Chapter 231 - Sad News And A Visitor

From the moment they were gone, Delaney was anxiously awaiting their return.  She paced around her sitting room and then up to her bedroom where she absently flipped through the books that were there.

Coming across a book about a prince, Delaney felt a sudden stab of sadness in her heart.  She had been so worried her husband and Ian she hadn't given herself a chance to think back to the note and what it actually meant.  What if Mason had been aboard that ship?

She thought back to the memory of the handsome man talking to her outside Win's club before she'd known who he really was.  She remembered him telling them about escaping down a drainpipe and how he had made everyone laugh.  When he had first arrived at the ocean house unexpected it had seemed like he would ruin their summer.  Having an unpredictable Prince around everyone thought they were going to have to cater to seemed like it would be exhausting.

Delaney remembered their first serious talk on the beach while Ian stood back a ways to keep an eye on her.  It was then that she had seen who Mace really was.  After their talk he seemed to work harder at being himself around everyone else as well and they loved him more for it.

Tears stung her eyes.  What if Mason really had gone down with the ship?  She would never get another chance to talk with him or laugh with him again.  The man who was their prince and their friend would be gone.  The thought of it made her heart ache.

Delaney shook her head and tried to clear the thoughts from her mind.  Once Vincent was home again they could talk about it and feel the pain together.  For now she just needed a distraction.

She found herself actually wishing her mother-in-law was still in the city to keep her company but Violet had left for Edgewood while they were still in the castle and taken William home with her.

Delaney smiled as she thought about it.  The older woman had grown fond of the child.  She had even mentioned having him stay at her home and getting him tutors to help with his speech.  Delaney had thought it would be good for Violet to have someone to take care of now that her sons were old enough to take care of themselves.  The Duke and Duchess adored the boy too though so they hadn't decided what to do with him yet.

Working to find other things to keep her mind distracted, Delaney took a deck of cards and returned to her sitting room.  She considered calling for Harris to play with her but she knew the man was busy so instead, she started a game she was able to play on her own.

Time ticked by painstakingly slow as Delaney sat flipping cards over and placing new ones before shuffling them all and starting again.  Her mind would float to thoughts of her husband or Ian in trouble at the castle and she would have to fight them back.  More thoughts of Mason came to her and she also worked to push those away.

A clock sat on the mantle of the fireplace in the sitting room and she finally had to turn her back to it so she would stop checking the time constantly.

When she heard the sound of horses approaching outside Delaney leaped to her feet and rushed to the window to look out.  She was hoping to see her husband returning at last but instead found lines of guards on horseback.  Delaney frowned in confusion when she saw one of the royal carriages come to a stop in front of their door.  Across the street, a group of women that had been walking by stopped to gawk at the scene.

A well dressed footman got down from the front of the carriage and went to the door of the Adair City house.  Delaney rushed to the door of the sitting room and opened it just a crack so she could peak out and try to hear who it was or why they had come.  The footman wasn't very loud though and Harris was quick to scramble away from the door and rush to get his mistress.

Delaney got clear of the door only moments before Harris threw it open.

"My Lady," he looked at her with wide eyes, "The Queen is here to see you!"

"Have tea and cakes brought up immediately," she ordered and Harris nodded, "Welcome her in."

Harris hurried from the room and Delaney took a deep breath to calm her nerves before following him.  She reached the entryway at the same time as the Queen who was dressed in an elegant black gown with matching long back gloves and a hat with a veil that hung down as low as her nose.

"Your majesty," Delaney curtsied low, "This is an unexpected surprise.  Please come in!"

"I'm sorry for not giving you warning I was coming," Sopia swept in and followed Delaney towards the sitting room, "But when I heard the news Ian and Vince gave Daniel I felt the sudden need to come and speak with you."

"Oh yes," Delaney nodded sadly as she offered the Queen a seat before taking her own, "How is Daniel after learning about the ship?"

Sophia sighed as she lifted the veil back from her face, "Well he insists there was no way Mace didn't survive.  He thinks his brother is either safely in the Red Lands or safely somewhere else.  I know it's likely wishful thinking but for now I will support my husband and go along with his idea that Mason is alive.  He doesn't want us to get upset until we know without a doubt that the Prince was on the ship that went down."

Delaney nodded, turning her ring around on her finger, "I pray the King is right and Mason will turn out to be safe and sound.  He is very dear to me and Vincent as well.  I... I don't know what we will do if he's really gone."

"I know," Sophia sighed, "And I would like a chance to apologize to him for everything that's happened.  I would hate to think I lost my chance."

"We just have to have faith," Delaney said quietly, sadness biting at her heart as she considered the fact she might never see Mason's happy grin again.

"Yes.  Even now, Daniel is preparing orders to send to his ships.  One will sail directly to the Red Lands to find out if Mason is there while the rest will follow Ian's lead and spread out across the ocean in search of them.  If there is any chance Mason is still alive, they will find him.  And your friend's siblings too of course.  Ian said his mother and many of his brothers and sisters would have been aboard the ship."

"Yes there would have been several of them on that ship including Ilona," Delaney sighed and looked down at her hands in her lap as she thought of the loss of another friend, "But it makes me feel better that Daniel is sending so many ships to search.  I suppose I will try not to think the worst has happened until we know for sure."

"I don't agree with pirating," Sophia shook her head, "But pirates or not, I hope nothing bad has befallen your friend's family.  I know now just how painful it is to lose a sibling and I don't wish that on anyone."

Delaney swallowed and dropped her gaze.  She wasn't sure how to reply to that.  She didn't blame Sophia for being upset at the loss of her sister but at the same time, Anna had caused so much misery.  Luckily she was saved from replying at all when a light knock came at the door.

They were quiet as a servant brought in the tea and cakes Delaney had requested.  The Duchess and Queen were served by the nervous young woman before she finished at last and nearly ran from the room.

Delaney and the Queen chuckled over the poor girl before sipping their tea and having a few bites of cake.  After a while, Delaney decided to broach the subject she had been wondering about.

"I feel a bit better after talking to you about Mason," she folded her hands in her lap again, "But you said you needed to speak to me.  Was that what it was about or was there something else?"

"Well," Sophia sighed and put down her cup, "I had news of my own I was going to give my husband today but after the news of the ship I felt it wasn't the time to put more on his plate.  I needed to tell someone I can trust though and after everything... well I thought of you."

"Oh well thank you," Delaney smiled but felt her cheeks warm, "I... I'm honored that you would think of me."

"Of course," the Queen smiled back, "Now let me tell you this news."