A Scandal By Any Other Name

Delaney put down her silver knife. She looked up at her weeping aunt. She widened her hazel eyes, forcing a look of deep, innocent confusion and profound hurt onto her face.

"What are his crimes, Aunt?" Delaney spoke, her voice soft and trembling slightly, completely feigning ignorance. "Why would the King’s guards just take him away? Uncle Cole is a good man. What did he do?"

The innocent, sweet question acted like a lit match dropped into a barrel of gunpowder.

Eunice’s sorrow instantly vanished, entirely replaced by a wild, blinding, explosive rage.

Eunice snapped her head toward Delaney. She glared at her niece with eyes full of pure, burning hatred. Her face twisted into an ugly, furious snarl.

"You!!!!" Eunice shrieked at the top of her lungs.

Without a single second of hesitation, Eunice grabbed her crystal water glass from the table. She threw her arm forward violently. She poured the entire glass of freezing cold water directly onto Delaney.

The icy water splashed hard against Delaney’s face and chest, soaking the front of her dress. The sudden cold was a sharp shock, making Delaney gasp slightly. Water dripped down from her dark hair and ran down her cheeks.

Eunice stood up from her chair. The wooden legs scraped loudly against the floorboards. She pointed a shaking finger at Delaney’s wet face.

"It is all your fault!" Eunice screamed, her voice cracking with absolute madness. "I do not know how, but you brought this curse upon our house! I am completely sure of it! And you sit there and have the absolute audacity to feign worry for him?"

Delaney did not wipe the water from her face. She sat perfectly still, staring at her screaming aunt.

"You are a plague!" Eunice shrieked, breathing heavily. "But you will not win! You will meet your terrible end in Lord Hawksley’s hands tomorrow! You will suffer exactly as we are suffering!"

Eunice grabbed the edge of the table, leaning forward, her eyes wild and crazed.

"Cole should have left you there in the dirt!" Eunice spat, her words dripping with absolute venom. "He should have left you there with your miserable, dead parents!"

The dining room descended into a heavy, terrible silence. The only sound was Eunice’s ragged, angry breathing.

Eunice pointed toward the doors.

"GET OUT!!!" Eunice screamed, completely losing her mind. "I DO NOT WANT TO SEE YOUR WICKED FACE IN THIS ROOM EVER AGAIN! GET OUT!"

Delaney did not argue. She had gotten exactly what she wanted.

Delaney stood up slowly and gracefully from her chair. She did not look angry or upset. She picked up her cloth napkin and gently dabbed the water from her chin. She dropped the wet napkin onto her plate.

She turned and walked out of the dining room with her head held high and her posture perfectly straight.

Behind her, she heard the sound of Lucas standing up.

"Hush, Mother," Lucas said softly, wrapping his good arm around his hysterical mother, comforting her. "It is alright. Let her go. She will be gone tomorrow."

Delaney walked out into the grand foyer. The front doors had been closed by the servants, and the terrible body was gone, but the metallic smell of blood still lingered in the air.

Delaney did not stop. She walked quickly up the sweeping marble staircase, her wet woolen dress heavy and uncomfortable against her skin. She kept her face perfectly blank until she reached the top landing.

She practically ran down the corridor. She burst into her bedchamber and immediately locked the door behind her.

The absolute second the lock clicked, the strong, fearless facade completely shattered.

Delaney rushed blindly across the room toward her washroom. She fell hard onto her knees in front of the porcelain washbasin.

She gripped the cold edges of the basin. Her stomach heaved violently.

She threw up.

She gagged and coughed, tears streaming down her face. The sheer, overwhelming horror of the day finally crashed down upon her. The adrenaline that had kept her standing in the foyer completely left her body. The terrible sight of Odis’s ruined, bloody body flashed vividly in her mind, making her stomach churn over and over again.

"I am so sorry," Delaney sobbed quietly into the empty basin. "I am so sorry, Odis."

He was a good, brave man. He had died entirely alone in the dark woods simply to protect her. The heavy guilt pressed down on her chest, making it hard to breathe. She stayed on her knees for a long time, crying for the fallen guard, her tears mixing with the cold water Eunice had thrown on her.

Slowly, the terrible sickness began to fade. Her breathing evened out.

Delaney stood up on shaky legs. She poured fresh water from the pitcher into the basin and washed her face. She rinsed her mouth and wiped her cheeks with a soft towel.

She looked at her reflection in the small mirror above the basin. Her hazel eyes were red and swollen, but a new, fierce, unbreakable determination began to shine in them.

Odis had died, but he had not died for nothing.

Delaney realized the massive gift the brave guard had given her. Odis had underestimated Lucas’s psychopathic strength, but his fight to the death had given Lucas a severe, physical weakness.

Lucas was now injured.

A greatly dislocated shoulder was not a small injury. It caused immense, blinding pain. The muscles would be torn, and the joint would be incredibly weak. Lucas would not be able to use his left arm at all. He could not fight with his full strength. He could not grab her with both hands.

That severe injury should give her a perfect window of opportunity tomorrow during the carriage ride to London.

She came out of the washroom. She stripped off the wedress and threw it onto the floor. She quickly changed into a warm, dry gray dress.

She walked over to her wooden trunk. The maids had folded her clothes, but she needed to prepare for her final departure. She began to pack properly. She placed her few belongings into her trunk.

She walked over to her winter cloak hanging on the wardrobe door. She felt the hidden lining, ensuring the shipping manifest was still safely tucked inside. Everything was secure.

Finally, she reached for a secret compartment under the bed and pulled out the small, silver dueling pistol. She checked the barrel and ensured it was fully loaded. She tucked it safely into the top of her trunk, right where she could easily reach it.

Delaney walked over to her large bed and sat down on the edge of the mattress. The house outside her locked door was quiet once again.

She looked at the brass lock on her door. She just needed to survive the night. Tomorrow, she would face Lucas. It is either he dies or she dies but only one of them will remain alive.