Chapter 191 - Home Again

Their butler and Mrs. Crouch were both happy to see them, coming down the steps to greet their master and mistress. A few of the servants who had stayed behind for the summer waited to eagerly greet them as well. Vincent forced a smile to his face and walked slowly down the line with Delaney, saying hello to each of them and asking them about their summer or some other bit of small talk.

Delaney always enjoyed seeing their people's love and loyalty to her husband. They served him well. Once they'd gone through everyone, the men and women scattered, going back to their tasks. With them gone, Vincent let his smile fall away and concentrated on getting up the first flight of stairs.

"Should we go to the dining room now?" Delaney asked him quietly, "I'm sure dinner is nearly ready and you could sit and rest and not have to move again."

"No," he replied, his voice hoarse, "I will go to my study and rest and look over the books. You should take Ian and show him around and introduce him to anyone he hasn't met."

"I would rather stay with you," she tried.

Vincent shook his head, looking down at her apologetically, "I just... I just need to be on my own for a bit my love. I will see you after dinner and we won't have to be apart again for days if you don't want it."

Delaney smiled lovingly up at him and reached to brush his hair from his face, "Alright then my husband. I will show Ian to his room and around a bit until dinner. You rest."

He forced a smile to his lips and watched her as she headed back towards the doors to look for the pirate. Vincent moved slowly to his office, pain shooting from his thigh down into his leg and up into his side every time he took a step and put weight on it. His shoulder with the puncture from the dragon's tooth ached as well, pain radiating from it up into his face and over his chest. Even the wound on his abdomen felt like it was spreading fire over him along his scars.

Waving away the butler heading to open the door to his office for him, Vincent pulled it open with his good arm and stepping inside, carefully closing and locking it behind him. As soon as he was safely away from watching eyes, he gave up on the work of trying to keep his bad leg stable, his limp now so bad he fell forward, catching himself on the back of a chair and easing his way around it.

His bad leg didn't want to bend so he dropped into the seat at a strange angle, leaning as far back as he could while he sat perched on the very edge of the seat, his good leg and arm keeping him from falling to the ground.

Vincent smashed his eyes closed and a strangled sound of agony escaped him against his wishes. Tears burned in the corners of his eyes but he refused to let them fall. He gripped the thigh of his bad leg, feeling the heat and throbbing coming from the original wound. Turning his head he pressed his face into the back of the plush chair and let a moan come from deep inside him, safely muffled by the padding.

No one must hear or see him. He couldn't let anyone know the extent of his pain, especially not his beloved wife.

-

Delaney walked out into the twilight and found Ian standing at the bottom of the stairs, arms crossed over his chest as he looked out at the seemingly neverending forest below them. Delaney joined him, hooking her arm through his and smiling up at him when he looked down at her.

"So?" she asked eagerly, "What do you think?"

"I've never been anywhere like this," Ian admitted, shaking his head, "Surrounded by all this forest it's like... It's like being on my ship in the middle of the sea. All alone, just you and your people. Not able to see what could be lurking in the depths beyond."

Delaney looked at him fondly, "That is a very beautiful and sort of haunting way to look at it. We're all together but all alone at the same time."

"The sea is beautiful and haunting too. It and this forest both have their own sort of wild power."

"You love the sea very much," Delaney said thoughtfully, "Don't you?"

"I do."

"And you miss it?"

"Yes," he nodded, "But this place somehow makes me feel closer to it even though we're so far away. Maybe it's the seclusion."

"I suppose I don't care what it is as long as you're happy," Delaney giggled, "I don't want you to stay here with us and be miserable."

Ian shook his head, "I don't know that I can spend another summer away from the ocean but I will stay as long as I can. My ship and men will be waiting for my return."

"How is it for you? Going from being Captain of a great pirate ship to being here with us as a protector?"

"Vince's given me command of the guards although things usually go better if he gives the orders instead of me. That's something like being a captain again. Otherwise, though I enjoy the time on solid ground and the time to myself. As the captain, I rarely get either of those things."

Delaney smiled up at him, "Well come on then Captain Black. Let me show you a few things before I go change for dinner."

Delaney first took Ian to the place she thought he would like best. Her husband's impressive stables. She walked down the rows with him as he looked at all the beautiful horses of all different shapes, sizes, and colors. She watched his eyes light up and the surprise on his face when he first saw Frost, the half unicorn.

"What my father wouldn't give to have this beautiful boy in his menagerie," he chuckled as he scratched Frost's pearlescent head.

"Vincent will never part with him," Delaney smiled and watched her friend, "He cares about the horse's father."

"His father?" Ian questioned, "The unicorn?"

"Yes. Vincent has known the unicorn his entire life and takes good care of his son. He will never send Frost away."

"Vince has seen a unicorn?"

"We both have," she giggled at his look of disbelief, "My husband has known him since he was a boy though and I have only seen him once."

"That's amazing. I've never known anyone who's seen a unicorn."

"Neither had I until Vince."

-

Once they were finished looking through the stables, Delaney said goodbye to her friend so she could go up to her room to change for dinner. She paused in front of the door to Vincent's study and wanted so much to go in and just be there with him while he worked. She had to get ready though and he had asked for some time to himself.

Ms. Bird was thrilled to see her again and happy to help change her travel dress into something better suited for their time at home. Delaney dressed in a simple light blue dress and just braided her hair over her shoulder instead of going through the trouble of having it put up. She was almost finished when the bell announced dinner.

Vincent was in the dining room when Delaney got there but he was pale and his scars were dark red. She knew they needed to eat quickly so he could go to bed and rest his sore body.

Ian sat across from her, eating but also looking around the grand room in awe. He had never been anywhere like it except the castle and Delaney felt Edgewood was prettier than the grand castle.

"What did you think of my stables?" Vincent asked their friend with a little smile, his voice a bit rough.

Ian replied that he had never seen so many lovely horses all together and mentioned Frost and how amazing he was. The pirate said he definitely wanted to spend more time looking around out in their stables. Vincent had smiled warmly about this, pleased to hear it.

The rest of their dinner was mostly quiet and Delaney was relieved once they were done. Vincent got slowly to his feet, and every bit of his body language showed how it hurt him. He held out his arm to his wife and she thanked him, calling good night to Ian. Very slowly they made their way up to their bedroom, arriving there just as Harris and Ms. Bird did.

Harris took his time and helped Vincent get into his nightshirt. Once that was finished, Vincent dismissed the red-headed valet and slowly made his way to bed without him. Ms. Bird quickly helped Delaney change before saying goodnight and being on her way as well.

Finally, after a long summer and long journey home, Delaney climbed in bed and scooted over next to her husband. Vincent pulled her in closer kissed her deeply.

"It's good to be home," he whispered.