Chapter 90 - Selina

The next morning Delaney and Vincent woke up in a tangle of sheets in her old bed. Delaney slept curled up against him despite the heat, with one arm thrown over this chest and one leg hooked around his.

Vincent woke first and stretched his arms above his head, jostling her from her spot. She groaned and snuggled back against him, making him chuckle.

"I think it's time we woke up," he teased his naked wife.

"Not yet," Delaney pouted, burying her face against his side, "We were up so late."

"Ah yes," he grinned, moving to dislodge her again, "But that was because my wife wanted a lot of... attention."

Delaney giggled as her husband moved over her, a hand beside each of her shoulders and a knee beside each of her thighs.

"I think I need just a bit more attention," she reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down to her so she could kiss him, quiet laughter rumbling up from his chest.

A good while later they were both washed and dressed. Ms. Bird had done her hair and was adding many diamond-studded hairpins. Vincent paced back and forth behind them.

"Delaney I really think it would be better if we sent a messenger ahead of us and let Selina and Duncan know we were coming."

"I've already said we aren't going to do that."

He ran his hands over his face and up through his hair, ruining all the hard work Harris had put into making the long black locks look tidy. Delaney saw Ms. Bird watching him sympathetically in the mirror's reflection.

A diamond hung from her neck and two more from her ears. Ms. Bird was always insistent she dressed like a duchess if there was even the slightest excuse to. Delaney checked her reflection once more before standing and walking to her husband, catching his hands and holding them in hers.

"Everything will be fine."

In a beautiful, goldenrod dress, Delaney descended the stairs with her husband beside her. Their elaborate carriage waited in front of the house for them with their team of matching black horses snorting and anxious to get going.

The trip to Duncan's estate wasn't lengthy, and you could see the manor long before you got there. His family had always made their money off the buying and selling of horses so their home was surrounded by great fields filled with the beasts.

"Well we won't be much of a surprise," Delaney said to Vincent with a little smile, "They'll be able to see our carriage and know we're coming. They'll have that time to prepare you were worried about."

Delaney was teasing him but Vincent didn't smile. He leaned over and looked out the window as they approached his best friend's house. To the side of the grand manor were even grander stables.

Her heart began to race as they grew close to the house, her excitement at seeing one of her best friends building inside her, filling her with butterflies. Glancing at her husband she found his eyes on her but his face sober.

Their carriage pulled to a stop in front of the brick manor atop a hill. One of their men dashed to the door to announce them while another opened their carriage door for them and stepped back so they could get out.

Vincent moved stiffly as he got down and turned to help his wife. Delaney's feet had barely touched the ground when she saw Selina step through the front doors, mouth open in shock.

"D-Delaney?"

Delaney smiled at her, "I thought I would come and surprise you! I've missed you!"

A small smile tugged at her friend's lips and Selina took a few quick steps towards her but then she noticed Vincent standing beside the carriage. She came to a stop, looking at him with fearful eyes.

Delaney hurried the rest of the way and embraced her friend, "I'm so happy to see you. We have so much to tell one another."

"Why... why would you bring him?" Selina whispered urgently, "Did he force you to let him come?"

Delaney was caught off-guard for a moment and didn't get a chance to reply. Someone called for her husband and they turned towards the stables to see a grinning Duncan walk out, wiping his hands on a towel. He laughed and dropped the towel then, jogging the rest of the way.

"I didn't expect to see you today," Duncan clapped Vincent on the shoulder before embracing him quickly, "What's brought you to our humble home Duke?"

Vincent rolled his eyes, "You say it's humble but my stables aren't even half the size of yours."

Duncan laughed again, his red hair shining in the sun, "Ah well that may be but my house isn't even a quarter of the size of yours. And I don't have nearly as many."

Vincent laughed lightly at his friend. Delaney glanced beside her at Selina and saw her friend was frowning in annoyance.

"They're only joking Selina," she tried to assure her friend, "Your manor is lovely."

"I know that," Selina replied tersely, before catching herself and continuing in a calm tone. "Would you like to come sit and have some tea?"

"Of course," Delaney pushed her smile to her face again, "We'd love to. I can't wait to catch up."

Selina hesitated, looking back over her shoulder where their husbands were talking and laughing. "I suppose we could all have tea together."

Delaney followed her friend into the high ceilinged house and into her little sitting-room. She thought the room was charming but it also made her grateful for her large and lovely sitting-room at Edgewood.

Tea was already waiting for them and Delaney sat lightly on the couch across from Selina's. Their husbands came in a moment later, laughing about some past time they'd been reminiscing on.

"Oh don't worry about standing," Duncan smiled at his friend as he dropped down on the couch next to his wife, "You know we're so far out we let some of the rules slip."

"Not by my choice," Selina snapped at him, "You smell like horses. You're going to make the couch smell."

Duncan looked at her with an expression resembling exhaustion.

"I'm alright," Vincent spoke up as he took a place standing behind Delaney.

Delaney looked over her shoulder up at her husband and smiled. He smiled back just a bit and she noticed he was very tense. Reaching one hand back, she took one of his hands in hers and pulled it forward until he had it resting on her shoulder.

Selina's lips curled at that for just a moment before she could recover herself. Delaney still saw it though and she was sure Vincent had as well.

Their husbands talked about the heat and horses while all four of them sat there sipping tea. Delaney loved seeing Vincent smiling as he talked to Duncan but she could tell he wasn't quite relaxed. Her eyes moved back to Selina and saw the blonde woman still looked annoyed, staring hard at the tray of tea cakes on the table between them.

"Why don't you go to the stables and finishing talking horses there now that you're done with your tea," she suggested abruptly the moment there was a break in their conversation.

Delaney looked at Vincent, not wanting him to go, but saw her husband was looking away, his neck flushed, making his scars turn a few darker shades of red.

"Ah yes alright," Duncan nodded, standing uncomfortably, "I have a new foal I think you'll like to see anyways."

Vincent moved to leave but Delaney quickly stood, catching his hand. He turned back to her, his eyes meeting hers for only a moment before dropping to the floor again. She stepped closer to him, pressing a quick kiss to his scarred cheek and whispering "I love you," before she let him go again.

Once their husbands were gone, Delaney took her seat again but when she turned to face Selina she found her friend looking at her in disbelief.

"What on earth are you doing?" she hissed, "Why would you kiss him?"

Delaney took a deep breath and gave her friend an understanding smile, "I know I didn't think I could ever love Vincent after his accident and I know I said I didn't want to marry him but Selina everything's changed. I'm madly in love with my husband. You can be happy for us now!"

Selina frowned, "Why on earth would I be happy for you? You're my sweet, beautiful best friend and you've been forced to marry that-that terrifying brute!"

Delaney's mouth fell open in surprise, "He's not a brute Selina. He's such a kind and good husband. He loves me."

"I don't understand this," Selina shook her head, "I'm your best friend and I know what makes you happy. That is not a thing that could make you happy."

Now it was Delaney who frowned, "He makes me very happy. And now I think it might be best if we change the subject from my husband."

Selina stared hard at her for a moment before shrugging a shoulder.

Delaney took a deep breath and worked to regain her composure. "Tell me about you. How is married life? How is Duncan?"

Her friend seemed to accept a change of subject if it was going to be herself. "Duncan hasn't figured out yet what a husband should be doing. He spends almost all day in his office with his books or out in those stables or the fields with the horses. I barely see him except for meals or when it rains!"

Delaney bit her lip, "Vincent works a lot as well. I'm sure he's just been busy. Things will slow down and you'll be able to spend more time together soon I'm sure."

"I don't even know that I want to. He always smells of horses and sweat and it's awful! I have to order him baths nearly every night!"

"I'm sure that will get better too," Delaney tried, "Once he's able to spend more time inside with you."

Selina pouted, crossing her arms over her chest. Delaney watched her then and felt a question she'd been wanting to ask start tugging at the back of her mind. She bit her lip again and considered not bringing it up, afraid of what the answer might be, but decided she had to know.

"Selina, why didn't you invite me to your wedding? We were always supposed to be there to help one another get ready."

"I didn't come to help you get ready. And you weren't even going to invite me to your wedding. Violet did that."

Delaney looked down at her lap, "I'm sorry for that. At the time, I thought it was a terrible punishment. But you never felt that way about Duncan. Everyone said you had a large wedding. Did you not invite me just to get back at me for what happened at my wedding?"

"Of course not," Selina looked at her in disbelief.

"Then...then why?"

"Oh come Delaney don't pretend you don't know. I didn't invite you because I didn't want Vincent to be there."

Delaney's mouth fell open, "W-what?"

Selina frowned, "Don't act so surprised. You didn't want to have anyone at your wedding because you didn't want anyone to see him. Then when there were people there it was even worse! Everyone was whispering about how ugly he is and how sorry they felt for you. It was awful!"

Her friend's words felt like knives stabbing her and Delaney was too surprised to reply.

"You can't blame me for not wanting him at my wedding. It was my day where everyone should be talking about Duncan and me. If he was there it would've been just like your wedding where he was the center of attention and no one could peel their eyes off those horrid scars all over him."

"Selina..."

"I wished you could have been there Delaney. I really do. But I couldn't trust that you would have been able to come without him and seeing as you showed up at my home with him today, I know I made the right choice."

"Selina," Delaney whispered, her face a mixture of anger and surprise, "Vincent is my husband and I love him deeply. You can't speak about him like this to me or anyone else!"

"How can you say that?" Selina demanded, "How can you kiss him and not be disgusted?"

"Because I love him! I think he's handsome! His scars don't bother me."

"Well they bother everyone else," Selina snapped, "Besides it's not just his appearance. You said yourself he was angry now and I've heard from others he is too."

"That was just in the beginning when he was first injured. Cora was right. It was just the pain that was giving him a short temper but he's fine now."

A cold laugh came from the other woman, "Don't lie to me, Delaney. I know he's still been like that even after you've been married."

"What are you talking about?"

"I know you tried to run away from him, fearing for your life, and he chased after you and dragged you back to Edgewood," she sneered, "I know he rants and raves like a mad man in the middle of the night sometimes and one night he nearly killed you!"

Delaney went very still as what Selina just said sank in. She knew word of the wolves might have gotten out because Violet had known but absolutely no one beyond Edgewood should have known about her husband's terrors during storms. Absolutely not that he had come close to harming her.

"Who told you those things?" she asked quietly.

Selina frowned, folding her arms over her chest again, "I don't believe that's the important point here."

Delaney stood, her anger flaring up. "Who told you those things Selina?" she demanded, her voice louder now, "Tell me this instant!"

The bitter blonde woman looked startled and a bit scared at the reaction. Being a coward, she quickly spouted out the information.

"There's-There's a maid. She works for Lady Michaels. Some of the other women and I had lunch with her a few weeks ago and I guess the girl was trying to gain favor with my driver. He told my lady's maid who told me."

Delaney's anger burned even hotter as she immediately knew the culprit.

"I'm leaving," she snapped, and turned for the door.

"Delaney wait!" Selina cried, causing the other woman to pause, "You can't honestly love him. Not someone as terrifying as that."

Her blue-green eyes turned to ice as she glared at the woman she had once considered a friend.

"I do love him Selina and our marriage is much happier than yours. I could tell earlier that your husband is already tired of you. Vincent and I will never have that problem. Now. Don't ever speak to me again."