Her Guilt

The Duke and Duchess de Montclair were on the floor as they embraced one another. Desmond crouched with Leonor falling into him, but soon he lifted her bridal style against his chest so she wouldn't have to use any energy to stay standing up.

"I heard them saying my father woke up" was the first thing out of Leonor's lips the moment she was in her husband's arms. 

The Duchess felt like they hadn't even scratched the surface of how much she had missed him in the weeks they were apart. To make up for it, she slid her arms around his shoulders and tucked her face against his neck. She breathed him in for a while. 

He really was there.

Since she had felt faint the first few times she was awake, it still didn't feel real.

"They didn't think I was awake," she continued, uttering her words into his neck and trusting him with herself entirely, "but I was."