Chapter 94 - Felicia And Rose

When Delaney awoke sometime later she opened her eyes to see her husband's clenched fists on his lap. She sat up and looked at him and he turned to face her with pale skin and sweat on his brow.

"Should we stop?" she asked quietly, brushing some of his hair from his face.

"No," he answered seriously, "We're almost there and it's not as bad as it was traveling from Edgewood. The roads seem to be smoother here. It's just bumpy enough to be irritating."

Delaney gave him a sympathetic smile and kissed his cheek.

It really wasn't long before the carriage turned down a drive lined with tall trees. Delaney looked out and saw a decent sized manor made of the same greystone as Edgewood. They came to a stop in front of the doors and Delaney smiled as she looked at the flowerbeds lining the walls. The air was sweet with the scent of them.

Vincent stepped out and helped Delaney down and they looked around together. The woods came almost all the way to the house on either side. It seemed so secluded.

The front doors opened and out stepped two beautiful women. Delaney recognized Vincent's cousin immediately. Felicia had the same black hair and green eyes, matching Delaney's husband, Violet, and Miles. Beside her was a woman with honey blonde hair and startlingly blue eyes. She also had freckles scattered over her face.

Each woman held a dark-headed, wide-eyed baby boy, and standing between them was a little girl with dark brown curls. The women both smiled upon seeing their guests.

"You made it!" Felicia exclaimed, hurrying down the steps. She didn't wait for a hello and simply threw the arm not carrying a baby around Delaney, hugging her tightly. Delaney laughed in surprise and cautiously hugged the woman back.

As soon as she was finished with Delaney, Felicia stepped back and looked over Vincent. He looked away but to Delaney's relief, his cousin's excited smile didn't waver. She stepped to him and hugged him tightly as well, standing on her toes to place a quick kiss on his unscarred cheek.

When she stepped back she beamed at both of them. "I'm so happy you decided to stop and stay with us on your way through! We hardly ever get guests here, let alone a Duke and Duchess."

"We appreciate you letting us stay Felicia," Vincent smiled, looking relieved himself by her reaction, "I haven't seen you in so many years but you look exactly the same."

"Don't start your visit by lying," Felicia teased, "These three are already starting to give me grey hair and wrinkles. Just don't look too closely."

Delaney couldn't keep from laughing with the woman, her happy mood contagious. The little girl came forward then and pulled on Felicia's hand, looking up at Vincent with wide eyes before hiding behind her mother's skirt.

"Oh! You haven't met the children! This is little May, my oldest. And this is Warren. Rose has his twin brother William."

The other woman stepped down to meet them too then, smiling warmly but with a much more controlled level of excitement than her counterpart.

"Hello," she smiled and curtseyed to both of them, "Lady Adair I believe we met at school and Lord Adair I know I've met you when you were in the King's City. It's good to see you both again."

"Oh call me Delaney. And I'm sure my husband would be happy to just be called by his first name."

The two women agreed and insisted that they be called by their first names as well, leaving the rest for when they're in the King's court. Felicia bent down and scooped up May in her free arm and attempted to introduce the child to Delaney and Vincent but the shy little girl hid her face against her mother's shoulder.

"She'll warm up to you," Felicia sighed, shaking her head, "But I'm sure you're both tired from your travel. Come in and have some tea!"

She turned and headed inside with Rose right behind her. Delaney started to follow but saw her husband hesitate.

"What is it?"

"Maybe I should wait," he said quietly, "I'm scaring the children."

Delaney took his hand, shaking her head, "You heard Felicia. They rarely have visitors. The child is just afraid because we're two new people she's never seen. She's just as scared of me as she is of you."

He looked at her and she could tell he didn't agree.

"Come inside," Delaney insisted, pulling him forward with her, "Once May warms up to us she'll be fine."

In the house they found Felicia and Rose handing the babies and May over to a pair of nannies. Delaney found she was actually relieved by that. If Vincent was already worrying he was making people uncomfortable then having the little girl continue to appear afraid of him would only make things worse. If Felicia and Rose were put off by his scars at least they weren't acting like it.

They followed the women into a small sitting room where a servant was leaving the tea tray for them. Delaney saw the older man pause upon catching sight of Vincent but luckily her husband didn't see it. She frowned at the servant until he noticed her and jumped, hurrying away to do his work.

"Please sit," Felicia gestured to the couch across from her as she sat down next to Rose, "You too Vincent. There's no reason for you to stand like a nobleman here. We're in the middle of the woods after all."

Vincent looked as if he might not do it so Delaney pulled him down beside her so he couldn't argue. Sitting, he looked at her with disapproval before he relaxed and took the tea Felicia was holding out to him.

"We're really just so happy to have you both here," Felicia bubbled excitedly from her seat, "The last person we had to visit was actually Aunt Violet but she didn't stay long."

"No?" Vincent asked curiously, "Was she going somewhere?"

Rose opened her mouth to say something but Felicia was quicker to reply, "Oh no I suppose we just made her unhappy. She'd come to try to talk to us both about looking for new husbands but we were clear about not being interested."

Delaney bit her lip to try to hide her smile, imagining Violet Adair interfering in someone else's life besides her own and then being told no by someone else as well.

"Ah yes," Vincent chuckled, apparently thinking much the same thing, "Mother tends to believe she knows best in all situations."

The women laughed and Delaney felt they had found kindred spirits. It was strange how just yesterday she'd said goodbye to a friend and today she felt as if she were being presented two new ones.

"Now, I know you only intend to stay for a night," Felicia's bright green eyes sparkled, "But we made plans for the time that you're here. Delaney do you know what our estate makes its money off of?"

Delaney bit her lip, "I'm so sorry I'm afraid I never thought to ask."

"That's alright," Rose laughed, "I never knew until I began living here and even then I think I didn't know for a few weeks after."

"We make our money off bees," Felicia continued after giving her friend a smile, "Honey, mead, wax, and anything else that we can manage. We have more than one hundred hives throughout the woods. And over the last few years, Rose and I have been working on planting more fruit trees around. The bees love them and it's been able to grow our income."

Delaney was surprised as she heard this. Two women managing an estate and the money all on their own. Making investment decisions and learning how to grow. It was impressive.

"Anyways," Felicia continued, "Most people haven't seen beehives or tasted fresh honey. We thought we would take you out to do that."

"And because we have bees we also have flowers everywhere," Rose added, "So you might like seeing them as well."

"But I also want to talk and catch up too," Felicia insisted, "A Duke and Duchess. You must have all kinds of fascinating stories to tell."

Vincent chuckled, looking down at his wife who smiled too, "We have a few stories I suppose."

"Well then," Felicia grinned, "We should go!"

"Wait," Rose giggled at the other woman, "Don't you think they might want to freshen up first after their ride here and see the room they'll be staying in?"

"Oh of course," Felicia blushed for a moment, "Come, we'll show you your room first."

Their room they would be staying in was the smallest bedroom Delaney had ever slept in herself but she found she didn't mind. It was quite cozy. The women left she and Vincent to get freshened up before they went to see the beehives. Once Delaney was sure they couldn't be overheard, she turned to her husband with a grin.

"I adore your cousin!"

Vincent chuckled and pulled her into his arms, "She's your cousin too now wife."

Delaney wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned up to kiss him. "Well, I love her. And Rose too. They're so kind and funny. I feel like we're going to be good friends."

He leaned down to give her another kiss, "I'm very glad my love. I've always liked Felicia but Miles and I were usually off playing with her brothers when our families were together."

"Well after this trip I want to have them all to Edgewood. I can tell it would be fun. We can have Cora and Miles come too so it would be a sort of family gathering."

"Ah watch out calling it that," Vincent chuckled, "If it's a family gathering you'll have to invite my mother."

Delaney winced, "True. We'll just call it a gathering of friends then."

Her husband laughed and kissed her again, walking with her to the little bed where he laid back and pulled her down with him. Delaney giggled before she kissed him deeply. Vincent reached down and began to pull her skirt up and it was then that she stopped him, quickly pulling away and scrambling to her feet again.

Vincent groaned in frustration and reached for her. Delaney giggled as she hurried out of his reach.

"Later husband," she smiled, "They're waiting for us downstairs."

"Alright," Vincent sighed, "Let's go see the bees."