Chapter Eighty Eight

Carlisle

This wasn't Esme, the devoted wife and mother speaking but an alien entity. I turned to her,

"Esme what is going on? You loved your family and you welcomed Bella in."

"I had no choice" she screamed. "What was I supposed to do? How could I get rid of her when Edward was pining for her? Alice tried, my poor Alice but she was no match for the combined force of Jasper and Bella. Aro, tell them" she shouted to him but he just looked puzzled.

"My dearest Esme. Nobody seems to know what you are talking about. Have Jasper and Bella wronged you so much? Why didn't you speak to your husband about it? I'm sure he would have helped you resolve the problems that quite obviously upset you."

She stared at him like a madwoman.

"How could I without..."

Aro cut her off abruptly,

"Esme Cullen enough. You have quite obviously lost your senses. We will hear no more of your ravings. Carlisle I suggest you take your wife home and attempt to calm her down before she gets herself into serious trouble."

It was a warning and everyone there saw it as such.

Bella

There was something we were missing, something very important concerning Aro, Esme and Alice. Something that impacted on Jasper too. Carlisle put his arm round a distraught Esme as Aro nodded,

"Yes my friends. I think she should go now, home with you, and away from the others."

He turned to Caius who was looking at him with a savage curiosity and Marcus who for once looked animated.

"Well it seems that we have been troubled by the delusions of an unbalanced mind. We owe you an apology Bella, and you Jasper. Still no harm done"

He smiled, a cruel and frustrated smile which never reached his red eyes. Before either of the others could react he turned with a swish of his cloak and was gone, back where he came from. The others glared at us then followed him, Jane and Felix being the last.

I turned in relief to Jasper, hugging him tightly,

"Is it over?" I whispered but wasn't really surprised when he shook his head,

"No not yet. Esme is connected to Aro and Alice in some way and I think we need to find out how and why."

"But Alice is dead and Esme and Aro aren't likely to tell us anything"

"Never the less we need to find out somehow."

We turned, hearing the padding of giant paws on the compacted earth below the trees and four huge wolves slunk out into the clearing heads down, and behind them walked Peter, Char and Sam. It looked so strange to see the vampires and wolves together that I couldn't help staring. The wolves lifted their heads in unison and sniffed the air, growling loudly at the fading vampire scent.

"See Sam, told you there were a shit load of vampires here."

Sam looked at him and nodded.

Peter

Relief was an understatement for my feelings when I saw Bella and the Major standing there still in one piece after a visit from the Volturi guard, and standing with them were Emmett and Rose.

"So Houdini Whitlock does it again! How did you worm your way out of trouble this time? You've got more lives than a fucking cat Major"

"We haven't yet. There's something going on between Esme and Aro and we need to know what. It concerns Alice."

"Well it would do wouldn't it. I never could stand the bitch."

Sam walked forward then and put his hand out to Jasper,

"I heard what happened with Charlie and I want you to know that as far as the Tribe are concerned no treaty was broken"

The Major shook hands,

"Thank you Sam. That will mean a lot to Bella."

She came forward and kissed him on the cheek to the growls of the wolves.

"Don't worry, I'm taking them home now. We have no business here."

Saying this he ran to the trees phasing as he went, with the other wolves in hot pursuit, the large one stopping for a final snarl before disappearing.

Bella

I was relieved that the threat of the wolves was no longer hanging over us but we still had a big problem, or maybe I should be calling it a mystery.

"Jazz when you met Alice in Philadelphia what did she say to you?"

He looked puzzled,

"What do you mean Bella?"

"What exactly did she say to you in the Diner?"

"Hello, you've kept me waiting"

"Were they her exact words? Think Jazz, it could be important."

He closed his eyes remembering back all those years,

"Hello Major, you've kept us waiting"

His eyes flew open,

"She said us, not me. I'd forgotten that. What does it mean?"

I thought about it before answering him,

"I think you were expected, you'd been seen by Alice and she knew who you were, and how you were feeling. You were her way in to the Cullens. A ready-made excuse, someone who desperately wanted to find a new way to live, their way suited you perfectly. You were her ticket in"

"But why? She could have just walked in and they would have accepted her. They would accept anyone who wanted their way of life."

"Maybe but not as easily, without any questions. The Cullens knew of you, Carlisle would have been thrilled to show you a new way of life."

"But why did Alice need a way in to the Cullen family? What was her motive?"

"I'm not sure but Aro and Esme do. I think she knew about Edward Cullen and I think she was grooming him for Aro. Everyone was so busy protecting Alice as his target that they forgot about Edward. I think the only reason Alice never persuaded Edward to go along with her was Carlisle. He was a much bigger influence on Edward than anyone realized."

"You think it was all an elaborate plot to get Edward for Aro?"

"Yes I do but I think there's still something we're missing. Something to do with Esme."

"But what?" asked Rose.

"Well you know her as well as anyone. Is there anything that's changed with her recently?"

"Apart from her becoming a vindictive bitch? No, not really."

Emmett cleared his throat,

"Actually there is. She used to be around almost all the time but she's away from the house and Carlisle for hours at a time. No idea where she goes but it shouldn't be difficult to find out, we could follow her."

"It might lead us to an answer but I still think I'm right about Alice. She told you she knew you wouldn't be together always so why did she bother with you in the first place Jazz? To get something that would be easier with you along, entry to the Cullens as a great person helping a wounded soul. It was perfect, Carlisle would be overjoyed."

I saw something in Rosalie's eyes, she'd thought of something that we hadn't or she knew something we didn't.