*Waves frantically* I'm back! Unbetated due to a sick Javamomma0921. Get better, bb!

More at the end….

Chapter 12: The first part of the adventure

Bella and Edward glanced back and forth while Maggie stood with an expectant look on her face. Her dark eyes gazed impassively at the couple as they fidgeted silently. After a few moments of silence, Maggie sighed and moved to the sitting area, the breakfast tray in her hands clinking merrily. She placed the tray on the table and turned toward the silent couple.

"Sit and get something to eat while you two organize your thoughts," Maggie gently ordered, carefully sitting closest to the table and picking up a small silver pot. "I may assume you both drink coffee?"

Silent nods earned a bright smile.

"Sugar?"

As their cups were prepared, Bella and Edward hesitantly took seats across from Maggie who noticed Edward edge his chair slightly closer and ever so ahead of Bella's as if to shield her from Maggie. She smiled gently as he lightly ran his fingertips down her arm before taking her hand in his. Edward squeezed Bella's hand once and then accepted his cup of coffee with a grateful smile.

"So, let us start this from the beginning," Maggie said gently after enjoying a long sip of her beverage. "You two know who I am but I know nothing other than you are most certainly not my brother and my sister-in-law and that you woke up this morning in their wedding bed."

Bella flushed a bright red as her cup clattered against its saucer.

"Ms. Green, we…" she started but was unable to finish. Bella looked pleadingly over at Edward.

"What Bella means to say …" Edward began before he found himself cut off.

"Bella?"

"That is my real name," Bella replied. "Isabella, actually, but I never get called that unless it's because I'm in trouble or by a telemarketer."

"Telemarketer?" Maggie inquired. Her brow furrowed deeply as she tried to process the word.

"People that sell things over the telephone," Edward interjected.

"Over the telephone?" Maggie's voice grew louder and higher as her brain registered the information.

"We're going to do this all day," Bella complained, wiggling in her seat as she tried to find a proper way to sit without the boning of her corset sticking her in three places. "We're from a different time. 2012, to be exact. You and a friend of yours, Sweetie, did something to make us come back in time."

"I think we're not quite familiar enough to be using terms of endearment, Miss," Maggie sniffed, laying a few pieces of toast and a dollop of jam on a plate before holding it out to Bella.

"The friend's name is Sweetie, Maggie, er, Magenta, er Ms. Green, er. What do I call you?" Edward said as Bella took the plate and began to eat.

"Oh! Anthony always calls me Mags or Mag-Mag."

Maggie put together a second plate and offered it with a sweet smile to Edward which he accepted.

"We are researchers," Edward continued. "My name is Edward Cullen, and I specialize in eighteenth and nineteenth century music. Our company was hired to gather information for a historical reconstruction of life here at Masen Manor in the late eighteenth century and Bella Swan is the project leader. We were assigned to learn as much as possible about the disappearance of Anthony and Marie Masen in 1790."

"Disappearance?"

"Yes. Both vanished without a trace a week after their marriage."

"Wait." Maggie's brow furrowed as she cocked her head as if deep in thought.

"What's wrong?" Bella inquired, curiosity getting the better of her.

"1790?"

"Yes," Edward responded.

"But it's not 1790."

Edward and Bella looked at one another in confusion.

"No? Then what year is it?" Bella demanded.

"1820."

"But that's…"

"I do believe I would know what year it is." Maggie sat up even straighter and Bella and Edward both saw the look of determination they were well familiar with.

"Then why does all of our information say 1790 and even your letter?" Edward asked.

"My what?"

"Our team was at this house but in 2012, preparing to present our findings," started Edward. "There was a dinner with dancing afterward and …"

"And Edward and I were dancing together. I remember that much," Bella interrupted. "Sorry about your toes."

Maggie laughed, snorting indelicately.

"Marie is a bit clumsy," she explained, waving one hand to indicate they should carry on. "'Twould make sense if you are to take her place that the two of you have some similarities."

"Edward played one of Anthony's compositions before dinner. And after eating, I remember feeling a bit lightheaded," Bella continued.

"And the next thing either of us know, we woke up in flagrante delicto," Edward added. "Not knowing how we got here, why we were here or really, even when we are. Then this note appeared."

Maggie took the piece of parchment and quickly read it, her eyes widening as she continued.

"Well, now. That is quite interesting," Maggie admitted, turning a bit pale. "So, I brought you here."

"Yes," Edward responded.

"With no idea how to get you back to your present time. With no idea of who had motive, desire, and opportunity to make Anthony and Marie disappear. With no plan of action in place for you to follow."

"Yes."

"And provided you with the wrong information on top of that."

"Again, yes."

"Not very thought out on my part, I must say." She threw her hands up into the air in complete frustration. "Totally goes against the code, the responsibilities. I truly doubt my own future judgment skills. And then there is the entire year issue. There has to be something there."

"But what?" asked Bella. "The time came straight from you. It's mentioned several times in the letter. It is something you hammered into us from day one."

Maggie picked at a short thread hanging from her skirt and examined it closely before sighing and placing the string on the table.

"May I see the letter once again?"

Edward handed Maggie the parchment and he and Bella watched as Maggie reexamined the writing. Maggie placed the letter on the table and murmured a few words. The ink began to shimmer and glow for a few seconds and then returned to normal.

"Now look," Maggie said, pointing to the parchment.

The text had changed and where 1790 had been, 1820 now could be found.

"What?" Bella began, unable to complete her line of thought. Logic had always ruled her mind. If it couldn't be researched and proven, it didn't exist. What she had just witnessed could not be real.

"Someone changed the dates," Maggie announced, motioning toward the table. "I'm not sure why and I certainly don't know how, but it was done."

"To throw us off or is it a clue?" Edward asked.

"That is something we will have to investigate. So where do we go from here?" she inquired softly.

"Logically, the next step would be to determine who would have motive to get rid of Anthony and Marie," Bella interjected, setting her cup down.

"And examine the house in its complete state. In the early 20th century, the house was abandoned and sat empty for almost a century," Edward continued. "It would make sense for us to find the reports in the library from 2012 and compare the findings there with what we see here."

"But you had no clues as to who might have wished Anthony and Marie any ill will? To be honest, they are both rather boring people," Maggie stated.

"Boring?" Bella exclaimed disbelievingly. "A man who created such beauty through music was in reality boring?"

Edward beamed at Bella's assessment. He had been subjected to the teasing and cajoling of those less artistically minded through most of his academic career. He had never been captain of the baseball team nor the homecoming king, rather he had played in the orchestra and stayed home to finish his pre-screening video for his application to Julliard.

"Well, I suppose that term is a bit harsh." Maggie thought for a moment to find a better description of her brother. "Anthony is rather reclusive. In his twenty-seven years, I've never known him to have many friends. I suppose you'll want to meet Alaric, his closest friend. I'm a bit surprised he wasn't here to be your … Anthony's second for his wedding."

"Alaric?" Bella paled and sat straight up.

"Bella, what is it?" Edward asked, noting how she had tensed at the mention of the name.

"Eric," she whispered.

"What about Eric?"

"Who's Eric?" Maggie inquired.

"Bella's personal assistant," Edward explained.

"When we were preparing to come to Masen Manor, something was off with him. Strange things would happen and he'd be right there." Bella shook her head as if to clear it. "I'm sorry. Alaric sounded similar enough to Eric to trigger those memories. It was all very odd."

"Strange, how?" Maggie enquired, her gray eyes sparkling at the idea of an adventure.

"I was in the library and the mirror over the fireplace began to rattle and suddenly shattered. I heard a voice warning me that we needed to leave, that the house was not safe for any of us. Then the mirror shattered. A few seconds later, the glass was gone and the mirror was whole again and Eric appeared. He was acting strangely, but he is quite a flamboyant person to begin with."

"There isn't a mirror over the fireplace."

"What?"

"There isn't a mirror in the library. Mother believes they capture your soul or something. The only reason there's a mirror in this house is because Anthony and I insisted on them. I wanted one for purely selfish reasons but Anthony convinced Mother that the reflection of light meant fewer candles in a room. He doesn't care for the scent of beeswax."

Bella's eyes flashed to the mirror over the fireplace across the room. She slowly stood and crossed the rooms, her gaze never leaving from the glass.

"That's the mirror that's in the library!" she insisted.

"Are you certain?" Edward asked, standing to examine the mirror.

"Absolutely! I would certainly remember being showered by glass from that!"

"Interesting," Maggie murmured.

"What?" Bella inquired.

"One, that it had been moved to the library and two, that I wouldn't mention my mother's dislike for mirrors when you visit this house."

"You didn't enter the library during our visit there."

"Ah. That would explain it."

"Do you think that's significant?" Edward asked, wrapping one arm around Bella's waist and pulling her closer. He couldn't explain the reason but a part of him wanted to protect her from the shower of glass she wouldn't suffer from for decades.

"Absolutely."

"And the Alaric/Eric connection?" Bella asked.

"A possibility." Maggie shrugged. "But the danger that exists here cannot be underestimated."

A knock at the door interrupted their thoughts. Maggie crossed the room and murmured quietly with Fritz who waited outside. After closing the door, she turned with a frown.

"There are some household issues that need my immediate attention."

"That's okay," Bella replied. "Edward and I will check out the library."

"I will join you as soon as I can. But do be careful."

"We will," Edward promised.

Maggie tilted her head and raked her eyes over Edward, taking in his protective stance. She nodded ever so slightly before her eyes darkened.

"Yes, I believe you will do your best. That being said if there is a force strong enough to keep Anthony and Marie's whereabouts secret from me for almost two hundred years, a little extra care is a valid request." She shook her head in disbelief. "I'm not sure what I was thinking sending two people with obviously no magical abilities to solve this mystery."

"No…what?" demanded Bella, her eyes wide.

"I'm a witch. Surely you knew that."

"That's not exactly on your webpage," Bella muttered.

"My what? Nevermind." Maggie waved frantically as if trying to erase Bella's words from the air. "Too much knowledge of the future can be a truly dangerous thing. I will keep the staff away from the library so you two can do your research without interruption and hopefully reduce the chances of you being discovered."

Maggie turned to gather the empty breakfast tray, carefully arranging the plates, cups and cutlery. She paused before opening the portal and turned back to Bella and Edward.

"I may not be the most powerful witch, but I do know if I could not find Anthony and Marie then there is a force out there not to be trifled with. It is of utmost importance that you do your best to remember you are Anthony and Marie, not Edward and Bella. I don't know everything about your relationship but here and now, Anthony and Marie are very … affectionate. More than once they have been caught in dark corners conducting themselves in a very inappropriate manner. Usually by me, unfortunately."

Bella felt herself turn bright red under Maggie's gaze.

"Then why did you erase the evidence of Marie's…" Bella blurted before clamping her mouth shut.

"Surely you know I cannot stand disorder which probably explains why I sent you here, come to think of it. Years of not knowing must have driven me absolutely mad."

"So it would be just you cleaning up?" Bella inquired incredulously.

"Sometimes the simplest answer is the truest," Maggie murmured softly. And with that, she was gone.

"Well this is just getting curiouser and curiouser," Bella muttered, rising from her seat and crossing her arms over her chest.

"Absolutely." Edward stood and wrapped his arms around her waist. He placed a soft kiss on top of her head. "And more and more of an adventure. We can find out what happened to Maggie's family while pretending to be a newlywed couple."

She spun in his arms and looked up into Edward's green eyes.

"I hate surprises," she muttered with a deep sigh.

"Understandable."

"I like facts."

"But sometimes you have to have emotion along with the facts."

"True." Bella sighed and her shoulders dropped ever so slightly. "But…" A small, wicked grin tugged at her lips.

"But what?"

Bella blushed and ducked her head.

"Mrs. Masen?" Edward grinned teasingly. "Just what are you thinking?"

"I really like you without your glasses."

Edward's face broke into a wider grin.

"Just my lack of glasses?"

"And a few other things," she continued quickly.

"Hmmm… well, I think we need to go investigate the library."

"Yes?"

"Yes."

Edward smiled before presenting his arm. "So shall we go to the library?"

"Certainly."

Edward clasped her hand in his and escorted her downstairs.

"So just what do you think she meant by 'affectionate'?" Bella whispered as they made their way through the dim hallway.

"You're whispering again," Edward whispered back, his eyes twinkling with mischief. He feigned being wounded after she smacked him in the arm.

"Serves you right," Bella muttered good-naturedly.

Edward stopped suddenly and pressed Bella up against the wall, his hands gripping the fabric at her waist.

"Speaking as a man, if I were 27 years old and finally found my muse and convinced her to be my bride, I doubt I would have yet left my bedchamber," he whispered lowly close to her ear before trailing his lips down the side of her throat, lightly nipping at the warm skin.

"Really?" she squeaked, flushing brightly at the sound of her own voice. Bella cleared her throat and tried to speak but found she was unable to make a sound.

"Quite," he smiled, placing a soft, wet kiss on her collarbone. "So, Marie…"

He paused until her eyes rose to meet his.

"I believe we need to move toward the library or we shall find our relationship getting drastically more complicated."

"How so?" Bella whispered.

Edward smiled broadly.

"Delightfully more complicated."

Bella hummed appreciatively as she ran one hand down Edward's chest, feeling the muscles jump at her touch.

"Maybe after our research?" she murmured coyly. "We are well past our third date and all."

"Mayhaps. We aren't bound by 2012 propriety, here."

"Hmmm. There's no guarantee we'll ever be bound by that again."

Edward smiled sadly at Bella, cupping her cheek.

"One thing at a time, Bel…Marie," he quickly corrected himself before placing a quick kiss on her lips. "Besides, being bound to me isn't the worst thing that could happen, is it?"

"Most certainly not, Anthony," she giggled. "Most certainly not."

Together they turned to continue their way to the library. Once inside the doorway, both stood gazing at the packed shelves.

"Quite a few more items in here now," Bella murmured, her eyes darting from shelf to shelf as she tried to decide where to go first.

"These appear to be collections of sheet music," Edward observed, pulling a box off one shelf. "I'll go through these and see if I find anything."

"And I'll start over here." She crossed to the far corner and began thumbing through a dusty tome. "Look for anything that refers to 1790 and keep an eye out for the reports Maggie in the future mentioned." Bella huffed a sigh. "This is going to be so confusing."

Hours later, Bella stood atop a short stool, reaching for the next item on the shelf.

"Find anything interesting?" Edward inquired, suddenly appearing behind her.

She started and lost her balance, fully expecting to tumble from the stool only to find a pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist.

"I've got you," he murmured.

Bella relaxed and found her own arms resting atop his as Edward helped her regain her footing.

"Unless you find the latest reports of how many barrels of flour is consumed by the staff of Masen Manor during the typical month, then no."

"Seems I had much better luck," he grinned, loosening his grip ever so slightly and holding up a journal in one hand. "Remember what Maggie said about the simplest answers?"

"Yes…"

"It appears she is not the only resident of this house who cannot stand for things to be in disarray. Someone put the music in order by date written and this was interfiled."

"What is it?" Bella reached for the book and easily took it from Edward. She thumbed through the pages and found nothing more than a series of numbers. "Does it mean anything to you?"

Edward gently took the book and showed her the spine where in dark black ink the numbers 1790 were etched. Bella's breath caught.

"Do you think it's a clue?"

"I don't know but I'm willing look at every angle," Edward replied, reopening the book. "It looks to be a cypher."

"I'm not much on cyphers."

"Really? I would have thought you were all into puzzles."

"I'm more of a find-a-word kind of girl."

Edward laughed before motioning her toward an overstuffed chair next to the fireplace and pulled Bella onto his lap.

"Then I suppose it's a good thing I know how to find the answer." He reached around her and flipped open the book.

"Where?"

Edward paused for a second and watched Bella for any hint of recognition. Receiving none, he lifted one page and held it up to the light, smiling as she gasped when a series of fine lines revealed themselves on the page.

"Staff lines!" Bella grinned, bouncing in her seat which, unfortunately for him, was Edward's lap.

"I appreciate your enthusiasm, love, but for both of our sakes, let's keep it a little calmer." His hands gently gripped her hips to still her.

"Oh, god, I am so sorry!" She turned to further apologize but the words caught in her throat as she met his gaze.

"No need to apologize. Just remember our future lies in keeping everything content."

Bella smiled and wrapped one arm around Edward's shoulders. Her eyes darted up to where the mirror had been in 2012. In its place was an ornate countryside scene. She looked back down at Edward who was studying her silently.

"I have to admit, I'm glad to be on this adventure with you, Anthony," she whispered, leaning closer.

"And you, Miss Marie." He leaned a little closer as well and just as their lips were to touch, the quick click of shoe leather on wood echoed down the hall.

"Damn," Edward muttered, drawing back but before he could get too far away, Bella grabbed him by the stock, pulled him closer and kissed him hard.

Without thinking, Edward responded, wrapping his arms tighter around Bella's waist, toying with the lines left by the laces of her corset up her back.

"Oh, sweet Lord," came an exasperated mutter as the door to the library flew open, revealing a scolding Maggie. "I see you've fallen into your roles with verve."

"When in Rome," Edward replied, winking at Bella who flushed bright red.

"So have you found anything?"

"We have."

He held up the book which Maggie took and quickly examined.

"Never seen this before. Any ideas?" she inquired.

Bella tried to stand but found herself held in place by Edward's arms.

"If you don't wish to reveal my … state …" he whispered, "you will keep your place."

Bella found her own face burning even brighter but remained still.

"No true ideas but we just found it," Edward continued in a normal tone.

"Yes, I can see that you were distracted," Maggie said wryly.

"Delightfully so."

"No doubt. Regardless, your presence is required in the dining room. It seems cook and Fritz would like to offer the happy couple a wedding supper."

Bella blanched at the idea but before she could protest, Maggie held one hand up.

"Don't worry. All will understand how Marie and Anthony have nothing to say to anyone other than themselves." Maggie turned toward the door. "It certainly seems like you two have that part well in hand."

"Oh, God," Bella murmured, burying her head in Edward's neck, slapping him lightly on the arm when she felt him laugh.

"And after supper, we can look at that book you've found," Maggie said before exiting the room.

"So shall we?" Edward asked.

"I don't see as though we have any choice."

"Then let's away."

"'Let's away'?" Bella asked with a smile tugging at her lips as she stood.

Edward noticed that her eyes raked over his body, lingering ever so slightly in a place or two as he slid the book into his coat pocket.

"Hey, you're the wordsmith. I write music."

Bella laughed and took his hand in hers.

"Then on to the next stage of the adventure, good sir."

"Absolutely, love."

And with that, the two quickly followed Maggie into the hall and off to their wedding supper.

~HOH~

First off, big virtual goodies to jomik1 who caught the Black Dagger Brotherhood reference (Fritz).

Second, I am so sorry for the delay—we have worked hard and finally put our house on the market. To date, it's been up 4 weeks with no visitors at all. Bleck. But the entire putting up on the market revealed lots of work that needed to be done—which we did for the most part ourselves. Add end of school and then start of summer, the need to entertain my daughters, and just general real life (I volunteer a bunch and am chair of a committee at church) and boom, it's late June. By the time I could sit down and write, I had to go back and reread everything and wait for the mojo to come back. I hope I didn't disappoint!

That said, I greatly appreciate the PMs asking about the story and my life—rest assured I will not abandon this. I have the rest plotted out and will continue to work as hard as I can to get a chapter out every two weeks from here on out.

Thank you!

Oh, and FFN changed things—be sure to log in so I can know who to thank for your kind words!