A/N: Readers, please thank my betas for getting you this chapter in the perfect form. So, let's have a round of applause for Shug ( SSHG316), SavageWoman and IrritableGrizzzly because they worked their special magic to make this chapter shine. I consider my betas as my trio of muses, because they push me to be better and challenge me when I think something is "good enough" to make it great.
I would also like to thank my pre-readers: first and foremost, my dear Quebec resident and friend, October25, who helped with Montreal authenticity, and finally u2Shay, babiesbrown, Swimom7 and my Fictionista group (you know who you are).
YULETIDE CANTICLE
Chapter 3 – The Dates, Part 1
Alice didn't bother to mask her thoughts, so Edward saw all the matchmaking plans she had constructed in her head for them. Dubbed the "Bella Itinerary," her plan unfolded over a fortnight and included every manner of date Alice could conjure up given the brief period of courtship in which he had to win Isabella's heart. His sister also booked a deluxe suite at the Chateau Versailles, where she coaxed him into joining her rather than returning to his home in Laval. Although it was only about thirty minutes by car, and an even shorter commute for vampires, Alice thought it best to have a base of operations that afforded easier access to Bella.
Having solidified his intentions with Alice regarding Bella, Edward found himself anxious to begin his courtship of the delectable object of his benign affections. Feelings in him that had lain dormant for decades were awakening all of a sudden. However, those feelings were tempered by his fear that he wouldn't be able to control his lust for her blood. As he returned to Bella's room following his conversation with Alice, he was uncharacteristically nervous.
Despite his agreement to woo rather than devour, his reaction to Bella's scent was still considerably overwhelming. As he entered the room, it was all he could do to quell his desire to puncture her delicate throat with his razor-sharp teeth and drain her of every ounce of her delicious blood. He swallowed the venom automatically and held his breath as he approached her.
Bella smiled up at him from the book she was reading. The nurse must have come in and removed the cannula, as she was now breathing without assistance.
"Guess what?" she asked, her brown eyes shining with renewed vigor.
"What?" Edward couldn't resist grinning back at her like a besotted suitor. He couldn't find the will to make himself behave with a bit more decorum. There was something about this Isabella Swan that was extremely arresting, above and beyond the tempting call of her blood.
"They might spring me tomorrow if my fluid levels are acceptable." She laid the book facedown on her lap, careful to leave it open on the page she was reading.
"That's great news." Edward inched his way to her bedside, only taking in shallow breaths to assist him in speaking. The burn of the venom in his throat warred against an equally excruciating desire to be near her.
"It certainly is. I won't have to reschedule any of my exams after all."
"How many exams do you have left to take?"
"Three. Two this week and one next week."
Edward felt like the boy he was back in 1918, preparing to ask a young lady to a dance. He cleared his throat unnecessarily. "Bella?"
She met his gaze and then lowered her head shyly before looking up again and holding his gaze. "Y-yes?"
"May I see you again after you are discharged?"
Her reaction to his question was simultaneous and three-fold. She took in a breath that caught and was not expelled; her face lit up like a neon sign; and her heart rate sped up like a freight train. She looked as if she wanted to respond, but physically could not.
Alarmed, Edward stepped closer to the side of the bed until he couldn't get any nearer. "Bella?"
She clasped his cold hand with her warm one and she was finally able to utter audible words. "Yes—Yes, I'd like that very much," she gushed excitedly.
Edward released a breath as if he needed to exhale. He was certain that if he had a beating heart, it would have beaten as erratically as hers was at that moment.
He shared a tentative smile with her and let her hand go long enough to pull a chair close to the bed to begin his vigil by her bedside again. Alice was out doing what she loved second only to Jasper—shopping—so they would be free from her interference for a while.
"I realize that you'll be leaving for Forks in a couple of weeks, but I don't want to squander the opportunity to get to know you better."
Bella's expression was equal parts pained and ecstatic. "Why couldn't I have run into you earlier in the semester?"
Edward shuddered to think what might have occurred as a result of a truly spontaneous meeting. Had it happened in a less populated place where Alice had no time to intervene... "Rarely are questions of fate answered to our satisfaction."
"True. I should just be thankful that it happened now. Otherwise, I may never have met my knight in shining armor."
It was all Edward could do to keep from laughing maniacally. If Bella only knew how ironic her characterization of him was. His armor might be shining, sparkling if you will, but he was no knight.
~888~
Bella was released from the hospital on Tuesday following her weekend stay. Edward, assuming the role of the dutiful faux fiancé, made arrangements to transport her from the hospital to her dormitory. After a few discreet inquiries, he found out that because Bella was not a Canadian citizen, any expenses that her medical insurance did not cover would be billed to her parents. For some inexplicable reason, he felt compelled to take care of her hospital bill despite the prideful denial he knew he would receive from her, so he took care of the hospital bill quietly and anonymously, thus saving himself from having to convince Bella. It would also cover his tracks sufficiently should things not end well. He instructed Alice to contact Bartholomew Jenks, their family lawyer of sorts, whom Jasper had enlisted years ago to take care of their financial and legal affairs. Mr. Jenks would handle everything so the transaction would be practically untraceable.
By the time Edward escorted Bella out of the hospital to Alice in his waiting car, she had been assured by the nurse handling her discharge that the hospital bill had been taken care of by an anonymous benefactor who had established a benevolent fund for foreign students in situations such as hers. She was suspicious, and rightfully so, but Edward remained aloof and busied himself gathering her things and putting them in the trunk of the car as Bella quizzed the nurse.
"So there won't be a bill sent to my parents in the States?"
"No, Ms. Swan." Nurse Rivard handed her an envelope. "This is your paperwork—the discharge recuperation instructions and your final bill. You'll find that everything inside is in order and marked paid in full."
Bella's brow knit together, and she pursed her lips like she was going to ask another question, but then seemed to think better of it. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," Nurse Rivard said, smiling.
Edward took Bella's arm and helped her into the backseat of the car, buckling her safely in before he headed to the other side to join her in the backseat.
Nurse Rivard reversed the wheelchair, waved and headed back into the hospital.
Bella greeted Alice as he slipped into the car.
Alice turned with an impish grin and spoke to Bella before turning the ignition and pulling the car out onto Cedar Avenue. "Good morning, Bella. Fair warning, I may drive a little fast, but I'm an excellent driver."
Edward glared at his sister. "Let's go with careful over excellent, Alice. Bella is recuperating. Do you want to send her back to the hospital?"
"My excellent is always careful," Alice shot back.
Edward looked serious, but Bella grinned at what she probably perceived as lighthearted bickering between siblings. "As long as she doesn't drive like a Hollywood stunt driver, I'm good."
"Comfortable?" Edward inquired, as he buckled himself in. He had to remember to make the effort to show human-like concern. When one spent most of their time around virtually indestructible vampires, things like comfort and safety became a non-issue.
Bella smiled. "Yes, very."
"Are you sure you'll be up to having breakfast with me in the morning? Maybe you should conserve your energy for your exam." Edward was surprised by his genuine concern for her well-being, despite how her scent in such close quarters had him salivating venom non-stop.
"I got plenty of rest at the hospital. Besides, if you believe the studies, I'll do better on my exam after a good breakfast, anyway." She smirked, and Edward couldn't resist smiling back due to how at ease she was with him.
It had snowed overnight, and there was a picturesque blanketing of several inches everywhere except on the busy streets. The snow plows had been out early and done their job, so traveling the short distance from Montreal General to McGill campus proper was quiet and uneventful.
Too soon, they were at her dormitory where they would be parting ways. Edward felt a tug that he couldn't quite define. Was it anxiety over having to leave her? Of course, he told himself it was because he was agonizing over the possibility that others of his kind might possibly encounter her. There were only two options, and after being in her presence for three days, he wasn't entirely sure which one was winning out anymore. He was way too invested now to leave her alone.
He could have carried Bella and all her belongings into the dorm, but Alice offered her assistance for show, as they made sure Bella got to her room. Her breathing was labored from just the minor exertion of getting from the car to her room. As she fished into her purse for her key, Alice told him what he already knew from listening to her heart and breathing.
If she's too weak to walk from the car to her room, she'll never make it across campus and back tomorrow. Maybe your first date should include transportation to and from her exams.
Edward nodded infinitesimally just as he heard footfalls approaching from the other side of the door. It swung open before Bella could insert her key.
"Bella, I'm glad you're here...oh. Hi," the roommate said, as she registered Edward and Alice. She quickly hugged Bella and then stood aside to allow them to enter the room.
"Alice, this is my roommate, Juliette. Juliette, this is Edward's sister, Alice. Of course, you've already met Edward."
As Juliette and Alice exchanged pleasantries, Edward followed her scent and coaxed Bella toward her bed.
Bella looked up at him in surprise. "How did you know this one was mine?"
It was his turn to smirk. "The decor and the books on this side of the room are uniquely yours."
"Very perceptive," Bella said, as she slipped her shoes off and scooted toward the headboard. Edward fluffed a pillow and placed it behind her back, and she settled against it.
"You should get some rest," he suggested. "You'll want to be in tip-top shape for your exam tomorrow."
"But I'm not tired," she protested, even as she stifled an involuntary yawn.
Edward raised an eyebrow.
"You're probably right, but I'll need to get up later to study a little bit."
Juliette picked up her purse and her backpack and made what she thought was a disappointed face. "Bella, I hate to bail on you the moment you return, but Jean-Paul is expecting me. I probably won't be back until tomorrow around noon to pack up my stuff." She toed the rug at the foot of Bella's bed sheepishly. "We're moving in together, remember?"
"Oh, yeah, I remember," Bella said, trying not to look crestfallen. "Let's get together before I leave in a couple of weeks, okay?"
"Absolutement! I wouldn't let you leave Montreal without us having a proper goodbye." She swooped in and gave Bella a hug. "Are you sure this is okay?"
"Pssh, yeah. I'm just going to sleep and study."
"That settles it then," Edward inserted. "Alice and I will be back to take you to dinner."
Alice's eyes widened. Making me suffer through the human food too, oh brother of mine?
"Great! Now I don't feel so bad." Juliette hoisted her backpack on her shoulder. "See you tomorrow, Bella. Nice meeting you again Alice...Edward." How on earth did plain, sickly Bella score such a hottie?
Angered by her disingenuous thoughts, Edward narrowed his eyes at Juliette. She was so unnerved by him, she tripped on the rug as she turned to leave, closing the door loudly behind her.
~888~
Edward and Alice returned to pick Bella up for dinner promptly at six, again with Alice waiting in the car while Edward escorted her downstairs. They dined early at the Bar et Boeuf Bistro Gourmand, since he didn't want her to tax herself too much until she'd gotten a modicum of strength back for someone in her condition.
Bar et Boeuf, located in Old Montreal at the heart of the financial district, in a historic landmark, exuded the contrast of being warm and refined, while chic and relaxing. The high ceilings boasted contemporary chandeliers, recessed lighting, and candlelight on the mahogany tables to create the perfect ambiance against a backdrop of deep mahogany architectural beams on the interior walls. Beige leather chairs surrounded the tables, some of which were shrouded with crisp white linen tablecloths, which lent a comfortable elegance and blended perfectly with the wall coverings.
Bella was thankful after the waiter assured her they could prepare her meal taking her dietetic requirements in consideration. Unbeknownst to her, Edward had called and spoken with the Chef before their arrival to make sure they could accommodate her needs. She was enthralled with the service and meticulous care taken with them. While she had read about Sommeliers and the particular services they offered, her current medication would not allow her to imbibe, but she encouraged Edward and Alice to enjoy the wine recommended for their meal.
Edward was extremely uncomfortable ingesting the few morsels of human food he'd been able to swallow, along with the venom raining down his throat. It would make for quite a disgusting expulsion later. Alice seemed to be fine moving her food around and taking tiny bites occasionally.
He cleared his throat to mask his speech and asked Alice softly in vampire speed, "How are you eating this human mess of pottage?"
That's what the extra napkin is for, brother dear.
Edward signaled for the waiter.
Alice smiled, faked taking a drink and turned to Bella. "This is delicious," Alice said. "How is your striped bass?"
"It's wonderful," she said, her eyes doing a half-roll to emphasize the near-orgasmic flavor of her food. "I'm afraid I won't be able to eat it all after having been on such a bland diet for days."
"Leave it. I won't be able to eat all of my steak, either. I'm limiting red meats," Alice said with an impish grin. Edward rolled his eyes exaggeratedly, but Bella looked over and he quickly straightened his face into impassivity.
"What's wrong with your meal, Edward?" Bella asked. "Is the veal not any good?"
"It's great, really, but extremely rich. My biggest meal of the day is lunch." Damn it, he forgot he was going to lunch with her at least three times, according to Alice's dastardly itinerary. Now he'd have to figure out a way to either consume or conceal an obscene amount of human food. This wooing of a human girl was proving to be more troublesome than he'd bargained for. Yet, now that he was on this path, his stubbornness wouldn't allow him to abandon it. Besides, his inability to read her mind made Isabella Swan all the more intriguing. He was rather enjoying the slow and tortuous manner of finding out about her.
He must have regarded her for bit too long, lost as he was in his own thoughts, as she blushed and smiled at him.
Alice witnessed their exchange and smiled too. I've never seen you like this, Edward. I must tell Esme. She will be ecstatic.
He spoke so quickly and quietly it sounded to Bella as if he was humming, but Alice understood him perfectly. "How would you have me behave, Alice? Brusque and rude? Surely that wouldn't go over well with such a sensitive human girl? I think it a tad bit early to be telling Esme anything."
The waiter approached the table and Edward asked for an extra napkin, then inquired of Bella, "Would you like anything else? Dessert? Tea?"
"Some tea would be great. Earl Grey, Mariage Frères if you have it." The waiter bowed and scurried off to retrieve her request.
Alice distracted Bella with questions while Edward took the extra napkin and disposed of some of his food. He was carrying a small forkful to his mouth, when the conversation shifted back to him.
"I can totally see Edward taking on the role of the oldest sibling, even though he's not," Bella said with a smile.
Edward was bemused. "Is that an underhanded way of calling me prematurely curmudgeonly, Isabella?"
"If the shoe fits, Edward," she teased back.
Alice giggled and Edward scowled at her, but she waved him off. "I think you've met your match, brother."
Bella hastened to reassure him, "But I find your seriousness endearing." She then turned to his sister. "Is he always so gentlemanly and protective with girls, Alice?"
"I'm sitting right here and perfectly capable of answering questions about myself."
Bella's eyes danced mischievously. "I know, but it's so much more fun getting unfiltered answers."
Alice laughed outright this time. "He is serious and gentlemanly all the time. But the protectiveness is new."
Edward knew if he were capable of blushing, he would be at that moment. "Alice..." he hissed in warning.
Bella flushed crimson and dug into her bass again. Edward could feel her regarding him. He hoped she wasn't too put off by his admonishing Alice so forcefully.
He had to get the conversation flowing again. "Are you sure you don't want any dessert? I understand they have a delicious caramel parfait."
Smooth save. Smirking, Alice took her napkin out of her lap and tossed it onto her plate. "If you two will excuse me, I think I'll go call my husband."
Edward stood as Alice left the table, and as he was sitting back down, Bella leaned toward him. "Why are you trying to stuff me?" she teased. "You haven't eaten very much of your own dinner. Maybe you should try the caramel parfait."
He had a quick rejoinder. "I'll be running in the morning, so I'm trying not to pack in a heavy dinner."
"You're lucky you can run. I've forgotten what it's like to run," she mused. Growing serious, she whispered, "What exactly is your condition, Edward? I've practically shared my entire medical history with you, and you haven't felt the need to reciprocate."
Her question disarmed him, and that very rarely happened. Then again, he could read the minds of other humans and vampires alike, so they never got this type of advantage.
"I have a—a rare blood disorder. It makes my circulation poor, and my body temperature plummets." he said, finally. "When I'm weak, an occasional blood transfusion has me good as new in no time." Well, that wasn't altogether untrue.
"Does it bother you that I'm sick?"
"Now that would be blatant hypocrisy on my part, wouldn't it?"
"I suppose you're right." A crease appeared between her eyebrows as he noticed happened anytime she was deep in thought. "You know my prognosis. It isn't good. Why would you care to pursue a friendship with the likes of me?"
"Because you are the most interesting person I've met in a long time," he said seriously. "In fact, I do believe you've bewitched me, Ms. Swan."
Bella took a sip of her tea in an effort to hide her smile. "How, pray tell, have I bewitched you, Mr. Cullen?"
"You tell me. As Alice has just borne witness, I have been acting completely out-of-character lately, and the only new variable in my life is you."
"Since we're being honest here, I have to say you've positively dazzled me."
His mouth turned up slightly on one side. "Then I daresay, we might both be well and truly lost."
~888~
Alice raised an eyebrow when Edward emerged from his room tucking in his shirt and preparing to leave the suite around eleven p.m.
"What?" he asked, as if what he was about to do was patently obvious.
Alice pouted. "You're not going to stay and talk to me tonight for old-time's sake?"
"We'll have plenty of time to catch up while Bella's taking exams or resting during the day."
"As I suspected, you're really taking to her. She's a great person and good for you. I like her a lot."
Edward rolled his eyes and quickly buckled his belt. "That is yet to be determined. Her scent still tortures me, and it's all I can do to be near her, but I think the cure for that is to be around her more. Instant immersion and all that malarkey."
Alice grinned and masked her thoughts, but he caught the words "he protests too much," before she began to think about the contrast between Gianni and his sister Donatella Versace's design styles. He pursed his lips as he glowered at her, but Alice ignored him. "How are you going to finesse getting into her dorm room undetected?"
"Same way you would, my dear sister—with stealth and agility." He pulled a black sweater on over his head and shook it to tame his hair as much as it would cooperate.
Alice picked up a magazine and flopped belly-down on the sofa. "That's a lot of stealth we're talking." She propped her chin on the backs of her hands with her knees bent and legs crossed at her ankles. "Dorms can be like grand central station after hours."
"How soon you forget," he smirked. "I run faster than all of you combined and, more importantly, faster than young human eyes can see."
Edward listened outside the dorm as Bella prepared for bed and only had to wait about fifteen minutes for the moment her heartbeat and breathing evened out and she was asleep. Thinking ahead earlier in the day, he had unfastened the lock on her window so he could enter later undetected. His dark clothing blended with the night and the position of her window away from the front of the building would make it difficult for any human eyes to see him. Scaling the wall effortlessly, he was up to the second floor and into her room in seconds.
He closed the window snugly behind him so she wouldn't catch a chill from the night air. Her freesia scent caused venom to pool in his mouth immediately, and he began the dutiful exercise of swallowing it down and holding his breath. The image of her in gentle repose in her bed was oddly calming to him. She was tucked onto her side and appeared to be in REM sleep, so he roamed her space careful only to look at things that were in clear view. That he was invading her privacy majorly was a given, but it made him feel better that he wasn't rummaging through her things. His reasoning was that he was only watching over what was his, and he would have been devastated if, after finding her, he lost her to another like himself. He convinced himself that his presence in her room was only to monitor her health and to keep her safe from other predatory creatures that roamed during the night.
There were books and papers strewn everywhere, even on the roommate's side of the room. Her marathon study session had been quite thorough. All the books and notes were in French, and he was impressed by her mastery of the language. They had not conversed much in French since their meeting in the exhibition hall. He would have to remedy that. Perhaps her nervousness when they met had made her French seem amateurish, but these writings were not those of an amateur. Her conjugation of French verbs was flawless and her vocabulary extensive. Isabella Swan was an academic, and this pleased him immensely. At least she wasn't a vapid, self-absorbed sycophant who would bore him after one meeting. This promised him a formidable challenge of uncovering all of her layers.
As Bella dreamed, she tossed, turned, and carried on quite a lively, yet indecipherable conversation. He deduced that her dream that night centered on the subject matter of her exam, because she murmured both French and English words that would confound the average layman. It was just before she began to stir as if she were waking up that he heard her whisper his name.
"Edward?"
He was so enraptured, he almost missed his cue to leave as her eyes began to flutter open. It was as if she had sensed his presence as she was waking. He couldn't stop smiling as he ran full-speed back to the Chateau Versailles where Alice was undoubtedly waiting for him. He would need to retrieve his car, so he could be back to pick Bella up for breakfast and drop her off to take her to her exam. Never in his century of existence had he anticipated the company of a female so much, human or vampire.
~888~
Bella found herself taking extra care with her appearance even though she was just going to take an exam. She was, after all, having breakfast with the most gorgeous man she had ever known. It was still mind-boggling to her as to why he had chosen to befriend her of all the healthy, beautiful women in Montreal. Regardless, she was ecstatically happy that he had.
She had been so lonely despite being on a bustling campus full of people all the time in the most romantic city she'd ever had the privilege in which to live. Word traveled among her classmates of her condition, and it made people, especially males, leery of getting too close to her. This had always been her misfortune, because she refused to keep people in the dark about her illness. She had been driving men away with it since her latter years of high school.
Jacob Black had been her friend for as long as she could remember. They'd never had a romantic relationship, but right around the time they had both been entering a stage of maturity where they might have, he had inexplicably pulled away from her. When she'd told Mike Newton of her illness last summer, his attentiveness and relentless pursuit of her had quickly become a thing of the past. In her first month at McGill, she had been pursued by one of her classmates, Christophe Jardins, but he cooled when she broke the news to him, as well. She couldn't blame Jacob, Mike, or Christophe for their reactions. Why invest in a relationship with someone who could very well not live to see another birthday?
Perhaps her time for romance had now come. The brevity of her life expectancy was for once not driving a guy away. This had her grinning like a fiend as she gathered up her books and papers from her study session. Edward would be arriving any minute, and she wanted to be ready. Her cell phone rang.
"Good morning." His beautiful voice, only slightly distorted by the phone, caressed her ear.
"Morning," she said anxiously. "I'll be right down."
"I'm already on your floor," he said. "Be there in a second."
She had the door open and was watching him approach her in all his extraordinary beauty. There was no way she could ever tire of looking at him. He was almost painful to behold in his perfection. He was bundled appropriately for the Montreal winter, wearing a thick wool pea coat, a scarf, and leather gloves.
"I just need to get my coat," she said as she stood aside to let him in. Not bothering to close the door, she went to the closet and grabbed her coat, scarf, and gloves.
"Allow me." Ever the gentleman, Edward was eager to give her a hand. She shrugged on her coat as he held it, and she got a good whiff of him. He smelled like brisk cool air, pine, and gorgeous male. It was quite the heady combination. Then she decided to speak and break what might become an awkward moment if she didn't stop staring at him.
"How was your run this morning?"
"Exhilarating," he said with a crooked smile.
"Don't rub it in, Cullen." She grinned and teasingly bumped him with her hip. Her eyes widened briefly when she felt how solid and unyielding he was through his clothing. "Wow, you must really work out."
Edward looked nervous all of a sudden, and she wondered if she was being familiar with him too soon, but then he smiled and put her at ease again. "Exercise improves my circulation."
She smiled in understanding as he offered her his arm for support, much as he had done the day before. Bella wound her arm through his gratefully as they headed down to his car.
"You know, I'm not too weak to buckle my own seatbelt," she notified him as he settled her into the car.
"My apologies, Bella." He went around, got in, and started the engine almost in one fluid motion. He regarded her kindly before he pulled away. "I fear you haven't been well taken care of. Please allow me these small indulgences."
Somehow she found herself unable to refuse him, especially if that were the extent of the simple pleasures he enjoyed. "Where are we going?"
"Why don't you choose? There are three places Alice has on the list for breakfast: Chez Cora, Eggspectations, and Déjeuner Eggcetera."
"Oh, let's go to Chez Cora. There's a Cora's Diner in my hometown. Let's see how they compare."
"Chez Cora it is," he said as they wended their way toward Sherbrooke East.
Bella was surprised when Edward only ordered coffee for himself.
"You're not going to eat?"
"I had a protein shake after I ran, so I'm really full right now. I just want to enjoy your company before you have to take your exam."
She smiled her approval and addressed him in a conspiratorial whisper, "This spread puts Cora's Diner to shame. I've heard about this place, but the campus food has been more than adequate so I didn't get off campus much to eat."
"I'm happy to introduce you to the food and entertainment establishments of Montreal in your final two weeks here, then."
"How can you do that? Aren't you a student?"
Edward smiled. "I have been a student. I completed medical school some time ago, but I don't practice. I'm on sabbatical, but I shall be deciding very shortly my plans for the spring."
"You're a bit young for that, aren't you?" She narrowed her eyes playfully. "I get it, you're a genius, a wunderkind. I should have known."
"Perhaps. However, the truth is I merely followed in my father's footsteps. He supplemented my education for years, so the coursework came rather easily for me."
Her food was delivered, and she dug in. Surprisingly, she was hungry enough to put a nice dent into her overflowing plate. Edward peppered her with questions about her likes and dislikes in books and music. He found it intriguing that she liked a very eclectic mix of music and literature quite similar to his own tastes, while she found it amusing that he didn't watch network television or go to movies.
"I would hazard to guess that network television is one of the reasons why young people today don't receive as thorough an education," he said with conviction.
"A lot of things in the 21st century could deter a person from receiving a thorough education, but there's also modern technology that contributes to a good education. Take the internet for example. It has the most extensive library there is. Most children today just lack discipline."
"I've found that to be true in my observation of hu-homo sapien children."
She laughed. "As opposed to what—primate children?"
Edward seemed briefly disconcerted, but he chuckled. "Who knows what I meant. I must confess, I'm having a rather difficult time concentrating, Ms. Swan."
She blushed, finding it adorable that he might be as nervous around her as she was around him. "Why on earth is that, Mr. Cullen?"
"I'll consider that a rhetorical question, as I am not quite ready to answer at this time."
"Okay, plead the fifth, or whatever it is you plead in Canada."
"That would be section eleven of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms."
"That might have been a rhetorical statement on my part, Mr. Cullen."
He grinned sheepishly. "Well, now you know a wee bit of Canadian law, Ms. Swan."
"Just enough to get me in trouble; my father would love that."
"Since you're now my friend, I would do everything within my power to spring you before your father was contacted by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police."
"Thank you, Edward. I'm happy to know that you are ready with the bail money. Otherwise, I could be like Claire Danes in Brokedown Palace, except in a more humane Canadian prison."
"Who is Claire Danes, and why does she live in a broken down palace?"
He looked so serious, she didn't have the heart to try to explain. "Never mind," she smirked, trying desperately not to laugh aloud at him.
She made it to her exam with fifteen minutes to spare. While they waited, they sat and talked. When it was time to go in, Edward wouldn't let her get up until he opened the door for her, and she rolled her eyes good-naturedly.
"When is your exam over?" he asked.
"We have two hours, but I'll probably finish in about an hour and a half."
His golden eyes were anxious. "I'll be waiting here for you at ten-thirty."
"That's really not necessary, Edward. My dorm isn't far from here at all."
"Bella, you just got out of the hospital yesterday. You shouldn't be exerting yourself so soon. Promise me you'll call me on my cell when you're done, and wait in the foyer of this building until you see my car out here."
He was so insistent, she relented. Would she ever be able to refuse him anything? "O—kay. Pushy much?"
"Not pushy, just persistent." He brushed her cheek very lightly with lips that she figured were cool from them standing outside. However, she could have sworn she felt that cold chaste kiss burn her cheek for thirty minutes or more into her exam.
~888~
E/N:
Website for McGill University: http : / www dot mcgill dot ca /
Website for L'Hotel Chateau Versailles: http : / www dot chateauversaillesmontreal dot com
Website for Bar et Bouef Restaurant - http : / www dot baretbouef dot com / home
Website for Chez Cora – http: / www dot chezcora dot com
Bella's French Tea - Mariage Frères Earl Grey Impérial - http: / www dot mariagefreres dot com