My Once Handsome Husband - Chapter 274

Over the next few days, Delaney battled with her upset stomach and took to eating bread and potatoes and other bland foods that wouldn’t upset it.  She was growing tired of being stuck in bed when there was so much that needed to be done but if she got up and started doing much, she seemed to get sick again.  Then one of her servants would see her and gently send her back to bed.

Finally, a morning came when Delaney woke up and her stomach was a little uneasy but not enough to keep her in bed.  Ms. Bird and Ava came up to help her dress.

“You know my Lady I think living at Honeywell has been good for you,” Ms. Bird talked while she worked, “You’re growing back into your old dresses again.  It’s slow but I can tell these that we’ve had taken in are starting to fit a bit snugger.”

Delaney turned to look at herself in the mirror and thought the maid might be right.  Her cheeks were certainly looking rosier and a bit rounder but she supposed that might have come from being sick and stuck in bed.  She let Ms. Bird do her hair for her, all while a nervous-looking Ava watched.

“Come now girl you aren’t even doing anything yourself yet,” Ms. Bird rolled her eyes at the girl’s worried look.

–

Delaney went outside and the fresh air helped although she found her stomach trouble coming back from time to time.  She didn’t let it stop her from doing a walkthrough of the beehives with her beekeepers and learning more about them.

Going inside that afternoon she took her place at the table and waited for her servers to bring up her lunch.  When they did everything was fine, just her bland foods, until she was served a helping of stewed tomatoes.  A dish she normally didn’t mind, she found now that just the smell of it turned her stomach.

Leaping up from her chair she dashed into the hallway where luckily, there was a mop bucket waiting for one of the maids to clean with.  Delaney fell to her knees and held it as she got sick.  The man that had served her lunch hurried out behind her and was shocked when he came upon the scene.

Hearing what had happened, Ms. Bird was at her side as quick as she could manage, laying a cool wet cloth against the back of her mistress’s neck and helping her up.

“I’m so sorry,” Delaney apologized, her cheeks burning with embarrassment.

“Nonsense,” Ms. Bird hushed her, “There’s nothing to be sorry for.  You’re still just a bit sick.”

Ava stood in the hall and opened her mouth to comment but Ms. Bird quickly pushed the bucket into her hands and gave her a look that told her to be quiet.

“I’ll take care of Lady Adair and you take care of that,” the older maid said to the younger one.

Ava frowned but headed off to do as she was told.

Delaney spent the afternoon in bed and for dinner, she was back to her bland foods.  She didn’t know why she couldn’t seem to settle her stomach but she was becoming quite frustrated by it.

She found herself wishing she could go to visit Edgewood if only to get medicine from Opal that would help her.

–

The next morning when Delaney woke up, despite her turning stomach, she was determined to get up and make herself useful.  Laying in bed only left her open for her mind to make her sad thinking of her husband.

When Ms. Bird and Ava arrived Delaney smiled weakly and they looked at her with worry.

“Are you sure you feel well enough to be up today my Lady?” Ms. Bird asked hesitantly.

“If I stay in that bed one more day I’m going to go mad.”

Ms. Bird sighed and Ava turned to hide her smile.  They set down the tray of breakfast for her, bread with butter and a few pieces of apple which were a bit risky given her sensitive stomach but Delaney found she was hungry and willing to try it.

Today Ms. Bird had decided it was time for Ava to try helping her mistress dress on her own.  Delaney worked with the very nervous young woman and couldn’t help but smile.  She tried to do what she could to help the girl along but if she started doing too much on her own Ms. Bird would scold them both.

At last, Ava pulled on the gown, the top layer over all the others, and worked to lace it closed.  Delaney stood, waiting, and felt as if she was being slowly squeezed in a vice.

“Ava,” she managed, “Do you have it… Do you have it a bit too tight?  It only needs to be tight enough to pull the edges of the fabric together.”

“I-I’m sorry my Lady but down towards your waist it-it’s actually still not-not tight enough.  I can still see the layer beneath it in the gap.”

“What?” Delaney frowned and looked towards Ms. Bird for help.

Ms. Bird looked shocked to hear these rather insulting comments coming out of the other servant’s mouth.  It took her only a moment to snap out of it though before a look of annoyance filled her face.

“What on earth are you talking about girl?  Get out of the way!”  She rushed forward, practically shoving the younger maid aside, and came to stand behind Delaney.  “This dress fits her fine you’re obviously just doing it wrong.  I knew you weren’t paying attention.”

“But I was,” Ava tried, “It looks fine farther up her back it’s just at her waist that it’s too small.”

“For God’s sake stop talking!”

Ava fell silent with tear-filled eyes, looking fearfully between Delaney and Ms. Bird.

“I’m sure it’s fine Ava,” Delaney tried to assure her, “Something’s just gotten twisted up I imagine.”

She felt the dress squeezing her and the nausea was slowly growing.  She began to get irritated that neither of the maids was fixing the issue and releasing her from this discomfort.

“Ms. Bird, can you please just hurry and lace the dress up correctly?  It’s so tight it’s making me feel sick.”

The older maid hesitated behind her and Delaney couldn’t see what the trouble was.  Suddenly Ava stepped quickly forward and yanked once on the laces, untying them at the top.  Delaney felt the pressure slowly being released and she was able to properly breathe again as the laces pulled out of their places, allowing the dress to come open.

Delaney leaned on the back of a chair, closing her eyes and catching her breath as she waited for the nausea to pass.

“Alright,” she sighed in relief at last before turning to face them, “What on earth was done wrong with the laces that had them so tight like that?”

Both maids stood nervously glancing from her to each other.

“What is it?” Delaney frowned.

“Well… nothing was wrong with the laces my lady,” Ava said at last, “The dress… the dress just appears to not fit you anymore… around the waist.”

“W-What?” Delaney asked in surprise, “What do you mean it doesn’t fit me?  I’ve gained so much weight my own dress won’t fit?”

“Well-Well this is one of the ones we had taken in,” Ms. Bird was quick to assure her, “This just means you’ve gotten back to your old size at last!  You’ve always had such attractive curves I’m sure it will be a relief to have them back.”

Delaney frowned and looked at herself in the mirror.  She didn’t think she looked much bigger, especially the areas Ms. Bird was referring to which should have attractive curves.

“Ava go and fetch Lady Adair’s deep blue gown.  It’s one of the ones I told you we hadn’t altered yet.”

Ava looked between the two of them anxiously, “But-But my Lady…”

“Go,” Ms. Bird snapped, stabbing a finger at the door.

They didn’t need the silly girl to say something else insulting and hurt their mistress’s feelings.  The maid knew what a sensitive place Delaney was in after having to leave her husband.  The only reason the older woman snapped at everyone as much as she did was because she wanted everything to be perfect for Delaney so she would start to feel better and be happy again.  The last thing they needed was for this stupid dress not to fit and make the woman feel self-conscience.

Ms. Bird helped Delaney out of the tight dress and had just finished setting it aside when Ava returned with the gown she had been sent for.

Delaney paused for a moment as she looked at it and she felt a stab of pain in her heart.  This was the dress Vincent had sent Harris to get for her in the village the last morning they had been together.  It had been too big so thankfully she hadn’t worn it again since.  Now though there was no avoiding it.

Delaney swallowed hard before turning so she could pull on the gown.  She held still and the maids worked together now to get it on and lace it up, trying to avoid any further uncomfortable moments.  Time ticked by and Delaney waited but the women continued to fuss with the laces.  At last, she sighed, exasperated, and turned to face them.

“What is it?  What’s wrong now?”

The maids were uncomfortable again and her mouth fell open in shock.  “This… This one has to fit me.  It was just made to my exact measurements just over two months ago.”

“I-I don’t know my Lady there must be something wrong with it,” Ms. Bird shook her head, “The waist just barely closes but the rest fits fine.”

“I don’t understand,” Delaney looked at her in confusion, “Should I… Should I try on another one?”

“Do neither of you really see what’s going on here?” Ava blurted out suddenly, looking between them in disbelief.

“What are you talking about?” Ms. Bird asked nervously.

Ava turned to Delaney now with serious blue eyes.

“Lady Adair… You’re pregnant.”