My Once Handsome Husband - Chapter 283

Vincent had insisted on getting up and out of bed despite the pain it put him through.  Harris helped him dress into a pair of breeches and a loose shirt but they didn’t bother with much else.

He moved to sit on the couch in their bedroom and Delaney sat next to him, her feet tucked up under her skirt.  She was careful not to touch him too much because she knew it would hurt him but he insisted on holding her hand.  She pulled his hand into her lap and held it there, feeling secretly thrilled to be so close to him and touching him again.

After the last months of sadness and loneliness, it felt wonderful to be with Vincent and be happy again.

Delaney had asked her husband how he had spent his months without her and learned that he had devoted his time to trying to do as much for the estates as he could.  He had brought Miles to Edgewood and began teaching him everything he would need to know about being the Duke and all the responsibilities he would have.

Vincent told his wife of the letter her maid had sent him while she was living with her Aunt and Uncle.  Delaney was surprised to hear it at first but it made sense.  Ms. Bird had been desperate for her to get better.  Her husband told her it had broken his heart to hear she was in pain and he had read the letter over and over.  He knew he couldn’t do anything though or it would just make her wounds raw again.

It turned out that Miles had stolen the letter from his desk and read it as well.  That was the reason he had gone to see Delaney.  He had been worried about her so he had lied to Vincent saying he needed to return to Cora but had actually gone to see his sister-in-law.

Vincent apologized to Delaney for not going to her when she needed him.  She forgave him before he had even finished his apology.

“I don’t want to think about the months we weren’t together,” she said to him, “I just want to be here with you now and put the rest behind us.”

Her husband smiled lovingly at her, reaching out and taking her cheek in his hand.  He leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the lips, sitting back to meet her eyes for a moment before kissing her deeply.

Not being able to touch him was hard.  Delaney longed to do more than just kiss him.  She wanted to spend a day or even more, in bed with him, relearning every line of his body.  She wanted their bodies to become entangled until they collapsed, exhausted.  Looking at her husband, she knew he wanted the same thing.  His longing was clear in his eyes when he kissed her.

–

Violet, Miles, and Vincent’s friends all took turns coming in and spending time with the Duke and Duchess.  Sometimes they would end up all together.  Delaney watched her husband and knew he was embarrassed by his condition.  He would blush or drop his eyes sometimes when the other men talked to him.  Sometimes he was even a little short with them.

He also grew tired quickly and his pain increased if he did much moving.  By the time they had finished the lunch that had been brought up to them, of which he had eaten very little, he was tired enough to need to return to bed.

Delaney saw the shame and embarrassment on his face as Harris helped him to his bed and eased him down into it.  There was no more pain medicine left so there was nothing that could be done to help him.  She bit her lip and nervously turned her ring as she watched her husband close his eyes and lock his jaw, his breath coming quick.

“Harris,” she said quietly to the man when he walked to the table to try to come up with something from the medicines he still had.  None of them worked for pain like the one from the witch.

“Yes, my Lady?”

“You’re going tonight to meet Opal by the lake aren’t you?  To get Vincent more medicine?”

Harris nodded, “Yes my Lady as soon as it’s dark enough.”

“Good,” she smiled, “I’m going to go with you.”

He looked surprised and glanced over his shoulder at Vincent with worry.  He opened his mouth to speak but Delaney was quick to cut him off.

“No he doesn’t know,” she answered what she knew he would ask, “We’re not going to tell him.  Once he’s asleep I’ll sneak out to join you.  We don’t need to worry him.”

“But my Lady…”

“No Harris,” she looked at him seriously, “You owe me this.  You’ve lied to me for more than a year about my husband’s health.  You hid it from me that he was dying.”

The valet dropped his eyes looking guilty.

“So you won’t mention to Vincent that I will be going with you,” she continued, “You will keep it to yourself and tonight I will come to join you as soon as I can.”

The man hesitated, glancing again at the Duke but nodded.  “Yes, my Lady.”

–

“You should go down… and have dinner with… the others,” Vincent said to her that evening when the servants brought them both trays of food to eat in bed.

“Why would I do that?”

“Because you shouldn’t… be trapped in this room… just because I am…”

“I’m not trapped here,” she smiled at him, “Besides if I was, what better place to be trapped than in a bed with my husband?”

He dropped his gaze but a smile tugged at his lips.  “There is nowhere else… I would rather be either.”

Delaney didn’t know if it was from being happy and home at last or if her body had simply finally accepted her pregnancy, but she wasn’t getting sick anymore.  In fact, she now found she couldn’t quite eat enough.

Vincent watched her with amusement as she ate twice what he was able to.  Delaney realized what she was doing only when she was nearly finished.  She glanced over to find him watching her and blushed a deep red.  He chuckled and took one of her hands to his lips to kiss it before letting it go so he could rest his hand lightly against her belly.

“Do you think… you will have a boy… or a girl?”

“I’m not sure,” Delaney said, covering his hand with her own, “I haven’t really thought about it.  I suppose I’m still sort of shocked I’m pregnant at all.”

He smiled thoughtfully, “I think… it will be a boy…  A good, strong boy… to take care of you.”

Delaney dropped her eyes, his words causing a sudden stab of pain in her heart.

“Vincent please…”

“Miles will take care of you both,” he continued quickly, his smile gone, “He will take care of you… until our son… is grown. Or if… if it’s a girl… he will help you find her… a good marriage contract.”

“I don’t want to talk about this,” she said quietly.

“I know,” he nodded, “But I… I wanted you to know… everything will be alright.”

Delaney looked at him sadly and gently took his face in her hands.  She moved it but he tried not to look at her.  When his eyes met hers at last she gazed into them.  Leaning forward, she kissed him slowly and sweetly.

“Everything will be alright,” she said quietly, “I promise.  No matter what happens my love, you don’t need to worry.  We will be alright.  All of us.”

He nodded but she saw the pain and worry in his eyes.  She knew he was scared of what would happen to them all once he wasn’t there to protect them anymore.  Not only had he been a physically strong man, always able to protect all of them and keep them safe, but he was an extremely wealthy duke.  The power behind his title and all the money he had made would always ensure they were safe in every other way as well.

“We will be alright,” she assured him again before kissing him on the tip of his nose, “Now, let’s curl up and talk about happy things for a while.”

“Do you want to change for the night?” he asked looking down at her dress.

“Oh not just yet,” Delaney smiled, hoping he wouldn’t get suspicious, “I want to rest a bit first.”

Thankfully he didn’t argue, still distracted by his worry.

Delaney couldn’t change out of her dress because as soon as he was asleep she would be sneaking out to meet Harris.  It didn’t make her happy to hide this from her husband but she didn’t want him to get upset or tell her not to go.  She wanted to find out if witches could save him and this was the only way.

Vincent may be angry at first that she went to the witches for help but if it meant he got to live long enough to even just see his baby then she knew he would think it was worth it.