The Duke's Masked Wife

"Married?" Heather frowned at the terrible news. She didn't know whether to be sad or delighted by the news.

On one hand, she could finally let go of all efforts to make her marry Edgar but on the other hand, it was heartbreaking to give up the man she had been desperately trying to get to notice her. Just as she thought, she wouldn't be the one to end up with Edgar.

"You must not have heard right. There is no way Edgar could have gotten married. He swore he wouldn't get married and you would think he'd invite his parents if he changed his mind. This has to be a lie," Priscilla looked to the messenger to claim it to be a lie. "I could have your head for bringing a lie to me."

She was tempted to have his head for ruining her day more than it was already ruined.

"It is true your son has gotten married. News of it has been placed in the papers and the entire town of Lockwood must have learned about it by now," the messenger regretted not grabbing a paper as proof for his words. He wouldn't have ridden so long without any food just to tell her a lie.

"Mrs. Collins?!" Heather abruptly stood up from her seat to aid Priscilla as the woman looked like she could pass out at any given moment. "Breath," she picked up the paper fan Priscilla had been using a moment ago and used it to help her cool down. "There has to be a reasonable explanation behind all of this."

"Reasonable explanation? What explanation could there be for my son suddenly getting married and not even telling his parents about it? He swore to my face he would never get married and dismissed all my efforts to prove why he needed a wife. Now, he's married?"

"Maybe he fell in love," Heather answered with the only other explanation. She didn't think anyone could blackmail Edgar into a marriage. His own mother tried and faulted each time. Edgar falling in love was the only thing she could think of for his sudden marriage. 'He must have found someone he didn't want to let go,' she thought.

"Preposterous," Priscilla disagreed with Heather. "I know my son well enough to know he did not fall in love. He indulges himself in only work and rarely socializes with others. When on earth would he have time to fall in love with someone? Who is the young woman he got married to?" She looked at the messenger with fear evident on her face.

Priscilla feared the kind of woman Edgar picked when she was not around. What if it were to be a woman with no background?

"I spoke with someone at the church and they said the young woman wore a mask covering half of her face. After listening to the conversation between the young couple and the priest-"

"Oh spit it out!" Priscilla yelled as the messenger was giving her irrelevant information when she only wanted to hear the name of her daughter-in-law. "What is her name?"

"Alessandra Barrett is his wife. She's the daughter of the Baron, Desmon Barrett. I should say late Baron as I am hearing rumors he was killed last night. I am certain of this yet."

"Alessandra Barrett? I have never heard of her," Heather tried to place a face to the name but no one came to mind. She had no clue what the Baron looked like either.

"Desmond Barrett," Priscilla repeated the name. "I've met his wife Katrina and their daughter Kate. I know he had an older daughter they say is…" her words became lost in the world as it dawned on her exactly who Edgar had married. "He married that cursed girl?!"

"Now I am certain this is all one big lie. Edgar would never-" Priscilla stopped herself because it was something Edgar would do to piss her off. "I am not going to allow my son to be a part of this union. Alessandra Barrett is not deserving of holding the Collins name."

"There is nothing to be done now that Edgar is married. He is stubborn and will not end his marriage because you want him to. We should just congratulate them. It is time we move on," said Heather.

Priscilla smacked the fan Heather was using out of her face. She wished Heather had more determination when it came to Edgar so they wouldn't be in this predicament now. "I can not control Edgar but I can certainly get rid of this Alessandra Barrett. I will make it so that she runs away. Do not give up, Heather. Your time has not passed."

Priscilla regained her composure as she was confident there was nothing for her to worry about. Alessandra would be gone as quickly as she came. Edgar didn't know what was best for himself when it came to finding a wife. He should be glad to have such a mother who knows what he needs.

"Get out of my sight," Priscilla ordered the messenger. He brought her nothing but bad news and she could no longer take the sight of his clothes. "I will send a notice to your mother that the three of us will be returning to Lockwood for a vacation. I will not give up on you being my daughter-in-law and I am sure your mother wouldn't want to give up."

Priscilla gently placed her hand on each side of Heather's face. "Being a Duchess is within your reach. Do not let your hard work go to waste. You're going to make me proud, right?"

Heather wanted to give up but knew it wouldn't end well for her if Priscilla no longer liked her and then distanced herself from her mother. It was better to forget her happiness and do what Priscilla wanted than to be cast out of the circle she was in. She saw what being on Priscilla's list looked like and did not want any part of it. She did not her mother to be excluded from Priscilla's circle because of her.

"I will," Heather nodded her head as she suppressed what she was feeling on the inside. "I will make you proud."

"Wonderful. I can always count on you. Return home and start packing for our trip. I can't waste another second in this dreaded town while my son has such a wife by his side. Run along," Priscilla shooed Heather away as she was no longer needed for now.

"Goodbye Mrs. Collins," Heather curtsied then walked away as she was told. She hoped Edgar would stop his mother's tricks early so that she would be able to move on and find her own husband. 'I should speak to my father about how suffocated I feel,' she thought.

On the other hand, Priscilla anticipated her trip back to Lockwood. They would depart as soon as the servants finished packing her belongings. It didn't matter whether or not her husband would return home in time to come along with her or either try to stop her. She was going to see Edgar by night and put an end to the ridiculous marriage he placed himself in.

Priscilla picked up the fan she had smacked away from Heather and began fanning herself again. She looked around the land in White town once again before she finally stood up. "I am not returning to this awful place," she made up her mind.

Her place was somewhere near to her son so that she could help him whenever he was going to make bad decisions like this marriage for example. She would not be happy until Edgar married a woman she liked and then started to give her the grandchildren she desired. Even then, she would never leave Lockwood again.

She was born in Lockwood and meant to die there.

Determined to be there by nightfall, Priscilla grabbed a handful of her dress so that it couldn't drag against the floor and hurried inside to start preparing to leave. "Frederick! Where is Frederick?" She called for the butler. "Have him come to my room right this instant."

"Mrs. Collins, I have been right here," the butler appeared in the opposite direction Priscilla was running. "How can I help?"

"Gather the servants to prepare a carriage. Have my maids pull out my dresses and other necessities to last me a month. After I have departed, I want you to start packing up the rest of my belongings and send them to Lockwood. I will send a letter with my location once I have reached Lockwood. Understood?" Priscilla didn't stop to converse with the butler and kept walking toward her bedroom.

"Is there something wrong with the young master Edgar in Lockwood? Should I send notice to Mr. Collins?" Federick asked. He heard the many times Mr. Collins said they would never be returning to Lockwood without his permission but Priscilla was walking with such urgency as if something terrible had happened.

"I am going to save my son," Priscilla declared.