I own nothing.

Thank you so much for your reviews. Sorry for taking so long to update. I try to write a little every day, but there are days when I have no idea how to continue, so I take a break. :D Hope you like this chapter. Love you!

I don't

"Are you ready?" Edward asked his mother as he entered her bedchamber.

Elizabeth was sitting on the edge of her bed, wearing a beautiful, green dress. Her hair was made up in dozens of braids, auburn tendrils framing her face, and her skin had a pink tinge to it. Edward had been careful to hide every bottle of alcohol in the house, and although his mother didn't appreciate the gesture, he felt happy to see her sober.

"Mother?"

Elizabeth dropped the brush she was holding on the bed and stood up. "I changed my mind. I am not going."

Edward tried not to let the disappointment he was feeling show on his face. "I want you to be there. It's my wedding day, and I want you by my side."

She avoided his gaze, pretending to look out the window. "I don't see how my presence there will make a difference."

"It will make a difference to me." Edward walked toward her and put his hand on her shoulder, hoping she would not flinch away from him. He could see that she was trying to be indifferent, but her eyes were telling another story. She seemed conflicted, vulnerable. "I know you haven't gone out in public in years, and you are afraid, but you don't have to. You have to show everyone that –"

She shook his hand off. "I am not afraid of anyone. I simply don't understand why I have to be there. You can marry that girl without my assistance."

Edward let his hand fall to his side. When his mother told him that she was going to attend the wedding, he had been so relieved and pleased. He had been starting to hope that their relationship would improve, and they would grow closer. Obviously, he should have known that was not going to happen.

"This is the first thing I have asked of you in years. Why is it so hard for you to do one thing for me?" He saw her shoulders stiffen, and her lips thinned. Taking a deep breath, he turned his back on her and started toward the door. "I need to be at the church in ten minutes."

Bella also had to be at the church in ten minutes, but she could barely leave her own room. Her white dress was suffocating her, and her legs were trembling. Just the thought of walking down the aisle made her feel lightheaded. She had barely slept last night, and the dark circles beneath her eyes were proof of that.

Knowing that both her father and Rosalie were waiting for her downstairs, she tried to take a deep breath. Unfortunately, that wasn't possible because of the corset. Balling her hands into fists, she smoothed her hair and opened the door. She could hear murmurs downstairs. They must be growing impatient with her.

As soon as she reached the bottom of the stairs, Charlie turned around and saw her for the first time in her white dress. "Bella, you look so beautiful."

"Thank you," she whispered, a little uncomfortable.

"You really do," Rosalie added sheepishly, and Bella gave her a small smile. Rosalie smiled back.

"You will receive more compliments from me once we get in the carriage. We should have left five minutes ago. We are going to be late," Charlie said, gently grabbing Bella's elbow and leading her out of the house. Bella used her father's hand like a clutch, leaning into him.

"I don't mind," Bella murmured, but Charlie only squeezed her arm, helping her and Rosalie into the carriage. Bella sat opposite from her sister and next to her father.

"I know you are worried, but do not forget that I am going to be there and support you," Charlie encouraged her, grabbing her cold hand. "You didn't have enough time to prepare for this wedding, but I know Edward is a gentleman, and he will be patient and gentle with you." He paused. "You just have to … trust him."

Bella narrowed her eyes at her father. His face was red, and he seemed uncomfortable. "What exactly are we talking about right now?"

He chuckled awkwardly. "Nothing, dear. Do not fret. Everything will be fine."

"I think you just made me more nervous."

The carriage stopped in front of the church. Bella looked at her sister and swallowed hard. Rosalie gave her an encouraging smile that did nothing to soothe her fears. Bella grabbed Charlie's hand as he helped her out of the carriage. Before she looked up, she already knew from the sudden silence around them that the entire town was there. Everyone was staring at her, some of them smiling, the others not even trying to hide their curiosity. These were the people who hadn't been invited to the wedding, but had decided to come anyway.

Holding onto Charlie's arm, she walked toward the front doors of the church. Two men opened the doors, and then, everyone turned in their seats to look at her. She stopped breathing, suddenly petrified.

"Smile, Bella. You look like you are going to faint," Charlie whispered to her.

"I feel like I am going to," she whispered back, pasting a smile on her face.

"Wait until you get married," he jested, hoping to see a genuine smile on her lips. She chuckled weakly and took a step forward.

As she walked down the aisle, she couldn't help looking around. She saw Alice and Jasper smiling encouragingly at her. Alice waved at her, silently telling her that she adored the dress. Little Sophia was sitting next to Alice, and she squealed when she saw Bella.

She finally looked at her fiancée. Edward was standing at the altar, staring at her. She met his intense gaze, and her pulse quickened. In less than an hour, they were going to be husband and wife, and she knew nothing about the man.

After what seemed like an eternity, they arrived at the altar. Charlie placed Bella's hand into Edward's and whispered, "Take care of her."

Edward nodded, and then turned his attention to Bella. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you," she murmured, turning toward the priest.

Although his expression didn't betray his thoughts, she realized he was as nervous as she was. His hand was clammy and a little cold, and he was slowly tapping his foot against the floor. That made her feel a little better, knowing that she was not the only one anxious about this wedding.

After the ceremony, they were all supposed to go to Edward's house for the ball thrown in their honor. She was supposed to live with Edward. The thought sent shivers down her spine. Her clothes had already been packed and delivered to his house. It had felt so strange to see her wardrobe empty and her room stripped of all her belongings, knowing that from now on, she would spend her nights with her husband. She didn't even know what that really meant, but everyone blushed whenever she asked them. Was she going to find out tonight? Did she really want to find out?

"Isabella?"

She snapped out of her thoughts and realized that everyone was looking at her.

Blushing furiously, she asked, "Excuse me?"

The man sighed. "I will ask again. Do you, Isabella Marie Swan, take this man who now holds your hand, to be your true and wedded husband; and do you solemnly promise before God and these witnesses to love, cherish, honor and protect him, to forsake all others for his sake; to cleave unto him and him only, and him forever until death shall part you?"

Isabella unconsciously squeezed Edward's hand, but he didn't say anything if it hurt. He simply looked down at her with an unreadable expression. She wet her lips and looked over her shoulder at Rosalie. Her sister seemed anxious about Bella's silence – like everyone else inside the church.

Even though she wanted to say I don't, she couldn't. The irony of the situation suddenly hit her, and she almost laughed. She had been dreaming about this moment – wishing that Edward would fall in love with her and marry her. Now, that is was finally happening, all she wanted to do was run and never look back.

Taking a deep breath, she whispered, "I do."

She thought she heard the entire crowd sigh with relief.

After the father gave his blessing, Edward and Bella turned around and faced the crowd as husband and wife. Everyone rushed forward to congratulate them. He held Bella's hand as he smiled and nodded at the others, accepting their good-wishes. Bella smiled at everyone, her voice soft as she talked to them.

Then, Rosalie appeared in front of them, and they both stopped talking. "I just wanted to congratulate you," she said, with a self-conscious smile. "It was such a beautiful wedding," she added a second later.

Edward cleared his throat. "Of course. Thank you."

"Congratulations," Emmett broke the tension, slapping his friend on the back and leaning down to kiss Bella's hand. Edward gave him a grateful look. "It was, indeed, such a beautiful wedding, but only because of Miss Isabella. You truly look stunning in this dress."

Bella realized what he was trying to do and chuckled. "Thank you so much, Lord McCarty."

"My pleasure." He turned to Rosalie, offering her his arm. "I was just leaving for the ball. Would you like to join me?" He gave her a pointed look, daring her to refuse.

Realizing that there were other people watching them, Rosalie said, "Of course."

Bella saw Rosalie's blank expression, but her sister didn't protest – not in front of the others. She gracefully accepted Emmett's arm, and they both walked outside.

Edward sighed, relieved. He was shaking Lord Jasper's hand when he saw a familiar face at the entrance of the church. The person turned around to look at him, before she quickly disappeared. He allowed a small smile to curve his lips. It seemed that his mother had decided to come to the wedding, after all.

xXx

The ball was a success. Everyone was laughing and dancing. The men were taking turns to dance with the bride. Halfway through the ball, Bella had lost count of the men she had danced with. But even if she had danced with every other man at the ball, she had yet to dance with her husband. Her husband… It felt so strange to refer to Edward Cullen as her husband. With a sigh, she leaned against the wall, looking for him.

"Bella."

It seemed that he found her.

"Oh," she gasped, startled by his sudden appearance. "I wasn't expecting to see you."

"Because you have been avoiding me the entire night," he said, leaning against the wall next to her.

"Have I?" She looked around, searching for someone to greet. He was standing so close to her, she could almost feel his body heat.

"And you are doing it right now. Looking around, pretending that I am not standing right next to you."

"I am talking to you now, so I am not technically avoiding you," she mumbled, biting the inside of her cheek.

He frowned. "I didn't come here to argue with you. I came here to ask you to dance with me." When he saw her reluctant expression, he continued, "Everyone is getting suspicious. You have danced with every other man here, besides the man you married. They are starting to think something is wrong."

She whispered, "And isn't there?"

"I know you don't like me, and with good reason." He pushed away from the wall and walked in front of her, titling her head up. "Bella, all I ask for is one dance, as husband and wife. I don't want to give them a reason to talk behind our backs."

Bella looked at him suspiciously. "Do you care more about your reputation or mine?"

"Do not be ridiculous. I never cared about mine." With a smile, he raised his eyebrows and offered his hand to her, hoping she would take it. She seemed hesitant. "Just one dance."

She slowly put her hand into his. "Alright, I will dance with you."

He squeezed her hand, and they both walked toward the middle of the ballroom. His arm slipped around her waist and brought her closer to him. Her breath hitched. She could see everyone staring at them. Edward had been right. They had been wondering why they hadn't danced together yet. She tried not to look as nervous as she felt.

"I need to tell you something," he whispered, a few seconds later.

Bella looked up at him. "About what?"

"I was supposed to take my mother back to Hampshire a week ago," he started, a little hesitantly.

She realized she hadn't seen his mother yet. "Yes, I know. Why are you telling me this now?"

He sighed, his warm breath fanning over her lips. "I have been trying to tell you the entire week, but you wouldn't let me. Her health is deteriorating. She doesn't want to stay in London, and I can't let her go to Hampshire alone."

Her brow furrowed. "When do you want to leave?"

"As soon as possible."

She looked over his shoulder, considering his words. He wanted to leave London as soon as possible, and she was to go with him. She didn't like London very much, but her family was here. She also couldn't blame him for taking care of his mother.

"We don't have to leave tomorrow," he continued. "I told you, because you are my wife, and you deserved to know."

Hearing him call her his wife made her blush. It made this surreal situation seem more real. She met his gaze, before she let her eyes drop to the collar of his stark white shirt. "I will think about it."

"Mind if I steal the bride for a minute?" Charlie asked, grinning at the couple.

Rosalie was looking at her sister and father dancing together, when Lord McCarty appeared next to her. She quickly looked at him, before she looked back at her father. "Do you have something to tell me, or are you here to gloat?"

He pretended to be shocked. "To gloat? Gloat about what?"

Rosalie rolled her eyes, crossing her arms across her chest. "Back at the church, when you made me feel like a fool in front of my sister and her husband."

Emmett took a sip of his drink and looked at her over the rim of his glass. "I only did what I thought was right. You were making them feel uncomfortable. Everyone noticed that. I had to take you out of there."

She pursed her lips, pretending that what he said didn't hurt. It seemed that she wasn't convincing, because he said, "I didn't want to hurt your feelings, but you know it's true. Just give them some time."

Even though she didn't want to agree with him, she knew he was right. She had seen the discomfort on her sister's face. "I never wanted to hurt them," she confessed, her voice barely a whisper.

Emmett had turned around to leave, but he seemed to have heard her, because he looked back. "I know. It's human nature to make mistakes. You just have to fix them."

The ball continued for four more hours. Bella was starting to feel very tired and anxious. Every woman she had talked to in the last hour had seemed giddy with excitement about her wedding night, talking about how wonderful or nerve-wrecking theirs had been. She had tried to ask them what was supposed to happen tonight, but they had all been giggling and laughing, half intoxicated. Some of the women had been very intoxicated, and Bella had overhead them talking about her sudden marriage to Edward.

Now, the entire house was empty and silent. The guests had left half an hour ago. A servant had shown Bella her room, and now, she was waiting for Irina to help her with the dress. She looked at the connecting door that led to Edward's room. She didn't know if he was inside. The room seemed quiet.

The other door opened, and Irina walked inside. "Irina, I have been waiting for you."

"I am right here," the maid answered with a mischievous smile. She walked behind Bella and helped her with the buttons on her back. "This is the night. Are you nervous?"

"Can anyone tell me what is supposed to happen tonight?"

Irina seemed surprised that Bella didn't know. After she quickly opened the buttons of the dress, she walked around Bella and stopped in front of her. "You don't know." Bella shook her head in consternation. "Oh."

"You obviously do, so tell me. Everyone keeps talking about it, without actually telling me anything. It makes me very nervous. So, tell me."

Irina blushed, avoiding Bella's gaze. "Well, I don't know if it's my place to tell you. I suppose Lord Cullen will when –"

"Irina, please," Bella sighed.

"Alright." The maid took Bella's dress off as she talked. "On your wedding night, the husband and wife … sleep together."

"Sleep together, as in sleep next to each other?"

"No, as in sleep … together," Irina countered, emphasizing the last word. Seeing Bella's confused expression, she grimaced. "Fine, I will be more blunt. You two will get naked and be intimate."

Bella's eyes widened. "Naked?" she squeaked, but Irina was still talking.

"It's not always pleasant the first time, but it gets better. You will like it." Irina winked at Bella.

"Wait a second. What do you mean we will be naked and intimate? What does intimate mean?"

"Seriously? Didn't your father talk to you about this?" Irina asked, starting to feel self-conscious.

Bella gave her a scathing look. "If he did, why would I ask you?"

Irina took the wedding dress and put the dress into the wardrobe. "Intimate means… He will make love to you. If he is a considerate and passionate lover – as I think he is – he will kiss you and hold you and arouse you, making the experience wonderful for you. You don't have to think about it; you just have to feel everything, and you will know what to do."

Bella still had so many questions, but there wasn't any more time. Edward knocked on the connecting door.

Blushing, she looked down at her scanty nightgown and asked, "Can I refuse if I don't want to be intimate with him?"

Irina seemed troubled. "I don't know. Ask him."

Edward opened the door. "I hope I don't interrupt anything." His gaze went to Bella and traveled down her body, before he looked at Irina.

"Not at all. I was just leaving." Irina nodded at Edward, smiled at Bella and walked out of the room.

Edward could tell she was nervous. Her head was bowed, and her cheeks were pink. He walked toward Bella and titled her head up. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, of course I am. Are you?" she stuttered.

He nodded, almost smiling at her. She was so different from her sister. Rosalie would have rolled her eyes at the awkwardness and thrown her arms around his neck. But Bella's innocence was refreshing. Did she know what was supposed to happen tonight?

"Are you going to undress me now or later?"

He almost chocked on his own saliva. "What?" She obviously knew something.

"I mean, it's our wedding night," she quickly continued, her face becoming more red than pink. "I understood that we were both going to be naked, and you are still fully dressed. It will take some time to undress you. Oh, what am I saying? What I mean is that –"

He put a finger on her lips, silencing her. "Take a deep breath."

She took a deep breath, her lips tingling from his gentle touch. He moved his hand to her shoulder.

"I came to talk to you," he whispered.

"Again?"

He laughed this time. "Yes, again."

"What do you want to talk to me about?"

"I can see that you are not ready, and I will not force myself on you." She opened her mouth to speak, but he interrupted her. "Let me talk first. You are a beautiful woman, Bella, and I don't want you to think that I won't consummate this marriage tonight, because I don't find you attractive. I am not trying to find an excuse, and I want to have a real marriage with you. I just think we should wait a little."

Bella almost sighed with relief. Nonetheless, even though she was relieved, there was a very, very small part of her that was irritated with him. She ignored that irrational part of her and smiled gratefully at him.

"Thank you," she whispered. "I was thinking the same thing." Still, there was something nagging at her. "Do you want to wait because of Rosalie?"

"I want to wait because of you. Rosalie is not a part of this marriage, and she will never be."

With a short nod, she decided to believe him. Time would tell if he was honest or not.

He smiled and squeezed her shoulder. Taking her by surprise, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to her forehead. Her heart stuttered inside her chest.

"Goodnight, then," she said, her voice trembling a little.

But before he turned around, he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. Her eyes widened again. His lips were warm and soft, and before she could react, he pulled away and whispered, "Goodnight."

He turned around and walked toward his room. Her hand itched to touch her lips.

As she watched him leave her bedchamber, she remembered what she had heard at the ball. Everyone was still curious about their wedding, their relationship. If they wanted to have a real marriage, or at least try to have one, they would have to leave London and its rumors.

"Edward?"

"Yes?" He turned to look at her.

"Can we leave tomorrow?"