The Journey
by Laura Spudzmom
Chapter 03
He stared at her for moments looking startled as the silence stretched out between them and Bella began to fear his reaction. What if this news displeased him?
Then he reached out and cupped her cheek as she stared down at the bed. "Truly?" he whispered. "Am I to be a father?" he asked with wonder in his voice and she met his gaze once again with a tiny nod.
"Aye, after speaking with your mother, I believe so my lord."
He pulled her close with a quietly joyful laugh. "I've truly been blessed, first with such a wife as you and now with a child; I can scarce take it in…" he murmured as his fingers gently carded through her loosened locks.
She relaxed against him, a small smile curving her lips as she was lulled to sleep by the steady beat of his heart under her ear.
Carlisle awoke an hour later to the timid knock of a servant at his door. Lifting his wife's sleeping form from him, he placed her gently back against the pillows and covered her with a quilt as he kissed her head.
Quickly slipping into his shirt, he answered the door and quietly thanked the servant for waking him before fully dressing for his evening of roaming the darkest parts of London.
He sighed. Truth be told, he hated this part of his duties. His heart most definitely wasn't in it. As a matter of fact, he could say he was against what they did for the most part, due to the fact that all he'd ever seen be caught were poor women trying to survive the only way they knew how. He'd never once seen a werewolf or vampire, though his father was adamant concerning the existence of such evil.
Doing something about it though would require open defiance of his father and that would require open defiance of the church; something, he knew, would result in imprisonment and perhaps even death.
Being as quiet as he could, he armed himself with the various weapons and holy tools of the trade before slipping out of his rooms, donning his heavy cloak and making his way out into the street.
The walk to the church was a short one and soon he found himself amongst a group of torch bearing men, quietly discussing the details of their upcoming hunt. "Lord Cullen," one of the more seasoned parishioners greeted.
He inclined his head and raised his voice to be heard as he addressed the group. "Good evening to you. You all know where we hunt this night?"
Upon the many affirmations, he continued. "Very well. Let us pray for our Lord's blessing, and we shall depart. Remember to stay in groups of no less than three and we shall meet back here at daybreak." He then prayed over them and they set out for the bleakest parts of the city; the back alleys and sewers leading to the docks and waterfront.
All seemed relatively quiet until Carlisle and his group turned into a dank, narrow street that housed a pub and brothel. The sight that greeted him had his eyes widening in shock as his breath caught.
There was a man bent over the pinned form of a woman, but as Carlisle watched on, the man looked up and as the light of the torch reflected off his softly shimmering form, he was shocked even further by the creature's eyes. They were red and glowing with a feral light as blood dripped from the creature's chin.
Carlisle crossed himself and pulled his sword as he glanced at his terrified companions. "The Lord is our strength," he murmured as he ran toward the creature who hissed and vanished in an instant, leaving the drained body of the woman behind.
One of Carlisle's companions knelt to check the body and Carlisle shook his head. "There's no help for her. She is gone, but do what must be done and be quick. We must be after him!"
"Aye, my lord," his companion answered with a nod and steeled himself as he took the woman's head with one swift arc of his blade, noting the lack of blood as he did so. Leaning to the side, he retched and coughed as the head rolled to a stop in a nearby puddle.
"All right, 'tis done, let us be away," Carlisle muttered as his own stomach lurched while he strode away. He was still very much in shock over the encounter with the creature. He'd never expected his father to be right and now he had to face the reality of it.
But the creature had been so swift! How were they to catch or kill such a being? He had no idea. He knew one thing however; now, more than ever, the hunt must continue, for looking into those red eyes had convinced him; true evil did exist and as a man of God, it was his duty to rid his city of it.
Dawn was just breaking when the tired group gathered at the church once again, many looking worse for wear, their clothes filthy and some torn. They had searched for the rest of the night and had found nothing which left him rather uneasy, knowing they were out there, roaming freely. What alarmed Carlisle the most however was two of their number missing. "Where are Mr. Collins and Mr. Adams?"
He took note of the terrified looks on some of the faces. "They was taken my lord," one brave soul muttered as he crossed himself. "Taken by the devil's own, they were." The man met Carlisle's gaze, his eyes full of terror. "The creature's looked like men, but their eyes my lord—red and glowing like a demon's they were!"
Upon that declaration, there were several nods and audible "Aye's" as they all shuddered and crossed themselves.
Carlisle nodded. "Aye, I saw them too but we must stay strong and continue on with our Lord's work for these being's are evil, in truth. Take heart men, for our Lord has now shown us a worthy adversary and we must not fail Him. Let us pray and be on our way and I shall see you on the Lord's day."
He prayed over them then and they all went their separate ways.
Carlisle's day was only beginning though because after bathing and dressing at home, he would have to visit the families of Collins and Adams. He heaved a weary sigh at just the thought as he opened the door to his home and stepped through. After hanging his hat and cloak, he quietly headed toward his rooms.
As he passed the parlor, he spied the form of his wife in a chair by the fire. "Isabella?" he questioned softly. "Why are you not still a'bed? 'Tis quite early, the day is barely broken."
"My lord," she breathed as she set her needlework aside. "You're safe."
He reached her in two long strides and took her hands in his as he placed a kiss on her cheek. "I'm safe," he agreed as she blinked up at him.
There was a stiffness to his countenance that was never there before and her brow creased as she studied him. "What ails you my lord? Is there aught amiss?"
He held her concerned gaze for moments, trying to decide how much to share with her. He didn't want her or his child to be harmed, and fretting about this would only hurt them, he was sure. Still, he had to be somewhat forthcoming. He would never lie to his wife and so he finally nodded. "Aye, we lost two of our number to some great evil last night, an evil I witnessed with my own eyes as it fed from an unfortunate."
At her sharply indrawn breath, he knelt down and covered her hands with his. "Worry not wife," he said earnestly. "Our Lord will protect us as long as we have faith." He bent his head and kissed her hands and a tear traced a path down her cheek as she watched him.
"My lord," she whispered and he looked up once again. "Pray cease these hunts, I beg you! No good can come of them and I fear you'll be taken!"
He stood and caressed her face with the backs of his fingers. "My sweet wife, worry not, for the Lord will not task me with a thing that He's not strengthened me for beforehand. Now, I must go bathe and change. I must see to the families of the two we've lost."
She wiped her tears as she took a bracing breath and rose from the chair. "I shall attend you and accompany you to the families to offer what comfort I may."
She took his arm and they made their way to his rooms. On the way, Bella stopped a servant and requested a bucket of heated water.
When they arrived, and the servant had brought the water, she turned to her husband who stood patiently waiting and began working to loosen the cravat at his neck. The nervous clearing of his throat had her eyes flitting up to meet his but she dropped her gaze almost immediately and began on the buttons of his coat. When she had them all open, she glided her hands under the material to slide the coat from his shoulders. He was warm, his muscles firm under her hands and she bit her lip to focus on her task instead of her husband's physique. The vest and shirt were next and she made short work of them, soon baring his torso to her regard.
Taking up a soft cloth, she dipped it in the heated water and wrung it out before rubbing the lump of soap over it.
Stepping closer to his bared chest, she looked up into his eyes. "May I, my lord," she asked as she held up the cloth.
"Yes," he murmured, his voice husky with the tension crackling between them.
Gently, she ran the cloth over his skin while resting one hand against the smooth muscle of his chest. Rinsing the cloth, she went back over the damp skin to remove the soap, rinsed again and started on his chest and arms. When she was completely through, he drew her close while tucking some hair back from her face. "You're becoming so precious to me Isabella… Never did I envision feeling this way," he murmured while tilting her face up with gentle fingers under her chin.
Her heart sped at the heated look in his eyes and when she looked down, she blushed at the bulge she could see in his breeches. "Thank you my lord. I'm happy I please you."
He urged her head back up as his hold around her waist tightened. "It is more than being pleased with you, wife. There is love blooming in my heart for you," he whispered as he captured her lips in a kiss. When he drew back, he continued. "While I thought we'd be compatible and learn to regard each other fondly, this is so much more and it fills my heart with joy."
She leaned up on her toes and kissed him then because she didn't know quite what to say. While she knew she cared for him and respected him, she still couldn't say she loved him and she didn't want to hurt him, so she threw herself into the kiss to avoid speaking and hoped, with time, she'd come to love him in return. It was difficult though because she knew she was going to lose him. She just didn't know when and so she guarded her heart.
When their kiss broke, she slowly backed away and got out a clean shirt for him which she handed to him wordlessly. He sighed and put it on. "Yes, I suppose I must focus on my duties, mustn't I?" he asked while giving her a wan smile as she held his vest and coat.
"Yes, my lord. I'm sure the families must be frantic with worry."
"Aye, I'm sure they are," he agreed with a frown. "We will see to them first before breaking our fast."
She nodded and straightened his cravat after tying his hair back with a leather tie. "There," she said as she inspected him with a nod. "You are quite presentable now my lord."
Amusement danced through his blue eyes. "Presentable?"
She blushed but held his gaze. "Yes," she affirmed.
"Well," he said as he took her hand and bowed over it. "My thanks for your assistance, my lady wife."
"You're quite welcome, my lord," she breathed at the look she was receiving from him as he kissed her hand. "Sh—shall we be going now?" she stuttered and he straightened and offered his arm.
"We shall."
~o0o~
To say carrying such terrible news to two separate families was an ordeal would be understating things greatly and Isabella hoped with all her heart this was the very last time she'd have to endure such a thing.
The grief had been overwhelming and she'd been hard-pressed to deal with it. As it was, she leaned heavily against her husband on the way home, finally breaking down in the relative privacy of their home.
Carlisle had picked her up then and carried her to his rooms where he laid her on the bed. Taking a seat next to her, he caressed her cheek as she cried. "I'm sorry," she choked out through her tears. "I should be stronger…"
"Shh," he hushed her while drying her tears. "You have a tender heart and there is nothing wrong with that. The morning was a trying one for us all. Do not be ashamed of sharing their grief."
She covered his hand on her cheek with her own and stared up at him. "You're a very good man, Carlisle Cullen and I am proud to call you my husband."
He smiled and dried more of her tears. "Would you like something to eat now?"
She shook her head. "I cannot eat just now. Perhaps later, but I am so very tired…"
"Well then," he said while covering her with a quilt. "Sleep my beautiful wife, and dream good dreams. I shall see you later."
He rose from the bed and she closed her eyes and surrendered to fatigue and as she slipped away into dreams, she embraced a feeling of relief… the relief of the knowledge they were safe…
Safe from whatever fate had in mind…
…for another month, at least.
He stared at her for moments looking startled as the silence stretched out between them and Bella began to fear his reaction. What if this news displeased him?
Then he reached out and cupped her cheek as she stared down at the bed. "Truly?" he whispered. "Am I to be a father?" he asked with wonder in his voice and she met his gaze once again with a tiny nod.
"Aye, after speaking with your mother, I believe so my lord."
He pulled her close with a quietly joyful laugh. "I've truly been blessed, first with such a wife as you and now with a child; I can scarce take it in…" he murmured as his fingers gently carded through her loosened locks.
She relaxed against him, a small smile curving her lips as she was lulled to sleep by the steady beat of his heart under her ear.
Carlisle awoke an hour later to the timid knock of a servant at his door. Lifting his wife's sleeping form from him, he placed her gently back against the pillows and covered her with a quilt as he kissed her head.
Quickly slipping into his shirt, he answered the door and quietly thanked the servant for waking him before fully dressing for his evening of roaming the darkest parts of London.
He sighed. Truth be told, he hated this part of his duties. His heart most definitely wasn't in it. As a matter of fact, he could say he was against what they did for the most part, due to the fact that all he'd ever seen be caught were poor women trying to survive the only way they knew how. He'd never once seen a werewolf or vampire, though his father was adamant concerning the existence of such evil.
Doing something about it though would require open defiance of his father and that would require open defiance of the church; something, he knew, would result in imprisonment and perhaps even death.
Being as quiet as he could, he armed himself with the various weapons and holy tools of the trade before slipping out of his rooms, donning his heavy cloak and making his way out into the street.
The walk to the church was a short one and soon he found himself amongst a group of torch bearing men, quietly discussing the details of their upcoming hunt. "Lord Cullen," one of the more seasoned parishioners greeted.
He inclined his head and raised his voice to be heard as he addressed the group. "Good evening to you. You all know where we hunt this night?"
Upon the many affirmations, he continued. "Very well. Let us pray for our Lord's blessing, and we shall depart. Remember to stay in groups of no less than three and we shall meet back here at daybreak." He then prayed over them and they set out for the bleakest parts of the city; the back alleys and sewers leading to the docks and waterfront.
All seemed relatively quiet until Carlisle and his group turned into a dank, narrow street that housed a pub and brothel. The sight that greeted him had his eyes widening in shock as his breath caught.
There was a man bent over the pinned form of a woman, but as Carlisle watched on, the man looked up and as the light of the torch reflected off his softly shimmering form, he was shocked even further by the creature's eyes. They were red and glowing with a feral light as blood dripped from the creature's chin.
Carlisle crossed himself and pulled his sword as he glanced at his terrified companions. "The Lord is our strength," he murmured as he ran toward the creature who hissed and vanished in an instant, leaving the drained body of the woman behind.
One of Carlisle's companions knelt to check the body and Carlisle shook his head. "There's no help for her. She is gone, but do what must be done and be quick. We must be after him!"
"Aye, my lord," his companion answered with a nod and steeled himself as he took the woman's head with one swift arc of his blade, noting the lack of blood as he did so. Leaning to the side, he retched and coughed as the head rolled to a stop in a nearby puddle.
"All right, 'tis done, let us be away," Carlisle muttered as his own stomach lurched while he strode away. He was still very much in shock over the encounter with the creature. He'd never expected his father to be right and now he had to face the reality of it.
But the creature had been so swift! How were they to catch or kill such a being? He had no idea. He knew one thing however; now, more than ever, the hunt must continue, for looking into those red eyes had convinced him; true evil did exist and as a man of God, it was his duty to rid his city of it.
Dawn was just breaking when the tired group gathered at the church once again, many looking worse for wear, their clothes filthy and some torn. They had searched for the rest of the night and had found nothing which left him rather uneasy, knowing they were out there, roaming freely. What alarmed Carlisle the most however was two of their number missing. "Where are Mr. Collins and Mr. Adams?"
He took note of the terrified looks on some of the faces. "They was taken my lord," one brave soul muttered as he crossed himself. "Taken by the devil's own, they were." The man met Carlisle's gaze, his eyes full of terror. "The creature's looked like men, but their eyes my lord—red and glowing like a demon's they were!"
Upon that declaration, there were several nods and audible "Aye's" as they all shuddered and crossed themselves.
Carlisle nodded. "Aye, I saw them too but we must stay strong and continue on with our Lord's work for these being's are evil, in truth. Take heart men, for our Lord has now shown us a worthy adversary and we must not fail Him. Let us pray and be on our way and I shall see you on the Lord's day."
He prayed over them then and they all went their separate ways.
Carlisle's day was only beginning though because after bathing and dressing at home, he would have to visit the families of Collins and Adams. He heaved a weary sigh at just the thought as he opened the door to his home and stepped through. After hanging his hat and cloak, he quietly headed toward his rooms.
As he passed the parlor, he spied the form of his wife in a chair by the fire. "Isabella?" he questioned softly. "Why are you not still a'bed? 'Tis quite early, the day is barely broken."
"My lord," she breathed as she set her needlework aside. "You're safe."
He reached her in two long strides and took her hands in his as he placed a kiss on her cheek. "I'm safe," he agreed as she blinked up at him.
There was a stiffness to his countenance that was never there before and her brow creased as she studied him. "What ails you my lord? Is there aught amiss?"
He held her concerned gaze for moments, trying to decide how much to share with her. He didn't want her or his child to be harmed, and fretting about this would only hurt them, he was sure. Still, he had to be somewhat forthcoming. He would never lie to his wife and so he finally nodded. "Aye, we lost two of our number to some great evil last night, an evil I witnessed with my own eyes as it fed from an unfortunate."
At her sharply indrawn breath, he knelt down and covered her hands with his. "Worry not wife," he said earnestly. "Our Lord will protect us as long as we have faith." He bent his head and kissed her hands and a tear traced a path down her cheek as she watched him.
"My lord," she whispered and he looked up once again. "Pray cease these hunts, I beg you! No good can come of them and I fear you'll be taken!"
He stood and caressed her face with the backs of his fingers. "My sweet wife, worry not, for the Lord will not task me with a thing that He's not strengthened me for beforehand. Now, I must go bathe and change. I must see to the families of the two we've lost."
She wiped her tears as she took a bracing breath and rose from the chair. "I shall attend you and accompany you to the families to offer what comfort I may."
She took his arm and they made their way to his rooms. On the way, Bella stopped a servant and requested a bucket of heated water.
When they arrived, and the servant had brought the water, she turned to her husband who stood patiently waiting and began working to loosen the cravat at his neck. The nervous clearing of his throat had her eyes flitting up to meet his but she dropped her gaze almost immediately and began on the buttons of his coat. When she had them all open, she glided her hands under the material to slide the coat from his shoulders. He was warm, his muscles firm under her hands and she bit her lip to focus on her task instead of her husband's physique. The vest and shirt were next and she made short work of them, soon baring his torso to her regard.
Taking up a soft cloth, she dipped it in the heated water and wrung it out before rubbing the lump of soap over it.
Stepping closer to his bared chest, she looked up into his eyes. "May I, my lord," she asked as she held up the cloth.
"Yes," he murmured, his voice husky with the tension crackling between them.
Gently, she ran the cloth over his skin while resting one hand against the smooth muscle of his chest. Rinsing the cloth, she went back over the damp skin to remove the soap, rinsed again and started on his chest and arms. When she was completely through, he drew her close while tucking some hair back from her face. "You're becoming so precious to me Isabella… Never did I envision feeling this way," he murmured while tilting her face up with gentle fingers under her chin.
Her heart sped at the heated look in his eyes and when she looked down, she blushed at the bulge she could see in his breeches. "Thank you my lord. I'm happy I please you."
He urged her head back up as his hold around her waist tightened. "It is more than being pleased with you, wife. There is love blooming in my heart for you," he whispered as he captured her lips in a kiss. When he drew back, he continued. "While I thought we'd be compatible and learn to regard each other fondly, this is so much more and it fills my heart with joy."
She leaned up on her toes and kissed him then because she didn't know quite what to say. While she knew she cared for him and respected him, she still couldn't say she loved him and she didn't want to hurt him, so she threw herself into the kiss to avoid speaking and hoped, with time, she'd come to love him in return. It was difficult though because she knew she was going to lose him. She just didn't know when and so she guarded her heart.
When their kiss broke, she slowly backed away and got out a clean shirt for him which she handed to him wordlessly. He sighed and put it on. "Yes, I suppose I must focus on my duties, mustn't I?" he asked while giving her a wan smile as she held his vest and coat.
"Yes, my lord. I'm sure the families must be frantic with worry."
"Aye, I'm sure they are," he agreed with a frown. "We will see to them first before breaking our fast."
She nodded and straightened his cravat after tying his hair back with a leather tie. "There," she said as she inspected him with a nod. "You are quite presentable now my lord."
Amusement danced through his blue eyes. "Presentable?"
She blushed but held his gaze. "Yes," she affirmed.
"Well," he said as he took her hand and bowed over it. "My thanks for your assistance, my lady wife."
"You're quite welcome, my lord," she breathed at the look she was receiving from him as he kissed her hand. "Sh—shall we be going now?" she stuttered and he straightened and offered his arm.
"We shall."
~o0o~
To say carrying such terrible news to two separate families was an ordeal would be understating things greatly and Isabella hoped with all her heart this was the very last time she'd have to endure such a thing.
The grief had been overwhelming and she'd been hard-pressed to deal with it. As it was, she leaned heavily against her husband on the way home, finally breaking down in the relative privacy of their home.
Carlisle had picked her up then and carried her to his rooms where he laid her on the bed. Taking a seat next to her, he caressed her cheek as she cried. "I'm sorry," she choked out through her tears. "I should be stronger…"
"Shh," he hushed her while drying her tears. "You have a tender heart and there is nothing wrong with that. The morning was a trying one for us all. Do not be ashamed of sharing their grief."
She covered his hand on her cheek with her own and stared up at him. "You're a very good man, Carlisle Cullen and I am proud to call you my husband."
He smiled and dried more of her tears. "Would you like something to eat now?"
She shook her head. "I cannot eat just now. Perhaps later, but I am so very tired…"
"Well then," he said while covering her with a quilt. "Sleep my beautiful wife, and dream good dreams. I shall see you later."
He rose from the bed and she closed her eyes and surrendered to fatigue and as she slipped away into dreams, she embraced a feeling of relief… the relief of the knowledge they were safe…
Safe from whatever fate had in mind…
…for another month, at least.
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.