The Duke's Masked Wife

395 Loveless marriage (2)

Edmund moved swiftly to grab his mother before she could reach Priscilla. The servants were passing in and out of the dining room witnessing their family fall apart so they need not act a fool by putting on a show for outsiders to enjoy. “You cannot hit her mother,” he attempted to reason with Rose.

“It would not be the first time she hit me. She slapped me once before when she didn’t like how I was raising my son. Stopping her now isn’t going to make me love you and change my mind about our divorce. Let her come to me. She is owed a few strikes for the shit she put me through over the years like dealing with you wasn’t enough!” Priscilla shouted, contemplating tossing her empty wine glass.

“You weren’t a good mother to Edgar and now look at the state of you from this drinking habit you picked up,” Rose glared angrily at Priscilla while pointing her finger.

“Anyone who spends days in a dungeon and has to deal with their pathetic husband refusing to leave would turn to drinking. I don’t like either of you and you do not like me so why are you two prolonging this?” Priscilla asked, irritated by the mother and son dragging this out. “You like to talk about how I think about my reputation but your family is no different. I warned Edgar about you. Of how you’ll try to change his wife. I wonder if you started already. You did.”

Rose scowled as Priscilla grinned.

“One day Alessandra will look back and think she should have listened to me and left your family. It’s overbearing how you want people who follow your words and how you try to raise our children to your liking. I don’t see what Edgar liked about you when he was growing up. It is a mystery I will never solve. I hope Edgar and his wife will want nothing to do with you. I want you to see what it is like to receive his anger,” said Priscilla.

“That is enough,” Edmund said as they were in no position to criticize his mother when she had looked after Edgar when they were busy.

Priscilla’s smile widened as she fixed her dress and walked by where Edmund was holding his mother. “No, this is the beginning of me not biting my tongue. You can release her. A good slap will help her know her place.”

“You’ll be ruined when you divorce my son,” said Rose.

.....

Priscilla didn’t respond to Rose. They kept repeating how ruined she would be like she didn’t think through how she would save herself. Divorce was frowned upon which was why most people in their circle or those who cared about what others would say remained in their loveless marriages.

Rose discredited how much influence Priscilla had on the young women and even her peers. Priscilla would be the one to make divorce become the sweetest thing anyone could do. In the midst of their separation, she would not look weak like she could not live on without Edmund. Besides, if all else fails she would just remarry someone who could make her life easier. All she needed was to be the only woman in their life.

Rose felt like it was a slap in the face to see Priscilla be so nonchalant like she had everything figured out. She couldn’t help but think there was more to what Priscilla discussed with Edgar and he would be on her side to help her come out of this marriage untouched while fingers would be pointed at Edmund. It wasn’t every day a wife of a Collins man wanted a divorce.

“Oh, by the way, I already sent in a letter to the court informing them of my need to get a divorce. All Edmund needs to do is help the process move faster. If news spreads before the marriage is officially over, try not to lie,” Priscilla said, looking directly at Rose as she was the main one to twist the story to save her family name. “I am not in the mood to keep up with your lies so I will expose them. I hope we never see each other again, Rose.”

Edmund loosened his hold on his mother when Priscilla walked out of the dining room. “Mother-”

His words were silenced by a slap.

Rose needed someone to take her anger out and since Priscilla was not present Edmund was her only choice. “Have you seen that woman again?” She asked, referring to his old lover.

“I have not. I have not seen her in years since I ended our relationship. Priscilla knows that she is still alive,” Edmund revealed. To save their marriage years ago after he had ended his secret love. Still, his lover kept showing up so Rose said she would take care of it but Edmund asked her not to. In the end, he told Priscilla that she was dead and since then his affair was over.

To Edmund, it wasn’t much of an affair in his eyes. He had always loved one woman even when he knew she would never be accepted into his family. He married Priscilla at a young age and back then, he could not let go of the woman he loved so he kept her around during the early years of his marriage. It was always Cassidy that he wanted, not Priscilla. He longed to get out of his arranged marriage and now the chance was here.

Once Cassidy was no longer by his side, he did start to feel something for Priscilla but those feelings never matched what he felt for Cassidy.

He covered up the things Priscilla did like what happened with Jennifer to not only save their reputations but he felt like he owed her for what she put up with. Laying with a man she did not care for and bearing his child whilst knowing there was another woman he cared for.

“I am going to do as she wants, mother. This marriage was never something either of us wanted and I wasn’t a good husband. Whether it be Cassidy or putting my work before my family, I messed up in many ways and she doesn’t deserve your anger. I turned a young woman excited for what the future would bring into a scorned woman. Priscilla’s anger stems mostly from me,” Edmund admitted.

“You will be the first couple in our family to separate in years. As long as you are not seeing that woman there is no reason for her to be upset with you-”

“I didn’t try to reason with Edgar to release his mother. Honestly, I felt better when she wasn’t around. With all of the wealth that I have, I can never repay Priscilla for how angry, sad, or hurt I have made her feel over the years. Even when it comes to you speaking to her. You are too controlling mother and if you were not, I wouldn’t have married Priscilla in the first place,” Edmund stated, leaving his mother’s side to finish packing his belongings.

“Once I am finished with my matters in the court, I am returning to White town. It is more peaceful there and I have my garden I must tend to once the snow is gone. Do not speak ill of Priscilla. She is still the mother of my child and there is some respect she should be given. Speak ill of me for having another woman and not being a good husband or father. I must ask that you leave now. My marriage is my business,” Edmund said, wanting her gone so he and Priscilla could talk in a civil manner.

Rose found now to be the time for Edmund to have her by his side but there was nothing more she could do. While she would bear the talk of their divorce she would at least celebrate getting Priscilla out of their lives. “I will not stay where I am clearly not wanted,” she turned on her heels to leave the house she would never visit again.