My Once Handsome Husband - Chapter 266

The small Adair carriage bounced along the dirt and gravel road as quickly as the drivers would dare in the near darkness.  The air was damp and smelled like rain.  All around, the frogs and the night insects carried on loudly announcing their presence.

Delaney sat on the plush deep blue seats of the carriage and nervously turned her ring around and around on her finger until the movement actually began to make her skin sting.  The cool breeze blew in, ruffling her hair, and the moisture caused it to curl up.  She couldn’t believe this was happening.  She was finally going to see her husband again after all this time.

Her heart felt like a mixture of aching excitement and enough nervousness she would have sworn it skipped beats.  She was so excited to see him she didn’t know how she would be able to stand it for the entire carriage ride.  At the same time, she had been waiting so long to see him again she couldn’t believe she would be seeing him so soon.  This very night!

Delaney wished Vincent was there with her already but all she was left with was the thought of the scolding voice of his younger brother.  The carriage had been traveling for some time so Miles might know by now that she had gotten away.  He and Constance would likely make a big scene with an intense argument.  She didn’t worry about her friend’s ability to stand up to the younger Adair though.

She wasn’t happy that they had deceived Miles.  He had been so sweet and caring.  He just didn’t understand.  Constance was right.  He didn’t understand that Delaney needed to go to Vincent herself and give him the letter.  Miles didn’t understand what it meant to her.

The carriage hit a bump and Delaney reached out to steady herself, wincing when she felt the pressure on her wrist.  Cradling it in her lap, she leaned over to try to see it in the patch of moonlight shining in through the window.  She bit her lip when she saw how swollen it was.  She must have landed on it wrong when she fell.

She reminded herself she didn’t need to worry.  Harris would be at Edgewood and he would tend to it.  She looked forward to seeing him and all their other servants.  Her wrist didn’t seem broken so she was sure her husband’s valet would be able to take care of it himself.  If not, they could send for a doctor tomorrow if they needed to.

Catching herself thinking that, Delaney smiled.  Tomorrow.  Tomorrow she would wake up in her home and hopefully in her husband’s arms.  She wanted to wake up in his arms every morning for the rest of her life and now, thanks to Daniel’s letter, she could.  The knowledge made her face fill with a smile.

Worry crept into her mind again a short time later though.  What if Miles was right?  What if Vincent was angry that the King had turned down his request to break their marriage contract.  He could write to him again or insist on going to see Daniel himself.  The King wouldn’t be likely to turn Vincent away in person.

Taking a deep breath, Delaney pushed the thought from her mind.  It was as Constance had said.  She would just have to convince him not to do these things.  Everything would be fine.  She had to believe that.

Looking out the window, Delaney saw they were now on the familiar stretch of road surrounded by fields.  They were getting closer.  They would drive through the small village outside of Edgewood where Violet had her home.  Then it wasn’t far to her old home.

Her heart leaped in her chest.  Somewhere miles ahead Vincent was probably asleep in his bed and had no idea she was on her way to him.  He had no idea she was coming home to him with the letters that proved she never had to leave him again.  Surely he would be as happy as she was.  She had to believe he would be.

Outside it was beginning to grow dark as clouds rolled in, covering the moon.  Thunder rumbled lightly and the wind picked up.  When the patter of gentle rain could be heard on the roof of the carriage Delaney felt sorry for the drivers out in it but hoped they wouldn’t stop.  She hoped it would stay light enough they wouldn’t have to.

Looking down at her dress, Delaney could only barely make it out in the darkness.  She had seen earlier though how dirty and torn it was from her fall from the window.  There were brown and green stains on the front where her knees must have landed in the wet grass.  There were small tears around the bottom from being shoved through the rough window frame.  The worst part was the huge expanse of material missing from the back.

Making a decision, Delaney quickly began to unlace the gown.  She would take off the top, torn layer, and leave the underskirts and other layers in place.  They were still in good shape luckily.  She would look a bit odd but she felt it was better than looking like she had been dragged through bushes.

She wiggled around until she managed to get out of the torn-up gown.  It fell in a heap on the floor and she didn’t bother to retrieve it.  She was surprised by how much cooler it was without it though.

Patting her hair, she could feel how wild and messy it was.  She began to quickly pull out the pins.  She may not be able to fix everything but her hair was at least something she could control.  Sometime later she had a pile of hairpins and ribbons on the seat beside her and she was running her fingers through her long chestnut curls, working out the tangles.  Braiding her hair down over her shoulder she couldn’t see it so she had to hope it looked good.

Delaney was surprised by how nervous and almost afraid she felt.  This was Vincent, the man she loved and had been married to for a year.  He had seen her in worse states than this she knew, thinking back to the night of the fire at the castle for one example.  He thought she was beautiful but that wasn’t why he loved her.

And he did love her.  That much she knew without a doubt.

Riding through the night to Edgewood she now felt some of the same nervous energy she had felt when she had gone out with him to parties and things before the war.  He had been so tall and perfectly handsome.  His pearly white smile and sparkling green eyes lit up any room he was in and girls loved to look at him.  There was never an end to the line of women jealous she had been promised to such a man.

Thinking about it, Delaney smiled.  They had been silly children.  She never would have dreamed that she would come to love him even more after his supposedly perfect looks had been altered.

Vincent had been light and handsome then but now he was better in her eyes.  Now he was dark and powerful.  His scars that had scared her at first, only added to his intricate appearance, making him even more handsome than before the war.  Her husband was quiet and mysterious now as well which only drew her to him more.  She loved being the one he told his secrets to.

She didn’t know there was one he was leaving out.

–

Time ticked by and Delaney found the wine from earlier made her tired and even her excitement to see Vincent couldn’t keep her awake.  The gentle sound of the rain starting and stopping was relaxing as well.  She dozed off, coming awake with a start any time the carriage hit a particularly big bump.  Sitting up and looking out the window she would see they weren’t yet at Edgewood and sigh.  It wouldn’t take long before she drifted off to sleep again.

At last, the carriage hit a bump that woke her up, and when Delaney looked out the window her heart leaped in her chest.  Through the drizzling rain, she looked up, and sitting proudly on its hill was the great stone Edgewood Manor.  Her home.

A squeak of excitement escaped her and she clasped her hands together.

Because of the rain, most of the torches were out but there were still the two largest ones burning at the top of the stairs before the door.  It was a welcoming sight that sent a thrill through her.

The carriage rattled up the drive and she watched as some of the windows began to light up, the occupants of the place becoming aware of the approaching guest.  She knew they were likely expecting to see Miles step out of his carriage.

A surprise was in store for them all… but mostly for their master, Lord Vincent Adair.