Carlisle and Esme

15. Adjustment

Chapter Fifteen

Unlike before, we couldn't leave Rochester after Rosalie had transformed. The Kings had indeed put a search up for the missing Hale daughter. Mr Hale left his job at the bank, completely distraught. I went to work where everyone was discussing her disappearance. And just like Edward (and me and Esme for that matter) had thought, everyone suspected Royce King II. He was also not seen in the bank at all.

Rosalie spent almost all time indoors. Almost.

"Rosalie?" I saw the blonde vampire looking at where her body had lain. I had been walking home from work when I saw her and caught her scent. I was by her shoulder in a second. "Rosalie, you shouldn't be somewhere so public." I murmured. She turned to look at me and my heart broke when I saw how upset she looked.

"Why me? I had everything to look forward to... My life was just getting started..." She whispered.

"Oh Rosalie... This isn't your fault."

"But why did he hurt me? It's not fair... I was getting married to him... My life was working out..." I pulled her close to me. She turned so she was facing me and buried her head in my shoulder. I rubbed her back, soothingly. She cried tearless sobs in her despair. I continued to soothe her until I heard human footsteps not far away. I acted as quick as I could, spinning Rosalie into an alleyway. There was a shattered wooden door that led into an abandoned house. I pulled Rosalie into the house. We were in a very dusty and murky room. The window gave out no light so we wouldn't be seen by the humans. The window was thick with dust. I was about to clear a bit when I heard a voice.

"It was here." Rosalie stiffened. I caught her and pulled her tight against my body, clamping my hand over her mouth and nose. She struggled with me.

"Rosalie, it won't help. He's not alone. Is that Royce King the second?" I hissed in her ear. She nodded slightly.

"Here, you say?" Another male voice asked. I frowned.

"Is that his friend?" Rosalie shook her head.

"Father?" She nodded. I nodded and continued to hold her tightly to me.

"Yes. Look... The buttons off her coat. Her hair pins."

"We must call off the search. If her body was ever found..." Rosalie struggled with me again.

"They think it's me, Father."

"It WAS you."

"Not so loud!"

"Our reputation could be ruined, Royce! How stupid could you be? With possible witnesses?! Not even somewhere private!" Now it was ME who wanted to go and rip of both Kings' heads. Rosalie really struggled with me. She was a newborn still and stronger than me. She could really throw me off if she wanted. But I held her as tight as I could and kept my hand over her mouth and nose. She was a vampire so she didn't have to breathe. She would be fine.

"Not so loud! I know... I was drunk. It was stupid..."

"YOU were stupid. Now we have to plan again. The Cullens don't have a daughter do they?"

"The Cullens?" I froze as the Kings discussed our family.

"Third wealthiest suspected family. We can't fully tell this but it seems extremely likely."

"The Cullens have only a female who is married to the doctor. And a son."

"Well what about the Hartsons?" Their voices started to get quieter and their footsteps faded as father and son walked away. I waited until I knew they were gone and then I grabbed Rosalie by the wrist and dragged her in the opposite direction towards home. She was hesitant but she didn't struggle this time. When we got home, we told Esme and Edward everything that we had heard.

"We should leave soon. All of this is making me ill." Esme said. She couldn't have got paler at our story.

"We could leave at the end of this week." Edward suggested.

"Sounds like a plan." I agreed. All three of us turned to look at Rosalie. She was sat on the couch, looking at her hands. She still had Royce's engagement ring on her finger. She looked expressionless but only Edward knew what she was thinking truly. It pained me to see she was so hurt but there was nothing else we could do.