A.N.: Wow, my inbox is overflowing with story follows and favorites! Where did all of you come from? :)
Some answers in this chapter, and probably some questions as well!
Beta'd by the excellent LovePotionsBrewer. She makes my unwieldy sentences sensible, and makes sure I do not use too many ands.
Please welcome my new pre-reader, Beachlover6453!
All mistakes are mine.
Chapter-3
The month passes too quickly for me. While everybody else in the manor is excited about the upcoming nuptials, I feel like my heart is beating for two different people. On one hand it keeps on reminding me that I had been attracted to Edward since the day I met him, and my slapping him was a purely defensive action. Then it does a turn-around and whispers words of love and faithfulness for Anthony, my husband who completed my life and filled my nights with his gentle lovemaking. The day of the wedding arrives, and it has still not given its verdict.
Edward and I have managed to avoid each other. He has definitely been around—that much I am aware of. Anthony had been in no state to attend to the matters of the estate for the last couple of weeks of his illness; no doubt there is a lot of backlog for Edward to deal with. Still, I have barely seen a glimpse of him in passing. He has lunch in his office, and I have mine in my room, except when I have company.
Alice has informed me that Edward will be moving into Anthony's old room after the wedding, and preparations have been made in that direction. It doesn't matter to me either way, as I have no attachment to it. Before Edward went away, Anthony always visited me in my bedroom, and his days were spent in the office or touring the province. In fact, the only occasion when I went to his room was the day he passed away. So it was not as if Edward was stepping on any precious memories.
There was only one day when he joined me in the parlour, and that was when my parents had paid a visit, Angela in tow. Since they were eager to know the man I was getting married to, I had to inform Edward and ask if he could meet them for a few minutes. I was half-hoping he would refuse on account of work, but Edward appeared promptly in answer to the missive, all dripping charm and dazzling smiles. I sighed, knowing well that all three of them would be impressed with him, although my father didn't care much for flattery of manner and flowery words. But then, Edward did have this innate sincerity that shined through his outer persona. Even I had accepted that he was far from being a superficial combination of good looks and polite conversation. So even if my father judged him as critically as any doting father would the man his daughter was going to spend her whole life with, he could not fault him for anything specific. After Edward had left, my father grudgingly admitted that he seemed 'a bit of all right' for a lord.
Mamma and Angela were starry-eyed, of course. Edward was so handsome, carried himself so well, had such beautiful manners, in their own words, and oh—he was so attentive to them, unlike many men of their acquaintance who never really listened when a woman spoke.
"I must say, Isabella," remarked my mother in a rather sly tone, "he seems half in love with you already. Did you know him well before he left for France?"
I was taken aback. "I met him now and then. He was Anthony's cousin, you know."
"Of course, of course. Maybe he had a crush on you earlier? Not that you would have noticed, what with that beautiful husband of yours around!" She laughed her merry little laugh, while my insides seemed to turn to ice. I was well aware how rumours spread like wildfire in the so-called upper echelons of the society. And there were always footmen and maids around to catch a word here and there—that was even more dangerous than a completely fabricated tale of an affair.
"I am sure he was nothing more than friendly, Mamma. As for today, I suppose living on the continent and managing his own business has polished his manners, that's all. Or maybe he is one of those rare men who care what his in-laws think of him?" I laughed to show I was only making a joke.
"Oh well, in that case you can convey to him that I am well-pleased with him."
My father then did his head-nod-eyebrow-raise, and they took their leave.
As the number of days to the wedding lessened, my anxiety increased. My sleep was broken, and full of strange, disturbing dreams that I could not translate into words when I woke up. My thoughts returned to my first wedding again and again, and what happened afterwards.
-ATW-
I had first heard of Anthony after attending my first coming-out ball at my aunt's. Esme Cullen was my mother's sister and married to the eminent surgeon Carlisle Cullen. They had not been blessed with any children, so they showered their love on me and my siblings. Esme loved to entertain, and her parties were eagerly awaited. Anthony had seen me at one of these parties and inquired from Carlisle as to who were my parents. Next day Esme paid us a very excited visit, gushing how fortunate I was to be noticed by one of the most eligible bachelors of the land.
Apparently Anthony had decided that I would be a suitable wife for him.
I was stunned that a titled gentleman wanted to marry me. I asked my parents if I could meet him once, just to ask him why he had chosen me—a girl from an untitled family—for his wife. They had no objections to the match, of course, but they wouldn't force me either. The decision would be mine.
I met Anthony—at least I thought he was Anthony—in the sun room of his palatial house. I found him beautiful, well-spoken with a sense of humour, and courteous. He explained to me that he wished for a wife who took pleasure in the simple things of life, not a social butterfly as the girls from titled families he had met. Since it was what I wished for too, I thought we were well-suited to each other.
On my return home, I gave my consent to my parents.
The wedding was an extravagant affair, mostly because Lord James Masen wanted to compensate for his daughter-in-law being from an untitled family. Anthony later explained to me that it was easier to give in to his demands and keep peace, rather than argue on the side of economy. And they could afford it—no question there—so he let his father have his way.
My parents were not stingy, but they could not compare with the coffers of the Masen family. Anthony had assured them that they should not go to too much trouble, seeing he was the one responsible for hurrying them along. He had more than enough resources to make all the arrangements, so it would please him greatly if my parents would let him do everything—well, more or less everything.
The result was a fairytale wedding, remembering which made my heart ache even now. The ceremony was performed in the town church, and my heart swelled with gratitude as I bowed my head reverently. Anthony spoke his vows softly but clearly. As I repeated mine after the minister, I promised to myself that I would never forget them.
It was only when Anthony lifted my veil and kissed my cheek that I had my first look at him. Imagine my shock when instead of the angel I had met that afternoon in the sun room, I found another man staring at me. I was so unsettled and confused that I felt faint as we turned towards the guests and were announced as Lord Anthony Masen and Lady Isabella Masen. Even though questions swarmed in my mind, I could not manage to utter a single word.
Had it been a joke, albeit a tasteless one?
Then Anthony introduced me to Edward, and the pain in his eyes made it clear that it had not been a joke on his part. Anthony himself looked slightly nervous. What did he expect me to do—create a scene? I wanted answers, but I would wait for a more opportune moment.
Whatever the reason might have been, the fact remained that Anthony was my husband.
The reception was held on the estate. To this day the people of the town express their wonder over its lavish decorations and sumptuous food. There were many distinguished guests at the function, and their fine carriages and finer clothes remained the subject of discussion in various gatherings for months to come. However, the whole thing seemed more like a dream to me than anything else. Anthony made small talk with the lords and ladies as I smiled dazedly and shook hands and tried to believe that I was now a part of his world. I had to behave like a proper lady. I could never let my husband down in front of his friends and acquaintances.
Finally it was over. The guests left, except those who had come from afar and would be staying for the night. Anthony escorted me to my room, stammered that he would see me in a bit, and left hurriedly.
An elderly woman named Mary had been assigned as my personal maid, and she helped me take off my bridal gown—snowy white with yards of silk and lace—and the many layers underneath. When I was down to my shift, she helped me into a much simpler nightgown from my trunk. It had long sleeves with cuffs at the wrists and came down to my ankles. Mary brushed out my hair and braided it so it was much more comfortable than the elaborate coiffure I had worn for the wedding, patted my shoulder in a motherly gesture, and left me to my chaotic thoughts.
Having had a sheltered upbringing, I had not even kissed a boy yet. My mother had done her duty in giving me the standard advice of being pliable to my husband's advances. Also, a friend of mine who had been married for almost a year had provided me with some details based upon her experience. She had warned me that the first time—and maybe a few after that—might be painful, but once my body had 'adjusted to the invasion', the pleasure would be worth it. It mostly depended on how considerate and patient my husband turned out to be.
Based upon Aunt Esme's praise of him, I was sure Anthony would prove to be a kind man, but I can't say that there was not some measure of trepidation inside me as I imagined what our first encounter would be like. Gradually, anticipation gave way to fatigue as time passed. The candle in its holder burned down steadily, and I yawned, wondering if he had been detained by his friends.
I was proved right when the door opened to the sound of male laughter and teasing remarks. Anthony was wished good night and good luck with his bride, and pushed in by a couple of hands. Even in the semi-darkness of the room, I could see that he was not quite steady on his feet. It seemed they had continued the celebration even after the reception was over.
With careful steps he neared the bed and sat down on the other side. Slowly he took off his shoes and pulled his feet up, and faced me.
We looked at each other and then at the shadows in the room.
He cleared his throat once or twice.
When he finally spoke, his voice was soft and his words slurred a little.
"Apologies, my lady. I have kept you up so late."
"It is all right, my lord," I answered, feeling awkward. "Your friends wanted to spend more time with you. I understand."
His lips twisted in a grimace. "You are a very understanding girl then. But I wonder if you are forgiving as well? You must be feeling deceived that I didn't meet you in the sun room, aren't you?"
I took a deep breath. Yes, of course I was.
"Uh, I would like to hear the reason first, my lord. It certainly gave me a great shock when I saw your face in the church. Did you play a joke on me?"
His expression was one of horror.
"No, Isabella, of course not! I would never do that to anybody!" He paused, looked up to the ceiling and exhaled roughly. When his eyes came back to me, his expression had become soft again. "Though I suppose I deserve that question. The truth is, I have had a very unusual childhood. I have never had the opportunity to speak with a girl in an intimate manner, and when you wanted to meet me, I became very nervous. I was sure I would make a fool of myself and scare you away, and I really wanted to make a good impression. Jasper-my valet—suggested that I have a glass of wine to calm my nerves, so I did. It made me feel better, so I decided to have another one."
He looked down, his long fingers twisting anxiously.
"Um, I don't remember how many glasses I had. I passed out completely. When I woke up, it was very late in the night. Edward told me that he and Jasper had tried to stir me but failed, so he went to the meeting and pretended to be me. He thought it would save me from certain embarrassment."
"He should have told me the truth, my lord, or made an excuse on your behalf. He could have said that you were indisposed." I tried to rein in my anger, but I am sure my tone betrayed me.
"He did not want you to think you were going to marry a drunkard. And if he had lied, your aunt would certainly have paid me a visit out of courtesy. What would she have thought then? She would have informed your parents, and they would have refused the offer. I would have been crushed!"
"You wanted to marry me that much?" I looked at him curiously before I continued. "Was your reason…Edward said he wanted a wife who enjoyed the simple things of life and was not a social butterfly. Did he speak on your behalf?"
He nodded eagerly, smiling a relieved smile. I couldn't help noticing how beautiful it made him look. Truthfully, he had many similarities with Edward.
"He did, my lady. Every word he spoke there as Anthony was taken from my lips. In a manner, he acted as my messenger that day and gauged your feelings for the marriage."
"He still should have told me the truth," I sighed quietly. What was the use of flogging a dead horse? "It is done however, and it cannot be changed. Just promise me that you will never lie to me again. I believe that trust is the foundation of a happy married life; I cannot imagine one where husband and wife lie to each other. Can you promise me that?"
His smile grew wider. "Of course, my—Drat this lord and lady business! May I call you Bella? It suits you very much; you are such a pretty girl." He rushed on before I could say anything. "And please call me Anthony. My father is the one who is fond of being addressed as my lord all the time. He—"
He broke off as there was a soft tap on the door.
"Come in."
A young man peered inside cautiously. The shadows in the room obscured most of his features, but still he seemed somewhat familiar. Where had I seen him?
"My lord, I apologise for disturbing you. Your father is insisting on seeing you. He says he plans to leave early in the morning, so he must speak with you now."
It seemed like Anthony was rolling his eyes. "Speak of the devil," he muttered. Then he turned to me and sighed.
"Bella, I must go and appease my father. He usually has a lot to say, so it will be a while before he lets me go. Please get some rest—you must be exhausted by now. And oh, this is Jasper, my valet. You can meet him properly tomorrow. Have a good night, my sweet wife."
"Good night," I whispered, half-disappointed and half-relieved.
He placed a soft kiss on my hand as he bowed slightly. Another beautiful smile, and he was gone. The door closed silently behind him.
Next chapter will have Edward and Bella's wedding!