The Promise
by Laura Spudzmom
Chapter 5:
This was it. Now she had no choice, so she stood and turned slowly from her chair, eyes widening in shock when she saw the man. She let out a little gasp. It was the man from her dream! She felt her vision darkening and her knees going weak but he caught her to him before she could fall.
“Whoa there Miss. You all right sugar?”
God, but he smelled good and he felt good too. Well, the parts she could feel of his muscled chest under her hands anyway. She nodded and mourned the loss of him as he helped her back into her seat but then he knelt down in front of her. “Are you sure? Should I fetch the doctor?”
He glanced from Isabella’s beautiful face to Mrs. Cuthbert’s who was nodding. “Yes, I do believe you should Mr. Whitlock. After her fainting last evening and almost fainting just now, she should be looked at just to be safe.”
Bella came out of her stupor. “No! “ She took a deep breath and let it out. “No, really, I don’t need a doctor. I’ll be fine in a moment.”
She met his beautiful hazel eyes that were filled with worry and skepticism and smiled. “Really Mr. Whitlock, I’ll be fine. There’s nothing wrong with me.”
Bella and Pete looked at Mrs Cuthbert as she scoffed. “Nothing but fainting and the loss of your memories. I’d say that’s quite enough and warrants a visit from the doctor.”
Peter rose from his place beside her. “I agree. I’ll go fetch him and be back directly.”
He turned and left, ignoring Bella’s protests. She sighed in defeat and shook her head before scowling at a contrite looking Mrs. Cuthbert. “Short? Thick around the middle? Bald spot and bad teeth?”
Mrs. Cuthbert smiled sheepishly. “Forgive an old lady a little fun. I only meant to tease, not send you into a panic my dear. I’m truly sorry for distressin’ ya hun. I had no idea you’d take it so hard.”
Bella nodded with a sigh. “I forgive you and any other time, I’d probably have a good laugh with you. I must admit, you got me good.”
She looked over as Claire giggled behind her hand. “She told you those things about the divine Mr. Whitlock?”
Bella nodded as she sipped her tea. “Yes, she did. Had me dreading his arrival, that’s for sure.”
Mr. O’Hanlon spoke up just as Pete walked back in with the doctor. “I’d be happy to help you up to your room Miss Isabella, so the doctor can check you over.”
She gasped as Pete scooped her into his arms. “No need O’Hanlon. I’ll be helpin’ her.” He grinned at the man. “You just relax and sip your tea.”
Bella shivered and snuggled closer as she saw the dark look O’Hanlon shot Peter. As he began to climb the stairs, she glanced up at him.
“You shouldn’t pick a fight with that man Mr. Whitlock. He looks dangerous to me.”
He glanced down at her with a playful grin. “Oh, him? Nah, he ain’t nothin’ sugar. All talk with nothin’ backin’ it up.”
He placed her on her bed. “My job’s over Miss Isabella. I’ll leave you to the doctor now.”
He headed for the door and she got a pang in her chest. “Thank you for your help Mr. Whitlock.”
He turned with a smile. “It was my pleasure Miss. May I call on you again?”
Relief filled her and she smiled. “I’d like that very much.”
“Well, okay then. I’ll see you later Miss, Mrs Cuthbert, Dr. Horton. A good day to you all.”
He turned and left and Mrs Cuthbert shut the door. “Would you like me to stay dear?”
Bella eyed the old doctor and nodded. “Yes, I would, thank you.”
It turned out to be a very cursory check up and Bella was thankful for small favors. She hadn’t looked forward to having to throw a fit if he’d insisted on something embarrassing. It was a bullet dodged and she considered it a win, especially since he could find nothing wrong with her.
He was putting his things back in his bag when Bella thought of something. “Doctor? I’ll be by your office to pay you just as soon as I’m able to get to the bank and start an account.”
He continued gathering his things. “No need Miss. Mr. Whitlock paid me up front.” He inclined his head and left.
Bella looked at Mrs Cuthbert. “He paid you too didn’t he?”
She smiled in understanding. “He sure did hun, for a week.”
Bella stood. “Where is the bank Mrs Cuthbert? I’ve a need to see to some debts.”
“Oh dear, he wouldn’t like that hun. He did it outta care for you.”
Bella spun around to stare incredulously. “Care for me? He doesn’t even know me! He can’t just go around paying my way. It’s not right and I’m going to fix it just as soon as I get to the bank.”
Mrs. Cuthbert’s brows rose. “Oh my, y’all are gonna butt heads for sure. He did you a kindness girl, let it lie.”
Bella shook her head as she headed for the door. “I can’t. I won’t. I have my own funds for a reason and it isn’t right to put him out in such a way. I suppose I’ll find the bank on my own. This town can’t be that large.”
She left with her satchel in hand, leaving a spluttering Mrs Cuthbert in her wake.
She regretted her decision almost immediately. The town, as it turned out, was pretty big, especially if you had no idea where you were going. It was also filled with some rough looking men who had quite perfected the leer.
After turning down two side streets and one main street, she realized that she was well and truly lost. There was no help for it, she would have to ask someone for assistance. She glanced around and saw two women walking together. “Excuse me, could you direct me to the bank please?”
The women stopped. “Sure hun, but you shouldn’t be in town by yourself. Why, my husband would tan our daughter’s hide good if she tried something like that. Where’s your Mama or Daddy child?”
Bella tried hard to check her temper, realizing that she was in a very different place and time. “I’m alone ma’am and have no one, that’s why I need to get to the bank for funds to pay my way.”
The women’s eyes widened. “Oh my, I’m sorry to hear that sugar. The bank’s just around this corner and one block up. You be careful though. Plenty of no-goods in this town that’d love to get their hands on you. We’d walk you there but we’re already late for an appointment.”
Bella smiled. “That’s all right. I’ll find my way now. Thank you.”
She was just rounding the corner when she felt someone grab her from behind and drag her into an alley, hand over her mouth. Terror shot through her and she struggled, stomping on her captors foot.
“Damn! Calm down little filly, I just want to have a little fun, then I’ll let ya be on your way.”
She struggled some more and he only tightened his grip on her as he began trying to kiss her neck. She realized that she would have to try a different strategy so she relaxed fully and tilted her head. It seemed to work as he laughed and loosened his hold. “That’s it little girl. Ya sure broke easy enough. Now we’ll have some real fun.”
He didn’t remove his hand from over her mouth but it had loosened enough that she thought she could probably get a good bite in, then maybe she’d be able to scream. She hoped so anyway so she gave it a try. She bit him as hard as she could, drawing blood, and was screaming at the top of her lungs as soon as he let up on her enough.
“Damn it! Ya whore.” He snarled. “You’re gonna pay for that ya little bitch. I was even gonna treat ya nice and let ya have some fun too, but now I’m just gonna use ya like the slut ya are.”
This was it. Now she had no choice, so she stood and turned slowly from her chair, eyes widening in shock when she saw the man. She let out a little gasp. It was the man from her dream! She felt her vision darkening and her knees going weak but he caught her to him before she could fall.
“Whoa there Miss. You all right sugar?”
God, but he smelled good and he felt good too. Well, the parts she could feel of his muscled chest under her hands anyway. She nodded and mourned the loss of him as he helped her back into her seat but then he knelt down in front of her. “Are you sure? Should I fetch the doctor?”
He glanced from Isabella’s beautiful face to Mrs. Cuthbert’s who was nodding. “Yes, I do believe you should Mr. Whitlock. After her fainting last evening and almost fainting just now, she should be looked at just to be safe.”
Bella came out of her stupor. “No! “ She took a deep breath and let it out. “No, really, I don’t need a doctor. I’ll be fine in a moment.”
She met his beautiful hazel eyes that were filled with worry and skepticism and smiled. “Really Mr. Whitlock, I’ll be fine. There’s nothing wrong with me.”
Bella and Pete looked at Mrs Cuthbert as she scoffed. “Nothing but fainting and the loss of your memories. I’d say that’s quite enough and warrants a visit from the doctor.”
Peter rose from his place beside her. “I agree. I’ll go fetch him and be back directly.”
He turned and left, ignoring Bella’s protests. She sighed in defeat and shook her head before scowling at a contrite looking Mrs. Cuthbert. “Short? Thick around the middle? Bald spot and bad teeth?”
Mrs. Cuthbert smiled sheepishly. “Forgive an old lady a little fun. I only meant to tease, not send you into a panic my dear. I’m truly sorry for distressin’ ya hun. I had no idea you’d take it so hard.”
Bella nodded with a sigh. “I forgive you and any other time, I’d probably have a good laugh with you. I must admit, you got me good.”
She looked over as Claire giggled behind her hand. “She told you those things about the divine Mr. Whitlock?”
Bella nodded as she sipped her tea. “Yes, she did. Had me dreading his arrival, that’s for sure.”
Mr. O’Hanlon spoke up just as Pete walked back in with the doctor. “I’d be happy to help you up to your room Miss Isabella, so the doctor can check you over.”
She gasped as Pete scooped her into his arms. “No need O’Hanlon. I’ll be helpin’ her.” He grinned at the man. “You just relax and sip your tea.”
Bella shivered and snuggled closer as she saw the dark look O’Hanlon shot Peter. As he began to climb the stairs, she glanced up at him.
“You shouldn’t pick a fight with that man Mr. Whitlock. He looks dangerous to me.”
He glanced down at her with a playful grin. “Oh, him? Nah, he ain’t nothin’ sugar. All talk with nothin’ backin’ it up.”
He placed her on her bed. “My job’s over Miss Isabella. I’ll leave you to the doctor now.”
He headed for the door and she got a pang in her chest. “Thank you for your help Mr. Whitlock.”
He turned with a smile. “It was my pleasure Miss. May I call on you again?”
Relief filled her and she smiled. “I’d like that very much.”
“Well, okay then. I’ll see you later Miss, Mrs Cuthbert, Dr. Horton. A good day to you all.”
He turned and left and Mrs Cuthbert shut the door. “Would you like me to stay dear?”
Bella eyed the old doctor and nodded. “Yes, I would, thank you.”
It turned out to be a very cursory check up and Bella was thankful for small favors. She hadn’t looked forward to having to throw a fit if he’d insisted on something embarrassing. It was a bullet dodged and she considered it a win, especially since he could find nothing wrong with her.
He was putting his things back in his bag when Bella thought of something. “Doctor? I’ll be by your office to pay you just as soon as I’m able to get to the bank and start an account.”
He continued gathering his things. “No need Miss. Mr. Whitlock paid me up front.” He inclined his head and left.
Bella looked at Mrs Cuthbert. “He paid you too didn’t he?”
She smiled in understanding. “He sure did hun, for a week.”
Bella stood. “Where is the bank Mrs Cuthbert? I’ve a need to see to some debts.”
“Oh dear, he wouldn’t like that hun. He did it outta care for you.”
Bella spun around to stare incredulously. “Care for me? He doesn’t even know me! He can’t just go around paying my way. It’s not right and I’m going to fix it just as soon as I get to the bank.”
Mrs. Cuthbert’s brows rose. “Oh my, y’all are gonna butt heads for sure. He did you a kindness girl, let it lie.”
Bella shook her head as she headed for the door. “I can’t. I won’t. I have my own funds for a reason and it isn’t right to put him out in such a way. I suppose I’ll find the bank on my own. This town can’t be that large.”
She left with her satchel in hand, leaving a spluttering Mrs Cuthbert in her wake.
She regretted her decision almost immediately. The town, as it turned out, was pretty big, especially if you had no idea where you were going. It was also filled with some rough looking men who had quite perfected the leer.
After turning down two side streets and one main street, she realized that she was well and truly lost. There was no help for it, she would have to ask someone for assistance. She glanced around and saw two women walking together. “Excuse me, could you direct me to the bank please?”
The women stopped. “Sure hun, but you shouldn’t be in town by yourself. Why, my husband would tan our daughter’s hide good if she tried something like that. Where’s your Mama or Daddy child?”
Bella tried hard to check her temper, realizing that she was in a very different place and time. “I’m alone ma’am and have no one, that’s why I need to get to the bank for funds to pay my way.”
The women’s eyes widened. “Oh my, I’m sorry to hear that sugar. The bank’s just around this corner and one block up. You be careful though. Plenty of no-goods in this town that’d love to get their hands on you. We’d walk you there but we’re already late for an appointment.”
Bella smiled. “That’s all right. I’ll find my way now. Thank you.”
She was just rounding the corner when she felt someone grab her from behind and drag her into an alley, hand over her mouth. Terror shot through her and she struggled, stomping on her captors foot.
“Damn! Calm down little filly, I just want to have a little fun, then I’ll let ya be on your way.”
She struggled some more and he only tightened his grip on her as he began trying to kiss her neck. She realized that she would have to try a different strategy so she relaxed fully and tilted her head. It seemed to work as he laughed and loosened his hold. “That’s it little girl. Ya sure broke easy enough. Now we’ll have some real fun.”
He didn’t remove his hand from over her mouth but it had loosened enough that she thought she could probably get a good bite in, then maybe she’d be able to scream. She hoped so anyway so she gave it a try. She bit him as hard as she could, drawing blood, and was screaming at the top of her lungs as soon as he let up on her enough.
“Damn it! Ya whore.” He snarled. “You’re gonna pay for that ya little bitch. I was even gonna treat ya nice and let ya have some fun too, but now I’m just gonna use ya like the slut ya are.”
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.