The Duke's Masked Wife



"Mother, did you have a good talk with Alfred?" Edmund asked as he entered the drawing room where his mother sat looking out at nothing. 

"No. He's come to have me apologise to Alessandra and be around your ex-wife. Were you aware that Alessandra now owns mines?" Rose asked as she was curious how many Alessandra owned and if anything of value was found in these mines. 

"That's news to me," Edmund replied. "How did she get her hands on some? A gift from my son?"

"Alfred said her mother's side of the family owns mines and they have been spoiling her. The foolish child does not want to tell the town about it. This can be useful," Rose said, beginning to plot how she would use this to clean Alessandra's image.

"Mother, if she doesn't want to tell the town, respect her wish and keep it to yourself. I need to talk to you about my birthday dinner.  I will be spending tomorrow night with my son and daughter-in-law-" 

"So they've accepted the invitation. Good. I need to spread the word that Edgar will be attending," Rose said getting to her feet as there was much to do now that Edgar would be here again.

"No, I will be going to their home to hopefully get inside without a weapon pointed at my head.  I see no other way to spend my birthday. Most of the relatives you invited, I am not close with. I must be where my son is. For once," Edmund added as Alfred's words weighed his mind. "Will you be joining me?"

"You are aware that woman would be there?" Rose asked, believing that Edmund had lost his mind. "I invited everyone here for you. Relatives have traveled far away from Lockwood for you. Do you have any idea the trouble I will go through to tell them that you are elsewhere? All the planning that I have done will go to waste." 

"Let's not play any games here mother.  You never plan any dinners or parties here in Lockwood.  This was never about celebrating my birthday. This was about you trying to make Alessandra feel excluded. I am choosing to spend it how I want. Think of all the family being here tomorrow night as a nice reunion. Send them my wishes," said Edmund.

"You ungrateful bastard! I was even going to let you bring that despicable woman here!" Rose yelled, wishing she could walk over to Edmund and smack some common sense into him. She was willing to face questions for having Cassidy around and yet, Edmund was repaying her by not showing up to the party. He had lost his mind.

"It is interesting mother. You could put all your anger aside to accept Cassidy attending the dinner, but you can't bring yourself to get over what happened with Alessandra. It is not like she disrespected you. I've sat back for years, being quiet and letting you mess with Priscilla. I won't allow you to do the same with Alessandra. If you want to join me tomorrow night, be ready by five so we won't be standing outside their gates in the dark. I wish you well with dealing with our guests," Edmund said, making an attempt to kiss his mother's cheek, but feeling like he would slap, he walked away.

Rose thought that the men in her life were losing their minds. Driving her crazy with their actions these days. Now that Alessandra had the mines, there was more they needed to talk about. She could not let Edmund go there without her tomorrow night. She too would have to leave the dinner here to speak with Alessandra. 

Another day quickly fell on Lockwood and on the Collins estate, dinner was being set for the guests that were coming over. 

Alessandra stood at the doorway of the dining room, watching the servants set the table just as she had instructed. Though they had been planning this for a while, she could not believe that they were seriously holding a dinner on the same night as Edmund's birthday dinner. It screamed pettiness.

Alessandra jumped when someone suddenly touched her, but when their hands settled around her stomach, she knew that it was Edgar. "It is almost time for your mother to arrive, and Reed has asked to bring Eleanor. It's a shame no one else could join us. It was too late for Erin, Tobias and Hazel are being cautious with her moving around, and Linda is staying at the palace. You should have told Rafael to stay a little longer."

"The fewer people the better. I don't see why you always want to be surrounded by our friends. They have too many annoying moments. You should sit down and rest your feet until they arrive. Who is coming is not that important for you to be standing around for them," Edgar said.

Alessandra paid no attention to Edgar. She was standing there because there was a surprise for Edgar which she didn't want to miss. Priscilla informed her that she would be bringing a date. Someone she had recently met who had never been married and was everything she was looking for in a man. 

Alessandra wanted to ask if it was Mark, but then she wanted to be surprised. She asked Caleb and Alfred to hide any weapons from Edgar in case it would be Mark. She planned to stick close to Edgar since he shouldn't do something with his pregnant wife next to him. 

"Duchess, Duke Collins. There are guests making their way through the gates," said Gerald, the new butler. 

With Alfred no longer working as the butler and Edgar adamant that he would never be butler again, Alfred had found a new butler for them to help with the dinner. Alessandra had been laughing since Gerald was hired, as she would find Alfred looking around corners at how Gerald was doing his job. She wondered if Gerald knew that he was being stalked by Alfred. It wasn't like Alfred was able to run away before being spotted with his hurt knee. 

"Come with me, Edgar," Alessandra said, holding his hand as she walked to the front door. "We need to greet our guests. Who do you think is the first to arrive?"

"I don't care as long as they show up," Edgar replied.

"Would it kill you to be excited for once? For me? I like when the table is full of people. I had so many days wishing I could sit at a table full of love and full of people that I care about. You must not take it for granted. It is wonderful to see the seats filling up and maybe one day we will have to get a bigger table," said Alessandra.

"I intend for us to get a bigger table so we have more room at dinner," Edgar said, watching Alesandra smile, but little did she know, his reason for a bigger table wasn't the same as her own. "We shall have many children, so we will need to have a bigger table. I have in mind four or five."

Alessandra frowned, and instead of responding to Edgar, she walked ahead of him to see who was arriving.  Alessandra went to stand at the window beside the door to look at the carriages coming in. "Edgar, didn't you give the guards the list of who would be attending so they won't need to come to us for permission?" She asked.

"I did," Edgar answered.

"So why does it look like there is a carriage at the gates and a guard is coming to us?" Alessandra asked.