Chapter 243 - Last Storm

The days went by on their last month.  Delaney and Vincent both worked to keep up the charade that everything was going to be fine and that they were happy.  Inside though their hearts were breaking.  Every good time together was bittersweet and made them ache because they realized it might be the last time.

Vincent took Delaney in the carriage to one of their nearby estates where he strolled with her through the orchard while she breathed in the scent of blossoms and fruit.  They ate a picnic lunch in the middle of the place under an apple tree that was enormous.  Then because they were in no rush, they napped there.

They went on walks together.  One of their favorites was to walk through the stables and visit the horses.  Every time Delaney saw Frost she had to pet him.  The half-unicorn was growing very fond of her and Vincent stood back and smiled as he watched them.  He would have left Frost to her when he was gone but the beast was simply too dangerous.  Frost was a wild creature.

The lake was lovely in the spring weather so they walked to it one morning and Vincent taught Delaney how to fish.  He told her stories of him and Miles sneaking out when they were younger and coming home with baskets of fish.  When she caught her first fish and he helped her pull it out of the water he laughed as she squealed when the fish flopped around on the grass towards her.  That night they ate a delicious dinner and Delaney was very proud of her contribution.

Not wanting to waste days away from her, Vincent tried to keep Delaney with him if he had to go to the other estates for work.  She loved exploring new places and he loved telling her their history.

The only trouble was he was very nearly out of his medicine and his pain was growing worse every day so the rides in the carriages were becoming nearly unbearable.  He had to work his hardest to hide the severity from her.  He didn't want to ruin their outings by making her worry.

As the days fell away behind them, Delaney began to feel her worry and anxiety building.  She would know if she was pregnant or not around the same day they would reach their one year.  Remembering her arrangement with Sophia she tried to stay calm and not get too upset but there was no guarantee Daniel would agree with his wife and turn down his beloved cousin's request.

With every passing day, Vincent's touch and kisses took on new levels of something like desperation.  He held her against him longer when he hugged her and kissed her deeply each chance he got.  Delaney would have sworn that sometimes she saw tears glistening in his eyes as well although he would never let them fall.

As they grew close to their last few days, the skies became grey and overcast, matching their moods.  One evening Delaney stood out on the steps looking out at her garden as the wind whipped her skirts around her legs.  In the fields, the horses ran around as lightning flashed in the sky.  A warm hand lightly touched her waist and she turned and smiled softly up at her husband.

"It's going to storm," he said as he slid his arms around her and looked up at the sky, "You can feel the pressure in the air."

Delaney nodded and let herself relax against his warm chest, "I love the smell of the rain."

He smiled and kissed the top of her head.

"Are you worried?" she asked, "This will be the first big storm we've had overnight since our time at the ocean house."

He was quiet for a time as he considered this, "We have the medicine Ian got us from his father's doctor.  If it's anything like the pain medicine from Opal I think I'll actually be alright."

"And I'll be with you.  All night."

"Yes," he agreed with a laugh rumbling in his chest, "I know better than to try to argue with you about that anymore."

Delaney giggled and brushed her hair back out of her face again as she felt the first few drops of rain splash against her skin.

"Come on," Vincent said, taking her on his arm, "Let's go inside."

-

Even though he felt more confident about facing the storm since he knew he had his medicine, Vincent still began to get nervous as they ate dinner and the wind and rain picked up outside.  He continued to glance out at the dark land beyond while they ate and his scars were staying a steady dark red.

The servants had learned what to expect from their master with the storms so they were all on edge as well.  If Vincent had been a lesser man there wouldn't have been a reason for such concern.  The Duke was a tall, powerful, fearsome creature though and his skills with fighting and the sword were undeniable.  There was no one at Edgewood that would be able to stop him if he did lose control during a storm and went on some kind of attack with his blade in hand.

Delaney reached across the table and rested her hand lightly over her husband's where he had curled it into a fist and pressed it against the wood.  Startled by the touch, his eyes snapped to her and it took him a moment to calm his nerves.  He moved his hand then so he could hold hers and give it a gentle squeeze.

"It's going to be alright," she assured him with a loving smile, "After we finish eating we can go to our bedroom and you can take some of the medicine."

Vincent nodded and dropped his eyes to his plate where he had barely touched his food.

"I... I don't think I can eat anymore," he admitted quietly.

"That's alright," Delaney squeezed his hand again, "Come on we can go on to bed."

Vincent nodded and stood, taking her on his arm.  As they walked towards their room she noticed his leg was giving him more trouble than she expected.  He locked his jaw against the pain and moved slowly up the stairs.  She had thought after a day mostly in his study that he would be alright.  Given his anxiety over the storm though she realized now she wouldn't have been surprised to learn he'd spent the day pacing in there.

Up in their bedroom, Ms. Bird and Harris helped them undress and get into their nightclothes.  Delaney could see Harris was tense as he worked with his master and even Ms. Bird was unusually quiet.  She realized they must both be worried about Vincent as well.

"Take these," Vincent said to Harris when the man turned to leave.  She looked and saw her husband holding out his sword and dagger from his boot.  The servant nodded and took them from him.

"And these please," he turned and handed Ms. Bird the tray with bottles of wine and glasses, "Stay right there.  Let me get something else."

Delaney watched as her husband pulled another small knife from among his things on his writing-table and then a hand mirror from her dressing table.  He looked around anxiously for other things he might end up using as weapons in his altered state of mind.  The servants stood nervously watching him.

"That's enough," Delaney nodded towards them, "You may go."

"Wait," Vincent shook his head, "I think they should take the chairs from here and..."

"My love," she reached out and took his handsome scarred face in her hands, "You won't hurt me or anyone else.  We're going to be alright."

Vincent didn't move but Delaney glanced at the waiting servants and nodded for them to go ahead.  Once they left and the door was closed, she moved to a little chest on her dressing table and took out a bottle.

She held it out to her husband and he stared at it for a long while before pulling out the stopper and taking a drink.  He handed it back to her and she left it on her table beside the bed in case they needed more.

Outside, a flash of lightning split the sky, and the cracking sound it made caused them both to jump.  Vincent's breaths were coming faster as thunder rumbled, growing closer.  She reached for her husband's hand and pulled him to the bed with her.

"You're going to be alright my love," she said quietly as they pulled the blankets over them, "I trust you."

"That might be a foolish choice," he said quietly, swallowing hard again, "Maybe I should go to another room for a while?  Just until we're sure this works."

"No," Delaney smiled but shook her head, "You're my husband and you're staying here with me.

He closed his eyes and worked to calm his breath.

And then they waited.