My Disfigured Duke Husband Helps Me Plot My Revenge -
Chapter 92: The Surprises Continue
Chapter 92: The Surprises Continue
After eating a breakfast made up of everything Leonor loved, she felt so full she wanted to lay around for most of the day. Even when she was offered lunch, she said she wouldn’t be hungry and would have a snack while drinking tea sometime later.
She had been reading romance novels from the library and was eager to see what happened next. It was a guilty pleasure she picked up without romance in her life. She had just a taste of what a world with romance could be like but that was as far as it went. A made-up universe in a novel was good enough for her.
Finally emerging after an idyllic day of sitting on her balcony and reading, Gideon was the first to see her and told her tea was waiting for her in the garden.
It seemed just as usual until she stepped foot outside and saw someone else sitting in her usual tea spot.
A hooded figure was such a familiar sight to her. For some, it might seem ominous but the man with the hood was one of the dearest to her. He was her protector and a welcome sight to stave off the loneliness that existed when he wasn’t there.
Her heartbeat quickened and she blamed it on seeing him at an unusual time. There was no doubt he was there because of her birthday. She wondered if he had something else up his sleeve.
"Desmond," Leonor greeted him. "Normally I don’t see you so early."
Before she could reach the table, he had already stood up to pull out her chair. Once sitting down, she observed the spread.
Two cups of tea and a two-tiered porcelain cake stand with beautifully crafted snacks all over it. The bottom was miniature sandwiches while the top was desserts.
"I wanted to give you something," he admitted.
It was then that she saw a small box sitting on the table. She could tell right away that it was jewelry, but she was anxious to find out what kind.
"You already gave me something today," she said, referring to the pastries.
"I’m allowed to buy my wife multiple things for her birthday," he justified.
His gruff tone caused her to smile even though someone from the outside would think he was upset with her. It was simply his voice and he meant nothing by it.
"Show me," she relented. "After that, we can drink tea together."
He returned to the seat he originally sat in and picked up the small box.
Considering she never asked for anything herself and he wasn’t sure what her tastes were like, he thought he could get her something small and she wouldn’t think anything of it.
The black box was opened to reveal a red velvet case. When he took out the case and opened it for his wife, her eyes lit up and a small gasp escaped her lips.
Nestled against the cushion inside were two earrings in gold that matched her locket. The emerald stones were perfectly the same shade as her wedding ring. It was thoughtful considering the green was the color of Montclair’s house.
"You don’t ask for jewelry and always wear the same necklace," he said. "I figured if I ever wanted you to wear something it would have to match your necklace."
For months he had resisted asking her what was in the locket. He figured it had something to do with her mother, unaware of the impact the small amount of time they shared meant to her considering she never said anything about it.
At his explanation about why he chose those particular earrings, Leonor smiled. He was always thoughtful and practical.
"They’re so beautiful," she said. "You have very good taste. They will suit the dress I have on today very well."
Since she was only wearing small golden earrings that sat flat against her ears, she removed the old ones and carefully lifted the new ones.
After each earring was on her ear, she tucked her dark hair behind her ears and smiled at the duke who was silently observing her.
"Thank you, Desmond," she said. "Do they suit me?"
Seeing how beautiful she was made a bit of self-loathing well up that he momentarily couldn’t control. He wanted to tell her such a beautiful woman didn’t deserve someone as hopelessly ugly as he.
He managed not to let the words fall from his lips and dampen the afternoon of her birthday.
"They suit you," he assured her. "I’ve never seen anything that doesn’t suit you."
It was as good as him calling her beautiful. A grin spread across her face that lit up her eyes.
"I will cherish them."
They shared tea and treats and their conversation was light as usual. He assured her that he was getting closer to finding a mana partner for her and she told him she wasn’t in any rush while she tried to get used to being the duchess.
Eventually, he had to depart, but he said he would see her at dinner and she decided to return to her room and nap for a while. Normally she didn’t like to appear lazy by napping, but she took advantage of it for her birthday.
She told Beth to wake her up so she wouldn’t miss her own birthday dinner.
After a couple more hours of blissful napping, Leonor was woken up and put into a different dress. It was a golden color that she wasn’t sure she could pull off, but the cut of it was beautiful and flattered her a lot. It kept her modest and slim, while not revealing anything she didn’t want to.
It felt like a dress made specifically for her. Little did she know that it was.
When she finally could go to the dining hall and join Desmond for dinner, Leonor entered the room with a smile but disbelief took over her expression instead.
She gripped the doorframe and two people looked at her with concern.
Sitting in a blue dress next to Desmond was a face she hadn’t seen in a very long time.
"Francia!" Leonor cried and tears immediately sprung in her eyes.
She made it forward only a few more steps before the old maid met her in the middle and wrapped her arms around the girl she had loved like her own child for the entirety of her life.
Leonor couldn’t get herself together for a moment at the familiarity of Francia. Their embrace was like mother and daughter. She had missed Francia so miserably.
She didn’t know how he knew to get her, but she appreciated it nonetheless.
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