The Duke's Masked Wife

Alessandra rushed down the steps, somehow managing not to step on her dress. She went to the back of the cart where the guard stood and tiptoed to get a good look inside. Truth enough Alfred laid unconscious, covered in blankets and snow that fell as the cart brought him here.

"Get him inside quickly. He needs to be near a fire. Help!" Alessandra yelled as loud as she could for other guards to aid her. Luckily, men from the gates were already on their way to help. Only one of them could stand on the back of the small cart.

Alessandra stepped back to give space for Alfred to be taken out of the cart and placed before a fire on a warm bed. "One of you needs to send for the best doctor in town and bring him here no matter what. Edgar must also be informed that Alfred is here. Go the two of you," she ordered two men who were standing back waiting to help.

"Yes Duchess," they replied.

Alessandra nervously played with her fingers because of how pale Alfred appeared and he was not awake. Even with the men moving him he was still unconscious.

Alfred was safely taken out of the cart after two men carefully lifted him out and began to take him inside. Alessandra proceeded to follow him but stopped as she remembered the man with the cart.

"Thank you for bringing him back to us. Do you mind returning early tomorrow to tell us how you came to our gates with him at the back of your cart? My husband will reward you for bringing him to us and any information you have," said Alessandra.

The man, who was a small farmer, was delighted. He was promised a reward by the injured man but now he would receive one from the Duke. At first, he thought to leave the injured man alone because whoever was chasing him would surely end up at his door and he had no idea if the stranger was the bad person. He was not someone who could defend himself. He only knew how to chase away the birds from his crops. Once he heard the Duke's name mentioned, he decided to bring the stranger home.

"I can be here early in the morning, Duchess. Thank you for the reward. I must go now. I must get back to my family," he said.

Alessandra didn't keep him any longer and went back inside while other men escorted him out. Before she stepped foot into the door, the sound of something dropping was heard. She walked into Sally standing with a stunned expression and a cracked plate with food spilled on the floor.

"Alfred has come but he is not looking good at the moment. The guards have taken him to be placed before a fire to warm up. We need to clean this up quickly before someone is rushing and steps on it," Alessandra said, bending down to pick up the broken pieces of the plate. "I've sent for the doctor and for Edgar to return home. He is home so now we can stop worrying about his whereabouts now."

"Someone just spoke of his arm being injured before you came in. I didn't think," Sally trailed off.

"You were hoping he would return to us fine. Unfortunately, things do not go our way all the time. We can only be by his side and nurse him back to health. Alfred is a strong man and he gets through this."

"Let me take care of this, Duchess. You should be with Alfred to see how he is doing," Sally said, stooping down to hold Alessandra's hand before she could be cut by the broken pieces. "They went into the guest room on this floor."

"I am a bit scared of what more I will see when I go into that room," Alessandra confessed. She was delighted to have Alfred home but from what she saw when she looked into the cart, he was not doing well at the moment and she didn't know if she could keep herself together if more injuries were revealed. "So much for taking charge in Edgar's absence."

Sally touched Alessandra's shoulder to comfort her. "It is normal to react this way when it is someone you care about. You should take a moment to yourself before going to see him. I will alert the maids to be at hand in case any of them will be needed."

"Thank you," Alessandra replied. She stood up, pulling herself together as this was not the time for her to let her emotions get the best of her when Alfred needed to be cared for. She clasped her hands to stop them from shaking and left the front door to search for the room Alfred was taken to.

She followed the voices and the footsteps of the two men who had taken Alfred inside a room she only visited once.

"We need warm water to start cleaning him up."

Alessandra entered the room, finding they had managed to pull the bed closer to the fireplace and Alfred was laying with his eyes still closed. "What can I help with?" She asked.

The two men stood upright in her presence. They looked at each other both wondering if they should let a lady see the state of the former butler.

"It is alright Duchess. We will take care of him," one said.

"Alright. Then I will sit by his side while you clean him up and wait for the doctor. How bad is his condition?" Alessandra asked.

"There is a lot of damage to his right arm. There is a wound there which came from a knife or sword. There are a few cuts and scratches on him but his arm seems to be the biggest concern. I think he will be alright. He just seems to be unconscious from exhaustion and then he traveled in the cold at the back of that cart. He will be alright. I've seen many men recover from wounds worse than this on a battlefield."

Alessandra felt relieved to hear this. "That is good," she said, walking up to the bed. "What are your names? We'll be in for a while so it is best I know your names."

"I am Andre and he is Clyde, Duchess. We have followed the Duke since his last time out at war," said Clyde. Many of Edgar's followers came from when he joined in defending the kingdom.

"It is nice to meet you, Andre and Clyde. You can continue with what you were doing. Do not mind me. I will deal with Edgar if he is upset that I am present," Alessandra added after their worried expression had not changed. Quite frankly, she knew that Edgar would be glad that she was here in his absence but she understood why everyone else was on edge.

Alessandra sat down on the bed to the left side of Alfred and held his left hand.