This story is a FAGE15 gift to Bkhchica. I hope you enjoy it, darling :)
Big thank yous are owed to Melody Taylor (beta editor) and Brier Lynn Rose (beta reader) for all of my insanity. You both have amazing patience. Thank you! xoxo.
Charles hugged Mary Alice as she cried, sprawled across the green, worn-out chaise. His favorite daughter had reacted to his announcement as though the world was ending, her wind chime voice tinkling as she gasped and coughed between sobs.
Isabella and Emmett stood by, observing their calm, unemotional father comfort their middle sister while she absorbed her fate. They exchanged a worry-filled glance, anticipating the anger that would come next. The news of her engagement shocked the siblings. No one expected their father to barter his child. Least of all, the apple of his eye. He had never advocated such customs prior.
Odd habits and secretive behavior were slowly isolating him from his children. As a result, Charles had become an enigma in recent months. Since returning from his latest journey, he seemed a different man. Bella could not help but worry there was more behind the decision than he let on
As Mary Alice's tears slowed, Charles pulled away from her and stiffly stood upright. Death-defying battles and grueling journeys that lasted months had taken their toll on his health. The recently retired Colonel Charles Swan was not yet fifty and relied on his cane for balance.
He limped across the dim, sparsely furnished sitting room and collapsed in an exhausted heap in his favorite chair. It was one of the few expensive items kept after selling most of their estate. Purchased with his ailments in mind, he often slept there, alleviating the pain in his back. "I am sorry, Mary Alice. The Blacks are a wealthy, influential family. This arrangement will save us all from complete destitution. At least you will gain the wealthy life you always hoped for."
"That is the life that you and mother hoped to live. What value has wealth without affection? The Black family has nearly exiled themselves from society, only making appearances when necessary."
"The Blacks are not cruel, dearest, nor have they entirely exiled themselves. Mr. Black's daughters are unhindered by his reclusive habits."
"Unhindered is being polite.' Mary Alice hissed, "Unchaperoned is more like it. And only during the peak of the social season, haven't you noticed? Rachel and Rebecca practically throw themselves at potential husbands, hoping to escape their reclusive father. And what about Jacob, Father? Have you ever seen my intended husband? I have not! Would you bid me spend eternity with a face I cannot bear to look at?"
Bella scowled at her sister's vanity. Their parents had complimented Mary Alice for her beauty since infancy. A swarm of intended suitors had affirmed those opinions since her fourteenth year. That semi-worship had given her an enlarged sense of self. Mary Alice became spoiled by superficial praise. For the first time, she discovered beauty did not make her infallible. It was a heavy blow to her self-esteem.
Charles grumbled, "Of course. It has been many years, but he had grown into a fine lad the last I saw him."
"The men among that family are giants, Father. Perhaps you have noticed that Jacob Black will dwarf me in comparison."
Unaffected, he huffed. "All men dwarf you in comparison, Alice. Including Jasper." Mary Alice stood barely five feet tall. Thick ebony hair reached her waist when not swept up into some elaborate style. Her snowy-white skin and thick black lashes complimented her large blue eyes. Her pinched nose and angular bone structure contrasted with the fullness of her cheeks and heart-shaped lips. Mary Alice was perky, talkative, and affectionate during the worst times. These natural traits helped her befriend others easily. People were frequently beholden by Mary Alice, drawn in by her ethereal aura and charm.
The attention Mary Alice drew by simply being herself worried Charles. He monitored her interactions carefully in certain circles, fearing his treasured child might suddenly sprout wings and fly away. Now he had practically sold her.
Mary Alice cried, "Are you truly this insensitive, Father? I have loved Jasper since we were children. Does that mean nothing to you?"
The revelation was no surprise. Unfortunately, previous agreements meant nothing when sullied in the eyes of society. Jasper's family had been quiet since the Swans' ruination, though his letters to Mary Alice continued. Because his brother was a respected and busy physician, the lack of contact was not unreasonable. Mary Alice refused to see their silence as a slight.
"Love does not solve everything," Charles whispered. He turned to look out the window, attempting to hide his sadness from his children.
Bella scowled again as she thought of her mother, Renee, flitting about Paris with her lover, Phillipe. Renee had disappeared, abandoning them and ruining their good name in her wake with the scandal. She had cleaned out their safe, mistakenly assuming Charles had the wealth to spare because he had never limited her frivolous spending. Renee had a poor head for sums and a worse one for money, barely knowing the difference in the value of paper or coins.
Charlie always seemed eager to supply Renee with many ball gowns and dinner parties, struggling in silence to keep his beloved satisfied. Unfortunately, according to Renee, there was nothing Charles could do to be enough.
Within three months of her departure, Charles's investments failed to thrive. Renee had offered no apology for selfishly leaving her family destitute. She finally contacted them, demanding the portage of what little she owned and the remains of 'her' money. Somehow, after taking far more than its value, Renee believed the dowry paid to Charles rightfully belonged to her. She also sent receipts of charges made in his name.
He refused her demands. The funds had depleted, and valuable items sold. Charles countered her demands through his solicitor. After sending a bill notarized by the local magistrate with the promise of arrest if not returned in full, she stopped corresponding.
Renee could not have foreseen the hard times coming when she left, but that did not keep them all from loathing her actions. Despite their sometimes clashing personalities, her abandonment strengthened the bonds between them. Charles remained devastated, but their children stood united.
Biting back his anger, Emmett finally spoke up, "Father, you know as well as I do that Jasper-"
"Jasper is a soldier," Charlie snapped at his son. "He cannot provide what your sister needs, even if his brother is wealthy. Jasper cannot survive on Carlisle's fortune forever. He is already paying for Jasper's commission. Alice would be better off marrying that Masen boy. At least he has inherited wealth."
"At the price of being orphaned and raised by cretins," Emmett muttered just loud enough for Bella to hear.
Mary Alice glared over the unspoken comparison to Renee. In his opinion, Mary Alice was exactly like her mother. He compared them often. Charles's enabling behavior was as much to blame for Mary Alice's frivolity as Renee's example. In his bitterness, he forgot his own mistakes.
Every aspect of their lives had changed since their ruination. Chores once foreign had become commonplace as their Cook, Gardener, and other servants got dismissed. Mary Alice's finest gowns and many that Renee left behind got sold or set aside for safekeeping as Mary Alice bitterly shared Bella's plainer clothing. The high-society butterfly ruined her beautiful hands with the harsh soaps needed to prepare the furniture they sold - and Charlie sold everything that he could. It was not enough.
It surprised the siblings to learn Mary Alice enjoyed the hard work once she experienced the reward of her efforts and accepted their fate. Her face remained beautiful, and potential suitors still came, though none truly mattered except Jasper. Mary Alice genuinely tried to be helpful, and Bella admired her efforts. Charles, ironically, failed to see it.
She spat, "I believe I am handling our circumstances rather well. If I can adapt to our current circumstances, I can certainly adapt again with Jasper. I would rather choose the man I marry."
Charles grumbled, "This is not the life we accustomed you to, Alice. The sooner you are back in the throes of comfort, the better. You are much too delicate."
It seemed to Bella that their father underestimated his favorite child.
Mary Alice stood and hissed, "You assume to know best, but this is not best for me. I am not my mother!"
With that, she marched from the room. Her footsteps echoed across the house as she ran up the stairs into her bedroom and slammed the door.
Bella asked, "Why are you forcing her to marry? Why not me?"
"You're too young, Isabella. You have not had your debut. In the eyes of society, you are still a child."
She blinked in surprise and scoffed. Yes, a mere child of nineteen, now running the household and doing your accounting. "Look at me, Father. Do I look like a child? I never wanted a debut. You know that. If you have to…" she swallowed nervously and continued, "Marry someone off… it should be me."
"No," Emmett said firmly before turning pleading eyes her way.
Charles scoffed. "You would despise their lifestyle, Isabella. You are not the socialite that Mary Alice is. The Black Family entertains powerful guests, Isabella. They do not want a wallflower for their son."
Bella gaped at her father, hurt by his harsh judgment. Although not particularly socially inclined and less focused on fashion than Mary Alice, Bella was hardly a wallflower.
Does he honestly know his children? She sincerely doubted it.
Emmett scowled and cleared his throat. "The fencing around the garden needs tending again. A few rabbits found their way into the radishes this morning. I plan to set some traps and cover the winter vegetables with straw. I only came inside for this ridiculous announcement. There is much to be done."
Charles stared out the window, ignoring Emmett's temper.
"I will help you, Emmett," Bella offered.
Her brother leaned down and whispered, "You do enough. Don't throw yourself away, Isabella." He gave her an apologetic glance before glaring at their father.
She watched his hulking form as he stalked angrily out of the room and around the corner toward the kitchen. Emmett's already thicker physique had grown as he worked on the grounds and tended the expansive garden. Were it not for this, woodcutting, and expert hunting skills, the four would surely starve. Emmett was not shy about his love of the outdoors. He had even considered becoming a fur trader or guide. He enjoyed hunting and claimed he loved the hard work his many chores entailed. Fiercely protective of his younger sisters, Emmett would do anything for them. He had tried his best to provide everything their father couldn't long before the servants got dismissed.
Luckily, his engagement remained intact after Renee disappeared. Emmett met Rosalie by chance when he saved her from attackers hiding in a dark alley. They had been madly in love ever since. Her widowed father, Royal Hale, had the greatest sympathy for Charles's plight, refusing to allow the mistreatment the Swans currently suffered from the rest of society. It surprised Emmett and Rosalie that Charles had known Royal since childhood. The prior connection served them well.
Despite his fondness for Emmett, Mr. Hale forbade Rosalie to marry until twenty. Emmett would have to wait two more years. He explored his few financial options, accepting whatever potential income he could find.
Mr. Hale had offered Emmett a position recently, provided he agreed to attend law school upon marrying. In the Solicitor's opinion, between his intelligence and intimidating size, Emmett had great potential for handling business dealings with important, wealthy people. It was a golden opportunity that Charles needled Emmett about, pressing him to think of his sister's welfare.
Charles had once told Emmett, "As introverted as she is, Isabella might never marry. When I die, you must be responsible for her."
Bella had stoically swallowed the unjust opinion, but it had silently eaten at her since. Whether Emmett or Mary Alice would marry one day was never a question, but Charlie assumed she was bound to be a spinster.
Why only me? She couldn't understand what offense she made for her father to form this opinion of her - as if it were inevitable. Meanwhile, his needling of Emmett continued.
Rosalie's dowry would provide a life-saving income for their family, but that would not come until Rosalie and Emmett were married. The position would support them now when needed the most. Emmett refused to set his future goals according to another man's plan. He was his father's son in that way.
Bella had been performing multiple chores in their chateau since she was a child, learning skills never required of her sister. She had a knack for cooking, did her own sewing, and was open to learning new tasks. Bella's education got prioritized while Mary Alice skimmed through.
Charles made Bella keep his accounts for some time. Since Renee left, he had tasked her with itemizing his assets and searching for ways to lower their expenses. The bookworm had run ragged in her attempts to keep them all fed, help Alice with the housework, and complete his more tedious instructions. Her exhaustion frequently stole the innocent joy from her features, making Emmett loathe their situation more.
To Bella, it seemed Renee had taken all the peace inside their home with her when she left.
Left alone with Charles, Bella kneeled near his chair and whispered, "I want the truth , Father."
Charles sighed in defeat and motioned for her to close the door. She crossed the room to slide the doors shut and then resumed her place beside his chair.
"You have combed my ledgers for days and found nothing significant to save us, Isabella. William Black has offered to settle our debts and more if I allow my daughter to marry his son."
"Can he not find one for himself?"
"Jacob has entirely focused on learning his future responsibilities. He will take over as the head of their business dealings and fortune once he is married. William is well into his sixties and is unwell. He would like to see his son married as soon as possible to ensure their bloodline has an heir."
"Perhaps he should purchase a broodmare," Bella quipped.
Charlie scowled. "It is no laughing matter, Isabella. The Blacks control a large territory, and much of it is untamed. Their wealth in land alone is unsurpassed in these parts. Visitors on foot must pass through the forest for a full day before reaching the house. Even on horseback, it takes many hours to reach. Sleeping cabins stand along the route for travelers to rest when the weather is poor. There are reasons appearances are limited."
"Can we not survive without such an arrangement?"
"We cannot unless Emmett ceases his ridiculous stalling. I am obligated to sell this house if one of your siblings does not marry soon." He pinched the bridge of his nose in aggravation. With a harshness uncharacteristic of their father, he snapped, "Go, now. Leave me."
Bella hurried from the room to return to her chores, scowling at Alice's wailing upstairs.