Not mine
Chapter 11
Both Dr. and Mrs. Cullen were seated at the dining-room table when Isabella walked in the room. There was also the most enormous man Isabella had ever seen. He was just a mass of muscles. He was dressed in a simple suit but looked quite uncomfortable in it, restrained somehow.
"There you are Bella." Both Dr. Cullen and the large man stood while Isabella waited by the door. "Come, sit." Mrs. Cullen continued.
"This is Constable Emmett McCarty. He is a childhood friend of my son. He is going to accompany us to Edward's. We may need a little extra strength today, I think." Dr. Cullen smiled at the younger man.
"Pleasure to meet you, Bella." Constable McCarty said in a voice that was shockingly soft and gentle for a man his size.
Isabella bobbed a quick curtsey and sat at the table so that the men could resume their seats.
Breakfast dished were passed around and everyone took their fill. After their appetites had been satisfied, the company began to plan for the day.
Dr. and Mrs. Cullen were going to search the house for their son. Constable McCarty was to search the grounds and most out-buildings. Because Isabella was a stranger to Edward, she was to check the larder for any salvageable food. She wasn't to be involved in the search.
As Dr. Cullen had someone ready the carriage, Isabella and Constable McCarty walked out to wait on the front step. Much to her embarrassment, Isabella tripped over the lintel in the doorway. Constable McCarty was surprisingly agile for his size, two very large hands grabbed onto her waist to steady her before she fell.
"Thank you, Constable." Isabella mumbled while blushing profusely.
"Em, please. Everyone here calls me Em. Stands for Mighty." He snickered softly, "I was a large child."
"Mrs. Cullen calls me Bella. I'm not used to it yet. I still think of myself as Isabella." She was shocked that she was able to speak to this man who was but a stranger to her. Something about his gentleness as a contrast to his strength made him accessible to her.
The journey out of town to the farm went by quickly. Isabella had never travelled, for her to see a city this size was astonishing.
Around half an hour after the city faded from view the carriage pulled into a very long drive. It wound around its-self many times before ending in a very large farm house. It didn't look to be in too bad repair so Isabella felt reasonably confident that the cleaning would not take too long.
The group separated as Dr. and Mrs. Cullen went into the house. Em accompanied Isabella around to the back of the house where the larder was located in a grove of tall trees. He left her at the door of the small building and went on his was to find Edward.
Isabella opened the door and recoiled at the smell inside. She doubted that there would be anything salvageable inside. With the door open and the light from the few, small windows she could see a few shelves standing in the middle of the room.
She looked behind the door for a crate to hold any goods she could save. The first set of shelves held root vegetables and fruit, all rotten and mouldering. The next set held jars of preserved vegetables, jams, jellies and crocks of pickles. Above her head hung a few hams and rashers of bacon.
She made her way further into the tiny building and to the third set of shelves. It seemed to hold bottles, wine perhaps. As she went closer her foot knocked against something unexpected.
She found herself looking down at the prone form of a man. A very handsome but dirty man. He was semi-clothed, wearing trousers and only one shoe. She knelt down beside him, quickly, praying that he wasn't dead.
"Mr. Cullen." She said while she prodded his shoulder.
The man gave out a loud grunt. Half the foul smell in the building seemed to be coming from him.
"Mr. Cullen, please, wake up." She lent over him and, with little force, slapped his cheek.
Like lightening his hand grabbed hers and she found herself flying through the air. She landed on her back with a very heavy, very putrescent, and very handsome Edward Cullen on top of her. He had the same green eyes as his mother.
"Are you my wife?" He asked the astonished girl in a low growl.
"No, Sir" Isabella squeaked back at him.
"Good." Was all he said before he imprisoned her in a forceful kiss.
AN: Yeah, so that happened. Next post tomorrow.
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