The Duke's Masked Wife

"I swear if one more person visits us empty-handed and fills my ears with their memories of Desmond I will lose my mind," Katrina sighed as one more carriage left their property. "Only a few of them came with money and gifts to try and cheer me up. If only I could turn away the ones who come with nothing. Close the door, James."

Katrina's feet were sore from standing around conversing with visitors who came to give their condolences. Her mouth ached from having to put on a fake smile and her eyes had bags from the number of tears she forced out.

"This is only the beginning, Baroness. There will be a lot of people coming to act as if they cared about the Baron. Should I send for more comfortable shoes or perhaps, turn away anyone who comes and say you are mourning?" James gave two suggestions.

"At this point in time, I would only like something strong to drink. I am praying we somehow score big today with one of the visitors. Why did Desmond have to die all of a sudden before I could get everything under control? A week more would have been better for me," Katrina sighed.

The plan was to slowly poison Desmond but Edgar went ahead and ruined everything for her. Now, Katrina had to change her entire plans.

"At least everything here belongs to me and Kate now. I just have to get rid of all the money Desmond owed to others without tapping into my own."

This intrigued James. 'Her own money?' James wondered.

As far as James or anyone else knew, Katrina came to Desmond with no money or background. The Baroness had no businesses as she wanted to just be at home while Desmond worked and found ways to bring in money.

'The only way she could have money is if she hid it somewhere before seducing the Baron or she was secretly taking money from the Baron and hiding somewhere else. Both could be true,' James concluded.

They had all underestimated Katrina from the start. She had a plan from the moment she laid eyes on the Baron and now, it was paying off.

"Fetch me something to drink," Katrina ordered the butler. She took a seat in the dining room to plan her next move. "When we sell off some of Desmond's things, we'll be in a good financial position to pay off everything we owe."

Katrina's eyes looked around every nook and cranny of the dining room then a smile appeared on her lips. "A little poor girl was able to achieve all of this. If only I could show my past self what we would accomplish with patience. Baroness, Baroness, Baroness," Katrina repeated the words as they rolled smoothly off her tongue.

From a street beggar to living in the red light district, and now being a Baroness and the sole owner of the land Desmond once owned, Katrina considered this her biggest con yet.

"If only the other men were easier to fool than Desmond," she grinned, thinking of how much more she could have if she had found more men like Desmond in her youth. Men who were lonely, desperate, and in need of comfort from a woman.

If Kate would sit and listen to her mother, Katrina could make Kate become the next queen rather than Duchess.

Katrina's moment of feeling proud of herself was interrupted by a knock at the front door.

"James! There is someone else. Please get the door. Anyone? For heaven's sake," Katrina pushed her chair back creating a screeching noise as the chair slid against the floor. "First thing I'll do is hire an entirely new set of servants. Why is there no one to answer the door? Must you all embarrass me by making me answer the door?"

"Here we go," Katrina's eyes started to tear up as she had to once again act like a heartbroken widow. "Good morning," she greeted as she opened the door but the person at the door was the last person she wanted to see.

"Good morning Baroness," William Lancaster greeted Katrina. He stood outside with the fur of an animal draped over his shoulders.

Katrina found his attire to be odd as they were in the middle of summer when the sun was hotter than normal. Before waiting for her to welcome him in, William brushed past Katrina as if he owned the house.

"W-William, what are you doing here?" Katrina slowly closed the door as the shock settled in. She expected to see him at some point but not this soon.

"A long-time friend of mine has passed away or rather, he was brutally killed by someone I dislike. How could I not visit his family and give them some words of encouragement?"

"Thank you but we're not in the mood to have guests at this time. Please come again tomorrow," Katrina said.

"This is how he was living. My friend had a such poor taste," William ignored Katrina's words and looked around the home he had not visited in a long time. "Did you know when Desmond and I were younger, he was better than me in every single thing? I envied him but instead of sitting around doing nothing, I pushed myself to become better, and now look at me. Your husband had to come to me for money."

Katrina did not care about the backstory William had about him and Desmond. William being in her house meant trouble would soon follow. "Are you here to collect the money my late husband owed you?" She got straight to the point.

"Katrina," William dropped all formalities. "How could I walk into this house and ask you for money? No, I am clearing the money your husband owed me."

With anyone else, Katrina would have been grateful but it felt as if there was something new to be owed for William being this generous. There was a good reason why Desmond was so terrified of his old friend. Everything William did for you always came with a bad price.

"I said that and you choose not to offer me a drink for my kindness? After one of my loyal men was killed on your land? Do you have any idea what your husband cost me?"  William turned around to face Katrina. "I had been expecting some sort of letter from your family that night but I had to send out one of my own men to find out why Rowan was not returning to me with Alessandra."

"I apologize. My emotions were all over the place as my husband had been killed before my very eyes and I did not think to inform you about the loss of your servant."

"Women," William scoffed. "You can never do anything right. Not even in bed. I lost not only a good servant but I lost what I have been telling Desmond to bring me for months. Worst of all, I lost both of them to that brat, Edgar Collins. Do you have any idea how embarrassing that is for me!" His voice thundered through the house as he yelled.

James rushed to the front door due to the noise and so did a few servants. Kate was the last person to come out to see what was wrong.

Kate stared at the back of a man she had never seen before and then at her mother who looked uncomfortable. "Mother, who on earth is this, and what was that noise?" Kate asked.