Chapter Three: Elizabeth:

I stayed in the Campbell twins’ apartment until close to midnight. Cassie and Blake went to bed after staying up talking over tea for so long. I watched Cassie as she slept in her bed. She looked so peaceful lying there. The moonlight through the slits of the blinds shined beautifully on her young lovely face. She really did look like her face sleeping. I wanted to kneel down and kiss her on the lips. Instead, I lightly pushed her hair away from her face. Cassie turned over a bit in her sleep as she mumbled something softly in her dreams. I couldn’t hear what she said. I smiled at my young beloved kindly.

“Sweet dreams, my love,” I whispered to her. I turned and quietly walked away. I took the late night bus back to my apartment. As I rode deep into the night, I began to remember my sweet Elizabeth and the times we spent together in England.

*Twenty-three years ago*

I worked in England as doctor then. I lived in London in a quiet life. I went through med school in three short years. Believe it or not, I was top-student in my classes. I became the favorite of the teachers almost immediately. I took pride in my work. After I graduated from med, I landed a job at London Hospital. It didn’t take long for me to become an attending and shortly after that, I had my own practice. Everyone came to me for help and guidance. I helped everyone get better both physically and emotionally. The council always looked upon me with favor. I was content with my life in London until I met her…

It was raining outside that day. I remember that. I had just opened my practice for the day. The rush hadn’t started up yet. Back then, Elizabeth was known as Elizabeth Hobbs. She was seventeen at the time and I had just turned twenty-seven three days ago. I remember her clearly. She had the face and body of a little angel. Short golden red hair to her ears that begged for someone to play with it. Sweet brown eyes that seemed to have fallen from the stars. Cheeks as soft marshmallows. Judging by how Elizabeth was dressed, she was just a pretty little rich girl. When I saw her, I thought she was a cute little baby doll. I wanted to squeeze her tummy to see if she would say, “Momma.” She came in with her parents that morning. Her father came over to me.

“Please sir,” he pleaded to me. “Can you help us? Our daughter is bleeding internally again and we don’t how to stop it! We just moved to London and we heard you were the best in the city. Can’t you help us?” I already wanted to. He didn’t have to ask me at all. I nodded at him gracefully.

“No problem,” I replied. I turned to that cute little baby doll.

“It’s okay, darling,” I told her. “I’ll have you fixed up right away.” She nodded at me in such pain. I lightly patted her on the head as I smiled at her. I turned back to her parents.

“She’ll be okay,” I promised them. “She’s in good hands now.” The parents nodded at me trusting. I lightly lifted Elizabeth and took her back to one of my office rooms. I sat her down onto my operating table.

“There you are,” I said to her softly. “Let’s get a good look at you, shall we?” I began to examine the little angel like I normally would. But as I examined the poor girl, something strange happened. Elizabeth looked over at me in pain.

“What’s your name?” she asked me. Normal so far.

“Dr. William Stonem,” I replied. “Yours?”

“Elizabeth Hobbs,” she replied.

“I see,” I told her. I continued on with examination. Elizabeth looked up at me again.

“Are you married?” she asked me bluntly. I froze and looked up at her in shock. I hadn’t prepared for that one at all.

“Sorry?” I asked her. She gave me a weak little smile.

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Elizabeth told me softly. “I was just curious.” Whether it was true or not, she had me hooked into her at that very second. I had no choice but to answer the question.

“No, miss,” I said to her. “I’m a bachelor.”

“Oh,” the little angel said. “I see.” I examined her even more. Turns out, Elizabeth had bleeding problems that needed surgery to be fixed right away. I was happy to work on her there. I got right to work on it right away. The problem turned out to be easy to fix. She seemed to have some holes in her organs that just needed to be patched up. With my skilled hands, I saved my beloved’s life. But yet, my work wasn’t over yet. I kept Elizabeth in hospital for a seventy-two hour observation. My connection with her didn’t end there however.

Pretty soon, I found myself visiting her in the hospital all of those three days she was in hospital. The first two started out as innocent. I would just bring her flowers and check on her. She lived up to her angelic nature. No questions followed us there. But on the night of the third hour, that all changed. I went over to her room like a normally did with the flowers and all. I knocked on the door.

“Come in,” Elizabeth said softly to me. I slowly opened the door. Elizabeth sat up in her bed looking at me. She seemed to be waiting for me for a long time. I noticed that she had a small smile on her face. I didn’t think much about it at first.

“Hello Elizabeth,” I greeted her.

“Hello doctor,” she said back to me. I neatly put the flowers in the vase. She watched me do so. I arranged the newly-cut blossoms in a neat way for my beloved.

“They’re very beautiful,” she said to me.

“Thank you,” I said to her. “I cut them myself.” She looked at me slightly surprised.

“You have garden?” Elizabeth asked me.

“Yeah,” I replied. “I tend to it when I am stressed.” My love looked at me amazed.

“Nobody has time to garden in the city,” she replied. “How do you manage?” I gave her a little shrug.

“I just make a little time for myself now and again,” I answered simply. Young Elizabeth looked me intrigued. I seemed like a display at a museum to her. I could see the curious about me in her eyes.

“What else do you like to do?” she asked.

“Oh,” I replied. “Not much. Just to read, take walks, and do research about human nature on my off days. You?” Elizabeth shrugged at me a little bit.

“Not much,” she replied. “Reading and other normal teenage girl things.”

“Reading, huh?” I asked. “What’s your favorite book?” She thought about that for a moment. A devilish little smile came onto her face. It kind of scared me in a sense. I had never seen that side of her before. She turned to me boldly.

“Eros the Bittersweet,” Elizabeth answered with such confidence. I raised an eyebrow at her.

“Isn’t that a little mature for a girl your age?” I questioned. Elizabeth smiled that creepy smile at me again.

“Oh, you would be surprised…” she replied. For some reason, I found myself drawn into those words. This demonic angel seemed to set my heart on fire. I couldn’t piece together why. She just did. I don’t really know happened from there. But all I know is that Elizabeth and I ended up sharing a kiss right on her bed. Our kisses didn’t stop from there. One thing led to another and I ended up asleep on her bed with her. I managed to get away without being seen hours later.

Our affair began from there. For many years, Elizabeth and I kept seeing each other. Things didn’t really heat up until her eighteenth birthday. I remember that night as well. Such a calm and quiet summer night that was. I had just finished up my paperwork for the night when I received a knock on my door. I looked up slightly curious.

“Who is it?” I asked.

“It’s me, Elizabeth!” my angel called out loud. This really peeked my interests now. What could my love be doing here at this time of night? Curious, I walked over to the door and opened it. There stood my love in the doorway. Girl of eighteen looking healthier than when I last saw her. She still looked as beautiful as she did the last year. But yet, my love had a sad and worried look in her eyes. I didn’t know what to say at first.

“Elizabeth,” I said. “What’s the matter?” She didn’t say anything at first. My love grabbed me tightly by the hands.

“Give me a reason to be a woman!” she pleaded to me. “Make me a real woman tonight!” Such an offer that I couldn’t turn down. I just kissed her deeply on the lips. She kissed me right back. It all took off from there. I took into my apartment and led her all the way back to my bedroom. We stripped down and placed her onto my bed. That night, I took her virginity. I should have felt guilty because she was much younger than me and she was my patient. But strangely, I didn’t feel that at all. All I felt that night was pure feelings of love. I loved Elizabeth and I wanted to marry her. But yet, I knew that I couldn’t. I guess that’s what made her even more desirable. We lied in bed together after the whole passion fire storm. My love turned to me. She lightly grasped my hand.

“William,” she said to me pleadingly. “Stay with me forever. Promise that you will. I want to hear you say it!” I smiled at her kindly and patted her on the hand.

“Of course I will,” I said to her. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” She smiled at me warmly and kissed me on the lips. I kissed her back. Our affair continued on from there. Night after night, Elizabeth came by my apartment to see me. In time, she grew into an alluring and powerful young woman. She graduated from London University with honors. My love inherited her parents’ whole fortune. She had become one of the most prosperous women in London. But yet, my love never forgot about me. Elizabeth always came to see me every night. She opened my eyes to many things. Pretty soon, I began to doubt all that I had ever known. So much so that it began to show in my life. Everyone around me noticed how my attitude towards life had changed dramatically. I didn’t pay any mind to it at first; I just went on with my secret double life as usual. But then, it all began to creep into me slowly. So much so that I had to ask my love a burning question that had haunted my mind ever since the first night that we slept together.

“Elizabeth,” I spoke up to her while we were lying in my bed on the night of her twentieth birthday. She looked up at me innocently.

“Hm?” she asked me back. I swallowed a bit some before forcing myself to go on.

“Is there such thing as God?” I asked her. She smiled at me kindly.

“Do you want the truth or the sugarcoating?” my beloved asked me.

“The truth,” I replied. Elizabeth smiled at me kindly on that one.

“Alright then,” she replied. “No, there is no God.” I breathed a sigh of relief. All of this time I have living and in fear of a being that doesn’t exist? That is just so hard to believe even to this day. Our relationship fired up more from that night onwards. Even though the conditions changed for us, we still stayed together.

She proved this one night while we were in bed together after our usual lovemaking. Elizabeth turned to me with a little smile on her face.

“I’m getting married in three days,” she announced to me softly. “My finacee is a beautiful man. Smart and rich just like me.” I looked at her in silence.

“Do you love him?” I asked her. My love smiled and shrugged at me.

“Not as much as you,” she replied. “I will always love you no matter what, William!” I smiled at her fondly. I gently ran my fingers through her hair.

“I love you too,” I whispered to her. She smiled at me fondly. I just loved the way she looked when she was happy. And so it was from there. Elizabeth married Conrad Campbell in the summer. I didn’t go to the wedding. That would have been tacky of me given the circumstances that Elizabeth and shared. Our affair continued on even after the wedding. When the council got word of us being together, they didn’t approve of our relationship. They tried to separate us permanently. Those bastards couldn’t touch my beloved Elizabeth due to her power, so they went after me. I ended up banished from London to Scotland. That should have been the end of Elizabeth and I. But no, it didn’t turn out that way.

Elizabeth traveled all the way to Scotland to see me. By that time, she was pregnant with twins. Everyone knew that this wasn’t good with her condition. If she had the babies, she would bleed to death. They all suggested that she get an abortion to save her own life. But, Elizabeth didn’t care. She wanted to have her babies. If it cost her life, then so be it. So sick of people nagging her about keeping the babies, Elizabeth ran away from London to come and live with me in Edinburgh. Her husband and I supported her decision fully. But as the months wore on, I began to worry about my love as her health began to fail.

“Don’t worry about me William,” she told me repeatedly. “The babies and I will be fine.” I nodded at her smiling each time she said that. But yet, I didn’t believe her after watching her day after day. I wished that I could help her or end her misery. But, Elizabeth wouldn’t let me. She insisted that she would be fine. But her health said otherwise. So much so that she made me keep a promise to her when she died. I reluctantly agreed to do so. As a result, me love died five days the twins were born. I couldn’t really live with myself afterwards. All of my faith, hopes, and myself died along with my beloved angel Elizabeth.

*Today*

Looking back on my years with Elizabeth, I realized that I had to redeem myself through Cassie. I didn’t know how, but I just had to try. I just have to for Elizabeth and Cassie’s sake! I just have to!