Neither Delaney nor Vincent had ever felt so free before than they felt now at the ocean house. It was as if the real world was just a memory and they could stay where they were forever.
The real world couldn't be avoided though and men rode to the ocean house to bring the duke of Edgewood word from his various estates as well as from the King himself. In the evenings Delaney would keep herself busy while Vincent retired to his study to work before dinner.
Having Ian around turned out to be an unexpected gift. When her husband locked himself away to work and she was left on her own, she coerced him into keeping her company.
Delaney was surprised to find her young pirate guard was actually quite a skilled card player. They would sit and play cards and occasionally Delaney could convince him to talk about himself some. When the bell rang to announce dinner Ian would disappear back up to his room not to be seen again until the next morning.
