My Once Handsome Husband - Chapter 295

Delaney and the men thanked the farmer for his help and assured him they would be careful with the pirate king.  They hurried back to the carriage and told the drivers to get them back to the city.

“So you’ve met the pirate King?” Duncan asked in surprise as they headed back.

“We know him well,” Delaney smiled, “His oldest son is my best friend and we helped his oldest daughter before too.”

“We’ve been to his ship as well,” Bernard smirked, “That’s where Miles and Cora were married.”

Duncan’s surprise grew, “I had heard they’d been married on a pirate ship… but I thought it was just a wild rumor.”

Delaney laughed, “There’s a lot you’ve missed.”

As the carriage traveled back into the city, Delaney and Bernard took turns telling Duncan about all the fun and adventures they had been through over the summer.  Delaney was happy to tell him all about Ian but as she did, a tendril of sadness wove its way into her heart.  She missed her friend.

It was hard to feel too sad though.  A short time ago they had been defeated, thinking the dragon’s head was gone and they would never find it again.  Hope had been lost for them.

If the farmer’s wife hadn’t happened to hear Delaney shouting and the farmer himself hadn’t arrived before they had left, they may never have been able to learn where to find the dragon’s tooth.

But their luck had taken a turn for the better.  They knew Captain Black.  Delaney felt confident she could bargain with him for the tooth.  He was always looking for a deal.

The only thing that was tugging at the back of her mind and worrying her was where the Captain might be.  Was he at his estate or had he already gone back to the sea?  And no matter where he was, the most important question was where had he taken the dragon’s head?  She prayed he hadn’t sold or traded it.

She reminded herself that even if he had, he could tell them who it had gone to and point them in the right direction.  Then Delaney would do whatever she had to do to get one of the teeth back.  Vincent’s life was depending on it.

–

By the time they arrived back at the city house, it was late.  Much too late to travel to the Pirate King’s estate.  As much as Delaney hated it, she agreed with the men that they would spend another night at the city house and head to the estate first thing in the morning.  In the meantime though, she wrote a letter to her husband and another to Miles.

In her letter to Vincent, she told him everything she thought he might want to know but that wouldn’t worry him.  She told him about Helena having an idea of how to help him and that Sophia was going to have twins.  She explained that they needed a tooth but the pirate king had them so they were going to see him.

In her letter to Miles, she told him that they were hurrying but there was a delay.  Delaney explained the trip to see Captain Black and the search for the tooth that would save her husband.  After that, she asked him at least half a dozen questions about Vincent and how he was doing, begging him to write back as soon as he could.

Sending her letters to Edgewood with a messenger, Delaney agreed to have dinner with Duncan and Bernard.  Her anxiety about her husband and eagerness to be on her way to see Captain Black kept her from feeling very hungry but she knew if she didn’t eat they would worry.

It turned out though that none of them were much in the mood for eating.  They sat quietly pushing their food around on their plates and eating a few bites before at last, they all agreed they were tired and went to bed.

Upstairs in their bedroom alone, Delaney closed her eyes and imagined Vincent was there with her.  She imagined his gentle, exploring hands on her skin and the feeling of the strong muscles in his back moving beneath her hands.  His lips, warm and wanting against hers.  His deep, throaty voice telling her he loved her.

She ached to be back with him and for him to be well.  There was no man better than her husband and if something happened to him, she knew she would never love again.

Her hand moved down to her belly and she sent up a silent prayer that her child would know their father.

–

The next morning she was up with the dawn again.  This time though, Ms. Bird was ready and waiting for her.

Delaney dressed quickly in the lightest dress she had and didn’t bother having much done with her hair.  Ms. Bird braided it and wrapped it into a bun.  There was no need to dress fancy for a day in the carriage.  Besides, when they arrived at the estate of Captain Black, he wouldn’t care how she looked.  He would only care about the deal she had to offer him.

Delaney, Duncan, and Bernard ate quickly and as soon as they were told the carriage was ready, they all but ran out to it.  They crammed inside and Delaney told the drivers to go as fast as they dared.

That turned out to be torture on her stomach and she was thankful she’d barely had anything to eat.  It left nothing to come up when she felt as if she was going to be sick.  This way they didn’t have to slow the carriage.  She just had to suffer through it.

By midday, she was starting to feel better but the heat was beating down on them.  Delaney and the men in the carriage felt as if they were being baked in an oven.  She tried to close her eyes and think of something else.  They were so close to Captain Black’s estate now and the key to the cure for her husband.  She just had to hold on.

To distract herself, she considered what she would offer Captain Black in exchange for the tooth.  She didn’t think he would want money, he had plenty of that.  No, the Captain was a pirate and his mind went to treasures.

She remembered all his exotic animals and the amazing art and statues in his home.  He would want something to add to his collection, she was almost sure of it.

The trouble was, there was very little that she had that she could trade him.

When they visited his estate he had seemed intrigued when he had heard her mention the fairies.  She could never show him the way to Nell and the others though.  There was something about the Captain that made him not quite trustworthy.

There was Frost.  She was sure he would be very happy to have the half-unicorn.  She couldn’t give him Frost though because if the Captain ever learned what he could do, he would have the animal lead him to Mabon and then to the fairies.  Besides, Frost wasn’t hers to give.

Delaney herself had very little she could bargain with.  She was a Duchess and married to one of the wealthiest men in the land but none of the money, titles, or estates belonged to her.

Except one.

Honeywell.  Her husband had put the estate in her name.  She knew now that he had done it so he could be sure after he was gone, no one would be able to ever take it from her.  He wanted to make sure she was always well taken care of.

Trading the Pirate King Honeywell meant that she would be giving up her last bit of security for herself and her child.  If they were too late to save Vincent she would have to hope she had a son to inherit his title and estates.  If she had a girl though, everything would go to Miles and they would be at his mercy.

She trusted Miles to always take care of them but that would mean they wouldn’t have any freedom.  They could only live where he said they could and they would only have whatever money he gave them.  She loved Miles but she knew he didn’t have the mind for business like his older brother.  If he made bad decisions he could lose everything, including the ability to take care of Delaney and her baby.

There was nothing left for her to bargain with though.  She would have to give him Honeywell in exchange for the tooth to try to save her husband.  She was already trying to get back to Vincent as fast as she could but this would now add another reason to hurry.

Delaney looked out the window and saw Captain Black’s estate coming into view.  There was no time left to try to think up another plan and she knew this was the only plan anyway.  For the millionth time since he’d left, Delaney found herself wishing Ian was there with her.