HE TURNED HER TO HIM, took her lips for his own in a kiss, soft, sweet, and deep, deeper than ever before, deep as he was willing to without fear of hurting her, his tongue, cold as ice, lightly, carefully, thoroughly, running over her lips, taking in the taste of her skin. All too soon, he pulled away, however, he didn't let her speak, simply said, "Come, my Bella, my beautiful bride-to-be and future wife, let us go to our room, where I have already installed the heating system I bought earlier—practice for our wedding night," then he was kissing her again, soft, sweet, passionate, and with more abandoned than usual, making Bella's eyes roll to the back of her head, her mind going incoherent. Again, he pulled away, this time to say, "Fret not that I will ruin the frame of our bed, an antique, when you and I are kissing, practicing to be together as only husband and wife should be—as that will not come to pass, for I have a plan."
He stood up, Bella yet in his arms, moved fast like only he could, carried her to their room. He slowed down, his run turning to a light stroll, laid her gently, slowly, down on the bed, bent down, stroked her cheek, her hair, his beautiful golden eyes glistening with pure, radiant happiness and love—Love only a groom could have for his bride. "I am so happy, my Bella, my only love—that you were able to meet my beloved mother—Elizabeth, though I would have never thought it possible, not in a million years. I know not what our adoptive family, Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper, Alice, Carlisle, and Esme, will make of this new, most interesting and happy of developments—the fact that my mother, Elizabeth, is back in my life, in both of our lives, but I care not."
A pause, Edward's eyebrows knitting together, a little vee marring his forehead. "Perhaps you should call them using the computer, as I brought a laptop just in case we would need it for some reason, via Skype, while I am still around, before I leave for my quick hunt, leave you with my mother, Elizabeth—so they do not berate you too much, ask too many questions." He straightened up, darted over to the vanity table, grabbed a fancy, expensive-looking remote, pressed a couple of buttons, and the room was hot, too hot, as if they were inside a furnace or a sauna. "I know you are hot now, my Bella, my sweet, only love, and I will cool you down soon with my cold skin pressed against your beautiful, soft body, I just need to go to the car first, get some things so I tear not the frame of our bed apart when we kiss, practice for our wedding night shortly, will return to you a naught but a moment."
A blink and he was gone, took longer than Bella'd expected, giving her some time to think, collect her thoughts, process everything that had happened in just a couple of hours time, how much their lives had changed. She noticed the way Edward's speech pattern, the way he spoke, changed slightly, became even more old-fashioned, when he spoke to his birth mother, Elizabeth. And, if Bella was being honest with herself, she liked the way Edward was speaking now, even more old-fashioned than before, as if seeing his biological mother, Elizabeth, had unlocked some secret, hidden part of him after all of these years, a part that was even more courteous and chivalrous—liked it a lot.
She wondered how their relationship with their family would change now that his birth mother, Elizabeth, the one who carried him in her womb for nine months, had raised him with such love and care that his memories of her had remained intact all of this time—was back in Edward's life, in both of their lives. Bella was most curious to see how Edward's relationship with Carlisle and Esme, though with Esme in particular, would change, because, as Bella saw with her own eyes, felt in her heart, his relationship with Esme, though strong and loving, couldn't hold a candle to the one he had with his true mother, Elizabeth, the love mother and son had for each other so strong and pure even after all of these years apart, nearly a century. It wasn't always this way, Bella knew, for adoptive mothers could be just as loving, if not more so than biological mothers, but not in this case, when Elizabeth'd raised Edward with so much love and care, no one could have replaced her in Edward's heart, no matter how much time had passed since mother and son saw each other last.
Bella wondered how Alice would react to the fact that someone—Elizabeth, Edward's bloodkin, knew more about the future than she did, laughed as she pictured her jealous, horrified expression. Of course, Alice's jealousy, it wouldn't last too long, because she, just like the rest of the Cullens, save, perhaps, for Rosalie, whose jealousy for Edward and Bella would no doubt increase after she learned of this development, the fact that Edward's birth mother, Elizabeth, was back in his life—would be happy for him, for him and Bella both.
Edward walked back into the room slowly, like a human, so as not to startle Bella, his beautiful golden eyes lighting up, blazing with love and happiness when he saw Bella was laughing, carefree and happy. She saw he carried two thick, very heavy‐looking metal tubes, their color gray‐white with a shiny finish. He put them down on the floor, took off his shoes and socks, got onto the bed, crawled over her body, slow and graceful, held his weight carefully so he didn't crush her, but so Bella could feel every millimeter of his beautiful, perfect, cold body—for it was cold even through his clothes, cooled her down slightly, though not nearly enough—pressed against hers. He leaned down, bent his head, took a soft, sweet, sipping kiss. "What," Edward took another kiss, this one even slower, more languorous than the first, "is so funny, my beautiful bride-to-be? Tell me, what is it that makes you laugh thus, for I, too, wish to laugh with you, share in your joy."
"I'" Bella twined her arms round his neck, buried her fingers in the soft, heavy silk of his hair, pulled gently, silently asking for another sweet kiss, and though Edward couldn't read her mind, he understood, gave it to her with almost no hesitation, rare for him, "was just thinking about Alice, imagining what her reaction will be when she learns that your mother, Elizabeth, possibly knows more about our future than she does." Bella unwound one of her arms from around his neck, pointed at the metal tubes on the floor. "What are those, and what are they for?"
Edward laughed, too, then, loud and cathartic and joyous and unrestrained, able to share in Bella's humor now that she told him her thoughts. "Yes, Alice's reaction when she learns that someone—my mother, Elizabeth, a unique creature, the only one of her kind, probably knows more about our future than she does, will be most amusing." He got up, off the bed, grabbed one of the metal tubes, was back on the bed, in his previous position, in less than a second. "This," his eyes glowed, became bright with love and desire, desire not for her blood, but to kiss her and hold her close, "along with its twin, is a tungsten metal tube. Tungsten is the hardest metal to break in the world, and though it makes a difference not, what with my massive strength—they are for me to claw, gouge, and tear at while we are kissing, practicing for our wedding night, so I do not hurt you, nor break the frame of our bed, an antique."
He placed the thick, heavy tube of tungsten beside her on the bed, knelt up slightly, unbuttoned his white button-up shirt, his long, strong fingers, slowly, his speed akin to that of a human, unbuttoning the buttons one by one, making Bella make an inpatient noise in the back of her throat, before he finally shrugged it off his shoulders, let it fall to the floor, revealing the top half of his beautiful, perfect body. Her hands fluttered to his shoulders, his back, the cold temperature of his skin the perfect antidote to the burning, scorching heat in the room. She literally clawed her way down his back, raked her nails down his back using all of her strength, not worrying about hurting him, because her beautiful fiance and future husband, he wasn't human, was a vampire, and Bella, a human, couldn't cause him any physical harm. When Bella saw Edward liked it, could tell by the way he closed his eyes, moaned low in the back of his throat, she did it again and again, no doubt driving him mad.
"Stop that, Bella, Love, it feels good, too good."
Bella did it again.
He growled, low and soft, took her lips in a kiss, passionate, sweet, hard, but soft, one hand grabbing the tube of tungsten that was on the bed, squeezing it so hard, Bella could vaguely, through the buzz of pleasure in her head, here the sound of metal getting mangled, his other hand gently, lovingly, pulling her closer, crushing her to him as much as he dared without fear of hurting her, for she was still human. He broke the kiss just long enough for him to say, "You, my Bella, my beautiful bride-to-be, are the most dangerous, loving, sensual creature on the planet, siren that you are, can get under my skin like no one else can. I will impatiently wait until our wedding night, only then will I claim you as mine as only a husband should claim a wife, you, too, claiming me as yours." Then he was kissing her again, however, not just her lips, but any part of her skin that was exposed to him, his hands exploring the curves and valleys of her body through her clothes in a very polite, gentlemanly fashion—for he was old-fashioned, her beautiful fiance and future husband, and Bella wouldn't change a thing about him.
Bella cupped his face, fingers stroking up and down his cold cheeks, reluctantly pulled his head away from her skin so he would look at her. They were old—his beautiful golden eyes, held just over a century of life, were those of a being who would live for an eternity, and Bella, she'd share that eternity with him, she and their future child both, be it Edward or Nessy Elizabeth. "I love you so much, Edward, my beautiful fiance and future husband, can't wait to marry you."
His eyes and whole body blazed, as if a fire lived within him. "As I love you, my Bella. The time is passing by too slowly, for I am inpatient, as I cannot wait to marry you, be bound to you in matrimony, either, but, at least, it passes by faster when we are together thus, doing things such as this," he leaned down, pressed a quick, chased kiss to her lips to illustrate what he meant, though, of course, Bella didn't need it, "alone and kissing , practicing for our wedding night." Edward laughed, then, so quiet and ghostly, Bella didn't know how she was able to hear it. Perhaps it was because she was so attuned to him, her beautiful fiance and future husband, that her senses, those of a human, increased just enough so she could hear and do things she wouldn't normally be able to do when she was with him. "Part of me, a very small, selfish part, wishes we could just get married already, without all of the fuzz of a traditional wedding, but the other part of me knows that good things come to those who wait. Besides, perhaps now that my beloved mother, and I am not speaking of Esme but Elizabeth, is helping you with your wedding frock, we could push the wedding up a little more, if, of course, your leg heals faster than Carlisle and I expected, as it is now."
Bella pulled him down for a soft, sweet kiss, murmured a question against his lips. "What do you think it will be like tomorrow when Esme, Alice, your beloved mother, Elizabeth, and myself, discuss my wedding dress? I mean, and you're more than welcome to correct me if I'm wrong, but I feel like once Alice sees your mother, Elizabeth, she'll become more of a wrecking force than she already is, try to force me to do things I don't want to do, go even more overboard than if she was discussing my wedding dress just with me and Esme."
He shook his head and they shared another kiss, this one soft and sweet and deep, deep as he was willing to make it without fear of hurting her, their tongues darting out to taste each other's skin, take in the sweet, addictive taste of the other. "You are not wrong, Bella, but my beloved mother, Elizabeth, she will not permit Alice to overwhelm you, will stop her in her tracks. Of course, this, my mother's behavior towards you, how, I have no doubt, she will be loving and fiercely protective over you, as she looks at you like a daughter, her own flesh and blood, an extension of me, a piece of my heart—will shock Esme and Alice. And," he added, after breaking away from another soft, sweet, deep kiss, "because out of the three of them, my beloved mother is the only one who knows, exactly, what kind of patterns I was exposed to in my youth, she will probably take charge of the design of your wedding frock, following your wishes, of course, everything you want, which, in turn, will probably annoy the hell out of Alice, but I care not and neither will my beloved mother, Elizabeth, nor should you, it is our wedding, after all."
They didn't speak after that, but for the occasional love words, simply kissed and practiced for their wedding night, along with their honeymoon, their hands exploring each other's bodies through their clothes, Edward always polite, gentle, and chivalrous, keeping Bella up until two in the morning, telling her how much he loved her, Bella doing the same. And when he saw her eyelids were getting droopy, Bella starting to get sleepy, he carried her to the bathroom, handed her a small bag containing her pajamas and toiletries, waited for her to change, then carried her back to their room, laid her down on their bed, where Bella fell asleep with Edward's arms around her, her head against his bare chest, and his beautiful voice humming the new song he'd composed for her in her ear.
A soft, sweet kiss pressed against her lips, strong, cold fingers running over her hair. "Wake up, my Bella, my beloved mother, Elizabeth, will be here soon, in around an hour and a half."
Bella didn't speak or open her eyes, not yet, simply twined her arms around his neck, sunk her fingers in his hair, pulling gently at the soft strands that were akin to silk, drawing him down for another sweet kiss, spoke against his lips. "Good morning, Edward, my beautiful fiance and future husband." She kissed him again, this kiss deeper than the previous one, deep as he would allow her to make it—honey-sweet. "I love this, you know, waking up with a kiss from you, like a princess, maybe Sleeping Beauty or Snow White, our new morning routine, wish it could be like this all the time . . . at least until you turn me, make me like you, a vampire, because once I'm a vampire, I won't need to sleep anymore and we can spend all night, hours and hours, kissing, pausing only when our future child, be it Edward or Nessy Elizabeth, needs us."
She felt Edward straighten, draw away, gently disentangling her arms from round his neck, opened her eyes to look at her beautiful fiance and future husband, gasped, the sheer, inhuman beauty of him taking her breath away, making her heart beat faster. Bella was used to seeing him in light clothing, gray and white and light, khaki colors, but today . . . today her beautiful fiance wore a combination of colors, his button-up shirt, it was its usua white, and over that he wore a black leather jacket, the leather itself so fancy and shiny-looking, Bella assumed it was very, very expensive, the jacket opened just enough so she could see the collar of his shirt. His pants, jeans, no doubt designer—were a dark, dark, rich, velvet black. The colors of his clothes, a mix of dark and light, made his skin, already pale, paler than any human skin, even more so, brought out the gold and red undertones in his hair.
He touched his cold knuckles to her cheek. "As do I, my Bella, my beautiful bride-to-be, but, alas, we have time not to spend this morning at leisure, as my beloved mother, Elizabeth, will be here soon. Come, let me give you the breakfast I cooked for you, brought upstairs, so that you might have it in bed, as you are the lady of the house, thus should be treated like one." Edward moved fast, fetched something, was back beside her, leaning over her, setting a white china tray engraved with a pattern of roses and gold at the edge—in less than a second. The tray contained her breakfast, some sort of sweet porridge with fruit—strawberries, blueberries, cranberries, and raspberries, being just a few, along with a scone, which Edward prepared the Devonshire way, and a delicate light blue teapot, teacup, and saucer decorated with white and blush pink roses.
She ate the porridge‐like thing first, the taste sweet, both from honey and the fruit, then Edward poured her a cup of tea, the steaming liquid a deep, yellow gold. Bella brought the teacup and saucer closer to her, inhaled the scent of the tea. It smelt sweet with a hint of spies, lemon, and orange. She took a careful sip, blowing on it to cool it down slightly. The flavors, a mixture of sweet, spice, and citrus, were perfectly balanced. "Hmm, Edward, my beautiful fiance and future husband, my breakfast is amazing, everything is delicious, thank you." She leaned in, kissed him, quick and sweet, on the lips. "What did I just finish eating, and what blend did you put in my tea? It's delicious, perfectly balanced."
He wiped as stain of the porridge‐like thing off of her lips with his thumb, let her lick it off, something which would have been an impossibility just a couple of months ago, but not now, not with his iron self-control . . .at least when it came to his thirst for her blood, because when it came to other parts of his self-control, such as the desire to kiss her and hold her close, Bella had discovered she could get under his skin, make him kiss her and hold her close, his fear of hurting her and his self-doubt, pushed to the back of his mind, especially if, like last night, they had several safeguards in place—when she dressed a certain way, did certain things. "What you just finish eating is called muesli. It is traditionally made with milk, left to soak overnight, but I made yours with raw milk yogurt ten minutes before I woke you."
Edward took her teacup and saucer, set them down on the tray, handed her half a scone, stroked a hand over her hair, her cheek, unable to stop touching her, constantly showing her how much he loved her, for he was just as addicted to her as she was to him, and the cold temperature of his skin, it wasn't a problem, didn't bother Bella, not with the burning, scorching heat in the room. "As for your tea, which, of course, I am happy you liked, I made it with fresh ginger, turmeric, lemongrass, and orange and lemon essential oils."
Bella took a bite of her soft, fluffy scone, chewed slowly, swallowed, then took a small sip of her tea. "You know what just occurred to me, and will probably annoy the hell out of Alice?"
A frustrated laugh, a playful, affectionate glare. "No, I know not what you are thinking, as always, your mind is a mystery to me. Tell me, my Bella, my beautiful bride-to-be and future wife, what is it that you are thinking that will probably annoy the hell out of Alice? I am intrigued."
She finished off her scone, continued sipping her tea, drinking it slowly, methodically, enjoying the flavor of it, leaned into him, Edward shifting, putting an arm around her shoulders, drawing her even closer to him, fitting her to the shape of his body. "That maybe I don't have to deal with the wrecking force that is Alice when going shopping for my honeymoon wardrobe, though I still, of course, want you to come with me to every store, except for the ones where I'm going to buy the more intimate items, lingerie and such, because I want to surprise you and because I know you, how old-fashioned you are. Maybe, instead of Alice, your beloved mother , Elizabeth, can come with us, help me choose the more intimate items, lingerie and such, too, while you wait outside the store."
Edward's beautiful golden eyes glowed, glittered with humor. "Ah, what a mischievous, beautiful creature you are. Yes, that will definitely annoy Alice, but I am certain my beloved mother, Elizabeth, would love to come shopping with us for your honeymoon wardrobe, help you choose the more intimate items, lingerie and such. Perhaps I can take you to Europe, to England and France in particular, on an escapade, after we take the test, graduate from High School. Have you finished with breakfast so I can carry you to the bathroom so that you might change before we pay a call to Alice and Esme and my beloved mother, Elizabeth, comes, or would you like something else?"
Bella blushed, her cheeks and face going hot. Her tea was delicious, she wanted to drink some more, but Edward only brewed enough for one cup. He touched his knuckles to her cheek, cooling her heated skin, and she turned her face, leaned into his touch. "I'm done with food, but I want some more tea, another cup, it's truly delicious, perfectly balanced."
His smile was brilliant, dazzling. "I am very glad to hear that you enjoyed your tea, it is suppose to boost the immune system, give you a kick start to the day, I will make you some more when I return for my hunting trip, before we go shopping, get you some new clothes." He moved, fast like only he could, took all the dirty dishes, along with the tray, to the kitchen, was back beside her, on the bed, lifting her into his arms, in less than a second. "Come, I will take you to the bathroom so you can change, you can wear your other new dress we got for you when we went to go buy my watch."
Edward carried her to the bathroom fast, sat her down on the toilet, then went to go get her dress and shoes, her undergarments already in the bathroom, as she had packed all of them in her toiletry bag, came back to her before she even had a chance to miss him. "I will wait outside, call me when you have finished so I can carry you out and we can decide what the best location in the house is to call Alice and Esme from." He pressed a light, chased kiss to her lips, then he was gone, was out of the bathroom, the door shut behind him.
Bella took a deep breath, counted to three in her head, before she began to get ready, going through her quick, comprehensive, skin care routine, brushing her teeth, before reaching for the second dress she and Edward had bought.
It was beautiful, the dress, made of soft, expensive pale blue satin. The bodice was tight, accentuated her figure, gave her a tiny waist, was decorated with a pattern of sheer blue lace a shade or two darker than the rest of the dress, flowed down in a ripple, the skirts long and graceful, long enough so no one would notice her brace, stare at her. The off the shoulder short sleeves were embroidered with tiny roses. She sat back down on the toilet, put on the matching shoe, which had a slight, slight heel, but she trusted Edward, he'd keep her safe, wouldn't let her fall, combed through her hair gently, first with a brush, then her fingers, parting it to one side, leaving the sweep of her throat exposed, giving Edward easy access should he want to kiss her when he saw her, before calling, "Edward," her voice no louder than if he'd been standing right next to her.
He was in front of her, taking her lips in a slow, sipping, sweet kiss,in less than a second, crushing her to his chest. "Oh, Bella, you look beautiful, Darling, truly exquisite. Come," he took her into his arms, like how a groom carried his new bride, "let us go to the drawing room, where I have the computer already set up, and we will call Alice and Esme."
They were in the drawing room, Edward sitting on the same chair as yesterday with Bella on his lap, making the video call. Alice picked up on the first ring, her face, along with, thank God—Esme's, coming on camera. She was mad, Alice, really, truly mad, her face that of someone who was used to knowing everything ahead of time, but was suddenly blocked, had to wait, just like everybody else, to find out what the future would hold. She didn't even wait for Edward or Bella to greet her and Esme, set her hands on her hips, let out a huff. "What are you doing, Edward Anthony Cullen? I can't see Esme, Bella, and myself designing her wedding dress, discussing exactly what she wants. I see you're wearing your engagement ring, along with some new pieces of jewelry, Bella, so I'm assuming you two haven't changed your minds?"
Edward and Bella both shook their heads rapidly, horrified at the idea of becoming disengaged, not getting married, spending forever together, breaking up. "Of course not, Alice, that is actually why we called . . ." Edward broke off, let Bella continue on her own, "Edward's going on a hunting trip, so we have some time to discuss my wedding dress in the meantime."
Esme and Alice both blinked, startled at this new bit of information, both spoke at once, together, in symphony, as if they'd rehearsed it. "Edward, you're leaving Bella alone for a prolonged period of time? What if something happens to her? We all know what her luck is like, how overprotective you are."
A shake of Edward's head, his smile huge, radiant and incandescent with joy and love, both for his biological mother, Elizabeth, and Bella, his bride-to-be and future wife. "Of course not."
"Then—"
A bright, all‐encompassing, blinding, white light filled the drawing room in a second, cutting Alice and Esme off, blinding the camera lens, the next, Edward and Bella felt soft, warm arms, motherly arms, Edward's biological mother's arms, fiercely protective and loving, around them both. Edward tilted his head back to look at his beloved mother, Elizabeth, Bella doing the same, the love between mother and son filling the room, and, Bella suspected, it was even palpable through the camera. "Hello, Mama." Edward's voice, filled with radiant joy, was soft, filled with love for a mother who'd raised him, nurtured him with nothing but love and care.
Elizabeth touched a hand to his cold cheek, ruffled his hair affectionately as a mother did her child, and her voice, when she spoke, was the same as Edward's, filled with joy and motherly love. "Hello, my beautiful boy, my Edward, my beloved son." Elizabeth turned her attention to Bella, cupped her face. "Hello to you, too, Bella, my son's bride, his heart, I trust you slept well, had sweet dreams?"
Bella nodded, and, emboldened by the love that was saturating the drawing room, leaned over, kissed her future, biological mother-in-law on the cheek. "Yes, I always sleep well, have sweet dreams, when I'm in Edward's arms," Bella through a quick glance and smile at her beautiful fiance and future husband, "he's my dreamcatcher."
"Oh, my God." Esme's voice, quiet, soft, and shocked.
"I'm going to go get Carlisle, he'll want to see this, will be very interested." Alice's voice, as soft and shocked as Esme's.
Elizabeth moved, sat on the same chaise longue she had yesterday, and Bella noticed that while her silhouette was the same, the shape her dress gave her an s-shaped figure, her dress itself was different, new, then again, Bella didn't know her that well, had just met her future, biological mother-in-law, Edward's beloved mother, yesterday. Elizabeth's dress, it was a dark, rich, vibrant green, made of satin with a fine, delicate trimming of lace decorated with a pattern of light, blush pink azaleas, with a hint of red and orange at the edges. Like yesterday, her dress was long, had long sleeves, but this one, it was more gown-like. Bella supposed Elizabeth's choice of dress had been very deliberate, specifically hand chosen to show Alice and Esme she wasn't playing around, knew exactly what she was talking about, would follow Bella's wishes down to the tiniest detail. She smiled with satisfaction, her eyes gleaming.
Edward raised an eyebrow, leaned in close to whisper in her ear, "You look at my beloved mother, Elizabeth, thus, with such a smile on your face, and your heartbeat," he laid a hand over her chest, his fingers spread over the organ that was her heart, "it is telling me you are very excited, yet content and relaxed. Pray tell me, what is it that you are thinking, what is going on in that beautiful head of yours?"
Bella blushed, buried her face against his chest, then shifted positions, buried her face against the junction of his neck, where it met with his shoulder, inhaled the sweet, addictive, intoxicating scent of his skin. "I was just thinking that your mother's, Elizabeth's choice of dress is probably very deliberate, to show Esme and Alice she's not playing around, knows what she's talking about." Bella's voice was low, would have been inaudible to a human.
Bella could hear a smile, love both for her and his mother, Elizabeth, in Edward's beautiful voice. "Yes, Bella, love, right you are, that is exactly what my beloved mother, Elizabeth, was thinking when she chose her dress, for she knows the wrecking force Alice can be." Edward's tone was low, too, a whisper just loud enough for Bella to hear. "Come, let us go sit beside her, show family unity." Edward stood up, Bella yet in his arms, went to sit beside his mother on the chaise longue, and his mother, Elizabeth, she took his cold hand in her warm one, leaned over, kissed him on the forehead, as a mother did her young child, then kissed Bella on the forehead, too, again as a mother did her young child.
Bella rearranged the laptop on the table in front of them so the camera would capture the three of them, Edward running his freehand, the one that wasn't holding his mother's, over her hair, pressing repeated sweet, cold kisses to it. Several seconds past, then, eventually, the seconds turned to minutes, five to be precise, which meant Carlisle likely had been out of the house. The laptop picked up the sound of light, quiet footsteps, then Alice walked back into the room, Carlisle behind her. Carlisle sat down on a chair between Alice and Esme, and his face, it was just as shocked as Alice and Esme's. His voice, when he spoke, said a single word, a question, "Elizabeth?" reflected this, because it was incredulous.
Elizabeth gave Carlisle a quick smile, then turned to Edward, her beloved son, kissed him on the cheek, then did the same to Bella, the small gesture of motherly love reassuring Edward that his biological mother was here, wasn't going anywhere, not ever again. That she'd kissed Bella on the cheek, too, included her in her gesture of love, it didn't surprise Bella, because, as Edward'd told her, his mother, Elizabeth, saw her as her own flesh and blood, an extension of Edward's heart, her own daughter. The three Cullens at the other side of the computer screen, however, were a different story, because they blinked several times, startled by Elizabeth's very subtle, yet blatant, display of motherly affection towards Edward and Bella both, but Elizabeth didn't give them a chance to recover, spoke before any of them could say anything. "Hello, Carlisle, it is good to see you again. I thank you for saving my Edward, my beloved son, as I practically ordained you to do, taking care of him while I was not there to do it myself."
Carlisle blinked several times, gave Elizabeth a thoughtful nod. "You're most welcome, Elizabeth, it was a pleasure." Carlisle turned his attention to Edward, gave him a quick, proud smile. "As I'm sure you'll find out soon enough, he's turned out to be quite a fine, young man, still upholds the values you taught him as a child." Carlisle turned his full attention back to Elizabeth, his golden eyes holding a curious, excited gleam. "I do not mean to intrude in any way, but do you mind telling me how it is that you're there with Edward and Bella right now? You died, after all, I very distinctly remember Edward telling me shortly after I changed him that whether I liked it or not, approved it or not, he was going to your funeral, even if he had to hide in the thick under brush of the trees, would say goodbye to you, his beloved mother, one final time."
Before Elizabeth could speak, respond Carlisle's inquiry, there was a loud, ear-splitting crash, followed by Rosalie's voice yelling a whole bunch of obscenities, not all of which were in English, her accent not quite flawless, but close enough to that of a native speaker's. Edward flinched, cradled Bella closer to him, took her lips in a slow, deep, sweet kiss that was still polite for company, for they were in front of his beloved mother, Elizabeth, Alice, Esme, and Carlisle present, too, but that made all of her thoughts go out the window, her senses focused on a single, focal point, their kiss, until Rosalie stopped yelling obscenities, had likely ran out of the house, followed by Emmett. Edward buried his face against Bella's neck, her throat, placed sweet, soft, cold kisses to the fragile skin there, his lips brushing her ear as he spoke, his voice low, for Bella's ears only. "I Thank God we are not in the same vicinity as Rosalie right now, within a five mile radius, if this, yelling a whole bunch of obscenities—was her verbal reaction to the very welcome, happy news that my beloved mother, Elizabeth, is back in my life, in both of our lives—I do not even want to think about her mental one."
Elizabeth shook her head, the corners of her mouth turned down. "Such a foul, vile mouth, such jealousy and self-loathing." She turned to Edward, must have told him something mentally, because Bella saw him give her hand a reassuring squeeze before he leaned over, kissed her on the cheek, the love mother and son shared for each other so vibrant and pure. Edward's gesture must have reassured his beloved mother, Elizabeth, because she turned her attention back to the camera, to Alice, Esme, and Carlisle, answered Carlisle's question the best she could. "That, Carlisle, is a very long, complicated story, one which I cannot, as I told my beautiful boy, my Edward, my beloved son, yesterday, tell you all the details of, but right now, your wife, Alice, Bella, and I need to focus on discussing Bella's wedding frock, designing it so my beautiful boy and his bride can get married on time, like they planned, or perhaps even a bit earlier, depending on circumstances."
Carlisle nodded, stood up, getting ready to leave. "I understand, Elizabeth, look forward to hearing more about how it is that you're with Bella and your beloved son again when the time is right." Carlisle's eyes glided over to Bella and Edward. "I'll see you both when you get home, back to Forks." Then Carlisle disappeared, was likely going back to where he'd been before Alice had gone to fetch him.
Alice glared at Edward. "Get out of here, shoo, go hunting so your mother, Esme, and I can discuss Bella's wedding dress with her."
Elizabeth touched her knuckles to Edwards cold cheek, stroked a hand over his hair. "Go hunt some mountain lions, my beautiful boy, fret not that anything will happen to your beautiful bride, as that will not come to pass, for I will not allow it."
Bella tensed, clung to him, wrapped herself around him in a way that was still polite for company. "No, I don't want you to go, not yet, not until I ask your beloved mother, Elizabeth, something."
Edward's arms came around her, shifted her to face him, stroked up and down her back, her arms. "Then ask her, Bella, Love, I will not go anywhere, not if you do not wish me to leave."
Bella turned to his mother, Elizabeth, reassured Edward wouldn't leave, go on his hunting trip, not until she got the answer to the question she had. "Will you stay after Edward returns from his hunting trip? There's something the two of us want to discuss with you." Unsaid were the words "I want to keep this matter private, just between the three of us," but Elizabeth, she understood the deeper meaning behind the question, just like Edward would have, though he couldn't read her mind.
Elizabeth touched a reassuring, motherly hand to Bella's cheek. "Of course, dear child, I will stay here with you for as long as you and Edward, my beautiful boy, my beloved son, want me to, do not want or need time alone."
Bella nodded to herself, reassured, turned to Edward, kissed him, soft and sweet. "Go now, hunt some mountain lions, and hurry back to me, I miss you when you're gone and we are apart, no matter how short the expanse of time may be."
This time it was Edward who took a kiss, soft, sweet, and deep, deep as he was willing to without fear of hurting her and that was still polite for company, already shifting her off of his lap, setting her down on the chaise longue beside his beloved mother, Elizabeth. "I will. Fret not that I will take too long to return to you, for I, too, loathe to be away from you for too long, and, as always, take care of my heart, I am leaving it with you." He stood up, turned to his beloved mother, Elizabeth, bent down, kissed her on the cheek, his love that of a son to his mother, let her kiss his cold cheek in turn. "I will see you and my Bella, my beautiful bride-to-be, later, when I return from my hunting trip, Mama." Then Edward was gone.
Bella stared after him, or rather the way he'd gone, a happy, contended smile on her lips, was vaguely aware of Elizabeth shifting to sit closer to her, taking her hand in hers. Bella was so happy, and yes, it was dreadful that Edward had to leave, even if it was for the tiniest fraction of time, had to go hunting and Bella couldn't go with him, not yet, but two pieces of him remained with her even while he was gone. One was not physical or tangible—their love, strong and pure, lived within both of their hearts, the other, his beloved mother, Elizabeth, a strong, reassuring, loving presence.
"Alright," Alice's voice broke through Bella's thoughts, "let's continue to discuss your wedding dress, Bella."
"Before we do that," Elizabeth interjected, setting Bella's hands on her lap, "have you discussed the undergarments that will go beneath your bridal gown, beautiful, darling girl?" Bella raised an eyebrow, and her face must have shown confusion, because Elizabeth elaborated, "the chemise, corset cover, corset, and wedding garters?"
Bella blushed, images of Edward, who would be her husband by then, helping her take off her dress, then undoing the laces of her corset, kissing her back, moving slowly to her neck and throat, then her chest, and eventually her breasts, taking her nipples into his cold mouth, sucking them gently, filling her mind. "No. Edward would like to see me like that, wearing a chemise, corset cover, and corset apart from my wedding garters?"
A nod, Elizabeth's gaze, filled with love for her son, somewhere far away, remembering something from long, long ago. "Yes. When he was naught but a toddler, perhaps about four or five years old, he used to watch me undress, strip down to my chemise, tell me when he got married he would help his wife with that, taking off her corset, as he saw how hard it was for me to take it off on my own, though, of course, it was not impossible. I would laugh softly, for he was naught but a child, a babe in my eyes, would tell him we knew not if his wife would wear a corset as I did, for the world was changing very, very rapidly with the Industrial Revolution. He would shrug, my beloved son, tell me he and his wife‐to‐be, whoever and wherever she was, would reach a compromise regardless of what people dressed like when he came of age to get married, found the right girl, he would still help her put on and take off the more difficult items of clothing."
Bella smiled, trying to imagine Edward as a little boy discussing his future marriage with his mother. Excited, giddy bubbles formed in her stomach at the thought that she would surprise him in this way, wearing a chemise, corset cover, and corset, along with her wedding garters. "Now I definitely want to wear a chemise, corset cover, and corset, along with wedding garters, especially if it will make Edward happy, surprise him." A pause, Bella's eyebrows knitting together, a little vee marring her forehead as something occurred to her. "I have no idea what kind of corset to choose, buy, there are so many different kinds—"
Elizabeth took Bella's face between her hands as a mother did her child's, cutting her off. "Calm down, Bella, beautiful, darling girl, I will help you choose your corset, help you put it on the day of your wedding nuptials, too, and Edward will help you take it off afterwards, when he is helping you change into your going away frock—"
"Now, hold on a minute, Bella," Alice interrupted Elizabeth, "I'm sure Esme and Renee want to help you change into your going away dress, and, of course, I want to help you, too. Of course, because Esme and I can see how close you are to Elizabeth, your biological mother-in-law, already, though you clearly only met her yesterday, she can join in with helping you if she wants, but Edward shouldn't see you like that, naked, not until your honeymoon—"
Elizabeth held up a hand, cutting Alice off. "I can see the reason behind your objection with regards to Edward helping Bella change into her going away frock after the wedding, but they will not get carried away, become inflamed with passion, at least not until they are alone, far, far away from you, all the wedding guests, and the rest of the Cullen family. I do not know Bella that well yet, but I know my beloved son, my beautiful boy, for it was I who carried him in my womb for nine months, I who raised him until he was seventeen, and I know he likes his privacy, will not want you listening to the first time he and his bride are together as only husband and wife should be. Though I do not know Bella that well yet, I am assuming she is the same in that regard, likes her privacy, does not, under any circumstances, want her and my son's love life to be privy to the public. Regardless of what you and I think, however, it is up to Bella, whatever she wants to do, that is what we will do, for it is her wedding, her and my son's."
The drawing room fell silent, everyone, Alice, Esme, and Elizabeth, waiting for Bella to speak, tell them what she wanted. "Yes, I want to wear a chemise, corset cover, and corset apart from my wedding garters, for Edward to help me change into my going away dress when our wedding nuptials are finished." Bella tapped a finger against her lips, thoughtful. "I want the corset to have a pattern of heliotropes and roses to match the ones of my veil, which will be made out of sheer white lace. I don't know if it's possible to buy a corset like that, with such a specific pattern and design, but if not, it doesn't matter, really, all I want is to make Edward happy, tie myself to him in every way humanly possible, be with him forever."
Thinking of making Edward happy made her think of something, something which she hadn't thought about when Elizabeth, her biological, future mother-in-law, had told her Edward would like to see her in a corset, corset cover, and chemise. She had no doubt the conversation Elizabeth had told her she had had with Edward when he was a little boy really did happen, but Edward, her beautiful fiance and future husband, he was no longer that little boy and medicine, the understanding of how the human body worked and how it could be harmed, had advanced a lot since then. He was a doctor, her beautiful fiance and future husband, probably knew all the damage and harm a corset could cause, wouldn't want Bella to do anything that could possibly cause her harm. "On second thought, maybe I shouldn't wear a corset, should just wear a chemise and my wedding garters instead, though I still want Edward to be the one to help me change. It could make Edward feel guilty if I wear a corset, as if I'm putting myself in harm's way to make him happy."
Elizabeth shifted, turned away from the camera lens, to face Bella, took her hands in hers. "No, Child, Bella, you beautiful, darling girl, wearing a corset, it will not harm you, even should you want to do it often, mimic the dressing Style of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. It is very true, doctors have discovered that wearing a corset can shorten women's breath, crush their intestines and internal organs, but that, it will not happen to you, no matter how long you wear a corset for, for you have something human women who wear corsets do not. The love between you and my Edward, my beautiful boy, my beloved son—it is so strong and pure, it is an entity of its own, will not allow some article of clothing to harm you. Trust me on this, and remember what we spoke about last night, the way I know things. As for your corset having a pattern of roses and heliotropes to match the ones of your beautiful, long wedding veil and train, fret not over that, for even if we find not a corset that is to your liking, I can modify it to fit your desires."
Bella nodded, reassured she wouldn't harm herself if she wore a corset. "Okay, I'll wear a corset without worrying about it causing me harm."
Elizabeth gave her hands a light, affectionate squeeze. "Good. Now that we got your undergarments out of the way, let us discuss your wedding gown in more detail. I am sure you already told Alice and Esme what you want your wedding gown to be made out of, but can you please tell me so I can get an idea in my head, begin to sketch it out? Also, what do you want the silhouette of your dress to be like?:
Bella blushed, bit the inside of her cheek, glanced at the computer screen, saw Alice and Esme looked stunned, shocked at the relationship Bella already had with her biological, future mother-in-law. "I want my wedding dress to be made out of satin and sheer white lace. I don't know what specific shade of white I want the satin to be, as I don't know what shade of white was used for wedding dresses in 1918, nor the patterns. The same thing goes for the silhouette, though I have a vague idea of something we can do." She glanced nervously at Alice and Esme on the computer screen, decided they would have found out the information she was about to share with Elizabeth at some point. "Edward told me yesterday that sometimes you would throw lavish parties here, maybe we could use dresses that would have been worn at those parties, along with dresses from a bit earlier, perhaps 1882, as a guide for my wedding dress."
Elizabeth's green eyes glowed, filled with motherly love and memories. "Ah, yes, such fun we had a those parties, my beautiful boy, my beloved son and I. Wait here, please, Bella, beautiful, darling girl. I have an idea, know some garments we can use as a guide for your bridal gown, but I need to go fetch them, show them to you to see if you like them. I know my beautiful boy, my Edward, my beloved son, and he probably had the heart not to rid himself of anything that belonged to me. Of course, we will only use these garments as a guide, give your bridal gown a modern, elegant, graceful twist. I will return in naught but a moment." With that, Elizabeth was gone, had likely gone upstairs, to Edward and Bella's room, Elizabeth and her husband's old bedroom, leaving Bella alone, Alice and Esme on the other side of the computer screen.
Elizabeth took longer than Bella expected, giving Alice and Esme a chance to ask questions. "So," Alice began, "you and Elizabeth seem to be getting very close very fast, though you just met her yesterday, and she seems like she's very loving and motherly towards you and Edward equally."
A nod from Bella, a small smile tugging on her lips, Esme and Alice able to see it on their computer screen. "Yes. She's missed Edward, being able to be near him, a lot, has been very welcoming and loving towards me, as she sees me as part of the family, an extension of Edward, a living, breathing piece of his heart."
Alice pushed the chair she was sitting on back, stood up, set her hands on her hips, let out a little, angry huff. "That may be so, Bella, but she's taking charge of your dress, along with you, of course. Esme and I have barely gotten any words in."
Bella let out a snort, along with a loud, happy, unrestrained burst of laughter. "It's her only son's wedding, Alice, of course she's getting involved, taking charge in this way. If I were any other girl, maybe I would get mad, feel overwhelmed by everything Elizabeth is doing, want my own mother involved in the process of my wedding dress, but I'm not any other girl, I'm me, and my mother's thoughts are loud, almost obnoxiously so, and I don't want Edward to see my dress until the day of the wedding. Besides, Elizabeth looks at me like her daughter, just like Esme and Carlisle do, treats me as her own flesh and blood."
Esme set a hand on Alice's shoulder, her eyes glowing with love and another, indiscernible emotion. "Bella's right, Alice, Edward's Elizabeth's only son, we should let her be as involved as she wants to be when it comes to designing Bella's wedding dress so long as Bella is okay with it."
Bella gave Esme a grateful nod. "Elizabeth knows Edward better than any of us do, as she's the one who carried him in her womb for nine months, raised him until he was seventeen, and I like all of her ideas thus far, want to be able to surprise Edward, make him happy, learn everything about him that I can in the process."
Alice's mouth dropped open, but before she or Esme could speak, Elizabeth came back, was carrying two beautiful, gown-like dresses, each with its own lace train. They were regal, fit for a queen, the two dresses, were most likely handcrafted rather than mass produced—the attention to detail, both on the satin and lace, astonishing. One of the dresses was white, clearly a wedding gown, very possibly Elizabeth's wedding gown, the other dress, still elegant, it was a rich cobalt blue.
The expression on Bella's face, the way her eyes lit up, it must have told Elizabeth she really, truly liked both dresses, rare for Bella, as she wasn't that much into fashion—because Elizabeth would have never done, said what she did next. "I was right, Bella, beautiful, darling girl, my beautiful boy, my beloved son, he kept everything that was near and dear to me, had the heart not to give it away, or rid himself of it. The only exceptions, of course, are my old engagement ring, one of my bracelets, and a pair of my sapphire blue diamond earrings, which he gifted to you, for you are a living, breathing piece of his heart, everything else he may have given away was not that important to me, nor was it dear and near to my heart. Come, Bella, my son's beautiful bride, let us use these two frocks I have brought as a guide to design your wedding frock, modernizing them and changing them a bit where we see fit so your wedding gown flatters you, fits every single one of your desires."
Elizabeth set the gowns down on one of the couches in the center of the room, then went over to the laptop, shifted it so the camera could capture them. They spent around an hour and a half discussing Bella's wedding dress, along with her veil and train, Elizabeth going to get a sketch pad, starting to sketch them, following Bella's wishes exactly, Esme and Alice hanging up at some point, when they saw Bella and Elizabeth were just fine discussing and designing Bella's wedding dress on their own, but not before Elizabeth gave them specific instructions on what shade of white satin they needed, along with the specific type of sheer white lace.
Bella wasn't sure how much time had passed since Esme and Alice hung up, but sometime after that, Elizabeth cocked her head to the side, her lips curving and her green eyes glowing, filled with motherly love, love only a mother could have for her son. "Edward has returned from his hunting trip, will be inside the house in about a minute and a half. I will go put the dresses away, hide the sketch of your wedding garments somewhere where he will not see it, nor find it, will return shortly and we can discuss what the two of you wanted to discuss with me thereafter." Then Elizabeth was gone, had taken everything they'd used to discuss and design Bella's wedding outfit with her, along with the sketch.
Bella only had to wait about half a minute after Elizabeth left, went to put the things they'd used away, before she saw Edward. He was beautiful, her fiance and future husband, inhumanly so. His hair was windblown from running, his beautiful golden eyes, a deep, endless shade of gold, akin to the purest of honeys, glowing with joy and love, his beautiful, full lips, which curved into a smile, stained with a little bit of blood. Before Bella could even attempt to move, Edward was in front of her, his arms coming around her, cradling her to him, crushing her to his chest, fitting her to the shape of his body. "Hello, Bella, Love, I missed you, my beautiful bride-to-be and future wife."
Bella laughed breathlessly, quietly, reached up to caress his face, trace the shape of his cheekbones. "As I missed you, time goes by too slowly when we're apart." She ran her forefinger over his lips, wiping away the stain of blood. "You had some blood on your lips."
Edward took her hand from his lips, turned it over, pressed a kiss to her palm, the inside of her wrist, then licked the blood off her finger. "I am sorry, Love, I noticed it not, was torn during my hunt, as I missed you, wanted to get back to you soon as I could, but I also knew you needed some time to discuss your wedding frock with Esme, Alice, and my beloved mother, Elizabeth. Did you make a lot of progress with it?"
A nod from Bella as she took his hand, attempted to pull Edward down on the chaise longue beside her so she could crawl into his lap. Edward understood what she wanted, sat down beside her, pulled her onto his lap, his arms coming around her, cradling her to his chest. Bella buried her face against the junction of his neck, where it met with his shoulder for a moment, inhaled the sweet, addictive, intoxicating scent of his skin. "Yes, we did, a lot, actually. Your beloved mother, Elizabeth, she took charge, is following my wishes down to the tiniest of details. Things moved by quite quickly, I think she is the only one, apart from you, who I've seen deal most efficiently with Alice, especially when she becomes self-absorbed, tries to go overboard. We made so much progress, your beloved mother, Elizabeth, started sketching my wedding outfit already. What about you, did you find any mountain lions?"
Edward stroked a hand over her hair, kissed it repeatedly. "Good, I am glad my beloved mother was able to deal with Alice, keep her in check, that you were able to make a lot of progress with your wedding outfit. Perhaps we will be able to get married sooner than we thought if things continue this way. Yes, I did find mountain lions, a whole bunch of them, actually, but I only killed four to satisfy my needs."
"Good," Elizabeth's voice, filled with motherly love for Edward, her one and only son, "I am happy for you that you found a large quantity of mountain lions. Just because you need blood, will not take a human life to satisfy yourself, does not mean you should not take care of yourself properly, I taught you better than that, my beautiful boy."
Bella looked up, away from Edward, her beautiful fiance and future husband, saw Elizabeth was walking towards them, her green eyes filled with nothing but pride and motherly love. Elizabeth stopped walking when she was in front of them, touched a hand to Edward's cold cheek, and Edward, he closed his eyes, leaned into his mother's warm, loving touch, even as he kept his arms around Bella, cradled her to him, closed his eyes. "Hello, Mama. I thank you for staying here with my Bella, my beautiful bride-to-be, while I went hunting, dealing with Alice flawlessly, making the process of designing my bride's wedding gown a lot easier."
"You need not thank me, my beautiful boy, my Edward, my beloved son, staying with your beautiful bride, getting to know her better, it was a pleasure." Elizabeth sat down beside them on the chaise longue, put her arms around Edward and Bella both. "Now, what was it the two of you wanted to discuss with me, keep private, only between the three of us?"
Bella blushed, heat coloring her cheeks, glanced between Edward and his mother, Elizabeth, several times, then finally broke the silence. "Well, I was just wondering if you'd come shopping with us for my honeymoon wardrobe, help me choose the clothes? Originally, Alice was suppose to come with us, go with me to the stores where I would buy the more intimate items, lingerie and such, but as you've seen today, she can become quite self-absorbed when it comes to fashion and clothing, tends to go overboard, and I'd feel more comfortable, less pressured, if you went with us instead of Alice."
A pause, Bella swallowing hard, wetting her dry throat. "I," Bella glanced quickly at Edward, her blush and the speed of her heartbeat increasing because of what she was about to tell his mother, buried her face against his neck, pressed a soft kiss to the smooth, cold, hard, diamond skin there, "also wanted to know if you'd help me choose my going away dress, along with a corset to go with it. Our conversation earlier, how you said wearing a corset won't hurt me because of the love Edward and I share, it got me thinking, and I want to make Edward happy, surprise him as much as possible. Of course, now he knows he'll help me change into a corset when he helps me change out of my wedding gown, into my going away dress, but he won't know what it looks like until he helps me change."
Elizabeth took Bella's hands in hers, rubbed soothing circles on her wrists. "Of course I will go shopping with you, help you choose clothing for your honeymoon, beautiful, darling girl, you and my beautiful boy need only tell me when and where and I will be there. I have seen the overwhelming force Alice can be, though, of course, she realizes it not, and if myself going with you and my beautiful boy instead of Alice will make you feel more comfortable, then I will go with you."
She stood up, kissed Edward on the cheek, ruffled his hair affectionately as a mother did her child, then kissed Bella's cheek, too, stroked a hand lightly over her hair, again as a mother did her child. "I will take my leave now, for I can see a fire burning behind my beautiful boy's eyes, know he wishes to be alone with you, his beautiful bride, for privacy. I will see you both tomorrow or perhaps later on today, depending on what you, my Edward, my beautiful boy, my beloved son, want. All you need to do to reach me is call out for me, both with your heart and soul, as well as with your words, and I will come to the two of you"