Reborn: The Duke's Obsession
Chapter 94 - Ninety Four

Chapter 94: Chapter Ninety Four

Delia walked along the soft, white sands of Baston Island, a place she had only ever read about in books both in her past life and now. This was the first time she had ever left the familiar shores of Albion, and the first time in her life she had ever felt the strange, delightful sensation of warm sand between her bare toes. A gentle breeze from the turquoise shore enveloped her, carrying the salty scent of the ocean and the sound of distant, crying gulls. It was a world away from the stuffy drawing rooms and dark secrets of her home. George never took her anywhere during their honeymoon instead he would leave her at home at the mercy of his mother and go to gamble.

"Good thing I still have some of my own coins to spend," she thought to herself, a small, genuine smile on her face. The money she had earned from selling her dye to Lady Isla felt like a key to a freedom she had never known. "This should surely cleanse my mind and calm my soul."

She found a weathered wooden bench nestled at the edge of the beach, just before the tall, swaying palm trees began. She sat down, pulling her simple travelling cloak tighter around herself, and just watched the waves. They rolled in, one after another, a steady, soothing rhythm that seemed to wash away the tension in her shoulders.

Further down the beach, she saw a young couple, perhaps around the same age as her and Eric. They were holding hands, walking along the water’s edge, their laughter carrying on the breeze. He would stop and whisper something in her ear, and she would giggle, playfully splashing his ankles with water. He then leaned down and gave her a soft, sweet kiss on the forehead which sh returned.

Delia looked at them and smiled, a wistful, lonely expression on her face. The husband then wrapped his wife in a tight, protective hug. "I will always be by your side," he said, his voice full of a deep, simple sincerity as he pats her back while she held onto him tightly.

Delia heard the words, and they struck her as if the waves from the ocean crashed against the rocks. She remembered Eric, leaning on the window of the carriage, his eyes full of a warmth that had terrified her. "I will always be by your side," he had told her. "You don’t have to do everything by yourself anymore."

She shook her head, physically trying to displace the memory. "He just keeps saying things like that to me, making my heart flutter when I don’t want it to," she said to herself, pouting slightly as she looked out at the endless ocean. "But it doesn’t make any sense." How could a man she barely knew, a man who had entered into a business deal with her, make such a profound promise? "How can someone promise to always be by my side? The people I have trusted my entire life couldn’t even manage to stay by my side for very long without betraying me."

Her sad thoughts were interrupted by the sight of someone approaching. A tall figure, walking towards her from the direction of the small pathway to the beach. As the person got closer, her heart gave a sudden, surprised leap. She looked keenly, her eyes widening in disbelief. It was Eric. The strong ocean breeze was blowing through his dark hair, making it look rough and untamed.

"E... Eric!!! What is he doing here?" she thought to herself, a frantic mixture of annoyance and a strange, unwelcome flutter of happiness rising in her chest. She wanted to be alone, to understand what she’s feeling, everything that had happened for the past weeks but seems she has an unexpected visitor to deal with.

He stopped directly in front of her bench. He was dressed in simple travelling clothes, but he still carried an air of undeniable authority. He looked down at her, a slow, triumphant smile spreading across his face.

"There you are," he said, his voice full of a warm, deep satisfaction. "I’ve finally found you. I miss you, you know." He smiled.

She stood up, brushing the sand from her skirts. "How did you come..."

He interrupted her, his smile turning into a teasing, knowing grin. "Isn’t that why you left the note?" he asked. "So that I could find you?"

Delia’s cheeks flushed. "No!" she replied, a little too quickly. "I just didn’t want you to worry, that’s..."

Eric’s gaze shifted from her face to the sky above. Dark, heavy clouds were beginning to form on the horizon, rolling in from the sea. "But why Baston Island, of all places?" he continued, his tone changing. "It rains a lot here this time of year." He looked back at the ocean, and a shadow passed over his features. "I don’t like the rain."

Delia looked up at the gathering clouds. "Oh, I didn’t know about that," she said. "I’ve always heard of how beautiful Baston island is and wanted to see it for myself. But the view is very nice, don’t you think? And the sound of the rain can be soothing, too."

"Yeah," Eric said, his voice distant as he sat down on the bench. "It’s nice. The view is really nice."

Delia sat down beside him, leaving a respectable amount of space between them.

"But to me," he said quietly, his gaze still fixed on the horizon, "the rain is the most terrifying thing in the world. The sound, the way it makes the earth smell, the wetness on the skin and ground, the way the thunder rumbles as it falls with much intensity." He looked at Delia for a brief moment, his eyes full of a deep, raw vulnerability that made her breath catch in her throat. He then looked back at the ocean.

"Do you want to know why I don’t like it?" he asked, his voice a low, serious murmur.