Chapter 86 - Uninvited Guest

"Who are you?" Vincent demanded quietly, "What are you doing here?"

Delaney was frozen, afraid to move. But knowing whatever had been watching her was now standing this close behind her, she felt the urge to roll over and face it. Vincent was still very tense though, even as he rolled onto his side and snatched his breeches from the ground. Moving quickly, he pulled them on and laced them up.

"Why are you here?" he asked, sitting up, "Why have you been watching my wife?"

Delaney heard heavy breathing from behind her now and more leaves shuffling. Finally, she could stand it no longer. Glancing at Vincent, she quickly rolled over to finally face the thing that had been terrifying her for days.

Standing in the trees only a short distance from them, was a woman. She had strange, piercing light-blue eyes and was hunched over holding a wooden staff that appeared to be needed when she walked.

She had ratty grey hair hanging down around her dirty, mud-covered face. Over her body, she wore a thick black cape that she also kept pulled up over her head. Her shoes appeared to be handcrafted which would explain the unrecognizable tracks that Miles had seen.

Altogether, when she was standing too far away you would only be able to see all the blackness and the piercing eyes.

"You've been watching me," Delaney spoke quietly as the woman stared at her, "Why have you been watching me?"

"Helena," the woman wheezed, "Helena said to find you."

"Helena?" Delaney frowned in confusion, "Who is Helena?"

The dirty woman frowned, "Helena the witch. She's a witch like me."

The couple both tensed at those words. A witch. Dealing with witches was known to be dangerous. They could curse your life over a misunderstanding. Delaney glanced over her shoulder at her husband who met her gaze with serious eyes. They would need to be very careful.

Delaney looked back at the woman and thought over her words. Suddenly the name Helena caught in her mind.

"Helena? Is she a friend of Uncle Win?"

"Win is your uncle?" the woman asked curiously, tilting her head to the side as a puppy might do.

"Oh, no," Delaney shook her head quickly, "He's not my uncle. We just... we just call him uncle."

The strange woman nodded and looked very thoughtful over that simple answer. Delaney hesitated as she waited to see if the witch would reply. When she didn't, Delaney decided to try her question again even though she was fairly certain of the answer now.

"Is Helena a friend of Win?" she tried again.

"She is," the witch's head bobbed up and down, "She told you and your friends your futures many years ago. I believe many have been proven to be true now."

Delaney paused as she remembered Olive's words. The realization that her friend's future really had come true made her heart hurt. It had seemed like such a grander future when they had heard it that night. Then again it was as the witch had said. The price of knowing your future was knowing your future.

"What is she talking about?" Vincent asked quietly, "What does she mean that a witch told you your futures?"

Delaney looked down, afraid of how he might react, "One night Win had the witch Helena come to the club to tell us our futures. It was a sort of gift for us before we... before we left to get married."

Behind her, her husband nodded, "That sounds like a remarkable gift. We can discuss it more later."

Delaney felt relief flood her and hoped that meant he wouldn't be angry. She looked back at the odd woman in front of her.

"Why... Why did Helena tell you to find me?"

"Working with witches is against the King's law," the woman wheezed, "But as I'm sure you know, many people work with them anyway, including the king himself. I believe he has... three? Yes, I believe three witches living in his castle now."

Now it was Delaney who looked to Vincent and found him looking away.

"Is that true?" she asked, "Does he have witches living in the castle?"

She was surprised when her husband nodded. "I didn't know how many but I knew he had them. He offered to have them come to me in the hospital to see if there was anything they could do for my... scars."

"Oh! Did you take that offer?" the witch asked looking intrigued.

"No."

"That's a shame," she replied in disappointment.

Delaney waited to see if the woman would continue but again she didn't.

"Was there... was there a reason you brought up the witches? And could you tell us your name?"

"Oh yes! My name is Opal. I brought up the witches at the castle because I am needing somewhere to live and Helena said I should come here and speak to you. I've been waiting until I could catch you alone. It's not safe for either of us if we're seen together."

"So you want to live at Edgewood manor then?" Vincent asked in confusion.

The witch laughed until it turned into a loud cough. Once she'd recovered she continued.

"Oh no! I would never do that. I just want to be able to live in your woods in a little place of my own. It won't be near your manor but I'll stay close enough that you could visit me if you needed things."

"What kind of things?"

"Like medicines, charms, potions, things like that. If Edgewood is my home then I will make sure anyone living here has the option to seek my help if they want it."

Delaney looked back at Vincent. He was very serious now, studying the overweight little witch. He turned and met his wife's gaze but didn't say anything.

"You promise you won't cause us harm?" Delaney asked, turning to Opal again, "Or any of our people?"

Opal smiled, revealing a missing tooth, "If I live on the Adair land I would consider myself one of your people. Your friends are my friends and your enemies are my enemies as well."

"Alright," Vincent spoke up, "You can make your home on one of the hills, not too close to the estate. For now, please try to avoid anyone else actually working at the manor. When we go home tonight we'll put a candle in our window so you'll know which is ours. After tonight, if you ever see a candle in the window you'll know that's our signal for you to meet us here."

Delaney was surprised and pleased by her husband's agreement and his plan. The strange witch was also pleased as they could see by the smile on her face.

"Helena was right when she said you were good people. I've chosen a good home. We will work well together."

With perfect timing, it was then that Delaney heard voices call for her and Vincent. "We'd better go."

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Lord and Lady Adair," Opal said quietly, "I thank you for my new home."

Delaney and Vincent didn't have time to reply because as soon as the woman finished, she turned and quickly scurried away, back into the woods.

"I can't believe I did that," Vincent murmured to Delaney as he pulled his shirt over his head, "We will have a witch living on our lands now."

"Your great-great-grandfather did as well," Delaney said in an attempt to be supportive.

Vincent looked up at her in surprise, "You've been reading more of the family book."

Delaney smiled sheepishly, "I have yes."

Vincent grinned and pulled her to him, giving her a last good kiss and telling her he loved her. As they walked quickly back to join their friends they agreed the meeting with the witch would remain between them. The fewer people that knew the better. It was still against the law after all.

Delaney kept the blanket around her to keep her covered when they passed their guards and met their friends by the horses. Constance and Cora were already dressed so the men turned away and talked while they helped Delaney dress too.

To Delaney's relief, no one asked where they had been. She imagined their friends just assumed they'd snuck away to get some time alone together after being apart. It was easy for the couple to go along with that as well since that had been their intentions. They hadn't planned on their uninvited quest.

That evening, the heat kept them from celebrating Vincent's return too much. After dinner, they sat out on the lawn playing cards by candlelight, laughing and telling old stories. Delaney looked at her husband though and could tell he was exhausted from the day of travel.

When there was a lull in the conversation, she announced that she was tired and ready to retire for the evening. Vincent went with her, his limp noticeable now and his jaw locked against the pain as they climbed the stairs.

In their bedroom, Ms. Bird was waiting. Behind the screens Delaney had placed in a corner, Ms. Bird helped her out of her dress and into a clean nightgown. Once they were both ready for bed and the maid had left, Vincent lit a candle and set it in their largest bedroom window.

"I think having a witch so nearby could be quite helpful," Delaney said once her husband had climbed into bed with her, "It's sort of a comfort in case there's ever an emergency."

"I agree. That's why I told her she could stay. The King wouldn't approve but as long as it's never right in front of him, he will happily deny a member of his family being involved with a witch."

Delaney nodded and looked at him seriously, "You know I've never had any involvement with witches other than the time I heard my future... And even that wasn't much."

Vincent nodded and pulled her into his arms, "Tell me what she told you of your future. Was I in it?"

"She said I had a long, hard road ahead and it could end up happy but it would depend on my choices," Delaney spoke quietly, "She said I would meet her again one day though."

"Hmm... That isn't much to go on."

"I know. It was quite maddening. She told us the price of knowing your future though was in the knowing of your future. It's a blessing and a curse it seems."

Vincent considered her words for a time, quiet as he did so.

"Do you think you've already made the choices that would determine if your future is happy or not? Or do you think she knew then that you would end up with me and that's why she sent Opal to find you? If so, then that means the choices you have to make still haven't arisen. You will still have decisions to make that will determine if your future is happy or not."

Delaney swallowed as she saw he could be right. She had thought the hard decisions had been whether to be with Vincent or not. But technically she had chosen to not be with him. She was forced to marry him. The happiness she had now was not due to her own choices. It was due to Vincent.

Her husband held her in his arms until he fell asleep and long after. Delaney found she couldn't sleep though. Now her mind was turning over what Vincent had said.

Was it true there were harder choices for her still to come? Could she still make the wrong ones and lose her chance at happiness? Lose all the happiness she had only recently found?