The Duke's Masked Wife

An hour later, Alessandra sat on the floor in the dining room waiting for dinner to start while she played with the kittens.

"I'm sorry I have not found better names for the both of you but since you like Edgar more than me,  I have a feeling you must enjoy the names he has given you. Why do you enjoy Edgar's company more when I'm the nice one who comes to play with you?" Alessandra asked.

The kittens were more interested in the feather Sally had given her to care about giving her attention. Out of all names Edgar had picked a blessing and a curse for their names and now it was stuck. Alessandra often heard the maids calling them these names and even Alfred.

"Why are you biting my dress?" Alessandra asked, pulling her dress away before it could be ruined. "You should be nice to Sally. She has been making and finding you many things to play with."

"They thanked me by trying to eat my hair. They've been waiting for me outside my door every morning to be fed or played with. At this point, I am their servant," said Sally. She sat on the floor watching Alessandra and the kittens.

"They do act as if they are the owners of this home. You were supposed to be visiting your parents today. Did you have fun?" Alessandra asked.

"No. The snow was falling too much for me to walk the road to find a carriage to take me there. I need to purchase a new coat to help me with the cold," said Sally. It was unfortunate she would have to dip into her savings.

"You can take one of my coats. There are far too many for me to notice that one is gone and you should ask Alfred to use one of the carriages here." Alessandra did not understand why Sally wouldn't take the coat she offered her before.

"I am only a servant," Sally replied as she couldn't just use things that belonged to the Collins family.

"You are my friend and personal maid so you are granted special privileges. You can take the carriage and coat tomorrow if you want. I won't be doing anything besides painting. I have pushed back from creating the paintings Edgar requested. I seek a peaceful day tomorrow so you can visit your parents," said Alessandra.

"Won't the Duke mind?" Sally asked, concerned for Edgar's reaction to his belongings being used by someone other than Alessandra. Edgar was nice in recent days but that didn't mean she was comfortable enough to do things without his permission. Edgar still scared the hell out of her.

"Planning to go somewhere tomorrow, Sally?" Alfred asked as he walked to where the young women sat. "I am visiting an old friend tomorrow and will be using one of the carriages. You can tag along. I can drop you off and pick you up."

Sally wasn't fond of traveling with Alfred all alone. He would out of nowhere lecture her about many things but it had been a while since she visited her parents so she could not turn down the offer. "Thank you," she replied.

"We will leave at noon tomorrow. Dinner is almost ready, Alessandra. You can wash your hands and get seated. I will send for Edgar to join you shortly," said Alfred.

"You must join us too, Alfred. A family should sit at the table together. Would you like to join us too, Sally?" Alessandra asked as the more the merrier.

She once thought of being able to sit at a table with her family and catch up on what happened during the day. This wasn't the family she imagined herself sitting at the table with but they were far better.

Sally tried her best not to get emotional over Alessandra inviting her to sit with her. Not many with her status were like this and Sally felt ashamed that when her family still had money she was not exactly kind to her servants. She kept a line between herself and the people serving her so when her world crumbled, she considered the way her employers treated her to be karma.

Even though she had grown close to Alessandra and the past should be long forgotten, Sally felt guilty for treating Alessandra like a ghost with the other maids in Baroness's home. She did not feel deserving of Alessandra's kindness or Edgar offering her land to build a home.

"Sally?" Alessandra waved her hand in front of Sally's face after no response. Sally seemed to be acting odd recently and everyone but her was finding out something about Sally. "Will you join us?"

"It is a wonderful invitation but I must decline. The other maids may dislike the favoritism and my relationship with them may change. I don't want it to," Sally replied.

It was hard at first to make friendships with other maids because they would find out she was once a lady and pick at her new position. She enjoyed her time with the women here and did not want jealousy to change it. She was already not agreeing with a certain maid who wanted to be the one taking care of Alessandra.

"I understand," Alessandra answered, not offended by Sally turning down the invitation. She did not want to make Sally's relationship with the maids become difficult. She was sure the maids could be just as brutal as the women in high society. "I am going to wash my hands. You can take these two with you, Sally."

Alessandra sat up from the floor handing Sally the feather to play with the kittens. She then headed to a bathroom near the dining room and by the time she returned, Edgar was seated at one end of the table with Alfred right beside him. They spoke of something happy since both men were smiling. It felt wrong to interrupt the moment but Alfred spotted her standing alone and told her to come to join them

Alessandra walked to the table, sitting in the chair to the right of Edgar instead of all the way at the end. She didn't want to sit far away from the two men.

Alfred noticed the way Alessandra was smiling from the moment she returned to the dining room and asked, "What is making you smile so much?"

"There is one less empty chair at the table. I have always wanted to get together with my family. Without the drama of course," Alessandra added as the times she sat with anyone other than Edgar it was not pleasant.

"If only there were little ones to fill the chairs. Hopefully, there will be good news soon," Alfred replied with a smile.

"Is there something you want to tell us, Alfred? Are you planning to have children at your age? Perhaps there is someone you have already knocked up?" Edgar asked, ignoring the obvious that Alfred was referring to him and Alessandra having children.