The Duke's Masked Wife

"Don't bother trying to beg me not to say anything to others, Baroness. I have kept quiet about your secret from the moment I found out as I am not one to care about those who work in the red light district. We must all make a living somehow. However, you should tread lightly when it comes to Alessandra in the future. Understood?"

"Yes," Katrina quickly replied.

She was certain she cleaned up all loose ends connecting her to once working in the red light district. It wasn't like she actually slept with men for money. She only worked there as a maid and ran away before she could be given customers. It was unfortunate no one would believe she did not have customers.

"You and I will be best friends when it comes to keeping Kate away from my wife. Won't we? Now that we have an understanding, I will go to Alessandra's room to collect the things she left here. When I leave, you will properly inform your daughter to stay away from us. Had I known this was all it took to make you quiet, I would have mentioned your past sooner," Edgar stood up, dusting off tiny objects that stuck to his clothes from the chair he sat in. "Filthy. Alfred would pass out," he muttered.

"I can lead the way to Alessandra's room," Katrina stood up from her seat. She was concerned Edgar would not honor his words and tell the entire town of her past. Unfortunately, he was not a simple person she could get rid of. She would need to team up with someone who also wanted Edgar gone. "Care for a drink, Duke?"

"So you can poison me?" Edgar bluntly replied. "Save it for someone else."

"I would be foolish to try poisoning you," Katrina frowned as Edgar walked ahead of her. There was still the bottle of poison she gave to James and if there were to use the entire bottle now, Edgar might drop dead by the end of the night. If only the man wasn't so suspicious of others.

"Hmm. I'd say the shoe fits," Edgar replied. He would have to join the foolish club to accept any sort of drink or food after he had just revealed one of her secrets. "I remember the way to Alessandra's room. Do you know a young girl by the name of Sally? Alessandra is requesting her presence."

"Sally? She is the personal maid Desmond recently gave to Alessandra. She is quite new to this kind of work so it would be better if you let her stay with us and hire someone else to serve Alessandra," said Katrina.

"Baroness, when you tell me not to do something it makes me want to do it even more. Tell the girl to pack her things. I will judge if she is good enough to serve my wife and if she is not, I will send her back to you. Please hurry Baroness, my body is starting to itch," said Edgar. He was starting to believe he was allergic to the house.

"Excuse me for a moment," Katrina replied, turning around to tell James to bring Sally but first, she needed to have a chat with the young girl.

"Finally, it feels like I have gotten rid of a tick. What a boring house," Edgar commented as he looked around while he walked to Alessandra's old room.

The house had a lot of brown objects and no sort of color to make the house come alive.

"If they sell this they could pay off their debts. Why hold unto an expensive vase while you are drowning?" Edgar shook his head. He would never understand why everyone cared to make their houses look expensive when they were so close to only having bread and water for dinner.

When would the town learn to stop living above their means? People like the Barrett's loved to impress those richer than them like Edgar but Edgar was never one to care. He was more intrigued by how soon they would be living on the streets.

"Someone tried breaking her door," Edgar ran his finger down a crack in the middle of Alessandra's door. It had not been there the last time he paid a visit. "Smart girl," he complimented Alessandra as it meant she knew something was up and locked her door.

He liked how Alessandra was a quick thinker. From asking him to join a marriage contract to knowing she had to lock herself inside. She tried to be one step ahead to avoid trouble in the future. If not for the marriage contract that night, she would have been sent to William. Had there not been a carriage waiting by the gates, she would have run away last night.

Contrary to what anyone else thought, Alessandra was a fighter in Edgar's eyes. There were many others who sat around waiting to be rescued. Alessandra was her own hero.

Edgar pushed open the door to be greeted by the sight of a room with an entirely different vibe from the rest of the house. There was color throwout the room thanks to paintings hung up on the wall but it was clear no money was recently spent on the upkeep of the room.

"How is she so calm after all of this?" Edgar wondered. If it was him in Alessandra's position, he would have barricaded all the doors and windows, then set the house on fire with his family in it.

Alessandra's family placed her in a room which resembled one the servants used. Why wasn't she seeking out revenge on Kate and Katrina? How was this kind of life easy to let go and move on from?

"My wife and I are polar opposites," Edgar said as he was not the forgiving kind when it came to this type of situation.

Noticing a desk by the window with some sort of cloth dangling out the window, Edgar went to inspect it. He picked up the cloth and pulled it back inside. "Did she climb out the window with this flimsy-looking thing?" Edgar asked in disbelief. The material of the cloth looked like it could snap if too much weight was placed on it.

Edgar once again started to regret giving Desmond such a quick death. He should have inflicted the same fear and panic Alessandra felt when she had no choice but to escape out the window.

"Duke Collins, the Baroness sent me to help take out Alessandra's things."

"Only one person? I will help you," Edgar began to roll up his sleeves to help. Turning around, he found a tall buff man with red hair. This person could easily be a guard. "What is your role here?"

"I am the cook but as you can see, the Baroness has added more jobs," Mario replied, picking up two bags belonging to Alessandra while Edgar fixed his shirt. He heard about Alessandra jumping out her window last night and wanted to know if she was alright. "Duke Collins, can I ask a question?"

"You just did. Next time ask for two questions."

"How is Alessandra? Is she alright after what happened last night?" Inquired Mario. As much as he was happy with Alessandra no longer living here, he once again changed his mind about her being with the Duke.

The very man standing before him killed two men in one night. Mario was one of the servants tasked to clean up the blood and remove the two bodies. Mario was concerned Edgar might one day make Alessandra disappear.

"Who are you to my wife?" Edgar questioned, giving the man another glance over now that he mentioned Alessandra. Alessandra had not mentioned anyone besides the young woman named Sally.

Though the window was wide open and a breeze was coming into the room a moment ago, it suddenly felt as though the wind became still.

"Relax, Duke. I am only a friend of Alessandra and as her friend, it is my place to say if anything happens to her while she is in your home, I shall do everything I can to see you take your last breath. Do not hurt her," Mario gave a warning.

Edgar tried to take the man's words seriously but in the end, he started to laugh. He couldn't help it when the threat sounded so childish.

"It is not a joke," Mario dropped the bags, tempted to punch Edgar. He regretted not finding another way for Alessandra to leave her family.

"I'm sorry but your threat is like someone going to the devil and pointing their little kitchen knife at him. I am happy to hear Alessandra has someone willing to kill for her though you seem quite useless as you stood by while she fought on her own-"

"I am only the cook! What more could I have done?" Mario didn't like being judged by the Duke as he had no idea how he tried to help Alessandra.

"Nothing, absolutely nothing. I, on the other hand, am capable of protecting her. The threat was cute but don't try to meddle in our new relationship. I have no time for overprotective friends who will question the slightest thing I do," said Edgar.

"I am looking out for her," Mario replied.

"That is true but you also do not like the girl you started to have feelings for being with someone else. Let those feelings go because I won't be letting her go."