In The Blood Chapter 10 Teaser

So this chapter has me nervous. More nervous than the earlier Edward chapters because I feel Edward finally has to deliver in this one and he and I really struggled with how he would actually make good on his promise. Is he sweet? Sure. Angsty? Like a mo-fo! But has he ever looked back at his time with Bella fondly? Remembered it without anguish, self-doubt and the taint of betrayal? Nope.

But that's the gift that Aro gives him with his memory of Bella: the ability to see her in a way Edward hasn't since he was human. And believe me, they had great times together. They were unconditionally and irrevocably in love, once upon a time. It's just that Edward's kind of protective of that time with Bella and often doesn't want to talk about all the details I want. Finally, after much begging and whining on my part, he's consented to share some of it with me and consequently with you. I do hope it lives up to your expectations.

So first off, the tease. And before you get your hopes up, the tease contains NO LEMONS. I'm not saying there are no lemons in Chapter 10, but you can bet if there are, I'm not teasing them. You'll have to wait just like I do. Sorry!!

Bella's house in Chicago, 1918

Edward nervously straightened his tie, building up the courage to knock on the door of Isabella’s house. He could see from his reflection in the window to his left that he looked perfectly presentable: he was wearing his dove grey tweed suit with a crisp white shirt and light blue tie. His hair, always somewhat unruly, was slicked back on the sides neatly, the rest contained as much as possible under his dark grey fedora. He knew he looked every inch the picture of the perfect gentleman. So why, then, did he feel like such a fraud? He stood there frowning at his reflection for another minute when he nearly jumped out of his skin as the front door whipped open. An older woman with graying red hair and a faded work dress that marked her as a domestic stood there scowling at him.

“Are you going to stare through our windows all day, young man? Or were you planning to knock on the door and introduce yourself like a decent fellow?” The woman’s imperious tone was so discordant with her dress that Edward stood there gaping, unable to formulate the correct response.

“What, no answer?” she continued, a hint of Irish showing up in her accent as she got more put out with him. “Must be one of them mental blokes they write about in the papers all the time,” she murmured to herself, apparently deducing that Edward’s lack of verbal response indicated a deficiency in his hearing as well. Before he could inform the woman that he was neither deaf nor insane, he heard the voice that haunted his dreams drift down the stairs.

“Sadie, is there someone at the door?” He could tell from the smile in her voice that she knew it was him but was letting her housekeeper torture him just a bit longer.

A few additional notes that I think are important to the chapter:

1) Edward brings Bella some flowers in this chapter. Flowers in this era still were chosen to say things that lovers were discouraged from voicing aloud. Edward definitely chose his flowers for that reason. Here's the bouquet he gives Bella:

And here's a list of what the flowers in the bouquet mean:
Purple lilacs – first emotion of love
White lilacs – youthful innocence
Blue/lilac rose – mystery
Lavender rose – love at first sight
White rose – Eternal love, silence/innocence, wistfulness, virtue, purity, secrecy, reverence and humility
Snowdrops – consolation or hope
Snapdragons – deception, graciousness, presumption
[Note, I've purposefully left some ambiguity including all possible meanings for certain flowers. Edward may have meant one thing when he bought the flowers but retrospect often adds a touch of irony.]

2) Bella has a painting in her house, a version of Judith by Gustav Klimt. Here is a copy of it, if you're unfamiliar with the work:

And I apologize if all of these notes make the chapter sound a bit pedantic, but I promise I'm just a bit OCD on the details. The chapter won't read like a university lecture!

The playlist song is "Angie" by The Rolling Stones.

In The Blood Chapter 9 Teaser

Edward is in Italy, and Bella has just revealed to Emmett what she really is. In chapter 9, "I Watched You Suffer," Bella recounts her life to Emmett:

"I was born in Georgia in 1797. My father was the county judge, and my mother was a whore who abandoned us when I was twelve years old. My father's name was Charles, and he loved me very much. When he remarried, it caused quite a scandal because his wife was half Cherokee, and we were immediately shunned. Still, my new mother was a lovely woman, and her children with my father were beautiful as well."

Bella tried her best to forget her family, the four people who had loved her most in the world and had suffered because of her. She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts and remain focused. "In 1818, when I turned 21, I should have been married to some local boy looking to start a family. Because of my father's marriage, however, no one wanted me. I spent a great deal of time alone, reading the books my father would acquire for us. I often sat alone in a meadow in the woods near our home, reading and wondering if I would ever have a life of my own.

"One day, I was approached by a man in my meadow. He was handsome and attentive, but he made me uneasy. When I tried to return to my father's house, the man grabbed me. He tore at my clothes, exposing my neck and shoulders. I tried to fight, but he was so strong." Her words trailed off, and, for a moment, she was silent. She tried to ignore the horrified look Emmett had on his face as he finally stared her way. "I thought he was going to rape me. Instead, I felt his teeth tear into my neck and his mouth drink the blood from my veins."

Now that Emmett knows, really knows, about Bella, will he still want to protect her?

The playlist song for this chapter is "Wild Horses" by the Rolling Stones.