Sorry about the delay with this one!
I want to personally thank TwiMuses(dot)com for surprising me with a review to this story on their site. I'm still stunned. Thank you!
Thanks again to Mackenzie L. for being so wonderful to take her time to correct this chapter.
Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it. :)
Inconspicuous
Invitations hadn't been sent. There was no time for a traditional ceremony at church, no time for special wedding arrangements, no time to organize the ostentatious wedding reception her mother wished to have but still, Doctor Cullen had sent Esme the most lovely presents, some of them meant to be used during that special moment, including a beautiful pastel lace dress. It wasn't a wedding dress but it was exquisite enough to make her believe she could feel like a princess for a day. It was simple, short in length – two proper inches above the heels – suitable for a girl her age, and it fitted her with outstanding perfection.
Esme wondered how Doctor Cullen had estimated her measurements so well… surely her mother told him. Esme looked at her reflection on the mirror as she tried very hard to adjust the ribbon on the back of her dress. It was hard though, since just minutes earlier her body was forced into a tortuous corset, making her movements – and breathing – extremely difficult.
Her governess went to help her.
"You will have to travel six hours by train in this dress as soon as the ceremony is over." The woman told her. "Don't spoil it, Esme. Make your very best effort to keep it immaculate. I believe it will be safer if you don't eat anything until you arrive to your new home."
"I'm going to starve." Esme winced, pressing both of her palms on her already famished stomach.
"You want to leave a good impression on your future husband, don't you?" The governess twisted the ribbons of her dress with ease. "Done."
The teenager sighed, turning to look at the old wall clock to her right. She had only one hour left before she would have to leave for the cleric's bureau, where she and her fiancé would finally sign their names together in the parish registry and receive the clergyman's blessings.
And that would be it.
Private, simple and short. Then she would be leaving Ohio with him, forever.
Her eyes looked across the room at her small travel trunk. Her mother was allowing her to take only a few meaningless possessions. The dolls and books of her childhood had to be left behind. Esme wished she could take Clara with her, a bisque doll her dear late grandmamma gave her. It would be for the daughter she'd someday love to have but… "Dr. Cullen made it clear that you are going to have everything you will need." Her mother told her. "Besides, you are not a child anymore. Imagine the shame of having a wife carrying around dolls in her luggage."
Esme was never allowed to do or say anything she wished to, and in this case, she was not even allowed to pack her own trunk. It was frustrating to her. Fortunately, and unlike some of her friends, she was going to marry someone she was fond of…and she was going to marry him in an hour… Her stomach did a nervous flip at the realization. She was about to leave the world as she knew it to build a new one, a new family with whom she believed was the man of her dreams. Like her mother said, she had to behave like a perfect lady; she had to try hard. Nervously, she drew the tips of her fingers into her mouth.
"Don't nibble your nails, Esme!" The governess scolded her.
o)O(o
Edward stood across the room with a wide smile painted on his face as he watched the irrational pacing of his adoptive father. "You look tense."
Oblivious, Carlisle only managed to stop to look at his gold pocket watch. He pursed his lips before speaking. "I am only making sure we are not forgetting anything."
"Our luggage is ready." Edward leaned against an armchair, crossing his arms above his chest. "The only thing missing is your wife. Pardon me, your bride." He failed to suppress his typical sardonic smirk as he slid his hand into the pocket of his elegant dress coat. "Which reminds me, you received a letter while you were grooming yourself." Edward disclosed a glorious smile at Carlisle's reaction when he pulled out an envelope. "It arrived this morning and…it smells so nice." The teenager chuckled as his hand waved a beautiful letter up in the air.
"Give me that." Carlisle tried hard not to beam, but it was impossible with Edward teasing him. The boy had been a royal pain ever since he noticed how extremely fond his father was of Esme. It was quite difficult to live with someone who was able to read minds. "Now, Edward."
As soon as the letter was in his possession, Carlisle went to stand by the closest window, giving his son a reproachful look. "Don't you have anything better to do?" He asked uncomfortably.
But Edward only kept staring at him with a jubilant smile. "No." The boy shrugged. "But I know you would like some privacy." He went to open the door to leave, but before walking out of the room, he couldn't help but to ask one more question. "Do you want me to stay at home once we arrive in Chicago? Or would you prefer to have the house to yourself for tonight?"
Carlisle gave him a puzzled stare.
Edward grinned, elated. "Your wedding night is tonight…"
"Get out of here." Carlisle shot him a warning glance, and Edward knew that it was safer to leave the room before a second warning.
Carlisle looked fondly at the envelope. To anyone else, it would have been just a letter. To him, it was the love of his life on a paper. His gaze softened at the view of his name carefully handwritten by her. He smiled a little at the sight - her handwriting was fairly beautiful. He opened the envelope with care and that terribly tempting, sweet scent wrapped him with shuddering thrill one more time. It indeed smelled very nice. It was curious - when surrounded by humans he had managed to have power over his most disgraceful instincts, but there was something in Esme that weakened his knees to the point that he had to remember his restraint. She was delightfully sweet in every way. He took a deep breath, trying to regain composure, focusing one more time on the letter.
My Dear Doctor Cullen,
…But it was hard to regain composure when he was imagining those words coming out her lovely lips.
I fear I may appear imprudent to your eyes after you read this letter, but I ought to make a confession as well.
I have secretly kept a thousand images of you in my memory ever since I first saw you after my clumsy mishap, and I have fervently wished every day since that you could look at me the way I looked at you.
And then you arrived for me – like a daydream – asking for my hand.
I do not consider myself worthy enough of your affection for I have still a long way to become a suitable lady, but my life shall be yours, I shall not question anything you do or say, for I already love you. I love you with all my heart.
Yours with much love,
E.
Carlisle rested his forehead against the window frame. His heart ached, absolutely moved by her profound display of affection. She already loved him. A strong wave of emotions stirred up in his soul with no moderation; sheer joy, utter happiness and that inevitable trepidation he had been experiencing ever since he first saw her.
Love.
It was something he had only experienced through his work, for his patients, for his son… but never before for a woman. To love a lady and for that lady to love him back in return was something completely new to him. It was something marvelous, something he never anticipated to happen after decades of solitude, less bearing in mind what he was but… he was the one who wasn't worthy enough of her pure, innocent love. He wasn't being completely sincere with Esme. Would she still love him after he revealed to her what he really was? It felt selfish. He would marry her, link her life with his, make her depend on him…to then confess that he was an unnatural being… But he would never hurt her, for he loved her. He already loved her, too.
"You know I do not approve, but I'm sure she would love you even if you had a third eye and webbed feet." Edward told him from the other room. "And if in fact you still want to marry her, we have to leave now." Carlisle heard his son's steps getting closer before he opened the door and poked his head in. "It's almost eight in the morning. Let's not make Esme wait." Edward grinned.
o)O(o
Esme's fingers touched the small orange blossoms arrangement that adorned her long, reddish brown hair - the only embellishment she was wearing that revealed she was about to become a wife. It was tradition for every bride to wear them as a sign of purity, and Mother insisted that she wear them even though it wasn't going to be a traditional ceremony. Dear Mother… Just an hour earlier the woman had been muttering the most final bizarre instructions for Esme in preparation for her wedding night. "When he comes to you, lie quietly upon the bed, close your eyes and think of your most favorite things…under no circumstance you should move or speak…" It was a fortune that mother wasn't in the bedroom with her, since the woman only managed to make her even more anxious.
Careful not to support all her weight on her healing leg, Esme hesitantly lifted the skirt of her beautiful dress before spinning happily around her room, only to then clutch her arms around her bedpost to prevent an ugly fall. She smiled even though her leg hurt - she was hopeless and she knew it. Just in that moment, she touched her lips with her index finger, contemplating the idea of sneaking her doll Clara and her books into her already closed trunk…She was alone, no one would ever know… Ignoring the pain in her leg, she quickly sprinted towards the shelf that held her precious belongings, and pulled out her books one by one, resting them in a small pile on one of her arms. Finally, she was about to grab the doll, when the door to her room was randomly opened. It was Mother.
"Leave those things immediately." She told her with the most severe countenance. "Get ready; it's time. They have arrived."
o)O(o
Esme looked down at her hands, which were nervously clutching her gloves as she stepped downstairs. God help her. She was extremely nervous, worse now that her mother was following and reprimanding her in whispers about her shameless disobedience.
Downstairs, in the parlor, Carlisle and Edward exchanged looks. Their acute hearing allowed them to perceive the reprimand clearly.
What happened? Carlisle asked his son through his thoughts.
Edward leaned his head to whisper, "Esme wants to bring some meaningful possessions to Chicago." He tried to read Esme's mind as the girl approached the parlor. "But your future mother-in-law doesn't want her to. She thinks they are infantile." He moved his eyebrows up and down at Carlisle, reproving the in-law retrograde way of thinking.
Esme's steps came closer but it wasn't until he raised his eyes that Carlisle saw her standing at the door. The beauty radiating from her figure was breathtaking and completely entrancing to his senses.
Edward cleared his throat at the rush of intense thoughts that were crossing Carlisle's mind. "Miss Esme." He managed to smile at her in a very polite manner.
"Mister Cullen." She nodded towards him, a little intimidated as Doctor Cullen was already moving closer towards her…And he stood before Esme, taking a few seconds to admire her perfect beauty before he took her hand. That little touch was the most intimate gesture he had ever given to a woman in all his life.
His hand felt cold. He was always so cold, Esme thought. During that split second Esme became determined to knit something for dear Doctor Cullen in the near future, something to warm him up. Maybe a few scarves and gloves as well.
Edward couldn't help his warm smile at the sound of her thoughts echoing in his mind. Esme was indeed unique.
But Esme's noble thoughts were soon interrupted, when in the most romantic gesture Carlisle raised her hand to his lips, lightly brushing it with a kiss. Oh that kiss, that somehow managed to move the ground below her and send tingling waves of the most inappropriate, shuddering eagerness through her body… She only wished he could kiss her there a little bit longer.
To Carlisle, Esme's touch was incredibly soothing. His desire for her blossomed at rapid pace, a rush he knew his once beating heart would have never been able to reach.
He was unable to hold back his thoughts any longer. At the risk of sounding a little too bold, Carlisle finally spoke.
"Esme, you are the most beautiful bride on earth."
Her stomach flipped for the thousandth time at his words, and her face inevitably flushed that lovely shade of pink he was becoming familiar with, something that touched his heart so deeply.
"I…" Carlisle slid his fingers into the front pocket of his dress coat, bringing out of his chest a letter for her to see. Esme instantly recognized it as the one she wrote to him. He stepped even closer and leaned forward to whisper into her ear, his breath tickling her skin so amazingly. "You are worthy enough of my affection…and so much more."
She swallowed hard, engulfed in the warmth of his words and the appealing fragrance of his body. Nearly in shock, Esme couldn't stop looking into his wonderful eyes. With almost trembling hands, she touched the ribbon around the waist of her dress, deliberately leading his eyes to look down there as her fingers delicately produced the letter he had written to her, too.
And so the two discovered that they had both kept their written words close to their souls.
Her lips moved softly, trying to choose the right words that wouldn't make her sound barefaced. "Do not look forward to living in my heart…" She tried hard not to stumble upon her words. "For you already do." She whispered as an answer to one of the lines of his letter.
Their gazes locked on to each other. The delicious rush of emotions and sensations were overwhelming to both of them. Esme wanted so badly to embrace Carlisle… Meanwhile, Carlisle's desire was far more than appropriate for a gentleman of his status. It was simple, he wanted her so much more than he had ever wanted anything or anyone before. He wanted to hold her, love her, and make her his own every night and every day for the rest of eternity.
And Edward… Edward only wanted to jump out the window and run, run away from that unbelievably sugary, excessively sentimental and scary display of affection. Feeling the atmosphere of the room become extremely heavy, the boy only managed to introduce two fingers into his collar, loosening his choking cravat just a bit.
"Her belongings are ready." Esme's mother announced, entering the room, followed closely by Esme's father. The rest of the family and servants could be heard outside, surely carrying Esme's trunk into the carriage.
Most gladly, Carlisle offered Esme his arm, and even though she took it in a tender way, her touch made his skin burn beneath his clothes. Carlisle took a deep breath. His father would be rolling in his grave if he could see him right now, being what he was; doing the unimaginable and bearing the most impious thoughts. He cleared his throat, trying to focus in something else as he walked Esme out of the parlor and into the hall. "Are your most significant belongings packed?" he asked her.
Esme opened her mouth to speak, but the burning gazes of her mother, father, and the rest of the family only made her cheeks burn in heartbreaking disappointment.
Edward clenched his teeth in a very discreet way as he followed them. The thoughts coming from Esme's parents were unnerving him. They had sold their daughter, requesting Carlisle to pay a 'humble' amount of money for her, based on the fact that he was a stranger to them… and they were still looking at Esme like merchandise, forbidding her to take her precious memories with her for the fear that Carlisle would reject her and ask his money back.
"Yes." Her answer was weak enough for Carlisle to notice the lie behind it.
"Well, then we shall part to the bureau." Her father spoke. "We must not delay Doctor and Mister Cullen's trip."
The most wonderful thing about Edward being able to listen to anyone's thoughts showed up in moments like this, when Carlisle could communicate to him without raising the slightest suspicion.
Edward. He called his son. Please, be sure to find and retrieve the things Esme wishes to bring along with her.
Edward immediately smiled at the order; it was going to be a fun, easy task. He had already seen the cherished items pictured in her mind and…
Son, please, be inconspicuous.
Inconspicuous…Ah, Edward loved those kinds of orders. He was probably going to have to climb a tree, jump into a window…
And one more thing, Carlisle told him as the family walked them toward the main front door. Tonight, once we arrive in Chicago, you will disappear for at least twenty-four hours.
Thanks a lot for reading! =) I'd love to hear your thoughts on this update because I'm still trying to build this story and though I already know how it's going to end, it's really difficult to develop it. I'll try not to let you down.
Have a Happy week!