26 What The Future Holds

Back in the carriage in the dark, Delaney's heart was racing, she was trembling, and her breaths were coming in quick almost gasps. So overwhelmed by what she had seen, she couldn't stop herself and began to cry, dropping her face into her hands. This had been so much worse than she had expected.

"He was so angry," Cora whispered, dazed, "I've never seen Vincent angry and especially not at Miles. He loves his brother."

"I shouldn't have come," Delaney shook her head, "Miles tried to tell me not to but I didn't listen. I was so foolish."

"You wanted to see him. You're supposed to marry him so you have every right to want to see him, especially if he's hurt."

"I won't be marrying him now," Delaney held her hands together to try to stop their shaking, "You saw him. Miles was right. He's dying."

Cora swallowed and looked down for a moment, gathering her thoughts before looking back at Delaney. "You don't know that," she tried encouragingly, "Vincent is very strong. He could recover from the poison. I admit it doesn't look promising right now...But he could still get better and you could get married as you planned."

Delaney paused and considered this. Seeing Vincent she had thought surely he would die. But now with Cora's words, she wondered, what if he didn't? "But...but he's so scarred and terrifying...Surely even if he lives they won't expect us to still get married."

Cora frowned, "I don't know... You've been promised to marry him your whole life... If he recovers, scarred or not, technically the contract is still in place. Your parents didn't have any clauses in the contract about disfiguration or disability, did they?"

"No," Delaney shook her head, having read her own contract many times, "He was always so handsome and smart, even as a child, I don't think they ever anticipated needing something like that."

"Then... then I think it will still be expected for you to get married."

Delaney swallowed, "Cora what should I do? I don't want him to die... Absolutely I don't want him to die... but marry him? You saw him. He's terrifying and angry. I don't know that I could even stand to look at him for very long, let alone marry him."

"He may still recover and the scars could fade when he does," Cora tried, "He's only so angry right now because he's in so much pain."

Delaney felt her heart continuing to race as she thought over everything. What would she do if they demanded she still marry that frightful man? How would she live the rest of her life with him?

The door to the carriage opened then and Miles got in. He was stone-faced but his eyes were red from earlier tears making Delaney's heart break for him. He sat down and looked coldly at her.

"Miles..."

"I told you not to come here," he snapped.

"I know you did," she whispered, tears in her eyes, "I'm so sorry I didn't listen to you. I'm sorry I made him so mad at you."

"In all my life he's never been so angry with me! He's never shouted at me like that!"

Delaney bit her lip for a moment, "It's all my fault Miles. I'm sorry. I wish I had done as you'd said." Her tears began to fall once more and the sight of it made Miles soften.

"It's not your fault," he sighed as the carriage rolled away towards the city house, "I know my brother. I knew he wouldn't want you to see him like this. I should have insisted."

"I probably would have come anyway though and that would have been so much worse."

He nodded and looked out the window, "I suppose that's part of the reason I didn't fight you on it. I think maybe I was also afraid to see him like that again alone. It felt like it wouldn't be as hard if I had the two of you there as well."

Delaney shook her head looking sadly at him, "I'm sorry I wasn't able to make it any easier for you. I'm sorry it ended up worse."

He gave her a weak smile and Delaney felt a pain in her heart. When he smiled, even a sad smile, for that moment he looked so much like his brother before this terrible accident. Vincent always had a kind smile. That was part of what made him so handsome. Now, she knew she would never see that smile again other than the reflection of it in Miles's smile.

"Miles you know he isn't that angry with you," Cora spoke up, "He's only so angry because he's hurting. I was telling Delaney that while you were still inside. The men at Briarwood can be cruel sometimes but you have to remember they aren't mad at you. They're angry they're in such a situation and they can't escape it."

He nodded and swallowed hard. "He is in so much torment. Vince broke his arm once when we were children and he never cried a bit. All the practice fights and everything we've done and he's never complained about pain. He's always been someone who was happy. He was just always trying to lift everyone's spirits..."

"Vincent is strong Miles. I believe he'll recover and be that person again," Cora looked seriously at him.

"I'm seeing the two of you home and then I'm going back. If he has any chance of recovery I need to be there to keep him from killing himself first."

"Do you really think he would do that?" Delaney asked quietly, the thought of such a thing making her feel sick.

"With as much pain as he's in, I know I would," Miles sighed looking truly exhausted.

They arrived at the house and Miles helped them out of the carriage and into the warmth of the home. He looked stricken when he turned to gaze back out at the waiting carriage.

Cora stepped up to him and put her arms around him, hugging him tightly. He was stiff but in her arms, he relaxed and hugged her back. She leaned up and placed a kiss on his cheek, smiling.

"It's going to be alright," she spoke gently to him, "Try to remember he's not angry with you. Your brother loves you so much and he's always taken care of you. Even when you weren't so pleasant to him either." She giggled at these last words and Miles rolled his eyes. "Now go and try to remember what I said."

Miles kissed her forehead before turning and leaving back out into the snowy night. Delaney couldn't imagine how hard it would be to go back to that terrible place and watch your brother that you love, most likely dying. It reminded her of watching her mother die when she was younger and that sent a shiver through her.

Delaney had always thought of Vincent as the brave one and Miles just hid in his shadows. She saw now though that Miles was brave in his own right. She knew first hand how hard it was to watch someone you love die but this case seemed so much worse.

The women went back up to the bedrooms they would be staying in. It was late in the night now and they were silent, both lost in their thoughts. At last, they gave one another a hug before Cora went on to her room.

Delaney's mind was still whirling from her encounter with Vincent as she undressed for bed and thought there was no way she would get any sleep that night. But the day and all that happened to her had exhausted her more than she knew. As soon as she pulled the covers over herself and closed her eyes she was asleep.

As Vincent had feared, Delaney's nightmares returned in full force and he was now the main subject. She tossed and turned through the night trying to escape them.

In her mind, she would see her handsome Vincent as they danced at a party as happy as they could be. Then, the horrible red marks would suddenly start growing and growing until they covered every inch of him, making everyone else at the party scream in fear.

Then the nightmare would change and he would again be on the bed in the hospital writhing in agony, crying out in pain from the poison inside him.

The nightmare changed at last to a scene that had haunted her nightmares most of her life. Her father sat on the floor of his bedroom crying, holding her mother's dress, surrounded by broken glass and wood. She went towards him but this time, when she got close to her father, he was no longer her father. Vincent was there covered in blood with his angry scars wrapped around his face. Now it was Vincent who cried out for her to help him.