My Disfigured Duke Husband Helps Me Plot My Revenge
Chapter 82: Her First Excursion

Chapter 82: Her First Excursion

It felt wrong for her to consider that summer as one of the best of her life.

Each day was a dream where she no longer had to look over her shoulder. She didn’t doubt people’s intentions. The servants around her were kind to her because the duke paid them well. She didn’t need to do anything except return their kindness.

Somehow she felt comfort in that. After enduring years of maids who reported everything back to her father and only Francia loyal to her, it was nice to live in the house of someone who didn’t doubt her intentions. She never once believed it was the maid’s word against hers, but her word over theirs.

Leonor and Desmond had an understanding. She felt that the duke saw her for her and didn’t mind who she was. It caused the workers to have the wrong assumption that she was very precious to him, but she didn’t bother correcting that narrative. It made her feel even more comfortable.

However, the ease of her life was making her feel lazy.

She felt bad enjoying herself despite Valerio not being by her side.

Valerio wasn’t beside her showering her with affection and she still missed him dearly, but Leonor found something to be happy about each day.

Desmond didn’t avoid dinner with her after the evening they shared. He was still willing to walk with her in the gardens afterwards where she would talk and he would listen. He still answered everything she asked.

Since she confessed to Desmond that she wanted to be a more worthy lady of the house, he was quick to act and give her what she desired.

Gideon appeared in the library in front of Leonor a few days later. He directed her to books that would be valuable in her pursuit of knowledge about Montclair.

In his opinion, the best way she could take over as the lady of the house was to learn about Montclair first. After all, she was a representative of the duke and, if they were in a regular duke and duchess situation, they would be in charge of greeting and likely housing important guests. She would have to be able to be knowledgeable in and answer any questions.

It would further solidify Desmond’s opinion to pick her as a wife in the first place.

Leonor studied Montclair’s history until Gideon finally arranged for her to go to the walled township at the bottom of the hill called Piedmont. It was time to get a firsthand account of Montclarian life up close.

Since Leonor was without friends, she brought a maid and Gideon with her.

Desmond insisted the township was safe enough for her, but she didn’t know it was because he planned to ride a horse into the town that day to follow them around.

The duke set out with a dark cloak on that didn’t seem all that expensive. His face and noticeable scars were hidden, and he stuck to the shadows while his wife and butler walked around the most populated part of town.

He told Gideon to buy whatever Leonor wanted, though he doubted she would voice her wants in the first place. That was why he decided to follow them at all.

At the town square, the duchess, butler, and maid were dropped off in front of the massive fountain that took up much of the center. The carriage would wait for them in case they needed to escape quickly.

They didn’t see the duke tie up his horse in a back alley so he could resume his following on foot.

Before Leonor had left, he warned her not to draw attention to herself.

With her well-built but plain dress and leather boots on her feet, she looked like many of the other working-class people in the area. Despite her beauty, nothing else would draw people to her - at least Desmond hoped.

Leonor’s eyes went to the large fountain and she was immediately impressed by the pale brown stone that made up the large decoration. It went up to the front steps of a government building with tall pillars. It was where the town meetings with the reeve took place to present the duke with the needs of the township.

Each town within the duchy did much of the same thing. However, being closest to the duke had its perks. They could get their messages to him first and their needs met almost immediately.

The trio started to walk down a main street lined with dress shops, patisseries, and tea shops. Those were the ultimate fashionable places for young men and ladies to hang around. You could learn a lot at these sorts of places about the general feeling of people in the area - particularly the nobles or those who were trying hard to fit into that category.

However, Leonor didn’t think it would be suitable for her to hang around a place like that unless she was trying to be the duchess. Perhaps during a future visit, she could venture in and see what it was like to get royal treatment.

If she wanted to get a true feel for the people, she wouldn’t go where only the upper classes could spend time.

They bypassed the expensive shops, and Leonor found them engulfed in a completely average but exciting world. Only a couple of blocks from the town square was a smaller square on its own. While it wasn’t as fancy or decorated as the town square in front of the government house, it was bustling with people all the same.

However, it was a different sort of people than the ones wearing the latest fashions with the most expensive types of material. Most of the colors were limited to browns and materials of more natural makeup.

However, the people didn’t seem tired or overworked, they seemed determined and happy.

Leonor’s eyes were full of wonder as she looked around at all the shops.

The items displayed at the front of them weren’t extravagant but people’s everyday needs. Despite being mostly average, everything was all in abundance - a sure sign of how well taken care of the people in Piedmont were.

Gideon, Leonor, and the maid were forced to walk nearly shoulder to shoulder because of the amount of people walking along in the streets.

As they walked towards the circular pathway towards the center of all the shops, Leonor tripped over something and was horrified when she heard a child’s cry from where she had just stepped.

Gideon tried to back her away from the situation, but Leonor immediately crouched next to the person she had just tripped over. She tucked her thick hair behind her ears and met the child’s eyes.

"Are you okay!?" she exclaimed. "I apologize for tripping over you. What’s the matter?"