Chapter 201 - Painful News

When Delaney woke up late the next morning she found snow covering the ground. It wasn't deep but it was enough that you could barely tell the difference between the gravel drive and the grass all around it. The wind blew, causing drifts to form against the side of the house and trunk of the great tree Delaney had so many fond memories of. The horses out in the field were covered in their thick, shaggy, winter coats which now had a coating of snow on the top as well.

Delaney loved Edgewood and it was their home but it was very old and the winter wind whipped through holes they hadn't even known where there before. Once her fire was stoked, the duchess quickly dressed and left her room so a couple of the men could come in and go about patching what holes in the stonework that they could find.

It was too cold for Delaney to care much about how she looked, deciding to keep her hair down in a long braid and wearing clothes that were warm and comfortable more than fashionable. She even wore mittens without fingers that just looped around her thumb to hold them in place.

She ate a late breakfast alone in their dining room and her heart ached for her husband. She would have been happy to have even just Ian back but knew it was better that he was with Vincent and keeping him safe. The safest place for either of them was with the other.

As she picked at her food, her mind was lost in thoughts of the last words Opal had said to her. She had considered revealing the existence of the witch to Ms. Bird that morning if only to get her opinion on the conversation. Ms. Bird was not one to be accepting of witches or working with witches though so Delaney had kept it to herself instead. She would tell Cora and Miles when they arrived.

Delaney was in her sitting room stitching the adjustments to the clothes for Will when the butler knocked and announced an Adair carriage was approaching. Surprised but pleased to hear that Miles and Cora would be arriving so early, Delaney set aside her sewing and straightened her skirts before hurrying outside to greet them.

When the door to the carriage opened though Delaney's mouth fell open in surprise for a moment. It wasn't her brother and sister-in-law after all, but rather her mother-in-law.

Violet Adair wore a black velvet gown trimmed with furs and a fur cap on her head. Even the gloves she wore had fur around the cuffs. She smiled a smug smile at Delaney as she lifted her skirt from the snow and climbed the stairs to greet the younger woman.

"Why Delaney," her green eyes swept over her daughter-in-law's homely appearance, "Are you unwell?"

Delaney looked unamused, "I'm quite well Violet. Thank you. What has brought you to Edgewood today?"

"I will be happy to tell you once we're inside and out of this snow," the older woman replied before sweeping past Delaney and in through the front doors.

Delaney's gaze dropped down to the driver of the carriage and her open displeasure made him shrink back before hurrying to climb into his place again and drive the carriage around towards the stables. Letting out an exasperated sigh, Delaney turned and went back into her house to find her uninvited guest.

Violet Adair had made her way into the sitting room after ordering tea and cakes to be brought up for them. Delaney looked at her in annoyance, not bothering to hide it. Violet knew her son's wife hated it when the dowager came in, giving orders, and pretending she was the mistress of the house again. They all knew she did it only to upstage the new duchess.

Delaney took a deep breath, working to calm her nerves. She and Violet had made great steps in their relationship at the ocean house so now she had to hope that progress would still be there.

"Are these my son's old clothes? Who are you altering them for?"

Violet had picked up the shirt Delaney had been working on and was now examining it. Delaney moved to join her and decided she would just be honest with the woman. It was her house now after all and she could always tell the older woman to leave.

"Vincent and I have taken in a boy we found in the King's City. He's a servant boy but he's an orphan and in need of all the help he can get."

Delaney paused, considering her next words, but then decided to go forward with them anyway.

"I'm hoping to discuss with Vincent the possibility of adopting the child."

Violet's eyebrows raised in surprise but she didn't reply. Instead, she took one of the other pieces of clothing and went to a seat on the couch across from Delaney. She studied it for a moment before she began stitching on it as well. Delaney was surprised to see this but felt herself relax a little now.

"He wouldn't be able to be Vincent's heir," Violet mentioned, not looking up from the stitching, "But raising the boy might make my son very happy anyway."

"I know he wouldn't be the heir. But I agree that Vincent would likely enjoy raising him all the same."

Violet nodded but again stayed quiet. Delaney found it strange and after a moment it also left her sort of unsettled.

"We would still work to have a baby of our own," she heard herself adding to fill the silence, "Will, the boy, he wouldn't be the heir but he could be a sibling to any children we have. We're blessed with enough love and money to give many children."

"You are," Violet agreed, nodding again, "So am I to understand you haven't found yourself pregnant yet?"

Delaney swallowed and dropped her gaze. "No," she answered quietly, "Not yet."

Maids came in then with trays of tea and cakes for them. Once they'd put them down and poured the tea for the noblewomen, Violet was quick to tell them they were dismissed and to close the door when they left. Delaney sighed. That was an order for the mistress of the house to give her servants but Violet would overstep any time she had the chance.

"Do you think Vincent will agree to adopt a child with you if you haven't had one of your own?" Violet asked, not letting the conversation end, "You're one year... It's almost up."

Delaney was surprised to see her mother-in-law wasn't saying this in any kind of spiteful way or intending to hurt her daughter-in-law. Violet was asking with sincere curiosity. For a moment Delaney had also forgotten the older woman knew of the deal Vincent had come up with.

"No," she answered quietly, "He wouldn't agree unless we had our own baby. He still intends to break the marriage contract on our one-year if we haven't had a baby. He's unwavering in that."

Delaney felt tears sting her eyes and was shocked when Violet stood and quickly crossed to sit beside her, taking her hand.

"You still have time. You can't give up yet. I had been married nearly three years before I had Vincent and you know Miles came years after him as well..."

"But Vincent won't give us time," she cut the other woman off, "You know he won't."

Violet Adair sighed and gently squeezed her hand. There was nothing she could say though. Both women knew the determination Vincent had to ensure Delaney had the best life. If he couldn't give that to her he wouldn't stand in the way and stop her from finding someone that could.

"Why have you come here, Violet?" Delaney asked, dashing away her tears with the back of her hand, "You've been here a short time and already you have me in tears with the subjects you've chosen to discuss."

Violet frowned and pursed her lips.

"I didn't come here intending to make you cry, Delaney. I would have thought after our last conversation that we would be able to move on from that. But I did come here because I have some news that I thought might be best for you to hear from me."

Delaney looked up at the woman's sharp green eyes which were in a lovely face that was peppered with wrinkles. At the corners of each of those eyes were little wrinkles and more around her mouth. There was no arguing that she was still quite beautiful though.

"What news is it I should hear from you?" Delaney asked suspiciously, "I don't think you would come unless it was to deliver bad news."

Violet sighed but didn't drop her gaze. She even raised her chin a bit.

"It isn't bad news exactly... but... but I'm afraid it might hurt you very much to hear."

Delaney frowned, now feeling her stomach twist and her heart beat faster.

"Well, what is it?"