Chapter 148 - Truly Loved

The friends left the beach when the sun began to sink towards the ocean. Delaney and Vincent let the others go ahead like they normally did. Once they were far enough away, he took his wife on his arm and they walked up together. His limp caused them to move slowly but they used the time to watch the sunset together as they climbed the stone steps along the cliff.

They all went to their rooms to wash up and change for dinner. Harris came with Vincent's fresh clothes and when Delaney walked behind the screen to dress, he was quick to whisper to his friend that he needed to speak to him. Vincent grew serious and nodded when he saw the urgency on the other man's face. He hurried to finish dressing and pull his hair back.

"My Love I'm going to go down to my office to check on somethings before dinner," Vincent called over to his wife.

She called back for him to go ahead and she would come down to join him once she was finished getting ready. Vincent gestured for Harris to follow him and together they left the bedroom, heading downstairs to his small office.

"What is it?" he asked once the door was closed behind them.

Harris looked anxious, hands clasped behind his back. Vincent walked past him and leaned his hip against his desk.

"Alright Vince don't get angry," Harris tried, "But this afternoon Delaney came to the house and asked to speak with me privately in her sitting room."

Vincent's brows drew together, "About what?"

Harris swallowed and rubbed his hands together, "She asked if I thought your marks were getting worse."

"What?"

"She uh... she said one of your family members had brought it to her attention and then when she looked on her own she saw some that she thinks have gotten worse. She wanted to know if I had noticed anything."

"My mother brought it up I'm sure. And what did you say?" Vincent questioned, crossing his arms and looking at his valet with an intense green gaze.

The man hesitated, "I don't like lying to her Vince..."

"What did you say to her Harris?" he demanded now, standing up straight.

"Nothing of course," Harris sighed, shaking his head, "I told her you were my friend so I didn't like looking at your scars because they reminded me you were in pain all the time. I mentioned to her though that you did just go to the doctor before we came here and the doctor himself said nothing had changed."

Vincent stared at him, unmoving, "And that is the truth. Nothing has changed since my time in the hospital."

Harris looked at him sadly, "Are you sure that's still correct though Vince? Ever since we've been here you've seemed..."

"Nothing has changed," Vincent interrupted him, walking around his desk and absently straightening papers, "The doctor told us when I was in the hospital that nothing was going to change. I don't want to discuss it further."

Harris nodded and looked down toward the floor, "Alright... Are you going to speak to Delaney about the marks?"

Vincent looked up in annoyance, "You just told me you'd reminded her I went to the doctor recently. Did that not satisfy her?"

"I don't know. I suppose it did. She said she was sure there was nothing to worry about before she told me to go back to my work."

"There you are then. There's no reason I should discuss any of it with her now."

"Alright," Harris said quietly, nodding, "I'll leave you to your papers then before she comes down and questions my being here."

Vincent didn't react to his words, sitting down and pulling a fresh piece of paper from a drawer. Harris got to the door and was about to open it when the duke cleared his throat.

"Why did she speak to you about her concerns instead of coming to me with them directly?"

The red-headed man rubbed his hands together, "She said she didn't want to bring it up to you because she didn't want to hurt you."

Vincent was quiet, staring hard at the blank paper in front of him.

"She's truly in love with you Vince," Harris said quietly, "Talking to her about the marks and what the doctor's said won't change that."

"I know... But just like she doesn't want to hurt me, I don't want to hurt her either."

Harris shook his head, "It's your choice but I think you're underestimating her."

"We'll see which one of us is right soon enough," Vincent sighed, running his hands over his face and up through his hair.

The bell rang for dinner then and he dismissed Harris. He dropped his hands into his face and groaned.

-

Delaney had planned a little feast for them to celebrate their last day together and the end of the summer. When the bell rang to announce dinner she walked downstairs and went to Vincent's office. The door was open just a bit so she looked inside and saw him sitting with his head in his hands. She knocked lightly and when he looked up and saw her, he smiled.

"Is everything alright?" she asked nervously, watching him as he walked around his desk to join her.

"I'm just a bit tired," he sighed, "I hate to admit it but I will be relieved when we have our house to ourselves again."

Delaney giggled and took his arm, "I agree although it won't be long before it will be time for us to leave as well."

"Yes... We should consider leaving within the next two weeks. I've left the other properties too long already. I need to go back and make sure everything is being managed as it should be. The orchards will be ready to harvest very soon too."

"Let's take a day or two after the others leave and then we can discuss it," Delaney smiled up at him as they stepped into the dining room.

-

Their dinner was a meal bigger than they would ever have been able to eat and Delaney was pleased that the majority would be going back to the servants to make their dinner. They had been working hard to prepare it as well as prepare things for the guests to leave.

After dinner, the friends went to the sitting room for drinks and to play cards. A piano sat in the corner and Constance, being the only one who knew how to play, took up the task of entertaining them all with lovely music for the evening. Delaney was relieved the servants that kept up the ocean house while they were home in Edgewood also thought to keep the piano tuned.

They stayed up very late and it wasn't long before Bernard announced he would need to go on to bed. Laughing, Miles slung an arm around him and said he would escort him since Bernard had had so much to drink. They all knew Miles had drunk just as much though. Laughter followed the silly, stumbling men as they left the room.

Mason finished up the hand of cards he was playing and grinned.

"Well, Vince it seems these lovely temptresses have taken me for all I'm worth."

Vincent rolled his eyes, "You've not been playing nearly long enough for them to have done that Mace."

"I suppose you're right," he chuckled, "I think I'll retire for the evening anyway. What about you? Once I'm gone will you be their new victim?"

The Duke smiled at the Duchess with twinkling eyes, "Well seeing as two of us share money, I don't think that would be fair to the other two we would be up against."

"Ah, then you are off to bed as well. Come with me. I have some delicious cigars Captain Black brought back with him on one of his last trips. We can have a smoke on the balcony before bed."

Vincent agreed and leaned down to give Delaney a kiss before leaving with him. Then it was just the three women left. Constance had abandoned the piano some time ago and had taken up a hand of cards. Now they played against one another.

Delaney smiled at her two friends as they sat playing. It was just like when they were girls in school. Before they had become good enough to play at the tables with Win and the other men they would sit up late at night practicing by playing together.

She would miss them, she knew. It had truly been a lovely summer together.

-

Sometime later, Delaney crept into her bedroom and quietly closed the door behind her. She turned to look at the bed, expecting to find her husband asleep but instead saw he was sitting propped up and watching her with a smirk. She giggled and stepped quickly to him, leaning over to kiss him.

"It's too late to call for Ms. Bird now," he said quietly as he got up, "Let me undress you."

Vincent looked down at Delaney through his dark lashes and smiled. She felt her heart flutter in her chest as she gazed upon his handsome scarred face. Her eyes shifted to his bare, muscular chest for a moment before he moved around behind her to unlace her gown.

Slowly he undressed her, his fingertips lingering on her skin when he brushed against it. Once they were both bare, he pulled back the blankets for her, and she slipped underneath. He joined her then, drawing her against him and kissing her. He made love to her and later lay with her asleep on his chest as he thought about his conversation earlier with Harris.

The man was right. His wife did truly love him.