My Once Handsome Husband

As the carriage rolled away, the sounds of the cheering dimmed until at last, they were gone. Delaney worked to stop her tears.

"I'm sorry," Vincent said quietly after some time. Delaney took a shaking breath and looked up at him.

Vincent sat with his hands folded in his lap, staring at them. His black hair hung down to partially obstruct the view of his marred face. Delaney was startled to see he looked almost broken.

The carriage hit a large bump, causing her to jolt sideways in her seat. Vincent winced, closing his eyes and clenching his fists.

"Do they still hurt?" she asked in a voice scratchy from tears, "Your marks?"

"Yes," he answered, taking a deep breath before opening his eyes again.

"Do you think... Do you think one day they will stop hurting?" she surprised herself by asking.

"No," he sighed, looking out the window, "I don't think so."

Delaney looked down at one of her own hands in her lap with her soft, clear skin. She wondered what it would be like to have hideous scars all over your body that caused you constant pain on top of making you a target of unwanted attention from others.

She thought of what Cora had said the night of her party when they had been sitting in Constance's parlor. She had said it had taken so much for him to come there. She wondered now if her friend had been talking about the pain he had had to endure on the ride.

She pitied him but it didn't change her mind about not wanting to be married to him.

Delaney leaned back into her seat. Married. She was married to Vincent now. She was no longer Delaney Simms as she had been her entire life. Now, she was Delaney Adair. Would she keep that name once the year was up and she no longer had to be married to him?

Delaney Adair. She wondered how Vincent felt about sharing a name with her. How would he feel about sharing a home with her? In a different life, she would be sitting beside him in the carriage and they would be dreaming up a future together.

Not in this life.

She watched him wince when they hit another bump. There wouldn't be any traveling happening for them she could see. Not when it was so uncomfortable for him. That meant for the next year she would be sequestered away at Edgewood Manor, far from her family and friends.

She looked out her own window at the world beyond. Their wedding had been at a church in the village by Vincent's home so now they were already on the Adair land she knew. She wondered what it felt like to know all of this you saw belonged to you.

She looked toward him again and was startled when she caught him studying her. He quickly looked away, embarrassed. "I'm sorry," he said quietly again.

Delaney shifted in her seat, remembering sadly all the times they'd ridden together in a carriage before and how different things were then. Now, they were strangers riding along in silence.

"I'm sorry about my mother too," he said then, "She went behind my back and invited those people. I never would have allowed it."

Delaney sighed, "I imagine she was doing it to try to get back at me."

"She's used to getting her way, unfortunately," he looked at his hands, "Before the war, I suppose I just let her because she is my mother and I always assumed she knew best. Since I came home though things have been different."

He was different, Delaney thought. She moved to twist her ring on her finger but felt another there. She looked down quickly, realizing she hadn't paused to see her wedding ring yet.

"Oh Vincent," she gasped then. On her finger was a golden ring with a large, round sapphire and brilliant oval-shaped diamonds on each side. She held it up and looked at it in disbelief.

"This is the most beautiful ring I've ever seen," she said in awe, turning to look at him.

He gave a small smile and for a moment Delaney could almost see the man he had been before his injuries.

"I had it made for you when I first returned to the city before the war had truly started," he said, "The sapphire had been on a pendant belonging to my great-great-grandmother who was a princess. The diamonds I chose to go with it though."

"Thank you so much," she said breathlessly, looking at it again, "I'm glad I didn't look at it at the church or I might have fainted."

She giggled and his smile grew with her joking. "You looked as if you were going to faint anyways so I can imagine," he chuckled.

"I'm sorry for that," she blushed, "I didn't eat dinner last night or breakfast this morning."

He nodded and looked away from her again, "Yes I suppose knowing that you were marrying me this afternoon would have made you lose your appetite."

"Oh no" Delaney said quickly, "I didn't mean..."

"It's alright," he cut her off, wincing as they went over another big bump, "I'm sure there will be an extravagant dinner waiting for us when we get to Edgewood if you feel up to it. If not, I can have them bring you up something to your room to eat."

"My room?" she questioned.

"Yes," he cleared his throat, looking uncomfortable now, "I had your things that were brought yesterday moved into a room that could be your own. It's next to mine... but I didn't think it would be pleasant for you to have to share a bedroom with me."

Delaney looked at her ring in her lap. She didn't know what to say to that.

Luckily she didn't have to reply because as she glanced out her window she saw Edgewood Manor spreading out before them, with the sun sinking into the forest behind it.

Edgewood was more of a small castle than a manor house. It was made of gray stone and held dozens of bedrooms, a grand ballroom, a library, and many other things. Delaney had not been here since she was a child for Vincent's father's funeral.

The carriage came to a stop in front of the grand doors. Delaney saw, lining the walkway were more than thirty people.

"What are they doing?"

"They're here to welcome you and introduce themselves," Vincent looked out at the waiting group, "You're the mistress of Edgewood now."

Delaney swallowed. She hadn't thought about that.

When the door to the carriage opened, Vincent hissed and closed his eyes, slowly getting to his feet. He stepped down, using the sides of the door for support. She noticed his hand trembled when he finally let go.

All of the people under his employment waited while he seemed to gather himself and turned back to the carriage. He met Delaney's eyes and held out a hand to her. She placed a hand in his and was again surprised by the heat of his skin.

Vincent helped Delaney down and as soon as her feet were firmly on the gravel drive, he took a deep breath. "Everyone, I would like to introduce you to the new Duchess of Edgewood, my wife, Lady Delaney Adair."

Applause erupted from the gathered people and Delaney couldn't help but smile. Vincent led her to the beginning of the line to start introducing her but Delaney could not ignore that he was obviously in pain.

As he took her down the line she smiled and spoke to each person he introduced her to, surprised he seemed to know all of their names. His breathing was sharp though and his limp was now very noticeable.

He kept a pleasant face on but by the time Delaney had met everyone from the butler to the gamekeeper, she saw beads of sweat on his brow. The servants had rushed back to their posts after their introductions so at last Delaney turned to him.

"Vincent you don't look well, she spoke quietly, studying his face.

"I'm fine," he managed through gritted teeth, not meeting her eyes.

"You're not," she argued, "I can see if one of the men can help you inside and..."

"I said I'm fine," he snapped at her now, suddenly angry, "I don't need to be carried into my own home like an invalid."

"I-I didn't mean..."

"You may think I'm some pathetic creature now Delaney but I am still the Lord of this manor and I will not have my people thinking the same," he hissed and moved away from her towards the stairs.

Delaney stood open-mouthed, as she watched him take hold of the stone railing on one side of the steps and force himself up one after another. His breathing was ragged by the time he made it to the top and his hair was damp with sweat.

She hurried to join him at the top of the stairs where he was trying to gather himself before continuing on into the home. She stood nervously, not sure what to do that wouldn't make him angrier.

Noticing her beside him he frowned, "I'm going to my study for a drink before dinner. Our housekeeper can show you to your room."

"Should I...Should I change for dinner?"

"I suppose if you can stomach the sight of me long enough for dinner you can join me in the dining room," his words came out like venom, "But since just the idea of me caused you not to eat your last two meals I won't expect it."

Now it was Delaney who frowned, "Vincent my not eating had nothing to do with..."

"Don't!" he snapped, cutting her off, "I don't need you to lie to me."

He walked away then, into the great manor, pushing himself to walk quickly despite his limp. Delaney stood on the top of the steps and watched after him in confusion before turning and looking around her out at the gardens, forest, and night sky.

She was alone now. She was alone here with Vincent. She had married him even though she didn't want to.

What had she done?