Acting Like a Man in Love

Duke Desmond pushed the table that sat in the center of the room closer to Leonor where she sat on her bed. 

"I have something to take care of," he said. "I will be back momentarily. A guard will remain by the door." 

"Thank you," she responded genuinely. 

She would have been fine to go to sleep without a last meal, but she was grateful that she didn't have to. Most of the time she had two meals a day while in school for the sake of ease. While she was in Burien, she had two meals a day simply because she didn't want to be around her father or sister more often than necessary. 

Leonor was left to herself and she looked around the modest room. It was nice for such a small village but it was still below someone of the duke's status. Normally noblemen demanded to stay with other nobles so they would have the convenience of servants waiting on them. 

It was another way he deviated from her father. 

That, and the care he kept giving her.