Chapter 39 - The Last Day

After she'd gotten her crying under control, Delaney retreated to her room. Her Aunt swooped in soon after with an army of servants with trunks and conducted the packing of all of her things.

"What will you wear for the wedding?" she had asked Delaney seriously.

Delaney, sitting like a statue on her bed now, watching the world spin around her, had said she didn't know.

Within the hour a seamstress had arrived with her helpers. Delaney was relieved to see it was the same woman who had worked with her on the designs and made her other dresses.

Everyone knew Delaney was promised to Vincent Adair and they had also heard about what had happened to him during the war. The gossip of how marred and terrifying he looked was unstoppable and grew worse with each retelling.

Word of his anger had also gotten out from the hospital as well as his own household staff although they all denied it. Now, when he was whispered about it was as if he was a monster.

She was marrying a monster.

The seamstress had brought fabric and things with her. They wouldn't have time to sew a whole new dress so her plan was to find something Delaney already had that she could reuse.

Delaney sat motionless as the woman threw her dresses onto the bed, dismissing one after the next. Finally, she came to a cream dress. It was one Delaney had designed herself.

"This will work," the seamstress had said. She and her helpers went off to a room that had been cleared for them to work in.

To Delaney's surprise, Selina and Constance arrived just before the sun went down. Her Aunt had sent for them. The two friends swept into the bedroom and gathered on the bed with Delaney.

"Your Aunt told us he was here," Selina said without preamble.

"And she said you were getting married tomorrow," Constance added with a look of disbelief.

"What happened?" Selina asked, "I thought you were going to fight to break the contract?"

Delaney considered telling her friends about the arrangement Vincent had come up with. She could tell them how Violet had called him ugly and how her Uncle had posed the perfect argument for her. How Vincent had said he had no future and didn't want her to lose her chance at one either.

She could tell them everything. But Violet had commanded they not discuss it again. If word got out of their secret arrangement she didn't know if Vincent would uphold his end.

She couldn't risk the Adair family being more against her than they already were. No for now she would have to keep this secret.

"They wouldn't agree," Delaney answered instead, "Violet would be sure to ruin me if I fought to break the contract harder than I did."

It wasn't a lie.

"And now they're making you get married tomorrow?" Selina shook her head, "They're just trying to punish you for standing up to them!"

"What are you going to do?" Constance asked quietly.

"There's nothing left to do," Delaney sighed, "Tomorrow I'll marry Vincent and I'll go to live at Edgewood Manor with him."

"Will you kiss him?" Selina cut in with wide eyes, "What about your wedding night? Oh Delaney will you let him in bed with you?"

"God Selina," Constance groaned in annoyance.

Delaney swallowed and looked down at her hands in her lap. She had been so worried about being stuck marrying Vincent at all that she hadn't taken the time to think about all these details.

She would have to kiss him at their wedding. There wouldn't be a way around it. What would it be like to kiss him now after everything?

And the wedding night. She had not considered that at all. Vincent had spoken about them possibly having a child but she had never paused to think about what that would involve.

She pictured him in the hospital bed with the blood-colored veins of poison spreading out from his injuries. What would it be like to share a bed with him knowing they were there and knowing she would at some point touch them?

And if they hurt as they seemed to today when Violet shoved him how would they ever be close without him suffering?

"I suppose I'll have to," she answered quietly.

"Well don't be afraid," Constance took her hand and squeezed it, "Vincent won't do anything to hurt you. I'm sure he will be gentle and understanding and won't do anything you don't want him to."

"Well, what if she doesn't want him to come to her bed at all?" Selina crossed her arms nervously.

Constance bit her lip and looked down.

"It's alright," Delaney tried to reassure her friend, squeezing her hand back, "I'll be fine."

Constance gave her a weak smile.

"You won't run away?" Selina questioned seriously.

"She can't," Constance objected, "She will be completely throwing away her life that way."

"How is marrying that man not throwing her life away?"

"Will you shut up? She will be a duchess and probably the most wealthy woman in the land besides the Queen herself. She can still make a happy life for herself with Vincent even if it won't be easy."

"It seems like it will be impossible," Selina frowned, "Unless she's allowed to spend lots of time in the city and away from him."

"Stop it, Selina! Don't listen to her Delaney," Constance smiled encouragingly, "You'll find a way to be happy. Besides, we'll come to visit you all the time."

To Delaney's relief, at that moment her door opened and the seamstress came in carrying her dress. They were all distracted then by the lovely creation the woman had managed to whip up.

Delaney tried it on for her friends to see and for the seamstress to pin in order to make a few adjustments. By the time she was back in her regular dress, it was time for Selina and Constance to be on their way home.

They both hugged her tightly and promised to visit her at Edgewood as soon as they could. Once they were gone and she was alone again, Delaney realized how exhausted she was from the day.

Without bothering with dinner, she crawled into her bed and looked around her room in the moonlight. She had called this room her own for so many years and now this would be her last night in it.

Tears stung her eyes again and she felt them slide down her cheeks until at last, she fell asleep.

The morning came faster than Delaney would've liked. She was awoken by servants bringing in a big brass bathtub and beginning to fill it with steaming water.

Delaney washed and dried and sat in her robe at a table in her room and poked at her breakfast. She felt sick to her stomach. She was on edge and couldn't seem to calm down.

When there was a knock on her door she jumped and sent her fork clattering to the floor. The door opened she was relieved to see Cora standing there.

The lovely blonde woman came sweeping in with an excited smile, carrying Delaney's newly finished wedding dress.

"I'm so excited to see you put this on I might pop," she giggled before laying it on the bed and crushing Delaney in a hug.

Delaney forced a nervous smile and tried to calm her racing heart. It was then that Cora saw her fear and tamed her own enthusiasm.

"I know this isn't what you wanted," she smiled sadly, taking her friend's hands, "But it's going to be alright. I just know it."

Delaney nodded although she didn't agree at all. As Cora helped her into her dress, chattering away about how wonderful it would be when they were officially sisters, Delaney's mind kept racing and her anxiety continued to build.

She sat and had her hair done, spinning the ring on her finger until it started to sting. The minutes were ticking by, bringing her ever closer to the moment she would be married.

At last, her hair was finished and a veil was pinned into the back. Chestnut curls framed her face but the rest was up in an extravagant design with gemstones pined in, sparkling when they caught the light.

"We will meet you downstairs," Cora smiled then before leaving the room with the servants.

Delaney stood alone in her room in front of her mirror. The cream-colored gown fit like a glove with a neckline dipping low and looping silk straps hanging off her shoulders. The seamstress was a miracle worker.

Having no real jewelry of her own, Delaney thought she might look plain on her wedding day but the gown was so elegant she looked perfect.

She stared at her own blue-green eyes and thought again of the witch's words to her. Somewhere along the way she had not made the right decisions and now this was the life she would live.

It only made it hurt all the worse knowing she'd seemed to have brought this on herself.

Delaney turned and looked around her beloved bedroom one more time, remembering all the times she'd spent here with her friends getting ready for various parties and events. There was always laughter and chatter and fun. She had dreamed her wedding day would be the same.

Stepping into the hall, she closed the door behind her. It was time for her wedding.