The Journey
by Laura Spudzmom
Chapter 02
"Isabella?" The voice finally penetrated her thoughts and she startled, the needle she was wielding pricking her finger as she did so. "Ah!" she gasped, bringing her finger to her lips to suck on the bead of blood that welled immediately.
"Oh child, I did not mean to frighten you. Forgive me."
She smiled over at her mother-in-law. "It's quite all right Lady Mary. I was lost in thought, I'm afraid. The fault is my own," she chastised herself as she lay aside her needlework with a quiet sigh.
Mary smiled kindly from her chair next to the fire. "What troubles you child? You've been this way for days. Pray, share your burdens with me?"
Isabella lifted her head to meet the concerned woman's sympathetic gaze. "The moon is full tonight," she said simply and Mary nodded sadly.
"You worry for him," she stated gently and Isabella nodded.
"Aye, 'tis true," she murmured. Really, due to Isabella Swan's knowledge, she knew it was only a matter of time until her husband met a horrible fate on one of his hunts and she was terrified. While she couldn't say she was in love with Carlisle yet, she was most fond of him and didn't want to see him harmed.
They had been married for three months now and he had been nothing but loving, attentive and kind to her. A better husband was not to be had, she was sure.
And now, there were other considerations… She looked up at her mother-in-law who was watching her closely. "Lady Mary…" she began tentatively.
"Yes child, go on," Mary prompted when Isabella hesitated.
"Pray tell, how does a woman know…when she's with child?" she questioned while staring down into her lap.
Mary drew in a sharp breath. "Oh Isabella! Is this something you suspect?"
She nodded without looking up. "Aye," she whispered. "I do." She looked up. "I would like to be sure before I tell my lord husband, but how can I be so? What are the signs?"
Mary nodded with a smile. "Well, oft you will purge in the morn, although 'tis not uncommon to do so no matter the hour. Some odors will make you sick when they never did before and there is the lack of bleeding…"
Isabella blushed and nodded. "Aye my lady, I've all of those."
"How long have you gone without bleeding, child?" Mary questioned gently.
Isabella dipped her head down. "Since before we wed, my lady."
"Truly, you are a blessing to my son, child. He's to be a father!" she exclaimed with a bright smile. "Our Lord has blessed me too, for I still draw breath to witness it!"
Their talk ended when Gerty entered the room. "Lady Cullen, dinner is ready and I have your tray ready for ye. Will ye be takin' it here or in yer chambers this evenin'?"
Mary smiled at Isabella. "I do believe I'm feeling fine enough to take my dinner with the family this evening Gerty, thank you," she said as she rose from her chair.
Isabella stood just as Carlisle entered the room.
"Good evening Mother, Isabella," he nodded to both and kissed each on their cheek in greeting. "Will you be dining with us this evening Mother?"
She smiled softly and cupped his cheek. "I will," she affirmed.
"I'll escort you," he said and she shook her head.
"You've a wife to look after my son. I'll wait upon your father."
He inclined his head. "He should be along…" He trailed off as his father entered the room.
"Mary, 'tis good to see you join us this evening. I trust you're well?"
"Aye, as well as can be," she answered as she took his offered arm.
"I am pleased," he said while glancing at his son and daughter-in-law. "Shall we?" he asked, his normally stern tone surprisingly softened.
Isabella took Carlisle's offered arm and they preceded the older couple to the dining room where he helped her into her seat before standing next to his own. He didn't seat himself until his mother had been seated and then both he and his father sat.
The elder Cullen prayed over the meal and the servers stepped forward to serve the soup course. When they were done, they stepped back and the meal began.
"Tis a full moon this eve son. Are you and your group ready?"
Carlisle paused and took a sip of wine before answering. "Aye Father, we are," he affirmed.
The man grunted. "I hope you see more success than you have in the past." He stared his son down. "You've yet to catch or kill any of the evil that plagues the city. Perhaps I should join you once again. At least when I went out, we managed to purge the odd witch now and again."
Isabella glanced at her husband in time to see the muscles in his jaw twitch as he stared steadfastly down at the table. "Aye, that you did," he agreed, his tone tight with tension. "Whatever you think best Father," he murmured as he began eating again.
The older man scoffed. "You don't seem pleased with doing our Lord's work my son," he commented, somehow making the word 'son' sound less than familial and once again, Carlisle paused mid-bite.
He lowered his spoon and met his father's gaze. "Perhaps because where you see evil Father, I see only impoverished women trying to survive by selling herbs and remedies."
"Soft," the older man spat. "Soft and ignorant in the ways of the evil that plagues us, suffering fools and heretics. You'll never amount to anything in our Lord's service if you don't harden your heart against such things."
Isabella's heart ached at the look on her husband's face as he stared down unseeingly at his meal. "Perhaps not," he murmured. "But I would rather a soft heart and avoid killing one innocent than a hardened one and kill many in pursuit of a few." He looked up and met his father's furious gaze. "Our Lord will judge us all in the end and only He knows the heart. Perhaps we'd be better off leaving Him to it."
He began eating once again and Isabella could have cheered at the way her husband had effectively shut the older man up. She could tell her father-in-law longed to rage at his son, but if there was one good thing about having Mary there, it was the fact that he restrained himself around her. For that, Bella was grateful.
The rest of the meal was consumed in silence and as soon as it was clear she was finished, Carlisle rose and helped her from her seat. "Isabella and I shall retire until it is time for me to assemble with the group. Mother," he leaned down and kissed her cheek. "Father, I bid you both good night."
He led Bella to their rooms and relaxed visibly once their door closed.
He began tugging at his cravat and Bella covered and stilled his hands with her own. "Allow me," she murmured as she loosened the tie and removed it. Setting it to the side, she went back to work the buttons on his coat and vest which she also helped him remove. When he was down to his linen shirt, she tugged it from his breeches and lifted it over his head. "Much better," she whispered as she ran her hands over the muscled planes of his chest. His eyes closed as his breaths sped. "Your touch," he breathed. "…'tis that of an angel's."
"Would an angel do this my lord?" she questioned as she began to kiss his chest, her lips and tongue paying particular attention to the tiny, hardened buds she found there as he groaned and buried his hands in her hair causing the pins to fall away.
She looked up at him through her lashes and the look in his vivid blue eyes caused her blood to thrum through her veins as her heart picked up speed.
Reaching down, he loosened the lacings on his breeches and backed her up until she felt the bed behind her. Turning her around quickly, he bent her over the bed and she gasped as he lifted her skirts and pulled down her knickers. "My lord?" she began to question when he leaned over to kiss and nuzzle just under her ear.
"Shh, don't speak," he instructed lowly and she gasped again as he entered her clenching, wet heat, hard and fast with a grunt and a groan.
She moaned loudly and shamelessly as he began thrusting, his hands on her hips holding her steady as each powerful slow stroke jolted her.
He moved her skirts up even further as his hands began to stroke and caress her ass while he gave her every long, thick inch of his cock she could take, over and over again in that same slow, hard rhythm.
Bracing herself with fistfuls of coverlet, she began to cry out and push back into him, thoroughly enjoying being taken in such a primal way.
"Does this please you wife?" he questioned between panted breaths and grunts as he fucked her, the feel of his slick shaft filling and retreating driving all coherent thought from her head.
When she didn't answer with words, he shocked her again when she felt a stinging slap on her bottom. She moaned and clenched around his cock in response. "I asked you a question wife…does this please you?"
"Yes!" she cried out, though she knew not how, so caught in the sensations was she. Still, she managed. "Aye, it does!" she moaned with a toss of her head. "You…please me…greatly!"
"Good," he growled as he soothed her reddened bottom with his hand, barely holding off spilling all he had as he watched himself slide in and out between her perfect, creamy thighs.
"Carlisle!" she finally cried out, pushing back to get every inch she could, her hot, tight walls gripping and pulsing around him as she came.
The sight of her—thrashing, flushed and thoroughly debauched—and the feel of her—hot, tight, gripping and pulsing around him—was too much then and he came with a shout as he rammed in once more and seized while filling her.
When he came back to himself, he looked down at her—lying limply over the bed, her breathing as labored as his—and would have been appalled at himself if not for the seductive chuckle coming from her as he withdrew from her body.
"Hmm," she said as she rolled over and got comfortable on the bed, stretching and eyeing him with a coy smile. "Come," she said while holding a hand out to him. "Lie with me and rest a while until you have to go."
He tucked himself into his breeches and laced them loosely before lying with her where she curled up against him as her hand stroked his chest.
He was almost asleep when her low voice drew him back from slumber. "Be safe this night my lord."
He tightened his hold on her and kissed her head. "I will."
"You must come back to me," she said while leaning up to look in his eyes.
He caressed her face with a gentle hand and a smile. "I vow it."
"Good," she said as she kissed his lips softly.
"…because our child needs you too."
"Isabella?" The voice finally penetrated her thoughts and she startled, the needle she was wielding pricking her finger as she did so. "Ah!" she gasped, bringing her finger to her lips to suck on the bead of blood that welled immediately.
"Oh child, I did not mean to frighten you. Forgive me."
She smiled over at her mother-in-law. "It's quite all right Lady Mary. I was lost in thought, I'm afraid. The fault is my own," she chastised herself as she lay aside her needlework with a quiet sigh.
Mary smiled kindly from her chair next to the fire. "What troubles you child? You've been this way for days. Pray, share your burdens with me?"
Isabella lifted her head to meet the concerned woman's sympathetic gaze. "The moon is full tonight," she said simply and Mary nodded sadly.
"You worry for him," she stated gently and Isabella nodded.
"Aye, 'tis true," she murmured. Really, due to Isabella Swan's knowledge, she knew it was only a matter of time until her husband met a horrible fate on one of his hunts and she was terrified. While she couldn't say she was in love with Carlisle yet, she was most fond of him and didn't want to see him harmed.
They had been married for three months now and he had been nothing but loving, attentive and kind to her. A better husband was not to be had, she was sure.
And now, there were other considerations… She looked up at her mother-in-law who was watching her closely. "Lady Mary…" she began tentatively.
"Yes child, go on," Mary prompted when Isabella hesitated.
"Pray tell, how does a woman know…when she's with child?" she questioned while staring down into her lap.
Mary drew in a sharp breath. "Oh Isabella! Is this something you suspect?"
She nodded without looking up. "Aye," she whispered. "I do." She looked up. "I would like to be sure before I tell my lord husband, but how can I be so? What are the signs?"
Mary nodded with a smile. "Well, oft you will purge in the morn, although 'tis not uncommon to do so no matter the hour. Some odors will make you sick when they never did before and there is the lack of bleeding…"
Isabella blushed and nodded. "Aye my lady, I've all of those."
"How long have you gone without bleeding, child?" Mary questioned gently.
Isabella dipped her head down. "Since before we wed, my lady."
"Truly, you are a blessing to my son, child. He's to be a father!" she exclaimed with a bright smile. "Our Lord has blessed me too, for I still draw breath to witness it!"
Their talk ended when Gerty entered the room. "Lady Cullen, dinner is ready and I have your tray ready for ye. Will ye be takin' it here or in yer chambers this evenin'?"
Mary smiled at Isabella. "I do believe I'm feeling fine enough to take my dinner with the family this evening Gerty, thank you," she said as she rose from her chair.
Isabella stood just as Carlisle entered the room.
"Good evening Mother, Isabella," he nodded to both and kissed each on their cheek in greeting. "Will you be dining with us this evening Mother?"
She smiled softly and cupped his cheek. "I will," she affirmed.
"I'll escort you," he said and she shook her head.
"You've a wife to look after my son. I'll wait upon your father."
He inclined his head. "He should be along…" He trailed off as his father entered the room.
"Mary, 'tis good to see you join us this evening. I trust you're well?"
"Aye, as well as can be," she answered as she took his offered arm.
"I am pleased," he said while glancing at his son and daughter-in-law. "Shall we?" he asked, his normally stern tone surprisingly softened.
Isabella took Carlisle's offered arm and they preceded the older couple to the dining room where he helped her into her seat before standing next to his own. He didn't seat himself until his mother had been seated and then both he and his father sat.
The elder Cullen prayed over the meal and the servers stepped forward to serve the soup course. When they were done, they stepped back and the meal began.
"Tis a full moon this eve son. Are you and your group ready?"
Carlisle paused and took a sip of wine before answering. "Aye Father, we are," he affirmed.
The man grunted. "I hope you see more success than you have in the past." He stared his son down. "You've yet to catch or kill any of the evil that plagues the city. Perhaps I should join you once again. At least when I went out, we managed to purge the odd witch now and again."
Isabella glanced at her husband in time to see the muscles in his jaw twitch as he stared steadfastly down at the table. "Aye, that you did," he agreed, his tone tight with tension. "Whatever you think best Father," he murmured as he began eating again.
The older man scoffed. "You don't seem pleased with doing our Lord's work my son," he commented, somehow making the word 'son' sound less than familial and once again, Carlisle paused mid-bite.
He lowered his spoon and met his father's gaze. "Perhaps because where you see evil Father, I see only impoverished women trying to survive by selling herbs and remedies."
"Soft," the older man spat. "Soft and ignorant in the ways of the evil that plagues us, suffering fools and heretics. You'll never amount to anything in our Lord's service if you don't harden your heart against such things."
Isabella's heart ached at the look on her husband's face as he stared down unseeingly at his meal. "Perhaps not," he murmured. "But I would rather a soft heart and avoid killing one innocent than a hardened one and kill many in pursuit of a few." He looked up and met his father's furious gaze. "Our Lord will judge us all in the end and only He knows the heart. Perhaps we'd be better off leaving Him to it."
He began eating once again and Isabella could have cheered at the way her husband had effectively shut the older man up. She could tell her father-in-law longed to rage at his son, but if there was one good thing about having Mary there, it was the fact that he restrained himself around her. For that, Bella was grateful.
The rest of the meal was consumed in silence and as soon as it was clear she was finished, Carlisle rose and helped her from her seat. "Isabella and I shall retire until it is time for me to assemble with the group. Mother," he leaned down and kissed her cheek. "Father, I bid you both good night."
He led Bella to their rooms and relaxed visibly once their door closed.
He began tugging at his cravat and Bella covered and stilled his hands with her own. "Allow me," she murmured as she loosened the tie and removed it. Setting it to the side, she went back to work the buttons on his coat and vest which she also helped him remove. When he was down to his linen shirt, she tugged it from his breeches and lifted it over his head. "Much better," she whispered as she ran her hands over the muscled planes of his chest. His eyes closed as his breaths sped. "Your touch," he breathed. "…'tis that of an angel's."
"Would an angel do this my lord?" she questioned as she began to kiss his chest, her lips and tongue paying particular attention to the tiny, hardened buds she found there as he groaned and buried his hands in her hair causing the pins to fall away.
She looked up at him through her lashes and the look in his vivid blue eyes caused her blood to thrum through her veins as her heart picked up speed.
Reaching down, he loosened the lacings on his breeches and backed her up until she felt the bed behind her. Turning her around quickly, he bent her over the bed and she gasped as he lifted her skirts and pulled down her knickers. "My lord?" she began to question when he leaned over to kiss and nuzzle just under her ear.
"Shh, don't speak," he instructed lowly and she gasped again as he entered her clenching, wet heat, hard and fast with a grunt and a groan.
She moaned loudly and shamelessly as he began thrusting, his hands on her hips holding her steady as each powerful slow stroke jolted her.
He moved her skirts up even further as his hands began to stroke and caress her ass while he gave her every long, thick inch of his cock she could take, over and over again in that same slow, hard rhythm.
Bracing herself with fistfuls of coverlet, she began to cry out and push back into him, thoroughly enjoying being taken in such a primal way.
"Does this please you wife?" he questioned between panted breaths and grunts as he fucked her, the feel of his slick shaft filling and retreating driving all coherent thought from her head.
When she didn't answer with words, he shocked her again when she felt a stinging slap on her bottom. She moaned and clenched around his cock in response. "I asked you a question wife…does this please you?"
"Yes!" she cried out, though she knew not how, so caught in the sensations was she. Still, she managed. "Aye, it does!" she moaned with a toss of her head. "You…please me…greatly!"
"Good," he growled as he soothed her reddened bottom with his hand, barely holding off spilling all he had as he watched himself slide in and out between her perfect, creamy thighs.
"Carlisle!" she finally cried out, pushing back to get every inch she could, her hot, tight walls gripping and pulsing around him as she came.
The sight of her—thrashing, flushed and thoroughly debauched—and the feel of her—hot, tight, gripping and pulsing around him—was too much then and he came with a shout as he rammed in once more and seized while filling her.
When he came back to himself, he looked down at her—lying limply over the bed, her breathing as labored as his—and would have been appalled at himself if not for the seductive chuckle coming from her as he withdrew from her body.
"Hmm," she said as she rolled over and got comfortable on the bed, stretching and eyeing him with a coy smile. "Come," she said while holding a hand out to him. "Lie with me and rest a while until you have to go."
He tucked himself into his breeches and laced them loosely before lying with her where she curled up against him as her hand stroked his chest.
He was almost asleep when her low voice drew him back from slumber. "Be safe this night my lord."
He tightened his hold on her and kissed her head. "I will."
"You must come back to me," she said while leaning up to look in his eyes.
He caressed her face with a gentle hand and a smile. "I vow it."
"Good," she said as she kissed his lips softly.
"…because our child needs you too."
DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended.