Chương 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.

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Chương 33: Dance With Me

Music floated through the air, along with the smell of cakes and candles. Delaney couldn't believe things had come together so perfectly.

She let herself be escorted to the dancefloor by one man after another, laughing as she spun around. It was almost like another world. Here there was no worry. There was only freedom and happiness.

Dancing until she was breathless, Delaney returned with rosy cheeks to the table where Win was still playing cards. She was just going to take a quick break before returning for more wine and dancing.

Delaney didn't recognize Win's opponents at first until she sat down. Looking across from her she squeaked and jumped to her feet again.

"Cora!," she exclaimed, "You're here! I didn't know if you were going to be able to come!"

Her friend beamed with her own matching excitement and they rushed to embrace one another.

"Of course I'm here," Cora giggled, " I couldn't skip one of your grand birthday events could I?"

"I think you would have been disappointed if you had," Delaney teased and the friends laughed together. Delaney was about to insist Cora come back out and dance with her when someone cleared their throat beside her, making her jump.

She turned and met the cold eyes of Miles Adair looking down at her. Delaney moved to step back, running into Win sitting behind her.

"Watch it now girl," Win spoke gruffly, "We're trying to play a hand here."

Delaney apologized quietly and moved instead to the side, still angling away from Miles. She swallowed hard as his irritated gaze followed her. Cora looked worriedly from one to the other.

"Delaney," Miles spoke in a clipped tone, "I must say, I'm growing tired of finding you throwing and attending parties instead of giving a portion of this attention to the man you're going to marry."

Delaney looked down at her hands, feeling the elation from her party starting to slip away with his words. Without thinking about it, she twisted the ring in its place on her finger.

"Miles," Cora frowned, "It's her birthday. She's allowed to do something special to celebrate. Besides, you know she invited him."

"The invitation was just a way to save face," Miles rolled his eyes, "Of course she would've guessed he wouldn't want to come to such a huge event. No one has seen him since his accident. He wouldn't want to come and be gawked at all night."

Delaney felt the ever-familiar guilt creep in. He had seen through her. If Miles had seen through her insincere invitation then surely Vincent had as well. Knowing that made her guilt grow all the more.

"Miles," Cora snapped, "Stop it. Vincent could have come and Delaney would have spent her evening with him if he had."

"Well, I suppose now we'll never know," Miles gave a hollow laugh. He looked from Delaney to his future wife and back again. "Come, Delaney," he said then and held out his arm to her, " Since Vince isn't here to dance with you on your birthday I will take his place."

Delaney hesitated. Everyone knew she was promised to Vincent and everyone knew now he'd been in a horrible accident. The state he was in was whispered about through the halls of every manor house down to the cellars of every farmhouse.

The fact that Delaney hadn't been seen with him since just made things all the more intriguing.

Going out to dance with Miles now would draw attention to the fact he was the wrong Adair brother. Not to mention it would serve as a reminder to everyone that she was promised to the other and not as free as she pretended to be.

Delaney had wanted this night to be about her and about celebrating. She had hoped to avoid talking about Vincent at all and perhaps keep the gossip quieted down for a bit. Dancing with Miles in front of everyone would ruin that.

Looking at his evil grin, she knew that was exactly what Miles had been wanting to happen when he asked her. She knew as well that there would be no way for her to turn him down now and not openly insult him and his family.

Just like when they were children and he had taunted her, Delaney refused to back down from the challenge. Instead, she held her head high and took his arm, letting a smile grace her lips so nothing would appear awry.

"Let's hope you've studied since my last birthday where there was dancing," a fake, little laugh came from her, "You bruised poor Cora's feet something terrible I remember."

Cora snapped her hand over her mouth in a failed attempt to hide her giggling. Pure anger flashed over Miles's face as his eyes cut Delaney to ribbons.

"I assure you," he spoke coldly, "That it is not my dancing that everyone is whispering about for the evening after this."

Delaney faltered for only a moment at his admittance that her suspicions about his motivation were correct. She was quick to replace the smile on her face though.

On a night that all eyes were on her, she wanted to be sure no one could think anything was amiss. She was simply being asked to dance by her possible future brother in law. Nothing exciting.

On the dancefloor, Delaney was relieved to find that Miles's dancing really had improved. He held one hand on her waist and kept her other hand in his. He lead her through the steps of a quicker paced piece, the two of them spinning around a sparsely populated dancefloor.

Just like when she had danced with Vincent before the war, all eyes were on them now. Normally, Delaney would revel in the attention but now she found herself wishing more people would come dance with them and distract from her.

When the quick dance came to an end, the musicians went straight into a slow piece. Delaney moved to leave Miles but he held her hand tight. She turned back to him, her smile gone as her eyes darkened in annoyance. Enough was enough.

"One more," he said, stepping to her again, "That one was for my brother but now I'll have this dance just for me."

Delaney glared at him but knew she could not break away without causing a scene and drawing attention back to them. She took up her place again as his partner and again let him take her around the dancefloor.

"Why do you insist on doing these things that will hurt my brother?" Miles questioned after a time. Delaney found the cold anger was gone and now he simply studied her.

She thought about not answering but decided against it, "I don't do anything with the intention of hurting him."

"But you do hurt him."

The stab of guilt mixed with sadness in her heart. She knew she didn't do anything with the intention to hurt Vincent but she also knew she hadn't really cared if the things she was doing did hurt him.

In fact, if she was truly honest with herself, she would admit that she'd known some of the things she'd chosen to do lately would hurt him, but she'd gone ahead and done them anyways.

The thought made her stomach twist and guilt eat at her again.

"You make me angry sometimes," Miles sighed, surprising her, "But Cora promises me you're a good person and I have to believe her. I didn't come here to ruin your night. Go enjoy your party."

The dance had come to an end and Miles stepped back before bowing to her. His face still wasn't happy but at least it was no longer angry.

"I am sorry," Delaney said quickly, "That things have gone this way."

Miles considered her for a moment before nodding, "So am I."

Delaney slipped from the dancefloor and took a glass of wine from a server. She sipped it and watched her guests laughing and having a good time outside. She could hear a similar sound coming from inside the club and knew they must be enjoying themselves as well.

Feeling flushed after her interaction with Miles, Delaney took her wine and stepped out from under the canvas and into the darkness. She walked around, watching the party from the outside, smiling to herself as she saw how happy everyone seemed to be.

She walked along the side of the building, the only light coming from the windows of the club and the torches lit around the stables. Delaney decided she would go to check on her men there and make sure they weren't having any problems.

A cool breeze brushed over her as she walked and took another sip of her wine.

Just as she stepped past the building and out into the moonlight, movement in the corner of her eye made her pause. She turned to look and gasped sharply, her eyes wide in fear. The wineglass fell from her hand, shattering on the gravel drive below.