Chapter 122 - Friends

The next morning their guests slept late. Delaney and Vincent dressed and headed to the dining room for breakfast. They passed Ian on the stairs heading back to his room.

"Ian? Aren't you going to have breakfast with us this morning?" Delaney paused to ask.

Ian turned and looked from the duchess to the duke and back. His face gave away his confusion.

"I assumed that was a sort of special occasion," he explained, "I didn't think you would want me at breakfast every morning."

"Well you don't have to come every morning of course but you might as well eat with us on the mornings you're awake in time."

Ian smirked, "I'm awake well before breakfast every morning."

Delaney rolled her eyes, "Well every morning it is then."

Ian looked behind her to Vincent who was expressionless as he studied the pirate. He didn't move to agree or disagree with his wife. Ian hesitated, not sure if it was in his best interests to accept this invitation. It wouldn't be wise of him to get on the bad side of Lord Adair.

Delaney frowned, "If you insist on not eating with us then I must insist on you not eating alone in your room for every meal."

Ian looked surprised, "W-why not? Am I offending you by doing so?"

"No. But we don't know how long you're going to be with us so you might as well eat with the servants and see if you can't make some friends."

"She's right," Vincent spoke up at last, "You should join them. It's always good to know the people under the same roof as you."

"Alright," Ian nodded and bowed slightly, "I will take my meals with the servants then."

He hurried up the stairs before Delaney could say anything else so she continued on with her husband. Vincent looked down at her with a curious smirk and she leaned up to kiss his cheek.

"What was all that about?" he asked when they'd taken their seats and their breakfast had been served, "Why push Ian to eat with the others?"

"I don't know," Delaney sighed, "But he's here all alone. I think it would be good for him to have some people to talk to. Maybe he could find a lovely girl to court."

Vincent smirked, "You want one of our maids to be stolen away by a pirate?"

Delaney rolled her eyes at him but giggled, "It wouldn't be the worst thing for either of them. All our girls are well mannered and Ian is kind."

"Yes well, he's still a pirate. You don't know anything about the way they live."

"We will after we visit Captain Black's home," Delaney smirked, bringing the conversation to an end.

-

After they had finished their breakfast and the others still weren't awake, Vincent took Delaney on his arm and they walked together to the cliff's edge and then down to the stairs to the beach.

A warm breeze played with Delaney's skirt and swept Vincent's hair free of its tie. They smiled at one another and walked along the sand listening to the rush of the ocean and the birds calling before diving down for fish.

They walked far down the beach and by the time they got back they heard the familiar chattering of their friends.

"There you are!" Cora called out to them when she saw them, "We were wondering where you two had run off to."

"We couldn't wait around the house while all of you slept the day away," Delaney teased back, "What are you waiting for? Go swim!"

The excited friends were quick to pull off shoes and let robes fall to the sand. Bernard, Miles, and Mason ran in in just their breeches and called back for the girls to hurry and join them. Constance and Cora wore the same kind of swimming dresses as Delaney had and they both had their hair done up in braids that wrapped around the crowns of their heads.

Vincent stood behind Delaney and he wrapped his arms around her, chuckling as they watched the girls ease into the cool water, squealing at the shock of it. Miles was sneaking towards Cora and when she noticed she tried to hurry out of his reach but he was faster.

Miles caught his future wife around her waist and plunged her under the water with him. The others laughed as they watched. When the pair came up from under the water Cora playfully tried to shove Miles away but he caught her wrists and pulled her in to kiss him.

"Do you remember when those two couldn't stand one another?" Vincent asked, making he and Delaney chuckle, "Come on. Let's go up to the house so you can change and go swim with them."

"It's alright love you stay here," Delaney smiled up at him, knowing all the stairs were hard on his injured leg, "I'll go up on my own. I'm sure Ian is around here somewhere and will follow me to make sure nothing happens to me anyway."

His eyes floated over her face but he nodded, "Alright go ahead. I'll wait here for you."

Delaney gave him a deep kiss before hurrying off back to their home to change. She was right and about halfway up the stone stairs along the cliff, she looked back and saw Ian was only a short distance behind her.

Delaney rolled her eyes at him and lifted her skirts so she could go faster. She wondered if she could manage to get away from him if she tried. By the time she got to the top of the stairs she was out of breath and dropped down onto the grass for a moment, laying back and closing her eyes.

It was only moments later when a shadow passed over her, "Have a nice little run up the stairs did you?"

Delaney opened her eyes and looked up at the smirking pirate. She frowned and held out her hand to him. He took it and helped her to her feet. Without waiting for him she took off towards the house again.

"Are you trying to get rid of me?" he asked stepping up to walk beside her.

Delaney looked at him with a mischievous grin, "I might have been trying to. You're never very far behind. I thought I might be able to get away."

Ian frowned, "If you want me to try to stay out of your sight I can. I'm not following you around because I want to be."

"I know I'm sorry," Delaney sighed, "I really wasn't complaining. I suppose I just wanted to see if I could manage to get away."

Ian relaxed, "Why would you want to try that?"

Delaney paused and considered his question, "I guess having you around always to guard makes me wonder what I would ever do if something bad happened and you or Vincent weren't there to keep me safe. I would be defenseless."

"You know where I'm from, the women can learn to fight with a sword or shoot a bow if they want to. Most do."

Delaney looked at him in surprise, "Really? Isn't that... improper?"

Ian smirked, "We worry more about our ladies being able to defend themselves if needed instead of worrying about what's proper."

She looked down at the grass as they grew closer to the house. What would it be like to learn to shoot a bow or fight with a sword like Vincent and the other men? She sighed. Proper noblewomen wouldn't dream of trying such things.

"You know Delaney Vincent loves you very much," Ian continued, "I think he wouldn't mind teaching you some things if you asked. He was a captain in the King's army. He used to teach men to fight."

"I'm a duchess Ian," she shook her head, "It wouldn't be right for me to be out swinging a sword and shooting arrows. Noblewomen aren't supposed to do things like that. Our husbands protect us."

"I don't know why you let it bother you so much what is proper. If you want to learn to defend yourself then do it. Who cares what some noblewomen think? They're more likely to be jealous than anything else."

Delaney smiled at the pirate, "I'll consider it."

"Good," he held open the front door for her, "You should."

-

Delaney dressed quickly and Ms. Bird did her hair the same as her friends. She put on her robe and hurried back down to the beach. Ian stayed a ways back behind her this time, letting her go on her own.

When she saw Vincent he grinned and she hurried to him. He hugged her to his chest and she kissed him.

"You didn't get in yet?" she asked.

"I was waiting for you."

Delaney gave him another quick kiss, "Well, I'm here now. Let's go!"

She took off her robe and shoes and turned to take his hand to go into the water but paused.

"My love you can take off your shirt. These are our friends and family. They don't care about your scars just as I don't. Bernard and Miles have seen them."

Vincent looked away from her, out towards the open ocean, "Delaney you know the sight was frightening to you the first time you saw it. I don't want to ruin their time here."

"You won't. I'm sure they will stare a moment as everyone does but they won't be upset by it. Cora took care of sick and wounded men all during the war and Constance stayed and helped Olive after Bernard had lost his hand. They won't mind it."

Vincent sighed loudly and ran his hands over his face and up through his hair. He turned and stared hard into Delaney's blue-green eyes. She didn't back down from her husband, staring right back. She reached down to his waist and started untucking his shirt.

"You know," she smiled flirtatiously as she continued working on her task, "You are much more lean and muscular and statuesque than any of the others. If anything, the girls will be jealous I have you all to myself."

Vincent rolled his eyes but a smile began to tug at his lips.

"I mean it," she continued, giggling, "Whenever I see you take off your shirt it's hard for me to stop without taking off all the rest."

"Well if my scars didn't shock them then that surely would," Vincent teased and Delaney grinned wickedly.

She finished pulling out his shirt and slid her hands under it, running them up over his smooth, hard muscles. She bit her lip as she continued to gaze into his eyes.

"How about instead of swimming I just take you back to bed with me?" he murmured leaning in close until their lips were a breath apart.

Delaney felt herself begin winding up inside, "We would be terrible hosts."

"I could do as I offered last night and demand they all leave."

She laughed then and they both unwound. She kissed him on the cheek before beginning to raise his shirt. He groaned and closed his eyes, taking the shirt from her hands and pulling it off over his head.

Glancing towards the ocean she saw the others hadn't noticed yet, too busy exploring the water. Looking back at Vincent, his eyes were on them now too. 

She took his hand in hers and together they walked out into the ocean to join their friends.