A/N: Readers, please thank my beta, Shug (SSHG316), whom I stole from her children on Summer Break to beta this chapter for you. She is awesomeness personified. Also, many thanks to Songster51 who gave this a final look-see and found a few more boo-boos on my part. I love her to death.
YULETIDE CANTICLE
Chapter 4- The Dates, Part 2
Edward had been so attentive the last couple of days, escorting Bella to places she might never have gotten to visit in Montreal had she not met him. In a few days, they'd shared at least two meals a day and visited both a museum and the theater. There had to be something she could invite him to do with her to return the favor, so to speak.
She had lunch with Juliette on Thursday and the perfect opportunity presented itself.
"Jean-Paul and I are going to hear the Westmount Youth Orchestra's instrumental ensemble, Dolce Musica, in Redpath Hall on Sunday. You should come with," Juliette said as she took a casual sip of her soda.
Bella might have declined before, because she didn't want to be a third wheel, but now she had someone she could invite. "That sounds great. Do you mind if I bring Edward? He loves music, and he's an excellent pianist. I haven't had the pleasure of hearing him play, yet, but yeah...that would be awesome."
She was hesitant. "Er...Oui, oui."
Noticing the change in Juliette's demeanor when she mentioned Edward, Bella's brow furrowed. "You didn't want me to invite him?"
"Non, Cherie," Juliette hastened to reply. "I just worry about you... with him. Are you sure about him? He seems kind of... dangerous."
Bella laughed. "Edward, dangerous? What on earth gives you that idea?"
"I don't know. He just strikes me as someone who is. I don't know what I did to tick him off, but every time I'm around him, I get that vibe. Just be careful, okay?"
"All right, but I can assure you, Edward has only been sweet and gentlemanly toward me—practically protective, even. I'm glad we'll get to hang out with you two this weekend so you can see for yourself what a great guy he is."
"Okay, if you insist. I just don't want the authorities questioning me about your whereabouts and the mysterious stranger you met just days before you were to return home. I've seen Taken, you know."
"I assure you, Edward isn't some guy trying to lure me into becoming anyone's sex slave. He's almost Victorian, he's been so well-behaved. He hasn't even tried to kiss me yet. On the other hand, I can totally see my dad as the Liam Neeson character if I came up missing." Bella took a bite of her turkey sandwich and a drink of cranberry juice.
"We'll see you two on Sunday, then." Juliette smiled ruefully. "I'll try not to look at him weird or anything."
"Good, because that would freak me out, not to mention, Edward."
"I have a feeling that not much would freak Edward out," Juliette said ominously.
Bemused, Bella just shook her head and took another bite of her sandwich.
~888~
On Thursday night, Edward took her to dinner at Gibby's. Bella felt like she'd stepped back in time as they entered the restaurant. Housed in a magnificent 200-year-old building in old Montreal, it possessed an old world charm that boasted historic stone walls, original ceiling beams, cozy fireplaces, and romantic lighting, which made for an unforgettable dining experience. Bella noted that Edward wasn't as taken as she was with the food, and again he ate very little. However, he was so attentive and conversational otherwise, she soon forgot about his strange eating habits.
After dinner, they took a horse-drawn buggy ride through the cobblestone streets. At first, the horse was skittish, but when the driver put blinders on it, the horse soon calmed. Edward went overboard on preparation and brought a battery operated blanket to keep her warm.
"Wow, you're like a boy scout, Mr. Cullen," she teased.
His brow furrowed and smoothed out again. "How is that?"
"You're always prepared." She snuggled under the blanket, scooting closer under the casual arm he rested around her shoulders. Feeling him tense, she wondered if she had been just a little too forward for his liking. However, he flashed her an indulgent smile, his sweet breath wafting over her as he spoke.
"I guess I am, insofar as your health and well-being is concerned. It has become very important to me."
Could he be any more perfect?
She frowned. "I wish you didn't have to take care of me. You have medical issues of your own to worry about."
"My issues are not debilitating. Besides, I like taking care of you." His lips grazed her temple, so feather light she might have missed it had she not been paying attention. Despite the temperature outside, she grew warm from his affectionate gesture.
"I'd love the opportunity to practice a little reciprocity. You deserve the same."
His eyes lit as if in surprise, but then softened. "I have seen examples that support the notion that good relationships are based on respect and reciprocity."
After she recovered from his intimation that they might be pursuing a relationship, she asked, "With your parents?"
"Yes, my parents are quite happily married, as are my siblings."
"Maybe my parents wouldn't have struggled so much if they'd learned that early on."
"You are wise for your years, Isabella. I had not expected that concept to be grasped by someone so young."
"Pfft, someone so young? You can't be that much older than me. How old are you anyway?"
He hesitated, then his lips curled into a mischievous smile. "You want that in human or dog years?"
Bella laughed. "Human, please," she answered, then as an afterthought added, "I wouldn't expect a man like you to hold to the insult that men have something in common with dogs."
"I'm twenty-three," he said. "And I do believe that man has quite a bit in common with beasts, not only those of the canine persuasion. There's a bit of a monster in all of us. Just some more than others..."
Bella could tell from the way he said it, he believed it. For all his beauty and confidence, she didn't expect him to struggle with self-esteem. She looked up into his eyes and held his golden gaze. "Nothing could be further from the truth, from what you've shown me so far. I trust you."
His beautiful face took on a visage of pain. "Don't."
"Why?" She scooted closer to him and was about to touch his arm, but he recoiled, and she pulled back her hand. He looked like he was holding his breath.
Okay, first odd moment of the night. Is this a delayed reaction to my illness on his part, or was Juliette right?
An awkward silence settled over them. She was afraid to speak because she knew if she did, she would burst into tears. Had this been some kind of social experiment for him all along? She couldn't wait for the carriage ride to end. What began as a romantic ride through the cobblestoned streets in Old Montreal had ended badly.
When they returned to the carriage stand, she finally found her voice.
"I'll catch a cab back to my dorm." Bella held her breath, hoping to staunch the inevitable flow of tears. She turned to walk in the direction opposite his car.
He took her arm, hissing, "That is not an option, Isabella."
The dam broke; she had not been able to get away fast enough. Helpless tears sprang from her eyes. "You don't get to tell me what my options are. Clearly, you are repulsed by me, or...or something. I'm going back to my dorm." She pulled her arm from his grasp and began moving toward the busy cross street.
Edward dogged her steps, in a frantic appeal. "I cannot allow you to return un-escorted. That would be the height of impropriety. I picked you up, and I should take you back to your dormitory. Isabella, please..." He darted in front of her and encircled her upper arms with his hands, stopping her forward movement.
"Edward, you don't have to take me back out of some misplaced sense of duty. I made my way just fine in this city before you came along. If it's all the same to you, I'd rather resume that now. Your mixed signals are really doing a number on my feelings, and my time is too short to live like that. Let's not play games. If you don't want me, we need to end this now before someone get's hurt." She moved to step around him, but he still wouldn't let her.
"There's been a misunderstanding," he insisted. "My reaction back there wasn't a rejection of you—it was fear, plain and simple. I want you... in ways that you wouldn't be able to accommodate healthy, let alone in your current fragile state. I am inexplicably drawn to you, so much so that I fear I might harm you in some way. I am seeking to be careful—cautious with you physically and emotionally. It stands to reason that you might interpret some of my actions as a rebuff, but I swear to you, it was not meant to be."
Dubious, Bella looked into his eyes, as he cupped her face and swept her tears away with the pads of his thumbs. Was that the simple truth? He had not in the brief time they had known one another willfully told her anything that could be construed as a lie. Now he was looking at her with such remorse and gentleness, she couldn't believe that he desired to hurt her. Besides, he'd just said that he wanted her. Holy crow!
She placed her hands on his and pressed them closer to her face. He placed a soft kiss on her forehead, his lips cool to the touch, making her skin tingle. His sweet breath fanned over her face as he spoke against her skin. "I'm sorry for hurting you, Isabella, unintentional though it was."
"And I'm sorry for overreacting," she said with a wry smile.
~888~
Edward heard Alice mentally berating him as he made his way to their suites. Not bothering to make an attempt to ignore her and retire to his own room, he went to her door and entered without knocking.
Her glare and low growl might have disarmed him if he were human, but he regarded her with contrition, hoping she would forgive him and advise him what to do to fix things. How he wished he could read Isabella's mind. Their misunderstanding earlier could have been avoided had he been able to read her and refute the trajectory of her thoughts before she responded to his reaction to her blood.
"Are you trying to drive your one hope for happiness in this century away?" Alice scolded. "I saw three different scenarios of your future when you cringed."
"I meant what I said. I wasn't rejecting her, I was overwhelmed by her scent. I wanted to drain her, and she was moving closer to me with no regard whatsoever for her own safety."
Alice's features softened. "I know it's still difficult for you to be around her, but we have only a week left for her to fall in love with you. Every vision I've had of your future with Bella hinges on her falling in love with you first. She will agree to be changed only because she loves you."
Edward bristled inside at her belief that, given a choice, Isabella would willingly want to become what they were. The physician in him believed that there was hope for her with all the strides medicine had made in the last several decades. He would do everything he could, exhaust every avenue before he would rob her of her soul. Entertaining the option to change her was out unless nothing else could be done.
Thankfully, Alice concentrated only on decisions that had to do with him winning her heart. For this he was grateful, because she would surely alert the family if she knew his intentions were to leave her human if he could, whether she turned out to be his mate or not. Admittedly, his feelings had warmed for her since they had been dating, but he wasn't altogether sure if that was due to the call of her blood to him or in spite of it.
"I'm sorry, Alice. I did as much damage control as I could on the spot. Surely, that was of some help. She seemed to accept my explanation and my apology easily enough."
"I think it rattled her so badly because of something her roommate said to her earlier. You've got to convince her that her roommate's fears about you are baseless and unfounded."
Edward growled. "Her roommate is a disingenuous twit who would betray her in a heartbeat if I showed a modicum of interest in her."
"That may be true, but Bella can't read her roommate's mind. You have to remember most people, human or vampire, don't have that advantage."
"So, how do you suggest I do this?"
"Well, we begin by reassuring Bella that your intentions toward her are genuine and heartfelt. I'll have a bouquet of flowers sent to her first thing in the morning."
"No, I'll do that. If the idea is that they are to come from me, then they should really come from me."
"You're really getting into this wooing thing," she teased.
"Make up your mind, Alice," he snapped. "Either you want me to do this and do it properly or not at all."
"The gist is that you should want to do this because it involves your future," Alice said stiffly. "If you're not doing this because you want to, then I should just go back home to Jasper."
She flitted over to the closet, grabbed her suitcase and began throwing her things into it at vampire speed. Alice was well and truly ticked off at him, calling him every variety of jackass she could conjure along with a few other choice expletives. For the second time in as many hours, he had inexplicably angered a female, and he was perplexed. Despite the fact that he didn't get physically tired, it exhausted him emotionally.
However, he couldn't allow Alice to go back home angry. He didn't enjoy hurting her feelings. Besides, Jasper would read her emotions and hunt him down for sending his mate back in such a state. He could hold his own fighting with any other vampire, but he didn't relish being on Jasper's bad side. His brother had been a Confederate soldier, and had fought in many vampire skirmishes since his change. Jasper, no doubt, had moves of which Edward wouldn't particularly want to be on the receiving end.
He jumped in and stilled her movements as she locked her suitcase. "Alice."
She slowed. "What?"
"I'm sorry."
He must have been sufficiently penitent, because she immediately thrust herself into his arms, practically bowling him over.
"I know you mean it," she said with a satisfied smirk, "because I can count on one hand how many times you've said it in the decades I've known you."
He opened the suitcase and together they put her things away again in less than thirty seconds. "So, tomorrow morning we have a museum visit and a late lunch at the museum cafe."
Alice's thoughts suddenly became jumbled, alerting Edward to a vision that he would see clearly in a moment. The haze cleared, and he saw himself and Isabella laughing as they reclined on the floor of his suite, having what looked to be a picnic lunch. He reached over to tuck her hair behind her ear and his lips followed his hands as he kissed her behind her ear.
"There's your more romantic option," Alice said triumphantly.
~888~
The next morning, Bella was awakened by a call from the lobby. Apparently, there was a delivery for her. Curious, she completed her morning toilette in half the time, got dressed, and made her way down on the elevator to the desk. The student attendant smiled and gestured to a humongous bouquet of long-stemmed lavender roses.
"Isabella Swan?"
"Yes."
"Someone's got it bad for you. Two dozen lavender roses. I've never seen that color before."
Bella couldn't control the smile that crept across her face. She had never seen this color before either but had read somewhere once that the lavender rose was a sign of enchantment and love at first sight. Considering their misunderstanding the night before, she wasn't surprised at all by this gesture. Edward's message was clear, and it thrilled her to no end.
She moved one of the plants she'd kept from her hospital stay and replaced it with the bouquet. Sliding the card from the holder, she sat on the bed to read it.
My Dear Isabella,
I am but a shell of a man and prone to grievous error in matters of the heart, it would seem.
My actions, though well-intentioned,
sometimes manifest themselves in direct opposition to my feelings.
I hope these flowers convey the promise of my true objective.
Again, please forgive me.
Yours,
Edward
Reading his card made her feel like she had received a note from Mr. Darcy. It was like she was Alice in Wonderland, but she hadn't fallen down a rabbit hole; a suitor from her literature books had entered her world. It seemed that their misunderstanding was the impetus for him to make his intentions known in a way that was not duplicitous or pretentious and this made Bella happy. So many times, she'd listened to conversations among her friends about dating drama, something she wanted no part of. She and Edward seemed to be on the same page in that regard.
His thoughtfulness knew no bounds, and his sweet gestures slowly and methodically swept her off her feet. Edward's treatment of her bordered on fairy tale unreal, and she liked him—a lot. Granted, she had not had an opportunity to have a second or third date with anyone in a long time, and now that they had spent time together every day since her release from the hospital, she knew there was something special, if not a little weird, about Edward. Juliette's misgivings had caused her to observe him a bit more closely. However, nothing he did put her off. In fact, his actions only served to make her want to know more about him.
She couldn't wait to see him. They were taking a trip to another museum, and she wanted to thank him for the flowers and invite him to Redpath Hall on Sunday. After all that had transpired the night before, it had slipped her mind to invite him to the musical presentation to meet with her friends there.
Edward called for her promptly at ten forty-five. The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts opened at eleven, and they would check out a few exhibits there and then enjoy a late lunch at his hotel.
As had become his habit, he came up to her room to escort her down to his car. Unable to contain her anxiousness, she had already laid her coat, scarf, and gloves out to bundle up for their outing. When he knocked, she immediately opened the door and welcomed him in.
She followed his eyes as they found the roses sitting on her nightstand. "Thanks so much for the flowers, Edward. They're beautiful, but your apology last night would have been enough."
He smiled. "That may be true, but the incident served a greater purpose. It provided me with another opportunity to give you flowers."
She moved to pick up her coat and he moved in concert to assist her. Bella smiled and paused. Having learned her lesson the night before, she didn't want him to be spooked by any sudden movements on her part. "Would you mind if I gave you a hug?"
He looked bemused, his golden eyes smiling, his lips drawn into a smirk. "Of course," he said as he held his arms aloft to return her embrace. Bella moved into his strong arms as they enveloped her shoulders, wrapping her arms around his waist in response. She could have sworn she felt him take in a deep breath as his nose skimmed her hair. She took the liberty to do the same thing. He smelled like a mixture of musk, pine, and cool winter air.
~888~
The Museum of Art had no parking, so they found a parking garage nearby and walked the half-block to the building. The sidewalks were salted, but Edward held her hand, not wanting her to slip and fall. Although they were both wore gloves, he felt like there was a current that passed between them. He couldn't resist looking at her; she was so beautiful. He decided he'd better begin some conversation, or she might truly think he was eccentric.
"Have you been here before?"
"Yes, back in August when I first arrived. There was a Miles Davis exhibit here. A few of us from McGill came the day before it ended. I'm sorry you missed it."
"It's quite all right. I attended a live Miles Davis concert once." He hoped she wasn't familiar with Miles Davis enough to catch his faux pas. No such luck.
"When? When you were like five? He died in 1991. You couldn't have been old enough to remember seeing him."
"I have very vivid memories," he explained.
"So in addition to being genius-level smart, you have an eidetic memory like Dr. Reid Spencer on Criminal Minds?"
He looked momentarily confused.
"Don't tell me, you've never even heard of Criminal Minds, arguably one of the best crime dramas on TV in the US and Canada?"
"I don't watch television as a rule," he said. "I have one in my home, but it's almost never on."
"How do you entertain yourself?"
"I read, compose and play pieces on my piano; I have season passes for the opera, the symphony orchestra, and various other theaters and arts venues here in Montreal. Believe me, I lead a full, very interesting life, without the necessity of watching television."
"You're missing out on some great shows. Some, I admit, aren't worth your time. Reality TV is just ridiculous, but I think you would love some of the movies with an historical slant that I adore, like The Count of Monte Cristo, Les Miserables, The Man In The Iron Mask, and Shakespeare in Love."
"I've seen the play Les Miserables, and Dumas' works I get, because I've read most everything he's written, and you seem to have a fascination with the fellow, but what is Shakespeare in Love?"
"It's a fictional portrayal of Shakespeare as a fledgling playwright who falls in love with one of his actors, who's actually a woman pretending to be a man, as society forbade women to be actors during that time."
"That seems like quite the tale."
"What I like about it is that it's done in a manner reminiscent of his comedies and uses many of the characters, lines, and plot devices from his works. Most guys still view it as a chick flick, because of the romantic element."
"Were you to write, would it be something along this vein?"
"Maybe," she said with a smirk. "I'd probably write something a little more contemporary, with an historical slant, like Kate and Leopold."
"Kate and Leopold?"
"A movie starring Meg Ryan and Hugh Jackman. He's a 19th Century Duke, and she's a 21st Century career woman. The Duke travels through a time portal to the 21st century, and he and Kate fall in love. The logline says it all: 'If they lived in the same century, they'd be perfect for each other.'"
It's Edward's turn to smirk. "Another dig about me being old-fashioned, Miss Swan?"
"If the shoe fits, Mr. Cullen." He held the door for her. "Seriously, why do you speak so formally? Were your parents transplanted Europeans who sent you to upper crust private schools?"
"Something like that," he hedged.
As they entered the museum, they were immediately greeted by an eager docent in the almost deserted museum. Obviously people were preparing for the holidays, or it was too early for other museum visitors. Bella was happy that Edward was able to ditch the docent. She wanted to talk to him without the constant droning from a museum guide. Besides, they were both reasonably intelligent and could read, or listen to the audio guides, if necessary.
Bella wanted them to choose collections to view democratically, because Edward was insistent that they view only things she was interested in. She chose the Studio Glass: Anna and Joe Mendel Collection, the exhibition Opéra de Montréal Takes the Stage at the Museum, and The Earth is Blue Like an Orange collection. Edward chose, Rouge Cabaret—The Terrifying and Beautiful World of Otto Dix, the National Gallery of Canada's extensive collection of nineteenth-century French photography, and Ben Weider's Napoleonic collection.
"No fair. You chose things you thought I might like anyway, didn't you?" Bella accused.
He raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying I'm not interested in Otto Dix, French photography, and Napoleon?"
"No, but—"
"You're not the only one who has eclectic tastes, Ms. Swan."
For the life of her, Bella couldn't think of a snarky reply. She rolled her eyes playfully, grasped his hand, and pulled him toward the glass exhibit.
They spent most of the morning and early afternoon perusing international art glass, pessimistic German expressionist paintings, French photographs from daguerreotypes to paper prints, operatic costumes and music, contemporary art by Japanese, American, and Canadian artists, and rare and unique works and objects associated with Napoleon and the arts under the First Empire. Between exhibits, Edward always found a place for them to sit and discuss what they'd seen. Bella realized after a couple of exhibits that he rested on her behalf, and she was grateful. Edward was very knowledgeable of the historic exhibits and brought many of the pieces to life for her. She had never had a better time in a museum.
On their way back to Edward's hotel, where they would be having lunch, he took a cryptic call from Alice on his cell phone. Bella found the interaction between the siblings amusing. Alice seemed to be someone with whom he could be himself. Bella only hoped that he could be as at ease with her at some point.
The Château Versailles was a small, charming non-chain hotel. Bella was intrigued and felt it exuded an atmosphere that suited Edward's tastes perfectly. The walls were adorned with a mix of rich fabric textures set against vibrant color schemes with a backdrop of exquisite antiques. All the suites were different in some very unique way. Edward's boasted a fireplace with mouldings, high-ceilings with remarkable ceiling friezes, a unique Art Deco lamp, and a selection of original art and photographs of past residents.
Someone, most likely Alice, had assembled a luxurious indoor picnic for them, replete with a basket full of goodies, a checkered tablecloth spread on the floor over a plush throw rug in front of the fireplace. A bottle of champagne chilled in a bucket of ice, with two place settings of china, glassware and cutlery bearing the hotel's logo, while dimmed lighting with candles illuminated the room, and soft music played in the background.
Bella was delighted. "Edward, this is perfect!"
"I'm glad it's to your liking," he said as he took her hand, and she got comfortable on the rug. He followed suit and joined her, busying himself serving their lunch.
Bella noted that he served her two times more than he served himself, but she was so famished, she didn't complain. Halfway through devouring her own lunch, she became fascinated with feeding him. Surprisingly, he consumed every morsel of food and every sip of champagne she offered and reciprocated by feeding her. There were delicious, crust-less cold sandwiches, three varieties of cold salad, and luscious fresh fruit.
The feeding wasn't nearly as romantic as she'd anticipated. The juice from the ripe fruit invariably dripped from their mouths, and Bella giggled at Edward's expressions when this happened. As a very tidy person, the mess was making him uncomfortable. He took a napkin and took turns dabbing at her mouth and his own as the juicy mishaps occurred.
She offered him the last strawberry, and he took a bite, the juice dripping from the corner of his mouth. He captured the drip with his tongue before it could drizzle to his chin. Bella laughed and popped the last half into her own mouth, chewed and swallowed.
"We are such sloppy eaters."
For some reason, Edward found her observation hilarious.
"What?" she asked. His laughter was so contagious, she found herself laughing with him despite not being in on the joke, just yet. Her hair fell forward on one side, partially obscuring her face.
Their laughter abated, and he reached over and tucked her hair behind her ear. Before he released her hair, he planted a soft kiss behind her ear, and then another on her cheek, perilously close to her mouth. "Truer words were never spoken," he murmured with an esoteric smile.
Bella felt a warmth that traveled from the chastely loaded kisses through her system, making every one of her nerve endings alive and alert to him. There was a sexiness about Edward Cullen that made her respond to him like she had no other man. He made her hopeful that, contrary to her earlier beliefs, she wouldn't die a virgin.
~888~
Bella invited him to a musical event at the University with her roommate and her fiancé on Sunday, which Edward immediately accepted, sensing that she was anxious that there be some turnabout in their courtship, as it were. Edward had been careful to leave a good impression on the roommate and her fiancé, as Alice had advised.
At the end of the evening, her "friends" could only come to the consensus that sickly Bella had found herself a "winner." Edward was careful not to respond to the poisonous thoughts that were very often in conflict to what they actually said. Juliette said she was "happy" for Bella, but was secretly jealous of her "catch." Jean-Paul had wondered if his decision not to seduce his fiancée's "sickly but hot roommate" had been a sound one, since she seemed like fair game for a guy like Cullen. Their feelings for Bella were diametrically opposed to their thoughts, and Edward was glad she was leaving them soon.
On Saturday night, they attended a Muse concert at Colisée Pepsi with Alice in tow. Edward was concerned that Bella would grow tired, so he hired a limousine service to pick them up and drop them off. He and Alice had not considered what the loud music and the cacophony of voices and bodies would do to their heightened senses. They were miserable, but Bella seemed to be having a grand time. The light show was enough to give a non-epileptic a seizure, and the noise from the screaming fans would have been deafening to the least sensitive of their kind. When only the loud music was playing, it was tolerable, however the screaming fans were both his and Alice's undoing, but he was determined to give Bella this experience.
Can I beg off with a headache, brother dear? Alice pleaded in her thoughts.
Absolutely not, Edward replied in vampire speed. If I have to suffer through this, so do you.
While they believed they were careful to conceal their distaste for the live concert, Bella did not seem to be entirely convinced that he and Alice were enjoying themselves. After the fourth number by the headlining band, Bella turned to Edward.
"Can we go now?" She had to yell in his ear to ensure she was heard over the music. He would have heard her even if she'd whispered, but she didn't know that.
He was slightly taken aback. "Are you sure?"
"Positive." He narrowed his eyes, and she smiled to convince him further. "I've heard my favorites, and I want to conserve some energy for tomorrow."
"Very well," he finally conceded. Alice was so happy, she couldn't conceal her pleasure at their decision to leave. Bella blushed when she saw Alice's relief that they were departing. Edward scowled playfully at his sister. Bella sighed and took the hand he offered as they made their way out of the concert hall.
Later, after dropping Bella off and waiting a decent amount of time to assure that she was asleep, he scaled the wall of her dormitory, as he had become accustomed to doing, and entered her room.
Watching Bella sleep was second among the things he liked about her, the first being his inability to read her mind. Her dreams seemed to be vivid, and she was vocal in slumber in a way that he couldn't capitalize on while she was awake. In the twelve days they had been getting acquainted, he had become more and more intrigued with her intellect and her singular selflessness, which left him absolutely perplexed.
It was as if she was immune to the condescension and meanness most of her classmates and her roommate felt for her. He couldn't help but feel that she chose to be oblivious because she had such an appreciation for the brevity of life. He considered himself a monster, yet he found himself admiring that she was so kind and good to others. She was very much like Carlisle in this respect: a good person through and through. She was generous and caring to a fault and, oddly, found immense satisfaction in putting others' needs before her own, having done this for her parents and now everyone else with whom she came in contact.
On that night, he realized that she had captured his heart, when she spoke words that he had no doubt were only for him. Vivid dreams were the norm for Bella every night, accompanied by sporadic talking while she slept. She had been asleep for several hours when she moved on the bed and moaned more than he had ever witnessed before. He flitted to her side in vampire speed, on the ready to comfort her just in case she was having a nightmare. However, he realized as he came closer to her bed that she was not having a nightmare; she was actually having what appeared to be a very sensual dream. Her mahogany hair was splayed wildly on her pillow, her face was flushed, and she was writhing under her blankets.
His first reaction at this realization was to flee, because he had been born and lived as a human at a time when there had been a healthy respect for propriety, and old habits died hard. He moved to the window, prepared to leave, when he heard her moan his name.
"Edward..."
He stopped in his tracks, still as a statue. Was he somehow a part of the sensual dream she was having? His curiosity getting the better of him, he moved back to hover over her. He allowed himself a shallow breath and took in her freesia scent.
Bella mumbled what seemed to be just a garble of words, and then he heard her clearly say, "I want to be with you... forever, Edward".
If he had a living beating heart, it would have leapt out of his chest at that moment.
Allowing himself to breathe deeper, he smelled the faint scent of arousal mingled with the floral scents coming from her skin. There was also a hint of wild strawberries, which he sometimes smelled coming from her hair. He was certain now that Bella was experiencing an orgasm.
As he took in the various scents coming from her soft, warm body, he realized that he could concentrate on something other than the call of her blood to his thirst. He looked down and, as if surprised by his own body's reaction, found himself aroused. He then left her room in a blur, bewildered by his discovery, yet resolute in his decision.
~888~
Bella left her final exam elated that she had completed yet another semester of college. With one semester left to go at UW, she prayed that she would survive at least until May, so she could complete her degree. Even if she never had an opportunity to use her education, it was important to her to finish, as it was one of the few things she was able to control and knew she was good at.
With the stress of the semester lifting as a veil, she hurried as quickly as her weak heart and overworked lungs would allow to meet Edward in the parking lot behind Dawson Hall. When Bella exited the building, she turned back to look at it fondly for a few seconds. She had spent most of her time in this building while on the McGill Campus, and she would miss it. In the four short months she had been in Montreal, she had really grown to love the place and its people. The Quebecois were a warm and colorful people, and they had welcomed her as if she were one of their own.
When she turned back to look for Edward's car, he stood a few feet in front of her. How odd, she thought. She had not heard him approach. There was so much that she thought odd about Edward, but at the same time adorable. Sometimes, she got the feeling that he was otherworldly, because he was so handsome and pale. She wondered if he might be the real Good Samaritan or her fairy Godfather or something, he was so perfect. If Edward were just some random good Samaritan, he would have left her off at the hospital and gone on with his life. However, he had been there when she had gone into congestive heart failure and had taken care of her until she was released from the hospital.
He'd even called his sister from out of town to help. And Alice. Sometimes it looked as if they were made from the same mold, yet they were as different as night and day. They had both infiltrated her life so completely and in so short a period of time, she could not bear to think that she might never see them again.
Like a gentleman of days past, Edward had asked if he could come to call on her when she was released. He looked contemporary, dressed in what she had come to realize were designer clothes, but everything else about him screamed "old soul." At other times, she felt like there was an undercurrent of danger that surrounded him. Despite the faint uneasiness she felt around him, somehow she knew that he would never allow the danger to touch her.
Edward knew everything about her condition and hadn't run in the other direction. He had not run away, but he was also not making any other moves. She was perplexed. On the one hand, he was attentive and caring, but on the other, he seemed willing to go only so far with her. He had not kissed her in the ways she had been dreaming about once in the many times they had been together in the last couple of weeks.
Of course, he had kissed her on her cheeks and on her hands, which she found very romantic, but she wanted to see if they really had combustible chemistry. The attraction was there on her part, but she couldn't tell if he felt anything close to what she had been feeling almost since the first day they met. They had crammed so much into the time they had left to get to know one another before she would be returning to Forks. Yet, she had not even been brave enough to ask him what would happen when she had to leave.
But right now, Edward stood in front of her. His breathtaking smile pushed those thoughts out of her mind. It was the most unguarded smile she had ever received from him.
"I take it you aced your final exam," he said. She could never get enough of hearing his velvety smooth voice.
He offered her his perpetually cool hand, and she laced her warm fingers through his. "But of course," she teased. "Genius that I am."
In an uncharacteristically spontaneous move, he pulled her close to his side, placing his arm possessively around her waist. Bella was so taken by surprise, she stumbled and he steadied her.
"Careful, love," he said smiling indulgently. "I need you to be conscious on your final day in Montreal."
Bella's cheeks grew red when it registered that he had called her "love." This was new. She adjusted her steps to his as they made their way to his car.
"What are we doing today?" she asked. "Does Alice have an itinerary for us?"
He opened the passenger door of his silver Audi S4L. "The afternoon is ours, but Alice has plans for us tonight." He made sure she was comfortably in and buckled up. "I thought we might ride out to my house in Laval."
"That sounds great," she said. She had been curious about his home and equally curious to see his coveted baby grand since they had gone to see Dolce Musica the week before. Bella had been excited about taking him to a musical event because he was such a music aficionado, and played and composed pieces for the piano. So engrossed was she at the idea that she would finally get to see his home, she didn't realize that the car had not moved. She glanced back at Edward to find him studying her, more specifically her mouth.
"I'd like to try something," he murmured, as if asking her permission with his golden eyes.
"Okay," she acquiesced.
Once he seemed satisfied that she was willing, he leaned toward her slowly and then halted. "Please, be very still," he coaxed. Bella struggled to stay calm and not make any sudden moves. Her weak heart began racing in her chest. She didn't want to ruin the moment for him, although if he were going to kiss her, did he not want her to respond?
After several excruciating seconds, their lips touched; his were smooth and firm to her soft and pliant ones. Edwards's lips were sweet, as was his breath. He explored her lips with his before daring to seek any further pleasures, and then his tongue darted out and touched hers briefly, almost hesitantly.
He emitted a low groan and deepened the kiss just a bit. Bella moaned in response as her body began to heat up from the gentle yet erotic way his tongue massaged her own. She leaned in as much as her fastened seat belt would allow. As she did, she heard a low guttural moan that sounded almost like a growl and he quickly pulled away, breaking the kiss before she could relax into it.
She thought she saw a fleeting look of fear in his eyes, before he sighed deeply and smiled the little crooked smile that made her already damaged heart skip beats.
His voice was husky with emotion. "You taste exactly the way I imagined."
"And how is that?" she asked through shallow breaths, trying not to pant.
"Like the epitome of an epicurean delicacy that is only to be tasted… and not consumed."
~888~
Edward watched Bella as she stood for the first time in his home in the Laval-sur-le-lac neighborhood, scanning through a sampling of his collection of books. There were only a few that he and Alice had not packed when he'd returned from Bella's room the night before, firm and unyielding in the realization that Alice had been right. Bella was his soul mate. After an hour-long conversation with Carlisle and another half-hour of Carlisle explaining to the rest of the family, they had all come to the agreement that they would be moving back to Washington State.
As patriarch of the family and in deference to the special place Edward held in his heart as his firstborn vampire son, Carlisle believed that the family should willingly make the move that would help Edward to woo his mate. Edward had not corrected his family's belief that he would change Bella when the time came. He would tell them the truth once they were settled in Seattle.
His first priority was Bella's health and safety. Edward would spare no expense getting her the best medical treatment that money could buy, and he would get her that heart transplant if he had to secure the organ himself through the black market. She was his raison d'être. That fact alone made it easier for him to be around her, in spite of the excruciating thirst her blood still elicited in him.
Even when he hunted until he was overly-sated, there was still a burn whenever he breathed in her presence. Now that he was determined not to kill her, he could exercise some semblance of control over his baser instincts. He held his breath most of the time when he was around her, but his love for her scent and the desire to be close to her made him constantly push the boundaries.
He watched closely as Bella pulled a copy of "The Count of Monte Cristo" from the shelf and examined the front page. Turning to look at him, her eyes widened in surprise. "Edward, this is a first edition. Do you have any idea what this could be worth?"
He would really have to have a conversation with her later about the vast amount of wealth his family possessed in both liquid and non-liquid assets. Her expression was so adorable, he struggled not to laugh. "Bella, sometimes the sentimental value of a possession is regarded more highly than its worth."
"You are so right. My barely middle class upbringing is showing." Her attempt at self-deprecation angered him. Edward moved to stand in front of her. She hazarded a sheepish look up into his eyes.
Not desiring his anger to be misinterpreted or to frighten her, he made sure his eyes were tender as he took both her hands in his. "Your heart and soul transcend man's flimsy ideas of class, Bella."
Tears threatened to overflow from her eyes. "No one's ever said anything quite that beautiful to me before."
"I daresay you've been dating a fickle lot of humans, then," he said, speaking to her as if she already knew he was different. This was the final hurdle. He would reveal to her what he was. If she did not reject him, he would be completely sure that they were destined to be together. His reasoning was that if she could know that he was a monster and still care for him that would be all the proof he needed.
"Fickle, indeed," she said, giggling. Her brow furrowed, and she pursed her lips as if to ask a question, but then she shook her head, as if to clear it.
"I did say 'humans,' Bella," he hastened to reassure her.
"Does that mean… that you are not?" she asked. She didn't pull her hands away from him or look as if she was afraid, but her heart rate accelerated a bit.
His golden eyes held her gaze. "Yes."
"May I ask what you are, if you aren't human?" She struggled to keep her voice even.
"I'm interested in hearing your theories."
He released her left hand, but kept her right in his as he maneuvered them over to the sofa.
Edward gestured for her to sit first, and she did so, her eyes not leaving his. He sat next to her but angled slightly so they could face each other as they conversed.
"I knew there was something different about you, but when I'm with you I can't think clearly. Originally, I thought you might be my fairy godfather, or something…"
He chuckled. "Childhood fairy tales?"
She laughed with him. "Well… You never seem to eat or drink much of anything, and your skin is strong, but pale and cold, you have an aversion to sunlight… and you're quite stealthy. Are you a fallen angel, the son of a mythical god, or maybe a superhero?"
"Would it be repulsive to you if I were a bad guy?" he asked.
"Edward, you're no more bad than I am. You put off this air of danger, but it's just a front."
"Would that it were just a front, Bella. My origin is darker in nature," he said. "I was changed into what I am in 1918 by my adoptive father, Carlisle Cullen. I was dying of the Spanish Influenza, and my human mother encouraged him to save me using whatever means he had at his disposal. It just so happened that Carlisle was a vampire, and he made me one so I wouldn't die the horrible death that my parents did." He paused to get her reaction, a difficult proposition considering that he couldn't read her thoughts. Using the abilities available to him, he could hear that her heart rate did not accelerate this time, but her breathing was a little erratic.
Feeling encouraged, he continued. "My family strives to be different from the vampires you hear about in folklore. We don't drink the blood of humans, usually, and we live a more civilized lifestyle. Most of our kind drink human blood, and many live as nomads, moving from place to place to avoid discovery. We don't go out into the sunlight because our skin sparkles like a prism when we're in the sun. We have a governing body, the Volturi, a trinity of royals, for lack of a better description, who rule over our kind. There is one principal rule we must obey."
In a tremulous voice, Bella asked, "What is that?"
"Keep the secret," he said blandly. Then he smiled. "Now that you know, my fate is in your hands."
"They would kill you if they knew that I know?" Her eyes were wide with fear.
"After they were bored from subjecting me to various forms of torture, yes. But my most grievous fear is that they would kill you, too."
"Edward, you know I don't have an optimistic prognosis. You shouldn't concern yourself with my safety," she said seriously. Then she flashed him a coquettish smile. "I would have been content to wonder about you and crush on you from afar, because I have nothing of value to offer you."
"On the contrary, Bella, what you have to offer is the most valuable gift, the likes of which I have never experienced in my 109 years."
"What would that be?"
"Unconditional romantic love."
~888~
Lying on the huge antique bed in the one room in Edward's home that held a bed, Bella remained, uncharacteristically, awake. Usually by three o'clock each day she was tired enough to take a nap, but she was too wired to sleep. The conversation she'd just had with Edward had answered a lot of questions she'd had about him, but left so many more in its wake. After he'd confessed to her what he was, he kept her company in the kitchen as she ate a delicious lunch that Alice had ordered for her, and insisted that she rest. He admitted that he needed to leave the house for a while, but would return in a couple of hours to take her back into the city for their final evening together in Montreal.
Bella wondered if he was going off to eat, in the way that his kind fed. She'd put the kibosh on her questions before he left, because she wanted to pose thoughtful more coherent questions later. She had kept quiet, but the questions roiled on in her head. There were also questions she had of herself.
Did she dare hope that she could be in a relationship and be happy before the rheumatic heart disease claimed her life? Was it fair for her to saddle a magnificent creature like Edward with an invalid? Would she be enough for him? Could she make him happy, if only for the briefest of times, if vampires could be truly happy? How could he possibly withstand such intimate contact with someone such as herself who was, essentially for him, a meal?
The majority of the questions she had for him were about his vampire nature. How often did he eat? Did he turn into a bat when he slept, or did he sleep in his current form in a coffin? Alice was one of his kind, and if there were other female vampires, why had he never married one? Could she be changed into one of his kind if she wanted? And if so, would she still be sick? How did he support himself? He clearly operated as if money were no object. What was their source of income? Did he realize that she had to go back to finish school at UW, even though she wasn't sure if she would survive the semester? How would they sustain a long-distance relationship? How…?
Sleep finally came so suddenly, she couldn't form another complete thought.
~888~
When her eyes fluttered open, Bella saw Edward sitting stiffly in an armchair, watching her.
"What time is it?" she asked, stifling a yawn.
"Just half past four." He stood and approached the bed. "Did you rest well?"
"Yes, very well, once I allowed myself to relax."
She sat up, fully taking in his ethereal beauty. Bella wanted to pull him onto the bed and make out with him like most young women her age wanted to do with their boyfriends, but he was very careful about their physical relationship, and she didn't want to alarm him. Wait, did vampires consider themselves boyfriends and girlfriends? She wasn't sure yet if his reticence was because he was a gentleman from another time, or if his vampire nature made it impossible for him to share that kind of intimacy with a human. It was probably a little bit of both, she decided.
"What are you thinking?" he asked. "You look as if you're curious about something."
"Is it hard for you to be close to me?" she asked, deciding that this was the primary question she needed to be answered.
He didn't equivocate. "Yes."
"On a scale of say, one to ten, how difficult is it for you?"
He regaled her with that crooked smile again. "Fifteen."
Bella cringed. "Then why…?" She couldn't decide exactly how she wanted to phrase the next question.
"May I?" He gestured toward the bed, asking her permission to sit with her.
"If you can stand being this close to me, I won't say no," she said coyly.
"There is no short answer to that question, but I shall be as brief as I can," he began. "Some of us have gifts beyond the standard long life, agility, strength, speed… strange diets."
"Like what… super powers?" She grinned.
"That's one way of putting it," he said. "My sister, Alice, has the gift of seeing the future. My brother, Jasper, who is also Alice's mate, can manipulate and control the emotions of others. I can read minds."
"Wait, so if you can read minds, why didn't you just tell me what I was thinking a few minutes ago?" Her cheeks grew a dark pink at the prospect.
"Your mind is closed to me," he said as if he were quite pleased with that fact.
"Is there something wrong with me, I mean, besides the obvious?"
He chuckled, "I have confessed to you that I am a vampire and can read minds, and you think there's something wrong with you?"
"I have rheumatic heart disease, and my mind can't be read by my gifted vampire boyfriend. I find that kind of problematic," she said, chagrined.
He laughed outright then, and it was like music to her ears.
"So glad you find me amusing," she said with a playful smirk.
"Bella, I do find you amusing, but I also find you kind and compassionate, intriguing and brilliant, mysterious and exciting, and utterly delectable."
She was quiet for a few seconds. "Did you want to… kill me… when we first met?"
"Yes, I wanted your blood more than any I have encountered in all my years as a vampire."
"What stopped you?"
"Alice," he said simply, but she could see disappointment in himself on his face.
"She called you when we were in the exhibition hall at Les Salons Des Métiers D'Art. Now I remember."
"Alice convinced me that you were important to my future, that you are my future." He reached out and caressed her cheek with his cool hand.
Bella placed her warm hand over his. "I want to believe Alice. I want to believe that we have a future, but I know what the doctors have been telling me. Do you know of any vampire who has the power to heal humans?"
"As a rule, my kind is concerned with taking the lives of humans, not preserving them. However, my father, Carlisle, is a Doctor, as am I, but I don't practice, because of my innate weakness for human blood. He and I will research and figure out the best course of treatment for you, up to and including a transplant."
"Will you look for facilities in the U.S., possibly in or close to Washington State? I have to finish at UW in the spring, and I don't want my parents to have to travel outside the country for my treatment."
"Don't worry, my father has a wide network of colleagues that he can call on in the Seattle area." He smiled. "I intended to wait until we celebrated with Alice later tonight, but I might as well tell you now. We, meaning my family and myself, are moving to Seattle."
This news overwhelmed her. Bella threw her arms around his neck and hugged him.
Surprised at her sudden burst of affection, Edward seemed unsure what to do with his hands at first, but then he embraced her as well.
Bella had been blown away by his conviction regarding their future, but this news answered so many questions. There had been a time when she did not believe in miracles, but then there had also been a time when she did not believe in vampires. At this juncture, she was willing to believe almost anything.
~888~
E/N: Museum of Fine Arts: http : / www dot mbam dot qc dot ca / en /
(Close spaces and replace dots with periods to see website)
McGill Conservatory presents WYO instrumental ensemble Dolce Musica
Dec. 13, 2009 - 2:30 PM
Redpath Hall, 861 Sherbrooke Street West
Jean MacRae, director. Redpath Hall. Free
Raison d'être - reason for being
My apologies for the length of time it has taken to update this little story. Hope you all haven't given up on me. Let me assure you that I am going to finish all stories and outtakes I have promised. Never fear.
Now that TLC is complete, I can concentrate on getting Yuletide Canticle and Always and Forever finished.