My Disfigured Duke Husband Helps Me Plot My Revenge
Chapter 143: An Adventure Together

Chapter 143: An Adventure Together

It was just as Leonor predicted.

For as long as she tried to remain in bed, once the sun had broken over the horizon, she could no longer rest. Excitement for the day woke her up early. She knew she would regret it at some point when a wave of exhaustion hit her.

Rather than the usual beautiful dresses she wore, Leonor got into riding clothing. She had a few new pieces in her wardrobe considering the duke bought more for her without her realizing.

While she was ever insistent on frugality that didn’t befit someone in her station, she still wore what he bought for her. It was comfortable and flattering. She knew right away it must have cost a fortune to get such fine clothing that suited every inch of her.

Even though the lady went to breakfast early, she was shocked to see Desmond sitting there wearing clothing appropriate for adventure. Rather than gilded and beautifully adorned, he wore a thin, long sleeved tunic that would be suitable to keep his pale skin out of the sun. The cloak Leonor gifted him was over his head and he wore thick riding pants and worn in boots.

No one would ever believe he was a Duke. He reminded her more of how he looked when he was a stablehand. The thought made her put a hand over her heart as she paused. Still a bit the same yet still very different.

"Good morning," Leonor greeted. "It seems I wasn’t the only one eager to get a start to my day."

Desmond always waited for her to join him before maids brought their food. The duke and duchess’ preference was yogurt and seasonal berries or porridge and dried fruits depending on the season. Their tastes were simple and, while they boasted the finest-quality ingredients Montclair had to offer, the meals weren’t difficult and eaten quickly.

Leonor was the first to finish eating, but she sat a while longer, sipping on tea so Desmond wouldn’t feel rushed. After all, it was his adventure and she was allowing him to take the lead.

For him to not be locked away in his study for much of the day was a day to be celebrated. It brought up further questions about how he had trained himself to befit the hefty role of a duke. It was a far cry from the stablehand he once was.

Even when he held that job for the count, he didn’t take it particularly seriously considering he spent much of his time lost in a daydream or chasing his employer’s daughter.

The duke soon followed suit and wiped his lips with a cloth napkin before standing up and offering his hand to Leonor.

She noticed his gloves were tucked into the belt at his waist along with a sword in case they needed it for whatever reason.

As Leonor looked down at his hand as she took it in hers, her curiosities got the best of her.

"I’ve noticed you always remove your gloves before touching me," she said. "Even back then."

Desmond answered quickly, having a response ready to fire off at any moment.

"It wouldn’t be right to touch you with gloves I work in," he admitted.

Her mouth hung agape for a moment, not expecting a sweet response.

He was unlike Quinn and King Stephano who both touched her with or without gloves and no second thought. She noticed that in the past: Desmond treated her far different than anyone else. Perhaps that’s the reason she feels so valued by him.

Satisfied with his response, Desmond led Leonor to the front where a pack had been prepared for them as well as their horses which would take them to the heart of the mountain—even further past the military outpost.

Considering Leonor hadn’t made it out that far yet, she was bubbling over with excitement. That much was obvious by the way she shifted her weight between both of her feet as she waited for Desmond to talk to Gideon and another advisor about where he was going. He would be out for much of the day but if worse came to worst, he wouldn’t be entirely out of reach.

Leonor was first to mount her light brown horse and Desmond was soon after her to do the same.

They were soon off down the road leading along the front of the wall that protected the duke’s personal property.

The road was first made of stone while in proximity to the ducal family’s property, but as they went through a bit of forest and past the military outpost, the road became dirt before disappearing altogether.

The pair rode for nearly three hours at a leisurely pace, occasionally checking in on the other to see if they needed a break or food. Both only opted to have water all the way until they made it to where the duke wanted to take Leonor.

While much of the trip was climbing through fields as they neared the rocky summit, though it was from a different angle than Leonor had ever seen before, they started on a downward bend.

When they made it around a steep edge, the field became more green and flower-filled.

It was naturally occurring lilacs dotting the field, particularly the outer edge of the tree line, that struck Leonor particularly hard.

Valerio had given her lilacs once, but it was Desmond who was continuing the tradition.

With eyes wide, Leonor slipped off of her horse. She removed her riding gloves and tucked them underneath her saddle until later.

As she made it through the long grass and towards the lilacs, she had a hand over her mouth.

She wasn’t expecting the scent of the flower to haunt her to that day but the two most important people to her heart both lived on through that flower. She was miserable and fulfilled all at the same time.

"How on earth did you find a place like this?" she asked.