Chapter 88 - The Beginning Of An Adventure

The carriage rolled along and Delaney felt her excitement grow the farther they got from home. She hadn't embarked on a long trip like this since she was a very small child and the idea of it thrilled her.

She leaned back against her seat in the carriage and looked out the window, watching the trees go by. She thought of the last time she'd left Edgewood just to go into the village and had seen Opal watching her from the woods. She wondered where the odd little witch was now.

Watching the world pass by outside she was struck by the knowledge that all the land surrounding them right now actually belonged to her husband. It was only when the carriages finally passed out of their lands that Delaney turned away from the window, her eyes landing on her husband.

Vincent sat stiffly on the seat opposite of her. These seats were extra stuffed, making them quite comfortable, but even that couldn't stop the pain from getting to him when he was jostled around. He met her eyes and forced a tight smile to his lips. They hit a bump a moment later and it was gone again as he locked his jaw, taking deep breaths.

Delaney felt guilty. It hadn't been too long yet and she could see he was already getting agitated by the pain. Maybe this was a bad idea. They were going to have days of traveling like this and there was no way for him to escape the bumpy roads.

"I'm sorry," she apologized quietly to him as she watched him work to relax again after another bump.

"You don't have anything to be sorry for. We both knew this wasn't going to be exactly pleasant. I'm managing though. It's not as bad as it probably seems."

Delaney gave her husband an encouraging smile, "Well the good thing is we're not stuck to any schedule. If it starts to be too much and we want to stop and stretch our legs, we can."

He looked at her lovingly, "I'll be alright my lady. If things get too bad I will have to pull you over here to distract me."

Delaney laughed and rolled her eyes at his teasing.

The gentle rocking of the carriage soon let her exhaustion catch up to her. One moment Delaney was smiling at her husband and the next her heavy eyelids were drooping and soon she was gone.

Delaney slept for a long time. So long, that by the time she woke up she recognized the landscape and knew they were close to her Aunt and Uncle's home.

When she looked over to check on her husband she saw he was pale and sweating slightly with his jaw locked and eyes closed. He looked so tense she thought he could probably snap like a twig.

Standing, she quickly turned and sat on his seat next to him. Leaning over, she lightly kissed him on his scarred cheek. He opened his eyes, blinking before turning to look at her. Delaney's worry was clear on her face as she brushed a piece of his hair back.

"Why don't we stop for a little while?" she suggested gently, biting her lip as she watched him.

The carriage banged and he inhaled sharply, closing his eyes again.

"I'm fine," he managed with a rough voice, "We're nearly there."

"Vincent there's about half an hour. I can't stand to see you hurting like this that entire way."

"You'll have to look away then I'm afraid," he replied steadily.

Just then they hit a particularly hard bump which jolted them forward before slamming their backs, back against the hard wood of the carriage. A small sound of pain escaped Vincent and Delaney rubbed her shoulder where it had hit.

She knew he wouldn't like it but Delaney couldn't continue watching him like this. She reached up and rapped on the ceiling and the carriage began to slow.

"What are you doing?" Vincent demanded, opening his eyes and looking around, "We don't need to stop Delaney. We're almost there."

"You can't ask me to just sit and watch you suffer Vincent," she said sternly, "That's not fair."

He opened his mouth to argue but the carriage had come to a stop and the door was opened by one of their men.  Delaney hurried to step out, letting the man help her down instead of her husband. If she waited for Vincent he might have insisted they keep going.

On solid ground, she turned around and looked back at him, waiting in the carriage. He frowned but after a moment he eased from his seat and slowly stepped to the ground. Delaney saw him wince before recovering his expression of annoyance.

From the other carriage, Ms. Bird, Harris, and the other servants stepped out as well.

"Is everything alright my Lord?" Harris asked as he walked up to them.

"Everything is fine," Vincent replied evenly but continued to stare at his wife.

Delaney turned to Harris with a reassuring smile, "I just wanted to stop and stretch my legs. I was getting stiff bumping around in that carriage."

Harris looked like he didn't quite believe her but he nodded and forced a smile anyway.

"There is a basket with some cookies and apple in it," he mentioned then, "We'll set up a spot in the shade where you both can rest and have something to eat."

"Thank you Harris, that would be lovely," Delaney thanked him. She waited until he was about his task to turn back to Vincent.

Her husband was still frowning but she had known he wouldn't be happy when she called for the carriage to stop. Delaney held out a hand to him, silently asking him to walk with her. He was still for a moment, ignoring the gesture, before giving in with a big sigh.

Vincent took her hand in his and tucked it on his arm. They walked forward into the trees, Delaney being careful to move slowly as his limp had flared up from the travel.

"I hate seeing you in pain Vincent," she said quietly after they'd walked a ways in silence.

"I'm always in pain," he answered shortly, "I just can't hide it all the time."

She swallowed and looked down, not sure how to reply to that. He continued though so she didn't have to.

"I went to the doctor in the city as I told you I would. I wasn't going to mention it unless you asked but I feel like I should now. He says nothing has changed."

Delaney looked up at him in surprise, having completely forgotten about their deal that he would see a doctor. She pulled him to a stop and turned to him now.

"Nothing has changed? What does that mean? You're not getting worse?"

Vincent swallowed but didn't meet her eyes. "It means I'm not getting any better. He said the poison is still thick in my blood."

"But-but you're alright?"

"I'm alright for now Delaney but you have to understand what that means. I'm not getting any better. You say you don't want to see me in pain but that's something that's never going to change. For the rest of my life, I'm going to be dealing with this poison. My leg, my shoulder, the scars, and the heat of my skin, none of it is ever going to get better."

"My love I don't like it that you're in pain but I would prefer it to you getting worse. I don't mind our life as it is now. I don't mind that we won't be able to travel much."

"You can't honestly tell me you'd rather be stuck at Edgewood for the rest of your life with no children and a husband who's always miserable. That can't be what you want out of life."

Delaney stepped forward then and took his hand in hers, "I want any life that means I'll be with you. And you don't know that we won't have children. We haven't been trying because of the heat but once we get to the ocean house, the cool air will mean we'll be able to again. We could have a baby in our arms by this time next year."

Vincent looked down at her now, his face serious. "If we have a baby we will stay married. I think having a house full of children will still make you happy even if I can't give you everything else you deserve. But if I can't even give you that Delaney then..."

"Please don't," she said quietly, raising a hand to press it lightly to his mouth, "We will have a family. I know it. So there's no reason to talk about anything else."

"I just want to make sure you understand that I'm serious about that arrangement. I won't take away your future."

"I understand," she replied quickly, "But I know it's not something we will ever have to worry about."

Vincent looked down at her and Delaney leaned up to kiss him lightly on his lips. He caught her around her waist and held her there, kissing her lovingly.

"Do you forgive me for stopping the carriage now?" she asked breathlessly, pulling back long enough to ask the question.

A chuckle rumbled through his chest, "You were being a good wife. There's nothing to forgive. I'm sorry my temper can get the best of me sometimes."

Now it was Delaney who chuckled, "I'll forgive you if you promise to kiss me more tonight once we're in bed."

"I'll consider myself already forgiven then," Vincent grinned wickedly.

"And you have to promise to stop bringing up our parting," she added quickly, pulling back to look up into his eyes so he would know she was serious, "I don't want to talk about it again."

Vincent looked down at her with equally serious eyes now. He was still for so long Delaney worried he might not agree. At last, he nodded though and raised her hand to his lips to kiss it.

They walked back to find the blanket spread waiting for them with the basket of food and mugs of cool water. They ate and drank and talked about their plans for their trip. Once they had finished, Vincent helped her into the carriage once more.

Before getting in himself though, he called for Harris. The man came quickly and they stepped behind the carriage out of earshot.

"I told her I saw my doctor."

Harris looked at him in surprise, "I thought you weren't going to mention it?"

"I wasn't. But I told her he said nothing has changed and she took that as good news."

"You told her nothing has changed," Harris repeated the words back to him with a frown, "So you didn't say..."

"No."

Harris nodded slowly, looking down at the ground between them.

"You may still have a child Vince," he reverted to their familiar term since no one else was around, "Then she can stay with you. You won't have to give up that time with her."

"I wonder if that wouldn't be the crueler fate," Vincent replied quietly.

"It's not," Harris clapped a hand on his friend's shoulder, "She loves you. She wants to be with you no matter what happens."

Delaney called for Vincent then and Harris quickly stepped back, taking up his place as just a servant again.

"Thank you," Vincent spoke quietly before they separated, both walking to their carriages and getting in.

"What happened?" Delaney asked looking at him with concern.

"Nothing," Vincent forced himself to smile at her, "I thought Harris might have forgotten my clothes for when we're in the city but he assured me he didn't."

Delaney smiled back at him, "I think Harris cares about clothes more than even me."

Vincent made himself chuckle and nodded.

The carriage rolled away and Delaney turned to look out the window again. Vincent watched his lovely wife as his hand slowly drifted to his face. He ran a finger lightly along the scar that cut through his eyebrow and up onto his forehead.

It wasn't far from his hairline now.