Chapter Number: Fourteen
Chapter Name: Mind over Matter
Page Numbers: 286 – 311 (Hardcover)
Date of Chapter: Saturday March 12th, 2005
Summary: Driving home from the meadow, Bella asks Edward to tell her exactly how old he is. Although slightly reluctant, Edward informs her that he was born in 1901 and Carlisle changed him into a vampire on finding him dying of influenza in 1918 at the age of 17. Edward goes on to explain that his parents had already died from the disease.
As Bella listens, Edward tells her more details about his vampire family. He explains how he was the first member of Carlisle’s family, and that Carlisle changed Esme soon after as she lay dying from a suicide attempt. Rosalie was brought into the family in the hope that she would be to Edward what Esme was to Carlisle, but this did not happen and eventually Rosalie found Emmett, who was almost killed by a bear. Through his current situation with Bella, Edward has only just come to understand how difficult it must have been for Rosalie to carry Emmett more than 100 miles back to Carlisle whilst resisting temptation.
Alice and Jasper came to the Cullen family in a very different way. Neither were ‘made’ by Carlisle. Jasper had once belonged to a normal vampire family but had left them to wander on his own. It was Alice who found him and lead them to the Cullens.
At this point in his narrative, Edward breaks off to describe to Bella how Alice is very like him in that she possesses a gift – the gift of premonition. Alice, he explains, is able to see things that might happen. When describing this gift, however, Edward is very careful to state that things can change as the future is not set in stone. As he says this, he glances at Bella so quickly she thinks she may have imagined it.
In response to more questions from Bella on the subject of vampires, how many of them there are, and where they live, Edward explains that they very rarely settle in any one place, those vampires that do tend to be like the Cullens as they can manage to live among humans more easily. Because of the affect of sunlight on them, Edward explains that Vampires mainly live in the north so they occasionally meet.
As the conversation returns to his family, Edward explains that no one really knows where Alice came from. She has no knowledge of who made her, only knowing that she was alone when she woke as a vampire.
By this point in the conversation, Edward and Bella have reached Bella’s house. Sitting in the driveway, Bella confesses that she doesn’t want Edward to leave so he comes in and sits watching her make dinner.
When they entered the house, Edward confessed to spying on Bella at home out of curiosity. As she gets her dinner, Bella quizzes him about this and he is forced to confess that he comes to her house almost every night. This fact mortifies Bella as she knows she talks in her sleep and is afraid of what he might have heard. Edward tells Bells that she talks about her mother and is restless when it rains. He also tells her that she says his name – a lot. Edward reassures Bella by saying that if he could dream, it would be about her.
When Charlie comes home, Edward disappears. At his request, Bella makes her father dinner, eating the rest of hers quickly as she does so. Anxious to get away from Charlie, Bella gulps down her milk very fast, causing Charlie to observe her actions more astutely than usual.
As she turns to make her escape up stairs, citing tired ness for her haste, Charlie asks Bella about her plans for the night, obviously suspicious about her plans to stay in. he wants to know if any of the local boys have caught her eye. Bella is quick to deny any developing friendship with the local boys – particularly Mike Newton whom her dad particularly mentions.
Once upstairs, Bella goes to her bedroom window to see if Edward is out there, but is surprised, almost to the point of collapse, to hear his voice coming from the bed – where she discovers him lying.
After rushing through a shower, Bella dashes downstairs to say goodnight to Charlie before returning to her bedroom and Edward. Once back in his arms, they discuss how it appears to be getting easier for Edward to be so close to Bella. Edward explains that it’s not necessarily easier, he’s just finding the strength to cope better. He adds that it will be harder again the next day when he has been away from Bella for a time. Bella’s solution to this is that Edward stays the night. This pleases Edward, who claims he is Bella’s prisoner, however, it is his hands that trap Bella’s wrists like shackles, effectively making her his prisoner.
As they sit, Edward tries to explain to Bella the range of new emotions he is experiencing as a result of falling in love with her, jealousy, he explains, is the most painful, particularly with so many boys at school having lustful thoughts about Bella.
In response, Bella explains that she feels jealous towards Rosalie, knowing she was meant for Edward. He says there can be no competition between Bella and Rosalie but Bella automatically agrees from the point of view that she can never be as attractive as Rosalie.
Whist Edward and Bella are talking, Charlie comes to check on his daughter. As he does, Edward disappears again and Bella pretends to be asleep. When Charlie’s gone, Edward comes back to the bed and offers to sing Bella to sleep. Bella declares that she doesn’t want to sleep while he’s there. As she thinks about what she does want to do, Edward describes the way she smells as being floral – like lavender or freesia.
Bella decides that she wants to know more about Edward. She starts by asking why he does not feed on humans. He explains that just because he is a vampire, it does not mean he can’t strive to rise above his inhuman desires – retaining as much of his humanity as he can.
In response to a second question from Bella, Edward describes the other strengths of his family and Carlisle’s theory that on becoming a vampire people bring some of their strongest human traits with them and that these become magnified.
According to Edward, Carlisle is particularly compassionate, Esme loves with a passion and Emmett is immensely strong. Rosalie is tenacious, or as Edward puts it ‘pigheaded,’ suggesting that the traits do not have to be particularly positive ones. Jasper, like Alice and Edward, has a more magical gift; he is able to manipulate the emotions of those around him.
As she has with so much of the information Edward has told her, Bella takes these latest revelations completely calmly and is happy to move straight on to another question, asking where vampires ultimately come from. Edward suggests that evolution may have been the cause, or that whatever made the rest of the world also made creatures like him.
Despite Edward’s reassurances that she has many days ahead of her for questions, Bella cannot resist asking one more very personal one. Knowing that Rosalie and Emmett have lived as a married couple, Bella wants to know if the physical side of vampire relationships can be the same as human. Edward assures her that it can, but in response to Bella enquiring about their relationship, firmly tells her that they cannot go that far as he may crush her without meaning to if he lost control for even one moment.
Bella’s questions make Edward curious about her past, revealing his more human side. Her explanation that she’s not had a physical relationship with anyone, pleases him as it makes them both equal and he finishes their conversation by revealing that, despite the fact that he is no longer human, he is a man with a number of human instincts still present, so he does find Bella attractive in a sexual manner.
Finally, Edward lulls Bella to sleep by humming a lullaby to her that she does not know.
Characters involved: Edward Cullen, Bella Swan, Charlie Swan,
Characters Mentioned: Carlisle Cullen, Esme Cullen, Alice Cullen, Jasper Hale, Mike Newton, Rosalie Hale, Emmett Cullen
Places visited: Forks, The Swan residence
Memorable quotes:
“I was born in Chicago in 1901.”
~Edward revealing his true age.
“I come here almost every night.”
~Edward confesses to visiting Bella in the night.
“You did say my name.”
~Edward tells Bella that she dreams of him.
“Mind over matter.”
~Edward explains how it now appears easier for him to spend time so close to Bella.
‘I’d never seen him struggle so hard for words. It was so…human.’
~Bella about Edward struggling to explain something
‘His long hand formed manacles around my wrists as he spoke.’
~Edward has Bella trapped, she’s his prisoner – no matter what he might say.
“The feeling that coursed through me then was unnerving, staggering.”
~ Edward describes how he felt the first time he head Bella say his name in her sleep.
“You’re resurrecting the human in me, and everything feels stronger because it’s fresh.”
~Edward Cullen to Bella
"I may not be human, but I am a man."
~Edward on his physical attraction to Bella.
Important Information Learned:
Edward is 104 years old.
Edward won’t tell Bella how a person becomes a vampire.
Edward is not the only member of his family who has a gift.
Edward has been watching Bella sleep.
Bella smells like a flower to Edward.
No-one knows what happened to Alice before she became a vampire.
Edward states that he can never have a physical relationship with Bella because he is afraid that he could kill her if he lost control.
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