Waiting For My Real Life To Begin
by Laura Spudzmom
Chapter 14
The next month was spent with Bella and Jasper adjusting to married life and all it brought with it and while it'd been blissful and wonderful, there had also been challenges; even times where Bella had wanted to throttle her new husband and she was sure he had felt the same about her.
She sighed as she stared out the parlor window, reflecting back on their less than stellar moments, and she hated to admit it, but most of those moments had come just recently, and had been due to her. She was just so… oh hell, the only way she could describe herself these days was emotionally unstable.
She was a mess, and she didn't know what was going on or how to fix it. Tears filled her eyes just thinking about it and that just served to piss her off. She fisted her hands at her sides in frustration.
She needed someone to talk to and the only one she felt she could really open up to was her father and he had been gone for two weeks now on some kind of business in Virginia. This had her worried too as he hadn't shared just what it was he was doing there in his home state, or who he'd gone to see. Was he messing with things from his past? She just didn't know, but it was the only thing she could conclude.
Thinking on such things brought to mind the letter that Bonnie had given her and she felt guilty for not having delivered it yet even though Bonnie hadn't indicated a time frame for her to do so. Still, it weighed on her mind and she would be glad to hand it over to the woman finally and be done with it.
It was at this moment that their butler came in. "Mrs. Whitlock, your father is here to see you."
She gasped lightly, a smile coming to her face as she wiped at a few errant tears. "Oh thank you Charles! Please show him in and bring a tray of refreshments will you?"
He bowed. "Right away Ma'am."
She smiled as he left the room.
Charles was a gem. Jasper had hired him almost on the spot when he'd applied for the job and Bella couldn't have been happier.
He was a free man of color and had been down on his luck, having a difficult time finding anyone willing to hire him in the increasingly turbulent times they found themselves in here in the south. But he was a wonderful addition to their staff and household, with a quick wit and a spark of life in his brown eyes rarely seen in these times.
Both Bella and Jasper had liked him immediately and he them and their home had run as a well oiled machine ever since due to his experience and the fact that the rest of their staff respected him without reservation.
Not a minute later the door opened and her father walked in accompanied by a woman. He opened his arms to her and she couldn't help herself… she flew into them, clinging tightly as he wrapped his arms around her. "Ho perso te papà." ("I missed you Dad.")
He rested his cheek on the top of her head. "Mi sei mancato troppo , la mia dolce ragazza." ("I missed you too, my sweet girl.")
He backed away so that he could see her clearly. "You look well."
She smiled tentatively. "I am. What have you been up to while you've been away?" She glanced at the woman who gave her a soft smile, and then back at her father.
"You know I traveled to Virginia…"
Bella nodded and he continued. "Well, let me introduce you to Miss Emily Bennett."
Bella's breath caught at the name and she stared, wide-eyed at the woman. "You're… Oh! Thank god! I have a letter for you! Please, make yourselves comfortable and I'll go get it." She looked at her father as he sat. "Charles should be in any moment with refreshments. I'll be right back."
She passed Charles just as she left the parlor. "I'll be back in a moment Charles. Please go ahead and serve the refreshments."
"Yes Ma'am, Mrs. Whitlock. Will that be all?"
"Well, it's so close to lunch, you might inform the cook that our guests may be staying. Do you know if Mr. Whitlock planned to come home for the mid-day meal? I was still asleep when he left this morning."
"Yes Ma'am. He did say that was his intention."
She smiled. "Perfect. Thank you Charles. You're a life saver."
He raised a brow at her, a mirthful twinkle in his eyes. "Can't recall ever being described in such a way until today Ma'am, but thank you."
She laughed as she hurried away, sending back over her shoulder, "Well, it's true Charles!"
She hurried up to her room and quickly found the small box with the letter. Grabbing the box, she hurried back down the stairs, tripping on the last tread with a cry of dismay as she fell in a heap, her ankle already throbbing.
She sat up, tears springing into her eyes from the pain just as Charles hurried over to her. "Mrs. Whitlock!" He knelt and handed her the box. "What happened? Are you hurt? Should I send for the Doctor?"
She set the box aside and felt of her rapidly swelling ankle, choking on a sob as the pain shot through her lower leg from just a touch.
"Oh Charles, that old quack won't be able to do anything that I can't do myself." She glanced up at him. "Do you think that you can get me into the parlor and then get some ice from the cold storage? Just wrap some chips of it in a cloth?"
He furrowed his brow. "Ice Ma'am?"
She nodded. "It's for the swelling. It helps. But first, get me to the parlor. The chair with the ottoman please, that way I can put my foot up."
He looked uncomfortable. "Well Ma'am, I would have to pick you up and carry you…"
She smiled through her tears. "Am I too fat Charles?"
His eyes widened. "I didn't say that Ma'am! I just wasn't sure you'd be wanting a colored man to touch you in such a way… Mr. Whitlock… well Ma'am, I love this job and this home…"
She smiled kindly, realizing what he was saying. "We're just family here Charles, and you'd be doing a kindness. Besides, you're too old for me, I see you as an uncle or something." She grinned at his wide-eyed stare for a second and then a look of determination settled on her features. "In addition to that, anyone that thinks differently can kiss my lily-white ass. I'm in no mood to put up with any of that ridiculous crap, especially these days and at this moment. Now, are you going to help me, or what?"
He blinked a couple of times slowly mumbling out the words 'lily white' and then he slowly grinned. "Right away Mrs. Whitlock."
With that, he gently scooped her into his arms and carried her into the Parlor where her father rose as soon as he saw them, a slight smirk on his lips. "What happened now Bella?"
Charles set her in the requested chair and left to get the ice and she shot her father a dark look. "Laugh it up Pops. I tripped on the last stair and twisted my ankle. It hurts like hell." She glanced at Emily.
"Pardon my language, Ma'am."
Emily got up and knelt at her side, lifting her injured leg onto the ottoman and reaching for an extra pillow to place under it. "Don't you worry about that. Let's just get this taken care of, hm? I'm not exactly a shy one, as your father can attest."
Damon stood back with a sigh. "No indeed, she's not. It scares the hell out of me just thinking of you two together as a matter of fact. Got me rethinking the wisdom of this whole thing."
Both women looked at each other and then shot him a grin and he sat down, eyeing the refreshment tray and the tea pot there with distaste. "I need a bourbon."
Charles heard him as he handed over the ice to Emily, who placed it on Bella's swelling ankle.
"I'll get that for you right away Mr. Salvatore." He handed the small box to Bella. "You left this by the stairs Ma'am."
"Oh! The letter! Thank you Charles."
He inclined his head and moved to the sideboard where he poured a drink and set it on the table beside Damon, who took it gratefully.
"Will that be all Mrs. Whitlock?"
She looked at Damon. "Will you two stay to lunch?"
He smiled and raised his glass. "I'd be happy to, would you like to Miss Bennett?"
She nodded as she loosened Bella's shoe. "I'd be honored, not to mention it will give me time to treat this ankle.
It's looking rather bad, and I'm going to need some herbs from my bag Mr. Salvatore."
He set his drink to the side. "I'll go and get it from the carriage."
He left the room along with Charles, and Emily met Bella's eyes. "You know what I am?"
Bella gave her a slow nod. "Yes, and you know what I am? What my father is?"
She watched as Emily frowned a bit with a nod. "I do, but I don't feel any ill from either of you. That's why I'm here. I listened to his story and have decided to help with his past and the future. Getting away from Katherine took some doing, but here I am."
Bella handed over the letter after removing it from the box. "Perhaps this will help with all of that. I'm not privy to what it says, but it's from your descendent, Bonnie. She's the one who cast the spell that brought Papa and me here, to this time. You are the only other person who knows."
Emily sat down on the ottoman, her hands gently covering Bella's ankle, heat emanating from them as she concentrated. Bella gasped as the pain subsided and Emily looked up with a smile. "I don't really need any herbs, but I don't really like having witnesses to my healing. I think you can understand."
Bella nodded slowly, staring in awe at her healed ankle. "It feels amazing. Thank you. And yes, I understand fully, especially in this day and time. You must have to be very careful."
"Yes, that's why I carry the herbs and ointments. They can be marginally effective, but they're nothing compared to witch craft, so I use them as a cover."
She refastened Bella's shoe and moved back to her previous seat pouring out a cup of tea for herself before relaxing back. She took a sip and pinned Bella with a steady gaze. "Your husband knows nothing?"
Bella poured a cup of tea for herself and stirred in some cream and sugar, shaking her head as she sat back. "No nothing yet." She literally felt the disapproval from Emily and hastened to continue. "I intend to tell him everything… eventually. I just haven't found the right opportunity… It's difficult, and to be honest, I'm terrified of losing him… terrified that he just won't understand any of it."
Emily smirked and Bella fidgeted under her scrutiny. "The little one will help, if you decide to tell him soon. He is a permanent tie between you after all."
Bella looked at her curiously. "Who is? What are you talking about Miss Bennett?"
Emily laughed quietly. "Ah, so you don't know…" She leaned forward, a sparkle in her eyes. "You carry his son within you. You my dear, are pregnant."
The next month was spent with Bella and Jasper adjusting to married life and all it brought with it and while it'd been blissful and wonderful, there had also been challenges; even times where Bella had wanted to throttle her new husband and she was sure he had felt the same about her.
She sighed as she stared out the parlor window, reflecting back on their less than stellar moments, and she hated to admit it, but most of those moments had come just recently, and had been due to her. She was just so… oh hell, the only way she could describe herself these days was emotionally unstable.
She was a mess, and she didn't know what was going on or how to fix it. Tears filled her eyes just thinking about it and that just served to piss her off. She fisted her hands at her sides in frustration.
She needed someone to talk to and the only one she felt she could really open up to was her father and he had been gone for two weeks now on some kind of business in Virginia. This had her worried too as he hadn't shared just what it was he was doing there in his home state, or who he'd gone to see. Was he messing with things from his past? She just didn't know, but it was the only thing she could conclude.
Thinking on such things brought to mind the letter that Bonnie had given her and she felt guilty for not having delivered it yet even though Bonnie hadn't indicated a time frame for her to do so. Still, it weighed on her mind and she would be glad to hand it over to the woman finally and be done with it.
It was at this moment that their butler came in. "Mrs. Whitlock, your father is here to see you."
She gasped lightly, a smile coming to her face as she wiped at a few errant tears. "Oh thank you Charles! Please show him in and bring a tray of refreshments will you?"
He bowed. "Right away Ma'am."
She smiled as he left the room.
Charles was a gem. Jasper had hired him almost on the spot when he'd applied for the job and Bella couldn't have been happier.
He was a free man of color and had been down on his luck, having a difficult time finding anyone willing to hire him in the increasingly turbulent times they found themselves in here in the south. But he was a wonderful addition to their staff and household, with a quick wit and a spark of life in his brown eyes rarely seen in these times.
Both Bella and Jasper had liked him immediately and he them and their home had run as a well oiled machine ever since due to his experience and the fact that the rest of their staff respected him without reservation.
Not a minute later the door opened and her father walked in accompanied by a woman. He opened his arms to her and she couldn't help herself… she flew into them, clinging tightly as he wrapped his arms around her. "Ho perso te papà." ("I missed you Dad.")
He rested his cheek on the top of her head. "Mi sei mancato troppo , la mia dolce ragazza." ("I missed you too, my sweet girl.")
He backed away so that he could see her clearly. "You look well."
She smiled tentatively. "I am. What have you been up to while you've been away?" She glanced at the woman who gave her a soft smile, and then back at her father.
"You know I traveled to Virginia…"
Bella nodded and he continued. "Well, let me introduce you to Miss Emily Bennett."
Bella's breath caught at the name and she stared, wide-eyed at the woman. "You're… Oh! Thank god! I have a letter for you! Please, make yourselves comfortable and I'll go get it." She looked at her father as he sat. "Charles should be in any moment with refreshments. I'll be right back."
She passed Charles just as she left the parlor. "I'll be back in a moment Charles. Please go ahead and serve the refreshments."
"Yes Ma'am, Mrs. Whitlock. Will that be all?"
"Well, it's so close to lunch, you might inform the cook that our guests may be staying. Do you know if Mr. Whitlock planned to come home for the mid-day meal? I was still asleep when he left this morning."
"Yes Ma'am. He did say that was his intention."
She smiled. "Perfect. Thank you Charles. You're a life saver."
He raised a brow at her, a mirthful twinkle in his eyes. "Can't recall ever being described in such a way until today Ma'am, but thank you."
She laughed as she hurried away, sending back over her shoulder, "Well, it's true Charles!"
She hurried up to her room and quickly found the small box with the letter. Grabbing the box, she hurried back down the stairs, tripping on the last tread with a cry of dismay as she fell in a heap, her ankle already throbbing.
She sat up, tears springing into her eyes from the pain just as Charles hurried over to her. "Mrs. Whitlock!" He knelt and handed her the box. "What happened? Are you hurt? Should I send for the Doctor?"
She set the box aside and felt of her rapidly swelling ankle, choking on a sob as the pain shot through her lower leg from just a touch.
"Oh Charles, that old quack won't be able to do anything that I can't do myself." She glanced up at him. "Do you think that you can get me into the parlor and then get some ice from the cold storage? Just wrap some chips of it in a cloth?"
He furrowed his brow. "Ice Ma'am?"
She nodded. "It's for the swelling. It helps. But first, get me to the parlor. The chair with the ottoman please, that way I can put my foot up."
He looked uncomfortable. "Well Ma'am, I would have to pick you up and carry you…"
She smiled through her tears. "Am I too fat Charles?"
His eyes widened. "I didn't say that Ma'am! I just wasn't sure you'd be wanting a colored man to touch you in such a way… Mr. Whitlock… well Ma'am, I love this job and this home…"
She smiled kindly, realizing what he was saying. "We're just family here Charles, and you'd be doing a kindness. Besides, you're too old for me, I see you as an uncle or something." She grinned at his wide-eyed stare for a second and then a look of determination settled on her features. "In addition to that, anyone that thinks differently can kiss my lily-white ass. I'm in no mood to put up with any of that ridiculous crap, especially these days and at this moment. Now, are you going to help me, or what?"
He blinked a couple of times slowly mumbling out the words 'lily white' and then he slowly grinned. "Right away Mrs. Whitlock."
With that, he gently scooped her into his arms and carried her into the Parlor where her father rose as soon as he saw them, a slight smirk on his lips. "What happened now Bella?"
Charles set her in the requested chair and left to get the ice and she shot her father a dark look. "Laugh it up Pops. I tripped on the last stair and twisted my ankle. It hurts like hell." She glanced at Emily.
"Pardon my language, Ma'am."
Emily got up and knelt at her side, lifting her injured leg onto the ottoman and reaching for an extra pillow to place under it. "Don't you worry about that. Let's just get this taken care of, hm? I'm not exactly a shy one, as your father can attest."
Damon stood back with a sigh. "No indeed, she's not. It scares the hell out of me just thinking of you two together as a matter of fact. Got me rethinking the wisdom of this whole thing."
Both women looked at each other and then shot him a grin and he sat down, eyeing the refreshment tray and the tea pot there with distaste. "I need a bourbon."
Charles heard him as he handed over the ice to Emily, who placed it on Bella's swelling ankle.
"I'll get that for you right away Mr. Salvatore." He handed the small box to Bella. "You left this by the stairs Ma'am."
"Oh! The letter! Thank you Charles."
He inclined his head and moved to the sideboard where he poured a drink and set it on the table beside Damon, who took it gratefully.
"Will that be all Mrs. Whitlock?"
She looked at Damon. "Will you two stay to lunch?"
He smiled and raised his glass. "I'd be happy to, would you like to Miss Bennett?"
She nodded as she loosened Bella's shoe. "I'd be honored, not to mention it will give me time to treat this ankle.
It's looking rather bad, and I'm going to need some herbs from my bag Mr. Salvatore."
He set his drink to the side. "I'll go and get it from the carriage."
He left the room along with Charles, and Emily met Bella's eyes. "You know what I am?"
Bella gave her a slow nod. "Yes, and you know what I am? What my father is?"
She watched as Emily frowned a bit with a nod. "I do, but I don't feel any ill from either of you. That's why I'm here. I listened to his story and have decided to help with his past and the future. Getting away from Katherine took some doing, but here I am."
Bella handed over the letter after removing it from the box. "Perhaps this will help with all of that. I'm not privy to what it says, but it's from your descendent, Bonnie. She's the one who cast the spell that brought Papa and me here, to this time. You are the only other person who knows."
Emily sat down on the ottoman, her hands gently covering Bella's ankle, heat emanating from them as she concentrated. Bella gasped as the pain subsided and Emily looked up with a smile. "I don't really need any herbs, but I don't really like having witnesses to my healing. I think you can understand."
Bella nodded slowly, staring in awe at her healed ankle. "It feels amazing. Thank you. And yes, I understand fully, especially in this day and time. You must have to be very careful."
"Yes, that's why I carry the herbs and ointments. They can be marginally effective, but they're nothing compared to witch craft, so I use them as a cover."
She refastened Bella's shoe and moved back to her previous seat pouring out a cup of tea for herself before relaxing back. She took a sip and pinned Bella with a steady gaze. "Your husband knows nothing?"
Bella poured a cup of tea for herself and stirred in some cream and sugar, shaking her head as she sat back. "No nothing yet." She literally felt the disapproval from Emily and hastened to continue. "I intend to tell him everything… eventually. I just haven't found the right opportunity… It's difficult, and to be honest, I'm terrified of losing him… terrified that he just won't understand any of it."
Emily smirked and Bella fidgeted under her scrutiny. "The little one will help, if you decide to tell him soon. He is a permanent tie between you after all."
Bella looked at her curiously. "Who is? What are you talking about Miss Bennett?"
Emily laughed quietly. "Ah, so you don't know…" She leaned forward, a sparkle in her eyes. "You carry his son within you. You my dear, are pregnant."
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.