The Vampire's Valentine Surprise: A Nocturne Falls Short (3 page)

T
ent One was
in full pandemonium when Hugh arrived, so he didn’t have to lower his voice much to keep from being overheard. Even so, he edged closer to Delaney. “You want me to do what?”

“Take the coffee to one of the witches and get them to test it,” Delaney said.

“I’m happy to do that. But if you’re feeling poorly, maybe you should—”

“Do not say quit.” She picked up her big wooden mixing spoon, the end of which was clotted with cookie dough or cake batter or frosting, and waved it at him. “Or so help me, I will swat you with this.”

“I wasn’t going to say quit.” He straightened. “Never quit.” But he couldn’t help but be worried. She was everything to him. He’d almost lost her once. That wasn’t something he ever wanted to experience again.

“Good. Because it’s not happening.” She put the spoon down and picked up the coffee cup, holding it out to him. “Take this to Marigold. She’s probably in her shop and with all this craziness going on here, she can’t be that busy.”

He smirked as he took the cup. “My darling, it’s Valentine’s Day. I’m sure the florist’s shop makes this place look deserted.”

Delaney put her hand on her forehead. “I totally forgot. Okay, not Marigold then. What about Charisma?”

“I’m not sure she’s in town.”

Delaney rested her hands on her hips. “Pandora? She’s got to be around.” She looked into the crowd. “In fact, she might be meeting with my friend Roxy about houses.”

“I don’t know about that, but Pandora probably is here somewhere. At least I know her boyfriend and his daughter are. Stanhill and I saw them earlier. Say, Cole’s daughter’s a witch, right?”

“A witch-in-training. This is probably full-on witch stuff. Oh, maybe you could get Corette? I know she’d do it.”

He frowned. “Not a good idea.” He lowered his voice. “She’s a judge this year. Can’t be seen fraternizing.”

Delaney’s eyes rounded and she shook her head. “No, definitely not. Okay, maybe you could look around and see if you can find Pandora, then bring her back here? I have to get this dough in to chill or I’m never going to be able to roll it out.”

“I’m on it, but I’d better leave the coffee here. I’d hate for someone to run into me and spill it.” He put it at the back of her worktable, bringing him closer to her. She seemed a little pale, even for a vampire. “You sure you don’t need anything? I can bring you a bite to eat, if you’d like. Or maybe you should sit.”

She put her hand on her stomach. “No food. Just the thought is…no. And I’ll sit when I can. Promise.”

He frowned.

“You’re so cute when you get all concerned. I’ll be fine.”

“Very well.” He growled softly but took off into the throng. This was not his usual sort of activity, but that had all changed with the arrival of Delaney. She was too full of energy to be kept away from these things. She wanted to taste every flavor life had to offer and with her at his side, he was happy to do the same. Well, perhaps not happy when it came to crowds, but he enjoyed things far more with her along.

Now he had to find out if Vicky Keller had actually tried to hurt his beloved. His fangs shot down through his gums and he knew his eyes must have silvered, because the anger in him was barely containable. No one was going to hurt Delaney and get away with it.

First he had to find the witch. If Pandora was with Cole and his daughter, where would they be? The fairgrounds were mobbed with people. The weather was cool, but the sun was out, making it a good day for an outside event. Besides the bake-off, there were carnival games set up, pie-eating contests, tastings of all sorts… The tastings. He was sure he’d heard one of them had something to do with chocolate. That was probably something a teenage girl would enjoy very much.

He stopped one of the event workers, a young feline shifter by the name of Caroline Linzer whose family owned the pet store in town. “Miss Linzer?”

She smiled brightly. “Mr. Ellingham, how nice to see you. Can I help you with something?”

“Yes. Do you know if there’s a chocolate tasting going on?”

She nodded and pointed back toward a tent at the center of the melee. “All day long in Tent Five. There’s also chocolate carving and an exhibit on how chocolate is made.”

“Thank you.” That was more information than he needed, but he smiled politely as he headed on his way.

The intense smell of chocolate hit him when he was still fifty feet away. It was overpowering to his senses, but not entirely unpleasant. He made his way into the tent and navigated to the tasting area.

He found Pandora pretty quickly thanks to her red hair. Cole and his daughter were with her as well. He approached them, the need to know if his wife had been poisoned paramount in his mind.

“Excuse me, Pandora, Cole. I’m sorry to interrupt.”

They both turned. Cole stuck his hand out. The man had become one of the best teachers Harmswood Academy had seen since taking the job. Students loved him. “Mr. Ellingham. Good to see you.”

“And you. I hope you’re all enjoying yourselves.”

“We are,” he said. “Right, Kaley?”

The girl leaned against her father and spoke around a hunk of chocolate she was nibbling on. “Oh yeah, totally.”

But Pandora’s smile faded. “Hugh, what’s wrong? You look upset.”

“It’s Delaney.” He glanced around. “She thinks someone may have slipped something into her coffee. She was hoping you could test it with your…
skills
and see if you could tell. Is that something you could do?”

She nodded. “Sure. If it’s organic, Marigold would be better, but today is sort of her Black Friday.”

“I understand. Whatever you can do to help would be appreciated.”

“Absolutely.” She looked at Cole. “You guys can stay here. I shouldn’t be too long.”

Kaley said, “If it’s witchy stuff, I want to come. After, like, one more sample.”

Pandora glanced at Hugh. “That all right with you?”

“Of course.”

Pandora put her hand on Cole’s arm. “You and Kaley finish up here and then come find us in…” She checked with Hugh. “What tent?”

“Tent One. Delaney’s station is the first one on the right-hand side.”

“Got it,” Cole said.

Pandora gave Hugh a nod. “Let’s go.”

Hugh led her back to Tent One and Delaney’s station. When they arrived, she was nestling raspberries into a thick layer of white frosting covering a layer of red cake.

“I found her,” Hugh announced.

Delaney looked up from her work. Hugh’s gut clenched. He didn’t remember there being such dark circles under her eyes. Something was definitely wrong.

“Are you all right?” He went to her side, looping his arm around her waist. “You don’t look well, my love.”

She sank against him with a sigh. “I just got really tired all of a sudden.”

“Are you coming down with something?” Pandora asked. “Is that even possible for you guys?”

Hugh knew she meant vampires. “Not really. You’d better test that coffee.”

Pandora nodded. “Where is it?”

Delaney pointed. “That’s it in the Hallowed Bean cup.”

“Okay.” Pandora picked it up, pried off the top and sniffed. “I don’t smell anything odd. I need some alone time with this to do what I really need to. I can’t cast a spell right here in front of everyone.”

Hugh helped Delaney sit on the folding camp chair that Stanhill had thoughtfully added to her inventory. “Take it to the first aid tent. It’s just behind this one. Tell them you need to make a call and I said you could have the tent to yourself. If that doesn’t get you some privacy, call me and I’ll personally come over and make it happen.”

Pandora smiled, then reached over and gave Delaney’s shoulder a squeeze. “I’ll be back as soon as I can with an answer.”

“Thanks,” Delaney said.

Pandora left and Hugh knelt beside Delaney. “I think we already know the answer. I’m going to call Sheriff Merrow and have that woman arrested.”

“We don’t know for sure.” Delaney patted his cheek. “I feel better just sitting. Maybe I picked up something. There must be some kind of bug vampires can get.”

“There isn’t. But we’re not immune to everything.”
Like poison.

Delaney tipped her head. “And how would Vicky be able to figure out what sort of thing would make a vampire sick? She doesn’t even know I’m a vampire.”

“I don’t know. Dumb luck? That’s probably the only kind she has.”

Delaney smiled weakly. “I have a cake to finish.” She pushed to her feet with visible effort.

“You can barely stand.”

“I can stand just fine.” She leaned on the table. “I’m not giving up.”

He frowned at his beautiful, stubborn wife. “Then I’m going to stand right next to you and help hold you up. That’s not against the rules, is it?”

Her grin strengthened. “No.”

He planted himself next to her, keeping one arm locked around her waist. “Good. Because even if it was, that wouldn’t stop me.”

“I know,” she said softly. “You wonderful, obstinate man.” She picked up the raspberries and went back to work adding them to the layer.

Hugh kissed her neck. “I could help.”

“That’s definitely against the rules, so no.”

He kissed her again, a little higher this time and right on the spot beneath her ear that always got a response.

She giggled and swatted at him. “Stop that now or I’ll have you thrown out.”

He whispered into her ear, “Maybe we could get thrown out together.”

“For what?”

He gripped her hip possessively. “Inappropriate public displays of affection.”

“Hugh,” she exclaimed. “Behave yourself.”

But there was happiness in her voice and that was enough for him. Anything to keep her mind off whatever was happening to her.

He let her work, watching with interest at how careful Delaney was with everything, and how skilled. He’d never seen her at work this closely before. She was amazing. It filled him with pride and at that moment he didn’t want her to have to leave the competition either.

She deserved to win this.

She topped the cake with the last layer. “There. Now I just need to crumb coat it and give that time to set, then I can do the final frosting and decoration.”

“You’re very good.”

A little half-smile bent her mouth. “You say that like you’re just realizing it.”

He smiled back. “Seeing you work, I’m just appreciating it for the first time. You have to stay in the competition because you’re going to win.”

“You think so?”

He nodded. “I do.”

“Thanks, honey.” She bumped her hip against his. “I need to get my buttercream.”

“You’re not going to make me taste it again, are you?”

She laughed. “No. Not this time.”

D
elaney
was
feeling better
. Still tired, but that seemed to come and go in waves. At least the nausea was gone. But she kept that to herself. She liked having Hugh right next to her, all lovey and sweet. Not that he wasn’t always, but there was something so tender and wonderful about him right now that she didn’t want to do anything to break the spell.

She scooped a dollop of buttercream onto the end of her offset spatula and dropped it on top of the cake.

“I’m back.” Pandora slipped into the station.

Hugh tensed at Delaney’s side. “What did you find out?”

The witch put the coffee cup back on the worktable. “There’s nothing in there but coffee, sugar and creamer.”

Hugh scowled. “Check it again.”

Delaney elbowed her husband. “If there’s nothing in it, there’s nothing it in.”

Cole and Kaley walked up. He nodded at Delaney before looking at Pandora. “How’s it going?”

The witch answered, “Really good or not good at all, depending on your point of view.”

“The coffee?” he asked.

Pandora shrugged. “Just coffee.”

A new wave of lethargy hit Delaney. “I need to sit.”

Hugh got her into the chair, holding onto her like she might break. “You want some water?” He glanced up. “Pandora, will you get her water? And we should call a doctor.”

“You got it,” Pandora said. “You want anything else, Delaney?”

“Maybe…” She held up her hand for Pandora to wait as another wave of dizziness swept through her.

Cole pulled out his cell phone. “I’ll get a doctor.”

“What’s wrong?” Kaley asked.

Cole dialed as he answered. “Mrs. Ellingham isn’t feeling well, kiddo.”

Kaley nodded, eyes wide as she took it all in. She walked up to Delaney. “Is it because of the baby?”

Delaney laced her fingers with Hugh’s. “What baby, honey?”

“Pandora, water, please,” Hugh said.

“Your baby,” Kaley answered. “The one you’re going to have.”

Delaney stared at the teen. “What are you talking about?”

Kaley lifted one shoulder. “You’re pregnant.” She waved her hands through the air near Delaney. “I can see it in your aura.”

Pandora stopped on her way out of the baking station and pivoted. “I’m totally going for that water, but wow.” She grinned. “You’re preggo!”

“I can’t be.” Delaney shook her head.

Hugh stood. Then knelt again. Then stood. “Is this…can she…how accurate…” He clapped a hand over his mouth and looked at Delaney.

Pandora grinned. “If Kaley sees it in your aura, it’s real. The kid does not misread an aura.” She threw her arm around Kaley’s shoulders and hugged her. “It’s her gift.”

Delaney put a hand on her belly and looked down. A baby? Then she lifted her head, tears blurring her vision, and looked at her husband. “The only thing wrong with me is morning sickness.” She laughed and a happy tear spilled down her cheek. “We’re having a baby.”

He nodded, looking very dumbstruck as his hand slowly came off his mouth. “We’re having a baby.”

“Pandora,” Delaney said. “I think my husband could use that water.”

Still grinning, Pandora gave her a wink. “On it.”

Then reality seemed to hit Hugh and he snapped to attention. “Cole, you and Kaley keep an eye on Delaney’s station. We’ll be right back.”

“We will?” Delaney asked.

“Yes.” He scooped her up in his arms. “I know just how to fix you.”

F
or the second
time that day, the Ellingham name was used to gain a little privacy. This time, Hugh did it in person, sending the volunteers in the first aid tent away until further notice.

He laid Delaney down on one of the cots that had been set up, then pulled out his phone and texted Stanhill with instructions. He was elated at the news of her pregnancy, but the celebration could come after she was safe.

She pushed up onto her elbows. “I’m pregnant, I’m not dying.”

“You’re in worse shape than either one of us realized. Lay still.”

“You’re not the boss of me.” Then she made a face. “Do you know what’s wrong with me?”

“I do. The baby is draining your resources. You fed, what, a day ago?”

She nodded.

“You must feed every day now. I’m surprised you haven’t collapsed before this. All that sugar you were ingesting must have given you false energy. Both you and the child could be in danger.”

“I don’t feel
that
bad.” But she lay back down, watching him with great curiosity until her eyes drifted shut and she went very still.

Sleep was good for her, Hugh knew that. But what she really needed was blood. She was feeding for two now and the child growing inside her was in as much danger as she was if that wasn’t rectified immediately. A vampire baby had very different needs than a human one.

Hugh paced in the confines of the small tent until Stanhill arrived fifteen minutes later with a small cooler in hand.

His gaze went to Delaney’s sleeping form immediately. “What’s going on?”

Hugh grabbed the rook’s arm. “Delaney is pregnant.”

Stanhill’s mouth came open and his eyes lit with joy. “Blimey.” The joy quickly turned into realization. “That’s why you needed the blood. And why she’s feeling so off today.”

Hugh took the cooler. “Yes. Did she eat anything for breakfast?”

“Just some toast.”

“It’s a wonder she lasted this long.” Hugh pulled out the thermos.

Delaney shifted, her eyes flickering open. “Hey, Stanhill. What are you doing here?”

She sounded as weak as a kitten to Hugh. He knelt at her side. “He brought you the breakfast you should have had this morning.”

Stanhill nodded. “You’ve got to take care of yourself, miss. Now that you’re in a family way and all.” He grinned. “I never thought I’d be an uncle.”

She smiled back as Hugh helped her sit up. He unscrewed the top of the thermos and handed it over, the warm, metallic scent of the nourishment inside wafting through the space.

Stanhill gave a little nod. “I’ll leave you to it, then, unless you need something else. I was in the middle of running an errand for Corette.”

“Go ahead,” Hugh answered. “Thank you.”

“Anything for our Delaney.” He stuck his hands in his pockets and mumbled, “A baby,” on his way out.

Hugh prompted her. “Drink. Now. You’ll feel so much better.”

She lifted the thermos and did just that, emptying it. When she was finished, she handed the thermos back. “I do feel better. Much better, actually.”

The color returned to her face and the circles under her eyes vanished as he watched. “Good. Let’s get you home to rest.”

She snorted and got off the cot. “Not happening. I have a contest to win and the way I feel, I could finish everything I need to do in about an hour.” Her brows lifted. “Hey, we’re having a baby! Your grandmother is going to lose her mind.”

Hugh knew there was no arguing with her about the competition. “That she will. Expect to be showered with gifts like you’ve never experienced before.”

She laughed softly. “Oh, this is going to be interesting. Are you happy?”

He swallowed down the emotion knotting in his throat. “I have no words for how happy I am.”

“Try.”

He pulled her into his arms and held her tight, kissing her hard. “I am the luckiest vampire in the world.”

She leaned back, the mischievous glint in her eyes a welcome sight. “Yeah, you are.”

He shook his head. “Are you sure you feel well enough to finish the day?”

“Don’t I look better?”

“Infinitely.”

“And I feel the same way.” She kissed him, a fast, quick peck. “Now, I have to get back to my station. I have a cake to frost and cookies to ice and truffles to add gold leaf to.”

He studied her, this amazing woman who had graced his life with so much happiness. The woman who was about to give him another incredible gift.
A child.
“I love you, Delaney Ellingham.”

She tilted her forehead to meet his. “I love you more, Hugh Ellingham.”

He smiled, joy suffusing his body like a ray of sun. “Go bring that trophy home.”