The Twilight Saga belongs to Stephenie Meyer, Summit Entertainment and anyone else who may legally claim ownership. No copyright infringement is intended.
Chapter 7: Recuperation
Carlisle was in what had become his customary place since Bella had been released from the hospital: seated with her on her bed, on her uninjured side. This morning he was filling out paperwork that he had been neglecting since Bella was injured at the skating rink. Bella was idly flipping through a fashion magazine Alice had practically ordered her to read. Her attention wandered frequently to Carlisle's hands as he turned pages and wrote. She didn't read anything, she simply watched his movements. So she wasn't surprised by his declaration of, "Finished." She had seen him close his folder.
His eyes sparkled in the morning light as he spoke. "What would you like to do today?"
"Oh, I think I'll go sailing. It's been way too long. Then I thought I'd spend the afternoon practicing my ice skating."
"Sounds like a good plan." He leaned in until his shoulder almost touched hers and his flaxen hair fell near her forehead. "And this evening?"
"I'll just do something quiet this evening. Maybe some hiking."
Carlisle brushed the backs of his fingers over her cheek. "It won't be long before you can do anything you want to do."
"I was doing what I wanted to do, and then this happened."
"As soon as you are recovered enough, I'll take you skating again. I was enjoying skating with you, very much." His honey-colored eyes caught hers. "Unless, you're afraid?"
"I won't be afraid if you're with me, Carlisle."
"Good. We'll plan on it, then."
Shyly she asked, "Just you and me?"
Carlisle smiled. "If you'd like."
"I would."
Esme breezed in and set a bag on the bench at the foot of Bella's bed. "I've just come from your house, Bella. I brought the things you asked for. I'd hide them from Alice if you value them." She grabbed a vase and disappeared into the en suite. When she emerged, she set it back down and began arranging the flowers she'd brought with her. When she seemed satisfied, she bundled up the flower wrappings. "I have to get your father's uniform from the cleaners, go the market and make his dinner. I'll see you later." She gave both Bella and Carlisle affectionate kisses on their foreheads before leaving in a rush.
When Carlisle left to fax his paperwork, Bella rifled through the bag Esme brought her. She had asked Esme to bring some of her clothes the next time she came home from Charlie's house. The nightgowns Alice had been dressing her in were more fitting for a manor house on a moor. They weren't uncomfortable to wear, but Bella wanted her own clothes. She put on a blouse and pulled up her jeans, only to find herself ripping the offending denim off right after she'd fastened them. Apparently, jeans with zippers didn't go well with fresh surgical sites. She sat in her blouse and panties, and spoke Alice's name.
Alice appeared almost instantly. "I thought I should let you try those before I brought you the clothes I had made for you."
"You..." Bella couldn't seem to form words for a few moments. "You, had clothes made for me, Alice?"
"Of course," Alice said airily, as she flitted from the closet to the drawers, inserting fabric that Bella couldn't quite see. "I'd much rather have shopped for you. I could have you in dresses that would make Car-" Alice spun around holding something blue and rephrased, "that would have stopped traffic." Alice looked quite pleased with herself. "But, instead," she went on in a long-suffering tone. "I had things made for you that I think you'll be comfortable in. You know, Bella, some things take precedence over comfort." She gave Bella her most withering look and was met with an unmoved expression. "Oh well, here you go." She handed Bella a pair of jeans.
Bella looked them over. They weren't so much jeans as they were soft blue shorts with denim extending from high on the thigh to the ankle. Bella put them on. The stretchy lack of waist hit her way above her incisions. She didn't know how to tell Alice that, although they were comfortable, they looked weird. Then, Alice handed her a tunic. It matched the soft knit cotton of the shorts part of the jeans and when she traded it for her blouse it fell almost to her knees, completely covering the odd top of the jeans. She looked at her reflection. She looked like she was wearing a fashionable tunic over completely normal jeans. However, it felt not only comfortable, but soft and luxurious. She especially liked that it didn't hurt her surgical site in any way. "Alice," Bella said with slow deliberation. "You are a goddess."
"A fashion goddess, I know." Alice smiled. "I had fourteen sets of these made for you. Each tunic is different."
Bella looked in the closet where Alice had just finished hanging the tunics. No two tunics were alike in color or detail. They all had delicate feminine touches. Some of them had ruffles, some had lace and others were embroidered or beaded. The color of each tunic exactly matched the shorts part of a pair of jeans. There were several in different shades of blue, as well as ivory, green, pink, brown, purple, and even a retro tie dye with wooden beads. Bella loved them. "Alice, these are amazing."
"I know," Alice replied with a smug smile.
Bella glimpsed a name on a label. "Wait, Alice, I thought you said you had these made?"
"I did. I didn't say I had them made by just anybody. Now that you can get out of bed, you want to look your best. You couldn't have done that in your clothes." At Bella's cross look she hastily added, "With your incision, you would have ended up wearing oversized sweatpants and worn out tees. Not a good look, Bella."
Bella stared at her; the glint in Alice's eye could only be described as evil. "I take it back, you aren't a fashion goddess, you are an evil fashion dictator."
"But you like them, don't you?" Alice asked, with real trepidation entering her voice.
"Alice," Bella said, putting aside her fear over what her new clothes must have cost. "I love them!"
Alice glowed without any help from the sun. "Carlisle and Emmett will be here in a minute. You should get some shoes on. They have something to show you." Alice presented Bella with what looked like stylish flats. When Bella put them on her feet and stood, it felt like her feet were being cushioned, and somehow supported, by the down of baby chicks. "Now, I'm going to put the coordinating pair of shoes under the tunics they match in the closet."
Before Bella could think about how many pairs of shoes Alice was unpacking, she was engulfed by a one armed Emmett hug. She smiled at Carlisle around Emmett. She knew from how carefully she was being embraced that Emmett and Carlisle must have discussed this hug before it happened.
"Come on, Bella," Emmett said with unrestrained enthusiasm as he carefully swept Bella up in his arms. "Come see what I did while you were lazing around in bed!"
Carlisle and Alice followed as Emmett raced down the stairs and out the door with a laughing Bella in his arms.
"That's a new door," Bella said as Emmett set her gently on her feet.
"Yup, that's just one of the improvements."
Bella slipped into the coat Alice held for her, it was a cool day for May. Carlisle moved forward and extended his arm to Bella. Bella blushed as she took it and allowed Carlisle to turn her around. Instead of looking at a new door she was now gazing down a long, slightly elevated boardwalk. It wound down to the river and into the woods as far as she could see.
"I made it like one I saw in Alaska," Emmett said enthusiastically.
Bella looked at it in awe. "This is amazing, Emmett. You made this all yourself?"
"Right down to the plans." Emmett beamed with excitement. "You can walk it to regain your full strength. And it's much better than the one in the Chugach National Forest. You can walk this one all year and even you won't slip." Emmett gestured to the completely dry boardwalk. "I made it so the boards are heated by warm air. It will never be wet or icy, even in the worst weather." Emmett rocked on his feet in exuberance. "Wait 'til you see what I built at the end!"
Alice hooked her arm through Emmett's and skipped away down the walk with him. She turned and called back over her shoulder, "We'll meet you there."
"It may take us a while. I don't want Bella to overdo it on her first real walk since her accident. We'll have to stop along the way to rest."
"Don't worry, we'll wait," Alice assured them.
By the time Bella and Carlisle were nearing the first of many benches that were situated at regular intervals along the boardwalk, Emmett and Alice were nowhere to be seen.
Once they were seated on the first bench, Bella looked at Carlisle sternly and began to speak. "Carlisle, you, all of you, have done too much for me. You've spent way too much money, I've taken up too much of your time."
"No, Isabella, we've hardly done anything at all."
"You have," Bella rushed on insistently. "And-"
Carlisle placed a finger to her lips and gave her a winning smile. "Please, let me finish?" Bella quieted. "First, you know money is irrelevant for us. Not that it matters, this scenic walk through our property adds value to the house. As does the new door, and your rooms. In the end, we will be better off financially for the changes that have been made here."
"What about the donations. You donated a wing to the hospital in Seattle. The special room I stayed in at the hospital, you did that too, didn't you?"
Carlisle interrupted, "We make donations like that on a routine basis. It's no more than we would have donated if you hadn't been hurt. It's less than we donate quarterly and think of all the other people who will benefit from it. It's all inconsequential." He looked deeply into Bella's eyes. "Believe me."
"I do believe you. It's just... I'm not... I don't..."
"Isabella," Carlisle began as he reached out and took her hands in his. "Please, let me do this for you?"
Bella sat in wonder as Carlisle gazed earnestly into her eyes awaiting her answer. She had always been uncomfortable accepting gifts. She had never been at ease allowing people to do things for her either. Even a simple compliment tended to make her feel uneasy. She grew warm and uncomfortable as she always did when confronted with kind gestures. With Carlisle, however, she found herself wanting to accept these things from him. She looked down and blushed. She really wanted to follow her heart and give Carlisle an affirmative answer. She only wished she could do it with more confidence and grace. "Okay."
"Thank you." He smiled gratefully raising one of her hands and brushing her knuckles with his lips.
All coherent thought fled as Bella's mind was overwhelmed by Carlisle's sentiment while at the same time her senses were flooded by the exquisite feel of his lips and breath on her skin. Carlisle raised his eyes to hers, the affection shining in them was unmistakeable. As though pulled by some gentle unseen force, Bella found herself closer to Carlisle. He entwined his fingers with hers and they sat in comfortable silence for several minutes. When she was rested, they continued their walk. "Tell me, Carlisle, have you ever done anything that wasn't absolutely kind and generous?"
"I may be the son of a preacher, but I've had my moments." He smiled.
"Moments like...?"
Carlisle laughed. "I'm sure you know that Oliver Cromwell's Commonwealth of England was quite limiting for a time when I was human. The performance of plays, even those of the Bard, were against the law. Of course people still wanted entertainments, even though the theaters had been closed. Especially in those days, people needed a break from the harsh realities of life. A man named William Davenant wrote a new play called The Siege of Rhodes. He collaborated with five composers to set it to music. You see, recitative music was not against the law, so by calling it that, he got around the governmental edict. He obtained special permission to present his recitative music and set about to do so at the Cock-pit in Drury Lane.
"Being a learned man of about fifteen, of course I wanted to see it. I'd heard there would be a woman preforming. The very first actress by profession in England. How could I not be tempted to see her? My father wouldn't hear of attending. I listened to days of lectures on the evils of spending one's time at frivolous entertainments when one should be doing the Lord's work. Of course my father thought any woman who would be part of such a performance was a shameless immoral creature, surely sent by Satan himself to tempt us Godly men."
"You saw it." Bella smiled.
"I did. Not only for a glimpse of an actress, but I had heard that there would be amazing futuristic special effects, as well. The scenes, the backdrops, would actually change throughout the performance. This is something that we had never heard of before. It was something that I had to see.
"One morning my father set me the task of preaching and administering to one of our less affluent parishioners. If a parishioner was monied, he would attend himself to ensure a generous donation. I was to go our parishioner's home that evening. I told my father that I would spend the afternoon in prayer and preparation. My father left me alone in quiet contemplation. As soon as he was gone, I slipped out of my window and made my way to a part of the city where I knew there were always people begging for work. I took my savings, which I had been keeping to buy a new bible for the church, and I hired a man of my stature and coloring. Of course he couldn't read, so I spent the afternoon teaching him The Communion of The Sick. He was clever and a quick learner. I gave him my hooded cloak and the direction of the house I was to go to that evening. I gave him half of my coin, the other half he would get from me the next day after he succeeded in his task. When the sun set he headed off in my stead, and I went to Rutland House to watch the The Siege Of Rhodes.
"The parishioner I was supposed to attend was an elderly man. His wife was quite ill. She was not long for the world and they both sought comfort. Instead of praying with them, consoling them and caring for them, I snuck off to Drury Lane and left them in the hands of someone who had no experience nor any care except for the balance of the payment that I would give him if he managed to impersonate me without discovery."
Bella smiled conspiratorially. "You must have gotten away with it, you said you saw The Siege Of Rhodes.
"I did see it. I saw a woman, Mrs. Coleman, perform. It was terribly exciting. I saw them use the machines that changed the scenery no less than five times. I left the spectacle with a great sense of wonder and awe. It lasted until I arrived home to find my father waiting for me with the bereaved parishioner. The man I had hired never showed up at their home, and the old woman died without the comfort of The Church. My father beat me black and blue, and I was forbidden to leave my house or the church for a month. Every unsavory chore was mine to do, and do well or suffer another beating. I was made to do it on the sustenance of water and a bowl of what could only be called slop, a day."
"You must have learned your lesson."
"Indeed, I did. I learned that if I was going to do something so foolish again, I had better hire a more reliable accomplice."
They laughed together as they rounded a corner and Emmet's masterpiece came into view. At the end of the boardwalk there was an immense screened-in gazebo. It was set comfortably out of vampiric earshot of the house and surrounding yard. It was shaped like an octagon with a large fieldstone fireplace in the center of the floor. There were comfortable furnishings scattered around the walls and situated cozily near the fire. The whole thing was larger than a grand ballroom.
Carlisle smiled appreciatively. "Emmett, this is truly magnificent."
"Do you like it, Bella?" Emmett asked nervously.
"Yeah, wow, Emmett, it's awesome!"
Alice squealed. "We'll have a party here when you're completely recov-" Alice went still for a moment and stood unseeingly. "No! We'll have a party here later on! It's going to be amazing, Bella. You'll love it, I promise. It'll be so much better than any party you've ever had!"
Bella was in her own long stretch eyelet nightshirt tucked snugly into her immense bed at the Cullen home. She had become tired after Alice's vision of a future party. It had been Carlisle's medical opinion that he should carry her back to her room where she could rest properly.
Sometime later, she was awakened by a bouncing Alice bearing gifts. She swallowed her horror and smiled at a beleaguered Jasper who trailed in Alice's wake, similarly laden.
Alice placed a stack of packages on the bench at the foot of her bed. Then she began flitting around the room replacing barely wilting blooms with armfuls of fresh blossoms. "Esme's going to make dinner for you later. I bought the ingredients. I don't remember eating human food, but what you're having is supposed to be the best. Carlisle says you need protein, so you're going to have a steak with mushroom and onion gravy on potatoes with herb-glazed carrots."
"That sounds really good."
Alice sat on the foot of her bed and began opening packages and handing things to her. "I noticed that you could use some new underwear. I only wear Carine Gilson, so that's what I got for you." Alice handed her piles of bras, panties, slips, and every other piece of underclothing imaginable.
She glanced nervously at Jasper and found him discretely studying the wallpaper; she quickly covered the underwear with a spare blanket. He looked up when it was covered and smiled at her blush, which in turn deepened the red of her face.
"I got you fourteen sets of everything because I didn't want to overwhelm you."
"That's an awful lot, Alice."
"No, it isn't."
"She's unstoppable, Bella, you should know that by now."
Bella laughed and shook her head. "I'm wasting my breath aren't I?"
"Pretty much, yes. You best just give up now. We all fought it. We all lost in the end."
"You love me and you know it." Alice kissed Jasper's cheek.
"Without a doubt, darlin'. But, Bella needs to understand that she's not alone. She isn't your first victim." Jasper's eyes danced as he drew his wife in for a real kiss.
Alice pushed him off and pulled something large out of a box. Suddenly, she became unnaturally still. After a moment, she spoke. "I've got to go to the airport."
Bella's confusion was apparent. "Airport, Alice, why? What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong, silly. Everything is going to be just right! I'll be back before you know it." Jasper's hair blew as Alice flew by him and out the door.
"That was strange."
"Bella, honey, you ain't seen Alice when she's on a real shopping tear."
"How can she shop at the airport?"
"She's been expecting a package from London. It must be here. So how are you, really?"
"What do you mean, Jasper?"
"Edward was out of line."
"It was an accident."
"It was, but he still seriously injured you. I know Carlisle is waiting until you're all better, but he's going to let you decide what you want to do about Edward."
"Do about him?"
"Bella, are you afraid of Edward?"
"No, of course not."
"You do remember who you're talkin' to, right?"
"Oh. Well, I'm not really afraid."
Jasper waited.
"Maybe a little." Bella relented. "But not like you think."
"Then tell me how it really is."
"I know Edward would never purposefully hurt me. But, obviously, Edward can lose it and hurt me when he doesn't mean it. I guess that scares me a little."
"That would be very frightening. How can you trust someone when you never know if they are going to accidentally cause you harm? But, Bella, you are trusting me alone with you right now, and I tried to kill you not so long ago."
"That's crazy, Jasper. You didn't try to kill me. Your natural instincts made you react. You knew and accepted your limitations. You made accommodations for them. You would never have been alone with me before you were sure that it would be safe. That's how it's so different."
"Edward left when he first met you. He didn't come back until it was safe."
"I'm not blaming Edward, I just..."
"Bella, I'm not trying to confuse you or defend Edward. Carlisle is right. Edward's actions were inexcusable. You are right, it was a terrible accident. It's a complex issue. One that's not going to go away."
"It will go away if I just forgive and forget."
"But, that wouldn't be very wise, now would it? Forgive Edward? I know you already have. Forget? It would be really bad to forget and let yourself get into the same situation again."
"So I should just do whatever Edward wants until I'm changed."
"No."
"No? But, you just advised me to not put myself in a similar situation with Edward."
"There are other ways to stay safe until your change. You don't have to be Edward's obedient human pet, and you shouldn't be."
Bella sighed sadly.
Jasper decided to change the mood a little, without any supernatural influence. He nudged Bella's foot playfully. When she looked at him he gave her a mischievous grin. "So, you and Carlisle are gettin' on pretty well."
Bella blinked at his apparent nonsequitur.
"You haven't been bored, lookin' at Carlisle's pretty face all day?"
"What? No! Carlisle has been great." Bella's eyes were far away as she thought of all the time she had been spending with Carlisle. She grinned. Her next words were spoken quietly to herself. "He's perfect." She realized Jasper heard her and she blushed crimson.
Jasper smiled knowingly. "He feels the same about you."
Bella was floored. Jasper couldn't mean what she hoped he meant. No, he must mean that Carlisle thinks she's been a great patient, that's all. That must be it. After all, she wasn't sure how she felt around Carlisle, so how could Jasper have picked anything up? Sure, she and Carlisle had many common interests; he was breathtakingly attractive, his voice was a balm to her soul, and his touch, even when accidental, made her feel..."
Alice's wind-chime voice broke into her thoughts. "Breathe, Bella." Alice laughed joyfully. "It's time to get you dressed."
"Dress, now? Is something wrong?" Bella glanced around and noticed that Jasper was gone.
"You worry too much. It's only five-thirty. There's time for you to dress prettily before Esme finishes your dinner."
By the time Carlisle knocked on the doorframe, Bella was seated on the sofa of her room in a black Alexander McQueen dress with a high neck and long gathered-cuff sleeves.
Bella could hardly see Carlisle over the piles Alice had made all around the room. She shook her head and rolled her eyes at Alice behind her back.
Carlisle chuckled. "Alice, to what tortures have you been subjecting Bella?"
"Clothes are not torture, Carlisle. A woman can't get better if she doesn't feel like she's properly dressed." Alice flew around the room putting clothes and accessories in drawers and closets. "I'll just put these things away." It took her less than a minute to home everything she had bought for Bella. "I'll see you later, Bella. Jasper's waiting for me." She hopped up and kissed Carlisle's cheek as she passed him.
Carlisle smiled. "May I sit with you, Isabella?"
"Of course." Bella toed off the ridiculous shoes Alice had put her in and tucked her legs under herself as Carlisle settled close to her.
"You look troubled."
Bella smiled. "I was talking to Jasper this afternoon and it got me thinking."
"About what?"
"The nonsense about Vampire's being damned."
Carlisle looked intrigued. "You think it's nonsense?"
"Absolutely. If there is a God who had a hand in your creation, he wouldn't give you an obstacle like vampirism, which you have taken and used to do only good, and then arbitrarily damn you for contracting it."
"Contracting it, is vampirism a disease then?"
"Tell me that you, Dr. Cullen, haven't ever considered that it might be?"
"Perhaps." He smiled. "I believe you were explaining how exactly it is, that despite popular belief, I am not damned."
"Didn't popular belief once claim that Hansen's disease was caused by either the wrath of God or the malice of Satan?"
His smile was teasing. "Now that you mention it, I think it might have been. However, all illnesses were once thought to be sent by God. It was, even since I've been a practicing doctor, somewhat taboo to consult a physician. The afflicted were encouraged to pray for relief from their disease instead." He grinned cheekily. "We doctors are an evil lot, you know."
"I do know that." Bella laughed. "But seriously, as a man of science, you must know that there is an answer just waiting to be discovered. I'm not saying that it has to conflict with your spiritual nature, Carlisle. If God created everything, he created disease and gave you the ability to cure it. So, he created vampires too."
"And do you think I should cure that?"
"Do I think you should cure vampirism? No. Why would I? Can you move away from seeing vampirism as something evil?"
"For the most part, I already have, yes. I can see that vampirism, like everything else, can be used for good or evil."
"That's an important distinction. For argument's sake, let's say you are a good vampire. One that isn't self-involved but who spends their existence helping others. Why would I want to cure that, to end that?"
"But not all vampires are good."
"Not are all humans are good either. Extermination of less self-sacrificing humans is frowned upon. It should be no different with vampires. Now, stop distracting me from my point."
Carlisle grinned. "I beg your pardon."
Bella gave Carlisle a teasing smirk. "You're obviously unrepentant so I won't grant you my pardon. Seriously, think about the word disease. Take Hansen's disease. Is it called that because the afflicted aren't at ease with their symptoms and outcome or it's called a disease because the body isn't functioning well? I think a vampire could be quite at ease with the symptoms and outcome of vampirism, having super senses, abilities, and tolerance for most situations that would be fatal to humans. I think that vampires' bodies function very well too, so it's not really a disease."
"A female vampire can't reproduce."
"With that one exception, it's not a disease."
"So vampirism is a disease, but it isn't a disease."
"In my opinion, vampirism is not a disease. It's not something that needs to be cured and it's not something that leads to death or disability. Although, mostly I believe that vampirism isn't a disease because the word disease has negative connotations. Vampirism is transformation. One that has infertility as a side effect or females, but it's a transformation, nevertheless. But, the question remains, can we assume that a vampire's venom contains an as yet unidentified pathogen or is it perhaps a type of evolution?"
"If it's evolution, it's self-limiting."
"Clearly vampires alone could not populate the earth. But, the population is already out of control. Maybe vampirism is meant to temper that."
Carlisle chuckled. "That's definitely a new way of looking at it."
"I'm not saying it's right. I don't even believe that. I'm just saying that I think you need to consider the fact that you were not turned evil by a chance bite. You couldn't have been. I mean, look at you, at all the good you've done. You have touched and improved so many lives I can't even begin to imagine it."
"You're still worried that I might think I'm damned? Isabella, you are precious."
Bella's eyes flashed, and her tone turned sharp. "Don't patronize me."
Carlisle was taken aback. "I wouldn't patronize you." He reached out and took her hand. "I merely meant that here you are a beautiful woman recovering from a serious injury that you received through the carelessness of a vampire's super strength, defending vampirism. You are a rare treasure. Most humans would have run away as fast as they could from the start. But, you... you remain staunchly defending vampires after many brushes with death at our hands."
"Not at your hands, Carlisle. Your hands have brought me only healing, comfort, and pleasure."
"Pleasure?"
"Yes, pleasure." Bella blushed. "I..." Bella looked down at their joined hands. "...I meant that you held my hand when you taught me to skate."
"Isabella," Carlisle leaned in and she could feel his breath on her cheek. "I would dearly love to bring you ple-" He stopped and sat back instantly putting a foot of space between them on the sofa. "Your father is here."
Charlie stuck his head around the open door. "Hey, Bells, how are you doing?"
"I'm good, Dad."
"Chomping at the bit to get back to school?"
"Sure."
"Good, 'cause I just stopped by to pick up Esme and give you the schoolwork you're missing." Charlie's attention shifted to Carlisle. "So, doc, when do you think she'll be getting back?"
"If Bella keeps improving, I'd say she could return to school sometime next week if she's very careful."
"That's great. It'll be good to get you home."
"Yeah, Dad, isn't Esme helping you out?"
"That lady is something else. I can't wait to get you home, Bells, but to be honest, I sure will miss her."
"She's a good cook, isn't she?"
"She is, and she's real interested in fishing. She's helping me sort out my tackle box tonight."
Bella's tone was anything but sincere. "Sounds like fun."
Esme walked gracefully into the room with a tray for Bella. "It will be fun." She placed the tray on the table in front of the sofa.
Charlie looked at the sumptuous meal that was clearly for one. His eyes narrowed in concern. "You eating all alone, Bells?"
"Of course, she's not." Esme supplied.
Charlie looked at Esme. "Oh, that's good." Esme took Charlie's arm. He left without another glance at his daughter or Carlisle.
Bella looked thoughtful. "Carlisle, should I be worried?"
"Why? Because your father is spending time with a bloodsucking monster?"
Bella huffed and picked up her fork. She looked speculatively at Carlisle. "There must be some way we could eat together."
"Should I bring a deer in through the sitting room?"
"Maybe warmed deer blood in a glass..." Bella mused, making Carlisle's brow furrow.
