Thank you Scooterstale for your patience. You're the best beta a girl can have;)
Disclaimer: I'm just playing a little with SM's characters. Unfortunately, I don't own Twilight.
Chapter 16
It was sickening to realize how much I'd been running away from all my life.
All those eyes were staring at me in disbelief. Everyone inherited enough to live a lifetime without worries and still the envy was cutting through me. But what made my head spin in anger and sadness were his words, his unfinished sentence.
The background was silent and felt like carbon monoxide, painlessly lethal but asphyxiating.
I heard his apologies muffled in the distance but I didn't actually register them. I opened my bedroom door in a determined movement and closed the door behind me a little too forcefully.
"What now, Bella?"
I walked to the window, coughing a little. I was feeling sicker, all I needed was to get pneumonia now, I thought sarcastically.
It was raining heavily outside and the tears were threatening to fall. I didn't welcome them; I felt ashamed for the compulsion I felt to cry. I breathed slowly, trying to calm myself a little.
Nothing of that had to change my life. I could start my residency as planned and help Emmett settle down somewhere near home.
I decided that it was time to be more proactive in my actions. It was clear to me at the time that everyone seemed to know that I was going to inherit More Enterprises and that aggravated me. They created the perfect environment of suspense in the last couple of days, probably because of one of Henry's last wishes. Even in death he wanted to make a statement.
As I was pondering what that testament entailed, I heard a soft knock on the door.
"Bella, everyone is gone," Greta told me softly as she entered the room.
"Good."
"I know this is a lot for you to absorb," she started.
I still didn't answer. It was obvious that she knew and didn't warn me.
"I was just following orders. His Grace thought it would be better if you were unaware that you were his heiress for as long as possible," she said, looking at me expectantly.
"I know, but it still feels like somehow you betrayed me. I felt like a piece of meat among crocodiles."
"I know. Please accept my apologies for that."
"You shouldn't apologize for something you don't feel sorry about. If needed, you would have done the same thing. Let's just leave it at that."
I felt a chill running through me and resumed coughing.
Oh goody… I'm really getting sick.
"I think you should lie down now, Bella. I'll ask someone to bring you some tea and we can talk when you're settled."
"I hate tea… can I have some milk instead? And acetaminophen, and lots of water."
I took off my clothes and put on my pajamas while Greta attended to my requests. After I got settled I began questioning her, and there was something I needed to know before anything else.
"If something had happened to me before it became official that I was the heir of More Enterprises what would have happened?" This was central to the point. Someone tried to kill me the previous day and I could finally understand why.
Finding out who was the culprit was a different matter altogether. Edward was the first name that came to mind, but he was the one who saved me. If not for him I'd be a floating corpse. Even though I clearly disliked him at that point, I still owed him my life.
"What do you mean?"
"Someone tried to kill me last night… I need to find out who. Certainly a man in Henry's position had a contingency plan."
"I see… It's something that only His Grace's lawyers can know for sure."
"What do you know, Greta? If I died before Henry, as unlikely as it may seem, what would have happened?"
"I believe that His Grace's wealth would be distributed in equal parts amongst his heirs."
"His cousins?" I asked and she nodded in agreement. "That makes no sense," I said mostly to myself, "they all inherited enough to have a comfortable life. God, this makes no sense." I exhaled loudly, frustrated because it would be a good clue if there was an alternative heir.
Apparently my brilliant idea just went down the drain. It made no sense at all. Besides, who could have known about the testament? They all seemed genuinely surprised…
"They would inherit a lot more than 500,000 pounds, if not for you. Every single person in that room would be better off if not for you. I wouldn't exclude that possibility just yet. I'm not trying to scare you, but I believe you should be aware of the risks this testament entails for you."
"How much exactly did I inherit?"
"It's hard to know exactly how much…"
"Make a guess…" I pressed her and she laughed genuinely.
"Well, I can't say for sure but His Grace's estate was valued at almost 13 billion dollars. Even if you take the money he left for his horde of cousins and the estate that Lord Cullen inherited attached to the Duchy, I'd say roughly 12 billion US dollars."
I swallowed hard because nothing could have prepared me for that number.
"How can anyone have that much money?" I asked, genuinely surprised.
"His Grace invested his money, since his youth, in varied businesses. His fortune grew enormously, at first, with an oil company. He expanded his businesses in the early nineties to different areas: he created AirMore that you already know, he helped fund MSoft and recently a.m., but the one you probably know better is More Laboratories, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies of the world."
"That alone employs nearly 100,000 people!" I said in awe.
"Exactly, and that's what you inherited. His Grace never considered splitting More Enterprises. Forgive me for my boldness, but when he realized that Edward Cullen wasn't his best choice, he just got desperate, and I mean no disrespect by this… Soon after his wife´s death he went in search of your grandmother; it took the investigators some time to find her and unfortunately she had already passed away. They brought him news of you and it fascinated him how much you'd accomplished on your own. First he was captivated by your beauty and the similarities with your grandmother, but soon after he found out that you were intelligent and kind. He nearly cried seeing your pictures working as a volunteer for the Red Cross."
She paused for a while to let me register the meaning of her words fully.
"And then he knew that his heir had to be you. Going to Australia to meet you just solidified his decision. God knows that he gave those leeches downstairs more than they deserve. Well, with the exception of Lady Alice, who I admire profoundly."
"Why didn't he leave everything to her then? It really doesn't make much sense to me."
"Because you're the one he wanted, Bella. His Grace was a very complex man. I just followed orders, I didn't question them. Honestly, I suppose he thought that Lady Alice didn't have what it takes to run a company. Everything would end up being managed by her brother…"
"I don't have a clue either, and that didn't stop him."
I was terrified. What was I supposed to do?
"He thought about that too. He has several competent administrators working for him. They are going to make your life really easy. There are going to be some decisions that only you can make, but you'll learn in time. Besides, His Grace actually hired someone to tutor you in the basics of management."
"I see that Henry decided my life for me."
"I'm sorry," Greta said, looking at me guiltily, "I guess what he did was life-changing for you and that it may take more than a few minutes to wrap your mind around. But I'm sure you'll do fine."
"And I'm sure you're supposed to say that…" I interrupted her.
She smiled apologetically and I felt instantly sorry for my words. I drank a little more of my warm milk in a vain attempt to soothe the awful cough I had.
"So, now what? What do I have to do next?" I asked her.
"Well, you have to sign some papers to make everything official. I thought about maybe asking the lawyers to come here, because of your illness. Mr. Green will be here as well representing you personally and revising all the documents. His Grace wanted you to have someone independent to go over some details with you. I also believe you may want to review everyone who works for you personally and decide if you want to keep the same staff His Grace had," she said, lowering her voice.
I understood immediately what she meant.
"So… what exactly did you do for Henry?"
"I was his personal assistant. I took care of little things, like selecting the articles he might be interested in reading in the morning, to taking care of his agenda. I made sure his every need was attended. I think in time we became friends of sorts."
"I see…"
She looked at me expectantly and I would have laughed if the situation had been lighter.
"And you think you could do the same for me? At least while I'm in England?"
"I'd be delighted," she said, smiling.
"Good. Now tell me about yourself, Greta."
"What do you want to know?"
"Age, marital status, what college you attended, where do you live, if you're a cat person, that sort of thing."
"I'm forty five years old, single, I went to Cambridge University, I live usually where His Grace lived… although I own a little apartment in London and I have a little cottage eight miles from here. I am a cat person, what gave me away?" she chuckled in a very British manner.
"I see we have a point of disagreement already," I told her as seriously as I could and watched as her face fell, "I'm more of a dog person…" I added, and burst out laughing.
"I'm sorry…" I told her, still giggling.
"You're not, so you shouldn't apologize," she told me, using my own words.
"You're right, I'm not."
"I took the liberty of getting you a new cell phone, all my contacts are on it. You'll also find the contacts of the security staff. If you need to go out, especially after what happened last night, please take them with you."
"I will." I had no intention of risking my life.
"Also, I think we should go to the police and let them know what happened. You said someone tried to kill you… I'm sure we can make some investigations on our own account, but the police should be aware of it as well."
"I didn't see anyone, Greta. I highly doubt that the police can do anything about it. And God knows that Edward probably won't be of any help now."
"You don't know that. I'm not his number one fan, but I highly doubt that he would refuse to collaborate with the authorities."
"Greta, were you in the same room I was just an hour ago?" I asked her in disbelief.
"You can't really blame him for being mad. The man thought he was going to inherit everything and not just what he was entitled to by birth… You'd be more than a little disappointed if you'd lost 12 billion dollars as well… More Enterprises are worth a lot more than the properties attached to the Duchy." She paused before continuing in a lower voice, "the way he carried you here, the worry on his face… that wasn't an act… I could tell that he really cared, Bella."
Because I didn't answer straight away, trying to make some peace with her words, she pressed, "Are we going to the police?"
"Fine, tomorrow, after the meeting with the lawyers. I'm not feeling very well at the moment," I admitted.
"That's because you don't look well. Do you want me to call the doctor again?" she asked me.
"No, I think I just need to rest. You can go home now, Greta. Enjoy your cottage while you're here," I smiled.
"I don't think I should leave you…" she hesitated.
"I'll be fine. Can you get me a laptop and an internet connection?"
"Before I go, I'm just going to make some plans for your dinner. Do you fancy something in particular?"
"Just some warm vegetable soup would be fine, thank you."
"Ok, be ready at 8:30 a.m. tomorrow. They'll be here around nine a.m."
"We don't have to go to their office?"
"Not really, you're a very special client now," she said, winking.
I stayed in bed for the rest of the afternoon and early evening. I was delaying calling Emmett and my dad. How to let them know what happened?
I couldn't feel good about getting so much: first, I didn't do anything to deserve it, and second, I knew that I couldn't administer such a huge empire without assistance, even if I wanted to, and admittedly I didn't… I just wanted to go back to my hospital and work for my paycheck.
What should I do?
As the anger about Edward's words faded, so did my new-found confidence. Had he behaved differently, I'd probably just give him everything. He probably deserved it more than I did… but if Henry deliberately excluded him from More Enterprises, what right did I have to disrespect him? Did he make me his heir just out of spite? That particular thought gained more and more weight in my mind as the hours went by.
Eventually I stopped stalling and grabbed the phone Greta gave me and dialed Emmett's number. I figured it'd be easier to begin with him.
"Hello?"
"Em, good morning. Did I wake you up?"
"No," he said sleepily, "I'm snuggling with Rose. Mom is burning something in the kitchen and we're still refusing to get up and see what she's doing… we were considering avoiding breakfast altogether…" he chuckled. "So what's new? Did you go to the testament reading?"
"Yeah, about that..." I started nervously, "it's a good thing that you're lying down and that Mom isn't there with you. Can you guarantee me that you won't make a fuss about this?"
"Ok?"
"I kind of… inherited a lot."
"What do you mean by a lot?"
"I'm not sure exactly how much, I'll only have the full list tomorrow, but apparently Henry left me most of his estate."
"Holy shit," he yelled, "you're rich!"
"Calm down, Mom will hear you!"
"I can't calm down…"
I could hear Rose asking Emmett to talk to me and soon after my Mom was banging on their bedroom door.
"I'll kill you if you tell her now…" I warned him.
"Mom, don't come in, I'm naked!" Emmett shouted.
"Emmett, I really don't want to hear you while you're being intimate with Rosalie," Mom said so loud that even I could hear.
We all started laughing hysterically.
"Well my sister is a millionaire," Emmett said eventually.
"More like a billionaire, I think…"
There was a moment of silence between us. I could almost hear him thinking.
"Say what again?"
"Em, I don't know what to do, this doesn't feel right… I hardly knew Henry. Aside from Grandma Marie I didn't have any real connection with him…"
"That did come as a surprise… But seriously, the guy must have really liked you. I suppose if you think about it, it kind of makes sense. I mean, he didn't have close family, you said so yourself, it's only natural for him to try to find someone to continue his legacy and I really can see why he chose you…"
"Why did he choose me?" I asked bluntly.
"Don't start with your self-demeaning bullshit. Wake up and see what everyone else sees: you're really intelligent and you're a great person. Why not you?"
"Why not you?" I returned his question.
"I don't have the looks…" he teased, "Besides, I pretty much count on living on you now…"
That made me smile genuinely.
"Em, I'm counting on that too. Anyway, life is getting crazy around here… I'm not sure when I'm going to be able to leave."
"What are you going to do?" asked Rosalie, who was clearly listening to everything from the beginning.
"I don't know yet… can I call you in the morning to let you know how things went with the lawyers? I'll know more by then. I have to go through all the bureaucracy tomorrow."
"It's morning now, Bells," Emmett answered.
"You know what I meant. Em?"
"What?"
"I love you! And I love you too, Rosalie, I know you're listening, I can hear you breathe."
"And we love you too…"
I felt like crying at that point.
"Don't cry, baby girl, you should be happy! This is a good thing," my brother told me.
"Is it?" I sobbed. "Someone tried to kill me yesterday…" I blurted out and regretted saying it almost immediately because I knew he'd be worried.
"What do you mean?"
"That if not for Mr. Presumptuous Edward Cullen I'd be fish food. Someone hit me in the head and threw me into a river last night. I almost drowned."
"Jesus," Rosalie and Emmett said at the same time. "Tell me what happened?" my brother asked.
With that question I burst into tears. It took me a while to pull myself together and to give him the details of the previous night. I also told him about Edward's reaction to the testament.
"Well, that was really crappy of him, but in his defense it looked kind of bad… I mean when you see things from his perspective…"
"Emmett, that's not what I need to hear right now," I told him angrily.
"Sorry sis, I'm just being honest. Anyway, you should call Dad. He really needs to know about this. Are you sure you're safe? Do you want us to go there?"
"I really don't want to put you in the middle of this mess right now, Em. Hopefully I'll be able to leave before New Year's Eve."
"Will you please take care of yourself while you're there?"
"I promise, I won't go anywhere without Matthew."
"Yeah, yeah… where was he last night when you needed him?"
"Em, can I call you later? I'm really tired and I should get some sleep."
"Your voice is rough, are you getting sick?"
"A little. Em?"
"Yes?"
"Can you please not tell Mom for now?"
"You know she'll be mad at you…"
"I know, but please don't tell her yet. Her euphoria would probably be too much for me at this point, especially since I'm still a little upset about our discussion. She didn't show any interest in my welfare since I got here and it's just… more than I can handle right now. Please, please try to prevent any rash behavior from her."
"I don't know if I can… God, could you really blame her? This is big! Even I was euphoric until you told me what happened last night."
"Imagine how she's going to be…" I told him.
"But aren't you a little excited?" Rosalie asked.
"At this point, not particularly, no."
I told him I'd call him in the following day with more details and we said our goodbyes. I tried to call my dad but he didn't pick up. I thought it was odd for him. Even while I was in Australia, I had had some trouble getting in touch with him. He was probably exerting himself with work, as always.
Greta arrived in the morning, while I was having breakfast in the kitchen. Everyone seemed to find my request to eat there strange, but they were all very kind. I couldn't stand to sit in a room alone and I really wanted to get to know everyone. I was feeling a little better with the ibuprofen I took that morning and it seemed that I was going to get away from my adventure with just a common cold.
"Have a seat, Greta. Do you want to eat something?"
"No, thank you, Dr. Swan, I already ate breakfast." She gave me what I could recognize already as a very polite disapproving look. I knew she was looking at my jeans, sneakers and lack of makeup.
"Good morning, Bella," Matthew said, entering the kitchen at ease. "Miss Masterson, I didn't see you were there," he stuttered.
I laughed.
"I came to see if Dr. Swan needed my services today," he explained.
"I see," was her only answer.
"Come on, Greta. Some things are going to change while I'm here. I'm not a Duchess, as you are well aware," I said, looking at everyone, including the chef, the butler and the two housemaids that also were in the kitchen, "and I have no intention of pretending I am one. I'd find it pretty exhausting to try to be someone I´m not. I'm a doctor, yes, but I'm not working here. I'm Dr. Swan for my patients as I find it necessary to keep some distance in order to keep myself neutral and rational. For those who work close to me, I don't like the invisible barrier that a title creates. That's as valid for the nurses who work with me as it is here. I don't believe that it;s disrespectful for people of my own age, or even twice my age like we have here," I said, still looking at them, "to call me by my name. I understand that in formal circumstances it may be necessary to call me Dr. Swan, as in Dr. Swan is not here, may I take your message kind of thing, but not as a routine. I'm sorry… I'm rambling," I said when I looked at their shocked faces.
Matthew smiled "I find that very noble of you, Bella," he said.
"Of course you do," Lucy, one of the maids, said.
They all looked in disbelief at her lack of propriety and I started laughing out loud. She blushed a little before excusing herself to do something.
"See what you're doing?" Greta asked a little angrily but with a hint of amusement in her eyes.
"What?"
I instructed Matthew to be ready to accompany us to the police station. He said that I should talk with his "other boss." Greta explained me that he wasn't the chief of staff, but I was adamant that I didn't want new faces. I wanted those I trusted. I wanted John and Matthew with me at all times. I felt strangely comforted knowing that I was with them and carrying the pink taser that they gave me for Christmas in my purse.
The battalion of lawyers arrived at nine a.m. sharp along with Mr. Green. It took us a long time to go through everything and I felt pressured occasionally to make decisions I wasn't able to make yet. Fortunately, Mr. Green was there to save the day and I could really tell that he had my best interests at heart.
I saw the enormous list of properties and assets laid out in front of me. Apparently I even had a private Mediterranean Greek island, just a couple of hours away from Athens. I was in awe. Everything seemed too over the top and I now belonged to a very exclusive group of people who you could only see through tinted windows of very expensive cars.
What am I going to do? Can I leave? Should I leave?
I asked Mr. Green about what it would take to create a foundation. He sensed what I was aiming for and promptly suggested that I reconsider and take some time before making life-changing decisions. He would support and help me no matter what I decided, but he strongly believed that I shouldn't make rash decisions.
Was I happy that I'd be able to pay my college loans? Sure. In all honesty, I was never an ambitious person, but I knew a little about money's worth. It meant a good education, it meant not having to nearly kill yourself with exertion trying to work while you have to study for your finals in med school. I nearly broke down until I admitted that I couldn't do it on my own and my dad actually mortgaged his house to help me, our little home in Forks. And it'd be his again. And I'd be able to give that to him. And Emmett could go back home and I'd have my family with me.
Why me?
It didn't feel right. I really didn't deserve this. I should just give everything back to his family.
But what about what Henry wanted?
"Dr. Swan, we're done. It has been a pleasure to meet you and I looked forward to work with you," the greasy man said. I recognized a toady man when I saw one and that morning gave me a glimpse of what my life was going to be from then on.
I wasn't going to be that person. I wasn't born to be that person. I had never even accepted a really cool pen from pharmaceutical company A or B let alone twelve billion dollars.
What's the right thing to do?
Mr. Green was right, I mean, Dr. Green. Why did I keep calling him that? He's a lawyer after all, my lawyer, and as the long hours passed and the papers were signed I began to respect him. Behind his appearance was a brilliant mind. Anyway, he was right. I should take my time until I figured out what the right thing to do was.
After the overenthusiastic goodbyes, I went to the police station with a team of eight security people. I was asked why I didn't go before, why I wasn't admitted to a hospital, why someone was trying to kill me in the first place. I felt like a criminal and hated every moment of it. After two hours of nonstop interrogation they finally let me sign my statement and assured Dr. Green they were going to confirm, and they really used that verb, my facts with the new Duke. I could tell that I was dependent on Edward's good will to see my case being investigated. I looked at Greta with an 'I told you so' kind of look and she squeezed my left hand slightly. I felt like I never had before, that things weren't going to be alright.
When I arrived at More Park, I was as furious as anyone could expect. When that happened, I usually tried to avoid conversation to avoid the acid comments that state of mind produced.
"I'm really sorry things turned out like that. I don't know why they're choosing to ignore that you're His Grace's heir."
"Yes. I think my money won't buy everything after all," I answered sarcastically.
"Bella…"
"Greta, someone tried to kill me and I'm not going to be passive about this. After the shock wore off, I began to think that whoever tried to kill me might do it again. They may even go after my family. They're now all vulnerable because of me. I'm not going to wait for those guys to do something. I've been considering hiring some private investigators. Do you know if the one who worked for Henry is reliable and willing to continue working for me?"
She was surprised by my question, but nodded.
"Good. I want him or them to come to me tomorrow morning, if possible. I also want plane tickets for tomorrow night, I want to go spend my New Year's Eve in Forks. I'll call Emmett, my brother, also. Can you book me three reservations from Sydney to Seattle and then arrange some transportation from Seattle to Forks for them?"
She gave me a huge smile before answering. "Sure. I was wondering for how long you'd be acting like a lost child. I see that no one should mess around with you. You're very decisive when you're angry. But you seem to be in control of your emotions…"
"Years of living with my mom really allowed me to perfect the way I deal with my temper," I said, chuckling a little. Matthew, who was in the front seat, looked back and smiled as well.
I was growing fond of them.
The procession of cars entered More Park and I looked back to see the heavy gates closing behind me. It gave me the chills.
"Bella, if you're not too tired, I could try to contact Mr. Jenks to come over today. He doesn't keep very conventional schedules."
"How did he meet with Henry?"
"They usually met late at night when only the security staff was at the house. Some of the meetings took place in an apartment His Grace kept in London. The one he left to Lady Alice More."
"I see. Let him come tonight. I suppose I should deal with this as soon as possible."
The car stopped at this point and I was escorted inside.
"There are several things that require your attention. Henry had several meetings scheduled with his administrators. You might consider rescheduling them. May I suggest to the first week of January?"
"Let me think about that first," I said, trying to hide my panic. "You mentioned something about a tutor?"
"Yes, Henry provided you with an economics teacher to help you with the basics. He's brilliant but he has a little bit of a scandalous past."
"Oh goody. Now that we're feeding the scandal I suppose that he's perfect for me. But what exactly was that?"
"He lives retired near More Park with his younger wife. He married one of his students a couple of years back and obviously was investigated for sexual assault. It was really quite the scandal. He was forced to quit Dartmouth to avoid being officially prosecuted."
"Wait, he's American?"
"Yes, but his wife is British. She's actually one of the cousins you saw yesterday. Martha More that now goes by Mrs. Walker."
"Jesus. Is he ok with that?"
"I suppose so. Henry talked to him about needing his help to tutor his heir. At the time I suppose he thought he was talking about Lord Cullen, considering Dr. Walker's very confused look. But I think he knows better now."
"Why are you only mentioning this now? Now we know who could have known about me being Henry's heir."
"Bella, I don't think he would be so careless like that. He had a huge debt to His Grace considering he was the one who helped him and Martha to stay together when everyone else turned their back on them."
"Well, we'll let Mr. Jenks decide that. It's a start, he may have talked to his wife and she talked to someone else, I don't know. The only thing I know for sure is that there were rumors surrounding my arrival. It's evident that they knew something, so we have to find the leak."
"Bella, there were only speculations going around… most of them created by me considering that I asked the staff to prepare the house for a special guest."
"We have to start somewhere. I'm not risking my life based on suppositions. I'm sorry, Greta. I just want to be thorough about this. And I honestly hope you're right about this, but I have to check. Please let me know when Mr. Jenks is coming over."
"Ok. Let's do this."
After having dinner in the 'proper room', Greta finally left and I had a couple of hours until Mr. Jenks arrival. I used that time to make some phone calls.
"Hello?"
"Dad? It's me, Bella."
"Hey, how's my baby girl? I'm sorry I missed your call, honey. How's everything going? Are you still in England?"
"Yes, for now. Dad, I'm coming home tomorrow."
"What do you mean?"
"I'd like to spend New Year's Eve with you. Emmett, Rosalie and mom are meeting me there, in Forks."
"And your mom is ok with this?"
"I hope so. I know Emmet will be and after the news I have for her I think she´ll be too."
"What news?"
"Dad, everything is alright and I really don't want to go into details now. I'll explain everything to you, personally."
"So, you're coming home? You and your brother?"
"Yep."
"Ok… so I'll just have to start making some arrangements. Is there room at your mom's apartment or will you be staying here with me?"
"I think I'd rather stay on your couch, if you don't mind."
"Ok, but Bella, is everything really ok? What happened there? You're killing me here."
"Dad, I inherited a lot of money. I'll fill you in when I get there, but can you please be safe until I get there?"
"Bella, you inherited a…"
"Dad," I interrupted him, "I'll tell all about it later. I love you…"
"Yeah, you too," he said awkwardly and I smiled.
I was about to hang up when I heard him say, "Oh, I almost forgot, Bella?"
"Yeah?"
"I already had plans at La Push. Do you mind?"
"Not at all."
"Jake's going to love to see you. He's a good kid, you know…"
"Ok, I'll talk to you later, Dad."
I called Emmett after that and told him I had flight tickets for him. He was ecstatic when I told him I wanted to have a family gathering. Rosalie, on the other hand, was afraid of not being able to get away from work considering that the a.m. campaign was still requiring all her attention, and she had a meeting on the 4th of January and she was a little behind schedule.
"I think I can help you with that," I told her simply.
"Ok?"
"I'll see you in Forks," I told them, ready to say goodbye, but my mom had other plans.
"Is it Bella? Put the speaker on," I heard her say, and after some muffled sounds she began, "Ok, young lady, what exactly is going through your mind? Going back to Forks? Now? How considerate of you to let us know of your plans on such short notice."
"Mom, I thought that it was a good opportunity to get the family together," I defended myself.
"If you hadn't left, we'd all still be together."
"Mom, I spent Christmas with you, Em and Rosalie. I think it's reasonable that, given the opportunity to have the whole family together, I'd like to spend New Year's Eve in Forks. A lot has changed in the last couple of days and I would like to talk with everyone personally, ok?"
"What's going on, Bella? Your brother is behaving strangely and I know something is up. What did you do?"
"Mom, are you trying to pick a fight with me? Try to be reasonable. I know you were excited about spending a few more days in Sydney. The city is lovely, I really enjoyed it too, but can you please do this for me and Em? I promise I'll buy something nice in London for you. What do you say?"
"I hope you make it good. Bella, everything is about you these days. I'm really growing tired of it. I think I have no choice considering that your brother wants to go as well. You always seem to find a way to come between us."
I exhaled soundly. She was annoying as hell, always behaving like a teenage brat. She was over forty and it wasn't appealing anymore.
"Mom, can you please do this for us? I got you first class tickets…" I said, hoping that would convince her. I was sinking low, I knew that otherwise this would be long.
"Oh… but that doesn't give you the right to decide things like that. I hope you ask me next time."
"Mom, I'm asking you now. You're free to stay in Sydney, if that's what you want, but I really want you to come. Come on, Mom. Please?"
"Fine. But this is not the end of this discussion…"
"We'll talk later about this. I love you, Mom. See you soon. I promise you it will be worth your time."
"Fine. I love you too, honey," she said, a little begrudgingly.
Now there's my mom. I was really going to buy her something nice. I knew it was a bribe of sorts, but honestly I needed her distracted and happy for the moment. In desperate times…
As soon as I disconnected, my phone rang again. I didn't know the number, but I was afraid it might be Mr. Jenks and took the call.
"Hello?"
"Bella?" I heard a female voice asking.
"Yes. Who is this?"
"Hi, I'm sorry to call you so late. It's Alice, Alice More. I know this may seem a little awkward but I decided to call you nevertheless. I just wanted to check up on you."
"Oh, thanks."
This was a surprise.
"Anyway, I was calling because I knew that you were ill and I was wondering if you're better now. I hope you don't mind. And I'm really sorry about yesterday. Edward is feeling pretty bad, I can tell."
"Did he ask you to call me?" I asked suspiciously.
"No, I think he'd be pretty upset if he found out that I called you. I kind of did it behind his back. I think he really likes you and it's killing him… He'll come around, you'll see…"
"Alice!"
"Ok, ok. It's none of my business, I get it. Are you still in England?" she asked bluntly.
"Why are you asking?"
"You are! Good. We still haven't had our time. When Father Thomas asked me to go get you I sent Edward in my place… I was kind of trying to be a matchmaker… And thank God I did because he drives a lot faster than I do and honestly I would get us both drowned." She cleared her throat and then continued. "But I've changed my ways now… especially after what happened yesterday, I believe it's going to be a while until you both come to terms with one another. That doesn't mean we can't still be friends, right?"
"Alice, it doesn't bother you that I got your brother's inheritance?"
"You didn't get his inheritance. He was the one who fooled himself thinking he was going to be the chosen one. Besides, it's not like he didn't get anything. He didn't get his billions, but he did get everything attached to the Duchy, and trust me , it's still a lot more than he deserved. I know why Uncle Henry did what he did. I'm not sure if I approve of it because that decision is definitely going to stand between you and my brother. But there's still hope for you, I can feel it."
"Alice," I warned her.
"I'm talking too much. Edward says I tend to do that a lot. He's probably right."
"He probably is," I chuckled.
"See, you share the same opinions… Before you protest, let me ask you again, are you still at More Park?"
"Yes, I'm still here."
"Great, girls' night out."
Her excitement was contagious.
"Alice, I can't."
"Don't be boring, Bella! It'll be fun. I can't remember the last time I went out. I know I could use a drink, couldn't you?"
"I have plans for tonight."
"Are you going out?"
"Not exactly."
I couldn't tell her about my meeting with Mr. Jenks. I don't know what came over me, but suddenly I really felt the urge to accept her offer. Henry clearly liked her, I remembered his words: "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."
It was time to start doing things right.
"Alice, I'm not sure when I'll be free from my prior engagements, but I suppose around 10:30 p.m. Can you text me your address? I'll pick you up if that's alright with you."
"Really?" she seemed surprised. "Great! I'd say it'll take you fifteen minutes to get me. Is eleven o'clock too late for you?" she asked.
"It should be fine. I'll let you know if I run late. Where are we going?"
"Dancing! Let's do some female bonding. Wear something short and skanky."
"I'm not very comfortable with short and skanky. But I'll manage."
"Nonsense. I'll send you something to wear."
"Alice, don't. I mean it."
"Fine, we'll talk about it later. Oh man, I'm so excited, now that I think about it I don't think I ever had a girls' night out!"
"Ok, I'll see you later."
Ten minutes later the door bell rang and I received Mr. Jenks in Henry's library.
"Dr. Swan, it's nice to meet you," he began, giving me a firm handshake. "I was growing worried about who I should go to after His Grace's death. I was positively surprised when Miss Masterson called me to meet you. I was beginning to wonder if I should go to the new Duke."
"You haven't gone to him, I expect," I said, pointing him a seat in front of me.
"No, I have not. I am loyal to those who hire me. So you're Henry More's heiress?"
"I am," I said, straitening my back in my seat. I wasn't going to let the man intimidate me.
I couldn't help but notice that he looked more like a lawyer than an investigator. He was in his fifties and had a considerable abdominal perimeter that probably prevented him from chasing suspects, but then again, what did I know about this?
"Were you working exclusively for His Grace before his death?"
"I was."
"I see. Before I tell you about what I need you to do for me, let's talk about the information you have for me."
"You go straight to the point, Dr. Swan, I like that. Before I start I just need to make sure you know exactly what we're talking about here. I wouldn't dream of committing an indiscretion," he said boldly.
"What did you find out about Alice More? His Grace told me all the sordid details, don't make me waste my time. I'm sure you don't want to waste yours, either."
"Ok, I see that you're aware of everything. I just needed to check, you see."
"I understand," I said, giving him what I hoped was a flirtatious smile. It must have worked because he smiled back and answered without further delay.
"I found out something extremely interesting. You may be able to enlighten me about its significance."
"Go ahead," I pressed.
"One thing that I always found strange was that some of the surveillance tapes of the club Lady Alice and her brothers went to in the year 2002 were missing, specifically those that showed her leaving. I saw Lord Cullen coming out with Tanya Denali, but not Alice More."
"So you're telling me that someone deliberately hid those tapes."
"Yes, but His Grace already knew that."
"Did you try to find those tapes?" He nodded. "And?"
"And after bribing more people than you can imagine, I found out that someone paid very good money for them. Fifty thousand pounds, to be exact."
"Who?"
"The payment was made in cash by a private investigator. I decided not to approach him because I was afraid that he may destroy all evidence."
"So what do you know?"
"From what I was able to find out, the tapes didn't disappear in the year 2002. They disappeared one month after His Grace hired me to find your grandmother, a couple of years ago. I found that odd. But what really doesn't make sense to me was that when I began checking the middleman, I found out that he was the one who forged the documents for Alice More back in 2003, when she was admitted to a Chicago private hospital under a different name. He was a little sappy at the time, probably because things were done in short notice."
Jesus Christ.
"So that man is connected to Edward Cullen?"
"Ten years ago, yes. He received 10,000 pounds for some investigation he did for an Anthony More, according to his registries. It was made to seem legitimate. I couldn't establish the same connection now. I believe he might have been more cautious."
"Anthony More?" I asked.
"As in Edward Anthony More Cullen."
I was in awe.
"So those tapes only disappeared after Henry found out about Alice's pregnancy. Now that I think about it, Henry told me that he confronted Edward about it. Jesus, does this mean that Edward has the tapes?"
Mr. Jenks was looking curiously at me, probably thinking the same.
"It makes sense."
"He knows. God, he knows!"
"I wouldn't affirm that with all certainty, but it's likely. At least he's the one that has the tapes. That, or the father of Lady Alice's baby is someone close to the family."
"I have the feeling that he knows. Can you get me the tapes?" I asked him.
"You want to see them all?"
"I do. I want to see them all. I would want to take them tomorrow with me, if you don't mind."
"Do you want the originals or the DVD copies?"
"The DVDs."
"I can assure you that there is nothing there to see. I've seen them personally more than once."
"I'd really like to see them, nevertheless. It's not that I don't trust you, I just might be able to give importance to something that you haven't."
"We make a good team, Dr. Swan."
"I think so too, Mr. Jenks."
"Please, call me J."
"Thank you, J. Take my personal number," I said, scribbling my number on a post-it. "If you find anything new, please contact me. Now, on a different matter, there's something else I'd like you to do for me," I began.
I told him about what happened before the testament's reading and that I wanted him to begin his own investigations. It was going to be expensive, he warned me. But money wasn't an issue. I wanted to feel safe again, and I needed to know that my family wasn't endangered as well by this craziness.
After J left, I had my head spinning with the overload of information. I took a quick shower and opted for a basic black dress and the diamond earrings Henry gave me for Christmas. I called Matthew, informing him that I needed him. I didn't feel comfortable going out without bodyguards anymore. I was afraid, and that made me hate even more the person responsible for it.
I got to Alice's home at 10:45. Apparently she wasn't ready yet so I was invited to come in.
"Why do you look like a nun?"
"Good evening to you, too, Alice. I don't look like a nun. Nuns don't wear knee length dresses," I defended myself. I was happy that she greeted me like that, because I was too tempted to hold her tight and confess that her brother was a bastard.
"That dress is not knee length because I can't see your knees in it. You have long legs, you should show them off. My dress, on the other hand, the one you took to the a.m. party in Sydney, that was perfect for you. This… makes you look forty."
"It makes me feel comfortable and not slutty, I'm freely using your words. Can we go now?"
"Fine."
"Where are we going?"
"We're going to the very exclusive Twilight club. I let Matthew know in advance. They're probably checking the perimeter now. After what happened the other night I figured we should be cautious," she said, lowering her voice.
"I feel a little guilty asking you out just three days after Henry's funeral but I was afraid I'd never get the chance after this. I mean, I know we'll have to work together now, because of a.m., but I was wondering if we could be friends."
"I'm sure we're going to be great friends," I reassured her
"You're driving?" she asked.
"Actually, I am," Matthew said, opening the door of another black Mercedes for us. "But you will be riding with us," he winked.
"Matthew," I chastised him.
"John cleared the perimeter already. Everyone is expecting you. You'll have the VIP room ready for you."
"Thank you."
"I forgot my mobile phone. Can you wait just a second, I'll get it. Wait for me in the car." And with that she jumped out of the car and ran up the house's front stairs.
A couple of minutes later she was back with her phone in hand, smiling, when a car parked behind us.
"Alice? Where are you going?" a voice rang out.
Edward. I cursed under my breath and Matthew looked at me in shock.
"What?" I asked him silently and he burst out laughing.
"Out," she answered, climbing into the car quickly and closing the door behind her.
"Go!" we said at the same time.
Matthew drove off, making the car wheels squeal on purpose.
"He's not coming after us, is he?" Alice asked after five minutes of driving in silence.
"No, he's not. We're good."
"Don't worry, Alice. It'll be fun!" I sounded a little too enthusiastic.
"Yeah!"
We got to the club and went directly to a very secluded VIP room. It was easy talking with Alice. She was giving me some details about her next collection when I looked into a mirror that was placed in the corner of the room. That clicked something in me and took me back to another VIP room - the one I found Edward in with Tanya Denali. Ungh…
"Alice, what about some shots?" I asked out of the blue.
"Am I boring you?" she asked, a little miffed.
"No, I really need some shots. This last week was crazy and I really need a little buzz… and can we go somewhere else? Dancing perhaps?" I couldn't believe my own words. I was suggesting, on my own accord, that we should go dancing.
"You don't like this room?" she pressed. Because I didn't answer straight away she held my hand.
"Do you want to go home, maybe this was a bad idea after all…" her eyes were misty.
No, no, no.
"Alice, really. You want to know why? Fine, I'll tell you. I want to leave this room because it reminds me of the one I caught your brother in being serviced by his girlfriend in Sydney at the a.m. party."
Her mouth hung open for a few seconds before she found her words again.
"Now I need some shots, too. I haven't drunk in a while… can I stay at your place?"
"Where? At Henry's? Yeah, sure. How about some shots?"
"Hell yeah."
After a few rounds of shots and a couple of caipirinhas later, we were both relaxed and doing fairly well on the dance floor, rejecting all kind of male advances like a good girls' night out should be. All Edward-related thoughts were in the back of my mind. It was 4 a.m. and we were still having a really good time when I saw Alice's smile disappear from her face.
"Alice, what happened?"
"Jasper's here… with Millie, Mindy, Molly, Mandy… whatever…" she said, pointing with her eyes to a young couple at the bar.
His hands were hanging low at her back and her skirt wasn't more than a large belt around her waist. I knew the type – Tanya Denali revisited.
"That's your brother, right?"
"He's not my brother," she protested. "Can we go home? I don't want him to see me."
I signaled at John who was standing a couple of feet away from us that we were leaving. I thought we were going to be able to leave the club unseen when I heard a male voice calling Alice.
"Hey, Alice, what are you doing here? You're drunk?" he asked when he noticed the unsteadiness of her walk.
"She's with me."
He gave a menacing look.
"Well, well, it looks like Isabella here is making quite a scene. Messing around with my brother isn't enough? You had to put my little sister in whatever sick game you're playing?"
"I'm not your little sister, Jazz. Let me go," Alice whined.
"I'll take you home," he told her, trying to drag her with him. I was done with the Cullen brothers' bullshit.
"It's Dr. Swan to you, Lord Cullen. I believe Alice, who is not your biological sibling as she so well pointed out just now, came with me. So she's leaving with me. John…"
"Lord Cullen, I have to ask you to let Lady Alice go, you're holding her against her will."
"Alice?" he seethed.
"Let me go, Jasper Cullen." He did, clearly disturbed with the force she put in those words.
"You're making a scene. Come on Alice, you'll stay at my place."
"Edward's. More Park is rightfully Edward's," Jasper said.
"Well the rest of the world and I seem to think differently. Any complaints, ask your brother to talk to my lawyers. It's none of your business. Now please, stay away from me."
Alice was crying profusely when we arrived home. We didn't take off our makeup, and just dressed in silly pajamas and went straight to bed. She fell asleep sobbing, chanting over and over again, "Why do I love him? Bella, please don't tell anyone about this."
"I won't Alice, I won't."
AN:
I can't tell you how sorry I am for being away for so long. After a very complicated month (I had to compensate my E.R. shifts to go on vacation), I went away for a couple of weeks (to Paris and Vienna) and finished my chapter using my blackberry. Unfortunately, I lost it in Paris and with it the second part of this chapter. When I got back, it was kind of hard to rewrite it all. I saw so many inspiring things that I really felt like I should be writing something else… When I went to Belvedere museum in Vienna, there was a romantic painting that called to me. I'm not usually fond of that particular period, when it comes to art, but that image has a story that needs to be told. I forced myself to have this chapter and the following done before I begin with that new project. It'll be an outtake and I'll probably have it done around Christmas. It'll be my little indulgence and hopefully my gift to you
To avoid delaying the update for a couple more days, this chapter wasn't pre-read as usual so please look away from any possible mistake you may find.
As always, please read and review, it's the only way I have to know what's on your mind.
Next update: probably in 2 weeks. I already wrote 4k of the following chapter and I'm aiming to get it done this week.
Take care,
Nofrure.