My Disfigured Duke Husband Helps Me Plot My Revenge
Chapter 177: Safer With Him

Chapter 177: Safer With Him

Desmond’s words made Leonor wake up in a flash and she turned her head towards him with a smile.

She wondered what he had been thinking about to make him say such a thing.

"My dear?" she asked. "Shall I call you ’my love’ from now on?"

The duchess sat up and allowed her hair to settle before she brushed it away from her face. She touched her cheek and wondered if there were marks from how hard she had been sleeping. She felt like a baby being rocked to sleep in a cradle.

"I wouldn’t be opposed," Desmond admitted.

He reached towards his wife’s face and tucked away a strand of her hair she missed when pushing it from her face. He paid attention enough to know how she liked her appearance to be.

"Do I look the same as before?" she asked. "I didn’t think I would fall asleep so hard."

"You hardly slept a wink last night," Desmond reminded her.

She gave a guilty grimace.

"Sorry about that," she said. "In turn, you must have not gotten much sleep."

"I’m more adjusted to those conditions than you are," he responded.

Leonor slumped forward so she could slip an arm underneath Desmond’s and she pressed her chin against his shoulder.

"I wish you weren’t," she admitted. "Although I’m glad you’re not tired right now." She turned her head and saw that there were still trees surrounding them. "Where are we now?"

Desmond could guess where his men had decided to stop. It was a common area for them to take a break considering it was a summit of one of the smaller mountains that led to a rockier path and even higher pass. Once they made it to the top, it would be a smooth ride from there.

Unfortunately, there were no shortcuts to the place they were going. It was called Montville which was an apt name considering it meant town within the mountains. When they left the township in a few days, they would be tasked with going down the other side of another mountain pass.

Despite all the difficulties in getting there, the mining was lucrative enough that people managed to populate the area.

Since the carriage had stopped, Desmond was the first to move to the door and he opened it then turned around. Once he was out, he held out a hand to Leonor.

Leonor didn’t hesitate to take his hand and she was led down to a dirt road that was still surprisingly well-maintained. As she walked further out, she realized they were only at the beginning of what was going to be a long day of travel.

The duchess left the duke’s side and walked forward a few steps, her sapphire eyes on the mountain ahead.

The path was rocky and the road weaving through large boulders seemed quite steep.

Roads leading to Magia were rough but compared to what was in front of her at that moment, Leonor thought they were molehills. Even those rides were bumpy and uncertain. She had motion sickness at times because of how it felt to be bumped around like that.

She was the one who agreed to travel with them and had already slowed down the trip because of their need to take carriages since she was there. Her worst fear was them starting to find fault in her just as her father’s help found fault in her.

Maids and guards who were once kind when her mother was around changed quickly the more her father told them exaggerations of her behavior or lies from her sister. Sometimes it made her wonder if the thoughts towards her were valid. After all, her mother was her last line of defense in that place.

Insecure thoughts were quickly cut off.

As if he could read her mind, Desmond walked forward to his wife and placed her cloak around her shoulders. He stood next to her and looked up at what could seem to be an impossibly steep mountain.

"I hate to take you out of the comfort of the carriage, but the path ahead will be too unstable for you to ride inside safely," Desmond explained gently. "It will be a lot smoother if you ride with me."

Leonor looked up at her husband. Relief washed over her. She trusted Desmond to get her where they needed to be safe.

"I don’t mind," Leonor said. "I feel terrible that I didn’t bring a horse and ride myself. However, the reeve on the other side of the pass will likely expect the appearance of a duchess rather than a woman in riding clothing."

Desmond smiled slightly.

"That’s your choice on how you want to present yourself, but I understand," he said, showing his undying support for his wife. "Perhaps on future trips, you’ll ride your horse."

"I look forward to all sorts of traveling in the future," Leonor responded lightly and smiled.

Since no one was nearby, Desmond leaned into Leonor further and spoke closer to her ear so his quiet voice couldn’t be heard by anyone else but her.

"This works well in my favor," he admitted. "I would prefer to touch you the entire time anyway."

Leonor pretended they were only standing close so she could adjust something on the military jacket he wore. The moment she was able to turn her blushing face away from Desmond, she took advantage and stepped away.

"Getting more shameless by the day," she uttered and side-stepped Desmond who seemed satisfied by her response.

Since she had only faced the north since she stepped out of the carriage, she had completely missed the wonderful view the south offered.

There was a valley below of beautiful yellow and greens above the tree line, showing off the farmlands and the harvest season that had begun.

While there were a few trees with their leaves turning orange and slowly falling off, much of the foliage in Montclair was evergreen and the pine needles remained through the winter. The trees bordered the view of the valley and Leonor’s heart felt full.

Often, Leonor missed the southern coast. The ocean she grew up on was beautiful but her new home was too. Desmond helped her appreciate the beauty.

Rather than teasing her further, Desmond came to his wife with cured sausage and bread for her to have for lunch. There were dried berries in a paper bag as well.

Leonor ate in the carriage to stay warm for as long as possible before she would have to don her own pair of gloves and be subjected to the cold wind as they rode forth on horseback. She got out of the carriage with the help of one of the officers when done eating and stepped on the ground with a determined expression on her face.

Since she was rested and had eaten enough to tie her over until their evening meal, she was intent on causing no further problems for the men who dutifully did whatever she and the duke requested of them.

As she stepped towards the large horse that would transport her and her husband, Leonor smiled when his gloved hand was offered to her. He helped her onto the horse with her legs hanging over the left side since she was wearing a thick dress.

"Hide your face so you don’t get wind burnt," Desmond instructed. "The mountains are far windier than you could ever imagine."

The duke nodded to one of his men.

"We’re off!" the officer announced and the entire party of officers, maids, and ducal couple were on their way up the side of the mountain.

It was just as windy and steep as Desmond warned.