Just as the marchioness told Leonor, they were off to the town center where an apothecary boasted a large building in a pri location making it a great place for noble ladies to go to whenever they needed sothing to do.
There were already a few ladies inside when Leonor and Letizia walked through the door. Being the highest woman in Oues, many acknowledged Letizia.
The marchioness took the opportunity to place a hand on the duchess’ arm.
"Duchess Leonor de montclair," Letizia announced. "Please welco her with open arms. They’re going to have a wonderful ti enhancing this beautiful head of hair."
Many were shocked which was quickly wiped away by politeness and quiet greetings so they wouldn’t seem overly eager to get to know the duchess. It could easily be seen as conniving or social climbing if they went out of their ways to make their presences known to her.
Leonor knew this quite well and she was grateful these noble ladies were well-trained enough to hold back.
It made it much easier to settle into one of the leather chairs and pretend to be relaxed even if she was anything but.
The thin man who reminded her so much of Louis from the tea shop in Piedmont ca forward with a jewelry box where she could place her earrings to the side so they wouldn’t get caught up in the washing and treatnt of her hair. They also placed a towel around her neck so her dress wouldn’t get touched by any of the wetness of what they would do.
Leonor was able to shut her eyes and lean back as conversations flowed around her. She wasn’t trying to eavesdrop but picked up a sentence every now and then. Luckily the man with his hands in her hair, Davide, occasionally graced her with questions about herself or if she was enjoying the treatnt.
She gave polite answers and had a small smile on her face so nothing further could be gleaned from her behavior or words.
When she was sat back up, the ladies were then invited to another room that was very warm. They would wait for their hair to dry while they enjoyed midday snacks and tea if they wanted.
It was there that Leonor was privy to a bit more conversation, learning family nas she recognized and many more that were more of a mystery to her.
The younger won looked up at her in admiration considering she herself was quite young despite the station she held. Leonor also took notice of the older won giving glances of approval to her behavior and manners.
She was a social chaleon who could blend in despite having no desire to be the center of attention. Although that might be difficult for so to believe considering the sister she had and the family she ca from.
One their hair was dried, the won were styled to their heart’s desire. Since Leonor’s dress had a high neckline and she wanted to show off the beautiful earrings that Desmond had given her so kindly, she opted to have her hair pinned back once more.
There was an intricate braid that went across the top half of her head and the maid who did it hid the end to make it look rather seamless and polished. As her natural waves dried, the lower half of her hair was left with bouncy, voluminous waves that Leonor didn’t find to be a bother for once. The treatnt her hair was given certainly made it shiny and slled like honey just as promised.
She put back on the ruby earrings.
"Your grace," one of the younger ladies walked closer to her, having just had her hair done as well. "Those rubies... I’ve never seen anything like them. They’re so clear and a beautiful shade."
"There’s nothing quite like the gemstones from Montville," Leonor admitted. "It’s quite a bit of travel but worth the end result. The town is so charming and tucked into the heart of the mountains. It’s really no wonder they have found such a fruitful mine."
Leonor wanted to gush further about how kind the family was and how the love story between Gerard and his wife broke her heart, but she held back her emotions. Thinking of the visit made her think of the conversation she and Desmond had and how her heart was only just settling.
Desmond’s love was enough to heal her wounds and make her know there was so much more than the preconceived notions of life.
They moved onto the next place where they were able to sit in the salon and share literature recomndations with one another.
In this sort of environnt, Leonor excelled. The won found her entertaining because she was well-educated and had a lot to say about topics that had nothing to do with her.
Each question was t with an insightful response and she would present her own questions that challenged even the best educated woman in the room.
She recalled her mother telling her that educated won were frowned upon at one point in history and she was extrely grateful to be in the newer generation who placed won’s education on just as high of a pedestal as n. That was why it was becoming an archaic belief that won couldn’t be heirs for n. Yet people like her father were the ones who were clearly disgusted by the change despite having no choice otherwise.
At tis like that, she often wondered how he was managing his estate and if he really expected Anna Maria to take over down the line despite having no knowledge of the county and all that went with it.
Salon was over and, rather than having the emotional relief of enlightened conversation, she felt a bit burdened being reminded of her father in such a way. While she was a duchess and far beyond anything her father could have ever given her, it was still a thorn in her side.
She spent much longer trying to be a countess than a duchess. That aspect of herself was hard to let go.
When they made it back to the Martin Estate, Letizia invited Leonor into a sitting room bordered with windows that showed off the beautiful, fertile lands of Oues.
"I had a wonderful afternoon," the marchioness said. "Did you, your grace? I believe the ladies enjoyed your conversation."
"I had a wonderful ti as well, my lady," Leonor responded politely, though it didn’t get much more under the surface than that.
As if Letizia could sense that Leonor was dwelling on sothing, she whispered sothing to a maid who soon appeared with a couple of bottles of wine.
"It’s nearly dinnerti and the n seem like they will stay out for a bit longer, would you like to partake?" the marchioness asked.
Against Leonor’s better judgnt, she responded enthusiastically to the offer of alcohol, deciding she wouldn’t go too far but a couple of drinks wouldn’t hurt.
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