The Rival

Lord Edward Cullen was speechless.

He could scarcely believe the gall, the sheer nerve of Lord James Hunter in approaching his best friend with such an insane request.

Everyone knew Lady Isabella's first dance in every ball she attended was his. It was an unwritten rule, the praxis, his name topped her dance card; the only exceptions to the rule were her brother and father.

Yet, here Lord James was asking for her hand for the set to open the ball.

Edward smirked, suppressing his snort of amusement at his pathetic, futile endeavor.

Ha, as if she will give her consent. She will never give my set to another…

"I shall be delighted to, my lord," An uncharacteristic timidity marked Isabella as she accepted James's request.

Wait, what? Edward was thunderstruck.

Did Isabella acquiesce to him? She… she gave my right, my right to… to Hunter!

"Thank you, my lady. May I also take this opportunity to secure your hand for the supper dance and the last?"

That filthy rake!

Without realizing, he covered the distance between them with ground-eating strides. He knew not his expression, but whatever it was, it frightened Isabella enough to take a step back.

Yet, James stayed unruffled as he clapped his back and grinned. "Edward, my good man! How fairs you this fine eve-"

"Save your pleasantries, Hunter, and leave!" Edward did not spare him a glance as he glared at Isabella.

"Now see here, Edward-"

"I said leave!"

"Fine, then." James snapped, offended by Edward's blatant rudeness.

His eyes softened when he turned to Isabella. "I shall see you soon, my lady."

Edward's nails dug into his palms as he attempted to rein in his mounting temper. His battle was, however, lost when the uppity upstart kissed her hand.

Not caring for the gossip it might cause, he grabbed Isabella by her elbow and marched away from James.

He could not bear another minute in that odious man's presence without causing him harm.

"Why?" Edward gritted his teeth with enough force to crack the enamel once they reached the relative privacy of the balcony.

"Lord James has expressed his desire to court me, and Emmett wishes for me to welcome his… attention," Isabella stated, her voice emotionless, "He is to be my intended."

"What?" He stared at her as if he had never seen her before, and an involuntary cry wrenched from his throat, "How can you…?"

A spark lit her eyes, and she arched a brow, a silent command to expound.

"You cannot marry him, Bella!" Edward ordered, his rage making him forget the impropriety of calling her by her Christian name, "You will not-"

"I will not, what? And why can't I marry him, Lord Edward?" Her emphasis on the word was a clear rebuke, "Why can't I marry him? He is wealthy, titled and connected, and above all he is decent… gentlemanly, much better than many gentlemen of our circle. I have known him since childhood; our families are connected through my brother's marriage and-"

"Do you love him?" Edward's heart hammered in his chest as he awaited her answer.

From the moment he had first laid eyes on her, Isabella had been a fixture, a constant in his life. She was his dearest friend, his confidante, his family. The friendship their families shared had forged a bond between them which had never wavered, never broken. Even the societal expectations and rigid etiquettes due to the difference in their sexes failed to distance them.

Yet here she was, ready bind her life with another… willing to discard what they had.

But what is it we have? And what if she is in love with him? Dread birthed from her vociferous defense of James sunk its claws deeper into him.

The idea of her loving another, of surrendering herself completely and absolutely to someone who was not him, was unbearable to Edward.

Isabella gaped at him, startled by his forwardness.

"Tell me, Bella!" A hint of desperation seeped in his voice.

"Why? Why should I tell you anything?" She cried, her nostrils flaring, "Happiness in marriage is a matter of chance, my lord, and marrying Lord James shall guarantee me at least that. He will never treat me wrong, never lay a violent hand on me, or disrespect me by taking up with the courtesans, which is more than I can say for most marriages of the ton! As for love, I am sure I can learn to love him with time."

Edward choked with rage.

And as his sensibility and control went up in a flame sparked by her words, his world shifted and burned.

Edward had never believed in clairvoyance, but it that moment he swore he saw the future.

Images assaulted him… images of Isabella with James.

Him touching and caressing her.

Him seeing her in all her glory.

Him fathering her children.

Him sharing every joy, every tear, every laughter... everything with her, while he- Edward always stood on the peripheral, as unwanted as an urchin peeping in on the life of rich and privileged.

The longing he felt for her, the agonizing need for her touch, for her love, brought him to his knees.

I cannot survive without her! The epiphany hit him with the force of a rampaging bull.

I shan't without her precious presence to fill the rest of my days with laughter and happiness!

"Bella," He breathed, cradling her face. Edward gazed at her with the fervency of a devout man seeing the God, "I love you."

"What?" Her voice thin with disbelief disturbed him more than he cared to admit.

"I am a dunderhead, Bella- an utter and complete dunderhead. I never realized it, never realized how much I love you until it was too late… or is too late," Edward stammered, his chest tightening painfully at the thought she might still not choose him.

"Edward…"

"Bella, please, please do not marry him. I know I have no right to ask you otherwise, but you need not make do with James. I love you; I will always love you even if you can never reciprocate my feelings… If you accept me, I shall be the happiest man on the Earth. Bella my love, please… I…I promise you shall never have a cause to regret choosing me, Bella. I promise," He brought her hands to his lips and kissed each of her fingers, "Marry me, Bella."

"Yes," Isabella whispered, tears brimming over and trickling down her cheeks.

Her wait had ended at long last.

"Praise be to God, they saw the light!" Lady Alice fanned herself. She was crouching behind the marble colonnade, staring at the couple standing on the balcony.

"No, praise be to God, the harridans are yet to arrive, or your brother's actions would have left my sister's reputation in tatters," Lord Emmett fumed, hands balled into fists.

"Shh there, darling. You know they need it, else they would never have accepted how much they love each other," Lady Rosalie rubbed the arm she still held in her grasp to soothe him. She dared not release him, lest he went charging to interrupt Edward and Isabella.

"But that does not mean I have to like it!"

"Dear Lord, Emmett, do keep quiet and let me watch the fruits of my hard labor in peace," James glared at his long-time friend and brother-in-law, "Your tantrums are worse than Lady Henrietta's when she is foxed with cheap ale!"

"Why you-"

"Continue quibbling like a bunch of children, and they will find us," Lord Jasper sneered, "I for one, do not fancy ending up on the wrong end of Edward's sword."

"Brave one, aren't you?" James mocked, straightening to his full height. With a quick glance towards the couple, he frowned, "And speaking of Edward's sword, I am starting on my tour of colonies come morn."

"What? When did you plan such a tour and why didn't tell me, brother?"

"Be sensible, Rosie! Did you honestly think I will still be around after I gave Edward the impression I have designs on Lady Isabella? That man almost incapacitated Lord Humphrey and his friends for daring to eye her. Not to mention, her many suitors who found their interests lay elsewhere with a suddenness rivaling flight of bats from- pardon my language, ladies- Hell! Edward was protective of her when he thought he cared for her as a friend. What do you think he will do now he has realized he is in love with Lady Isabella, and he believes I fancy her enough to dare to ask for her hand in marriage?" Horror darkened his face and he shook his head.

"Nay, I value my life too much to return before he has her heavy with his child!"

Emmett made a sound of disgust, somewhere between a groan and growl.

"That is my sister you are talking about!"

"And this is my life I am talking about!" James had to struggle to keep his voice down, "I may hold Lady Isabella in enough regard to scheme to force Edward in acknowledging his feelings for her, but I am not insane. If I come within fifty miles of Lady Isabella…"

James shuddered with terror, "If I linger anywhere near Lady Isabella, you shan't even find my corpse to give me a proper burial!"

Regency Trivia:

*Dancing three sets with the same lady in a ball was like declaring your serious intention of courting and marrying her in Regency era. That's why Edward was so angry when James requested Bella's three sets.

*Calling a lady or a gentleman who was not your close relation by their name was frowned upon in Regency era.