Almost Really Husband and Wife

Smiles came easier the more the young duchess drank. The dress she wore required heightened confidence. She felt less in her head if she sipped the wine a bit more quickly than normal. 

The grapes of the north were light and the wine was drier than what she was used to in the much more fertile southern county. 

However, she had enough experience to know when to push the dangerous drink away and focus on the delicious meal placed before her. She had never been drunk and had no desire.

The fish was cooked so nicely that each piece flaked away from the last rather than mushing if it was too saucy or badly cut. She had always known the chef to be skilled but her meals since arriving had been more simple than that. 

Whenever they got back into the short conversation between bites of food, it was starting to feel closer to their normal chemistry. 

Leonor spoke more and Desmond responded when directly asked a question.