Ch. 2
"Edward, please stop fidgeting, dear. Helen is going to stick you with one of those pins if you aren't careful." My mother spoke over her copy of Forster's "A Room with a View" which she closed and set down gently in her lap to reprimand me. I didn't understand what she saw in such a radical author. Bella would probably love him too.
"Yes, Mother. I apologize, Helen." I answered genuinely as I clutched the handkerchief Bella had gifted me which I held for safe keeping in my coat pocket and tried to distract myself from jumping off the stool as Helen let down and pinned the hem of my school trousers. My tall, lean frame was quite the inconvenience when it came to school uniform shopping.
"Thank you, sir. What has you so bothered this morning anyhow?" Helen inquired with narrowed eyes.
Helen was our maid by trade now, but she was really like an extension of our family. She had practically helped raise me, a second mother to me even now. Mother and Father hired her as my nanny when I was just a boy, maybe five or six years of age, so it felt strange for her to call me 'sir.' She was a woman of propriety and manners, though, and she insisted that so long as she was in my parents' employ, she should show respect as I grew older. I thought such formality was utterly ridiculous.
"Helen, please just call me Edward as you always have, and I'm just distracted, I suppose. I was trying to recall if I had completed all my assignments for tomorrow. The first day back at school after summer vacation is always the hardest." I was only partially lying. I wasn't sure if I had completed my assignments or not. I was too preoccupied these days with Bella to pay adequate attention to such things.
"Are you sure your mind wasn't wandering back to your dearest, Miss Swan?" Helen asked with a cheeky grin.
My face grew hot because if I was to be honest with myself, I was always thinking about my dearest, Miss Swan. "No, just the school assignments. I am my own man, you know." I said curtly, but she and my mother shared a knowing look. Those words were blasphemy from my tongue. After meeting Bella at school that first day our ninth year, I would never be my own man again. I was forever hers even before she openly accepted me as such.
Bella's father insisted that she have the best education available so that she might never have to depend on a man should something ever happen to him. He worked in a dangerous line of work, after all. Mr. Swan scraped by and saved every penny to put Bella through the top private school in the city, Lake Crest Academy. He must be the one who inspired my Bella to have such a progressive outlook on life. I enjoyed a bit of debate, though, being more of a self-proclaimed traditionalist myself.
"Edward, why don't you go check and see if your father is home from the office? He was only supposed to take a half day today since it's a holiday." I locked my feet in place to keep from rudely running out of the room. I was itching to see my love again. Eighteen hours was far too long a time apart. "Then you may go call on Bella." My mother must be a psychic, or she just had working eyes.
I had been bouncing on my toes to leave for the last half an hour since Bella had called to say she and her father could come for dinner. I had offered my services to drive them here since her father's car was giving him trouble. I was hoping this would also earn some respect from Mr. Swan too because I knew he hated public transportation almost as much as me. His reasoning for the distaste was much more noble though. He was concerned about the risk of Bella encountering pick pockets and other petty criminals. I had the sneaking suspicion that the security of my company was one of the only reasons he allowed me to be near his daughter as much as I had been as of late.
"Yes, mother." I tried to keep my smile slight, but she must have heard the triumph in my voice as she shook her head and laughed airily.
"You behave yourself." She tsked with a grin. "I won't have you embarrassing me with any gross displays of impropriety. Remember your manners!"
"Yes, mother." I laughed and kissed her cheek, almost running up the hall to the front door. "Hello, Father." I greeted him at the door with a bit too much enthusiasm.
"Where are you off to in such a rush?" His brow furrowed, but his lips simultaneously turned upward slightly in amusement. I was the family jester these days apparently. I was glad to be of service though if it meant more time with Bella. I was not too proud to admit my obsession with her.
"I'm to bring Bella and her father home for dinner this evening. Would you like to come along?" I meant the offer to be cordial but silently prayed he would decline. Having Bella's father present would be awkward enough.
"No, no. You go along without me. I spent enough time on the road today. I had to retrieve some documents from the Harvey Firm this morning across town. The traffic was horrible. I hope you fair better in your travels." He said with a gruff sigh.
"Alright. I'll see you soon then. Mother and Helen are in the parlor."
I rushed out the door only stopping for a moment to admire my baby. She was slick and shiny, elegant to the maximum degree. I had one of the first 1919 Ford Model T 3-door Touring with a soft top in town which had only been released last month and could hold up to four passengers. This car could reach up to forty-five miles per hour! I couldn't imagine ever needing to travel much faster, but that didn't stop me from dreaming of a day when it would be possible. I laughed to myself at the thought of such a thing as I cranked the engine and then climbed in the car.
The speed did cut my commute to Bella's home nearly in half, but I would have to be much more cautious when driving with her father in the car, not that Bella would allow me to speed without commentary on her part. She was only shy to speak her mind until she sensed injustice or danger. The thought of her admonition brought back my smile. Her anger was about as frightening as a tiny kitten when she scolded me.
"Mr. Swan, thank you for accepting my parents' invitation to dinner this evening." I greeted the man I hoped to call father-in-law one day.
"Edward." He nodded, and his voice only betrayed the slightest hint of disgust at my presence. I appreciated that small courtesy greatly when I saw Bella rounding the corner.
I held back my sigh of relief at having her near me where she belonged. There was always an ache in my chest when we were apart which could only be soothed by her company. "Good afternoon, Bella."
"Good afternoon, Edward." She responded meekly but with a glint in her eyes. She was absolutely breathtaking in her white cotton lace cut-out skirt and blouse and matching coat.
"Good afternoon." I responded.
"You already said that. Are you ready to go or is there some other topic of interest you would like to repeat?"
I gulped at my mistake, and I saw Bella laugh weakly from the corner of my eye.
"No sir..I mean yes sir...I'm ready. Bella?" I wanted to groan at my ineptitude.
"Yes, I'm ready." She slipped on her lightly knit gloves, and I found myself once more dreaming of being those inanimate objects which were allowed to spend so much time close to her delicate skin.
"Ahem." Mr. Swan narrowed his eyes at me and walked to the car, making a show of climbing into the front seat, so I would know that Bella had no chance of riding beside me.
"Ignore him, darling." Bella whispered through a smile as she passed by and gently brushed her covered knuckles against my bare hand. Her father climbed out of the car to help her into the back seat where she nearly tripped climbing in. I cursed myself for being so distracted in thought as to not help her in myself, but oh, to be that glove on her hand! I had to change my direction of thought abruptly to avoid quite the compromising situation in my trousers. That vulgar display would be a living hell to explain in front of Bella, much less her father, God forbid. Isabella Swan's temptation of beauty, grace, and slightness in form would be the death of me.
I once again cranked the engine and climbed into the driver's seat, making sure everyone was securely in their seats before beginning the drive back home. This should make for an interesting dinner party at least.
A few hours later, we were sitting in the back garden, enjoying the last hour of daylight, Bella nimbly fanning herself as she rested against her chair. The dimming rays of sun reflected brilliantly off of her hair, showcasing the bit of red which was usually hidden in the depths of chocolate brown.
"Edward," My mother's voice brought me back to the present company, and I really hoped I wasn't caught staring at Bella again. It was a source of amusement for my family members, but I couldn't imagine it would be as funny to her father. He would think me some kind of predator if he knew how very center she was in my mind all the time. "I made a cheesecake for dessert with a cherry reduction to go on top. Would you help me bring it out for our guests?"
"Of course, mother. Excuse us, Bella, Mr. Swan." Bella's father grunted at me, but smiled at my mother.
"Mr. Swan." Mother acknowledged as she slid by him and my father graciously.
"Call me Charlie, Mrs. Masen." He answered. I wanted to sigh as he again found a way to assert his dominance over me by allowing my mother to refer to him so informally while not offering the same to me. He would have to accept me some day certainly. I could be patient.
"Oh, then do call me Elizabeth, please."
"Well, you can keep calling me Jackass, Charlie." My father laughed, and so did Mr. Swan. Bella and my mother openly gawked at the casual use of such language.
"Edward!" My mother gasped.
"What? He and all his friends refer to me as such in the courtroom anyway when I release their convicts much sooner than they would like!" He and Mr. Swan guffawed harder at that.
"Still, you are in polite company! Shame on you. I hope our son knows better!" Mother, though usually a soft-spoken woman, could have a sharp tongue when necessary, like Bella actually. I didn't want to examine all the similarities between my mother and my chosen betrothed too closely or else I might come to the conclusion that I needed to see a specialist in psycho-analysis.
"Excuse my vulgarity, Miss Swan."
"Yes, sir." My once innocent Bella squeaked out, her face a dark maroon. I wanted to go to her and shield her from ever being exposed to such language again. She was clearly shocked.
"Edward—junior—" Mother specified, "Kitchen. Now." Her voice redirected my attention, but her glare remained focused on my father, who was obviously holding in a laugh. He and Mr. Swan had consumed far too much liquor it would seem.
"Yes, Mother." I spared one final fleeting glance to my love, but this time she was nearly laughing too upon seeing her father so light in spirits. I had to smile along. Anything which kept her happy I had to allow.
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