My Disfigured Duke Husband Helps Me Plot My Revenge
Chapter 85: When the Past and Present Collide

Chapter 85: When the Past and Present Collide

"I just need to sit for a moment," Leonor said with her hand on her forehead, trying to wave away the maid and Gideon. "I was feeling a bit hot."

After Armand caught Leonor, she claimed that she had been feeling faint and there was no more to glean from it than that. She knew her response was worrying but she didn’t want to be fretted for when it came to something she couldn’t possibly explain to the others.

Despite her efforts to wave it off as if it weren’t an issue, Gideon asked the maid to summon the carriage. With the protective duke in mind, he didn’t want Leonor to have to walk the few blocks it would take to get to the town square.

The duchess eventually relented, knowing she wouldn’t convince them otherwise.

While she waited, William brought her a wooden cup full of cold water and she drank it down gratefully.

More than anything else, she was embarrassed at how she responded.

After so many years of reeling herself in and trying to compartmentalize her emotions so they wouldn’t affect her so much, she nearly fainted at the mere mention of Valerio. It may not even be the Valerio she was thinking of, but based on what he said about sword instruction, she felt there was no one else it could be.

He explained to her before how much sleep he used to miss over sword practice. It was an aspect of being Eirenguardian that he didn’t want to lose. It was when he met her that he stopped his habit of late night sword practice and started visiting her.

She felt honored and miserable when Valerio confessed that to her. She didn’t have to sacrifice anything to talk to him late at night, but it seemed it was different for him at the time.

As it would happen, he would sacrifice so much more just because he wanted to be with her. It was something she had to come to terms with for such a long time. Making herself useful would never be enough to make up for the sacrifice of going to what was deemed the most dangerous war in Castille’s history. It was one of the only ones where they didn’t have a glaringly obvious win.

Soon enough, the carriage arrived and Leonor was extremely thankful for the hospitality that Armand extended to her despite such a surprise visit. He tried to assure her that it wasn’t a big deal and he hoped she would come back one day when she was feeling better.

Unfortunately, knowing that he was a step away from Valerio made her both terrified and more eager to be around him. Could he have the key to understanding where Valerio had gone? What if all he could tell her was that he was dead?

Both thoughts made her feel sick to her stomach.

Both thoughts had a dead end for Desmond who wouldn’t appreciate his wife stressing out over someone from her past so drastically. His kindness wasn’t lost on her, her only excuse was that she never felt closure. She never received the answers she waited years to find out.

When she was led to the carriage, she sat down heavily next to the maid and, as she stared out the window, she could feel Gideon occasionally staring at her.

She had a strange reaction to something in the streets. Perhaps he had misjudged her condition and should have prevented her from continuing on her excursion.

He was too far away when she was talking to Armand to hear what had been said. Otherwise, his response would have been much different.

"What would you like me to say to the duke, your grace?" he finally asked her.

However, Leonor couldn’t bring herself to drag her eyes away from the passing-by buildings that eventually turned into trees before they climbed the hill that led to the duke’s estate.

Normally Leonor’s tone was easygoing and she wasn’t all that resolute in her words. However, the two in the carriage were surprised to hear her use a somewhat stern tone for the first time.

"I would like to be the one to tell him what happened today," she said.

"Yes, your grace," Gideon responded, though it didn’t do much to keep him from occasionally casting a stressed out glance until they were safely through the Montclair’s gates and at the front entrance.

+

Desmond waited in the alleyway for the trio to return to the carriage but was surprised when he heard the maid retrieve the carriage first.

He pressed himself further into the alley but was close enough to catch enough of the conversation.

"Her grace has requested the carriage– feeling tired– up the hill."

Since he only had one horse to worry about, Desmond decided he would beat them back to the estate so Leonor wouldn’t see that he had followed them into town. Considering their relationship was only starting to feel more comfortable, he didn’t want to jeopardize it. She didn’t know who he truly was and would see him as obsessive rather than protective.

After taking his horse from the post he tied him to before, Desmond rushed through the town, going through back roads he was familiar with to avoid the crowds of people going through their usual day.

Once he made it to the estate, he had a servant put the horse away. He quickly went to his room where he could get into something less dark and more suitable for the weather. As always, he put his hood on and debated putting bandages on in case he joined Leonor for dinner.

As the duke remained in his study, the shadows grew long and he knew the sun was setting. He looked at the large clock ticking away on the far wall. His eyebrow lowered when he noticed the time.

He had since stopped working as he anticipated Leonor coming to retrieve him or Gideon coming to say Leonor had gone to dinner and was asking where he was.

His heart jolted when there was a quiet knock on his door and he got up from the leather cushioned chair at his oak desk.

"Yes?" he called, walking forward as he spoke.

Expecting to see Leonor, he was shocked when a young maid appeared before him and bowed.

"Her grace has slept through dinner," she said. "Would you like dinner sent to your study, your grace?"

"I’ll eat later," he said simply.

However, he escaped his office before the maid could say anything further.

She stared after him hopelessly. She wanted to tell him what had transpired while they were in the township that day, but she couldn’t go against the lady’s orders.

There were quite a few different theories about the duke and duchess’ relationship. Most thought that they hid their intimacy well based on the way Desmond spoke of Leonor. Others thought it was a cold marriage between friends - perhaps a political marriage where neither one of them would ever feel the warmth of love between each other.

The maid, unlike the others, was a bit more of a romanticist. After seeing Leonor collapse, she couldn’t help wondering if the duchess was pregnant.

Being early on in her career as a maid, she wasn’t sure who she should turn to with this theory. If she went to the head maid, it could be treated as her gossiping about her masters. She felt she should tell Gideon who was closest to the duke and duchess.

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