Future Plans

Just as had happened when the first dragon had been killed, people celebrated. There were parties and lunches. Toasts were given in their honor and prayers were sent for them.

No one seemed to notice but the people of Briarwood, the huge number of injured men coming back from the front. What seemed to be almost completely ignored was the reported number of men who would never come back at all.

Cora brought news to Delaney and the others that Vincent, Miles, and Duncan were fine, only minor scrapes. All of the women breathed a sigh of relief. They were excited now. There was only one dragon left! Surely the men would kill him off quickly and be home soon.

But that ended up being the last news to come for some time.

As the summer came to an end, Selina and Constance turned eighteen and they all said a sad goodbye to Cora as she had to return to school. Cora had smiled wickedly and said they were not to worry. She would pick a couple of rebellious girls like herself and teach them how to sneak out and take them to learn to play cards.

Back at school and close to the front, Miles came to see Cora and she passed any information he told her back home to her friends.

The last male left was by far the biggest dragon anyone had seen. He blew fire so hot it left nothing behind but scorched earth and ash. He was strong and they'd seen him get angry with young males bothering his females so he would snatch them from the air and snap their necks in his jaws.

Vincent nor any of the other King's men had been able to come up with a good plan to kill him. No one could get to him in his nest in the middle of all his females but they also feared what might happen if they lured him out. If their plan was not perfect it would be certain death.

For now, while they studied the enormous male and tried to come up with a good plan, they were left going back to trying to steal eggs, kill young, and luring the females out to kill them. Miles said the men had constructed a little camouflaged hut on the top of a ridge above the dragon colony and that was there Vincent and the other leaders spent their days watching the beasts.

Hearing about the nearly impossible situation, Delaney was actually able to let go a little and stop hoping Vincent would show up every day. She accepted it would be many more weeks.

With no apparent end in sight, Delaney was again happy Constance had stayed with her. They now had a regular card game they had started out in the stables.

With her Aunt and Uncle's blessing, they had converted a couple of stalls and put tables in them. Not only did their own servants play but word spread and soon servants were coming from other estates to play as well.

Delaney played cards but Constance ran the place in a fashion that would've made Uncle Win proud. "I don't think I need a husband after all," she joked one night to Delaney with a shrug, "I could open my own card hall like Win and support myself."

That idea was planted in their minds then and it began to grow. The women gathered together all their money that night and counted it up. It was not much but they thought they might just have enough to take a big step.

With Delaney's Uncle Felix's help, the women went in search of a building they might buy a bit outside of the village. They were able to find an old farm church that had been left untouched for a few years. It had a living area in the back where the pastor must have once lived with a family.

"If we buy this we won't be able to afford to fix it," Constance sighed looking around her.

"It would be the perfect club though," Delaney looked around dreamily at the high ceilings and tall windows with some cracked and broken panes. The whole place needed cleaning.

"Well then," her Uncle Felix stuck his hands in the pockets of his vest, "It sounds like you will need an investor."

The two women turned to look at him. He smiled at them, wiggling his bushy white mustache.

"Oh, Uncle Felix really?" Delaney threw her arms around him and Constance joined her. "Thank you!" they squealed with excitement.

Their Uncle purchased the land and the building and left the women to invest their money in the repairs. Everything was put in Constance's name and Delaney was happy about it. She felt a sense of relief knowing her friend was now taken care of. As long as her club made money she would be fine even without a husband.

As weeks ticked away the women worked on fixing up their new club to open and waiting for any news of the men and the war. Days passed and nothing came. As they went through fall they decided they would have the club open by new years if they could.

As the day drew closer, Delaney and Constance grew more and more nervous. What if it didn't work? What if no one came? What would they do?

As winter grew near, the weather did not support their plan of opening. It rained and rained for days until the roads were flooded and the gravel was washing away. Then, before the water had had time to go, the temperature dropped and everything froze.

No one dared to go out unless they had to. Surfaces were slick and branches would randomly come crashing down from the trees, overwhelmed by the extra weight of the ice. The houses groaned under the pressure.

When a nice week finally came and the ice melted, Delaney and Constance made a mad dash to their club to try to finish everything as fast as they could. Winter was almost there and then new years day. It would be hard to work in the snow.

Even Selina came to help, all of them cleaning more than they had in their pampered lives. Sewing curtains and pillows for seats. Arranging chairs at tables and sweeping the newly replaced wooden floors.

One day, to their surprise, Olive appeared at the building, beaming in excitement around at their accomplishments. The other women ran to her, crushing her in their hugs, having not gone so long without seeing her since they were very little.

Olive didn't stop smiling as they showed her everything they had done and told her everything they would do. She gave them ideas of her own and talked about things she could bring to add. They all chattered away reminding Delaney of when they were very young and planning childish, elaborate weddings together.

"Well, I have some exciting news of my own," Olive giggled after they were sitting to enjoy a snack and a drink.

"And what might that be?" Selina questioned with raised eyebrows.

Olive looked like she might burst with excitement as she looked around at her friends.

"Tell us!" Constance demanded, laughing.

"Alright," Olive took a deep breath, "It's still early but... I'm pregnant!"

The other women sat open-mouthed in surprise for a moment before the room burst into a cacophony of excited squeals, laughter, and congratulations. They all hugged their friend tightly and asked her a million questions which she excitedly answered.

They talked on and on for hours, catching up on everything they had missed since being apart and going over their grand plans for the future. Delaney sat back and looked at her friends with a smile. She wanted them to remain like this forever.

When Bernard knocked lightly at the door, coming to get Olive to take her home, the other women crushed him in their embraces and congratulated him over and over as they had Olive. The man smiled sheepishly and turned red, thanking them and taking Olive's hand in his.

Delaney was pleased to see he seemed to be completely healed and his missing hand was hardly noticeable. People would be too distracted from the total happiness bubbling around him as he smiled and looked at Olive with love.

As snow fell every day for the next week, Delaney and Constance spent a bit more time at home as the club was all but finished. They were practicing cards and going over the drinks they would have as well as what would be cooked in the little kitchen to sell.

Early one morning, when only the servants were awake, someone arrived at the manor. Delaney was asleep in her bed when her maid gently shook her awake and told her the young Lord Adair was there to see her and he had brought Lady Cora. Groggily, she told the woman to wake Constance as well.

Coming down the stairs a few minutes later, their hair in braids, robes clutched over their nightgowns, Constance and Delaney found the pair waiting in their entryway for them.

"What on earth is going on?" Constance demanded.

"Miles when did you get home?" Delaney asked confused.

"Delaney I've come with news," Miles looked stricken, his voice hoarse, "We...we killed the last dragon."

Things were quiet for a moment as that sunk in.

"Why do you look so upset then?" Constance looked from Miles's face to Cora's, "That's good news right?"

Miles swallowed and looked at the ground.

"Delaney," Cora came forward and took her friend's hand, "Vincent was caught by the dragon."