Chapter 10: Part 2
Disclaimer: I don't own anything, it all belongs to Stephenie Meyer.
"Forgive me, but I thought Alessondro mentioned that there were nine Cullens. Is there not another female in your coven?" Caterina, Mr.Conti's wife asked, her soft voice sounding a little embarrassed. I looked carefully at her heart-shaped face, unable to overlook the dark, cascading curls that framed her kind features. She was very small, not much taller than Alice I realized and although her figure was slim beneath her light clothing I noticed that her shirt and loose slacks implied more of a curvier shape. I studied her closely, committing each detail to memory. I couldn't help marveling over her skin, it was slightly different than ours, almost like there was an olive undertone to the usual pallor. Her skin, combined with her dark eyebrows, and high cheek bones gave her more of a foreign, almost European look. And yet despite her unusual, if breathtakingly beautiful features, something about her reminded me of Esme. I couldn't quite place my finger on it, but something about her open expression, and her kind motherly manner was definitely familiar.
"Yes there is," Carlisle's casual voice pulled me abruptly from my thoughts. "However Renesme was unable to come tonight. She desperately needed to hunt."
Before we had left the house we had all decided that this would be the best explanation for Nessie's obvious absence.
"Ah, of course. Being around all of those humans must have made her thirsty." Caterina answered her musical voice soft. For some reason she seemed more relaxed, relieved almost. I tilted my head towards Edward, discreetly raising my eyebrow in a silent question
"She was worried that Nessie didn't come because she did not approve of sharing our "territory" with another coven. Caterina wants us to all be friends; she was afraid that if one of us didn't like her and her husband, our chances of living peacefully would be destroyed." He explained softly, his sweet breath tickling my ear. I nodded once, squeezing his hand gently to show him I understood. I glanced over at Caterina as she leaned in towards Esme, her topaz eyes excited. They were talking animatedly, Caterina gesturing with her hands as her excitement became more evident.
"It seems Caterina enjoys landscaping and interior design as much as Esme does," Edward murmured softly. I felt my respect for Caterina increase, apparently she was even more like Esme than I had first imagined. I felt my face stretch into an unexpected smile at the very though that there was someone else in the world as caring and loving as my mother in law. I turned my head slightly to the side as I glanced at the large grandfather clock standing inconspicuously in the far corner. It was an old-fashioned clock, probably from the late eighteen hundreds, yet it had sort of a surreal beauty to it. The clock chimed loudly, announcing the eleventh hour. Good, I thought privately, We'll be able to go home to Jake and Nessie soon. It wasn't that I didn't like Mr.Conti and his wife; I just didn't like to be away from home for very long. And home to me is wherever my daughter and Edward both are. I turned to ask Edward how much longer we would have to stay, when out of the corner of my eye I saw a shimmering object, sparkling eerily in the next room. Intrigued, I moved closer to the darkened room, releasing Edward's smooth hand, as I hesitantly stepped closer. I glanced around to make sure no one besides Edward had noticed my abrupt behaviour, and I sighed in relief as I saw that Alice and Rosalie had joined Esme and Caterina's discussion. I cast a fleeting look towards Emmett, Jasper and Carlisle and was pleased to see them deep in conversation with Mr.Conti. I met Edward's worried gaze and beckoned silently for him to follow. He moved forward hesitantly, his eyes curious, walking gracefully towards me, his arm outstretched. I clasped his warm hand, as he drew near.
"What are you doing?" He whispered in my ear, his voice slightly alarmed. Focusing on his liquid eyes, I let the walls blocking my mind fall. Concentrating hard on the glittering object that had captured my attention, I clearly expressed my curiosity. With a sigh, I let the elastic bands snap back into place, once again shielding my thoughts.
"You know curiosity is what killed the cat." Edward muttered, his tone joking. Despite his teasing words, I could tell that he was just as deeply intrigued by the mysterious object as I was. Rolling my eyes for his benefit, I edged towards the door and together we slipped quietly around the corner.
Ok so I know this is the longest I have gone without updating and I am sorry!! Ok I know its extremely short too but its just really chaotic right now and I have struggled to post this! So bear with me for the next little while and I will update as soon as I can. And just to clear up a bit of confusion, my thanksgiving was last week, that particular holiday is a little different where I live then it is in the U.S! anyways please review!! Thanx! :D
Princess Ly