Five days ago, I pulled a muscle in my shoulder, due to which my left arm was practically useless. I was sure that this chapter was going to be late. Somehow, it improved yesterday, and I started writing this chapter. Hopefully it has turned out all right!

Oh yes, in case you didn't remember, Apple Snowballs are Lizzie's favourite dessert. :)

Unbeta'ed.

Chapter-18

( Past )

Dinner was marginally better, not because Lady Delaney's manners had improved, but because we had more guests. With the number of people at the dining table having increased, her rudeness was more evenly distributed, and she had fewer opportunities to aim her barbed questions at me.

At least it proved that she was consistent in her rudeness. I suspect that she would have been more polite to the Queen though, had she chanced to meet her.

Lord Garrett Norman had arrived a couple of hours before dinner, shortly followed by another family, Lord Alec Villiers and Lady Jane Villiers. They were a young couple, perhaps twenty two or three years of age, and had two children—twins—Julian and Anne. Lady Jane informed me rather shyly that the twins were four years of age.

It was easy to see that Anthony was much more comfortable with Lord Norman and Lord Villiers than he was with the Delaneys. Lord Norman was a year younger to him, and Anthony told me that they had become friends at Oxford.

As for the Villiers, they were good friends with the Masen family, Alec's father having conducted business with James for years. Apparently they had visited the estate the previous year as well.

All of them insisted that I should address them by their first names. Lady Delaney, who had not even deigned to let us know what her first name was, made a 'hmph' sound. In her opinion, it must be a breach of propriety.

Another thing that immediately became clear to me was that Garrett was enamoured of Kate. Whether or not she reciprocated his feelings was difficult to say, though there was a definite change in her demeanour. At lunch, she had monopolized Edward's attention, barely letting him address a word to me. It nearly gave me heartburn to see her fawning over him, behaving as if they had known each other forever and she couldn't bear to be parted from him for a moment. When she turned to me and gushed at Edward's prowess at jumping obstacles, and how beautifully he had taught her, I had an extremely unusual urge of scratching her pretty face so that she would shut up.

Lady Delaney glared at both Kate and Edward throughout the meal in a manner that made her disapproval abundantly clear. For some reason though, her anger seemed to be focussed on Edward rather than her coquette of a daughter. As if he was encouraging her in any way!

Edward looked thoroughly uncomfortable, answering Kate in polite monosyllables while throwing beseeching looks at Anthony and me. But Anthony was engrossed in Lord Delaney's long-winded reminiscence of his travel through Prussia as a young man. The one time he did glance at Edward, he gave a little shrug as if saying he was as helpless as him in the matter.

And what could I have done? However my guests might behave, I had to play the gracious hostess. Like Lady Delaney, others of Anthony's acquaintance must be judging me already. I didn't want to give them more fodder for gossip!

As soon as lunch was over, Edward had made his escape, saying that his mother required him home urgently. I could almost hear him exhale as he rushed out of the door!

Unfortunately, I had no such excuse. Hence I had to bear Lady Delaney's august company as she toured the mansion and its surroundings, commenting on everything she deemed worthy of her attention. Nothing escaped her sharp eyes, from a stain on a maid's uniform to the kind of fertilizer the gardener was using in the rose garden. She reminisced how dear James had built up the whole property with hard work and vision, and how grateful I should be to him.

"He handled Anthony so well after his wife passed away," she enthused as we returned to the parlour for some much-needed tea and refreshments. Being agreeable to her was exhausting, really. "It would have been so easy to mollycoddle the boy and let him grow into a spoilt, useless dandy. Instead James took him firmly in hand, provided him the best of education and guided him in the running of the estate—and look at him now! He is an upstanding young man any father would be proud of, unlike his worthless cousin."

My eyebrows jumped at the last sentence. I might not have known everything about Edward, but I did know that he was not worthless.

She took my expression to be one of shock and proceeded to enlighten me.

"Oh, Edward is very charming," she drawled in a tone that made it clear it was not a compliment. "I am sure he will make a good marriage with a rich widow and inherit all her money. But he should learn a thing or two from Anthony, do something worthwhile instead of running after horses the whole day. Really, it is a most unsuitable activity for a member of such an illustrious family! At least his father chose a decent occupation. I am sure he is breaking his poor mother's heart with his careless attitude, don't you think?"

I was so stunned at being appealed to that I could only mumble something incoherent. But she was not probably expecting an answer, for she seemed quite satisfied with our one-sided conversation.

Kate joined us for tea, and mother and daughter chatted on inane topics while I nodded dutifully and pretended to be amazed at how much Lady Delaney's Indian shawl cost and how well Kate could play the pianoforte. I did have a difficult time suppressing my yawns once or twice. Were all noblewomen like them? If yes, the season of visitors was going to be a very long one indeed!

Fortunately, I was proved wrong that very evening. Lady Jane Villiers, or Jane as she insisted I should call her, was neither vapid nor pretentious. Not once did she show off her jewellery or antique lace, or boast how grand her husband's estate was, or how many servants they had. To my surprise, she was interested in me and wanted to know more about me without being intrusive.

We had a lively discussion on Jane Austen's novel—Pride and Prejudice. It had been published as a comedy of manners and had enjoyed immense popularity. Jane thought that Elizabeth was a smart woman, perfect for the outwardly cold Mister Darcy. We giggled at her witty repartees and how much poor Darcy must have agonised over her unattainableness. Even Kate agreed with us and joined our merriment.

Lady Delaney had a very strong opinion on the book, of course. She huffed a little and stated that Elizabeth was too impudent for her own good. Also, she had no idea as to how to respect her elders.

"Look how saucy she was with Lady Catherine, Darcy's aunt," she said, ending our chuckles. "I assure you, if this had happened in real life, she would have estranged her husband from his family and driven him to drink soon enough. The poor man would not have been able to spend a single day in peace, with such a wife at his side. He should have listened to his aunt and married his cousin instead!"

Jane made a face at that, and I had to press my lips together to prevent laughing openly. If she could, she would have accosted Miss Austen and forced her to change the end of the novel, of that I was sure.

As the maids began to clear the table in preparation for serving the dessert course, the topic was changed without further comment.

-ATW-

The next morning, I was glad to know that Lady Delaney was an excellent shooter and always joined her husband at the hunt. It meant that she would be out of the house for at least a few hours every day!

Edward was expected to accompany them, so he could not go riding with me. But he promised me that he would find some time in the afternoon to help me practice.

Kate went with them for a couple of days, but on the third day she decided to stay back and read a book. She also chatted a bit with Jane and me, and I could see that she was not a bad sort. Perhaps she was somewhat childish and wanted other people's attention, but her heart was in the right place.

She did play the piano fairly well, though not as masterfully as I had seen some people play at my aunt and uncle's parties. Still, all of us praised her, particularly Garrett. Whether Lady Delaney approved or not—for Garrett was only a baron—Kate basked in the admiration of the handsome young man with unruly blond hair and earnest blue eyes. It was only a matter of time before he would ask Lord Delaney's permission to court his daughter.

Anthony informed me that Garrett had met Kate in London a few months ago, but they had not spoken much. Now that he knew that her parents were actively seeking a groom for her, he was going to take his chance.

Six days after our guests had arrived, Edward had decided to take me riding in a lightly wooded area of the estate. We were going to stay on a well-used path to avoid any wild animals though. As usual, Kate had joined us for the ride.

Edward was riding alongside me and explaining that I needed to exercise more control over Rosalie as the path twisted and turned in some places, with Kate following behind on Rusty. After a few minutes, she began to urge me to go faster.

"There's nothing to it, Bella! Just let Rosalie go. We ride much harder when we go for a hunt, you know?"

"But I am a novice at this, Kate," I answered patiently. "Before I got married, I was scared of horses. It is only now that I have gained a little confidence with Rosalie. I want to get used to this first."

"You are no fun," she said in a tone that suggested she was pouting. "It is so easy to make your horse gallop. I will help you."

Edward's head jerked back at the same time I felt something hit Rosalie's right flank. Before I could understand what had happened, Rosalie neighed loudly, and we were flying through the trees.

I could hear Edward yell something about keeping my head down, but my mind had stopped working. I barely saw the thick, low-hanging branch before I lost my seat and saw the ground rushing to meet me. I lay there on the grass, completely winded, feeling the cold and damp below. My head swam, so I kept my eyes shut

After a few minutes I was able to breathe more normally. I also became conscious of someone holding me, with my head resting in their lap. Gentle fingers felt my forehead, and a soft voice called my name and begged me to open my eyes.

"Bella, please, please be all right. Please open your eyes and say you are not hurt."

I opened my eyes to find Edward's face above me, but his features seemed blurry. I blinked a few times and they became more clear.

"Edward?"

He heaved a sigh of relief. "Oh, Bella! I was so worried! How are you feeling? Are you in pain?"

"I don't think so," I managed faintly. "I am feeling light-headed though. Can you help me sit up?"

"Of course. Slowly, all right?" He supported me as I sat, keeping his arm around my back. "I tried to hold your reins, but Rosalie was off like a shot from a gun."

I noticed that my skirt was riding up to my knee and tried to pull it down. Heavens, he had seen my legs!

Edward didn't seem to be paying attention to them. He carefully felt around my hairline, murmuring something about a bump. Then he picked a few leaves out of my hair, which had come loose and was falling over my back.

"What had happened?" I asked, trying to distract myself from the warmth infusing my body at his actions. He was handling me as if I was made of glass!

He sighed. "Kate thought she was helping you when she used her riding crop on Rosalie. Of course Rosalie ran off. She has never felt the whip before, and to be struck like that all of a sudden—it must have startled her."

"Where is she now?" I asked, trying to brush my hair and make it somewhat presentable. "Ugh! My hair must be so messy right now!"

For the first time since I had opened my eyes in his lap, Edward smiled. "You are worried about your hair? And by she did you mean Rosalie or Kate?"

"Um, Rosalie. I don't particularly care where Kate is." It might have sounded rude, but it was true. Her intention might not have been malicious, but her action had been so thoughtless.

This time Edward openly laughed. "My guess is Rosalie has gone back to the stables. If not, I will look for her after I get you home. Let me help you stand, and don't worry about your hair. It is still very pretty." And he ran his fingers through the loose strands.

The action was so intimate that it made me shiver with pleasure. "Th-thank you," I stammered as he helped me stand up, still supporting me from behind. "For following me, and…everything. I am not even sure where I am right now!"

"Of course I followed you, sweetheart," he said, voice low and rough. "When I found you lying here, the worst thoughts passed through my mind. I was sure you had broken your leg, or that you were…dead."

Sweetheart? I turned to find his eyes shimmering with tears, and then one slid down his cheek. Without thinking I raised my hand and wiped it off. He was looking at me as if the world would have ended with my death. "Edward," I whispered, getting lost in his eyes.

One of his hands slid to my back while the other supported my head as he lowered his slowly. My eyes closed, and I felt his lips brush mine. Once, twice, so gently that it felt like a feather was touching them. I sighed, longing for more, and my arms went around his neck. When my fingers came in contact with his hair, they instinctively held on to it.

Suddenly the pressure of his lips on mine increased. My breath hitched as I felt him suck at my bottom lip, and then his tongue touched mine. It made me feel as if lightening had jolted me from inside. My mouth opened more, allowing him to explore it better, while his hands pressed my body closer to his. The sensations running through my body were intense beyond my imagination. I felt his leg nudge mine and a hardness against my stomach, and heard a moan that could have come from me or from him.

It lasted only a few minutes, but I was breathless when we separated. He was breathing hard, his eyes darker than usual as he stared hungrily at me. Gradually the world around came into focus; my breathing became more normal, and his eyes lightened.

"I am sorry, Bella," he said sorrowfully, and I came back to my senses. What had I been doing? "This should never have happened."

I nodded slowly. "No, it shouldn't have. I am sorry too. Anthony doesn't deserve this."

He opened his mouth to say something more, but then shook his head and closed it. Silently, we walked to where his horse was waiting patiently.

Edward helped me on Emmett and climbed up behind me. We returned to the mansion at a moderate pace.

"Edward, I won't be riding with you any more," I said as the mansion came into view.

A.N. I read 'How to Forget' by Shadow Masen recently, and if you haven't read it yet, please do. It's so well-written. The medical details astonished me!

So that's how their first kiss came about. Thoughts?

More gems of wisdom from Lady Delaney. :P

As always, thank you for reading and reviewing!