Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

Bennett arrived at the stables and came to a stop in the aisle. He didn't want to go riding, but he just needed a moment to collect his thoughts. He had come so close to confessing to Delphine that he had feelings for her, but thankfully he was interrupted by his mother.

Why did Delphine have such a hold over him- over his thoughts- unceasingly? He couldn't seem to stop thinking about her. She was the object of his desire, but she only considered him as a friend. Which he would take. He just wanted her in his life… always.

He loved the way she looked at him, with a genuine interest in him. She didn't see his title or his wealth, but she saw him. Just him. And her eyes seemed to see everything he was, everything he wasn't and everything he might be one day.

Life had grown increasingly complicated when he had saved Delphine from the woodlands. Her mere presence made him content, and he couldn't help but smile when he was with her. She had been precisely what he had been looking for but hadn't realized it until she told him that she was going to leave .

Botheration.

She was going to leave him. Soon.

Bennett hung his head. He couldn't just let her walk away but what choice did he have? He could ruin everything between them if he offered for her. He knew she didn't want to marry now- and not just him, she didn't want to marry anyone. And he respected her more for it.

Yet a glimmer of hope flickered within him. What if he could change her mind about marriage… to him?

Another matter weighed heavily on his mind. Would Delphine even be safe if she returned home? Jasper had promised to send for one of his associates to investigate, but that would take time. Time that he did not have. Not if Delphine was adamant about returning home. The thought of her walking into a perilous situation made his heart ache.

Hercules nickered, drawing his attention. The horse seemed to be concerned about him, but that was highly unlikely. Hercules barely tolerated him, and only if he had an apple in his hand.

Bennett walked down the aisle towards Hercules and reached for an apple in the bucket. "Do you want an apple?" he asked, holding it up.

Hercules eyed him but didn't make a move to accept the offering.

He chuckled. "You are a stubborn thing," he remarked. "What are you waiting for? Eat the apple."

The horse leaned forward and accepted the apple.

Placing a hand on Hercules' neck, Bennett said, "You are lucky you are a horse. It is rather difficult to deal with ladyfolk."

Delphine's amused voice came from behind him. "Hercules is smart enough not to respond to that remark."

Bennett turned his head towards Delphine and asked, "Why are you not at breakfast? "

She took a step closer to him, but still maintained a proper distance. "I could ask you the same question."

"I am not hungry," he lied.

A look of uncertainty crossed her delicate features before she inquired, "Would you like me to go?"

No.

He wanted her to be with him forever.

Bennett forced a smile to his lips, hoping it was convincing enough. "You are welcome to stay, but you must be prepared for a stimulating conversation with Hercules."

His words seemed to set Delphine at ease and her face softened. "Oh? And what does Hercules wish to talk about?"

"Right now, he is very interested in apples," Bennett remarked.

Delphine reached into the bucket and pulled out an apple. "Well, I can help with that," she said as she came to stand next to him. She held her hand out with the apple.

Hercules eagerly ate it out of her hand.

She smiled as she regarded the horse. "Hercules is a magnificent horse. I will miss him when I am gone."

"What will you miss? His refusal to let anyone ride him or his stubborn streak?" he joked.

Turning to face him, she replied, "Hercules is a good horse. He will come around, but you must be patient."

"I am the epitome of patience, my lady."

Hercules nudged Delphine's shoulder.

She giggled. "It would appear that Hercules wants more apples," she said. "I do not fault him for that."

Bennett gave the horse a look of mock sternness. "You have had enough for today."

In response, Hercules tossed his head in complaint.

"You are better than me," Delphine said. "I would have given him another apple just to appease him."

"Then Hercules has trained you, and not the other way around. "

Delphine ran her fingers down Hercules' neck. "Perhaps, but I just want Hercules to be happy."

Bennett eyed her curiously. "Why is his happiness so important to you?"

"He suffered a great loss when your uncle died, and deserves to be happy," Delphine replied.

He heard the anguish in her voice, prompting him to ask, "Are you happy, Delphie?"

She grew silent. "For so long, I thought I was, but it all changed when you saved me. I now know what true happiness is."

"What prompted that realization?"

Delphine held his gaze before saying, "I met you."

Bennett blinked, not knowing what he could say. He felt precisely the same way. His whole life had changed when Delphine had come into it. And it was for the better. How could he make her understand that he needed her in his life? This wasn't just some passing whim for him. Delphine was his future, he was sure of that.

An adorable blush came to her cheeks and she ducked her head. "I should join your mother for breakfast."

He couldn't let her go. Not after what she had just revealed.

"Delphie…" he started.

She looked up at him, her eyes holding vulnerability.

What could he say that would keep her here? Did he confess his feelings and hope that he hadn't misread the situation?

As he opened his mouth, Delphine spoke first, her words sounding rushed. "I… um… am very hungry. Starving, in fact."

Sensing her discomfort, Bennett thought it was best not to tease her, but he did need to say a few things before she left.

"I shall join you, assuming you don't mind," Bennett said .

Delphine gave him a weak smile but she didn't argue with him. "I would appreciate the company."

He held his hand out, gesturing that she should walk down the aisle first. He followed her out of the stables and quickened his pace to match her stride.

Bennett clasped his hands behind his back so he wouldn't do something foolish like reach for her hand.

Delphine's eyes remained straight ahead. "You have a lovely manor."

"That I do," Bennett agreed. But he didn't want to talk about Brockhall Manor. He wanted to talk about a possible future between them. "I do hope you have enjoyed your time here."

That was the right thing to say because Delphine seemed to perk up. "That I did," she responded enthusiastically. "I just adore your family."

"They can be rather difficult to deal with," Bennett said.

"Only to you," Delphine responded. "To me, they showered kindness upon me."

Bennett smirked. "Ah, so they have fooled you into thinking they are something that they are not."

Delphine shook her head. "You are most fortunate. Family is not something that one should take for granted."

"You are right," Bennett said.

She stopped on the gravel path and stared up at him. "I know I am, but I rather like hearing you say that. I have a feeling that you don't say those words very often."

"It sounds like you have been talking to Elodie about me," Bennett said.

Delphine shrugged. "Elodie does enjoy talking about you and whatever else comes to her mind."

Bennett unclasped his hands, dropping them to his sides. "What has she told you about me?"

"Are you worried, my lord?" Delphine teased .

"Quite frankly, I never know what is going to come out of Elodie's mouth."

Delphine patted his arm. "Do not be concerned. Elodie only says good things about you. It is obvious that she loves you very much."

"Yes, well, what is not to love?" Bennett quipped as he reached for the lapels of his jacket. "I am rather charming."

She rolled her eyes, just as he had intended. "You are far too cocky."

"No young lady has ever complained before."

"Not this again," Delphine sighed before she continued walking down the path.

He easily caught up to her and remarked, "It is perfectly acceptable to admit that I am charming."

Without sparing him a glance, she asked, "Are you charming? I'm afraid that I haven't noticed."

"Your words have hurt me deeply, my lady," he joked.

"I am confident that you will overcome it."

Bennett saw the manor was looming ahead and he didn't want to wait any longer to say what needed to be said. He reached for her arm and gently turned her towards him. "Before we go inside, I was hoping to say a few things."

Delphine pointed towards a window in the manor and said, "I should warn you that Elodie is spying on us."

Following her gaze, he saw Elodie right before she ducked down, but he could still see the top of her head. "That doesn't surprise me," he responded. "But it is most fortunate that she is terrible at eavesdropping. She never can quite help herself from getting caught."

"Does Melody ever eavesdrop?"

"Not that I am aware of, but if she does, she is clearly very good at it." Bennett took Delphine's arm and gently led her out of Elodie's sight. "There. Now we can speak freely."

Delphine bit her lower lip before asking, "What is it that you wish to speak to me about? "

Bennett smiled, hoping to set her at ease. "I have greatly enjoyed our time together."

"As have I."

Good. This was going well, he thought. Now he just needed to confess he held affection for her and hoped she felt the same.

But as Bennett went to open his mouth, a footman with a solemn look on his face approached them at a clipped pace. "Lady Dunrobin," he shouted, his voice sounding urgent.

Delphine turned towards the footman. "Yes?"

The footman came to a stop in front of them as he attempted to catch his breath. "Your husband has just arrived."

Rearing back, Delphine asked, "My husband?"

In a resolute voice, the footman responded, "Yes, and he is waiting for you in the drawing room."

Delphine felt her world was spinning around her as she tried to process what the footman had just told her. Husband? She was quite certain that she did not have one of those. So who was in the drawing room? And why was he claiming to be her husband?

None of this made sense.

Bennett's voice came from next to her but it seemed so far away. "Delphie, are you all right?"

She met his gaze and admitted, "I am not. I don't know what is going on but I don't have a husband."

"Then who is in the drawing room?"

Her eyes darted towards the manor. "I have no idea." And she meant it. A feeling of trepidation washed over her. "No gentleman was courting me. I am most certain of that."

"Did you have any suitors? "

"There were many gentlemen that tried to press their suit, but I was not interested in any of them," Delphine said.

"Surely there was someone," he pressed.

Delphine shook her head. "No, there wasn't. I have no desire to marry at this point in my life and I told everyone that."

"Perhaps you don't recall getting married."

She let out a disbelieving huff. "That is something one would certainly remember."

"But all your memories have yet to return," he remarked. "What is the last thing that you remember before you woke up here?"

"I was in the drawing room with my friend, Charlotte, and we were discussing the upcoming Season," Delphine replied. "And I was husband- less . I am sure of that."

Bennett gave her a pointed look. "Then you must go speak to this man that is claiming to be your husband. It is the only way to find the answers that you seek."

Delphine knew that Bennett was right. She couldn't ignore this problem and hope that it would go away. But deep down, she only felt dread. Something was not right.

"Would you like me to accompany you to the drawing room?" Bennett asked.

"Yes, please."

Bennett gestured towards the manor. "Shall we?"

Delphine noticed that he didn't offer his arm as he usually did, and her heart ached because of it. If she were truly married, it would be entirely inappropriate for him to escort her into the manor. But she needed his touch now more than ever.

"It will be all right," Bennett encouraged.

She frowned, feeling herself growing increasingly upset by his encouraging words. Though she knew he meant to help, she couldn't bear to entertain hope at the moment. "How?" she asked, her voice tinged with frustration. "There is a man claiming to be my husband and I have not the faintest idea of who he could be."

Bennett's response was gentle but firm. "The first step is to speak to him."

"And if I don't like what he says?" Delphine asked, her apprehension palpable.

His gaze softened with understanding. "You won't know that unless you speak to him," he assured her. "I promise you that we will figure this out."

Delphine's legs felt heavy. She no more wanted to go speak to this man than have a thorn in her boot.

"Come along, Delphie," Bennett said. "You can do this. I know you can."

She found comfort in Bennett's reassuring words, his belief in her lending her strength. Drawing upon reserves deep within her, she squared her shoulders, ready to face whatever lay ahead. "You are right," she said.

"I usually am," he teased.

She resisted the urge to smile. Now was not the time. There was nothing amusing about this situation that she found herself in. "You will stay with me?"

Bennett nodded. "Always."

"Then let us go," she said before she started walking towards the manor. The worst part was that she believed Bennett's words. He would stay with her… unless she did truly have a husband.

Then he would leave her.

Delphine dismissed that thought. She didn't have a husband so this was a moot point. It must be a misunderstanding. It had to be.

As they walked next to one another, she snuck a glance at Bennett and saw his jaw was clenched. She suspected that he held some affection for her, just as she did for him, but had she been wrong to fall for him?

No .

She loved him.

A footman held open the back door as they stepped inside. As they grew closer to the drawing room, Delphine's steps grew more determined. She didn't know who she would find in there but she didn't want to lose Bennett over this.

Bennett came to a stop in front of the drawing room and gave her an encouraging look. But his eyes held a pain that she hadn't seen before. A pain that she was sure she had caused.

Delphine entered the drawing room and she saw her neighbor, Mr. Simpkin, standing by the window. His dark hair glistened in the sun and his long sideburns highlighted his long, thin face.

As she opened her mouth to ask him what was going on, a familiar voice came from the settee. "Delphine!" Charlotte shouted, jumping up from her seat.

She had barely turned towards her dear friend when she found herself wrapped up in Charlotte's arms.

"I can't believe you are alive," Charlotte said, leaning back to look at her. "I was so worried about you."

Delphine stared at her friend in disbelief. "What are you doing here?"

Mr. Simpkin spoke up. "I'm afraid that is my doing," he replied. "When we received Lady Dallington's letter about your condition, I felt you might need a friend."

Charlotte dropped her arms and took a step back. "You are looking well. Far better than what I expected."

Knowing that introductions were in order, Delphine turned towards Bennett. "Lord Dunsby, allow me to introduce you to my friend, Miss Eden, and Mr. Simpkin, a neighboring landowner near my country estate in Skidbrooke."

Bennett bowed. "A pleasure."

Mr. Simpkin approached her, albeit cautiously. "Lady Dallington's letter was rather vague about your condition, but she shared that some of your memories have returned. "

"They have," Delphine replied. "But I can't seem to recall how I ended up in the woodlands in the first place."

Mr. Simpkin exchanged a concerned look with Charlotte before bringing his gaze back to Delphine. "Do you by chance recall us eloping to Gretna Green?"

Delphine's mouth dropped open in astonishment as she found herself utterly stunned. "Heavens no! Why would I have ever done such a thing?"

"Because you didn't want to make a big ado out of it," Mr. Simpkin replied. "Once you learned of your father's intentions, you thought it was best if we wed at once."

"My father's intentions?" Delphine inquired. "What on earth are you talking about?"

Mr. Simpkin gave her a look that was filled with sympathy. "Your father wished for us to wed once you reached your majority. Your solicitor explained all of this to you before we departed for Scotland."

Delphine brought a hand to her head. "I don't recall any of this. Why would my father wish for me to marry you? You are just a member of the gentry."

"That may be true," Mr. Simpkin responded, his voice tinged with pride, "but your father saw the potential in us combining our lands. Together, we are one of the largest landowners in all of England."

"This doesn't make sense," she murmured. "If what you are saying is true, why did we elope to Gretna Green?"

"You were rather insistent in that regard since you did not want a large wedding," Mr. Simpkin said gently. He reached into his jacket pocket and withdrew a piece of paper, unfolding it with care. "Perhaps if you saw the marriage license."

She accepted the paper and hesitated for a long moment before she read it. It was as he had said. They were married in the eyes of the law.

And she was trapped .

This one paper confirmed that she now belonged to Mr. Simpkin.

Delphine felt her legs grow weak and she stumbled back. Bennett caught her and held her in his arms.

"Let me help you to the settee, my lady," Bennett said.

She let him lead her to the settee, feeling all of the fight drain out of her. She was a married woman now. She had no rights. No freedoms.

Mr. Simpkin was not an unkind man. His lands neighbored hers and he had always been friendly to her. He had never made an attempt to court her, but he would often seek her out at social events.

Bennett gestured towards the marriage license in her hand. "May I?" he asked.

Without saying a word, she extended him the paper so he could review it. If anyone could find a way out of this mess for her, it was him.

In a terse voice, Bennett said, "Everything appears to be in order."

"Quite right," Mr. Simpkin responded as he stepped forward for the marriage license. "Now that we have established that, it is time for us to depart. For home."

Home.

No. Her home was not with Mr. Simpkin.

Delphine started shaking her head. She refused to go with him. "I can't go with you. I hardly know you."

Mr. Simpkin simply smiled. "We are married, my dear. We can have a lifetime to get to know one another."

Charlotte sat down next to Delphine and reached for her hand. "I know this comes as a shock to you, but you wanted to marry Mr. Simpkin. You told me as much."

"I did?" Delphine asked. Why did that sound so far-fetched to her?

Her friend bobbed her head. "You called upon me after you visited your solicitor's office and told me that you were eloping with him."

"If what you are saying is true, why didn't we post the banns and get married at our local parish?" Delphine asked.

Charlotte tightened her hold on Delphine's hand. "You didn't want to marry in the same chapel your mother attended."

Delphine had to admit that her friend did have a point. The chapel did hold unpleasant memories for her since her mother had insisted on going there until the end.

A young, blonde maid stepped into the room with a tea service in her hand. She placed it on the table in front of Delphine. "Would you care for me to pour, my lady?" she asked.

Delphine didn't respond but instead stared at the teapot. None of this made any sense. Why couldn't she remember marrying Mr. Simpkin or the circumstances leading up to it? Her mind was blank. But none of this explained how she ended up in the woodlands.

Bringing her gaze up, she addressed Mr. Simpkin. "How did I end up in the woodlands?"

Mr. Simpkin grew somber. "On the way back from Gretna Green, the carriage had an accident and we were both thrown out. When I came to, we couldn't find you and we feared you were lost to us. To me."

Delphine had enough of this. She couldn't take it anymore. The life that she knew was over and she just wanted to be alone.

Rising, she put a hand to her forehead. "Excuse me, but I find this to be a little overwhelming," she said. "I need a moment alone."

Without waiting for their responses, she rushed out of the room, hoping this was just a terrible nightmare that she would awake from soon enough.