The Duke's Masked Wife

To Alessandra's surprise, her time in the palace ended on a positive note. When they joined the other young ladies again, there wasn't as much drama as in the start. There were still some insults said here and there, mocking someone's dress or their wealth, but it was not enough to ruin the moment. Several young women had come up to Alessandra to introduce themselves. Some were lovely and some reminded her of Kate but it was a good ending to the day.

Heather left the palace right before the gathering had officially ended so it was only Alessandra, Eleanor, and Hazel remaining from the little group they formed. Hazel walked with Alessandra and Eleanor to see them out. Partially to say goodbye but she wanted to be present to calm Edgar when he returned.

Emma, being one of the last girls to leave the palace, walked up to Alessandra and said, "Duchess, I know the Duke said he would pick you up but there is hardly any need for him to travel back. I can give you a ride."

"Thank you but I will wait for my husband. He is most likely on his way here and our home might be out of your way. It was nice seeing you today," Alessandra replied. She would be a fool to ignore what Edgar said and join Emma. The only person she trusted to protect her was Edgar and those around him like Caleb.

Emma pouted, disappointed by Alessandra turning her down once again but this wasn't the end. She would build a friendship with Alessandra one way or the other. "Okay. I hope to see you soon. Your Highness," Emma curtsied before Hazel then walked down the steps to her carriage.

"If she keeps pushing, she will quickly learn why not to try forcing Edgar to be friends with anyone," Hazel said as she was tired of what Emma was doing though it did not concern her.  You didn't have to be around Edgar long enough to know he would hate this.

"Edgar would be open to having a friendship with Oliver again but it is nothing anyone else can intervene or push to happen. I feel sorry for her because she thinks this will help her get closer to her future husband.  I hope she finds another way," Alessandra said.

It might be wrong to think this way but she hoped the marriage between Emma and Oliver would somehow be stopped. Emma might never find out about Oliver's affairs and go on to expect his love while she tries to make a family with him. Then Oliver would be sneaking around with the man Alessandra saw him with at the ball.

"Bryce," Alessandra accidentally said the name of the man Oliver was with at the ball.

Eleanor looked at Alessandra wondering if she was going to ask about her friend but nothing else was said. 'Seems like she is thinking deeply about something,' she thought.

"Why did my carriage have to arrive now?" Eleanor asked, sad she wouldn't be able to see the Duke lose his mind over the small bruise on Alessandra's head. She wanted to witness him marching into the cell Sophia was now calling home and punishing her. "It was nice meeting you, Alessandra. It has been a great pleasure spending time with you, your highness. My aunt will lose her mind if I do not return home shortly."

Eleanor's aunt had stepped in to shelter her because she greatly disliked the environment Eleanor was raised in and sought to make her a fine lady.

"Goodbye Eleanor," Alessandra waved goodbye.

"Everyone is on edge waiting for Edgar to return," said Hazel.

"On edge would not be the right word," Tobias said as he approached the two women. "More like scared of his reaction. We must all do our best to calm him down. Speak of the devil," Tobias sighed.

The trio watched as Edgar's carriage entered the gates and came to park right at the bottom of the steps after Eleanor's carriage moved.

Alessandra's palms started to sweat as she tried to remember how she planned to explain this to him. Sophia was already set to be punished so there was nothing Edgar needed to do. She was satisfied with Sophia's punishment and hoped Edgar would be too.

After everything Alessandra had experienced in her life, she never felt more nervous than now watching Edgar exit the carriage after Dominic and start to walk her way. Each step he took increased her nerves.

Dominic looked at the trio waiting for them at the top of the steps. Their expressions were a mixture of fear and nervousness. The fact Tobias looked afraid of something made him curious about what could have happened.

Edgar also picked up that something was wrong based on their expression. He ignored Hazel and Tobias for now, focusing on his wife. His eyes narrowed as he quickly noticed something that was not there when he left her. Edgar remained silent until he stood before Alessandra.

Tobias and Hazel held their breath without realizing it as they awaited his anger. Dominic stood beside the two, watching to see what he was missing. What did Edgar notice that he hadn't?

Edgar gently moved Alessandra's hair out of the way to get a good look at the bruise on her head. "What happened?" He asked in a calm tone. "Be quick with it," his voice came out harsher than he would have liked when speaking to Alessandra.

"I was hit with a stone," Alessandra replied. Not being honest would only fuel his rage.

"Oh snap," Dominic muttered as he realized the situation.

"By who?" Edgar asked, trying to be gentle with his tone. He did not want to direct his anger at Alessandra and scare her.

"Sophia West. Tobias has already imprisoned her and she will be punished by losing her hands. There is no need for you to-"

"Okay," Edgar replied, surprising the group.

"What?" Tobias exclaimed in a high-pitched voice that shocked him and Dominic. Why was Edgar's response 'okay'? What happened to Edgar who would search the castle for this woman and punish her himself? Who was the man standing before him?

Alessandra was just as confused as Tobias was with Edgar's reaction. She wanted him to let the matter go but now that he was, she didn't know how to process it. "Okay? That is your only response?" She asked.

"Is there something else you want me to say?"

"I," Alessandra paused as she did not know what she wanted him to say. She found herself wanting him to get angry and deal with who hurt her but at the same time, the matter was already dealt with. She felt conflicted. "I don't know."

Edgar held Alessandra's hand to lead her down the steps to their carriage. He did not offer any goodbyes to the others. He only smiled at Tobias before leaving with Alessandra.

"On second thought, I will spend the night here and visit your home in the morning," Dominic said to Edgar as he walked away. He did not want to be around Edgar at a time like this. "I would hate to be you, Tobias."

"Why? It went well," said Hazel. Edgar was learning to control his temper around his wife.

"Well?" Dominic replied, shaking his head. "Edgar is freaking pissed. He's scarier when he doesn't show how angry he is."

"Why the hell would you hate to be me? And why did he only smile at me?" Tobias asked. His heart rushed from not understanding Edgar's motives. It was true that when Edgar was pissed off, he would sometimes remain quiet as he plotted his attack.

"Because this is your palace. Wouldn't you be angry if you left your wife in his home and she got injured? This will all pass soon but I would hate to be you. Now, what room will I be sleeping in tonight, Tobias?" Dominic asked.