A Scandal By Any Other Name-Chapter 172 - Hundred And Seventy Two

Aunt Margery saw her confusion and gently explained the harsh, rigid realities of their world.

"You are a beautiful, intelligent woman, Delaney," Aunt Margery replied softly. "But you currently reside in this house as a paid employee. The rules of polite society are very strict, and very cruel. If Rowan begins to pursue you while you live under his roof and eat his food, the Ton will not see it as a beautiful love story."

Aunt Margery paused, making sure Delaney understood the danger.

"They will call you his mistress," Aunt Margery said bluntly. "They will say he took advantage of his hired help. It would create an ugly, dirty scandal that would completely ruin your reputation before you even had a chance to reclaim your father’s noble name."

Delaney swallowed hard, realizing the older woman was absolutely correct. The gossips of London would destroy them.

"He is the Duke of Ford," Aunt Margery continued, her voice filling with immense pride. "And you are the woman he wishes to make his Duchess. He needs to court you properly according to society. He must call upon you at a respectable house. He must bring you flowers. He must take you walking in the park for all the world to see."

Aunt Margery smiled warmly. "And he simply cannot do that while you are his employee. He cannot do that with you under his own roof."

The heavy weight of fear completely lifted from Delaney’s chest. She was not being cast out because she was unwanted. She was being sent away so she could be brought back in through the front doors, not as a servant, but as an equal.

Aunt Margery reached up and gently patted Delaney’s hand.

"You have finished your job, my dear," Aunt Margery said, her eyes twinkling with pure, unmatched satisfaction. "I hired you to find my nephew a perfect bride. And you did. You found me the best daughter-in-law a mother and aunt could possibly ask for."

Delaney felt a fresh wave of tears flood her eyes, but this time, they were tears of overwhelming happiness. She had finally found a home. She had finally found a family who saw her true worth, who will love her as her parents would have loved her.

Delaney nodded, unable to speak through the lump in her throat.

Aunt Margery continued, returning to practical business matters. "I will have my butler settle with the remaining payment tomorrow morning. Our business contract must be fulfilled properly and legally."

"Thank you, Aunt," Delaney whispered.

Then, the reality of the situation set in. She had to leave Hamilton House. She had to pack her bags and walk out the doors.

Delaney nodded slowly and asked, "When do I leave?"

Aunt Margery looked at her thoughtfully. "It is entirely up to you. Do you want to leave quietly in the morning, without saying goodbye, to spare yourselves the pain of parting? Or do you wish to wait until he is awake, and then you bid your farewell?"

It was a difficult choice. Delaney knew that if she looked into Rowan’s eyes and saw him injured in his bed, walking away from him would be the hardest thing she had ever done in her life and he wouldn’t let her go. But leaving without a word felt incredibly cruel after he had nearly died for her.

Before Delaney could answer the question, a sharp noise broke the peaceful silence of the garden.

Snap.

It was the distinct, crisp sound of dry twigs breaking under a heavy footstep. The sound came from the thick, dark bushes lining the stone wall at the edge of the property.

Delaney’s head snapped instantly to the sound. Her entire body went rigid. Her heart began to pound a rapid, terrified rhythm against her ribs. She was still deeply traumatized by the carriage accident.

"Is someone there?" Delaney asked, her voice a sharp, fearful whisper. She stood up from the swing, peering into the dark shadows beneath the trees.

Aunt Margery did not look frightened. The older woman simply glanced casually toward the bushes.

Aunt Margery replied, her tone completely calm and unbothered. "Maybe it is a rabbit? The gardeners have been complaining about them eating the carrots."

Delaney slowly nodded, though her eyes remained fixed on the dark bushes. She tried to force her racing heart to calm down. It was highly protected property. Lord Farrington or Hawksley would not dare send a man over the high walls of the Duke’s estate. It was likely just an animal.

Aunt Margery stood up from the wooden swing, pulling her shawl tighter around her shoulders against the growing cold.

"Think about what you wish to do, my dear," Aunt Margery said gently. "It is all up to you."

She offered Delaney one last, comforting smile. Aunt Margery left, walking slowly down the stone path and disappearing back into the warm light of the manor.

Delaney stood alone in the cold garden for a few minutes. She looked up at the moon, weighing her choices. She had a bag of gold coming to her from the contract. She had the knowledge of her father’s will. She was a free, wealthy woman now. She could go anywhere. But her heart remained inside the house.

She took a deep breath, steeling her nerves. She would not leave like a coward in the night. She would wait for him to wake, and she would say a proper goodbye.

Delaney turned and walked back into the house.

She climbed the back stairs quietly, making her way through the dimly lit hallways. She reached the door of the master bedchamber.

She sighed softly, feeling the deep exhaustion pulling at her bones again. She rested her hand on the cold brass doorknob and turned it slowly.

She opened the door.

The room was still cast in deep shadows. The fire had burned down to glowing red coals. The paid nurse was nowhere to be seen.

Delaney took a single step into the room.

As she stepped in, a voice suddenly cut through the heavy silence, making her stop completely in her tracks.

"Why are you leaving?"

The voice was rough. It was raspy from three days of complete disuse, and it sounded incredibly weak. But beneath the weakness, the tone was absolutely furious. It sounded angry, harsh, and filled with a desperate, wild panic.

Delaney froze. Her breath completely stopped in her lungs.

"Where are you going to?" the voice demanded harshly from the darkness of the large bed.

Delaney’s heart leaped into her throat. She stared through the dim light toward the mattress. The large figure under the white sheets was moving. He was struggling to push himself up against the pillows.

He was awake.

And he had either dreamt about it, or he had woken to an empty chair and assumed the absolute worst.

Delaney took a trembling step closer to the bed, her eyes wide with shock and overwhelming relief.

Delaney spoke, her voice a fragile, breathless whisper in the dark room.

"Rowan?"