from my purse after I closed the door behind me. It felt like it weighted a thousand pounds.
"Sydney, 20th of December 2009
My dear Bella,
I'm writing this letter fully aware that it will only be delivered to you after I'm gone. I am honestly lacking the words to express myself and I don't even know where or how to begin.
You've been nothing but gracious to me, even after I told you everything that happened between your grandmother and me. I can never make you fully comprehend how much that meant to me, how my soul was lighter thanks to you. Make no mistake, I know that no matter how much I wanted to be free from the guilt, the responsibility for my actions was not lifted from my shoulders and I have no intention for it to be.
The first time I saw your picture I almost collapsed at the similarities. I know I've told you this before, but you look so much like her that it hurts to see, but still I can't bring myself to take my eyes off of you. It's an ache that I have welcomed into my life.
Knowing that your grandmother moved on with her life without us (without me and our daughter) had a paradoxical effect upon me – I was happy to know that she rebuilt her life and had a family, but it also pierced my heart to know that she had everything without me, everything that could have been mine if not for my folly. I can't help but think that you could have been my baby's little girl, had she lived. It's an old man's madness, forgive me.
So I had to meet you, I had to let you know everything. If you could forgive me and let me in your life, then Marie would have probably done the same. I was seeking atonement… but I've told you all of this before. And you listened, and you didn't judge me, my sweet angel. It was so refreshing to feel that again… pure kindness without second intentions to taint it. You're innocent, kind and maybe even a little naïve, but that doesn't weaken you; on the contrary, you're too bright to let that become your weakness.
I have been surrounded all my life by mendacity, gossip and hypocrisy. When I was diagnosed with cancer I knew I had to make decisions about my future. When I gave up hope that my wife would give me an heir, I began to search for an alternative. My next in line is Edward Cullen; as I told you before, he's my closest male relative. So I invested a lot of my time trying to mold him to be my successor in everything. What I wasn't counting on was the innate greed and lack of morals he began to show when he entered his third decade of life. Apparently I have molded him too well and turned him into a younger Henry More, the old version of myself that caused me revulsion. So, in order to make things right, the best punishment I can think of for him is to be excluded from my testament. But I'm going to let him be the next Duke of Vidal, I have no intention of denying him that burden, because trust me, my child, he's not aware of it yet, but he'll be chained to a title that represented nothing to me but a world of hypocrisy and loneliness.
He knows too many important people and is too influential for my taste. I fear what he might do to you. I'm suspicious about why he approached you now, his sudden interest in you worries me. Although I'm not fond of disclosing secrets that aren't mine to keep, I think that you're only going to be able to protect yourself if you know all the facts about him. I don't want you to think that I'm judging him too harshly for his youthful mistakes. He did something that I find unforgivable and I'm going to let you decide whether you agree with me or not. And to do so I'm going to have to tell you the story of Alice More, his sister.
She is just a year younger than you. She was born in 1986 after a very difficult labor. I'm not sure if you've been told anything before about this matter, but contrary to what is usually said, Edward More didn't die before Alice was born, he died in the same hospital and at the same time Alice was being delivered. They were involved in a car accident while Edward was speeding to take Esme to the hospital. Because she was in the back seat of the car, her injuries were a lot less serious than his.
After the delivery Esme was told that her husband didn't survive the crash and was devastated. She became depressed and irrationally blamed Alice for the incident. The first six months she couldn't even stand to look at Alice, she refused to breast feed her and treated Edward like he was an only child. They missed those first years of bonding and I believe that condemned their relationship forever. Anyway, Alice grew up in boarding schools, going home mostly just for summer vacation. I can still remember how much she cried when Esme married Carlisle Cullen and she found out that he was adopting her. As the time passed and she grew out of her infanthood, everyone noticed she was different from other girls. She was always very sensitive to her surroundings and she could sense when something bad was going to happen. I know you're a doctor and you're probably skeptical about this kind of thing, but to give you an example, she sensed there was something wrong with me even before I knew it. She was the one who forced me to go to the doctor, and we both know how right she was.
Anyway, I'm diverging from the main issue. Because of the emotional void in her life and this special gift of hers, she began to manifest signs of depression early in life - although I don't agree with her family in this matter, I don't think she was really clinically depressed, she was just a sad child with an uncommon gift. They thought she was psychotic, and convinced Esme and Carlisle that she needed psychiatric help. She started taking several meds but obviously they didn't do much for her except to sedate her. She began to drink as a way to self-medicate when she was 16. After a few months of self-destructive behavior, Esme found out about it and decided to take Alice from the all girls private school she was in, and transfer her to another school she could attend from home. She wanted to make things right for her daughter, she knew that most of what was happening to Alice was at least in part her responsibility.
At first, Alice started coming home for weekends regularly, and around Easter, Esme organized a welcome home dinner party to let Alice know that she was transferring next year to a new school. After dinner, Edward decided he wanted to go to another party that night. Esme told him that he could go only if he took Alice with him, she wanted her daughter to meet new people. He reluctantly agreed, and took her and Jasper with him.
That night, I believe he must have been too distracted by other things to notice that his little sister drank too much while taking strong medication, or maybe he ignored it since it wasn't the first time she'd done it. The fact is that she got pregnant and couldn't even remember having intercourse. Because of that, it never crossed her mind that she might be with child until she was 16 weeks pregnant. In a panic, she asked Edward for his help. She didn't want to have the child, she had no idea whatsoever about how the child was conceived in the first place, but she couldn't have an abortion. So, Edward convinced Esme and Carlisle that a sabbatical year before starting her new life would be beneficial, considering everything that Alice went through the months before. Neither Esme nor Carlisle suspect until this day that Alice was ever pregnant.
Edward took Alice to the United States, to Chicago to be exact. As far as I know, Edward was planning to give Alice's baby up for adoption. He was doing what he called damage control. Maybe I'm oversensitive about this matter given my personal circumstances, but knowing that he intended to consciously give a More baby away to avoid scandal was the turning point for me regarding Edward. I could no longer find excuses for his behavior so I just stopped trying.
When Alice attended her first medical appointment, the ultrasound detected severe malformations most likely related to the alcohol that Alice had consumed when she didn't know she was pregnant. Because of that, the child was never born. Around the 20th week of pregnancy Alice had an abortion in a private clinic. She stayed for a few weeks in Chicago, and after her convalescence, she moved to New York and enrolled in some fashion workshops.
Before the beginning of the following school year, a matured Alice came back to England and started to apply all her efforts to her studies. I'm not going to pretend to know what happened during that year, only that she came back with a newfound confidence. Throughout her short life, she has always been manipulated and told what to do. The only time that she actually stood up for herself was when she changed her name back from Cullen to More when she turned 21. That was the time that I really noticed a change in her. She found out what she had in common with Esme and started to bond with her over it. A new concept was born from their joint work and that's when Alice approached me with an energy that I didn't know she possessed and several ideas to create a new clothing line. Hence the a.m. that you know was born.
My only request to you is that you help Alice. She's a wonderful person that did the best she could with what she was given. I trust you with her secret for I know you'll do well by her. I'm trying to discover who took advantage of the fragility of a sixteen year old girl. And I intended to make him pay for it. Unfortunately I don't have the time to do that anymore, so I'm asking you to keep looking. I trust your judgment to do what's right when you find the bastard who caused this.
After I found out about this, and I only did because I overheard a conversation between Alice and Edward, I confronted Edward. He was evasive in his answers, stating that he did what was best for his family and that I shouldn't interfere in it, because there were secrets that should remain buried. What shocked me the most about this whole situation was his inability to show that he was sorry about what happened. His worries were all about what would happen if the wrong people found out about it - he was only worried about the scandal. Unfortunately for him the wrong person found out – me.
And there you have it, my dear, the reason why I think he is scum. Everything he does is for selfish reasons. He alleged that he loved his sister and was only trying to protect her, but I think I know differently. I can tell when I'm being lied to, and trust me, he's hiding something.
Be prepared to face strong reactions after the content of the testament is disclosed. Please remain calm and don't let them get to you, you're better than any of those who might stand in that room with you, I'm sure of this. If you wish to do one last thing for this old man, all you have to do is to comply with my will and don't contest it. Let me take care of you in death the only way that I can, the way I should have taken care of your grandmother in life. You might not understand it at first, but I'm trying to make things right.
Take care of yourself and of your family. I'm trusting you to do so. Keep true to yourself and you'll be happy. I have a good feeling about you. I hope you find love - just remember that it doesn't always come easy, so no matter what, don't turn your back on it. Don't make my mistakes, make new ones.
With love,
Henry More
P.S. You have an aunt who is still living in the area near my old family estate. She is Marie's younger sister and I think you might like to meet her. If you decide to do so, please ask Greta for instructions, she'll be able to help you."
Oh my God. I read the letter twice to fully comprehend its content. I understood now why Henry hated Edward, but in my opinion Henry's view on things might have been biased. I had to be careful forming my own opinion on the matter; there were still a lot of blank spots to fill in before I could make a fully informed decision. One thing I knew for sure, Edward probably was an evil, spoilt and unscrupulous man.
What was concerning me the most was how on earth I was supposed to do what Henry asked me from the United States. It was definitely going to be a challenge, and I'm putting it mildly, to try to find who raped Alice, because for me no matter the circumstances of the night Alice couldn't remember, it was rape.
Finally, and probably the most important question, was what the hell did Henry write in that testament? What was I going to inherit?
I was starting to worry that he might have done something really, really stupid, but decided to repress those kinds of thoughts. Wishful thinking, Bella! I scolded myself.
I heard the door bell ring and decided to go open the door. I realized that day how much I was keeping to myself during this vacation, and how much I'd been isolating and distancing myself from my family over the last few months. Henry's words showed me the need to correct that, before I was too old to change.
"I'll get it!"
I opened the door but was surprised to see that it wasn't the pizza delivery boy.
"Isabella Swan?"
"Yes?"
"I have a delivery for you, please sign here."
"Ok."
I signed and he went back to his van to get something. I noticed Mathew was looking worriedly in my direction. I gave him a nod to let him know that I was ok. Apparently he wasn't kidding about the 24/7 surveillance.
The delivery man came back to me with a huge bouquet of red roses.
"Have a nice evening, miss," he said, handing me the overly expensive flowers.
"Thank you," I said, closing the door behind me.
"Who was it?" Emmett asked as I entered the kitchen to find a vase for the damn things.
"Rosalie, do you have a vase to put these flowers in water?" I asked my sister-in-law, who was washing the salad for dinner.
"Of course," she said, cleaning her hands, "I'll get you one."
"Who are those from? They are beautiful!" Mom stated, nosey as usual.
"I don't know."
"Look, it has a note!" I hadn't noticed it was there so she found it first. I feared for a second that she was going to read it but she surprised me by handing me the unopened white envelope.
"Thanks, Mom," I smiled genuinely. But my smile vanished quickly after reading the note.
"I'm sorry. Edward."
I crumpled the paper in my left hand and threw it in the trash. I swallowed hard and exhaled loudly to reign in the temper that was beginning to flare. As calmly as humanly possible I stated, "If you like them, you can have them."
I placed the flowers in the vase and gave them to my mom with a reassuring wink.
"Hey, when is that pizza coming? I'm starving!"
As soon as the words were out of my mouth, the bell rang again, and this time it really was our pizza.
Medical trivia:
Mesenteric ischemia is a relatively rare disorder seen in the emergency department (ED); however, it is an important diagnosis to make because of its high mortality rate. It is caused by decreased intestinal blood flow that can be caused by a number of mechanisms. Acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI) is involved in up to 0.1% of all hospital admissions in the USA, although this number is likely to rise as the population ages. Mortality rates are high and range from 60-100% depending on the source of obstruction. Early and aggressive diagnosis and treatment has been shown to significantly decrease the mortality rate if the diagnosis is made prior to the development of peritonitis. The classic picture of a patient with acute mesenteric ischemia involves severe abdominal pain with a paucity of abdominal examination findings and a history of risk factors (malignancy is one of them).
"The term fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs), a description rather than a diagnosis, has been used to describe a range of deficits that can accompany prenatal alcohol exposure. The disabilities include diagnoses captured by FASDs, for example, FAS, partial FAS, alcohol-related birth defects and alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorders. There are also deficits in motor and mental development associated with prenatal alcohol exposure that do not meet the diagnostic criteria for a FASD. These are believed to represent the most common nongenetic cause of mental, learning and behavioral disabilities in North America and are serious lifelong conditions. In as much as any health issue related to behavior is preventable, these deficits are theoretically 100% preventable.
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders result from alcohol use during the prenatal period. During the first trimester, sometimes before pregnancy recognition, 12–60% of women report alcohol use. A proportion of women, estimated to be between 4 and 27%, continue to drink alcohol during the remainder of pregnancy, and the effects on the fetus can be devastating,"
AN:
So part of the mystery was unveiled now, it's easy to understand that Henry was conditioned by his life experiences to regard Edward's actions as unforgivable and abominable.
I went a little overboard with the story of alcohol abuse in Alice, but I did it mostly to make you aware of the seriousness of drinking alcohol during pregnancy, any amount can be detrimental for the baby's health. Most of the times women have consumptions while unaware of the pregnancy (like Alice), and that may happen during the first weeks of pregnancy, when you have no way to know that you're pregnant. If you want to know more about this I can send you a full article, from a credited source (googling can be dangerous sometimes, not all information is good and certified.)
For those of you who didn't see it, I posted an EPOV outtake of the party.
Thank you Scooterstale, the most amazing beta!
As always read and review! Tell me what's on your mind!
Nofrure