Most readers were of the opinion that Edward and Bella should get married quickly. Let's see what the glitch is, shall we?

Unbeta'd.

Usual disclaimer.

A Very Merry Christmas

"You should wait for the child to be born before getting wed, I think," said Shelley Cope.

Bella was comfortable ensconced in a large, comfortable bed upstairs, in the same bedroom she used to stay as a child. Edward had deposited her there, with strict instructions to not set a foot upon the floor until she felt better. Well, as strict as he could be with her, anyway.

Bella had confessed to the housekeeper that she suspected, or rather her personal maid had pointed out, that she might be with child. Shelley Cope had shaken her head and hmm'd and sighed, and then pronounced the verdict.

"But what difference will that make?" asked Edward, puzzled. He was sitting on the bed and stroking Bella's hair away from her face. She had unpinned it, saying she felt more comfortable when it was free. And Edward could not help touching her all the time, however chaste it might be.

"Think about it, my dears," sighed Mistress Cope. "If you get married in haste, everybody will think the babe belongs to Edward. "

Bella looked astounded. "Why would they think so? Edward found me only two days ago, did he not? How can he be the father of my child?"

The old woman pursed up her lips, looking unhappy. "Folks believe what they want to believe, Bella. They will say—oh, she been in London a month before, and so has he. They must have met behind the family's back, been intimate in bed. And her husband not cold in his grave yet!"

Both Bella and Edward protested that people could not think like that, but Shelley Cope insisted she had seen more of life than they had. "If you were already big with child, nobody would point a finger, but a month here and there—that will be difficult to explain."

Edward took a deep breath. "All right, suppose they think the babe is mine. So what? The Newtons left her to die. It is clear they do not care for her. And I already promised Bella I will love the child as if it were mine. Let folks think what they might!"

"And I love thee for that," said Bella softly. "But I think that a child should know its grandparents, Edward. They are not bad people; they were scared of dying with me. Most folk would have done the same. I cannot fault them for wishing to live."

Edward groaned unhappily. "Bella, my love, thy heart is too forgiving. Well, if thou wish to make the child known to the Newtons, I will not deny thee. We will send word to them when the baby is born."

It was decided that they would wait for the baby to be at least two months old so that Bella was fully recovered from childbirth. Edward cursed himself for giving in that quick, though. He was going to die by September, trying to stay away from Bella. But what else could he have done?

When Tyler came home in the evening, he was fed the same story Edward had concocted for the villagers. He was glad to see Edward home, and admitted rather bashfully that he was looking forward to marry Mary and bring her to the Masen Estate. There was a small cottage just behind the house where the couple would reside, while his mother would continue to live in the housekeeper's room adjoining the kitchen. However, until Bella and Edward could get married, she would sleep in Bella's room during the night.

They celebrated Christmas in a quiet but joyful manner. Bella helped Mistress Cope with the cooking, even though the housekeeper insisted that she could manage on her own and Bella needed to rest. Tyler brought Mary to visit them, and she pitched in as well. She was a comely girl, if a little subdued. Bella imagined her situation at her brother's home wasn't a happy one.

Of course everyone in the village had come to know that Edward and Bella were home, so there were quite a few visitors. The servants from the Swan estate came over, ostensibly to wish all of them a very merry Christmas. The questions in their eyes were plain enough though. It was the same with the village folk who paid them a visit. Their eyes kept on sliding down to Bella's abdomen, trying to measure it.

Bella didn't care too much. She was so glad to be back, to be near Edward, that nothing else mattered. She was as enthusiastic as a child about celebrating the festival. She had clapped with joy when she had seen the moderate-sized tree Tyler had put in the big hall the previous evening and eagerly helped Edward decorate it. And the yule log in the fireplace had never looked prettier to her.

A group of boys and girls had come wassailing, bearing a beribboned cup into which the master of the house would pour spiced ale and they would drink to his health. Or a piece of cake or cheese could be offered to the youngsters. Even a silver penny would suffice!

In towns a group of musicians would go around singing Christmas carols and being offered cake, ale or money. However, there were no musicians in the little village, so the same group of children made another round in the morning, singing in their sweet (though sometimes off-key) voices. Bella was charmed and insisted on distributing pennies among them.

By afternoon the long table in the hall was groaning with the feast the three women had prepared. In keeping with the tradition, there were meats of various kinds—brawn (roast pork with mustard), mutton and beef—and mince pies, frumenty (porridge made with boiled and cracked wheat), and sweets like the Christmas pudding and gingerbread. Sugar was costly, so Mistress Cope had used it sparingly, depending more on honey and local products. There was a roast goose too, a little more expensive than the other meats, but popular in those days. A pitcher of hot cider completed the feast.

There was no midnight mass, so the village folk visited the little parish church on Christmas morning where a little wooden figure of baby Jesus was displayed. Edward and Bella did the same, thanking the Lord for letting them meet again and praying for the future happiness of the occupants of their household.

Edward visited the local apothecary to ensure he would have the required supplies to treat future patients on a regular basis. There were a couple of women too who had some knowledge of herbs and either collected them from the woods or grew them in their back gardens. Bella was very interested in the process and expressed a wish of doing the same in their kitchen garden. Tyler assured her he would help her in the endeavour.

After the substantial dinner in the afternoon, none of them felt like having any supper in the evening. The four of them sat in the cosy kitchen and played cards, to their great enjoyment.

Finally Tyler went off to his cottage and Shelley Cope yawned and proclaimed her old bones needed rest. She gave Bella a pointed look and asked her to go to bed soon, saying she should get plenty of rest. Bella nodded obediently but begged to stay downstairs for a while as she felt quite well. The housekeeper sighed.

"All right, my dear child, but not for long. Do not forget you are still recovering from that nasty fever. Edward, you see that she does not tire herself."

Edward nodded, wishing she would leave them alone. He understood that they must not cross a certain line before the wedding, but he badly wanted to be close to her. And if he was reading Bella's expression right, she wanted the same.

As soon as the heavy footsteps faded away, they turned to each other with wide smiles and eager eyes. Edward wished they could sit in the living room, with its comfortable, plush couches, instead of the rough-hewn wooden bench at the narrow kitchen table. But it would be pointless to start a fire there for so little time, a complete waste of wood. The kitchen did not have much furniture, but it was warm and cheerful, with the fire making a soothing, crackling sound and the pots and pans on the walls reflecting back the reddish glow. He took Bella's hand in his and closed the gap between them. Instinctively he placed his fingers around her wrist.

"Art thou truly feeling well, my love?" he murmured. "Thy pulse is somewhat fast, and thy cheeks are flushed. Dost thou feel feverish again?" Her health came first.

Bella shook her head. "I do not think it is the fever, Edward. My head does not ache, nor do my limbs. But when thou art close to me, I do feel feverish. Why is that so?" She looked puzzled.

Edward closed his eyes for a moment before he answered her. "Didst not thou feel thus when thy husband came near thee?" It would be easier for her to understand the context if she had experienced the feeling before. But she shook her head immediately.

"No, never. Should I have?" Her brow wrinkled in confusion.

Edward could not help but chuckle. He also felt somewhat smug that this particular feeling was reserved for him. He captured both her hands in his and rubbed them gently.

"I feel in a similar way, because I love thee. This feeling...it is the need to show thy love for me, with thy body."

Bella frowned. "How?" Then her expression brightened. "Is it by kissing thee? I liked that well enough."

Edward felt his ears burning. He had known her forever, but this discussion was awkward. "Yes love, kissing is part of it. But there are other things that we can…that I want to…I mean, that married people do."

Her face fell. "Married people? Dost thou mean what my husband did in the dark?"

His heart sank. If she had hated that part so much, he had his work cut out in front of him. "Did thou not like it at all?"

"It was meant to create children, Edward," she explained as if he was dim-witted. "It had nothing to do with like or dislike. Aunt Lauren said it was my duty to submit to my husband so he could have an heir. He did not love me—not like thou." She seemed to be lost in thought for a moment. "After we are wed, wilt thou do the same? I will not refuse thee, I promise. I will bear thee as many children as thou would like."

This conversation was getting them nowhere, he decided. It would be better to show her what he meant than spell it out. Why the pleasures of marital bed were deemed nothing more than duty on the wife's part, he could never understand. He was sure that the husband took his pleasure anyway.

"We will talk about that later, my sweet," he avoided the answer to her question for now. "May I kiss thee before thou get to bed?"

A smile and a nod was her answer, and he pulled her closer and bowed his face to hers, felt her sweet breath before his eyes closed and his lips found hers. Soft and supple, they moved slowly beneath his own. His arms tightened around her as his body demanded more. When he sucked lightly on her full bottom lip, she giggled.

"Edward!"

He responded by lifting her from the bench and setting her on his lap. She squealed once before he raised his head and captured her willing mouth again. His hands squeezed her hips and then travelled up her back. Thank heavens she was not wearing too many layers. He could feel her breasts press against his chest. Gently he slipped his tongue in her mouth, felt her gasp.

He kept it brief though. She needed time to get used to such intimacies. When he drew back, he was breathing heavily, and so was she.

"Didst thou…like it?"

Bella blinked and tried to focus. "I feel…drunk," she admitted, making Edward smile in triumph. "Kissing thee is different—Michael just pecked my lips sometimes. I did not feel anything then."

Edward's smile widened. "I am glad that thou enjoyed it. I want to show thee many such things—we can enjoy them together."

Bella looked around as if expecting Mistress Cope to appear and chastise her for being so forward. "Can we do that again before I have to go to bed?" she whispered.

Edward gladly obliged.

End Note: Do you think Edward is going to make it until September? And how much will he be able to teach Bella by then? ;)

I have posted my entry for The Seven Sins Contest on my profile. Please read and review!