Many thanks to Saranic and Kassiah at Fictionators for reviewing and recommending this story. I feel very honoured :)
My Dear Little Biscuits (a.k.a. Dear Readers),
This chapter is short, but fret not, another is on its way.
Chapter 12 – The Heir
Bella stared at the hand reposing next to hers on the desk. Slender fingers, curved just so, graceful and poised even at rest. Short, clean nails. She remembered the slightly hardened skin on the finger pads.
She wondered what would happen if she were to move her hand just one inch to the right and make contact. Her little finger twitched at the thought.
A voice hovered above her head. Excitement, about something.
What were they talking about again?
Oh right, "The Great Gatsby".
"...so the easiest way to tell that this is a true First State copy is to look for the lowercase 'j' in 'jay Gatsy' on the back of the dust cover. It was a printing error and hand-corrected on most copies." He moved to sit opposite her, one leg still bouncing with energy.
"Edward, why do you like it so much?" She smiled a little indulgently at his enthusiasm.
"This book is the jewel of my Modern collection. It's incredibly rare to find a copy with the dust cover in such good condition..."
"No, no, not what it's worth to a collector, I meant, why do you like it?"
He hesitated. "I think I can identify with Jay Gatsby, or rather James Gatz."
"Really? What can you possibly have in common with a shady, social-climbing bootlegger?"
He didn't answer her straight away. Instead he gathered his things and headed for the door, only turning at the last moment to reply with a small smile.
"Yearning, Bella. Gatsby and I understand yearning."
After the week of escalating sexual brinkmanship that they had during the wager, things now seemed to Bella a tad, well, quiet. She waited for Edward to make a move, to try to kiss her, hold her, or even just lean in too close.
So far – nothing.
The only time he touched her was when she wobbled coming down the library ladder. He had been by her side in an instant, holding her around the waist to steady her steps as she climbed down. She might or might not have slowed her movements to prolong the contact.
Truth be told, she wasn't entirely sure what she would have done if he had pushed for more physical intimacy. She only knew that she wanted his attention, not what she was going to do with it once she got it. Having limited dating experience and no desire to engage in the sexual cat-and-mouse games that so many women play, she operated on instinct alone, which was confusing enough.
Bella would have assumed that he had lost interest in her if not for the curious incident she witnessed. She was returning to her desk from the Shelf Room when she saw him pick up her scarf which had fallen onto the floor. Instead of draping it back onto the chair straight away, he had stood there staring at it in his hand, his thumb stroking the soft wool. After some moments, he lifted the scarf almost to his face, changed his mind and set it firmly back on the chair. Afterwards, she pretended not to have noticed anything and he gave her a wider physical berth than usual.
Instead, Edward had been unusually open and talkative. Even as he got busier, he seized every moment to chat with her. He was always there at the end of the day to walk her home, eager to share a childhood anecdote or tell her about his day. This way, Bella found out a few completely unrelated facts about Edward Cullen.
Because he had been so busy ever since he graduated from university, his knowledge of current popular culture was hopeless, and he thought that 'Justin Bieber' was a cartoon beaver.
The last time he cried, he was 16; he had come home from boarding school to find his childhood pet Labrador dying.
His first crush was Agent Dana Scully from "The X-Files", because she was "intelligent, self-possessed and looked like she stepped out of a Rossetti painting".
The one and only time he threw a punch at another man, Alice was somehow involved.
He regretted not seeing enough of the world, but knew that the Cullen estate will always be home.
Bella also learnt that like his father before him, Edward's greatest fear was becoming the Cullen to ruin the legacy that took so many generations hundred of years to build.
"Edward, why is your father so hard on you?"
Edward considered the question thoughtfully before replying softly, "My grandfather died suddenly, so when my father took over, he was young and had no clue what he was doing. He nearly bankrupted the estate. It took him years of hard work and sacrifice to build it back up to what it is today.
"He didn't want the same thing to happen to me, so he started training me at a young age. I think he always felt that he gave up his whole life for a legacy he never asked for. That's why he wants to retire soon, so he can do the things he never had the chance to do."
Bella contrasted this with her own experience. Charles Swan had adopted a laissez faire attitude towards her inheriting, assuming that she would learn when she had to. He had always encouraged her to do whatever she wanted, assuring her that the estate would be waiting for her when she was ready to come home. Bella felt a rush of fondness for her father, tinged with the bitterness that his thoughtfulness might have contributed to his undoing.
An unexpected but welcomed addition to their time in the library was Jasper. While Edward and Bella danced around each other in romantic no-man's-land, the air between them was choked with unspoken words and unsated desires. Jasper dissipated the tension with his easy mien, often cracking jokes at his own expense. He only very occasionally amused himself by making one or both of them blush with pointed references to the unresolved romantic energy in the room.
While Edward behaved like a gentleman with her, a dignified and gracious landowner with the villagers, with Jasper, he was...a boy. Watching the two grown men re-enacting the ridiculous "Ministry of Silly Walks" sketch from "Monty Python", she was first stunned, then tickled by the goofiness he was capable of.
She was instantly comfortable with Jasper and found herself bantering with him. Jasper, like so many men in long-term relationships, was well-versed in literary romantic heroes and could hold his own in an informed debate on the merits of Mr Darcy versus Mr Thornton.
They were discussing the recent screen adaptations of "Pride and Prejudice" while Edward looked on, bemused.
"Which one? The one with Keira Knightley or the one without?"
"Jasper! I'm outraged that you used Keira Knightley as a reference point for a classic novel held so dear by generations of readers."
"All right then. The one with Colin Firth, or the one without?"
"The one without."
"You didn't protest that one."
"Well yes, but his Mr Darcy dived into a lake and emerged with his stiff upper lip intact. That's quite an accomplishment. Besides, he's won an Oscar now. You automatically qualify as a reference point when you win an Oscar."
"Double-standards!" Jasper pretended to sulk but brightened quickly. "Speaking of Keira Knightley, she looked stunning in 'Atonement'. That green dress...oh that library scene..."
Bella fell silent. She knew exactly which library scene he was referring to. It was a love scene in which the main protagonists made torrid love against a bookshelf. Unbidden, memories of her time on the sofa with Edward came flooding back and she started to shift a little uncomfortably. Her unease was not missed by Jasper who leapt at the opportunity to make her squirm.
"Hang on, this library doesn't look so different from the one in the movie. But of course, for the scene to work, you need two people to be roughly the same height..." Jasper swept his gaze meaningfully from the top of Edward's 6'2" frame down to Bella's smaller form. The faint pink on Bella's cheeks flared into a full red blush.
Edward had not seen the movie but could guess by her face that Jasper was up to no good. He came to her rescue and said firmly,
"Jasper, you need to go, the stable needs you."
"The stable?"
"Yes, you've just been demoted from estate manager to stable hand. Go muck out the stalls."
"Well fine Edward, but you'll miss me when you have to go to Heidi's office without my protection."
"Who's Heidi?" Jealousy was a new and unpleasant sensation for Bella.
"She's one of our suppliers, a complete cougar. She looooooves Edward." Jasper leaned forward, pouting grotesquely while squeezing together his imaginary breasts.
"Oh no Jasper, we both know she prefers blonds. You should see the way she zeros in on his cute little bottom."
Bella looked at the two fine, young specimens before her jostling each other. Never mind a cougar, she imagined that most women would be pleased to have the pair visiting their offices.
"Yes, it's true. I cannot deny that I have an exemplary arse. It's a blessing and a curse. I will now take my exemplary arse out of here and back to work." Jasper hopped off the desk he was sitting on and headed towards the door, but not before pausing to give his much-remarked-upon behind a sharp, loud slap.
Bella rolled her eyes while Edward shouted at his retreating form.
"You got it wrong Jasper, you ARE an exemplary arse!"
On Friday morning, Bella met Edward at a secluded spot for their second not-quite-date. Edward was driving down to London for a short meeting and had shyly invited her along to have lunch in the city and see an exhibition afterwards. She had said yes almost immediately. The prospect of visiting London after months cooped up in Forks was an exciting one. The prospect of spending time with a besuited Edward was no less appealing.
"What's that?" He asked, pointing at the large parcel she was carrying.
"Books. My alibi. I told my mother I was going to London to see a book dealer about selling some books."
"And does this book dealer have a name?" Edward teased gently while opening the passenger door for her. "A Mr C perhaps?"
"Yes." Bella blushed a little. "I told her I'm seeing Mr Gatz."
Edward threw his head back and laughed.
The two not-quite-friends, not-quite-lovers were so caught up in each other they did not notice the lone figure in the distance, observing their every move.
Reviews are better than riding in a car with a besuited Manorward, watching him manoeuvre the powerful machine with masculine ease... :)
Next chapter should be out very soon.