Duke Desmond sprang from his seat when Leonor excused herself, saying she was tired. He pulled out her chair for her and bid her goodnight.
He had only just poured another glass of wine so he decided to stay a while longer and discuss the upcoming days with a couple of his most trusted - Gideon being one of them.
Since he had only just moved permanently to Montclair, he was going to have his work cut out for him when he returned. It was an unexpected plan to leave for Burien for over a week so he could get married. Yet when he found that it was an option for him, he jumped at the opportunity.
However, now that Leonor was in his grasp, he found the situation so difficult to come to terms with. The desire to embrace her like before only grew each time he laid his eye on her. He would do anything to elicit more smiles from her yet it felt like an impossible endeavor considering the reality of his appearance.
