I wasn't very sure of the spoken language in America in 1911, and what I've mostly read concerning that era is British. So please forgive me if the parlance is off.

Also, forgive me for the silly chapter titles, I wanted to use as much creativity as possible for Esme instead. :)

Introducing an Angel

An angel. A true, live angel has come to aid me in my moment of pain. For he cannot be anything less. His shiny hair seems to consist of shimmering threads of pure gold. His pale skin is of an astonishing marble smoothness, and his eyes- oh, his eyes! One can lose themselves in them for eons.

For a few moments, I cannot speak. I'm scared to open my mouth, for I know my tongue is devoid of words, and I shall only end up mouthing like a fish out of water. However, he takes my silence to be an effect of my injuries.

"Miss? Please, are you alright? You had a rather nasty fall."

"I- I'm fine." Finally!

He tries to help me up, but I collapse into him, unable to even move my left leg. I let out a half-cry of pain.

Immediately he eases me onto the ground again. "Your leg. It must be broken." He says smoothly, completely sure of himself. I stare at him. Who is he?

As though he has read my mind, he smiles- oh, what a smile! - and says, "My name is Dr. Carlisle Cullen. I have only recently joined Dr. Humphrey as his assistant. So you really need not worry, Miss. I can heal you."

A doctor- Dr. Humphrey's new assistant. I'd heard Amelia saying the new doctor was quite a 'good-looker', but heavens! What an understatement!

"I am Esme Platt."

"Pleasure meeting you, Miss Platt. As unusual as the circumstances are." Another smile.

I blush deeply, mortified. To fall out of a tree in such a vulgar, undignified way, in front of such a gentleman, why, the shame will be the death of me!

He laughs at my expression, and I feel myself catch my breath as he does so. This strange, deep, musical laugh does strange things to me. It makes my heart thud faster, my stomach squirm, and pleasurable shivers run down the back of my spine. This feeling is new, and strangely exciting. I find myself liking it a lot.

"Oh, don't worry, Miss Platt, I won't think any more worse of you, just because you were climbing a tree. Why, I think a woman should have enough of the child in her to indulge in these mundane, yet fun, heart-warming activities. It is not enough to be proper and decorous all the time."

I listen to him, enthralled, as though he is divulging life's hidden mysteries and secrets to me. Then, I gather my thoughts, and mumble, "You're too kind, doctor."

He gives a small nod, and is all professional again. "If you let me, Miss Platt, I will take you home, and treat all of your injuries in the comfort of your own living room."

"Thank you, Dr. Cullen. You're much too kind." I say again. He is coming home! And escorting me! My internal shouts of joy are suddenly subdued. Home. They will ask me what happened- and what shall I say? That I fell from a tree? I can almost see Elizabeth's little face twisted up in smugness.

He sees me deliberating, and asks me tentatively, "Is there a problem, Miss Platt?"

"No!"- I say quickly. "Only-" Should I confide in him?

"Only?"

"The nature of these wounds."

"Yes?"

"Are they… Is it in any way obvious as to how the wounds were obtained?

He smiles again, understanding. "Oh, I understand completely. No, don't worry, Miss Platt, your little adventure will be our secret. I solemnly swear that I shall only come, treat your wounds, collect the appropriate fees for services rendered and leave." He grins wryly.

"Fair enough. I thank you once again, Dr. Cullen."

"Anything for a damsel in distress, Miss Platt."

And so we smile wickedly at each other, co-conspirators in a scheme of undignified proportions.

"I don't understand," my mother says, perturbed. "You say Esme fell?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Tripped on a flattish horizontal road?" Eleanor puts in, trying to be funny.

"There was a rather largish rock, probably kept there by some errant boys. It was right on the downward side of the road, so Miss Platt, er, tumbled a bit."

I shoot him a glare from under my mother's arms. Tumbled? He looks like he is thoroughly enjoying himself.

"Oh, my poor Esme." Mother mumbles, tears welling in her eyes.

"Oh, come, Mother! How many times has she not injured herself doing some silly childish thing or other? This is hardly surprising." Eleanor is really getting on my nerves. I open my mouth to give her a sharp retort, when Mother beats me to it. "Enough, Eleanor. Hold your tongue."

Eleanor is stunned into mortified silence. I know how much she wants to make a good impression on Dr. Cullen. It was obvious the way she'd first seen him, making much more of a fool of herself than I had. "Oh my goodness, horse's harness!"- she all but shrieked, as soon as she saw me half-carried in by nothing less than an angel. She quickly made herself scarce for a while, then seemed to have decided to come back and slander me as much as possible in front of the good doctor.

Then came Elizabeth, ready to cause a whole new wave of unpleasantness. She, of course, wasn't attracted to the Doctor, but she could see that this was an uncalled battle between me and Eleanor. And as always, she sided with my sister.

"What ridiculous thing was my sister doing now, Doctor?"- she asked, as soon as she saw me stretched out on the settee, and mother gently wiping my scratches with a wet cloth.

"Your sister fell, Miss."- he said smoothly, twisting my ankle, and testing it. If he was surprised at Elizabeth's odd mature way of speaking, he didn't show it. "Ridiculous perhaps, but hardly her fault."

And thus both sisters were silenced effectively. How could I have thought today to be a bad day?

"Let me, Mrs. Platt."

"Thank you, Doctor."

And so he took over from my mother, wiping away the mud and the blood with the gentlest touches. Then, very slowly, he attached a piece of wood as a support to my ankle. His bare hands were soothingly cold to touch, and even they were smooth like polished marble. Then, very quickly, he wrapped strips of gauze to hold the splint in place. The whole thing had taken all of ten minutes.

Mother watches all of this with quiet awe and respect. The doctor's good looks haven't been wasted on her either. "Dr. Humphrey once told me of your efficiency, Dr. Cullen. I am glad to note that he was not exaggerating one bit."

Dr. Cullen smiles a very sincere smile. In that, my heartbeat hitches up and speeds, I can hear Eleanor let out a little gasp, and even Mother and little Elizabeth are staring at him. What is this man?

"Thank you, Mrs. Platt. You are too kind."

Too flustered for words, Mother just nods.

I often saw Dr. Cullen after that. Soon, news of his skill, and mostly his good looks began to spread, and Dr. Humphrey's waiting room was filled with young ladies with varied and often trivial complaints. Dr. Cullen was always polite, always kind, but even he must have been getting fed up, because after a month of such goings-on, Dr. Humphrey announced that he would be treating all the female patients. The number of sick women in our town decreased substantially after that.

It did not escape anyone's, even the men's, notice that Carlisle Cullen was the most eligible bachelor in town. Well-educated, a gentlemen, perfect breeding and manners, and always most kind. He didn't ever discriminate between the affluent and the rest- he watched over each and every one of his patients with equal care.

It was only natural that even my parents consider him to be a prospective son-in-law. What devastated me was that they were considering him for Eleanor.

I even heard them decide.

"He is twenty-three. Eleanor will be best for him. Our Esme is too young."

"Quite right, m'dear."

Eleanor was, of course, thrilled. She immediately began to plan her wedding from the most miniscule detail, including the number of flowers she would hold in her hand, and the number of ribbons in Elizabeth's hair…

At first, I didn't take it seriously. I knew he had rejected atleast five girls. From what I had learned of him, he would never be content with a woman like Eleanor. But then my parents actually went and consulted Dr. Humphrey about his antecedents. As kind as they were, my parents were still very old-fashioned in their beliefs, and of course, Eleanor didn't mind one bit. She was already in love with him, along with me and half the other women in town.

He was often invited home for dinner, our house being in between the route from Dr. Humphrey's to his humble house. But he always declined, citing an unexplained medical food 'analogy' as the reason. He did drop in at other times, however. At first to check on my leg, and then, just to "make sure the lovely Platt girls were all doing well."

I was miserable most of the time. I couldn't imagine him as my brother-in-law, of all things!

And so, finally, one day, left with no choice, Dr. Cullen accepted an invitation to have dinner with us. Eleanor was ecstatic, and my parents decided that they would make a formal offer then.

When I found out, I cried the whole night through.