The Duke's Masked Wife

"Why is it that every time I invite you to the palace you take it upon yourself to lay on my couch and go to sleep? Edgar!" Tobias exclaimed.

Edgar continued to rest, secretly wishing there was silence but after years of dealing with Tobias he had learned to tune the man out.

"Why do we like him, Rafael?" Tobias asked, sitting back down in his chair.

"I find him to be cool," Rafael replied.

When he was much younger in the school his mother placed him in, there were all sorts of young boys there but none of them had been more fun to be around than Edgar Collins. Edgar had always been the one to come up with a troublesome plan and Rafael being the quiet one, would silently follow behind what Edgar was doing.

Edgar would put together some crazy adventure plan to get out of school while Rafael enjoyed the crazy things he got to do. Like searching the bushes for a snake to put in the seat of a teacher who was always nasty to fighting against boys jealous of their parent's status. Edgar helped to bring out a new side of him that spoke more and got into trouble. Many called him Edgar's puppet but for the two of them, it was like a little brother following his big brother.

"Someone gets it," Edgar said in response to Rafael's words. "If you are upset with me using your precious couch, I shall buy one and send it to the palace. This one seems to be of low quality."

"You are the only person bold enough to enter the palace and insult the fucking furniture. You had this wonderful glow to you so I thought it was a sign you would be nice today but it must be something else. Tell me," Tobias smiled as he had an answer for Edgar's sudden glow. "Did the Duchess reward you last night for sticking up to William?"

Rafael cringed at the sight of  Tobias wiggling his brows. "Is there nothing else for the king to do other than gossip?"

"Not at the moment and why can't I gossip? I am starting to see why women enjoy it so much. Do not act like you do not enjoy the letters I send you giving updates about all our lives. I have to do it since you live so far away. Any thoughts on moving to Lockwood?" Tobias asked.

"To be near a pain in the ass? No," Rafael replied, earning a snicker from Edgar.

"I hate both of you. You are like the white version of Edgar. The good side of him, I mean but you can still be cruel at times-"

The door of Tobias's study opened, interrupting the conversation as Dominic walked in. "Good. You are all here," he closed the door.

Edgar sat up, confused as to why Dominic was in town. "Why are you in Lockwood?" He asked.

"Because of you," Dominic pointed at Edgar. "I told you now that you are married my mother would be on my ass. Everywhere I turn there is some young lady at my door. I am finally moving into my new estate so I thought I'd stop in Lockwood for a few days. I will strangle the person who tells my mother where I am. Get up, Edgar. Stop hogging up the chair."

Edgar sat up to give Dominic some room as he pitied the poor soul. With the ongoing competition between the Carsons and Collins, it was no surprise Dominic's mother now wanted him to be married to be on par with Edgar. 'Not like that will ever happen,' he thought.

"At this big age, you are still running from your mother?" Tobias chuckled.

The other three men in the room looked at Tobias.

"Let's move on," Tobias said, clearing his throat. "We were just talking about the Duchess giving Edgar the time of his life. Doesn't he look different today?"

"Oh, I am not entering this conversation. My brother has a permanent reminder of why no one should talk about Edgar's wife. Poor thing can't smile anymore or he gets questioned about his missing tooth. I almost pity him. Almost but I have been enjoying the silence. You need to watch out, Edgar. Daniel is furious and looking to get back at you. Someone might show up trying to kill you," said Dominic.

"Let them come," Edgar replied, not afraid of Daniel sending someone to harm him. He would get rid of that person and send someone capable of doing the job to get rid of Daniel. "You should talk some sense into him if you wish to continue having a younger brother."

"My days without him around were honestly better. I suppose to be a good person I should have a talk with him. What's going on with you, Rafael? Any trouble lately?" Dominic asked, pretending to be unaware of the woman trouble Rafael was having. Rafael should blame the little birdie named Tobias. Why anyone would tell Tobias their business was beyond him.

Rafael glared at Tobias knowing where this conversation was heading.

"Hey! Edgar told me about it," Tobias said, shifting the blame to Edgar.

"I did," Edgar admitted to it.

"We're losing another good fellow to love. Whatever happened to none of us will get married? I didn't believe Tobias would keep his word since the king needs a queen but Edgar and Rafael? Come on," said Dominic, disappointed by the two. "I'm still trying to wrap my head around how Edgar married Desmond's daughter when you hated the very existence of the man. How did you even meet again?"

"That's easy. I sent him-wait," Tobias sat up, realizing he was meant to bring up to Edgar. "Where are my gifts or thanks for sending you to the Baron's home? Isn't that where this whole love story started?"

Edgar sighed. He had been hoping Tobias would never bring up that it was thanks to him, he had met and fallen for Alessandra. "We are here to talk about the border and William-"

"Ha!" Tobias cut off Edgar. "Look at how he is deflecting! I am the one who set him up with his wife. I successfully meddled in his love life."

Rafael scooted down to another chair to get out of Edgar's way in case he wanted to throw something at Tobias to shut him up.

"So really, I should be blaming you," Dominic realized. "Thanks to you, I am stuck with my mother forcing me to have a wife."

"Listen, the solution to your troubles is obvious. Find a girl you can pretend like you are courting and thinking of marrying so your mother will back off. Keep dragging it out saying this girl wants to take things slow. Boom," Tobias smacked his hand on the table because of the brilliant idea.

"Not bad," Dominic shook his head. "You're not as foolish as you look."

"Thank-Hey!" Tobias exclaimed. "I am the smartest out of the four of us. Rafael is the best at fighting, Edgar is the most wealthy, and Dominic is just Dominic."

"What the fuck kind of list is this?" Dominic cursed.

"I don't mind it," Rafael muttered.

Tobias had another bright idea so he suggested, "Why don't we have a little test?"