Hi! After a lot of distractions, I am finally back to writing 'Not Without Thee'. I am keeping the 'thee' and 'thou' as most readers said they gave the right touch to the story.
Unbeta'd, so all errors are mine.
Disclaimer: All things 'Twilight' belong to SM.
Home for Christmas
It was an hour past noon that Edward and Bella entered the Masen Estate. The roads of that age were rough on both the horses and the passengers, being not only unpaved and full of dirt, but pits of various sizes as well. As it was winter, they had to contend with slush too, so Edward insisted that the coachman keep a slow and even pace. His biggest worry was that the journey might prove to be too much for Bella as she was still unwell. And after she had informed him that she might be with child, his worry had doubled.
Thankfully, Bella seemed to be in good spirits. She smiled widely as the carriage went past the large wooden gates and followed the wide, curving path to the house she had spent hours playing inside as a child. Edward could not but replicate her smile. The past years had been tough on him as he witnessed his father gambling away what he had earned over the years, and his father's demise had been a complete shock to him. So had been Eric Swan's refusal to let Bella marry him. In spite of these bitter memories, the sight of the double-storey manor house made his heart glad. Whatever the circumstances might be, it was home.
As country houses in the Elizabethan era went, the Masen House was relatively modest. It had been built by Edward's grandfather, a gentleman who had no liking for the Tudor arches and corkscrew chimneys and had embraced the simplicity of the newly-dawned Elizabethan age. It was made of stone purchased from the local quarries, and the straight, clean lines were restful to one's eyes. The design was the popular 'E', with the entry in the middle and the kitchen located in the short left arm. The space in between was occupied by the great hall, which was mostly used to entertain guests. The living room, spacious and informal, was situated in the longest right arm of the letter. There were large windows in every room, bringing ample sunlight inside during the summer. Ivy climbed the sides of the charming greyish pink building, giving it a homely feeling. The straight, square chimney above the kitchen roof was sending out a spiral of smoke.
Edward was pleased with how neat the area around the house was. The hedges were trimmed and the path swept clean. Evidently Tyler took good care of the grounds. As the carriage clattered to a stop in front of the entry, he could see Shelley Cope's cheerful face peering through the kitchen window. Then it disappeared, only to reappear in a minute as the main door was flung open. Edward grinned and put his finger on his lips, and Bella nodded. Then he stepped out of the carriage as the driver opened the door and was engulfed in a warm hug.
"My boy, it's good to see you!" she exclaimed when she let him go. Edward's parents did not stand on ceremony where the household staff was concerned, stating that those kind of formalities belonged only to the nobility and the royalty. The servants had addressed them as master and mistress of course, but after Edward's father died and he found that he did not have enough to pay them, most of them had to leave. He also insisted that Shelley call him by his given name. He could not pretend to be a master when he could not pay her well.
"How are you doing, Mistress Cope? And how is Tyler doing?" he asked happily. She had asked him to drop the 'mistress' many a times, but Edward refused to do so, saying she was a mother-figure to him and he could not disrespect her.
"We are well, quite well," beamed the slightly plump woman, still holding his hands in hers. "You are too thin though. Did the good doctor not feed you twice a day?"
Edward shook his head. "No, I had to subsist on dry bread and gruel for days. I need you to feed me, Mistress Cope!" The words were followed with an exaggerated pout that made Shelley laugh loudly. Bella, who was cunningly peeking from behind the curtains, bit her lip to stop herself from laughing as well.
"Go on with you, you fibber! I declare you are every bit a rascal as you were at eight years of age!" Shelley said, patting Edward's head affectionately. Then she glanced at the carriage with some curiosity. "You do not usually bother with such an elaborate ride. Is someone come home with you?"
Edward grinned mischievously. "Yes, indeed. There is a very special girl with me—one whom I intend to marry. Would you like to meet her?"
Shelley Cope's face was a picture of disbelief and disappointment. "Surely you jest, Edward! How can this be? Has your fickle heart forgotten your vows to Isabella Swan? Was not your love for her more true than gold?"
Bella decided to put Shelley out of her misery, touched as she was with the motherly woman' concern. She stepped out of the carriage carefully and Edward rushed to help her. Mistress Cope's eyes were the size of saucers as they met the young woman's. She clutched at her heart as her mouth opened and shut without forming any words. Bella smiled and nodded shyly.
"Oh my heart, Isabella swan! Heavens above, where did you come from? Your uncle said you were still in Cornwall!" Edward scowled at this but did not interrupt. Time enough for that later on, he thought. Meanwhile Shelley welcomed Bella with the same warm hug. She had dearly missed the girl, and now here she was, all grown up. She began to gush over how beautiful she had become.
"Mistress Cope," said Bella gently. "I have not been well. Can we go inside the house and then talk? We have a lot to tell you."
"S'truth, you do look too pale," murmured the housekeeper as Edward offered Bella his arm. She gestured to the main door around which holly and laurel leaves were hung. "Come in dears, and have a bite to eat. I was only expecting Edward, and he prefers to eat in the kitchen. If you want I can bring in the food into the sitting room?"
Bella assured her that she too would like to eat in the kitchen. Edward asked Mistress Cope if she could feed the coachman as well, as he would like to return to London as early as possible. Then he helped Bella take off the heavy travelling cloak and hanged it on a hook near the door. They proceeded to the kitchen and washed their hands in a large basin before sitting down at the small wooden table. Soon they were helping themselves to generous helpings of hot stew made with vegetables and meat, cheat (bread with most of the bran removed) and ale.
"I am right glad you are here to celebrate Christmas with us, Bella," said Shelley Cope with an affectionate smile. "Every year it was just Edward and my boy Tyler, and none of them had much to say." She gave Edward a sly glance. "Now Tyler never was a talker, but Edward…I expect he was pining for you. Look how cheery he is today!"
Edward tried to pretend that it was the hot stew that was responsible for his cheeks warming up. However, a look at Bella convinced Shelley that she was not going to tease Edward on this. In fact, she looked like she was going to burst into tears any minute.
"What is the matter, dear?" asked the old woman in a worried tone.
Edward reached out and took Bella's hand. "It's all right, Bella. We are not going to be apart anymore." Then he asked Shelley if Bella's uncle was in residence.
"No, he has gone home to his family as is his custom. Is there something wrong?"
"He is the one responsible for Bella's tears, Mistress Cope. That villain lied to Bella that I was dead of typhoid and married her off to some rich merchant so that he could move up in society." Edward's expression was furious, and Shelley thought it was good Eric Swan was miles away in Cornwall. However, there were other things she wanted to clarify.
"Married her off? What do you mean, Edward?" She turned to Bella, concerned. "Have you run away from your husband, dear?"
Bella shook her head emphatically. "No, no, Mistress Cope. My husband passed away two months ago. I am a widow now."
Shelley Cope blinked incredulously. "You a widow? And you so young! When did this—how did all this happen? Heavens above, that uncle of yours did not breathe a word to anybody here. He is a sly one!"
Edward and Bella nodded their agreement. Between the two of them they narrated the whole story to the old woman. Where Eric's actions shocked her, Edward's saddened her. Of course, being partial to him she blamed the circumstances rather than him.
"It is a sad day when a gentleman has to resort to thieving to get married to his love," she declared after Edward had assured her he had done that only the one night before leaving London. "And yet my boy, you would not have found Bella here had you not entered that house. God doth work in mysterious ways. But I cannot believe them Newtons left Bella behind because they thought she was going to die. I will never forgive them for being so callous."
"Mistress Cope, you must keep this to yourself, or Edward can get into trouble," stressed Bella, widening her eyes at her. "You know they will hang him without even giving him a chance to explain. Even Tyler must not know, for he might divulge it to some friend of his unthinkingly."
"But what will we say to the neighbours if they ask?"
Edward scratched his head. "We will tell them that Bella's maid asked a friend of hers to send a physician to the house after the family was gone. The girl was busy in household tasks and did not have time until night, when she came to Carlisle's. I was just leaving for the inn where my luggage was kept, so I went with her without informing Carlisle. That way, if someone asks him, he wouldn't have to tell a lie. Bella, what dost thou think? Will the village folk believe this story?"
Bella nodded. "I think so. And Angela will lie for me, if someone asks her. She was always so fond of me." She sighed. "I wish I could ask her to come and stay with me. She was really sad to go with the Newtons."
"Hmm, I suppose we could arrange that," mused Edward. At Bella's surprised look, he explained. "Look Bella, we will have to let your family know that you are alive. You don't need to hide from them—you are not the one in the wrong. And Kent is but a day's journey from here. If you want, we can send a letter to her by the horse-post. Will she need money to travel?"
Bella agreed that they should send Angela some money so that she could travel by a public coach. However, she informed Edward that the Newtons' estate was some way from the border of the county, so it might take two or three days for Angela to arrive. "That is, if the family lets her leave," she muttered. "Although they can't force her to stay, I believe."
Mistress Cope asked them if they wished to have something special on Christmas. "We might not have much in the way of gold, my boy," she said when Edward hesitantly asked if they should go for the expense of a traditional Christmas feast. "But the Lord has provided us enough to eat and to share on this day. Tyler has done very well in the past year with the vegetable patch, and sold the apples and peaches in a big market in the nearby town, and the hens have been laying well too. That boy has become so helpful since you asked him to take care of the land!"
She was clearly proud of her son, and Bella smiled and asked where he was anyway. To her surprise and Edward's, Shelley Cope answered that he had gone a-courting.
"He is sweet on this girl Mary, from the village. She is nice of nature and pleasing of face, and I believe they plan to marry in the Spring."
"But he is only twenty," wondered Edward aloud. "And the girl's parents? Are they ready for her to wed?"
Mistress Cope shook her head sadly. "They died when she was a mere child. She has been living with her brother and his wife, and they want to be rid of her as soon as possible." Then she perked up suddenly. "What about you two? You should get the banns read in the church this Sunday. You know the folk will wag their tongues otherwise."
"Wag their tongues?" Bella was puzzled.
"Yes dear, you being a pretty young lady and Edward an unmarried gentleman, you know. And there is none here to chaperone you. The wicked tongues will harm your reputation."
"Oh." Bella blushed at the implication, and so did Edward. "Um, you can sleep in my room, Mistress Cope—until we get wedded. People would not say anything then, will they?" She gave Edward a look full of longing, and he shrugged in resignation. What else could they do? However much he ached to hold her close, he could not allow her name to be besmirched.
"That sounds good. I will get Tyler to put your trunks in the room you were fond of as a child, then. Will you like to rest now?"
"Yes," admitted Bella. "I do feel sleepy." She stood up suddenly and put her hand to her forehead. "I feel…dizzy."
Edward was with her in a flash. Gently he picked her up in his arms. "Thou must be exhausted from the travel, my sweet. I wilt carry thee upstairs."
Mistress Cope looked at her shrewdly. "Bella, are you with child?"
End Note: Bella and Edward do not say 'thee' and 'thou' to Shelley Cope because they regard her as much more than a servant. And she says 'you' to them as they are above her station in society.
I realize that the language is not exactly of that period, but then, I'm no Shakespeare!
So, if Bella is pregnant, what difference will it make to their plans for the wedding?
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