My Once Handsome Husband - Chapter 300

Thunder shook the sky as the storm grew closer and the wind whipped through the trees.  Helena took Delaney aside to tell her what she would need to do to save Vincent while Daniel spoke to the men about the journey back to Edgewood.

“I know you won’t like this,” the witch said with an apologetic expression, “But you will have to hold the tooth in your hands and press it into one of his wounds.”

“So I will st-stab him with it?”

Helena sighed and nodded, “I’m sorry but you have to.  You need the tooth to get inside him so it can pull the poison out.”

Delaney swallowed hard and nodded, looking down at her hands and wondering if she was even strong enough to do such a thing.

“Once you’ve pushed it down into him it’s going to hurt him and likely you as well,” the witch continued, “But you have to hold it in as long as you can.  The longer you hold it the more poison it can pull out of him.”

“Alright,” Delaney said, “But this is going to hurt him?”

“The poison has woven itself into his body and you are going to be pulling that back out, my dear.  There’s no way to keep something like that from hurting.”

Nodding again, Delaney looked back towards the royal carriage where the box holding the tooth was tucked inside.  She had never imagined she would have to cause her husband more pain in order to save him.  This wasn’t going to be pleasant but it was going to save Vincent so that was all that mattered in the end.

“You need to go now,” the witch said, “You don’t have much time from the sounds of that letter from his brother.”

Delany nodded and took the other woman’s hand for a moment, giving it a squeeze.

“Thank you for this,” she said seriously, “Thank you so much for helping me save him.”

Helena smiled, “It was the right choice.”

–

Delaney loaded into the royal carriage with Ms. Bird.  She tried to convince Duncan and Bernard to ride inside with them but they said they would be riding on horses with the guards.  They were so close to getting Vincent the cure he needed they didn’t want to chance anything bad happening.

The storm was picking up so they were eager to get out of the city before the rain began.  Once it started the roads would get muddy and harder to travel very quickly.  They hoped to outrun that.

In her lap, Delaney held the box with the tooth.  After everything she’d done to get it, she didn’t want to put it down.  Feeling the weight of it was somehow comforting to her.  This was it.  This was the thing that would save her husband’s life.  She finally had it in her hands.

The rain started just as they were leaving the edges of the city.  Delaney felt guilty for the men on horseback but she didn’t want to wait a moment longer to get back to Edgewood.  If the rain got too bad she knew they would have to stop but until then she kept her hopes up that they wouldn’t have to.

All through the night, they traveled onward.  Ms. Bird was tired enough that she dozed off now and then but Delaney found she couldn’t sleep.  She was too excited to see her husband and nervous about what she would have to do to save him.  The idea of stabbing him with the tooth made her stomach twist into knots.

Duncan and Bernard had asked her how the tooth would be used to save Vincent but thankfully they had been distracted by a nearby lightning strike before she’d had to answer.  Then she made sure to get in the carriage and avoid an opportunity for them to ask her again.

When Ms. Bird had asked, Delaney had simply told her she didn’t want to discuss it.  The maid had looked at her with worry but didn’t press the subject thankfully.

Delaney didn’t want anyone to know what she was going to have to do.  She felt guilty enough about it on her own.  Besides, there was no way around it.

They managed to stay just ahead of the worst of the rain but it still drizzled down on them continuously as they traveled.  The storm clouds covered the moon, leaving it nearly pitch-black outside.  The men rode with lanterns and the flickering light cast frightening shadows against the ground and trees beside the road.

They rode into a village around the halfway point of their trip hoping to find fresh horses for some of the guards as well as warm drinks to help drive the chill from their rain-soaked bodies.  With no horses or help to be found though they had to give up and move on.

Their slight delay left the storm time to catch up to them.  Delaney watched out the windows of the carriage as the men on horseback hunkered down against the sheets of rain.  The wind had blown out the lanterns so now they were traveling in near blindness and much slower than before.  Ms. Bird was awake and looking out as anxiously as her mistress was.

“Should we stop?” Delaney asked her just loud enough to be heard over the rain pelting the carriage, “Should I make them stop and find shelter until the worst of the storm passes?”

“That’s up to you my lady,” Ms. Bird said quietly, “Though I know you can’t afford to wait very long to get home to Lord Adair.”

“No,” she said in agreement, “No I can’t.”

So she didn’t stop the men and they traveled on, being slowed by the pouring rain but not giving up.  Thunder shook the carriage and the wind blew it so hard it felt as if it was rocking.  A few of the horses were calling out in their fear and Delaney closed her eyes, knowing any moment the men would insist the stop.

Except they didn’t.

Her wonderful servants and guards pushed on through the storm, knowing how important it was for them to get back to Vincent.  Duncan and Bernard didn’t waver either.  They all knew Vincent’s life was in their hands.

When they arrived at Duncan’s estate he had the men drive the carriage straight into the stables and the guards on their horses did the same.  The men working there were already awake thankfully, dealing with some of the horses that were upset by the storm.

Delaney and Ms. Bird got out while the royal horses were switched with the team they had originally driven from Edgewood.  The guards’ mounts were also all exchanged for their Adair horses.

Standing back and watching the process of getting fresh horses, Delaney tried to stay calm but her patience was wearing thin.  She wanted them to hurry and finish already.  She wanted them to be on the road for Edgewood again.

The words from Mile’s letter were echoing in her head.  Vincent wasn’t doing well.  Every minute she was away from him was making her more and more terrified that she would arrive home too late to save him.

–

At last, the horses had all been traded out and Delaney and Ms. Bird hurried to take their seats in the carriage.  Then they were once more driving out into the rain and on the road to Edgewood.  Delaney didn’t know if she felt more or less anxious.  They were so close to home.  So close to Vincent.

The rain beat down as they drove through the night and by the time they reached the small village outside of Edgewood Delaney didn’t know how any of the men were still staying upright.  She knew they must be cold and tired.

Then they were on the track of road that led directly to Edgewood Manor.  Delaney’s heart was pounding in her chest and her breaths were coming quick.  Her stomach was in knots and her palms felt hot where she tightly gripped the box holding the tooth.

She kept her gaze ahead and suddenly she saw what she had been waiting for.  The familiar, welcoming torches from in front of Edgewood manor, their light flickering through the trees.  These were the lights that always guided her home.

Ms. Bird lightly clapped her hands and beamed at Delaney whose own face looked just as happy.  The glowing lights grew larger until they broke through the trees at last and the grand castle-like structure came into clear view.

The carriage came to a stop in front of the stone steps and Delaney was so happy she thought she might cry.  The door to the carriage opened and Bernard stood with a hand out for her.  The rain was still coming heavily and the wind gusts were blowing it everywhere.

Delaney clutched the box with the tooth to her chest, took a deep breath, and stepped out into the storm.