Chapitre 31: Escape to a Party

"You... you really found nothing?"

Uncle Felix's weasely little lawyer looked embarrassed but repeated to her again that he hadn't been able to find any reasonable excuse for her to break the contract.

When Delaney had woken up that morning she'd gone straight to her Uncle as Selina had said. Constance was moving into the card club with her sister and mother so it was a busy day but Felix called for the man anyways.

The lawyer had broken the bad news almost as soon as he'd walked through the door.

Now, Delaney dropped into one of the office chairs feeling defeated. What could she do? This couldn't be the end of her trying.

The lawyer said he definitely recommended not following through with her idea of finding another man to get involved with. He said the King had not been looking kindly on those contract breaks and most of the time both people were ending up in prison.

He said her only hope was to speak to Vincent and his mother. Delaney and her Uncle could meet with them when the time came and try to find an amicable way out of the contract.

Delaney knew that was hopeless though. Violet wouldn't allow the marriage contract to be broken especially not now. After sending her the ring, Delaney guessed Vincent wouldn't either.

She twisted the little ring on her finger and imagined a different life when Vincent, still strong and handsome, would've given it to her himself, sliding it on her finger and giving her a kiss.

She couldn't imagine ever kissing him now.

The lawyer told them to just wait. Delaney should go on living her life and not worry about it until Vincent came. She decided she agreed and would do just that.

She was going to really live.

Delaney went back to the card club every evening where she'd have drinks, gamble, and laugh and talk with the others. She was so proud of Constance, the regal club owner in her fancy gowns watching everyone and ensuring they were having a good time even if they weren't winning.

Delaney began to spend all of her time either at the club or at the local dress shop. She had begun work on all the gowns she'd designed and was always checking with the seamstresses to make sure things were going as planned.

The only difference was these gowns had necklines that were cut much deeper and made of fabrics that were much more eye-catching. Delaney wanted to enjoy all her time being single while she could.

Every day though, she wore the ring from Vincent. She would often pause to spin it on her finger and get lost in thought. No more word came to her about his condition and she didn't ask. She preferred to imagine she'd been forgotten.

As winter turned to spring, Delaney actually did manage to put her troubles with Vincent out of her mind. She stopped worrying and obsessing over how to get out and it became something of a threat in the shadows. There, but never too close.

The men that had been off fighting in the war were all home now so parties were back in full swing and Delaney loved to attend all she could. She was still a beautiful young woman so there was never a shortage of men happy to get a chance to dance with her.

Everyone in the high society knew Delaney was betrothed but she didn't act like it so no one brought it up. She would flirt and have fun talking with any man who caught her attention.

Even though the lawyer had advised against it Delaney found herself still wishing one of these men might fall in love with her and stand up to the King and the Adairs with her.

No man ever came too close though, apparently, all were aware of the dangerous ground they would be walking on by fraternizing with her. Delaney didn't know it but Constance was making sure the men in the club knew about her betrothal as well.

As it drew ever closer to her birthday, Delaney began to plan a party at the club, her worries of Vincent all but gone.

Constance wasn't all that comfortable with throwing a big party and not inviting Vincent or having him there. She mentioned her feelings to Delaney and Selina who was helping her party plan, but they were dismissed

Selina had been spending most of her time with Delaney lately. Duncan had been spending half his time at his estate and visiting her and the other half he spent back in the King's City with the Adair brothers and doing whatever the kind required of him.

Selina and Duncan hadn't made plans for their wedding yet which was making their families nervous but neither of them seemed to mind.

"I always thought you would be married as soon as you turned eighteen," Delaney had teased her one day.

"And I thought the same of you," Selina had sassed back and that was the last they said on the subject. Delaney couldn't stop herself from wondering though what was really going on.

Unlike when they were young girls at Win's club, Selina now let her guard down and flirted with the men around her at the club owned by Delaney and Constance. The other women were a little concerned with this but who were they to stop her?

Delaney hired extra servers and dealers to work for her party and since the weather was nice, had additional tables placed outside the under enormous canvas awnings. She used her earnings from the club to hire a group of musicians to play and deemed the area a dance floor.

With all her money coming in from the club, Delaney allowed herself to go overboard with her party planning. The bigger it got the more excited she and Selina got but the more uncomfortable the other women got.

"Delaney are you sure about all this?" Olive asked hesitantly one day, coming to visit after getting a worried message from Constance, "It seems a bit... much."

"It's perfect," Delaney smiled spinning around under the recently erected canvases, "It's my birthday. Why shouldn't I make it everything I want?"

"Invite Vincent then," Constance crossed her arms, "If it's going to be this enormous event then you have to invite him."

Delaney glared at her, "I don't have to do anything."

"Well then I'll send him an invitation," Constance replied raising her eyebrows, daring her stubborn friend to try to argue.

"Why would you do that?" Selina demanded, looking at the woman in disgust, "Why would you want to ruin her birthday?"

"She's betrothed to him," Olive sighed, folding her hands over her much larger, rounder belly, "If she doesn't invite him its a very obvious insult to him and his family, including the King."

"Fine," Delaney shrugged a shoulder nonchalantly, "Invite him if you want. I can't imagine he'll come. Unless his marks have faded why would he? He'd just embarrass himself."

"Delaney," Olive hissed in disapproval, "Don't be so cruel."

Delaney felt a hard stab of guilt in her heart again. Olive was right. She was being cruel and Vincent didn't deserve it.

"I'm sorry... I'm just so tired of talking about him," Delaney confessed, "His injuries, our marriage contract, me not being there with him. All of it is hanging over my head like an ax waiting to cut it off! I've been letting myself be happy and have fun planning this party and having something that doesn't revolve around Vincent and my future with him."

The other women were quiet. Delaney quickly dashed the tears from her eyes, not realizing they had formed while she was talking.

"You're right Constance," she admitted, "Send a messenger with the invitation today and have them hurry so inviting him won't look like an afterthought. I do pray that he won't come but I agree I can't not invite him at all."

So the invitation was sent with haste to the Adair city home. Delaney felt her stomach twist when she thought of it. She so hoped he wouldn't come. Surely he wouldn't come. He was still recovering, wasn't he?

She worked to forget about the invitation or assure herself that he wouldn't come anyways. He hadn't come to her club opening. He had still been in the hospital then though. He was out now.

Surely he still wouldn't come. She thought it over and over again like a mantra.

For the night of her party, Delaney had a blood-red gown made with a strapless, sweetheart neckline. The front dipped down almost inappropriately low but she didn't care.

For all she knew, this could be her last chance to enjoy being admired by everyone around her. If she were forced to marry Vincent no one would ever wish to be her.

When she walked into a party with Vincent before the war, all eyes turned on her in awe and even jealousy. If she were to walk in anywhere with Vincent now, those same eyes would hold only pity, possibly disgust.

Delaney felt the now familiar guilt pulling on her heart. She knew Vincent didn't deserve this but it was just the way things were now that he had been in his accident. She found herself wondering what he thought about that.

Did he think about all the problems that would arise for them in the future if they were to be married now? How could he think they could ever have a happy life together?

L’AVIS DES CRÉATEURS
Erin_McLain_4927

Hey Everyone!

First of all, I want to thank you all for reading! I hope you are enjoying it! Please vote for me :)

Secondly, I just wanted to let you know that, because of the virtual learning schedule brought on by the pandemic, I will be forced to slow down on my chapters being published for now.

I will pick up October 1st though and then I will be publishing a new chapter every day without fail :D

Thank you for your understanding!

commentaire Commentaire 26

Voter

ENVOYER LE CADEAU

Chapitre 32: The Best Night

On the day of her party, Delaney couldn't sleep in very late. She was too excited and anxious for the night to come.

She ran around making all the last-minute decisions and ensuring things were ready. The sky was clear thankfully and she felt it was going to be a perfect day.

Just like when they were younger, when it came time to dress for the party, Constance, Selina, and Cora arrived with their things so they could all get ready together. Olive was the only one not in attendance but they forgave her since she was both married and expecting a baby.

Constance and Selina seemed to set aside their disagreements for the night, reverting to their usual habits as friends that they had had since they were young. Cora was home from school early for the occasion and it was as if they'd all somehow managed to go back in time to before the war had happened.

Time ticked down and Delaney took a moment to stand back and look at her friends laughing and talking as they did one another's hair and helped choose jewelry to wear.

This was likely the last time they would all be together getting ready like this. If things went badly, soon she could be married to Vincent and living at Edgewood. Selina would be married soon too no doubt and then Cora.

Maybe if Cora stayed at Edgewood some they could still get ready together like old times but she couldn't imagine Miles would want to spend an abundant amount of time there and not on his own estates. They wouldn't be married for a while yet either.

No, this would be the last time. Delaney dashed tears from her eyes. It felt as if some important parts of her life would be gone forever.

She turned away to face the mirror and not give away her sadness to her friends. She didn't want to dampen their spirits. When she turned, one of her hands brushed against the other and she felt the now familiar ring on her finger.

Looking down at it, Delaney felt worry and guilt mix in her heart. The silver band with its beautiful aquamarine stones didn't match what she was wearing for tonight but she still found herself unable to take it off.

When she'd gotten the ring, Delaney had thought she would hate to wear it, as if she was always wearing a sign of her impending doom. Much to her surprise though, as she continued to wear it, it had become somewhat comforting.

She imagined the Vincent of her youth asking his grandmother for it because he wanted to give it to her, as his future wife. Delaney felt a warmth inside her knowing he had been thinking of a future with her even then.

If only he hadn't gone to fight in the terrible war and had his terrible accident. If only he wasn't scarred and angry now. Everything had been ruined.

Delaney felt the tears in her eyes again and shook her head to try to rid it of the thoughts of what could've been. Tonight was not a night for "could have been's". Tonight was a night to celebrate.

Looking at herself in the mirror, Delaney forced herself to smile. She did look lovely in her dress. Very alluring and almost wicked. That thought pushed her smile into a real one. If this did end up being her last taste of freedom she was going to enjoy it.

The women finished getting ready and Constance went ahead to the club to make sure her mother and sister had everything in hand there. They had been doing quite well since the three of them moved in. Constance was still in charge though and had high standards for how things should be done.

The other women took their time, sitting in the parlor with Delaney's Aunt and Uncle telling stories of when Delaney was young. Since it was her birthday, after all, she had decided she wanted to show up at her party just a bit late and make an entrance.

When the sun was beginning its descent towards the horizon, Delaney, Selina, and Cora loaded into the carriage and headed to the card club. The women were excited, with bright eyes and smiles.

Pulling up to the club Delaney and Constance had worked so hard on, Delaney thought it looked better tonight than ever before! Stars were just beginning to be seen twinkling on the edge of the sky behind the building as the sun set in front of it.

Behind the club, the stables were overflowing with horses and carriages so they were being tied along the outside of the building and to posts and trees in the field behind it. The stablemen she'd hired were busy.

In front of the building, the huge canvas awnings were up and had the tables set around the edges with the musicians playing to one side. There were already a few couples dancing, including Olive and Bernard. Everywhere, candles and lamps were sitting or hanging, lighting the outside as much as the inside would be lit.

When the carriage came to a stop, the footman rushed to open the door for the women inside. Selina and Cora got out first, leaving Delaney last, to make her entrance.

"There's the birthday girl!" someone shouted from the crowd around the dancefloor, causing the others to stop and turn to see. Clapping and calls of congratulations greeted Delaney, causing her to laugh and blush but waive back at the crowd and thank them.

Olive, with her ever growing belly, was the first to reach her friends, pulling a sheepishly smiling Bernard behind her. Constance was close behind them followed at last by Duncan who smiled and took Selina on his arm.

Delaney took a moment to study them and thought they seemed to like each other well enough. She wondered again why they hadn't been married already.

She didn't have time to think about it for long before she was swept into one hug after another and many handshakes and congratulations. There were over one hundred guests and all of them wanted to tell her happy birthday.

It wasn't long before she was handed a glass of wine and given a seat at a card table across from a grinning Uncle Win. Delaney could've burst from happiness.

This was going to be the best night of her life.

commentaire Commentaire 5

Voter

ENVOYER LE CADEAU