Chapter 156 - Be Gone

"What are you talking about?" Delaney asked in confusion, "Why do you have to leave?"

"I'm afraid it's going to be necessary."

"Why? What happened? Last night you said you would stay."

"Well yes but that was before I saw how your people were going to react to what took place," he answered, pacing and popping his knuckles.

The sound made Delaney grimace.

"Ian I don't understand..."

"They hate me," he said stopping and turning to her suddenly, "Your people blame me for what happened last night to you and Vincent."

"What?" she asked in surprise, "But you had nothing to do with it."

"It doesn't matter Delaney I'm a pirate. Besides the guards told them Ilona is my sister so now they're especially angry with me."

Delaney sighed and walked over to the cage in the corner and eased one of her sugar gliders out into her hands. She closed the door again and went to sit on one of the couches with him, stroking his little grey body.

"I'm sure they will get past it," Delaney sighed, "Once they see Vincent and I blame you for none of it and actually appreciate you for saving us they will remember why they like you."

"I don't think so."

"What about Penelope?" Delaney smiled mischievously at him, "Surely she isn't upset with you."

Ian folded his enormously muscled arms over his chest, "She's asked me not to speak to her again unless it is required for our positions."

Delaney's smile fell from her face, "You're joking."

Ian dropped into the seat across from her and leaned back, rubbing his temples, "I'm not. She was quite... explicit about it."

"Oh Ian," Delaney shook her head sadly, "I'm so sorry. Perhaps if I speak to her..."

"Please don't," he cut her off, "I am a pirate captain. If she were to have a future with me she would end up seeing much worse than what happened last night. It's for the best that we went our separate ways now."

Delaney looked down, her conversation with Vincent the night before coming back to her mind. She looked up through her lashes and studied her friend. He was tall and very muscular, even more so than Vincent. He wasn't as tall as his father but he was still a giant of a man. Even his thighs were thick with muscles he had once told her he gained while climbing about in the rigging of the ships all his life.

Ian wasn't wearing his sword and blades now but she knew when he did he made such an imposing figure he could send a chill down your spine. His hands alone dwarfed hers and as she looked at them now she couldn't stop herself from imaging them around someone's throat.

Delaney shook her head and looked away, annoyed with herself for letting her thoughts go that far. Vincent was right. Ian was who he was and he couldn't change that. He was born and raised a pirate. That didn't mean he wasn't still a good man. He had proven that time and time again since he had come to live with them.

"Ian," she spoke after some time, "This land and everything on it except the people belongs to Vincent. He is the Duke and I am the Duchess and we both want you here with us. If our people have a problem with you being here they have three choices. They can get over it, they can be upset but keep that to themselves, or they can find other employment."

The pirate looked up at her seriously, "Delaney I heard some of your guards talking. They're going to tell Vincent if he doesn't tell me to leave they will leave themselves."

"Vincent isn't going to ask you to leave."

"But he might Delaney and that's why I wanted to speak to you. You can't be upset with him if he does. He can't risk traveling without guards. Not now when the heirs to the throne are being murdered. He can't risk your safety either."

"He wouldn't dare," she said quietly although now she felt unsure, "He knows you are my dear friend. He... He wouldn't send you away just to keep our guards."

Ian didn't argue because he could see even as she said it she was doubting her own words. He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees.

"If he does you must promise me you will try to understand why he had to do it and you won't be angry or upset with him. I don't want to be the cause of any trouble in your marriage. The two of you have had to go through enough."

Delaney looked at him sadly and even though she knew her heart would be broken if Vincent asked Ian to leave, she nodded and promised him she wouldn't let it cause problems for the two of them. Relief filled Ian's face when he heard it. He leaned back in the seat again now and closed his eyes, rubbing his temples.

"I sometimes wonder if I will ever be able to escape the trouble my sister causes. It's like a tidal wave, growing and growing until it crashes onto land and sweeps everyone in its path out to sea to drown."

Delaney couldn't help but giggle at her friend, "Oh Ian Black I imagine you have caused plenty of trouble yourself."

"I have," he agreed, "But nothing like her. She can be a hurricane."

"What does she do?"

Ian thought about that for a moment. He sat up and looked at Delaney now.

"She wants to impress everyone all the time. She can't just be good with the sword she has to be the best. She can't just accept a position in my father's crew she has to be the captain of our mother's ship and take over her crew. And those are just the first examples I thought of. She also has a temper like a hornet and will lash out if she thinks you're insulting her. I think the only reason she backed down last night was that she knows I outrank her and her position as captain of that ship isn't secure."

"You have a bit of a temper but it doesn't sound that bad," Delaney shook her head, "There must be some reason she behaves that way."

"I blame that on my father. He loves her but he doesn't do well at showing it. Not to any of my mother's children really. You saw it at his party. He acted like I was no one. I've accepted that is just how he is with his bastard children but Ilona can't seem to do the same. She wants to be the best at everything so she can be better than all our half-siblings. I think she thinks if she can show him how wonderful she is he will change. He won't though."

Delaney was surprised to find she actually felt a bit sorry for the woman. How sad it must be to live your life never feeling like you're good enough. No wonder she made such reckless decisions.

"Are you really going to tell your father what happened here?"

Ian groaned, "I think I have to. If I don't then someone else will. If it's someone like her man Pierce then he will make sure to make the story sound as bad as possible and her punishment will be even worse. At least if it's me I can leave out details."

Delaney nodded, looking down at the little animal asleep in her lap. She was still angry about the events of the night so she couldn't stop herself from wanting revenge on the woman. It sounded like whatever punishment Captain Black doled out would be quite terrible though. She felt a dash of guilt when she admitted to herself she didn't know just how bad it would be to be punished as a pirate.

"We'd better leave here," Ian sighed, at last, standing and taking the little sugar glider from her lap, "Much longer and your servants will gossip that I ravished you."

Delaney blushed and frowned at him in annoyance as he smirked, teasing her. He patted the little glider's fuzzy head a few times before putting him back in his little pouch with his brother.

Delaney got to her feet and took his arm when he offered it. Together they left the library and walked toward Vincent's study where Ian had said he would leave her. When they got there though they found the butler standing guard.

He eyed them both nervously, "My Lady this isn't a good time."

Delaney frowned, "What are you talking about? I've come to speak to my husband."

"Yes, my Lady but you see he... he's already occupied."

"What are you talking about?" she demanded, "Step aside so I can go in the office."

The butler hesitated but could see by her face that she wasn't going to back down. He stepped aside, dropping his eyes, and did not open the door for them as he normally would have.

Delaney frowned at him and reached out and pulled the door open herself.

Looking inside she was shocked and immediately realized why he had advised she not go in.