Chapter 40 - The Wedding

Delaney rode in a carriage with Cora to a little wooden church Violet had arranged for the wedding to take place in. She looked out and in front of the building was the grandest and most ornate carriage she'd ever seen with a large team of perfectly matched black horses.

It was brandished with the Adair family crest and Delaney realized that would be the carriage they would leave in after the wedding.

She would be leaving with Vincent. He would be her husband.

The thought made her stomach twist and her heart kick up racing again.

What was more surprising than the extravagant Adair carriage was the number of other carriages waiting beside the church. Not only that but across the cobbled street, people seemed to be gathering, watching to try to see what was happening in their little church.

Delaney and Cora got out of the carriage and were met by Uncle Felix. Cora gave her a tight hug before heading into the church.

Uncle Felix took her arm in his and she noticed the tears in his eyes. She gave him the best smile she could manage and kissed his cheek.

"I love you," he croaked, dashing at the tears trying to get away, "I'm so happy we were able to have you all these years with us."

"Thank you for taking care of me all these years," she managed, her own eyes filling with tears, "I love you."

"Well we'd best get in there," he said gruffly, clearing his throat and wiping the last of the tears from his eyes.

Delaney hesitated, looking at the whitewashed doors. What if she were to leave now? Get in a carriage and go as far as she could as fast as she could?

But her Uncle was walking then and pulling her along with him. He reached out and pushed the door open. It was too late.

As soon as the doors were open Delaney saw things were not as she'd been promised.

In the pews of the church sat Selina, Constance, Olive, Bernard, and Duncan as well as their parents and any siblings who were available to come. 

There were also some of the wealthy families Delaney had been invited to parties and brunches with before the war when she was going everywhere with Vincent. They all looked at her as she walked in and she knew they would be seeing her panic.

All around her, people were leaning to whisper to one another. Some were looking at her with pity while others seemed to be laughing at her. Their eyes would move from her though and back to the front of the church.

Vincent.

Delaney looked up then and saw him standing rigidly, staring straight ahead. His arms were at his sides with his hands clenched into fists. He was turning red, making his scars brighter and more pronounced.

He was clearly furious which only increased how sinister he looked.

The sound of snickering came from somewhere in the crowd and Delaney had to fight not to turn and see who it was. As she grew closer to the front a certain face did catch her attention, however.

Looking over, she caught sight of Violet sitting with all the others. On her face was a wicked sneer.

Anger ignited inside Delaney and she quickly looked away. How could she do this? Delaney knew the woman wanted to hurt her but couldn't she see it was hurting Vincent just as much, if not more?

As they reached the front of the church it was then Delaney noticed Miles standing beside his brother. He looked just as angry as Vincent but his eyes were shooting out across the group, staring daggers at anyone whispering or snickering.

Cora stood in her place looking worriedly from Vincent to Miles and now to Delaney as well. She looked like at any moment she would shoot forward to pull them from the building.

Vincent turned, at last, to look at Delaney and for a moment his face went slack in surprise. He stepped forward to take her from her Uncle.

"You look stunning," he whispered almost too quietly for her to hear. She couldn't bring herself to smile.

When he took her hand in his she was startled by how hot it was. Instinctively she moved to pull away but he held her in a vice grip.

"Please," he whispered with desperation in his eyes, "Please just let us get this over with and not make it worse."

She saw he was just as panicked and angry as she was. Delaney swallowed and let him escort her the few last steps to the preacher waiting to marry them.

The greying man looked at them with thinly veiled surprise. Vincent let go of her hand but his eyes stayed on hers. He looked livid and she hoped not all of that anger was directed at her.

As the old preacher droned on, she didn't look away from Vincent either. She could still hear whispering from the onlookers but she refused to look in their direction.

Heart racing and stomach in knots, it finally came time for Vincent to say "I do". She swallowed hard as he did so.

He glanced down as he took something from his pocket. He took one of her hands in his and again she felt the heat of his skin. He slid her wedding ring onto her finger.

Delaney felt the ring there but didn't dare look down at it. She imagined that would somehow make her panicking all the worse.

The preacher rattled off his vows for her then suddenly it was time for her to say "I do."

"Delaney Simms, do you take this man to be your husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?"

Delaney froze. How could she agree to that? She was hoping this marriage was over in a year. She didn't even want it to happen in the first place.

She hesitated and someone giggled in the crowd. Vincent took a deep breath and searched her face, his eyes pleading with her.

"I-I do," Delaney answered at last looking away from his scarred face, focusing instead on the quick rising and falling of his chest.

Vincent visibly relaxed and even the preacher looked relieved when she answered. He rattled off the rest of the ceremony quickly as if he feared her changing her mind.

Delaney felt sick and lightheaded. Her breath was coming quick and she couldn't seem to calm down.

The preacher then said words she'd been afraid of.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Delaney's eyes snapped back up to Vincent's and she saw her anxiety mirrored there because he couldn't meet her gaze.

He stepped forward and gently took her chin in his hand to tilt her face up. She saw his worried eyes for a moment before she closed her own against it.

The kiss was warm and gentle. Just as quickly as it started it was over and the feeling of his skin against hers was gone. Half-hearted applause came from the room around them.

Delaney opened her eyes again and felt herself sway on her feet. Vincent was there in an instant, tucking her arm into his, giving her his strength to support her. After gauging she was alright enough to walk, he led her swiftly back down the aisle the way they had come.

Together they escaped into the cool, fresh air. Delaney took a deep breath and closed her eyes against her dizziness.

"Are you alright?" Cora asked worriedly, having followed them out with Miles.

Delaney nodded and realized she was still letting Vincent support her. She pulled away and crossed her arms.

From all around them came cheering. Across the street and around the property of the church, people had gathered. She realized most of them must come from farms and villages on the land that belonged to the Adairs.

They were cheering to congratulate the Duke of Edgewood on his marriage.

"I could kill her," Miles snapped then, looking around them and Delaney looked up at him, fearing he was referring to her.

"How could she do this?" he continued angrily to Vincent who had stepped back against the grand carriage, "I can't believe she would be so selfish!"

"Olive and Bernand said the invitations said they were sent from Vincent," Cora mentioned nervously, looking at the growing crowd.

"Yes well they should've known better," Miles threw his hands in the air, "Bernard and Duncan should've known better and your friends should have too."

"It's over now," Vincent spoke coldly, "I can address it with her when I see her next."

Delaney looked from his angry younger brother to Vincent. He was glaring at the church where the doors were now opening.

"Can we leave now?" he asked, looking down at her, "Or would you like to stay to say goodbye to your family and friends?"

She could see clearly he wanted to escape before the guests all came out of the church and joined the others in studying them, "Would it be rude to leave now?"

"Violet can apologize on your behalf," Miles sent an angry look back towards the church.

"I do feel quite unwell," she said quietly to Vincent, still feeling dizzy and unsteady.

"Then let's be off," he replied opening the door to the carriage for them.

Delaney turned to Cora who enveloped her in a tight hug. "Everything is going to be alright," she whispered in Delaney's ear where the men wouldn't hear it.

Delaney felt tears building in her eyes as she nodded and let go of the woman.

Miles gave his brother an encouraging smile and clapped him on the shoulder. Vincent only nodded to him before turning and holding a hand out to Delaney.

She hesitated for just a moment until she heard someone calling their names from the church crowd. She took Vincent's very warm hand and let him help her up into the carriage.

He stepped in swiftly behind her and Miles closed the door before telling the drivers to take them to Edgewood.

Delaney pressed herself to the back of her seat, hoping to not be seen through the windows as the carriage eased it's way out through the crowd.

And just like that, her wedding was over and she was leaving with Vincent. She was leaving for her new home with her husband.

She closed her eyes against her tears. What was she going to do now?