《The Duke's Masked Wife》


 Chapter 1

    Chapter 1: Contract marriage (1)


    ¡°Duke Edgar, please spend the night with my daughter and you would see she is an excellent choice for your wife,¡± a bold mother pushed her daughter towards the Duke as he passed by them.


    All eyes were on the three of them as Duke Edgar was the main topic for the night.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware your daughter started working in the red light district. I am not looking for a wife there,¡± Duke Edgar stepped to the left to pass the disappointed mother and daughter.


    He had only arrived less than three minutes ago but this was his second encounter with a mother and daughter looking to win over his favor. Ever since it was announced he was looking for a wife this was happening.


    The culprit behind the rumor was none other than the scheming king who had nothing better to do than to ruin the life of his friend.


    It was no surprise the women had epted the bait and pushed their daughters to try and catch the Duke as their husband.


    Duke Edgar Collins was the only son of his father and sole heir of countlessnds. He lived simr to that of a king and thanks to his connection to the king himself, nothing was impossible for Edgar.


    He was said to be a cunning dangerous man but when money came into the equation, his history was long forgotten.


    .....


    ¡°Duke Collins is here,¡± a young woman whispered to herpanion as Edgar walked into the baron¡¯s home.


    ¡®This is going to be a pain in the ass,¡¯ Edgar sighed, already knowing how the night would end. Countless offers to take the young women who were just finished learning what it meant to run a household would be the death of him.


    The heat from their desire to find a husband quickly made the ce hot and ufortable. A nice cold drink was needed to relieve him of the hot temperature.


    Edgar had no idea why he agreed to attend the Baron¡¯s party. The Baron, Desmond Barrett, owner of a failing household was a man he never cared for. Edgar couldn¡¯t figure out why a man on the brink of bankruptcy would throw such an borate party.


    Was the man looking to speed up being kicked out of his own home?


    ¡°Duke Collins,¡± the man himself appeared. The Baron approached Edgar with his hair tied into his usual ponytail. He wore a ck and white suit Edgar felt matched the man¡¯s hair. ck with specs of white here and there.


    Edgar didn¡¯t miss the way the baron announced his name like he was a young girl making her debut at a ball and wasing down the stairs. ¡°Baron,¡± he greeted the man.


    ¡°It was so kind of you to visit my home to attend my party,¡± Desmond said, pleasantly surprised to see the duke. He was a nervous wreck from all the questions being thrown his way from guests who had onlye to see the duke.


    Desmond made sure to spread the news the duke would be at his party.


    ¡°Save it, Baron. You know why I am here. Unlike the king, I am yet to believe you have the information I am looking for.¡± Edgar was looking for any lead for the case with the young women disappearing.


    Desmond sent a note iming to have information and wished to speak with the Duke here. However, Edgar quickly saw through his ploy.


    ¡°Of course, I know why you are here but it would be rude of me to not offer you a drink first Edgar. Forgive me but you seem to be sweating quite an awful lot,¡± Desmond looked around wondering if his house needed more windows opened.


    ¡°I am not here for a fucking drink. Let me tell you,¡± Edgar grabbed the baron¡¯s neck not caring about the crowd watching his every move. ¡°I might have a lot of time on my hands these days but I do not like when it is wasted. If you have called me here as entertainment for your guest I will see to it you hang first thing in the morning.¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry,¡± Desmond cried as his feet started to dangle from being lifted off the ground. He heard the duke was a monster but only thought of it as a joke.


    Desmond tried to gulp but Edgar¡¯s hand was too tight around his neck for him toplete the action.


    ¡°Sorry?¡± Edgar tightened the grip around Desmond¡¯s neck. ¡°That sounds like you are confirming you have no information for me. It wouldn¡¯t take too long for me to break the neck of such a slender old man. Is this entertaining enough for your guests?¡± He whispered in the baron¡¯s ear.


    Desmond felt the hairs on his body stand tall as Edgar¡¯s cold breath blew against his skin. ¡°I-I have information. I swear it. I-It¡¯s upstairs.¡±


    ¡°Good boy,¡± Edgar dropped the baron. ¡°Why did you wait so long to say that? Did you wish for me to kill you?¡±


    ¡°No d-duke. I should have brought it right away. Forgive me. C-Can you put me down before everyone thinks you are in the wrong? I don¡¯t want them to get the wrong impression of you,¡± Desmond stated but what he really meant was he no longer wanted to be embarrassed about being strangled at his own home.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Edgar released the small man. ¡°I will need space to be alone until you return. Some ce outside for me to smoke.¡±


    ¡°The garden has been made off-limits so no one would be there but my daughter wishes to have a moment with you. If you could only spend a moment outside with her, I would appreciate it.¡±


    ¡°Do I look like a shooting star to you, baron?¡± Edgar looked down at the man due to their difference in height.


    ¡°Shooting star? I do not understand Edgar. How could you be a shooting star?¡± Desmond waspletely puzzled.


    ¡°That is what I am trying to understand from you thinking I would grant your daughter¡¯s wish. Run along and bring what you have for me.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes, sir.¡±


    Edgar made a mental note that this would be thest house call he did under the king¡¯s orders. The Baron was nothing more than an opportunist. Using others¡¯ names to get a crowd to attend his party.


    Before anyone else could make their move to introduce their daughters to him, Edgar picked a random direction to go in hopes it would be the garden. He had never visited the Baron¡¯s home before and quite frankly wanted this to be thest.


    ¡°Follow after him,¡± he heard someone mutter behind him.


    Edgar pulled a cigar out of his coat pocket as he hurried outside. He knew the night would call for a quick smoke. As he found his way out of the Baron¡¯s home, the cold air nipped at his skin almost threatening to go back inside.


    Instead of going back inside, Edgar lit his cigar as he would rather be outside in the freezing cold than back in the house where he could feel the heated gaze of young women.


    ¡°I should have brought two coats.¡±


    Passing by the stairs where he was standing, Edgar spotted a young woman hurrying off somewhere as she hugged a coat to protect her from the cold.


    ¡°That¡¯s a little thin to protect you, isn¡¯t it?¡± He made his presence known.


    The woman halted, seemingly shaken up due to the fact that someone had caught her wandering around. ¡°The party is inside.¡±


    ¡°I am very much aware of that, Alessandra. Why are you tensing up like I wasn¡¯t supposed to know your name? Who else would be wearing a mask in the baron¡¯s home except for his rumored cursed daughter?¡±


    After a moment of silence, Alessandra finally spoke. ¡°Are you scared of me?¡±


    ¡°No. There are scarier things in life darling. Why should I be scared of you all because of a mask?¡± Edgar blew out smoke into the air.


    ¡°That¡¯s going to kill you if you don¡¯t stop,¡± Alessandra didn¡¯t need to turn around to see that he was smoking. The scent reached her nose and she found it to be disgusting.


    ¡°Good, it¡¯ll speed up the process. Are you scared of me?¡± He asked after she had not once looked around to see who she was speaking to.


    ¡°I am not aware of who you are,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Right. I am Edgar Collins. Just Edgar would be fine.¡±


    ¡°The Duke?¡± Alessandra¡¯s eyes widened. She never expected such a man would be here. She thought her father was lying. ¡°They say you are to be married. Is that why you are here? You are here for my sister?¡±


    ¡°I would rather die. No offense,¡± he added as that was her sister. ¡°None of the young women in there shall be my wife. They are all like matching dolls in a set.¡±


    ¡°What about me? If I were to ask you to marry me, what would you say?¡± Alessandra nervously waited for his answer.


    ¡°What none of you seem to understand is the sole fact you would be setting yourself up for a loveless marriage if I were to pick you. I was never interested in marrying anyone yet but the rumor was passed around,¡± Edgar said.


    ¡°What if I don¡¯t want you to love me?¡±


    Edgar chuckled. Most marriages these days didn¡¯t start off with love but then someone started to feel the emotion. ¡°It cannot be guaranteed you wouldn¡¯t expect love.¡±


    ¡°What about a contract?¡± Alessandra proposed an idea. She was desperate and wanted to use him to get out of her father¡¯s home.

 Chapter 2

    Chapter 2: Contract marriage (2)


    ¡°Did your father set this up?¡± It was the only usible scenario for Edgar.


    ¡°My father has no idea that I am out here speaking to you, Duke Edgar. I have told you the party is on the inside. No one was supposed to see me passing by. My father won¡¯t be pleased to see you here with me,¡± Alessandra replied with the honest truth.


    Not many people could say they often saw the baron¡¯s daughter since Desmond kept his daughter out of sight. Alessandra wasn¡¯t of any use to him thanks to the mask she wore and the rumors surrounding her.


    ¡°Everything I say right now has nothing to do with my father. I leave it up to you to believe me. I am not interested in marrying anyone for love. I only wish to leave this ce and never look back.¡±


    ¡°What is it? Your father has ns to marry you off to a man far older than you or is he just shipping you off somewhere you do not wish to go? Has to be something drastic for you to ask a man you don¡¯t know to marry you,¡± Edgar pressed his cigar against the stone wall to end it.


    ¡°It is suffocating to be here. I am forgotten by my own father. I do not care for your looks Duke Edgar nor your money or anything else others might want. Frankly, I only see you as an escape,¡± she exined her reasoning for choosing him.


    Their meeting waspletely unexpected on her side but Alessandra didn¡¯t want to leave without proposing what she had in mind.


    .....


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard my family speak of how the king wishes for you to get married. For a man who does not wish to have any romantic rtionships with anyone, I might be a good choice. I will live quietly like a ghost, taking care of what you want of me, and I shall never love you.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± For once in his life, Edgar did not find her words unbelievable. Still, he wasn¡¯t looking to entertain the idea of being married to her just yet. ¡°It isn¡¯t hard for me to find an actress to y the role of my wife.¡±


    ¡°If it was so easy you would have done so already,¡± Alessandra said, seeing through his bluff. He most likely needed a wife who would make sense to the king. ¡°If the king has done this to toy with you, choosing a wife like me will certainly make him regret this.¡±


    The corners of Edgar¡¯s mouth lifted. ¡°You are quick on your feet. This is why I keep telling my peers not to believe rumors. It¡¯s said countless times that Alessandra Barrett is just a timid girl who freaks out and runs away when spotted by someone.¡±


    ¡°You are said to be a monster but you sound human to me. I do what I must to survive here. If you do not wish to do a contract with me, I shall leave you be,¡± Alessandra took one step forward and then waited for an answer.


    When Edgar did not respond, she took another step thinking the man did not want any ns in what she was offering him but then, he surprised her.


    ¡°Meet me at my residence tomorrow. We will further discuss this there and then I will give you my answer.¡±


    Alessandra turned around in a haste, almost making herself fall. She was surprised because he was actually contemting it but was even more surprised Edgar wanted her to meet him at his residence. ¡°I don¡¯t leave here.¡±


    ¡°I gathered that from you sneaking around. It is a test for you. I want to see how determined you are. I¡¯m sorry to end our conversation here but I have stayed at your home longer than I wanted to. It was nice chatting with you, Alessandra. Hopefully, we shall see each other soon,¡± Edgar turned on his heel to go back inside to find her father.


    Alessandra began to panic as she thought of how she would meet with the Duke tomorrow. At least he seemed to be taking her seriously unless he would have a crowd waiting tough at her for believing he would marry her even with a contract. ¡°We shall see each other tomorrow,¡± she promised.


    ¡°Duke Edgar? Who are you speaking to?¡± Kate Barrett, the younger daughter of the Baron stepped outside.


    She heard the Duke was all alone and thought to give him somepany. Seeing the Duke walking away while her father¡¯s daughter was standing outside made her blood boil.


    Kate thought highly of herself. She used her looks to elevate her position amongst her pairs. She was identical to her mother with blonde hair and blue eyes. Two things she believed made her more beautifulpared to everyone else.


    Dressed like a doll, Kate was hoping to have a word with the Duke and catch his interest. She begged her father to have a moment alone with the Duke but Alessandra had stolen it away from her.


    ¡°I hope she did not offend you, Duke Edgar. She was not meant to be out here,¡± Kate red at Alessandra, warning her to run away.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Edgar stopped right beside Kate. ¡°She has not offended me. Not like your father has.¡±


    ¡°Thank goodness. She-¡±


    ¡°It might be due to me being an only child but shouldn¡¯t you be referring to her as your sister or at least by her name?¡± Edgar quickly picked up that the younger girl did not like the older one.


    Seeing the Duke speaking to her sister, Alessandra used this chance to run away before any of them would ask her to speak. She wished Kate would have stayed inside rather thane out.


    Now that Kate knew she had spoken to the Duke, all hell would break loose tomorrow.


    Edgar listened quietly to the sound of Alessandra running away while Kate tried to think of a good answer for what he had asked her. He wondered what Alessandra was so afraid of when it came to Kate.


    ¡°You are correct, Duke Edgar. It has to do with you not having any siblings. When siblings argue, we tend to do petty things but I love my older sister. As you can see, she is extremely shy and can be awkward. That is why I was concerned she might have offended you,¡± Kate put on her mask of being a good sister.


    She would do anything to make the Duke see she was a good person. There was no one else she saw worthy of being her husband.


    ¡°If that makes you sleep better at night,¡± Edgar proceeded to walk away after Alessandra had gotten far away. If only he was in her position and not the one stuck with Kate.


    ¡°You know Duke, I was hoping for some alone time between the two of us. I wish to show you that I can be an excellent choice for your wife,¡± Kate followed behind him, gripping his arm to slow him down.


    Edgar sighed annoyed with Kate who could not take a hint. The Baron and his wife raised her to be like a spoiled princess. Fortunately, he had experience with an actual spoiled princess to know how to handle Kate. ¡°Is there some misconception that I am looking for a wife who can only please me in bed?¡± He smacked her hand away.


    If anyone were to see them like this. rumors would quickly spread. He did not feel the need to add another rumor to the long list he had.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Kate was caught off guard by him denying her advances. There were plenty of men who would jump at what she was doing for Edgar. ¡°You visit the red light district.¡±


    Edgar shrugged his shoulders not seeing what that had to do with his future wife. ¡°Who is to say I do not go there to read a book?¡±


    ¡°It is awfully loud there.¡±


    ¡°I work better when there is a lot of noise around but please enlighten me, what do you know of how loud it is?¡± Edgar grinned, enjoying the sight of Kate realizing her mistake. ¡°What on earth would the Baron¡¯s daughter be doing there unless you are listening to the gossip of what others do there?¡±


    ¡°N-No. You are misunderstanding,¡± Kate tried to clear it up right away. She had never visited such a ce.


    ¡°Understand this Kate. What you are doing will never entice me. Besides, I¡¯ve received a better offer. Excuse me,¡± Edgar stated before leaving Kate behind both utterly confused and embarrassed.

 Chapter 3

    Chapter 3: Determined (1)


    ¡°I got caught,¡± Alessandra muttered, leaning up against a tree now that she was far out of sight from Kate and the Duke.


    She knew the affections Kate held for the Duke and should have known Kate would havee looking for him. Alessandra hoped Kate heard nothing of what she spoke about with the Duke.


    Kate was evil enough to spread what she heard about the contract to her friends.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t let that be the case.¡± Alessandra wished she could have stayed to hear what the Duke and Kate were talking about. She had to consider the fact that Edgar could tell on her at any moment.


    From what she heard about him thanks to Kate¡¯s big mouth, he didn¡¯t seem like a man to joke around and make a fool of someone. He would not have invited her to his home if he was not serious about this. Alessandra could only hope she was right.


    Before leaving for her destination, she took a deep breath, pushing any negative thoughts away. She would worry about everything else tomorrow but as of right now, she was insanely hungry. Her food had not been delivered and by this time, she did not expect to receive it.


    This was either Kate¡¯s or her mother¡¯s doing.


    .....


    Alessandra stepped away from the tree, running towards the back door of the kitchen. She took a look behind her to make sure she wasn¡¯t followed this far before she opened the door.


    What she heard when she opened the door was nothing but confusion. Servers running all around trying to get the food out to the guests. This was a whole other worldpared to what everyone in her father¡¯s hall was experiencing.


    ¡°Mario,¡± Alessandra called for the cook as she maneuvered her way through the chaos.


    No one seemed to realize Alessandra was in the kitchen as they were lost in their job. Alessandra preferred that they did not notice her.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit nd don¡¯t you think? Alessandra,¡± Mario, one of the three cooks said uponying eyes on her. ¡°Cover for me. I won¡¯t be long,¡± he told another cook.


    ¡°Follow me,¡± he took Alessandra¡¯s hand to lead her back outside. The Baron¡¯s wife had been popping into the kitchen once in a while to ensure everything was running smoothly. Thest thing he wanted was for a member of the family to see Alessandra here.


    ¡°No one came to my room to deliver food,¡± she told him the reason why she came here though knowing the risk.


    Mario closed the door behind them, releasing Alessandra¡¯s hand now they were outside. ¡°It¡¯s that witch¡¯s fault. Just a month ago they wereying off all the cooks and some of the other workers. Now they have this party and there¡¯s not enough of us to handle the job. What are they thinking?¡±


    ¡°Duke Collins is looking for a wife. Haven¡¯t you heard?¡±


    Mario scoffed hearing this. ¡°So that¡¯s the reason. Did they throw a party just for Kate to meet the man? I can only imagine she is like a fly bothering him right now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve spoken to him,¡± Alessandra spoke in a low tone.


    ¡°The duke? About what?¡± Mario did not see any reason for Alessandra to meet with such a man. He heard many stories concerning Edgar. ¡°There are many bad stories about him.¡±


    ¡°There are many stories about me and this mask. Do you believe them?¡± She asked although she knew the answer. She was in no position to listen to rumors about others when the ones about herself were false.


    Mario went silent as he had most definitely heard what people said about Alessandra. He had not seen her face at all as she never took off her mask in front of him but he didn¡¯t believe she could cause anyone to die just by looking at her face. ¡°Of course not.¡±


    ¡°Then I shall give the Duke a fair chance. I can¡¯t tell you what I spoke to him about but I will say I am hoping for some good news,¡± Alessandra rested against a broken wall and looked out in the direction she hade from.


    ¡°Is this concerning your escape n? I hope the Duke can help you run far away. It¡¯s a shame you can¡¯t go on your own because of the young girls disappearing,¡± Mario went to the wall to sit beside Alessandra.


    ¡°I hope the culprit is found and the girls are still alive,¡± Alessandra said.


    ¡°I overheard your father iming to know something about it when I went to deliver his coffee. I was hired to be a cook but they haveid off so many people that I am now a maid. It would be good if they paid me for the extra work,¡± Mario angrily kicked away a stone.


    Alessandra watched as the stone rolled away. ¡°When I leave you shoulde with me. You have always been kind to me and I wish to return the favor.¡±


    ¡°That is nice of you but I owe the Baron for the money I borrowed. I have at least one year until it is paid off and then I wille to find you. You are the only Barrett I can stand. I don¡¯t know what went wrong with the others.¡± If not for Alessandra, he would¡¯ve thought the entire family was unbearable.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what went wrong with my father. Mario, I need a favor. Well, two. I am not close to the coachman but you are. Can you speak to him about taking me somewhere tomorrow without letting my family know about it? He might be scared of me and run away before I could speak to him,¡± Alessandra said.


    Mario was the only person she spoke to like this as he did not believe the rumors about her killing people after they saw her face or the rumors of her actually being a ghost.


    ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem. I take it this trip has something to do with the Duke. I am wary of him, Alessandra. Even if you don¡¯t want to believe in rumors without knowing the person, there are some things you need to keep in mind and be cautious of,¡± Mario was not a fan of Edgar.


    ¡°I will listen to your advice and be cautious. I always walk around with my trusted knife,¡± she took a small knife out from the pocket of her dress. Mario had stolen it a while ago and gave it to Alessandra as protection. ¡°If he tries anything with me then bang!¡±


    Mario stared unimpressed at the way Alessandra held the knife. ¡°Be reminded you are holding a knife, not a gun. What is the second favor you need?¡±


    ¡°Mario!¡± Someone from inside the kitchen yelled.


    ¡°Food please,¡± Alessandra innocently smiled.


    ¡°Right away. I must get it before they kill me for being away so long,¡± he got off the stone wall, dusted off his pants, and then opened the door to go back inside.


    While Alessandra patiently waited for him to bring some food, she tapped her finger following the rhythm of the faint musicing from inside the home. It was a song her father loved so much that he yed it at every party he hosted.


    She closed her eyes to imagine what it would be like dancing around to the music, having small talk with others, and enjoying the food prepared. If only she did not have to wear a mask and the rumors surrounding her didn¡¯t make everyone back away in fear when she showed herself.


    After a good amount of time had passed, Mario returned with a te of food and a jug of something to drink


    ¡°I got you a little bit of everything,¡± Mario¡¯s voice interrupted the moment.


    Opening her eyes, Alessandra was met with the reality that she would spend the night alone with a kitten she recently found. They would both listen to the music in thefort of her room as they ate and then fall asleep.

 Chapter 4

    Chapter 4: Determined (2)


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Mario asked once he saw she was kind of in a daze.


    ¡°Nothing. Just thinking about life,¡± Alessandra took the food and jug from him. She didn¡¯t want to keep him outside for much longer. ¡°Three hours more to go and then there will finally be peace.¡±


    ¡°Alessandra, it¡¯ll get better soon. The rumors, the way you live, the rtionship you have with your father. Everything will get better one day,¡± Mario reassured her.


    ¡°Are you trying to give me that whole rainbow at the end of-¡±


    ¡°No no no,¡± Mario stopped her from repeating the ridiculous phrase he hated. ¡°When was thest time you saw a rainbow in Lockwood? For the time I have spent in this town I have never seen one. Let¡¯s say, there¡¯ll be happiness when the next shipment of rumes in.¡±


    ¡°Mario,¡± Alessandra shook her head. There was a high probability of Mario drinking already even though he was working. Any time he mentioned rum he had been drinking some.


    ¡°What? It makes me happy. What do you think is making me bear the work we have tonight? I wouldn¡¯t waste rum on those guests. They prefer the wine anyway. I slipped you something nice,¡± he patted the jug which was now in her hand. ¡°You will get to enjoy the night with this.¡±


    .....


    ¡°I don¡¯t get drunk easily.¡± It was thanks to Mario slipping her drinks and their drinking moments that she realized she had a high tolerance for such drinks.


    ¡°Just enjoy it. You don¡¯t have to be drunk to enjoy it. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow. Okay?¡± He went back inside without waiting to hear anything more she had to say. He was already in hot water for leaving the kitchen for so long the first time.


    ¡°Okay,¡± she replied.


    Alessandra looked down at the food and drink before taking one final nce at the kitchen door. ¡°Time to head back,¡± she quietly strolled back in the direction she came from.


    The talk with Mario was enough to brighten up her mood and give her the extra confidence she needed to believe that her meeting with the Duke tomorrow would work out in her favor. She was going to get married and live away from her family.


    ¡°All of them are so rude. Why can¡¯t they get their own drinks? Just get your own drinks if you don¡¯t like the way I hold them.¡±


    Alessandra listened intently to a maid walking in her direction, criticizing the guests. The maid must have been so angry that she was looking back behind her to raise her middle finger there more than watch where she was going. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be so loud,¡± she warned the young girl.


    ¡°A-Alessandra?¡± The maid gasped, taking steps back out of fear. She felt like she was going to die when she nced at the ck mask covering the majority of Alessandra¡¯s face. ¡°P-Please don¡¯t hurt me.¡±


    ¡°Hurt you?¡± Alessandra looked down at her hands. Unless she was going to start a food fight there was no way she could hurt anyone. When would everyone start to think logically instead of believing rumors?


    ¡°I-I am just doing my job. Don¡¯t kill me,¡± the maid covered her eyes with her hands as her body shook with fear. Had she gone the other way she would not have run into Alessandra.


    The maid feared that just seeing the part of Alessandra¡¯s face which wasn¡¯t covered by a mask was enough to kill her.


    Unbothered, Alessandra continued to walk in the direction back to her bedroom. She was trying to help the maid by telling her to keep her voice down when talking about the guest.


    Alessandra wholeheartedly believed Katrina had some kind of magic to hear when anyone was badmouthing her guest from a mile away. It wasn¡¯t once or twice she had caught someone badmouthing her or her friends from far away. Alessandra had a theory the woman was not from this world.


    ¡°Maybe she fell from the sky,¡± she pondered on her theory. It was possible.


    Alessandra passed the area she had stumbled upon Edgar, going to a door on the opposite side of the home from the kitchen. It led her to a room filled with gardening supplies and on the inside was another door taking her out to an empty hall.


    Her father did not enjoy his guest wandering around the house other than where he had marked the party to be in order to avoid gossip about the smallest thing.


    Alessandra skipped and twirled now that the music was louder. All she was missing was a fancy dress and her partner. ¡°They are ying better music now.¡±


    To the left of where the party was going on was Alessandra¡¯s room. The hall to her bedroom was slightly dark as the fire in thenterns was dying since no one came to check on them. Still, that didn¡¯t bother Alessandra as she ced the jug on the floor to have one hand free to open the door of her room.


    ¡°Meow,¡± she was greeted by a faint sound on the inside.


    ¡°Kitty,¡± Alessandra looked down at the orange kitty she found. ¡°I told you not toe to the door. If someone else saw you, they would have taken you away. Do you wish to leave my side?¡±


    Alessandra used her right foot to gently nudge the kitten back inside of her room when it tried to run outside. Her father unfortunately was only a lover of dogs and would not be on board for a cat in the house. ¡°It¡¯s safer here and I brought us food.¡±


    ¡°Why does it seem like you have started to understand what the word food means?¡± She asked as the kitten sat still looking up for her awaiting its meal. ¡°Here. Enjoy a piece of meat,¡± she ced it on the floor.


    With the kitten distracted and the door closed, Alessandra went to her desk so that she could also eat something before her stomach would make a grand entrance.


    She ced the te and jug on the desk first and then took a seat. All alone in her room with the kitten, Alessandra took off her mask to be free. There was no one here to speak of what her face looked like and no mirrors in her room for her to see her own face.


    The mask was set aside and as she listened to the faint music creeping its way into her room, Alessandra ate in silence, waiting for the day to soon end so that she could speak with Edgar sooner.

 Chapter 5

    Chapter 5: Determined (3)


    ¡°Mydy, breakfast is here.¡±


    Alessandra tossed in her bed hearing someone¡¯s voice outside of her room and the three knocks that followed after. ¡°How on earth is it morning already? I was just eating dinner,¡± she grumbled, stretching her body as she woke up.


    Alessandra stared at the ceiling when she opened her eyes. Today was the day for her life to possibly change.


    ¡°Mydy?¡±


    ¡°Kate¡¯s here,¡± Alessandra realized.


    Normally the person to deliver her food would just knock and leave quickly out of fear. This person was practically begging her toe to the door which meant there was someone out there impatiently waiting.


    Kate¡¯s curiosity about what Alessandra spoke about with the Duke must have been bothering her all night long.


    .....


    Alessandra was tempted to make the person wait longer until she finally retrieved the breakfast but today was not the right day to piss off Kate. She needed to y a role in order to leave.


    ¡°I¡¯ming,¡± she called back to let them know she heard them.


    As Alessandra sat up she took the sleeping kitten from a pillow beside her and left the bed to ce it in her closet for it to hide. She closed the closet door and then went to her desk to put on the mask she worest night.


    ¡°M-Mydy?¡±


    ¡®Try to make it less obvious you are being pressured,¡¯ Alessandra thought once she heard the maid stutter.


    With the mask tied, Alessandra approached her door and unlocked it.


    ¡°Y-Your breakfast,¡± the maid said with her head down.


    Alessandra looked down at her breakfast which wasn¡¯t in the maid¡¯s hands but ced on the floor. ¡°Thank you,¡± she went down to pick it up herself but as her hands neared the floor a shoe appeared from the left to pin down her left hand.


    ¡°Good morning sister,¡± Kate appeared from the sidelines just like Alessandra predicted.


    Alessandra winced from the pain of Kate¡¯s shoes on her knuckles. ¡°Good morning sister.¡±


    ¡°Run along,¡± Kate ordered the maid. She was highly annoyed that she had to wait outside of Alessandra¡¯s bedroom for so long. If only she had the spare key her father took away. ¡°Did you have funst night Alessandra?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± Kate became furious with how bold Alessandra was. ¡°Just because you ran into the Duke you think you had fun?¡±


    ¡°N-Not that,¡± Alessandra stuttered. ¡°I had fun in my roomst night. The music reached my room.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Tell me, what did you discuss with the Dukest night?¡± Kate needed to confirm with her own ears nothing serious had happened between the Duke and Alessandra. It would be embarrassing if he took more interest in the thing in front of her.


    ¡°I did not notice he was standing there as I was going to collect my dinner. He called out my name as I forgot to address someone as important as the Duke. He scolded me and then you arrived. That is all.¡±


    Kate pressed her shoe against the back of Alessandra¡¯s hand harder not fully believing the story. ¡°What else?¡±


    ¡°He spoke about getting married and you as an option. Nothing more. I swear,¡± Alessandra cried out from the pain.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Kate lifted her foot. It made more sense Edgar would speak about her but why on earth was he ying so hard to getst night when the two of them walked back into the party. ¡°Of course, he would speak about me. Who would want to talk to such a freak.¡±


    ¡®That doesn¡¯t make any sense. The Duke still talked to me,¡¯ Alessandra rolled her eyes. Thanks to her looking down Kate could not see her facial expression.


    ¡°Still, it angers me that you showed your disgusting face to the Duke. What if he were to believe he is cursed andes to take his anger out on us? What will you do then you freak? Do you think you¡¯ll be safe, that father will shield you?¡± Kate pushed her shoe against Alessandra¡¯s hand again.


    ¡°N-No,¡± Alessandra whimpered.


    ¡°Then stay in your bedroom all-¡±


    ¡°Kate!¡± Desmond eximed upon seeing his youngest daughter hurting his oldest. ¡°Stop it right this instant.¡±


    ¡°But father she...¡± Kate trailed off realizing there was no use in denying what he clearly saw. ¡°The Duke saw herst night and they spoke.¡±


    Desmond looked down at Alessandra surprised to hear she was seen by the Duke. What on earth did the two of them talk about? Why didn¡¯t the Duke mention anything about it? ¡°I will take care of it so leave.¡±


    Kate stomped her feet on the floor simr to a toddler who couldn¡¯t have its way. Had the maid got Alessandra to open the door quicker she would have left before her father showed up. ¡°How annoying,¡± she left Alessandra¡¯s doorway.


    Alessandra¡¯s hand trembled out of pain but she felt relieved Kate was gone, for now. Even with the pain in her hand, Alessandra took up the tray of food to take back into her room.


    ¡°Alessandra, sweetheart,¡± the baron inched closer to his quiet daughter. ¡°Can you tell me what happened between you and the Dukest night? Why were you out of your bedroom? You know there was a party.¡±


    ¡°No food camest night and I was hungry. The garden is off limits so I thought I could run by quickly. That is all,¡± said Alessandra.


    Desmond understood that but still, this was the Duke they were talking about. Many people believed the rumor about her cursing someone and making them die all because of a coincidence. ¡°What did you talk about?¡±


    Alessandra kept her head down low and said, ¡°He only wanted to make sure he could smoke there and talked about Kate as a marriage candidate.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Desmond¡¯s eyes lit up at this. He was worried Kate had not seduced the Dukest night but now it seemed she had an effect on Edgar after all. ¡°That man is so strange he probably wants to observe her a little longer. This is good.¡±


    Edgar was someone Desmond needed to help him crawl out of the debt he buried himself in. It wasn¡¯t easy to live as grand as he used to with his finances decreasing over the years. Kate finding a rich husband was their only hope.


    ¡°Still, you should not have gone out. What if I would have changed my mind and taken a few people out there?¡±


    ¡®So I should starve?¡¯ Alessandra thought.


    ¡°I-Im sorry father,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Fine, fine. There¡¯s absolutely no point in scolding you. Whoever did not bring your food is to me. I¡¯m sorry about what Kate did but she¡¯s just looking out for us. Edgar is someone who can easily ruin us,¡± said Desmond.


    He was worried but since Edgar mentioned nothing meant that Alessandra had not offended him. ¡°You must be bored in your room all the time. What is it that you would like to pass time? Name anything and I shall fetch it right away.¡±


    ¡°Since you asked, I have run out of things to paint. I wish to paint the town. Can I ride around in the carriage to see ces to paint? I-I won¡¯t get out. I promise.¡±


    Desmond ced his hand on his hip as this wasn¡¯t something Katrina would agree with. However, if they kept Alessandra locked away she would try to leave her bedroom more. It was best to give her a little bit of freedom. After what Kate just did he had to do something to make it up to her. ¡°Promise me you won¡¯t leave the carriage.¡±


    ¡°I promise,¡± Alessandra grinned. Her father was unable to see it because her head was still being lowered.

 Chapter 6

    Chapter 6: Contract conditions (1)


    Collins Estate.


    ¡°Young master, I have brought your breakfast,¡± the butler, Alfred said as he entered Edgar¡¯s study with a tray.


    He found it odd Edgar was not seated at his desk as he normally would. Instead, Edgar was peering out his window which had a clear view of the entrance of his home.


    Alfred ced the tray down on the desk and straightened it out before turning around to see if there was anything else Edgar would need. Unfortunately, it did not seem like Edgar realized he was even there.


    ¡°Young master,¡± Alfred called out again.


    ¡°Good morning Alfred,¡± Edgar looked away from the window to Alfred standing behind him. ¡°Thank you for breakfast.¡±


    ¡°Are you expecting guests? Should I prepare breakfast for them or have drinks prepared?¡± Alfred figured that was the reason Edgar was staring out the window.


    .....


    The only person Edgar did this for was his mother but it wasn¡¯t due to him being excited about her visit. Instead, Edgar did this to see who was tagging along with his mother so he would know to abruptly leave home.


    ¡°I am honestly not sure. I gave her the invitation but it is not certain she will arrive unless she is truly desperate,¡± Edgar went back to looking out his window. He was curious to see if Alessandra really would visit him.


    She was never seen out in public so hering all the way here to make a marriage contract with him was intriguing.


    ¡°A woman visiting? In broad daylight?¡± Alfred was utterly surprised.


    Edgar frowned, turning to look at Alfred once again. ¡°What are you trying to say, Alfred? That I am some kind of whore?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Alfred bowed.


    Edgar couldn¡¯t believe Alfred had answered honestly. Had it been anyone else, Edgar would have sent them out but Alfred was a long-time friend and father figure. ¡°I am not. Please refrain from saying such a thing if the guest is to arrive. She might be thedy of this house.¡±


    ¡°W-What,¡± Alfred had to hold onto the desk to stop himself from falling.


    Edgar stared unamused at Alfred¡¯s dramatic reaction. ¡°Why are you acting like it¡¯s such a surprise I would get a wife?¡±


    After a brief moment, Alfred recollected himself since he needed to get the truth. ¡°Your exact words when the king suggested you marry where I am never fucking getting married. I would rather jump from the roof and die. Maybe I misinterpreted those words. I apologize.¡±


    ¡°Alfred, I sincerely believe I inherited my dramatic nature from you. I am not interested in marriage but the woman I metst night was intriguing. A perfect way to piss off the king and ward off some people from around me.¡±


    ¡°I do not understand,¡± said Alfred. How would thedying piss off the king and ward off others?


    ¡°It will be self-exnatory if she arrives today. If a Barrettes to visit me, let them in. Not the father,¡± Edgar added since he could not stand the man.


    ¡°Barrett? Is it Kate?¡± Alfred spoke softly. She wasn¡¯t what Alfred had in mind to be Edgar¡¯s wife nor did he see how intriguing she was. ¡°Did you drink at the partyst night Edgar?¡±


    ¡°No, I only had a quick smoke break,¡± Edgar replied, leaving the window to see what Alfred brought him for breakfast.


    ¡°Smoke? Excuse me, I shall check all your cigars,¡± Alfred bowed, ready to leave the room to check Edgar¡¯s supply.


    ¡°What the fuck for?¡± Edgar looked to Alfred for an exnation.


    ¡°If you find Kate Barrett to be intriguing-¡±


    ¡°Are you crazy?¡± Edgar stopped Alfred in his tracks. ¡°The baron has another daughter. Alessandra Barrett is the older one.¡±


    ¡°Thank goodness,¡± Alfred held his chest and sighed.


    ¡°You are aware of the rumors concerning her right?¡± Edgar believed Alfred shouldn¡¯t be so relieved yet.


    ¡°Anyone is better than Kate in my book. If that younger girl were to be your wife, I would finally retire after forty years. We are not so sure Alessandra will even arrive. When was thest time you-¡±


    A knock at the door interrupted Alfred.


    Alfred excused himself to see who hade to see Edgar. He opened the door to find a maid, seemingly scared, hand him a paper before going back to her duty. Alfred closed the door as he read the paper. ¡°It appears we are in for a surprise. Alessandra Barrett wishes to have an audience with you.¡±


    Edgar was pleasantly surprised to hear she had arrived already or even that she came at all. ¡°Invite her to my study.¡±


    ¡°Yes young master,¡± Alfred bowed, then proceeded to do as he was told.


    ¡°Stop bowing so much Alfred. You are not a priest,¡± Edgar said as Alfred left the room. ¡°Alessandra Barrett, what an interesting person you are.¡±


    Edgar wanted to judge if the baron truly had nothing to do with Alessandra wanting to get married. Their meeting wouldn¡¯t have been that coincidental as he told the baron he was going out to smoke and then Alessandra magically appeared.


    The only thing making Edgar believe this might be a coincidence was the baron not sending his younger daughter.


    Meanwhile, Alessandra exited the carriage her father gave for her to ride around for the day. Luckily, Mario had spoken to the coachman and nothing about this visit was to be mentioned to her father.


    If the coachman showed any signs of betraying what he promised, Alessandra didn¡¯t mind ying into the rumors about herself to threaten the man.


    ¡°This is huge,¡± Alessandramented as she looked around the entrance of the Duke¡¯s estate. It was no wonder why he was the biggest catch to get married to. The man was filthy rich. ¡°Good morning,¡± she said as armored men walked pass her.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± they replied in unison.


    Alessandra was surprised they had not flinched when they looked at her mask. ¡®At least the guards here are not afraid of stupid rumors,¡¯ she thought.


    Momentster, therge doors of Edgar¡¯s home opened up revealing a man in butler clothes.


    ¡°Wee Alessandra Barrett. The Duke is expecting you,¡± Alfred greeted the young woman. He did not react to her mask and made sure not to stare at it since the action would be rude. He made a mental note to tell the other workers to do the same.


    ¡°Good morning. It¡¯s nice to meet you,¡± Alessandra said as she approached Alfred. She held out her hand to properly greet the man when she stood in front of him.


    Alfred shook her hand happily. It was rare for many of Edgar¡¯s guests to greet him like this but Alessandra did it without a second thought. ¡°Come, I shall lead the way.¡±


    Alessandra felt unable to breathe when she entered the Duke¡¯s home for the first time. The Duke appeared to be a collector of many paintings Alessandra wished she could get her hands on. The home was painted in white with countless famous paintings around.


    She was amazed by the interior of the home but once she realized how much she was ogling at it, she cleared her throat and just looked ahead to where the butler was taking her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I did not get your name,¡± Alessandra said after she noticed she had not asked for the butler¡¯s name.


    ¡°Alfred,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Alfred,¡± Alessandra smiled.


    ¡°He is in here,¡± Alfred knocked on the door and then opened it for Alessandra to walk in. He did not know how Edgar and Alessandra got to the point of wanting to marry each other but Alfred was starting to like the young woman.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Alessandra told Alfred before entering the room. She felt her heart skip a beat when the door closed behind her and Alfred had note in behind her.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting you to show up but if you did, breakfast time was not my guess,¡± Edgar sat at his desk watching her every move. He began to inspect the type of person Alessandra was.


    ¡°Was I meant toe in the night as a thief would?¡± Alessandra responded without thinking.

 Chapter 7

    Chapter 7: Contract conditions (2)


    ¡°I supposeing at night would have made my men think you were a criminal. Take a seat,¡± Edgar pointed to the free chair on the other side of his desk. ¡°I am extremely curious to know how you were able to leave your father¡¯s home when it is said you never leave. Did you y a trick on your father or did he let you out willingly?¡±


    As Alessandra was taking a seat, she digested Edgar¡¯s words carefully. ¡°I am not working with my father. In fact, he would never allow me to visit this ce. He would even call me crazy for thinking you would ever invite me into your home.¡±


    ¡°Does your father hate you?¡± Edgar bluntly asked. There was no point in beating around the bush when what they were here to discuss was serious.


    Alessandra thought about it before giving her answer. ¡°I don¡¯t think my father hates me. He is ashamed of me. Who would want a daughter with a reputation like mine in a world like this?¡±


    ¡°It is a parent¡¯s job to love their child no matter what. It¡¯s a shame you were born as a baron¡¯s daughter. You would have been loved elsewhere.¡± To Edgar, it was only people with wealth who cared to distance themselves from someone all because of reputations.


    ¡°If I were the daughter of farmers they would have rightfully cast me aside to sell their crops-¡±


    ¡°Why would something so drastic happen to a farmer¡¯s daughter for her to end up wearing a mask? Whatever you are hiding, it was done because you are a baron¡¯s daughter right?¡± Asked Edgar. ¡°High society is quitepetitive.¡±


    .....


    Edgar was well aware of the things young women do to others they were jealous of. Alessandra was no doubt in the line of someone¡¯s jealousy.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Alessandra gave up since he was right. It all happened due to her being a baron¡¯s daughter.


    ¡°Someone must have been really jealous of you, Alessandra. Fine, let¡¯s say I believe this is all your nning and your father is not involved. Why would someone who has lived a vast majority of their life in hiding want to marry someone who has the spotlight on them?¡±


    ¡°Truthfully, me asking you about marriage was something that just slipped out of my mouth. I was looking for someone to get married to but I never pictured that person to be as grand as you. I have considered three things, Duke Edgar. One, you are a private person so there would be no need for me to mingle with many people. Two, I can ward off people froming around you. Lastly, you are capable of controlling my family,¡± she exined.


    Before falling asleepst night, Alessandra thought critically of the benefits of marrying Edgar. If she were to bring someone below her father¡¯s status, her father and stepmother could easily push that person away and Alessandra would have to stay caged up.


    Now, if a man like Edgar were toe asking for her hand in marriage, her father could hardly object to it. Her main objective was to get away from her home.


    ¡°It is true that I like to keep to myself but there are few parties I need to attend whether it is hosted by family, friends, or work-rted. Am I to show up without my wife? It would be boring if you hid all the time,¡± said Edgar. He was not looking to have his wife be a prisoner.


    ¡°You are misunderstanding something, Duke Edgar. I never hid because I wanted to. I did what I was told to. I would love to go out and view the town, attend parties, and dance around. I might not have the experience and my confidence might need to increase but I do not wish to live in the shadows anymore,¡± she looked right into his eyes as she made this confession.


    Alessandra did not care to mingle with too many people not important to Edgar, instead, she wanted to go out and start enjoying her life.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Edgar made a humming sound as he contemted something. ¡°A week ago, I would have never entertained this conversation with you but I am in the mood to y games,¡± he ced a piece of paper on his desk.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Alessandra asked as she looked at the paper with fancy designs on the edges.


    ¡°A contract marriage needs to have rules and conditions right?¡± Edgar pushed the paper, a pen, and ink towards her. ¡°Let¡¯s get started.¡±


    Alessandra¡¯s eyes widened as she realized he had officially epted her proposal for them to get married. ¡®Isn¡¯t this a little too easy? I expected him to grill me some more,¡¯ she thought.


    ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± Edgar asked when she continued to stare at the paper without doing anything.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Alessandra reached for the paper and pen. She gasped when Edgar grabbed her hand before she could touch the paper.


    ¡°What happened to your hand?¡± Edgar spotted a faint redness around her knuckles. ncing at her other hand, he saw that it was perfectly fine. ¡°Did you punch something or did someone hurt you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Alessandra pulled her hand out of his grasp.


    ¡°It is something seeing that you will be my future wife. I don¡¯t take too kindly to someone hurting my people. Name the person and I shall have them punished,¡± said Edgar. Now that they were going to be husband and wife, her problems became his.


    ¡°It was an ident Duke Edgar-¡±


    ¡°Just Edgar is fine. See to it that you do not have any more idents while you are living there before we get married,¡± Edgar decided to leave the topic for now but he would get back to it. He didn¡¯t like the feeling he got as he thought about the life Alessandra had.


    ¡°I will try my best. Based on our conversations, no love shall be the first condition. It shall not be a problem on my end,¡± Alessandra stated as she wrote down the first rule.


    ¡°I hope you are like this until the very end.¡±


    Alessandra looked up from the paper to Edgar. He was a handsome man but that was all. She knew nothing about him and frankly if she was not so desperate to leave her father¡¯s home she would have never talked to a man like Edgar. ¡°You are not my type, Edgar.¡±


    ¡°So, there is a type,¡± Edgar for some reason wondered what kind of man moved her heart.


    ¡°I was hidden away but I was not blind. What should the second condition be?¡± Alessandra asked so they could move on from the love topic.


    ¡°Obviously, speak of this to no one besides my butler Alfred. He shall be a shield for you in dangerous times. Three, we need tomunicate any issues we have. Do not allow something small to grow and be big. It is irritating,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°I agree,¡± Alessandra saw no issue in that. ¡°I must ask that I am able to keep my mask on until I feelfortable walking around without it on.¡±


    ¡°That is your business. Do whatever you wish. Five, we must sleep in the same room. Why are you looking so surprised? Did you honestly think I wouldn¡¯t sleep with my wife?¡± Edgar titled his head slightly as he awaited her answer.


    Alessandra thought they wouldn¡¯t share the same bed but as he said, she would be his wife even though a contract is involved. ¡°I suppose that makes sense. It is something couples do after all.¡±


    ¡°Everyone does it. Young or old,¡± Edgar picked up a smooth rock from his desk to move around in his hand.


    ¡°Young? How young?¡± Alessandra asked.


    Edgar only now realized she had misunderstood what he meant. ¡°Sleeping, Alessandra. I was referring to just sleeping. However, if you wish for something more-¡±


    ¡°No! Sleeping is just fine,¡± Alessandra looked back down at the paper feelingpletely embarrassed for thinking he meant something else. ¡°Is there anything else?¡±


    ¡°No, we¡¯ve covered the basics. Anything else should be handled withmunication in the future. You do not appear to be a difficult person who shall make things hard in the future. We can add on whatever we think of as time goes on. Sign it,¡± Edgar reminded her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you wish to add a punishment for anyone who breaks the contract?¡± Alessandra thought he would fine her or imprison her if she were to break this contract. ¡°We have not set a timeline of how long we shall be married as well.¡±


    ¡°The main thing on the contract is to not tell others about it. If you let it spread that we are married under this circumstance, it will hurt you more than I. I shall remain a Duke while others will go out of their way to humiliate you for needing a contract. I am sure you do not want that.¡±


    Alessandra shook her head saying no.


    ¡°Lastly, we shall be married forever. I thought that was obvious,¡± Edgar revealed to Alessandra¡¯s surprise. ¡°Be sure to add that to the contract now as it is important.¡±

 Chapter 8

    Chapter 8: Contract conditions (3)


    ¡°Forever?¡± Alessandra muttered in disbelief. Forever was a long time. Was she wrong to believe he would only want to do this for maybe a year or two? Wasn¡¯t that what the people in the books she read did?


    ¡°Yes, forever. Do you n to break your wedding vows? Till death do us apart,¡± Edgar grinned, enjoying the look of horror on her face. He only nned to get married once which was why it had to be with someone he could tolerate.


    ¡°At some point, you will need an heir,¡± she said. Did he expect that to happen with her?


    ¡°Of course. My wife shall be the mother of my child but no need to worry, I am not in the mood to have a child running around my home any time soon.¡± Honestly, Edgar had a dislike for children.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t mind me having your child?¡± Alessandra didn¡¯t know how she fell into this hole of confusion but she would really enjoy Edgar¡¯s help to pull her out of it quickly.


    ¡°You¡¯re starting to annoy me by not understanding what is simple, Alessandra but I guess it would be a shock for you. Yes, I wouldn¡¯t mind you having my child one day Alessandra. If I did mind, we wouldn¡¯t be here discussing marriage. If this is too much for you, we can still ignore all of this.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m worried what a child of mine would have to go through in this world. Others might attach the rumors about me to the child,¡± Alessandra pictured it in her mind. She wouldn¡¯t want anyone to experience being outcasted.


    .....


    ¡°Alessandra, you are not aware of the weight myst name carries. Once you be my wife, those rumors would fade away and no one shall dare talk about you or a child in the future,¡± Edgar had his ways of making people shut up.


    If you rip out their tongue you would find it hard to understand a word they say. Eventually, they would shut up.


    Alessandra did not need to ask Edgar how he could guarantee that would happen. There was obviously some truth to how dangerous he was. She had a feeling he was being considerably nice to her right now with the way he spoke.


    ¡°We can carry on with the contract, Duke Edgar,¡± she started to sign her name. Giving him an heir would not be a problem if he could shield the child.


    ¡°Edgar,¡± he reminded her once again.


    ¡°Sorry, Edgar.¡±


    ¡°I predict it shall take you a while to start calling me by only my first name. I wille to visit your father tomorrow to ask for your hand in marriage. It is to make sure you do not have any more idents where you hurt your hand,¡± Edgar slid the paper from her side while she hid her hands.


    ¡°Would you like to live with me until it is time for the wedding? It is not umon though some people might think you are pregnant-¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not!¡± Alessandra eximed as she did not want another rumor. ¡°The list of rumors about me is good enough. I do not need to add on pregnancy so early.¡±


    Edgar scoffed, feeling a sense of deja vu with her response. ¡°Anyone who would believe I have gotten you pregnant before marriage would be an idiot anyway. Then again, there are rumors that I sneak women into this house at night.¡±


    ¡°Do you?¡± Alessandra didn¡¯t find that hard to believe but she wanted the answer from his mouth since she rarely believed rumors unless the person confirmed it.


    Edgar pretended to be offended to mess with Alessandra. His eyes went wide, he gasped and ced his hand on his chest. ¡°I would never.¡±


    Alessandra felt bad for even questioning it. ¡°I¡¯m sorry-¡±


    ¡°But there was some truth to the rumor. I didn¡¯t sneak the women in here. They jumped over the gates and my guards caught them. One person who heard about it passed it on to another until the story changedpletely. Rumors are such messy things when they are about me. There are some moments when they help me catch criminals.¡±


    ¡®Right, he has been assigned to investigate cases under the king¡¯s orders,¡¯ Alessandra said to herself.


    ¡°I shall hide the contract somewhere safe for no one to find. Now that the contract is over, have you eaten? Alfred can bring you breakfast or have mine. I am not ready to eat with the work I have to do. I would have been done already if not for your father and his lie.¡± The baron¡¯s party cut into his work time.


    The information he got from the baron was not useful in any shape or form. It was something Edgar already knew about the missing girls.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. My father used your name to gain a few more guests and Kate fancies you which was why my father felt pressured to have you there,¡± Alessandra apologized even though she had nothing to do with it.


    She cared for her father and did not wish to see his reputation falter. He loved it more than anything. After her mother ran away, it was the only thing he seemed to love until he met Katrina.


    ¡°Your father, stepmother, and sister shall not gain entry to my home after we are married. I am sure by now you know the type of people they are and if you found them to be tolerable you wouldn¡¯t be looking to marry a stranger to get away from them,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind,¡± Alessandra didn¡¯t want to see her family too much starting now. ¡°I must leave now, Duke-Edgar. I told my father I wanted a view of the town for me to paint and if I do not return on time he will be angry. I look forward to being married to you.¡±


    ¡°I hope my life bes a little bit more interesting with you around, Alessandra. Come, I will walk you out,¡± Edgar stood up from his seat.


    He could hardly wait for the king to find out about the woman he was marrying. It would teach the man to stop meddling in his friend¡¯s affairs.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Alessandra epted the Duke¡¯s hand when he came to help her. ¡°You have a beautiful home. I am jealous of your paintings.¡±


    ¡°Do you enjoy painting?¡± It was the second time he heard her mention painting. He did not necessarily care about the art. He only brought it because of his mother badgering him to add more to his home.


    ¡°I do. It is rxing and a fun way to pass time. It takes a bit of practice but nothing willpare to the feeling when you finally nail the look you have been going for,¡± Alessandra was so focused on talking about paintings, she did not realize she was still holding onto Edgar¡¯s hand.


    Edgar did not mind it as he liked listening to her speak so fondly about her hobby. ¡°Then, I shall buy a couple of your works.¡±


    ¡°W-Why?¡± Alessandra choked up. She had never let anyone see her work for them to be able to buy any of them. ¡°I am not a professional.¡±


    ¡°I should at least buy it from someone I know. I have no idea who the people are that made the art in my home. Pick out the best ones you have to be ced around my home. I shall let Alfred take down some of the ones I have ced up-¡±


    ¡°Are you crazy?¡± Alessandra asked without thinking. Why on earth would he waste money on her paintings and take down the beautiful ones he had up?


    ¡°No, my doctor said I am not crazy as long as I don¡¯t-Never mind. This shall be your home too so you¡¯re free to decorate it as you see fit as thedy of this house. You should add pieces of what you like to make yourself at home and I shall pay for it.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± Alessandra muttered, now understanding what he was doing.

 Chapter 9

    Chapter 9: Last day (1)


    ¡°Shall I prepare an engagement ring for you or is there no need for it?¡± Alfred appeared beside Edgar at the front door. He stood with his hands behind his back watching Alessandra leave in her carriage.


    ¡°Prepare the ring for tomorrow morning. We will be visiting the Barrett¡¯s,¡± Edgar left the doorway once the carriage was almost out of his property. ¡°Make sure no one speaks of seeing her here before then.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Alfred closed the door behind Edgar. ¡°Should I also be the one to prepare the gifts for her family?¡±


    ¡°Cigars from my collection for the father, some kind of jewelry for the mother and daughter, and paint for Alessandra. Lots of it. I need some of the paintings taken down as I will be buying new ones from Alessandra to be ced. Also, take away some of the things in my chamber for her to have-¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be sharing a room!¡± Alfred eximed.


    Edgar paused to look behind him at Alfred. ¡°Why is that so shocking? She will be my wife Alfred. Aren¡¯t you the one who taught me to follow tradition?¡±


    ¡°Young master, nowhere in the tradition I have mentioned includes this type of situation. Did the youngdy agree to sleep with you? I hope you mentioned that to her first.¡±


    .....


    ¡°No, I mentioned thatst along with her being the mother of my children,¡± Edgar continued walking back to study.


    ¡°Children?¡± Alfred gripped his chest, unable to handle the information.


    ¡°You are being dramatic again Alfred,¡± Edgar refused to turn around to check on Alfred. ¡°I have work to do. If anyone else shows up, turn them away. Don¡¯t ask me any more questions or you will eventually add too much stress to your heart and die. Do you wish to die, Alfred?¡±


    ¡°No, young master. I wish to see these children you speak of. I will get to it right away.¡±


    ¡°Good. We¡¯re about to have some fun Alfred,¡± said Edgar.


    Meanwhile, Alessandra nervously sat in her carriage on the way back home. The situation dawned on her once she was away from Edgar and able to breathe normally. She pinched herself to be sure she wasn¡¯t still dreaming and had not woken up for the day.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to marry Duke Collins,¡± she said in disbelief. Who would have thought her asking him in the spur of the moment would lead to this? Who would have thought he would go along with it? ¡°I¡¯m almost out of there.¡±


    Today would be herst day dealing with her family. After Edgar arrives tomorrow, Kate nor Katrina would be able to interfere with her. They could get upset with her for being the one engaged to Edgar and not Kate but they couldn¡¯ty a finger on her.


    She would be Edgar¡¯s woman and he was a man to never offend.


    ¡°I wonder what father would say. Will he finally show more interest in me?¡± Alessandra leaned her head against the wall as she thought about tomorrow. ¡°He might try to convince the Duke to marry Kate instead. Tomorrow will be a chaotic day,¡± she closed her eyes, enjoying the peace while itsted.


    As the carriage returned home, Alessandra wasn¡¯t surprised to see a figure standing with its arms folded by the door. Her father knew his wife wouldn¡¯t be pleased about her leaving home and Alessandra had made sure to leave before Katrina could stop her. First Kate and now it was Katrina¡¯s turn.


    When the carriage stopped, Alessandra opened her door herself since everyone was afraid to get too close to her. She kept her head down to avoid looking at Katrina as she walked to the entrance of their home.


    ¡°Good morning Katrina,¡± she greeted the woman as she neared her.


    Katrina on the other hand did not return the greeting. ¡°Your father must have lost his mind to allow you to leave home. Do the two of you wish to sully this house even more? What would others say if they were to learn that you were riding around amongst them?¡±


    ¡°I-I did not leave the carriage mother-¡±


    ¡°Do not call me that! How many times must I tell you that I am not your mother? Your own mother ran away and left you here to be raised by your father. I am not going to do her job for her. Neither you nor your father seems to realize what I have to put up with a person like you. I made it clear you should not be seen,¡± Katrina was furious to learn Desmond allowed Alessandra to leave without consulting her.


    ¡°Do you not understand the trouble you cause for us, Alessandra? Our reputation almost hit rock bottom because of that incident. Never ask to leave this ce again or I will see to it that you may never leave your bedroom. Just the sight of you infuriates me. Why on earth couldn¡¯t you have followed your mother?¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry,¡± Alessandra apologized with her head still low.


    ¡°Get back to your room. Your presence drains my mood and I am tired of seeing those masks. I cannot wait for the day you shall no longer be here. I hope you enjoyed your day out since it will never happen again. Ridiculous,¡± Katrina muttered, turning her back on Alessandra to leave.


    Alessandra touched her mask making sure it was still in ce. ¡®She speaks as if they weren¡¯t a part of why I wear it.¡¯


    One of the things Alessandra hated was how she had to act timid around her family. She found it best to pretend to be that way and take their scolding but having to be that way was irritating.


    The second thing she hated was Katrina¡¯s need to constantly bring up her mother who ran away from her marriage. Katrina was speaking based on what her husband wanted her to hear and not the entire truth.


    ¡®It¡¯ll all be over soon,¡¯ Alessandra said to cheer herself up.


    It was unfortunate the day might go by slowly now that she really wanted tomorrow toe quickly. A lot could happen before it was time for Edgar to visit her home.


    ¡°Stay out of sight.¡± It was the best thing to do in order to avoid more idents happening.


    Edgar might have already picked up someone had hurt her hand but Alessandra did not want to involve him in her family affairs and drama. She was well aware he could punish Kate for her but she did not wish for that to happen.


    Alessandra wanted to give her family the life they have dreamed about. A life without her in it. Involving Edgar in it would only cause too many problems. It was best to cut ties with her family peacefully as she did not hold a grudge for the way she had been treated.


    Alessandra hurried back to her room to avoid running back into Katrina or meeting Kate again. However, upon reaching her door she was puzzled to find it slightly ajar as if someone had been inside of it after she left.


    It could have been Katrina confirming that her father allowed her to leave. That was what Alessandra hoped but her anxiety increased seeing Kate standing by her window.


    ¡°Kate,¡± she called out to her sister.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re back already? In time to witness the fun. My mother said we were not allowed to have pets. Imagine my surprise when I saw this little creature in here,¡± Kate held up the kitten Alessandra had been feeding. She was holding it outside the window prepared to drop it right before Alessandra arrived.


    ¡°Kate, I will take care of it. Please do not harm an innocent creature,¡± Alessandra took careful steps forward wishing to take the kitten before Kate could do the unthinkable.


    ¡°You irritate me, Alessandra. Father was mad at me for what happened this morning and for not being able to talk to the Dukest night. It¡¯s all your fault, Alessandra. Remember that,¡± Kate threw the kitten out the window against a nearby tree and peered down to see it fall.


    Initially, Kate had only meant to drop the kitten outside the window for it to wander away but seeing Alessandra back from her trip made her furious. If she could, she would¡¯ve taken it somewhere higher to drop it.


    ¡°I told you never to-Hey!¡± Kate yelled when Alessandra ran out of the room instead of listening to her.

 Chapter 10

    Chapter 10: Last day (2)


    ¡°Please be alright,¡± Alessandra chanted in her head over and over as she ran outside to check on the kitten.


    Kate reached a whole new low today for hurting such a small animal all over a conversation with the Duke. No one would believe Alessandra if she were to say what Kate had just done due to her jealousy. They would focus on the fact she was hiding a kitten when Katrina hated having pets around.


    ¡°W-Why is she running around?¡±


    Alessandra ignored the whispers from the maids as she ran by. This was supposed to be herst day then she and the kitten would go live with the Duke. Why were things already going wrong?


    ¡°No,¡± Alessandra teared up, finding the kitten trembling down below the tree Kate threw it against. It was so young she knew it wouldn¡¯t be able to survive this but she was hoping for the best. She got down on her knees to try to help the small animal. ¡°Kitty, I¡¯m here.¡±


    Her eyes filled with water hearing the kitten cry out and shake out of pain. ¡°What do I do?¡± Alessandra asked herself. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt you any further. This is my fault. I should have hid you better or taken you with me.¡±


    ¡°We have to take you to someone for help,¡± Alessandra gently scooped up the kitten in her hand.


    .....


    There had to be someone who would be able to help her. Her father should be able to pay for someone to help since this was Kate¡¯s fault. Alessandra hurried back inside in search of her father.


    ¡°Hang in there kitty. I will get rid of the pain. Have you seen my father?¡± Alessandra asked a passing maid but the young girl looked away from her to avoid looking at her face and refused to answer. ¡°Where is he!¡± She yelled out of frustration.


    The maid flinched, taken aback by Alessandra¡¯s loud voice. ¡°He¡¯s not here. The baron left a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°Why are you yelling at a servant? Have you lost your mind after your trip?¡± Katrina heard themotion as she was heading in the other direction. ¡°What is that thing in your hand Alessandra? I made it quite clear I do not want pets in this house.¡±


    ¡°Fix this,¡± Alessandra showed Katrina the kitten. ¡°Kate threw it out my window. It just needs to be looked at by a doctor and then I¡¯ll find a new owner.¡±


    ¡°You want me to believe that my daughter did this? Why was it here in the first ce? Throw it out, it already looks dead-¡±


    ¡°Your daughter did this! For once in your life hold her ountable for what she has done!¡± Alessandra refused to back down this time. It was alright for them to hurt and pick at her but the kitten was an innocent defenseless creature.


    ¡°You insolent child,¡± Katrina walked up to Alessandra and pped her in the face, almost knocking off the mask she was wearing. ¡°Never speak of my parenting.¡±


    Alessandra wasn¡¯t phased by the p as she expected it but she wasn¡¯t going to take back her words. Kate did many horrible things but in everyone¡¯s eyes, she remained an angel while Alessandra was called a witch, demon, ghost, and more all because she wore a mask.


    Alessandra started tough since life was nothing more than a joke. The action caught Katrina off guard and the maid thought Alessandra had truly lost her mind.


    ¡°This house is frustrating,¡± Alessandra muttered after she stoppedughing.


    None of them was going to make up for what Kate did. They didn¡¯t have the heart to feel sorry for the kitten. Her father was not going to go up against Katrina and agree to get rid of the kitten.


    ¡®This is pointless,¡¯ Alessandra realized. She felt stupid for thinking anyone here would be able to help her but she was so concerned for the kitten, she forgot the type of people she lived with.


    There was nothing she could do for the poor kitten right now. She had no money to run away and find a doctor and upon seeing her mask, no one would let her into their business. The only thing she could do for now was to tend to the kitten and when the Duke arrives tomorrow, she would give him the kitten for him to help it.


    ¡°Are you not going to apologize for your rude words, Alessandra?¡± Katrina had been patiently waiting for Alessandra to say sorry like she always did but it was taking long.


    If her husband had given her permission to raise Alessandra as she saw fit, they wouldn¡¯t be stuck with her. Katrina had a n to send her off somewhere to live alone. A rtive had a small farm which would have been perfect for Alessandra.


    There was also the option of marrying her off to someone who did not care about the rumors and just wanted a woman to bear their heirs.


    ¡°There is nothing for me to apologize for,¡± Alessandra turned around to go back to her room. The Duke would be the only one to help the kitten. She needed to spend less time interacting with Katrina or Kate and more time tending to the kitten¡¯s needs.


    ¡°You there,¡± Katrina called to the maid. ¡°Take that thing and throw it out or you will be fired.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± The maid did not see why she had to get involved in the feud the baroness had with the young woman. Alessandra was already angry and could curse them at any point in time.


    ¡°I made my order quite clear. Either you throw the animal in her hand out or you will be out of a job. Do it now,¡± Katrina folded her arms, waiting on the maid to do her dirty work. That¡¯s why they were paid to do anyway.


    ¡°M-Mydy,¡± the young maid turned to Alessandra. She was scared of both Alessandra and Katrina but her job was on the line.


    ¡°Touch me or this kitten and I will kill you. Mark my words,¡± Alessandra warned the maid. She did not care about anyone getting fired if she did not hand over the kitten. The kitten was her main priority above anyone else.


    ¡°You are threatening our servants now? Good, you have officially lost your mind. I will make sure to inform your father of this. As yourst order,¡± Katrina looked at the now fired maid. ¡°Inform the butler that Alessandra is to be locked in her room. No one is to interact with her and no food is to be sent to her room until she has learned her lesson.¡±


    ¡°Be sure to collect yourst payment while you do so. It will be cut for you not being useful. Get out of my sight, both of you,¡± said Katrina. Today would be thest day she took any disrespect from Alessandra.


    Katrina had a mission to get rid of Alessandra whether it be sending her away, marrying her off, or even poisoning her if needed. Alessandra¡¯s rumors affected her husband¡¯s reputation along with the ones about hisst marriage. She would help him by cutting away thest thing from that marriage.


    Alessandra hurried away from the scene still not caring about what Katrina ordered the maid to do. She experienced having little to no food and being locked away in her room too many times for it to no longer be seen as punishment.


    Katrina had granted her blessing without realizing it. She wanted to care for the kitten without anyone interrupting her. Until the Duke arrived tomorrow, she wanted to be alone.


    ¡°Hold on till tomorrow little one. He wille for us.¡±

 Chapter 11

    Chapter 11: Marry your daughter (1)


    ¡°Katrina, hasn¡¯t this punishment gone on long enough? She has not been given any food since yesterday morning. The point was to make herfortable to never want to venture out of her bedroom, not make her want to retaliate,¡± said Desmond.


    He was sitting at the head of the table the next day after Alessandra was punished by his wife. He was certain the little freedom he gave Alessandra to ride around yesterday would have been enough to satisfy her curiosity about seeing the outside world. Now Katrina made his n backfired.


    ¡°She was disrespectful therefore she needed to be punished. You know how much I hate pets. Kate has been begging to get a small dog like the rest of her friends but I have repeatedly told her no. It wouldn¡¯t be fair for Alessandra to have one and not Kate,¡± Katrina replied.


    ¡°I agree with mother. If Alessandra gets to keep the cat then I shall have a dog father. Pretty please,¡± Kate started to beg. All her friends had the same small fluffy dog and she was the only one without. It was embarrassing. She should have whatever they have.


    ¡°Not a chance Kate. I am going to get rid of that animal. Alessandra will have food when she is ready to apologize for her behavior,¡± Katrina looked at her husband. She was putting her foot down this time and doing as she pleased with Alessandra.


    ¡°I don¡¯t disagree with you getting rid of the animal but I wanted Alessandra to be satisfied enough with being outside to stay in her room. Had you sent the food to her room the night of the party, she wouldn¡¯t have met with the Duke,¡± Desmond sighed, rubbing his temple.


    He heard nothing from Duke Edgar regarding Alessandra which was a good thing. However, he was nervous about the information he gave to the Duke. Was it worth something?


    .....


    ¡°It¡¯s not fair Alessandra got to speak with the Duke while I hardly spoke to him. I got dressed up for him and it went to waste. He¡¯s so hard to please,¡± Kate grumbled, stuffing her face with a biscuit.


    ¡°Kate, do not eat so quickly as you¡¯ll choke. Andy off the flour, we do not need you gaining too much weight. It is up to you to find a good husband to restore our finances. There will still be a chance for you to capture the Duke¡¯s attention. Who else can rival you?¡±


    Katrina thought highly of her daughter¡¯s looks and was confident enough that there would be no one else for the Duke to marry but Kate. It would have to be the princess wishing to marry the Duke but even then, Katrina would still view Kate as the better choice.


    ¡°The ball is in a few days and the Duke will be in attendance like every year. Your father has already received his invitation and I have a dress picked out for you. You have to practice your etiquette again and make sure you leave an impression on him. If not you¡¯ll have to marry one of the other offers you got,¡± said Katrina.


    ¡°None of them are better than the Duke. I would be a duchess when I marry the Duke. Can you imagine it mother,¡± Kate smiled, picturing herself in that position. She knew she was destined for great things which would happen after bing a duchess.


    Katrina smiled along with Kate enjoying how determined her daughter was. She knew Kate would never fail her. If Kate married the Duke, her status would elevate pass being the wife of a baron. She would be the mother of a duchess. ¡°Prepare well, Kate.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    ¡°You better,¡± Desmond warned his youngest. They were putting a lot of money into dressing Kate for the Duke. Katrina assured them they would get the money back when the Duke offered them gifts for their daughter.


    ¡°Baron,¡± a maid approached the table with her head low.


    ¡°What on earth are you doing? It is a rule that our breakfast is not meant to be interrupted by anyone. Where is the butler?¡± Katrina grilled the maid. She set rules for there to be order in the home andtely every rule was being broken.


    ¡°The butler went out to run an errand for me, Katrina. It must be something important for the maid toe here. What is it,¡± Desmond ced his cup down and waited.


    ¡°Duke Edgar Collins is here to pay a visit to you, baron. He is here with his butler.¡±


    ¡°The Duke!¡± Kate eximed, almost choking on a piece of bread. ¡°Mother,¡± she looked to her right.


    ¡°I was not aware that he would be visiting. Desmond, did you know of this?¡± Katrina looked at her husband. There was so much she would have done if she knew the Duke would be paying their house a visit.


    Desmond was just as surprised as everyone else to hear the Duke was here. Edgar did not leave the party looking too happy after he was given the information about the missing girls. Was Edgar here to kill him? Or maybe...


    There was a chance he was here for Kate.


    ¡°What are you doing standing here? Send the Duke in right away,¡± Desmond ordered the maid. It wasn¡¯t right to keep the Duke waiting for so long.


    ¡°S-Should I change quickly?¡± Kate stood unsure of what to do. She knew she looked good but was this good enough to impress Edgar?


    ¡°Sit down. If you run away now and return it¡¯ll be too obvious to Edgar you went and changed. You must not let him know you changed clothes just to impress him. Remember to do as you were taught,¡± Katrina said as she fixed her appearance by looking at her reflection in a ss.


    Kate did the same to fix anything wrong with what she was wearing. She pushed the biscuits away regretting how much she had been eating. ¡°He¡¯s here,¡± she whispered as Edgar entered the room followed by the man everyone knew to be his butler.


    There were boxes in the butler¡¯s hands which made Kate wonder if the Duke had brought them gifts and if so, what was the reason?


    ¡°Good morning Duke Edgar. To what do I owe this lovely visit?¡± Desmond stood up to greet Edgar. He extended out his hand to shake with Edgar but it was left hanging in the air.


    ¡°Young master,¡± Alfred took a step close to Edgar. ¡°You are here to marry his daughter. Be nice,¡± he whispered softly.


    On the inside, Edgar rolled his eyes but on the outside, he gave the baron a smile and shook his hand. ¡°I have something to discuss with you, baron.¡±


    ¡°Should we go to my study to talk?¡± Desmond pointed in that direction. He was curious about what the butler told Edgar to make him shake his hand.


    ¡°No, it is something to discuss with your entire family.¡± Looking at the table, Edgar didn¡¯t miss how the table was only set for three people which meant Alessandra did not eat with her family.


    ¡°Entire family?¡± Desmond looked back at Katrina. ¡°I see. Please have a seat. Would you like something to eat-¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Edgar held up his hand to stop the baron. ¡°I have already eaten.¡±


    Edgar sat down in an empty seat purposely avoiding the looks Kate was giving him. ¡°Baron, you must be aware of the rumors that I am looking for a wife. After some time to think, I have made up my mind to marry your daughter, Alessandra.¡±


    Edgar wanted to get this out of the way quickly to see what his future wife was doing.

 Chapter 12

    Chapter 12: Marry your daughter (2)


    ¡°Alessandra?¡± The baron was certain he heard Edgar wrong but thanks to the gasp from Katrina and the look of horror on Kate¡¯s face, he knew he heard it clearly. ¡°Duke Edgar, why would you want to marry Alessandra? There are many rumors around her that will affect your reputation.¡±


    ¡°I am not the type to be concerned about my reputation. There are plenty of rumors surrounding me so I hope you don¡¯t think of how they shall affect your reputation through me visiting,¡± Edgar replied, flipping the baron¡¯s words.


    Edgar enjoyed the nervousness in the air as the baron tried quickly to clear up what he meant.


    ¡°You and my daughter are two different kinds of people. You are special-¡±


    ¡°And your daughter is not?¡± Edgar red at the trifling man. He had a low opinion of the baron and now that opinion was down below in the underworld.


    Desmond¡¯s palms started to sweat. He did not want to be viewed as a bad father. ¡°That is not what I meant. Out of my two daughters, Kate would be the better choice. She is the talk of the town and has a long list of suitors but she has been saving herself for a man like you-¡±


    ¡°Then she shall be fine with my rejection and I am not so certain about saving herself. The red light district is quite busy these days,¡± said Edgar as recalled what was mentioned at the baron¡¯s party.


    .....


    ¡°What?¡± Katrina looked at her daughter in confusion. ¡°Kate would never visit such a ce, Duke Edgar. I agree with my husband that Alessandra is not suited for a man like you. Kate has been raised to be the perfect wife.¡±


    ¡°The more all of you talk I get the understanding that you havepletely cast Alessandra aside. Is she not meant to get married? Should she stay with her father her entire life? I will say this only once. I am not interested in Kate,¡± Edgar shot down the advances for thest time. ¡°I am here for Alessandra. Where is she?¡±


    ¡°Duke Edgar, it is rude of you to keep asking about Alessandra when we have told you she is not a good choice for your wife. If this is some kind of a joke between you and my husband it is not funny. Surely you have heard the rumors,¡± Katrina said in a calm tone but on the inside, she was fuming.


    Katrina didn¡¯t understand why Edgar woulde asking for Alessandra. He could not have fallen for Alessandra after the small conversation they had. That was impossible. Who would love someone like Alessandra?


    ¡°I am well aware of all the rumors about your entire family. Is there some reason you are not bringing out Alessandra for her to speak with me? She will need to ept the proposal. Is something wrong with her?¡± Edgar looked to Desmond for the answer.


    The three of them looked nervous each time he mentioned wanting to see Alessandra. Surely, she wasn¡¯t dead before they officially got engaged.


    ¡°The thing is...¡± Desmond trailed off, uncertain of how to go about this situation. ¡°Alessandra needs to be sheltered from the outside world. People who have run into her are never kind, which is why she stays here with me. She isfortable here with her mask. Kate on the other hand-¡±


    ¡°Take me to her. Baron, outside of me doing this because I want to marry her, there is something truly odd about the rtionship you have with your daughter. If there is a single strand of hair out of ce, I will see to it that you are punished. Are we clear?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes, Duke Edgar. I will bring Alessandra to you,¡± Desmond stood up but Edgar shook his head.


    ¡°Take me to her,¡± Edgar was smart enough to know if he allowed someone to bring Alessandra they would just threaten her. He wanted to see firsthand what life was like for Alessandra. Outside of the rumors, what pushed her to suggest a contract marriage?


    Katrina clenched her fists under the table. There was nothing they could do when the Duke was so determined to see Alessandra. If they were to im Alessandra is sick now it would only make things suspicious as if they had done something to her.


    ¡®My poor daughter,¡¯ Katrina could only think of Kate. Her daughter sat silently trying to figure out why she wasn¡¯t the one chosen.


    Katrina didn¡¯t want her to marry a man crazy enough to propose to Alessandra but this was the Duke. How could they allow Alessandra to marry a man with such status while Kate is ignored? She had a feeling Alessandra left off way more than what she spoke about with the Duke.


    ¡°Alessandra is not suited for you,¡± Kate spoke up. The shock was over and now she was ready to fight for what belonged to her.


    Edgar smiled, enjoying how much they were trying to push him away from picking Alessandra. ¡°I know better than anyone else who is suited for me unless you are questioning my ability to think? Is there a reason I cannot see your daughter, baron? Do I need to-¡±


    ¡°No! I will take you to her right away but Alessandra will give you the same answer Duke. She doesn¡¯t like to be seen by others. I don¡¯t know what was discussed when you met her but you might¡¯ve gotten the wrong impression.¡± Desmond was going to do whatever he could to switch the Duke¡¯s attention from Alessandra to Kate.


    Desmond always thought of the Duke to be strange but not strange enough to want to marry Alessandra. He was sure once Edgar got a good look at Alessandra now he would see Kate was a better choice.


    ¡°Baron, you talk too much,¡± Edgar said as he stood up. The more the man talked the more he was tempted to strangle him but as Alfred said, he was here to ask for his daughter¡¯s hand in marriage so he had to be nice.


    ¡°What?¡± Desmond was taken aback by Edgar¡¯s words. He was merely trying to help him save his reputation. He was not convinced the Duke did not care about his reputation. Everyone did. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. This way,¡± he shut his mouth afterward.


    The Duke will change his mind anyway.


    ¡°Alfred, stay here,¡± Edgar told his butler. Alfred would be his eyes and ears for whatever the two women said or did.


    Edgar quietly followed the baron to Alessandra¡¯s bedroom. He wondered if she would be happy to see he had arrived early instead of dying his arrival. Would she be happy to see the expressions on her family¡¯s faces?


    ¡°This is it. Alessandra,¡± Desmond knocked on the door. He was hoping she would sound asleep and would not be able to hear him but to his surprise, she opened the door after the second knock. ¡°We have a guest.¡±


    The moment Alessandra opened the door, Edgar¡¯s eyes went to one thing. It wasn¡¯t the blue mask she decided to wear today but how red her eyes were. ¡°What happened?¡± He asked.


    ¡°You see-¡±


    ¡°I asked her, baron. What happened, Alessandra?¡± Edgar reached out his hand to rub below her right eye which wasn¡¯t covered by a mask. ¡°Tell me, quickly.¡±


    Alessandra nced at her father for a moment and saw how nervous he was. The Duke must have mentioned marriage already. ¡°My kitten was hurt yesterday and has passed away. I am on punishment therefore I could not leave to bury it. Why are you here, Duke Edgar?¡± She asked, feigning ignorance.


    ¡°I havee to ask for your hand in marriage but your family seems to think it is a bad decision. What do you think, Alessandra? Will you say yes?¡±

 Chapter 13

    Chapter 13: True colors (1)


    ¡°I ept your proposal, Duke Edgar. Father, I would like to marry the Duke.¡±


    Desmond was surprised to hear Alessandra ept Edgar¡¯s proposal but he kept himself reserved. ¡°Alessandra, the Duke is not an ordinary man. You¡¯ll be in the spotlight after you marry him. Why don¡¯t you take some time to think about it, hmm?¡±


    Desmond tried to usher her back into her bedroom but Edgar ced his foot to block him from going near to Alessandra.


    A small smile appeared on Alessandra¡¯s face upon hearing this. For the Duke to propose to anyone¡¯s daughter was a great honor but as it was her and not Kate, her father was against it. Typical.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need time to think about it father. I wish to marry the Duke,¡± Alessandra said, ignoring the look her father gave to her for not listening. She looked at the Duke instead. ¡°I would be honored to be your wife, Duke Edgar.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful. I have prepared your family a couple of small gifts for this moment baron. My butler has the gifts if you wish to see them now. I would like to have a word with your daughter. Alone,¡± Edgar added so the baron would get the clear hint to leave.


    ¡°Gifts?¡± Desmond¡¯s eyes lit up hearing the one word. He heard nothing else Edgar said to him.


    .....


    He thought about the situation quickly now that there would be gifts involved. Edgar was a stubborn man so pushing Kate when he clearly did not want anything to do with her wouldn¡¯t work no matter how much they tried. Kate needed to seduce the man on her own.


    Alessandra was shy and needed guidance therefore the baron knew he could control and use her to get the Duke to help them out of the financial hole they fell in. Also, with Alessandra close to Edgar, Kate still had a chance to woo him before the wedding could happen.


    The big problem was Katrina. She might kill him if he allowed Alessandra to be Edgar¡¯s fiance. He knew he had no choice but to keep pushing for Kate.


    ¡®I can make this work in my favor,¡¯ Desmond mentally calcted all that he could gain from this.


    ¡°Baron,¡± Edgar snapped his fingers in front of the baron¡¯s face. They had been waiting a good minute or so watching the baron just stare at nothing.


    ¡°Duke Edgar, while I am honored you have taken an interest in Alessandra, as her father I know what is best for her and I shall decline your proposal. Again, I suggest you consider my daughter Kate.¡±


    ¡°Alessandra, would you be so kind to step into your room for a moment,¡± Edgar said with a smile but it was evident it didn¡¯t reach his eyes.


    Alessandra nodded, stepped back into the room, and closed the door. She jumped when there was a loud thud on the other side like someone had run into her door. She didn¡¯t flinch the second time she heard the noise again.


    ¡°Is this the Duke¡¯s way of convincing someone?¡± She asked herself. Her poor father must be trembling in fear. Why did she have to miss that sight?


    ¡°Alessandra,¡± her father called followed by a knock after.


    ¡°That fast?¡± She muttered, opening the door to hear her father¡¯s decision.


    Alessandra watched Edgar fix the cuffs of his shirt while her father looked distraught. He was here to ask for her hand in marriage not cause a funeral.


    ¡°After some time to think, it would be wonderful if you could get married to Edgar. He wishes to speak with you so I shall leave,¡± Desmond ran off the first chance he got. His back was aching thanks to Edgar lifting him up to throw him against the door.


    ¡°What did you do and say to him?¡± Asked Alessandra. It had to be something damaging to make her father give up on pushing Kate as his wife.


    ¡°I am a man with a lot of information and your father is a man with a handful of crimes in his pocket. I¡¯ll allow one of them to slip by this one time but after we are officially married, I can¡¯t help it if he is investigated for them,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°Wow,¡± was the only thing Alessandra could say. She was amazed by how easy it was for him to threaten someone to get what he wanted. Knowledge certainly was power and whatever the Duke knew scared her father. ¡°Do you ever worry that others will kill you for knowing their business?¡±


    ¡°If I am always one step ahead of them I have nothing to worry about. Do not worry. Your husband will not die anytime soon. Can Ie in to talk? Anyone could be listening to us,¡± Edgar looked down the empty hall but he knew looks could be deceiving, and sometimes walls had ears thanks to secret ces in homes.


    ¡°Oh, right,¡± Alessandra stepped aside for him toe in. She did not care about what gossip could form by himing into her room alone as they were going to be married anyway. ¡°It¡¯s not as grand as your home but it is my space to get away.¡±


    ¡°Seems more like a prison,¡± Edgar had enough of them on his property to know a holding cell when he saw one. ¡°This is your art,¡± he picked up one of the canvases she had stacked up against a wall.


    ¡°I prefer not to call it a prison. That would make my life seem much sadder. I like to think of it as the only ce where anyone could be free,¡± Alessandra intently watched Edgar inspect her bedroom.


    ¡°From the looks of your family, I could see why you think that. Are you not allowed to leave here? Why weren¡¯t you at breakfast or was that your own choice,¡± he carefully ced the canvas back in its ce.


    ¡°I am on punishment,¡± Alessandra said, not keeping what happened a secret. ¡°Kate threw my kitten out the window but as always, no one believes how she is. I am meant to be here until I am ready to apologize.¡±


    ¡°If you do, I will not marry you,¡± Edgar wanted her to have more of a backbone and no longer give in to what her family wanted.


    ¡°I never nned to. My kitten died because of Kate¡¯s jealousy and I would never apologize for how angry I am feeling. I have to bury it once the punishment is lifted. Edgar is it still an option for me toe and live with you until we get married,¡± Alessandra no longer wanted to stay with her family.


    Edgar leaned back against a wall, folding his arms. ¡°No.¡±


    Alessandra didn¡¯t understand why he wouldn¡¯t agree to it when he was the one to mention it first. ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Alessandra, I won¡¯t have a wife who allows others to walk over her. Don¡¯t let them run you away from here with your tail between your legs or allow them to torture you any further. You are going to be my wife. My name carries more power than you seem to realize. Use it,¡± he advised her.


    Alessandra might not notice it yet but things were slowly starting to change due to this one visit. Her family could no longery a hand on her because of her soon-to-be husband.


    ¡°I did not want to use your name to deal with my family drama. I just wanted it to be able to leave,¡± Alessandra replied. ¡°It would feel wrong. You marrying me is already more than enough.¡±


    ¡°Do not run away from here, a coward, Alessandra. Gracefully leave this ce with your head up. I don¡¯t care how you use my name to torture these people here, just do it. Stop pretending to be afraid because you think it¡¯s safer to cower than to fight back. That act you do ends now. Don¡¯t you agree?¡±


    Edgar extended his hand out for Alessandra to take for them to rejoin her family. ¡°Start gaining that confidence you spoke of.¡±


    There were a lot of things Alessandra wanted to do in her home if she had someone to back her. Not that she did, she almost let the opportunity slip to do as she pleased. Deep down, she was d the Duke was pushing her in this direction.


    She was wearing more than one mask in her life. The physical one to hide her face and the one she used to act timidly in front of her family. One of those masks had toe off today.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she epted Edgar¡¯s hand.

 Chapter 14

    Chapter 14: True colors (2)


    ¡°Desmond, you cannot be considering Alessandra being the one to marry the Duke,¡± Katrina said when Desmond returned to the table.


    ¡°He is hell-bent on marrying Alessandra and she has agreed. I have no choice but to entertain it,¡± Desmond took up a napkin from the table to clean the sweat dripping from his forehead. ¡°He threatened me.¡±


    ¡°Still, we have to think about Kate here. Do you know how embarrassing it will be for her to lose Edgar to Alessandra? For heaven¡¯s sake, the girl wears a mask. Has the Duke seen her face? Something isn¡¯t right?¡± Katrina couldn¡¯t make sense of what was happening.


    ¡°Did you find out what was said between the two of them the night of the party? Alessandra had to be lying. She must be threatening the Duke,¡± Kate concluded. It was the only thing making sense to her.


    ¡°Kate, how on earth would Alessandra be able to threaten a man like Edgar when she is always here?¡± Desmond was trying to make sense of the situation but the theory Kate came up with was ridiculous. ¡°I have said many times that man is unpredictable. We will never understand why he picked Alessandra.¡±


    ¡°Father, you can¡¯t allow him to marry her. I have worked too hard for a moment like this for it to go to Alessandra. She is only agreeing to this to irk me. I will speak with the Duke,¡± Kate¡¯s chair screeched as she stood up. There was no way she would lose to Alessandra again.


    ¡°Speak with me about what?¡± Edgar asked as he entered the dining room but he was not alone. Alessandra was right beside him holding his hand as she walked. ¡°I¡¯m sure the baron has told you the good news that Alessandra and I shall wed soon. Alfred, the gifts.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Yes young master,¡± Alfred moved as quickly as he could to ce each of the gifts in front of the three family members.


    ¡°There will be more gifts to be delivered here but this is just a small taste of what is toe. I hope it is to your liking. Do you wish to sit Alessandra?¡± Edgar pulled out a chair for her.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Alessandra replied and took a seat in the chair. The first person her eyes went to was Kate since her sister was the one watching her the most. ¡°You have not opened the gift Kate.¡±


    ¡°You...¡± Kate started but stopped herself when she met the Duke¡¯s eyes. They were daring her to say something he wouldn¡¯t like. ¡®Why is he acting like this now?¡¯ She thought.


    ¡°Alessandra, please enlighten us about what is happening. Why did you say yes to the Duke? You are not one to want to get married,¡± said Katrina.


    ¡°No one has ever asked me, mother. I am thrilled to marry a man like the Duke. I¡¯ve heard many good things about him thanks to Kate. Isn¡¯t he a good man Kate?¡± Alessandra nced at her fuming sister.


    ¡°He was mine,¡± Kate replied, ignoring her father signaling for her to shut up. She sat back down unable to stand and watch the Duke be protective of Alessandra.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember ever giving you that idea, Kate. I thought we had gotten rid of the drug which causes one to see things that are not real. Are they still around, baron?¡± Edgar said as he stood over where Alessandra sat.


    ¡°Of course not. It has been gotten rid of a long time ago-¡±


    ¡°As I recall, you took quite a few of them. I would hate to know your younger daughter has gotten her hands on them. If that is the case I shall pity her desperate attempts to gain my affection when I stated I would never have any romantic feelings for her. I can take you to get treated,¡± Edgar offered Kate.


    Her delusion in thinking they were something more than strangers irked his soul.


    ¡°I would have been able to take you at the same time I would have taken Alessandra¡¯s kitten to be healed but it has unfortunately passed away. To be thrown against something is quite painful. Isn¡¯t that right, baron?¡± Edgar subtly recalled his earlier conversation with the baron.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Desmond could still feel the pain from being thrown against Alessandra¡¯s door by Edgar.


    ¡°No offense Duke Edgar but you cannot waltz into our home and get involved with our family issues. You are not married to Alessandra as yet. Whatever happened to the kitten is none of your concern. Alessandra knows there are no pets allowed,¡± Katrina did not want the issue with the kitten discussed since Kate¡¯s name would be mentioned.


    ¡°Forgive me, Alessandra is now my fiance, and anything that makes her upset concerns me. I care for her so much I could kill anyone who upsets her,¡± Edgar red at Kate. He had a feeling out of the three, Kate was the one harming Alessandra the most.


    He had one thing inmon with Alessandra so far. A dislike for Kate.


    Kate fidgeted in her seat as she picked up on the warning Edgar was sending her. She clenched her fists out of anger under the table to the point her nails were painfully digging into her skin but she didn¡¯t feel anything.


    Edgar ced his hand on Alessandra¡¯s shoulder for her to start speaking up.


    ¡°I have not eaten yet. Please set the table for me mother,¡± Alessandra said to Katrina.


    Katrina scoffed, disgusted by Alessandra calling her mother and ordering her to set the table for her. ¡®She¡¯s finally showing how crazy she is,¡¯ Katrina bit her tongue to refrain from arguing with Alessandra.


    The Duke was standing behind Alessandra defensively like an animal waiting to attack anyone who offended its master. Katrina had many things to say to Alessandra but she would wait for when the Duke left.


    ¡°Katrina, do it now.¡± Desmond felt like he was the only one seeing the gravity of the situation they were in. The Duke for some reason was smitten by Alessandra which meant they could not trouble his daughter or Edgar might truly kill them


    Desmond knew the true face of Edgar Collins, unlike his wife and daughter. The man was merely toying with them right now but once he got bored, his true personality would show up.


    ¡°Thanks to the punishment, I have not eaten since yesterday morning. You have to hurry before the food bes cold, mother.¡± Alessandra made sure to add emphasis to the word mother to get under Katrina¡¯s skin.


    She nned to make this house ufortable for the three of them just as it was for her.


    ¡°I will be back,¡± Katrina suddenly didn¡¯t mind leaving since she needed to grab hold of something to break.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t there maids stationed in the dining room to fetch whatever you need?¡± Asked Edgar. He knew the baron was running low on funds but he did not know it was this bad.


    Why did the idiot just throw a party when he could have used that money to hire more workers or to invest in something?


    Desmond¡¯s forehead continued to sweat as he felt embarrassed. ¡°If you had given me a notice you would be arriving, I would have ced the maids in here to serve you and Alessandra well.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying I should have given you a heads up so you could ce an illusion as if you have many workers?¡± Edgar saw right through Desmond¡¯s bullshit.


    Alessandra smiled, enjoying her father being called out and the sight of him unable to talk back to the Duke. She realized now that her father could only pick on those he viewed as beneath him. Alessandra finally saw how pathetic he truly was.


    While Alessandra was enjoying her father breaking down, the sight of her smiling angered Kate even more.


    ¡°Are you enjoying this Alessandra? Ha, this is ridiculous,¡± Kate scoffed. ¡°Don¡¯t think this willst long.¡±


    ¡°You should work on getting over your jealousy Kate. Green is not a good look for you,¡± Alessandra replied.


    Edgar snickered due to the fact Kate was wearing a green dress so Alessandra¡¯s words had a double meaning. He wanted to apud her for slowlying out of her shell.


    ¡°You!¡± Kate smacked the table and abruptly stood up. ¡°Do you think his interest in you willst long after he sees what is under that mask? Edgar, before you confirm this marriage, shouldn¡¯t you take a look at her face? Aren¡¯t you curious about what she is hiding? She¡¯s truly repulsive once you see it. Shall we show him, Alessandra?¡±


    Alessandra could not respond to Kate¡¯s words as she could not show Edgar her face yet as she was not that confident.


    ¡°There is no need for me to do that,¡± Edgar answered in ce of Alessandra. ¡°I have seen her face without the mask before. How dare you stand here and lie about her face to me?¡±


    Alessandra¡¯s eyes went wide hearing his confession. She could not ce where the Duke would have ever been able to see her face without the mask. She only took it off in her bedroom. Unless he saw her when she was younger before the ident happened and she chose to wear a mask.

 Chapter 15

    Chapter 15: Cold-hearted (1)


    ¡°I¡¯m lying about her face?¡± Kate said the words slowly to make sense of them. How on earth could she be lying about how disgusting Alessandra¡¯s face was? It led her to believe Edgar had not seen Alessandra¡¯s face and was lying to her. ¡°I am not the liar here, Edgar.¡±


    ¡°I will excuse you for what you said as they say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. You don¡¯t seem to have a good eye Kate. Alessandra¡¯s beauty is none of your concern as you are not the one marrying here. I suggest you either sit back down or leave before you irritate me more than you already have.¡±


    ¡°Edgar, please be kind to my sister. Kate has always liked you so this will be hard for her to handle. Please understand,¡± Alessandra said, adding salt to Kate¡¯s wound.


    ¡°I am the only sane one here,¡± Kate stormed off, tired of trying to be the voice of reason for Edgar.


    ¡°I will speak with her,¡± Desmond said then scurried off to stop Kate. He felt the need to smackmon sense into her since she wasn¡¯t using her brain. ¡°Kate, wait for me. Do not walk away from me.¡±


    ¡°What do you want, father?¡± Kate turned around revealing tears threatening from her eyes. ¡°Are you here to make me go back and ce nice with Alessandra? That was supposed to be me. She is stealing my dream and you are just letting it happen. All for what, a gift?¡±


    ¡°You stupid girl. Do you think I wanted Alessandra to be the one to marry Edgar? I already made a deal for her to marry someone else and now I am screwed. You have not lost Edgar yet,¡± Desmond looked off to the side plotting how they would make use of this situation.


    .....


    Kate wiped away a fallen tear confused as to how she had not lost. ¡°He came to ask for her hand in marriage.¡±


    ¡°Kate, it takes a while to n for a wedding and there are those moments where the person you were looking to marry can change. Edgar might start off wanting to marry Alessandra but if you y your cards right, his attention can shift to you. You need to stop acting like a child,¡± he scolded her.


    Desmond had a full view this morning of why Kate never caught Edgar¡¯s interest. She was too impulsive and childish in front of Edgar. She was acting like Edgar was just a random man off the street. ¡°When in the presence of the Duke you must act like a refineddy.¡±


    ¡°Alessandra will be your tool to get close to the Duke. Alessandra is scared of you so be kind to her in theseing days. If sheins to the Duke about you, he will not want to be around you. Go back there and apologize for what you did to that kitten.¡±


    ¡°Father!¡± Kate eximed. It was one thing to y nice with Alessandra but it was another to have to apologize when Alessandra deserved it. It was just an animal anyway.


    ¡°You!¡± Desmond raised his hand in the air to p Kate but stopped himself. ¡°Kate, so help me I will p you. Do you think you¡¯ll get close to Alessandra when she is upset about the kitten? You can¡¯t get to the Duke if you don¡¯t have a good rtionship with her. What matters most now? Your pride or letting Edgar slip out your fingers?¡±


    ¡°Edgar obviously,¡± Kate muttered but it still hurt her deeply to have to apologize. ¡°My wedding better make everyone jealous of me,¡± she finally agreed to her father¡¯s ns.


    ¡°Good,¡± Desmond pped his hands. ¡°We must go back now.¡±


    ¡°Father, who is the man you had to marry Alessandra? I never heard anything about it from my mother,¡± said Kate.


    ¡°Just an old friend. It¡¯ll help us settle some debts,¡± Desmond remembered the deal offered to him. His friend had a taste for unique things and nothing was more unique than his rumored masked daughter.


    ¡°I see. That is a fate more suited for Alessandra than living as the duke¡¯s wife,¡± Kate grinned, picturing Alessandra¡¯s face the moment she would learn she would not be the one marrying the Duke in the end.


    Desmond and Kate walked back into the dining room to find Katrina cing a te of food in front of Alessandra like a maid serving her master.


    Alessandra did not thank Katrina for fetching the food. Instead, she picked up her fork to taste the eggs. ¡°You see. You took so long and now the egg is cold. I have never enjoyed cold eggs, Katrina. Why do you keep giving them to me?¡±


    ¡°I-¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re back,¡± Desmond cut off Katrina before she could say the wrong thing. ¡°Alessandra, Kate has something she wishes to say to you,¡± he pushed Kate forward.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± the bitter words left Kate¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°For?¡± In Alessandra¡¯s opinion, Kate had a lot to be sorry for therefore she needed to be more specific.


    ¡°Hurting your kitten-¡±


    ¡°You did more than hurt it. The animal died. If you¡¯re going to apologize, do it right,¡± Edgar interjected. If this was the best apology she coulde up with she could save it.


    Feeling warmth against his hand, Edgar looked down to see Alessandra had touched his hand. An indication to let him know she would handle this.


    ¡°I am sorry for killing your kitten, Alessandra. My emotions got the best of me yesterday and to hear that the kitten has died, makes me feel really bad. I am also sorry for the way I have acted toward you in front of Edgar. I hope you can be happy with him. Please forgive me,¡± Kate dug her nails into her skin as the words left her mouth.


    Alessandra wanted tough in Kate¡¯s face. They really thought she was stupid to not realize they were going to y her. She knew her father and Kate better than they realize but instead of calling them out, she wanted to have fun. ¡°Apology epted-¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Desmond smiled, d Alessandra was quick to forgive Kate. His daughter was always too kind for her own good.


    ¡°I was not finished father,¡± Alessandra looked at her father with clear annoyance written all over her face. ¡°Since she has admitted her fault in the matter, she should take responsibility for burying the kitten.¡±


    ¡°Kate is not your maid. Do not take things too far,¡± Katrina tried to step in before Alessandra could make Kate look like a fool. Kate was a baron¡¯s daughter, not a maid and she would be damned if she allowed Kate to dig a grave.


    ¡°It is fine, mother. It shouldn¡¯t be too hard to dig a grave for the kitten. It is my fault after all. Hopefully, with this, we can mend our rtionship, Alessandra,¡± Kate held out her hand to call a truce between her and Alessandra.


    Alessandra merely looked at Kate¡¯s hand, not moving to ept it. She had a better idea just from looking at Kate¡¯s hand. It was clear Kate never had to lift a finger in her life. ¡°I just remembered I heard the gardener below my window saying the shovel we have is broken.¡±


    Kate retreated her hand, secretly d the shovel was broken. ¡°Too bad. We¡¯ll have to wait for a new one to arrive.¡±


    ¡°Not really. The hole wouldn¡¯t need to be too big. I remember Katrina making me tend to the garden with nothing but my hands as a punishment. It shouldn¡¯t be too hard for you,¡± said Alessandra.


    Kate scoffed, disgusted by what Alessandra was suggesting. ¡°I hope you are not expecting me to dig out a hole with my hands, Alessandra?¡±

 Chapter 16

    Chapter 16: Cold-hearted (2)


    ¡°That is what I am expecting,¡± Alessandra stated the obvious. It was never an issue when Katrina made her do it and Kate would stand right beside her motherughing. ¡°It has to be quick before the kitten starts to smell and I want to give it a proper send-off quickly.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t be too hard for Kate,¡± said Desmond. It was so minor in his eyespared to what they were looking to achieve. If Alessandra had asked him to do it, he would have done it in a heartbeat.


    ¡®That¡¯s easy for you to say when you aren¡¯t the one doing it,¡¯ Kate red at her father.


    Kate put on her best smile to push through Alessandra¡¯s punishment. ¡°I shall get to it right away.¡±


    She would have to sacrifice one of her pairs of gloves to do the job since she was not going to let her bare hand touch soil. Kate also had a way to get back at Alessandra for making her do this lowly job.


    Katrina watched in horror as Kate walked away to dig a hole with her hands. Her daughter must have lost her mind at the same time her husband did. ¡°Kate!¡± She called, chasing after Kate to stop her from embarrassing herself.


    ¡°Alfred, the final gift please,¡± Edgar said now that the drama was partially over with. He had the final piece to confirm his engagement to Alessandra.


    .....


    ¡°Yes young master,¡± Alfred showed a small box he had with him.


    ¡°You are too kind, Edgar. The gift to me was already enough,¡± Desmond rubbed his hands, patiently waiting to see what else he was going to receive.


    ¡°This is not for you,¡± Edgar red at the greedy man. ¡°This is for my future bride,¡± he got down on one knee beside where Alessandra sat and opened the box to reveal a diamond ring.


    Alessandra hadpletely forgotten about a ring. She was taken aback by the size of it as all the jewelry she had was small inparison to it. ¡®Won¡¯t that be ufortable?¡¯ She wondered.


    ¡°You don¡¯t like it? It¡¯s a family heirloom,¡± Edgar snapped the box shut after seeing her reaction to the ring. There was no point in giving her something she wouldn¡¯t like.


    As quickly as he got down on one knee Edgar got back up. ¡°I will find you something better by the end of the day.¡±


    ¡°W-Wait,¡± Desmond stuttered, confused as to why Alessandra didn¡¯t like such a big ring. She would probably be wearing their house on her finger. ¡°Give her a moment to think, Duke Edgar. She must be in shock at how big- I mean how splendid it is.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Edgar waited to hear it from Alessandra but it was clear from her bodynguage she did not like it.


    Alessandra thought it would be rude of her to not ept the ring he brought to her but she couldn¡¯t imagine walking around with such arge object on her finger.


    She preferred to be honest with the Duke and considering he didn¡¯t look offended she knew he wouldn¡¯t mind. ¡°It is toorge,¡± she softly replied.


    ¡°There is nothing as toorge,¡± Desmond argued, annoyed by Alessandra¡¯s response. This was why he rather had Kate be the one to marry Edgar. Kate knew the value of material things and how much they mattered. Alessandra was nothing more than a fool.


    ¡°I will find something more suited for you,¡± Edgar dismissed the baron¡¯sment. There was something toorge if Alessandra didn¡¯t like it.


    He made the mistake of not finding something Alessandra would like instead of giving her what was passed down for generations. The ring he brought was made for a woman long ago and passed down to her children.


    At some point, one had to consider the women being proposed to would like a ring made for them rather than one made for someone else and passed down.


    ¡°When we meet again I shall ce that ring on your finger. Baron, send Alessandra with all her things to start living with me in two days¡¯ time. I shall have a separate bedroom for her until we are wed and you have my word I shall not touch her.¡±


    Alessandra was surprised to hear he wanted her toe live with her in two days¡¯ time. She asked toe live with him while they were in her bedroom only to be rejected and now he was saying yes. She could not figure out what Edgar was thinking.


    ¡°What?¡± Desmond asked in disbelief. It was not in the n for Alessandra to go live with Edgar. If she did that there was no way for Kate to be able to interact with him as Edgar won¡¯t casually visit their home. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea. What will the people say?¡±


    ¡°It is not the first time a woman has stayed with her future husband until the wedding and it will not be thest. There is a lot to be nned and many dinners for Alessandra to attend. I would rather have her next to me than the back and forth. It is nothing to discuss as it is final,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°Alfred, prepare the carriage for us to leave. This house is starting to irritate me,¡± Edgar muttered as he started to feel ufortable. His hate for the baron¡¯s house did not decrease. ¡°Come see me out,¡± he told Alessandra.


    ¡°Excuse me father,¡± Alessandra said, standing up from her seat to walk with the Duke. She held onto Edgar¡¯s hand walking side by side as they followed the butler out while leaving her father in a panic.


    ¡°You can finally breathe now,¡± Edgar said when they got outside away from prying eyes.


    Alessandra stumbled as she stepped outside the home and would have fallen if not for Edgar holding on to her. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I just did that.¡±


    Her knees had suddenly gone weak as what she did dawn on her.


    ¡°I enjoyed the show, Alessandra. Finally some good entertainment in the baron¡¯s home. I¡¯d bet it felt really good to speak to them like that,¡± said Edgar.


    Alessandra¡¯s fire had only started to burn and he would shield her from anyone looking to put it out. He saw something in her today that no one else did. The town had no idea what wasing their way. With his help, Alessandra would be a woman to not be messed with.


    ¡°It did feel good. I am used to making up these kinds of scenarios in my head and now it has finally happened. I did forget how to breathe back there and I was so nervous I would have tricked over my words,¡± Alessandra clutched her dress finding the moment to be surreal.


    ¡°You did good,¡± Edgar patted her head. The show was ten times better for those watching Alessandra and it would be even better when she bes more confident in herself.


    Alessandra looked down at the floor feeling strange to receive apliment from Edgar and a pat on the head. It felt nice to have someone do this for her. She wanted to work harder to receive morepliments from him. ¡°Thank you,¡± she replied.


    Edgar smiled, viewing Alessandra as a small kitten. Something he needed to nurture and protect.


    ¡°Duke Edgar,¡± Desmond said, interrupting the moment.


    Edgar rolled his eyes, taking his hand away from Alessandra¡¯s head. ¡°What is it, baron?¡±


    ¡°I came to see you off as you were my guest. Pleasee again.¡±


    ¡°Alessandra, I want to have a word with your father. Until next time,¡± Edgar picked up her right hand and kissed the back of it.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Alessandra replied, leaving to give the two men some privacy. As she passed by her father, she saw how nervous he became to speak with Edgar all alone.


    ¡°Do not sweat, baron. I want to have a civil conversation with you. Come closer,¡± Edgar motioned for him to do so. ¡°Closer, baron.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes,¡± Desmond felt deja vu at this moment but Edgar had already got what he wanted, which was Alessandra, therefore, there was no need for him to be attacked again. ¡°Edgar-Wait!¡± He eximed as Edgar¡¯s hand grabbed hold of his slender neck.


    ¡°One strand out of ce, one cut on her skin, oneint from her mouth, and I will kill you and your wife,¡± Edgar gripped Desmond¡¯s neck tighter for the baron to understand he wasn¡¯t ying around. ¡°Treat her well while I¡¯m being nice to you.¡±

 Chapter 17

    Chapter 17: Illusion (1)


    ¡°Understood?¡±


    Desmond quickly shook his head, unable to use words thanks to the grip on his neck. Anymore tighter and Edgar just might break it. What part of this was being civil?


    ¡°Good,¡± Edgar released the baron¡¯s neck with a shove. ¡°Look at you, all disheveled,¡± he fixed Desmond¡¯s shirt, smoothing out the ruffled parts.


    Desmond kept his head down bearing with Edgar harshly patting his shoulders to smooth out his clothes. Never in his life was he so embarrassed by someoneing into his house, treating him like he was not the owner.


    ¡°I don¡¯t look forward to you being my father-inw. There¡¯s so much I had to kill you for but since you are loved by your daughter for some reason, I shall keep you alive. Do you understand what I mean, baron? If Alessandra¡¯s love for you runs out, I shall consider killing you.¡±


    ¡°I understand, Duke Edgar,¡± said Desmond.


    ¡°I am handing you the opportunity to correct the mistakes you made with her. See to it that you do not ruin this for her.¡± As much as Edgar disliked the baron, he could tell Alessandra was longing for positive interaction from her family, and from what he witnessed today, the baron was one she was most likely to get it from.


    .....


    He was putting the task on the baron to act as a father in two days and to shield Alessandra from the two women. Whether or not, Alessandra would like her father¡¯s newfound interests in her waspletely up to Alessandra.


    Alessandra and her father could either have a heart-to-heart moment where the baron apologizes for not properly protecting her or Alessandra would see there was no hope for her family.


    ¡°Edgar, will you...¡± Desmond trailed off when he heard footsteps walking away from him. He looked up to see Edgar walking back to his carriage without seeing goodbye. ¡°I should have just hit him when he was here. That little shit,¡± Desmond muttered.


    ¡°He can only act like this because of his name and the king. Does he think I¡¯ll let him get away with treating me like a fool inside of my home? Where on earth is Alessandra?¡± Desmond went back inside to look for his oldest child.


    She had not told the truth about what she discussed with the Duke at his party unless she was going to say Edgar fell in love with her at first sight.


    ¡°What bullshit,¡± Desmond cursed.


    Alessandra wore a mask covering half of her face. She had ruined her beauty a long time ago. There were countless beautiful young women like Kate for Edgar to fall in love with.


    ¡°Alessandra!¡± Desmond yelled after finding the dining room to be empty. Katrina had brought the te of breakfast for nothing as it was still on the table untouched. ¡°Alessandra!¡± His voice thundered throughout the home.


    ¡°Yes, father?¡± Alessandra came from the direction of the kitchen. She was going to let Mario give her warm food until she heard her name being called. Now that Edgar was gone everything would go back to normal.


    ¡°Care to exin to me how this union between you and Edgar came about? Do not talk about love at first sight.¡±


    ¡°Am I not beautiful enough for Edgar to fall in love with me at first sight, father? Remember when I was younger you would parade me around and show everyone how beautiful I was?¡± Alessandra smiled, remembering the faint memory.


    ¡°That was before-¡±


    ¡°Before this,¡± Alessandra touched her mask. ¡°It was. What a long time it has been. Everything changed after that.¡±


    ¡°You can not me me for what happened,¡± said Desmond.


    ¡°I me you for not taking control of what happened afterward father and yes, I med you for what caused it. The Duke did not fall in love with me at first sight, father. Such a thing would never happen,¡± Alessandra truly believed her words. She was many things but not a fool.


    ¡°Then what was said between the two of you? Tell me everything from the beginning,¡± Desmond¡¯s curiosity had be unbearable. He had to know what Alessandra did that Kate could not after all these years.


    ¡°I already told you what was said, father. I do not know why the Duke picked me instead of Kate. I¡¯m sorry the daughter you wanted with him was not chosen. Is that all father? Is there nothing more you have to say to me?¡± She was waiting for him to truly state what he nned to do about her engagement.


    Alessandra already knew he would do everything in his power to somehow get Kate to take her spot. To her surprise, he said somethingpletely different.


    ¡°All eyes will be on you, Alessandra. Do your best. What are you going to eat now?¡± Desmond was doing just as the Duke instructed him to.


    Although he was angry with Alessandra about a few things, now was not the time to grill her when Edgar was so adamant about killing him.


    Alessandra was unable to respond for the first couple of seconds. She did not get the reaction she was expecting therefore she did not know how to react. She wondered if the Duke said something to her father to make him act like this. ¡°I am going to the kitchen for warm food.¡±


    ¡°I see. Forgive Kate and Katrina for the things they have done. You have to understand their point of view. When you are done, go back to your-¡± Desmond had to quickly stop himself. He was making the mistake of sending Alessandra back into her bedroom to be out of sight. ¡°Do whatever you want.¡±


    ¡®Understand their point of view?¡¯ Alessandra wanted tough in his face for saying such a ridiculous thing.


    Why did she have to be the one to understand everyone¡¯s actions towards her and have to forgive them? Why couldn¡¯t everyone else admit their faults instead? To see her father have no shame in saying these things was disgusting.


    Her father was only trying to y nice to avoid Edgar¡¯s wrath.


    ¡®I picked a good man,¡¯ she thought as Edgar was doing a good job in shielding her so far.


    Edgar handed her the opportunity of two days where her family had to y nice to her. They could do nothing in those two days for when the Duke arrived to collect her, should there be anything out of ce he would take his anger out on them.


    Alessandra epted the illusion of having a family who got along with her for two days. She wanted to see what life would have been had she not been outcasted for most of her life. Even if it was all fake, she would enjoy it to the fullest.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she replied to her father. It would be fun to mess with them while they could do nothing but hold in their anger and smile.


    A perfect ending to their ill-fated rtionship. After these two days, she wouldpletely cut ties with her family, ending on a fake good note rather than arguing.


    ¡°Excuse me. I¡¯m going to find Kate and Katrina.¡±


    Alessandra watched in amusement as her father turned his back on her to go plot with Kate and Katrina. Edgar was right to not let here stay with him so easily. There was so much fun for her to have here.

 Chapter 18

    Chapter 18: Illusion (2)


    ¡°Kate, you must be out of your goddamn mind if you are thinking of digging a hole. She has no right to order you around. Get up,¡± Katria bent down to pull Kate up from the ground where Kate was squatting.


    ¡°Mother, we only have to y nice for now. Father is going to find a way to make me be the one to marry the Duke,¡± Kate shook off her mother¡¯s hands and continued to dig. ¡°Ah!¡± She yelled, falling to the side when an earthworm popped out of the dirt.


    ¡°That is why I said to get up Kate,¡± Katrina stepped back as she too was afraid of the tiny creature. ¡°This is ridiculous.


    ¡°This is so gross. This better all be worth it in the end. I am not letting her take what is mine,¡± Kate used a stick to fling the worm from in front of her. ¡°Father already has someone he¡¯s going to marry Alessandra off to so she can¡¯t marry Edgar.¡±


    ¡°Really? He never mentioned anything to me,¡± said Katrina.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have kept your mouth shut if I did. Kate, Alessandra is going to the kitchen. Get someone else to do it,¡± Desmond didn¡¯t like seeing his daughter looking like a servant.


    ¡°You there,¡± Kate called out to a passing maid. She was more than happy to make someone else do the dirty work. ¡°Finish digging this hole with your hands right away.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Did Edgar leave or is he in the kitchen with Alessandra? I want to have a word with that girl.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t, Katrina. The Duke made it quite clear if we mess with her in the two days she¡¯s here he will kill both of us. I wouldn¡¯t take his words lightly,¡± Desmond coughed, still feeling Edgar¡¯s grip around his neck. ¡°y nice with her.¡±


    Katrina couldn¡¯t believe Edgar threatened to kill her. She ced her hand on her forehead as she almost stumbled backward from the shock. Wasn¡¯t it enough that Alessandra stole Edgar from Kate? ¡°She must have ced a spell on that man. Is she really cursed?¡±


    ¡°I told you we should have thrown her out long ago but no one ever listens to me. What do we have to do now father? Edgar seems to be wrapped around her finger if he threatened you. Alessandra must¡¯ve cursed him,¡± Kate was starting to believe that more than anything else.


    Desmond didn¡¯t believe it like his wife and daughter but he couldn¡¯t understand what was happening. He was starting to question if the Duke really did fall in love with Alessandra at first sight. ¡°I can¡¯t allow Alessandra to go live with the Duke on her own in two days-¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s going to live with him? In his big mansion!?¡± Kate eximed, taken aback by this news. ¡°Father,¡± she whined, stomping her right foot repeatedly. It wasn¡¯t fair Alessandra would get the luxury of living with Edgar.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to send you there with her as an escort. That is the only way I will allow Alessandra to go with him and it¡¯s the only way for you to get close to the Duke. This is yourst chance, Kate. If you mess this up, there is nothing else I can do for you. You must seduce Edgar while you are there.¡±


    ¡°It would be better if I be pregnant with his child. He would have no choice but to take me instead of Alessandra. We all know the Duke isn¡¯t going to sleep with her and he¡¯s still a man. He needs someone toy with,¡± Kate suggested. She didn¡¯t mind sleeping with a man like the Duke when she wasn¡¯t wed.


    ¡°Kate,¡± Katrina wasn¡¯t so sure of this. It was best for Kate to keep her virtue.


    ¡°I agree with Kate,¡± Desmond said, ignoring the fact that Kate would be sleeping with someone when she wasn¡¯t married. He found the whole virtue thing to be ridiculous now. ¡°She just needs one try to get pregnant. We wouldn¡¯t have to worry about her virtue as she¡¯ll end up with the Duke.¡±


    As much as Katrina wanted Kate to be with Edgar, she preferred to continue with the principles she raised Kate with. To only sleep with a man she was married to or else she would be ruined. ¡°Are you sure you can do this Kate?¡±


    ¡°Of course, mother. His only other option would be Alessandra. Do you really want her to be the duchess instead of me? I will seduce the Duke and have his child. It would help if his mother woulde around. She likes me,¡± Kate recalled her run-in with the woman.


    Due to chasing around behind Edgar, Kate had met his mother once before and after a short conversation, his mother was rooting for her.


    ¡°I should start picking out my finest dresses now. Excuse me mother, father-¡±


    ¡°Kate, you have to finish burying the kitten. Don¡¯t do anything stupid these two days,¡± Desmond was worried for his life and didn¡¯t trust Kate to understand the gravity of the situation. ¡°Do this first, let Alessandra know you are done, and then start packing.¡±


    ¡°Yes, father. I will get the kitten.¡± Kate was so excited to go live with the Duke that she had forgotten her n to get revenge on Alessandra for making her dig a hole with her bare hands.


    Kate hurried off to go to Alessandra¡¯s room before she would return to her bedroom. The dead kitten wasn¡¯t the only thing she was looking to get. There was something else valuable in Alessandra¡¯s room that deserved to be buried. ¡°Do they really think I would let her get away with stealing what belongs to me?¡±


    Kate opened the door of what she liked to call the vilest room in the home. It belonged to someone who should have never existed. ¡°That stench is horrible,¡± she covered her noise as the faint scent of something horrible filled her nose.


    It wasn¡¯t hard to guess where the dead animal was.


    ¡°Her room is disgusting. Where the hell is it?¡± Kate opened Alessandra¡¯s closet looking for what she truly came for. Her eyes lit as she found what she was searching for right away. ¡°Why are you holding unto the dress of a woman who ran away and left you here, Alessandra?¡±


    Kate took out Alessandra¡¯s mother¡¯s wedding dress from her closet. It was no doubt a beautiful dress but something like this was not suited for someone as gloomy as Alessandra. Kate was doing her a favor by getting rid of it.


    It would have been perfect to show Alessandra the dress getting buried but she was meant to y nice. This took away a piece of the fun but it still felt good.


    Kate quickly closed back the closet as she had found it and grabbed the box with the dead kitten. The stench no longer bothered her now that she was going to get her revenge.


    Kate wrapped the wedding dress around the box as she hurried back outside. Reaching the door leading outside, she peeked outside to make sure her parents weren¡¯t still standing where the hole was being dug.


    ¡°They¡¯re gone,¡± she smiled. She was d they had left or her father would have stopped her from doing this.


    Kate approached the maid who was still digging out the hole with her hands to drop the dress and box into it. ¡°Cover that up as fast as you can.¡±


    ¡°But mydy, this is-¡±


    ¡°What gives you the right to question me? Do as I say or I shall have you fired. If anyone asks who went to get this box I shall tell them you did and you will say?¡± Kate stepped on the maid¡¯s hand awaiting the obvious answer.


    ¡°I was the one who got it,¡± the maid sobbed.


    ¡°Wonderful. You people do havemon sense after all. Now hurry,¡± Kate stood with her arms folded, excited to see the dress be buried.

 Chapter 19

    Chapter 19: Full of shit (1)


    ¡°Mario,¡± Alessandra called as she entered the quiet kitchen.


    Now that breakfast was practically over there was hardly anyone in the kitchen until it was time to wash the dishes used.


    ¡°Alessandra? This is new. You¡¯ve nevere to me at this time of day andst I heard, you were being punished. Did everyone else leave?¡± Mario asked, surprised to see her casually walking around.


    ¡°Today is a special day for a change as I got engaged to the Duke,¡± Alessandra couldn¡¯t wait to share the special news with Mario. ¡°You should have been there to witness everyone¡¯s facial expression.¡±


    ¡°I can imagine. I am shocked though I kind of expected it. Wait a minute,¡± Mario looked around for a chair to make Alessandrafortable enough to tell him what happened. If only he could have been a fly on the wall to see Kate¡¯s face out of everyone¡¯s. ¡°There we go.¡±


    ¡°I love that you are extra kind when there is gossip about my family involved,¡± Alessandra sat down on the chair he found.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why you still refer to them as your family. The Duke will be your family now. Screw these heartless people,¡± Mario said as he took his own seat. If he was in Alessandra¡¯s position, he would have let the Duke just kill them.


    .....


    ¡°I am not married to Edgar yet and at the end of the day, they are still my family. Even if I don¡¯t like them. I¡¯m going to be here with them for two more days and then I¡¯ll be going to live with the Duke-¡±


    ¡°What!¡± Mario¡¯s eyes went wide. He wasn¡¯t expecting Alessandra to be leaving so soon. ¡°See this is why I don¡¯t like Edgar. He¡¯s stealing away the only Barrett I like.¡±


    ¡°I told you toe with me. I can ask him to pay off your debt. Both of us should leave this ce,¡± said Alessandra. Mario was her only friend here, so it was only right that she helped him leave this ce with her.


    Mario shook his head, turning down the offer once again. ¡°I¡¯m going to work off my debt myself. You just need to worry about yourself and enjoy your new luxury life. Now tell me, how did they react?¡±


    ¡°Kate looked so distraught. She whined like a little child and stormed off but then came back to apologize. I didn¡¯t forgive her so easily. Right now she is supposed to dig a hole with her bare hands.¡±


    ¡°We both know Kate probably has someone digging that hole for her since you are here with me but I like what you¡¯re doing. Make sure you mess with her mother too,¡± Mario hated Katrina more than anything in this world.


    ¡°I have a couple of things in mind but first, breakfast, please. I ordered Katrina to bring me food but it was-¡±


    ¡°That was for you? She dropped those eggs on the floor and then put them back on the te. Please tell me you didn¡¯t eat any of it because these floors are not clean,¡± Mario wanted to throw up just from thinking about it.


    Alessandra had a clear shback of her tasting the eggs. ¡°I did eat a tiny bite of it. As bad as that was, it is not the first time she has ever done something to my food. I remember she sent me a te of nothing but leftovers from their tes to eat. I¡¯ve experienced every kind of torture here.¡±


    Mario sat up to cook something for Alessandra. ¡°That is why you must never fall for their tricks and be kind to them. Make their lives hell or I shall never speak to you ever again. Torture the hell out of Kate and Katrina.¡±


    ¡°I n to but-¡±


    ¡°No but¡¯s, Alessandra,¡± Mario stopped her right in her tracks. She was always too kind for her own good.


    ¡°Mario, the person I have the biggest issue with is neither Kate nor Katrina. It is with my father. He¡¯s the one who should have protected me from his second wife and everyone else who looks at me with disgust because of rumors. He never did anything to help me.¡±


    Alessandra could not get over her father looking her in the eye without any shame and saying it was not possible for Edgar to fall in love with her at first sight. How could anyone love her when her father didn¡¯t?


    ¡°I have waited so long for my father toe tofort me and not once had he evere to me. It was always Katrina or Kate with a smile on their face before they made my life hell. My father only cares about his money and reputation. I will take what he loves so that he knows what it means to have nothing,¡± Alessandra stated.


    ¡°I feel the need to hug you, Alessandra but you are now an engaged woman. You¡¯re all grown up now, destroying people and shit.¡± Mario understood why her main issue was with her father. Had the baron put his foot down, his wife and daughter wouldn¡¯t have the opportunity to mess with Alessandra.


    ¡°It¡¯s still going to be fun to make Katrina and Kate lose their minds,¡± Alessandra had a lot nned for them already. Everything they did to her would be handed back to them.


    ¡°This house will finally be interesting. The food is going to take a minute. Are you going to wait here or go somewhere else? You are practically thedy of the house with the Duke as your knight in shining armor,¡± the words felt strange to Mario when he said them out loud.


    ¡°I will get a book to read. As much as I enjoy being able to walk around freely this house is honestly draining and there is nothing to do. I¡¯ll be back,¡± Alessandra sat up to get a book from her bedroom. She also wanted to check on what Kate had done so far.


    ¡°Speak of the devil and he shall appear,¡± Alessandra muttered as she had not made it far away from the kitchen before running into Kate. ¡°Kate, are you done already?¡±


    ¡°Obviously. Look at my hands,¡± Kate showed the dirty gloves she wore when she had started to dig. ¡°We should be even with this.¡±


    ¡°Kate, I can hardly count how many things you have done to me for us to be even. This is a start for you to make amends with me. Do not think I have forgiven you just because you dug a hole,¡± Alessandra said.


    ¡°Why? I¡¯m trying to be nice to you, Alessandra. We are sisters and it¡¯s about time we start acting like it. You¡¯re about to be a married woman. Stop acting like a child.¡±


    ¡°I know you, Kate. I know the real you and I won¡¯t fall for this illusion you and father are creating like you are trying to be nice to me. Save your breath and energy,¡± Alessandra saw right through Kate the moment she apologized.


    ¡°I do not know what you are talking about. Why don¡¯t you go outside to see where your little dead animal is buried? It was more fun than I expected,¡± Kate grinned, tempted to tell Alessandra what she had done. ¡°Excuse me, I have to go back to my room to clean up. You should really clean your bedroom, Alessandra. It stinks.¡±


    Alessandra grabbed Kate¡¯s arm preventing her from leaving. ¡°What did you do Kate?¡±


    ¡°Do not touch me, Alessandra. I am being nice right now,¡± Kate shoved Alessandra¡¯s hand away. ¡°If you knew me well, you would know not to y with me. As I said, I am going to my room to get cleaned up. Are you going to stand here or check on my hard work?¡±


    ¡°You,¡± Alessandra clenched her fists, tempted to p Kate but held herself back. She did not want to resort to violence like Kate always did.


    Instead, she left to go to outside to see what Kate had done. Her father was stupid to think Kate could y nice with anyone. Kate had no idea what it meant to be nice.


    Alessandra prayed Kate had not disrespected the kitten further after she had already killed it. Coming across the hallway leading down to her room or to go outside, Alessandra found her door ajar meaning someone had been in it.


    She made the decision to check on her bedroom first. Alessandra cautiously walked up to the door and slowly pushed it all the way open but found nothing out of ce at first nce.


    The box with the kitten was gone which meant Kate took it. Alessandra knew there had to be either something wrong with her bedroom or where the kitten was buried based on how happy Kate was.


    Alessandra continued to look around her bedroom still finding it to be as she left it. Her canvas was as she left them, her bed still looked made up, her books were neat, and the only scent in the room was due to the kitten.


    ¡°Did she rip up my clothes again?¡± Alessandra went up to the closet and opened it to see if Kate had destroyed her clothes again. ¡°No,¡± she instantly knew what was missing as soon as she opened the closet doors.


    Her mother¡¯s dress was front and center in her closet after she had been thinking of getting married recently. It was one of the few things she had that belonged to her mother.


    Alessandra did not know whether tough or cry about the situation but one thing for sure, she regretted not pping Kate when they were face to face. Alessandra felt the need to break something to release the anger she felt but instead of doing so, she decided to take that anger out on Kate.


    Alessandra dragged her feet to her window where the barn was in perfect view.

 Chapter 20

    Chapter 20: Full of shit (2)


    ¡°If she mentions a word of this to father then I¡¯m screwed,¡± Kate only now realized the gravity of her actions as she was alone in her bathroom sitting in a tub of water.


    Her father made it quite clear they had to be nice to Alessandra but how could she simply allow Alessandra to boss her around?


    ¡°What¡¯s the point in being nice to Alessandra when he¡¯s going to make Edgar take me along in two days?¡± Kate sighed, resting her head against the edge of the tub. ¡°They are going to gas up her head. We should make her remember her ce.¡±


    Kate didn¡¯t like how her family allowed Alessandra to walk around the home freely. She was meant to be hidden away in her room or better yet, in a cell. Alessandra had be the hideous daughter no one wanted to see and it was meant to stay that way.


    All eyes were meant to be on Kate.


    Kate held out her fingers looking at the three broken nails thanks to her starting the hole Alessandra wanted. Her parents never asked her to do chores or to do anything a servant should but Alessandra ordered her to and now her beautiful nails were ruined.


    ¡°I will not be kind to Alessandra,¡± Kate made up her mind. She couldn¡¯t do that even if she tried her hardest. She hated Alessandra to the moon and back. ¡°I¡¯m going to make her regret having Edgar propose to her. I should make a cell and throw her in it to never see the light of day.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Y-You cannot go in there.¡±


    Kate nced at her bathroom door confused by the sudden ruckus. Her personal maid knew not to interrupt or let anyone in when she was bathing.


    Suddenly, the bathroom door swung open but Kate had not seen the person yet.


    ¡°Have you lost your mind? Alessandra?¡± Kate sat up when Alessandra stepped into her view with a bucket in her hand. ¡°What is that awful smell?¡± Kate covered her nose as an awful smell filled her bathroom. It was much worse than the dead kitten.


    ¡°Kate, go and dig up my mother¡¯s dress right now,¡± said Alessandra through gritted teeth. She was only giving Kate one chance to do the right thing.


    ¡°Are you crazy? Why would I dig up something covered in mud? Get the hell out of my room! Are you not aware of how much you stink?¡± Kate couldn¡¯t bear the smell that followed Alessandra. ¡°Why the hell does that smell so familiar¡±


    ¡°You are full of shit Kate,¡± Alessandra threw the contents in the bucket she carried towards Kate in the tub.


    Kate¡¯s eyes were wide open as a brown substance flew towards her face and the surrounding area in the tub. ¡°What is...¡± Kate trailed off as she saw something floating in the tub, changing the water from crystal clear to brown.


    If possible, Kate¡¯s eyes opened wider as she realized what Alessandra had thrown on her. She should have guessed the smell was none other than horse shit but it had not registered in her mind earlier.


    Kate tried to scramble out of the tub to get away from the shit floating around even though her head was already covered in it. Unfortunately, as she stepped out of the tub, Kate slipped on shit and spilled water, falling to the floor in more of the horse shit which had not made its way into the tub.


    ¡°No no no,¡± Kate started to freak out even more as her leg was now covered in shit. She almost hurled, disgusted by the sight and smell of it.


    ¡°It suits your personality Kate. Did you honestly think I would let you get away with ruining my mother¡¯s dress? You have to be the crazy one,¡± Alessandra said, walking to the sink to turn on the water while Kate began to have a breakdown.


    Alessandra ced the bucket in the sink to let it fill up halfway while she swirled it around to mix up the remaining pieces of shit with the fresh water.


    ¡°Get this off of me,¡± Kate cried as she grabbed a cloth to start wiping it off. She was naked on the cold floor with no one to help her.


    She quickly rubbed off the shit from her face, hands, and her hair but the scent was something she could not easily get rid of. It felt like she had it in her mouth and each time she swallowed she could taste it.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you for this-Ah!¡± Kate screamed when Alessandra threw the second batch on her. As it was more water now, some of it made its way into Kate¡¯s mouth as it was open while she was talking.


    It was the final straw for Kate, making her throw up right on the floor.


    ¡°If you step one foot into the room, I will throw more on her,¡± Alessandra red at Kate¡¯s maid Sally who was trying to sneak her way in to help Kate. ¡°You deserve every moment of this Kate. You are disgusting and full of shit.¡±


    ¡®I was wrong when I said my issue is just with my father. I was being too kind to Kate,¡¯ Alessandra said to herself. She was d to have realized her mistake early on.


    Alessandra didn¡¯t want to just mess with Kate for these two days, she wanted to ruin her life. ¡°I will make sure we are even, Kate. I will repay what you started to do to my face. I will make it so that you will have no choice but to wear a mask and I will steal your happiness from you.¡±


    ¡°Do you think I am afraid of you?¡± Kate wiped away traces of vomit from her mouth. ¡°Do you think you scare me!¡±


    ¡°No, but you have always been jealous of me, Kate. You could never handle attention not being on you and this dangerous jealousy started when we were younger,¡± Alessandra stooped down to Kate¡¯s level. ¡°You should have been angry at our father for always having a favorite. A perfect daughter he could always use.¡±


    Kate scoffed, offended by Alessandra¡¯s words. There was nothing to be jealous of when it came to Alessandra. ¡°Why would I be jealous of you? I am beautiful, smart, wanted by all men-¡±


    ¡°You try so hard to forget the past, Kate. A time when you were in my shadow as father paraded me around. We could have been good sisters had you not fed into your jealousy. I tried so many times to forgive you as you were merely wishing to have fathers attention on you but you are beyond forgiving.¡±


    ¡°Do not look down on me,¡± Kate lunged forward to pull the mask Alessandra wore from her face. It was easy for Alessandra to talk when her face was hidden.


    Alessandra almost stumbled forward due to the mask being roughly pulled away from her face. As Alessandra looked up to get the mask back from Kate¡¯s hands, Kate chuckled seeing the scars were still evident.


    ¡°You are still hideous,¡± Kate said in triumph. Alessandra had no ce to talk about anyone being jealous of her when her face was horrible. ¡°I would hide my face from the world if I were you too.¡±


    Kate flinched, moving the mask further away when she thought Alessandra was trying to reach for it but to her surprise, Alessandra pushed her.


    Thanks to how Kate was sitting, Alessandra was able to push Kate backward with only one hand and then grab both of Kate¡¯s hands to pin her down against the wet floor. The back of Kate¡¯s body would be covered in what was left on the floor.


    Kate struggled to get out of Alessandra¡¯s grasp and used her feet to try to kick Alessandra off of her but it did not work. ¡°Get off of me. Sally, help me right now!¡± Kate yelled to the maid.


    ¡°One day, your face will share the same fate as mine, Kate. I am going to make you wish you were dead just like I once did. Always remember, your actions are responsible for the woman I shall be. Be prepared Kate. I am done with being too nice,¡± Alessandra warned her.

 Chapter 21

    Chapter 21: Thoughts (1)


    ¡°Fear looks good on you, Kate. I want to see it again soon,¡± Alessandra snatched back her mask from Kate thanks to her being distracted.


    Alessandra released Kate¡¯s other hand as she was finished with what she came for. She ced her mask back onto her face as she stood up looking down at the pitiful state of Kate.


    ¡°You should bring more maids to help her get cleaned up. She¡¯s filthy,¡± Alessandra told Sally who stood by the door in shock.


    Sally had never once witnessed anyone bring this much shame to Kate. Kate was normally the ringleader, the one to embarrass others but now sheid naked in shit.


    It was a good sight to her and for once in her time working here, she liked Alessandra. Alessandra did what no other person could when it came to Kate.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Alessandra waved her hand to get Sally¡¯s attention. It was evident the maid was enjoying this but if she wanted to keep her job, she should move quickly to help Kate right now.


    ¡°I am going to tell my mother and father of this,¡± Kate sat up, fuming with rage. Never in her life had she been so embarrassed like this. A baron¡¯s daughter was not meant to be treated like this. Not by someone like Alessandra. Not even by the king himself.


    .....


    ¡°Please do but you seem to forget one important detail. Father can do nothing while I am to wed the Duke. He¡¯ll simply say you deserved it andugh it off while your mother bites her tongue. Do you really want to waste your breath? I¡¯ve been in your position too many times and it¡¯s better to just shut up.¡±


    ¡°If Edgar calls this marriage off then you¡¯re dead. Do you not realize that? Be careful with what you do now, Alessandra. Men change their minds so easily when a better optiones along then you¡¯ll be trapped with us again,¡± Kate could hardly wait for it to happen.


    She¡¯ll get rid of the confidence Alessandra was starting to have and make her timider than she was before.


    ¡°I know how easy men can change their minds, Kate. I¡¯ve heard of your suitors marrying your friends instead. Goodbye,¡± Alessandra proceeded to leave the bathroom. The stench was starting to be overbearing and it would no longer be a good day if she spent too much time with Kate.


    Just in case Kate was stupid enough to retaliate again, Alessandra knew it was best to return to her room to pack up and hide everything which was valuable to her.


    ¡°Mydy-¡±


    ¡°Mydy?¡± Kate red at Sally. A personal maid wasn¡¯t useful if they were only going to stand to the side while someone threw literal shit at their master. ¡°You are fired. Send someone else to do your job right now,¡± she threw the dirty cloth she wiped her body with at Sally.


    ¡°How many people are they going to fire?¡± Alessandra muttered as she exited Kate¡¯s bedroom. ¡°The house is already empty. The cooks act as servers, the gardener acts as the coachman, and next to you know we¡¯ll have a cow thinking it also has to be a horse.¡±


    Alessandra didn¡¯t know what her father could be doing with his money for the house to be in such a state. The amount of money he spent on the party would have been enough to turn things around.


    ¡°He did all of that expecting the Duke would find interest in Kate but it did not work. Why couldn¡¯t they have taken Kate to a ce the Duke frequents instead of spending so much money?¡± Alessandra shook her head.


    They were depending on Kate¡¯s marriage to turn their situation back around but the best person to do that was now marrying Alessandra.


    ¡®Unless Kate has a sh marriage I will be the one to save this house but the Duke does not care for my father to give him arge sum of money,¡¯ Alessandra thought to herself. ¡®I don¡¯t want to ask the Duke for any money either.¡¯


    ¡°It¡¯s best to let my father drown himself with what he created,¡± Alessandra whispered. ¡®Still, Kate¡¯s marriage could save them.¡¯


    Alessandra didn¡¯t know what to do as yet. It had not been long since her engagement to Edgar. ¡°It¡¯s better to take time to n rather than rush things. It would be better to slowly ruin them than to get it over quickly.¡±


    To ruin them quickly would not be satisfying enough for Alessandra.


    Reaching the hall leading to her bedroom, Alessandra decided to go outside to check where Kate had buried the kitten and her mother¡¯s dress. It wasn¡¯t hard to find the spot as it was the only patch of dirt piled up outside like an ant hill.


    Alessandra stared down at the hole in which her mother¡¯s dress was buried. She was tempted to dig it up but if she did, Kate would have won. Getting down on her knees to dig back up the hole after making Kate do it would make Kate happy.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry mother,¡± Alessandra apologized as she made the decision to leave the dress as it was. ¡°It is with the kitten who kept mepany while you were away. This might be better than me wearing it. If you ever return and wish to have it I shall dig it up myself and ce it back into your hands.¡±


    ¡°I have some of your belongings saved for when you return so that I can give them back to you. If you can¡¯t return for me, return for your belongings. When I do give them back you should apologize for leaving me here with my father. You should have a good exnation for why you ran away and left your daughter here or I shall ruin you along with my father.¡±


    Alessandra never forgave her mother for leaving her while she ran away from her marriage. Still, Alessandra sat patiently waiting for her mother to remember the daughter she left behind and toe back for her. She wanted to hear what excuse her mother would have and how she nned to make up for it.


    ¡°It¡¯s unfair for me to have two bad parents, mother. I¡¯m putting faith in you to return and ask for forgiveness. The world cannot hate me so much to put me through this. I hope that you are still alive and return quickly,¡± said Alessandra.


    Alessandra would never go looking for her mother. Instead, she had a date on which she would stop caring, and should her mother ever appear before her, she would be nothing more than a stranger. Then, she would truly believe the world hated her enough to curse her with this life.


    ¡°Where the hell is she?¡±


    Alessandra looked up at the sound of Katrina¡¯s angry voice.


    ¡°You!¡± Katrina eximed when she caught sight of Alessandra outside. She leaned her upper body out a window to get a better view of Alessandra. ¡°What on earth did you do to my daughter?¡±


    ¡°I threw her personality onto her,¡± Alessandra bluntly replied. ¡°Do you wish for me to do the same to you, mother?¡±

 Chapter 22

    Chapter 22: Thoughts (2)


    ¡°I told you never to call me mother, you evil girl. You have to be out of your mind to throw shit on Kate. Has your jealousy not gone far enough?¡± Katrina questioned. Her anger increased the more she looked at Alessandra.


    Katrina was bewildered to hear of what Alessandra did to Kate and how no one stopped her.


    Alessandra was always intrigued by everyone thinking she was jealous of Kate. When had she ever shown them that she was jealous? ¡°I have never been jealous of Kate. It has always been the other way around.¡±


    Katrina chuckled, finding Alessandra to be funny. ¡°Kate, jealous of you? Such a thing is-¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that why you hated me too? Kate was never the center of attention when I was around and you could not stand the daughter of your husband¡¯s first wife outshining your child. I can see where Kate gets her denial from. Funny, I thought it was from my father,¡± said Alessandra as she for so long believed it came from her father¡¯s side of the family.


    ¡°Are you crazy-¡±


    ¡°How many times am I going to be asked this? It is annoying,¡± Alessandra muttered, tired of the repeated question. ¡°My answer is yes so that you can stop asking me. I must be crazy for the crap I put up with for so long.¡±


    .....


    ¡°You...¡± Katrina trailed off, unsure of who was standing before her. Alessandra was never like this. She was never one to talk back and quietly did as she was told. ¡°You are only acting like this because of your engagement.¡±


    ¡°Obviously but you have no room to talk when you have done the same thing. You act all high and mighty because you are a baron¡¯s wife. From your attitude, you would think you married the king. My father is not that great for you to act this way,¡± Alessandra honestly stated.


    Her father¡¯s reputation slowly decreased throughout the years and many of his high-status friends were hardly around. He was lucky to still have connections with the king.


    ¡°I suppose his wealth will make him great in your eyes. Though these days, his wealth is not like what it used to be. I wonder what he is spending all his ie on for our house to be such a state. That¡¯s something to add to the list. In this house, the baron thinks he is the king. Hrious,¡± Alessandra chuckled, finding their house to be backward.


    ¡®Maybe I should think I am a bird and then I could fly away,¡¯ Alessandra humored herself.


    ¡°There is nothing wrong with your father¡¯s finances. Look at the amount ofnd the king has ced in his name. Look at how wonderful our farm is. How grand the inside of our home is. Your father has enough wealth to live like a king if he wishes to.¡±


    ¡°You trulyplete my father,¡± Alessandra viewed Katrina as idiotic as her father. The money must have been drained away to make Katrina and Kate live like royalty too.


    Her father married a wife he could not afford to keep for all these years and then they made a daughter who was no different from the mother.


    ¡°You must be punished for what you did to Kate.¡±


    Alessandra looked away from a delusional Katrina. ¡°Why? I was punishing her for burying my mother¡¯s dress when she was only supposed to bury the kitten.¡±


    Katrina did not care about the awful dress. ¡°Still-¡±


    ¡°I am tired of you talking so much, Katrina. You agitate me.¡±


    ¡°What on earth have you be? Do you really think you can be this way because Edgar threatened your father? I will not allow my daughter to be embarrassed by the likes of you. Stay there!¡± Katrina ordered Alessandra while she would make her way outside.


    ¡°I am not a dog,¡± Alessandra started to leave not wanting to hear what else Katrina had to say. ¡°Is this really their way of trying to be nice to me? They couldn¡¯tst one day.¡±


    ¡°Alessandra, do not run away from me!¡± Katrina yelled as she arrived outside only to find Alessandra leaving.


    ¡°Are your eyes not working? I am not running away. I am gracefully walking away, mother,¡± Alessandra would keep using the word mother as long as it annoyed Katrina.


    In the past, it was the only thing she could do as revenge to Katrina.


    ¡°Stop right there,¡± Katrina picked up both sides of her dress to run after Alessandra.


    Alessandra was highly amused when she looked back to find Katrina was chasing after her. It was quite the sight as it was odd for Katrina to be running around. ¡°Wow,¡± was the only thing she could say.


    ¡°Alessandra!¡± Katrina grabbed onto Alessandra¡¯s shoulder to stop her from hurrying away. ¡°I told you to stay right there.¡±


    Alessandra smacked Katrina¡¯s hand away from harshly gripping her shoulder. ¡°Do not touch me, Katrina. Kate had what wasing to her for messing with my mother¡¯s dress. If anyone was to ruin that dress it would¡¯ve been me. Instead of always trying to punish me, you should spend more time teaching your daughter manners before she ends up old and alone.¡±


    ¡°The Duke won¡¯t always be guarding you, Alessandra. Men change their minds so easily-¡±


    ¡°So Kate learned that from you. Why am I not surprised? Since that is what the two of you believe, I shall hold unto him forever Katrina. I said,¡± Alessandra caught Katrina¡¯s hand when it was raised to p her. ¡°Do not touch me. I am tired of being your punching bag!¡± She screamed, tiredness of her torture evident in her voice.


    Alessandra gripped Katrina¡¯s hand, pushing it back until Katrina winced from the pain. ¡°Since you came here I have tried to have nothing from positive thoughts. Do you know how hard it is not to fall off into the deep end and let my negative thoughts consume me?¡±


    ¡°Even when the Duke¡¯s sword is pointed at your necks you are still determined to hurt me. Are you determined to make me be a mad woman? Do not keep pushing me. If those thoughts truly consume me, I might end up killing all of you. Even now when the voice in my head is telling me to just end you, I am trying to hold on.¡±


    Alessandra was alone for such a long time that she had no one to talk to but herself. The person she created in her head was meant to be a friend to keep her happy but as Kate and Katrina¡¯s torture increased, the voice in her head changed to telling her cruel things.


    Befriending Mario and the kitten had saved her but the voice always lingered in her head. There was nothing she could do to escape what she had created and her newfound anger toward her family was not helping.


    ¡°Leave me alone,¡± Alessandra released Katrina¡¯s hand. Her other hand twitched at the thought of pushing Katrina down and repeatedly beating her with a stick just as Katrina had once done to her. ¡°You¡¯ve tortured me for many years, Katrina. Sit quietly while I do the same to you.¡±


    Alessandra left Katrina alone so that the woman could choose her next move carefully. Katrina could either chase after her again but face retaliation far worse than what Alessandra had just done to Kate or, walk away and endure what was toe.


    Alessandra was satisfied with not hearing Katrina following behind her however, she stumbled the moment she entered the house and gripped her head from a pain building up.


    She did not know how to handle all the angry and negative thoughts she had kept at bay for many years suddenly flooding her head. It was foreign to her as she tried to keep a positive outlook on her life but she had strayed far away from it today.


    ¡°I will not lose myself,¡± she promised.

 Chapter 23

    Chapter 23: Lady of the house (1)


    Time quickly passed in the baron¡¯s home much to everyone¡¯s delight. For Alessandra, it meant she was closer to leaving her childhood home to live with the Duke. For Kate, it meant she would be going to live with Edgar, a surprise Alessandra was not expecting.


    Katrina was counting down the hours for when she would be rid of Alessandra even if it meant she was going to live with Edgar. Desmond, on the other hand, couldn¡¯t wait for Kate to seduce Edgar and get married to him instead of Alessandra. He was praying she would get pregnant after one night with Edgar.


    It soon became time for dinner and with the new changes to the house, Alessandra arrived at the dinner table. She could not remember thest time she came into the dining room to eat dinner with her family. It was always in her room alone with nothing but the noise from the farm.


    Alessandra already knew which chair at the table she wanted to sit in as she neared the table. It was the one her mother used to sit in each time they had dinner.


    ¡°Alessandra?¡± The butler James stopped in his tracks as he entered the dining room to find Alessandra sitting at the head of the table.


    In his absence, he learned that Alessandra had been proposed to by the Duke and now she was able to roam around the home as she pleased.


    Even though Alessandra was engaged to the Duke, James knew Katrina wouldn¡¯t be happy to see Alessandra sitting there so he proceeded to make her move. ¡°Mydy, it would be best for you to sit elsewhere. Perhaps here,¡± he approached the table to pull out another chair.


    .....


    Alessandra looked up at the butler and the seat he was holding out for her. ¡°I prefer the one I am in. Why do you think I sat here?¡±


    ¡°But-¡±


    ¡°I am not moving,¡± Alessandra stood firm on where she wanted to sit. ¡°You should finish setting the table before the others arrive rather than wasting my time.


    James was at a loss for words with Alessandra not moving. It was already odd enough for her to be seated at the table but now the way she acted was different. ¡°Katrina will not allow you to sit there,¡± he switched his tone to something more gentle. He was merely looking out for Alessandra.


    ¡°I have a feeling she won¡¯t mind. Can I get a ss of water when you go back to the kitchen? The pitchers here are empty,¡± Alessandra was parched after spending the remainder of the day cleaning out her bedroom to get rid of the stench from the dead kitten and starting to pack up her belongings.


    Due to her not owning many things, by tomorrow morning she would be finished with her packing.


    James ced down thest utensils on the table and straightened them out. He made sure each time the family gathered to eat the table would be pure perfection. ¡°I will bring in a pitcher for you, Alessandra,¡± he bowed then left.


    Alessandra tapped her finger on the table to pass time. Sitting at the table did not feel as good as it once did. Then she started to wonder, was sitting at the table ever a good experience? She enjoyed her time with her mother while they ate but eventually, her parents would start to argue.


    It was not as good as she believed it to be as a child now that she was older.


    ¡°This house has always been toxic but as a child, I thought that was what happiness meant¡± Alessandra muttered, leaning back in her chair as her past memories became depressing.


    She started to think about what else she thought was good as a child but now she was older, it certainly wasn¡¯t good.


    ¡°This house has so much negative energy. It deserves to just be burned down.¡±


    ¡°You really are taking this too far,¡± Kate strutted into the dining room like a new person. It was as if her earlier encounter with Alessandra never happened. ¡°Do as you please, Alessandra. The higher you climb the further you¡¯ll fall when this blows up in your face.¡±


    Alessandra was surprised Kate didn¡¯t curse or scream at her for what she had done with the horse shit. That wouldn¡¯t have been enough to stop Kate¡¯s antics.


    ¡°I hope you always remember that thanks to the little stunt you pulled today someone got fired. You should take responsibility. Sally was crying her eyes out.¡± Kate took a seat far away from Alessandra on the other side of the table. She didn¡¯t trust Alessandra would not throw something else on her.


    ¡°I did not fire her, you did Kate. Yet again you push the me for your actions onto me. When are you going to stop? Do I need to visit your bedroom again,¡± Alessandra taunted Kate with what she did earlier. ¡°Luckily, the horses shit every day.¡±


    ¡°I will never forgive what you did-¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do it with the expectation you would forgive me. I thought it was obvious I wanted the opposite. The only person here to forgive anyone in this home is me but you are all lost souls. I shall never forgive any of you,¡± Alessandra said.


    ¡°Are you going to live the rest of your life holding onto the things we did to you? At some point, you have to let it go or it bes pathetic,¡± Kate found Alessandra to be nothing more than pitiful.


    ¡°No, I will not spend the rest of my life thinking about any of you. I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be around for that long and I shall be living with the Duke. I¡¯m afraid you will spend more time thinking about me, Kate. I hope I haunt you.¡±


    Kate ced her hands on the table, interlocking her fingers as she leaned forward in Alessandra¡¯s direction. ¡°Keep up this confidence Alessandra. When it crumbles I¡¯ll be there to watch. When this is over I¡¯ll really make your life a living hell. You¡¯ll hate me more when that timees.¡±


    ¡°I have never hated you, Kate. I will admit I have feared you and you have angered me but I pity you more than anything. Many times I have ced myself in your shoes. That does not mean I like you but I don¡¯t hate you. It took me a long time to realize that it has always been pity I felt towards you.¡±


    ¡°Do not look down on me!¡± Kate smacked her hands against the table. She was above Alessandra so why did she keep trying to look down on her?


    ¡°That is not me looking down on you, Kate. That is me knowing that thanks to our father not giving you the attention you sought the jealousy you felt created the monster you are now. You are the reason I shall never give in to my bad thoughts. I never want to be like you, Kate,¡± Alessandra stated, d she held onto who she was.


    ¡°Says the person who threw shit on me. Yes, you¡¯re really a saint. How could I forget that? I am not jealous of you and I have never been in the past. I don¡¯t know what delusional memory you have of your childhood but I suggest you get rid of it right away. It¡¯s making me pity you,¡± Kate said as she wanted to be the one looking down on Alessandra.


    Alessandra had no issue with Kate pitying her as she did not care about what Kate felt towards her. ¡°That is fine.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe Edgar made the decision to propose to you. What an idiot. James, please bring me one of my father¡¯s best wines,¡± Kate rubbed her temple to calm her nerves. She spent so much time trying to understand Edgar but failed.


    ¡°He¡¯s an idiot because he didn¡¯t pick you? Kate, you are really beautiful but your heart and soul need to be worked on.¡± Alessandra viewed Kate as one her the most beautiful people she everid eyes on but Kate¡¯s personality was horrible.


    It was why she had such a hard time keeping a suitor. They¡¯ll leave as soon as they see pass her beauty.


    ¡°You-¡±


    ¡°What is this I hear about my wine?¡± Desmond questioned as he entered the dining room with Katrina by his side. ¡°Alessandra, why are you sitting there?¡±


    In Desmond¡¯s eyes, Alessandra had positioned herself at the table as if she was thedy of the house.

 Chapter 24

    Chapter 24: Lady of the house (2)


    ¡°I like this chair father. Is it really a big deal with me being here? Does Katrina wish to sit here now? The many times I peeped out at the three of you having dinner, lunch, or breakfast, I have never seen Katrina seated here. You can have it if you want,¡± Alessandra started to stand up but as she expected, her father stopped her.


    If there was anyone she hadplete control over, it was her father.


    ¡°Sit, sit. It is only a chair, right darling?¡± Desmond looked at Katrina for her to confirm it. A chair shouldn¡¯t be a big deal in a situation like this. ¡°One more day,¡± he whispered.


    ¡°It is not a big deal. You can remain there Alessandra,¡± it pained Katrina for these words to leave her mouth but after Desmond ignored what she told him about Kate and Alessandra, she felt useless.


    Her husband did not care how much their daughter was embarrassed and only saw the money he could get from Edgar in the future.


    Katrina was on the fence about Kate sleeping with Edgar to guarantee she would wed him but now, she was fully on board. Kate was right to steal whatever happiness Alessandra thought she owned.


    Katrina truly believed Alessandra was a psycho after their conversation today and nned to send her off to a ce with others like her. Marrying Alessandra off to her husband¡¯s friend would only embarrass them as the girl lost her mind.


    .....


    Kate gripped her dress, angered by her mother allowing Alessandra to do as she pleased. Alessandra had no manners when it came to respecting her elders. She was also annoyed her father had not paid any visit to her after learning what Alessandra had done.


    ¡°Your water,¡± James returned to the table cing the pitcher of water Alessandra requested right in front of her. He was surprised to witness nothing had been done for where she sat.


    ¡°Where is the wine, James? It is not right for you to only serve one person,¡± Kate red at the butler. ¡°I ordered you to bring me wine but you bought her water. Alessandra, you have be thedy of this house. Congrattions.¡±


    Alessandra ignored Kate, picking up the pitcher to pour herself a ss of water. Kate would be a perfect fit for working in the court as she enjoyed talking about a lot of nonsense.


    ¡°Kate,¡± Desmond shushed her as he sat down at the other end of the table with Kate to his left and Katrina to his right. Unlike what he said earlier, it was not just a chair. He was meant to sit at the head of the table.


    ¡°What? Alessandra does not care about what I said. What did I even say wrong? Look at her, she looks more like thedy of the house than my mother. She¡¯s finally getting to do everything she ever dreamed of. Poor little Alessandra-Ow,¡± Kate groaned as the table shook.


    Kate red at her father for kicking her under the table. Why was he still holding onto the ridiculous idea of being nice to Alessandra?


    ¡°Alessandra, how was your day?¡± Desmond asked in an attempt to change the topic.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have stopped her,¡± Alessandra sighed, as ced her almost empty ss of water to the side. ¡°I am not going to befortable with Kate pretending to be nice when I know what she is really like. I am also notfortable with you suddenly caring about my day, father. I would prefer if everyone just shut up.¡±


    ¡°For once in my life, I agree with her. I can¡¯t pretend to be nice to her even if someone was to pay me. We should just continue as we have always been or you should just be the only nice one to her, father. If anything it¡¯s your love she wants the most. She grew up with parents who didn¡¯t love her,¡± said Kate.


    Alessandra¡¯s life was just a big puddle of sadness. This was what she imed someone was jealous of? Kate covered her mouth with her hand as she snickered to avoid being kicked by her father again.


    ¡°I have never hated Alessandra. How could a father hate his child? You know that I love you, right Alessandra?¡± Desmond smiled, truly believing his words. If he did not love her why else would she still be living with him when girls her age had already married and started to own families?


    ¡°I know you love me,¡± Alessandra replied, watching as her father¡¯s smile widened. ¡°From what I viewed love to be as a child, you do love me. From the way you ignore me, look at me with disgust whenever I show myself to your guests by ident, how you allow others to treat me, how you think the Duke could not have fallen in love with me, that is your love. It is how you were with my mother.¡±


    ¡°I can onlypare it to a mother¡¯s love but it¡¯s not like that was much better. Mother ran away leaving me here with you. I think I¡¯ve only experienced the bad kinds of love but it is still love right?¡±


    ¡°Ugh,¡± Desmond didn¡¯t know how to respond to Alessandra¡¯s confession. He was certain he had treated her right by keeping her with him after all these years. Any other person would have gotten rid of her. ¡°I have kept you sheltered here for many years.¡±


    ¡°That is your duty as a father. You are meant to protect your child. Father, after the incident you were the first one to look at me with disgust. It was you who wanted to hide me away and fed into the rumors of me being cursed even though you knew the truth. I am sheltered here not to be protected but for your friends to not see me,¡± Alessandra replied.


    Keeping her here was not a grand favor when she wanted nothing more than to run away and live somewhere else. Did he really think she liked being here to be tortured by his wife and daughter?


    If only he had stopped the rumors in the early or at least stopped what happened to her face, then she would have long left this home and probably be married to someone by now.


    Katrina couldn¡¯t take any more of Alessandra crying andining about her life. ¡°You are well above the age to get married. The moment you turned a woman, your father could have kicked you out but he allowed you to stay here. His duty as a father ended when you became a woman but you have never been grateful.¡±


    ¡°Allow me to stay here? Is it not the inheritance you would have to give me should I leave that is keeping me here, father? Give it to me and I shall leave right now,¡± Alessandra held out her hand for what belonged to her.


    When you quietly roamed the house trying to avoid being seen you would hear many things.


    ¡°Alessandra, that¡¯s not something I can just hand over to you,¡± Desmond didn¡¯t like where the conversation took a turn to. He did not have Alessandra¡¯s inheritance anymore.


    Desmond was certain she would never leave their home therefore he used the money as an investment for a business that failed. She wouldn¡¯t have needed the inheritance in the marriage deal he set up with a friend.


    ¡°Why not? Katrina and Kate are tired of me. If you give me the money, it is more than enough for me to leave this ce and never return. I might even leave town and not marry the Duke,¡± Alessandra continued to push for it.


    Kate¡¯s eyes lit up upon hearing this. ¡°Give her the money, father. Make her leave.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not possible that you do not have it, right father? If I bring this information to the court you could be investigated as you are not meant to touch my inheritance. This is why he has never gotten rid of me,¡± Alessandra side-eyed Katrina.


    This was the reason Alessandra had never asked her father to let her leave. When she overheard him speaking about her inheritance being drained, Alessandra knew she couldn¡¯t just leave her family. In the end, she decided to look for a man desperate enough to marry her.


    ¡°I will gather the money owed to you, Alessandra. Do not mention it to anyone. Especially Edgar.¡± Desmond knew he would be screwed if Edgar found out about what he did.


    Edgar¡¯s father was one of the men who fought for children¡¯s inheritance to be protected until they either married or decided to leave their families. Arge scandal in the town was what prompted thisw.


    Alessandra¡¯s inheritance would have been her dowry for her marriage but with her reputation, Desmond didn¡¯t think she needed it.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t think anyone would ever want to marry me?¡± Alessandra didn¡¯t have to read his mind to know that was what he was thinking. ¡°I will keep my mouth shut. However, you should refrain from ever saying you were nice enough to shelter me here for so long. Understood?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes,¡± Desmond had to clear his throat after stuttering. For a moment, he feared the way Alessandra spoke to him. How did she know about the inheritance being gone?


    Alessandra held a card that could ruin him should she tell the court about this. For his safety, Desmond was contemting getting rid of her and telling the Duke she ran away.

 Chapter 25

    Chapter 25: I want your daughter (1)


    Kate rolled her eyes, irritated that her father allowed such an easy opportunity to get rid of Alessandra to pass by. ¡°Father, why on earth can¡¯t you just go get the money tomorrow? Who cares if you spent it? You have plenty more to rece it.¡±


    Kate didn¡¯t understand why her father was acting like he was broke these days. Did he want people to talk about him or more importantly, her?


    ¡°Kate,¡± Katrina tried to shush her daughter before she could upset her husband. Kate was not aware of many things going on but it was not a good idea to make Desmond angry. ¡°Keep quiet and enjoy dinner. Do not forget you have a lot to n for what your father has prepared.¡±


    Alessandra was curious about what Katrina was referring to. She felt like it had something to do with her but she did not wish to ponder on it for too long.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already started it, mother. I¡¯ve picked out the finest-¡±


    ¡°Shut up,¡± Desmond silenced Kate. If she continued to speak, Kate would no doubt spoil he was making her live with Edgar alongside Alessandra. His oldest daughter was smarter than they ever thought and it was best to keep her out of the loop.


    Alessandra now confirmed there was something suspicious going on thanks to her father. They were definitely nning something and by the end of the second day, it would be revealed.


    .....


    She considered two options. They were either going to find a way to cancel her engagement to Edgar or they were going to concoct some nonsense n to get Kate with the Duke.


    Alessandra didn¡¯t bother to tell the obvious fate of their n failing. It was better to watch them sink themselves. She was relieved to see the butler returning with dinner and Mario was right behind him with two tes in his hand. She could only imagine how furious Mario was for being a server.


    ¡°Dinner is served,¡± James announced. He carefully watched as the dishes were ced in front of the family one by one. He meant to speak with the Baron about the need for more workers.


    The workers were behind on the daily chores because they weren¡¯t that many of them for the number of jobs needing to be done. He had been informed of another maid fired for a ridiculous reason. If they keep this up, no one would want toe work for the family.


    The maid Kate fired was still here and James was determined to keep her. He could not take on any more responsibility than he had now. ¡°Baron, I would like to have a word.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Desmond cut into this meat, refusing to look at James. ¡°Talk quickly James. You know I dislike servants talking to me at the table. Have you forgotten your ce?¡±


    James was offended by the way he was spoken to but brushed it off. As a butler and a man of low status, he was used to this treatment. ¡°A maid was fired today by the youngdy Kate. There is a lot of work to be done around the house and until a recement has been hired-¡±


    ¡°You fired someone, Kate?¡± Desmond ignored the rest of what James had to say. He did not give Kate permission to be firing anyone as she pleased. ¡°Have you lost your mind?¡±


    ¡®There goes their favorite phase,¡¯ Alessandra thought as she quietly ate her food. She was disappointed there was nothing special about eating at the table. Her bedroom would be much better than this.


    ¡°The fool just stood there while Alessandra threw shit on me. What¡¯s the point in having a personal maid who does not aid me? I told you and my mother that she was not right for the job. Thank goodness I fired her before she embarrassed me in front of my friends,¡± Kate was angered just from imagining how Sally stood by the door.


    Desmon pinched the bridge of his nose. He wondered when he went wrong with Kate. ¡°Kate, she is the daughter of a fallen household. She is the perfect person to be your personal maid as she had enough education before her family was doomed.¡±


    Desmond intentionally left it being cheaper to hire Sally than others. The girl was desperate to provide for her family which was used to riches.


    Kate wasn¡¯t aware of Sally¡¯s background. ¡°Even better. I don¡¯t know how she could show her face after her family has lost their wealth. She should have learned from Alessandra and hid her face. I don¡¯t want someone who fell from grace beside me,¡± she chuckled.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware that was the type of background the girl had,¡± Katrina said to Desmond. She agreed with Kate now that she knew this. ¡®How many things does he hide from me?¡¯ She wondered.


    Desmond¡¯s usefulness was running out the more secrets he kept from Katrina. The love she forced herself to have for him was slowly disappearing now that his wealth wasn¡¯t that grand. There was no reason for her to continue having a husband.


    ¡°The girl stays. James, inform her of it right away,¡± Desmond told the butler. He was not going to allow Katrina nor Kate to change his mind. This was practically Kate¡¯s hundredth personal maid and he was not going to let this one slip by.


    ¡°Father,¡± Kate whined. She looked to her mother for help but her mother shook her head. ¡®Very well. I shall make her quit.¡¯


    Kate had many ways of getting rid of someone she did not like. If Sally wanted to stay, she would have to endure what Kate sent her way.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take her.¡±


    All three heads turned to Alessandra now remembering there was a fourth person at the table.


    Alessandra was in need of a maid. Someone to report to her what was being said by the workers and family members when she was not around. ¡°I am in need of a personal maid. I shouldn¡¯t wait for Edgar to provide me with one.¡±


    ¡°Not my maid,¡± Kate disagreed as if she had not been the one to fire Sally in the first ce.


    ¡°You are in need of a maid,¡± Desmond now realized this fact.


    ¡°Father!¡± Kate could not believe her ears. A moment ago he was forcing her to keep the maid and now he was handing her off to Alessandra. ¡°I want her. You cannot give Alessandra what is mine.¡±


    ¡°Can I have the girl or not?¡± Alessandra didn¡¯t want to prolong knowing if she would be given Sally as her personal maid.


    As a lesson for Kate, Desmond decided to go against what she wanted. ¡°James, tell the girl she is now Alessandra¡¯s maid.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± James bowed, then went off to find the girl crying her eyes out over the loss of her job.


    Kate pushed her chair back, creating a skin-crawling sound at the wood chair screeched against the floor. ¡°I have nothing to say to you.¡±


    Kate walked away from the table preferring to be alone before she said something to her father she would regret.


    ¡°Katrina, teach that girl some manners,¡± said Desmond.


    Katrina gripped her fork as she heard the faint sound of Alessandraughing. Not too long ago, Alessandra told her to teach Kate manners. For her husband to do the same, was embarrassing. Katrina refused to say anything to fuel Alessandra¡¯s growing ego.


    ¡°Baron, a message has arrived for you,¡± James hurried back to the table. The baron had warned him many times to alert him right away when this person tried contacting him.


    ¡°No more interruptions James,¡± Desmond said as he took an envelope from James. His eyes went wide and his skin turned pale once he saw the name written across the back of the envelope.


    The message came from none other than William Lancaster, the man who wanted Alessandra.

 Chapter 26

    Chapter 26: I want your daughter (2)


    ¡°James, prepare the carriage for my departure,¡± Desmond quickly shoved the note back into the envelope after he read the contents.


    William was summoning him to talk about Alessandra once again.


    ¡°Carriage? Who is the letter from? Why are you going to someone at a time when you are meant to be eating dinner? Desmond,¡± Katrina¡¯s words fell on deaf ears as Desmond stood up to leave.


    ¡°This is more important than dinner. Take care of the house while I am away,¡± Desmond left the table in a hurry to get to William.


    Katrina sighed, looking at the food Desmond barely touched on his te. Kate had left the table and now her husband too. She enjoyed having dinner with the two of them but now it was returned.


    Katrina red at the person responsible for dinner being ruined.


    ¡°It is my fault,¡± Alessandra said before Katrina could me her for the table being so vacant. ¡°I can control Kate¡¯s feelings to make her leave and I live a double life as the person who sent my father the letter.¡±


    .....


    ¡°I do not need your sarcasm,¡± Katrina spat.


    Alessandra yed with a potato on her te and said, ¡°Your eyes looked to me as the reason dinner was ruined. I thought it was only fitting I tried to make up the most stupid way I could be the one to ruin dinner. This family truly needs to learn to take ountability for their actions.¡±


    ¡°Ha,¡± Katrina scoffed. Never would she have ever imagined getting lessons from Alessandra. ¡°Then why are you pushing what happened to your face onto someone else?¡±


    ¡°I never said I wasn¡¯t responsible. However, your daughter has a share of responsibility when ites to my face and I will not let her forget it. I hate to ruin dinner further but I do not wish to waste my time sitting here with you. Goodnight, mother.¡±


    ¡°I am not your mother,¡± Katrina gritted her teeth.


    With Alessandra leaving, she was the only one left at the dinner table. Instead of leaving, Katrina took her knife and fork to start eating.


    ¡°I worked so hard to get a baron¡¯s attention for this kind of life? Who should I make my next move on?¡± Katrina started to plot her next move.


    Meanwhile, Desmond bit his nails as his nerves increased the further he got from the house. He had no idea why William was requesting his presence sote in the night to speak about his daughter? News of Alessandra¡¯s engagement was not known to the town therefore William could not know about it.


    ¡°Why did I borrow money from William? If I ever find the man who scammed me I swear I¡¯ll kill him on the spot. How dare anyone try to scam me?¡± Desmond was angered by the memory of a man who promised to triple his wealth if he invested arge sum of money into a couple of businesses.


    The man was nowhere to be found once he received the money and no matter who Desmond asked about him, each person imed to not know anyone with the name or description. The man was right to not show his face in town or he would be killed for what he had done.


    ¡°Why has the carriage stopped?¡± Desmond asked when the carriage suddenly came to a halt. Looking out the window, he knew he was not at William¡¯s house as yet.


    ¡°Baron!¡± A voice called, sending shivers down Desmond¡¯s body.


    ¡°Why is he here?¡± Desmond muttered.


    ¡°William has sent me to escort you in one of his carriages. You should feel honored you sly dog,¡± the right door opened to reveal one of William¡¯s henchmen.


    ¡°There is nothing wrong with my carriage, Rowan,¡± Desmond red at the man.


    Rowan was one of William¡¯s most trusted servants. He was always sent to kill anyone William no longer wanted alive as they were either his enemy or no longer useful.


    ¡°If you continue to re at me, I will pick your eyes out with my nails. Get out now before I consider knocking you out and dragging you in the mud. Your pick,¡± Rowan grinned, revealing his golden tooth. He yed with a small dagger in his hands as he waited for Desmond to make his answer.


    ¡°Get out of the way,¡± Desmond knew he had no choice but to get out of the carriage. ¡°Move-¡±


    In the blink of an eye, Rowan pointed the dagger at Desmond¡¯s neck. ¡°Do not talk down to me, Baron. I do not share the same status but I won¡¯t hesitate to kill anyone who looks down on me. If only my master would allow me to kill you. I have never gutted a Baron before.¡±


    ¡°You demon...¡± Desmond shook from fear. Each time William wanted to scare him, he would always send Rowan to do the job.


    Rowan chuckled, pointing the dagger in another direction. He ran his fingers through the strands of his hair, the shade identical to the color of blood. ¡°Everyone says it¡¯s my hair that makes me look like a demon but has anyone ever seen a demon to know what they look like? Fools.¡±


    Rowan frowned, suddenly annoyed Desmond had not left the carriage and distracted him instead. His master won¡¯t be too happy if they arete. Without a word, Rowan reached forward to get a handful of Desmond¡¯s hair and then pulled him from his seat to the muddy ground.


    ¡°I told you I would drag you out. Tsk, you got mud on my boots,¡± Rowan proceeded to rub his boots onto Desmond¡¯s clothes to get rid of the mud.


    Desmond shoved Rowan¡¯s shoe away, refusing to be belittled by a murderer. ¡°You cannot treat a Baron this way.¡±


    ¡°This is why my master hates you. You are not only a Baron but also William Lancaster¡¯s servant. When he sends for you, your title does not mean anything. Have you forgotten he saved you from your many debts? Why is it taking so long to bring him your daughter? Silly man,¡± Rowan kicked Desmond in his side, causing him to tumble over in the mud.


    ¡°A baron, rolling around in the mud like a dog. What a sight. If only my master was here to see this. Get up quickly or I shall kill you for making uste,¡± Rowan said as he walked back to the carriage he arrived in.


    He looked up at the man hunched over in front of Desmond¡¯s carriage. Rowan used a special dartced with drugs to send the coachman to sleep. It was important that no one knew William was meeting with Desmond.


    Desmond balled up fists, tempted to attack Rowan for what he had done but he knew to be patient. When his deal with William woulde to an end and he would be back on his feet, Desmond would have Rowan¡¯s head. ¡°Good thingse to those who wait,¡± he reminded himself.


    This phase helped Desmond in a time of hardship and the reward for waiting was so close he could almost taste it.


    Alessandra marrying William would benefit him as Desmond had a bright idea to kill his long time friend afternd and money would be ced in Alessandra¡¯s name. It wouldn¡¯t be too hard for him to snatch them away from Alessandra and ce her back into hiding afterward.


    The problem with the n was Edgar.


    Desmond got to his feet ignoring the mud on the clothes he paid a fortune for. If William desperately wanted Alessandra, he was the perfect tool to use to push Kate into Edgar¡¯s arms while Alessandra got married to William instead.


    ¡°Things are suddenly looking up,¡± Desmond smiled, walking up to the carriage William sent for him. He wasn¡¯t too happy about sharing it with Rowan but as the man said, Willian ordered Rowan not to kill him.


    ¡°What took you so long?¡± Rowan yawned due to waiting for Desmond so long. ¡°I will ce the me on you if he asks what happened.¡±


    Desmond refused to say anything back to Rowan and quietly sat in his seat. Unfortunately, Rowan sat opposite him where they would be looking at each other. ¡°Why are you smiling at me?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t kill you.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Desmond did not understand what that had to do with his smile.


    ¡°I get a tingle all over my body from not being able to kill you. The feeling makes me smile. Nothing gets me more excited than someone I cannot kill. I keep thinking, what if I kill you and tell my master it was an ident-¡±


    ¡°I will be your master¡¯s father-inw. You can never harm me,¡± Desmond believed that was enough to keep him alive.


    Rowan covered his mouth with his hand to hide a devilish smile. ¡°Is that so? I remember these very words when I killed his first wife¡¯s father. Master truly loathed the man.¡±

 Chapter 27

    Chapter 27: I want your daughter (3)


    Desmond tried his best to remain calm, refusing to show Rowan the fear he sought after. Just like everyone else, he was aware of William¡¯s father-inw¡¯s death but the family had been secretive about it and imed it to be from a cold. Desmond believed the story up until this point.


    Desmond knew he had done nothing to offend William to the point the man would want him dead. They were longtime friends for goodness sake and Desmond was handing William his daughter on a silver tter.


    ¡°You will eat those words one of these days,¡± Desmond promised the shabby man.


    ¡°Tell you what Baron, I¡¯ll help you tie me up so you can shove those words down my throat. You should know, I am a man who enjoys pain,¡± Rowan licked his dry lips.


    ¡°This conversation is over,¡± Desmond no longer wished to carry on the conversation any further. He knew of Rowan to be a man with sick habits be it with a man or woman.


    William was crazy for keeping such a person around but Desmond had to admit, that Rowan was loyal. No one could sessfully bribe him to betray William. They couldn¡¯t figure out what William had over Rowan¡¯s head to make him this loyal.


    ¡°You are an evil person Baron,¡± Rowan said out of the blue.


    .....


    ¡°Says the murderer and have you forgotten who you work for?¡±


    ¡°I know my master and I are evil but you are one of those people who y dumb to what they are. What kind of a good person hands his daughter off to a man his age? Tsk tsk,¡± Rowan sighed.


    ¡°The silence is loud,¡± Rowan sang as he enjoyed making Desmond feel guilty. ¡°Or maybe that¡¯s a thing in the town I know nothing about. A man like me knows nothing about high society. Do you care to enlighten me if this is a normal thing?¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to tell me not to send my daughter to William?¡± Desmond asked.


    ¡°Of course not. William wants her therefore he shall have her but I was expecting a father to have principles you know. Stop looking down on me when you are not a good person Baron. I kill people and you trade your daughter for money. We are evil brothers,¡± Rowan chuckled, stomping his feet against the floor as he found himself to be funny.


    ¡®He¡¯s crazy,¡¯ Desmond concluded.


    Alessandra was saving their house by bing William¡¯s wife. He was setting her up to be the wife of one of the richest men in the town.


    Duke Edgar must be ying with her feelings as Kate was a woman more suited for him. Desmond wouldn¡¯t put it past Edgar to propose to Alessandra only to make Kate jealous and Alessandra fell for his trick.


    His poor daughter.


    ¡°Home sweet home,¡± Rowan took a deep breath to inhale the air he believed to be sweeter than anywhere else. ¡°There¡¯s nothing like the Lancaster mansion,¡± he opened the carriage door before the carriage itself stopped.


    Desmond scurried to the other end, afraid he would fall out of the door. His heart rushed while Rowan jumped out of the carriageughing as if he couldn¡¯t have hurt himself.


    He never wanted to see Rowan again after tonight for he could identally kill the both of them with recklessness. For the first time since he had left home, Desmond felt truly relieved when the carriage stopped.


    ¡°Baron, we are alreadyte. Trust me, you do not want to upset him.¡±


    ¡°I aming,¡± Desmond said. He made a mental note to have the doctor visit him tomorrow to check on his heart.


    As Desmond exited the carriage, the gloomy atmosphere of William¡¯s mansion greeted him. It was no wonder Rowan liked the ce so much. It was a ce you¡¯d asionally hear crows warning you to turn back.


    Desmond cautiously followed behind Rowan regretting not listening to his wife telling him to stay and enjoy dinner. At least he would have eaten before William would find and kill him for not showing up.


    Desmond envied how grand William¡¯s house was as he entered. There was a time when he had more wealth than William but William somehow came out on top after the years.


    Rowan and Desmond eventually came upon William sitting in arge chair simr to a king¡¯s throne at a dinner table with a woman to his side.


    ¡°I have brought the baron to you, master,¡± Rowan announced their presence.


    ¡°Well done. Old friend!¡± William raised a ss filled with wine to Desmond. ¡°It¡¯s been so long since we had a chat. Forgive me for being unable to wait until the morning to summon you. I sent Rowan to you as a kind gesture. He does not normally escort my guests. Normally, you kill them, Rowan,¡± he chuckled.


    Desmond faked augh to remain on William¡¯s good side. The William before him right now was nothing like the person he knew in the past. It was true money could change anyone.


    William Lancaster who was once small and shy changed into arge buff man after his countless training. His head was covered in white hair and so was his beard but that did not mean you should ever underestimate him because of his age.


    ¡®It has been three days since west spoke,¡¯ Desmond said to himself.


    ¡°It truly has been too long,¡± Desmond replied to William. ¡°I should thank you for helping me escape my wife tonight. I might be able to go to the red light district to rx.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Had I known this, I would have called some of the women here tonight. I understand how tough marriage can be. I¡¯ve been married two times already but they eventually became boring. Have a seat next to me,¡± William pointed to the chair ced dangerously close to him.


    All the other chairs were spread out where guests were an arm¡¯s length apart but this chair was right by William.


    ¡°If you insist,¡± Desmond took a seat with caution. ¡°How is the wife?¡± He asked, looking at the woman at the table.


    ¡°Somewhere in the house crying her eyes out,¡± William sighed.


    Desmond was now confused by the woman who sat at the table. It was so hard for him to remember what William¡¯s second wife looked like as she was rarely seen and there were no portraits of her around the home.


    William had no children which meant this woman had to be his mistress.


    ¡°Why have you not brought your daughter to me, Desmond? I am not a patient man,¡± William waved his hand, and without any words spoken Rowan appeared by his side to hold the ss of wine instead of it being ced on the table.


    ¡°I was meaning to but I ran into a problem. Duke Edgar Collins came by my home to ask for Alessandra¡¯s hand in marriage. He threatened me and I had no choice but to agree to it. Don¡¯t worry as I have a n to make him marry my youngest daughter instead.¡±


    ¡°Duke Edgar,¡± William softly repeated the name with disgust. ¡°That spoiled brat is trying to steal what belongs to me.¡±


    William hated Edgar from the bottom of his soul along with Edgar¡¯s father. They were always meddling in others¡¯ affairs, implementing too manyws, and having hispanions thrown into jail.


    ¡°Alessandra will be your wife either way-¡±


    ¡°Wife?¡± William chuckled as the words left Desmond¡¯s mouth. ¡°You misunderstood my words all this time, my friend? I do not wish to make your daughter my wife. I am a collector of many things. The rumored curse girl shall make an excellent addition to my collection of women and items.¡±


    ¡°If I am bored, she shall perform as a mistress. I remember her being beautiful as a child therefore her face cannot be that bad. Bring her to me tomorrow,¡± said William.


    ¡°B-But Edgar-¡± Desmond winced as William grabbed his left thigh and squeezed it.


    ¡°Desmond, you have two choices since you are my friend. One, you pay me back half of the money I have already given you by tomorrow. Two, you bring me your daughter and I will give you the rest of the money debt free. If you cannot pay me back what I gave you by tomorrow, Rowan shall pay you a visit. What is your decision?¡±


    ¡°I-I will bring her to you tomorrow,¡± Desmond made up his mind. Edgar and Wiliam were both terrifying men but Desmond was more afraid of William at this moment as he was looking to kill him right now.


    ¡°Good choice,¡± William released Desmond¡¯s thigh. ¡°Stay and have some food, my good friend.¡±

 Chapter 28

    Chapter 28: Loyal (1)


    ¡°Besides the Baron, everyone else has retired for the night. Once the kitchen is cleaned up, all of you may return to your quarters. We have a lot of work to do tomorrow. Run along,¡± James pped his hands, dismissing the servants he gathered in the kitchen.


    ¡°Every day we have a lot of work. Have you spoken to the Baron about getting more workers? At least one more maid and person to help out in the kitchen,¡± Mario spoke up. He was tired of working two jobs but only received one.


    ¡°I have brought it up to the Baron and it will be further discussed in the morning. The Baron will not want to hear of it when he returns. Let¡¯s wait and see how tomorrow goes. Sally!¡± James called to the previously fired maid. ¡°You are to be by Alessandra¡¯s door early in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Is there no other work I can do instead of being her maid? I can-¡±


    ¡°Stop right there,¡± James held up his hand, a signal he made to stop the workers from going against what he told them to do. ¡°You should be thankful you aren¡¯t working under Kate. Matter of fact, you should be thankful to still have a job. Wee to the real world where you have to do things you do not like.¡±


    ¡°But there are many rumors surrounding her. How can I be her personal maid?¡± Sally was deeply worried about her future with Alessandra. ¡°What if others start making up rumors about me? They¡¯ll say I am cursed too.¡±


    ¡°That is nothing for you to concern yourself with. Either ept Alessandra or Kate. Keep in mind that Alessandra is engaged to the Duke and there is a possibility you will follow her to his residence until he shall hire her a personal maid he trusts. Hold out till then as the payment will be better,¡± said James.


    .....


    James knew Sally came from a fallen household so she was new to recognizing the opportunities presented to her and how to use them to her advantage. Alessandra was no longer just the Baron¡¯s daughter. She would soon be a Duchess if she sessfully marries the Duke.


    This was a time totch yourself unto Alessandra so you could follow her to the Duke¡¯s home. If he could, he would follow her in a heartbeat.


    ¡°But still...¡± Sally trailed off unsure if that was worth it. She already has many people talking about what happened to her family.


    ¡°If you fail to be by her door when morninges I shall have you working under Kate again. Keep in mind Kate is not happy with you. You¡¯ve worked under her for a year, do you wish to go back to her?¡± James knew this would persuade her.


    ¡°No. I¡¯ll be with Alessandra in the morning,¡± Sally replied.


    ¡°Good,¡± James turned on his heels to retire now that he checked off everything he needed to do before bed. ¡°Why is everyone here so draining?¡± He rubbed his temple as he walked. ¡°I need to find another job first or maybe I should just quit.¡±


    James didn¡¯t care that the job wouldn¡¯t be a butler position. Anything was better than working for the Baron as his talents were being wasted here. He was not appreciated and was overworked.


    In the corner of his eyes, as he was about to turn into the hallway leading to his bedroom, James thought he had seen a shadow move but as he stared at where the shadow had been, no one seemed to be there. He med what he saw on how tired he was and continued to walk on.


    ¡°Why is my door open?¡± James muttered as he found the door of his bedroom slightly opened as if someone had been in it and as they left, the door had not closed all the way. ¡°Did someone steal my money? Baroness?¡±


    ¡°Hello James,¡± Katrina sat up from his bed. ¡°I have been waiting a long time for you to return.¡±


    James didn¡¯t understand why Katrina would enter his bedroom thiste into the night. He had never seen her visit the servant quarters before. ¡°Is there something you are in need of? I shall fetch it right away, Baroness.¡±


    ¡°Where has my husband run off to? I know you saw the name. I do not enjoy it when secrets are kept from me, James. I am a woman who must know everything. Give me the name,¡± Katrina ordered him. James was a little fly around her husband, knowing many things she did not.


    James bowed his head, unable to give her an answer. The Baron made it clear he was not supposed to speak of his business to anyone. Not even his own wife.


    ¡°You sure are loyal enough to my husband to keep your mouth shut however, it won¡¯t do you any good to not be loyal to me. What do you think of me, James?¡± Katrina asked, walking around the room slowly to inspect what James owned.


    ¡°You are a wonderful mother and wife, Baroness. Many have spoken of your beauty.¡±


    Katrina smiled, enjoying the tteringpliments. ¡°Don¡¯t they speak of me getting with the Baron as soon as he divorced his first wife? Some spoke of me being in the picture while he was still married and questioned how quickly I became pregnant. They are all fools, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Baroness.¡±


    ¡°Why do you think I married the Baron, James?¡± Katrina asked another question.


    James was puzzled by the questions she was asking him thiste in the night when she could have waited until morning. James felt uneasy like something bad was going to happen. ¡°The Baron is an excellent man.¡±


    ¡°He is but he was also wealthy. How could I not want to get with him? You might have a poor opinion of me now but that is how the world works. I will admit I did fall in love with him afterward but that love has faded away. I am bored James and I need something new. You are young and fresh,¡± Katrina said as she caressed a flower James cared for in a vase.


    James wondered for a moment if Katrina was referring to him and not the flowers. He mentally pped himself for having such a thought when referring to a married woman. ¡°They are flowers from the garden. I am going to have more of them nted around. If you have any...¡± his voice trailed off when Katrina started tough.


    ¡°Are you really this innocent, James? I have caught your eyes on me many times before. It is good to know I still have my charm,¡± Katrina ran her hand through her hair. ¡°I have the beauty to rival the queen. That is why many of the women here are jealous of me, right?¡±


    James was unable to Katrina as he was filled with guilt and embarrassment for being caught staring at her. How could he not stare when she was a beautiful woman? However, he knew his boundaries. Katrina was a married woman and his employer.


    ¡°There are many men who sleep with their maids,¡± Katrina said as she approached James. Her right hand lingered on the string tied to keep her dress from bing loose. ¡°Then there are the women who have their butlers. This can be our little secret,¡± she touched his chest.


    ¡°I-It is not proper for me to do such a thing. You are married and the Baron is a good man,¡± James took a step back away from her. The situation had gone from zero to one hundred quickly.


    It was bad enough that a married woman was alone in her room at this time but now she was offering him to have an affair with her. The Baron would have him killed if he were to know of this.


    Katrina remained persistent in seducing James though he refused her advances. ¡°You are scared to be caught but I won¡¯t tell anyone if you don¡¯t. I¡¯ll also be in trouble if word of this gets out. Give me this one night to change your mind,¡± she started to untie the knot.


    ¡°I cannot,¡± James refused her again and turned around to leave but as he did so, he found a maid standing by the door. He had been so caught up in what Katrina was doing that he hadn¡¯t noticed anyone arriving or the door still being open.


    Katrina sighed, annoyed James didn¡¯t think with his penis rather than his brain. ¡°Why couldn¡¯t you have just epted the offer, James? You will make things so much more difficult for yourself. You saw the whole thing right?¡±


    ¡°Yes Baroness,¡± the maid replied.


    James looked back and forth between the maid and Katrina. Only now did he remember this was Katrina¡¯s personal maid. ¡°I rejected you.¡±


    ¡°I saw you try to take advantage of the Baroness while her husband was away,¡± the maid proimed as loudly as she could.


    ¡°You,¡± James was in disbelief such a im could be made when Katrina was the oneing onto him. ¡°Baroness,¡± he begged Katrina to clear this up.


    ¡°I am alone and defenseless in my home. With my husband gone and only my daughter here, my butler tried to take advantage of me. Threatening to kill me if I didn¡¯t follow him to his room. Thank goodness my maid was around and saved me in time before something could happen,¡± Katrina¡¯s eyes filled with tears.

 Chapter 29

    Chapter 29: Loyal (2)


    ¡°Baroness,¡± James muttered, still in disbelief the woman before him could use him of such a thing when she was the one to walk here on her own two feet to seduce him.


    Why would she go through such lengths to have him killed all because he did not want to sleep with her? Why was he being punished for having enough morals not to sleep with a married woman?


    ¡°If I were to run out and cry to the other servants, they would call the town guards to have you dragged out. What a pretty sight that would be to watch you plead your case but you know something, James? No one will ever believe you,¡± Katrina wiped away the tears she easily forced out.


    ¡°You are just a butler. Your life means nothingpared to mine, a Baroness. That is why you have to climb up the socialdder like I have and I will continue to do so with your help. I won¡¯t go crying to anyone about what you have-¡±


    ¡°I did nothing to you,¡± James stopped her. He always knew she was sly but to speak as if he had really done something to her really showed how much of a fox she was.


    ¡°ording to my eyes and the eyes of my maid, that is not true. How evil of you to not feel guilty for what you tried to do to me. To think we sheltered such a monster in our home for so long. You could have harmed my daughter at any time. Maybe you already did and silenced Kate with your threats,¡± Katrina gasped, using her hand to cover her mouth.


    ¡°Your daughter knows I have never been inappropriate with her. Are you truly evil to do this to a man because he rejected you? I am a good man, Baroness. The words you are uttering can have me killed and my mother yelled at for as long as she lives,¡± said James.


    .....


    He was concerned about what would happen to his mother if this lie would spread. Such a rumor whether true or false would ruin him.


    ¡°Well, you should listen to me well if you wish to save your mother from being tormented for raising a monster. I shall ask you this onest time and if you do not answer, I will alert the servants of what you did. Where did my husband run off to?¡± Katrina was burning with curiosity to have the answer.


    Desmond was a dog wagging its tail as the master called for it. He never allowed anyone to summon him out of his home at the time of night unless that person was the king. Anyone else would have to visit her husband.


    ¡°He went to William Lancaster¡¯s mansion,¡± James lowered his head, unable to look at Katrina as he told the Baron¡¯s business.


    ¡°William? Is it about Alessandra?¡± Katrina ran her thumb against her bottom lip as she pondered the reason for Desmond hurrying off to William sote in the night. ¡°William must be impatient. That is good news for Kate.¡±


    If they could get Alessandra sent off to wed William before the Duke could arrive for her, the Duke could do nothing but look for another wife. Kate would be right there as a new option.


    ¡°I have answered your questions, Baroness. Please leave me,¡± with the answer given, James thought her business with him was done.


    ¡°Oh, but we are not done yet, James. Your life is in the palm of my hands. I can hold on to what you did to me for as long as I want and then reach my breaking point, crying to my husband about the horrid deed. You are now more loyal to me than my husband. I have sent a man to watch your mother just in case you have thoughts of running,¡± said Katrina.


    James looked up in horror at this revtion. ¡°Do not touch my mother!¡±


    ¡°That all depends on you, James. Here,¡± Katrina pulled out a bottle from her sleeves and handed it to him. ¡°Put a tiny drop in my husband¡¯s food each day starting tomorrow. Do it until he can no longer stand on his two feet without help.¡±


    ¡°Why not Alessandra?¡± James asked as he took the bottle. He expected Katrina would also want to get rid of her.


    Katrina replied to his question with a smile. This wasn¡¯t her first time doing something to this degree. It would be suspicious for only Alessandra and her husband to die out of nowhere.


    Katrina did not need to kill Alessandra as the cursed child would soon be out of her sight. By the time her husband died, Alessandra would already be married to William and never able to step foot in this house.


    ¡°How are you so sure I won¡¯t put this in your food instead?¡± James asked as he inspected the small brown bottle.


    ¡°Because you know I won¡¯t hesitate to kill your mother if I feel the slightest bit sick. You know, all of this could have been avoided if you answered my question in the first ce,¡± Katrina said, feeling a bit of sympathy towards him.


    She wouldn¡¯t have gone to such lengths if James was a proper man. Perhaps, they would have rolled around in his bed for a moment, enjoying the warmth of each other¡¯s bodies before she would make the sweet promise of raising his position in society if he pledged loyalty to her.


    ¡°Working for me will give you rewards you have always dreamed of. Make me proud James or I shall have the town guards hang you. Goodnight,¡± Katrina proceeded to leave his room.


    Her skin crawled the entire time she stayed in the servant¡¯s quarters. It was beneath her to be in such a ce but it was needed for her to be here if she was going to use James to poison her husband.


    The butler had control of the food going in and out of the kitchen so it wouldn¡¯t be suspicious for him to be around the Baron¡¯s food. Katrina regretted not seducing James long before so he would be more loyal to her.


    ¡°Do you wish for me to watch his door for the rest of the night Baroness?¡± Krystle, a middle woman who had been Katrina¡¯s personal maid for five years, asked with her head low.


    ¡°James won¡¯t be leaving his room to speak to anyone. I have dealt with men like him before. He is scared out of his mind and will do as I say to protect his mother. Eventually, he will try to get something grand out of this. He will realize I will either kill him or continue to keep him by my side in the future. The oue depends on what he does tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Here,¡± Katrina took off a ring from her finger and tossed it to Krystle. ¡°For your continuous loyalty.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Baroness. Your kindness knows no bounds,¡± Krystle dropped to the floor to show her thanks to Katrina.


    Katrina continued to walk, ignoring the usualpliment she would get after paying Krystle. Her maid saw the ring as a kind gesture but Katrina saw it differently.


    If her ns were to be exposed and anyone started to question why her maid had expensive jewelry, Katrina would im Krystle had been stealing them from her. She would im Krystle threatened to expose the shameful thing James tried to do to her if she wasn¡¯t given jewelry.


    Besides Kate, no one else mattered in Katrina¡¯s eyes. In this cruel world, she had to be cruel to get what she wanted. ying the role of a woman madly in love with the newly divorced Baron was her most sessful plot to this day. However, she was not done yet. Everything the Baron owned needed to belong to her and Kate.


    Katrina halted, suddenly remembering onest thing she needed to do as a backup in case she read James wrong and he would try telling the Baron of what she did. ¡°Krystle,¡± she turned to her maid. ¡°We must get to my bedroom quickly.¡±

 Chapter 30

    Chapter 30: Loyal (3)


    ¡°I am too old to be dealing with all of this,¡± Desmond muttered, as he waltzed into his bedroom the next day.


    William made him stay the night to have drinks and brought a few women from the red light district to entertain them. No matter how many times he mentioned going home, William ignored him, and eventually, morning was upon them.


    ¡°This is the shock of the century. Two powerful men are fighting over Alessandra. What is there not to like about Kate? Where on earth is this woman?¡± He looked around the empty bedroom for his wife.


    At this time, Katrina would now be waking up.


    Desmond took a seat on the edge of the bed to take off his boots. He had no time to rest as there was work to do. He needed to prepare Alessandra to be sent to William¡¯s home in the night when no one would see.


    ¡°You arete,¡± Katrina red at her husband when her eyes fell on him as she exited the bathroom. ¡°Can it even be counted aste when my husband left in a hurryst night and came back in the morning? Were you with a woman?¡±


    ¡°Katrina, do not be ridiculous. Why would I entertain a woman when there is a possibility you would hang me by my balls to a tree?¡±


    .....


    Katrina covered her nose as the stench of wine filled the room the more Desmond spoke. ¡°You were drinking.¡±


    Desmond ced his boots on the side of the bed for a maid to moveter. ¡°I am allowed to have a drink here and there. Not even my mother would be able to scold me for it if she were alive. Do not think being my wife grants you that privilege.¡±


    ¡°Believe me, Desmond, I do not think it does. You could at least tell me where the hell you were running off to sote in the night so I wouldn¡¯t be concerned. You would wish to know where I was going if I were the one to rush out,¡± said Katrina.


    ¡°Well, obviously it is different for a woman. You cannot just leave home at night when so many women are disappearing and the culprit has not been caught. And as a wife, where would you be going when your husband is right here? I don¡¯t have the tolerance to deal with you this morning woman,¡± Desmond abruptly stood up, taking off his shirt to prepare for a bath.


    ¡°You insufferable man! I am disgusted by the sight of you. Do you think the other husbands treat their wives this way?!¡± Katrina eximed, annoyed with the constant secrecy on Desmond¡¯s end.


    ¡°I would not know since I do not think about them. I have a lot on my mind and thest thing I need is you yelling at me as soon as I arrive home. Give me a break,¡± Desmond sighed, sitting back down on the bed to rest his head in the palm of his hands. ¡°I have found myself in trouble.¡±


    ¡°Then tell me what is happening so I can share your burden. That is why I am upset with you,¡± Katrina walked to the bed and sat down next to him. She was curious to know what happened between him and William.


    She ran her hand up and down his back to calm his nerves. ¡°Talk to me, my sweet husband.¡±


    ¡°We have to send her away tonight. Alessandra, I mean. William wishes to take her and then he would give us more money for this exchange or have my neck if she does not go to him. Do you see why I have no time to argue with you?¡± Desmond looked to his wife.


    ¡°Then, we shall give her to him and take the money,¡± Katrina did not see what was so difficult for him to be in this state. ¡± Did you spend all of the one he gave you before?¡±


    ¡°No, I invested it properly this time and it is showing to be a good idea. The money has doubled but it is not enough to pay back William. If I had a bit more time it could triple and then we would be back on our feet. I promised her to Williamst night because of his threats but now, I am more concerned about Edgar.¡±


    Now that Desmond wasn¡¯t so close to William where the man could hurt his leg, reality hit him with who he should be more scared of. William was a cruel man but Edgar was a monster.


    ¡°Why? You promised William he would have her tonight so you should stick to your promise. Edgar should know he cannot interfere with what a father chooses for his daughter. Alessandra does not have a ring on her finger from Edgar. ce one for William on her hand. We need the money William is offering. The money from the residents on yournd won¡¯t be here in time to put us back on our feet,¡± said Katrina.


    She wanted the money William was offering in their hands so when Desmond died, it would belong to her.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope we do not see Edgar until tomorrow. That is the only way I can survive this. Katrina,¡± Desmond became alerted when he saw something rming now that he got a good look at the woman beside him. ¡°What happened to your neck?¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Katrina traced the marks she ordered Krystle to make on her skinst night. They were right above her breast and thanks to the loose night dress, it was clear as day for Desmond to see. ¡°I-It is nothing,¡± she pulled up the dress to cover the marks.


    ¡°Nothing? It looks as if someone hurt you. Did someone harm you while I was away?¡± Desmond¡¯s blood started to boil. No one was to every a hand on his wife. Who could disrespect him like this? ¡°Who did it? Give me a name right away. Was it Alessandra?¡±


    ¡°I do not wish to speak about it, Desmond. Please give me time-¡±


    ¡°Give you time? Someone has hurt you and you are talking about time? Fine, keep quiet but I will find someone who can tell me what happened while I was away. Where is James?¡± Desmond knew James would be able to find out about it for him.


    ¡°Desmond, you should not get sidetracked like this. You have other things to worry about,¡± Katrina tried to reason with him.


    ¡°I cannot let someone get away with hurting my wife. Then they¡¯ll think it is right to do it to Kate! Why are you protecting this person, Katrina? Did they threaten you with something?¡±


    ¡°Desmond, I will tell you about it after we have given William what he wants. We have no time to be going after others when there is someone trying to kill you. I promise I will tell you about it tonight. Please drop it for now,¡± Katrina held his hands, rubbing the back of them with her thumb to calm him down.


    On the inside, Katrina was smiling since she got the reaction she was looking for. This would be her evidence if James were to speak ofst night.


    ¡°I want the person front and center to be dealt with after Alessandra is gone. I will not let someone get away with harming you, Katrina. Come here. I need to relieve this built-up frustration,¡± Desmond pulled her towards him, ripping the front of her night dress.


    Katrina held onto him while he tried to lift her up and then ce her on the bed. ¡®It¡¯s a pity I am not drunk to bear this,¡¯ she thought.


    After all the years they had been married, Katrina always found their intimacy to becking. The pleasure had always been one-sided for her husband who was not good in bed. She started to regret not sleeping with Jamesst night to make up for what was toe shortly.


    ¡°My beautiful wife,¡± Desmond mumbled against her bare skin as heid on top of her.


    ¡°Baroness?¡± A knock on the bedroom door interrupted the moment before it could get anywhere.


    Katrina couldn¡¯t be more than happy to hear Krystle¡¯s voice. ¡°We have to stop, Desmond. There is a lot I must do today,¡± she gently pushed his body from on top of her. Another second of them in bed together and she might¡¯ve killed him right then and there.

 Chapter 31

    Chapter 31: You cannot marry the Duke (1)


    ¡°Alessandra, this is your new maid, Sally Winters. I havee to help you with your morning tasks,¡± Sally said after knocking on the door. Her nerves were the highest they could be and her hand shook from fear but as the butler said, this was better than working for Kate or being fired.


    ¡°Alessandra-¡±


    ¡°Did you refer to Kate by her name when you worked as her personal maid?¡± Alessandra questioned right as she opened her door. She was curious to know who was calling her name until she remembered she asked for a maid. ¡°Am I not worthy of having a proper title?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s...¡± Sally bowed her head out of shame and to avoid looking at Alessandra¡¯s cursed face.


    Alessandra stepped to the side to give space for Sally. ¡°Come inside.¡±


    She knew it wasn¡¯t going to be easy to get anyone to be by her side without thinking of the rumors. Alessandra didn¡¯t understand why people truly believed looking at her face would make anyone be cursed and then die shortly.


    Alessandra closed the door behind Sally to avoid anyone listening to their conversation. ¡°Are you going to continue staring at the floor? I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything interesting about it. If there is, please tell me.¡±


    .....


    Alessandra looked down at the floor to find what was so interesting for Sally to stare there instead of looking up. ¡°Are you afraid to meet my eyes, Sally? That would make it really hard for you to work for me. I don¡¯t need someone who will be scared of me. You can return to Kate-¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± Sally eximed. Working for Kate again was something she could not do. ¡°Are you truly not cursed?¡±


    ¡°Are you cursed?¡± Alessandra threw the question back to Sally. ¡°How do I know I won¡¯t be cursed if I look at your face? There are rumors that if someone stays too close to you their house will fall just like your one did.¡±


    ¡°That is false!¡± Sally yelled defensively. ¡°I don¡¯t know where you heard such a thing. My family¡¯s misfortune was caused by bad decisions and there is nothing cursed about us. Where did you hear this?¡±


    ¡°I made it up just now,¡± Alessandra walked to her window to look out at the workers hurrying off to their jobs. ¡°However, if I keep mentioning this lie it will keep spreading to everyone and surely they¡¯ll believe it.¡±


    ¡°You cannot do that. It will ruin my life more than it already is,¡± Sally did not want Alessandra to do this. ¡°Isn¡¯t that too much of a punishment because I didn¡¯t look you in the eye? It¡¯s just that-¡±


    ¡°You, like many others, believed the lies passed around about me. I¡¯ve heard guests telling my father that if the entire town believes I am cursed it must be true. People in this town love gossip and rather than finding the truth, they¡¯d rather believe a lie. I am not cursed but if you do not believe me, please leave. I have no ns to keep someone who is afraid of me.¡±


    Sally stood still, contemting her options. Kate was the devil trapped in a young girl¡¯s body but there were many rumors surrounding Alessandra. The only saving grace for Alessandra would be Edgar and once they are wed, everyone will change what they say about her to be on the Duke¡¯s good side.


    ¡°I apologize for my earlier behavior. Please give me the chance to make it up to you,¡± Sally lifted her head to look at Alessandra by the window. An opportunity presented itself for her to work for a future Duchess which meant she had to ovee her fear of getting cursed by Alessandra.


    ¡°Very well. Showing you my face will be your first test,¡± Alessandra grinned as a faint gasp from Sally was heard. The girl was too easy to scare, which would be a bad thing in the future.


    Alessandra needed people by her to help maneuver around people who will start showing up in front of her once her engagement to the Duke would be announced. There will be new enemies, people looking to use her, and those wishing to be her friend. She needed an extra person to help her keep an eye on these people.


    ¡°If that is what you want,¡± Sally yed with her nails to calm her nerves. No one knew what the other side of Alessandra¡¯s face looked like. The half you could see was certainly beautiful but the other half hidden away behind the mask outshined what could be seen.


    Everyone feared what they would see if Alesandra were to ever remove her mask. Some people imed there would be a mark from the devil or maybe her face had melted away.


    ¡°You passed,¡± Alessandra walked pass Sally to the corner where she had her things packed up for when the Duke would arrive tomorrow.


    ¡°But I didn¡¯t see your face.¡±


    ¡°I was only teasing you. Kind of expected you to run but your determination to never work for Kate again is keeping you motivated,¡± Alessandra said. ¡°You know I picked you because of what happened in Kate¡¯s bedroom yesterday. I saw the look on your face while Kateid there helpless.¡±


    ¡°You picked me because you know I don¡¯t like Kate. Am I only here to tell you Kate¡¯s secrets or be the one to get revenge on her in your ce?¡± Sally did not want to get involved in either of those things.


    If Kate were to ever find out Sally told Alessandra her secrets, Kate would do everything she could to ruin Sally.


    ¡°No. I picked you because I know you wouldn¡¯t willingly run back to Kate to tell her everything I am doing because you fear her. You¡¯ll have to avoid her since you witnessed me throwing shit on her,¡± Alessandra knew Kate well enough to know she would be out for blood when it came to Sally.


    Kate did not like being embarrassed and all those who witnessed the embarrassment would be on her list.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone by my side who will hang around Kate. When I leave here, I want nothing to do with Kate. If I ever find out you secretly met with her, I will not keep you,¡± Alessandra did not want to concern herself with Kate when she was no longer living here.


    The moment she stepped foot out the door to go live with the Duke, her ties to Kate and Katrina would be severed. It would only be her father she wanted to get back at for abandoning her all these years.


    ¡°I will never go back by her side. I promise. Working under Kate made me feel like an animal. She kept belittling and hitting me even when I did not make a mistake. I will tell you one thing since you saved me. Kate no longer seems worried about you being engaged to the Duke which is odd considering how much she is obsessed with him,¡± Sally revealed.


    One moment Kate had been visibly upset about the engagement but then, she kept smiling as if something good happened.


    ¡°Kate isn¡¯t the type to sit by while others take what she thinks belongs to her and the Baroness gives her daughter whatever she wants. I am always meant to be near Kate and when she was supposed to dig the grave for your kitten, the Baron and Baroness went to speak with her,¡± Sally figured this information would be useful since this all happened right after the Duke left.


    Alessandra was d Sally mentioned this. She found it weird her family had not oncee to convince her to turn down the Duke¡¯s proposal. Other than their dislike of her roaming the house as she pleased, they all seemed awfully calm. ¡°They talked about something while I wasn¡¯t around. They must have a n to break my engagement to the Duke but I have no idea what it is.¡±


    Alessandra had an unsettling feeling concerning thest day she would be with her family. ¡°It might be a good idea to avoid them for now. Sally, bring enough food and drink tost the both of us through this day,¡± she gave Sally her first task.


    Alessandra preferred to hide away in her room than to walk around, expecting her family to not do anything foolish when it was possible they would.


    ¡°Yes, mydy,¡± Sally replied before hurrying off to do as she was told.


    Alessandra ced her hand on her chest trying to calm down her body to get rid of what she was feeling. She hoped Edgar had someone watching her home just in case her family might try to get rid of her. ¡°Please let this one day go by smoothly.¡±


    When Sally returned with the food and drinks, the door would be locked until the Duke arrived.

 Chapter 32

    Chapter 32: You cannot marry the Duke (2)


    ¡°Mydy, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s time we stepped out of the room to stretch your feet? No one hase looking for you.¡± Sally had long grown tired of sitting around in Alessandra¡¯s bedroom doing nothing the entire day.


    The silence was unbearable. From breakfast to near the time for dinner, Alessandra made the two of them stay locked away in her room.


    Sally regretted telling Alessandra what she saw. ¡°Aren¡¯t you bored?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Have you already forgotten I spent many years locked away in my bedroom? I am beyond the point of feeling bored. I told you there are books you can read or you could paint one of my canvases,¡± Alessandra said whilstying on her bed with her eyes closed.


    ¡°Your books are not entertaining and I do not know how to paint,¡± Sally replied.


    ¡°You do not have to be good at painting to do it. You only need a vision, paint, brush, and canvas.¡±


    Sally smacked her face with her hand, feeling defeated once again. ¡°Can I at least get dinner for us? The fruits and pastries I brought are nice but you need something proper to fill you up. I don¡¯t want the Duke to have my head for not properly feeding his fiancee.¡±


    .....


    ¡°I am the one who told you to stay put. The Duke cannot get mad at you for it. At least, I don¡¯t think he will.¡±


    ¡°Mydy,¡± Sally looked at Alessandra in disbelief. ¡°The Duke¡¯s temper is nothing you can predict when he is upset. Are you aware he lifted your father into the air at the party?¡±


    Alessandra¡¯s eyes flew open upon hearing this. ¡°What? Why would he do that?¡±


    Sally shrugged, unsure of the reason behind Edgar¡¯s actions. ¡°No one was able to hear a lot of their conversation but the crazy thing is, it seemed like your father apologized to the Duke afterward.¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡± Alessandra said, amazed by the Duke even more. ¡°I heard he could do whatever he wanted but this is beyond my imagination. Isn¡¯t he cool?¡±


    ¡°Cool?¡± Sally tilted her head slightly, confused by why the word cool was used. ¡°I agree that in some aspects the Duke is cool but I wouldn¡¯t use it to describe him embarrassing your father out of the blue. You should never forget that Edgar Collins is a dangerous man. Don¡¯t let his handsome face fool you.¡±


    Alessandra remained silent, not wanting to exin to Sally that a dangerous man was what she had always wanted. A man her father could not go against. If only she could have witnessed her father getting embarrassed by the Duke.


    ¡°Alessandra!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your father,¡± Sally gasped, afraid the man might¡¯ve heard what she said. It was weird timing for him to arrive now. ¡°Should I open the door?¡± She stood up from her seat.


    ¡°No,¡± Alessandra sat up. She had to trust her gut feeling and not do anything foolish. ¡°Sit back down,¡± she ordered Sally while she stood up.


    Alessandra walked to the door but did not open it. ¡°What do you need, father?¡±


    ¡°It is almost time for dinner to be served. Do you not n toe out and eat with your family?¡± Desmond¡¯s muffled voice asked on the other side of the door.


    ¡°I am going to eat in my bedroom tonight. My maid will bring food for the both of us. You can go back now,¡± Alessandra replied.


    ¡®Walk away. Walk away. Walk away,¡¯ she chanted over and over in her head.


    Her father never liked her being at the table for dinner after she started wearing a mask. He didn¡¯t bat an eye when Katrina said she was no longer weed at the table. Even though Edgar might have threatened him, Alessandra knew her father wouldn¡¯t care about her enough to push for her to eat dinner with the rest of them like a family.


    ¡°Does it make sense for you to not eat dinner with us? Come on,¡± the doorknob started to shake as Desmond twisted it on the other side. ¡°Everyone is waiting for you toe to the table. You always wanted to sit with us. Why are you letting this moment pass by when this will be yourst night here?¡±


    Alessandra slowly backed away from the door knowing she had to get out of here somehow. He was pushing too hard for her toe out. ¡°Sally, tie the sheets on my bed as quickly as you can. Enough that they can reach from my window to the ground,¡± she whispered so her father wouldn¡¯t be alerted.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather stay in my room tonight, father. I need to be prepared for when the Duke arrives tomorrow. I cannot keep him waiting-¡±


    ¡°You cannot marry the Duke, Alessandra. The two of you are not suited for one another. I have found a man who wishes to marry you. He speaks highly of you. Open your door so we can talk about it,¡± Desmond twisted the doorknob once more.


    ¡°I am only going to marry Edgar Collins. The proposal has already been epted,¡± Alessandra looked back at Sally as she spoke. The sheets were being tied triple to ensure they wouldn¡¯t be loose when she started to use them. She only needed to distract her father a while longer.


    ¡°It has not been announced to the public yet. You are not one to enjoy attention on you, Alessandra. It¡¯s better for you to marry the man I picked. Come out and talk with me.¡±


    ¡°I said I am going to stay in my room tonight. I¡¯m going to marry the Duke-Ah!¡± Alessandra flinched when the door was smacked.


    ¡°Alessandra, stop getting on my nerves and do as I say. It is not up for debate. Come out right now before I break this door down.¡±


    ¡°It is done,¡± Sally called to Alessandra. She tied the sheets to Alessandra¡¯s table and lowered them out the window. ¡°I didn¡¯t know what else to tie it to. Shouldn¡¯t you just go out to your father? It¡¯s best to open the door.¡±


    ¡°You have worked here long enough to know nothing good wille from me opening that door. Hold onto the sheet because that table won¡¯t stay still. Now!¡± Alessandra yelled when Sally wouldn¡¯t move.


    It wouldn¡¯t be long before her father got his hands on the key to open her door.


    Alessandra ced one foot out of the window and then the other. ¡°This is a bad idea,¡± she repeated as she held onto the tied sheets.


    ¡°This was your bad idea,¡± Sally wanted her to remember. If anything happened to Alessandra, she would be punished. On her first day as Alessandra¡¯s maid and she would be punished for letting Alessandra jump out a window. She had to save herself. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I have to open the door.¡±


    ¡°No wait-¡± Alessandra¡¯s words were cut off as she fell the moment Sally released the sheets.


    The table was dragged towards the window as it wasn¡¯t strong enough to stay in ce with Alessandra suddenly falling.

 Chapter 33

    Chapter 33: Fear (1)


    ¡°Alessandra!¡± Sally yelled as she realized her grave mistake. She looked out the window hoping Alessandra had not hurt herself and luckily, Alessandra was still hanging onto the sheets. She had not fallen far enough to hit the ground. ¡°Thank goodness. I-I¡¯m sorry. I did not want to get into trouble.¡±


    ¡°And you thought potentially letting me fall to my death would save you?¡± Alessandra red at Sally. She could have fallen t on the ground had she not been holding onto the sheets.


    Alessandra took deep breaths to calm down her breathing. It was partially her fault for thinking Sally wouldn¡¯t get scared and try to open the door.


    ¡°Alessandra!¡± Desmond eximed, entering the room in search of his daughter. ¡°Where is she?¡± He yelled at Sally as she was the only one in the room. His eyes followed her nervous gaze down to what looked to be a rope in her hands. ¡°Alessandra!¡± He ran to the window realizing what his daughter had done.


    Desmond shoved Sally to the side to get a good look out the window. This action caused Sally to release the sheets the moment she was pushed. ¡°Alessandra! Do not run away from me! James,¡± he turned to the butler who had been the one to open Alessandra¡¯s door with the keys he carried around. ¡°Stop her from leaving.¡±


    ¡°Yes Baron,¡± James left the room in a hurry to search for Alessandra.


    ¡°You useless fool,¡± Desmond raised his hand to p Sally but held himself back since getting Alessandra was more important. Rowan was already here to collect Alessandra and if she were to escape, Rowan would kill him on sight. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with youter,¡± he gritted his teeth, leaving to find Alessandra.


    .....


    Meanwhile, Alessandra sat up from the ground after she made the decision to slide down the sheets, not caring if she might fall. Inevitably, she ended up colliding into a branch from the tree right outside her window, injuring her arm as she crashed against it when the sheets began to swing her around as she slid down.


    As fear took over her body, Alessandra was unaware of the pain in her arm or the paining from stepping on fallen twigs and rocks as she was barefoot. Her mask slipped off from her face but like everything else, Alessandra paid no attention to it.


    Alessandra began to run towards the gates as it would be her way of escaping her father. Alessandra resembled a ghost running in the night as her dark hair and white dress blew around in the cold air. She never once looked back to see if there was anyone running after her. Alessandra only had her eyes set on the gate.


    ¡°Mydy, please stop running!¡± James called out to her from the front door when he spotted her running from the right side of the home towards the gates


    Alessandra began to slow down when she stumbled across an unfamiliar carriage blocking her path to go toward the gates. She ran to her right to avoid whoever was in the carriage since it might be the person her father wanted to marry her off to.


    ¡°Alessandra!¡± Her father¡¯s yelling could be heard not too far behind her.


    Alessandra picked up her pace but the moment she passed by the other side of the carriage, sheid eyes on a man twirling a dagger around his fingers. He smiled when he looked up and saw her running pass him.


    ¡°Where are you going, little one? Master won¡¯t be happy if you get away,¡± Rowan began chasing after Alessandra. He knew he should not have trusted the Baron to bring his daughter quietly.


    Alessandra ran as fast as she could towards the gates. Unfortunately, Rowan was much faster and tackled her to the ground when he became in arm¡¯s reach of her. ¡°Get off me,¡± she kicked her legs to get away from him.


    ¡°You lucky master does not want a scratch on you but from the look of your face, he is already toote,¡± Rowan grinned, pinning her down to the ground by holding down her hands. ¡°Scream more. It entices me.¡±


    ¡°Get off,¡± Alessandra continued to kick at him and tried her best to wiggle her hands from out of his grasp.


    ¡°Good, you got her,¡± Desmond hunched over panting. He was too old to be chasing after anyone. ¡°Hurry up and take her. I will send her things to you in one of my carriages. Why did you have to make things difficult for yourself, Alessandra? James, find her mask.¡±


    ¡°My mask,¡± Alessandra stopped struggling when reality hit her, everyone could see her face. ¡°Take me back inside now! I am going to marry the Duke!¡± She yelled, continuing to put up a fight against the man pinning her down.


    ¡°I told you there is another man for you. Do not make me have to hit you, Alessandra. I have refrained from being that kind of man for a long time-¡±


    ¡°When?¡± Alessandra interrupted her father. ¡°I saw it with my own eyes when you hit a woman. You did it to my mother. Stop trying to act like a good man!¡±


    ¡°You little shit...¡± Desmond raised his hand.


    ¡°This is a nice family moment but my master is waiting for her,¡± Roman said.


    He roughly pushed Alessandra¡¯s hands together, creating bruises on her skin from moving her hands against the small stones on the ground. ¡°If you kick me one more time I shall drive my dagger into your neck. My master doesn¡¯t care if you are alive or dead. You are only meant to be added to his collection.¡±


    Tears formed in Alessandra¡¯s eyes as the stranger¡¯s words didn¡¯t sound like she was being sent to wed someone. Being added to a collection sounded like something sinister.


    Rowan smiled, seeing the tears start to fall from her eyes. He always enjoyed the moment his victims realized their fate. He wanted to taunt her some more to see her shed more tears but he needed to leave quickly to avoid being seen by anyone else. She had already made too much noise with her screaming.


    ¡°Baron, open the door right now,¡± Rowan ordered Desmond. ¡°You were supposed to have her well dressed and prepared to be taken. Is there nothing you can do right?¡±


    Desmond clenched his fist, tempted to punch Rowan. It was not like he expected Alessandra to be so daring to jump out of her window. How did she even know what was going to happen? ¡°I didn¡¯t expect her to...¡± his voice died down when the sound of another carriage entering his home was heard.


    Desmond squinted his eyes trying to get a look at the g at the front of the carriage to see who was visiting him sote without any notice. ¡°Who the hell-oh no.¡±


    His eyes widened when the symbol of a falcon came into view when the carriage stopped. ¡°I-It¡¯s Edgar. What am I supposed to do?¡± He looked to Rowan for help.


    ¡°Why are you looking at me for answers?¡± Rowan asked while releasing Alessandra. He was not here to create any problems with the Duke. ¡°You are her father. You get the final say in who she marries. Do it quickly.¡±


    ¡°That is easier said than done,¡± Desmond was on the verge of shitting himself. Edgar was not meant toe for Alessandra until tomorrow morning so why was he here now? Had he been watching their house this entire time?


    Desmond¡¯s gulped, watching the carriage door slowly open and Edgar step outside. Edgar¡¯s eyes were fixated on Alessandra. ¡°D-Duke Edgar. What brings you here at this time?¡±


    Edgar ignored Desmond, for now. He approached Alessandra, stooping down to check her condition. Her hands covered her face, probably to hide it from him. There were scratches along her arm, her dress was dirty, and she was not even wearing shoes.


    ¡°Come with me, Alessandra,¡± he gently ced his hands under her thighs and back to lift her up.


    Desmond took a step back, pointing at Edgar to stop him. ¡°W-Where do you think you are taking her? She is to marry someone else!¡±


    Edgar took Alessandra back to his carriage, carefully cing her in the seat in case she had injuries he could not see.


    ¡°How are you here?¡± Alessandra questioned. She found his timing to be weird. How did she know she was desperately wishing for him to arrive?


    ¡°You rejected the first ring I brought to you. There is a skilled man in your neighborhood I had making the new one. I was on my way back from collecting it when I saw themotion in front of your home. Good girl,¡± Edgar ran his hand through a strand of her hair to remove pieces of grass.


    It seemed like she was running towards the gates to escape. Had she not done this, when he was passing by, Edgar would not have seen anything odd and kept going home.


    Edgar took off his coat and ced it over Alessandra¡¯s head to help hide her face. Once he did this, she pulled the sides of the coat to hide her face and looked away from him.


    Edgar reached for his sword sitting on the other side of the carriage while she was not looking at him. ¡°Do you care for your father, Alessandra?¡± He asked, unsheathing his sword as he awaited her answer.


    It sounded like an innocent question but Alessandra knew what he was implying. If she said no then her father would not live another day.


    ¡°If you harm my father, the town guards will question you-¡±


    ¡°You are to be my wife, Alessandra. No one, not even the king himself, could disrespect you and get away with it while I am still alive. Tell me your answer. Do you care for him?¡± Edgar gripped his sword tighter, ready to kill both men for what they had done to her.


    ¡°I do not,¡± Alessandra replied.

 Chapter 34

    34 Fear (2)


    ¡°But I do not wish for you to find yourself in trouble because of me. That is not one of our conditions,¡± Alessandra touched his hand to stop him from taking the sword with him.


    ¡°Your father stood there while some man treated you like an animal and you wish for him to not be harmed? I would not be locked up for killing a Baron. I have my ways,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°Thanks to yourst name and connection to the crown, you won¡¯t be locked up but the entire town will talk about you and call you a tyrant. I do not want that to happen. I am not saying I do not want him to die. I want you to do it quietly when there is no one to see it happening,¡± Alessandra caught sight of Katrina standing by the front door and James returning.


    Katrina would cry a river about her husband¡¯s innocence and never allow anyone to forget this moment.


    There was also the issue with their engagement. Although Alessandra epted Edgar¡¯s proposal, her father was now iming she was going to marry someone else. With there being no announcement nor ring on her finger, her father could send her anywhere he liked. There was now to stop him as long as he wasn¡¯t selling her to the red light district.


    Edgar was certain Alessandra had not heard all the rumors surrounding him. He was alreadybeled a tyrant and killing a Baron wouldn¡¯t make his reputation worse or better. Still, it was Alessandra¡¯s choice when it came to her father¡¯s life. ¡°I will take care of it quietly.¡±


    ¡°The other man, you can get rid of. He is here to take me to his master to be added to a collection but my father told me it is another man I will wed. I don¡¯t want to run into him again,¡± Alessandra was terrified of the man who came to pick her up.


    ¡°Do not leave this carriage unless I call your name,¡± Edgar instructed her then closed the door.


    .....


    ¡°Edgar, I believe it would have been right for me to hear what you were talking about with my daughter. There is no need for you to get violent,¡± Desmond stepped back as Edgar started walking towards them with his sword dragging against the ground. ¡°There was someone who asked for Alessandra¡¯s hand before you did.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Edgar asked in a low tone. He was tempted to do as he pleased but his soon-to-be wife in the carriage would never forgive him if he did.


    Edgar was trying to follow the lengthy lecture Alfred gave him. It was something along the lines of a happy wife, happy life.


    ¡°Who are you trying to send my woman to? Didn¡¯t I make it quite clear thest time I was here? If a single strand of her hair was out of ce, I would kill you. Silly me,¡± Edgar raised his sword to tap it against his head. Faint red lines formed where the sword grazed his skin. ¡°My memories must be messed up.¡±


    ¡°C-Careful Edgar,¡± Desmond gulped. What sort of madman would tap their head with a sword?


    ¡°Well, are my memories messed up, Baron?¡±


    ¡°N-No but there was a man who came before you-¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Edgar repeated the word much louder this time. ¡°I saw you, Baron. Raising your hand like you wanted to p her but now you cower before me. You are no man. I gave you such a simple fucking warning, yet you pped me in my face.¡±


    ¡°Forgive me,¡± Desmond dropped to his knees. He sped his hands together, begging Edgar to spare him this once. ¡°I never intended to disrespect you.¡±


    ¡°You there,¡± Edgar pointed his sword at Rowan when he started to walk to the other parked carriage. ¡°It would be rude for you to not introduce yourself.¡±


    Rowan frowned, slightly annoyed he was brought into the Baron¡¯s mess. The Baron had one simple job to send off Alessandra and now, the Duke was involved. He needed to leave before the Duke could question him about his master.


    ¡°Allow me to introduce myself, Duke Collins. There seems to be a misunderstanding,¡± Rowan walked up to Edgar with one hand out for the Duke to shake and another behind his back, hiding his dagger. ¡°I am-¡±


    Desmond covered his mouth, tears falling from his eyes as he watched Rowan¡¯s head fall to the ground. He could not pinpoint when Edgar had swung his sword to execute Rowan. The only evidence was Rowan¡¯s severed head and the rest of his body falling to the ground, staining it with blood.


    ¡°He should thank Alfred for it being quick and painless. He sent my sword to be sharpened this morning. Alfred might be able to see into the future. Don¡¯t you think so Baron?¡± Edgar pointed his sword at the next person he wanted to decorate the floor with.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know,¡± Desmond wept. He knew he would be next for what he did to Alessandra. He could not understand why Edgar was acting like a madman because of his daughter when they only spoke twice. Had he mistaken how quickly Edgar fell in love with his daughter?


    ¡°Get up, Baron. Get up and look at me the same way you were looking at Alessandra when she was pinned to the ground. Raise your hand to me!¡± Edgar yelled, frustrated with how much of a coward Desmond was but yet, he stood proud when his own flesh and blood was on the ground fighting against a man she did not know.


    ¡°Please spare me. Alessandra! Alessandra!¡± Desmond called to the carriage for his daughter. ¡°My sweet child, pleasee out and tell him to spare him.¡±


    ¡°She has already asked me not to kill you right now. Alessandra,e out,¡± Edgar called to the carriage. She did not want her father to be killed when there were many eyes watching but that did not mean he could not be inflicted with some type of pain.


    Edgar wanted her to stand by his side to watch it happen.


    Alessandra opened the carriage door, revealing herself with the Duke¡¯s coat still covering her head. Her eyes widened at the sight of the man¡¯s head a few inches away from the rest of his body. ¡®He truly killed him,¡¯ she thought.


    Though she told Edgar to kill the stranger, somehow, she didn¡¯t expect he would. He listened to her words without any hesitation. What else could she ask him to do? It was scary of him to do this much when they were not even married yet.


    Alessandra wondered what would happen to anyone who offended her when she officially became a Duchess.


    Desmond felt like his life was saved when he saw Alessandrae out to stand next to Edgar. She was not cruel enough to have her own father be killed by the hands of a man she barely knew. ¡°Alessandra, sweetheart. Tell the Duke this is all a big misunderstanding.¡±


    ¡°Sweetheart?¡± Alessandra repeated the one word that stood out to her. She could not remember thest time her father called her this. ¡°You really are a coward, Baron.¡± She could no longer refer to him as her father.


    ¡°Alessandra, if we wed tonight, I will have a valid reason for killing your father,¡± said Edgar. He had many other reasons why he could kill the Baron but Alessandra did not need to learn how much more corrupted her father was. ¡°I can make a wedding happen by the end of the night.¡±


    ¡°People will think I am pregnant and that is why the wedding was so fast,¡± Alessandra replied. People would rather believe that than the possibility of Edgar quickly falling in love with her.


    ¡°I can get you pregnant by the end of the night too,¡± Edgar had a solution to all her problems.


    ¡°You...¡± Alessandra did not push herself to argue with Edgar. He was only trying to help her end things with her father tonight. At some point, everyone would realize she was not pregnant and that was not the reason behind their sh marriage. ¡°Let¡¯s get married tonight,¡± she agreed.


    Alessandra looked down at the mess she once called father. He was waiting to hear whether or not his life would be spared. Edgar was certain he wouldn¡¯t get in trouble for killing a Baron so why was she prolonging this? She was curious to see the extent of Edgar¡¯s power.


    ¡°Alessandra,¡± Desmond cried, waiting for her to tell the Duke to leave him be. ¡°I give my consent for the Duke to marry you. He will just need to pay for your hand in marriage. Please save me, my child.¡±


    Alessandra¡¯s eyes water as she came to a conclusion that wasn¡¯t as hard as she thought it would be. Her eyes watered not because she would regret this but due to finally feeling like a weight was going to be lifted off of her shoulder.


    ¡°Kill him. Do it quickly so we can get married before the town guards are alerted,¡± she instructed Edgar then turned around to go back to his carriage.


    ¡°Alessandra,¡± Desmond muttered in disbelief. ¡°Alessandra! Alessandra! Alessandra!¡±


    Alessandra kept her head high as she listened to the Baron screaming her name until his voice became a faint whisper in the cold night air.

 Chapter 35

    35 Newly weds (1)


    Alessandra sat quietly on one side of the carriage while Edgar entered with a bloody sword. Evidence her father was no more. After Edgar sat down directly in front of her, the carriage started its journey to the church for them to get married.


    ¡°Do you regret it? There is no way to bring him back now,¡± Edgar said, looking out the window to avoid looking at her. Alessandra was desperately trying to hide her face so he was trying to give her the privacy she desired.


    ¡°No, I do not regret it. I am angry with myself for not letting you kill him the first time you offered it. He did not deserve to live another second. I am not surprised he would just stand there and let me be treated that way. He has let his wife and daughter do worse. I should have killed him myself right after you proposed to me.¡±


    ¡°You were kind enough to give him another two days to live. I would rather you not stain your hand with blood. Once you havemitted such an act, your mind will never let you forget it. If there is anyone you need to kill, I shall do it for you,¡± Edgar took out a cloth from his pocket to wipe the blood off of his sword.


    ¡°Thank you. If you had not arrived when you did, I cannot imagine what would have happened. I do not want to be added to anyone¡¯s collection. What sort of person adds another person to a collection?¡± Alessandra wondered. How much did her father hate to give her up to someone like she was an item to be disyed?


    ¡°There is one man I know. A collector of many things and a man you should never meet. I will see to it he gets the message to leave you alone. Now, what do I get as a reward?¡± Edgar asked out of the blue.


    ¡°Reward?¡± Alessandra asked. She didn¡¯t see what he was in need of a reward for.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t have any ns to kill anyone tonight. Alfred would try to kill me if he knew I killed your father with you around and then he¡¯ll bury me when he learns we are getting married without a proper ceremony. Don¡¯t you think I deserve a reward for this?¡± Edgar questioned, hiding a grin from her.


    ¡°I suppose it¡¯s only fair. I got you mixed up in my family drama,¡± Alessandra muttered, realizing she would owe him for this. However, what could she give a man who had everything while she had nothing? ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to offer you,¡± she felt ashamed.


    .....


    ¡°It is not a reward I am looking for right now and anything that needs to hold a high value. As long as you acknowledge you owe me, I shall keep waiting until you have something I see fit to repay me with,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°Okay. If you ever need me to do something for you, please don¡¯t hesitate to ask. I owe you more than you can ever imagine, Duke-¡±


    ¡°Just Edgar,¡± Edgar sighed, slightly annoyed she was still referring to him as Duke when they were going to get married.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It is not easy to suddenly start referring to you as Edgar. You have such a grand title,¡± Alessandra felt odd not referring to him by his title.


    ¡°My wife should not be referring to me like everyone else. Shall I punish you each time you call me Duke instead of Edgar? I think I would enjoy it,¡± Edgar had a devious idea in mind.


    ¡°I do not want to be punished, Edgar,¡± Alessandra switched her tune now that there could be a punishment involved.


    ¡°You have not heard what the punishment is yet. I think you might enjoy what I have in mind.¡±


    Alessandra blinked twice then chuckled when she realized what he was insinuating. ¡°I can see why so many young women are charmed by you. You are quite blunt and such a flirt, Edgar.¡±


    Edgar was highly amused by her reaction. Depending on who he spoke to, he would either receive a flustered look or one full of lust. Instead, Alessandra found his words to be funny. ¡°Are you aware you and I will be sleeping in the same bed? I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll find it funny then.¡±


    ¡°I am fully aware since it is a condition in the contract but that is not what I wasughing at. You are a man who speaks his mind not caring how others might view you. I heard you lifted the Baron in the air at his party. I wish I could have been there to see it,¡± Alessandra pictured how embarrassed her father must have felt.


    ¡°Considering he is now dead I cannot show you it unless you are into that kind of thing. You might find this hard to believe but it is not rare for me to do something like that. High society is full of pests which is why I hardly like to socialize. It is only because of the king¡¯s orders that I was there that night,¡± said Edgar but he was no longer angry with his friend since his visit to the Baron found him a wife.


    ¡°Can I ask another question, Edgar?¡± Alessandra asked, ncing at Edgar from beneath the coat covering her head.


    ¡°Our conversation has been going so pleasant I didn¡¯t think you would need to ask if you could throw a question my way. How wrong of me to assume we were bing close.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It is a habit I will need to grow out of. It¡¯s just that, why haven¡¯t you asked me to show you my face?¡± Alessandra wouldn¡¯t mind it considering he should see the face of the woman he was marrying.


    It was just out of an instinct for her to hide her face. She had to admit she was afraid he would not want to continue with their contract once she showed her scars but she had no right to hide her face from him.


    Edgar had expected this would have been further discussed when they were creating the contract. He didn¡¯t make it a condition that he needed to see her face simply because he did not care about what she was hiding. ¡°It is not my business whether you want to show me your face or not. You are the one who said you will change in the future. I can wait until you are trulyfortable. Do not let anyone force you into showing your face when you are not ready.¡±


    Alessandra smiled, finding the person who spread rumors about Edgar to be a fool. Maybe she had not seen all of his personality as yet but the same could be said by him when it came to her personality. They were both getting to know each other and from what Edgar showed her so far, she liked it.


    ¡°You know Edgar, you have never once scared me.¡±


    ¡°Really? Shall I change that?¡± Edgar joked but his version of a joke inside his head did note off the same to others.


    ¡°How about no?¡± Alessandra denied the offer.


    ¡°Remember Alessandra, you are the one who said there would be no love involved. I hope you are not falling for me already. It would be quite concerning considering I just killed your father. I hope that is not the case,¡± Edgar was still adamant about not loving anyone though he found Alessandra to be amusing.


    ¡°I remember my words clearly. I have not fallen for you, Edgar, and I never will. However, I cannot help being grateful to you and amused by the things you can do without any worry of the consequences, ¡± that was what Alessandra truly believed she felt.

 Chapter 36

    36 Newly weds (2)


    ¡°I feel sorry to the priest for disrupting his night just to wed us. I wonder how many couples have visited himte in the night asking to be wed without their friends and family by their sides,¡± Alessandra said, looking out the window as they passed by homes she was unfamiliar with.


    ¡°A lot more happens in the night than you could ever imagine. The church is normally opente into the night to wee anyone in need of shelter or those couples who are looking to marry behind their family¡¯s backs. We can have a big ceremony if you desire it,¡± said Edgar, though he did not care for it.


    ¡°There is no need,¡± Alessandra replied. She preferred a ceremony with just Edgar. ¡°I have no friends nor family to attend my wedding. Anyone who shows up would only be looking to get close to you. Perhaps if your family would like for you to have a proper wedding, I wouldn¡¯t mind having another ceremony.¡±


    ¡°I would rather not have to spend money feeding and entertaining guests in my home. How we get married does not matter to me. I thought every girl dreams of putting on a wedding dress and walking down the aisle. You would still get to dress up. We need our wedding portrait drawn to be hung up,¡± Edgar made a mental note to look for one of the best artists in town tomorrow.


    ¡°I am not like others girls since I have never dreamt of getting married. It is just something I wanted to happen to get away from my family.¡± For a long time, she did not believe there would be anyone wishing to marry her so she didn¡¯t waste time nning a wedding. ¡°I thought alot about painting, food I want to try, and ces I wanted to visit. I have a long list of those things written down,¡± she added.


    ¡°Pick one ce you want to go since we will have time to travel for our honeymoon. I have many homes across the kingdom we can stay in. We are close to the church. If we are lucky, there would be no one around to spread the news of our wedding before I make the announcement tomorrow,¡± Edgar did not want anyone showing up at his home in the middle of the night trying to congratte him.


    He wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the king sneaked out of the castle to confirm if the gossip is true.


    Alessandra also preferred their wedding news to stay quiet for the night. She had a lot to digest and thest thing she wanted for people she did not know to visit her and Edgar. She was not in the mental state to prepare herself for their reactions to her being Edgar¡¯s bride. After a night¡¯s rest, she would be. Probably.


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame your mask fell. I should have collected another one before we came to the church. I don¡¯t think there would be a store selling proper masks open at this time,¡± said Edgar.


    .....


    ¡°What masks are not proper?¡± Alessandra identally asked out loud.


    A tiny smile appeared on Edgar¡¯s lips. ¡°There is a growing business for things couples do in the privacy of their homes. Many people frown upon it so those businesses are only open at night for adventurous couples. Masks and whips are the most popr items, I hear. Of course, the masks are nothing like what you wear.¡±


    ¡°And how do you know about all of this?¡± Alessandra could not help being curious. Their marriage wasn¡¯t out of love and she had no right to stop Edgar from indulging himself in these kinds of things but she felt the need to ask.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you are aware but I am the one leading the case for the young women who have gone missing. Therefore, I make it my business to know everything happening in town.¡±


    Alessandra heard her father and the workers speaking of young women going missing. No one had any idea who the culprit could be and young women were warned to always travel with someone. ¡°This might just be due to what happened a moment ago but I would keep an eye on the man wanting to add me to his collection. There is something eerie about it.¡±


    ¡°Smart girl,¡± Edgarplimented her. ¡°I have a list of men and women I think could be responsible for the women disappearing. Your little suitor is already on it. Stay away from William Lancaster.¡±


    ¡°William Lancaster?¡± Alessandra repeated the name as it sounded familiar then it clicked. ¡°I have met him many times when I was a child. He would frequent my father a lot and bring me gifts. He is more than twice my age. How could anyone think to hand me off to a man who watched me y as a child? I feel disgusted.¡±


    Alessandra¡¯s skin crawled the more she thought of the many encounters she had with William as a child. Her father did not deserve such a quick death.


    ¡°It is something that happens behind closed doors. When people who are used to riches are in debt, they would do anything to get money. Your father has paid for what he has done and I am certain wherever he is now, he is being tortured,¡± Edgar said to give Alessandra some peace.


    Edgar began to regret not torturing Desmond instead of giving him a quick death. A quick death was a gift to Desmond. The best possible way to make Desmond¡¯s soul restless would be to ruin the one thing he truly loved. His reputation.


    Alessandra would be shielded from his bad reputation as she would be a Collins in a matter of minutes.


    ¡°We have arrived at the church. Do you need a moment to yourself?¡± Edgar added when she gave him no response. She had a lot to think about when it came to her father and what he was going to do to her tonight. I


    ¡°No, I¡¯d rather not be alone. We should hurry inside. Katrina could have sent someone to get the town guards,¡± Alessandra cleared her throat, pushing what she felt to the side. There was no time for her to sit here and think about her father or what she was feeling.


    Edgar took her word for it, seeing no point in pushing her to have alone time when she did not want it. He opened the carriage, stepping outside to inspect who was around the church and once it was clear, he offered his hand for Alessandra to use toe out.


    Alessandra epted Edgar¡¯s hand to carefully step out of the carriage and used her other hand to keep his coat over her head. She thought about taking off the coat while they were going to be standing before the priest. She didn¡¯t want to look back at her wedding and remember using a coat to hide.


    Alessandra couldn¡¯t help looking around every inch of the church as it was her first visit in a long time. Her memory of the church was blurry and there was nothing she could remember.


    ¡°Duke Collins,¡± a man in a white robe greeted the pair at the church door. ¡°What do I owe for this visit? Whenever you visit the church I am meant to prepare for a funeral. I hope that is not the case.¡±


    ¡°Depending on how you act, there would be no need for a funeral tonight Peter,¡± Edgar greeted the priest.


    ¡°No blood must be spilled in the church, Edgar. You cannot do it again,¡± Peter red at Edgar. Edgar created havoc in the church when he stormed in to kill a man.


    ¡°That was your fault for hiding a man whomitted murder. If you had brought him out as I requested, the church would not have been a mess. How awful of you to let such a thing happen,¡± Edgar twisted the situation.


    Meanwhile, Alessandra was surprised to hear Edgar killed someone in a church. How many times was she going to be surprised by his actions the more she got to know him?


    ¡°Why are you here, Edgar? There is no one here but the priest and I am certain they did not kill anyone ormitted any other crimes.¡± Peter wanted nothing more than to get rid of Edgar as soon as possible. Trouble followed wherever Edgar Collins went.


    ¡°I am here to get married. I would like for you to perform the ceremony right away.¡±


    Peter¡¯s eyes drifted back and forth between Edgar and the woman hiding her face. After a moment of silence, he started tough. However, when Edgar did not seem amused and the woman did not react to the joke Edgar told, Peter¡¯sughter died down. ¡°Why didn¡¯t the two of youugh? Are you seriously here to get married?¡±


    ¡°Do you think I would waste my timeing here for a joke? I don¡¯t like to waste my time, Peter. Can you do it or does there need to be a funeral and wedding performed by another priest? Do not forget that you owe me,¡± Edgar said, reminding Peter of his knowledge about his past before he became a priest.


    ¡°Very well. Are the witnesses outside?¡± Peter asked, deciding to go through with it to get Edgar out of the church as soon as possible.


    ¡°You are the witness,¡± Edgar replied.


    ¡°That is not how it works but okay,¡± Peter muttered then looked at the woman Edgar brought along. ¡°Why is she wearing a coat over her head? Is she someone important or perhaps,¡± Peter waved his hand around his face. ¡°Are you ashamed of her looks? M-My bad,¡± he choked as Edgar¡¯s hand suddenly wrapped around his throat.


    ¡®What a strange priest,¡¯ Alessandra thought to herself. One thing for certain, her wedding night could never be forgotten.

 Chapter 37

    37 Newly weds (3)


    ¡°You might need to retire, Peter. Your memory seems to be bad,¡± Edgar released Peter¡¯s throat with a shove. He wasn¡¯t in the mood to have anyone else disrespect Alessandra in front of him.


    ¡°It must be bad. How could I forget you are here to wed this wonderful woman?¡± Peter tapped his mouth with his hand, scolding himself for making such ament. ¡°I apologize for thement, miss.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t offended by it. It must be strange for someone toe to get married with a coat covering their head,¡± Alessandra replied.


    ¡°The church has seen stranger things. Now, hand me the rings,¡± Peter held out his hand waiting for the rings to be ced in his palm. ¡°You do have rings right?¡±


    ¡°Only the engagement ring,¡± Edgar ced his hand in his pants pocket to fish out the ring he collected a while ago. ¡°Do you like this one?¡± He showed it to Alessandra.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t shown her the engagement ring yet?¡± Peter ced his hand on his forehead almost stumbling backward by how unprepared Edgar was. ¡°If thedy is not pregnant, pleasee again another time or n a proper wedding.¡±


    Edgar looked behind Peter to a small pile of wires near the altar. ¡°Give me a bit of the wire,¡± he walked past Peter with the intention of making two makeshift rings. He would have proper rings delivered in the morning.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t even say please,¡± Peter muttered but with Edgar distracted he decided to talk to the woman standing beside him. ¡°If you are marrying him just because he is good-looking and rich, think again. I keep telling everyone marriage should only be about love. Are you certain you want to go through with this?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Alessandra answered. Nothing in this world could change her mind.


    .....


    Peter looked over his shoulder at Edgar still messing around with the wires. ¡°He can¡¯t hear us, you know. You can be honest with me. I took an oath to never repeat what you tell me to anyone else.¡±


    ¡°I truly want to marry him but thank you for the concern.¡±


    Peter sighed, knowing this wouldn¡¯t end well but the young women who visited were always blinded by what they thought was love. They all wanted to get married but had no idea what they were permanently signing themselves up for. He gave her the chance to think about this but since she was adamant, he gave up.


    ¡°I would like to ask for one thing. Do you perhaps have proper masks lying around? I don¡¯t like to show my face. It doesn¡¯t feel right to stand with a coat over my head while you wed Edgar and me.¡± Alessandra wanted to remove the coat altogether and show her face but could not bring herself to.


    ¡°There is nothing about this union that feels right,¡± Peter muttered. He felt like the only sane person here. ¡°You are in luck. Every time there is a masquerade ball we get a few women and mene here balling their eyes out. Either about the person they love announcing their engagement to someone else or when it was time to take off the masks they are shocked by who they had been entertaining all night long.¡±


    Peter could never agree with anyone iming the church to be boring. There was always something odd happening.


    ¡°No one has ever returned to collect their masks, gloves, or shoes but we stored them in a box just in case they evere looking for them. Sometimes peoplee wearingrge hats or veils to hide their identities so no one would know they areing to confess their sins. Would you like a veil instead?¡± Peter found it to be more fitting for the asion.


    ¡°Yes, thank you,¡± Alessandra couldn¡¯t be happier the church had such things.


    ¡°What is your name? I will need to write it down on paper for our records. I¡¯ve never heard your voice before. Have you never once attended a wedding or funeral?¡±


    ¡°No, I have never attended either of the two. This is our first meeting. My name is Alessandra Barrett, soon to be Alessandra Collins,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Alessandra Barrett? Where have I heard that name before?¡± Peter looked up at the church roof for answers.


    ¡°People im that I am cursed and you will die if you-¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s you!¡± Peter eximed but quickly mped his mouth shut when he caught sight of Edgar in the distance ring at him. ¡°Forgive me once again. I am not normally like this and I never expected you would walk into the church.¡±


    Alessandra yed with her fingers, suddenly feeling nervous. ¡°Those rumors aren¡¯t true. I am not cursed. Do you want me to leave?¡±


    ¡°Of course, you are not cursed. Only a fool would believe such a thing. Please don¡¯t misunderstand my words. I heard the Baron rarely allowed you to leave home so I never expected to meet you. The church would never send anyone away. We take in any and everyone, regardless of their past.¡±


    ¡°The church has be a ce for criminals to run and hide. Be a little bit more cautious or you might shelter the person who wants to take your life,¡± Edgar warned Peter.


    ¡°I think that person is here right now,¡± Peter said followed by a cough as he was referring to Edgar. He always knew if anyone were to kill him, it would be Edgar. ¡°Here you go, Alessandra. I will get the papers and everything else to perform the wedding so the two of you can be on your way.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry there wasn¡¯t another priest avable. Peter talks too much. He could talk for days, a skill he used when scamming people before turning a new leaf,¡± Edgar loudly spoke to irritate the priest. ¡°We met through him trying to scam me. I almost cut off his hand and somehow he ended up bing a priest.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Alessandra was lost for words. She couldn¡¯t connect how Peter went from scamming to bing a priest.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to hold onto your past forever. Move on and find something to make you happy. Once we have collected your belongings tomorrow, there is nothing you need to ever revisit with that house,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°I know. If I hadn¡¯t met you that night and my father told me about going with William, I would have abandoned everything and ran away. I don¡¯t know where I would have gone as I have no money but I would never return to that home. My father is gone and my mother is nowhere to be found. I am letting go of my life as a Barrett from the moment I say I do. Unfortunately, I know Katrina and Kate wille looking for me,¡± Alessandra sighed, knowing tomorrow would be chaotic.


    ¡°I will keep them away from you,¡± Edgar promised. No one was allowed to step foot on his property without his permission.


    ¡°No, I will handle them myself. You have already done a lot for me and as much as it would be easier for you to deal with them, I must handle this on my own. As your wife, many obstacles will be ced in front of me and I cannot depend on you to solve all of them. I will see to it you don¡¯t regret doing this with me,¡± Alessandra said, fully determined to be a woman who could stand on her own.


    ¡°I am never going to allow anyone to mistreat me again and if anyone tries to do the same to you, I might just kill them.¡±


    ¡°My, what an interesting woman I am marrying,¡± Edgar chuckled, highly entertained by Alessandra promising to protect him. He was right in thinking back then that she would be a woman to flip the town upside down. ¡°I have a feeling our married life will be entertaining.¡±


    ¡°How can it not be when the rumored monster Duke and the Baron¡¯s masked daughter are getting married?¡± Alessandra could hear the gossip already.


    ¡°I am ready. You two should make your way to the altar,¡± Peter said from the altar. ¡®Did I mess up a moment between them?¡¯ He wondered after realizing how cozy they looked as they spoke.


    Alessandra stayed behind to ce the veil Peter gave her over her head while Edgar went ahead. The veil was see-through but not enough to clearly see her face. Alessandra took a deep breath before walking up to the altar.


    ¡°I did this. I changed my future,¡± she said, as she nced at Edgar while she approached the altar. Offering Edgar a contract marriage was the best thing she ever did in her life.


    Reality suddenly hit Alessandra how proud of herself she should be for making the move to get out of her childhood home rather than waiting around for someone else to help her. She opened the door to leave her cage while Edgar offered her a hand to help her step out of it.


    ¡°Please turn to look at each other,¡± Peter instructed the couple once they were side by side. Regardless of his opinion of Edgar, he hoped this marriage would be one full of love.


    Peter picked up the two makeshift rings Edgar created to hand one over to each of them. ¡®One of the richest men in the kingdom and he gives his bride a ring made of wire,¡¯ he couldn¡¯t help but shake his head.


    ¡°Dear friends and family,¡± Peter began out of instinct but then paused when he remembered there was no one here for the couple. ¡°Am I supposed to say everything?¡± He leaned closer to Edgar to ask this.


    ¡°Skip to the end,¡± Edgar replied rolling his eyes as he deeply regretted not going to another priest.

 Chapter 38

    38 Guards at the door (1)


    ¡°Baroness, I sent someone to get the town guards as you requested,¡± James informed Katrina while watching her from a distance.


    It was hard to fathom the Baron was dead. After years of working for the Baron, it was painful to see him dead. However, this was not the same case for his wife. James expected Katrina to ball her eyes out but the Baroness had not shed one tear. What did he expect from a woman who ordered him to slowly poison her husband?


    ¡®Was she never in love with him?¡¯ James thought. Even though she wanted the Baron dead, he thought she would at least have some ounce of love to show the Baron right now. Katrina looked like a stranger who stumbled across the Baron.


    ¡°Good. When theye, tell them the Duke killed my husband and this man,¡± Katrina ordered James.


    James was truly surprised to hear she was going to tell the guards the truth. He expected Katrina to lie about what happened or imed she saw nothing and found her husband like this after searching for him. Was she now abandoning all hope for Kate to get with the Duke?


    ¡°Why?¡± James couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Your daughter wishes to be with the Duke.¡±


    ¡°Only a fool would get in a battle between Edgar Collins and William Lancaster. Besides, Edgar seems crazy enough to openly admit he killed my husband and expose my lies if I were to not tell the truth. Do not mention anything about Alessandra being sent to William. That was meant to be a secret. Remember, your life is in my hands.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think because my husband is dead you are free from what I am holding over your head. This is the time when you should be sticking close to me. I will fix this house and regain its glory. I will need a good butler beside me¡± Katrina looked over her shoulder at James. ¡°Make sure you do well when the guardse.¡±


    She met many men like James who act innocent but like everyone else, they wanted to elevate themselves by any means possible. She knew James was smart enough to seize the opportunity she was presenting to him.


    .....


    ¡°Yes Baroness,¡± James bowed slightly. A woman who could watch her husband of seventeen years die and not show an ounce of sorrow was not someone he was going to y around with.


    Now that the Baron was gone, everything would be under Katrina¡¯s control. He wasn¡¯t certain how she could fix the state of the house but he had a feeling there was something up Katrina¡¯s sleeve. She wouldn¡¯t have killed her husband if she did not have a solution for digging herself out of their financial hole.


    Trying to expose Katrina would do him no good. If he somehow seeded, no socialite would hire him as a butler since they liked workers who wouldn¡¯t squeal on them. He would have to work a job that wouldn¡¯t pay enough to feed himself and his family. He would never forgive Katrina for how she set him up but he had to think about his livelihood.


    ¡®All of my peers are doing better than me. I should join them,¡¯ James concluded.


    Katrina was slightly annoyed that she had to go to the servant¡¯s quarters to trap James only for her husband to be killed at the hands of another person the next day. Still, she got what she wanted in the end. Her husband was now gone and the property belonged solely to her.


    ¡°Mother? Why are you outside when it is so freezing cold? Have they taken Alessandra- His head,¡± Kate stumbled back, ovee with fear as her eyes went to a man with his head cut off. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± She looked to her mother for answers.


    James kept his head down avoiding eye contact with Kate as her dead father was not yet in her view. ¡®Would she react to her father¡¯s death?¡¯ He wondered.


    ¡°Kate, I need you to not react when you see this,¡± Katrina walked up to Kate and ced her hands on Kate¡¯s shoulder to calm her down. She knew how much Kate loved her father and seeing him dead was going to shake her up.


    ¡°Not react? There is a man without a head in our path, mother! What on earth happened? Wasn¡¯t someone supposed toe and take Alessandra away? Did she flip out and kill someone? I want to hear it from my father. Did he go along with her?¡± Kate started looking around for her father to get the good news.


    Alessandra was finally out of their hair and now she could be with Edgar as it always should have been.


    Kate wrapped her arms around her body as the night air nipped at her skin. She didn¡¯t understand why James and her mother were so quiet when they had finally gotten rid of Alessandra.


    ¡°Kate, listen to me. Your father is dead-¡±


    ¡°Mother, that is a ridiculous joke to make at this time of night. If you and father are arguing, resolve it instead of saying nonsense,¡± Kate red at her mother. Normally, her mother wasn¡¯t one to care for those kinds of jokes.


    ¡°Do not look at me like that Kate. See for yourself,¡± Katrina pointed to where her husbandid with a hole in his chest.


    Kate stepped forward following the direction her mother was pointing, now noticing the second body spilling blood onto the ground. ¡°Father,¡± she gasped, rushing to his side to check on his condition. ¡°H-He cannot be dead. Father,¡± Kate kneeled down to his level, expecting him to be okay and her mother was only mistaken.


    Kate shook her father¡¯s body to wake him up to receive help.


    ¡°He is dead Kate. Things didn¡¯t go as nned-¡±


    ¡°Well obviously!¡± Kate yelled at her mother with eyes full of tears. Her father was not responding to her touch but she failed to believe he was truly gone. They had not had a good conversation after she stormed away from the table. Her father was not meant to be like this. ¡°Alessandra did this, didn¡¯t she? She was never grateful. Hunt her down and kill her!¡±


    ¡°It was not Alessandra. It was the Duke who killed him. You have to let go of him now, Kate. I will find you a better man,¡± Katrina promised her finger. They all underestimated how much Edgar cared for Alessandra. It was better for Kate to chase after someone else.


    ¡°The Duke?¡± Kate did not believe her mother. Why would Edgar kill her father? Was her mother implying he did it for Alessandra? ¡°This is not the Duke¡¯s fault. It is Alessandra¡¯s. She must have ced a spell on Edgar. If she had gone quietly, he wouldn¡¯t be like this,¡± Kate closed her father¡¯s eyes.


    There was no doubt in her mind this was all Alessandra¡¯s fault.


    ¡°Where is Alessandra? Did she run away after seeing her father like this? We have to bring her back, mother.¡±


    Katrina sighed, cing her hand on her forehead. She did not have time to deal with Kate when the guards could arrive at any second. ¡°Alessandra has gone with the Duke. His carriage left after this all happened. It¡¯s impossible to bring her back now.¡±


    ¡°What? She¡¯s gone with the Duke?¡± Kate¡¯s sadness for her father was reced with anger from Alessandra taking what belonged to her. ¡°You just let her leave? I was supposed to go live with the Duke,¡± Kate stood up from her father¡¯s side to approach her mother.


    ¡°Kate, we have more important things to deal with. Give up on Edgar. There must be something wrong with his head to do this and take Alessandra with him. I will find someone else. Someone better than Edgar. Let¡¯s focus on your father first.¡±


    ¡°Why? You don¡¯t even look upset by his death, mother. Are you-¡± Kate¡¯s words were silenced by pain on her cheek and a buzzing sound in her ears.


    ¡°The man I have been married to for seventeen years has just been killed and I am pushing myself not to break down because I have a daughter to remain strong for and a house to deal with on my own. Don¡¯t you think I wish to cry too?¡± Tears started to run from Katrina¡¯s eyes.


    Kate immediately felt guilty for saying such a thing to her mother. She was so angry with Alessandra leaving and heartbroken with her father¡¯s death that she had not realized the gravity of what she was saying to her mother. ¡°I¡¯m sorry mother.¡±


    They were meant to give her father a proper send-off before worrying about anything else. Alessandra would be dealt with sooner than she might realize. When the Duke tosses Alessandra out of his home, Kate was going to be ready to make her life a living hell.


    In the distance, the sound of horses galloping and men yelling was heard.


    ¡°The town guards are here, Baroness,¡± James alerted Katrina.


    ¡°Kate, run inside quickly. Now!¡± Katrina yelled after Kate wouldn¡¯t move.


    Kate did not understand why she could not be around when her mother would speak to the guards. This was her fatherying dead on the ground. Still, she knew how her mother could get when she was angry and decided to go inside to wait for what her mother would sayter.


    Katrina watched Kate hurry off back inside the home. She then continued to force out tears to y the role of a wife grieving for her dead husband.

 Chapter 39

    39 Guards at the door (2)


    ¡°I now pronounce you husband and wife. Edgar, you may kiss the bride. You don¡¯t want to kiss him?¡± Peter asked after Alessandra looked his way almost as if she was against kissing her own husband. ¡°What sort of marriage is this? Are the two of you not taking this seriously?¡±


    ¡°I am shy,¡± Alessandra said in order to make it less suspicious she was hesitant to kiss Edgar. She would need to remove her veil in order to kiss Edgar.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Peter¡¯s mouth fell open. Normally, those who came to get married at night weren¡¯t this innocent. Not to forget, the devil was literally standing in front of Alessandra. Peter started to feel like he did something wrong by marrying an angel to the devil. ¡°I can turn around if you want me to.¡±


    ¡°No need to. We are finished here. Thank you for your services, Peter,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°Edgar, I don¡¯t know how many weddings you have attended but there is a way to do things,¡± Peter could not believe how out of order Edgar¡¯s wedding was. To think the town spoke so highly of what Edgar¡¯s wedding would be like. If the town could see this wedding now. Wire rings and no witnesses. ¡®Edgar has no right to call me a scammer anymore,¡¯ he thought.


    ¡°Are you trying to insinuate there is something wrong with our wedding, Peter?¡±


    ¡°Obviously. First of all, you show thedy the engagement ring before the day of the wedding. Second, you get the two wedding rings, guests, family, friends, and whoever else in your life to attend the wedding. I¡¯m sure your loved ones will be heartbroken to know you have gotten married like this. Don¡¯t tell anyone I am the one who wed you,¡± Peter did not want his name attached to Edgar¡¯s weird wedding.


    ¡°It will be on the paper and I am going to tell Alfred as soon as I return home,¡± Edgar innocently smiled. He had no reason to hide who wed him to Alessandra. ¡°I will let everyone know my dear friend did it. Consider it an honor, Peter.¡±


    Peter sighed, rubbing his temple as he partially med himself. He should have known telling Edgar to do something would make the man do the opposite. ¡°Hurry up and leave. Go enjoy your married life but remember, I will keep my eyes on the two of you no matter where you are.¡±


    .....


    Alessandra took a step closer to Edgar.


    ¡°Oh no,¡± Peter realized his mistake. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it like that. I wouldn¡¯t be watching you...¡± His voice trailed off when Alessandra startedughing.


    ¡°I am only teasing you,¡± Alessandra chuckled. She found Peter to be a funny man.


    ¡°You two deserve each other,¡± Peter concluded after seeing Alessandra enjoy teasing him just like her new husband. ¡°I will send the papers tomorrow morning. You don¡¯t have toe to visit me, Edgar.¡±


    ¡°My wife seems to like you. I will be sure toe again-¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Peter yelled, not wanting Edgar to return. He could not deal with the anxiety Edgar gave him with each visit. ¡°You are now a married man. You must spend time with your wife and most importantly, stay away from the church.¡±


    ¡°What if I want to confess my sins?¡± Edgar folded his arms, wanting to see how Peter would counterattack this.


    ¡°Thene the second and fourth days in the week,¡± Peter smiled as he gave Edgar the days he would not be in the church. Someone else had to share the burden of dealing with Edgar.


    ¡°So don¡¯te on the second and fourth days. Do you take me for a fool, Peter? You should be thankful you still have your hands after trying to scam me. Do not avoid me, Peter,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t even if I wanted to. You are like a hound sniffing out wherever I am. I bet you came here tonight at this time because you knew I was here,¡± Peter pointed his finger usingly at Edgar.


    Edgar pped the finger away and said, ¡°I was certain priests don¡¯t partake in bets. Silly me.¡±


    ¡°You know I wasn¡¯t literally making a bet! Get out before I pass out. The church is closed,¡± Peter no longer had the strength to keep the church open all night. Edgar was like a night creature, draining away all of his energy.


    ¡°It was nice to meet you, peter. Hopefully, I cane to see you again?¡± Alessandra had a lot to get off her chest and since the priests were bound not to repeat what they heard, she wanted toe to the church and speak with Peter.


    ¡°You have things to confess? Come anything you want and ask for me.¡± Peter wanted to know more about Alessandra, the rumored cursed girl. He wanted to understand why the town came to this conclusion and what Alessandra was truly like.


    Peter did not judge Alessandra as he was in no position to do so. Before his life as a priest, he did many things to earn money which the town would frown upon.


    ¡°I wille on the second and fourth days just like you told Edgar. Good night,¡± Alessandra waved goodbye. She was awfully tired and in need of something to eat before her stomach would make its presence known.


    ¡°Don¡¯te those days. Good night Alessandra,¡± Peter waved goodbye. ¡°That¡¯s right. Take that monster with you,¡± he muttered when they were away from him.


    ¡°I can still hear you, Peter,¡± Edgar said as he walked out the church doors with Alessandra.


    ¡°You are like the cat that enjoys toying with the mouse before it is eaten,¡± Alessandra found this to be the best way to describe Edgar¡¯s rtionship with Peter. The more Peter sweated, the more Edgar would stress him out.


    ¡°As I recall, my dear wife, you were also teasing Peter back there. Shall I also refer to you as a cat? Let me,¡± he offered her a hand to safely get inside of the carriage.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind as I like cats. I would be a regr cat while you are a tiger,¡± Alessandra pictured Edgar as therge cat.


    ¡°Should I make arrangements to change my symbol from a falcon to a tiger?¡±


    ¡°You cannot just change something that was already there for generations,¡± Alessandra replied.


    ¡°I can and I did. Have you already forgotten I got you a new ring instead of the one passed down in my family for generations? Whatever I want, I will make sure to get it. That is the type of man your husband is. I expect my mother to visit as soon as the news reaches her,¡± Edgar could already feel the headaches from his mother¡¯s dramatic ways.


    ¡°I cannot believe we are married,¡± Alessandra twisted the wire ring around her finger.


    Edgar sat with one leg ced over the other, watching Alessandra y with the ring he made in the spur of the moment. She wasn¡¯t one for material things. There weren¡¯t too many people in his world like her.


    Edgar began to think about what would be a good wedding gift for her. What did you give to someone who seemed to want nothing but to escape her family? ¡°If there is anything you need, don¡¯t hesitate to ask me for it.¡±


    He could only observe and listen to what she wanted for now.


    ¡°I will,¡± Alessandra replied but as her mouth moved, a yawn made an escape. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. The night has been so eventful so I am drained.¡±


    ¡°It will be quite some time before we arrive at my estate. Lay in the seat to take a nap or perhaps, I can-¡±


    ¡°The seat is enough, thank you,¡± Alessandra dropped sideways toy in the seat.


    ¡°How are we going to sleep in the same bed when you can¡¯t even fall asleep on me in the carriage? Will you make me sleep on the floor?¡± This was something Edgar would never do. ¡°I apologize if I scare you, Alessandra.¡±


    Edgar¡¯s words poked at her conscience. ¡°It¡¯s not that. I don¡¯t want you to hear my stomach grumbling.¡±


    Edgar bit his lip to refrain fromughing. ¡°I have long heard your stomach. At first, I thought it was the sky warning us of rain.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Alessandra¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    ¡°I am only teasing you, Alessandra. Sleep well. I will make sure you don¡¯t fall,¡± Edgar looked out the window to hide a small smile forming on his lips.


    The Baron had no idea what an interesting daughter he had hidden away. If the Baron had been smart, he could have saved Alessandra¡¯s reputation from all the rumors and lies. If she had the same attention as Kate, Alessandra would never have needed to form a contract marriage with anyone.


    Alessandra stood out among other girls from her personality alone and though she wore a mask, the half of her face not covered showed her beauty.


    Edgar wondered who was the culprit behind what Alessandra was hiding. There were two people on his mind but everyone in the Barrett household was on his list. From the stable boy up to the Baroness.

 Chapter 40

    40 Guards at the door (3)


    ¡°Young master, did you take a detour?¡± Alfred asked as he approached Edgar¡¯s carriage as it parked right in front of the stairs leading to the main door. ¡°Is that Alessandra Barrett? Why is she here?¡±


    Alfred was not informed of Alessandraing to stay tonight. They were supposed to leave early in the morning with an extra carriage to collect her things but Edgar was right here carrying Alessandra in his arms.


    ¡°She is hardly wearing anything to protect her from the night air,¡± Alfred was worried she might catch a cold. ¡°And where is your coat, Edgar?¡±


    ¡°She is now Alessandra Collins. I hope our bedroom has been prepared for her to use tonight,¡± Edgar said as he walked past a stunned Alfred.


    ¡°Did you just say she is Alessandra Collins? Do not tell me the two of you ran off and got married at the church. I raised you to be better than that, Edgar. Tell me I am wrong.¡± Alfred knew Edgar to be impulsive but even Edgar should know a proper ceremony was needed.


    ¡°We got married at the church a moment ago as the moment called for it to happen. Alfred, do you mind closing the door behind us and keeping your voice down to not wake her? Prepare something for her to eat and have the maids run a warm bath. She cannot go to sleep on an empty stomach.¡±


    ¡°You heard him. Prepare a warm bath and food for thedy,¡± Alfred shooed a maid standing at the door to do as Edgar requested. Meanwhile, he wanted to get to the bottom of Edgar¡¯s sh marriage. ¡°What situation called for you to get married on such short notice? She is not pregnant, is she?¡±


    Alfred warned Edgar countless times to be careful when he slept with anyone. One night of bliss would lead to disaster in a couple of weeks.


    ¡°Do not be so dramatic Alfred. How could she be pregnant already? We got married because I killed her father-¡±


    .....


    ¡°You did what?!¡± Alfred couldn¡¯t stop himself from yelling. He quickly covered his mouth with his hands to refrain from waking up Alessandra.


    Edgar stopped walking as Alessandra stirred in his arms from the noise. She nuzzled her head into her chest, trying to get morefortable. If she were to wake up right now she would probably die from embarrassment. Edgar wanted to see it happen.


    ¡°Alessandra?¡± He called to her but after no response, he continued walking towards their bedroom. ¡°Lower your voice, Alfred. I will exin it to you when our guests arrive shortly.¡±


    Edgar knew it wouldn¡¯t be long until the town guards came knocking on his door unless the Baroness would hide the truth and try to get money from him.


    ¡°What guest? Fine,¡± Alfred gave up. He could only wait to hear why there was a marriage and death on the same night. Alfred went back to the door to wait on the guest Edgar was referring to. Perhaps Edgar expected Alessandra¡¯s family to visit when they realized what happened or the fact they would want to avenge thete Baron.


    Alfred knew better than anyone that Edgar would never shed blood without a valid reason and he wasn¡¯t sad to see the Baron go. From what he witnessed the day Edgar proposed to Alessandra, Desmond was not a good man.


    ¡°I lived to see the day Edgar got married,¡± Alfred smiled, happy that Edgar had someone by his side even if a contract bound them. A little piece of paper wouldn¡¯t be enough to stop feelings from getting involved. ¡°I¡¯ll have to meddle if I want it to be real,¡± he started to plot.


    Meanwhile, Edgar carried Alessandra upstairs towards the bedroom they would soon share.


    ¡°Alessandra, are you really going to make me carry you all the way when you are awake? How cruel of you,¡± Edgar stopped walking once he reached the second floor. He knew she was awake a little while after Alfred had yelled but acted like she wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°You can put me down now,¡± Alessandra opened her eyes now that she was caught. She was woken up by someone yelling and when she realized she was being carried, she knew it had to be Edgar. The n was to pretend to sleep until heid her on the bed.


    ¡°No,¡± Edgar carried on walking with her in his arms.


    ¡°Then why did you make it known I was awake? You could have silently carried me to the bedroom.¡±


    ¡°And let you get away from being embarrassed? Never,¡± Edgar grinned. He could not let this opportunity to tease her fly by.


    From her view in his arms, Alessandra stuck by what she said about Edgar being a cat. He could not miss the opportunity to toy with someone. ¡°You are cruel, Edgar,¡± she said.


    ¡°That¡¯s not a good way to start our wedding night Alessandra. Your husband was so kind to walk you from the carriage straight to the bedroom. You should be thankful I train so much.¡±


    Alessandra wondered if she would ever get used to Edgar toying with her. He made the contract condition for them to be together forever as he only wanted to be married once. Forever was such a long time. How was she going to survive him?


    ¡°Alfred said the room has been prepared. There aren¡¯t any clothes for you considering your belongings aren¡¯t here and I did not know what your size is to order any clothing. You can wear one of my shirts to sleep in and I will have a maid sort out your dress in the morning,¡± Edgar ced her down right in front of the bedroom door.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t youing in? This was your bedroom right?¡± Alessandra didn¡¯t see why he stopped right there instead of going in with her. She was not ufortable with sharing a room with Edgar. She was well aware of what they agreed upon.


    ¡°I will soon have a visitor regarding your father¡¯s death. Tonight, I will let you settle in and get ustomed to your new environment. However, if you think you will miss my wonderful presence-¡±


    ¡°Good night,¡± Alessandra said, then opened the door. She was not going to pump up Edgar¡¯s alreadyrge ego. ¡°Wait. Shouldn¡¯t I be there when you have to speak about what happened with my father?¡±


    ¡°You will be needed in the morning. Sleep well,¡± he replied.


    Edgar waited for her to go inside and close the door. She was not needed in the morning as he would take care of this problem entirely tonight as he did not want to be hearing about Desmond Barrett ever again.


    ¡°Young master, the captain of the town guards is here to have a word with you!¡± Alfred called from the stairs.


    Edgar rested his hands in his pockets, going back downstairs to deal with his unwanted guests. The only time the town guards seemed to be on time was when they had toe to his home to question him.


    ¡°To what do I owe this unpleasant visit?¡± Edgar asked the moment he arrived on the ground floor. ¡°Oliver,¡± he greeted the captain.


    ¡°Edgar,¡± Oliver scowled at the sight of the man who made his job harder. ¡°Duke Collins, why is that I am hearing you killed the Baron, Desmond Barrett? You cannot kill a Baron and get away with it.¡±


    ¡°The king entrusted me with the task of removing all vermin in the kingdom. I was merely doing my job and it didn¡¯t help that the Baron was manhandling my wife. As a newly engaged man, I am certain you understand the rage I would have felt. That is unless you don¡¯t like the young woman you are to wed,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°Wife?¡± Oliver gripped his sword, annoyed by the news. ¡°Everyone knows you are not married, Edgar. The Baroness spoke nothing of you being her daughter¡¯s husband and I know you would never marry Kate,¡± Oliver knew Edgar well enough as they used to be friends but they grew apart as they got older.


    ¡°I am married to the Baron¡¯s other daughter, Alessandra,¡± Edgar showed his finger with the wired ring.


    ¡°The Baron¡¯s masked daughter?¡± Oliver was shocked to hear this. No one in their right mind would marry the girl with so many rumors surrounding her. Then again, he never thought of Edgar as a sane person. ¡°Did you marry her only to justify killing her father? I can still have you thrown in a cell for killing a Baron and the marriage annulled.¡±


    ¡°Alfred, bring me the papers on my deskbeled Desmond Barrett. They will contain enough evidence for you to get the hell off of my property. As an old friend, it¡¯s a shame you have not said congrattions,¡± Edgar feigned sadness.


    ¡°I will only congratte my friends and not a tyrant Duke.¡±


    Oliver was suspicious of Edgar suddenly being married to Alessandra when the Baron was now dead. Edgar was never the type to care about rtionships to one day just be married out of the blue. Edgar was not meant to end up with anyone.


    ¡°How long are you going to be angry with me when you are the one to slowly distance yourself from me?¡± Edgar asked as he could no longer deal with Oliver meddling in his affairs.

 Chapter 41

    41 Meet the Duchess (1)


    Somehow, Oliver could not seem to realize his actions of constantly trying to have Edgar thrown in a cell. Oliver for some reason disliked the additional power the King gave to Edgar and looked to find a w in every job he did.


    Oliver was the one to end the friendship so why was he so invested in meddling in Edgar¡¯s business? Edgar had long let go of their friendship after Oliver started to distance himself in the past.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tter yourself, Edgar. In case you have forgotten, I am the captain. I oversee matters on this side of the town-¡±


    ¡°Wrong! You force yourself to be involved in anything with my name attached. I have eyes and ears all around the kingdom, Oliver. Since we used to be friends, I have tolerated your ways but I cannot any longer. You can question me about the death of the Baron as it is your job but do not allow whatever ill feelings you have towards me make you forget what kind of man the Baron was.¡±


    Edgar had been in this position where Oliver would question every single move he did even if Oliver knew Edgar¡¯s actions were justified.


    ¡°Young master,¡± Alfred returned with a stack of papers and handed it off to Oliver.


    ¡°Go through it well and see the crimes Desmond has piled up. You might hate me but you know, I never kill without reason. A good host would show you out but I have no intention of watching you and your men leave. I have a wedding night to enjoy. Alfred, see to it that all of the town guards leave and anyone loitering around is killed,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°You just said you never kill without reason and yet you just ordered my men to be killed,¡± Oliver replied, releasing his grip on his sword to get rid of the temptation to point it at Edgar.


    ¡°You got what you came for which is a valid reason for me killing the Baron. I have every right to kill anyone still loitering around on my estate. I am the Duke of thisnd, Oliver. I can kill trespassers on mynd. Time is ticking for you to be gone. Be gone by the time I count to ten. One,¡± Edgar began to count.


    .....


    The night was too wonderful after killing Desmond for Edgar to spend precious time talking to Oliver.


    To rid Edgar of his cockiness, Oliver unsheathed his sword pointing it at Edgar¡¯s face. ¡°I hate men like you who abuse your power.¡±


    ¡°And I hate ignorance,¡± Edgar replied, unphased by the sword inches away from his face. He knew just like Oliver knew that his blood would not be spilled in his own home. ¡°Put away your sword before you hurt yourself, Oliver.¡±


    ¡°You walk around like you are the King but I will be watching and waiting for you to mess up.¡±


    ¡°Get an actual hobby to upy your time,¡± Edgar rmended.


    ¡°Even if what you have in the papers were enough to kill the Baron, you must speak with his wife. The Baroness wants to have a word with you. After watching her husband be in by your sword, she deserves an exnation considering you are walking away free. Goodnight,¡± Oliver retreated his sword.


    He took the stacks of papers from Alfred and then proceeded to leave as the other guards were waiting on the outside.


    ¡°What happened between the two of you? You two used to be such good friends. I had high hopes you two would still be friends after you changed from boys to men,¡± Alfred said with a hint of sadness in his voice.


    Of all the young men Edgar became acquainted with, Oliver was one of the few he viewed as Edgar¡¯s friend.


    ¡°I cannot answer that as Oliver was the one to end our friendship without any exnation. Now he goes around, running wherever he hears my name as he looks to throw me in jail. Another pain in the ass I must deal with. Send a bottle of alcohol to the empty bedroom on the second floor to the left of the stairs,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°Are you truly going to spend your wedding night in separate rooms? Your bedroom has been set up for both of you just like you requested. Even if he wasn¡¯t the best father, he was still her father and the Duchess will need to beforted. Do not share separate rooms tonight,¡± Alfred advised Edgar. He imagined the emotions Alessandra was going through now that she was alone in her room.


    ¡°I am not the best when ites toforting someone. I will check on her for a moment but we will not share a room tonight. Do not ask me about it again.¡± Edgar knew what Alfred was trying to do but they both agreed to no feelings. It was better that way.


    ¡°What was the point of getting married to her then? You could have helped her without getting married to her. You were so adamant about not getting married and wanting to be alone. Can you honestly say there are no feelings involved?¡± Asked Alfred.


    ¡°There are no feelings involved, Alfred. I barely know Alessandra-¡±


    ¡°Enough to marry her,¡± Alfred interjected. ¡°What is your reason behind this?¡±


    ¡°She simply amuses me. My family is constantly on my ass to get married and have a child. Out of all the women I havee across, none have amused me as Alessandra has. She wanted freedom and I wanted the marriage offers to stop. We both got what we wanted and we are fine. Stop expecting something more and prepare for tomorrow. The news of my marriage will spread like wildfire.¡±


    ¡°Yes, young master,¡± Alfred once again gave up. He didn¡¯t know how he would handle two young adults who would eventually bottle up any feelings they have because of the contract.


    ¡®They already agreed to be married forever. Why not just toss the contract out the window if they are getting along so well?¡¯ Alfred wondered. ¡®Young people these days and their rtionships.¡±


    Meanwhile, as Edgar walked up the stairs to go to the second floor, he made the decision to not check up on Alessandra. He already asked her what she was feeling and she was not in need of beingforted based on what he saw. Edgar was not going to force Alessandra into talking about her father¡¯s death.


    Alfred thought Alessandra would be crying alone in her room but quite frankly, Edgar believed she didn¡¯t care about her father¡¯s death. She was the one to give her permission for him to be killed.


    ***


    ¡°His bathroom is huge,¡± Alessandramented as she looked around Edgar¡¯s bathroom while she sat in a tub of water. ¡°I could fit three of my bathrooms inside of here. Did one person truly need so much space?¡±


    Edgar¡¯s wealth had no bounds as even his bathroom was enough to make anyone jealous. Though Edgar had wealth it didn¡¯t seem like he was the type to unt it.


    From the many times she eavesdropped on the guest speaking at the parties her father threw from time to time, all everyone did was talk about the expensive things they bought. From houses all the way down to rings.


    Alessandra always thought those people spoke looking for validation. They wanted to show they belonged in high society and bought ridiculous things to show off their wealth. ¡°I would rather have the money saved rather than wear something just for others toment on it,¡± she said.


    ¡°I won¡¯t fit in,¡± Alessandra mumbled.


    It wasn¡¯t just about the mask and the rumors that wouldn¡¯t make her blend in with Edgar¡¯s peers. It was personality and what she viewed as important in life that would make her different. She didn¡¯t grow up caring about appearances and wealth. She only wanted to have fun.


    ¡°Ow,¡± Alessandra yelled as something pricked her skin. Looking for the cause of it, she realized the wired ring was still on her finger. ¡°Is there something wrong with me if I prefer this to a diamond ring? It suits me more,¡± she said, carefully twirling the ring around her finger.


    She was not going to get rid of the ring Edgar created for their wedding. It would serve as a memory of what happened on this very night when she became a Duchess.

 Chapter 42

    42 Meet the Duchess (2)


    ¡°Mydy!¡±


    Alessandra¡¯s eyes slowly opened as the faint sound of someone¡¯s voice could be heard in the distance. ¡°Why is someone here so early?¡± She muttered, drifting back to sleep.


    ¡°Mydy!¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± Alessandra replied, opening her eyes once again at the sound of someone¡¯s voice. ¡°They don¡¯t normallye so early. Where,¡± she paused as the unfamiliar sight of furniture greeted her.


    Alessandra sat up to look around the room she was in. ¡°Oh,¡± her memory ofst night suddenly came back to her. ¡°I am at the Duke¡¯s home. My new home.¡±


    ¡°Mydy?¡±


    ¡°Right. Give me one moment,¡± Alessandra said to the person at the door.


    She had to crawl to the edge of Edgar¡¯s massive bed. It was another thing she did not understand why one person needed it. An entire family could sleep on the bed and have space.


    ¡®Does Edgar sleep in some kind of weird position for him to need so much space?¡¯ She wondered.


    .....


    After a small exercise to get off the bed, Alessandra rushed to the door to open it for whoever had paid her a visit but stopped before she could touch the door handle as she remembered her veil.


    Alessandra made a quick run back to the bathroom where she had taken off the veil and then returned to open the door.


    ¡°Mydy,¡± a young girl said. As she took in Alessandra¡¯s appearance her cheeks started to turn red and her eyes avoided Alessandra.


    Confused, Alessandra looked down at her attire, and only now did she realize she had gone to sleep in one of Edgar¡¯s shirts as she had no clothes here. The young girl must have misunderstood it but Alessandra was not going to correct her. It wasn¡¯t wrong for anyone to think she and Edgar slept together on their wedding night.


    Still, Alessandra couldn¡¯t help pulling the shirt to hide her legs and exposed chest where the buttons hade undone as she slept. She had never been dressed this way infront of of anyone before.


    ¡°Is there a reason you were calling for me?¡± Alessandra asked in an attempt to switch the conversation to something else.


    ¡°Yes, the Duke tasked me with getting you ready for breakfast. He has also sent these for you,¡± the young maid pushed a basket towards Alessandra.


    Alessandra firstid eyes on a blue mask. It was elegant with the design of swirls and small crystals encrusted around the edges. Along with the mask was a blue dress to match. It was obvious the Duke had spent a good amount of money on the two.


    ¡°There is also matching jewelry and shoes underneath. After breakfast, the dressmaker wille with dresses for you to pick out. The Duke has a craftsman at hand to create masks to match the dresses you like. Can Ie inside to start your bath, Duchess?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Alessandra asked as she was focusing more on the gifts Edgar sent than what the girl was saying. ¡°Oh,e inside. What is your name? I should have asked first.¡±


    ¡°It is Jennifer, Duchess. I have worked for the Duke for a year now. I am happy to be serving you,¡± Jennifer bowed, showing respect to the new Duchess.


    ¡°I hope we can get along,¡± Alessandra smiled. As Jennifer stepped inside, she noted that the young brte girl must be around her age or perhaps, just a little bit older. Their closeness should hopefully allow them to get along well.


    Another thing Alessandra noted was Jennifer¡¯sck of reaction to her presence. She had a feeling Edgar had an early morning talk with his workers.


    Alessandra closed the bedroom door, then took the basket to a table for after she would be finished with her bath. While Jennifer had gone to the bathroom to start filling the tub with warm water, Alessandra took off the veil to rece it with the new mask.


    The mask Edgar sent was more luxurious than she needed it to be but she wasn¡¯t going to turn it down. Her life was no longer going to be simple therefore she needed to get used to these kinds of things. She needed to act and dress like a Duchess.


    ¡°Duchess, the water has started to fill the tub and the soaps have been dropped into the water. Do you need my help to get undressed?¡± Jennifer asked as soon as she exited the bathroom.


    ¡°No, it is only a shirt I have on,¡± Alessandra replied as she was more than capable of getting undressed on her own. She did it for many years.


    ¡°I will make up the bed while you get undressed and sit in the tub. If you need anything, please call me right away,¡± said Jennifer. She kept a pleasant smile on her face until the moment Alessandra passed by her and went into the bathroom. With Alessandra out of sight, she frowned. ¡°Why did the Duke marry such a woman?¡±


    Jennifer could not believe the rumors passing around the other servants about Edgar bringing home a wifest night. It was only when Edgar gathered the entire servants early in the morning and confirmed his marriage that she believed it. However, when Edgar said the name of his wife, Jennifer thought he was pranking his servants.


    If not for the Duke giving them a warning not to harm his wife and bring any lies about her into his home, Jennifer would not have been so kind to Alessandra when they first met.


    ¡®Why isn¡¯t the Duke concerned about being cursed?¡¯ Jennifer thought.


    ¡°A man with the status Edgar has should not be married to a woman like this. Let me check,¡± Jennifer hurried to search the bed sheets for signs of their wedding night. ¡°There¡¯s no blood!¡± She gasped, realizing Alessandra was not a virgin on their wedding night.


    ¡°She must have been seeing other men before getting with the Duke. That witch! She must have ced a spell over the Duke. I must inform his mother of this,¡± Jennifer concluded.


    She was not going to allow Alessandra to ruin the Duke¡¯s reputation. If they stand by and do nothing, the Duke would soon die at the hands of Alessandra. ¡°I hope Edgar has not seen her awful face. I have chills just from looking at it,¡± she shivered.


    ¡°Jennifer, how do you turn off the water before it flows over?¡± Alessandra asked from inside the bathroom.


    Jennifer rolled her eyes, finding Alessandra to be annoying but of course, someone like Alessandra wouldn¡¯t know how to work the advanced things Edgar had throughout his home. The Baron¡¯s house could notpare.


    ¡°I aming, Duchess,¡± Jennifer forced her sweetest smile before going to the bathroom. ¡°It is right here,¡± she turned off the pipe from behind the tub.


    ¡°Thank you. The tub I have back at home was not like this. The handle to stop the water sat right above the tub.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll get used to the Duke¡¯s home soon. Shall I brush your hair?¡± Jennifer asked only to use it as an opportunity to take her anger out on Alessandra. She disliked how Alessandra had looked when she opened the door wearing nothing but Edgar¡¯s shirt. Did she want to show off that she slept with the Duke? ¡°I can use the Duke¡¯s brush,¡± she spoke sweetly.


    ¡°Yes, please. I fellst night and there might be a few pieces of grass or twigs in my hair. I tried to get them out but-Oww,¡± Alessandra winced the moment Jennifer brushed her hair.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry Duchess. Please forgive me. There is a knot in your hair. I should have noticed it,¡± Jennifer quickly apologized. She grinned, taking pleasure in Alessandra¡¯s pain.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Alessandra replied. She took it as a mistake but when it happened a second time, Alessandra knew she would not be getting along with Jennifer.

 Chapter 43

    43 Meet the Duchess (3)


    ¡°That is enough,¡± Alessandra could no longer take the pain of Jennifer purposely trying to make her bald. She searched her own hairst night and did note across any of these so-called knots Jennifer was referring to. ¡°Have I upset you in some sort of way?¡± She had to ask.


    Alessandra wanted to know whether it was the rumors of her being cursed or something else that she unknowingly did to upset Jennifer.


    ¡°No you have not Duchess,¡± Jennifer set the brush to the side. It contained numerous strands she yanked out of Alessandra¡¯s hair. It was enough to calm her anger for now. ¡°I apologize if I was a little rough. This is how I normally brush Edgar¡¯s hair,¡± she lied.


    ¡®Edgar?¡¯ Alessandra picked up on Jennifer referring to the Duke by his first name and not his title. She must have a good rtionship with him to refer to him like this or Jennifer was simply trying to toy with her. It was bold of anyone to act like this in front of the new Duchess.


    ¡®She¡¯s trying to torture me because she likes Edgar? This is child¡¯s ypared to the torture I have endured,¡¯ Alessandra thought to herself. Anyone who wanted to toy with her would need toe harder.


    Jennifer did not make her feel jealous or weak. Their interaction only made her irritated as this was officially her first day here. She had not been given a tour of the home and already there was someone treating her this way. It was too early in the morning to be making an enemy.


    ¡°Please do not tell-¡±


    ¡°Then do your job correctly,¡± Alessandra interjected before Jennifer could continue with her act. She was well aware that if she remained mute and allowed Jennifer to do things to hurt her, it wouldn¡¯t be long before others joined in to do the same. ¡°I will have no choice but to let you go if you purposely yank on my hair.¡±


    Jennifer was taken aback by Alessandra¡¯s words. It was not even a full day as yet but the woman spoke as if she owns the home. She was certain the rumors said Alessandra Barrett was a shy youngdy but the person here spoke so boldly. ¡°Pardon me Duchess but you are not in any position to fire me.¡±


    .....


    Alessandra looked over her shoulder to where Jennifer stood behind her. ¡°Now that this home has a Duchess, dealing with the servants will be my job. I don¡¯t care how you feel about me but I suggest if you want to keep your job you do it correctly when you are in my presence. Either you brush my hair properly or you leave.¡±


    Alessandra yed with her fingers as she became anxious. She was taking a risk by threatening to fire a servant who most likely could have a good rtionship with Edgar. Would he back her up on this or shame her in front of his servants?


    Although Edgar was helpful when it came to her family problems, Jennifer was one of his servants and Alessandra had no clue how he would react to her firing the people he knew well. However, she was not going to show Jennifer this fear.


    ¡°I apologize, Duchess,¡± Jennifer looked away, hiding the shame she felt for having to apologize to Alessandra. It was an insult to have to apologize to someone who needed to hide their awful face.


    ¡°You can leave,¡± Alessandra dismissed her in the end. She was not in the mood for Jennifer to brush her hair at all. The few times her hair was yanked on was enough to make it sore.


    If Alessandra was a petty person, she would make Jennifer have to sit and her hair be yanked out. Luckily for Jennifer, Alessandra was not going to stoop to that level.


    Without a word, Jennifer left the bathroom leaving Alessandra alone. Alessandra would regret this as help was needed to put on the dress Edgar sent. ¡®This is better. I hope she cannot get the dress on,¡¯ she smiled.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t everyone just be nice?¡± Alessandra muttered. She knew she had to deal with women who sought after Edgar¡¯s affection but she did not expect to be attacked by one of his servants. ¡°Is she a woman he has slept with or one who wishes she would share his bed?¡±


    Alessandra hoped it was thetter. Alessandra did not care about Edgar having a mistress but she would prefer if it was not someone she had to see every day. The conflict would be unnecessary.


    ¡°By the way she acted, it might have been a crush. I shouldn¡¯t have such an opinion of Edgar to think he would send a woman he slept with to serve me. If Edgar does not know about her feelings, who is making her so confident to act this way towards the new Duchess?¡± Alessandra wondered.


    It wouldn¡¯t be too long before the person Jennifer worked for would show themselves. Inevitably, it was best they fire Jennifer. They did not need a spy watching their every movement and then reporting it back to someone else. They were weing the chance of their rtionship being exposed by keeping such a person around.


    ¡°I¡¯ll bring it up at breakfast.¡±


    Alessandra sank deep into the tub, enjoying the warmth of the water and the fresh scent of the soap. Compared tost night, she felt more rxed. A new day brought on new beginnings. There was no need to worry about her father, Katrina, and Kate. Alessandra hoped to never have to hear of them nor see them ever again.


    ¡°Alessandra?¡± Edgar¡¯s voice came from outside of the bathroom.


    ¡°Edgar,¡± she perked up, causing water to ssh over the edge.


    ¡°Are you not an early bird? If you were still tired, you could have sent the maid away with the message. Remember, you have the power to do as you please except for killing someone. You mustn¡¯t get your hands dirty. As I recall, someone was supposed to help you this morning,¡± said Edgar.


    Edgar spotted the basket he sent but there was no one here waiting to aid Alessandra for when she would be done with her bath. Two maids walked past him as he wasing to their bedroom. He wondered if they were the ones meant to be helping Alessandra.


    ¡°How do you know there is no one on the inside with me?¡± Alessandra wondered if he could see right through the walls.


    ¡°It is too quiet. Can Ie in or are you the shy type?¡± Edgar asked before he made a move. He would rather not scare her so early in the day. Not yet at least.


    ¡°You cane in. The soap has created bubbles and you will be unable to see anything.¡± Alessandra piled up more bubbles by her chest and legs as quickly as she could before Edgar entered the bathroom.


    ¡°What a sight. I am almost tempted to take off my clothes and get inside with you.¡±


    ¡°T-That¡¯s too much,¡± Alessandra blushed. She barely had enough courage to sit naked in the tub with Edgar here. She would pass out if he were to sit in it naked along with her. Why was he here anyway and why did he want to see her inside the bathroom?


    ¡°I was only teasing you, Alessandra. You make it too easy,¡± he chuckled.

 Chapter 44

    44 Mother-inw (1)


    ¡°Is there something you need from me, Edgar? Aside from getting a reaction out of me from your teasing. Why did you want toe inside the bathroom?¡± Alessandra knew there had to be a reason why he was here. Unless he was only here to tease her? If so, was Edgar truly a bored person?


    ¡°I wanted to confirm that there is no one here. Did they leave as soon as they brought the basket? They were supposed to help you get dressed.¡± Edgar gave clear instructions earlier while Alessandra was asleep and hated to think his servants were going to ignore his order and mistreat his wife.


    ¡°I met a girl who looks around my age named Jennifer. I think she has a crush on you, Edgar. She tried to brush out all of my hair,¡± Alessandra ced her hand on the sore spots.


    ¡°I see,¡± Edgar picked up his brush which was now full of hair. ¡°What does she look like?¡±


    ¡°Do you have no idea who I am talking about?¡± Alessandra found this to be surprising. Jennifer causally called his name as if they had spoken before.


    ¡°If I did, I wouldn¡¯t have asked you to describe her. It appears she pulled out quite a lot of your hair. Silly thing. Is this her way of asking to be punished? She only needed toe to me,¡± Edgar smiled, cing the brush back down. They¡¯ll be in need of a new female servant today.


    ¡°I will take care of it myself. I am sure there are many others who are protective of you. I must use Jennifer as an example to warn them. Please, leave it to me,¡± Alessandra begged. This was not a battle Edgar needed to concern himself with.


    ¡°Do as you wish.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. From the way she acted, I assumed the possibility of her being your mistress-¡±


    .....


    Edgar¡¯s faintughter interrupted Alessandra. ¡°You wound me by thinking I would be foolish enough to send a woman I was bedding to tend to my wife. I am smarter than that Alessandra. Luckily, there is nothing you need to fear. I have never slept with anyone who worked for me. I do not like to mix business and pleasure.¡±


    ¡°I see. I am sorry for having such a thought. I would prefer if your mistresses had no association with this house. It would make my life much easier,¡± Alessandra said.


    ¡°Your life will be easy due to the fact I will have no mistress. Enlighten me, Alessandra. What type of man do you take me for? Is there some sort of rumor going around that I am bedding countless women? How awful of them to make me out to be such a man when I am nothing more than a saint.¡±


    Had this been anyone else, Alessandra might have believed their words. However, whenever Edgar spoke she picked up on his sarcasm and refused to ept his words. ¡°Are you a virgin?¡± She bluntly asked the question.


    Edgar touched the two top buttons on his shirt and turned away from Alessandra¡¯s sight. ¡°That is such an intruding question, Alessandra. Why do you want to know? Do you wish to ravish me?¡±


    Alessandra stared at Edgar with ack of reaction to his words. ¡°You are the one to say you are a saint. Wouldn¡¯t a saint be a virgin? You don¡¯t have to be ashamed. I am also a virgin.¡±


    ¡°I have to apologize for not saving myself for marriage. I am not a virgin but I am also not a manwhore. I can control myself and unlike what rumors you¡¯ve heard, I have not bedded many women. Keep in mind that any woman who approaches you and hints at it is a liar. Let¡¯s avoid that drama before it can even start,¡± Edgar replied, as he knew women would try to say they shared a bed in order to mess with Alessandra.


    ¡°Honestly, if I were to meet anyone you have slept with, I wouldn¡¯t care. Anyone who tells me you have slept with them is only trying to get a rise out of me and I won¡¯t give them that satisfaction. Right, do you have any idea what could be making Jennifer so bold? To harshlyb a Duchess¡¯s hair means there¡¯s someone behind her.¡±


    The maids back at the Barrett household would sometimes mistreat her because they had Kate behind them to help rescue them if the butler were to find out. Edgar had not mentioned anyone else living with him which means it must be a rtive living close by.


    ¡°It is probably my mother. She nts a few of her spies here and there to keep an eye on me. It appears I missed one. That was Alfred¡¯s mistake. How should I break this to the perfectionist?¡± Edgar grinned.


    Alfred would have a panic attack if he knew he missed getting rid of one of his mother¡¯s spies.


    ¡°Why is it Alfred¡¯s mistake and not your mistake?¡± Alessandra identally asked out loud.


    ¡°Alfred is the one to deal with the servants. I passed him the basket and told him to send someone to serve you. Anyone working for my mother should not have been still working for me. It is not hard to recognize who is her spy as they are always following me around. Alfred should have picked up on this and fired her. I like to keep my mother out of my business.¡±


    ¡°What is your mother like?¡± Alessandra had never heard anything about Edgar¡¯s mother. She didn¡¯t even know her name.


    ¡°Dramatic. I have to be rude and step out for an errand therefore I cannot attend breakfast with you but Alfred will be here to help. There are more gifts waiting for you downstairs. What you don¡¯t like, set aside and I will send for something else,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m sorry I don¡¯t have anything to offer you,¡± Alessandra once again felt saddened by not having anything to give to Edgar. She was the only one receiving something.


    ¡°If you stand right now that would be a gift,¡± Edgar cheekily replied.


    ¡°Can you please leave and never refer to yourself as a saint?¡± Alessandra covered her face with her hands to hide her cheeks turning red from embarrassment. She contemted getting a mask that entirely covered her face so she wouldn¡¯t satisfy Edgar¡¯s teasing.


    ¡°If you were to ask me to stand naked before you, I would have no problem doing so. You are the shy type, Alessandra. I came by to say I will be going to collect your things and speak to the Baroness about herte husband. Is there anything specific you desperately need toe along with you?¡± Edgar asked.


    ¡°No. Everything is in my bedroom but there is no guarantee either Katrina or Kate did not destroy them because of my father¡¯s death. Whatever is there you can bring. Oh! There is a girl I chose to be my personal maid. Can you bring her along or is that too much?¡± She asked, due to the fact Edgar would be the one paying for Sally¡¯s services.


    ¡°Seeing as we are about to fire someone, it is not a problem but I first need to inspect the type of person this maid is before I allow her into my home. I am off to visit hell,¡± Edgar bid goodbye.


    ¡°I hope he doesn¡¯t kill Katrina or Kate,¡± Alessandra softly muttered. She contemted going with Edgar to make sure no one would be harmed but then decided against it. The goal was to never step foot in that house again and she nned to stick to it.


    Katrina, Kate, and Edgar were grown enough to be able to speak calmly.

 Chapter 45

    45 Mother-inw (2)


    In the Barrett household, Kate dragged her feet downstairs to head for breakfast. Her body felt heavy as she was unable to sleepst night due to her father¡¯s death. She hoped to stay awake to prolong the morning froming when she would have to help her mother start nning for her father¡¯s funeral.


    Life was strange in Kate¡¯s opinion. One moment her father had been here, giving her everything she ever wanted, and now he was gone. For the first time, their house felt ufortable. How would they be able to survive this loss?


    ¡°This is unfair,¡± Kate mumbled.


    It was unfair for her mother to be left picking up the pieces while Alessandra was somewhere on the Duke¡¯s estate living life without a care. Their father¡¯s death involved Alessandra and she should be held responsible for it.


    ¡°As soon as I see Alessandra I¡¯ll scar the other side of her face. Does she think she¡¯s better than me because she¡¯s living with the Duke? Once he has his way with her, she¡¯ll be crawling back to us. No one listened to me when I said she was evil. A good daughter would be here to mourn the loss of their father,¡± said Kate.


    It was clear in Kate¡¯s eyes that she was the only one to love their father. She was the one who stayed awake the entire night crying over his death. She had always been the one to care about his reputation and always did as he asked. Alessandra was nothing more than an ungrateful burden.


    ¡°You need to send invitations to his family regarding the funeral. I would honestly not like to invite any of them as they only came to Desmond when they wanted money but it wouldn¡¯t be a good look to leave them out,¡± Kate heard her mother¡¯s voiceing from the direction of her father¡¯s private room.


    ¡°James, I need you to put everything valuable belonging to Desmond into a pile. We¡¯ll have to sell some of them to pay off some of the debts he had. Send a notice to all the tenants on ournd to pay their rent before seven days are up. Bring me some wine while you¡¯re at it,¡± Katrina rubbed her temple to relieve the stress.


    ¡°Yes, Baroness,¡± James replied then left the room.


    .....


    ¡°Why would you sell some of his things, mother?¡± Kate stormed into the room. They should be cherishing her father¡¯s belongings and cing them in this room as a memory of him.


    ¡°It¡¯ll help with the countless things we need to pay for. Like giving your father a proper funeral for example. The guards fromst night said the king might give us money and I am hoping the Duke will offer us something since he has Alessandra. I won¡¯t sell your father¡¯s important things. Oh dear,¡± Katrina sat up as sheid eyes on Kate¡¯s appearance.


    ¡°Did you not look in the mirror before you came downstairs, Kate? You look awful.¡± Katrina knew they were meant to be mourning but it didn¡¯t mean they should resemble the dead. ¡°We are going to have a lot of guests passing by to give their condolences. You need to fix your appearance before they arrive,¡± Katrina said.


    She nned to make use of the attention on them to find Kate a good suitor now that Edgar was not an option. Katrina would do everything in her power to make sure Kate married a man with equal status as Edgar Collins. It would bring her shame to have her stepdaughter living better than her own daughter.


    ¡°Is that really important right now, mother? We are in the middle of preparing for my father¡¯s death. My appearance should be excused,¡± Kate proceeded to sit down, going against what her mother told her to do.


    Katrina sighed, slightly annoyed Kate didn¡¯t know when to use her brain. ¡°Do you n to stay with me forever, Kate? All of your friends are finding good suitors and will be married before you know it. They all know they must do whatever it takes to secure their future. Look at Alessandra-¡±


    ¡°Do not mention her to me!¡± Kate yelled, angered by Alessandra¡¯s name being called. ¡°I am well aware I am the one in my friend group meant to be married first. I am the one who is meant to be waking up in Edgar¡¯s arms right now. Don¡¯t you think I understand that mother? What makes you think I want to hear about how good Alessandra is to trap Edgar?¡±


    Kate could not believe her mother was impressed by what Alessandra had done. Why was no one seeing the truth that Alessandra had cursed Edgar? In what world would Edgar kill a Baron for someone like Alessandra?


    Kate started the rumor about Alessandra being cursed as a joke but now she was starting to believe it.


    ¡°We should avenge father by having the Duke bring her back. Father¡¯sst wish was to send Alessandra to someone else.¡±


    ¡°Kate, stop pretending this is about your father. You are upset that Alessandra has taken your ce but I am warning you to let it go. I am just as confused as you are about Alessandra and Edgar butst night, Edgar killed your father for Alessandra. Do not go near that man ever again. Do you understand me?¡± Katrina asked.


    Katrina was well aware of the feelings Kate had for Edgar but she sensed the danger Kate could find herself in.


    ¡°Edgar belongs to me. I am not going to give him up to Alessandra so easily. If you love me, you would do everything in your power to give him back to me. Father would have done everything possible to give me what I want,¡± Kate teared up. Her mother did not love her as her father did.


    ¡°It is not easy for me to just hand a person over to you, Kate. I tried my best to push you and Edgar together. I cannot be med for Alessandra having captured his attention. Kate, give up on the feelings you have for him while Alessandra is with him. If you see him, please avoid him at all costs. Edgar Collins will be the death of us.¡±


    ¡°I am not going to let go of him, mother. Especially to the likes of Alessandra. She had to know I am in love with Edgar. That is why she targeted him. Edgar should know the type of woman she is before he thinks of marrying her,¡± Kate abruptly stood up, making up her mind to go to Edgar¡¯s home.


    ¡°Kate, he killed your father. Can you honestly love him after he has done such a thing? You are a hopeless romantic and as much as I would like for you to marry the man of your dreams, I need to step in as your mother to prevent a union between you and Edgar. You cannot be with your father¡¯s killer. You cannot be like Alessandra!¡± Katrina yelled.


    ¡°If I can¡¯t have him, I do not wish to live,¡± Kate confessed. She could not live on knowing she lost the one man she loved to Alessandra. She was much better than Alessandra so why hadn¡¯t Edgar picked her?


    ¡°You...¡± Katrina was lost for words. She could not believe Kate wanted Edgar this much. With her daughter this determined, there was nothing she could do to change Kate¡¯s mind. ¡®Edgar would be a bigger catch than Desmond was,¡¯ she thought.


    Katrina made the impossible happen to be Baroness. It would be risky but with careful nning, they might be able to get Edgar back. ¡°Fine. You will have him but promise me that you will work on your emotions.¡±


    ¡°Yes mother,¡± Kate jumped for joy.


    ¡°It¡¯s one headache after the next,¡± Katrina sighed, feeling the need to have alcohol more than ever.


    ¡°Baroness,¡± James entered the room, interrupting Kate¡¯s moment. ¡°Duke Edgar Collins is here.¡±


    ¡°Edgar?¡± Kate¡¯s eyes lit up.

 Chapter 46

    46 Mother-inw (3)


    ¡°Kate, calm down before you embarrass yourself in front of him. James, invite him into the parlor and offer him one of our finest drinks,¡± Katrina instructed the butler. ¡°Kate, I don¡¯t know what sort of good luck you have stumbled upon but we¡¯ll make the most of it. Now, do you see why I said to fix your appearance?¡±


    Blood drained from Kate¡¯s face as she realized how horrible she looked right now. ¡°Mother, please stall him for me. I need to change,¡± Kate picked up her dress and made a dash for upstairs.


    ¡°Ady does not run so wild, Kate!¡¯ Katrina yelled to her daughter. ¡°What on earth am I going to do with that child? I should really get her married and out of my hair.¡±


    Although Katrina was happy to have Edgar here, she couldn¡¯t stop feeling like something was going to go terribly wrong.


    ¡°Is Alessandra here with him? She wouldn¡¯t miss the chance to gloat. I should have sent her away the moment I got married to Desmond. Why on earth didn¡¯t her mother run away with her?¡± Katrina despised Desmond¡¯s first wife for leaving a child behind.


    Why should Katrina be tasked with ying mother to Alessandra when her own mother was running around without any worries? All her problems would have been solved had Alessandra¡¯s mother acted as a mother should.


    Katrina continued to sit in the private room to buy time for Kate. There was no telling how long Edgar nned to stay and if the conversation would be quick, Kate might miss out on the chance to speak with Edgar.


    ¡°I have spoiled this child too much but I have always said I wanted to give her a better life than what I had,¡± said Katrina.


    She didn¡¯t get to grow up in a house like this or be given whatever she wanted just by asking. Katrina had to y dirty to get what she wanted. Having a grand title was something she always wanted and Desmond was the perfect tool to get it.


    .....


    Katrina wished Kate had the same kind of thinking. Doing whatever it took to get what you wanted and not waiting for someone else to hand it to you. That was Kate¡¯s problem. No one could make Edgar take a liking to Kate but Kate. Katrina used her brain and looks to get where she is. Kate needed to stop being emotional and do the same.


    ¡°Baroness,¡± James returned once again. ¡°The Duke is nning to leave since it appears you are busy.¡±


    ¡°What! Why didn¡¯t you tell him we have just woken up and are getting dressed? Come up with a good excuse. Why are you choosing now to be so useless?!¡± Katrina eximed, highly frustrated with James.


    ¡°The parlor is right in front of the Baron¡¯s private room. He might have seen me walk into here quite possibly saw Kate running away,¡± James defended himself. It wasn¡¯t his fault the Baroness was stupid enough to ce Edgar in the room right beside her. It was obvious they were stalling.


    ¡°Then, you should have stopped me from doing so. Run along and tell Kate to hurry ande downstairs. Wait, how do I look?¡± Katrina stood up for James to judge her clothes.


    ¡°You look, wonderful Baroness. Excuse me,¡± James left the room. He did not want to be caught in her trap again, especially with the Duke here. ¡°Why is she acting as if the Duke will care about her appearance?¡± He whispered.


    ¡°What kind of man is he?¡± Katrina asked herself. James could have used better words to describe her appearance. At this age, she was still quite the beauty. That was why James himself had always been sneaking nces at her when he thought she wasn¡¯t watching.


    Katrina pushed her thoughts about James to the side for now. She had a more difficult man to deal with. Katrina exited the private room and went straight towards the parlor. ¡°Duke Edgar. It is a pleasure to have you in our home,¡± she greeted him with a curtsy.


    ¡°Baroness, it is hard to see how much of a pleasure it is when you are sitting in the next room while I am here,¡± Edgar extended his hand out to greet the woman.


    If not for the entertainmenting his way, Edgar would have left the moment he witnessed Kate running somewhere. It seemed the Baroness and daughter thought he was still a single man. How could he miss the chance to turn their dream into a nightmare?


    Katrina was unsure how to respond to Edgar. Why did he feel the need to always say what was on his mind? Couldn¡¯t he have spared her from the embarrassment? ¡°I was organizing my husband¡¯s things. You have put us in a difficult position, Duke Edgar,¡± she shook his hand.


    ¡°Why does everyone me me for their problems?¡±


    ¡°You killed my husbandst night,¡± Katrina reminded him as it appeared he forgot what transpiredst night. ¡°He is gone because of you and now we are left to pick up the pieces. Life will be hard for me and my daughter now.¡±


    ¡°Your husband dug his own grave Baroness. From getting involved in sending women to the red light district to profit off the money they get from sleeping with men and trying to send my wife off somewhere she did not want to go. I will admit I was at my wit¡¯s end seeing her being manhandled on the ground and I killed your husband in a rage. My apologies,¡± Edgar offered a sincere apology.


    ¡°I should have taken him off your property and then killed him. It must have been a hassle to clean up his blood and remove the head of the other man. How about I pay for your servants having to clean it up?¡± He offered.


    ¡°Did you just say your wife?¡± Katrina slowly asked, digesting the words as she said them. Edgar mentioning his wife was the only thing she hearding from his mouth.


    ¡°That is what you call the woman a man marries, is it not? In the eyes of thew, you are now my mother-inw but considering you have not looked at Alessandra as your own daughter, I will refrain from viewing you as such. You seem surprised Baroness,¡± Edgar smiled, enjoying the panicked look creeping its way onto the woman¡¯s face.


    ¡°When did the two of you get married? Desmond did not give her away to you yet.¡±


    ¡°Wrong. When he was begging to not be killed, he gave his permission for us to wed. There is also the time I visited your home and he epted. I hope you don¡¯t mind that we did not offer you an invitationst night. It was such a rash decision,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°You two got marriedst night? Right after her father was killed?¡± Katrina could not fathom how Alessandra could easily marry the man that killed her father without a second thought.


    Katrina started to worry about Kate¡¯s reaction to the news. Kate should not see Edgar right now. ¡°Excuse me, Duke Edgar. I must-¡±


    ¡°Mother!¡± Kate entered the parlor with a bright aura surrounding her. It was as if she had not been mourning her father a moment ago. ¡°Duke Edgar,¡± she greeted the man who held her heart.


    This was the quickest she had ever gotten dressed to perfection but nothing was impossible when Edgar was near.

 Chapter 47

    47 What kind of person are you? (1)


    ¡°The Duke and I were having a private conversation, Kate. You should go have breakfast and I wille to you when we are done,¡± Katrina said, attempting to turn Kate away before her heart could be broken once again.


    Katrina no longer wanted to help Kate steal Alessandra from Edgar now that he was married. The only way they could do this would be to make Kate his mistress who runs his wife away. Katrina did not wish for Kate to have this reputation.


    ¡°Can¡¯t I stay?¡± Kate looked to Edgar for permission. She did not understand why her mother was ruining this moment after they had juste to an agreement to make her be the Duchess.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why not,¡± Edgar shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°See, it¡¯s okay mother,¡± Kate¡¯s smile widened. She took a seat in the chair next to Edgar. ¡°Thank you foring to see how we were doing after my father passed away.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me as the town guards said I needed to be here. I was just offering to pay your workers for having to clean up your father¡¯s blood in the middle of the night. Do you ept it, Baroness?¡± Edgar stared at the older woman, picking up how nervous she was.


    Edgar liked the way the older woman was starting to sweat as if the room suddenly became hot. Who could have known the Baron¡¯s home was such a good ce to toy with others?


    ¡°Yes,¡± Katrina replied. Her hand shook in fear of the possibility of Edgar¡¯s marriage being mentioned. As long as Kate does not mention Alessandra, the news would stay hidden until Edgar leaves.


    ¡°That is really kind of you,¡± said Kate.


    .....


    ¡°You¡¯re awfully kind to the man who killed your father. Is there something you want from me?¡± Edgar questioned as the young woman looked as if she was ready to jump unto him like he was her prey. He was tempted to push his chair back to get away from her.


    ¡°If you killed my father, it means he did something bad right? I hear that is the job given to you by the king.¡±


    Kate¡¯s words made Katrina look at her daughter with a confused expression. Regardless of what Desmond did, he did it with the interest of providing for his family. Providing for Kate specifically. Unlike Katrina, Kate endlessly loved her father. It came as a shock to hear Kate say these things just to look good in front of Edgar.


    ¡°I also think something took control of youst night, Duke Edgar. I heard you are sheltering Alessandra in your home-¡±


    ¡°Kate!¡± Katrina eximed. ¡°We are here to talk about other things, not Alessandra. I am sure the Duke does not wish to hear what you have to say. We should just excuse her.¡±


    ¡°No no. I want to hear what she has to say. Please tell me what controlled mest night,¡± Edgar urged Kate to continue. His eyes twinkled, ready to watch the young girl dig her own hole. It was painfully obvious her mother was trying to save her from being embarrassed but the Baroness was beingpletely ignored by her determined daughter.


    ¡°You¡¯ve heard the rumors about Alessandra right? They say she is cursed and if you look at her face you will die. You shouldn¡¯t let someone like that into your home. You should bring her back to us before something bad can happen to you or one of your valued servants. I care for you which is why I say this.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Edgar hummed, intrigued by her stupidity. ¡°What do you think about your sister, Kate? Do you believe from the bottom of your heart she is cursed? Do you wish for her to never be near you or your family ever again? I can make this happen if you desire it.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Kate was ecstatic to hear this. With Alessandra not around, the Duke was finallying to his senses. ¡°Please send her away. Alessandra has always been hard for us to take care of and she needs help somewhere to make her normal again. After seeing her face, someone truly did pass away. I have no clue what possessed her but the church might be able to help. I heard they have a special ce for people like her.¡±


    ¡°You truly believe Alessandra has cursed me,¡± Edgar replied, using all his strength not tough at Kate just yet. He always wondered what the people stupid enough to believe these rumors looked like and now he had a clear image thanks to Kate. ¡°Very well. I see to it she is somewhere out of reach from you.¡±


    Katrina sighed as she picked up where Edgar was going with this. He was sitting here toying with Kate but Kate could not see it.


    ¡°Thank you, Duke Edgar. Where will you send her? To the church in Lockwood or the one in the next town? I hear the next one is extreme and can save anyone. Alessandra will be happy to hear we are helping her.¡± Kate could not contain her excitement about finally getting rid of Alessandra.


    Of course, Edgar would want to send Alessandra away after spending one night with her. Now, it was time for Kate to take her rightful ce beside him.


    ¡°I will keep her at my home,¡± Edgar replied.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the best...¡± Kate¡¯s words trailed off as it slowly dawned on her what Edgar said. ¡°What? Why would you keep her in your home? You are to send her somewhere far away.¡±


    ¡°You epted that I keep her from being near your family. As my wife, Alessandra will not be socializing with all types of people. I have granted your request, Kate. You should be thanking me. Isn¡¯t that right Baroness?¡± Edgar looked at the said woman. She flinched hearing him address her.


    If there was anyone who wanted to dig a hole and leave right now, it was Katrina.


    ¡°As your wife? What sort of sick joke is this?¡± Kate began tough. She nced at her mother, expecting her to alsough along but Katrina whispered an apology to Kate. ¡°You cannot marry her!¡± Kate abruptly stood up. ¡°I will not let you marry her.¡±


    ¡°It appears no one in this house knows what the definition of a wife is. Alessandra is not my fiancee, she is my wife as we got marriedst night. There is nothing for you to object to. I would appreciate it if you keep your word and stay away from Alessandra. Due to the bad rtionship she shared with you over the years, it is good for everyone to be apart,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°You were aware I have feelings for you but you went ahead and entertained my sister. How can you be so cruel, Edgar?¡± Kate pressed her nails into the palm of her hand to refrain from crying in front of Edgar.


    As her heart broke, she still continued to love him. Her hope for them to be together was still there.


    ¡°Cruel?¡± Edgar chuckled as this was the one time he could not be called cruel. ¡°Yes, I was well aware of your feelings, and each time you tried to make a move, I rejected you. It is your fault for continuously chasing after someone who doesn¡¯t care for you. Have some pride, Kate. You are the daughter of thete Baron.¡±


    ¡°Why her? Have you not heard that her face is ruined? People will talk about your marriage for years toe. She is not a woman suited for you, Edgar. I am much better. Take me,¡± Kate tried to walk up to Edgar but Katrina quickly stood up to block her daughter.


    ¡°It is a good thing I have never cared what others think of me. Alessandra and I will be fine. You on the other hand should work on appearing less desperate before others. As entertaining as this was, I shall pretend I never saw you act this way so you can keep your dignity. Baroness, see to it your daughter does note near me nor my wife or you will be the only Barrett left,¡± Edgar gave a warning.


    The childish chasing Kate did, had to stop now that he was married. He tolerated it because he understood young girls could hardly control their feelings but now, her desperation filled the room. It was more than overbearing now.


    With eyes on the brink of tears, Kate said, ¡°You will regret this. I will make you see you have picked the wrong woman.¡±


    If Kate could not have Edgar then neither could the likes of Alessandra. To take Alessandra from Edgar, Kate nned to rise to their status where she would have the power to get rid of Alessandra once and for all. She should have killed Alessandra back then instead of just ruining her face.

 Chapter 48

    48 What kind of person are you? (2)


    ¡°And you wonder why I have never shown interest in you,¡± Edgar shook his head disappointed with Kate¡¯s determined delusion. Still, he had to admire his charm to make a woman act this way.


    ¡°She will not bother you, Duke Edgar. I will make sure of it.¡± Katrina nned to help Kate snap back into reality. Kate was not only embarrassing herself but Katrina as well. ¡°Kate, leave right now.¡±


    To her mother¡¯s surprise, Kate turned on her heels and walked away. There was a lot of nning to be done if she was going to rise to Edgar¡¯s level. Today would be thest day she lost to Alessandra ever again.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about her behavior. Kate is blinded by love right now but she would soon snap out of it. I raised a wonderful young woman and it¡¯s a shame you could not find it in your heart to love her back,¡± said Katrina.


    ¡°The definition of wonderful must have changed since thest time I took a look at it,¡± Edgar stated as he missed where Kate was a wonderful young woman.


    ¡°What on earth are you trying to say, Duke Edgar? My husband and I raised Kate to be the wonderful person that she is now. We spent money on the best tutors and dressed her up like a doll,¡± Katrina failed to see what was not wonderful when it came to Kate.


    ¡°Which part of looking like a doll makes someone a wonderful person? Might I enquire what happened to Alessandra while she lived here? What was her rtionship like with her sister? I picked up on bad blood the first time I saw them interacting.¡±


    ¡°Siblings argue. They fight and makeup but that does not mean Kate is a bad person. You cannot listen to only Alessandra.¡± Katrina became worried Alessandra might have spoken of the many things that happened in this home.


    If Alessandra were to talk about how she was treated or the things she saw her father doing, their reputation might take a hit.


    .....


    ¡°Well, what happened to her face?¡± Edgar had been curious about it from the moment he saw Alessandra. He suspected Katrina and Kate but judging from how emotional Kate was, he knew it had to be her. Katrina and Desmond were just as bad as Kate for allowing it to happen.


    ¡°We are here to talk about my husband¡¯s death, not my parenting skills. You do not know me well enough to judge me,¡± Katrina replied, attempting to change the subject.


    ¡°I know a lot about you, Baroness. The mysterious woman who showed up out of nowhere and was able to marry a Baron. Where did you live before Lockwood I wonder? It must have been an awful ce,¡± Edgar hinted to Katrina he was unto her past.


    ¡°You...¡± Katrina gritted her teeth. The one thing she hated about the people in Lockwood was their constant need to question her past.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get so riled up Baroness as I was only teasing you. As long as you aren¡¯t hiding any crimes, I won¡¯t do anything to you. Let¡¯s move on before your heart jumps out of your chest. Why did you call me here?¡± Edgar was ready to get to the point now that the entertainment with Kate was over.


    Katrina took a deep breath, suppressing her anger because of her past. She called the Duke for one thing only and she nned to get it by the end of the day. ¡°As I was saying, my husband was the breadwinner and you took him from us without reason. You have also gotten married to Alessandra and not offered us gifts. Don¡¯t you think we are deserving of money?¡±


    ¡°Money truly is the root of all evil. Did you spendst night calcting all the money you could collect from your husband¡¯s death? You¡¯re holding up better than I expected.¡± Edgar half expected her to be dramatically crying over the loss of her husband.


    Katrina might not have loved Desmond but couldn¡¯t she at least shed a tear when acting as if she cared? Wasn¡¯t her goal to act like a heartbroken wife to gain money and sympathy from others? Didn¡¯t Katrina know she had to at least look sad?


    ¡°I have to remain strong in front of my daughter so she knows we will be fine in the future. My husband is dead and I have to worry about the expenses that will soon hit us. Do not get the wrong impression of me,¡± Katrina innocently smiled.


    ¡°To be frank, I never had a good impression of you. I know the kind of person you are,¡± Edgar could see right through the persona Katrina showed to others.


    Katrina was more dangerous than Kate. Kate wore her emotions on her sleeve and you knew the type of person she was. Katrina on the other hand was good at pretending. Desmond had been blinded by his wife¡¯s beauty to notice how odd she was.


    ¡°I will not bepensating you for your husband¡¯s death as I killed someone whomitted crimes. Request an audience with the King if you are in need of money. He offers a small fund to families with no males. In regard to Alessandra, I will send gifts by tomorrow. Are we done?¡± Asked Edgar. The Barrett house was still suffocating and unbearable.


    ¡°What kind of gifts will you send? Shouldn¡¯t we give you a list of things?¡± Katrina preferred money but the gifts could either be secretly sold or used to make others jealous. If she did thetter, others would want to be around the Barretts once again as they would think they had a close rtionship with Edgar.


    ¡°Alessandra will be the one to pick out the gifts as she is the one to know you well,¡± said Edgar. Whether they receive a good or bad gift waspletely up to Alessandra.


    ¡°I see. Have you eaten yet? We are preparing breakfast. Due to your marriage, we are family and I hope we can spend some time together in the future. I wish to visit to make sure Alessandra is all right after losing a parent. Why are youughing?¡± Katrina asked as Edgar¡¯sughter started to fill the small room. ¡°I did not say anything funny.¡±


    ¡°Baroness, we are not in the theater. Drop the act as if you are a caring mother looking out for her child. You never cared for Alessandra and it infuriates me to hear you acting like you do because she is now a Duchess,¡± Edgar¡¯sughter slowly disappeared as his facial expression changed from yful to serious.


    ¡°Listen to the wordsing out of my mouth clearly. First, I will not be stepping foot in your house after today unless I aming to kill you. Run if you see me at your doors. Second, you will never step foot on my estate. I don¡¯t even want to see you loitering around my wife. She was a bother to you, your husband, and your daughter. She is no longer your problem so leave her alone.¡±


    ¡°Whatever Alessandra told you-¡±


    ¡°She never had to tell me anything, Baroness. Do you see these two things right here?¡± Edgar pointed at his eyes. ¡°They work really well. If these two things see you or your daughter within arm¡¯s length of my wife, I will kill you.¡±


    ¡°You cannot kill me for wanting to speak to Alessandra. You would be thrown into a cell,¡± Katrina confidently spoke as she saw through what she interpreted to be a bluff. ¡°Fine, I will not go around Alessandra but mark my words, she will be back. You will one day realize how terrible her reputation is.¡±


    ¡°For a woman who once used to work in the red light district, you sure love judging others¡¯ reputation,¡± Edgar revealed the tiny bit of information he knew about Katrina¡¯s past.


    It was something Edgar never nned to mention but he was annoyed with how she spoke about Alessandra. Katrina had no room to talk about Alessandra when she was fighting tooth and nail to hide her days as a sex worker before marrying the Baron.

 Chapter 49

    49 Denial (1)


    ¡°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 ites 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 ites 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 ept 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,¡± Edgarmented 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 housee 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 thest time he paid a visit. ¡°Smart girl,¡± heplimented 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 awayst 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 ced 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 pr 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 ced 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 windowst 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 happenedst 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 nce 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 wasing into the room a moment ago, it suddenly felt as though the wind became still.


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


    Edgar tried to take the man¡¯s words seriously but in the end, he started tough. 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 rtionship. 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.¡±

 Chapter 50

    50 Denial (2)


    ¡°I do not have any feelings for Alessandra. I only view her as a little sister. There is no need for you to getpetitive,¡± said Mario. He believed the Duke was only saying these things out of jealousy. Never once had he caught himself feeling some type of way towards Alessandra.


    ¡°For your sake, I suggest you stop referring to her as your sister. When you are no longer in denial, you will see how gross referring to her as your sister is. Are you going to help me move her things or do you n to continue trying to threaten me? I have no time for thetter and you should not continue to embarrass yourself.¡±


    Mario envied how Edgar feared nothing. To enter someone¡¯s home and kill them or tough at a man taller or bulkier than himself, Edgar appeared to fear nothing. Mario knew the rumors about Edgar being a monster, devil, or madman must have some truth in them.


    ¡°Protect her. That¡¯s all I have left to say,¡± Mario picked up the two bags he dropped on the floor, hoping he had not broken anything of value. ¡°Oh-¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s more? I thought there was nothing less to say. I was ready to enjoy the silence,¡± Edgar rolled his eyes, mentally preparing himself to hear another lecture. It was already bad enough Alfred came to him early in the morning to give a lecture and now the cook was giving him one about protecting Alessandra.


    Mario scoffed, annoyed by Edgar¡¯s sarcastic responses. ¡°I just remembered something Alessandra¡¯s husband should know. You are referring to her as your wife but I don¡¯t know if that means you two are already married. Alessandra used to keep her mother¡¯s wedding dress in her closet but Kate took it and had it buried with the dead kitten she killed.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Edgar¡¯s eyebrows narrowed as he looked at Mario in disbelief. He remembered Alessandra had a dead kitten the day he came to propose to her which meant this incident happened the same. Right after he gave clear instructions to Desmond to treat Alessandra well.


    It was bing less and less easy for him to allow Kate and Katrina to walk away without any punishment. It wasn¡¯t his battle to fight but Edgar had always disliked seeing others be treated as if their lives didn¡¯t matter. This was why he was never kind to those who did not deserve it.


    Rather than doing something to the mother and daughter right now, Edgar knew it was best to have a conversation with Alessandra.


    .....


    ¡°It happened the same day you proposed to Alessandra. I have to add in that Alessandra threw a bucket of shit unto Kate because of it. I wish I could have been there to see it myself. You are right that I have done nothing but now I would like to ask a favor. Please find Alessandra¡¯s mother. She has been waiting long enough for the woman to return,¡± Mario said.


    The family Alessandra had to live with for seventeen years was messed up. Though the previous Baroness had run and left her daughter, there was still hope for the woman to return to her daughter and make amends.


    ¡°Alessandra deserves one caring family member.¡±


    ¡°You are looking at that person,¡± Edgar pointed at himself as the one caring family member. ¡°I am not aware of the circumstances with Alessandra and her mother but I am going to make the assumption Alessandra does not want anyone to force her mother toe to see her. Her mother shoulde searching on her own if she truly wishes to see her daughter. I will deny your request.¡±


    ¡°But-¡±


    ¡°Denied!¡± Edgar eximed, taking the bags from Mario and then leaving the room. He was feeling hot with no wind flowing into the room and his skin was still itching. ¡°Alessandra owes me something big for this torture.¡±


    He needed to bepensated for being in the Barrett house soon.


    ¡°Edgar!¡± Katrina called as he walked to the front door. ¡°You are a Duke. It is disrespectful to have you carrying bags. James, please take them from him.¡±


    ¡°You can hand the bag to me, Duke Collins,¡± James left Katrina¡¯s side to help Edgar.


    ¡°No thank you,¡± Edgar denied the offer. He knew if he stayed behind while others took the bags to his carriage, he would have to speak with Katrina again. He was not in the mood to do so. ¡°Help the cook bring the canvas and other bags. I¡¯ll be waiting in the carriage.¡±


    ¡°Edgar, the young girl you requested ising. Don¡¯t you want to interrogate her now instead of waiting to get to your home and dislike her? I can offer a room for you to have privacy. Come child,¡± Katrina red at Sally, wishing the young girl would hurry rather than drag her feet on the ground. Anyone would love to be in her ce going to live with Edgar.


    ¡°I will speak to her in my carriage. I am meant to be with my wife right now but I have spent so much time in your presence. It has been an interesting experience here at your home. May we never have to see each other again,¡± Edgar bid goodbye.


    ¡°You know what to do or else,¡± Katrina whispered to Sally as she passed by. It was unfortunate Kate had not treated Sally well as the young girl would be loyal to their family. ¡°I need to seriously discipline that girl,¡± she muttered.


    Kate¡¯s past behavior created numerous problems for the present. Katrina had been so busy paying to other things that she failed to realize Kate¡¯s ws to fix them in the early. Kate was in desperate need of a tutoring again to correct her behavior.


    ¡°Can I help, Duke Collins?¡± Sally mustered up the courage to ask Edgar as they walked to the carriage.


    ¡°Do I look weak in your eyes? Being a Duke does not mean I am not meant to be lifting anything. I am more than capable of carrying my wife¡¯s bag,¡± Edgar replied. If someone were to ask him about the bags one more time he might end up throwing them at the person.


    ¡°Wife?¡± Sally¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡®When did he have time to marry Alessandra?¡¯ She wondered.


    From the moment Katrina sought her out and told her Alessandra was requesting her presence, Sally was confused as to why Alessandra would want someone who could not follow a simple instruction to be around her. Unless Alessandra was calling her to her death?


    ¡®Is the Duke going to kill me?¡¯ Sally mentally panicked as the walk to the carriage became terrifying. She quite possibly could be walking to her own death. ¡®Is Alessandra truly petty enough to cry to the Duke about what happened?¡¯


    Sally hugged her bag as the thought of her death being close scared her. Rather than being on edge, she wanted to know whether or not she was going to live or die. ¡°Am I in trouble, Duke Collins?¡± She regretted the words as they left her mouth.


    Edgar handed the bags off to the coachman then turned to look at Sally. He didn¡¯t know what to think of her just yet. ¡°Did you do something to be in trouble?¡±


    Sally¡¯s palms started to sweat as she continued to panic. It was terrifying to have Edgar tower over her and his eyes scanning her for a w.

 Chapter 51

    51 Afraid (1)


    ¡°Well,¡± Sally¡¯s eyes drifted from Edgar to the ground as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. ¡°Alessandra asked me to tie sheets together and hold onto them as she went out the window. I became scared because the Baron wanted her to open the door and so I released the sheets causing her to almost fall to the ground.¡±


    ¡°And?¡± Edgar motioned for her to carry one after she stopped talking.


    ¡°There is nothing else,¡± Sally softly replied. She did not know what more she needed to say.


    ¡°You are shaking with fear as if you have done something worse. You did something idiotic but Alessandra does not seem to care about it. If she doesn¡¯t care about this small matter, why would I care?¡± Edgar asked Sally. ¡°There are bigger things to be dealt with than you.¡±


    His opinion of her changed from being nothing to a scaredy cat. People like Sally who scare easily were not the best type to have around. If Alessandra were to be in danger again there was a strong possibility Sally would run away rather than help Alessandra. He could pick out someone more reliable for Alessandra if this Sally girl proved to be useless.


    ¡°Do you desire to work for my wife? I will only let you step onto my carriage if you give an honest opinion of Alessandra. If you lie to me, then you will be in trouble. Speak quickly before the cook arrives,¡± Edgar looked past Sally to where Mario wasing with the bags.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to think of Alessandra. There are many rumors surrounding her face cursing someone. I rarely had any interactions with her as I worked under Kate-¡±


    ¡°Why does it seem you are creating more reasons for why I should not take you?¡± Edgar unintentionally red at Sally. The fact she once worked for Kate made her untrustworthy.


    Sally took one step back to get away from the suffocating atmosphere around Edgar. ¡°I am only speaking the truth as you asked me to.¡±


    .....


    ¡°The truth can annoy me too. We will continue our conversation in the carriage. Get in,¡± said Edgar. Her reply was honest even though it annoyed him.


    They had no more time to waste standing around conversing as the cook was now right beside them and the butler not too far behind. Edgar did not trust Mario even though he imed to be Alessandra¡¯s friend.


    ¡°No harm wille to me?¡± Sally had to be certain before she took the carriage to her death. Being tortured by Kate was much better than dying.


    ¡°If you are not in the carriage before everything is packed up, consider it your fault for being left behind with these people. Make your decision quickly.¡± Edgar wasn¡¯t Sally¡¯s motivation buddy to be encouraging her to get in the carriage. He already said there would be no trouble, was she wishing for him to harm her?¡±


    Annoyed with Sally already, Edgar got into the carriage but left the door open for her to quickly make a choice.


    ¡°I would go with him. It is much better than staying here when you know Kate has it out for you. You can get paid more if you go with him. Go,¡± Mario urged Sally. He knew where Sally lived and when he wanted to know about Alessandra, he could go to Sally¡¯s home.


    ¡°What a hero,¡± Edgar said out loud in a dry tone. ¡°He should change his job title from cook to hero.¡±


    ¡°I really hate that man,¡± Mario muttered, going to the back of the carriage to ce Alessandra¡¯s bags.


    ¡°Are you staying?¡± James questioned Sally as he passed by with canvas and a bag. He didn¡¯t understand why the young girl was overthinking and taking so long to go with the Duke. He already told her to go with the Duke for a better life. Did she want to end up ckmailed like him?


    ¡°No,¡± Sally made up her mind. As long as she served Alessandra properly, there would be no need to worry about her life. She was certain she could please Alessandra However, the Duke was another story. She waspletely terrified of him and thought even the slightest actions she did might anger him.


    ¡°Normally, I would have left you here,¡± Edgar spoke as she entered the carriage. He didn¡¯t enjoy others having to convince her to work in his home. ¡°I am not the type to beg anyone to work with me. It is normally the other way around. You are lucky that I am trying to keep up being a wonderful husband.¡±


    ¡°Says the man who killed his wife...¡± Sally trailed off as the realization she said this out loud hit her. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I wasn¡¯t thinking.¡±


    ¡°There is no need to apologize. By noon, that is what the entire town will be saying. I would kill him again if time were reversed. Actually, I would torture him rather than the quick death.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Sally whispered. She was confused as to why their conversation went to death and torture. Before her family was ruined by debt, she had the pleasure of being in the same room as the Duke. Not as a servant but as ady. It was only now she realized how she spent more time admiring his looks rather than getting to know him.


    The boy which Sally once had a crush on now scared her as an adult. It was her mistake to only go by appearances and rumors from the other young women who liked Edgar. They were the ones to say Edgar was like a charming prince waiting to swoop his princess off her feet. Sally could only cringe at the thought now. Edgar was the evil prince waiting to kill the entire kingdom.


    ¡°Why are you staring at me so much? I am a married man you know,¡± Edgar happily interrupted Sally¡¯s daydream.


    ¡°What?¡± Sally blushed, embarrassed she had been staring at Edgar this entire time. ¡°I-I was thinking about the past.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you in the past for you to be staring at me so much while you go over past memories. I have never met you before.¡± Edgar was good at remembering faces but had no idea who Sally was.


    ¡°We have met before. My family was rich before my father gambled too much and drowned us in debt. I attended many parties you were in attendance,¡± Sally said, full of hope he would remember her.


    ¡°Did we speak? Sweetheart, there is a difference between meeting someone where you introduce yourself and staring from afar. You, my dear, were my stalker. Can you imagine how many people are out there saying they have met me based on your logic?¡± Edgar shook his head.


    This was simr to how Desmond imed he knew Edgar well enough for Edgar to pay a visit to his party.


    ¡°I suppose you are right,¡± Sally answered, seeing how they have never met. She was always close by waiting for him to notice her just like the other youngdies who hoped he would show interest in them. Had he noticed her, would she be the Duchess right now?


    ¡°Of course I am right. Don¡¯t look so sad as now you can say you have met me and now you are working for me. Technically, you will work for Alessandra. Are we not done yet, Timothy?¡± Edgar called his coachman. He scratched his skin as it continued to itch even on the outside of the home. ¡°I am not going to die from poison but from an itch caused by this home.¡±


    ¡°A while ago, we had a problem with bugs in certain rooms which bit the family. They were taken care of but I think you sat in a spot where some remained,¡± Sally said as the way Edgar was relentlessly scratching his hand reminded her of how Kate was when she got bit.


    Edgar wasn¡¯t surprised to hear the Barretts had a bug problem and now he was affected by it. Had he stuck to his rule of never visiting the home, he would not be in this predicament. The Barrett household was filled with nothing but negativity and bad luck.


    ¡°A little bit of ointment over the affected areas will stop the itching in a day.¡±


    ¡°Timothy!¡± Edgar yelled, startling Sally and everyone on the outside of the carriage. ¡°Get me the fuck out of here before I lose my mind.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir!¡±

 Chapter 52

    52 Afraid (2)


    ¡°Finally,¡± Alessandra muttered, slumping over to grab hold of the vanity desk before her.


    With no one to aid her, she spent a painful amount of time trying to button up the dress Edgar sent. It was the worst time for him to send a dress with strings to be tied at the back rather than the front but Alessandra was not going toin.


    Though it was a task she could have left alone and called for someone to help her with, Alessandra was determined to do it alone. She was independent when it came to these things as she often had no choice.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have the energy to style my hair. Should I just do a ponytail? That sounds good,¡± she gasped for air as the exercise from putting on the dress drained her energy. ¡°I just need to sit on the bed for one second. Maybeying down is better.¡±


    With trembling legs and sore arms, Alessandra slowly made her way to therge bed. Unfortunately, as her hand reached down to touch the bed there was a knock at the door.


    ¡°What good timing,¡± Alessandra cried on the inside. She was so close to feeling relieved but the person at the door was yanking it away from her. ¡°Pleasee in!¡± She called to the door.


    ¡°Good morning Duchess,¡± Alfred entered the room with a wide smile which brightened up the room. ¡°I hope you found the room to your liking and had a pleasant good night¡¯s rest. Is there something wrong?¡± Hemented on the way she was positioned as if she was going to drive back into bed.


    ¡°No, I was going to rest for a minute. Good morning Alfred. If you like, you can call me Alessandra. Duchess is a title I must get used to slowly.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it is considering you two ran off and got married in the middle of the night without inviting anyone important like me for example. It¡¯s not like I could not be there before the priest could start but I am not holding unto it. Let us start your tour before breakfast starts. Follow me.,¡± Alfred swung around, leaving the room with his head high and hands behind his back.


    .....


    Alessandra felt as if she owed Alfred an apology although she did not know him well enough to be sorry he wasn¡¯t given an invitation. It wasn¡¯t like she had nned to get married in the middle of the night.


    ¡°Hurry along,¡± Alfred pped his hands to get her moving. ¡°We have a lot to cover before breakfast.¡±


    ¡°Coming!¡± Alessandra hurried after Alfred. She was eager to get a better look at Edgar¡¯s estate.


    ¡°Breakfast normally starts early in the morning before most of the town is awake but Edgar has instructed it be started at nine to suit you. Edgar is either in his private room or left home by this time. Right next to the bedroom you share with Edgar is one of the smaller libraries,¡± Alfred opened the door for Alessandra to inspect the room. ¡°Only a handful of servants are to enter the libraries as we have a vast collection of books we do not want to be damaged.¡±


    ¡°You call this a small library?¡± Alessandra questioned as the room was nowhere near small. How could this one library be bigger than her old bedroom but Alfred refer to it as small?


    ¡°When you see the bigger one you will understand. Edgar enjoys reading books to pass his time and if he is attempting to hide from anyone you might find him in a library. As Duchess, you are free to visit the libraries as you like but refrain from bringing too many people along with you,¡± said Alfred.


    ¡°I won¡¯t be having visitors in the library any time soon. I have to start making genuine friends but I fear it would a lot of time to do so. I have to weed out the people approaching me only to get close to Edgar or those who might look to embarrass me. Thanks to the ridiculous rumors about me being cursed, everyone is afraid of me.¡±


    Alfred snuck a quick nce at the mask Alessandra wore to cover half of her face. He was curious about the circumstance leading her to wear a mask when she was around others. ¡°Do you have any idea where the rumor started?¡±


    ¡°I first heard my sister joking around with her friends about it. I wasn¡¯t aware of how much it spread around town until one day my father returned home enraged by what was being said. He got drunk and banged on my door all night asking me to disappear,¡± Alessandra had a vivid memory of the terrifying night.


    ¡°My father most likely forgot about what he said the next morning as he never apologized for his drunken words or maybe he did not feel the need to apologize to a burden. That is why I do not have an ounce of remorse that he is gone. He can rot in hell forever. Pretty flowers,¡± Alessandra caressed the dried-up petals of a flower in the library.


    ¡°I added those to bring life to the library but they have been forgotten here. Thank goodness you found them and not Edgar. He wouldugh at me for not being perfect. Allow me,¡± Alfred took the flower from where it was in a pot and moved it to the window. ¡°I will have someone rece it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid Edgar is alreadyughing at you not being perfect,¡± Alessandra recalled the conversation he had with her about Jennifer. ¡°Someone working for his mother tended to me this morning. I said I would deal with it.¡±


    ¡°My apologies if she offended you. I keep telling Edgar there is no possible way to get rid of the spies his mother nts in his home. She is determined to know every possible detail about her son. It honestly gives me a headache,¡± Alfred rubbed his temple. ¡°That is why I quit working for her and worked for Edgar instead.¡±


    ¡°What are his mother and father like? I have never seen or heard anything about them,¡± Alessandra was curious about the people who created Edgar. Were they just as devious as Edgar or did something go wrong with him in his youth?


    ¡°His parents are like night and day when ites to their personalities. His father, Edmund Collins, prefers a quiet life which was why as soon as Edgar came of age, Edmund dumped Edgar with all the responsibilities of thisnd and left the town to live in the countryside. You should learn about all the great things he has done for the kingdom before he arrives. There are books in the libraries to help. You and Edmund will get along fine.¡±


    ¡°And his mother?¡± Alessandra was more concerned about Edgar¡¯s mother. ¡°Will I get along with her?¡±


    ¡°Um...¡± Alfred cleared his throat. He did not want to give Alessandra any false hope but he also did not want to scare Alessandra before she even met Prisci. ¡°The two of you will get along at some point. Prisci was heavily invested in getting Edgar married thesest few years. She had a list of young women she believed to be ideal for Edgar and well...¡±


    ¡°I am nothing like the women on that list,¡± Alessandra finished the sentence for Alfred. ¡°I take it she won¡¯t be pleased Edgar ran off in the middle of the night and married someone like me. If she has heard the rumors, she must be afraid of me too.¡±

 Chapter 53

    53 Gifts (1)


    ¡°Prisci is a well-known socialite and although she no longer lives in Lockwood, she is constantly updated with the rumors and gossip. I¡¯m afraid she might know and won¡¯t be happy you two are already married,¡± said Alfred. He was upset with Edgar secretly getting married but it would notpare to Prisci¡¯s anger.


    Prisci was only the beginning of problems Alessandra would face. Alessandra escaped the drama with the Barrett¡¯s but now she was being thrown into the fire with her new life as a Duchess. Only time will tell if she could indeed handle it.


    ¡°I will just have to make her like me,¡± Alessandra became determined to prove Prisci wrong.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t advise you to waste your entire life trying to make her like you.¡±


    ¡°Come again? I am truly that bad for it to take so long for her to like me?¡± Alessandra did not care to spend the rest of her life trying to make Edgar¡¯s mother like her. One thing in life she knew was that you could never please anyone. After a few attempts, it was best to give up. At least you could say you tried. ¡°I can¡¯t spend all my life trying to make her like me.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t need to. Just be respectful and cordial whenever shees around. Truthfully, Edgar hides from his mother each time she visits so it would be alright for you to do the same. The garden is a good ce as she hates mud and bugs. I hope you do not feel like I am trying to scare you. I only wish for you to be prepared. I am rooting for you,¡± Alfred held up his thumbs to cheer her up.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t take it as you scaring me. I appreciate the heads up but it wouldn¡¯t be right for me to avoid her as she is still my mother-inw. When the timees I will handle whatever she throws my way. I knew being Edgar¡¯s wife would be difficult from the start. Let us continue with the tour,¡± Alessandra pushed her worries about Prisci to the side as it wasn¡¯t of any use to stress over someone who was not here.


    Alfred was pleasantly surprised Alessandra was not freaking out as much as he thought she would. The rumors imed Alessandra to be shy and timid which meant Prisci was in for a shock whenever she would try to break down Alessandra.


    Alessandra¡¯s life as the Baron¡¯s daughter was horrible but it might have made her strong enough to handle life as a Duchess in a strange way.


    .....


    ¡°You are right. Forgive me for spending too much time in the library. To change the mood, how about I show you the gifts Edgar prepared for you?¡± Alfred smiled, excited to see her reaction to the gifts Edgar handpicked himself.


    ¡°I forgot he mentioned gifts when he came to visit me this morning. I have toe up with something to give him in return. Thank you,¡± Alessandra added when Alfred held the door for her to leave the library. ¡°What do you give a man who has everything?¡±


    ¡°Contrary to what you think, Edgar does not have everything. There is something you can give to Edgar that does not require money but you will have to figure it out on your own. Do not mention these words to Edgar.¡± Alfred knew if Edgar were to find out he was trying to make Alessandra fall for him, all hell would break loose.


    ¡°Are you talking about love?¡± Alessandra replied, causing Alfred to halt his steps and stare at her in shock. ¡°I would have to be dense to not know what you are hinting at. I won¡¯t say what I want to say out loud in case someone is listening to us but I am certain you know my answer to this gift you think Edgar needs.¡±


    Alessandra was not going to be the one to break the no-love rule they agreed upon in the contract. She was certain Edgar wouldn¡¯t fall in love with her either.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for overstepping,¡± Alfred apologized but it didn¡¯t mean he would give up. He would have to be secretive as Alessandra was showing to be just as stubborn as Edgar.


    To change the topic, Alessandra asked, ¡°What was Edgar like as a child?¡±


    ¡°Troublesome. I spent countless years chasing after Edgar to keep him out of trouble. I don¡¯t know what possessed that boy to get joy from seeing other people cry. He is the reason I did not seek to have children of my own. That and one other reason,¡± Alfred cleared his throat.


    Alessandra was curious about the other reason for Alfred not having children. She was curious to know if he was unable to do his part in creating a child or if there was simply no woman in his life to perform the act. Though she was curious about it, she refrained from asking to avoid invading his privacy.


    ¡°When Edgar was younger, he once had a nickname the devil¡¯s spawn. You would think any sane person would dislike the name but Edgar fully embraced it and made the children regret giving it to him,¡± said Alfred.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see him being such a bad person,¡± Alessandra concluded after thinking of her interactions with Edgar. ¡°One might think because he easily killed my father I would see him in a bad light but I view him as my hero. What could he have honestly done to be given such cruel nicknames?¡±


    Alfred¡¯s palm¡¯s felt sweaty out of the blue as the memories of Edgar¡¯s actions shed through his mind. He also did not view Edgar as a bad person but if Edgar did not like you, his yful teasing side would slowly disappear and be reced with a personality to make you regret your actions. Edgar was quite tamed these days but Alfred feared it wouldn¡¯tst long.


    The Edgar that Alessandra saw now was harboring a sleeping beast on the inside.


    ¡°It¡¯s better for you to not look too far into Edgar¡¯s past and continue to view him as you do now. I warned him not to do anything drastic in front of you but look at what happenedst night. That boy never listens to anything I say and quite frankly, he is trying to kill me slowly each new day. Let us change the topic once again,¡± Alfred sighed.


    The more he talked about Collins, the more depressing the house became.


    ¡°Edgar has ordered all the paintings to be taken downter today and you can organize which ones you wish to go up on the walls. Feel free toe to me if there is anything else you wish to change around. He was not certain which would interest you so he brought a variety of canvas, paint, brushes, and anything else needed for you to create the new paintings for the house,¡± Alfred exined as he led Alessandra into a room filled with nothing but gifts.


    Alessandra was at a loss of words at the numerous items Edgar bought for her to paint. ¡°Did he buy out the entire paint shop?¡± She joked as many different sizes of canvas and paint were stacked up in the room.


    ¡°Only the three luxurious ones in town,¡± Alfred replied.


    Confused, Alessandra looked to her side at Alfred. There was no need for Edgar to go out of his way and deep into his pocket to buy an entire room of supplies. ¡°This must have cost a fortune. We should send some of it back.¡±


    Alfred chuckled upon hearing her innocent words. ¡°Allow me to remind you something, dear Duchess. You married an insanely wealthy man. These things cost nothing to Edgar. Honestly, if this room has shocked you, the one next door with essories will make you pass out.¡±


    ¡°What!?¡± Alessandra eximed.

 Chapter 54

    54 Gifts (2)


    ¡°You are a Duchess now. It is only right you be treated as such and get to enjoy the finer things in life. Edgar was hands-on in the selection of all the gifts and it¡¯s a shame he had to leave before seeing your reaction but he should be back soon,¡± Alfred looked at the clock to confirm this.


    There was no way Edgar would spend more than an hour with the Baroness and her daughter.


    Alessandra nced at the stacks of supplies that could let her paint for the rest of her life. It wasn¡¯t like she painted every second of the day to need this many art supplies. She specifically told Edgar she was not as good as the people who created the paintings he already had but yet, he went out and bought all of this for her to still do it.


    Instead of beingpletely happy about the gifts, she felt a slight pain in her chest just looking at them and in the end, it made her angry with herself. She no longer wanted to think about her father but the sight of how much Edgar had bought for her after she mentioned enjoying painting was far better than the canvas or paint she would get once every blue moon from her father.


    ¡°I must thank him as soon as he arrives. I will try my best to create new art for the house,¡± she decided in the end.


    A good amount of money was already spent and Edgar must have a lot of faith she wouldn¡¯t create ugly paintings for his home. It couldn¡¯t hurt to try and if she failed, his old paintings could take their ces.


    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit. Do you wish to inspect everything in here, see the next room, or do something else? There is much for us to get to this morning.¡±


    ¡°I am eager to continue the tour but I think if I don¡¯t eat soon, my stomach will start speaking to me. Can we grab a snack until breakfast and continue the tour?¡± She asked. Alessandra underestimated how long it had been since shest ate something.


    ¡°Absolutely not. I will have the table set right away for breakfast so you can eat something properly before we cover the rest of the property. Please give me a moment,¡± Alfred excused himself from the room to find someone to get breakfast started faster.


    .....


    ¡°I like him,¡± Alessandramented after Alfred left. She viewed him as a father figure for Edgar and perhaps, he would be the same for her in the future. ¡°I still need to think of a good gift for Edgar. Maybe a portrait of himself? No, he might have a lot of those already. I think-¡±


    ¡°You are not allowed to be in here.¡±


    Looking at the door, Alessandra found Jennifer standing there with her arms folded. ¡°It would be odd I could not be here considering the room is filled with gifts for me. It is as odd as you speaking to me as you please.¡±


    ¡°I was only trying to save you from getting in trouble. Edgar-¡±


    ¡°Duke,¡± Alessandra stopped Jennifer from once again referring to Edgar as if they were close. ¡°You must refer to him by his title.¡±


    Jennifer grinned, feeling triumphant she was getting under Alessandra¡¯s skin. Of course, someone like Alessandra would get jealous when a pretty woman was calling her husband¡¯s name so casually. ¡°I apologize, Duchess. I have gotten sofortable with calling the Duke by his name that I have forgotten my ce.¡±


    ¡°You are a terrible actress,¡± Alessandramented. Jennifer was not good at masking her hate. ¡°You do something distasteful and then say an apology which has no sincerity in it. Remove the mask you are wearing,¡± Alessandra looked away from Jennifer to inspect the gifts.


    ¡°Duchess, should I have someone bring the doctor? You are the only one wearing a mask to hide your face. I brought it to you this morning. Remember?¡± Jennifer was certain there was something mentally wrong with Alessandra. For some reason, it was like she was the only one noticing it.


    The corners of Alessandra¡¯s mouth lifted as Jennifer amused her. ¡°No, you are not wearing a physical mask like me. You are wearing the one a lot of people have without noticing. It covers how two-faced they are. Like you, trying to do things to annoy me and then ying the victim when you are caught.¡±


    ¡°Two-faced?¡± Jennifer scoffed. ¡°I have been nothing but nice to you, Duchess. Have you taken a moment to consider that you might be the problem? You are so defensive with everything I have done. You are letting jealousy control you and it is not giving you a good look.¡±


    ¡°Jealousy,¡± Alessandra chuckled. ¡°The delusional people in Lockwood are multiplying. Oh dear,¡± she sighed.


    Kate had some seriouspetition when it came to being delusional.


    ¡°Life is too wonderful for me to deal with someone like you. You are fired, dear. Please leave immediately before things get messy,¡± Alessandra gave an order.


    Though she wouldn¡¯t like to put someone out of work before giving them time to find other employment, Alessandra did not have the tolerance to deal with Jennifer on her first day. Alessandra had already moved on from their first encounter but the second encounter showed Jennifer would continuously seek her out to attempt to get under her skin.


    At the mention of being fired, Jennifer¡¯s mouth fell open at Alessandra¡¯s boldness. As quickly as the fear came, it went away. ¡°Duchess, I have told you once before that I cannot be fired.¡±


    ¡°Right, you think Edgar¡¯s mother will shield your behavior. Unfortunately, she is not here to save you and she is also not the one who gets to dictate who is hired or fired in this home. If you view her as your employer, feel free to go work for her but as of right now, you no longer work here.¡±


    ¡°Has the new power already gotten to your head? You are doing this because you think I have a rtionship with Edgar and it bothers you. I cannot be fired,¡± Jennifer stood firm on her words.


    Prisci promised as long as she reported everything Edgar did, nothing would ever happen to her. She did as Prisci asked and if anyone tried to get rid of her, Prisci would just send her back. Working for Edgar Collins was too good to lose and the money given by his mother made the job even better.


    ¡®She¡¯s not going to send me away,¡¯ Jennifer thought.


    ¡°I am doing this because I am trying to enjoy the gifts Edgar prepared but you are like a bee buzzing in my ear. If someone hires you to report about Edgar,mon sense would say to act discreetly. I would like to go back to what I was doing before you so rudely interrupted me. Goodbye,¡± Alessandra waved her hand to send Jennifer away.


    Alessandra walked around the room picking up and putting down the canvas she came across. She ignored the heating from Jennifer¡¯s anger over the loss of her job. What did Jennifer think would happen when acting his way?


    Alessandra was certain Jennifer had feelings for Edgar and learning that he was now married, made her act this way. Jennifer might be the only person in this home wishing Edgar would never get married.


    ¡°Enjoy these things while you can, Duchess. The gifts, the luxury, and the title. You won¡¯t be able to keep them once his mother arrives. I will make sure she hears what type of person you are,¡± Jennifer promised. ¡°I am not going anywhere unless Edgar fires me. It was cute to see you behave as if you have that authority.¡±

 Chapter 55

    55 Conflict (1)


    ¡°You have never met his mother, right? She will never ept you as her daughter-inw. Are you listening to me?¡± Jennifer questioned after time passed but Alessandra had not responded to her. ¡°Are you ignoring me?¡±


    Alessandra hummed a tune as she was finished looking around the room. She was curious about the other room with essories.


    Not waiting for Alfred to return, Alessandra walked toward the door where she would have to pass by Jennifer. Alessandra walked further to the side to create as much distance as she could between her and Jennifer to avoid conflict.


    Unfortunately, Jennifer did not have the same thought in mind as she stepped to the side to block Alessandra from leaving.


    ¡°You are only creating more problems for yourself. Please step aside,¡± Alessandra said. The entire situation with Jennifer was weird as she was doing too much to a Duchess. How much had Edgar¡¯s mother filled up Jennifer¡¯s head to make her think she could get away with this? ¡°You don¡¯t like me but it doesn¡¯t change the fact you are disrespecting a Duchess.¡±


    ¡°I was speaking to you but you were not listening, Duchess. I was only giving you a heads-up that Prisci will not care for you. Aren¡¯t you scared she would have Edgar throw you out onto the street?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you scared about the consequences of your actions?¡± Alessandra threw a question back at Jennifer. She was being kind to let Jennifer walk away without any sort of punishment.


    Alessandra saw the many times Katrina had struck a servant who showed disrespect and from the way Katrina¡¯s friends spoke when they visited, it was clearly amon thing in other households. However, Alessandra wanted to be civil and simply fire Jennifer.


    ¡°Someone ising,¡± Alessandra muttered as she heard footsteps in the distance. ¡°You have a short amount of time to move before you find yourself in trouble.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Drop the nice act. I know you want to see me be punished but the other servants here are on my side. They do not enjoy someone like-¡±


    ¡°What about the butler?¡± Alessandra smiled as Alfred came stood behind Jennifer.


    Alfred looked between the two young women, sensing animosity between the two. ¡°What do you think you are doing? Get out of the Duchess¡¯s path. Have you abandoned your work?¡±


    ¡°No, she was fired. Alfred, please see to it she gathers her things and watch her exit the gates. We do not need her loitering around. I am going to the next room to see what Edgar has prepared. Are you going to move on your own or do you wish to be dragged out? Pick,¡± Alessandra gave her the option.


    They could have been cordial if Jennifer had not acted as if she was the one to own the house.


    ¡°Step aside to let the Duchess pass. The Duke instructed all of you to treat her with respect and this is how you act?!¡± Alfred¡¯s blood started to boil at the scene before him.


    Normally, the servants acted diligently and treated Edgar¡¯s guests with respect. How could any one of them choose to act a fool in front of his wife? Did this girl wish to lose her head? It was a good thing Edgar was not home right now to witness this but his missing presence must be the reason for this young girl misbehaving before the Duchess.


    ¡°Alfred, do you really believe she should be the Duchess?¡± Jennifer looked behind her. Out of everyone here, the best person to drill sense into Edgar would be Alfred. Why on earth was the butler allowing for this union to continue? ¡°We must make the Duke see the type of woman he brought into his home.¡±


    Jennifer truly believed some people had the power to curse others and ruined their lives. It was why she could not remain idle when Alessandra was around the man she loved. Jennifer was aware Edgar would never share her feelings but she at least hoped to share his bed.


    If Edgar was to have a wife, she needed to be someone Jennifer viewed as better than herself. Not a woman who hid half of her face which was capable of cursing others. Alessandra¡¯s own family kept her away from the public for a good reason.


    ¡°Jennifer, you are merely a servant for the Duke. You have no ce to be questioning his decision or to stand before the Duchess like this. Duchess, I have to apologize for her still being here. I knew she was working for Edgar¡¯s mother but I sympathized with the stories she told about her family and kept her here to earn money. I¡¯m sorry,¡± Alfred sincerely apologized.


    Keeping secrets from Edgar was something he never did but he wanted to help the young woman earn for her family. Alfred also felt bad Jennifer had been trapped by Prisci to do her dirty work. Back then, there was nothing for Jennifer to report to Prisci therefore it wasn¡¯t an issue to have her around but now, she had crossed the line.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay you made the wrong judgment but we can make things right before Edgar returns home. This is thest time I am giving you the chance to walk out of here on your own ord without embarrassing you. You are fired, please leave,¡± Alessandra gave the order once again.


    ¡°I am not fired unless the Duke says I am. If you want me to leave, you¡¯ll have to drag me out by your own hands, Duchess. I¡¯ll be happy to return next to Edgar¡¯s mother when she arrives to throw you out,¡± Jennifer smirked, enjoying how powerless Alessandra was.


    It was unfortunate Alfred caught her acting this but she had gone too far to stop now. Jennifer knew she was digging her own gave by not leaving but she did not want Alessandra to feel like she won.


    ¡°You are really stupid, Jennifer. Why are you doing all of this when his mother hired you to do a secretive job? You have the right to think I am not a good woman for Edgar but you cannot pull my hair out and speak to me as you like. I will not tolerate anyone treating me like I am not a human being with feelings. Get rid of the ridiculous feelings you have for my husband and forget about what his mother asked you to do. Leave-¡±


    A p echoed in the room.


    ¡°You!¡± Alfred¡¯s eyes went wide. He lunged forward to pull Jennifer back while her hand was still mid-air after pping Alessandra. ¡°How dare you p her?¡±


    Alessandra blinked twice, slowly registering that Jennifer had struck her. Even though she was now a Duchess, she was still being treated like a monster. She gained such a grand title but everyone would continue to view her as the person who cursed others. For how long would these people look down on her even though she elevated her status far above them?


    Countless times she gave Jennifer an order but it was ignored. With Jennifer gone, there might be another person bold enough to mistreat her behind Alfred and Edgar¡¯s back.


    ¡®Why do I always try to be nice when they are never nice to me?¡¯ Alessandra asked herself.


    ¡°Alfred,¡± Alessandra softly called for the butler. She was not going to be nice to anyone who could not return the same courtesy. ¡°Is there a ce Edgar uses to punish people?¡±


    ¡°We have a dungeon, Duchess.¡±


    ¡°Throw her in it right away,¡± Alessandramanded the butler.

 Chapter 56

    56 Conflict (2)


    ¡°What?¡± Jennifer¡¯s mouth fell open upon hearing she could be thrown into the dungeon. Her sweat turned cold as the stories of Edgar¡¯s dungeon came rushing back to her. Alessandra was being unnecessary by ordering this.¡±This is uncalled for.¡±


    Jennifer surprised her own self after she pped Alessandra and wanted to apologize but Alessandra did not give her the chance to. A p to Jennifer¡¯s face would have made things equal but Alessandra wanted to go the extra mile to make herself feel better in Jennifer¡¯s opinion.


    ¡°You have ignored my orders and pped me in my own home. I have every right to see to it you face the consequences. I will not have you punished but I think I night or two in there would help you clear your mind. You should learn to control your emotions and keep your hands to yourself next time. Alfred,¡± Alessandra called to the butler for him to start taking Jennifer away.


    Jennifer made things be this way and Alessandra wasn¡¯t going to change her mind after being struck in the face. There was a feeling in the back of her head that there would be a lot of conflict surrounding this soon. Whether it be from Jennifer or Edgar¡¯s mother.


    Edgar¡¯s mother might not enjoy Alessandra throwing one of her people in the dungeon. However, Alessandra did not enjoy someone striking her. Regardless of whether Prisci likes her or not when she pays a visit, Prisci should know it would be wrong to argue for Jennifer¡¯s release.


    ¡°You cannot do this. I will leave this ce instead. Release me, Alfred,¡± Jennifer shuffled her body to get out of his grip. She changed her mind about staying now that things were bing dangerous for her. ¡°I am going to gather my things and leave. Please, do not do this to me.¡±


    ¡°I have given you the option to leave but you rejected it each time. You have the face the consequences of your actions-¡±


    ¡°You are only doing this because you don¡¯t want me to tell Edgar¡¯s mother about how you are acting!¡± Jennifer yelled.


    Alessandra sighed, annoyed with the conversation once again. It was foolish to continue having a conversation with Jennifer. She was hungry and the longer they stood here, the longer it would take for her to get food. ¡°I want to go sit at the dining table. Where is it, Alfred?¡± She ignored Jennifer. It was something she should have done from the beginning.


    .....


    ¡°I will take you there myself. You there,¡± Alfred called to a passing by male servant. ¡°Take her to the Dungeon. Inform them it is the Duchess who sent her and she is not allowed to be freed until the Duchess sends word about it. If you lose her, you shall take her ce.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir.¡±


    ¡°I said I would leave on my own,¡± Jennifer continued to fight Alfred to break free of his grasp. She heard many stories of the dungeon Edgar owned. It was said people who went into the dungeon rarely came out of it. ¡°I am sorry for pping you. Please allow me to leave! My family needs me.¡±


    Alfred handed Jennifer off to the servant. It filled him with guilt to know it was partially because of him that Alessandra was pped today. Going forward, he would never make the mistake to feel sorry for anyone besides the Duke and Duchess.


    ¡°As much as I would like to help you save face, I must be honest with Edgar about this entire situation when he returns home. If I start keeping secrets from him now, it will create a mess in our rtionship further down the line. I have to tell him that you knew about her. I¡¯m sorry,¡± Alessandra apologized to Alfred.


    She preferred not to make it a habit of keeping things from Edgar. If she were in his shoes, she wouldn¡¯t want anything to be hidden from her.


    ¡°I understand,¡± Alfred waspletely fine with this. He messed up and was not going to hide the fact that he did. ¡°I apologize once again for not taking proper action. Come, let me take you to have breakfast.¡±


    Alessandra hoped Alfred would not think about it too much. Although he is the butler and is the person to keep the house together in Edgar¡¯s absence, he was only human and would make a mistake at some point.


    ¡°What do you like to do in your free time, Alfred?¡± Alessandra questioned to change the topic.


    ¡°Me?¡± Alfred was surprised to hear her ask about his private life. ¡°I like to go for walks and enjoy the scenery on my days off. If I pass by a book shop, I would buy a new book and go home to read it with some tea. I¡¯m afraid my life is pretty basic when I am not with Edgar.¡±


    ¡°I suppose it¡¯s good you have a bnce of chaos and peace. It seems conflict follows me wherever I go. If you do not mind, can I join you on one of your walks? I would love to walk around with someone and enjoy the scenery. It ispletely okay for you to say no. I do not wish to ruin your private time,¡± Alessandra said.


    ¡°I would love it if you joined me, Duchess.¡±


    Alfred loved how Alessandra genuinely wanted to get to know him. He could not figure out why anyone would hurt her face or continue to spread those nasty rumors. Had no one stopped to get to know Alessandra? Was it jealousy that made the world turn against her?


    As someone who never cared about public opinion, Alfred would have at least greeted Alessandra if he saw her in public.


    ¡°Allow me,¡± Alfred gave his hand for Alessandra to hold onto as they reached the stairs. After the way Alessandra handled Jennifer, he had no doubts she would surprise the town and have them begging for her to ept them. ¡°At any point, you wish to visit Jennifer in the dungeon, I can take you.¡±


    ¡°No thank you. I don¡¯t want it to be as if I am taunting her by throwing her in the Dungeon and then visiting to see what she has be. I do not care to see her anymore. It is-Edgar?¡± Alessandra muttered when the front doors opened right as they reached the bottom of the stairs. Edgar entered the home with his shirt halfway unbuttoned. ¡°He is back.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me a moment, Duchess,¡± Alfred left Alessandra¡¯s side. In the few seconds Edgar had returned home, he was itching for some reason. ¡°Edgar, is there something wrong? Did you go meddling with a bee hive again?¡±


    ¡°Haha, Alfred. When did you be aedian? I was correct when I said Barrett¡¯s house makes my skin itch. Please bring me an ointment. Alessandra,¡± Edgar greeted her with a charming smile but it disappeared when he noticed a red mark on her cheek as if someone had hurt her. ¡°Anyone care to enlighten me on why my wife¡¯s cheek is red?¡±

 Chapter 57

    57 Gather the servants (1)


    Alessandra and Alfred looked at each other wondering who should be the one to start speaking first. Edgar¡¯s calm demeanor while he was clearly upset made the two uneasy.


    ¡°Alfred,¡± Alessandra decided to be the first to break the tension. ¡°You should bring the ointment. I will speak with Edgar about what happened.¡±


    ¡°I will be back as fast as I can,¡± said Alfred. He left the two newlyweds to talk in peace.


    ¡°Where is Sally?¡± Alessandra looked behind Edgar for the young girl she sent him for.


    ¡°She is outside helping to take out some of your things. Let¡¯s not beat around the bush now. What happened to your face? Do not try to tell me you fell or walked into anything. I am not a fool,¡± Edgar only wanted to hear the truth.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to lie to you. Alfred was showing me the art supplies you got for me but then left to get breakfast started faster. The same girl working for your mother entered the room and started to argue with me. She pped me in the face so I had her sent to your dungeon. Why are you smiling?¡± Alessandramented on his facial expression changing from mellow to happy.


    ¡°It is surprising you sent her to the dungeon. Even more surprising, you assumed I had one. Well done, Alessandra. You are proving to be as entertaining as I thought you would be,¡± he praised her. He was d she did not continue to be walked over. Alessandra was now a Duchess for goodness sake. ¡°You have power, always use it.¡±


    ¡°Even though you are smiling ear to ear, something is telling me you aren¡¯t going to let this go even though I have handled it,¡± Alessandra saw right through his calmness.


    ¡°Smart girl. Although I am happy to hear you took control and ended the situation, I cannot allow this to slide. You should not have been disrespected in the first ce as I spoke to my servant this morning and instructed them to treat you as they would treat me. I will weed out the ones who think they are the owners of this house but first, I need to do something about these bites.¡±


    .....


    Alessandra walked up to Edgar to see what was causing him to be so itchy. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°No one informed me that your house had bugs and now my skin is on fire. Where is Alfred with the ointment before I lose my mind?¡± Edgar looked around for the butler.


    Alessandra opened up the rest of Edgar¡¯s shirt to get a good look at his skin. There were red spots with tiny bumps from where he had gotten a bite.


    Edgar found Alessandra to be quite bold to open his shirt without permission. ¡°I can¡¯t see you naked but you can search me like this. How unfair.¡±


    Alessandra red at Edgar for bringing up what he asked her in the bathroom earlier. ¡°I am trying to help you. This is my fault,¡± she went back to inspecting his chest.


    ¡°I had to go to your family either way because the town guard made it a big deal for me to go. Do not me yourself.¡±


    ¡°No, I mean the bugs. I was the one to catch them and release them into the house,¡± Alessandra looked up at Edgar with an innocent smile. ¡°It was meant to be my way of getting back at them in secrecy. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    To say Edgar was shocked was an understatement. He was thoroughly surprised to hear Alessandra was the one to cause the Barretts to have a bug problem. ¡°Where on earth could you even catch such things?¡±


    ¡°I was allowed to roam the fields behind our house but I stopped because I kept getting bit. One day I was upset about something my family did so I went back to the field and picked the tiny insects off the wildflowers. My hands ached for days because I had no ointment but I heard the itching onlysted a few hours after the ointment was ced. I truly thought they were all gone or I would have warned you.¡±


    ¡°You are more devious than I pictured you to be. I should be given a reward for having gone through this terrible experience because of you. Since you have nothing to offer me, I will collect it in the future. Fuck,¡± Edgar hissed as Alessandra pinched one of the rashes.


    ¡°How about I help put on the ointment instead of me owing you a reward?¡± Alessandra proposed.


    ¡°Why are you so against owing me a reward? You have no idea whether or not you will enjoy what I want. Can you stop pinching me?¡± Edgar yfully smacked her hands away.


    ¡°I¡¯ll stop pinching you when you stop being indecent. I don¡¯t want to ever know what you want me to do in the future. Besides, I have already thought of something to give you in exchange for all you¡¯ve done for me. Now, take off your shirt.¡± Alessandra wanted to see the full extent of how much he was bitten.


    ¡°And yet you are telling me not to be indecent. At least invite me up to our bedroom before you ask me to take off my shirt,¡± Edgar said but stillplied with hermand and took off his shirt. ¡°You are so brazen.¡±


    Alessandra opened her mouth to say something about Edgar¡¯s continuous teasing but was interrupted by someone else.


    ¡°The doctor gave me the best option for itching,¡± Alfred returned with a bottle in his hand.


    Alessandra was surprised to hear there was a doctor already on the property. Did the doctor live here or were they here for something else coincidentally? ¡°I will put it on for him, Alfred. Should we go to a room for privacy?¡±


    ¡°Do it here. I can hardly wait for another second to get rid of the itching. It amazes me how you were able to handle this for days without any ointment, Alessandra. In the meantime Alfred. I want you to gather all of my servants and prepare my sword,¡± said Edgar. He did not forget his lingering anger from how Alessandra was being treated.


    Alessandra looked up from Edgar¡¯s body at the mention of a sword. ¡°You are not going to kill anyone right? It was only Jennifer who did something to me.¡±


    ¡°I am not going to kill anyone, Alessandra. The sword will only be there to scare them.¡±


    Alessandra personally did not think Edgar was in need of a sword to make anyone afraid. She also did not think he needed a sword around in case he changed his mind about not hurting anyone. ¡°Why don¡¯t we just speak to them without any weapons around?¡±


    ¡°I personally think that is the best idea,¡± Alfred agreed with Alessandra. He handed Alessandra the bottle of ointment to use on Edgar¡¯s skin.


    It was bad enough Edgar had to deal with Alfred constantly scolding him but now he would have to deal with Alfred and Alessandra bing a team against him. ¡°I am not a fan of the two of you getting along. Fuck! Woman, do you find joy in hurting me?¡±

 Chapter 58

    58 Gather the servants (2)


    Sally did a double take of the sight before her as she walked into the Collins estate. As soon as you entered you were greeted by the sight of Alessandra cing ointment on Edgar¡¯s chest. ¡®Don¡¯t they have other rooms to do this?¡¯ She thought.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to have Alfred burn my shirt in case any of those bugs are in there. Please promise me you will not bring any of those into our home whenever I upset you. Try killing me instead.¡±


    ¡°Edgar, please don¡¯t suggest such a thing to me. I promise I won¡¯t bring any of them into your home. I don¡¯t want my hand to be full of bites again. I¡¯m finished,¡± Alessandra looked around his body at the white patches of ointment ced all over his chest and back.


    ¡°If there are bites on my leg, will you let me take off my pants for you to ce the ointment?¡± Edgar grinned, fully enjoying the annoyed look Alessandra gave him.


    ¡°Must you always tease others? Did you not have enough time ying around when you were a child? Do it yourself if there is any down there,¡± she shoved the bottle into his hands.


    ¡°Actually, I did not spend a lot of time ying around when I was younger. My mother sent me out of town to strict schools and it was only after Alfred started to care for me that I remained here and tormented others. Whether you believe it or not, I only tease you. I torture others,¡± he corrected her words.


    Alessandra pursed her lips, having nothing to say in response. She could agree what he did to others could be called torture rather than teasing. ¡°I heard you lifted my father in the air at his party. What do you call that side of you?¡±


    ¡°The side that does not enjoy when my time is wasted. I have a lot of work these days and your father plus the king thought it was a bright idea to invite me to a party with the promise there was information to make my life easier. I have always disliked your father and I¡¯ve always made it known but yet, he wanted to y in my face like we were friends. It is not my fault he weighed hardly anything so it was easy to lift him from the floor.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Alessandra replied, making a mental note to waste his time.


    .....


    ¡°The servants must be waiting for us. Let us not keep them waiting,¡± Edgar ced his hands behind his back and walked ahead of Alessandra to lead the way to where he would normally gather his servants.


    Alessandra stared at his bare back and wondered why he wasn¡¯t going to his bedroom to put on a shirt first. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you change?¡±


    ¡°Why? You¡¯ll be jealous if other women stare at me? The servants are used to me being like this as I train topless outside. I have the perfect spot if you wish to spy and fantasize about me.¡±


    Alessandra smacked her face with her hand due to how indecent he was. She wasn¡¯t particrly shy when it came to a man¡¯s body even though she had never seen one without clothes until today but it was Edgar¡¯s words she could not handle. ¡°I will never fantasize about you.¡±


    ¡°Shall we make a bet? It wouldn¡¯t be hard for me to know when you are fantasizing about me. Did you enjoy the gifts? I can send for more if there is something you do not like. Aside from the canvas and paint, I picked out things the young women seem to be interested in these days,¡± Edgar was clueless about the things Alessandra liked.


    It wouldn¡¯t be hard to rece the essories he bought so far if they did not excite her.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t able to view them as yet but I am sure they are lovely,¡± Alessandra replied.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to ept things you don¡¯t like just because I am giving them to you. My feelings are not so fragile that I would feel offended if you do not like them. You need to be honest when ites to gifts just like everything else. I am not a mind reader and if I do not know you dislike something but you constantly take it, I shall assume you like it. Simple things like this that be mimunicated annoy me. Let¡¯s not waste each other¡¯s time.¡±


    Edgar continued to say, ¡°I don¡¯t think you have truly understood the fact that you are a Duchess now and the power thates with it. No one should have ever been able to p you and I am not ming you for getting hit but I want you to consider nipping something in the bud from the very beginning. If someone disrespects you, get rid of them. If someone hits you, hit the hell out of them back. I am going to stand ten toes down on whatever you do so please stand up for yourself before you get hurt.¡±


    Just like today, Edgar would not always be there to help her out before things get out of hand. From the moment Alessandra was mistreated in the bathroom with her hair being pulled out, action should have been taken there but he gave her the chance to fix it on her own.


    Alessandra waited toote to realize she did not need to listen to the words of a servant.


    ¡°It is only the first day of me bing a Duchess. I was trying not to be harsh and seem like I was getting ahead of myself with what I can do as your wife,¡± Alessandra replied. She knew she could have gotten rid of Jennifer earlier had she stopped giving her the option to walk away on her own. Jennifer should have been gone from the first interaction they had.


    ¡°It is not you being harsh, Alessandra. It is about you protecting yourself. The best advice I can give you about the world you have thrown yourself into is to not care about others¡¯ opinions. So what if the servants here think it is unfair for you to fire Jennifer in only one day? They are not in your shoes. You always need to do what is best for yourself. You were in the right when it came to Jennifer,¡± Edgar said.


    Edgar wanted her to act quickly because the other women in high society would be more vicious than a mere maid. Alessandra had thick skin because of her past but she needed quick thinking to get rid of pests.


    ¡°You are right,¡± Alessandra agreed with Edgar. She had the power of a Duchess but she waited until she was struck to use it against Jennifer. Next time, something worse could happen if she continued to wait toote. ¡°I won¡¯t make this mistake again. I promise.¡±


    ¡°I know that you won¡¯t let it happen again. As you said, it is only your first day which is why I understand your view on the situation. It is not easy for someone sheltered from the world to know what to do all of a sudden when you are thrown into the fire. I will help you as much as I can. Now,¡± Edgar halted his steps and turned around to look at Sally. ¡°How long are you going to walk behind us without saying a word? I am not a fan of eavesdroppers.¡±

 Chapter 59

    59 Gather the servants (3)


    ¡°You are making it harder for me to like you,¡± Edgar said.


    ¡°Sally?¡± Alessandra wasn¡¯t aware anyone was following behind the two of them as she heard no footsteps.


    Had Sally been purposely following behind them to hear what they were speaking about or was she genuinely not trying to interrupt their conversation? If it was thetter, it wasmon courtesy to make your presence known in case something private might be said.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to eavesdrop on your conversation on purpose. I came in but neither of you said anything and left so I followed behind. I swear,¡± Sally tried to plead her case.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you. Considering the nces I saw the Baroness give you when you came out with your bag, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she threatened you to spy on us. Am I right or wrong?¡± Edgar saw the nce Katrina gave to Sally when he was taking Alessandra¡¯s bags from her bedroom.


    It was quite predictable for Katrina to use Sally to be her eyes and ears since she was banned from stepping foot on his property.


    ¡°There were two reasons why you were afraid to enter my carriage. One, you were afraid Alessandra had some resentment because you released the sheets. Two, you were scared of what might happen to you should I find out you are a spy. Be honest with me as I am already upset with the servants here. Do not add to my anger,¡± Edgar gave a warning.


    Alessandra also expected something like this from her stepmother. ¡°Did she tell you to spy on us? She is not here to hurt you for revealing the truth.¡±


    ¡°She did,¡± Sally admitted the truth. She had to choose between Edgar and Katrina being upset with her but the answer was quite clear. Katrina lost a bit of power with the Baron¡¯s death and Edgar had the ability to kill her right now. ¡°She came to me and threatened to harm my family if I do not report everything you do. I do not want to work for the Baroness but I was scared.¡±


    .....


    ¡°That side of you I truly dislike,¡± Edgar said, referring to her always seeming scared. ¡°What do you want to do with her, Alessandra?¡±


    ¡°Let us stay and work for me. I was going to consider having you send fake reports back to Katrina but it will only put you in danger. You will be my personal maid here. That is if you want to work for me,¡± Alessandra gave her the option.


    If Sally did not want to work for someone with a bad reputation, Alessandra would have Edgar find other work for her elsewhere.


    ¡°I would love a second chance to prove myself as a good servant, Duchess. And I won¡¯t be scared anymore, Duke. At least I will try not to be,¡± said Sally.


    ¡°Good, we should see how it goes the next few days but if you do send reports back to my stepmother, I won¡¯t stop Edgar from getting rid of you. Is it this way to where the servants have gathered?¡± Alessandra pointed down the hall they hade across. She walked ahead to not keep the servants and Alfred waiting for much longer.


    Edgar smiled while Sally tried to process the fact Alessandra had just threatened her.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t she entertaining?¡± Edgar hummed as he followed behind Alessandra. Soon enough, she might turn into a female version of him, and then the true fun would start.


    ¡°He found that entertaining? What on earth am I getting myself into?¡± Sally questioned. Alessandra and Edgar were such an unlikely pair but they interacted better than she expected. ¡®Did the two of them truly fall in love at first sight?¡¯ She thought about how they came to be together.


    ¡°This way,¡± Edgar tapped Alessandra¡¯s shoulder to stop her from going in the wrong direction. ¡°We are going outside. Ladies first,¡± he held open the door leading outside for her.


    Alessandra exited the hall and was immediately greeted by three horizontal lines of servants and Alfred waiting for them on the outside. She noted the surprised look on their faces as they most likely looked at the mask she wore then averted their gazes to not be cursed.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± Alessandra greeted the crowd. She was unsure of what to do right now as it was Edgar who called for them to be here.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± she received a loud response but their voices did not match the way they were refusing to look at her. It was clear that she only received a good response because Edgar came out right behind her and they did not want to be scolded.


    Alessandra was not the only one to notice this. Unfortunately for the crowd of servants, they had managed to piss Edgar off.


    Edgar walked past Alessandra to deal with the situation himself. He only had one simple question for his servants. ¡°Why am I here?¡± He asked out loud then awaited someone to give him the right answer.


    The servants looked around wondering why Edgar would ask such a question when the butler told them the Duke wanted them to line up. No one dared to tell Edgar it was him who brought everyone outside.


    ¡°My sword,¡± Edgar held his hand out for Alfred to ce his sword in it. ¡°When ites to me, all of you are respectful and work quietly around me. You all know not to cause any trouble as I don¡¯t mind letting any of you go. Early this morning before the town was even awake, I gathered all of you to do one single thing. Respect my wife, your Duchess. Did I not?¡±


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± the crowd simultaneously replied.


    ¡°Perfect harmony. I should give all of you a raise for this but unfortunately, all of you have pissed me off today. Why is it that when the Duchess greeted all of you, you took it upon yourselves to either stare at her mask and look away or start talking about her? You did it,¡± Edgar pointed his sword at a maid in the first line. ¡°You did it,¡± he pointed his sword at another.


    Edgar ced the sword over his shoulder as he walked closer to the lines of servants. ¡°All of you wasted my good time this morning. I wasted my time bringing you out here this morning to announce that I am now married and that my wife should be treated as you would treat me. I guess I have to me myself. Why would I have to tell any of you to treat my wife right? It should be amon sense thing.¡±


    ¡°Did I hire an entire crowd of people who cannot perform basic thinking? Even worse, one of you struck my wife while I was away. Let¡¯s get to the point, shall we? I don¡¯t fucking care what type of rtionship you think you have with me or what rumors you have heard about her. Pay more attention to the rumors about me. I will kill anyone who disrespects my wife and I do not care if I need to massacre all of you. I am not going to y with any of you when ites to her.¡±


    To hear Edgar make such a deration to his servants when he did not need to, moved Alessandra. He took defending her to another level and she would forever be grateful for it.


    ¡°Anyone who wishes to quit because she is my wife can start leaving. To everyone else, greet your Duchess again but this time, look her in the eye. Go on. I¡¯m waiting,¡± Edgar urged the crowd to start making their decisions.


    ¡°Good morning Duchess,¡± the crowd greeted Alessandra in unison while looking at her without removing their gaze unlike a moment ago.

 Chapter 60

    60 When enemies meet (1)


    ¡°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 whoe 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 peopleing to act as if they cared about the Baron. Should I send for morefortable shoes or perhaps, turn away anyone whoes 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 n was to slowly poison Desmond but Edgar went ahead and ruined everything for her. Now, Katrina had to change her entire ns.


    ¡°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 n from the moment sheid 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 n 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 aplish 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 thend 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 offort from a woman.


    If Kate would sit and listen to her mother, Katrina could make Kate be 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 thest 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 wee 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. Pleasee 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 be better, and now look at me. Your husband had toe 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 myte 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 yournd? 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 ce 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 thest person toe 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 ufortable. ¡°Mother, who on earth is this, and what was that noise?¡± Kate asked.

 Chapter 61

    61 When enemies meet (2)


    ¡°Is this the daughter you had with him?¡± William smiled only to taunt Katrina. ¡°Don¡¯t you think I should be given something in return for losing the other one to Edgar?¡±


    ¡°Not my daughter,¡± Katrina angrily replied. Kate and Alessandra were two different people in her life. As a mother, she would never let Kate be with a man like William. ¡°Get the hell out of my house before I have you thrown out of it, William.¡±


    ¡°Throw me out? This is not the way you speak to the man who could double or even triple the amount of money you have to repay him. Let¡¯s be civilized and talk somewhere private without all of your servants watching us. Now!¡± William raised his voice when she refused to move.


    Katrina did not want to have any sort of conversation with a man like William. There was nothing he could do or say to make her give him Kate. Kate was her precious daughter and just him hinting he should have Kate in Alessandra¡¯s ce made her want to kill him right now regardless of how many eyes were watching.


    What was stopping her was how much power William had to make their lives miserable. William was capable of making them have to live on the street.


    ¡°James, send everyone away from here. I am going to speak with William alone in my husband¡¯s private room. Kate, go back upstairs-¡±


    ¡°No so fast,¡± William stopped Katrina before she could get rid of Kate. He was not finished with his conversation about being owed something. ¡°Let here too. Our chat will involve all of the Barrett¡¯s living here.¡±


    ¡°Get back to your jobs!¡± James pped his hands to make the servants snap out from spying on Katrina and her guest. He was aware of William being the one Alessandra was supposed to be with but it was not something the other servants knew. It was meant to be a secret that Alessandra was being exchanged for money.


    James didn¡¯t see why it mattered anyway as no one would care about Desmond¡¯s alleged cursed daughter being sent somewhere else in exchange for money. Some people might wonder what took her family so long to get rid of her.


    .....


    ¡°Why does this man want to speak with me and you?¡± Kate approached her mother. Her mother appeared more shaken up than when Edgar was here which meant to Kate that this stranger had a lot of influence in their world. ¡°Who are you?¡± She questioned the stranger.


    ¡°William Lancaster. I have not seen you since you were a little girl. It¡¯s a shame you could not remember me,¡± William extended his hand out to greet Kate.


    ¡®William Lancaster? This is what the man Alessandra was supposed to be with looks like? He does look rich,¡¯ Kate thought as she gave William a look over. She didn¡¯t understand why he was here, considering the fact that Alessandra was now with Edgar.


    ¡°Pleasure to meet you,¡± Kate went to shake his hand but Katrina pushed her hand back to her side to stop her.


    ¡°You have created a scene in my home and now my servants will be talking about this. Thank you for clearing my husband¡¯s debt but there is nothing we have left for you. Alessandra has already gotten married to Edgar so there is nothing to be done. Kate is never going to be your woman as long as I am alive. Leave,¡± Katrina pointed to her front door.


    Kate¡¯s eyes widened as the words left her mother¡¯s mouth. There was no possible way this man could think she was going to take Alessandra¡¯s ce. First of all, he was as old as her father. Secondly, her friends wouldugh at her as Alessandra married a young handsome Duke while she married an old man.


    Kate¡¯s anger for Alessandra increased as they had somehow swapped ces in life. Alessandra got Kate¡¯s life as a Duchess while Kate was being courted by William.


    ¡°Rx Baroness. When I said I am owed something, I was not referring to your daughter. She is quite the beauty but she is like every other young woman in the kingdom. Nothing about her is unique or interesting enough for a man like me to take her. Not even if she was standing naked before me,¡± William chuckled as he insulted Kate like she wasn¡¯t standing before him.


    Although Kate did not want to be with William and should be happy he was not interested in her, it annoyed her for some reason that he viewed Alessandra as the interesting one. Why was it that Alessandra was getting picked over her in every situation?


    ¡°Watch how you speak about my daughter. If it is not Kate that you want, what is it?¡± Katrina asked.


    William smiled as the answer should have been obvious. ¡°You,¡± he replied.


    Katrina couldn¡¯t help butugh at his response. Why on earth did he think he was owed her? ¡°That will never happen, William. My daughter and I are replicas in appearance. If she does not amuse you, neither will I. I am going to remain loyal to myte husband and not remarry any time soon.¡±


    ¡°You and Desmond are so identical when ites to misunderstanding my words. I am not telling you to be my wife just like Alessandra was never meant to be my wife. I am telling you to share my bed. It is your mysterious past I find worthy to make you be added to my collection of women. I am wealthy and capable of offering what your-¡±


    ¡°I am not anyone¡¯s whore,¡± Katrina declined the offer. She never slept with anyone in the red light district and any man she scammed for money, she slept with them on her own terms. ¡°I am well aware of what the women you collect are like and I shall never join them.¡±


    ¡°You should just take back Alessandra. Aren¡¯t you capable of that?¡± Kate spoke up.


    William¡¯s eyes went from Katrina to Kate who was now starting to amuse him. ¡°What did you just say?¡±


    ¡°I want Edgar and you want Alessandra more than anything right? This collection you seem to have would never beplete without someone like Alessandra. Are you really going to let her go? Help me reach where Edgar is and I will see to it, Alessandra is right where she belongs in your home,¡± Kate said.


    ¡°Finally, a Barrett who speaks mynguage. How can I trust you will make sure I have her? Are you aware of the countless times your father failed to hand her over? Why should I waste my resources on you when I could simply steal her from Edgar if I wanted to?¡±


    ¡°This is all a game to you, isn¡¯t it? You get a rise out of families handing their own flesh and blood off to you which is why you pushed for my father to bring Alessandra. It wouldn¡¯t be fun if you just steal her from Edgar. Wouldn¡¯t Alessandra be more valuable if she came to you broken? I can toy with the life she has, make her fall from the lifestyle she has now, and send her into your arms without any hope. She would live like a quiet doll in your home,¡± Kate promised William.


    Kate continued to say, ¡°Unlike my father, I don¡¯t have even a drop of love in my heart for Alessandra. Nothing would hinder me from bringing her to you and wouldn¡¯t it be good to have a friend like me as the wife of your enemy?¡±

 Chapter 62

    62 When enemies meet (3)


    William rubbed the small patch of hair under his chin as he contemted if Kate could give him what he wanted. ¡°You were convincing me up until you spoke about bing the wife of my enemy. I¡¯d prefer it if a man like Edgar Collins stopped breathing altogether. He is a nuisance to me.¡±


    ¡°I want him alive,¡± Kate said. She was not going to do anything only for Edgar to end up dead.


    ¡°Well, you have lost me. Using my resources to help you climb in status only for Edgar to remain alive does not seem like a win for me. If you want to be my friend, think of a way to separate your sister from Edgar so that I can take her, and maybe I will consider raising your status. Why hold unto Edgar when there are other men out there?¡± William proposed a deal.


    ¡°No deals will be made between the two of you. Please leave William. You have disrespected us more than once with your offers,¡± Katrina ended the conversation.


    ¡°This is not thest time the two of you will see me. I am being kind to wipe your mary debt but your family owes me two valuable people. Either find me a good recement or I will be back for the both of you. Baroness, I am certain you are smart enough to know I am not the type of man you should have a debt with. I¡¯m sorry about Desmond,¡± William said but there was ack of emotion in his words.


    ¡°If I bring Alessandra to you, you must keep your word to help me rise to a higher level,¡± Kate said as she was still determined to remove Alessandra from where she was now. It didn¡¯t matter that William would not Edgar alive. At some point, she could work with Edgar to get rid of William.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting,¡± William replied. Having better things to do, he proceeded to leave the house.


    ¡°I hate that man,¡± Katrina mumbled as William stepped out their front door. She did not trust he had wiped away their debt therefore she was going to pay him back the money rather than find him two people. ¡°If he wants his two people back, he should go to Edgar for them. Kate, please tell me what would possess you to try working with William. He is dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. We are alone, mother. Who knows what Alessandra will tell Edgar about us? What if Edgar tries to kill us as he did with my father? What if anyone who had bad blood with my fatheres looking to mess with us? When ites to Edgar, William is a strong opponent.¡±


    .....


    Katrina was pleasantly surprised Kate was thinking far ahead. ¡°It is clear you still have feelings for Edgar. Are you certain you want to get mixed up with someone who hates him?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I still love Edgar and I want him but I also want to stay alive. There is nothing I can do if he one day decides to kill us. I also want to get rid of Alessandra and William is the best option. Once William has Alessandra, Edgar might not be able to get her back. I don¡¯t care if I can never have Edgar but I¡¯d rather die than watch Alessandra live happily with him. Mother, we need to get friends in higher ces,¡± Kate said.


    It would have been better if her father had better acquaintances when he was alive so they could lean on those people after his death but none of her father¡¯s true friends had grand titles.


    Before William¡¯s arrival Katrina would have told Kate to forget about Alessandra and Edgar but after Edgar revealed he knew her secret, Katrina could not leave him be. She wanted Edgar dead but did not trust a man like William to help her. A man like Edgar would surely have more enemies and she nned to weed them out.


    ¡°Kate, all of our problems would be solved if you stop thinking about Edgar and go after another rich man. Your husband¡¯s resources will be yours to use in the future and he will have no choice but to protect us. The ball ising up soon and there will be plenty of bachelors there. Focus on finding yourself a good man to court.¡±


    Katrina viewed Kate as one of the prized young women to marry this year. Katrina raised Kate to be a fine youngdy all for this moment. For her daughter to marry one of the wealthiest men in the kingdom.


    ¡°If only you could get your hands on the king but then Edgar is always by his side when the king attends parties,¡± Katrina frowned. It was like each way they turned, Edgar would somehow be there to kill their dreams.


    Truthfully, all of this was Kate¡¯s fault but Katrina did not have the guts to tell her daughter this. Kate had more than enough time to make Edgar her own before Alessandra or any other youngdy could make a move.


    ¡°I have an idea of who would be a good husband for me. The only downside is the number of young women I will have to fend off from him. I¡¯m going to search for a husband but I will still keep my eyes on Edgar. Before you sigh, remember that I have a trump card over Alessandra. Prisci Collins loves me and I am certain she will not like Alessandra,¡± Kate grinned. She wished to be a fly on the wall for when the two would meet.


    ¡°I forgot about her,¡± Katrina mumbled. It was true Prisci was a fan of Kate and always told Kate if there was anything she needed, Kate could seek Prisci out. ¡°My sweet daughter,¡± Katrina ced a light kiss on Kate¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°Mother, I am not a child,¡± Kate whined, wiping off the kiss as it was embarrassing to be kissed by a parent at this age.


    ¡°Prisci Collins is someone we should keep close by. As soon as news of her son¡¯s marriage reaches her, Prisci will arrive in Lockwood. She is the perfect person to help me- you,¡± Katrina corrected herself before Kate could notice. ¡°She¡¯ll get you close to Edgar.¡±


    Katrina did not want to tell Kate about her past or that Edgar knows about it. Katrina also did not want to mention she was going to kill the man her daughter was in love with. Anyone who knew her secrets had to die in order to keep her past hidden. She also had to search for whoever Edgar spoke with to get this information. There was only one person from her past still alive but Katrina was certain he would never betray her.


    ¡°Go upstairs and pick out the best dress you have Kate. Don¡¯t worry about Alessandra and Edgar anymore. Your mother will fix everything and make sure they regret hurting you,¡± Katrina fixed Kate¡¯s hair as she spoke. ¡°Perfect.¡±

 Chapter 63

    63 Getting to know each other (1)


    ¡°Outside of getting pped, how has your experience here been? Do you find our bedroom to your liking?¡±


    ¡°Was there really a need to bring up the p?¡± Alessandra sighed.


    From the moment they hade back inside after all the servants had greeted her, things were going well between Edgar and Alessandra until they sat down at the dining table and this was the first thing he had to say.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see anything wrong with stating the obvious negative experience you had. It has been dealt with and now I want to hear about everything else. Did you sleepfortablyst night or were you thinking of me?¡± Edgar questioned.


    He sat at one end of a small dining table with one leg thrown over the other and his chin resting in the palm of his hand as his arm kept him propped up.


    ¡°It feels like you are constantly flirting with me, Edgar. What makes you think I missed your presencest night? I wouldn¡¯t mind if all nights were likest night where you sleep elsewhere. Everything in your bedroom was to my liking. When I start unpacking my things I will try not to create a cluster there.¡±


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t if you wanted to. Daughter of a Baron but yet you areing here with fewer things than my servants. Go shopping with Alfred tomorrow or have him call some shop owners to my home. They are always looking to dip their hands in my money so I am sure they could be here for you early tomorrow. Thank you, Alfred,¡± Edgar thanked the butler after a cup of coffee was ced before him.


    ¡°I do not need to spend any of your money. I am happy with what I have right now. Before you say something smart, I don¡¯t feel the need to buy things I don¡¯t need just because I have a wealthy husband. If there is something I want, I will let you know. Besides the bugs, did your conversation with the Baroness go well?¡± Alessandra was curious about this from the moment he returned.


    ¡°When does it ever go well? She was expecting money from me as if I look like one of their tenants. What a fool,¡± Edgar shook his head. ¡°My entertainment came from your younger sister when she learned you and I are married. I warned the Baroness not to step foot on my property. Alessandra, I would kindly ask you never once have the thought to make amends with them after everything and invite them to my home. Do not take one foot forward then take five steps back.¡±


    .....


    Edgar sat back and watch the many asions where people were tricked by their abusers to start over. Whatever happened to when people show you their true colors you stay away from them?


    ¡°I am foolish to one day forgive them. I am extremely happy you dislike my family but you should know they are both stubborn. You are the only thing Kate loves more than her parents and money. She will find a way to enter your house. Oh,¡± Alessandra suddenly remembered something. ¡°I have heard about your mother twice today. What is she like from your perspective.¡±


    ¡°Nosy. Do not concern yourself with her,¡± Edgar honestly replied.


    ¡°But she is your mother.¡±


    ¡°That is exactly why you should not concern yourself with her. I hardly pay her any mind. Who told you about my mother? Surely, that person was trying to scare you.¡± Edgar knew it at some point they had to sort of deal with Alessandra being worried when it came to his mother but he didn¡¯t expect it to be this soon. ¡°Who is the unlucky soul to have told you about her?¡±


    Alessandra quickly nced at Alfred standing behind Edgar. ¡°That part is not important.¡±


    ¡°So it was Alfred,¡± Edgar hid a smirk behind his cup of coffee. He did not have to look around to see the grim expression on Alfred¡¯s face. ¡°Do not look so worried for Alfred. I am d he is the one to tell you about her. At least he wouldn¡¯t be so biased. Alfred and my mother have a love-sh-hate kind of rtionship. My mother thinks I love Alfred more than her. Foolish right?¡±


    ¡°I mean children will love their parents first-¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Edgar held up his hand to stop Alessandra. ¡°I meant it is foolish she has to think about it. My mother tried to send me off all over the kingdom to have someone else raise me. My mother loved social gatherings more than being hands-on with raising me. I don¡¯t know why she continues to act surprised that I enjoy Alfred¡¯s presence more.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you must have heard you will not fit the criteria she had for me when it came to a wife. Do not allow that bullshit to make you cry or hurt your feelings. If I had the same interests as my mother I would have married one of the women she picked long ago. My mother rules over a lot of the women in high society but there are some who are not fans of her. You can seek friendship with them and their daughters,¡± Edgar rmended.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to hear my husband say I should make friends with my mother-inw¡¯s enemies,¡± Alessandra replied but she knew she would have no choice but to make friends with the women who weren¡¯t following Prisci.


    High society in Lockwood was one big game of following the leader based on what Alessandra heard from eavesdropping on Kate and Katrina¡¯s conversation. To not be an outcast, everyone followed the ring leader in circles.


    The leader was obviously the person with the most wealth and had the power to exile anyone from important gatherings.


    If Prisci ordered her followers to stay away from Alessandra there was nothing much Alessandra could do to make friends with the other youngdies. Edgar¡¯s name offered her protection from any horrible pranks but Prisci¡¯s dislike and past rumors would make it hard for her to make friendships with anyone as they would be afraid of being attached to Alessandra¡¯s feuds and getting called cursed.


    Alessandra did not wish to sit alone at home forever so she would do as Edgar rmended and make friends with women who did not care what Priscillia had to say.


    ¡®This will only make her feel as if I am trying to be her enemy. I do not wish to fight against his mother,¡¯ Alessandra thought.


    ¡°I think I should wait until I meet her before I make a judgment about what I should do,¡± Alessandra tried to be positive. She was going by what everyone said about Prisci without even meeting her. Their rtionship could turn out differently than everyone would expect. ¡°She might end up loving the sole fact that you are married and be thankful.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, no. My mother will be furious. When the news spreads, there will be a raging bull on its way here,¡± Edgar shot down Alessandra¡¯s positivity. ¡°We can do as I always do, which is pretend I am not home when she visits. I have several homes we can go to when my mother arrives.¡±


    ¡°I do not wish to join you in hiding from your mother,¡± Alessandra declined the offer.

 Chapter 64

    64 Getting to know each other (2)


    ¡°What is your father like? I heard I would get along with him well,¡± Alessandra switched to Edmund.


    ¡°You heard right. Contrary to what many think, my father is more of aid-back kind of man especially now that he has retired from getting involved in any type of politics. He had picked up gardening for some strange reason. Buy him a flower and call it a day. Let¡¯s move from me to you. Are there any rtives you actually care for?¡± Edgar asked.


    Alessandra didn¡¯t have to think long and hard about the answer. ¡°No. I don¡¯t remember anyone from my father¡¯s sideing to see me whenever they visited. I can¡¯t remember what my mother¡¯s rtives look like as they stoppeding around after my mother ran away.¡±


    ¡°Have you heard from your mother since she left? Surely, she would want to keep in touch with her daughter.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t and I do not know if my father knew where she had run off to all this while. I am waiting for her to return with some wonderful excuse for leaving me behind. One day she might show up at your doorstep and I might not even recognize her. Or maybe, she has long passed away. Who knows,¡± Alessandra shrugged. She didn¡¯t hear not one ounce of news concerning her mother.


    ¡°Do you want me to search for her? If she is alive in the kingdom, it wouldn¡¯t be hard to find her as long as there is a portrait of her. I can still find her even if she is dead. Someone had to have seen her. Do you even care to find her?¡± Edgar didn¡¯t mean to be rude but if it were him, he wouldn¡¯t care about the woman.


    ¡°After many years of wondering where she is and if I should also run away to find her, I have longe to the decision that she shoulde to find me instead. I am the daughter she left behind after all. I don¡¯t wish to seek out someone who might not care for me. Why else has she never returned?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, you are no longer hidden from the world, therefore, if your mother is anywhere in the kingdom still, she will one day hear your name. It is up to her if she wishes to seek you out as you said. Let¡¯s move away from depressing things. What is your favorite color?¡± Edgar asked a more harmless question.


    ¡°I love all shades of blue. What about you?¡± Alessandra asked. It felt like they had done everything backward. Most people got to know each and then got married but they did it the opposite way.


    .....


    ¡°Red.¡±


    Alessandra wanted toment on the fact it was the color of blood but decided to just let it go. She wouldn¡¯t be surprised if his favorite color had something to do with blood.


    Edgar¡¯s lips curled into a smile as he found Alessandra easy to read even though a mask covered half of her face. She made it too easy for him to mess with her.


    ¡°Breakfast is served,¡± Alfred said as a line of servants entered the dining room with different kinds of food as Edgar requested.


    ¡°Are you having guests?¡± Alessandra failed to believe the ten servants she counted were holding trays of food meant for her and Edgar.


    ¡°No,¡± Edgar shook his head. The reason behind therge amount of food was obvious but he was going to join Alessandra¡¯s game to act like it wasn¡¯t all for her. Her weight was something he first noticed about her but he did notment on it.


    ¡°Do you eat with your servants?¡± She asked another question.


    Edgar¡¯s suddenughter was enough to tell Alessandra that was not the case.


    ¡°I am not going to eat all of that Edgar. I hope you normally have a big appetite and that is for yourself.¡±


    ¡°It is for you, Alessandra. I normally eat something light elsewhere but now that I am married, it is one of Alfred¡¯s lessons that we eat together. You are thinner than you should be and I already have an idea why. Eat as much as you like today. It wouldn¡¯t be this much each day but I let the cook prepare this as it is the morning after our wedding. Alfred, have them serve her first,¡± Edgar gave an order.


    Alessandra couldn¡¯t argue with Edgar when it came to her weight. Her eating schedule waspletely controlled by Katrina over the years. What time she ate depended on whenever Katrina was in the mood or remembered she was meant to send a maid to Alessandra¡¯s room.


    Sometimes, the portions were small which meant Alessandra hardly got the nutrition she needed. Mario had always been the one to sneak her some leftover food to help make up for what she wascking.


    ¡°Oh, yes. It appears you had a friendship with the family cook. He was concerned that you have married me and probably thinks I will harm you. He is irritating in my eyes,¡± Edgar grumbled. A cook had no ce to question him about his wife.


    ¡°Mario,¡± Alessandra¡¯s eyes lit up as she suddenly remembered her friend.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Edgarmented on her reaction in a dull tone. ¡°To think you did not even greet your husband with such emotion. I am starting to think I was wrong. Was the cook your secret lover?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Alessandra almost choked on her spit. ¡°That is far from the rtionship I have with Mario. He is just a good friend and I view him as an older brother. He would save some food for me and give it to me behind the Baroness¡¯s back.¡±


    ¡°Older brother? How awful of you to make me pity the poor man,¡± Edgar chuckled. He imagined the pain the cook must have felt when hearing Alessandra refer to him as an older brother.


    ¡°Edgar, I do not understand what you are trying to say. I told you there was nothing between me and Mario. In fact, he has referred to me as being like his little sister. Not every situation where there is a man and a woman means feelings are involved. Mario and I are just friends,¡± Alessandra cringed at the mere thought of her and Mario liking each other.


    ¡°I pray he does not have a sister as I am concerned about him calling you his little sister. He might be in denial about his feelings but I am sure each time he called you his sister he should have felt a weird feeling as he knew he shouldn¡¯t be calling you that.¡±


    ¡°You think Mario likes me?¡± It now dawned on Alessandra what was happening. ¡°You do not know him well enough to make that judgment.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think, Alessandra. I know for a fact he has feelings for you. It is not hard for a man to tell when another man has their eye on his woman. Of course, I encouraged him to let go of those silly little feelings he has been denying. I don¡¯t mind you continuing your friendship with him as I am not the jealous type-¡±


    ¡°Achoo! Forgive me,¡± Alfred apologized for sneezing while they were conversing. He didn¡¯t react when Edgar red at him as they both knew what Alfred was trying to insinuate.


    ¡°You can speak with the cook if you wish but should he try making a move on my wife, I will see to it he has no fingers to continue his line of work,¡± Edgar finished his sentence without interruption this time.

 Chapter 65

    65 A storm named Edgar (1)


    ¡°I am not jealous of what rtionship you two have,¡± Edgar felt the need to rify this as Alfred still did not look convinced and he did not want Alessandra to think there were feelings involved to make him feel this way. ¡°I am simply not the type to share my wife and I would love to avoid rumors of you cheating on me with a cook.¡±


    ¡°If it is true that Mario has feelings for me, I don¡¯t think he would ever do anything out of line especially now that I am married. I¡¯d like to say I know him well enough that he wouldn¡¯t cross that line. I don¡¯t ever n to cheat on you, Edgar,¡± she reassured him.


    Alessandra wanted to tell him no man would ever want to be with her after they saw her face.


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t even if you wanted to. Where would you find a man better than me to have an affair with? I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t find one. I¡¯ll take your word for it that the cook will remember you are now married or I will make sure this crush he has on you truly crushes him. Carry on with giving her food. Why would all of you stop because we are talking?¡± Edgar scolded his servants.


    With this said, the ten servants turned in Alessandra¡¯s direction to one by one ce a piece of the dish they carried onto their te, and then they would go to Edgar.


    ¡°Must violence always be your answer, Edgar?¡± Alessandra asked.


    ¡°It is more effective than constantly having to exin myself to others. Violence helps people to get to the point quickly so they do not waste my time. When you dive deeper into what I do daily and see the type of people I must converse with for information, you would understand why I have no time for games. Is that the door, Alfred?¡± Edgar asked as his ears picked up on a faint knocking sound.


    ¡°I will check on it,¡± Alfred said before leaving the dining room.


    Alessandra sat quietly in her seat as the food was ced on her te and when the te became full another te was used to put more food on. As much food as it was for one person, she was excited to try all of it.


    .....


    ¡°Would you love tea, coffee, or juice, Duchess?¡± A maid came to her other side with a tray on wheels with an assortment of drinks.


    ¡°I would love orange juice for now. Thank you. Edgar!¡± She called to get his attention but as her eyes moved from the drinks to his end of the table, she found he already had his gaze on her. ¡°What will you do with the drinks and food that are left over?¡±


    ¡°Everything is made fresh for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The servants gather in the kitchen after I have eaten and eat what the cook did not send out or what quickly returned. Do not worry about it. Nothing goes to waste,¡± Edgar reassured her. ¡°The reason I do not ce the food on the table and have it served to us then sent back to the kitchen right away is so the servants can eat it warm. It would be horrible to make them wait for cold food. It would be like they are eating our scraps.¡±


    ¡°That is nice of you. Outside of you teasing others, I am failing to see why you are called monster or demon once again, Edgar. You get rid of the bad people and do nice things for others. Perhaps, is there a side to you that I have never seen yet? It is reasonable considering it has been a few days since we met but this side of you cannot be that bad.¡±


    ¡°I am only called a monster by those people that I have caught doing bad things. They don¡¯t like that I am ruining their ns. It always has to do with how I kill my enemies. They try to kill me and if I slice off a head, arm, or leg, everyone suddenly cries monster like I wasn¡¯t the victim. There is the misconception that I go around hurting people for no reason. Not many people are aware the king assigned me to get rid of his corrupted subjects. Your father was one,¡± he informed Alessandra.


    Whether he met Alessandra that night or not, Desmond was doomed to die sooner than he did. Edgar nned on killing him the same night of the party but after Alessandra¡¯s sweet offer of contract marriage, he left the man alive a little longer.


    ¡°I thought it was only right to have your father walk you down the aisle and then I kill him when we return from the honeymoon.¡±


    ¡°How kind of you. It is funny to think my father was so desperate to invite his grim reaper to his party. He must be upset wherever he is,¡± Alessandra couldn¡¯t help butugh. If time were to be reversed and her father was brought back to life, he would try his hardest to avoid Edgar rather than chase after him.


    ¡°He is far below us. Where else could a man like him have gone? When my time in this world ends, I will find your father and scare the hell out of him. Make him think he is about to die twice,¡± Edgar grinned as he imagined how terrified the Baron would be.


    Alessandra didn¡¯t like how Edgar spoke so confidently that he would end up down there. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t you end up in the clouds?¡±


    ¡°Do you really think the angels would want me up there with them?¡±


    Alessandra tilted her side slightly confused as she did not understand why this was his reasoning. ¡°If that is what you think.¡±


    ¡°Young master, the papers are out. It appears your marriage has made the front page. Someone from the church gave a tip that they saw you enter the church with a young woman to be wed in the middle of the night. The woman¡¯s name has not been mentioned,¡± Alfred returned to the dining room and ced the paper right in front of Edgar.


    ¡°Is it the priest Peter?¡± Alessandra wondered out loud. He was the only person she saw in the church.


    ¡°Not unless he wishes to be a dead man. I don¡¯t like anyone giving tips about my business. I will pay him a visit to find out,¡± Edgar replied.


    ***


    ¡°Achoo!¡± Peter sneezed out of the blue as he stood by the church doors.


    ¡°Have you caught a cold Peter? The weather is warm and it is that time of the year when everyone catches a cold,¡± a man said to the priest as he entered the church.


    ¡°No, I am perfectly fine. The air just got cold all of a sudden,¡± Peter rubbed his hands to warm up. ¡°There must be a storming to Lockwood.¡±

 Chapter 66

    66 A storm named Edgar (2)


    ¡°Prepare yourself for a day filled with annoying people, Alessandra. We¡¯ll have a lot of visitorsing by to see who I have gotten married to and the men will send their wives to try creating a friendship with you. Should we just close our gates? I am not in the mood to see any of them,¡± Edgar ced the paper on one side as the other news did not interest him.


    ¡°When are you ever in the mood to see anyone, young master?¡± Alfred picked up the paper as he wanted to see what else the town spoke about. ¡°Your mother will be here by tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I say we close the gates from her too,¡± Edgar replied.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be rude to shut the gates from anyoneing to congratte us? If your friendse to visit, I should at least meet them,¡± Alessandra said. Everyone who might request to personally congratte them with gifts could not be that bad. Wouldn¡¯t Edgar¡¯s friends also visit?


    ¡°My friends are the ones I wish to avoid the most. I can already hear their shadyments about me finally getting married. Besides, why would anyone want to visit newlyweds? Shouldn¡¯t they consider the fact we might be rolling around in bed and not want to be disturbed?¡±


    Alessandra¡¯s eyes drifted from Edgar to Alfred who did not look the slightest bit affected by what Edgar said. She was curious about what degree of indecent things Alfred had heard from Edgar¡¯s mouth. ¡°It is daytime. Anyone would have stopped by now.¡±


    ¡°My sweet innocent wife,¡± Edgar shook his head but it couldn¡¯t be helped as Alessandra wouldn¡¯t have any knowledge when it came to sex. ¡°As long as there is a burning fire between two people, the time does not matter. In fact, the ce does not matter.¡±


    He continued to say, ¡°Don¡¯t listen to what those stuck-up women mothers bring to their daughters say. Those marriage tutors are the main ones who have either never been with a man or had one bad experience with a man and now they wish to prepare girls for something they hardly have experience with.¡±


    ¡°I never had a tutor for that sort of thing,¡± said Alessandra. She never cared to eavesdrop on the lessons Katrina provided for Kate to learn what it meant to be a good wife. She never thought she would marry into a household with many rules she had to follow. ¡°I only assumed you make love together at night in your bedroom and by morning it is over.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Although the people here try to make it proper that night is when a couple should engage in sex or making love, whatever you want to call it, there is truly no rule to when you should. It is based on instinct and lust. If I am burning to have you in the middle of the day and you feel the same way, be it in a bed, against a wall, on the floor, or table, we shall do whatever we want.¡±


    Edgar tapped his fingers on the table as Alessandra obviously became flustered with her opposed cheek turning red and her eyes looking away from him to nowhere.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about something else. How on earth did we go from talking about visitors to this? This is something we should talk about in private. Let¡¯s eat,¡± Alessandra picked up a piece of sliced fruit with a fork and ced it in her mouth.


    ¡°Wrong fork. I don¡¯t see why we can¡¯t talk about something that everyone does. There are no children in here for us to have to hold our tongue. You there,¡± Edgar called to the maid with the tray of drinks. ¡°Are you embarrassed with what we are talking about?¡±


    ¡°No, Duke Collins,¡± the maid replied with her head low.


    ¡°See. I never understand why some people try to make talking about sex so taboo. You and I are in thefort of our home. It¡¯s not like I would make this the topic of conversation at a party or discuss sex with others but when I am with you, I should be able to say these things without you blushing like crazy. Look at me,¡± he said in a stern tone.


    ¡°Things like this must be easy for you to discuss as you might have indulged in such activities during all hours of the day to the point you have no shame now,¡± Alessandra replied, still refusing to look at him.


    ¡°I am not a manwhore, Alessandra. Yes, I am not a virgin but that does mean I am what you are imagining. You don¡¯t have to be engaging in a lot of sex in order to be talking about it so openly. If not you, who else would I have this conversation with?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind discussing it with you but not when there are others around,¡± said Alessandra.


    ¡°Very well. We should have a lengthy discussion tonight when Ie to our bedroom. Maybe a few demonstrations to help ease you out of being so shy with this topic.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± These words made Alessandra look up at Edgar in shock.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t think you would be sleeping away from your husband every night, did you? I gave you privacy because of your father¡¯s death and for you to adapt to your new surroundings. However, I intend to sleep with my wife tonight. Alfred, should I be offended she is looking at me like that?¡± Edgar looked to the butler for an answer.


    ¡°No, I think you have just broken her. I told you to take it easy on the young woman. Not everyone speaks what is on their mind like you,¡± Alfred was tempted to smack Edgar at the back of his head for suddenly talking about sex.


    The atmosphere in the dining room was now like a storm had blown in and ruined the peaceful vibe between the two as they were getting to know each other. Specifically, it was a storm named Edgar.


    It was a practice in today¡¯s society to not have women discussing sexual activities in public. The ones brazen enough to do so were frowned upon and judged by other women.


    Alfred thought it to be ridiculous it became a thing for parents to keep their daughters in the dark about what married couples do when they were alone. They leave their daughters unprepared for what is to happen and if the wedding night was disastrous or painful for them, the young women think it is normal as they know no better and they are told not to talk about it with anyone


    As much as Alfred liked Edgar being open and honest with Alessandra, the conversation was not something his old ears wanted to hear.


    ¡°Have you truly not asked anyone about sex or at least secretly read dirty books because you were curious?¡± Edgar asked Alessandra.


    Alessandra thought about it briefly and recalled the one time she had talked about sex with someone but then she was warned to not say anything about what she was told. ¡°There was one time I caught a maid and the coachman naked in the stables and I had no idea what they were doing so I asked Mario-¡±


    ¡°Of fucking course it was him,¡± Edgar rolled his eyes.

 Chapter 67

    67 Unwanted guest (1)


    ¡°What is wrong with Mario being the one to tell me about it? Who else was supposed to tell me? My father, whose only n was to send me off to his friend in the middle of the night? I am grateful to have Mario help me understand things I did not. Please stop with your negative opinion of him because you think he likes me. I don¡¯t see what that has to do with you anyway,¡± Alessandra didn¡¯t understand the feud Edgar was creating with Mario.


    ¡°You are right. Cheers to the cook telling you everything you needed to know,¡± Edgar held up his cup of coffee. ¡°I should send a gift to thank him.¡±


    ¡°Mario will not ept a gift from you and it would only cause him trouble if someone sees that you are visiting him. He has a debt to repay to my family and until he has left them, I don¡¯t want to bring him trouble. Please refrain from doing so. Now, can we please eat in silence? There was a lot for me to handle in one morning,¡± Alessandra sighed.


    It was nearing noon but she had already had her hair pulled, gotten pped, and now there was the conversation about sex. Before something else could happen Alessandra just wanted to enjoy breakfast.


    ¡°Suit yourself. Alfred, go rest your feet until we are finished eating. Keep an eye on the gates and stop certain guests from entering,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°Yes, young master.¡±


    As Alesssamdra requested, Edgar ate in silence. He had a lifetime to make Alessandra flustered and annoyed by his words.


    ****


    Later in the afternoon when breakfast was long served and everyone went their separate ways, Alessandra and Edgar met again for Alesssamdra¡¯s tour to continue. This time Edgar was the one leading her around instead of Alfred.


    .....


    ¡°Did you build this house or was it handed to you?¡±


    ¡°This house was in my family for many years. When it was given to me, there was a lot I had done over to my liking but the structure is the same and I have not done anything to the outside except for making the walls higher. Have you decided on what type of paintings you will ce up? Don¡¯t be shy about it,¡± Edgar encouraged her.


    He was hellbent on having her art in his home rather than people he did not know.


    ¡°Not yet. I am looking for inspiration and taking my time since I don¡¯t want to create anything bad. I¡¯ll ask Alfred to not put down the ones you have up as yet. Why are there so many men training outside?¡± Alessandra asked as they were passing by a window on the second floor which allowed her to see topless men training with weapons down below.


    Edgar looked out the same window at his men training. ¡°You do not think I would depend on the town guards to protect me, did you? Their reactions are slow whenever anyone calls for them. When I was younger, I fought in the king¡¯s army and gained a lot of followers who followed me back home. The ones you see here are a small part of that group.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t anyone think you might be a threat for having such a small army at yourmand? Has anyone ever made the im that you might be building an army to go against the king?¡± Alessandra questioned. It was amon plot in many of the books she read.


    ¡°Anything I do the other Dukes, Lords, Barons, or whoever will think that is a threat to them and theirnd. This is amusing because they never like to talk about the things they are hiding from the king. I have been open about the men under mymand and the fact that they are only here to protect me. You will see in theing days that I could sneeze and others will find a problem with it.¡±


    ¡°Why you? Why does everyone want to make you out to be the bad guy?¡± Alessandra knew it could not be due to the king now giving him the task to get rid of his corrupted followers.


    ¡°They fear I am a new version of my father. Manyws came into ce because my father pushed for them. Since I have not be their ally to help hide their crimes, many have banded together against me. It does nothing but fuels my ego that they have to work together to try going against me. In the future, you might be used as a pawn to get to me. Be aware of everyone who approaches you and if you have a gut feeling, do not ignore it,¡± said Edgar.


    Intuition mattered a lot in this world. Pushing bad thoughts about someone to the side because they show you a nice smile here and there will cost you in the future.


    ¡°This world seems so life and death. I see why you are the type to not mingle with others. It is a good thing I am rumored to be cursed then. It will ward off some of your enemies who believe in that kind of thing. Wonderful,¡± Alessandra smiled as she nned to use what was a lie to protect herself.


    ¡°Why is it that people believe you are cursed? Is it only because you wear a mask?¡± Edgar didn¡¯t pay attention to the rumors about her to know why others thought she was cursed. He barely knew the Baron had an older daughter who hid her face and there was something about a visitor dying.


    ¡°It¡¯s so stupid,¡± Alessnada frowned as she recalled when the rumors about her started. ¡°My father had guests over for dinner and from the moment one of the men arrived you could tell he was not well. This was a little while after the incident which scarred my face and I was wearing a mask to hide that my face had been damaged because my father didn¡¯t want anyone to know what happened..¡±


    ¡°I was young and I guess my father thought no one would pay attention to a kid wanting to wear a masquerade mask. It would be thest time I ever greeted guests in our home,¡± Alessandra nervously yed with her fingers as the painful memory was clear. ¡°When I went to greet the man, he was so determined to see my face and said a pretty girl should not hide her face. So I took it off and maybe the marks scared him or something.¡±


    ¡°I just remember him clutching his chest and then falling to the ground. Some fool said a curse attached itself unto me and I know I was cursed. My father hid me rather than clearing up what happened with my face so, here I am. Rumored to make you die by looking at my face. It didn¡¯t help that as the years went by Kate and her friends kept fueling the rumors with new stories.¡±


    ¡°Serves the man that died right. Why didn¡¯t he just mind his business? Your father should have been honest about Kate attacking you out of jealousy,¡± Edgar revealed that he knew who caused her to wear a mask. It was obvious from watching the pair interact.


    ¡°Why am I not surprised you knew who had a hand in it? Honestly, Kate started it but I finished it. I truly hated the sight of my face when I was younger. Before the incident happened, I wished many times I wouldn¡¯t have to be around anyone ever again. Big mistake,¡± Alessandra released a nervousugh. ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s said to be careful what you wish for.¡±

 Chapter 68

    68 Unwanted guest (2)


    ¡°I do not want to talk about it any further. Where are we going next?¡± Alessandra changed the subject. The little bit of information she gave to Edgar was all that she could handle right now.


    ¡°It must be boring to just look inside the rooms. Do you want to go outside? I¡¯m thinking of building a pavilion in the garden for you to go out and enjoy snacks outside instead of being stuck in the house. Your opinion will be needed for where it should go. My men train right here but there is an empty spot out by the trees over there,¡± Edgar pointed far beyond where the shirtless men were running around.


    ¡°It should be there then. Rather than enjoy snacks, I think I might paint out there. There is so much scenery around your home-¡±


    ¡°Our,¡± Edgar interrupted her as it wasn¡¯t the first time she referred to everything as his. ¡°This is like you calling me Duke rather than Edgar all over again. You are aware that being husband and wife means that what belongs to me also belongs to you? This is our home, our servants, and our bedroom.¡±


    ¡°Sorry. It is still taking some time to realize that I share all of this with you. You put a lot of faith in me, Edgar. What if I was secretly the type to want everything you have? What if I end up spending all your money? Why are you willing to split what belongs to you?¡±


    ¡°Alessandra, I would have to be a fool to let anyone walk into my home and take everything that belongs to me. I do not worry about those things because I know you aren¡¯t that type of person. Consider that I wouldn¡¯t have entertained marrying you if you were the type. What is it, Alfred?¡± Edgar questioned when he saw Alfreding down the hallway as fast as his legs would let him walk.


    ¡°Young master, there is someone requesting your presence. They are here to congratte you on your wedding,¡± Alfred huffed as he had run up the stairs with the news.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you send someone younger to find me, Alfred? You are hunched over like you are about to pass out. On a scale from one to ten, what is our guest?¡± Edgar asked.


    ¡°Four,¡± Alfred replied.


    .....


    ¡°Hmm. Come, Alessandra. We have someone to entertain,¡± Edgar held out his hands for her to take.


    Alessandra without any hesitation held Edgar¡¯s hand and walked with him behind Alfred to meet the guest. ¡°What is this scale?¡±


    ¡°How irritating the person is based on past interactions. We will not be epting anyone five and up today.¡±


    Alfred led the young couple to a waiting room where countless boxes were being stacked up by men who didn¡¯t work for Edgar.


    Alessandra inspected a man with arge stomach walking around the room observing each decoration ced to add character to the room. As he was about to pick up a vase, Alfred cleared his throat making the guest aware of his presence.


    ¡°Duke Edgar Collins,¡± the flustered man quickly ced his hands behind his back.


    ¡°Patrick Gamble. You were snooping around in my things again. You have once again taken up that hobby of trying to buy what I have. I¡¯m ttered,¡± Edgar called out what Patrick was hoping he didn¡¯t see.


    Patrick pulled on his cor as the room started to feel suffocating now that the Duke was present. ¡°It is merely a coincidence that you and I end up with the same things.¡±


    ¡°No, it is not when you go out trying to hire the same people I had in my home and ask them to give you a list of what I bought. Do you think it wouldn¡¯t get back to me? You can be honest in front of me, Patrick. I don¡¯t mind having such a devoted fan or, well, stalker,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°I will admit I love taking inspiration from your home, Duke Collins. One day you might identally walk into my home thinking that it¡¯s yours,¡± Patrick joked.


    ¡°Never,¡± Edgar quickly disagreed. ¡°My gates are not broken and make that awful creaking noise you hear as you arrive at your property. There is also the fact you choose cheaper materials than I did when you are remodeling your home to look like mine. Now I am offended by what you are doing, Patrick. Find inspiration elsewhere.¡±


    ¡°Very well. Is this your wife?¡± Patrick nced at the woman with the mask beside Edgar. He had an idea of who she might be but figured Edgar would not be that crazy.


    ¡°No, this is a statute I have brought to life and I hold its hand for it to follow me wherever I go. Of course, it is my wife. What do you want from me?¡± Edgar got straight to the point now that the greetings were over. ¡°Would you like to sit down?¡± He spoke softly to Alessandra.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t mind standing.¡± Alessandra had a feeling they weren¡¯t going to be entertaining their guest for too long so there was no reason for her to sit down.


    ¡°The wonderful news of your marriage is flooding the kingdom so I thought it was only fitting to bring some of my wine to you and your wife. I don¡¯t mean to be rude-¡±


    ¡°Then don¡¯t open your mouth if you think you¡¯d be rude,¡± Edgar stopped him.


    ¡°I was only going to ask if your new wife is Alessandra Barrett. Daughter of the Baron, Desmond Barrett? You know, the one the town says is- Forgive me,¡± Patrick bowed his head when Edgar threw him a re. He was only trying to see if the Duke was aware of the rumors surrounding the girl.


    ¡®Why would he marry such a woman when there are better ones begging to be his wife?¡¯ Patrick wondered. The town was in for a shock when they learned who the Duke¡¯s new wife was. Patrick found it hard to look at her face but had to do so as there was a big panther right by her side patiently waiting to attack.


    ¡°Cursed? Is that what you were going to say?¡± Alessandra spoke up, surprising the three men in the room. ¡°Go on and say it. It won¡¯t hurt my feelings. I¡¯m sure there is a lot on your mind that you wish to tell the Duke now that you know it is me that he married.¡±


    Alessandra didn¡¯t need Edgar to have to stop anyone from talking about her being cursed. It was never something that hurt her feelings. It only annoyed her that people were so stupid to hang onto ridiculous lies for so long but it couldn¡¯t be helped that society loved having something to talk about.


    ¡°I am only worried about the Duke. I care about his reputation and I am afraid of what the town will say when they learn of this union. I want to speak with the Duke alone,¡± Patrick¡¯s words came out like an order for Alessandra to leave rather than requesting a private audience with Edgar.


    ¡°Anything you have to say to my husband can be said in front of me as I am sure it will concern my marriage. If you don¡¯t like this, you can leave,¡± Alessandra proceeded to take a seat. She would not be looked down upon once again in her own home and do nothing about it quickly as she did with Jennifer.

 Chapter 69

    69 Unwanted guest (3)


    Patrick looked to Edgar for help with sending the young woman away. Surely the Duke would scold her for staying when the two men were in need of a private conversation. ¡®If my wife dared do something like this I would drag her out of the room for being disrespectful,¡¯ he thought.


    ¡°What are you waiting for? She told you to speak,¡± Edgar moved to stand behind the chair where Alessandra now sat.


    Patrick expected a different oue from Edgar. A conversation was meant to happen between the two men without a woman around to intervene. Patrick knew nothing of Alessandra therefore he did not wish to talk to her.


    Patrick wondered if the young woman had bewitched the Duke and taken control of him. The Duke¡¯s good name would be dragged through the mud with a woman like this by his side. ¡°Like everyone else, I have been waiting anxiously for you to start a new chapter in your life with marriage. I wish for you to have a wonderful marriage without scandal. I only wish to make sure you think things over thoroughly.¡±


    ¡°Since when have you taken on the role of my father, Patrick? You are in no position to question my marriage. Frankly, you should be happy I allow you to enter my home given how much you irritate me at times. Did you drink wine before you came to my home?¡± Edgar genuinely wanted to know since it was the only reasoning behind Patrick thinking he could waltz in and give his opinion on their marriage.


    ¡°Duke Collins, I never meant to offend you. Forgive me, I was only worrying about your reputation,¡± Patrick lowered his gaze to avoid meeting Edgar¡¯s gut-wrenching stare. He genuinely like Edgar and did not want to ever see him fall.


    Reputations were easy to destroy and hard to fix. Edgar should not have his good name ruined all for a woman who had to hide half of her face.


    ¡°I¡¯ve made it quite clear I don¡¯t care about my reputation. If not my marriage there will be something else about me that people will discuss to bring me down. I am hated as much as I am loved. I don¡¯t care to waste my days worrying about how I look in the eyes of other people. Try it, Patrick. On this joyous day, you have made my wife upset.¡±


    ¡°No. She might have mistaken my concern for something else. I do not know the woman you have gotten married to as her father kept her out of the public eye for so long and then there are the rumors surrounding her. Talk about her has even reached men, Duke Collins. That says something,¡± Patrick tried to reason with Edgar.


    .....


    ¡°Why is my name reaching the ears of men so important? Do men entertain themselves with the same gossip as women? I thought it is said many times that gossiping is for women. I don¡¯t even know why are we even listening to you. I¡¯ve heard you once scammed people in other towns and now you have settled here,¡± Alessandra lied.


    ¡°That¡¯s absurd!¡± Patrick spat with anger over such a lie. ¡°I am a man from a reputable family. Anyone who dares to say something like that is not in their right mind or does not have any idea who they are speaking of.¡±


    ¡°None of you have ever seen me curse anyone and yet, you believe such a ridiculous im. Just as you said, I have been kept out of the public eye so what makes you think what you heard about me is true when the people talking have never seen me?¡± Alessandra questioned their unwanted guest.


    She wondered if Edgar considered him to be a four on his scale, what would a ten be like?


    ¡°I am not angered by the fact you are cautious but it is the way you are ready to have Edgar off our marriage before you even try to greet me and see if the rumors are false. Right now, I am not a fan of you, sir. The gifts you brought,¡± Alessandra looked at the countless boxes stacked upon one another. ¡°We have no need for them.¡±


    Patrick¡¯s eyes widened now that she mentioned his gifts. ¡°T-These are the best wines in town. Anyone would be a fool not to take them.¡±


    ¡°Then you will not have to wait long for someone else to im them,¡± Alessandra replied.


    Alfred ced his hand over his mouth to hide a small smile. Alessandra had sessfully cornered the man on her own and there was only one thing Patrick could do now if he wished to keep being an acquaintance of Edgar.


    ¡°I apologize for offending you, Duchess. It was wrong of me to pay those rumors any mind without getting to know you when you are in front of me. We would get along well if you get to know me too. Your father and I are quite close,¡± Patrick mentioned this hoping it would break the ice between them. ¡°Please ept the wines and my apology.¡±


    Alessandra disliked the man more now that he mentioned her father. The more he spoke, the more he kept digging himself into a hole. ¡°You are forgiven but you should still take the wine. I¡¯d rather not take anything from you right now. If you don¡¯t mind, please leave as I want to finish enjoying today with my husband.¡±


    ¡°Duke,¡± Patrick looked to Edgar with pleading eyes to allow him to stay. They didn¡¯t have a proper chance to talk before it was time for him to leave.


    ¡°I wish I could say it was nice seeing you, Patrick. Alfred will show you the way out. I expect all these boxes to be removed as quickly as they were brought in. Are you ready to go, Alessandra?¡± Edgar ced his hand on the side of Alessandra¡¯s chair to help her stand up.


    ¡°But wait,¡± Patrick tried to stop them from leaving but the couple ignored his words and left the room. ¡°Duke Collins,¡± he took a step forward to chase after them but before he could take a second step, Alfred blocked his path.


    ¡°The door is this way,¡± Alfred pointed in the opposite direction.


    ¡°The Duke has seriously fallen in love with that woman?¡± Patrick questioned Alfred for the truth as it all seemed so unbelievable.


    ¡°I suggest thinking of a good way to get into the Duchess¡¯s good graces if you wish to be allowed into this house ever again,¡± Alfred advised Patrick. ¡°As for right now, it is time for you and the things you have brought to leave.¡±

 Chapter 70

    70 Mother knows best (1)


    ¡°Today is awfully boring and it is already past noon. When will something exciting happen? I am tired of sitting around doing nothing.¡±


    ¡°Would you like to go for a walk, Mrs. Collins?¡±


    ¡°To do what? Stare at the same trees I have seen countless times? I am not a person who enjoys walking around outdoors unless there is a party,¡± Prisci Collins said.


    Sitting at a table on one of the balconies of her home in the White town, Prisci was bored out of her mind.


    ¡°I will never understand why my husband packed all our things and moved us away from Lockwood. Although he wished to retire it did not mean we needed to leave to live in a ce like this boring old town. Nothing happens herepared to Lockwood and I am missing my son oh so much,¡± Prisci looked at thends surrounding her home with disgust.


    ¡°Will Edgar be visiting anytime soon?¡± Heather Powell, daughter of a long-time Collins family friend questioned. She came to spend time with Prisci as her mother requested.


    ¡°That boy has no ns on visiting his parents. It is always us taking a carriage to Lockwood to pay him a visit. Have you continued to send him letters as I told you to?¡± Prisci studied the woman she viewed as an excellent choice for Edgar¡¯s wife.


    ¡°Yes but I receive no response. My heart can only take so much and I have to say I might stop sending them soon. I can never force Edgar to like me and none of your tricks seem to work. The fact that we live in two different towns has made it hard,¡± Heather smiled apologetically at Prisci as she wished to give up on chasing Edgar.


    ¡°I won¡¯t allow you to give up. Your mother has been my friend for many years and the only light I have in this town. I promised I would do everything in my power for you to marry Edgar and I won¡¯t stop now. The two of you have grown up so close which means the two of you will get along well in the future.¡±


    .....


    Heather showed Prisci a small smile as she could never mention the truth that she and Edgar weren¡¯t as close as his mother thought. If Edgar didn¡¯t like you, he made sure you knew it and although he was never rude to her, Heather picked up on the fact he was always annoyed by her presence. It might¡¯ve had something to do with their mother¡¯s continuously talking about marriage whenever they were in the same room.


    Heather knew there was no possible way she would end up with Edgar and to be honest, she did not want it to happen. However, she had to y along to please her mother and to avoid ruining the rtionship she had with Prisci. Not just anyone received an invitation to spend alone time with Prisci.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know when I will ever get a reply from Edgar. I¡¯ll have to wait until hees to visit you and his father. There is a lot I wish to know about him and what he is doing in Lockwood. I wish to visit the town to attend one of the grand balls the king has. My mother and I might go for the winter,¡± said Heather.


    ¡°If my husband wasn¡¯t so adamant about staying here, I would be in Lockwood right now. It¡¯s as if the man does not wish to see his only child. How did he go from being a ruthless Duke to a gardener?¡± Prisci sighed, picking up a fan as she became hot.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s lovely that Mr. Collins wants to surround your home with flowers to match your beauty but he has not been able to do so no matter how many flowers he has ced. So many women were envious of you when he said those words.¡±


    ¡°It is lovely but more flowers means more bugs. I¡¯d rather he just put a few in a vase and call it a day. I am missing my old life in Lockwood. I should sneak out while he is away and take a small trip there,¡± Prisci contemted it. She had no need to worry about where she should stay.


    Although they moved, they owned a home in Lockwood and if she would feel lonely, she could always stay with her rtives.


    ¡°Why wait until winter, Heather? I will speak to your mother about the two of youing along with me. There is nothing for the two of you to do here anyway. Don¡¯t you miss when you were in Lockwood? It¡¯s a shame your father had the same foolish idea as my husband to leave. This town is too peaceful and the gossip is boring. The most exciting things you hear here are about people from other towns.¡±


    ¡°It is up to my mother to decide but I do miss being in Lockwood. There are many friends I must catch up with,¡± Heather replied.


    ¡°And you must spend time with Edgar. If we sit back and do nothing, we will only waste your youthful days not being married. Heaven knows you are nearing the end of your best years,¡± Prisci shook her head as Heather would soon be of no use if she remained this way. She was in need of a healthy young woman to give her grandchildren.


    Heather desperately wanted to bring up the fact Prisci had made her mother reject all marriage offers she had in order to be free for Edgar. Had it not been for Prisci meddling in her life, she would have been married by now.


    Prisci kept her waiting for Edgar who did not want her and now the woman wasmenting on the fact she was getting older. A hint that Prisci might find another young woman younger than Heather to be with Edgar.


    ¡°Do not look so sullen, Heather. I will have the two of you married by the end of our trip. My son knows he is in need of a wife to give him an heir. If he¡¯s going to marry someone it should be a woman he can tolerate in the beginning and then you two will grow to love each other as the years go by. You will make an excellent daughter-inw because you listen to me so well,¡± Prisci smiled.


    She was picky when it came to the type of woman Edgar would wed as not anyone was worthy of the Collins name. Her daughter-inw also had to obey her every word. Heather fit both categories thanks to her background and how she was raised to respect her elders.


    ¡°Lady Collins,¡± a man stepped onto the balcony.


    Prisci¡¯s nose scrunched up as she looked to inspect his poor attire. ¡°What gives you the right to greet me with such a poor appearance? Who on earth allowed you to enter?¡±


    ¡°The butler did. I rode from Lockwood with news about your son. I did not have time to change my clothes since I wanted toe to you right away. It is urgent-¡±


    ¡°Stop bbering and just tell me what it is. Did something happen to Edgar?¡± Prisci ced her fan down as concern filled her body. There was no news of Edgar for weeks and now her messenger looked too nervous to ry the news.


    ¡°I received word that your son, Edgar Collins, has gotten married.¡±

 Chapter 71

    71 Mother knows best (2)


    ¡°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,¡± Prisci looked to the messenger to im 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 ced 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 Prisci as the woman looked like she could pass out at any given moment. ¡°Breath,¡± she picked up the paper fan Prisci had been using a moment ago and used it to help her cool down. ¡°There has to be a reasonable exnation behind all of this.¡±


    ¡°Reasonable exnation? What exnation 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 exnation. She didn¡¯t think anyone could ckmail 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,¡± Prisci 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.


    .....


    Prisci 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!¡± Prisci yelled as the messenger was giving her irrelevant information when she only wanted to hear the name of her daughter-inw. ¡°What is her name?¡±


    ¡°Alessandra Barrett is his wife. She¡¯s the daughter of the Baron, Desmon Barrett. I should sayte Baron as I am hearing rumors he was killedst night. I am certain of this yet.¡±


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


    ¡°Desmond Barrett,¡± Prisci 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-¡± Prisci 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 congratte them. It is time we move on,¡± said Heather.


    Prisci 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.¡±


    Prisci regained herposure 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 d to have such a mother who knows what he needs.


    ¡°Get out of my sight,¡± Prisci 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-inw and I am sure your mother wouldn¡¯t want to give up.¡±


    Prisci gently ced 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 Prisci no longer liked her and then distanced herself from her mother. It was better to forget her happiness and do what Prisci wanted than to be cast out of the circle she was in. She saw what being on Prisci¡¯s list looked like and did not want any part of it. She did not her mother to be excluded from Prisci¡¯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,¡± Prisci 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, Prisci 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 toe 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 ced himself in.


    Prisci picked up the fan she had smacked away from Heather and began fanning herself again. She looked around thend in White town once again before she finally stood up. ¡°I am not returning to this awful ce,¡± she made up her mind.


    Her ce 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, Prisci 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 hime to my room right this instant.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Collins, I have been right here,¡± the butler appeared in the opposite direction Prisci was running. ¡°How can I help?¡±


    ¡°Gather the servants to prepare a carriage. Have my maids pull out my dresses and other necessities tost 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?¡± Prisci 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 Prisci was walking with such urgency as if something terrible had happened.


    ¡°I am going to save my son,¡± Prisci dered.

 Chapter 72

    72 First night (1)


    ¡°Young master, weren¡¯t you nning on visiting the priests to see who was the one to spread the news about your marriage?¡± Alfred questioned as he ced a tray of wine and snacks for Edgar to use while he worked.


    ¡°I was but it would be rude to leave Alessandra alone again on the first day of our marriage. Today is meant to be our honeymoon but look what she has faced already. Where is she now?¡± Edgar asked.


    The day had quickly turned to night and he hadn¡¯t seen Alessandra since theyst separated. He came to his office to deal with work while she ran off somewhere.


    ¡°She¡¯s with the maid you brought back from the Baron¡¯s home. They are trying to organize the room with art supplies to make it a ce the Duchess can paint in peace without any interruptions. You never had any use for the room so I told her that you might be fine with it.¡±


    ¡°It is fine. There might need to be some shelves ced to store some of the things she has. Call for someone to do it tomorrow. Has she visited the room with the essories?¡± Edgar looked up from the paper in his hand since he had not heard a word about the things in that room.


    ¡°She briefly looked at them but then went back to organize the paint you bought for her. The Duchess doesn¡¯t seem to be the type to care for jewelry, bags, hats, and everything else you have bought. From watching her expression, she seems concerned by the amount of money you might have spent.¡± Alfred loved this about her.


    He had always disliked some of the people who tried sticking close to Edgar just to get a piece of his wealth. Alessandra was more interested in painting than wearing priceless jewelry.


    Edgar didn¡¯tment on what Alfred said. He had a feeling Alessandra wouldn¡¯t have been interested in the jewelry like other young women would but he still expected her to be trying them on as she envisioned asions she would wear them.


    If he were to ever upset her and want to get back into her good graces, would he need to buy her more paint? The paint seemed so simple in his eyes.


    .....


    Edgar looked back at the paper in his hand as it was no use worrying about what else Alessandra would like when she was already happy with the paint.


    After a moment of silence but Alfred had not moved, Edgar looked back up at the butler who seemed to be expecting something.


    ¡°What do you want from me, Alfred?¡± Edgar asked.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it about time you stop your work and go see your wife? It is almost time for dinner and you have not taken your bath yet.¡±


    Edgar stared nkly at Alfred. It felt like he was being told by his father to stop ying with toys and go clean up to look presentable for guests. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go tell Alessandra to prepare for dinner instead of harassing me? I can see that smile you are trying to hide, Alfred. I know you better than you know yourself. Whatever game you are ying, I won¡¯t be a part of it.¡±


    Alfred replied, ¡°I am not ying any games, young master. Alessandra has her own personal maid to inform her of the time to prepare for dinner. It has always been my job to inform you. I¡¯m sure your work can wait until tomorrow.¡±


    Edgar didn¡¯t believe Alfred wasn¡¯t up to something. He picked up on Alfred tapping his finger on his leg like he had something timed and had to rush him out right now. ¡°Very well but you have brought me wine and snacks before dinner. I should at least enjoy them before I go.¡±


    ¡°You can take them with you to the bathe-¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t bathe and eat,¡± Edgar interrupted Alfred. ¡°If anything I don¡¯t like happens, I will send you to work for my mother for a week.¡±


    ¡®Keywords are if you don¡¯t like it,¡¯ Alfred deviously thought. Contrary to what Edgar and Alessandra said and agreed upon, he was determined to make them open their hearts to one another.


    ¡°I will wait here until my bath is ready,¡± Edgar remained seated.


    However, Alfred was already prepared for this. ¡°It has already been prepared for you, young master.¡±


    Edgar leaned back in his chair amused by how much thought Alfred put into whatever he was doing. ¡°What if it would have taken longer to convince me to leave? You were willing to waste good warm water?¡±


    ¡°I ordered that the water be piping hot. It should be warm enough for you to use right now. I shall see you at dinner,¡± Alfred slightly bowed, hiding the growing smile on his lips from Edgar. When he lifted his head the smile was gone. ¡°I have other matters to tend to,¡± he took the ss of wine off of the tray he brought and took up everything else before leaving the room.


    ¡°What was the point of bringing snacks only to take them? Tonight shall be interesting,¡± Edgar finally ced the paper down on his desk. He was curious to see what was making Alfred so excited.


    Edgar stood up from his chair, taking the ss of wine with him as he walked around the desk towards the door. When he reached the door, he opened it and stepped out but didn¡¯t move too far out the doorway as he contemted paying Alessandra a visit first. However, he decided against it as the water might soon turn cold and he did not wish to waste it.


    Edgar took small sips of the wine which wasn¡¯t as strong as the ones Alfred would normally bring him before dinner. He was expecting that maybe Alfred was trying to get him drunk but that wasn¡¯t the case.


    By the time Edgar reached their bedroom, he had emptied the ss of wine. He entered the bedroom and looked around for anything odd Alfred might have left inside but there was nothing.


    ¡°I am starting to fear whatever he has done,¡± Edgar muttered.


    He ced the ss down on a desk he passed by on his way to the bathroom. True to Alfred¡¯s words, his bath was already prepared for him. Nothing in the bathroom felt out of ce either. Edgar walked to the tub to ce his hand below the small group of bubbles and into the water. It was still hot but it wasn¡¯t unbearable for him to not use it.


    Edgar began unbuttoning his shirt first and once he reached thest button, he removed and tossed it to the side to be picked up after he was finished. Edgar then discarded his shoes, pants, and underwear, cing them in the same spot as his shirt.


    Finally, he sat down in the tub facing away from the door. Water flowed over the edge as too much was used to fill the tub. As if it was all meant to be on cue, he heard the bedroom door open and close. His lips curled as he realized what Alfred was in a rush to do.


    ¡®I should give him a raise,¡¯ Edgar thought while he silently waited for his wife to fall into the trap created by Alfred.

 Chapter 73

    73 First night (2)


    ¡°You will need to ask the Duke to have shelves built to ce some of the paint. There was also paint packed up in the belongings you had sent here. There won¡¯t be enough space,¡± Sally concluded after looking around the room.


    They barely had enough room to get most of the canvas out of the way. The bigger ones were lined up against the wall while the smaller ones took up a lot of shelf space.


    ¡°I will ask Edgar about it during dinner. I think we just need someone who might be better at organizing than us. Still, we did a good job. Thank you,¡± Alessandra was proud of what she aplished with Sally so far.


    ¡°You do not need to thank me. This is my job after all. Should we-Oh!¡± Sally finally noticed how much darker the sky was bing when her eyesnded on the window.¡±It is getting dark, Duchess. How long has it been since you have eaten? I cannot remember.¡±


    ¡°I am not hungry,¡± Alessandra ignored the dark sky. She was more interested in tidying up the rest of the room. ¡°I will eat when it is time for dinner.¡±


    ¡°But you need to take a bath and change clothes. There is so much paint over your beautiful dress,¡± Sally started to panic. The dress looked to be expensive but Alessandra wasn¡¯t treating it like it was.


    ¡°Really? That is why I wanted to change into something more simple but you said my dresses from home didn¡¯t suit a Duchess. I will try washing it out when I go to bathe-¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not!¡± Sally eximed. She would not make the mistake of letting Alessandra wash her own clothes for the Duke to strangle her for allowing it to happen. ¡°I will find out where the clothes are washed and have someone take care of it. We spent too much time here, Duchess.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Alessandra gave up. There was no need to push getting the room ready when there was a brand new day almost here. ¡°You can go ahead and prepare the tub. I will be right after you.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Okay-Oh,¡± Sally stopped at the doorway when she found the butler panting like he had been running. ¡°Hello, Alfred. Do you need something from the Duchess? I am going to have her bath prepared.¡±


    ¡°That is alright. I sent someone to do it for her already. I injured one of my feet while hurrying to get down to the kitchen to tell the cook dinner will be starting at least one hourte. Can you go down and inform them? I will take care of the Duchess. I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t go down the stairs yet,¡± Alfred patted his alleged injured foot.


    ¡°Uhm...¡± Sally looked at Alessandra still walking around the room. The butler was the one telling her to leave so it should be alright. ¡°I¡¯ll be back as soon as I can. Excuse me.¡±


    ¡°Please, take your time,¡± Alfred replied as Sally walked past him to go to the kitchen. ¡°Duchess,¡± Alfred knocked on the door to alert her of his presence since she did not once look at the door when he was speaking to her maid.


    ¡°Alfred! Did Sally run off already?¡± Alessandra now noticed the young girl was gone. ¡°Do you need something?¡±


    ¡°It is almost time for dinner. Edgar has started to get ready but it appears you are behind time. You should start now if you do not wish to bete,¡± Alfred advised her.


    ¡°Oh, is it thatte? I¡¯ll get ready as quickly as I can. I will see you soon, Alfred.¡±


    To avoid beingte, Alessandra walked past Alfred without asking which room Edgar was using to get ready.


    ¡°They¡¯ll work everything out on their own,¡± Alfred now had to hide to avoid being questioned about his trickter on. If it was sessful, they might not look to scold him but thank him.


    The room with the art supplies was only four rooms down from the bedroom Alessandra would have to share with Edgar. Alessandra entered the room and as soon as she closed the door, she tried to reach the knot where the dress was tied from behind.


    ¡°I need Sally¡¯s help,¡± she muttered. Her arm already ached from the weird position she ced it in to try loosening the knot. ¡°Sally?¡± Alessandra looked to the bathroom door as water sshing onto the floor could be heard.


    Thinking Sally might have identally fallen into the water or done something to make the water spill out of the tub, Alessandra approached the bathroom door. Her eyes never went to the empty ss which would have alerted her someone else was in the bedroom beside herself.


    As she reached the slightly ajar door, Alessandra¡¯s eyes widened at the sight of Edgar sitting in the tub. His left hand was spread across the edge of the tub, showing off details of his muscles that were normally hidden beneath his shirt.


    Getting a handful of water in his right hand, Edgar pushed back his brown strands of hair from his face. Tiny droplets of water dripped from his hair down to his neck and back.


    ¡®This is wrong,¡¯ Alessandra snapped out of looking at his bare upper body. ¡®I wouldn¡¯t want him to stare at me at a time like this and not say anything. I should leave quietly.¡¯


    ¡°Going so soon?¡± Edgar¡¯s voice stopped her the moment she slightly turned to leave. ¡°You should make yourself aware of the mirror straight ahead of you. You should see your face as you stare at me. Enjoyed the show?¡±


    ¡°I-I didn¡¯t mean to stare at you. Alfred said the bathroom was prepared for me to use. We must¡¯ve gotten mixed up,¡± Alessandra replied, looking everywhere but at Edgar sitting inside of the tub now that she was caught. She wanted to dig a hole and crawl into it because Edgar might think she was a creep.


    ¡°There is no mix-up. We are both victims of Alfred¡¯s tricks. He sent us here expecting something to blossom between us. I can¡¯t be angry with him considering I got to see my wife staring at me with so much lust.¡±


    ¡°I truly did not mean to stare at you and there was no lust involved. I was just surprised to see you here. I¡¯ll leave to give you some privacy,¡± Alessandra said and began to close the door but Edgar stopped her.


    ¡°Wait. There isn¡¯t a lot of soap in the water. Do you mind handing me one from the counter? I spilled water and I might fall if I step out now,¡± Edgar stared at Alessandra in the mirror, trying to read her facial expression.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, won¡¯t you just end up falling when you try to get out anyway? And I might fall if I walk where you want me to go. All signs lead to you getting the soap you want yourself. Goodbye,¡± Alessandra quickly closed the door before Edgar could say something else.


    Her heart could barely handle the sight of him in the tub and even though she had been looking away, the image was still clear in her mind each time she blinked.


    ¡°Alfred, how evil of you,¡± she shook her head.


    On the other hand, Edgar tapped his fingers against the tub, slightly irritated he couldn¡¯t get her toe into the bathroom rather than stand at the door. He only needed her to be within arm¡¯s reach to bring her closer to the tub he sat in. Unlike Alessandra, he was not the shy type like Alessandra was earlier today.


    If she wanted to see more of his body rather than silently watching him from a distance, he would have stood up to show all of his glory or guide her hand through the water for her to get used to a man¡¯s body.


    ¡°How will she handle us being in the same bed together tonight?¡± Edgar would not allow her to run away even if it felt too weird for her. ¡°Should I tell Alfred to bring dinner here and tie her up when it is over?¡±


    Edgar had no intention of bedding Alessandra any time soon due to the fact he needed her to getfortable in moments like this where she wouldn¡¯t run away from her naked husband.


    He wasn¡¯t in a rush to create a child with Alessandra as neither of them was ready to be parents. However, they were still a man and a woman, therefore, it wouldn¡¯t be long until they desire each other intimately. When the time came, he wanted Alessandra to be asfortable as he was. This was why he had to slowly start introducing her to things she never experienced from this moment.


    ¡°This is the first time I am excited to retire to bed,¡± Edgar tilted his head back so he could look at the bathroom ceiling. Normally, it was only him after he had dinner but now there was someone to share his bed with when night came upon Lockwood. ¡°I can hardly wait to make her heart wish to escape her body.¡±


    Had he known marriage would have been filled with this much entertainment, he would have done it sooner but then he considered that it was only entertaining because of the person he married.

 Chapter 74

    74 First night (3)


    ¡°I believe we are even now. I saw your naked back this morning and now you have seen mine,¡± Edgar stated as he exited the bathroom. ¡°Are you going to continue acting shy? It¡¯s not like you saw anything explicit. ¡±


    Alessandra sat at the front of the bed, looking straight ahead because she was certain Edgar would not be decently dressed. ¡°I am not acting shy about that. I was just surprised you were in there and Alfred was trying to set us up for something I don¡¯t want to imagine.¡±


    ¡°Then why can¡¯t you meet the eyes of your dear husband? I¡¯m not going to bite unless you want me to. It woulde as a pleasant surprise if you were into that kind of thing. If my back has surprised you, wait until we be morefortable with each other and you see the front of me.¡±


    ¡°Yet again, I was only surprised to see you in there. You are not the first man I have seen naked. Do not let this moment fuel your ego,¡± said Alessandra.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me it was the cook?¡± The question left a sour taste in Edgar¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°His name is Mario and no, it was not him. I told you I caught two people having sex. That is where I saw a man¡¯s naked body right before I ran away. There is nothing special about it.¡±


    A smile fell on Edgar¡¯s lips due to Alessandra¡¯s denial. ¡°I am many things, Alessandra but I am not blind. I saw your face clearly in the mirror when you watched me and you should know, it is alright. There would be something wrong if you do not lust after your husband. It doesn¡¯t fuel my ego, it lets me know that I am wanted.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like walking into anyone while they are like that,¡± Alessandra stated. Alfred made her invade Edgar¡¯s privacy.


    Edgar began to walk around the bed to go to his closet for fresh clothes. ¡°Of course, you shouldn¡¯t and Alfred would never trick you into seeing anyone else like that. Not unless he wants to be sent to work for my mother. However, I am not a shy man and something like this does not affect me. You can walk in on me as much as you like.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Your confidence has no bounds,¡± Alessandra said, then squeezed her eyes shut when Edgar came into her line of sight with a towel hanging dangerously low around his waist. ¡®No bounds at all,¡¯ she thought.


    How could he be sofortable walking around like this already? Was he used to exposing so much skin to others?


    ¡°You are ruining Alfred¡¯s hard work,¡± she heard him chuckle to the right of her. ¡°Though he should be aware I wouldn¡¯t have done anything with you if it was orchestrated by someone. Rx your shoulders a bit. I will not touch you tonight though it¡¯s our first night.¡±


    Alessandra¡¯s eyes flew open as she had entirely forgotten about their first night. There was so much on her mind that she forgot it was tradition for couples to engage in sexual activities on their first night to make the marriage truly official. That is what Mario told her.


    Edgar stated he intended to sleep with her and have children. At some point, they would have to be intimate with each other for that to happen.


    ¡®When?¡¯ Alessandra wondered. She had no idea when Edgar wanted to have his first child.


    ¡°Did I break you?¡± Edgar questioned from the sidelines when he noticed her worried expression. He sighed as it appeared they had a long road ahead of them when it came to being blunt about intimate things. ¡°We will not make love to each other so soon Alessandra. I¡¯d prefer we get to know each other a little bit better.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± her shoulders rxed. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Alessandra was not ready to go from being the only person to see herself naked to having to also see Edgar naked and do things she had never done before. At this point, she wished she had someone to tell her more details about all of this so she could stop acting so scared in front of Edgar. However, Edgar said the tutors weren¡¯t that helpful so the only person she could speak with was her husband.


    ¡°Edgar,¡± she called his name after a deep breath.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Alessandra heard him hum from where she presumed to be his closet.


    ¡°I would love it if you could teach me about the things we do in the privacy of our bedroom but please bear in mind, I am not you. The way you say things is a little hard to swallow at first. Edgar?¡± She called again when the closet had gone silent. There was no movement like before.


    ¡°I already intended to teach you but I am d you asked. It won¡¯t be as hard as I imagined. Tonight, let¡¯s talk about other things. We¡¯ve only been married for a day and given the circumstances behind it, I don¡¯t want you to worry or feel pressured like it is your duty to sleep with me. I survived before you came,¡± said Edgar. He was not a manwhore like one of the rumors about him imed.


    ¡°Mario said-¡±


    ¡°Alessandra,¡± Edgar called her name loud and clear to stop her from mentioning anything the cook had to say. Each time she called his name, a particr spot on Edgar¡¯s skin itched. ¡°I do not care what that man told you.¡±


    After a moment of silence, Alessandra asked, ¡°Are you jealous of Mario, Edgar?¡± She found it to be unbelievable as their rtionship was one where no feelings were involved but she still had to ask what was on her mind once again. She didn¡¯t understand his dislike when she spoke about Mario.


    ¡°Jealous?¡± Edgar walked out of the closet wearing pants that stopped at his knees and no shirt. ¡°Why would a Duke be jealous of a cook? That man has nothing that I want. It simply irritates me what you two have talked about except the fact he has feelings for you.¡±


    ¡°Mario was my only friend. Regardless of if he likes me as you say, there was no one else to answer my questions. It is making me feel bad how ufortable he must have been to ask him about what couples do when-¡±


    ¡°He wanted to do the same thing with you?¡± Edgar bluntly ended what he knew she wouldn¡¯t have the courage to say.


    ¡°Edgar!¡± Alessandra eximed as that was not what she was going to say. ¡°I have only viewed him as a friend or brother and to hear that he might have thought about those kinds of things with me is extremely weird.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about your old cook sh friend sh brother sh secret lover anymore. I will call for someone to prepare your bath. What¡¯s wrong?¡± Edgar noticed her intense gaze directed at him. Did he upset her by dismissing the cook?


    ¡°Your hair is wet. Would you like me to dry it? I could never fully dry my hair when it was just me. There was always a damp spot I could not reach but I suppose it wouldn¡¯t be the same for you since your hair isn¡¯t as long as mine. You don¡¯t have to say yes. I¡¯m sure-¡±


    ¡°Stop rambling, Alessandra. It annoys me,¡± Edgar replied with a sigh. He moved from where he stood to sit next to Alessandra on the bed. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you moving? Didn¡¯t you just offer to dry my hair? Am I meant toy on yourp or will you stand?¡± He passed her a cloth he had in his hand that he was going to use to dry his hair himself.


    ¡°I will stand,¡± Alessandra took the cloth from him. ¡°I will try not to be rough.¡±


    ¡°I do not believe that,¡± he folded his arms and waited for her to start. ¡°I am certain you enjoy seeing me in pain. Should I invest in whips in the future?¡±


    ¡°What for?¡± Alessandra innocently looked down at him as she towered over him. ¡°I would never hit you with a whip. What type of person do you take me for?¡±


    Edgar folded his lips for once in his life regretting the words he said. Of course, she wouldn¡¯t have any idea of what he was joking about. At least it confirmed the cook had never told her about the wild activities couples sometimes engaged in. ¡°Forget I said anything,¡± he closed his eyes, awaiting Alessandra to start drying his hair.


    ¡°I must have misunderstood what you meant about whips. If that is the case, if you ever present me with a whip in the future, I will run away from you. I have a lot to learn. Not just about being a Duchess but about the things thate out of your mouth,¡± Alessandra smiled as she ced the cloth over Edgar¡¯s head and began to dry his hair.


    ¡°You know, if I ever wished to make a fortune, I would just need to cut a few strands of your hair to sell. You are sought after by so many women that I would surely find those who would fight to have a piece of you.¡±


    Edgar¡¯s eyes slowly opened. ¡°Alessandra, that is not something I wish to hear while your hands are in my hair. I want every strand to stay where it is.¡±

 Chapter 75

    75 Our way (1)


    ¡°What if I take the ones from your brush? I¡¯m kidding,¡± Alessandra snickered when Edgar looked up at her in disbelief. ¡®Do note between him and his hair. Noted,¡¯ she thought.


    ¡°I do not wish for anyone to get my hair and try meddling in the art of dark magic. This kingdom has a lot of problems and my hair being added to a doll is thest thing it needs. While we are speaking about problems, never venture out of this house on your own. I will find you a guard tomorrow,¡± Edgar made a mental note of this so he wouldn¡¯t forget.


    ¡°Is it because of the girls that have gone missing?¡± Alessandra asked. She heard the Barrett servants speaking about it from time to time.


    ¡°That and the fact you are now a Duchess. My enemies are now your enemies, unfortunately. I will do everything in my power to protect you,¡± Edgar promised.


    ¡°I am surprised there is anyone who wishes to go up against you. I don¡¯t know much about the power you have but it is not hard to tell you are not a man to mess with. I mean, you did lift my father at his own party but you faced no consequence. I would avoid you if I did not like you,¡± Alessandra stated as it was foolish to try going up against a man who could slice your head off in a blink of an eye.


    ¡°There have been many situations where I have faced consequences. Your dear husband was nearly thrown into a cell once. From that day, I decided to plot my every move to avoid trouble. That is the thing many people hereck. Plotting their moves rather than jumping straight into the action. It took a while but I learned to control my temper.¡±


    ¡°I see. Should I brush your hair for you?¡±Alessandra removed the cloth from his head as it was damp from the water and his hair was partially dry.


    ¡°So that you canter pull my hair from it and sell it? No thank you. What you have done so far is fine. You also have to prepare for dinner but I am thinking of doing something unlike me which is eating dinner in our bedroom. What do you think?¡± Edgar awaited her opinion.


    Alessandra shrugged her shoulders as eating dinner in her bedroom was something she did quite often. She loved being able to sit at the table in Edgar¡¯s home but it wouldn¡¯t hurt to have one night where they could just reside in their bedroom. ¡°I am okay with it.¡±


    .....


    ¡°I will inform Alfred about it. That is if I am able to find him. He will be hiding to avoid being told about his little trick. He is lucky that I like him a lot,¡± Edgar stood up from the bed. His hair no longer dripped water thanks to Alessandra and it would soon be dry thanks to the breezeing in from the open window in their bedroom.


    ¡°I am envious of the rtionship you have with Alfred. The butlers at my father¡¯s home were always so serious. Alfred seems more like your family than your butler. Someone¡¯s knocking,¡± Alessandra looked to the bedroom door. ¡°Do you think that¡¯s him?¡±


    ¡°Not likely,¡± Edgar shook his head. Alfred was going to avoid him tonight like a sinner avoided the church. He approached the door and opened it to see the fool Alfred was going to use to take his ce tonight. ¡°It is your maid,¡± he informed Alessandra the moment he opened the door.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to intrude, Duke Edgar. I was supposed to prepare the Duchess¡¯s bath,¡± Sally looked into the bedroom wondering if she should leave since the Duke and Duchess were in their bedroom. She assumed they would want privacy and wouldn¡¯t care about a bath being prepared. ¡°I will leave if the Duchess does not need me.¡±


    ¡°Stay. She needs her bath prepared. I will leave for a moment to inform the cook we will be eating in our bedroom. It would be a nice treat if I get to creep on you as you did to me a moment ago,¡± Edgar grinned, enjoying the red hue appearing on Alessandra¡¯s cheeks.


    Alessandra sighed as she knew Edgar would never let her forget what happened. ¡°Edgar-Wait! Are you going to the kitchen like that?¡± She pointed at his exposed chest and short pants.


    It was one thing to be half naked because of bugs or you were training under the hot sun, but there was no reason why he had to be without a shirt when he was currently in his bedroom. The breeze from the window was chilly therefore Edgar would end up catching a cold.


    ¡°Am I going to be banned from walking around in my homefortably? I am always like this and there is no need to get angered by the thought of the maids seeing me like this. They can look but not touch. Not unless they wish to lose a finger,¡± Edgar smiled as if he didn¡¯t just mention taking someone¡¯s finger. ¡°I will be back soon.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about the maids. I don¡¯t want you to get sick,¡± Alessandra muttered.


    ¡°We should hurry,¡± Sally quickly closed the door behind Edgar. She picked up what was happening from the way Edgar was dressed and figured Alessandra was clueless.


    ¡°I know I must bathe but I don¡¯t see the rush. Is there something wrong?¡± Alessandra found Sally¡¯s quick movements to be odd.


    ¡°The Duke said the two of you will be eating together in your bedroom. I have to make you presentable before he returns. I will also tell the butler not to have anyone disturb you. Where is the bathroom? Is it here?¡± Sally practically ran towards the door.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this a bit much of a reaction just because we are eating inside our bedroom?¡± Alessandra asked, following Sally inside the bathroom.


    ¡°It is obvious the Duke intends to be intimate with you tonight. He must be impatient if he wishes to eat with you in your bedroom. What did you wear on your wedding night? I must make your nightwear just as grand for the second night since the two of you are still in the honeymoon phase. Luckily, I learned all about this before my life changed.¡±


    ¡°Edgar and I are just going to eat tonight, Sally. It is not what you are thinking and I am honestly confused by how you reached the conclusion that he is impatient. Wouldn¡¯t he have tried to do something quickly before dinner? Why am I even asking that question?¡± Alessandra ced her hand on her head to stop herself from overthinking like Sally was.


    ¡°Just going to eat?¡± Sally repeated the words. ¡°What is wrong with the dining table that you are just going to eat in your bedroom?¡± She did not see what they wished to hide if they were not going to fool around afterward. She figured as newlyweds, they would be anxious to get dinner over and then be able to hop in bed.


    ¡°There is nothing wrong with it. Edgar and I are just going to spend time together in our bedroom. The servants can retire early instead of having to wait up to clean up the table after us. He is not going to touch me tonight.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Sally did not understand. They had just gotten married and this was when she heard couples spent most of their time making love to each other. ¡°Aren¡¯t you concern why he would not want to touch you on the second night? He has his needs and you are his wife. If this keeps up, he might go looking for pleasure elsewhere. Hasn¡¯t anyone ever told you about this?¡±


    Alessandra opened her mouth to speak but then closed it. She was already understanding what Edgar meant by tutors being kind of a problem.

 Chapter 76

    76 Our way (2)


    Alessandra quickly realized that had she not been in a contract with Edgar where theymunicated things with each other, Sally¡¯s words would have her panicking about her rtionship with her husband.


    In Sally¡¯s eyes, it was only one night that Alessandra and Edgar were not going to be intimate but she was already thinking he would seek pleasure elsewhere. Alessandra figured them being newlyweds yed a role in Sally¡¯s thoughts but was it expected men would want to touch their wives every night after they got married and if they didn¡¯t, it would mean their husband got pleasure from elsewhere?


    ¡°Edgar isn¡¯t looking for pleasure elsewhere. In his own words, he is not a manwhore,¡± said Alessandra.


    Sally sighed as she found Alessandra to be too delusional. ¡°Of course, he would say that to his wife. It is the second night of the two of you being married and you¡¯re telling me that he does not wish to touch you? It will decrease your chances of getting a child quickly. What if it takes too long and he brings a mistress?¡±


    Alessandra couldn¡¯t help butugh at the words leaving Sally¡¯s mouth. ¡°What on earth are young women being told? Is there a book that says every man will be this way? Does it matter that I also do not wish to be intimate with Edgar tonight or perhaps tomorrow? I am also not ready to be a mother due to the fact I have trauma I still don¡¯t want to be suffering from when there is a child I must look after.¡±


    ¡°Have you told the Duke you do not wish to have a child soon?¡± Sally would find Alessandra to be a fool if she did.


    ¡°He also agrees that we are not ready,¡± Alessandra replied.


    ¡°Then it is odd. Men marry with the expectation they would be given a son right away. They-¡±


    ¡°Stop right there,¡± Alessandra pinched the bridge of her nose to calm down the emotions building up. ¡°Edgar is not those men you have been told about. I don¡¯t know what you witnessed happening to someone else or what you have been told but I have spoken to my husband and we both are on the same page when ites to our rtionship.¡±


    .....


    Alessandra continued to say, ¡°All of this is nothing I have to exin to you but I like you well enough to not want you to think if your future husband wishes to spend the second night with the both of you just talking that it does not mean he is expecting to goy with another woman. There seem to be a lot of rules for women in regard to marriage but I n to live with my husband how I want.¡±


    Alessandra wished Sally and other women would realize that if a man only married someone for a son or that he would grow tired of their wives and cheat, they had gotten into a union with a scumbag, and not all men could bebeled the same.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to jump so far ahead,¡± Sally apologized.


    ¡°That is alright. It just shows that you are concerned for me. It is a step forward in our rtionship considering a day ago you were scared to be in the same room as me and now you are worried that I might lose my favor with Edgar. Going forward, know that I speak with my husband and he is honest with me. It¡¯s Edgar for goodness sake. That man never hides what he is thinking,¡± Alessandra said.


    ¡°That is true,¡± Sally recalled her conversations with him. Edgar had the power over Alessandra and if he wanted to cheat, he had no reason to hide and do it. Sally heard stories of men with high ranks publicly disying their mistresses next to their wives because no one could stop them. ¡°I¡¯ve made a fool out of myself with my rash thoughts.¡±


    ¡°I understand your rtionship now but never tell anyone else what you told me, Duchess. If other women learn that you are not regrly sleeping with Edgar, they will tease you about it and im he has a mistress,¡± Sally warned her. It was something she witnessed before.


    ¡°I would never tell anyone about my rtionship with Edgar. I can¡¯t trust anydies as far as I can throw them. My personal maid should at least know that my marriage is fine so that you don¡¯t secretly meddle in it by doing things you think will help. And you are too scared of Edgar to tell my business. At least, I hope you are smart enough to be scared. I allowed him to kill my father. Don¡¯t think I would hesitate to have him kill you.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Sally replied. She was certainly scared to do anything because of Edgar but she had truly sworn loyalty to Alessandra after realizing how much Alessandra had helped her. ¡°We should hurry before the Duke returns.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Did I miss my turn to creep on you, Alessandra?¡± Edgar questioned as he entered their bedroom finding Alessandra sitting in a chair while Sally brushed her hair.


    Alessandra sighed, wishing to not be able to hear Edgar for the rest of the night. She saw him bathing once and now it could not disappear. ¡°You can leave now, Sally. If only I could follow you.¡±


    ¡°Goodnight Duchess, Duke,¡± Sally ced the brush to the side and kept her eyes low as she exited the bedroom.


    ¡°I did not creep on you, Edgar. I was only surprised to see you.¡±


    ¡°So surprised that you stayed and crept on me,¡± he twisted her words. ¡°Are you trying to tempt me, Alessandra?¡± His eyes scanned the thin dress which barely reached past her knees.


    ¡°This was Sally¡¯s doing. I told her we wouldn¡¯t be sleeping together but she still chose this dress from the clothes I packed,¡± Alessandra yed with the straps wondering if she should change. She wore this dress to sleep many times when the weather was hot but for the first time, she felt ufortable in it. It was partially because of Edgar¡¯s burning gaze. Surely, he could not find her intriguing like this. Her body was nothing to other women he must have been with.


    ¡°I¡¯m starting to like that girl,¡± Edgar replied.

 Chapter 77

    77 Comfortable (1)


    ¡°Speaking of Sally, I had an interesting conversation with her before you arrived. She thought you were rushing to sleep with me, which is why we are eating in our bedroom tonight. I told her no and she brought up this ridiculous notion that you must be looking to get pleasure from another woman,¡± Alessandra informed Edgar.


    ¡°Well, it happens quite often for people who have arranged marriages. There is no love and the married couple does not speak with one another. Everyone concludes the husband will find a mistress but never think the wife will have her own partner on the side. I have stumbled upon wives without their husbands but it is not my business. We should all mine our own marriages,¡± Edgar replied.


    If certain people would stop poking their noses in other people¡¯s business their life would be so much happier.


    ¡°Sometimes couples have arrangements that work for both of them. They don¡¯t love each other so they agree to have a partner outside of their marriage to keep themselves happy and pretend to be happy to keep their rtives happy. I will agree there are husbands who will cheat on what you can call good wives but yet again, it is not my business. All you have to care about is that I won¡¯t cheat on you.¡±


    Alessandra never thought that he would. What would be the point of Edgar marrying her just to run around with another woman? He could have remained single and enjoyed not being tied to anyone. ¡°I know you won¡¯t but it is just odd how one little thing we do can mean so much more to the people watching us. I am honestly d my head wasn¡¯t filled with what not to do in marriage.¡±


    Alessandra would have rather not gotten married if she heard about the rules women had to follow to keep their husbands happy and the household together. Still, she was curious to know what else women were told.


    ¡°Hmm. Should I close the window? You seem to be cold. The air is chilly this time of the year because winter is approaching Lockwood.¡±


    Alessandra rubbed her right hand up and down her left arm. The air was indeed chilly but she wasn¡¯t shivering from the cold. It was bearable. ¡°I am not cold.¡±


    ¡°Then perhaps, are you excited to see me? I will close one of the windows a little bit and throw wood into the firece. Wouldn¡¯t want you to freeze by the time morninges,¡± Edgar walked past Alessandra to do as he said he would.


    .....


    ¡°Excited to see you?¡± Alessandra did not understand his words and brushed them off as it might be exinedter on. Perhaps she was shivering from the cold and had not realized. ¡°Did you find Alfred?¡±


    ¡°No, that man is quick on his feet when he is hiding from me but I have an idea where it is he runs off to. However, I rather stay with my wife than y hide and seek with Alfred. I know he means well by trying to make the two of us fall in love. If there is anyone who wants me to get married more than my mother, it is Alfred.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you get married? You are one of the most sought-after men in the kingdom. I was sheltered but even news of your existence reached me.¡± Alessandra didn¡¯t understand why such a desired man was still alone.


    ¡°Because everyone likes me does it mean I have to like them back? My parent¡¯s marriage was not the best example for me to consider it as something that I want. Love is something foreign to me and I am certain I will never love anyone the way they want me to love them. Rather than have someone waiting around for me to fall in love with them, I will rather be alone,¡± Edgar replied.


    ¡°This contract works for you because you inevitably need an heir right?¡± Alessandra started to piece together his train of thought.


    ¡°I inevitably would have needed an heir but I long made up my mind to either have the son of a rtive inherit what is mine or simply adopt and give the child myst name. I did not agree to your offer because I am in dire need of a child. I did it simply for entertainment. You are the first woman to amuse me, Alessandra.¡±


    ¡°You are the first person I think has gotten married simply for entertainment,¡± Alessandra muttered. Still, she was d it all worked out in the end for the both of them.


    Alessandra yed with her fingers watching Edgar throw wood into the firece as her nerves went up once again. When there was silence in the room, her heart could not stop rushing and there was an invisible lump in her throat. This might have been easier to handle if they came straight from the dining room and went to bed right away but by eating in their room, there was an intense build-up to the moment they would have slept in the same bed.


    ¡°You look as if you are about to pass out, Alessandra. Was the fact that I am not going to touch you tonight not enough to calm your nerves? The bed is big enough for us to sleep on both ends and have enough space for ourselves. Unless the true problem is that you are afraid of me?¡± Edgar narrowed his eyes. If that was the case, he wasn¡¯t offended and would sleep in another room tonight.


    ¡°No, I am not scared of you. This is the first time I am sharing a bed with anyone and you are my husband. It is embarrassing for me to be in front of you with such a thin dress when I don¡¯t look-¡±


    ¡°There is nothing wrong with the way you look, Alessandra,¡± Edgar interrupted before she could talk down to her body. ¡°Have you already forgotten that I ask if you were trying to tempt me? I wasn¡¯t teasing you back then. I don¡¯t know what you see when you look at yourself but you are a beautiful woman broken by the jealousy of others.¡±


    One side of the mask covered her scars but the other side showed her beauty. It showed Edgar why Kate was jealous enough to try ruining Alessandra. The Baron clearly had a diamond in his hands that would have countless men begging to have in their own hands. Anyone could speak ill about the mask Alessandra wore but they would be lying to themselves if they called her ugly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like to look at myself too often. I don¡¯t want to see what others frown at when they see meing. I broke a lot of mirrors in my room when I was younger and I think it was fun for Katrina to keep having a maid bring in more,¡± said Alessandra.


    Edgar¡¯s hand itched to find his sword and return to the Baroness to do what was on his mind from the beginning. The Baroness and her irritating delusional daughter should be punished for what they made Alessandra endure.


    Deciding against choosing violence tonight, Edgar chose tofort Alessandra. Moving from the firece, Edgar went to the bed and stood right before Alessandra. He did not know her for long but her sadness stirred something inside of him. Never before did he have something he wished to protect from the evil of this world.


    Alessandra flinched when Edgar¡¯s fingers were suddenly in her hair. She looked down at herp while his fingers yed with the ends of her hair that were thrown over her shoulder from when Sally had been brushing it.


    ¡°Look at me,¡± his words came off as amand.


    Building up courage, Alessandra lifted her head to meet Edgar¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°You know that I have no need to lie to you, right?¡± He questioned and when she slowly nodded, he added, ¡°Then know that when I say you are beautiful, I mean it truthfully because that is what I see when I look at you.¡±

 Chapter 78

    78 Comfortable (2)


    Alessandra stared at Edgar, unable to give a response to his words. Eventually, she had to break eye contact as tears were threatening to form in her eyes but she wished to not cry.


    It had been a long time since anyone referred to her as being beautiful and did notugh once her back was turned. Not even her own father could look her in the eye and give her apliment on her appearance.


    In her youth, she hated her beauty because her father would parade her around like a doll to be sold. She hated her face when she was her father¡¯s favorite and she hated it, even more, when it was ruined.


    Alessandra did not know what she wanted when it came to her appearance but after many years hidden away from others, she wished to feel like she was not some terrible creature. Edgar, at this moment, gave her what she desired.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± the words left her mouth in a whisper but it was loud enough for Edgar to hear thanks to their closeness. Alessandra ced her hands to the side of her body, not wanting to be nervous around Edgar anymore.


    ¡°Did I just make you fall for me?¡± Edgar released her hair, taking a step back to see her face clearly.


    ¡°How can I love you when I hardly love myself?¡± Alessandra replied. Just like Edgar, love was foreign to her in all aspects. She saw nothing worthy of loving when she thought about herself. This was why she was certain she would never fall for Edgar and vice versa.


    ¡°You-¡±


    ¡°Duke, Duchess, we have brought your food,¡± a voice said after a knock on the bedroom door.


    .....


    Edgar sighed, slightly annoyed their conversation was interrupted but perhaps it was best they stopped here. There was a lot said that needed to be digested and then talked about at another time. There was a lot about Alessandra he had to unravel and one night wouldn¡¯t be enough for him to do so.


    Edgar was a man skilled enough to do many things but he did not know how to make Alessandra love herself. It might be something she needed to figure out on her own and he could only stand on the sidelines giving her support.


    ¡°Come in,¡± he called to the door. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be right to keep them waiting any longer or your stomach will start yelling at us,¡± he teased, attempting to change the mood in their bedroom.


    Alessandra forced a small smile and when Edgar looked away from her to the servantsing in with their food, she used her finger to rub her eye to get rid of a tear determined to fall.


    ¡°Do not disturb us for the rest of the night. Inform Alfred that any visitor at this hour should be turned away. Anyone who disobeys this order will be fired,¡± Edgar informed the servants as they ced trays of food and drinks down on a table in their bedroom. ¡°Understood?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Duke Collins,¡± they replied in unison.


    ¡°They sent up good alcohol,¡± Edgar picked up a bottle from one of the trays. ¡°I use this for special asions. Are you a good drinker, Alessandra?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Alessandra stood up from the bed to see what they would be having tonight. ¡°As long as it is not bitter I will drink it and I have never passed out with the amount-¡± She stopped herself before she could mention Mario again.


    They were in such afortable space with each other that she did not wish to irritate Edgar by mentioning Mario or letting her husband know that she had drunk alcohol around Mario once before.


    ¡°With the amount the cook gave you?¡± Edgar knew what she was trying to hide. Who else would give her alcohol if not for the person who had it within arm¡¯s reach in the kitchen? ¡°You have learned quickly not to annoy me with his name. Come take a seat,¡± Edgar took out a chair for Alessandra to sit on.


    ¡°Where will you sit?¡± She asked due to the fact there was only one chair at the table Edgar had in his room.


    ¡°Well, if you wish to sit on myp our problem would be solved. I normally use this table and chair to do more work in my bedroom after Alfred chased me away from my office. I was joking about you sitting on myp,¡± he added so that she wouldn¡¯t tense up again.


    ¡°I-If that is the only way we can both sit at the table and eat, I am okay with it,¡± Alessandra looked everywhere but at Edgar, as these words left her mouth.


    Edgar stood still, surprised by what Alessandra just told him. He ced his hand over his face as he found himself in a predicament he wasn¡¯t expecting. He knew this took a lot of courage for her to say and he was the one wanting her to slowly befortable but now that she was, he did not know how to handle it.


    He could be a gentleman and suggest they pull the table closer to the bed so that there would be no need for Alessandra to sit on hisp but where would be the fun in doing that?


    Like the sly man he was, Edgar sat down on the one chair by the table and patted hisp for Alessandra to take a seat. He wanted to see if she would be brave even to see this all the way to the end. She was the one to suggest this after all. She should be prepared for whatever doors she opened after this.


    Alessandra took a deep breath, swallowing her nerves as she did not want to back out when she was the one to suggest it. ¡®Get it over with,¡¯ she thought.


    To both of their surprise, her feet quickly moved to where Edgar sat with a smile on his face like this was the most entertaining thing in the world.


    Alessandra knew he was expecting her to back out based on the way he looked at her but she made it too close to him to give up now, so she sat down on hisp.

 Chapter 79

    79 Comfortable (3)


    ¡°This is a lot more than what I was expecting tonight, Alessandra. I certainly did not think you had it in you to be this bold but I am enjoying this. It is not toote for you to get up before you die of nervousness.¡±


    Edgar kept his hands by his side in order to avoid touching her until she said something to let him know that she wasfortable. This was a little pointless considering she was sitting right above something that would soon have her running for the hills once she noticed. Though, he had a feeling that she already did.


    ¡°I am hungry,¡± Alessandra ignored Edgar and reached for a te to start eating. If her mouth was full she would have no way to reply to Edgar trying to make her more nervous than she already was.


    She ced a second te beside her own so that Edgar wouldn¡¯t have to reach far to get his food. Alessandra quickly picked up her fork and knife to start cutting into the meat prepared for them tonight.


    ¡°Feed me,¡± Edgar said from behind her.


    ¡°You are not a child,¡± Alessandra replied. There was no way on this earth she would sit on hisp and causally feed him at the same time. Sitting on hisp was all that she could handle right now.


    ¡°My hands are full,¡± Edgar felt her jolt when he ced his hands on her waist. It was certainly too easy to make her react and this was considered child¡¯s y in his eyes. Alessandra would not be able to handle it if he pushed his teasing to another level.


    ¡°Please release me. If you have no ns to sit and eat, it was pointless for me to sit on yourp,¡± Alessandra began to get up but as she moved, Edgar¡¯s hands tightened the grip around her waist. ¡°Edgar,¡± she whined.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure both of us are tidy enough to not drop food on the bed. One of us could have sat there. Why didn¡¯t my shy little wife think of that? I am enjoying this position too much for you to leave now. A little friendly advice, you should stop moving so much before another problem arises.¡± Edgar felt his body reacting to her every movement and knew trouble wasn¡¯t too far away.


    .....


    ¡°I am not going to continue sitting on yourp simply because you enjoy it. You should have told me you would be willing to sit on the bed. When will your teasing end?¡± Alessandra tried to wiggle her way out of Edgar¡¯s grip and when that didn¡¯t work she resorted to pinching his hands.


    ¡°You are doing nothing but enticing me, Alessandra. At this moment, a little pain never ruins the fun. Eat and then I will let you go. Who knows when you will ever be this brave to sit on myp again? Can you be so kind as to feed me some of the meat you just cut?¡± Edgar asked, fully enjoying the fact she was fuming with anger that could not break away.


    With her back against his bare chest, they offered each other warmth from the cold wind and they were not in need of the fire Edgar had started.


    Alessandra sighed, knowing it was pointless to try fighting against someone as strong as Edgar and someone who was determined to enjoy this moment to the fullest. She could only me herself for falling into the trap she set up without realizing it. The sooner they both ate, the sooner she could be released and go to bed.


    ¡°Did you enjoy turning that room into a ce for you to paint? Alfred informed me about it.¡±


    Alessandra dly weed a shift in their conversation. ¡°It feels nice to have a separate space for painting and not have to fill my bedroom with canvas and paint. Unfortunately, there are not enough shelves in that room to properly store everything you bought. Can I have someone add more shelves or can I have boxes made to make the room more organized?¡± Alessandra politely asked.


    ¡°It would look better with more shelves. Speak with Alfred tomorrow to have someone here create shelves for you. Unless you are plotting against royalty, you do not have to ask to do something. Are you really not going to feed me?¡± Edgar asked after watching her ce food in her mouth a second time.


    He was enjoying the fun but also hungry and wished to eat.


    ¡°You can eat if you would just release me but you wish to make it difficult for yourself.¡± Contrary to what she said, Alessandra began cutting into the beef to offer some to Edgar from his te. She could not be cruel enough to withhold food from him. ¡°Here,¡± she held out a fork for him to take.


    As soon as he released one hand to take the fork, she nned to jump out of hisp.


    Edgar¡¯s eyes looked at the fork awaiting to be taken from Alessandra¡¯s hand and then back up at Alessandra staring down at him. ¡°You cannot fool me so easily, Alessandra. You are dealing with a man who predicts the moves of his enemies on a daily basis,¡± he stated then opened his mouth for her to feed him.


    ¡°Just take it,¡± she shoved the fork with meat to his mouth but then instantly regretted it. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. That was really dangerous of me to do. Did I hurt your lip?¡±


    Edgar ran his tongue against his bottom lip in case there was any blood from where the fork had poked him. ¡°You are good at finding small ways to cause me pain. I think I should sleep with one eye open tonight. The meat stopped the impact from being more hurtful than it could have been.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to hurt you purposely. Here,¡± Alessandra offered the fork with the meat more gently the second time. ¡°If you let me go and feed yourself, we wouldn¡¯t have ended up like this. Dinner will take twice as long as it should because I have to cut meat for both of us. I want to retire to bed soon, Edgar. Sleep is quickly taking over my body.¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± Edgar released her, putting an end to his fun.


    Alessandra quickly sat up from hisp before he could change his mind. She could never say it out loud but she missed sitting on hisp the moment she stood up. ¡°I will stand and eat. We might be careful but crumbs can still find their way onto the bed and you had enough bad luck with ants already.¡±


    ¡°Sit here,¡± he pushed the chair toward her. ¡°What sort of man would I be to let you stand while I sit down? Do not argue with me, Alessandra,¡± he stopped her from trying to object the moment her mouth opened.


    Alessandra sat down in the chair while Edgar sat on the edge of the table to her right. He picked up his te in his hands and began to eat along with Alessandra. Soon, silence fell upon the room and the only thing to be heard was the sound of their metal utensils clinking against the tes.

 Chapter 80

    80 sh of wives (1)


    ¡°Do you care for a bit of alcohol before you go to bed? It will help ease your nerves though I think you should not be nervous after sitting on myp. Do you want some?¡± Edgar poured a ss for himself.


    The empty tes of food were ced outside their door on the trays they were brought in for someone to take when they passed by. After a quick freshing up in the bathroom to clean their mouths, all that remained now was the alcohol.


    ¡°Just a tiny bit,¡± Alessandra showed a tiny space between her fingers to reference the amount that she wanted. It would certainly help her rx having to share a bed with Edgar. ¡°Thank you,¡± she epted the drink.


    ¡°Do not let the sweet taste fool you with how much alcohol is in here. Drink it slowly or I will have to stay up all night listening to you speaking about things that do not make any sense.¡±


    ¡°It is really sweet,¡± Alessandra¡¯s eyes lit up from the taste. She was used to the bitter ones at her old home. ¡°Oh, you get a strong aftertaste,¡± she handed the cup back to Edgar.


    Alessandra began to braid her hair to make it more bearable for when should be sleeping. Edgar had returned to the room before Sally could do it for her. In the meantime, Edgar closed the window he had left open and threw one more wood into the fire to make the heatst longer. If needed, he would wake up,ter on, to add more wood to keep Alessandra from bing cold.


    With her hair done, Alessandra crawled onto the massive bed from the edge where she sat. She wanted to be the first one in bed so that she could pretend she dropped asleep quickly and then Edgar would leave her alone.


    Alessandraid down facing the window so that she would be able to look at the night sky view. Looking at the sky from her bed always made her rx after long hectic days. She snapped her eyes when she felt the bed slightly sink behind her which meant Edgar hadid down.


    ¡°Trying to fall asleep quickly? I told you that you are too predictable. I don¡¯t know what else I can say to make you morefortable in bed with me. It would be no problem if you wish for me to leave, Alessandra.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Stay,¡± she replied without opening her eyes. This bedroom belonged to him much longer than it belonged to her. It would be rude to ask him to leave all because she was nervous about sleeping next to a man. How could she ever get rid of her nerves if she kept pushing him away?


    ¡°Okay. I won¡¯t judge if you want to make your way over here during the night. You can hug me-¡±


    Alessandra threw a pillow behind her to stop Edgar from talking. ¡°Goodnight,¡± she said.


    She didn¡¯t have to turn around and look at him to know he was smiling.


    ¡°Goodnight, Alessandra.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Duchess, breakfast will start in half an hour. What do you want to do until then? Continue organizing the art room or perhaps, going through the rest of the gifts the Duke prepared for you?¡± Sally asked.


    ¡°What?¡± Alessandra snapped out her thoughts. ¡°Sorry, my mind was elsewhere.¡±


    ¡°Breakfast will start in a half hour. What do you wish to do until then?¡± Sally repeated herself. From the moment she had visited Alessandra early in the morning to get her ready for the start of the day, she found Alessandra to be lost in her thoughts. She figured something must have happened when the Duke and Duchess were alone but it wasn¡¯t her ce to ask.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to take a quick walk outside to clear my mind. I haven¡¯t seen much outside as yet,¡± Alessandra replied. ¡®Why do I keep thinking about this morning?¡¯ She sighed.


    When she woke up early this morning, Edgar wasn¡¯t shy about mentioning the fact she rolled around a lot in her sleep. She rolled around so much that she eventually ended up on his side of the bed. Alessandra had no idea what happened as she was in deep sleep but she was absolutely terrified about what Edgar might have witnessed.


    This was the first time she wished Edgar teased her about something she did so she would know if she did anything embarrassingst night. He kept quiet after mentioning she rolled around but the tiny smile he tried to hide from her told Alessandra that he was hiding something. It was either to ckmail herter or to save her from being severely embarrassed.


    ¡°The weather is changing and outside is cool enough for us to not need an umbre. The butler informed me a dressmaker will being to take your measurement and provide you with an entirely new wardrobe. The dressmaker sent a lengthy apology for not being to visit yesterday because Edgar¡¯s request was short notice. You must be thrilled to have such a loving husband offering you so many things.¡± Sally felt jealous of what Alessandra got to experience.


    ¡°It is only because I don¡¯t have anything good to wear as a Duchess,¡± Alessandra replied with less enthusiasm than Sally expected.


    ¡°That might be true but I¡¯ve heard from the maids that the Duke was personally involved with all of your gifts. Other women will eye you with envy if word of this ever gets out. Edgar¡¯s heart has finally melted. Everyone will talk about it for weeks.¡±


    ¡®If they find out our rtionship is based solely on a contract, they¡¯ll talk about how desperate I am for years,¡¯ Alessandra thought. She could not feel excited about things happening in a fake rtionship. She was well aware there were no feelings behind the things Edgar did for her as Sally imed.


    Rather than respond to Sally, she decided to keep her mouth shut and walk outside to the garden to clear her mind as she wanted.


    As Alessandra and Sally walked along the side of the house so someone could easily find them when breakfast was ready, they found a man in clothes not suited for the outdoors, digging a hole next to a flower bed.


    ¡°Is that the gardener?¡± Alessandra asked Sally as she wanted to know why the man¡¯s clothes looked like he was going to a party but he was ruining it with dirt.


    Sally shrugged her shoulders, also confused with the choice of clothes to do gardening. ¡°I wasn¡¯t introduced to anyone as yet. Maybe the gardener wishes to impress someone?¡±


    ¡°How long are you going to stand there for?¡± The stranger or who they presumed to be the gardener asked after feeling their burning gaze on him. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to introduce yourself?¡±


    ¡°Listen here,¡± Sally stepped up to scold the man for talking carelessly to Alessandra when she was the Duchess. ¡°You should be the one to introduce yourself to the Duchess.¡±


    ¡°Duchess? You are the person I was just thinking about. Does my daughter-inw mind giving me a hand with these flowers? The soil is much better for them on the other side. Hello,¡± Edmund looked up from the hole he was digging to see who was the poor soul to marry his son.


    ¡°Daughter-inw?¡± Both Alessandra and Sally stated in disbelief.


    ¡°You are Edgar¡¯s father?¡± Sally asked.


    ¡°That should be obvious from me referring to her as my daughter-inw and the fact Edgar looks just like me. Judging from the peaceful walk you were having, I presume you have not run into my wife yet. Come join me to prolong having to meet her soon,¡± Edmund patted the space next to himself for Alessandra to sit on the grass.

 Chapter 81

    81 [Bonus chapter] sh of wives (2)


    ¡°Young master. Your mother is here¡± Alfred knocked on the door of Edgar¡¯s office.


    ¡°Send her away,¡± Edgar replied as he was not in the mood to deal with his mother. He had little to no information on the person taking the young girls and after putting it on hold to spend time with Alessandra there was a lot to be done by the end of the day along with his other work.


    ¡°Is that how you greet your mother, Edgar?¡± Prisci entered the room, ignoring Alfred advising her toe back another time. ¡°I traveled for countless hours to be here for breakfast and this is how you treat me? I raised you to be better than this.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t raise me, mother. Alfred and the nannies you hired did. I am too busy to entertain anything you have to say. Alfred, please see her out,¡± Edgar did not look up from his papers.


    ¡°You will do no such thing,¡± Prisci said to Alfred. ¡°We have a lot to talk about Edgar. Do you care to exin why you could get married in the middle of the night to that woman?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Edgar bluntly replied. This was exactly why he suggested leaving to avoid the headaches his mother would cause.


    ¡°Good morning, Edgar,¡± Heather made her presence known.


    ¡°Why did you bring her here, mother?¡± Edgar sighed, finally looking up at the two intruders.


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I? Heather has been keeping mepany so that I wouldn¡¯t lose my mind with boredom. Do you know how embarrassing it was for her to hear you have gotten married when I promised the two of you would get married to each other? Don¡¯t you care about her reputation?¡±


    .....


    ¡°That¡¯s why I told you to mind your business mother. I never entertained the idea of one day being with Heather. Even if I had not recently gotten married, there would be no chance for her. It is you who does not care about her reputation, mother. Please leave now that our conversation is over,¡± Edgar put his paper to the side and stood up from his desk. He needed to find Alessandra to make sure she did not have a conversation with his mother.


    ¡°I am not leaving, Edgar. I convinced your father to stay until winter has passed and I wish to meet the woman who thinks she will continue to be a Duchess. I do not approve of her and you know it. Send her away and marry Heather instead,¡± Prisci proposed. It wasn¡¯t toote to end the short marriage and marry the right person. ¡°What on earthpelled you to marry a woman with a disgusting face?¡±


    ¡°I should ask what made her marry a man with a mother who has a disgusting attitude. You have never seen her face to speak about it. I am warning you mother, do not speak ill of Alessandra to her face or I will deal with you and my father won¡¯t be able to stop me.¡±


    Heather found it hard to stand by and listen to Edgar threaten his mother for his new wife. She was right when she thought he had fallen in love. There was nothing to be done to put them together and it was time Prisci realized it too.


    Prisci scoffed, unable to handle the way Edgar spoke to her. She was tempted to p him for his words but refrained as she never struck her son and now was not the time to get on his bad side when she wanted him to listen to her. ¡°Heather has always been the best choice to be Duchess. She has spent her entire life preparing but someone with a terrible reputation stole it. When will you view her as a woman?¡±


    ¡°Do you think I have been viewing her as a man this entire time? I have two good eyes thanks to the vegetables Alfred practically forced down my throat. I am a married man and I suggest you refrain from mentioning having an interest in Heather. Fish will fall from the sky the day I be interested in her. Leave,¡± Edgar said specifically to Heather this time.


    His mother was stubborn and would not leave without the help of his father but if Heather wished to not look like a fool, still expecting to be with a married man, she should leave now to truly save her reputation.


    Prisci grabbed Heather¡¯s hand so the young woman wouldn¡¯t consider leaving. ¡°She is not going anywhere. I am currently her guardian so she goes where I go.¡±


    ¡°Works for me since I want you to leave too. I am trying my hardest not to be rude to you, mother. I know how you are and I tolerate your behavior when ites to me but I will not allow you to mistreat my wife. ept the fact that I am married and leave,¡± Edgar walked past his mother, heather, and Alfred to go out of the room to find Alessandra.


    ¡°I will ruin her,¡± Prisci confessed before Edgar could leave. ¡°I will not have that cursed girl as my daughter-inw. I will only ept Heather as your wife.¡±


    ¡°If you try anything with Alessandra, you will lose your only child,¡± Edgar replied, continuing to leave the room.


    ¡°You did this,¡± Prisci red at Alfred. It angered her to hear her child say he was raised by the butler. She was very involved in his life, enough to spend countless years looking for the perfect wife to give her grandchildren. She showered Edgar with the finest things any child could desire but the credit for the man he became always went to the butler. ¡°You turned him against me.¡±


    Alfred didn¡¯t reply to Prisci¡¯s words. He had never talked ill of Prisci to Edgar and he certainly did not turn Edgar against her. Prisci had always underestimated how perceptive Edgar was and that he was capable of making his own judgment. He could not tell her these things because he was only the butler and he had no right to tell a mother about trying to understand her child rather than me others.


    Just like their interactions in the past, he had to stay quiet while Prisci thought of how to get rid of him from Edgar¡¯s side. Alfred hoped Prisci would fail in trying to get rid of Alessandra.


    ¡°Are we leaving, Mrs. Collins?¡± Heather spoke up to break the suffocating tension between Prisci and the butler.


    ¡°Have you not been paying attention?¡± Prisci snapped at Heather. ¡°We are not going anywhere until I see the woman who has possessed my son. Had I remained in Lockwood, I could have stopped this ridiculous union. We must follow after Edgar quickly.¡±

 Chapter 82

    82 sh of wives (3)


    ¡°Edgar! Do not walk away from your mother. I have a right to be involved with who bes the Duchess. Edgar!¡± Prisci called for her son as she hurried after him but Edgar did not once slow down his pace. ¡°This boy will be the death of me. Hurry before we lose him, Heather.¡±


    Heather was right on Prisci¡¯s heel chasing after Edgar. ¡®When will this end?¡¯ She wondered. Why was she being dragged further into Prisci¡¯s desperation to control who Edgar married? ¡®I am not so desperate to chase after a married man but I cannot go against Prisci.¡¯


    Prisci kept making it hard for her to be able to move on and court someone else. Why couldn¡¯t everyone just ept that Edgar was now married and he did not care what anyone had to say?


    Edgar rolled his eyes, highly annoyed with his mother and she had only been here for a couple of minutes. He was being generous by not having her escorted off the property but first, he had to find someone else aside from Alessandra.


    His father would not allow his mother toe alone which meant he was somewhere hiding but Edgar wanted the two of them gone. His parents could stay past winter as they liked but he was not going to wee his mother into his home when she was tantly disrespecting his wife. It would make Edgar no different than Desmond who stood by and allowed others to mistreat his daughter.


    ¡°Where is the Duchess?¡± Edgar stopped a maid who was about to walk past him. He had not seen her since he got dressed and left their bedroom.


    ¡°Last anyone saw the Duchess she was going outside, Duke Collins.¡±


    ¡°Carry on,¡± Edgar turned left to go outside to find Alessandra. There was a possibility that his father and Alessandra had run into each other since she was outside. His father always ran to the garden each time he visited.


    ¡°Edgar!¡± Prisci yelled, still chasing after her son to speak about his marriage. He could not avoid his own mother forever and he could not get rid of her. She too had power and status just like her son. ¡°You are making this harder than it needs to be.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Just kill me,¡± Edgar muttered. Another second of this and he would do it himself. He could only me himself for giving his parents clear ess to hisnd.


    Alcohol or a cup of coffee was needed before Edgar could speak with his mother.


    He had fallen into such a good flow with Alessandra after everything that happened yesterday and now his mother was here to ruin everything. The only way he could get rid of her at this point would be to have her thrown into a cell. He would have her released after a day or two. Maybe.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Edgar to spot Alessandra sitting down on the grass next to his father. Of course, his father would be trying to rearrange the way his garden looked. Edgar could not understand how a man once wrapped up deep in politics threw it all away to be a gardener.


    ¡°Why did you make her sit on the ground when she is a Duchess? When will you realize not everyone wants to get their hands dirty so early in the morning? Why did you bring your wife here?¡± Edgar threw question after question at his father. He was equally upset with his father as he was with his mother.


    ¡°Is that how you greet me after we have been apart for so long?¡± Edmund ced his hand on his forehead for his eyes to be protected from the rays from the sun as he looked up at Edgar. ¡°You¡¯ve grown taller since Ist saw you.¡±


    ¡°Do notpliment me while I am angry.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Edmund warned Prisci their son would not be happy with their visit but she did not listen. She never did. ¡°Your mother heard the word of your marriage and nothing could stop her from returning to Lockwood.¡±


    ¡°Take her and leave while I am being kind to you both,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°What did I do?¡± Edmund questioned due to the fact he was innocent in this situation. He dusted off the dry mud from his hands and got to his feet. He tried to offer a hand to Alessandra to help her stand but Edgar smacked it away and helped her up instead.


    ¡®Rude,¡¯ Edmund thought.


    ¡°It is what you didn¡¯t do that I am angry with. Why didn¡¯t you stop her from bringing Heather here?¡± Edgar asked, his annoyance clear in his voice. His father was smart enough to know why Heather was with his mother.


    ¡®Who is Heather?¡¯ Alessandra thought. For the time that she was here, she had not once heard the name, Heather. She assumed Heather was a woman Edgar was once in a rtionship with and his mother was petty enough to bring the woman here to mess with their marriage.


    ¡°Heather¡¯s parents have also returned to Lockwood-¡±


    ¡°What does that have to do with what I asked?¡± Edgar interrupted his father. He had no time for the bullshit or anyone dancing around the fact a woman his parents wanted him to wed was now in the same home as his new wife. It screamed nothing but drama.


    ¡°Do not get smart with me, Edgar. I¡¯d have no problem putting you in your ce with your wife here. It is only thanks to luck I returned home in time to see your mother getting on a carriage toe to visit you. I am not getting any younger so the two of you should deal with your problems,¡± Edmund was tired of the constant bickering between his wife and son.


    ¡°Edgar, I told you not to walk away from me. Edmund, I hope you are well aware your son threatened me,¡± Prisci informed her husband. She walked with her head high and grace in every movement. She did not look at Alessandra or acknowledge her just yet. ¡°We spent too much time away from Edgar and now our rtionship has be worse.¡±


    ¡°It is your actions that make our rtionship bad. We are going, Alessandra,¡± Edgar took her hand and didn¡¯t wait for her to say a word. He was taking her to the privacy of their bedroom to avoid her speaking with his mother. Then, he was going to toss his parents out of his home.


    ¡°Edgar, why are we leaving when your parents are here?¡± Alessandra questioned. After speaking with his father, she learned how far they had traveled when they heard the news of Edgar¡¯s marriage.


    Alessandra was aware he was taking her away to protect her from his mother¡¯s words but she could handle it. ¡°I don¡¯t want to run away from your parents Edgar. We are married and they will be in my life forever.¡±


    Alessandra did not want Edgar to have to pick between her and his mother just because she was his wife. There was no reason for him to stand up against his mother for someone he was tied to thanks to a contract.

 Chapter 83

    83 sh of wives (4)


    ¡°Not if I ban them. Fuck,¡± Edgar released her hand now that they were a good distance from his parents but looking back where they came from, he saw his mother once again chasing after him with Heather to her side. ¡°Heather is someone my mother has always pushed for me to marry. Do not let that upset you.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t,¡± Alessandra honestly replied. ¡°If you wanted to be with her, I wouldn¡¯t be standing here. I don¡¯t want to run, Edgar. I¡¯m not afraid of what your mother has to say. It is time for breakfast and it would be rude to not have them stay.¡±


    ¡°After everything the world has thrown at you, you are too kind, Alessandra. I could never be like this. If you are determined to let her stay, I won¡¯t stop you but I will not allow my mother to disrespect you. That woman gets ahead of herself too much because there is hardly anyone to put her in her ce,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°Did you really threaten your mother?¡± Alessandra wanted to believe his mother was exaggerating when she said this.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Mother,¡± Edgar looked to their side where Prisci was impatiently tapping her foot. ¡°For a woman who cares so much about manners and etiquette, you are not disying it with your behavior right now.¡±


    ¡°If you did not run away from me, I would not need to act like a fool and chase after you, Edgar. You,¡± Prisci finally looked at Alessandra and frowned at the sight of the mask. What was wrong with Edgar for him to choose her instead of the other Barrett girl? ¡°Don¡¯t you have any sense?¡±


    Alessandra touched Edgar¡¯s hand to stop him from approaching his mother. Just from the first thing Prisci asked her, Alessandra could see why Edgar did not want her to speak to his mother. She was happy to have Edgar protecting her but this was a battle she needed to win on her own. Plus, Alessandra did not want to see Edgar being at odds with the woman who gave him life.


    Alessandra ignored Prisci¡¯s question and said, ¡°Edgar and I are extending the invitation for everyone to have breakfast with us. You came just in time.¡±


    Prisci found Alessandra to be sly to stand here and say she was inviting them to stay. Only one day had passed but Alessandra had already begun acting as if she owned the house. ¡°Edgar, give us some privacy.¡±


    .....


    ¡°So that you and Heather could gang up on my wife? I don¡¯t think so. She¡¯s inviting you to breakfast while I have no problem getting rid of you. Do not push it or I will do as I wanted,¡± said Edgar.


    Heather balled her fists, feeling sad Edgar would think she was the type to bully his wife. All she wanted to do right now was run away and lock herself in her room. Why was it so hard for anyone to see that she did not want to be here?


    However, now that she saw what Edgar¡¯s wife looked like, Heather understood why Prisci was so upset. Heather always had an image of what Edgar¡¯s wife would look like and Alessandra was nowhere near what she envisioned. It annoyed Heather to learn she had lost to a woman who could not show half her face.


    ¡®What is so bad about me?¡¯ Heather wondered.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, Edgar. Please tell Alfred we¡¯ll be having more guests. If I need anything, Sally cane to find you,¡± Alessandra reassured him. A one on one was inevitable anyway. Why not get whar Prisci wanted to say out in the open now?


    Edgar did not want Alessandra to be subjected to his mother¡¯s words but he also did not want to keep pulling her away when she was confident enough to want to speak with his mother. Many times he told her being a Duchess came with power and now was another chance for her to showcase it.


    His mother thrived off knowing she could make people fear her. Right now, Edgar could see his mother expecting to break Alessandra with her intimidating presence. On the other hand, Alessandra looked so confident that it would be a shame to make it look like she needed her husband to hide her from a conversation with another woman.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back. Do not try anything mother.¡±


    Alessandra watched Edgar walk away from the three of them. She snuck a nce at the woman named Heather and felt a slight pain in her chest that she could not exin. ¡°I have not properly introduced myself. My name is Alessandra-¡±


    ¡°I do not care what your name is,¡± Prisci stopped Alessandra as she did not care to be pleasant with her. ¡°I asked you a question earlier. Do you not have any sense? In what world do you think a marriage between you and my son should exist? Do you honestly view yourself as worthy to stand by him?¡±


    ¡°In this world,¡± Alessandra replied, surprising both Prisci and Heather. ¡°That is why I said yes and married your son. My name is Alessandra Collins. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you,¡± she held out her hand mid-air to greet Prisci. Alessandra was going to be respectful to Prisci and whatever happenster, at least she tried.


    ¡°You, a Collins?¡± Prisci chuckled. ¡°You are not a Collins, my dear. I have not epted you and neither will the rest of the family. You do not belong with my son and somewhere in that head you have, you know it too. You¡¯re making things difficult for the people around you. Heather, is now going to be talked about because you stole the man she was promised to marry.¡±


    ¡°Forgive me but you should know better than me that Edgar does things on his own ord. Even if I did not marry him, she would not be his wife. And I cannot steal what never belonged to someone else,¡± Alessandra replied.


    It appeared like Prisci wanted her to feel sorry or apologize for being with the man Heather was promised but Alessandra did not care. She was not responsible for Edgar not picking anyone and she was not going to be pressured by others to feel guilty.

 Chapter 84

    84 Respect is earned (1)


    ¡°You stole her spot. Do you think it is alright for someone like you to just waltz into our life? Certain types of people should never cross paths with one another. I am sure Edgar did not go looking for someone like you so you must have made sure you crossed paths with him. You are nothing more than a status leech,¡± Prisci spat. She has seen many women like Alessandra before.


    ¡°Our meeting was merely a coincidence but now, I am starting to believe it is fate. Rather than judge me, you should try getting to know me-¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to teach me something right now? If you know what¡¯s good for you, you should shut up and listen to what I am telling you. Countless years I spent collecting the best options for my son but you had the nerve toe into a ce you did not belong. I am getting a headache just from seeing you and that awful mask,¡± Prisci ced her hand on her temple.


    ¡°Edgar is a grown man and I did not force him to marry me. It is unfair for you to be one-sided to me me for a marriage that took two people toplete. No matter what, I will not let go of Edgar. Being by his side is the only time I feelpletely safe. You never have to like me but for Edgar, you should at least be cordial with me. Goodbye,¡± Alessandra excused herself from the conversation.


    Prisci would only go round and round ming her for Edgar being married.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Sally approached Alessandra as she walked away. ¡°Mrs. Collins is not a woman you should anger if you wish to have a social life. All the other young women have always gathered around her not only to have a chance with Edgar but because she holds a lot of influence.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s already upset with me. I don¡¯t want to be around other people who will not speak to me if Prisci does not like me. I want genuine friends, not people I should just be around because I am a Duchess. I don¡¯t mind being alone a little while longer. I¡¯m used to it,¡± Alessandra replied.


    Prisci outcasting her would be nothing new. Alessandra dealt with a lot of punishments, slyments, tricks, pranks, and more in her old home. There was nothing left for Prisci to do to hurt her. In the end, Prisci would only hurt her rtionship with her son. How would she be able to visit Edgar when she disliked his wife?


    ¡°Are you done?¡±


    .....


    ¡°Why are you...¡± Alessandra trailed off,pletely caught off guard by Edgar leaning up against a wall.


    ¡°It was over sooner than I expected. Seeing that you are the one walking away, I suppose it went well for you. I wasn¡¯t going to leave you alone when there are two of them there and only you. Come,¡± Edgar pushed himself off the wall and extended his hand out for Alessandra to walk with him. ¡°You are doing so well. I have another gift for you when we get rid of our pests.¡±


    ¡°You should speak better to your mother. Your words might wound her.¡±


    ¡°What did I say wrong to my mother? I do not want them here therefore they are pests. Should I pretend I am okay with her bringing a woman she wants me to marry when I am already married? Should I keep my mouth shut when she is disrespecting you? Am I to let her words wound you?¡± Edgar looked to Alessandra for the answer.


    Alessandra kept looking ahead at where they were going and replied, ¡°She is your mother-¡±


    ¡°And you are my wife. I will protect you from everyone. Even my own mother. I¡¯ve told you, no one ever puts my mother in her ce when she is being rude. As her son, I have to try waking her up so that she knows the world does not revolve around her. This sour rtionship I have with my mother has nothing to do with you. Frankly, I am always grumpy whenever shees around and I have not had my coffee or alcohol.¡±


    ¡°Then, we should get Alfred to bring the strongest alcohol there is to make you extremely happy at breakfast. I can¡¯t help feeling there will be a big storm with everyone seated at the table. I¡¯ll run away as soon as breakfast is done and start painting until the dressmaker arrives. Will you be home the rest of the day?¡± Alessandra asked as she did not want to be left alone with his parents.


    ¡°I am supposed to leave in an hour or two but I don¡¯t think I will now that my parents are here. Why? Do you want toe along with me? If you kiss me I might let you,¡± Edgar tapped his cheek.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to go with you,¡± Alessandra shook her head.


    ¡°Is it because you are too shy to kiss me? Shall I initiate it?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Alessandra released Edgar¡¯s hand to run ahead to the dining room.


    ¡°This woman,¡± Edgar smiled, amused by the sight of Alessandra running away. ¡°When will she learn I enjoy a chase,¡± he picked up his pace to join her again. He did not want to miss how flustered she had be.


    ¡°What the hell is with these two? Did they forget I was here?¡± Sally muttered. Edgar and Alessandra had such a strange way of flirting with each other in her opinion. ¡°This is the first time I saw him genuinely smile. He truly is in love with her.¡±


    ¡°Preposterous,¡± Prisci disagreed with Sally. ¡°Who are you? Were you recently hired to care for that girl?¡±


    ¡°Good morning, Mrs. Collins. I was a worker at the Baron¡¯s home and tasked with being the Duchess¡¯s personal maid. My name is Sally-¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need the extra information. Since you worked at the Baron¡¯s home, you must know a lot about the girl my son married. Tell me everything you know and I will pay you to triple what you receive in a month. Surely, you are in need of it,¡± Prisci inspected Sally¡¯s appearance. She was now reminded of a young girl she had watched Edgar. Normally, she would have been rying information by now.


    ¡°I am sorry Mrs. Collins but if there is anything you wish to learn about the Duchess, you should ask her yourself. Excuse me,¡± Sally quickly proceeded to walk away. She would be foolish to give Prisci information when the Duke was already suspicious of her giving information to the Baroness. No amount of her money would be worth the Duke bing her enemy.


    ¡°Everything concerning that girl is a headache. Luckily, I can pay the Baroness a visit to find out everything I need to know. Stop looking so defeated, Heather. It is annoying me. Always remember there is another young woman dying to be by my side. What do you think of my son¡¯s so-called wife?¡± Prisci asked. Hopefully, the sight of Edgar¡¯s wife had woken her up.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think she is suited to be with Edgar. If not myself, I have always imagined someone better for Edgar. Do you know why she hides her face?¡± Heather was extremely curious about the mask.


    ¡°It is ruined, I hear. She must be embarrassed by the look of it. I wonder if Edgar knows what she is hiding behind that mask. Should I have her take it off at breakfast? No, I have a better idea,¡± Prisci smiled as an evil thought came to mind. It wouldn¡¯t take long to chase Alessandra away and have Heather take her ce. ¡°Run along to the table and make sure you sit next to Edgar. There is someone I must find.¡±

 Chapter 85

    85 Respect is earned (2)


    ¡°There you are. I thought I was going to grow old waiting for everyone toe to the table,¡± Edmund said from his seat at the dining table.


    ¡°You are old,¡± Edgar replied.


    ¡°Well, then older you little shit. Tell me, how on earth did you fall in love with my son?¡± Edmund looked to Alessandra for an answer because he could not understand why such a lovelydy was with his devil of a son.


    ¡°What is there not to fall in love with when ites to me, father?¡± Edgar answered in Alessandra¡¯s ce so she wouldn¡¯t be ufortable talking about love.


    ¡°True. Collins men have always been able to make women fall in love with them easily. You should be thankful for my genes, son. Your mother just added a little razzle-dazzle to your looks. Are you going to sit next to me, Alessandra? We have more to talk about.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not. I am not going to let you bore her with talk about flowers and why all dirt differs. Sit here,¡± Edgar pulled out a seat for Alessandra at the head of the table, far away from where his father sat.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Alessandra said, sitting down in the chair. ¡°I told your father about my love for painting and he would like me to paint flowers for his home.¡±


    ¡°You are already busy with the paintings for our home,¡± Edgar reminded her. Her creating paintings for his father opened the door for the man to keep visiting.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind waiting. Take your time dear,¡± Edmund said much to Edgar¡¯s dismay.


    .....


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to wait forever because she¡¯s not doing it. Since when have you cared about paintings?¡±


    ¡°I could ask you the same son.¡±


    ¡®Why is this bing such a big deal?¡¯ Alessandra sighed, tempted to cover her ears to block out their growing argument.


    ¡°Am I missing something fun?¡± Heather asked as soon as she entered the dining room. ¡°Mrs. Collins has gone to freshen up. Where are you going to sit, Edgar?¡±


    ¡°At the table. Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± Edgar moved from Alessandra¡¯s side to go to the other end to take his seat.


    Alessandra noticed the way Heather kept her eyes on Edgar as he walked to his seat. ¡®It¡¯s like I am not here with the way she is staring at him.¡¯


    ¡°Heather, sit next to the Duchess and have a little chit-chat. You have been friends with Edgar for a long time and I am sure Alessandra wishes to hear embarrassing stories tough atter on. Sit,¡± Edmund instructed her. He ced one foot over the other, ready to enjoy the iing show.


    Heather disliked what Edmund said out loud. He was well aware of the many times she said Edgar did not want to be her friend. She had no embarrassing stories to tell Alessandra and Edmund certainly knew she did not wish to sit next to the seat that should belong to her.


    Still, Heather forced a smile as she always did and sat down to the right of Alessandra. ¡®How on earth am I supposed to start a conversation with the Duchess when we have nothing inmon and we are meant to be enemies?¡¯


    ¡°Are you from Lockwood?¡±


    Heather looked at Alessandra, surprised she was asking her a simple question instead of asking what she was doing here. ¡°Yes, but my parents moved away when I was ten to get away from how hectic the town can be. I assume you were also born and raised in Lockwood.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Alessandra replied. ¡°What embarrassing stories can you tell me about Edgar? He is always teasing me and it would be nice to be able to tease him.¡±


    Heather¡¯s hands fidgeted in herp. She was hoping the conversation of childhood stories would pass. ¡°Well-¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t recall us ever being friends and ying with each other for you to have any stories about me. Any that you know came from someone else and it wouldn¡¯t be your ce to tell, right? I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to hold out longer to hear stories about me, Alessandra. Let¡¯s move on,¡± said Edgar. He wasn¡¯t in the mood to listen to Heather making up fake memories of their childhood.


    ¡°Well, there was the first time your mother was introducing us and you were so shy that you jumped into theke.¡± With a small smile on her lips as she recounted the memory she cherished, Heather turned to Alessandra and said, ¡± It is what made me so determined to be his friend. I hoped one day he would be able to speak to me.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t jump because I was too shy to speak to you, Heather. I jumped because I saw my mothering towards me with a new minion by her side. I would have rather drowned than be tortured by speaking to the daughter of one of my mother¡¯s friends-¡±


    ¡°Edgar! That is enough,¡± Edmund stepped in before Edgar could further embarrass Heather.


    ¡°It is the truth. Should I let her cherish a memory she had wrong? She should not even be here to be telling stories about me. Why are you here, Heather?¡± Edgar eyed her with disinterest in her presence. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be with your parents? Surely, you are not holding onto the chance to be with me when I am married. I don¡¯t care to have a mistress like some people,¡± he nced at his father.


    ¡°I came to meet your wife,¡± Heather replied.


    ¡°Why? Why would you tag along the first time my parents are meeting her when you and I are not close? As a woman, did you not think of how your presence would make my wife feel, or will the excuse be that you are afraid of my mother so you had no choice but toe?¡±


    ¡°I only wanted to see what the woman you married was like and to keep your mother calm. Unlike the Duchess, I have a good rtionship with Mrs. Collins. I can be a bridge to help their rtionship,¡± said Heather.


    ¡°I am sure you did note to my home with that in mind from the very beginning. I will say this only once, do not return to my home after today, Heather. If you are still scared of my mother at this age, I will take care of her. Whatever role she has you ying in this game to separate me and my wife, know that I won¡¯t show mercy if you do anything stupid in the future,¡± Edgar gave a clear warning.


    He could see clearly how Heather would be used to create tension between him and Alessandra. Though they bothmunicated well and had an understanding he was not looking to be with another woman, Edgar saw it best to deal with Heather now rather than continuously having to exin weird run-ins with her.


    ¡°I understand,¡± Heather looked down at herp to avoid eye contact with anyone, especially Alessandra. However, she could not stand by her words. Edgar¡¯s help would not protect her from the battle she would face by going against what Prisci wanted. Men could never help win a woman¡¯s battle against other women.


    Alessandra felt bad for Heather but at the same time, she did not want to deal with Heather trying to find ways to steal Edgar. At the end of the day, Heather was well aware of why Prisci brought her along and Alessandra was not okay with it. She was thankful Edgar called it out in the early before any misunderstandings could arise.


    ¡°Why is this room so gloomy? Edgar, can you please exin why Jennifer was locked up?¡± Prisci returned with Jennifer right behind her.

 Chapter 86

    86 Respect is earned (3)


    ¡°Whoever allowed you to take her will lose their hands. I hope you are okay with that, mother,¡± Edgar tapped his fingers on the table to suppress his anger. There was nonsense after nonsense at the time of day he liked to have peace.


    Prisci neared the table not caring what would happen to the guard who freed the young maid. ¡°To have the poor girl locked up-¡±


    ¡°It was better than me getting rid of her hands for pping my wife. I have no problem doing it right now if that is what you wish. Take her back,¡± Edgar advised his mother. ¡°You¡¯ve ced two women in my life to mess with my marriage. You are lucky to be my mother. I don¡¯t know if I would be able to remain this calm if you weren¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You are threatening me again,¡± Prisci red at her son.


    ¡°I am giving you a warning I hardly give to others who piss me off. Take her back and sit down at this table while I am calm, mother. I will stain that pretty dress you are wearing with blood if you do not stop,¡± his hands itched to take up a knife from the table to solve the new problem.


    ¡°Son, there is no need for you to get ahead of yourself. She is your mother, not a man on the street. Do not casually mention blood to her. Prisci, take the girl back where you found her. This is not your home to take control of. We¡¯ve all had enough of the two of you being at odds,¡± Edmund sighed.


    Prisci looked down at where Alessandra sat. ¡°You must be enjoying the sight of this. I heard you got rid of her because you found out she is one of my people. Before we even met, you were creating problems with me.¡±


    ¡®Why am I being dragged into this when I said nothing?¡¯ Alessandra thought to herself.


    ¡°Prisci, that is enough. You cannot make assumptions based on what this maid has told you. If she truly pped Edgar¡¯s wife, she deserves to be punished. Do not attach yourself to this any further. You are stopping us from having a good breakfast,¡± said Edmund. He was getting upset with his wife finding any way possible to pick at Alessandra.


    .....


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you like her, Edmund? Are you doing this to spite me because I made us return to Lockwood? Do you truly like her?¡± Prisci did not want it to be thetter. Her husband was supposed to be on her side. Did Edmund want to hear others calling Edgar cursed? Was Edgar only good enough to marry the unwanted daughter of a Baron?


    ¡°What¡¯s not to like? She doesn¡¯t call me old as my son does and she is not afraid to get her hands dirty in the garden. I cannot dislike her when I hardly know her. Sit down and get to know her,¡± Edmund pointed at the chair directly in front of him.


    From what he saw when the young couple was entering the dining room, they had no reason to worry about Edgar. Frankly, Prisci should be happy Alessandra got Edgar to settle down after the many years their son was against marriage. Edmund was only concerned with how long it would take for them to give him a grandchild to spoil.


    ¡°Okay, let us start asking questions but I will not send back the maid just yet,¡± Prisci marched over to her seat and sat down. ¡°I heard that the Baron is dead but without batting an eye you are here enjoying the luxury of being married to my son. Do you know what that says about you?¡±


    ¡°My father and I did not have a good rtionship so I was saddened by his death. I am the one who ordered him to be killed. That should say a lot about what I¡¯ve been through,¡± Alessandra honestly answered. She had no reason to hide what would soon be public knowledge.


    ¡°You ordered your father to die?¡± Edmund was intrigued by the news.


    ¡°See,¡± Prisci turned to Edgar for him to wake up. ¡°What have you gotten yourself mixed up in? A Duke listening to the orders of a Baron¡¯s daughter.¡±


    ¡°I was the one to kill Desmond Barrett. I am well aware of what I have gotten myself mixed into. Any more questions?¡± Edgar titled his head, amused by the wide mouth expression on his mother¡¯s face.


    ¡°It is true that you killed the Baron? Was it over her?¡± Prisci became more heated. It was bad enough Edgar married Alessandra but now he was taking orders from her to kill someone and worse of all, her very own father. ¡°Do you know how much trouble this will cause for you?¡±


    ¡°Alfred,¡± Edgar ignored his mother. ¡°Can we please have breakfast served? I am already considering leaving the table to eat elsewhere.¡±


    ¡°Why did you kill the Baron, Edgar? Whatever he did with his daughter was not justifiable for you to kill him. Laws were made to be followed to prosecute wrongdoers. I assume the town guards came to your door ready to arrest you for killing the Baron. How did you get out of it?¡± Edmund was worried for Edgar because of how others might spin this story.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for me to be concerned about it when it¡¯s already taken care of. You know what type of man the Baron was and I could not let him live after thinking of what might have happened if I did not arrive in time to save Alessandra. I was going to kill him regardless of what Alessandra said. Stop ming her for my actions,¡± said Edgar specifically to his mother. ¡°All four of you, leave after you have eaten.¡±


    ¡®Four?¡¯ Heather thought. She snuck a nce at the maid Prisci had brought along with her. The maid stood behind Prisci with the biggest smile Heather had ever seen. ¡®What a fool. She will have no use for you once she gets the information she needs.¡¯


    ¡°Edgar, have you already forgotten thisnd once belonged to your father and me? We gave this to you and now you are trying to chase us away. I am sick and tired of you constantly disobeying me. The Collins name is known throughout thend and not just anyone can be epted,¡± Prisci huffed, annoying things weren¡¯t going her way.


    ¡°I recall a rtive of mine married his maid and none of you said a word about it. You¡¯ve run out of chances, mother. Alfred, escort all four of them out and hurry up with breakfast for Alessandra and me,¡± Edgar ordered the butler. ¡°I apologize for ruining your breakfast invitation to them, Alessandra but our house has been too peaceful for us to continue with this.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Alessandra replied. She was also tired of hearing Prisci be upset. All she wanted to do right now was eat instead of listening to Prisci about why she wouldn¡¯t make a good wife. ¡°I hope to see you soon, Mr.Collins.¡±


    ¡°Likewise,¡± Edmund stood up from his seat. There was no point in them staying and creating problems for the newlyweds. ¡°Come along, Prisci. Do not make me have to say it more than once.¡±


    ¡°I refuse to leave when Edgar has not yete to his senses,¡± Prisci continued to sit. None of them would ever be able to see that she was only trying to protect Edgar¡¯s reputation. ¡°When will you learn to respect me, Edgar?¡±


    ¡°Respect is earned, mother. Do not get your dress caught up in the door as you leave.¡±

 Chapter 87

    87 Marks (1)


    ¡°Jennifer had a lot to say on our way to the dining room and I need it to be addressed. Speak child,¡± Prisci urged Jennifer.


    ¡°Open your mouth and will lose your tongue,¡± Edgar picked up a knife from the table. He had been meaning to find a good punishment for Jennifer and now her presence was giving him all kinds of ideas. ¡°Father, I am giving you until the count of three. One,¡± he began to count.


    ¡°Prisci we are leaving,¡± Edmund moved from where he was sitting to the other side of the table to get her. ¡°Get up. You¡¯ve embarrassed yourself enough in front of our daughter-inw. Edgar is married, get over it.¡±¡®


    ¡°Do not manhandle me. I am capable of getting up on my own,¡± Prisci pushed Edmund¡¯s hands away. She was not getting through to anyone but she had a lot of time to make them listen and do as she wanted. ¡°Fine, I will leave for now but this conversation isn¡¯t over. She will not keep the Collins name.¡±


    ¡°Why must you always make things so difficult?¡± Edmund sighed. Prisci was only doing this because of how hard it had been for her to join his family even though she came from a prestigious family.


    ¡°It is Edgar who made things difficult by getting married without our consent. His grandmother will throw a fit when she learns of this. Come, Heather. Let us leave before her curse starts to affect your face,¡± Prisci¡¯s face was scrunched up as she looked at the mask Alessandra wore.


    Alessandra remained quiet, unaffected by Prisci¡¯s words. She was hoping Prisci wasn¡¯t the type to believe in foolish rumors and refer to her as cursed.


    ¡°It was nice meeting you, Duchess,¡± Heather said to Alessandra as she stood up. ¡°I hope we get to see each other in the future,¡± she smiled.


    Looking up at Heather, Alessandra found that although Heather was smiling it did not reach her eyes. Alessandra¡¯s heart ached for Heather as it seemed like she was fighting something on the inside but no one was asking her what was wrong. ¡°Are you okay?¡± She asked.


    .....


    ¡°What?¡± Heather looked confused. Did Alessandra think she was sad because of what Edgar said earlier? Why was she asking now instead of earlier when she felt like crying? Was this Alessandra¡¯s way of teasing her? ¡°I am fine, Duchess.¡±


    ¡°I see. It was nice meeting you too, Heather. Please have a safe trip back,¡± said Alessandra.


    Heather bit her lip, forcing back the emotions she felt. She wished Alessandra would somehow disappear so that her life would be normal once again. ¡®Why did someone like you have to show up?¡¯ She clenched her fist.


    ¡°Did something happen to Heather? Did you do something to her?¡± Prisci stopped right next to Alessandra as she was leaving and gripped her shoulder painfully for the answer.


    ¡°Prisci,¡± Edmund grabbed her hand to pull it away from Alessandra¡¯s shoulder. Hearing Alessandra hiss in pain, he noticed Prisci was digging her nails into Alessandra¡¯s shoulder. Edmund roughly removed her hand and dragged her away just in time to avoid Edgar who no one had witnessed standing up.


    ¡°You are hurting my hand, Edmund. I am not just anyone for you to drag like this...¡± Prisci¡¯s voice slowly died down as she was taken away.


    ¡°Let me see,¡± Edgar¡¯s words came out in a whisper.


    ¡°See what?¡± Alessandra looked up at him. She had nothing to show.


    ¡°Your shoulder. Let me see it. Everyone out,¡± Edgar ordered the servants in the dining room and Alfred to leave. ¡°There are going so you don¡¯t have to be shy. Just let me see your shoulder to see if there is a mark from where she grabbed you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t-¡±


    ¡°Alessandra, it¡¯s incredibly hard for me to stay as calm as I am right now. Let me verify with my own eyes that your shoulder is okay. Please.¡±


    Alessandra heard the restraint in Edgar¡¯s voice and realized the only way to truly calm him down was to show her shoulder. She should have listened to him and let his parents leave. Then Edgar and his mother wouldn¡¯t have argued so much.


    Alessandra slowly undid the first three buttons of her dress and slid the dress off on the right side where Prisci grabbed her. She showed him just enough skin to show where she was touched.


    She held her breath as Edgar leaned closer for a better look. Her body jumped, feeling his surprisingly cold finger against the warmth of her skin. To her surprise, Edgarughed as he trailed every mark from his mother¡¯s nails.


    ¡°I must be crazy to let her get so near to you. I¡¯ll be back-¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Alessandra held onto his hand to stop him from going to his mother. It would only make their rtionship worse. ¡°It is only small cuts.¡±


    ¡°Are you aware how hard she had to grip your shoulder to make marks under your dress? I saw the look on your face when she did it. I should have stuck to my gut and let her leave the moment she arrived,¡± Edgar med himself. He knew what his mother was like when did not get her way and yet, he allowed her to get close to Alessandra. ¡°My mother took her controlling nature to another level today.¡±


    It was one thing for his mother to hurt him but not Alessandra. That was where he drew the line.


    ¡°Please do not go to your mother, Edgar. I am fine. This is nothing bad.¡±


    ¡°Your words do nothing but make me even more enraged, Alessandra. What have you suffered to be able to ept pain like this because it is not the worse you have endured?¡± Edgar tapped his fingers on the table to calm down his anger once again.


    Alessandra started to pull up her dress now that Edgar had seen what he wanted but Edgar ced his hand over her own to stop her. ¡°I should fix it before someonees in and sees me like this. Ah!¡± Alessandra gasped when Edgar took hold of her hand and pulled her up to where he stood.


    His hands circled her waist to keep her from moving. Edgar¡¯s heated gaze and their closeness were enough to have Alessandra be a puddle in his arms. For the first time, she knew he was not teasing her, and not knowing what he was going to do made her a nervous mess.


    ¡°Edgar,¡± she felt her heart skip a beat when his head moved from her line of vision down to her shoulder.


    ¡°This is not okay,¡± he kissed the skin where his mother created marks.

 Chapter 88

    88 Marks (2)


    Alessandra was unable to register the fact Edgar had kissed where she had been marked by his mother. She wished to know what was going on in his head to kiss her shoulder. Did he feel guilty because it was his mother who had done it? Was he doing it solely to make her feel better?


    Havingfort her after being hurt felt strange. Even more strange that it came from Edgar when she did not anticipate having this kind of rtionship with him.


    ¡°Calm down, Alessandra. I can feel your heart ready to jump out of your chest.¡±


    ¡®That¡¯s because of how close we are right now!¡¯ She wanted to yell at him but the words wouldn¡¯t leave her mouth.


    Edgar pulled up her dress while she appeared to be lost in her thoughts. He was still upset with his mother but considering she was no longer present, there was no need to still be upset when Alessandra right here pleading with him to stay. ¡°Should I button up the dress for you?¡±


    ¡°No, thank you,¡± words finally managed to leave Alessandra¡¯s mouth. She did not want to be that close to him. ¡°Can you release me now?¡±


    ¡°No, I am quitefortable right now and enjoying your flustered face too much,¡± Edgar replied, tightening his hold on her body showing that he had no intentions of letting her go.


    ¡°Please release me so I can properly button up my dress. You¡¯ve already checked the marks. There is no need for us to be like this because you arefortable. Go hug someone else if you want to befortable,¡± Alessandra ced her hands on his chest to push him away but it was no different than pushing a rock. It looked like she was giving him a massage because he wasn¡¯t bulging.


    Edgar freed one hand from being around his waist to grab hold of her hands pushing against him. ¡°I have a feeling you are just trying to feel my chest. How bold of you,¡± he whispered by the tip of her ear. ¡°You only had to ask.¡±


    .....


    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Alessandra eximed, pushing him back with all her strength. Her exposed cheek showed how much he affected her.


    She felt Edgar move and expected she had pushed him hard enough to be released but when she looked down at his feet, they were still in the same position. ¡°Do your shoes have rocks?¡±


    Edgar chuckled, finding her reason for being unable to move him to be funny. ¡°Your dear husband trains every chance he gets. Can¡¯t you feel my hard work each time you push me?¡±


    Alessandra immediately removed her hands from his chest after bing aware of how light his shirt was and how she was able to feel the outline of his hard work beneath his shirt. Alessandra looked off to the side and said, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be okay with someone feeling your body like this.¡±


    ¡°You are not just anyone. You are my wife. You can touch me all you want. Should I unbutton my shirt to make us even?¡±


    Alessandra knew Edgar was now teasing her unlike before. He was no longer angry after finding entertainment in watching her suffer. ¡°I don¡¯t want to touch you, Edgar. I want to be released. I¡¯m hungry,¡± she added, hoping it would be the answer to having him release her.


    Surely, he wouldn¡¯t let her starve.


    ¡°Should we eat likest night? With you on myp? I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t want to let you go when I am entertained right now,¡± Edgar confessed. No one could question them about it if that was how they were going to eat. They were still in what others called the honeymoon phase.


    ¡°Edgar, I am not going to let sitting on yourp and eating be a thing that we do. I should have run away instead of showing you my shoulder. It¡¯s been just the two of us for so long that the servants may think we are doing something explicit.¡±


    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t,¡± Edgar replied to ease her growing concern about their servants thinking they were fooling around in the dining room.


    Alessandra looked at Edgar confused about how he was so confident they wouldn¡¯t think they were fooling around. ¡°How are you so sure?¡±


    ¡°The room is awfully quiet,¡± was his simple reply.


    Alessandra did not understand his words at first but from the sly smile slowly appearing on his lips and the way he gripped her waist tighter it finally registered what he meant. ¡°How can you be so...¡± she trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.


    ¡°I am only being honest. Would you prefer it if I lied to you?¡±


    ¡°No. Having an honest person around is a good thing but the words thate out of your mouth are what I cannot handle. You are different from what I expected, Edgar. I¡¯ve only heard of your terrifying nature and sarcastic replies. Perhaps, are there more sides to you that I have not seen yet?¡± She wondered out loud. ¡°Your family is also not what I expected.¡±


    ¡°Everyone has a side to them that no one gets to see. You are not what I expected either, Alessandra. You surprise me more than you can ever imagine,¡± he released her waist. They held off breakfast far too long. ¡°My offer still stands to help you button up the-¡±


    ¡°I got it,¡± Alessandra quickly rushed to do it herself. ¡°See, it wasn¡¯t that hard for me to do alone. You can stop teasing me now.¡±


    ¡°Impossible and I must confess, Alessandra. I am looking forward to being the one unbuttoning your dress. Perhaps, it would be more amusing if you were to plead for me to do it. What do you think?¡± Edgar asked. He wondered what response she could have to this.


    ¡°I will do no such thing,¡± Alessandra was confident in her words. The sky would turn green before she pleaded with Edgar to unbutton her clothes.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see if I can prove you wrong when the timees. Alfred!¡± Edgar called out of the dining room.


    ¡°Yes young master,¡± Alfred entered the room. He could not hide the small smile on his lips. ¡®It won¡¯t be long until the young master falls in love,¡¯ he sang in his head. His one wish was slowlying true.


    ¡°Whatever you are thinking, stop it. Are my parents gone?¡± Edgar stepped away from Alessandra to give her space to recollect herself. There was a lot he left for her to think about.


    ¡°Yes. Your father assured me they would not return for the rest of the day. However, he cannot make promises about tomorrow because he has somewhere to be and won¡¯t be able to watch your mother,¡± said Alfred. He wanted to give the suggestion for Edmund to tie Prisci to a chair and have someone feed her when she gets hungry.


    ¡°Tell the men my parents no longer have entry to my home. My mother left marks on Alessandra¡¯s shoulder and-¡±


    ¡°Where?¡± Alfred pratically flew to where she stood.


    Edgar folded his hands watching Alfred who had only ever shown him care now be rushing to Alessandra¡¯s side to aid her. ¡°Have I lost you to her, Alfred? Hello. Alfred?¡±


    Edgar¡¯s words fell on deaf ears. ¡°Unbelievable,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°We should have some cream to make it heal quickly. Edgar, where is the one the king gifted you? It¡¯s said to work wonders on any bruise.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Edgar replied.


    ¡°Careless,¡± Alfred scolded Edgar. ¡°How many times have I told you to up your things-¡±


    ¡°You were the one who put it somewhere safe, Alfred. You took it from me the moment I told you what it was which is why I don¡¯t know where it is.¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± Alfred started to remember it. He wanted to ce it somewhere special so no one could waste it. ¡°Excuse me for a moment Duchess.¡±


    Alessandra found the rtionship between Alfred and Edgar to be sweet. She understood why Alfred did not have a good rtionship with Prisci. Alfred had what Prisci wanted with Edgar. A bond.


    ¡®Why can¡¯t parents stop being stubborn and talk to their children?¡¯ She thought.


    ¡°What are you thinking with such a serious expression? I hope that it is not me,¡± Edgar interrupted her thoughts.


    ¡°I was thinking about the rtionship you have with Alfred versus your mother.¡±


    ¡°After all the things I just told you that is what you have on your mind?¡± Edgar sighed, beyond disappointed with her mind. ¡°We should go to the next level. Come here,¡± Edgar opened his arms wide showing that he wanted to hold her again.


    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± Alessandra took a step back. She could not allow for Edgar to tease her again. ¡°Don¡¯te any closer.¡±


    Edgar ignored her words and stalked her like a predator did with its prey. ¡°I promise you will enjoy what I have in mind,¡± he walked towards her.


    Eventually, Edgar had to pick up his pace when Alessandra started to run around the table to get away from him.


    ¡°The two of them are not normal,¡± Sallymented after peeping into the room to see what was happening.

 Chapter 89

    89 Hole (1)


    ¡°Are you satisfied now?¡± Asked Edmund. He sat on the opposite side of the carriage next to Heather while Prisci sat with Jennifer. ¡°Now you won¡¯t be able to see him any time soon. What was the point of us returning to Lockwood when we can¡¯t even visit our son?¡±


    ¡°To save his reputation. I do not want anything concerning that girl to be attached to my son. I believe he¡¯s only doing this to rebel against me. This marriage cannot be real. You said they weren¡¯t wearing wedding rings right?¡± Prisci looked at Jennifer.


    ¡°No. I saw her wearing wire around her fingers. The Duke did not give her the family ring,¡± Jennifer smiled, happy to be of use to Mrs. Collins. ¡°I don¡¯t think you have to be concerned about her for too long, Mrs. Collins.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be concerned about her at all,¡± Prisci sighed, rubbing her aching neck. ¡°If only she would be gone by nightfall. What else do you have to tell me about her?¡±


    Jennifer frowned, finding herself in an awkward position because she had told Prisci everything. What more was left to be said when she had not been around Alessandra for a long time before she was thrown into a cell. ¡°There is nothing else,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Really? Stop the carriage!¡± Prisci yelled loud enough for the coachman to hear.


    Heather patiently awaited the oue everyone but Jennifer knew wasing. The young maid was about to learn how easy it is for Prisci to cast you aside.


    When the carriage came to halt but nothing happened, Prisci nced at Jennifer. ¡°Why are you not leaving? I don¡¯t have all day to waste.¡±


    Jennifer¡¯s eyebrows furrowed as she did not understand why she would need to leave before the carriage got to where the Collins were staying. ¡°Is there somewhere you wish for me to go?¡± She asked, thinking Prisci wanted to send her to get information on Alessandra right away.


    .....


    ¡°Yes, out of the carriage,¡± Prisci said the words slowly because it didn¡¯t seem like Jennifer understood them the first time. ¡°Right now. Surely you did not assume you would be working for me?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Jennifer instantly replied. Panic started to settle in as the reality she was without a job hit her. ¡°You said I am one of your people. Edgar sent me away because of what I was doing for you. You owe me a job.¡±


    ¡°I owe you?¡± Prisci covered her mouth with her hand as she snickered. ¡°Why would I owe you when I have already paid for your services? Why do you think I paid you so much? It¡¯s to help you survive a little bit longer after my son catches and fires you. I hope you did not spend all of it, poor thing.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s...¡± Jennifer trailed off. She already spent the money Prisci gave her on new clothes to make her friends jealous. She was still earning with her money from Edgar but now, she had nothing. She left without being paid for her services before she was thrown into a cell. ¡°I lost a good job because of you-¡±


    ¡°Wake up,¡± Prisci snapped her fingers. ¡°I did not control your hand and make you p that girl. You should be thankful I saved you from that cell. You can no longer provide me with information about Edgar and why would I want someone who could be paid off to pass information about me? Do you take me for a fool?¡±


    ¡°Just leave,¡± Edmund slid a ring off of his finger to offer Jennifer as payment for what she did. The desperation on her face to hold onto Prisci for a job was making the air in the carriage ufortable.


    ¡°They will call the town guards on me for having that,¡± Jennifer refused to take the ring. She saw it happen before when servants were used of stealing when they tried exchanging expensive jewelry given to them.


    Employers sometimes could not bother themselves to let the guards know they had given it to the servant and so the servants were imprisoned or had a finger cut off for stealing.


    ¡°I need money-¡±


    Heather jumped when an unexpected p echoed in the carriage. Her eyes went back and forth between Prisci¡¯s annoyed expression and Jennifer¡¯s shock.


    ¡°Who do you think you are to be making demands with us? He offered you a ring but you have denied it. It¡¯s your fault you are leaving empty handed and it is your fault you are without a job. Get out before I have the coachman drag you out and toss you onto the ground for everyone to see. I wasted my time going into that cell to get you. Useless,¡± Prisci rolled her eyes.


    ¡°I wasted money on you. No, I cannot say that considering you pped her. Well done,¡± Prisci smiled.


    Jennifer couldn¡¯t understand how such an innocent smile belonged to someone who was leaving her withouta job. There were so many people who wished to work for Duke Collins and she managed to get the job only to lose it because of his mother.


    ¡°Take the ring and go,¡± Heather spoke up to ease the situation. ¡°I¡¯m sure if a problem arises you can just reach out for it to be resolved.¡±


    Jennifer did not want any advice from someone who never once had to be concerned about money in her life but she had no choice but to take the ring. She had to pitch in for food at home or her rtive she was staying with would throw her out.


    In the end, Jennifer had to ept the ring. As she reached where Edmund was holding it, Prisci took the ring and tossed it outside.


    ¡°Prisci!¡± Edmund eximed. ¡°That was uncalled for.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯ll have to get out and search for it if she wishes to eat tonight,¡± Prisci made herselffortable in her chair and closed her eyes.


    ¡°I will help you,¡± Edmund said to Jennifer.


    ¡°That is alright. Mr.Collins,¡± Jennifer stopped him from opening his door. ¡°I¡¯ll get it on my own.¡±


    Jennifer opened the carriage door and slowly stepped out of it, taking in how much of a hole she was buried in.


    ¡°Take us away!¡± Prisci called to the coachman the moment Jennifer closed the door.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let you treat me like this and get away with it,¡± Jennifer muttered, watching the carriage she should be in, leaving without her.

 Chapter 90

    90 Hole (2)


    ¡°Enlighten me, why were the two of you running around the table from one another? What did Edgar do?¡± Alfred asked the duo while they ate breakfast. He returned with the cream to quite an exciting sight. ¡°Please remember that you are a Duke and Duchess.¡±


    ¡°Are you telling me I can¡¯t run after my wife in my own home?¡±


    ¡°Edgar,¡± Alfred sighed. ¡°Why did you need to run after her in the first ce?¡±


    Edgar smiled, watching Alessandra avoiding his gaze when she looked up and saw him staring at her. ¡°I was only trying to give her a hug but she refused and ran away. Isn¡¯t it right for me tofort her in a moment like this?¡± He asked like an innocent child.


    ¡°Well yes,¡± Alfred became puzzled on why Alessandra did not ept the hug. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you allow him to hug you, Alessandra? You have to seize rare moments like this when Edgar shows concern. Sometimes I find him incredibly rude and horrible-¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Edgar called Alfred. ¡°You could¡¯ve stopped at why she didn¡¯t ept the hug. Are you trying to make me look like a bad person in front of my wife?¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s your personality, Edgar. Anyway, he only offers this rare side of him to people he cares about. You are lucky,¡± said Alfred.


    Alessandra would have felt touched by Alfred¡¯s words if she didn¡¯t experience Edgar¡¯s teasing nature previously. Edgar was not simply going to hug her. From the sly smile he was giving her from the end of the table, he knew it too. Still, to not let anyone know what happened when they were alone, she replied, ¡°Thank you for letting me know.¡±


    ¡°So I take it I¡¯ll be able to hug you whenever I want?¡± Edgar asked, inspecting her every move from the way she gripped the fork to her re. ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a no. You should be thanking me for the light workout before breakfast, Alessandra. It¡¯s a good way to start the day. Should we do it every morning?¡±


    .....


    ¡®What would I have to do to avoid having breakfast with him?¡¯ Alessandra wondered. ¡®Should I stay in bed until he leaves?¡¯


    ¡°Alfred, bring my coat. It is time for me to leave,¡± Edgar ced his fork down.


    ¡°One moment,¡± Alfred excused himself.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to ask where I am going, Alessandra?¡± Edgar yfully asked.


    ¡°It is not my business,¡± Alessandra continued to eat. It wasn¡¯t her ce to ask about where he nned to be for the rest of the day.


    ¡°Normally, I would visit the red light district but now that I am married it would cause awful rumors and gossip.¡±


    Alessandra¡¯s hands paused mid-air upon hearing the red light district. She wanted to ask about it but then again, it wasn¡¯t her ce nor her business so she continued to eat with the thought of him being there haunting her in the back of her mind.


    ¡°I go there to read-¡±


    ¡°You haverge libraries here and no one to interrupt you,¡± Alessandra cut in but then bit her lip right after as she regrettedmenting on it.


    ¡°The red light district provides more information than these libraries of mine. Men go there to get drunk, have fun, and inevitably speak of things that interest me. So, I pay for a room, read a good book, and listen to what the walls have to offer. I have never slept with anyone there. That¡¯s one misunderstanding we should avoid in the future.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Alessandra¡¯s shoulders rxed. Why they were so tense in the first ce she could not understand.


    ¡°I am going to visit the church and then I have to pay a visit to the town guards to see if they have found any information about the missing girls. I¡¯ll stress it again, Alessandra, do not walk around alone. Alfred will introduce your guardter on. Are you finished with breakfast? Before I go, I want to show thest gift,¡± Edgar stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll be back shortly.¡±


    ¡°What do you think it is?¡± Sally¡¯s sudden question startled Alessandra. ¡°My apologies. I should have let you know I was behind you, Duchess. What more do you think the Duke has to offer you?¡±


    Alessandra took a few deep breaths to calm her heart after being surprised by Sally¡¯s presence. ¡°I do not know. He has already given me the paint, shoes, bags, jewelry, and the dressmaker isingter today. What else could be left?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps it is your wedding ring? The two of you have been walking around with wires on your fingers. Is there some romantic reason behind why you two do not wear proper wedding bands?¡±


    Alessandra looked down at her finger now realizing what she was wearing on her finger. She wore her engagement ring and the wired ring Edgar created. ¡°He only had the engagement ring prepared,¡± she remembered why Edgar was able to save her the night she was going to be sent to William. ¡°Our marriage was such ast-minute decision that we did not have time to collect other rings.¡±


    ¡°That must be it,¡± Sally pped her hands. ¡°I am curious to see how it will look.¡±


    ¡°How what will look?¡± Edgar questioned, causing Sally to retreat from Alessandra¡¯s side. He carried arge box in front of him and something shuffling on the inside could be heard. ¡°I have been meaning to give you these since you lost your kitten.¡±


    Alessandra¡¯s eyes lit up when Edgar revealed two kittens, one white and one ck. ¡°Where did you get them?¡± She picked the two small animals up. It was clear they had recently been born from their small size. ¡°Where is the mother?¡±


    ¡°A servant found them and left them expecting the mother to return for them but as days went by and constant checking, the mother did note back. I assume the mother has somehow passed away. We can keep them if you wish-¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Alessandra excitedly answered. ¡°I mean, we shouldn¡¯t leave them alone. Look how thin they are, like they have not been fed for days. I should see if the cook has something for them. Come, Sally,¡± Alessandra stood up from her seat and began to walk away.


    ¡°Excuse me, aren¡¯t you forgetting something, Alessandra?¡± Edgar asked.


    ¡°What?¡± Alessandra looked back at where she previously sat and saw nothing wrong.


    ¡°You need to offer him a kiss for the gift, Duchess,¡± Sally whispered. ¡°I will go ahead and take the kittens to the kitchen,¡± she took the two cats to give the couple privacy.


    ¡®Do I really have to? Is that what he is expecting? He has given me a lot. Maybe it is justmon courtesy to give a kiss on the cheek,¡¯ Alessandra concluded in her mind.


    ¡°Very well,¡± she replied, walking back to where Edgar stood. They had done more embarrassing things where a kiss on the cheek was hardly a problem. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said then tiptoed slightly to kiss his cheek.


    ¡°What a lovely surprise, Alessandra. I was only expecting you to see me off but I was given a kiss. It was two kittens,¡± he grabbed her waist to ensure she wouldn¡¯t run away again. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I be given a kiss on each cheek?¡±


    ¡°Wait what?¡± Alessandra blushed, embarrassed by her actions. She was only listening to what Sally said he was expecting. She wanted to bury herself in a hole for kissing him when it was not what he wanted.¡±There is a misunderstanding, Edgar. Sally said you were expecting a kiss in return so I...¡±


    ¡°The misunderstanding is cleared now that I am expecting one. You should hurry before my other cheek feels sad.¡±

 Chapter 91

    91 Hole (3)


    ¡°Make sure you put up all of the offerings well. We do not need to repeat it being stolen again and then we cannot buy food for those in need. All types of people visit the church and not all areing to pray. Be careful,¡± Peter advised another priest. ¡°Hopefully we get enough offerings to be able to help families when the winteres.¡±


    ¡°The woodsman said he would bring wood for us to throw into the furnace when winteres. We¡¯ll need to start collecting more in our free time since the church gets so cold in the winter. Oh, we have a wealthy guest.¡±


    Peter looked out at the road where his fellow priest saw someone arriving. ¡°Oh no,¡± Peter¡¯s eyes widened when he realized who the carriage belonged to. ¡°I will go out and start gathering the wood for winter.¡±


    ¡°But you are in charge of taking care of our visitors today. You cannot leave me to deal with the offering, prayer for those who visit and providing shelter to those in need. The other priests are not here. Peter,¡± the young priest Lucas called for Peter when he began to run away.


    ¡°I will return when the monster goes away,¡± Peter picked up his robe to help him run faster. ¡®Why on earth is Edgar here,¡¯ he cried.


    Peter ran away from the entrance of the church all the way to the back which would take him out into trees he could hide until he thought Edgar was gone. ¡®I should truly consider digging a hole to hide in whenever that manes around,¡¯ Peter thought.


    ¡°Where are you going, Peter?¡± Edgar stuck out his foot, making Peter fall as soon as he exited the back door. ¡°Now your robe is all dirty,¡± he looked down at the disgrace of a priest.


    ¡°H-How? Your carriage just arrived?¡± Peter coughed as his nose and mouth were flooded from the disturbed dust where he fell. Edgar was truly a monster to be able to teleport from his carriage to the back door. ¡°I married the devil to an innocent woman,¡± Peter began to panic.


    Edgar rolled his eyes at Peter¡¯s stupid conclusion. He bent down to grab the cor of Peter¡¯s robe and pulled him up in one swift motion. ¡°This would not be the first time you ran to the back door when you saw my carriage arriving. You should be more clever with your escapes.¡±


    .....


    Edgar had exited his carriage before it came into view of the priest standing outside of the church and went to the back to wait for Peter.


    ¡°I should but uhm, can you put me down now?¡± Peter didn¡¯t like how Edgar had him causally dangling in the air to the point his feet could not touch the ground. ¡°You certainly work out a lot, Edgar. I am not light enough for just anyone to do this.¡±


    ¡°No, you are not,¡± Edgar released Peter.


    ¡°What have I done to deserve this treatment, Edgar? Your wife wouldn¡¯t be happy to know this is how you are treating the man who wed the two of you-Ow!¡± Peter grabbed his aching head after Edgar smacked him. ¡°Must you always be so violent?¡±


    ¡°Do not try using her against me. It¡¯s going around in the paper that someone saw us in the church. Surely, you wouldn¡¯t have sold news of my marriage to the papers? Do you know how sad I am for not being able to announce it myself? I thought the church minds its own business and does not spread the word about what happens in it. Right or wrong?¡± Edgar tapped his fingers on his sword as he awaited the answer.


    ¡°Do I look like I have a death wish, Edgar? I don¡¯t speak about you to anyone. Quite frankly, I don¡¯t even like seeing you. You have the wrong person but we are investigating who sent it to the papers. We cannot keep someone who will talk about what they see here. It has caused quite a lot of problems for me,¡± Peter stepped back to be far away from Edgar in case he wanted to use his sword.


    ¡°What kind of problems?¡±


    ¡°For one, everyone ising to ask me for the details about your wedding. Secondly, I had an unpleasant visit from one of the town guards. What was his name? Olive?¡± Peter looked up at the sky as if expecting the right name to fall from it.


    ¡°Oliver. What did he want?¡± Edgar asked. Oliver¡¯s obsession with being mixed in his business was beyond irritating. He already said he was married to Alessandra. Had Olivere here to confirm it?


    ¡°Ask me yourself instead of prying information out of a priest. Have you no shame, Edgar?¡± Oliver spat at the man he hated more than anything.


    ¡°It is no different than what you did, Oliver. Are you stalking me? Should my ego grow for having male fans? If you wish to be my friend again, you only have to ask, Oliver,¡± Edgar smiled.


    ¡°Friend? Who wants to be friends with a man who abuses his power? I cannot understand what that woman sees in you to marry you. Peter, you do not need to worry about him. Go inside,¡± Oliver ordered the priest.


    ¡°Not so fast,¡± Edgar stepped closer to Peter and ced his hand on Peter¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I was having a lovely conversation with my friend before you arrived. It would be rude for you to send him away in the middle of it.¡±


    Oliver looked to Peter for an exnation. ¡°Why are you friends with him?¡±


    Peter awkwardly smiled, wishing he could be elsewhere. ¡°We are not friends. Not even acquaintances. We are just a priest and a Duke. Why are you here? Is it to speak about your uing wedding?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s getting married? How interesting. To whom?¡± Edgar questioned as it was odd for Oliver to be getting married given the inner battle he had with himself.


    ¡°It is none of your business,¡± Oliver replied.


    ¡°Seeing that you are still too emotional for me to talk to, I will find another guard to update me about the missing girls. Peter, find out who leaked the news and alert me. Before I go, I must offer you some advice, Oliver. From one married man to one who is about to get married,¡± Edgar left Peter¡¯s side to stand close to Oliver. ¡°Do not waste the youngdy¡¯s time and tell your father what you have been struggling with.¡±


    ¡°You bastard,¡± Oliver grabbed a handful of Edgar¡¯s shirt and pushed him against the wall. ¡°What on earth do you know about me!¡±


    ¡°I know your dirty little secret, Oliver. I¡¯ve always known it from the way you acted towards me. Now, about this,¡± Edgar pointed to where Oliver was grabbing him. ¡°You are in luck that I do not want to return to my wife with bruises on my knuckles from punching your face for grabbing me. I suggest you release me before my mind changes.¡±

 Chapter 92

    92 New friend (1)


    ¡°Fighting on church premises is not allowed,¡± Peter whispered loud enough for the two men to hear. He did not want the drama to shift to him. ¡°Didn¡¯t think I would ever have to exin that to a town guard and Duke. Take five steps back and then you¡¯ll be off the church. You can fight there.¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± Oliver released Edgar with a shove. ¡°I have better things to do.¡±


    Edgar straightened out his shirt while he spoke, ¡°If I were not in such a good mood, I would have your head, Oliver. You should thank my wife for living to see another day. I¡¯m not putting up with you going around being in my business, Oliver. Do not bite the hand that fed you.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that because you¡¯re richer than me? Did you always think that when I came to your house as a child? Yes, I went for the food. So what?¡± Oliver clenched his fists to suppress his anger before he did something that would make him lose his job.


    ¡°Are you slow? I didn¡¯t mean literally feeding you,¡± Edgar shook his head. Day by day others were slowly losing theirprehension skills. ¡°How can you show so much anger to someone who helped you be a town guard? Furthermore, captain. As easily as I gave you the job, I can take it away because your emotions are interfering with your work.¡±


    ¡°You gave me this job? What bullshit,¡± Oliver scoffed. ¡°I got my position based on my skills.¡±


    ¡°Obviously you had the skills. I wouldn¡¯t have put my word in if you were terrible. However, you had no good background. That¡¯s what the men making the decision seemed to care about so I put in a good word that you were connected to my family. You¡¯ve been annoying me with the power I gave you. Isn¡¯t that something, Peter?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t involve me in this,¡± Peter muttered.


    ¡°You¡¯re lying,¡± Oliver refused to believe Edgar¡¯s words. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t do that for someone you¡¯re not friends with.¡±


    .....


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do it because you¡¯re an old friend. I did it because the fool they wanted to choose was ipetent and would only make my work harder. I¡¯m not expecting you to be thankful but I want this information to always be at the back of your mind whenever you are going around investigating me for nonsense,¡± said Edgar.


    Still not believing Edgar, Oliver walked away without saying a word. There was someone he could ask to find out the truth behind him bing the captain.


    ¡°He¡¯s going to have a bad day after this. Why I¡¯d kill myself if I found out someone I hated gave me the job I desired. Poor soul,¡± Peter shook his head feeling bad for Oliver.


    ¡°Kill yourself? Why not just quit?¡± Edgar asked.


    Peter opened his mouth and then closed it when he realized it was an option. ¡°Why are you still here, Edgar? We are most definitely not friends for us to be standing around chatting.¡±


    ¡°Find the person who sent the news to the papers and alert me right away. If anyone quits during that time, send me their name, description, where they were staying, and who they knew,¡± Edgar gave Peter an order.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this a bit much for someone announcing your wedding before you did? I knew you were petty but not this much.¡±


    ¡°It is not about my wedding. Every single girl who was taken or killed came here to make a confession to a priest. They all had something troubling them and it¡¯s worth investigating if their information was being sold since it could link us to the culprit. I swear if it¡¯s you spreading the information Peter, I¡¯ll...¡± Edgar ced his hand near Peter¡¯s neck as if he would choke him.


    ¡°I swear it is not me, Edgar. I was a scammer and a thief, Edgar. Not someone who talks about others and wants young girls to get killed. I have a heart when ites to things like that. I¡¯ll investigate it secretly and send anything I find to you. There¡¯s no need for you toe here,¡± Peter patted Edgar¡¯s back but then pulled his hand away when Edgar turned to look at him. ¡°Alright, no touching. Yet you ced your hand on my shoulder.¡±


    ***


    Collins Estate.


    ¡°What is wrong with the Duchess?¡±


    Sally shrugged her shoulders at Alfred¡¯s question. ¡°She has been like this since the Duke left. Maybe she did not want him to go?¡±


    Alfred didn¡¯t think that was the case because he knew about their contractual rtionship and Alessandra would certainly love to get Edgar out of the house. ¡®Unless she has feelings for him already?¡¯


    ¡°The Duke gifted her two kittens so maybe she is overwhelmed by the gifts? Her sister killed the one she was taking care of back at the Baron¡¯s home. Kate also wrapped up the dead kitten in a wedding dress belonging to Alessandra¡¯s mother,¡± Sally whispered so Alessandra wouldn¡¯t know she was gossiping about what urred the day Alessandra became engaged to Edgar.


    ¡°I have always hated that girl,¡± Alfred frowned as he thought about how awful Kate must have been to Alessandra.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so sad. Alessandra came into Kate¡¯s bedroom and threw a bucket of shit onto her. That¡¯s why I was no longer able to work for Kate. She would torture me for seeing her in a state like that. Honestly, I found Alessandra to be cool at that moment. I had never seen anyone go against Kate. Unfortunately, I let Alessandra down the moment I had to work for her. Why on earth is she so nice to me?¡± Sally asked herself.


    Alfred watched Alessandra and thought about Sally¡¯s question. ¡°You were scared and she knew that. Technically, you did nothing wrong to her so you were deserving of another chance and you have been doing a good job from the moment you arrived.¡±


    ¡°It was honestly to keep a better job at first but then I realized she¡¯s an underdog just like me and I want to see one of us win for once. There¡¯s no chance for the daughter of a fallen house but there is for her. I was a fool for listening to the rumors and now I want her to prove everyone wrong but first, how do we fix this gloomy mood she is in?¡± Sally looked to Alfred for the answer.


    They both had no idea what happened between Edgar and Alessandra for her to be sitting in a chair with her headying t on the table.


    ¡°Why do I keep falling into his traps?¡± Alessandra muttered against the table. Her mind would not let her forget having to kiss Edgar¡¯s other cheek because ording to him, it felt lonely. ¡°Why? Why? Why?¡±


    ¡°That is it,¡± Alessandra abruptly sat up straight, startling both Alfred and Sally. ¡°I am going to be one step ahead to avoid being teased by him. I am not his source of entertainment.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Sally and Alfred muttered at the same time.


    ¡°Do notck faith in me,¡± Alessandra shifted in her seat to look at the two people who doubted her.


    ¡°If I may-¡±


    A knock on the door interrupted Alfred¡¯s words.


    ¡°That would be the dressmaker, Duchess. Excuse me,¡± Alfred went to open the door. ¡°Good morning, Lady Potter.¡±


    ¡°Lady Potter is my mother. Please refer to me by my name, Erin Potter. So it¡¯s true. He actually married the girl they say is cursed,¡± Erin stated when her eyes fell on Alessandra¡¯s mask. ¡°No wonder my mother sent me instead ofing by herself. This will be interesting.¡±

 Chapter 93

    93 New friend (2)


    ¡°Watch your words in front of the Duchess or we will no longer require your services,¡± said Alfred.


    ¡°What did you mean by your mother sending you instead ofing by herself?¡± Alessandra asked, not offended by her words like Alfred thought she would have been.


    ¡°My mother wouldn¡¯t have missed a chance to work for the Duke but when rumors were going around that it is you he married, she quickly changed her mind and sent me instead. She does not think the dresses I make are good but I am still a Potter and since the Duke requested a Potter, she had no choice but to send me,¡± Erin exined.


    ¡°She does not think I am good enough to wear her dresses. What about you? Now that you see it is me he has married, do you wish to stay or go?¡± Alessandra gave the young woman the option.


    Erin thought about it for a moment then replied, ¡°I¡¯ll stay. Not like I have any other customers. My mother talks badly about my designs therefore the only work I get is working for her as an assistant. I will make sure you have the finest dresses in all thend, Duchess.¡±


    Erin felt a wave of confidence because someone was giving her a chance. She expected to be turned away once it was revealed her infamous mother had note to show dresses to the new Duchess. This was her one chance to prove her mother wrong.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, Duchess, I can also create many different kinds of masks to go with all your outfits. I make my own masks when there are masquerade balls. I can even make simple ones for you to wear at home. I can create a few by tomorrow morning and if you like, I can create one quickly for the ball,¡± Erin said as she brought numerous boxes into the room thanks to Alfred and Sally¡¯s help. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°There will be a ball tomorrow? Where did you hear this?¡± Alfred was surprised to not hear any word of this considering Edgar and the King were good friends. Normally, Edgar would be the first one to know when the king was nning to throw a ball. ¡°It is not winter yet.¡±


    ¡°It is not the annual winter ball. It is said to be something small with invitations being sent to certain families. The invitations only recently were sent out. My mother received our invitation right before I left home. Are you certain the Duke and Duchess¡¯s invitation is not already here?¡± Erin asked. It would be odd if they were not invited but then again, there was a chance the king was not a fan of the Duchess.


    .....


    ¡°Duchess, I have to check who received the mail this morning. Please look after the Duchess well,¡± Alfred told Sally.


    ¡°What style of dresses do you prefer, Duchess?¡± Erin asked when Alfred left.


    ¡°I do not have a style. I have always worn what is avable,¡± Alessandra replied.


    ¡°You are the worst kind of person. You shouldn¡¯t just wear what is in front of you, Duchess. There are so many things to consider like what dresses fit your shape or what color suits your skin tone. Where did you get this awful thing?¡± Erin pointed at the dress Alessandra wore.


    ¡°I brought it from home. It once belonged to my mother-¡±


    ¡°Give it back to her or burn it,¡± Erin cut in. ¡°It does not suit you. No offense to your mother. When I am done we should get rid of whatever dresses you have like that.¡±


    ¡°You-¡± Sally wanted to stop the dressmaker before she might hurt Alessandra¡¯s feelings but Alessandra grabbed her hand to stop her.


    ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Erin ced her hands on her hips, looking at the two women.


    ¡°You cannot talk as you like in front of a Duchess,¡± Sally still spoke up.


    ¡°I enjoy her honesty and nothing she said has offended me. I have no sense of style and I don¡¯t want to look bad by Edgar¡¯s side. Continue,¡± Alessandra urged Erin. There was a lot she had to learn from the dressmaker.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Erin apologized for her words. ¡°I get a little carried away with my words when ites to dressing others.¡±


    ¡°It is alright. I would have to be a crybaby to be upset by what you said. I don¡¯t n on wearing any of the dresses I have now after you¡¯ve made new ones for me but I cannot discard the ones belonging to my mother. I am saving them for when she returns.¡±


    ¡®Return from where?¡¯ Erin wondered.


    ¡°I can go through them with you and see if there is anything a Duchess can wear. I¡¯ll be able to see what your style is depending on which dresses you have that you like the most. We should start with this dress,¡± Erin rummaged through a box and took out a green dress fit for a ball. ¡°I¡¯ll assume you do not have a dress for the ball tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± Alessandra stood up to get a better look at the dress. ¡°It is beautiful,¡± shemented as she ran her fingers along the material. She has dreamt of wearing fancy dresses and attending a ball.


    Sally narrowed her eyes when she caught Erin¡¯s cheeks turning red. ¡®Don¡¯t tell me she is falling for the Duchess? Impossible,¡¯ she thought.


    ¡°I will call for you when I need help tying it up, Sally,¡± Alessandra said, picking up the dress to go into the small closet in the bedroom they were in.


    ¡°Why do you have to go in there when it¡¯s only women here? It will save more time for me to adjust the dresses if you are right here in front of me and I must take off your dress for me to measure you for dresses I will make from scratch. There is no need for you to be shy, Duchess,¡± Erin stepped forward to help Alessandra with taking off her dress.


    ¡°No!¡± Sally yelled, jumping between Alessandra and Erin. ¡°The Duchess will change in private as she wants. Have you no shame? I saw the way you blushed when she was speaking.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because she¡¯s the first person topliment my work. I don¡¯t like women if that is what you are thinking. I love men. From the top of their head to the tip of their di-¡±


    Sally lunged forward to cover Erin¡¯s mouth before she could mention such a thing in front of Alessandra. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare finish that sentence.¡±


    ¡°Why did this escte so fast?¡± Alessandra sighed.

 Chapter 94

    94 New friend (3)


    ¡°Stop it, the two of you. I am fine with changing right here. She has to measure me anyway. We should lock the door so no one can enter while I am not dressed. I¡¯ll do it myself,¡± Alessandra added when neither Sally nor Erin moved from their spots. ¡°I¡¯ve gone from dealing with Edgar to this.¡±


    ¡°Now that you¡¯ve mentioned him, what is the Duke truly like? I¡¯ve only seen him from afar. Is he the mean to everyone but sweet you kind of man? What made you fall for him outside of his money and looks of course,¡± Erin asked.


    ¡°Have you forgotten you are here to show the Duchess dresses and not ask questions about her personal business? You are an employee, Lady Potter,¡± Sally used the name Erin did not want to be referred to. ¡°Please be professional. Next thing we know you¡¯ll run and tell the entire town every word the Duchess told you.¡±


    ¡°I am not the type of person to do that. If it would make the two of you feel better, I am not exactly well loved because of how my mother talks about my talents. The Duchess here will be my first true friend,¡± Erin proimed.


    ¡°She hardly knows you to be considering you a friend. Don¡¯t get ahead of yourself,¡± said Sally.


    Alessandra remained silent because she agreed with Sally. She did not know what to make of Erin and it was too soon to refer to her as a friend. Erin could easily take anything she said back to others and spread false information.


    ¡°Your silence says you are weary of me but it is expected for someone in your position to not trust easily. Since you have epted me as your dressmaker, we will spend enough time for you to eventually get to know and trust me. I¡¯m honestly the perfect person to ward off the vultures from you. Come let me help take off your dress,¡± Erin motioned for Alessandra toe closer.


    ¡°Vultures? Is that what you call other youngdies?¡± Alessandra asked, walking back to Erin for her dress to be untied.


    ¡°Only the ones I cannot stand. I have them categorized from levels one to three. No offense but I am not a fan of your sister Kate. We¡¯ve had a couple of disputes each time we¡¯ve run into each other. She and that little group of friends she goes around with. You two seem to be pr opposites.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Like day and night,¡± Sally added to the conversation.


    ¡°Why did you argue with Kate?¡± Alessandra couldn¡¯t help her curiosity. Outside of the servants, it wasn¡¯t every day you heard someone say they hated Kate. She acted innocently in front of anyone important but was a bully to those she viewed beneath.


    The only person Alessandra found to have hated Kate when she pretended to be nice was Edgar due to his annoyance with Kate chasing after him.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t like the way she spoke about someone¡¯s appearance and I let it be known. I told her all of her clothes werest season and she never forgave me for saying it. It was the truth though,¡± Erin shrugged her shoulders. ¡°I don¡¯t know why she was hellbent on acting like her family wasn¡¯t in a financial hole. Oops,¡± Erin covered her mouth as she remembered this was Alessandra¡¯s family.


    ¡°It is alright. It is the truth after all. We were having money problems. How will Katrina deal with it?¡± Alessandra only now remembered the burdens the Baroness now had to deal with. ¡®She¡¯ll be desperate to receive gifts for my hand in marriage since it is tradition. She is not even deserving of that,¡¯ she thought.


    ¡°You¡¯ve upset her,¡± Sally red at Erin.


    ¡°How? She asked why I argued with Kate. Are you her little guard dog or something? Why are you trying to make me out to be a bad person and why do you look so familiar?¡± Erin tapped her chin, racking her mind to remember where she saw Sally before. ¡°You used to be with Kate!¡±


    ¡°I used to be her personal maid before the Duchess. That is in the past now-¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯ve attached yourself to the person with a higher status. Don¡¯t look so offended. I¡¯ve seen it happen many times. Status leeches,¡± Erin flipped her brownish waist-length hair over her shoulder.


    Alessandra began to take off her dress alone, ignoring another uing battle between Erin and Sally. If they were to all be friends, she didn¡¯t think she could handle the continuous arguing. She wanted friends but peace was something she enjoyed more. ¡°Can the two of you please stop fighting with each other? There is no need for anyone in this room to judge someone else when we hardly know one another.¡±


    ¡°I apologize for my behavior, Duchess. It won¡¯t happen again,¡± Sally promised. She was only trying to protect Alessandra from bing close to someone she didn¡¯t know too soon. It wasn¡¯t hard for anyone to act sweet to Alessandra¡¯s face and then talk about her in private.


    ¡°I also apologize. Duchess, you are thinner than I anticipated. I will have to adjust the dresses a lot. Are you on a diet?¡± Erinmented on Alessandra¡¯s body. It was normal for many girls to go on extreme diets this time of the year when there were many balls and they wanted to show off a slim figure.


    ¡°The opposite. I am trying to gain weight,¡± Alessandra replied, withholding the reasoning behind why she was doing the opposite of what others were doing. Her body was on the thin side due to theck of food she was given. ¡°Please make the dresses with room for when I gain weight.¡±


    ¡°This is a first,¡± Erin tossed the dress Alessandra took off to the side. ¡°I have nevere across a youngdy wishing to gain weight this time of the year. Finally, a woman with your status isn¡¯t determined to stay thin like the others. I will say, given your size your bust is quite full.¡±


    Alessandra blushed and subconsciously ced her hands over her chest to hide her bust from Erin¡¯s eyes. ¡°T-Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re like a cute little bunny I want to take home and keep all to myself,¡± Erin was tempted to pinch Alessandra¡¯s exposed cheek.


    ¡°Are you sure you are not into women?¡± Sally muttered.


    ¡°Positive. I am seeing someone at this moment but I can¡¯t mention anything about it. I don¡¯t want my mother to learn I am seeing someone she wouldn¡¯t approve of. It must be nice for you to have fallen in love with the Duke and gotten married to him. I envy you,¡± Erin frowned.


    ¡®There is nothing to envy,¡¯ Alessandra wanted to reply. Erin would look at her rtionship differently if she were to ever learn of the contract she had with Edgar. Everyone would.


    ¡°Let me know if the knot is too tight, Duchess,¡± said Erin. Alessandra sessfully changed into the green dress and now Erin was tying it up. ¡°Green most definitely suits you, Duchess. You there, hand me the needles for me to adjust it,¡± Erin ordered Sally.


    ¡°I am not your maid,¡± Sally grumbled but her feet moved to get the needles Erin needed.


    ¡°While she is distracted, you should know that I am also good at making sexy nightwear. I can help you knock the Duke off his feet,¡± Erin whispered to Alessandra.


    ¡°Thank you for the offer but it is not needed,¡± Alessandra was certain her face must be as red as an apple by now. Seducing Edgar was not on the list of things she wished to do. ¡°We should focus on finding good dresses for me.¡±

 Chapter 95

    95 New friend (4)


    ¡°Kate! Kate! Come quickly child, this is urgent.¡±


    ¡°Mother, unless there is a fire there is no need for you to be yelling at this time of the day. Is that another letter giving condolence to my father? No offense but I have read plenty of them and they all say the same thing,¡± Kate approached her mother with folded arms.


    ¡°If you would give me a chance to speak, you would find out we just received an invitation to a ball being held in the pce,¡± Katrina showed Kate the fancy invitation.


    ¡°What,¡± Kate snatched the invitation from her mother, almost tearing it in the process. ¡°But it is not winter. This is unexpected but wonderful at the same time. Wait, it is tomorrow night. There is so much I need to do, mother. I need a new dress.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely. We must travel to town to buy new dresses for both of us. We cannot let this moment for you to find a suitable husband go by. You must be the prettiest girl there Kate. Thanks to my genes you are already halfway there. If only the king was not married. You would be able to steal his heart and be queen,¡± Katrina imagined the sight of Kate on the throne.


    ¡°If only the queen could choke and die. We need to get the names of everyone who will be attending. Most likely Alessandra and Edgar will be there. I cannot wait to see her again,¡± Kate grinned. No matter what title Alessandra had now, Kate could always mess with her.


    Alessandra threw herself into the fire by cing herself in a world Kate was ustomed to. There were numerous young women waiting to eat Alessandra alive for stealing Edgar.


    ¡°Do not concern yourself with her. I will deal with her while you look for a good husband. Get ready to leave in an hour to go for a new dress-¡±


    ¡°Baroness,¡± James interrupted Katrina. ¡°There is a carriage entering the gates. It appears to have the symbol for the Collins family.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Is that brute here again?¡± Katrina began to panic. She did not want to deal with Edgar when they were in such a good mood. ¡°Send him away, James. Tell him that we are busy.¡±


    ¡°What if it is Alessandraing to rub her new life in our face?¡± Kate went to the window to see who would be getting out of the carriage. ¡°Who is this person?¡± Kate asked when an unfamiliar young woman got out of the carriage first but then her eyes widened when she saw the second person get out. ¡°I-It¡¯s Prisci Collins, mother. It¡¯s true that she is in town.¡±


    ¡°Edgar¡¯s mother?¡± Katrina¡¯s eyes lit up. It was fantastic for Prisci to being to them instead of them having to seek her out to talk about Alessandra. ¡°James, let her in at once. Go out and greet her. Quickly!¡±


    ¡°What do you think she wants, mother?¡± Kate hurriedly fixed her appearance using her reflection in the mirror. Prisci had never once visited their home before. You would always have to see her at parties or hope you received an invite to her home. ¡°She has probably seen Alessandra and is here to speak with us. This is our chance.¡±


    ¡°Hush,¡± Katrina said while she forced a smile. ¡°Lady Collins, what a pleasant surprise it is to have you here. Wee back to Lockwood.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Baroness. It is nice to see you again. I offer my condolences to yourte husband. I hope you will not be upset with me because of what Edgar did. I don¡¯t like to get mixed up in my son¡¯s business. Now, there is something important we must discuss,¡± said Prisci. She didn¡¯te to go down memoryne about the Baron she never liked. ¡°Come, Heather.¡±


    ¡®Who is this?¡¯ Kate eyed Heather from head to toe. ¡®I am prettier.¡±


    ¡°Is it about Alessandra and your son, Lady Collins? I have been meaning to speak with you about this marriage they had behind our backs,¡± said Katrina.


    ¡°You were not aware she was going to marry my son? How could she not even say something to her family? You would have been able to stop this madness if she told you. I am not a fan of this marriage, Baroness. I wish for it to end quickly. Had it been Kate, I would have been satisfied but I cannot ept that girl,¡± Prisci dered.


    Kate¡¯s confidence increased hearing Prisci would have liked for her to marry Edgar. If only she was here instead of in another town, Kate believed that Prisci would have made Edgar marry her.


    ¡®Another person she will trick,¡¯ Heather thought as she watched how excited Kate became. ¡®She has no idea his mother wishes for me to marry Edgar when this is all over.¡¯


    ¡°My husband and I also did not approve of the girl. We are not even certain how Alessandra was able to make the Duke propose to her when they only had one simple conversation. Alessandra met with the Duke alone one night and then not long after he came to marry her. I don¡¯t like to believe in those things but I¡¯m afraid she might have ced a curse on him. Oh dear,¡± Katrina clutched her ne, pretending to be sad.


    Prisci was never one to believe in curses but there was no reasonable exnation of why out of all the women she ced in front of Edgar, he decided to marry a girl everyone avoids. It could not possibly be love when Edgar had a chain around his heart. ¡°There is something odd about how she was able to get him to propose when they¡¯ve only met once. Something is fishy and I intend to find out about it.¡±


    ¡°I would love to help you. I fear Alessandra has ced herself where she doesn¡¯t belong and wouldn¡¯t be able to handle being Duchess. The best ce for her to be is back here with her family. If there is anything you need us to do please inform us,¡± Katrina said.


    With Prisci¡¯s help, Alessandra would be back where she belonged caged up. It was what she deserved for stealing Kate¡¯s moment, creating a problem with William, and getting her father killed.


    ¡°If I get you close to her, will you be able to convince her to leave my son? I¡¯m sure you have received your invitations to the ball. There is no doubt my son and that girl will be attending. Please do not let me down, Baroness. If this marriage goes on for any longer I fear I might pass out. I am already feeling faint,¡± Prisci ced her hand on her forehead.


    ¡°Would you like toe in and sit down?¡± Katrina offered. Her friends would die of jealousy if they knew Prisci was in her house. The woman kept a tight circle of friends and it was hard to have a moment to meet her like this.


    ¡°No thank you,¡± Prisci¡¯s eyes inspected the grim house. She couldn¡¯t be paid all the diamonds in the world to take a seat here. ¡°Heather and I have somece to be. I hope you can give me the results I want, Baroness. Goodbye.¡±


    ¡°It was nice to meet the two of you,¡± Heather said then followed after Prisci.


    ¡°Goodbye,¡± Katrina waved goodbye with arge smile on her face but when Prisci entered the carriage it fell. ¡°Kate, make sure you be friends with that young girl. She is your stepping stone to be in Prisci¡¯s inner circle.¡±


    ¡°Yes, mother.¡±

 Chapter 96

    96 The king is here (1)


    ¡°Baroness, I have to advise you it wouldn¡¯t be a good look for you and Kate to go out buying new dresses when you are supposed to be mourning the Baron and preparing for his funeral. In the long run, this can have a negative impact on both of your reputations,¡± said James.


    It was something the two women should know but they were only interested in looking good.


    ¡°So what? Do you expect me to wear something I¡¯ve worn before or that is out of season in the presence of the king and other suitors? Absolutely not! Alessandra will have a gorgeous dress thanks to the Duke, are you expecting me to look nd? No mother,¡± Kate stomped her right foot on the floor.


    Everyone would already be talking about how Alessandra stole her chance to marry the Duke and they will be pitying her. Kate wanted to look better than anyone at the ball to make everyone question the Duke¡¯s choice of a wife. Even Edgar would see he made the wrong choice.


    James sighed, frustrated with Kate¡¯sck of understanding. ¡°This isn¡¯t about looking better than anyone. It¡¯s to show you have not easily forgotten about the death of your father. People will call you heartless and talk for days about you only caring about wearing new clothes. We cannot forget about the financial situation this house is in. As a family dealing with loss, you must show you are only going to the ball because of the king¡¯s invite.¡±


    ¡°You and mother sold enough to-¡±


    ¡°Enough Kate,¡± Katrina stepped in as she realized how they would look. ¡°James is right. We have to be calcted with our moves because everyone will be watching us. Judging every little thing we do. They want to see if the two of us can survive without Desmond. We have sold enough to pay off the small debts your father owed but we have to pay off William.¡±


    ¡°He has gotten rid of the debt because my father has died. Why would you waste giving money to a man who does not want it?¡± Kate did not see the point in giving money to a man who had more than he needed.


    ¡°Because I do not trust William. We did not give him what was promised to clear the debt in the first ce. Before he changes his mind or adds interest, I am going to pay him off. If you wish to have new dresses soon, go through the ones you said are old and out of season. We can secretly sell them. Pick out a pretty dress for the ball Kate. I promise, your life will go back to normal soon. We won¡¯t have to worry about money,¡± Katrina promised.


    .....


    Kate didn¡¯t understand how her mother was so certain of this when they had sold everything worth a good sum of money already. How would her mother make more money to pay William? ¡®Is she only depending on me finding a good husband?¡¯ She wondered.


    ¡°Take a maid with you to start going through your dresses, Kate. There is a lot we have to do to prepare for tomorrow. Close the door, James,¡± said Katrina.


    ¡®I¡¯ll have to use some of my money to help us be debt-free,¡¯ Katrina frowned at the thought. The money she kept from the Baron was for if she ever had to run away, not for fixing this house. That was the Baron¡¯s job as the man of the house.


    ¡®It¡¯s a good thing I stuck out this long. Now, this house belongs to me. I can¡¯t wait to rub it in his face,¡¯ Katrina smiled.


    ¡°The two of them are no longer saddened by the Baron¡¯s death. I wonder if he regrets not being a better father to Alessandra. His death would have been avoided if he treated her better. Well, we¡¯ll never know now,¡± James muttered as he closed the door.


    ***


    Collins Estate


    ¡°Hello Alfred,¡± Edgar greeted the butler by the front door as he entered the house. ¡°Did you miss me?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely, young master. If only you could have been home for another day without going out to work. Did you find anything useful to aid your search for the missing girls?¡± Alfred questioned while he took off Edgar¡¯s coat so it could be hung up.


    ¡°Unfortunately, no. We are still left with the same clues as before. It¡¯s been too quiet in Lockwood which means the town is going to be shaken up by something soon. Did you introduce Alessandra to the guard I picked out?¡±


    ¡°The Duchess has been busy the whole day. I will have to introduce her to the guard right before dinner. She seems to be having fun with her guest,¡± Alfred happily replied. He has d Erin came instead of her mother. Now the Duchess had a friend.


    ¡°Guest?¡± Edgar found this odd considering Alessandra had no one to visit. When one person came to mind, Edgar frowned. ¡°Is it a man?¡±


    ¡°No, it is the dressmaker. They have been in the room from morning till now. I¡¯ve sent them treats and drinks throughout the day. Now that it¡¯s gettingte, I have to alert the dressmaker of the time. Night is almost upon us and I don¡¯t want her to be on the road when it is so dangerous. I¡¯ll put up your coat first.¡±


    ¡°Focus on dinner and my coat. I¡¯ll visit Alessandra and her new friend,¡± Edgar ced his hands in his pockets going upstairs to find Alessandra.


    When he made it to the second floor and stopped by the room he assigned for Alessandra to have her fittings, Edgar heardughtering from the inside. He heard Alessandra¡¯s voice loud and clear then one he was not familiar with. If not for young women being kidnapped or murdered these days and the culprit not found, he would have let Alessandra have more fun.


    Edgar knocked on the door and then waited for a response.


    ¡°We don¡¯t need any more treats-Duke!¡± Sally sped her hand over her mouth.¡±I¡¯m sorry. I thought you were someone bringing treats.¡±


    ¡°Next time, see who is at the door before you open your mouth,¡± Edgar walked past Sally to go inside the room.


    ¡°Edgar!¡± Alessandra stood up, surprised to see him there. ¡°When did you return? I would have greeted you at the door if I knew what time you were returning.¡±


    ¡°I returned a moment ago. Alfred said you would be here with the dressmaker. I believe I called for your mother toe. Did she leave already?¡± Edgar asked Erin.


    ¡°She didn¡¯t want to be here with the Duchess,¡± Erin bluntly replied, throwing her mother under the carriage. She didn¡¯t care if it could get her mother in trouble since it was the truth. ¡°The Duchess has agreed for me to make her dresses. My name is Erin Potter. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Duke Edgar Collins,¡± she curtsied.


    ¡°It always is. I wonder how much fun the three of you-Five,¡± Edgar added when the faint sound of a kitten was heard. ¡°None of you have noted howte it has be. I suggest you hurry home, Miss Potter. It is not safe at night for a woman traveling alone even if you are in a carriage.¡±


    ¡°Oh no!¡± Erin¡¯s eyes widened when she looked out the window at the sky changing. ¡°He¡¯ll be worried. Oops, forget I said that Duke Collins,¡± she cheekily smiled.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about you and your business,¡± Edgar replied, unimpressed with what she said. Who was screwing who was not something he talked about. ¡°Hurry along.¡±


    ¡°Ass,¡± Erin muttered under her breath. Edgar was just as she expected him to be. He had the looks of a hero but a viin kind of personality. ¡®Well, I have read books with good-looking viins,¡¯ she tapped her chin as she became lost in thought.


    She unexpectedly pped her hands concluding Edgar fit more as a good-looking viin. ¡°It was nice meeting you, Duchess. I will be back tomorrow with the dresses you picked out altered to fit you better and I¡¯ll bring the dress for the ball at the same time.¡±


    ¡°It was also nice meeting you, Erin, Sally, please help her with her box,¡± said Alessandra.


    ¡°Yes, Duchess,¡± Sally hurried over to help Erin with her boxes. Luckily, there were lighter now because many of the dresses she brought had fit Alessandra and they were hung up in the room to be washed.


    ¡°Do you like the dresses or are you just being kind?¡± Edgar questioned, inspecting the dresses Erin had hung up. He didn¡¯t want Alessandra to just ept anything to avoid hurting Erin¡¯s feelings when they were starting a friendship.


    ¡°He¡¯s talking like I am not here,¡± Erin¡¯s voice was heard in the background. ¡°Couldn¡¯t he have waited until I stepped out of the room?¡±


    Alessandra smiled, finding bold behavior to be funny. ¡°I truly like them, Edgar. She has been helpful with finding my style and colors that suit me. I hope you do not mind that she spent the entire day speaking with me. You don¡¯t like others in your home.¡±


    ¡°It is fine. She seems like the type to help pull you out of your shell,¡± Edgar replied.

 Chapter 97

    97 The king is here (2)


    After Edgar informed Alessandra of what time it was, Alessandra and Edgar went their separate ways. Edgar left to prepare for dinner while Alessandra took the kittens to have their meal. She purposely waited until she saw Edgar leave the room and then called Sally to help her get dressed.


    ¡°Miss Potter seems to match you well, Duchess. You should keep her close by when you attend the ball. Thanks to her job, she knows the personality of a lot of young women. You can make a judgment of them yourself but it would be useful to have a bit of information about them in case they try to use you,¡± said Sally.


    ¡°I don¡¯t expect to be approached by too many people with good intentions for my first appearance in public. There will be people keeping a distance or approaching me to make sense of my marriage. My expectation is low for finding a friend at the ball. I¡¯m fine with you and getting to know Erin.¡±


    ¡°I am your friend?¡± Sally¡¯s hand stopped in the middle of brushing Alessandra¡¯s hair. She never thought of their rtionship like this.


    ¡°I know you are my personal maid but we¡¯ve spent so many hours together thesest two days. We¡¯ve talked about many things and I see a friendship forming just as I see one forming with Erin. If it makes you ufortable to hear this, I won¡¯t bring it up again,¡± Alessandra said as she didn¡¯t want to force Sally to be more than her maid.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that, Duchess. I am just surprised to hear you would want a friendship with me. I thought it would have taken you longer to trust me since you know Katrina wanted me to report on you.¡±


    ¡°Just like I do not wish to have anything more to do with Katrina and Kate, I can tell you do not want the same. Plus, you have been warned. I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want to feel the consequences of betraying the trust Edgar and I are giving you. I¡¯ve spent a lot of time around fake smiles, Sally. I am able to tell who is pretending in my face better than you think. I learned the difference in smiles quickly by watching my father,¡± Alessandra spoke with sadness evident in her voice.


    When she was younger Alessandra was curious about the smile her father often showed because it never felt warm. Eventually, she paid attention to the smile her father showed her andpared it to the one he showed to Katrina and Kate or even his guest. Once she realized it was not the same, she started to read the smiles of everyone else around her. She only saw a genuine smile shown to her when she spoke with Mario.


    ¡°Trust me, Duchess. I know not to underestimate what you can do. What makes my job exciting is waiting to see how others react when you prove everything they think they know about you to be wrong. Especially Edgar¡¯s mother. Soon, she¡¯ll be apologizing for not epting you right away,¡± Sally pumped her right fist in the air to cheer Alessandra on.


    .....


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that one,¡± Alessandra frowned as it seemed impossible to make Prisci like her anytime soon. ¡°I don¡¯t know how I can make her like me when I don¡¯t fit the image of a daughter-inw she has always envisioned. Even if I take off my mask and tell her the story behind my scars, she would not like me either way.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve shown her enough kindness the first time the two of you met. Going forward, you should simply ignore her unless she is mature enough to have a civil conversation with you. If the Duke is not bothered to have to be close to his mother then don¡¯t go out of your way to make her like you. You wouldn¡¯t be the first woman to have problems with her mother-inw. Some mothers are too controlling of their son¡¯s live-¡±


    ¡°Edgar!¡± The bedroom door flew open revealing a man dressed in shabby clothes.


    Sally moved to stand in front of Alessandra to protect her from who she believed was a beggar. ¡°Do not step foot in this room. Are you not aware of where you have intruded? Leave at once!¡±


    ¡°Where is Edgar? Why has he been avoiding the letters I¡¯ve sent?¡± The stranger took a step into the bedroom.


    ¡°Stop!¡± Alessandra eximed, standing up to deal with the stranger. She hoped Edgar or anyone else heard the man loudly calling Edgar¡¯s name and they would be here soon. She only needed to stall long enough for someone to help them. She contemted screaming but was afraid of what it might prompt the stranger to do. ¡°State your name and reason foring into this house.¡±


    ¡°It is you!¡± The man pointed at Alessandra. He pulled a hood from over his head revealing his shoulder-length messy brown hair and his striking green eyes. ¡°You are the one who waltzed into his life and messed with my ns.


    Contrary to his shabby clothes which were dirty and carried holes, Alessandra found that his skin was exceptionally clean. To confirm something, she looked at his hands and found his hands to look smooth as if he had never done anybor.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Alessandra asked.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know me?¡± The stranger pointed at his face, surprised none of the two women knew who he was. ¡°I am the man you have angered, daughter of the Baron. What gave you the right to mess with my ns? Have you truly never seen me before?¡± He went back to his previous question since he found it unbelievable.


    Alessandra shook her head. ¡°No, but I know you must be someone important. You should have ced mud on your skin if you wished to be disguised as a beggar.¡±


    ¡°How about if I turn left?¡± He turned to the left to show his side profile. ¡°How about right-¡±


    ¡°What the fuck are you doing in my home?¡± Edgar appeared in the doorway, reached out his right hand to grab, and ce the stranger in a chokehold. ¡°Have you gone insane to enter my bedroom when my wife is here with only her maid? Tell me why I shouldn¡¯t kill you right now?¡±


    ¡°Because I am your king. E-Edgar, I¡¯m choking,¡± King Tobias Castro, patted Edgar¡¯s arm to be released.


    ¡°The king?!¡± Alessandra eximed inplete disbelief that she was in the presence of the king and Edgar was casually choking him.


    ¡°King,¡± was thest thing Alessandra heard from Sally¡¯s mouth before her body started to fall to the floor.

 Chapter 98

    98 The king is here (3)


    ¡°Sally fainted,¡± Alessandra bent down to check on the state of Sally. ¡°Edgar, please release the king. There has to be some sort of consequence for you choking him.¡±


    ¡°I am free to do whatever I want to someone who trespasses on my property and enters my bedroom where my wife is alone. Isn¡¯t that right, Tobias?¡± Edgar yfully asked but when Tobias started waving his arms around like a crazed man, Edgar released him. ¡°You¡¯re no fun.¡±


    ¡°Dammit, Edgar. You could have killed me,¡± Tobias touched his throat and took breaths as the pain subsided. ¡°Do you know the chaos you would have caused? I don¡¯t have an heir yet. I wasn¡¯t expecting your wife to be inside of here.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you knock on the door before you enter any room. Furthermore, what are you doing at my house? You should be back in the pce where it is safe. Go.¡±


    ¡°How rude. The kinges to pay you a visit and you aren¡¯t grateful. Why are we friends, Edgar?¡± Tobias paused to think of the reason they became friends.


    ¡°Judging from your appearance you snuck out of the pce again. Return now before someone realizes you are gone and it causes a panic. I am sure the queen must be missing your presence. Go away,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°Actually, she isn¡¯t. She told me she wanted time to herself to rx. Fine by me. I had bigger issues to deal with like the fact you got married behind my back Edgar! One day you were telling me you¡¯d never get married and then the next you get married in the middle of the night! Who does that? I let you know when I was getting married.¡±


    ¡°The entire kingdom knew when you were getting married, you idiot. It¡¯s a publicized process. You¡¯ve confirmed that I have gotten married and now you can leave before I throw you out after the count of three. One,¡± Edgar began to count.


    ¡°I¡¯m not leaving here until you tell me why you suddenly got married and she was your choice. No offense,¡± Tobias gave Alessandra an apologetic look. ¡°Edgar, we should talk about this in private. Where did you put the alcohol I sent you from the pce? Alfred should know,¡± Tobias proceeded to leave the bedroom to search for Alfred.


    .....


    ¡°Is he truly the king?¡± Alessandra asked Edgar while she fanned Sally. The king was nothing like she imagined.


    ¡°Unfortunately, he is. I am the only person who has to deal with this ridiculous side of him,¡± Edgar sighed, mentally preparing himself to deal with Tobias. ¡°He is more like a king when he is around others.¡±


    ¡°So you do know what it is like to be in my position. Interesting,¡± said Alessandra.


    ¡°What a smart little mouth you have. I am going to keep an eye on him before he does something stupid. It¡¯s a shame I won¡¯t be around to see her face when she realizes how she spoke to the king. She¡¯s more entertaining than I thought. Do miss me while I am gone, Alessandra. We should continue where we left off this morning when I return,¡± Edgar teased Alessandra then left the room to find his fool of a friend.


    ¡°As if,¡± Alessandra shook her head. She mentally nned to stay as far away from him as possible.¡±Sally, are you alright? The king has left. Sally?¡±


    Sally ced her hand on her spinning head as her eyes slowly opened. ¡°Was I...really in the presence of the king, Duchess?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t I realize who he was right away? I¡¯ve seen his portraits many times. I can¡¯t believe I passed out in front of the Duke and the king,¡± Sally¡¯s eyes began to water. ¡°Just kill me, Duchess. I¡¯ll never be able to forget this moment.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think the king noticed if it made you feel any better. He was more interested in getting Edgar to release him. We shouldn¡¯t consider the dramatic conclusion of you dying just yet. Here, let me help you to your feet,¡± Alessandra stood up first and offered her hand to help Sally up. ¡°We should inspect your head for any bruises. I¡¯m sorry I was unable to catch you. I wasn¡¯t expecting anyone to faint.¡±


    ¡°Me neither. I should have expected someone as grand as the king to visit the king. Everyone knows how close the two of them are. It¡¯s already so hard for me to be in the presence of the Duke and now we have the king here. Forgive if I pass out again, Duchess. Thank you,¡± she thanked Alessandra for helping her up.


    ¡°They are certainly close if Edgar can practically choke the king and they both move on from it quickly. I wonder how often the king sneaks in here.¡±


    ¡°Should we leave the Duke unsupervised with the king?¡± Sally wondered out loud.


    ¡°Not when the king is insistent on staying while Edgar wants him to go but surely Edgar would not try harming the king again. At least I don¡¯t think he would,¡± Alessandra muttered. ¡°I have no idea what their friendship is like but the king does not seem worried. They¡¯ll be fine. I am more concerned about your fall. I¡¯ll pour you some water.¡±


    Alessandra left Sally¡¯s side to pour out water from a jug a maid had brought in when Alessandra was getting dressed. Just as she was about to pour water into the cup, Tobias entered the bedroom once again, startling both Alessandra and Sally.


    ¡°Your highness,¡± Sally abruptly bowed her head lower than she needed to.


    ¡°Your husband ns to send me away before I can attend dinner and get to know you. I want to know the truth behind why the two of you suddenly got married. Am I the only one trying to put together why Edgar would marry the daughter of a man he hated? For goodness sake, he hated that girl. What was her name?¡± Tobias tried to think of the name the Baron kept mentioning whenever they were around each other.


    ¡°Kate?¡±


    ¡°Yes, her. Why on earth would he marry you and be rted to the Barretts? I sent Edgar there to annoy him and now I am to believe he just happened to fall in love with you when he went there? Now he¡¯s married. Listen, I have the power to help you get away from Edgar if he forced you into this. Don¡¯t let him scare you,¡± Tobias pointed over his shoulder to where Edgar stood with folded arms.


    ¡°He did not force me into anything, your highness. I also wanted to marry Edgar after seeing him that night. I suppose I should thank you,¡± Alessandra now realized that she was able to get away thanks to the king.


    If the king had not sent Edgar to her father¡¯s home as a joke, he would not have attended the party, and they would not have met to talk about a contract.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Alessandra said to Tobias. For once, she was grateful for someone¡¯s meddling.


    Tobias smacked his face, angry with himself for being the one responsible for Edgar and Alessandra¡¯s meeting.


    ¡°You have always said I should get married and now that I am, you areining Tobias. A King who is indecisive is concerning. Should I bring this up to your court?¡± Edgar asked.


    ¡°Certainly not! I wanted you to get married but I wasn¡¯t expecting you to marry a Barrett, Edgar. I have a feeling you did this to annoy me,¡± Tobias rubbed his forehead as he processed his thoughts. ¡°We cannot turn back time so I can only judge you and see if you are worthy of my friend, Alessandra. Let¡¯s start over.¡±

 Chapter 99

    99 The king is here (4)


    ¡°There is nothing for you to judge, Tobias. I do not care what your opinion of her is as it will not change the fact that we are married.¡±


    Tobias ignored Edgar¡¯s words and held out his hand mid-air for Alessandra to shake.


    ¡°My name is Tobias Castro, the current king of thisnd and friend of your husband. It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Alessandra Collins, wife of your friend. Do I need to curtsy, your highness?¡± Alessandra had never been in the presence of royalty to know if she was meant to curtsy now or if she had missed the chance when she learned he was the king.


    ¡°There is no one watching therefore you do not need to show such etiquette but you should learn how to greet royalty for the next time we meet and please, study my face well so that you remember what the king looks like. I am still baffled you do not know what your king looks like. Do you not read the paper or walk outside to see statues made for me?¡± Tobias was still stuck on Alessandra thinking he was a stranger.


    ¡°No, your highness. I apologize for not knowing who you were. Next time I will most definitely recognize you, your highness,¡± Alessandra promised.


    ¡°When I am in Edgar¡¯s home, I prefer to be called Tobias rather than your highness so many times. I hear your highness every step in the pce and sometimes I forget my own name. Ie here to be different if you have not noticed it yet,¡± Tobias said referring to his clothes.


    Edgar¡¯s home rarely had guests which meant there wasn¡¯t anyone to see Tobias being free to behave as he wanted. It was also a plus for Tobias that Edgar never spoke about the things he witnessed Tobias doing. Edgar would simply walk away or try tossing him out.


    Tobias liked it when he didn¡¯t need to wear his heavy gold crown or the clothes that itched his skin. Tobias did not enjoy the increasing number of people he had to meet daily and listen to their foolish ideas that never benefited the kingdom. He was losing his true personality because he sat on the throne following the rulesid out for how a king should be.


    .....


    ¡°Do you not enjoy being king?¡± Alessandra spoke up. She would understand if he did not as it was so much responsibility and he was expected to be perfect. One wrong decision from Tobias could affect the entire kingdom. She never wanted to know what such a weight on his shoulders felt like. ¡®I can¡¯t think that when I am a Duchess,¡¯ she realized.


    ¡°I would never give up this responsibility I had nned for me the moment I was born but there are times when I wish to just be a regr person. I¡¯ve just remembered why I am friends with Edgar. He has always treated me as Tobias and not king Castro. Ie here to be hurt by him every once in a while.¡±


    ¡°So you enjoy Edgar choking you?¡± Alessandra didn¡¯t know how to handle this. She hoped she had interpreted his words wrong.


    ¡°I am not into whatever it is you are imagining, Alessandra. Aren¡¯t you concerned about what is on her mind, Edgar?¡± Tobias looked back at Edgar only to find him smiling. ¡°I simply give your husband a pass because he treats me like two regr buds hanging out. Now, what are we having for dinner,¡± Tobias rubbed his hands together ready to eat something.


    ¡°You are not staying for dinner, Tobias. Return home and make amends with the queen for whatever you did to piss her off. Now it is not the proper time to get to know my wife when it iste and she is hungry. I will visit the pce with her soon if you leave now,¡± Edgar added when Tobias did not move.


    ¡°The ball does not count! The two of you must attend the ball tomorrow night and before you say anything, it was not me who put together this ball, Edgar. It was the queen. Something about her friends still looking for husbands so she wanted to have all wealthy families in one room to help everyone find a partner.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why would I attend when I am already married? Do not get your hopes up-¡±


    ¡°I want to go,¡± Alessandra jumped into the conversation before Edgar could tell Tobias he was not going. ¡°Erin has already picked out a dress for me and she will bring it tomorrow. It will be my first time in the pce and my first ball. Can¡¯t we go? No, I am going,¡± Alessandra changed her words as she was not going to wait on Edgar¡¯s approval for something she was invited to.


    Edgar stared at Alessandra waiting to see if she would bulge. The ball would be more annoying than fun. ¡°Fine,¡± he sighed, giving into what she wanted. ¡°The both of us will be there only if there is a private section for the two of us.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve seriously changed your mind? This quickly?¡± Tobias was bbergasted by how quickly Edgar had changed his mind now that his wife wanted to go. It took Tobias a week to convince Edgar to visit Desmond¡¯s home but Alessandra was able to convince her anti-social husband toe to the ball in less than a minute. ¡®This heartless bastard has fallen in love,¡¯ he thought.


    Seeing this, Tobias was no longer upset by the fact Edgar had gotten married to a Barrett behind his back. Instead, he nned to use Alessandra to make Edgar do whatever he wanted. ¡°Alessandra, if there is ever anything you need or anything you wish to talk about, please do not hesitate to visit me in the pce. I will alert the guards to always let you in, friend,¡± he smiled.


    Alessandra didn¡¯t like the smile Tobias was showing her. He didn¡¯t seem to be a bad person but she had the feeling she was about to be used to get to Edgar. She never wanted to be used as a tool to control Edgar even if the king was being yful. She returned the smile but she was never going to visit the pce unless she was going with Edgar.


    ¡°So, about dinner-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Tobias but Edgar and I had ns to eat inside of our room and spend time together. As Edgar suggested, we can meet at a more appropriate time,¡± said Alessandra. Edgar wanted the king to leave for some reason and unlike what she did earlier by having his mother stay, she was going to be on his side and send the guest away.


    The corner of Edgar¡¯s lips curled as Alessandra took him by surprise. He didn¡¯t think she would be so bold in joining in to chase away the king. ¡°You heard her. Run along back to the pce, Tobias.¡±

 Chapter 100

    100 Dresses, drama & a death (1)


    ¡°Fine, I will not stay where I am not wanted,¡± Tobias gave up on staying for dinner. ¡°I have already eaten anyway.¡±


    ¡°Sally, see to it that the king is safely returned to whatever he used toe here, and do not leave the front door until you have seen him exit my gates,¡± Edgar ordered Sally.


    ¡°Yes, Duke. This way, your highness,¡± Sally¡¯s hand trembled as her nervousness increased now that she was to escort the king out of the house. Why would the Duke make her walk with the king when she just fainted because of him? Had the Duke missed when she fainted? Had they not seen it happen as Alessandra said? ¡®I might be able to live,¡¯ she happily thought.


    ¡°Are you serious, Edgar? The Duke and Duchess will not walk me out? Instead, you¡¯re going to have the person who just fainted walk me to the door? What am I to do if she faints again? She looks as if she¡¯s about to do it again,¡± Tobias pointed to Sally when her body looked as if it was swaying.


    ¡°I am fine, your highness. I no longer wish to faint. I feel like throwing up,¡± she muttered thest under her breath.


    After Sally led Tobias out of the room, Alessandra looked at Edgar and said,¡± I never expected to meet the king like this. You two seem to have a weird yet good rtionship. I might be one of the few people to have witnessed the most powerful man in the kingdom be choked.¡±


    ¡°Most powerful man?¡± Edgar chuckled and patted her head. ¡°We have known each other from the time we were young boys because of how much my father frequented the pce. Do not worry, I have never harmed him in front of anyone.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it is good that you harm the king in private. What if his feelings towards you change and he ims you have been abusing him?¡± Alessandra asked.


    ¡°If Tobias¡¯s feelings were to change it would have happened a long time ago and he is the one clinging to our friendship. Beware Tobias in the future, Alessandra. His is more dangerous than you think. Tobias is someone who hides his dangerous nature behind a smile.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Like you? Why did youugh when I said the king is the most powerful man in the kingdom? Do you think you are?¡± Alessandra couldn¡¯t help her curiosity. She knew being a Duke came with a lot of power but with the small army of men Edgar stated he had, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder what else Edgar owned.


    ¡°It is nothing for you to concern yourself with,¡± Edgar passed by Alessandra to go to their bed.


    ¡°Because I am a woman?¡± Alessandra didn¡¯t like when things were kept from others because of their gender.


    ¡°Because it is dangerous. The more you know the more danger you put yourself in. Everything is not as it seems and there are many men with the power to rival the king. It is why Tobias has employed me to weed out his enemies. There are men doing everything they can to remove Tobias from the king. It¡¯s a real pain in the ass for me when the two sides fight. Wake me up when the food arrives.¡±


    ¡°We are not eating in here again, Edgar. I only said that to get rid of the king. There is a perfectly fine dining table downstairs. I am not sitting on yourp again if that is what you are thinking. Do noty down to rest right now, Edgar. We are going downstairs,¡± Alessandra¡¯s voice held moremand when she said this.


    As she left the room, Edgar could not help but sigh. ¡°I am creating a little monster,¡± he said right before getting off the bed to follow Alessandra to the dining room.


    ***


    The next day, Erin visited the home once again to deliver the dresses she altered and to prepare Alessandra for the ball.


    ¡°I can guarantee you will be one of the most beautiful women at the ball, Duchess. Give them something more to talk about,¡± Erin said as she circled Alessandra to check there was nothing wrong with the dress. ¡°No loose strings or odd stitches. I¡¯ve done better than I was expecting. I might just kill my mother with how good this is.¡±


    ¡°Hopefully not but the dress is beautiful,¡± Alessandra swirled the emerald dress around watching the fluid movement of the material Erin used. It was much better than any of the dresses she had previously owned. It was a mystery why Erin¡¯s mother would talk badly about her designs.


    ¡°You¡¯ll rival the queen when ites to beauty, Duchess. You do not require anything over the top. Simplicity suits you the best and I love how your mask matches the dress,¡± Sallyplimented Alessandra¡¯s beauty as she did her hair. ¡°I cannot forget the person behind all of this. Well done, Erin.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m so excited that I feel like returning home to start creating another dress for you, Duchess. I have so many ideas for you. Should I skip the ball? It¡¯s your first time going and I am your only friend. I shouldn¡¯t let my creative moment fly by but I want to see the reactions to your dress. I need a moment,¡± Erin walked off to the side to make her decision.


    ¡°She¡¯s an interesting character,¡± Sally whispered to Alessandra. ¡°But I like her.¡±


    After their long talk yesterday, Sally had grown to like Erin and her blunt personality. Sally agreed with what she had overheard the Duke say to Alessandra. Erin was the perfect person to help pull Alessandra further out of her shell.


    ¡°Me too. I admire the love she has for dressmaking. Perhaps I should put more focus into my painting even if I never make a lot of money off of it. I require something to bring ie for myself. Could I try selling paintings?¡± Alessandra considered the possibility given her talent. She was not as good as other famous painters but with practice, she could be.


    Sally didn¡¯t see why Alessandra would want to work when the Duke was sitting on a mountain of wealth. Why else was it so easy for him to buy out art stories and fill a room with essories without caring about the bill? The Duke was also having tons of dresses made for Alessandra and they certainly weren¡¯t cheap.


    Not too many people could spend money and not worry about tomorrow. Sally once witnessed Alessandra¡¯s father almost having a heart attack the time Kate bought one bag.


    ¡®Hopefully, she sees that the Duke is treating her like a queen. So many women are given budgets from their husbands to limit their shopping but the Duke has been the one doing all the shopping. Will I ever find a man like this? I¡¯ll have to live through Alessandra,¡¯Sally pitifully sobbed.


    ¡°Why are you sobbing, Sally?¡± Are you thinking about the king again?¡± Asked Alessandra.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t but now I am,¡± Sally¡¯s face lost color as she remembered the embarrassing moment.


    Erin¡¯s ears perked up when the king was mentioned. ¡°What happened to the king?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m jealous I won¡¯t be able to see the king but the two of you will,¡± Sally quickly threw out a lie. The king secretly snuck for a reason and though she liked Erin it did not mean she needed to share everything.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Everyone attending will not be able to see the king unless he decides to dance with the queen. They normally sit far away surrounded by guards. Only those close to the king like your husband will be able to get a clear view of the king. A lot of people aren¡¯t going to see the king anyway,¡± said Erin.


    ¡°Why are they going then? I¡¯m excited to see all the royals and visit the pce for the first time. Even if I don¡¯t dance I know it will be a wonderful experience,¡± Alessandra replied. No amount of drama could ruin the night.


    ¡°Most people are attending to show off their expensive clothes. Women in high society love an opportunity to wear a new dress. Many conversations you hear will concern dresses. You would think it¡¯d be a night I enjoy but it¡¯s honestly irritating. They think they know better than a dressmaker which is why I always end up arguing with someone. It¡¯s inevitable,¡± Erin shrugged.


    A knock at the door was heard followed by Edgar¡¯s voice. ¡°Are you ready, Alessandra?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you can enter.¡±


    Sally began to clean the room while Erin picked up the dress she was going to wear to the ball.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to get dressed in the bathroom. Excuse me, Duchess,¡± Erin hurried over to the bathroom to get dressed before Alessandra and Edgar could leave.


    Edgar entered the room dressed in ck pants and a long white sleeve shirt. ¡°Why on earth is she using our home as she pleases?¡±

 Chapter 101

    101 Dresses, drama & a death (2)


    ¡°Erin will apany me at the ball so you will not have to stay by my side if there is anyone you wish to speak to in private,¡± said Alessandra.


    ¡°I have no one to speak to when I never nned to be there in the first ce. I will stay by your side all night long now that my mother is in town and everyone else will act like they have nomon sense the first time they see us together. You can never say I did not warn you about how much drama there is at these balls.¡±


    ¡°You requested a quiet ce for the two of us. I will stay on the sidelines for this first ball and not dance. I will enjoy just being there with you and Erin. I should have mentioned I haven¡¯t taken any dance lessons since I was a child. Tonight is not when I¡¯d want to see if I remember the steps.¡± Alessandra imagined herself falling in front of the crowd. She would hide her entire face if that were ever to happen to her.


    ¡°If you want to dance, we can. I do not care if you were to mess up. Some people will inspect any and every little thing about you to find something to talk about. They will judge the good things if they can¡¯t find anything bad to say. Life is too short to think about others. Here,¡± Edgar stood behind Alessandra and lowered an emerald ne in front of her.


    Alessandra admired the beauty of arge emerald surrounded by tiny diamonds. ¡°I can¡¯t ept this, Edgar. It must have cost you a fortune.¡±


    ¡°It did,¡± Edgar replied, not seeing the point in hiding it. ¡°If you do not ept it I shall toss it out the window.¡±


    ¡®Why couldn¡¯t this be me,¡¯ Sally silently cried as she cleaned the room. There was no doubt in her mind that Edgar and Alessandra had forgotten she was still here. ¡®Should I leave before they do anything I should not see?¡¯


    ¡°Edgar!¡± Alessandra eximed, jumping to grab Edgar¡¯s hand before he tossed the ne out the window. ¡°Oh,¡± her mouth fell open when her left foot got caught up in her dress causing her to fall.


    ¡°I got you. If you wanted to be in my arms all you had to do was ask, Alessandra. You have a strange way to get me to hold you,¡± Edgar smiled teasingly at the woman in her arms.


    .....


    ¡°You know that¡¯s not what happened, Edgar. Do not throw the ne out the window. I¡¯ll wear it. Can you please help me stand up straight?¡± Alessandra tried moving her feet but the bottom of her dress waspletely wrapped around her.


    ¡°Could have been avoided if you had just epted the gift. I sit on money I will leave in this world when I die. Why not spend some of it on my wife? Alfred told me women love these kinds of things. Don¡¯t know how he is so sure when I¡¯ve never seen him with a woman,¡± Edgar said as he unwrapped Alessandra¡¯s dress.


    Alessandra watched Sally tiptoe out of the room and closed the door. ¡°This is not what we agreed upon, Edgar.¡±


    ¡°Where did we state that I cannot buy you gifts? Did you decide that rule on your own and not inform me of it, Alessandra? Do you have a list of things I do not know about?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t. I do not feel good to be receiving all these expensive gifts from you when I am unable to give you something in return. I need to find a source of ie-Oww!¡± Alessandra touched her cheek after Edgar pinched it. ¡°What was that for?¡± She rubbed the aching area.


    ¡°Do you think I give you these things expecting something in return? I have always been aware of the fact you came to me without any money. I give you things because I simply want to. I thought it was clear that you are able to spend my money but if having your own source of ie will make you feel better, we will talk about itter. About this,¡± Edgar held up the ne. ¡°Can I put it on now or should I toss it out the window?¡±


    Alessandra slowly turned around for Edgar to ce the ne around her neck. She was surprised he was going to talk with her about finding a way for her to have her own money rather than convincing her to only spend his money. The future ispletely unpredictable and if their contract had to suddenlye to an end, she needed her own money to leave with.


    ¡°Beautiful.¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± Alessandra agreed with Edgar as she touched the ne. ¡°We¡¯ll bete for the ball if we don¡¯t leave soon. Do you think Erin is ready? It would be better for her to ride with us instead-¡±


    ¡°No. Absolutely not,¡± Edgar quickly disagreed. He was all for Alessandra making a friend but he needed peace inside of his carriage and the dressmaker talked too much. ¡°What if she wants to return home early? Must she wait on us or will you have to leave the ball before it is over?¡±


    ¡°That is true. She did say she felt like going home to create dresses. Erin might change her mind. It might be better for us to go separately then. Maybe I can ride with her there. I¡¯ll ask.¡±


    Edgar grabbed Alessandra¡¯s hand to stop her from going to Erin in the bathroom. ¡°Why would the Duke and Duchess arrive separately? You¡¯ll have plenty of time to talk to her at the ball. What if I say I¡¯ll be lonely in the carriage if you ride with her?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d say I see through your lies,¡± Alessandra replied as she knew he would not be lonely. ¡°You only needed to say you wish for me to stay with you, Edgar. I suppose it would be unfair for me to leave you alone when you did not want to go in the first ce. I will check on Erin to see if she is ready to go. Can you please let go of my hand, Edgar?¡± She looked down at where he was holding her.


    ¡°Take your time. Theter we get to the pce the better. That means it will almost be over,¡± Edgar released Alessandra.


    Somewhere in his heart, he was hoping the ball would have a little less drama than it normally would so that Alessandra would not be disappointed but Edgar knew the ball would never be drama free.


    ***


    An hourter after Erin had gotten ready and everyone left the Collins estate in their separate carriages, they had all arrived at the pce.


    ¡°Is your foot alright?¡± Edgar asked in a dull tone. He sat watching Alessandra move around excitedly in her seat as there was a lot for her to see. Her right foot impatiently tapped against the carriage floor as she could hardly wait to get out and see the pce up close. ¡®I was expecting her to be scared as we neared the pce,¡¯ he thought.


    Forget a kitten, Alessandra was like an energetic bunny.


    ¡°I have always wanted to see the pce. Can you imagine how big the inside must be?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been in the pce many times,¡± Edgar sighed, not interested in it as Alessandra was. When he noticed her shoulder slumped due to his unenthusiastic response, he sighed and replied, ¡°The inside is muchrger than what you are imagining and there are lots of paintings for you to see.¡±


    ¡°There are? They might give me inspiration for the ones at home. Look at thenterns by the bushes. Do you think we¡¯ll be able to visit the garden?¡± Alessandra asked as she tried to look over the tall trimmed bushes which hid the garden.


    ¡°Depends on how cold the night bes. You might catch a cold if you walk around in the garden but there is a balcony for you to look out and see the entire garden. We will have to step away from the main room for you to get a look at it. I have a feeling that you will pass out if this excitement carries on for any longer.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t. My biggest fear for tonight is passing out in front of a crowd of people. Erin is getting out,¡± said Alessandra.


    Erin¡¯s carriage was ahead of their own and from her window, Alessandra was able to see Erin exit her carriage and start to walk up the long stairs where other people were gathered.


    Suddenly, her nerves began to cloud her excitement as she was reminded this was her first time out in public amongst arge crowd. Alessandra yed with her fingers to hide the fact her hands were beginning to shake due to her nervousness.


    ¡°Alessandra,¡± Edgar touched her hands with his left hand and used his right hand to turn her face from the stairs to him. ¡°It will be alright. I¡¯ll be by your side the entire night. Take a deep breath before we go out. Follow me, in and out.¡±


    ¡°In,¡± Alessandra mimicked Edgar by taking a deep breath and then releasing it. ¡°Out.¡±


    This continued for a minute until Alessandra felt better.


    ¡°I am ready,¡± said Alessandra.


    ¡°Open the door,¡± Edgar said to their coachman who was waiting by the door as the carriage had stopped a while ago. Edgar exited the carriage first and stood by the door to offer his hand to help Alessandra out.


    With her confidence regained, Alessandra epted Edgar¡¯s hand and stepped out of the carriage.

 Chapter 102

    102 Dresses, drama & a death (3)


    ¡°It¡¯s true the Duke got married to thete Baron¡¯s daughter.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think they would show up tonight.¡±


    ¡°How long do you think the Duke has left to live?¡±


    Alessandra ignored the loud chatter as she and Edgar walked up the stairs leading into the pce. As she walked, Alessandra realized it wasn¡¯t hard to ignore the words and stares directed at her. There was so much more to focus on than the people around.


    Everyone could spend the night watching her while she chose to look around the castle instead.


    ¡°Weing the Duke and Duchess, Edgar and Alessandra Collins!¡± A short man loudly announced as soon as they were going to step foot in the ballroom.


    Hearing the call, the entire crowd of people already in the ballroom looked at the entrance to get a glimpse of Edgar and his new wife.


    ¡°You would think we were the king and queen,¡± Edgar muttered as he led Alessandra off to the side to look for the private area Tobias was meant to give him. ¡°I swear if he ims to forget about what I asked I¡¯ll leave the throne without a king.¡±


    ¡°Duke Collins,¡± a familiar voice called to Edgar. ¡°I¡¯ve been awaiting your arrival. How have you been, Alessandra?¡± Katrina asked.


    .....


    Like everyone else, the Baroness had been patiently waiting to see if Edgar and Alessandra would attend the ball. Regardless of whether Edgar and Alessandra disliked her, Katrina nned to use Edgar to raise her status. Alessandra was still her step-daughter therefore Katrina had a connection to Edgar.


    ¡°I have been well, Baroness. Thank you for asking,¡± Alessandra replied. She knew this was not the time or ce to engage in a negative conversation with Katrina. All eyes were on them and Alessandra did want to entertain whatever Katrina was scheming. ¡°Please excuse us,¡± she began to walk around Katrina.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Katrina stepped in front of the young couple. ¡°Kate and I have not seen you for thest couple of days since you have be the Duchess. We only wish to spend a moment with you and Edgar. Isn¡¯t that right, Kate?¡± Katrina nudged her daughter.


    Katrina had a lengthy conversation with Kate to be cordial with Alessandra out in public. They had an image of a caring family to keep together.


    ¡°Yes, mother. We want to know if you are alright and dealing with our father¡¯s death well. You have not once asked about his funeral,¡± Kate spoke loud enough for anyone nearby to know Alessandra did not care about their father.


    Kate¡¯s innocent smile masked the anger and jealousy she felt as she nced at Alessandra¡¯s dress. It was certainly new while she was forced to wear an old dress. ¡®Who made it for her?¡¯ Kate thought. She would get the person to make better dresses for her to outshine Alessandra.


    ¡®Her dress might be beautiful but that face,¡¯ Kate deviously thought as she stared at the mask Alessandra wore. ¡®No amount of money can fix that face. I am still better than her.¡¯


    ¡°I have not asked because I don¡¯t care. I hope the two of them can send him off well. You were his most cherished ones after all. I hope you are in a position to make the funeral as grand as possible,¡± Alessandra threw in a dig at the fact they were struggling to clear the debt.


    ¡°Regardless of what you felt about him, he was still your father. Now that you are a Duchess you have forgotten your family. If the Duke were to ever leave you, where do you think you¡¯ll have to run back to?¡± Kate asked. If Alessandra paid for the entire funeral they could save their money and get back on their feet. Why was Alessandra being selfish?


    ¡°Where do you think the king has chosen for us to sit,¡± Alessandra continued to walk rather than reply to Kate. Ignoring her father¡¯s dead body should have been a clear message she was never going to get involved in sending him off. If possible, she would leave his body out to rot in the middle of the same house he cared for more than his own daughter.


    Katrina was the one to spend money on countless tutors for Kate. Perhaps Katrina should be given her money back as the tutors did not teach Kate well. If they did, she wouldn¡¯t be trying to make a scene in the middle of a ball.


    ¡°What would they gain from discussing something like that right now? Are they trying to portray me as the bad guy? I can¡¯t believe after everything they¡¯ve done to me rather than have some ountability, they are going to act like victims. If they go any lower than this, they¡¯ll be in hell,¡± Alessandra shook her head at their behavior. ¡°Maybe they are trying to see my father soon.¡±


    ¡°They want sympathy. Expect them to be telling others about how much you¡¯ve turned your back on them now that you are a Duchess. They know everyone here wants something good to talk about and they are the ones everyone will approach to know more about you. Leave them be. They¡¯ll expose themselves from talking too much,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡®Until then, it will add more fuel to rumors about me. Should I reveal everything they have done to me? Would anyone believe me? I have no need to share what happened to me if it will only be used for gossip,¡¯ Alessandra concluded. She would only share details with people who would care for her.


    Alessandra was not in need of going around trying to get sympathy from anyone to make them change their opinion of her. They only needed to stop looking for gossip and question the reason she wore a mask.


    ¡°Edgar!¡± Tobias called from his throne where he sat with the queen to his right and the princess to his left.


    ¡°King Castro,¡± Alessandra greeted the king with a curtsy. Alfred was helpful throughout the entire day with helping her learn proper etiquette before the ball.


    ¡°Where is our private space, Tobias?¡± Edgar red at his ipetent friend.


    ¡°What private area?¡± Tobias shrugged his shoulders pretending he had no idea what Edgar was talking about. He truly enjoyed making Edgar angry.


    However, Edgar was not here for Tobias¡¯s games. ¡°We¡¯re going home, Alessandra-¡±


    ¡°Wait! Tobias stopped Edgar. It was too soon for the couple to leave when they had just arrived. There was a lot he needed to discuss with Edgar and Alessandra separately.


    Tobias had a goal to get Edgar away from Alessandra at some point during the night. ¡°I¡¯ve arranged for you to be allowed next to the throne. No one will be allowed to approach the two of you without my permission. Before that, my wife wishes to meet the Duchess.¡±


    ¡®The queen?¡¯ Alessandra¡¯s heart almost skipped a beat hearing this. ¡®I¡¯m going to meet the queen!¡¯


    ¡°Allow me to introduce my wife, Queen Hazel Castro. Hazel, this is Edgar¡¯s wife, Alessandra Barrett. The news was true,¡± said Tobias.


    ¡°Queen Castro,¡± Alessandra curtsied while Edgar bowed.


    ¡°It is a pleasure to meet you, Alessandra Collins. I¡¯m happy to see Edgar has given up on living alone and found someone he wishes to spend the rest of his life with,¡± Hazel directed a smile at Edgar. She was fond of the man because of the many times he would shut her husband up. ¡°I am bored of sitting. Do you mind taking a walk around the room with me, Alessandra?¡±


    ¡°Alone,¡± Hazel added when Edgar did not release Alessandra¡¯s hand ¡°I will protect her from the vultures, Edgar. You have my word,¡± she sat up from the throne. ¡°Walk with me, Duchess.¡±


    ¡°Can Ie along too?¡± Princess Sofia Castro asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Hazel denied her request. She was in need of a break from the two annoying siblings. Anyone more of their chatter and she would lose her mind. ¡°Let¡¯s hold hands, Duchess.¡±


    ¡°Rx Alessandra. You are practically jumping up and down,¡± Edgarmented on Alessandra¡¯s resurfaced excitement. ¡°Why don¡¯t I get this same treatment whenever you see me?¡±


    ¡°Because you tease me too much. I will be back in a moment,¡± Alessandra dly left Edgar and went to the queen¡¯s side.


    ¡°Draining aren¡¯t they?¡± Hazel asked, referring to both of their husbands. ¡°Although I suppose Edgar is easier to handle than Tobias. Two more steps behind us,¡± Hazel ordered the guards following behind her and Alessandra. ¡°I have never seen you in the pce before. I hope you and I can be good friends, Duchess.¡±


    ¡°You do not care about the rumors?¡± Alessandra had to ask.


    ¡°Not at all. You must not be aware of how much these people talked about me before I was chosen as queen. Now they say the sweetest words to gain my favor. You and I are alike in many ways. That is why women like us should stick together. Plus, I¡¯ve heard you have Edgar wrapped around your finger.¡±

 Chapter 103

    103 Dresses, drama & a death (4)


    ¡°I don¡¯t have Edgar wrapped around my finger. The king must have seen it differently,¡± Alessandra denied Hazel¡¯s im. How could she have a man like Edgar wrapped around her finger?


    ¡°I will leave it for you to see. One thing is for sure, my husband would not have been able to convince Edgar toe tonight. I heard you were able to change his mind in a heartbeat. That is unusual for your husband who hates social gatherings like this. Many would try to kiss up to him, propose business ideas, or try to introduce their daughters to Edgar. Your husband is a hot topic.¡±


    Hazel nced back at the throne and found the said man with his eyes glued to his wife as they walked around the ballroom. ¡®This is entertaining,¡¯ she thought.


    ¡°Completely smitten,¡± Hazel chuckled. She wished to be a fly on the wall to witness when Edgar realized he had fallen in love.


    ¡°Who is?¡± Alessandra was afraid she wasn¡¯t on the same page as the queen.


    ¡°I will tell you if you visit me in the castleter on,¡± said Hazel.


    ¡°I see. What is it like living in the pce, your highness?¡±


    Hazel frowned as she thought about life in the pce. ¡°There are too many rules to follow. I once thought the rules my mother had for me to follow were too much until I came to live in the pce. Thankfully, Tobias was always close by to help me adjust. I cannot thank him enough. Never let him know I said that.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Alessandra promised. She found the queen and king to be amusing.


    .....


    ¡°Do not look but I think your sister is ring at you, Alessandra. Perhaps she is angry you did not invite her to meet the king or maybe, she is angry you have taken her spot. Don¡¯t look so surprised,¡± Hazel stated when Alessandra looked at her. ¡°I am quite perceptive and a lot of information reaches my ear thanks to the maids. I know who likes who and I know your sister has always liked Edgar.¡±


    ¡°She will get over it if she wishes to keep a rtionship with you. My sister wished to be the one to marry the king but I was chosen. She did not speak to me for a year and almost missed my wedding. We talked about it and moved on. She is now married and lives out of town. Give it time,¡± Hazel advised Alessandra.


    ¡®There is not enough time in this lifetime for me and Kate to one day have a sisterhood,¡¯ Alessandra thought.


    ¡°Queen Castro.¡±


    ¡°Prisci Collins. I¡¯ve heard you were in town. Did youe back because of Edgar¡¯s marriage? Hopefully, you can convince him to have a proper wedding for us to attend. I was getting to know the Duchess. Have the two of you met already?¡± Hazel looked back and forth between Alessandra and Prisci.


    ¡°We have. I have to admit was quite a disappointment. My son has someone ying dress-up,¡± Prisci threw an unimpressed nce in Alessandra¡¯s direction. She was hoping Alessandra would continue hiding in a hole just like she did at the Baron¡¯s home. Now everyone was questioning Edgar¡¯s preference and mental state.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t appear that way to me,¡± Hazel replied, disliking the way Prisci was openly talking down on the Duchess in front of the queen. ¡®She knows no one is to approach me unless I call for them. She acts like the queen,¡¯ she mentally rolled her eyes at Prisci.


    Hazel was once on Prisci¡¯s bad side when she turned down the offer to be considered as a candidate for Edgar¡¯s wife. She could never deal with a mother-inw like Prisci meddling in her life and she had never felt romantic feelings for Edgar.


    ¡°What are you trying to say, your highness?¡± Prisci asked. She disliked how Hazel was standing so close to Alessandra and holding her hand when there were better young women waiting for the queen to notice them.


    ¡°I believe we are going to see a positive change in Edgar soon. Some people have questioned the type of household he was raised in for his heart to be so closed so off. I find those questions to be preposterous. Surely, Edgar witnessed the love between his mother and father. Something else must have closed off his heart or maybe there is something we are missing. What¡¯s done in the dark will one daye into the light but I¡¯m sure it was nothing on your end, Mrs. Collins,¡± Hazel offered Prisci a smile for support.


    Alessandra was confused by the sudden tension between Prisci and Hazel. It felt like Hazel was standing up for her after Prisci¡¯s words but why would she when they hardly knew one another?


    Prisci bit her tongue to refrain from saying something nasty to the queen. She yed this game many times and knew Hazel was not offering her any support. She was openly ming her for Edgar not wanting to be married. ¡°Only a mother would understand the position I am in. I hope one day you get to be in this position, Queen Castro.¡±


    Hazel continued to smile despite the words Prisci stated wounding her heart. As much as it hurt her to be reminded of herck of an heir she would not falter in front of anyone.


    ¡°Oh my,¡± Prisci covered her mouth with her hand pretending to be shocked by the words she told the queen. ¡°I hope I did not offend you, Queen Castro. Do not think of me as your enemy. I was only trying to offer friendly advice.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mrs. Collins. Nothing you say will offend me. I will never make a woman dealing with her husband¡¯s affairs my enemy. I wish for you toe to me any time to cry on my shoulder. I will offer you some advice. Focus on your own marriage instead of disrespecting your son¡¯s wife. Now, please get out of the queen¡¯s path. Guards,¡± Hazel nced at the men behind her and Alessandra.


    ¡°I can move on my own. I¡¯m starting to question what kind of queen you are. Birds of a feather flock together,¡± Prisci red at Alessandra.


    ¡®Why am I being red at when I was silent this entire conversation?¡¯ Alessandra sighed.


    ¡°I will remember this moment well, your highness.¡± Prisci left without addressing Alessandra. Many of the young women in her circle will deal with Alessandra the moment she leaves the queen¡¯s side.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Alessandra said to Hazel after Prisci walked away.


    ¡°No problem. I dislike it when people bully others. I like Mrs. Collins when ites to tea parties and dresses but when she starts trying to control Edgar¡¯s life I can¡¯t help but roll my eyes. I would hate to be in your shoes, Alessandra.¡±

 Chapter 104

    104 Dresses, drama, & a death (5)


    ¡°See, that wasn¡¯t so hard. I brought her back in one piece, Edgar,¡± Hazel released Alessandra¡¯s hand the moment they reached the throne after circling the entire room. ¡°I am owed a gift after saving her from your mother. Wonderful woman, isn¡¯t she?¡± Hazel faked a smile.


    ¡°Prisci Collins has always scared me more than my own mother. Who was a queen by the way,¡± Tobias added to show how much more Prisci scared him than a queen. ¡°My mother had the ability to punish me any way she liked but I fear Edgar¡¯s mother more.¡±


    ¡°Of course, you would. Your mother¡¯s idea of punishment was not letting you use certain rooms in the pce. She never truly punished you. Clearly the reason behind why you are like this,¡± Edgar shook his head.


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°An idiot,¡± Edgar answered Tobias¡¯ question.


    ¡°I want to walk around with the Duchess now,¡± Princess Sofia Castro spoke up. ¡°It¡¯s my turn.¡±


    ¡°Run away,¡± Hazel whispered to Alessandra right before she walked back up to sit on the throne.


    ¡°Not this time princess. I¡¯m going to spend time with my wife. When wee back over here you can walk with her,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Sofia replied with excitement. She was happy to have a chance to question the woman who stole Edgar away from her. Just one more year and she would be at the age where she could start looking for a husband and the Duke was the only person she had her eyes on.


    .....


    ¡°He¡¯s noting back here,¡± Tobias shook his head, feeling sorry for his little sister. ¡°My queen, tell me all about your conversation with the Duchess,¡± he went up on the throne to sit next to Hazel.


    ¡°Men should not involve themselves in things concerning women, Tobias. It is not a good look. If you wish to learn more about her, talk to her. I am not your little spy. Sit up straight. You¡¯re slouching,¡± Hazel ordered her husband. She was well aware he was not a fan of Alessandra and only pretending to be so he could learn why Edgar was with her. ¡®I will not allow Tobias to ruin this,¡¯ she thought as her eyes lingered on Edgar and Alessandra walking away.


    Edgar led Alessandra to the area near the throne that Tobias had provided for them. It was obvious Tobias chose this spot to keep an eye on the couple. ¡°What did my mother say to you?¡±


    ¡°You were watching us? She spoke about meeting me but then the conversation was between the queen and your mother. The queen defended me when she hardly knew me.¡±


    ¡°Hazel has always been like this. I knew her before she became queen and after my many visits to the pce, I got to know her better. She is the one person I know to openly show their annoyance with Tobias. She would be a good friend for you,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°Because she is the queen?¡± Alessandra asked as normally, anyone in her position would cling to others in powerful positions in order to be protected from other vicious young women.


    ¡°Because she is a good person. If you do not like her, you don¡¯t have to carry on with a friendship simply due to her being the queen. You don¡¯t need to build fake friendships with women in powerful positions because you are a woman in a powerful position. Always remember that you are now a Duchess, Alessandra. More than half the people in this room do not share a title grander than your own. Even if they do, screw them.¡±


    Alessandra chuckled as she found Edgar¡¯sst words to be funny. ¡°How can I take some of the confidence you have, Edgar? Is there anyone you are afraid of?¡±


    ¡°Alfred,¡± Edgar quickly gave a reply. ¡°Do not let him know I have admitted it. You will understand when you truly see how angry he can get. I¡¯ve pushed the limit with him many times as a child and I still do it now because it entertains me just as much as it scares me.¡±


    Alessandra could not imagine how Alfred was the one to scare Edgar. Even when he was clearly upset about something Alfred¡¯s bodynguage was still calm.


    Alessandra began to look around the room at the people who had attended the ball. There were a small number of people she remembered visiting her father. ¡°Edgar, who is the man ring at me?¡± She tapped Edgar¡¯s hand to draw his attention to a man she caught watching her with hatred when her eyes were scanning the room.


    Edgar followed Alessandra¡¯s line of sight and found a pain in the ass. ¡°That would be Oliver and the youngdy I assume he will soon wed. He¡¯s the captain of the town guards and the one who visited the night I killed your father.¡±


    ¡°I see but what have I done to make him re at me?¡± Alessandra failed to understand why a town guard would hate her.


    ¡°We used to be friends but now he views me as his enemy. Perhaps, he was ring at me instead of you. He does it often.¡±


    ¡®It feels like he was ring at me,¡¯ Alessandra thought. She felt the intensity of his gaze on her when their eyes met. ¡®Why am I making all kinds of enemies when I¡¯ve done nothing?¡¯


    ¡°If it upsets you, should I poke his eyes out?¡± Edgar suggested it jokingly but there was some seriousness in his voice. He would hate to think Oliver was ring at his wife. No man had the right to eye his wife with good or bad intentions.


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Alessandra replied, regretting mentioning Oliver to Edgar. She was positive he would poke out the man¡¯s eyes. Now she was curious about what happened between Edgar and Oliver. When she looked back at where Oliver had been standing with his fiance, Alessandra found only the young woman was there. ¡®Where did he go?¡¯ She wondered.


    ¡°Duchess! I have been waiting for the opportunity to approach you. I cannot believe you were with the queen. Duke Edgar, you don¡¯t mind if Ie into your little area right?¡± Erin asked as she walked into the area where only Edgar and Alessandra were allowed.


    Alessandra looked to her right to see Tobias trying to get a look at the woman who was near the throne. She saw him look away most likely because Edgar had not sent Erin away. ¡°It was quite the experience. The queen is a lovely woman.¡±


    ¡°The entire room is dying to know what the queen told you and what was said when Prisci interrupted the walk. There¡¯s so much information to take in,¡± Erin touched her head. ¡°There¡¯smotion in the back of the room because two friends wore the same dress.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see the issue. A dress is a dress,¡± said Alessandra.


    ¡°It is not!¡± Erin disagreed. ¡°If you show up wearing the same dress as someone else, prepare to bepared to them from head to toe. It is serious business when ites to dresses. Almost every woman here is scanning other dresses to see who has the best dress. I¡¯m so happy you walked around the room with the queen because now people are talking about your dress.¡±


    ¡°They should. It is a beautiful dress. I hope you can find a lot of customers after tonight.¡±


    ¡°I think I shouldn¡¯t have started off too innocent. Next time we are going bigger, Duchess. We¡¯re going on the alluring yet elegant side,¡± Erin rubbed her hands together as an idea came to mind. ¡°I¡¯ll visit you tomorrow-¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°I¡¯ll bring along the nightwear I told the Duchess about,¡± Erin said, knowing the way to get on the Duke¡¯s good side. ¡°They¡¯ll knock you off your feet, Duke Edgar.¡±


    ¡°Keep talking,¡± Edgar finally found the dressmaker to be useful.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think this is how the two of you should bond,¡± Alessandra was in disbelief at how the conversation had shifted to her nightwear. ¡°Edgar, is there a bathroom close by?¡± She asked as it was the only thing she could think of to change the subject.


    ¡°There is one close by. Do not follow us,¡± Edgar ordered Erin when he saw her left foot take a slight step forward.


    ¡°Hurry back, Duchess. We have a lot to talk about,¡± Erin said to Alessandra while she threw a re at Edgar. Why couldn¡¯t he let her and Alessandra go inside of the bathroom while he guarded the door? ¡°Why is he keeping her all to himself?¡± Erin blew air from her nostrils like a dragon.


    Edgar and Alessandra left the ballroom and entered arge hallway where there was no one else. A fewnterns were ced around to offer light.


    ¡°Just when I think you and Erin are bonding over something ridiculous, you two go back to ring at one another. I thought you said she would make a good friend for me?¡± Alessandra looked to Edgar for an answer.


    ¡°I never mentioned anything about me liking her. She has been in our home for two days straight. We have not seen each other much for thest two days.¡±


    ¡°That is true,¡± Alessandra¡¯s voice died down as she realized she had not spent time with Edgar unless they were eating or sleeping. ¡°I will tell her toe the day after.¡±


    ¡°When will you tell her?¡± An unfamiliar voice was heard further down the hall.

 Chapter 105

    105 Dresses, drama, & a death (6)


    ¡°I-Is there a ghost?¡± Alessandra questioned and stepped closer to Edgar due to the fact there was no one around for her to see but she clearly heard a voice.


    A devious idea came to Edgar¡¯s mind because of how close Alessandra had stepped to him. ¡°It seems to be. The pce has many haunted rooms. I¡¯ve heard former royals refuse to leave the pce. Thenterns you see are actually meant to show ghosts,¡± Edgar looked off to the side to hide his smile when Alessandra gripped his hand tighter.


    Alessandra was about to pull Edgar to return to the ballroom when she noticed the man Oliver stepping out into her view further down the hall. ¡°There¡¯s no ghost. That¡¯s the town guard. Edgar,¡± she pinched his arm for trying to fool her.


    ¡°You know I can not say anything now. My family has made preparations for the wedding to happen soon. Why are you making things hard?¡± Oliver smacked his hand against the wall.


    ¡°Oliver,¡± a man Alessandra did not know, came into view. It looked as if they had stepped out of a room. ¡°I do not want to carry on with this secrecy. Am I to remain hidden when you get married to her?¡±


    ¡°Oh, we should give them some privacy,¡± Alessandra whispered to Edgar so they wouldn¡¯t be noticed. Whatever the two men were discussing sounded like something they didn¡¯t wish for anyone else to hear. ¡°We should return to the ball.¡±


    ¡°The bathroom is right there,¡± Edgar pointed at the door right ahead of them. ¡°There is no need to go back when we are this close. We will give them some privacy when we go in. Though, a hallway doesn¡¯t seem like the best ce for privacy. Fools.¡±


    ¡°Oliver, if you still want to be with me, you have no choice but to leave her. I do not want to be your secret and I wouldn¡¯t be able to live with myself knowing there is a woman hoping your heart while you run off to my bed.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to use the bathroom. I never needed to,¡± Alessandra turned around, hoping to leave before they were noticed. She could not believe she had stumbled upon a messy rtionship like this. Edgar, on the other hand, did not react to what they heard.


    .....


    ¡°Bryce-Shit,¡± Oliver cursed as he finally noticed they were not alone in the hall. ¡°Get out of here quickly. Edgar, you bastard,¡± he cursed.


    ¡°I believe I did nothing, Oliver. There you go being mad at me again,¡± Edgar smiled, enjoying the anger written all over Oliver¡¯s face.


    Oliver marched over to where Alessandra and Edgar stood while Bryce ran away. As he neared the couple, he reached for Edgar¡¯s cor but found himself falling onto the floor just before he could touch Edgar.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t expect to touch me as you like, Oliver? I am not a simple man for you to grab as you please. Now was not the time to have a conversation where many people pass by. Like always, you choose to be angry at me rather than admit your faults. Cool off and then go back to the woman you are lying to. Didn¡¯t I advise you to tell her the truth?¡± Edgar stared down at Oliver fuming on the floor.


    Edgar stood in front of Alessandra to keep her safe in case Oliver tried something stupid. Again.


    ¡°It must be fun for you to see me like this. To know my secret,¡± Oliver clenched his fists. Out of everyone attending the ball, he rather it not have been Edgar to see him with Bryce. Edgar had been right all along that he was still struggling to speak with his father and he was lying to the woman waiting for him.


    It angered Oliver even more that Edgar¡¯s wife had witnessed his secret.


    ¡°I admit it was fun to knock you off your feet but I do not find your preference in men to be entertaining, Oliver. It has nothing to do with me. It didn¡¯t in the past and it will not now.¡±


    ¡°What will you do now? ckmail me?¡± Oliver looked up at the man he hated more than anything. Edgar was the reason he had been like this. It was Edgar who made his heart see a different side only for Edgar to crush it. After the many times they were around each other as young boys, why was he the only one that felt something?


    ¡°I n to take my wife to the bathroom as she wanted. How many times must I say I do not care about your business, Oliver? Do I need to tell you in anothernguage?¡± Edgar cocked his head to the side trying to figure out how else he could tell Oliver he did not care about his secret.


    ¡°I have known for a long time but I have never mentioned it to anyone nor have I made you do anything to keep my mouth shut. I do not care about who you want to sleep with but I have offered you advice to not hurt the young woman expecting you to love her. Now, I must say you should not hurt the man you have been stringing along while you walk around with your fiance. I am here to talk if you have no one else,¡± Edgar offered his hand to help Oliver stand up.


    Alessandra silently agreed with Edgar. Oliver will hurt two people in the future by keeping a secret like this. He did not need to tell the entire town he was interested in men but the young woman he was about to marry should know about this and he should be honest with the man who just walked away.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need anything from you,¡± Oliver stood up on his own. He wanted Edgar to realize his feelings for men started with Edgar and he had been distancing himself from Edgar to bury what he once felt until Bryce came along. His eyes went to Alessandra standing behind Edgar. ¡®Why her?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t help wondering.


    Alessandra felt awkward under Oliver¡¯s gaze once again. She did not see why he was ring at her again when she said nothing. She was not going to share his secret. It wasn¡¯t her ce to tell others.


    ¡°Oliver, if you don¡¯t stop ring at my wife you will find yourself on the floor again but this time, you¡¯ll be in excruciating pain,¡± Edgar stepped to the side to block Alessandra from Oliver. ¡°What is your issue with my wife? Say it to me instead of ring at her.¡±


    ¡°Forget it,¡± Oliver replied, removing his gaze from Alessandra. He could not voice what he was thinking to Edgar. ¡°I-¡±


    ¡°Captain!¡± A man in a town guard uniform came running down the hall. ¡°Captain, we must head to town,¡± there was urgency in his voice as he spoke. ¡°The Duke muste along with us,¡± the man hunched over panting. He had been running around like a madman in search of Oliver and Edgar. ¡°We found the body of a young woman in town. Someone has already identified and connected her to Duke Collins.¡±

 Chapter 106

    106 Change of heart (1)


    ¡°What connection does this young woman have with me?¡± Edgar questioned, confused by who around him could have died.


    ¡°She¡¯s been identified as your maid, Duke Edgar.¡±


    ¡°Does the murder seem connected to the ones with the kidnapped girls?¡± Asked Edgar.


    ¡°No, not at this point,¡± the young guard replied.


    ¡°Then, I do not have to go with you. You can visit my home anytime to question my other servants and Alfred who will know more about a maid. I am not working on regr murders. If you find some connection to the other ones, send for me and I wille. Excuse me, we have been meaning to go to the bathroom,¡± Edgar took Alessandra¡¯s hand and led her towards the bathroom.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t hee with us, sir?¡± The guard looked to Oliver to stop Edgar.


    Any other day, Oliver would have taken Edgar to the crime scene and questioned him about the young woman. There were many cases he dealt with where the servant was killed by the employer after a secret affair took a turn for the worse. However, it was his job to inspect the scene of the crime and then go around asking questions. He did not need Edgar just yet.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have someone keep an eye on him. If we take him from the ball, there will be a lot of talk amongst the people here. I don¡¯t want this news to spoil the king¡¯s night. Our superior will have our heads if we do. We¡¯lle back to question the Duketer. Let¡¯s go,¡± Oliver ordered his subordinate.


    On the inside of the bathroom, Alessandra was trying to process all the information she heard in a short period of time. From a forbidden rtionship to death.


    .....


    ¡°Who do you think it is, Edgar?¡±


    ¡°How am I supposed to know, Alessandra? Mynd is filled with many young women who I have never met. Many of my servants leave mynd at the end of their shifts and I do not care to question where they are going. We will find out by the end of the night. Why aren¡¯t you using the bathroom?¡± Edgar folded his arms. They left the ballroom for this sole purpose.


    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t need to use it. I just wanted to get you and Erin to stop talking about my nightwear. Ow!¡± Alessandra winced and touched her forehead where Edgar flicked her. ¡°You underestimate how hard you do that, Edgar.¡±


    ¡°You could have just said you wanted the conversation to end. Why did you have to pick a long route instead? Perhaps, you wanted to be alone with me?¡±


    ¡°No but it feels rxing to get away from all the stares for a moment,¡± Alessandra rested against the sink. ¡°We have not been here for long and so much has happened. What more should I expect? Until I learn to dance, a ball does not suit me. It is not exciting to stand around and just watch others.¡±


    ¡°Come,¡± Edgar offered his hand for Alessandra to take. ¡°We¡¯ll have a quick lesson.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to embarrass myself in front of you, Edgar. I¡¯m fine with not dancing tonight. I made up my mind about it far before we arrived.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be a scaredy cat, Alessandra. The best person to embarrass yourself in front of is your husband. Once you remember the steps you were taught as a child, you will be able to dance tonight. Show me what you know. My hand is getting tired of waiting for you,¡± Edgar held his hand higher for Alessandra to take.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Alessandra apologized in advance. ¡°Let¡¯s see. I remembered the tutor going like this,¡± she moved her right foot first. ¡®One, two, three,¡¯ she began to count.


    Edgar followed Alessandra¡¯s lead, slowly moving around the room as she recalled the steps children learned. ¡°This isn¡¯t so bad-¡± Edgar¡¯s words were cut off by a groan when Alessandra stepped on his shoe. ¡°That was my fault for distracting you. Try looking up instead of watching our feet.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Alessandra replied but it was harder than she expected it to be. It was easy when she could look down and see where their feet were going. Now that she had to face Edgar, shepletely forgot where she had to step next. Alessandra found herself constantly sneaking nces at their feet only to realize her mistake and look back up at Edgar. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she apologized for stepping on his shoe again.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. A little pain like this doesn¡¯t hurt anyone. You¡¯re overthinking where you have to step next, Alessandra. Let your feet move on their own. You are not a bad dancer,¡± Edgarplimented her as they moved around the spacious bathroom.¡±


    ¡°You are only saying that because I am your wife. I can tell I am dancing with no rhythm. Thank you for dancing with me,¡± Alessandra stopped moving and ced her hands to her side. ¡°Even if it was in a bathroom I can cross off dancing in the pce from my list.¡±


    ¡°What else is on this list of things you want to do?¡±


    ¡°I would love to learn how to swim, ride a horse, see a lot of famous areas around the kingdom, try different foods, paint more, see the sunset on a hill, and many more things. It¡¯s a really long list I¡¯ve created over the years for when I wouldn¡¯t be confined to my home. Ah yes, I can cross off wearing a fancy dress,¡± she smiled, looking down at the dress Erin created.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t mention being with someone. Your first kiss or first love. Is anything like that on the list?¡± Edgar asked. It was all he ever heard young women speaking about.


    ¡°Ugh, well no. I never imagined getting married for a long time. I figured I might end up alone. People might not want to admit it to make themselves sound good but looks do matter and even if there were no stupid rumors about me being cursed, half of my face is still scarred. Why would anyone have settled for me when there are better choices and I am fine with being alone? That¡¯s nothing to worry about anymore as I am now married.¡±


    ¡°What better choices? Perhaps you did not take a good look around the room. I think the problem is yourself, Alessandra. I know you would have found someone and settled down but you have forced yourself to believe no one would want to be with you. You have a wonderful personality and regardless of the scars, you are beautiful,¡± said Edgar.


    Alessandra felt a weird feeling in her chest and her eyes fluttered as tears threatened to fall. ¡°You do not have to lie to cheer me up. We should return to the ball,¡± she did not like being alone with Edgar like this.


    ¡°When have I ever lied to you, Alessandra? You are beautiful. It¡¯s a shame someone¡¯s jealousy broke your confidence and self-love. After all of our yful conversations, I thought you would have realized how much you entice me, Alessandra.¡±


    ¡°I-I...¡± Alessandra found herself unable to give Edgar a response. Her own father had made it quite clear she lost the one thing that made a woman valuable but here was Edgar, one of the most desired men in the kingdom, saying she enticed him.


    Alessandra decided to run away rather than listen to Edgar¡¯s words. It was hard to eptpliments from a man like him after many years of hurtfulments. She turned around and made a run for the door but as she turned the doorknob and opened the door slightly, Edgar¡¯s hand appeared on the side of her head closing the door.


    ¡°Three days was all it took for you to make me consider breaking my own rule. Prepare yourself for what you have started, Alessandra. I am not going to let the woman who has done this to me not see the beauty she has.¡±

 Chapter 107

    107 Change of heart (2)


    ¡°Are you saying you have fallen in love with me?¡± Alessandra found this to be impossible but she still needed to ask.


    ¡°Love is a strong word, Alessandra. I am not familiar with it but I doubt it happened over three days. I can admit I am starting to feel something for you and I have made up my mind to see where it leads me. I don¡¯t expect anything in return from you,¡± he removed his hand from the door.


    Edgar merely wanted to test out what he had been feeling since Alessandra started to stay with him. He knew it was not love but some sort of feelings had started to blossom. He had no shame stating he was the one to start feeling something first when he was adamant about no love or feelings.


    ¡°I see,¡± Alessandra took a moment to process things. She never expected Edgar to say any of this ever. What was she supposed to do now that he said he felt something for her? ¡°What happens now?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. We continue as we were doing thesest few days. I will figure out what I am feeling and let you know what I have discovered. However, I won¡¯t allow you to continue being harsh on yourself. If I have to tell you apliment every day, I do it. I¡¯ll make up for the years you were surrounded by fools.¡±


    This was another reason Edgar regretted giving the Baron a quick death. The man, his wife, and his daughter had spent countless years ripping Alessandra¡¯s self-esteem to shreds.


    Alessandra opened her mouth wanting to say he didn¡¯t need to but she stopped herself. It would be nice to receive apliment. ¡®Why am I so harsh on myself? Edgar shouldn¡¯t have to help me love myself. Why did I allow my father¡¯s words to stay with me for so long?¡¯


    Alessandra wanted to continue letting go of the past with small steps. She could also startplimenting herself. There were many things she loved about herself that did not revolve around beauty.


    ¡°Alessandra,¡± Edgar interrupted her thoughts.


    .....


    ¡°Y-Yes,¡± she anticipated his next words.


    ¡°You can open the door now or do you wish to stay hidden away in this bathroom with me? I am fine with thetter but I cannot promise we will remain with our clothes on.¡±


    Alessandra quickly turned the doorknob and pulled open the door once again. Edgar¡¯s confession of having feelings for her was all she could handle right now. For them to end up without clothes, she just might pass out from the thought of it.


    ¡°Your ears are turning red. Are you thinking about something naughty?¡± Edgar bit Alessandra¡¯s earlobe.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Alessandra squeezed her eyes shut and gasped at the weird sensation where Edgar bit her. Alessandra twirled around to push Edgar away from her as she was at her limit but with her eyes closed, she ended up hitting him in the face.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± Edgar grabbed his nose. ¡°What is your obsession with hurting me, Alessandra?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Alessandra opened her eyes and panicked at the sight of Edgar holding his nose. ¡°Let me see. There is no blood,¡± she felt relieved. ¡°It is your fault for randomly biting me. An ear is not something you should put in your mouth.¡±


    ¡°There are many things we should not put in our mouth but curiosity always gets the best of us. One thing is for certain, you have a strong right hook. I should start training you to properly use it to defend yourself.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I should have opened my eyes. How badly does it hurt? Should I find someone to take a look at it? Should we leave?¡±


    ¡°No, but my mother used to kiss my wounds. Maybe that would make it feel better?¡± Edgar lied. If he was going to be punched in the nose, he had to get something out of it.


    Alessandra contemted it for a moment and then replied, ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem like your mother and I doubt you would allow her to kiss you. Just this once I will go along with your scheme because I am sorry for hitting you.¡±


    Alessandra gently ced her hands to the sides of Edgar¡¯s face, careful not to harm his nose any further, and tiptoed to ce a light kiss on his nose. She had a faint memory of her mother doing this when she hurt her knee.


    ¡°Right here too,¡± Edgar pointed to the side of his nose.


    ¡°Forget it,¡± Alessandra removed her hands from his face and turned around to actually go out of the bathroom this time. ¡°Erin must have gotten the wrong idea about the two of us being gone for so long,¡± she sighed, already hearing the words leaving Erin¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t toote to make what she is thinking true. All we need to do is lock the door-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not listening to you,¡± Alessandra covered her ears with her hands and left the bathroom. ¡°This would have all been avoided had I simply changed the topic of our conversation,¡± Alessandra felt the need to p her face with her hand.


    ¡®But then I wouldn¡¯t have learned Edgar is starting to like me,¡¯ a small smile formed as she thought about their conversation. ¡®Could we honestly love each other in the future and be a normal couple?¡¯


    It did not seem impossible. Even if Edgar were to one day wake up and no longer feel anything for her, she was satisfied in knowing she made a slight change in his heart. From the way everyone around Edgar spoke, no one had ever been able to bring out this side of Edgar.


    ¡°I need to give myself more credit,¡± Alessandra muttered.


    ¡°Duchess! What took the two of you so long? I was bored out of my mind waiting for you to return. Did you fool around in the bathroom? Exciting feeling, isn¡¯t it?¡± Erin whispered to Alessandra so prying ears wouldn¡¯t hear.


    ¡°No,¡± Alessandra replied but the blush on her exposed cheek told Erin a different story.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so modest. As rude as the Duke is if I had a man like that I would be on and under him every chance I get. The time or ce wouldn¡¯t matter to me. Let¡¯s keep this between us. My mother would pass out if she heard me say these things,¡± Erin chuckled.


    ¡°Nothing happened. You are mistaken,¡± Alessandra stated to stop Erin from getting the wrong idea. She knew Edgar was right behind her but he was not saying anything to clear up what Erin thought. ¡°I only went to use the bathroom but my dress was stuck and Edgar helped me,¡± she lied.


    ¡°Liar liar, dress on fire,¡± Erin sang.

 Chapter 108

    108 Envy (1)


    ¡°Kate, if I was in your position I would so embarrassed. After months of talking about being with the Duke, your sister married him. How are you so strong?¡±


    Kate internally rolled her eyes at the question but kept a smile on her face. Her friend knew this was something she did not want to talk about right now. ¡°I told you I do not care about their rtionship, Grace. There are other men on my list to make my husband.¡±


    Grace did not believe a word that left Kate¡¯s mouth. All Kate spoke about for the past months was Duke Collins. Now there were other men? Yea right. ¡°I¡¯m just curious like everyone else on how your sister was able to snag him while you failed for months? I mean, given her current situation I thought your family would pay a servant to marry her.¡±


    ¡°It is odd,¡± L, Kate¡¯s other friendmented. Out of all of them she was certain Kate had a chance with the Duke. It was the reason she had backed off from courting him. This and the fact he regretted her when approached him behind Kate¡¯s back. ¡°Edgar is honestly such a strange man. Do you think he fell in love with her at first sight?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± said Kate. She refused to believe it was love that brought Alessandra and Edgar together. Alessandra using witchcraft made more sense.


    ¡°Then how do you exin their quick marriage unless your family was unaware of the fact she snuck out of the house and met the Duke before you think she did? What if she was sleeping around with the Duke? I¡¯ve heard men keep women like her around because she¡¯s easy to keep quiet since she¡¯s desperate,¡± said Grace


    ¡°Even if he was sleeping around with her, why marry her? Did he fall in love with her during that time or maybe she is pregnant,¡± L gasped finding this to be usible. ¡°Can you imagine if she was pregnant before she got married?¡±


    Kate didn¡¯t believe Alessandra was able to sneak out the house. There were many servants around who would¡¯ve told her parents. She believed Alessandra and Edgar met for the first time at the party but what they truly talked about was a mystery. What could Alessandra have said to intrigue Edgar?


    Still, Kate wasn¡¯t going to stop L and Grace from passing around this notion of Alessandra being pregnant before she got married. It would continue to destroy what little reputation Alessandra had.


    .....


    Alessandra did not need to live with them to be toyed with. The society they lived in would do it for Kate.


    ¡°Her stomach will start getting big soon if this is true and if it does, we¡¯ll know for certain that she was pregnant before marriage. Who would have known she was that kind of girl? It¡¯s always the quiet ones you have to watch out for. She was hiding this type of personality all along.¡±


    L snuck nces at where Alessandra stood with Edgar. ¡°How can she stand there wearing that dress when you and your mother are gathering money to prepare for your father¡¯s funeral? You even wore an old dress which is so unlike you.¡±


    ¡°Well, this isn¡¯t a time to be buying new dresses. I want to give my father a grand send off and I don¡¯t care if I need to rip the clothes off my back to do it,¡± Kate repeated the words James told her to say. It truly infuriated her that her mother did not change her mind and bought new dresses. ¡°Now that she married Edgar, she has forgotten who fed and sheltered her for years.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine being rted to someone like that,¡± Grace shivered as she felt scared to be in the same room as Alesssandra. ¡°I don¡¯t care who she has gotten married to, your sister can never be apart of our circle. You musn¡¯t allow her to get away with all that she has done to you.¡±


    ¡°I agree. A sister should never marry a man she knew her sister fell in love with. No wonder the queen seemed to like her so early. They are the same,¡± said L. ¡°We¡¯ll teach her lesson when the Duke isn¡¯t by her side. I¡¯ll make sure of it no one thinks of trying to be her friend.¡±


    ¡°Erin seems to be kissing her ass and she¡¯s been going around telling everyone the dress Alessandra is wearing came from her. I knew there was something about Erin. Wouldn¡¯t it be funny if her only customer was Alessandra?¡± Kate insinuated making Erin be cklisted. ¡°It¡¯s not like anyone wants her dresses. Her mother is the talented one. She likes to critique our dresses because she thinks she knows something.¡±


    ¡°Well, a dressmaker would know more than us. Sorry,¡± L apologized when Kate red at her. Why was she getting red at when it was clearly the truth? ¡®It¡¯s not my fault you wore a bad dress.¡±


    ¡°Anyone seen with Alessandra or Erin will be outcast. Leave it to me. This is my speciality. Now lets think how we can get the Duke to change his mind about being with your sister-¡±


    ¡°This sounds like a conversation I should hear,¡± Prisci approached the three young women. She was happy to hear they were already thinking of ways to get rid of Alessandra before she even asked them to. ¡°Kate, what an interesting dress,¡± she eyed the clearly out of season dress Kate wore. ¡°It suits you. Now, carry on with what you were saying girls.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Grace looked at Kate wondering if they should be saying this to Edgar¡¯s mother. When Kate nodded it was okay, Grace decided to speak her feelings about Edgar and Alessandra. ¡°We do not think it is right for Alessandra to marry your son when she knew of the feelings Kate had for him. It¡¯s also strange how she married Edgar so quickly. We think she¡¯s pregnant.¡±


    ¡°Before the wedding,¡± L added.


    ¡°That¡¯s preposterous but it is a big blow to a young womans reputation. If there is some truth in it, who knows how many other men she has been around? Still, I¡¯m sure there were no men near your sister,¡± said Prisci. She watched as Kate became lost in thought most likely trying to remember who she saw Alessandra with. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t jump to wild conclusions about a sheltered girl.¡±


    ¡°There was one man at home she was always with but I never paid too much attention to them. It was the cook. He still works for us and I can bet with a little money, he¡¯ll talk about the rtionship he had with her. There¡¯s a chance Edgar might not want to be with her if he learns another man had been with her first,¡± Kate said, thrilled to have something to break up Alessandra and Edgar.


    Many men loved to be their wife¡¯s first and there was no doubt Edgar would be a same. Why would a man like Edgar want a used woman?


    ¡°Interesting. I suppose it¡¯s something to be looked into. Please let me know what the cook said about her. I admire a determined woman, Kate. Keep it up and you¡¯ll go far.¡±

 Chapter 109

    109 Envy (2)


    ¡°Kate, you have to do whatever it takes to get inside Mrs. Collins¡¯s circle. All the women around her get invited to special parties and are given expensive gifts. She might introduce you to one of her wealthy friend¡¯s sons,¡± Grace envied Kate for having such an opportunity. Why on earth was Kate receiving good things when her family was in such a hole?


    ¡°Put in a good word for us, Kate. You cannot forget who your true friends are when you get closer to Prisci. If only she had been in town, we would have been calling you Duchess. What a shame,¡± said L.


    ¡°That is not exactly true. There¡¯s a girl named Heather she visited my home with. I believe she had been trying to get her to marry Edgar this entire time. If Prisci manages to separate Edgar and Alessandra, she will push for Edgar to marry this Heather girl. How annoying,¡± Kate muttered.


    ¡°I thought you no longer cared about the Duke, Kate? Would you want to try being with him if he divorces your sister?¡±


    ¡°No, he will never be with me. As long as they are no longer together I¡¯m satisfied. Alessandra does not deserve to be with Edgar. If not me, I would have preferred one of you,¡± Kate lied. She would have lost her mind if she lost Edgar to one of her friends. They were her minions and if one of them became Duchess, they would view her as below them.


    ¡°Even if the cook did not have a sexual rtionship with your sister, give him money to spread the rumor around. Who would be able to say that it is not true beside Alessandra to try and save herself? It¡¯s not like we know what goes on in your home to question what we hear,¡± said Grace. It excited her to further ruin Alessandra for taking Edgar away.


    ¡°You should pay a few more servants to say they witnessed it and threaten their lives if they were to ever speak about it. Imagine if you got the butler to confirm it too,¡± L joined in on the n. ¡°As long as the servants keep quiet, no one can prove it to be wrong.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a bad idea but I¡¯m afraid of what reaction Edgar might have,¡± Kate feared what might happen to her if the servants ran to Edgar to tell him the truth for more money.


    Grace quickly came up with another solution. ¡°Then you should indirectly start the rumor. We all know servants gossip about what happens in our homes to others and then the entire town knows our business. Casually mention it while a servant is around. That¡¯s safer for you than paying off someone.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Right,¡± Kate agreed with this idea. ¡°I will do it tomorrow morning. Let¡¯s see if she can attend a party like this in the future with more rumors going around,¡± she chuckled.


    ¡°Enough about your sister now, I want to find a handsome man to dance with. Who here is single and has not danced with ady?¡±


    ¡°There is someone I am looking for-Ah!¡± Kate eximed when someone bumped into her and their drink spilled on her arm. ¡°What the hell were you doing?¡± She looked up at the culprit. ¡°You!¡± Her eyes widened finding the man she had been looking for right in front of her.


    Kate wondered if it was fate for the man she nned to use to enter Edgar¡¯s world to bump into her right now.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I should have looked where I was going. Correct me if I am wrong but you are thete Baron¡¯s daughter right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marquess,¡± Kate smiled.


    ¡°There she goes chasing after another rich man,¡± Grace muttered to L with envy. She would have liked to be the one to bump into him.


    ***


    ¡°Aren¡¯t the two of you going to dance? I hope you¡¯re not standing here because I am without a date. Go on and have fun,¡± Erin urged the couple.


    Many couples had gathered in the middle of the room to dance. Single men and women who had taken an interest in each other had also joined in.


    ¡°I am not a good dancer. I want to just stand back and watch tonight. Is the man you are seeing here, Erin?¡± Alessandra was curious about the man Erin mentioned from time to time.


    ¡°No, unfortunately. He does not have a connection to the pce to be given an invitation to this ball. I also do not want to let anyone know about our rtionship yet. Specifically my mother. She has the ideal husband for me in her mind and if I were to let her know I was with a man she wouldn¡¯t approve of she would toss me out of her house. My n is to have a steady ie and then move out. Perhaps I could-¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Edgar t-out denied her request before she could mention it. ¡°Our home is not an inn for you to stay in and we hardly know you to let you stay with us. I saw the bill you sent for the dresses. It is more than enough to rent a small room and pay for expenses. You can¡¯t run away from your mother and expect to live the same lifestyle.¡±


    ¡°I am aware of that but it¡¯s hard to give up the way I¡¯ve lived from birth. That¡¯s why I want my dressmaking business to seed so that I continue this lifestyle,¡± said Erin.


    ¡°Unless the man you are seeing will be an asset to your future, let go of him. Without your mother, your name holds no weight and just because you were the one behind my wife¡¯s dress does not mean you will have a long line of customers tomorrow or the day after that. It might take a year for you to have a steady ie to keep the life you have now but what if it doesn¡¯t happen in a year? Will you keep hiding your lover for another year?¡± Edgar asked.


    ¡°Of course not. I just...¡± Erin trailed off as she became unsure about what she would do in the future. She was not being realistic that her business would jump off now that others saw the Duchess wearing her dress. Alessandra was not loved by others and they might distance themselves from anyone around her. ¡°I¡¯ll have no choice but to change the way I live. I need a drink,¡± she looked around for a servant passing by.


    Why did Edgar have to ruin her dreams? She was truly expecting a line of customers tomorrows.


    ¡°It¡¯ll work out somehow, Erin. I truly believe you will have a lot of everyone lining up for dresses. Until then, continue as you are doing now with searching for customers. I am also nning to start a business to have ie but I doubt anyone would want to do business with me. Perhaps I shouldn¡¯t say it is me who owns it,¡± Alessandra had an idea. ¡°We will both seed, Erin.¡±


    Erin slowly turned to Alessandra confused as to why she wanted to work when her wealthy husband stood beside her. Edgar¡¯s wealth was one of the many reasons he was such a sought-after man. ¡°Why do you want to work, Duchess?¡±


    ¡°To have an ie,¡± Alessandra stated, which she believed to be obvious. ¡°I cannot depend on Edgar for money.¡±


    ¡°Does the Duke not give you enough money daily?¡± Erin questioned, ignoring the fact Edgar was right beside Alessandra.


    ¡°He has spent a lot of money since we have been married but it is not about having money daily. It¡¯s for the future.¡±


    ¡°You make it sound as if the two of you will not work out and you want to have something to fall back on. Imagine how the Duke must feel hearing this when the two of you just got married,¡± Erin pointed for Alessandra to look at Edgar. ¡°Do you think he will get rid of you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± Alessandra turned to Edgar. They were under a contract to remain together. She was meant to be the mother of his children.


    She only wanted the money as a backup in case something bad would happen and he no longer wanted to be around her. Alessandra had witnessed how quickly someone she loved could change so she needed a safety to not worry about her future even though she trusted Edgar.


    ¡°I don¡¯t n to let you out of my sight, Alessandra. There is nothing wrong with you working if you want to. Do not take advice from someone with rtionship problems. Isn¡¯t it time you give my wife and me some space? How long do you n to stay here?¡± Edgar moved his gaze from Alessandra to Erin. ¡°Leave,¡± he mouth to Erin.


    ¡°Duke Collins.¡±


    Alessandra¡¯s body stiffened when she heard the familiar voice which had slightly changed due to age. She had forgotten the fact that a man like William Lancaster would be invited to this ball. How could he be so bold to approach her and Edgar after the deal he had with her father? Did he think they did not know about it?

 Chapter 110

    110 Envy (3)


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you again, Alessandra,¡± William held out his hand to greet Alessandra. After Alessandra showed no signs of greeting him, William took down his hand. It pissed him off slightly that she did not respect him. ¡°I have not seen you in such a long time. I was right in saying your father was hiding a wonderful piece of art. It appears Edgar also saw what I saw.¡±


    ¡°Be careful what you say to my wife. I get a little bit jealous when I hear other men talking about her but more importantly, I get creeped out when men your age eye her,¡± Edgar stepped in front of Alessandra to block her from William¡¯s gaze. ¡°I can¡¯t help myself from wanting to dig out your eyes and chop off that hand you reached out to her with.¡±


    ¡°I knew her when she was a child, Edgar. There is no need for you to get jealous when I am around. I¡¯ve been expecting you to repay me for the servant you killed. Do you know how hard it is to find someone as loyal as Rowan? How are you going to repay me?¡± William asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m letting you live after sending someone to drag my wife to you. Be thankful you got to attend this ball, William. Keep eyeing my wife and I¡¯ll see to it you get to be with your servant again.¡±


    ¡°I know we have our little beef Edgar but I am a family friend and I¡¯ve known Alessandra longer than you have. I am only here tofort her for the loss of her father. The man that you killed and the man that owed me something. I¡¯m d I did not miss the ball. I got a full view of something I desperately want,¡± Williams¡¯s eyes flickered to Alessandra.


    Seeing her dressed up with her mask made him want her even more. William wanted Alessandra to be ced in the middle of his house like a live statue. No other person would have art quite like his home if Alessandra was added to his collection. The only problem was her husband.


    Why did Edgar have to take what did not belong to him?


    ¡°Is there a problem?¡± A guard approached where the four of them stood. No one was supposed to be in the Duke¡¯s private space unless the king said it was alright. They were standing near the king and not just anyone should have that privilege.


    William ignored the words of the guard. ¡°Why did you get wrapped up with such a dangerous man, Alessandra? You do not know him as I do? I am sure his looks might have charmed you and you think he is some sort of hero but you will see soon enough that the man you married is a monster. That¡¯s why your father did not choose Edgar for you.¡±


    .....


    ¡°I hope that we do not see each other in the future, William Lancaster,¡± Alessandra spoke up. She was disturbed by someone who would try to own someone he was around when they were a child but she did not want him to think he affected her. The sole reason he approached them was to get in her head. Her question was answered that William was aware she knew about the deal with her father.


    ¡°If you wish tofort anyone it is the Baroness and Kate you should lend your shoulder to. Men like you and my father disgust me. I would like for this to be thest time we see each other,¡± Alessandra said.


    ¡°You wound my poor heart, Alessandra. I view you as my own daughter. When I heard the news, I thought of how sad you must be and what could I possibly do to cheer you up. I remember your father mentioning you love to paint so I bought some art for you. I cannot wait for the day you visit to see it,¡± William smiled, confident she would end up in his home sooner than she thought. He only needed to wait before striking.


    ¡± If you fuck around when ites to my wife, I¡¯ll be sure to wrap a rope around your neck and hang you from your own gates. That weird collection that you love so much, I will burn every inch of it while the birds feed on your flesh. Walk away William,¡± Edgar advised him.


    It would be satisfying to kill William right now and end their problems with him but it would be unfair to ruin Alessandra¡¯s night.


    ¡°Ha!¡± William chuckled, seemingly not afraid of Edgar¡¯s threat. Eventually, theughter died down as he became annoyed with Edgar. Edgar was not like his other enemies. His other enemies¡¯ skulls were added to his collection while it was hard to get rid of Edgar. ¡°I¡¯ll be careful when ites to your wife. It is time for me to leave, Duke Edgar. Duchess.¡±


    ¡°What on earth just happened?¡± Erin released her breath when William left. She didn¡¯t want to make the slightest noise for William Lancaster to notice her. ¡°Are you alright, Duchess? I noticed your hand trembling. Are you afraid of him?


    Alessandra looked down at her hand which felt shaken up. ¡®No, I was shaking from being unable to p him,¡¯ she replied to Erin in her head.


    How dare William refer to her as his daughter or a family friend looking tofort her? She emotionally remembered how terrified she was the night his servant visited to take her away.


    ¡°Give us some privacy,¡± Edgar said to Erin and the guard. He was well aware of how hard it would be to avoid William at parties like this. It was his mistake for forgetting to warn Alessandra. There had been other things upying his mind.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll see youter, Duchess,¡± Erin patted Alessandra¡¯s shoulder tofort her and then left.


    The guard silently walked away to go back to Tobias to ry information on what was said between William and the Collins.


    ¡°I should have told you there was a chance he could be here. Do you want to leave?¡± Edgar caressed the hand Erin said was trembling.


    ¡°No. Why would I allow him or anyone else to make me ufortable enough to leave? At that moment, I felt like I wanted to see him drop dead. I wanted to be the one to make him drop dead but I could not move a muscle,¡± Alessandra stared at her hand. ¡°I was a coward for letting him stand there without a touch. He was at least deserving of a p.¡±


    ¡°You were not a coward, Alessandra. You knew this was not the time nor ce to take out what you are feeling on him. I want you to remain without blood on your hands. Give me a name and I¡¯ll kill anyone you don¡¯t care for.¡±

 Chapter 111

    111 Suspects (1)


    The ball continued without any drama, at least for Edgar and Alessandra. Before the ball could end, Edgar decided it was time they returned home as it waste and there was nothing entertaining for them to witness.


    ¡°I find it interesting you said you were not tired and wanted to stay but from the moment we got into the carriage, you have been yawning. You are like a child fighting back sleep Alessandra. There is nothing to miss if you close your eyes. I will tell you if something interesting happens. Lay here,¡± he tapped hisp.


    ¡°I am not tired, Edgar. We could have stayed a little bit more,¡± Alessandra fought back a yawn but it eventually came out. ¡°Maybe I should close my eyes a little. I will rest here,¡± sheid her head against his shoulder. ¡°Ah!¡± She gasped when he made her slip down to hisp. ¡°Edgar-¡±


    ¡°No rule orw says you cannoty on myp when you are tired. Close your eyes, Alessandra. If the mask is ufortable, you can take it off. I won¡¯t look at your face,¡± he looked out the window.


    Edgar was used to Alessandra sleeping facing the other side of the bed to hide her face when they went to sleep. He never found himself curious to see what she was hiding.


    Alessandra thought about it for a moment. It was ufortable toy on hisp with the mask on, especially after wearing it all night. The mask she wore tonight was not like the usual ones she could wear throughout the day. It was a bit tighter and itched in some ces because of the material.


    Trusting Edgar¡¯s word that he would not look, Alessandra took off the mask andidfortably against hisp. As soon as her eyes closed, she fell asleep.


    ¡°What was the point of holding back when you were tired?¡± Edgar asked the sleeping woman on hisp. ¡°I should have let her take her shoes off first.¡±


    He knew it would not have beenfortable to wear shoes with a heel for more than five hours regardless of if she was standing or sitting. Edgar continued to look out the window for the rest of their ride home to keep the promise he would not look at her face even though the side she didn¡¯t show was against hisp.


    .....


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t this be dealt with in the morning?¡± Edgar sighed as their home came into vision and on the outside were horses he knew belonged to the town guards. He told Oliver to speak with Alfred or any of the other servants still around. Why on earth were they still here? ¡°Alessandra, wake up. We are home,¡± he tapped her shoulder.


    ¡°Already?¡± She rubbed her eyes. Her body was still heavy with sleep and she could feel a slight pain in her feet. ¡°My mask!¡± Alessandra covered her face with her hands when it suddenly dawned on her that she was without her mask.


    Alessandra peeped around in search of it and found it to be in Edgar¡¯s hands. ¡°Thank you,¡± she took it from his hands.


    ¡°We have guests, Alessandra. We will find out who the poor soul that has died is. We have nothing to do with this death other than the fact she once worked for us but be careful what you say. They have a habit of twisting anything you say to paint you as a culprit. I have a feeling they think I am a killer. We¡¯re lucky to be greeted by such entertainment.¡±


    ¡®Oh yes. Being used of murder is entertaining,¡¯ Alessandra shook her head.


    As the carriage stopped right outside the gates to wait for them to be opened, Alessandra looked outside the window at the five or more guards waiting on horses with the man Oliver in front of them.


    As the gates slowly opened, the carriage began to move again, and the guards rode in behind the carriage.


    ¡°Duchess, how was your first ball?¡± Alfred walked up to the carriage after it parked in front of the stairs leading up to the front door.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you asleep, Alfred?¡± Edgar didn¡¯t wait on the coachman or Alfred and opened the door himself. ¡°Were you waiting by the door for our return? I have not seen you do this since you waited for me to return from school as a child.¡±


    ¡°This was the Duchess¡¯s first ball. I could hardly wait to hear if she enjoyed it and everything that happened. The visit from Oliver had me worried that the two of you would have to return early. The night is cold, I should have packed a coat for the Duchess,¡± Alfred became afraid the cold air would be too much for Alessandra because of her exposed arms. ¡°We should have coats sent for the Duchess. She¡¯ll need winter clothes early.¡±


    ¡°Who is it that died, Alfred?¡± Edgar asked.


    ¡°It is Jennifer. The young woman who left with your mother. I¡¯ve told the guards all that I know but they were adamant about speaking to you. I told them to wait outside the gates until you return if it is so important to talk thiste. Let me take you inside,¡± Alfred moved to Alessandra¡¯s side after Edgar helped her out of the carriage.


    ¡°Won¡¯t they wish to speak to me?¡± Alessandra asked. Even though she did not like Jennifer, she hoped the town guards would find her killer. Jennifer was young and had her life ahead of her. Why would someone wish to kill a maid? What trouble had she found herself in?


    ¡°You do not know much about Jennifer. You can go inside and get ready for bed, Alessandra. I will inform you of what they say when Ie to bed. Alfred,¡± Edgar flipped his hand for Alfred to take her away.


    ¡°Come with me, Duchess,¡± Alfred guided a reluctant Alessandra inside.


    ¡°Duke Collins. It¡¯s important we talk to the Duchess as well,¡± Oliver walked up to where Edgar stood. ¡°I¡¯m certain your butler filled you in on who the young woman that has died is. She was found dead in a field near town and after going around talking to others, it appears she was fired recently. A bit suspicious don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Oliver narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°I think that is not suspicious. She was fired and left mynd. Whatever trouble she found herself in has nothing to do with me. You¡¯ve already spoken to my butler, what more do you need from me, Oliver? Cut to the chase,¡± Edgar said.


    ¡°I find it odd that as soon as your wife starts living here a maid is fired and dies not long after. Is that why you sent the Duchess away? Is there something between you and the maid you want to hide from your wife? We inspected the home of a rtive she stayed with and found expensive clothes a maid shouldn¡¯t be able to buy. Care to exin?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not my business to know where she got expensive clothes from. I pay all my servants equally with money and it is only during the holidays that I give them a gift. Whatever you are trying to insinuate between me and the dead girl is ridiculous. Look for other clues before her killer gets away. We are done here,¡± Edgar turned to walk up the stairs.


    ¡°It is not ridiculous. It is not rare for men like you to have affairs with their servants and get rid of them when your wife starts to notice.¡±


    Edgar paused, amused by the wordsing from Oliver¡¯s mouth. ¡°The problem with this world is how it loves to generalize everyone. You think because one man cheated all must be the same. My dear old friend, we are not the same. I am faithful to the woman I am with. Perhaps you should try it.¡±

 Chapter 112

    112 Suspects (1)


    ¡°Look at you throwing that in my face already.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m allowed to be petty when you want to create this narrative of me sleeping with a maid and then killing her,¡± Edgar turned around to face Oliver.


    ¡°I have to look at all angles to find who killed this young woman. The Duchess is also a suspect. She could have ordered for the woman you were sleeping with to be killed. After speaking with your other servants, it seems I should also suspect your mother. I heard the maid left with her when she was fired. So far your family ties with the dead girl aren¡¯t looking too good, Duke. I¡¯ll be watching your every move,¡± said Oliver.


    ¡°When aren¡¯t you watching me, Oliver? I don¡¯t mind you looking at everyone as a suspect but her killer will get away if you choose to focus on me. My wife does not know anything about this Jennifer girl and I have never paid attention to her until right before she was fired. Last I saw her, she was leaving with my mother. Go question her,¡± Edgarzily shooed Oliver away.


    Edgar was suspicious of his mother due to the fact Jennifer left with her and it wouldn¡¯t be the first time someone around his mother mysteriously died. He wouldn¡¯t cover for her if she had something to do with Jennifer¡¯s death.


    ¡°I will speak to your mother and return tomorrow-¡±


    ¡°Why are you alwaysing here, Oliver? Do you still have a crush on me? Is that why you find any reason to be near me? You have no reason to visit me tomorrow unless there is evidence linking me as the killer and there won¡¯t be. I don¡¯t need you around my home when you appear so adamant that I was sleeping with a maid. Goodnight,¡± Edgar proceeded to walk up the steps to go inside.


    After their small conversation earlier, Edgar ced a little hope that Oliver would stop being out to get him but that was clearly out the window.


    Edgar closed the door behind him and locked it as there was no reason for anyone to speak with Oliver any further. Oliver had all the information he needed from Alfred and the other servants to start linking together how Jennifer ended up dead in a field.


    .....


    ¡°Young master! The Duchess is enjoying a quick warm bath to warm up after the cold air. I¡¯ve ced some wood in the fire to heat up your bedroom. Did everything go smoothly with Oliver?¡± Alfred noticed how annoyed Edgar seemed.


    ¡°He has the idea I was sleeping with Jennifer and killed her. It¡¯s embarrassing,¡± Edgar scoffed.


    Alfred nodded his head in agreement. ¡°I agree, young master. It¡¯s absurd to think you would sleep with your servants. I would never allow you to. Do you know how many young women I would have to fire? I-¡±


    ¡°Alfred, that is not what I meant. And what on earth do you mean by how many young women you would have to fire? I don¡¯t sleep around with countless women. How on earth do you describe me to Alessandra?¡±


    ¡°I always describe you as a wonderful man, young master. What were you referring to as embarrassing?¡± Alfred asked.


    ¡°Obviously the fact that he thinks I would toss a dead body in a field. How amateur. The person who killed her did it in the spur of the moment, panicked, and dumped her body in the field where they thought no one would pass by. It would have been better to bury her. Get a list of the servants who left after she was fired. I want to know where they went during that time and with proof.¡±


    ¡°Do you think one of the servants here killed her? Sometimes they have their conflict but I¡¯ve warned them to save it for outside of work. I¡¯d hate to find out we have someone working here who killed her,¡± said Alfred. None of the servants seemed like the type to kill but you never truly know what anyone is capable of.


    ¡°I¡¯m certain her killer is not here but I want to see if there are any connections to Jennifer¡¯s death and anyone who left here during that time. I¡¯m trying to avoid Oliver or any other town guard returning here with questions. I¡¯m tired of speaking about this young woman I dislike. Good night, Alfred,¡± Edgar bid goodbye and entered his bedroom. He stood by the bed waiting for Alessandra toe out of their bathroom.


    If Jennifer had stayed in his dungeon and awaited her punishment for pping Alessandra, she would still be alive. She ran away from losing a couple of fingers to end up dead.


    ¡°Edgar, I didn¡¯t expect you to return so soon. What did he say?¡± Alessandra asked as she exited the bathroom in light nightwear and found Edgar standing in the room.


    Normally she would wear something thicker when outside became cold as her bedroom would always be filled with cold air even though she closed the window but Alfred assured her the fire would have the bedroom warm and it was best to wear something light.


    ¡°I find it amusing,¡± Edgar eyed Alessandra¡¯s appearance from head to toe.


    ¡°Her death?¡±


    ¡°No, the fact that you blush like crazy when you sit on myp or run away from hugging me but you stand before me wearing something so thin and you did not react to me staring. Did my words tonight make you morefortable? Should I be expecting something fun?¡± Edgar ced emphasis on the word fun.


    Alessandra looked down at her clothes and yed with her fingers. ¡°It is not like this is the first time we are sleeping together. I¡¯ve be ustomed to it. It is not like I am standing before you naked.¡±


    Edgar disagreed with her statement but he did notment to avoid scaring her. He noticed her starting to be nervous again so he decided to tease her. ¡°Should you sit on myp more often to get acquainted with it?¡±


    ¡°Edgar,¡± Alessandra sighed but she was not surprised by hisment. She expected him to tease her at least once and now that they had gotten it out of the way there were more important matters to discuss. ¡°What was said about Jennifer?¡±


    Edgar started to undress as he recalled his conversation with Oliver. ¡°He suspects us as the killer along with my mother. Oliver has this idea that I had Jennifer killed because she was my mistress. It is his way of finding motives for why anyone around her would want to kill her. Do you believe it?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Alessandra shook her head. She didn¡¯t believe Edgar slept with Jennifer. She came to that conclusion the first time she met Jennifer and she did not believe Edgar killed her. If he wanted to, he could have when Jennifer was taken away for pping her.


    ¡°What a trusting wife I have,¡± Edgar took off his shirt and ced it on a desk to be taken by a servant tomorrow.


    Alessandra looked away to give him some privacy. The bathroom was right there or even the closet. Why did he have to do this right in front of her? Her heart skipped a beat when his pants zipper was heard and then shortly after a thud as his pants dropped to the floor. ¡®He is toying with me,¡¯ she thought.


    ¡°Why are you looking away, Alessandra? This is not different from when I sleep in trousers. Shouldn¡¯t you be ustomed to it by now?¡±


    ¡°I do not think it is right for me to watch you undress. I wouldn¡¯t want you to watch me therefore I am giving you the same respect I want. I¡¯ve drained the water in the tub so you can take a warm bath. Please go inside of the bathroom Edgar,¡± said Alessandra.


    ¡°Oh, so you¡¯ll look at my body when I am dressed for bed? I¡¯ll be back shortly,¡± Edgar picked up his pants and headed into the bathroom.


    ¡°That is not what I meant or did I?¡± Alessandra wondered. She could see how Edgar flipped her words. ¡°Are you going to visit your parents and ask them about Jennifer?¡±


    ¡°Why should I, Alessandra? The town guards are going to investigate and ask my parents questions. My father will answer honestly and if he thinks my mother knows something he will question her. Problem solved. If I do Oliver¡¯s job, what on earth is he being paid for?¡± Edgar replied from the bathroom. ¡°I have no work to do tomorrow therefore I will be home with you. What would you like to do together?¡±


    ¡°Together? I do not know,¡± Alessandra replied, drifting off into her thoughts toe up with something for them to do together. There was a lot she wished to know about Edgar so she wanted to take advantage of this day when he would not be working. ¡°I wanted to paint tomorrow. Would you like to join me? We can do something else if it does not interest you?¡±


    There was a long pause before Edgar replied, ¡°I am fine with that. I will have Alfred turn away all guests tomorrow.¡±


    Alessandra anticipated tomorrow as for the first time she would have a painting partner.

 Chapter 113

    113 Mess (1)


    Alessandra crawled across the bed to her end to lie down. Her body felt sleepy once again and she could no longer stay awake to ask Edgar any more questions about Jennifer or talk about what they would do tomorrow. The sooner she fell asleep the sooner she could prepare for a day of painting with Edgar.


    As her head touched the pillow, Alessandra closed her eyes hoping to fall asleep as easily as she did in the carriage. However, minutes passed and Alessandra found herself still awake. She was most definitely sleepy but it was not easy to fall back to sleep.


    ¡°Alessandra,¡± her eyes squeezed shut after the bathroom door squeaked open and Edgar called her name. ¡°I know that you are not sleeping, Alessandra. You areying too perfect for you to be awake. You move around in your sleep.¡±


    ¡°I do not,¡± Alessandra disagreed with Edgar¡¯s words. She believed each time he mentioned it, it was an attempt to tease her.


    ¡°You go to sleep at the edge of the bed to avoid being so close to me but then you roll over to my side during the course of the night or I have to stop you from rolling off your side of the bed. You cannot tell me otherwise when I have seen it with my own eyes. It is quiteical,¡± a faint smile formed as Edgar remembered how fun it had been to watch her sleep.


    ¡°I have never fallen off my previous bed and it was much smaller than this. I can¡¯t help thinking you are a liar, Edgar,¡± said Alessandra. She never had any issues with the way she slept until now. Then again, she had never paid much attention to what position she ended up in the morning.


    ¡°I can¡¯t help thinking you have started the habit of being closer to me at night.¡±


    Alessandra felt the bed sink slightly as Edgar eitherid or sat down. She kept her eyes closed desperately wanting to fall asleep. ¡°I do not- Edgar!¡± Her eyes opened wide and she eximed his name when an arm snaked around her waist. ¡°W-What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°You will end up rolling around in the middle of the night. I am doing this for your protection,¡± he pulled her body back against his own.


    .....


    Alessandra¡¯s body tensed up feeling Edgar¡¯s bare chest against her back. His buff arm remained around her waist to keep her from leaving and for some reason, Alessandra felt unable to breathe from just his touch. She could feel every inch of his toned body thanks to him only wearing trousers to bed. It was certainly a mistake to wear thin clothes to bed when they wereying so close to each other.


    ¡°Breathe Alessandra. I am already a suspect in one death. Imagine how hard it would be for me to plead my innocence that you died just from me holding you. We are simply going to sleep. That is all,¡± he reassured her. She was too tired for him to try anything even if it was just to tease her and there was still a wall between them. ¡°Go to sleep.¡±


    ¡°It is harder to fall asleep when we are this close. At least release me a little. We are too close if I can feel your breath against my neck when you speak and...¡± she trailed off, unable to say what else she was feeling.


    ¡°And?¡± Edgar wanted to hear what else she had to say even though he had an idea what it might be.


    Alessandra mustered up the courage to speak, ¡°I can feel you pressing against me.¡±


    She did not know a lot when it came to intimacy but thanks to her conversation with Mario, she was well aware of what was pushing against her buttocks because of their closeness. Alessandra felt a wave of awkwardness and pleasure at the same time. There was a feeling she had never experienced before and she wanted to run away from it.


    ¡°It is a natural reaction to a woman being this close to me. It would be odd if it did not happen with my wife this close to me. It will go away shortly but I will not let go of you, Alessandra. You deserve to be tortured as much as I am,¡± Edgar said right before he inched back to provide a little space between them.


    ¡®When am I never tortured when ites to Edgar? He is the one who removed his clothes in front of me a moment ago,¡± Alessandra thought.


    It was not easy to suddenly be around a man as good-looking as Edgar without any clothes and she was slowly adapting to it because he was her husband but Edgar was making it hard for her.


    ¡°If you were feeling tortured it was not my fault,¡± Alessandra replied.


    ¡°Do you know how entertaining it is when you do it unknowingly? Mark my words, Alessandra. When this wall between uses down, I will thoroughly torture you.¡±


    ¡°I do not want to be tortured, Edgar.¡±


    Edgar chuckled, knowing she had no idea what he meant. ¡°Believe me, you¡¯ll enjoy it. Now close your eyes and go to sleep. You had a long eventful day and there is no telling what tomorrow will bring. Hopefully, it is not the town guards bringing us more annoying questions to answer.¡±


    Too tired to find a way for Edgar to release her, Alessandra closed her eyes once again to fall asleep. Her heartbeat calmed down as she got ustomed to Edgar¡¯s warmth. Once she stopped overthinking, she found being close to Edgar to beforting.


    Laying like this, she didn¡¯t have to fear someoneing in the middle of the night to take her back to her father¡¯s home. They would have to pull her away from Edgar¡¯s strong grip to take her away. Listening to Edgar¡¯s steady breathing, Alessandra eventually drifted off to sleep.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t so hard, was it?¡± Edgarmented then closed his eyes to fall asleep.

 Chapter 114

    114 Mess (2)


    Sally pressed her ear against the door to listen for any movement on the inside of the Duke and Duchess¡¯s bedroom. ¡°Why hasn¡¯t the Duke left yet so I can tend to the Duchess? Did he leave long before I arrived? Should I just take a risk and see if he is in there or not? It¡¯s way past the time for breakfast. Isn¡¯t anyone else curious?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± Alfred whispered right behind Sally.


    Sally smacked her hand over her mouth as she screamed to avoid waking up Alessandra. Turning around, she found the butler with his ear pressed against the door. ¡°How did you sneak up on me? I didn¡¯t hear youing.¡±


    For someone with a lot of years behind him, Sally found Alfred to be quick and light on his feet. She was certain the butler must be a ghost with the way he always popped up unexpectedly.


    ¡°You were too busy being nosey to notice my arrival. The young master has not left his room. He would have notified me of having to leave early. I suppose the two of them are tired from the ball. I cannot hear anything.¡±


    ¡°Me neither,¡± Sally pressed her ear to the door once again. ¡°At some point, we¡¯ll have to wake them up for breakfast.¡±


    ¡°I have a feeling Edgar is awake,¡± said Alfred.


    ¡°Why-ah!¡± Sally eximed, falling forward when the door suddenly opened. She fell onto the floor alone as Alfred somehow did not lose his bnce when the door opened.


    ¡°What the hell are you two up to? What do you want?¡± Edgar looked at Alfred for an answer while Sally scrambled to get back on her feet.


    .....


    ¡°We were trying to decide if to wake you and the Duchess. Breakfast has long passed and I was worried the two of you would be hungry. What would you like me to do?¡±


    ¡°Have it sent to our bedroom. Do not ept any visitors today unless it is an emergency. You can return thirty minutes after we¡¯ve eaten to get Alessandra dressed. Goodbye,¡± Edgar closed the door. ¡°I know that you are awake, Alessandra,¡± he said to the woman faking being asleep on the bed. When would she learn she wasn¡¯t meant to be an actress?


    ¡°Are you not human, Edgar? It is not possible for you to know that I am awake. I hardly moved,¡± Alessandra opened her eyes and sat up. She had been awake for a couple of minutes but when she felt Edgar¡¯s arm still around her, she did not move.


    ¡°That is my little secret, Alessandra. We¡¯ll be having breakfast here and when you are ready, we can start painting.¡±


    ¡°I will wash up before breakfast arrives,¡± Alessandra threw the sheets off her body but then reached for them quickly after she saw her dress was riled up and her legs exposed. She fixed her night dress under the sheets and then carefully ced the sheets to the side.


    ¡°Your maid was outside patiently waiting to tend to you. Do you want me to call for her?¡± Edgar asked as he watched Alessandra¡¯s every move.


    ¡°No, I am capable of bathing myself and getting dressed on my own as I have done for most of my life. The only thing I need help with is when my dresses need to be tied or buttoned up at the back. Why doesn¡¯t anyone tend to you as they do with me? If they think I am in need of help getting dressed, shouldn¡¯t you be the same?¡±


    ¡°It is the number of things you need to do when getting dressed that requires you to have help. I simply have to put on a shirt and pants. Instruct your maid you will only need help with your dresses and hair if that is what you want. I can always offer my services to help you bathe,¡± Edgar smiled, getting his morning tease out the way.


    ¡°No thank you,¡± Alessandra rejected his offer. She could already picture the embarrassment from the many things he would say.


    It was surprising enough she was able to live through the night with their bodies so close together. She hoped Edgar had not noticed she had woken up in the middle of the night. Her mind was aplete mess as she tried to make sense of what she felt when Edgar held her.


    ¡®I wonder if there is a book to help me figure out what it is,¡¯ she thought.


    Seeing her lost in thought, Edgar could not help but ask, ¡°Last night was quitefortable, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°W-What?¡± She looked up at Edgar feeling as though she was caught thinking about being held by him. ¡°It was. I am going inside of the bathroom now,¡± she hurried away before Edgar could say anything else.


    ¡°Why would anyone ce an innocentmb before a dangerous wolf? She only has herself to me,¡± Edgar stated due to the fact Alessandra was the one to propose they had a contract marriage.


    On the inside of the bathroom, Alessandra leaned against the door trying to calm down her racing heart. What would it have taken for Edgar to not mention the way they sleptst night and now bathing her? Edgar helping her to bathe was not something she wanted to hear when there was a strange feeling she was trying to figure out.


    ¡°Am I starting to like him too? Is this what it feels like?¡± Alessandra was clueless. She never experienced liking someone or having someone like her to know if that was behind what she feltst night.


    It was weird. When Edgar touched her it felt like her body tingled and she anticipated something more. What was more? What more did she want?


    ¡°Snap out of this,¡± she shook her head to clear her thoughts. ¡°We have not known each other that long for me to be expecting something. I was simply freaking out because of how close we slept together. I will get used to it soon enough and the feeling will go away. I will not concern myself with feelings. Edgar will soon realize what he felt for me was a phase and we will continue with our contract.¡±


    Alessandra groaned, not fully content with the conclusion she came to. All of this was Edgar¡¯s fault. They should have continued to sleep like normalst night instead of so close together because he imed she rolled around.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting worked up while he¡¯s teasing me. It¡¯s a new day and I will no longer think aboutst night. I need to start organizing the supplies for us to paint together. It would be fun if we ced what we painted around the house or maybe that will ruin the look of his home. I will ask once we see how the paintings look.¡±


    Alessandra turned on the tap to run water in the tub and dropped a soap to bubble up as the water flowed in. She then took off the mask she wore to bed and for once in a long time she looked at her entire face in the mirror. ¡°Should I show him?¡± She wondered out loud as her fingers traced the lines engraved on her face. ¡°They are not as bad as before.¡±


    The scars had long healed but there was still evidence of what was done to her face.


    ¡°He has not judged me not once and has been kind from the very beginning. Edgar has done more than he needed to. The least I could do is show him my face and tell him what happened. I want to...but I can¡¯t,¡± Alessandra finished her sentence after a long pause.


    Alessandra knew Edgar wouldfort her but at the back of her mind, she feared he would give her that same look everyone else did when they saw her face. ¡°I can¡¯t group him with other people,¡± she gripped her hair out of frustration.


    It was frustrating how she knew how Edgar would react but then her mind turned it negatively.


    ¡°I should show him my face soon and get it over with. If something in our day-to-day rtionship changes, I can ept that. I never expected Edgar and I to be acting like friends.¡± Alessandra made up her mind to find the right time to show Edgar. It would be easy to do right now when her mask was already off but today, she only wanted to enjoy painting and think of nothing else.


    ¡°Oh my!¡± Alessandra panicked as the sound of water falling onto the floor was heard. She moved carefully to turn off the water. ¡°That was close,¡± she sighed. If she hadn¡¯t heard the water right then and there a bigger mess could have been made.


    Alessandra lifted her nightdress over her head and stepped into the tub, causing the water to flow over. ¡°I am gaining weight already,¡± she looked at her hands. Anyone else might not have noticed it but she did. ¡°I should watch how much I eat to avoid bing too fat. I wish everything wouldn¡¯t taste so good so I could resist eating more.¡±

 Chapter 115

    115 Mess (3)


    ¡°Here,¡± Edgar offered Alessandra his fork with a piece of everything for her to try.


    ¡°We have the same food on our tes, Edgar. I do not need for you to offer me anything from your te,¡± Alessandra said then ced her own fork with food in her mouth.


    ¡°The food will taste bettering from my fork. Let me test it out. Offer me some of your food,¡± he ced his fork down.


    ¡°I am not feeding you, Edgar. It will taste the same.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I¡¯ve seen other couples do this a lot. I¡¯ve been forced to listen to their cringy tales and now it is my turn to experience it. You have food on your face,¡± Edgar looked for a napkin to wipe it away for her.


    ¡°Which side?¡±


    ¡°Here,¡± Edgar wiped the side of her mouth. ¡°I¡¯ve seen couples wipe food from their partner¡¯s mouth and then eat it. Never expect that from me.¡±


    Alessandra didn¡¯t find that to be heartwarming as it most likely was to actual couples. ¡°I would never want you to do that Edgar. Thank you,¡± she took the napkin from him after he wiped her mouth. ¡°Why are you suddenly interested in what other couples do? Is it because of what you saidst night?¡±


    ¡°Partially. It has to do with what you said about never getting married. I will swallow my pride and let you experience what other young women enjoy when ites to romance. When I have free time, I will do what I can to make sure you enjoy this marriage. I am also trying to cheer you up after the people you ran into at the ball spoiled the night even though you don¡¯t want to admit it,¡± said Edgar.


    .....


    ¡°Thank you but I do not want you to act out of character by doing things you¡¯ve seen other couples do. It is freaking me out. I¡¯m already enjoying my marriage, Edgar. I¡¯m getting to do a lot of things I have always dreamt about so please,¡± she ced her hand over his own. ¡°Do not try making us do cringy things.¡±


    She felt something warm in her chest seeing Edgar make an effort to act like a husband would when he truly did not need to. Alessandra never thought mentioning she never expected herself to get married would lead to Edgar doing this.


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief,¡± Edgar sat back in his chair. ¡°But I am still interested in feeding each other. Feed me, Alessandra. Just once.¡±


    Alessandra sighed, giving in to his wishes. ¡°Only once Edgar. It will not be a usual urrence.¡± She ced the scrambled eggs on her fork and offered them to Edgar.


    ¡°We will see if that remains the same tomorrow morning. Your husband is a man who always gets what he wants,¡± he opened his mouth and happily ate the eggs from her fork. ¡°I have to agree that there is a slight difference in the taste.¡±


    ¡°I disagree and no, I do not want to test it out. I am finished,¡± she ced her fork down on her almost empty te and stood up. ¡°I will start organizing everything we need to paint with.¡±


    ¡°I wille along with you,¡± Edgar stood up from his seat. ¡°I am eager to witness your love for painting. I must warn you that I have never painted a day in my life. I never saw it to be interesting.¡±


    ¡°Why not? How can it not be fun to see something wonderful and then try to recreate it or add to its beauty with your imagination? If not for painting I would have been bored out of my mind. It is the one thing I have to be thankful to my father for. He gave me the paint and canvas even though the Baroness was against it. I do know he only gave it to me so that I would have something to make me stay in my room.


    Alessandra continued to say, ¡°That was how I came to see you the day after the party. I told him I wanted to go around the city in the carriage to find new things to paint. I was not supposed to get out.¡±


    ¡°Clever girl. Had he stopped you from leaving that day you would not have been here right now. I certainly would not have gone looking for you that day. Your determination to get here is what convinced me. The Baron was not a step ahead of you as he thought. The Baroness is preparing for his funeral. Are you sure you do not want to attend?¡± Edgar would not judge if she wanted to. Good or bad, Desmond was still her father.


    ¡°Yes, I have alreadye to terms with his death and it wouldn¡¯t be right for me to attend his funeral after I have not contributed to the cost. I do not want to be anywhere near Katrina and Kate. They will put on a show at his funeral just like they did at the ball if I were to attend. I have a feeling my father is screaming at me for allowing you to end him so soon.¡±


    ¡°The Baroness must be on top of the world because she will now take care of the household and everything else the Baron owned but as the funeral draws near a problem she was not expecting will arise,¡± Edgar grinned, wishing to be a fly on the wall to witness it.


    ¡°What?¡± Alessandra looked to Edgar for an exnation.


    ¡°Your father¡¯s family will gather in one ce looking to see what they can gain from your father¡¯s death. Do you truly believe they will sit still and let Katrina own everything your father left behind? They won¡¯t help her with the debt but they will certainly take valuable things off her hands.¡± Edgar heard many stories of this happening and witnessed it once before.


    ¡°That is a horrible thing to do to someone who lost a loved one.¡±


    ¡°I will make sure you never have to go through something like that. I have two ns. One, I try my best to die after you,¡± Edgar said and held back from smiling when Alessandra frowned. ¡°Two, I simply document that only you and our children can touch what I own after I have passed.¡±


    ¡°Why couldn¡¯t thetter be the only option?¡± Alessandra sighed.

 Chapter 116

    116 Mess (4)


    ¡°I do not need this blue one. It was in style two seasons ago and I should have gotten rid of it sooner. That doesn¡¯t mean you can sell it too cheap, James. The daughter of a Baron wore it and whoever is buying it should be thankful for the price I am selling it. They wouldn¡¯t have been able to buy it at the original cost,¡± Kate tossed a blue dress onto the floor for a maid to pick up and pack.


    ¡°I understand. What about this red dress?¡± James held up another dress for Kate to decide whether she wanted to sell or keep it.


    After the Baroness and Kate returned from the ball, Kate had ordered James to have all her dresses, shoes, and bags brought down to be inspected. He had no clue what happened at the ball for her to order him to do this as soon as she got home, but James felt someone wore a better dress than Kate.


    ¡°That can stay. Although it is old, it looks exceptionally well on me and the dressmaker no longer makes this style. Dresses like this will always be in style because of how rare it is. Have it sent back to my closet. I am tired,¡± Kate fell back into thefort of a chair. ¡°As soon as these things have been sold, bring the money to me, James. I will go shopping the next day.¡±


    ¡°You are surprisingly determined, Kate. I should give you a reward for doing this rather than prolonging it. I will take you shopping after your father¡¯s funeral. Thanks to some of the belongings we sold, I have managed to pay off one of his smaller debts. Our only worry is paying off William so that man will not visit us anymore,¡± Katrina sighed, cing a paper to the side.


    ¡®I might have no choice but to dip into my own money. I will have to im an old rtive took pity and gave us arge sum of money. It hurts my heart to see Kate sell her clothes,¡¯ Katrina sighed. She didn¡¯t want Kate to be like what she was. Constantly worrying about money and being looked down on.


    ¡°He has called off the debt, mother. We should just find a way to hand over Alessandra to him and get it over with. By the way, shouldn¡¯t the Duke have brought proper gifts before marrying Alessandra? Don¡¯t tell me he is cheap. Mother, everything will be alright after we bury father in two days¡¯ time. You have managed to pay off his debts better than he could. You¡¯re awesome!¡± Kate held up her thumb to offer her mother support.


    Katrina smiled, feeling cheered up by Kate¡¯s words. ¡°Each time youpliment me there is something you want. What is it?¡±


    ¡°You can reward me with a new bag. There is someone who provides beautiful bags to the princess. I want one.¡±


    .....


    ¡®A bag worn by the princess cannot be cheap. They will get out of debt only to fall back into it. At least the Baroness has started to pay me properly,¡¯ James thought.


    ¡°Excuse me,dy Kate. I think there is someone at the door,¡± James left the mess Kate created in the dining room with her dresses to check the door after he was certain he heard a knock.


    ¡°It must be the paper. I¡¯ve been dying to read what was said about the ballst night. Mother, there is something I wish to discuss with you about our cook. You see-¡±


    ¡°Baroness, Lady Kate. The Marquis is here to pay a visit,¡± James return with the said man right behind him.


    ¡°The Marquis?¡± Katrina looked to Kate who was just as equally shocked as she was. Her eyes drifted to the mess of clothes Kate had scattered around on the floor. Why wouldn¡¯t James take the man somewhere else?


    ¡°Please call me Simon instead of my title. I¡¯m sorry for intruding when you are,¡± Simon paused to look around at the mess of clothes. ¡°Busy. I came to visit your daughter, Kate Barrett. I thought it would be best if I paid a visit to properly apologize for spilling my drink on herst night.


    ¡°You did? I wasn¡¯t made aware of this,¡± Katrina side-eyed Kate. This wasn¡¯t something anyone should forget to mention. The Marquis would make a fine choice for Kate to marry. His wealth would take them far out of the financial hole they were in now. ¡°It is kind of you to visit her. I have to apologize for the state of our home. Kate is looking for clothes to donate.¡±


    ¡°Is she? How wonderful,¡± Simon turned to Kate. ¡°I admire that even in these times you are thinking about others.¡±


    ¡°It is how my mother raised me,¡± Kate smiled. She sat up in her seat to look poised. ¡®I hit the gold when he spilled his drink on me. Wait till everyone hears he paid me a visit.¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯m sure they could make good money being actresses,¡¯ James thought as he listened to the conversation.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you would love to have a private conversation with Kate. Go on sweetie. I will take care of your clothes for you. You can take the-sorry, Simon to have a seat in the garden. James will bring a refreshing drink to keep you cool. Go on,¡± Katrina said. She gave Kate a look to not mess up this golden opportunity.


    ¡°Please follow me, Simon. There truly was no need for you to visit because of the drink. I got over it quicklyst night as it was simply an ident. I find it hard to process that you came all this way because of that. Not many others would do that. You are too kind,¡± Kateplimented Simon as they walked to the garden.


    If only he had mentioned visitingst night, she would have dolled up herself. Still, it was good for him to see how wonderful she looked when she wasn¡¯t dressed up. Not too many had the beauty to do this.


    ¡°How can I simply forget about it after almost ruining how beautiful you looked at the ball? I felt so guilty that I contemted visiting your home after the ball,¡± Simon chuckled.


    ¡°No way,¡± Kate covered her mouth and faked augh. ¡°You can rest assured that I have forgiven you. I am not one to hold unto things from the past. My father¡¯s death has taught me that life is too short to remain angry about small things.¡±


    ¡°The Baron was a good man and he raised a fine youngdy. I hope this doesn¡¯t sound bad but I believe it is fate that I identally spilled my drink on you. I am quite curious about you, Kate. I have not stopped thinking about you all night. Is there anyone who has captured your eye? Are you soon to be engaged to anyone?¡± Simon asked as he wanted to court her.


    Even though her family situation was not the best right now, he wanted to get to know her better and if they were a good match, he wanted to marry her.


    Kate¡¯s eyes lit up as she knew where this conversation was going. If only it had been this easy with Edgar. Simon did notpare to Edgar in terms of looks or wealth but he would do. ¡°The only man to capture my eyes is now married and no one hase forward to court me. There must be something wrong with me,¡± she forced a sad expression.


    ¡°He must have been blind,¡± Simone held Kate¡¯s hand and stopped walking. ¡°But I am not. From this day on, I will court you, Kate Barrett.¡±

 Chapter 117

    117 Fun (1)


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°It is obviously a flower, Alessandra.¡±


    Alessandra tilted her head to the left to see what Edgar was seeing and then tilted her head to the right. ¡°What kind of flower is it? It doesn¡¯t look like any I have seen in your garden. Is it a rare flower?¡±


    ¡°Are you teasing me, Alessandra? It is a simple blue flower. You see the petals here, the stem and leaves here,¡± Edgar pointed out the obvious. He clearly saw the vision of the flower he painted.


    Alessandra looked again and even squinted her eyes in hopes to see the flower painted. Nothing on the canvas before them resembled a flower. ¡°Well done.¡±


    ¡°Do notpliment me when you do not see that it is a flower. I told you I have never had any interest in painting. We cannot all be able to paint flowers in a vase as you have but I believe my painting is more artistic.¡±


    ¡°Well, it is all about perspective. I see a bunch of circles and lines but you see a flower. You have to sign it now and then we can find a space to hang it up. I¡¯ll get you a new canvas to actually draw a flower this time,¡± Alessandra left Edgar¡¯s side.


    ¡°You are quite sassy today Alessandra. Why are you being so cruel to someone who is not a professional painter? Is this your way of getting back at me for teasing you all the time? Please get out of my way,¡± Edgar ordered the kittens who were hellbent on ying with his feet. ¡°Alessandra, pleasee for these little creatures.¡±


    ¡°I do not understand why they have taken a liking to you when I have been feeding and cleaning them along with Sally. Maybe they are both females and have fallen for your face. It won¡¯t matter if I move them, they will run back to your feet. I am jealous,¡± Alessandra muttered.


    .....


    ¡°I¡¯d bet if I stepped on their tails they¡¯d-¡±


    ¡°Edgar!¡± Alessandra sprung around and walked back to Edgar¡¯s side. ¡°You cannot hurt them. I will ce them in a box to keep them out of trouble or maybe they should go with Sally. Would you like that-Oww,¡± she pulled away her finger after the white kitten scratched her. ¡°Why are your ws so sharp already?¡±


    ¡°That is for not seeing that my painting is a flower. Well done,¡± Edgar said to the kitten.


    ¡®They are meant to be my kittens. Why is he teaming up with them against me?¡¯ Alessandra thought as she rubbed around the small scratch on her hand.


    ¡°Since the two of you are so close please ce them in a box or open the door and hand them over to Sally. I do not want to be scratched again,¡± Alessandra left Edgar¡¯s side. ¡°You are blessed to have any and everything falling in love with you.¡±


    ¡°How could anyone look at this face and not fall in love with me? It¡¯s a blessing and a curse. That is what we should call the kittens. The white one will be named blessing and the ck one will be cursed.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not. I am going to find better names that suit them shortly. I¡¯ll hang this up for you,¡± Alessandra reced Edgar¡¯s painting of a flower with a nk canvas. ¡°I will have a wall dedicated to just your paintings and another with mine. We can ce them in a way to show our progress the more we paint. That is if you will have more time to paint in the future.¡±


    ¡°I can make time for something like this, Alessandra. I work at home unless there is something concerning the missing girls. In no time I will be a better painter than you are. Let me help you,¡± Edgar walked over to where Alessandra had been tiptoeing to ce his canvas on a hook. He ced one hand on her waist while the other took the canvas from her and hung it up. ¡°It is not bad to ask for help.¡±


    ¡°Do you ask anyone for help? It seems like you always have everything under control. Who do you go to when you need help?¡± Alessandra continued looking forward. Once again, the feeling fromst night returned as Edgar¡¯s other hand made its way to her waist.


    There was no need for him to hold her any longer when the canvas was already hung up.


    ¡°There are some things I cannot predict or control and I need help from those around me. I ask Alfred for help many times and there is a rare asion where Tobias is useful. You have helped me get rid of annoying pests by marrying me. If there is ever a moment when I need your help, I cane to you right?¡± He asked dangerously close to her right ear.


    Alessandra left a tingle by her right ear as she felt Edgar¡¯s words against her skin. ¡°Of course. I would love to be helpful to you in the future. We should get back to painting right now.¡±


    ¡°Why? There is plenty of time for us to continue painting. We have to take a moment to think about what we are going to paint next,¡± he repeated the words she told him when they started to paint. ¡°I would love it if you can teach me how to paint an ear as red as the one right in front of me,¡± he grinned right before leaning down to lick the back of her neck.


    Alessandra¡¯s face warmed up and to escape Edgar teasing her once again, she moved her hands to try pushing him back but ended up elbowing him in his stomach.


    ¡°Dammit woman,¡± Edgar released her waist and hunched over to get over the sudden pain. ¡°If you are determined to wound every inch of me, just say that.¡±


    ¡°That was your fault for suddenly licking me but I apologize. Does it hurt really bad?¡± Alessandra started to worry she might one-day break Edgar with the number of times she identally injured him.


    ¡°I fear you might need to kiss the pain away.¡±

 Chapter 118

    118 Fun (2)


    All of Alessandra¡¯s worry for Edgar quickly went away. ¡°I am not kissing your stomach, Edgar. If you are okay to request something like that right now, I can only assume you are fine.¡±


    ¡°How cruel of you,¡± Edgar stood up straight as the pain had quickly passed. ¡°That is not how you should treat someone you have injured. I am deserving of a kiss where I was hit or a hug to cheer me up.¡±


    Alessandra stepped to the side and walked away from being in front of Edgar. She was not going to go along with these demands each time she identally hit him. Quite frankly, she would love to stop hurting him.


    Alessandra walked back to where she had been painting earlier and ced a nk canvas to start painting again.


    Edgar walked back to where they were painting and asked, ¡°Are you ignoring me?¡±


    ¡°I find it to be a better solution than going back and forth with your ridiculous request. Are you going to continue painting or will you leave due to this injury which needs a kiss?¡± Alessandraid out her clean brushes as she spoke.


    ¡°Of course, I am going to continue painting. Your reactions keep surprising me. You adapt to your surroundings quickly. I expected you to give in like you eventually do.¡±


    ¡°Now that you have said that, I will make sure I never do anything you ask of me. What are you going to paint this time? A real flower or should we start you off with just painting a circle,¡± Alessandra bit her lip to refrain fromughing. It felt good to have something she was better at than Edgar.


    ¡°You willugh now and cryter when I master the art of painting. I am getting the hang of it and instead of letting you create paintings for our home, I will do them myself. Whatever you are painting I will paint alongside you,¡± Edgar picked up his brush.


    .....


    ¡°It is not apetition, Edgar. We have both learned today that you are not as perfect as everyone ims to be. I¡¯ve heard you were incredibly talented at everything.¡±


    ¡°The ridiculous rumors make me out to be some sort of God. They once questioned if I am able to bleed. I am just a regr man who has to practice certain things just like everyone else. I suppose their hearts will break when they learn I am normal. You lived a sheltered life and yet you know a lot of what was said about me. I¡¯d hate to think your sister or father constantly spoke about me,¡± Edgar would find that to be annoying and weird.


    ¡°You¡¯d be surprised how much she did. I can never disagree with the fact I was aware Kate loved you. She spoke about you every time something new happened in your life. It was irritating when she would rub in her face how life would be when she became the Duchess. Even my father spoke of you constantly. You were more popr than me in my own home,¡± Alessandra muttered.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather you suffer listening to their words than me. Enough about your family before I get a migraine even though I was the one to mention them. What are we going to paint next for you to take pleasure inughing at me? Next time, we will do something I am skilled in so I can watch you suffer.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡± Alessandra was curious about what Edgar did as a hobby.


    ¡°Teaching you self-defense. You have a few annoying people around you who are stupid enough to try harming you when I am not around. You still have to meet the guard who will shadow you when I am not nearby but he will not be able to follow you into ces like the bathroom. You already perform exceptionally well when ites to harming me,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°I can hardly wait to start learning though I really wish I would never need to use it in the future. I should have found something better for us to do than painting. You are not good at it and I must be the only one enjoying it. The day is still young, what else can we do for fun?¡± Alessandra ced her brush down. It was not right for their day together to only involve something she loved doing.


    ¡°Even though I am not good when ites to painting, it has not been boring. This is what we agreed on so we can continue. I am enjoying you in your element and your reaction to my paintings. After this next one, we are in need of a break to have a light snack. We need to continue fattening you up,¡± Edgar gently poked Alessandra in her stomach.


    Alessandra swatted his hand away. ¡°I feel no different from animals that are fattened up only to be eatenter. I¡¯ll gain more weight and you¡¯ll tease me about itter.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t and we are only doing this until you reach a healthy weight. It will feel nice when there are a lot more of you to hug,¡± he pinched her cheek only to have his hand swatted away.


    ¡°Buy arge pillow if you want something big to hug. I am not gaining weight to be your hug buddy. I am going to paint one of the kittens.¡±


    ¡°Curse or blessing?¡± He poked her arm.


    Alessandra¡¯s lip twitched out of annoyance. One, for what he was calling the kittens, and two, for Edgar constantly poking her. ¡°I am going to paint both-Edgar!¡± She eximed after he poked her again. ¡°Didn¡¯t you have any toys as a child? Why do you keep ying with me?¡±


    ¡°I had three rooms to store all of my toys. You have yourself to me, Alessandra. You make it so easy for me to upset you. No, don¡¯t,¡± Edgar quickly closed his mouth and eyes bracing for impact.


    Alessandra had dipped her brush in paint and flicked it at Edgar. ¡°What a beautiful painting.¡±


    Edgar slowly opened his eyes and red at Alessandra. He was not entertained by this as Alessandra was. He had been careful not to get paint on his clothes and now, Alessandra ruined it. ¡°You have started something you won¡¯t be able to finish,¡± Edgar spoke in a low voice.


    As he dipped his brush in paint Alessandra did the same to prepare for his attack. ¡°You would look wonderful with a flower painted on your cheek, Alessandra. Don¡¯t move.¡±


    ¡°No thank you,¡± Alessandra took a step back while eyeing his every move. ¡°Wait,¡± she chuckled, feeling the paint stter over her after Edgar flicked his brush at her. With eyes closed, Alessandra flicked her brush hoping at least some of it would get on Edgar. She gasped and opened her eyes when Edgar¡¯s hand touched her face and she felt paint being rubbed against her skin.


    ¡°Green suits you.¡±


    Edgar rubbed a handful of paint across her exposed cheek and by her neck. He was a petty man and would see to it that she was covered in paint from head to toe for making him be messy after he tried so hard to remain clean.


    Alessandra giggled from the ticklish feeling of Edgar rubbing paint all over her. To make things even, she ced her hand in red paint and then ced it on Edgar¡¯s face.


    Edgar stood quietly while she drew all sorts of shapes on his face. He began to contemte his next move to win this battle. ¡°You-¡±


    A high-pitched scream blocked out Edgar¡¯s words. Alessandra and Edgar¡¯s attention shifted from each other to the door where they found Alfred looking as if he would pass out any minute.


    ¡°W-Why is there paint on the floor when there is plenty of canvas for you to use?¡± Alfred¡¯s finger trembled as he pointed at the mess on the floor.


    Edgar found humor in Alfred¡¯s state while Alessandra felt apologetic.


    ¡°You are more concerned about the paint on the floor rather than the amount on us-¡±


    ¡°Out, out, out. Both of you are out. I must clean the floor before the paint dries and stains the floor. Look at this mess and you have the kittens ying around in it. They will need a bath,¡± Alfred approached the mess of paint and gently pushed Edgar to the side.


    ¡®I forgot the kittens were by our feet. We could have stepped on them,¡¯ Alessandra looked down at the kittens happily ying around Edgar¡¯s feet.


    Alfred pinched the bridge of his nose holding back his emotions because of the paint on the floor. ¡°Duke, Duchess, please head to your room to wash up and call it a day for painting. I fear if I let this continue and I leave the two of you unsupervised I will return to this entire room sshed with paint.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Alfred. We did get a little out of hand,¡± Alessandra apologized.


    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Edgar t-out stated. ¡°It adds character to the room. It is a room assigned for painting, Alfred. There¡¯s bound to be paint on the floor at some point.¡±


    Seeing Alfred looking on the verge of snapping Alessandra said, ¡°We¡¯ll get out of your way, Alfred.¡±


    Alessandra took Edgar¡¯s hand and pulled him out of the room. She did not want to witness why Edgar was afraid of Alfred right now.


    On the outside of the room, Alessandra wiped paint from her face. ¡°I will wash up first. Will you wait or go to another bathroom?¡±


    ¡°Why? We can do it together.¡±

 Chapter 119

    119 Fun (3)


    ¡°What? I don¡¯t think- I don¡¯t. Wait a moment,¡± Alessandra paused to clear her thoughts. ¡°Ow!¡± She touched her forehead after Edgar flicked it with his finger.


    ¡°What naughty thing are you thinking of? I was suggesting we go down to the creek and wash off the paint but please indulge me with what you were thinking. I wish to know what scenarios you thought of and if I can make theme true. Go on,¡± Edgar urged her to tell the truth. He wanted to hear in detail what came to her mind a moment ago.


    ¡°I simply thought you were suggesting we use the tub together. There is nothing else,¡± Alessandra started walking toward the stairs to go to the creek as Edgar was rmending. It would be easy to just use a bathroom but she wanted to see the creek and possibly step foot in it if the water wasn¡¯t too cold.


    ¡°There is nothing wrong with having innocent dirty thoughts when ites to your husband. It is natural in case you didn¡¯t know that by now. You can express what is on your mind just as I do. I¡¯ve told you, I¡¯m not a fan of acting like sexual desires are taboo, Alessandra.¡±


    ¡°I thought you were suggesting we would wash the paint off of each other. You have to admit you set me up. You could have stated we were going down by the creek instead of being so vague. Good morning,¡± Alessandra greeted passing servants.


    ¡°Good morning, Duchess. Duke Edgar,¡± the servants returned the greeting.


    Alessandra looked back, noticing the servants mumbling something to each other. They were most likely trying to figure out why they were covered in paint and not in a rush to remove them. ¡°Your servants will believe that I have cursed you and now you are going crazy. They are looking at you strangely. I¡¯d bet they never expected to witness you walking around with shapes painted onto your face.¡±


    Edgar briefly nced at the maids covering their mouths as they passed by to hide their smiles. ¡°I don¡¯t think they are acting like that because they think I have gone crazy. They seem to be enjoying watching a couple have fun.¡±


    ¡°It will no longer be fun if we do not reach the creek in time to easily wash away the paint. It is already bing hard,¡± Alessandra scratched at the paint drying on her hands. ¡°I¡¯ve learned a valuable lesson today. Never stain the floors or Alfred will scold me. I will ce something on the floor to catch paint whenever I paint.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Do whatever you want. Alfred will eventually get over it by not visiting that room to see if there is any paint on the floor. He hates the sight of any mess which is why I used to purposely leave my bedroom messy as a child to torture him. One day I thought he was going to pop from anger,¡± Edgar recalled the hrious moment. ¡°Alfred was my first target.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s scary to think about what kind of child you were. It¡¯s surprising that Alfred has not retired or run away from you. He must truly love you to stay this long and vice versa.¡±


    ¡°Alfred does not have family members he cares to talk to so he has chosen to spend the rest of his life here until he thinks I no longer need him. He shouldn¡¯t have added thatst part as I will always need him. We do not share blood but I view him as family. It has only been the two of us for years until you came along,¡± Edgar said.


    Alessandra and Edgar reached the first floor and exited the back of the house following a path in the garden that led down to the creek.


    ¡°Do you have any family I can get along with?¡± Alessandra asked to get the conversation going again. ¡°So far, we don¡¯t seem to be surrounded by the best family members. There¡¯s no hope for me so I wish there is a side of your family I can fit in with. Please.¡±


    ¡°There is but they are spread out all over the kingdom. It is honestly my mother and a handful of family members eyeing my wealth that I do not get along with. I will introduce you to my grandmother when we have time to travel. I¡¯ve been thinking about the two of us taking a little trip. We skipped our honeymoon but it is not toote to have it. I have another home with the perfect view of sunrise and sunset.¡±


    ¡°Really?!¡± Alessandra eximed. This was on her list of things she wanted to do. ¡°Is it in Lockwood or somewhere further away?¡±


    ¡°It is further away. I have one home in every town to stay in when I travel for business or when Lockwood bes irritating. Pick a town you wish to visit and I¡¯ll have it prepared for our visit,¡± Edgar said.


    ¡°You,¡± Alessandra stopped walking. ¡°You really are wealthy.¡±


    ¡°Ha! You only realize that now? Did it not ur to you howrge my estate is or the numerous gifts I purchased for you without hesitation?¡± Edgar kept walking towards the sound of water flowing up ahead.


    ¡°Looks can be deceiving, Edgar. I¡¯ve witnessed my father buying the Baroness extravagant gifts but we were drowning in debt. I am aware you have money but to own a home in every town is not something I expected. It is most definitely not cheap to pay the servants you have here and the ones tending to the homes in other towns. No wonder Sally and Erin found me to be odd when I mentioned finding an ie source.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. We are out of sight from the servants,¡± Edgar stated when they reached the creek. ¡°The water is low enough for you to walk around without your hips and upwards getting wet. Come to me, I will help take off your shoes. If you do not want your dress to get wet, you can take it off and remain in your undergarments,¡± Edgar started to take off his shoes.


    Alessandra looked around and saw that there was no one around except for her and Edgar. The dress she was wearing needed to be washed but she did not want to hand it to a servant dripping wet with water. She reached behind to untie the strings holding her dress together.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you are taking it off. Let me help you,¡± Edgar came to her side and untied the strings.


    ¡°My undergarments are no different from what I wear to sleep and there is no one here. I hope no one will pass by. Do you normallye down here to stand around in the creek?¡± She nced over her shoulder to get a view of him.


    ¡°Not to stand in the water but I would sit and read a book. The sound of water rushing down against the rocks is calming and hardly anyonees down here to disturb me. You have a small bruise on your back,¡± Edgar said after the strings were all untied. ¡°It looks like a recent bruise. What happened?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s from when William¡¯s servant pinned me down to the ground. It has already healed but it left a mark. Thank you for helping me with the dress. I¡¯ll tell Erin to bring dresses with the strings, buttons, and zips to the front,¡± Alessandra said as she stepped out of her dress and carefully ced it to the side. ¡°Oh,¡± she looked down at her feet when Edgar touched her to take off her shoes.


    ¡®He¡¯s such a gentleman,¡¯ Alessandra smiled.


    ¡°I prefer the ones with the way to untie your dress at the back. It means you will have to ask for my help when we are together,¡± Edgar said. ¡°Be careful not to step on anything sharp now that you are barefoot.¡±


    ¡°Yes father,¡± Alessandra joked as it sounded like Edgar was her parent.


    There was a moment of silence between them before Edgar replied, ¡°Alessandra if you wish to give me a nickname I¡¯d prefer it be dad-¡±


    Alessandra sshed water at Edgar to end his sentence before it could go left. ¡°Don¡¯t get ahead of yourself.¡±

 Chapter 120

    120 Family (1)


    ¡°Mother, you are going to pass out when I tell you this news. Simon wants to court me,¡± Kate jumped up and down excitedly. She had been keeping in her excitement until the moment he left.


    ¡°Well done Kate,¡± Katrina apuded her daughter. It was wonderful for Kate to catch a man like Simon. He was rich and had good connections. ¡°You are going to need new clothes if you are going to be around a man like Simon,¡± she thought about the clothes Kate had been sorting out. Katrina was now unamused by the look of them all. Even the ones Kate wanted to save.


    ¡°We should buy new dresses until he has asked for my hand in marriage. I can return the money once I get married to him. I can¡¯t wait to tell my friends about this. I knew they wereughing at me because Alessandra married Edgar but looked at me. Grace will boil from jealousy¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t say a word to them. They¡¯ll talk too much. You must not let Simon see that you are excited about him courting you. y hard to get Kate. Men like him enjoy a game. He will want you more when it feels hard to get you. It is not you chasing after him as you did with Edgar,¡± Katrina offered Kate advice.


    This was how she got Desmond while he was married. She yed hard to get and y with him asionally to keep him hooked. He bought sorts of gifts to get her attention and when she finally seduced him, Desmond made ns to marry her.


    ¡°Where was this advice when I was chasing after Edgar? It might have been helpful then. Do not worry mother, I will not let Simon slip away from my hands. I will marry him and have us live in luxury again. If things go well, I will buy you a bigger house,¡± said Kate. She suddenly found the house they were in to be too small.


    ¡°It will be good to have you buying me gifts Kate instead of me always spoiling you. Do not forget your mother after you get married. Men wille and go but I will always love you. You know that, right?¡± Katrina fixed Kate¡¯s hair as she spoke. Kate was given the life Katrina always wanted but she was not jealous of her daughter, she was extremely happy she broke her family¡¯s curse of poverty.


    ¡°I know that, mother. Do not tell me you are going to cry at the thought of me getting married. It won¡¯t happen anytime soon because Simon wants to get to know me. I¡¯ve been invited to a party many of his friends will attend. There¡¯s a chance Edgar and that wrench Alessandra might be there. I can hardly wait,¡± Kate smiled at the thought of showing Alessandra she had also grabbed onto a man with a good title.


    Kate stated she would find a man to boost her up into Edgar¡¯s word and now it was happening. She would enter the social world where Alessandra was now and chase her out of it. ¡°Mother, the girls seem to think Alessandra had been sneaking out at night and met the Duke before our party. They think she is pregnant.¡±


    .....


    ¡°That is not believable. We would have all noticed something. Now is not the time to be thinking about Alessandra. You need to put all your energy into grabbing Simon.¡± Katrina had always hated the sight of Alessandra and now she hated hearing her name. She wanted Kate to focus on securing a wealthy husband to help end their financial crisis.


    ¡°Prisci Collins was interested in the story. The conversation then turned to what rtionship did Alessandra have with our cook. They were always together. We could have some fun and spread around she was sleeping with the cook. You shouldn¡¯t let how she treated you at the ball go unpunished. People were starting to talk about it.¡±


    ¡°I did feel like giving her a good smack for acting as if she is above us,¡± Katrina frowned at the unpleasant memory. ¡°I will take care of it. You need to focus on Simon. Alessandra already has her husband, unfortunately. Focus if you want to have your dream winter wedding.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be the greatest wedding of the year. I...¡± Kate paused and went to a window to look outside. ¡°There¡¯s a carriage outside. It¡¯s too old looking for it to be Simon or anyone important.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Katrina walked to the window to see who was arriving. ¡°No no no. James, lock the front door. Do not let him inside!¡±


    ¡°Yes Baroness,¡± James rushed to the front door to do as he was told.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± Kate questioned, confused as to who could have her mother panicking. They had many guests since her father died and other than William, she was never this rattled.


    ¡°It¡¯s your uncle. That leech only visits when he wants money from your father. He¡¯s showing up to cause nothing but trouble. Good,¡± Katrina said when James locked the door. She would prefer to have him thrown off the property but for now, she would be civil.


    She watched from the window as rk Barrett exited his almost broken-down carriage and looked around the property as if he was searching for something.


    Katrina could smell greed a mile away and knew rk was here to gain something. All that Desmond owned finally belonged to her and Kate. The likes of rk would never get anything as long as she was alive.


    Katrina smiled when the door shook and would not open no matter how much rk tried to enter.


    ¡°Baroness! I know that you are locking me out you heartless bitch! We need to talk. Do you think all of this belongs to you? I will get what was promised to me by my brother. Mark my words, I will be back and you will open this door. I have a way of getting you to do as I say. I am giving you one day!¡± rk yelled at the top of his lungs.


    Desmond was gone and now, everything his brother owned could belong to him. rk kicked the door but winced as he injured his foot. ¡°I¡¯ll change that door when I own this house,¡± he motioned as if he was going to punch the door. Giving up on Katrina for now, he decided to shift his focus to someone else. ¡°Where the hell does Duke Collins live?¡±

 Chapter 121

    121 Family (2)


    ¡°Is this really where that girl is living?¡± rk looked around at the property someone directed him to as Duke Edgar Collin¡¯s estate. He could not believe Alessandra with her ruined face had gotten married and lived in a ce like this.


    Talk of Desmond¡¯s older daughter marrying a Duke reached himst night so he traveled to have a conversation with his niece. rk practically saw dor signs as he looked at therge house in the distance and the garden decorations. It looked like Alessandra had hooked herself to a prince.


    Had he known Alessandra would have been useful in the future, he would have paid more attention to her and yed the role of a loving uncle. He had never been a good uncle to Alessandra and Kate, as he rarely visited them as they had nothing he needed. They were leeching off of Desmond just as he was.


    ¡°They¡¯re all the same, not inviting me to be around these fancy ces. Family should take care of each other and I should have been at the wedding. Desmond, you hit the jackpot but died before you could reap the benefits of your daughter¡¯s marriage. What an idiot.¡±


    There was a lot to gain by bing close to his niece. After the loss of her father and the strained rtionship she had with his brother¡¯s second wife, Alessandra would desperately need a family member to give her the love shecked. That was where he came in.


    rk wasn¡¯t the type to distance himself from anyone when money was involved. He would be a fool to think about Alessandra¡¯s reputation and rumors when she was married to a Duke. ¡°We should team up together and kick out that woman.¡±


    Alessandra should have some sort of hatred for Katrina and most likely did not want to see Katrina running the house she grew up in. ¡®If Alessandra has any sense, she will team up with me and chase away Katrina,¡¯ rk grinned as he imagined it.


    ¡°I hope my niece has more sense than her father. Why aren¡¯t we being invited inside? Didn¡¯t you tell them I was the Duchess¡¯s uncle? Do you want to lose your job!¡± rk stood up and smacked the wall of the carriage where the coachman would be on the other side. ¡°Don¡¯t you know time is money? I¡¯m wasting money while you waste my time here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry mister Barrett. They aren¡¯t epting guests at the moment but they have sent someone with your name to double-check with the Duke,¡± the coachman replied.


    .....


    ¡°They¡¯re wasting their time walking back and forth when that girl will let me in. She has always been needy. Pass her a treat and her face would light up. Well, the half that is not tainted would light up. What on earth did a Duke see in that girl? I¡¯ve always pictured Kate to be the money maker. What the hell happened?¡± rk started to think of how Alessandra hadnded such a man when she was always hidden.


    ¡°About time,¡± rk perked up in his seat when a man came walking back to where the carriage was parked. Any longer and he would have climbed the gates to shout Alessandra¡¯s name. He popped his head out of the carriage window and said, ¡°I bet you feel like a fool for not allowing us in the first time.¡±


    ¡°The Duke and Duchess are not allowing visitors today. Do not block the gates and have a good day sir.:


    ¡°What?¡± rk¡¯s mouth fell open from shock and disbelief. ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell them I am rk Barrett, brother of thete Baron, Desmond Barrett? I am her uncle! How can I trust you have spoken to the right person about who I am? You seem ipetent. Go and tell them again.


    ¡°We have ryed that information to the Duke and Duchess. The answer remains the same. They are not epting any visitors today. Please try again another day and refrain from blocking the gates. Thank you,¡± the man turned around to walk away. He had nothing left to say to the fool on the outside of the gates.


    ¡°Wait! Wait! Don¡¯t walk away from me dammit,¡± rk pounded his fist into his leg. ¡°They turned me away? Is she turning her back on family at a time like this? Ha! She and that witch are spitting in my face. At a time like this, a family should be looking out for each other but they are holding onto everything for themselves.¡±


    ¡°Should I leave now, mister Barrett?¡± The coachman asked. There was no point in waiting when no one would be going inside today.


    ¡°Did I say you could?¡± rk yelled to the coachman he would fire once he got what he came for. ¡°We are not leaving until I have a word with my niece. Her face caused a lot of problems for my brother but yet we kept her instead of sending her away to find her mother. She should be grateful and pay us some money. Why did my stupid ass brother die before he gave me the money he promised me?¡±


    The only thing keeping rk happy was the fact he could inherit everything his brother owned. Sure he had to split some things with Katrina but he could eventually get rid of her and take everything belonging to her. In regards to Kate, he only needed to marry her off, receive gifts from her husband and all will be well.


    ¡°Katrina cannot run Desmond¡¯snd by herself. She needs a man around but my mother will strangle her if she marries a man who is not a Barrett. I will see Katrina tomorrow but as for Alessandra, she¡¯ll see me today.¡±


    rk poked his head out of the carriage window again and yelled, ¡°Let me in! Alessandra, your uncle is here! I am not leaving until I see you are alright! Let me in!¡±


    When no one could be seening out to greet him, rk yelled louder in hopes of getting their attention.


    ¡°Hey! Over here, to the right of you.¡±


    rk looked back to find the source of the voice speaking to him. ¡°Who the hell are you?¡±


    ¡°Me? I¡¯m the one who inspects guests passing through the gates and I am the one who opens the gates. You see that house over there,¡± a young blond-haired man pointed over his shoulder. ¡°You see how far away it is? The Duke and Duchess aren¡¯t hearing shit. Do you know who it is? Me! Do you know who you are annoying? Me! Leave right now before I get more annoyed.¡±


    ¡°I am the Duchess¡¯s uncle. I demand to speak with her right now and not some lowly gate guard. Send word to them once again,¡± said rk.


    ¡°Lowly gate guard?¡± The blond male couldn¡¯t helpughing at rk¡¯s words. ¡°Coming from a man sitting in a carriage that looks as if it is about to break is hrious.¡±


    ¡°You cannot speak to me this way. I am-¡±


    ¡°The Duchess¡¯s uncle. I get it. I heard you yell it from the time you arrived. There is no doubt in my mind that you are the brother of thete Baron. Your poor attire and carriage are enough evidence but they are not epting visitors. Let¡¯s not make my life difficult sir. Please leave and try again tomorrow. If you keep acting like a fool, Edgar will never let you into his home.¡±


    ¡°Then I will take my niece away from there until I am shown respect. I am the only father figure she has left. Alessandra!¡± rk began to yell again. He was sure that if he continued on like this, someone on the inside would eventually let him in. ¡°Someone¡¯sing,¡± he practically jumped up and down inside the carriage. ¡°Hahahaha. You were saying?¡±


    The blond rolled his eyes and awaited what would be said about the fool at the gates. If Edgar changed his mind and wanted to let in this man, it wouldn¡¯t go as well as this man thought it would.


    ¡°A message from the Duke,¡± the man who rode a horse from the house to the gate handed the blond a message.


    ¡°Well, well, well. It looks like there will be something fun today. You are scaring the servants working on the outside. The Duke has ordered me to throw intruders into the dungeon and interrogate them.¡±


    ¡°I am not on his property, you fool. I am on the outside of the gates trying to get inside,¡± said rk.


    ¡°Normally, people build their gates on the edge of theirnd. Our wonderful Duke decided to be different and built his gates far away from the edge of hisnd. You are still on his property even though we have asked you to leave. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to throw you in the dungeon if you do not move in the next minute. What will it be?¡± The blond amusingly waited for rk¡¯s next move. He hoped the man would stay to be thrown into the dungeon.


    rk kicked the wall behind where the coachman sat. ¡°Leave, we¡¯ll return tomorrow dammit.¡±

 Chapter 122

    122 Family (3)


    ¡°It seems the carriage is finally leaving.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Alfred replied as he looked out to the gates from a window. ¡°How dare someone like thate here and yell for us to open our gates?¡±


    ¡°Alfred,¡± Edgar¡¯s voice was heard. ¡°What are you looking at? Have they not cleaned the window to your standard?¡±


    Alfred turned his attention from the gates to Edgar and Alessandra. They stood without paint on their faces but their clothes were still decorated with it. Their hair appeared to be slightly damp which meant they had either thrown water at each other down by the creek or they fell into it. ¡°The windows are always cleaned to my standard. I sent away a visitor as you requested.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Edgar asked.


    ¡°rk Barrett,¡± Alfred looked at Alessandra.


    ¡°My uncle? Why on earth would hee here?¡± Alessandra asked as she did not have a good rtionship with her uncle for him to be paying a visit. ¡°He must be looking for money. I¡¯ve heard the Baronessin about him many times.¡±


    Edgar left Alessandra¡¯s side to look out the window where Alfred stood. ¡°What is your rtionship like with him? Do you care for him?¡±


    Alessandra contemted whether to say no. Thest time Edgar asked her this question was right before he killed her father. It was his way of getting permission to kill her rtive. ¡°No, but I do not hate him. I also have no need to speak with him. Thank you for sending him away, Alfred.¡±


    .....


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid he will return, Duchess. A few servants haveined of him yelling to be let in. Your uncle seems determined to see you and there is a high chance of him returning tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Let him in when visits tomorrow,¡± Edgar said to everyone¡¯s surprise. ¡°Your father is dead and your uncle is the only man around for me to have a little chat with. We will reach a mutual understanding. You do not need to be present if you do not wish to.¡±


    ¡°You should not harm him,¡± she advised Edgar. Alessandra did not need Edgar to be a Barrett exterminator.


    ¡°Alessandra, do you really think of me as a man who just goes around harming others? I am not the type. How hurtful,¡± he replied to her unconvinced stare. ¡°I have no intention of harming your uncle when he brings us entertainment. If you think he visited us looking for money, where else do you think he has visited?¡±


    ¡°The Baroness? I am positive the two of them do not get along. My uncle only visits in the middle of the night once in a blue moon to ask my father for money and Katrina dislikes it. My uncle has never helped my father with his struggles or running hisnd but he was always there looking for something to gain. I believe he lost a lot of his inheritance when I was a young child.¡±


    ¡°Regardless of whether they get along or not, he will look to gain something from his brother¡¯s death but the Baroness does not seem like the type to give him anything. I will use your uncle to keep Baroness and Kate from approaching you. All of their attention will be on the man trying to steal what does not belong to him. I can bring chaos to the Barrett home without being there,¡± Edgar smirked, already plotting how to mess with all three of them.


    ¡°I see. You¡¯re not a busy man as I thought,¡± Alessandra stated due to the fact Edgar had time to pull strings and manipte others. ¡°Just know my uncle will expect money from you in the end. There is a lot of greed in my family and I don¡¯t want them to profit off of my marriage.¡±


    ¡°I have a simple solution for that,¡± Edgar replied. This wasn¡¯t his first time dealing with someone like Alessandra¡¯s uncle. ¡°Enough about him, you need to have your hair dried and clothes changed. Alfred, send Alessandra¡¯s maid to visit our room and prepare snacks for us to have until dinner.¡±


    ¡°Yes, young master.¡±


    ¡°I told you there is no hope for us to have a good rtionship with the family from my side,¡± Alessandra after Alfred and the servant he was with left them alone. She walked by the window beside Edgar to look outside at where her uncle had been.


    ¡°Why are you looking to have a rtionship with others when we will have our own family? There they go turning red,¡± Edgarmented on her ear and exposed cheek turning red.


    ¡°I know but that is not any time soon. I would love to experience a good family rtionship now. That is why I was hoping there were others from your side who would ept me. Why are you smiling at me?¡± Alessandra took a step back after she noticed Edgar¡¯s smile.


    ¡°As I said, there are some but if you are in such a rush to have a family, I think it is only right we start now,¡± Edgar ced his arms on each side of Alessandra to cage her against the window.


    ¡°We are not ready for a child when we are still getting to each other,¡± Alessandra looked off to the side showing Edgar the side of her face with the mask so that she could hide how red she was certain the other half was. ¡°I want to have a family rtionship with others, not just our children.¡±


    ¡°When will we start trying to have my heir?¡± Edgar moved one of his hands to make Alessandra face him. ¡°You want to have a proper family and I will give you one.¡±


    ¡°N-Not yet,¡± Alessandra replied. She squeezed her eyes shut when Edgar buried his head by her neck and his warm breath tickled her skin


    ¡°Let me tell you a secret, Alessandra.¡±


    ¡°I-I think you should keep it,¡± Alessandra replied as she knew his secret would be something she couldn¡¯t handle. She heard Edgar chuckle right before he hoisted her up into his arms.


    ¡°I-¡±


    ¡°Young master- Oh,¡± Alfred¡¯s eyes widened at the sight of the young couple at the window. ¡°I will stop the servants from stepping into this area as usual,¡± Alfred ced his hands over his eyes and walked away.


    ¡°As usual?¡± Alessandra pondered those words. ¡°You have been in this situation before for Alfred to stop the servants froming? Please put me down,¡± she sighed.


    ¡°I have not,¡± Edgar replied but he still ced her back on the floor as she wanted.


    ¡°Hmm. I am going to get changed and dry my hair. Excuse me,¡± Alessandra walked around Edgar. The moment had passed and she did not want to discuss it further. She already knew her husband had been with other women and she was fine with it. She was d Alfred arrived before Edgar could tell her his secret.


    ¡°Fucking Alfred,¡± Edgar cursed in disbelief the moment disappeared before they could have fun all because of Alfred¡¯s choice of words. ¡°Where the hell is he? That sly old fox.¡±


    Edgar knew this was Alfred¡¯s way of getting back at him for the paint on the floor.

 Chapter 123

    123 To kill the butler (1)


    ¡°Alfred, what the hell was that? Are you determined to make Alessandra think I invite all sorts of women into my home? Do not y the petty game with me. I will throw paint across the floors for what you have done,¡± Edgar leaned up against a door post in the kitchen with his arms folded.


    ¡°I do not know what you are speaking of. If you and the Duchess are going to engage in any sexual activity, the two of you should go to the privacy of your bedroom. You wouldn¡¯t have been in this position had you been patient enough to return to your bedroom. The two of you shouldn¡¯t have gotten dirty with paint anyway,¡± Alfred muttered.


    ¡°You are talking as if I was going to have sex by the front door. It was innocent fun that you have ruined. You interrupted our conversation about having a child. Now that will be pushed back.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you can make up with her soon and talk about it,¡± Alfred switched his tune now that a child was involved. Had he known that was what they were talking about he wouldn¡¯t have been petty because of the paint. ¡°I can tell her she misunderstood my words.¡±


    ¡°No thank you. I don¡¯t need you to dig a deeper hole and the moment has passed. You should know you can never bring up the matter of children to us. I have to deal with a cold shoulder thanks to you. I should introduce you to someone only to ruin your rtionship with them,¡± Edgar ced his hands in his pocket and left the kitchen.


    Edgar prepared himself to deal with the silent treatment the moment he entered their bedroom. He was certain after one or two jokes he could get her to speak with him again. Although the moment was ruined it was enticing to see Alessandra be jealous at the thought he had someone here.


    Edgar entered their bedroom and heard talkinging from inside the closet. The dress Alessandra previously worey on the floor near the closet. ¡°Alessandra,¡± he made his presence known. Edgar began to unbutton his shirt as he also needed to change into fresh warm clothes.


    He sighed at theck of response though he could hear whispering between her and her maid. Edgar ced his shirt in a basket used for dirty clothes as he passed by to go into the closet. ¡°Alessandra, we need to talk.¡±


    Edgar watched Sally aid Alessandra with putting on her new dress. ¡°Bring us some tea and treats. She was outside in the cold air far too long,¡± he ordered Sally.


    .....


    ¡°Yes Duke,¡± Sally turned to leave but before she could take a second step Alessandra spoke.


    ¡°Stay, Sally. I will go downstairs with you,¡± Alessandra ordered Sally.


    ¡®What? Don¡¯t tell me they are arguing and now I am in the middle,¡¯ Sally started to panic. She wanted to disappear into thin air.


    ¡°Alessandra, I will not y this childish game with you. Get out now,¡± Edgar said to Sally. ¡°I will not say it again.¡±


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry Alessandra but I am more afraid of Edgar than you,¡¯ Sally mentally apologized to Alessandra while she bolted out of the closet to get away from their argument.


    ¡°I have never slept with anyone in my home. I will admit that I have never slept with anyone and looked for a serious rtionship afterward. It was always in the spur of the moment due to lust but never in my home for anyone to get the wrong idea. I have been honest with you from the very beginning and I will not start lying now. Alessandra,¡± he called her name as he wanted a reply.


    ¡°I understand. You do not have to exin it to me. I do not care where you have slept with anyone. There are no feelings involved, remember? I would have no reason to get angry.¡±


    ¡°Oh boy,¡± Edgar looked to the ceiling for a moment wishing he could reverse time right before Alfred arrived. ¡°You have a right to be annoyed if you think I am fooling around with you in the same ce I had sex with another woman. It¡¯s a situation I expect you to not be okay with but it never happened. Alfred is just being petty because of the paint and now he feels sorry. Communicate what you are feeling, Alessandra.¡±


    Alessandra wished to move on from it but there was a rule in the contract for the two of them tomunicate their problems. ¡°I did feel upset at first but then I got over it. It¡¯s not you that I am angry with right now. It¡¯s myself. I feel stupid for walking away over something like that.¡±


    ¡°It would have been odd if you continued to stand there. It¡¯s amazing how two little words caused this. I was thinking of getting back at Alfred but he¡¯s already suffering. He dug his own grave,¡± Edgar chuckled.


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°I told him he interrupted us talking about children and now he is regretting ying with us. How about we torture him a little bit more? It¡¯s hard for me to let an opportunity pass by. Please pretend as if you are still upset with me. I want to see him self-destruct and apologize only to find out there is no problem,¡± Edgar grinned as he imagined the priceless moment.


    ¡°No thank you. I do not want to join you in teasing Alfred. Have fun,¡± Alessandra began to walk out of the closet.


    ¡°It¡¯s either you or him that I torture. I still have not told you my secret and we seem to be on good turns to continue-¡±


    ¡°Pretend to be angry with you right? I can do that,¡± Alessandra swung around, epting to go along with Edgar¡¯s n.


    ¡°Good decision,¡± Edgar patted her head as he walked by her to go to the door. He opened the door and looked at Sally falling to the floor because she had been eavesdropping. ¡°I will ce spikes on the door for you to fall on if you don¡¯t stop eavesdropping. What are you wishing to hear from our bedroom, you perverted nosey little thing?¡±


    ¡°N-Nothing.¡± Sally jumped back up to her feet. She was only trying to hear if they had reconciled.


    ¡°You were supposed to be bringing us tea for the Duchess to warm up and snacks but here you are. Luckily, we need you for something. Go get what I requested and make sure you find a way to tell Alfred that the Duchess and I are not speaking to each other. We might also need separate rooms tonight. Add whatever is needed to get the point across that our rtionship has taken a hit. Go on,¡± he shooed her away.


    ¡®But the two of you seem to be good,¡± Sally thought as she was highly confused. She could only conclude they were ying with the butler but why? ¡®Hey, better him than me,¡¯ she shrugged her shoulders and left to do as she was told.


    ¡°Why on earth did she shrug her shoulders and walked away? Has she finally lost her mind? It was bound to happen,¡± Edgar closed the door.


    ¡°Are you sure this is a good idea?¡± Alessandra started to regret joining Edgar to mess with Alfred. ¡°We might cause him to have a heart attack.¡±


    ¡°That would make us exceptional actors.¡±

 Chapter 124

    124 To kill the butler (2)


    ¡°Edgar, I¡¯m truly afraid that you might one day try killing me with your little pranks too. If anything happens to Alfred¡¯s poor heart, remember that this was your idea and I will throw you under the carriage for pulling me into it. I hope we are our bad actors and Alfred sees through your ploy,¡± she sighed. This had a bad idea written all over it.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the fun in that? Do not kill my fun, Alessandra. I¡¯ve gone along willingly with what you wanted to do today. Now it¡¯s time to do what I think is fun.¡±


    ¡°Yes, trying to kill your butler is always fun. Let¡¯s get this over with,¡± Alessandra sat down on their bed to await the moment Alfred was supposed to arrive to check on them. What if he does not show up? Was she meant to stay in their room until Edgar got over this? ¡°You should change your clothes, Edgar.¡±


    ¡°Now you want to talk about taking off clothes,¡± Edgar replied as he walked toward the closet to get a fresh shirt and pants.


    Alessandra didn¡¯t react to his words. She knew ament like that would set her up but she wanted him to get out of his paint-covered clothes. ¡°If you¡¯re going to speak with my uncle tomorrow, does that mean you will also be home tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Why? Do you miss me when I am gone?¡±


    ¡®I should have pushed him into the creek,¡¯ Alessandra evilly thought. She loved when he was not home as it would give her a moment to rest her heart. She would bet everything she owned that Alfred also felt the same way.


    ¡°I have work to do and although there¡¯s no reason for me to leave home tomorrow as of right now, something always pops up and I am forced to leave. If I am not here, your uncle will not be allowed to step foot on the property. Outside of that, you¡¯ve been cooped in the house since we got married. You and Sally can go for a ride around town to shop or whatever women enjoy,¡± Edgar said from inside the closet. ¡°Only with guards of course.¡±


    Alessandra liked this idea. She always wanted to go roaming around the town and not just ride around in a carriage unable to get out as her father told her. ¡°I would love to go around town with Sally. Maybe I should send a letter to Erin to see if she would be free. I¡¯d like to know if she gained any customers after the ball. I-¡±


    .....


    Knock Knock!


    ¡°Duchess?¡± Alfred¡¯s voice was heard after the two knocks.


    ¡®That was quick. Did he run here or something?¡¯ Alessandra looked at the closet and saw Edgar exit with a smile on his face. ¡®Should I be more concerned than I am already that he loves torturing others?¡¯


    ¡°It¡¯s time,¡± Edgar was the one to walk up to the door and open it to get the ball rolling. ¡°Come to ruin our rtionship further, Alfred?¡± Edgar asked right as the door opened.


    ¡°No,¡± Alfred held up a tray of tea and snacks to show he came in peace. ¡°I¡¯ve given Sally a break and brought what you requested. Duchess, I need to apologize for any misunderstanding I might have caused earlier. Edgar has never brought home a woman. At least not to my knowledge. There is plenty of space for him to sneak someone onto the property.¡±


    Edgar¡¯s expression quickly changed from amused to annoyed. Alfred¡¯s attempt to rify what he said earlier only left more questions unanswered. ¡®Is he ying with me?¡¯ Edgar wondered.


    It felt like Alfred came to drive a sword into the hole he created between Edgar and Alessandra and rip it far apart. Edgar nned to be yful when it came to fooling Alfred but now he was out for blood.


    ¡°You¡¯re not making things better for me, Alfred. Alessandra is giving me the cold shoulder thanks to you. She is considering not sleeping in our bedroom because she thinks there might¡¯ve been someone previously where sheys her head at night,¡± Edgar began his game. ¡°There is no need for you to do such a thing,¡± he looked at Alessandra.


    ¡°Thank you for the tea and snacks, Alfred,¡± Alessandra ignored Edgar¡¯s words. She noticed the way Alfred frowned when she did this and wanted to cry for ying with his emotions. ¡°Please let Sally know she can return shortly. I feel like going on a walk with just her.¡±


    Alfred was not pleased to hear this. Not too long ago Alessandra and Edgar were throwing paint at each other and fooling around in the creek. Now they were going their separate ways after something small that he said. Wasn¡¯t this a bit too much? Why couldn¡¯t the two youngsters talk and get over it?


    ¡°Please stay and spend more time with your husband. Outside has be awfully cold for you to be going on a walk. Even the inside of the house has be cold and the servants are throwing wood into the furnace to warm it up. I¡¯m worried the two of you will get sick from ying in the creek. I will keep bringing you tea to stay warm. Is there enough wood present?¡± Alfred questioned, moving to check if they had enough wood.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case I will go to the library and read a good book. I just want to be alone at this point,¡± said Alessandra.


    ¡°Are you truly not going to sleep here tonight? Alessandra? You can at least answer me,¡± Edgar covered his face with his hand as he sighed. It was also to hide the smile threatening to fall on his lips. It was incredible he got Alessandra to go along with his trick.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s good for married couples to be apart for a little bit. Alfred, can I please have a room prepared for me tonight?¡±


    ¡°Duchess,¡± Alfred trailed off in disbelief. Why was it only him seeing this being too dramatic? ¡°I apologize if I am overstepping any boundaries but there is no need for you to sleep in another room-¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to do that, what was the point of us getting married?¡± Edgar interjected. ¡°I don¡¯t have ns to sleep separately from my wife nor do I have the time to try making up to you for something I have not done. This is not the type of marriage I signed up for. Will you move on from it or not?¡±


    ¡°I guess I will not,¡± Alessandra stood up from the bed. ¡°When you say this is not the marriage you signed up for, does that mean I am not allowed to get upset because you find it to be annoying? You simply have to leave me alone. I just need time to myself. Leave me alone.¡±


    ¡°Duchess,¡± Alfred reached out to Alessandra with a trembling hand. He felt bad for her being like this. He ced his hand on his forehead as he felt light-headed. Alfred quickly tried to think of ways he could fix this but nothing wasing up. ¡°Please do not argue. The two of you were going so well.¡±


    ¡®I am going to hell for this,¡¯ Alessandra cried on the inside. Still, she could not believe how believable her conversation with Edgar was. It felt like an actual argument. ¡®Was I meant for the theater?¡¯


    ¡°Duchess, I am truly sorry for what I have caused. I was upset about the paint and wanted to make Edgar upset too. Please, please do not continue to argue any longer. Both of you. I thought it would be something the two of you would pass over. I was wrong,¡± Alfred bowed his head.


    ¡°It was,¡± Edgar replied.


    ¡°What?¡± Alfred straightened his body and waited for Edgar to rify what he meant.


    ¡°We made up the moment I returned to our bedroom. You should be thankful I appreciate having you around, Alfred. I truly thought of taking this to another level and mentioning divorce but I can¡¯t stand the sight of you constantly apologizing. We were teasing you,¡± Edgar revealed the sly smile he had been hiding. ¡°Isn¡¯t she something for going along with it?¡±


    ¡®Only because you said it was either me or him,¡¯ Alessandra thought. It wasn¡¯t like she had jumped for joy at the opportunity to tease Alfred.


    How did their day of fun go from painting to the creek to scaring Alfred. If she continued with Edgars idea of fun she might end up burying someone.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Alessandra apologized.


    ¡°Thank goodness,¡± Alfred released a breath he had been holding in. He touched his chest to calm down the tightness he felt. He truly felt faint from the thought of Edgar and Alessandra¡¯s rtionship being destroyed. ¡°I need to sit down for a moment. I am too old to be yed with like this.¡±


    ¡°Talk about being dramatic. You are not that old,¡± Edgar rolled his eyes. Alfred was far from being frail. This was the same man who takes part in training with his men. ¡°Well this is boring.¡±


    Read only on Webnovel.

 Chapter 125

    125 To kill the butler (3)


    ¡°Don¡¯t slouch, Heather. Your mother has spent too much money on tutors for you to not have learned anything. Sit up.¡±


    Heather shifted in her seat to do as Prisci wanted. She did not have to go through this with her own mother. ¡®Why did she call for me?¡¯ she wondered. The day had been peaceful until Prisci sent a letter requesting her presence.


    Prisci sat on the balcony of her home looking out at the view. ¡°White town might be boring but it certainly had better views than Lockwood. Ugh, my head has been aching all night,¡± she ced her forehead in the palm of her hand


    ¡°Should I bring medicine for you?¡± Heather asked.


    ¡°No, I¡¯ve already taken something for it. It might just be a mental thing. I¡¯ve been thinking about Edgar¡¯s situation all night long. How can I possibly get rid of that girl? Edgar is only keeping her around to annoy me but the longer she stays the longer she gets to carry ourst name. Why can¡¯t things go my way?¡± Prisci sighed. Her body tingled for a bit of alcohol to calm her nerves.


    ¡°The queen seems to have taken a liking to her. A lot of people are watching how they speak about her because of Edgar. It won¡¯t be long before they start inviting her to private parties and acting like her friend because they want to get close to Edgar.¡±


    Prisci rolled her eyes at the mention of the queen. ¡°Do not mention the queen around me. That woman is not like what I expected. She attacked my marriage next to that girl. I havepletely written off the queen from my book.¡±


    ¡®But she is the queen,¡¯ Heather thought. Anyone would have to be a fool to get on the queen¡¯s bad side. Prisci might be a social queen but Hazel was an actual queen and everyone wanted to be the queen¡¯s friend.


    ¡°The king and Edgar are close. It would put a strain on their rtionship if you and the queen are in a bad ce,¡± Heather tried to make Prisci more open-minded.


    .....


    ¡°The only woman I will ever pretend to be nice to is my mother-inw. Edgar and Tobias¡¯s friendship will not be affected by my dislike for the queen. They¡¯ve survived much more. Now tell me, how do you n to shift Edgar¡¯s attention from that woman to you?¡± Prisci asked.


    Heather felt ufortable due to the question. She did not want to try seducing a married man. Although Alessandra was not what she imagined for Edgar to be with, Heather could never hurt another woman with an affair. From what she heard her mother whispering about with her other friends, Prisci should not be forcing anyone to take part in an affair.


    ¡°Well,¡± Heather rubbed the back of her hand.


    ¡°Stop that. It¡¯s an awful habit. I told your mother to send you to the same school as Edgar. My son was a lost cause but they would have fixed these bad habits you have. I¡¯ll speak to your mother. Now go on. Talk.¡±


    ¡°You weren¡¯t there at the table to hear it but Edgar seems to dislike me. I think,¡± Heather paused to take a deep breath. She tried to muster up the courage to tell Prisci that she wanted to move on from Edgar and look to marry someone else. ¡°I-¡±


    ¡°Prisci!¡± Edmund¡¯s voice thundered throughout the house almost loud enough to shake the walls.


    ¡°Why are you yelling? Do you want the servants to think there is a madman loose in our home? What have I done to upset the wonderful Edmund Collins? Heather, do you see why I have a headache? The men in my life are crazy,¡± Prisci sighed then nced at her fuming husband.


    ¡®My headache isining about other people being her headache,¡± Heather thought.


    Edmund counted to ten quietly before asking, ¡°What happened to that girl you had watching Edgar? Be honest with me?¡±


    ¡°Be specific Edmund. There was more than one.¡±


    ¡°The one that recently got off of our carriage. The town guards just came to alert us of her death and they have questions for both of us. I told them to returnter so that you and I can have a little chat. Tell me the truth, Prisci. No bullshit,¡± said Edmund.


    ¡°How on earth am I supposed to know when she got out of the carriage? Do you honestly think I would waste my precious time meeting with a girl who was of no use to me any longer? It¡¯s unfortunate that she has died but it has nothing to do with us. Send those little guards away next time they visit and don¡¯t bother me with this. Oh,¡± Prisci suddenly realized something. ¡°How on earth did they think to ask us about her?¡±


    ¡°Edgar-¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Prisci screeched causing Heather to ce her hands over her ears while Edmund sighed. ¡°My son, my own flesh and blood informed them of that? And yet you wonder why I am always upset with him. I don¡¯t know what kind of a man I¡¯ve raised.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t raise him, Prisci. Neither did I. We handed him off to nannies and then Alfred came along. We have a lot to thank him for. Sometimes I feel like we are meant to pay him for his work alongside Edgar. I must have a talk with him. If I find out you had anything to do with her death, I swear I will ship you back to White town forever. Excuse me, Heather,¡± Edmund said then walked away from the balcony.


    ¡°I¡¯m honestly sick and tired of hearing about that damn butler raising the son I bore. I spent countless hours getting involved in Edgar¡¯s life but all the credit goes to a butler,¡± Prisci balled up her fists. When was younger she was certain Alfred got in his ear and turned him against her. ¡°That butler doesn¡¯t deserve any credit.¡±


    ¡®I can¡¯t bear it anymore. I¡¯ll get rid of him,¡¯ Prisci concluded.

 Chapter 126

    126 To kill the butler (4)


    ¡°Do you think she would still be alive if she came along with us? Lockwood is not safe for women these days. None of us thought about that back then,¡± Heather started to regret not speaking up to let Jennifer off somewhere safer.


    ¡°It is not our fault. It was in the daytime and we left her off where other carriages passed. Whatever trouble she found herself in is her fault. She most likely went trying to grab money because she spent all that I gave her and she¡¯s without a job. This nonsense will only ruin my day,¡± Prisci pushed her cup of tea to the side as she was no longer in the mood for it.


    ¡°It is still tragic,¡± said Heather. She felt guilty for not doing much more. Shouldn¡¯t Prisci feel the same?


    ¡°It truly is tragic for Edgar to send those guards to our home as if I could be a culprit. I need to have a chat with that boy but he is not allowing anyone into his home. We can see the reason behind it. His little wife must be scared to face me. I hope her sister can prove herself to be useful.¡±


    ¡°It seems like her sister also shares feelings for Edgar. You might give her the wrong idea. Perhaps that is part of why she dislikes the Duchess-¡±


    ¡°Do not refer to her as Duchess!¡± Prisci yelled at the top of her lungs. She thought Heather would be smart enough to know not to refer to Alessandra as the Duchess.


    After a long pause and she saw the fear in Heather¡¯s eyes, Prisci smiled to appear less threatening. ¡°Forgive me, Heather. My emotions are all over the ce and your words just happened to upset me.¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry,¡± Heather apologized though it was not her fault. She yed with her fingers to help get over what she felt. How much more of Prisci¡¯s emotional abuse did she have to take? ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to upset you,¡± she sobbed.


    ¡°Great,¡± Prisci touched her temple. ¡°Now I look like the bad guy for making you cry,¡± she sighed.


    .....


    Prisci was starting to see Heather as a bad choice for Edgar. The girl was too emotional and the position of Duchess needed to belong to someone who wouldn¡¯t cry from being yelled at. Heather was starting to appear useless and Prisci had no need for anyone useless by her side.


    It was the friendship she had with Heather¡¯s mother that kept Prisci from ousting Heather from her circle.


    ¡°Heather, I suppose it is time you return home. Your mother must be in need ofpany. I no longer find you suitable for Edgar. You don¡¯t have enough determination,mon sense, and confidence to get my son after all these years and you surely will not be able to be a good Duchess. We shouldn¡¯t torture each other much longer. Thanks to my friendship with your mother, I will invite you to spend time with me like this.¡±


    ¡®Friendship with my mother?¡¯ Heather found those words to be insulting. She spent countless days keeping Priscipany even when her mother was not present. After all that time, Prisci will only keep inviting her around because of the friendship she has with her mother. What about their friendship?


    Heather always knew she was practically a doll used to entertain Prisci when the woman felt bored but she at least hoped there was a friendship there. That she was more than just the daughter of Prisci¡¯s friend. Prisci was overbearing and controlling at times when it came to Edgar but Heather still cared for her.


    ¡®I should be d I can move one from waiting on Edgar but I still feel hurt. I should tell her,¡¯ Heather thought.


    ¡°Heather, why are you still sitting there after I said you can go home? Is there something you wish to say to me?¡± Prisci expected Heather to beg to be given another chance to win Edgar¡¯s hope. After years of waiting, Heather shouldn¡¯t let it fall from her fingers. It would show a tiny bit of determination.


    ¡°I...I will leave right away,¡± Heather pushed back her chair and stood up. In the end, she could not speak her mind to Prisci, the woman she feared more than her own mother. ¡°Thank you for inviting me today.¡±


    Prisci frowned, slightly disappointed by how easy it was for Heather to give up. It was evident she made the right decision by giving up on Heather. ¡®How annoying after I¡¯ve spent many months molding her to be the perfect daughter-inw.¡¯


    Prisci didn¡¯t bother to offer Heather any further goodbyes when she started to walk away. Instead, she stood up right after and walked to her bedroom.


    Edmund believed she had something to do with Jennifer¡¯s murder so the one ce he wouldn¡¯t be was in their bedroom. He could dig around as much as he liked but there was nothing he would find tobel her the murderer. Why couldn¡¯t he just be the perfect husband and ept her words instead of doubting her?


    After countless years together their arranged marriage had not blossomed into this romantic marriage their parents spoke of. They had enough feelings for each other to stay together this long but there was always a big wall preventing them from being as close as they could be.


    Prisci loved Edmund and she was certain he also loved her but they were different in the way they viewed the world. Prisci cared more about the spotlight while Edmund spent most of his time trying to fight for others.


    Prisci entered their bedroom and went straight for her vanity to have a seat. Countless pieces of jewelry had been picked out and organized for her to have at hand for when she felt like changing in the spur of the moment.


    ¡°Shopping will help clear my mind and put me in better spirits,¡± Prisci said as she took off the earrings she currently wore to rece them with another set more fit for going outside with.


    Her eyes eventually drifted to a specific pair of earrings. Prisci picked up the pair of diamond earrings and recalled the time she recently wore them. ¡°That fool,¡± she muttered.


    The fresh memory of Jennifer threatening her with the information she imed to know about her family repeated in her mind. Jennifer had the nerve to ask Prisci for the earrings she was wearing in order to keep quiet. One earring was enough to provide money for Jennifer for a year.


    It was unfortunate Jennifer underestimated the woman she was up against.


    ¡°How annoying,¡± Prisci muttered and in the end decided to wear the earrings Jennifer wanted. ¡°At least she had good taste.¡±

 Chapter 127

    127 Day out (1)


    ¡°You should be wary of certain streets in town and you should put your coat on when you feel cold. Everyone underestimates how this time of year causes a lot of people to get sick. If you start to feel sick please return home.¡±


    ¡°Alfred, she is not a child. As much as I am happy that your concern has shifted from me to someone else, she does not need your lecture as if she is going to war. She is only going to town to do shopping or whatever trouble she can find herself in. Stop being an overbearing parent,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind it,¡± Alessandra replied much to Alfred¡¯s delight. ¡°Thank you for the advice, Alfred.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just a little bit worried about the Duchess going out without you, Edgar. You know a lot of people will either flock to her and try to do something stupid. I don¡¯t want her day to be ruined by others. Should we increase her guards to three? I think it is warranted on the first day out,¡± said Alfred.


    ¡°One guard is sufficient. I know the danger around her and there is a reason why there is only one man with her. His skill is like having four men around her. Are you done now?¡± Edgar directed his question at Alfred. The only reason he and Alessandra had not left yet was because of Alfred¡¯s worries.


    ¡°Yes yes. It¡¯s good to have the two of you out of the house after that stunt you pulled yesterday. I¡¯ll give the house a good cleaning and then read a book. The two of you must be back by six to prepare for dinner. Have a good day, Duchess.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re aware I¡¯m standing right here?¡±


    Alfred didn¡¯t pay Edgar any mind. Why would he tell Edgar to have a good day when he was going to ruin someone¡¯s day?


    ¡°Have a good day, Alfred. Thank you,¡± Alessandra said when Edgar offered his hand to help her down the steps where a carriage awaited her. ¡°Good morning, Sally,¡± she greeted the young woman waiting for her by the carriage.


    .....


    ¡°Good morning Duchess, Duke.¡±


    Alessandra looked at the blond man standing next to Sally. He was incredibly tall and buff. He wore the same armor she saw other men and women wearing around the house from time to time. As Alessandra got closer to the carriage she realized how much the man towered over her.


    ¡°I would hope my dear wife isn¡¯t gawking at her personal guard. I am tempted to switch him with someone else,¡± Edgar¡¯s words snapped her out of her thoughts.


    ¡°I was not. I¡¯m surprised there is someone taller than you. It is already a struggle to look up at you when we are standing close. Where have I seen him before?¡± Alessandra questioned as his face seemed to be familiar.


    ¡°My brother works at the gates, Duchess. We are twins. It is an honor to be protecting the Duchess. My name is Caleb Chambers, height is six feet three, hair color blond, favorite color blue-¡±


    ¡°She only asked where the hell she saw you, Caleb. There is no need for you to give her your life story. Do not make me regret picking you. If one strand of my wife¡¯s hair is out of ce when I return home I shall have your head and send it back to your father as a present. Do we understand each other?¡± Edgar asked.


    Alessandra elbowed Edgar in his stomach. ¡°That was a rude thing to say. It is nice to meet you, Caleb. Blue is one of my favorite colors. Have you and Sally be acquainted with one another?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you forgetting something?¡± Edgar asked while holding onto Alessandra¡¯s hand to stop her from walking to the carriage she would be using.


    ¡°Goodbye,¡± Alessandra offered him a smile. ¡°Have a good day?¡± She added that goodbye didn¡¯t seem to be enough.


    Edgar sighed and released her hands. He could tell her what he was expecting but it would be better if she thought of it and did it on her own. ¡°Goodbye.¡±


    ¡®Did I do something wrong?¡¯ Alessandra asked herself. Judging from Edgar¡¯s expression she did but normally, he would have told her what was wrong.


    Alessandra watched Edgar walk to his carriage before going to her own.


    ¡°Duchess, why didn¡¯t you give the Duke a kiss goodbye?¡± Sally asked the moment Alessandra came to her side. ¡°The two of you won¡¯t be seeing each other for many hours. Shouldn¡¯t you give him something to hold onto?¡±


    ¡°Was that what he was expecting?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Sally smacked her face. What was she going to do with Alessandra? ¡°For once, I pity him.¡±


    ¡°I agree, Duchess. There¡¯s nothing like having the woman you are with sending you off with a kiss. Small things like that matter. There was this one woman I spent time with who would pleasure-¡±


    Sally lightly smacked Caleb in what felt like an iron stomach to stop him from talking about what he did with some random woman. ¡°Let¡¯s get in the carriage. Erin will be waiting for us to pick her up.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I go give Edgar the goodbye kiss now? His carriage has not moved off yet,¡± Alessandra looked to Sally for advice. She never imagined Edgar would care about this. Maybe they were wrong about what he wanted.


    ¡°The moment has passed and he will know someone sent you to do it. The next time he is leaving home, you should do it. Please give me your purse to hold Duchess,¡± Sally took the purse Alessandra was taking along with her.


    Alessandra decided to do as Sally suggested when it came to giving Edgar a kiss. Maybe doing small things like that would make their rtionship seem more real to others around them. Alessandra entered the carriage Edgar prepared for her to use today. It was quite a shock when she learned he had five carriages at hand.


    Sally ced her hand over her eyes to protect them from the sun when she looked up at Caleb. ¡°Are you riding with us or beside the coachman?¡±


    ¡°I am meant to be near the Duchess. I will ride with the two of you,¡± Caleb replied. He was never going to leave Alessandra¡¯s side or Edgar might have his head. After many years of being alone, Edgar was finally married and all of the men made an oath to protect the woman he fell in love with.


    If Caleb allowed Alessandra to get hurt when he was meant to be guarding her, it wasn¡¯t just Edgar who might aim for his head. All the other guards would be out for his blood. Even his own brother.


    ¡®Can the carriage even bear his weight?¡¯ Sally thought while she turned to enter the carriage before Caleb. ¡®The day is off to a good start for getting to sit next to this hunk of a man.¡¯


    Sally had to refrain from jumping up and down from being able to look at Caleb all day. It was even more exciting to hear him mention a twin. She might pass out if it was possible to spend an entire day with the two good-looking siblings.


    Everyone spoke about how well Edgar¡¯s servants were paid but they hardly mention the good-looking men he had working for him. Sally wanted the good-looking men to remain a secret so that there would be fewer women looking at them. The best part of working here was when the men would train topless but as winter was approaching, they trained fully clothed.


    Caleb entered the carriagest and closed the door. With everyone inside, the carriage took off to start the journey to Erin¡¯s home and then to the town where there were many shops for Alessandra to visit.


    As the carriage turned to head towards the gates, Alessandra was able to see Edgar in his own carriage sitting by the window. He was watching her carriage leave first and then his would most likely move off. Alessandra stuck her hand outside to wave goodbye to Edgar who did the same in return.


    ¡°Caleb, are you feeling what I am feeling?¡± Sally asked the man beside her after watching Alessandra so lovingly wave goodbye to her husband. Must they always rub it in everyone else¡¯s face that they are alone?


    Caleb nodded his head as he knew what Sally felt.¡±Like a third wheel reminded that we go home to a lonely bed at night? I feel it loud and clear. Isn¡¯t our life sad? Why must we be reminded that we are single?¡±


    ¡°Good to have someone else join the alone club. Hello, I am the queen of this club,¡± Sally offered her hand for Caleb to shake. Outside of his looks, she was enjoying his personality. It was good the Duke had not chosen someone who would remain serious all the time.


    ¡°Thank you for letting me into the club. Shall we talk about all the couples on the estate behind their backs?¡± Caleb jokingly asked while he shook Sally¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Please find a better club to join,¡± Alessandra said to the duo.

 Chapter 128

    128 Day out (2)


    ¡°Should I quit being a maid and be a dressmaker?¡± Sally stared in awe at the home Erin resided in. It was not as grand as the Duke¡¯s home but considerablyrge for someone whose source of ie came from making dresses. ¡°I¡¯m starting to realize how expensive dresses really are and how much of a good business it is.¡±


    ¡°These days it costs more money to buy a dress than jewelry. That is why I turn deaf when any of the women I am with ask me for a dress from certain dressmakers. What?¡± Caleb shrugged his shoulders when Alessandra and Sally looked at him. ¡°I don¡¯t make as much money as the Duke to be throwing it away on dresses as he does. I¡¯d learn to make dresses before I buy one.¡±


    ¡°I can provide cheap sses if you want,¡± Erin said as she entered the carriage. ¡°Good morning, Alessandra and Sally. Who is this fine specimen?¡± Her eyes immediately glued onto the handsome mand d in armor. ¡®Now this is my kind of girl¡¯s day out. Friends and something good to look at,¡¯ she thought.


    ¡°This is Caleb, my personal guard and you are in a rtionship Erin,¡± Alessandra reminded Erin as it looked like she was about to drool while looking at Caleb. It was a good thing Sally sat next to Caleb forcing Erin to take a seat beside her.


    ¡°Yes but that does not mean I cannot take a look at a handsome man. It¡¯s not like I n to have sex with him. I am not the type to cheat but I do enjoy someone¡¯s beauty. I¡¯m Erin, the Duchess¡¯s dressmaker turned friend,¡± Erin held out her hand to greet Caleb.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Erin. By all means, when your rtionship ends pleasee to me. I shall help you get over it,¡± Caleb shed her a charming smile while he shook her hand.


    ¡°Oh my. It is too dangerous for me to be in this carriage,¡± Erin could not get over Caleb¡¯s words. She fanned herself with her hands to calm down her mind.


    ¡°Caleb, how can you join my club only to flirt with someone soon after? You are now kicked out and I am back to being alone,¡± Sally wiped away a fake tear.


    Alessandra smiled, amused by the entire conversation. It was good to see Sally¡¯s true personalitying out. She was never given the chance to be like this when she was Kate¡¯s maid. Sally did not seem like the same person who released the sheets when she was running from her father.


    .....


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you will find someone soon. Alfred has informed me of the many times he caught you and the other maids watching the men train. That¡¯s part of the reason he got Edgar to make them train with shirts on and soon they will be training elsewhere. Are you crying for real?¡± Alessandra leaned forward to see if her eyes were deceiving her or if there really was water escaping Sally¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°My precious sight,¡± Sally cried. The shirtless men were her only source of entertainment besides the Duke and Duchess.


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame the women won¡¯t be able to watch us for a while. Part of the reason we trained so hard was for when the maids woulde peeping at us. That is how many rtionships start. It annoys the butler because the maids don¡¯t get their job done,¡± Caleb said.


    ¡°I do my work and then go look at you guys. It was fun while itsted. I doubt I will be able to find my future husband anytime soon. That¡¯s why I have been secretly living through your marriage.¡±


    ¡°Ugh,¡± Alessandra didn¡¯t know how to respond to that.


    Caleb decided to help Sally feel better by proposing an idea. ¡°If you do not find a husband by a certain age, I will marry you. That is if you allow me to join your club again.¡±


    ¡°Why would someone as good-looking as you and with a good job not be married soon? If I have to make such a deal, it would be with someone who doesn¡¯t have a chance like me. Thank you for the offer but no thank you,¡± Sally replied. She¡¯d bet her pay a man like Caleb would be marriede next year.


    ¡°I don¡¯t n to marry anyone who just sees me as good-looking or likes that I have a good job. Personality matters to me and so far, our personalities match. I am willing to be your backup. Am I back in your club?¡± Caleb asked.


    ¡°Let me ask you this,¡± Erin jumped into the conversation as there was something she was dying to know. ¡°Have you ever slept with anyone who was not good-looking but had an amazing personality?¡±


    ¡°Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder and I am not going to let you paint me to be a horrible man in front of the Duchess. I have been attracted to all the women I slept with. If it matters, I am also attracted to you,¡± he looked at Sally.


    Sally pushed his face away from looking at her. A second longer and her heart might explode. This wasn¡¯t supposed to go both ways. She was supposed to be the only one noticing how good the other person looked. His words opened the door of possibilities that led her into the room of heartbreak. ¡°Please pay more attention to the Duchess and any danger around her.¡±


    ¡°Fear not. I am talented when ites to multitasking. I can help warm you all up to my presence while looking around for danger. No harm wille to the three of you today. I will keep quiet now if it is making you ufortable.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t,¡± Sally started to feel bad.


    ¡°Duchess, I¡¯d like to bet that by the time winteres you will find the two of them in bed together,¡± Erin whispered to Alessandra while Sally spoke with Caleb.


    Alessandra gave it thought before replying. ¡°I give it a week. The only two people in a single club are bound to get together. I will get the short end of the stick since my maid and guard will be busy. Should I start looking for recements? It¡¯s a shame since I am enjoying both of theirpany.¡±


    ¡°Duchess!¡± Sally whined. The conversation Alessandra and Erin were having wasn¡¯t as soft as they thought it was. ¡°Mark my words. The two of us will never end up together. I have no need to fight the other young women waiting for him to notice them.¡±


    Alessandra decided to tease Sally. ¡°Why would you need to fight them off when your partner is supposed to be an excellent fighter?¡±


    ¡°Duchess, you¡¯ve been spending too much time with the Duke. Please head to town!¡± Sally yelled to the coachman.

 Chapter 129

    129 Day out (3)


    ¡°Erin, have you received any customers since the ball? I have been anxiously waiting to know. Did your motherment on the dress?¡±


    ¡°I was hoping this wouldn¡¯t be brought up so soon but it¡¯s best to get it out of the way right?¡± Erin sighed as it was a rather devastating turn of events. ¡°It seems that I have been cklisted among certain youngdies. Those who frequent my mother¡¯s shop and would have been good customers because theye from families with money. It¡¯s annoying but I have to move on.¡±


    ¡°Is it because I wore the dress, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯m sorry,¡± Alessandra apologized. Given how many people are wary of her, they should have expected this oue. ¡°You should have turned down my invitation today. We can still turn back now.¡±


    ¡°Why on earth would I do that? Alessandra,¡± Erin decided to use her first name since they were in a private setting. ¡°It sucks but I am not going to go along with anyone¡¯s pettiness just to gain customers. I want customers who honestly love the dresses I make. I like seeing your face light up when I hand you a new dress. You honestly gave me the confidence to stay on this path and I would be a fool to turn my back on my first customer.¡±


    ¡°Plus you are afraid of what the Duke might do,¡± Sally said.


    ¡°Yes, a little bit of that too,¡± Erin agreed with Sally. ¡°I thought a lot about my future after discussing it with you and the Duke. I am young and have enough time to build up my business. I am positive I will soon find my own crowd of customers so do not worry about it. What you should be worried about is when I catch whoever the hell cklisted me. I¡¯ll give them hell.¡±


    Contrary to Erin¡¯s words, Alessandra still felt awful about the situation. She was curious to know who was the one to cklist Erin. She could think of two people but she had a feeling she made more enemies at the ball than she realized. It was hard to point fingers at anyone and it would do nothing for Erin.


    ¡°Erin, I don¡¯t know how but I will find a way for you to gain a lot of customers. Thank you for staying with me. I appreciate it more than you can-¡± Alessandra gasped when Erin lunged at her with a hug.


    ¡°You are beyond cute Duchess. You make me want to steal you away from your husband.¡±


    .....


    ¡®Should I be protecting the Duchess from this woman? I won¡¯t allow anyone to steal her away from Edgar,¡¯ Caleb thought while he watched the two womenugh. They spent too long waiting for Edgar to have a serious rtionship for him to lose his wife to a woman.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Sally shakingly stood up in the moving carriage to separate Alessandra and Erin.


    ¡°You¡¯re just jealous I can get closer to the Duchess than you can. Besides, no one has to worry about her running away with me when she has such eye candy as her husband. Forgive me for saying this Alessandra but your husband is to die for once you get past his personality. You are one luckydy. Did you pass out the first time you saw him naked?¡± Erin ced one leg over the other and turned to face Alessandra.


    Alessandra¡¯s exposed cheek quickly turned red. ¡°That is not something I want to discuss with anyone. Please talk about something else.¡±


    ¡°Come on. It¡¯s nothing to be shy about when ites to your girl pals.¡±


    ¡°Ahem,¡± Caleb cleared his throat.


    ¡°And you¡¯re guard,¡± Erin acknowledged his presence. ¡°If there is anything you wish to know about my rtionship I¡¯ll be happy to share.¡±


    ¡°Have you slept with him?¡± Sally jumped at the chance to ask a question.


    ¡°Of course! Do you think I would spend so much time hiding him from my mother if I had not slept with him? Let¡¯s keep this a secret before the four of us,¡± Erin ced her finger in front of her lips. ¡°I don¡¯t need the entire town talking about me sleeping around before marriage.¡±


    ¡°Why is it such a big deal for you women? I¡¯m not shy when ites to my sex life,¡± Caleb said.


    ¡°Because our mothers and the wealthy men in our circle seem to like women who are pure, meanwhile those men are the biggest whores in the town. What a nice privilege it must be to stick your penis inside of countless women and still be sought after. I¡¯ll be honest, the reason why we ended up going all the way is because finally proposed to mest night,¡± Erin boastfully revealed.


    ¡°You¡¯re engaged?!¡±Alessandra and Sally eximed at the same time.


    ¡°Yes. After the ball, I couldn¡¯t hold in my uncertainty about the future of our rtionship so I visited his home. It was a long overdue conversation and it went well. He showed me the ring he had for a while now. He didn¡¯t want to propose because I had been the one asking to keep the rtionship a secret. There¡¯s still a lot we have to talk about like moving in together before I break the news to my mother and she disowns me.¡±


    ¡°Congrattions Erin. It¡¯s good to hear everything has worked out for the two of you,¡± Alessandra congratted Erin. It was nice to hear there was good news to overshadow Erin not having other customers.


    ¡°Congrattions! When will we learn the name of the lucky man who has charmed you?¡± Sally questioned as she was curious to know what type of man Erin would fall in love with.


    ¡°Better than telling you his name, I will introduce you to him soon after I¡¯ve broken the news to my mother. After that, I will be able to walk around in public with him. I need to think of a way to secretly move all of my things from my mother¡¯s house to his house without it being suspicious. She¡¯s the type to burn everything instead of letting me take them,¡± said Erin.


    ¡°You should do it when she¡¯s not home. I don¡¯t understand, you said this man has money so why wouldn¡¯t your mother ept him? What kind of man is she expecting you to marry?¡± Alessandra asked.


    Alessandra understood mothers wanting their daughters to marry men with money so their future wouldn¡¯t be filled with hardship but shouldn¡¯t they want their daughters to be happy first and foremost?


    ¡°A Duke, Lord, or even the king. Fun fact, I was one of the girls sent to be chosen for queen but the king¡¯s eyes immediately went to Queen Hazel. Thank goodness. I do not belong in a castle where there are so many rules. Whew,¡± Erin dramatically wiped nonexistent sweat from her forehead. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a good shop for you to get hats from. We¡¯ve talked so much that I hardly noticed we¡¯re in town.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I can¡¯t believe I get to walk around now. Time has changed now,¡± Alessandra gazed out the window, happy with the turn her life took. It was not long ago she used to ride around in a carriage and wouldn¡¯t step foot outside. Now she was on a shopping trip with friends.


    ¡°What¡¯s your limit today?¡± Erin asked.


    ¡°Limit? Edgar did not mention anything about a limit. He just said to go out and have fun-¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Erin eximed loud enough to catch the attention of the people passing by on the outside . ¡°You mean to tell me you are free to buy whatever the hell you want today and you invited us along with you? Ladies and our one gentleman, let¡¯s make this a day we will never forget.¡±

 Chapter 130

    130 Day out (4)


    ¡°This is where I go to get all of my shoes.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need any more shoes for a while, Erin. Edgar bought me a lot of them and I have not worn more than four pairs of them so far. I¡¯m not looking for dresses, shoes, bags, jewelry, or hats. I have a room full of them and I won¡¯t be able to bear the sight of more being added. Thank you,¡± Alessandra epted Caleb¡¯s help out of the carriage.


    ¡°What are we here for?¡± Erin asked. A girl¡¯s day out normally involved shopping for those things.


    ¡°There must be something else we can look at that does not involve clothing. Even though he was not given a limit, I do not want to waste Edgar¡¯s money,¡± said Alessandra.


    Erin ced her hand on Alessandra¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°You¡¯re money. What¡¯s his now belongs to you and judging from the way he has been spoiling you, he seems to think the same. You are such a pure soul for someone who lives in Lockwood.¡±


    ¡°I came into our marriage with nothing to offer Edgar. I don¡¯t feel good when I think of spending his money. It¡¯s-Ah! Erin, how many times do you n to hug me?¡± Alessandra asked while looking at the confused stares of people passing by.


    ¡°I can¡¯t help it. You¡¯re just a breath of fresh air and so innocent. You have a heart of gold and the Duke should treasure you before someone snatches you away. Fine, we¡¯re not going to buy anything that you already have but there is one thing we can buy that you and the Duke will both enjoy. Look,¡± Erin turned Alessandra¡¯s head to face the first shop they were going in.


    A look of horror shed across Alessandra¡¯s face. ¡°No,¡± she blushed.


    ¡°Oh yes. You should remember how excited he was when I mentioned sexy nightwear. Surprise the man a little bit. Give him a heart attack or something. Easy there, tiger. I didn¡¯t mean it literally,¡± Erin added as Caleb didn¡¯t look as if he liked that idea. ¡°Why are you acting like a virgin, Duchess? I refuse to believe you have such a fine husband and have not jumped on him.¡±


    .....


    ¡°The Duchess is far from being like you, Erin. If you do not want to go inside, we do not have to,¡± Sally told Alessandra. It was perfectly normal for housewives to visit these kinds of shops to search for something to keep their marriages spicy but Alessandra looked as if she could pass out at any given moment.


    ¡°At leaste with me since I need some for you know what,¡± Erin whispered.


    Alessandra looked at the nightwear on disy for potential customers then back at Erin. ¡°It would be unfair to only do things I amfortable with. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to go inside and look around.¡±


    Erin practically jumped up and down. She had a devious n in mind to show the Duke that she was on his side and they could form an alliance. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We can hopefully find something to improve Sally¡¯s love life too.¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± Sally whined. ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll walk around with only one of those on to get someone to notice me? That¡¯s not the way I want to attract a man into my life.¡±


    ¡°Sure sure. We should use your husband¡¯s name to get them to close off the store for just us,¡± Erin suggested to Alessandra. It was always fun to watch an entire shop to yourself and watch the people on the outside fuming with jealousy.


    ¡°That is not needed,¡± Alessandra rejected the suggestion. She did not want to prohibit anyone from carrying out their business just because she was present in the shop.


    ¡°Wee to...¡± The shop owner¡¯s voice died down when she saw Alessandra¡¯s mask. ¡°I might be wrong but are you the new Duchess? Edgar Collins¡¯s wife?¡±


    ¡°Yes. My name is Alessandra Collins,¡± Alessandra said then waited for whether the woman would turn them away or let them stay. Erin was already outcasted because of her and she did not want anyone else to share the same fate.


    However, Alessandra got a reaction she had not anticipated.


    ¡°Wee to my shop. It¡¯s a pleasure to have the Duchess interested in my nightwear. My name is Olivia Monroe and I am the owner,¡± Olivia grabbed Alessandra¡¯s hand and practically shook the life out of it. ¡°What kind of nightwear are you looking for?¡±


    ¡°Something to make a man get on his knees and follow everymand his woman gives him,¡± Erin ordered instead of Alessandra.


    ¡°One moment. I will pick out the best ones for your request,¡± Olivia excused herself.


    ¡°Not everyone in Lockwood listens to stupid rumors and even if they do, they care more about getting wealthy customers. Not everyone can refuse Edgar¡¯s wife unless they are prepared to deal with his wrath. That is why my mother sent me instead of not going altogether,¡± Erin exined so that Alessandra could rx her stiff shoulders.


    Sally also decided to say something to help calm Alessandra¡¯s nerves. ¡°As the Baron¡¯s daughter, people could treat you however they wanted because your family did not have your back and your father¡¯s repuation fell over the years. It is much different for you as Edgar¡¯s wife. Even if someone dislikes you, they must show you respect to not be on the Duke¡¯s hit list. That means they¡¯ll attack people around you in order to indirectly hurt you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯ve been made an outcast,¡± Erin added to what Sally said. ¡°My mother is famous for dressmaking but she rarely has my back so other young women find it easy to attack me. Little do they know that I have a wild right hook.¡±


    Caleb bit his lip to refrain fromughing. The youngdies¡¯ conversation distracted him enough to make him forget he was in a shop filled with nightwear.


    ¡®So I need to be stronger not only for myself but to prevent those around me from being targeted,¡¯ Alessandra thought. ¡®What happened with Erin won¡¯t happen again. To her or anyone else.¡¯


    ¡°My my my. We have the pleasure of being in the presence of the Duchess, L. Should we quickly apologize for the things we did in the past?¡±


    Alessandra internally rolled her eyes when she heard the voice of one of Kate¡¯s friends.


    ¡°Its a group of outcasts,¡± Grace chuckled, amused by the people Alessandra had around her.


    ¡°Why on earth are you in a store like this, Grace? It¡¯s targeted towards married women andst time I checked, you were on your third failed engagement. Thought I didn¡¯t know about it?¡± Erin grinned ans found satisfaction in Grace¡¯s frown. ¡°You bettet not be the one who started me being cklisted.¡±


    ¡°Calm down your guard dog Alessandra,¡± L said from behind Grace. She was terrified of Erin but Grace wasn¡¯t. If Erin got too close L would push Grace to handle her.


    ¡°Really? When Kate tells you two to jump you say how high and you¡¯re calling someone a guard dog? You¡¯re not in the position to refer to me by my first name. Its Duchess now,¡± Alessandra stated. ¡°Address me correctly.¡±

 Chapter 131

    131 Day out (5)


    Grace scoffed, amused by Alessandra suddenly acting like she was important. ¡°Look at you already ying the role of someone high and mighty. I remember how easy it was to mess with you. You used to be our way of having fun and you still are. I¡¯ve always said there was something evil about you. Stealing the man your sister loved.¡±


    ¡°Should I get rid of them, Duchess?¡± Caleb looked down at Alessandra. He disliked the way the young woman was speaking about her. This was something to inform Edgar about.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no wonder she got along so well with the queen. Women like that will find friendship in each other,¡± Lmented.


    ¡°How different is it from trying to get Edgar to notice you behind Kate¡¯s back? I¡¯ve spent most of my life sneaking around my father¡¯s home. It was easy to hear you two talk about Kate when she left the room. That¡¯s why I sometimes found myself pitying my little sister,¡± said Alessandra.


    ¡°You pitied Kate? Wait until I tell her this interesting news. Do you think Kate will care about us trying to win Edgar¡¯s heart too? It¡¯s not like she never noticed-¡±


    ¡°So you two are hypocrites,¡± Erin stared at the two young women in disbelief at how they skipped over their hypocrisy. ¡°Talking badly about the Duchess while you two were eyeing the man Kate had feelings for. You two certainly are dumb and dumber. Thank goodness I did not turn out like the two of you.¡±


    Erin couldn¡¯t be happier that she had not turned out like the other youngdies she grew up around.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for us to converse if you do not like the Duchess. We¡¯re all just here to buy something and be on our way,¡± Sally tried to defuse the situation before it became bigger.


    .....


    It wouldn¡¯t take long for news of this to spread and for Alessandra to be painted in a bad light.


    L eyed Sally with suspicion. ¡°Don¡¯t we know her, Grace?¡±


    ¡°Why would we- wait. Didn¡¯t you use to be Kate¡¯s maid? Wow,¡± Grace could not believe what she was seeing. ¡°You truly are going after everything belonging to Kate. What next? You¡¯re going to try to look just like Kate?¡±


    ¡°I have these ones that might suit what you are looking for. Is there something wrong?¡± Olivia felt tension between the two groups of customers she had.


    ¡°Yes. We were here first, but you ran off to find something for them. Please take care of us first,¡± said Grace.


    ¡°It¡¯s a shop targeted to married women, Grace. Unless you are buying for one of your married friends, you have no business being here. You¡¯re the one who likes to talk the most about unmarried women doing things like this.¡±


    ¡°It costs nothing for you to mind your business, Erin. I am here to buy a gift for a friend. I want something cute not like that,¡± Grace pointed at what Olivia brought out for Alessandra. ¡°Dressing as if she¡¯s a prostitute,¡± she side-eyed Alessandra.


    ¡°Excuse me. My designs aren¡¯t for prostitutes, they are for women who like to be adventurous and seductive for their husbands. These are not your normal nightwear for sleeping. I don¡¯t allow judging to be done in my shop and if that¡¯s what you¡¯re going to do, I will have to ask you to leave. What is your decision?¡± Oliver asked the two young women she was certain had no ns to buy anything.


    They had been in her shop for an hour now and had not picked out anything to be bought.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, L. This is obviously a ce that cares more about customers with fancy titles. I¡¯ll be sure to tell all my friends about it. It reeks of outcasts anyway,¡± Grace scrunched up her nose as she walked past Alessandra and everyone else to go out the door.


    L ran behind her happy to get away from being in a closed-up space with Erin.


    ¡°Those girls are such a pain in the ass. Oh, excuse my mouth,¡± Olivia quickly remembered who she was in the presence of. ¡°They weren¡¯t here to buy something for a friend. These nightwear have be popr among housewives and like always, the unwed youngdies want to be a part of the trend so theye looking to buy some. I do not need any more of their mothers yelling at me.


    ¡°Will you lose business if they tell their friends about this? Grace is extremely popr with a lot of young women,¡± said Sally.


    ¡°Absolutely not. As I said, my nightwear has be popr and there¡¯s no one making them like me. The married women will alwayse looking to buy and if they don¡¯t want to be seen here, I deliver them. My shop will be fine as long as I keep helping women seduce their husbands. Will these do?¡± Olivia showed Alessandra the nightwear she picked out.


    ¡°They¡¯re actually for her,¡± Alessandra pointed at Erin. Just from looking at the clear material of the dresses in Olivia¡¯s hand, Alessandra knew they weren¡¯t something she could wear. She was not that intimate with Edgar yet.


    ¡°Right, let me tell you my size so I can try one on,¡± Erin took Olivia¡¯s hand and led her to the back of the shop.


    ¡®She¡¯s going to buy those for Alessandra,¡¯ Sally and Caleb had the same thought.


    ¡°I can see why a little gossip won¡¯t hurt her business,¡± Caleb stated after a quick look around the shop. ¡°I¡¯d be mesmerized if my woman showed up wearing this. The more provocative the better.¡±


    ¡°And you think I¡¯d marry you?¡± Sally looked up at the tall man she was now seeing as a yer. ¡°Some of the clothing in here seems so little. You might as well go to bed with nothing on. What¡¯s the point of wearing it only for it to be taken off momentster?¡± Sally whispered her question so Olivia wouldn¡¯t be offended.


    ¡°When you find someone you wish to spend time with, buy one of these andpare it to the other times you¡¯ve had sex. I¡¯d bet there will be a more intense feeling. By the way, these aren¡¯t meant to be worn every night. They are meant to be a surprise to make your partner stunned. Should we have a ss in our club for this? I think it¡¯ll be better for you to experience what I mean,¡± Caleb suggested to Sally.


    ¡°There¡¯s no doubt you work for Edgar. You both like to take advantage of all situations. Sally, I think you¡¯ve dug yourself a hole when ites to this club you jokingly started. Now, what is it that Erin is up to that she keeps whispering to the shop owner and looking my way with a smile.¡± Alessandra became suspicious of the conversation Erin was having with Olivia.¡±Sally, make sure she does not leave behind any of what she buys here in the carriage.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you saw right through what she is nning. However, wouldn¡¯t it be a good idea to have one for when you want to make your husband¡¯s heart skip a beat? All of the nightwear I see in your closet is so in. In this honeymoon phase, you should spice things up a little bit. Maybe you could wear one but have no intentions of being intimate to torture the Duke,¡± Sally held back augh as she pictured Edgar¡¯s reaction.


    ¡®Torture Edgar? I¡¯d be the one tortured if I went along with that n,¡¯ Alessandra said to herself. Sally wasn¡¯t aware how Edgar could easily flip such a n on her.


    ¡°I agree that you should keep one on hand. Excuse me, I have to look around the shop to make sure there is none else present,¡± Caleb said right before leaving Alessandra¡¯s side. The shop was small but there were many ces for someone to hide.


    ¡°See. Everyone thinks you should get one,¡± said Sally.


    ¡°This feels like peer pressure. I will get one to shut up all of you but that does not mean I will put it to use anytime soon or ever. Now Erin can stop being so secretive. Erin, I will purchase one of those that you are secretly buying for me. Only one,¡± Alessandra said in a stern voice. She would not end up with a closet of these. One would be easy to hide from Edgar.


    ¡°It¡¯s a start,¡± Erin excitedly pped her hands. The real fun was beginning now that Alessandra agreed to buy one. One meant that it had to be the sexiest one she could find. Erin imagined Edgar knocking on her door the next day with a carriage full of money to thank her and then she would be able to move out of her mother¡¯s home. ¡°The next time we return I will get you to buy two new ones. Start undressing.¡±


    ¡°What? Why?¡± Alessandra clutched the top buttons of her dress. ¡°You already know my size, just pick one.¡±


    ¡°Oh no no Duchess. We¡¯re not letting you out of this so easily. Sally, grab the hands. I¡¯ll get the feet.¡±


    ¡°Caleb!¡± Alessandra called for him to save her.

 Chapter 132

    132 Warning (1)


    ¡°Duke Collins, it¡¯s a shame you ran off and got married in the middle of the night. My daughter has always been interested in you each time you visited. We can¡¯t figure out why you picked such a woman with-Ahem,¡± the innkeeper cleared his throat when Edgar didn¡¯t look too happy.


    ¡°You have a daughter? Since when?¡± Edgar questioned the small chubby man. He ced an envelope left behind for him inside his pants pocket.


    ¡°For eighteen years. I¡¯ve introduced her to you many times,¡± the innkeeper found it hard to believe that Edgar did not know he had a daughter. ¡°She¡¯s over there with my wife.¡±


    Edgar looked in the direction the innkeeper pointed at and found a young woman smiling more than she should at him. ¡°She doesn¡¯t look like you or her mother. She does resemble the butcher next door. Good day.¡±


    ¡°What the...¡±


    Edgar blocked out what the innkeeper had to say in response to his words. When would everyone learn that when they go low he would go to the underworld with his response? By now he expected others to be smarter with their words when it came to his wife but there were many peopleckingmon sense in Lockwood.


    ¡°Duke Collins,¡± a man approached him with arge smile as if he stumbled upon a treasure.


    ¡°I¡¯m aware of what my name is. Do you have something you wish to say to me or will you continue standing there with your awful smile? I¡¯m not in the mood to be annoyed by anyone else. Speak or move,¡± Edgar gave two options. He stopped walking to listen to what the man eagerly wanted to say.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know who I am?¡± rk asked, slightly annoyed he wasn¡¯t easily pointed out. He found it impossible for anyone to not see the simrities between him and histe brother.


    .....


    ¡°If I did I would have stated your name, wouldn¡¯t I? I am already annoyed with you, do not push it. Get to the point and introduce yourself.¡±


    ¡°My name is rk Barrett. I am the uncle of your wife and brother of thete Baron. I¡¯ve been meaning to speak with you but it is hard to gain an audience. Do you have time to spare with me? There are a lot of things I wish to discuss with you. Both about my niece and my brother. Please,¡± rk pleaded as it had been hard for him to keep track of Edgar and find him alone.


    Edgar¡¯s interest in the man moved from one to two. ¡°I¡¯m now seeing the resemnce in the man I once disliked. What is it you have to say that you were yelling outside of my home in the middle of the day?¡±


    ¡°You are the husband of my beloved niece. It is only right that I visit to make sure she is in good hands and get answers about my brother¡¯s death. Alessandra must feel so alone because many of her rtives do not live nearby. Not to mention, that witch has taken over her father¡¯s home. I am on your side.¡±


    ¡°Do not bullshit me, mister Barrett. I have spoken to Alessandra and your visits to her weren¡¯t frequent enough for her to be your beloved niece. As for your brother, I killed him because of the activities he found himself in and because he tried selling his own daughter. Be more concerned about that than trying to kiss my ass with your dry lips. Good day,¡± Edgar walked off but he was not done with rk just yet.


    Edgar knew the desperate man would follow him and he did.


    ¡°Dry?¡± rk licked his lips. ¡°Wait wait wait. Don¡¯t leave just yet. There is still the matter of Alessandra¡¯s stepmother to discuss. She will never allow Alessandra to live a peaceful life. I know a lot about Katrina to keep her away from Alessandra but there are two things I will need from you.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    rk rubbed his hands at the thought of getting money from a man like Edgar. Edgar had enough that the amount he wanted in exchange for his marriage to Alessandra shouldn¡¯t hurt his pocket. ¡°It is tradition here that when a woman gets married her husband must offer gifts to the family. I¡¯ve been made aware of the fact that my brother did not receive anything.¡±


    ¡°Will two bags of gold be enough?¡± Edgar turned left of the inn to walk down an empty path between two shops.


    rk¡¯s ears perked up at the mention of two bags of gold. ¡°You are too kind, Duke Collins.¡±


    ¡°So one it is,¡± Edgar changed his mind. He was not as kind as rk perceived him to be and the unfortunate Barrett would soon find out. Edgar knew how rk¡¯s time in Lockwood would end if he didn¡¯t leave soon and the future should be obvious to rk but he was too focused on money and what did not belong to him to notice his pending death.


    ¡°What? No no no. We¡¯ve agreed on two. It would also be good if I could have a word with my niece. It¡¯s been so long since we had a chat and after the loss of her father, it would be nice for her to have at least one rtionship with a Barrett. Don¡¯t you agree?¡±


    ¡°No, stay away from my wife. I will kill you sooner than you¡¯re supposed to die if you try getting money out of her or pretending to be family now that she is a Duchess,¡± Edgar stopped walking midway the lonesome path.


    ¡°But you see-¡±


    ¡°All of thete Baron¡¯s family will gather in town shortly for his funeral. I will leave you with this to think about the next time youe seeking out my wife,¡± Edgar turned around to grab rk by the cor of his shirt and pushed him against the brick wall of the shop they were passing by. ¡°Year after year all of you ignored how my wife was treated and I¡¯ve been contemting ending the Barrett bloodline at your brother¡¯s funeral.¡±


    ¡°P-Please don¡¯t kill me. I¡¯m on your side,¡± tears fell from rk¡¯s eyes as he pleaded to Edgar. ¡°After I¡¯ve received the gold I won¡¯t bother the two of you. I just need your help getting the papers that say my brother¡¯s house andnd have to be put in my name when he dies. He signed those papers and showed them to me but his wife won¡¯t let me enter the house.¡±


    ¡°That has nothing to do with me,¡± Edgar released rk, watching him drop to the ground. ¡°The only reason I am keeping a pest like you around is due to the fact you will annoy other pests. I will get you close to the Baroness and nothing more. We are not friends, family, or on the same team as you think. You are simply a yer in my game.¡±


    ¡°What game?¡± rk looked up at Edgar from where he fell. He was afraid if he stood up again Edgar would knock him back down.


    ¡°Someone with a short lifespan does not need to know. You won¡¯t get to witness the wonderful ending. I¡¯m afraid I have no more time to spare with you,¡± Edgar proceeded to walk down the end of the path.


    ¡°I need to be more cautious when he is around,¡± rk suddenly realized the type of man Alessandra married. ¡°But I¡¯ll use him to get rid of Katrina.¡±

 Chapter 133

    133 Warning (2)


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t as bad as you were making it seem, Alessandra. Stop being so dramatic.¡±


    ¡°Erin, you were not the one being held down to try on clothing. I¡¯m certain one or two of my fingers are broken from trying to fight back. Look,¡± Alessandra held up her hand to show the aftermath of fighting against Sally and Erin.


    Erin held up her hand to show a bite mark Alessandra gave her. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about this too. I¡¯ve never seen anyone so against having to take off their clothes. At least it was all for a good cause. The Duke will certainly love the ones I¡¯ve picked out for you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only supposed to be one. I will send back any extra left behind to your home.¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to get me killed? My mother would have a fit. Fine, we will only get one but I will keep the others and hide them until youe begging for more. Truthfully, I will hold them for myself,¡± Erin whispered to Alessandra when Olivia disappeared into another room. ¡°I cannot wait to be married. Sally, I guarantee you will soon bring us good news.¡±


    ¡°Why are you like this?¡± Sally muttered as Erin knew well enough that was not true. As much as she wanted to get married, she had to spend a lot of time working to help support her family. Who would want to be with her at a time like this when they would have to help her support her family? ¡°When I am not working I am with my family. I don¡¯t have time to meet anyone. I can only stare at men from afar.¡±


    ¡°I can set you up with someone since you¡¯re so hellbent on not marrying me. I¡¯m surrounded by the men on the Duke¡¯snd. Don¡¯t worry,¡± Caleb ruffled Sally¡¯s hair and chuckled when she practically wed at him for doing so. ¡°You will find someone soon.¡±


    ¡°Who is meant to find someone for you?¡± Alessandra asked Caleb.


    ¡°No one. I am honestly a man who enjoys a bachelor¡¯s life. I don¡¯t n on getting married any time soon. There are too many women out there waiting on me.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Thank you for shopping here,¡± Olivia returned with bags and handed them to Caleb to hold. ¡°Pleasee again.¡±


    ¡°We certainly will. I¡¯m sure the Duke will buy out your entire shop after the Duchess seduces him,¡± Erin winked at Olivia.


    For a brief moment, Alessandra caught Olivia looking at her or more specifically her mask after Erin¡¯s words. Alessandra had some idea of what the woman was thinking and decided it was time to go.


    ¡°It was nice to meet you but we have to get going now. Goodbye,¡± Alessandra said her farewells and dragged Erin out of the shop with her mouth covered. ¡°Erin, I have fun with you but there are certainments you shouldn¡¯t say to other people,¡± she informed Erin as they walked back onto the street.


    Alessandra felt awkward about thesements solely due to the fact she was not intimate with Edgar like others thought and thements made her think about it. When she could not confidently show him the other side of her face yet how could she be confident enough to think about wearing nightwear to seduce him?


    ¡®At this point in our rtionship, I could never wear something with the intention of seducing Edgar. I am certainly not bold,¡¯ Alessandra thought.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind making jokes between the three of us but I don¡¯t want to say to anyone else that my sex life will have Edgar buying out shops. It is awkward because I don¡¯t know that woman. I feel like a joke will be made out of it because I don¡¯t seem like the type to be able to seduce anyone,¡± Alessandra exined.


    ¡°What on earth are you talking about?¡± Erin couldn¡¯t helpughing at Alessandra¡¯s delusion. ¡°I¡¯ve seen your body each time I help you put on dresses. There¡¯s nothing wrong with it and you said you were trying to gain weight so your body will die when you do.¡±


    ¡°It is not my body that I am speaking of. Let¡¯s move on from it. I don¡¯t want our trip to suddenly be depressing. I am feeling hungry-¡±


    ¡°Duchess,¡± Erin cut off Alessandra. ¡°I don¡¯t know the backstory behind what happened to your face and why you chose to hide it but when I find the person who has made you this way, I¡¯m going to kill them.¡±


    Alessandra was surprised by Erin¡¯s words but then she smiled. ¡°There is no need for that Erin. I am slowly learning to love myself. I don¡¯t care to seek revenge right now and who knows, maybe I might be the most seductive person you have ever seen,¡± she joked.


    ¡°Duchess, you can go ahead with Caleb to find a ce to eat. Erin and I will catch up,¡± Sally held Erin¡¯s hand to calm her down from whatever emotions she was going through.


    ¡°It¡¯s upsetting how she views herself,¡± Erin stated after Alessandra and Caleb left.


    ¡°After years of being cast aside by her own family and then the town believing ridiculous rumors, it is understandable she would not be confident when ites to her face. Compared to when I worked for her father, she is stepping out of her shell now. Quite frankly, Alessandra doesn¡¯t need help with these clothes. She unintentionally seduces the Duke and he seems to like it a lot. Perhaps he¡¯s patiently waiting for her toe out of her shell,¡± said Sally.


    No one was around Edgar and Alessandra more than her except for Alfred. Sally was able to witness that Alessandra could do the smallest thing and Edgar would look affected by it. Sometimes there was sexual tension between the two so much that it suffocated her.


    ¡°Alessandra does the impossible by keeping up with the Duke¡¯s personality. I truly believe that once she learns to love those scars and maybe show them to the Duke who I can tell doesn¡¯t care, we¡¯re going to witness the birth of apletely new woman. As her friends, we have to be patient with her growth because she is growing. We can¡¯t try to pull her out of her shell, only encourage her. So let¡¯s stay away from things to do with seduction until the right time.¡±


    ¡°Sally,¡± Erin sniffled and wiped tears from her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m lucky I found a friend like you.¡±


    ¡°Ugh Erin, you¡¯re making people stare at us. I¡¯m lucky I found a friend like you too but please stop crying. There¡¯s nothing to see here,¡± Sally told the people who stopped walking to look at them.


    ¡°They¡¯re not looking at us, Sally. They¡¯re looking at Caleb pointing his sword at some man,¡± Erin pointed in the direction where Caleb and Alessandra had walked off to look for food.


    ¡°What?!¡± Sally swung around instantly forgetting about Erin¡¯s tears to see what was wrong with Alessandra. ¡°Move quickly, Erin,¡± she ran to aid Alessandra in whatever was happening. ¡°Duchess, are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Walk away from the Duchess or take yourst breath,¡± Caleb warned the man who seemed to have no ears. ¡°She does not wish to speak with you.¡±


    ¡°Alessandra, I ran all the way here when news of your presence in town spread. Do not treat your dear uncle like this,¡± rk pleaded with her. Contrary to what Edgar said, he was determined to meet with her. He was certain he could convince Alessandra to keep him around. ¡®I didn¡¯t rush here to be turned around,¡¯ he thought.

 Chapter 134

    134 Warning (3)


    ¡°I have nothing to say to you. Please leave me alone. You are causing a scene,¡± Alessandra stated.


    Most of the people passing by had stopped to witness the end result of Alessandra¡¯s guard aiming his sword at rk. Edgar was the one who wanted to speak with rk, not her. Why on earth was her uncle so desperate to talk with her? She had no money to offer him and she would never convince Edgar to give him some.


    ¡°I only need a moment to speak with you. We are family. I will not make this situation better for you if you send me away. Hurry up, Alessandra. The people are starting to talk,¡± said rk. Judging from how much she disliked the stares, he knew she would be pressured into having a moment with him in order to avoid giving the people around them something more to talk about.


    To pressure her further, rk added, ¡°Everyone is looking for something to say about you. Will you let rumors spread of how you are pushing your family away now that you have hooked yourself to a rich man? Do you want to be viewed in the same light as your mother?¡±


    Alessandra was curious about what he knew regarding her mother but she did not wish to fall into his trap. ¡°Caleb, please get him out of my sight,¡± she gave the order and walked in the opposite direction to avoid her uncle.


    Alessandra did not trust he would give her the full truth about her mother. rk was certainly the type to talk about whatever anyone wanted to hear and add in lies where he saw fit.


    rk was well aware of the treatment she got when her father was alive. She once looked to him for the affection shecked from her father but he would turn her away as his only purpose for visiting was to obtain money and then skip town. She had nothing to say to any of her family.


    ¡°Alessandra,¡± rk stepped to the side to get a better view of her behind the tall man. ¡°I have the same ns as you. I want to get revenge just like you do,¡± he started to chase after her but a strong grip on his shoulder stopped him.


    ¡°Be more aware of your surroundings little man. The Duchess has nothing to say to you. Walk away while your feet are intact,¡¯ Caleb shoved rk backward with enough strength to almost make him stumble.


    .....


    rk red up at Caleb. Alessandra¡¯s guard was unnecessarily standing in his way of speaking to his niece. ¡°I am the brother of the Baron.¡±


    ¡°Late Baron. Aren¡¯t you ashamed to be using your brother¡¯s name to get you ces? I hold the Duchess in the same regard as I do the Duke. Whenever Edgar tells me to get someone out of his sight, I dispose of them. Scram or you will visit your brother in the afterlife.¡±


    rk could not waste this one glorious opportunity. The Duke warned him to stay away from Alessandra and if she opened her mouth before he convinced her to go up against Katrina with him, he was certainly dead. He had to take a risk.


    ¡°Alessandra!¡± rk called out her name and tried to run around the tall brute standing in his way but once again, he was grabbed by his cor.


    ¡°You little fucker-¡±


    ¡°Caleb,¡± Alessandra returned to stop Caleb before anything could be done to her uncle. The crowd was getting bigger and gossip would quickly spread about family drama. ¡°Bring him to the carriage. I will entertain him for a moment.¡±


    It was annoying that after she was finally able to run away and start living her life how she wanted the people she meant to call family would find a way to block her happiness. Had she run away far out of Lockwood no one woulde looking for her like her uncle was now. They would have wiped their hands clean of her and be thankful a burden was lifted off their shoulders.


    ¡°I will be back in a moment,¡± Alessandra informed Sally and Erin.


    Alessandra, Caleb, and rk entered the carriage to have a private conversation away from prying eyes.


    ¡°Thank you for taking the time to hear my words, Alessandra. How have you been? Are you handling your father¡¯s death well?¡±


    ¡°Uncle rk, do not pretend as if you care about me. You are only in town to get what belonged to my father and gain something from my husband. What do you truly want for me?¡± Alessandra wanted to cut past the fake concern and get to the point.


    ¡°The Baroness is refusing to see me. Your father promised that everything belonging to him would be given to me if something were to happen to him. Help me get rid of that woman. I¡¯m sure you want to get back at her for how she treated you,¡± said rk.


    ¡°If I did not get married and you inherited everything in my father¡¯s name, you would have tossed me, Kate, and the Baroness on the street. I don¡¯t care about getting revenge. I¡¯m happy and I¡¯m moving on with my life. Katrina is your problem. Stop wishing to speak with me after or I will not go easy on you,¡± Alessandra gave him a warning.


    ¡°How annoying,¡± the smile rk had been showing to her quickly fell. ¡°You stole the spot that belonged to her daughter. Do you honestly think she will leave you? We have to strike before Katrina does something drastic. All I need you to do is lend me your support and husband¡¯s resources. I will get rid of her alone. I would also like to fix our rtionship.¡±


    ¡°This family is so greedy,¡± Alessandra muttered. She had a feeling rk won¡¯t be thest of her father¡¯s family toe looking for her. ¡°No one cared until I married Edgar. My decision remains the same. I am not helping you. Do not appear anywhere near me, my home, or my husband.¡±


    ¡°Your husband has agreed to help me. I am offering something you have desperately wanted for years. The chance to have a rtionship with your family. I can make everyone else apologize for not being there-¡±


    ¡°I am not desperate to have you make anyone apologize to me. I don¡¯t care about my father¡¯s family. I am done with this conversation. Please forget that I am your niece when you exit this carriage as I have already forgotten who you are to me,¡± Alessandra said. Just like her father, his rtives were dead to her.


    rk¡¯s hand twitched to smack some sense into her. She had no idea what it took for him to be pleading for help from someone who had been avoided by society a moment ago. ¡°You little ungrateful brat. I was expecting you to be smart after snagging the Duke but you are a fool.¡±


    ¡°I could say the same. I would expect something more from the brother of a Baron but you are just a lowlife scrambling to pick up what belongs to someone else.¡±


    rk saw red at Alessandra¡¯s insult and leaned forward with his hand raised to p her but it was held by Caleb who was angrier than rk was. ¡°Ah!¡± rk groaned in pain when his hand was bent backward with enough force to break it. It felt like something was being ripped the more Caleb bent it.


    ¡°Should I kill him, Duchess? I can make it quick and quiet,¡± Caleb suggested. Men who raised their hands at women did not deserve to live.


    ¡°Y-You can¡¯t kill me.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Alessandra genuinely asked as she didn¡¯t see why she couldn¡¯t. ¡°You have been harassing me therefore my guard is protecting me. Why does this moment feel so familiar? Ah, I see. It¡¯s the same pitiful look my father gave me right before I let him be killed.¡±

 Chapter 135

    135 Just you (1)


    ¡°Good evening, Duchess. Did you have a good time out with your friends?¡± Alfred greeted Alessandra at the door the moment she returned home. ¡°Good evening, Sally.¡±


    ¡°Good evening Alfred. I had a lot of fun. Has Edgar returned already?¡± Alessandra looked up the stairs expecting to see hime to greet her.


    ¡°Yes, he returned not long before you. He went to your bedroom to freshen up. Are you hungry? Should I have something sent to your room?¡±


    ¡°No thank you. All I want to do at this moment is take off my shoes. It has been a pain to walk around with them all day long. I¡¯m going to let Edgar know that I have returned and take a quick nap after freshening up. I will see the two of you at dinner. Goodbye for now,¡± Alessandra stated then proceeded to go upstairs to find Edgar.


    ¡°You should take those bags to their bedroom but be quick with it. You shouldn¡¯t interrupt their time together. I will prepare something warm for the Duchess to drink,¡± Alfred said as he closed the front door to prevent cold air from creeping into the home.


    ¡°Do you want me to take the bags to the Duchess?¡± Sally asked Caleb.


    ¡°They are too heavy for someone as weak as you,¡± Caleb ruffled her hair once again to see her send him a death re. ¡°I will see youter, Sally. I¡¯ll be sure to hook you up with someone.¡±


    ¡°As if,¡± Sally scoffed. While Alessandra was with Edgar and Caleb had taken it upon himself to take the bags upstairs, she wanted to use this time to massage her feet after walking around for so long.


    Meanwhile, Alessandra entered her bedroom and found Edgar sitting on the bed with his hair dripping wet and wearing only his trousers.


    .....


    ¡°How was your day of fun? I was expecting I would have to send out a search party to retrieve you,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°It was wonderful though there were some moments I wish never happened. Why are you sitting on the bed with your hair wet? You¡¯ll catch a cold. ¡± Without thinking about her actions, Alessandra approached the bed and touched his hair.


    ¡°I will be fine. I have done this many times and never once caught a cold but if you wish to, there is a towel for you to dry my hair,¡± Edgar took it up from beside him on the bed and handed it to her.


    ¡°You will survive,¡± Alessandra refused to take the towel.


    Edgar gave her a disappointed look, one that would make her feel guilty and like the caring soul she was, Alessandra changed her mind and took the piece of cloth to dry his hair.


    ¡°Must you always get what you want, Edgar?¡± Alessandra asked while she dried his hair. ¡°I feel like you would be able to make the king hand over his crown to you. You could make the devil bow his head to you.¡±


    ¡°Tobias has offered me his crown many times when he beszy. There is nothing I have to do to convince him to give me it. How could I possibly give up this moment to have my wife dry my hair after she was so concerned?¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t that concerned,¡± Alessandra muttered. Still, she found it fun to y around with Edgar¡¯s hair. ¡°Many young women would die with jealousy at what I am doing.¡±


    Edgar suddenly held both of Alessandra¡¯s hands to stop her from drying his hair. ¡°I¡¯ve forgotten this little obsession you have with my hair and other young women. I have a feeling there will be more strands of hair than needed in that towel. Let¡¯s put an end to this before it gets out of hand. What did you wish would never happen today?¡±


    Alessandra gave Edgar back the towel and sat on the bed to take off her shoes. ¡°My uncle found me today. He created a scene because he wanted to talk to me and I had to in the end. If he¡¯s smart, he will note around again after the way our conversation ended. He cursed me and stormed off.¡±


    ¡°If he was smart, he wouldn¡¯t have taken my threat lightly. The Barrett men will drop like flies.¡±


    ¡°You spoke with him? When? Was he just here?¡± Alessandra was surprised rk went to both of them. She figured rk would try using her to get close to Edgar.


    ¡°I ran into him. What is wrong with your feet?¡± Edgar noticed how red and slightly swollen they were. ¡°Did you forget how to sit down? What could be so important that you were on your feet all day?¡±


    ¡°Well-Ah!¡± Alessandra gasped when Edgar picked up her left foot and ced it on hisp without any warning. She folded down her dress to cover the rest of her foot after the dress riled up.


    ¡°I¡¯m not even allowed to see your foot. Do you n to torture me forever? You have ugly toes,¡± Edgarmented when his eyes met the unfortunate things. ¡°Standing around all day in tight shoes will only make them uglier.¡±


    Alessandra frowned. In a moment like this, wasn¡¯t he meant to lie and say she had the most beautiful toes he had ever seen? ¡°We cannot all be perfect like you.¡±


    ¡°Most definitely not. The word cannot handle so many people blessed with perfection like me. Look at how beautiful my toes are,¡± Edgar held up his foot and wiggled his toes.


    ¡°Wonderful. I can see why you¡¯re proud of them. Oww,¡± Alessandra hissed when Edgar started to rub her foot. ¡°Perhaps I might have overdid it by not taking a moment to rest.¡±


    ¡°Now I am being tortured to touch these things. Stay still,¡± Edgar pulled her foot back on hisp after she removed it. ¡°I am only teasing you about being tortured. It will feel better shortly.¡±


    ¡°What have I be?¡± Edgar questioned after thinking about their position. He never pictured himself rubbing anyone¡¯s foot.


    A knock was heard at the door followed by Caleb¡¯s voice. ¡°Duchess, I have brought your bags.¡±


    ¡°Come in.¡±

 Chapter 136

    136 Just you (2)


    ¡°Sorry to interrupt,¡± Caleb entered the room and showed the three bags in his hands. ¡°I brought your bags, Duchess. That is all,¡± he ced them on the floor and quickly left.


    Edgar stared at the three bags with curiosity. He bought her a room full of things women normally enjoyed but she paid no mind to them. What else other than painting could she have been interested in? ¡°What did you buy today?¡±


    ¡°Let me show you. I didn¡¯t buy expensive things. The town is full of so many intriguing ces,¡± Alessandra slid her foot off of Edgar¡¯sp excited to show him what she stumbled upon today.


    ¡°Stay, I will bring them. You need to keep off your feet for a while for the swelling to go down,¡± Edgar stood up from the bed and went for the bags. He handed them off to Alessandra then patiently waited for her to reveal everything.


    ¡°Oh, I bought this for you actually and some for your-our home,¡± she quickly corrected herself. ¡°You don¡¯t walk around with a sword but I¡¯ve noticed how many you have in possession and Alfred says you train with one from time to time. I bought this to offer protection when you are using your sword,¡± she took a small charm out of the first bag.


    Normally, Edgar would be one to state the fact these things were of no use and the only way to stay unharmed was by engaging in more training to be better inbat but Alessandra seemed so excited that for once he couldn¡¯t say what was on his mind. ¡°Thank you,¡± he epted the charm.


    ¡°I picked out a red one for you because I think it suits you and I gave Caleb a green one. There were also these things,¡± Alessandra pulled out an object made solely of wool, sticks, and small shells. ¡°They are meant to keep bad spirits and energy away from our home.¡±


    ¡°You should have bought a carriage full of them. You can let Alfred ce them around the gates. People with bad energy line up there every day looking toe inside. What else did you buy?¡±


    ¡°Well, books about painting because I didn¡¯t think you would have any in your libraries. These are seeds for a beautiful flower I found in town. Hopefully, we can add them to the garden so that I can paint them when they blossom. And-ugh,¡± Alessandra quickly closed the opening of the bag. She was so eager to show Edgar what she found that there was one tiny thing she forgot she needed to hide.


    .....


    ¡°Don¡¯t be shy now, Alessandra. Your behavior makes me want to know what it is even more. I have three ways of finding out if you don¡¯t tell me what it is,¡± Edgar hinted at the fact he could go to Caleb, Erin, or Sally. ¡°You must know Caleb is not good at keeping secrets from me. He will squeal like a pig about to be ughtered.¡±


    Alessandra slowly opened the bag as Edgar was sure to find out if he asked Caleb. ¡°Erin was the one to convince me to buy it. I am in no way trying to wear this to bed. I meant to hide it when I came home¡± she revealed the night dress she bought.


    ¡°That is all? You were trying to hide something so simple,¡± Edgar chuckled. He found it to be more provocative than anything she wore to bed and understood why she would be so shy but it was nothing to hide. ¡°I have a love sh hate rtionship with your dressmaker but after this, she deserves a raise for her services. I don¡¯t mind if you find yourself buying more in the future but they are not needed.¡±


    Edgar gave her back the light thing that could hardly be called a night dress. It was much shorter and more revealing than anything Alessandra ever wore to bed. ¡°You do not need something like this to seduce me. I care more about what is underneath it. You¡¯d be more alluring if you stood before me naked-¡±


    Alessandra covered his mouth with the palm of her hand. This wasn¡¯t where she expected the conversation to go. At first, she thought he agreed she was nowhere ready to be wearing something like this but then he just had to mention being naked. Would it kill him to turn down how blunt he was?


    ¡°We are married, Alessandra. Regardless of how we got here, this is an important conversation. As a man, there is nothing I believe that I can wear to seduce you. All I have are my body and my words so I expect nothing more from you. Rather than build up the courage to wear those things, please build up the courage to show me yourself as I am willing to do for you. Let¡¯s keep in mind that doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t wear one or two of these to bed.¡±


    Alessandra ced the dress back into her bag. ¡°I need more than my body to seduce a man like you. You have so much experience and I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve been with women much better than what I can offer you with my body.¡±


    Edgar found her words to be unbelievable. ¡°Have you not been paying attention Alessandra or are you just in denial because you think you are misunderstanding what is happening? You¡¯ve felt when we sleep together that you certainly entice me. The part that tortures me is how you unintentionally do it and like a fool, my body cannot help reacting to it.¡±


    ¡°Believe me, nothing hard would be pressing against your lower back at night if I didn¡¯t have thoughts of bedding you, not because you are a woman and I am a man but because I find you hard to resist. Why is that so hard for you to believe?¡±


    Alessandra found herself staring at Edgar in disbelief and had to eventually look away. She heard nothing but snarky and cruel remarks about her body and face, whether from family or the servants talking. Her self-love had started to grow now that she was away from that depressing house but she found it to be believed that a man as perfect as Edgar could lust after her with the way she was now.


    She saw the many women eyeing him at the ball and they were certainly more beautiful than her and had no problem unting their bodies while she hid behind a mask.


    ¡°My face...¡±Alessandra trailed off.


    ¡°This entire time that I have been flirting with you, I have clearly seen your mask and I have never cared about what you are hiding. I don¡¯t view you how you view yourself. I see something different that I wish you¡¯d hurry up and see for yourself. Listen carefully, I want you, Alessandra. I am attracted to you whether you like it or not. Do not cry,¡± Edgar gently ced his hand on her cheek and wiped away the tears spilling from her exposed eye.


    Moments like this made him regret leaving the entire Barrett household untouched after they had damaged a beautiful soul. Alessandra was like a butterfly in his eyes. It was a shame someone plucked her wings and left her to fade away in the corners of her small room.


    ¡°I am trying not to,¡± Alessandra softly spoke as she tried to stop the tears from flowing. She squeezed her eyes shut to try to stop them.


    Alessandra couldn¡¯t help being emotional at this moment because no matter how much she might want to deny it, Edgar was honest with her. Just like before when he admitted to feeling something for her and found her to be beautiful. She had been in denial about him finding her beautiful as no one else ever said such a thing to her.


    ¡®That¡¯s my problem,¡¯ Alessandra thought.


    She kept thinking about other people when only Edgar¡¯s words should matter. Before she could let negative thoughts dwell in her mind from what happened in the past, she needed to first remember Edgar had nothing to do with her past. He was being honest with her each time he spoke and she should take his words as they were each time instead of thinking about what someone else said.


    Alessandra was tired of going around in circles when it came to not seeing herself as beautiful and denying the fact Edgar wanted her just as she was. Each time she stepped out of herfort zone she went back into it and hid like a fool. No more. No matter how awkward or weird it might be, she was done hiding or running away from what she could experience with the man before her.


    ¡°Thank you, Edgar. I will try to reciprocate what you do and say to me as your wife. I...¡± Alessandra paused as she wanted to say this more confidently. ¡°I don¡¯t want to shy away from you anymore,¡± she gained the courage to look at him instead of avoiding his gaze. ¡°I think that-no. I know that my body wants you too. I have been avoiding the feeling from the moment I felt you that night. I just do not know what to do.¡±


    ¡°That is alright. The n was to always go slow when ites to intimacy between us. Just know that I am going to show how much I desire you from this moment on. You do not need to know what to do,¡± Edgar slowly slid his hand down from her cheek to her neck and stopped to palm her left breast. He squeezed it to hear a cry escape her lips. ¡°You only need to enjoy what is toe.¡±

 Chapter 137

    137 Plotting (1)


    ¡°Too far?¡± Edgar removed his hand from covering her breast. The sounding from her mouth told him she enjoyed what he did a moment ago but now that it was over, she might deny what she felt.


    ¡°No,¡± Alessandra shook her head. ¡°I should take a bath. I¡¯ve been in town all day. Excuse me,¡± she stood up from the bed. She felt the need to sit in cold water to cool down even though she was cold from the airing in from the window.


    ¡°Alessandra,¡± Edgar held her hand to stop her from rushing off. There was nothing more enticing than the look on her face right now. If only he could have her paint that expression. ¡°If you are feeling sexually frustrated right now, don¡¯t be shy and ask for my help. I have the perfect remedy.¡±


    ¡°I am not,¡± Alessandra lied. After feeling this palm over her breast and then for him to squeeze it, there was a feeling in her stomach and between her legs like there was something she longed to have. ¡°I meant to change my clothes as soon as I came to our room.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe the first part but I¡¯ll let you go today. Your feet are not in the best condition for me to push the limit. I¡¯ll give you some privacy for now. Do you want me to call your maid?¡± Edgar asked. He needed to leave to discuss something important with Caleb.


    ¡°No, Sally¡¯s feet must be hurting too. I can do it on my own-Oh, my dress. There is one button by the back of my neck. Can you just open it for me? Nothing more than that,¡± she pointed a finger at him to show she was serious.


    Alessandra did not believe Edgar would not push the limit even though he imed he wouldn¡¯t. She could not forget how much he loved to turn every situation to gain something.


    ¡°I said I wouldn¡¯t but if you keep acting this way, I might change my mind. Turn around.¡±


    ¡°My uncle mentioned-¡±


    .....


    ¡°Alessandra,¡± Edgar interrupted her. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about your uncle at a time like this.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Alessandra replied as it might be the best idea they didn¡¯t start talking about rk after Edgar¡¯s hand was on her chest a moment ago. However, she needed something to shift their conversation to something else. ¡®Should I count sheep to forget about it? If he only did this much and I feel this way, what will happen when we go all the way?¡¯


    ¡°Having dirty thoughts?¡± Edgar ced his hands on her hips after opening the button for her. ¡°Why are the back of your ears turning red? I assume your cheeks are no different in color. What the...¡± Edgar muttered after Alessandra stepped out of his hold and practically speed-walked toward the bathroom.


    ¡°For someone with swollen feet, she¡¯s pretty quick. The more frustrated she is, the more enjoyable this shall be for me when she gives in to her desires. Where the hell did that tall brute run off to?¡± Edgar needed to search for Caleb.


    There seemed to be a lot he needed to find out from Alessandra¡¯s trip into town today. He gave rk a clear warning to stay far away from Alessandra but the man was dumb enough to still chase her.


    From the moment rk arrived at their gates, Edgar knew he would be annoying, and there was a thought to dispose of him to avoid future headaches. It was only due to the fact Edgar knew rk would shake up the Baroness¡¯s life that he nned to ignore the man¡¯s existence.


    Edgar exited their bedroom to give Alessandra privacy to think over and process what they just discussed. ¡°Alfred!¡± He called to the butler down the hall who appeared to be scolding a maid. ¡°Come here.¡±


    ¡°Young master, what can I do for you?¡± Alfred quickly shifted his attention from the maid who almost broke a vase to Edgar. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you toe out so soon with this attire,¡± he pointed at Edgar¡¯sck of clothing. How many times did he have to tell Edgar to walk around with better clothing? His appearance right now would distract the maids.


    ¡°It¡¯s umon for me to walk around with trousers on. If not in my home, where else am I able to do it?¡± Edgar did not see the big deal. ¡°You should be d I am not walking around naked.¡±


    ¡°But the maids,¡± Alfred looked back at the young maid holding her cheeks. It has already started. ¡°Alessandra might not like them looking at you. You should consider her feelings.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Can you imagine what a sight that might be to see her jealous or angry? I¡¯m tempted to keep walking around like this,¡± Edgar seriously considered it. He wanted to see more of Alessandra¡¯s jealousy.


    ¡°Edgar, you wouldn¡¯t like it if Alessandra walked around like this and the male servants were to gawk at her. Wouldn¡¯t you?¡± Alfred asked even though the answer was obvious.


    ¡°Of course not. I¡¯d pluck out their eyes if they ever did such a thing. Look at you pointing out my hypocrisy. Ever since I have gotten married it seems like you have been scolding me more. You were normally on my side. I¡¯m sad,¡± Edgar ced his right hand on his bare chest and feigned sadness. Alfred was meant to only care for him.


    ¡°That will not work on me. If you wish to avoid being scolded, you and the Duchess should soon have a child for me to look after. I have spent too many years on you and it¡¯s time I move on to someone else. Have as many children as possible and I will watch them for you.¡±


    ¡°Since you have be bored of me, I shall make your life hectic. Thank you for informing me,¡± Edgar patted Alfred¡¯s shoulder.


    Alfred frowned. He was too old to be dealing with Edgar causing more trouble. ¡°That is far from what I meant.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t help it, Alfred. You know that I don¡¯t like sharing my people with others. Besides, I adore you.¡±


    An awkward silence fell between the two men.


    ¡°Edgar, as touching as that sounds, it is weirding from you. Please go back to torturing me and never utter such words to me. It is the Duchess who should hear those words. What is it that you needed that you called for me? Did you do something wrong to the Duchess?¡± Alfred red at him. It would make sense that Edgar left Alessandra alone so quickly because he did something wrong and was kicked out.


    The Duchess had only returned a short moment ago but there were many things Alfred imagined that Edgar might have done to be kicked out.


    ¡°Why couldn¡¯t she have done something to me and I stormed out?¡± Edgar asked.


    ¡°What did you need me for?¡± Alfred decided to move on. They both knew it was Edgar who caused the trouble, not Alessandra.


    ¡°Where is Caleb I need to have a word with him.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I saw him go into your office a moment ago. Seems like he also has something he wishes to say to you. Now if you¡¯ll excuse me, I must make sure there is something for the Duchess to eat soon. Goodbye,¡± Alfred turned on his heel to go to the kitchen.


    ¡°What the hell is this? I also left home but he hasn¡¯t mentioned anything about me eating. I¡¯ve clearly lost him to her already,¡± Edgar muttered in disbelief.


    ¡°Please put on a shirt, young master!¡± Alfred called from down the hall.


    Alfred¡¯s words made Edgar want to remain without a shirt even more. Edgar made a mental note to mess with Alfredter and deal with more important matters right now.


    Edgar entered his office and found Caleb waiting for him just as Alfred said. ¡°You are more useful than I thought. I suppose you are just,¡± Edgar paused mid-sentence when eyes glued onto the same charm Alessandra bought for him but this was one green. He wasn¡¯t bothered when she mentioned it previously but seeing it on Caleb¡¯s sword irritated him.


    Notching where Edgar was looking, Caleb took the charm off of his sword. ¡°The Duchess bought this for me. You can have it if you like.¡±


    Caleb did not want Edgar to view him as a threat. He could not bear to have Edgar increase his training and other tiring exercises because of his jealousy.


    ¡°It was a gift from Alessandra. I am not petty to take it from you.¡±


    ¡®Oh but you are,¡¯ Caleb disagreed with Edgar¡¯s words. He knew Edgar well enough that just from Edgar staring at the small item, Edgar disliked the Duchess giving other men gifts. ¡®Oh to be in love and experience jealousy.¡¯


    ¡°Of course, you are not,¡± Caleb spoke contrary to what was on his mind.


    ¡°Do not kiss my ass,¡± Edgar said.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°We both know why we¡¯re here. Tell me everything that happened today with my wife. Do not miss anything out.¡±

 Chapter 138

    138 Plotting (2)


    ¡°Mario, it¡¯s your turn to mop the floors in the dining room,¡± another cook patted Mario on the back as they walked by.


    ¡°Fucking fantastic,¡± Mario cursed under his breath. ¡°I need to get started for dinner and clean the dining room at the same time and if I don¡¯t finish all two on time James will be up my ass. An increase in wages would be enough to motivate me.¡±


    ¡°What about more workers? We¡¯ve spread the word that we are hiring.¡±


    ¡°Baroness,¡± Mario¡¯s heart dropped when he heard her voice. She rarely came to the kitchen unless guests were present and she wanted to check if everything was going ording to n.


    ¡°You should be careful how you talk in someone¡¯s home. I hear everything. What was your name again?¡± Katrina innocently smiled as she entered the kitchen. ¡°You know, my husband used to enjoy your cooking, that is why he had no issue lending you money and letting you work it off. The guests alsopliment your food which is why we¡¯ve also thought we should keep you here forever.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m happy to hear that,¡± Mario replied but he was cautious of Katrina. She was never one to engage in conversations like this with her servants. The only one she spoke with from time to time was the butler. ¡°I apologize for my words a moment ago. There is a lot to be done but it¡¯s good you are hiring more servants.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m sure a lot of the servants here have something to say behind my back. My,¡± Katrina ced her hand over her mouth feigning shock. ¡°I¡¯ve never noticed how handsome you are.¡±


    ¡®Is this a nightmare? Did I not get out of bed?¡¯ Mario could not help but wonder. There was no way on this earth Katrina wasplimenting him. ¡®What on earth does she want from me?¡¯


    ¡°You are one handsome young man. I see why Alessandra hid you away from everyone else.¡±


    .....


    Mario frowned as he realized where this conversation was about to turn. ¡°She never hid me from anyone. I have always been in the kitchen or wherever the butler assigned me.¡±


    Katrina picked up a red apple from a tray and sank her teeth into it before cing it back on the tray. ¡°Enlighten me, why did you entertain a friendship with the Baron¡¯s daughter when you were a mere cook? I¡¯m certain you were aware of the reason everyone avoids her. What made you gravitate toward her?¡±


    ¡°I was not aware I could not have a friendship with Alessandra. All of the servants are meant to have a good rtionship with your family-¡±


    ¡°As a woman, I have never been with a man such as yourself. After asking around, I learned that you and Alessandra have been spotted alone with each other. What could a Baron¡¯s daughter and a cook have inmon to talk about?¡± Katrina asked.


    ¡°Food. Everyone has to eat it,¡± Mario bluntly replied. He wanted her to get to the point instead of dancing around why she was here with him. He knew she was pushing to make the im he had been in some sort of rtionship with Alessandra.


    ¡°There is no need for you to give such a rude reply. I merely want to know what kind of rtionship you have with her. I was told the Duke didn¡¯t seem too pleased with you when he was collecting Alessandra¡¯s things. Perhaps he noticed something as well. Tell me about that,¡± Katrina said and for a moment her eyes went to three maids standing around in the kitchen pretending as if they weren¡¯t listening to the conversation.


    This was what she wanted. For maids to listen carefully to her words and start to specte about Alessandra and the cook.


    ¡°You¡¯ve met him more than I have, Baroness. That man does not seem to like anyone. Alessandra and I were purely friends. There is nothing for you to worry about. I did nothing with her. I never thought about betraying the Baron¡¯s trust by secretly being with his daughter. She only has eyes for the Duke.¡±


    ¡°I see but I heard something else that is interesting. Some people seem to im she might be pregnant but that cannot be when she has not been married to the Duke for long. You are the only man she has been seen with and I¡¯d hate to think you¡¯re joining her in fooling an innocent man,¡± said Katrina.


    ¡°I have never been involved with Alessandra. You might hate her but you know she was not that type of person. Must you be this way?¡± Mario lost hisposure. Alessandra was gone so why did they have to continue messing with her?


    ¡°Can you honestly say that you have never held feelings for her? Even now when she is married, does your heart not long for her?¡± Katrina yfully tapped her fingers against the counter while she awaited his answer.


    ¡°What I felt has nothing to do with Alessandra.¡±


    ¡®Big mistake admitting that,¡¯ Katrina grinned. She only needed simple words from his mouth to spin a narrative to the town. How oblivious could the cook be?


    ¡°Get out,¡± Katrina ordered the maids lingering around in the kitchen. They heard more than enough and would add to the fire she nned to spread.


    ¡°Yes Baroness,¡± the maids hurried out of the kitchen.


    ¡°Why are you doing this? Are you not satisfied with everything that you have? Leave Alessandra alone. She has suffered enough,¡± Mario pleaded with Katrina.


    ¡°In my eyes, she has not and you will help me make her suffer more. When rumors of your rtionship start to spread, I want you to admit to being intimate with her-¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Mario eximed. He could not do such a thing when he called himself her friend. Alessandra did not need one of her only friends betraying her. ¡°I will not get involved in your ns.¡±


    ¡°Oh yes you will because,¡± Katrina paused and approached Mario so he could hear what she had to say. ¡°I know what you are hiding from the town. You...¡± she whispered the information she learned in his ear.


    Mario gritted his teeth out of frustration and panic.


    ¡°Everyone in this town has their own dirty little secrets and yet they love to judge me. I love men with a past like your own who try to do good yearster. So easy for me to use,¡± Katrina caressed his cheek. She truly found him to be handsome. ¡°Do not disappoint me. I expect to hear good things about you soon. Goodbye,¡± she flicked his bottom lip and left the kitchen.


    When she exited the kitchen, Katrina stumbled upon the butler waiting for her. ¡°Thanks for the tip, James. I¡¯m beginning to like you even more.¡±

 Chapter 139

    139 Plotting (3)


    ¡°Baroness, rk is here to see you again,¡± James informed Katrina.


    Katrina scowled, annoyed with rk¡¯s desperate attempts to speak with her. It was unfortunately inevitable the two of them would have a conversation. She did not n to remain hidden away in her home to avoid him. ¡°Invite him inside for dinner. Make sure you do not give him one of our good wines. Trash like him does not deserve it.¡±


    ¡°Yes Baroness,¡± James walked ahead to let the man inside. He knew it would be a pain when other Barretts started to arrive for the funeral. ¡°Good evening-¡±


    ¡°About time. It started to drizzle and my good coat almost got wet. I¡¯m going to catch a cold because of how long you waited. Where on earth is that woman?¡± rk loudly questioned in order to bring Katrina out of her hiding hole. ¡°Has she run away from me?¡±


    ¡°I would never run from a man like you, rk. I find that to be insulting. Didn¡¯t your mother teach you not to enter someone¡¯s home and yell? I see why Desmond was her favorite son,¡± Katrina hit rk where she knew it would hurt him.


    ¡°Ha! You let my brother fool you with his delusion. You know why I am here, Katrina.¡±


    ¡°For your brother¡¯s funeral of course but there was no need for you to worry. I have it under control. I¡¯ll be kind enough to invite you to dinner in my home-¡±


    ¡°Your home?¡± rk chuckled, finding her to be delusonal. ¡°Don¡¯t make meugh.¡±


    ¡°You just did, rk. Whatever it is you are looking to get, I won¡¯t hand it over to you so give up. Desmond was always someone who liked to please his family and friends. He said many things to make people happy at the moment but I can assure you, he never nned to hand his things over to you. Under thew, his wife will take care of everything and there is a list of things meant for Kate. Nowhere did it state your name,¡± said Katrina.


    .....


    ¡°You don¡¯t know my own brother better than me. I know for a fact he did not trust you and that¡¯s why he promised to give most of his belongings to me and then some to his children. I was there the night when he stamped the paper and gave me a copy,¡± rk spoke half the truth but he enjoyed the frown on Katrina¡¯s face. ¡°My mother will bring the paper tomorrow. I suggest you be kind to me now so that I don¡¯t toss you out.¡±


    rk gave Katrina a look over from head to toe. ¡°I liked the first wife more than you but I have to admit, you are more alluring. If you show me how you trapped my brother, I just might keep you around much longer.¡±


    ¡®Men and their lust,¡¯ Katrina thought after hearing his words. She did many low things in life but she would not go as low to sleep with rk.


    ¡°Watch your words,¡± Katrina snapped at him. ¡°I have no problem telling the town myte husband¡¯s brother is trying to force me into bed with him in order to keep my home. We will talk over dinner about what paper you think Desmond signed. It would do well for you to stay the night too.¡±


    ¡°There must be something you want for me if you are allowing me to stay the night. What is it? Are you nning to kill me? My mother and everyone else know I am here,¡± said rk.


    ¡°That is a cruel thing to say. You are Desmond¡¯s brother and more importantly, Kate¡¯s uncle. As much as I dislike you, my daughter wants to spend time with her family at this moment. Make sure you do not disappoint her like you have disappointed everyone else with your sad life. Don¡¯t even think about rummaging through my home while I am not around,¡± Katrina turned her back on rk to go back to her bedroom. ¡°The servants will inform me of your every move.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not an easy opponent,¡± rk stated out loud while he watched Katrina walk away. He would not start searching yet.


    He was patient enough to wait until the house would be silent. He spent many years staying in this house to know how to move around without being caught by anyone. He did it each time he stole money from his brother. Katrina would regret inviting him inside.


    ¡°Hey, you!¡± rk called to James just as he was passing by. ¡°If you have any sense you would be on my side. Help me and I shall keep you around when I take over. Tell me,¡± rk paused when a maid passed by, and just as Katrina said, he was being watched. ¡°I will seek you outter,¡± he left James alone to look for Kate.


    James remained silent as he pondered rk¡¯s offer. Katrina and rk were entering a cutthroat battle where the loser might end up dead. rk might have the support of his family to take over because thete Baron has no son but Katrina was not going to roll over and give up what she now owned.


    James had firsthand experience of what lengths the Baroness would go through to get what she wanted. Her lies were why he was helping her so much. If James were to team up with rk, he no longer had to follow Katrina¡¯s offers and he could be rid of her allegations. However, he could not deny there was something about Katrina that he could not underestimate.


    Anyone would paint rk as the victor but James could not help leaning toward Katrina. He had to pick a side he needed to be on quickly.


    ¡®It¡¯s not all about what I will get if the side I am on wins but what the person who loses will do to me,¡¯ James thought.


    Instead of just standing around, he decided to go back to the privacy of his room. His mind wandered to when Katrina made up the lie about him taking advantage of her in order for her to have him start poisoning the Baron.


    ¡®She¡¯s been avoiding rk from the moment he arrived but she just casually let him in and now he is spending the night. She is smarter than we think. rk has the other Barretts to back him up but Katrina will kill to get what she wants. With my help, she ckmailed Mario and his life in her hands. I cannot make her my enemy,¡¯ James concluded right as he reached his bedroom door.


    He needed to stay on the side he was already on. Outside of Katrina being more dangerous than rk, she was also more fit to regain the glory this house once had and he would be able to make a lot of money from being her follower. At the end of the day, he needed money to survive.


    ¡°Where is it?¡±


    James entered his room with one thing on his mind. ¡°I didn¡¯t dispose of it, did I? Wait,¡± he got down to the floor and reached under his bed. ¡°It¡¯s here,¡± he pulled out the small bottle Katrina had given him to poison the Baron with.


    Desmond died before the content on the inside could be used so the bottle was still full. The poison was meant to kill Barrett and it would in the end. The longer rk remained in the home and ate food or drink something, the closer he¡¯d get to dropping dead just as Katrina nned for Desmond.


    As he stared at the bottle, James considered the fact he could technically kill two Barretts with it and get rid of both sides. He was also in charge of Katrina¡¯s food and drinks.

 Chapter 140

    140 Plotting (4)


    Later in the evening, Katrina sat in her room thinking of ways to dispose of rk before he could find whatever paper he imed Desmond left behind. She had searched Desmond¡¯s belongings when they were looking for things to sell and found nothing of the sort.


    To get rid of the nuisance, Katrina contemted poisoning rk as she wanted to do with his brother.


    ¡°I should-¡±


    ¡°Mother!¡± Kate¡¯s voice was heard after a knock on the door. ¡°Are you ready for dinner? Uncle has already gone down to the table.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ming!¡± Katrina called back. They could not leave rk unattended even though the servants would tell her about everything he did. Katrina walked to the door, shaking off her thoughts about the poison for now. She would inform James of it after dinner. ¡°You look wonderful. Is there a special asion?¡± She asked after she opened the door and found Kate dolled up.


    ¡°Yes. There¡¯s no telling if there will be any more surprise visits from Simon. I¡¯ve made it a mission to look good every moment regardless if I am just staying at home. I have not forgotten all that you have taught me,¡± Kate smiled, wishing to show her mother how much better she would be at iming Simon.


    ¡°Well done, Kate. You are improving. Now tell me,¡± Katrina closed the door behind her and walked with Kate. ¡°What did you discuss with your uncle earlier?¡±


    Kate frowned and looked at her mother with concern. ¡°Is he here to take away everything from us? I have hardly seen him around which was why I could not identify him and it¡¯s strange how he¡¯s spending time with me now. Mother, it¡¯s only the two of us. I won¡¯t judge you if you do something to get rid of him.¡±


    Katrina was utterly surprised Kate had thought about this. Normally, Kate was in her own world and didn¡¯t pick up on the things around her. ¡°You are growing up too fast, Kate. I won¡¯t allow anyone to steal what belongs to you. Don¡¯t slouch,¡± she tapped Kate¡¯s back.


    .....


    Katrina and Kate walked hand in hand down to the dining room and were greeted by the sight of rk sitting where Desmond once sat the moment they walked in.


    ¡°He has no shame,¡± Kate muttered, taken aback by his bold behavior. ¡®He¡¯s not hiding what he wants,¡¯ she thought.


    Katrina decided not toment on where rk sat. After all, that seat was the only thing he would get to enjoy. ¡°Do you like the room prepared for you, rk? I¡¯m afraid the one you normally use is not in the best condition.¡±


    ¡°Giving me a smaller room won¡¯t make me run for the hills, Katrina. I¡¯ve slept in smaller rooms on my many travels.¡±


    ¡°Travels? Is that what people refer to as being kicked out of your homes for not paying rent and then having to bounce from room to room in rtives¡¯ homes? What an interesting title you¡¯ve given it. Anyone else would think you were an adventurer instead of a man running from debt,¡± Katrina didn¡¯t care to hide their bad blood in front of Kate.


    ¡°You should know I spent countless days in the red light district all over the kingdom. You¡¯d be surprised how much those girls remember about people who used to work there. Would you like to hear about anyone in town who used to be there?¡± rk grinned, taking full enjoyment in Katrina¡¯s anger when she fought hard to hide it.


    ¡°Are you trying to allude that my mother is from the red light district? Pleasee up with a better lie,¡± Kate spoke up in defense of her mother. ¡°First youe here to harass us, you¡¯ve sat in my father¡¯s seat, and now you refer to my mother as a woman who sold her body. I believe it is time for you to leave, uncle.¡±


    ¡°Should I? There¡¯s someone who invited me for drinks tonight and there is still time for me to meet with him. I will leave you two alone to have dinner and returnter,¡± rk stood up from his seat.


    He was not leaving because Kate was angry and wanted him gone. rk was leaving to show that since he hinted at knowing something about Katrina¡¯s past, she would not want him out of her sight and would have no choice but to wee him back inside when he returnedter. Tides were about to turn for him thanks to what information he was digging up about Katrina.


    ¡°You must not return. My mother and I will not allow it,¡± said Kate.


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know about that,¡± rk¡¯s eyes flickered from Kate to a silent Katrina. ¡°I have a feeling your mother will not turn me away.¡± He picked up the ss of wine offered to him and finished every drop of it before cing the empty ss back on the table. ¡°My brother certainly has good taste in wine. I will see you two lovelydies soon.¡±


    Kate red at the back of rk¡¯s body as he walked away. ¡°That insufferable man.¡±


    ¡°Kate, enjoy dinner. I wish to be alone,¡± Katrina informed Kate before walking away from the dining table.


    ¡°Mother-¡±


    ¡°Kate!¡± James, who had been watching the entire exchange, stopped Kate from chasing after Katrina. ¡°You should leave your mother. You know better than I do that she will not like to face you at a time when she is deeply upset with your uncle. Give her time to calm down.¡±


    Kate knew that James was right. Her mother was prideful and always hid to avoid showing Kate when she was breaking down or deeply upset. ¡°James, please check on her and make sure she eats.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± James replied.


    He hurried after Katrina out of the dining room to check on her as Kate wanted. He was curious to know if there was some truth about the red light district to make the Baroness storm off.


    ¡°Baroness!¡± He called after her but Katrina ignored his calls. James didn¡¯t care to hurry after her as she would eventually end up in her bedroom. ¡°Baroness,¡± he knocked on her bedroom door before entering and found her sitting on her bed.


    ¡°I am so sick and tired of people trying to snatch away what is mine. I should have just killed him the first time he came to my door.¡±


    ¡°Baroness,¡± James called for her once more as he closed the door behind him and locked it.


    ¡°What!¡± Katrina yelled, taking her frustration out on him. She did not need James here right now.


    ¡°Each drink he has requested and even the one he had at the table, I have poisoned,¡± James revealed what he did behind her back.


    Katrina stared at him in shock beforeughing. ¡°Hahaha, I¡¯ve found a dog who knows how to act without my orders. Well done, James,¡± her mood quickly changed. ¡°How many drinks has he had?¡±


    ¡°Four.¡±


    ¡°It would be great if the poison could work quickly and he dropped dead while he was out with a friend. This still does not get rid of my anger,¡± Katrina raked her hand through her blonde locks. She was still fuming with rage from the mention of the red light district. She needed to let out the anger she had built up over thest couple of days from Edgar, Alessandra, and now rk.. ¡°James,e here.¡±


    Lately, she had noticed how appealing he was. Much better than herte husband.


    Without any idea of what would follow, James approached the bed expecting Katrina to give him another order but instead found himself falling against the soft mattress.


    ¡°B-Baroness,¡± his cheeks turned red when Katrina shamelessly straddled him.


    ¡°Do you have any idea how much of a torture it was to sleep with Desmond? He is not as youthful or good-looking as you are,¡± she touched James¡¯s smooth cheek. ¡°It has been a long time since I have enjoyed being in bed with a man.¡±


    ¡°Baroness, I do not wish to do this with you,¡± James sat up to get away from her but Katrina pinned his hands down against the bed.


    ¡°Do not deny me, James. I am not in the mood for it. Haven¡¯t you noticed by now that I am a woman who gets what she wants?¡± She released his hands now that he was once againying t on his back and began to unbutton his shirt.


    ¡°Baroness,¡± James grabbed her hands to stop her. This was not why he came into the bedroom. He was only here to cheer her up as Kate wanted. ¡°Please let me leave. I do not wish to do this with you.¡±


    He was prepared to shove her off of him but her words were faster than his actions.


    ¡°Move and I will scream bloody murder right now. I will see to it you rot in a cell for taking advantage of me. What a beautiful sight,¡± Katrinamented on the fear in his eyes. ¡°I have been where you are now, wishing to run away but unable to move. Isn¡¯t it wonderful how I have changed the position I am in?¡± She chuckled.


    ¡°Baroness, you know that this is not right. I have shown loyalty to you. Do not hold this over me anymore. Your words will get me killed,¡± James pleaded with her.


    ¡°Indeed you have shown loyalty which is why I can do this with you. Do not move, James,¡± her fingers fumbled with the button to open his pants. ¡°Not until I have released my anger. You¡¯ll certainly find yourself enjoying it. After all, you have been watching me long before this.¡±

 Chapter 141

    141 Jealousy (1)


    ¡°Has Alfred been feeding the two of you too much? I feel like you have gotten bigger while I was not around. I hope we can find your mother and take her in too,¡± Alessandra said while she yed with the two kittens using a feather she found. ¡°I bought gifts for you two. Why are the two of you nice to me when Edgar is not around?¡±


    ¡®Where has Edgar gone?¡¯ She looked at the door.


    Alessandra had not seen Edgar since theirst conversation. He was giving her space but wasn¡¯t this too much space? When was he nning on returning?


    She sat on the floor ying with the kittens to pass time until dinner would be ready. Sally visited for a short moment to bring the kittens and informed Alessandra that shest saw Edgar walking around with Caleb.


    ¡°Caleb must be telling Edgar everything that happened today. He¡¯s my guard but he¡¯s Edgar¡¯s eyes and ears when he¡¯s not around. I don¡¯t mind,¡± said Alessandra.


    Before Edgar left he asked how her day was and listened to everything she had to say. She knew he had to be curious about the conversation she had with rk.


    ¡°Everyone seems to be more concerned about money and appearances rather than my father¡¯s funeral. I wonder how he must feel to see they don¡¯t care about him. What do you think?¡± Alessandra lifted up the ck kitten. ¡°Do not fuss. I will put you back on the floor with your sibling.¡±


    The bedroom door opened and Edgar stepped in. ¡°What is making you smile so much? Is it those two troublemakers who are trying to climb everything?¡±


    ¡°I was thinking it would be nice to have more of them around-¡±


    .....


    ¡°No,¡± Edgar denied her request. He was never a pet person and only brought in the kittens because Alessandra lost the one she had before. He could not handle a bunch of tiny creatures running around.


    ¡°What about other animals? Like a dog? Certainly, you would want a dog,¡± said Alessandra.


    ¡°I have dogs. Specifically, hunting dogs. This is not a farm and I am not a pet person.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t fooling me,¡± Alessandramented on the fact the kittens left her side to y around Edgar¡¯s feet and he allowed them. ¡°You¡¯re the one who always says I can do whatever I want. Therefore, do not be surprised if you find the number of animals increasing daily.¡±


    ¡°Do not be surprised when you find them disappearing,¡± Edgar retorted.


    ¡°Where have you been all this time?¡± Alessandra asked


    ¡°With Caleb. Why?¡± Edgar was amused by her question. ¡°Did you miss me? You just needed to say the word and I would have returned.¡±


    ¡°I asked one simple question and you¡¯ve jumped ahead with so many conclusions. Did Caleb tell you everything from the moment I left or just about my uncle?¡±


    ¡°Just your uncle and the encounter you had with two youngdies from the past. I must know the type of people who speak negatively of you or try to harm you so that I can be cautious in the future. I did not let him inform me of anything else. I don¡¯t n to invade your privacy,¡± Edgar truthfully replied.


    ¡°I am not upset by it. I know you¡¯re reasoning behind having a chat with Caleb. I¡¯m sure there are many dangers Caleb noticed today that I did not. He must have informed you. You have no idea how it feels to not be paranoid and constantly look over my shoulder. I was rxed the entire time because Caleb was there so thank you for assigning him to me.¡±


    Edgar saw a golden opportunity arise at this moment. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I receive a gift? A kiss on the cheek is always free.¡±


    Alessandra couldn¡¯t help herself from ring at Edgar. ¡°Why can¡¯t you just do things from the bottom of your heart without expecting something in return?¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you noticed by now that I am not that type of person? The sooner you realize that the less you¡¯ll hear me asking for a kiss because you¡¯ll do it on your own. Imagine how wonderful that would be. Has the swelling on your feet gone down?¡± Edgar carefully walked around the two kittens to go to her side.


    ¡°It has but they are still red. I¡¯m going to take a break from my shoes for a moment. I hope the maids won¡¯t be too shocked seeing me walk around barefoot. Then again, you walk around in nothing but trousers so it should be fine. It is almost winter and you are walking around almost naked,¡± Alessandra only now realized the two negative sides of how Edgar was dressed. ¡°You¡¯ll catch a cold and the maids will be distracted.¡±


    She already saw how they snuck nces at him while he was fully clothed.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for your jealousy and possessiveness toe out. Do not worry, Alessandra. My body belongs to you at the end of the day. Touch it all you want,¡± Edgar spread his arms wide open for Alessandra to touch wherever she wanted.


    ¡°I am being serious with you, Edgar. Please wear proper clothes when you are walking around. At least a shirt with your trousers.¡±


    ¡°Outside is cold but the inside of the house is incredibly hot and the only way to change that is by opening windows. Then everyone willin about the cold air. It¡¯s not like I have been walking around the house like this. I went straight to the privacy of my office which only Alfred visits. Can¡¯t I do that?¡± Edgar asked.


    Alessandra felt like there was a child before her asking for permission to do something. It was true if he was going to his office where it would be only him, Alfred, and Caleb there would be nothing wrong. Especially when areas of the house were certainly hot.


    ¡°You mustn¡¯t forget I hurried out of our bedroom without getting the chance to change to give you a moment to calm down your emotions,¡± Edgar shifted the me onto her.


    ¡°I forgot about that,¡± Alessandra now remembered what happened earlier. She had arrived in the middle of him drying his hair. She was thankful when she returned and didn¡¯t find him there. ¡°That doesn¡¯t excuse the other times you have walked around like this. Sally speaks with the maids and they¡¯ve informed her of this being their entertainment aside from the men outside training.¡±


    ¡°I train outside shirtless because of the sweat. What will happen then? Must I wear a shirt and continue to be hot?¡±


    ¡°No, but,¡± Alessandra found herself trapped in a corner. Rather than beat around the bush, she decided to be bold and say, ¡°I do not want the maids to be staring at you.¡±


    Edgar ran the tip of his tongue along his teeth. He thought nothing for the rest of the day could top their earlier moment when he touched her breast but he was proven wrong. Already she wasing out of her shell. Perhaps a bit too far but why on earth would he stop her when it was getting so good? ¡°I¡¯ll train d in armor if it pleases you. In return, you should only buy gifts for me.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Alessandra didn¡¯t understand his request. ¡°I¡¯ve only bought things for myself, you, the kittens, and the house.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s irritating that you have already forgotten one other gift but I will let it slide. Perhaps I am that petty to take it away. I need to find Caleb after dinner.¡±

 Chapter 142

    142 Jealousy (2)


    ¡°You can¡¯t possibly be referring to the charm I have given Caleb? You aren¡¯t, right?¡± Alessandra questioned, expecting Edgar to say no.


    ¡°You should be proud of yourself, my sweet wife. You unlocked a new emotion in your dear husband. Jealousy. I have to say it ties in well with anger,¡± Edgar walked by Alessandra as he spoke. ¡°Such a dangerous emotion.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you mean to tell me that you have never experienced jealousy?¡± Alessandra found that hard to believe. She was not excluded from feeling jealous. She felt it many times in regard to the way her father treated Kate. She was even jealous of the birds being able to fly away while she remained trapped.


    ¡°What was there for me to be jealous of? I grew up with rich parents. If there was something I wanted, I got it. There has never been anything someone had that I wanted to have. Not until Caleb has been waving about that little thing. If he wants one, he should buy his own.¡± Edgar could hardly focus on what Caleb was saying when the little green charm was taunting him.


    ¡°I can not believe this,¡± Alessandra muttered.


    ¡°Let me help you understand it. Would you be happy if I buy you a ne and another woman the same ne because she is my good friend?¡±


    ¡°A small charm you put on a sword and a ne are two different things. How on earth did we get to this?¡± Alessandra sighed. She could not remember what they were talking about a moment ago before this conversation. ¡°Let¡¯s put an end to this. I am going down for dinner,¡± she stood up from the floor. ¡°Please behave,¡± she told the kittens as she passed by.


    ¡°How rude of you. I came back in to walk downstairs with you but you are leaving me all alone,¡± Edgar exited the closet wearing a short sleeve shirt and long pants. Like Alessandra, he wasn¡¯t wearing any shoes to share the stares she would receive from the servants.


    ¡°You did not have to take off your shoes,¡± said Alessandra. She was slightly concerned by how quickly he was able to get dressed.


    .....


    ¡°This will be a test of how well the servants and Alfred cleans the floors. If our feet are dirty someone needs to get fired-¡±


    ¡°Duchess! Oh, sorry,¡± Sally apologized for yelling as soon as the door was opened.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Alessandra questioned due to Sally¡¯s frantic appearance.


    ¡°Well,¡± Sally bit her lip wondering if she should say this when Alfred was already trying to get rid of their guest but she was already up to here and couldn¡¯t resist informing Alessandra. ¡°We have guests.¡±


    ¡°Is it my uncle?¡¯


    ¡°It¡¯s my mother,¡± Edgar rolled his eyes and released a sigh. Their room was far from the gates but he was certain he could hear his mother yelling at the top of her lungs. No one should ever underestimate how loud she could be or maybe there was just a voice in his head whenever his mother was around. ¡°Am I right?¡±


    Sally nodded. ¡°She is here with your father. They wish to have dinner with the two of you and it seems your father is promising to be civil with you. Your mother does not like being stopped at the gates. That is what I heard from another servant.¡±


    ¡°Of course when everything is calm my motheres to rain fire over mynd. I will be back shortly,¡± Edgar walked past Alessandra to deal with another nuisance at the gates. He needed to find a way to get his parents out of town or most likely call in for backup against his mother. There was only one person to make his mother stay silent.


    Edgar took his time walking downstairs and hummed a peaceful tune to remain calm before the bullshit he would have to face. At least the men at the gate were doing their jobs correctly by not allowing his parents inside no matter how much his mother yelled.


    ¡°Back to work or be fired,¡± he informed the maids looking out the windows by the front door.


    ¡°Right away, Duke Collins.¡±


    Edgar walked outside barefoot, unbothered by the pebbles of many shapes and sizes pressing into his feet as he walked.


    ¡°Edgar! I knew you would not leave us be,¡± Prisci said, delighted that Edgar hade out to let them in. ¡°The butler here is speaking to us as if we aremon folk.¡±


    ¡°Prisci now is not the time,¡± Edmund gently pushed her head out of the way so that he could speak with Edgar. ¡°It is important, son.¡±


    Edgar gave Alfred¡¯s appearance a look over. ¡°You two are stressing out, Alfred. Only I can do that. Have you forgotten that paper, pens, and mailing have been created, father? Return home and send me a letter.¡±


    ¡°It is about the maid who died,¡± said Edmund.


    Edgar looked down at his attire and then back up at his father. ¡°Do I look like a town guard to you? Whatever you know concerning her death, take it into town and help the guards solve the case. I don¡¯t care. It¡¯s your wife¡¯s fault for trying to spy on me and now you¡¯re tangled up in this murder case.¡±


    ¡°Son, I need to speak with you. Your mother promises not to disrespect your wife. You know that if it was something I could send on a simple piece of paper, I would not be here at your gates begging toe in,¡± Edmund spoke the truth and Edgar knew it.


    ¡°I believe that it is important,¡± Edgar began. ¡°But I do not believe she will not disrespect my wife. Father, you can stay but she must return home.¡±


    ¡°Edgar, you cannot treat me this way. I have note all this way to fight with your wife only to be sent back momentster. I will be on my best behavior,¡± Prisci promised.


    ¡°Your best behavior has many ws. It is rotten. I do not have the time nor the patience to let you ruin my marriage. You have your own marriage that you can continue to ruin. Leave me be. Alfred,¡± Edgar lifted Alfred¡¯s head to make him stop looking at the ground. ¡°Do not bow your head to them. It¡¯s cold. Come back inside.¡±


    ¡°You treat the butler better than your own parents!¡± Prisci eximed. She did not go through excruciating pain inbor just for this.


    ¡°You birthed me but Alfred raised me. I won¡¯t say it again,¡± Edgar replied.


    ¡°Edgar, please give them the chance toe inside. Your father would not havee here for no reason. Please do it for me. I can have your mother seated far away from Alessandra. It is time you and your mother start to mend your rtionship.¡±


    ¡°Oh boy,¡± Edgar ced his hands on his hips and looked to the sky. ¡°Alfred, you know her well enough that she will go after Alessandra if I let her in. I don¡¯t give a fuck what my father has to say about the dead girl. That is their problem. What on earth has gotten into you.¡±


    ¡®As much as I hate Prisci, I feel sorry for her. I feel that it is wrong that her son cares for me in front of her,¡¯ Alfred thought but he could not express this to Edgar.


    Noticing a figure approaching them in the distance, Alfred proposed, ¡°Let us see what the Duchess thinks, and then we make a decision.¡±

 Chapter 143

    143 [Bonus chapter] War at the table (1)


    Edgar pinched the bridge of his nose. ¡°Do not tell me that Alessandra ising.¡±


    ¡°The Duchess ising,¡± said Alfred.


    ¡°Why the fuck...¡± Edgar turned around to where he came from and saw Alessandraing towards them. He wanted her to stay behind for a good reason. Did she not hear who was at their gates? ¡°Alessandra, I said I would deal with it.¡±


    ¡°It didn¡¯t look like you were having a pleasant talk and I decided I should be by your side rather than hiding inside. What is happening?¡± Alessandra snuck a nce at the carriage on the outside of the gates. Edmund waved while Prisci red at her.


    ¡°Nothing we have to be concerned with-¡±


    ¡°Edgar¡¯s father has something to tell them about the girl Jennifer,¡± Alfred talked over Edgar. ¡°Edmund swears their time in the house will not end like thatst. I am asking Edgar to let them in. It must be truly important for his father to visit.¡±


    ¡°It must be,¡± Alessandra agreed with Alfred. It was obvious Edgar was not letting in his parents because of her. As much as she didn¡¯t like where she ended with Prisci both at the ball and herst visit, Alessandra did not think Edmund should pay for his wife¡¯s actions. ¡°Let them in, Edgar. We are about to have dinner anyway. You can talk with your father afterward.¡±


    ¡°Alessandra,¡± he stared at her in disbelief. ¡°You want me to allow my mother inside after she dug her nails in you thest time?¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t happen again,¡± Alessandra replied with great certainty. Prisci would not be given a second opportunity to harm her. Also, she did not n to hide away from Prisci when they were bound to meet again. Alessandra did not want Hazel or Edgar to shield her from Prisci. ¡°Please.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Just know that when all of this blows up, this was your fault,¡± Edgar pointed at Alfred. Alfred knew his mother well enough to know she couldn¡¯t keep her mouth shut to save her life. Alfred should be siding with him and Alessandra should not be out here in the first ce. ¡°Open the gates. This is going to be such a headache,¡± Edgar muttered as he walked away.


    ¡°Where is he going?¡± Alessandra asked as Edgar was not walking in the direction of the front door.


    ¡°Most likely to cool off or maybe he is going for some rope to tie up his mother to a chair,¡± Alfred joked.


    ¡°That is not funny,¡± Alessandra replied, covering her mouth with her hand to hide herughter. Perhaps Edgar should also find something to stuff her mouth with.


    ¡°Are you two done? You have been standing there having a private conversation while excluding the people who want to get- Hey!¡± Prisci yelled when Alfred and Alessandra started walking toward the house, obviously ignoring her. ¡°Do you see that Edmund?¡±


    ¡°Yes and I¡¯d walk away to avoid hearing you too,¡± Edmund cleaned out his ear after all her yelling. They were granted entry and already Prisci could not keep her promise to remain civil. ¡°I have not yet forgotten what you have done. Do not upset me further.¡±


    ¡°Do you honestly think I care that you are upset with me? You don¡¯t care about what I have done, you care about what it will do to your perfect little image. Instead of running to Edgar to make him hate me even more, we should have stayed home. The only bright side is that I have gotten inside to see that wrench-¡±


    ¡°Prisci,¡± Edmund called her name in a low tone. It took every restraint inside of his body not to yell at her. ¡°Do not ruin this night with your antics or I will kick you out before Edgar gets a chance to. What the hell is wrong with you?¡± He shook his head.


    Edmund exited the carriage as soon as it stopped and did not bother to help Prisci get out.


    ¡°That brute. Both of them could use a lesson in treating me better. I do not need your help,¡± Prisci snapped at the coachman and ignored his helping hand. ¡°I have no idea where your hands have been.¡±


    ¡®Was that necessary?¡¯ Alessandra thought after witnessing the exchange from afar. She could imagine having to work for Prisci and having to keep a smile on your face. ¡®It¡¯s a shame women like this are looked up to by other young women.¡¯


    ¡°Money cannot buy ss,¡± Alfredmented on Prisci¡¯s outburst. ¡°You¡¯d be surprised how different she acts at social events. You would never expect her to act this way. She pretends to be innocent and lets the younger girls do her dirty work. The more you are around her, the more you will see it is easy to outy her. I have done it for years to remain by Edgar¡¯s side. I am wishing you luck in breaking down her ego but more importantly, fixing her rtionship with Edgar.¡±


    Alessandra watched Prisci storm into the home and knew the promised peace would not happen. ¡°Sometimes it¡¯s best to let go of family ties. No one should put up with this forever simply because of blood. Holding onto hope for my family ced me in a dark ce for years. I prefer to be happy than be around draining family members. I stand by whatever decision Edgar makes when ites to his mother.¡±


    Alessandra did note here to save the rtionship Edgar barely had with her mother. If Edgar never wanted to see his mother again, she would not convince him otherwise like tonight. She only sided with Alfred tonight because of how kind Edmund was to her when they first met.


    ¡°I suppose I should not ask you to do otherwise. Husband and wife should be on the same page. At least for tonight, I hope that you show her you are not an easy opponent. You¡¯ve tamed the beast I¡¯ve been raising so you should be able to do anything. Excuse me but I need to go ahead and prepare the table for our two extra guests,¡± Alfred gave her a pat on the arm before rushing inside.


    ¡®And I must prepare for war,¡¯ Alessandra thought.

 Chapter 144

    144 War at the table (2)


    Alessandra entered the house ready for whatever Prisci would throw her way.


    ¡°Duchess, my shoes,¡± a maid awkwardly scratched the back of her head and tried to hide her bare feet as much as possible.


    ¡°Oh right,¡± Alessandra looked down at the shoes she borrowed to go outside. ¡°Pleasee to my room after dinner. I will give you one of mine that I have not worn as a thank you for offering me your shoes.¡±


    ¡°T-That¡¯s not needed, Duchess,¡± the young girl blushed. ¡°Excuse me.¡±


    ¡°What interesting habits you have,¡± Edmundmented on the sight of Alessandra standing barefoot. ¡°Have you and my son grown tired of shoes? He wasn¡¯t wearing any a moment ago.¡±


    ¡°I was out all day so my feet were a little swollen and red. Edgar was kind enough not to wear his shoes so that I do not seem odd. Now that I think about it, why do we have to wear shoes inside our homes? It¡¯s such a hassle,¡± said Alessandra.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be honest, I take them off as soon as I get home. It¡¯s not like the floors are dirty and I wash my feet before getting in bed. It¡¯s a surprise my son took it upon himself not to wear shoes along with you,¡± Edmund found that little detail to be interesting considering this was Edgar. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ve been meaning to give you a gift as my daughter-inw. Think of what you want and when you are ready, please tell me.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Should I also give you a gift?¡±


    ¡°No no. I¡¯m meant to be the one spoiling you. It¡¯ll be good for me to get on your good side so you can persuade Edgar to see me as you did just now. You and I will be good friends,¡± Edmund winked his right eye.


    .....


    It seemed harmless but Alessandra didn¡¯t like the idea of anyone giving her gifts so they could use her to get to Edgar. Even if it was his own father. Edmund would be disappointed in the future as she had no ns of getting into their business.


    So far she liked Edmund but she did not know him at all. Thest time they were all together it seemed like he was ying a game between her and Heather but when things got out of hand, he yed peacemaker. Perhaps he did it to tease his son but it ced her in an ufortable situation as Heather clearly liked Edgar.


    An awkward silence fell among the two once the greetings were over.


    ¡°What are you doing standing around with my wife?¡± Edgar narrowed his eyes, finding his father to be suspicious. ¡°You cannot bribe her.¡±


    ¡°I was not trying to. Be careful when walking around barefoot, son. You might bruise your skin and make your mother have a heart attack.¡±


    ¡°If only,¡± Edgar grabbed Alessandra¡¯s hand as he passed by and pulled her away from his father.


    ¡°I will see you at dinner shortly,¡± Alessandra said to Edmund. ¡°Slow down, Edgar.¡¯


    Edgar released her hand when they reached an empty space in the hall. ¡°What¡¯s going on here, Alessandra? Have you forgotten thest two encounters you had with my mother? I¡¯m her son and I don¡¯t even want to be around her. Speak truthfully.¡±


    ¡°Your father wishes to speak to you about Jennifer. He shouldn¡¯t be excluded from your life because of what your rtionship with your mother is like. Maybe he has some clues about what happened to her and will be able to show you were not involved so no one gets the wrong idea because she was your maid.¡±


    ¡°Alessandra, I don¡¯t give a damn about public opinion. I don¡¯t care if people think I was involved in her death. Facts wille outter or maybe they won¡¯t but eventually, this town will move into something else. I know I had nothing to do with her death so think about it. The only reason my father is here is that he has an idea who did it and wants me to either hide or expose it. I¡¯m not getting involved,¡± said Edgar.


    Alessandra did not see it that way. It was true if Edgar had nothing to do with it, why was Edmund here instead of going to the town guards? Was Edmund truly here to make Edgar hide who the killer is? The only person she could think of Edmund trying to hide the truth for was Prisci. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for being rash with my decision,¡± she apologized. ¡°I only want for her murder to be solved so the guards no longer view you as a suspect and for your father not to be pushed away because of your mother.¡±


    ¡°You might not see it yet but I have equal issues with my father as my mother. I¡¯m more level-headed with him because he¡¯s not as stubborn as my mother. The night was going so good,¡± he picked up a strand of her hair and caressed it. ¡°I was expecting to end on a high note.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t if you allow your mother to stress you.¡±


    ¡°I was avoiding that by not letting her inside but someone went ahead and sided with Alfred. We can still throw them out now if you have changed your mind,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°If I was passing by you on the street and heard you say this, I would never assume you are meaning your parents. If your mother, at any point in time, gets out of her seat toe for me, then we can throw them out. I don¡¯t mind her words. It¡¯s about time I show I can handle anything as your wife. Edgar?¡± Alessandra had to take a step back to bnce herself after Edgar rested his head against her shoulder.


    ¡°You make me conflicted. I don¡¯t know if I should protect you or let you bring chaos to this town as I anticipated,¡± his muffled words against her skin were heard.


    ¡°After the pain that I¡¯ve endured over the years due to ridiculous rumors, you should let me bring chaos. What a mighty married couple we would be,¡± Alessandra said as she imagined how tables could turn in the future.


    ¡°Do not say that because now I am looking for some entertainment. Let¡¯s go to dinner,¡± he lifted his head from her shoulder. ¡°I can hear your stomach muttering that it is hungry.¡±


    ¡°That is not true!¡± Alessandra eximed as she would have felt her own stomach. ¡°I am warning you, one of these days I am going to tease you far beyond what you have done to me and you¡¯ll regret always ying with me.¡±

 Chapter 145

    145 War at the table (3)


    ¡°About time,¡± Prisci said due to the fact she was the only one seated at the table. ¡°How much longer were you all going to make me wait? I¡¯m sure everyone here was taught proper manners not to leave anyone alone at a table by themselves. Well,¡± she briefly nced at Alessandra. ¡°I would hope so.¡±


    ¡°We have things to do. That¡¯s why you should not unexpectedly arrive at someone¡¯s house, asking to get in. Clearly, you weren¡¯t taught manners in that area,¡± Edgar replied.


    ¡°Settle down. There is no need to get hostile so early. It was wrong of us to leave your mother by the table all alone,¡± Edmund stated. He sat down to the left of Prisci.


    ¡°Alessandra and I left you alone a while ago. What were you doing for you to arrive at the table at the same time as us, father? What were you snooping around for? You¡¯d be a fool to think I leave important things in the open,¡± Edgar spoke as he helped Alessandra to her seat.


    Edmund was proud of Edgar¡¯s straightforward attitude. It was good for Edgar to notice everything. ¡°I wasn¡¯t looking for anything important. It¡¯s been a long time since I have been in your home so I took a look around.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll believe your word the day cats start falling from the sky,¡± Edgar replied. It smelt like bullshit at the table and if he could see smells, the bullshit would being from his father.


    ¡°Is it unfair if I throw cats into the air to make them rain from the sky? Would you take that as a chance for you to believe me? I¡¯m proud of the man you turned out to be but I find it annoying you notice every single thing. Would it kill you to be more rxed, son?¡±


    ¡°It might. I could¡¯ve been dead a long time ago had I not been paying attention. You came with the sole purpose of talking to me. I don¡¯t see why we have to entertain you with dinner but since we are here, eat quickly so that you can return to where you¡¯vee from,¡± Edgar stated without an ounce of care about how rude it might be.


    Alessandra tapped Edgar on his thigh to make him be kinder with his words but when she moved her hand to ce it back on herp, Edgar held onto it tightly and kept her hand on his thigh. Alessandra tapped her finger against his thigh, begging to be let go. It would be awkward to have a tug and war in front of his parents to make Edgar release her hand.


    .....


    To make the matter worse, Edgar grinned at her. Somehow, she could hear him saying got you.


    ¡°Are the two of you fooling around under the table?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Alessandra quickly denied Edmund¡¯s im.


    Edmund chuckled, not believing her for a second.


    ¡°There is a time and a ce for everything,¡± Prisci fixed her gaze on Alessandra as she spoke.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t she cute? She couldn¡¯t resist grabbing my hand under the table,¡± Edgar held up their entwined hands.


    ¡®You grabbed my hand!¡¯ Alessandra internally yelled at him. Why was he putting her on the spot like this? At least take credit as the one holding onto her hand.


    ¡°You are still newlyweds. Alessandra, I apologize for ruining your time with my son. It is good to know the two of you can¡¯t keep your hands off of each other. I expect my grandchildren to be arriving in nine-¡±


    ¡°Edmund,¡± Prisci cut off her husband. It wasn¡¯t pleasant to think of Alessandra as the mother of her grandchildren. ¡°You should learn how to act in front of other people. You don¡¯t see me and Edmund acting this way after so many years of being married. Take my advice, Alessandra.¡±


    ¡®We¡¯re only holding hands,¡¯ Alessandra thought. What was the big deal?


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because our emotions are still there. I saw many older couples at the ball just standing around looking like strangers and not being affectionate with each other. I was curious but I didn¡¯t dare speak on it because I should mind my business. There¡¯s now or rule that says I cannot simply hold hands with my husband at a table,¡± Alessandra entwined her fingers with Edgar¡¯s to show she was going against Prisci¡¯s advice.


    Edgar picked up a ss of water and sipped on it. He then lowered the cup to reveal the smile he was trying to hold in.


    Seeing his enjoyment in the matter, Alessandra squeezed his hand as hard as she could but his smile grew wider.


    Edgar leaned over to Alessandra with their hands still entwined and whispered for her ears only, ¡°You should know that I enjoy a little bit of pain. Don¡¯t entice me.¡±


    Alessandra blushed and instantly regretted her actions. How could he say something like that with his parents right there? ¡®He has no shame.¡¯


    Alessandra pushed his head away from her before he could say something else.


    During all of this, Prisci had not taken her eyes off the two of them. She found her son to be acting strangely and if she did not do something soon, Edgar would soon fall in love with Alessandra. After that point, it would be harder to separate the two.


    ¡®Kate needs to do something quickly or I have to do the one thing that can push Alessandra away from Edgar,¡¯ Prisci deviously thought. There was one thing that broke a woman¡¯s trust in her husband. In many cases, the wife would stay around after an affair or run away from the marriage.


    To set up an affair to fool Alessandra was child¡¯s y for Prisci.


    Alfred entered the room with a line of servants behind him and said, ¡°Dinner is served.¡±


    ¡°You have such a gorgeous table. I don¡¯t know why you don¡¯ty out trays of food on it instead of just bringing out tes with our food already on them. And your decor is outdated. I will have someone pay a visit to switch it up for you. Vibrant colors are in style right now. Imagine how it will brighten up your home. Maybe I should prepare it myself,¡± Prisci offered to decorate the home.


    ¡°Leave it. Alessandra will soon change the house to her liking. When do you n to start the paintings I asked for?¡± Edgar asked. Alessandra wasn¡¯t holding up her end of the deal to create paintings for the house so that he could take down the ones he bought from people he did not know.


    ¡°Soon. I¡¯ve found a lot of inspiration. I¡¯ve let go of your hand. Please release mine, Edgar.¡±


    ¡®We¡¯re going to let her of all people try decorating?¡¯ Prisci couldn¡¯t believe this madness. If you want help picking out a mask, sure, go to Alessandra. For decorating, certainly not.


    ¡°I won¡¯t allow it,¡± Prisci dered.


    ¡°It is not for you to allow, mother-inw,¡± Alessandra used the nickname to piss Prisci off just like she used to piss off Katrina by calling her mother.

 Chapter 146

    146 War at the table (4)


    ¡°I am not your mother-inw. I don¡¯t want you to be married to my son. I¡¯m still convinced that this marriage is one big joke Edgar is ying on us. If so, haha. End it now,¡± Prisci shifted her focus to Edgar. ¡°Son.¡±


    ¡°Mother.¡±


    ¡°Father,¡± Edmund inserted himself. ¡°Go on,¡± he urged Alessandra to add to it but she shook her head.


    ¡°Our marriage is real. Stop fighting against me, Alessandra. You won¡¯t be able to free your hand so easily. Let¡¯s stay like this a little longer,¡± said Edgar to Alessandra after she tried pulling her hand away from his.


    Alessandra pointed at the knife and fork. ¡°How will I eat? I cannot use a knife and fork with one hand. And you¡¯re squeezing the life out of my hand. Is this your way of remaining calm?¡± She asked after leaning closer to Edgar.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s my way of making you ufortable,¡± Edgar replied. This was his revenge on her for allowing his parents to stay for dinner.


    ¡°So Alessandra, how has life as Duchess been for you? Is there anything you find to be good or a hassle? I remember hating having a title and everyone expecting me to act a certain way so when my old friend the king tried giving me more titles I denied them. That¡¯s why I just go by Edmund Collins now,¡± Edmund started up a conversation with her.


    ¡°There hasn¡¯t been a hassle so far. I¡¯ve been home most of the time so I¡¯m not expected to be a certain way here. There is no guest aside from my dressmaker-¡±


    Prisci interrupted Alessandra before she could finish.¡±You¡¯re meant to be socializing and building bonds with other youngdies and you have not visited prominent women who deserve respect. What do you know about being a Duchess, I wonder.¡±


    .....


    ¡°It should be understood that I do not wish to be doing much socializing right now when I am a newlywed. There¡¯s also the fact that I am observing everyone around me. I have no need to kiss anyone¡¯s ass to be invited into a circle and seeing that I have not received any invitation to visit anyone, I take it that they do not wish to entertain the idea of being my friend. Perhaps outside of those ridiculous rumors, someone has told otherdies not to befriend me.¡±


    Alessandra knew Prisci was sure to have her friends and their daughters stay far away from her. Alessandra was fine with that as she had no ns to be around others like Prisci or anyone desperate to make Prisci like them. Like Erin, Alessandra knew anyone she tried to befriend would be made an outcast.


    There was also the fact Alessandra knew no one and how they felt about her so she was not going to pay anyone a visit only to be turned away. She was pretty fine with Sally and Erin so far.


    ¡°Are you insinuating that I did it?¡± Prisci asked.


    ¡°I did not call any names but if there is something you feel guilty about please share it. It¡¯ll paint such a nasty picture if my mother-inw is going around telling others to avoid me,¡± Alessandra replied.


    ¡°The people here have their own opinions. If no one likes you, that is their business.¡±


    ¡°Own opinions,¡± Alessandra identally snorted as it was the most ridiculous thing she ever heard. ¡°That is far from the truth. Is this the same town that heard I curse people and ran with it for many years? Honestly, you don¡¯t like me because of those rumors. If you were a decent human being you would be more concerned about the fact I was severely hurt in my father¡¯s home when I was a child. I find that you don¡¯t have your own opinion.¡±


    ¡°I certainly do. I hate more than just your face and whatever others say. Your background does not match Edgar¡¯s. Only you benefit from this marriage. There are other young women suited for my son-¡±


    ¡°But he won¡¯t be happy. You¡¯ve introduced him to several women. You even have the audacity to bring one here with you the first time you visit. None of them he had chosen to be with. I question whether your ultimate goal was to make sure Edgar has a family and doesn¡¯t remain alone or if you just want his wife to be someone you can control so that you can then meddle in his life more,¡± Alessandra argued.


    Prisci took great offense to Alessandramenting on the things she did as a mother. Alessandra was not around for long to have an opinion. ¡°I do not expect someone who did not have a mother around, was not liked by her stepmother, or might not be a mother to understand the things I do for my son.¡±


    Alessandra squeezed Edgar¡¯s hand when she saw him about to reply to his mother. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve had a mother who ran away without thinking about me. A stepmother who mistreated me as she liked and I have no idea if I can be a mother until I try. Based on my experience, I can certainly point out a mother with ws.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Edmund decided it was time for their argument to end.


    ¡°Why?¡± Alessandra didn¡¯t see why he was stopping it now and not when Prisci was picking at her earlier. ¡°Is it because you expected I¡¯d sit there and take her words?¡±


    ¡°No, but you should respect your elders. She is still your mother-inw. Prisci, you should-¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that,¡± Alessandra spoke up. ¡°Respect is a two-way street. I¡¯ve been respectful since I first met the two of you but I ended up with marks on my shoulder. I¡¯ve been disrespected for a long time and I don¡¯t n to sit quietly anymore. Not even with my mother-inw. I don¡¯t n to pick fights with you out of the blue. That¡¯s not my personality but I will defend myself.¡±


    ¡°How can I be respectful to someone I don¡¯t want here? Edgar, it¡¯s upsetting that you are sitting here and allowing her to talk to me as she pleases in your home. I was not that bad of a parent for you to let someone disrespect me,¡± Prisci stated, looking for Edgar to aid her for once.


    ¡°I did not see her disrespect you. You have been taking jabs at her. Keep in mind the only reason you are in this house is that she invited you inside. You were meant to be civil but you can¡¯t do that if your life depended on it. Here,¡± Edgar released Alessandra¡¯s hand and started to cut her meat to make up for prolonging her eating. ¡°If anything, I am the one who is disrespectful to you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d you have noticed. I have only wanted the best for you. I take my precious time to go through a list of young women and pick out the ones that would be suited for you. I look at their families and how they would benefit you but you have never been thankful. Then you run off and marry her behind our backs. Do you have any idea how this makes me appear to your father¡¯s side of the family?¡± Prisci had already begun to receive letters concerning Edgar¡¯s marriage.


    Other Collins found it unbelievable that Edgar had settled down. Some thought he was mad to settle for a Baron¡¯s daughter.


    ¡°I n to pay grandmother a visit soon to introduce her to Alessandra. Once they have been introduced and grandmother likes her, all the others will shut up,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°What makes you so confident my mother will like your wife? I mean no offense with this,¡± Edmund exined to Alessandra so she wouldn¡¯t think he was talking negatively of her. ¡°My mother is hard to please.¡±


    ¡°She could never hate the wife of her favorite grandchild,¡± Edgar replied.


    ¡°You are her only grandchild.¡±


    ¡°So?¡± Edgar did not see what that had to do with him being the favorite.


    Prisci abruptly stood up from her seat. After years of constant disrespect from Edmund¡¯s mother, Edgar had not once spoken up to make his grandmother like his mother. He always remained quiet but now, he was going to let Alessandra be epted? Nothing wounded her more than the way Edgar treated her.


    It was Edmund¡¯s fault for not letting Edgar remain in the school would have molded him into a perfect son. Edmund allowed his mother to put this house in Edgar¡¯s name and the butler to be the caretaker.


    ¡°I am not going to stay where I have been disrespected. I give up on you son. Ruin your life for all I care. One day you wille to me with regret for never listening. I will no longer find you a suitable woman. Edmund, get the hell up we are leaving,¡± Prisci stormed away from the table to go back outside to their carriage.


    Edmund remained calm and collected by taking his time to eat his food. He came here to speak with Edgar and he was not leaving just yet. Prisci could take the carriage and leave for all he cared. He was reaching his limit with hertely


    As Edgar poured out water into Alessandra¡¯s cup, he said, ¡°Whatever you have to say to me, do it quickly and then follow your wife. Whatever you have to say, you can say it in front of my wife.¡±

 Chapter 147

    147 War at the table (5)


    ¡°Edgar, men like you and I are used to these types of conversations but we should not let the Duchess hear what we are about to discuss. We should move to a private room,¡± said Edmund.


    ¡°I do not mind,¡± Alessandra said to Edmund¡¯s surprise. If she asked about itter, Edgar would tell her what was discussed. Why wait when she could hear it now? ¡°I am curious to know what happened to Jennifer and why you havee to Edgar instead of reporting it to the town guards.¡±


    ¡°It was my understanding that you did not like the maid? Didn¡¯t she harm you?¡± Edmund did not see why she would want to know about someone who hurt her. Shouldn¡¯t she be d the girl was dead?


    ¡°Yes but that does not mean I cannot find her death to be peculiar. Why did she die not long after she left with your wife?¡± Alessandra kept her gaze on Edmund to try reading his expression. It was hard when he always seemed to look amused but she would seed eventually. She deals with trying to understand Edgar daily and he was more difficult than Edmund.


    ¡®She¡¯s different than I thought,¡¯ Edmund came to a conclusion. From their first meeting, he thought of Alessandra being someone who wouldn¡¯tst but from the way she spoke to Prisci and her gaze right now, he had certainly misread her. He was starting to understand why his son married her.


    ¡°It is an odd story and it ces us in a bad position where we look suspicious. However, we had nothing to do with her death,¡± Edmund lied to protect his wife.


    Edmund liked Alessandra but he didn¡¯t trust her enough to keep what he needed to say a secret. Not after how she just went against Prisci. Alessandra could try using his news to make Prisci quiet. He found women loved to have something they could use against the other.


    Meanwhile, Alessandra didn¡¯t think Edmund was telling her the truth but she was not going to force the truth out of him. She only wanted to genuinely know what happened to Jennifer. Based on Edmund¡¯s behavior, she knew Prisci had something to do with the death and if this was correct, Prisci should be exposed.


    Alessandra did not like Jennifer but no one deserved to die with their killer left without any punishment. Alessandra wondered if she might one day eat her words as there was a lot about Edgar that she did not know. For example, what was he keeping in the dungeon he had ced Jennifer in? Was it just there for trespassers or something more?


    .....


    ¡°If you have nothing to do with her death, why are you here? This could have been said in a letter. If you are holding in the truth simply because Alessandra is here, I won¡¯t care to hear what you have to say. I¡¯m giving you one chance, to be honest. Are you here because my mother had something to do with the maid¡¯s death?¡± Edgar asked, getting to the point rather than running around in circles like his father.


    Feeling backed into a corner, Edmund decided to say what he knew. ¡°Yes, I believe she may be involved. I¡¯ve done my own investigation and found that your mother met with the maid once more before she died. I have no idea what was discussed but it cannot be a coincidence. I need to find more evidence of whether your mother had something to do-¡±


    ¡°What does this have to do with me?¡± Edgar questioned as he did not see the point of his father¡¯s visit. He already knew his mother killed the maid. It wouldn¡¯t be the first time she had killed someone out of anger. His mother¡¯s family was always quick to hide whatever his mother did wrong. ¡°I¡¯m not going to help you hide what she did.¡±


    ¡°I know that you won¡¯t but I cannot allow your mother¡¯s actions to be found out-¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s be frank, you don¡¯t want this to affect your precious little image, I do not have time to waste saving you from being questioned about the type of woman you have married. Handle this on your and do note to me. I¡¯ve talked about that maid who made more than I like. When you have finished your te, please leave father,¡± Edgar bluntly spoke.


    Edmund found Edgar to be a little bit harsh but he could not me Edgar for not wanting to help them. They were terrible parents and Edgar had long grown tired of them. ¡°I see. Do not speak a word of this to anyone,¡± he looked at Alessandra. ¡°Do not try ckmailing my wife with what you¡¯ve heard just now. There are many things about you I can find out and use against you if you do.¡±


    Edgar¡¯s faintughter switched the attention back to him. ¡°To sit here and threaten my wife while I am present, you truly are bold but I suggest you shut your mouth before I truly be angry. It appears my patience with having you in my home has run out. Do not pay a visit ever again unless I have called for you.¡±


    ¡°My biggest regret was not being more present in your life, son. I wanted to change the world and make it safer for others but in doing that, I wasn¡¯t around for you. I¡¯m sorry,¡± Edmund genuinely apologized. ¡°It is not toote for us to try having a better rtionship.¡±


    Alessandra looked to the side of her at Edgar and found him to be causally eating his food, not affected by his father¡¯s apology. She could see now that Edgar grew up with everything he wanted except his parent¡¯s attention. As a child, he must have stopped caring about them. Now as an adult, they were forcing their way into his peaceful life. She wondered what else made Edgar treat his parents this way outside of them not being present in his youth.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t but at the moment, I wish for you to leave.¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± Edmund pushed his chair back and stood up. There was nothing more he could do if Edgar did not want to listen to him and his ns to bury what Prisci did. ¡°Good night,¡± he bid goodbye before walking away.


    ¡°Goodbye. Are you alright, Edgar?¡± Alessandra asked as something did not feel right.


    ¡°Does it look like there is something wrong with me? What is it?¡± Edgar asked.


    ¡°I do not know. You just seemed different while you spoke with your father. Once again, I am sorry for not siding with you. We did not make it to the end of dinner. What a waste,¡± Alessandra stated as Prisci¡¯s food was untouched and Edmund¡¯s te wasn¡¯t empty. ¡°Why would your mother kill Jennifer?¡±


    Edgar poured himself some wine to get rid of the irritating feeling he had. ¡°I would have to get inside her head to know. I¡¯m surprised my father is helping to cover it up. He has exposed many of our family members and their crimes in the past.¡±


    ¡°This time it concerns his wife. Even though they argue a bit, you can tell he cares for her. What if I were to kill someone? Would you get rid of the evidence or take me to the town guards? If you would hide the truth, how would that make you any different from your father? You once said to keep my hands clean, you¡¯ll kill anyone for me,¡± Alessandra recalled his words from a conversation they had.


    ¡°Simple. The public figure he has built up is a man of justice. He ims to expose crimes no matter who the culprit was. It is different for me when the town views me as a monster and I have no issue killing anyone. I would kill anyone for you and let the town know of what I¡¯ve done. I don¡¯t pretend to be anything other than what I am,¡± Edgar replied.


    His father had built up this reputation of being a righteous man and fighting to expose evil around the kingdom. To hide a murdermitted by his wife would go against how the public viewed him. Edmund¡¯s enemies would use this moment to destroy him and everything he built.


    Edgar on the other hand was authentically himself no matter who stood before him. No one could ever find him acting differently.


    ¡°Have you ever killed someone but never told anyone about it?¡± Alessandra just had to know.


    ¡°No, I always tell Alfred about anyone I have killed. He¡¯s quite efficient when ites to cleaning up the bloody mess. Are you afraid of me?¡± Edgar noted her surprised expression. ¡°I have never imed to be a good man when ites to those things but I have never killed anyone innocent. Only those that wish to harm me and in the future, those that wish to harm you.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t always resort to killing my enemies. Making them live without fingers, a hand, or a foot is quite entertaining,¡± Edgar grinned.


    ¡°Edgar, I am a little bit concerned by the fact you are smiling while talking about such things.¡±

 Chapter 148

    148 New rtionships (1)


    ¡°Do not push your vegetables to the side, Alessandra.¡±


    ¡°Stop watching me eat,¡± Alessandra palmed his head with her free hand and pushed it to face his own te. It was ufortable to have someone watching you while you ate. ¡°How much longer do you n to torture me for letting your parentse inside?¡±


    ¡°Till we fall asleep. I told the two of you that inviting them in would be a bad idea but you and Alfred are so stubborn. Now you must deal with the consequences, ¡°Edgar looked at Alfred as he said this. He was messing with Alessandra now but Alfred would soon have his turn.


    ¡°There is someone at the door. I will go check,¡± Alfred excused himself.


    ¡°You cannot abandon me now, Alfred. The two of us must stay together,¡± Alessandra stated as Alfred continued to leave her. ¡°He abandoned me. Were you supposed to be having guests over or do you think it¡¯s your parents?¡±


    Edgar pushed the vegetables Alessandra had ced to the side of her te back in the center. ¡°I¡¯d rather it be no one. I¡¯m not in the mood to deal with anyone else.¡±


    ¡°When are you ever in the mood to deal with anyone? You are far more antisocial than I was expecting,¡± Alessandra chuckled. It was odd how she wanted to mingle and make friends with others in the future but Edgar would want everyone in town to disappear. ¡°I have a feeling you once had the dream of living somewhere deserted where no one could easily ess you.¡±


    ¡°Somewhere far out in the ocean. I n to make my gates higher and buy off thend where roads lead to my home. It would be so much more simple if people would just stop visiting me. Would you like to take a trip out of Lockwood? You can cross off many things from your list if you do.¡±


    ¡°I would love to go somewhere warmer now that Lockwood is starting to get cold. I hope it is not a bad thing to say but I wish to leave when it is time for my father¡¯s funeral. I don¡¯t want to meet with any more rtives,¡± Alessandra said as it was obvious they would seek her out as rk did.


    .....


    ¡°It¡¯s not wrong. I will have Alfred make preparations for you only if you eat the carrots and celery you pushed to the side,¡± Edgarmented after looking down at her te where the vegetables remained. ¡°You normally eat everything. Why aren¡¯t you eating your vegetables tonight?¡±


    ¡°Message from the pce,¡± Alfred interrupted their moment. ¡°Do not look so upset, Edgar. It is not addressed to you. It¡¯s to the Duchess from the queen. Go on and open it,¡± Alfred handed the envelope with the seal of the royal family to Alessandra.


    Alessandra was in disbelief that the queen had sent her a letter. They had a brief talk at the ball but she did not think it would result in a letter. Alessandra quickly opened the letter as she could feel the excitement radiating from Alfred and curiosity from Edgar. ¡°It¡¯s an invitation to have brunch with her tomorrow,¡± she stated after reading the letter.


    Alessandra chuckled when she reached thest part and read it out loud, ¡°After listening to my husband¡¯s cries I¡¯ve been made to add that Tobias would love for Edgar to visit at the same time as you. You are invited to the castle along with me, Edgar.¡±


    ¡°His tactics have changed,¡± Edgarmented as Tobias would use the rtionship forming between Alessandra and Hazel to get him to visit the castle. ¡°I will go just this once.¡±


    ¡°Duchess, it is an honor to be personally invited to the pce by the queen. I don¡¯t think she has been inviting any youngdies for a while. You must have left quite the mark on her. Well done,¡± Alfred apuded Alessandra. He was d she was making another friend. ¡°Should I have a gift prepared?¡±


    ¡°Why? It¡¯s no one¡¯s birthday, wedding, or funeral.¡± Edgar did not see the point of a gift.


    Alessandra became puzzled as to why you would bring a gift to a funeral. Who would you give it to? ¡°Edgar, please tell me you have not prepared a gift for a funeral. If you did, who was it for?¡±


    ¡°The person that died of course,¡± Edgar stated the obvious. ¡°After years of being a pain in my ass, he finally died. It was only right that I brought a gift to celebrate him being gone forever.¡±


    Alessandra opened her mouth but then quickly closed it. Something warned her that she should not ask what Edgar gifted a dead man. Instead, she got up from her seat and left the table.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid one of these days you are going to break the Duchess. Be mindful of the things thate out of your mouth,¡± said Alfred.


    ¡°Would you rather me be a boring husband instead of telling her good stories? She did not eat all of her vegetables. Add some to the menu for breakfast tomorrow,¡± Edgar stood up from his seat to follow Alessandra. ¡°You seem to be in a good mood now but that¡¯ll change when it¡¯s your turn to deal with the consequences of wanting my parents toe inside. Good night Alfred.¡±


    ¡°Good night, young master. Is it time for me to retire?¡± Alfred seriously started to consider the matter.


    Meanwhile,


    In the Barrett household, Katrinaid without any clothes on her bed and stared out the window at the night sky. There was peace right now but as soon as rk returned there would be hell. She was so close to no one being able to take away what she wanted.


    ¡°I should just kill all of his family,¡± Katrina said out of the blue. ¡°What do you think, James? Why are you in a rush to put back on your clothes?¡± She turned on her side to look at him. ¡°I¡¯ve always had a good eye when ites to men. You were much better than myte husband. Just as I thought.¡±


    James paused in the middle of buttoning up his shirt before continuing. Katrina had thoroughly used him until she was satisfied. ¡°What if you be with child? I finished inside of you many times. That should not have happened. This entire situation should not have happened.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not fun when you don¡¯t feel the finish. A while ago you didn¡¯t look this upset when your hands were gripping my thighs and forcing me to take more of you,¡± Katrina chuckled and moved toy t on her back to look at the ceiling. ¡°Rx. I have gotten rid of many unwanted children before.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± James stared at her with confusion written all over his face.


    ¡°The ones before the Baron and with him. One child for Desmond was more than enough and I never wanted a son so that his future wife would live in this house. It is mine. Do not worry about me bing pregnant. I would never bear a child for a butler,¡± she smiled.


    ¡°But you¡¯ll fuck one,¡± James spat.


    ¡°As much as I like. You can sleep with someone and not ever want a child from them. Do not irritate me now. I¡¯ve finally rxed after dealing with rk,¡± Katrina sighed. ¡°Get dressed and leave quickly before Katees to visit me or another servant sees you. Come back tomorrow but muchter in the night when the house will be dead.¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow? Baroness, I am not-¡±


    ¡°James, how many times must I go through this with you?¡± Katrina¡¯s carefree attitude shifted into a more serious one in a matter of seconds. ¡°You will do as I say. I have made up my mind to use you as I see fit. Whether it be to poison someone or to sleep with me. A smart person in your position would try to gain something out of this. I¡¯ll be nice so tell me what it is you want.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing that I need from you,¡± Jamespleted thest of his buttons so that he could hurry up and leave.


    ¡°Everyone in this world wants something they cannot have. Some are open about it like rk. While others act innocent like you. I will give you some time to think about it until tomorrow night when you visit me. rk will look to bring you onto his side at some point. Fill his head with hope. Now get out,¡± Katrina motioned with her hands for him to leave her bedroom.


    As of right now, James had nothing more he could say to Katrina when she spoke so confidently about him returning tomorrow. Their rtionship before this was fine and he was certain sleeping with her would drag him into a deep hole. Why couldn¡¯t she have listened to him not wanting to sleep with her?


    ¡°Good night Baroness,¡± he excused himself from her bedroom.


    After James exited the room and closed the door, he leaned up against the wall thinking about the unfortunate events of tonight. If he stated to anyone that the Baroness had taken advantage of him, they mightugh in his face either not believing it or ask why he wasining.


    ¡°I should have quit the night Desmond died,¡± he mumbled.

 Chapter 149

    149 New rtionships (2)


    The next day, Alessandra and Edgar arrived at the pce a couple of hours after breakfast. Once again, Alessandra was in awe of the beauty of the pce.


    ¡°It would be so fun to sit around painting everything my eyesnd on. It¡¯s just as beautiful in the daytime as it is at night,¡± Alessandramented.


    ¡°It might look beautiful but it¡¯s full of many horrible people and secrets. A couple more visits here and you will never wish to be in the pce. Make sure you never leave the queen¡¯s side and be wary of anyone she tells you to avoid. Caleb,¡± Edgar looked at therge man he madee along to protect Alessandra.


    The pce guards¡¯ priority was the queen¡¯s safety and he did not trust them to keep Alessandra safe.


    ¡°Never leave her side. I don¡¯t care who tries to order you away from Alessandra¡¯s side, you must not move,¡± Edgar gave an order.


    ¡°Yes, Duke.¡±


    Edgar wouldn¡¯t be by her side as he would be with Tobias and the queen had her own section in the pce where he would not be able to wander around as easily as he could with Tobias¡¯s side.


    ¡°As soon as you are ready to leave, send a servant to find me. Just because she is the queen does not mean you have to remain by her side forever,¡± said Edgar. As soon as Alessandra wanted to leave, they would leave.


    ¡°Okay. Though I think it would be hard to get me out of the pce. There is so much I would want to see and paint. I must keep it all in my memory to paint tomorrow. Oh,¡± Alessandra noticed Hazel standing by the top of the steps she walked up to go into the ball. ¡°The queen is here but not the king. I suppose you will have to go looking for him. I will see youter, Edgar.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Wait, Edgar touched her hand to stop her from getting out with the help of the coachman. ¡°I will walk you up. I have to go this way anyway,¡± he got out of the carriage first then offered Alessandra his hand for her to use to step out.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Alessandra epted his hand and carefully stepped out of the carriage. Thankfully, unlike the night of the ball, there were not countless people watching her every move.


    ¡®Thank goodness I do not have to be a third wheel today,¡¯ Caleb thought as he exited the carriage after Alessandra. He was surprised Edgar willingly came to the pce but it seemed like Edgar was trying to do everything to make his wife happy. ¡®How touching.¡¯


    Alessandra and Edgar walked up the steps hand in hand to where Hazel stood waiting for them both.


    ¡°Good morning, Duke and Duchess Collins. I¡¯m so happy the two of you coulde to pay the pce a visit today,¡± Hazel greeted the couple with a smile. ¡°I hope it was a pleasant trip here.¡±


    ¡°Good morning, Queen Hazel,¡± Alessandra curtsied as Alfred had taught her. ¡°The journey here was good.¡±


    ¡°I see. Duke Edgar,¡± Hazel turned her attention to Edgar. She looked behind him where Caleb stood. ¡°A guard for your wife? Do you not trust how safe the pce is? No one would hurt her while she is by my side. You worry for nothing but it is fun to see you like this. Tobias is waiting for you where the men train. Have a nice day and do not look to interrupt my time with your wife.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do as I please. Next time, invite her when your husband is not around.¡±


    Hazel couldn¡¯t disagree with Edgar. She also wished Tobias would not be free today while the Duchess was visiting. ¡°No offense, Edgar but I also did not want you to be in the castle today. It is your wife I wanted. Tobias is not here which means there is time for you to flee and have a carriage pick up the Duchesster or I can give her mine.¡±


    ¡°You have always been useful,¡± Edgarplimented Hazel. ¡°But we both know Tobias will buzz around Alessandra like a fly if I am not here. You will owe me for distracting your annoying husband. The guard stays. I will see you soon Alessandra,¡± he ruffled her hair and enjoyed every moment of her ring at him for messing it up.


    ¡°And yet you don¡¯t see how he is wrapped around your finger. Go away all of you,¡± Hazel ordered the line of maids behind her.


    ¡°Yes, Queen Hazel.¡±


    ¡°I wanted it to be just the two of us today. I wish to get to know you, Alessandra. Please refer to me as Hazel today,¡± Hazel held Alessandra¡¯s hand for them to walk together. ¡°You have no idea how long I have been waiting for somepany.¡±


    ¡°There are many young women who would love to keep youpany,¡± said Alessandra.


    ¡°Honestly, they are all like a set of dolls with no personality. Well, their personalities do not match mine. Plus, it only makes sense for me to be friends with you. Our husbands are always close even though it always feels like Edgar is trying to kill Tobias. They are just like their fathers. How about a little tour before we sit down?¡±


    Alessandra¡¯s eyes twinkled hearing the mention of a tour. ¡°Yes, please. I have always been curious about the pce. I could not imagine waking up to something this grand every day. There are so many things to paint.¡±


    ¡°You love to paint? So do I but I have to admit I am not good at it. My mother wanted me to have a talent and my love was always painting but since I wasn¡¯t good at it from the start, she paid more attention to music. You have no idea how d I am to be living far away from my mother. Whenever she visits I feel her breath on my neck. Oops,¡± Hazel covered her mouth.


    ¡°I will not tell anyone,¡± Alessandra chuckled.


    ¡°You are easy to talk to Alessandra. A little bit more and I would have shared my life story with you. Tell me, how is marriage treating you? Is it everything you imagined? Is the fire zing?¡± Hazel spoke softly so not even Alessandra¡¯s guard would hear.


    ¡°Uhm, it has been going better than I imagined. I honestly had low expectations for marriage but Edgar has changed my mind. Is that normal?¡± Alessandra asked Hazel as she was married for longer than she was and might have felt this.


    ¡°It¡¯spletely normal. You found someone who goes above and beyond your expectations. In this town, that is not easy toe by. Let¡¯s keep this between us but I also did not expect much from my marriage to Tobias. Hepletely changed what I had in mind and that is why I fell for him. Though there¡¯s time I feel like strangling him,¡± Hazelughed as though it wasn¡¯t the king she spoke of killing.


    ¡°Queen Hazel,¡± servants greeted Hazel and bowed as she walked by.


    ¡°If you walk by them twice, will they do that again?¡± Alessandra asked.


    ¡°They certainly will. They¡¯re respectful but I honestly dislike hearing Queen Hazel all day. Sometimes I think of running away from the castle to be normal for a day. Would you join me? We can leave our husbands behind,¡± Hazel suggested as it sounded like fun.


    ¡°If you need one day to rx, please call on me.¡±

 Chapter 150

    150 New rtionships (3)


    ¡°Hazel, who are those young women?¡± Alessandra looked off in the direction of three young women standing around speaking with each other.


    ¡°Witches. They¡¯re the daughters of men from the court. Their fathers brought them here to try and catch Tobias¡¯s attention. I have not provided an heir so they¡¯re proposing Tobias get a mistress. Being a mistress is frowned upon in Lockwood but not here in the pce. After all, they would be connected to the crown,¡± Hazel exined. ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t want to be associated with the crown?¡±


    ¡°If you say it makes you ufortable will they no longer show up?¡±


    A small smile formed on Hazel¡¯s lips. ¡°No. No one cares what¡¯sfortable for me when ites to having an heir. Well, everyone except Tobias. He¡¯s stated many times that he¡¯s not taking a mistress but they keep bringing their daughters. It doesn¡¯t bother me anymore. You should see how bold they are to smile in my face while trying to court my husband.¡±


    Alessandra could not imagine being faced with something like this. How regr were these women in the pce to casually be standing around speaking with each other? As her marriage to Edgar consisted of no feelings, she expected him to do as he pleased and have mistresses. However, now that they had be somewhat close, Alessandra wouldn¡¯t know how to handle a mistress being a part of their marriage.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for asking about them,¡± Alessandra apologized.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be. You don¡¯t know anything about the pce so you¡¯ll be curious about who everyone is. By all means, if they ever approach you, you don¡¯t have to turn them away because of me. There¡¯s a lot I have to ept as being queen. Would you like to see my room?¡± Hazel asked in an attempt to shift the conversation.


    ¡°Would the king mind?¡±


    ¡°Why should he when it is my private bedroom? We have our own separate rooms and one we share when we¡¯re meant to be trying for an heir. Though Tobias sleeps in my room every night unless I kick him out for being annoying. The room we¡¯re meant to share should honestly be destroyed since we honestly do what¡¯s meant for there in my room. A couple of the traditional people here aren¡¯t too excited about it,¡± Hazel whispered.


    .....


    The more Hazel spoke about the pce the more Alessandra understood why Edgar said after a couple more visits she would not want toe again. She had not even met the evil people he spoke of yet. What Hazel had to put up with was enough to make her stay away.


    ¡°I hope I am not turning off your excitement about the pce,¡± Hazel stated after noticing Alessandra¡¯s facial expression. ¡°It can be a wonderful ce when you don¡¯t think about the rules or the people. I know my situation sounds like a hassle but my marriage is fine and I am fine.¡±


    ¡°Oh no, I am still excited about the pce but this is just a lot to take in. There is thankfully nothing like this in my marriage and I was just thinking what if there was? How would I handle it?¡± Alessandra replied.


    ¡°Really? I expected Edgar¡¯s home to be the rule central of the world so no one can annoy him. Tell me, is Edgar different at homepared to how he is in public? I just can¡¯t picture him being the romantic type. I swear there¡¯s always a nk expression on his face and if he smiles, that means he¡¯s up to no good.¡±


    After thinking about it, Alessandra didn¡¯t see much of a difference between Edgar at home and in public. ¡°He¡¯s the same to me. He doesn¡¯t like to be surrounded by people, be annoyed, and he¡¯s always teasing me.¡±


    ¡°I at least thought he might have changed though I can¡¯t picture it. Only time will tell how much Edgar has changed since getting married. Oh right. I hope what happened between me and his mother at the ball did not have any consequences for you. I should have borne in mind how much you have to see Prisci and she would take her frustration about my words out on you. I¡¯m sorry,¡± Hazel apologized for her behavior at the ball.


    ¡°I actually do not see Prisci that often so there¡¯s no need for you to apologize. I should be thanking you for standing up for me. If she has many young women under her wing, will what happens at the ball be bad for you?¡± Alessandra didn¡¯t want Hazel to be dragged into her mess.


    ¡°Prisci might be a social queen but I am the actual queen. There is nothing she can do for me. Besides, there¡¯s more than one social queen who will aid me against her. This might sound terrible but you should be friends with the other social queens who dislike Prisci. That is the only way for you to survive amongst these cutthroat women,¡± said Hazel.


    ¡°What if I want to be a social queen?¡± Alessandra asked out loud


    Hazel halted her steps,pletely taken aback by Alessandra¡¯s words. Alessandra didn¡¯t have a good reputation to be a social queen and have many women backing her. However, as Edgar¡¯s wife, anything was possible for Alessandra. She only needed a little push. ¡®It would be nice if Alessandra controlled part of the social circle. She would be a voice for the mistreated women,¡¯ Hazel thought.


    ¡°Forget I said that,¡± Alessandra started to walk away but Hazel stopped her.


    ¡°No, do not forget about it. Rise up to be a powerful woman. Be someone women like you can look to for aid. It won¡¯t be easy but I will lend you my support to help you get there. I don¡¯t care how many years it might take, I want you to shake up the social world, Alessandra. Will you do it?¡± Hazel asked, practically pleading with her eyes for Alessandra to take up the challenge.


    Seeing Hazel so determined, Alessandra couldn¡¯t help feeling pumped up. She wanted to reach the status Prisci had or even higher so that many of her games could stop. So that the people beside her wouldn¡¯t be easily messed with like how Erin was bing outcasted. ¡°I will,¡± she epted the challenge.


    ¡°This is wonderful,¡± Hazel beamed, excited to start off making Alessandra grow.


    ¡®I don¡¯t understand a word of what they are saying. Do they even remember that I am still here?¡¯ Caleb thought while he remained at a good distance behind the women. ¡®Who is this woman?¡¯ He gripped his sword when a young woman appeared before Alessandra and Hazel.


    ¡°There¡¯s so much for you to learn but we¡¯ll leave that for another day. We¡¯re meant to be having fun today. That is why I invited you here. We should hurry-oh, Linda. What are you doing here?¡± Hazel questioned her childhood friend. She was so preupied with Alessandra that she had not noticed Linda had walked up to them.


    ¡°I came to visit you but I was told you were busy. I was just about to leave when I spotted you. You must be the Duchess, Edgar Collins wife. It¡¯s nice to meet you,¡± the young woman named Linda smiled and extended her hand out for Alessandra to shake.


    ¡®Why does her smile remind me of something?¡¯ Alessandra thought.

 Chapter 151

    151 New rtionships (4)


    ¡°Alessandra, she¡¯s waiting for you to shake her hand,¡± Hazel¡¯s voice snapped Alessandra out of her thoughts.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Linda,¡± Alessandra shook Linda¡¯s hand. She wondered who exactly Linda was to be walking around in the pce.


    As if reading Alessandra¡¯s mind, Hazel said, ¡°Linda is a childhood friend of mine and Tobias has granted her ess to the pce to keep mepany sometimes. Unfortunately, she wasn¡¯t able to attend the ball. I¡¯ve invited the Duchess here to get to know her. The Duke is somewhere entertaining my husband.¡±


    ¡°You must be d to have Tobias busy,¡± said Linda.


    ¡°Certainly. Do you want to stay a bit longer, Linda? You should have some of the food I¡¯ve prepared for Alessandra and me before you go. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s right to let you go by so quickly after traveling to meet me. If that¡¯s alright with you, Alessandra?¡± Hazel asked as she wanted to be sure Alessandra would befortable first and foremost.


    ¡°I do not mind,¡± Alessandra answered. She didn¡¯t want Hazel to send her friend away and she wanted to solve the funny feeling she felt when she saw Linda smile. Something felt familiar but she could not put her finger on it.


    ¡°Wonderful. We¡¯re going to my bedroom,¡± Hazel informed Linda and then proceeded to walk, still holding onto Alessandra. ¡°We¡¯ll start our ns another time, Alessandra.¡±


    ¡°What ns?¡± Linda couldn¡¯t help but ask. Before Hazel noticed her, she saw how excited the two women seemed about something. ¡®I didn¡¯t expect Hazel to find a friend in this woman. Is it because of Edgar?¡¯ She wondered.


    Hazel and Alessandra gave each other a look and came to a silent agreement.


    .....


    ¡°Its¡¯ nothing,¡± Hazel replied, slightly sad for keeping a secret from Linda but they must for right now. The more people that knew of their n, the higher chance someone like Prisci had of finding out, and then obstacles would be ced to block Alessandra¡¯s path.


    ¡°I see. You two are already close. You aren¡¯t using her title.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s annoying to have to say queen or Duchess when it¡¯s just the two of us. It feels morefortable this way but if we¡¯re around other people we will use titles. Linda, you would not believe that Alessandra loves to paint. Had I known this I would have set up a painting day. Linda loves to paint too but unlike me, she is talented,¡± said Hazel.


    ¡°I¡¯m not that talented,¡± Linda blushed and looked off to the side to hide her cheeks. In doing so, she met Caleb¡¯s gaze and for some reason, it didn¡¯t seem like he liked her presence. ¡°Hazel, did you get a new guard? What happened to the old one?¡±


    ¡°No, he¡¯s with Alessandra. You would not believe Edgar of all people is so paranoid that he thinks his wife will get hurt when she¡¯s by my side. I am trying to convince Alessandra that she has him wrapped around her finger,¡± Hazel yfully nudged Alessandra. ¡°Aren¡¯t they cute, Linda?¡±


    Linda picked up her pace to walk next to Hazel so that she would not be behind her friend and Alessandra like a third wheel. ¡°The cutest,¡± she smiled.


    ¡®There it is again,¡¯ Alessandra thought. Each time Linda smiled, the hair on her arm stood up. ¡®I¡¯m certain I have never met her before so why do I have a weird feeling?¡¯


    ¡°This is my room. Do you truly need toe inside?¡± Hazel turned around to question Caleb.


    ¡°I am to be by the Duchess¡¯s side at all times. If I can¡¯t, I must inform the Duke,¡± Caleb stated his orders.


    Hazel sighed, highly annoyed a man would have to be with them but she couldn¡¯t stay upset for long considering there would be servants in her bedroom waiting to service her at any moment. ¡°Fine, I will allow it just this once but you must keep a reasonable distance. Edgar will have to exin why a man was in my bedroom.¡±


    ¡°Queen Hazel,¡± two servants bowed before opening her bedroom door.


    ¡°Wee to my room, Alessandra. We¡¯ll be enjoying our day on the balcony so that we can look out at one of the gardens,¡± Hazel stated as she led the group inside her bedroom and straight to the balcony. ¡°It¡¯s surprisingly warm today so I thought we could be outside for a little while.¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡± Alessandra¡¯s jaw almost dropped from the view Hazel got from her balcony. It provided a little overview of Lockwood. ¡°I didn¡¯t notice how much of a hill the pce is on. You get to look over a bit of Lockwood.¡±


    ¡°There are specific rooms you can go to look down at certain parts of Lockwood. I must remember to take you there. We can serve ourselves,¡± Hazel told the servants before they could rush to aid her. She was more than able to pour her own drink and eat. ¡°Have a seat here, Alessandra. You sit here, Linda.¡±


    The three of them sat down at a circr table where Hazel sat in the middle of Alessandra and Linda. Due to an empty seat, Alessandra and Linda sat facing each other.


    ¡°I had the cook prepare all of my favorites. I hope you like them. Try anything you like. I won¡¯t judge how much you want to eat,¡± Hazel said to Alessandra.


    ¡°Thank you. There¡¯s so much to choose from,¡± Alessandra looked around at therge spread of food.


    ¡°Then,¡± Hazel leaned over to take Alessandra¡¯s te. ¡°I will pick for you.¡±


    ¡°Hazel, you are the queen. You should not be picking out food for anyone. We should be doing that for you,¡± Linda pushed the te in Hazel¡¯s hands down against the table. ¡°I¡¯ll pick out things for the Duchess to eat. Is that alright with you, Alessandra?¡± She offered Alessandra a smile.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Linda, you¡¯re no fun,¡± Hazel¡¯s shoulders fell due to boredom. ¡®I want to do things like this in private without thinking about being queen,¡¯ she thought.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind. I¡¯m always here to protect your image. Alessandra, you¡¯re going to love slices of cake as much as I do. I visit the pce sometimes just so I can grab a bite-¡±


    Alessandra drowned out Linda¡¯s words as she realized why Linda¡¯s smile felt like deja vu. ¡®Ah, I see. She¡¯s smiling just as Kate would to y innocent in front of our father. Am I crazy for thinking it¡¯s simr? There¡¯s been a weird feeling I can¡¯t ignore since she arrived. Like I¡¯ve done something to her and she¡¯s putting on a smile in front of Hazel. What is the reason behind her weird smile?¡¯


    ¡°Here you go,¡± Linda held out the te for Alessandra to take back.

 Chapter 152

    152 Crush (1)


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Alessandra took the te of food from Linda. ¡®We¡¯ve only just met. I won¡¯t think too much about it until,¡¯ she decided to push the issue of Linda¡¯s smile to the side.


    Whether it is due to the rumors about her face or something else, Linda would have to open up and say if there was something she disliked about Alessandra. Alessandra did not want to continue ying the guessing game when she was meant to be enjoying the pce.


    ¡°What would you like to drink, Alessandra? I prepared tea if you were to feel cold because of the weather but there are some nice juices that pair well with the cakes and pastry. Which do you prefer?¡± Hazel questioned, excited to have Alessandra try everything. She wanted Alessandra to enjoy the pce as much as possible so that she would keep wanting to visit.


    ¡°Hazel, she is not a child. Let her look around and pick around something herself,¡± Linda chuckled.


    ¡°I am being a nice host, Linda. Do you feel like I am pestering you, Alessandra?¡± Hazel asked.


    ¡°Not at all. I want to try your favorites. If it is possible, I would like to invite you to my home for you to try what I enjoy,¡± Alessandra replied, personally extending an invitation out to Hazel.


    Hazel pped her hands happily. ¡°After all these years, I am finally receiving an invitation to Edgar¡¯s home.¡±


    ¡°Edgar¡¯s not the type to like people in his home. Shouldn¡¯t you talk about this with him first?¡± Linda asked Alessandra. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t get ahead of yourself and do what you please with his home.¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± Hazel yfully tapped Linda¡¯s hand to stop her from ruining her invitation. ¡°What on earth are you doing? Don¡¯t ruin this for me.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Edgar won¡¯t mind. It¡¯s a house we share now that we¡¯re married and he¡¯s told me to do as I please. I will organize a day for you to visit,¡± Alessandra quickly intervened.


    ¡°Thank you. Alessandra, please excuse us for a moment,¡± Hazel stood up from her seat. ¡°Come with me, Linda.¡±


    Hazel knew her friend well to know that in the short time they were all conversing something was wrong. Before it could ruin the day and make Alessandra feel ufortable, she was putting an end to it now.


    Hazel walked Linda to a corner of her bedroom, far away so that Alessandra wouldn¡¯t hear them. ¡°What is your problem, Linda? It¡¯s like there is some underlying animosity to my guest. What is it?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? There¡¯s nothing going on-¡®


    ¡°Linda,¡± Hazel cut her off before she could lie. ¡°We¡¯ve been friends for a very long time. I know you better than you realize and there is something very wrong here. What is your issue with the Duchess? As far as I am concerned, the two of you never met for there to be a problem.¡±


    Linda found Hazel to be unbelievable at this moment. Shouldn¡¯t her best friend be on her side and immediately realize where the problem stemmed from? ¡°Hazel, do you honestly not know why I am upset that you invited her here and did not mention a word of it to me?¡±


    ¡°Hello, that¡¯s why I am asking you what the problem is and I don¡¯t need to be sending you a message about who was invited to the pce.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to but when ites to Edgar¡¯s wife you should!¡± Linda eximed but then quickly realized her mistake as Alessandra turned to look in their direction. In a low tone, she asked, ¡°Have you forgotten that I once used to like Edgar and now you¡¯re being friendly with his wife?¡±


    Hazel could believe this because of a crush she thought vanished years ago after Edgar showed no interest. After Hazel became engaged to Tobias, she and Linda thought it would be wonderful if Linda could marry Tobias¡¯s best friend and they would all be close to each other. Edgar quickly rejected Linda and stated the fact he was no one¡¯s best friend.


    Hazel pinched the bridge of her nose and said, ¡°This is so childish. You have not mentioned that crush for such a long time and the man is freaking married. Edgar is close to Tobias and after meeting his wife, I like her. I can¡¯t help it. It¡¯s wonderful that I can be close to the wife of the man my husband trusts with his life. Excuse me for not once thinking about an old crush. You need to get over that right now because I will not stop getting to know Alessandra and as my friend, you should not get in the way.¡±


    If Alessandra had truly done something to Linda, there was no way Hazel could continue to try getting to know her as Linda was her good friend and Hazel had to put her feelings first. However, being upset that Edgar was now married and acting weird around his wife waspletely childish. Alessandra had nothing to do with Linda¡¯s failed crush on Edgar.


    ¡°If you have to pretend you like being in her presence to sit at that table then you need to leave. I¡¯m sure the Duchess has felt awkward judging by how she reacts when you speak to her. What are you going to do, Linda? Will you make a new friend with me or will you linger on the past while everyone else has moved on? There¡¯s no reason for you to be fake around her.¡±


    Linda bit her lip and nced at where Alessandra sat eating the treats she picked out. ¡°I suppose I was a little bit childish and I did intend to get under her skin at some point. I¡¯m such an idiot. You¡¯re absolutely right.¡±


    ¡°Luckily, you didn¡¯t do anything petty or lowdown to leave a sour taste in her mouth. The aura at the table was just weird. Come on my littlemb,¡± Hazel pinched Linda¡¯s cheeks.


    ¡°I told you to stop calling me that. Do not make me pinch the queen and call her a ridiculous nickname. I do not want to be thrown in prison,¡± Linda chuckled.


    ¡°Oh please. With a father as themander and best friend being the queen, no one would dare throw you into prison. Come on, it¡¯s time for you to start over with Alessandra,¡± Hazel pulled Linda back to where Alessandra sat all alone. ¡°I hope we weren¡¯t gone for too long, Alessandra. Thank you for pouring us some juice,¡± Hazel picked up a cup of juice ced in her spot and took a sip.


    ¡°You weren¡¯t gone for long. Is everything alright?¡± Alessandra asked. It was clear Hazel had also picked up on the awkwardness but Alessandra would continue to feign ignorance about it until the person behind the awkwardness addressed it.


    ¡°Everything is alright now. I¡¯m sorry if I might have made you feel weird or maybe you did not feel anything at all. I was a little taken aback by your presence because I used to love your husband,¡± Linda dered.


    The juice Hazel was drinking seemed to have gone down the wrong way as she started coughing and sniffing after almost choking. ¡®I didn¡¯t mean to start over like this!¡¯ She internally screamed.

 Chapter 153

    153 Crush (2)


    ¡°So that¡¯s the reason,¡± Alessandra felt relieved by Linda¡¯s confession.


    ¡°You¡¯re not upset?¡± Linda was deeply confused by Alessandra¡¯s reaction. ¡°Why aren¡¯t youughing at me or rubbing it in my face that you are married to him? Why don¡¯t you seem the slightest bit upset that I was going to act poorly toward you because of an old crush?¡±


    ¡°Is that really how someone in my position would react?¡± Alessandra asked as it seemed dramatic but she found hazel shaking her head. ¡°That¡¯s a little bit over the top. Truthfully, I thought it was because of the rumors about my face,¡± she touched her mask. ¡°I thought you might not have liked my presence next to your friend but then I let it go until you would be ready to speak up.¡±


    ¡°Even as queen, I could never be that mature,¡± Hazel muttered.


    ¡°I¡¯m not upset with the fact you once liked Edgar. I saw at the ball how many admirers he has and they did not look happy to see me by his side. I can¡¯t help my husband being such a sought-after man and women being upset that I am in the spot they think they should be in. It is a trivial matter to me unless they try to harm but thank you for telling me about the feelings you had for him,¡± said Alessandra.


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot more I needed to exin to you, Duchess but I am a little mind blown right now,¡± Linda found it hard to exin more to Alessandra when Alessandra had brushed the situation off with ack of care.


    ¡°I am also a little mind-blown right now. Do you see why I like her?¡± Hazel asked Linda. ¡°Honestly, taking a situation like this with a grain of salt might severely annoy women whoe to you stating they once liked Edgar. I can imagine how they would react to you not caring. I hope that I am around to witness some of their facial expressions. Somehow,¡± Hazel tapped her chin while she inspected Alessandra. ¡°I see a bit of Edgar¡¯s personality in you.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Alessandra found that to be surprising. She spent a lot of time with Edgar but found them to be nothing alike. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible for there to be anyone else with a personality like Edgar¡¯s. No one can handle that.¡±


    ¡°I agree with the Duchess,¡± Linda said. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to have to deal with two Edgars. Can you imagine what our social circle would be like if there was a female version of Edgar in it?¡± Linda shuddered just from imagining it.


    .....


    Alessandra and Hazel shared a look.


    ¡°I think it would be highly entertaining and it¡¯s just what this town needs. Sometimes without realizing it, our partner¡¯s ways can rub off on us. You might notice it yet and maybe I have because I¡¯ve been around Edgar many times, but you seem a lot like him. I can¡¯t put my finger on it yet in what way you remind me of him,¡± Hazel continued to stare at Alessandra.


    Alessandra was just as curious as Hazel to find out in what way she was simr to Edgar. ¡°When you find out, please let me know.¡±


    Meanwhile, Edgar entered a private study that once belonged to Tobias¡¯s father when he was king. After looking for Tobias where Hazel said he was, Edgar was told Tobias had long left and went to visit the study.


    ¡°Tobias, do you think we are still children ying hide and seek? I would have gone home instead of searching for you if not for my wife being here,¡± Edgar told Tobias who stood by a window looking at something.


    ¡°Those were good times when you and I would run off to hide while the servants tried to find us. First one to get caught would have to jump into the river from the high rocks. I always ended up losing unless I ran and hid with you. I swear you were trying to kill me by having me jump into that water,¡± Tobias recalled the pleasant memory even though he had always been scared to jump.


    ¡°I never thought you would be foolish enough to jump each time but you proved me wrong. Have you called me here because you are bored or is there something important?¡± Edgar closed the door to have privacy from anyone spying on Tobias.


    ¡°Can¡¯t I just want you here as a friend? Is that so bad?¡±


    After silence fell upon them Tobias said, ¡°How rude. Do you have any leads on the girls who have gone missing? No one has been missing for a while now which is a good thing but I¡¯m afraid things have been silent because there are girls taken but no one has realized yet. Some of the victims¡¯ families are given peace when a dead body shows up in town but there are some who have been waiting for any sign of their loved one whether dead or alive.¡±


    ¡°As you said, it has been silent. Whoever this person is, ns out their attacks and when it is time to ce dead bodies around the kingdom. There are no leads except for the flower ced on all the bodies and the way their face looks as if someone had been dressing them up. Based on the bruises, it seems like their captor killed them in a fit of rage. That¡¯s the only clue I can go by.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, if that is all you can do then so be it. We¡¯ve already investigated all the people these girls interacted with but nothing seems odd. Why the hell did there have to be such a maniac right after I became king? I¡¯m telling you, it has to be one of my deranged rtives,¡± Tobias sighed and left the window to take a seat. ¡°I should let the guards search their homes but it¡¯d be a pain if nothing is found.¡±


    Tobias sat down in his father¡¯s old chair and ced his feet on the table. ¡°Who do you think it is, Edgar?¡±


    ¡°If I knew that I wouldn¡¯t be wasting my time searching for clues when I could be focusing on my own matters,¡± Edgar snapped. The only reason he was on this case was because of Tobias and his freaking royal order. There were plenty of guards and other men with titles to handle this. ¡°Every chance you get, you annoy me. Even now by having me tag along with my wife.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious I would want my best friend around?¡± Tobias asked.


    ¡°Then why the hell didn¡¯t you invite that person instead of me?¡±


    ¡°You,¡± Tobias stared at Edgar in disbelief.¡±After all these years, you do not see us as best friends? Must you crush my heart so much?¡±

 Chapter 154

    154 Trouble brewing (1)


    ¡°What else did you call me here for? Is there trouble brewing in the pce? Was there another attempt on your life again?¡± Edgar asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re getting bolder by the day. This time, they were targeting my wife but I intervened just in time without her noticing. It feels like I am back on the battlefield again.,¡± Tobias stared at the palm of his hand. ¡°It¡¯s been so long since my father sent me to fight and there was so much blood. Now I¡¯m getting my hands dirty again. I¡¯m going to hang them as a warning to everyone else,¡± he balled up his fist.


    Two men were captured trying to make an attempt to kill Hazel but they refused to name the person who hired them.


    ¡°Of course, I will personally torture them a little bit. They have no use for their teeth, nails, and tongue before being hanged. I truly believe we have been awfully nice these days, Edgar. They will start targeting you as my closest ally and you now have a weakness. Your wife will be targeted,¡± said Tobias.


    ¡°Hmm. The moment that happens I will throw all my morals to the side and Lockwood will be a blood town. After bing married, there are so many fools I have added to my list. Excuse me if I end up killing all the Barretts. Do you know when the funeral is?¡± Edgar questioned, tempted to carry out mass murder on the people who ignored Alessandra suffering for years.


    ¡°Now why would I be the one to tell you that when you want to kill an entire family? I hear rk Barrett has been hovering around the Baroness and he paid you a visit.¡±


    ¡°Of course, everything in town reaches your ears quickly,¡± Edgar grinned. Tobias lived far away in the pce but he had so many spies ced around the kingdom to be able to know when a te was broken in someone¡¯s house. ¡°I¡¯m not a fan of spies, Tobias. Remove them before they disappear.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been informed one of your maids was found dead. She used to spy on you for your mother. How intriguing. I won¡¯t bother suspecting you as the body wouldn¡¯t have been carelessly ced unless you were trying to throw anyone who knows you off your tracks. Oliver must be having a wonderful day with trying to pin it on you,¡± Tobias softly chuckled but it got louder the more Edgar looked annoyed. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just give the man a kiss on the cheek to-Woo,¡± Tobias dodged a pillow.


    ¡°Fuck off.¡±


    .....


    ¡°I can¡¯t when it¡¯s so amusing to me that one of your friends fell in love with you. You¡¯re a serious problem for having men and women fall for you. I fear your wife will have so many people to ward off. Hazel is in the same situation right now. Some of the nobles and men in court have been bringing their daughters to the pce for me to take a mistress,¡± Tobias rubbed his temple due to the stress.


    ¡°Why do you seem so worried? Are you tempted to cheat on your wife-¡±


    ¡°Of course not!¡± Tobias quickly denied Edgar¡¯s im. ¡°I¡¯m just thinking about how Hazel must feel. I wouldn¡¯t be able to take anyone bringing men around for her to entertain. Although I personally picked her to be my wife because I liked her, everyone seems to think otherwise. They seem to think I would be like other kings and pick a mistress.¡±


    ¡°They want to believe that so they can have hope for their daughters. If I were in your position, something would have happened to one of the daughters as a warning to stop bringing them. You¡¯re the king, Tobias. Find a way to get rid of them quickly before your marriage is ruined,¡± Edgar advised him. He walked to the window to see what Tobias had been looking at earlier.


    ¡°Well look at this,¡± Tobias became amused. ¡°Never would I think you would offer me marriage advice. Times have certainly changed. I¡¯m still trying to figure out why you married Alessandra Barrett. I had someone in mind for you but now that¡¯s ruined. I am going to uncover your marriage, Edgar. I will find out why you married her.¡±


    ¡°Tobias, you have been around me for many years so I give you many chances unlike anyone else. Like the fools trying to mess with your marriage, I will kill you if you dig around and interfere with mine. If you wish to continue, make sure Hazel is with an heir so the throne will have a recement. How embarrassing would it be for me to kill you in your own pce.¡±


    ¡°Ha! At some point, you should fear the king even though I am your friend. I am the most powerful man in this kingdom,¡± Tobias abruptly stood up from his chair. He liked Edgar but at times, it was annoying how Edgar never once feared offending the king. It was funny that was what he both liked and hated about Edgar.


    ¡°If that is what you believe, why do you always run to me for help? If that was meant to be a threat, why do you fear me? You might be king but you are well aware, there are others with a lot of power throughout this kingdom. You¡¯ve been digging around about the men I have on mynd. Do you think I am building an army to overthrow you?¡± Edgar looked down at crates being taken off somewhere on the back of carts being pulled by horses.


    ¡°Out of all the people around me, I don¡¯t think you would want to overthrow me. Being king would be a hassle for you and you don¡¯t like any of my rtives to work alongside them. The only reason you would kill me is if I annoy you or ruin your marriage it seems,¡± Tobias walked to stand beside Edgar. ¡°There¡¯s trouble in the south as always. I had new weapons prepared just in case. If it bes likest time, would you go off to fight again?¡±


    ¡°And leave my wife in the hands of who?¡± Edgar walked away from the window. ¡°I have offered my services in battles more than I needed to. There are men who sit in their homes and hide instead of fighting. Drag them out of their homes and let them aid you.¡±


    ¡°They hide because they know they will die. You have always been an excellent fighter and your strategies have always been helpful. I¡¯m sure your wife would love for this kingdom to be safe even if you were to not be by her side for a month or two. Preparations could be made to-¡±


    ¡°I am not going anywhere,¡± Edgar firmly rejected Tobias¡¯s offer. He sat down on a couch beforeying down to get some rest while Alessandra enjoyed her time with the queen. ¡°Don¡¯t even think of approaching my wife about it. I¡¯ll tell the queen of your days before you became married. What was the name of the girl you used to visit again?¡±


    ¡°Fine fine,¡± Tobias threw his hands in the air, giving up for now. ¡°I suppose I cannot overwork you when you are already looking for the missing girls. I¡¯ll have to depend on the knights to solve the problem in the south. So, what are we going to do now that it is just the two of us?¡±


    ¡°Shut up and close our eyes until our wives are done.¡±

 Chapter 155

    155 Trouble brewing (2)


    ¡°Your highness, it is nearing time for you to prepare for dinner,¡± A maid informed Hazel.


    Should I inform the butler to prepare seats for your guests?¡±


    ¡°Is it really?¡± Hazel looked out at the sky only now noticing how much it had changed. ¡°Wow, we¡¯ve spent so much time here chatting away. None of us noticed howte it has be. I can¡¯t keep you away from Edgar much longer. Your time here has been wonderful, Alessandra.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. I will try to return to being a wonderful hostess when I send the invitation to you. I would also like to extend one to you too, Linda. It is fun to have someone around who enjoys painting,¡± said Alessandra.


    After the many hours they spent together, she came to like Linda and vice versa. The awkward feeling from when they first met was long forgotten.


    ¡°Thank you. I hope I get to see the paintings you have created so far and then we can one day have a gathering at my home to see my paintings. My father must be searching all over for me after I told him I would just be paying Hazel a short visit. I must leave quickly before he sends guards to search the entire kingdom for me again,¡± Linda stood up from her seat.


    ¡°Again?¡± Alessandra asked, curious about what happened the first time.


    ¡°She arrived homete from a dance lesson and her father sent out the army to look for her. Turns out her carriage wheel was broken and the coachman stopped to fix it. It was so heart-warming to see her father lose his mind. Please inform him to pay me a visit when he has free time,¡± Hazel said to Linda.


    ¡°If I stay any longer you will get to see him. Goodbye you two,¡± Linda bid goodbye then picked up her dress to hurry to meet with her father.


    .....


    ¡°It might seem overbearing but she is his precious only daughter amongst three sons. Her father is worried that his position in the kingdom will cause her to get hurt. That¡¯s why you won¡¯t find Linda marrying a man her father does not think can protect her. Come, let¡¯s find your husband who will be more than happy to go home,¡± Hazel stood up from her seat shortly followed by Alessandra.


    Alessandra wondered what Edgar had been doing with Tobias and hoped she had not kept him in the pce far longer than he wanted to be here. Had the maid not informed Hazel of the time, they might have been here much longer.


    ¡°Caleb, we¡¯re ready to go. It must have been torture for you to sit around doing nothing but waiting on me to be ready. I¡¯m sorry,¡± Alessandra apologized for him sitting around in the room with no one to talk to for hours.


    ¡°There is no need to apologize, Duchess,¡± Caleb sat up from the chair that had been offered to him by a maid. ¡°It is my job and you seemed to be having fun.¡±


    ¡°How nice,¡± Hazel became jealous of the rtionship Alessandra had with her guard. ¡°All the guards ced around me aren¡¯t good at hiding how much they want me to move along quickly. Should I steal you away?¡±


    ¡°My loyalty lies with the Duke. I cannot be stolen away, your highness.¡±


    ¡°Too bad,¡± Hazel gave up. ¡°We should-¡±


    A knock at the door interrupted Hazel. A maid hastily moved to open the door and revealed Edgar standing outside with Tobias by his side.


    Edgar¡¯s eyes went straight to Alessandra. ¡°Are you done?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sorry for being so long. You don¡¯t have to see me out, Hazel. Thank you for inviting me,¡± Alessandra gave onest goodbye. If possible, she would love to turn back time and start over to the moment she arrived.


    ¡°No problem. Once again, if there¡¯s anything you ever need from me don¡¯t hesitate to send a message. We¡¯re friends now. Please do not reject my help,¡± Hazel added when it looked like Alessandra was going to turn down ever needing help.


    ¡°Actually, there is something you can help me with. My dressmaker, Erin Potter, who made my dress for the ball has been trying to branch out and find customers away from her mother. Due to being by my side, she has been outcasted. Would it be possible for you to request a dress from her personally? Your name would be able to help her out,¡± Alessandra asked and then bit her lip afraid Hazel might not want to do such a thing.


    Meanwhile, Hazel found Alessandra to be too innocent for thinking it was too much to request. ¡°I will take care of it,¡± she said.


    ¡°Thank you. Did you have a good day in the pce, Edgar?¡± Alessandra asked as she approached Edgar.


    ¡°No,¡± he replied.


    Caleb quietly followed Alessandra and Edgar out of the queen¡¯s bedroom.


    Tobias smiled and opened his arms wide for Hazel toe to hug him. ¡°My lovely wife-¡±


    ¡°Get out Tobias,¡± Hazel turned away from him.


    Hearing the banter between the two royals as she left, Alessandra couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    Edgar had been irritated by his long stay in the pce but Alessandra¡¯s happy face stopped him from mentioning it. ¡°You seem to have enjoyed yourself. A little bit more and we would have to spend the night in the pce. Did everything go smoothly? Did anyone approach you?¡±


    ¡°It went well. I had a lot of fun. Perhaps it was because we stayed in her bedroom the entire time and I was able to meet her friend, Linda. At first, it was weird because she had a crush on you but we¡¯re fine now. Please tell me I don¡¯t have to go around askingdies if they once had a crush on you so that I can get the awkwardness out of the way,¡± said Alessandra.


    ¡°It is your punishment for marrying such a perfect man. I cannot help how many admirers I have. You should find some pride in the fact you were the one to win me over. You should also appreciate your wonderful husband a little bit more.¡±


    ¡°Edgar, how much more can I appreciate you? Don¡¯t try giving me any ideas,¡± Alessandra held up her hand to stop him from suggesting her any bright ideas. ¡°Whatever is on your mind will only leave me embarrassed.¡±


    Edgar wrapped his hand around her waist to pull her closer to him. ¡°I promise whatever I have on my mind is something we would both enjoy.¡±


    ¡°I,¡± Alessandra paused when she noticed the stares as she and Edgar walked towards the exit where their carriage awaited them. ¡°Edgar, am I imagining things, or is everyone staring at us?¡± She whispered. ¡®Is it my mask?¡¯ She wondered.


    Edgar kept looking straight ahead but at the same time, he inspected how women passing by were whispering as they looked at Alessandra and then cast him a look of pity. ¡°Caleb, find out what is happening now.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir.¡±

 Chapter 156

    156 Trouble brewing (3)


    Caleb left Edgar and Alessandra¡¯s side to nonchntly follow after two women who had been staring at the couple. The Duchess had been enjoying her time in the pce so why now did something need to happen to potentially end the day on a bad note?


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe the Duke brought her to the pce. Better yet, how could he marry such a trifling woman?¡± The woman shook her head feeling sorry for Edgar.


    ¡°How are they here having fun when the news quickly spread throughout the town? She must not know she has been caught.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± Caleb spoke up due to the fact they were taking much longer than needed to get to the point. ¡°What is it you¡¯ve heard that concerns the Duke and Duchess?¡±


    ¡°Oh my!¡± One of the woman¡¯s eyes went wide as she recognized Caleb to be walking behind Edgar a moment ago. Had she known he was behind her, she wouldn¡¯t have uttered a word about what she heard. ¡°I don¡¯t know-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s either you tell me or I have Edgar approach you and trust me, it¡¯s easier to talk to me than him. What will it be?¡± Caleb asked, then waited for a response.


    Not wanting to speak with Edgar and deal with his reaction, one of the women decided to say what they heard. ¡°You see, we just came from town and it was the hottest news. Apparently, the Duke¡¯s wife had an intimate rtionship with a cook,¡± she whispered to Caleb. She did not want to be caught as the one spreading this news in case it were to be false.


    ¡°I heard she was being intimate with the cook while she was meeting with the Duke. Either way, that¡¯s all the town has been talking about-Hey, wait!¡±


    ¡®Aw shit,¡¯ Caleb ignored their calls as he ran away back to where Edgar and Alessandra were waiting for him. ¡®Where the hell did thise from all of a sudden? The Duchess will take a hit,¡¯ he slowed down.


    .....


    Caleb started to contemte if he should lie about what was happening and thenter inform Edgar when Alessandra was not around. She had been having so much fun, was it right to ruin it like this?


    Caleb did not know Alessandra long but based on what he saw this rumor was not true. She looked as if she would lose her mind when she and Edgar were close by. He could not picture her having a rtionship with a cook.


    ¡®Dammit!¡¯ He internally yelled. He felt truly conflicted about what to do. Why couldn¡¯t this news have waited until tomorrow or better yet, note out at all?


    ¡°Caleb!¡± Edgar called out from where he sat in the carriage. ¡°Come along.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± Caleb practically dragged his feet to the carriage.


    ¡°Judging by your behavior, I assume you found out what it is and it is not good. Spill it,¡± Edgar ordered.


    Caleb nced at Alessandra eagerly waiting to hear what it was. He couldn¡¯t look her in the eye for long as he did not want to see her expression change. ¡°It might be best if I discuss it with the Duke.¡±


    ¡°Is it something bad? Is it about me?¡± Alessandra looked at Edgar curious to know what happened between this morning and now that they were leaving.


    ¡°Caleb, tell us what it is now.¡± Edgar needed to know how bad it must be for Caleb to look devastated. He needed to know what it was so that he could move quickly to get rid of it. They had a long ride back home and waiting for Alessandra to be gone was wasting time he could use plotting.


    Besides, Edgar would end up telling her about it if it concerned her.


    ¡°There is a rumor going around town about the Duchess. One that concerns her and some cook being in a rtionship. Perhaps around the same time, she was entertaining you,¡± Caleb revealed what he heard as requested.


    Out of all the things Alessandra expected to hearing from Caleb¡¯s mouth none of them were like this. ¡°What? I¡¯m sorry but can you just repeat what you said?¡± She asked as she was certain she heard him wrong. ¡°Why would anyone think I had a rtionship with Mario? He was just my friend.¡±


    Alessandra started to remember how much Edgar used to be annoyed when it came to Mario and thought there was some sort of feelings there. She looked to her side and found him surprisingly calm as he tapped his fingers against the window pane of the carriage. ¡°Edgar, I never had-¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± he cut her off as there was no need for her to state what he already knew.


    He knew well enough that Mario¡¯s feelings were always one-sided. From the moment Edgar met the cook, he found him to be a pain in the ass and knew at some point, the man would annoy him. That time finally came. ¡°I know for a fact there was nothing between the two of you, Alessandra.¡±


    Edgar knew the person who started this rumor was trying to mess up their rtionship. They would hope this news would make him cast Alessandra to the side. Little did this person know, he already knew what kind of rtionship Alessandra had with the cook and his rtionship with Alessandra didn¡¯t start off with them secretly seeing each other.


    Alessandra was d Edgar did not feed into such lies but everyone else who did not know her and wanted something to talk about would believe this story. News like this would take a hit to her already bad reputation. ¡°How am I supposed to fix this before it gets out of hand? Who am I kidding, it¡¯s already out of hand if it reached the pce already. Why now after we¡¯ve been married for a while?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the Baroness or her daughter that started this,¡± Edgar stated.


    ¡°They must have approached Mario but he wouldn¡¯t have gone along with this lie. He is my friend. They would need to ckmail or threaten him,¡± Alessandra concluded.


    She had faith that Mario would never willingly betray her. After all the times they spent talking, nothing had ever happened between the two of them. She trusted Mario and wouldn¡¯t think the worst of him in this situation.


    Caleb believed otherwise due to how many people he saw switch up on the people they cared about when offered money. ¡°People can change when they are offered-¡±


    ¡°Stop it,¡± Edgar ordered Caleb. Mario seemed to be the only friend Alessandra had in a long time therefore she wouldn¡¯t want to believe that man had betrayed her. Edgar wasn¡¯t going to ruin the image she had of her friend just yet. He would find out for himself if the cook was ckmailed or epted money.


    Edgar held Alessandra¡¯s hand to help calm her nerves. ¡°I will take care of it. By tomorrow night, this news will be gone and it will be proven to be a lie.¡±


    Alessandra didn¡¯t see how something like this could easily go away. People would talk about this forever no matter how much she denied the ims. However, Edgar looked sure that it would disappear so she could only trust him and await what would happen tomorrow.

 Chapter 157

    157 Out the window (1)


    ¡°Edgar, why aren¡¯t you getting out?¡± Alessandra asked.


    The carriage had arrived home, but Alessandra was the only one to step outside. Edgar remained seated and somehow as if Caleb had read Edgar¡¯s mind to stay, Caleb had not moved.


    ¡°I have something to take care of. Go inside and inform Alfred that I will returnter. Do not wake up and have dinner if I do not arrive in time. Do not look so worried, Alessandra. I am just going to have a little chat with the Baroness,¡± Edgar shed a smile to rid her of her worries.


    ¡°Edgar, I do not believe you are going there to just have a chat. Is this your way of making things better? She¡¯s just going to deny anything you ask her. We should speak with Mario instead and have him dismiss the rumors. You should not harm the Baroness or Kate.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t intend to harm either of them. I¡¯m simply going to have a chat. Go inside before you get too cold,¡± Edgar urged her. He was walking on a thin line between telling the truth and a lie when it came to what he nned to do with the Baroness.


    Alessandra sighed, giving up on trying to stop Edgar. Hopefully, no one would die after his visit. She didn¡¯t even understand why she was trying to stop him in the first ce. She was certain once this rumor blew over something would pop back up again from Katrina or Kate¡¯s mouth. If Edgar could put an end to it now there was no need to stop what he nned to do.


    ¡°I trust that no one will end up dead. I will see youter,¡± she turned around to walk up the steps.


    With Alessandra no longer looking his way, the smile on Edgar¡¯s face disappeared as quickly as it came. ¡°To the Barrett¡¯s,¡± he ordered the coachman waiting on the outside for the new destination.


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± the coachman closed the door.


    .....


    ¡°We are not going there just to talk, are we?¡± Caleb grinned knowing they were going to turn the Baroness¡¯s world upside down for messing with the Duchess. ¡°Should we have the entire household be buried with thete Baron?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t n on killing anyone yet,¡± Edgar closed his eyes as the carriage moved off once again.


    Alessandra did not wish to have revenge on the Baroness and Kate for the way they treated her but Edgar was not going to leave them be. He did not know what happened between the two sides but he made it clear not to mess with his wife.


    Katrina had poked at something which gravely annoyed him. It was the rtionship between Alessandra and Mario. It was merely a friendship with a one-sided crush and he let it go but now this stupid rumor would have him hearing about it more than he liked.


    ¡°Caleb, get the best person you know to dig around about the Baroness¡¯s past. I was ying around with it before while investigating her husband but now, I am curious. It seems like something she desperately wants to hide. She should learn by now that nothing remains a secret in Lockwood,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we just kill her and the daughter? I can have them taken in the middle of the night and no clue is left behind as to who took them. We would have to take the uncle too,¡± Caleb proposed.


    ¡°No. One thing I regretted was killing the Baron so quickly. I¡¯m going to have fun with the Baroness. I want to watch her crumble to the lowest point in her life and then we will get rid of her. Do not mention a word of this to Alessandra.¡±


    ¡°My lips are sealed,¡± Caleb acted out zipping up his lips.


    After almost an hour¡¯s ride, Edgar and Caleb arrived at the Barrett¡¯s home.


    ¡°Is it just me or does the air here feel thick?¡± Caleb covered his nose as soon as he stepped out of the carriage.


    ¡°Do not sit or touch anything. You¡¯ll end up itching the rest of the night as I did,¡± Edgar remembered his situation after sitting down in one of the chairs here. After what he endured, he never nned to step foot in this house again. If his skin felt itchy just from standing around, he might just burn the entire house down.


    ¡°Noted.¡±


    Edgar walked up to the front door with Caleb right behind him. From the corner of his eye, he spotted a maid running away from a window. Before he had to knock, the door opened revealing the butler.


    ¡°Good evening, Duke Collins. The Baroness and her daughter are-wait,¡± James tried to grab Edgar when he brushed past him and entered the house but Caleb stepped in between. ¡°It is rude for you to just barge in and you know it.¡±


    ¡°Where is the Baroness? Speak quickly before I have him remove your tongue for being useless. I¡¯m certain you know why I¡¯m here and shouldn¡¯t be expecting any kindness from me. Either you bring the Baroness to me now or I will find her myself-¡±


    ¡°I will take you to her,¡± rk approached the trio with his hands in his pants and a sly smile lingering on his lips. He had caught wind of the rumors and knew why Edgar was here. It would be entertaining to watch the Duke take his frustration out on Katrina. It was about time someone brought that woman down from her high horse. ¡°Follow me.¡±


    Edgar ignored the butler and followed after rk. Perhaps it was good he had not gotten rid of rk for going against his warning and approaching Alessandra.


    Caleb was right behind Edgar in case rk or anyone else would try something funny.


    To get on Edgar¡¯s good side, rk decided to say, ¡°Those rumors are just-¡±


    ¡°I still don¡¯t like you so don¡¯t try to kiss my ass,¡± Edgar cut off rk before nonsense could be sprouted.


    rk closed his mouth, slightly irritated with how hard it was to please Edgar. Yet again he wondered how Alessandra was able to make a man like this marry her. Did they have her personality all the way wrong? ¡°You may not like me but don¡¯t forget I am doing you a favor by taking you straight to my sister-inw. I can also provide you with the cook. I think I am deserving of a proper conversation between the two of us.¡±


    Edgar didn¡¯t respond to rk. He would have gotten to the Baroness with or without rk¡¯s help.


    ¡°Katrina,¡± rk knocked on her door, anticipating the show toe. ¡°Katrina, you have a special guest,¡± he knocked again after no response the first time.


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you to-Edgar?¡± Katrina felt her stomach drop as soon as she opened her door and found Edgar standing there. ¡°Duke Collins, what a surprise,¡± she forced a smile. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard there are rumors going around about my dear niece?¡± rk happily informed Katrina. She was a fool to think the Duke wouldn¡¯t show up. Now she stood before them like prey realizing it was about to be devoured.


    ¡°I need to have a word with you. Alone,¡± Edgar looked directly at rk for the alone part. rk was enjoying this but he was annoying the hell out of him.


    ¡°Please,e inside,¡± Katrina stepped aside to allow him inside her bedroom. She was not prepared to deal with Edgar just yet. The news spread faster than she expected therefore she did not predict a visit this soon.


    Nevertheless, sheposed herself and prepared to act oblivious about it. Katrina closed the door behind Edgar to stop rk from enjoying this moment.


    ¡°Don¡¯t die,¡± rk offered her advice right before the door closed.

 Chapter 158

    158 Out the window (2)


    Edgar inspected the shabby bedroom which fit perfectly with the aesthetic of the shabby house. Everything about this house perfectly matched the people left behind to live in it.


    ¡°Would you like to take a seat so that we can talk?¡± Katrina pulled out the chair from her vanity for Edgar to use.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have enough money to pay me to sit down on anything here ever again. You should know that after thest time I was here I ended up with countless rashes from bug bites. You must be so used to it that you are immune. I never once saw you itching. Do you like having me here, Baroness?¡± Edgar asked, careful not to touch anything as he walked around the room with his hands behind his back.


    ¡°It is a pleasure to have someone like yourself here, Duke Collins. You¡¯ve married my stepdaughter and now you are family. Why wouldn¡¯t I want you here?¡± Katrina continued to force a smile. She had a bad feeling about this visit but Edgar could not prove she was the one to spread the rumors, therefore, he could not do anything to her.


    ¡°Family?¡± Edgar chuckled as he found her to be delusional. ¡°Baroness, we¡¯re hardly even acquaintances. You hate my wife, remember? Isn¡¯t that why you resorted to telling lies about her friendship with the cook to ruin her?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m hurt you think I would want to damage her reputation that way, Duke Collins. How can I hurt the daughter of the man I loved? I don¡¯t know what lies Alessandra has told you but I have treated her well considering the fact she is not my blood. It wasn¡¯t easy for me to enter a marriage with a man who was married before and already had a child,¡± said Katrina.


    ¡°If my sources are correct, you were pregnant before you married the Baron. It wasn¡¯t easy for you to think about marrying a man with a child and previous marriage but it wasn¡¯t hard toy in bed and have his child. Sure, I believe it was not easy for you. I must say you are excellent at keeping up the lie for years that you are nice to Alessandra and she was the problem. You should think of joining the theater.¡±


    Katrina¡¯s lip twitched. ¡°I have always been nice to Alessandra,¡± she honestly replied.


    There were crueler things she could have done to Alessandra. Making her a prisoner in her own home was a nice thing. There was always that thought of killing Alessandra to have Desmond only focus on Kate but Katrina had never given in to those thoughts. Edgar should be thankful Alessandra was still alive and well for him to be able to marry her.


    .....


    ¡°Cut the bullshit with me, Baroness. I don¡¯t have time for your games and I already know you were the one who spread that rumor about my wife. You and your daughter have been cruel to her for a long time. Are you satisfied now that the town¡¯s talking about her even more?¡± Edgar asked.


    Katrina scoffed and licked her bottom lip. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s stop pretending. It¡¯s only the two of us here and I can¡¯t get you to believe a word I say. Of course, I hate Alessandra and treated her badly. How could anyone expect me to be nice to her when she looks like her mother? Tell me, how did she react to the news? Did she look as shocked as I wanted her to be?¡± She grinned.


    Katrina wished she could have been a fly on the wall to see Alessandra¡¯s face. ¡°Did she cry and send you over here to fix everything? You should have brought her along for me to get a goodugh. I¡¯m honestly starting to miss her ruined face. How dare you take my pet away.¡±


    Edgar smiled, deeply amused by how bold she was. ¡°Do you not fear me?¡±


    ¡°I have nothing to fear when you can¡¯t kill me, Duke Collins,¡± Katrina seductively walked up to him. ¡°You cannot kill or imprison me for allegedly spreading a rumor about your wife. You have no proof and besides, women talk all the time. Your issue should be with the cook and whatever he said about your wife. You,¡± she stared at his features. ¡°Are too handsome for a girl with so many problems. Such a shame. Doesn¡¯t her face scare you or have you not seen it?¡±


    ¡°First, if you are going to stand so close you should rinse your mouth. Secondly, what happened to her face?¡± Edgar calmly spoke though he was raging on the inside.


    ¡°Alessandra found her own face to be horrendous and tried destroying it. Had I stalled Desmond a little bit more, the other side would have been ruined. Ha-ah!¡± Katrina gasped and wed at the hand Edgar grabbed her neck with. She had not seen when his hands moved from behind his back and only felt the overbearing pain of him squeezing her neck. ¡°Wait! R-Release me.¡±


    Edgar ignored her pleas and her nails digging into his skin to make him release her. Instead, he dragged her to the open window.


    Fighting back against his grip, Katrina ended up falling but Edgar¡¯s hold stopped her from hitting the floor. Her buttocks and legs dragged against the floor and whatever furniture they passed by she tried grabbing onto to stop him from taking her to the window. She was scared Edgar might be crazy enough to throw her out the window.


    ¡°M-My neck,¡± the words barely escaped her lips. She was certain her neck would be severely damaged from the way he was holding onto it and the way he dragged her like a child would drag around a doll.


    Edgar hoisted Katrina up and ced her upper body out the window, His grip on her neck was the only thing stopping her from falling alongside her hands desperately holding onto the wall.


    ¡°Where has your confidence from earlier gone? Continue with it. I want to see it. No? That¡¯s disappointing,¡± Edgar whispered. He wanted to see her be her true self at this moment. ¡°You can only pick on the weak, can you? Did you think you could talk about my wife as you pleased and I would do nothing? Tell me why I shouldn¡¯t throw you out this window and be done with you?¡± He pushed her body slightly downward.


    Katrina opened her mouth and spoke but no words were heard. Her eyes were starting to roll back and sweat formed on her forehead as she panicked. ¡°I¡¯m innocent,¡± she eventually managed to get two words out.


    ¡°I clearly remembered the night I killed your husband. How Alessandra escaped by going out her window. Should we test your ability to survive falling from the second floor?¡± He pushed her body further back.


    Katrina was in the perfect position to be tossed out the window andnd straight on her head.


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky I promised not to kill you. I¡¯m giving you one whole day starting now to clear up this shit you started. I¡¯m giving you onest chance to stop fucking around with my wife or I will continuously have you thrown from this window until your head cracks open. Do we understand each other?¡±


    Katrina nodded her head as best as she could and felt relieved when he pulled her back inside though she was thrown harshly against the floor. She took quick deep breaths and cried as the pain around her neck increased even though Edgar was no longer holding her. She was afraid to touch her neck to cause herself even more pain.


    Each time she swallowed saliva there was a sharp pain. Katrina lifted her head to look at Edgar and found him to show no emotion after what he had just done. No anger or amusement was shown. He looked just as calm as he had entered the room.


    ¡®Monster,¡¯ she thought.

 Chapter 159

    159 Out the window (3)


    ¡°What kind of a man are you? To be so cruel to treat me this way.¡±


    Edgar stooped down to Katrina¡¯s level on the floor. ¡°The kind that warned you and your husband to stay away from his wife. How amusing that you call me cruel when you¡¯ve tortured your stepdaughter for years and continue to mess with her when she is no longer by your side. I am never kind to people like you.¡±


    ¡°Get out,¡± Katrina looked away from him. At a time like this, she should be thinking of never messing with him and Alessandra but she could only think of repaying him for what she just endured. She was a Baroness, not amon woman on the street to be tossed around like this.


    ¡°You,¡± he roughly grabbed her face and forced her to look at him. ¡°Have one day to clear this up and never go after my wife again. I will kill you if I have to return here again.¡±


    ¡°Get out!¡± Katrina yelled, smacking his hand away from her face. ¡°You¡¯ll get what¡¯sing to you, Edgar. Just wait.¡±


    ¡°I can toss you out your own window and you¡¯re foolish enough to threaten me. It¡¯s going to be fun for me to ruin you, Baroness. You¡¯ve used your beauty to get you further in life, haven¡¯t you?¡± Edgar stared at her face. He didn¡¯t see what Desmond used to gush about but beauty was in the eye of the beholder.


    Edgar ced his hand in his pants pocket and pulled out a dagger.


    ¡°N-No,¡± Katrina tried scrambling back to get away from him but her back collided with a drawer, stopping her from running away. ¡°I have not done anything to you to warrant this. James!¡± She called for the butler to save her.


    The sound of the doorknob turning was heard followed by a thud against the door which remained shut.


    .....


    ¡°An attack on my wife is an attack on me. It¡¯s been so long since you got married but don¡¯t you remember that husband and wife share each other¡¯s burdens? Stay still or you will ruin more than I want to,¡± Edgar reached out to grab her face. ¡°An eye for an eye.¡±


    ¡°Stop,¡± Katrina tried crawling away but Edgar blocked her. ¡°I was not the one who ruined her face. It was her and Kate. They were only children. Do not do this to me,¡± she cried.


    In this world, she treasured her looks, money, and Kate more than anything else. If Edgar ruined her face with his dagger, she would never be able to fix it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, your daughter will get what¡¯sing to her if she toys with my wife in the future. Parents should be examples for children. You will serve as a warning to your daughter,¡± Edgar created a small wound on her right cheek with his dagger. It wasn¡¯t deep but enough to leave a scar once the blood was dealt with.


    With a trembling hand, Katrina touched her face where she felt a slight stinging pain and something running against her cheek. ¡°You cut me,¡± she said in disbelief. ¡°You truly cut my face.¡±


    ¡°Until I am ready to kill you, I¡¯ll add a cut to your face each time you try to mess with my wife. The ridicule she endured for years, you shall experience it soon. One day to clear the rumor,¡± he patted her other cheek before standing up. He was already starting to feel itchy just from being inside this house.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell everyone what you did to me. Do you think you can get away with treating me this way? You¡¯re a man who abuses his power. This town will rip you to shreds.¡±


    Edgar chuckled, amused by her confidence in him being ruined. ¡°Go on, tell them what I¡¯ve done here tonight. I will also state what you did to my wife and perhaps, state a little bit about your past,¡± he bluffed. Right now, he didn¡¯t know much about her. ¡°While you run to the town to ruin me, I should warn you. I am not the type to care about my reputation.¡±


    A few people in town referred to him as a monster but he never paid any mind to it. They were allowed to think whatever they wanted of him. Most of those same people would sh him a smile when he was nearby in order to get close to his wealth.


    Edgar knew the type of man that he was. He never hurt the innocent and only went after people who did horrible crimes. He never once befriended anyone who could hurt innocent people which was why he never liked the Baron or William Lancaster. He would never care for Katrina or her daughter. If anyone were to be called a monster it should be the two of them.


    It was funny how Katrina mentioned he abused his power. Edgar liked to keep to himself but everyone around seemed to like poking at him only to get upset once he gave them a response. Then they shouted for the ills about his power and how he had too much.


    ¡°Should I show you what it is like for me to abuse my power?¡± Edgar asked.


    Katrina stared at him as if he was talking crazy. ¡°You already have by walking in my bedroom and almost throwing me-¡±


    ¡°For harming Alessandra¡¯s face, you and your daughter should have been thrown in a cell and questioned. You and yourte husband should have been punished for letting a child be hurt in your care. I am merely carrying out what had not been done years ago. The king has tasked me to rid the kingdom of people like you so I am well within my right to treat you how I did. Our king no longer has tolerance for those who hurt the innocent.¡±


    Katrina did not see why the king would give Edgar this power. ¡°He was a fool to let you be the one to do this. Look at how many people you have killed.¡±


    ¡°You mean the murders, abusers, kidnappers, and those who tried taking my life? Should I have killed innocent people, a priest, or maybe a dog to be the one fit to get rid of evil people? Oh right, people like you get upset about who I¡¯ve killed because they used to be your aplices. It¡¯s clear from the friends your husband had around him. You are no different as you befriended the wives of those kinds of men,¡± Edgar stared down at her pitiful state.


    ¡°Get out. I no longer wish to hear anything else you have to say now that you have ruined my face. You are a man hated by many. I don¡¯t have to go against you myself. Someone else will surely humble you one day,¡± said Katrina. She was sure it would happen sooner than Edgar expected.


    There was William who hated Edgar¡¯s guts and he was still upset with Alessandra marrying Edgar. She hoped William would find a way to kill Edgar or at least make him fall from the high horse he was on.


    ¡°How interesting it is for someone like you who thrives on having money and power to help you look down on others to say that I need humbling,¡± Edgar scoffed.


    People with far less money and power than he possessed were always the ones speaking the most with their noses in the air while he remained silent on the sidelines. He never unted his wealth or made anyone feel less of a human because their titles were nowhere near a Duke¡¯s. Yet he was the one to need humbling?


    ¡°I am not the one to need humbling, Baroness. I know how to pick my battles and how to win them. You must view that as me being cocky but it¡¯s about ying smart. If you hadmon sense, you wouldn¡¯t be in this position right now. The person who needed to be humbled was you. You should thank me for humbling you before it cost you your neck,¡± Edgar shed a smile to irritate her.


    ¡°Get out!¡± Katrina yelled at the top of her lungs hurting her neck in the process but she desperately wanted Edgar far away from her. ¡°Please.¡±


    ¡°No need for you to beg as I have finished what I came here to do. I hope that you are smarter than you look, Baroness. From this moment on, forget about Alessandra or soon enough everyone will forget there once was a woman named Katrina Barrett. Goodbye,¡± hezily waved his hand as he walked away from her to leave the bedroom.


    Edgar opened the door and was greeted by the sight of the butler looking as though was about to lose his mind. ¡®Interesting,¡¯ he thought as the butler brushed past him to check on the Baroness.


    Instead of calling for help, Katrina called for the butler and the said man looked as if he would fight his way in to save her. Was the butler just a loyal servant to someone like Katrina or...


    ¡°This house is always full of drama,¡± Edgar chuckled.

 Chapter 160

    160 Trip (1)


    ¡°Alfred, wake up. Alfred,¡± Edgar tapped the sleeping man who was no doubt waiting for him to return home. ¡°A maid broke your special tes for when Tobias has-¡±


    ¡°What!¡± Alfred¡¯s eyes flew open. ¡°How many were broken? Edgar, did you return just now? What time is it?¡±


    ¡°Toote for you to still be awake and shouldn¡¯t it be my wife who is patiently waiting to see me return?¡± Edgar looked up the stairs expecting to see Alessandra magicallying down as if she sensed his presence.


    ¡°The Duchess has retired to her bed. I assured her I would stay awake until you returned home. Shall I have your dinner warmed up?¡± Alfred sat up from his chair.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to bother the cook now-¡±


    ¡°Nonsense! I have never let you go to bed with an empty stomach and I¡¯m not starting now. I will prepare something light myself. Before I was a butler, I was once an excellent cook for a little cozy ce in my hometown. When I got the job to be a butler the people there cried because they would miss my food,¡± Alfred reminisced on the past.


    ¡°That¡¯s interesting considering the only good thing you have ever fed me was something on a piece of bread like jam that was made by someone else. I mean sure, you¡¯re an excellent cook,¡± Edgar changed his words after Alfred red at him. ¡°You should have gone to bed, Alfred. You work too hard. How about a vacation?¡±


    ¡°Well that sounds lovely but I have too much work to do here. While you are away, the Duchess seeks my help with all kinds of matters. It is too early for me to leave her side,¡± Alfred rejected the offer.


    ¡°Alessandra and I would be going along with you. I¡¯m thinking of taking her to see my grandmother. I have a house out there that I rarely use. Would you like to tag along? Of course, you wouldn¡¯t be working as our butler during that time. You can do whatever you want.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Are you trying to run away from what is being said about the Duchess? She mentioned it to me during dinner. It¡¯s awful how lies spread faster than the truth. Take her out of town to get away from these people,¡± said Alfred. ¡°As fast as possible. We should leave as soon as the sun kisses thend tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Inform Caleb and Sally to prepare for a four-day trip and then get some rest, Alfred. I will need a messenger in the morning to send a notice to Tobias that I would not be here to aid him if I am needed. Send up the bread and jam you n for me to eat in a couple of minutes. I am going to take a bath. Goodbye Alfred,¡± Edgar left his side and walked towards the stairs.


    ¡°I was going to prepare bread and cheese. It would pair nicely with a little bit of wine,¡± Alfred muttered. Now that Edgar had returned safely he could ease up. Each time Edgar went to deal with someone, Alfred was worried Edgar might return home hurt or not return at all. ¡°I worry for nothing.¡±


    Edgar started to unbutton his shirt as he walked toward his bedroom. After dealing with Katrina, he was bombarded with questions from rk wanting to know how he could take everything belonging to Desmond and put it in his name. Edgar¡¯s response was for rk to figure it out on his own.


    After leaving the Barrett¡¯s home, he went somewhere quiet to clear his mind and that was how he ended up wanting to take Alessandra on a trip tomorrow.


    Edgar pushed open their bedroom door and to his surprise, Alessandra sat on the bed with a book in her hands. He had to bite his lip to stop himself fromughing when her eyes desperately wanted to close but she fought against sleep. He closed the door hard enough for it to make a loud noise and watched Alessandra jump out of fear.


    ¡°Edgar? I didn¡¯t hear the door open,¡± Alessandra said, surprised to see him standing there. She ced her book down and rubbed her eye before looking again to make sure she was not imagining him being home.


    ¡°You¡¯re too tired to be aware of your surroundings. You are obviously tired so why haven¡¯t you gone to sleep yet? I told you not to wake up,¡± Edgar took off his shirt and ced it on a table while Alessandra moved to sit at the edge of the bed.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t tired,¡± Alessandra lied.


    ¡°Really? So maybe I am the sleepy one and I have been imagining your head nodding off to the side while your eyes keep opening and closing.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s called blinking.¡±


    Edgar ran his tongue over the tip of his teeth. Since when was she like this with her replies? ¡°Sure,¡± he decided to drop the issue for now. They both knew she was sleepy and it wouldn¡¯t be long before she couldn¡¯t resist falling asleep.


    ¡°What happened with Katrina? You didn¡¯t harm her, did you?¡± Alessandra could hardly wait to hear what happened.


    ¡°Just a tiny bit. A simple mark on her cheek to torture her,¡± Edgar stated,pletely ignoring the fact he threatened to toss her out a window. ¡°She will clear up the rumor by tomorrow night if she does not wish to have another mark. For a little while, she might not interfere with you.¡±


    ¡°She certainly won¡¯t sit still if you have given her a permanent mark on her face. Katrina loves her face. Still,¡± Alessandra smiled, imagining how much Katrina was losing her mind right now. ¡°It is funny that after she teased me for years, she now has something done to her face. I don¡¯t feel the slightest bit sorry for her. I only wish that it was Kate.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Tomorrow we will be taking a trip with Alfred, Sally, and Caleb to visit my grandmother. You wanted to meet some of the family members I get along with. We¡¯ll stay there for four days,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°Are we running away from what¡¯s being said about Mario and I?¡±


    ¡°No, we¡¯re using a carriage,¡± Edgar grinned, using the same sarcastic tone Alessandra used earlier.


    ¡°Haha,¡± Alessandra faked augh. All the tiredness she felt suddenly vanished now that they were going on a trip. ¡°I can hardly wait for morning toe and start packing. I hope none of the ridiculous rumors about me have spread to where we are going,¡± she subconsciously touched her mask.


    ¡°Even if it has, not everywhere thrives on ridiculous rumors like Lockwood does. Perhaps one day we should consider moving to another town. The only downside is how long it would take for Tobias to reach me if there is an urgent matter. I am going to bathe,¡± Edgar started to unbutton his pants. ¡°Go to sleep, Alessandra.¡±


    ¡°You seem so annoyed when Tobias is around yet you have not left Lockwood since you must be near him. I¡¯m sure the king would love to know this,¡± Alessandra said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t. He¡¯ll make it a bigger deal than it needs to be.¡±

 Chapter 161

    161 Trip (2)


    Morning came quickly as Alessandra wanted and unlike other days, she had woken up at the brink of dawn to start packing on her own. This annoyed Edgar who wished to stay in bed longer but Alessandra pushed for him to start packing.


    She also wanted him to help her pick out clothes that would be to his grandmother¡¯s liking so now they were both in the room assigned to be her closet.


    ¡°You should know the carriages and thend aren¡¯t going anywhere. What is it with you and Alfred waking so early to start packing?¡± Edgar yawned, still tired and desperately yearning to go back to bed. ¡°I¡¯m starting to regret this trip and we¡¯re still here.¡±


    ¡°You just need to have your coffee to stopining, Edgar. Alfred said it would be a six-hour ride if we have no stops. Therefore it¡¯s best we set out early so there¡¯s enough time for me to make use of our first day there. Four days will fly by sooner than you think. What do you think about this,¡± she held up a dress for Edgar to see.


    ¡°It is blue,¡± hemented on the dress. ¡°What more is there for me to say?¡±


    ¡°You are no help. If this wasn¡¯t such a rash decision, Erin could have paid a visit to help me pick out dresses. I have no sense of style nor any clue what I should wear while meeting your grandmother for the first time. Why couldn¡¯t you have mentioned a trip when you let me off the carriage before you went to the Baroness? There would have been enough time for me to n instead of sitting around on a bed waiting for you.¡±


    ¡°My mistake,¡± Edgar apologized. ¡°There are plenty of servants to pack for you. Call Sally to do this. She is the one that dresses you after all.¡±


    ¡°Sally has her own bags to pack and she is writing a note to send to her family that she will be out of time. Can you have the messenger deliver her message along with the one for Tobias?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Alessandra, now that we have clearly established I am of no use to you, can I go back to sleep until it is time for us to leave?¡± Edgar asked.


    .....


    ¡°Go on you grumpy man. Besides, you won¡¯t have any time to rest while we are on our trip,¡± Alessandra stated and as her back was turned to Edgar, she wouldn¡¯t see the devious smile on his lips.


    ¡°And why is that?¡± He teasingly asked, waiting for her to realize how he had taken her words.


    ¡°If your grandmother lives there, you must have visited the area many times. I will need you to show me around,¡± Alessandra replied.


    ¡°Is that all?¡±


    Alessandra slowly turned around to face Edgar. She didn¡¯t see what else she was meant to say. Judging by the sly smile and how much he was staring at her, it was something sexual. ¡°Nothing more than that, Edgar. Whatever you are imagining is not happening.¡±


    ¡°This trip is meant to be our honeymoon. We did not have one after our wedding.¡±


    ¡°There was no need for us to have one. Surely you have not forgotten how our marriage started. We are in no need of a honeymoon. You, who have always been against marriage, have no need for a honeymoon. This is simply a trip to get away from the people in Lockwood,¡± Alessandra shot down whatever he was considering.


    Edgar stood up from his seat. ¡°I¡¯ve started to see the bright side of having a honeymoon. That¡¯s why Caleb, Alfred, and Sally will stay in one wing of the house while we have the other all to ourselves. Depending on how my experiment goes, we may need to move them to another house. Do you wish to know why?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Alessandra quickly replied. She had no intention of taking part in whatever experiment Edgar meant. ¡°You can go back to sleep as you wanted.¡±


    ¡°No, I think I will stay and annoy you for keeping me up while I was begging to return to bed. I¡¯ll tell you why we would have to move them to another house. It¡¯s-¡±


    ¡°Alfred!¡± Alessandra called, making Edgar look at the closed door. With her sessful distraction, she made a dash for the door to escape Edgar¡¯s lecture.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to be in a carriage for six or seven hours. You can¡¯t escape hearing what I have to say,¡± he informed Alessandra while she ran away.


    One thing for certain, it wouldn¡¯t be a boring trip.


    Two hours passed by and to Edgar¡¯s dismay, he wasn¡¯t able to go back to sleep. Everyone stood outside the front door while two carriages pulled up to take them out of town.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t we traveling together?¡± Sally asked. What if Alessandra would need her for something?


    Caleb yfully patted her shoulder and said, ¡°Read the room, you single woman. The married folks will want time alone to fool around in the carriage. You and I will have fun with Alfred.¡±


    ¡°Fun with the butler?¡± Sally looked at Alfred. Alfred was fun at times but she didn¡¯t see him being fun to be around for such a long ride. For heaven¡¯s sake, he prepared a bottle of tea and a book to read on the road.


    ¡°I want silence in the carriage. If the two of you are going to do anything funny we should get a divider. Should we?¡± Alfred gave Caleb and Sally a suspicious look.


    ¡°What?¡± Sally almost choked on her spit. ¡°There is nothing going on between Caleb and me. There is no need for a divider. I just want this ride to be over with quickly,¡± Sally sobbed on the inside. If only men and women could ride separately.


    ¡°When were the bags packed on the carriages?¡± Alessandra asked as she had not seen when anyone passed by with them.


    ¡°When we were eating. We have a carriage all to ourselves, Alessandra. Let¡¯s make these long hours entertaining. Ladies first,¡± Edgar held the door open for her while Alessandra thought of ways to travel in the other carriage instead of with Edgar and his teasing behavior.


    ¡°It will be entertaining as I n to draw the scenery we pass by,¡± she showed him the paper and pen in her hands. ¡°I¡¯m sure you will find something to entertain yourself with,¡± she chuckled, enjoying his smile slowly being reced with a frown.


    Alessandra was starting to consider keeping track of the many times she won against Edgar.

 Chapter 162

    162 Trip (3)


    ¡°Why are you watching me, Edgar?¡± Alessandra gave in and asked after feeling his burning gaze on her from the moment the carriage took off.


    ¡°I¡¯m waiting to see your skill of drawing the scenery while the carriage quickly goes by it. Don¡¯t mind me,¡± Edgar replied. He sat with one footpped over the other and his right arm propping up his head while he watched Alessandra. He felt it wouldn¡¯t be long before Alessandra put her book aside.


    Alessandra found it almost unbearable to draw while Edgar stared at her so intently. ¡°Can I rmend you find something better to upy your time with? You knew we were going on a long trip yet you did not prepare anything to pass the time.¡±


    ¡°What did I need to prepare while you are with me? I am passing time just fine. It is you with an issue.¡±


    ¡°Can you find another way to pass the time that does not involve watching me? It is annoying. Here,¡± she tore a piece of paper from her book. ¡°Entertain yourself with it.¡±


    Edgar took the paper from Alessandra. With him upied with something, she went back to drawing until a small balled-up piece of papernded in the middle of her book. Alessandra gripped her pen irritated with Edgar but she did not stop drawing. Edgar also did not stop throwing the paper to get her attention.


    ¡°Okay, so it was my fault for thinking you wouldn¡¯t annoy me with paper. I give up,¡± she closed her book and ced it on the side along with her pen. ¡°What now? There¡¯s nothing for the two of us to do.¡±


    ¡°There certainly is but you never want to go along with my ns. I am still meaning to tell you what I wanted earlier about having separate-¡±


    ¡°Edgar, I¡¯m going to sleep. We¡¯ll arrive there in no time if I fall asleep,¡± said Alessandra. She fidgeted in her seat trying to find a good position to fall asleep but unless she held onto something she would fall off the seat when she was in deep sleep.


    .....


    ¡°Need my help? There is afy ce here,¡± Edgar patted hisp. ¡°I will see to it you don¡¯t fall.¡±


    Alessandra sighed, knowing she did need his help. It was either sheid on hisp to go to sleep or she stayed awake only to endure what Edgar had in mind. It was fun speaking with him but six hours of Edgar finding entertainment in teasing her was not fun.


    Alessandra carefully stood up while the carriage moved on the bumpy road. She sat next to Edgar and she was almost certain she could feel him enjoying that she hade to him. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to remove your leg for me toy down?¡± She asked as he still had one legpped over the other.


    ¡°Well first I am waiting for you to ask if you couldy against Wait,¡± he held her hand as she stood up to go back to her side. ¡°Must you ruin the fun? I¡¯m patiently waiting for you to start teasing me back as you said you would.¡±


    Alessandraid on hisp now that he removed his foot. ¡°I don¡¯t want to have a teasing match with you while we are stuck in a carriage. Please wake me up when we are nearing where we will be staying,¡± she closed her eyes.


    ¡°Will do,¡± Edgar replied. He yed with the strands of hair that spread all over his torso and looked out the window as they left Lockwood.


    ¡°Edgar, if your parents find out we are going to see your grandmother, would they follow us there?¡±


    ¡°My father would but my mother wouldn¡¯t tag along. The one person she cannot have her way with is my grandmother. If my grandmother were to visit us in Lockwood, you wouldn¡¯t hear a word out of my mother¡¯s mouth. It was my grandfather who arranged for my father to wed my mother. I¡¯ve been told my mother and grandmother bumped heads from day one,¡± Edgar replied.


    Alessandra hoped it wasn¡¯t because they had simr personalities therefore they couldn¡¯t coexist with each other. ¡°Why are you so confident she will like me?¡± She wondered.


    Over thest few days, she learned a lot about his family both from Alfred and Sally along with paper articles about them that were in the library. They were all wealthy and had partners from other wealthy families. She didn¡¯t find it surprising that one of Edgar¡¯s rtives married a prince a long time ago.


    Toe from a family with such a good background, Alessandra worried about her background. Her father was a Baron but he had financial troubles. Even if he did not have any financial trouble, he wouldn¡¯t have spent money on her. She brought nothing with her into her marriage with Edgar for his family to see her as a good candidate. Her money came from the allowance Edgar gave to her.


    ¡°Oww,¡± Alessandra touched her forehead where Edgar had pinched her. ¡°What was that for?¡±


    ¡°You are already overthinking before we¡¯re even there. I wouldn¡¯t have taken you to meet my grandmother if I didn¡¯t think she would like you. Rx before your brain explodes. Besides, we won¡¯t be going to see her today. She doesn¡¯t even know that we¡¯reing.¡±


    Alessandra¡¯s eyes opened as a thought came to mind. ¡°Edgar, does she know that you are married and who you¡¯ve gotten married to?¡±


    ¡°It may have slipped my mind to inform my grandmother personally that I have gotten married-¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Alessandra eximed. How was Edgar causally going to his grandmother¡¯s with a wife the woman did not know existed? For heaven¡¯s sake, they might give the woman a heart attack.


    ¡°Just like how my mother and father found out about it, I¡¯m sure my grandmother had someone inform her. News from Lockwood would have spread to one of my rtives who would inform her or maybe Alfred sent the note in my ce. The two of them are quite close. My grandmother certainly knows she just wouldn¡¯t bother herself to travel to Lockwood as I woulde to her. I will offer her an apology for not writing a letter.¡±


    From the moment they had gotten married, something was keeping him busy whether it be Alessandra¡¯s family or work. He meant to inform her personally but it slipped his mind which was rare and his grandmother would understand as he was not one to forget about her.


    ¡°I will take your word for it that she will not be upset. Until tomorrow, I will not worry about it,¡± Alessandra closed her eyes. For the time they would be out of Lockwood, she did not want to waste it stressing about new problems. Nothing would ruin her happiness of finally traveling outside of Lockwood.


    ¡®That was quick,¡¯ Edgar thought. He expected he would have to say something more to reassure her but she had gotten over it quickly. Her ability to not care about things for too long was astonishing and each day herck of care increased.


    Edgar had a feeling she was more worried about how the lie regarding the cook would affect him rather than herself. She didn¡¯t seem to care what happened to herself. After theirst run-in with his mother, Alessandra didn¡¯t seem bothered by the woman or want to be liked. Was it because he was close to his grandmother that she was worried about being liked?


    ¡°Silly woman,¡± he stroked her hair. If for some reason his grandmother wouldn¡¯t like Alessandra, it wasn¡¯t like he was going to stop their marriage. The only person she needed to be liked by was him.

 Chapter 163

    163 Trip (4)


    Seven hours passed by and the two carriages were far out of Lockwood and in a neighboring town that looked nothing like Lockwood. From the trees to the way the houses were built, it was evident they were no longer in Lockwood.


    Alessandra was glued to the window, taking in everything as they passed by the homes and tried to spot where they would be staying. ¡°How many times do you travel to stay here?¡±


    ¡°Two or three times a year. Mostly when it starts to snow as my grandmother has an annual winter party for all of the family to gather. A lot of my rtives would stay at her home so to get away from that, I bought a home. Servants are tending to it while I am not here. We should leave behind some clothes for you so you don¡¯t need to pack a lot of bags when visiting. Alfred and I have several clothes at all my homes so we can make a quick escape from Lockwood,¡± said Edgar.


    Alessandra couldn¡¯t help finding it cute how close Edgar and Alfred were. ¡°How many homes do you have including the one used in Lockwood?¡±


    ¡°We have twelve homes. One in every town and a few extra to rent to anyone looking for a ce to stay. Most of them are a way to earn extra money,¡± Edgar replied.


    ¡°You are quite the businessman. I wonder how many ways you have found to earn money.¡±


    ¡°More than you can imagine. I¡¯ve gained enough for us to livefortably for years and I could just stay at home. That is why you do not need to work. I would not withhold money from you if we were to have an argument. I am not that petty. Toward you at least,¡± he added as he was indeed that petty to others.


    ¡°I see. We¡¯ve stopped,¡± said Alessandra.


    ¡°Art supplies and traveling. What strange gifts I have to offer you to see you light up,¡± Edgarmented in a dull tone. At least he was getting to see her energetic side from the way she couldn¡¯t sit still in the carriage. ¡°Alessandra, see to it you never lose this energy.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± he shook his head and opened the door for her before the coachman could. ¡°Go explore it to your heart¡¯s content but do not stumble far away from the house. There are a lot of wild animals in this area. Many that you do not see in Lockwood like foxes.¡±


    ¡°I will be careful,¡± Alessandra reassured him as she practically jumped out of the carriage.


    ¡°Duchess,¡± Sally exited the other carriage at the same time. ¡°I will remove my bag from the carriage and join you-¡±


    ¡°I will take out your bag from you, Sally. You can go along with the Duchess,¡± said Caleb.


    ¡°Oh, thank you. I will owe you for this. Where should we go first?¡± Sally asked Alessandra. She was just as excited to be out of Lockwood as Alessandra was. It had been so long since she went on a trip after her family had lost all of their money.


    ¡°We should see the inside first and thene back out inside,¡± Alessandra suggested. She hooked her arm with Sally¡¯s and walked up to the entrance of the home that was smaller inparison to the home back in Lockwood.


    ¡°Which one was her bag again?¡± Caleb looked around the back of the carriage specifically for Sally¡¯s so that he could set it aside and take it straight to her room after helping with unloading the others. ¡°Why are you staring at me, Duke Edgar?¡±


    ¡°Whatever happened to not mixing business with pleasure?¡± Edgar asked as he walked by Caleb to remove Alessandra and his bags from the back of the carriage.


    ¡°I¡¯ve warned the servants many times not to get into rtionships with each other. One of them has to end up quitting because of the drama,¡± said Alfred.


    ¡°Sally and I are nothing like that. We have only be close because we are both around the Duchess a lot. Besides,¡± Caleb paused to lift a bag off the back of the carriage. ¡°I have not seen any opportunity for me to get pleasure yet for it to be mixing business with pleasure. I¡¯m supposed to be setting her up with someone.¡±


    ¡°Found anyone yet?¡± Alfred asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Caleb replied.


    ¡°I wonder why,¡± Alfred replied while Edgar snickered. ¡°While you and Sally figure out whatever is going on between the two of you, remember what you two do will affect the Duchess.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d hate to have to hear about your rtionship problems because of Alessandra worrying about her maid. Do not try anything if the rtionship will not be serious. I will increase your training if I have to be burdened with listening to your problems,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°All I did was offer to take down her bag for her and the two of you are talking about rtionships.¡±


    ¡°Caleb, you have been nicknamed thezy giant by the other men. When you are not fighting or doing a task for me, you arezing around and won¡¯t lift a finger unless there is a woman you are trying to impress. You know what you are doing. Fuck,¡± Edgar cursed as he lifted one of Alessandra¡¯s bags down. ¡°Did she pack rocks?¡±


    ¡°Since you have gotten married, you have be weaker, Duke Edgar. Sorry,¡± Caleb apologized after Edgar red at him.


    ¡°I am not weak. I was not expecting her to have such heavy bags. I am certain she has brought rocks from Lockwood along with her. There is no way she has packed so many clothes for a simple four-day trip,¡± Edgar stated. He picked up two of the heavy bags and walked them to the front door.


    ¡°Duke Collins,¡± a man stepped outside just as Edgar reached the steps. ¡°Allow the servants to take care of those while you settle in. I am Calvin, the butler. Your guest has gone ahead to see the rooms.¡±


    Edgar ced the two bags down for Calvin to take. ¡°The woman with dark hair and green eyes is my wife. Inform the servants to treat her well. This is her guard,¡± he pointed at Caleb. ¡°And Alfred my butler but he is meant to be on vacation. If you see him trying to work, tie him to a chair or whatever you see fit.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± said Calvin.


    ¡°He would need to be able to hold me down first. I will do as I please,¡± Alfred muttered.

 Chapter 164

    164 Closer (1)


    ¡®Will we witness a sh of butlers?¡¯ Caleb thought.


    Alfred might be older but he wasn¡¯t as fragile as he appeared. It was a big shock when Alfred once joined the men in training and was able to keep up. Instead of being a butler for so long, Alfred could have been out fighting to protect the kingdom. It wouldn¡¯te as a surprise if Alfred had a secret story to tell about once being a fighter.


    Edgar entered the home with his right hand in his pants pocket. He didn¡¯t bring along any work to bother himself with so all he wanted to do wasy around and do nothing. However, from the footsteps he could hear upstairs that no doubt belonged to Alessandra and Sally, he predicted he would be dragged around to do all sorts of things.


    ¡°I need a drink,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°The first thing you need on vacation is not a drink, Edgar. It¡¯s to have fun with your wife. You should be the one showing her around instead of Sally. I, on the other hand, will find a quiet ce to read a book,¡± Alfred patted the front of the book he began to read on the ride here. ¡°I should also do some gardening. I wonder-¡±


    ¡°Alfred, I wasn¡¯t joking about tying you to a chair,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°Gardening is not work. It was a fun way to pass. Gardening for me is like sword fighting for you.¡±


    ¡°Do whatever,¡± Edgar gave up. ¡°I can only keep track of one of you at a time and you¡¯re going to find some way to work while you are here. Calvin,¡± he called to the butler bringing in the two bags he ced on the ground a moment ago.


    ¡°Yes, Duke Collins.¡±


    .....


    ¡°My wife and I will have the side with the master bedroom. Assign a room to everyone else on the other side of the home. Try not to disturb us as much as possible. Unless it is Alessandra, do not disturb me. I am going to get a drink,¡± Edgar walked off to find the bar to have a ss of wine to start his vacation.


    ¡°Lunch will be prepared shortly for all of you to fill your stomachs after such a long journey. I will need someone to help me identify the bags so I can have them ced in your rooms. You,¡± Calvin picked Caleb as Alfred was not meant to do any form of work. ¡°It will only take a moment.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I have nothing to do anyway,¡± Caleb followed the butler outside.


    On the second floor, Alessandra and Sally opened each door they passed by to see what was on the inside and then closed it. The maids were confused by how they casually walked around the house but then remembered the butler had informed them of the Duke visiting with important guests.


    ¡°The decor is the same as back home. I wonder if he used the same person with all his homes. I will make it a goal for us to visit all of the homes Edgar owns. Have you ever been to this town before, Sally?¡± Alessandra asked while she closed another door.


    ¡°Only once before but I don¡¯t have a good memory of it. I believe I had an uncle here but I passed away when I was young so there was no reason for us to visit after his death. One day I will save up enough to bring my parents back to this town,¡± Sally replied.


    ¡°I think it might be a bit insensitive that I have never asked what your parents do. After what happened, are they alright?¡±


    Sally felt ufortable being asked about her family at first. Normally when anyone brought them up, it was to make fun of the position they were in now. She quickly rxed as Alessandra did not have any bad intentions. ¡°They are doing fine. My father works building houses and my mother works for my aunt. They both live with my aunt for the time being.¡±


    Alessandra found it odd how Sally rarely visited her parents but she talked so fondly of them. Alessandra offered for her to take time off and visit them more with her pay not being affected but Sally rejected the offer and visited them once sinceing to work for Alessandra. Letters were normally sent.


    As Sally had helped her out a lot, even if it was because it was her job, Alessandra wanted to return the favor by helping Sally. However, she didn¡¯t want to pry into Sally¡¯s life or force Sally to tell her what was happening. Alessandra understood how it could be hard to ask for help and want to handle everything yourself. She could only wait for Sally to open up to her.


    ¡°Since you were tortured while riding with Alfred and Caleb, how about I buy you anything you want when we explore the townter,¡± Alessandra said to shift the conversation back to being fun.


    ¡°You are an angel,¡± Sallyid her head against Alessandra¡¯s arm. ¡°If I made the smallest sound inside the carriage, Alfred would look up at me from his book and I could feel him scolding me without having to say anything. Then there was Caleb constantly asking me questions about the type of man I want to be with. Hepletely ignored Alfred¡¯s death re and kept asking me questions.¡±


    ¡°I slept for the majority of the ride so I did not have a bad time. Before we continue with our exploration, I need something to drink and eat. It might have been a mistake to sleep through the ride and not have something to eat. We¡¯ll take a short break.¡±


    ¡°Duchess,¡± Sally slowed down before they could reach the stairs to take them back to the first floor to where everyone else was. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you start spending time with the Duke instead of walking around with me? The two of you didn¡¯t have a honeymoon so you should make the most of this time.¡±


    Sally continued to say, ¡°Before you object, think of how little time you and the Duke had together recently. When will you be able to have so much time like this again? You¡¯ve been meaning to find a gift for the Duke for everything he does for you. How about you get some wine and surprise him with it? I can bet he would enjoy the surprise of you asking to spend time together. I can find snacks too.¡±


    ¡°I did n to spend time with Edgar. I suppose his surprised face would be entertaining. Very well, secretly ask the butler about drinks and a light snack for us to enjoy. I will look for a spot to quietly spend time with Edgar. We¡¯re always cooped up in our bedroom back at home. There must be somewhere outside,¡± Alessandra looked out a long window right by the stairs which allowed her to see outside.


    ¡°Leave it to me,¡± Sally said. During this time, she wanted Alessandra and Edgar to be closer than they already were. If no one were to disturb the two of them during this trip maybe Alessandra could end up pregnant.

 Chapter 165

    165 Closer (2)


    ¡°Edgar,¡± Alessandra popped her head into the room with the bar where the butler told her Edgar wasst spotted. She found himying on a long couch with his hand covering his face and an empty wine ss on the small table beside the chair. ¡°Is he sleeping?¡± She questioned after receiving no response from him.


    Alessandra entered the small room with the basket the butler was more than happy to prepare for her. She closed the door behind her to give them some privacy from the servants if Edgar was truly sleeping.


    She carefully ced the basket on the table next to the empty ss and stooped down beside where Edgary to get a good look at him. ¡°You have been really tired. I¡¯m sorry for waking you up early this morning and having you hold me in the carriage while I slept,¡± she whispered enough that he might not be able to hear it if he was awake.


    ¡°You¡¯re not awake and ying with me, are you?¡± She reached out her hand to poke his cheek. ¡°Ah,¡± she gasped when Edgar grabbed her hand. ¡°I knew you were awake. Why didn¡¯t you respond?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to see what my wife would do while I slept. I must say it wasn¡¯t as satisfying as I wanted it to be,¡± Edgar opened his eyes and removed his hand from covering his face.


    ¡°Did you expect me to try ravishing you in your sleep?¡±


    ¡°It would have been nice,¡± Edgar honestly replied. He scooted around in the chair to provide her some space to sit. ¡°What did you need?¡±


    ¡°I had a basket prepared for us to go and have some fun. The butler said there is a bench outside for us to use. It is so weird for me to say butler and not think of Alfred. Anyway, there is wine, sandwiches, cake, and pastries,¡± Alessandra opened the basket to see what else was on the inside.


    While she did that, Edgar nced at the window where tiny droplets of water were running against the ss. He certainly was not going outside in any kind of rain only to end up with a cold. ¡°I take it you did not realize the rain has started to drizzle.¡±


    .....


    ¡°It¡¯s raining?!¡± Alessandra turned around to look out the window and saw that it was raining as Edgar stated. ¡°How? I looked outside before I came here and the weather was fine.¡±


    ¡°It can be a little unpredictable here. It doesn¡¯t look like it will rain for long. It will soon pass,¡± he tried to cheer her up.


    ¡°But the ground will be wet. I wanted to go outside instead of staying inside. We¡¯re always inside. Hopefully, the sun will dry up all the water soon so that we can go outsideter. I will leave you be¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Edgar stopped her from standing up. She came to do something with him so why was she trying to leave already? There was no harm in staying in this room and enjoying each other¡¯spany. ¡°Stay. We can still enjoy what was prepared in the basket here. We need to pass time while the rain is falling anyway.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Alessandra sat down on the chair beside him. ¡°It seems you already had a bit of wine. Are you alright to drink more?¡±


    ¡°I only had one ss beforeying down. I can handle more,¡± Edgar said, watching her every move while she took things out of the basket. ¡°What made youe to spend time with me? I doubt you quickly became bored of looking around the house.¡±


    ¡°Sally rmended we should spend time together since we haven¡¯t been around each othertely unless we are at dinner or going to sleep. I¡¯m sorry for rushing off instead of trying to find something for us to do together,¡± she apologized.


    ¡°No offense Alessandra but I did not care. The trip was meant to be something for you to enjoy. We would have found time to do something together at some point unless you nned topletely forget about my existence?¡±


    Alessandra shook her head. ¡°It would be hard to forget about you, Edgar.¡±


    ¡°Really? Why is that?¡± Edgar found the perfect moment to tease her.


    To his surprise, she was honest with what she thought. ¡°You are too special to be forgotten. You are Edgar Collins after all. And you are my husband.¡±


    ¡°Oh boy,¡± Edgar grinned and covered his face with his hand once again. Alessandra was starting something she certainly would not be able to finish. ¡°This trip is off to a good start but depending on your next answer, it can get better. Howfortable are you with me right now?¡±


    ¡°Enough to be sitting on this couch with you and not feel awkward,¡± Alessandra replied. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I have a better location for us to enjoy your basket. Excuse me,¡± Edgar sat up from the couch , careful not to push Alessandra off of it. ¡°I will be back.¡±


    Alessandra quietly watched Edgar walk to the door and exit the room. ¡°Should I be worried?¡± She muttered.


    She tapped her fingers against her knee awaiting what Edgar had in mind for the two of them. If only it had not begun to rain the two of them would be outside right now.


    Minutes passed but for Alessandra it felt like an hour. To pass time she ced everything back in the basket.


    She was starting to think Edgar had forgotten he was meant toe back for her. The more she was alone the more she thought about what he might have nned. As she stood up to go look for him, the door opened.


    ¡°Did I make you wait long?¡± He asked as she was standing up instead of sitting down.


    ¡°No. Is everything ready? Can I know what it is?¡± She asked as her curiosity was reaching its limit.


    Edgar walked to the couch and picked up the basket. ¡°No, it¡¯s a surprise. Here,¡± he held out his free hand for her to hold. ¡°I should have brought something to cover your eyes.¡±


    ¡°Why? This was supposed to be my surprise but now you¡¯ve taken control of it.¡±


    Still, Alessandra followed behind Edgar, anticipating what he prepared. She was so excited that Edgar might be able to hear her heart beating quickly.


    Edgar took her two doors down from where they previously were.


    ¡°It¡¯s ready,¡± Calvin exited the room with a maid. He blocked Alessandra¡¯s path from seeing what was on the inside. ¡°No one will disturb the two of you.¡±


    ¡°Good. Close your eyes, Alessandra.¡±


    ¡°Why? We¡¯re already right here,¡± she closed her eyes and allowed Edgar to lead her into the room. After a few steps she heard the door close behind her. ¡°Why am I hearing running water?¡±


    ¡°You can open them now,¡± Edgar released her hand and set the basket to the side.


    Alessandra opened her eyes and was greeted by the sight of arge tub with water flowing into it from behindrge rocks. ¡°Why are we...¡± She trailed off and looked away from Edgar taking off his shirt.


    ¡°A great investment, isn¡¯t it? I should have one added back home. Let¡¯s see howfortable you truly are,¡± he decided to test her.

 Chapter 166

    166 Closer (3)


    Alessandra pointed at therge tub which she honestly thought couldn¡¯t be considered a tub and asked, ¡°Do you want me to get inside of there with you? Without any clothes on?¡±


    ¡°It would be a hassle if you get inside with all of your clothes on. To ease your mind, you can get inside with your undergarments and I will remain in mine. You can run away if you wish,¡± Edgar tossed his shirt to the side. ¡°Though it would defeat the purpose of us bing closer.¡±


    Alessandra remembered the conversation they had in their bedroom a while ago. She did promise not to run away anymore but this was such a big leap for her to take. She kept her eyes in another direction while Edgar got undressed without a care in the world. How nice it must be to be so confident in your body.


    She heard the water sshing which meant Edgar had gotten in.


    ¡°If you do not want to get in, at least pass me some of the wine from the basket and leave.¡±


    ¡°I never said I was not getting in. I just need a moment to build up my confidence,¡± Alessandra honestly replied. Had he told her this was what he had been nning she would have mentally prepared herself for it from the time he left her alone. ¡°Everyone is not as confident as you.¡±


    Alessandra took a deep breath and decided to get over it quickly before she could overthink it. It was only her undergarment which would be no different from what she wore to bed at night. Luckily, the buttons to undo her dress were at the front so she did not need Edgar¡¯s help taking it off.


    Meanwhile, Edgar was amused by the fact she had not asked him to close his eyes while she got undressed. Though she had not asked him, he decided to look away to offer her a moment of privacy. He was well aware of how much it took for her to do something like this without any warning. The way she kept surprising him even in moments like this was why he would always remain entertained and intrigued by her.


    Alessandra¡¯s dress dropped to the floor after she slid the sleeves off her shoulders. She was surprised when she looked at Edgar sitting in the water facing another direction. She had expected him to stare and tease her. She was d he had looked away without her having to ask.


    .....


    ¡°Careful,¡± Edgar stood up to help her get inside without falling. ¡°The rocks there are slippery. I will need to have them done over.¡±


    Alessandra epted his help inside as the steps were slippery and a fall around the rocks would be painful. ¡°Where did you get the idea to do something like this?¡±


    ¡°It was the idea of the person who built this home from the ground up. It is meant to resemble a spring for rxing so it can hardly be called a tub. There is something like this in the pce that is even bigger with nts and trees to match. If you like it, one can be added to our home. During the winter, it would be nice to have warm water you can sit around in.¡±


    ¡°The warm water does feel nice against my skin. I am curious how someone was able toe up with the idea to warm up water in something like this. The person had to be talented to also have the water flowing out the rocks without spilling on the floor. The things money can buy,¡± Alessandra said as she sat down. She never witnessed anything fancy like this in her father¡¯s home.


    ¡°There are many people who dedicate their days trying to improve the things we use daily. Enough about that,¡± Edgar stated as he had not brought her here to talk about this. ¡°I¡¯ll pour you a ss of wine.¡±


    Alessandra went back to being conscious of herself now that the conversation was over for now. She slid further into the deeper end to have more of her body below the water. She sat in a spot where from her shoulder up was out of the water and her mask would not get wet.


    ¡°I will rest the basket to the side until you are ready to eat something. Here,¡± he handed her the ss of wine. Edgar had it nned out in his mind how this would go. First, he wanted her to enjoy a bit of wine to rx her nerves or maybe it would give her a bit of courage, and then he would make his move.


    Being alone with no one to disturb them, he felt the need to be closer and touch her but nothing too far. He nned to take their intimacy slow as there was no need to rush. As husband and wife, they vowed to be together for an eternity therefore he had enough time to be a bit closer to her before going to the final step.


    Edgar watched with great interest how she down the ss of wine in one sitting. She was nervous but he did not want to get tipsy before anything could happen. ¡°You should slow down, Alessandra. I don¡¯t need you passing out in the water.¡±


    Alessandra held out her empty ss for him to pour her more wine. ¡°Wine is not enough to get me drunk. I told you before that I can handle it. I¡¯d bet money that you pass out before I do.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d hate to see you cry after losing but you should slow down. Whatever happens while we are here, I don¡¯t want it to be med on the fact you were tipsy. Or perhaps, should I leave you be as wine in your system is the only way you can sit with me like this,¡± he teased her.


    Alessandra was tempted to ssh Edgar with water but she did not want to create a big mess for the servants to clean. ¡®Why does he always need to try teasing me? Would he stop if I did the same to him?¡¯


    Edgar filled her ss midway and gave it back to her. As Alessandra stood up to reach for the ss, Edgar froze for a moment but then he snapped out of it. ¡°Why did you choose to sit so far away from me in that corner? That was a big mistake on your part.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Alessandra questioned.


    ¡°Your white undergarment has be translucent in the water and I am provided with a glorious sight,¡± he mused and took a sip of his wine to calm down what he felt. Now that her undergarment was glued onto her body thanks to the water, he could see her brown nipples pushing against the fabric.


    Alessandra looked down and found that her undergarment was not leaving much to the imagination for the top half of her body. Though her chest was underwater, the water was clear enough for him to see what was meant to be hidden. Alessandra covered her chest with her hands, feeling self-conscious.


    ¡°You shoulde to my side if you don¡¯t wish for me to have a clear view,¡± said Edgar.


    Alessandra felt like his suggestion was leading her into a trap. Still, she couldn¡¯t understand why without thinking she moved to his side. Perhaps she was secretly anticipating something to happen between the two of them.


    ¡°I changed my mind,¡± Edgar ced his arm to block her from taking a seat beside him. He hooked his arm around her waist and pulled her onto hisp. The sudden action created small ripples in the water which spilled over onto the floor. ¡°This is better.¡±

 Chapter 167

    167 Closer (4)


    ¡°You¡¯ll be morefortable if you ce your legs on each side of me and sit t on myp,¡± Edgar advised her.


    ¡°I truly believe I would be morefortable if I just sat beside you,¡± Alessandra replied.


    ¡°Really?¡± Edgar pretended to be disappointed to make Alessandra feel guilty. ¡°If that is what you want,¡± he ced his hands on her waist to lift her off him.


    Alessandra bit her lip and internally screamed before saying, ¡°Wait! I¡¯ll stay. This much should be fine. We are husband and wife.¡±


    ¡°If that is what you-Ow,¡± Edgar touched the spot where Alessandra pinched him.


    ¡°Do not act like you weren¡¯t trying to guilt trip me. I have been around you long enough to understand your ways. You are in luck that I am sticking to my promise to not run away from you,¡± she changed her position as Edgar instructed her to do. Now, she was facing himpletely while sitting on hisp with one leg on each side.


    Alessandra took a sip of her wine before cing it behind Edgar. Had this been a couple of days ago, she would have died from embarrassment. As long as she didn¡¯t overthink how close she was to Edgar now, she would be fine. She shouldn¡¯t let her thoughts ruin a moment like this that should be natural among married couples.


    Other couples must have done far more than this from the first night but she had kept Edgar waiting.


    ¡°I bet your heart feels like it is in your throat?¡± He chuckled after she nodded. She couldn¡¯t be more surprised than he was with the fact she was going along with everything so far. He ced his ss down beside Alessandra¡¯s and settled his hands on her waist. ¡°The nervousness will soon pass. You only need to rx and go with the flow.¡±


    .....


    ¡°That is easier said than done when you are not the one in my position.¡±


    ¡°It is also not easy for me to be in this position either. You have no idea the restraint it takes for me to not have you screaming my name in this room,¡± he bluntly spoke.


    ¡°Edgar!¡± Alessandra called his name out of shock.


    ¡°Why are you so surprised? You¡¯ve felt it many times when we sleep together. Just from holding you in my arms at night, I am filled with the desire to bury myself deep inside of you until the sun rises. Even then I don¡¯t think I would be satisfied. Have you not felt the same way?¡± Edgar stared at her face, ready to pick up whether there would be truth or lie in her response. ¡°Be honest, do you desire me the same?¡±


    Alessandra looked down to hide the redness on her exposed cheek. She did feel something the night he had touched her breast. ¡°Yes,¡± she softly replied.


    ¡°Do not be shy about it. It is natural for you to want your perfect husband.¡±


    Alessandra smiled, amused by how he could insert apliment of himself at a moment like this. She shuddered when his right hand caressed her lower back and the other moved from her waist to right under her breast.


    ¡°I won¡¯t take it too far right now,¡± he promised her. He would not let her have her first time in a ce like this. ¡°But allow me to have a little taste. Will you?¡±


    Alessandra nodded her head though she had no clue what his words meant.


    ¡°It would be satisfying to hear how you desire me so that I can one day carry out all your fantasies but I doubt you would be able to say what you imagined happening between us. So I will tell you my fantasies I have been lingering on,¡± Edgar used his hand on Alessandra¡¯s back to push her forward and then nestled his face in her bosom.


    ¡°I imagine your hair sprawled across the white bed sheets just as it is every morning,¡± he gently grabbed a handful of her hair with the hand he had previously had on her back while the other had settled to palm her left breast. ¡°I would like to request that you never cut your hair. There is just something about it that I like.¡±


    ¡°I-It is unbearable when it gets too long. I have to cut it,¡± said Alessandra. She had a tingly sensation from feeling Edgar¡¯s warm breath against her skin while one hand gripped her hair and the other palmed her.


    ¡°I won¡¯t allow you to even if I have to tie your hands up to stop you from cutting it. That is another fantasy of mine,¡± he grinned. Going a step further from thest time, he circled her nipple with his thumb over the material of her undergarment. He stopped once in a while to pinch it and pull it, earning a beautiful gasp from her each time he did so.


    Never before had he felt so tortured as he pushed away the thought of taking off her garment, enough to expose her chest and take the brown bud into his mouth. His enemies had told him many times that his day woulde when he would feel tortured and right now, their wordsing true.


    Simultaneously, Alessandra could not focus on anything except what Edgar was doing to her. He was hardly doing anythingpared to how intimate Mario had told her couples could get but she was already reacting this way. Would she be able to survive the night they would have to go all the way to the end?


    ¡°I hope you take those talented hands of yours and dig your nails into my back while you think of only me and the pleasure I give you. I told you before I had a secret and now I shall tell you. Before I only needed an heir but I¡¯ve changed my mind. I want to fill you up with my seed and have you bear as many children for me as possible,¡± he confessed what he had wanted to tell her before Alfred interrupted them by the front door.


    It was a confession Alessandra would not have predicted. Edgar didn¡¯t seem like the type to want a lot of children. He hardly wanted the one his mother was trying to get out of him by arranging dates for him to quickly marry and have an heir.


    Edgar pulled away from her chest to see her expression and did not disappoint. If only she would get rid of her mask for him to see the entirety of what his words did to her.


    ¡°Do not bite your lip,¡± he traced his thumb over a bite mark that formed because of how much she was holding back what saying what she felt. ¡°I will soothe it for you,¡± Edgar used his hand behind her to bring her head down to his level.

 Chapter 168

    168 Closer (5)


    ¡°Wait!¡± Alessandra stopped him before their lips could meet.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to?¡± Edgar released his hold on her in case she had reached her limit.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that. My mask will make this ufortable.¡±


    ¡°How? It does not block your lips,¡± Edgar replied, not seeing how her mask would be a problem. He was talented enough to kiss her without the mask getting in his or her way.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that either,¡± she looked away from him for a moment to think about how to exin what she felt. ¡°It feels ufortable for me because I am wearing this mask,¡± she said. ¡°You have not seen my face and I am worried that when you see what it is covering you will not want to kiss me again or do any of the things you spoke of.¡±


    Alessandra didn¡¯t like that she would have her first kiss with Edgar while still wearing the mask and he had never once seen her face. She could ignore that and simply enjoy the moment to experience her first kiss with a man like him but she could not stop thinking she should show her face first.


    Edgar did not care about whaty beneath the mask but it was not the same for her. She did not love her face enough to show it to anyone but she wanted to show it to Edgar and finally have his reaction. Would it be differentpared to anyone else who had seen her face before? Would he still want to kiss her? It was easy for him to say those things in her eyes because he had not seen her face yet.


    Alessandra could not push herself topletely believe Edgar¡¯s opinion would not change until she showed him and got his reaction.


    Alessandra finally thought of something that would work for the both of them, she faced Edgar once again and said, ¡°Please give me until the end of this trip to take off my mask for you, and then we can continue from here. In one of the four days that we are here, I will take it off for you. I guess in a moment like this I should have the courage to take it off now,¡± she mumbled.


    .....


    ¡°I will wait,¡± Edgar rested his arms along the side of therge tub. He was a bit disappointed they had not kissed after all that he told her but she was pushing herself to reveal what made her so insecure. He could only be supportive and wait at a time like this.


    He wasn¡¯t in her shoes to understand exactly how hard it was for her to take off her mask and be willing to show her face to someone after the ridicule she endured from her family but he knew she must be dealing with a lot of emotions to bring herself to do this.


    He anticipated the day she would show him what happened to her face as it would be a big step for her to heal from her scars along with his support. After that day, the two of them might be closer than they were now.


    Though Edgar said he would wait, Alessandra could see he was disappointed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she apologized for ruining the moment. ¡°I probably should have just kissed you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t apologize. I¡¯d rather you enjoy the moment and only think of us kissing rather than having something else on your mind. I suppose it will be more meaningful with your mask off. I¡¯m d you¡¯re willing to take it off for me soon.¡±


    ¡°I will make it up to you!¡± Alessandra dered. ¡°That day, I will be the one to kiss you first.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Edgar replied, enjoying the image of her being the one to initiate something. There was nothing for her to make up to him but how could he allow a sweet offer to fly by? He reached for his ss of wine to take a sip to help cool down his sexual tension now that he was getting nothing out of the two of them being alone.


    ¡°Should I get off yourp now?¡± Alessandra asked as Edgar was most likely not going to try anything else after they did not kiss.


    Edgar almost dropped his ss when picking it up. She had already stopped them from kissing, must she ruin his other fun? ¡°Why would you do that? I am enjoying the feel and view of you on myp,¡± his eyes darted down to her chest for a split second. ¡°Do not ruin all the fun.¡±


    ¡°More like do not ruin that fact you are taking advantage of my undergarment being translucent due to the water,¡± she covered her chest with her hands to hide her breast from his prying eyes. ¡°You are shirtless before me but I am not sneaking nces at your chest.¡±


    ¡°I would enjoy it if you did. You can even touch my chest if you wish. It would be a shame not to enjoy a body like this,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡®His confidence irritates me,¡¯ Alessandra thought. To steal some from him, she roughly rubbed her hand against his skin.


    ¡°Are you trying to erase my existence or is hurting me honestly something that gets you going?¡± Edgar questioned,pletely ignoring the pain where she was rubbing him.


    ¡°Neither of them. I¡¯m trying to steal some of your confidence. You have too much, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°One can never have too much confidence unless it makes them cocky. If you bruise my skin, you will have to kiss the pain away,¡± Edgar said and almost snickered when her hand immediately stopped.


    ¡°I need a drink,¡± Alessandra sat up from hisp to lean forward for her ss and then sat back down. Just as she brought the ss to her lips, there was a familiar feeling of something throbbing and bing harder between her legs. The source of this feeling came from Edgar.


    ¡°There is only the material of our undergarments between the two of us where you are sitting,¡± Edgar quickly held her waist once again before she could try fleeing. ¡°It would be best for you to limit how much you move around. It will die down eventually.¡±


    ¡°You,¡± Alessandra sighed. She seriously saw it as much better if she moved and sat beside Edgar. Any more of this and she will embarrass herself in front of him because of what she was feeling. A thought came to mind on how to get out of this. ¡°Edgar, can you hand me a pastry from the basket?¡± She asked.


    Edgar tightened the grip he had on her waist to stop her from making a grand escape. He turned slightly to the side to ce his ss back down on the wall and reached to open the basket.


    Alessandra took this opportunity to slide backward to be sitting more on his thigh where she did not have to feel anything. This action caused Edgar to sit up more because she had pulled his hand back with her. ¡°I prefer to sit here inside if I am to remain sitting on you.¡±


    Alessandra had a triumphant look on her face but Edgar knew she had forgotten about one thing.


    ¡°So you¡¯ve opted to give me a better view of your chest with this position?¡± He stated the problem she had been meaning to hide.


    Alessandra covered her chest once more, now remembering her issue with the water.


    ¡°You can get off of me now, Alessandra. I¡¯m starting to enjoy this too much,¡± he released her waist. The feeling of her right above his member was nice but it was a dangerous game when at a time like this, he could not even kiss her.

 Chapter 169

    169 Offer (1)


    ¡°What are you doing, Sally?¡± Caleb entered the waiting room after walking by and saw Sally sitting all alone. ¡°Tired of exploring?¡±


    ¡°The Duchess has gone to be alone with the Duke. I am waiting here for when she will need me,¡± Sally replied.


    ¡°What a hard worker you are. I can guarantee the two of them won¡¯t being out of that room anytime soon. You should have some fun now that you are free. This is kind of a vacation for us,¡± Caleb sat down in a chair to face Sally.


    ¡°This is a vacation for the Duke, Duchess, and butler. You and I still have to work. I don¡¯t want to go anywhere and then the Duchess cannot find me but you do not need to wait here. We are in the safety of one of the Duke¡¯s homes and he is with her. She won¡¯t need protection now.¡±


    ¡°Unlike you and the Duchess, I have been here before so there¡¯s nothing for me to see or entertain myself with. Besides, I enjoy talking to you because of your reactions but why do you look so defeated right now?¡± He picked up on the sad mood.


    ¡°I was talking about my family with the Duchess for a brief moment and I was just thinking about them. I wonder what the two of them are doing right now. Most likely working,¡± said Sally.


    ¡°Is that why you don¡¯t want to take a moment from tending to the Duchess? Do you feel guilty to be in a ce like this while they are somewhere working hard?¡± He asked as it seemed like the most usible reason why she was no longer excited like before.


    ¡°You are far smarter than I thought you were. You¡¯re right. I can¡¯t bring myself topletely enjoy getting to travel with the Duchess and easily sit around like this while my parents are working hard but don¡¯t mind me, I will cheer up quickly,¡± she smiled to hide her sadness.


    ¡°Your parents are probably happy you do not need to work as they do. As much as it is nice you think about them in a moment like this, they would want you to rx for a moment, wouldn¡¯t they?¡±


    .....


    ¡°Yes. My father would tell me to put my feet up and enjoy getting paid to be in a house like this,¡± Sally genuinely smiled as she imagined her father saying these words.


    Her father constantly apologized for how their life had be and wanted her to find time to enjoy her life instead of constantly thinking about money. ¡°My father never wanted me to work at first. Because he lost everything, he wanted to be the sole one to work to fix everything.¡±


    ¡°So how did you end up working for the Duchess?¡± Caleb asked. He didn¡¯t know much about Sally prior to her working for Alessandra other than the fact Edgar had personally brought her the day he collected things from the Baron¡¯s house and her family once had a good amount of money.


    Sally remembered clearly what pushed her to swallow her pride and work. ¡°We moved into my aunt¡¯s house as my father thought we would be able to save money by not renting a ce to stay. Little did my parents expect my aunt would require us to pay her for many things. I understood we should contribute while living with her but with the task she gave to my mother and me while my father left for work, I realized it wasn¡¯t about us contributing. She loved the state we were in. Once with money like her but now we were begging her to help us.¡±


    Sally wanted to tell this to Alessandra when she asked about her family earlier but Sally knew how kind Alessandra was and how much she would offer to help her family. Caleb was just someone who would hear her story and forget about it in a day.


    Sally continued to say, ¡°I didn¡¯t like the way she treated my mother and me or the task she gave us so I told my mother we should find work elsewhere. We would have gotten paid and been able to move into a room at least instead of depending on my aunt. My mother didn¡¯t want to do it because she felt indebted to her sister-inw. I set out to find work but who would want to hire someone with no experience?¡±


    Sally remembered how those who entertained the idea of her working for them were simply enjoying the fact that someone who was once a properdy with a good background was bing a maid.


    ¡°Luckily, the Barrett¡¯s were desperate for workers who would ept a low wage. The Baroness picked me because my background would suit Kate¡¯s maid. When my aunt found out I had found a job and would not work for her in exchange for staying with her, her dislike towards me grew so I started living in the Baron¡¯s home and I rarely visited my parents to avoid my aunt¡¯s anger. She takes it out on them instead of me.¡±


    ¡°Want me to kill her?¡± Caleb asked out of the blue.


    Sally blinked twice thenughed at his joke. ¡°No thank you. My father wouldn¡¯t like to lose his sister. I give them money whenever I see them and I set some aside to save to buy a small house for us to own. Even if it has one room and I must sleep in the dining room, I will one day buy a ce for us to call home. That¡¯s my goal so I will do my job well and not ck off even when we are on a trip.¡±


    Caleb saw Sally in a new light after what she just told him. ¡°Would you like to move into my home?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Sally replied,pletely caught off guard by his offer. ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you all of that for you to offer me a ce to stay. You were supposed to do nothing because we hardly know each other. Besides, I am sure you live on the Duke¡¯s estate.¡±


    ¡°Only when we are training and he needs me nearby. I am only there because I am guarding the Duchess but I have my own home. It is mostly empty because I am always near the Duke these days. Your parents can stay there instead of with your aunt,¡± said Caleb.


    ¡°What do you want from me? Why are you being so nice to offer something like that?¡± Sally asked as people, specifically men, were only nice to her these days when they expected something in exchange because they viewed her as desperate to receive help. ¡°You know that I am not going to sleep with you-¡±


    ¡°My God!¡± Caleb yelled. ¡°How the hell did you reach that conclusion?¡± He looked around to see if his voice disturbed anyone.¡±I don¡¯t need to offer a woman a house in exchange for sex. They are plenty of- you know what, that¡¯s beside the point. I¡¯m doing this because I consider you a friend. Your aunt sounds like a pain and to have you enjoy yourself rather than working to save for a home, I would like to offer my empty home.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be indebted to anyone else. Thank you but I must decline the offer,¡± Sally replied.


    ¡°How about this? Let¡¯s say your mother takes care of the house in my absence and I will pay her. As part of doing so, she and your father get to live there. That sounds like a sweet job offer to me. Deal?¡± Caleb held out his hand for her to shake and seal the deal.


    ¡°No.¡±

 Chapter 170

    170 Offer (2)


    Caleb sat back in his chair, slightly frustrated she thought he would want something out of doing a good deed for her. ¡°Why can¡¯t you just ept my offer? I don¡¯t know what type of people you came across but I don¡¯t want anything out of this. I¡¯ve even turned it into a job offer.¡±


    ¡°What happens when you and I are not on good terms? Will you still want my parents to live in your home? It won¡¯t be easy for me to have to make them pack up and leave. Even if it is a job offer, I don¡¯t want to be indebted to anyone. I¡¯m going to work hard and own a home by myself. However, I appreciate you trying to help. Please keep this from Alessandra,¡± Sally begged him. ¡°I don¡¯t want her to be concerned about it.¡±


    ¡°Then thest person you should have told about it was me. Now I can¡¯t stop being concerned. Sally, just take the offer. We will have a contract that I won¡¯t ever kick them out or fire them when we argue. Trust that I am a good person.¡±


    ¡°Had I known you would have cared this much, I wouldn¡¯t have said anything? Please let it go, Caleb. My family and I will deal with our problems alone. You can honestly stop looking for someone for me to date. I have no time for it,¡± said Sally.


    ¡°What are you two doing?¡± Alfred stopped by the waiting room to ask. He was certain the two would end up together and one would have to be fired in the end.


    ¡°Nothing, right Caleb?¡± Sally looked at Caleb for him to let the issue go.


    ¡°Right,¡± Caleb muttered.


    ¡°It didn¡¯t sound like nothing. The butler said lunch will be ready soon. I¡¯ll inform the Duke and Duchess shortly,¡± said Alfred.


    That sounded like a bad idea to Caleb considering the fact Edgar did not want to be disturbed. ¡°I don¡¯t think you should disturb the two of them. A little heir might be in the works and you would only halt the process. Is there a possibility for lunch to be pushed back a bit?¡±


    .....


    ¡°I will have a word with the butler. I am making some tea to enjoy while the rain continues to fall. If you two want some, pleasee to the kitchen. Carry on with the nothing you two were doing. Remember, save your fooling around for night when the Duke and Duchess won¡¯t need you,¡± Alfred smiled then walked off to the kitchen.


    ¡°W-Wait! Alfred!¡± Sally called after him. Her face was red from the embarrassment. ¡°We are not together. Why does he think that?¡± She looked to Caleb for an answer.


    Caleb shrugged his shoulders as he also did not see why the others seemed to think he wanted to be with Sally. Sure she was pretty and her personality went well with him. She was funny and he enjoyed seeing her re at him. However, he was not going to fool around with the Duchess¡¯s maid. His rtionships neversted long and Edgar truly might kill him if the Duchess were to be upset by a failed rtionship between the two.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to find that out from the butler,¡± he stood up from his seat. ¡°Honestly Sally, think about my offer or I will ckmail you.¡±


    Sally folded her arms. ¡°How on earth can you ckmail me?¡±


    ¡°I will tell the Duchess. You didn¡¯t want her to know, right? Either you ept my help with no catch or debt on your end, or you have the Duchess constantly worrying you. Goodbye,¡± he innocently smiled then left her alone before she could potentially try knocking him out.


    ¡°What the hell,¡± Sally muttered in disbelief. ¡°Caleb!¡± She yelled before chasing after him.


    Meanwhile,


    ¡°Is it me or did you hear someone yell?¡± Alessandra looked at the door where the noise came from. ¡°Do you think someone wants us?¡±


    ¡°Not unless they want to be fired. Ignore them and take it easy on the wine,¡± Edgar took away her ss. He lost count after the fifth ss and as much as he contemted finding out what her limit was, she had enough. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t indulge yourself in alcohol and rum while I am not home?¡±


    ¡°No, I only drink it when I am eating. You left me stranded by myself once to eat dinner alone. I had two sses because of it,¡± Alessandra held up two fingers. ¡°Normally, I only drink juice for dinner.¡±


    ¡°My mistake,¡± he apologized. Edgar sat sideways facing Alessandra to enjoy the sight of her letting loose with the wine in her system. She certainly wasn¡¯t drunk which made him curious about how much wine or rum the cook used to sneak her when she used to live with her father.


    ¡°You did not need to apologize. You went to get rid of the rumors for me. I have just gotten used to eating with someone rather than being all alone in my room.¡±


    Edgar wrapped a damp strand of her hair around his finger. Why it amused him, he did not know. ¡°I will try not to miss the times we eat together in the future. I will leave threatening someone for after that time.¡±


    Alessandra covered her mouth as sheughed. ¡°I don¡¯t know whether to take that as a joke or you being serious but sure. You must not have anything to do when we are meant to be eating together.¡±


    ¡°Now you¡¯re starting to sound like a wife. Should I expect a scolding any day that I amte?¡±


    ¡°No. Expect a cold shoulder. I¡¯d rather not waste my breath with a man like you. You can flip the situation around and make me feel like I was the one in the wrong. Edgar, I think it¡¯s time we get out of this water,¡± she showed her hands. ¡°I don¡¯t like the way my fingers are starting to look. Is your hand the same?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he replied after inspecting his hand.


    ¡°The world just loves proving you to be perfect, doesn¡¯t it? I am getting out with or without you,¡± Alessandra stood up but quickly released her problem. ¡°Is there anything to dry off with? I¡¯ll drip water on the way back to our room.¡±


    ¡°There should be some towels here,¡± Edgar stood up, no longer interested in staying here if Alessandra was leaving. He exited first to find her a towel and to help her out. ¡°Are you putting back on your dress?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Alessandra looked at him like he was crazy. ¡°I am not bold like you to walk around with hardly any clothes on and if I was to do that, the servants would talk about me and ruin my reputation.¡±


    Edgar wrapped a towel around his waist and then helped Alessandra wrap one around her body. Instead of letting her have to get her dress wet with her damp undergarments, he lifted her into his arms after her towel was securely wrapped around her. ¡°Before you object to me carrying you, this is meant to be our honeymoon. The servants will find this perfectly normal.¡±


    ¡°Okay but I must be too heavy-¡±


    ¡°There would be a big problem on my end if I cannot carry my wife. It seems I¡¯ve been training all my life for this moment. Now, stay still and enjoy the feel of your wonderful husband carrying you.¡±

 Chapter 171

    171 Offer (3)


    ¡°Why are you smiling so much, Sally?¡± Alessandra asked after looking in the mirror and found Sally to be smiling while brushing her hair. It looked like Sally¡¯s cheeks would hurt from how hard she was smiling. ¡°Did something good happen to you while I was not around?¡±


    ¡°Everyone in this house has heard you and the Duke were alone in a room together for quite a long time. It¡¯s good the room didn¡¯t seem to let noise escape to the outside. It would have given the maids something to talk about,¡± Sally¡¯s smile widened.


    ¡°What?¡± Alessandra did not understand a word of what Sally was saying.


    ¡°They think we were having sex,¡± Edgar said as he exited their closet.


    Sally felt her heart drop as Edgar heard what she said. She didn¡¯t think he would hear her from inside the closet.


    ¡°We were not!¡± Alessandra turned around to face Sally.


    Sally jumped and stepped back because of how loud Alessandra denied the im. ¡°I-I see. That¡¯s not a bad thing if you were.¡±


    ¡°But we weren¡¯t and why is it anyone¡¯s business what we were doing while we were alone? It¡¯s nothing to gossip about,¡± Alessandra turned around to hide her blush.


    ¡°I will let them know not to talk about it,¡± said Sally.


    .....


    ¡°I won¡¯t give them anything to talk about,¡± Alessandra muttered.


    ¡°Wonderful,¡± Edgar said in a sarcastic tone. All because of the maids and Sally being nosey it would now be harder for him to gain any form of pleasure out of this trip. ¡°I should fire all of them,¡± he seriously considered it. ¡°I am going to leave now so that the two of you can talk about me. I will see you at lunch, Alessandra.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Sally silently watched Edgar leave the room, patiently waiting for when she could talk about him. As soon as the door closed she said, ¡°Did you surprise him well with the basket?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly. He gave me a bigger surprise in the end. Our n failed,¡± Alessandra said with a hint of disappointment in her voice.


    ¡°We still have a lot of time for you to try surprising him. Excuse me for being nosey but did you and the Duke truly not do anything while you were alone? I heard that the room has an excellent pool of water. I imagine that...¡± Sally started to say what she thought they would have been doing but then stopped herself.


    ¡°You imagine what? Sally, I¡¯m starting to think that Erin has started to rub off on you. Nothing happened between the two of us when we were alone. Sure I sat on hisp,¡± Alessandra¡¯s face became even redder when she revealed this. ¡°And things were said but that was all.¡±


    ¡°Duchess, forgive me for saying this but you are aware of how good-looking well-built your husband is, right?¡±


    ¡°How can I not notice it?¡± Alessandra muttered. Each time she looked at Edgar she found it hard to believe she married such a man.


    ¡°But nothing happened? I am finding this odd.¡± Sally didn¡¯t see why Alessandra wouldn¡¯t jump at the chance to be pleasured by such a man. ¡°Did you not think of, you know, having sex with him while you sat on hisp? Pardon me, I should use the term making love.¡±


    ¡°Something would have happened between us but I stopped it. I made an offer to take off my mask for Edgar by the end of this trip.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Sally eximed. ¡°Okay, that is far better than the two of you not using that time to be intimate. The Duke must be ecstatic that you are taking such a big step with him. I hope one day you can trust me enough to do the same to me. I don¡¯t believe in those ridiculous rumors anymore.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. For now, I will just work on opening up and revealing my face to Edgar. My husband is deserving of getting to see what my face looks like. He has waited long enough. I can do this,¡± Alessandra pumped herself up.


    ¡°I will help you as much as I can, Duchess. This will be the surprise we will work on to knock the Duke off his feet. He is deserving of it as you said. I have to say, he is more loving than I imagined him to be,¡± said Sally.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Alessandra looked over her shoulder while Sally brushed her hair.


    ¡°Well, he was never one to show much emotion and when I first arrived he scared me. I kept thinking how could two people with such different personalities fall in love but day by day I see how loving he is towards you. For example, I thought his lovenguage was just buying you a ridiculous amount of things to please you but then I noticed how much he enjoys touching you. I never thought he would be a needy person,¡± Sally exined.


    Now that Sally mentioned it, Alessandra realized how much Edgar had been touching her these days. Whether it be how much he held her when they slept, or when he just wanted to tease her, and just fool around with her hair. He had been doing it quite often. He was honest enough each time in telling her that she should enjoy his body. He was inviting her to touch him.


    ¡°Should I also touch him more?¡± Alessandra identally spoke out loud.


    ¡°You should,¡± Sally agreed with this. ¡°It is always the Duke reaching out to touch you and I¡¯ve watched you walk away from him many times. If you start being the one to initiate things, he will certainly enjoy it. Start small by reaching out for his hand or rubbing your hand over his chest as he sleeps. I honestly don¡¯t think you should take advice from me considering I have never been with a man.¡±


    ¡°No, your advice is wonderful,¡± Alessandra stood up with a n in mind. One, it would help her be more confident and closer to Edgar. Two, she was going to use it to tease him just as he always did to her. ¡°I will startter on tonight. I am going to make Edgar know what it is like to be in my position.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, that¡¯s not where I was going with this,¡± Sally replied, worried about what would happen between the coupleter. She was more worried for Alessandra as anything she did, Edgar would find entertainment in it.

 Chapter 172

    172 Student bes the master (1)


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, Caleb?¡± Edgar inquired because of the sad state Caleb appeared to be in. He found the tall giant sitting by himself at the smaller bar in the dining room.


    ¡°Women, they are tooplicated, aren¡¯t they? I would say don¡¯t get in a rtionship but you¡¯re already married. I hope your wife isn¡¯tplicated,¡± Caleb raised his ss to wish Edgar well and drank all the alcohol he poured himself.


    ¡°Why are you wasting my good drink in such a pitiful state? I feel like I am going to regret caring about this but fine,¡± Edgar sat down beside Caleb. ¡°I assume it is Sally you are having problems with. The same woman you im to not be interested in. Has the denial gone away or is it something else?¡±


    Caleb looked around to make sure there was no one to listen in to what he had to say. ¡°I offered her my home for her and her family to stay in so they wouldn¡¯t have to live with her aunt. She rejected my offer because she doesn¡¯t want to feel indebted to me.¡±


    ¡°And?¡± Edgar said for him to continue as he didn¡¯t see the issue. ¡°Open your mouth and state the rest.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it. She won¡¯t ept my help,¡± said Caleb.


    ¡°You two barely know each other so why would she ept such a big gift from you? Have you always been this emotional, Caleb? I thought the women ripped your heart out after you confessed your feelings,¡± Edgar said while sliding the expensive bottle away from Caleb. It was bought for good asions, not rtionship problems.


    Besides, if Caleb became too drunk Edgar had no n of carrying the giant to his room.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you kill your wife¡¯s father at the beginning of your rtionship after she asked you to?¡± Caleb asked. ¡°You hardly knew each other then.¡±


    .....


    ¡°After I proposed to her, she said yes. Meanwhile, you and Sally are two people who met because you work aiding my wife. You¡¯ve known each other for what? Two or three days? You¡¯ve put the offer out there so all you can do is wait for the day she changes her mind or not. I just saw her and she doesn¡¯t seem to be dwelling on it. You¡¯re not even dating and this is already annoying,¡± Edgar sighed.


    ¡°I have always been nice enough to help anyone I like, as a friend,¡± he added before Edgar couldment on the word like. ¡°I hope she does see I was trying to be nice. She might be mad at me for a while because I tried to ckmail her into epting the deal.¡±


    ¡°You fool,¡± Edgar shook his head at Caleb¡¯s stupidity. ¡°I hope dinner goes by quickly so I don¡¯t have to be around you sulking for much longer. I am in too much of a good mood to deal with your negativity.¡±


    An hour passed by after their conversation and dinner had passed by smoothly. As the servants cleaned up before retiring to bed, everyone went their separate ways. Sally and Caleb went straight to their rooms while Alfred wanted to sit outside and enjoy the fresh air.


    Alessandra and Edgar walked side by side going back to their bedroom.


    ¡°You were quiet tonight,¡± Edgar broke the silence. During their entire time at the table, Alessandra had been silent and seemed to be in deep thought about something. She wasn¡¯t this way after they had lunch earlier and the time after that. ¡®Could it be about the mask?¡¯ He wondered.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong,¡± Alessandra replied. She had been focused on how she would tease Edgar by touching him when they go to bed soon. ¡°I cannot believe one whole day has passed by already. It felt like we just arrived a moment ago. How did time fly by so quickly after we were sitting in that water earlier?¡±


    ¡°You were rxing so much that you hardly saw the day go by. We arrived here around noon so that exins how our time here has quickly gone by. I can always extend our trip to one more day if you want to make up for the time we lost today.¡±


    ¡°That sounds great but I know there are things you are needed for in Lockwood. I n to get up early tomorrow and make great use of the entire day. Will we be visiting your grandmother tomorrow?¡± Alessandra looked to her side at Edgar.


    ¡°Most likely. I am not sure about the time but a message has been sent to inform her that we are in town. I¡¯m surprised she has not sent a response yet unless she ns to visit us instead. That might be perfect so none of my rtives are around when you meet her for the first time.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Alessandra replied then went silent. She snuck a nce at Edgar¡¯s hand by his side and wondered when was the best time to grab hold of his hand. ¡®If I think about it too much, I will chicken out. I should just do it. In three, two, one...¡¯


    Her heart sank when he quickly moved it away after she tried to hold it.


    ¡°Were you going to grab my hand?¡± Edgar smiled, after moving his hand from by his side to fan his face. He had followed her gaze and realized how much she had been staring at his hand. ¡°Here,¡± he ced it back at his side. ¡°Hold it without having to pump yourself up.¡±


    Alessandra wished he had let her hold it the first time but realized it might have hurt his feelings for her to have to mentally prepare herself to touch his hands like he was some kind of monster.


    Once again she tried to hold Edgar¡¯s hand and this time he let her. It wasn¡¯t as bad as she thought. Edgar interlocked their fingers enjoying the moment.


    ¡°May I know why you are suddenly reaching out for my hand first?¡± Edgar asked right as they stopped in front of their room. It was a pleasant surprise for her to do something so small first. She was normally always shy when he was the one to hold her hand or she would swipe her hand away because she thought he was going to tease her about something.


    ¡°It¡¯s part of me preparing myself to show you my face. I¡¯m going to do simple things like this which should not be so hard in the first ce. If it¡¯s okay, I would like to touch you more often,¡± she requested.


    Edgar licked his bottom lip, amused by her asking to touch him. Was this honestly the same woman who ran around a table to get away from him after he was hugging her tofort her after her shoulder was hurt by his mother? Did someone make a switch when he was not looking? Then again, after what she let him do to her when they were alone, he had to admit she was bing bold.


    ¡°You never had to ask,¡± Edgar lifted their entwined hands and kissed the back of her hand. He opened the door to their bedroom and walked inside while still holding her hand.


    Alessandra released his hand right as they stepped inside because she needed to change into her nightwear. Besides, she had something more in store for Edgar. Now that hand-holding was out of the way, she would move on to the next step. ¡°I will get changed quickly and join you in bed,¡± she informed him then left to go into the closet alone.


    Edgar didn¡¯t respond to her. He silently took off his shirt and pants leaving only his underwear on. He had a feeling Alessandra was up to something and he would most definitely enjoy it. He went to the bed andid down to await what Alessandra was nning. He thought how nice it would be if she would walk out wearing a seductive nightwear but he knew not to get his hopes up.


    He was right to not get his hope up as Alessandra left the closet minutester with a simple night dress.


    Alessandra walked straight to the bed andid down on the right side where she normally slept each night. ¡°Good night,¡± she said while facing Edgar.


    ¡°Good night,¡± Edgar replied, still finding something suspicious in her behavior. She was acting much differently now than how she would always go to bed.


    First off, she wouldn¡¯te straight to bed and face him. Secondly, he could see that she was overthinking something just as she did when she wanted to hold his hand. Was it possible that she wanted to touch him again?


    ¡®Impossible,¡¯ Edgar thought. She stated she wanted to hold off kissing until he saw her entire face but now she was already willing to be more touchy with him. ¡®Who knew vacations could be this entertaining?¡¯


    Alessandra on the other hand didn¡¯t like the grin on Edgar¡¯s face like he already knew what was going to happen. He had no idea how hard she was going to wipe that grin off his face.

 Chapter 173

    173 Student bes the master (2)


    Her n was not over yet just because Edgar realized what she was trying to do. Alessandra knew he was expecting her to be shy just as she was when it came to holding his hand. However, the expression he wore now pushed her to want to thoroughly surprise him.


    Using all the courage she had within her, Alessandra removed her hand from her side and ced it on Edgar¡¯s bare chest. She tried not to blush to refrain from showing how such a small action affected her but she had a feeling her body might have betrayed her.


    Edgar¡¯s gaze did not leave her and she was sure he was anticipating what else was toe.


    Alessandra tapped her finger against his chest and found it surprising that each time he held her, it felt soft but now it was as hard as a rock. ¡°Are you tense?¡± She asked.


    ¡°No. I am the most rxed I have been in a while,¡± Edgar replied.


    Alessandra continued to tap her finger in the same spot. As her eyes wandered all over his exposed chest, she understood why Sally might find it odd that they had not slept together yet. The only shirtless men she had ever seen were the male servants who tended to her father¡¯s animals and although they had muscles from the hard work they did, their bodies did notpare to Edgar¡¯s.


    ¡®I¡¯ve heard he trains a lot but I have not seen him doing it. Does he do it when he is away from home? How could he still have this kind of body if he isn¡¯t doing it regrly? Isn¡¯t he too perfect?¡¯ She thought.


    ¡°Why are you ring at me, Alessandra?¡± Edgar questioned after she out of nowhere red at him. What was she thinking about right now while she touched him to be staring at him this way?


    ¡°Was I?¡± Alessandra did not believe that she was. Was it because she thought him to be too perfect? ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Do you train often to keep up your body?¡± She stopped tapping him and started to trace the outline of one of his abs.


    .....


    ¡°I have no choice but to. I have to remain in shape in case someone tries to attack me. I can¡¯t depend on anyone else to protect my life. It appears I also have to keep in shape for my wife. What¡¯s the game you are ying?¡± He grabbed her hand to stop her from touching him for a moment.


    After their earlier time alone he had gotten rid of countless thoughts he had as she was not ready. Not even ready to kiss. Now here she was touching his bare chest willing without him doing anything to make it happen.


    ¡°I thought you would enjoy it if I touched you more. You are always the one reaching out to me. You don¡¯t like it?¡± She thought it would have a positive effect on him. The first time she touched his chest, she was certain she felt him flinch. She had assumed that to be a good reaction. Was she wrong?


    ¡°Don¡¯t like it?¡± Edgar chuckled. How could he not enjoy this moment? He was entertained by hering out of her shell but that still didn¡¯t change the fact she was ying a dangerous game. ¡°You have no idea how much I am enjoying this but why now are you doing this to me, Alessandra? Now when you are more off-limits than ever? I can¡¯t even kiss you as you requested.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Alessandra looked away from him for a moment. Teasing him was an idea that came in the spur of the moment. Still, she was d she wanted to hold off on kissing in case this moment would have led to something more. She simply wanted to tease him tonight, nothing more. ¡®I suppose this makes me able to tease him even more,¡¯ she realized.


    Earlier, when she requested they not go any further, he stopped. Even now, as he said he was enjoying this, he must be holding himself back from doing anything because of her wishes. She knew it was unfair for her to be touching him like this when he was trying to respect her wishes but when else would she have a grand moment to tease Edgar while he could do nothing?


    ¡®I will die of embarrassment when I face him tomorrow but I will win this game right now,¡¯ Alessandra said to herself.


    Leaning forward to Edgar¡¯s chest, she surprised even herself when she kissed him right below his neck. She felt him flinch once again, a sign she had sessfully affected him. She could feel his warm breath against her forehead and as she decided to take things further to leave a trail of kisses down his chest, Edgar released her hand. She didn¡¯t know whether he had willingly released her hand or he had not realized he did.


    With her hand free, Alessandra began tracing her fingers along the lines of his abs while she continued to leave a trail of kisses going down to his abdomen. She was honestly surprised Edgar had not once moved or said anything up to this point.


    She lifted her head to look at his expression and for a moment, she thought there was something different about the way he was watching her. Something she could not exin. She started to consider the fact she was probably taking it too far and taking advantage of her request for him to not kiss her until she took off her mask.


    Alessandra thought of another way to tease Edgar instead of touching him. ¡°I,¡± she paused for a moment to prepare herself for the words she was about to say. ¡°Since that day by the window when Alfred interrupted us, I have had thoughts about the two of us. Thoughts that I never had before and I thought they were wrong but the more I was in your presence, the more I could not ignore them.¡±


    Edgar, who had been perfectly fine with Alessandra touching and kissing him, was thrown off by her admitting she had desired him. It was one thing for her to nod her head and say yes but for her to express herself this way was hard for him to process for what moment. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I think that is why I run away each time you try getting near me. I don¡¯t like imagining things happening between us because it is foreign to me and I found it hard to believe a man like you would want me in that way. I always thought you were just trying to tease me. The first time you held me close at night I could hardly sleep because I didn¡¯t know what exactly I was feeling. Back when we were together in the tub, as you touched I wonder what it would be like for us-¡±


    ¡°You,¡± Edgar said in a low tone. He was able to control himself but he was finding it painfully hard to refrain from touching her. ¡°Kissing is off-limits but I can still touch as much as I want, right?¡±


    Alessandra innocently smiled. ¡°I am not experienced enough but am I right in saying if you touch me now, we would somehow end up kissing? I want to stay true to my deal to have my first kiss without my mask.¡±


    A devilish idea came to mind on how to end this game. ¡°Well technically, my second kiss with a man. Good night,¡± she quickly turned to face the other direction and closed her eyes.


    She had witnessed Edgar getting upset each time she mentioned Mario to know this would be the perfect final blow to teasing him. Alessandra didn¡¯t use Mario¡¯s name as it would be wrong to y into the rumors so she left it without a name to let Edgar¡¯s mind wonder about it.


    The silence from the person behind her was suffocating and it made her wonder if Edgar had not heard what she said or if he was processing it. If he hadn¡¯t heard her, she wouldn¡¯t be repeating it. It felt like it was going to cost her life for saying such a thing.


    ¡°Alessandra,¡± Edgar finally broke the silence, causing her to squeeze her eyes shut. ¡°Who did you have your first kiss with? Was it that cook who seems to be the source of your problems recently? I know that you are not sleeping,¡± he poked her in her side and watched her tremble. ¡°Ha,¡± he licked his lip.


    Edgar would have to give it to her. He did not like what he was feeling right now. To go from pleasure to feeling angry was not something he enjoyed. For now, he would let her enjoy this moment of feeling like she had gotten the best of him.


    Edgar would not forget how bold she was right now. He would remember this moment for future interactions and make sure she felt what he was experiencing right now. ¡°Just wait, Alessandra,¡± he warned her. ¡°Remember you started this when tomorrowes.¡±

 Chapter 174

    174 Family (1)


    ¡®Why did morning have toe so quickly?¡¯ Alessandra thought.


    She continued toy in bed long after Edgar had already gotten up to prepare for the day. Now that all of her courage was drained out, she was slightly afraid of what Edgar would do today. He gave her a warning and she knew he was petty enough to get back at her. All she wanted to do now was magically disappear from around him.


    Meanwhile, Edgar stood with a cup of water in his hands, watching Alessandra pretend to be asleep. She was so boldst night and he wished she would carry it on today. Seeing her not want to get out of bed, he knew he did not have to do much to get back at her.


    Doing nothing would be her punishment but at the end of this he would find out if she was telling the truth about her first kiss. The only person Edgar had in mind was the cook and he already found the man to be a thorn in his side.


    To give Alessandra time to get ready, Edgar walked to the door and left the room. He considered jumping back in after the door was closed to catch her opening her eyes but he was going to save her the fright.


    ¡°Good morning, Duke Collins,¡± Sally bowed her head as she greeted him. ¡°I¡¯vee to help the Duchess get ready.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Edgar hummed and began to walk past Sally but he only got two steps ahead. ¡°You,¡± he turned around to speak with Sally. ¡°You offer Alessandra a lot of advice, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Sally smiled as it felt like she would beplimented on her good work in helping his wife. ¡°If there is anything she needs help with I offer my advice.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t make up my mind whether I like you by her side or not. Be careful of the advice you offer her. You might make a certain cook go missing one of these days.¡±


    .....


    ¡°What?¡± Sally needed an exnation but Edgar simply walked away without offering her any information. ¡°Cook? What on earth did the Duchess dost night? I hope he doesn¡¯t think it is my idea,¡± she gulped.


    Alessandra had taken her advice in a different direction yesterday. What happened between the Duke and Duchess?


    ¡°Let¡¯s see. Good morning,¡± Sally knocked on the door before entering the room. ¡°Uh,¡± she was lost for words after finding Alessandra sitting on the bed staring out at nothing. ¡°Are you alright, Duchess?¡± Sally closed the door behind her. ¡°Did everything go well with what you were nning to do with the Duke?¡±


    ¡°It did,¡± Alessandra nodded her head. ¡°But I think I pushed it a bit too far when I tried to tease him. Now I can¡¯t help thinking how he will get back at me. What should I do?¡±


    ¡°Well first, I don¡¯t think I should offer you any advice,¡± Sally awkwardly scratched the back of her head. ¡°You should clear up with the Duke that whatever happenedst night was all your idea. Okay? However, I am sure it could not have been that bad. It¡¯s time to get you ready for the day. I overheard the butler talking about an invitation to the Duke¡¯s grandmother¡¯s home. The two of you are going to have breakfast there.¡±


    ¡°Really? I was nning to avoid Edgar as much as I could,¡± Alessandra muttered. It seemed the world was determined to punish her for being too boldst night. ¡°I guess I have to own up to what I didst night and not hide.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit,¡± Sally cheered Alessandra on. However, on the inside, she was d she was not in Alessandra¡¯s shoes.


    Alessandra slid off the bed as she had to think about meeting Edgar¡¯s grandmother and not his revenge. ¡°Please pick a nice dress that will make a good first impression.¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    After twenty minutes of freshening up and dressing up, Alessandra followed Sally downstairs to where the others were waiting.


    ¡°Good morning, Duchess. It seems Sally informed you that you were invited to have breakfast with Edgar¡¯s grandmother. You look splendid. I hope the two of you have fun,¡± Alfred wished her well.


    ¡°You are noting along?¡± Alessandra asked.


    ¡°The invitation was only for you and Edgar. I am merely a butler, not someone to receive an invitation. There¡¯s also the fact I am not the butler here and under Edgar¡¯s orders, I cannot work. I am going to start a new book while you two are out of the house,¡± Alfred replied.


    ¡°Then, are Sally and Calebing along with us?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Edgar answered her question. He enjoyed the look of horror as she realized they would be traveling all alone. ¡°It is just the two of us. We should hurry before my grandmother scolds us for beingte even though she sent the invitation at thest minute.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to wear this to see your grandmother?¡± Alessandra pointed at his casual attire. It was clothes he would wear home not to visit someone.


    ¡°I am going to my grandmother¡¯s home, not the pce. This is what I always wear when I go visit her. Come,¡± he held out his hand for her to hold.


    ¡°Should I change?¡± Alessandra asked as it did not seem right for her to be dressed up while Edgar was not. Others might think she was trying too hard.


    ¡°No. If any of my rtives are there they should be jealous of the things you wear and your beauty,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡®I don¡¯t know about beauty,¡¯ Alessandra thought but she decided to stay as she was since Edgar preferred it.


    ¡°We will see everyer,¡± she bid goodbye to Sally and the others.


    ¡°Had a good time pretending to be asleep this morning?¡± Edgarmented as they walked to the carriage. ¡°I hope that side of you has not disappeared already.¡±


    ¡°I did promise you one of these days I would tease you just as you did to me. We are even and now it is game over,¡± Alessandra said so that she would not have to bear whatever Edgar thought of to get back at her.


    ¡°Game over? I think that it is far from over,¡± Edgar disagreed with her. ¡°To tease me in such a way and then mention sharing a kiss with another man, surely you did not think I would let this go by? I must congratte you for surprising me but I will get back at you. Be it today, tomorrow, or next week.¡±


    Alessandra did not like not knowing when Edgar would make his move. Last night, she dug her hole and now she had toy in it. ¡°I was lyingst night about being kissed before. Well technically, I wasn¡¯t kissed by a man. It happened when I was young before the incident with my face. It was a simple kiss on the cheek by a boy so you can forget about that part.¡±


    Before they could enter the carriage, Edgar said, ¡°I can¡¯t forget the side of you I sawst night, Alessandra. You started it but I will end it. I assure you that when the timees, you will enjoy it to the end unlike what happened to me.¡±

 Chapter 175

    175 Family (2)


    ¡°Just when I thought your estate was too much for one person, your grandmother¡¯s home had to be muchrger,¡± Alessandra stared in awe at therge home as they drove through the gates. ¡°Does she live here alone or are there other rtives?¡±


    ¡°She is normally here alone. My grandmother wanted to have a big house so that when her family is in town they could all stay with her. She enjoys having the family all together even when it is drama and conflict. She is the only one able to silence all of us,¡± Edgar said as he looked out the window. ¡°I spent many days here when I was younger. Aside from Alfred, she has raised me.¡±


    ¡°Seeing that you are willing toe to her, you must love her a lot. She has to be a strong woman to put up with you as a child. I already pity Alfred. Now there is someone else,¡± Alessandra joked.


    ¡°Believe it or not, I was never a bad child around my grandmother. Whenever I visited, it was to keep herpany after my grandfather passed away. Or to hide from my mother,¡± he added. This was the one ce his mother could never visit and drag him back to the school she sent him off to. ¡°My grandmother never tried to force me to act a certain way just because I am a Collins. She allowed me to be my age. Even when her knees were aching, she would still run around with me.¡±


    Alessandra enjoyed seeing Edgar speak about his grandmother. As she had only met his parents and saw how strained the rtionship was between the two sides, she was d he was not in her predicament of not having good family members around. She felt more rxed when it came to meeting his grandmother.


    When the carriage stopped by steps leading up to the entrance, Alessandra looked out and found a man and a woman standing at the top, most likely waiting for them.


    Alessandra looked at Edgar and asked, ¡°Who are they?¡±


    ¡°The father of a pain in the ass. That man is the son of my grandmother¡¯s sister. He must be in town with his family and staying here. It is not him I dislike but one of his sons who does not know when it is time to shut up. Hopefully, he is not here,¡± Edgar tried to be positive. ¡°The woman next to him is his wife.¡±


    ¡°Smile Edgar. We have not exited the carriage but you are already moody. Thank you,¡± Alessandra said to the coachman and epted his hand to step out of the carriage carefully. ¡°What is your name? You have driven the carriage many times but I have not learned your name. You always run away to the front before I can ask¡±


    .....


    ¡°Troy, my name is Troy Wall. Thank you for asking,¡± Troy tried to hide his smile as he was happy someone other than the Duke cared to learn his name. ¡°I have spoken to your guard and maid many times. They would have told you my name.¡±


    ¡°Yes but I feel that it is better if I ask you instead. I will be sure to remember it. Thank you for always getting us around safely,¡± Alessandra thanked Troy. She entrusted him with her life each time she rode around so it was only right she learned his name.


    ¡°T-Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You are creating a list of men I have to watch out for,¡± Edgar yfully said as he exited the carriage on his own. This was why he believed Alessandra would have been sought after by many men if the Baron cared for her reputation and had gotten rid of the lies surrounding his face.


    ¡°Never!¡± Troy immediately let that be known so that the Duke would not fire him. He happened to like working for Edgar. Edgar was quietpared to the other people who liked to yell when they didn¡¯t get where they needed to go in a blink of an eye.


    ¡°I was joking,¡± Edgar stared down at the small young boy. ¡°Go park the carriage somewhere else.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir.¡±


    Alessandra covered her mouth with her right hand, trying to hide the fact she wasughing at Troy and Edgar. ¡°You unintentionally scared him. Maybe if you smile more no one would be so scared of you.¡±


    ¡°I prefer them being scared of me so they don¡¯t try stupid things. I¡¯ll reserve my smile for only you,¡± Edgar promised her. It was weird how he found himself saying things he thought were cringe when other couples said them. Now he understood why others said these things.


    ¡°Now that I think about it, you do smile when you are up to no good so there is no solution to making others not afraid of you even when you are joking. I must be immune to being afraid of you because you have never once scared me,¡± Alessandra said as they walked up the steps hand in hand. She noticed the woman and man share a look when she held Edgar¡¯s hand. Was this a home that did not like men and women touching each other?


    ¡°Edgar, it¡¯s nice to see you in town. It was quite a shock to hear from your father that you had gotten married. Allow me to introduce myself,¡± the man turned to Alessandra. ¡°I am Bernard Carson and this is my wife, Mae Carson. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you...¡± Bernard paused to allow her to introduce herself.


    ¡°Alessandra Collins,¡± Alessandra shook his hand and then the woman¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Unfortunately, we have to leave unexpectedly but I hope you get to know our sons well. Be nice,¡± Mae chuckled after seeing Edgar sigh. ¡°I hope to see you for dinner. Go on inside. You shouldn¡¯t keep your grandmother waiting, Edgar.¡±


    ¡°It was nice meeting you,¡± Alessandra said as the older couple walked down the steps. ¡°Carsons? I feel like I have heard that name before. No matter where I look, it seems like your family has well-known people. Then there is me.¡±


    ¡°Alessandra Collins, the Duchess. Seems like a good person to be,¡± Edgar said to remind her of her title. Her life before bing his wife did not matter. She was now a Duchess and there was no one in this world to question her position.


    ¡°You know what I meant Edgar but thank you. I was hoping there wouldn¡¯t be anyone else when I meet your grandmother for the first time but there is nothing we can do now. I just hope the rest of your rtives are-¡±


    ¡°Edgar,¡± the aged voice of a woman interrupted Alessandra.


    Edgar smiled, seeing his grandmother standing before him. He noticed how frail she was bing but that would not make her someone you could walk all over. ¡°Hello, grandmother. Somehow, I fulfilled my promise to bring you the woman I would spend the rest of my life with.¡±


    ¡°So it seems. I thought I would have died before you got married,¡± Rose Collins chuckled.

 Chapter 176

    176 Family (3)


    Alessandra and Edgar walked to where his grandmother Rose stood all alone. When they got closer, Alessandra could see a slight resemnce between Rose, Edmund, and Edgar. As Edgar looked like his father, it seemed Edmund inherited a lot of his looks from his mother.


    Rose smacked Edgar on his arm when he was within reach. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you invite me to your wedding? Why didn¡¯t you write to tell me that you were seeing someone? You know I hate hearing things about you from other people.¡±


    ¡°Then stop listening to what they say,¡± Edgar grinned and released Alessandra¡¯s hand for a moment to hug his grandmother. ¡°Why did you worry when you knew I would visit?¡±


    Rose patted Edgar¡¯s back, happy to have her only grandchild back in her presence. ¡°Still, it would have been nice for me to be there. Introduce me to the woman who has changed your views on marriage,¡± she looked behind Edgar at where Alessandra stood.


    ¡°Of course. Grandmother, this is Alessandra Collins, my wife. Alessandra, this is my grandmother Rose Collins,¡± Edgar introduced the two women. ¡°Lovely, isn¡¯t she?¡± She asked his grandmother.


    Rose reached out to hold both of Alessandra¡¯s hands. She was curious about the mask but didn¡¯t ask knowing there had to be a pitiful backstory to someone hiding their face. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, dear. You have no idea how much I owe you for getting this grandson of mine to finally get married. Is he treating you well?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you too, Mrs. Collins-¡±


    ¡°Call me grandmother just like Edgar does. You are now part of the family. Edgar, go ahead to the table. There are guests there. I want to have a conversation with your wife alone. Go,¡± she shooed him away. ¡°No harm wille to her.¡±


    ¡°I am aware of that. It¡¯s your guest that I do not want to go see. Please do not be long,¡± said Edgar. He could not take being around one particr person.


    .....


    ¡°No fighting in my dining room,¡± Rose reminded Edgar of her one rule. ¡°How do you deal with my anti-social grandson? People annoy him so easily,¡± she said as she and Alessandra slowly walked towards the dining room.


    ¡°We get along well. I think there are good reasons why he doesn¡¯t like being around someone,¡± Alessandra honestly replied. Outside of Edgar teasing her, they got along well. She didn¡¯t think Edgar gets annoyed easily, he was just tired of people who do and say the same things each time they are in his presence and that was why he hated seeing that they were around.


    Rose enjoyed the fact that Alessandra disagreed with her. Right from the start, all the other wives of rtives she met would agree with her every word. ¡°Tell me about your family.¡±


    Alessandra was surprised someone with money like Rose Collins did not look into her background or maybe she did but she was going to see if Alessandra was going to sugarcoat her life. ¡°My father, Desmond Barrett, was a Baron. He recently died and will soon be buried. I have not seen my mother in many years but my stepmother and sister live in Lockwood.¡±


    ¡°A Baron¡¯s daughter. How did you and Edgar meet?¡±


    ¡°He visited my home to get information from my father. We met that night and took a liking to each other,¡± Alessandra lied to keep up with the contract rule. Plus, she knew Rose would be sad to learn Edgar had only gotten married through a contract.


    ¡°The two of you got married quickly. I want to believe that it is love but I know my grandson well. You two might be married but I know him better than you do. It¡¯s hard to believe that he went from being against marriage to one day just popping up with a wife. Even more surprising that you are the daughter of a man he dislikes. Don¡¯t look so surprised. I keep up with my grandson and I once lived in Lockwood,¡± said Rose.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to do with the rtionship my father had with Edgar. I did not ckmail him into marrying me. We truly met at the party and then a proposal was given not too long after. If you just give me a chance-¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to,¡± Rose interrupted Alessandra. ¡°Thanks to you, my grandson won¡¯t end up alone in that house. I know him well enough to see that he is happy and that is all that matters. Whatever the situation may be, I don¡¯t care. Whether you two fell in love with each other or not, does not matter. Please keep my grandson happy.¡±


    Alessandra didn¡¯t expect the conversation to turn to Rose thanking her. By questioning if she and Edgar loved each other, she was expecting his grandmother to say the marriage was a lie. ¡°I will try my best,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Have you met his mother yet? If you have, I¡¯d bet my house she didn¡¯t take a liking to you,¡± Rose said and already knew the answer.


    ¡°She has not and I don¡¯t she ever will. I don¡¯t have the best reputation back home because of my face and I don¡¯t seem to be the perfect match for Edgar. Taking Edgar¡¯s words into consideration, I will just ignore her for now. However, I am able to have a civil chat with his father,¡± said Alessandra.


    Rose didn¡¯t find it surprising that only Edmund was trying to warm up to Edgar¡¯s wife. ¡°Edmund is trying to fix the rtionship he has with Edgar so he will be kind to you. Not that he is never kind. Prisci on the other hand is a piece of work. Just cares about her status and appearing perfect. If you knew the number of times I had to travel and take Edgar from her care. He¡¯s the way he is now because they relied on servants to raise him.¡±


    Rose continued to say, ¡°It didn¡¯t help that their marriage wasn¡¯t as perfect as it seemed on the outside with rumors of infidelity. That was mostly because of the engagement my husband forced Edmund into but that¡¯s a story for another day. If his mother starts getting between you and Edgar, sent me a letter and I¡¯ll pay a visit to send that witch away. The only good thing I got from her was my grandson.¡±


    Alessandra was grateful to have someone to help her stand up to Prisci in the future. As people back home were ying dirty to ruin her, she would need an ally like Rose Collins.


    Before they entered the dining room where chatter was heard, Rose stopped Alessandra as there was onest thing that needed to be said.


    ¡°Edgar has fulfilled one of his promises by getting married. You can help him fulfill the other promise before I leave this world. I only wish to be able to y with one of my great-grandchildren,¡± Rose ced her hand on Alessandra¡¯s t stomach. ¡°Will you make that promise?¡±


    Alessandra found herself to be trapped at the edge of the cliff. She and Edgar had done nothing for anyone to be expecting to hear she was pregnant anytime soon but his grandmother appeared so excited that she dear not break the woman¡¯s heart. ¡°Yes,¡± Alessandra promised Rose.

 Chapter 177

    177 Family (4)


    ¡°The only reason you have your finger intact is because of the no fighting at the table rule but touch me again and I will break it,¡± Edgar¡¯s voice was heard as soon as they entered the dining room.


    ¡°Children, please be civil,¡± Rose sighed. She knew it would be trouble having others here at the same time she was meeting Edgar¡¯s wife but she enjoyed having breakfast with as many family members present as she could get. ¡°We have a new addition to the family. I¡¯ve already shared the good news of Edgar getting married. This is Alessandra Collins.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet everyone,¡± Alessandra greeted the two men who shared simr looks and a woman.


    ¡°What is with the mask?¡± One of the men asked. ¡°Is she not a looker?¡±


    ¡°Daniel, you idiot,¡± Dominic, the oldest of the two brothers, shook his head. After Edgar had warned Daniel not to say anything stupid to his wife, this was the first time his brother had to say? ¡°Excuse my younger brother. I am still trying to get my parents to admit they found him on the side of the road. My name is Dominic Carson. Wee to the family,¡± he stood up to greet her.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Alessandra replied and shook his hand. After shaking his hand, she looked at Daniel and said, ¡°I had an ident when I was younger so I keep my face covered.¡±


    ¡°What kind of ident?¡± Daniel questioned further. It wasn¡¯t every day he saw someone walking around without a mask when there was no ball or party.


    Seeing Edgar look more annoyed than normal, Dominic knew he would lose his only sibling if Daniel would not keep his mouth shut. He didn¡¯t know if that would be such a bad thing but he would hate to see his mother crying over the loss of a son.


    ¡°Daniel,¡± Rose called to the young man who begged to stay with her, and now she was regretting saying yes. ¡°Shut up. Take a seat beside Edgar, dear,¡± she switched her tone when speaking with Alessandra. She wanted to see the couple side by side with each other once again.


    .....


    ¡°Should I help you sit down first?¡± Alessandra asked.


    ¡°Thank you but the day I need someone to help me sit would be the day I give up and simply remain in bed. I like to think I am not that old yet. Go on and have a seat,¡± Rose sat down on her own to show that she was fine.


    As Rose requested, Alessandra went to where Edgar sat to the right of his grandmother.


    ¡°Why do your cheeks look red?¡± Edgar touched her exposed cheek right as she sat down. This action only caused her cheek to be redder.


    Rose yed with the ne around her neck that was given to her by herte husband as she watched Edgar and Alessandra. ¡°Your wife made a promise with me, Edgar. Therefore you cannot deny something that you promised me long ago.¡±


    Edgar critically watched how Alessandra yed with her fingers after his grandmother¡¯s words. ¡°Tell me what it is and I might entertain it,¡± he said while ying with a strand of Alessandra¡¯s hair. He wasn¡¯t bothered by what anyone at the table would think of his actions.


    ¡°I should look forward to having a great-grandchild soon,¡± Rose informed Edgar. If needed, she would live in Lockwood once again to help with raising the child.


    Edgar¡¯s hand paused for a moment before going back to twirling Alessandra¡¯s hair around his finger. ¡°Is that so?¡± The corners of his lips curled. ¡°If she has promised you one soon then I aid her in fulfilling this promise quickly. I won¡¯t stop until the promise is said and done,¡± he slowly ran his finger against the back of her neck and enjoyed the sight of her shuddering. ¡°How many do you think we should have, grandmother?¡±


    Rose pinched the back of her hand in case this was a dream and she needed to wake up. To think she would be talking about her future great-grandchildren with Edgar and he would be asking how much. Was her time nearing? Was that why the day was going perfectly? ¡°As many as your wife can have without anyplications,¡± she answered.


    ¡°I agree with that. What do you think, Alessandra?¡± Edgar asked whilst ignoring the fact she wanted this conversation to be over with. ¡°I think six would do.¡±


    ¡®Six?!¡¯ Alessandra looked at Edgar like he had grown another head. Their deal was only for her to give him an heir. Now he was talking about six. Was he saying this to please his grandmother or was he being honest? There was no way she would ever have six children. Before her marriage, she did not even think she would have one though she loved children.


    ¡°Too many?¡± Edgar smiled, enjoying the look of horror she wore. ¡°I will settle for four.¡±


    ¡°That is wonderful,¡± Rose agreed with the amount. ¡°The more the merrier. If you would need a big house for so many children, you can one day have this one.¡±


    Daniel and his wife shared a look.


    ¡°Grandmother! My wife and I also have a child. Should we bring her by more often? We¡¯ve been trying to get some time to ourselves to try for a baby,¡± Daniel spoke up, attempting to bring the limelight on himself. ¡°How about giving us this house to have more children? Edgar does not require more room. Have you not seen his estate?¡±


    Daniel was married for two years now and already had one child. He was certain he got his wife pregnant during their honeymoon. It seemed he was more capable than Edgar when it came to making heirs.


    ¡°You are not my grandson,¡± Rose stated the one thing that hindered Daniel from ever getting her house. ¡°Your grandmother is my sister. Go ask her for a home. The Carsons don¡¯t seem to be short of money.¡±


    Daniel slumped back in his chair, annoyed he was born a Carson instead of a Collins. The Carsons had money but the Collins had the wealth tost many generations.


    ¡°Dominic, now that Edgar is married it is only you that is left. Find yourself a good girl or whoever and settle down,¡± Rose encouraged him. She did not want anyone to be alone while others started their families.


    Daniel snorted and covered his mouth. ¡°She said that like she would ept you being with a man.¡±


    Using this moment while everyone was distracted by the sibling¡¯s conversation, Alessandra patted Edgar¡¯s leg to get his attention. ¡°Please leave my hair alone before you ruin it,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°No thank you,¡± Edgar turned down her request. He was enjoying himself too much right now. ¡°My mind can be changed by a kiss on the cheek if you want me to stop.¡±

 Chapter 178

    178 Toxic (1)


    ¡°Mother, you look wonderful. A tiny mark on your face does nothing to your beauty,¡± Kate said to cheer her mother up. She stood in her mother¡¯s bedroom, watching her touch the mark created by Edgar.¡±You are still the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. Please do not wither away in your room because of this. I need you.¡±


    It was the biggest shock for her to learn that Edgar had visited their home because of the rumors they spread about Alessandra and the cook. Kate couldn¡¯t believe her ears when James had told her that Edgar cut her mother¡¯s cheek. Kate felt like it was the biggest crime evermitted. Her mother¡¯s beauty was beyondpare in this town so to cut her face should have a punishment of death for that person.


    Kate wholeheartedly believed Alessandra had convinced the Duke to harm her mother¡¯s face because Alessandra was jealous. She always thought Alessandra was jealous of their faces and now this proved it. If today wasn¡¯t their father¡¯s funeral, Kate would have tried to damage Alessandra¡¯s reputation even more.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Katrina showed Kate a small smile to stop her from worrying but she could not stop touching the small mark on her cheek.


    The doctor said with proper care it would not be evident soon enough but Katrina wanted it gone now. For so many years she lived without a scratch on her face after she climbed up the socialdder. Now she could be ruined.


    It pained her to think how her friends would enjoy seeing her like this.


    ¡°Baroness, some of the guests for the funeral have arrived to offer their condolences. They wish to speak with you and Kate. rk is entertaining them right now,¡± James informed the two.


    ¡°Kate, go downstairs and have a chat with them. I want you to keep an eye on your uncle. I will be down shortly,¡± Katrina said.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Kate kissed her mother¡¯s forehead and left.


    .....


    ¡°James, close the door,¡± Katrina told James after Kate left. ¡°I am hardly in the mood to go out there and act heartbroken over Desmond¡¯s death. If only I had gone ahead with burning his body and sending it to his mother,¡± she rubbed her temple.


    James had convinced her against it. ¡°It would seem like you did not care for your husband enough to give him a proper send-off,¡± he reminded her.


    ¡°It would have been cheaper if I did it. Hell, I would have done it myself. Desmond is no longer useful so what is the point of spending good money to bury him? His family should give Kate some money to ease the burden we faced to bury him. Is there any word on those bastards?¡± She looked at James in the reflection of her mirror.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard they both left town early in the morning yesterday. You do not have to worry about Alessandra attending the funeral,¡± James reassured her. He didn¡¯t think Alessandra would show up even if she was in town. Then again, it seemed like Alessandra was doing unpredictable things because of her title.


    ¡°It¡¯s hrious how she won¡¯t visit to see the one parent who took care of her being buried. They¡¯re painting me as a monster but she is no different when ites to how she doesn¡¯t care for her father. She was never grateful her father did not kick her out after I begged him to. Look at my face,¡± Katrina turned her head to the side for James to see the cut.


    ¡°It is quite small-¡±


    ¡°But it is there,¡± she said through gritted teeth. Katrina did not want to hear how small it was. She wanted to hear him say it would be gone soon.


    ¡°You are still a beautiful woman, Baroness. No other woman holds a candle to you. I will continue to look for the best cream to clear up your face,¡± James changed his response to fit what she wanted to hear.


    ¡°That¡¯s more like it,¡± Katrina turned around in her seat to face James. She gave him a look over, enjoying the fact she got to do whatever she wanted with him. ¡°If I didn¡¯t have to go mingle with Desmond¡¯s family, I would take you right now. I need to get rid of my built-up frustration. You will visit me tonight, won¡¯t you?¡±


    James closed his eyes for a second then opened them when he came to terms he would have no choice but to be here tonight. He disliked that she took advantage of him but after the numerous times he spent watching her in the past, he started to find excitement in having sex with a woman like Katrina. When would he be able to do something like this again?


    James nodded his head. ¡°But there is something that I want.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Katrina smiled, enjoying the fact he was throwing away his morals and asking for something now that he would continue to sleep with her. ¡°What is it? Money? I am a little tight with it these days.¡±


    ¡°Then you will have to pay it to me as soon as you get it. And I want that if I continue to be loyal to you, you do not try to get me arrested for something that I did not do.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Katrina agreed to his terms. ¡°Keep in mind that you must be loyal at all times. If I find you to be suspicious I will get rid of you. You should make it in your best interest to please me well at night as you are useful for that. The moment I grow tired of it, I will deem you useless and not care about your loyalty.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± James replied. ¡°That aside, you should clear up the rumors as the Duke requested. Say around others that you have no clue about the rtionship between Alessandra and the cook. Since you know the cook¡¯s secret, have him be the one to push the rumors. If there is a way, please give me money to hire men to prevent the Duke from getting to you so easily.¡±


    ¡®He¡¯s doing his job a little too well but it is good to have someone sopetent around,¡¯ Katrina thought. If only her husband could have been as good-looking and smart as James. She might have loved him more than his money.


    ¡°I will set aside a budget for you to hire guards. I will have that prepared by the end of the day. Think of how much money you will need before the funeral is over,¡± said Katrina.


    After Edgar waltzed into her home and hurt her, Katrina had no choice but to go into her secret stash of money and spend some to protect herself. Edgar would never be able to do what he did again.


    ¡°Come, James. I¡¯ve left Kate to entertain the guest for too long. Heaven¡¯s know Desmond¡¯s mother is not an easy person deal with. Oww,¡± Katrina groaned after she poked at her eyes to make them water. She had the role of a grieving wife to y.


    Before leaving, she looked in the mirror to make sure her eyes were filling up with enough water.


    Katrina had to agree that it was true that she could have joined the theater. For years she had tricked many men out of money with the identities she created. Her most sessful scheme was convincing a Baron she loved him and now she owned everything belonging to him.


    Katrina had to wonder, what else could she reach for now? There were other wealthy gullible men in town she could use to gain money. She had gotten so good at the game that she would not need to sleep with them.


    ¡°My younger self would be so proud,¡± Katrina said, taking pride in the things she did to get where she was now.


    Ready to put on a good show, she walked toward her bedroom door with James right on her heels, and downstairs to where the Barrett¡¯s were gathering before it was time for the funeral.


    ¡°Mother!¡± Kate eximed when she spotted her mother entering the waiting room. ¡°Thank you for joining us,¡± she forced a smile as she spoke.


    As much as Kate enjoyed being around her father¡¯s family, she was tired of answering questions about her father¡¯s death.


    ¡®A group of people far older than me should know more about being sensitive,¡¯ Kate internally rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Katrina wiped tears from her eyes. ¡°I needed a moment to gather myself.¡±


    ¡°Funny,¡± rk spoke up. He stood behind his mother as she silently observed everything. ¡°I have not once seen you crying when my mother was not around. Putting on a show?¡± He asked.


    Followed by his question, rk began to cough uncontrobly and had to turn away from facing his mother. ¡°I got a goddamn cold because of this weather.¡±


    Katrina enjoyed the sight of rk¡¯s life slowly fading away without him realizing what was done to him. If only rk would drop dead now to be tossed into the same grave as Desmond.


    ¡°I have been strong for my daughter who is now without a father at such a young age. Today is different because I have to say myst goodbyes to my husband. Mother,¡± Katrina greeted Desmond¡¯s mother, Greta Barrett. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your loss.¡±


    Greta stared at Katrina for about a minute before sighing. ¡°Everyone out except for the Baroness.¡±

 Chapter 179

    179 Toxic (2)


    Katrina remained quiet while Kate and the others left the room. She wasn¡¯t nervous about what Greta had to say to her as a woman like Greta never scared her.


    ¡°Sit,¡± Greta ordered Katrina. There was a lot she needed to get off her chest before her oldest son could be ced in the ground. She watched Katrina¡¯s every move as she sat down in a chair. ¡°It¡¯s taken too long for my son to get buried. It should have happened the day after his body was examined. He should not have died for there to be a funeral.¡±


    ¡°Desmond had been trying to get us out of a lot of debt for the past few months. I had to sell many of our things to give him the proper send-off he deserves and I thought it would be best to give you some time to arrive. He would want you by his side. I also agree that he should not have died,¡± Katrina replied, saying everything she knew Greta would want to hear. ¡°But a situation with Alessandra led to his death.¡±


    ¡°Where is she now? I heard she married a Duke and it is that same Duke who killed my son. Tell me what happened,¡± said Greta. She had to know exactly why her precious son was killed and why her granddaughter was with the killer.


    ¡°Well, Desmond had arranged for Alessandra to marry someone and before the marriage, she would go live with that man to get to know him. The Duke had arrived asking for Alessandra¡¯s hand and she agreed. I believe that filled her head as she let the Duke mistreat her father. She started to walk all over us. She even threw shit on Kate for no reason,¡± Katrina retold the events with a little twist.


    Katrina knew even if Greta did not like her, the woman at least loved her only granddaughter Kate. Well, the better granddaughter.


    Katrina continued to say, ¡°Kate was so heartbroken over losing the Duke and felt betrayed by Alessandra. Kate had mentioned to Alessandra many times that she loved the Duke but Alessandra did not care. To settle things, Desmond decided to send off Alessandra to the man she was supposed to marry. The night Desmond died, Alessandra was right by the Duke¡¯s side and did not bat an eye.¡±


    Greta gripped her cane furious with how Desmond died. ¡°I never expected that girl to turn on her own father after he has taken care of her for years. What happened to her face put a dent in my son¡¯s reputation. No man would want to marry a woman who lost her beauty so Desmond quietly took care of her. I need to have a word with that child.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid she is out of town now. She rejected our invitation to attend the funeral. Even though she had treated her father unfairly up to his death, she is still his child and I thought it would be right for her to attend,¡± Katrina lied. She did not offer Alessandra an invitation to make her look bad for not attending. ¡°It seems she has forgotten the life she had here now that she is a Duchess. Kate and I need your help.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Let me be clear. I am concerned about Kate, not you. She¡¯s so young and not married yet. Her father¡¯s death might cause her to lose suitors and then there are the finances she will have to worry about. I am having a contract written up for Kate to be given some money but she must be the one in charge of how that money is spent. I will also offer money to help pay off the debts,¡± said Greta.


    Greta was only doing this because she loved her son and knew he would want Kate to be taken care of. She would help with the house until Kate got married.


    For the first time since their conversation started Katrina was honest when she said, ¡°I would never take money given to Kate.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± was Greta¡¯s reply. She was not the biggest fan of Desmond¡¯s second wife. Since Katrina appeared, her son found himself in a lot of debt. If Desmond was going to remarry it should have been to someone who benefited him. It was unfortunate Katrina had gotten pregnant right away or Greta would have gotten rid of her.


    ¡°Thank you for helping with clearing the debt. Kate and I are getting on track with bringing back this house¡¯s former glory. We¡¯ve been having some trouble now that rk is here. He wishes to take everything away from me and Kate,¡± said Katrina.


    ¡°I am not pleased with everything you would be entitled to. I¡¯m sure you are aware that I have tolerated you being married to my son. I see right through you and the act you put on but my son was blind with love. You are a snake but you are much better than my second son,¡± Greta said and looked off to the side to think about the things rk had found himself in.


    Even though Desmond had piled up debt it wasn¡¯t as bad as rk¡¯s. Desmond still had a roof over his head and with time, she knew Desmond would have fixed everything. rk on the other hand would countlessly ask her for money only to lose it in a matter of days.


    ¡°rk came to me right after he received news about his brother¡¯s death. He did not let me be able to mourn my son before asking to help him take everything from you. Had he beenpetent I would have helped him,¡± Greta honestly spoke. She had no reason to hide what she felt about Katrina.


    ¡®I¡¯m sure you would have. Then you would have been joining Desmond in the ground,¡¯ Katrina thought while she continued to smile.


    ¡°You are a leech and a user in my eyes but I cannot ignore you have handled clearing the debts and everything else well while having to be there for Kate. I have no other sons and I rather not entrust another rtive to take over as it might end badly for Kate. They might not give her what she is meant to inherit. I will leave you be as long as you never remarry. No other man must enter this home and take on Desmond¡¯s role.¡±


    ¡°I had no ns on ever remarrying, mother. I am heartbroken by Desmond¡¯s death and my heart has no room to love anyone else but Kate. I wish to carry on with the Barrettst name and will take care of this house until Kate bears a son who can inherit it¡± Katrina stated, knowing this would be the best answer to please Greta.


    After a couple of years, this house might grow boring so Katrina would buy another one while Kate could have this. One thing Katrina did not n to do was not marry in the future. There were too many wealthy single men her age for her to not remarry at some point.


    ¡°What should be done about rk?¡± Katrina asked. Had she known Greta would have been on her side, she wouldn¡¯t need to go through the trouble to poison him. Even so, Katrina did not feel like finding a cure or telling James to stop poisoning rk. The man had gotten on her nerves too many times.


    ¡°I will take care of my son and that girl,¡± said Greta.


    She would have rk sent back home and Alessandra punished for being the reason her father died.

 Chapter 180

    180 Fooling around (1)


    ¡°Eat more,¡± Edgar said then ced more scrambled eggs onto Alessandra¡¯s te. He was still working on bringing her body up to a healthy weight. There was some process as he noticed the fat she was gaining in some ces though it was not much.


    ¡°No more,¡± Alessandra rejected the eggs and tried to scoop them back unto his te. Everyone else was almost finished with their food but Edgar was trying to make her eat another te full. ¡°A man like yourself needs to eat more so you should eat it.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Edgar slide his te away to prevent her from giving him back the eggs. ¡°There are vegetables cooked up in the eggs. You have been enjoying it so eat thisst set and I will not put anything else on your te.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Alessandra replied. She did like the eggs prepared but did not want to eat too much in front of the others.


    Rose smiled, quietly finishing her food and listening to the couple at the same time. She was amused by Edgar¡¯s behavior. She watched him ce the food on Alessandra¡¯s te and was more concerned about his wife eating than himself. ¡®Oh it won¡¯t be long before I have a young child to y with,¡¯ she thought.


    ¡°What the hell. Why on earth are you feeding her so much? Is she already pregnant? Just tell us if she is,¡± Daniel spoke up. It was the strangest thing to see Edgar acting this way with a wife. It was strange starting from the fact Edgar had a wife.


    ¡°Mind your business,¡± Dominic told his younger brother.


    ¡°I am not pregnant,¡± Alessandra ced her fork down on her te now that Daniel thought her eating too much meant she had to be pregnant. ¡°I am not eating anymore,¡± she said to Edgar.


    Edgar red at the man who stopped her from eating thest little bit on her te. What was so hard about not questioning everything? ¡°I recall at thest winter party, you had three tes of food. Did you eat that much because you were pregnant? Congrattions.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Here we go,¡± Rose sighed. She wished to turn back time to send Daniel away from having breakfast with her.


    ¡°Haha, you¡¯re so hrious,¡± Daniel faked augh and pretended to wipe away a tear. ¡°My wife does not eat a lot unless she is pregnant. She watches her figure. That is why I assumed your wife is pregnant.¡±


    ¡°Right. That was why she starved herself at thest winter party and copsed in the middle of the party, ending it right then and there. Yes, that seems like something my wife should indulge in,¡± Edgar sarcastically replied.


    He had no need for a thin woman starving herself to look like the rest of the crowd. He cared more about Alessandra being at the right weight.


    Daniel¡¯s wife, Crystal Carson, blushed at the unfortunate event being brought back up again. It was something she wanted everyone to forget about. That night, she was only trying to fit into a dress she loved but it had gotten smaller after she ate a bit too much.


    Seeing that Crystal looked embarrassed, Alessandra ced her hand under the table to tap Edgar¡¯s leg as a sign to stop.


    Alessandra jumped in her chair when she felt a hand on her thigh but it wasn¡¯t noticeable to others. She looked to her left at the culprit and pinched his hand to make it go away but Edgar remained unphased by the pain. She had only touched him to secretly get him to stop.


    Trying not to bring attention to Edgar having his hand on her leg, Alessandra carefully tried pushing his hand away without looking suspicious. This caused Edgar to grip her thigh. ¡®What the hell?¡¯ She thought and felt like stabbing his hand with a fork after he cheekily smiled at her.


    Edgar leaned over to where she sat and whispered in her ear, ¡°You started itst night. I wonder how long you can keep a straight face for.¡± He slid his hand to her inner thigh.


    ¡®You!¡¯ Alessandra could not believe what he was doing with his grandmother so close to them. She looked around the table and saw that everyone was upied with something but it wouldn¡¯t be long before someone noticed that Edgar was touching her.


    ¡°What do you want in exchange to stop?¡± She whispered back as softly as she could. Alessandra smiled when Rose looked up at them for a moment but then went back to eating.


    ¡°There are many things I want but you are not ready to give them to me yet. I am enjoying where my hand is and the expression on your face. I think I will stay here,¡± Edgar said then leaned back over to his side to end the conversation. This was the beginning of his revenge for what she didst night.


    Alessandra closed her eyes for a moment as Edgar moved his hand upward. She could not have the first time she was meeting his grandmother go like this. She did not want anyone to think she was fooling around with Edgar with others present. She was not that kind of person.


    This time, Alessandra leaned over to Edgar¡¯s chair. ¡°Whatever you want, I will do it so please remove your hand.¡±


    Edgar smiled but did not remove his hand as she requested. He did not need any promises from her as there was plenty of time on this trip to do whatever he wanted to either tease her or pleasure her. Her promises were empty right about now.


    ¡°Are you two fooling around under the table? Why is Edgar¡¯s hand over there and her face looks flustered?¡±


    Alessandra felt her heart skip a beat upon hearing Daniel¡¯s words. Edgar was right that the man talked too much. Why couldn¡¯t he have minded his business instead of bringing attention to her and her situation? She felt the need to stuff his mouth with the bread on the table to shut him up.


    She wanted to quickly deny the im and said, ¡°We are not-¡±


    ¡°Yes, you are,¡± Daniel stood firm on his usation. To take things further, he started to move to look under the table.


    ¡°She¡¯s too embarrassed to hold my hand with everyone present so she¡¯s holding it under the table,¡± Edgar quickly moved his hand from under the table and showed him holding Alessandra¡¯s hand. He grabbed her hand the moment Daniel started talking, ¡°She is quite shy when ites to things like this. Look how much her face is turning red now that you have pointed this out, Daniel.¡±


    ¡°Well done brother,¡± Dominic sighed. Would it kill his brother to not mention everything he saw?


    Rose did not believe Edgar was simply holding Alessandra¡¯s hand which was why she ignored when the two were whispering to each other. Still, she was d whatever they were doing was stopped as she was present and did not need to be around for those kinds of things.


    Meanwhile, Alessandra was blushing not because of holding Edgar¡¯s hand but because this could have been embarrassing had he note up with a lie quickly. Forget teasing Edgar, she now felt like strangling him for putting her in this position.

 Chapter 181

    181 Fooling around (2)


    Breakfast sessfully came to an end without Edgar doing anything to get entertainment out of making Alessandra nervous.


    Rose suggested that Edgar and Alessandra stay a bit longer for Alessandra to be acquainted with the home as she will be here many times in the future for parties and special asions.


    While everyone walked ahead to go their separate ways, Alessandra purposely walked slowly with Edgar to give him a warning before he could try doing anything else.


    ¡°I swear I am going to bite you if you don¡¯t stop,¡± Alessandra gave him a warning.


    ¡°Really? Do it here,¡± Edgar showed the perfect spot on his chest.


    Alessandra narrowed her eyes not knowing what to make of Edgar¡¯s response. ¡°Have you no shame?¡± She asked in the end.


    ¡°None.¡±


    ¡°Right. I forgot who I was speaking to. There is absolutely no way your grandmother did not think we were fooling around under the table,¡± said Alessandra.


    ¡°She¡¯s enjoying seeing us together to care about what we are doing. I think we added a few years to her life now that she has met my wife. What are you doing?¡± Edgar asked after he tried to touch Alessandra but she stepped back to get away from him.


    .....


    ¡°After the stunt you pulled a moment ago, why would I allow you to touch me? I am going to stay clear of you for the rest of our time here. I won¡¯t embarrass myself in front of your grandmother,¡± Alessandra cautiously took a step back as Edgar took a step toward her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Edgar disagreed with him not being able to touch her. While she was embarrassed by him touching her leg, he found it to be entertaining. He was so used to reaching out to touch her that being told no was something he disliked hearing. ¡°Alessandra, do not run away from me.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Alessandra continued to walk away from him. There needed to be some distance between them after what he just did. ¡°If that was to get back at me forst night, that was not fair. I did what I did when it was just the two of us. You are going to mess up my first time here.¡±


    ¡°Mess up? My grandmother does not warm up to people easily but she has taken a liking to you already. You can stop trying to make her like you,¡± said Edgar. There was nothing more Alessandra had to do to be liked.


    ¡°Honestly, it feels like she does not like me, she just likes the fact that you are now married. I want your grandmother to get to know me and care for me outside of being in your life. She won¡¯t be able to if I have to deal with you messing around with me. I will stay this far away from you,¡± Alessandra waved her hand around mid-air to the arm¡¯s length distance she needed between them.


    ¡°I won¡¯t tease you again soe here,¡± Edgar once again reached out for her.


    ¡°No,¡± Alessandra stepped away. She quickly walked off to look for the garden Rose was telling her there were beautiful flowers she should see. Alessandra picked up her pace as she heard Edgar right behind her. ¡°What is it with you touching me? Should I buy you a doll to satisfy your need to touch something?¡±


    Knowing how to get her to stop walking away, Edgar said, ¡°How unfair is that you got to touch me as you wantedst night-¡±


    His sentence was cut off as Alessandra turned around and covered his mouth with her hand to silence him. Having her within his reach, Edgar wrapped one hand around her waist and pulled her right against him.


    ¡°I bet you¡¯re regretting what you didst night. Your husband is a petty man and I won¡¯t let you get off easily after what I feltst night. I won¡¯t apologize for taunting you under the table because that¡¯s just the beginning. You have to deal with what you caused.¡±


    ¡°I already told you the first kiss was something that happened between me and a young boy. You cannot be upset about that when you have kissed and slept with many women. I am not upset about those things,¡± Alessandra replied.


    ¡°It¡¯s not the kiss I am upset about. It¡¯s the way you got me riled up only to turn on your side and pretend like it is time for you to sleep. You have no idea how hard it was for me to calm down my thoughts Alessandra and I will make you feel the same way. Tell me, can I roam your body with my hands just as you did to mest night?¡± Edgar asked, then waited for how she would respond to this.


    Alessandra opened her mouth to speak but then closed it as what she wanted to say would make her a hypocrite. She wanted to say he could not touch her but it was not fair after how far she had gonest night to tease her. He should be able to do that much to get back to her. ¡°Only if you behave now. I will let you touch me as you please when we return,¡± she replied.


    Expecting that she would have been stubborn and not go along with him being able to touch her, Edgar was pleasantly surprised. ¡°So as long as I don¡¯t kiss you, I can touch you all I want?¡± He questioned to see what was the limit. Edgar was unable to hide the smile making an appearance on his face.


    ¡°I get the feeling you and I are thinking about the same thing. I meant you are allowed to touch me just as I touched youst night. Nothing more than that, Edgar. I was appropriate with how I touched youst night. You cannot... You cannot,¡± she gave up and rested her head against Edgar¡¯s shoulder to hide her blush. ¡°Why must you do this to me, Edgar? How fun can this truly be for you?¡±


    ¡°Well, you are one of the few women to ever amused me and I am not referring to lovers. You are quite amusing with your reactions, Alessandra. You only have yourself to me for me wanting to do it even more. Like now,¡± he titled his head slightly and leaned down to ce a kiss on her right shoulder.


    ¡°How you shudder from me simply doing this. I find it to be amusing-Fuck!¡± Edgar released Alessandra and touched his forehead after she somehow headbutted him. ¡°I should have expected you would have hurt me. I¡¯m telling you it is something you enjoy. Should I buy whips for you? Is my head bleeding?¡± He touched his forehead then looked at his hand and luckily found no blood.


    Meanwhile, Alessandra was panicking because of how hard she had hit him. The kiss and his hair tickling her skin as he bent down had caused her to bump into him. At this rate, she would be the one to kill Edgar, not his enemies.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± she apologized, deeply concerned she might have seriously injured him. ¡°Let me see. Don¡¯t move,¡± she stated after Edgarpletely released his hold on her and stepped away to deal with what she had done.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Edgar continued to turn away from her to hide his face from her. ¡®Oh how the mouse now chases the cat,¡¯ he thought.


    It was funny how a moment ago she was running away from him but now she was reaching out to check on him. All it took was far for him to almost lose his head.


    How could she be angry with him for constantly teasing her when situations like this came to him so easily?


    ¡°I need to tap a little water on my face. There¡¯s a bathroom over there. Come with me,¡± Edgar took her hand and led her to the bathroom.


    ¡®I¡¯ve fallen into his trap,¡¯ Alessandra realized where this was going before they made it to the bathroom. ¡®Is he going to ask me to kiss the pain away?¡¯


    Alessandra had been in this situation at least three times now to know how this was going to end.


    She quietly followed Edgar to the bathroom. Edgar let her enter first and then stepped inside, closing the door behind him.


    Before he could be inplete control of this situation Alessandra said, ¡°I will kiss the pain away for you.¡±


    She noticed how his eyes went wide a little before a grin settled on his lips.


    ¡°Trying to be one step ahead of me? Go on,¡± he urged her. It had been long since she did it the first time.


    Edgar was never eager when Alfred would try to blow on his wounds as a child to help heal them faster.


    ¡°I¡¯m only doing this because you wouldn¡¯t let me see where I hit you. This time-no. Each time I have hit you identally it feels like it is all your fault,¡± said Alessandra. If he would have given her the space she requested, he would not have gotten hit.


    Still, she felt bad seeing that there was a red mark forming on his forehead.


    ¡°This is thest time I am doing this,¡± Alessandra said as she touched his face.

 Chapter 182

    182 Walk in the garden (1)


    Alessandra tiptoed because of their height difference and kissed Edgar¡¯s forehead where the bruise had formed. She kept the kiss short and simple to immediately retreat against the door before Edgar could try anything else.


    ¡°We should go out now. It¡¯s a bad look after what happened at the table and now we are in a bathroom together. I do not want to exin to your grandmother that I have been injuring her precious grandson. I think she might forget about us being married and try to scold me for ruining how perfect you are,¡± Alessandra muttered.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Edgar replied.


    Alessandra went to turn the doorknob but then stopped to look at Edgar with suspicion. ¡°Alright? You¡¯re just going to leave without trying anything funny?¡±


    ¡°When I do something it¡¯s a problem and when I do nothing it¡¯s a problem. You are very hard to please, Alessandra,¡± he flicked her nose. ¡°If you wish for something to happen just say the word.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that it¡¯s just so odd a kiss on the forehead satisfies you. Maybe I just ced a spell on you and now you¡¯ll be obedient,¡± said Alessandra. If only such a thing could happen.


    Before he reverted back to normal, Alessandra opened the door and stepped out first but didn¡¯t make it too far as Daniel was standing on the outside with his arms folded and tapping his foot.


    ¡®Isn¡¯t this a bit too much?¡¯ Alessandra said to herself. Why was it always specifically him who was poking around in Edgar¡¯s business?


    ¡°Can I help you?¡± Alessandra asked after a moment of silence.


    .....


    ¡°No we can¡¯t,¡± Edgar answered her question. There was no doubt in his mind that whatever Daniel wanted from standing outside the bathroom would piss him off. If only his grandmother would just invite Collins members to her home.


    ¡°Were the two of you fooling around again after telling your grandmother that you weren¡¯t?¡± Daniel asked, enjoying the fact he had something to tell Rose about the two newlyweds.


    ¡°You left your wife¡¯s side toe and spy on what I am doing with my wife. If your marriage is failing, find another way to entertain yourself,¡± Edgar advised him. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to see the garden, Alessandra.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Alessandra replied, happy to get away from Daniel. She saw that he was determined to get her and Edgar in trouble like they were children so she did not want to be around him.


    ¡°Hey! My marriage is perfectly fine. It¡¯s been two years now and I still love my wife. There has been no drama between the two of us. Let¡¯s get that straight,¡± Daniel firmly said. All of a sudden Edgar was married and now everyone else had a bad marriage? ¡°I get that you got married recently but this kind of thing,¡± he pointed to the bathroom door. ¡°Should not happen.¡±


    Neither Edgar nor Alessandra responded to what Daniel said as they both felt like he should mind his business. As if they could read the mind of each other and predict what the other would do next, they both walked around Daniel.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Daniel eximed as he did not like being dismissed so easily. ¡°I was not finished talking to you.¡±


    ¡°Brother,¡± Dominic approached his little brother and smacked him on the back of his head. ¡°Stop it. Stop meddling around in their business. It¡¯s about time a married couple acts like they are married and does not sit quietly together. Finally, I can¡¯t feel the awkward tension between two people who are supposed to be in love. Finally,¡± he stressed the word.


    Daniel could not believe his brother was talking badly about the rtionship he had with his wife andpared it to Edgar¡¯s rtionship. ¡°You¡¯re not married so you should not have an opinion, Dominic. My wife and I are always under each other when we¡¯re home.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re trying to have another baby since you think it would please our father and grandmother. I¡¯m going to find a room to fall asleep in,¡± Dominic covered his mouth as he yawned. ¡°Try not to get killed when I am not around. I want front-row seats to see it finally happen.¡±


    ¡°All you do is eat and sleep, you brute! I don¡¯t see what it is father likes about you when you¡¯re sozy. You¡¯re the oldest but you¡¯re not even married,¡± said Daniel.


    ¡°Ah yes. It¡¯s a problem that I did not force myself to be around a certain youngdy because her family has money. You were thinking about business rather than love when you proposed to your wife. I¡¯d rather not set myself up to be unhappy like the rest of the idiots in this town but that kind of life suits you, little brother.¡±


    Daniel remained quiet, not wanting to go down this rabbit hole with his brother. ¡°Would it hurt you to be on my side once in a while? Some older brother you are!¡± He yelled once Dominic got far enough and Daniel knew he wouldn¡¯t turn around to finish their conversation.


    Meanwhile,


    Edgar led Alessandra to the peaceful garden. There were only the workers outside so it gave Alessandra a moment to let loose and take a breath.


    ¡°I feel like a weight was just lifted off my shoulders. Was I tense that entire time?¡± She rubbed her arms. It didn¡¯t feel like she was tense on the inside.


    ¡°You worried for nothing. I told you my grandmother was different from my mother but even if she for some reason disliked you, it wouldn¡¯t have mattered,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°Why?¡± Alessandra looked to her side at Edgar.


    ¡°My opinion is the only one that matters. As long as I like you, you are fine.¡±


    ¡°O-Oh,¡± Alessandra almost tripped after hearing Edgar¡¯s words but luckily, she was caught by him. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°How did you manage to trip on such a t surface?¡± Edgar looked down at the ground trying to make sense of it. ¡°Did those simple words affect you that much?¡±


    ¡°Shut up,¡± Alessandra pushed him away to hide her blush.

 Chapter 183

    183 Walk in the garden (2)


    ¡°It must have been nice for you to run off to your grandmother when you did not want to be around your parents. There was a tree I used to run to hide from my father but it got cut down so I remained in my room,¡± Alessandra said as they walked around the garden.


    ¡°I take it you don¡¯t have a rtionship with any of your grandparents?¡±


    ¡°No. On my father¡¯s side, like everyone else, they stopped caring after my face was ruined. There was nothing about me to boast about to their friends so I was useless. I learned at a young age that my talent for painting or anything else did not matter. As a girl, my value was my beauty. I don¡¯t have any memories of my mother¡¯s parents. I wonder if they are still alive,¡± Alessandra now wondered if they had long passed.


    ¡°Would you want to find them? It shouldn¡¯t be hard for me to do. All I need are their names. Do you want to find them?¡± Edgar asked first as it was possible she might not want to see any family members both from her mother¡¯s and father¡¯s side after they had not shown interest in her existence.


    ¡°When ites to my mother¡¯s parents, I honestly do not know. I wonder if they knew where she ran off 5o. I think about their reasons for not checking on the child my mother left behind. I would like to meet them but then again, I don¡¯t want to be met with people just like everyone else,¡± Alessandra said, afraid her grandparents would be like the rest of her family.


    She did not want to add more toxic people to her life when she was starting to feel happy.


    ¡°What if your mother were to one day show up before you looking to apologize and make up for the time the two of you lost? Would you ept her apology and wee her into your life?¡± Edgar asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always thought if she returned sorry for leaving me behind, I would forgive her but if she did not regret it, I would not care for her. It¡¯s hard to trust that anyone who shows up before me in the future cares for me. They might just wish to be close to a Duchess because why now are you interested in my life? I am perfectly fine with being on my own,¡± Alesandra added as her words seemed too depressing.


    Hearing this, Edgar picked up her hand to show the finger with their wedding ring, ¡°You are no longer alone. You are married.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Right. I married someone who also likes to be alone. I¡¯ve only now realized that we have that inmon. Let¡¯s talk about something else,¡± Alessandra said as she didn¡¯t like thinking about her past rtionships with her family. ¡°Are we going to return tonight for dinner?¡±


    ¡°Why should we?¡± Edgar bluntly replied. He liked being around his grandmother but this would mean they would have to waste an entire day being around other people. ¡°Tomorrow is another day. We can have dinner with her then.¡±


    ¡°Have you reached your social limit?¡± Alessandra chuckled.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t me you. Perhaps Daniel would not be here if wee for dinner tomorrow night. It would be nice to just be with your grandmother. You and Dominic seem to get along well. Are the two of you close?¡± Alessandra asked as during breakfast the two of them engaged in a civil conversation while each time Daniel spoke up they would both roll their eyes.


    ¡°Quite. Our grandmothers would have us y with each other when we were young to be close in the future. We¡¯re only a few months apart from each other and we have always gotten along with each other. Whenever he visits Lockwood he would stay with me. His brother on the other hand is another story. I¡¯ll fire spears on the sight of him approaching mynd,¡± said Edgar.


    The moment Daniel started talking was when Edgar lost interest in him.


    ¡°So Dominic is the Edgar Collins of the Carson family?¡±


    ¡°Certainly not,¡± Edgar quickly disagreed with her. ¡°There is no one else like your wonderful husband. I thought you had learned that by now.¡±


    Alessandra couldn¡¯t argue with that as she had not met anyone like Edgar. He was one of a kind probably due to the fact the world would not be able to handle two of him. ¡°My mistake. I should be aware of that.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s move onto a more amusing topic. When do you expect us to start making that baby you promised my grandmother? I¡¯m ready all now,¡± Edgar stated and enjoyed with great amusement how Alessandra blushed and almost tripped once again.


    Surely Alessandra had not thought he would forget this.


    ¡°Edgar, you know I only said that to make your grandmother happy. We have done nothing to be thinking about children. Why did you have to bring that up?¡± Alessandra muttered as she walked ahead of Edgar. ¡°Why is everyone so concerned about children? We have just gotten married and we are young. There¡¯s plenty of time for me to give you an heir.¡±


    ¡°Heirs,¡± Edgar corrected her. ¡°I told you I¡¯ve changed my mind about only wanting one heir. I have too many assets for one to take care of.¡±


    ¡°You did not think that before we got married. Remember that I am aware you only wanted an heir but if you couldn¡¯t find someone to marry, you would adopt,¡± Alessandra recalled what she had been told.


    ¡°Am I not allowed to change my mind? Besides, we cannot control how many children we will have in the future. You wouldn¡¯t want to subject yourself to those painful procedures to stop having children or to get rid of a child, would you? Many have died from doing so. Our doctors are not Gods and they do not have enough information about our bodies.¡±


    ¡°We can not be intimate,¡± Alessandra stated the obvious. That was the surest way to not have another child.


    Edgar clicked his tongue and almostughed at her saying that so confidently. ¡°We shall see if you can keep your hands off of me once we¡¯ve started.¡±


    ¡®I can. It¡¯s always you touching me,¡¯ Alessandra thought.

 Chapter 184

    184 Walk in the garden (3)


    ¡°Do you think it would be alright for us to pick some of the fruit? There are blueberries,¡± Alessandra pointed to the bushes filled with the small fruit.


    ¡°Yes. Pick as many as you want. You will need a basket,¡± Edgar looked around for one the gardeners would have been using to store them in. He found one with a couple of blueberries in it and tossed them out before giving Alessandra it. ¡°Enjoy.¡±


    ¡°You are not picking some with me?¡± She looked up at him as he walked to take a seat.


    ¡°No,¡± Edgar replied.


    ¡°Then I suppose you won¡¯t be eating any. After winter passes, we should nt some more fruit trees around the house. It would save money from having to buy them from the market. I would like to tend to them daily as they grow. I bet they would taste much better than the ones we buy after watching them grow each day,¡± said Alessandra.


    ¡°There goes my theory that you would have ended up on a farm if you had run away from your family.¡±


    ¡°Probably. I would have needed to find a way to make money and considering I wouldn¡¯t be able to buy things for painting, I would have done manualbor. Farming would have been fun I suppose. Well, if it did not involve tending to animals because I can imagine continuously stepping into their poop. If you were not a Duke, what do you think would have been?¡± Alessandra asked.


    ¡°King or a heroic knight,¡± Edgar quickly gave his answer without needing to think about it. ¡°I believe I have always been destined to hold a great title. Nothing less.¡±


    ¡°Yet again, your confidence blows my mind. The world seems to love you given how you have good looks and wealth, and you are smart,¡± Alessandraplimented him.


    .....


    Edgar couldn¡¯t help but find herpliments to be suspicious. ¡°What do you want from me, Alessandra? You are being too nice.¡±


    Alessandra once again looked up from the bush, surprised to hear this. ¡°Am I not always nice to you, Edgar? Have you felt otherwise this entire time?¡±


    ¡°You have been nice but you are throwing outpliments without acting shy right afterward. I feel like a few days ago I would have to tie you up and torture you to hear youpliment me without blushing or looking away. I must assume you want something so go on. Your husband is waiting.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, over thest couple of days I have be morefortable around you so there¡¯s no reason to shy away. I¡¯ve gotten used to having normal conversations with you and I do enjoy them when you don¡¯t try to tease me,¡± Alessandra replied, knowing that from the time they got married in the church and up to this point, she had started to change.


    ¡°Is it because of what we did in the tub?¡± Edgar asked, then dodged a handful of blueberries thrown his way. ¡°You have terrible aim.¡±


    ¡°I would have hit you had you not moved. Stay still,¡± Alessandra picked up a blueberry from her basket and positioned her hand to throw it at his chest.


    ¡°Children, don¡¯t tell me you are wasting my good blueberries.¡±


    Hearing Rose¡¯s voice behind her, Alessandra quickly ced the blueberries back into the basket. She turned around and said, ¡°No, we weren¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you were,¡± Edgar happily called out her lie. ¡°Or were you expecting us to find and eat the ones you threw at me? It isn¡¯t good to lie,¡± he smiled as he spoke. He knew right now she must feel like throwing the entire basket at him. ¡°Grandmother, do you like Alessandra?¡±


    Rose gave Alessandra a look, inspecting the basket of blueberries she had been using to pick out ones to throw at Edgar. ¡°Yes. Why? Don¡¯t you like me,¡± dear?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± Alessandra replied and looked back at Edgar wondering why he would ask such a question.


    ¡°So she can rx around you, right? No need to act all prim and proper?¡± He asked as he stood up to go to Alessandra¡¯s side.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Rose replied with a smile full of wrinkles. ¡°You are standing beside the most disobedient child I had to deal with.¡±


    ¡°I was always obedient around you, grandmother.¡±


    ¡°Yes but you disobeyed others and I had to deal with theints. Just let loose and be yourself, dear,¡± Rose advised Alessandra. ¡°I have so many young women and men introduced to me and they all act the same. It¡¯s so hard for me to tell them apart honestly. It would be hard for me to get to know you if you are acting how you think I want you to act. Understood?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Alessandra replied but knew she could easily rx around Rose just yet.


    ¡°Wonderful. How do you find the garden to be? I nned where everything would go,¡± said Rose.


    ¡°It is beautiful. I was just telling Edgar that we should add more fruits around our home. When we do, I hope you cane and spend time seeing it. If it¡¯s not too much,¡± Alessandra added because of how old Rose appeared. From her wrinkles, white hair, and how she had to take her time as she walked, Alessandra didn¡¯t know if Rose would enjoy traveling around.


    ¡°I suppose it¡¯s about time I take a trip back to Lockwood. I have to visit many of my old friends there and see what Edgar has done to his home. After winter, please send an invitation. Speaking of invitations, do you have something to do tomorrow afternoon?¡± Rose inquired as there was something she wanted to bring Alessandra along to.


    Edgar slid his hand around Alessandra¡¯s waist and said, ¡°She¡¯ll be with me. How can you expect great-grandchildren if you split us up during this time?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind him,¡± Alessandra took Edgar¡¯s hand from around her waist. ¡°Is there somewhere you need to go tomorrow afternoon? I¡¯d be happy to go along with you.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t say that until you learn where she intends on taking you. Besides, are you going to leave me all alone tomorrow when I have been trying to spend time with you?¡± Edgar said in a sad tone to trap Alessandra into staying with him. The one thing he could always use to get what he wanted was making her feel guilty.


    ¡°You won¡¯t be alone. Alfred and the others are there,¡± Alessandra replied and enjoyed the way the small smile on his face vanished. Some of his tricks were no longer going to work on her. ¡°Where is it you have to go tomorrow, grandmother?¡± Alessandra referred to Rose as she was told to.


    ¡°There is a gathering for the women here that I was supposed to attend with my sister but since she is not feeling well I was not going to attend. I would be delighted for you toe along and be introduced to everyone. I can finally show off Edgar being married. Don¡¯t worry about the mask or what others may say. I have them quiet like a mouse,¡± Rose assured Alessandra.


    Rose had some age to her but she was still what the younger girls called a social queen. Once she gave the word, no one would speak about Alessandra negatively unless they wanted to be exiled from the group.


    Alessandra considered that the people here wouldn¡¯t know much about the rumors surrounding her face as they were far out of Lockwood. Due to this, they would be more curious and less afraid of it. ¡°I will go along with you. I think no one would believe you about Edgar being married unless I am with you as proof,¡± she joked and felt her heart warm up when Roseughed.


    ¡°That is true,¡± Rose forgot to cover her mouth as sheughed. ¡°I lost hope in him getting married a long time ago so it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if others never had hope in him. Tomorrow I will have some wedding gifts prepared for you to take back home. I wanted to see what type of person you were before I prepared any.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not a fan of jewelry, bags, shoes, dresses, or anything you have bought for the women in our family. She has not taken my interest in the things I bought her. Be warned,¡± Edgar gave his grandmother a heads up. ¡°I am still trying to figure out what else makes her happy. Besides me of course. There is no greater gift than me.¡±


    Alessandra once again could not believe Edgar had managed topliment himself in a moment like this.


    ¡°No there is not,¡± Rose patted Edgar¡¯s arms, agreeing with his words. ¡°The best gift I have ever been given.¡±


    ¡®I see why he keeps thinking like that now,¡¯ Alessandra thought as she realized it had to be Rose filling up Edgar¡¯s head. It was sweet to watch the two but slightly annoying when Edgar said it.


    ¡°Now I have too wonderful gifts that money cannot buy,¡± Rose held Alessandra¡¯s hand. ¡°Wee to the Collins family, dear.¡±

 Chapter 185

    185 Fulfilling a request (1)


    ¡°Edgar took a trip with his wife and all of a sudden you want the two of us to enjoy a ride around the town? It makes me feel like going forward we will only have good dates when Edgar has some with his wife,¡± Hazel said.


    Tobias looked up from the documents he brought along toplete while with Hazel. ¡°Sweetie, that makes me feel hurt. I always prepare good dates for us. You know, there are a lot of couples who do not enjoy going on dates after they get married. I have made sure we are not like them.¡±


    ¡°Every date you have prepared for me since we wed has been inside the pce. Now all of a sudden your precious best friend has taken a trip out with his wife, you proposed we go around the town. Are you bored now that Edgar is out of reach for you to annoy him?¡± Hazel asked as from the day Edgar left Tobias appeared restless.


    ¡°First off, I love that someone other than me refers to him as my best friend. He¡¯s in such denial about it. Secondly, that is not true. I always thought about taking you out of the pce but I have been busy.¡±


    Hazel looked down at the papers in his hands. ¡°Tobias, you¡¯re busy right now. Honestly, we could have just stayed in the pce if you were not going to give me all your attention. I¡¯m starting to wonder if it was a mistake to marry you and not say yes to one of my other suitors.¡±


    Tobias ced the documents down now that Hazel found them to be annoying. ¡°I guess signing off orders for the borders will have to wait. Hazel, are you trying to have me throw those men in jail? I thought you were having fun. I truly did not n this because of Edgar.¡±


    ¡°I hope so. I am starting to think you also have a crush on him,¡± said Hazel. She remembered a long time ago Tobias told her about one of their male friends falling in love with Edgar.


    ¡°Hazel, I told you never to repeat what I told you. You weren¡¯t supposed to know that but you brought up the whole no secrets between us thing. Edgar will kill me if he knows I told you about this. No, I do not love Edgar that way. As cruel as he could be, he¡¯s one of the few people I trust in my life. Our lives. If something were to ever happen to me I could expect him to ensure your safety.¡±


    Hazel looked out the window at the shops they were passing by. ¡°Nothing will ever happen to you, Tobias. Though to be careful we should get rid of those snakes in the pce. If they bring another woman to convince you to bed them I will personally have my father kill them. I heard someone rmending Linda to be your mistress because her father controls arge part of the army.¡±


    .....


    Hazel would not be able to sit still in the pce if her best friend and husband had to sleep together to make the next king because she could not.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to ever worry about me and your best friend. I met her at the same time I met you and never felt anything. I still don¡¯t and I don¡¯t care who her father is. The only woman I care to make an heir with is you. How many times must I tell you this? You were the one to stop me from having those women banished from the pce even though you are upset with their presence,¡± Tobias reminded her.


    ¡°I always thought it shouldn¡¯t matter if they are in the pce or not. You should not be tempted to sleep with them if you are truly loyal to me,¡± Hazel exined her reasoning. ¡°There¡¯s something wrong if I have to remove women from in front of you.¡±


    ¡°Hazel, I don¡¯t want to have this conversation with you again. I¡¯ve proven time and time again that I am only loyal to you. Many kings before me had a wife and mistresses but my father did not. I watched my father love one woman and since I met you I nned on doing the same. You get upset with me because those women are there and kick me out of your bedroom,¡± said Tobias.


    ¡°We are not even supposed to be in the same bedroom,¡± Hazel folded her arms and mumbled.


    ¡°I am not waiting for a specific day to sleep with my wife because some man who is far from being a God thinks we will have a powerful prince. I am going to your bedroom whether it is for us to make love or just sleep together. I¡¯m still in the process of getting rid of that foolish tradition,¡± Tobias muttered, highly annoyed by the rule to sleep separately and having to sneak into her bedroom.


    ¡°While you¡¯re at it, get rid of the rule that checks for the bride¡¯s purity at the end of their first night with their husband. You wouldn¡¯t have killed someone if that rule did not exist in the first ce. I don¡¯t want any royals after us to have to go through that,¡± Hazel felt disgusted just remembering how determined they were to check their sheets.


    Tobias grinned as he realized something. ¡°When I killed that man who walked towards our bed, that is when youpletely fell for me, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°No, I fell for you before that. I thought you were a psycho when it happened though I appreciated it. I saw why Linda¡¯s father warned me not to just see you as this happy personality you walk around with. Underneath it all is a man who should be feared. Wait! Stop the carriage!¡± Hazel yelled as she spotted a familiar ce.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Tobias grabbed his sword. He stood up and looked around for what had suddenly caused Hazel to yell but found nothing.


    ¡°Tobias, do you honestly think I would see danger and stop the carriage? It¡¯s that famous dressmaker¡¯s shop,¡± she pointed at therge shop in the middle of town.


    ¡°You yelled for that? We have a royal dressmaker to tend to only you. Do you dislike her? Should I fire her?¡± Tobias sat back down now that he confirmed there was no danger.


    ¡°No. I have a request from the Duchess to fulfill and this is a perfect time to do it now that I am here. You can stay inside if you wish. Open the door please,¡± Hazel said to the guard outside. She grabbed a handful of her dress on each side to step off the carriage without epting help from the coachman.


    ¡°Like hell, I¡¯ll stay behind,¡± Tobias followed her out with his sword. They were traveling with many guards but he did notpletely trust anyone to protect his wife. ¡°What request could the Duchess have made with you concerning a dressmaker? Does she want you to buy her one? Edgar is not broke.¡±


    ¡°Get out of my business, Tobias. Thank you,¡± Hazel said to the maid who had run to ce an umbre over her head. ¡°It truly is chilly outside the pce but the sun is still shining down on us so much. Everyone has to be careful not to get sick.¡±


    ¡°You have to be careful not to get sick,¡± Tobias said as he took off his jacket to ce it over her shoulder. He ignored thements and looks from the people gathering around now that the king and queen were here. He looked at the sign for the dress shop Hazel was going in and read, ¡°Mrs. Potter¡¯s dress shop.¡±

 Chapter 186

    186 Fulfilling a request (2)


    Tobias ordered the pce guards to go inside and inspect the shop for threats before Hazel would go inside. During this time, Charlotte Potter had sent out her customers to make way for the king and queen. No one else mattered when royalty was present.


    Hazel entered the shop first and saw right away why so many young women were eager to buy dresses from the famous Mrs. Porter. Hazel was curious why Alessandra had skipped the famous woman and gone to her daughter instead. Erin Potter was not known for anyone wearing her dresses.


    ¡°Your highness,¡± Charlotte Potter curtsied at the sight of the king and queen. ¡°I am honored by the two of you paying a visit. If needed, I could have traveled to the pce to see you.¡±


    ¡°We did not travel from the pce to personally see you, miss,¡± Tobias added as he did not know her name even though he had read the sign. ¡°We were enjoying a ride around when the queen remembered she had business here.¡±


    Regardless, Charlotte felt happy to have them here. ¡°Is there a dress you came to buy or perhaps, you wish for me to make one from scratch?¡±


    ¡°First, how about we let back in everyone you told to go outside? It feels rude to stop their shopping because I am here with the king. Please let them back inside,¡± Hazel ordered the guards by the door.


    She would have liked it if all customers were treated the same. Besides, she wanted to have some fun with the older Potter and she needed young girls to gossip about what happened here.


    ¡°Do it,¡± Tobias ordered the guards after they had looked at him to confirm what Hazel told them to do. Tobias drifted away from Hazel¡¯s side to inspect the shop but he was still listening in to what was being said. He was yet to figure out why Hazel was here on behalf of the Duchess.


    As Tobias walked around, he recognized the young woman standing behind the dressmaker as the one who was with the Duchess on the night of the ball.


    .....


    Meanwhile, young women flooded the dress shop but this time, they were more interested in what the queen wanted instead of looking for dresses.


    ¡°I have a special asioning up, therefore, I will need a dress but the royal dressmaker has so many dresses to prepare for me. Therefore, I got a rmendation from a dear friend of mine and came here to give my order. Mrs. Potter,¡± Hazel paused as she watched the woman¡¯s eyes light up. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind if I borrow your daughter,¡± Hazel looked behind Charlotte where Erin was hidden.


    ¡°Me?!¡± Erin eximed in disbelief but then mped her hand over her mouth as the reaction might have seemed rude in front of the queen. However, it was hard for her to believe the queen wanted her to make a dress instead of her mother. ¡®Am I dreaming?¡¯ She pinched her hand to double-check.


    Charlotte¡¯s smile quickly fell and she looked behind at her daughter who also did not believe it. ¡°There must be some mistake, your highness. When someone says you should go to the dressmaker, they are referring to me, not my daughter. She merely helps me around when there are so many customers. See,¡± she pointed at the number of young women in her shop.


    ¡°I am not mistaken. Your daughter made a dress for my friend the Duchess, Alessandra Collins. The dress the Duchess wore at the ball was quite lovely and I want one for myself. I would love more than one actually. Are you free to do it?¡± Hazel asked Erin since Charlotte would deny her daughter doing it.


    ¡°I¡¯d be happy to make your dresses, your highness. As soon as you are ready, I can show you my designs and get started,¡± Erin replied. She had to contain her excitement and not jump up and down to embarrass herself in front of the king and queen.


    ¡°Unfortunately, I don¡¯t have to take a look at your designs right now so I will have an invitation sent for you to visit me in the pce. However, I would like a quick word with you. Is there a private room?¡± Hazel asked Charlotte. It was entertaining to watch the woman trying to understand what was happening in front of her.


    Hazel¡¯s invitation was good business for Charlotte if she worked with her daughter but Charlotte was too proud to let the spotlight be on Erin. After years of telling Erin, her designs were not good, it was a p in the face for the queen to be here for Erin and not her.


    ¡°This has to be a joke. Only the Duchess has worn my daughter¡¯s creations and I was the one to send her there so I wouldn¡¯t have to deal with that cursed girl. Your Highness,¡± Charlotte took up one of her dresses on disy to show Hazel. ¡°You¡¯ll do well in one of my dresses.¡±


    ¡°You should keep in mind that we are quite close to the Duke and Duchess so insults to either of them will have you on our bad side. It is not a ce you should wish to be,¡± Tobias joined the conversation to defend Alessandra. Edgar would have done the same if anyone tried to insult Hazel when Tobias was not around.


    ¡°My apologies but I am only trying to make the queen see her mistake. Take a look,¡± Charlotte held the dress high for Hazel to inspect.


    ¡°A private room?¡± Hazel asked Erin as Charlotte was starting to annoy her. Why not push for your daughter to follow in your footsteps and have customers of her own?


    Erin was ecstatic to see her mother be pushed to the side while someone had finally taken interest in her dresses. ¡°This way, your highness.¡±


    Hazel walked around Charlotte and went to Erin¡¯s side. ¡°Remember to thank the Duchess. She could have requested anything but asked that I helped with your reputation,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°Alessandra did this?¡± Erin stopped walking as she was surprised by this. She told Alessandra to not worry about her being outcasted but Alessandra went ahead and sent the queen.


    ¡°Are you going to cry?¡± Hazel stated after she saw Erin¡¯s eyes begin to water.


    ¡°Forgive me for embarrassing myself but the Duchess is too kind,¡± Erin wiped tears from her eyes as she spoke.

 Chapter 187

    187 Date (1)


    ¡°Wee back, Duke and Duchess Collins. I hope your time out was lovely. Alfred has told me to inform the two of you if you return before he does that he has gone on a walk. Is there anything I can prepare for you? A warm bath maybe?¡± Calvin stated as the weather stayed true to its mood swings and switched from sunny to cloudy in a blink of an eye.


    ¡°Nothing right now for me thank you. I just want to go outside and explore the backyard. Hopefully, it is not wet,¡± said Alessandra.


    vin looked up at the clouds and found dark clouds. ¡°It is not but I will have someone on standby with an umbre. It seems like there will be heavy rain which is why it has turned cold.¡±


    Edgar looked up at the sky and was surprised to see the dark clouds. ¡°Research should be finished to answer why this town has such unusual weather. Lockwood¡¯s weather is much more predictable. Did Alfred leave with an umbre?¡±


    Calvin nodded his head. ¡°He did. He said he would return shortly so I think he will be back before the raines. You should hurry to enjoy the backyard a bit before the raines, Duchess.¡±


    ¡°Right. I will see you soon, Edgar,¡± Alessandra quickly gave her goodbyes and then hurried off to the side of the house to inspect the backyard properly.


    ¡°Should I be offended if she is eager to quickly leave my side?¡± Edgar asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t wish to cross the line but I¡¯ve heard the Duchess has never traveled around. Once she has seen everything around the home and a bit of the town, her attention will be only on you. My wife was the same when I took her on a trip. You should make some use of the rain about to fall, Duke Collins. I will make sure no servant bothers you. Until then,¡± Calvin excused himself to go back to what he was doing before the carriage returned.


    ¡°I see why I hired him,¡± Edgar muttered. It was clear from the dark clouds and cold air there was about to be a heavy shower of rain so everyone would have to stay inside. This was another opportunity for him and Alessandra to be confined in a room together. ¡°All I need to do is wait.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Edgar, you returned earlier than I expected. Normally your grandmother likes to make you stay with her long enough to sleep over,¡± Alfred said as he returned to the home with an umbre in his hands.


    ¡°She¡¯s hellbent on getting her great-grandchildren so she sent us away. What is it with you and not staying still? I brought you along to rest, Alfred,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°I am resting but there is nothing like a good walk to enjoy the fresh air. I have to do it more often back at home to stretch my feet. I¡¯ve already tended to the garden and inspected the house so there is nothing left for me to do now. I am going to take a nap now that the rain seems to be preparing to fall. I spoke to a person on the street and they said there is a good ce at night for couples to eat at. Please take the Duchess out tonight.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I suppose I¡¯ve grown tired of seeing everyone else at dinner,¡± Edgar joked. ¡°Have the butler make reservations for us while you go to bed, Alfred. Next time I will send you away to an inn so you cannot inspect what their servants are doing or y around with their flowers.¡±


    ¡°You worry too much,¡± Alfred patted Edgar¡¯s back. ¡°I don¡¯t like sitting around doing nothing at this age. Time is counting down for me so I have to do everything I love before it hits zero.¡±


    ¡°When that timees I will hunt down your soul and bring you back to my side,¡± Edgar said as he could not imagine life without Alfred . Alfred had always taken care of him and wherever he went, Alfred was not far behind.


    Alfred found the words to be sweet but at some point, he needed to get away from Edgar. ¡°Please refrain from doing that, young master. Let¡¯s not talk about that anymore. You should find the Duchess and tell her of your-oh!¡± Alfred quickly opened the umbre as the heavy rain suddenly fell onto thend. ¡°Good thing I had my umbre,¡± Alfred said and held it over Edgar¡¯s head to make sure he wouldn¡¯t get sick.


    ¡°But there is someone without it in the backyard,¡± Edgar muttered and left Alfred¡¯s side to search for Alessandra. He was certain she already ventured too far without keeping an eye on the dark clouds and would end up getting soaked.


    ¡°Oh to be young and not afraid of catching a cold,¡± Alfred muttered a bit jealous of the rtionship Edgar and Alessandra had. ¡°Perhaps it is time I look to spend my time with someone.¡±


    Meanwhile,


    Edgarpletely disregarded the heavy rain beating his body and walked around the side of the house where Alessandra had run off to take a quick look at the backyard. He knew it wasn¡¯t a good idea for her to venture off outside but she had been meaning to look at the backyard. It was unfortunate the rain had to fall each time she tried to.


    Just as he went around the home, he saw her running towards the house. Her dress and hair were starting to stick to her body and she held onto her mask to keep it from falling.


    ¡°Alessandra!¡± Edgar called out to her as he marched out to where she was.


    ¡°Edgar-wait,¡± Alessandra gasped as she found herself swooping off her feet and into Edgar¡¯s arms. ¡°Why did youe out into the rain?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s an obvious answer to that question and I don¡¯t feel the need to say it,¡± Edgar replied. He felt like the answer would be cheesy as it was clear as the day he came out for her. He was thankful she was not asking him to y around in the rain.


    Alessandra didn¡¯t ask that question to receive a sweet reply. She did not need nor want Edgar toe out to her to be drowned in rainwater. Now both of them were wet and could potentially catch a cold. She wanted to tell Edgar to put her down as she might be heavy but decided against it as she was certain he would not listen to her.


    ¡°Oh no,¡± Calvin came to the back door and was horrified by the sight of them both drenched and the spotless floor bing wet. ¡°I will have hot water prepared for the two of you in your bedroom.¡±


    Edgar walked past Calvin with Alessandra still in his arms. Edgar took her straight up to their bedroom and ced her on the floor in front of the firece. He tossed a few nks of wood into the firece and then created a fire to keep Alessandra warm until the warm water was ready.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to,¡± Alessandra began to apologize for making the two of them get wet. ¡°I thought I could run back inside when the rain started to drizzle but it came down all at once.¡±


    ¡°I know so there¡¯s no need to apologize. It¡¯s not like you went out and got lost,¡± Edgar came back by her side with a towel to start drying her hair. ¡°I hope you do not get sick or we will have to cancel our ns to go out for dinner.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going out again? Where? I think we¡¯d hardly be able to have a peaceful dinner with others curious about my mask. I can already feel the stares,¡± said Alessandra. She did not want others¡¯ countless questions to ruin the night.


    ¡°I will take care of it.¡±

 Chapter 188

    188 Date (2)


    ¡°When you said you would take care of it, I didn¡¯t think you meant to have no one around,¡± Alessandra said as she entered therge building named the firefly and found no one aside from the workers.


    Time had long passed since they were drenched in the rain and by some luck, neither one of them was affected by it. As Alfred suggested, they both got dressed in fine clothes and left to eat dinner alone while everyone else remained at home.


    ¡°How were you able to pull this off?¡± Alessandra asked. There was no doubt in her mind it must have cost a lot for the owner to reserve the night for only her and Edgar.


    ¡°Money talks and the owner is the grandson of a close friend of my grandmother so she was able to pull this off for us on short notice. You do not have to worry about anyone staring at your mask. Not even the workers as they have been told not to,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°Still this must have cost you too much money,¡± Alessandra looked up at the shiny roof which was decorated with mirrors. She had never seen anything like this before.


    ¡°Thank you, Edgar. This is wonderful, Edgar. Those are two examples of what I would like to hear from you right now. When will you learn that money is never an issue for us? I have saved plenty over the years and I will continue to make more than we can spend in the future. Stop worrying about it and enjoy yourself,¡± Edgar advised her.


    He wanted to add the fact he was not poor like her father but then decided to bite his tongue to avoid her thinking about her father being buried today.


    ¡°I appreciate you doing this,¡± Alessandra thanked him. Sometimes it was not easy for her to remember that Edgar had this endless wealth. Perhaps it might be because she was not going around spending it to be ustomed to doing things without thinking about the price.


    ¡°I am deserving of a kiss on the cheek for this,¡± Edgar tapped his cheek with his finger.


    .....


    ¡°Why must you always try to get a kiss out of me? By the way, I know this was Alfred¡¯s idea. If anyone deserves a kiss, it is him.¡±


    ¡°Fucking Alfred,¡± Edgar muttered. Why would he expose to Alessandra that he was the one to think of this? If he had to give out an award for cock blocker of the year, Alfred was certain to get it. ¡°Alfred wasn¡¯t the one to clear out an entire building for you.¡±


    ¡°Yes but if he had not given you the idea, we would be home. Give up Edgar. I am not kissing you because you requested it. You should wait for me to do it myself,¡± Alessandra said but quickly regretted these words. ¡°Nevermind. Kissing is supposed to be off-limits until I am ready.¡±


    ¡°It is kissing on the lips that is off-limits. Do not try to add rules to this when I am being more than patient,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°Good evening, Duke and Duchess Collins. It is a pleasure to have you here at the firefly. I will be the one taking care of you tonight,¡± an average-height bald man greeted them.


    ¡°Why is it called the firefly?¡± Alessandra inquired. It was such a unique name to be given to a ce to eat.


    ¡°During certain times of the year, many fireflies are spotted outside of this building. It used to be home at one point but the owner decided to renovate it into a spectacr tavern for customers. Sometimes we turn off the lights, open doors, and windows, to allow the tiny creatures to put on a show,¡± Hayden, their hostess for the night exined. ¡°Please visit us again when they are present.¡±


    Alessandra thought the sight would be beautiful but she wouldn¡¯t feelfortable sitting around to eat while there were bugs flying around. Instead of bringing down the man¡¯s excitement about the fireflies she smiled.


    ¡°This way to your table,¡± Hayden pointed in the direction they needed to go then pped his hands for all the other workers to get busy. They were given a lengthy talk about the two guests and warned not to make any mistakes.


    ¡°Did it hurt?¡± Edgar asked as they walked further inside to go to their table.


    Alessandra looked to her side confused as to what he meant. ¡°What?¡± She asked.


    ¡°The fake smile,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Alessandra blushed, slightly embarrassed Edgar had seen right through it. ¡°I did not want to ruin his joy. He seems to enjoy the sight of fireflies inside.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re allowed to not like something even though we are here. Quite frankly I am also d we came when there aren¡¯t any of them present. I might have been tempted to squash one on the table and watch the workers pass out,¡± Edgar chuckled.


    Alessandra could only shake her head at his evil n. ¡°That would be too cruel. They might ban you from ever stepping foot in this ce.¡±


    ¡°Depending on how the night goes that might not be a bad thing. I don¡¯t believe I haveplimented you as yet but your dress looks beautiful,¡± hemented on the emerald dress Sally picked for the night. ¡°It is good to know I am getting my money¡¯s worth with that dressmaker. She has yet to present me with the nightwear she spoke so fondly of. I was expecting a crate of them.¡±


    Alessandra looked back at where their host was walking behind them to make sure they were going in the right direction. She could not have been more satisfied to see he had put some space between them to offer privacy. ¡°Please do not speak of such things in public and if Erin ever brings any of those to me, I will send them back. If you love them so much then you wear them but I will not.¡±


    Alessandra bit her lip to hold backughing at the image of Edgar in one of her night dresses. His muscr body would never be able to get the dress to go past his shoulders.


    ¡°This is your table,¡± Hayden walked ahead of Edgar and Alessandra. ¡°For your first time here we have decorated it with candles and roses for thedy.¡±


    ¡°What about me?¡± Edgar stared at the man. ¡°It is also my first time here. Am I not to be gifted something?¡±


    Hayden felt a cold sweat cover his body. Normally it was only thedy given something. What could the Duke possibly want? ¡°Ugh...you see...¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s toying with you,¡± Alessandra said to rid the man of being trapped in Edgar¡¯s games.

 Chapter 189

    189 Date (3)


    ¡°Oh. Ha ha ha. Good one,¡± Hayden forced augh though he did not find it to be funny. He was about to panic because he thought he offended the Duke. ¡°You can take your seats,¡± he decided to move on. ¡°Duchess-Okay, no touching,¡± he held his hands in the air and stepped back as Edgar moved to help Alessandra sit down before he could do it.


    ¡®He¡¯s going to make this poor man regret working here,¡¯ Alessandra shook her head.


    ¡°We have an excellent menu for you tonight,¡± Hayden ced down two cards for Alessandra and Edgar to look at. ¡°While you decide, can I interest you in a drink? Firefly creates its own wine and juices. You can find them on the back of the card I gave you. If those don¡¯t interest you, we have other popr drinks.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take whatever you think is best. It does not matter how strong it might be,¡± Alessandra said as she had a good tolerance for alcohol.


    ¡°Give me whatever you¡¯re rmending for her,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°Wonderful. I will give you two a moment alone to think about the food. Excuse me,¡± Hayden happily left the table before Edgar could toy with him again.


    ¡°What is it with you and stressing people out? I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he quits by the end of the night,¡± Alessandra said.


    ¡°Sounds like a wonderful challenge, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Edgar grinned, almost tempted to see if he could pull that off. ¡°I¡¯m joking, Alessandra. All of you make it too easy. What do you think about this ce? It¡¯s not my kind of ce but I can see why they are popr,¡± hemented and looked around at the overuse of firefly decor.


    ¡°Couples, darkness, candles, fireflies, and drinks. The owner had a good idea. It would definitely hurt toe here alone while couples are enjoying the romantic atmosphere. It would also be awkward toe here with a friend but it is a pretty ce to visit at least once. I wonder if Lockwood has special ces like this.¡±


    .....


    ¡°It does. As Lockwood is the capital of this kingdom, it has many one-of-a-kind businesses throughout the town. Even a ce like this takes inspiration from businesses back in Lockwood. Homes in Lockwood have all the new inventions first before they spread to other towns. That¡¯s why many of the people there are prideful and centered around wealth,¡± Edgar exined.


    Alessandra had heard before Lockwood was a town full of wealth which made sense as the pce was there. Most of the people there cared about looks and wealth which was why the rumor about her ruined face became such a big talk. ¡°No matter what bad things anyone in Lockwood does, they will always be forgiven if they have wealth. Money talks as you said.¡±


    ¡°We should drift away from talking about Lockwood. We didn¡¯t go on a trip to talk about home. How was your time with my grandmother? Was she what you imagined or far from it?¡± Edgar was curious to know.


    ¡°Far from what I thought. No offense but I was expecting the same treatment I got from your mother. I was proven wrong the moment we started to talk. I hope that it does not change in the future. It was nice of her to allow me to call her grandmother. If such a sweet woman had a hand in raising you alongside Alfred shouldn¡¯t you have been a little bit different?¡± Alessandra wondered what went wrong.


    ¡°It hurts to have my wife say that. In the future, you shouldn¡¯t think you have everyone understood just after one meeting. There¡¯s a reason why my grandmother can put the entire Collins family in check at her age. In the past, she could make the king bow before her, and a grown man would cry. She was the one who started the game to see which one of us could make someone panic first,¡± Edgar said and enjoyed the look of disbelief on Alessandra¡¯s face.


    He continued to say, ¡°I suppose she has toned it down as she got older. I heard she was far worse than my mother when ites to the social world. Seems her heart changed when her dear grandson was born. Regardless of the type of person that my grandmother is, I adore her and wished to stay with her as a child but my parents did not agree with it. If I wasn¡¯t sent off to school, I was with my parents until my grandmother sneaked me away.¡±


    ¡°Was it only your parent¡¯s marriage that made you not want to get married or at least open your heart to someone?¡± Alessandra asked.


    ¡°No, personal experiences made mee to that conclusion. I could never return the feelings anyone held for me so, after two failed attempts, I let women know upfront not to expect anything. I¡¯m starting to wonder if I just did not meet the right person as Alfred liked to say,¡± he tapped his finger on the table and stared at Alessandra. ¡°I really hate proving that old man right.¡±


    Alessandra shifted in her seat feeling ufortable under his gaze. ¡°How would you be proving him to be right?¡±


    Edgar smirked as he knew she was not oblivious to what he meant and just wanted him to say it. ¡°I clearly remember telling you at the ball that I have started to feel something for you and I would see what exactly it was that I felt. Don¡¯t tell me you have forgotten about it.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t but it has been so long since the ball so I thought you forgot about it. Even though you and I have grown close recently, I don¡¯t think either of us has crossed that line because of the rule you wanted and I promised to follow,¡± she reminded him of their contract which seemed to be forgotten.


    ¡°Right. That was when I thought it was impossible to care for someone in this manner. I was right to think having you around would be entertaining and while I enjoyed messing with you and watching you slowlye out of your shell, it¡¯s evident that I started to like you more than I nned to. Turns out it wasn¡¯t a waste for me to attend your father¡¯s party. It¡¯s unfortunate I have to thank Tobias for forcing me there,¡± Edgar¡¯s mood turned sour as he thought about thanking Tobias.


    Tobias would never let Edgar forget how much he owed him for finding Alessandra at the party.


    ¡°A long time ago, I would have never expected this to be possible but you were easy with making me change my mind. How about we burn that piece of paper and forget the rules? It¡¯s not like we have been paying them any mind,¡± Edgar stated as he had forgotten many times that his rtionship with Alessandra started with a contract.


    A simple piece of paper that was meant to free her from her family and piss off the people around Edgar.


    ¡°Are you saying we make this real?¡± Alessandra asked and pinched her hand under the table to make sure she had not started to daydream.


    ¡°I am asking you to let me love you,¡± Edgar rified his words.

 Chapter 190

    190 Date (4)


    ¡°Are you two ready to give your order?¡± Hayden approached the table as enough time had passed.


    ¡°Walk away ande back in a few minutes,¡± Edgar said without shifting his gaze from Alessandra. He needed her answer.


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± Hayden swung around to go back to where he had been standing before.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you need my permission for you to love me,¡± Alessandra softly gave her response. She was still trying to wrap her head around Edgar wanting to get rid of the contract.


    ¡°You know what I meant, Alessandra. I want you to love me back or at least open your heart to one day loving me if you have not felt something towards me yet. Though I don¡¯t think that is possible. You are willing to take off your mask for me soon because you feel something for me and you are waiting for my reaction to know whether you should give up on what you are feeling right?¡± Edgar hit the nail on the head with his words.


    ¡°I...¡± Alessandra began to answer but then closed her mouth. She had never wanted to show anyone her face so it was true there was something she felt about Edgar to be able to take that step. She started to like him just as he did with her but she never expected the contract to be forgotten and everything to be made real. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to love someone,¡± she admitted.


    Given her childhood, she didn¡¯t have too many experiences with love, and a good example of genuine love to know what it looked or felt like.


    ¡°You are talking to someone who has never felt anything towards a woman until now. It is something that we can figure out in the future. For now, we can continue as we are. Nothing has to change from this point besides our feelings,¡± Edgar assured her. He wanted things to stay just as it was between the two of them. ¡°That can only happen if you are willing to give your heart to me.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± Alessandra smiled, happy to start this new phase with Edgar. ¡°It is hard to believe I have your heart.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Somehow, you must have always had it without me even realizing it. I killed your father for you, almost tossed your step-mother out a window-¡±


    ¡°You did what!¡± Alessandra eximed as this was news to her. ¡°I thought you just cut her face and told her to stop the rumors?¡±


    ¡°Oops,¡± Edgar patted his mouth. Alessandra was never supposed to find out about this. ¡°So about your heart,¡± he reached for her hand and tried to change the subject. They were going so well with their conversation.


    ¡°Edgar, I am certain this is when you went to tell her to stop the rumors about me and Mario. Why did you almost toss her out a window? No lying?¡± She gripped the hand he reached out to touch her with. Alessandra knew it most likely wasn¡¯t hurting him but she wanted to show she was being serious.


    ¡°She annoyed me now, can we go back to loving each other?¡± He cheekily smiled.


    ¡°You!¡± Alessandra palmed her face with her other hand. ¡°What am I going to do with you?¡±


    ¡°I told you to love me. There is your answer,¡± Edgar said then waved his hand for their host to take their orders. ¡°Don¡¯t think about anything else and just eat.¡±


    Alessandra wanted to yell how she could just eat when he left her with so much to think about. ¡®Out of all the men I could have couldn¡¯t be tied to, I ended up with the one who keeps me on my toes. I suppose it isn¡¯t that bad,¡¯ she concluded.


    ¡°Your drinks,¡± Hayden ced two wine sses on each side of the table. ¡°This is one of our best blends which is almost ten years old. A perfect start for your first time here. I have to warn the Duchess that it is a little...¡± his voice slowly died down as he watched Alessandra take a big sip of the wine and smile.


    ¡°This tastes wonderful,¡± Alessandraplimented the wine and then took another sip. ¡°Is there a way for us to buy a bottle of this?¡±


    ¡®So it¡¯s paint, trips, and wine,¡¯ Edgar thought. There were three interesting gifts to make Alessandra happy.


    ¡°Yes, you can. We have a shop inside for our customers to buy the wines they like. I will have one wrapped up for you,¡± Hayden said. He kept sneaking nces at the Duke to see if he was alright with his wife casually drinking the wine like a fish in water. Was it the Duke¡¯s intention to purposely get his wife drunk? ¡°What would you like to start off with tonight?¡±


    ¡°Oh right,¡± Alessandra looked down at the card she forgot to take a look at. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I did not take a look at it. Please bring whatever you enjoy eating or what you think will suit us. Are you alright with that Edgar?¡±


    ¡°I am.¡±


    Hayden smiled as he took up the cards due to the fact the owner had ordered him to have the Duke and Duchess pick the most expensive meals. If he did that, he would be given a bonus. The Duchess had just made this easy for him to do. ¡°Excuse me once again and enjoy your drinks.¡±


    ¡°Why are you staring at me so much Edgar? There are other things for you to look at,¡± Alessandra looked in another direction to escape his gaze. She had a feeling now that Edgar had gotten rid of the contract and there were no rules to create boundaries when it came to feelings, there would be so much her little heart would not be able to handle.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I look at my wife?¡± Edgar asked.


    ¡°Do not be cheesy, Edgar.¡±


    ¡°Never. That is the one thing you can never get me to be. I¡¯m stuck in a ce where I either have to look at firefly decor or you. I¡¯ve picked the more interesting one. Should we have left him to decide our food? What if fireflies are added to the food?¡± Edgar decided to make her freak out.


    Alessandra turned back to face Edgar as she did not believe his words. ¡°That is not true. No one eats fireflies and thest ce to start doing so should be here. We are meant to admire fireflies here, not eat them. I am going to put those bugs in your shirt and hide the cream if you do not stop trying to mess with me.¡±

 Chapter 191

    191 Date (5)


    ¡°Here,¡± Edgar held out his fork with bits and pieces of food for Alessandra to eat.


    Alessandra stared at the fork then backed up at Edgar. ¡°We ordered the same thing. There¡¯s no need for me to eat from your fork.¡±


    ¡°The difference is you have eaten all of your food already while my te is still halfway. Take it,¡± he pushed his te towards her.


    ¡°No, you need to eat too,¡± Alessandra pushed the te back towards him. It wasn¡¯t like Edgar ate more food than her today for him to not be hungry.


    ¡°Alessandra, you¡¯re not going to win this game against me. Eat it,¡± Edgar pushed back the te. ¡°There is still a long way for us to go to fatten you up.¡±


    ¡°Why does this sound like a wolf talking to the pig he wishes to eat?¡± Alessandra muttered. ¡°You cannot force me to eat this, Edgar.¡±


    Edgar leaned back in his chair and folded his arms. ¡°Then feed me,¡± he said.


    ¡°Certainly not. You have two capable hands and since you are so perfect at everything, you should be able to use your feet.¡±


    Edgar decided the best way to win this argument would be to make Alessandra feel guilty. ¡°If you do not feed me, I will have him take back the food and a lot of money will go to waste.¡±


    .....


    To his surprise, Alessandra did not fall for it. ¡°You are a wealthy man, Edgar. Not eating what remains on your te is not a waste.¡±


    ¡®Now is the time she picks to know how much money we have,¡¯ Edgar thought.


    ¡°One for me,¡± Alessandra stated her win out loud. She didn¡¯t dare mention Edgar¡¯s points as he had won against her many times. ¡°You should hurry up and eat before the dessert is brought out.¡±


    ¡°No thank you. I am not in the mood to eat any more of this,¡± Edgar replied and ced his right hand in the air for Hayden toe and take the food away. ¡°It¡¯s not toote for you to eat the rest of it.¡±


    ¡°Give up. I am already full from my share. How much more weight do you intend for me to gain? My eating habits have changed and I am certain I am at a good weight now. Erin is making me a lot of dresses and I intend to fit in them,¡± said Alessandra.


    ¡°We can buy more as your size changes.¡±


    ¡°No. I am going to stick to this weight and no longer try to gain more. Alfred already sends me too many snacks throughout the day. I will say that if you do not want the rest of your wine, I can drink it for you,¡± Alessandra innocently smiled.


    ¡°I am honestly curious about what your limit is,¡± said Edgar. Given the number of sses she had tonight during the many tes of food they were given so far, she appeared to be very much sober. ¡°Should we buy a couple more bottles of wine and test out who will be drunk first? The winner gets the loser to do whatever they say for an hour.¡±


    Alessandra considered joining in this game as she had a high tolerance when it came to drinking but just as she was not affected by the wine, so was Edgar. The man was too perfect at everything for her to even think of winning. Besides, she already had an idea of the things Edgar would make her do for an hour. ¡°No, thank you,¡± she decided not to join in this game.


    ¡°Nothing sexual would be done in that hour,¡± Edgar added to pull her into the game. He saw the potential fun they could have and found it to be a waste to let the moment go. ¡°We can enjoy drinking out in the backyard if there is no rain when we return.¡±


    Alessandra tapped her fingers on the table, tempted to join in the game but there was still one issue. ¡°The grass will still be damp from the heavy rain we had earlier.¡±


    ¡°Then we can have fun in our bedroom and open the window pointing out at the backyard. Don¡¯t tell me you aren¡¯t tempted to have control of me for an hour. I can do anything you desire. If you win of course,¡± said Edgar.


    Alessandra started to consider that the night had been fun with the two of them leaving home and it would be fun to see each other trying to hold back bing drunk. She wanted to know what Edgar was like when he felt the buzz of a drink. Even if she lost, he imed nothing sexual would be used so there was nothing to worry about.


    ¡°Fine,¡± she finally gave in.


    ¡°Excellent.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve opened up your heart to me and then proposed a drinking game. How romantic,¡± Alessandra shook her head.


    ¡°You should be d you have a one-of-a-kind man who is creative with keeping the fire going between us,¡± said Edgar.


    Hayden returned to the table with another worker by his side who took away the tes they were previously using while he ced two new tes with slices of cake. ¡°These are popr among our customers. The first slice is a simple vani cake topped with cherries, then there¡¯s the vani cake with lemon icing and a delicious chocte cake with chocte icing. Unlike many ces, we have brought in someone from out the kingdom to specially make our chocte. Enjoy.¡±


    ¡°Uhm,¡± Alessandra stared down at the three slices of cake and knew that at this moment she would not be able to take one bite.


    ¡°Please wrap these up for us and add two more bottles to the wine you are preparing for my wife. By the way, is it true you serve fireflies in the food?¡± Edgar asked, then forced a smile after the table shook.


    Alessandra had kicked his foot under the table without thinking. After filling her stomach with so much food, thest thing she wanted to hear was she had eaten fireflies. If she was being honest, she did not feel sorry for kicking him. ¡°Do not answer him. Please wrap these up for me. Everything else was so good that I became full so quickly. I can¡¯t wait to go home and try the cakes.¡±


    ¡°Well, normally the food does not get wrapped up and taken outside. The owner does not want anyone to sit around and steal our signature taste but I suppose an exemption could be made for the two of you,¡± Hayden said as he took back up the two tes.


    ¡°Yes because it¡¯s not like we came here in disguise as customers when we nned to steal your ideas and start a business like this back home,¡± Edgar looked up at Hayden and smiled.


    Hayden became frozen and started to contemte if it was such a good idea to let them take the cake outside or leave at all.


    ¡°He¡¯s messing with you again. You know what, I think some room just opened up in my stomach,¡± Alessandra took her te back from Hayden to ease his mind.


    The poor soul might not have quit after dealing with Edgar for more than an hour but she was sure whenever he heard of Edgar visiting in the future, he would take the night off to save his body from the stress.


    ¡°Bless your heart Duchess,¡± Hayden told her not only because she had saved him before he could fall into the Duke¡¯s trap but also due to the fact she had to live with such a man.

 Chapter 192

    192 Drunken antics (1)


    ¡°Alfred, were you waiting for us?¡± Alessandra asked as Edgar helped her out of the carriage. After being away for more than two hours, they finally returned home.


    ¡°I always make sure the two of you have returned home safe and sound. Did you enjoy your time out, Duchess?¡± Alfred sat up from the chair he had brought outside to sit on while he waited for the two of them to return home.


    ¡°Yes. Alfred, sometimes I hear you call Edgar without his title. You can do the same for me. You are more of a family member to him than a servant so you are like that to me. Please call me Alessandra instead of Duchess,¡± Alessandra requested from him.


    ¡°No can do. Alfred and I have a special rtionship which is why he gets to call me so casually. You cannot just-¡±


    ¡°Very well, Alessandra,¡± Alfred ignored Edgar and happily did as Alessandra wanted. ¡°I should- What is happening here?¡± Alfred was about to head inside when he noticed Alessandra and Edgar were holding hands. Sure there were many times he found the two to be touching each other, specifically Edgar touching Alessandra, but there was something odd about them tonight.


    ¡°What?¡± Alessandra looked behind her and Edgar at the carriage moving off.


    ¡°Not there. There,¡± Alfred used his finger to point at where they were holding hands. ¡°Did something good happen tonight?¡±


    ¡°Of course, nothing gets by you, Alfred. I¡¯ve given Alessandra my heart and she has given-Hey!¡± Edgar eximed. He quickly released Alessandra¡¯s hand and rushed to hold Alfred before his body could hit the ground. ¡°This is what I mean when I say you are too dramatic, Alfred.¡±


    Alessandra blinked repeatedly, trying to process the fact that Alfred had fainted. ¡°Is he alright?¡± She asked and walked up to where Edgar had luckily caught Alfred. ¡°Edgar, is it honestly this bad that we are giving our hearts to each other?¡±


    .....


    She didn¡¯t see why Alfred would faint just from learning she and Edgar were going to open their hearts to love one another.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind him. Alfred is just being dramatic like always. Honestly, we should sign him up for- What the hell?¡± Edgar flinched after Alfred had reached up and pinched his cheek.


    ¡°Is this the Edgar that I raised?¡± Alfred asked.


    ¡°I am going to drop you, you old fool. You almost scared the hell out of us,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°It is you so why...¡± Alfred looked up at Edgar while hey in his arms. This had to be a dream as it was impossible for Edgar to already be opening that cold heart of his. ¡°Did I fall asleep while waiting for you?¡±


    Edgar sighed, tempted to toss Alfred out of his arms for being ridiculous. It was only due to how much he liked Alfred that he refrained from doing it. ¡°Alfred, I should seriously open up a theater and let you be an actor.¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± Alessandra stooped down beside the two men. ¡°That fall was spectacr.¡±


    ¡°That was a real fall but thank you,¡± Alfred muttered. ¡°So, you two will start loving each other? You are not messing with me, Edgar?¡±


    ¡°No, and if we were, why the hell are you singling me out?¡±


    ¡°Because Alessandra is not as troublesome as you are. Oh,¡± Alfred quickly sat upright, almost hitting Edgar¡¯s head. ¡°This calls for a celebration. We need some wine. The entire Collins estate needs to have a party to celebrate this.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Alessandra asked.


    ¡°Many of the workers have been there for years. We must celebrate Edgar finally opening up his heart. I have waited so long for him to love someone. I thought we all failed him,¡± Alfred covered his mouth with his right hand as he held back tears.


    ¡°We? You¡¯re not my parent-¡±


    ¡°Hush,¡± Alessandra pinched Edgar¡¯s hand to shut him up. Just as it was an emotional moment back then when Edgar brought up getting rid of the contract, she understood why Alfred was starting to tear up.


    Alfred would have been by Edgar¡¯s side as he rejected the marriage offers his mother set up for him. As Alfred got older, it would be natural for him to worry about Edgar being all alone when his time in this world woulde to an end.


    From the first day, Alessandra walked into Edgar¡¯s home, it was evident Alfred was wishing for the two of them to be something more than what was written on the contract. It was confirmed the day Alfred had plotted for the two of them to use the tub at the same time.


    ¡°I take it all back,¡± Edgar announced much to Alessandra and Alfred¡¯s dismay. ¡°You are acting like you are ready to move on from this life and leave me now that I have her. It¡¯s best we go back to the way things were before our date.¡±


    ¡°I have no ns on leaving you, Edgar. I have already made up my mind to raise your child just as I have raised you. As long as the world permits me to be healthy and alive, I will stay with you until your child has reached the age to marry,¡± Alfred dered.


    ¡°You want to be that old and watch little versions of me? Do you honestly want to torture yourself?¡± Edgar said so that Alfred could realize what he was getting himself in for. ¡°You could barely handle one of me in the past.¡±


    ¡°No offense Edgar but with a mother like Alessandra, your children are not bound to be little devils like you were. I will make sure of it,¡± Alfred said as he would free the world of having to deal with many more Edgars. ¡°Wait! Little versions as in more than one? Do you wish for more than an heir now?¡±


    ¡°Time for us to leave,¡± Edgar took Alessandra¡¯s hand to walk around Alfred before he could be dramatic again. They had a game he was patiently waiting to start and had no time to spare with Alfred right now.

 Chapter 193

    193 Drunken antics (2)


    ¡°I¡¯m a little bit scared by how eager you are to get me drunk. I feel like I should back out,¡± Alessandra changed her mind now that Edgar was hustling the two of them toward their room.


    ¡°You can¡¯t take back what you already promised me,¡± Edgar replied.


    ¡°I can consider the fact you left the wine in the carriage and it was taken to be parked,¡± Alessandra said.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Edgar cursed as he had forgotten to take out the wine when they stepped out of the carriage. Alfred¡¯s appearance distracted him. ¡°Go on without me. I am going to get them and some sses. You can not back out of this now.¡±


    ¡°I can if I magically fall asleep,¡± Alessandra softly muttered as Edgar walked back downstairs to find the wine. She already had three and a half cups throughout the night and did not know how much more she could handle. ¡°Has Mario been offering me all those drinks to prepare me for this moment?¡±


    At the mention of Mario, Alessandra started to wonder how he was fairing with the rumors. Just as it affected her, it affected him. Once again because of her, someone she cared for was brought into her mess and she had to rely on others to fix it.


    It might kill Edgar to do so considering how much he hated Mario for no reason but she wanted to pay off Mario¡¯s debts so Katrina could no longer use him.


    ¡°Convincing Edgar to do this would be like trying to talk a wall into moving,¡± Alessandra muttered.


    Pushing this to the side, for now, she continued to walk down the hall and entered their bedroom. The moment she entered the room a cold breeze was felt because of an open window. Still, it wasn¡¯t as cold as Lockwood during the night. Alessandra closed the door and reached behind her back to try untying her dress to take it off.


    .....


    Alessandra found herself standing in front of arge mirror with her body turned to be able to see where the string was. For a moment, her attention left the string and went to her now crooked mask. Thanks to her fumbling around with the dress, her mask had shifted. Alessandra dropped her hands to the side and stared at the mask. There were two more days left and by the end of those days, she had to show her face to Edgar.


    ¡°Was it too early to forget about the contract before he saw my face? I asked for us to not kiss but we ended up moving forward with making everything real. That means I should hurry up,¡± Alessandra raised her right hand to touch the side of her mask before taking it off.


    It had been a while since she confidently looked at her face in the mirror without her mask. Alessandra brushed her hair back and leaned forward to get a better look. Many lines where fingernails had once dug into her skin were there but they were not as evident as years ago when the ident had happened.


    Alessandra used her finger to trace the lines. Four lines would go in the same direction and be intersected by another four lines made by the special jewelry Kate had stolen from her mother to destroy her face. Around her eye had the most marks as Kate had seemed to try wing it out and once Alessandra had managed to toss Kate off of her body, she began to w at her own face as she hated it.


    It was by pure luck their father had arrived before Kate could throw one of thenterns with a fire burning inside at Alessandra to seal the deal. That night, her face had been a bloody mess.


    ¡°It should have been taken care of better but I had no medicine. Who am I kidding? I didn¡¯t care to heal my face and now I have to live with these marks. I-¡± Alessandra paused and looked at the door as she heard footsteps. Knowing it had to be Edgar, she rushed to put back on the mask.


    Tonight had been lovely and they were going to have more fun now with the wine. She did not want to tell Edgar the sad story of what happened to her face right now.


    ¡°Tomorrow,¡± Alessandra mumbled. ¡°Tomorrow I will show and tell him.¡±


    ¡°Alessandra,¡± Edgar opened their bedroom door and held the wine in the air. ¡°Are you ready? Is there something wrong?¡± His excitement quickly changed to worry as he noticed something was wrong with her.


    ¡°It is nothing. I am ready,¡± Alessandra swallowed the emotions building up and forced a smile. ¡°You returned so quickly that there was not enough time for me to fall asleep.¡±


    ¡°Alessandra, do not lie to me. It is clear something has upset you. If you do not want to partake in this game, I will let it go and we can go to bed. It is not that important-¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Alessandra stopped him. After seeing her face she was ready to drink her insecurities away. Tomorrow would be a big day for her so she wished to enjoy a good drink tonight. ¡°Are you just saying this because you know you will lose? Edgar, I am fine. I was just frustrated that I could not reach the string for my dress. See,¡± she turned around to show him the knot.


    Edgar did not believe her words but knew it was pointless to prob when she would eventually state what was on her mind. ¡°I have never lost to anyone and I don¡¯t intend to do so now.¡±


    ¡°Correction. You lost to me tonight because I did not eat your food or feed you. I should add you lost when it came to the contract too. You caught feelings for me first,¡± she smiled and sat down on the soft rug on the floor. ¡°I can not be happier it was you who broke that rule and not me. I would have been afraid of you tossing me out because I started to like you.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have tossed you out,¡± Edgar replied as he sat down on the floor. ¡°I would have given you time to pack your bags before you leave.¡±


    Alessandra didn¡¯t know how to reply to what she knew was not a joke. She could not call it rude as she had promised not to fall for him and if Edgar had never formed feelings for her, it would have been bothersome for him to keep her around to y the role of his wife.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you are not reprimanding me for saying that,¡± Edgar said. He opened the wine bottle and began to pour two sses, one for each of them.


    ¡°I can¡¯t. We had a rule and if I had broken it, I would not have expected you to keep me around. However, I would have never admitted to liking you. I would have bottled up those feelings and lived as we are now.¡±


    ¡°Well, you are a professional at keeping your feelings at bay unless I poke around. Let¡¯s see what I can have you admit to when you are drunk. I¡¯m sure you heard the phrase before that a drunken mind speaks of a sober heart. I look forward to your confessions,¡± Edgar handed her a ss with a smile. There was much to be heard tonight.


    Alessandra could not wait to wipe the smile clean off Edgar¡¯s face. To have him do as she wanted for an hour tomorrow was something she could not pass up and just like him, she wanted to hear what he might tell her when he was drunk. ¡®We should skip the wine and go for the heavy stuff,¡¯ she thought.


    Edgar brought his ss to his lips and drank the wine in one go. ¡°Your turn my dear wife.¡±


    ¡°Hey! There was no rule that we had to drink it so quickly. That¡¯s going to make things worse. I am going to take my time,¡± Alessandra said then took a little sip. She was tempted to drink more because of how wonderful it tasted but she had a game to win.


    ¡°Keep in mind you can give up at any point before you are drunk. There is no need for one of us to experience alcohol poisoning because one of us does not know when to quit.¡±


    ¡°Listen to your advice,¡± Alessandra stated before slowly drinking more wine. It might be due to the fact she had wine when they were at the firefly because she was starting to feel rxed already.


    Edgar watched Alessandra with great amusement as she drank thest drop of the wine. There was absolutely no need for the other two bottles of wine. Alessandra was bound to be drunk by the time they finished the first bottle. So far, he was the only one to notice how she sort of swayed while she was sitting. The hardest part of this game would be to convince the stubborn woman that she had lost.


    ¡°More please,¡± Alessandra held out the empty ss for him to fill with more wine.


    ¡°Somewhere down the line, we both have to admit that I might have married an alcoholic.¡±


    ¡°Says the man who always needs a drink when he is annoyed,¡± Alessandra harshly patted his leg.

 Chapter 194

    194 Drunken antics (3)


    ¡°So, what do you like about me, Alessandra?¡±


    ¡°Nice one but I am not drunk to answer that. Are you sure you are not an alcoholic, Edgar? You seem to bepletely fine. When you¡¯re in your study, are you just drinkingrge amounts of alcohol?¡± Alessandra asked.


    ¡°No. I usually have one ss of something strong. You on the other hand appear to be slightly drunk. Good to know we found your limit. That¡¯s enough,¡± he carefully took her ss before she could take another sip.


    ¡°Hey! I do not feel drunk. You cannot just,¡± Alessandra huped and covered her mouth as it startled her. ¡°That means nothing. You cannot just dere yourself the winner. Give me back my ss.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Edgar replied and leaned sideways to ce the ss far out of her reach.


    ¡°Edgar, give me back the ss or face the consequences. I am giving you until the count of five to give me it back. One,¡± Alessandra began to count. ¡°Two.¡±


    ¡°And what exactly do you intend to do-¡±


    ¡°Five!¡± Alessandra yelled as she tackled Edgar to the floor and pinned his hands to the side of his head. ¡°You are not as strong as you look,¡± she giggled.


    ¡°And you are drunker than you look,¡± Edgar replied. He had to give it to her for surprising him with her attack. It wouldn¡¯t take much for him to switch their positions with him being the one to pin her down but it is not every day Alessandra would be like this. He would be a fool not to take advantage of this moment. ¡°So, what now?¡±


    .....


    Alessandra pouted, let down by his reaction. ¡°I knocked you down but you are not phased by it. How boring but at least I can say I knocked over the great Edgar Collins. Your enemies will be jealous of me forever!¡±


    ¡°Certainly. It¡¯s quite fascinating how long it took you to get drunk and how hard it seemed to hit you one time,¡± said Edgar.


    Alessandra released one of his hands to pinch his lips shut. ¡°I am not drunk, Edgar. I have not lost the game yet. Where is the bottle? We need to continue. Oh!¡± She pointed at the empty bottle. ¡°It¡¯s all gone. We need to open another. Hey!¡± She eximed as Edgar wrapped his hands around her waist and made it hard for her to move.


    ¡°No more drinking for you, Alessandra. How about we prove that you are drunk? If you can walk from the window to the bedroom door without falling I will forfeit and you win,¡± Edgar proposed a deal. He would bet one thousand gold coins that she would fall within the first three steps to go to the window.


    ¡°Deal,¡± Alessandra agreed with the n.


    The moment Edgar released her, Alessandra hopped up and went to the window without stumbling. It was then Edgar knew his n had already backfired. Alessandra walked from the window to the door as she normally would when she was sober.


    ¡°I win!¡± She jumped up and down pping her hands.


    Edgar could only stare in disbelief at how she pulled it off. Based on her actions, it was clear she was drunk. ¡°What the hell is with your behavior if you are not drunk? Is this just liquid courage?¡±


    He started to consider she might have just drunk enough to make her stop caring or overthinking the things she was doing. Alessandra was in a happy phase from the wine which made the giggling make sense.


    ¡°Tomorrow, you have to do whatever I ask you to for one whole hour. Should I make you go around telling other people nice things or should I make you spend a whole hour listening to Daniel? Sally might have some good ideas. I¡¯ll ask her,¡± Alessandra said then swung around to leave the bedroom. This time she almost fell but quickly bnced herself.


    ¡°Alessandra! You can¡¯t walk down the stairs. Fuck,¡± Edgar cursed, deeply regretting starting this game. It was not going as he expected it to go. He was meant to be asking Alessandra all sorts of questions and watching her reactions as they drank together.


    Edgar got to his feet in a blink of an eye and followed Alessandra out of the room before she could reach the stairs and gravely harm herself. Luckily, he found her spinning around as she walked down the hall.


    ¡°I will never be able to understand what is happening with this woman,¡± Edgar muttered as he went behind her and lifted her over his shoulder to take her back to their bedroom. ¡°It¡¯s either you¡¯re drunk or you¡¯re not drunk.¡±


    ¡°I am not drunk,¡± Alessandra repeated once again. How many times did she have to tell him that she could handle her alcohol? Perhaps he was the one drunk? ¡°Are you drunk, Edgar?¡±


    ¡°I wish I was but then who would take care of you? Stop poking the back of my head.¡±


    ¡°You have quite a lot of hair. Are you sure you don¡¯t wish to sell some to your admirers-Ah!¡± Alessandra gasped after Edgar shifted her body to be held in his arms rather than thrown over his shoulder. ¡°You are really fond of your hair, aren¡¯t you?¡± She giggled.


    ¡°And you are too fond of trying to get rid of it. Are you ying with me, Alessandra? Your behavior is too confusing,¡± he stopped right before their doorway.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised it took you this long to catch on,¡± Alessandra innocently smiled.


    She truly was not as drunk as she was acting. Early on in the game as Edgar appeared to be fine though he was drinking the wine faster than she was, Alessandra knew she was bound to lose if she did not think of something to throw him off. She decided to act this way for the game to end.


    Edgar did not believe that she was not the slightest bit drunk. ¡°You mean you pounced on me with your own will? Alcohol did not make you do that?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say that. It did give me liquid courage and I tried my hardest to stopughing at your reaction but it was hard too,¡± she giggled again just like she had done earlier. ¡°I truly did not expect you would bet your win over me being able to walk straight. You messed up with that one.¡±


    Edgar ran his tongue under his teeth before chuckling. She had put on the perfect act to confuse and rob him of his clear win. However, each time Alessandra was this bold she was actually losing as he would remember this moment for the future when she would want to act shy. He would have none of it. ¡°Fine, you win. You outsmarted me this one time.¡±


    ¡°Do not look so down. I have been learning from you constantly trying to tease me. After my performance tonight, I should join Alfred in acting. W-Wait, Ah!¡± Alessandra squeezed her eyes shut as Edgar tossed her on the bed after he entered the bedroom. ¡°You cannot be upset that I beat you at your game.¡±


    ¡°I am not upset. I am simply plotting while dreading what wille tomorrow. Now that the game is over,¡± Edgar grinned as an idea came to mind. ¡°Let¡¯s say we try another game?¡±


    He began to unbutton the shirt he wore tonight.


    ¡°You can y whatever game you want to with yourself but I intend on freshening up and going to bed right now. Have fun,¡± Alessandra said and tried to scoot off the bed to head for the bathroom but Edgar stepped to the side to block her. ¡°I did not sign up for two games tonight, Edgar. I¡¯m starting to get the feeling you cannot handle when you have lost to someone.¡±


    ¡°Wrong. I am very much enticed by the little show you put on tonight so it¡¯s hard for us to just call it a night so soon.¡±


    Alessandra blushed and used the remaining courage she had to say, ¡°I¡¯ve heard that men can fix that by themselves.¡±


    Edgar¡¯s mood quickly soured. ¡°And who the fuck told you that? Was it the cook?¡±


    As Alessandra did not receive any lessons as her sister did, the only person she was being told these things from was the cook who clearly had an interest in her.


    ¡°What the hell was he prepping your curiosity for?¡± Edgar asked.


    ¡°First of all, Mario is his name and it wasn¡¯t him. He only told me about what men and women do in private. Erin is the one who tells me these things because I am married. She thinks it is something that I should already know. It is a bit too much information but it is still interesting to learn. Why are you staring at me like that?¡± Alessandra leaned back against the bed because of Edgar¡¯s gaze. ¡°No one told you to be so jealous of Mario when he is only my friend. Now that we are here, I would like to consider paying off his debt so that Katrina cannot use him.¡±


    ¡°Alessandra,¡± Edgar lovingly called her name and picked up a strand of her hair to y with. ¡°The only thing I n to do with that man is kill him because of how much his name gues my mind from time to time. I will be at ease if he is dead.¡±


    ¡°I have no intention of having an affair with the man I saw as a brother and friend. I only want you,¡± Alessandra confessed but then bit her lip.


    ¡°Of course, you won¡¯t but I do not trust other men. Once they realize how sweet you are, they will want to have you although you are mine.¡±

 Chapter 195

    195 The maskes off (1)


    ¡°Edgar, why do you look so moody? More than normal that is,¡± Alfred had to correct himself.


    ¡°He¡¯s dreading what I will make him do for an entire hour today. Edgar Collins lost a bet with me,¡± Alessandra informed everyone at the table. It was hard not to tell the world that she beat her perfect husband.


    ¡°You lost? That¡¯s surprising,¡± Alfredmented. He wondered if Edgar lost to make Alessandra happy. Alfred expected that having Alessandra be under Edgar¡¯smand for an hour was not something Edgar would let fly by. ¡°What do you n to make him do today?¡±


    Alessandra looked at therge clock standing in the dining room. ¡°You will know what it is in three minutes. It is something you can look forward to. So can Caleb and Sally.¡±


    ¡®I don¡¯t want to be dragged into this,¡¯ Sally thought. She snuck a nce at the Duke and found him to be frowning. ¡®Honestly, he should be worried. After the many times he teased Alessandra it was her time to get back at him. Judging from the smile on her face, something big seems to be nned.¡¯


    ¡°Today will be an eventful day,¡± said Alfred.


    ¡°It is only for an hour that I will listen to her. If any of you try giving her foolish ideas I will make your lives hell afterward,¡± Edgar warned the trio.


    ¡°He won¡¯t,¡± Alessandra reassured everyone. ¡°What I have in mind is not as bad as you think. It is something nice.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Edgar replied.


    .....


    There was a lot of regret for easily giving up his chance to have her under hismand for an hour. However, he had to admit this was something he did daily. Edgar would always find some way to get Alessandra into the palm of his hands to have some with her. He could let her have this one moment.


    ¡°We should have some rules,¡± Alessandra turned to her right to face the grumpy man.


    ¡°You are enjoying this way too much,¡± Edgar muttered. There was no need for rules in his opinion as he was not petty or childish to not do what she wanted because he disliked it. If he had won, she would have done as he requested.


    ¡°How about this? Since I kind of changed up the gamest night to have you end it, if you seed with doing everything I say for an hour, I will be under yourmand for fifteen minutes,¡± Alessandra proposed a fair deal.


    ¡°Thirty minutes.¡±


    ¡°I cannot believe I am being generous with you and you are trying to bargain for more time. Ten minutes or the deal is off,¡± Alessandra said in a firm tone. She would not allow Edgar to get any more than this. She was tempted to call off the entire deal because of his trying to bargain with her.


    ¡°Fine. What are these rules you wish for me to follow? Honestly, there should be no other rule than me having to listen to you.¡±


    ¡°You have to do as I say up to the veryst second of the hour. No stopping at fifty minutes. You cannot disappear from my sight to try and waste minutes. Whatever minutes you waste, will continue after the clock hits nine. It¡¯s now eight o¡¯clock so it starts now,¡± Alessandra excitedly pped her hands. ¡°Your first order is to be nice to everyone.,¡±


    ¡°Easy,¡± Edgar smiled, feeling better about this loss just from her first task alone. ¡°I am always nice to everyone. You look nice today, Alfred. Is that the shirt you forced me to buy for yourst holiday?¡±


    Alfred touched the precious shirt he cherished. ¡°I told you it would look dashing on me. It was money well spent.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Money well spent out of my pockets. It was honestly not that expensive so I did not see why you could not have bought it yourself. Anyone would think I do not pay my butler enough,¡± Edgar quickly changed from being sweet. He could not help it.


    ¡°You are a man who does not care about anyone¡¯s opinions so who cares what they think about how much I am paid? Does this seem like a nice conversation to you, Alessandra?¡± Alfred pointed out, hoping to get Edgar in trouble.


    ¡°It is not,¡± Alessandra agreed with Alfred. ¡°Try again.¡±


    ¡°The shirt I bought for you looks lovely, you cunning fox. Caleb, you¡¯re reliable and skilled. Sally, you are-well I hardly know you,¡± Edgar stated to get all thepliments out the way so they could move on to what Alessandra had nned.


    ¡°Thank you, sir!¡± Caleb beamed, appreciating thepliment.


    Sally continued to eat, not bothered by his words as it was true they hardly knew each other. She spent time with Alessandra and ran away whenever Edgar came around. Frankly, she knew he must think she gave Alessandra bad advice.


    ¡°What about me? Don¡¯t I get a nicepliment too? One that doesn¡¯t seem like you had to struggle for it? Try again to say what you feel about all of us. Open up that cold, hard, depressing heart you have,¡± Alessandra said and poked his chest.


    Edgar red at Alessandra for the unnecessary insult she had to throw in. ¡°As my wife, thank you for that. Let¡¯s see,¡± Edgar sighed. ¡°All of you bring annoyance to my life but I enjoy having you around. From Alfred taking care of me for many years, Caleb remaining loyal to me, Sally choosing to stay with Alessandra, and Alessandra for bringing warmth into my life. I don¡¯t say it a lot because I believe my actions show it but I do care for you. All of you in different ways. Does that satisfy you?¡±


    Alessandra nodded her head. ¡°It does. Now, moving on to the next phase we have to go upstairs to our room so goodbye for now everyone,¡± she sat up from her seat. Alessandra walked ahead without waiting for Edgar as there was something she needed to mentally prepare for.


    Edgar became interested in why they would need to go to their bedroom after he had stated nothing sexual would happen. If she wished to change that tiny little detail then so be it.


    ¡°Your wife has control of you for an hour. I don¡¯t know how much sound travels in this house so do you wish for everyone to go outside?¡± Caleb winked at Edgar. He thought Edgar could do with a little morning sex to help more rxed.


    ¡°Get out of my business,¡± Edgar said as he stood up to follow after Alessandra. This world would freeze over now if Alessandra did anything near what manwhore Caleb had in mind. He figured she was done teasing him in front of the others and wanted to do it in private.


    Edgar took his sweet time walking back to the bedroom to waste time as he could not miss the opportunity to be petty and watch Alessandra be upset. She should me herself for how amusing her face was whenever she was annoyed.


    ¡°I know what you did,¡± Alessandra said to him the moment he stepped through the door she left open. ¡°But I am not even going to get angry with you. We¡¯re going to have a serious talk. I order you to sit still while I talk. Come here,¡± she patted a spot on the bed beside her.

 Chapter 196

    196 The maskes off (2)


    Edgar noted how her mood had changed from excitement to nervousness but did notment on it. He thought of any serious conversations they needed to have and came to the conclusion she either wanted to talk about the contract or her family. He sat down to the right of her and waited patiently for her to have the courage to say what was on her mind.


    ¡°No going back,¡± Alessandra took a deep breath. ¡°I know I wouldn¡¯t be able to enjoy the rest of this trip as much as I should if I did not get this off of my chest. Remember you are to only listen to what I have to say. ¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Right. Where do I start? I have few memories of my life before my father married Katrina but I remember my mother¡¯s face even after she ran away. I was only four and I had to deal with my mother leaving us alongside this new mother showing up. My mother ran away during the holidays while everyone was preparing for the festivities. By the new year, Katrina was moving in and I was getting a sister. I wanted my mother back but I liked having a sibling,¡± Alessandra smiled as she looked back at the memory.


    If only her younger self would know how much hell it would bring to have a new mother and sibling.


    ¡°At first, everything was fine and I got used to my mother not being around. You might not believe this but Kate and I got along well for a couple of years when she was young which is why I pity her. Before Kate was our father¡¯s pride and joy, I was. It was insufferable,¡± Alessandra clenched her fist. ¡°He would parade me around to everyone to show off his perfect daughter.¡±


    Alessandra enjoyed her father¡¯s attention at first but then it started to suffocate her. Each time they spoke he wouldment on her need to always look pretty in front of others and keep her mouth shut. He was trying to advertise her as the perfect daughter-inw in the making.


    ¡°We had no financial problems then so Kate and I were signed up for dance lessons, learning to paint, sing, set tables, and worst of all embroidery. My talent in painting gave him something more to boast about. Kate was young so there was nothing she was good at yet. This unfortunately meant he ignored her. She started to drift away from me wishing to be in the spot I so desperately wanted to get out of,¡± said Alessandra.


    She continued to say, ¡°I noticed her feelings toward me but I ignored them. Katrina also started to dislike the attention that was on me and not Kate. Kate started to strive to be perfect enough for our father but she never was in his eyes. It¡¯s his fault honestly. He should have never yed favorites. Kate¡¯s jealousy started from a young age because of it.¡±


    .....


    ¡°The more my father paraded me around to show off his pretty talented daughter, the more I felt like a doll and hated my face. When I was twelve and Kate was eight, she came to my room and invited me down to the garden to y. It was night and it wasn¡¯t allowed but it had been so long since she wanted to y with me so I followed her down. She had the biggest smile on her face,¡± said Alessandra.


    It was the first time she ever had that funny feeling warning her to run away but as an older sister who just wanted to have fun, she followed Kate.


    ¡°She led me to the darkest part of the garden where thenterns were the only thing to offer us light. I remember her staring at me with so much hatred. Kate started to tell me about how happy I must be to gloat in her face about being my father¡¯s favorite. To have him shower me with pretty dresses and ribbons to add to my beauty. She smiled and said her mother told her that her time was only going toe if she took matters into her own hands.¡±


    Edgar clenched his fists to control his anger. It was evident Katrina had never ben a good mother to both Alessandra and Kate.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting her to attack ms so she was able to knock me off my feet and sit on top of me. The left side of my face was buried in the ground while she wed away at the right side. I can still feel how much it burned as my skin ripped open. I¡¯m starting to think Katrina plotted this entire thing as Kate used jewelry that Katrina wore on her fingers like ws. It was never easy to sneak into Katrina¡¯s room to take something.¡±


    ¡°Alessandra-¡±


    ¡°You are meant to be quiet,¡± she quickly stopped him. ¡°I managed to push her off of me before she could ruin my eye. I remember being so angry that she was doing this to me because she wanted my father¡¯s attention. I wanted to let her know how much of a burden it was to help him look good in front of his friends. I cried not just because I was in pain but from how tired I was.¡±


    ¡°Even though I was in that state with half my face ruined, Kate was not satisfied. She grabbed antern and tried to throw it on me to catch fire but by some luck, father arrived in time. He was thest person I wanted to see as he caused this and I was so frustrated that I wed at my face to finish what Kate started so I guess I can¡¯t me her for all the marks.¡±


    Feeling like a weight was lifted off her shoulder now that someone knew what happened, Alessandra touched her mask. ¡°I hated when my father saw me as pretty but then hated my face after he found me useless. I¡¯ve been conflicted for many years as I did not know what I wanted and it was hard to love myself. Luckily, you have helped me step out of my shell so I am going to ept my scars and enjoy the person that I am.¡±


    Alessandra removed the mask and showed Edgar the side of her face she kept hidden for nine years. ¡°You are free to speak now and y-you have to be honest with me. Don¡¯t worry about hurting my feelings,¡± she said as she gripped her dress and awaited his answer.


    Alessandra flinched when Edgar moved her hair back to get a better look at her damaged face.


    Edgar took in the sight of the faint marks on her face. Nothing about them changed what he felt. Her beauty was still clear as day as the wounds healed over the years but Alessandra must see her face differently. ¡°You are beautiful-¡±


    ¡°I said to be honest. Do not say what you think I want to hear.¡±


    Edgar gently rubbed his thumb along her right cheek, soothing the marks as he did so. ¡°I have been honest with you from the moment I met you. Have I not?¡±

 Chapter 197

    197 The maskes off (3)


    ¡°You have,¡± Alessandra answered. She could not list any moment off the top of her head when Edgar was not honest with her.


    ¡°Then don¡¯t try to paint me as a liar now. When was thest time a doctor saw your face or you added medicine to help heal it?¡± Edgar asked. With enough care, her face could have healed enough for the marks to be less noticeable.


    ¡°There was only one doctor visit and that was the night my face became like this,¡± said Alessandra.


    ¡°What?¡± Edgar growled, angered by this news. He knew he shouldn¡¯t expect much from the Baron and his family but at some point, he hoped they cared for Alessandra.


    ¡°My father was fuming the entire time the doctor was there and when the doctor left, I was punished to remain in my room. Due to what happened, I could not attend parties with him and it put him in a difficult position to exin what happened between his two daughters. I think it was for a week that I was forced to stay in the room so I had to remove the bandages and add the ointment myself. Once it ran out, that was it.¡±


    Alessandra remembered hating being alone at first but as she got older she realized it was best she remained out of sight of her father.


    ¡°I will have the best doctor in the kingdome to our home when we return. You don¡¯t have to show your face. The pce has the finest medicine so I can get a hand on some. If you are okay with it, we should start taking care of your face. Too many years have gone by without proper care. Is that alright with you?¡± Edgar asked for her permission.


    ¡°I would like that thank you,¡± Alessandra smiled. She would try anything to make the scars less noticeable. ¡°I am going to try not to wear my mask in front of you while we are alone like this but it will take a little time for me to open up to everyone else. Eventually, I hope I can destroy all the masks I own.¡±


    ¡°Whatever you want, I will aid you as much as I can. Why are your hands fidgeting?¡± Hemented on the small action. It seemed like she was restless. ¡°Are you nervous?¡±


    .....


    ¡°Not anymore now that you have seen it. Wearing those masks for so long makes my face itch but I try t not to scratch it. What if it opens up an old wound? It will go away soon,¡± Alessandra said.


    ¡°I will have the butler bring some ointment to help with the itching. I believe there is some special ointment at home that I got from Tobias. It is said to work wonders to heal wounds. You can have all of it. You still have a lot of time to order me around,¡± Edgar reminded her. ¡°What do you want me to do next?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, I had not nned past this part. I didn¡¯t think we would move on from my face so quickly but I am d. I can¡¯t let this hour go to waste. What can I have you do?¡± Alessandra looked around the room for ideas. ¡°Oh, I want you to prepare a pic for us in the backyard. There seems to be some force in this house stopping me from going into the backyard and thest time I prepared a basket for us, you lured me into a tub.¡±


    ¡°Lure? I recall you willingly followed me there and got undressed. What a lovely sight that was,¡± Edgar recalled the memory of her being on top of him. It was only not that he remembered her deal. Now that he saw her face, they could be more intimate. However, considering this was a deep moment for Alessandra, he could not jump to kiss her. He could hold out to wait for the right moment.


    ¡°You know what I meant. You stole my moment back then. Please hurry to prepare everything before the rain falls and my time is up. Go!¡± Alessandra shooed him away. She enjoyed seeing him leave to do as she ordered him. In the meantime, she put back on her mask but this time, it felt lighter. ¡°I was worried for nothing,¡± she whispered.


    Alessandra wondered if this was the world finally trying to be good to her by sending Edgar her way. There was quite possibly no other man who would have cared for her like this besides Edgar. ¡°He¡¯s one of a kind just like he says but I can¡¯t let him know that to boost his ego,¡± she chuckled.


    Alessandra fell backward against the bed and thought of where she had to go from here. She was officially on the path to not wearing her mask no matter where she was. There was the n she and Hazel wereing up with to make her a social queen to help girls like herself have someone to stand up for them. It would be a tough journey but she would be a Duchess where her friends could not get hurt and the culprits get away with it.


    ¡°Duchess Alessandra Collins. I am going to make that name unforgettable,¡± Alessandra made a promise to herself. She hoped that somehow her father could watch her and see what a big mistake he made. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t be thinking about my father on such a good day,¡± Alessandra shook her head to clear her mind.


    She sat up from the bed, deciding to go back downstairs now that their serious conversation was over and to make sure Edgar was not wasting time.


    As Alessandra was walking down the stairs to the first floor, she heard Sally and Caleb¡¯s voices arguing over something. Once she came into view and they noticed her, they cleared their throats. Caleb offered her a smile before walking away while Sally came up to her.


    ¡°Are you in need of something, Duchess? I saw the Duke head to the kitchen as he wanted the butler,¡± said Sally.


    Alessandra was curious about what was going on with Sally and Caleb but as it was not her business, she could not say anything. Instead, she answered, ¡°Nothing. I was going to look for Edgar and then go outside. You can do whatever you wish. If Alfred goes on a walk again, you should tag along to explore the town. The trip is sooning to an end.¡±


    ¡°Duchess, I would rather clean all the floors in this house before spending time with Alfred. When you and the Duke are busy, Alfred tries to get me to join him in gardening. I have no need to dig around in wet dirt or listen to him scold me about rtionships in your home,¡± Sally rolled her eyes. She needed to make a sign to say she was not dating anyone. Specifically dating Caleb.


    ¡°Back home it is fun to spend time with Alfred. Maybe a vacation has brought out another side of him. When I have free time, you and I should explore the shops here. I promised to buy you something. We should try for this evening after I have returned from spending time with Edgar¡¯s grandmother. Deal?¡± Alessandra held out her pinky.


    ¡°Deal,¡± Sally happily agreed. She had missed being around Alessandra as much as they would be back home. ¡®Who would have thought Alessandra and I would turn out this way?¡¯ She thought. Sally considered buying James a gift as he was the one to advise her to follow Alessandra.


    ¡°Why does it sound like you are nning to spend time with someone else?¡± Edgar questioned as he approached the two from the direction of the kitchen. ¡°Had I known I would end up sharing, I would have left everyone else at home.¡±


    ¡°I have spent enough time with you, Edgar. I have not spent enough time with Sally.¡±


    ¡°Of course not. She¡¯s not your husband, I am. Therefore you should only be making ns with me. You¡¯re already running off to be with my grandmother. I am sure if Sally was in a rtionship she would want to spend every passing moment with that person. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± Edgar stared at Sally for her to agree with him.


    ¡®Why is he bringing me into this?¡¯ Sally cried on the inside.


    ¡°Stop it,¡± Alessandra nudged him. ¡°You can¡¯t scare people into being on your side. You should spend some time with Alfred while I am away with Sally and Caleb.¡±


    ¡°Why Caleb?!¡± Sally eximed.


    ¡°He is my bodyguard,¡± Alessandra stated the obvious. They were in an unfamiliar town and had no idea what dangers were around them. She would not leave without Caleb to protect her and she was certain Edgar would scold her for trying to leave without Caleb.


    ¡°Oh right,¡± Sally muttered. She was annoyed with the fact Caleb had not given up the house situation and did not wish to speak with him.


    Not interested in Sally¡¯s problems, Edgar held Alessandra¡¯s hand to take her away. ¡°¡®I¡¯m stealing back my wife,¡± he informed Sally so that she could take her troubles with Caleb elsewhere.

 Chapter 198

    198 The maskes off (4)


    ¡°Let me get this straight. When I want toe outside the rain starts to fall but when you do, there is sunshine, butterflies, and birds singing. Tell me the truth, Edgar. Who did you have to pay for the world to give you such good luck?¡± Alessandra questioned, once again jealous of her husband.


    ¡°No need to pay when I was born with good luck. The world was simply trying to tell you to stay inside and be with your husband. I don¡¯t see why you¡¯re so fascinated with this garden when the one back home is much better.¡±


    ¡°That is true but we soon have to leave so I want to enjoy every inch of the house. There are so many things I want to paint in this backyard. I should have brought along canvas and paint. Maybe next time when I return,¡± said Alessandra.


    ¡°The next time we go on a trip it will just be the two of us and it won¡¯t be in this town. That¡¯s my spot,¡± Edgarid on Alessandra¡¯sp before she could ce the te with cake there. He closed his eyes to hopefully fall asleep and let time go along faster.


    Calvin had gone the extra mile by preparing a nket for them to sit on the grass with a basket of food instead of using the bench that was already in the backyard.


    Alessandra looked down at Edgar on herp. ¡°Edgar, it¡¯s a bit scary how you have fallen for me to be like this.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re thinking too much into this, Alessandra. I want to sleep but there are no pillows here. I am not going toy t on the nket. You must be feeling yourself now that you know you hold my heart,¡± said Edgar.


    Alessandra shook her head as she was far from feeling that way. ¡°I am not,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Well, you should. Wake me up when the rest of the time has passed.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Certainly not,¡± Alessandra pushed him off of herp. ¡°I am not going to let you get out of this so easily. I have like twenty minutes left. Feed me,¡± she held out the te with cake to him. ¡°If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll order you to do something embarrassing in front of the others.¡±


    ¡°Had I not added the rule about nothing sexual, I wonder if you would be having your way with me right now instead of this,¡± Edgar said as he took the te from her.


    Alessandra¡¯s face quickly turned red. ¡°I-I would not take advantage of you.¡±


    Edgar took a bite of the cake and said, ¡°I smell a lie in the air. You cannot convince me that you have not thought of exploring every inch of me while I quietly sit there. I can strip off my clothes for you now if you wish.¡±


    ¡°Please do not do such a thing. How on earth did you switch the conversation to this so casually?¡± Alessandra was amazed by it.


    ¡°It¡¯s a skill I picked up over the years. If at any point you started to lust me, you would tell me right?¡± Edgar asked before taking another fork full of the cake.


    ¡°As your wife, I should befortable informing you of such a matter. Can you please stop eating my cake and feed me!¡± Alessandra eximed. Edgar was the same one who said he did not feel like eating a slice of cake.


    Edgar sliced into the cake with the fork and offered some for Alessandra to eat. ¡°But you are shy when ites to the intimate side of our rtionship. Can I touch more of you now that there are no boundaries between us?¡±


    If he had toy on a nket and talk about something, Edgar would rather talk about their rtionship and where it would go from here. Edgar had a lot of self-control but it was bing harder as the days went by.


    ¡°We have not kissed each other,¡± he added.


    ¡°Well, I did say we can after I took off my mask. I thought you would have jumped to kiss me right after but you did not.¡± Alessandra was a little disappointed he had not kissed her by now but quickly got over it. She realized that instead of waiting on him, she could have kissed him. It was not always up to him to make the first move.


    ¡°Don¡¯t take that as me not being interested. It did not seem to be the right moment to jump at the chance to kiss you after you shared a painful memory. The moment suited a hug or encouraging words,¡± he rified so that she may not misread his reaction.


    ¡°I see. In the future, I would not be against it if you wish to kiss me. I am even open to us taking our rtionship further. I have made you wait long enough.¡±


    Edgar didn¡¯t like how it sounded like she was only thinking about him when it came to intimacy. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to do anything with me because you think I have waited long enough, Alessandra. I¡¯m not saying I want to jump straight to making love to you. My intentions were always to take things slow with you.¡±


    Alessandra felt confused hearing this because a moment ago he had been asking to touch more of her. ¡°So what do you mean when you say you want to touch more of me?¡± She asked.


    He had touched her breast before and partially seen her naked before. If not for going to the final step, what more could there be?


    ¡°Ha!¡± Edgar ran his tongue along the bottom of his top teeth. It might not be the best situation for him to be the one to exin this to her when he was already craving her but who else was she to hear it from? He¡¯ll be damned if he brought in one of those ridiculous tutors or let her go to Erin for advice. ¡°There are many things we can do before consummating our marriage. What we did in the tub was an interrupted beginning for it.¡±


    Edgar enjoyed the fact the cook had not gone into full detail about this though he was still concerned about her being told of men pleasing themselves.


    Alessandra was curious to know what would have happened if she had let him kiss her since they would not have gone all the way. ¡°What would have happened? Would you have to keep touching my breast?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I would have done things to give you pleasure and prepare you so that it would not hurt when we finally go all the way. We should go slow and steady so you know what you like and don¡¯t like me doing. It would help you to get ustomed to this side of your body and emotions you have never explored before-¡±


    ¡°If that is so, we should continue where we left off,¡± Alessandra cut in.


    Edgar felt like there was something thrown on him for a moment because of how easily she wanted to try going to the next step. The mask came off and all of a sudden she wasn¡¯t afraid to be intimate. ¡°Are you certain?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Alessandra nodded her head. ¡°What happened in the tub was strange but felt good,¡± she admitted in a shy tone. ¡°I also want to be closer to you and not shy away. Is there anything I can do to also make you feel pleasure?¡±


    ¡°Oh dear,¡± Edgar said as he realized the hole he had opened up with this conversation. He had meant to tease her at first but now they reached this point. ¡°This is something that needs to be exined when we are not in an open backyard. I will better inform you tonight but for now, enjoy your cake.¡±

 Chapter 199

    199 Cattiness (1)


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine what it must feel like to say goodbye to your father, Kate. I¡¯m going to cheer you up by buying whatever you want today,¡± Grace announced.


    Kate, Grace, and L sat outside a small shop to take a break from shopping around the town. Due to the cold weather, they decided to order tea to warm up and chat.


    ¡°It would have been great if you had attended the funeral but this is fine, I suppose. Don¡¯t cryter if I want an expensive bag to make myself happy,¡± Kate partially joke as she was nning on getting a new bag out of this.


    ¡°Fine fine,¡± Grace patted Kate¡¯s hand. ¡°It¡¯s good L was there tofort you. All the town has been talking about since yesterday is your father¡¯s funeral.¡±


    ¡°As they should. He will be missed by a lot of people,¡± Kate smiled, enjoying the attention the funeral ced on her family.


    As they were confused by Kate¡¯s response, Grace and L shared a look.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what they are talking about Kate. They are speaking about your sister and the Duke purposely going out of town when the funeral was happening. They wonder why they missed the funeral. Especially your sister,¡± L informed Kate. She had been enjoying every piece of the gossip as it ced Alessandra in a bad light.


    Kate expected others to wonder about Alessandra not attending the funeral with Edgar because many of them were not yet aware that Edgar was the one to kill her father. Those who knew about it were made to keep quiet about it until the town guards announced it themselves. ¡°Why would she attend when she dislikes us? She¡¯s likes her life as Duchess so much that she doesn¡¯t look back to where she came from.¡±


    ¡°That horrible girl. We should be preparing for your marriage to the Duke right now. We worked so hard for you to get close to the Duke but she swooped right in and stole him. You cannot steal the man your sister had her eyes on. It¡¯s disgusting. I¡¯m so d everyone is talking about her and the cook,¡± Grace chuckled.


    .....


    Grace disliked how Alessandra was walking around with her head in the air, looking down on them because she married Edgar. She knew it wouldn¡¯t be long before Edgar got bored of Alessandra.


    ¡°Grace, you can¡¯t say such a thing. It¡¯s embarrassing for Kate if you say Alessandra swooped in and stole Edgar. It¡¯s bad enough we gave up courting Edgar just for this to happen,¡± said L.


    Kate red at L as it was evident there was something she had to say. ¡°Spit it out. What are you trying to say?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not me that¡¯s saying something, Kate. It¡¯s our peers who areughing at you for losing Edgar to a girl who wears a mask. It¡¯s starting to get embarrassing for me but since we have been friends for so long-¡±


    ¡°You should be embarrassed,¡± Kate agreed with L. ¡°None of you gave up Edgar for me. You all tried flirting with him behind my back. It is not only me who has lost Edgar to Alessandra. It is just annoying that she is my half-sister.¡±


    ¡°Well, you were so loud and proud about getting married by now but you are still without a suitor. I am only worried about you as a friend. I fear that Alessandra has ced a curse on you and now the once-loved Kate Barrett has fallen from her throne,¡± L said in a sad tone but she was happy about it on the inside.


    Grace hid her smile behind her cup as it was amusing to see how silent Kate had be these days. It was even more amusing that it was L telling Kate her harsh reality. Grace considered herself to be the messy one.


    ¡°What about you? You were right alongside me speaking of marriage butst I checked, your mother was crying because she feared you would end up alone after no offers from men. Alessandra might have taken Edgar but there are still plenty of men lining up to wed me. There¡¯s something that I did not tell either of you about as I have been busy,¡± Kate smiled, ready to inform them about Simon.


    L held up her hand to stop Kate from sharing her good news. She opened her small bag and took out two envelopes. ¡°I have something to say first. We all thought Kate would get married first but times have changed. I am getting married next month. It seems you saw my mother crying tears of joy.¡±


    ¡°What the hell, L!¡± Grace eximed as she had never once heard L mention a man she was courting to now be engaged. ¡°Where is the ring? How could you keep a big secret from me? You sly fox. We were looking at men the other day.¡±


    Kate dug her nails into her skin below the table to hide her jealousy. How could L be getting married before her when she was the best-looking one in the group? It was always expected for Kate to be the first one to marry. ¡°This seems like a rash decision since we did not know you were seeing someone. I hope your parents aren¡¯t selling you off,¡± she said.


    L did not pay any mind to Kate¡¯s jab. She was well aware that Kate was fuming with jealousy. ¡°My parents are not in debt to need to sell me off. It was my decision. He is a very nice man and I will introduce the two of you to him soon. I will make sure you two find wonderful suitors by the end of the year.¡±


    L enjoyed that for once the attention was on her and Kate would have to rely on her help to get married.


    ¡°I am bored,¡± Kate stood up from her seat. ¡°I am going-¡±


    ¡°We must stop meeting like this,¡± Simon grabbed Kate to stop her from falling after he bumped into her. ¡°I wasing to greet you but you abruptly stood up. Were you about to leave?¡±


    Kate looked at Simon in disbelief. How did the world know she was praying for him to show up to rub in L¡¯s face? Surely the man L had could not beat a marquis. ¡°No,¡± she sat back down. ¡°It is nice to see you again, Simon. I have been waiting to hear more news of the party you would like me to attend with you.¡±


    ¡°I meant to send word but I heard you were dealing with your father¡¯s funeral and thought it would be bad timing. I have to apologize for not being able to attend the funeral as I had to unexpectedly travel that day. I sent flowers to your home. Did you like them?¡±


    Kate didn¡¯t see any flowers when she left home but she replied, ¡°Yes. They were lovely. My mother wants to invite you over for dinner to thank you for being so nice. Have a seat,¡± she pointed to the empty chair beside her.


    ¡°If you insist,¡± Simon pulled out the chair to sit down but almost fell. ¡°Excuse me. I am quite clumsy.¡±


    ¡°So, about this party,¡± Kate inquired as it would certainly make L jealous. She smiled to let L know without words that she was still on the throne. L might be getting married but Kate was securing a marquis as her husband.

 Chapter 200

    200 Cattiness (2)


    ¡°No fair. The two of you have been holding out on me. I wasn¡¯t aware you had spoken to Kate after what happened at the ball. Can I also just call you Simon?¡± Grace asked. She was less interested in L¡¯s news now that the marquis was here. Leave it up to Kate to already hook her ws into another man.


    ¡°He has a title and it should be respected,¡± Kate red at Grace. Why should anyone other than her at the table just call him Simon?


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s tiring to be called by my title in settings like this. Please, just call me by my first name,¡± he permitted Grace. ¡°Were the three of you celebrating good news?¡±


    ¡°Yes. My best friend L is getting married. I can¡¯t wait to help her with the preparations. It would be good to take my mind off of my father¡¯s funeral and other family drama,¡± said Kate.


    ¡°I see. Congrattions L. I wish you a lifetime of happiness. Would you two like to tag along to the party I wanted to take Kate to?¡± Simon asked.


    Kate disliked the thought of them joining her when she wanted to brag about the party. ¡°Isn¡¯t it a private party?¡±


    ¡°It is but I can get more invitations. I am quite close to the host. If anything, you can ask your sister for an extra invitation. Your brother-inw normally attends with the king and queen. I¡¯ve been meaning to meet the new Duchess. What is she like?¡± Simon asked Kate.


    Kate wished the conversation did not have to turn to speaking about Alessandra but she forced a sweet smile. ¡°My older sister is quite shy so sometimes it feels like I am the older sister. I care for her but these days she hardlyes around now that she has this new life. She did not even try to attend the funeral.¡±


    ¡°Really? Well, I don¡¯t know much about your family toment on why she did this. So I will keep my thoughts to myself. Thest thing I need is for the Duke to put me on his hit list,¡± said Simon.


    .....


    Curious about how close Simon was to Edgar, Grace asked, ¡°Are you friends with the Duke? It seems like the two of you always attend the same parties.¡±


    ¡°We have the same circle of friends but the Duke and I are not friends. If I were to say we were, there¡¯s no doubt he would harshly shatter my words. There are times when I have spoken to him and gotten to know him a little bit which is why I am curious about the Duchess. I never pictured the Duke would have gotten married in a sh. Now my mother is jumping down my throat to get married which is why I need a date,¡± Simon looked at Kate.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you would have no issue finding a wife, Simon. I would be delighted to be your date. Perhaps it can calm my mother¡¯s heart about me getting married. Now that my sister is married, my mother is so determined to make me get married. We¡¯ll be able to make our mothers happy by being around each other. What do you think?¡± Kate hinted at them pretending to be together.


    ¡°Your mother must want you to find a husband and move on from grieving your father. It would not be right to toy with her. Besides, I already like you which is why I want you to be my date. I will make sure to send the invitation to you by tonight. Unfortunately, I have to go now but it was nice seeing all of you again,¡± Simons said as he stood up from his chair.


    Kate wasn¡¯t happy with the fact he had to leave so soon but judging from how quiet L was, more than enough was said to knock L off the high horse she ced herself on. ¡°I will see you soon, Simon. Goodbye,¡± she bid him goodbye with a sweet smile.


    Once Simon was far out of sight, Kate¡¯s smile changed. ¡°How rude of you to try talking down on me just because you are getting married, L. You are lucky that we have been friends for so long or I would have said some things that aren¡¯t pleasant. I hope you enjoyed feeling like a queen bee for a moment. Well, you still can be queen bee if your husband-to-be is better than Simon.¡±


    ¡°Is he?¡± Grace asked to add to Kate humiliating L. She personally liked L more than Kate but she did not enjoy how big-headed L got for a moment. It was not in L¡¯s personality to act as she did a moment ago as she was always the quiet one.


    ¡°He¡¯s not,¡± L muttered.


    ¡°Well then. Congrats to you on getting married and me about to snag a marquis. Cheers!¡±


    Meanwhile,


    Alessandra had gotten dressed and left with Rose to attend the party she was invited to. She was nervous about the people she would meet today but Rose assured her she would be fine and make a lot of friends.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised my grandson allowed me to snag you away from him for a couple of hours. Did the two of you spend a lot of time together this morning?¡± Rose asked. If anything, she would prefer to sit around and watch how Edgar was with Alessandra. There was much she had to witness when it came to this new side of Edgar.


    ¡°We had a pic for a little while. It was fun and I learned that Edgar does not enjoy being out in the garden.¡±


    ¡°No, he does not. He wondered why out of all things it was a hobby his father picked up after stepping away from his old job. The beautiful flowers, dirt, and bugs do not amuse him. Now I see all it took was for a pretty little thing to convince him to have a pic. I used to put together pics for him but he did not enjoy them. Edgar is such a weird man. Imend you for dealing with him daily,¡± Roseplimented Alessandra.


    Rose adored her grandson but if her husband was anything like Edgar she would have strangled him early in the marriage. She might not have gotten married in the first ce. She preferred happiness over money when it came to love.


    ¡°Sometimes I find him to be very annoying but then I enjoy being with him more than anyone else. It just takes some time to get used to him and you¡¯ll find he¡¯s not the way others portray him to be. Then again, you can only find this out if he allows you to get close to him. Once he dislikes you, that¡¯s it,¡± Alessandra added because she had witnessed how his dislike for her father had never once changed.


    Rose thought of something because of this. ¡°Have you ever worried about him one day disliking you and never changing his mind?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Alessandra quickly replied. It had nothing to do with the contract but the sole fact she would never do anything to make Edgar dislike or not trust her. She expected the same from him. There was no reason to have any concerns about their rtionship when they have been getting along so well.


    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit. I am leaving my grandson in good hands. As long as his trifling mother stops meddling in your marriage, the two of you will live a happy life. Luckily for me, my pain in the ass mother-inw died at a young age,¡± Rose smiled, thankful she did not have to deal with the woman for too long. ¡°I was hoping Prisci and I would have a good rtionship but that was lost from day one.¡±


    Alessandra hoped that at some point in time Rose and Prisci could get along as they were two important women in Edgar¡¯s life. No one was getting younger and should not live to regret the things they said when the other passes on.


    Rose looked out the window and announced, ¡°We¡¯re here. Prepare to deal with catty women.¡±


    ¡°You told me there was no need to worry as the women were all nice and I would make friends.¡± Alessandra mostly came because Rose promised there would be no drama. They came on this trip to get away from the drama in Lockwood. Alessandra did not need to deal with it here.


    ¡°The women I am friends with are nice and so are their daughters and granddaughters. However, there are a few I am not fond of attending. Honestly, when you put rich women in one room there is bound to be cattiness. I will shield you from it so stick by my side alright?¡± Rose held Alessandra¡¯s hand to reassure her. ¡°If you wish to leave, we can. I don¡¯t want you to think I am setting you up for trouble.¡±


    Alessandra thought over what was best for her and came to what she believed was the best conclusion. ¡°I know that you were not trying to set me up and I would have fun but I am not in the mood to deal with catty behavior. Please have the carriage take me back.¡¯

 Chapter 201

    201 Choosing peace (1)


    Though Rose had offered Alessandra the choice to leave, she was slightly surprised Alessandra had taken it.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for having you pick me and you¡¯ve already told your friends about me but at this time, I really want to enjoy the peace before Edgar and I go back to Lockwood. There¡¯s a lot back home that I already have to deal with which is part of the reason Edgar decided to travel here. I-¡±


    ¡°No need for you to keep trying to exin choosing peace. I understand it, dear. I¡¯m used to the yful banter and the cattiness of the women here but my excitement to show you off made me disregard how you would feel. I have a feeling there is a sad backstory behind the mask and your life may not have been easy. It is me who needs to apologize to you. I¡¯m sorry,¡± Rose sincerely apologized to Alessandra.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Alessandra epted the apology. ¡°I would still love to spend some time with you. There is so much I can learn from you. Considering Edgar and I will soon have to return to Lockwood, would you care to spend the day with us? I was nning to go shopping and leave Edgar home but we can all go out and then return for dinner.¡±


    ¡°Are you asking that I skip out on this party I have been invited to by a dear friend?¡± Rose asked in a stern voice and judged Alessandra. ¡°I don¡¯t see why I should miss out on a day with Edgar,¡± Rose chuckled, enjoying the momentary look of horror on Alessandra¡¯s face. ¡°I was merely teasing you, dear.¡±


    ¡®Another example of why Edgar probably should not have spent so much time with her,¡¯ Alessandra thought.


    ¡°Back to my grandson¡¯s residence,¡± Rose ordered the coachman waiting outside to open the door. ¡°My sister is sick and unlikely to attend so it would not have been fun anyway. Do you have any siblings, Alessandra?¡±


    ¡°I have a half-sister but we do not have a good rtionship,¡± Alessandra answered.


    ¡°What a shame. I don¡¯t know how life would be without my sister. It¡¯s important for a child to grow up with siblings so that when their parents are gone, they have someone to be there for them. Nothing is stronger than a bond between siblings.¡±


    .....


    Alessandra saw right through what Rose was trying to say and asked, ¡°Is this your way of telling me that Edgar and I should have more than one child?¡±


    Rose pped her hands, impressed with how quickly Alessandra caught on. ¡°Of course. Why only have one child when I can have many great-grandchildren to y with?¡±


    ¡°I have to let you know early that although Edgar and I will one day have a child, it will not be anytime soon. We are not ready for a child in our lives right now.¡±


    ¡°Well now you are hurting this old woman¡¯s heart but I can wait. I will hold all of my great-grandchildren before I pass on. After winter, I will visit you and Edgar in Lockwood. It¡¯s been so long and I must see my son. I need to wack some sense into him for letting his wife disrespect you,¡± said Rose.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can say this since I am new to the family but it has been on my mind for a while. I am not a fan of Prisci as she is trying to ruin my marriage but there seems to be some talk of Edmund cheating on her at some point. I have heard it twice and one of those times it came from Edgar¡¯s mouth. It might have yed arge part in her unhappiness.¡±


    ¡°It did not. My husband was the one to arrange their marriage even though he knew Edmund loved someone. Prisci found out about this woman before she married my son and to everyone¡¯s surprise she continued with the wedding. Prisci made it clear she could live alongside Edmund and his mistress as long as no one else found out about it to ruin her reputation. I found it to be nonsense and got rid of the woman,¡± Rose exined.


    She continued to say, ¡°That woman showed up once in a while in Edgar¡¯s youth until Edmund stated he had fallen for Prisci. Prisci stated she found love in her marriage but if you ask me, those two have just tolerated each other for the sake of Edgar. Not that they needed to because that boy hardly cared for either of them and what they did. Prisci has always been obsessed with her reputation and that is why she dislikes you for Edgar.¡±


    ¡°Edgar no longer needs his parents to be together so why haven¡¯t they divorced?¡± Alessandra asked.


    ¡°It is obvious dear. No one wants their reputation to be damaged by bing divorced. The youngdies will look at Prisci differently and question why her marriage failed. Edmund would be fine but after years of living with that woman, he must care for her enough to not want her to lose the reputation she treasures. Ridiculous,¡± Rose rolled her eyes. ¡°Perhaps he does love her but it certainly more than how much Prisci loves him.¡±


    ¡®Please let me continue to have a simple marriage,¡¯ Alessandra prayed and looked out the window as the carriage took her back home.


    Twenty minutester, Edgar was standing before them.


    ¡°What kind of party was that?¡± Edgar questioned the two women as they exited the carriage. ¡°You are aware you are meant to stay to chat and eat? Is there some new trend among women to get dressed, greet each other at the party, and then return home? Not that I mind of course. We can continue where we left off this morning.¡±


    ¡°None of your dirty talk while I am present Edgar. Alessandra chose peace over drama so we have returned to spend the day with you. Where is that eye candy you go everywhere with?¡± Rose walked past Edgar as she was interested in someone else.


    ¡°Eye candy?¡± Alessandra looked at Edgar for an exnation.


    ¡°She¡¯s referring to Alfred. My grandmother likes looking at him but I always have to remind her that Alfred is off limits and you are too old to be looking for new love,¡± Edgar repeated the same thing he always told his grandmother when she came looking for Alfred.


    ¡°Oh, hush. Romance has no number. I will see the two of you inside,¡± Rose replied.


    ¡°I was not expecting that. You can let go of my hand now,¡± Alessandra told Edgar. The moment she stepped out of the carriage, he had held onto it.


    Edgar tightened his hold on Alessandra¡¯s hand. ¡°I am making sure you don¡¯t fall.¡±


    ¡°I am standing still,¡± Alessandra retorted and tried to pull her hand out of Edgar¡¯s.


    ¡°But you are bound to start walking any second. Don¡¯t lie and say you have ns to stand outside when the rain is going to fall. It is also clear you enjoy my touch due to the red hue of your cheeks. I recall you were the one that permitted me to touch you more.¡±


    ¡°Not like this!¡± Alessandra argued.


    ¡°Oh, so it was meant only for me to touch you sexually? If that¡¯s the case,¡± Edgar ced his hand on her waist before sliding it dangerously slow down to her buttocks.


    ¡°Edgar!¡±


    ¡°What? I am doing as you told me to or will you allow me to keep holding your hand?¡± Edgar asked with a grin as he knew he had won this battle.

 Chapter 202

    202 Choosing peace (2)


    ¡°Duke, Duchess!¡± Caleb called out to the couple as he exited the front door.


    ¡°Go away,¡± Edgar ordered the tall man.


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± Caleb quickly turned around to mind his business.


    ¡°Please stay, Caleb,¡± Alessandra said.


    Caleb turned back around regretting his decision toe outside. Now he was in the midst of whatever they were talking about.


    ¡°Caleb,¡± Edgar said in a stern tone.


    ¡°You can¡¯t do that,¡± Alessandra poked Edgar in his stomach. ¡°Caleb is my bodyguard which means he listens to me.¡±


    ¡°He is my loyal subject before he is your bodyguard. Isn¡¯t that right, Caleb?¡±


    Both Alessandra and Edgar looked at Caleb to see who he would side with.


    .....


    ¡°Why are the two of you outside when your grandmother is here to spend time with you, Edgar?¡± Alfred questioned, unknowingly saving Caleb from his torture.


    ¡®Thank you!¡¯ Caleb sang in his head.


    ¡°Why are you out here when she is more interested in seeing you and you enjoy her fawning over you?¡± Edgar retorted.


    ¡°Someone¡¯s a little bit too upset that his grandmother has a tiny crush,¡± Alessandra said to make fun of Edgar.


    ¡°It seems you have forgotten I have ns to get back at you for leading me on the night before. Keep on making your jokes but do not cry to me when the timees. I will thoroughly punish you for all the things you have done on this trip,¡± Edgar said in a low tone.


    Alessandra had forgotten that Edgar was meant to get back at her for her teasing him. She thought they had moved past it after nothing had happened but of course, Edgar was petty enough to hold onto it. ¡°I think it would be a good idea if I stay over at your grandmother¡¯s home tonight-¡±


    ¡°Certainly not,¡± Edgar killed her hope to run away. ¡°You and I have a lot to talk about tonight. Keep on making jokes and teasing me. It fuels me to torture you some more.¡±


    ¡°The sexual tension between the two of them is through the roof, isn¡¯t it?¡± Caleb asked Alfred while the couple were lost in a conversation. ¡°Should all of us leave to give them some privacy? What if we were to create a romantic vibe and lock them in the house?¡± Caleb joked.


    Alfred on the other hand enjoyed the idea. ¡°It will take great nning and scheming.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I wasn¡¯t serious-¡±


    Alfred ignored Caleb and continued to n, ¡°We can make use of his grandmother being here. I will need to speak with the butler and have the servants leave early.¡±


    ¡®He¡¯s not listening to me,¡¯ Caleb gave up. Edgar wouldn¡¯t mind Alfred plotting to have him alone with Alessandra but Caleb wasn¡¯t sure how Alessandra would react. ¡®They should get to spend the night alone in the house.¡¯


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter with the two of you?¡± Edgar asked the two men as they were standing around in a daze.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Alfred and Caleb replied at the same time. They looked at each other taken aback by the unison reaction.


    ¡°I heard from your grandmother that the Duchess wishes to go out and shop. I suggest we leave now toe back in time to rx before dinner. The Duchess is already dressed to leave. Edgar, run along and put on something fit for wearing outside.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Edgar replied to piss Alfred off.


    ¡°I will take care of it,¡± Alessandra said to reassure Alfred everything would go as he was nning. She tugged on the hand she had to let Edgar keep holding onto in the end, forcing him to follow her inside. ¡°Edgar will be ready in a couple of minutes.¡±


    Alfred smiled, grateful he had Alessandra on his side to deal with Edgar.


    ¡°Is it just me or does it seem like the Duchess has turned the Duke into a big puppy? Do you think that is what love is, Alfred? Alfred?¡± Caleb called the butler¡¯s name again and looked to his side to see Alfred in deep thought. ¡°I give up. I hope the Duke and Duchess are aware that I was just joking about locking them inside,¡± Caleb grumbled.


    Meanwhile, Alessandra led Edgar upstairs for him to get ready to leave.


    ¡°If you do not want toe along with us, you can stay home,¡± said Alessandra.


    ¡°I was only messing with Alfred. I want to join you and my grandmother. It is a good opportunity to see what else interests you so I can take notes for future gifts.¡±


    ¡°You do not need to buy me any more gifts, Edgar. It¡¯s not like it is my birthday and when ites, I rarely celebrate it. The more gifts you buy for me the more I feel guilty about not giving you something in return. I haven¡¯t started the paintings I promised. I will start them as soon as we return to Lockwood. Our time here has gone by so quickly,¡± Alessandra sadly spoke. She felt more rxed here where no one knew anything about her.


    ¡°Do you wish to live here?¡± Edgar asked, seriously considering staying if it would make her happy.


    ¡°No. You have your estate back in Lockwood and you need to be close to the king. Plus I have made new friends I would miss. I am going to miss the peace we had here. The only way we can have that in Lockwood is to allow fewer visitors into our home and avoid big crowds. That will be hard as winter ising and there will be numerous parties you have to attend.¡±


    ¡°I do not attend all the parties I am invited to. Only the ones from friends and something to do with Tobias. You will find peace in your life when you learn to ignore others and avoid situations where there will be a conflict like you did today. Always go with your gut feeling.¡± Edgar was d Alessandra had returned home inside of sticking around somewhere she would be ufortable.


    In a short time, Alessandra went from desperately wanting his grandmother to like her to doing what was best for herself.


    ¡°Moving onto important matters,¡± Edgar caged her up against their bedroom door by cing his arms to the side of her shoulders. ¡°You have brought me up here to get me dressed. Does that mean you will help me take off my clothes and put on the ones you will pick out? I suddenly find myself unable to get dressed alone.¡±


    ¡°Edgar, we both know I am not confident enough to strip and dress you. I only brought you upstairs to convince you to join us. I will give you some privacy,¡± Alessandra stated then tried to get away from him but his hands did not bulge. She was forced to look up at him with a pleading look to let her go.


    ¡°After being so bold in the garden this morning you won¡¯t run away from me tonight, right? You have far more confidence than you think you do. There is no reason to be ashamed of what you want to do with your husband. Like how you touched me as you wanted the night before,¡± Edgar whispered. He had closed the distance between the two of them to the point his warm breath tickled her cheeks as he spoke. ¡°I think you are confident enough to strip me.¡±


    ¡°Children,¡± Rose¡¯s voice was heard down the hall where they had walked up the stairs to get to their room.


    Embarrassed, Alessandra pushed Edgar¡¯s chest as hard as she could to get him away from her. She regretted this when she heard him groan. ¡°A-Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Just kill me and get it over with, Alessandra.¡±

 Chapter 203

    203 The benefits of a wealthy husband (1)


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry but you have to admit that was partially your fault,¡± Alessandra stated as she inspected where she identally hit Edgar.


    ¡°You have to admit that you are intentionally wounding me, Alessandra. What do you need, grandmother? You¡¯ve been married for many years. Surely you must know not to interrupt newlyweds when they are alone,¡± said Edgar.


    Alessandra pinched his hand, wishing she had hit him harder before.


    ¡°I liked to think I raised you well enough that you would not fool around with me present in the house and when we are meant to go out together,¡± Rose replied but then remembered a situation in the past. ¡°Well, there was that one time in your youth when you sneaked a youngdy onto the property.¡±


    For the first time in his life, Edgar felt like kicking his grandmother out of his home. Alfred could join her too.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind me. I¡¯ll talk to youter after you have gotten dressed, Edgar. See you soon dear,¡± Rose said to Alessandra.


    Alessandra remained silent while Rose left.


    ¡°Alessandra-¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care, Edgar. I don¡¯t care about who you have been with before you and I got married. I have a feeling she¡¯s trying to annoy you so I don¡¯t know if it is true like when it happened with Alfred. It is a joke I do not enjoy but I only care that I am the only woman in your life. That matters to me right now. You should get dressed. On your own,¡± Alessandra added as she was not going to help him strip.


    .....


    Alessandra was not bothered by what Rose saidpared to what Alfred said because she disliked the idea of Edgar having another woman in the home they shared. A home where sheid her head at night and was ufortable thinking of another woman being there. Edgar being with a girl in his youth was normal. She heard the servants once discussing their teenage romances and how they had to sneak around at night to see each other.


    If anything, she envied not experiencing a teenage romance. Something she could look back and cherish though it wouldn¡¯t mean she still loved that person.


    ¡°She¡¯s referring to a dare between Dominic and me. We both had to sneak a girl into my grandmother¡¯s home without getting caught, to y ridiculous games. Dominic imed I would be the loser so naturally, I had to prove him wrong. We were both caught. Trust me, thest ce I would look to have sex with someone would be in my grandmother¡¯s home. I had my own home so there was no reason to sneak around.¡±


    ¡°When did you have your own home?¡± Alessandra asked for the sole purpose of getting an idea of the age Edgar first slept with someone.


    ¡°Sixteen but if you are trying to ask when I lost my virginity, I was seventeen. It was a girl I met at a party. We met a few times after that but then stopped after it was obvious nothing woulde from it. I have not seen her since then. Let¡¯s be clear, I am not a manwhore,¡± Edgar stated as he needed it drilled into her head that he was not going around sleeping with many women.


    ¡°Are you the same man who frequents the red light district with the im that you are reading a book? I¡¯ve seen the libraries you have at home to know you were never in need of another location to read.¡±


    Edgar sighed and ran his right hand through his hair. Never would he have expected going to the red light district for information would get him in trouble one day. ¡°I truly go there with a book to sit and listen to the drunken men bber about the things they do or have witnessed. I frequent the same woman and have her sit on the bed to get some rest. I have not visited since our wedding so that your reputation would not be harmed.¡±


    Alessandra found his words to be believable because of the things she heard her father say when he was truly drunk. It was funny to picture Edgar sitting down in a room with a woman meant to have sex with him but he was writing down the things he heard. ¡°As you have always been honest with me, I will believe you. Still, how many women have you been with?¡±


    Edgar thought about it for a moment and then answered, ¡°Five. I was normally sleeping with one person for some time as there was an understanding when only wanted to fulfill our sexual desires. Once feelings became involved, I moved on.¡±


    It was less than Alessandra thought but given how Edgar was easily annoyed with others, it was understandable that there would only be a handful of women he would consider sleeping with. ¡°It¡¯s a bit unfair that you have slept with someone before me. Don¡¯t you think I should sleep with at least one man before you and I sleep together?¡± She joked.


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± Edgar smiled.


    Alessandra stared at Edgar in shock. She was expecting him to reply no to her joke. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he calmly replied. Edgar picked up a strand of her hair and twirled it around his finger. ¡°Pick someone and I shall bring them to you.¡±


    ¡°Dead or alive?¡±


    ¡°Dead obviously,¡± Edgar¡¯s smile widened but his eyes had a darkness in them. ¡°I have no intentions of sharing you with anyone else. I can¡¯t change the fact that I have slept with women in the past but I intend to only bed you in the future. I expect the same from you. Any man who tries to get in the midst of us,¡± he paused to pull a strand of her hair and enjoyed seeing her wince. ¡°I shall wipe his existence from this world.¡±


    ¡°I was only kidding. It¡¯s highly unlikely you would have anypetition. Curse girl, remember?¡± Alessandra pointed at her mask. ¡°Besides, I have no intentions of having feelings for anyone else.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d be surprised by how many men in the future will realize you are a hidden treasure. Then I¡¯d be forced to fill my dungeon up. Now, unless you are going to take up the offer to help me strip-Ha,¡± Edgar chuckled because of the speed Alessandra turned and walked away to let him get dressed on his own. ¡°It¡¯s only a matter of time.¡±


    ¡°Not there isn¡¯t,¡± Alessandra replied, sticking to being confident that she would never help him strip. ¡°That man,¡± she said and shook her head. There was no one in the world topete with Edgar for her to consider being with someone else.


    Alessandra was used to his personality by now and deep down she was starting to enjoy some of the times he would tease her but would take that to her grave.


    Alessandra walked downstairs to be with the others to discuss what they n to do in town and who was going in which carriage as they would most definitely need two. The first thing she saw as soon as she reached the bottom floor was Rose and Alfred in a corner having a serious conversation.


    Alessandra figured there was something romantic going on between the two and decided to look for Sally to avoid interrupting their conversation. Alessandra went out the front door and found Sally sitting by herself waiting for everyone else. ¡°Hi, Sally. Oh, you¡¯ve gotten dressed up too,¡± Alessandramented on the light blue dress with pink ribbons Sally currently wore. It was different from her normal attire.


    ¡°I thought I should dress up to go around the town. It was one of my old dresses I got to keep while everything else was sold. I don¡¯t think it suits me anymore,¡± Sally shyly ced a fallen strand of hair behind her ear. It had been a while since she got a chance to dress up.


    ¡°That is not true. It suits you. So much so that I think Caleb won¡¯t be able to properly protect me today,¡± Alessandra said, bringing attention to the man standing by the carriages pretending like he was not looking at Sally. ¡°I think your singles club is slowly falling apart.¡±


    Sally looked out at the carriages where Caleb stood and when their eyes met, she turned away. ¡°I have no intentions of leaving the singles club,¡± said Sally.


    ¡°I see. I can hardly wait for the two of us to have fun today. Don¡¯t mind that Edgar¡¯s grandmother is here. Rx and enjoy yourself. We¡¯ll stick together today.¡±


    Sally would enjoy spending time with Alessandra but already knew the Duke would be glued to her. For some reason, he was buzzing around the Duchess more than normal since they came on the trip. ¡°The Duke will wish to spend time with you.¡±


    ¡°And I wish to avoid that man-¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Edgar questioned.


    Alessandra¡¯s heart rushed for a moment after being caught by him. It should be impossible for Edgar to have already changed his clothes but when she turned around, the only thing different about his clothes was his shirt. He had the same casual look as before. ¡°Why did you only change your shirt?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Edgar looked down at his clothes. ¡°I also changed my shoes. If a certain someone had helped me stripped-¡±


    ¡°Edgar!¡± Alessandra eximed.


    ¡®Luckily, I am used to this,¡¯ Sally thought.

 Chapter 204

    204 The benefits of a wealthy husband (2)


    ¡°There are six of us. The carriages could have been split to hold three people in each. Why is it that four people are in one but it is just you and me in this one?¡± Alessandra asked.


    ¡°Simple. My grandmother and Alfred wanted to ride with each other. Either Sally or Caleb was meant to ride with them but since neither wanted to be left alone with Alfred and my grandmother, they are all together.¡±


    ¡°They could have rode with us. I told Sally we would stick together but are already separated. On the ride back Sally wille with us,¡± Alessandra said and it wasn¡¯t meant to be up for a discussion.


    ¡°Do as you wish,¡± said Edgar.


    Alessandra looked out the window of the carriage at the scenery and said, ¡°I can¡¯t believe it has taken us so long to go shopping and explore the town. I hope it does not rain today.¡±


    ¡°If you mention the rain too much it is bound to fall to ruin your day. Being the diligent man that he is, Alfred has brought along umbres for all of us. You should buy a couple of coats today. Shortly after we return home, it will start snowing in Lockdown. Unless the dressmaker has thought ahead, she won¡¯t be able toplete enough coats for the first week of winter.¡±


    ¡°Erin has mentioned preparing dresses for the many parties and festivities I may have to attend in the winter. I received a favor from the queen and if things have gone well, Erin will be busy in theing weeks. I will buy a couple of coats to relieve her stress. Oh,¡± Alessandra remembered something. ¡°What is the limit today?¡±


    ¡°Limit? Why would there be a limit? Buy whatever you desire today,¡± Edgar closed his eyes to enjoy the peaceful ride.


    ¡°Still, it would be better to have a price so that I know I am not going overboard.¡±


    .....


    Edgar chuckled upon hearing this. ¡°You, going overboard? Not likely. You¡¯ve had my money at your disposal but you¡¯ve hardly used it. If anything, I should force you to buy many things. It hurts me to think I have all of this wealth but you shop as we must worry about tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your money you worked hard for so it is ufortable for me to spend it freely. It is better to hear a limit from your mouth so that I can feel better,¡± said Alessandra.


    ¡°For a person who only buys canvas and paint, why would I give you a limit? I am honestly tired of going around in circles with you sometimes. It is over already?¡± Edgar opened his eyes when the carriage stopped. He nced out the window and saw popr stores. ¡°Come, let me give you a lesson. Sally can join you,¡± he stood to open the carriage door and went out first.


    Edgar offered his hand to help her carefully exit the carriage. Her shyness when it came to buying the things she liked would end today. What was the point in having so much wealth if only one of them was going to use it?¡±


    ¡°Duchess!¡± Sally called as she ran to Alessandra with Caleb right behind her. ¡°Alfred instructed me to tell you that they will be stepping away for a moment for the Duke¡¯s grandmother to chat with a friend she spotted. They ask that you don¡¯t go too far so that they can easily find you again.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Alessandra replied.


    ¡°Follow me,¡± Edgar instructed Alessandra and Sally. He picked a random store he knew was popr for its jewelry.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Sally whispered to Alessandra as they followed behind Edgar.


    ¡°He¡¯s giving me a lesson about spending his money.¡±


    Alessandra entered the shop first as Edgar had opened the door for her and let her walk by. The moment she entered, two men dressed in identical uniforms approached her but backed off right away when Edgar came to her side. ¡°Are you a regr customer here when you are in town?¡± She asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve visited a few times to buyst-minute gifts for women in my family. The jewelry here is expensive so unless you have a title or the owner is aware of how much money you have, you will be turned away-¡±


    ¡°Edgar Collins? What a surprise. I¡¯ve heard you are in town with your wife but I did not believe it. Wee wee,¡± a man with long red hair tied into a ponytail greeted them. ¡°The name is Benjamin,¡± he introduced himself to the people he had never seen before.


    ¡°Nice to meet you. I am Alessandra Collins,¡± Alessandra introduced herself.


    Sally introduced herself right after but Caleb did not as he had been there before once with Edgar.


    Edgar walked around the shop to look at some of the jewelry Benjamin had on disy. ¡°I require your best pieces, Benjamin. Nes, rings, bracelets., whatever. Decorate her with it. Give something to the young woman behind her.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful! How many pieces would you like? The craftsman has created a new collection for me but there are still-¡±


    ¡°All that suits her,¡± Edgar replied.


    Benjamin¡¯s eyes widened for a moment as the amount of money he could make today popped up in his head. After a slow day, Edgar was a blessing. ¡°Of course! Pleasee this way,¡± he walked behind a counter where he kept the more expensive jewelry for his extra special customers. ¡°We have an array of jewels, Duchess. Which ones are your favorite?¡±


    ¡°Uhm,¡± Alessandra looked at Edgar as she had no idea. She was not familiar with jewels and she hardly wore jewelry. Even the ones Edgar had bought right after they got married. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Benjamin, she¡¯s not one to indulge in spending money nor does she know a lot about jewelry. Just select what suits her and is popr among women,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°I see. In that case,¡± he disappeared behind the counter before reappearing with a locked box. He used a key dangling around his neck to open the box. ¡°The Duchess must not be familiar with my shop. I have the pleasure of hand-making jewelry for the king and queen or I send them one of my craftsmen. Have you ever heard of the queen¡¯s heart?¡±


    ¡°You have that queen¡¯s heart?¡± Sally eximed and then mped her mouth shut shortly after as she had ruined the moment. ¡°Sorry. I¡¯ve always wanted to see it.¡±


    ¡°No no. Don¡¯t apologize. I am d that one of you had that reaction,¡± Benjamin smiled, enjoying that there was a fan of his great grandfather¡¯s work present.


    Seeing that Sally knew it, Alessandra realized it had to be well known in Lockwood. ¡°What is the queen¡¯s heart?¡± She asked.


    Benjamin dressed his hands with white gloves then picked up the ne he had kept for many years. ¡°This is,¡± he revealed a ne decorated with rubies but what stood out was therge one shaped like a heart. ¡°This has not been worn for more than sixty years. Made for thete Queen Meredith the day she married the crown prince. My great-grandfather made it for her as they were friends.¡±


    He continued to say, ¡°From the portraits I saw, the queen was absolutely beautiful that day. The ne was given the name the queen¡¯s heart then. After her wedding, she gave it back to my family to do with it as we pleased. It has been sitting here since then.¡±


    Alessandra was in awe of the ne¡¯s beauty and the fact it had only been worn by a queen in the past. ¡°It is beautiful but it would be better suited for someone else. It would be a waste to let someone who is not familiar with jewelry wear it.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense. You may think I am just trying to make a big sale here but I can tell you have never heard about Queen Meredith¡¯s rocky journey to royalty. Once you do, you will understand why I am offering to sell you this ne after I have kept it from many customers,¡± Benjamin replied.


    As Benjamin imed, she was not aware of Queen¡¯s Meredith story. ¡°What is the price?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll take it,¡± Edgar told Benjamin as he had gotten enough confirmation that Alessandra wanted the ne. ¡°What else do you have?¡± He left Alessandra¡¯s side to look for more to buy but to also get away before she could object to it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you just love wealthy husbands?¡± Benjamin stated as he sure did. They hardly looked at the price tag. It was pleasantly surprising to see a wife being shy about buying jewelry. Benjamins enjoyed dolling them up with jewelry to match their innocent personality. ¡°Let me find something for your friend too. I will have the ne safely delivered to you by the end of the day.¡±


    While Benjamin looked for something else to suit Alessandra, she walked over to where Edgar had run off to.


    ¡°Do not object to it,¡± he stated before she could speak.


    ¡°I was not,¡± Alessandra honestly replied. ¡°I was going to say thank you. You are too stubborn for me to object to it.¡±


    ¡°d you have caught on. Get rid of feeling as if you are suing me and buy whatever catches your eye. Here and elsewhere.¡±

 Chapter 205

    205 The benefits of a wealthy husband (3)


    Sally was ecstatic to be receiving a gift from Edgar alongside Alessandra. She was already more than happy for Alessandra to be receiving the queen¡¯s heart. Sally could not wait to see the reactions of the young women in Lockwood as they burned with jealousy.


    Caleb poked Sally¡¯s cheek after he found her to be grinning like a madman. ¡°What is going on in that head?¡¯


    Sally swapped his hand away as she would do with an annoying fly. ¡°Don¡¯t bother me, Caleb. I am having happy thoughts.¡±


    ¡°I see. Do you want me to buy you something? Girls always get excited when they see something shiny,¡± said Caleb.


    Sally started to judge him because she heard something about him recently. ¡°Of course, you would know that. A yboy like you must have bought many women jewelry to woe their hearts. I don¡¯t need anything for you as the Duke is already buying something.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t hurt to have more than one.¡±


    Sally started to walk around to get a good look at the jewelry Benjamin had in his shop and said, ¡°It does when it ising from you. I already said I want nothing from you and the things here are certainly too expensive if his family were the ones to make the queen¡¯s heart. The Duke spending money is fine enough.¡±


    ¡°Wait a second. Do you perhaps think that I am broke because I work as a guard for the Duchess? Love to break it to you that I have money at my disposal. I have a life outside of the Duke and even my life surrounding the Duke keeps my pockets full. My parents have money but when I joined the battlefield, I chose to follow the Duke.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Sally replied, not caring about his life story. She didn¡¯t think he did not have money but he may not be in a position like the Duke to spend so much money on jewelry.


    .....


    ¡°Edgar, do you think Sally and Caleb will end up together?¡± Alessandra whispered to Edgar as she watched the other two bicker.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know and I hardly care,¡± Edgar bluntly replied. The only rtionship that interests him was the one he had with Alessandra. Sally and Caleb¡¯s back and forth was proving to be as annoying as he expected it to be. ¡°Focus less on them and more on what you want.¡±


    ¡°So wouldn¡¯t mind if I wanted to buy out this entire shop,¡± Alessandra said to put Edgar to the test. For as long she had been living with him, she had not found out where all of Edgar¡¯s money came from. For all she knew, he could be doing something illegal.


    As Alessandra expected, Edgar was not bothered by the fact she wanted to buy out the shop. Since they had nothing other to do than wait for Benjamin to pick out something else for her and something for Sally, Alessandra decided to ask, ¡°How do you make most of your money, Edgar? What businesses do you have or are you just sitting on a mountain of money from inheritance? Does the king pay you for taking on the case of the missing girls?¡±


    Edgar motioned for her to be closer as what he had to say was a secret. ¡°Listen closely,¡± he whispered into her ear after she took the bait to be closer to him. Alessandra had started to predict his actions well but he still had a lot of tricks under his sleeves. ¡°I kill people and steal their wealth. That is why you do not have ess to the dungeon.¡±


    Alessandra stepped back and looked up at Edgar because of their slight height difference. ¡°Normally, I would take this as a joke but there is a little voice in my head telling me to believe a part of it. Not that you steal but you have killed people and ced them in the dungeon. You did not need to ban me from going there as I do not want to see how you have tortured any of your enemies.¡±


    ¡°It would be fun if you join in on torturing our enemies. We would be a couple unlike what anyone has ever seen. Burying dead bodies together,¡± Edgar said, intrigued by the idea but he would never bring Alessandra into the dark side of his life. He wanted her hands to always remain clean while he would get rid of her enemies.


    ¡°Nothing about that seems like it would be fun for me, Edgar. I do not want to end up on the kingdom¡¯s wanted list. Since Oliver is always watching you, I take it that the people you have killed are bad. Even so, why are you keeping them in your dungeon instead of handing them over to the town guards? Does Tobias know about it?¡±


    ¡°Tobias is well aware there are some people you cannot catch with thew and though the town guards are meant to protect the people, there are men within the guards who work for crooked men. They help people get away from being punished for their crimes. I view the town guards to be pointless sometimes. That is why I had always nned to kill your father as they would have let him get away,¡± Edgar exined.


    ¡°So you are like a night hero who goes around killing anyone who can get away from the town guards. Yet the people call you a monster. If only they could know how much you are keeping the kingdom safe. With that, I have never brought up something Hazel told me when we visited the pce. Is it true there is trouble at the borders and you have to leave to help protect it?¡± Alessandra asked, worried for Edgar¡¯s safety.


    Edgar rolled his eyes, annoyed that this was brought up to Alessandra. He had no desire to fight for the kingdom once again and leave Alessandra alone. ¡°There is no need for you to be worried about it. I have already told Tobias I am not leaving. There are many skilled men he can ask to deal with the problems there.¡±


    ¡°But he wants you because there is no one he trusts like you,¡± Alessandra replied, knowing this was the reason. She did not want Edgar to leave but knew he had to. She also knew he was not leaving because of her. With him gone, her enemies would use this as a chance to mess with her.


    ¡°It does not matter what he wants as I am not going and you will not make me change my mind. It is not like there is war at the border. It is bandits and gangs who have formed together to go against Tobias as king. He destroyed many of their hideouts because they were taking people to be sold outside of the kingdom. Tobias is more than able to take care of it. Do you wish for your husband to ride off into danger?¡± He yed with her hand as he awaited the answer.


    ¡°No,¡± Alessandra honestly replied. She would rather have Edgar nearby than far away where she could not see that he is safe. ¡°But if Tobias were to ever need you-¡±


    ¡°Tobias has been my friend for many years. If trouble at the borders bes more than he can handle, I would join him. I have no intention of letting my friend and king be hurt. As of right now, he can handle the border on his own. He has to learn to trust others and not just me. I have a new life I cannot simply run away from whenever he calls. Should we change this?¡± Edgar twirled around the ring on her finger.


    Alessandra looked down at her engagement and wedding ring. Edgar had the engagement ring made to her liking and the wedding band was simple. ¡°No, I like both of them. Honestly, I would not have minded wearing the wire ring you made but others would judge me.¡±


    The wire ring Edgar made in the church had more sentiment than the ring she received dayster to rece it.


    ¡°Screw what they think.¡±


    ¡°I cannot do that all the time because I worry how my actions will affect your reputation. You do not worry about it but I do. I am striving for my reputation to reach where you are,¡± said Alessandra.


    ¡°That would take you many years, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± Edgar stated due to the fact that although he did not care for his reputation, he was quite popr and rose to a point where it was hard for anyone else to reach him.


    Alessandra red at Edgar for ruining her moment. ¡°Thank you for that,¡± she sarcastically said. It motivated her to not only surprise everyone else but also Edgar. She wanted to step out of her shell to the point she would not recognize the girl who used to run and hide in her room to avoid Kate¡¯s games. Her personality would remain the same but her confidence would change.


    ¡°Since you wish for it to happen, I will y the role of a spoiled wife. Benjamin!¡± Alessandra called to get the owner¡¯s attention. Edgar wished to spoil her with many things and as a Duchess, there was a certain look she needed to have whether she liked it or not. ¡°Please give me everything from here to here,¡± she pointed at therge counter.


    It felt odd to do but satisfying at the same time.

 Chapter 206

    206 Sly foxes (1)


    ¡°Really?!¡± Benjamin eximed, surprised by the sudden order. He had prepared himself to try convincing her to buy more but in the short period he had turned around, she suddenly took interest in an entire counter. He nced at Edgar to see if this was alright at first but once he saw the man grinning like a fool beside his wife, he got his answer. ¡°One moment.¡±


    ¡°I have never seen anyone so happy to get their money spent before,¡± Alessandramented on Edgar¡¯s expression.


    ¡°Obviously. You have only been around your father who has been in debt for how many years? You¡¯ve had no opportunity to be around a man like myself and you won¡¯t find another one quite like me,¡± said Edgar.


    Alessandra shook her head at Edgarplimenting himself. ¡°I have met the king.¡±


    ¡°Keep on believing that just because he wears a crown he is the richest man in the kingdom.¡±


    ¡°If you are somehow richer than the king, please enlighten me on how you get your money. Not right now but when we return to Lockwood. I should have taken a better look at the counter before I made such an order,¡± Alessandra said as she looked down at the counter where Benjamin was taking out the jewelry.


    Regret filled her mind as she stared at some of the jewelry that was certainly too big. They screamed look at me, I have money!


    ¡°Do not go back on your words now after making such a big order. You don¡¯t want to break Benjamin¡¯s heart, do you?¡± Edgar asked, trying to guilt-trip her into keeping all the jewelry.


    ¡°I¡¯m starting to realize most of these will remain in boxes for a while as I have nowhere to go. I hope we receive many invitations from your friends so that this jewelry won¡¯t go to waste.


    .....


    ¡°You don¡¯t always need to leave home. You can invite Erin and Hazel to our home,¡± said Edgar.


    Alessandra liked that idea but wondered if the queen would have time to leave the pce. ¡°Would Hazele to our home?¡±


    ¡°Why not? Her husband sneaks out of the pce many times toe to my home without an invitation. Have Sally and Alfred help you create a list of invitations for women who would make good friends for you. You can have your first party as Duchess during the winter.¡±


    ¡°I will start nning it when we return home. One more day and then we are back home. We didn¡¯t get to meet a lot of your family members during our time here but at least we should be able to have dinner with your grandmother tonight. She and Alfred have been gone for quite a long time,¡± Alessandra looked outside the shop to see if they were nearby.


    ¡°They have, haven¡¯t they?¡± Edgar questioned, feeling as if the two were up to no good. He knew there was no one his grandmother saw in town to chat with. She was always one to avoid talking with others whenever she was out with family as she called it family time but the first thing she did as soon as they arrived was when to speak with a friend.


    Alfred the sly fox and his grandmother who desperately wanted her great-grandchildren were certainly teaming up. Edgar could either stop whatever was being nned right now or enjoy it. The answer was obvious. It was amusing for him to watch Alessandra be concerned about where the two were without knowing she was in the middle of a n.


    ¡°I will have my men safely deliver all the jewelry for you without any hups. This one¡¯s for you,¡¯ Benjamin slid a small box to Sally as the Duke requested. ¡°A fan of the queen¡¯s heart deserves something special.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Duke Edgar,¡± Sally epted the gift. It was weird to think how she went from being scared the day Edgar picked up Alessandra¡¯s things from the Baron¡¯s home to now receiving gifts from him.


    Sally opened the box and immediately fell in love with the ne given to her. It was a smaller version of the queen¡¯s heart with a small ruby in the middle. She knew right away that it had to be expensive from the ruby alone. Something like this would help her buy a small house for her family but she knew it was wrong to sell something the Duke gave to her therefore she would cherish it.


    ¡°Thank you for the business,¡± Benjamin said specifically to Edgar as his pockets were the ones to pay for all of this.


    ¡°Caleb, take them to the next shop. I will settle the payment and join you in a moment. Keep your eyes out. We may not be in Lockwood but there is still danger,¡± Edgar stated as he had enemies in this town and there were people who wouldn¡¯t want to miss the chance to attack them thinking there would be expensive jewelry on them.


    Caleb nodded his head but Edgar did not need to advise him to look out for danger. He was already keeping an eye on outside activity to protect everyone. ¡°Please follow me, Duchess. You should put up that ne, Sally,¡± he advised her as thieves would target her.


    ¡°Right,¡± Sally tucked the ne inside her dress. It was much safer than her pockets where someone could easily run and pull it out. ¡°Where to now, Duchess?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. We should just walk until we find something interesting,¡± Alessandra¡¯s voice became distant as she and Sally left with Caleb right behind them.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re married now,¡± Benjamin rested against the counter, ready to tease Edgar. ¡°You did not even introduce me as your friend. How rude. You know the only reason I gave her the queen¡¯s heart is because she must have some heart to convince a man like you to get married.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for that,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°Thank you? Are you Edgar?¡± Benjamin poked Edgar¡¯s hand to make sure it was him. The deadly re confirmed it was. ¡°Why didn¡¯t I get introduced as your friend? It was hard to act like we aren¡¯t familiar with each other. How is Tobias doing? It¡¯s been a while since I went to deliver jewelry for his wife.¡±


    ¡°Still annoying. What is the entire total?¡± Edgar got straight to the point as he wanted to get back to Alessandra.


    ¡°I will send you the bill. There¡¯s no rush for you to pay me. I know you have the money to pay me and I won¡¯t have to send my men after you,¡± Benjamin pointed at the tworge men by the door. He had one more in the back to protect the rest of the jewelry. ¡°So, how is married life? I recall you saying marriage is not for you. You seem pretty happy to me and excited to have her spend your money.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? I met a girl who changed my mind. There¡¯s nothing to exin. You were once running around the town iming to have too much love for one woman but then you settled down and now you have two children. ¡±


    ¡°Yea. Care to see how big they have gotten? My daughter has already taken a liking to making jewelry. I will be able to retire peacefully like my father and grandfather. You cane over for dinner tonight,¡± Benjamin extended an invitation. It had been a while since he sat down with Edgar. ¡°Dominic ising over tonight.¡±


    ¡°No thank you,¡± Edgar started to walk towards the door. ¡°I remember how loud and full of snot your children were. I prefer peace and cleanliness.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t argue with that,¡± Benjamin said, taking no offense to Edgar¡¯s words. He worked in the shop to get away from home to avoid hearing his children scream. ¡°I hope the Duchess gives you plenty of children to ruin your peace!¡± He yelled before the door could close behind Edgar. ¡°Edgar¡¯s genes are going to multiply. Is the world ready for it?¡±

 Chapter 207

    207 Sly foxes (2)


    ¡°Duke, I was once a man ying enemies on the battlefield, fighting from morning untilte hours into the night, and was given the nickname the blood giant. I followed you because of the skills you showed while we fought side by side and you saved my life once. I thought if I continued to follow you, there would be excitement in my life. Never would I have expected this. Why am I holding your wife¡¯s bags,¡± Caleb turned to the man beside him who was lucky to have no bags in his hands.


    ¡°Because you are a strong man,¡± Edgar replied.


    ¡°You are stronger than me. I am just taller than you,¡± said Caleb. He had four bags hooked around his right hand and carried numerous boxes in his hands. Most of the things belonged to Alessandra but she had bought a few for Sally and Erin.


    ¡°Quitining before your little crush sees that you are weak. Alessandra has told me that Sally has a thing for strong men,¡± Edgar lied so that Caleb would continue to hold the bags.


    ¡°Really?¡± Caleb stood up straight.


    ¡®Once again romance turns people into fools,¡¯ Edgar shook his head at Caleb¡¯s predicament.


    ¡°Edgar!¡±


    ¡°What do you need?¡± Edgar answered Alessandra¡¯s call. He left Caleb¡¯s side to check what else had caught her eye.


    ¡°There are more lucky charms for swords,¡± Alessandra pointed to a table full of them.


    .....


    ¡°I do not require luck when ites to fighting and the one you gave me is already enough. If there are ones for a gun-¡±


    ¡°You own a gun!¡± Alessandra eximed as she was caught off guard by the news. She heard her father wanting one because they were much better than swords but not just anyone could own one yet.


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I? It is at home hidden away for safety. I only intend to use it for emergencies. You will soon find swords disappearing as Tobias forms agreements withnds familiar with making guns and starts a trade. The town guards are supposed to be trained to use them soon. Tobias wants them to be introduced into the kingdom slowly because of how easy it is to kill someone,¡± Edgar exined.


    ¡°It will be a scary ce when everyone starts to use guns. I-¡±


    ¡°There you are, children! Alfred and I have been looking all over for all of you. It seems like you did a good amount of shopping,¡± Rosemented on the things Caleb was holding. ¡°We should end the trip here and head back. The sky has changed and the wind has picked up. Heavy rain will soon fall. Take it from me as I have lived here for many years.¡±


    ¡°Edgar and I have not spent time with you,¡± Alessandra stated. She had been excited to spend time with Rose but for their entire time here, Rose and Alfred had disappeared somewhere. Alessandra looked at the bags in Alfred¡¯s hands and realized the two had gone shopping too.


    ¡°We are family now, dear. We will always find time to be around each other whether it is here or in Lockwood. I¡¯ve received news that my sister is not well so I will have to skip out on dinner tonight. I will have my carriage take me home first and then take your friends and Alfred back home,¡± said Rose.


    Alessandra didn¡¯t see the need for this when there was more than enough room in the carriage she and Edgar rode in. ¡°That¡¯s alright. There is room in the -¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Rose loudly stated and cleared her throat after the dramatic outburst. ¡°Alfred cannot ride back by himself. What if he gets caught in the weather? The tall guard needs to tag along with Alfred and his pretty little lover will want to go with him. Right, dear?¡± Rose stared into Sally¡¯s eyes giving her the message not to disobey her.


    ¡°Ah, y-yes. I promised Caleb I would stick with him,¡± Sally lied.


    Caleb looked down at Sally wondering when she made such a promise but then he realized what was happening. There was a ploy to get the Duke and Duchess alone together. He did not mind as long as he got to stay with Sally.


    ¡°Really,¡± Alessandra¡¯s shoulders dropped as she wanted to ride with Sally but she did not want Sally to miss out on being with Caleb. ¡°Edgar and I will ride together then. See all of you when you return.¡±


    The two groups separated to go back to the two carriages they came in before the rain could start to fall.


    ¡°Edgar, do you get the feeling Alfred and your grandmother are plotting something?¡± Alessandra asked when it was just the two of them in the carriage on the way back home.


    Edgar smiled, amused that it had taken this long for her to catch on. ¡°Those two fly foxes were most likely plotting from the moment we departed to go shopping. I have been anticipating what they are nning from the moment I realized.¡±


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have killed you to inform me the moment you noticed it. I would have told you.¡±


    ¡°It would have killed the fun the two of us will certainly have. Let them have their fun, secretly plotting around. There is no need to ruin their happiness,¡± said Edgar.


    Alessandra saw right through his words and said, ¡°You are only saying this for your entertainment, not for their feelings. I hope this is not a second attempt from when Alfred plotted for us to be in the bathroom at the same time. He sessfully pulled that off and to think about Rose joining him is scary.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is why I am expecting something exciting. I hope they do not disappoint after getting my hopes up. I would not be surprised if Alfred, Sally, and Caleb do not return any time soon. It seems you need to work on Sally and Caleb¡¯s loyalty to you in the future. My grandmother was able to easily scare her into not riding with us,¡± said Edgar.


    He admired how at her age his grandmother was still able to make others tremble without having to lose her temper or threaten anyone. A simple smile and a look in the eye were enough.


    While Edgar anticipated what awaited them, Alessandra dreaded what Alfred and Rose could have nned.

 Chapter 208

    208 Touch (1)


    ¡°At least she was truthful about the rain. They must have been excited to see the weather on their side,¡± Alessandra said as she looked out the window at the rainwater running down the ss. ¡°You should ask Tobias to let Alfred and Rose join in on creating strategies for war. They are both excellent nners.¡±


    ¡°I will think about it. I¡¯m afraid we found ourselves in a predicament with this weather. Alfred took all the umbres,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°Oh. We¡¯ll be fine. The distance to the door from the carriage is not that far. A little water won¡¯t hurt us unless they intended for us to get sick. If Calvin sees the carriage has returned he mighte out with an umbre for us. This is the perfect weather to sit near a fire and enjoy something warm.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Edgar replied. To him, the weather suitedying around in bed to enjoy the peace.


    The carriage parked before the house as close as possible. Luckily, Troy had an umbre for himself so when he went to open the carriage door, he offered to walk them to the door. Alessandra walked to the door first under Edgar¡¯s order and then Troy returned to him.


    ¡°Do not dramatically react to my words, Troy. As soon as the front door closes, I want you to disappear and go to my grandmother¡¯s house. Once you tell the butler who you are and that I have sent you, she will offer you a room for the night. Sally and Caleb will be there to keep youpany. Do not return until the morning,¡± Edgar ordered the young coachman. It was now time for him to take this game into his own hands.


    ¡°Understood,¡± Troy replied without questioning why Edgar wanted him to do this.


    ¡°Edgar!¡± Alessandra frantically returned to the door. ¡°There is no one here. How on earth did they n all of this? I was not away that long from Rose when we returned home this afternoon. Not even the butler is here.¡±


    Edgar was the least bit surprised by this. It made his job much easier as Troy was the only person he had to sneak around to get rid of. Edgar stepped inside and closed the door behind him to give Troy the signal to leave. Feigning ignorance about the entire ordeal he replied, ¡°Are you certain the servants staying here had not settled in because of the weather?¡±


    .....


    ¡°No one is here,¡± Alessandra replied. ¡°It is too quiet for someone to be here. You can hear something drop on the floor. It is only the two of us inside at the moment.¡±


    ¡°I have to give it to those sly foxes for pulling this off. They must have sent a message back home while we were shopping. They truly should provide their talents to help create strategies for wars. We should enjoy this time alone together or does it make you ufortable?¡±


    ¡°It does not. It is just surprising the lengths those two have gone through. The sooner we separate Alfred and your grandmother the better. They are a dangerous duo. What should we do now?¡± Alessandra looked to Edgar for an answer.


    It was nearing time for dinner to be prepared but it was just the two of them. She had never been taught how to cook and she was certain Edgar had no time or need to ever learn how to cook.


    ¡°Many thoughts are running through my mind about what we can do but let¡¯s take this slowly. You could change into something morefortable first,¡± Edgar advised her as she had been wearing the dress since noon. Her shoes could not befortable either. ¡°Do you need my help?¡±


    ¡°No. The buttons are at the front. Do you remember what we talked about in the garden this morning? About you and I going a step further?¡± Alessandra blushed as the words left her mouth. She had been bold enough to say she wanted to try new things as a married couple with Edgar and did not want to turn away from it now they were alone. She did not intend to take a step forward, only to take five steps backward.


    ¡°It is hard to forget the temptation you gave me this morning. I intend on giving you a lesson but I have no desire in going too far. I don¡¯t want Alfred and my grandmother to be pleased with the fact something happened between us thanks to their nning. It will only encourage them to continue this in the future. I will keep my promise not to go all the way. Do not let it cloud your mind or you will only panic.¡±


    ¡®Toote,¡¯ Alessandra thought but she offered him a smile.


    Edgar already had in mind what he would do to ease Alessandra into what he had nned from the morning. Regardless of Alfred and his grandmother¡¯s plotting, he had intended to pleasure her and this moment would not go to waste. First, he needed her to forget all about it. ¡°After you have gotten changed, we will head to the kitchen to prepare dinner.¡±


    ¡°Can you cook?¡± Alessandra asked. He was already perfect at everything else, besides painting, so Edgar suddenly having a talent for cooking would not be surprising.


    ¡°I have only cooked meat over a fire during my time at the border. This will be a learning experience for both of us. Hurry so that I can grab a change of clothes or do you want the both of us to strip here? As always,¡± Edgar chuckled, watching Alessandra hurry off to change in private. It did not matter as what she changed into woulde off by the end of the night.


    Twenty minutester, Alessandra had freshened up and changed her clothes to her nightwear. After dinner, they would most likely end back up in their room so she thought there was no reason to dress up.


    ¡°Alessandra.¡±


    Alessandra looked to the right in the hallway that went under the stairs leading up to the second floor and found Edgar dressed in only short pants and his hair dripping wet. ¡°Where did you get shorts from?¡±


    She did not hear him enter their bedroom.


    ¡°There is another room with clothes I use when Ie here. You took it off,¡± he touched her exposed cheek where the mask once was a while ago.


    Alessandra felt like there was something stuck in her throat as Edgar touched her face. Taking off the mask was still something hard for her to do and each step she took away from the table she ced it on was painful but as it was only the two of them present, she pushed herself out of herfort zone.


    ¡°There was no need to wear it when it was just the two of us. I will no longer wear it to bed either. It has always been ufortable and now I can¡¯t wait toy on a pillow without it getting in the way. I ugh,¡± Alessandra cleared her throat after her eyes had gone to Edgar¡¯s exposed chest. No wonder the maids would peek at him when he was not looking.


    Edgar did not miss the way she had averted her eyes. Her innocence would soon be the death of him. He looked forward to seeing more of her expressions once they go further. ¡°It would not hurt for you to look at my body. I do not mind your stares.¡±


    Alessandra remained quiet, knowing she would embarrass herself if she spoke now.


    ¡°Come, we should get dinner started before it is toote,¡± Edgar offered his hand for her to hold. He was yet to figure out why he craved her touch. It was more than just the feelings he started to have for her and more than just his desire to be intimate with her. He found her touch to be calming for some reason.


    Alessandra did not argue against holding hands and held his hand. She quietly walked beside Edgar to go into the kitchen to start preparing food.


    When they entered the kitchen they found a pot on the counter with a note.


    Edgar picked up the note with his free hand and read, ¡°Dinner is in the pot. It only needs to be warmed for three minutes. They have thought about everything,¡± he balled up the paper in his hands.


    Alessandra felt relieved they did not have to cook. There was bound to be a disaster with the two of them in the kitchen. ¡°We can eat dinnerter. I am not hungry at the moment-Ah!¡± She gasped after Edgar suddenly lifted her into his arms. Alessandra ced her hands on his shoulders afraid she would fall but Edgar would not let that happen.


    ¡°Then there is no need for me to prolong this,¡± Edgar said, then ced Alessandra to sit on the countertop in the kitchen. He tried to be patient but he could no longer wait. The woman before him was more tempting than he expected. Her confidence to take off the mask right now had stirred something inside of him. ¡°Let¡¯s pull you out of your shell by the end of the night.¡±

 Chapter 209

    209 Touch (2)


    ¡°Let¡¯s start with a simple game. Touch me for one minute and you must not shy away. I have caught you sneaking nces at me many times so now this is your chance to do as you please,¡± Edgar took one step back for her to have a perfect view of his upper body.


    ¡°Where do I have to touch you?¡± Alessandra shyly asked. Her cheeks felt warm though she had not touched him yet.


    Edgar was d to see Alessandra ept the game with ease. ¡°That¡¯s the fun part. You can touch me anywhere you desire. Do what has always been on your mind. Go on.¡±


    Alessandra kept her hands on Edgar¡¯s shoulders for a moment until she found the confidence to do as he requested. She figured this must bring Edgar some sort of pleasure so she wished to give it to him.


    Her hands slowly slid from his shoulder, past his chest, and stopped at his well-defined stomach decorated with abs that clouded her mind each time he went without a shirt. Alessandra followed the lines with her fingers and wondered how many years it had taken for Edgar¡¯s body to be this fit.


    After she had traced every inch of his stomach, Alessandra did not know where else she was meant to touch him. She did not dare go any lower so the only option was to go back up. In the end, she palmed Edgar¡¯s face and admired his beauty. When did her luck change to end up with such a husband?


    ¡°You just fell for me, didn¡¯t you?¡± Edgar could not resist asking. He was hoping she would take this time to do so much more but he enjoyed her gentle touch.


    Alessandra removed her hands from palming his face and said, ¡°I realized I have gained luck to be married to a man like you. The world must finally be on my side.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Edgar picked up her hand and kissed the back of it. ¡°Luck has nothing to do with it. You were the one to approach me with the idea for us to be together. I still find myself amused by that night.¡±


    .....


    ¡°And I find myself wondering how I got you to agree with it,¡± Alessandra chuckled.


    Edgar memorized Alessandra¡¯s face as sheughed without being cautious of her scats. ¡°Alessandra,¡± he said her name to get her attention. He caressed her left cheek with his hand. ¡°I need a taste of you,¡± he used his other hand which was once on her waist to pull her against his body, careful to not pull her off the counter.


    Alessandra¡¯s heart felt as if it would jump out of her throat as Edgar neared her with the clear intention to kiss her. Without thinking about her actions, Alessandra perked her body to reach up to meet his lips. She closed her eyes as soon as their lips touched and the nervousness she felt somehow went away.


    Seeing her close the gap between them was thest straw that broke Edgar¡¯s control. He had been waiting too long to kiss her.


    Needing her closer as their lips moved in sync, Edgar once again lifted her into his arms and hooked his hands right under her buttocks to hold her up. He genuinely intended for it to be a soft gentle kiss to ease her into it but the need to feel her made him do otherwise.


    He hungrily kissed her as if it would be the first and only time he would have the opportunity to kiss her. Her warm breath tickled his nose due to their closeness.


    Unable to resist it, Edgar gently squeezed her buttocks and was rewarded with a sweet moan from Alessandra against his lips. The sound surprised Alessandra as she had never made such a sound before but it had probed Edgar to bite her lip and when she gasped, he stuck his tongue inside her mouth to taste more of her.


    Edgar could not refrain fromughing when he tasted the familiar alcohol they shared the night they yed the drinking game. She must have taken it while she was getting dressed for courage. He did not mind it as she had not drunk it to the point she became drunk and was not in her best mind where they should not be continuing this.


    Alessandra, on the other hand, was worried if she was kissing him right. She was not aware tongues were meant to be used so when Edgar shoved his tongue inside her mouth, she was unsure of what to do but did not wish to tell him to stop. She tried her best to follow his movement with her tongue.


    ¡°Ah,¡± she gasped once again when Edgar squeezed her buttocks again. There was a lump in her throat and a feeling building up in her stomach. Alessandra opened her eyes as Edgar drifted away from her and blushed at the sight of saliva breaking apart between them. She looked away to hide her embarrassment and asked, ¡°D-Did I do it right?¡±


    ¡°Oh boy,¡± Edgar bit his lip as he found her naivety and innocence to be a turn-on. ¡°You did well Alessandra but it is not over yet,¡± he ced her on the counter once again and turned her head to face him. ¡°Will you allow me to see more of you?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Alessandra asked as he was seeing all of her now.


    Edgar hooked his finger around one of the straps holding her night dress up and pulled it down a bit for her to get what he meant. ¡°I want to remove this. Only the top while the bottom remains covered. Can I?¡±


    Alessandra was certain her face must be bright red and wished there wasn¡¯t so much light in the kitchen to hide it. She nodded her head permitting him to do as he wanted but she had one request. ¡°We should go to our bedroom. The kitchen is not the right ce to be doing this.¡±


    Edgar begged to differ. ¡°As long as I desire you the location shall never matter but I will follow your request for tonight,¡± he hoisted her up to take her to the privacy of their bedroom.

 Chapter 210

    210 Touch (3)


    ¡°Comfortable?¡± Edgar asked after he ced Alessandra down on the bed.


    Alessandra nodded her head, feeling more rxed in the privacy of their room. They were home alone right now but there was no predicting when anyone would somehow show up so she did not wish to be in an awkward position with Edgar.


    Alessandra sat on the edge of the bed while Edgar kneeled down before her. His facial expression was different than it was earlier. It reminded her of when they were in the water and he kept looking at her breast. Perhaps, this was the look he had when he wanted her? She made a mental note for the future so she could act upon it when he wanted to be intimate.


    ¡°Should I or...¡± Edgar trailed off, wanting to see if she would be willing to take off the night dress herself as it would entice him even more. He would be more than happy to do it himself if she could not.


    Alessandra touched the straps of her dress and quickly dropped them off her shoulders to get it over with. She squeezed her eyes shut to avoid looking at Edgar as her chest was exposed to him. She had no idea what the women he had been with before looked like but had a feeling their bodies may offer more interest to him than her own.


    ¡°What is the point of us doing this if you will not look at me?¡± Edgar asked. He had not moved to touch her yet until she would look him in the eye. ¡°Eye contact is important in a moment like this. There is nothing to be ashamed of in front of your husband. I want to see you staring at me. I need a perfect view of your eyes, flushed cheeks, and lips. I was too rough,¡± he touched her lips.


    ¡°No, you weren¡¯t. I enjoyed it,¡± she said in a soft tone but Edgar heard it. Alessandra covered her exposed breast with her hands before she turned to face Edgar. He had already seen them after she pulled down the dress but she couldn¡¯t help being conscious of them.


    Edgar sighed, more enticed by her shyness. She once called him a cat therefore she should know he enjoyed ying with his prey. ¡°There¡¯s no point in hiding them now,¡± he stood up and pushed her body back against the soft mattress. He climbed over her on the bed, mindful not to ce his weight on her. ¡°This is why I have to ease you into it. You might faint if I were to take you right here right now.¡±


    ¡°That is not true,¡± Alessandra answered, not wanting to appear that shy before him but she did not believe her own words.


    .....


    ¡°We both know that it is true. I want nothing more than to fill this house up with the beautiful sound of you calling my name but it is not time. I can only take a little bit at a time before then so I will have to settle on hearing your small cries and pleas right now. Why were you hiding them when I have clearly been desiring to touch your breasts?¡± He asked as he lowered his head down to her chest.


    ¡°Because you have already-,¡± Alessandra¡¯s words became lost in her mouth as the wetness of Edgar¡¯s tongue touched the tip of her right breast. She knew he had timed it intentionally to stop her from mentioning his past affairs. The small action was enough to have her never bring it up again for the rest of the night.


    Edgar enjoyed the sight of her chest rising and falling. Her brown buds were ready for him to devour them. Edgar palmed her right breast and found that it was perfectly shaped to fill the palm of his hands. She was certainly notcking when it came to her chest which was why there was no need for her to hide them.


    He gave her breasts a gentle squeeze and watched how Alessandra¡¯s lips parted. To test out something, he gave it a rough squeeze and a devious smile spread across his lips after her reaction. It was evident Alessandra preferred the roughness.


    ¡°Why are you smiling like that?¡± Alessandra asked in between deep breaths.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to have a lot of fun in the future,¡± he replied. Perhaps he would need a couple of items from the sex stores he had talked about on the way to the church.


    Alessandra gave him a confused look.


    ¡°You will find out in the future but as of right now, you are to only focus on this moment.¡±


    Edgar continued to weigh and palm her breast in his hands, giving them a light squeeze here and there. Having enough of just touching, he licked her right nipple, earning the same reaction as before, and took the brown bud into his mouth to hear more of her cries.


    Alessandra ced a finger in her mouth and bit it as she experienced a foreign feeling as Edgar¡¯s mouth was on her breast while the other breast was fondled. A moan escaped her lips as Edgar bit her right nipple while he simultaneously pinched the left one. He swirled his tongue around it to soothe the pain only to do it again while he squeezed her other nipple.


    Alessandra thought it should be impossible for anyone to do this at the same time. She could not focus on one breast as Edgar gave both of them the same attention. When Edgar lifted his head to look at the mess he created, she thought it was over but he had merely switched to taking her left breast into his mouth while his hands massage the right one he had bruised with his bites.


    ¡°Edgar,¡± she called his name without thinking. The tone of her voice surprised her and once again she was embarrassed.


    Edgar released her breast for a moment to say, ¡°I enjoy that sound. Do it again,¡± he encouraged her. He swirled his tongue around her nipple and gently tugged on the other at the same time just as he found she liked. He could spend the entire night with his head buried in her chest while she sweetly called his name and moan from the pleasure.

 Chapter 211

    211 [Bonus chapter] Touch (4)


    Alessandra¡¯s hands gripped the bed sheet as Edgar continued to torture her chest. Never in her life had she experienced anything like what Edgar was doing to her now. The first time he had touched her breast did notpare to now. Had she known it would have felt this good, Alessandra would have let him do it long ago.


    Her insecurities were long forgotten as she only thought about herself and Edgar.


    Meanwhile, Edgar continued to enjoy hearing Alessandra asionally call his name and how her breath hitched every now and then. With her focused on what he was doing with her chest, Edgar removed his hand from her right breast which he had tortured enough, and ced it right above her sex.


    ¡°Rx,¡± he encouraged Alessandra after he felt her body be rigid from his touch. The nightdress was the only thing between his hand and her most private part. He waited for when her body did not feel tensed before his hand found its way under her night dress.


    Edgar paused immediately when Alessandra touched his other arm. ¡°No?¡± He questioned, needing confirmation if this was too much for her. They had gone far enough and if she wanted, he had no issue stopping here.


    ¡°Oh sorry,¡± Alessandra removed her hand. She had touched him in the spur of the moment. Her mind was panicking but she did not want him to stop what he intended to do. So far she had enjoyed everything he had done and Edgar had not hurt her. She was grateful for the continuous times he would make sure she was alright and ready to stop if she wasn¡¯t.¡±You can continue,¡± she said.


    To help ease her nerves, Edgar gave her a short kiss on the lips before continuing. He then touched the warmth in between her legs and felt his ego boosted as he felt the wetness. ¡°There is no doubt you are turned on,¡± he informed her. ¡°You are already soaking wet for me.¡±


    Alessandra turned her head to the side to look away from him and tried to squeeze her legs shut but Edgar did not allow her to.


    Edgar kept watching her face, not wanting to miss any of the expressions she was making. ¡°Open your legs for me, Alessandra,¡± he requested but the tone of his voice made it sound like an order.


    .....


    As if in a trance from his words, Alessandra opened her legs to allow his hand to touch her.


    ¡°Good girl.¡±


    ¡°I am not a pet,¡± Alessandra muttered.


    Edgar chuckled as only Alessandra would find a way to argue with him at this moment. ¡°That response tells me,¡± he stroked her sex with one finger, bringing out a new expression he wish he could have painted but then he would have to kill the painter.


    ¡°You are not as shy as you appear to argue with me right now.¡±


    ¡°Ugh,¡± Alessandra opened her mouth, having something to say but no words left her mouth. There was a fluttery sensation in her chest as Edgar stroked her there.


    ¡°Have you ever touched yourself? Before or during our marriage?¡± Edgar could not help being curious.


    ¡°I-I have never,¡± Alessandra managed to reply.


    ¡°Hmm. You are not lying to me about not doing it throughout our marriage, are you?¡±


    Alessandra looked Edgar in the eye to show how honest was. ¡°I have never lied to you. I have never,¡± her voice died down when he pressed a finger against her.


    ¡°I know. I was only toying with you, Alessandra. This might hurt a little bit but it will get better. I promise,¡± Edgar reassured her right before he slipped one finger inside. She was wet enough for him to slip inside with ease. He heard her hiss from the intrusion of his finger and kept still until she got familiar with it. ¡°Rx your body. That¡¯s it.¡±


    Edgar paid no mind to her nails being dug into his skin after her left hand held onto his arm. He slowly pumped his finger in and out of her, wanting her to get used to it. ¡°If it is too much, tell me and I will stop right away.¡±


    Alessandra continued to dig her hands into Edgar¡¯s hand until his finger inside of her started to feel good and she was able to rx her body. ¡°I am fine,¡± she said.


    Edgar increased the pace of his finger inside of her and asionally stopped on the inside to tease her. He added another finger inside which was weed by a moan leaving Alessandra¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Edgar,¡± she called his name then bit her lip.


    ¡°Do not hold back your cries. I want to hear all of them,¡± he stated right before adding a third finger. He felt her body tense up for a moment before rxing again. His fingers were coated in her fluid, aiding him in pumping his fingers in and out of her easily.


    He could feel that she was near the way she started to mp down on his fingers. Edgar could not help but imagine how dangerously good it would feel to rece his fingers with his length and bury himself deep inside of her until there was nothing left to fill her with. His member ached in his pants to be let out and join the party.


    This obsession that had formed for Alessandra was bing dangerous by the day. Soon she would haveplete control over him. Perhaps she already did but he had never noticed it.


    ¡°Edgar there¡¯s something building,¡± Alessandra painted.


    ¡°Don¡¯t hold it back,¡± he said before taking her breast back into his mouth while his fingers continued to pleasure her.


    Alessandra found it hard to breathe now that Edgar was back to licking, sucking, and tugging her breast all while his fingers drove her crazy. She finally gave in and released what had built up inside of her. Her body slightly shook as something left her sex and Edgar removed his fingers.


    Edgar licked her nipple onest time before he raised his head and brought his fingers up to show her the mess he created. ¡°How did it feel to cum for the first time my dear wife?¡± He asked as he eyed the substance on his fingers. Having no shame, he licked his fingers to get a better taste of her.


    Alessandra blushed, finding it unbelievable he would lick his hand after what he had done. ¡°You!¡± She covered her face with her hands.

 Chapter 212

    212 Touch (5)


    Edgar had the thought of cing his head between her legs and using his mouth to clean off the mess he made but decided against it as Alessandra was at her limit for the day. There would be other days for him to do more.


    ¡°Sit up so that I can put back up the straps for the night dress,¡± he moved his body from hovering over her and sat by her side.


    Alessandra sat up with Edgar¡¯s help and remained silent while he ced her straps back on her shoulder. Now that she was sitting, Alessandra could see the bulge in Edgar¡¯s pants which he no doubt nned to ignore. ¡°Edgar, is there anything I can do to pleasure you?¡± She asked.


    She did not want the night to end with her being the only one to receive pleasure. It was unfair to Edgar.


    ¡°There is but I will not-¡±


    ¡°I want to,¡± she said in a stern tone. Alessandra would forever feel guilty for not helping him. It had been frustrating when she wished to release so she sort of understood what it must be like for him. ¡°Let me.¡±


    Alessandra and Edgar stared into each other¡¯s eyes, waiting for the other to back down. Eventually, Edgar was the one to give in considering how determined she was and the fact he was in a bit of a predicament with the need to release.


    He was aware she had no idea how she would be aiding him with his release since he was not going to enter her. ¡°Come,¡± he took her hand and guided her to the front of the bed to be down on her knees before him.


    Confusion was written all over her face but he did not stop as she wanted to help him.


    .....


    Alessandra¡¯s eyes widened as Edgar took his member out of his pants. It stood tall and proud before her so much so that she had to scoot back to get out of the way. Panic filled her as she considered something. His fingers had been painful the first time he entered her so how would she be able to manage this?


    ¡°You are afraid,¡± Edgarmented on her expression. ¡°That is why I told you no.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Alessandra stopped him before he misunderstood. ¡°I am not afraid I was just wondering how this is meant to fit inside of me. Your finger was painful at the beginning.


    ¡°Ha,¡± Edgar¡¯s head hung low as he could not believe her words. He lifted his head and pushed back his hair out of the way. ¡°When the timees, I will make sure all of it fits inside of you.¡±


    Alessandra didn¡¯t see how but did not question it further as she wanted to help Edgar feel pleasure. ¡°What am I supposed to do now?¡± She looked up at him, waiting for instructions.


    ¡°Touch it,¡± he ordered her. He had been against them going this far but now that he was here, the excitement had filled his mind.


    Alessandra cautiously reached out her hand, afraid she might hurt him if she was not careful, and took his member into her hands. It was warm and started to throb in her hands.


    ¡°Stroke it from the base to the top like this.¡±


    Edgar guided her hands exactly how he wanted and let her take control once she had got a hang of it. ¡°Grip it tighter,¡± he said in a low husky tone. Just the feeling of her hand touching him was enough for him to have his first release but he held back.


    ¡°Won¡¯t that hurt you?¡± Alessandra asked, still concerned she could hurt him. She was already gripping him.


    ¡°It won¡¯t.¡±


    Alessandra tightened her grip as he wanted. The excitement of seeing the expression on Edgar¡¯s face outweighed the embarrassment she felt at first from being in this position. For some reason, she felt a surge of confidence for being able to make a man like Edgar look so distraught over her touch.


    She moved her hand up and down, increasing the pace each time Edgar grunted and hiss.


    ¡°Run your finger over the tip,¡± she heard his husky voice above her.


    Alessandra used her thumb to rub the tip causing Edgar to toss his head back. She carried on moving her hand up and down, asionally rubbing the tip when her hand reached it. A thought came to mind as she remembered something Edgar had done to her and wondered if it would be the same experience for him if she did it here.


    Alessandra leaned forward, stuck out her tongue, and licked the tip of Edgar¡¯s member. She found herself being pushed away from it right after. When Alessandra looked up to ask Edgar if it was wrong, she found his expression to be frightening for a moment. There was a dangerous feeling she could not figure out as she stared at him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that again,¡± Edgar warned her in a low voice. Her actions had enticed him and filled his mind with nothing more than to have her lips wrapped around his member as he thrust into her mouth. He was desperately trying to take his time with her but she appeared hellbent on ruining him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Alessandra apologized, feeling like she had messed up and now the moment was ruined. ¡°I thought... I thought it would have felt good for you. I¡¯m sorry,¡± she turned on her side to look away from Edgar. She tugged her hair wondering why she would do such a thing. Everything was going well now she had ruined it.


    ¡°Alessandra,¡± Edgar sighed. He didn¡¯t mean for her to think she did something wrong. He was trying to stop himself from doing something wrong. ¡°You did nothing wrong. It felt good. So much so that I wanted something more.¡±


    Alessandra looked back at Edgar, surprised to hear it was not what she thought but she found it even more surprising when she found his cheeks had turned red. Had she made Edgar flustered? Edgar Collins, the man who was hard to tease? ¡°You are blushing,¡± she giggled, feeling triumphant with what she had done.


    ¡°And whose fault is that?¡±

 Chapter 213

    213 Dynamic duo (1)


    Edgar pulled Alessandra up from the ground and onto hisp, mindful not to let her squeeze his precious goods. ¡°Are you taking joy in seeing your husband flustered?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It is not every day I get to see you blush, Edgar. I have to cherish the moment forever or perhaps, now that I know what makes you blush I will do it more often. Is it alright to leave it like this? You stopped me,¡± Alessandra said, referring to his situation right below her buttocks.


    ¡°I will take care of it myself. If I allow you to do as you please the night will end much differently than I anticipated it to. Maybe you would like it if I stop holding back?¡± He questioned as he buried his head in her neck and took in the faint scent of sweat and the soap she had used a while ago.


    Edgar pulled Alessandra up so that she was more seated on his abdomen which gave him enough space to grab his member and started to stroke it. It would have been better if he could have finished with Alessandra¡¯s help but he saw her as disobedient enough to try licking him again.


    ¡°No. As you said I wouldn¡¯t want Alfred and Rose to take joy in thinking something happened between us thanks to their plotting. I don¡¯t know how they would even find out something happened. If I were to be pregnant would they have thought it would have been because of tonight? I think we should just get your grandmother and Alfred a pet,¡± Alessandra said then blushed as she realized what Edgar was doing behind her.


    She tried to think of other things to take her mind off of it. Eventually, his movement stopped so she wondered if he had finished.


    ¡°Oww,¡± she jumped after he bit her neck. ¡°Why did you bite me?¡±


    Edgar pulled away from her chest to look at her face and said, ¡°Because you became silent and it means you are overthinking something. Go up on the bed for a moment. I have to take care of something. Are you hungry?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Alessandra shook her head. ¡°Maybe in an hour or so we can warm up the food. If you are hungry, I don¡¯t mind eating now with you.¡±


    .....


    Alessandra got off of Edgar¡¯sp and crawled unto the bed to lie down while Edgar stood up and walked into the bathroom. Alessandra looked out the closed window at the rain falling outside and listened closely to the sound of it hitting against the window and roof.


    Strangely, she was going to miss the unusual weather here. The rain would have them going back inside if they were without an umbre. Tomorrow night they would have to travel back to Lockwood. Back to whatever mess had stirred up while they were away.


    Alessandra wished to stay at least one more day to spend more time with Rose but knew not to ask as Edgar had priorities back home and did not wish for him to have to change up anything because of her. This house would always be special to her because it was where she took off her mask for someone after so many years and she shared her first kiss with Edgar here.


    ¡°Things are going too peacefully right now,¡± Alessandra muttered, suddenly fearing there would soon be something to shatter the peace and send her back to the reality of her life being a mess. As long as Kate and Katrina hated her, plus family members like her uncle now wanted something from her, life would not be peaceful.


    The bed sunk in behind her as Edgar returned andid down with her. ¡°Are you overthinking again, Alessandra? I hope you are not regretting what happened tonight. I have no way of turning around time.¡±


    ¡°No, I was thinking that our life is too peaceful right now. Once we return to Lockwood, there will always be something to deal with. Most likely because of me,¡± Alessandra replied.


    ¡°You are free to stay in this house instead of going back to Lockwood with me.¡±


    Alessandra found it to be a kind gesture but she could not ept it. ¡°How would it look for you to return without your wife?¡±


    Edgar ced his hand on her waist and pulled her back against his bare chest. ¡°I do not care how it would look to others. You can have a better life here than in Lockwood. I would visit regrly to see you.¡±


    ¡°No, it is too much of a hassle for the two of us and I cannot keep running away from my past. I would miss Erin and Hazel¡¯spany. I-Haven¡¯t you had enough, Edgar?¡± Alessandra switched the topic as Edgar¡¯s hand had found its way to cup her breast.


    ¡°I am merely soothing the pain I might have caused,¡± Edgar cheekily replied. She should me it on her breast for being so alluring.


    Alessandra looked over her shoulder at Edgar and said, ¡°There is no pain now therefore you can remove your hand.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid you will have to get used to my hand being here. I am certain you do not dislike it as I have drilled into my memory the sweet face you made each time I-¡±


    ¡°Please forget about that,¡± Alessandra blushed. She wished Edgar had not been looking at her at that time because now he had something to tease her about. She could tease Edgar about him blushing earlier but it would not affect him the same way.


    ¡°Certainly not. It is a beautiful moment I want to picture again and again. If only I could show you how you looked. Should we add a giant mirror to our bedroom?¡± Edgar suggested as ideas flooded his mind. So much fun they could have if she said yes.


    ¡°No,¡± Alessandra shot down the idea.


    ¡°That is alright,¡± he kissed the back of her neck. ¡°There is still the bathroom mirror which maye in handy. I guarantee everyone will magically return tomorrow morning. Should we have a little fun to teach them to stop meddling?¡±


    ¡°Yes. What do you have in mind?¡±

 Chapter 214

    214 Dynamic duo (2)


    Alessandra slowly opened her eyes to the rays of the sun shining down on her from the window. They had both fallen asleep, forgetting to pull the curtain across and eat dinner. Alessandra tried to shift her body only to realize the strong grip around her waist. With how close Edgar intended they should sleep, she felt like a teddy bear being squeezed by a child.


    Alessandra thought it must have beenforting for Edgar toy like this with her. He held her as if she would disappear in the middle of the night. His warmth throughout the night wasforting but in the morning it was hard for her to make a grand escape from the bed.


    ¡°Go back to sleep,¡± she heard Edgar¡¯s voice behind her.


    Alessandra turned her head and asked, ¡°How long have you been awake?¡±


    ¡°Since the sky changed. No one has returned yet as it is still early. You can rest for a bit more,¡± Edgar replied.


    ¡°The sun is directly on my face. Please release me for a moment so I...¡± Alessandra¡¯s voice trailed off as Edgar got up from the bed to take care of it. ¡®It¡¯s like having a big puppy,¡¯ she thought. One mention of something and Edgar was quick to either give or do it for her.


    ¡°Are you hungry? You were sound asleep so I did not wake you for food.¡±


    Now that she was free to move, Alessandra sat up on her side of the bed and watched Edgar.¡±A little bit but I can wait until breakfast. The food fromst night might be no good now. Are we still going to mess with the others?¡±


    ¡°Why would we let such a good moment pass?¡± Edgar asked. He sat on the edge of the bed beside Alessandra. His eyes went straight to the marks on her exposed chest. He had bitten her nipples quite a few times and only now worried if he had overdone it. ¡°Are you alright?¡± He asked and reached out to fix her hair.


    .....


    ¡°Yes,¡± Alessandra replied.


    ¡°I may have bitten you too muchst night,¡± Edgar said, regretting his actions a little bit. If he could turn back time and do it all over again, he would have done the same.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Alessandra¡¯s cheeks turned red. She looked down at her chest to see red marks were visible because the straps of the night dress had fallen off her shoulder. Alessandra pulled the straps back up to hide the marks. ¡°I am alright. Nothing hurts but I will have to hide them from Sally. I will have to wear a dress that needs to be buttoned up from the back.¡±


    ¡°I can help you get dressed,¡± Edgar happily offered his services.


    ¡°No thank you. I can do it myself. I am going to clean up and get dressed before the others arrive. We should not let them return and see us together or the n will fail. Excuse me,¡± Alessandra said, trying to leave the bed but Edgar did not move and remained seated like he was waiting for something. ¡°Is there something you need from me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I could do well with a-¡±


    ¡°A carriage!¡± Alessandra eximed. The sound was faint but she was certain she heard a carriage outside.


    Edgar found it to be unfortunate that he heard it too. ¡°They have perfect timing, don¡¯t they? Go ahead and get ready for the day. I will go downstairs and start the n.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Alessandra replied, excited to scheme with Edgar. His ns to tease someone were fun when it was targeted at others.


    Alessandra wanted Alfred and everyone else to stop meddling in their rtionship. Whatever was meant to happen between her and Edgar should happen naturally. She expected Alfred to be a little bit more understanding of her and Edgar trying to take things slow as he was aware of the contract and the fact they had only recently decided to make things real.


    Edgar left the bed without the kiss he had been expecting while Alessandra hurried to the bathroom to get ready without Sally so the marks would not be seen.


    ¡®I should fire all of them and hire people who will just do their job,¡¯ Edgar thought as he left the bedroom and went downstairs. All he would need to do was build a house on hisnd for Alfred and put Sally and Caleb there.


    Edgar reached the bottom of the stairs at the same time Caleb opened the front door. ¡°Did all of you get lost and forget which way was home yesterday?¡±


    ¡°No, there was a problem with the carriage wheel so ugh,¡± Caleb scratched the back of his head. He was not used to lying to Edgar and didn¡¯t like how Edgar¡¯s grandmother requested they lie.


    ¡°You did not think I would buy that lie, did you? Do not hide behind him,¡± Edgar called out to Sally. She was acting like he would think Caleb grew two extra legs behind him. He could clearly see her hiding. ¡°And where is the sly fox?¡±


    ¡°Right here?¡± Alfred held his hand up as he walked past Sally and Caleb. ¡°Forgive us for not returning yesterday. Problems came up when we tried to return. Is the Duchess still sleeping? It is quite early.¡±


    ¡°I do not know.¡±


    Alfred narrowed his eyes at this. ¡°What do you mean by you do not know? Were you out of bed for a long time? You should have checked on her asionally.¡±


    ¡°We did not sleep in the same bedroomst night. When will the butler arrive? I did not have anything to eatst night.¡± Edgar left the trio to walk inside the kitchen. Luckily, evidence of him not eating was still there.


    ¡°Is it just me or is the Duke more moody than usual? These days I thought he looked happy,¡± Caleb said then looked at Alfred who would know better. ¡°Alfred- He¡¯s gone,¡± he watched Alfred follow after Edgar. ¡°It seems like the Duke and Duchess are not getting along.¡±


    ¡°But we left them on such good terms. I will check on her,¡± said Sally.

 Chapter 215

    215 Dynamic duo (3)


    ¡°Edgar, what on earth do you mean by the two of you did not sleep together? I left the two of you looking happy and enjoying your time together. Are you ying with me?¡± Alfred asked full of suspicion. Had this been anyone else he would have believed it but Edgar was always ying around.


    ¡°Alfred,¡± Edgar sighed as he poured himself a cup of water. ¡°I do not have time to deal with your questions. I am already dealing with enough. I don¡¯t want to be bothered by anyone.¡±


    Alfred inspected Edgar¡¯s tone and bodynguage. It did not seem like Edgar was ying with it but what could have happened to make the two like this? ¡°Edgar, please be honest with me so that I know how to deal with the Duchess. Regardless of what happened, you want me to make sure she is alright, right?¡±


    ¡°I was a fool to open up my heart to anyone. My life was fine before she stumbled into it-¡±


    ¡°We both know that is not true!¡± Alfred yelled out of frustration. This was the happiest he had seen Edgar in a long time. ¡°You were home all alone just working yourself away. The Duchess brought warmth and love into your life. Something that you desperately needed. Whatever happened, the two of you can get past this. Go to the Duchess and reconcile.¡±


    ¡°I am not going anywhere, Alfred. Alessandra,¡± Edgar paused to force a guilty expression. ¡°Does not want to see me right now. We need some space from each other. We have been too close these days. When the butler arrives, inform him to bring my breakfast to my private room so that Alessandra can eat at the table as she likes.¡±


    ¡°Edgar!¡± Alfred eximed. Edgar and Alessandra were never one to argue. Alessandra might push him away because of the teasing but then she would end back up close to Edgar,ughing about something. Quite a few times they wouldmunicate their feelings when a problem arose which was why he found it easy for them to express they loved each other.


    ¡®That¡¯s right you old bastard,¡¯ Edgar deviously thought.


    ¡°Do not push the matter, Alfred. I do not want to be interrupted,¡± said Edgar.


    .....


    ¡°Wait! Young master!¡± Alfred called out to Edgar but he was ignored. ¡°Lady Rose, what has happened? I need to see Alessandra.¡±


    Alfred knew Alessandra would be much better to talk to than Edgar.


    ¡°Oh! Good morning,¡± Calvin greeted Alfred as he entered the front door but received no reply. ¡°He is quite fast on his feet. I guess there was good news fromst night¡¯s events. Get to work quickly to prepare breakfast,¡± he ordered the maids and cooks who had arrived on time just as he requested.


    ¡°Yes sir.¡±


    Meanwhile, Alfred impatiently knocked on the bedroom door desperately wanting to see Alessandra right now.


    Sally opened the door and once she saw that it was Alfred she knew that things with Edgar had not gone well. ¡°The Duchess is inside the closet getting dressed on her own. She doesn¡¯t want me to aid her although I am used to doing it every morning,¡± she informed Alfred. Sally wished Alfred and Edgar¡¯s grandmother would stop meddling in the rtionship of the couple.


    ¡°Inform the Duchess that I wish toe in,¡± said Alfred.


    Sally left the door and went to the closet where she informed Alessandra of Alfred on the outside. ¡°You maye inside,¡± Sally told Alfred after she got Alessandra¡¯s approval.


    ¡°Good morning, Alessandra. I must apologize for not returning to you and Edgar yesterday. Circumstances arose to prevent us from returning.¡±


    ¡°That is alright,¡± Alessandra replied.


    Inside the closet, she had chosen a dress that needed to be tied from the front. If she had been one secondte getting out of the bathroom, Sally would have found her with the cloth wrapped around her body and quite possibly seen the marks Edgar made on her chest.


    ¡°Alessandra, it seems to be some sort of issue between you and Edgar. Can you please enlighten me as to what went wrong yesterday? I don¡¯t like to see the two of you at odds,¡± Alfred said, hoping Alessandra would be open to talking about it.


    ¡°I do not wish to go over the events ofst night, Alfred. I need some time to think,¡± Alessandra replied as she stepped out of the closet with her dress tied and her mask present. ¡°I wished all of you would have been herest night. It would have- never mind,¡± she shook her head. ¡°I am d to have all of you back safe and sound.¡±


    ¡°Is Edgar downstairs?¡± Alessandra asked in a shy tone as if she was reluctant to speak about him.


    ¡°Yes, if you wish to join him for breakfast-¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Alessandra looked off to the side. ¡°I do not want to see him any time soon.¡±


    Yet again Alfred wondered what could have happened between the two and said, ¡°Duchess, can you-¡±


    ¡°Alfred,¡± Alessandra stopped him before he could intrude. ¡°I would like to be alone. Sally, can you please bring my breakfast up here once it is done? I will spend the rest of my time here and start packing. You are both free to go now.¡±


    Sally opened her mouth to say something but no words came out. She had no idea what was happening between Alessandra and Edgar to try offering advice. Alessandra and Edgar were always the ones tomunicate with each other so all everyone else needed to do was give them space and mind their business.


    Sally saw Edgar as a needy man who always needed to be around his wife these days so she figured it wouldn¡¯t be long until he gave up and tried to reconcile with Alessandra. ¡°Please call for me when you require my help. I will bring your breakfast shortly,¡± Sally excused herself first.


    Alfred was reluctant to leave but there was nothing he could do. ¡°Please have a good day,¡± he said before leaving.


    Alessandra sighed in relief after Alfred finally left the room. The n had jumped into action so quickly therefore she was worried she might mess it but Sally and Alfred seemed to believe the act. ¡°I could join the theater as Edgar said,¡± she muttered.


    She could not wait to see the look on their faces once the truth would be revealed.


    ¡°Wait, Edgar did not tell me when this would end. How long are we supposed to fool them?¡± Alessandra wondered out loud. She did not want Alfred to be too concerned for a long time but Edgar could carry this on forever. ¡°I hope it does not go on forever or Alfred¡¯s poor heart will fail from guilt.¡±

 Chapter 216

    216 Dynamic Duo (4)


    ¡°Where are you going, Edgar?¡±


    ¡°Alfred, I know that you must miss me after being away all night long but please leave me alone. I am starting to find you to be as annoying as my mother. You should be aware that what happens in my marriage only concerns me and my wife. Go tend to flowers or whatever it is you have been doing to enjoy yourst day here,¡± Edgar shooed Alfred away like an annoying little fly.


    ¡°No, I would like to apologize for forcing things to happen between you and the Duchess. I should have learned from what happened the first time. Is that what angered the Duchess?¡± Alfred rubbed his sweaty hands as he was afraid he had offended Alessandra.


    ¡°If only you and my grandmother could have thought about that before you meddle in our business. You are well aware of Alessandra¡¯s personality to know there are certain games that I would not pull with her. There is no use in bothering me about it. Alessandra and I will figure this out and go back to normal,¡± Edgar said, then ced his cup in front of his mouth to hide the small smile he could not resist.


    ¡°I should offer my sincere apologies to the Duchess. I don¡¯t want herst day to be like this.¡±


    ¡°No, I will have a conversation with her. She has directed her anger at me after all. Finish enjoying your vacation,¡± Edgar touched Alfred¡¯s shoulder as he passed by. He was tempted to grip to cause more pain to what Alfred was already feeling.


    Edgar felt as if he had a doll resembling Alfred in his hands and a needle pointed toward it. One single prick from the needle and Alfred would crumble. Alfred should be thankful that Edgar wished to have him around for the rest of his life.


    ¡°Before you go, your grandmother will be holding a gathering for all the family in town before we all have to leave tonight. It will go on with or without you but just know that the Duchess wanted to meet many of your rtives. It would be good for her to end the trip on a high note surrounded by her new family,¡± Alfred informed Edgar.


    After Alessandra had decided to skip out on the party, Rose hade up with the idea to take the party to her house so that Alessandra wouldn¡¯t have to worry about petty arguments or cattiness. Alfred and Rose had started to n it while Edgar and Alessandra were busy shopping.


    .....


    ¡°I will see if she is up for it. Goodbye Alfred.¡±


    ¡°What have we done,dy Collins?¡± Alfred sighed. For the first time in many years, his back started to ache once again because of how stressed he was now. ¡°I should put on some tea for everyone to rx. Tea solves everything.¡±


    Meanwhile, Edgar hummed a tune as he walked upstairs to find Alessandra. Nothing excited him more than seeing other people sweat and right now, Alfred could water the nts with how much he had been sweating. Edgar expected Alfred to remain suspicious but whatever conversation Alfred had with Alessandra had erased any suspicion.


    Edgar opened the bedroom door, weed by the sight of Alessandra standing by the bed with her dresses which were previously packed in the closet. He closed the door behind him in case Alfred was nosy enough to follow him here and approached Alessandra by the bed. ¡°It is not time for us to pack up yet and someone will be tasked with it,¡± he said.


    ¡°That¡¯s alright. I have nothing to do until the n is over. Is Alfred still worried? I feel a bit guilty for making him so concerned.¡±


    ¡°He deserves it for plotting with my grandmother. He should always be on my side,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°Wait a minute,¡± Alessandra said as she realized something. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you are more upset about the fact Alfred plotted with your grandmother instead of being loyal to you than the fact they were meddling in our rtionship? When you say Alfred only belongs to you, you truly meant it,¡± she muttered.


    This was all Edgar¡¯s way of getting back at Alfred for not informing him of his grandmother¡¯s ns.


    ¡°The only people he should plot with is us. I have made the rash decision not to tell Alfred we were joking around to fool him.¡±


    ¡°We cannot do that,¡± Alessandra disagreed with the idea. It was evident Alfred felt bad. To make him think it was real was pushing the limit. ¡°It was only meant to be a lesson for them to leave us alone. Not for him to me himself forever. I will tell him.¡±


    ¡°You are no fun,¡± Edgar shook his head. ¡°By the way, my grandmother is holding a gathering for my family members. It would be around the time we are meant to head back to Lockwood so if you want, we can have everything packed up, go there for a while, and then head straight home. You don¡¯t have to force yourself to meet with anyone.¡±


    Alessandra¡¯s face lit up at the news. She had been waiting to meet more of his family. ¡°I want to go. It¡¯s a shame an entire evening was wasted yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Was it wasted? I¡¯d say it was time well spent. Do you need my help to help remind you of yesterday? It would certainly show them that we are on good terms if they hear your voice,¡± Edgar said as he twirled the top button of her dress to tease her.


    ¡°N-No,¡± Alessandra pushed Edgar away. ¡°Not everyone has no shame like you. I would never be able to face Alfred and everyone else. Please tell him we were only joking or I will. Think about his heart.¡±


    ¡°I am thinking about it. I am thinking about how I will crush it. It¡¯s good to mess with Alfred once in a while. All that matters is him knowing we are back on good terms. If we tell him it was a joke, he will tell my grandmother and she will continue to plot us being together to produce the great-grandchildren she so desperately wants. We should find her a small animal to take care of before we leave,¡± Edgar proposed.


    ¡°Once your grandmother knows we did not like it, she will not do it again. I will speak to her about it. Now,¡± Alessandra patted his chest. ¡°Please release Alfred of his stress and send Sally up. I need to pick out a dress to wear tonight. Now,¡± she ordered him after he wouldn¡¯t move.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Edgar gave in, turning around and going back downstairs to find Alfred.


    Edgar exited the bedroom and went back downstairs to look for Alfred. He followed the scent of tea knowing it had to be Alfred. ¡°Alfred,¡± he called out to the distracted man in the kitchen and leaned up against a counter.


    ¡°Edgar, did things go well?¡± Alfred asked.


    ¡°Yes, it did. Everything is back to normal so you can rx now. Alessandra doesn¡¯t want to be reminded ofst night so don¡¯t bring it up in the future. Act like it never happened,¡± Edgar said with a smile that widened more as the lies left his mouth.


    He was not like Alessandra to ruin the fun. Once he started a game, he had tomit to it. He¡¯d bet two of his homes that Alfred won¡¯t be plotting with his grandmother in the future.

 Chapter 217

    217 Why not to piss off Edgar Collins (1)


    ¡°It¡¯s much prettier when the sun is setting. Edgar, can we haventerns added to the garden at home? It would be wonderful to look at and see when at night,¡± said Alessandra. She was in love with Rose¡¯s home during the evening with all thenterns ced at the entrance.


    ¡°Do as you wish. After winter, a budget is ced for anything that needs to be remodeled or removed depending on what the weather damages. You can take care of it this year. There is the decor in storage for the entire house or you can buy whatever you need.¡±


    ¡°There is hardly a need to waste money buying new things if there are some in storage. My one goal is to make our garden beautiful. I can buy y and try making statues. Do you think your-¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Edgar t-out denied what she wanted. He knew that a conversation about flowers would lead to his father being brought up. ¡°He is not wee in my home because my mother will follow him inside.¡±


    ¡°I did not intend to meet with him at home. We can go out and look for flowers. It would be a nice way to bond with him. I have a better chance of having a rtionship with your father than your mother. I should not let it go to waste just because you do not get along with him,¡± Alessandra said, making it her own decision to meet with Edmund.


    Edgar didn¡¯t care what she did with his father in regard to the garden as long as his father was nowhere near his home. He could hear his mother nagging him about his marriage and choosing another woman. Plus, Jennifer¡¯s murder was not yet solved so he wanted Alessandra to not be anywhere near his mother for her name to be included in this mess.


    ¡®Should I find evidence and have my mother arrested?¡¯ Edgar seriously contemted it. He was positive the person behind the murder was his mother. He would get down on his knees and sincerely apologize to her if he is wrong.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Alessandra said to Troy after he offered his hand to help her out of the carriage. Edgar seemed to be lost in his thoughts about something so snapped her fingers to wake him up. ¡°Are you going to join me or do you intend to stay here? I cannot go in without the man who has made me be a part of the family. What were you thinking about?¡±


    ¡°Putting my mother in jail,¡± Edgar replied as he exited the carriage.


    .....


    ¡°That¡¯s not odd at all,¡± Alessandra sarcastically replied. Leave it to Edgar to want to imprison his mother.


    ¡°Come,¡± Edgar took her hand and led her up to the entrance of his grandmother¡¯s home. ¡°Let me show off my wife to everyone.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about showing off. I have seen the names of women married into your family. Their backgrounds are far better than mine,¡± said Alessandra.


    ¡°They lose out because they do not have your beauty or personality.¡±


    Alessandra felt flustered and her chest had a weird tingly sensation after his words. If just for one minute she would love to jump inside Edgar¡¯s head to see what he would see each time he looked at her. From the beginning until now, hispliments had never changed. At first, she thought he was just being nice but as time went on she realized eachpliment he gave to her was sincere.


    ¡°Red will be my favorite color because I adore how it spreads across your cheeks and how it stained your lips after I kissed you. The dressmaker will get on my good side if she can present red night dresses with little to no material for you to seduce me. Remember this as a birthday gift for me,¡± Edgar casually stated as if they were talking about a normal gift like a book.


    Alessandra became even more flustered as she imagined what Edgar wanted her to wear. Erin would ept the challenge and drag her back to the shop with the nightwear. ¡°Wait, when is your birthday?¡± Alessandra asked after realizing she had never asked about it before.


    ¡°During winter. It is the day my grandmother will host her annual winter party. This year I expect good presents from my wife. Even if they onlyst one night,¡± he whispered to her, and like the teasing man he was, he licked her cheek to toy with her.


    It would be an understatement that Alessandra wanted to crawl into a hole and remain there for the rest of the evening. Edgar was ignoring the fact there were other people also walking into the home and now they were being stared at because of Edgar¡¯s disy.


    ¡°Edgar,¡± she touched his hand to make him behave.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about their stares and neither should you. Most of them are not judging but wishing to be in our position. You will find many of the people here are in arranged marriages and there is no fire between them. Their jealousy for newlyweds seemingly in love will make them try poking at our marriage. Be prepared,¡± Edgar warned Alessandra.


    People could be cruel when someone else had what they wanted. Sometimes they would be cruel without realizing it.


    ¡°Noted,¡± Alessandra replied. ¡°You must behave for the rest of the night. I do not want any more of your rtives to see you lick my cheek like I am some sort of food.¡±


    ¡°Oh but you are,¡± Edgar cheekily replied. She was the most tempting dessert that he wanted to taste from head to toe.


    ¡°Edgar,¡± Alessandra pinched the bridge of her nose. After what happened yesterday, a new door of Edgar flirting was opened and now she had to suffer. ¡°Oh! Good evening,dy Collins,¡± she greeted Rose.


    ¡°Good evening, dear. I remember giving you permission to call me, grandmother. Please do so. Edgar,¡± Rose red at her naughty grandson. ¡°Please keep your hands to yourself before the party is filled with chatter surrounding your public disy of affection.¡±

 Chapter 218

    218 Why not to piss off Edgar Collins (2)


    ¡°One minute you are plotting for us to be alone to make your great-grandchildren and then you¡¯re upset when I touch my wife. Since you are conflicted I will do as I please. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve received a letter from Alfred about what happenedst night thanks to your meddling. Butt out of my marriage or I will visit less,¡± Edgar said in a serious tone. ¡°If anyone is going to y games in my rtionship, it will be me.¡±


    Alessandra elbowed Edgar and smiled at Rose. ¡°I hope you have been well, grandmother. I understand that you were trying to do something nice but there was already a misunderstanding between Edgar and me because of a joke Alfred made. So I do not enjoy anyone plotting to have us do anything. I¡¯d rather things happen naturally.¡±


    ¡°I understand. I apologize for my behavior and for rushing you to have a child when you¡¯ve only just gotten married. I will not bring it up anymore but I must be the first family member you send a letter to after you find out you have my great-grandchild. Deal?¡± Rose asked, holding out her hand as an olive branch.


    ¡°Deal,¡± Alessandra shook Rose¡¯s hand. It wasn¡¯t like she had any family members to send letters to. ¡°So, is this party for us going away?¡±


    ¡°And to celebrate your marriage. It¡¯s a shame the two of you did not have a wedding ceremony and it¡¯s honestly not toote to have one. I¡¯m just throwing that out there,¡± Rose stared at the two hoping they understood what she wanted. It had been so long since she nned a wedding for someone.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to have to throw that right back to you because we have already enjoyed a ceremony in the church,¡± Edgar replied.


    Rose frowned and said, ¡°I¡¯d like to have a word with the priest who did not send you two away to have a proper ceremony. Alessandra deserves to have a proper wedding with a beautiful dress, flowers, and a tall cake.¡±


    Edgar had the perfect idea to make his grandmother busy. ¡°Alfred is avable. You can take him and have the wedding you so desperately want to attend. I remember you telling me how you wouldn¡¯t mind remarrying if grandfather ever passed away.¡±


    ¡°That was before he actually passed away and now I realize it is not easy for me to give my heart to another man. Once you have given your heart to someone you will find it hard to give to another. And Alfred is not the type for me to marry. He¡¯s a cute little snack for me to ravish,¡± Rose said as she danced, much to Edgar¡¯s dismay.


    .....


    Edgar would joke about his grandmother and Alfred but hearing about it from one of their mouths was disgusting.


    ¡°Come inside. There are so many people I want Alessandra to meet.¡±


    Alessandra bit her lip to refrain fromughing at Edgar¡¯s irritation with Rose mentioning ravishing Alfred. Edgar only had himself to me as he was the one to mention her marrying Alfred. It was nice to see how easy it was for Rose to silence Edgar.


    Alessandra and Edgar followed Rose toward therge room purposefully built to hold parties. As they entered the room, all eyes went to the trio as they were anticipating seeing who exactly Edgar had gotten married to.


    Alessandra had prepared herself for the stares at her mask so she did not feel ufortable in the moment. She had dealt with the worst stares back in Lockwood to be able to handle the confused stares here.


    ¡°If anyone says anything disrespectful to you, tell me and I will kill them for you,¡± Edgar joked to ease her mind.


    Unfortunately, Alessandra believed that he would kill someone. ¡°Edgar, please do not ruin your grandmother¡¯s party by killing someone. Besides, you said you liked your family members in this town. There shouldn¡¯t be an issue for you to have to hurt anyone.¡±


    ¡°I was joking but you should know that opinions and feelings about someone can change in the wind. They can say something tonight that will make me view them in another light. It¡¯s not just the Collins that are here tonight. I spotted many rtives from my grandmother¡¯s sister¡¯s side. There are few Carson members that I get along with like Dominic and his father,¡± said Edgar.


    There was always some underlyingpetition between Carsons and Collins to see which was better. It was ridiculous in Edgar¡¯s eyes as for one, whatever side he was on was surely better but also, the two sisters had no bad blood for the family to bepeting the way they do.


    ¡°Alessandra,¡± Rose turned around to look at her. ¡°I have some women I would love to introduce you to. Some of Edgar¡¯s rtives and a few family friends. Edgar, find something to entertain yourself with while the women talk,¡± Rose shooed him away. Alessandra did not need her husband hovering over her when it was time for her to make friends. ¡°I did not invite anyone who would trouble your wife so she is perfectly fine in my care. Come, dear.¡±


    Alessandra offered Edgar a smile before leaving with Rose. She felt happy to see Rose so excited to introduce her to other family members.


    ¡°I have a nice gift for you before the two of you leave,¡± Rose gently patted Alessandra¡¯s hand. ¡°I waited a long time to give it to someone and with Edgar, I was losing hope. I hope that you cherish it for many years and pass it down to your daughter if you were to have one.¡±


    Alessandra became curious about what the gift could be. Judging from what Rose said about passing it down to a daughter, it must be a family heirloom. ¡°I will,¡± Alessandra replied.


    ¡°Ladies,¡± Rose said, bringing the attention of a small group of women to her and Alessandra. ¡°Let me introduce you to Edgar¡¯s wife, Alessandra Collins. I told you it was not a lie. That troublemaker has finally settled down. Alessandra, meet Janice Collins, her daughter Maxine Collins, Tanya Peters, and you¡¯ve already met Mae Carson and Daniel¡¯s wife Crystal. The women you have not met are from my husband¡¯s side of the family.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet everyone,¡± Alessandra greeted the group of women with a smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you again, Duchess. I was just informing everyone of what a pleasant first meeting we have and how in love you and Edgar are,¡± Crystal spoke up. ¡°They still did not believe that Edgar had gotten married even though I saw you with my own eyes. Tell us, how did you and Edgar meet? How did you fall in love?¡±


    ¡°Edgar attended a party my father was holding. We met that night-¡±


    ¡°How long did he court you for?¡± Tanya interrupted Alessandra. Unlike the other women, she liked Prisci and shared the same requirements for a daughter-inw. At first nce, Alesandra did not seem qualified for Edgar. Tanya shifted her gaze from Alessandra¡¯s mask to her stomach. ¡°Are you pregnant?¡±


    Alessandra looked down at her stomach which was quite t even though she had been purposefully trying to gain weight. Had ridiculous rumors from Lockwood traveled over here already or was the woman just being nasty?


    ¡°Edgar and I got married after a few days but it had nothing to do with pregnancy and I am not pregnant right now. I find it quite rude to look at someone and assume they are pregnant. You never know if they are dealing with weight issues and are self-conscious. I¡¯ve always found that money and status do not equal manners,¡± Alessandra retorted, not allowing anyone to jab at her.


    Maxine snorted and covered her mouth with her hand when her mother looked at her. Once her mother looked away, she offered Alessandra a thumbs up.

 Chapter 219

    219 Why not to piss off Edgar Collins (3)


    ¡°Tanya, not another word. You¡¯ll find that my grandson has another level to his temper when ites to his wife if you do not stop now,¡± Rose warned the woman she was now irritated with. She gave clear instructions not to mention anything negatively to Alessandra. She should have known that a woman who tried to see the good in Prisci would be trouble.


    Tanya huffed, having more to say but she could not go against what Rose wanted. Her husband would scold her and im she was making a fool out of both of them.


    ¡°How about we let the youngdies go off to the side and get acquainted with each other? Maxine and Crystal can help the Duchess know a little bit about everyone and help her rx. I am sure her nerves must be sky high right now,¡± Janice suggested in an attempt to break the weird tension Tanya created. ¡°I found it to be rude too,¡± she took Alessandra¡¯s side.


    If Janice were Rose, Tanya would be kicked out. No one could attend a party she was holding in honor of her daughter and talk about the bride being pregnant when she clearly was not.


    ¡°Oh please¡±, Tanya rolled her eyes. Of course, it is Janice who goes against her. This was nothing new. ¡°Everyone here is curious about their ast marriage but no one wants to ask the hard questions. We are all family here. There should be no secrets among us.¡±


    ¡°Hard questions?¡± Janice scoffed, finding Tanya to be insufferable. ¡°Edgar has not been married for that long so to look at her and ask if she is pregnant, you are trying to insinuate she must have been pregnant before she got married. It is ssless to make such an assumption. This is a bulge in your stomach but none of us questioned it. Not like we would expect you to be pregnant anyway.¡±


    ¡®How did this turn left so quickly?¡¯ Alessandra thought.


    ¡°Alessandra, Maxine, and Crystal. Please leave us for a moment. I need to have a chat with these women,¡± Rose forced a smile as she spoke. It had been less than five minutes since she introduced Alessandra and everyone was acting a damn fool. Any more of this and Alessandra might leave.


    ¡°Come with us,¡± Maxine took Alessandra and led her away from the women who would receive a proper scolding from Rose. ¡°That was funny. I cannot remember thest time someone new to the family put aunt Tanya in her ce right off the jump. As expected of Edgar¡¯s wife.¡±


    .....


    Crystal disagreed with Maxine and said, ¡°I think you should have just said no you are not pregnant, and leave it there. Now it has upset everyone and Rose will be angry. It could have been avoided if you vented about her wordster. Everyone is here to have a good time.¡±


    ¡°So am I. I find that if you allow anyone to say as they please the first time but you just smile they arefortable enough to do it again and again,¡± Alessandra replied.


    ¡°She is an older woman in the family so she needs to be given respect. Now she will not like you which will make the future hard for you. I am only trying to be helpful,¡± Crystal stated as she saw herselfing from a good ce. She was once in Alessandra¡¯s ce being introduced into the family and having to act perfectly. ¡°Your husband won¡¯t like it. Thest time I spoke back to a rtive Daniel did not speak to me for three days.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s the difference between our husbands. Edgar has been very clear that I do not need to worry about the opinions others have. Edgar liking me is the only thing that matters. Thank you for the advice but I won¡¯t need it. My husband has offered enough advice,¡± Alessandra happily replied. She was grateful for Edgar being the way he was which allowed her to not have to put on an act.


    ¡°If anything, Edgar would have loved it if you threw in some insults at her,¡± Maxine chuckled.


    ¡°It is not funny,¡± Crystal red at the young brte woman.


    ¡°Oh, then why am Iughing?¡± Maxineughed louder to annoy Crystal. She was hardly a fan of the woman and only tolerated her because they were family. As someone who viewed Edgar like an older brother, she had taken a liking to his wife.


    ¡°Laugh now until you hear that Rose intends on giving this house to Edgar after she passes away. I heard your family has also been trying to im it,¡± said Crystal.


    Maxine shrugged her shoulders, not minding Rose¡¯s decision. ¡°It makes sense considering Edgar is her only grandchild. No one can tell her what to do with her home. It¡¯s obvious she¡¯s going to leave everything to her son, grandson, and any children Edgar will have. It¡¯s what her husband would have wanted. Why are you eyeing her things when you are not a Collins? Focus on the Carson side, dear Crystal.¡±


    ¡°Why is it a conversation about who she will give what to when she passes away? It sounds like many are just waiting on her death,¡± Alessandramented, feeling ufortable about the topic. She remembered how Daniel and Crystal did not seem pleased when Rose mentioned it at breakfast.


    Were they visiting Rose for her to consider her leaving her house to them? If they were nothing but greedy, Alessandra did not want to be anywhere near Crystal or Daniel. She had enough of greedy people. Greed could consume the couple enough for them to try harming her and Edgar to get the house.


    ¡°Ah!¡± A scream soon flooded the room followed by men yelling and a lot of chatter.


    ¡°What is going on?¡± Maxine looked around for the source of the problem. She noticed that people were gathering around in a corner and walked over there, dragging Alessandra with her. There was nothing like chaos at family gatherings.


    ¡°Edgar Collins punched someone.¡±


    The words muttered by someone in front of them made Alessandra panic.

 Chapter 220

    220 Why not to piss off Edgar Collins (4)


    Edgar watched Alessandra and his grandmother meet up with a couple of women he was familiar with. Now that he knew where she would be, he walked anyway in search of something to drink.


    A room full of family members here for his marriage meant a whole lot of questions he wasn¡¯t in the mood to answer. All that mattered was the fact he had gotten married. Why did anyone feel the need to find out where they shared their first kiss or how they fell in love? That was certainly not their business.


    ¡°Running off to a corner already?¡± Dominic came to Edgar¡¯s side. ¡°Take me with you. You know, I should be upset with you. Your marriage has led to me being questioned about when I will be next. You, Tobias, Rafael, and I were hellbent on not getting married. You and Tobias have broken the pact.¡±


    ¡°I take it you have not heard the news,¡± Edgar said as he took a ss of wine from a servant walking around with a tray. ¡°Rafael is about to break the pact.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Dominic eximed, ignoring the looks of the people around. ¡°Mind your business,¡± he told them before going back to Edgar. ¡°What the hell do you mean he¡¯s going to break it? That brute is always out somewhere fighting so where the hell did he have time to fall in love with someone?¡±


    Edgar swirled his ss, amused by Dominic¡¯s panic over being thest one to be married. ¡°In his home. I¡¯ve heard it is a maid of his but it is a one-sided romance for now.¡±


    Dominic snatched away Edgar¡¯s ss of wine and gulped it down. Being thest one from their friend group to get married meant his parents would jump down his throat now. ¡°I need to move somewhere far from home. I¡¯ve even heard your friend Oliver is getting married which is surprising. I heard it is a woman. I could never forget how angry he got with me because I pointed out his feelings for you.¡±


    ¡°You did?¡± Edgar asked as this was news to him. It would exin why Oliver never got along with Dominic when Dominic visited in their youth. ¡°Get me another drink. I need something to rx before-¡±


    ¡°You two decided to find a corner to hide and didn¡¯t invite me,¡± Daniel¡¯s voice was heard.


    .....


    Edgar and Dominic groaned at the same time.


    ¡°He¡¯s my little brother but I find everything about him to be annoying. I am certain we picked him up from the side of the road. Be grateful for being an only child,¡± Dominic muttered.


    ¡°That¡¯s rude,¡± Daniel red at his brother. Sometimes it annoyed him to see Dominic act more like a brother to Edgar than him. ¡°Edgar Collins, the talk of the town. You must be enjoying the spotlight being on you.¡±


    ¡°I am overflowing with joy,¡± Edgar replied with a sarcastic tone. ¡°What do you want? Let¡¯s get this over with.¡±


    ¡°Nothing. Like everyone else who has gathered here under our grandmother¡¯s wishes, I am here to congratte you on getting married. I wish for the same happiness that I have found,¡± Daniel said then reached out to touch Edgar but quickly decided against it after the stare he received. ¡°Well then. Like everyone else, I have some questions about your marriage.¡±


    ¡°Daniel,¡± Dominic sighed, knowing this won¡¯t end well. ¡°Please shut up and find someone else to annoy. Edgar and I were conversing.¡±


    ¡°Well, why can¡¯t I join? This party is all about him and his newfound wife. His wife whom he married quite fast I might add. A month before his marriage he had been very much single, enjoying his time with a certaindy. Do you mean to tell me that he met Alessandra, immediately fell in love, and changed his views about marriage? Yeah right,¡± Daniel scoffed.


    Daniel believed everyone were fools for believing in this fishy story about Edgar¡¯s marriage. No one, not even the king or Rose Collins could get Edgar to settle down and get married.


    ¡°Be honest with me. Does her family have something that you want? Normally you would be the type to just take it-¡±


    ¡°Daniel,¡± Dominic warned his brother for thest time. ¡°Give it a rest and find something else to talk about.¡±


    Edgar ignored the fight between the two brothers and took another ss from a servant while he watched Alessandra leave his grandmother¡¯s side with the troublesome Maxine Collins. A young girl who made her mother worry because of her love for boyish things and gossip.


    He kept his eyes on her to make sure no pests would bother her like the one who now stepped into his view, blocking him from watching Alessandra.


    ¡°You have not answered my question, Edgar,¡± said Daniel. He was determined to get the truth by the end of the night. He knew Edgar well, though Edgar would not admit it, and knew the type of women Edgar would normally share his bed with. Alessandra was far from it with her body and then there was the mask. There had to be a reasonable exnation.


    Edgar sipped the sweet wine his grandmother always got right. ¡°The sooner you realize I don¡¯t care for your questions the better. This is not an interview for the papers. Stop questioning me and move along before my patience snaps.¡±


    Edgar looked around for a servant walking around with food to send them Alessandra¡¯s way.


    ¡°Come on, Edgar. All I am trying to understand is why you are settling for someone like that out of all people. The mask is a bit extreme. What does she have to hide? I¡¯m telling you, it has to be something that her family owns so what treasure have you stumbled on and gained thanks to her? Or perhaps,¡± Daniel grinned as he felt he found the reason.


    Dominic covered his face preparing for the worst toe. He might get his wish of being an only child soon. His younger brother just did not know when to shut up.


    ¡°I know there are a lot of things men like these days and they do whatever they can to keep their hands on it. You do seem like the type to have a kink for a woman wearing a mask,¡± Daniel said and smiled when he finally caught Edgar¡¯s attention.


    Edgar¡¯s gaze had shifted from watching someone to him. From one married man to another Daniel had advice to offer.


    ¡°Listen, you don¡¯t marry women like Alessandra because they satisfy your desires. Even if she is a good fuck in bed-¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± A scream echoed throughout the room as Daniel stumbled back from the punch he had not seening.


    The sound of ss was heard shattering against the marble floor after Edgar dropped the wine ss he had been holding. His hands were only focused on Daniel¡¯s face.


    ¡°Here we go,¡± Dominic set his empty ss to the side as he watched the oue he knew wasing.


    Daniel touched his nose where he had been punched and red at Edgar. ¡°You fucking-¡±


    His words were interrupted when Edgar punched him again and this time, it was hard enough to make Daniel fall against the floor. Edgar did not end it there as he followed Daniel down to the floor and continued to repeatedly punch him right in his face.


    Edgar had been drowning out most of what nonsense Daniel was saying as he had been watching Alessandra but when he finally listened and heard Daniel had the nerve to mention something about Alessandra being good in bed, his tolerance had snapped and his hand moved on its own.


    ¡°We need to break them up.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Dominic blocked a man he did not recognize from breaking up the fight. ¡°Let Edgar get one more hit in. One more,¡± he added after Edgar hit Daniel twice. ¡°Now we can break it up,¡± he bent down to pull Edgar off of his younger brother. He was the only one in the room to be able to break up a fight Edgar was a part of.


    Had it been a yful conversation and Edgar just punched his brother out of the blue, Dominic would not have allowed things to get this far. However, Daniel had taken things too far by speaking on Alessandra when Dominic warned him to shut up. He had no choice but to let a husband be angry at someone speaking nonsense about his wife.


    Dominic sessfully pulled Edgar back by restraining his arms. He shook his head at the sight of his brother with a bloody nose and lip.


    ¡°Edgar.¡±


    Dominic looked to the sidelines and found Alessandra standing at the front of the crowd that had gathered. Concern and confusion were written all over her face. ¡°Edgar, you have every right to want to beat the shit out of him for talking too much but your wife is here. Think of her instead of Daniel,¡± Dominic whispered to Edgar.


    Edgar¡¯s heated gaze left Daniel and looked up where he saw Alessandra worried about him.


    ¡°What did I say about tonight?¡± Rose¡¯s angry voice was heard over the crowd. A path was made for her to see just who had ruined the party.

 Chapter 221

    221 On her husband¡¯s side (1)


    Rose calmly approached the trio, her eyes first going to Daniel¡¯s bloody face and then to Dominic holding Edgar who had a bloody fist. Daniel sat himself up, swaying to the side here and there as he was on the verge of passing out. ¡°Call a doctor to tend to Daniel¡¯s face-¡±


    ¡°A doctor?¡± Daniel looked up at Rose as if she were crazy. ¡°He attacked me for no reason. Mother,¡± his eyes watered when she came into view.


    Mae Carson crouched down beside her bruised son. Her heart twisted with pain seeing his bloody nose, bruised lip, and tooth that was out of ce. ¡°This is uneptable,¡± she looked up at Rose for justice. Edgar should not go around hitting anyone.


    Crystal ran to her husband¡¯s side after she was able to reach the front of the crowd and find that her husband was the person involved in the mess. She burned with anger and felt the need to p Edgar.


    ¡°Please do something. Someone needs to alert the men outside of what has happened and bring my husband. Lady Collins, this is not eptable. We are family,¡± Mae said.


    ¡°What happened here?¡± Rose looked to Dominic for an exnation as he was the calmest person there.


    Mae did not see the point in asking what happened when Daniel¡¯s face was a mess. He was the victim here ¡°My son has a bloody face. There is no telling how he will look after this.¡±


    ¡°Just because he has a bloody face does not mean he is in the right. I will make a judgment of who is wrong and send them away. What happened, Dominic?¡± Rose asked again. This time, she would not ept anyone butting in.


    ¡°Daniel brought up something about the Duchess so Edgar punched him. He deserves it honestly. You have to know when to admit he is the wrong mother. You hardly do, which is why he keeps doing as he likes. He paid the price for talking too much today,¡± Dominic spoke his mind, not caring if it was not what his mother wanted to hear. It was not the first time his brother got in trouble because of his river mouth.


    .....


    Knowing Edgar, Rose knew what Daniel said could not have been pleasant. Edgar attended many of her parties and never once attacked anyone while it was going on. She wanted to know what was said but did not wish for it to be the talk of the party and embarrass Alessandra. It seemed there was nothing she could do right to make Alessandra enjoy a party.


    ¡°Bring the doctor to Daniel and then have him leave afterward. Alessandra, take Edgar into one of the bathrooms to deal with his fist. He will show you the way. Do not bring him back until he has calmed down,¡± Rose said as she particrly wanted Alessandra gone so she could deal with those ruining her party.


    ¡°Right,¡± Alessandra snapped out of her thoughts and went to Edgar¡¯s side. ¡°Lead me to where the bathroom is,¡± she whispered. When Edgar touched her hand to take her to the bathroom she felt it trembling which meant despite his calmness, he was pissed.


    Daniel was in disbelief at how easily Edgar was getting off for punching him dead in the face. ¡°You¡¯re going to let him get away just like that, mother? Even you, Dominic.¡±


    ¡°I told you, you were wrong and if I were you, I would shut my mouth because Edgar is not too far to turn around and kill you because I am sure that¡¯s what he wanted to do,¡± said Dominic.


    ¡°What I said did not warrant me getting punched.¡±


    Dominic shook his head. ¡°You can¡¯t poke at someone and then expect them to react how you want them to react. Don¡¯t talk about his wife ever. That¡¯s the point you got today right? I am going to find my father and a doctor. Try not to get killed.¡±


    Meanwhile, Alessandra and Edgar walked to the bathroom without saying a word to each other. They both had a million and one thing running through their minds. Edgar opened the bathroom door for Alessandra and followed in behind her.


    ¡°Where is the-¡±


    ¡°In here,¡± Edgar opened a drawer near the sink. ¡°My hands are fine.¡±


    ¡®¡±We¡¯ll see after we run it under water,¡± Alessandra said as she went by the sink and turned it on.


    To not worry her, Edgar ced his hand under the water to remove the blood, and just like he said, he was fine. His knuckles were just red.


    Alessandra gently touched his hand to soothe any pain he might be feeling. ¡°What happened?¡± She asked after a moment of silence. ¡°What did he say about me to make you react like this?¡±


    ¡°It is nothing,¡± Edgar replied.


    ¡°It was not nothing if you punched him amid a party at your grandmother¡¯s home. I can handle whatever he says, Edgar. I¡¯ve probably heard far worse.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the fucking problem. Everyone talks too much and you have to take it all in. Before I came into your life there was no one to defend you. I should have killed him right then and there. He¡¯s been a pain in the ass for too many years,¡± Edgar muttered, regretting holding back when he had the chance to wipe away Daniel¡¯s existence.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you did not kill him. I don¡¯t know what was said but I¡¯d rather not spend the rest of this day trying to get my husband out of jail,¡± Alessandra joked to lighten the mood. ¡°Your knuckles may end up swelling.¡±


    Thest thing on Edgar¡¯s mind was his knuckles when Daniel was out there most likely running his mouth. However, he did enjoy the message she was giving him to ease the pain she thought he had. He had been in worse fights so punching someone did not cause him pain that bothered him.


    ¡°Thank you for defending me,¡± Alessandra said, grateful to have someone who protected her name when she was not present. ¡°I just hope you will not find yourself in trouble because of me.¡±


    ¡°Trouble from who?¡±


    ¡®Well, your grandmother seemed pretty angry and some of your rtives might not like that you punched him,¡± Alessandra replied.


    ¡°If my grandmother did not like my actions she would have pped me. She would have pped me if I stood by and let Daniel speak of nonsense about you. Come here,¡± Edgar pulled her closer. Her presence was enough to calm him down for now. ¡°I am sorry,¡± he apologized.


    Alessandra tilted her head and stared at him deeply confused by the apology. ¡°What are you apologizing for? You defended me.¡±


    ¡°I ruined the night you were meant to enjoy. I owed you an apology.¡± Edgar was aware of how much she had been looking forward to meeting his family, from her continuously talking about it to her not being able to sit quietly in her seat on the ride here.


    ¡°Oh. Honestly, you did not ruin the night for me.¡±


    Edgar felt like there was someone who had bothered her and asked, ¡°Did someone say something to you?¡±


    ¡°Umm, it seems I just have to get used to hearing about pregnancy. Do not look so upset. I made sure to remind her about manners. Keep in mind this is the only time when the pain was meant to be kissed away,¡± Alessandra stated before she kissed the back of Edgar¡¯s hand.

 Chapter 222

    222 On her husband¡¯s side (2)


    ¡°How times have changed. You did it without me having to plead for it,¡± Edgarmented while he watched Alessandra kiss each one of his fingers on the hand he had punched Daniel with.


    ¡°Well, you are too angry to be your teasing self to get a kiss out of me. I feel as if we should get something to put on your hand to deal with the redness. To think this hand did so much damage to Daniel¡¯s face. There is hardly any way the both of you will reconcile and I don¡¯t mind. I¡¯m not fond of him and his wife because it seems like they are just out to get your grandmother¡¯s home.¡±


    Alessandra didn¡¯t know the extent of Daniel¡¯s wealth but given the family he is a part of, he must be well off with a home already. If Rose wanted to give the house to her only grandchild, why did that concern anyone else?


    ¡°The ridiculous house talk again. My grandmother will outlive everyone who is eyeing it. If I am in pain will you kiss it away?¡± Edgar asked as he reverted back to his teasing nature.


    Alessandra released his hand, not believing he was in any pain but was only back to his yful side. ¡°ording to you, your hand does not hurt so no. Now that you have calmed down we should head back to see what is happening.¡±


    Alessandra wanted to leave the sink but Edgar kept her cornered there.


    ¡°Then how about a kiss to help thest of my anger disappear? Wouldn¡¯t want me to see Daniel and punch him again.¡±


    Alessandra sighed, leaning toward just walking away but Edgar had defended her and could have bruised his hand. The least she could do was kiss him. Alessandra tiptoed to kiss him on his cheek only.


    ¡°That is hardly enough. Give me a real-¡±


    .....


    ¡°Open the door!¡± A woman¡¯s voice and loud knocks on the bathroom door interrupted the moment.


    Alessandra recognized the voice to be Crystal¡¯s. ¡°Do you think something is wrong with Daniel?¡±


    ¡°No, his wife is full of anger and ready to take it out on the person who embarrassed her husband. Let¡¯s ignore her,¡± Edgar said, using his hand to turn Alessandra¡¯s face toward him. He was determined to get the kiss he desired even if there were to be an angry mob on the outside.


    ¡°We cannot hide in the bathroom until everything outside has calmed down and I have no desire to sneak out the window. We should just get everything over with and leave after speaking with your grandmother. I cannot believe I am saying this but I miss Lockwood. Edgar,¡± Alessandra touched his face after he did not move. ¡°We are not hiding away here.¡±


    Alessandra had an inkling he did want to leave the bathroom because she would be dragged into what happened tonight and hear about what was said about her.


    ¡°Why not? I am prettyfortable. There are ways for us to entertain ourselves until everyone leaves,¡± said Edgar.


    Alessandra thought of a proposition Edgar would not resist and said, ¡°If we leave now, I will kiss you in the carriage to calm this so-called anger you have left inside of you.¡±


    ¡°Edgar!¡± Crystal yelled outside the door.


    ¡°That is hardly an offer when I can find a way to kiss you right now. You are going to have to do better than that. Add something to the kiss,¡± he advised her.


    Alessandra couldn¡¯t think of what she could add to the kiss. They could not do what they did in their bedroom in the carriage. ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°How about this? I will leave this bathroom with you now if you do one thing I ask in the carriage along with the kiss but I will not tell you what it is now. Deal?¡± Edgar held out his hand for her to shake.


    Alessandra eyed him with suspicion but she agreed to the deal. Before yesterday she would have been nervous but now, she anticipated anything Edgar would want to do when they were alone. There was only a small fear of when they would have to go all the way.


    Edgar backed away first and went to open the door where a fuming Crystal stood ring at him. Edgar leaned against the doorpost and asked, ¡°How can I help you?¡±


    A p echoed throughout the small bathroom right after he spoke.


    Edgar bit his tongue and sighed, taking the p without care as he could not retaliate against a woman. However, he would not take being pped twice.


    Furious by the sight of Edgar being pped and could do nothing about it, Alessandra marched to the door, her blood boiling with each p. She understood Crystal¡¯s anger but Crystal should know how unfair it was to p Edgar when he could do nothing.


    Alessandra stood between Edgar and Crystal to prevent Edgar from getting hit again. She didn¡¯t know where the confidence came from but she was d it showed up now. ¡°There was no need to p Edgar and I would suggest you not do it again,¡± Alessandra said and nced at Crystal¡¯s hand still in the air ready to p Edgar again.


    Crystal scoffed, taken aback by Alessandra taking Edgar¡¯s side after what he did to her husband. ¡°Duchess, no. Alessandra,¡± Crystal decided to address Alessandra without her title because she did not want to be respectful. ¡°You cannot agree that it was right for your husband to punch mine. Daniel is now suffering from a broken nose and one of his teeth is certain to fall out if not cared for.¡±


    Alessandra was surprised by the force Edgar had hit Daniel with. Had Dominic not been there to break up the fight, Daniel¡¯s family could have been preparing for a funeral. Still, that did not mean Edgar could be pped. ¡°I am sorry for what has happened to your husband but he spoke negatively of me. I am sure you would expect your husband to defend you,¡± she replied.


    ¡°In the middle of a party where others came for a good time? No. I am not so fragile to need my husband to punch another man for what was said about me. I heard what was said and it was not even that bad. Everyone present has been questioning a mask. And what? You got angry because Daniel said she is just good for fucking?¡± Crystal turned to Edgar as she asked this.


    Edgar red at Crystal for revealing what he wanted to hide. If only he could fling her away back to her pathetic husband.


    Alessandra balled her fist, holding in the anger and disgust she felt for such a thing being mentioned in a conversation. ¡°If you have no problem with your husband saying that about another man¡¯s wife you are just as disgusting as him.¡±

 Chapter 223

    223 On her husband¡¯s side (3)


    Crystal was appalled to be called disgusting by Alessandra when she and Edgar were in the wrong. ¡°To call someone disgusting is a bit too far and you are not in the right to insult me when my husband is in pain. Step aside.¡±


    ¡°No. You are not going to p him again. You are lucky to have gotten away with the first one. Instead of standing here, you should be with your husband,¡± Alessandra replied.


    ¡°Ha!¡± Crystal ran her hands through her hair out of frustration. ¡°This is why not just anyone should be let into the family.¡±


    ¡°You are judging me for being a part of this family but not how disgusting your husband is-¡±


    ¡°Stop saying that word!¡± Crystal yelled. She was here to make Edgar apologize and to cause whatever harm she could to his face.


    ¡°Why? You don¡¯t like hearing the truth. I am d to see that your smiles weren¡¯t genuine. Not that I believed you liked me. I could see the annoyance and anger because I now create a problem for a house you were never going to get. We do not care for each other so let¡¯s end this conversation here. You should step aside,¡± Alessandra ordered Crystal.


    ¡°Not after I have dealt with your husband,¡± Crystal said as she raised her hand to p Edgar. Since Alessandra would not move, Crystal took it upon herself to try pushing past the woman. ¡°Ah!¡± She gasped when she found herself falling onto the cold floor. ¡°Are you crazy?¡± She red up at the culprit who pushed her.


    ¡°For not pping you? Yes,¡± Alessandra replied. Her hand shook from anger, desperately wanting to p Crystal for her behavior but she held back even though she did not want Edgar to have to take the p and move on. ¡°Do not make me change my mind.¡±


    ¡°I will tell everyone about this-¡±


    .....


    ¡°And I will tell them you pped my husband. If they agree with you putting your hand on a man, I will know to avoid them in the future. How would you like it if I walked up to your husband and pped him for whatever he said about me? ording to your logic, I should take my frustration out on you. I have a lot of built-up anger so tell me. Do you want to be pped by me?¡± Alessandra asked.


    Crystal gritted her teeth and shifted her gaze from Alessandra to the man entertained by all of this. They certainly deserved each other because of their behavior. Why did she have to now deal with her husband¡¯s face while Edgar got to walk away without a scratch? The moment they get home Daniel would take his anger out on her. Yell at her as he wanted to do to Edgar but he could not.


    Frustrated, Crystal got to her feet.¡±Why should I be pped by someone who has to hide her face?¡±


    ¡°That is the best you coulde up with? I could take my mask and p you. I do not want to carry on this pointless conversation with you. Edgar and I are going to walk right past you but you are not going toy a hand on him. I have held back enough but if youy a hand on my husband again I will have no choice but to retaliate.¡±


    ¡°You,¡± Crystal raised her hand but this time she intended on pping Alessandra for being rude and standing in her way.


    Alessandra tried to stop Crystal but Edgar beat her to it by holding onto Crystal¡¯s hand.


    Crystal tried to pull her hand away from Edgar¡¯s grasp but his grip was too strong. ¡°Release me. You cannot handle me like this. I¡¯m going to,¡± Crystal bit her lip as she realized there was no one for her to call upon.


    ¡°Trying to harm my wife is where I draw the line. I will ignore all morals and end you right now. I have already settled down from your stupid husband. Do not rile me up again,¡± Edgar said and then roughly shoved Crystal back. He used this space between them to take Alessandra¡¯s hand and head back to where everyone was.


    Alessandra looked back as they walked to make sure Crystal would not be foolish enough to try something. ¡°I should have pped her for harming you. Are you upset that I did not defend you?¡± Alessandra looked to her side at Edgar and saw him smiling.


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you before that I do not want you to get your hands dirty whether it be killing someone or a mere p. She would run out with a red cheek and cry a different story to everyone else. It would create more animosity between the Carsons and Collins family. I don¡¯t care to have either side bickering in my ear,¡± Edgar replied.


    Alessandra chuckled, finding it funny that Edgar did not care about peace but the fact he did not want to hear people arguing in his ears. Quite funny for a man who just punched another in his face. This action will have a lot of people questioning him.


    ¡°What do you find funny?¡± Edgar asked.


    ¡°Your logic. Here we go,¡± Alessandra took a deep breath when the party hall came into view. She could hear heels stomping behind her so she looked around to find Crystal march right past them. It was either she had given up or was going to tell a different story as Edgar said.


    Maxine approached the couple and gave them a thumbs up. ¡°I have not been to a more entertaining party since it was found that a priest was sleeping with a married woman. And to think I almost did not make it tonight and I would have missed the drama. Daniel has left with his parents to see a doctor. Now there¡¯s a debate about what was said.¡±


    ¡°A debate? Why?¡±


    ¡°Well, everyone heard what got Edgar riled up and a few people were questioning if the reaction was needed. Those opposed to Edgar¡¯s actions are from the Carson side and a few men have no respect for their wives. In true Rose Collins fashion, they were kicked out of the party. Everyone left is on your side Duchess,¡± Maxine reassured Alessandra. ¡°What a way to be introduced to a family. I hope something else happens.¡±


    ¡°Maxine, if knowledge is correct you are meant to be entertaining a certain young Lord. Why isn¡¯t he here tonight as your date?¡± Edgar asked as the topic would get her riled up and leave them.


    Maxine was good friends with the young Lord so naturally, her mother thought it would be best to push for Maxine to marry someone she was familiar with. The thought of marrying someone she cherished as a friend made Maxine feel weird so she avoided interactions with him.


    ¡°Stop while you are ahead or I will punch you. I still remember the technique you gave me to hurt someone. Wham!¡± Maxine pretended to knock out someone.


    ¡°Maxine,¡± Rose called from behind the young woman. ¡°Your mother is looking for you and I would hope you have no intentions of using whatever Edgar taught you. I will not stand for anyone else being punched tonight. Go on.¡±


    ¡°Right away,¡± Maxine excused herself.


    Rose looked at the young couple and sighed. Now that a few of the guests with opinions she did not care for had left, the party could go on but she could not get rid of the tension and awkwardness. ¡°Have you settled down now Edgar? Did you hurt yourself?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Edgar replied a bit insulted they thought he could have been hurt when dealing with someone as weak as Daniel.


    ¡°Good. I will have to inform my sister why her grandson was punched today. I hope they do not bombard her with this mess when she is already not feeling well. Daniel was clearly in the wrong. I would have knocked you upside your head if you had let him get away with saying that. Wait,¡± Rose stepped forward and touched Edgar¡¯s cheek when she noticed a redness.


    Only aware of the fact Alessandra had gone with Edgar to the bathroom, Rose looked at Alessandra as the culprit. ¡°You!¡± She eximed. Rose started to love Alessandra but she loved her grandson even more. No one should every their hands upon him.


    Before Rose could direct her fury at the wrong person Alessandra cleared it up quickly by saying, ¡°It was Crystal who pped him in retaliation for him punching- grandmother? Where is she going?¡± Alessandra asked Edgar when Rose abruptly left them.


    Edgar rested his hands in his pockets, ready to watch the brewing entertainment. His grandmother would often joke about hitting him for the things he did as a child or she would have pinched his hand but she had never allowed anyone toy a hand on her precious grandson.


    The loud sound of a p echoing in the room followed by dead silence did not surprise him.


    ¡°Crystal just found herself banned from this house,¡± Edgar stated.

 Chapter 224

    224 How it all started (1)


    ¡°Did she just p Crystal? There¡¯s a lot of violence going on, isn¡¯t there? At least the attention will be off of you now. I need something to cool off from everything happening,¡± Alessandra touched her forehead to calm her thoughts and walked off from Edgar¡¯s side.


    Edgar followed behind her to make sure no one would ask her ridiculous questions about what happened tonight or anything else. ¡°Are you going to look for alcohol? I could do with a ss full.¡±


    ¡°No. I would love juice instead. I saw that they were passing around small cakes. I am craving a lot of sweet things right now,¡± Alessandra bit her tongue as she imagined how the cakes must taste.


    ¡°There is tension in the air yet what is on your mind is sweets. You shouldn¡¯t have so many sweet things right now. Your teeth will ache.¡±


    ¡°Just one slice,¡± Alessandra held up one finger. It couldn¡¯t hurt to enjoy a slice of cake and juice. The cakes look appetizing so she did not understand why no one was rushing to eat them. ¡°You should try one too.¡±


    ¡°I am not a fan of sweet things. Instead of a sweet juice, you should eat it with a ss of water instead.¡±


    Alessandra was appalled that her husband of all people did not enjoy sweets. She loved them. During the winter time, her father would add some of the sweet candy or pastries they had on disy in the house to the side of her dinner. It was something she had to look forward to each time winter came since she did not attend the parties hosted by her family or went along with them to parties they were invited to.


    ¡°Here please,¡± Alessandra called out to a servant passing by with the cakes. ¡°There are so many to choose from,¡± she said as her eyes went to the red, chocte, and vani ones with different decorations.


    In the end, she chose a vani one for herself and a chocte one for Edgar.


    .....


    After the servant left, Edgar stood with his te of a half-eaten slice of chocte cake that he did not eat. ¡°Did you just use me to get two vors?¡± Edgar asked right as she used her fork to take off a piece of what was meant to be his cake.


    ¡°I can¡¯t convince you to eat it if it is not something that you like so to not let it go to waste, I will eat it for you,¡± Alessandra stated then ced the fork in her mouth, almost dancing from how delicious it tasted.


    ¡°You did not even try to convince me to try it and see if I would like it. You went straight to eating it. You¡¯ll need a lot of water after this,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°I won¡¯t disagree with you about the water but it is not as sweet as it looks. It is amazing how after a punch and two ps the party has gone back to normal,¡± Alessandra replied.


    Alessandra looked around the room at everyone either chatting, dancing, or just enjoying being around family. If she had arrivedte she would have never guessed that someone was punched to the brink of death a while ago and there was a p resembling lightning striking through the sky. It was unfortunate Crystal and Daniel were both going home with bruises they needed to tend to.


    ¡°Give me some,¡± Edgar opened his mouth for her to feed him. It was the least she could do while he stood here holding a te he was not eating from.


    ¡°You are like a child,¡± Alessandra shook her head but she still broke off a piece of the cake with her fork to feed him.


    She had gotten to try two vors because of him. When she thought no one was looking, she kept eating what was meant to be his cake as she did not want anyone to see she was eating more than needed. Alessandra did not want the pregnancy talk toe up again.


    Edgar didn¡¯t see what was so good about the sweet cake and rejected it the second time she tried feeding him. Like clockwork, an idea to make her cheeks turn red came to his mind. ¡°I believe it would taste much better if I had the chance to eat it right off of you rather than the fork.¡±


    Alessandra frantically patted her chest as the piece of cake she had put into her mouth when Edgar was speaking nearly choked her. She coughed, getting herself under control, and red at Edgar for mentioning such a thing. Why on earth would anyone want to eat food off another person?


    Alessandra¡¯s cheeks felt warm when she imagined what it would look like.


    ¡°Is inside too hot?¡±


    Alessandra¡¯s panic increased when she heard Rose¡¯s voice and turned around to hide her appearance from her. She did not want to have to state that it was Edgar who caused her to turn red and not the temperature in the room. If she could, she would throw the little piece of cake she had left at Edgar.


    ¡°I opened up the windows to let the cool aire in. Should I open up the ones in the other room?¡± Rose contemted.


    ¡°It is alright, grandmother. Alessandra is just a little embarrassed about something she confessed to me. She told me she loved me even more after what happened with punching Daniel,¡± Edgar whispered.


    ¡®What?¡± Alessandra internally screamed. Why was mister I don¡¯t care about love mentioning it and lying about who said it?


    Alessandra turned around to exin herself and expose the truth but she found herself being pulled against Edgar¡¯s chest to silence what she had to say.


    ¡°It is nothing to be embarrassed about dear. Tell your husband that you love him every chance you get. That reminds me,¡± Rose pped her hands, excited about something. ¡°I should be the one to hear how the two of you managed to fall in love and get married. Tell me the story and don¡¯t leave out any details.¡±


    ¡®Oh no,¡± Alessandra thought and felt her body turn cold all of a sudden. They had nevere up with a story because they both did not care to exin it.


    How were they to say it started with a contract, Edgar killed her father, they started living together and developed feelings but remove all the bad parts and the contract no one was supposed to know about? How could they switch that story to a love story without making an old woman¡¯s heart crumble?

 Chapter 225

    225 How it all started (2)


    Ready to twist the story to his liking Edgar decided to start off, ¡°Tobias ordered me to attend a party being thrown by the Baron to get information. There were too many people watching me so I politely asked to be given a private space while he got what I needed-¡±


    Alessandra stared up at Edgar in disbelief at how he had changed the story already. As she recalled, he had lifted her father in the air in front of all the guests. What about that was polite?


    ¡°-When I went outside to enjoy the fresh air, a woman appeared before me. Little miss Alessandra Barrett, who was supposed to be shy. Intrigued, I conversed with her and found that she liked me,¡± Edgar forced a smile when he felt Alessandra¡¯s nails dig into his skin. He ced a hand behind his back to hold her hand. ¡°I was taken aback. Never had I met her but she already had feelings for your wonderful grandson.¡±


    ¡®This little,¡¯ Alessandra thought.


    She tried to pinch him to stop the ridiculous story which ended with the two of them having a tug of war behind his back while acting like everything was fine in front of Rose.


    ¡°That¡¯s not exactly true,¡± Alessandra decided to join in since Edgar was trying to paint her as some fool in love. ¡°I was actually on my way to do something but Edgar stopped me. He could not just let the mysterious woman pass by. I was not even paying attention to see that he was there. He would not have stopped me if he had not taken a liking to me.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Rose¡¯s eyes lit up. She loved a good falling-in-love story especially when it concerned Edgar.


    ¡°When I turned around and saw him there smoking I should add,¡± Alessandra said and enjoyed every second of Rose ring at Edgar for smoking. It was nice to see that someone else also shared the same sentiments about smoking. ¡°I told him to stop or it will kill him and he said hopefully. I¡¯ve gotten him to stop since then.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Rose smiled at Alessandra after ring at Edgar onest time. ¡°Carry on.¡±


    .....


    Alessandra nodded and continued, ¡°I was in a hurry to be somewhere else so he told me he wished to see me soon-¡±


    Edgar cut her off to put the story back in his favor and said, ¡°I told her I would arrange a day for us to meet but then the next day she ended up on my doorstep. Quite the impatient little one she is.¡±


    ¡°Not as impatient as him showing up the next day with a family ring. I was taken aback by it and thought marriage was too soon. We had only just met. I needed to know more about him. He had even expressed his views against marriage. Why so suddenly was he proposing?¡± Alessandra feigned a worried look.


    Edgar squeezed her arm and through gritted teeth, he said, ¡°I just had to make her mine. You should know that she wanted toe to live with me right away because she did not want us to be apart. I advised her to stay with her family a little bit more. Seeing me leave was hard enough.¡±


    ¡°He couldn¡¯t force himself to leave until after he had breakfast with my family. Though he disliked my father, he put up with him to be on my good side. Isn¡¯t he wonderful?¡± Alessandra roughly patted his chest with her right hand she had managed to free.


    ¡°Little did I know she was having some problems with her family and I had to free her from being sent off somewhere bad,¡± Edgar said.


    Rose touched her chest, saddened by this. She had been wanting to know more about Alessandra¡¯s family.


    ¡°My father wasn¡¯t a good person so because of his love for me, Edgar killed him. Right after he took me from my home to my surprise we ended up at a church and got married. He did not even have a ring but he told me the ring does not matter, it is the people that matter.¡±


    Edgar looked off to the side to hold back hisughter as he would never say something as foolish as that. To get back at Alessandra he said, ¡°Let¡¯s go past the wedding night. Grandmother will not want to hear how you clung to me that night.¡±


    Alessandra gasped, caught off guard by his words. She stepped on his shoes as a warning to stop before this conversation could go left. She quickly removed her foot when Rose started to look down. ¡°I truly wish you could have been present the night we got married but Edgar was in a rush. The next day, I was awoken to rooms filled with gifts for the new Duchess. I¡¯m surprised he quickly noticed my love for painting and bought me many canvases and paint.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯tpare to how excited she was to start painting a portrait of her husband,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°Only because he begged and had Alfred take down all the paintings in his home. When the servants did not ept me as the Duchess, he gathered all of them and gave them a warning-¡±


    ¡°Because she cried to me about it,¡± Edgar jumped in.


    ¡°Right after, he called for the best dressmaker in town to make clothes for me. Then he was jealous to see me spending time with someone else. Oh, I forgot. Before I had married him, a kitten I was taking care of was killed so he had the servants look for one and brought me two to cheer me up. He has even named them. Blessing and nightmare,¡± Alessandra muttered the two names she disliked but she couldn¡¯te up with better ones on the spot.


    ¡°Children,¡± Rose held up her right hand to stop them before she had to listen to any more of their lies. ¡°You two are feeding me a whole lot of bullshit, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Rose knew they were from the moment Alessandra started mentioning the things Edgar did and said. She knew the grandson like the back of her hand and knew when he was lying or someone was lying about him. ¡°If the two of you did not want to tell me the truth, you merely had to say you wish to keep it private,¡± she shook her head.


    Rose walked away from the two of them to find something else to clear her head from the nonsense she just heard.


    ¡°Technically, it is all true,¡± Alessandra muttered.

 Chapter 226

    226 Return to Lockwood (1)


    ¡°I wish the two of you could stay a bit longer. I would love to get to know more about Alessandra.¡±


    ¡°We need to leave now to catch up with Alfred and the others and so we¡¯ll be back home in Lockwood before the sun rises. It is not like you will not see us soon. We will return for your annual winter party or not, depending on who is there. Goodbye grandmother,¡± Edgar kissed Rose¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°Daniel and Crystal are not weed back here so you have no reason not to show upter for your birthday. You¡¯ll make hime, right dear?¡± Rose looked to Alessandra for help since she was easier to convince than stubborn Edgar.


    ¡°I will,¡± Alessandra replied.


    ¡°Good. Go away, Edgar. I need to speak to your wife about something private,¡± Rose shooed him away. She had a special gift she had been holding onto for years. One that Edmund begged to be given to Prisci but she hid.


    Alessandra watched the butler bring out a box and hand it to Rose after Edgar had walked away. She remembered Rose mentioning a gift.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t take the family ring passed down to Edgar but I am hoping you will love this. It was given to me by my mother when I married. She got it from her mother and so on. It¡¯s to celebrate a new chapter in our life,¡± Rose said, then opened the box to reveal a bracelet with a charm resembling a book. ¡°Styles changed so I wouldn¡¯t expect a young person such as yourself to love it but it must rightfully be passed down to you,¡± she handed the box to Alessandra.


    ¡°I love it. Thank you,¡± Alessandra epted the bracelet from Rose. ¡°I will make sure to keep it safe to be passed down.¡±


    ¡°Make sure you wear it too. Especially when Edgar¡¯s mother is around. It¡¯ll drive that crazy bird up a wall,¡± Rose chuckled.


    .....


    ¡°I see,¡± Alessandra decided to just smile since she preferred to avoid Prisci rather than try to make her angry. The woman had already killed Jennifer so what was to stop her froming after her daughter-inw she despised?


    ¡°Now hurry off before the cold air gets you sick. Next time you must travel with a coat to avoid being sick. When the weather is like this here it means it has started to snow in Lockwood and it will soon start snowing here. Be careful on your way back,¡± said Rose.


    ¡°We will.¡±


    Alessandra had a warm feeling in her chest as she walked down to the carriage where Edgar was waiting for her. During this trip, she got a glimpse of what it was like to have a grandmother and she would cherish the moments though she would make plenty more in the future.


    Alessandra entered the carriage with Edgar¡¯s help and unlike when they had departed Lockwood to travel here, the two sat right next to each other without any ploys being made to get Alessandra to go beside Edgar.


    ¡°She gave me a bracelet passed down by the women in her family,¡± Alessandra informed Edgar in case he was curious about it.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Edgar replied. ¡°That means if our first child were to be a boy, we would have to keep trying until we get a girl as there are many things you need to pass down.¡±


    Alessandra shook her head and said, ¡°Not happening.¡±


    She was hardly thinking about the one heir that was promised in the now-forgotten contract so more children weren¡¯t in the n right now. Besides, it wasn¡¯t like they had started the process to be concerned about how many children they would have.


    ¡°The wonderful thing about making a child is the surprise of what gender the child will be. And I told you that I have too many properties for just one child to manage.¡±


    Alessandra wasn¡¯t falling for his tricks and replied, ¡°You alone manage all of them so it shouldn¡¯t be that hard.¡±


    Edgar smiled, highly amused she thought anyone else could be like him even if it was his offspring. ¡°Our children should be thankful to have the genes of a wonderful man like me who is beyondparison but I am afraid they will never measure up to my greatness. They shall reach close with numerous training.¡±


    ¡°It is scary how you went from only wanting an heir to many children. I expected you to dislike them,¡± said Alessandra.


    ¡°Oh but I do. Such useless little things when they just scream at their most fragile stage. They just eat, shit, and bother ears with their cries. We are nothing more than their maids,¡± Edgar said, annoyed just by the thought of it. ¡°There is nothing worse than the product of two people who annoy me. It is why my home hardly has children in it or I rarely visit my friend¡¯s homes until their children learn to keep quiet.¡±


    Alessandra had a lot of things running through her mind but she didn¡¯t want to ask them. Instead, she asked, ¡°Does that mean I should prepare for you to ship off our child,¡± she stressed the word child as she was only nning to have one single. ¡°Somewhere?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Edgar quickly replied. He clearly remembered how lonely the schools his mother shipped him off to because she had no time for a child were. The only thing he found to be entertaining was making the people there lives miserable until the day Alfred arrived and took him home.


    He went back and forth for years, returning home only to be sent back by his mother until his father put an end to it. Due to his strained rtionship with his parents, Rose handed him the home he now owned and Alfred raised Edgar there as his guardian until Edgar came of age to legally inherit the home.


    Edgar inherited many things from his grandparents and quite a few from his parents. Not wanting to ever need his parents for anything, he worked hard to increase his wealth past many of his rtives, especially his parents.


    ¡°Then I will enjoy the cries while you stay far away. I happen to love children. Had my life gone right, I wouldn¡¯t have minded teaching children how to paint. It is not toote but I feel as time goes on there will be a lot for me to do as a Duchess. Perhaps I would do it once in a while and invite children to our home to torture you,¡± Alessandra seriously considered it.


    ¡°Then you will see how talented my guards are at literally throwing people out,¡± Edgar replied. He had no problem kicking a child out of his home. If they did not share his blood, they had the high possibility of finding their behinds on the ground.


    ¡°How are you like this but then want me to give you many children? Do you expect them to skip the crying stage and go to where you can tell them to shut up?¡± Alessandra asked, curious about where Edgar¡¯s logic stood when it came to this.


    ¡°Obviously our children would not be like the other little ones that I despise. I have the tolerance to deal with my own. I hope,¡± Edgar added as he recalled how Benjamin worked in the shop to get away from his children. ¡°My opinion might change once we be parents but that is far away in the future. Lay your head here,¡± he patted hisp. ¡°We have a long ride back.¡±


    This one time Alessandra could not argue with him as she was tired from the eventful day they had. Sheid her head against Edgar¡¯sp and said, ¡°It would be nice if the ridiculous rumors about me have passed in my absence and all of my father¡¯s family have returned to where they came from. I do not want to see any of them.¡±


    ¡°And you do not have to,¡± Edgar said as he stroked her hair. He already knew that news of their marriage would make many of her rtives reach out to her but that did not mean they would ever be able to. No one got past his gates without his consent and if necessary, he would ce more guards around her for when she wanted to leave home.


    Edgar would not let annoying people make Alessandra have to hide in their home to avoid them. rk was already a pain in the ass and if more Barretts tried ruining the peace Alessandra found he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to make Barrett¡¯s name be forgotten.


    He was well aware of how much Alessandra would be afraid of the consequences of his actions but with his money and power, it was hard for him to be thrown into jail. If he was, it wouldn¡¯t be long before Alfred or Tobias destroyed the jail and freed him. He tried to stick to his morals and not abuse the power he had when it came to killing others but for the woman who had pushed herself into his life with an amusing proposal, he¡¯d wreck the kingdom to keep her happy and protected.


    Perhaps the world wanted him against marriage and love because it already knew the chaos that would follow after anyone tried to harm his woman.

 Chapter 227

    227 Return to Lockwood (2)


    ¡°Oh, the Duchess is fast asleep,¡± Alfred said after he opened the carriage door.


    They had all safely returned to Lockwood and were now back home. The carriage with Alfred, Sally, and Caleb arrived first shortly followed by Edgar and Alessandra.


    Edgar had stayed awake for the entire ride back home while Alessandra was fast asleep on hisp.


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame the Duchess will miss the first snow in Lockwood. It is always fun to watch but we must not wake her. Bring her inside quickly before the cold makes her sick. I will light a fire in your bedroom,¡± Alfred said then left to do it.


    Maids and some of the guards rushed out of the home to help Sally and Caleb remove the luggage before they could get too much snow.


    Edgar carefully shifted Alessandra¡¯s body so he could carry her up to their bedroom. He stopped for a moment when she stirred in his arms either from the cold or from being moved. Once she became perfectly still again, Edgar proceeded to lift her out of the carriage and quickly walked to the front door to avoid too much snow getting on her.


    Had they left his grandmother¡¯s house the time they had nned instead of letting her rope them back into spending another hour, they might have reached Lockwood right before the snow started to fall.


    Edgar entered their bedroom and found Alfred kneeling right in front of the firece.


    ¡°I¡¯ve started the fire and closed all the windows. There is enough firewood there tost an entire day. I will see the two of you at breakfast,¡± Alfred whispered to avoid walking up to Alessandra. The vacation he did not need was now over so he could go back to doing what he loved.


    .....


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Edgar replied as heid Alessandra down on the bed. He contemted waking her up to let her enjoy a warm bath and change her clothes but decided against it. She was already sleeping peacefully and if she woke up now, Alessandra might not go back to sleep anytime soon.


    With Lockwood soon to be covered in snow, it was highly unlikely that Alessandra would remain inside today. Edgar made a mental note to have Alfred ce medicine in their room so it would be right at hand when either of them started to feel sick. He now remembered the cream from the pce that he would need to give Alessandra to ce on her face.


    Edgar sat on the edge of the bed to take off his shoes and not long after he felt a dip in the bed as Alessandra woke up. ¡°How kind of you to wake up after I carried you from the carriage straight to the bed,¡± he said jokingly.


    ¡°You are a strong man,¡± Alessandra yawned, covering her mouth with her hands, and then she rubbed her eyes wanting to get rid of the sleepiness she felt. ¡°What time is it?¡±


    ¡°Most likely we have gone on to a new day. You can go back to sleep. I will join you shortly,¡± said Edgar.


    Feeling ufortable with her shoes still being on, Alessandra slid to the edge of the bed but noticed her shoes had ced mud on the bed. She would need to avoid that spot when lying back down as she was too tired to call for anyone to change the sheets or do it herself.


    ¡°Ah,¡± Alessandra gasped when Edgar suddenly picked up her left foot and started to take off her shoe. ¡°I can do it myself. You must be tired too.¡±


    ¡°I am not. Enjoy these moments when theye. You will not find me touching just anyone¡¯s muddy shoe. It has started to snow,¡± he said to distract her from taking off her own shoe. ¡°It was a good decision to buy coats before returning to Lockwood. The season of parties has started which means trouble.¡±


    It was during the numerous parties when the town was busy in the winter that the first victim was found buried beneath the snow after a couple of children were ying around with the snow. A young maid wasst seen working the night of a party and theck of her presence was not noticed until the parties started to die down.


    Since then a few young women have disappeared. The culprit had been silent for a while which meant something big must be nned for the winter. As much as Edgar, Tobias, or the town guards could advise everyone to be careful and aware of their surroundings, not everyone listened as they paid more attention to the parties and entertainment.


    ¡°You must not go anywhere without Caleb. I might add another guard to watch over you when you are out of the house. You need to be wary of more than your family members around town. We still have that old fool that tried to buy you from your father.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Alessandra replied, only now remembering William. When it came to her enemies, she mostly thought of Kate and Katrina but William was quite dangerous. ¡°Ipletely forgot about him.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t. He is dangerous and will be in the same spaces as us in the future. There is no telling if your family has had a conversation with him. A fool could tell they would love for you to end up in Williams¡¯s hands. Never go anywhere alone with those two women,¡± said Edgar. He didn¡¯t trust either woman as far as he could throw them.


    Edgar thought the Baroness would be too busy with rk to even focus on Alessandra but the woman still managed to start rumors about her and the cook. In the morning, he would see if the Baroness had done as he told her to or if her face needed to be cut again.


    ¡°I would be crazy to be alone with Katrina and Kate. I already know how they get when no one is watching. I don¡¯t want to hear about them right now,¡± Alessandra fell back against the soft bed. It was too early in the day to think of her family. ¡°I want to fall asleep quickly to see the snow tomorrow.¡±

 Chapter 228

    228 A mother¡¯s betrayal (1)


    ¡°Look at you, acting like everything is in your hands.¡±


    ¡°rk, when are you going to stop insulting me and just admit that most of your animosity towards mees from the fact you want to fuck me but you can¡¯t,¡± Katrina smiled and looked at the reflection of the man standing behind her while she sat at her desk. ¡°You have always been jealous of Desmond. The house, the title, the money, his children, and both of his wives.¡±


    Katrina remembered clearly the first time she was introduced to rk and how his eyes scanned her body wanting to take her away from his brother. To have her, rk tried convincing Desmond not to let her in his life. rk was a fool to think Desmond would get rid of the young beautiful woman holding onto his arms and listening to his word. Katrina was far different from his first wife who liked to rebel against his orders.


    ¡°You are just angry that out of the two brothers I did not go for you. Now you have resorted to calling me a whore, user, gold digger, and whatever insults that struggling brain you have wille up with.¡±


    Katrina rubbed cream on her chest, exposing more skin than she needed to mess with rk. ¡°Did you think after Desmond died I would be so pitiful to run into your arms? That I would be so desperate for a man taking care of me that I would want you to take over and provide for me? I¡¯ve evolved, rk. I no longer need a man in my life.¡±


    ¡®Well, James is different,¡¯ Katrina touched her lips as she recalled how he had taken her when everyone had gone to bed. James finally knew how to take advantage of what was before him. ¡®I should have bought him a gift for his hard workst night.¡¯


    ¡°Are you listening to me?¡± rk asked.


    Katrina looked back at rk¡¯s reflection in her mirror once again. She thought their conversation was over after it was clear his insults did nothing to her. ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t. Please see your way out of my room. I feel threatened to be alone with you,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Ha! You need to stop with this crazy theory that I want you. My brother was stupid-¡±


    .....


    ¡°Desmond told me about many things you said about me. He was well aware you wanted his wife but how could he yell at the brother he loved so much? Not like you would ever be able to sleep with me so he never bothered to address it. He was a lot smarter than what people thought which is why I am certain his will does not have your name on it. Return home and give up,¡± said Katrina.


    ¡°You bitch-¡± rk¡¯s words were cut off by a fit of coughs. He disliked the weather in Lockwood as it had been making him seriously sick.


    Katrina tapped her index finger on the table as she watched rk cough away his life. Little by little since she allowed him into the house, James had been diligently poisoning rk and it was only a matter of time before he dropped dead. If she wanted him dead by nightfall, she would need to increase how much James was giving rk but that would be suspicious.


    ¡®Slow and steady,¡± she reminded herself. It was best to make it look like he died from a serious cold. ¡®I should prepare to have his body burned instead of wasting money on a funeral for a lowlife.¡¯


    rk coughed into a rag he carried around with him. When he went to put it back into his pocket, rk was taken aback by the sight of blood staining the rag. This could not have been an ordinary cold. He had been to Lockwood many times before and never once got sick like this.


    An answer came to mind about what was happening to him. rk red at the woman feeling herself in front of the mirror. ¡°You did something to my food, didn¡¯t you?¡± He calmly asked as he clenched the rag with blood.


    rk inspected her reaction which left him confused as Katrina looked offended and taken aback by the im. She had not paused for a moment like she had been caught. He was certain it had to be her doing. As the days went by he had been feeling weak. One morning he found it hard to sit up and med the weather for his condition but it could not have been the weather.


    ¡°You have been doing something to me,¡± rk said with confidence. He was sure that whatever was happening to him was because of Katrina. ¡°What the hell did you do to me?¡± He yelled out of frustration.


    Katrina¡¯s bedroom door swung open revealing Greta. She looked back and forth between her son and daughter-inw. ¡°What the hell are you two doing alone in a room with the door closed? My son has not been in the ground long enough for you to move on to someone else and worse of all his brother,¡± she pointed at Katrina with her cane.


    Greta promised to let Katrina be in charge of the household but she would not allow Katrina to ruin rk more than he already was.


    ¡°I told him to leave but he barged right in. Now he is using me of poisoning him. Are you crazy, rk?¡± Katrina turned in her chair, putting on her grand act to take suspicion away from herself. ¡°My daughter just lost her father and you think I would burden her with the loss of her uncle? You and I have been at odds since you arrived so I have been avoiding you. I did nothing to you, rk.¡±


    rk did not believe a word of what she said. ¡°It must be the food then, mother. She is the one in charge of what goes-¡±


    ¡°The cook has taken charge of what is being cooked as I have been so wrapped up with my husband¡¯s death to even think straight. There are days when I hardly leave my room. Hate me all you want but whatever is going on with rk was not my doing,¡± said Katrina.


    ¡°Mother,¡± rk whined.


    Greta thought it over for a moment. She didn¡¯t put it past a vixen like Katrina to try poisoning her son. Though rk screwed up many times he was still her son so Greta did not take too kindly to Katrina trying to harm him. ¡°I will inspect the matter. Baroness, I have already lost one son. Do not underestimate what I will do to you if you have been messing with the other one.¡±

 Chapter 229

    229 A mother¡¯s betrayal (2)


    Katrina didn¡¯t like how things had turned so early before rk had died. No one was supposed to be pointing fingers at her when rk was still alive. Of all the times rk chose to havemon sense, why now? A little bit more and he would have been dead without anyone realizing what was done.


    ¡®I can¡¯t tell James to stop poisoning him since it would look suspicious for rk to stop getting worse after calling me out. There are better ways to kill him,¡¯ she thought.


    ¡°Year after year I have to deal with the two of you calling me names whether it was to my face or behind my back. Completely shredding my character even though I have been proving your theories wrong. To say that I have been poisoning my husband¡¯s brother is a new low for the both of you,¡± Katrina said, forcing out tears to wipe away. She sniffled, pretending to hold back from crying even more.


    Katrina dabbed her eyes with a tissue, careful not to ruin her face after taking a good amount of time to hide the mark Edgar gave her. ¡°I have desperately tried to fit in with this family for myself and my daughter. I put up with thements about not measuring up to his first wife and being a whore. I have had enough.¡±


    rk could not believe Katrina had turned herself to be the victim when she had been poisoning him. ¡°We do not care for your tears-,¡± rk brought the rag to his mouth as he began to cough again.


    ¡°I have dealt with you talking about money we do not have from the moment you arrived. Instead of helping me, you jumped straight to profiting off of your brother¡¯s death-¡±


    ¡°Lies!¡± rk eximed. ¡°Mother, we should toss her out of this house right away. It is her who is obsessed with money and has ruined our family-¡±


    ¡°rk,¡± Greta interrupted her son as she could not deal with the noise in her ears. ¡°Your uncles are leaving today. Go back home with them and never return to this house. Have a doctor take a look at you and then I will deal with this woman ordingly.¡±


    rk stood with his mouth hanging open, at a loss for words because of his mother. ¡°Mother, how could you send me home when someone needs to take care of this household? I am here to-¡±


    .....


    ¡°To put it in more debt? I have many questions about Desmond¡¯s wife and if she was truly poisoning you, she will be dealt with but the short time it took for her to get this house going again makes it clear she should remain in charge. I will not allow you to ruin Desmond¡¯s home as you did with your own. No wife, no child, no home and always running to me for help. I am too old for your shit,¡± Greta hit her cane against the floor. ¡°Desmond¡¯s belongings will go to his daughter Kare-¡±


    ¡°But mother,¡± rk whined. He was d his mother was here to take his side and expected her to kick out Katrina but she had turned against him. ¡°Desmond plunged this home into debt but you never once scolded him for it. Allow this to be my chance to show you that I have matured.¡±


    Greta shook her head. ¡°You have not and I love you enough to say that you will never mature and think smart when ites to money. I had faith that if Desmond had not been killed he would have fixed his mistakes. On the other hand, I will find myself taking care of you till the day I die. Leave this house rk and get checked up on if you value your life. I want to speak to the Baroness alone.¡±


    rk clenched his fists, holding back the desire to yell at his mother. He had not yet gotten Desmond¡¯s things so he depended on his mother to fund his life. He could not make her angry to the point of cutting him off just yet. Once again, his only hope was to receive help from his niece.


    Someone had spotted the Duke¡¯s carriage returning to Lockwood in the middle of the night so he had to move now to seek an audience with Edgar. He had many things to tell the man.


    rk left the room without arguing against his mother¡¯s decision. No matter what, he would get close to his niece and use her husband to get rid of Katrina. He could not forget how distressed Katrina was after Edgar had scared her face. ¡°Nice scar,¡± he said out loud as he walked out the door.


    Katrina dug her nails into the palms of her hands as her face was not a joking matter. Edgar ruined something she cherished dearly and she would get back at him with the help of someone who equally hated him.


    ¡°Do not think for a second I am on your side and everything belongs to you because I sent rk away. If ites back that you were poisoning him, I will strip you and toss you back onto the street just as my son found you, and then kill you. rk may be a fool but as the person who brought him into this world, only I can take him out of it. Now,¡± Greta closed the door rk left open as she had an important matter to discuss.


    ¡®She won¡¯t make it past the winter to try killing me,¡¯ Katrina chuckled in her mind. It wouldn¡¯t be long before it was only her and Kate standing.


    ¡°My sources tell me that the man who killed my son returnedte this morning. He must think he could go unnoticed by my family after what he has done. That wretched granddaughter of mine must be punished for letting her father be killed after everything he did for her. The Barretts are not to be messed with. As soon as breakfast is over, take me to where Alessandra has run off to. I will deal with her and that husband,¡± said Greta.

 Chapter 230

    230 Murder in the Collins home (1)


    ¡°I am paying him an arm and a leg to throw snowballs at my wife,¡± Edgar rubbed his temple as he looked out his study window at Caleb running around with Alessandra and Sally, throwing snowballs. ¡°I need to fire everyone,¡± he concluded.


    Meanwhile, on the outside, Alessandra happily ran around in the snow feeling like a child once again. As soon as breakfast was over, she grabbed a coat and convinced Sally to join her outside. Caleb came a little while after since he needed to guard her and ended up in the snowball fight.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Sally yelled after Caleb threw a snowball directly at her face. ¡°Watch the face you giant.¡±


    Caleb tossed a freshly made snowball into the air, ready to throw it at Sally. ¡°No can do. I can¡¯t control where itnds.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Sally bent down and balled up a handful of snow.


    Feeling left out of the fight Alessandra asked, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you two throwing any at me? I want to be hit by one.¡±


    Sally and Caleb stopped their fight for a moment and gave each other a look. They both had spotted Edgar by the window and knew not to dare throw a snowball anywhere near Alessandra. If Edgar were toe downstairs to get back at them for hitting Alessandra, they both feared Edgar would use all of his strength to knock them out.


    ¡°You look too lovely to mess up your clothing with snow,¡± Sally lied.


    ¡°What she said,¡± Caleb pointed at Sally.


    .....


    Alessandra looked up at the window where she had seen Edgar standing and noticed he was gone. ¡°I should invite Edgar to y with us.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Sally and Caleb eximed at the same time.


    Alessandra eyed the two with suspicion. ¡°Why can¡¯t Edgar join us?¡±


    ¡°The Duke has to catch up on work he missed while he was away. We are only trying to save you from seeing the cranky side of Edgar,¡± said Caleb.


    Alessandra muttered, ¡°But I have seen it many times. When is Edgar not cranky? A couple of minutes to let loose should not hurt him. I will bring him outside.¡±


    Sally and Caleb felt their souls live their bodies as they imagined Edgar throwing snowballs at them.


    Alessandra paid no mind to the blood draining from their faces and went back inside to find Edgar. She shook the snow off of her body when she entered the door and felt relieved to feel the heat inside the house. She understood why Alfred would keep saying tea was the solution to everything. She would not mind one of his creations now.


    ¡°Where is Alfred-Oh,¡± Alessandra backtracked and peeked into the dining room after she had just passed it. tes stacked up on the table had caught her eye. ¡°Why are so many tes on the table? Are we having guests?¡± Alessandra asked herself. She did not remember Edgar mentioning anything about it. ¡°Maybe they are being cleaned but why were they brought to the dining table?¡±


    Alessandra looked at the counter right next to the cab which had tes with all kinds of designs on them. The cab seemed to be perfectly fine and the counter there was clear so why did someone hassle themself and walk to the table instead of using the counter?


    Alessandra picked up one of the tes to see what was so special about it for someone to have brought them over to the dining table. ¡°They certainly are beautiful,¡± she said as she ran her hands along the lines of the design created. ¡°We have never eaten off of these.¡±


    Completely focused on the te in her hand, Alessandra was not aware that there was someone in the dining room watching and now approaching her like a thief in the night. Trying their best not to let her realize they were right behind her until...


    ¡°Alessandra,¡± Edgar ced a hand on her shoulder.


    Surprised by his presence, Alessandra let out a scream and identally let the te slip from her hands. She tried her best to catch it but in the end, the te shattered against the marble floor.


    ¡°You gave me a fright,¡± she ced her hand on her chest and took a deep breath. ¡°It would have been nice for you to make your presence known. Now look what I have done,¡± Alessandra pointed at the broken te.


    Edgar looked down at the worst possible thing Alessandra could have done. ¡°You should start packing your bags or better yet just run away before Alfred finds out.¡±


    ¡°What? Why?¡± Alessandra started to panic. She was now worried about the broken te as it seemed to concern Alfred. As no one got hurt, she figured it could get cleaned up and she would go back outside but Alfred changed the story.


    ¡°Those are tes given to me by my grandmother and other rtives. Many of them are rare since the creator only makes a handful. Alfred took more of a liking to them so I let him do whatever wanted with them. He treats those damn tes like they are his children and doesn¡¯t let me eat off of them. Why did you kill one of Alfred¡¯s children, Alessandra?¡± Edgar grinned.


    ¡°I,¡± Alessandra paused and looked back at the broken te one more time. ¡°You scared me. I didn¡¯t mean to drop it.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Well, good luck with Alfred,¡± Edgar patted her shoulder and then tried to leave but Alessandra grabbed his shirt.


    ¡°You have to help me get rid of this before Alfredes back here to put them up or do whatever.¡±


    ¡°You do know that he can count right?¡± Edgar asked.


    Alfred would most definitely count the tes before he put them back up in the cab to make sure no one stole one.


    ¡°I am not getting in his line of rage. It was nice knowing you,¡± Edgar removed her grip on his shirt. This was one of the few times he wouldn¡¯t dare try teasing Alfred. You do not mess with Alfred¡¯s clean floors and his tes.


    ¡°That was your fault,¡± Alessandra held onto his shirt again. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have dropped it if you didn¡¯t scare me. If they are so precious, why were they left alone on the table?¡±


    ¡°Because everyone knows to see the tes and leave them alone. How bold of you to pick up one. It won¡¯t be long before he returns so think about something quickly.¡±


    ¡°I am going to bury it in the backyard and feign ignorance,¡± Alessandra said. She stooped down to pick up bits and pieces of the te.


    Edgar couldn¡¯t judge the normally sweet and honest for wanting to lie when it came to avoiding Alfred¡¯s anger. ¡°I will show you where to bury it. Watch your fingers,¡± Edgar stooped down beside her to pick up the broken pieces.

 Chapter 231

    231 Murder in the Collins home (2)


    ¡°You know, I half expected you to help me dig the hole to bury it. Not stand around watching me do it all myself,¡± Alessandra tiredly blew a strand of hair out of her face and red at Edgar who stood leaning against a tree.


    ¡°It¡¯s a nice little lesson for you, isn¡¯t it? You can¡¯t look forward to things going your way all the time. Besides, you are the one who broke it. I¡¯ve already picked up the pieces and found you a nice little corner to bury it. Now, tell me how you n to make Alfred not go around like a madman searching for it?¡± Edgar asked.


    Alessandra continued to dig through the snow trying to reach the dirt. ¡°I was thinking, maybe I could hurt something he cares about more and he wouldn¡¯t be thinking about the tes. You could take a nice whack over the head if it means helping me get out of trouble right?¡±


    Edgar for once didn¡¯t know how to respond to Alessandra. How could she request to hit him over the head all because of a little te? Honestly, he would¡¯ve just knocked all the tes off the table, chopped off one of the table legs, and acted like it was the table¡¯s fault. It was just more entertaining to see Alessandra dig a hole like a murderer trying to hide a body.


    ¡°What if I tell Alfred that you are sick and I offer to put up the tes for him? It could buy us some time for you to find the creator and have a new te made. Then everything would be solved,¡± said Alessandra.


    ¡°Why do your bright ns involve me doing the hard parts?¡±


    ¡°Because you are a wonderful man who would do anything for his wife?¡± Alessandra replied with the sweetest smile she could manage.


    Edgar enjoyed thepliment but it just wasn¡¯t enough for what she was asking him to do. ¡°Carry on,¡± he encouraged her to keep theplimentsing.


    ¡°With what?¡± Alessandra asked.


    .....


    ¡°Thepliments of course and you should put your back into it if you want to reach the dirt before more snow covers what you have already dug up-¡±


    Alessandra had dropped the shovel and balled up snow to throw at Egar for being no help but he dodged it. ¡°At this point, I think it¡¯s best that I just confess what happened because you are no help. I don¡¯t want to see the angry side of Alfred because of how bad everyone makes it seem but I will just have to get it over with. Outside is cold, I have not yet reached the dirt and I am with a man who wantspliments rather than to help me.¡±


    Alessandra dropped the shovel onto the ground and picked up the broken te they had wrapped up in a cloth. This was why it was best to do the right thing from the very beginning.


    ¡®If Alfred¡¯s angry side scares Edgar, what will happen to me? I might faint,¡¯ Alessandra thought.


    ¡°Are you sure you want to tell Alfred what you have done?¡± Edgar walked behind her back to the house.


    ¡°Yes. It is best to be honest so that I do not have to run around trying to keep up a lie. It is now one hundred percent certain you did not kill Jennifer based on how quickly you had a spot to bury the broken te. Please tell me there are no dead bodies buried on yournd, Edgar.¡±


    Silence fell between the two as Edgar did not answer her question.


    Alessandra¡¯s heart rushed from the thought of potentially stepping over where someone who was once Edgar¡¯s enemy was buried.


    ¡°Why would I be so foolish to bury them on mynd when Oliver would release dogs all over mynd? Your husband is no fool, Alessandra,¡± Edgar replied to ease her mind. With the kingdom being sorge, it wasn¡¯t hard to hide a body. ¡°I would not grant anyone the luxury of their bodyying on mynd.¡±


    ¡°Now that you have brought Oliver up, do you think he has given up trying to me you for Jennifer¡¯s death? I wouldn¡¯t want anyone to lose their jobs but it seems he takes things too personally when you are involved. If I were in his shoes, I would avoid you since my feelings would get in the way. It is unfair for me to have to watch out for both women and men lusting after my husband,¡± Alessandra turned around to re at Edgar.


    Edgar did not see why she was ring at him like it was his fault both genders wanted him. He did nothing special to make them fall for him. As children, he was just ying around with Oliver as other boys would, and when it came to women, they were just in love with his face, wealth, and the person in their heads they pictured him to be.


    It would have been entertaining had he sought to be in everyone¡¯s bed but as he disliked peopleing to him with their foolish conversations and feelings, it was all annoying. If anything, Edgar would like for everyone to truly believe he was a monster so they would stay away.


    ¡°I cannot be med for being created to perfection. You should take pride in having what everyone wants but could never have,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Certainly not. It is a hassle to have what many want. I have already met a few of your fangirls and I remember how many women were watching us at the ball. I do not want to deal with it forever. I can already imagine someone trying to mess up the peace in our rtionship,¡± said Alessandra.


    Edgar was about to reply to Alessandra when he noticed Caleb frantically looking around and then when his eyesnded on the two of them, he ran over.


    ¡°Duke, a message came from my brother at the gates. A Greta and Katrina Barrett is here to have a word with the Duchess. We are waiting for your order,¡± Caleb ryed the message.


    Once again, Edgar thought of getting rid of all the Barretts again because the number of them by his gates was increasing and they could not take a hint.


    ¡°Seeing that your grandmother is here with that woman, it must mean you are not that close, right?¡± Edgar asked Alessandra first before he would make a move.


    Alessandra didn¡¯t know what to think of her grandmother. Before what happened with the mask, her grandmother would bring gifts during her visits. Greta would never personally hand them over and use a servant. After what happened with the mask, her grandmother rarely visited the home so her father would travel with Kate and Katrina to see her. ¡°I don¡¯t know clearly whether she likes or dislikes me since she has been distant. She is far from what I felt with Rose.¡±


    ¡°I will send them-¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Alessandra stopped Edgar. ¡°Invite them in. I will properly deal with them so that neither returns to our gates. They will keep showing up unless we give them a reason to stay away. I wish to show that I am not that same girl who hid in the corner, afraid of them.¡±

 Chapter 232

    232 Duchess Alessandra Collins (1)


    First, it was rk and now her grandmother was here. Alessandra knew it wouldn¡¯t be long before another rtive would show up at her home. She didn¡¯t know whether or not rk had spoken about his run-ins with her but Alessandra did not put it past her family to be bold enough to not care about what Edgar would do them which was stupid considering how easily he killed her father.


    Edgar wasn¡¯t pleased to have the two women invited into his home but he was going to stand by what Alessandra wanted. There had to be a lot on her mind when it came to her family and when he was in their bedroom a moment ago watching Sally get out of the coat she wore to protect her from the snow, he could tell she was frustrated about something.


    ¡®That woman deserves another cut on her face for this,¡¯ Edgar thought. He gave Katrina a clear warning to stop messing with his wife but the woman had the nerve to show up today.


    ¡°Caleb,¡± Edgar waved for the tall man toe over to him. ¡°When the Baroness is alone, get two men to cut her face again. That woman seems to be forgetful about my warning. I want more information about her life before Desmond on my desk by nightfall. She is connected to the red light district in some way so have some men visit all around the kingdom.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± Caleb replied.


    Depending on the way this conversation would go, Edgar would add a third cut to Katrina¡¯s face.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± Alessandra exited their bedroom wearing a new dress. ¡°Why did Caleb run away when I came out? You¡¯re not doing anything bad with him right?¡±


    Alessandra wanted to take charge of dealing with her family. She was grateful for Edgar¡¯s help but it was about time she used her title to put her enemies in their ce.


    ¡°He is gathering some information for me,¡± Edgar gave her half the story rather than lying about everything. Once he had more information about the Baroness, he would let Alessandra know what he found and what he would do right after.


    .....


    Alessandra felt like Edgar was leaving something out but knew now was not the time for them to be questioning each other.


    Edgar held Alessandra¡¯s hand and felt her give his hand a light squeeze to show that she was nervous but she was masking it well. Watching Alessandra slowly gain confidence Edgar knew there was nothing for her to be afraid of. Once the moment came, Alessandra tended to step away from her shell and deal with the person before her.


    They both walked downstairs to the waiting room where Alfred had ced the two women and was offering them something to drink.


    ¡°The Duke and Duchess, Edgar and Alessandra Collins,¡± Alfred happily announced the couple more extra than he did when anyone else visited the home.


    Neither Greta nor Katrina stood to greet the couple. Both their eyes went straight to Alessandra. One watched her with jealousy because of the expensive things she wore and the other watched her with disgust.


    Katrina found it to be a waste that such fine clothes and jewelry were ced on Alessandra. Such things belonged to a woman like herself and now Katrina regretted not going after someone with a higher title. Regardless of Alessandra wearing expensive clothes, Katrina knew she was still better looking than the young woman.


    ¡®Kate¡¯s beauty was more suited for this man,¡¯ Katrina thought. She hated Edgar for what he did to her but she would have still liked for Kate to be able to steal his wealth. Then Katrina would kill Edgar as payback for ruining her face.


    Even though they were not shown respect in their own home, Alessandra greeted the two women. ¡°Good afternoon.¡±


    She did not want to stoop to their level and be rude.


    Alessandra and Edgar sat down on the other chair facing Greta and Katrina.


    ¡°You killed my son,¡± Greta started off the conversation, not caring to be pleasant to the murderer and traitor before her. ¡°Tell me why I shouldn¡¯t kill you right now.¡±


    Edgar snorted, highly amused by the woman¡¯s boldness. ¡°Because if you pull a weapon out on me or my wife I will see to it you are reunited with your son. Do not think for a second I will not harm you if you mess with my family. Your son had iting to him for trying to sell my wife.¡±


    Greta mmed her cane against the floor. ¡°My son would never-¡±


    ¡°He did. Your precious son who is the most innocent man in your eyes was ready to send me off to be sold to a man his age,¡± Alessandra said as she gripped her dress. The memory of herself running through the night was not fun to look back on. ¡°I don¡¯t know what story you have heard from Baroness Katrina but I know it has been twisted to make me the viin.¡±


    ¡°And how are you not the viin? Do not let me get started on you,¡± Greta¡¯s anger increased the more she looked at Alessandra. ¡°What kind of daughter allows her father to get killed instead of having him arrested? After everything that your father did for you before and after you got that ridiculous mask, that was how you repay him? All for money?¡±


    Alessandra bitterly smiled as she realized where her father got his backward thinking from. ¡°What kind of daughter am I? What kind of mother or grandmother are you? Youpletely ignored that my father tried to sell me and I know you must have been aware of how I was being treated at home so instead of addressing it, you stopped visiting to not feel guilty about anything.¡±


    ¡°The thing I hate the most about this family is hearing how much my father did for me when in truth, he allowed me to be mistreated by his wife and his other daughter. My father loved money more than me. It was evident from him trying to sell me to a friend. I do not feel bad about his death and I would let my husband do it all again,¡± Alessandra confidently spoke about what she felt.


    ¡°You!¡± Greta raised her cane to strike Alessandra but failed to do so.


    The cane was not caught by Edgar but by Alessandra herself who would no longer allow another Barrett to abuse her.

 Chapter 233

    233 Duchess Alessandra Collins (2)


    There was never a moment in his life that would make Edgar want to strangle an old woman until now. To say he was angry would be an understatement. In less than two minutes, someone tried to harm Alessandra in his presence. The only thing holding him back from reuniting the woman with her dead son was the confidence radiating from Alessandra.


    It took a lot of Edgar to put his anger to the side and watch what Alessandra would do next. She wanted to be in control and he would let her but the next person who tried to attack her would have to deal with him.


    Alessandra tugged the cane out of Greta¡¯s hands, causing the woman to almost fall out of the chair because of how strong she had been gripping the cane. ¡°I don¡¯t know why but I feel like you have raised this to me before but my memory is faded. This won¡¯t happen again,¡± Alessandra tossed the cane to the side. ¡°I am not going to let any of you abuse me anymore. Whether it is mental or physical. I have had enough.¡±


    Greta stared at Alessandra in disbelief. It was rude of the young to snatch the cane from her elder and toss it to the side when it is clearly needed. So far Katrina was right about Alessandra changing now that she married a Duke. ¡°You¡¯ve earned yourself a title and now you want to act like you are the most powerful woman in all the kingdom?¡± She asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Alessandra shook her head.¡±I¡¯ve simply grown tired of being someone¡¯s victim. I am going to try to understand your anger as a mother losing her son but I will never forget what was almost done to me. I did not deserve to get sent off to one of my father¡¯s friends just because my father was not good with his money.¡±


    Katrina opened her mouth to speak but in the corner of her eye she saw Edgar shaking his finger at her, warning her not to speak then he touched his cheek where the cut he had given her was. Katrina wished the man would mind his business and let the women speak. It had been a while since she saw Alessandra so there was a lot to be said.


    It was nerve-wracking to see that after everything she had done to make Alessandra suffer and Kate stand out, Alessandra had managed to ce herself far above Kate. If Edgar was not present, Katrina would use this reunion to take her built-up frustration out on Alessandra.


    ¡°Your father screwed up but I listened endlessly to him think of ways to turn everything around. Desmond screwed up many times but I raised him with enough morals not to sell off his daughter. My son did not deserve to die over your lies,¡± said Greta.


    ¡°I had no reason to lie about my father. Since the Baroness won¡¯t tell you, go find William Lancaster and ask what was owed to him by your son. I¡¯m sure it is the biggest debt my father had since he would give up his own daughter. I don¡¯t wish to see any more Barretts at our gates-¡±


    .....


    Katrina scoffed, ¡°So you are not a Barrett now?¡±


    Alessandra smiled because Katrina forgot herst name had changed since she married Edgar and she was never treated like a Barrett inside of her father¡¯s home. ¡°I thought you would have been pleased that I do not consider myself a Barrett anymore. You and Kate have always wanted me gone. I am Alessandra Collins, the Duchess. When you try seeking me out in the future please remember that I am not the same little girl you have tortured for years.¡±


    Greta calmed herself and asked, ¡°What torture?¡±


    She did not trust snakes like Katrina to give her the full story and wanted to hear what else Alessandra had to say to connect the dots of what was missing. The name William Lancaster sounded like one of Desmond¡¯s friends and she doubted Alessandra would send her to a random person with a fake story. Even if Desmond tried selling Alessandra it would not make Greta ept that her son deserved to die.


    Greta was the one to advise Desmond to keep Alessandra out of sight because of the foolish rumors about her being cursed but she was not aware of any torture.


    ¡°I do not for a second believe that you were unaware of what life was like for me in that house. Did you honestly not question what happened to my face? You only have two sons and two granddaughters so there should have been enough love and care for all of us. What did you honestly expect to get from visiting me?¡± Alessandra asked as she did not see the point of the visit.


    Did the two women intend toe to yell about her father¡¯s death? Judge her for not attending the funeral? me everything on her? Say that she changed or was the intention to just try hitting her? This was a pointless visit.


    ¡°You need to take ownership of my son¡¯s death and let the people in this town know the type of person that you are. As soon as you found a man with money, you changed. Family shoulde first and you know that it was wrong for your father to be killed like a stranger on the street where you wouldn¡¯t have to care,¡± said Greta.


    ¡°One,¡± Alessandra held up one finger. ¡°You cannot say that I have changed when you do not know anything about my personality. Two, I will say that I regret my father dying that night. I wished he could have suffered more. I don¡¯t want to see or hear that another Barrett is by our gates seeking an audience with me. I don¡¯t care to chit chat, to hear apologies or what nonsense all of you can think of.¡±


    ¡°Or what? You will send this monster to scar my face again. One would think someone in your position would be against another person¡¯s face being scarred. I know you well, Alessandra,¡± Katrina said as she saw right through this act Alessandra was putting on. This little confidence Alessandra had wouldn¡¯t be so hard to destroy.


    ¡®I will swallow my pride and work with William if it means knocking down these two off their high horses,¡¯ Katrina thought.


    ¡°You will use this man to get rid of us as you did with your father?¡± Greta asked.


    ¡°No, I will personally deal with all of you myself if you try meddling in my life again. The only way for all of you to understand my frustration is for you to experience what I did when I lived with my father. I will find a way to ruin all of you if you do not stop trying to be in my space. Do not underestimate me,¡± said Alessandra.


    Katrina¡¯s shoulders shook fromughter. ¡°Oh, how bold you have be. What will you do, dear?¡±


    Alessandra smiled, already knowing the first ce to hit Katrina to teach her a lesson. ¡°Since I have gotten married it is only right that I receive my inheritance. I should go to the officials to receive answers on why I have not yet received it.¡±


    Katrina stoppedughing now that the inheritance was mentioned. It was money that Desmond did not have when he was alive and money that Katrina could not hand over right now.

 Chapter 234

    234 Duchess Alessandra Collins (3)


    ¡°Look at the house you are living in. The clothes that decorate your body. I am well aware that none of it is cheap so why on earth would you need your inheritance?¡± Katrina said through gritted teeth.


    The inheritance owed to Alessandra was supposed to be long forgotten. Desmond spent it long ago so there was nothing left for Alessandra to have. Not unless Katrina got it out of her secret stash of money.


    ¡°It does not matter what my life is like now since it is rightfully mine. Both my father and mother put something together for when I came of age. I know you n to give Kate what is owed to her so do the same to me. Tell you what. I will be nice and just ask for the share my mother left for me since I know your household is in a financial crisis,¡± Alessandra said with a devious smile growing on her lips.


    This conversation showed her more of why Edgar enjoyed messing with others.


    ¡®It¡¯s fun,¡¯ Alessandra thought. She enjoyed seeing Katrina sweat, gripping her dress, and biting her lip almost to the point it should start bleeding. Alessandra never once forgot that her inheritance was long gone and Katrina was desperate to hold onto whatever money she had left to keep the house together.


    Katrina didn¡¯t see that as a deal as she was aware Alessandra¡¯s mother had left a lot more money than Desmond did. It seemed the woman wanted the money to serve as an apology for running away and leaving her young daughter behind. Alessandra was supposed to remain in their care so she would never be able to touch the inheritance.


    ¡°I can expect it by the end of the day since thew says parents are not allowed to spend the money they wrote up as inheritance. If the two of you aren¡¯t familiar with thews Edgar can assist you since his father is the one who pushed for it,¡± said Alessandra.


    It was a wonderful blessing that the person who pushed for thisw was her father-inw.


    ¡°Your inheritance is still there so there is no need to get thew involved. I am only trying to warn you that the people will judge you for acting so desperate over your inheritance when you are now a Duchess,¡± Katrina said, trying to stir Alessandra away from wanting the money.


    .....


    ¡°Do you honestly think you can try giving me some advice to save my reputation when you and your daughter worked hard to ruin it in the past? I don¡¯t care how others will perceive me as they will always have something to say. I want my money by midnight or I will send a letter to the king and others stating that you have spent it. What is the crime for spending an inheritance not belonging to you?¡± Alessandra asked, looking at the man beside her who was happy to answer.


    ¡°Either youe up with the money plus interest added by the court or you spend up to five years imprisoned,¡± Edgar stated. He would aid the investigation with his own funds just to see the Baroness behind bars.


    Alessandra turned to face the Baroness and said, ¡°I am sure you wouldn¡¯t want to face such ridicule and will have-¡±


    ¡°You will receive it by this evening,¡± Greta interjected. ¡°Why do you look so surprised? It is my sons who are careless with their money, not me. I will give you what belongs to you but you must stick to your word that you are no longer a Barrett. Contrary to what you think, I have always viewed you as my granddaughter. It was just that I could not allow those rumors surrounding you to tarnish our good name.¡±


    ¡°Lockwood is a town that only cares about reputations, appearances, and wealth. It is so terrible that families here are like enemies and will throw away a family member to protect their reputation. This entire time my father was in debt you had the opportunity to pull him out of it but did not. I would not have been almost given away if you helped him. Maybe I am giving him too much credit since my father was a vile person,¡± Alessandra stated as it was highly unlikely her father wouldn¡¯t have given her away for more money.


    ¡°I hope for your sake, these ims are true because I won¡¯t allow you to nder my son¡¯s name with your lies. Once I have visited this man William, I wille again. Why are youughing?¡± Greta asked after Alessandra out of the blue started tough.


    ¡°You honestly think I want to meet with you again? After you came here to smack me with a cane and refuse to believe that your son was disgusting enough to try exchanging his daughter to pay off his debt. I have no desire to meet with you again. Oh, if my uncle tries to speak with me again you will have to prepare another funeral,¡± said Alessandra.


    ¡°You¡¯ll kill all of your family?¡± Greta asked, disliking Alessandra the more she spoke. There was a tad bit of regret for not being more involved in Desmond¡¯s family matters. Alessandra would have turned out like Kate who was more obedient and grateful. She had tomend Katrina for the way she raised her daughter. It was one of the two things the Baroness had ever done right.


    ¡°Why do you keep saying family after I have cut ties with all of you and you want to do the same with me? I don¡¯t view any of you as my family so I will have no problem harming someone I view as a stranger if they keep trying to intervene in my life. The money and the heirlooms my mother left for me can be delivered by one of your servants. The guards will kill on sight if either of you shows up again. I hope you did not enjoy your time here,¡± Alessandra stood up from her seat since she was over this meeting. ¡°Leave.¡±


    ¡°Abusing your power, aren¡¯t you? You can only kill those who trespass onto yournd or you will find yourself in trouble.¡±


    Edgar stood up beside his wife. ¡°That is why a man like myself did not build my gates on the edge of mynd. All of thend outside of our gates belong to me so if my guards tell you to leave but you do not, I am well within my right to attack and protect my wife. If either of you shows up at my gates again, I will take off your heads just like I did with Desmond. Piss me off even more and I won¡¯t do it in one cut and let you feel the pain.¡±


    Greta gasped, both surprised and angry by how easy it was for him to mention how he killed her son. ¡°You monster-¡±


    ¡°Yes yes,¡± Edgar shrugged since the nickname wasn¡¯t new. ¡°Keep fucking around with my wife or showing up for pointless conversation and I will truly start acting like that what you called me. Baroness, I will be seeing you soon,¡± he tapped his cheek to make her paranoid since she knew what was toe for disobeying him.


    ¡®No,¡¯ Katrina thought. She did as he asked with the rumors so why would she still be cut? Greta was the one who tried to harm Alessandra, not her. Greta was the one who forced her toe here.


    Katrina stood up from her chair, leaving Greta who needed the cane Alessandra tossed away all alone.


    ¡°Katrina!¡± Greta called to her daughter-inw but the said woman did not look back as she desperately wanted to get away from Edgar to protect her face.

 Chapter 235

    235 Benefits (1)


    ¡°That insolent woman,¡± Greta smacked the chair as she was now left helpless before Alessandra and her husband. If she had not sent rk back home, she would have preferred to bring him along instead of Katrina. ¡°If you want me out of your house so badly, give me back my cane.¡±


    ¡°Alfred,¡± Alessandra called to the butler since she was not going to do it. It might be fun for her grandmother to see her pick up the cane and hand it to her after she had thrown it to the side. ¡°I want to go back to our room,¡± she whispered to Edgar.


    The couple then left while Alfred helped the woman he wished to teach manners because of her grumpy personality.


    ¡°You scared the hell out of her. Are you nning to cut her again?¡± Alessandra asked as they walked up the stairs.


    ¡°Yes. I gave her a pretty clear warning to stay away from you but she did not listen,¡± Edgar replied.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think she came of her own free will. From what I remember, my grandmother hated Katrina. rk is looking to own the home so Katrina must be ying nice to Greta to either get rid of rk or she is being nice to get some money out of this. Katrina is smart enough to note here willingly,¡± Alessandra said.


    Alessandra knew Katrina¡¯s personality well to know the woman would never walk into Edgar¡¯s home after he cut her face. The woman would try other dirty tricks that would make it hard to point back to her as the culprit. This visit today was all her grandmother¡¯s doing.


    ¡°If the inheritance isn¡¯t here by night, I would like to send a notice about it. Can you help me retrieve the letter from the court about my inheritance? I want to see the list of what is supposed to be mine and make sure I get everything belonging to me tonight.¡±


    With Edgar¡¯s connection, he could get it for her in the next hour. ¡°No problem. Alessandra, did you ever hear the Baroness talk about her life before your father?¡±


    .....


    ¡°No. Never once even when Kate asked about her rtives from her mother¡¯s side. I don¡¯t know if my father even had an idea of where Katrina came from or maybe he believed whatever story she told him. She is certainly not from Lockwood. No friends or rtives from her life before have ever visited our home which is odd,¡± Alessandra realized now that Edgar brought it up.


    ¡°Sounds like she has sessfully left whatever life she had before out of Lockwood. Someone outside of Lockwood would have to recognize her when they hear the name and see the face. It is likely, Katrina might not be her real name. Still, anyone should recognize the face so how is she able to hide her past?¡±


    Edgar came across many people running from their past so they changed their names and many times their appearance. Nine times out of ten they would have someone helping with the transition.


    He had many questions that needed to be answered now. What was thest name Katrina used before her marriage? How was she able to meet the Baron? The Baron cared a lot about his reputation to not marry a woman who came to him with nothing even if she was young and beautiful. Katrina would have just been his mistress. Katrina must have appeared before him a certain way but how?


    ¡°Do you think she had someone helping her?¡± Alessandra asked.


    ¡°Yes and if I find that person I will know what exactly she was trying to hide. I will take care of it,¡± Edgar ruffled Alessandra¡¯s hair only to receive a re for messing up Sally¡¯s hard work.


    Alessandra tried her best to fix what Edgar messed up and said, ¡°I was not always outside of my bedroom to see if she had anyone showing up looking for her but if anyone would know, it is the butler before James. He was a nice man. Katrina had fired him for some reason. I do not know where he lives now but his name is Eugene Palmer.¡±


    ¡°That should be enough. Caleb and I have something to do in town but it shouldn¡¯t be long. Do not leave home since you are without a guard-¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Alessandra interrupted Edgar before he could give her another lecture. ¡°I find it suspicious that you and Caleb now have to leave home. Had those two not arrived, Caleb would have been outside with me and you told me you were staying home today because of the snow. Where do you have to go?¡±


    ¡°In town,¡± Edgar replied.


    ¡°I know that but where in town are you going?¡± Alessandra asked.


    ¡°To the red light district but I promise it is not what you think. I have no intentions of-¡±


    ¡°I know. You n to go there to get information right?¡± Alessandra already knew he wasn¡¯t going there to sleep with anyone since he brought this up a few times. ¡°Still, it would be best if you send Caleb inside instead of you. I cannot deal with rumors that you have already grown bored of me. Do not give the town something to gossip about and be back before dinner.¡±


    ¡°Yes yes yes,¡± Edgar quickly replied. As Alessandra headed back to their bedroom, he left to search for Caleb.


    If there was one ce he could find out about this Eugene man and dig around for more information about Katrina, it was the red light district. A ce where men went to get drunk and enjoy themselves but they often got too drunk and bbered many secrets. The women there had many stories to tell for the right price.


    ¡°Caleb!¡± Edgar called to the tall brute who seemed to be annoying Sally. ¡°Come with me. Sally, inform Alfred that I will be out for a couple of hours and then stay by my wife¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Yes Duke,¡± Sally replied.


    Caleb went to Edgar¡¯s side and asked, ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°To the red light district-¡±


    ¡°But you are married,¡± said Caleb. The Duchess was a wonderful woman so Caleb would not stand for the Duke stepping out on her.


    Edgar stopped walking and looked at the man who should know more than anyone why he was going there. ¡°I have no memory loss, Caleb. I am aware that I am married. I will not be seen going inside. You will and then we are going somewhere else. Sometimes I wonder why your brother works at the gates and you are by my side. Sometimes I just want to...¡± Edgar positioned his hands like he would strangle Caleb.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m still the better fighter which is why I am in here,¡± Caleb muttered.

 Chapter 236

    236 Benefits (2)


    ¡°If word of me going into the red light district gets back to everyone on the estate, I¡¯d like to request you clear up why I was there,¡± said Caleb.


    Edgar opened his eyes and looked at Caleb sitting across from him as the carriage moved. ¡°Why? Is it to make sure the woman you im to have no feelings for won¡¯t judge why you are there? Silly me, I thought there is nothing to rify if there are no feelings involved. Confess your feelings so that she can reject them and let you move on. Your one-sided love story bores me to the point of no return.¡±


    Caleb once again did not see why anyone thought he liked Sally. The woman was just fun to be around and he considered her a good friend. ¡°I do not have a one-sided love story,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Hmm. I should make this pathetic crush you have interesting by cing bets with others to see how long it will take you to realize your feelings. The longer you wait, the bigger opening you make for someone to snatch her away,¡± said Edgar.


    Caleb could not believe that out of all people Edgar was giving him rtionship advice that he did not need. ¡°Times truly have changed. Never would I have thought you would be giving me advice about a woman. Good to see you wouldn¡¯t want me to miss a chance with Sally. That is if I liked her.¡±


    ¡°I truly do not care whether the two of you end up together. It is annoying to be asked by Alessandra if the two of you will end up together when your union does not change my life. It will change your lives if you two have rtionship drama and do not take care of Alessandra as I am paying you to.¡±


    ¡°If you were to fire one of us it wouldn¡¯t be-oh, isn¡¯t that the butler from the Baroness¡¯s home?¡± Caleb asked as his attention shifted to the man the carriage passed. ¡°Why is the butler carrying food from the market in this weather? Why are they even traveling to the market instead of having their food delivered like everyone else in their neighborhood?¡±


    ¡°Because they are on the verge of being poor,¡± Edgar replied and tapped on the carriage walls to stop it. The Barrett¡¯s no longer had the luxury of ordering their vegetables and meat which was a little bit more expensive than going to town. ¡°Let him in when he reaches the carriage.¡±


    Caleb peeped out the window at James who had stopped for a moment but then kept walking. ¡°What if he does not want to get in?¡±


    .....


    Edgar smirked and folded his arms as he awaited an amusing conversation. ¡°He will not walk past the carriage. He is too curious to do so. Besides, I saw the anger in his eyes that night,¡± he recalled when he exited Katrina¡¯s bedroom after cutting her face and the butler was there. If anyone wanted to try spreading rumors again, he could mention the messy scandal of a Baroness and her butler.


    If Caleb were James he would do his best to avoid Edgar. Based on the one-of-a-kind carriage and the g with a falcon, the butler should know who had stopped for him. If the butler had any sense, he would walk straight by the carriage or better yet run but to Caleb¡¯s surprise, the man walked right up to the carriage door and opened it himself.


    James¡¯ eyes went straight to Edgar and asked, ¡°What do you want from me?¡±


    James knew the Duke had to be up to no good and he should avoid him but if Edgar Collins wanted to speak with him there was no way to avoid the man.


    ¡°Get in. We¡¯ll give you a ride. Scoot over,¡± Edgar said to Caleb who was puzzled. Edgar had to give James credit for being smart enough not to run away. ¡°Have you been demoted from being the butler? If I were to tell Alfred to go shopping for food in the snow the man would look at me like I were crazy. Alfred is my butler,¡± Edgar exined since James wouldn¡¯t know.


    James wanted to reply that he was still the butler but knew Edgar was already aware of that. Katrina had not yet started to hire other workers nor did she let him have their vegetables delivered so he had to go get them himself as the few workers present were already tasked with two to three jobs.


    James wanted farmers hired once again to nt vegetables on the Baron¡¯snd to save money and make a profit from what they did not need.


    James shook the snow off of his body, entered the carriage, and sat beside a man he did not know but had seen before. ¡°I am sure you are not being kind just to offer me a ride. You cannot buy my loyalty if that is what you n to do. I do not want to work for a man like you.¡±


    ¡°I am sure you would not when you are receiving such good benefits while working for the Baroness. You are not skilled enough to work in my home but you seem too good for that house. It is interesting what will stop someone from moving on to something better. Were you close to the Baron?¡± Edgar asked as he wanted to see how long this affair was going on.


    From the day Edgar first met James the man did not seem too bad. Surely, he could not have liked the Baron but was fucking his wife when he was not around. It would prove Edgar¡¯s point of looks being deceiving. Such an innocent-looking man was tied up with Katrina.


    ¡°The Baron gave me a job when I hardly had any experience and desperately needed a job. I am grateful to him so much so that the sight of you angers me for the way you killed him. He was not deserving of such a death,¡± said James. Edgar had abused his power that night and no one but Katrina was calling him out.


    Edgar chuckled, entertained by the man screwing the wife of the man he had loyalty to judging him. He was tempted to call out the affair now but he would leave it for a card to use in the future. ¡°That is the second time I have heard that today. Tell me, were you kind to my wife when she lived there?¡± He touched his sword which stood upright on the other side of the carriage.


    James truthfully replied, ¡°I did not have many interactions with her.¡±


    ¡°I never had a proper conversation with you about something. The night I killed her father, you were there. Were you helping to drag her into the carriage awaiting her?¡±

 Chapter 237

    237 Benefits (3)


    ¡°I was going to put her in the carriage since that was what the Baron wanted me to do. As the butler, who am I to go against what my employer wants to do with his daughter?¡± James asked. There was nothing he could have done back then with his low status.


    ¡°You could have morals and not let her be sent away. I remember you having to convince Sally to follow me. Seems back then you were aware of the type of people you worked for and knew you¡¯ll get nowhere staying in thete Baron¡¯s home. Seems like something in you changed-¡±


    James interrupted Edgar by saying, ¡°The Baroness has been putting the house back to its former glory. It would be worthwhile for me to stay and be the butler. Everyone can¡¯t be born with a golden spoon like you and not have to worry about how they¡¯ll eat tomorrow. I simply see a good opportunity before me. You do know me to judge me.¡±


    ¡°Quite frankly I am not judging you. I¡¯m giving you a warning. Let that night I took Alessandra away from her home be thest time you listen to someone¡¯s orders to do anything to her. A man like yourself shouldn¡¯t get tangled up in this mess. Find your morals before you go so far you won¡¯t be able to recognize yourself,¡± Edgar advised James.


    There was a chance that James was just happy to sleep with a woman like Katrina or he was receiving something in exchange for his services. So far the only person the Baroness seemed to care about other than herself was her daughter. James could be disposed of at any moment but whatever he could gain from Katrina was blinding him.


    ¡°I still have my morals,¡± James stated but then he felt a pang in his chest as he remembered telling Mario¡¯s secret and poisoning rk for Katrina. ¡°I do not need a man like you speaking about morals. I have heard about the things you have done in your life. Does Alessandra even know the real you or are you just pretending to be a hero in front of her?¡±


    Edgar shook his head at James¡¯s stupidity. ¡°This town is so stupid. It makes me wonder if I am as stupid as all of you for not moving,¡± he muttered. Why on earth would he have to pretend in front of Alessandra?


    When Edgar was with Alessandra, she would see his yful side because he enjoyed messing with her and she was fun to be around. People who imed that was not the real him were normally the ones who piss him off so, of course, they would not see his yful side. Piss him, try to kill him, mess with those he cares about, and you would see this ¡®monster¡¯ side of him. Why did people poke at him and expect him to smile back?


    James would like it if Edgar would move. ¡°You should apologize to the Baroness for cutting her face. She was not deserving of it.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Sure,¡± Edgar replied, making Caleb look at him like he had grown another head. ¡°When everyone in that house apologizes to my wife for the things they¡¯ve done, I will apologize to the Baroness.¡±


    James could not respond to this since neither Katrina nor Kate would ever apologize to Alessandra for the things they did. The servants would because of Alessandra¡¯s new status.


    ¡°I cut a small part of her face while one side of my wife¡¯s face is full of scratches because of jealousy. Yet you want me to be the one doing the apologies. I take back my words about finding your morals and leaving that house. You fit right in with the rest of them. Now that I have a better understanding of the type of person you are, I will keep an eye out for you-¡±


    ¡°If you are nning to kill me just get it over with,¡± James interjected as he did not want to be paranoid waiting for it to happen.


    ¡°It¡¯s no fun when you ept death so easily. Besides, you will be responsible for your own death which is why I am leaving you alone after you tried to help send my wife away. When your worldes crashing down because of the decisions you made, do not me me or anyone else. It is all you,¡± Edgar said then tapped the carriage to make it stop. ¡°You can get out now.¡±


    James looked outside and saw that they were nowhere near the Baron¡¯s house. ¡°We have not arrived there yet.¡±


    ¡°I said I would give you a ride. I never said I would take you all the way there. I do not enjoy being in close proximity to that house since I start to itch. Be thankful that I was generous enough to take you this far. Instead of calling me a monster, call me a saint,¡± said Edgar.


    James did not reply to Edgar¡¯s words and stepped out into the cold weather with the bags of food which were sure to be frozen by the time he reached his destination. Before he could safely step away from the carriage, it had begun to move and one of the wheels almost went over his right shoe.


    James did not take too kindly to the way Edgar was looking down on him and was offering advice he did not need. There were plenty of people in this world who took advantage of the opportunities before them so why was he being judged? What did he owe to Alessandra who now lived a far better life than he did? What did he owe to Mario or rk?


    At night it was hard for him to sleep as he recalled how betrayed Mario looked each time they locked eyes in the kitchen but Mario was never his friend. They were only servants in the same household. It wasn¡¯t like he had it easy either. Whenever Katrina was in need of relieving stress she would call for him and he would have to please herte into the night.


    ¡®It is wrong,¡¯ James thought.


    This was the same woman who had threatened to im he had taken advantage of her but then she turned around and took advantage of him. James was aware he could not trust Katrina but the more he visited her at night, the more he saw her in a different light.


    Katrina had not been wrong that he would watch her and admire her body before Desmond died. He was jealous of Desmond many times so once he stopped feeling used by her at night, he started to enjoy making love to her.


    James stood still as he thought of how his mother would judge him for the things he had been doing recently. She would never look at him the same because of how she had raised him to be. However, nothing in this world was free, and taking care of his mother was quite expensive. Why shouldn¡¯t he use Katrina for money and enjoy the pleasure that came with it? Everyone else would.


    James dragged himself back to the house where he found the carriage Katrina and Greta had used to travel to the Duke¡¯s home. He shook the snow off of his body before he entered and immediately felt like the energy in the house was off.


    ¡°James, it¡¯s about time you returned. Have the maids tidy my room and wash the dresses on the floor. I can not take another second of my mother and grandmother arguing,¡± Kate rolled her eyes as she walked by James and went out the front door.


    ¡®They were arguing? I should-No,¡¯ James caught himself before he could start moving to check on Katrina. It was not his ce. Still, he could not fight the emotions in his chest and not leave her alone. ¡®I am a fool,¡¯ James concluded as he headed towards Katrina¡¯s bedroom.

 Chapter 238

    238 Social queen (1)


    ¡°Duchess, you seem to be lost in your thoughts. What is on your mind?¡± Sally asked since a couple of minutes had passed without Alessandra saying anything while she just stared at a wall.


    Alessandra snapped out of her thoughts and replied, ¡°I¡¯m thinking about my next move. By now I should be mingling with other women in society right? I passed the timeline for me to present myself to the social world as the Duchess.¡±


    ¡°Kind of. As the Duchess, you should start socializing with women whose husbands are close to the Duke. You were also not present at parties to get to know other young women before you were the Duchess so all everyone knows about you are lies. It would be best for you to start socializing instead of staying here but I get danger from all around is keeping you inside.¡±


    ¡°Winter is full of parties that Edgar and I can attend. I can use those to introduce myself as the Duchess and start to wipe away rumors about me being cursed. What do you think of me holding a party here for women in Lockwood? None that would cause trouble of course. Only those I can build a genuine friendship with,¡± Alessandra suggested.


    It wouldn¡¯t be long before Prisci started to send more of her minions to attack Alessandra or more of her friends being outcasted by her enemies like what happened with Erin. Alessandra needed to increase her friend group to have allies against Katrina, Kate, and Prisci.


    Sally found that to be a wonderful idea since regardless of the rumors there are plenty of families who would love their daughters close to the Duke and Duchess. ¡°You should hold a party. Edgar¡¯s home does not seem to get a lot of guests so many women would be excited to visit and get to see the woman he has married.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know much about the young women in Lockwood so I am depending on you to help me with the names. I do not want anyone who is close to Kate, Katrina, or Prisci to attend. I do not need any spies to ruin the day,¡± said Alessandra.


    ¡°Perhaps you should have a spy. If you n this party carefully, the spy will make the person they were close to know that you¡¯ve managed to pull the women you¡¯ve invited over to your side. It will make Katrina, Kate, or the Duke¡¯s mother furious to learn they have underestimated you. What about the girl who came with the Duke¡¯s mother? She seems like someone you can handle.¡±


    ¡°Heather? That is true but it feels like a recipe for disaster if I invite someone who clearly likes Edgar and his mother wishes he was married to instead of me. I will have to think about that. For certain I would invite Erin, Hazel, and her friend Linda whom I met at the pce. Edgar once told me I should be close to the women who are not close to his mother. Alfred should know who they are. Let us find him-Oh,¡± Alessandra now remembered she had not told Alfred about the broken te.


    .....


    Sally inspected Alessandra¡¯s body to make sure she was not hurt. ¡°What is it?¡± She asked.


    ¡°I have to face a dragon,¡± Alessandra muttered. After her run-in with Katrina and her grandmother, she had not left her bedroom. ¡°You said Edgar gave you a message for Alfred, right? When you saw Alfred, how did he look?¡±


    Sally didn¡¯t understand the sudden concern about Alfred. Nothing about the butler seemed different from this morning. ¡°He seemed angry about your grandmother not having manners but then calmed down. He was humming a tune when I left him.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Alessandra sighed in relief. It was best to talk to him when he was in a good mood. Since the house was quiet, she assumed he had not found out that a te was missing yet. ¡°We need to look for him quickly.¡±¡®


    ¡°He will be in the dining room. He mentioned having tes to put up in cabs.¡±


    Alessandra almost tripped though nothing was in front of her. ¡°Sally, if Alfred can scare a man like Edgar, do you think I will be able to survive him?¡± She asked before she walked off to her doom. She always thought either Katrina would try killing her or her heart would give up after how Edgar teased her but never did she expect Alfred to be the one she felt would end her.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with-Alfred,¡± Alessandra squeaked when she opened the door to find Alfred standing there. She huped out of fright and sped her hands over her mouth as she wished it would stop.


    ¡°Duchess,¡± Alfred forced the sweetest smile as he stood with his hands behind his back. ¡°Did you see Edgar in the dining room before he left? Something has gone missing and I have spoken with most of the servants who denied being in there.¡±


    ¡°H-He,¡± Alessandra hupped once more. ¡°He was there with me after I came in from ying in the snow. I have been meaning to tell you that I broke one of the tes I saw on the table. I didn¡¯t know there were special ones and identally dropped one. I won¡¯t do it again. I am sorry,¡± she sincerely apologized with her hand covering her mouth. She was too afraid to notice she was still covering her mouth. ¡°I was going to find you but we had guests and we became distracted.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Alfred¡¯s mood changed now that he knew Alessandra was behind the missing te. ¡°That is alright, Alessandra. You did not know about them and were curious. Why does it seem like you are scared of me? I suspected it to be Edgar, not you.¡±


    Alessandra removed her hand from her mouth carefully to make sure her mask would note off and said, ¡°Because Edgar made me scared of your reaction. Truthfully, we were going to bury it but then I realized that was wrong. Are you truly not angry? I can take it if you are. You seemed angry a moment ago when you thought it was Edgar.¡±


    ¡°That is because he has taunted me with those tes before. He grabbed a couple of them to juggle before me. You are not like that little demon I have raised. You are a saint which makes it hard for me to be angry with you but please, do not touch those tes once again,¡± Alfred stated with a forced smile. It was hard to swallow the anger that such a beautiful te was gone.


    ¡°Trust me, I won¡¯t. Now that you are here, there is something important to discuss. Pleasee inside,¡± Alessandra made way for him to enter the bedroom.

 Chapter 239 - 239 Social queen (2)

    239 Social queen (2)


    ¡°You want to host a party? Wonderful!¡± Alfred pped his hands as he had long awaited this moment. ¡°I have not taken part in nning a proper party for years since Edgar¡¯s grandmother took control of his birthday.¡±


    ¡°Right. Even though Rose will have a party for him it wouldn¡¯t hurt for us to hold something small for him here too. We can invite his friends who are in Lockwood and do not get the chance to travel out of town to celebrate his birthday. It should be a surprise since Edgar will most likely say no,¡± said Alessandra. She could already picture him frowning at the thought of entertaining guests in his home even if they were people he liked.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure his grandmother wouldn¡¯t mind if you took full control of Edgar¡¯s birthday and had the family travel to Lockwood. She has expressed to me that she wants toe to Lockwood to see old friends,¡± Alfred stated.


    ¡°I will write to her about it. I don¡¯t want to disrupt what she might already have nned. Now back to the party I will hold here. We need a day where it won¡¯t sh with other parties and decide what part of the house it will be held in. With the snow, we cannot utilize the garden but I would still love for it to be decorated,¡± Alessandra started to list her ideas.


    It was an unreal moment to not only be attending parties but to be hosting one herself.


    ¡°One second,¡± Alfred stood to get something to make notes on. With all of his wonderful ideas and time management, Alessandra¡¯s first party would go smoothly. ¡°I have quite a few suggestions for the women you should invite. Your name is enough to shed some light on this party but it would do well to have the queen in attendance.¡±


    ¡°Hazel, Erin, and Linda are on my list so far. I have not met anyone else to know who to attend. I have something to say since I can trust the two of you. The day I visited the pce, Hazel rmended I be a social queen for girls like me who are kind of pushed to the side. I would like to invite women who would be allies in the future. Please help me,¡± Alessandra asked of the two.


    Since this was all new to her, she would be a fool to try doing everything herself. With a good support system around her, it would be best to get their help.


    ¡°Certainly.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Of course. I will say you should stay away from young girls who are nowing out to society. They are easy for other women to manipte since they are desperate to be a part of a group and do anything to fit in. You need to build friendships with young women who are well-established in the social world. Around your age and your higher. One person I think who would fit your circle is Vannessa yton,¡± Sally suggested.


    Alfred nodded his head, agreeing with Sally as he was aware of the yton young woman she spoke of. ¡°Her father is the cksmith Edgar uses for his swords. The youngdy has oftentimes been the topic of conversation because she would choose a sword over a dress any day. Edgar once received a letter from her wanting to work for him. She¡¯d be eager to receive an invitation.¡±


    ¡°The ytons have earned their wealth from making the best weapons in Lockwood and even make some for customers out of town. Her grandmother would consider it to be a debt to be repaid to you for taking her granddaughter under your wing. Vanessa might be boyish but she has still managed to ruffle a few feathers in the social world,¡± said Sally.


    ¡°You should try to keep your circle small. Many see strength in having a lot of women under their wings but it is too many women to ount for. A small tight circle with people you can trust is the best way to go. You will be able to notice if anyone starts to act odd. I will work with Sally to create a list of names and then we shall present it to you for you to pick the bestdies.¡±


    Alessandra liked Alfred¡¯s idea to be close to a small number of women. Prisci might outnumber her with the number of young women who listened to her but Alessandra would create genuine rtionships with the people around her tost a lifetime where no one would betray her. She wanted a group of women around her who cared about her as a person and not just her title. People who would not believe rumors and distance themselves from her to save their reputations.


    ¡°That is fine with me. While the two of you create names, I will walk around the house to get an idea of where the party should be held and thene back for your opinion, Alfred. We also need to change the decor for the winter. I thought I would but I might not have any time for painting. It feels like it is no longer time to be ying around,¡± Alessandra took a deep breath to prepare for everything to change.


    ¡°There is always time for you to do things that you love. Alessandra, I am happy to see that you are stepping into your role as Duchess and wish to be what thedies call a social queen but I do not want you to make that your everyday life,¡± Alfred said, already fearing the future ahead of Alessandra. He wanted her to stay as the person she was now. Not that her personality would change but the peaceful moments she had now would be few and the pressure would break her.


    Alfred continued to say, ¡°The social world is stressful, draining, and at times very dangerous. I have seen in the past when I used to work for Edgar¡¯s parents the lengths someone like Prisci would go through to punish girls she did not like. There have been cases before when women have plotted to have others killed. Jealousy amongst the women here is fatal. Edgar would not care if you wished to stay out of it.¡±


    Alessandra wanted to tell Alfred how she had experienced that jealousy already and how it cost her years of hiding her face because of self-hate but she could not bring herself to open up to him now and ruin the excitement he had to n the party. ¡°I will not let this ruin me. I understand that it is dangerous but I cannot sit around and hide behind Edgar. I want to make a name for myself and shield my friends from being harmed. You two will always be around to help me rx if it bes stressful, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Sally excitedly replied as she could not picture herself anywhere else besides working for Alessandra.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Alfred replied. His fears went away for now but he knew it wouldn¡¯t be long before he started to worry for Alessandra again. The best thing he could do was select a good group of women to join her friend group. ¡°Go on and have a look around the home. Sally and I have much to discuss.¡±


    ¡°Alrighty,¡± Alessandra stood up from her seat and left the two in her bedroom to start nning.


    Something else she wanted to do was get rid of the people who were a bother to her life. Kate, Katrina, William, rk, Prisci, and her grandmother. ¡°I should start with rk and my grandmother. William will be the hardest.¡±


    Alessandra was never able to shake the unsettling feeling of William wanting her. She had forgotten about him for a moment thanks to their trip but not the fear she felt as she ran toward the gates that night. He was quiet now and she should view that as a good thing but his silence scared her. William did not like Edgar so it was possible he wasn¡¯t going to let Edgar take something from him.


    Alessandra walked the lone halls thinking of what she needed to do next. Her father still owed William money which Katrina would have to pay off. There was no doubt Katrina would suggest for William get what was promised to him so the money could be forgotten.


    ¡°Katrina knows she cannot go up against Edgar alone so she would have to team up with one of his enemies to get revenge for her face. We should not wait for the two of them to get together and plot to strike at me or Edgar. Still, there is nothing I can do against a man like William,¡± Alessandra muttered as it would be stupid of her to try messing with William. That was a battle only Edgar could fight.


    Alessandra made a mental note to discuss with Edgar what they would do about William. While Edgar searched for information about Katrina, Alessandra wanted to make herself useful by getting rid of rk and Greta to stop their annoying visits. First, she wanted to use rk to mess with Katrina.


    ¡®He will be my puppet,¡¯ Alessandra thought. The Barretts could not focus on her if she created enough turmoil inside the family and turned them against each other more than they already were.

 Chapter 240 - 240 A thorn in Edgar鈥檚 side (1)

    240 A thorn in Edgar¡¯s side (1)


    ¡®I will talk about this with Edgar when he returns home,¡¯ Alessandra thought.


    Alessandra continued to walk around looking for the best ce to host a party. Due to the cold weather, some parts of the house weren¡¯t as warm as others. Alessandra ended up on the first floor and considered letting the party be by the entrance. They could open up some of the rooms on the first floor for guests to wander around.


    ¡°All of this nning would be for nothing if Edgar would not want others casually walking around his home. I¡¯ll need to pass the list of young women to him too. What is happening?¡± Alessandra questioned when a maid entered the front door with a worried expression.


    ¡°Duchess,¡± the maids¡¯ eyes went wide. ¡°I received a message from the gates. There is someone wishing to meet with you.¡±


    Alessandra rubbed her forehead and sighed. How many more people would try to seek her out today? She walked to the front door to look out at the gates. ¡°Who is it?¡± Alessandra asked before she would decide to turn them away.


    ¡°His name is Mario-¡±


    ¡°Mario!¡± Alessandra eximed. It had been so long since she had a conversation with him and then with the rumors, she didn¡¯t expect to see him anytime soon. She wanted to apologize to him for getting him wrapped up in all of this because Katrina wanted to attack her character. ¡°Invite him in-¡± Alessandra paused as she realized this might add fuel to the rumor meant to fade away.


    Edgar was not home at the moment and here was the man rumored to be her lover. She wanted to have a conversation with Mario but it was not the best idea to invite him inside. If anyone were to find out, she could say they met to talk about the ridiculous rumors but then again, no one would care to believe her words. Also, Edgar was not a fan of Mario and might not be okay with her letting Mario inside.


    ¡°Tell him now is not the best time for us to speak and I am sorry,¡± Alessandra ordered the maid.


    .....


    ¡°Yes Duchess,¡± the maid turned to go back outside but stopped when she noticed the gates opening. With the snow and her poor vision, it was hard to see out to the gates but she could at least tell they were opened. ¡°It looks like they opened the gates without permission from inside.¡±


    Alessandra felt a cold chille over her body but it wasn¡¯t from the cold air blowing in from the opened door. None of Edgar¡¯s men would dare disobey his orders to not let anyone inside without his, her, or Alfred¡¯s permission. With two of them inside and not given an order yet, it could only mean that Edgar had returned home.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting him back so soon,¡± Alessandra said and looked at the clock on the wall. ¡°It has only been an hour and a half since he left. The world hates me. Why would he return when Mario is out there?¡± Alessandra muttered.


    Alessandra felt her nerves increase the closer Edgar¡¯s carriage got to the house. The gates closed the moment Edgar¡¯s carriage came inside and she could not see anyone walking in the snow so she figured Mario was turned away. Alessandra hugged her body from the cold air as she was not wearing a coat.


    Once the carriage parked, Edgar exited the carriage first, followed by Caleb, and to her surprise, Mario stepped out of the carriage. It was surprising for Edgar to not only let Mario inside but also let him ride in his carriage.


    ¡°We¡¯re having plenty of visitors today, aren¡¯t we? It¡¯s nice to see you waiting for me at the door but it is too cold for you to be waiting here. No wee back home?¡± Edgar questioned, slightly disappointed by her silence but he couldn¡¯t me her. She must be caught off guard by the visit of her friend.


    ¡°Wee home,¡± Alessandra replied after the shock of this situation passed by.


    ¡°I would enjoy it more if I get a kiss on the lips each time I leave or return home. I would even settle for a kiss on the cheek,¡± Edgar said as he took off his coat and ushered Alessandra away from the door before she might catch a cold.


    ¡°I was going to send him away because of the rumors,¡± Alessandra nced back over her shoulder at Mario who gave her a concerned look. ¡°You don¡¯t like him so why did you allow him inside?¡±


    ¡°His presence pisses me off but I cannot change that he is your friend. I would also like to know what role he yed in that rumor. Was he ckmailed or simply offered money and epted it? For his sake, it shouldn¡¯t be thetter. Where is Alfred?¡± Edgar looked around for the old fox who would always be at the door when he returned home.


    ¡°He is in our bedroom nning something I need to talk to you about when we are alone. So, will I speak to Mario alone or do you intend to join us? Once again, I do not see him as anything but my friend,¡± Alessandra reassured him.


    ¡°I¡¯m not worried about you. It¡¯s the pest I got my eyes on,¡± Edgar said thest part in his head.


    ¡°Mario,¡± Alessandra stepped away from Edgar. ¡°It has been so long since the two of us talked. I need to apologize for Katrina using you to get at me. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Mario scratched the back of his head. ¡°That is what I came to talk to you about. I am the one who needs to apologize. Can we talk somewhere private?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Would you like something warm to drink? You¡¯ll need to warm up after being out in the snow. Wait, how did you get time off to visit me? Did they hire more workers?¡± Alessandra recalled the many times Mario wouldin about not having a day off since there weren¡¯t enough servants. Since Mario owed money, he wasn¡¯t allowed a day off like the other servants.


    ¡°James went to buy food but forgot the pork your grandmother wanted to eat. He has his hands full now so I volunteered to get it. I have to return with the meat soon or they will find my departure suspicious,¡± Mario replied.


    He had desperately wanted to speak with Alessandra but she had been out of town. He saw today as the only chance he would have to pay her a visit.


    ¡°I see. Follow me so that we can talk,¡± said Alessandra.

 Chapter 241 - 241 A thorn in Edgar鈥檚 side (2)

    241 A thorn in Edgar¡¯s side (2)


    ¡°You seem different,¡± Mariomented when they were finally alone in a private room.


    ¡°Good or bad?¡± Alessandra asked since Mario knew her for many years. She would hate to hear she changed for the worse from an old friend.


    ¡°Good. I have never seen you dressed up like this,¡± said Mario while he looked over her appearance.


    Alessandra looked down at the dress made for her by Erin. ¡°I have a dressmaker now. I no longer have to wear my mother¡¯s old dresses.¡±


    Mario also noticed there was a glow to her nowpared to how dull she looked back at home. Still, he wasn¡¯t on board with her being here. He wasn¡¯t a fan of Edgar, especially after the conversation they shared. ¡°Does he treat you well? Are the servants here treating you well?¡± He added in case the first question was too much.


    Alessandra could not hold back her smile as she thought about her life with Edgar. ¡°He does. He isn¡¯t like what you would imagine. He is yful, honest, and a little irritating at times but he treats me well. Some of the servants still avoid me but many of them have warmed up to me. Of course, Edgar threatened them to be nice to me or else.¡±


    ¡°You seem to enjoy his wild behavior. I was worried about you being alone with him all for nothing,¡± Mario muttered.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call it wild behavior. It¡¯s more of a reaction to what is done around him. About the rumor,¡± Alessandra started to get to the point of why they were here. This wasn¡¯t just a moment for two friends to catch up. ¡°I was out of town for a couple of days but Sally was caught up with the rumor from the other servants. Did you say there was something between us? I haven¡¯t mentioned this to Edgar because I doubt-¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mario replied to her surprise. ¡°The Baroness asked me to speak about the times you and I spent alone to the maids. She was using the maids there to share this with maids from other households to spread the lies. That is why I told you not to apologize to me.¡±


    .....


    Alessandra wasn¡¯t sure what to say at the moment. She felt her shoulders slump and the excitement to see her friend was starting to fade away.


    ¡°Everyone has a past they want to forget. I had a terrible life before Lockwood which I would not want to catch up to me here. Katrina somehow found out and ckmailed me. I should not even be here right now but you have always been kind to me out of all the Barretts. I should have-¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay,¡± Alessandra interjected. She felt better knowing he had been ckmailed and not easily betrayed her. It was better for her to forgive him this way and try helping him. She didn¡¯t expect Mario to ruin his life to shield her from a lie. ¡°My apology still stands. She only poked around in your life to get back at me. I am not angry with you.¡±


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have allowed her to use me to create rumors about you,¡± Mario tried to argue.


    ¡°It would not be worth you having to move because Katrina would share your secret. Besides, Edgar took care of it for me.¡±


    Mario gritted his teeth. He was angry that it was Edgar who helped Alessandra. Mario was normally the person she viewed as a hero by giving her food when the Baroness was angry and stopping the maids from sending food for Alessandra.


    ¡°I am thankful you came to clear this up with me. You¡¯ve done as Katrina asked but she will not let this matter go. She will use you again in the future since she has your weakness. I told you to leave on the same day as me. I can pay off your debts. For everything you¡¯ve done for me in the past please let me do this,¡± Alessandra pleaded with him.


    ¡°And what would I do about a job? I need money to find a ce to stay and eat if I leave there. The majority of the jobs avable in winter have already been taken. You weren¡¯t nning to have mee here, were you?¡± Mario asked as it was something he expected from her. It would be nice to be close to her but with what Katrina knew, he wouldn¡¯t be able to stay in Lockwood.


    Never in a million years would Alessandra suggest that Mario work or stay here knowing Edgar was convinced Mario had feelings for her. She¡¯d be setting Mario up for chaos if she suggested such a thing. She hadn¡¯t seen the extent of Edgar¡¯s jealousy yet but she had a feeling Mario being here would end with a sword in Edgar¡¯s hands.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t suggesting that,¡± Alessandra yed with her fingers as she tried toe up with a better n.


    ¡°Do not worry about me, Alessandra. My debt is almost paid off and once I no longer have to work there, I n to leave Lockwood. I do not want to be a weakness the Baroness would have over you. I came here to apologize and to also say goodbye. I am sure your husband would be delighted to hear that. Recently I had been thinking if I should have just taken you and run away from that house,¡± Mario confessed.


    He continued to say, ¡°I had no money to take us anywhere but I regret not being the one to help you get away from your family. I should have done it the moment I saw how they were treating you. I know that you are married but just answer this honestly. Was there ever a chance for me?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Alessandra asked with wide eyes. She had been so certain and denied Edgar¡¯s usation each time that Mario held some sort of feelings for her. Alessandra hoped she had misinterpreted his words.


    Mario had thought a lot about what Edgar said and could finally admit that he at one point in time found himself liking Alessandra. At first, he thought he was protective of her like a brother with his young sister but he was wrong. ¡°Had I asked you to run away with me, would you have liked me?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Alessandra honestly replied. ¡°I¡¯ve only thought of you as a friend. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Stop apologizing to me. I can finally stop thinking of what if¡¯s now. I¡¯m d I got to be your friend, Alessandra. I wish you well but if I ever hear the Duke tried to hurt you, I will return and kill the man with my bare hands,¡± Mario promised her.


    Alessandra remained silent to avoid hurting his feelings as she knew neither scenario would ever happen. Edgar would not hurt her and Mario could not kill the man she was falling for.

 Chapter 242 - 242 A thorn in Edgar鈥檚 side (3)

    242 A thorn in Edgar¡¯s side (3)


    ¡°I wish I could stay longer and hear about your new life but I must go before anyone questions where I have been,¡± Mario stood up from his seat. Just seeing that she was living better than when she was with the Barretts was enough for right now. He had to swallow the feelings he had ignored for years and ept that Edgar was the better man to keep Alessandra happy and protected.


    Mario offered a hand to help Alessandra up from her seat which she dly epted.


    Though Alessandra did not have any romantic feelings for Mario, she still considered him to be a good friend who will always have a special ce in her heart. Alessandra wished Mario and Edgar could get along but with Mario leaving town once his debts were paid, there was no point in a friendship between the two men.


    ¡®Edgar¡¯s so petty that once he learns Mario is leaving town he would start being nice and even offer Mario money to help him leave town quickly,¡¯ Alessandra thought.


    ¡°I should have brought you some rum as a going-away present but it probably wouldn¡¯tpare to what you must get to drink here,¡± said Mario.


    ¡°I mostly have been drinking wine. Wait here,¡± Alessandra told Mario when they exited the room and found Edgar sitting at the bottom of the stairs. She walked over to Edgar to ask a favor that would help Mario be able to leave town when he was ready.


    ¡°That was quick,¡± Edgar said, not caring to hide the happiness in his voice.


    ¡°Edgar, I have a favor-¡±


    ¡°I hope you are not asking me to let him stay here. I have been kind enough to let him speak to you in private when he clearly likes you,¡± Edgar interjected, letting her know the cook could not stay before she could plead for it to happen. He epted he could not make her turn away a friend she cherished but he could not get rid of his dislike for the man.


    .....


    ¡°It is a pain to have to admit you were right about his feelings toward me,¡± Alessandra sighed.


    Edgar licked his lips and released a dryugh. ¡°Did that fool confess his feelings to a married woman? To my wife? Expecting what exactly? What did he tell you?¡±


    ¡°You can rx, Edgar. He just asked what would have happened between us if I had run away with him. Mario will be leaving town once he pays off his debts,¡± Alessandra quickly spoke to make Edgar happy once again. ¡°He doesn¡¯t want to be a pawn to be used against me in the future. I was wondering if you could offer him money to help him leave town when the timees?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d offer him a carriage to get him out of town tonight. What¡¯s in it for me?¡± Edgar asked.


    Alessandra thought having Mario leave town would be enough for Edgar to do this. ¡°He will be leaving town. Why do you need to gain something else?¡±


    ¡°No one knows that he is here right now besides my people. I can capture and send him far out of town against his will if I wanted to without having to give him money. You need to offer me something to be nice to him. How about a kiss?¡± He suggested.


    As the days passed by, Alessandra found Edgar¡¯s pettiness to reach new levels.


    ¡°Fine,¡± she agreed. ¡°After he leaves-¡±


    ¡°I am too impatient to wait,¡± Edgar pulled her against his body and hugged her tightly so she would not be able to step away. His emotions were all over the ce right now so he knew if he kissed her on the lips right now he wouldn¡¯t be thinking straight to stop her mask from potentially falling off. Edgar opted to leave a trail of kisses from her jaw down to the tip of her exposed chest.


    Yes, he was jealous although there was no possible way for Mario to steal Alessandra away from him. Edgar felt her shudder each time his lips touched her skin which prompted him to continue. Her hands were ced on his chest to push him away but as he neared her bust, Alessandra¡¯s n was long forgotten.


    Once he calmed his emotions now that he was touching her, Edgar desired to feel the softness of her lips once more. Between her breast and her lips, he didn¡¯t know what excited him more. Edgar gently grabbed a handful of her hair to position her to look up at him to make it easier for him to kiss her.


    While Alessandra closed her eyes after their lips touched and they started to kiss as they had done before, Edgar kept his eyes open to watch the man fuming with anger not too far away from them.


    Mario found the sight of the couple doing as they pleased like no one else was around to be appalling. He knew it was this dirty Duke¡¯s doing and not Alessandra who was normally shy. Mario wanted to look away but it was hard for him to do. His heart ached now more than ever seeing the woman he denied feelings for in the arms of another man.


    The final straw for Mario was the low moan he could hear exit Alessandra¡¯s mouth. His hands shook with anger to p the man who was watching him while kissing Alessandra. Mario angrily walked toward the front door to get away from the sight.


    If Edgar could, he would strap Mario to a chair and force the annoying man to watch him make love to Alessandra and then kill the man for seeing the beautiful expressions Alessandra would make and hearing her sweet voice. Whatever it took to show the cook that Alessandra had long slipped out of his fingers and belonged to someone else.


    Now that Mario was gone, Edgar released the hold he had on Alessandra and stopped the moment before it would go any further right here on the stairs. He could only think of kissing every inch of her body to mark her as his.


    Alessandra turned around to apologize to Mario but found he had already left. She took a deep breath to settle herself after what she had done in front of Mario before turning to face her jealous husband. ¡°For the rest of the day, please stay away from me, Edgar. It was not right for you to do that in front of Mario.¡±

 Chapter 243 - 243 [Bonus chapter] Gentle touch (1)

    243 [Bonus chapter] Gentle touch (1)


    ¡°Alessandra-¡±


    ¡°No! That was wrong and regardless of what emotion you are feeling right now, you should be able to admit that was wrong. I feel like an idiot for not pushing you away. I said I wouldn¡¯t have feelings for him and then this happens. I cannot imagine what it was like for him to stand there,¡± Alessandra said, feeling ashamed of herself for taking part in Edgar making Mario jealous.


    She tried to leave once more but Edgar grabbed her hand.


    ¡°Alessandra, was it right for him to mention what could have been to a woman who is married? What was the point of him bringing that up now? To make you consider him over me now that he has confirmed his feelings? I let him inside only for him to utter a bunch of bullshit,¡± Edgar argued.


    Alessandra understood why Edgar was angry. He had been right about Mario liking her from the very beginning and after he pushed how he felt about Mario to the side, a confession was made when he was not around. She wouldn¡¯t have been pleased with a woman from Edgar¡¯s pasting into their home and mentioning what could have been. It was not something she found suitable to mention to a married person who gave their life and heart to someone else already.


    Still, Alessandra didn¡¯t like being used to make Mario jealous or hurt him. ¡°I am not saying that what he chose to say at the moment was right but I do not like that you only kissed me to make him jealous.¡±


    ¡°I did both. I kissed you to make him jealous and because I wanted to,¡± Edgar replied.


    ¡°Jealous of what? I have told you that I don¡¯t feel anything for Mario. He could say he likes me a million times or wonder what would have happened if he had taken me away from my father but my feelings would never change. Isn¡¯t that enough for you to not need to do stupid tricks to mess with him? I don¡¯t want to talk about this any further. Just leave me alone for now. I do not want to argue with you.¡±


    Alessandra reached to remove Edgar¡¯s hand that was holding her but before she could touch him, he let go.


    .....


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for using you to y with his feelings,¡± Edgar apologized. Thest thing he wanted toe from this was for him and Alessandra to be at odds. ¡°I should have taken matters into my own hands and by matters I mean him. I should have thrown him out.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have been pleased with that either,¡± Alessandra said.


    ¡°Before you get angry with me for the rest of the day, put yourself in my shoes, Alessandra. Would you befortable with me bringing around someone who has feelings for me into our home? Would you be okay if me and that woman were alone in a room and she confessed her feelings? Even if you trust me, wouldn¡¯t you want to do something to remind her that your husband is taken?¡±


    If Alessandra would not be honest with herself and her answer was a clear lie, Edgar would have no issue calling her out on it.


    ¡°I would not be happy with it but I do not feel good that he witnessed that. I would not like that done to me. I can¡¯t help being angry with you. Perhaps I am misdirecting my anger because I am sorry for not being able to reciprocate his feelings or that fact he will have to move out of town because of me. I don¡¯t want to fight with you so please let¡¯s talk about thister or never,¡± Alessandra muttered as she desperately wanted the moment to pass.


    The longer they stood here the more she kept feeling bad for Mario.


    ¡°Am I to find another bedroom to sleep in tonight?¡± Edgar asked.


    ¡°No. That would be a little bit dramatic and I wouldn¡¯t want anyone to start gossiping or worry about us sleeping apart. Specifically Alfred. I can already picture him freaking out. I will see you for dinner,¡± Alessandra said, then walked up the stairs to find a room to be alone.


    Edgar ced a hand in his pockets as he watched her walk upstairs alone. There was nothing that happened a moment ago that he regretted besides letting the cook inside his home. He would find a way to give the cook enough money to pay off his debts and get the hell out of town right away. Edgar didn¡¯t trust that if Mario could stay in town, he wouldn¡¯t do his best to make Alessandra think she made a mistake.


    Lockwood had its fair share of people with one-sided feelings not knowing when to give up as the person they loved either shared no feelings or was taken. Edgar had watched at many parties where the drama unfolded when someone wanted to shout at the top of their lungs how someone else made a huge mistake and then confess their love. Edgar was not in the mood to have his marriage be a drama to be watched at the theater.


    ¡°Jealousy sure is a pain in the ass, isn¡¯t it?¡± Caleb questioned. He had been on the sidelines since he arrived back home with Edgar and was surprised no one had noticed him. ¡°I thought the Duchess was going to stay angry at you but you two were able to talk it out. Remember when you used to shake your head at people being jealous and now you find yourself in that position? Better yet, your wife almost made you have to sleep in another bedroom. She might think about it and be angrier.¡±


    Edgar¡¯s mood felt worse now that Caleb was rubbing in the fact Alessandra wanted space.


    ¡°I honestly understand you kissing her then and there. It¡¯s a man thing. I would¡¯ve done a whole lot more than that,¡± Caleb continued his rambling.


    ¡°Caleb,¡± Edgar said.


    ¡°Yes, Duke?¡±


    ¡°Shut the hell up,¡± Edgar ordered him. ¡°I don¡¯t need to hear from a man with a one-sided crush. You are no different from the cook.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be mad at me since you pissed your wife off,¡± Caleb grumbled but quickly regretted his words when he saw Edgar heading straight for him. ¡°Oh shit.¡±

 Chapter 244 - 244 Gentle touch (2)

    244 Gentle touch (2)


    ¡°Get some rest, Alfred. From the moment I came home, you were up and down trying to put together ideas for Alessandra¡¯s party. I aspire to be as energetic as you are at that age,¡± said Edgar.


    Dinner was now over and after Alessandra left to change into her clothes for bed, only Edgar and Alfred remained in the dining room.


    ¡°I am not that old and once you take care of your body in your youth, you should be fine in the future. You and the Duchess seem awfully quiet since you¡¯ve returned. I hope it is nothing serious. I left the cream from the pce in your bedroom for the Duchess to use. It is to be used twice a day for wounds to heal quickly. You should give it to her and make amends tonight. Goodnight,¡± Alfred excused himself.


    The day came to an end for Alessandra and Edgar but Alfred still needed to keep an eye on the servants washing up and then inspect the house as usual before going to his room.


    ¡°Goodnight, Alfred. Let¡¯s see if she is truly not upset,¡± Edgar muttered.


    He had given Alessandra enough time for her to get changed for bed. It would be annoying if they were still stuck on what happened with the cook earlier so he hoped she would keep her word and let the moment be forgotten.


    Edgar spent their time apart to catch up on his work and think of a gift for Alessandra. Winter was a festive season when many gifts would be given to friends and family for no reason. Alessandra¡¯s interests were so random that he could not think of what to give her. She had not used most of the canvas and paint he got her or taken interest in the jewelry or clothes unless the dressmaker was present.


    Edgar entered their bedroom, finding Alessandra seated at the edge of the bed with her mask off and a brush going through her hair. ¡°What would you have done if it was Sally? She would have seen your face,¡± he closed the door behind him.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind. I am building up the courage to show Sally and Alfred my face. Even Caleb since he is such a good friend. Showing you has washed away my fears. I would love to stop having to wear my mask when we are at home. It is my goal to aplish this by the end of winter. What took you so long to return to our bedroom?¡± Alessandra asked as she had been waiting for him.


    .....


    She had long gotten over what happened with Mario. There was no need to be upset when Mario had left their home hours ago and she might not see him ever again unless Katrina suddenly died.


    ¡°I have been giving you space as you requested. I take it we are now back to normal?¡± Edgar cautiously approached her. He spotted the jar of cream on the table in their room so he went to get it. If it managed to do wonders for Alessandra¡¯s face, he would consider it to be a true miracle cream.


    ¡°Yes. I want the matter to be forgotten. What is that? I saw Alfred bring it inside but he did not say what it was. Is it meant for my face?¡± Alessandra asked.


    ¡°Yes. It is a special cream a doctor in the pce created. You cannot find it elsewhere as it is only avable to royals at the moment. Tobias gave me this after I had been injured but I had no use for it as it was a small bruise. Alfred kept it safe for me. I can put it on for you,¡± Edgar said, seeking her permission to touch her face first.


    ¡°Thank you. I hope it can stop the itchy feeling I get because of the mask. How I survived without scratching my face to end the itch is a mystery. Edgar, after the visit we had from my grandmother and the Baroness, I have been thinking about putting an end to them interfering with our lives. I¡¯ve thought of William too,¡± Alessandra said. She gulped as Edgar stared at her for a moment after the mention of William.


    ¡°You do not need to worry about a man like that,¡± Edgar replied and then continued to take out a bit of the cream with a finger and ce it on the palm of his hand.


    ¡°I must. What if he has not given up wanting to have me in his home and he starts to work with Katrina? My grandmother will never want to let go of the fact you killed her son and rk will always be around to try to get something out of my marriage to you. Then there¡¯s your mother who will never leave me alone. I just want to be cautious since it is likely one of them will make a move.¡±


    ¡°It is great that you are on guard when ites to them. Do as you wish with your grandmother and uncle but do not think about the others. I will deal with them myself. I have been watching William. Not only because he wants you but also because he is a suspect in the girls who have gone missing. He is hard to get rid of because he rarely leaves home. I was informed he visited the Baroness once,¡± said Edgar.


    He continued to say, ¡°I am not going to leave these people but it is tricky to deal with some of them. William has gained power over the years and is friends with people who dislike Tobias. If I poke at William without being able to take him down one time, his friends will target me and Tobias. Tobias is already dealing with a lot within the pce walls so I cannot rattle his enemies yet.¡±


    Edgar and Tobias had their own ns to get rid of the men who banded together to go against the throne. Once they seeded, some of William¡¯s power in the Kingdom would fade away and he would be much easier to get rid of.


    ¡°I have been trying to get him arrested for his weird rtionships with the women entering his home. You are not the first daughter a father has sold to William to pay off debts. Those girls are never seen once they go in. Unfortunately, their fathers y stupid about what was done. When ites to my mother, you can fight against her in the social world but she is dangerous enough to try killing you,¡± Edgar said, not to scare Alessandra but to just how crazy these people were.


    As Duke and Duchess, they had enemies who did notck power.


    ¡°And the Baroness? Why can¡¯t I do what I want with her?¡± Alessandra asked.


    Edgar ced the jar back on the table and moved to sit beside Alessandra. ¡°I fear the past she is hiding may show how much more dangerous she is than we think. I will take care of her myself. Trust that I am not just sitting around while they plot.¡±


    ¡°I know. I just fear how silent William is and then there is your mother. I will leave them to you and focus on the Barretts.¡±


    ¡°Everything will be fine. I will keep you updated with my ns to ease your mind. Now, stay still,¡± he gently touched her face to apply the cream.

 Chapter 245 - 245 Gentle touch (3)

    245 Gentle touch (3)


    ¡°Is this what gets you going? You seem to be enjoying this a lot,¡± Edgar said due to her expression.


    ¡°Of course I am. The great Edgar Collins has taken it upon himself to care for me like this. Your fan clubs would be jealous. Besides, it feels good against my skin. I should be able to sleep like a baby tonight. Thank you,¡± Alessandra said after he removed his hand. The itchy feeling was already starting to go away.


    Alessandra tied up her hair to stop strands from rubbing against where Edgar ced the cream. ¡°Do you think it will clear up my face and make the marks hard to notice?¡± She asked.


    ¡°I am not a doctor to give you an urate answer. All we can do is keep treating your face and hope for the best. They are already not noticeable enough for me to see if I was standing a good distance away from you. Too many years were wasted as your face could have been healed in your youth,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°I suppose there is a bright side to my father not caring. I wouldn¡¯t have ended up your wife if my life was different. You might have viewed me the same as Kate.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean you deserved to suffer for this happy ending. Is your attire tonight meant to tempt me? I find winter to be surprisingly interesting since you are wearing thinner clothes to bed. One night I might juste to our room and find you naked,¡± Edgar said without any shame.


    ¡°I urge you not to hold your breath waiting for that to happen. Must I always have ack of clothing in your mind?¡± Alessandra asked.


    ¡°Yes, but I will settle for the night dresses you recently bought,¡± Edgar replied.


    Alessandra shook her head and chose to just go up on the bed to lie down. After a day of two visits and party nning, she wanted nothing more than to rest her head against her pillow and enjoy the peace in their bedroom. ¡°Edgar, I know that your grandmother takes charge of your birthday but what do you think of having a party here and inviting all of your friends?¡±


    .....


    ¡°This house might start to feel sick because of all these parties but do as you wish. Hopefully, you find me that day,¡± Edgar muttered.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so grumpy. What else am I supposed to give a man who has everything?¡± Alessandra asked as she was stumped on what to give Edgar. Anything she would buy for him woulde from his own money.


    Edgar tossed wood into the fire Alfred had started then pulled his shirt over his head to get in bed. ¡°We can go back to finding you naked in our bed. It would beat any gift I have ever received.¡±


    Alessandra sighed, not knowing what to do with Edgar. ¡°Is there nothing else on your mind?¡±


    ¡°Not when it is just the two of us alone,¡± Edgar replied. He was never that interested in what he would receive for his birthday.


    Being born into a wealthy family he was spoiled every day so nothing made his birthday special. It was just a gathering of a few people he liked and many others he would rather not see. It was only because of his grandmother that he traveled out of town each year. She mentioned something along the lines of her heart giving out if she could not see her only grandchild for his birthday.


    ¡°You can make it more exciting and wrap a bow around you or something. Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Edgar asked after noticing the weird look she was giving him. Heid down on the bed and pulled Alessandra close to him just as he did every night.


    ¡°Your mind just amazes me, Edgar. Are you like this because it is overbearing to wait for me to be ready you know,¡± Alessandra looked away from him to hide her face she knew would be red from blushing.


    ¡°Overbearing is the wrong word to use. I say those things half to tease you and the other half because it would be a good surprise. I can¡¯t honestly say it hasn¡¯t been torture to hold out but I will not rush you into it. I can hold out a bit longer. Perhaps until my birthday when you should really consider what I suggested earlier.¡±


    Alessandra covered her mouth with her hand as sheughed. ¡°I am ready to move on to the next step when you are. I would like to continue where we previously left off but then again, you said there were things we could do before we be more intimate. I¡¯d like for us to continue with that.¡±


    ¡°Tonight?¡± Edgar asked with excitement clear in his voice.


    ¡°No. I am tired and I am sure I will fall asleep before anything can start. I just want you to know that you do not have to hold back anymore. I am awaiting it just like you,¡± Alessandra blushed. She desired to be closer to Edgar and if he made the move for it to happen soon she would not mind.


    Knowing how much he was holding back and taking things slow because this was all new to her made Alessandra want to take the next step even more. She wanted to feel the warmth of their two bodies against each other and the pleasure she would experience.


    ¡°Good to know. You cannot take this back in the morning,¡± he kissed her forehead but quickly regretted it. It might be some miracle cream but it had a horrible taste that would not be easy to forget.


    ¡°Judging from your expression I would say you just tasted the cream. Hopefully, there is nothing in it to get you sick from tasting it. You cannot die any time soon when I am looking forward to the days ahead of us. Goodnight Edgar,¡± Alessandra moved her head from the pillow toy on his arm.


    Alessandra worried by the time morning came Edgar¡¯s hand would be sore but he swore to her it was fine. She was d that it was as she enjoyed sleeping close to Edgar. If she were able to go back in time to her second night here and tell herself not to be so shy, her past self would not believe her. Nothing made her feel safer thanying with Edgar like this.


    Edgar yed with Alessandra¡¯s hair to help her fall asleep but before she could let sleep take over he had one thing he wanted to fill her mind while she was dreaming. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be too much for you to still think about surprising me naked in bed for my birthday.¡±


    ¡°Please go to sleep,¡± Alessandra muttered.

 Chapter 246 - 246 Gentle touch (4)

    246 Gentle touch (4)


    ¡°What time is it?¡± Alessandra groaned as she opened her eyes. The sound of the high wind smacking against the windows had woken her up. Alessandra looked at the window and saw that it was still dark out. Judging from the sound of the wind there had to be a storm.


    She closed her eyes trying to go back to sleep but found it hard to do. Alessandra sighed, having no choice but to stay awake.


    Alessandra tried to move but the strong grip around her waist refrained her from doing so. If she moved around too much, Edgar would wake up. It was like something clicked in his mind to wake him up immediately whenever she tried to leave the bed. If she had to be awake, she would prefer to have a book to read until she could fall back to sleep.


    ¡°The snow will be higher tomorrow. We¡¯ll need to shovel another path for the guards to use in the morning,¡± she muttered.


    ¡°Alessandra,¡± she heard Edgar¡¯s husky voice behind her. Alessandra blushed, taken aback by how good his voice sounded at the moment. It was deeper than usual.


    ¡°Hi,¡± she shyly replied. After a moment of no response from him, she thought he probably went back to sleep. ¡°Edgar-¡±


    ¡°Why are you awake right now?¡± Edgar asked.


    ¡°The wind is really loud. I heard it beating against the window. I can¡¯t go back to sleep. Can you please release me? I would like to get a book to read.¡±


    Edgar loosen his hold on her and rolled back to his side of the bed. ¡°Do you n to walk to the library thiste?¡± He asked. The hallways would be dark and lonesome around this time.


    .....


    ¡°Well yes. There are no books in our bedroom for me to read. I will be back shortly-¡±


    Edgar held her hand to stop her from leaving the bed. ¡°If you are trying to pass time until you fall asleep, stay here and talk with me. You have woken me up but I am not in the mood to read a book to go back to sleep.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t wake you up on purpose. It is not my fault you can hear everything even though you are in deep slumber. What do you want to talk about?¡± Alessandra asked, sitting up on the bed to look down at Edgar.


    ¡°I was not informed about what happened with the tes. Seeing that Alfred was cheerful during dinner I take it you did not tell him about the tes? It is odd that he would not have counted them,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°At first, he thought it was you who had broken them and was angry until I said it was me. He wasn¡¯t angry about it and advised me not to go around them anymore.¡± Alessandra was extremely happy to avoid seeing Alfred angry.


    Edgar could not believe ears that Alfred was not angry. Thest time he broke something of great value belonging to Alfred, he recalled how Alfred¡¯s hands twitched like he was refraining from hitting him. ¡°You¡¯re certainly a little angel in his eyes. How wonderful,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°Are you jealous that Alfred treats us differently? For the many years that Alfred was by your side, I can¡¯t me him for always being angry with you. I wonder where he got the strength to deal with you. There is no doubt in my mind you would have taunted him by pretending to break the tes he cares for. I am surprised he has not lost his mind and tried to strangle you. You should be careful before he snaps,¡± said Alessandra.


    ¡°Hmm. That only makes me want to poke around at him more.¡±


    Alessandra shook her head not knowing what would be of Edgar. ¡°Instead of worrying about Alfred, I should be worrying about myself. I have promised to be with you forever. It has not even been that long since we started to live together and you have annoyed me many times.¡±


    ¡°And I have swayed your heart other times. Life with me is not so bad. Alfred would have left long ago if it was. Enough about the old fox, talk about me more. Did you dream about what I suggested?¡± Edgar asked, not giving up the chance to see her wrapped up like a gift.


    ¡°I was hoping for you to have memory loss. I am not waiting naked in a room for you. Ever,¡± she stressed the word so he knew not to ask again.


    ¡°Then what about bathing together? You were quitefortable with me in the tubst time,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°I was wearing clothes that time. You are expecting me to be naked,¡± Alessandra replied.


    ¡°We can fill it with enough soap to hide your body. Anything that you are thinking to get me for my birthday, I already have. I would wholeheartedly enjoy an evening alone with you in the bathroom. Will you grant my one birthday wish or will you shy away from me? I have already seen your body,¡± he said to urge her into doing it.


    Truthfully the better gift would be for them to be tangled up in each other naked, doing what was on his mind each time he touched her. He only needed to get her clothes off and then it wouldn¡¯t be long before they would make love to each other. His birthday seemed like the perfect day for them to finally have sex. He could make it an anniversary and have an excuse to have sex on his birthday for the following years.


    Alessandra couldn¡¯t find a w in Edgar¡¯s words because he had seen her body. Being together in a tub was far better than her waiting naked on a bed for him to arrive. Plus, a couple of hours ago she said she was ready to take the next step with him. ¡°Okay,¡± Alessandra answered in a low tone.


    A smile appeared on Edgar¡¯s face, evidence that he heard her.


    ¡°I have never looked forward to turning a year older until now. It will be my birthday but I will make it enjoyable for you. Had I not woken up I would have missed such a tempting deal. We should wake up in the middle of the night more often,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°Intimacy is the only thing on your mind,¡± Alessandra shook her head.


    ¡°You can only me yourself because you are so alluring. It didn¡¯t take long for me to be attracted to you and the amusing part is you did absolutely nothing to make me desire you the way I do. I should prepare myself for the days you be an expert in seduction. I might be so enchanted by you that if you said you wanted the pce I would take it for you. How dare you make me be the cringy man I have alwaysughed at,¡± Edgar said and pinched her hand as a punishment.


    ¡°Oww,¡± Alessandra cried out and pinched his cheeks in retaliation. ¡°I will never ask for the pce. I do need to add war into my life. I got a glimpse of the pce life the day we visited and it does not suit me. I have not even fallen into my role as Duchess yet.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother about that. I don¡¯t want you to act a certain way or attend countless parties for you to socialize. Do what makes you happy instead of what you feel is required of you. I enjoy seeing you be carefree instead of being like everyone else following rules made up by another person,¡± Edgar twirled a strand of her hair as he spoke.


    He did not want her to lose her entertaining side which would always surprise him. What he hated most about the women in town was how they all acted like each other. They dressed the same, wore their hair the same, spoke the same, and stood around at parties just talking about pointless topics. They were all being raised to act the same way. They were all like doll sets.


    Edgar found himself lucky toe across Alessandra who was not raised to act a certain way. She didn¡¯t force smiles before him or acted like another person when she was with him, Sally, or Alfred. She was the opposite of her sister who yed sweet and innocent before others but at home, she was a little devil.


    ¡°I am doing it because I want to. At the end of the day, there will be times when you must attend parties or meetings as a Duke and I will be there by your side. I am a Duchess and I will act like one. Have you received any invitations for parties you must attend?¡± She turned topletely face him. ¡°I can hardly wait to attend another party like the ball. Hopefully, no one gets punched in the face,¡± she chuckled.


    ¡°I will make no such promises. I did receive a few invitations but I have tossed out more than half of them. There is one Tobias and I have attended each year since he was crowned king. It is quite exclusive so only those with titles will be there. It is in three days¡¯ time. After all of this talking, are you not sleepy yet? Should I,¡± Edgar paused and chuckled after Alessandraid back down onto his arm and closed her eyes.

 Chapter 247 - 247 All in one room (1)

    247 All in one room (1)


    ¡°You know, I am starting to regret pushing for you to join the marriage club. From the moment you said I do to Alessandra I have hardly seen you. That is not a good thing,¡± Tobias shook his head.


    ¡°That is not true. I used to avoid you more than this,¡± Edgar replied.


    ¡°It is not. You used to visit at least once a week and send me a letter three times a week to keep me updated on the case. Now, look at you. You suddenly took a trip out of town and punched a rtive. Don¡¯t look at me like that. I didn¡¯t have someone stalk you. Again,¡± Tobias added since he had someone keep an eye on Edgar before.


    It didn¡¯tst long as the man Tobias sent to trail Edgar was returned to the pce tied up with rope and a note in his mouth which stated, ¡®Stop fucking watching me.¡¯


    ¡°Lovely times,¡± Tobias muttered. ¡°Dominic at least cares enough to send me letters. I have to say, I always thought I would be the one to punch Daniel first. He¡¯s not allowed in the pce because the first time he met Hazel he said she looked nothing like the women I would normally pick. Who the hell says that at a wedding and to the new queen?¡±


    ¡°Why did you call me here, Tobias? You don¡¯t have to step outside the pce but surely you have not missed how much it is snowing outside. It better be important,¡± Edgar said.


    With a snow day like this, he could be home trying to convince Alessandra to share a warm bath with him but instead, he was looking at Tobias.


    ¡°Rx. I¡¯ll send you back to your wife in an hour or two. By the way, you don¡¯t like me bothering you but I am bothered by your problems. Desmond¡¯s mother, Greta Barrett, has been making a lot ofints to the pce about her son¡¯s death and wants you to be arrested. As if that would ever happen,¡± Tobias grinned as he had no ns to ever throw Edgar in jail.


    If Edgar were to ever be locked up he had many people to bail him out or destroy the jail. Edmund still had many connections around the kingdom though he had stepped away from his life in the pce and dealing with politics. Besides, a guard would have to be a fool to try arresting Edgar.


    .....


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that. I will deal with her shortly. Well, Alessandra intends to deal with her. Get back to why I am here so I can leave before the snow piles back up on the roads,¡± Edgar said, wanting to be out of the castle before the snow would make him have to stay here overnight likest time.


    ¡°Sorry. I am a little bit in shock that you are apologizing to me for that. Right, you don¡¯t have to worry about me pestering you about the trouble at the border anymore. Rafael has epted to take care of it with his men. He will be in the pce in two days before he heads to the border. It¡¯s interesting because when I told him about the trouble at the border, he sent me a lengthy letter with plenty of curses,¡± Tobias balled up the letter and threw it at Edgar for him to read.


    Tobias asked, ¡°Have you heard he¡¯s having trouble with a maid? First, you marry a woman rumored to be cursed and now Rafael has fallen for a maid. I had two women picked out for you two but now that¡¯s all ruined. Don¡¯t get me wrong. I like Alessandra,¡± Tobias pretended to wave a white g after Edgar red at him for mentioning another woman. ¡°Hazel tells me your wife has you wrapped around her finger.¡±


    ¡°Asshole,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Tobias eximed. ¡°I just said I like her.¡±


    Edgar held up the wrinkled letter he was reading. ¡°I was only reading what Rafael wrote to you.¡±


    ¡°Seems too coincidental you only read asshole out loud. If I didn¡¯t like you so much, I would have tried tossing you in jail or sending you off to war. Anyway, you missed a murder in town. An innkeeper will be hanged for killing a butcher and his wife. Seems like he found out about their affair and his child not belonging to him. Can you imagine finding that out after years of loving your wife and child?¡± Tobias tapped his cheek as he thought of what he would do in that situation.


    The story Tobias spoke of sounded familiar to Edgar but he did not care enough to try remembering why.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have to worry about it because my wife is loyal. I need to get rid of William Lancaster soon. Alessandra is worried he might still want her. It is odd how quiet he has been these days, isn¡¯t it?¡± Edgar stood up from his chair.


    Tobias also found it to be suspicious. ¡°I find it intriguing how he goes silent and suddenly, the person taking the girls stops leaving trails. They are toying with us. I would bet the throne that William has a hand in their disappearance. He likes girls far younger than himself. We just need evidence to lock him up even for an hour to get something out of him.¡±


    ¡°My suspicion of him being the one behind the missing women is starting to fade away. A lot of the young women he took to be his wife, mistress, or whatever was handed to him by their own families to pay off debts. None of those womene out of the house he owns but none of them are the girls we found dead. He didn¡¯t always have this wealth and power. It must be entertaining to have families hand their daughters to him. You¡¯ve heard that he has a weird collection right?¡± Edgar asked.


    ¡°Yes. Of many things around the kingdom. He¡¯s deemed himself a man for good art,¡± Tobias repeated what William himself once said.


    ¡°Art does not have to be a painting or a sculpture. He has a liking for rare things and that could be a person. That is why he wanted my wife. A young woman rumored to be cursed and wears a mask. He was never going to marry her, just add her to his collection of women. The game for him is collecting girls through debt. That is why I doubt he is the killer,¡± Edgar gave his reasoning.


    William¡¯s little game was easy to understand. He was once a man no one cared for but after he gained power, it would be amusing for him to have men ready to exchange their daughters for money. He must feel on top of the world.


    Edgar had someone watch William¡¯s people and found that William did not ept every girl presented to him. He had a certain look he wanted the young girl to have. There had to be something different about the girlspared to every other girl in the kingdom.


    Edgar found the person kidnapping the girls and killing them to be different. Some bodies showed up right after the girls went missing or it could be months. Girls weren¡¯t being taken inrge numbers at a time. It was always one and as soon as that body was found someone else would go missing soon after. The girls were all different from each other from their appearance to their status. The only thing they shared was the same age group.


    Their killer seemed to be looking for something from these girls and once they didn¡¯t fit what this person was looking for, the girls were killed.


    ¡°So, we still have to watch William to uncover what happens to the girls he gets, and now we have to find apletely new suspect. Dammit,¡± Tobias smacked his hand on the table out of frustration. ¡°It could be anyone in the kingdom, Edgar. That is what scares me. If it is not the creep who has a liking for collecting young women, then who?¡±

 Chapter 248 - 248 All in one room (2)

    248 All in one room (2)


    One dayter.


    ¡°The first party for the winter season. Do you think it will go smoothly?¡± Alessandra asked as she and Edgar walked up to the home they were invited to.


    ¡°Tobias will be attending with Hazel so anyone would have to be a fool to embarrass themselves in front of royalty. There might be a lot of nasty words said under one¡¯s breath and forced smiles but other than that, the party will end well. It is the same every year,¡± Edgar replied.


    He held Alessandra¡¯s hand to keep her close since Caleb was not there. Invitations to this party were strict and only the names of the people on the letter were allowed in. Guards were present to keep the guests safe but since they weren¡¯t his men, Edgar did not trust they would do a good job.


    It could never hurt to have a dagger hidden away in his pants. Edgar wanted to sneak in his gun but since they weren¡¯t allowed to be used in the kingdom just yet, Alfred tussled with him to get the gun out of his hand. The old fox somehow won the fight and hid the gun somewhere.


    ¡°I see. If there is someone you are not fond of please point them out so I can avoid them. Let¡¯s use the number thing you do with Alfred. Ten will be the highest number for an annoying person I should avoid. Call the number before they reach us and I will help create an excuse for us to leave,¡± said Alessandra.


    Edgar smiled, amused by how Alessandra was taking part in his games and bing more like him. He was d to hear that just like him, she wanted to avoid anyone who would be a pain in the ass. ¡°Okay,¡± he replied.


    ¡°I will take pride in the two of us being the antisocial couple,¡± Alessandra chuckled. She straightened herself once they reached the front door and Edgar gave a small chubby man their invitation.


    ¡°Presenting the Duke and Duchess, Edgar and Alessandra Collins!¡± He announced their arrival.


    .....


    Alessandra leaned over to whisper, ¡°Why was that more dramatic than at the pce? I feel this is a ball instead of a small private party.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll find that people with money do useless things at their parties. Like the ice sculpture that is already melting,¡± Edgar pointed to the giant ice in the middle of the room. Just because it was snowing didn¡¯t mean the ice they brought in from outside wouldn¡¯t start melting inside the heated room.


    Alessandra cocked her head to the side trying to figure out what the ice was supposed to be shaped as. ¡°The person who did the ice has the same skills in art as you do,¡± she insulted the artist and Edgar.


    ¡°Was the jab at my wonderful art necessary? Art is not meant to be one way. There is a mystery to the art I make,¡± Edgar defended his talent.


    Alessandra could not argue with that since it was hard to tell what Edgar painted. It could be a flower or a rock. Who knows but Edgar himself? ¡°My bad. You are a good artist,¡± she lied.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Edgar did not believe her. All he needed was a little bit more practice and he would be a better artist between the two of them.


    ¡°It is such a wonderful home. Is that Linda?¡± Alessandra asked when they stopped in front of arge painting.


    ¡°Yes. Her grandfather is the host. Her family is spread throughout Tobias¡¯s army with great positions. That is why Tobias and I attend the party to keep a good rtionship with them. Hazel and Linda have always been like sisters instead of friends. Linda¡¯s family cares for Hazel like their own so they are loyal to Tobias,¡± Edgar exined why they were here.


    ¡°I see. I¡¯m starting to put together that the woman the king would have liked for you to marry is Linda. It would have worked since Linda liked you at one point. Our marriage ruined his brilliant n,¡± said Alessandra.


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have worked because I never once liked Linda. She is not annoying like the others but I find her to be too quiet. Besides, her father and brothers are always ready to kill any man who is near her. She might never get married with how protective of her-¡±


    ¡°Duke Collins,¡± an unfamiliar voice to Alessandra interrupted what Edgar was saying.


    Alessandra looked behind them for the source and to her surprise, she saw Kate on the arm of a man she did not know. Edgar expressed many times how it was a private party so she did not expect to see Kate there.


    The man¡¯s eyes moved from Edgar to Alessandra and for a moment, Alessandra found something unsettling about the way he looked at her.


    ¡°I seem to have startled your wife. My apologies. My name is Simon Farley,¡± Simon held out his hand for Alessandra to shake.


    ¡°Two but the person beside him is a ten,¡± Edgar said to Alessandra. Simon was walking around with the devil in the form of a young woman by his side. ¡°Simon is a marquess.¡±


    ¡°It is nice to meet you,¡± Alessandra shook his hand. She paid no mind to the frown on Kate¡¯s face because she touched her date. Alessandra was not even curious about how Kate was able to meet this man. She only wanted her sister to disappear right now.


    ¡°Kate and I arrived a moment ago. When I saw her sister, Kate was excited toe over and introduce me. She¡¯s been telling me that it has been a long time since the two of you saw each other. Duke Collins, how about we chat while the sisters catch up?¡± Simon suggested since he wanted to speak with Edgar about something private.


    ¡°No,¡± Edgar denied the request. Dogs would start to fly the day he left Alessandra with her sister.


    ¡°Duke Collins, I only wish to catch up with my older sister. I want to know how her new life is going. She did not visit our father¡¯s funeral so I am worried about her,¡± Kate put on her act of a worried sister in front of Simon.


    ¡°My butler has better acting skills,¡± Edgar said to Kate.

 Chapter 249 - 249 All in one room (3)

    249 All in one room (3)


    ¡°Am I missing something?¡± Simon looked down at Kate for an exnation for why Edgar was speaking to her with a bit of hostility in his voice.


    Kate looked up at him with a pitiful expression and shook her head as if she did not know what was going on.


    ¡°Duke Collins, can I ask what is your problem with my date?¡± Simon decided to find out for himself since Kate didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°No,¡± Edgar bluntly replied. Edgar had no reason to answer any of Simon¡¯s questions. Why was Simon even standing before him with Kate? They weren¡¯t friends and hardly acquaintances. Kate should have at least an ounce ofmon sense to know not to approach him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you should get in between the rtionships of two sisters. Alessandra-¡±


    ¡°Duchess,¡± Edgar corrected Simon. Simon wasn¡¯t familiar with Alessandra to be referring to her without her title. It was disrespectful and a marquess was sure to know that. Unless Simon thought being with Kate meant they were now somehow all close.


    ¡°Right, Duchess Alessandra. I didn¡¯t mean any harm by that mistake. As I was saying, people might think you are controlling if you get in between the Duchess and her family-¡±


    ¡°I am trying to figure out why you think I would care about your opinion or anyone else for the matter. Do not try to meddle in what you do not know about, Simon. I¡¯d get to know the woman on your arm a little bit more before you worry about her rtionship with my wife. I¡¯d like to say it was nice seeing you but I hate to lie. Come, Alessandra,¡± Edgar tried to lead her away but Simon stepped in front of him.


    ¡°I am only getting involved because Kate has expressed to me how much she misses her sister. It seems the Duchess has not returned home since marrying you. I am not trying to be messy. I only hate to see when rtives are at odds. Where are you going?¡± Simon asked after Edgar and Alessandra walked around him.


    .....


    Kate clung to Simon feeling grateful he was fighting against Edgar for her. ¡®He¡¯s so gullible,¡¯ she thought. A few tears and sweet smiles were all it took for him to already be in the palm of her hands. She was learning from her mistakes with Edgar and would have a wedding by the end of winter.


    ¡°The Duchess hardly said a word. I¡¯ve been waiting to meet her but this meeting was a letdown. Why does she wear a mask?¡± Simon asked.


    ¡°Well ugh,¡± Kate paused to lick her lips. She was not expecting this question right now. Kate shrugged her shoulders and said, ¡°I am not sure about it. My father and mother never informed me about it. It just kind of happened overnight and I got used to it. After the awful rumors about my sister, she shut me out so I am not surprised that she does not want to speak to me. Besides, we had an argument about her not attending the funeral.¡±


    Kate looked away from Simon to hide her annoyance at constantly speaking about Alessandra. She only brought up Alessandra to appear like a good sister and paint Alessandra as the viin. She didn¡¯t think Simon would be bold enough to walk up to Alessandra and talk about their rtionship. She was d nothing bad was said from either Alessandra or Edgar.


    Kate forced a smile and looked back at him. ¡°Let¡¯s move on from this, Simon. This isn¡¯t the right ce for us to be talking about family matters anyway. I¡¯m sure I will see my sister again soon. Should we meet more of your friends?¡±


    Simon decided to drop the matter now that Kate wanted to move on. He found it hard toprehend why Edgar would pick Alessandra when Kate was the better option. ¡°You¡¯ve been good to your sister right?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Of course. Despite what was said about her over the years I tried to make her happy but she did not want to be close to me. There was nothing I could do but wait for her to open up to me. People without siblings don¡¯t know how hard it is for me to try everything to have a rtionship with my sister even when she makes me angry. Alessandra always paints me as the viin and it seems like she told Edgar something about me,¡± said Kate.


    Kate continued to say, ¡°Do you think I am a bad person? Just because she wears that mask people seem to think she is the only victim. I-¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have brought you here today if I did not think you were a good person. Your kindness is what attracted me to you and then there was your beauty. A lot of the women present could learn from you. I do not understand how you have not been proposed to yet. You are perfect,¡± heplimented Kate.


    Kate wanted to feed into her ego but her mother advised her to always y dumb. She tucked a strand of hair behind her hair acting shy and replied, ¡°I am sure I have many ws you have not seen yet.¡±


    ¡°No, you are perfect unlike everyone else,¡± said Simon.


    Meanwhile, Alessandra and Edgar walked to the other side of the room to get away from Kate and Simon.


    ¡°It appears Kate will get what she always wanted. A rich man to hook her hand around. I hope that now she has him, she will not be bothered by our rtionship so much to pester me,¡± said Alessandra.


    Alessandra hoped that Simon could upy all of Kate¡¯s time so that Kate would not have even a second to think about her. She was d that Kate had moved on from Edgar.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Edgar asked since thest thing Alessandra was expecting to see was one of her rtives.


    ¡°Yes. Her presence does not bother me. It is only the fact she seems to talk about us like we have a good rtionship. Not all siblings get along so I do not understand why she must put on the act like we are alright. I did enjoy yourment on her acting skills. Alfred is quite talented but Kate can hide her true personality well once she puts her mind to it,¡± Alessandra replied.


    Suddenly, Alessandra was pushed forward and felt something wet stter on her left hand. Edgar quickly caught her to prevent her from falling and then looked at the culprit. To his surprise, it was a young woman with a now empty ss in her hand. From the way she stood, he could tell that she was drunk.


    Alessandra bnced herself and tried to wipe the strong alcohol from her hand. She hadn¡¯t been present at the party long but her arm and the side of her dress were already a little bit wet. She looked up at the woman who bumped into her and did not recognize the person. Judging from the woman¡¯s shocked expression, it wasn¡¯t done on purpose.


    ¡°D-Duke Collins. I¡¯m so sorry,¡± the young woman quickly apologized. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean- I was only trying to. I don¡¯t know where I was going,¡± she tugged her hair.


    Alessandra heard snickering close by and looked to see two other young womenughing but not at her. They wereughing at the woman who was clearly drunk. How could they beughing at a time when someone needed help? ¡°Would you like toe with me to the bathroom? Let me take this,¡± Alessandra tried taking the empty ss from the woman and seeded.


    Alessandra handed the ss to Edgar so she could help the young woman walk. ¡°What is your name?¡±


    ¡°E-Emma Norman. I am so sorry Duchess. I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. Do not be angry with me,¡± Emma pleaded on the verge of tears. Her father would scold her endlessly for bumping into the Duchess.


    Alessandra smiled to show that she was not angry. ¡°It was an ident. We need to go to the bathroom for you to sober up. Edgar, do you know where the bathroom is?¡±


    Edgar stared at Emma who was sure to bring him trouble just by being around him. He recognized who she was the moment her name was mentioned but Alessandra was clueless. As much as he would like to avoid the iing headache, he would not stop Alessandra from helping Emma.


    ¡°This way,¡± he pointed in the direction of the bathroom. He had been here many times and hid in the bathroom most of those times to get away from annoying guests who sought after him to present their daughters. No matter how many times he stated he did not want to get married there was always that one delusional mother or father who thought their daughter could change his mind.


    ¡°Edgar, can you help me hold her? She is not walking straight or holding her own weight,¡± said Alessandra. Edgar was stronger than her so he would be more helpful.


    ¡°I would love to help but I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s best if I do not touch her. A fight will break out if I do since she¡¯s Oliver¡¯s fiancee,¡± Edgar replied. He knew she could not be here alone and it wouldn¡¯t be long before a certain guard would be in his face. Edgar wasn¡¯t in the mood to punch anyone today.

 Chapter 250 - 250 All in one room (4)

    250 All in one room (4)


    ¡®What are the odds she bumped into me? Is the world not tired of throwing conflict my way or is she not as drunk as she appears?¡¯ Alessandra couldn¡¯t help but wonder.


    It was too much of a coincidence in Alessandra¡¯s eyes that Emma bumped into her of all people. The only reason she wanted to believe it was an ident was that Emma had no reason to purposely want to bump into her and if she did, was it worth acting like she was drunk at a party like this?


    Alessandra decided to put any questions she had to the side for now and just get Emma to the bathroom. She was not going to force Edgar to help her hold Emma because she wished to avoid him being wrapped up in trouble with Oliver who wanted every chance to do something to her husband because of unrequited feelings.


    Alessandra and Emma followed Edgar to a bathroom. Once they reached it, Edgar remained outside to give the two some privacy.


    ¡°Please let me know if you feel like throwing up. I don¡¯t want any to get on you or the floors. How much did you have to drink before what was in the ss spilled on me? I am not asking to have something to talk about with other women. I am not fond of gossiping about someone, especially at a moment like this when you are in need of help. I need to know so I can have Edgar find someone to take you home,¡± said Alessandra.


    To behave like a drunkard at a party like this full of people with great titles was sure to ruin Emma¡¯s reputation. People would distance themselves from her because she was not actingdylike in their eyes. Then there were people like Kate who would twist the truth to ruin Emma.


    ¡°I¡¯ve truly made a fool of myself. This is not how I wanted to meet the Duke and Duchess. Be honest with me, Duchess. As woman to woman. Is it better after the wedding? The rtionship you have with the Duke I mean. Does he open his heart to you? I feel like I have been trying to make the man I am about to marry care about me but I am so desperately failing,¡± Emma sniffled, wiping away tears to avoid looking even more pitiful in front of Alessandra.


    ¡°I think it is different for everyone,¡± Alessandra answered. It wasn¡¯t her ce to share Oliver¡¯s secret and tell Emma the reason why she found difficulty connecting with Oliver.


    Alessandra couldn¡¯t help feeling bad for Emma but it wasn¡¯t her ce to do anything. Oliver had to confess his true feelings or Emma would have to stop waiting for Oliver to try loving her. She thought their union had to beplicated since Oliver could not back out of it.


    .....


    ¡°All I ever hear is how it will get better. I don¡¯t want to go into a marriage not knowing if things will get better. I found myself falling for him and thought naturally he would fall for me too but when we are not in front of our parents he shoves me away like I am the most disgusting thing he ever touched. I am sorry for dumping all of this on you,¡± Emma apologized as it wasn¡¯t her intention to share her troubles with a woman she did not know.


    Emma med the alcohol for making her talk so much when she was normally shy. She and Oliver had gotten into an argument not too long ago which prompted her to grab a drink. One thing led to another and it wasn¡¯t long before the room was moving around funny.


    ¡°It is alright. Perhaps you should have a conversation with him. Getting drunk won¡¯t find you a solution and it will only make you feel better in the moment. I will say that everyone deserves to be loved. If you think that you won¡¯t ever receive his love, you should think of calling off the wedding. Do not stay because it is what everyone wants you to do. Follow your heart,¡± Alessandra advised Emma.


    ¡°If only it were that easy. Our fathers are close so if I mention calling off the wedding even for a second it won¡¯t happen. My father would threaten to cut me off. It is up to Oliver to call it off but he is scared of his father. There is nothing I can do but hope we will one day love each other like everyone says will happen. I cannot speak to my mother because she is d I have secured a husband before I turn eighteen,¡± said Emma.


    Alessandra wanted to say marrying at ater age was not bad but knew her words would fall on deaf ears. Most girls got married between sixteen and eighteen. If they took too long to find a partner they would talk of the town and be less likely to find a good partner in the town¡¯s eyes.


    Alessandra was beyond those ages as she was now twenty-one and knew there were people talking about how long it took for her to get married. If the town didn¡¯t believe in rumors so easily, it wouldn¡¯t have taken her so long.


    ¡°I have heard Oliver¡¯s father speak of him being friends with the Duke once before. My husband rarely talks to anyone outside of work for me to ask them for help so can you ask the Duke to try speaking to Oliver? To try seeing what he feels about me?¡± Emma nervously yed with her fingers as Alessandra stared at her.


    ¡°This wasn¡¯t an ident. You were trying to speak with Edgar. Listen,¡± Alessandra sighed as neither she nor Edgar could help Emma. ¡°My husband and your fiancee are not on good terms. Edgar won¡¯t be able to help you and even if he could, he does not like to meddle in things like this. I am sorry.¡±


    Emma was devastated but she smiled to not show it. ¡°That is alright. I¡¯m truly sorry for spilling my drink on you. I did not purposely do that. I was just excited to have a word with your husband. I need to ssh some water on my face and sober up before I make a fool of myself. Your body has been spinning for a while now and I-¡±


    A noiseing from outside the bathroom interrupted Emma and made her look at Alessandra.


    ¡°What was that? Did your husband fall?¡± Emma asked. Perhaps she wasn¡¯t the only drunk one.


    ¡°That would be your fiancee finding my husband outside the door. I will be right back,¡± Alessandra quickly went to the door to check on Edgar.


    She opened the bathroom door and found Edgar standing with his hands in his pants pockets on one side and Oliver with a fist against a wall right behind the bathroom door. Alessandra sighed in relief that it was not Edgar who caused the noise but Oliver who punched the wall.

 Chapter 251 - 251 All in one room (5)

    251 All in one room (5)


    ¡°She is inside washing her face. You can go in if you want to. No, you should go in,¡± Alessandra changed her words since Oliver was the only person who could rest Emma¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Why is it always the two of you?¡± Oliver red at Alessandra. It was bad enough Edgar was aware of his secret affairs but now his wife was too. ¡°Am I supposed to believe this is a coincidence just like at the ball?¡±


    Alessandra didn¡¯t see why each time she was around Oliver he would re at her. She was married to someone he hated or perhaps still liked but she had nothing to do with whatever was going on between the two ex-friends.


    ¡°I¡¯d also like it if your problems weren¡¯t always before us. Your life is not that intriguing for me to be going around trying to get in the mix of it. Your fiance spilled her drink on my wife¡¯s dress. She was drunk and taken to the bathroom. As a town guard, you should be d someone took care of her. As her fiance, you should be thanking my wife,¡± Edgar said.


    Just like Alessandra, he noticed how Oliver was ring at her. Truthfully, Oliver should not have a problem with either of them. Alessandra didn¡¯t know Oliver and Oliver only hated Edgar for not having the same feelings as him.


    Oliver felt the need to punch the wall once more. He hated the sight of Edgar which was why he wanted the man to be tossed into jail so he would never see him again. He wished he could turn back time and avoid being friends with Edgar in the past. Then he would be normal and wouldn¡¯t have so many secrets.


    ¡°Oliver, stop fucking ring at my wife. I¡¯m trying to be civil and let her enjoy this party. Instead of punching walls, you should check on the young woman inside-¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t take your advice, Edgar. Just mind your own business. Move,¡±¡® Olivermanded Edgar and Alessandra as they blocked his path to enter the bathroom. Of all people, why did Emma have to spill a drink on Edgar¡¯s wife?


    Alessandra touched Edgar¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Edgar. I don¡¯t want to stay here any longer.¡±


    .....


    Oliver¡¯s anger was too much and it wouldn¡¯t be long before someone stumbled upon them. Edgar was calm at the moment but it wouldn¡¯t be long before he considered doing something to Oliver.


    ¡®He truly needs to get rid of this unnecessary anger,¡¯ Alessandra thought about Oliver.


    It wasn¡¯t right how he blew up at Edgar whenever they crossed paths because Edgar did not share the same feelings as him. You could not force anyone to return feelings. If Oliver could stop being angry with Edgar all for nothing Alessandra felt like the two could be friends again. Edgar did not seem like he hadpletely thrown away the friendship and was only angry that Oliver kept meddling in his life.


    Edgar decided to walk away since Oliver wasn¡¯t worth the time or energy. He focused on Alessandra instead of the fuming man and held her hand to lead her back to the party.


    ¡°You must be ecstatic that no one has any leads for who killed your maid. Once again, you used your connections to get away with murder. I won¡¯t give up until I find out what really happened to that maid. Whether it was you or your mother,¡± Oliver dered as the couple walked away.


    He furrowed his brows when he heard Edgarughing at him as he walked away. What was so funny? Did Edgar truly think he was not capable of solving the case?


    Alessandra looked back at Oliver, feeling sorry for him. If only he could be honest about his feelings but many people would judge him if word of his preference got out. Perhaps he thought everything would have been better if Edgar was just like him. He had no one to turn to other than the man they saw him with at the ball but their rtionship did not seem too good.


    ¡°I feel bad for him,¡± Alessandra said to Edgar.


    Edgar rolled his eyes, highly annoyed with Alessandra¡¯s words. ¡°Do not. He is not a little boy anymore and it is time for him to live his life the way he wants. Oliver needs to stop fearing his father and tell the truth. I warned him not to continue with this marriage as Emma and the man he is seeing will get hurt. Clearly, he intends to continue until the very end.¡±


    ¡°I suppose I should be feeling bad for Emma. Oliver will get to see his lover in private and there is nothing she can do. It is not like she can have a lover of her own. I never had the courage to go against my family until you arrived so that is why I understand and pity both of them. If he gets rid of his anger andes to you for help, would you?¡± Alessandra asked.


    ¡°He¡¯d have to beg first but I have no issue helping him. It is not that I hate him, I just find him to be annoying nowadays. He was a good friend a long time ago. I don¡¯t want to speak of Oliver anymore,¡± Edgar said as the only man on her mind should be him. ¡°Talk about me instead.¡±


    ¡°Not every conversation can be about you, Edgar. How manypliments do you want to receive today? I already told you that you look handsome. You are the most handsome man in the room. Are you happy?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t enjoy the tone but I will take thepliment. I have tomend the dressmaker for a job well done on the dress you are wearing now. It is quite tempting and I might have to slice off a few heads today,¡± Edgar stopped right before they would go back out to join the party.


    Alessandra looked off to the side to hide her face. ¡°You are forgetting that people look away from me because they think I am cursed. Our marriage has not yet changed that. You are the only person who desires me this way.¡±


    ¡°I am the only person that should be desiring you as I am your husband but unfortunately, times are changing,¡± said Edgar.


    When they entered the party he had noticed some of the stares Alessandra received from men. She was hiding half of her face but the other half was still beautiful despite what Alessandra saw. With the weight she had been gaining plus Erin making dresses that suited Alessandra perfectly, her body was gaining a lot of attention.


    Women would care to gossip about her being cursed more than men. Men will care more to lust for Alessandra in secret. Once Alessandra wasfortable enough to attend parties without her mask, Edgar knew she would gain more attention which he would hate. It was only a matter of time before people stopped caring about old rumors and women would be jealous of the woman Alessandra was blossoming to be.


    Alessandra didn¡¯t believe that but as a man, Edgar was bound to notice things she did not. ¡°You have no reason to be upset with their stares. I am with you,¡± she said.


    Edgar leaned close to Alessandra to whisper in her right ear, ¡°Unless they get touchy, I am not upset with them. I want them to be jealous of me. I am the one who has the pleasure of taking off this dress tonight.¡±

 Chapter 252 - 252 Fighting back (1)

    252 Fighting back (1)


    Edgar was pleasantly surprised that Alessandra had not rejected the fact he would be taking off the dress when they returned home. Normally Sally would rush to the room to help Alessandra but it seemed his wife wanted otherwise tonight. He was only teasing her but he would turn away a golden opportunity.


    Edgar was now more interested in returning home than taking part in the party though they had not been here for long.


    ¡°We should return to the party before others start to wonder where you are and more people find out about Emma,¡± Alessandra said, stepping away from Edgar to go back into the party area first. She felt hot but it wasn¡¯t the heated room making her this way.


    Once again, Edgar wished Alessandra knew that her running away would always entice him. For now, he would be on his best behavior and hold out until they returned home.


    They both returned to the party and by this time, Hazel and Tobias had arrived so everyone was focusing on the royal duo.


    ¡°Edgar!¡± Tobias called out to Edgar as soon as he spotted his friend. He took Hazel¡¯s hand and gracefully walked over to Edgar and Alessandra. ¡°Where are you twoing from? A little quick one in the bathroom? I remember those good days where-¡±


    Hazel stepped on Tobias¡¯ shoes to close his big mouth. Why would he bring up something like that now when many eyes were on them?


    Tobias paid no attention to the heel pressing down on his shoe. There was nothing wrong with a little pain. In fact, Hazel¡¯s angry side always got him horny. ¡°Before I was so rudely interrupted, I was going to say that I remember the days when I couldn¡¯t stay away from my wife during the early days of our marriage. You young folk have it nice.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re the same age, you idiot,¡± Edgar rolled his eyes. Matter of fact, he was older than Tobias by two weeks.


    .....


    Hazel ignored what the two men were talking about and decided to focus on the most important person here. ¡°Alessandra, it has been so long since I have seen you. Did you enjoy your trip out of town? What was it like?¡±


    ¡°It was fun. The weird weather ruined some parts of it but I still enjoyed myself and I met some of Edgar¡¯s family. Have you been well?¡± Alessandra asked.


    Hazel took a deep breath as she thought about the past week. ¡°Life has been hectic. The winter ball to celebrate Tobias¡¯s birthday is always stressful. I don¡¯t know why he threw a ball a few weeks ago when the winter ball already requires so much attention. Then there are the lectures for me because I have not provided an heir yet. It feels nice to get out of the pce.¡±


    Alessandra couldn¡¯t imagine what it was like to be in Hazel¡¯s ce. Rose and Alfred were awaiting an heir so they could raise the child and just enjoy itspany but they would not be as demanding as the people in the pce. As Hazel was queen, she would be reminded each way she turned to have an heir quickly for the sake of the kingdom.


    ¡°If you ever want to escape the pce, pleasee to our home. I will help take the stress away,¡± she offered.


    Hazel smiled and seriously considered taking Alessandra up on her offer. Tobias snuck away from the pce many times to visit Edgar so why shouldn¡¯t do the same?


    ¡°I am nning my first party at our home and will be inviting youngdies only to attend. Once the list has beenpleted, I will send out the invitations. You are invited,¡± Alessandra informed Hazel. ¡°And Linda for certain.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful. I am d you are here because I wanted to personally invite you to a gathering that will take ce in the pce tomorrow. I hope you are not busy as it is for young women in Lockwood. I am not the one who ns it though that is what people think. The pce has it every year to bring together young women from prominent families. As queen, I y the host. You can attend to make new friends and get an idea of who to invite to your party,¡± said Hazel.


    To convince Alessandra to attend Hazel added, ¡°You can stick by my side and let us not forget our n.¡±


    ¡°That is the reason why I want to hold a party. I would love to attend tomorrow-¡±


    ¡°What n is this? Are the two of you plotting something behind your husband¡¯s backs?¡± Tobias interjected as Hazel had not mentioned a n she had with Alessandra. She was the one to say married couples should not have secrets but here she was being all secretive.


    ¡°Stay out of our business, Tobias. Look, Linda¡¯s grandfather is waving at you. He must want to speak with you and Edgar. Go on, I will keep Alessandra safe by my side,¡± Hazel shooed the two men away.


    Alessandra smiled to show Edgar she would be alright. The only person they had to be concerned about was Kate but she would not do anything when she was acting like an angel before Simon. Then there was Hazel beside her so she did not need Edgar to stick beside her like glue.


    ¡°It won¡¯t take long, lover boy,¡± Tobias teased Edgar. He wasn¡¯t a fan of their marriage at first but he was starting to enjoy this new side of Edgar. ¡®Oh how he has quickly eaten his words,¡¯ he thought.


    Tobias wished there was some way they could rewind to when Edgar cursed him out for mentioning marriage. ¡®Now look at him. All in love and shit. Killing fathers and punching rtives. I could honestly cry for this heartless bastard. He truly does have a heart.¡¯


    Tobias ced his hand on Edgar¡¯s shoulder as they left the two women and said, ¡°I am proud of you, Edgar.¡±


    Edgar smacked Tobias¡¯s hand from touching him and replied, ¡°Do not touch me, you weirdo¡±


    ¡®Still heartless,¡¯ Tobias cried on the inside.

 Chapter 253 - 253 Fighting back (2)

    253 Fighting back (2)


    ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± Alessandra asked after she caught Hazel smiling at her.


    ¡°Not exactly. I am just happy each time I see the two of you together. It is fun to see how much Edgar has changed. Do you still not see how much you have him wrapped around your finger?¡± Hazel questioned, as it was painfully obvious but Alessandra was blind to it.


    Hazel had seen it right away when they were at the ball. Now, she saw how much the look in Edgar¡¯s eyes changed as he was more smitten by Alessandra than before. Clearly, the couple had a good trip out of town.


    ¡°No. I am aware of how much Edgar likes me. It took me a while to notice what you meant,¡± Alessandra replied.


    A lot of confessions were made between the ball and now. Now, she was not worried about a contract that required the two of them not to have feelings for each other. Edgar had been very vocal about what he felt for her and the things he would do to make her happy.


    ¡°I am so d he found a girl I can click with so well. If we couldn¡¯t have been friends I would have just enjoyed the fact he found someone to spend his time with. It is good to see that you are still here considering his mother must still be meddling in your life. Hopefully, she goes back out of town and leaves the two of you alone,¡± Hazel said.


    Hazel held Alessandra¡¯s hand and started to walk around the room to get away from people trying to approach the two of them.


    ¡°I have not heard from her for a little while now and I hardly think about his mother. Edgar is the same way. I can only enjoy the peace now. Did you have problems with your mother-inw at first?¡± Alessandra asked, wanting to know more about what marriage was like for Hazel.


    ¡°No. The former queen is nice and she weed me with open arms. She has always babied Tobias so she meddles in his life from time to time but it does not bother me. I think she views him as a little boy and just worries about him since the pce is dangerous even for the king. We might be the same way one day when we are mothers. Have you and Edgar talked about children?¡±


    .....


    ¡°We have but we are not ready for a child. I worry about the type of mother I would be. I do not want to meddle in my child¡¯s life. I only want them to be happy. More importantly, I think Edgar and I should wait to save the world from dealing with someone who might look and act exactly like him,¡± Alessandra joked.


    Sheughed at first but then cried on the inside when she thought of having to deal with Edgar and a smaller version of him.


    ¡°Yes please give us a little more time to deal with Edgar himself. It was brought to my attention that the two of you heard stupid rumors about you having an affair with a cook or being pregnant the day you visited the pce. I am sorry someone was so awful spread that. I was so angry such a good day ended like that,¡± Hazel said, balling up her fist as she wanted to hit the person who ruined the day she nned.


    Alessandra found that Hazel kind of reminded her of Erin. They both looked like they would be ready to pull hair for her at any moment. ¡°It is alright. They have already passed. I still enjoyed the time I spent at the pce with you and I got a trip out of those lies.¡±


    ¡°I suppose it is best to look at it positively. If you ever find out who started it, let me know. I will see to it they are not invited to any gathering I will hold. I don¡¯t take kindly to my friends being attacked. It is so nasty how someone will spread lies about someone hoping to ruin them. As women, we must protect our reputations. For how much society expects us to be perfect, I do not enjoy seeing women ruining each other.¡±


    ¡°Truthfully, I had no reputation for those lies to ruin. I am only now trying to step away from being called cursed. I-¡±


    ¡°Queen Hazel Castro,¡± a familiar voice said behind the two women.


    A chill tingled Alessandra¡¯s body as she remembered the voice she heard quite a few times in her youth.


    Hazel and a reluctant Alessandra turned around to face William.


    Hazel was surprised to see William here since she knew the man was one of her husband¡¯s enemies. Why would he receive an invitation to this party when Linda¡¯s family was loyal to Tobias? None of his enemies were ever invited to this party. What was happening?


    ¡°William Lancaster, it is a surprise to see you here. I wasn¡¯t aware you attend this kind of party. You are normally absent. My husband and the Duke have gone off somewhere with the host if you wish to speak with them. I am having a private conversation with the Duchess,¡± Hazel said to get rid of him as she noticed how Alessandra tensed up when the man spoke.


    Hazel didn¡¯t know the history between Alessandra and William so she figured Edgar must have told Alessandra about the type of man William was. She didn¡¯t me Alessandra for being scared in his presence. William creeped her out too but Hazel did not like to show it.


    William ignored Hazel and looked at the missing piece he needed for his collection. Each time he saw her all dolled up, he wanted Alessandra more. If only he could just take her now that the irritating man was not close to her. ¡°I am not here for your husbands but to have a word with the Duchess. I was a friend of herte father and I have not been able to offer my condolences. I request to have a private chat with her.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Alessandra denied his request. She wanted nothing more than to get far away from him. Why was he here now when Edgar was not present?

 Chapter 254 - 254 Fighting back (3)

    254 Fighting back (3)


    Alessandra could not shake the disgusting feeling she got from William. She did not belong to him. She never did. What would it take to get that through his mind?


    Alessandra took a deep breath to calm herself. She did not want William to see that he was getting under her skin. It would only amuse him which was thest thing she wanted to do.


    ¡°The Duchess does not want to speak to you, mister Lancaster. Please respect her decision and leave us¡± Hazel ordered him. She was starting to realize there was more to the rtionship between William and Alessandra since he mentioned being a friend of herte father.


    ¡°She seems to want nothing to do with her past. Want to know something special, Queen Castro? Before she was meant to marry the Duke, Alessandra was supposed to-¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Alessandra eximed, cutting him off before he could share about the deal he had with her father. How could he be so bold to state he was going to take her in exchange for the debt her father had?


    William chuckled, amused by how much she wanted the fact she belonged to him to be a secret. ¡°I know a special secret about the Duchess. She¡¯s somewhere she¡¯s not meant to be right now but she will soon return to her rightful ce. Alessandra, I¡¯m sure you can spare a moment to speak with me before I start speaking about your father¡¯s little secrets.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead. Whatever my father did has nothing to do with me. You truly are disgusting to stand before me after what you intended to do. There is no ounce of shame in your body. Fine, let¡¯s talk,¡± Alessandra changed her mind. She had a lot to say to William. She was no longer going to be afraid of a man like him.


    ¡°Good, Queen Hazel can you please-¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Alessandra held Hazel¡¯s hand to keep her here. This was her private business but she needed someone here in case William might one day try to spin what they discussed here. ¡°I have no intentions of belonging to you, William. I am a Duchess now.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Are you upset because I did not refer to you by your title? My mistake,¡± William apologized.


    Alessandra felt the need tough because that was far from what she was upset about. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to address me at all. You and I have nothing to speak about. I don¡¯t care for your condolences for my father or if you want to speak about his debt. I want nothing to do with a man like you. I will only say once to stay far away from me.¡±


    ¡°You are more entertaining than I thought,¡± William said. She was always a quiet little girl but now that she was older she had a little spark to her. Perhaps she was better suited as a new wife than just being added to his home.


    He briefly nced at her chest and didn¡¯t find her to be to his liking but he would still enjoy getting rid of her fire and making her like the other women. The ones who wandered his home like ghosts after losing their voice and did as hemanded them to. Thest one was quite boring so she found herself buried beneath the ground.


    William didn¡¯t like that Edgar had gotten to her first as he enjoyed the women he got to be fresh. The only women he preferred to be already used were the women he would pay to visit from the red light district to entertain the guest he had in his home.


    Hazel wished she could get some context to what was happening. If William was an old friend of Alessandra¡¯s father, why were they talking about him having her? Did they mean as a wife? ¡®That is disgusting,¡¯ she thought. Hazel didn¡¯t think a man who was most likely around Alessandra in her youth should think of being with her.


    ¡°I hope that your worldes crashing down soon. A man like you does not deserve to live much longer. Whatever you are owed from my father, take that up with his wife. You are despicable, vile, disgusting, and a creep. Money has gotten to your head. I remember the timid man who would be running around with a tail between his legs following my father¡¯s everymand because you were nothing back then,¡± said Alessandra.


    William scowled, disliking the mention of his past. He had risen far above that life. He was no longer trying to please Desmond. He had turned life around and enjoyed how Desmond had to run to him for help. He was stronger and wealthier than the coward he once was. Who was Alessandra to bring that up?


    William thought of wrapping his hand around her pretty neck to strangle her. If only there weren¡¯t so many people here h would take her back to his home and make her eat her words. He desired to have her more than art or sexually. William wanted to break her more than she already was and hear her apologize.


    Hazel wanted to cheer Alessandra on but didn¡¯t think it would be right to piss William off even more than he already was. Her heart skipped a beat when she looked behind William and saw a catastrophe heading their way. ¡®This isn¡¯t going to be good,¡¯ she thought.


    ¡°What the fuck are you doing near my wife? You truly have a death wish,¡± the anger in Edgar¡¯s voice was heard as he brushed past William, not missing the chance to nudge the man with his shoulder to make William lose his bnce before he went to stand in front of Alessandra. He left her alone for a couple of minutes but it was enough for this creep to ease his way to her.


    Edgar was already pissed off because of what was said to him and Tobias, so returning to the party and immediately looking for Alessandra, his blood boiled when he spotted William with her. ns for a peaceful party were out the window.


    Alessandra touched Edgar¡¯s hand to calm him. She also did not like seeing William but she was not going to let Edgar lose his cool and do something to William in front of all of these people. ¡°I am fine,¡± she reassured him.


    ¡°Good but I am still going to kill him,¡± Edgar lowly spoke as the urge to kill William right now was hard to ignore. ¡°You¡¯ve got some fucking nerve waiting until I am no longer by her side to approach her.¡±


    ¡°Now now. This isn¡¯t the way a Duke should talk at a party like this. There¡¯s no need for you to act up when you cannot harm me,''¡± William grinned, taking pleasure in the fact Edgar could not touch him. No weapons were allowed at the party and he could put up a good fight in a fistfight.


    Edgar had the dagger hidden away beneath his clothes but he wouldn¡¯t need that to kill William. It would be more satisfying to snap the man¡¯s neck with his bare hands. Just as he moved to do as his mind wanted him to, Tobias appeared between the two men and held Edgar¡¯s hand.


    As much as Tobias would enjoy Edgar killing William, now was not the right time. Tobias forced a smile and said, ¡°It is time you step away William. Yourpany is not wee here.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. It seems so. Please excuse me, Queen and King Castro. Duchess,¡± William smiled sweetly at Alessandra. ¡°Till we meet again.¡±


    Edgar stepped forward to punch Wiim for having the nerve to speak to Alessandra in his presence but was held back by Tobias. With the anger Edgar felt, he considered punching Tobias for getting in his way but as he looked at his friend Edgar gritted his teeth, shoved Tobias from holding him back, and walked away.


    Alessandra chased after Edgar to make sure that he was alright. She was surprised he had held back from hurting William but was d that he did. If he punched William now, Edgar would be criticized though he was not in the wrong. Other people just did not know what William had done.


    ¡°Stay here,¡± Tobias told Hazel before he followed Alessandra and Edgar.


    Edgar exited the home, ignoring the snow falling down on him. He was full of adrenaline to hurt someone but could not let it out on the one person he wished to hit. He pushed over arge stone statue in the garden to try to calm himself but it wasn¡¯t enough.


    Before Alessandra could walk out to the snow to speak with Edgar, Tobias ced a hand on her shoulder, wanting her to wait while he had a word with Edgar.


    Alessandra stayed behind while Tobias went out to speak with Edgar who had thrown down another statue causing it to break when it hit a smaller statue.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for holding you back there. I¡¯m honestly surprised you listened to me since he deserved it. William has been getting on my nervestely and after the conversation we just had, he¡¯s going to piss us off more in the future. Let¡¯s stop trying to get him using thew,¡± Tobias said and it caught Edgar¡¯s attention. ¡°We need to do things the old way as I am tired of trying to y nice. Gather your best men, Edgar. We¡¯re going to secretly kill William Lancaster.¡±

 Chapter 255 - 255 Desire (1)

    255 Desire (1)


    ¡°You cannot take this back. I am not going to stop no matter how much you plead,¡± said Edgar.


    When it came to those who wanted to harm Alessandra, Edgar found it hard to hold back from wiping out her enemies. He was normally calm and waited for ater moment to strike but with Desmond, Daniel, and William, his body went straight into wanting to kill the person standing before him. William Lancaster will soon take hisst breath even if Tobias were to suddenly change his mind.


    ¡°I don¡¯t intend to stop you in the future. I only want to stop you from destroying their statues before you end up paying for an entirely new garden. Now is not the time for you to be attacking statues when your wife is concerned about you. Remember a year ago when you were the one calming me down? Oh how times have changed,¡± Tobias mused, enjoying how their positions switched.


    Edgar ignored Tobias enjoying the moment and looked to Alessandra standing on the edge of the house waiting for a chance to speak to him. ¡°You¡¯ll pay for those right?¡± He pointed to the broken statues as he walked past Tobias.


    ¡°Yes-wait! What the hell, Edgar!¡± Tobias eximed. Edgar was filthy rich so why would he be the one to pay for what Edgar damaged? ¡°Edgar, I¡¯m not paying for shit. I don¡¯t even want to pay a visit here next year after what that old geezer proposed a moment ago. He¡¯s not even listening to me,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°Are you alright now? Have you settled down?¡± Alessandra asked when Edgar approached her.


    ¡°Far from it but I will be fine for now. I¡¯m sorry for storming away without you. I let the moment get the best of you,¡± Edgar apologized first. He should have taken her hand and led her away from being so close to William.


    ¡°That¡¯s alright. I¡¯m d you separated yourself from him before something bad could have happened. I don¡¯t want you to be the source of anyone¡¯s entertainment tonight. I suppose I should have walked away from him but I did not want to show him that he bothers me. I won¡¯t lie that I was also tempted to punch him so I know how hard it is to hold back. Do we have to leave now?¡±


    ¡°Why? I am never going to leave a party over the likes of William Lancaster. You were enjoying the party and I am not going to make you leave now. Just give me a moment to calm down a bit more. William is not the only person to anger me. You are cold,¡± Edgarmented after he caught her rubbing her hand to warm it up. ¡°We should head back inside.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Tobias, are you cold? You should head back inside, Tobias. No one cares about the king,¡± Tobias muttered as he passed the couple with envy in his eyes. ¡°The only person to worry about me is my wife.¡±


    Alessandra chuckled, finding Tobias¡¯s need for attention to be amusing. ¡°Thank you foring outside with us, King Tobias.¡±


    Tobias stopped in his tracks and turned to Alessandra. ¡°Keep this up and I mighte to like you more than Edgar. You¡¯ve earned the right to just call me, Tobias. We¡¯re family at this point. I¡¯m going to check on Hazel. She must be worried out of her mind.¡±


    ¡°Are you alright, Tobias?¡± Edgar asked as he was not the only one with problems tonight.


    There was a proposal to strengthen the rtionship Tobias had with one of his allies. To consider taking Linda as his mistress since Hazel had not yet provided an heir. Tobias shot it down right away as he had no intentions of taking another woman. However, the rejection tonight won¡¯t shut down the suggestion forever. It wouldn¡¯t be long before more people started to advise Tobias to take Linda to his side.


    Tobias did not want Hazel to learn of this until he would have a private conversation with her. She was already on edge about the women visiting the pce and now others would put it in her head that she needed to watch out for her best friend.


    ¡°I need a drink. I stopped you from attacking William but I might punch that old man if he brings up his granddaughter again. What was the point of me ying nice with these people because my father requested it? Being nice does not suit you and me, Edgar. I¡¯m going to stop this facade,¡± Tobias replied.


    Alessandra recalled Edgar had told her to not be fooled by what she saw when it came to Tobias as he was more dangerous than he showed. What was said when Edgar and Tobias left to make him stop pretending?


    ¡°I will leave you two love birds alone,¡± Tobias said as he walked away. Just like Edgar, he needed to protect his wife from the vultures in the room. ¡®I should take her on a trip out of town. The pce will be messy in theing days,¡¯ he thought.


    ¡°What did William say to you?¡¯ Edgar asked once they were alone.


    Alessandra didn¡¯t think this was the best idea to tell him now when William was most likely still around but she did not want to keep any secrets from him. ¡°He said he wanted to offer condolences for my father. Then he almost mentioned that I am owed to him before stating I am in a ce where I do not belong but I will go where I belong soon.¡±


    Alessandra chose to leave off the fact she had caught him staring at her chest. William did not try for the slightest moment to hide that he wanted her and it made her want to return home to scrub her skin even though he had not touched her. His gaze was enough to make her feel dirty.


    Edgar held Alessandra¡¯s hand and took her back inside from the cold. ¡°What are you hiding from me?¡± He asked as he saw right through her. They had been together many times for him to know when she was withholding something.


    ¡°There is nothing-¡±


    ¡°Alessandra,¡± Edgar said in a firm tone to stop her from lying. ¡°Now is not the time for us to start lying to each other so tell me. When I kill the man, I wanted to know everything I was killing him for.¡±


    ¡°I will tell you after we have left the party. Thank you for always jumping to protect me. I have to admit that is quite uhm,¡± Alessandra paused, embarrassed to say that seeing him go up against William was exciting in more ways than one.


    ¡°Did that turn you on? There is still enough time for me to punch someone and then we can hop into a bathroom for privacy. Or we can leave right away and have fun on the way back home in the carriage? I can¡¯t stop thinking about taking your dress off.¡±


    ¡°Please behave, Edgar. If you can keep yourposure even with William present, I will do something for you when we return home,¡± Alessandra softly spoke. In her head, she sounded quite loud as she gave him a bold offer.


    A party with Kate and William present meant they had not escaped all the drama just yet. She wanted Edgar to remain calm despite how much the two deserved to be strangled. Edgar would never care about how others view him but she did not want him to be criticized for the things he did because of her. She was all for Edgar punishing William in secret so no one could point a finger at him.


    Edgar wasn¡¯t falling for any of Alessandra¡¯s tricks. She was trying to y him by not mentioning what she would do for him. Her offer sounded sexual but then once they got home she would say she meant something else. ¡°What is it you will offer me?¡± Edgar asked.


    The two rejoined the party and right away, all eyes went to them to see how Edgar was after his little argument with William Lancaster. Everyone wished to know about the bad blood between the two men and though this was meant to be a party for people with ss, they wanted to see a fight between the two men.


    ¡°I have not thought of it yet. I just threw that out there,¡± Alessandra replied.


    ¡°Then let me change what I am looking forward to. If this party ends without me trying to snap someone¡¯s neck, you must strip out of your dress for me. Careful,¡± Edgar caught Alessandra after she almost tripped.


    It wasn¡¯t hard for him to control his temper now that he was going to plot to have William¡¯s head on disy on a stick outside his gate or perhaps drag William back to his dungeon and lock him in a room with hungry animals that would love his flesh.


    Alessandra and Edgar found a quiet corner to enjoy themselves in peace.


    ¡°You can remain in your corset if it will ease your mind. Throw me a bone tonight, Alessandra. I am desperately burning to have you one way or the other,¡± Edgar confessed as his desire to touch her reced the anger he directed at William and it would not fade away any time soon. ¡°At least satisfy my imagination tonight.¡±

 Chapter 256 - 256 Desire (2)

    256 Desire (2)


    ¡°Your ability to go from angry to a flirt amazes me,¡± Alessandra muttered. Just a moment ago he was ready to kill William and now he was here trying to make a reservation for pleasure when they return home. Alessandra swallowed her fright to strip in front of Edgar and replied, ¡°I will do it. I cannot be teased if I somehow pass out in the midst of that.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t if you remember to breathe. When we¡¯re in the moment you¡¯d be surprised by how easy it is to forget about being embarrassed and act like a new person. Now, what would it take to make this party go by quicker,¡± Edgar started to plot. He wanted to be out of here in less than an hour.


    ¡°Edgar, I intend on staying and enjoying the rest of the party. I am sure you can wait it out. I married such a horny man,¡± Alessandra shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m doubting the number of women you slept with.¡±


    ¡°If a man has such an alluring wife he¡¯d always desire to have her. It is the same for you,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°With such a perfect good-looking husband, you must find yourself wanting to be close to me. If only you would give into your desires and do as you want. I would not push you away,¡± Edgar replied.


    Once again, Alessandra was jealous of the confidence Edgar had in himself. Whenever there was a moment topliment himself, he never missed the chance to talk greatly of himself. Even when it wasn¡¯t time to, he wouldpliment himself.


    Edgar poked Alessandra after silence fell upon them. ¡°Are you giving me the silent treatment?¡±


    Alessandra sighed after the third poke but continued to pay attention to the couples who had started to dance in the middle of the room.


    .....


    ¡°Do want to dance?¡± Edgar asked as it seemed she wanted to go but did not want to ask.


    ¡°No. My dancing skills are not on the same level as those dancing yet. I don¡¯t want to make fool of myself. I¡¯m satisfied with just watching them dance. Do you want to dance?¡± Alessandra asked. She would change her mind if it was something he wanted to do. She would have to perfect her steps.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a dance person but I will join when you are ready. You should just have fun and ignore everyone. Who cares if you trip or fall t on your ass,¡± Edgar shrugged.


    Alessandra looked at Edgar in disbelief. She couldn¡¯t tell if he was trying to motivate her to dance or scare her. ¡°I care. Perhaps in our home or somewhere surrounded by friends I can dance without care but not here. At my age, I should know how to dance well but it was years since I had a tutor. Alfred and Sally have been teaching me well but I am not there yet. Once I am, it will be hard for you to pull me away from the dance floor.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    ¡°Hazel has invited me to the pce tomorrow. I will go to hopefully meet new friends and have more people to invite to the party. There is someone approaching us, Edgar. What is he?¡± Alessandra asked, continuing with the n they set up.


    ¡°A ten,¡± Edgar sighed.


    ¡°Duke Collins! Have you forgotten that I wanted to be introduced to the Duchess? My granddaughter told me she met the Duchess and had a wonderful time. I¡¯ve been on your side for years but that does not seem to matter as I did not get an invitation to the wedding,¡± Grant Henson, the host of the party and Linda¡¯s grandfather, said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t feel left out. Only a priest was present,¡± Edgar replied.


    ¡°Is that so? Your wedding stirred up a lot of gossip in the kingdom. I have to say I was a bit sad by it and your choice,¡± Grant gave Alessandra a look over and was not impressed. ¡°You know I was wishing you¡¯d ept my granddaughter¡¯s feelings and marry her instead.¡±


    Alessandra found it to be rude that this was how the old gentleman was speaking during his first time meeting her. She loved Linda but she could not say the same about her grandfather.


    ¡°The devil could have put me in a predicament to either marry your granddaughter or let the world burn. I would annoy my butler onest time before the world sets on fire,¡± Edgar said as politely as he could.


    Grant disliked Edgar¡¯s response as he viewed his granddaughter as one of the most refineddies in the kingdom. He was so close to making her queen but lucked out because Hazel snatched Tobias away. He was going to settle for Edgar but now the man was married. Now, he had ns to put Linda in the pce by making her the king¡¯s consort and once she bore an heir for the king, he would get rid of Hazel as queen.


    Grant only wished his son was on the same side as him. In his son¡¯s eyes, no one was good for Linda. Then there were her brothers who shielded her each time a man was around. If Linda was smart, she would use her friendship with Hazel to get close to Tobias. Grant was on a lone ship to get Linda into a high position but that did not matter. People like William Lancaster were offering to help him if he joined hands with them.


    Grant¡¯s son and grandsons were loyal to Tobias like he was loyal to the former king but his interest had started to change.


    ¡°Edgar, I would love to dance,¡± Alessandra changed her mind to help Edgar get out of speaking with this man. ¡°I-¡±


    ¡°Woman, you should know to keep quiet when the men are talking. It is rude to interrupt such an important conversation. You can find a woman to speak to while I speak with your husband. I am from the old days that were strict to have women silent when men were speaking. The youngsters have bex these days,¡± Grant shook his head.


    Edgar opened his mouth to speak but Alessandra beat him to the punch. ¡°You can stay in your old days but times are changing for us younger people. I¡¯m afraid your conversation will end here since I want to dance with my husband. Thank you for inviting us,¡± Alessandra curtsied then held Edgar¡¯s hand to take him to dance.


    Why would she be a fool to stand there and listen to him speak of how he wanted Linda to marry Edgar?


    ¡°Men and their ridiculous views on women,¡± Alessandra muttered as she pulled Edgar who was on the verge ofughing.

 Chapter 257 - 257 Desire (3)

    257 Desire (3)


    ¡°Does he pester you about Linda a lot?¡±


    ¡°He used to as a way for us to secure his loyalty. I am in no need of more power to do as he wants. Now he is pestering Tobias. Do not think about him,¡± Edgar replied.


    ¡°I take it he will never like me and I don¡¯t want him to. I am not fond of people who share those views about women. That I must be silent around two men. I will ce bugs in your clothes the day you ask that of me,¡± Alessandra made a threat she would stand on.


    ¡°Thankfully that would never happen. It was entertaining to see his mouth fall open because of you. You are better than you think,¡± Edgarmented on her dancing. ¡°I must increase Alfred¡¯s pay. He does more work than any other butler. He is your butler, dance teacher, party nner, protector, and future babysitter.¡±


    ¡°He should be paid a lot just from dealing with you all your life and now having to teach me basic things ady should already know. I have been reading books to ease what he has been teaching me. I don¡¯t like to bother him,¡± said Alessandra.


    ¡°Have you not been paying attention? Alfred loves when you call on him. Do you want to make an old man sad?¡±


    ¡°No, I do not,¡± Alessandra chuckled. She curtsied just like the other women when the song came to an end. They had joined the dance toote for them to enjoy it more but at least they had gotten away from Linda¡¯s grandfather. ¡°Iing three and zero,¡± she said, looking at two people approaching.


    Edgar looked over his shoulder and snickered. ¡°You are learning well. What do you want, Tobias? Do you want to dance with me?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I always knew there was something between the two of you,¡± Hazelmented.


    .....


    ¡°Please. If I had an interest in men why would I choose Edgar to make my life hell? I came to inform you that Hazel and I will be leaving. The snow has started toe down heavier and it is a long ride back to the pce. It would be dangerous if our carriage bes stuck on the road back. Hazel tells me your wife will visit the pce tomorrow. Pay a visit, Edgar. Rafael will be there tomorrow. Do not punch anyone,¡± Tobias pleaded with Edgar.


    ¡°I punched someone once and now it is bing a big deal,¡± Edgar rolled his eyes.


    ¡°I recall you punching someone at your birthday party,¡± said Tobias.


    ¡°That was a fight you started and I jumped in to stop your royal ass from fighting against three men on your own,¡± Edgar retold the story just as it had happened.


    Tobias had thrown the first punch for whatever reason Edgar still did not know to this day, and when the man he punched two friends tried to get into the mix, Edgar came to Tobias¡¯s defense.


    ¡°Oh right,¡± Tobias scratched the back of his head. ¡°I got you into a lot of fights, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°You did and you even got me to go off to war with you. I am yet to figure out why I am friends with you. There is always something I have to deal with,¡± Edgar muttered.


    ¡°Ohe on. I am one of the few people who get your personality and can handle your words. I take pride in being someone who can annoy you but you¡¯ll stille around and don¡¯t try to kill me as you do with others. It warms me,¡± Tobias touched his chest.


    ¡°Who said I never tried to kill you?¡± Edgar said with a grin. When he used to make Tobias jump from high rocks the goal was for Tobias to snap something. ¡°Alessandra, are you okay with leaving shortly? If the roads back to the pce are blocked by snow, we will find trouble returning home.¡±


    With Hazel being the only person Alessandra was familiar with and Kate being here along with William, Alessandra didn¡¯t see the point in staying much longer. From what she saw so far, the people here were just going to stand around to show off their wealth and not talk about anything other than gossip. She was here to have fun but this was not the party for her. She looked forward to the gathering in the pce tomorrow more than this one as many girls would be around her age.


    ¡°We can leave now,¡± said Alessandra.


    ¡°Well, this party will be a drag now that the most important people are leaving,¡± Tobias stated.


    ¡°I should say goodbye to Mr. Henson,¡± Hazel looked around the room for the said man. She always spoke to Linda¡¯s grandfather who was like her own.


    ¡°Not right now,¡± Tobias disagreed with it since Grant was unpredictable and tried to tell Hazel about letting Linda be the king¡¯s mistress. ¡°We are not attending this party unless Linda¡¯s father or brothers are present. What lovely timing they have to be out of town with Linda now,¡± he muttered.


    Hazel picked up that something was wrong and it happened when Tobias went to speak with Grant. She would find out by the end of the day. ¡°Goodbye, Alessandra. I shall see you tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Goodbye, Hazel,¡± Alessandra curtsied.


    Hazel and Tobias left first followed shortly by Edgar and Alessandra. Alessandra saw a lot of people looking their way and muttering something but wasn¡¯t bothered by it.


    ¡®They should enjoy themselves more than worrying about us leaving early,¡¯ she thought.


    Timothy, Edgar¡¯s personal driver, opened the door of the carriage for the couple when he saw theme out. For some odd reason, Edgar entered the carriage first and sat down leaving Alessandra to enter behind him.


    Alessandra took a deep breath now that she was away from the many eyes in the room. She had not noticed how much weight was on her shoulders until now that she was out of the party. ¡°Hey!¡± Alessandra squealed when she found herself being pulled onto Edgar¡¯sp as soon as she stepped into the carriage. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°The party is not over my sweet wife,¡± Edgar smiled as he had ns for the long ride back home.

 Chapter 258 - 258 Strip (1)

    258 Strip (1)


    ¡°Did you¡­Did you just bite me?¡± Alessandra touched her neck where she felt a slight pain. ¡°Edgar, I am not something for you to munch down on.¡±


    ¡°I beg to differ,¡± Edgar replied then licked where he had yfully bit her. ¡°If I had the chance I would definitely eat you.¡±


    ¡°Have you been lying to me? Are you really some kind of monster?¡± Alessandra pulled away from Edgar the moment she felt his teeth against her skin again. By the time they returned home she would be covered in bite marks.


    Edgar leaned back against the carriage seat, staring up at the woman on hisp. ¡°Probably,¡± he replied. Edgar was tempted to take off her mask now but it was pointless as she would have to put it back on when they returned home.


    ¡°Hmm. That would exin many things,¡± Alessandra replied. She had a lot of mixed emotions with her clear view of Edgar with the top buttons of his shirt open giving her a preview of his toned body, his messy hair thanks to the wind when they had exited the home, and the expression on his face. She remembered this expression from their trip as when he wanted her. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t fool around in a carriage.¡±


    Edgar ran his tongue against the tip of his teeth. He snaked a hand around her waist to keep her in ce just in case she had ns of running away. The view before him was too wonderful for her to move now. ¡°There is no rule that I cannot do what I want with my wife in this carriage. And even if there was, I would never obey it. Luckily, I have no intentions of letting your first time be like this.¡±


    ¡°For someone who tries to do things with thew, you sure do love going around them when ites to getting something from me. I take it that doesn¡¯t mean I can get off yourp now?¡± Alessandra asked.


    ¡°Why ask when you already know the answer? You can start to strip now-¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Alessandra shook her head. ¡°The promise was when we returned home. I know you said things like this can happen everywhere but I prefer the privacy of our bedroom.¡±


    .....


    ¡°I can send home all the servants. Would that be enough?¡± Edgar asked. He had many ces in mind where they could enjoy themselves. At some point, using the bed tended to be boring.


    ¡°And what of Sally, Alfred, and all the other servants who live on your property? They will have no ce to go,¡± Alessandra called out the one w in his n.


    However, Edgar always had a solution to get what he wanted. ¡°I have many homes, Alessandra. I can send them to a couple and call it a nice vacation for all their hard work. I will not worry about this now. Once we start to be intimate, you¡¯ll find yourself not caring about where you are in our home. The pleasure will take over your need to be decent at all times. Our home is in view. I can hardly wait to see you strip for me.¡±


    ¡°Why couldn¡¯t we live farther away? I should have fallen to sleep,¡± Alessandra muttered, regretting not thinking of this sooner.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be a quitter, Alessandra. You are the one who said you are ready for whates next. You are aware you will be naked before my eyes when that timees? Just like before. Consider it more practice to be more confident,¡± Edgar grinned.


    ¡°I don¡¯t wish to practice with you anymore, Edgar. Aren¡¯t you cold with your chest exposed? The inside of the carriage is not that warm. You might catch a cold,¡± Alessandra said, taking it upon herself to button up his shirt.


    ¡°Will you nurse me back to health if I be sick? Do anything your patient requires of you?¡±


    ¡°I am not going to answer that, Edgar. You are devious enough to catch a cold and have me do all sorts of things while pretending to be weak. For all the times that you have teased me, I would enjoy seeing you sick. I might even call Caleb to take you away so that he would annoy you-oww!¡± Alessandra winced from Edgar pinching her. ¡°Who needs to watch out for enemies when my husband takes it upon himself to torture me.¡±


    ¡°A little pain never hurts anyone. It brings out such a beautiful expression. Scream my name this time,¡± Edgar pinched her again.


    Alessandra bit her lip to refrain from making a sound. Sometimes she wanted to inflict pain on her husband for the things he did to her but clearly, he would just enjoy it.


    Alessandra felt relieved when the carriage door was opened as they were back home. She didn¡¯t care about Timothy averting his eyes when he caught her sitting on Edgar¡¯sp and hopped out of the carriage after somehow getting away from Edgar¡¯s grip.


    Alessandra picked up the bottom of her dress to hurry up the stairs to get out of the snow and get away from Edgar for now. ¡°Hello, Alfred! The party was fun. I had a lot of fun. You can rest now that we are back,¡± she quickly spoke to catch him up on how her time out went.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Alfred replied after barely getting a word of what Alessandra had said to him. All he heard was the party was fun. He looked down at the carriage where Edgar exited with the biggest smile Alfred had ever seen. ¡°Wee back,¡± he greeted the happy man.


    Edgar took notice of the chair Alfred had by the window to keep watch for when they would return. ¡°Have a servant make some tea for you and go to bed Alfred. See to it no onees to my bedroom before you turn in for the day.¡±


    Edgar made a mental note to have a conversation with Alfred about resigning from being the butler and just living here as a rtive. The old fox wasn¡¯t as young as he thought to continue this work. It would be an interesting conversation as Alfred would certainly fight him on resigning.


    Edgar pushed that to the side for now since something entertaining was bound to happen shortly. Alessandra could run all she wanted but he would get to watch her strip by the end of the day.


    ¡°It must have been fun,¡± Alfred agreed with Alessandra. The house was so much livelier thanks to Edgar¡¯s marriage. ¡°I must warn Sally not to tend to the Duchess. We mustn¡¯t interfere with the arrival of an heir,¡± he hurried off to find Sally.


    Meanwhile, Edgar opened his bedroom door and found Alessandra sitting on the edge of the bed with her mask already off and her hair tied into a ponytail. ¡°Alessandra-¡±


    ¡°Come sit on the bed. Let¡¯s do this before this confidence fades away. I set myself up for this so I won¡¯t back out,¡± Alessandra stood from the bed. A promise was a promise and she had only run to the bedroom to calm her nerves before Edgar arrived. Had she walked here with him, there was no doubt in her mind he would have teased her with each step. ¡°Do not say a word, Edgar. Just sit there,¡± she pointed to exactly where she wanted him to be.


    ¡°This feels like I have traveled back to my tutor telling me this.¡±


    Edgar for once was obedient and sat on the bed, eagerly awaiting what was toe. Depending on how much Alessandra enticed him tonight, waiting until his birthday to make love to Alessandra would be out the window. Right now that idea had one foot out the window as he watched Alessandra begin to untie the string at the front of her dress.


    ¡®I shall have her tonight,¡¯ Edgar quickly changed his mind.


    Alessandra looked down at her dress as she untied the tight string to avoid looking at Edgar. She could feel his burning gaze on her and knew if she looked, her heart would flutter and she would lose all train of thought because of how much Edgar¡¯s expression when he wanted her affected her mind and body.


    Alessandra took a breath when the dress felt loose after the string was sessfully untied. She started to push one sleeve off her shoulder but she was quickly interrupted by Edgar¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Look at me,¡± his words came out as amand.


    Alessandra was caught off guard by how deep it had be and instead of scolding him for breaking her rule of keeping quiet, she found herself obeying his words and looking up to face him. Alessandra felt a fluttering feeling in the pit of her stomach as Edgar¡¯s expression was more intense than it was before. He sat with his arms folded and one foot ced over the other.


    ¡°Continue but do not look away from me. The moment you avert your eyes I shall punish you.¡±


    Alessandra continued with what she was doing, this time pushing both sleeves off her shoulder at the same time letting the dress fall to her ankles to get it over with. She had done as she had promised but since Edgar had pleaded for her at the party, she wanted to do more.


    To Edgar¡¯s surprise, Alessandra touched her corset to start taking it off.

 Chapter 259 - 259 Awaited moment (1)

    259 Awaited moment (1)


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to-¡±


    ¡°I want to. I have a feeling you wouldn¡¯t just enjoy seeing me take off my dress but you don¡¯t want to force me to do it now that we are alone. You have already seen more of me so there is no point in being shy now,¡± Alessandra spoke, trying her best to undo the knot for her corset but found it to be hard. Sally had tied it too tight to amplify her shape in the dress. ¡°I need a little help,¡± she shyly spoke after giving up.


    Edgar sat still for a moment before holding out his hand for her toe to him. As amusing as it was to watch her get undressed for him, he wanted to do it himself. It would be like unwrapping an exciting present.


    Alessandra walked to Edgar and moved to turn for him to help her with the corset but ended up pulled down against the bed. Her heart rushed from the sudden action, her chest rising and falling at a quick pace from the shock as she stared up at Edgar. ¡°What are you doing?¡± She asked. He was the one who wanted this so why did he stop her now?


    Edgar leaned over Alessandra as shey t on the bed. His right hand went to her head, feeling around her hair to get rid of what she had used for the ponytail. He preferred to see her hair sprawled across the bed. ¡°Taking things into my own hands. You were beautiful tonight. It¡¯s a shame it was wasted for Grant¡¯s party. If you dress like that more often at home, I might leave less.¡±


    ¡°It looks beautiful but it is a hassle to get all dolled up and the shoes make my feet sore.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Edgar sat up for a brief moment to start taking off her shoes.


    ¡°I can-¡±


    ¡°Shh,¡± Edgar shushed her. ¡°Let your wonderful husband do simple things for you. They are on the verge of turning red. Have the dressmaker rmend a new shoe ce for you.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Her name is Erin,¡± Alessandra chuckled as Edgar had a habit of calling the people he didn¡¯t like by their job titles.


    ¡°Who cares?¡± Edgar replied.


    He ced her shoes at the bottom of the bed to be movedter on. Right now, he had more important matters to take care of.


    ¡°I care,¡± Alessandra answered as Edgar lifted her from the edge of the bed and took her up to where their pillows were. She felt a lump in her throat as she anticipated what woulde next. She wasn¡¯t sure yet but it seemed like something would happen between them tonight.


    Nervousness hit Alessandra while shey against the pillows looking up at Edgar unbuttoning his shirt and then tossing it to the side. She bent her lips when he started to undo his pants.


    She was thankful the confidence she had built up was still there but the silence in the room was a problem. Her mind kept thinking about the other women Edgar had been with and was concerned if she could measure up to that. Alessandra didn¡¯t want to think about that but her mind for some reason wasn¡¯t on her side.


    ¡®Why? Why are you against me? Why ruin this moment?¡¯ She asked her mind.


    Edgar noticed the internal battle she seemed to be having with herself and feared she was pushing herself to go along with this. He started to regret asking her for something to happen tonight because it seemed like she was doing this for his sake and was not ready for them to be more intimate.


    ¡°Are you scared, Alessandra? We do not have to do this if you are not ready. You don¡¯t need to push yourself,¡± he said.


    ¡°I am not scared, just nervous like anyone else would be for the first time. Then again with your confidence, you must not have had any nerves. I want to continue,¡± she said because she noticed hadn¡¯tpletely taken off his pants like he was changing his mind. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do or if I will be good so my mind is a mess but I don¡¯t want to wait any longer. I¡¯m sorry if this is-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Edgar stopped her before she could give an apology that wasn¡¯t needed. ¡°You do not need to apologize for being nervous. Everyone is a bit nervous the first time. Even I was. It is something you are unfamiliar with so you worry about what to do,¡± he said as he continued taking off his pants, shoes, and socks. ¡°Once it starts it bes natural and you find you were worrying all for nothing.¡±


    Alessandra was surprised to hear Edgar had been nervous this time. For some reason, itforted her to know someone as confident as Edgar once felt what she was now feeling.


    Edgar tossed his pants off the bed not looking where he was throwing them and it, unfortunately,nded on the vanity Alessandra used, knocking over the vase with a single flower Alred ced there for Alessandra.


    ¡°Alfred¡¯s going to kill us for destroying his tes and vases,¡± Alessandra chuckled. She could see him fuming with anger tomorrow when he entered the room. ¡°Ah!¡± She gasped, caught off guard by Edgar pulling her by her feet down to where he was in the middle of therge bed.


    He settled himself between her thighs and hovered over her now. ¡°Do not think of Alfred now. Think only of me.¡±


    Edgar wanted to consume her mind and body right now. No one else was to be brought up at this moment he had longed for.


    Edgar once again thought of how he wanted nothing more than to paint the beautiful sight of her surprised expression and her hair sprawled against the bed. Then there was the tip of her breast popping out of her corset, teasing him as her chest rose and fell.


    Edgar propped himself up with his left hand to keep most of his weight from hurting her while his right hand traveled from her neck to the top of her bosom where the corset was hiding a glorious sight. ¡°You can still change your mind at any point. Just because it has started does not mean it cannot stop. You will be vocal with me and not hold back what you are feeling right?¡±


    Alessandra nodded her head but quickly realized her mistake and replied, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Edgar lowered himself, ready to enjoy the sweet feeling of her soft lips.

 Chapter 260 - 260 Awaited moment (2)

    260 Awaited moment (2)


    Alessandra felt her body melt into the slightly warm sheets when Edgar¡¯s lips met her own. Without thinking, she wrapped her hands around his neck to pull her down against her, gasping when she felt him directly between her legs as there was hardly any clothing between them with her in her corset and him only in his underwear.


    Alessandra found it intriguing how she had never kissed anyone like this before Edgar but she had learned quickly to follow along with his moments. Their mouths moved in unison as if they were following the steps of a dance.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Alessandra groaned when Edgar bit her bottom lip, taking the chance to shove his tongue inside her mouth. By now, her eyes were closed as she enjoyed how rough Edgar was this timepared to the first time they had kissed. Her lips felt as though they would certainly be bruised in the morning but Alessandra ignored it, for now, enjoying the high feeling of their lips moving against each other.


    Alessandra squeezed her legs, feeling the sensation she felt once before building up there already. To her dismay, Edgar pulled away from the kiss. She panted as a wave of adrenaline rushed through her. She wanted to continue kissing him to explore every inch of his mouth but knew there was a lot more meant toe so she remained quiet for now.


    Edgar on the other hand enjoyed the lust radiating from Alessandra. As he said earlier, there was no need for her to be nervous when the moment would take over and it would feel natural for her. As much as he enjoyed kissing her, he enjoyed the sight of her breast even more. Instead of being gentle to take off the corset, Edgar opted to tear it off.


    Alessandra¡¯s eyes widened hearing the material ripping in her ears. The material for the corset seemed to be very strong so she would have never expected it would easily tear but Edgar did it with ease. Clearly, nothing would get in his way tonight. Her mind shifted away from the desire she felt to feeling impressed by how strong Edgar was.


    While Alessandra admired his strength, Edgar admired the sight of her breast exposed before him. Her nipples hardened in the cool air. Edgar looked back at the firece considering he should have lit a fire first to add some warmth to the room but couldn¡¯t push himself to move away from where he was now. Perhaps after the second round, he could pull himself away from her side to do it but not right now.


    He had ripped the corset just enough to expose her breast and would remove the rest once the time came. ¡°Was it hard for you to breath with this on?¡± His finger traced the marks the corset created on her skin.


    ¡°A little bit,¡± Alessandra replied.


    .....


    ¡°Do not let it be tied so tight again. I don¡¯t need you suddenly passing out to scare me. You have put on quite a bit of weight,¡± Edgar said, noticing there was a difference in her bodypared to when he had first taken her from her father¡¯s home.


    Alessandra tried to hide her body in case her new weight was a bad thing. Edgar was the one forcing her to eat more than she wanted to. ¡°I¡¯ve already reached a healthy weight so there is no need for me to eat too much anymore. If I continue, my dresses will not fit and I might not be desirable in your eyes. It ismon for the women here to be on the smaller side.¡±


    ¡°A bunch of twigs? I do not want to hold you and feel your bones. I quite like the weight you have added,¡± Edgar yfully squeezed her hips. He enjoyed the softness of her skin right there and could not wait to grip her hips as he would rock into her, filling her up as much as she could take. Not wasting any more time, he lowered his head to her right breast which must have missed him dearly.


    Alessandra felt a jolt in her body when Edgar licked her nipple with his wet tongue, the cool air adding a sensation. She was d to not be small in this area since Edgar seemed to enjoy himself whenever her chest was in view. Alessandra¡¯s mouth fell upon the moment her left nipple was squeezed just as Edgar licked the right again. She bit her lip to hold back the noise desperately wanting to make an escape.


    Noticing this, Edgar bit her right nipple just as he pinched the left to pull her out of hiding her voice. He grinned against her breast when the sweet sound filled his ears. No matter how much she would fight it, he would get to hear her voice throughout all of this. ¡°It excites me to hear your voice Alessandra so do not bite those lips of yours. Only I can bruise them,¡± Edgar lowly spoke before taking her breast into his mouth.


    Edgar palmed her left breast, asionally twisting and pulling the get a reaction out of her. ¡°I have to admit I might be jealous of our child one day for stealing these away from me.¡±


    ¡°You,¡± Alessandra palmed her face, overwhelmed by what Edgar could think of in a moment like this.


    Edgar used this as a distraction to glide his left hand he had been using to torture her left breast to start tugging at the rest of the corset hiding the main event.


    Alessandra snapped out of all other thoughts, realizing what he was doing. The cold air hit her right nipple as soon as Edgar released it from his mouth to focus on ripping the remainder of the corset. ¡°Edgar, I liked this corset,¡± she finally said. She had been brokenhearted the first time he tore it.


    ¡°I can buy you a thousand more just like it,¡± he pushed the destroyed material to the side.


    ¡°How kind of you. It is not fair that I am stark naked before you, Edgar. Remove thest of your clothing,¡± Alessandra ordered him.


    Edgar sat up, giving her a perfect view of his muscr body as he pushed his messy hair back. ¡°Enjoy ordering me around now, Alessandra. I shall have you begging me for mercy shortly.¡±

 Chapter 261 - 261 Awaited moment (3)

    261 Awaited moment (3)


    Alessandra gulped, deeply regretting provoking Edgar to get back at her at a time like this. She silently watched him take off his underwear, her eyes widening at what was meant to go inside of her.


    ¡®How?¡¯ She thought once again.


    Alessandra didn¡¯t have much experience seeing a naked man other than the time she caught the servants having sex in the barn so she didn¡¯t know if they were all like this and if they were, it meant that other married women were able to handle this so she would too. Still, it didn¡¯t answer how all of Edgar was meant to go inside of her. Surely she would break.


    ¡°Edgar,¡± she called his name, bringing his attention from what he was doing to her.


    ¡°Mmm.¡±


    ¡°How will that, you know, go inside of me?¡± She innocently asked. ¡°Can it even-¡±


    ¡°It will,¡± Edgar reassured her. ¡°There will be pain at first since it is your first time and you will bleed. I will try my best to prepare you enough so that pration won¡¯t be too painful. Once your body gets used to it, the pain shall fade away and be reced by pleasure. Want to back out now?¡±


    Alessandra shook her head. ¡°No, I just. I think my heart is rushing more than it should.¡±


    Edgar went back to hover over Alessandra and caress the right side of her face where her scars were. ¡°That is why I am against girls left in the dark until their wedding night. I should push for that stupid tradition to be over with.¡±


    .....


    It was foolish to limit youngdies¡¯ knowledge of sex and only give them a heads up of what was toe on their wedding night when they were to start making heirs for their husbands.


    ¡°Yes, please. You will be gentle right?¡± Alessandra asked.


    ¡°For the first and perhaps second time. I can¡¯t be certain of the rounds after that. It all depends on what you and I feel,¡± Edgar honestly replied.


    Alessandra felt suspicious of these other rounds Edgar was referring to. ¡°By other rounds, you mean on another day?¡±


    Edgar found her to be cute at this moment. He leaned down to leave kisses on each of the faint scars on her face. ¡°Why would I only have you once tonight? You had so much energy running out of the carriage. I think we shallst quite a long time. Don¡¯t worry about it now. You might eat whatever words you say now by begging for moreter.¡±


    ¡°I recall it was you who pleaded with me to throw you a bone,¡± Alessandra stated since she wasn¡¯t the only one doing the begging today. ¡°Don¡¯t like to be teased right?¡±


    Edgar pushed himself up to look down at her with her little triumphant smile. ¡°No, so I shall put this back in my favor,¡± he said once again, cing his right hand topletely palm her right breast, fondling it as he leaned down to take her lips once again. He wasn¡¯t kidding that he would eat up if he could. The only issue would be her disappearing once he was done.


    Edgar used his left hand to continue keeping his weight off of Alessandra and while she was distracted with their kiss, his right hand slid down from her breast after one final squeeze earning him a moan against his lips. His hand trailed down her stomach to her most special ce at this moment.


    Alessandra¡¯s eyes widened when she felt Edgar¡¯s finger in her sensitive spot. There was a lump in her throat and a sensation in her stomach which prevented even the faintest sound from leaving her mouth. There was something she wanted to say but could not.


    ¡°You are already wet for me. I wonder if it started from you stripping in front of me or right now. Which is it?¡± Edgar asked, enjoying the clear view of her inplete turmoil. He continued to rub one finger against the warmth between her legs, her fluid coated his fingers but he did not mind it. This was all from how much she enjoyed them like this.


    Edgar inserted one finger, earning a gasp followed by a moan from Alessandra¡¯s mouth. Her hand touched him like she wanted him to stop but he knew that wasn¡¯t the case. ¡°Answer it, Alessandra. I am sure you know the answer. Did it start from your stripping or,¡± he paused to insert another finger to explore her insides. He kept the rhythm slow in case it was still ufortable like the first time he had done it. ¡°From the moment we started to kiss?¡±


    ¡°I-I do not know,¡± Alessandra replied. Her mind was blurry and all she would think of was the pleasure she got from Edgar¡¯s fingers continuously entering her. It was weird how something like this could be so satisfying.


    ¡°Do not lie to me, Alessandra. You know your body better than anyone,¡± Edgar increased the pace of his fingers to torture her. He enjoyed seeing her back arch and the feeling of her pushing against his fingers. She closed and they both knew it but he wanted his answer.


    Edgar buried his head in her shoulder to inhale her scent before sucking on her neck to leave a little gift for her in the morning.


    Alessandra squeezed her eyes shut as something built it up and felt as though it would release at any moment.


    ¡°Since you will not be honest, I shall stop here,¡± Edgar removed his fingers.


    Alessandra¡¯s eyes open, surprised and agitated he stopped there when she was so close to releasing the sensation inside of her. ¡°W-Why? Why do you have to know?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Because it is exciting. I will only continue if you give me an honest answer,¡± Edgar truly meant every word of it.


    Alessandra bit her lip. She did not wish to stop now when they were so close to sealing the deal with their marriage. ¡°It started while you were sitting there watching me take off the dress,¡± she said then hid her face. ¡°Are you happy now?¡±


    ¡°Ecstatic. You deserve a reward for answering.¡±


    Alessandra heard the bed creak as Edgar¡¯s body got lower and lower. She removed her hand to see what he was doing and to her surprise, his head was right above her sensitive area. Before she could ask what he was doing, she felt his tongue lick her right there. ¡°E-Edgar,¡± his name left her mouth in a shaky tone.


    ¡°I told you if given the chance I would eat you. A fine opportunity has presented itself for me to do so. I will eat you till I am full,¡± said Edgar.


    Alessandra gasped, her breathing once again quickening as she was tortured by Edgar licking her once again before she felt the pleasure of his tongue going inside her just as his fingers had done a moment ago. Her mind went nk from the new pleasure he was giving her. She found it to be exciting how he gripped her thighs to keep her in ce as he did as he pleased like always.


    ¡®How will I survive?¡¯ Alessandra wondered.


    Read only on webnovel!

 Chapter 262 - 262 Awaited moment (4)

    262 Awaited moment (4)


    Alessandra gripped the sheets as Edgar continued to torture her. She identally moved her left leg but Edgar held onto it to keep her in ce until he was done. With onest lick, Alessandra¡¯s body trembled as she reached the release she had been holding in. She panted as the emotions that made her mind a mess started to settle.


    Edgar regained his former position over her but this time, he positioned himself right at her entrance. She was ready and quite frankly he could not wait any longer. Her sweet sounds and her taste had made him harder than he had ever been. He needed to be inside of her right now, hearing her cry out his name, and seeing her expressions.


    Edgar rubbed his hardened member against her wetness to make it easier for him to enter her. ¡°Hold on to me,¡± he guided her hands to be ced around his neck. ¡°This is the part you need to be the most vocal about, Alessandra. It will hurt,¡± he reminded her as he slowly pushed the tip in.


    Alessandra bit her lip from the pain of Edgar entering her. It was slightly more painful than the first time he had used his fingers inside of her. Without thinking, she dug her nails into Edgar¡¯s skin. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she apologized.


    ¡°Don¡¯t. If itforts you, continue to do it. I do not mind that pain. It is payback for what I am doing to you now,¡± he replied.


    Alessandra didn¡¯t want to hurt Edgar but when he started to push in a little bit more, she gritted her teeth and dug her nails into his skin once again.


    Edgar paused his movement upon seeing a tear slip from Alessandra¡¯s eyes. ¡°Is it too much? I-¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Alessandra stopped him as she knew he would say he could stop here. ¡°It is not that bad.¡±


    ¡°You say that but your eyes are watering,¡± he caressed her face, using his thumb to wipe where a tear had escaped.


    .....


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to stop now. You said it will get better and I trust you.¡±


    Edgar continued to enter her, stopping each time she winced to give her time to get used to it. Eventually, he had reached far enough for him to stop and allow her to get used to him inside of her. There was still more of him left for her to take but he knew she would not be able to handle it until the pain had faded away.


    ¡®Fuck,¡¯ Edgar mentally cursed. She was squeezing him out of this world like she wanted to take everything he had to offer. He gritted his teeth, resisting the urge to start moving inside of her until she was ready.


    Meanwhile, Alessandra could hardly handle the sensation of Edgar buried deep inside her. He filled the inside of her, stretching her to take all of him. At first, it was unbearable but now, she had gotten used to it. ¡°Edgar, you can start moving now,¡± she said.


    Edgar sighed in relief now that the torture of having to stay still was over. He pulled out of Alessandra until only the tip remained before rocking himself back into her, careful of what he deemed to be her limit for now. He watched her wince at first but it wasn¡¯t long before her lips parted and her moans filled the room.


    Edgar paused, still inside of her as he wrapped her legs around his waist to give him better ess to enter her and to give her more pleasure. He continued to rock in and out of her, keeping a steady pace now she was no longer in pain.


    ¡°Edgar,¡± Alessandra cried out his name when he hit a spot inside of her that tingled her body. Her hands had moved from his back where there were bound to be several marks from her nails and settled on his arms. ¡°Ah,¡± she moaned, enjoying the pleasure she received each time he entered her over and over again. The pain was long forgotten.


    Edgar hissed from the feeling of her squeezing the hell out of him each time he entered her. She was tormenting him to the point of making him release early but he couldn¡¯t yet. ¡°Alessandra, can I go deeper?¡±


    There was that final part of him he could not hold back burying inside of her. Edgar desperately wanted her to take every inch of him.


    ¡°Deeper?¡± Alessandra asked, not understanding how much deeper he could go inside of her at this point. ¡°How much-ah!¡± she eximed the moment he pushed further inside of her. Alessandra gripped his arms, taken aback by how much more he was filling and stretching her. How could he still have more to push inside of her?


    Colorful spots clouded her vision as Edgar pushed all the way in. She had received her answer that all of him could be inside of her. Edgar¡¯s thickness and length made it hard for her to breathe at first. When he pulled out of her, Alessandra felt as though he was pulling her along with him. She wasn¡¯t able to get used to the empty feeling of him pulling out it wasn¡¯t long before he pushed deep inside of her again.


    Alessandra bit her lip to refrain from crying out in pleasure afraid that someone on the outside would hear her.


    Edgar continued with his sharp slow thrust opting to take it slow for her first time. He wanted her to feel how much he desired her and get acquainted with his length. He had a theory to prove after this about Alessandra preferring it to be a little rough because of what he noticed during their trip.


    ¡°I told you not to bite your lips, Alessandra. I need to hear your voice,¡± Edgar said, pulling out until she would stop torturing her own lips.


    ¡°What if someone hears?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Then they shall hear me fulfilling my duty as your husband. We are the only ones with a room on this floor and if I know that sly fox, the maids won¡¯t being any time soon. Do not hold back and let me hear your voice. It is as alluring as your body.¡±

 Chapter 263 - 263 Awaited moment (5)

    263 Awaited moment (5)


    ¡°You are torturing your lips,¡± Edgar said, touching where it was evident she had bitten down on her bottom lip. ¡°Let me give you some motivation. If you continue to bite your lips, I will have no choice but to change my gentle approach and have you screaming for all the servants to hear. Which is it? Would you like the non-existent people on this floor to hear or perhaps the entire house? I am waiting.¡±


    ¡°There is-¡±


    ¡°That is not one of the options,¡± Edgar yfully bit down on the plump flesh of her left breast. ¡°This floor or the entire house?¡±


    Alessandra never thought Edgar¡¯s yfulness could be taken to a new level. He had her in the palm of his hands at this very moment. What would she have to do to put him in this position? To have him under her control? ¡°Ah!¡± She gasped, surprised by Edgar entering her without any warning.


    ¡°You¡¯re hurting my pride here, Alessandra. It looks like you are in deep thought about something else at a moment like this. If that is the case, I am doing something wrong.¡±


    Alessandra felt bad he thought he was doing something wrong. ¡°You are not doing something wrong. I was thinking about being the one in control.¡±


    Her words were music to Edgar¡¯s ears. ¡°Really?¡± He grinned. ¡°Then we¡¯ll get to that shortly. I¡¯m afraid I can no longer hold out waiting for you to stop holding back. I will take matters into my own hands.¡±


    Edgar pulled out of her once again until he was almost out of herpletely before thrusting back in. His n to go sweet and slow was out the window and Alessandra could only me herself. All he wanted was to hear her cries to have them embedded in his mind forever but she was holding back on him. Torturing him without realizing it.


    ¡°Edgar, wait,¡± Alessandra said as she needed a moment to get used to his new pace. ¡°You¡¯re going-Ah!¡± Her mouth fell open when he reached one spot inside of her that sent waves of pleasure throughout her body.


    .....


    ¡°This is your fault. I was trying to make passionate love to you the first time but you are too stubborn. Now you have to reap what you have started. Fuck,¡± Edgar cursed under his breath. She was still incredibly tight so each time he entered her it felt like her body was forcing him to release.


    Edgar couldn¡¯t pinpoint what was better. The feeling of being inside of her, the out-of-it expression on her face, or the way her breast moved with his moments. He couldn¡¯t believe he reached a point in his life where he wanted nothing more than to be in bed with her forever. To have her by his side forever. This special woman changed his mind about love and marriage.


    ¡°Alessandra,¡± he moaned.


    Alessandra looked up at Edgar, excited by the way he called her name. Just like her, sweat had begun to trickle down from his forehead. He asionally muttered curses under his breath, gritted his teeth as he pushed into her, and mentioned something of her being tight.


    Alessandra ced her right hand behind his head to pull him down to kiss her once again. Somehow, her feelings for him grew at this very moment and she did not know what she would ever do without him. Her moans were muffled against their lips as he continued to fill her. Once again, there was something inside of her she needed to release and Edgar felt the same way.


    Edgar felt that his end was near but there was something he needed to confirm first. ¡°Alessandra, do you want me to release inside of you or not? You will get pregnant if I do but you have mentioned us not being ready.¡±


    As good as it would be to fill her up with his seed, he needed to know if she was alright with it first.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t mind,¡± Alessandra shakingly replied. She wouldn¡¯t mind if a child were to be created out of this moment. She just didn¡¯t like being pressured by others to quickly have a child.


    Edgar sat upright, gripping Alessandra¡¯s thighs as he took them to their end. He slowed down his pace, letting her feel all of him until that final thrust he pushed as far as he could be inside of her and released.


    Alessandra¡¯s body jerked for a moment as she came to her end. She then focused on something warm shooting inside her thanks to Edgar. ¡°Mhm,¡± she moaned, oddly enjoying the feeling of him releasing inside of her. Her body rxed, tired after what they had just done.


    Edgar remained inside her not wanting to waste a single drop of it. If she was ready to have their first child, he would give her all of him. He pulled himself out once there was nothing left to give. A portion of his seed trickled out of her as he did so.


    Edgar enjoyed the sight of her panting,ing down off the high of what she underwent a moment ago. He was hard just from the sight of her and prated her once again. This long-awaited moment was far from over.


    ¡°Edgar, are you seriously going again?¡± Alessandra questioned, not sure why she thought he was kidding about more than one round of this. Not that she minded but she was astonished by how hard he was already when she sensed him bing limp seconds ago.


    Edgar hauled Alessandra up onto hisp, their bodies still very much connected.


    Alessandra shivered from how much more filled she felt in this position. Were they going to do this sitting up like this? How?


    Edgar kissed Alessandra¡¯s cheek and gripped a handful of her hair but not to the point it would hurt her. He started a trail of kisses from her cheek down to her chest where he sucked at her skin to create another mark before stopping.


    They both stared at each other, knowing they shared the same feelings and could never deny it.


    ¡°Alessandra, I love you,¡± Edgar confessed. There was no better moment to confess what he had been feeling for a while now. Three simple words from someone like him meant a lot.


    Alessandra froze thinking she misheard him but the way he stared at her told her otherwise. She looked down to hide her face because tears had started to form. He might think it ridiculous to cry after hearing such a confession but she could not help how overwhelmed she felt in a moment like this. To go from being alone to being loved.


    ¡°Are you crying? I hope those are tears of joy-¡±


    ¡°I love you too,¡± Alessandra confessed. Her body jolted as Edgar released inside her again but it wasn¡¯t as much as before. ¡°Hey!¡± She eximed when Edgar fell back against the bed. Heid t while she was seated on top of him.


    Edgar rested his hand on her hip.¡±You wanted to be in control. Here is your chance.¡±

 Chapter 264 - 264 Awaited moment (6)

    264 Awaited moment (6)


    ¡°What am I supposed to do?¡± Alessandra asked, still in need of his guidance. Her legs were ced to the side of him and her hands rested on his chest. She had an adrenaline rush from this position. The tiredness in her body from a moment ago had disappeared.


    ¡°Lift your body like this,¡± Edgar used his grip on her thighs to lift her. ¡°And thene back down. Do it at whatever pace suits you. Go on,¡± Edgar ced his left head behind his head while his right one kept her right where he wanted her. He knew at some point he would have to aid her in this but for right now, he wanted toy back and enjoy the show.


    Alessandra could be in control for all she wanted. Edgar was more entertained by the view of them connected as one and awaited the sight of riding him. What would it honestly take for him to remember this sight forever? His only solution was to have her like this every night.


    Alessandra started off doing as Edgar told her to. Raising her body to feel Edgar¡¯s length almost slide out of her but before it could happen she pushed back down, taking all of him and blinded by the pure pleasure.


    She wasn¡¯t confident in her work at first but once she looked down at Edgar who was always confident and found that he looked ever so vulnerable, her confidence increased but it didn¡¯tst long. The smirk he wore only ticked her off and pushed her to try wiping it off his face. She didn¡¯t have to be inside his mind to know he enjoyed watching her breast bounce from her actions.


    ¡®I was meant to be in control but it somehow feels like he is,¡¯ Alessandra thought.


    ¡°Why are you ring at me, Alessandra?¡± Edgar asked, amused by her seemingly getting angry at a time like this. Perhaps she had figured out why he picked this position. He was tempted to fondle her breast as she continued to ride him ever so gently.


    ¡°There is no way to beat you.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware this was apetition,¡± Edgar replied.


    .....


    ¡°Just once,¡± Alessandra paused her movement as she remembered the one time she made Edgar flustered. It was when she had taken him into her mouth. There was no point in being in control now when he would not tter. She wanted to see him blush again. ¡°We should stop here,¡± Alessandra said as she had lost. She started to slide off of him but Edgar had other ns.


    ¡°Like hell we are,¡± Edgar said, pushing her back down against his length with one hand.


    Alessandra moaned from the force of his action and the fullness inside of her. It was more satisfying when Edgar was the one to push her against him.


    Edgar sat up, cing one hand on her lower back while the other was under her right thigh. ¡°We are far from over, Alessandra. Have you not been paying attention? I was already under your control from the moment we started. There is no need for you to do anything more. You have my mind thinking of only you. My body desires to fill you with my seed until there is nothing left. What else do you need?¡± He asked.


    Edgar took back control by lifting her body up and down, finding a rhythm to thrust up into her each time he brought her down. He buried his head in her chest to inhale her natural scent and enjoy the feeling of her hardened buds against his skin. ¡°Alessandra,¡± he moaned, ovee with pleasure from her inside squeezing him.


    Her cries in his ears as his movement became rougher sent him over the edge. He gripped her tighter as if it was possible and plunged himself further inside of her, thrusting relentlessly as he could not get enough of the woman in his arms.


    Alessandra leaned forward to hold onto Edgar to keep up with his movement. He rougher with his hands digging into her to the point it hurt but pain mixed with pleasure felt wonderful. ¡°Ugh,¡± she practically melted in his arms when he found that one spot once again and as if he knew what it did to her, Edgar kept hitting it again and again.


    Alessandra found it incredibly hard to think straight from the pleasure she received each time he reached that spot. She came to her end without Edgar this time but knew he was close. He twitched inside of her just as he had done the first time. Alessandra anticipated him pouring inside of her again, increasing the chance of her conceiving his child.


    ¡°This won¡¯t do,¡± Edgar muttered before pushing her back against the bed so he was on top of her. He pulled out of her for a brief moment to position her right leg over his shoulder, bringing her closer to his body before he prated her once more.


    Alessandra should find pride in the way she would have him on the brink of releasing just from entering her. It had never happened to him before. Perhaps the feeling he held for her added to it.


    Edgar continued to thrust into her desperately wanting to reach his end. He felt Alessandra released once more and joined her with one final thrust all the way inside her. He filled her up with his seed, not pulling out until nothing more flowed out of him. They both panted, tired from going a second time but couldn¡¯t get enough of each other.


    There was hardly a need for Edgar to leave the bed to start a fire as their bodies warmed each other. Sweat trickled from their forehead and chest. Some of Alessandra¡¯s strands of hair clung to her body but it did not bother her.


    Edgar pushed those strands of hair away to give her somefort. ¡°Are you okay to go again?¡± He asked this time as she would not share the same stamina he had and did not want to push her too far for the first time. He would be satisfied if she wanted to stop now but luckily Alessandra pulled him down to kiss her, a clear sign she didn¡¯t mind going a third time.

 Chapter 265 - 265 New butler (1)

    265 New butler (1)


    Alessandra shifted in the bed, rolling on her side while she continued to sleep but theck of Edgar¡¯s arms around her as they were every morning woke her up. She opened her eyes, looking to the side of the bed where Edgar normally slept, and found it empty.


    Alessandra sat up, rubbing her face to get rid of the tiredness. ¡°Oh,¡± she noticed her exposed chest, and right away the events ofst night came rushing back to her. She pulled the sheet up to cover her chest. She looked around the room for Edgar and started to wonder if he had left her all alone but the sound of water sshing in the bathroom calmed her.


    ¡°I should get a night before hees out. Oww,¡± Alessandra groaned when she tried to leave the bed. She felt sore between her legs which was surprising considering it wasn¡¯t like this when she finally went to bed. It wasn¡¯t unbearable but she could not get off of the bed at the moment.


    Alessandra sighed,ying back against the bed to wait for Edgar toe out to hand her a dress. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I did all of that,¡± she gripped the sheets stunned by what she had done with Edgarst night. She wanted to crawl into a hole and die as Edgar would never let her forgetst night.


    Alessandra looked to her left when the bathroom door opened. Edgar walked out with his hair dripping wet and a towel wrapped around his waist.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± he greeted her.


    ¡°Good morning. What time is it?¡± She asked. Alessandra looked out their bedroom window seeing it was bright out.


    ¡°Breakfast has passed. It is probably nearing ten right now. Are you alright?¡± Edgar questioned as it was normal she would most likely feel sore. He could admit he might have overdone it at the moment when it was her first time.


    ¡°I feel sore but it is not that bad. I will just stay here for a while. Are we still going to the pce?¡±


    .....


    ¡°How is that on your mind now?¡± Edgar asked as he sat down on the bed. ¡°A message came from the pce since Hazel did not give you all the detailsst night. You are meant to be there at one. Judging by your current state, I doubt you will be good to attend.¡±


    ¡°I will. I do not want to miss this opportunity to find young women to invite to my party. I will be fine as long as I stay in bed until then,¡± Alessandra said, determined to attend. If it was hard for her to move after twelve she would stay at home.


    ¡°Sure. A good soak in the bath might soothe your body. You will stay in this room until I think you are alright. Let me see,¡± Edgar said, trying to pull down the sheet but Alessandra would not let him and looked at him in horror. ¡°I saw all of youst night. There is no reason for you to be shy now. I would let you see me stark naked.¡±


    ¡°Well, I am not like you. I do not need you to look down there,¡± Alessandra continued to grip the sheet.


    ¡°You are aware my mouth was there at some-¡± Edgar¡¯s words were silenced by Alessandra lunging forward to cover his mouth with her hands.


    ¡°Can you not be you for just a second?¡± She asked. Alessandra removed her hands after feeling him lick her.


    ¡°No. I would not be the man you fell in love with if I act differently. Fine, I will not look. I take it you do not want Sally to see you like this so I will bring breakfast for you. Consider it my way of apologizing for the state you are in now,¡± said Edgar. He got up from the bed to change into casual clothes.


    Alessandra rxed now that he was away from the bed. The more their activities yed in her mind, she realized the sheet she was covering herself with now was different from the one on the bedst night. ¡°Did you change the sheet while I was asleep? Why?¡±


    ¡°Because you bled and there were other fluids you should not be wrapped up in. I took care of the sheets so you do not need to be embarrassed about a maid stumbling across it.¡±


    ¡°You seem to be well prepared. I take it this was not your first time helping someone in the morning?¡± Alessandra asked, not jealous but just curious.


    ¡°It ismon sense,¡± Edgar replied from inside the closet. ¡°I have never slept with someone who was not experienced. Until now obviously. There was said to be some sort of longsting connection for women with the person they made love to for the first time. I hardly believe it but just in case, I would rather not be connected to anyone. You, I don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°How sweet,¡± Alessandra sarcastically said.


    ¡°Do not step a foot out of bed, Alessandra. I will bring your breakfast and lift you into the bathroom,¡± Edgar said as he returned from the closet dressed in shorts and a half-unbuttoned shirt.


    ¡°I wonder how long your being nice to me willst.¡±


    Edgar found that to be odd for her to say. ¡°I am always nice to you.¡±


    ¡°I mean without you teasing me in between,¡± Alessandra corrected her words. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t waste you trying to make up for my current state. I would like a book brought back with you along with breakfast. And if you could, please find the kittens to bring to me. I have not seen them for a while.¡±


    Edgar was starting to regret all of this. She was shifting him from a Duke to a butler. He could hardly wait for this to pass and torture her again. ¡°Right away,¡± he replied.


    Edgar left the room to get what she wanted. Unlike yesterday, the second floor had maids passing by him which confirmed Alfred had stopped all of them from going to the second floor when he had returned home with Alessandra.


    ¡°Where is that sly fox?¡± Edgar muttered. ¡°Speak of the devil,¡± he said when he reached the stairs and found Alfred walking up them.


    ¡°Good morning, Edgar. Did you sleep wellst night? The party must have tired you out since you and Alessandra missed breakfast. Should I have the cook start to prepare it now?¡± Alfred asked, unable to get rid of the smile on his lips. He had the pleasure of spotting Edgar tossing out a sheet and knew what it meant. He would almost have the little Edgar he wanted to take care of. The Edgar he raised was starting to get boring and insufferable.


    ¡°I want to have a word with you, Alfred. It will wipe that smile right off your face. I have been thinking for a while that it is time a new butler should be hired to take after-¡±


    ¡°Edgar, I have let the jokes about my age slide for thest few months. I am still fit to run this house as a butler. I am faster than any young person you can hire. There is no need for anyone to be hired,¡± said Alfred. Only he could take care of Edgar¡¯s home. What would he do if he were not to be by Edgar¡¯s side?


    Edgar continued to walk down the stairs with Alfred by his side, trying to think of the best way to break his n to Alfred without breaking his fragile heart. ¡°You¡¯re fired, Alfred,¡± he went with in the end. ¡°It is nothing you can argue against. After today, you will no longer be the butler and I shall start searching for a recement.¡±


    Alfred stood still before they reached the first floor. He could not believe that Edgar would fire him when there was so much more he could offer to this home. ¡°Edgar, I do not want to leave this job. I have been by your side for years taking care of you and this house. It is what makes me happy. What am I to do if I am not here?¡±


    ¡°I never said you were leaving. I just said you were fired. Alfred, it is as you said that you have been by my side taking care of me for as long as I can remember. I view you as a father more than a butler. There is still more left for you to give but you are in fact getting older and I¡¯d prefer you get to rest now that I am not in need of you watching over me. I want you to be here as my family, not my butler,¡± Edgar confessed.


    It had been on his mind for many years and he had brought it up to Alfred each time but the man had always been stubborn. Now he was putting his foot down and ending Alfred¡¯s days as a butler.


    ¡°I would rather my children grow up calling you grandfather than viewing you as the butler. Are you crying?¡± Edgar asked, taken aback by Alfred¡¯s eyes watering. Who knew such simple words would make the man cry? In less than twenty-four hours he made two people cry. He was on track to beat his record. ¡°I have not seen you cry since the time I identally threw salt in your eyes.¡±


    ¡°That was not an ident, Edgar. You aimed it right at me. Very well,¡± Alfred changed his mind. ¡°I shall resign as your butler. Just know my new title means I can meddle in your life more.¡±


    ¡°Do as you want, Alfred. Wee to the family officially. Shall I have yourst name changed?¡± Edgar wondered. It wouldn¡¯t be hard to do.


    ¡°No thank you,¡± Alfred turned it down. ¡°The Collins are too much for me to handle.¡±

 Chapter 266 - 266 New butler (2)

    266 New butler (2)


    ¡°You¡¯ve agreed to this better than I anticipated,¡± Edgar said, full of suspicion with Alfred¡¯s cooperation. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about going to Alessandra to change my decision. I have my way of getting her on my side. Enjoy yourst day working, Alfred. We can open a good bottle tonight to celebrate.¡±


    ¡°Celebrate doing nothing after today?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll find a hobby like other people. Since you enjoy flowers and making tea, pick a spot to make your little garden, and work will get started once winter has passed. You should be ecstatic to find him a young soul and turn them into the best butler anyone has ever seen. Aside from yourself of course,¡± Edgar added thepliment to get Alfred to go along with it. ¡°Your skills are too wonderful to be kept to yourself. Get a pupil.¡±


    ¡°Stop ttering me,¡± Alfred said, seeing right through Edgar¡¯spliments. Still, he liked the idea. ¡°I¡¯ve visited many homes with you and seen how the butlers failed to do simple tasks. I have considered starting a ss to lead them on the right path but never had the time for it. Now I can offer free sses sponsored by you.¡±


    ¡°And why the hell do I have to sponsor this?¡± Edgar asked. He didn¡¯t see why he was brought into teaching others how to be a butler.


    ¡°You fired me which stops my ie. Since it is your idea for me to live here it is only fair you pay for my hobbies,¡± Alfred smiled. One way or another he could pester Edgar enough to get his job back.


    ¡°Hmm. Create a budget for it and a location for where you would want this school because no one ising inside my home. You are not getting out of this, Alfred. While you are still employed, get the cook to start breakfast and send out a notice that we are looking for a butler. Alessandra and I might head to the pceter but she needs to rest before then. Make sure no one interrupts us,¡± Edgar said, turning around to go back upstairs until breakfast would be ready.


    ¡°Do you have any idea where those two kittens are?¡± He asked, remembering the two things Alessandra wanted.


    ¡°Sally fed them earlier and when she was going back to her room, the two of them were behind her. Would you like me to-¡±


    .....


    ¡°No,¡± Edgar stopped Alfred. ¡°I will get them myself. Please get breakfast started and alert me when it is done. I will need a carriage ready by twelve.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± Alfred replied.


    Edgar walked back down to the third floor to go to the servant quarters to find Sally. Of all things after a night of making love to his wife, he didn¡¯t have to search for two kittens on the list of things he had to do in the morning.


    ¡®I¡¯ve be a sucker,¡¯ he had to painfully admit. He could not even go back to his old ways considering how much Alessandra had wrapped him around her finger. It hurt his pride that she did not realize it. He needed to tease her more to ruin her day for the person she was making him be.


    Edgar finally reached Sally¡¯s room, finding the door ajar with the perfect view of her sitting on the floor with moneyid out in front of her as she had just gotten done counting it. He watched her sigh and tug at her hair most likely from not having enough money. He knocked on the door to get her attention.


    Sally jumped out of shock from the knock on her door and Edgar being the person visiting her. ¡°Duke Collins,¡± she said, getting to her feet. ¡°I didn¡¯t go to the Duchess because Alfred told me not to.¡±


    ¡°That is not why I am here. I am looking for these two,¡± he pointed at the kittens who rushed to y at his feet. ¡°All of the rooms have locks. If you don¡¯t want anyone to see you counting money, you should lock the door. Can Ie in?¡±


    Sally gave her room a quick nce double checking that it was tidy. ¡°You can. It is your house after all.¡±


    ¡°This is your private space in the house I prefer not to meddle in. Are you having financial troubles or saving up to run away from working for my wife? You did not want to be here in the first ce.¡±


    ¡°No, I want to continue working for the Duchess. I just,¡± Sally paused to y with her fingers out of nervousness. She didn¡¯t like speaking about her financial troubles. ¡°I am sure my family¡¯s demise has reached your ears.¡±


    ¡°It has,¡± Edgar replied, careful not to step on her money as he entered the room. ¡°I¡¯ve been paying you a good sum of money for aiding my wife as her maid and a friend. It should be enough to get you back on your feet and not be stressing over money. I am aware after your parents sold everything they owned, the debt was settled. They just never recovered.¡±


    ¡°I have been trying to save to buy a home-¡±


    ¡°And yet you decided to work for the Barretts at first when they could barely afford their own home and had to be pushed to work for me. I thought you were a smart girl. I pay you enough that you should be able to rent two rooms or a small house. Don¡¯t tell me you are looking for a home simr to the one you had before the debt,¡± said Edgar.


    Sally shook her head. ¡°No. I am looking for a house that is just cozy enough for the three of us to live in without bumping into each other.¡±


    ¡°You do know there are expenses you will have to take care of after spending a lot of money to buy a home. It is better to build one from the ground up piece by piece. With the right nning, it is cheaper than buying. I can offer space on mynd but I recall you already have a better deal. Caleb offered his home to you,¡± Edgar said what was told to him during the trip.


    Sally¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°How did you-no. I can¡¯t believe Caleb brought that up. Did he tell you everything else?¡±


    ¡°No, I did not care to hear the whole story. He is never in his home so it would be a good ce for your parents to reside while you consider building a home from scratch. He has his annoying moments but he does care for the people around him and would not expect anything in return. Be realistic about the rate at which you will own a home. Come the two of you,¡± Edgar instructed the kittens.


    He would not meddle any further in Sally¡¯s affairs.

 Chapter 267 - 267 Rafael (1)

    267 Rafael (1)


    More than two hours passed since Alessandra was served breakfast and put to soak in warm water to ease the soreness. After having to convince Edgar three times that there was no longer difort, he agreed to head to the pce with her. Edgar was only going to the pce as Rafael would be there and he wanted to start his n to infiltrate William¡¯s home with Tobias.


    ¡°If you feel any pain and want to return home you can-¡±


    ¡°Edgar, thank you for the concern but it is not warranted. I am honestly alright and I am not lying to you. If it will ease your mind, I will send for you if I need to return home. Happy now?¡± Alessandra asked.


    ¡°Hardly. One of us has to worry about your well-being. It is annoying what horrible timing this gathering has. If not for you so determined to attend this gathering, we would be tangled up in our sheets till this very hour,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°There will be plenty of time for us toy in bed when we return and the day after. I have notplied enough guests for my party. I want my first party to be done right with the right people there. Do you want me to fail?¡± Alessandra asked, hoping to guilt trip Edgar into being happy they were going to the pce.


    Edgar stared at Alessandra unamused about this party when he would rather be in bed right now. Secondly, this party called for him to open up his home to others.


    ¡°Consider it yourst apology for those marks you left on my skin. I am in luck that it is winter since the women would have found it odd for me to be wearing a dress covering my neck,¡± Alessandra red at Edgar for smiling when she did not like it now. She was fine with him leaving the marks but not anywhere to be easily seen.


    Alessandra wasn¡¯t upset by them at first because she considered it to be done in the spur of the moment but the smile Edgar wore each time it was brought up told her otherwise.


    ¡°Given the way you cried my namest night, there is nothing for me to apologize for. I am wearing the marks you created on my back with pride, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    .....


    Alessandra looked out the window to hide her blush. Edgar reminded her of the marks she created every chance he got. ¡°For the next couple of hours let us not talk about what happened between us. We should talk about something else like Alfred finally resigning.¡±


    ¡°You mean how much it is costing me to make him retire? None of you can ever say that I am not nice. I even offered your maid a piece of mynd to-¡±


    ¡°You did?¡± Alessandra eximed as this was the first she was hearing of this. What prompted Edgar to do this? Was he aware of something she did not know? ¡°Sally is always quiet when ites to her family and I know it is wrong to pry but I would like to help her. I spent the most time with her but I know and do so little. She wouldn¡¯t ept money so what do you think she would like?¡±


    ¡°A house. She is trying to obtain one for her and her parents. Do you intend to give her one?¡± Edgar asked.


    Alessandra awkwardly smiled because technically Edgar would be the one actually buying the home. ¡°Can¡¯t you allow her to use one of your other homes?¡±


    ¡°I only have two homes in Lockwood. The one we upy and a smaller one. It is already being used by a couple from out of town. The other homes are out of Lockwood and I doubt she would want to leave town when she has a well-paying job here. Caleb has offered his home but she has not epted it. I¡¯ve told her to be realistic so the two of them will work it out. What part of this is fun? I want to go back talking about us,¡± said Edgar.


    Alessandra rolled her eyes. ¡°The topic of conversations cannot always be about you, Edgar. Thank goodness we are here,¡± she felt relieved to enter the pce gates. The moment the carriage stopped Alessandra was ready to jump out and rush to meet up with the other women attending but Edgar held her hand.


    ¡°Slow down miss rabbit. We both have to go inside the pce and there is someone I want you to meet,¡± Edgar said looking ahead at the familiar ck carriage in front of him. A gift he had given to a close friend. ¡°Rafael is right on time.¡±


    ¡°Rafael? Is the knight who resides out of town?¡± Alessandra asked, recalling this name being brought up while they were in Rose¡¯s home.


    ¡°Yes. He is here to deal with the trouble at the borders so he won¡¯t be in the pce long. Take my hand,¡± Edgar said as he held out his hand for Alessandra to use to step out of the carriage.


    Luckily the snow was not as bad as on other days when they would have to rush inside. Alessandra wore one of the coats she had bought from out of town to keep herself warm. Alessandra looked at the tall well-built man standing outside his carriage waiting for her and Edgar.


    Edgar seemed to have friends with many great titles and wealth. Given his status it was inevitable but she was more intrigued by the fact Edgar actually had numerous friends because of how antisocial he could be at times. Well, at all times.


    ¡°Edgar,¡± Rafael greeted his childhood friend. He looked at the woman beside Edgar ignoring the mask she wore. He had seen people wear all kinds of things in public thanks to his travel around outside the kingdom to fight against enemies. Plus, Tobias could not help his habit to gossip about Edgar and sent him a letter about the new Duchess. ¡°It is nice to meet you, Duchess Alessandra.¡±


    ¡°It is nice to finally meet you, Rafael,¡± Alessandra greeted him with a handshake.


    ¡°You look annoyed already, Rafael. How long has it been since you returned home to rest before Tobias called for you again?¡± Edgar asked.


    ¡°Three months. I have thought about strangling him for continuing to annoy me but I was in need of a distraction. I should be angry with you too for denying going to the border and now I am here but I guess you have good enough reason to stay home. We should hurry inside to get this day with a pain in the ass over with,¡± said Rafael.

 Chapter 268 - 268 Rafael (2)

    268 Rafael (2)


    Alessandra and Edgar departed the moment they entered the pce as a maid came out to take her to where the other women had gathered. Edgar and Refael walked around in search of Tobias.


    ¡°So, you are married now? Is this some sort of miracle or love at first sight which would also be a miracle for you,¡± said Rafael. He had not believed the news of Edgar¡¯s marriage until Tobias wrote a letter confirming it. ¡°Congrattions by the way. I would apologize for not attending but I was not sent an invitation.¡±


    ¡°No one was. It does not matter how I came to be married. All that matters is that I am married. Should we ever care to do a proper wedding you will receive an invitation or you should finally grow some balls and marry the maid you have been having trouble with we can all attend a wedding,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°It isplicated. Moreplicated than going out on a battlefield.¡±


    Edgar chuckled, pitying Rafael¡¯s current state. He was the quiet one of the group and liked to keep to himself so there was no surprise he was having trouble with a woman.


    They met at the school Prisci had sent Edgar to when he was young. Unlike Edgar being sent there so his mother could enjoy her life, Rafael was sent there because his mother wanted him toe out of his shell and make friends with other young boys. After Rafael aided Edgar in breaking out of the school to return home they had been friends.


    ¡®¡±It will get better or not,¡± said Edgar. ¡°It is amusing to hear that you are trying to woe a woman.¡±


    ¡°As amusing as you getting married? I hear you killed your wife¡¯s father and punched Daniel for her. Dominic writes to me. I have no interest in spying on you,¡± Rafael said to let Edgar know it was the other two men who were sending around information about his love life. ¡°I hear you have be a sucker for your wife. The great Edgar has be the new Tobias.¡±


    ¡°I hear you are sulking around your house trying to get your maid to like you. You are mistaking the person who is the sucker. You are the one meant to im that title,¡± Edgar replied. He was not that much of a suckerpared to Rafael.¡±


    .....


    ¡°You two,¡± Tobias said, bringing the attention of the two men to himself since they were so deep in their conversation they hadn¡¯t noticed him standing before them. ¡°Are you two really trying to see who is the bigger sucker?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Edgar and Rafael replied in perfect harmony.


    ¡°The position of the biggest sucker goes to you,¡± said Edgar.


    Rafael ended it by saying, ¡°We are trying to decide who is second.¡±


    Tobias felt the need to toss the two out of his pce. Why the hell was he the biggest sucker considering all that Edgar was doing for Alessandrately? ¡°See this,¡± he pointed at Edgar and Rafael standing together. ¡°I am not a fan of you two being together. Rafael is the innocent one in the group but whenever you are around Edgar, you be this little shady shit. I don¡¯t need Edgar corrupting you. Side note, why does it seem like there is a different energy with Edgar today? Did something good happen?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps. Mind your business. I take it you might have received a message from Grant about me,¡± Edgar said, knowing the man wouldn¡¯t let it slide how Alessandra had cut him off.


    Tobias sent Edgar a suspicious look. He received a letter in the middle of the night from Grant and from the way the letter was written the man was furious. ¡°What did you say to piss him off?¡± He asked. After Grant was pushing the stupid idea for him to marry Linda, Tobias didn¡¯t care for his presence and was d Edgar somehow pissed him off.


    ¡°Not me. Alessandra interrupted him.¡±


    ¡°That man and his stupid views,¡± Tobias shook his head. ¡°I remember the time he told Hazel to keep quiet when we were talking about politics in the kingdom. A woman doesn¡¯t need to speak of politics,¡± Tobias repeated Grant¡¯s words. It would be the second time he felt like killing the man. No one was to disrespect his wife, his queen in front of him. He only let it pass because Hazel asked him not to do anything as she was used to the way Grant spoke.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind if that old man catches a heart attack and dies. He is one of the people keeping a lot of those outdated values on women alive. I¡¯ve found out he¡¯s the one leading the conversation about Hazel not having an heir yet. Trying to keep him on my side is over with. I¡¯d love to get rid of him without his son and grandson ever finding out it was me,¡± Tobias said as Grant had been getting on his nerves too muchtely.


    ¡°I never understood why you cared to keep his loyalty when the number of men in his possession has dwindled over the years. His grandsons do not share his views and they quite frankly do not like their grandfather. They will stay out of a fight should Grant try to go against the throne but I would bring my men to help you,¡± said Rafael.


    Over the years, he had many men join his side. Those that fought alongside him for this kingdom and those that surrendered he had given them a chance to join his side. He spent more time out fighting than at home but whenever he returned home, it would be with a new group of men pledging their loyalty to Rafael.


    ¡°I will only join the fight if the two of you will focus on my current enemy. I am acquiring the outline of William¡¯s home to know how I want to get in and what ways he can get out. I want him dead by the end of the week,¡± Edgar dered. Filth like William shouldn¡¯t be left alive when he was obsessed with Alessandra. ¡°One other thing, have you taken care of what I sent you?¡±


    ¡°You mean the notice of the Duchess not receiving her inheritance? I¡¯ve sent it to the court so it will be dealt with faster. It won¡¯t be long before they pay the Baroness a visit.¡±

 Chapter 269 - 269 Tea (1)

    269 Tea (1)


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Alessandra said to the maid who had led her to where Hazel and the other women were seated.


    ¡°Your coat, Duchess.¡±


    ¡°Oh right. Here you go,¡± Alessandra took off the coat and handed it to the young maid for safekeeping.


    Alessandra walked into the room with her head held high ignoring the stares and hushed conversations now that she was here. They could speak about her for all she cared.


    ¡°Duchess,¡± Hazel called and waved to get Alessandra¡¯s attention. ¡°You are seated at this table.¡±


    Hazel was not in charge of who was in attendance but she made sure she would have Alessandra by her side. Linda was still out of town with her father so Hazel mostly had Alessandra to be herself with and knew she wasn¡¯t being used. Many of the young women present hardly cared about Hazel and only wanted to be seen with the queen.


    ¡°I¡¯m so happy you could attend. I hope the roads weren¡¯t too bad with the snow?¡± Hazel asked, ignoring the confused stares from some of the other women at the table who weren¡¯t pleased with Alessandra being seated there.


    ¡°No. The roads are much better than how they were yesterday. It seems like someone has cleared them. You look beautiful Queen Hazel,¡± Alessandra said as she sat down.


    ¡°Thank you but I am sure it does notpare to how you are glowing at the moment. Did something good happen today or perhapsst night?¡± Hazel wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. After Edgar almost beat the hell out of William, Hazel wouldn¡¯t be surprised if Alessandra gave him the time of his life once they returned home. There was nothing more satisfying than watching the love of your life defend you.


    .....


    ¡°Duchess, it is nice to see you again,¡± Emma spoke up making her presence known. ¡°I hope we can forget what happenedst night and get to know each other well.¡±


    Alessandra could only offer Emma a smile. Given the status of the rtionship between the men in their lives, Alessandra didn¡¯t think it was best she started a friendship with Emma. Not that she didn¡¯t like the young woman but Oliver was sure to snap once he found out about it. Alessandra would not be close to anyone around Oliver until he stopped ming Edgar for his feelings towards his gender.


    Oliver¡¯s engagement to Emma and his secret lover was sure to blow up one day if he did not take care of it soon and with how judgemental the town was, he would not be able to stay here peacefully. Alessandra had too much drama in her life to be tangled up in someone else¡¯s.


    Meanwhile, Emma was ecstatic to see Alessandra and build a friendship with her. She had hoped that if she and Alessandra could be friends then Oliver and Edgar could slowly rebuild their friendship. ¡®Then Oliver would be happy,¡¯ Emma thought.


    After her mess in the bathroom, she had returned to the party with Oliver and at some point caught him looking in the Duke¡¯s direction when he was standing with the Duchess. Emma figured he missed his old friend but had too much pride to be the one to fix things so she would do it for him.


    Emma just needed Oliver to acknowledge her at least once.


    ¡°Queen Hazel, we weren¡¯t aware you and the Duchess were so close.¡±


    Alessandra looked further down the table at a short-haired brte woman she had never seen before. Alessandra found that the woman¡¯s attire was far too sexual for just being around women and with there being snow. Her breasts were sure to pop out at any moment.


    ¡°I don¡¯t find it necessary to announce to everyone who I am close to, Sophia. Since you are so curious you should know that the Duke and my husband are quite close. I¡¯ve invited the Duchess to the pce to personally get to know her. I find her to be a lovely woman,¡± Hazel said to show the women present that Alessandra had a close rtionship with her already when it was taking years for most of the women here to earn her favor.


    ¡°Is that so? We have never met Duchess. My name is Sophia West. My husband is a part of the royal court. I am sure you have heard of me by now,¡± Sophia spoke with her nose in the air, proud of her status and certain she was well-known even for someone like Alessandra.


    ¡°Why are you acting so high and mighty about your husband working in the court when you are speaking to a Duchess? Your husband won¡¯t impress someone who is married to a Duke. Ignore her,¡± a young woman on the opposite side of Sophia told Alessandra. ¡°I am Eleanor, Duchess. Happy to finally meet you.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you too, Eleanor,¡± Alessandra said offering Eleanor a smile for helping her. She then turned to Sophia and said, ¡°I am sorry that I have no idea who you are or your husband but I love to get to know-¡±


    ¡°Your husband should know me,¡± Sophia said revealing a cunning smile.


    Eleanor sighed while Hazel wanted to kick Sophia out for acting a damn fool. Must all the women in town try to be so despicable all the time?


    Sophia enjoyed Alessandra¡¯s confused expression. ¡°Had I yed my cards right you wouldn¡¯t have gotten the chance to be Duchess. I have to say, I¡¯ve been missing the way that man would make my toes curl. You are a lucky one.¡±


    Alessandra smiled, almost releasing a chuckle because of the conversation. She knew two things right now. One, Edgar would have never married Sophia and Alessandra didn¡¯t need to get to know the woman well to know this. Two, Edgar mentioned this morning he had never taken anyone to his bed who wasn¡¯t experienced so now Alessandra was aware Sophia had been sleeping around before her marriage and she was disrespecting her husband by mentioning her time with another man. That is, if it was true she was once with Edgar.


    ¡°You are a beautiful woman, Sophia but there is hardly anymon sense to you. I¡¯m aware my husband had a past and perhaps you were in it but while you were trying to upset me, you are digging a hole for yourself. I am not angry if you were to share a bed with my husband but I am pitying your husband. You are not speaking of how he curls your toes. How would he react I wonder? Is he in the pce?¡± Alessandra turned to Hazel who didn¡¯t try to hide her smile.


    ¡°I believe he is,¡± Hazel answered.


    Sophia sat up in her seat. ¡°There is no need for you to call my husband. I cannot believe you let her sit at this table. She is hardly ady.¡±


    The sound of Eleanor snorting brought attention from Sophia to her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry but that is hrious. You speak of her not being ady when you out of nowhere brought up being with her husband when in fact you did not. I remember how you tried to use your body to get the Duke¡¯s attention and forced yourself into a room he was residing in and he threw you out on your ass-¡±


    ¡°You-¡± Sophia tried to get Eleanor to stop spewing her lies. She had no reason to lie about sleeping with Edgar. Why wouldn¡¯t he want her when her body was desired by many men? Her husband had to consider himself lucky.


    ¡°I am not finished. The only person at this table who is not ady is you who fucked your way into this marriage you are in now. The only reason your husband married you is that you got pregnant. You should be silent and leave the Duchess alone. You are only ready to pick at her because you are jealous that she caught the Duke¡¯s attention. All of you are!¡± Eleanor pointed at the women around the table.


    ¡°That is not-¡±


    ¡°My father owns one of the brothels in the red light district, Sophia. I am aware of a lot of secrets in the kingdom so,¡± Eleanor ced her finger on her mouth. ¡°Hush.¡±

 Chapter 270 - 270 Tea (2)

    270 Tea (2)


    ¡°Funny how you try to shame me when your father exploits girls¡¯ bodies for money, Eleanor. How do you sleep at night?¡± Sophia asked, turning the tables back in her favor.


    ¡°Like a baby. My father¡¯s upation has nothing to do with me. I can¡¯t help that sometimes I end up hearing a lot of gossip or let¡¯s say tea,¡± Eleanor held up her cup of tea. ¡°I like the sound of that better. I don¡¯t like what he does just like I do not like women like you who try to poke at other women. I thought it was only the women in the red light district who brag about the men they have slept with but I was wrong,¡± she sipped her tea. ¡°This is lovely Queen Hazel.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Eleanor,¡± Hazel epted thepliment even though she was not the person to pick out the tea. ¡°Sophia,¡± she offered a sweet smile to the woman who had the nerve to try making Alessandra feel sad about Edgar¡¯s past affairs. ¡°Get up.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Sophia¡¯s mouth fell open. With her husband¡¯s status in the pce, she was not just anyone who could be removed from this table.


    ¡°I said to get up. You and anyone else who is ridiculous enough to try picking at Alessandra. Alessandra can certainly stand up for herself but granted I am in a terrible mood today I have no time for your stupidity. Anyone who does not enjoy Alessandra being seated here or feels bad about Sophia being removed please get up,¡± Hazel said, already knowing no one was going to stand with Sophia.


    This was how cutthroat the social world for women was. They¡¯d try to humiliate each other to make themselves feel better and enjoy gossip but one thing they would not do is lose favor with someone like the queen. The status of Sophia¡¯s husband did not matter here.


    Sophia reluctantly stood up from her seat, looking around at the other women present to join her. ¡°What are all of you doing?¡± She asked her peers.


    ¡°It is notdylike to cause a scene,¡± Emma spoke up feeling secondhand embarrassment from Sophia¡¯s behavior. As sheltered as Emma was she had heard of how Sophia used her body to elevate her status and ended up trapping her now husband.


    ¡°Says the drunkard,¡± Sophia snapped at Emma. ¡°It¡¯s been going around how you made a fool of yourself yesterday and your fiance blew up at you. You should count yourself lucky to still be engaged. I can see why Oliver holds no interest in you. Such a nd little thing.


    .....


    ¡±


    Emma gripped her dress under the table.


    Eleanor bit into a piece of cake entertained by the mess unfolding. She couldn¡¯t save everyone from Sophia and she had been desperately waiting for Emma to have a backbone.


    ¡°At least I am not a whore who sold my body for thetest dress,¡± Emma fought back. Sophia had no reason to judge her rtionship with Oliver when the only reason was married was due to her faking a pregnancy.


    Alessandra looked at Hazel who was just sighing from the bickering.


    ¡°Drama at the start of a gathering for women is always normal. Wait until the gossip starts,¡± said Hazel. One would think that with a room of women from well-known families there would be ss but the truth was high society was full of women pointing knives at each other. There were just a few who formed longsting genuine friendships. ¡°Would you like some tea to warm up aftering from the cold outdoors?¡±


    ¡°No thank you,¡± Alessandra replied. Alessandra wouldn¡¯t be able to enjoy warming up with a cup of tea while there could possibly be a fight at the table. How had it gotten to this point?


    Sophia scoffed, offended by Emma calling her a whore. ¡°What the hell do you know about anyone when you have been running around trying to get your fiance to remember that you are to be a part of his life? Do not speak what you do not know little girl. This table does not suit a woman like myself.¡±


    Hazel could jump for joy now that Sophia finally left. ¡°Now we can enjoy our time together. Would you care for that tea now, Alessandra? I can pour it for you.¡±¡®


    ¡°I can pour-¡±


    ¡°Alessandra,¡± Hazel held up her hand. ¡°I really enjoy these moments when I can lift a finger and do something for the people I care about. It makes me feel normal. After some annoying newsst night, I really want to have fun with you. Let me pour you a cup of tea.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Alessandra.


    While Hazel upied herself with pouring the tea, Alessandra wanted to speak with the other youngdies. Specifically, Eleanor who seemed to be quite the character. She found the group to be whispering about something and looking around at the other tables, Alessandra picked up on the other women also whispering and looking in the same direction.


    Alessandra looked at the door to see what was the reason for all the chatter and was stunned to see it was Heather they were speaking about. Last she remembered, Heather was close to Prisci so she should be acquainted with most of the young women here. Judging from the snickering and disgusted expression shown as some women looked at Heather, something had happened.


    Alessandra looked back at Heather noticing how ufortable she appeared to be. She watched Heather follow a maid to the seat assigned to her but was unable to sit because a young woman ced her bag on the seat.


    ¡°Why are they treating Heather like this?¡± Alessandra asked for anyone at her table to answer.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard?¡± Emma asked, finding it odd Alessandra wouldn¡¯t know about it since Prisci is her mother-inw. ¡°It¡¯s been a hot topic that Prisci Collins has ousted Heather from her circle. No one wants to get on Prisci¡¯s bad side so they don¡¯t want to be seen with Heather. I can¡¯t believe she showed up today,¡± Emma chuckled.


    Alessandra didn¡¯t find it to be funny like Emma did. It was not fun to be made an outcast and know you were the bud of a joke. Alessandra didn¡¯t like her first run-in with Heather but it did not mean she hated her to let her be treated this way.


    ¡°Heather!¡± Alessandra called out her name. She noticed how confused Heather was to see it was her reaching out. ¡°We have a free seat here now. Please join us.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing, Duchess?¡± Emma asked, looking at Alessandra like she had grown another head.


    ¡°Being nice,¡± Alessandra replied. ¡°Just like how I was when you were drunk.¡±

 Chapter 271 - 271 Tea (3)

    271 Tea (3)


    Heather was reluctant to join Alessandra but seeing as she was the only person offering a seat, she had no choice but to ept. Luckily, the women at the table Alessandra was seated at should be civil since the queen was there.


    As Heather approached the table, she saw right through Alessandra¡¯s kindness. It must be amusing for Alessandra to see her in this state. Now Alessandra would make fun of her to join the otherdies. If not for her mother who was greatly upset with her losing Prisci¡¯s favor, Heather would not be attending this gathering.


    Heather¡¯s mother had ultimately taken Prisci¡¯s side in the matter, not wanting the long friendship to end and for Prisci to exclude her. Heather desperately wanted to go back to White town since Prici¡¯s influence there wouldn¡¯t be this cutthroat and she would be able to rx. Unfortunately, her mother was forcing her to be social, and with her father not present, she had no to go against her mother.


    ¡°Good afternoon,¡± Heather greeted the table as she sat down. Once receiving numerouspliments and warm smiles in the past she was met with mumbling and others avoiding her gaze. This was why she wished she was never wrapped up in Prisci¡¯s ns for Edgar.


    For years Heather saw what it was like for someone to be made an outcast by Prisci and always tried her best to be obedient. She had two tasks when it came to Prisci. One, visit her regrly to keep her entertained and two, win Edgar¡¯s affection.


    ¡°Good afternoon,¡± Alessandra loudly greeted Heather instead of using a hushed tone like the others. ¡°Thank you,¡± she epted the tea from Hazel.


    ¡®I can¡¯t me her,¡± Heather thought as she watched Alessandra.


    At first, she had been angry with Alessandra for waltzing into Edgar¡¯s life and upsetting Prisci. Life was easy when there weren¡¯t any women around Edgar but then Edgar was suddenly married and Prisci made Heather travel out of town to ruin it. Heather wanted to me Alessandra but she could not. It would be childish. Instead, she was d everything worked out this way. She was free of Prisci. She only needed to get used to the bullying.


    ¡°How have you been Heather?¡± Alessandra asked, attempting to break the silence and awkwardness at the table.


    .....


    ¡°I have been doing well Duchess. I hope you and the Duke are having a happy marriage. I must apologize for the way we met,¡± said Heather.


    Alessandra smiled, not upset with what was in the past. Besides, she could tell Prisci dragged her there. ¡°It is in the past. I,¡± she paused not knowing what else to speak about with Heather. Should she ask if she was alright with what was going on with Prisci? Talk about the weather or dresses?


    ¡°How did you fall out of Prisci¡¯s good graces? You had many young women envying you. I am curious how you have angered her. I want to avoid doing the same in the future,¡± said Emma.


    Alessandra started to realize something else about Emma that would make them never click. ¡°We should talk about something else-¡±


    ¡°Duchess,¡± Emma stopped Alessandra. ¡°You should be curious too since it is your mother-inw. What if Heather did something bad to her and you regret being nice to her? I am also trying to protect you from being an outcast along with Heather since I like you.¡±


    ¡°Emma, I am already an outcast to the women here, and neither my title nor husband matters. It is not a good feeling to be an outcast. Bullied and treated like dirt by others. I don¡¯t want to be a person who turns blind to anyone being made fun of or taunted. And to anyone looking to use me to get close to Prisci, she doesn¡¯t like me so I guess you should treat me the same as Heather. I don¡¯t have to be curious now right?¡± Alessandra asked Emma.


    Emma opened her mouth to speak but didn¡¯t know what to say. Prisci had been silent these days so she wasn¡¯t aware that the woman did not like Alessandra. Still, Emma wanted to be close to Alessandra because of her n for Oliver.


    ¡°Prisci does not like me either so anyone looking for her favor should leave the table now,¡± Hazel said, jumping into the mix to join the not liked by Prisci club.


    Eleanor raised her hand. ¡°I have been close to her but I am raising my hand to be a part of the fun and I don¡¯t mind Heather sitting here. We all know that Prisci was vocal in wanting Heather to be her daughter-inw. Let¡¯s put two and two together since the Duke is now married she no longer finds Heather useful. Seems like Prisci is someone to avoid if you ask me,¡± she muttered.


    ¡°Eleanor! Prisci is a woman well-established in society. Look at her husband, her life, her status, and the wealth she extends with her investments. She is what all of us here want to be. I would not mind having her life. A husband who loves her and a perfect son,¡± Emma argued. She would give anything for her life with Oliver to turn out this way.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware you were living with Prisci Collins,¡± said Eleanor.


    ¡°What?¡± Emma replied, not understanding why Eleanor thought she was living with Prisci.


    ¡°You want her life but you do not know what it is like when we are not watching. For all we know, she and her husband might not love each other. She could be mean, which I think she is for letting you all gang up on someone close to her. Some role model,¡± Eleanor said, taking a sip of her tea.


    ¡°What is your problem with her? Did she turn you away? Only girls who lost her favor speak negatively about her,¡± said Emma.


    ¡°Ha!¡± Eleanor almost spit out her tea. ¡°Me? Looking to be on her good side? Sweetheart, never in this life or any other. All of you act like mean-spirited olderdies are the only ones who can take you under their wings. There are nice women that can teach you something and not need you to kiss their ass to be around them.¡±


    Hazel raised her cup of tea agreeing with Eleanor¡¯s every word. Why did all the young women entering society want to be Prisci¡¯s puppets?


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to speak to you anymore, Eleanor. You know nothing.¡±


    ¡°I have long opened my eyes to the truth of the social world we are in. Just know Emma. While you are trying to question why she is here at this table, the world works quite interesting. It can be her today,¡± Eleanor pointed at Heather. ¡°And you tomorrow,¡± she pointed at Emma.


    ¡°I will never do something stupid enough to get myself ousted from any group,¡± Emma dered, confident in her words.


    ¡°Really?¡± Eleanor mused. Emma was not aware of how much her spilling a drink on the Duchess was spreading and she was beingbeled a drunkard. ¡°I wonder which one of us will be proven wrong.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Heather whispered to Eleanor.


    ¡°Oh don¡¯t thank me. It wasn¡¯t my intention to defend you. I just happen to like drama and shutting up others. It is the most exhrating thing to do,¡± Eleanor said as she traced her fingers along the rim of her cup.


    ¡°You have always been known to stand up for those being picked on, Eleanor. Don¡¯t try to act all cool now,¡± Hazel said, enjoying what Eleanor was adding to the table. She made a mental note to invite Eleanor to the pce again. No, it was better for Alessandra to invite Eleanor to her party.


    ¡°I am cool,¡± Eleanor said as a matter of fact. ¡°Fine, I can¡¯t resist helping those that are shy or don¡¯t know how to defend themselves. That is why I was rooting for you Emma but you are just like the others.¡±


    Emma wanted to ask what Eleanor meant by that but stopped as she did not want to continue arguing. Instead, she turned to Alessandra who had been silently drinking her tea and staying out of the conversation. ¡°Duchess, is it alright for me to call you Alessandra in this setting?¡±


    ¡°It is alright,¡± Alessandra replied.


    Emma smiled, happy to be improving their rtionship. ¡°Alessandra, how is the Duke doing?¡±


    ¡°He is fine. Edgar is currently in the castle. Why?¡±Alessandra asked.


    ¡°I was thinking of arranging a double date for the four of us. We should all get to know each other well. What do you think?¡±


    Alessandra didn¡¯t see that happening. ¡°Um, Edgar is busy these days and only has time to attend important meetings or parties but I will bring it up to him. I can¡¯t guarantee he will say yes-¡±


    Emma cut in already having another solution.¡±Then what about if I pay a visit to your home and my fiance just happens to be there dropping me off? Surely the Duke wouldn¡¯t mind spending a couple of minutes entertaining your guest-¡±


    ¡°Emma,¡± Alessandra spoke up having had enough of what Emma was trying to do. ¡°My husband and your fiance no longer have a friendship. Just like my husband would not force me to be friends with certaindies, I am not going to plot for him to be friends with your husband again. Please stop pushing for it as it will not help your problem.¡±

 Chapter 272 - 272 Tea (4)

    272 Tea (4)


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Emma replied.


    Hazel almost rolled her eyes because Emma did not understand what was clearly exined. ¡°She¡¯s not going to ambush her husband with someone from the past who he does not get along with. You must not know Edgar Collins that well so I will tell you he¡¯s not going to be around someone he doesn¡¯t like for too long. He always looks for an escape. Has your fiance stated he wants to rekindle his friendship with the Duke?¡±


    ¡°No, but it looks that way. I am hoping it-¡±


    ¡°What will it do for you honestly?¡± Eleanor entered the conversation as she felt Emma needed a reality check. Forcing two men to be friends again wouldn¡¯t help her be closer to her fiance. ¡°You know this can backfire right? Your fiance can get angry with you for trying to make him speak with the Duke. Instead of making the two men meet, ask the married women at the table how to get closer to your fiance.¡±


    Eleanor didn¡¯t see why people liked to go the hard route to trouble themselves. So many married women were in the room. Some were once in Emma¡¯s position of trying to make their partner like them and some are still in that position though they are married. Thetter could help Emma open her eyes to wanting something more.


    ¡°I¡¯d be happy to offer advice,¡± Hazel said.


    ¡°I will,¡± Alessandra stated though she wasn¡¯t sure how helpful it would be. She had not done anything on purpose to make Edgar have feelings for her. It had happened naturally.


    ¡°Really?¡± Emma sat up in her chair. ¡°Well, we¡¯ve been spending time together thanks to our parents but I am always the only one trying. He just gives a short response. What can I do to make him open up to me? I want him to feel what I already feel. What was your experience, your highness?¡±


    ¡°I have to say the bad thing about arranged marriages is how long it might take for the two people to click. It is rare these days that the couple falls in love quickly. Throughout the selection process for the future queen, Tobias and I enjoyed the time assigned to us so I had feelings for him. He also admitted to having feelings for me right before I was chosen as queen. I got to know past him being the future king. Have you ever asked Oliver about his work or hobbies?¡± Hazel asked.


    .....


    ¡°No, I normally ask what my mother told me to. About the weather or what he wants for the wedding. I already know he is a guard so what more is there to ask?¡± Emma trailed off. She wasn¡¯t that interested in his job but she wouldn¡¯t mind finding out about his hobbies. Then she would make them her own and they would have something to bond over.


    ¡°So you really have not been getting to know him,¡± Eleanor sighed, already bored of this conversation. She might murder her father if he were to ever trouble her with an arranged marriage.


    ¡°Eleanor,¡± Emma forced a smile. ¡°I don¡¯t think you should be taking part in this conversation since you are not engaged or married.¡±


    ¡°Says who?¡± Eleanor replied.


    ¡°You¡¯re getting married?¡± Hazel asked as this was news to her.


    ¡°Well no. No one at this table knows me well enough to know my business. I could get married in secret and pop out with a ring. That is how private I like to be,¡± said Eleanor.


    ¡°Please,¡± Emma rolled her eyes. ¡°You mean you don¡¯t have friends to share anything with. I¡¯m curious how the daughter of someone who owns a ce that sells women¡¯s innocence is seated at this table, let alone inside the pce. It does not suit someone like you.¡±


    Eleanor wasn¡¯t offended by Emma¡¯s words. Instead, she regretted wanting the girl to stand up for herself as it was now clear the innocent image Emma had was a lie. The girl carried that same annoying judgemental wanting to fit in personality as the other birds in the room.


    ¡°No matter how much all of you mention my father¡¯s business it won¡¯t upset me. As for not sharing anything, I choose not to go around telling everyone my business as you do so I am not handing them a knife to stab in my backter. Do not concern yourself with how I am here. You should focus on not pissing me off because I know a lot of secrets,¡± Eleanor said, secretly wishing Emma would say something else.


    ¡°Umm, I think we should talk about something else,¡± Alessandra spoke up to stop another argument from happening, and then a second person would have to leave their table. ¡°Would you like some tea, Heather? The one Hazel gave me is nice.¡±


    ¡°Yes thank you,¡± Heather epted. She was so wrapped up in what was being said at the table that she had not looked for something to drink or eat.


    ¡°Good afternoon,¡± a maid came to the center of the room. ¡°As always, parts of the pce have been marked for you to wander if you want to talk and walk around. There will be maids around to offer you drinks and pastries on the outside. Please do not go outside of the pink ribbons tied around the pce halls. You can stay inside this room if you want to. Please enjoy your time in the pce.¡±


    ¡°Finally, we do not need to be cooped up at this table. Alessandra, Eleanor, Heather, and Emma,¡± Hazel reluctantly said Emma¡¯s name.


    Hazel liked Emma but she felt she would enjoy her time with Eleanor more and with the two women starting to not like each other, Hazel would have to separate them. She just knew it would be rude as queen to suddenly dismiss Emma so she was bringing her along. The same couldn¡¯t be said for the other women at the table who were silent this entire time. Hazel forgot they were even there until she looked around.


    ¡°I hope you will all join me to stretch our legs. No more fighting please or I will respectfully have to send you away from my side,¡± Hazel said, specifically to Eleanor and Emma. ¡°Come along, Duchess. Hopefully, we run into your husband so that I can see if he is glowing too.¡±


    Alessandra blushed, realizing Hazel was aware something happened between her and Edgar. Was it honestly that obvious? She had covered all of his marks and wasn¡¯t acting odd. At least she didn¡¯t think she was.

 Chapter 273 - 273 Visitors (1)

    273 Visitors (1)


    ¡°James, why is the carriage out front of the house? Is Kate going somewhere or is it the old bat? Please tell me Greta has finally decided to get the hell out of town. I can no longer handle that woman judging everything and trying to boss me around all for a little bit of money,¡± said Katrina.


    ¡°I am leaving mother,¡± Kate happily announced as she neared the front door where her mother and the butler were standing. ¡°You should be happy to know that things are going well with Simon. I honestly wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the man proposes to me soon. He¡¯s invited me to a private gathering with his friends. It takes away from not being invited to the pce with all the other girls. Goodbye, mother.¡±


    ¡°Kate,¡± Katrina stopped her daughter before she could leave. She was happy to hear things were going well between Kate and Simon but she felt the need to intervene so Simon would not slip through Kate¡¯s fingers like Edgar did. ¡°I need you to step your game up past being his little date everywhere. Someone else can still catch his eyes. Remember he does not belong to you until you both say I do.¡±


    Kate felt slightly discouraged as if all her efforts weren¡¯t enough. She had made it quite clear to the other young women that Simon was off-limit now that he was courting her. Someone would have a death wish to mess with her ns to marry him. ¡°What can I do, mother?¡± Kate asked, open to help from her mother.


    ¡°Tell him you are curious about his home and if he takes you, find a way to spend the night. Do not give yourself to him but tempt him enough to want you. There are other girls ready to jump into his bed to have him. You have to y into seducing him Kate,¡± said Katrina.


    She would have told Kate to sleep with him in hopes of getting pregnant but since Simon already liked Kate and Katrina didn¡¯t need any more gossip about the family, she decided against it. This way suited her when she wanted to trap Desmond. It was an excellent ploy to im to be pregnant only to actually get pregnantter on once Desmond brought her into his home after the first wife ran away.


    James didn¡¯t see this to be a good idea but kept silent. They didn¡¯t know Simon that well and there was no one to watch over Kate while she was alone with this man but Katrina was impatient to get Kate married. He knew how upset she was by the fact Alessandra had long married before Kate and Kate did not receive any new proposals.


    ¡°Mother, I will find a way to have a ring by the end of the week. If someone as boring as L can get married, why can¡¯t I? Though men with hardly any wealth are easy to marry. That is why I shouldn¡¯t feel jealous of her. Poor thing will be begging for money in no time,¡± Kate chuckled, wanting to see L¡¯s marriage crumble before it could start.


    ¡°L is getting married?¡± Katrina with a hint of surprise in her tone. She always found the girl to be boring to look at. ¡°Her parents must have gotten tired and pushed her into the arms of the first man who proposed. A girl like that couldn¡¯t have many prospects. Still, it must have been fun for them to watch you have no new proposals.¡±


    .....


    Katrina was now angered by how many proposals Kate had lucked out on. She had been the most sought girl this season but since her eyes were glued to Edgar, they had rejected all. Now those men were chasing after some other young girl and Kate has to hold onto Simon or she would have to wait a while longer to get married. It would be embarrassing for Kate.


    ¡°I thought I would have snagged Edgar and it is partially your fault for not throwing a party or letting me attend enough parties to advertise that I am looking for a husband. You also need to step your game up mother. You have to y the role of both parents now that my father is not here to introduce me to young men he knows. We all have things to work on but make no mistake I will wed soon,¡± said Kate.


    She was working hard to rise up to where Alessandra was and teach the girl a lesson. Alessandra looked down on her yesterday when Simon was talking but that would never happen again. Kate could never let go of Alessandra stealing what belonged to her no matter how cruel Edgar was turning out to be. The dresses, the jewelry, the status, rtionship with royalty were all suited for Kate.


    ¡®I should take off that mask and show the people why she should go back into hiding. Or maybe,¡¯ Kate smile as she exited the home. ¡®Rumors of her being cursed should resurface.¡¯


    This time, Kate would not be caught as easily as her mother was. She would prove she was far smarter than anyone thought. She helped to spread Alessandra was cursed in the past so it wasn¡¯t a hard task for her to aplish. She only needed to find a way to knock off Alessandra¡¯s mask.


    ¡°That girl is finally growing up and will make me proud soon enough. A marriage to a man like Simon will be the end of our problems. If not for the stupid rule from Desmond¡¯s mother, I would consider getting married again but this time aiming for a higher status. I suppose I shouldn¡¯t be so greedy since I have,¡± Katrina paused, realizing James was still present. ¡°Close the door-wait. Who is that?¡± Katrina asked, looking out at the gates where men on horses wereing in.


    James squinted his eyes to get a good look at the visitors and was stunned when he noticed the uniform they wore. ¡°They are the men from the court, Baroness.¡±


    ¡°From court? Invite them in. I hope they¡¯vee to tell me there is some money to be given to me since Desmond is dead,¡± said Katrina.

 Chapter 274 - 279 Chs

    279 Chs


    ADD


    274 Visitors (2)


    ¡°Greetings Baroness. We offer our sincere apologies for not attending yourte husband¡¯s funeral. There has been an overflow of work to do in the court,¡± said Mark Wilkerson. Behind him stood two men, Zachery and Den who worked under him. ¡°May wee in to have a word? It is important.¡±


    ¡°Yes, follow me this way,¡± Katrina said, leading the men to the waiting room. She expected to hear from them right after Desmond had died but now was still a good time. There were cases of the court offering money or other gifts to families for their loss. ¡°Would you care for something to drink? My butler can get it for you.¡±


    ¡°No thank you,¡± Mark replied. He didn¡¯t care for refreshments when he was present for serious business. Judging by the woman¡¯s quickness to let them in, she had no idea what they were there for. ¡°Yourte husband¡¯s daughter, Alessandra Barrett, now known as Alessandra Collins the Duchess, has gotten married. Do you acknowledge that?¡±


    Katrina frowned, confused as to why this visit was about Alessandra unless the girl had finally died but why would the court men be here instead of the town guards? ¡°The marriage wasn¡¯t exactly epted by myte husband but yes, I can acknowledge she is now married. Is there something wrong? Is the marriage not legitimate?¡±


    ¡°It is legitimate. The priest who did their wedding sent the notice. You are aware that now your stepdaughter has gotten married, she is entitled to her inheritance put together by both her parents. We¡¯ve received a notice that her inheritance was not given to her and it might have been spent. You should know there is aw against messing with the inheritance ced for a child,¡± said Mark.


    Zachary pushed a paper toward Katrina. ¡°The court received the document containing the list of items meant to go to Alessandra once she was of age and wanted to leave her father¡¯s care or the moment she got married.¡±


    Katrina was reluctant to pick up the paper but as she did not want to seem suspicious, she picked up the paper and read through it. ¡°This is the first time I am seeing this list. It would have been sent to the court long before I married the Baron. Is there an issue?¡±


    ¡°Not only is the Duchess past the age that she could have received this inheritance she is also married but has not received any of it. We are aware that she was hidden away in your home because of her face which would have contributed to her not getting her inheritance when she was eighteen. Was your husband against the marriage to the Duke because he no longer had the inheritance to give to his daughter?¡± Den asked, giving his theory.


    ¡°Desmond did not discuss her inheritance with me or give me too many details about the Duke proposing to Alessandra. I don¡¯t know anything about it. Whether he spent it or not. Why is this brought to me now? My mother-inw personally told Alessandra she would send her inheritance,¡± said Katrina.


    .....


    Since the day they left the Duke¡¯s home, Katrina was relieved that Greta would be the one giving Alessandra the inheritance. Had Greta changed her mindter on?


    ¡°To our knowledge, nothing has been sent. Seeing that your mother-inw is the one giving the Duchess her inheritance that means the money was in fact spent,¡± Mark said. He found it stupid of the Baroness to take so long to find a way to give her stepdaughter the inheritance when Alessandra¡¯s new father-inw was the one to push for thisw.


    ¡°I do not know about her inheritance. My mother-inw out of the blue offered to pay for it. Desmond dealt with all the finances and as you can see I am trying to pull money out of thin air to keep this house together. You should speak with my mother-inw. Desmond told her more things about our finances than I,¡± said Katrina, shifting the attention onto someone else.


    The court would no doubt find out the money was spent but given that Desmond was now dead and it wouldn¡¯t be so hard to believe he left her out of the finances, they could not put this on her. There was no evidence that she was the one to spend Alessandra¡¯s inheritance and she wasn¡¯t. It was Desmond¡¯s idea since he believed Alessandra would always be in his care.


    ¡°If there was a conversation about inheritance, did you check to see if your daughter Kate Barrett still has her inheritance? She will soon be turning eighteen and reaching that age a youngdy desires to get married before they are seen as a spinster. Your stepdaughter you might care for but your own daughter, you would want there to be money for her right?¡± Mark asked, inspecting every inch of Katrina for her reaction.


    He hade across many like her during his years in the court. Mark was surprised when the King himself brought up this issue to him but was d he did. Thete Baron tried to y the court and there was no doubt this woman knew about it. It was unfortunate the Baron was now dead as they would have taken him in for questioning and then would have been able to bring in the Baroness.


    In Mark¡¯s opinion, Edgar made a big mistake killing Desmond so quickly but not all hope was lost. There was always a way to catch greedy people. They could never be satisfied with what they have. Now, Katrina Barrett was on his list. Before paying her a visit they had searched their documents for information on her but only found her marriage to Desmond. He sent notices to other town magistrates to send him information about her and was now awaiting it.


    Anyone with little to no information about who they were should always be watched by the court.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about the money Desmond has set aside for Kate but I have not spent what I listed for my daughter. I can produce it the moment Kate is ready for it,¡± Katrina truthfully replied. She still had herrge stash of money from her life before Desmond that she was now digging into to get this household back to its former glory.


    ¡°I see. So it was as I thought it to be. The first daughter is not allowed out in public so her father figured he could take her money. One way or the other, the Duchess is entitled to her money. Is your mother-inw in? We want to have a word about the money she will give her granddaughter. We cannot punish the dead and as of right now, we can only work out a way for the Duchess to receive her money,¡± Mark said as this was his number one priority.


    ¡°Greta is not here at the moment,¡± Katrina lied. She wanted to have a word with the woman first to see where her head was at.


    ¡°Den.¡±


    ¡°If your mother-inw pays your husband¡¯s side of the inheritance, we will write that off but her mother¡¯s items must still be given to her. If they have been given away or sold you will have to pay for them. ording to thew, we will have to alert her mother of issues with her daughter¡¯s inheritance,¡± Den stated.


    Katrina couldn¡¯t hold back her surprise. After years of not hearing from that woman, she thought Desmond¡¯s first wife might have been dead. ¡°She is alive?¡±


    Zachary found the question to be suspicious and asked, ¡°Should she be dead?¡±


    ¡°No no. We have not heard from her in years so we assumed,¡± Katrina replied. Thest thing she needed was for that woman to return.


    ¡°Dead or alive, living in this town or not, we will find a way to contact her. It is in your best interest to search for what was left for the Duchess from her mother, Mnie. That is all for now. We will return tomorrow at noon. You should be here along with your mother-inw if you want this to be over soon. Good day,¡± Zachary bid goodbye.


    The three men had other matters to deal with so they could not stay too long.


    ¡°Den,¡± Mark called to the man walking behind him. ¡°Keep a good eye on this case and alert me if information about this womanes in.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir.¡±

 Chapter 275 - 275 Another one (1)

    275 Another one (1)


    ¡°Why is it that every time I invite you to the pce you take it upon yourself toy on my couch and go to sleep? Edgar!¡± Tobias eximed.


    Edgar continued to rest, secretly wishing there was silence but after years of dealing with Tobias he had learned to tune the man out.


    ¡°Why do we like him, Rafael?¡± Tobias asked, sitting back down in his chair.


    ¡°I find him to be cool,¡± Rafael replied.


    When he was much younger in the school his mother ced him in, there were all sorts of young boys there but none of them had been more fun to be around than Edgar Collins. Edgar had always been the one toe up with a troublesome n and Rafael being the quiet one, would silently follow behind what Edgar was doing.


    Edgar would put together some crazy adventure n to get out of school while Rafael enjoyed the crazy things he got to do. Like searching the bushes for a snake to put in the seat of a teacher who was always nasty to fighting against boys jealous of their parent¡¯s status. Edgar helped to bring out a new side of him that spoke more and got into trouble. Many called him Edgar¡¯s puppet but for the two of them, it was like a little brother following his big brother.


    ¡°Someone gets it,¡± Edgar said in response to Rafael¡¯s words. ¡°If you are upset with me using your precious couch, I shall buy one and send it to the pce. This one seems to be of low quality.¡±


    ¡°You are the only person bold enough to enter the pce and insult the fucking furniture. You had this wonderful glow to you so I thought it was a sign you would be nice today but it must be something else. Tell me,¡± Tobias smiled as he had an answer for Edgar¡¯s sudden glow. ¡°Did the Duchess reward youst night for sticking up to William?¡±


    Rafael cringed at the sight of Tobias wiggling his brows. ¡°Is there nothing else for the king to do other than gossip?¡±


    .....


    ¡°Not at the moment and why can¡¯t I gossip? I am starting to see why women enjoy it so much. Do not act like you do not enjoy the letters I send you giving updates about all our lives. I have to do it since you live so far away. Any thoughts on moving to Lockwood?¡± Tobias asked.


    ¡°To be near a pain in the ass? No,¡± Rafael replied, earning a snicker from Edgar.


    ¡°I hate both of you. You are like the white version of Edgar. The good side of him, I mean but you can still be cruel at times-¡±


    The door of Tobias¡¯s study opened, interrupting the conversation as Dominic walked in. ¡°Good. You are all here,¡± he closed the door.


    Edgar sat up, confused as to why Dominic was in town. ¡°Why are you in Lockwood?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Because of you,¡± Dominic pointed at Edgar. ¡°I told you now that you are married my mother would be on my ass. Everywhere I turn there is some youngdy at my door. I am finally moving into my new estate so I thought I¡¯d stop in Lockwood for a few days. I will strangle the person who tells my mother where I am. Get up, Edgar. Stop hogging up the chair.¡±


    Edgar sat up to give Dominic some room as he pitied the poor soul. With the ongoingpetition between the Carsons and Collins, it was no surprise Dominic¡¯s mother now wanted him to be married to be on par with Edgar. ¡®Not like that will ever happen,¡¯ he thought.


    ¡°At this big age, you are still running from your mother?¡± Tobias chuckled.


    The other three men in the room looked at Tobias.


    ¡°Let¡¯s move on,¡± Tobias said, clearing his throat. ¡°We were just talking about the Duchess giving Edgar the time of his life. Doesn¡¯t he look different today?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I am not entering this conversation. My brother has a permanent reminder of why no one should talk about Edgar¡¯s wife. Poor thing can¡¯t smile anymore or he gets questioned about his missing tooth. I almost pity him. Almost but I have been enjoying the silence. You need to watch out, Edgar. Daniel is furious and looking to get back at you. Someone might show up trying to kill you,¡± said Dominic.


    ¡°Let theme,¡± Edgar replied, not afraid of Daniel sending someone to harm him. He would get rid of that person and send someone capable of doing the job to get rid of Daniel. ¡°You should talk some sense into him if you wish to continue having a younger brother.¡±


    ¡°My days without him around were honestly better. I suppose to be a good person I should have a talk with him. What¡¯s going on with you, Rafael? Any troubletely?¡± Dominic asked, pretending to be unaware of the woman trouble Rafael was having. Rafael should me the little birdie named Tobias. Why anyone would tell Tobias their business was beyond him.


    Rafael red at Tobias knowing where this conversation was heading.


    ¡°Hey! Edgar told me about it,¡± Tobias said, shifting the me to Edgar.


    ¡°I did,¡± Edgar admitted to it.


    ¡°We¡¯re losing another good fellow to love. Whatever happened to none of us will get married? I didn¡¯t believe Tobias would keep his word since the king needs a queen but Edgar and Rafael? Come on,¡± said Dominic, disappointed by the two. ¡°I¡¯m still trying to wrap my head around how Edgar married Desmond¡¯s daughter when you hated the very existence of the man. How did you even meet again?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s easy. I sent him-wait,¡± Tobias sat up, realizing he was meant to bring up to Edgar. ¡°Where are my gifts or thanks for sending you to the Baron¡¯s home? Isn¡¯t that where this whole love story started?¡±


    Edgar sighed. He had been hoping Tobias would never bring up that it was thanks to him, he had met and fallen for Alessandra. ¡°We are here to talk about the border and William-¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± Tobias cut off Edgar. ¡°Look at how he is deflecting! I am the one who set him up with his wife. I sessfully meddled in his love life.¡±


    Rafael scooted down to another chair to get out of Edgar¡¯s way in case he wanted to throw something at Tobias to shut him up.


    ¡°So really, I should be ming you,¡± Dominic realized. ¡°Thanks to you, I am stuck with my mother forcing me to have a wife.¡±


    ¡°Listen, the solution to your troubles is obvious. Find a girl you can pretend like you are courting and thinking of marrying so your mother will back off. Keep dragging it out saying this girl wants to take things slow. Boom,¡± Tobias smacked his hand on the table because of the brilliant idea.


    ¡°Not bad,¡± Dominic shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re not as foolish as you look.¡±


    ¡°Thank-Hey!¡± Tobias eximed. ¡°I am the smartest out of the four of us. Rafael is the best at fighting, Edgar is the most wealthy, and Dominic is just Dominic.¡±


    ¡°What the fuck kind of list is this?¡± Dominic cursed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind it,¡± Rafael muttered.


    Tobias had another bright idea so he suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t we have a little test?¡±

 Chapter 276 - 276 Another one (2)

    276 Another one (2)


    ¡°Let¡¯s put it to a test once and for all who are the smartest and strongest ones,¡± Tobias suggested. With the drama in the pcetely and how much of it he was keeping from Hazel, he could use a moment to enjoy some fun with people he trusted. It wasn¡¯t every day he got to be near them in this suffocating pce. ¡°Are you going to chicken out?¡± He asked, looking at Dominic.


    Dominic was ready for any challenge since Tobias did not give him a proper ranking. He didn¡¯t train frequently like the other three but he should be considered the smartest of the bunch. Besides, if had been able to restrain Edgar he should be better in strength than Tobias. ¡°Edgar? Rafael?¡±


    Rafael couldn¡¯t understand how his visit to get an update on the border before he would head there turned into figuring out who was better than who. ¡°As long as he talks about the border right after. I cannot stay in the pce for too long,¡± he said.


    Edgarid down in the chair after Dominic had stood up. Why would he participate in this game when he knew how much better he was than all three of them in certain areas? Tobias could call himself the smartest one until his mind started to believe his big mouth.


    ¡°Why the hell aren¡¯t you joining in this game, Edgar? Afraid you¡¯ll lose and wound your ego?¡± Tobias asked.


    ¡°Far from it,¡± Edgar replied, closing his eyes to enjoy the peace of them leaving. ¡°I should bebeled the smartest for not getting involved in this game. Tobias listed himself as the smartest which made the list not credible from the very beginning. Besides, I am here to speak about William. Not make all of you cry from losing.¡±


    ¡°We can talk about William right after. It is not like you to miss the opportunity to prove how great you are. Besides, it is most likely time the women have started to walk around the pce. Do you want to miss showing your wife you are attempting to beat the four of us?¡± Tobias asked.


    ¡°What is this bright idea of yours to test out who is the strongest or smartest anyway? Your Highness,¡± Dominic dragged out the words to mock Tobias.


    ¡°For the smartest, we can use the big maze in the garden to see who gets out first then there¡¯s all kinds of equipment for us-¡±


    .....


    ¡°You want us to go out into the snow and walk through a maze? Forget all of this, Tobias is the stupid one just like we thought,¡± Dominic decided.


    Edgar raised his hand. ¡°I second that. I am not going outside in the cold to be sick.¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine. How about we just test for strength and speed? A quick race around the pce and then a weightlifting challenge?¡± Tobias suggested since the two grumpy pants were against the snow idea.


    ¡°Rafael will win in speed and strength. I will be in second as I keep up my training and I am just naturally skilled. Tobias is in better shape than Dominic so he will no doubt be third. Dominic, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯rest but you are far better than a lot of the guards in the castle. As formon sense, we know how that list goes,¡± Edgar said, looking directly at Tobias. ¡°Now that has been easily settled, can we talk about William and the border?¡±


    Edgar enjoyed them being all together but they had no time to be goofing off.


    ¡°Tobias, you also need to deal with Grant. You can¡¯t continue trying to distract yourself with fun to avoid dealing with other things. You are no longer a child. What are you trying to run away from?¡± Edgar asked.


    Tobias sighed, sitting back down in his seat. ¡°I told Hazel about Grant wanting me to take Linda as a mistress to try for a prince. She smiled and said okay at first but then the longer she thought about it the more upset she got. Understandable since that is her friend. I am worried about her in the pce. I had to tell her before someone else could but I regret it. She¡¯s already annoyed by the other women being invited to catch my eye.¡±


    ¡°There is nothing she has to worry about. You may be a liar, a pain in the ass, always calling people from their homes even though they just returned from war-¡±


    ¡°Rafael, this is not howpliments work,¡± Tobias muttered in between the list of things he did.


    ¡°But you are loyal to your wife,¡± Rafael ended on a good note.


    ¡°Thank you, I guess,¡± Tobias side-eyed Rafael. ¡°I am taking Hazel out of town in a couple of days. We¡¯ll be staying at one of yourrger homes outside of town free of charge, Edgar. Thank you,¡± Tobias said.


    Edgar opted to remain silent. His homes weren¡¯t cheap to stay in and he was always in need of a heads-up from anyone who wanted to stay there. This was the first he had heard of Tobias wanting to use his home and why was the king being cheap? He would only allow it to happen since Grant had upset Hazel and if Alessandra got wind of this, she would convince him to let the couple stay there for free. Or perhaps he should let her know about it so she would have to do something he wanted to let Tobias and Hazel stay there for free.


    ¡°There are plenty of homes owned by the pce. Why don¡¯t you use them? Afraid someone would try to attack you two when you are away from the pce?¡±


    ¡°Why ask and then answer your own question?¡± Tobias asked, trying to make sense of Dominic.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get back on track. William Lancaster. I want to strike him quickly and without too much attention on his home being infiltrated. I need a distraction,¡± Edgar said, already plotting what he would do. ¡°Are there any days with more than one party at the same time?¡±


    Tobias thought about it for a moment. ¡°There is one. Two days from now at seven in the night there will be three parties all on opposite sides of the town spread out like a triangle. It¡¯ll be a busy night so that¡¯s your moment. You should go in with little to no guards. Pick the best of the best. It¡¯s always quality not quantity when infiltrating someone¡¯s home.¡±


    Edgar was one step in front of Tobias. Getting a group of men ready to kill William for him was not hard to do. ¡°I¡¯ve already taken care of that. The only thing missing is theyout of William¡¯s home. I need to get my hands on someone who has been inside. I need to visit one of your prisoners before I leave. I have a proposal for their freedom.¡±


    ¡°Does the Duchess know what you are plotting?¡± Tobias asked curious about how much Edgar was telling his wife.


    ¡°She overheard us yesterday but hasn¡¯t spoken about it. I want her to be left out of it as much as possible. Do not mention it to her or your wife. Common sense should tell you that women speak-¡±


    A knock at the door interrupted Edgar.


    ¡°Come in,¡± Tobias ordered the person on the outside.


    A guard entered the room with a glum expression and his shoulders slumped. ¡°My king. Word was just sent from the town guards that the body of a young girl was found not too long ago. It has started again.¡±

 Chapter 277 - 277 Another one (3)

    277 Another one (3)


    Tobias clenched his fist feeling the need to curse but couldn¡¯t let out a sound. To show his frustration he pushed all that was on his desk right onto the floor.


    ¡°Has she been identified?¡± Edgar asked since Tobias was too angry to ask questions.


    ¡°Uhm, the thing is her face is kind of destroyed so the guards are calling for all the families with missing girls to try identifying her. She was found on top of a bed of flowers someone ced above the snow,¡± said the guard. ¡°The snow had not begun to cover the body so they believe it wasn¡¯t long since the culprit was there. The body was found by children who had been ying with snow in that area frequently.¡±


    ¡°Did anyone get a glimpse of what this person looks like?¡± Tobias asked through gritted teeth. This body was another youngdy they had failed to save. He felt guilty for trying to distract himself and have fun when they had not solved this case. His blood was boiling to the point of wanting to search all homes to look for the young women who might be alive or dead but their bodies weren¡¯t ced around the kingdom for this sick game.¡±


    ¡°If the children y there regrly, the body was ced there intentionally to be found. Whoever this is, is letting us know to be prepared. Tobias, I am certain this is not William,¡± Edgar said as this cruel game was different from the one William was ying. William was still going to die but Edgar had a feeling even with William dead, another body would show up.


    ¡°I don¡¯t give a fuck who the hell it is. I want that person found and tortured right now. William and this psycho. I want both of them dealt with soon. It¡¯s always the same goddamn flower each time. You,¡± Tobias looked at the pce guard. ¡°Send word to the town guards that I am giving a royal order to inspect all homes in Lockwood. I want all the homes with anyone nting, buying, selling, or even painting those flowers to be inspected thoroughly.¡±


    ¡°This person is not going to have this flower out in the open,¡± Edgar sighed. If it was so easy the case would have been cracked already.


    ¡°I don¡¯t give a fuck. It is the only lead we have at the moment-¡±


    ¡°Pardon me for cutting in but didn¡¯t some of these victims show interest in the theater? Four of them to be exact. Two were said to be good at acting. One of their bodies was foundtepared to the timeline of the other women and the other has not been discovered yet ording to the news I have heard. Am I right?¡± Rafael asked, looking back and forth between Edgar and Tobias who had better knowledge.


    .....


    ¡°That is true. What are you getting at?¡± Tobias questioned, curious to know where Rafael was going with this.


    ¡°There is a theory that this person is picking out girls who can act to his liking,¡± Edgar replied, understanding what Rafael was hinting at. ¡°The kingdom once had a killer who kidnapped an older woman to act as histe mother. Whenever she didn¡¯t do it to his liking, he beat her. She only escaped after convincing herself she was his mother and he trusted her enough to let her go outside.¡±


    Edgar had been using old cases to help him see what this person¡¯s train of thought was. The theory that the killer wanted these young girls to act as someone wasn¡¯t far-fetched. ¡°We still don¡¯t know what this person is looking for besides the young girls being able to y a role. No one else from the theater went missing after those four. Girls with no desire to act were starting to disappear.¡±


    ¡°Maybe they want a more natural person? You know, the perfect person who is naturally like what they want these girls to be. None of these girls look alike and their backgrounds differed so maybe it is a personality thing,¡± Dominic suggested.


    ¡°Shit. I don¡¯t know,¡± Tobias replied, rubbing his temple since he did not have the answer. Each theory they had always ended up at a wall. ¡°Every mother says the girls were sweet but when we ask around¡­¡±


    ¡°Friends say they were mean-spirited, a heartless bitch, two-faced, good at ying nice,¡± Edgar listed the names young girls were happy to give him. ¡°I checked the rtionship between the girls and most of them did not know each other so it wasn¡¯t like they hade together to gang up on someone and now this person was getting revenge. The only clue we have is that this person loves anyone good at pretending to be something they are not.¡±


    ¡°Wee to Lockwood where more than half the poption is like that,¡± Tobias said in a sarcastic tone. He¡¯d seen many women switch their personalities depending on how they were standing in front.


    ¡°I will visit the town guards to see the body and get information. An inspection of the body must have already started. I will deal with William and this person. We will catch them,¡± Edgar promised Tobias.


    He knew it had to be a heavy weight on Tobias¡¯s shoulder to have mass murder in the kingdom while he was king and not be able to do anything about it. As king, Tobias had other matters on his te and could not focus on this one problem which was why he gave the task to Edgar instead of just depending on the town guards, and now he was using Rafael at the borders.


    ¡°I will join you,¡± Dominic offered his help. He wanted to help bring some peace to the families of these young women lost by knowing the killer was no longer alive.


    ¡°I will head to the border now,¡± Rafael stood up. ¡°Do not let this stop you from leaving town with your wife. You need a break before the weight on your shoulders breaks you. Not just you but the queen being pressured to have an heir. We will take care of your duties in your ce.¡±


    ¡®I was actually supposed to skip town soon but sure,¡¯ Dominic thought. As long as his mother wouldn¡¯t find out about him being here, he could stay a bit longer. Perhaps crash at Edgar¡¯s house since none of his rtives could barge in there.


    Tobias remained slumped in his chair, feeling weak for not being able to stop this.


    The guard, Edgar, Rafael, and Domonic left the room to give Tobias some space to think or calm down.


    ¡°Are you going somewhere?¡± Hazel asked the moment they stepped outside. She had brought the women to her husband in hopes of teasing Alessandra and Edgar. ¡°Why do you all look so down? Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°Another youngdy found dead,¡± Dominic informed her.


    ¡°Oh, is Tobias inside alone?¡± Hazel asked, trying to peek inside to look at him. The door was slightly ajar but she could not see past the men. ¡°I¡¯m sorrydies but I need to be excused for a moment. Excuse me,¡± she said, asking for space to enter the room.


    Just as she expected, Hazel found her husband sulking by his desk. She closed the door behind her for privacy and locked it to not be interrupted. ¡°Tobias it is not-¡±


    ¡°There is another one, Hazel. Under my father¡¯s ruling, this would have never gone on for so long but I don¡¯t have any proper leads. I am failing. This will only give those opposing me something to say to turn the people against me,¡± Tobias clenched his fist, angered by just the thought of it.


    Hazel approached the desk and did something the people in the pce would frown at her for doing. She sat on Tobias¡¯sp. ¡°Tobias, I watch you every day be the best king you can be. It is not your fault this is still going on. We have some of the best people on this case and they are not able to solve it yet but they will. We will bring peace back to thisnd.¡±


    ¡°This is going on, you¡¯re being pressured for a child, and now you have to deal with others wanting your best friend to be my mistress. I am failing to protect you and everyone else,¡± he confessed.


    ¡°No, you are not. I am aware of how many people wouldn¡¯t mind me being tossed out of the pce for not having an heir yet but you have defended, protected, or even killed them for me. You have protected me from the very beginning and that is why I love you. My dear sweet king,¡± Hazel caressed his cheek, something she knew always calmed him down. ¡°This will all get better. I promise.¡±


    Unfortunately for Hazel, it was the calm before the storm.

 Chapter 278 - 278 Throwing stones and hiding hands (1)

    278 Throwing stones and hiding hands (1)


    ¡°Edgar, do you know Sophia?¡± Alessandra asked, wanting to confirm something before she ran into the woman again.


    ¡°The princess? Is that little brat here?¡± Edgar replied, looking around for the annoying little princess Sofia. He was always on edge whenever the princess was near. It should be impossible but she was more annoying than her brother.


    ¡°Not the princess. Sophia West. Her husband is a part of the court and she ims to have been intimate with you.¡±


    ¡°He wasn¡¯t,¡± Dominic answered for Edgar. ¡°None of us here have. The woman is beautiful but there are popr tales of itching after a night with her. You can spot her husband by his constant itch in the groin area,¡± Domini replied, trying his best not tough. The man was always bragging about his young wife not knowing no one was jealous of him.


    ¡°I see. She was quite loud with her ims. I do not understand why she would lie like that since it did not bother me. Do I have to leave now?¡± Alessandra asked, changing the subject to something more important.


    ¡°No,¡± Edgar said, not wanting to ruin the fun for her. ¡°You can still enjoy your time here. Remain in sight of the pce guards at all times. I will return for you-¡±


    ¡°I can take her home,¡± Emma offered.


    Edgar didn¡¯t take his eyes off Alessandra to look at who was offering a ride. ¡°I will return for you,¡± he repeated his words louder for everyone present to be clear on the fact he wasing back for his wife. ¡°Do not get into anyone¡¯s carriage. Even if someone offers a royal carriage.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Alessandra replied. With another body found, she was not going to leave the pce with anyone but Edgar. Even with the other girls as it did not seem like they traveled with a guard and she would not ride with a pce guard since anyone could be the culprit.¡±I will stay by Hazel¡¯s side. You should be careful, Edgar.¡±


    .....


    The town had been quiet for so long that everyone had forgotten they needed to be aware of their surroundings since this person was still out there. To be doing this for so long and no one being able to ce a clue to this person was troubling. Edgar and the town guards were not up against an easy opponent.


    ¡°Never expected to see you here,¡± Dominic said to Heather who was trying to hide at the back of the group. ¡°Did Edgar¡¯s mother send you here to spy on the Duchess? Still trying to win his heart?¡±


    Heather was hoping Dominic would not spot her but if he did, he would not speak to her. She saw him many times in her youth when Prisci would invite her to be around Edgar and Dominic would be there with his brother Daniel. ¡°I no longer do that. Haven¡¯t you heard? His mother made me an outcast and my mother is upset with me. I don¡¯t care for Edgar¡¯s affection.¡±


    ¡°Good because you were never going to get it. What?¡± Dominic shrugged when Heather looked at him. ¡°Boys talk you know and with Edgar, you never had to guess if he liked you. Sorry to hear about the outcast part but I am d you are free of being by his mother¡¯s side. You weren¡¯t too bad to be around when she wasn¡¯t near.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, I guess. Why are you in Lockwood?¡± Heather asked, only now realizing how far away from home he was. ¡°Running from your mother again?¡± She guessed.


    ¡°Yea. Edgar¡¯s marriage is affecting his peers. Now everyone is pressured to get married and settle down. I¡¯m moving into an estate not too far out of Lockwood. A gift from my grandmother. If you ever feel the need to run away from your mother my doors are open to you,¡± said Dominic.


    ¡°To start a scandal? No thank you,¡± Heather denied it. As a Carson, Dominic had too many eyes on him. She was tired of the attention at this point in her life. Look where it led her. ¡°The bright side of all of this is I can now find someone I can love and who genuinely loves me back. I have to do it before my mother tries to set me up with someone.¡±


    ¡°Well good luck with that. I am running away from my mother to get away from getting married.¡±


    ¡°What a nice privilege. I will say that I might be so tired of this lifestyle that I will either return to White town or take my inheritance and settle down somewhere small. I have been nning it out for thest couple of days,¡± said Heather. The fast-paced life of high society no longer suited her.


    She had been by Prisci¡¯s side since her youth and met people who she thought were her friends but with Prisci no longer needing her, those people weren¡¯t around.


    ¡°Yet again, my house is open to you if that is the path you want to take. I promise not to charge you too much rent,¡± Dominic joked, earning a chuckle from Heather. ¡°Just make sure you aren¡¯t followed and a scandal won¡¯t happen. Edgar¡¯s leaving so I have to leave but it was nice seeing you.¡±


    ¡°You too,¡± Heather waved goodbye.


    With Edgar, Dominic, and the guard gone, only Rafael remained. He was being kind by offering Tobias some privacy and mentioning going to the border but he honestly could not leave without a bit of information from Tobias. He hoped the queen and king weren¡¯t going at it while an audience was outside.


    ¡°Rafael Cahan, have we ever met?¡± Emma asked in a sweet tone. She couldn¡¯t help swooning over the sight of the famous knight. If not Oliver, she wished her parents would have set her up with Rafael.


    ¡°No,¡± Rafael bluntly replied. He took a step back to get away from her intense gaze. He didn¡¯t miss the ring on her finger and though he was at odds with a certain person back home, she would have his head for being so close.


    ¡°Why are you here in the pce? Have youe to deal with all the murders? It wouldn¡¯t be surprising since it would take someone like you to crack this case,¡± Emmaplimented him.


    ¡°You should remember your fiance is the one leading this case right behind the Duke. No wonder the two of you aren¡¯t close. You should be saving thispliment for Oliver,¡± Eleanor muttered. She couldn¡¯t understand what the hell Emma was doing.


    Rafael stepped back away from Emma now that he knew who she was engaged to. He wasn¡¯t on good terms with her husband-to-be. Edgar had introduced him to Oliver in the past and right away for no reason Oliver had hated him.


    ¡°I dopliment Oliver but he does not respond to it. Rafael is a talented knight so it is only fitting topliment him too,¡± Emma rolled her eyes as she replied to Eleanor. Why was Eleanor even invited by the queen to walk with her? Eleanor should be grateful for the invite and stay quiet.


    ¡°I am not here for that case. I will be heading to the border to deal with the trouble there,¡± Rafael replied.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be dealing with those barbarians!¡± Emma gasped.


    Alessandra looked at Emma, confused by who she was referring to as barbarians.


    ¡°They are not barbarians, Duchess,¡± Eleanor answered after seeing Alessandra¡¯s expression. ¡°They are people who choose to be free in their life and not have so many rules as we do. Only the close-minded call them that,¡± she said, looking right at Emma.


    Emma huffed, disliking how Eleanor kept picking at her. ¡°Well, they are causing trouble so they are barbarians. Right, Rafael?¡±


    Rafael had issues with a youngdy from the border who came in and wrecked his life. Before that, he still did not share the same opinion as those calling them barbarians. ¡°They are not barbarians. I find people who use that name should check their hearts. It is normally quite hollow. Excuse me.¡±

 Chapter 279 - 279 Throwing stones and hiding hands (2)

    279 Throwing stones and hiding hands (2)


    ¡°Oh, what a day. I just can¡¯t,¡± Eleanor chuckled as she wiped a tear from her eye. Thest thing she expected to hear was Rafael stating Emma had a hollow heart. ¡°I¡¯m so happy I didn¡¯t miss today.¡±


    Emma grabbed a handful of her dress, embarrassed by Rafael¡¯s words. What was so wrong with what she said? Everyone else was referring to those people as barbarians so she repeated it. Rafael was going there to kill him so what was all of this about being hollow?


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a part of this group anymore. Duchess, I will speak with you another day when there are no misfits around you,¡± Emma said, looking in Heather and Eleanor¡¯s direction before she walked away.


    ¡°Finally. I swear that girl seemed so sweet and innocent at first but she¡¯s clearly just a social follower. Should we stay here while the queen is alone with her husband? I feel like we might hear something we are not supposed to,¡± Eleanor said, hinting at the fact the queen and king could be working up a future prince right now.


    ¡°We could walk further down enough to see her if shees out,¡± Alessandra said, pointing down the hall. The other two women agreed to it so they started to walk away from the door. ¡°Eleanor, were you at the ball?¡±


    ¡°I was but I remained out of sight so you might not have ever seen me. I left early since mypanion for the night abandoned me. I still feel the need to strangle Bryce for leaving me and not giving me a heads up,¡± Eleanor said, pounding her fist into the palm of her hands. His solo departure gave the young women something to talk about.


    ¡°Bryce?¡± Alessandra asked, feeling like the name was familiar but she couldn¡¯t ce a face to it.


    ¡°My best friend. We always stick together during parties since we never have a date. He¡¯s my way of warding off curious men who would like to court me. I have no interest in getting married. Quite frankly I wouldn¡¯t mind bing a spinster. I have more interest in writing books than spending my time looking for a husband,¡± said Eleanor.


    ¡°You write books? Do you sell them in town or is it something that you keep for yourself?¡±


    .....


    ¡°I sell them in town under another name. I know no one would be interested if they knew the book was written by the daughter of a brothel owner. Honestly, Duchess, I am surprised but then I am not when ites to you. You had the title of being cursed but now you are a Duchess. I didn¡¯t expect to be talking with you. It is normal for people who were once an outcast and given a new opportunity, to not hang around us,¡± Eleanor said, pointing at herself and Heather.


    It was refreshing to see that Alessandra had not jumped in to speak about her father¡¯s business and she had weed Heather to their table. Eleanor could picture herself being lifelong friends with Alessandra. It was surprising since she rarely had any female friends as they would always im to get tossed into the red-light district if they became her friend.


    ¡°It would be wrong of me to once be bullied and then join in on mocking someone else just because of my new status. I cannot find it in my heart to be that way. Besides, you are really funny Eleanor and I admire how confident you are when you stand up to others. Like Sophia. That woman is,¡± Alessandra trailed off, not knowing the right words.


    ¡°Delusional? Too full of herself? She honestly did not sleep with your husband. She can openly lie since her reputation for falling into men¡¯s beds is quite strong. She is so full of herself that she thinks the princess was named after her but if she paid attention in school, she would know princess Sofia was named after a former queen. A bird brain I tell you,¡± Eleanor shook her head.


    Alessandra chuckled, amused by how disappointed Eleanor was when it came to Sophia. ¡°What about you, Heather? Do you have any hobbies?¡±


    Heather sighed and stopped walking. Now that it was just the three of them, she wanted to say what was on her mind. ¡°Duchess, I owe you for offering me a ce to sit but I have to ask. Are you being nice to me in hopes of getting information about Prisci? I¡¯ve seen the whole nice to everyone act before and I want to be certain I am not being fooled.¡±


    Alessandra wasn¡¯t the slightest bit offended by Heather¡¯s assumption. It was normal for Heather to think she would be used to going against Prisci no matter how anyone looked at it. Heather had no one to turn to at the moment so it would be a prime opportunity for Alessandra to use her.


    ¡°I have no intention of using you to get information about Prisci. Edgar would offer it to me without me having to ask. I honestly try not to think about her and I don¡¯t even want to run into her. I am being nice to you because that is how I am. Not because I want to use you,¡± said Alessandra.


    ¡°Thank you. It is just hard to know what people are plotting. I don¡¯t want to be used by anyone anymore or forced to do anything. I have been doing it all my life because of my mother. I sincerely want to apologize again for showing up with his mother that day,¡± Heather apologized.


    She continued to say, ¡°I cannot lie and say I didn¡¯t harbor any ill feelings for you when we met. I desperately wanted to be in your ce to satisfy his mother. I am grown but it was hard to go against her. Prisci is scary and you should be thinking about her.¡±


    Alessandra didn¡¯t want to tell Heather she was plotting to deal with Prisci to stop her from meddling in her marriage. Tides could turn where Heather would be back in Priscillia¡¯s good graces. She was aware of what type of person Prisci was since she was behind Jennifer¡¯s death.


    Alessandra began to walk again but the force of something connecting to the side of her exposed face stopped her.


    ¡°Duchess!¡± Heather eximed, concerned for Alessandra when blood started to trickle down her face.


    Eleanor panicked at the sight of a stone on the floor next to the mask Alessandra was wearing a moment ago. She bent down to pick up the mask to cover Alessandra¡¯s face and deal with the wound.

 Chapter 280 - 280 Throwing stones and hiding hands (3)

    280 Throwing stones and hiding hands (3)


    Eleanor looked in the direction the stone was thrown from and spotted a couple of women running away. She only saw the back of them but it wouldn¡¯t be hard to point out who they were from their dresses. ¡®Idiots,¡¯ she thought.


    If not for Alessandra bleeding, she would have chased after the women to repay what they had done. Then there was the mask that fell off that she wanted to put back on quickly since Alessandra would not want anyone seeing her face.


    Eleanor saw what looked to be old cuts but didn¡¯t think Alessandra required the mask. She was still quite pretty and now Eleanor was curious about the real story behind the mask. Why did no one question why a young girl had to hide her face?


    Alessandra stood still trying to wait out the pain in her head.


    ¡°We need to put some snow on it,¡± said Eleanor.


    ¡°I will get the queen,¡± Heather said. She would say it was foolish of anyone to throw a stone at the Duchess while they were in the pce but worse things had happened at parties she attended.


    Heather wasn¡¯t present for the entire gathering but she didn¡¯t think there was a reason for anyone to throw a stone at Alessandra. She was curious about what was said in the room before she arrived.


    Heather left Alessandra and Eleanor¡¯s side, going back to the room Hazel had walked in to speak with her husband. Heather was nervous to disrupt whatever was happening inside the room but they needed the queen and king.


    Heather knocked on the door and said as loud as she could, ¡°Queen Hazel, you muste quickly. Someone threw a stone at the Duchess.¡±


    .....


    Heather heard a muffled yelle from the inside but it didn¡¯t sound like Hazel. It sounded more like the-


    ¡°What,¡± Tobias flung open the door. ¡°Did you just say?¡±


    Heather stepped back, looking at the king in shock. His cheeks and neck bore the faint color of the paint Hazel had on her lips. Heather shook her head wanting to stay on track. ¡°I was walking with the Duchess and out of nowhere a stone was thrown at her. Her head has a small bruise-¡±


    ¡°Good fucking dammit,¡± Tobias cursed, angered by the news. He thought he had misheard what was said at the door, no. He was hoping he had misheard it. ¡°Is Edgar still in the pce?¡± He asked, closing the door behind him to give Hazel privacy to straighten herself.


    ¡°He left a little while ago. Do you want me to check if-¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Tobias quickly replied. If Edgar were to return before they had the culprit, he would flip the pce upside down. Tobias already had a lot on his te so why did someone have to add this to it? Someone dug their grave today and as king, there was hardly anything Tobias could do to save them. ¡°Take me to the Duchess now,¡± he ordered Heather.


    ¡°Right away,¡± Heather answered, leading the king to the Duchess. ¡°Pardon me if this is rude but should we not call her husband.¡±


    It didn¡¯t take long for Tobias to spot Alessandra leaning back against a wall while another woman tended to her. ¡°You¡¯ve been around Edgar so you already know the answer. Edgar doesn¡¯t take too well when anyone tries to harm the people he cares for. Now it is his wife who has already lived a hard life. The man is going to see red when he returns. Duchess,¡± Tobias said once he was in front of Alessandra.


    Eleanor curtsied and stepped out of the way for the king to handle the matter. She considered taking this time to go find the women she had spotted running away from the scene.


    ¡°Are you alright Alessandra?¡± Tobias asked, leaning down to get a better look at the wound. Had it been thrown lower it would have hit her eye and caused serious damage.


    ¡°It stings a bit and I have a headache,¡± Alessandra replied. The ice Eleanor had wrapped up in a cloth had been helpful.


    Tobias looked carefully at the small open wound. It didn¡¯t seem too deep but it was swelling. They could save her from a scar if they took care of it now. ¡°You there,¡± Tobias stopped a passing-by maid. ¡°Get the royal doctor and tell him toe to my private room right now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, your highness.¡±


    ¡°Did either of you see who did this?¡± Tobias asked Heather and Eleanor. They needed to move quickly in case the culprit would try to leave.


    Heather shook her head as she was more focused on Alessandra to look around for who threw it.


    ¡°I did,¡± Eleanor replied. ¡°I saw a small group of women running away from the direction it was thrown. I didn¡¯t see their faces but I can identify their dresses. One of them looked familiar. Was it,¡± Eleanor paused to think.


    ¡°Heather, take the Duchess inside my private room where the queen is,¡± Tobias said then looked at the young woman he believed was Eleanor. He had seen her with her mother who was known as the madame in the red-light district. ¡°Come with me to identify the women.¡±


    Eleanor was pumped up, ready to call out the people who had done this and if the king could turn his back for a moment, she had a good aim to make them feel what the Duchess was experiencing. It was amusing how they said she was not ady because of her father¡¯s business but then they went around throwing stones at someone.


    Eleanor led Tobias in the direction the women had run off in. Most likely, they were heading back to the room to get their things and leave. It would have been satisfying if Edgar was still in the pce as heads were bound to roll but Eleanor had a feeling once he found out, there would still be chaos even if the king were to deal with the culprit.


    Eleanor and Tobias received odd stares from the other young women who didn¡¯t have the slightest clue what was going on. Eleanor inspected their dresses as she passed by to make sure it wasn¡¯t any of them. One person threw the stone but the others around that person should have checked on the Duchess.


    ¡°No way,¡± Eleanor said the moment they entered the room. ¡°I knew that dress was familiar. You were sitting right in front of me, Sophia. How I could forget who wore that tacky design is beyond me.¡±


    Sophia bit her lip panicking at the sight of the king. She was on her way out of the pce when she remembered her bag was still in the room. She figured she had time to collect it as she had asked a maid to send notice she was ready for her carriage which would take a moment toe from wherever it was parked. ¡°What do you want from me, Eleanor?¡± She asked, choosing to y dumb about why the king might be here with Eleanor.


    ¡°Don¡¯t y stupid but then again, you are naturally stupid for throwing a stone at the Duchess. It is her, your highness. I saw her running away with three youngdies,¡± said Eleanor.


    ¡°Me? Throwing a stone at the Duchess? You must think we are the filthy red-light district where everyone acts a fool. We are in the pce dear Eleanor. No one goes around throwing stones and I am not a fool to harm the Duchess,¡± Sophia replied. In her opinion, Eleanor¡¯s words were not credible for anyone to believe a woman of Sophia¡¯s status would throw a stone. It would look like Eleanor was simply jealous and wanted to point fingers.


    ¡°Julia,¡± Tobias called to the woman dressed differently from the other maids. She was the one to ensure the women present at the gathering and all the servants were acting appropriately. ¡°Tell the servants to bring all thedies back into this room. Now!¡± He yelled, his voice sounding like thunder in the room.


    They were moving too slowly for this liking.


    ¡°Yes, your highness,¡± Julia bowed, confused and afraid by how angry Tobias was. ¡°Gather thedies,¡± she ordered the maids in the room.


    Sophia¡¯s palms started to sweat. She was standing with her friends when she threw the stone but separated from them afterward. She didn¡¯t trust that if pressured by the king they wouldn¡¯t admit it was her. Sophia knew these women for a couple of years and hung out with them frequently but at this moment they would not lie for her. If the shoe was on the other foot, she would expose them right away to avoid being punished by the king.


    Eleanor found Sophia to be stupid for prolonging admitting it was her. It was possible that any of the other women could have been the culprit but judging by how Sophia was the only one trying to run away and she looked as if she would pass out at any moment, it was her.


    The king was not in a good mood as the wife of his friend was struck so why drag this out?


    All the young women started to enter the room slowly and right away, Eleanor was able to spot the three others. These women not shing in their dresses turn out to be a good thing. There were no dresses alike to say she had seen wrong.


    ¡°Now that you are all here, does anyone want to step forward and tell me who the fuck struck the Duchess, Alessandra Collins with a stone? Show yourself while I am being nice. If you prolong this, I won¡¯t stop the Duke from having your head,¡± said Tobias.

 Chapter 281 - 281 Throwing stones and hiding hands (4)

    281 Throwing stones and hiding hands (4)


    Tobias bit his tongue to refrain from cursing at the women after no one wanted to speak up. ¡°Your catty moments at these events are normally ignored but to attack someone is where a line must be drawn. A Duchess was injured inside the pce. A crime befitting of imprisonment or as the oldws would have it, getting the hand the stone was thrown with cut off. If no one wants toe forward, I will have to interrogate all of you and it will not be pretty.¡±


    The women chattered amongst themselves trying to find the culprit. No one wanted to be on the king¡¯s bad side or spend the day getting interrogated.


    ¡°Eleanor is it?¡± Tobias looked behind him at the woman who led him there. ¡°Identify the women you saw.¡±


    Eleanor stepped in front of Tobias and one by one, she pointed at the women involved in the matter. She remembered them as Sophia¡¯s friends who she once said shared the same brain as Sophia.


    Tobias stared at the four women who found difficulty in breathing. ¡°Which one of you threw the stone?¡±


    ¡°It was Sophia-¡±


    ¡°Liar!¡± Sophia eximed, turning to the woman who was once her friend. ¡°Do all you have nothing better to do than lie on my good name? I did not harm the Duchess.¡±


    Ava, the youngdy who exposed Sophia, shook her head. Now that the king was involved, she could not keep it a secret. Her father would beat her if he was to be informed of this. ¡°Sophia was the one to throw the stone but it was not meant for the Duchess.¡±


    Eleanor felt ufortable when Ava looked at her, pointing out that the stone Alessandra was hit by was meant for her.


    .....


    Sophia stomped her foot down, angered by the lies being spewed. If Alessandra had not stepped forward the rock would have hit Eleanor and they wouldn¡¯t be in the position. The only reason all of them ran was that the stone hit Alessandra instead of Eleanor. The king would not be present had Eleanor been the one hit.


    Sophia only wanted to get back at Eleanor for what was said at the table. Had Emma been present, Sophia would have targeted her instead. It was just a small stone that should not cause that much damage. ¡®The Duchess is overreacting,¡¯ she thought.


    ¡°Is what she said true?¡± Tobias asked the two others who shook their heads as they vouched for Ava¡¯s words.


    He didn¡¯t think highly of the three even though they weren¡¯t the ones to harm Alessandra. They had most likely thought it was funny at the moment and pushed for the stone to be thrown. It wasn¡¯t too long ago that Hazel was walking with Alessandra and could have been the one stuck so it added to his rage. Tobias was only keeping his cool in front of the other women not involved with the stone-throwing and looked afraid.


    ¡°Guards!¡± Tobias yelled to the men outside. ¡°Arrest this woman here,¡± he pointed at Sophia. ¡°And have her chained in the dungeon. No one is allowed to visit her-¡±


    ¡°Your highness,¡± Sophia said, dropping to her knees. She had worked too hard for the status she had now for it to be ruined. Getting thrown into a dungeon would sully her and if she were to get out of this unharmed, she would be made an outcast. Even by her husband. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to aim it at the Duchess. She stepped forward at the wrong time. Please,¡± she touched his leg.


    It took all his strength not to fling the woman off of his foot. ¡°Get off of me,¡± he said the words in a low tone. ¡°Did you honestly think I would go, oh it was not meant for the Duchess, let me set you free. You injured someone. Someone you didn¡¯t intend to hit and instead of checking on that person you ran. An apology would have saved your life. You will learn to live well without your hands.¡±


    Sophia¡¯s eyes widened upon hearing her punishment would be to lose her hand. She could not remember thest day someone was given this punishment. ¡°My king,¡± she cried, gripping him tighter. ¡°I will apologize to the Duchess. Please! I-I cannot live without my hands.¡±


    ¡®It is better than not living,¡¯ Tobias thought as he tried to wiggle her off his foot. Though the punishment was harsh it was not the worst she would face. He would stop Edgar from killing her but Edgar had plenty of ways to make someone kill themselves.


    ¡°Fucking dammit,¡¯ he cursed, having no choice but to roughly yank her off of him but the woman keep bawling and crawled back to his feet.


    The guards Tobias called upon rushed to separate Sophia from the king. They grabbed her arms, dragging her away from being close to the king and to the dungeon that awaited her.


    Sophia thrashed and turned in their hold, trying her best to escape. ¡°I¡¯ll apologize,¡± she cried. ¡°Let me speak to the Duchess! Bring my husband!¡± These were thest words heard from Sophia as she was taken out of the room.


    Eleanor almost felt bad at the state of Sophia crying her eyes out. Almost. The woman deserved it for harming the Duchess who had done nothing wrong and worst of all, trying to throw a stone at her in the first ce. If Eleanor¡¯s father were to hear of this he would not let the matter go easily.


    ¡°The three of you are banned from the pce for the rest of the year,¡± Tobias said to the three remaining women. The pce was already full of people who stood by, watching bad things happen, and would do nothing. It didn¡¯t need these three being added to the list. ¡°Your families will be informed of what happened today. Leave the pce at once.¡±


    Tobias proceeded to walk out of the room not wanting to hear any more crying. Someone had to be strict with these women as their hatred for one another was turning deadly. Had it been Hazel who was struck he would have all four of the women hang. He was being lenient with the three as Edgar would take care of them. He wasn¡¯t going to do anything further to steal Edgar¡¯s revenge on those who were involved in his wife being hurt.


    ¡®I don¡¯t want to be around when Edgar returns,¡¯ Tobias thought as he left the room.


    Meanwhile, Eleanor enjoyed the fear and panic in the women¡¯s eyes. Not just the three but everyone else. The realization of how much they could lose if they harmed the Duchess was settling in. This was not the usual women going at each other like normal. Now there was a husband involved who would not hesitate to ruin their life for his wife and Alessandra had a good rtionship with royalty.


    Eleanor enjoyed how the bnce in the social world was going to shift soon since Alessandra was proving without even trying that she should not be messed with. Someone who was once bullied was rising above everyone else. Eleanor didn¡¯t like Alessandra being hit by something meant for her but she was d Sophia was dealt with. Sophia had her fair share of bullying women and getting away with it.


    ¡®I owe her,¡¯ Eleanor thought since Alessandra got hurt because of her. If Alessandra were to ever need Eleanor to find out information from the red light district, have her back in future gatherings, or whatever she needed, Eleanor would not hesitate to help her. From this day on, she was loyal to the Duchess.

 Chapter 282 - 282 Clue (1)

    282 Clue (1)


    ¡°Since Simon invited you along to this party, he must really like you. We don¡¯t really let outsiders into our home but Simon vouched for you. Do we need to start picking out outfits for a wedding?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too much. I have not even thought about a wedding yet. I am enjoying getting to know Simon,¡± Kate replied to the host of the party. She wanted to say she already had her wedding dress picked out but was trying toe off as if she wasn¡¯t crazy about marriage.


    If for some reason Simon was foolish enough to not marry her, Kate would y it off like she was never interested from the very beginning. However, there was a high chance she would wed Simon. It was normal that after a few times attending parties together, a ring would soon follow.


    ¡°Still, you wouldn¡¯t mind settling down with him right? If you do marry Simon, your family will be hitting a gold mine. First, your sister marries Edgar Collins now you are with Simon,¡± said Veronica Ray, the host of the party. ¡°What is Edgar Collins like? I never had the chance to speak with him to know what he is really like.¡±


    Kate forced a smile, annoyed with Edgar and Alessandra bing the topic of conversation once again. Whenever anyone stopped talking about her and Simon they would bring up Alessandra or Edgar, wanting to find out more about the couple. ¡°He is just like you heard,¡± she replied.


    ¡°It must be odd having him as a brother-inw. What is your rtionship like with him?¡± Victoria asked. She would love to get closer to the Duke through Kate. Her husband had good investment ideas and wanted someone as wealthy as Edgar to be in on the n.


    ¡°I am still getting to know him. He doesn¡¯t warm up to everyone easily and he has been spending time with my sister,¡± said Kate.


    ¡°Are the rumors that he killed your father true?¡± Victoria asked.


    ¡°Yes. Which makes talking about him and trying to get to know him hard. I am being cordial for the sake of my sister. I cannot forgive Edgar for killing my father but I am trying for Alessandra. She did not get toe to the funeral since she was out of town,¡± Kate said, pretending to be sad for Alessandra.


    .....


    ¡°Oh, dear. You shouldn¡¯t be in the middle of all of this. I hope the Duchess will have a conversation with you and your husband so-¡±


    A loud thud interrupted the conversation.


    Victoria sighed, already knowing what it was. ¡°Kyle! I swear if you damaged anything you will pay for the repairs. Excuse me, Kate. Why do you have to body m people everywhere you go?¡±


    ¡®She¡¯s too nosy,¡¯ Kate thought. The only things she liked about Victoria were her home, dress, and the fact she was kissing up to her since would most likely be Simon¡¯s wife.


    Kate left the spot by the window, moving in case Victoria would want to speak with her again. Kate wasn¡¯t in the mood to continue talking about Alessandra or Edgar. She missed the days when people wouldn¡¯t talk about Alessandra or if they did, they would talk about her mask.


    ¡®I¡¯mpeting with her again,¡¯ Kate thought, quickly bing angry with herself for admitting to being inpetition with Alessandra in the past. ¡®I was always the pretty one. The one everyone should talk about but now all they want to talk about is Alessandra all because Edgar married her.¡¯


    Kate didn¡¯t like being second to anyone and worst of all Alessandra. She regretted not ruining both sides of Alessandra¡¯s face to make it so disgusting that Edgar would not have ever looked at her. A little bit more and she would have set Alessandra on fire. ¡®If only her filthy mother would have run away with Alessandra,¡¯ she thought.


    ¡°Kyle! Put Simon down!¡±


    Kate started to pay attention to the boring party now that Simon¡¯s name was called. She looked right in time to see the man Kyle tackling Simon like a wild animal. Kate saw red from the action. She would not marry Simon if he were to have a permanent injury. Then again, no one else would want to marry him and his wealth would be in her hands. And attention would be on her for taking care of him.


    Kate rushed to where Simon was on the floorughing at what Kyle did. ¡°Are you alright, Simon? That looked like it hurt,¡± she said. From the way he was sitting on the floor, she could see a red mark on his chest. ¡°There is a mark there,¡± she reached out to touch it but Simon grabbed her hand.


    ¡°People will talk if you touch me there. I don¡¯t want to ruin your reputation. I am alright but thank you for being concerned. Kyle has a habit of trying to prove how he can knock someone off their feet. You didn¡¯t win Kyle. You surprised me with your attack,¡± Simon said as he stood up.


    ¡°Just because it is amon thing he does shouldn¡¯t overlook the fact you could have broken something. I thought this was a party where only people with ss were invited but it seems like I was wrong. Who-¡±


    ¡°Kate!¡± Simon eximed to stop her before she could go off on a tangent insulting Kyle. ¡°I am used to Kyle so it does not bother me. Yourments were not needed. You should apologize to him. You don¡¯t need to be rude to defend someone.¡±


    Kate felt the need to roll her eyes. This Kyle person was acting like a wild animal but yet she needed to apologize? Was Simon crazy? The man was too nice for her liking. Kate bit her lip before smiling to please Simon. ¡°I am sorry Kyle. I was just concerned for Simon and my anger got the best of me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Kyle replied, not hurt by Kate¡¯sments. He¡¯d been chewed up by Victoria for most of the party and Kate¡¯s words weren¡¯t that bad. ¡°I¡¯m kind of jealous of Simon. You got this sweet little thing to turn into an attack dog for you. Makes me want to steal her away from you,¡± Kyle said, giving Kate a look over.


    ¡®As If I would ever want you,¡¯ Kate thought. Just from Kyle¡¯s clothes and his behavior, she could tell he was a nobody. Just the delinquent son from a family with an average amount of money who didn¡¯t know how to act in public. She had seen better-looking farmers than him too.


    Simon couldn¡¯t disagree with Kyle that he was lucky to have Kate. He didn¡¯t enjoy the way Kyle was staring at Kate when Kate was here as his date. ¡°Kyle, you should avert your eyes before you find yourself on the floor. It¡¯s gettingte, Kate. It¡¯s time I take you home before your mother gets worried.¡±


    Kate¡¯s eyes lit up as the awaited moment was here. Now was the time for her to work her magic and go home with Simon. It seemed like Kyle was useful for something after all. Kate briefly nced at Kyle as Simon took hold of her hand. She froze for a moment, terrified by the look in Kyle¡¯s eyes that quickly disappeared when he realized she was scared.


    Kate was more than happy to be leaving with Simon right now. In the future, she would convince Simon to stay far away from Kyle who was nothing but trouble, and Victoria who was a terrible host.


    ¡°Are you alright Kate?¡± Simon asked as he noticed how shaken up she appeared to be.


    ¡°What?¡± Kate asked, looking up at Simon. The fear inside of her disappearing not that she was looking at Simon. ¡°I am fine,¡± she replied.

 Chapter 283 - 283 Clue (2)

    283 Clue (2)


    ¡°Kate, I hope I didn¡¯t make you wait too long,¡± Simon said as he joined her out front of the home just as his carriage arrived.


    ¡°Not at all. I hope Victoria was too upset about us leaving so soon.¡±


    After they had made it outside, Simon remembered they had left without telling Victoria or her husband goodbye so he left for a moment to do so.


    ¡°No. She understood why we would want to leave right now and she¡¯s trying to get the party in order. No more people being mmed to the ground,¡± Simon replied.


    ¡°That was an exciting ending to that party. I hope you did ept my apology back there. I just get so protective of the people I care about,¡± said Kate, wanting him to quickly forget about that side of her. She worked too hard to get this close to him for her image to be ruined.


    ¡°No, I overreacted. You did nothing wrong by defending me so I shouldn¡¯t have made you apologize. I just do not like to see women snapping at each other or other people and it didn¡¯t seem like the moment called for it then. I should have spoken about it in private.. I am the one who needs to apologize. I¡¯m sorry,¡± Simon apologized.


    Kate was d he realized his mistake in making her say sorry to that troublesome man. She would let the moment go for now and epted his apology.


    Simon¡¯s coachman opened the door for them both. With Simon¡¯s help, Kate stepped into the carriage followed by Simon.


    She was ecstatic when he sent her carriage back home so they could ride together in his. It set up the perfect way for her to visit his home and then she would find a way to stay there the rest of the day. Her mother would be proud of how things were going.


    .....


    ¡°So Simon, is your home as lovely as Victoria¡¯s or better? I never had the pleasure of visiting. What is it like?¡± Kate asked, setting down her trap.


    ¡°It is beautiful but I have to say Victoria¡¯s is the winner. I am not good at picking out the best furniture or paint toplement the house. It is still a work in progress even though it has been a while since I moved in there. I need someone with a sense of style to decorate it for me,¡± Simon replied, ashamed of how unfinished the home was. ¡°I have yet to host a party because it is not all there.¡±


    Kate perked up in her seat. ¡°You are in luck. I have excellent taste when ites to styling homes. My friends are always jealous each time I redecorate my bedroom. I only need to see your home and know what your budget is to turn your home around. You are clearly busy since you have not gotten time to do it so allow me.¡±


    Simon appreciated the offer but knew her mother wouldn¡¯t want her daughter to be wasting her time decorating his home. ¡°That is a kind offer but I cannot ask someone with your status to decorate my home. Plus, your mother would not like it.¡±


    ¡®She would allow me to decorate my future home,¡¯ Kate thought.


    ¡°My mother would be delighted to hear that I am spending time doing something other than meeting with my friends. Please, Simon. I need something to distract me from thinking about myte father. It is part of why I was unable to fully enjoy myself tonight,¡± Kate said, taking advantage of her loss to gain sympathy.


    Simon sighed, giving up for now. He hoped her mother would be able to talk some sense into Kate. ¡°Alright,¡± he answered to please her right now.


    ¡°Wonderful!¡± Kate pped her hands. ¡°We should head there now so that I can see what I am working with. It will only take a moment.¡±


    This Simon wasn¡¯t on board for. ¡°Kate, you know what this town thinks. If I take you to my home without you having a chaperone, nasty rumors will spread about our rtionship. Another day will work.¡±


    Kate¡¯s excitement quickly faded away. ¡°But,¡± she paused, not knowing how to fight against this. She didn¡¯t want him to think about such things now. Why couldn¡¯t he be like other men who would jump at the chance to be alone with her?


    ¡°I do not want to ruin you, Kate. I care about you too much to sully your good name. I will arrange a day for you and your mother to pay me a visit. Does that please you?¡± Simon asked.


    Kate wasn¡¯t happy about not going to his home today but an invitation for her and her mother to visit his home was still good. It would have the town focusing on them, awaiting to hear news of a wedding. All the attention would be back on her just as it should be. ¡°It does. Thank you for caring about my reputation, Simon. We have grown so close quickly that I forget there must be a line between us to not cause foul rumors.¡±


    Simonpped one leg over the other as he stared at Kate. Kyle had brought out the jealousy in him and made him realize he needed to get serious with Kate if he wanted to keep her by his side. He wouldn¡¯t be the only one to see how perfect she was. It was surprising she was not already taken but that did not matter now.


    ¡°We would have to get rid of that line if we are to be closer without any judgment,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Yes. We,¡± Kate paused for a moment to think about Simon¡¯s words. She thought she was reading too far into it but his smile confirmed she was right. He was starting to think about marriage. ¡°I hope that we can get rid of it one day,¡± she said.


    Kate dug her nails into her hands to hold back her excitement.


    Simon looked down at her hands noticing how much she was wounding them. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t do that with so much force Kate. You will harm yourself.¡±


    Kate quickly released her hands, ashamed she had been caught in her habit she could never stop. Whenever she was excited or angry, she would always dig her nails into her hands. She tried to stop it many times but failed.


    Kate and Simon continued to chat with each other about random things until the carriage entered the gates of thete Baron. Kate was upset their time together hade to an end but she had much to prepare for. An engagement was right around the corner and when it finally happened, she wanted to look her best.


    Kate exited the carriage after the coachman opened the door. ¡°You do not need to walk me to my door, Simon. My mother will invite you in for a long boring conversation if you do. I enjoyed our time together and I hope to see you soon. Goodbye,¡± she waved to him as she walked back to her home, keeping an eye on him for as long as she could.


    Simon smiled, waving goodbye to Kate even after the carriage door was closed. Once she finally turned around, his smile disappeared. Simon sighed as he sat back in his seat. As entertaining as it was to watch her obey his everymand, it was frustrating to keep smiling like a fool.


    ¡°That fucking idiot,¡± Simon cursed Kyle. ¡°I should have punched him for tackling me.¡±


    If not for his persona of letting things go there would have been a different oue tonight. There were only so many times he would let Kyle¡¯s foolishness go. Then there was the fact Kyle was eyeing what belonged to him.


    Kate was nothing but perfection. Each time hemanded her, Kate would force a smile and do as he wanted because she sought after his affection. She was not like the other girls who couldn¡¯t keep up their innocent facade. Kate was so perfect that he had to change the game.


    ¡°I want her on disy,¡± he deviously thought. Kate was just the person that he was looking for. Nothing like the other girls who eventually bore him with their cries and not knowing how to continue the game. ¡°I only need to fill her head with sweet words and she will continue to act innocent. Makes me want to put her to the test,¡± he muttered.


    Kate¡¯s perfection could be too good to be true. He wanted to push a bit harder to see if she would let her mask slip and show her true personality or continue to put on a show for him. If she did, he would marry her. He needed a good puppet to keep the suspicion off of him.


    Simon chuckled as the carriage began to leave. It was funny how the great Edgar Collins was not able to find that it was him yet. ¡°The game was getting boring until Kate arrived. Should I start leaving some clues to put him on the right track or toy with him?¡± He wondered.


    He sent out the new girl to get the game started. If only the annoying little thing had not wed at his chest, his anger would not have gotten the best of him and her parents wouldn¡¯t be crying at the sight of her destroyed face.


    Simon looked out the window at the maids walking the streets toplete their tasks. ¡°They make this too easy,¡± he grinned.

 Chapter 284 - 289 Chs

    284 Clue (3)


    ¡°It is not surprising that out of all towns, Lockwood would have a psycho going around kidnapping and killing young women with no clear reason behind his attacks. I¡¯m sad for the families but happy my new home is just outside of town,¡± said Dominic.


    There was always something going on in Lockwood and he was genuinely surprised Edgar had not moved yet. Edgar could always move to a nearby town and visit Lockwood when he needed to help Tobias. Dominic wouldn¡¯t be shocked if Edgar would one day pack up most of his things and send his wife out of town to keep her away from the dangers here.


    Edgar looked around at the busy street as they walked to their destination. The snow had done nothing to slow down how busy Lockwood could get around this time of the year. People wore their thick coats to handle the snow and carried on with their activities.


    News of the dead body wouldn¡¯tpletely spread until night so people were rxed now. Even with his warnings and warnings from the town guards to remain vignt, most of them were carefree.


    Edgar entered the home sh shop of one of the town doctors used by the guards to inspect dead bodies. ¡°Mr. Looney?¡± He called for the man.


    ¡°Looney?¡± Dominic snorted, covering his mouth to hide hisughter. He would hate to be given such ast name.


    ¡°It is a horrible name,¡± a short man with thick spectacles said as he popped up from behind a counter. His body rocked as he walked with a cane. ¡°I was hoping to be done with this, Edgar. I prepare myself to deal with many things but I cannot stomach what is being done to all of these girls. You just missed the town guards a moment ago. Come with me.¡±


    ¡°Guards came knocking on my door a couple of hours ago acting all secretive before bringing something in. Once I noticed them trying to hide what they were bringing to me, I knew it had to be another victim. There hasn¡¯t been anything as cruel as this one for a while,¡± said John Looney. It was gut-wrenching when one family came as fast as they could right after they were informed of a body.


    John removed a cloth he had ced over the young woman to hide what was done to her. ¡°There are the usual chain marks around the feet and hands. Burn marks on the fingers and thigh. Just like all the youngdies, a couple of her nails were pulled out. What I found interesting was this,¡± John said, carefully taking the girl¡¯s hand to show her nails. ¡°I thought it was dirt at first but with a closer look it is dry blood and skin.¡±


    .....


    ¡°She fought back,¡± said Dominic.


    ¡°Whoever this bastard is was scratched at some point. There is no telling where she wed at this person but there is a mark somewhere. It would be helpful if she wed at the face, the neck, hands, or any other ce that is exposed.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s our first clue to identifying this person but we have one issue. It is winter,¡± Edgar stated. Everyone now had a valid reason to be covered from head to toe because of the snow. This person was doing well with hiding their tracks from the very beginning so Edgar doubted that if the scratch marks were somewhere exposed this person would walk around not covered up.


    ¡°Still, a clue is better than nothing,¡± Edgar said to offer the doctor some peace. ¡°What happened to her face?¡± He asked.


    Her face reminded Edgar of when he would go around squashing pumpkins as a child.


    ¡°Based on the damage and how easily her skull cracked open, I would say something with metal was used to beat her. If only the blood under her fingernails could be more useful. My sister left town with her daughter to get away from all of this. You never know who is next. I heard from one of the guards that a young boy witnessed a man cing the body where it was found. He was hidden in an ice fortress he made with friends,¡± said John.


    ¡°Must have been a terrifying experience for that little boy to remain silent. Do you want to go see the description they got from the boy?¡± Dominic asked Edgar. If the boy was able to see the face, an artist could be used to create a portrait of this person to be put up around town.


    ¡°No,¡± Edgar shook his head. ¡°Too many people in one day will only make him nervous and his retelling of what happened will change because of his nerves. Whatever the guards find out will be sent to my home right after. We should head back to the pce while information is being gathered.¡±


    Edgar began to walk out of the room but stopped when he noticed a flower sitting in a ss jar with water. He walked to the counter where the jar was and squashed the flower petals in the palm of his hands.


    ¡°Edgar!¡± John eximed, shocked by Edgar¡¯s actions. ¡°I was taking care-¡±


    ¡°What for?¡± Edgar interjected before he could be given some bullshit story. Edgar hated seeing all the flowers found on the victim¡¯s body and he would bet his fortune that the victim would hate the sight of it too so why take care of the flower? ¡°That flower is nothing but a cruel reminder of a life lost. There is no reason to take care of it. Do not treat it like it is something special. If you find anything else, send a letter to my home.¡±


    Edgar left the room before John could give him some ridiculous story about the girl¡¯s life and the flower being connected once again. John should have learned from the time he tried handing the flower to the family of the deceased and it was thrown to the ground that no one wanted the flower to keep and be reminded of why it was here.


    ¡°He means well,¡± Dominic said to John then followed after Edgar. Dominic agreed with Edgar on not keeping the flower around. If he were to lose a loved one and someone presented him with an item left by the killer, he would most likely find a fire and toss it in.


    On another note, Dominic hated the chrysanthemum because he ced it every year on the grave of histe grandfather and it would bring back the sadness of watching someone he loved be weaker until they eventually passed away.


    ¡°This person will get cocky and slip up. They always do and now you will have a description to go by thanks to the boy. It feels like the beginning of unmasking this person and punishing them,¡± Dominic said, not to please Edgar but as this was what he truly felt. One clue was all they needed to start finding more.


    ¡°Hopefully,¡± Edgar replied unsure of where they would go from here but at least they were in a better ce than before when it came to clues.


    The scratch and the boy seeing someone ce the body were good news. This person they were looking for had messed up twice in this new start. ¡°I am heading back to the castle. We need to have more guards out on the roads at all times. The people here aren¡¯t smart enough to be more aware of their surroundings therefore we need more guards doing it for them.¡±


    ¡°News of the boy seeing someone should make Tobias happy. Seeing that body put me in a bad space. By the way, I have chosen to stay with you while I am here,¡± Dominic said, shuffling away from Edgar when the man looked at him.


    ¡°Why is it that everyone around me seems to be thinking my homes are some sort of free shelter? Go rent somewhere to stay.¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡± Dominic ced his hand on his chest feigning hurt. ¡°I thought you liked me. Good thing the house no longer belongs to only you. I¡¯m sure the Duchess would love me staying in your home.¡±


    Edgar gritted his teeth as Alessandra would certainly allow Dominic to stay in their home. What once was a quiet ce started to have a lot of visitors. ¡®I hope she has stayed out of trouble,¡¯ he thought.

 Chapter 285 - 285 Surprisingly calm (1)

    285 Surprisingly calm (1)


    ¡°There is no need to stare at my forehead, Hazel. The bleeding has stopped and there isn¡¯t any pain at the moment. I am fine,¡± Alessandra said for what felt like the tenth time. ¡°I don¡¯t need any more apologies from you too, Eleanor. It was not your fault that I was hit. Throwing a stone at a group of people is a bad idea from the beginning.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but it doesn¡¯t make me feel any better. I can handle getting retaliated against for my words but not when someone else is hurt in my ce. Losing her hands isn¡¯t enough. Just leave me alone in her cell for one minute and then I can rx,¡± Eleanor said as she held up her fist.


    She was an expert in throwing punches because the boys where she grew up were annoying little shits who kept pulling her hair. The first punch had been a mistake but once she saw the boy in pain, Eleanor couldn¡¯t help swinging at the others.


    Her actions backfired in her mother¡¯s eyes when those same boys grew up and didn¡¯t court her. Adding fuel to her not being called ady because of her father¡¯s business and then her throwing punches like a boy. It all worked out for Eleanor since she didn¡¯t want to be with those boys. She wanted to be alone, reading and writing books while listening to the drama in town.


    Hazel ced her hand on her temple and sighed as she sat back in her chair. ¡°You are alright but it is your husband I am worried about. Sophia¡¯s husband is currently destroying my husband¡¯s ears to release her,¡± she informed the group.


    ¡°Release her? She injured Alessandra while trying to hit someone else,¡± Eleanor argued.


    ¡°What would it take for there to be a normal gathering withdies who don¡¯t seek to rip each other¡¯s throats?¡± Hazel asked, tired of the recurring drama. She had enough of the one in the pce.


    ¡®Everyone would need to stay at home,¡¯ Heather thought.


    Alessandra was starting to have enough of being around other young women and only wanted to attend parties if Edgar was meant to go. She was starting to second guess the party that she was nning to be social with other women.


    .....


    From an entire group of women, she only became fond of Eleanor so far and though they started off rocky, Heather wasn¡¯t a bad person. Did she need any more friends than this? Being social with many women because of her title wasn¡¯t as good as she thought. She already had strong allies with the handful of women around her.


    Alessandra enjoyed the time spent with the women in the room and a few others. ¡°I am nning a party. Most likely the first one ever in Edgar¡¯s home for just young women but before that, would you three like to pay a visit? Just us with Linda, Erin my dressmaker, and my maid. No one who would stir up trouble.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m all for it. It would be even better if I could spend the night. I am in need of a bit of time outside the pce. What I wouldn¡¯t give to still be living with my parents. How about we kick out Edgar and have a little girls¡¯ night? I haven¡¯t had one since I was nine,¡± said Hazel, excited to have some fun. They could talk about each other¡¯s husbands or crushes and forget about all their responsibilities as women.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t been to any. I am all for it,¡± Eleanor raised her right hand. She wanted to experience a fun time with women her age.


    ¡°Excellent,¡± Hazel pped her hands. ¡°Heather?¡±


    ¡°Uhm, sure,¡± Heather replied. Her mother would have a fit for suddenly being around Alessandra but Heather wanted to have some fun and see what the women in the room were really like.


    Alessandra liked the idea of a sleepover but then there was her grumpy husband. ¡°Would Edgar honestly leave the house for it to be just girls? And with another body found I doubt he would want to be too far away.¡±


    ¡°Well, he can stay. Edgar¡¯s home isrge enough that he can stay on one side of it. We¡¯ll forget that he is even home. Besides, no one in their right mind would attack Edgar Collins home even if he wasn¡¯t present. Do you know how many times I had to listen to the men in courtin about the small army Edgar has?¡± Hazel asked, rolling her eyes as the annoyingints started to rey in her head.


    Alessandra heard of Edgar having a lot of men at hand but she didn¡¯t see them. The men walking around outside the house and guarding the gates could not be what the court was referring to. ¡°I haven¡¯t had a proper tour of all hisnd,¡¯ she thought. There was still so much more to Edgar she needed to learn.


    Alessandra hadn¡¯t explored all of his estate because it would be too tiring and she had not visited all thend he owns. Since Edgar¡¯s home was located at the beginning of hisnd, she didn¡¯t stray away from the house. As soon as winter was over, she would see more of hisnd. It would solve the question of where this army was.


    ¡°Linda will be returning to town in a day so she will be able to attend. The only problem now is not getting her brothers or father to stake out Edgar¡¯s home. It was cute at first to see her family so protective but at this age, I would snap. There are different reasons why each of us needs to have some time to rx,¡± Hazel said, as they all had some sort of issue in their lives.


    She had to deal with the pressure of conceiving a child and now her best friend was being pushed to sleep with her husband. Alessandra was still trying to find her ce amongst her peers after years of foolish rumors and her family sheltering her. Heather had to deal with bullying, Eleanor wasn¡¯t on good terms with many women and Linda would be freaking out when she learns of her grandfather¡¯s ns.


    There was a knock on the door and then a woman entered Tobias¡¯s room with a tray. ¡°Your highness, I have brought more tea for you and your guest,¡± said Julia, Hazel¡¯s personal maid.


    ¡°Thank you. How is the gathering going? Are the remainingdies behaving? I will rejoin them in a moment,¡± Hazel said as she needed a few minutes of peace before joining the chaotic group.


    Julia walked around the group, cing the already poured-out tea in tea cups before eachdy. ¡°They were shaken up about Sophia getting dragged out but they have resumed what they were doing. Shall I tell them you will be arriving shortly?¡±


    ¡°Yes. In about five minutes let everyone gather in the room. We will finish up there and share out the gifts that were put together. Thank you as always,¡± Hazel smiled. She was grateful to have someone aspetent as Julia by her side. Always on top of what needed to be done and kept her up to date with what was happening in the pce.


    ¡°The pce seems to get the best of everything. I have nevere across such a good mix of tea when I am in the market. I¡¯m jealous,¡± Eleanor muttered as she picked up her cup and drank the tea. On cold winter days, there was nothing like drinking tea and sitting before a fire with a good book. She drank her tea in one sip.


    ¡°I can get the supplier¡¯s name for you. You can have mine,¡± Hazel pushed her cup to Eleanor since Eleanor had quickly drunk her own. ¡°I am not in the mood for any more tea. As soon as you are finished with the tea we will head back. The host has been away far too long.¡±


    Eleanor happily took the cup of tea from Hazel. There were so many women who would love for the queen to give them her tea. She would take pleasure in rubbing this in their faces.


    Eleanor brought the tea to her lips, excited to have more but stopped when she smelled something differentpared to the tea she had a second ago. There seemed to be two scents mixing together. The new scent was faint but Eleanor picked up on it because it was familiar. She scrunched up her nose for some reason. ¡®Why do I know this?¡¯ She wondered.


    It was right on the tip of her tongue but she couldn¡¯t ce why she got this reaction from it. Had the scent been more pungent she would have had a better chance of picking it out. She figured the queen had a special mix of tea given to her solely so Eleanor didn¡¯t overthink the scent and drank the tea.

 Chapter 286 - 286 Surprisingly calm (2)

    286 Surprisingly calm (2)


    To Alessandra¡¯s surprise, her time in the pce ended on a positive note. When they joined the other youngdies again, there wasn¡¯t as much drama as in the start. There were still some insults said here and there, mocking someone¡¯s dress or their wealth, but it was not enough to ruin the moment. Several young women hade up to Alessandra to introduce themselves. Some were lovely and some reminded her of Kate but it was a good ending to the day.


    Heather left the pce right before the gathering had officially ended so it was only Alessandra, Eleanor, and Hazel remaining from the little group they formed. Hazel walked with Alessandra and Eleanor to see them out. Partially to say goodbye but she wanted to be present to calm Edgar when he returned.


    Emma, being one of thest girls to leave the pce, walked up to Alessandra and said, ¡°Duchess, I know the Duke said he would pick you up but there is hardly any need for him to travel back. I can give you a ride.¡±


    ¡°Thank you but I will wait for my husband. He is most likely on his way here and our home might be out of your way. It was nice seeing you today,¡± Alessandra replied. She would be a fool to ignore what Edgar said and join Emma. The only person she trusted to protect her was Edgar and those around him like Caleb.


    Emma pouted, disappointed by Alessandra turning her down once again but this wasn¡¯t the end. She would build a friendship with Alessandra one way or the other. ¡°Okay. I hope to see you soon. Your Highness,¡± Emma curtsied before Hazel then walked down the steps to her carriage.


    ¡°If she keeps pushing, she will quickly learn why not to try forcing Edgar to be friends with anyone,¡± Hazel said as she was tired of what Emma was doing though it did not concern her. You didn¡¯t have to be around Edgar long enough to know he would hate this.


    ¡°Edgar would be open to having a friendship with Oliver again but it is nothing anyone else can intervene or push to happen. I feel sorry for her because she thinks this will help her get closer to her future husband. I hope she finds another way,¡± Alessandra said.


    It might be wrong to think this way but she hoped the marriage between Emma and Oliver would somehow be stopped. Emma might never find out about Oliver¡¯s affairs and go on to expect his love while she tries to make a family with him. Then Oliver would be sneaking around with the man Alessandra saw him with at the ball.


    ¡°Bryce,¡± Alessandra identally said the name of the man Oliver was with at the ball.


    .....


    Eleanor looked at Alessandra wondering if she was going to ask about her friend but nothing else was said. ¡®Seems like she is thinking deeply about something,¡¯ she thought.


    ¡°Why did my carriage have to arrive now?¡± Eleanor asked, sad she wouldn¡¯t be able to see the Duke lose his mind over the small bruise on Alessandra¡¯s head. She wanted to witness him marching into the cell Sophia was now calling home and punishing her. ¡°It was nice meeting you, Alessandra. It has been a great pleasure spending time with you, your highness. My aunt will lose her mind if I do not return home shortly.¡±


    Eleanor¡¯s aunt had stepped in to shelter her because she greatly disliked the environment Eleanor was raised in and sought to make her a finedy.


    ¡°Goodbye Eleanor,¡± Alessandra waved goodbye.


    ¡°Everyone is on edge waiting for Edgar to return,¡± said Hazel.


    ¡°On edge would not be the right word,¡± Tobias said as he approached the two women. ¡°More like scared of his reaction. We must all do our best to calm him down. Speak of the devil,¡± Tobias sighed.


    The trio watched as Edgar¡¯s carriage entered the gates and came to park right at the bottom of the steps after Eleanor¡¯s carriage moved.


    Alessandra¡¯s palms started to sweat as she tried to remember how she nned to exin this to him. Sophia was already set to be punished so there was nothing Edgar needed to do. She was satisfied with Sophia¡¯s punishment and hoped Edgar would be too.


    After everything Alessandra had experienced in her life, she never felt more nervous than now watching Edgar exit the carriage after Dominic and start to walk her way. Each step he took increased her nerves.


    Dominic looked at the trio waiting for them at the top of the steps. Their expressions were a mixture of fear and nervousness. The fact Tobias looked afraid of something made him curious about what could have happened.


    Edgar also picked up that something was wrong based on their expression. He ignored Hazel and Tobias for now, focusing on his wife. His eyes narrowed as he quickly noticed something that was not there when he left her. Edgar remained silent until he stood before Alessandra.


    Tobias and Hazel held their breath without realizing it as they awaited his anger. Dominic stood beside the two, watching to see what he was missing. What did Edgar notice that he hadn¡¯t?


    Edgar gently moved Alessandra¡¯s hair out of the way to get a good look at the bruise on her head. ¡°What happened?¡± He asked in a calm tone. ¡°Be quick with it,¡± his voice came out harsher than he would have liked when speaking to Alessandra.


    ¡°I was hit with a stone,¡± Alessandra replied. Not being honest would only fuel his rage.


    ¡°Oh snap,¡± Dominic muttered as he realized the situation.


    ¡°By who?¡± Edgar asked, trying to be gentle with his tone. He did not want to direct his anger at Alessandra and scare her.


    ¡°Sophia West. Tobias has already imprisoned her and she will be punished by losing her hands. There is no need for you to-¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Edgar replied, surprising the group.


    ¡°What?¡± Tobias eximed in a high-pitched voice that shocked him and Dominic. Why was Edgar¡¯s response ¡®okay¡¯? What happened to Edgar who would search the castle for this woman and punish her himself? Who was the man standing before him?


    Alessandra was just as confused as Tobias was with Edgar¡¯s reaction. She wanted him to let the matter go but now that he was, she didn¡¯t know how to process it. ¡°Okay? That is your only response?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Is there something else you want me to say?¡±


    ¡°I,¡± Alessandra paused as she did not know what she wanted him to say. She found herself wanting him to get angry and deal with who hurt her but at the same time, the matter was already dealt with. She felt conflicted. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Edgar held Alessandra¡¯s hand to lead her down the steps to their carriage. He did not offer any goodbyes to the others. He only smiled at Tobias before leaving with Alessandra.


    ¡°On second thought, I will spend the night here and visit your home in the morning,¡± Dominic said to Edgar as he walked away. He did not want to be around Edgar at a time like this. ¡°I would hate to be you, Tobias.¡±


    ¡°Why? It went well,¡± said Hazel. Edgar was learning to control his temper around his wife.


    ¡°Well?¡± Dominic replied, shaking his head. ¡°Edgar is freaking pissed. He¡¯s scarier when he doesn¡¯t show how angry he is.¡±


    ¡°Why the hell would you hate to be me? And why did he only smile at me?¡± Tobias asked. His heart rushed from not understanding Edgar¡¯s motives. It was true that when Edgar was pissed off, he would sometimes remain quiet as he plotted his attack.


    ¡°Because this is your pce. Wouldn¡¯t you be angry if you left your wife in his home and she got injured? This will all pass soon but I would hate to be you. Now, what room will I be sleeping in tonight, Tobias?¡± Dominic asked.

 Chapter 287 - 287 Surprisingly calm (3)

    287 Surprisingly calm (3)


    The ride home had been quiet much to Alessandra¡¯s dismay. She tried starting a conversation with Edgar but after receiving short responses she had given up. It was obvious Edgar was angry so why was he acting nonchnt about the matter? Was there something else that urred during his time out of the pce that was weighing his mind more than her bruise?


    ¡®What happened to usmunicating?¡¯ She thought. Alessandra desperately wanted to know what was going on inside his head since he was so calm that she could not read his expression.


    Alessandra walked up the steps of their home, happy to find Alfred waiting for them at the door. ¡°Good evening, Alfred,¡± she greeted him.


    ¡°You are hurt,¡± Alfred said, quickly noticing the wound.


    ¡°I was struck by a stone but the person is being dealt with,¡± she replied.


    Alfred was d Edgar had taken care of the person who dared to hurt the Duchess. ¡°Edgar must have-¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t. The king is the one punishing her, not Edgar. We left the pce the moment we found out about it. I am going to wash up and prepare dinner. Excuse me,¡± Alessandra said, walking away before Edgar reached where Alfred was waiting for them.


    ¡°Edgar, is it true you just came home after finding out Alessandra was hurt? Are you not upset?¡± Alfred asked as it was unlike Edgar. Edgar was always angry when the smallest thing happened to his wife so why was he so calm now when there was a wound on her head?


    ¡°Not upset? I am fucking pissed,¡± Edgar replied with a smile. It took everything in him to not find the woman who had hurt Alessandra and end her with his bare hands but Alessandra would only stop him. That was why he would deal with this woman without Alessandra knowing.


    .....


    On the ride back to their home he was plotting how he should ruin this foolish woman. His anger increased when he remembered this was the same person who brought up sleeping with him to Alessandra. This woman was seeking nothing but trouble from the very beginning.


    ¡°Her fucking face, Alfred. Someone injured it again,¡± Edgar said, clenching his fist to hold back his anger. ¡°I am going to rip the flesh off her face when I see that woman.


    Edgar knew exactly who Sophia West was and her pest of a husband who kept poking at him whenever they were in the same space. He knew where the two resided in the town. Sophia losing her hands was simply not enough. He desired to take everything he cherished from her.


    ¡°Have my carriage ready for me once the house bes quiette in the night. Inform Caleb and his brother to be present by then. This is yourst order as my butler,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°Understood,¡± Alfred replied. He understood now that Edgar was being calm to avoid Alessandra fearing what he would do. She always worried about Edgar being punished for his actions when she never needed to.


    Edgar left Alfred by the door and went upstairs to change into somethingfortable. He had enough of Alessandra around these women who did not know how to act in public. He was aware of how dangerous high society was and only allowed Alessandra to do as she pleased because she wanted to be social and he did not want to cage her up like her father.


    Edgar entered their bedroom, not stunned at the sight of Alessandra sitting on the bed waiting for him.


    ¡°You are nning something behind my back, aren¡¯t you? You said you would never lie to me so tell the truth? What are you nning?¡± Alessandra asked, looking up at Edgar. She wanted nothing but the truth right now.


    ¡°Are you going to stop me if I am?¡± Edgar answered, not replying to her question just yet. He approached the bed but stopped when there was a good enough distance between the two of them.


    Alessandra thought it over. A couple of hours ago she wanted Edgar to let the matter go but now, she wanted him to act as he always did. Getting rid of people who proved to be bothersome. ¡°No,¡± she honestly replied. ¡°But I did long before you arrived.¡±


    ¡°I am not going to let this slide, Alessandra. I am far from calm seeing the other side of your face now bears a mark. We have been diligent with the cream to clear up the other side now this happens. I have been trying my best to shield you from getting hurt. From now on, I don¡¯t care if personal guards are not allowed into a gathering. You are not going anywhere without Caleb and his brother. If I don¡¯t want you going somewhere because I feel it is not safe, I shall not let you step foot outside this house. Even if I have to chain you to the bed.¡±


    Alessandra frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be chained to a bed, Edgar.¡±


    ¡°It sounds harsh but it is quite enticing. Come here,¡± he held out his hand for her toe to him.


    Without questioning what he nned to do, Alessandra went to Edgar. ¡°This was a wrong move when you just mentioned chaining me to the bed,¡± she mumbled against his chest after he pulled her close to embrace her.


    ¡°Do you want to move out of town?¡± Edgar asked out of the blue. ¡°You didn¡¯t face these problems when we were not in Lockwood.¡±


    Alessandra looked up at Edgar, shocked by his decision to move. ¡°Traveling outside of town was fun but I like our home. The stone was not meant for me. I got hit because I stepped forward at the wrong time.¡±


    ¡°It is not just about the stone. It is your family, these youngdies who do not know how to behave, the town believing rumors without proof and now bodies will start showing up. Lockwood is not the ce for you to be.¡±


    ¡°But this has been your home for years. I do not want you to pack up because of me. Your life has problems you would not have to deal with if not for me,¡± Alessandra said, feeling guilty for wrapping him up in her mess.


    ¡°I made the decision to marry you, Alessandra. You are not the one creating the problems. It is fools who do not know when to stop. This is just a house, Alessandra. Home will be wherever we pack up and go. If you no longer want to be in Lockwood, I shall find elsewhere for us to live. Do not think of me aiding Tobias,¡± he said before she could bring it up as an excuse. ¡°Think only of yourself and what you want.¡±


    Alessandra couldn¡¯t deny her time in high society hadn¡¯t been pleasant but she grew fond of the house they were in now and the memories they were making. She could always make new better memories elsewhere but there was something about this home she enjoyed. She started to make great friends here that she did not want to be far away from.


    Going forward she did not want to be around petty women and just spend time with the women she cared for. ¡°I want to stay but if there is ever a time I wish to leave, I will tell you right away,¡± she responded.

 Chapter 288 - 288 Growing family (1)

    288 Growing family (1)


    ¡°Why are you pinching me, Alessandra?¡± Edgar asked as he felt her digging into his skin.


    ¡°You were going to wait until I was asleep and do something, weren¡¯t you? Keeping something from me is just as bad as lying to me. I would rather hear what you n to do than wake up to the news of it. You deserve a good pinch,¡± she said, doing it one more time. It felt good when she got to attack him like this.


    ¡°When are you going to admit you enjoy a bit of pain? Specifically harming me. I do not mind if you want to add it to our time in bed.¡±


    ¡°Edgar, why are you like this?¡± Alessandra asked, stepping out of his hold before anything could happen.


    ¡°Like what? Perfect? I recall I am not the only one who enjoyedst night and you were the one who moaned so lovely whenever I was rough with you. I am simply looking for ways to make you enjoy it more and pain seems to be something you like. There is no need to be shame in front of your husband,¡± said Edgar.


    Alessandra shook her head. She opted not to respond to his words because anything she said right now would be flipped and used against her now or when it was time for bed.


    ¡°Why are you silent?¡± Edgar asked, poking Alessandra with the sole intention to piss her off. He wanted to take her mind off asking him what he nned to do with Sophia and her husband.


    Alessandra swatted his hand away, annoyed with the pokes. ¡°You are like a big child,¡± she said.


    ¡°Far from it. You need to me yourself for being so amusing that I cannot help toying with you,¡± Edgar replied.


    .....


    ¡°You should just keep your hands to yourself-¡±


    ¡°Says the woman who takes every chance she gets to either pinch or harm me some other way. You are lucky that I have fallen for you or I would have punished you. Perhaps I should try other ways to punish you,¡± Edgar said as something they would both like came to mind. ¡°Is there anything else I should know about your time in the pce?¡±


    ¡°No. Oh!¡± Alessandra remembered something. ¡°Emma is trying hard to use you to be closer to Oliver. She seems to think mending your friendship will make Oliver appreciate her or at least acknowledge her. She is trying to get an invitation to our home so that Oliver maye.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Annoying little thing isn¡¯t she? Keep her far away from our doors. I do not have time to deal with Oliver¡¯s one-sided anger,¡± Edgar replied. He started to unbutton his shirt to prepare for a warm bath. It would be even better if his wife would join him.


    ¡°I think she would be really upset if she were to learn you were actually herpetition. You must feel on top of the world to have men and women lusting after you,¡± Alessandra said, knowing it most likely fueled his ego.


    ¡°It is quite annoying,¡± Edgar honestly replied. There were annoying people and then there was Oliver on another level. Women had always been a pain in the ass but Oliver¡¯s delusion that he was responsible for what the man felt was something else. He didn¡¯t need any more men liking him.


    ¡°I will be nning a sleepover for a few girls. No one you would dislike being in your home. You either have to leave the house that night or pick a room far away from us so that we do not see you. Or you can have your own sleepover with Tobias-¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Edgar quickly turned down the idea. ¡°I n to stay out of the pce for a while and you should too. That is all?¡±


    Alessandra nodded. She wanted to ask him about the young woman found but kept quiet since he might not be able to speak with her about it. Alessandra¡¯s thoughts shifted from the pce to Edgar standing shirtless before her. She was morefortable in his presence like this afterst night but she needed to make an escape before¡­


    ¡°Care to join me in the bathroom?¡± Edgar asked after noticing her intense gaze on his exposed chest. If not for being in shape, he had another reason to keep up his training. ¡°A warm bath will do us well after being out in the cold.¡±


    ¡°No thank you. You can use the bathroom first. I will check the kittens to see if they have been fed. This is Alfred¡¯sst day as a butler until hees up with some smart n to get his job back so we should celebrate with him tonight. We should have stopped to buy him a gift on our way home,¡± Alessandra muttered.


    After years of managing Edgar¡¯s home and raising Edgar like his own child, Alfred was finally able to rx. He deserved a mountain of gifts for all his hard work.


    ¡°Edgar, why hasn¡¯t Alfred gotten married or at least dating? Did he have someone in the past?¡± Alessandra asked. With how much Alfred wanted Edgar to settle down, he couldn¡¯t be against marriage so why was he alone?


    ¡°He said he never felt the need to get married. I recall him spending more time than needed with my nanny I had for a little while in my youth but that was all. I don¡¯t know much about his rtionships before working as a butler for my family. Perhaps he also knew rtionships were pointless. Makes him a hypocrite for always trying to convince me to get married. Why? Are you nning to set him up with someone?¡±


    ¡°No. I don¡¯t want to meddle in his love life but I can¡¯t help being curious. Maybe he knew you would be too jealous if there was someone else important in his life. I will ask him at dinner. I am going to check on the kittens so have fun being alone,¡± Alessandra said.


    She started to leave the room but didn¡¯t make it too far when Edgar grabbed her hand.


    ¡°I was being serious about the offer for you to join me. The servants wouldn¡¯t have let those creatures starve,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°I have not been ying with them recently and as tempting as it is to join you, I still need a moment after what happenedst night,¡± Alessandra blushed, looking away to hide her embarrassment.


    There had been a few moments she still felt the tingling sensation of Edgar inside of her. Either because she had not fully healed from her first time or she was lusting after him.


    ¡°You have a dirty mind, Alessandra. I only meant for us to bathe together. I fully intended for you to rest tonight but now I wish to know what you imagine inside that mind of yours. Were you nning to ride me- Ha!¡± Edgar chuckled when Alessandra covered his mouth with her hand and pushed his head back.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t imagining anything. It is you who has the wide imagination.¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± Edgar admitted to it. ¡°I can¡¯t wait for the day you tell me the desires you hid from me. I will be in the bathroom if you change your mind. I promise to be gentle.¡±


    Alessandra bit her lip, feeling tempted to join him but at the same time, she wanted to enjoy leaving him hanging at this moment. She considered it payback for Edgar trying to be sneaky with his revenge on Sophia. ¡°I shall take my bath when you are finished. Goodbye.¡±

 Chapter 289 - 289 Growing family (2)

    289 Growing family (2)


    An hourter, Alessandra sat on the floor in the dining room waiting for dinner to start while she yed 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¡¯spany more when I¡¯m the nice one whoes to y 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 y 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 yed 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 wasfortable enough to do things without his permission. Edgar still scared the hell out of her.


    ¡°nning 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 hernd 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 rtionship 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 ady 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 rtionship with the maids be 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 y 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 toe 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 nning 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.

 Chapter 290 - 290 Growing family (3)

    290 Growing family (3)


    ¡°You truly should have received a proper spanking as a child,¡± Alfred sighed.


    ¡°Would you have liked for my grandmother to end your life? You know she hates it when someone touches her precious grandson,¡± said Edgar. Not even he would be able to save Alfred from his grandmother.


    ¡°Your grandmother isn¡¯t one to hold back from spanking you herself. I would have made aint to her and let her deal with it. Duchess, you should be stern with your children so they do note out like this,¡± Alfred said, pointing at Edgar who smiled.


    ¡°That¡¯s amusing to hear since you have called me perfect many times. Besides, children are meant to be a bit troublesome in their youth. I was simply a normal child. You are always too dramatic, Alfred.¡±


    ¡°Normal children would break a rule or two. Do something they shouldn¡¯t like take a cookie when it is not time for it but you, you made it your job to torture others. You were never normal,¡± said Alfred as he shook his head.


    ¡°And after all of that, you couldn¡¯t help staying away from me. That is how wonderful I am or perhaps you enjoyed being stressed. I am starting to pity you,¡± Edgar said, taking pleasure in Alfred¡¯s annoyed expression.


    ¡°I am curious,¡± Alessandra entered the conversation. ¡°What made you stick by Edgar¡¯s side despite him being so troublesome? I asked him early why you have never started your own family.¡±


    ¡°Well, I can say he was not always doing something bad and there were moments when I enjoyed being around him. I disliked how alone he was when he was left with his mother and then I would overhear the letters he would send to his mother about wanting toe home from that awful school. He needed someone so I made up my mind to be that person. Taking care of him was a handful so I never sought after my own child and there was no woman I met to start one with.¡±


    Alfred remembered making up his mind to be by Edgar¡¯s side when Edgar had been left alone by his mother who set out to visit one of her friends and did not want to take Edgar with her. He remembered Edgar standing alone by the window watching his mother leave. It was the first time he saw how lonely Edgar was with his mother constantly attending parties or sending him off to a school he disliked and his father always in court.


    .....


    There was a point in time when Edgar wished to be close to his parents but neither had the time for him and realized toote how much distance Edgar had ced between them. Edmund only started to be around Edgar more when Edgar started to make a name for himself and was in the pce regrly. Prisci took an interest when it came to Edgar marrying or when Rose would try taking her son.


    ¡°It is toote for me to start a family now and I have not knocked anyone up,¡± Alfred said, looking directly at Edgar as he rified this. What would he look like having a child at this age? Certainly, a woman around his age would not be looking to have children thiste. ¡°I prefer the life I have now and I do regret a second of it.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I always thought you perhaps liked men and kept to yourself as there was no man who caught your eye,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°I am only fond of women,¡± Alfred replied, tempted to smack Edgar on his hand to shut him up. ¡°I should have retired sooner. I¡¯ve sent out a notice that you are looking for a butler and I will conduct the interview with those wanting the job tomorrow after I have returned home,¡± said Alfred.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Edgar inquired. Alfred would always leave home around this time of year and never say where he was going. ¡°Running away now that you are no longer the butler?¡±


    ¡°If only. I am going to visit an old friend who passed away a long time ago. I won¡¯t be gone for long,¡± Alfred answered. ¡°I should consider taking this moment to get far away from you.¡±


    ¡°And I shall hunt you down and drag you back to my side. You¡¯ve made a promise to be here therefore you cannot run away now. In case you haven¡¯t heard, another young woman was found today. Women are the only ones being taken but you should still be careful during your time out. The town must have heard the news by now and will be rowdy. Take a guard with you,¡± Edgar said.


    There was also the fact that his enemies could try harming Alfred if they were to spot him alone.


    ¡°I will be fine. I am still a good fighter at this age. I will return home safe and sound tomorrow. Besides, Sally will be joining me on the way to and back from town.= so I will not be alone. Now, why is it taking so long for the food toe out?¡± Alfred asked, looking in the direction of the kitchen. Had he been taking control of dinner, Alessandra and Edgar would not be sitting this long without food. ¡°Give me a moment-¡±


    ¡°Sit down old man,¡± Edgar pinned Alfred¡¯s left hand to the table to stop him from leaving. ¡°It is you who is in need of a spanking to get old habits out of you. Keep still or I shall send for a stick.¡±


    Alfred sat still, not because of the threat of being beaten with a stick but of Edgar calling him old. ¡°Edgar, never call me old man again or I shall make the Duchess a widow.¡±


    Alessandra bit her lip to refrain fromughing. There were now three ways to make Alfred angry. One, dirty the floors. Two, break his tes. Three, call him old man. She wasn¡¯t surprised to see Edgar¡¯s smile widen upon hearing Alfred¡¯s threat. She watched him open his mouth most likely to say it again but she stopped him by squeezing his hand.


    ¡°If you wished to hold my hand, you only had to ask,¡± Edgar said, flipping their hands so he was holding her.


    Alessandra tried to pull back her hand but Edgar¡¯s grip was too strong for her to fight out of. ¡°I was not trying to hold your hand and you know it. I was trying to stop you from bothering Alfred. Please let go of my hand, Edgar.¡±


    ¡°No thank you. I am quitefortable like this,¡± he replied, sticking out his tongue slightly to piss her off. Seeing her nostrils re and her re at him were both exciting. If not for Alfred and the servants present, he would make up for the opportunity he missed from them not bathing together and have a good time with her here at the table.


    Alessandra sighed, giving up as it was pointless to try fighting Edgar in this matter. She rxed her hand, letting Edgar do as he pleased for now. As soon as the food was served, he would have to let her go.


    A few minutester after the food was ced before them, Alessandra frowned due to the fact Edgar had not released her hand.


    Alfred ate in silence, happy that Edgar¡¯s attention was shifted from him to Alessandra and he wanted it to stay there. He tried to eat as quickly as possible without choking to be able to leave the table and give the two some privacy. Anything to have the little one he was looking forward to arriving soon.


    ¡°Please release my hand. How are we supposed to cut our meat?¡± Alessandra asked.


    ¡°Like this,¡± Edgar snapped his fingers. The maid standing behind the two of them stepped forward. ¡°Cut the meat for the Duchess and I. Problem solved.¡±


    Alessandra wanted to smack her face because Edgar solved the matter already. Why did he always need to have a solution to everything? She felt Edgar squeeze her hand as if mocking her failed attempt to be released.


    The maid worked fast to cut the meat and go back to the sidelines to get away from the couple. The Duchess looked like she would jump out of her chair to strangle the Duke and not surprisingly after the interactions she watched between the couple, the Duke was grinning as he awaited it happening. No one would ever believe her if she spoke of this yful side Edgar Collins had.


    ¡°Goodnight you two,¡± Alfred said as he pushed his chair back.


    ¡°You could not have eaten that fast. Do not leave me alone with him, Alfred. At least help me get my hand back,¡± Alessandra pleaded.


    ¡°Nonsense. Sleep well tonight Alfred. Hurry out of here,¡± Edgar shooed him away. He wanted Alfred to hurry out of the room so he would be alone with Alessandra. ¡°Everyone out!¡± He ordered the servants present in the dining room. ¡°Do not step foot in this dining room for an hour,¡± he said. ¡°Or two,¡± he added after ncing at Alessandra.


    Alfred made his grand escape out of the dining room. The servants started to move but were stopped by another order.


    ¡°Everyone stay,¡± Alessandra gave the order. ¡°This is my home too therefore they must listen to my order. They are not going anywhere Edgar so please, release me.¡±


    Edgar ran his tongue along the tip of his teeth. Seeing Alessandra use her authority was quite enticing. ¡°Just this once,¡± he released her hand.

 Chapter 291 - 291 Where is Alfred? (1)

    291 Where is Alfred? (1)


    The next day, Alfred and Sally set out in a carriage given to them by Edgar.


    ¡°Why does it seem like you are scared? Are you afraid to visit your parents?¡±


    ¡®No, I am afraid of when you will start lecturing me about being a maid or my nonexistent rtionship with Caleb,¡¯ Sally thought.


    On the outside, she forced a smile and replied, ¡°Sort of.¡±


    ¡°Living apart from them must make you nervous about how they are doing. The moment you see them your worries shall fade away. You can rx your shoulders around me as I am no longer the butler. I am not going to scold you,¡± said Alfred, knowing that was what she was afraid of.


    ¡°That does not make me feel better. I am used to running to you for anything concerning the Duchess but now you are part of the family, I cannot speak to you like before. It is odd,¡± Sally admitted. There was another line drawn between the two of them which would make it harder for her to speak to Alfred sometimes.


    There were times when they would randomly find themselves speaking about the things Alessandra and Edgar were doing but now he was retired and named a family member, she had to treat him differently. All the servants had to.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be long before I am given my old job. Edgar will see that there is no one good enough to rece me and if he does not, I will still act as the butler behind his back. There are many times when he is out of the house for days. He is only around because of his marriage to Alessandra.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Anyone would be happy with the position Edgar has offered you but yet, you want to return to being a butler. I would have taken the chance to be a part of the family no questions asked,¡± said Sally as she would no longer need to worry about money.


    .....


    ¡°There is a difference in our lives. You work as a maid because you are in need of money. You would most likely jump at another type of work if it guaranteed more money. I on the other hand love being a butler. I had no need to care about money as it has not been an issue since I was a young boy. I love my job. Money doesn¡¯t matter when you love what you do,¡± Alfred exined.


    ¡°That makes sense. I hope that one day I can find myself in a position where money does not matter and I am doing something that makes me happy. First I need to take care of my family.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever figured that your parents are not in need of you taking care of them? They must be suffering from the guilt of seeing you constantly work and putting them before what you want. I do not know what is going on in your life but try to be happy. I have grown fond of you and wish to see you happy. Even if it is with Caleb,¡± Alfred added as he was certain the two would get together and make things awkward for Alessandra with their rtionship.


    Sally frowned. They were doing so well up until Caleb was brought up. ¡°I do not n on being in a rtionship with Caleb or fooling around with him. I do not know why everyone seems to think that I will. I find him to be annoying.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t long ago that Edgar was adamant about not getting married and now looking at him. Happily married and doing things I never thought I would see. We can never truly predict what we will do tomorrow. Just make sure it does not hinder your job as the Duchess maid,¡± said Alfred. He was okay with everyone¡¯s decisions unless they would get in the way of doing their jobs.


    ¡°Noted. This is my stop. I will see you in three hours,¡± Sally said, opening the door herself since the coachman would note out to do it for her. Not that she wanted him to.


    Alfred looked out at the average-sized home. It wasn¡¯t anywhere as grand as Edgar¡¯s but it was evident the person here got to enjoy a life without hardbor. Why didn¡¯t Sally¡¯s aunt take her under her wing and help her get married to a decent young man? The marriage would have paid back any moment she would need to spend on Sally.


    He watched Sally reluctantly walk to the gates as if she was only doing it because he was present. Alfred had not ordered for the carriage to move yet since he wanted to ensure she had gotten inside safely since it was not safe for young women these days but to relieve her nervousness, he tapped the carriage wall for it to start moving.


    Alfred finally understood why Alessandra thought there was something going on in Sally¡¯s life. It was unfortunate they could not meddle as it could push Sally away.


    Alfred opened up a book he brought along to read on his way to town. He would never admit to Edgar that it was refreshing to be out like this reading a book he was yet to finish. ¡°I should see if there are any new tea mixes in town,¡± he said.


    There was so much he could do to upy himself now that he was without a job. Like nning out a little garden for himself for when winter woulde to an end and he could also look for a spot to teach young men how to be good butlers.


    After a long ride, Alfred arrived at a graveyard just outside of town. He sent the carriage away so the driver would not be bored out of his mind waiting for him and it would only take a minute to walk to the area in town where a lot of shopping was done.


    Like he did every year, Alfred came to pay a visit to an old friend who had unfortunately passed many years ago. A woman who shared the same passion as he did when it came to her job. She had no family to visit her grave so he promised to pay to keep her grave clean and visit every year on her birthday.


    Alfred stooped down before the grave covered in snow and slightlyrge rocks that were not there on hisst visit. Someone had to have ced them on the grave to get them out of the way. ¡°No one in this town knows how to do their job,¡± he muttered as he cleared the grave.


    The name Lucille Waller was shown after the snow was wiped away.


    ¡°I wonder if you would find a way toe back to this world and scream at me if I ce down a flower,¡± Alfred chuckled.


    He remembered her stating how she hated to see flowers ced on graves and while she awaited death, she told him not to bring her any flowers because it was pointless. ¡°I hope you are happy wherever you are. Happy birthday, Lucille.¡±


    He had excluded Lucille from his answer to Alessandra¡¯s question. The woman for him was long gone and there would never be another for him to settle down with. Alfred looked forward to meeting Lucille in the afterlife or as some would say, another life.


    Alfred stood up now that he was finished with her birthday greeting. A simple visit was all she wanted and now the promise was fulfilled. He adjusted his coat and walked out of the graveyard to head to town to find something to let the hours go by until it was time to collect Sally and go back home.


    Alfred walked the street happy to see that young women were out with chaperones instead of walking around town by themselves. News of another body led them to be more careful. As soon as he stepped foot into the shopping area, one particr shop caught his eye.


    ¡°I should purchase my own tea cups and tes. I need to restock on tea before I start my next book,¡± said Alfred, excited to start a collection he could keep in his room where they would not be broken.


    As Alfred hurried to enter the shop, he was unaware that someone had noticed his presence in town.


    ¡°Teresa,¡± Prisci looked to her side at the maid she brought along to carry her items. ¡°Find out if my son is in town ande back to me right away.¡±


    ¡°Yes, mydy.¡±


    Prisci silently watched the man she detested enter a shop. She should have long gotten rid of Alfred and now it seemed an opportunity had presented itself. She had a good feeling this morning when she decided to visit the town to do some shopping and now she knew why. Had she stayed in the shop she was in a second longer she would have missed the clear view of Alfred walking by.

 Chapter 292 - 292 Where is Alfred? (2)

    292 Where is Alfred? (2)


    ¡°Mydy, your son does not appear to be here.¡±


    ¡°So his butler is alone. Alert Federick that I am in need of his services right now. If he does note right away I shall cut ties with him. Move quickly,¡± Prisci ordered the maid. ¡°I cannot waste this chance.¡±


    Prisci stared at the shop Alfred had long entered but note out of. She hated the sight of him to her very core. It would hurt any mother to see their child care for someone else after the pain she was burdened with to bring Edgar into this world.


    Alfred had the rtionship she wished to have with Edgar and if Alfred was out of the picture, perhaps Edgar would cling to her for affection. She barely had her husband so she should at least have her only child.


    ¡°He won¡¯t ever speak to me again if he finds out,¡± she whispered.


    Prisci knew her son¡¯s anger and should he ever learn she had harmed Alfred, Edgar would never speak to her ever again and he loved Alfred enough to kill her. Knowing this only fueled her anger toward Alfred. It was frustrating to be jealous of a man with a status far below her own.


    On one side, she didn¡¯t want to push Edgar further away but her jealousy had grown over the years.


    Prisci walked towards the shop Alfred had entered as she wanted to have a word with him. She always wanted to but Edgar would get in the way. She hoped Alfred would know his ce and be willing to leave with money she could offer him. If not, Federick would have to get rid of him forever.


    Prisci entered the shop and was immediately disgusted with the array of herbs and other scents filling her nose. This was a ce she would rather send her maid instead of stepping foot in.


    .....


    ¡°Good afternoon, mydy.¡±


    ¡°Alfred,¡± Prisci called to Alfred who was upied with whatever he was doing at the counter.


    Alfred slowly turned around, surprised by Prisci¡¯s sudden presence in the shop. It wasn¡¯t a ce he expected to meet her. ¡°Mrs. Collins,¡± he greeted her.


    ¡°Follow me,¡± Prisci said, turning around to leave the shop.


    Alfred stared at the door swinging in after Prisci left. Of all people, why her? He would rather have a run-in with the person kidnapping all the young women. Alfred looked back at the counter where all the items he picked out were ced. ¡°Please bag these up for me quickly,¡± he said as he fished through his pocket for money he had brought along.


    ¡°Yes sir.¡±


    ¡®This won¡¯t be good,¡¯ Alfred thought. Running into Prisci never ended well.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Alfred said to the shopkeeper after a bag was ced before him. He ced the exact amount of money on the counter and proceeded to leave. Before he exited the shop, something else caught his eye. ¡°Add this too,¡± he picked up the item and went back to the counter.


    Less than a minuteter, Alfred exited the shop and was greeted by Prisci who was not the slightest bit happy with how long he kept her waiting.


    Prisci only stood outside because she did not want him to run away from her. She walked across the street to where all the carriages were parked and stepped into her own with the help of her coachman.


    Alfred entered the carriage behind her, sitting where thetch to open the carriage door was.


    Prisci looked outside the window at a woman walking with a little girl. ¡°I had Edgar too young. I was hardly ready but it was needed. Still, there is nothing better than being a mother and I have ced great opportunities before Edgar to make sure he would be far above his peers. He is always the talk of the town and there were so many eligible young women wanting to marry him but my ns were interfered with.¡±


    She wished to wake up and hear Alessandra had somehow disappeared.


    ¡°Even with my status and good background, it wasn¡¯t easy to be a part of the Collins family so tell me, why should the daughter of a Baron get an easy ride? I heard that the old woman has taken a liking to her. Why am I not surprised?¡± Prisci asked.


    ¡°If you take a moment to get to know the Duchess you would see what a good person-¡±


    ¡°Good person?¡± Prisci chuckled. ¡°That hardly matters in this world. We marry for money and status. That girl had neither. Edgar only benefitted tales of him being cursed from this marriage.¡±


    ¡°Edgar has fallen in love,¡± said Alfred. In his eyes, it was better than anything else Edgar could gain from marriage.


    ¡°You all think I ruined him. No one wants to point a finger at his father who was still seeing that woman when I was having a hard time with my pregnancy. Regardless, we had an image to uphold and Edgar is tarnishing it with his wife. All these years I put so many resources before him and he is throwing it all away. That school wasn¡¯t cheap-¡±


    ¡°Edgar hated that school,¡± Alfred interjected, unable to stay silent while she pointed fingers at everyone else. ¡°He detested it yet you kept sending him back. You needed to listen to-¡±


    ¡°Do not tell me how to raise my son!¡± Prisci yelled, angered by the habit he had not gotten rid of. ¡°I am his mother. The person who brought him into this world while you are nothing more than a butler and that is all you ever will be. Stop telling me what I have done wrong with Edgar. It is not your ce. You have made it hard for me to have a rtionship with Edgar. Then you act all innocent.¡±


    Alfred sighed as this was far from the truth. He had pushed for years to have Edgar repair his rtionship with his mother. It put him at odds with Edgar a few times since he was tired of hearing about this. Edgar had long grown out of his need to have a rtionship with his parents and there was nothing Alfred had done to make him dislike his parents.


    ¡°I know what you did. Leaving my home in the middle of the night to take Edgar away from his school and travel to his grandmother. I had never been more degraded in life than when she paid me a visit the day after. Snatching my son away from me and giving him a home to be away from his parents. You took part in that. Be a man and admit it,¡± said Prisci.


    ¡°I did what was best for the young master. I have not asked for anything for the time I have stuck by your son. I care for him as if he was my own-¡±


    ¡°That is your problem,¡± Prisci said, tapping against the carriage door as she stared at Alfred. ¡°You keep thinking he is your own. I am giving you two choices. One, you pack your belongings and get far away from my son, or two, I shall make sure you no longer irritate me.¡±


    Alfred didn¡¯t fear Prisci¡¯s threat to end his life. ¡°You may not like it when I offer you advice but I will do it onest time. Once Edgar hates you, it will never go away. If you hurt the people he loves, be it me or his wife, he will not care that you brought him into this world. He will ruin you and you know it. That is why you are trying to justify whatever you n to do with this conversation. You are trying to paint me the viin to be guilt-free.¡±


    ¡°I never feel guilty or regret the things I do. I have given you time after time a chance to get out of my sight. I can no longer watch you stand where I want to be.¡±


    Alfred gripped the bag in his hands. ¡°If I were to die today, it would not fix the rtionship you have with Edgar. It is best to work with me to mend it before all hope is lost. It was never my intention to take your son away from you. I only wanted him to be happy. I¡¯m afraid you just lost one of the two people who could have helped you.¡±


    ¡°I do not take well to my life being threatened nor do I like thinking about the state Edgar would be left in if I were to die before my time. I have little ones to take care of,¡± Alfred said with a smile. ¡°No one is going to take that away from me and I will not ruin the happiness he has with his wife. I am no longer a butler. Your son has made it clear I am a part of the family and went as far as to fire me.¡±


    Prisci was stunned by this news. How could Edgar do such a thing?


    ¡°Send whoever you wish but I am not dying today. Have a good day,¡± Alfred said, then opened the carriage door to get out.

 Chapter 293 - 293 Where is Alfred?(3)

    293 Where is Alfred?(3)


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to visit us in this weather, Sally. I don¡¯t want you to get sick and your employer might not keep you around if you are sick.¡±


    Sally didn¡¯t see Alessandra firing her if she were to be sick. ¡°If I were to fall sick I think the Duchess would try nursing me back to health.¡±


    Dorothy Wilkinson, Sally¡¯s mother, shook her head. ¡°The world doesn¡¯t work that way. They are nice until they see you cannot work as they want you to. You seem to have a good job going for you. Try your best to not worry about us and live a happy life.¡±


    ¡°I cannot just forget about my parents. I am making good money and I will soon take care of both of you. It is my way to repay you for taking care of me from the moment I was born. I will get us a house. The Duke has offered me a space on hisnd if I-¡±


    ¡°Sally,¡± Adam Wilkinson, her father, cut in. ¡°There is always a reason behind these people¡¯s actions. You will find yourself in debt if you take his offer. I have been around men like the Duke.¡±


    ¡°No offense father but the men you have been around are nothing like Edgar Collins. He would have mentioned a catch if there was any. He is not the type to hide if there would be something I must pay. I¡¯ve been around him more than you to not be concerned,¡± said Sally.


    Adam feared Sally was too trusting of the people she worked for. He found it odd that the Duchess gave her the coat she now wore just so she could be out in the cold and he had seen an expensive-looking carriage dropping her off. ¡°Sally, you are not having an affair with the Duke right?¡±


    This would make more sense than the Duke just choosing to be kind to his daughter. Men with high status fooling around with maids behind their wife¡¯s backs with nothing new. He once had many friends who would tell him their scandalous tales and he was almost tempted in the past.


    Sally almost choked on her spit. ¡°Father!¡± She eximed as his assumption was ridiculous. ¡°Thest thing I shall ever do is sleep with a man for money. The Duke is handsome and wealthy but he is quite scary. Besides, I have a good rtionship with his wife and I don¡¯t want to be a homewrecker.¡±


    .....


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. This family does not need to be sullied anymore,¡± said Judith Norman. She had been listening to the conversation of the small family.


    Sally frowned, annoyed with her aunt joining them. The woman was always looking for trouble and to remind them of their fallen household.


    ¡°I have to say that I am a bit surprised that you have not subjected yourself to selling your body or any other measures to regain the life you once had. I don¡¯t need you causing trouble for your parents and most importantly me. I¡¯d hate to have to turn my back on the three of you,¡± Judith said with a smile lingering on her lips.


    She loved being in control. Her brother was once the golden child but now look at him and his family. Their mother must be rolling around in her grave. Judith would pay arge sum of money to see her mother¡¯s reaction to Adam losing everything.


    ¡°I will not ruin what is left of our name. I am working hard, aunt Judith. There will soone a time when we will no longer need your help,¡± said Sally.


    Dorothy nudged Sally, urging her to keep quiet. ¡°Your aunt has been kind enough to let us stay with her in a desperate time in our life.¡±


    ¡°What did I say that was wrong?¡± Sally asked as she only mentioned not needing help in the future.


    ¡°I fear you are the only one who is never appreciative of the things I have done for your family. I didn¡¯t have to take you in but I did from the kindness in my heart-¡±


    Sally scoffed, not falling for her aunt¡¯sckluster performance. ¡°You didn¡¯t do it because you were kind. You did it because you wanted to make my parents your servants. Then for some reason, you detest me so much that I was not given a chance to be with my parents and had to seek shelter elsewhere. You do not have a kind heart so save the act.¡±


    ¡°Sally,¡± Adama spoke up but Judith was quick to cut him off.


    ¡°You rotten little girl. I always warned my brother not to spoil you and now look how you have turned out. Never be grateful for the things others do for your family. I do not detest you. I have no reason to hate you,¡± Judith replied. Sally literally had nothing but the rags she cleaned with.


    ¡°I have a feeling the only reason you didn¡¯t take me in and try to make money off of a potential marriage was that you didn¡¯t want your daughter who is now at the age to marry to be upstaged by your niece who has nothing. If you were kind you would treat your brother¡¯s family better-¡±


    Judith silenced Sally with a p. ¡°I have had enough of you and these ridiculous ims.¡±


    ¡°Judith, how could youy a hand on my daughter?¡± Adam snapped at his sister. He was in need of her help so he put up with her treatment toward him but his wife and daughter were where he drew the line. There was no need for things to get physical.


    Dorothy inspected the forming red mark on Sally¡¯s cheek. This was why she was fine with Sally just sending them letters instead ofing to see them. It was hard enough to put up with Judith treating her like a ve but now Sally was pped. ¡°Sally, please go,¡± she urged her daughter. ¡°Do not return. Letters are just fine sweetheart.¡±


    Sally felt helpless for not being able to make her parents leave with her now. She had nowhere to take her family if she were to make them follow her. She never wanted to use her closeness with Alessandra for personal matters. At the rate she was saving money for a home, her parents would be with her aunt for much longer than she wanted them to be.


    ¡®I have to stop being stubborn,¡¯ Sally realized. She had a good offer she could no longer turn down.


    Sally hoped that after how much she had been avoiding Caleb, he would still be open to lending her his home. The problem now was convincing her parents toe with her. They would think Caleb was only offering his home to get something out of her just like she had assumed so she had to be one step ahead of them.


    Sally hugged her mother and whispered in her ear, ¡°I will return for you soon.¡±


    ¡°Dorothy, get me a drink,¡± Judith said to separate the mother and daughter.


    ¡°Do not return, Sally. I will get the drink,¡± Dorothy replied to Judith before hurrying inside before the woman could get angry again. She was patiently waiting for life to hit Judith with karma and make her realize that she could one day end up helpless too.


    Sally began to walk out the gates without telling her father goodbye. If she were to stay any longer, she would get into another argument with her aunt. She knew her aunt would take her frustration out on her parents since she was now leaving. Her aunt would even go as far as to throw her parents out onto the cold street and Sally would not have any way of knowing if it happened because there would be no one to inform her.


    Sally looked up and down the street for a sign of Alfred returning with the carriage. He was more than an hourte which started to concern her as he would always be on time and lecture the maids about timing. Not wanting to be close to her aunt, Sally started to walk the lone road until she woulde across a carriage to pay to take her to the Collins estate.

 Chapter 294 - 294 Where is Alfred? (4)

    294 Where is Alfred? (4)


    After more than fifteen minutes of walking, Sally was able to find a carriage to pay to take her home. She was lucky to have money in her pouch for emergencies. She was scared out of her mind when one or two carriages passed by. The thought of the person taking the young women consumed her mind with each step. Sally only felt relieved when she was dropped off in front of Edgar¡¯s home.


    The gates were opened for her by someone new which made her curious about Caleb¡¯s brother. He was always there beingzy or annoyed by the people wanting toe inside. He had once told her to climb the gates instead of bothering him. There was no testing needed to prove that all the fun personality went to Caleb while his brother was grumpy.


    Sally dragged her feet to the front door, tired of walking for the day. She wished to stumble across Alfred on her way back home but did not see the carriage they took this morning passing by her. Since he waste, he should expect that she had left. Hopefully.


    Her shoulders rxed when she twisted the doorknob and entered the home. Her body tensed at the sight of Edgar walking down the stairs with a paper in his hand.


    ¡°Good evening, Duke Collins,¡± she greeted him.


    Edgar looked behind Sally at the slightly opened door. ¡°Where is Alfred? Did he drop you off and went out again?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Sally shook her head. ¡°He never came back to pick me up so I-I,¡± she choked up when his expression changed. She gulped, wanting to disappear at this very moment. He was eyeing her like she had done something to Alfred.


    ¡°When was he supposed to pick you up?¡± Edgar asked, wary of the situation.


    ¡°This will be going on for two hours now. I think. I have no idea what time it is now,¡± Sally replied as best as she could. It felt like hours since she left her aunt¡¯s home but it could have been only one hour.


    .....


    ¡°Fucking hell,¡± Edgar cursed. It wasn¡¯t like Alfred to not be on time. Even when he was sick. Something was wrong and he disliked the terrible feeling he had building up inside.


    Sally stepped to the side to get out of Edgar¡¯s way as he walked out the front door. Her concern for Alfred increased now that Edgar seemed sure something had happened to him. She knew that it was odd Alfred had not returned for her but she let it go as him messing up just this once.


    ¡°What¡¯s up with him? Got to pee?¡± Caleb asked, walking up to the front door with his brother right behind him. They were supposed to deal with someone who injured the Duchess but Edgar sped out the door without them.


    Reed rolled his eyes at his brother¡¯sment. ¡°How the hell did wee from the same womb?¡± He muttered. If not for them looking the same, he would doubt his mother¡¯s words that they were brothers.


    ¡°There¡¯s a chance something happened to Alfred,¡± Sally alerted the two. Her palms became sweaty as many scenarios ran through her mind. She noticed the simr expression of shock the brothers wore before charging out the door to follow after Edgar.


    Sally watched them run down the steps but the sound of a horse shifted her gaze to the side of the house where Edgar rode a horse toward the gates. She worried about him being out in the cold since he had no coat to handle the snow. He rode out in casual clothes that were more suited for the warmth of the house.


    Not too far behind Edgar, she potted Caleb and Reed riding behind him on horses. She couldn¡¯t understand how they had reached the stables so quickly but she was d they had all set out to search for Alfred.


    ¡°This will all be a big misunderstanding. The carriage must have broken down. There¡¯s no need for me to worry Alessandra about this. This will be fine,¡± Sally said, biting her nails as she tried to convince herself. Sweat covered her forehead despite the coldness. ¡°What on earth would happen to him? There is no reason to be so worried,¡± she concluded.


    Sally didn¡¯t see what bad thing could happen to Alfred who kept to himself. She closed the door to keep the snow out. Soon enough, Edgar would be returning home with Alfred who would have a funny story to tell.


    Meanwhile, Edgar rode through the snow ignoring the coldness biting at his skin. He advised Alfred to take a guard and though Alfred had turned down the offer, he should have pushed more for Alfred to take the guard. Edgar didn¡¯t pay much attention to Caleb calling out for him. He could only find focus on finding Alfred and scolding him for not taking guard.


    Edgar followed the road that would lead into town. Luckily, Sally¡¯s aunt lived along this road so if Alfred was going there to pick her up oring from there right now, they would have to cross paths. The timing of this made him worry about Alfred. A lot could happen in the two hours Sally had not seen Alfred. It would have been better if she returned home right away but he could not fault her for not thinking something was wrong.


    Edgar stopped at the front of Mr. Norman¡¯s home. A man he met a few times but was easy to forget about because of his boring personality. The carriage Alfred took was not there.


    ¡°Was this where Alfred was going?¡± Reed asked.


    ¡°No. Sally was waiting for him here. He didn¡¯t reach here. I am going into town,¡± said Edgar as that was the next ce Alfred had to be. Either that or something happened to the carriage so it should be on the side of the road. At least one person should have passed his carriage that was one of a kind.


    Not passing Alfred before they reached this house confirmed something had happened. Unless Alfred wasing from the direction of the pce, this was the only road he could have taken to get home. Alfred would never abandon Sally for this long. Not even in sunny weather.


    While Caleb was concerned for Alfred, he was worried about Edgar bing sick if he stayed without a coat much longer. ¡°You need a coat-¡±


    ¡°I need to find Alfred,¡± Edgar snapped. A coat did not matter when Alfred was missing. He had too many enemies to pinpoint which would have targeted Alfred. ¡°Reed, return to get the hounds and bring more men. Have them spread out to look for Alfred. Question everyone you pass about my carriage. Follow me, Caleb.¡±


    While Reed turned his horse around to head back to the estate, Edgar continued to ride towards town. His hands trembled from anger and panic. He would send this kingdom into chaos to find Alfred and the person who took him.

 Chapter 295 - 295 Loss (1)

    295 Loss (1)


    ¡°Shit,¡± Timothy cursed.


    ¡°You need to keep pressing it down before you lose more blood,¡± Alfred advised him.


    ¡°I-I know but it fucking hurt,¡± Timothy said with eyes full of tears. He knew he wasn¡¯t going to make it too far with the wound in his side. ¡°You should leave and find help for yourself. You are hurt too,¡± he said, looking at Alfred¡¯s slumped arm.


    They were ambushed on their way out of town by a small group of men. Alfred had warned him to prepare for danger on the way back so he kept a weapon by his side. As prepared as they were, they were still outnumbered.


    Alfred exited the carriage with a knife he bought somewhere and aided Timothy in the fight.


    ¡°You are not too bad for your age,¡± Timothyplimented Alfred. Alfred used a smaller weapon but he was smart in his attacks and able to take away a sword to use on their enemies.


    Timothy was stabbed in his side by a man who attacked him while he was fighting another so Alfred did most of the work killing the group of men. Thest man had unfortunately wounded Alfred¡¯s right arm and now he could barely lift it.


    ¡°Keep in shape, eat healthily, and train regrly. Those are the secrets to keeping up with the young folk at this age. Being by Edgar¡¯s side isn¡¯t all sunshine so you must know your way in a fight. And where I grew up was rough for a couple of years,¡± Alfred replied.


    ¡°I doubt I will need those secrets,¡± Timothy said, his lips trembling as he spoke. The pain in his side was unbearable. More unbearable than any wound he ever had in his life. He suspected the weapon was coated with something. ¡°Y-You need to go, Alfred. There are more of theming and they will follow the trail of my blood. The snow won¡¯t cover it in time.¡±


    .....


    Alfred continued to press the cloth he tore from his clothes against Timothy¡¯s side. ¡°Their target is me. You will not be the one to die.¡±


    After they had killed the men who attacked them, Alfred tried to put Timothy in the carriage to quickly take him home to receive help but he found the carriage wheel had a weapon lodged into it. He could not pull it out with his wounded arm and they could not wait as Alfred spotted more men approaching them from the direction the first group of men hade out to attack them.


    Alfred was faced with two options. Run with a wounded Timothy or risk time by cutting a horse free to ride. The second option was risky since they would be standing around the carriage while a group of men was charging to attack them but he moved quickly to cut a horse free and ced Timothy in front of him before riding off.


    Lifting Timothy onto the horse had done more damage to his arm. There was a feeling like something was ripping but Alfred ignored it, moving quickly to get on the horse before the men were a couple of feet away. By some luck, they managed to lose the men after Alfred rode into an area with trees and no homes. They stopped when Timothy groaned in pain and it was then Alfred noticed the wound had opened up. Should he ride anymore, Timothy would die from the blood loss.


    Back in the present, Timothy shakingly touched Alfred¡¯s arm. ¡°Please run away, Alfred. It won¡¯t be long until they find out where we have stopped. You cannot fight with one arm and I am no use to you. Please leave. The Duke needs you more than he needs me. I owe him my life and now I am repaying him for it.¡±


    Timothy could have died long ago if not for Edgar who presented him with a second chance and gave him work to drive him around. He was ready to die back then and he was ready now. He did not want Alfred to die along with him when Edgar needed him.


    ¡°I will lead them away from you and return as fast as I can. It would be best if you stayed awake,¡± Alfred said. If Timothy drifted to sleep he might never wake up because death would creep up on him while he slept or the snow would fall and cover himpletely.


    Alfred removed his hands from Timothy¡¯s side and mounted the horse that was grazing on a small patch of grass not covered by the snow. He looked over Timothy onest time before riding off, yelling as loud as he could to get the men chasing them far away from where Timothyy. If he could only make it back to the main road to get a passing-by carriage to tell Edgar of what was happening, he could save both their lives.


    ¡°That fool,¡± Timothy mumbled, trembling from both the cold and the pain.


    The sky started to be darker as night was approaching. Edgar had long found his carriage with the dead men around it and set out with the men and dogs Reed caught up to him with. The men slipt up in groups to search the area. Edgar knew that someone had gotten away since a horse was missing.


    A man sent into town returned to him with information that Alfred was seen leaving town in a carriage. He was given the names of shops Alfred was seen in and that Alfred had spoken to a woman at one point.


    The dogs lead the way through the trees while Edgar and his men followed behind on horses. THe dogs sniffing thend, the horses throttling, and the loud cries of the wind were the only sounds heard.


    ¡°Over here!¡± A yell broke the silence.


    Edgar followed the direction of the voice, anticipating that they had found Alfred alive and well. However, he was met with disappointment and sadness among the men who made a discovery.


    Timothy¡¯s head was found sticking out of the snow while the rest of his body was covered. Two men pushed the snow off of him and revealed the red snow that was coated in his blood.


    ¡°He has been dead for a couple of hours,¡± a man informed Edgar.


    Edgar gripped the reins of his horse, angered by Timothy¡¯s death. He was fond of the man just as he was with all his other followers. ¡°Take his body home so he can receive a proper burial. Continue to inspect every inch of thend. There is a chance Alfred¡¯s body might be covered in snow.¡±


    Seeing that Timothy was dead, Edgar started to lose hope that Alfred was still alive. He could only hope Alfred might have separated from Timothy or been taken captive. It was far better than him being dead right now. There was still hope to save Alfred if he was taken. Edgar prayed not to stumble across arge pile of snow in fear that Alfred might be found dead under it.

 Chapter 296 - 296 Loss (2)

    296 Loss (2)


    ¡°Sally, where is Edgar and why didn¡¯t Alfred return with you?¡± Alessandra asked.


    Many hours ago Sally hade to her with an expression that said something was wrong but Sally would only respond that everything was alright. Edgar left home without offering her a goodbye which added to her suspicion they were leaving her out of something.


    ¡°The Duke will return with Alfred shortly so there is nothing to worry about. It will all be fine,¡± Sally replied. She wanted to tell Alessandra that Alfred was missing but she knew Alessandra would want to go out and find him. The weather wasn¡¯t the best for Alessandra to join the search and she would bet all the money she had that Edgar would be furious.


    ¡°I can tell that you are lying, Sally. You are not good at it. If something is wrong with my husband or Alfred, I need to know. Your behavior already makes me feel nervous. Did something happen on your trip with Alfred? Did hee and get Alfred? Please,¡± Alessandra begged Sally to give her an answer.


    Sally bit her lip. Her concern for Alfred was already too much for her to bear alone and she needed someone to speak with. She could deal with Edgar getting angry with herter. It wasn¡¯t like he said she could not tell Alessandra.


    ¡°Alfred never came to pick me up and judging by the Duke not back with him yet, he is missing,¡± said Sally.


    ¡°What?¡± Alessandra eximed. She knew what she was being left out of involved Alfred but she didn¡¯t think he was missing. ¡°Why would you or anyone else keep this from me?¡± She asked, hurt by being left out of such an important matter and concerned for Alfred¡¯s safety.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want you to go out and try looking for him!¡±


    ¡°I know that I am no use out there but I would love to be informed that someone I care for is missing. No,¡± Alessandra took a deep breath to release her anger. She was frustrated from not being informed but it would not help anyone if she blew up at Sally. ¡°I am going downstairs to wait for them.¡±


    .....


    Alessandra took the kitten off herp and stood up from the chair she was sitting on inside the room she turned into her painting room. It was hours since shest saw Edgar and knowing how much he cared for Alfred, he would not return until Alfred was safe and sound home.


    She worried for both of them. The weather would be difficult for the two and now that it was nearing night, Edgar might not find Alfred if he didn¡¯t already.


    Alessandra hurried down the stairs, ignoring the strange looks she received from the maids who did not have the slightest clue what was happening. She went straight to the window by the front door to see when anyone was returning.


    ¡°I will get you a seat,¡± Sally said, using this as an excuse to step away from Alessandra to calm down her emotions. Alessandra was taking this far better than she expected her to but Sally didn¡¯t know if this was good.


    Sally went for the chair Alfred would normally sit in when waiting for Alessandra or Edgar to return home. She returned to Alessandra still standing by the window and ced the chair behind her. ¡°You should sit down, Duchess. Would you like me to bring you something to eat or drink?¡± She asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Alessandra shook her head. She wouldn¡¯t be able to eat while Alfred and Edgar were still out there. She sat down in the chair to save her energy for when Edgar would return with Alfred. She failed to believe that Edgar would not find Alfred and bring him home. She prayed that he would bring Alfred home. ¡°Bring a chair for yourself and sit with me,¡± she said.


    Once she calmed her thoughts, Alessandra noted that Sally would also need to beforted as she was also concerned for Alfred. Alfred¡¯s absence had been weighing Sally¡¯s mind for quite some time now and Sally was forced to hold back the emotions she felt to not alert Alessandra of what was happening with Alfred.


    Sally returned with a chair and ced it behind Alessandra.


    ¡°Come closer, Sally. There is no need for the distance between us at a time like this,¡± said Alessandra.


    Sally lifted her chair and ced it right beside Alessandra¡¯s. As soon as she sat down, Sally jolted because Alessandra suddenly took hold of her right hand.


    ¡°He will be alright,¡± Alessandra said to reassure Sally. She lowered her head due to her voiceing out shaky. It was not as confident as she wanted it to be. She was afraid. Afraid to lose someone who became the father figure she always wanted in her life and afraid of how Edgar would handle losing Alfred.


    Sally squeezed Alessandra¡¯s hand. For the first time since she returned, she let the tears escape her eyes instead of fighting against them. She used her left hand to wipe them away.


    Alessandra and Sally continued to sit by the window even when the sky became dark and it was hard to see out to the gates. Sally was leaning against Alessandra¡¯s shoulder with swollen eyes after crying. Alessandra wished for Edgar to find Alfred but at this point, she wished Edgar would return before something would happen to him too.


    ¡°What on earth,¡± Alessandra muttered when something soft brushed by her feet. She looked down to find the white kitten hade to pay her a visit. ¡°Are you hungry?¡±


    ¡°Food?¡± Sally jumped up, startling both Alessandra and the kitten who ran away. ¡°Are you hungry now?¡±


    ¡°The kittens might be. You can feed them and go to bed. You are tired Sally. I will send for you the moment newses to us or someone returns,¡± said Alessandra.


    Sally tried her best to rub the sleep out of her eyes. ¡°I am not sleepy. I will feed them and return with something light for you to eat. You must eat something so that when they return you have the strength to help where needed. Excuse me,¡± she said, getting up to go to the kitchen.


    Alessandra stayed quiet instead of rejecting the offer of food. Sally was right that she needed to have the energy to help when everyone would return. Edgar was bound to be tired so she would have to step up as Duchess to make decisions. As soon as Edgar returned, she would send him to bed and take over.


    ¡°You are being nice,¡± Alessandra said to the white kitten who came back to y with her. ¡°Do you sense that something is wrong? Everyone will be back soon.¡±


    Alesandra looked back out the window and though it was dark, she could see that the gate looked like it had opened. She quickly stood from her seat and went to open the front door to see who was returning. Alessandra stepped outside, ignoring the snow and the cold air, squinting her eyes to see what was heading toward the house.


    ¡°Why is there a cart?¡± She asked out loud as a cart being pulled by a horse neared the house. One of Edgar¡¯s men was at the back of it looking down at something while someone she didn¡¯t know steered the cart. ¡°What is going on?¡± She inquired when the carriage came to a stop at the bottom of the steps.


    ¡°Duchess! It is Alfred and he is gravely injured,¡± the guard informed her.

 Chapter 297 - 297 Loss (3)

    297 Loss (3)


    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 Alfredid unconscious, covered in nkets 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 ced 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 yed 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 te with food spilled on the floor.


    ¡°Alfred hase but he is not looking good at the moment. The guards have taken him to be ced 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 te. ¡°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 tofort 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 sped 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 firece and Alfred wasying 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 ady 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 hisst 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 d 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.

 Chapter 298 - 298 Anger (1)

    298 Anger (1)


    ¡°I will take this out,¡± Alessandra said, pointing at the bowl of water and a cloth stained with Alfred¡¯s blood. After sitting around watching the two men carefully clean Alfred trying not to hurt him any further and dressing his wound, she got tired of watching and wanted to make herself useful.


    Before they could object, Alessandra picked up the bowl and started to walk to the door. It has been almost an hour now since Alfred was returned to them and each tick from the clock with the doctor still not present made Alessandra want to find a horse and drag the doctor here herself.


    Alessandra twisted the doorknob and pushed the door out. As she expected, Sally was leaning against the wall on the opposite side with two other maids. ¡°Has there been any word on Edgar?¡± She asked, catching their attention.


    ¡°Someone else went out to inform him that Alfred is here but they only stumbled across one group which your husband was not with. They had spread out in many groups to search for Alfred but it wouldn¡¯t be long before the Duke returned,¡± Sally answered.


    ¡°What about the doctor?¡± Alessandra didn¡¯t see why he was not here yet.


    ¡°He is on his way. That is all I know as of right now. Do you need more warm water?¡± Sally asked, taking the bowl from Alessandra¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Not right now. Most of the dried blood has been cleaned-¡±


    ¡°Where is he?¡± Edgar¡¯s voice was heard from the front door.


    Alessandra was shocked by the tone of Edgar¡¯s voice. She had never heard him like this. It sounded like panic mixed with a lot of anger. ¡°Stay out of his way but do not go too far for when you are needed,¡± she advised the maids. Edgar was not in the best state of mind and it would only get worse once he saw Alfred¡¯s state.


    .....


    Alessandra hurried to the front door before Edgar could turn the house upside down to find Alfred. ¡°Edgar!¡± She called before he could go upstairs. ¡°Alfred is here. Someone brought him on the back of a cart almost an hour ago. His wounds have been cleaned but we are awaiting a doctor.¡±


    Edgar tried to calm his anger as he stood before Alessandra. ¡°Where is he?¡± he asked. Edgar needed to see Alfred with his own eyes to confirm that he was back.


    ¡°He is in the guest room on this floor,¡± she replied


    Edgar walked ahead of Alessandra, quickly going to the room with the door still open after Alessandra had walked out.


    Clyde and Andre stopped what they were doing and stood up straight now that they were in the presence of Edgar.


    Edgar slowly approached Alfredying on the bed with his closed and his arm bandaged up. He clenched his fist as the anger came over him once again. He looked away from Alfred moment to the two men who had taken care of him. ¡°Thank you. The two of you can rest now,¡± he said.


    ¡°Yes, Duke.¡±


    Alessandra offered them a smile as they asked her to leave the room. They had done a good job at taking her mind off of Alfred¡¯s state. She waited until the click of the door closing was heard then walked to Edgar¡¯s side and ced a hand on his shoulder to calm him.


    ¡°Who brought him here?¡± Edgar asked as needed every detail to solve the mystery of who the hell did this.


    ¡°A man I have never seen brought him on the back of a cart. He might be a farmer. I told him to return tomorrow morning to be rewarded for bringing Alfred to us and for any information he knows,¡± Alessandra replied.


    ¡°Timothy died,¡± Edgar revealed their loss. ¡°We found him almost covered in snow with a wound at his side.¡±


    Alessandra stared at Edgar in shock, trying to process the loss of the man she saw many times. ¡°I,¡± she began but couldn¡¯t continue. She had been at the door this morning when Alfred and Sally left. Right at the front of the carriage, Timothy had titled his hat which was his way of greeting her without speaking.


    Her eyes fluttered as tears threatened to fall. It was painful to think of someone who had been alive and well hours ago but now they were gone. She tried to keep herselfposed for Edgar who had to bear the loss of Timothy and worry about Alfred¡¯s recovery.


    ¡°I am going to have fun torturing everyone involved in this,¡± Edgar chuckled, gripping a handful of the bed sheets as he imagined breaking their necks.


    ¡°Do you have any suspicion who it might be?¡±


    ¡°There are only a few people cowardly enough to attack Alfred to hurt me and even fewer who personally hate him. Alfred might know who attacked them. I will focus on that tomorrow morning. Right now, I need him to open his eyes. I will break everyst one of those tes you cherish unless you wake up,¡± Edgar taunted Alfred as a way to wake him up.


    Alfred would always pop up when there were threats of his special tes being broken.


    ¡°Alessandra is pregnant,¡± Edgar used another tactic. He would pay any amount to have Alfred dramatically react to his words. ¡°You better wake up. I will drag you up from down there if I need to.¡±


    ¡®Down?¡¯ Alessandra thought, looking at Edgar like he was crazy. Why on earth did he think Alfred was going to hell when he died? She didn¡¯t know much about Alfred¡¯s past to know what dirty secrets he had but she didn¡¯t think he belonged in hell and if he did, wasn¡¯t Edgar¡¯s guardian enough punishment?


    A knock at the door interrupted Alessandra¡¯s thoughts.


    ¡°I will see who it is,¡± she said to let Edgar stay by Alfred¡¯s side.


    When she opened the door there was a short man with a head full of gray hair and a scrawny boy behind him holding a bag.


    ¡°Hello, Duchess. My name is Robert Williams and this is my helper Davis. I am the doctor you called for. My apologies for beingte. We were dealing with someone else when you called. May I?¡± Robert asked for permission to enter.


    Robert prayed histeness had not offended the Duke known to have a temper. He could never leave one patient for another because of a greater title.


    ¡°Do whatever you must to make him better,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°We will. I must ask that you and your wife exit the room.¡±


    Edgar had no intention of leaving. ¡°No-¡±


    ¡°Edgar!¡± Alessandra stopped him. ¡°We will only get in the way or distract them if we stay in the room. You need to rest Edgar. You¡¯ve been out for many hours in the cold. Please.¡±


    ¡°The moment something seems to be going wrong, call for me or I shall have your head,¡± Edgar gave a warning before leaving the room.


    Alessandra followed Edgar out of the room and left the door open so the maids standing outside could keep an eye on the doctor and bring him anything he needed. ¡°Sally, please get something warm for Edgar and all the men who were searching for Alfred to drink and eat. Get more maids to help you please.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Duchess.¡±


    Alessandra grabbed a handful of her dress and lifted it to go after Edgar who was going to the second floor. ¡°Edgar!¡± She called after him but he did not stop.


    When Alessandra reached the top of the stairs, she flinched as a painting that was once on the wall in the hallway was thrown onto the floor. It had caught her by surprise. She didn¡¯t move another inch when Edgar pulled another from the wall and smashed it against the floor. Edgar needed to take his anger and frustration out on something.

 Chapter 299 - 299 Anger (2)

    299 Anger (2)


    Alessandra waited silently on the sidelines while Edgar continued to wreck the upstairs hallway leading to their bedroom. Only when he stood still and leaned against the wall did she move to approach him.


    ¡°Edgar,¡± she said his name to let him know she was there. He might not have noticed during his fit of rage. ¡°Have you calmed down now?¡±


    ¡°Far from it,¡± Edgar replied still very much angry. He wouldn¡¯t be calmed until he found the person responsible for what happened to Timothy and Alfred.


    ¡°You need to warm up. You¡¯ve been in the cold-¡±


    ¡°I do not need to do anything but find the person who did this,¡± Edgar snapped raising his voice as he did so. He was tired of hearing about useless things when there was only one thing on his mind.


    ¡°Edgar, I understand your frustration but do not raise your voice at me. I am trying to avoid you bing sick since it will do no good when Alfred wakes up and finds out that you have be sick. I would like the person to be found but your health and Alfred¡¯s is my priority right now,¡± said Alessandra.


    Edgar took a deep breath to settle his emotions. ¡°I am sorry,¡± he apologized for how his words came out to her. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to-¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Alessandra said before he exin what didn¡¯t need to be exined. ¡°You almost lost someone like a father to you. It is okay for you to get angry but I just want you to know that I am trying to help you. I cannot handle Alfred¡¯s current state and then have you be ill, Edgar. Please have a warm bath and fill your stomach while we wait.¡±


    ¡°Have you eaten?¡± Edgar asked as it was almost time for dinner.


    .....


    Alessandra shook her head. ¡°No, I wanted to wait until the two of you returned to eat. I don¡¯t like eating alone. I never have and never will.¡±


    ¡°Then I will only eat if you do. Come,¡± Edgar held out his hand for her toe to him. He closed his hand realizing the mess she would have to walk through so he walked to her instead and lifted her to take her across the mess. ¡°I am sorry you had to witness that.¡±


    ¡°It was alright. I have seen worse things. I could have walked on my own, Edgar. I know how to avoid the broken pieces,¡± Alessandra replied though she enjoyed being lifted by Edgar.


    ¡°Of course, you can but I prefer to carry you,¡± Edgar answered, not wanting to put her down.


    ¡°Your clothes are damp and your skin is cold. Go straight to the fire Edgar. I will run your bath for you,¡± said Alessandra.


    ¡°Let me,¡± she said when they reached their bedroom door. She turned the knob since Edgar¡¯s hands were full and pushed the door open. The room was already lit most likely from a maid who came in to prepare the room for when they would need to rest.


    Edgar carefully ced Alessandra on the floor. Alessandra straightened out her dress and then looked at the clothes that were glued to Edgar because of the snow which melted. She was honestly astonished he was not yet sick but by morning there might be a difference.


    To Edgar¡¯s surprise, Alessandra began to unbutton his shirt. ¡°I hope you are not trying to tempt me in a time like this.¡±


    Alessandra paused and looked at Edgar in disbelief for having such a thought right now. ¡°I am not. I want to get you out of these wet clothes before you are sick and I am trying my best tofort you as your wife. I do not know if I am doing a good job. I wouldn¡¯t mind if you tease me to put yourself in a better mood. As long as your anger can disappear for the rest of the night.¡±


    ¡°It left the moment we stepped into this room but it will return once morninges. I am sorry for leaving you without informing you of what was going on,¡± he apologized as he should have gone to her first instead of leaving her without a clue.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need any more apologies from you, Edgar. It is perfectly fine that you thought only of Alfred. The fact that you knew something was wrong right away and how you ran off in search of Alfred made me fall for you even more. Do not let that boost your ego,¡± Alessandra said but she knew her words were useless.


    She pushed the shirt off of Edgar¡¯s shoulder and arms ignoring the icy feeling of his skin. ¡°Do not move. I will start a fire,¡± she said.


    ¡°Alessandra, I am capable of helping myself. I have been in harsher weather conditions in the past-¡±


    ¡°But you did not have a wife who wanted to take care of you back then. It is pointless to try to stop me from aiding you, Edgar. This is my way offorting you so please leave me be and get undressed while I try not to set my hand on fire,¡± Alessandra said, stepping back from the small fire she created. She carefully threw wood inside from a distance. ¡°Now the warm water.¡±


    ¡°Have I ever told you that I enjoy yourmanding side? You must do it more often,¡± said Edgar, entertained by this rare side of her.


    Alessandra walked by Edgar to go into the bathroom to start running the warm water and put soap into the tub. ¡°I only do it when you do not listen to me. If I do it more, it means that you are either annoying or stubborn so no thank you.¡±


    ¡°Do you n on watching me take a bath? It would help ease my mind even more.¡±


    Alessandra took a deep breath. How had he already started to use what was happening to keep her in the bathroom like this? She stared at him as the water filled the tub. ¡°I will not-¡±


    ¡°Stay with me, Alessandra. You do not have to get inside but I would like for you to be nearby. I need a distraction,¡± Edgar exined. If he were to be alone with his thoughts, he would only get angry again and possibly head out to search for the person he desperately wanted to kill.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Alessandra changed her mind. She didn¡¯t have anywhere to sit so she remained at the edge of the tub. She looked away to give Edgar privacy when he started to take off his pants and shoes before stepping into the tub.


    ¡°Alessandra, we have seen each other naked more than once and yet you avert your eyes in moments like this. I would prefer if you stare at my body instead of giving me privacy,¡± Edgar stated as he stepped into the tub. He held her left hand the moment he was seated. ¡°Thank you for taking care of him while I was away.¡±

 Chapter 300 - 300 Anger (3)

    300 Anger (3)


    ¡°I have my own hands, Edgar. Feed yourself. You are the one at risk of getting sick.¡±


    ¡°So you should be feeding me. Go on,¡± Edgar ced his fork down and waited for her to use her own to feed him.


    Alessandra sighed. She was only doing the things he wanted to keep his mind off of Alfred. She poked her fork into the meat she cut and ced the fork by Edgar¡¯s mouth for him to eat.


    ¡°How is your head?¡± Edgar asked after taking a bite, referring to the wound she got from her time in the pce.


    ¡°It is fine. It has not hurt since it happened and I ced the cream from the pce on it along with my scars this morning,¡± Alessandra answered.


    ¡°I am still going to punish that woman. After I deal with Alfred¡¯s attacker.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to. Losing a hand or two is already enough and I don¡¯t want to revisit that after what we are going through with Alfred now. A woman like Sophia will dig her own grave without us getting involved. I only worry about her husbanding to you because he is in court,¡± said Alessandra.


    ¡°And?¡± Edgar replied as he did not see how her husband being in the court was a concern.


    ¡°You do not even fear the court?¡± Alessandra asked, slightly surprised by this.


    .....


    ¡°I do not fear the king so why should I fear the court? They might make others tremble but I do not. Her husband is not that important in the court anyway. Don¡¯t be surprised if hees begging me to forgive his wife¡¯s actions. Do not worry about him or anyone else,¡± said Edgar.


    Thanks to his father, his friendship with Tobias, and his title he knew the court well. He was good at going around anything the court woulde at his door for. There were a few people there who hated his existence but they didn¡¯t have the position toe after him.


    ¡°If you say so. I must worry about the things you don¡¯t. Do not be like a stubborn child,¡± Alessandra said after she held out the fork with vegetables on it but Edgar was not eating.


    ¡°Says the woman who pushes her vegetables to the side of the te,¡± Edgar replied, pushing the fork away from his mouth. ¡°You eat it and then we shall go down to check on Alfred.¡±


    ¡°I am already full so we can go down now,¡± she ced her fork down. She was ready to hear about Alfred¡¯s state. The waiting period was unbearable but it was better having Edgar here than worrying alone.


    Alessandra ced all the tes and cups together to make it easy for the maid who would have to clean up. She stood up and joined Edgar who held her hand and walked with her to the door.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Alessandra said in shock when they exited their bedroom and found the hall that was once messed up now cleaned. The only evidence that something had happened was the walls now missing paintings. Luckily, before she was informed that Alfred was missing, she started to paint like she used to do to pass time and calm her mind. ¡°They moved quickly.¡±


    ¡°They have to be thanks to Alfred¡¯s stern rules. He is suited to start a school to train young butlers and maids even if it ising out of my pockets. He¡¯s trained them well enough that they might be able to clean up evidence of murder quickly. Should we test it out?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Alessandra replied as she was afraid of who exactly he would pick out to be the person to get murdered. ¡°I would like to keep this house murder free.¡±


    ¡°Duke, Duchess. I was looking for a maid to bring you,¡± Davis, the doctor¡¯s assistant, said. ¡°The patient has woken up and is asking for the two of you.¡±


    Alessandra and Edgar picked up their pace down the stairs to get to Alfred. Alessandra was jumping on the inside, happy to hear that Alfred was awake while Edgar felt a sense of relief.


    The guest room¡¯s door was wide open when they reached it and looking inside, they saw Alfred sitting up on the pillow being fed something by Sally.


    ¡°Who made this tea? It is a terrible blend,¡± they heard Alfred¡¯s voice.


    Alessandra bit her lip to refrain fromughing at him criticizing his tea. If you were going to make Alfred tea you had to do it right or hand the job off to someone else if you wanted to avoid a lengthy lecture about the right way to make tea.


    ¡°Alfred,¡± Edgar said as he slowly walked into the room. He took note of the way Alfred smiled as he always did now that he was here. ¡°Did you wish to kill me?¡±


    ¡°Not recently no,¡± Alfred replied.


    ¡°I have been losing my mind for hours looking for you and here you areining about the taste of tea,¡± said Edgar.


    Alfred looked at the terrible mix in Sally¡¯s hands. ¡°Well, it is awful. I was on the brink of death and that mixture might end me. I didn¡¯t mean to worry you, Edgar.¡±


    Sally picked up the tray she brought into the room and left to give the trio some privacy. In the corner, she saw the doctor trying to pack up his things quickly.


    ¡°Was Timothy found? I asked Sally about his whereabouts but she did not have the slightest clue. I remember where I left him,¡± Alfred said, sitting up to leave the bed.


    Edgar ced a hand on Alfred¡¯s shoulder to stop him. ¡°You are not getting out of bed, Alfred. You need to rest. It appears that your arm will be of no use to you for a while,¡± he said looking at Alfred¡¯s right arm which waspletely bandaged up. ¡°We found Timothy where you left him but it was toote.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Alfred replied, leaning back into the bed. ¡°I should not have left him. I hoped to take them off his trail ande back for him but after I ran into those men again, I could not turn around. I promised him he would live.¡±


    ¡°You tried your best. I am sure he knows this,¡± Alessandra said tofort Alfred.


    ¡°He was so ready to give up his life. If everyone deserved to die it was me-¡±


    ¡°That is enough,¡± Edgar said, cutting off Alfred before he could say something foolish. ¡°Neither of you deserved to die. The same cannot be said for the person who attacked you.¡±


    Alfred shook his head. ¡°We were only attacked because of me.¡±


    Edgar narrowed his eyes as it seemed Alfred was aware of who attacked him and asked, ¡°Who is behind this, Alfred?¡±


    Alfred looked away, not having the strength to tell Edgar that it was his own mother. He never wanted to be the thing to break the fragile rtionship the two had, though it already happened. ¡°I will tell you in the morning,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Alfred,¡± Edgar said through gritted teeth. He clenched his fist to hold back his anger. ¡°The longer you wait to tell me the more chances you give for this person to hide.¡±


    ¡°They cannot hide,¡± Alfred said as a matter of fact. ¡°And if they try, I shall know where they are going. Give me until morning when I am feeling better, Edgar. If I tell you now, you will leave my side. On the brink of death, I thought of having you closer. It is quite different from what I always imagined. I thought if I were to ever die-¡±


    ¡°Enough,¡± Edgar softly spoke as he did not want to hear about Alfred dying. It was already hard enough to see him lying on the bed full of wounds. Had someone not found Alfred, he could be still out in the snow searching and inevitablye across his corpse. ¡°Do not speak of dying, Alfred. We were close to losing you today. Hearing about death from your mouth isn¡¯t making it better.¡±


    ¡°It is good to see how much the two of you worry about me and even the maids like Sally who cried when she saw me but then she brought that awful tea. I was determined not to die. I still have onest thing on my list which is to see your children. I am so close to raising them to leave this world now,¡± said Alfred.


    ¡°You fool,¡± Edgar muttered, covering his face with his hand. ¡°Do not wait until morning, Alfred. Give me the name of this person.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Alfred, why are you trying to protect them? Is it¡­¡± Edgar paused as there was only one person who came to mind that Alfred would be reluctant to expose. ¡°Is it my mother?¡± The words slowly left his mouth.


    ¡®She wouldn¡¯t,¡¯ Alessandra thought. Prisci couldn¡¯t possibly be so foolish as to try harming Alfred when she knew how much Edgar cared for him. ¡®For someone trying to get back into Edgar¡¯s good graces, Prisci wouldn¡¯t be so foolish to harm Alfred, right?¡¯


    ¡°I will speak about it in the-¡±


    ¡°Alfred!¡± Edgar yelled, frustrated and angered that it could be his own flesh and blood who tried to take Alfred from him. He was furious that even at this point, Alfred was trying not to expose her. ¡°If you won¡¯t tell me, I shall get the answers from her myself.¡±

 Chapter 301 - 301 Not the best time (1)

    301 Not the best time (1)


    ¡°Edgar! Crap,¡± Alfred winced from sitting up too quickly.


    Alessandra went to his side to help himy back down.


    Edgar stopped walking and ran his hand through his hair. Alfred would make his wounds worse again to stop him from leaving. ¡°Why are you protecting her now?¡± He asked, needing to know the answer.


    ¡°I am not. I almost died today and someone I promised would not die has perished. I would love to converse with your mother before you sever all ties with her. That is why I want to leave it till morning,¡± said Alfred.


    ¡°He won¡¯t be able to travel tomorrow or the day after that,¡± Robert spoke up because he was overhearing the conversation. ¡°You must stay in bed, take the medicine I have provided, and frequently clean the wounds. If you want to use your arm in the future, you must stay in bed.¡±


    ¡°You are not going anywhere, Alfred. I will tie you to the bed if needed. You are not to be anywhere near my mother. That is if she is still alive after I have dealt with her,¡± Edgar said, pacing back and forth as he thought of how he would deal with his mother.


    Alfred sighed. This was exactly what he wanted to avoid. He warned Prisci this would happen and now she buried herself. He hoped that by some miracle she was not the one to attack him. All his efforts to have Edgar build a rtionship with his mother were now gone.


    ¡°Edgar, you cannot harm your mother. You will rile up her side of the family and-¡±


    ¡°When will either of you learn that I do not care? She started this by going after a man she should feel indebted to. Should any of those people I rarely see step to my gates I shall strike them down. How do you expect me not to retaliate when I care for you, Alfred? Have I not shown over the years that I will ruin anyone for you?¡± Edgar asked.


    .....


    ¡°I know how much you care. I simply do not want you to go there now when you cannot think straight. I wish for you to calm down and go in the morning. I am not protecting your mother, Edgar. She needs to pay for what happened to Timothy if she is behind all of this. I do not want you going there while you are consumed by anger. Alessandra,¡± Alfred said, looking to her for help.


    ¡°Edgar, it iste for you to travel all the way there. Everyone is shaken up about Alfred and now they must learn of Timothy. I want everyone involved to be punished but we should take a moment to be by Alfred¡¯s side and give Timothy a proper send-off. In the morning, you should visit your mother. You¡¯ve been too worried about Alfred to leave his side now,¡± Alessandra said, taking hold of Edgar¡¯s hand in case her words weren¡¯t enough.


    Edgar looked back and forth between Alessandra and Alfred then said, ¡°I will stay by your side tonight, Alfred. However, your words will not stop me from going to my mother as soon as the sun rises.¡±


    ¡°I will not stop you. Now,¡± Alfred patted the stop beside him. ¡°Have a seat. Both of you.¡±


    Alfred meant it when he said he wanted Edgar closer. After countless years of raising Edgar, in the moments he thought he might die today, Alfred didn¡¯t feel like he spent enough time with Edgar which should be impossible. Perhaps there were things he needed to say to Edgar before he passed. Like he was proud of the young man Edgar turned out to be when he was not torturing others.


    ¡°Edgar-¡±


    ¡°Alfred, if you are going to give me some heartfelt speech save it,¡± Edgar said as he sat down on the bed just like Alfred wanted. ¡°You are going to live for many more years so save whatever you have to say for a better moment. Not now when it feels like death is still in the air.¡±


    ¡°I see. Then I shall do that,¡± Alfred replied, leaning back against his pillow. ¡°Would it be too much to ask for one of you to bring me a new cup of tea? One that is worth drinking. Have the two of you had dinner? It is well past the time for it.¡±


    If not for Alfred¡¯s current wounds, Edgar would flick Alfred for thinking about the timing of dinner when he was in this state.


    ¡°We ate a moment ago. Dinner wasn¡¯t on our minds when a member of our family was missing. I will get the tea for you and a book for you to read,¡± Alessandra said, getting up from the bed. It was the perfect way to give the two some privacy.


    As she walked to the door, the doctor was right behind her leaving with his belongings. Alessandra closed the door behind her so no one could disrupt the two. She wished to spend time with Alfred but Edgar and Alfred had a deeper bond with each other. They needed a moment to let out their feelings without anyone present.


    ¡°Are you alright, Edgar?¡± Alfred asked now that the two of them were alone.


    ¡°I am not the injured one,¡± Edgar answered.


    ¡°I am hurt physically but I fear you are hurting emotionally. As blunt as you can be, there are times when you do not say what is on your mind and it upsets me. I do not like being the reason for your pain. My job was to keep you happy,¡± said Alfred.


    ¡°You¡¯ve put your life on the line for someone who does not share the same blood as you. Devote your life to me for more than you needed to. I do not have enough wealth to repay you for your loyalty,¡± Edgar spoke with his head lowered. He could not meet Alfred¡¯s eyes at the moment.


    ¡°There is nothing that needs to be repaid. I made the choice to stay by your side not expecting money in return from you. Seeing the young boy I met many years ago grow up before my eyes were always more than enough. Do not feel guilty for what has happened today, Edgar. It is a matter between your mother and me,¡± Alfred replied.


    ¡°Hmm. My grandmother won¡¯t be too happy if she learns of your state. She might strangle my mother and then smack you for worrying her. I am starting to believe that there is something more to the rtionship you two have.¡±


    Alfred chuckled, picturing how Rose would react. ¡°There is nothing between us. Just a mutual understanding that we wish for you to be happy. When you prepare Timothy¡¯s burial, I wish to be present. Even if I have to look out a window.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡±


    ¡°Edgar-¡± Alfred paused, wide-eyed from the sudden embrace from Edgar. It took him back to a memory of a young Edgar hugging him in the darkness of his room after he found him crying.


    ¡°It is good to have you back,¡± Edgar said, his anger vanishing for the moment just as it did each time he was near Alfred.


    Alfred bit his lip, patting Edgar¡¯s back as he held back his tears.

 Chapter 302 - 302 Not the best time (2)

    302 Not the best time (2)


    Hourster the house settled down after Alfred fell asleep and the men who aided Edgar in the search were fed. Edgar received notice that preparations for Timothy¡¯s funeral had already started and letters were being sent to any rtives he was close to.


    It wasn¡¯t easy but Edgar convinced Alessandra to go to bed after she had brought tea for Alfred. He was forced to promise her that if something were to happen he would wake her up. Edgar had no ns to keep this promise. He had a feeling she was tossing and turning in their bed, unable to sleep.


    Edgar closed the door of the room that would now belong to Alfred for the next couple of days.


    ¡°Edgar, the guards are here,¡± Reed said as soon as Edgar closed the door. Unlike his peers who chose to refer to Edgar by his title, Reed opted to be different which Edgar never said he disliked. ¡°They found your carriage, broken on the side of the road and the dead men.¡±


    Edgar wasn¡¯t in the mood to deal with Oliver who he was certain came to his home. ¡°Let them inside. I want to get this over as soon as possible,¡± said Edgar.


    Reed left Edgar¡¯s side to send Edgar¡¯s response to the gates.


    Edgar followed behind Reed, going out to his front door, and watching Reed speak with another guard who hurried off to the gates. Momentster, he spotted Oliver riding in on a horse with two other men behind him.


    When he neared the steps, Oliver slid off his horse leaving the two men he brought behind while he dealt with Edgar who was always causing trouble. ¡°Your carriage-¡±


    ¡°Good night. It is proper manners to greet the owner of the house first,¡± said Edgar.


    .....


    Oliver didn¡¯t care about greetings. ¡°Your carriage was found at the side of the road with a good number of bodies around it. I received word that you sent one of your men to be prepared for a funeral. Aren¡¯t you tired of causing trouble? What exnation do you have to get out of me arresting you?¡±


    ¡°Oliver,¡± Edgar sighed, already annoyed by the conversation. ¡°It is your job to inspect the scene and ask questions before pointing fingers. Are you not tired of pointing me out as the bad guy each time? I have been tired of it for over ten years now.¡±


    ¡°You want me to believe you did not kill the men surrounding your carriage?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± Edgar truthfully replied. ¡°You are supposed to be looking for the men who attacked the person in my carriage not using me. I lost someone I cared for in that attack. Be a good boy and go find them.¡±


    ¡°Be a good boy? Do I seem like a dog to you?¡± Oliver replied, angered by thement.


    ¡°No, a dog would have the moremon sense to listen to my words and stop barking up the wrong tree. I don¡¯t have the time to entertain you using me. My carriage was attacked, the driver died and my butler was injured. The two of them killed the men you have seen. This conversation is now over,¡± Edgar said, turning to go back inside.


    Reed started to walk back up the steps to join Edgar. ¡°You!¡± He eximed when Oliver reached out to grab Edgar.


    ¡°This conversation isn¡¯t over-¡±


    Edgar twisted the hand Oliver grabbed him with and with his free hand, he moved quickly to push Oliver against the wall.


    The two men who came with Oliver slid off their horses, ready to run up to defend him against Edgar but their path was blocked by Reed.


    ¡°I have fucking had it with you constantly meddling in my life. Always trying to pin something on me because of your issues. Let us get one thing straight once and for all. I am not responsible for your feelings. I am not meant to return any feelings you have to make you feel normal. I did nothing to make you like me and I am allowed the choice of rejecting your advances,¡± Edgar said, letting out all that he wanted to tell Oliver for years but the man was too stubborn to listen.


    Edgar continued to say, ¡°You me me for what you are now. Throwing me in jail won¡¯t change the fact that you like fucking men. I have been kind enough to not bber what I know to this town that will judge you to the point of sending you to your grave. I¡¯ve let you slide with pissing me off but not tonight.¡±


    Oliver gritted his teeth, roughly shoving Edgar¡¯s hand off of him. ¡°I detest you because you abuse your power,¡± he said.


    ¡°The only reason you hate me is that I never returned your feelings and you had to face your father¡¯s wrath alone when he noticed. You me me for feelings you caught on your own. I was a good friend to you but you took it as something else. I am not ying this ridiculous game tonight. Do not show up before me unless you are doing your job right,¡± Edgar stated as he straightened out his clothes.


    ¡°Or what?¡± Oliver replied, provoking Edgar to do something. Edgar was always calm and hardly reacted. He wanted Edgar to get angry instead of always being smug.


    ¡°I have the desire to kill someone right now. Do not tempt me to kill the only son your father has tonight. However, I wee you to find the answer should youe to my doors again with a foolish usation. Oh, keep that future wife of yours away from mine. I find her to be irritating. Reed,¡± Edgar called, giving Reed an order without having to say it.


    Oliver clenched his fist as he watched Edgar walk away from him. He took a step forward to chase after him but a grip on his shoulder pulled him back.


    ¡°He has spared you despite his anger but you see, I am not so kind. Take a step forward and it shall be yourst. I must warn you, I am not good at keeping secrets,¡± Reed whispered, taunting Oliver of revealing what he wanted to be hidden.


    ¡°This house has nothing but crazy bastards,¡± Oliver said, shaking Reed¡¯s hand off of him. He looked back at the two men he came with. He hoped somehow they had not heard what Edgar said.


    Oliver didn¡¯t like that the man beside him knew his secret and so did some of Edgar¡¯s friends. Edgar wasn¡¯t being a good friend like he imed.

 Chapter 303 - 303 [Bonus chapter] Severed ties (1)

    303 [Bonus chapter] Severed ties (1)


    ¡°You need to join me for dinner tonight. We will be having a few couples over so do not think of burying yourself in any work. You are supposed to be retired which is the reason we moved away from Lockwood,¡± said Prisci.


    On the opposite side of the table, Edmund sat reading a paper while the maids rushed around them to ce breakfast on the table.


    ¡°Edmund!¡± Prisci called him again after no response. ¡°Whatever is on that paper cannot be more important than what your wife is saying.¡±


    ¡°I beg to differ,¡± Edmund finally replied. If he continued to ignore her, his ears would only suffer. ¡°I told you to give me proper notice when you want to entertain your friends. A day in advance is better.¡±


    ¡°If you hade to bed while I was still awake you would have heard of it sooner. It isn¡¯t only my friends but yours as well. We haven¡¯t been around many of our peers since we returned. Well, you have not.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care to be social like you are. I grab a drink with a friend once in a while and call it a day,¡± Edmund replied.


    ¡°That is why your reputation will fade away. People will forget you ever existed. Speaking of reputation, I have to suffer through questions about your son¡¯s wife. I have a headache just thinking about it,¡± Prisci said, touching her head. ¡°I cannot stomach the thought of Edgar creating a new generation with that girl who has nothing.¡±


    ¡°He loves her so you should stop judging her and wee her into the family. From my mother¡¯s letters, Alessandra has been weed into the family. You are only making trouble for yourself by being against their marriage. Take her under your wing and Edgar shalle around again,¡± Edmund suggested what should have been done from the beginning.


    ¡°Under my wing?¡± Prisci chuckled as she found it to be a joke. ¡°I only pick girls with good backgrounds under my wing. My standard will fall if I let someone like her in.¡±


    .....


    ¡°She is now a Duchess and your daughter-inw.¡±


    ¡°I do not recognize her as either,¡± Prisci replied.


    ¡°You mustn¡¯t-¡±


    Prisci looked to her side where the chatter wasing from. She informed the maids she liked silence in the morning so whoever was creating the noise was looking to be fired. ¡°Who is it being so loud? Send them away-Edgar?¡± Prisci choked up at the sight of her son.


    For a moment she thought she was still dreaming as she watched him approach the table.


    Edmund ced his paper down, surprised to see Edgar paying them a visit. ¡°Edgar, what a pleasant surprise. It is not like you to visit us.¡±


    ¡°I had some motivation that brought me here. Do you wish for me to leave?¡± Edgar asked, stopping before he reached where he wanted to sit.


    Edmund was suspicious of the visit but he would not send his son away. ¡°No, have a seat. We were just discussing you and your wife,¡± he said.


    Edgar sat down in the middle of the table, at an equal distance from his parents. ¡°Is that so? What about?¡± Edgar calmly asked.


    The maids were quick to start setting up the space in front of him.


    ¡°My mother and a few of the rtives have taken quite a liking to your wife. Alessandra is doing a wonderful job making everyone fall for her. Even you. When am I going to see some grandchildren? I want to shower them with gifts and make my friends jealous. I am tired of having to listen to their stories and have none in return,¡± Edmund said, eagerly waiting for him to have little children to spend time with.


    ¡°You were hardly around for me so what makes you think I am going to let you disappoint my children?¡± Edgar retorted, not feeling bad at the hurt expression his father now wore. ¡°Are you trying to make up for what youcked with your son through your grandchildren? Alessandra and I will soon have children. It is unfortunate they arecking grandparents on both sides.¡±


    ¡°Edgar, what on earth are you talking about? Our rtionship needs to be worked on but it is not bad enough that you should not let me see my grandchildren,¡± Edmund said, furious by the news Edgar brought to him so early in the morning. ¡°Why are you here son?¡±


    ¡°To have breakfast. We have not sat like this in a long time. You would be buried in work, mother arguing about not having enough attention, and me in the middle, wanting to be somewhere else. Those days were entertaining sometimes,¡± Edgar said, picking up a knife and fork to begin eating. ¡°I would have brought Alessandra along but I could not bring myself to subject her to the torture of sitting at a table with the two of you.¡±


    ¡°Edgar! That is enough. We are still your parents and are deserving of respect. You should be grateful if we were to allow her to step foot into our home. If you havee here to insult us, you can leave,¡± Prisci pointed at the door.


    ¡°Like always, I must disobey yourmands. I am not leaving what shall be ourst breakfast together. It is quite good,¡± Edgar said before cing a fork full of egg in his mouth. ¡°Father, the person who can best answer your question of why I am here is her,¡± he pointed at his mother.


    Edmund looked at his wife for an answer.


    ¡°I do not know why he is here. This game you are trying to pull is not funny. Stop eating and be honest with us about why you are here,¡± said Prisci. The wait was eating her up. What made their son who hated visiting theme so early in the morning?


    ¡°A dear friend of mine was killed yesterday. He died far before his time and worse of all, he died with no one by his side. We buried him first thing this morning-¡±


    ¡°What does that have to do with us? If you came here to beforted, you are asking for it the wrong way. Why didn¡¯t you go to that wife you hide at home?¡± Prisci asked, not the slightest bit interested in this dead friend.


    Edgar ced his knife and fork down. ¡°You needed to let me finish mother. I spent many hours searching the snow for someone I care for¡­¡±


    Edmund tried to listen to Edgar¡¯s words but the sight of a maid with a worried expression running towards him caught his attention. ¡°What is it?¡± He asked the young woman.


    ¡°T-There is a group of men out front the house with weapons. They wear the symbol of a falcon.¡±


    Edmund looked back at Edgar who had gone quiet. ¡°Edgar, why are your men outside my home?¡±


    Edgar turned to his mother who appeared confused. ¡°I am here for the person who tried to kill Alfred. Speak while you still have your tongue, mother.¡±

 Chapter 304 - 304 [Bonus chapter] Severed ties (2)

    304 [Bonus chapter] Severed ties (2)


    Prisci was stunned to hear Edgar mention killing Alfred. She wanted to when she saw him yesterday but after their conversation and Federick arrived, she decided against it. ¡®That bastard,¡¯ she thought, realizing Federick must have gone against her decision. It would not be the first time he had done this.


    ¡°You were so talkative a second ago. Do not be silent now, mother. Who did you order to kill Alfred?¡± Edgar asked, his patience quickly running thin. He was d Alfred stopped him fromingst night. He had more time to think about how he would deal with his mother.


    ¡°Prisci,¡± Edmund said, refusing to believe she would have a hand in hurting Alfred. ¡°Please tell me this is a misunderstanding.¡±


    ¡°I did not order Alfred to be killed,¡± Prisci replied with the truth. She mentioned it to Federick when he arrived but quickly changed her mind. She had mentioned killing Alfred to Federick many times before and during the time he killed Jennifer for her which was why he must have gone ahead to do what she could not finish.


    ¡°I do not believe you, mother. No, you are not deserving of such a title. You are far from being a mother. You were pushed to have me before you were ready so I am giving you back your freedom. In my eyes, you are no mother of mine. It will make what I n to do much easier for all of us,¡± Edgar said.


    Not long after, the sound of something crashing and screams flooded the house.


    Edmund and Prisci were both equally confused and shocked by what was happening outside the dining room while Edgar remained as calm as when he entered.


    ¡°Son, this is madness. Your mother says she has nothing to do with it-¡±


    ¡°I am just as furious with you as I am with her. For years you have covered up the things that she has done while you go out and talk about the kingdom needing to be safer. We both know that she had something to do with the attack on Alfred. Unless you want to join her, I suggest you shut up,¡± Edgar snapped at his father.


    .....


    Edmund was aware of the foul things his wife did to get rid of the people she disliked. Instead of putting an end to it, he would always cover up for her. Edgar thought of taking both of them but right now, he would settle for his mother.


    Prisci was confused by the mention of Edmund joining her somewhere. Join her where? She stood up, afraid of the noise that wasing towards them. The unfamiliar voices of men told her Edgar¡¯s men had stormed inside. ¡°I had nothing to do-¡±


    ¡°You have no clue who attacked him?¡± Edgar questioned, looking up at Prisci. He noticed the way she slipped up by wanting to say something but then she bit her lip. ¡°I don¡¯t need to hear your words when your bodynguage reveals the truth.¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± Edmund yelled, banging his hand against the table. ¡°It is too much for you to storm our house like this.¡±


    ¡°Far better than my n to burn it down with the two of you inside,¡± Edgar replied. He had a far better n in mind for his mother. ¡°You¡¯re starting to make me not want to separate the two of you.¡±


    Prisci hurried to Edmund¡¯s side just as men filled the dining room. Their clothes were coated with blood. ¡°I am not going anywhere with you, Edgar. The man you want is Federick. He has a group of men at his beck and call.¡±


    ¡°Prisci,¡± Edmund said, realizing that she was involved. He had hoped it wouldn¡¯t be true though he knew she would do something like this. This wasn¡¯t the first time he heard of this Federick. ¡°You,¡± he balled up his fist, at a loss for words.


    He made it clear over and over again how much they owed Alfred for being there for Edgar when they were not. How could she be so foolish as to target Alfred knowing how Edgar would react?


    Still, Edmund wasn¡¯t on board with her being taken away to wherever Edgar had in mind. ¡°I will deal with your mother,¡± he said, pushing her behind him.


    All the men Edgar brought along with him, including Reed, did not move even though their target was right there. They waited for Edgar to give them themand.


    ¡°Deal with it, how? By yelling at her and then trying to hide her tracks? You are useless which is why I will take this matter into my own hands. She is going to tell me everything she knows about this Federick,¡± Edgar exined his n as he stood up from his seat.


    ¡°Fine. I know where he lingers daily. You can go to him and take your revenge. I swear to you I did not order him to kill Alfred. You must leave after I tell you what you wish to know,¡± Prisci stated, still hiding behind Edmund.


    ¡°Nonsense. We shouldn¡¯t ruin this breakfast any further. You will being with me. Regardless of whether you gave the order or not, you wanted to kill Alfred and he was attacked by someone looking to please you. He spoke of feeling like he was on the verge of dying. You must learn what that feels like. Get her,¡± Edgar ordered Reed and the other men to collect what they came for.


    ¡°Edgar!¡± Edmund yelled at his son, blocking his wife from being taken by men he did not know. She needed to be punished but not like this. ¡°Call them off.¡±


    ¡°Do whatever you need to do to pry her off of him. Over twenty years of marriage but only now does she cling to him. I have other things to do, Reed. Do not make this long,¡± Edgar said, leaving Reed to lead the men to take Prisci and drag her out.


    He nned to make her feel what Alfred felt. Like her life was about to be over with each step she took. Luckily for her, Edgar was not going to kill her. He would only make her wish she was dead before releasing her. A couple of days in his dungeon would end the games she yed with him, Alessandra, and Alfred.


    With Edgar gone, Reed slowly approached Edmund who he deemed to be a respectable man. It was only a shame he kept protecting the woman behind him.


    ¡°It is pointless to try fighting against us, Mr. Collins. None of us want to drag your wife out of here but we will if needed. Hand her over while we are being nice,¡± Reed said, inspecting his sword covered with the blood of men who tried to stop them from entering the house. ¡°You see, we all care for Alfred no matter how many rules he drives us crazy with. I¡¯d hate for Edgar to lose a mother and a father in one day if you do not move.¡±


    ¡°E-Edmund. Don¡¯t you dare let them take me,¡± Prisci pleaded with him. ¡°Fight them,¡± she pushed her husband forward. He was once an excellent fighter among his peers and could still take these young men. She only needed him to distract these men so she could run away.


    ¡°That is embarrassing,¡± Reed muttered, feeling sorry for the couple but it didn¡¯tst long. ¡°Edgar will have our necks if we wait too long. Get her.¡±

 Chapter 305 - 305 Severed ties (3)

    305 Severed ties (3)


    ¡°Prisci, go with them.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Prici screeched at her husband who clearly lost his mind. ¡°Our son wants to punish me for something I did not do and you want me to go with these men? Is this your way of getting rid of me?¡±


    ¡°I cannot fight them all,¡± said Edmund. Edgar had a good amount of skilled men by his side and as someone who hadn¡¯t fought in years, Edmund knew he would only injure himself if he tried. ¡°Even if I do, Edgar woulde to take you himself and I cannot bring myself to fight my son.¡±


    ¡°Good choice,¡± Reed pped his hands. He preferred his captiveing willingly rather than all the kicking and screaming.


    ¡°You can¡¯t fight your son but you can watch your wife be taken off to be hurt? I am not-¡±


    ¡°Do you want them to drag you out of here and be embarrassed in front of the servants or walk out with your head held high? Think about that reputation you cherish so much and go quietly. It won¡¯t be long before someone passing by notices something is wrong. Go,¡± Edmund said, stepping to the side for Prisci to leave.


    ¡°Edmund, I do not want to die,¡± she cried, refusing to let go of him. ¡°I did not order Alfred to be killed. I swear it.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t die,¡± Edmund confidently spoke. ¡°Alfred won¡¯t let him kill you and Alessandra seems to have the heart that won¡¯t let him kill his own mother.¡±


    ¡®Well, they don¡¯t know what Edgar¡¯s n is but sure,¡¯ Reed thought. He sighed, missing his old peaceful job at the gates. He got to put his feet up and send the pest away. Now he was stuck doing this and seeing his brother way too much.


    .....


    Prisci didn¡¯t like Edmund¡¯s n but if he wasn¡¯t going to protect her, she would only end up being manhandled by these men if she ran. ¡°You are a disgrace of a husband,¡± she muttered before walking out from behind him. ¡°Do not touch me,¡± she said to the men Edgar brought to her.


    ¡°Only if you do not run,¡± Reed replied. He let her walk in front of him so if she tried anything foolish he would swoop her up and take her to the carriage himself.


    Prisci tried to keep herself together as they passed her guards sitting on the floors with wounds. She thought Edgar¡¯s men had killed them but it seemed they had just wounded them to stop them from blocking their way in. She was furious that mere guards were being spared yet she was leaving to be tortured by her own son.


    Prisci eyed the familiar carriage she spotted outside with hate. After everything she did for Edgar, this was how he wanted to treat his mother. His own flesh and blood? She was truthful about not ordering Alfred to be killed so why was she the one being sent off to pay for it? If she wanted Alfred dead yesterday, she would have the jobpleted.


    Prisci walked up to the carriage, not waiting on anyone to open the door for her, and stepped inside. Her eyes quickly went to Edgar who sat alone looking away from her. ¡°Edgar,¡± she called to him but got no answer. ¡°Are you satisfied with embarrassing me in front of my servants?¡±


    ¡°No, I wanted to kill you. Do not make me regret not doing so. You should count yourself lucky. It is not every day that I let a prisoner ride with me. Be quiet or I shall tie you to a rope and let you walk the way back to my estate,¡± said Edgar, refusing to look at his mother.


    ¡°No,¡± Prisci stated, refusing to be silent when her life was on the line. ¡°We are having a conversation right here right now so that I can ce some sense into your head. I did not order him to be-¡±


    ¡°But you were going to. Alfred already told me what the two of you spoke of. Had the two of you not spoken, you would have wanted to kill him and it is because you wanted to kill him that you alerted the man named Federick. I do not know what I am more hurt by. The fact you wanted to kill someone who raised your son or you have no remorse when you im to have called it off,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°I am sorry-¡±


    Edgar didn¡¯t care for your apologies and said, ¡°You are not. You are only apologizing because you were caught. Had I not correctly guessed that it was you, you would have never mentioned this person disobeying your order and attacking Alfred. Save your apologies as they are worthless now. You are something special to hate him when you should be thankful for Alfred being in my life.¡±


    ¡°Thankful? Thankful to the man who my son listens to instead of me? The man my son loves more than me? You are my only child, Edgar. It has ached my heart for years to see you care for him more than you do when ites to me. My only child belongs to me!¡± Prisci eximed, letting out her frustration.


    ¡°Thank goodness you never had another child. Thepany might have been nice but I¡¯d hate for anyone else to share the loneliness I suffered from for years. I hated being alone as a child but then I sought after it as I grew older because I did not want to deal with people like you. Then there were the annoying ns you hadid out for me. The wife, the children, and the lifestyle. Each one of them was irritating.¡±


    ¡°I wanted the best for you just like every other mother did,¡± said Prisci. What was so wrong with creating the right path for him?


    ¡°No. You wanted me to fall in line with the pretty image you created amongst your peers. Hoping I wouldn¡¯t damage your reputation. I met a woman who I fell in love with but you couldn¡¯t put your own desires aside to wee her to our family. It was the least you could do for me. Does it not hurt you that I have to hide my wife from you to protect her?¡± Edgar asked, finally turning to view the woman who was once his mother.


    ¡°It hurts me that you went against the woman I picked out for you. How could you not be upset that you have not gained anything from this marriage? Once a Baron¡¯s daughter, she has now gained the wealth of a Duchess. Your wealth,¡± Prisci stressed thest part. ¡°Your children will have nothing to gain from their mother.¡±


    ¡°They will gain her heart. A heart I wish you had.¡±


    Prisci gripped her dress out of anger and annoyance that this conversation wasn¡¯t going her way. ¡°You always make me out to be the bad guy when you are far from being a good person. You have killed people others care for.¡±


    ¡°I do not hide that I am a bad person. I do not hide anyone I have killed and I am allowed to call you out for being a terrible mother. I will fix your antics with your punishment,¡± Edgar replied.

 Chapter 306 - 306 Severed ties (4)

    306 Severed ties (4)


    ¡°You do not have to stay with me, Alessandra. I have already eaten and you¡¯ve brought more books than I needed for my time on bed rest. Please, find something else to upy your time with. You still have a party to n,¡± said Alfred. He hated to see Alessandra spending her day taking care of him when it was meant to be the other way around.


    ¡°The kittens will be upset if I leave now,¡± Alessandra lied, holding up the white kitten she brought along to keep Alfredpany. ¡°Therefore I will stay.¡±


    Alfred stared at the kitten that could care less where it yed. If he were to throw one of the toys Sally made for it out the door, it would chase after it and never look back.


    Alessandra ced the kitten back on the floor since Alfred did not buy her excuse. ¡°I want to stay here a little longer and then I will give you some alone time. Also, I won¡¯t be nning a party anymore. At least not for a little while. I had enough of the conflict it brings. I will be nning a sleepover for not more than five women.¡±


    ¡°A sleepover? Here?¡± Alfred questioned as he found it hard to believe Edgar¡¯s home would have overnight guests.


    ¡°Yes. I brought it up to Edgar already. I have most of it nned out but I have not thought about the food or how to decorate the rooms we shall sleep in. I will need your help when you are better. It must sound childish for young women my age to have a sleepover but we could all do with one night to get away from our problems,¡± said Alessandra.


    ¡°I am not judging the type of party you have. I am d you have found your circle of women all by yourselves. They will be much better than the list I created for you. I will create the menu. I have never else to do at the moment but read,¡± Alfred said, closing the book he was almost done with.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you will be back to your daily activities in no time. You look better than you didst night. A good recovery gift will be interviewing the men wanting to be Edgar¡¯s butler. You can have fun teaching them all that you know and Edgar spoke of you wanting to open a school.¡±


    ¡°No one can match the skills I have as a butler but I will try my best to help theme close,¡± Alfred replied.


    .....


    Alessandra bit her lip as she refrained fromughing. She thought Edgar got his ego from Rose but it seemed a part of it came from Alfred. ¡°Yes, no one can ever match how perfect you were as a butler,¡± she agreed with him.


    ¡°When did Edgar say he will return? I doubt he is having a good time with his parents. If only he would let me go with him. It is my arm that is injured, not my feet. Did he tell you what he nned to do with his mother?¡± Alfred asked full of curiosity.


    When Edgar came to visit him early this morning, he was much better which only worried Alfred more. Edgar and Prisci would certainly sh leaving Edmund in the middle to calm both of them. Alfred knew Edmund wouldn¡¯t allow Edgar to kill his wife which would create a fight between father and son.


    ¡°He did not mention it to me. Honestly, I did not ask what his ns were. We will find out together when he returns. Whatever happens, his mother needs to be responsible for her actions. I will not question what Edgar has done,¡± Alessandra said, choosing to stand by whatever Edgar did to his mother. It should have happened by now.


    ¡°Duchess,¡± they heard Sally¡¯s voice from outside followed by a few knocks on the door.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    Sally opened the door and walked to the bed. ¡°Duchess, men from the court are here to have a word with you,¡± she said.


    Alessandra was confused as to why the court would want to speak with her. At first, she thought it had something to do with what happened to Alfred but then she remembered her inheritance. She had not received anything from her grandmother or Katrina. ¡°Let them inside,¡± Alessandra gave the order for the gates to be opened.


    ¡°What are they here for?¡± Alfred asked after Sally left the room.


    ¡°My inheritance which is rightfully mine. I know that my father spent it but after the stunt Katrina pulled with Mario and then visiting with my grandmother, I could not let them get away with something else. After everything they have done, I cannot allow them to keep what belonged to me too. Your moment alone came quickly,¡± Alessandra said, smiling as she stood up.


    She left the kitten behind so Alfred wouldn¡¯t be all alone.


    Alessandra walked out to the front door to await her guest. She was anxious to know if Katrina was able to pull the money out of thin air or if she came up with some excuse. Had her grandmother truly provided the money to keep Katrina from getting arrested?


    ¡®After years of them not getting along of course now would be when they start to see eye to eye,¡¯ Alessandra thought.


    Sally came to stand behind Alessandra, watching three men ride toward the house. She hoped trouble wasn¡¯ting to Alessandra while Edgar was currently away.


    ¡°Duchess,¡± Mark greeted her as he walked up the steps with Den, leaving their horses in the hands of Zachary. ¡°It is a pleasure to finally meet you. I offer myte condolences to your father. We¡¯ve received your notice about your inheritance and have been working on it. We won¡¯t take up too much of your time today.¡±


    ¡°Pleasee inside from the cold,¡± Alessandra weed them in. She briefly nced at therge box one of them was carrying and wondered if it belonged to her.


    Mark stepped into the home he wouldn¡¯t be able to enter if Edgar was at home. He would not have made it past the gates if not for Alessandra. He didn¡¯t particrly have an issue with Edgar but they always stayed out of each other¡¯s paths as long as Edgar wasn¡¯t causing trouble.


    ¡°Your grandmother paid all the money left to you from your father and mother. All that is missing are items from your mother¡¯s list. Your stepmother has one day left to either provide us with those items or pay what we deem a reasonable price,¡± Den exined, setting the box with the money down on the floor. ¡°We are trying to find your mother to alert her of this issue.¡±


    Alessandra froze at the mention of her mother.


    ¡°Tell me, what does everyone have this reaction to your mother? Are we searching for a dead woman?¡± Mark asked.


    ¡°I genuinely do not know if she is alive or dead. I have not heard from her in years and my father never spoke of her whereabouts. It was surprising to hear someone is searching for her. I hope you can find out about her so that I can stop guessing what has happened to her,¡± Alessandra said, eager to hear news of her mother.


    ¡°We will send a notice to you the day we find her. In the meantime, we have gotten in touch with your grandparents. They will being to Lockwood soon. Perhaps they will give you a better story of where their daughter ran off to.¡±

 Chapter 307 - 307 Good news (1)

    307 Good news (1)


    Alessandra was once again surprised. She had not heard or seen from her grandparents in years to have the slightest clue what they looked like. No one had ever mentioned her grandparents since her mother ran away. She was curious about what type of conversation she would have with them. Would they be like Greta or Rose?


    ¡°Thank you for informing me of this. I will meet with them as soon as they are ready and send any information they give me about my mother to the court,¡± said Alessandra.


    ¡°Thank you. And if it is not rude, might I ask what you are hiding behind your mask? Is it a wound?¡± Mark asked, figuring it might have something to do with her inheritance.


    Alessandra touched her mask without thinking. ¡°Why do you need to know?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a bit too much of a coincidence. The daughter wearing a mask and not allowed out in society gets her inheritance stolen. If there was some sort of mistreatment you received from your father, stepmother, and even your sister, it will make this case even more serious. You¡¯ll be entitled to much more and because of their crimes, we can strip them of their titles,¡± Mark exined.


    ¡°Oh. There are scars I got when I was younger from an incident with my younger sister. They were really bad when I was younger so I wore a mask and I stuck with it,¡± Alessandra replied, not having any reason to protect Kate. ¡°I am taking care of the scars now so it won¡¯t be long before you can hardly tell they are here.¡±


    ¡°So the curse story was a ridiculous cover to hide what one daughter did to the other,¡± Den said.


    ¡°We will make sure you get all that you deserve, Duchess. They will deny your sister being involved but there are other ways to find the truth. It may take a while but we will uncover the truth of your life in your father¡¯s home. We won¡¯t take up any more of your time,¡± Mark said, ready to leave. Just as he turned, he remembered something. ¡°Did you happen to know anything about your stepmother before she became your father¡¯s wife?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Alessandra shook her head. ¡°He just brought her home one day. I¡¯ve never seen any of her rtives or heard her speak of her past. My uncle, rk Barrett, might know something.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Hmm, thank you for that,¡± Mark replied. He gave Den a look before they both left.


    ¡°How is it that she can hide her life even from the courts? It is like Desmond just pulled her out of thin air. No parents, no records of her in other towns, no posters of anyone looking for her if she was running away from something,¡± Den spoke, confused by Katrina¡¯s past.


    ¡°It is obvious she had someone with skill or power to help her settle down here and catch Desmond¡¯s eyes. He was an easy target. Having trouble with his wife and looking for other women to sleep with. Back then, he had no debt. Start looking for women involved in scams or anything of the sort. Katrina Barrett does not exist,¡± Mark concluded.


    Meanwhile, Alessandra watched the two men walk down the steps before closing the doors and locking them. The day brought surprisingly good news for her. News that will drive Katrina crazy. If only she could be a fly on the wall to watch it happen.


    Alessandra looked at therge box which was effortlessly carried inside. ¡°You cannot lift that, Sally. It is full of money and even I can see that it is heavier than it looks,¡± she said after Sally tried to lift it but failed. ¡°Keep an eye on it and when Caleb-¡±


    ¡°Need me, Duchess?¡± Caleb questioned, arriving just in time, eating an apple he snagged away from the kitchen. ¡°Need this box taken to your bedroom?¡±


    ¡°Yes thank you. I am going to rest for a little while since Alfred wants to be alone. Please wake me when Edgar returns or if Alfred needspany. You can take some time off Sally,¡± Alessandra said then left the two alone.


    ¡°So, how are you? You know, with the whole Timothy and Alfred situation? I didn¡¯t get the chance to speak with you,¡± Caleb said whilst picking up the box.


    ¡°I am much better now that Alfred is here but still a bit shaken up that Timothy is gone. I have been trying to talk to you about something but with everything I didn¡¯t know when was the best time. Umm, is lending me your house still an offer? I can pay for my parent¡¯s time there,¡± Sally said, biting her lip out of nervousness he would not want to give her anymore.


    Caleb couldn¡¯t resist smiling because Sally needed him. Backing off the matter seemed to be the best option to convince her. ¡°You can still use it. After what happened to Alfred, I won¡¯t have time to go home. And don¡¯t worry about paying me. It would just be an empty house if they weren¡¯t there.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll keep it tidy for you and this won¡¯t be a long-term thing. They¡¯ll get better jobs and I will start to build our home. There¡¯s just one thing I need you to do to help me convince them to stay in your home. You see, they will think you are trying to take advantage of me so if you could uhm,¡± Sally trailed off, trying to prolong what she needed. ¡°Pretend that we are in a rtionship and on the path to getting married?¡±


    ¡°What! Oh shit,¡± Caleb cursed after the box slipped from his hands but luckily, he caught it. He was certain that the excitement of her epting his offer made him hear something about marriage. ¡°Did you just mention getting married? I know we had a little agreement in the single¡¯s club but-¡±


    ¡°No no! I said we would pretend. Just to ease their minds about you. I really need them to leave my aunt¡¯s house. My father will be skeptical just like I was because during our early days without money, a family friend offered us help but I needed to give him something in exchange. My father will only trust you if he thinks we are getting married. I will owe you big time. Anything you want, I shall do my best to get it for you,¡± Sally said.


    Caleb was more stuck on the family friend who tried to get Sally to sleep with him in exchange for help. With his status as someone who sleeps around, Caleb realized why she wasn¡¯t so quick to ept his help. Someone else created a mindset for Sally that she would have to use her body in exchange for receiving help.


    ¡°Won¡¯t it cost you a lot to build your home?¡±


    ¡°The Duke has offered me a piece of hisnd to build the house,¡± Sally replied, already having a solution to help her save money.


    ¡°What the hell? You epted it quickly. Why didn¡¯t you think he wanted to sleep with you too? Never mind,¡± Caleb changed his mind since this was Edgar he was talking about. He had witnessed many times how Edgar only had eyes for Alessandra and on a few of those times, he felt like Edgar was undressing Alessandra in his head or nning how he would seduce her.


    ¡°I will help you,¡± he agreed to the n. ¡°Just let me know what day you need me to meet with your parents and I will get a day off from guarding the Duchess. I look forward to having a fake fiance.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Sally replied, excited to have her parents leave her aunt¡¯s house. She couldn¡¯t wait to give the woman a piece of her mind. If only they could leave right now to take her parents from there.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get so excited yet. Since you owe me big time, I should put you to some use right away. I had a rough day yesterday and my back could use a massage. Be a dear and help me,¡± he smiled, enjoying how her excitement quickly faded away.

 Chapter 308 - 308 Good news (2)

    308 Good news (2)


    Less than an hourter, Alessandra opened her eyes after feeling movement on the bed.


    ¡°You can sleep some more though it is a bit too early for you to be so tired. Didn¡¯t you sleepst night when I told you to go to bed?¡± Edgar asked from the edge of the bed. He returned not too long ago and came to check on her after Sally informed him of her going to rest.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t tired. Alfred wanted to be alone and I wanted time to go by faster so I chose to sleep for a while. What happened to your mother? Did you admit it was her or gave you someone¡¯s name?¡± Alessandra asked, curious of what came from his visit.


    ¡°It went as I predicted. Her not seeing what she did wrong and me having to exin it. Do not think about her anymore. I¡¯ve gotten the name of the person and I¡¯ve already started to track them down. You can¡¯t stop worrying for now. I did not kill her,¡± Edgar stated as he knew that was what she and Alfred were worried about.


    He was taking a different approach to certain people he hated. He would not make the same mistake he did with Desmond when it came to his mother. He wanted to make her life hell beforepletely cutting her out of his.


    ¡°And your father?¡± Alessandra inquired. For the most part, Edmund was innocent in all of this.


    ¡°What about him? He was ready to shield her from any punishments. I didn¡¯t ask what went down after I walked out and left Reed to take my mother, nor do I care. All that matters is that she is in my hands. I won¡¯t tell you much about it so if anyone asks you about my mother, you know nothing. Are you feeling better?¡± Edgar asked, inspecting her body. Specifically her stomach.


    Alessandra followed his gaze. ¡°I was never feeling sick,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Then you are no longer sore. Wonderful. We shall continue our task of getting you pregnant once I am finished with the business I must take care of. Perhaps it is best you get some rest while you can,¡± he advised her.


    .....


    Alessandra felt warmth on her cheek. ¡°It is not night yet,¡± she said.


    ¡°What makes you think I only desire to have you at night? You look alluring right this very moment. If not for something important that needed my attention, I would have you now. There is no set time for us to be intimate, remember? Everything with the pce and Alfred ruined my ns to keep you in bed,¡± Edgar confessed.


    Alessandra felt the sudden urge toy back down and go to sleep again. Their first night of intimacy started a goal for Edgar to get her pregnant quickly. As much as she enjoyed it, she didn¡¯t want to be kept in bed. ¡°I am going to find something to pass my time. Perhaps painting,¡± she said, removing the covers to get off the bed. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind you going back to not being fond of children.¡±


    ¡°Who says I am fond of them now? They are still annoying little things in my eyes but the process of making them is enjoyable. I will do my part thoroughly. Before you try to run away like the mouse does when it sees the cat, I heard you had a visit from the court. What was it about?¡± Edgar asked. Caleb was the one to inform him.


    Edgar brought the box Caleb wanted to carry into their bedroom but he was afraid of disturbing Alessandra.


    ¡°They came to give me the portion of my inheritance they have collected. Katrina has to find items my mother left for me or she will have to pay. Surprisingly, they are searching for my mother and her parents areing to town,¡± Alessandra said, unable to hide the excitement in her voice.


    Edgar wondered if they would find her mother alive or dead. He wouldn¡¯t be fond of her if she was alive and well all this time but did not visit her only child. ¡®Well, the only child we knew at the moment,¡¯ he thought.


    Edgar had a lot he wanted to question when it came to her mother but he did not want to ruin Alessandra¡¯s excitement. ¡°Do you have a rtionship with your grandparents? So far, Greta Barrett isn¡¯t my cup of tea so I do not have high expectations for the second one. For your sake, I hope you are able to have a rtionship with your family from your mother¡¯s side. Both sides cannot be messed up.¡±


    ¡°Like you, I do not have any high expectations so I cannot be let down. I don¡¯t remember what they were like or their faces. I would like to know why they did not visit or more of why my mother ran away if they know. They might know where she has been all these years. They have always known I lived in Lockwood so why did it take the court to bring them here?¡± Alessandra asked, more so herself than to get an answer from Edgar.


    ¡°Did your father get along with them?¡± Edgar questioned, figuring they had an issue with her father. They could not exactly demand her from Desmond.


    Alessandra tried to think of any issues but couldn¡¯t find one. She had not seen her grandparents in a long time for there to be an issue with her father. Unless he met with them outside their home. ¡°I don¡¯t know if they ever came looking for answers after my mother ran away. I wonder if with her gone, they didn¡¯t care about my father or me. It was never like they had a rtionship with me to care. I will find my answers soon. Do you mind joining me when they arrive? You must be kind.¡±


    Edgar felt offended and said, ¡°I am always kind. It is not my fault, it is not your version of kind.¡±


    ¡°One of the men asked if I knew about Katrina¡¯s past. They must be looking into her past but are met with a dead end. No one seems to know anything about her. I told them to ask my uncle because he always speaks as if he has something on her or maybe he bluffs to rile her up. My father might not have had the slightest clue who the woman he married truly is,¡± Alessandra said, doubting her father knew Katrina¡¯s past too.


    ¡°He might have been too wrapped up with having a young beautiful woman by his side. I¡¯ve heard many times how he used to unt her around. Whatever trap sheid out to settle down in this town, your father fell right into it. A fool,¡± Edgar said.


    ¡°I am curious how she is able to hide her past so well. She is smarter and more dangerous than I thought. After all, a woman no one can find a past now lives as a Baroness. It is frightening to imagine what we will one day learn about her life before my father and what she has done to get where she is now.¡±

 Chapter 309 - 309 What do you want? (1)

    309 What do you want? (1)


    Katrina bit her nails as she thought of how she would get out of having to give Alessandra more money. She searched high and low but could not find all the items Alessandra¡¯s mother left for her.


    A few of them remained in the house because Katrina liked the way they looked while others were tossed out or sold. She didn¡¯t enjoy the sight of Desmond¡¯s first wife¡¯s belongings scattered over the house so she was quick to dispose of them.


    ¡°Mother, why do you look so nervous?¡± Kate asked, taking a seat next to her mother.


    ¡°Time is running out for me to find all that belongs to Alessandra. She has more than enough with her new title but she wants to drain us. She is more cunning than any of us realized. She is doing this to get back at us.¡±


    ¡°Well, if her mother¡¯s wedding dress is on the list I happen to know where it is,¡± Kate chuckled, reminiscing on where she had the dress buried. ¡°I would love to send it to her along with the dead kitten she had. I am tired of her looking down on me.¡±


    Kate was distracted by Simon recently but she was still plotting to remove Alessandra¡¯s mask in front of everyone. The embarrassment should send Alessandra back into hiding and stop her from looking down on Kate.


    ¡°I would have liked it if it was on the list but it is not. It is mostly jewels and portraits. I should have listened to Desmond and not thrown them away. We could have used that money we gave to her,¡± said Katrina. She regretted not stopping Desmond from spending the inheritance. No, she regretted not stopping Alessandra from meeting Edgar.


    Kate looked around the house which seemed to be regaining its former glory. She spotted new servants this morning and she was promised to have a dressmakere to their home like the good old days when money was not an issue. She was curious about where her mother was suddenly getting the money and wondered if her grandmother had something to do with it.


    Kate didn¡¯t dare ask her mother where the money wasing from. She was ecstatic to have everything going back to normal and best of all, Alessandra was no longer with them. She would have liked for her father to still be alive but she was fine with the way things were right now. Once she married Simon, she wouldn¡¯t have to be concerned about money.


    .....


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to think about Alessandra anymore. I always thought that day I got rid of Alessandra from this house I would be free of her giving me headaches. Now I am constantly thinking about her and her husband,¡± Katrina said, touching her face where the cut Edgar gave her remained.


    Edgar threatened to give her another so she stayed home to avoid it but she could not remain inside any longer.


    Katrina needed to take arge sum of money from her secret stash and bring it here. Once she got rid of everyone trying to take this house from her, she would bring most of the money here for her to have at hand.


    ¡°Then do not think about her mother. Think of the perfect day for us to visit Simon¡¯s home. I want to see what will belong to me. He is open to me decorating it for him. Little does he know, I am picking out what I will want,¡± Kate said, already nning out her future home.


    Seeing Kate excited made Katrina find the peace of mind she needed at the moment. After what Kate ryed to her it did seem like Simon was interested in her. It made up for Kate for not following her advice to spend the night at his home.


    ¡°I am sure Simon is a busy man so the day he is free I will visit his home with you. Remember not toe off as if you are expecting an engagement to happen. He must not think that you are desperate for it. I¡¯m happy you found someone Kate,¡± Katrina smiled, fixing her daughter¡¯s hair to make it perfect.


    She was beginning to worry Kate would end up a spinster if she did not get married by the end of winter. No other young woman matched Kate¡¯s beauty and intelligence in town so Katrina was starting to conclude the men in town had to be blind. Someone as boring as L should never get married before Kate even if L¡¯s parents were looking to marry her off quickly.


    ¡°I hope when you get married you do not forget about me like some young women. I have tried my best to make sure you have a better life than I did. I live my fantasies through you. The dresses, the house, and the family. I wanted it all for myself at your age and I was jealous of girls who had nothing to worry about. We are so close to having everything I dreamed of,¡± Katrina said, drifting back into her past as she spoke.


    The determination she had in her youth had never once left her. Katrina made it her goal to settle with a rich man and free herself from a harsh life. She was doubted by herpanion but look how she ended up. No one could ever take what she had now. Not when it was so hard for her to bury the person she was before. The girl in her past was filthy, using her body to make a living and deceiving men. She long buried that person and her only identity would be Katrina Barrett.


    Kate found it to be sweet how her mother did not want to be left behind. She didn¡¯t have the heart to throw her mother to the side after marrying Simon. ¡°I won¡¯t ever abandon you, mother. I will repay you for raising me to be who I am now.¡±


    Kate shifted in her seat, having something important she wanted to learn. ¡°Mother, you don¡¯t speak of your family-¡±


    ¡°And I never will so do not ask,¡± Katrina quickly shot down the conversation, yfully tapping Kate¡¯s nose. ¡°Your family are the Barrett¡¯s. You do not have another side. Understand?¡±


    Kate nodded her head to please her mother but like always, she couldn¡¯t help thinking about her mother¡¯s life before her father. She hoped it was nothing to ruin the reputation and the life she wanted to start with Simon. Then, she would have to abandon her mother in society¡¯s eyes. It was her turn to enjoy a wealthy husband and she would not allow her own mother to ruin it.


    ¡°The dressmaker will soon be here, Kate. Make sure you pick out something fitting of an engagement. I hear there is a new dressmaker the young girls are fighting over. I must get them for you. You must have the best of the best now that your life is changing.¡±


    Kate wondered who this new dressmaker could be. She was always up to date with the trends but had not heard anything. ¡®I¡¯ve been focusing on Simon too much. I need to meet with Grace before I am left out of what has been happening,¡¯ she thought.


    While Kate was distracted, Katrina eyed James who was passing by them speaking with a new maid. At first, she meant to use him before tossing him away but he quickly changed her mind thanks to his energetic side at night when the house was quiet. It was so long since she enjoyed having sex with someone after years of only Desmond.


    The rewards she dangled in front of James after every heated encounter fueled his drive to take her to new heights of pleasure. She could make him go far if he continued to please her.


    The lust in Katrina¡¯s eyes vanished when she noticed Greta staring at her. She had enough of the old hag inside her home and needed her gone. ¡®What does she want now?¡¯ Katrina thought, holding back the urge to roll her eyes.


    Since she couldn¡¯t kill rk, it was more fitting to aim for the mother. With Greta gone, rk wouldn¡¯t be so bold as he had no one else to protect him and it would solve her dealing with Greta in the future.

 Chapter 310 - 310 What do you want? (2)

    310 What do you want? (2)


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t spend your time doing nothing when your peers are out mingling and hunting down a good husband, Kate. Do not go another year not married,¡± Greta spoke in a gentle tone. After Kate nodded, she looked at the sorry excuse of a mother. ¡°Come with me, Katrina.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t right now. Kate and I are discussing an important matter. I will visit you when I am free,¡± Katrina replied, not interested in what Greta wanted to say. She no longer had to be ordered around by Greta now the money was paid to Alessandra.


    Greta didn¡¯t like being told no after all the money she spent to ensure Kate still had her mother by her side. ¡°Now that you are almost free from getting in trouble with the court you have fallen back into your old ways of being rude. What did my son ever see in you?¡± She wondered, inspecting Katrina once again to figure out why Desmond fell for such a woman.


    Greta regretted daily not stepping in to resolve the issues Desmond faced with his first wife.


    ¡°Leave us, Kate,¡± Katrina ordered her daughter before answering Greta. ¡°He saw a beautiful intelligent woman. I¡¯ve heard him tell you this many times.¡±


    ¡°Intelligent?¡± Greta scoffed but then she realized she couldn¡¯t deny Katrina¡¯s intelligence. Her son was killed leaving Katrina behind with what she always wanted. Still, she wasn¡¯t going topliment Katrina. ¡°Men will say anything to get you naked. It clearly worked on you. We will speak here before you avoid me.¡±


    Katrina wondered what Greta could be so eager to talk about. The money was already paid as far as she was concerned and they already agreed on her taking care of the house without any disruptions from rtives like rk.


    Greta sat down as far away from Katrina as she could. She wasn¡¯t pleased with what she found out recently. ¡°You weren¡¯t honest with me. My son did have a debt with William and someone was sent to take Alessandra to him for reasons I do not know yet. Don¡¯t look so surprised, Katrina. Most of your servants went a long time without good pay so they can easily be bought.¡±


    ¡°So what now? Are you going to take back everything because we were marrying her off for money?¡± Katrina asked.


    .....


    ¡°No. Every day a young woman gets married to help out her parents. It is no different than what you are doing with Kate now. Well, William is twice Alessandra¡¯s age so I can see why she would be upset. Such a thing wasn¡¯t umon in my youth. Many of my peers married men far older than them,¡± Greta said, not bothered by it as it wasn¡¯t umon. Those women were still happily married.


    Katrina bit her tongue to resist smiling. For a second, she thought Greta was going to scold her for wanting to send Alessandra to William. There was finally something good that came from Greta¡¯s age. People focused less on age when it was Greta¡¯s time.


    ¡°I am not getting involved in the matter with William. Alessandra is already married and you speak as if the issue with him is already taken care of. I¡¯ve done more than enough to help you get back on your feet and I expect that Kate will be married by the time winter is over. If she is not, I will return to take over dealing with this house and marrying off Kate,¡± said Greta.


    Katrina¡¯s eyes lit up specifically from hearing the word return. ¡°You sound as if you are leaving already,¡± she spoke, trying to hide the excitement her face already gave away.


    ¡°I have my household to take care of and we both know you do not want me here. Me leaving does not mean you can do as you want to. I am warning you the moment you try to court another man, I will take my son¡¯s belongings from you,¡± Greta said, pointing her cane at Katrina as a threat.


    Katrina viewed it as a joke. ¡®She should be thankful I am not burying her beside Desmond. I guess I can hold off killing her for now,¡¯ she thought.


    ¡°I don¡¯t n to marry again. My time will be spent preparing Kate to get married and after that, I want to live a quiet life. You have nothing to worry about as long as rk remains out of town. Kate has caught the eyes of a good young man and she does not need family drama to ruin her moment. Please do your part,¡± Katrina replied, forcing a smile as she stood up.


    ¡°Do not let your eyes wander past fucking the servants. You are lucky I am allowing this matter to slide. Handing you the butler should satisfy your promiscuous ways,¡± said Greta. She noticed the way Katrina kept looking at the butler from time to time. ¡°There is nothing about you I do not notice.¡±


    ¡°Promiscuous? That would be your son who let his peers convince him to bed women from the red-light district. I wonder if he got that from his father. Did you tell your husband to fuck the maids to satisfy his needs? Desmond spoke quite a lot about you,¡± Katrina grinned, enjoying how much she was riling up Greta. ¡°And I must correct you. You only notice what I allow you to, mother-inw.¡±


    Greta gripped her cane, desperately wanting to smack Katrina with it. Unfortunately, she sent rk away so there would only be Kate to protect her from Katrina attacking her back. ¡°It¡¯s about time you let your real personality show. I should sing praises Kate has not turned out like you. I pray she never learns your ways.¡±


    Katrina didn¡¯t disagree with this. ¡°I won¡¯t argue with you there. I want my daughter to be better than me. You and I have been getting along now better than we ever did since I married Desmond. I don¡¯t want to end it in a foul mood. Have a safe trip back.¡±


    ¡°You, don¡¯t be so cocky,¡± Greta left Katrina with a warning. She had nothing more to say after this. Katrina woulde crawling back to her soon. She was sure of it. For now, she would get far away from Katrina and her issues with the court. She was too old to be dealing with this.


    Katrina walked away from Greta, not caring for the unwanted advice. She didn¡¯t like Greta knowing about her and James. It couldn¡¯t be proved but she did not need it to be a rumor. If Greta were to spread she went from Desmond to James, her good name would be ruined.


    When she was out of Greta¡¯s view, Katrina stopped to turn and look back at the woman. Katrina didn¡¯t trust Greta would keep her mouth shut about James and would one day try to ckmail her. She had to move quickly to shut Greta up forever.


    ¡®Why did the mother have to be as annoying as the sons?¡¯ Katrina frowned.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time for her when Alessandra is determined to take all that I have left. My head is aching again,¡± she touched her forehead where the pain was forming again.

 Chapter 311 - 311 What do you want? (3)

    311 What do you want? (3)


    Edgar tapped his fingers on his table, trying his best to ignore the fool pacing back and forth in front of him. It was going on for about five minutes now and it was only due to other things upying his mind that he had not snapped yet.


    Thud!


    Now he did. Edgar looked up from the paper in his hands which detailed everything the little boy saw when the young woman¡¯s body was left in the snow. Before him was a tall brute pacing back and forth.


    ¡°What the fuck do you want from me, Caleb?¡± Edgar gave in to see what was the issue now. He had been hoping if he ignored Caleb long enough he would vanish.


    ¡°What would you think if I said I was getting married?¡± Caleb asked, genuinely wanting to know Edgar¡¯s opinion. Reed was a let down with his response of ¡®I don¡¯t care¡¯.


    ¡°Poor girl,¡± Edgar replied, going back to his work.


    ¡°Hey! I had a better opinion when I heard you got married,¡± Caleb said, walking up to Edgar¡¯s desk. ¡°If you were a parent and you heard I was courting your daughter, how would you feel?¡±


    ¡°I would shoot you,¡± Edgar answered.


    ¡°First of all, it is aw that guns are not to be used in the kingdom yet.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Then I would get your brother to kill you. I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t be missed. Your mother was only expecting one baby. Are we finished or is there something more about Sally you wish to annoy me with?¡± Edgar asked, getting it out the way before he would be bothered again.


    ¡°You rude ass,¡± Caleb mumbled under his breath. He sat down on the edge of Edgar¡¯s table but quickly stood up when Edgar reached for a rock ced for decoration. ¡°How did you know it was Sally and why aren¡¯t you surprised I am talking about marriage?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t be surprised if your business does not interest me and what other poor young woman would you be bothering with marriage? Make sure whatever is going on between the two of you does not bother me-¡±


    ¡°Sally will soon tell your wife about it so it mostly will bother you,¡± Caleb smiled, despite fearing the look of irritation on Edgar¡¯s face. ¡°Your wife will help her pull off being fake engaged to me. The Duchess has been worried about Sally so she¡¯s going to tell your wife about her troubles with her family.¡±


    ¡°Fake engaged? Are you sure you want to do that? Feelings will get involved,¡± Edgar said. He had plenty of experience with the whole no falling for each other thing not working though it was the first and most important rule. It didn¡¯t help that Caleb clearly liked Sally but he was in denial.


    Caleb wasn¡¯t worried about feelings getting involved since he was just friends with Sally. ¡°That is not a concern. We both know it is not real and once she gets her house, we end this.¡±


    Edgar could see this all backfiring before it started. However, he didn¡¯t feel like stating the obvious to Caleb any further. It would be somewhat enjoyable to see Caleb be in turmoil because of his feelings. If he had to eat his words when it came to not falling in love, Caleb should have to choke on his.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why all of you care if I like Sally or not,¡± Caleb said.


    This got Edgar¡¯s attention. He put down his papers, knowing he would not get the chance to read more of it unless he got rid of Caleb. ¡°What makes you think I care about your rtionship orck of one? I thought I have been making it obvious that I do not care and I would appreciate it if you tell less of your business to Alessandra so I don¡¯t have to hear about it from her. Now,¡± he paused to point at the door. ¡°Get out.¡±


    Caleb ced his hand on his chest feigning hurt. ¡°You hurt my feelings.¡±


    ¡°There is nothing to wipe your eyes with here so get out. I have work to do,¡± Edgar replied.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you care about me?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± Edgar honestly replied. ¡°It is your rtionships I do not care about. There were so many in the past that I lost interest. Quite frankly, I have been thinking of banning you from having any sort of rtionship with Sally. If whatever the two of you are getting into fails it will affect Alessandra which will then bother me. You do not want to bother me these days, Caleb. Leave-¡±


    A knock on the door of Edgar¡¯s private room interrupting.


    ¡°Fucking hell,¡± Edgar cursed, leaning back in his chair. It seemed everyone was hellbent on wasting his time when he informed those who needed to hear that he would be busy for an hour.


    ¡°I will send them away for you,¡± Caleb said, going to the door to send the person away before they get their head chewed off by Edgar. ¡°He¡¯s- Duchess. Didn¡¯t think it would be you. Edgar doesn¡¯t want to be bothered-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him,¡± Edgar interrupted Caleb.


    Caleb turned around in disbelief. It was not even less than a minute that Edgar did not want to be disturbed but now that it was Alessandra, he was singing a different tune. ¡®This love sick bastard,¡¯ he thought.


    Alessandra didn¡¯t step foot into the room as she contemted leaving. She knew Edgar had been busy but it was long since she saw him and thought she could step in for a moment. ¡°If you are still busy, I wille backter,¡± she said.


    Edgar got up from his seat and walked to the door. When he reached it, he nudged Caleb out the doorway and pulled Alessandra in then closed the door, locking it this time so Caleb or anyone else could not annoy him.


    Alessandra got the feeling that Edgar was indeed busy but he was having a break for her. ¡°The two of you act like children sometimes,¡± shemented on the behavior between Caleb and Edgar. ¡°I am surprised you have chosen to be here instead of questioning your mother.¡±


    ¡°She is being stubborn and no longer wants to give me information about the man she hired. I¡¯m giving her alone time in the darkness of my dungeon to clear her mind. Why have youe to me? Are you bored or is there something bothering you?¡± Edgar asked, leading Alessandra to his chair for her to have a seat.


    ¡°A little bit of both. I am bored and I was thinking about my mother. I came to bother you because when you are bored, you bother me. What is this?¡± She asked, looking at the papers spread across his table. Alessandra sat down to get a better look at them while Edgar sat at the edge of the table watching her.


    ¡°I still have a case to solve to find who is taking and killing the young women. Then I have to n getting rid of William alongside finding the man my mother hired. These days I will be a bit busy so you will have to find someone else to deal with your boredom,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°I will use nning for my sleepover and your birthday as a distraction. Judging from your expression you are not too happy about a party. One that I would host for you or the annual one hosted by your grandmother,¡± Alessandra said.


    Edgar had enough of being around other people whether they bought drama or not. He also did not want to be the focus of a party. ¡°I am not in the mood to be socializing with others even if it is with my family for a celebration of another year I am alive.¡±


    Alessandra was looking forward to inviting Edgar¡¯s family and friends but she would not go through with a party if Edgar would dislike it. ¡°Well, what do you want?¡± She asked.


    Edgar smiled as her words sounded ever so sweet to his ears. He already knew what would make his birthday wonderful and it was almostughable she had to ask. ¡°You,¡± he replied. ¡°You waiting for me wearing only this ring,¡± he added, tapping her finger where her wedding ring was ced to show off their union.

 Chapter 312 - 312 Captive (1)

    312 Captive (1)


    ¡°Why is that the only thing on your mind, Edgar? Isn¡¯t there something else you wish to have for your birthday? Something that doesn¡¯t require me getting undressed,¡± said Alessandra.


    Edgar had the perfect solution to still get what he wanted. ¡°I can still have you without you needing to get undressed,¡± he cheekily replied. There was nothing she could say to him that he wouldn¡¯t have a solution for. He enjoyed the way she eyed him like the kittens would when they were attempting to attack his hands. ¡®Fiesty little thing,¡¯ he thought.


    Edgar wanted to test out the fire she had during their hours of making love. He desired to test what was her limit of roughness and pain she would find pleasurable.


    ¡°Edgar, I want to give you a present that isn¡¯t myself. What do you want?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. Whatever I have ever wanted I have already bought. There is nothing that catches my eye other than my wife so I suggest you start thinking of what position you will be waiting for me on our bed. If only I could be in your head for the thinking process. That would make a nice gift too,¡± Edgar said, tidying up his papers as he spoke.


    ¡°I wish you could be poor for a day,¡± Alessandra muttered.


    ¡°Then you would also be poor for a day. I¡¯ve never seen someone so upset that there isn¡¯t a gift they could offer me. Normally they dread how expensive it will be for them. How about this? I would enjoy food cooked by you,¡± he suggested.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to cook,¡± Alessandra reminded him. She wasn¡¯t supposed to be wandering around her house so she was not meant to be in the kitchen. And the one person she would rather learn to cook from was angry with Edgar.


    ¡°That is the point. I shall have a goodugh and then make love to you to make you feel better,¡± Edgar replied, quickly grabbing Alessandra¡¯s hand when she reached out to pinch him. ¡°You are so much like those kittens.¡±


    .....


    ¡°I am leaving,¡± Alessandra stood up. ¡°Have fun with your work and your dreams of things that will not happen on your birthday. I will find something you do not have and give it to you. I am already preparing something that you do not have.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I look forward to it and I hope you keep in mind what I suggested. It is important for the birthday boy to be happy, right? Before you go,¡± Edgar said, taking hold of her hand when she tried to pass him. ¡°You should know that Hazel and Tobias have officially traveled out of the pce for a couple of days so your sleepover is on hold.¡±


    Alessandra was happy to hear Hazel was getting a break from the pce. As someone who spent a short amount of time in the pce and had bad encounters, Alessandra could not imagine having to be there every day. ¡°It is good for them to have a vacation,¡± she said.


    ¡°It is a vacation but they are not taking it to rx. They want time alone to try for an heir again. More and more people are making Tobias aware of theck of an heir and Hazel is feeling the pressure. More women will be visiting the pce to be picked as the ones who will provide the next king. The kingdom can only be without an heir for so long,¡± Edgar exined.


    Alessandra¡¯s happiness quickly went away. It would never be easy to have your husband sleep with another woman to have a child you could not conceive. There was nothing Hazel could say about it either. As queen, Hazel was forced to think about the kingdom rather than her feelings.


    ¡°I hope Hazel will be the one to carry the next king. It is an awful position to be in. What if I cannot be pregnant, Edgar?¡± Alessandra asked, now concerned about her chances of having a child.


    ¡°Then we shall have none. I am not in a desperate position like Tobias is to have a child. Before you came, I nned to either take a child from an orphanage and teach them my ways or pick a young rtive of mine that I like. Do not overthink it,¡± he said, cing his right hand on her t stomach. ¡°Not when we have only just started. Stressing about it will only burden your body.¡±


    To lighten the mood Edgar added, ¡°As ast resort, we can always send Alfred to get someone pregnant and then take his child. He is always speaking of raising our children so it is only fair we would take his.¡±


    Alessandra chuckled. She would bet her right arm that Alfred would never agree to have a child at his age. ¡°The way you think it is amusing. Goodbye Edgar,¡± she said, stepping out of his hold to leave. ¡°I will be painting or will Sally if you need me. Wait-¡±


    ¡°Finding it hard to leave me?¡± Edgar asked since she was failing to leave the room.


    ¡°No. Did you hear anything about Sophia? Has she received her punishment and do you still n to do something to her?¡± Alessandra inquired. She only remembered Sophia now that they were talking about the pce.


    ¡°A letter from her husband camest night but I only read it before Caleb came a moment ago. Her punishment is on hold because he wishes to speak with us to think of another punishment. He doesn¡¯t want her to lose her hands, which is odd considering there were rumors of him cutting off a finger from a servant he thought wanted his wife.¡±


    ¡°I see. I don¡¯t want to meet with either of them. I just want the matter to be dropped. The shame of being locked away will keep her from throwing stones again. Promise me you will get Tobias to release her and she will have both hands. Thank you,¡± Alessandra added after Edgar reluctantly nodded. She kissed him on the cheek and then finally proceeded to leave the room.


    Edgar watched Alessandra leave the room, only looking away when the door was closed behind her. He read most of what was sent to him by the town guards and had an idea of what the man they were looking for was shaped like. He decided to put this case on hold as it was time he visited his new captive.


    Prisci had spent enough time in the dungeon by now and if she wanted to stay silent even more, he sent someone to get him rats and whatever would scare a woman of her status, to be released in her cell.


    Edgar tidied up the papers, ced them in a drawer, and locked it. His room was off-limits to servants but there would always be that one foolish person looking to sell information. It happened twice before, each time with the same oue. He ended up with two captives who never left his dungeon.


    As Edgar proceeded to leave the room, he looked at his clock wondering at what time his father would start requesting to have his wife back. For some reason, his father let them leave quietly but Edgar knew this peace wouldn¡¯tst long. Not that he cared. No one was getting his mother until she learned her lesson.

 Chapter 313 - 313 Captive (2)

    313 Captive (2)


    ¡°Edgar!¡± Prisci yelled as loud as her now sore throat would allow her to. She had been requesting for Edgar to return to take her out of this hell hole but no one was listening to her.


    Prisci didn¡¯t know how long she had been inside the cell since she was pushed in but she wanted to be taken out immediately. There was only lighting from a torch ced on the front of the locked door for her to get a look at where she was.


    A foul stench filled her nostrils and she didn¡¯t have to guess the source of the smell. She knew her son brought his enemies down here to end them. The unbearable scent was their death still lingering in the room.


    ¡°Edgar!¡± She yelled once again but this time, she choked up. Edgar had not even provided her with water to wet her dry mouth. He pulled her away from her house just as she was about to enjoy breakfast so she was hungry and thirsty.


    Prisci covered her ears with her hands when something was heard running across the floor for the fifth time. Her feet were tired and she so desperately wanted to sit down but not on this floor. She would rather die than sit on the cold dirty floor like a prisoner.


    ¡°What,¡± she murmured, looking at her hand where something touched her. ¡°Ah!¡± Prisci screamed, shaking her body like a mad woman as she swatted at the bug on her hand.


    She managed to flick it off before it could crawl any further. Her body shuddered as the feeling of it once on her hand was still there. Never in her life was she treated so poorly. Prisci was always in a clean environment and should a pest ever get in all the servants would rush to get rid of it.


    Prisci started to panic even more as she thought of how many more bugs must be on her dress where she couldn¡¯t feel them. She gripped her dress and started to shake it to be rid of the small creatures. The sound of something running across the floors once again did not help ease her mind.


    Prisci covered her ears to block out the sound but this time, she screamed ignoring the ripping pain in her throat.


    .....


    At the same time, Edgar entered the dungeon with Reed following behind him holding a torch and a box.


    ¡°It was a good decision to build this far away from the main floor. Your screaming would have woken up Alfred. How are you fairing?¡± Edgar asked though he already had the answer.


    ¡°You,¡± Prisci red at her son. ¡°Release me right now. I didn¡¯te here for this.¡±


    ¡°What were you expecting after wanting Alfred dead and Timothy dying because of it? A warm bed and a servant to order around? You aren¡¯t on vacation. I am properly punishing you. You¡¯ve done as you pleased for years with hardly a smack on the hand when you kill others-¡±


    ¡°Do not talk about killing others unless you are ready to speak about the people you have killed,¡± Prisci snapped, marching over to where Edgar stood on the other side of the cell door.


    ¡°I do not have memory loss. I know the people I have killed and I can name them when I want to. I¡¯ve killed people who harmed others or were threats to this kingdom. I¡¯ve helped to make it safe from people like you. I don¡¯t mind getting that kind of blood on my hands. You, however,¡± Edgar paused to pull a chair to sit on while he spoke. ¡°You did it to show your power.¡±


    ¡°Edgar, release me or else-¡±


    ¡°Or else what? You will break down the door separating us and kill me? Go on,¡± he encouraged her. ¡°I want to see how you are without the people you hire.¡±


    Prisci gritted her teeth as what he was asking her to do was not an easy task. ¡°I am your mother,¡± she softly spoke. No matter how strained their rtionship was, she deserved respect. How many times did she have to say she did not order Federick to get rid of Alfred?


    ¡°I served our ties, remember? Or has time in here started to mess with your memories? If you cannotst an hour, how will youst the days I n to hold you in here?¡± Edgar asked.


    ¡°Days?¡± Prisci questioned with wide eyes. For a second it felt like her heart dropped to her stomach. ¡°I have already given you the name of the man you are looking for. You cannot subject me to this filthy ce any longer. Nothing will change the fact that I birthed you, Edgar. You are in this world because of me. Everything you have now is because I gave you life.¡±


    Edgar didn¡¯t see why she was getting so riled up about giving him life. ¡°No one is denying you gave me life. What I am choosing to do is not refer to you as my mother. You¡¯ve lost that title. I just can¡¯t help wondering what you thought would happen from plotting to kill Alfred. You thought I would suddenly need you? That just goes to show how little you know me.¡±


    ¡°You ced me here when your grandmother has done the worst things yet you keep a rtionship with her,¡± said Prisci.


    ¡°You have this annoying habit of pointing fingers at others but not taking ountability. I suppose it is expected because you were never told when you were wrong. I know what my grandmother is like. I¡¯ve spent plenty of days with her to see what she does to keep her family safe,¡± Edgar replied.


    Watching his grandmother drive fear into her enemies excited him as a child. He watched Rose kill to protect the family while Prisci killed to control him. Whatever the two did as high-ranking women to other women, he ignored them as long as no one ended up hurt or dead.


    ¡°I¡¯ve witnessed her thanking Alfred for being by my side when she could not be there unlike a certain someone but I won¡¯t call names.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve given you Federicks name and where I always find him. It is time you release me. Please,¡± Prisci begged as it was the only thing she could do now.


    ¡°You are not only here because of Federick. I am already doing my search for him because I do not trust a word thates out of your mouth. You will remain here for a while because you infuriate me. Had it been anyone else, they would have been dead,¡± Edgar said, hinting that she should consider herself lucky to be alive.


    Still, seeing her locked away didn¡¯t settle his anger.


    ¡°Seeing you unable to stay still isn¡¯t enough. I have been thinking of cutting out your tongue so you can never disrespect my wife, threaten Alfred, or order anyone else to be killed. Do not anger me or I will have your tongue or worst. Behave while I am holding back my urge to kill you. Reed!¡± Edgar called for Reed to bring forth the gift he prepared.


    Reed walked to the cell bringing with him a loud box with something scratching and running around on the inside.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure there is one in here keeping youpany but I¡¯ve bought more rats in case you do not behave. These ones unfortunately have not been fed and should I release them in here, you will look pretty appetizing. Someone will bring you food and water twice a day. As long as you stay silent and reflect on your actions your days here won¡¯t seem so bad. That is all for now,¡± Edgar stood up as he had nothing more to say right now.


    Reed ced the box on the ground right in front of the cell Prisci was in as Edgar told him to do before they came in. The rats would not be able to get out as long as no one unlocked it with the key he was keeping.


    Prisci backed away from the cell door, afraid the small creatures would get out. She squeezed her eyes shut hoping that when she opened them she would be back at home. Prisci sobbed when she opened her eyes and saw that it was not a dream and Edgar was leaving her all alone again.

 Chapter 314 - 314 Not what I want (1)

    314 Not what I want (1)


    ¡°Mother, look what Simon sent for me,¡± Kate said with excitement as she entered the dining room for dinner.


    ¡°They are pretty,¡± Katrinaplimented the bouquet of flowers in Kate¡¯s hands. ¡°They almost match your beauty. He is smitten with you. Well done, Kate. We should be nning a wedding in no time.¡±


    Kate ced the bouquet on the table to show off. ¡°I always preferred a summer wedding but the ones in winter are still beautiful. I can¡¯t wait to start my wedding dress most of all. It will make everyone jealous. At least I will get to wear a wedding dress, unlike someone who got married at the church in the middle of the night.¡±


    Katrina sighed, annoyed by the mention of Alessandra. ¡°Kate, do not bring that girl up to me. She has done nothing but stress me out these days.¡±


    ¡°I am sorry mother but I cannot help thinking about getting everything I deserve. I¡¯ve been embarrassed that she got married before me but I will make it up by having the perfect wedding. When I be Marchioness Kate, my status will rise and I will make sure neither Alesandra nor Edgar mess with you anymore mother,¡± Kate promised.


    Kate was so close to achieving her n of marrying up to be a part of the world Alessandra forced herself in. It would have been better if she found someone with a higher title than Edgar but Simon was perfect. She had him wrapped around her finger and should she cry on his shoulder, Simon just might attack Edgar for her.


    ¡°I would rather you be prepared for the life you will now have. More eyes will be on you and you will be invited to ces you have never been before. I¡¯ve raised you well for this very moment, Kate. Do not disappoint me. Do you know of his mother or siblings?¡± Katrina asked, wishing to know what kind of mother-inw Kate would have.


    Kate couldn¡¯t think of a moment when Simon spoke of his mother. ¡°He does not have any siblings and he never spoke of his parents. I don¡¯t think they live in Lockwood. I will ask about them next time I meet with him. I should start trying to get them to like me. I want them to shower me with gifts.¡±


    ¡°So he is an only child,¡± Katrina muttered. Should anything happen to Simon, Kate would get everything. It would be even more if she were to have his child. From the way Kate spoke. Katrina knew her daughter didn¡¯t hold any feelings for Simon. Kate just loves the life he could offer and if Kate wanted, Katrina could give her the life without the man. ¡®Men are a bother after all,¡¯ Katrina thought.


    .....


    Katrina smiled, looking forward to the future. She might have failed in poisoning Desmond but she would have sess with Simon if needed. ¡°Get to know his parents well and drop hints about all of us having dinner Kate. You have no idea how much you are making your mother proud.¡±


    Kate sat up in her chair, a smile appearing on her lips as she weed thepliment. From a child, she always sought after her mother¡¯spliments. ¡°Thank you,¡± she replied. She tried to contain her excitement but could not.


    Katrina¡¯s heart warmed seeing how happy Kate appeared to be. Kate was her little ray of sunlight in this dark world. Katrina looked away from Kate to James who entered the room with a worried expression. ¡°What is it, James? Don¡¯t tell me Greta has returned,¡± she said as it wouldn¡¯t be unlike her mother-inw to suddenlye back.


    ¡°It is not that, Baroness. You have a guest at the door. It is William Lancaster-¡±


    ¡°What the hell can he want now?¡± Katrina raised her voice. Thest thing she needed on top of the court visit was for William to be here. She started to send him small quantities of the debt Desmond owed to be rid of him. ¡°Send him away.¡±


    ¡°He told me that you should not send him away if you know what is good for yourself. He said he will take what is precious to you if you turn him away,¡± James ryed William¡¯s words.


    Katrina nced at Kate who was ying with the flowers Simon gave to her. She wouldn¡¯t put it past William to take Kate since he couldn¡¯t have Alessandra. Her daughter would not end up with a creep like William. ¡°Kate, have dinner in your room, and do note out unless I send for you. Move quickly,¡± she ordered Kate.


    Kate was confused by her need to leave but she didn¡¯t argue against her mother and stood up from her seat taking the flowers with her. What more could William wish to speak to her mother about? Kate wished he would stop visiting them and go take Alessandra away to hide her forever.


    At times, Kate genuinely considered teaming up with William to set Alessandra up to be taken but he gave her the chills just by thinking of him.


    When Kate was out of sight Katrina ordered James to let William inside but before James could step out of the dining room, she called for him since something came to mind.


    ¡°James,¡± Katrina got from her seat, hurrying over to where he stood. She looked around to double-check that there were no maids around yet. There were none. When she neared him, she touched his arm to pull him close. ¡°Do you still have that bottle I gave you?¡±


    ¡°It is in my bedroom,¡± James replied, already knowing what she wanted to do. ¡°There is at least half left.¡±


    He used most of the poison when rk was living here.


    ¡°Get it and pour it into his drink. Enough that he does not start spitting blood in my house but enough for it to work. I¡¯m going to get rid of this bastard once and for all,¡± Katrina plotted, having had enough of William pestering her when his deal was with Desmond.


    Unfortunately, it meant getting rid of someone who could go against Edgar instead of her. It was either to keep him alive to get rid of Edgar or get rid of William. She wouldn¡¯t consider killing William if not for him mentioning Kate. Kate was off limits and she would never allow Kate to be ruined by a man like William.


    ¡°Alright,¡± James replied. He felt apprehensive since he would be the one to die if William suspected he was being poisoned but he too wanted the man gone. William was a threat to Katrina and if he remained¡­


    ¡®I¡¯m doing it again. Shit,¡¯ James cursed in his head as he once again found himself caring for Katrina more than he should.


    This was a woman who set him up to be killed for taking advantage of her when he didn¡¯t and then turned around to take advantage of him. He tried not to forget these things but the more time he spent with her at night, the more his heart opened.


    At first, he was loyal to save himself and gain rewards from her but now he was doing things to protect her. To protect a woman who would toss him aside in the blink of an eye. James knew she was bad news but found it hard to stop caring.


    James couldn¡¯t force himself to greet William with a smile as he did with other guests because of his sour mood.


    ¡°About time,¡± William said looking down on James as he brushed past him to get inside. ¡°Where is the Baroness?¡±

 Chapter 315 - 315 Not what I want (2)

    315 Not what I want (2)


    Katrina sat back down at the table and poured herself a cup of water. She did not bother to look up at William walking in to greet him.


    ¡°Katrina,¡± William addressed her without the title. ¡°You look lovely. Each time I see you I can¡¯t help but feel jealous that you were wasted on a man like Desmond. I hope my old friend isn¡¯t turning in his grave because of my words. Where is your daughter? Is she not home or have you hidden her from me?¡±


    Katrina drank her water, not caring to respond to what he already had the answer to.


    William wasn¡¯t offended by her not acknowledging him. He didn¡¯t mind the disrespect when it came from Katrina. He liked how bold she was with him. If only she was more unique he would take her. Katrina was beautiful but there were many women just like her.


    William proceeded to sit down in a chair directly opposite Katrina. ¡°I hope it will ease your mind that I am not the slightest bit interested in your daughter. I cannot deny that she gained her mother¡¯s beauty but she is a tad bit boring don¡¯t you think? Hardly my taste so there is no need for you to hide her. Though I will be honest I would snatch her away from you if you ever make me wait so long again.¡±


    Katrina gripped the cup in her hand. She should be happy William did not want Kate but it was still an insult that he viewed Alessandra as better than her precious daughter because of the mask she wore. ¡°What is the real reason you are here? Let¡¯s get this over with,¡± she said.


    ¡°I am here for dinner,¡± William stated the obvious. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be a good friend to Desmond if I did not check in on his mourning wife and daughter.¡±


    Katrina would consider herself a fool if she were to ever believe that William was here to check on her. He wanted something.


    ¡°I saw Alessandra recently. Why didn¡¯t anyone tell me how splendid that girl grew to be? The rumors didn¡¯t do her any justice. Why focus on her face when her body is better?¡± William grinned, leaning back in his chair to inspect Katrina¡¯s reaction. She tensed up when heplimented Alessandra.


    .....


    William now knew where Katrina¡¯s anger toward her stepdaughter came from. Alessandra was almost a replica of Desmond¡¯s first wife. Katrina prided herself to be the most beautiful woman in town and then the second was her daughter but she was wrong. Before Katrina, there was Mnie and no amount of seduction from Katrina would make any man in town pick her over Mnie.


    Katrina was oftentimespared to Mnie when Desmond first remarried. Some of his peers wished to know why he let a woman like Mnie get away just to settle with Katrina who came to him with only her body.


    It couldn¡¯t have been easy for Katrina to have her daughter bepared to Mnie¡¯s daughter and perhaps, Katrina found herself envying Alessandra who would be sought after just like her mother.


    ¡®Had I known Mnie was going to run away I would have let her run into my arms and marry her. Her daughter will do for now,¡¯ William thought.


    ¡°Are we talking about the same Alessandra that I know? Your eyes have gone bad. I thought you were a well-known collector of fine things, William. That girl is nd,¡± Katrina chuckled.


    ¡°nd? Yet she managed to marry Edgar Collins when your daughter could not? Come on,¡± William clicked his tongue, wanting Katrina to be honest for once. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call her nd. She was dressed up in expensive clothing and jewelry. Your daughter became an afterthought with Alessandra in the room. Had I known she was so alluring I would havee for her myself. Then I would have her, not Edgar.¡±


    Katrina didn¡¯t like the jab he took at Kate. His disinterest in her daughter was good but the insults were not necessary. ¡°I¡¯ll ask you again William, what do you want?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? I want Alessandra. Seeing her change just angers me that you fools took so long to bring her to me. Then there¡¯s that mouth she has. Thinks she can insult me,¡± William said, touching his bottom lip with his thumb as he thought of ways to break her in for her disrespect. ¡°I want her.¡±


    ¡°I know that you want her but it has nothing to do with me. I have been paying off the debt since you did not get her and I believe it is almost paid off. If you want her, go get her,¡± said Katrina.


    ¡°About that debt. I¡¯ve been wondering how you were suddenly able to pull money out of thin air when your husband struggled to pay me back. Was it your mother-inw? Seems too good to be true that she would help you but not her son. You know why you¡¯re going to get me Alessandra-¡±


    Katrina interrupted him, ¡°You have the resources to take her from Edgar so just do it yourself. I am not going to be tied up in anything that concerns Edgar Collins. I won¡¯t alert him of your ns because I have wanted her to be with you from the very beginning so leave my family out of it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I want Katrina. One of my people died when I got involved and it¡¯s such a hassle to rece them. I rather you take the risk. Let me give you some motivation to help me. There are people going around asking about you. Not just in this town but in others. I heard you have visits from the court,¡± William said. Katrina¡¯s surprised expression confirmed it.


    William continued to say, ¡°I have a person on the inside of the court so I happen to know what is going on. Whatever the court is searching for, they will find it eventually. If only you had a person like me on your side to clear your tracks.¡±


    Katrina¡¯s hands started to tremble so she ced them on herp to be out of sight of William. Her old life was wiped clean so no one could connect her to it except the man who helped her vanish. If he were to hear about her, he woulde looking for her. He knew all her secrets and should the court find him or he came looking for her, she would be doomed.


    Katrina did not want to meet anyone from her past because the trail she hid would start to be visible again.


    William watched the inner turmoil Katrina was going through with amusement. ¡°We all have our secrets that are dirty but lucky for you, I am a man who believes they should remain hidden. I¡¯m starting to like you more Baroness,¡± he used her title to show that they were on good terms again. ¡°I only need one thing and I will help hide your secrets.¡±


    Katrina bit her tongue, knowing she could not trust William but he was her only chance against the court if he did have someone on the inside. ¡°The money I paid to you will need to be given back to me since you are getting her,¡± Katrina said.


    ¡°Of course! A deal is a deal. Ah, good wine,¡± William said, picking up the ss of wine ced before him by a servant.


    Katrina looked at James who gave her a little nod.


    ¡°Baroness, I don¡¯t want to be disappointed a second time. I will take your daughter if you fail me,¡± William warned her.


    Katrina watched him drink the poisoned wine. With this agreement back in ce, they would meet often for her to poison him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, William. I won¡¯t fail this time,¡± she replied.


    To William, it sounded like she referred to failing him but Katrina truly meant she would not fail to poison her victim again.

 Chapter 316 - 316 Not what I want (3)

    316 Not what I want (3)


    Far away from town in one of Edgar¡¯s homes, Tobias pushed open the door to the bedroom he would be using with Hazel for the next few days. He made a rash decision to move up their time away from the pce after more questions about an heir wereing to him again.


    Tobias turned around to inspect Hazel¡¯s reaction as she walked in after him. It wasn¡¯t quite what he was expecting.


    ¡°Comfortable? There is no one here but us. We only need to send a guard for a maid when we need one. You¡¯re too quiet Hazel. Do you want to go home?¡± Tobias asked, feeling like there was something wrong. He knew she wanted to be away from the pce but now that they were, she didn¡¯t seem happy.


    Since they arrived Hazel was silent and didn¡¯t show any excitement to be here.


    ¡°No, I am excited. I am still in disbelief that you managed to get us out of the pce. Your ears are going to be destroyed by the court men when we return. Are you sure it¡¯s okay for you to leave the pce, Tobias? You didn¡¯t need to for me,¡± Hazel replied, worried about the trouble they would find themselves in. What if something big were to happen while they were away?


    ¡°I am the king, Hazel. They can be upset all they want but I do not care. You haven¡¯t exactly been happy these days when your friends aren¡¯t in the pce. I want to see you happy again so don¡¯t even think of the pce,¡± Tobias said, rubbing her arms to cheer her up.


    ¡°How can I not think of the pce? From the moment we neared the gates of this home, I kept thinking, am I going to get pregnant if I am out of the pce? Can I stop stressing my body and do it-¡±


    ¡°Hazel,¡± Tobias touched her shoulder to stop her from talking about a child now. ¡°You do not need to think about that right now.¡±


    ¡°I do. I have to think about it all the time. By now I should already have a prince or at least a princess but I do not. It is not something I can not worry about when the kingdom is worried about the future. We cannot leave the kingdom without an heir any longer. It won¡¯t be long before your rtivese to the castle to suggest a new queen or for you to take a woman to your room,¡± said Hazel.


    .....


    To her, their time out of the pce felt more like herst chance than a vacation. Tobias wasn¡¯t the one pressured by the worries of the people, she was. They didn¡¯t hide how she was failing her one duty as a woman.


    ¡°It has already started with Linda as an option. I am sure they would love to have her as queen right this second. They wanted it from the start but she had eyes for Edgar. I feel like a fool for questioning if she knew what her grandfather was nning before I even spoke to her. I don¡¯t like how I feel these days,¡± Hazel confessed in a soft tone.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t bring you here for us to make a baby. Truthfully I was looking forward to us having sex and not thinking about the pce at all. I understand your concern but I am sure you will be the one to carry the future king. There¡¯s been too much pressure on you which is why I n to do a bit of shaking up in the pce when we return.¡±


    Hazel didn¡¯t understand what he meant by shaking up and asked, ¡°What do you mean by shaking it up? Are you going to get rid of the people not on our side? If it was easy you would have done it long ago.¡±


    ¡°It was never easy and took years of careful nning but the time is now. They need to go or we shall continue to live in misery. The pce already has the best doctors in Lockwood but I am bringing in more doctors from other towns so they can figure out what is causing you to not have a child,¡± Tobias said. He was certain it could be fixed.


    ¡°And what if the problem is that I am barren? I have been thinking and I havee to the decision that I am alright with you sleeping with another woman for the sole purpose of making an heir-¡±


    ¡°Hazel, enough of this before I am angered by your words,¡± Tobias gave her a warning. He made it very clear before their marriage that he would not be like other kings who had many women.


    ¡°No, I am speaking what is on my mind. You will eventually be backed into a corner and forced to pick another woman. I would feel better if it is a woman that I have picked and I have prepared myself for it. It is not what I want but what the kingdom needs. It has finally dawned on me what your mother meant when she said my husband will not belong to me,¡± Hazel said, recalling the speech the former queen gave her which was unclear for years.


    Hazel always knew she shared her husband with the kingdom since the people needed Tobias but she understood now she was being told that marrying a future king meant she might have to share him with other women. Whether it be for a child or for Tobias to have more allies in the pce. Hazel was warned she could not stop it.


    Hazel made up her mind about weing another woman. Unlike most queens, she would select the woman. ¡°When we return I will select a woman to-¡±


    ¡°One month. Wait one more month to see if we can have a child and if we don¡¯t, I will let the selection start. I will tell the men in the court of this when we return so they will leave us alone for one month. It has not worked out for us since we married but I have high hopes for us this time,¡± Tobias said, cing a hand on Hazel¡¯s stomach.


    Hazel rested her head against Tobias¡¯ chest to hide her tears though he would feel the wetness in his clothes. She was thankful that he loved her this much. If not for him, life in the pce would have forced her to take her own life long ago. ¡°Okay. One month,¡± she agreed.


    Tobias embraced Hazel and did not mention the tears she wanted to hide. He wished to tell her that he was investigating the people around her to see if there was any foul y to stop her from getting pregnant.


    It wouldn¡¯t be the first time it happened to a queen and it would not be thest. This was part of the reason he wanted her out of the pce now and for most of the one month, he would keep her out of it. By now Edgar should have received his letter that once their trip was over, Tobias wanted Hazel to stay there with the Duchess.


    Tobias didn¡¯t care about who would question why the queen was not present in the pce. His only focus was making sure nothing was being done to his wife. Grant¡¯s recent persistence to have Linda bear the next king made him suspicious of Hazel not yet pregnant.


    Tobias started his investigation with the cooks, the doctors who offered Hazel medication, and the royal food inspectors who were to check her food for anything suspicious. There were no issues with these people in the past as they were always quick to pick up on threats to Hazel and pointed out the maids trying to harm her but there was a chance their loyalty was bought recently.


    ¡°Get your hand off my buttocks, Tobias,¡± Hazel grumbled against his chest. Leave it to her husband to touch her there in an emotional moment.


    ¡°No can do. My hand seems to like it right here. I am enjoying not having to sneak into your room at night to touch you like this. Remind me to get rid of that foolish tradition of the king and queen having separate rooms. I say we stop thinking about the pce right now. I¡¯m sorry in advance,¡± Tobias apologized while he hoisted Hazel into his arms.


    Hazel didn¡¯t understand the apology when there was nothing one was needed for. ¡°What are you apologizing for?¡± She asked.


    ¡°We won¡¯t get to see much of the area. I n to keep you in bed from this moment on.¡±

 Chapter 317 - 317 Kicked out (1)

    317 Kicked out (1)


    ¡°I cannot believe the position Sophia has found herself in all because she threw a stone. I don¡¯t know how ady like herself can act like a wild animal just throwing things around. I suppose it is fitting for a woman who came from a low-ss family. Her mother will have to hide her face,¡± Diane chuckled.


    News of Sophia¡¯s predicament only now reached her ears.


    Heather didn¡¯t share the same excitement as her mother to continue gossiping about Sophia which was why she didn¡¯t tell her mother in the first ce. She didn¡¯t like Sophia but didn¡¯t care to speak of her situation or what would happen to her when she was released. Heather had her own issues.


    ¡°Prisci must have pulled out a good wine to celebrate her daughter-inw being struck. She has been worrying her poor soul about Edgar¡¯s marriage. I cannot imagine how it is to be in her shoes with such a girl as her daughter-inw. Well,¡± Diane eyed her daughter who became aughing stock thanks to her getting on Prisci¡¯s bad side. ¡°I know how it is to worry. Have you sent the flowers to Prisci?¡±


    ¡°No mother,¡± Heather replied. Her mother kept hounding her to find a way to get back into Prisci¡¯s circle but she did not wish to do this. Why would she go back to Prisci to live in misery again and gain back the fake friendship with women who were happy to quickly talk behind her back? ¡°I don¡¯t n to,¡± she added.


    Diane narrowed her eyes at her foolish daughter. How could Heather be so foolish to let the rtionship she had with Prisci slip away? ¡°You fool. Don¡¯t you know what people have been saying about you? You used to be invited to gatherings daily but now look at you, sitting at home with nothing to do. You have be an eyesore. Get back on Prisci¡¯s good side soon.¡±


    ¡°Mother, please stop trying to force me to get back in her good graces. I don¡¯t want to go back to being her servant-¡±


    ¡°Heather! Have you lost your mind? Do you enjoy the way your friends speak about you? Go back to Prisci to be where you belong. You were the envy of peers when you were by her side. I suffer from countless headaches having to hear about you daily from other mothers,¡± Diane stated, touching her forehead to calm the headache she felting on.


    ¡°They were never my friends. None of them have taken the time to visit me because they all want to be Prisci¡¯s little pet. Someone who nods when she wants you to and curses whoever she is angry at. I rather take my peers making fun of me than go back to being a doll for Prisci to y with. It¡¯s tiring and I¡¯ve spent too much of my life doing it because of you,¡± said Heather.


    .....


    ¡°Because of me?¡± Diane scoffed because it waspletely absurd. ¡°You took interest in her as a child and liked when she was around. You stuck to her like glue without me telling you to go to her side at first.¡±


    ¡°We went to her home regrly in my youth. She was like an aunt to me and I found it exciting to see the way she carried herself. It is when her problems with Edgar increased and I came of age to start thinking of who I should consider marrying that being around her became insufferable. Knowing Edgar, the two of you still pushed this idea that I would marry him when it was obvious I would not,¡± Heather said, her frustration growing with each word.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t mind the arranged marriage because you liked him. That was why you were so obedient and trying to be on Prisci¡¯s good side,¡± Diane replied. She disliked how Heather was making it seem like she didn¡¯t want to be around Prisci in the beginning.


    Diane thought she did well for her daughter by sticking her to a woman who would ensure Heather was not picked on by the other young women. It was quite cruel in the world they were a part of and many times young women needed someone older to back them. Prisci could offer Heather more than Diane could offer her daughter.


    ¡°I did like Edgar,¡± Heather admitted to it. ¡°But I knew that nothing would happen between us. Edgar never once liked me and when I tried voicing it, I was silenced. I am partly to me for being silent and doing as you and Prisci wanted. I have a mouth and I should have made it clear that I did not want to keep waiting on Edgar. I want to be loved, mother. That is all,¡± Heather softly spoke with a warm smile.


    ¡°I won¡¯t return to Prisci¡¯s side because she will continue to plot to ruin Edgar¡¯s marriage. I have seen with my own eyes that Edgar truly loves his wife. I was a fool to think ill of her in the beginning. She is a nice woman. She has a heart that you should appreciate in a town like this. I hope no one changes it,¡± Heather said, genuinely hoping Alessandra remains kind.


    ¡°Heather, I am trying to do what is best for you. It won¡¯t end well for you if you are outside of Prisci¡¯s circle. I have been where you are now and I want better for you. I can¡¯t offer you protection from the snakes in our world. You can marry whoever you want so please go back to Prisci¡¯s side so you don¡¯t have to deal with these vicious women,¡± Dian spoke out of concern.


    ¡°I was honestly angry with you for still meeting with Prisci after everything. I wanted to yell at you for not taking my side and asking her to stop her followers from attacking me. I thought you didn¡¯t care for your only child but then father sat me down and exined how life was for you before your marriage to him,¡± Heather said, sorry to her father for revealing their secret conversation but her mother had to know.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Diane tried to speak but nothing woulde out. She didn¡¯t like speaking of her past which she did not get to enjoy.


    Diane was often picked on by other young women in the past until she married her husband and thanks to his friendship with Edmund she met Prisci who was at the top of her peers. Prisci became friends with her and immediately the other women changed their words.


    She didn¡¯t want Heather to experience how cruel these women could get and wanted her to stick to Prisci. It wasn¡¯t just Heather who had to suck up whatever she was feeling around Prisci and put on a smile. Diane had to do it too. If she became at odds with Prisci it would affect her daughter.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to say anything. I just need you to know that I am done kissing up to Prisci to keep the other women quiet. I am going to do as I please and I hope you can support me,¡± Heather said as she stood up. She was over the reading time she set aside for her mother daily.


    Heather went to where her mother sat and kissed her forehead before leaving. She wanted time alone to think of what she wanted for herself in the future.


    Diane covered her face, feeling like a fool for making her daughter feel this way. She was trying her best to avoid Heather being bullied but she failed. While trying to do what she thought was best for Heather she was blind to how much she was hurting her daughter.


    Diane sighed, ¡°We will both have to prepare to deal with Prisci¡¯s wrath after I visit her.¡±


    There was nothing she could do at this point if Heather wished to be free of the life she once had. Before they drifted too far apart, Diane wanted to try listening to her daughter more and take her side even if she had to go back to the life she once hated before she met Prisci.

 Chapter 318 - 318 Kicked out (2)

    318 Kicked out (2)


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Edgar asked, not too happy by the sight of Dominic standing outside his door.


    ¡°That is not the way to visit your favorite Carson rtive. I came to see how Alfred is doing,¡± Dominic said, stepping in the doorway to go inside the home. ¡°And since Tobias is not in the pce I don¡¯t want to stay there. Hey! Wait wait wait,¡± he repeated when Edgar started to close the door on him.


    Hazeling to stay for a few days was already enough for Edgar. He liked Dominic but not enough to turn his house into an inn.


    ¡°Move your foot or lose it,¡± Edgar said as he tried to shut the door on Dominic.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t nice of you,¡± Dominic said as he continued to try to force his way inside. ¡°Duchess!¡± He yelled, happy to see the woman of the houring downstairs.


    ¡°Why are the two of you fighting by the door? Edgar?¡± Alessandra looked at her husband for an exnation.


    ¡°He wants to stay here,¡± Edgar replied.


    Alessandra didn¡¯t see the issue considering Edgar liked Dominic and Dominic was in need of a ce to stay for a little while. Edgar might dislike having others in her space but she weed having more people at their dinner table. ¡°You can stay, Dominic. I enjoy having more people at the table with us,¡± she said.


    ¡°Then let me get you pregnant. We can have a couple of children-¡±


    .....


    Alessandra covered Edgar¡¯s mouth and awkwardly smiled at Dominic.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pretend I didn¡¯t hear what he said. I will only be here for two days since I need to do a quick check on my new home. I¡¯ll stick around to spend time with you two and help crack this case about the kidnapper. By the way, I am not alone outside,¡± Dominic said, stepping to the side to reveal Erin. ¡°Your guards said she is the dressmaker.¡±


    Seeing Erin only dampened Edgar¡¯s mood. With her present, he would have to share his wife with this loud woman.


    ¡°Hello Alessandra,¡± Erin greeted her friend with excitement. She looked at a clearly upset Edgar and muttered, ¡°Duke. Do you mind if wee inside now? It is too cold this evening.¡±


    Edgar allowed Dominic toe inside but he ced his arm to block Erin from entering. ¡°What is with the bags?¡± He asked, pointing at therge bag and the small one. Alessandra didn¡¯t speak of new dresses so why would the dressmaker be here with bags that seemed like she had run away?


    ¡°This small one is for you,¡± Erin replied, handing the bag with the gift she knew would get Edgar on her side.


    Edgar took the bag with caution. He never knew what to expect from the woman before him. Edgar opened the bag and didn¡¯t care to hide the thin see-through material of the clothing he pulled out. It was a gift for him but it was meant to be worn by his wife. ¡°There seems to be a reason to keep employing you,¡± he said but he didn¡¯t step aside just yet. ¡°What is in the other bag?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Erin yed with her fingers. ¡°Alessandra, you know I consider you to be a good friend-¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Edgar denied what she was going to request. It was clear as day she wanted to stay here.


    ¡°What is it, Erin?¡± Alessandra asked, ignoring the annoyed look on her husband¡¯s face. When wasn¡¯t Edgar annoyed?


    ¡°My mother kind of kicked me out of her home. I honestly came to thank you for sending the queen to me as my business is doing well but my mother isn¡¯t happy that I am making a name for myself and we got into an argument. One thing led to another and I had to pack a bag quickly and get out. It was either stay, give up making dresses to marry a man of her choice, or leave. So,¡± Erin pointed at her bag which was her choice.


    ¡°Why have you all forgotten there are inns in town? My home is not one of them,¡± Edgar said.


    ¡°I did go to one of them but I was afraid to be there alone and I can¡¯t go to a fancy one. That is a waste of the money I am trying to save. Then there¡¯s the creep killing women. So I did some thinking about which friend would not find my situation funny and would be able to take me in so here I am. Please,¡± Erin begged.


    Alessandra had no ns of turning her away but there was something she was curious about. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you go to your fiance? Won¡¯t he be upset when he learns you got kicked out but did not go to him?¡± She asked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to worry him right now. I am going to see him tomorrow morning to discuss where we go from here. I don¡¯t want our rtionship to remain a secret anymore,¡± Erin replied.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t like you, does he?¡± Edgar asked what he was certain everyone else was thinking. At least they should be thinking this. ¡°Why else would there be all the secrecy about who he is?¡±


    ¡°Edgar,¡± Alessandra sighed. How could he say such a thing at a time like this?


    ¡°First of all, he loves me. I have been hiding him from my crazy mother since she wouldn¡¯t approve of him. I won¡¯t continue to do that so just for one night while I clear my thoughts and think of what I am going to do from here on out, can I stay here?¡± Erin asked, looking at Alessandra specifically since her husband would rather her roam the streets to be murdered.


    ¡°I have more of those so you wouldn¡¯t have to worry about ruining the ones I just gave you. Some with little to no material. I have been adventurous with my designs recently. I can have them here for you once my predicament is dealt with. You will get a hefty discount,¡± Erin said, trying to bargain her way in with Edgar.


    ¡°What colors do you have?¡± Edgar asked.


    Alessandra was left in disbelief that the two of them wereing to an agreement over the provocative clothes she was supposed to wear for Edgar. ¡°Can the two of you please stop before I kick out Edgar and close the door on the two of you,¡± she gave a warning. When Edgar was not looking, she nned to get rid of the ones Erin just gave him. ¡°Let here inside, Edgar. It is only one night.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t enough payment for her staying,¡± Edgar referred to the bag of nightgowns for Alessandra. ¡°I will receive it from you instead,¡± he said to Alessandra.


    ¡°What would it take for you to do something without expecting payment?¡± Alessandra muttered. This must be the secret of his wealth. If you wanted Edgar to pour you a cup of water he would ask for payment.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Erin jumped up and down before pushing her way inside. ¡°Be a dear and bring my bag inside, Duke Collins. Where will I be staying Alessandra and who is the handsome man I came in with?¡± She whispered as she and Alessandra passed a silent Dominic. ¡°This house must be a secret way to find handsome men.¡±


    Alessandra shook her head. She truly missed spending time with Erin. ¡°He is a rtive of Edgar and you are engaged, Erin.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know it is rude to not admire someone¡¯s beauty? It¡¯s not like I n to drop my fiance for him. I can¡¯t wait for you to finally meet my future husband,¡± Erin said.


    Edgar closed the door, leaving the bag she was expecting him to bring inside on the outside for the snow to deal with.


    ¡°Well well well,¡± Dominic repeated in a taunting voice. ¡°We all know who wears the pants in this marriage and it isn¡¯t you.¡±


    ¡°I would feel insulted when it isn¡¯ting from someone running from their mother,¡± Edgar replied, walking past Dominic to hide in his study from the loud woman and any more guests they might have.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t run away from my mother. I quickly walked out the door,¡± Dominic corrected Edgar.

 Chapter 319 - 319 Partners (1)

    319 Partners (1)


    ¡°All I am saying is that you are blessed, Alessandra. You are surrounded by handsome men from your husband, his family, and his guards. Not that you are looking to have an affair but you have a look of good things to look at. The maids must get distracted from time to time,¡± said Erin.


    ¡°They are patiently awaiting summer because Edgar and the men train shirtless outside the house. They absolutely hate winter,¡± Sally said, sitting down on the floor to join Alessandra and Erin in ying with the kittens. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will get a broom to sweep away anyone who looks at Edgar.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to. I will never be able to stop someone from ogling at Edgar and I just might join them in watching him train,¡± Alessandra replied. Contrary to what the other two thought, she was actually interested in watching Edgar show off the skills she heard of.


    ¡°I suggest you take that broom to ward off the women eyeing Caleb,¡± Erin winked at Sally. She was not convinced there wasn¡¯t something going on between the two.


    ¡°You and Alfred are no different. I won¡¯t be stopping anyone from looking at Caleb. I would like to stop hearing about him so regrly. The other girls are losing their minds when they see Caleb and his brother walking around together. The things I have heard,¡± Sally said, wishing to clean out her ears.


    ¡°Oh yes, twins. They are two identical big burly men walking around this ce. Sally, I say you find yourself having some fun and take the two of them for yourself. One to show in society, two at night,¡± Erin suggested doing a dance with her shoulders.


    ¡°Should we call for the doctor?¡± Sallymented on Erin¡¯s terrible dance. It reminded her of what someone did before they fainted. ¡°I don¡¯t think I missed how you are with your mouth, Erin. I don¡¯t want the two of them, let alone one.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Lose out on having the time of your life. I am going to make a bet that you are going to eat your words. This town could do with the women bing a little bit more adventurous in satisfying their desires. The men don¡¯t hold back on it,¡± Erin muttered.


    ¡°Speaking of men, why don¡¯t you tell us more about the man you are going to marry?¡± Sally asked, shifting the conversation to Erin.


    .....


    ¡°I am also curious about him,¡± said Alessandra. She worried about all the secrecy.


    ¡°Fine, fine. His name is Dale Scott. That is all I will say for now. It won¡¯t be hard for the two of you to find out about him but I want to wait until you two meet him to tell you more. Just know that he is the sweetest man you will ever meet,¡± Erin said, touching her chest as just thinking about him made her heart rush.


    ¡°Dale Scott? I think I know who that is. He has a brother right? What was his name?¡± Sally asked, trying to think of it.


    ¡°Troublesome Kyle,¡± Erin rolled her eyes. ¡°I swear there are days I like his brother but then there are others that make me just want to strangle him. He¡¯s the only person in Dale¡¯s family that knows we are together because he went to his brother¡¯s home uninvited while I was there.¡±


    ¡°So, is he a good person?¡± Alessandra asked Sally.


    ¡°Of course, he is,¡± Erin answered in ce of Sally. She was a tad bit hurt by Alessandra questioning the man she picked to spend the rest of her life with. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be marrying him if he wasn¡¯t a good person.¡±


    ¡°I know. I can¡¯t help but be concerned since I have never met him. When you introduce him to us, my worries should go away,¡± Alessandra replied, genuinely not meaning to hurt Erin. It was hard not to be suspicious of a lot of the people in Lockwood whom she had never met. At least they had a name for this mystery man.


    ¡°I suppose it is normal for you to be worried when you have never met him. You can ask your husband about him. I am certain they have already met each other,¡± Erin replied. She heard him speak about Edgar at least once.


    ¡°I will wait until the day I meet him face to face. I think we should talk about what is important. You and your mother. Do you think there is a chance for the two of you to put this behind you and work together making dresses? You have a lot to offer her business,¡± Alessandra said, wishing Erin¡¯s mother would help Erin be a part of her famous business.


    Erin shook her head. She knew her mother better than anyone and considering her mother has never taken her designs seriously for years, nothing was going to change now. ¡°She¡¯s never going to let me sell my dresses in her shop. I really wanted to work with my mother since she inspired me but I have to think about myself and start my own dress shop,¡± Erin replied.


    After her mother presented her with the option to get married or leave, Erin finally made the decision to move on from working with her mother and start her own business where she would make all the rules. She already had the attention thanks to the favor Alessandra did for her.


    ¡°I am going to start looking for empty spaces for my own dress shop. I would like for it to be ready to open by summer since that is when business is best for dressmakers. I have the money saved over from making your dresses and from all the new orders. Then there will be my inheritance. I thought of asking Dale for money but it is something I want to do on my own. I just need toe up with a little bit more,¡± said Erin.


    ¡°I will be happy to invest in it. It wasn¡¯t long ago I was thinking of ways for myself to make money. I believe you will be the best dressmaker in this town so it won¡¯t be a bad investment,¡± Alessandra said.


    ¡°It would make sense for the two of you to be owners. Thanks to Edgar, Alessandra would have the resources to find you a ce to set up your business here and out of town. You can make dresses for her and send them out to other towns. Create a better business than what anyone in this town has thought of,¡± Sally added an idea.


    ¡°I¡¯m not against this,¡± Erin replied, liking the idea of Alessandra and her working together. ¡°I will be the talent in making dresses and you can be the one dealing with locations and stuff I don¡¯t know about. You are married to a good businessman who can offer good ideas. We only have one problem. Would your husband let you invest in this?¡±


    ¡°She only needs to ask and he will do it,¡± Sally said, one hundred percent sure there wouldn¡¯t be an issue. It was time that everyone caught on to how Edgar could not say no to Alessandra. She was his weakness along with Alfred. ¡®Never thought there would be a day a wifepetes with the butler,¡¯ she thought.


    ¡°We should ask him right now so we can start creating a business n. It will help clear my depressed mood,¡± Erin said, getting to her feet.


    ¡°You were depressed?¡± Sally asked in a confused tone. She looked at Alessandra to see if she thought the same. ¡°You sounded quite happy talking about sleeping with two men and finally introducing your future husband.¡±


    ¡°I was depressed on the inside,¡± Erin touched her chest. ¡°Come on. Move quickly.¡±


    Alessandra tried to get up quickly before Erin would take it upon herself to pull her up. ¡°Erin, I need to warn you that you shouldn¡¯t be so excited to speak with Edgar. Why aren¡¯t you getting up, Sally?¡± Alessandra questioned when she noticed Sally had not moved an inch.


    ¡°It is only you two who need to speak with your husband and honestly, he never looks happy to have Erin around so I will stay here and take care of the kittens for a while before checking on Alfred,¡± Sally answered. She wanted to stay clear of when Edgar and Erin would sh.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll love me after I be business partners with his wife. Do you know where he would be now, Alessandra?¡± Erin asked as she walked to the door with Alessandra.


    ¡°Most likely hiding from you, Dominic, and Caleb. I would say he is in his study and we will be met by a locked door,¡± Alessandra replied. A man that wanted peace and quiet was bound to find a hole and hide in it. ¡°If he is not there, we should check with Alfred.¡±


    ¡°That reminds me,¡± Erin said, only now noticing what was odd. ¡°Why wasn¡¯t your butler at the door? He greeted me at the door on my past visits and then we would speak of what dresses would suit you as he took me to you. I knew something was missing but I couldn¡¯t ce what it was. Is he sick?¡±


    ¡°I forgot no one outside this house other than the guards knows about it. Alfred was attacked by a group of men and was injured-¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Erin gripped Alessandra¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Who the hell hurt such a good man?¡±

 Chapter 320 - 320 Partners (2)

    320 Partners (2)


    ¡°Duke Collins, your wife, and I havee to ask for a favor.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already done the two of you a favor by letting you spend the night here. Do not ask for more or you will find yourself where your bag is,¡± Edgar replied, continuing to read up on updates concerning Federick. ¡°How did the two of you get in? The door was locked and it is my understanding you do not have a key,¡± he said to Alessandra.


    ¡°My bag is outside?!¡± Erin eximed. She thought by now it was in the room she would be sleeping in.


    ¡°Alfred told me where he kept the spare for himself,¡± Alessandra replied. Alfred didn¡¯t question why they were attempting to enter Edgar¡¯s study when it was locked which meant he wanted to be alone. He just told them the exact location of the key in his room.


    ¡°Of course, he would,¡± Edgar muttered, making a mental note to get back at Alfred and take away his key. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Your wife and I have decided to be business partners. We just need you to agree to fund it. Should we get some wine to celebrate?¡± Erin asked, forcing a smile as she awaited his answer.


    ¡°My wife doesn¡¯t need to work and you¡¯re just trying to grab onto whoever has money because your mother kicked you out. Go ask that mystery fiance you have to fund it. Besides, why would she need to be partners with anyone when I can make her an owner? It isn¡¯t a good idea to work with friends,¡± Edgar said, looking directly at Alessandra.


    It sounded good now but as time goes on their opinions would sh and most likely ruin the friendship.


    ¡°If you do not want to help I will use the money I recently received from the court to start it. If it fails, only I would be losing out,¡± Alessandra said.


    .....


    Edgar sighed, greatly disliking this stubborn side of Alessandra. ¡°Rather than jumping to do this business together, have some time to really think it over. It only sounds good now when nothing needs to be paid for. I am almost tempted to kick you out of here,¡± he said.


    ¡°Come on. You just don¡¯t like the fact that I will have to take away some of the time you get to spend with your wife,¡± Erin said, seeing right through why Edgar disliked the business idea. ¡°How greedy can you be when ites to Alessandra?¡±


    ¡°Extremely greedy. It is a side you do not want to see. Leave the key you used toe inside and get out. Matter of fact, you go home,¡± Edgar pointed at Erin. ¡°You stay so I can keep an eye on you,¡± he pointed at Alessandra.


    If he left the two alone Alessandra would end up giving all of her inheritance she just received to help Erin. She was too nice sometimes. Perhaps all the time.


    ¡°First of all, my fiance isn¡¯t a mystery. He is Dale Scott,¡± Erin said, sticking her nose high in the air as she was proud of the man she was with.


    ¡°Never heard of him,¡± Edgar replied.


    ¡°He spoke of meeting you once before,¡± Erin stated, disliking how Edgar imed to not know Dale.


    ¡°A lot of people have met me before but it does not mean they were memorable. I am the well-known one, not them,¡± Edgar stated as a fact. He was the popr person everyone spoke of. Even if he was a Duke, hisst name made him the topic of many conversations.


    ¡°We should stop now before he startsplimenting himself,¡± Alessandra said to Erin. ¡°We should do as he says and think about it further to make sure we really want to do this- What are you doing?¡± Alessandra questioned, trying to calm her aching heart after Erin suddenly grabbed her arm without warning.


    ¡°Getting closer to you to piss your husband off just as he has pissed me off. I¡¯ve decided I want to steal you away from him, Alessandra. Your heart is too kind for him,¡± Erin said, pulling Alessandra closer to piss off Edgar further. She knew he hated the closeness between the two of them. It didn¡¯t matter that she was a woman.


    ¡°Erin,¡± Alessandra said with a hint of nervousness in her voice. ¡°I don¡¯t think you want to provoke, Edgar.¡±


    Edgar leaned back in his chair no longer interested in what he was doing before. He silently watched Erin cling to his wife like she was hungry and Alessandra was thest piece of meat. ¡°Leave her, Alessandra. There are only so many times you can offer me provocative clothes to make me like you. Have you ever been physically tossed out of a home? Your mother doesn¡¯t count,¡± he taunted her current predicament.


    Alessandra sighed, palming her face as she knew it was toote to stop the two of them from taking jabs at each other. She could predict right now that Erin was not going to win against Edgar. He always had an answer for everything and he was never one to hold back what was on his mind.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to leave you alone now. Thank you for the advice,¡± Alessandra said, tugging on Erin¡¯s arms to get her out of the room.


    ¡°So that¡¯s how you want to y,¡± Erin grumbled, clenching her fist. ¡°You do not want to get on my bad side, Duke Collins.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be on your good side. I hardly like you. You are like a little fly making too much noise when you visit,¡± Edgar replied.


    ¡°And you are like a grumpy old man!¡± Erin retorted.


    ¡°Is that all?¡± Edgar questioned, bored of the conversation.


    ¡°Can the two of you please stop? I can¡¯t believe I am saying this but I like when the two of you are speaking about my clothes. Edgar, we¡¯ll bring a proper business n to you. Even if you have a lot of wealth it cannot hurt for me to invest the money I¡¯ve received into a business to keep making more money on my own. I could really use your help making this work. For the both of us,¡± Alessandra said in a gentle tone.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Edgar agreed. ¡°Bring the n, a proper one as if you were taking it to a stranger, and I will give you my advice on if it will work. Now, please leave me alone.¡±


    ¡°What was that? Why are you all of a sudden epting it after I have stated we wish to work together?¡± Erin asked, confused by what clicked in his mind to change his answer so quickly. How much was he smitten by his wife?


    ¡°It is simple. I love my wife. You, not so much so I will reject whatever you want. Now that we have an understanding please leave before you create a record of being kicked out of two houses in one day. I¡¯d hate for you to experience that again,¡± Edgar said as if he cared for Erin¡¯s feelings but his smile said something else.


    ¡°I know the one thing that can get you to shut up. Duchess,¡± Erin turned to her wonderful friend. Alessandra was the puppetmaster making Edgar dance so if you wanted Edgar¡¯s strings to be pulled you needed to speak with Alessandra. ¡°Can I stay here two more nights?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± Edgar quickly rejected the request.


    Alessandra felt pushed between a rock and a hard ce. ¡°Erin, unfortunately, Edgar does not like too many people in his home and I have to respect that so I can¡¯t ask for you to be here longer than we first agreed. He¡¯s already not happy to have Dominic and you here so I don¡¯t want to push the boundaries any further. I¡¯m sorry,¡± she apologized.


    ¡°Don¡¯t apologize,¡± Erin said, feeling her heart pang from Alessandra¡¯s apology. Alessandra was like a small kitten with big eyes pleading with her to not be offended. At times she felt herself having a little crush on the cute woman. ¡°All of a sudden I feel jealous of the rtionship you two have. I need to drink something,¡± Erin said, turning on her heels to leave Edgar¡¯s study.¡±


    ¡°Do not let her get into any of my good alcohol. It is not for people sulking. Give her the cheap bottles,¡± Edgar said.

 Chapter 321 - 321 Chaotic dinner (1)

    321 Chaotic dinner (1)


    ¡°Littledy sure can drink,¡± Dominicmented, enjoying the entertainment of watching Erin drink like she was a fish just ced back in the water. ¡°Mother troubles is it? We all have those days. Mine is forcing me to get married since Edgar is now married. I¡¯m starting to think that if Edgar died, my mother would want to kill me so I am not left out of something Edgar has done.¡±


    ¡°And I thought my mother was crazy,¡± Erin said, suddenly feeling better about her mother. ¡°Why are they like this? Why can¡¯t they just let us do what we want? We are still so young. Why do I have to get married and push out a baby instead of working? I don¡¯t even like babies. So ugly when they are born,¡± she chuckled.


    ¡°I think that is enough,¡± Alessandra said from the other end of the dining table. She was sitting next to Erin until Edgar came and lifted her chair up to take her to where he was going to sit. ¡°For you too, Dominic.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Dominic shook his head. ¡°It is good to vent about our mothers,¡± he spoke, slurring his words. An indication that he was drunk. ¡°Hey hey hey!¡± He repeatedly yelled when Edgar took up the good bottle of alcohol.


    ¡°Not only have the two of you arrived making my home an inn but you are making it like the cheap ones where drunkards spend their days,¡± Edgar said, greatly disgusted by the sight of the two drunkards. If anyone was going to get drunk in his home, it could only be him and Alessandra. ¡°Drinking my good alcohol I spent so much money on. I don¡¯t even drink to feel better about my mother.¡±


    ¡°You should. Your mother is like the queen of all overbearing mothers. Do you have any trouble with your mother that you want to drink to, Duchess?¡± Dominic asked.


    ¡°I have not seen my birth mother in years and I would rather not speak about my stepmother. Do not hit him,¡± Alessandra said to Edgar when he raised the bottle in his hand to hit Dominic over the head for mentioning her mother. ¡°He did not know and he is somewhat drunk.¡±


    ¡°I am sorry. I think it is time I stop drinking and sober up before I truly be drunk,¡± Domininc said pushing away the cup Erin poured with alcohol for him and reaching out for a fresh cup to pour water in.


    ¡°I¡¯m d it wasn¡¯t me who said something wrong. So, Dominic. Why haven¡¯t you found someone to settle down with? Hasn¡¯t there been at least one woman you thought of marrying or loved at one point? Doesn¡¯t matter the age,¡± Erin spoke, feeling nosey with his problems.


    .....


    ¡°I haven¡¯t had the feeling of marrying someone and I have never loved anyone. No, wait. There was one but she loved this bastard,¡± Dominic answered, pointing at Edgar who ruined his crush.


    ¡°This bastard is about to throw you out of his house if you do not watch your mouth. Do not make mee to dislike you as much as I do with your brother, Dominic. Try not to ruin dinner before it starts. I am going to get Alfred,¡± Edgar finished, unfortunately leaving the two in Alessandra¡¯s care.


    Erin waited until Edgar left the dining room to ask Alessandra, ¡°Is he always so grumpy?¡±


    ¡°No. Edgar has really sweet moments. He is not exactly a people person and it wasn¡¯t that long ago that it was only him sitting at this table. He will get used to it going forward since I like sitting at a full table,¡± Alessandra answered.


    ¡°I recall him mentioning filling the chairs with children. There are about six empty chairs at this table. Do you n to have that many children, Duchess?¡± Dominic asked.


    Alessandra almost choked on her spit at the mention of her having six children. ¡°Six? I was only thinking of having one child. A boy but I wouldn¡¯t mind having a girl too. Six children are too many,¡± she shook her head, feeling her palms sweat as she imagined how much pain that would be.


    ¡°I highly doubt you will only have one child with your husband. I don¡¯t like him that much but there is no denying how handsome he is. Can you really imagine not letting him get you pregnant? I mean, you get to do all kinds of things when you wee the idea of creating a child from your activities,¡± Erin said, not caring how her words came out.


    ¡°I feel the need to exit this conversation,¡± Dominic stated since the topic lost him. He didn¡¯t want to hear about Edgar getting his wife pregnant. ¡°You have a dirty mind, don¡¯t you? No wonder you are at odds with your mother.¡±


    ¡°I always have a clean mouth around my mother. Talking about sex with your friends is such a ridiculous taboo. We are grown up to make children but it is somehow not proper to talk about the process with your friends. Get out of here,¡± Erin rolled her eyes. ¡°There are too many rules for women in this world.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t argue with that. Edgar has stated for years that he only needs an heir so I doubt you will end up with six children. Please do not have more than three because my mother will push for me to have four,¡± Dominic pleaded with Alessandra.


    ¡°It is honestly not something I can control. Whether I want six or two,¡± Alessandra replied.


    ¡°You can if you stop making love to your husband. I heard there was recently a woman who gave birth to four at once but she died shortly after. The husband isn¡¯t too sad about her death. He now has three boys and a girl. He gets to rejoice to have three sons while she is dead. You know what Alessandra, don¡¯t get pregnant,¡± Erin said, now disliking pregnancy because of how dangerous it was. ¡°Don¡¯t have sex with your husband anymore.¡±


    ¡°Get the hell out of my house,¡± Edgar stated in a low, dangerous tone.


    Edgar returned to the dining room with Alfred by his side only to hear the annoying woman trying to persuade Alessandra to no longer be intimate with him. That was the final straw to seal the deal that he did not like Erin Potter. Her mother deserved a gift for kicking her out.


    ¡°The table is quite busy today,¡± Alfred said, surprised by the two guests. It was heartwarming to see how much Edgar was opening up to let others into his safe space. ¡°Let her stay a little longer, Edgar.¡±


    Edgar was about to deny Alfred¡¯s request until he saw the limp Alfred now walked with. He bit his tongue to hold back what he wanted to say regarding Erin and his mother. For now, Edgar wanted to make Aflred happy to get past what he experienced with Timothy while he recovers.


    If the annoying woman pleased Alfred, he had no choice but to let her stay a little longer. Edgar considered getting rid of this Dale Scott to hit Erin where it hurts and see who wasn¡¯t sleeping with who anymore.

 Chapter 322 - 322 Chaotic dinner (2)

    322 Chaotic dinner (2)


    The table became silent as Alfred sat down without anyone¡¯s help. He made it clear it was only his arm that was injured and though there was some pain in his left leg, he didn¡¯t need anyone¡¯s help. Alfred was on a good path to recovery and wished to not be a burden to anyone else.


    ¡°What brings you here, Dominic? Did you walk away from your mother again?¡± Alfred asked the moment he gotfortable in his seat.


    ¡°See, Alfred. This is why I have been trying to steal you away from Edgar for years. You¡¯re the only one who gets me,¡± Dominic answered, happy to have someone who understood that he did not run away from his mother. He quickly walked away. There was a big difference. ¡°Whenever you get tired working for Edgar,e to me.¡±


    ¡°Alfred isn¡¯t a butler anymore. His years of keeping this house perfect havee to an end,¡± Alessandra announced.


    ¡°I was fired, to be frank. I didn¡¯t like it at first but after the recent incident, I can agree that I need a break. I can find you a butler almost as good as I was. I need to interview someone to take my ce here. Are you sure you¡¯ll need a butler, Dominic? You need to keep moving around so your mother doesn¡¯t know where you are. It won¡¯t be long before she guesses you are in Lockwood,¡± said Alfred.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t doubt that she has sent out the hounds to start searching for me and with Daniel upset with me for not beating up Edgar for him, he¡¯ll help her find me,¡± Dominic replied.


    ¡°After what happened during our trip, I hoped your brother would settle down. I pray he doesn¡¯t do anything stupid,¡± Alfred said though he knew it was unlikely for Daniel to let the matter go.


    ¡°It is Daniel. He will always do something stupid. I overheard him speaking of wanting toe to Lockwood but our father talked him out of it. Our mother is soft on him but our father is more strict. If Daniel does or says something foolish again, our father might cut him off or deliver a blow harder than the one Edgar gave him. The tension at family dinners was also the reason I left,¡± Dominic exined.


    Alessandra wished Daniel would forget about getting even with Edgar when he had started all of this by being nosey from the beginning. With everything else going on in their lives, they didn¡¯t need to be worrying about Daniel of all people.


    .....


    Everyone quieted down as the maids started to serve dinner.


    ¡°I could get used to this service,¡± Erin said, enjoying how quick the servants were and made no mistakes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry I don¡¯t n to stay here past tomorrow morning,¡± she said to Edgar. ¡°And for the record, we were talking about preventing pregnancy because of how dangerous it can be.¡±


    Edgar continued to silently eat as he didn¡¯t need Erin¡¯s opinion when it came to this matter. If Alessandra feared what could happen to her during the pregnancy or birth, that was for them to discuss, not this unwanted guest. Luckily, he didn¡¯t worry about Alessandra not sleeping with him. She liked to deny it but he had a perfect memory of how much she enjoyed their first night together.


    ¡°Just let it go,¡± Dominic whispered to Erin. ¡°So Duchess, I heard that you are a good painter. I will need quite a few for my home, do you think you can create a few? Not free of course. I will pay you if you have time for it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still in the process of finishing up the ones for here but I can create paintings for you. There are some pieces in my private room upstairs. You should take a look before deciding you want me to paint for you. I am not as good as other artists you can find in town,¡± Alessandra said, notpletely confident in her work.


    To go from painting to pass time in her room to paint for others was strange but she weed the prospect of this slowly bing a business. Along with owning a dress shop with Erin, she would love to create paintings for others or even put her journey as an artist on disy.


    ¡°Don¡¯t downy your skills, Duchess. I¡¯m sure they are great. I don¡¯t really have much of an eye for art so whatever you make is fine. I am in need of items to start making that ce feel like home. When it is ready, you and Edgar shoulde to visit me out there. You two could do with another break from Lockwood. With the murderer, Alfred being attacked, and the crazy women,¡± Dominic listed the negative side of Lockwood.


    ¡°Where is my invitation? We became drinking buddies and shared our concerns about our mothers but you don¡¯t invite me to your home? I¡¯m hurt,¡± Erin feigned pain in her chest.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re still drunk not hurt. You can tag along as long as you and Edgar don¡¯t destroy my house with your bickering. Perhaps I should just invite Alessandra and Alfred. They are better guests,¡± Dominic said, changing his mind.


    ¡°It would be rude not to invite Edgar when he has opened his doors to you right now. I won¡¯t go if you do not invite Edgar,¡¯ Alessandra stated, taking up for her husband.


    Edgar didn¡¯t hide his cheeky smile as he continued to eat. It was always a good moment whenever Alessandra spoke up for him even if it was for little matters like this.


    ¡°See what I mean? They make you feel lonely which speaks a lot for me when I am engaged. I cannot stay in this house much longer. I will start to question the rtionship I have. If I could, I would leave right now,¡± said Erin.


    ¡°I can have a carriage prepared for you,¡± Edgar offered.


    ¡°No thank you!¡±


    Dinner continued with yful conversations in Collins Estate but on the other side of Lockwood, the same could not be said for another household.


    ¡°You two need to eat before it gets cold,¡± Simon said, cutting into the beef prepared for him just as he liked it. With the majority of the meat still red. ¡°The cook worked hard to prepare this for us. I¡¯d hate to see it go to waste again.¡±


    Not receiving a response, Simon started to angrily cut into the meat. The sound of the knife scraping against the te would make anyone¡¯s skin tingle.


    ¡°Why are the two of you silent tonight? You were always a chatterbox. I once disliked how much you spoke but now I want to hear it. Should I tell you about my day to lighten the mood? I¡¯ve been having some good days recently but there was something that pissed me off. A nosey little child ying in the snow too early. It¡¯s a shame I will have to kill him,¡± Simon said, cing the perfect size cut of meat in his mouth. He savored the taste with each bite.


    ¡°Now the guards think they will be able to crack this case. Should I start leaving clues? I almost want them to find out that it is me and see their reactions. I wonder how they will react. I bet I was never once on their list of suspects. You y the role of the innocent man who always wants peace and everyone looks past you. I wonder, should I ce someone else as the culprit?¡±


    Simon ced his knife and fork down as he considered his options. The game of catch was fun and then there was the exciting moment he got to punish the girls who failed to be perfect. The only disappointing part of all of this was the guards not picking up on anything. Well, that was until the little boy. He was excited to see where that little bit of information would take the guards and Edgar.


    ¡°I need to watch out for Edgar Collins. He might solve this before I want him to but I am the one controlling everything. He shouldn¡¯t find a clue I have not ced before him. Why aren¡¯t you eating?!¡± Simon eximed, smacking the palm of his hand t down on the table. ¡°You were the one who kept telling me about being perfect and then punishing me when I wasn¡¯t. You are breaking your rules by being silent, mother.¡±


    ¡°Still not talking?¡± Simon pushed his chair back as he stood. He left his spot and went over to where his mother and father sat. He made sure to put them together. Simon decided to speak with his mother. He ced his right hand under her chin, forcing him to look up at him. ¡°Ha! You¡¯ve lost your beauty,¡± hemented on her appearance.


    ¡°You used to beat me to the point I bled for not being your perfect son. Now, look at you,¡± he said, releasing her chin.


    His mother¡¯s head slumped down as her body was without life for four years just like her husband.


    ¡°Women and all your fucking rules. It feels nice to switch ces with you, mother. I finally understand what you liked when you molded me to your liking. I will bring a girl who is to your liking soon. She¡¯s perfect when ites to obeying me. You two can enjoy dinner without me. I have another girl I want to get rid of. I¡¯m tired of her cries,¡± Simon said, leaving the dining room to prepare to leave another gift for the town.

 Chapter 323 - 323 Chaotic dinner (3)

    323 Chaotic dinner (3)


    Simon left the dining room, passing by the maids who hustled to clean up after him. It took two years to find the right people who didn¡¯t care about what they witnessed in his house. His servants witnessed many of his antics with his parents who were meant to be buried in the ground but never once reported him to the town guards.


    Simon demonstrated what would happen to anyone looking to expose his deeds on a maid he found acting strange. After a quick interrogation, he found out she wanted to leave because she could not stand the sight of the corpses.


    Simon gathered the servants to witness what would be their punishment. He killed the maid before their eyes and let them clean up the mess. The people in his house were quite loyal to him now. When he finally brings Kate here, they should help make the house seem as though nothing was wrong.


    Simon exited a door near the kitchen and kept walking towards the tall trees behind his house. He ignored the coldness of the snowtching onto him because he came outside without a coat.


    There was only one thing Simon liked about winter. It covered the entrance to a room his father built to get away from his mother in the past.


    Simon bent down in the middle of the trees, his house barely in view from this spot, and dug away at the snow. Under the snow was atch with a lock on it. There was only one key to get inside and one to get out. He always kept it on him.


    Simon opened the trap door and jumped down inside the hidden room. Darkness consumed him because of theck of light, but out of instinct, he found where the torch was left and set it on fire.


    ¡°I hope you ate all your dinner like always. You know how much I hate to bring it all the way out here just to be wasted. Oh, good girl,¡± he smiled as a young woman with a chain around her foot came into view when he started to light the other torches. Her te was empty like she had licked it clean.


    ¡°This is why you havested the longest. You are far better than my mother who would not eat. Are you cold?¡± He asked, noticing the way she shivered. ¡°You couldn¡¯t be. My father built this room well enough that it should be warm in the winter. You should be d to have such a luxurious prison.¡±


    .....


    Simon¡¯s mood changed from theck of responses. ¡°Answer me, Be,¡± he ordered her.


    ¡°I am happy to be here,¡± Be replied, her voiceing out like a whisper. She was thirsty and beyond hungry but didn¡¯t make these two things known since she saw his punishments when youined about the things he did.


    Be, a young actress, tried to drag her sore foot on the cold floor to get away from the young girl who was unconscious since Simon¡¯sst visit. Be warned the young girl to keep quiet and do as Simon wanted but the cries continued followed by a threat. Simon did as Be knew he would do. Simon a metal rod and hit the other captive with it over her head.


    Be heard low groans throughout the night and saw her fingers twitch but by morning, any signs the young girl was alive were few. Be survived this long by doing everything Simon said regardless of how gross it would be like licking the bottom of his shoe or the bloody hand of one of the girls she spent some time with.


    ¡°I wonder if I should release you,¡± Simon suddenly spoke. ¡°Would you like to leave?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Be shook her head. She knew not to fall for this trick. There was only one way he would let you leave this ce. ¡°I wish to stay here, please. I like it here. Don¡¯t make me leave,¡± she begged, holding her head down.


    Simon licked his lips, silently contemting if he should stick with her until he could get her to disobey his words. Then, he would have the pleasure of torturing her. ¡°You were so perfect at first but then there was that one time you could not control your tears. I could have killed you, but I didn¡¯t. Never forget that.¡±


    Be kept her head low as she bit her lip and tried to hide the emotions oveing her. ¡°I am grateful you didn¡¯t-¡±


    ¡°Look at me,¡± Simon ordered her. He knew what she was doing by not meeting his eyes. She thought she could hide from him.


    Be tried her best to not let her fear show as she lifted her head.


    ¡°Those tricks won¡¯t work on me, Be. I have been here in your position. You were better than the others but you are still wed. I¡¯ve found someone better than you. She has that same annoying attitude you had when I firstid eyes on you. A beautiful flower just waiting to be destroyed,¡± said Simon.


    He started to walk around the room to get a better look at the other young woman in the room.


    Simon¡¯s eyes lingered on the dead woman before going back to Be. ¡°I¡¯m sure you wish to know what your family is doing right now. I¡¯m happy to share the wonderful news that they have given up looking for you. You¡¯ve been missing longer than most of your friends,¡± he said, referring to the girls he had before.


    Be didn¡¯t have a friendship with the girls Simon kept bringing her but he would repeatedly call them friends.


    ¡°They threw a funeral for you and moved on with their lives. So harsh of them. If only they would wait a little more for you to slip up, I would kill you and let them see your battered body. So impatient they were,¡± Simon lied.


    Be dug her nails into her skin as she continued to look at Simon. She knew her mother would never stop looking for her.


    Simon went to where Be curled herself up in the corner and stooped down before her to y with her dirty hair. ¡°You should hear how your peers were talking about you. You should¡¯ve been nicer in the past. Then again, I wouldn¡¯t have found you to be the perfect test if you were nice. I love the ones like you who are hard to break.¡±


    ¡°W-Why? Why are you doing this when you say you were in my position?¡± Be asked, epting the risk this could get her killed. She just needed to know after months of being here, what was his reason?


    Be flinched when Simon reached out to rub his fingers through her hair.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fear me. That was a good question. It sucks when you¡¯re the one chained up, but it only took one instance for me to see why my parents liked torturing me if I wasn¡¯t their perfect little son. It¡¯s exhrating. Perhaps I might die and you will be the one to enjoy this little game. We¡¯ll never know,¡± said Simon, shrugging his shoulders.


    Be only wanted to get out of this box she was stuck in. She could not understand how someone who was once a victim would turn around and attack others.


    ¡°No? You¡¯re no fun Be. I¡¯ll give you a gift since you seem to be under the weather these days. I am going to get rid of her,¡± he pointed at the young woman behind them. ¡°And bring you a new friend soon. Someone with that same fire you had when I first met you.¡±

 Chapter 324 - 324 Sister? (1)

    324 Sister? (1)


    ¡°Everyone has gone to bed so you can rest now. You were like a bunny tonight,¡± said Edgar.


    She was constantly moving around with Erin and Dominic and then going to Alfred¡¯s side.


    ¡°It is fun when there are more people at the table and Alfred seemed to enjoy thepany. He is looking better already. You said you found special tes and cups in the carriage the day he was injured. I was thinking of buying more for Alfred tomorrow by going to town for a change of scenery. With Caleb and Reed of course or is it too soon?¡± Alessandra asked since Alfred getting attacked wasn¡¯t that long ago.


    Edgar would like for her to stay where it was safe but Alessandra was always home and it was time she got to go out to have fun by herself. He was more worried when she was surrounded by other women than when she was by herself.


    ¡°My mother is here but we have not found the man Federick yet. I doubt he is still in town. I fear leaving you out of my sight because you never know who will try to approach you but I won¡¯t let you be caged up here. I will assign you another guard,¡± Edgar said, already thinking of the person.


    ¡°What about two? I enjoyed being around the two who helped take care of Alfred before the doctor arrived. The four of them should make anyone think twice before approaching me. And I won¡¯t wander off to anywhere that is lonesome. I will head to town when the roads should be busy with other carriages,¡± Alessandra said as she wished to avoid getting attacked there.


    ¡°Edgar, why are you patting my head like I am a dog?¡± Alessandra asked after she felt his gentle pats on her head. Next thing you know he would be waving a treat in front of her.


    ¡°It is good that you are aware of the dangers and always think of ways to avoid them. It would be a bother if you were blind to the danger and everyone had to be looking out for you. I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be in any danger. At least not from William if you go into town tomorrow. My sources tell me he left Lockwood after meeting with someone from the Barrett house.¡±


    ¡°Are you watching both of them?¡± Alessandra questioned.


    .....


    ¡°One of them wishes you would drop dead and the other wants you to be a live doll. I would be a fool to not watch the two of them. They are no doubt trying to team up to do something for you. Perhaps Katrina is taking charge since William is out of town. I am waiting for her to step foot out of her house,¡± Edgar stated, referring to the gift he needed to give her for showing up with Greta.


    Katrina was owed another cut on her face. She knew it too considering how much she was hidden away in her house. It was rare for the woman who liked to be seen to remind inside.


    ¡°In the past, she and Kate would leave home every other day. She must be scared. I don¡¯t understand what is going on inside her head. For years she has wanted my father to send me away and now that I have left, wanting nothing to do with them, she is stilling after me. I hope the court finds out about her past quickly,¡± Alessandra said as she walked to the bed to lie down.


    Edgar followed behind Alessandra to go to bed.¡±Mark and I don¡¯t always see eye to eye but he is good at what he does. He will find out what she has hidden. Perhaps faster than me. From what I know so far, it is likely that she once worked at a red light district out of town. She would meet all types of people there who would help her meet and fool your father.¡±


    ¡°If you know this, shouldn¡¯t you already know more about her? Shouldn¡¯t there be some notes about her life?¡± Alessandra asked.


    ¡°It is not so simple. The red light district doesn¡¯t care about the life you had before and when you finally pay your debt. There are no records of the people in that area and most of the workers have different names when they start working. It is a tight-lip business; no matter how you poke around, no one will spill any information. That is why you must go there to find out what you want,¡± Edgar replied.


    That was part of the reason he would book a room and sit around to hear what was being discussed outside the thin walls.


    ¡°Oh. Well, I know that she is not a good person so it shouldn¡¯t be long before you stumble across someone else who has been looking for her and knows about her past. I don¡¯t understand one thing. Shouldn¡¯t the court have information about her when she married my father? What did they write about her to not question her life?¡± Alessandra wondered, curious about what they were told in the past.


    Alessandra was learning a lot about the kingdom and the way the courts worked in her free time. As Duchess, she knew that one thing she needed was knowledge.


    Edgar agreed that it was odd the court had not found anything strange about Katrina. Surely, they would have looked at the woman who was about to be the new Baroness. ¡°Perhaps shebeled herself an orphan so there was no need for them to look too much into her background or my theory continues that she had someone with connections helping her back then,¡± he said.


    Edgar had a feeling Katrina and this person couldn¡¯t be working together in the present. Perhaps they only worked to help her be Desmond¡¯s wife.


    Alessandraid down close to Edgar as she did every night and said, ¡°Each time we speak about her hidden past, I be impressed and fearful of how well she has settled down here without anyone knowing who she really is. Have you reached out to rk to see what he knows?¡±


    ¡°Not yet. Right now, my main concern is getting rid of William and seeing what he has hidden in that house of his. You won¡¯t have to think about him much longer. Instead, you should think of the suggestion I gave you for my birthday gift,¡± Edgar smoothly changed the conversation to himself.


    ¡°Good night,¡± Alessandra said, turning on her side to look away from Edgar and go further across therge bed to escape him.


    Unfortunately, she didn¡¯t get too far away when his hand touched her stomach and pulled her back against him.


    ¡°Like I said, a bunny.¡±


    ¡°I have woken up a sex-craved beast,¡± Alessandra muttered. All that was on Edgar¡¯s mind whenever they were alone was the two of them being intimate.


    ¡°You have. Your ego should be through the roof knowing how alluring you are to make me always want to touch you. Even now I feel tempted to take off your dress and please you,¡± Edgar said in a low tone. His hand trailed the side of her body, squeezing her hips for a moment before sliding under her dress to the warmth between her legs.


    He licked his lips when he felt how wet she was though he had not done anything but speak. ¡°It hurts that I am always the one doing the seducing. Why don¡¯t you do something to knock me off my feet on my birthday? Seduce me as best as you can and I will ensure you enjoy that day as much as I do,¡± he kissed the back of her neck.


    Alessandra bit her lip to hold back the sounds that would let Edgar know she was enjoying his fingers inside of her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why you are against a day of love-making I have nned. First this room, the bathroom, and then we shall take a trip outside our bedroom. I have a few ces in mind that I would love to fuck you.¡±


    Alessandra¡¯s breathing hitched because of the word Edgar chose to use instead of making love. One would say that it was not proper.


    ¡°The window where Alfred interrupted us, the stairs, and if it was not snowing, I would take you to the garden but,¡± Edgar removed his hand right when he felt she was at her end. ¡°It is not something you want. Goodnight,¡± he said, turning on his side to back her. ¡°Now you know how I feel.¡±

 Chapter 325 - 325 [Bonus chapter] Sister? (2)

    325 [Bonus chapter] Sister? (2)


    The next day, Alessandra arrived in town before noon when it would be the busiest. As always, Sally was by her side and as if she was the queen, there were four men protecting her. Two on each side to stop anyone from getting close.


    Seeing the Duchess highly guard created a lot of chatter among the people passing by but Alessandra did not let it ruin the moment. If she was walking with only one guard, others would still find something to talk about.


    ¡°Where do you want to go first? Your husband ordered me to buy whatever you look at,¡± said Sally. Edgar gave her a bag of money, which she handed to Caleb to carry around, so she would buy what Alessandra liked but didn¡¯t want to waste money on.


    It was always fun for Sally to watch Alessandra go on a shopping trip and not worry about money. She was living her fantasies through Alessandra.


    ¡°The purpose of this trip is to buy gifts for Alfred. I think we should buy tes and cups for himst since they can break if we walk around with them. That should be ourst stop so we can look around for now. Where do you want to get your gifts?¡± Alessandra asked the group.


    She witnessed many of the servants and guards paying Alfred a visit to bring him gifts. It was then she realized Alfred wasn¡¯t just a father figure to her and Edgar but to the entire estate.


    ¡°I wanted to find him a good book to read. He is just one chapter away from finishing the book he started. He told me of a new release he would love to buy. I will have to visit the bookshops,¡± said Sally.


    ¡°What about the rest of you?¡± Alessandra asked, looking to her right where Caleb and Reed walked beside her.


    ¡°Alcohol,¡± Reed and Caleb replied in unison.


    .....


    ¡°We¡¯ve joined in with some of the other guards to write a get-well letter. It¡¯s a good thing he loves reading because it is around five pages already and all of the guards have not written their parts yet,¡± Clyde answered. They all thought it would be best for Alfred to read how much they cared for him and wanted him to be well.


    ¡°That is a nice gift. You might make him cry. So, we need to visit a bookshop, buy alcohol and then find some tes, cups, or both for Alfred. We can look around a bit more. Here,¡± Alessandra randomly pointed at a shop. She had not visited here thest time she came to town with Erin, Sally, and Caleb.


    ¡°This ce is famous for its bags. You will love the bags, Duchess. Instead of having one color or a flower pattern, the bags here have many colors in different designs like the art I saw you make,¡± Sally said, excited for Alessandra to visit here first.


    Alessandra had an entire room full of bags and essories she did not go in often because it wasn¡¯t her style. She needed items that showed off her artsy side. Sally wanted Alessandra to use her talent as an artist to help her stand out when it came to how she dressed.


    If done right, Alessandra could set a new trend for other women to follow. They would keep an eye on Alessandra to mimic what she was wearing.


    Sally¡¯s evident excitement made Alessandra want to visit the shop even more. She had enough bags at home but she was interested in seeing how these ones resembled art.


    As Alessandra walked to the shop, Caleb tapped Reed on his shoulder and said, ¡°Trouble is not too far away behind us.¡±


    Reed looked over his shoulder at two young women who were walking in their direction. ¡°Have the owner make the shop private for only the Duchess to use,¡± he ordered his brother.


    Caleb nodded, going ahead of the group to tell the shop owner. They would not allow something bad to happen to Alessandra while in their care. It was only two young women not too far behind them but considering Alessandra was recently hit in the head by another young woman, they weren¡¯t taking any chances.


    Alessandra noticed the way Caleb hurried in front of her like something was wrong. She looked at Reed who only shrugged his shoulders in response. ¡°You know, keeping me unaware of something you noticed will only lead to trouble in the future,¡± she warned him. ¡°Thank you,¡± she thanked Clyde after he opened the door for her.


    All five of them entered the shop not long after Caleb.


    ¡°You were not pulling my arm. The Duchess really is here,¡± a woman standing beside Caleb said. Her eyes lit up as soon as Alessandra entered. It would be good business for her if she could have the Duchess as a regr customer. ¡°Ladies,¡± she pped her hands to gather her employee¡¯s attention. ¡°Change the sign. The Duchess will be-¡±


    ¡°This is it,¡± Grace said as she entered the shop with Kate. ¡°Oh,¡± her mouth fell open but her shock was far from being real. She spotted Alessandra a moment ago but Kate did not so she led her friend here to witness the two sisters arguing. She was tired of Kate rubbing it in her face how she would soon marry Simon.


    ¡°Clyde, Andre. The fucking door,¡± Reed red at the two. It was their job to take positions by all doors. They literally had one task aside from guarding Alessandra. They¡¯ll be fired if they mess up guarding Alessandra on their first day.


    ¡°He told me you were watching the doors,¡± Clyde whispered to Andre as they walked to the door.


    Andre shook his head. ¡°No, he told me you were watching the doors. I am to stand behind the Duchess. Should we tell him it is him who messed this up?¡±


    ¡°If the Duke finds out, we should,¡± Clyde replied. He and Andre nodded their heads as they both agreed on that.


    Kate wasn¡¯t pleased by the sight of Alessandra. She was angered when Alessandra had the nerve to look away from her as if she didn¡¯t matter. ¡®Why does one person need so many guards? No one cares about her,¡¯ Kate thought. Alessandra was acting like she was someone important.


    Jete, the shop owner, was the first person to approach Kate. ¡°I am sorry but my shop is closed for a private showing. Pleasee back in fifteen minutes. I¡¯m sorry for-¡±


    ¡°She is my sister,¡± Kate interrupted Jete before she could be escorted out.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Jete replied, turning around to see if Alessandra would like for her sister to stay. If they were sisters, why was one side of the room ring at the other side?


    ¡°We are?¡± Alessandra chuckled because of Kate¡¯s words. Since when did Kate im her as a sister? ¡°She is mistaken,¡± she added.


    Jete was now more confused. Did a crazy young woman just enter her shop or were the two really sisters but at odds? Maybe one was an illegitimate child.


    ¡°We are sisters. We share the same father. Don¡¯t abuse your power and hog the shop all to yourself. I need to buy a bag,¡± said Kate.


    Alessandra wondered where Kate was getting the money to go shopping when it wasn¡¯t too long ago their house was in debt.


    ¡°Give us a moment for us to chat in private,¡± Kate ordered everyone in the room.


    Alessandra wasn¡¯t in the mood to go back and forth with Kate, stating the obvious that they do not care for each other. She had the means to remove Kate from before her so why stand here and argue? She had the perfect n to make Kate angry and get rid of her.


    ¡°This will go on far longer than it needs to at this rate. I don¡¯t want to be in town for so long. Would you love for me to leave so you can tend to your customer?¡± Alessandra asked Jeneatte.


    Her words were a nice way of asking which of the two customers was more important.

 Chapter 326 - 326 Sister? (3)

    326 Sister? (3)


    Jete caught onto what the Duchess was doing. It wasn¡¯t the first time she was put in the position of having to choose between two women who didn¡¯t like being in each other¡¯s presence.


    ¡®Alessandra Collins or her sister I didn¡¯t recognize at first nce,¡¯ Jete thought, already making her decision. She would be a fool to pick thetter.


    Jete smiled at Kate, hoping she would quietly leave along with her friend. ¡°I¡¯m sorry but your sister was here first and we¡¯re already making preparations to make the shop private for her. Pleasee again once she has left,¡± she pointed at the door.


    ¡°I am not going to leave. I have every right to look around this shop and buy a bag now that I am here. I don¡¯t want toe backter. Would you prefer that I tell all my friends how you treat your customers?¡± Kate asked, refusing to back down. ¡°Have you forgotten she only has her title? I can make you lose customers thanks to the long list of friends I have and it won¡¯t be long before I also have a title.¡±


    Grace found it funny how Kate was so sure about Simon marrying her. ¡®She should wait until there is a ring on her finger before making a fool of herself,¡¯ she thought. Still, it was good entertainment to see the slow downfall of Kate.


    Jete didn¡¯t care about the number of friends either of the two young women had. She heard enough about Edgar Collins not to get on his bad side for making his wife leave. Plus, she had an inkling the two young women were making a big scene but weren¡¯t going to buy anything.


    ¡°Ladies, please serve the Duchess and her guests something to drink and seat her. Bring out the best bags we have,¡± Jete said in a sweet voice. She then turned back to the two women who were ruining this moment for her.


    As she walked to the two, her smile fell. ¡°I don¡¯t know what is going on between you and your sister nor do I care but I would like for you to leave before I get the guards involved.¡±


    ¡°Do you know who my father is?¡± Grace asked, ready to use her name to be allowed to stay. Unlike Kate, her father was well alive and had a good reputation.


    .....


    ¡°No and whoever the hell he is can¡¯t stop me from kicking you out. You two are not the only ones with friends. I can have you banned from many of the shops in town. Bye-bye,¡± Jete said, forcefully turning them to exit her door.


    ¡°Take your hands off of me,¡± Kate smacked Jete¡¯s hand away. ¡°You will regret this in a few weeks. I will be sure to visit again then and have this ce begging for customers. You¡¯ll see,¡± she promised.


    Just like Edgar, Simon¡¯sst name should have others caring about the things she had to say once again.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why you brought me here to see these ugly bags,¡± Kate spoke, scrunching up her nose like she smelled something foul. ¡°Come Grace.¡±


    ¡®I promise I wouldn¡¯t hit a customer but she isn¡¯t making this easy,¡¯ Jete thought.


    ¡°I will tell my father of this,¡± Grace said, sticking her nose in the ear.


    ¡°Spoiled brats,¡± Jete muttered when they finally left. She didn¡¯t see these young girls who liked to boss her around with threats about their father¡¯s thought it would make her suddenly listen to them. ¡°Duchess!¡± She changed her voice to being happy again.


    ¡°Well done,¡± Sally whispered to Alessandra before Jete came back to them. It was exciting to see how Alessandra was learning to y the game. Sally wanted tough as loud as she could when Alessandra was picked over Kate. It reminded her of the sweet memory when Alessandra threw shit on Kate.


    Caleb, on the other hand, didn¡¯t see why Sally was congratting Alessandra. He was watching the whole exchange but ended up not understanding anything. He thought of asking his brother but when he looked at Reed, his brother seemed just as lost. ¡®Women and their strange battles,¡¯ he concluded that he would never understand it.


    ¡°Before I start, I would love to know what kind of bag you are looking for, Duchess. What is your style? What suits you best?¡± Jete asked so she would know what was best to show Alessandra.


    ¡°I do not know. I heard you have bags that resemble art,¡± Alessandra said.


    ¡°Yes, we do. We work with a talented designer who is taking things outside the box. We had so many trends with bags each season but one bag doesn¡¯t suit everyone so we created a business that tailors the bags to your liking. You pick the color, give us an idea of the design you want, and the colors that make up that design, and then we create your dream bag,¡± Jete exined.


    ¡°The process is different from our already made bags so it will take at least two days to be delivered to your residence depending on how many bags you order. This is an example,¡± Jete took a white bag with lines of different colors going in different directions. ¡°You can pair it with any color dress.¡±


    ¡°It is pretty. You are right, Sally. It is like art,¡± Alessandramented on the bag. ¡°I would like the one you are holding and I have an idea for a few others,¡± Alessandra said, feeling like she finally found something in fashion which suited her personality.


    She was not fond of the bags with a flower pattern on them that Edgar had bought before she moved into his home. However, she was grateful for the gifts and wore them.


    ¡°Wonderful,¡± Jete pped her hands. Her bags started to create a buzz among young women because of how different they were but she didn¡¯t have anyone with status like Alessandra wearing them yet.


    Alessandra¡¯sck of a reputation outside her husband could create bad business for Jete since no one would want to be seen wearing something simr to Alessandra but she was putting faith that would not be the oue. After all, she heard that Alessandra¡¯s personal dressmaker now had a booming business.


    Sally looked around at the bags on disy while Alessandra spoke with the owner. She would love to have one of the bags but it would take away an entire week of her pay. ¡®I am more suited for the cheaper ones in the market now,¡¯ she thought.


    ¡°Which bag should we get?¡± Caleb asked, interrupting her thoughts. ¡°Do you like this one?¡± He pointed at the one she was staring at.


    ¡°I do not need a bag,¡± Sally replied.


    ¡°I¡¯ve learned you still think I don¡¯t have money so I wouldn¡¯t waste my time trying to buy a bag for you. It is for your mother as a gift for when we tell her the good newster. Have you forgotten I wanted to buy a gift?¡± Caleb asked.


    Sally felt embarrassed for thinking the bag was for her. It wasn¡¯t unlike Caleb to offer her a bag and shepletely forgot he wanted to buy her mother a bag. ¡°Right. The ones here are a bit expensive-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t give me some lecture about a cheap bag, Sally. I can do what I want with my money. Pick a bag your mother will like and while you¡¯re at it, pick one for yourself. I can¡¯t have your mother questioning why I didn¡¯t buy you one,¡± Caleb quickly said before Sally could object to it.


    Reed couldn¡¯t help shaking his head at his pitiful brother who failed to realize the hole he was digging himself in. He was tempted to send a letter to their mother to make Caleb have to go through with this fake marriage.

 Chapter 327 - 327 Ruined (1)

    327 Ruined (1)


    ¡°You have the same look Edgar has when Sally and Caleb are together. Do you not like seeing them talking?¡± Alessandra asked Reed after Jete left her for a moment. She caught Reed shaking his head at Sally and Caleb many times.


    ¡°They should just fuck-I mean,¡± Reed paused as he didn¡¯t think hisnguage suited her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m married to Edgar, Reed. I¡¯m sure you know how blunt his mouth can be. You can speak how you want with me. So, you see that Sally and Caleb have some sort of attraction for each other,¡± Alessandra said, watching the two bicker. ¡°They will figure it out,¡± she added, choosing not to meddle in what will be of the two.


    Reed stared at his brother following behind Sally like a big stupid dog. The fool was already smitten but didn¡¯t want to admit it. ¡®What is different from the other girls?¡¯ He wondered, trying to make sense of Sally.


    Sally annoyed Reed each time she wanted to go outside ande back inside the gates. Now, he had to be around her more because of this fake engagement that was bound to fail.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± Reed told Alessandra when he caught Andre signaling for him by the door. He went over to where Reed and Clyde stood guarding the door and asked, ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°The Baroness,¡± Clyde pointed at Katrina walking down the street. ¡°Edgar has been waiting on her to leave her home.¡±


    Reed knew Edgar was waiting for this woman to be seen out of public and now, here she was. He found it odd how she kept looking over her shoulder like she was about to do something shady or she felt she was being watched. ¡°Talk about timing,¡± he licked his lips. ¡°She must not know the Duchess is in town yet. Keep the Duchess safe and do not leave until I get back,¡± he said as he exited the door to follow Katrina.


    A prime opportunity to give Katrina her gift and see what she was up to should not be wasted. Edgar¡¯s enemies became Reed¡¯s enemies and now the same could be said when it came to Alessandra.


    .....


    Reed discreetly followed behind Katrina. She wore a hood to cover her head but it didn¡¯t make it hard for anyone to tell that it was her. He kept a good distance between the two of them, silently watching how she looked around at the people passing by her and saying a few hello¡¯s to those who recognized that it was obviously her.


    This continued for almost four minutes until they reached a part of town where you wouldn¡¯t catch a Baroness roaming around. From behind her, Reed watched her pull the hood forward and seemingly try tucking her blond hair in. Now, she really did not want to be seen.


    ¡®And here I thought I would just be carrying around bags all day,¡¯ Reed thought. The day was looking pretty exciting right about now.


    Reed stopped when Katrina entered a small inn. Despite the financial situation she was in, she could still afford something better than this. He went by a window instead of going in since he would most likely be noticed by her, and watched her speak with who seemed to be the owner and then she was given a key.


    Reed figured she was either meeting with someone or there was something she had hidden away. Some inns had a few rooms reserved for customers to rent weekly or month to month. No one else was allowed inside. It was mostly men who wanted to hide their affairs that did this.


    It wouldn¡¯t be too hard to find out what business she had here once Edgar was made aware of this.


    Inside the inn, Katrina covered her nose as she walked up the creaking stairs to find the room she used when she first came to town. One more trip after today and she would be done with her visits. The smell of the inn was worse than usual which made her consider sending James next time.


    Katrina stopped in front of the room with the number seven and looked down both ends of the hall before stepping inside. She took off her hood and shook her hair free. It was still as filthy as the first day she came to Lockwood. Luckily, she did not have not to bear living here for long considering how easy it was to have Desmond take her to his home and marry her.


    ¡°I need to get back home before Kate,¡± she muttered, hurrying to a spot where the board on the floor lifted.


    Katrina hid some of the money she had gathered from scams in other towns. It was a wonderful business but it did not give her the life she desired. She desired a nice title that would have her name the talk of the town.


    Katrina took out a box from under the rotten floor. There was one other box full of jewelry she needed to take with her to end her trips here but it was toorge for her to take now. Especially when there was somewhere else she needed to go to start her deal with William.


    Katrina ced the box to the side and fixed the floor so that no one being sneaky would find out what she used this room for. She spent more than seventeen years in town without anyone knowing of this room besides the owner who didn¡¯t care about her secrets as long as she continued to pay her rent.


    ¡°There,¡± she said after everything was ced back just as she found it. Katrina covered her head with the hood once again and left the room with her box in her hand.


    She kept her head low as she walked out of the inn to avoid the gazes of the disgusting drunkards drinking in the middle of the day. She was d to never have to deal with such bastards ever again. Aside from this inn, Katrina had one more secret stash of money in case of emergency should she ever need to quickly leave town.


    Katrina¡¯s happiness to have the box was disrupted by one sentence.


    ¡°Never thought I would see a Baroness here,¡± Reed said just as she passed him. He waited for her a good distance from the inn so she wouldn¡¯t know he saw her there.


    Katrina gripped the box, looking at the man who knew just who she was. His clothes were an indication that he did not belong on this cheaper side of town. ¡°Who are you?¡± She asked.


    ¡°A friend of someone who has been waiting for you to crawl out of your hole. You shoulde to this side of town when it is night,¡± he advised her. Reed leaned against the wall of a shop, ying with a de in his hand. ¡°That way no one will recognize you.¡±


    Katrina couldn¡¯t ce who this man was but his features did remind her of someone else she met before. She had no time to remain in this area with a man she did not know so Katrina continued to walk to the other side of town she was more familiar with.


    ¡°Not so fast,¡± Reed grabbed her hand, causing the box to drop. Reed dodged her other hand trying to w at his face. They started to tussle with him trying to keep her still to cut her cheek and her trying to push him away. ¡°You are only making it worse for yourself.¡±


    Reed had the advantage of hisrge frame so it wasn¡¯t long before he overpowered her and added another cut to her right cheek right under where Edgar left the first. Thanks to her squirming to get away from him, the cut was not straight, creating a bruise that would leave an odd shape when it healed.


    Reed pushed Katrina away since he was finished with what he came to do. ¡°That should tell you who I work for. Keep your daughter away from the Duchess unless you want a third bruise,¡± he warned her before leaving to go back to Alessandra.


    Katrina¡¯s eyes filled with tears as she touched her cheek where she could feel blood running down. It was already hard to deal with the first bruise now she had to bear with another. She slowly picked up the box and then pulled her hood down as far as she could to hide what she now considered a hideous face.


    Katrina wanted to yell at the people who stopped to watch her and the strange man but did not help her. She would only embarrass herself and she did not want to show her ruined beautiful face.


    Katrina practically dragged her feet in the snow as she tried not to cry out loud. One thing for certain, she was going to get back at Edgar for destroying what she dearly cherished.

 Chapter 328 - 328 Ruined (2)

    328 Ruined (2)


    When Reed eventually came back to the group, Alessandra questioned where he had run off for so long. She was given the story of him spotting someone suspicious and going to inspect them. Alessandra didn¡¯tpletely believe the story but she didn¡¯t bother to get the truth out of him. She could only hope they would tell her of any dangers they spot nearby.


    They left Jete¡¯s shop after the order was made and a bag was picked out for Sally¡¯s mother.


    Alessandra continued to look around the shops they passed to see what other interesting shops were present. She stopped right in front of a bookshop that had numerous books lined up outside. ¡°Sally, you should see if the book Alfred wants is here,¡± she said.


    ¡°Oh right,¡± Sally remembered her gift. She left Alessandra¡¯s side for a moment to look through the mountains of books.


    ¡°Pleasure and seduction,¡± Alessandra read the name of a book. She flipped it open, reading the first page she stumbled across but quickly closed the book.


    ¡°Not into dirty books, Duchess?¡± Caleb mused.


    Reed smacked the back of his brother¡¯s head. ¡°That is not something you ask a married woman, you fool.¡±


    ¡°Were you trying to knock off my head?¡± Caleb red at his brother as he rubbed the back of his head. Ignoring his brother¡¯s words he said, ¡°There are dirty books targeted for men if you have not bought your husband a gift. It would be more enticing if he caught you reading one.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Alessandra innocently asked.


    .....


    ¡°Well, he¡¯ll think you are looking for ways to up your nightly activities,¡± Caleb softly spoke so no one around would judge Alessandra speaking about this in public.


    ¡°Or he will think he isn¡¯t satisfying you well enough and you¡¯ve turned to books,¡± Reed said.


    Caleb frowned, turning to his negative brother. ¡°Why must you always ruin the moment?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Stop bbering to the Duchess about things you have no idea about. Do not take his advice, Duchess. Caleb is enticed by the most foolish things,¡± said Reed.


    Alessandra put back the book, not needing it for what Caleb suggested. Though, she would love a man¡¯s perspective on seduction. Edgar made it quite clear what he wanted for his birthday and at this point, she wanted to make him eat his words with a big surprise. The only issue was, she didn¡¯t know how to seduce him. Whatever she did to make Edgar lust after her, she did it without thinking about it.


    Alessandra remembered on the night they got married Edgar spoke of a growing business for things couples used for pleasure. She thought of going there but felt like she would be overwhelmed by the things she saw there.


    ¡°Duchess Collins,¡± a feminine voice interrupted the moment.


    Alessandra looked to her right, finding a group of women with familiar faces from the day she went to the pce. She wasn¡¯t sure if they were trouble since she had not spoken to anyone outside of her group with Hazel, Eleanor, and Heather. ¡°Hello,¡± she greeted the group.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasant surprise to see the Duchess out on a wonderful day like this. I¡¯m afraid I didn¡¯t get the chance to speak to you when you were in the pce. I was looking forward to meeting you. I am Viscountess Nadine Powell,¡± Nadine introduced herself, extending her hand out for Alessandra to shake.


    Andre and Clyde, who separated Alessandra from the group of women, only moved when Alessandra signaled for them to step aside. Alessandra shook Nadine¡¯s hand but was still cautious of the woman and her friends. She guessed the other young women around Nadine were trying to attach themselves to her because of her title.


    ¡°Have you found any interesting books?¡± Nadine asked, looking through the books. ¡°I am looking for children¡¯s books. My husband and I recently learned that we are expecting. It came as a shock since we only married two months ago and did not think it would happen so soon. We are lucky to be blessed so early in our marriage,¡± she ced a hand on her t stomach.


    ¡°Congrattions. I hope you have a safe pregnancy,¡± Alessandra said with a smile before going back to look through the books.


    ¡°Are you with child, Duchess? I heard rumors you were,¡± apanion of Nadine¡¯s said.


    Sally stopped looking through the books upon hearing the young woman¡¯s words. She knew what rumors they spoke of which did not concern Alessandra being pregnant with Edgar¡¯s child. It was the foolish rumors about the cook.


    ¡°I am not pregnant. You have heard wrong,¡± Alessandra replied, slightly annoyed with where the conversation was heading. ¡°Are you finished, Sally?¡± She asked, ready to move on before any more questions could be asked.


    ¡°Yes, I only need to pay for it,¡± Sally showed the book she was buying for Alfred.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it odd to not be pregnant yet?¡± The young woman named Penelope pushed further.


    ¡°Stop it,¡± Nadine snapped at the young woman before it could get out of hand. ¡°I¡¯ll apologize on her behalf, Duchess.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright though I do not see what is odd. I have not been married for more than the Viscountess has. Did you think it was odd she was not pregnant when she was married for less than a month?¡± Alessandra asked, flipping the conversation to put the young woman in the hot seat.


    Penelope looked to Nadine who was waiting for an answer. ¡°I-I did not think it was odd for you, Viscountess. I know how much you and your husband were trying.-¡±


    ¡°You know nothing about me and my husband to call me not being pregnant yet odd,¡± Alessandra interjected the young woman¡¯s hypocrisy. One of the things she truly hated was anyone questioning herck of a child when her marriage only just started and it was not even a month as yet.


    ¡°Well, you are older than most young women here. Your peers should have at least one child now and move on to another. Don¡¯t you question if you have waited toote to marry and now it will be harder?¡± Penelope asked. She was the ripe age of sixteen as her father said so she had better chances of conceiving a child the moment she married her fianc¨¦ than Alessandra who was around five years older than her.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been doing a lot of reading in my free time and do you know it wasn¡¯t that long ago girls were told to have children the moment they bled? They could be as young as twelve. Sixteen seemed too old back then until thews increased the age. Turns out sixteen wasn¡¯t too old as there is no issue for women that age to conceive but now you point fingers at my age. I wonder if one day my age will be the norm and sixteen will be odd,¡± Alessandra said, curious about what would happen in the future.


    ¡°Whatever age I get pregnant only concerns me and my husband. It doesn¡¯t take much effort to keep your mouth shut instead of saying foolish things. Excuse me,¡± Alessandra said to Nadine after Sally finished buying the book.


    ¡°Rude,¡± Nadinemented when Alessandra walked by her with her guards and maid.


    ¡°She certainly is,¡± Penelope agreed with the Viscountess.


    ¡°No, I meant you,¡± Nadine rified for her formerpanion.

 Chapter 329 Ruined (3)

    329 Ruined (3)


    "I was hoping to see what the Duchess is like but you ruined the moment. When you are around me and you say stupid things it makes me look bad. I believe in birds of a feather and I will not let your antics be tied to me," Nadine said, fearful of how her husband would react if Alessandra were to bring this up to the Duke.She didn''t think Alessandra had the mouth to fight back.


    "You look tired Penelope. I suggest you call it a day. Ladies," Nadine addressed the other women.


    "Viscountess," Penelope said in disbelief that she was being excluded. "Just a moment ago you wereughing at her-"


    "Watch your tongue," Nadine snapped before Penelope could spew lies. "Do not add me into what you have gotten yourself into."


    "What? You were the one who told me to ask about her pregnancy," Penelope said, reminding her forgetful friend of what was said before they approached Alessandra."She''s gone now. There''s no need for you to act like a saint now. I did what you asked."


    "What I asked. You are not a child, Penelope. If I asked you to do something as you are so wrongly iming, you have the power to say no. It''s annoying how you''re cing this on me," said Nadine.


    Penelope didn''t know why she was being surprised by Nadine acting two-faced. Nadine talked poorly of Alessandra because she was of a higher rank but yed nice in front of Alessandra, letting Penelope be the viin. Not in the mood to deal with Nadine ying the victim, Penelope left the group.


    "Why am I still listening to that self-centered but-Hey!" Penelope eximed after bumping into someone at the exact moment she stopped watching where she was going to look back at Nadine. "Why don''t you-Oh, Simon."


    Simon smiled, holding Penelope''s shoulders to calm her anger. "It is such a beautiful day for you to be angry. I apologize for not looking where I was going. Are you alright?" He asked, checking her to make sure he had not injured her.


    Penelope cleared her throat, looking away from Simon for a moment as she was embarrassed about thenguage she was going to use because he almost knocked her over. "I am partially at fault. The day is beautiful but I am not enjoying it all.I''m seeing how two-faced some people can truly be. I swear she acts like an angel," she said whilst ncing back at Nadine. "But she''s the devil. Shouldn''t a pregnant woman be nice?"


    Simon let go of her shoulders and stepped back to put some distance between them. "I don''t think that is how it works. Are you speaking of the Viscountess? You are ring at her quite hard. I''ve met her and found her to be splendid."


    "Splendid?" Penelope scoffed. "I''ll tell you she is just like every other woman who hides what she truly is like. She told me to askAlessandra Collins something and then acted all innocent. I''m so happy to have run into you before my mood turned sour. I needed a true friend to calm me."


    Penelope knew Simon for six years due to his friendship with her older brother. She viewed Simon as more of her brother since he was always kind and tried to keep a smile on her face.


    Simon continued to force a smile. He found Penelope to be annoying at times but he would get most of his information about young women from her without her realizing.


    He nced at Nadine who he personally knew was two-faced as Penelope said. He wasn''t aware that she was pregnant. He had never gone for such a challenging target. He imagined how unsettled the town would be if a pregnant Viscountess went missing. It would also be fun to watch her be on her best behavior to save herself and her child.


    Simon was intrigued about the conversation Nadine had with Alessandra. He found Alessandra to be quite nd but his curiosity about how she snagged Edgar would not vanish. Why not Kate? Why not anyone else? What was it about Alessandra that made Edgar marry her? Was there something to Alessandra he couldn''t see yet?


    ''Perhaps she isn''t so nd,'' he realized.Still, she wasn''t worthy of the time and effort that goes into his games. Nadine on the other hand was appearing more perfect than the other young woman he had in mind.


    "You shouldn''t stand in the cold too long. How about I buy you a nice warm drink to calm down and you can vent to me? I will never tell your secrets," Simon said, cing his index finger over his lips.


    "How can I turn down such an offer? I have so much to get off my chest from today and the days before. By the way, were you told my brother is returning to Lockwood soon? He was injured at the border and since he is of no use, they are sending him home. I can only imagine how embarrassed he will be to be put out of the fight. He wanted to kill all those savages," said Penelope.


    Penelope and Simon started to walk to somewhere they could warm up from the snow and have something to drink but they didn''t make it too far as they were spotted by someone who wasn''t happy to see Simon with another woman.


    "Simon!" Kate called to catch his attention. She refrained ring at the young woman by his side.


    "Oh right. I did hear you were courting her," said Penelope.


    "Kate, I was hoping to run into you. Did you find the hat you said you were looking for?" Simon asked, recalling a conversation they had about a hat she wished to buy.


    "Not yet. Grace and I have been distracted by other things. I didn''t know you were close to Penelope. Did the two of youe together or did you just meet up?" Kate asked, trying to figure out if she needed to keep an eye on Penelope.


    "Don''t worry. I don''t n on courting Simon. He is like a brother to me. He merely offered to buy me a warm drink to help me get over something I was angry about. You can owe me that drink for another day Simon. I feel like going home. It was nice seeing you, Kate. Bye," Penelope waved at the two before leaving.


    "What is wrong?" Simon asked, touching Kate''s chin to make her look up at him. "Surely you are not jealous of Penelope."


    "No, I was just taken aback to see you here. You didn''t mentioning here when Ist spoke with you. Did something urgent juste up? Grace, please excuse us for a moment," Kate said whilst giving Grace a look that had a message only the two understood. She wanted Grace to gather the other youngdies so they could see her and Simon walking along.


    "I had to meet with someone but they were not ready so here I am. I''m a little annoyed they ruined my ns," Simon spoke, his eyes going to Grace for a moment before back at Kate so she wouldn''t notice. "As luck would have it, I ran into someone even better and now, I get to spend some time


    with you. You look exquisite today, Kate."


    ''I look exquisite every day,'' Kate thought.


    "That is too much but thank you," she lowered her gaze, tucking her hair behind her ear. Her act of not knowing her beauty always worked.


    "Now that we are together, do you mind joining me to pick out a gift for your mother? I would like to visit your residence soon to have dinner," said Simon.


    Kate had never heard sweeter words. As she predicted, an engagement was soon toe if he wanted to meet with her mother. "I shall do my best to pick out a good gift. Now that we speak of my mother, I would love to meet your parents, Simon. What is wrong?" She asked after his expression changed to be full of sorrow.


    "My parents have long passed away after an ident. I thought you knew just like the rest of the town."

 Chapter 330 Opening up (1)

    330 Opening up (1)


    "Thank you for the donations. We shall make good use of it. Pleasee again whenever you feel troubled or just in need of prayer," Peter said as he waved goodbye to the visitors. "Thank goodness the snow is not so bad today. I feared we wouldn''t have many visitors today. I-no," his mood quickly changed when he spotted a carriage with the g showing a falconing his way.


    Peter was ready to run but then he remembered what happenedst time with Edgar tripping him up. Instead, he remained where he stood and prepared himself to be toyed with by the devil.


    To his pleasant surprise, it wasn''t Edgar who stepped out of the carriage. After tworge men stepped out, it was revealed to be Alessandra who came to visit the church.


    "Oh thank heavens," he sighed in relief, touching where he felt the tightness in his chest. One of these days just seeing Edgar''s carriage will make his heart fail. "Why has shee to the church? Duchess!" He cheerfully greeted her. "And big men," he gulped when they stared at him.


    "It is nice to see you again Peter," Alessandra said as she walked up the church steps. "Did you think I was Edgar? You seem afraid."


    "It is a normal reaction whenever hees. He is not somewhere waiting to surprise me, is he?" Peter asked, looking around the trees and bushes to try to spot Edgar.


    "The Duke doesn''t have the time to hide somewhere to scare you," said Sally to the priest who was full of sweat despite the cold air from the snow.


    "No," Alessandra shook her head. "Edgar would if it meant scaring Peter."


    "Finally, someone realizes what that man is truly like. Have you finallye to divorce him? The church can make it happen quicker. Hey!" Peter yelled, jumping back when the two men pointed a sword and dagger at him.


    "If you wish to keep your hands, do not put the idea of divorce in her head," Reed warned the priest. He was starting to remember just exactly who this man was. "They allow anyone to be a priest these days. Have you stopped scamming or is this your new plot? Waiting to steal the donations the church receives."


    "F-First, there is to be no fighting or pulling out weapons when you are visiting the church. Second, I am a changed man so please put away those things before I get hurt. I won''t mention divorce again. The Duchess will havee to me when she finally wakes up," Peter muttered.


    "I am not going to divorce, Edgar. Not now, not ever. Reed and Caleb, please refrain from pulling out your weapons here unless there is danger. We should respect the church. Without Peter, Edgar and I would have to wait another day to be wed. I don''t want the man who married me to Edgar to be hurt. Besides, I find his words to be funny," said Alessandra, trying her hardest not tough at Peter''s fear of Edgar in his face.


    It might be considered to be awful but she loved the nervous wreck Peter was when it came to Edgar.


    Reed and Caleb listened to Alessandra and put away their weapons for now. However, if divorce were to be brought up again, they could not guarantee the priest would live. No one was going to separate the happily married couple on their watch.


    "You sure love surrounding yourself with dangerous men, don''t you?" Peter asked as he fixed his clothes. First Edgar and now these two giants. He needed to pull her aside to check what was going on in her head to be making these decisions. "Why have youe to the church? Is it donations, prayer, or¡­" Peter winked at her.


    "I am not divor-"


    Peter lunged to cover Alessandra''s mouth to stop her from saying the forbidden word. He almost knocked the mask off her face because of it. Unfortunately, it turned out that touching her had worse consequences than mentioning divorce.


    "I knew I was going to die today," Peter cried as the two men grabbed him.


    He was peeled away from Alessandra like what someone would do with the skin of a fruit.


    "I am fine," Alessandra reassured Caleb and Reed before they could harm Peter. She straightened out her mask before anyone might see what was meant to be hidden. "Everyone can stay outside while I go in to pray. I won''t be long. If there is trouble you cane to me. Come along, Peter."


    "What she said," Peter pointed at Alessandra and then followed behind her inside the church. "I must add that I am to avoid you when youe to the church," he said when they were out of sight of her guards.


    "That is not nice. I will send Edgar to change your mind if you don''t wish to see me," Alessandra said teasingly. She looked around at every inch of the church. Alessandra remembered it all clearly from the night her life changed for the better.


    "You!" Peter eximed. He could not believe she would be so evil to send her husband to him. "You''ve changed since thest time you were here. You were more innocent. Now you seem to be yful like your husband."


    "Really? I don''t feel like I have changed that much. No, I did have to change a bit to survive in Edgar''s world. I am still getting used to his world and slowly adapting to it. It is not easy with the remarks I must always hear. Especially when ites to a child," Alessandra softly spoke as she walked with Peter.


    "It is not an easy ce you found yourself in. The church gets wind of all kinds of things and I have heard your namee up a few times. Do not let their words destroy you, Duchess. I learned your father died the night you came to be married. I have no idea what life you had before that night but I pray you enjoy the one you have now. Do not let anyone break you," Peter advised her.


    "Thank you for the motivation, Peter. Just a moment ago you were trying to have me divorce Edgar. I havee to pray for someone to heal from an ident and pray for everyone around me to be safe," Alessandra gave her reasoning for her visit as she was sure he was curious "Is that alright?"


    "Of course, it is okay. Besides your husband, we don''t send away anyone whoes to pray. Technically, he neveres to pray. Only to make my life hell. You can go up to the altar and kneel to pray," Peter pointed to the altar at the front of the church. It was empty since thest visitor left before she arrived. "I shall not interrupt you or any of the other priests. Maybe this will spark your husband to pray but make sure he goes to another church."


    Duke''s Masked Wife Frame!

 Chapter 331 - 331 Opening up (2)

    331 Opening up (2)


    Less than an hourter, Alessandra returned home after her stop at the church. Peter¡¯s words about letting change happen weighed her mind from the moment she entered the gates.


    Alessandra spoke to Peter about the new people in her life and how she wished to be more open with them about her fears and insecurities. Peter was quite helpful in motivating her to let the people she cared for see her for who she truly was.


    Alessandra requested to be left alone while she went to her room to decide to take another big step in continuing to change. At least it would be a big step for the people who were currently here.


    Alessandra entered her room, going straight to sit at her table with therge mirror. She stared at herself in the mirror, something she rarely did in the past when she lived with her father. She gained enough courage thanks to Edgar to look at herself and not hate the mask she wore.


    Alessandra slowly took off the ck mask she wore today and leaned forward to inspect the scars on her face. Compared to when she showed Edgar her face on their trip, they were starting to be less apparent since she started to use the cream from the pce. If only she had the means to take better care of her face in the past, they might bepletely gone by now.


    ¡°They are hardly visible up close,¡± she whispered. If someone only looked at her from a distance, they would see nothing wrong. There were only a few thin visible lines from where she had been scratched but it was better now than it was in the past. ¡°I can stop hiding behind this mask at least around the people here,¡± she said, touching the mask on the desk.


    The mask she wore daily burdened her with her past insecurities and troubles, not allowing her to be fully confident in herself. It wasn¡¯t as hard as she thought it would be to open up to Edgar about her past so she knew it would also be easy with the others here.


    Alessandra took a deep breath before starting to braid her hair back so it would not be in the way to cover her face. ¡°The next party we attend, I shall not wear this mask,¡± she made a goal for herself.


    Alessandra smiled at her reflection and for the first time in years, she liked the person who was staring back at her without the mask. Peter might be a weird priest but their conversation after she prayed for Alfred helped her as they talked about letting go of the past and starting fresh.


    .....


    ¡°I will go to Alfred first,¡± she decided as the second person she wanted to show herself without the mask. After Alfred, it would be Sally and perhaps Caleb.


    Feeling a ball of fur by her feet, Alessandra peaked under the table only to find the ck kitten ying there. ¡°Hello. Do you minding with me to visit Alfred? You can help calm my nerves. You didn¡¯t bite me,¡± Alessandra said when she wasn¡¯t bitten on her finger the moment she tried to pick up the kitten. ¡°Are you being nice to me because I am not wearing a mask? Did it scare you?¡±


    Alessandra stood up with the kitten in her arms to go back downstairs. She was calm when she sat before the mirror but as she left her bedroom, each step added weight to her shoulder. Determined, Alessandra never once gave in to the urge to turn around and go back for her mask.


    ¡°Duc-Ah!¡± A passing maid eximed. The shock was written all over her face as she looked right at Alessandra¡¯s face without the mask. She quickly averted her eyes to avoid the curse the rumors spoke of. The maid wanted to exin herself before she could be scolded for her reaction. ¡°D-Duchess-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Alessandra stopped right beside the maid. ¡°You don¡¯t have to look at me if it scares you. I will not exin anymore that I am not cursed. However, I will consider letting you go if you are going to continue believing in what is obviously a tale made up for gossip.¡±


    Alessandra left the maids¡¯ side, continuing to walk to where Alfred was resting. She ignored the shocked expressions of the other maids she passed. They were bound to react this way after she hade into this house wearing her mask and never taken it off before them.


    Alessandra didn¡¯t mind their stares. It was their words and what they would speak of her being cursed that she would not tolerate. Alessandra wasn¡¯t going to let that rumor stay alive in her own home.


    If the maids weren¡¯t careful with the things they spoke after this moment, they would have to be less concerned about a nonexistent curse and more concerned about Edgar.


    ¡°Duchess!¡± Sally¡¯s voice interrupted Alessandra¡¯s thoughts. ¡°You¡­I¡­ What is happening?¡± Sally asked,pletely surprised by the sight before her. ¡°Am I dreaming or am I drunk?¡±


    Alessandra was d she walked into Sally to take her mind off the maids for now. ¡°Why would you be drunk, Sally? We just returned home so it is too soon for you to be drunk already. Does it scare you like everyone else? I had a sudden urge to be without my mask after talking with Peter.¡±


    ¡°It does not scare me. It is just a bit strange to see you without your mask. You are a beautiful Duchess. Not that you weren¡¯t before. The side you showed was always beautiful and I wondered why people would avoid you considering you are beautiful. Then again, I can¡¯t say that because when I worked for your father, I denied how beautiful you were because of the cursed rumors,¡± Sally started to ramble.


    Alessandra ced the kitten on top of Sally¡¯s head to end her endless thoughts. ¡°Take a deep breath before you choke on your words, Sally. I know what you meant from the very beginning,¡± she replied.


    ¡°First, I do not trust this cat,¡± Sally pointed to the kitten on her head. It won¡¯t be long before it stopsying there and starts to scratch her head. Sally removed the kitten and the moment she touched it, she was scratched. ¡°I am happy that you¡¯ve finally taken off the mask. Now those horrible women won¡¯t have something to take a jab at.¡±


    ¡°I think it won¡¯t be hard for them to start talking about my face instead of my mask. Since you have notmented on the scars, I take it they are less evident than I presume them to be,¡± said Alessandra.


    Sally was confused by the mention of scars. She took a step forward to inspect Alessandra¡¯s face and after squinting her eyes, she found a mark. ¡°I would not have noticed it if you had not mentioned it. Was that what you were hiding all along? Were they more prominent at one time?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Perhaps I imagine them to be more prominent when I looked in the mirror just now. They have healed over the years but at one point, you could see many lines of where Kate wed at my face in the past. Edgar received a special cream from the pce which has helped me to take better care of my skin,¡± Alessandra exined. She continued to walk down the stairs to go to Alfred.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you were seeing but there is hardly anything wrong with your face. I can only find a few faded lines if Ipare the sides of your face. You are beautiful. I¡¯m sorry for repeating it but I can¡¯t help it. With the mask gone, your beauty trulyes out and there is a glow to you. It must be the cream you mentioned. I can see why your sister hates you,¡± Sally only now realized.


    Alessandra was more beautiful now than in the past because she didn¡¯t seem so gloomy all the time. She was happy here with the Duke and she smiled more often. Her personality also added to her beauty. Sally always thought the side Alessandra showed was pretty but she didn¡¯t think it was solely what made Kate hate her own sister. Now, she knew she was wrong.


    ¡°You are a mask from a young age,¡± Sally softly spoke, trying to put the story together. ¡°I can only imagine how pretty you must have been as a child. I thought Kate hated you because your rumors affected her at one point. She loves her reputation so much but it wasn¡¯t the rumors. She must have felt second inparison to you and that hatred never went away. I mean, you are far better looking,¡± she muttered what she considered the truth and it wasn¡¯t just because she liked Alessandra more.


    ¡°You are not wrong. Our father pitted us against each other when we were younger and I was the one he paraded around before te ident. Kate¡¯s hatred toward me started then. I don¡¯t know why she continued to bother herself with me as we got older and I was still wearing the mask. Everyone spoke of her beauty all the time.¡±


    ¡°Well, you might not see your beauty but I think as you grew older Kate continued to see it even though you wore a mask. She has no other reason to hate you aside from being jealous. Oh! And the fact you stole Edgar,¡± Sally added since Kate used to be obsessed with Edgar

 Chapter 332 - 332 Opening up (3)

    332 Opening up (3)


    Sally couldn¡¯t wait for the day Kate would witness Alessandra without her mask. Kate would not be able to hide her jealousy and most likely make an outburst. ¡°Duchess,¡± Sally called to Alessandra before they entered Alfred¡¯s room. ¡°Will you expose what you endured with your father? I can back you up with what I have seen.¡±


    ¡°I n to when the court finds out more about Katrina. The only issue is that my face has healed so there wouldn¡¯t be much evidence to show it did happen. I can still prove the maltreatment the maids witnessed. It will be revealed at the right time. Thank you for wanting to help me,¡± said Alessandra.


    ¡°The town wille to love you when it learns the truth and your family will pay for ignoring what you were going through. Why does it seem like that does not please you?¡± Sally asked as Alessandra didn¡¯t appear to be happy about it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want the town to love me all because my past is revealed. It won¡¯t be genuine love. Everyone will just be happy to use me to talk about Katrina or Kate. I want my family to pay for what they did because they deserve it not for the town to like me. I do not know if in the next few years, I shall remain in Lockwood. It is not a ce I would want to raise children if Edgar and I were to have any,¡± Alessandra said, truly contemting taking Edgar¡¯s offer to move.


    Alessandra wanted to raise her children differently than how other children were raised in town. Specifically, the girls. She would love to give Edgar the heir he needed but she would also love to have a girl. However, Alessandra did not want to raise a girl here where marriage was crucial at an early age and then there were the cruel young women who attacked each other with words or physical items.


    She needed to discuss it with Edgarter on. Alessandra dropped the topic as she entered Alfred¡¯s room, after knocking and getting a response, with Sally right behind her.


    Right away, Alfred was stunned to see Alessandra without her mask and rubbed his eyes to wake himself. When he looked again, Alfred found himself even more stunned. ¡°Duchess, you are without a mask. Did something good happen today for you to be without it?¡± Alfred happily asked.


    Alfred was delighted to see her without the mask since it showed she wasing far out of her shell.


    ¡°I spoke to a priest today after I prayed for you to recover well and be safe. I showed Edgar my face during our trip and today, I thought it was time I showed the people I cared about here. It would have been a bigger step if I went to town without the mask-¡±


    .....


    ¡°One step at a time,¡± Alfred patted her hand. He noticed the way her hands trembled out of nervousness since this was strange for her and she kept biting her lip. ¡°You did well with being open to show us. It¡¯s no wonder Edgar always looks like he will murder the people around you. We shall see more of his jealousy when you decide to be without your mask outside this house. I shall have his guns hidden.¡±


    ¡°I wish to see the Duke¡¯s jealousy,¡± said Sally.


    ¡°I do not,¡± Alessandra replied since his jealousy toward Mario ced them at odd¡¯s for a moment. She didn¡¯t want to see the lengths Edgar would go through to remind others that she was his life. ¡°Besides, I don¡¯t think he will have a reason to be jealous.¡±


    Sally and Alfred shared a look with each other.


    ¡°Give her time,¡± Alfred mouthed to Sally. Once Alessandra would go around without her mask, she was bound to notice the change in the looks she received. There will be men eyeing her, wanting to take Edgar¡¯s ce, and women wishing for her to cover her entire face instead. ¡°Will you keep your mask off inside the house from now on or is it just this moment?¡± He asked.


    ¡°I won¡¯t wear it in the house any longer. If I continue to wear it here, it will prolong me being confident enough to be without it outside. As of right now, my main concern is the maids who obviously think I am cursed but they don¡¯t want to make Edgar angry. I thought by now they would have known there is no curse around me,¡± Alessandra said, a bit let down by the maid¡¯s reaction.


    ¡°I-¡±


    The bedroom door opened and in walked Edgar. He arrived home the moment Alessandra and Sally went into Alfred¡¯s room and had been searching for his wife.


    Edgar¡¯s eyes went straight to his woman without the mask he had grown ustomed to. He walked to her, ignoring the other two people present in the room. ¡°I will need to keep my gun on me at all times,¡± Edgar said as there will be pests he would need to get rid of.


    Edgar noticed the stares she received from Grant¡¯s party when she covered half her face. Now those stares would increase.


    ¡®That is why I shall hide all of them,¡¯ Alfred thought.


    ¡°Did something happen?¡± Edgar inquired since she had not brought up wanting to be without her mask at home.


    ¡°Peter helped me decide to take off the mask when I returned home. That means you should be nice to him the next time you two cross paths. He wed us and has offered me good advice,¡± Alessandra said, holding out her pinky finger for a promise to be made.


    Edgar didn¡¯t see why she would think two pinky fingers meant a promise would be kept. Where was the fun in not poking at Peter each time he visited the church? ¡°I will make no such promises but I will consider donating something since he has been helpful. Did anyone give you any trouble or say something foolish?¡± He asked, referring to the servants and guards.


    ¡°Nothing was said but I witnessed shocked and scared expressions. Clearly, some of them believe the rumor that I am cursed. After a day or two they should realize how stupid that rumor was and if they do not, I will personally let them go so they do not need to stay where they are notfortable. Do not meddle,¡± Alessandra said since she wanted to take care of this by herself.


    As thedy of the house, it was her duty to deal with matters concerning the servants and she wished to avoid Edgar scaring them again.


    Edgar yet again would not make any promises. Alessandra was too kind for her own good sometimes and might allow the servants to get away with nonsense. He would step in when he felt like they were disrespecting her. ¡°Did you have a good time in town?¡± He switched the topic.


    ¡°For the most part, yes. I bumped into Kate but I did well with avoiding her and I met Viscountess Nadine. I didn¡¯t like something her friend said but I still enjoyed my day out. Have you met her or her husband before?¡± Alessandra asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been around her husband before. He is not a bad person but I know nothing of his wife. Enjoy your time with Alfred,¡± Edgar kissed her forehead. ¡°I need to speak with Caleb or Reed. Excuse me.¡±


    ¡°Is it just me or were wepletely forgotten through all of that?¡± Sally whispered to Alfred. Though she had to admit she liked watching Alessandra and Edgar speak.


    ¡°I do not mind,¡± Alfred smiled.

 Chapter 333 - 333 Target (1)

    333 Target (1)


    ¡°Give me a rundown of everything that happened today. Don¡¯t miss out on who approached her and who you caught acting suspicious around her,¡± Edgar said. He sat down at his desk in his study while Reed and Caleb sat on the other side.


    ¡°She did run into her stepsister but it was nothing serious. Reed did something you might like,¡± Caleb nudged his brother.


    ¡°I caught the Baroness sneaking around in town and followed her to an inn where she went to collect something. The owner gave her a key to one of the rooms. There is no doubt in my mind she has a secret room she is hiding something in. I would have checked it out but I sliced her face for you,¡± Reed grinned.


    ¡°Did you? Well done. She¡¯s been hiding far too long so it¡¯s about time she received her punishment. Get someone to find out how long she had that room and go inside to find what else she is keeping there right as soon as this conversation is over. Chances are she might return to clear out that room to cover what she is hiding,¡± Edgar said with great certainty Katrina knew they were aware of that inn now.


    ¡°You should be prepared for her to retaliate against you for ruining her face. Since she can¡¯t easily target you, she¡¯ll target the Duchess instead or someone else you least expect. Luckily the Duchess rarely leaves home so there isn¡¯t much of an opportunity for the Baroness to strike. Should the Duchess be aware you cut the Baron-¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Edgar shook his head. He didn¡¯t need Alessandra knowing about this especially now when she was enjoying walking around without her mask. Alessandra didn¡¯t need to be bothered by news concerning her family. ¡°Do not mention the cut to Alessandra. I will mention it to her on my own terms. Alessandra told me she met Nadine Powell. What was said that Alessandra did not like?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why it is a jab women take at each other but the Duchess being pregnant was brought up. I spoke with Sally and it seems this concerns a rumor about your wife and a cook. Then it was found odd the Duchess is not already pregnant by you,¡± Caleb ryed the events.


    Caleb truly wished to know why Alessandra not being pregnant yet was such a concern. He did not want a child so early in his marriage. He also found it stupid how an unmarried woman was questioning Alessandra about a baby.


    ¡°Women are weird creatures,¡± Caleb concluded.


    .....


    ¡°The women in this town are a special breed. In the future, do not let the woman who spoke of pregnancy near my wife. I am going to check on my mother so you can start collecting information about the inn Reed,¡± Edgar ordered Reed since he was aware of Caleb going to speak with Sally¡¯s parents soon. They both requested time off after Alessandra would be safe and sound at home.


    Edgar wanted to see the change in his mother after spending an entire day in the dungeon. Only when he noticed change would she be freed. He hoped the rats he left behind were a good motivation and with this visit, he could start hearing some apologies that sounded genuine.


    When Edgar reached the dungeon, the door was opened for him by the guard keeping an eye on his mother to make sure none of the rats escaped to feast on her and she was fed in a timely manner.


    Edgar spotted his mother finally sitting on the cold dirty floor. Most likely she was too tired to resist sitting on the floor. A tray of food remained at the door of her cell with a rat nibbling at what was left behind.


    ¡°Feeding your pet?¡± Edgar asked, alerting her of his presence.


    Prisci refused to respond to Edgar and give him the satisfaction of hearing the fear in her voice. She grew tired from screaming she wanted to be released and screaming each time a rat came to her te in the cell of the ones outside her door shook the box.


    ¡°Not speaking to me today? Do you know how many times I would have preferred you to be silent in the past? Now that I want you to speak you are silent. Are you learning your lesson? Can you admit the faults that led you to be ced here?¡± Edgar asked but there was no response once again. ¡°I¡¯m surprised your husband has note to me yet.¡±


    Prisci gripped her stained dress. She thought by now Edmund was working on getting her released even if he had to go to the town guards. As her husband, he should be doing everything he could to save her. No! He should have never let her be taken away.


    Edmund was failing her in more ways than one and rather than thinking about what happened to Alfred, Prisci was contemting leaving Edmund. What was the point in having him around to save face when things like this happened? If anyone were to find out about this, it would stain her reputation more than her divorce. Edmund was utterly useless when it came to their family.


    ¡°I¡¯m a bit disappointed that you are not ready to admit your fault in all of this and apologize. Do you not want to be free? Apologizing from the bottom of your heart is the first step,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°I did nothing wrong,¡± Prisci replied softly because of her sore throat. ¡°It was Federick. He did this without mymand.¡±


    Edgar wasn¡¯t surprised she was still pointing her fingers at Federick. ¡°It is not time for you to leave yet. You are still the same as when I brought you here aside from the fact you cower in the corner. I will visit you around this time tomorrow and hopefully, I shall get a better response.¡±


    ¡°When I get out of here, I will forget you are my son and repay you for this embarrassment and torture you are putting me through,¡± Prisci threatened him. She finally looked up at Edgar standing outside her cell.


    ¡°With that attitude, you will never leave this ce for me to be concerned about your threat,¡± Edgar replied.

 Chapter 334 - 334 Target (2)

    334 Target (2)


    ¡°James, what happened while I was away? My mother does not wish to see or speak with me and she is hidden in her room. Did my uncle or grandmother return or has the court brought bad news?¡± Kate asked the butler. She had to force herself to go into the kitchen to find him and ask this.


    ¡°She has mentioned anything to me. When the Baroness returned home and she requested to be left alone-¡±


    ¡°My mother left the house today? When? She did not mention having to go somewhere to me,¡± Kate muttered, confused by the secrecy. First Simon and now her mother.


    Kate didn¡¯t like the secrecy her mother had these days. ¡°If you happen to learn something,e to me at once to tell me,¡± she ordered him and proceeded to leave but stopped after two steps. ¡°Do you know where she went today?¡±


    James shook his head. Kate was forgetting it wasn¡¯t his ce as the butler to ask where Katrina was going. Just like Kate, he was curious about what happened to make Katrina return home angry and yell to be left alone. He had not seen her when she returned and only heard the noise.


    ¡°I hope she has not found herself in trouble. Send a maid to my room, James. I have clothes that I need to be hung up. You need to teach the maids to aid me as soon as I return from shopping. I almost broke my nail lifting a bag,¡± Kate said, looking at her hands. ¡°With all the new things I have bought, I hardly have room in my closet.¡±


    ¡°Shall I have another room emptied for your clothes?¡± James suggested. With her shopping once again, there was hardly any room for all the new items.


    Since Kate was big on having the newest clothes that fit the season, James rmended selling more clothes she did not want but Kate refused to do it now that her grandmother gave her money, Katrina was pulling money out of thin air, and she wasn¡¯t desperate to sell her clothes. It was her loss since extra money could be in her hands for clothes she does not wear.


    James wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the household ended up back deep in debt again.


    .....


    ¡°Make that happen. There is a room right next door. No,¡± Kate suddenly had a bright idea. ¡°I want the room Alessandra had. It is not like we would wee her back to this house if the Duke kicks her out of his. Maybe if we are kind she can stay in the stables. Have the servants strip everything from that room and burn it. I shall speak with my mother about designing it when I see her.¡±


    James didn¡¯t think this was a good idea and said, ¡°Mydy, since there is a chance you will marry the marquess, it might be a waste of money to-¡±


    ¡°What makes you think I care about your opinion? These days I feel like you have gotten toofortable now that my father is gone. Do you envision yourself as the man of the house because you think two women can¡¯t make decisions on their own? If we were to fire you right now, my mother and I would be just fine tomorrow. Keep your opinions to yourself,¡± Kate advised him.


    If she had things her way, James would have been fired by now and they would hire a better butler. Kate didn¡¯t see why her father hired James when he had so few skills and a reputation as a butler.


    Kate walked away from James as the kitchen became a sight she could no longer bear to look at. Ady such as herself did not belong in such a ce. Her marriage to Simon would ensure she continued the life of never having to lift a finger. She could hardly wait to visit his house and see what would belong to her soon enough.


    James didn¡¯t take offense to Kate¡¯s words. Contrary to what she thought, her mother took a lot of his advice. He would love to rub the fact he was sleeping with her mother in her face but knew it would cost him his job since Katrina did not want anyone finding out about them.


    Having enough of waiting around to learn what happened with Katrina for her to return so angry, James left the kitchen to pay her a visit. He had a bad feeling about her first time roaming around alone since Desmond¡¯s death.


    James went up to the second floor, careful not to be spotted by Kate or any of the other servants. He knocked on Katrina¡¯s bedroom door and called out to her for her to know that it was him who came to visit her. After four knocks and no answer, James was about to leave when the door finally opened.


    ¡°Come inside quickly,¡± Katrina said with her face turned away from him.


    James did as she said and entered the bedroom. His suspicion that something happened was higher now that she would not look him in the eye.


    Katrina closed and locked the door behind James. She wanted to hide her face but after some thought, she knew she needed to make a move using James. ¡°James-¡±


    James stepped closer to Katrina when she finally looked up and he was able to see the bruise that was not there this morning. ¡°Your face,¡± he reached out to touch her but Katrina stepped away from him.


    ¡°Do not speak about it,¡± Katrina said.


    Katrina walked around James and went to her bed, careful not to step on the broken pieces of ss from the mirror she broke when she returned home. She hated staring at the sight of her beautiful face now ruined.


    ¡°I am not going to allow Edgar to get away from this. I am going to make him feel what it is like to lose something precious. Two fucking scars,¡± Katrina said through gritted teeth. ¡°He intends to make me look like his despicable wife. I won¡¯t sit still and give up this time. From the lengths Edgar is taking to hurt me there is no question that he loves Alessandra.¡±


    Katrina hated to admit that Alessandra had somehow gotten Edgar to fall for her. She doubted Edgar¡¯s feelings when he first came to propose to marry Alessandra but now, she was certain of his feelings. She didn¡¯t understand how such a in girl did it but figured they had all not realized how much of a sly fox Alessandra was.


    ¡°William wants Alessandra and it shall hurt Edgar if something happens to her. I want to see him searching high and low for her while she is subjected to whatever William wants with her. I will use bait to get her away from her husband. We have one person here she cares for and we know his secret,¡± Katrina said, referring to Mario.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid it might not be so easy to use him this time. After one more week of work, his debt to your husband will be paid and he will most likely leave town to get away,¡± said James.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need him to willingly go along with my ns. I will make him my captive to target Alessandra. I truly believe she had feelings for the cook and she still might. If she were to learn he is in danger I bet she wille running but I must have here without her husband. I need you to do three things for me,¡± Katrina said, putting a bit more trust in James at this moment.


    James had quickly be her most loyal servant aside from her maid. Katrina knew men well so it wasn¡¯t hard for her to notice James¡¯ feelings for her. It was foolish considering she was willing to use him of taking advantage of her and if needed, she would still use him of it but those feelings meant he would do anything for her.


    ¡°I need you to go into town tomorrow and hire a gang of men to work for me. I need Mario to be lured out of the house with an errand for him to be taken and I need you to visit an inn tomorrow. No,¡± Katrina changed her mind. ¡°I need you to hire the men and go to the inn tonight. Edgar must know about the inn by now and I must beat him to it.¡±


    Katrina walked up to James to seduce him with her body to remind him of what he got for his loyalty. She wrapped her arms around his neck and stared at his handsome features. ¡°I am trusting you, which is rare for me to do. Should you betray me, know that I will stab you deep into your back but continue to do a good job and you shall be rewarded well.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± James replied.


    ¡°Good, now strip for me. I am in need of releasing my anger James. If only you were a man of higher status,¡± she started to unbutton his shirt. ¡°I would have no issue marrying you. Do as I ask of you well and I shall elevate your status just as I did with my life.¡±

 Chapter 335 - 335 Target (3)

    335 Target (3)


    James slid off the edge of the bed to look for his clothes. ¡°Baroness-¡±


    ¡°Now it is Baroness yet a few minutes ago you forgot my title and called my name. I quite like hearing my name from your lips James. When we are alone you are free to address me as such,¡± Katrina said, rolling to her side to get a good look at his naked body as he hurried to get dressed.


    Katrina enjoyed these moments when she was in control. James was handling his new job better than she expected. ¡®Of course, my body would make him love me,¡¯ she thought.


    ¡°I do not want to make it a habit as I may slip up when we are not in your bedroom. I think you should take a break from how many times you ask me to join you in bed. There is a chance you might be¡­¡±


    ¡°Pregnant?¡± Katrina finished for him. ¡°Oh please, James. I said that was something you do not need to worry about. I have plenty of experience making sure that I do not get pregnant and if I slip up, there are ways for me to be rid of the child. I must ask again. I didn¡¯t get pregnant twice for Desmond, what makes you think I would allow myself to be pregnant by you?¡±


    James remained silent.


    ¡°Though it feels like sometimes you are overworking yourself to get me pregnant. A child won¡¯t help you trap me James and you cannot outy me in these games. After such a good time I cannot believe your mind is on a baby,¡± Katrina chuckled.


    ¡°You can never be too safe,¡± James muttered. It wasn¡¯t like what Katrina was thinking. ¡°Suddenly having a baby with no husband will open a lot of questions about what is going on in your house.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t like Desmond has been dead for so long that I cannot say it is his. Hmm,¡± something brilliant came to Katrina¡¯s mind. ¡°If I were to suddenly have a boy and im it to be Desmond¡¯s son, his family could not try to take away all that I own now. They won¡¯t let this house be without a man for too long and his mother has forbidden me from remarrying.¡±


    .....


    This matter would all be solved if she could find Desmond¡¯s will which should state everything would go to her and Kate as he promised. Katrina didn¡¯t see why the court had note with their copy of it instead of constantly speaking about Alessandra.


    James did not want to be a part of Katrina fooling her inws with a child which did not belong to Desmond. This was where he had to draw the line.


    ¡°That would be your way to elevate your status but I can bet all that I have you would be too scared to seize this moment. That kind of thinking will keep you as you are now. A butler under the control of his mistress. This world is cruel, James. You must be crueler if you want to survive. The sooner you realize this the better life will be for you,¡± said Katrina.


    Katrina witnessed the cruelty of this world from a young age which forced her to open her eyes to the things she needed to do if she wanted to survive. Katrina saw how men ruled the world and to be the one on top, she had to manipte those same men to rise above them. People who tried to y nice would always gain nothing from this world and continue to suffer until theirst days.


    Katrina sat up from the bed and went to where James was almost finished putting on his clothes. She slithered her arms around his waist, pulling him against her naked body. ¡°I see a bit of myself in you. You wish to be more than a butler even though you won¡¯t admit it. Everyone at the bottom wishes to see what it is at the top. Forget those silly morals you have and think of yourself and your mother,¡± she said.


    ¡°I have been thinking of my mother. I¡¯ve thought of how she will be if you carry out your threat of using me of taking advantage of you. I¡¯ve done as you asked for her sake. I am more than happy with my life as a butler. Do not try to tempt me with anything more,¡± James replied, removing Katrina¡¯s hands from around his waist.


    Katrina scoffed, not believing his words. He was only denying it so he wouldn¡¯t seem like such a bad person. She saw how his eyes twinkled each time she bought him a gift and she knew he wanted much more. James¡¯ continuous act of trying to look good was starting to bore her and after he got Mario taken, she might get rid of him too.


    ¡®Or maybe I should entertain myself by bringing out the greed in him,¡¯ she considered.


    ¡°You should focus on Miss Kate instead of everything else. When she returned home, it appeared like she had good news to share but you were pushing her away. She is concerned about you. Regardless of the wounds on your face, you are still the most beautiful woman I have everid eyes on and your daughter will think the same. You are all she has Baroness. Do not push her away. I must leave now,¡± James excused himself.


    Katrina tapped her fingers on her arms. She didn¡¯t want to show the wounds she had but she could not hide away forever from her daughter. ¡°I need the best medicine in town to clear my skin regardless of the price,¡± she muttered.


    Katrina decided to visit Kate. Kate needed to be focused on securing Simon so she should not be thinking about what was troubling her mother. They could not let Simon slip through their fingers or Kate would have to wait another season to be married and start the process of controlling a man with her charms all over again.


    Katrina went to her closet to get a robe to wear instead of getting all dressed up again. After the pleasure given to her by James, she wished to sleep right after so there was hardly a need to wear a dress to see Kate when she woulde back and sleep.


    When Katrina exited her bedroom, she kept her hand on her cheek to cover the wounds. She was more embarrassed about that than the fact she was leaving her room in a robe that the servants would see.


    ¡°Kate,¡± Katrina called out to her daughter as she pushed Kate¡¯s bedroom door open. She never needed to knock and wait for Kate to open the door for her.


    ¡°Mother,¡± Kate¡¯s eyes lit up seeing her mother. She stood near her bed looking at dresses she wanted to wear for Simon to admire. ¡°I thought I would not be seeing you for the rest of the day. Did something happen? Why are you hiding your face?¡± Shemented on her mother¡¯s obvious attempt to hide her face.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been wounded again by Edgar Collins,¡± Katrina removed her hand from her cheek.


    Kate¡¯s blood boiled seeing the damage Edgar added to her mother once again. ¡°That monster. How dare he do this again? Mother, it is time we go to the guards and have him arrested. You can not let him get away with turning you into¡­¡± Kate trailed off but she finally spat, ¡°Alessandra!¡±


    ¡°I am not going to let him get away with it Kate but you know it would be pointless to try getting him arrested. He has too much power to get himself out of jail and the king is on his side. I am taking matters into my own hands. William has tasked me with getting Alessandra away from Edgar the night he visited us for dinner,¡± Katrina informed Kate of their ns.


    Kate had a better chance of getting closer to Alessandra to deliver the message about Mario than Katrina could because of Kate¡¯s rtionship with Simon.


    Kate was ecstatic to hear that her mother and William were working together to get Alessandra away from Edgar. She was honestly upset with the two of them sitting around doing nothing and allowing Alessandra to enjoy her life as Duchess. Knowing that Alessandra would be in the hands of William in the near future made her feel better about her run-in with Alessandra today.


    ¡°Is this how you n to hurt Edgar? When will you take her mother? Would I be able to see her before she is taken to William? I must repay her for how she embarrassed me today. If William does not mind, I would love to release my frustration on her. Perhaps by destroying the other side of her face. He might be more intrigued if she covered her facepletely,¡± Kate said whilst imagining the torture she could put Alessandra through.


    Kate gripped her dress, imagining her nails digging into Alessandra¡¯s face. She hoped William wouldpletely ruin Alessandra either mentally, physically, or sexually, so Edgar would never take a look at her again.


    ¡°You will have your moment to get back at her for what she has stolen from you and put you through but you must not be hasty. This n must not fail.¡±

 Chapter 336 - 336 Rose with thorns (1)

    336 Rose with thorns (1)


    Alessandra jolted when she felt someone suddenly touch her but rxed when their arms settled around her waist. No one would be so bold to touch her like this unless they didn¡¯t fear Edgar. ¡°What are you doing, Edgar?¡± She looked sideways to get a look at him.


    ¡°Trying to figure out why you are just staring out the window. Are you expecting a guest? The dressmaker is not returning right?¡± Edgar asked as he could not deal with Erin hanging around his house any longer.


    ¡°Erin,¡± Alessandra corrected what he called Erin. ¡°No, she will not be returning any time soon. I was watching Sally and Caleb leave to take her parents from her aunt¡¯s house. I hope her parents will hear her out and leave,¡± she said whilst watching the carriage exit the gates.


    Alessandra stood at the window next to the front door.


    ¡°Your mind is always filled with someone else but it is hardly me,¡± Edgar said as sad as he could make his voice sound to make her feel guilty.


    ¡°Ow,¡± Alessandra winced when Edgar randomly bit her neck. ¡°I am not food,¡± she tried to touch the spot but his head blocked her.


    ¡°I beg to differ,¡± Edgar smiled against her skin.


    ¡°You are wrong that I do not think about you. You gue my mind these days because your birthday is near and so far I only have one gift prepared for you. No, I have not agreed to what you want me to do,¡± Alessandra quickly spoke before he could remind her of his birthday request.


    Time was running out as his birthday was only a few days away and nothing came to mind for what she could give a man who had everything. Alessandra truly started to consider seducing Edgar and going all out to make him speechless but there was a certain confidence she needed to do this with a man who reeked of confidence and sex appeal. She always found herselfing undone before him.


    .....


    ¡°That¡¯s a shame. I have wasted quite a lot of money today then,¡± said Edgar.


    Alessandra didn¡¯t see what her not choosing to be intimate with him on his birthday had to do with Edgar¡¯s wasted money today. ¡°What money did you waste? Honestly, it is odd to hear you speak of wasting money when you always say money is never an issue. What made whatever you bought today a waste?¡± She asked, curious to know what it was he bought in the first ce.


    ¡°I thought by now you would have given in to my birthday wish so on my time out of the house I stopped by a shop I mentioned to you before. I brought a lot of items we can use. Ropes, whips, chains,¡± Edgar listed a few of what he bought. ¡°There is even a mask thates with the whips.¡±


    Alessandra¡¯s face quickly turned red as she knew what shop Edgar was speaking of. She remembered it clearly from when she wanted a mask on the night they got married. ¡°Edgar, what do chains and whips have to do with us making love on your birthday? Do you n to torture me instead?¡±


    Edgar enjoyed the naive moment Alessandra was having. Of course, she wouldn¡¯t understand right away that what he bought wasn¡¯t to give the type of pain she was thinking. ¡°There are two different types of torture for me. One that I punish my enemies with and one that I will enjoy doing to you or you can do to me. I am fine with whoever takes charge. I told you we were going to have fun.¡±


    Alessandra turned around to face Edgar. ¡°I didn¡¯t know it would involve those things, Edgar. I do not want to be whipped, chained up, or whatever it is you have nned in your mind. I do not like pain,¡± she ced her hand on his muscr arms.


    ¡°You dislike it because you do not know what it is truly like. You are probably envisioning just harming you for no reason,¡± Edgar replied.


    ¡°How do you know what it is like? Have you tried it with other women?¡± Alessandra asked.


    Edgar licked his lips, feeling like he was suddenly trapped. ¡°I don¡¯t have to take part in it to understand what it is like but no, I have never taken part in this and I have only considered it now because of what I noticed from you.¡±


    ¡°It is nothing like you are imagining, my sweet wife. Let me paint a good image for you. Let¡¯s say I shall take the ropes and tie you to the bed or wherever I see fit and while I have my way with you, there will be a touch or perhaps a spank at the right moment to make you excited,¡± he stressed the word excited. ¡°There are many ways we can do this to our liking. To your liking.¡±


    ¡°One of us will be in control,¡± Edgar gripped a handful of her hair, not too harsh to hurt her, to make her look him in the eye as he spoke. ¡°While the other follows along. You spoke of wanting to be in control. This can be your chance. I won¡¯t mind you tying me up and having your way with me until you are satisfied. I don¡¯t mind giving my birthday treat to you.¡±


    ¡°How kind of you,¡± Alessandra sarcastically replied. ¡°Fine. If this is the one thing you want, I will go along with it.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t speak as if you are not excited now that you understand how pleasurable it will be. You are excited to be in control of me, aren¡¯t you?¡± Edgar mused.


    Alessandra started to look everywhere but at Edgar. ¡°I did not say that.¡±


    ¡°You look beautiful in the sunlight right here. There is no doubt that this is one of the spots we shall make love on my birthday,¡± Edgar made up his mind.


    ¡°Wait, I did not agree to us having sex all over the house. I only agreed to do what you spoke of a moment ago. I do not want the servants to see-¡±


    ¡°And I told you that I will clear the house. Trust and believe that I do not have any ns for anyone else to see you in the midst of our intimacy. I will gouge the eyes out of anyone who witnesses such a sight before killing them. Shall I give you a glimpse of what I have in mind for my birthday? After a day out I feel the need to soak in a warm bath. Care to join me?¡± Edgar asked, toying with the string of her dress to help her say yes.


    Had Edgar not spoken of her being more adventurous Alessandra would have said no but this time, she did not want it to continue as if he always had to nudge her for something to happen between them. Something she wanted to work on was not overthinking when it came to their intimacy because she did in fact enjoy the things Edgar did.


    ¡°It must not be a long bath. I want to rece the old paintings with the new ones I have made before nightfall,¡± Alessandra replied but she knew not to expect this would be quick.


    ¡°I cannot promise that it shall be- shit,¡± Edgar cursed when something outside the window caught his eyes.


    As she was facing Edgar, Alessandra did not know what caused him to curse and when she tried to look, Edgar forced her to look back at him.


    ¡°We should hurry to the bathroom,¡± Edgar quickly spoke.


    ¡°Why-Ah!¡± Alessandra gasped when Edgar suddenly swept her off her feet and began taking her upstairs. ¡°Edgar, who or what is outside?¡±


    ¡®My grandmother,¡¯ Edgar replied in his head. If Alessandra were to know, he could say bye-bye to this golden opportunity for them to have sex in the bathroom. Not on his watch.


    He knew it wouldn¡¯t be long before his grandmother learned of what happened to Alfred but did she need to have such terrible timing?

 Chapter 337 - 337 Rose with thorns (2)

    337 Rose with thorns (2)


    The hardest task Edgar experienced in his life was convincing Alessandra that it was Reed returning home with work for him to do and if they did not move now, their moment would be interrupted. Alessandra didn¡¯t believe it at first but with some luck, Edgar was able to wash away her doubt.


    While Edgar locked their bedroom door and even ced a chair behind it as an extra precaution when Alessandra went into the bathroom, Rose entered the front door of the house.


    ¡°Where is Alfred?¡± Rose asked as loud as her voice could go. She took a trip straight to Lockwood the moment news of what happened to Alfred reached her ears. Now that she was here the house was too quiet for her liking.


    ¡°Lady Collins,¡± a passing maid greeted her, shock evident in the young woman¡¯s voice as she was not informed of Rose Collins visiting the home. There was always so much to be done whenever Edgar¡¯s grandmother was in town.


    ¡°Good evening. Where are Edgar, Alessandra, and Alfred?¡± Rose asked. She wanted to see Alfred specifically.


    ¡°Alfred is resting and the Duchess was by the door a moment ago,¡± the maid named Tiara looked around for Alessandra. She was quite certain she spotted Edgar walking toward Alessandra and the two should be by the window. ¡®Unless he ran when he saw his grandmothering as he does with his mother,¡¯ she figured.


    ¡°Take me to where Alfred is resting. Then go inform the Duke and Duchess that their grandmother has arrived. I wish to speak with both of them right away,¡± said Rose.


    Tiara nodded her head. ¡°Alfred is resting this way,¡± she pointed toward Alfred¡¯s room then walked ahead of Rose to lead her there.


    ¡°This is not his room. Why is he here instead of in his room? Is he badly hurt?¡± Rose asked, wishing that it wasn¡¯t the case.


    .....


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that when Alfred was found the Duchess had him taken to the nearest room. I believe he was unconscious when he returned home but he is better now. Alfredes out of the room to have dinner with the Duke and Duchess. Alfred,¡± Tiara knocked on the door. ¡°Lady Collins is here to see you,¡± she said then opened the door.


    ¡°Find my grandson and Alessandra for me. I shall take it from here,¡± Rose said, entering the room without the maid. She disliked the sight of Alfred on the bed with an arm bandaged up as soon as she walked in.


    Just like Rose, Alfred was a person who could not keep still so seeing him on the bed riled her up.


    ¡°What a pleasant surprise. Did youe to town for Edgar¡¯s birthday?¡± Alfred asked though he knew the real reason why Rose was here days before Edgar¡¯s birthday.


    ¡°I am not here for Edgar¡¯s birthday you old fool. First of all, my grandson has not told me what his ns for his birthday are yet. I assume he ns to spend it with his wife. What happened to you, Alfred? Why are you in this state?¡± Rose asked, holding back the anger she felt to get to the bottom of this.


    Rose was only informed that he was attacked but was not given more details. She had not sat around long enough to wait for more news toe in.


    Alfred didn¡¯t want to be the one to inform Rose of Prisci¡¯s involvement in this just like he didn¡¯t want to tell Edgar. Just like her grandson, Rose would see out blood but with less mercy than what Edgar was giving his mother. Rose¡¯s dislike for Prisci over the years would make it easy for her to hurt Prisci physically.


    ¡°We should leave that until Edgar arrives. He will have more news to share with you. You must be tired after a long ride here. I can have one of the maids prepare the room you like so much,¡± Alfred said.


    ¡°Even when you are wounded you are still the butler,¡± Rose shook her head.


    ¡°Unfortunately, I am no longer the butler. I didn¡¯t have the time to write to you that Edgar has fired me,¡± Alfred muttered, still displeased with no longer having his job.


    Rose thought she heard it wrong that Alfred was fired but when she saw his anger, she knew she heard it right. Rose could not hold back her amusement with the matter and found herself in a fit ofughter. She covered her mouth with her hand and tried to apologize forughing at what clearly upset him but her apology was lost in herughter.


    Alfred didn¡¯t take any offense to herughter. In fact, he enjoyed seeing Rose genuinelyugh like this. As head of the Collins family, she always had to be strict as there was so much crap she needed to put up with. ¡°I am d that one of us found it funny,¡± heughed along with her.


    ¡°I am sorry,¡± Rose finally managed to apologize as she wiped a tear from her eye. ¡°I never expected Edgar to fire you and for you to take it so easily. What is it that he has fired you for? Did you meddle in his rtionship again? I hope it is not that as I have meddled with it also. Do you think he will disown me as his grandmother,¡± she snorted and theughing began again.


    ¡°Ha ha,¡± Alfred drylyughed this time. ¡°He fired me because he wants me to be a part of the family. His children will grow up calling me grandpa,¡± he recalled the most important part in all of this. The only bright side to being fired was he would have more time to take care of Edgar¡¯s children.


    ¡°So you have been demoted to babysister. I envy you Alfred. You will spend more time with the children than I will. I will have to wait for when Edgar is in the mood to visit. I should consider visiting Lockwood more often but the trip is a burden and the people here are a pain. What would it take for me to convince Edgar to move?¡± Rose wondered.


    ¡°It is not Edgar you must convince, it is Alessandra. Edgar may be against it but if Alessandra mentions wanting to leave, he will follow. Don¡¯t let them know I had any part in this,¡± Alfred put his hands in the air as he wanted no parts in meddling. ¡°I might lose my role of babysitter if Edgar finds out.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame you cannot threaten to walk out of this house unless you get your job back. Edgar will see right through your ploy and help you pack your bags. Where are those two? I sent a maid for them. I hope theye quickly,¡± Rose said since she needed Edgar to tell her what happened to Alfred.


    Meanwhile, Tiara looked around the first floor for Edgar and Alessandra but did not have any luck. Of all times for the two to disappear, why now? As big as the house she did not have the time to search all of it for the couple. She hoped they had gone to their bedroom or private rooms.


    ¡°Moxy!¡± Tiara called out to another maid. ¡°Warn the other maids that the Duke¡¯s grandmother is here. Have you seen the Duke and Duchess?¡±


    ¡°I saw the Duke carrying the Duchess to their bedroom. I advise you to not interrupt them,¡± said Moxy. It was obvious what the two ran off to do.


    Tiara found herself between a rock and a hard ce. ¡°But his grandmother is looking for the two of them. Should I at least knock or just tell her they are busy? When is Sally when you need her?¡±


    ¡°I think you should tell her that you are busy and drop enough hints for her to understand why they should not be disturbed. Think of who you wish to disappoint more. The Duke or his grandmother?¡±


    ¡°Neither!¡± Tiara whined.

 Chapter 338 - 338 Rose with thorns (3)

    338 Rose with thorns (3)


    ¡°Why are you ring at me?¡± Edgar asked after he noticed the look Alessandra was giving him while shey on the bed.


    After their uninterrupted moment in the bathroom, he brought her out andid her on the bed to rest since her energy had faded away.


    ¡°I told you it couldn¡¯t be so long because I needed to put up the paintings,¡± Alessandra grumbled.


    ¡°What is the rush? You can have a little rest and put them up before dinner. I remember after the first time you clung to me to go again so it is not only my fault but I will help you with the paintingster. Am I forgiven?¡± Edgar asked, sitting down on the bed to pull the nket he ced on her further up her body.


    ¡°Hardly. Only if you wake me in an hour. I don¡¯t want to push back putting the paintings up,¡± Alessandra said.


    ¡°Then I will be back in an hour,¡± he leaned over to kiss her forehead. ¡°Your hair is still damp. I have not dried it good enough,¡± he said, raking his fingers through her hair.


    ¡°It is fine. It is not so wet that I will catch a cold and the warm air in the room shall help it dry quickly. You can go to the person you were running away from,¡± Alessandra replied letting him know that she did not buy the story about Reed.


    ¡°Make sure you dream of only me when you go to sleep. You must stop harming me, Alessandra,¡± Edgar said because of her reaching out to pinch him. ¡°It is hard to believe you were so against the whips and other toys when you love inflicting pain on me. All the times you harmed me were preparing me for my birthday.¡±


    Alessandra pulled the nket to cover her head. ¡°Please leave, Edgar.¡±


    .....


    Edgar chuckled, finding her to be cute and if not for his grandmother, he would join Alessandra in bed. ¡°I will be back soon. Hopefully,¡± he added since his grandmother must have many questions about Alfred. ¡°Do not go to sleep with that nket over your head,¡± was thest thing he said before getting up to leave.


    Edgar carried a towel with him to dry his wet hair because he had been so focused on drying Alessandra¡¯s rather than drying his own. He closed the bedroom door behind him as he left the room and started the search for his dear grandmother. His mother should be d she was locked away in a cell to avoid being hurt by her mother-inw.


    Edgar went straight to Alfred¡¯s room since Alfred now gained himself a personal rich maid. Just as he expected, Edgar found his grandmother sitting in a chair beside Alfred¡¯s bed when he entered the room. Theirughter filled the room which would normally be silent during this time.


    ¡°What is so funny?¡± Edgar asked, bringing attention to his presence since neither of them noticed he hade in.


    ¡°Edgar, it is about time youe to me. I¡¯ve sent for you so long ago. Why are you like this?¡± Rose pointed at his unbuttoned shirt and then at the towel on his head. ¡°Do you n to catch a cold?¡±


    ¡°Hence the towel to dry my hair. Why are you in Lockwood? I could have sent you updates about Alfred. This is not good weather for you to travel so far in,¡± Edgar said.


    ¡°Oh please, you worry wort. The roads weren¡¯t so bad when I left home and I needed to see Alfred¡¯s state myself. Where is Alessandra?¡± Rose looked behind Edgar expecting to see Alessandrae in behind him. ¡°I wanted to see both of you.¡±


    ¡°Alessandra is resting and I do not want her to be disturbed. She is quite tired,¡± Edgar replied, sitting on the edge of the bed by Alfred¡¯s feet.


    ¡°At this time of the day? It is hardly a time to be asleep. Though I do remember feeling tired all the time when I was pregnant with your father. Is there some good news you want to share with me?¡± Rose said with great excitement.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Edgar smiled, seeing this as a golden opportunity to break some hearts. ¡°I have recently received a new sword.¡±


    Rose felt like there was an arrow shot right through her heart. ¡°Edgar, what on earth are you talking about?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Well, you asked if there was good news I wanted to share. The new sword is quite good news. The de has some of the best work as it is sharper than my other swords and there is a beautiful design engraved on it. I will show it to you after we are done here. I have it ced somewhere out of reach for everyone to touch,¡± Edgar further exined why it was good news.


    ¡°Edgar, do not tempt me to p you. I meant good news regarding my great-grandchildren. You know I am not patient waiting for them,¡± Rose rified the good news she wanted.


    ¡°Grandmother, it wasn¡¯t that long ago you never thought you would have any. Be patient like you promised you would. I am not going to let anyone make Alessandra feel burdened to have children quickly. Focus on Alfred instead, He is the reason you are here when it is rare you travel to Lockwood to see me,¡± Edgar said, not caring to hide the jealousy in his words.


    ¡°You are young and nothing ever happens to you. If I have toe to town for something you are involved in, it is that you have hurt or killed someone. I¡¯ve left you in Alfred¡¯s care for years and at this age, if something happens to him, I must show up since I am in his debt. Now tell me, what happened?¡± Rose got straight to the point. She wasn¡¯t in the mood for all the other things they were talking about.


    ¡°He was attacked by a gang of men. Timothy, my driver who was with him has passed away. Do not get so heated just yet. We have captured most of the men present that day but it is the man in charge that we have not caught yet,¡± Edgar stated, purposely leaving out his mother to not get her riled up.


    ¡°Who ordered them to attack Alfred? Which one of your enemies was it? I told the two of you to be careful because if they cannot get to Edgar they would attack whoever is close to him now look at you,¡± Rose pointed at Alfred once again angered by his state. ¡°Give me a name and I shall use my resources to find them for you.¡±


    ¡°No offense grandmother but if I had a hard time digging him out of his hole, you will not have an easy time. My men are close to capturing him and shall have him in my dungeon by tomorrow night,¡± Edgar replied.


    He received an update that Federick tried to visit his parent¡¯s home to speak with his mother, not knowing that she was here in his dungeon. Edgar wouldn¡¯t be surprised if Federick was caught all now as they spoke.


    ¡°That is good to hear but I wish to hear who ordered this. I will not drop the matter until I find out,¡± said Rose.


    ¡°Then you shall keep holding onto it,¡± Edgar retorted, standing up from the bed as he was finished with how much information he wanted to give his grandmother right now. ¡°I have a wife who is alone in bed and I would rather be there than here so goodbye,¡± he excused himself.


    Before Edgar could leave the room he looked back at the two of them. ¡°Do not keep this door closed,¡± he stated since he didn¡¯t trust his grandmother to keep her hands off Alfred. This was not how he wanted Alfred to be a Collins.

 Chapter 339 - 339 Fighting back (1)

    339 Fighting back (1)


    ¡°Do not leave the carriage until I call for you,¡± Sally told Caleb as she exited the carriage parked outside her aunt¡¯s house.


    Caleb didn¡¯t see the need for him to wait behind and asked, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°For a dramatic entrance obviously. I want to enjoy seeing my auntugh at the news of my marriage even if it is not real and then I want to see thatugh disappear when she sees you. She will not believe that a man like yourself would want me and will be angry,¡± Sally exined.


    ¡°You have too much time on your hands to plot all of this,¡± Caleb concluded.


    ¡°I thought about this from the moment you agreed to it. This is my way of saying ha to my aunt¡¯s face. Please wait here until I return for you. I need this to go as I imagined it to,¡± Sally begged, sping her hands to show how desperately she wanted him to go along with this exactly as she nned.


    ¡°Whatever but note that I am going to use this moment as an example of how women are odd,¡± Caleb said.


    ¡°You can sing about it for all I care. Watch your fingers,¡± Sally warned him before closing the door behind her. She looked at her aunt¡¯s house and took a deep breath.


    Each step she took toward the house increased her excitement now that the moment of her taking her parents away from this ce had finallye. She wished that it would go exactly as she nned and she would get to say what was on her mind when it came to her aunt.


    Sally opened the gate at the front of the house and walked up the rocky pathway her aunt made her clean daily when she first started to work. Her aunt would watch from the balcony above and yell about how she was doing the job wrong.


    .....


    ¡°Sally?¡± Adam called to his daughter as her presence here was a surprise.


    Sally looked at her right after hearing her father¡¯s voice. If not for him calling out to her, she would not have seen him standing in the midst of therge fruit trees in the garden. ¡°Father, what are you doing outside in the snow without a coat? You will catch a cold. Is there something wrong with the coat I bought for you?¡±


    ¡°No. Your aunt just asked me to shake the snow from the trees so I didn¡¯t get the chance to grab my coat.¡±


    Sally looked up at the snow falling from the sky and found it to be pointless to shake the snow from the trees when it will be quickly covered again. It was a ridiculous task to give to anyone and not even the servants at Edgar¡¯s estate were tasked with keeping the trees snow-free. ¡°Go inside and start packing your things, father. We are leaving,¡± she said.


    ¡°Leaving? Did you find yourself in trouble, Sally?¡± Adam asked, concerned there might be someone Sally owed and wanted to hide from. They experienced this when they had to hide from people who owed money.


    ¡°No,¡± Sally shook her head. ¡°I found a better situation. I am taking you to-¡±


    ¡°Sally, what a surprise. It isn¡¯t the time youe to visit your parents and after yourst visit, I never expected to see you anytime soon. Have youe to apologize or maybe you were fired again,¡± Judith said. She walked out of her home with arge fur coat to keep her warm.


    ¡°Apologize?¡± Sally licked her lips. ¡°My parents will no longer be working for you. I have a new ce for them to live in so they will no longer need what you like to call help but it is truly torture. Father, I told you to go and pack.¡±


    ¡°What broken down house have you found to take your parents to? Or have you borrowed money from someone who will have your head when you cannot pay it back? Sally dear, I admire this drive you have to provide for your parents but it is bing ridiculous that you would want to disrupt the life they have now. Just apologize and be on your way. Go on,¡± Judith flicked her hand for it to start.


    ¡°I don¡¯t recall anything I must apologize for. You on the other hand should apologize for the way you treat your own brother and his family. Father, I am getting married and my fiance is offering-¡±


    ¡°Married,¡± Judithughed at the preposterous news. ¡°How could you be getting married when you have nothing to offer your husband? Not even an inheritance to help pay for a wedding. You gave that up to help pay the debts, remember? The only man you could have found is someone who is equally in debt. See Adam, I told you there is something wrong with her head.¡±


    Adam didn¡¯t enjoy his sister not taking Sally seriously. ¡°Sally, who is this man you are getting married to? You did not speak of him to your mother or me. Please tell me you have not gotten-¡±


    ¡°Why is your assumption always trouble? I may have fallen from grace but I am still capable of being loved by someone without there being some mess. Father, the man I am engaged to is giving the house he owns to you and mother to use. You do not have to let her treat you like a ve,¡± Sally angrily pointed at her aunt. ¡°Please get mother and start packing. There is a carriage outside waiting for us.¡±


    Judith stepped to the side to look at the front of her house where there was a carriage waiting for Sally and by the looks of it, it was not cheap. ¡°You!¡± Judith eximed, realizing what Sally had done. ¡°Whose bed have you fallen into? Did I not tell you to avoid tarnishing this family further?¡±


    ¡°I told you that I got engaged but I did not fall into anyone¡¯s bed. We cannot all be like you who got pregnant before your wedding and had to rush it-¡±


    Judith silenced Sally with a p as the past Sally was bringing up was not to be known by anyone. Not even by Sally unless her brother spoke of what their parents hid.


    ¡°Judith!¡± Adam yelled at his sister. ¡°We had one rule that you would noty a hand on my daughter.¡±


    ¡°If you would not tell her family secrets and raise her better I would not feel the need to. I didn¡¯t have to open my doors to the failing son in my family but I did and this is how I am repaid. Insulted by your daughter each time she visits and now I will have to be told of her secret affairs with the man who has filled her head about a house. Make her leave never to return or shall kick you out with your wife,¡± Judith gave her brother two options.


    No matter what, she was the only one who could help her brother and he knew it.


    Before Adam could say a word, Sally responded with a p to her aunt¡¯s face with more force than the one she received. She was no longer going to take her aunt¡¯s abuse and ignore it because her parents needed a roof over their heads.


    ¡°You are a despicable woman who takes her built-up jealousy from over the years and does everything she can to treat her brother like an insect. You should have taken your jealousy up with my grandparents instead of treating my parents this way,¡± Sally replied, ring at her sorry excuse of an aunt. ¡°I kept my morals to never sleep with anyone so that I would not have to see your satisfied smile knowing that I am ruined.¡±


    Judith stood in disbelief that she was smacked by her niece. ¡°You insolent child,¡± she raised her hand again.


    ¡°I would not do that,¡± Caleb interrupted the moment before Sally could be struck. ¡°The Duke doesn¡¯t like when his people are harmed and I won¡¯t take too well to my fiance being pped.¡±

 Chapter 340 - 340 Fighting back (2)

    340 Fighting back (2)


    ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± Judith questioned the rude stranger. ¡°This is a matter which concerns the family.¡±


    ¡°This is your fiance, Sally?¡± Adam asked as the only thing he took from the man¡¯s words was fiance.


    Judith refused to believe that this man was going to marry Sally. She gave him a look over and based on his attire, he was not amon man. ¡°This is preposterous. What games are you up to and who is this man?¡± She inquired from Sally.


    Sally answered her father, ¡°This is Caleb. He is the man I am going to marry and you will be living in his home. It would be best if you packed now father. We shouldn¡¯t waste any more time.¡±


    ¡°You are a maid for Duke Edgar Collins. When would you have time to meet with a man like this? Adam, I told you to send her away,¡± Judith repeated hermand. It was unlikely for Sally to get married before her daughter and to such a handsome man. She could hear her friends question what was wrong with her daughter.


    ¡°I work as a guard for the Duke and have be close to your daughter since she tends to the Duchess. I intend to marry her and I would love it if you would join us at my home,¡± Caleb said to help convince Sally¡¯s father. He meant to stay in the carriage but he got bored and luckily when he got out, he heard yelling.


    Caleb fumed with anger at the sight of Sally almost getting pped. He was also angry with the fact Sally¡¯s father was just standing by speaking instead of moving to protect his daughter. Had he been a secondter to witness Sally getting pped, Caleb didn¡¯t know what he would have done to Sally¡¯s aunt.


    Judith was pleased to hear that the man was just a guard but his handsome features should not be wasted on Sally. ¡°What sort of house can a guard have to hold four people and then children should the two of you have any? Take Sally and go. I never wish to see her in front of me. I would advise you to-¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need your advice,¡± Caleb interrupted Judith. ¡°Sir,¡± he addressed Sally¡¯s father. ¡°You should do as your daughter says and pack.¡±


    .....


    Adam wasn¡¯t on board with the union between Sally and this man he had never met before. He didn¡¯t want to be in debt to this stranger when he didn¡¯t know what sort of feelings this man had for his daughter or if he was just filling her head with dreams. ¡°Sally, you can¡¯t just-¡±


    ¡°Sir,¡± Caleb said again but this time hisck of patience was evident. ¡°Stop questioning what your daughter tells you to do and just pack. How much longer will you just speak and do nothing will her aunt degrade her? Be a man and walk out of here with your wife and daughter.¡±


    Judith was appalled by how her brother was being spoken to. She did not want Adam or Dorothy to leave her home. Not now, not ever. The satisfaction of seeing her parent¡¯s favorite child cleaning her floors was not something she could let go of so easily.


    ¡°Adam, you must go inside. We know nothing about this stranger Sally has brought to us. If you leave with them, Sally will owe this man something,¡± Judith used her brother¡¯s fear to try to convince him to stay.


    ¡°Father pleasee with us. There is nothing I will owe Caleb aside from my heart as we will be married. Start packing or I will start doing it for you,¡± said Sally.


    ¡°You cannot step foot inside my home and if you do, I will call the guards to take you away,¡± Judith said, moving to block the path to her front door. ¡°Leave at once.¡±


    ¡°Sally? What is going on?¡± Dorothy exited the front door. She thought she heard Sally¡¯s voice when she passed by the door and when she looked out the window it was confirmed that her daughter was there. ¡°Why is your cheek red?¡± She rushed to her daughter¡¯s side.


    ¡°It is nothing, mother. I need you to start packing your belongings. I am getting married to Caleb,¡± Sally grabbed Caleb¡¯s arm and pushed him forward to her mother. ¡°You will live in his home from now on. Pleasee with me, mother.¡±


    ¡°Dorothy, we have no idea who this man is. We should speak with him first,¡± said Adam. He could not run off with a man he did not know and even worse, allow this man to marry his beloved daughter.


    Dorothy caressed the red spot on Sally¡¯s cheek knowing Judith must have something to do with it. She nced at the man wanting to marry her daughter and noticed his gaze on Sally. ¡°Give me a moment to get my things and then we shall leave. Okay?¡±


    Sally nodded her head, pleased to hear that her mother wasing along without any questions asked. If only her father could do the same now so they could leave.


    Just like Sally, Dorothy was fed up with the treatment of her sister-inw. She would rather live on the road than allow her daughter to be mistreated again. She didn¡¯t care about Adam¡¯s decision. He could stay with his sister for all she cared at this point.


    ¡°Dorothy,¡± Adam followed behind his wife, leaving Sally and Caleb alone with Judith.


    ¡°What makes you think this is a good decision to move your parents from where they have a roof over their heads to a house of a man who can leave you tomorrow? Convince your mother to stay and be on your way,¡± Judith ordered Sally but she did not receive a response.


    Judith turned her attention to the man beside Sally. ¡°You will gain nothing from marrying her. There is no dowry or inheritance to her name. It is only rags, nothing more. I¡¯m sure a man of your background will want to marry a woman who will make your situation better. Your parents will be disappointed,¡± she said in an effort to convince Caleb to change his mind.


    Caleb replied, ¡°I have enough money to my name to take care of-¡±


    ¡°Oh please,¡± Judith clicked her tongue. ¡°People like you hardly have enough money to talk of yourself and then you must care for your parents.¡±


    ¡°My mother is the governess for the princess and my father a former knight. I have no need to support either of them. If you are so concerned about where Sally will be going, I will invite you to pay us a visit. Her new home is not far from here. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve passed a home with statues of falcons out front but had no clue who resided there,¡± Caleb replied, enjoying the realization on the woman¡¯s face.


    Sally on the other hand wasn¡¯t aware that Caleb¡¯s mother was a governess for the princess. Was this true or was he only trying to look good in front of her aunt?


    Judith didn¡¯t believe the house truly belonged to this man. No longer wanting to stand before Sally and the liar beside her, Judith hurried inside to stop her brother.


    After her aunt left them alone Sally asked, ¡°Is your mother truly the governess to the princess?¡±


    ¡°She always loved the idea of teaching children. She took the job after my father would be away fighting for the kingdom. She also taught Tobias for a few years. I keep telling you that I am not poor. I can survive on my background but I have chosen to be loyal to Edgar,¡± Caleb answered, smiling the more Sally realized how little she knew about him.


    ¡°I see,¡± Sally softly spoke, trying to process it. ¡°There is no way your mother will ever find out about this right? My life doesn¡¯t fit your own. If she were to find out that you have settled for a maid this would all be ruined before I can have my own home.¡±


    ¡°You are worrying for nothing. If my mother were to find out, she would make us get married tomorrow. Luckily, the princess keeps her busy so unless I tell her, she will never find out,¡± Caelb assured Sally but hepletely forgot that he was a twin and his brother would be more than happy to tell their mother.

 Chapter 341 - 341 Duties (1)

    341 Duties (1)


    ¡°Edgar, I cannot believe you hid that your grandmother came to visit Alfred. She must think it is rude that I have note to see her yet. It is all your fault,¡± Alessandra grumbled as she rushed to get dressed into something appropriate. ¡°You even came back to bed and said nothing. If I had known she was there I would not have-¡±


    ¡°Had sex with me when I returned to bed? I thought you were tired but it turns out you had a hidden stash of stamina. Not that I mind of course. Let¡¯s be clear that she arrived unannounced, disrupting our daily life, and if I had told you about her arrival you would not have joined me in the bath,¡± Edgar replied.


    ¡°Of course not! I would have greeted her at the door. You can do as you please but I want to be respectful and greet your grandmother when she arrives. Ugh, can you please help with this?¡± Alessandra turned to him for help tying the ribbon for her dress.


    ¡°I apologize for keeping her arrival from you. As part of my apology, I will remove the bathroom as one of the ces for my birthday. I¡¯m sorry,¡± Edgar cheekily smiled when Alessandra red at him. ¡°It is more intense now that I can see your full face. Can you me me for hiding her arrival when you are the one who tempted me? Each time I look at you, I cannot help but want to be close to you.¡±


    Edgar ced his finger under her chin and lifted it to have her look at him. He had the pleasure of seeing her without her mask the first time they made love and it was a sight he wished to be painted. Now that she walked around the house without her mask, there was a need to see those lovely expressions again.


    ¡°You have bewitched me. At least take some ownership of it. It is infuriating that you make me this way without purposely doing it. I can¡¯t help but wonder what it would be like if you purposely seduce me. We should leave now before I have my grandmother wait a bit longer,¡± Edgar stepped away from her.


    Alessandra could not answer his words as she needed to settle the emotions he stirred up. His words made her forget that she was angry with him for not telling her about Rose sooner but only for a second. ¡°I know what you are doing,¡± she said, seeing right through his ploy. ¡°You cannot say sweet words to me to get back on my good side.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I have been caught already,¡± Edgar smiled. She certainly had a growing talent for seeing through his games. ¡°That¡¯s a shame but every word I said is how I felt.¡±


    ¡°For your birthday, if I try my best to seduce you, you better notugh at me or this house will be without a Duke. Seduction does note easy for me as it does for you,¡± Alessandra said, ultimately giving in to Edgar¡¯s birthday request. She would also add things of her own to catch him off guard.


    .....


    ¡°Laugh at you? That is not possible. Now I hope my birthday will be here in a blink of an eye. I will start to make preparations to send the servants elsewhere for that day. Come, we can¡¯t make my grandmother wait any longer,¡± Edgar held his hand for her to hold so they could walk together.


    Alessandra ced her hand on his own. Since she was doing this, she would put her all into it and have Edgar in her position where he would be at a loss for words. Once again the student would beat the master. She might seduce him so well that Edgar might faint on his birthday.


    ¡°You know, I hear that people celebrate their birthday for an entire week,¡± said Edgar.


    Alessandra squeezed his hand. ¡°I am not seducing or making love to you for a full week, Edgar. You have a better chance of that happening in your dreams.¡±


    ¡°It has happened in my dreams and I predict it shall happen in the next few days. We should talk about something that will get me back in your good graces. Which paintings would you like for me to personally take down so you can put up your own?¡± Edgar asked, remembering what he promised before she rested.


    ¡°All of the ones you see the moment you enter the home. I would love for us to have a portrait made to go on the big empty space on the wall on the first floor. Maybe a small one of you and I. Then one with Alfred and Rose standing with us. It can be a family wall like what the pce has for all the royalty. We will need to hire a good artist since I cannot do it myself,¡± Alessandra said. She loved seeing family paintings.


    Edgar became interested in seeing a portrait of Alessandra when she was younger before what happened to her face. ¡°Do you know if there are portraits from when you were younger? I would love to see what you looked like at a young age. Or maybe one with you and your mother.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, most of the portraits were taken down when my father married Katrina. They were meant to be stored but if I know Katrina well, they were most likely burned. The court has not brought the rest of the items the Baroness owes me. They should have returned by now. I hope that there is a portrait or that I can request one to be returned to me. My memory of what my mother looks like has be blurry,¡± Alessandra replied, trying to picture her mother but having trouble doing so.


    ¡°I will try to find one for you or your grandparents might have a portrait they can give you. They must already be on their way to town. If they are good people you should ask for a portrait and maybe visit to see where the other side of your family resides. I have high hopes that they will be good people,¡± Edgar said, genuinely wishing for them to be nice people.


    Alessandra should not be surrounded by evil people in each direction she looked. Edgar needed her grandparents to have a good excuse for why they have not visited her over the years.


    ¡°We can only hope. Rose!¡± Alessandra called out to her.


    Rose looked up the stairs at the young couple and to her surprise, Alessandra was without her mask. ¡°Goodness child, why did you ever cover your face when you are so lovely?¡± She asked, in awe of Alessandra¡¯s beauty. For a moment, Alessandra seemed familiar now that she saw her full face but she could not ce why.


    ¡°Thank you. The scars have cleared up well so I can be without my mask. At least inside this house for now. I am sorry that I did note to you when you arrived. I was uhm resting,¡± Alessandra opted for her best excuse.


    ¡°There was no need to apologize. I understand why my grandson found it hard to be away from you. Come child, I wish to have a chat with you alone,¡± Rose said.

 Chapter 342 - 342 Duties (2)

    342 Duties (2)


    Alessandra got the feeling that she was in trouble but if Rose wasn¡¯t upset about her noting to greet her, what else could it be? Alessandra walked in silence with Rose to an empty bedroom on the first floor. The door was closed behind them so no one could interrupt or eavesdrop on their conversation.


    ¡°It is time that Edgar changes around his decor now that he is married. The house is exactly the same as when Ist visited. I noticed it the moment I arrived. Did you not add your own touch to the house?¡± Rose asked, taking a seat on the couch in the middle of the room.


    ¡°I will add paintings that I have personally made to the walls once we are finished talking and I just spoke of getting portraits done. I was meant to add the paintings shortly after I arrived but I became busy,¡± Alessandra replied. If only Rose arrived a dayter, the paintings would be up and she would have something to show off.


    ¡°I suppose that is a good start. You know as Duchess it is your duty to deal with matters of the household. I know Alfred likes to take charge of that but given his current state, it is your job to take control. Usually, in the winter, you should change the furniture in the house. Men don¡¯t care about it but we women are very particr about it. The house cannot look the same all through the year. It is like changing dresses for seasons,¡± Rose exined.


    ¡°I see. I apologize for not being on top of it. I will get started on it right away,¡± Alessandra replied, feeling negligent for not doing what was needed of her.


    ¡°Do not apologize. You had no woman present to exin what is expected of you. Edgar obviously wishes for you to live without lifting a finger and Alfred enjoyed taking care of the house. There is a household budget that you can use to buy new furniture or you can bring out old ones. You will also need to set aside some of the budget for the renovations when winter is over. The snow tends to destroy parts of the house because it is so heavy.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Alessandra replied, making a mental note of it.


    ¡°Have you gotten yourself familiar with the servants here? You need to keep an eye on the maids to see who is doing their job well or needs to be fired. The maids see everything so if one of your enemies wished to learn something about you, they will go to your servants. You need to be close to your maids to see whose loyalty is wavering,¡± Rose said, wishing to make Alessandra better not chastise her. ¡°I hope you do not feel like I am scolding you.¡±


    ¡°No no. I am thankful for you telling me what I need to do. I have not been doing my duties and it needed to be said at some point,¡± Alessandra bit her lip. It wasn¡¯t brought up much what she needed to do as Duchess and Edgar was clear that she needed to do nothing but enjoy her new life.


    .....


    ¡°Edgar will probably have my head for bringing this up to you,¡± Rose muttered, knowing how her grandson would react. He wouldn¡¯t be pleased with her telling Alessandra what needed to be done as Duchess when it was obvious he wanted his wife to worry about anything. However, they were missing a key person who held the house together. Alessandra could not live in bliss forever. ¡°I should have taken you to the side when you visited and checked how you were doing as Duchess.¡±


    Rose continued to say, ¡°I know from ourst time together you are not fond of being around other women but it is about time the Duke and Duchess host a ball or even a simple party. It is long overdue for the two of you to formally step out as husband and wife. It will also be your officialing out to society since you did not have a party dedicated to you in your youth.¡±


    ¡°I was going to host a party for only women but after I was struck in the head thest time I was-¡±


    ¡°You were what?!¡± Rose eximed, furious with the news. ¡°Who was the imbecile to strike you? Has Edgar dealt with them already? I swear the people in this town do know who to be bold with.¡±


    ¡°The pce has dealt with the matter and I¡¯ve asked Edgar not to do anything further. The king wanted her hands to be cut off,¡± said Alessandra.


    Rose agreed with that punishment since it was her granddaughter who was hurt. ¡°It is an old punishment from when I was a little girl. Should youy a hand on anyone with a title you could lose your arm. Over the years it became a punishment if the person you hurt is royalty. Edgar and Tobias are close so if you are hurt, Tobias would consider it one of his rtives being hurt which is why he used that punishment.¡±


    ¡°I do not want her to lose her hands. Her time in the pce dungeon must be enough torture. She must be released by now. I am not sure how it works. Edgar is not fond of socializing with others and I am not looking to meet with any more women. Lockwood is so focused on looks and reputations but this is not something I care about,¡± Alessandra exined her reasoning for not hosting a party.


    ¡°Hosting parties, going out to parties you receive invitations to, or just meeting with other women of your standing are not all for you to meet friends. Your peers will be the parents of the children your children will be around. You must ce yourself around the right people for the benefit of your children. Not everyone in town is bad and you will not meet them if you are always at home,¡± Rose took hold of Alessandra¡¯s hand.


    ¡°I know what it is like to be in your position, tired of the social world and what is expected of you but we must keep our heads up high and not allow anyone to make us hide. What youcked was someone to guide you in this cutthroat world of women. You were thrown into it blindly and too fast. I will be your guide and mold you into a remarkable Duchess,¡± Rose promised.


    In her youth and even now, Rose knew how to y the game of being one step ahead of her peers and even men. You had to be calctive and know the women well to stop their ns before they strike. Rose wanted Alessandra under her wing in ce of her mother, stepmother, and even Prisci who should have helped Alessandra prepare for what she would face.


    Alessandra was ecstatic to hear Rose offer to help her be better. She would like to be better at reading other women, be quick withebacks, and take control of moments to avoid drama like what she did with Kate recently.


    Alessandra¡¯s excitement started to fade when she noticed the cunning smile growing on Rose¡¯s face. ¡°Should I be concerned about what is making you smile as you are right now?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Well, I was quite the woman when I was around your age and I had a hand in raising your husband. I can¡¯t help but look forward to what will be of you. I hope you can surpass how much Edgar and I are feared,¡± Rose replied.


    Alessandra hoped what she had in mind for being feared was the same as what Rose had in mind. She did not want to enter a room and everyone was wary. No, she only wished to be seen and for others not to try their silly games. She would follow Rose¡¯s guidance up until it felt like she was no longer being herself.


    Alessandra did not wish that in an effort to go against the cruel women who she would meet that she would lose her kind heart and be cruel to be on top. You did not always need to fight fire with fire. Alessandra wanted to tame the fire of her peers with actions that did not require her hands to get dirty by throwing stones for example.


    Alessandra could not wait to share the good news with Hazel that Rose would help her rise to be the social queen they wanted her to be for other young women on the sidelines like she once was.

 Chapter 343 - 343 Duties (3)

    343 Duties (3)


    ¡°I will continue to n a party to host but it will note soon. I need to focus on Edgar¡¯s birthday and although it would be a good opportunity to hold a ball, we both know that is not how Edgar wishes to spend his birthday. He has been quite vocal about what he really wants,¡± Alessandra said, shyly tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. ¡°I hope you will be in town when I have a party here.¡±


    ¡°I should be. I intend to stay in Lockwood for a few weeks. I made that decision after speaking with Alfred. That old fox needs a vacation away from this house to properly rest so I will be taking him to my home when I leave after dinner,¡± said Rose.


    Alessandra was surprised to hear that Rose was not staying here. They certainly had enough space for her. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you staying with us?¡± She inquired.


    ¡°Alessandra, I may be old but there are some things I notice like a young couple not needing their elder around in the early weeks of their marriage. Edgar won¡¯t have to rush you upstairs to avoid me any longer. Then you would not have anything to apologize for,¡± Rose taunted Alessandra. She loved the red hue making a grand entrance on Alessandra¡¯s cheeks and how the poor young woman could not meet her eyes.


    Rose was curious how Alessandra was able to survive Edgar¡¯s antics but wouldn¡¯t dare ask it as Alessandra might die from the embarrassment.


    ¡°I am always happy to see Edgar treating you well. It means his heart was not as closed as I thought it to be. If he ever makes you cry be sure to send for me. I shalle to give him a good smack over the head. He needed quite a few of those when he was younger. I pray that your children will take after you. I love Edgar but there were times when I wished to strangle him,¡± Rose sighed.


    ¡°I understand the feeling,¡± Alessandra said as she had a few moments when she desired to wrap her hands around Edgar¡¯s neck and shake the life out of him because of his silly games. Then she remembered how much she loved him and the thoughts would go away until he teased her again. ¡°Though I hope they would gain Edgar¡¯s confidence. They need it for this town. That is if we stay here.¡±


    Rose perked up in her seat hearing this. ¡°Have the two of you discussed leaving Lockwood? It would be an excellent decision as couples tend to leave town when they start raising their children. This town is too chaotic. I¡¯ve stated that Edgar will be the one to inherit my home when I pass so you can consider that to be the ce to settle down. You can change it to your liking. My house has been the cause of many conflicts these days.¡±


    ¡°Is it because Daniel and his wife wish to have it?¡± Alessandra asked, remembering how much Daniel desired to have it instead of Edgar.


    .....


    Rose nodded her head. ¡°He has wanted it for as long as I can remember but from the moment Edgar was born I announced all that I have will go to him and his offspring. It¡¯s also what his grandfather wanted. Edmund will have a few things of course but most to Edgar. I thought it would motivate Edgar to have children but he was never greedy and was satisfied with receiving the home you two have now.¡±


    Edgar¡¯s drive to work hard and invest the money he inherited at a young age to create a source of ie for himself made Rose proud. There was so much left for him to inherit but Edgar had done well for himself at his young age to survive on what he had now.


    He was not like the others who spent what they inherited trying to keep up appearances and now they were buzzing around her to see what scraps they could pick up when she passed.


    ¡°Do you n to invest in some of the businesses Edgar has? I did it with my husband in case he lost his mind and tried to divorce me. This way every five gold coins his business made, I made one along with him. It is nice to have our own extra money outside of what our husbands give us,¡± Rose said with a wink.


    ¡°I-um,¡± Alessandra cleared her throat. ¡°I do not know what businesses Edgar has and I have never taken a trip to see all thend in his name. It is something I n to do when winter passes.¡±


    Rose covered her face with her hand not understanding what the two were doing besides rolling around in bed. ¡°Goodness Alessandra, what on earth do you know about Edgar? I don¡¯t know much about the rtionship you two had before you got married but it is starting to feel like you met each other one night and got married the other.¡±


    ¡®We didn¡¯t get married the next day,¡¯ Alessandra mentally called out the one wrong assumption.


    ¡°You need to sit down with Edgar and have a conversation to learn more about him. Go on, I have no need to keep you here any longer,¡± Rose shooed her away.


    ¡°Thank you for the advice and for being willing to teach me your ways,¡± Alessandra thanked Rose as she stood. She took a lot from their conversation and would most definitely improve in theing days.


    Alessandra wanted to be the best Duchess she could be so she didn¡¯t take offense to Rose pulling her to the side to tell her what needed to be done. While Edgar dealt with their finances and made sure they did not have to worry about money in the future, she would deal with the household.


    Alessandra left Rose alone in the room and to her surprise when she exited the room, Edgar was waiting for her. ¡°Why are you here?¡± She asked.


    ¡°If I return to deal with my work, I would be busy and unable to help you put up the paintings so I chose to wait for you. You seem happy,¡± he noted from her bodynguage.


    ¡°Your grandmother will help me be a better Duchess. There is much I need to do in regard to the household and unfortunately, we will once again be hosting a party but not until your birthday has passed. That is my main focus at the moment. Edgar, do you think we know each other well enough? I do not know about your businesses,¡± Alessandra said since her mind lingered on it.


    ¡°So? If you wish to know, just simply ask and I can provide you with a list. I know enough about you to fall in love with you and we have a long road ahead of us to keep learning about each other. There are couples who have known each other longer than we have known each other before they got married but they still do not know simple things about each other. We are fine at our pace,¡± Edgar reassured her.


    ¡°I suppose you are right,¡± Alessandra replied, getting rid of her worries.


    While the Collins estate was full of pleasant conversations, on the other side of town a Baroness was about to be brought bad news from the court.

 Chapter 344 - 344 Crimes (1)

    344 Crimes (1)


    ¡°Mother, I need an idea for a gift to make it up to Simon for mentioning his parents. I should have asked around before I went to him about his parents. What if he finds it unpleasant that I did not know about his parents? I don¡¯t want to lose his favor,¡± Kate sighed, copsing on the couch her mother sat on.


    ¡°It was an honest mistake Kate but you can find a nice bottle of wine as an apology if you wish. I will have James send someone to get it for you,¡± Katrina replied.


    Kate turned to look at her mother. ¡°He is not just some random person. It must be an expensive bottle or he will take me for a joke. People were already talking about us having no money. I don¡¯t want him to think it is true.¡±


    ¡°I would only pick out the best bottle for him, Kate. Nothing less. Ignore what the people are saying, Kate. This house is blooming again. I think it is time we hold a party in your honor. We will redecorate and show that they are mistaken about our finances. You should have Simon by your side to make your peers jealous,¡± Katrina said, raking her fingers through Kate¡¯s beautiful hair.


    ¡°Mother, can I ask something without you getting angry or dismissing it?¡± Kate asked, gaining the courage to inquire what was on her mind thesest few days.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Well, when my father was alive I wished to deny it that we were in debt but then servants became few and took on odd jobs plus I had to stop going on shopping trips with my friends. After my father passed, I thought it wouldn¡¯t be better but you turned it around. I know you sold many of your father¡¯s belongings but I don¡¯t think it was enough. Aside from the money grandmother left, how did you do it?¡± Kate finally got to the point.


    Katrina knew that Kate would be curious about their life suddenly going back to normal but she had no ns of telling Kate how she came to save all of this money. It would require Kate to learn about her past but it wasn¡¯t a story Katrina nned to tell ever her daughter.


    ¡°Good mothers will always do what they need to so their child does not suffer. I have not done anything bad and that is all you need to know,¡± Katrina replied, choosing not to make up some story she would have to keep lying about.


    .....


    ¡°What is it that you cannot tell me-¡±


    ¡°Kate,¡± Katrina raised her voice. ¡°There are many things on my mind and thest thing I wish to be bothered by is you constantly asking about money. I did what your father could not when he was alive and I did it without needing any favors from anyone. That is all that matters. Let it end there.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Kate apologized for bringing it up. She tried her best not to show that she was hurt by how aggressive her mother was with her response. What was so bad about telling where the money came from? She was not foolish like others may think and picked up on the sudden burst of money.


    Katrina touched her head to calm a growing ache. ¡°Good, now it feels like I am the bad guy. I only wish for you to not worry about money Kate. I want you to focus on Simon. Nothing less, nothing more. I like seeing you enjoying yourself without worrying about whether there will be a roof over your head tomorrow. Let me be the only one thinking of it.¡±


    ¡°Baroness,¡± James appeared before the two with a grim expression.


    ¡°Who is at the door? Is it William?¡± Katrina asked, hoping that it wasn¡¯t him. She had not done anything to start getting Alessandra for William.


    ¡°No,¡± James shook his head. ¡°It is a man from the court and he does not seem happy.¡±


    Katrina didn¡¯t want it to be the court either. She had not found the things left for Alessandra by her mother and now she would have to pay up. She wished she could turn back time to stop Alessandra from meeting with Edgar so she would not be doing all of this. Money was slipping through her fingers because of Alessandra.


    ¡°There is no point in trying to avoid the court. Invite them in so I may get this over with,¡± said Katrina.


    James left the waiting room to bring the man to Katrina. He did tell Katrina that she was toox in handing over what else was meant to go to Alessandra. Katrina turned a blind eye to it but the court would not. She was even given a few days extra to gather everything for Alessandra but failed.


    James returned with Mark right behind him.


    ¡°Baroness and Kate,¡± Mark greeted the mother and daughter. In his hands were a few papers with bad news for the Baroness. ¡°I am sorry that my visit to your house was dyed as the court was quite busy thest few days and since this case is a bit problematic it is only me who can deal with it. I hope the extra days gave you enough time to get everything in order for the Duchess?¡±


    ¡°First, allow me to send my daughter away-¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Mark interrupted Katrina. ¡°There is a matter which your daughter will need to be present for.¡±


    Kate looked at her mother, deeply confused by why she would need to be present.


    ¡°We will get to that matter after you have confirmed you have everything remaining for the Duchess¡¯s inheritance. Do you?¡± Mark inquired but he had a feeling she did not have it.


    ¡°I was able to find a few of her mother¡¯s belongings but I do not have everything for Alessandra. It was either destroyed or my husband must have sold it. He is the one who dealt with his ex-wife¡¯s belongings,¡± Katrina lied as she was the one who personally dealt with removing everything which reminded her of that woman. ¡°I will pay instead.¡±


    ¡°I will remove what you were able to find from the list and the amount you will have to pay the court in a day¡¯s time will be sent tomorrow. Have your servants start packing up what is meant for the Duchess so that I can take it to the court to inspect and then it will be sent to the Duchess,¡± Mark exined.


    ¡°Do as he said,¡± Katrina instructed James.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s get to some other issues brought to the court¡¯s attention. Let us start off with what happened to Mnie Barrett.¡±

 Chapter 345 - 345 Crimes (2)

    345 Crimes (2)


    ¡°There is nothing I can tell you about Mnie besides the fact she is no longer a Barrett. The court granted my husband a divorce after she ran away leaving him to raise their child alone. It was not easy for Desmond,¡± Katrina replied.


    ¡°I was not in court during that time but I have learned the only reason the court dered Desmond as divorced was that he begged and eventually paid off someone. Mnie was never present as required for a divorce to be official. I am not fond of the mistakes the court made in the past. Do you know where she ran off to?¡± Mark asked, not fully believing Mnie ran away never to be heard from again.


    He had no idea what Mnie experienced during her few years with Desmond but to never return to check on her daughter was suspicious. Unless she didn¡¯t care for her daughter.


    ¡°I do not and neither did Desmond or he would have sent Alessandra to be with her mother. If you are trying to suggest Desmond or I did something to Mnie then I must say you are wrong. She packed what little she could and ran away in the middle of the night. That is what I was told by Desmond. A servant woke him in the middle of the night and said she was leaving with a bag,¡± Katrina recalled all that she knew.


    Katrina didn¡¯t have to get rid of Mnie because the woman ran away around the time Katrina set her eyes on Desmond. She doubted Desmond had anything to do with Mnie¡¯s disappearance. If anything, she always believed Mnie¡¯s family knew where she ran off to.


    ¡°The court has been trying to locate her to inform her of what happened to the inheritance. It is suspicious and we are looking into what happened to her. We ask for your cooperation and a list of servants who worked here around that time. Secondly, we are nning to open a case for what happened to the Duchess¡¯s face. Do you know what is hidden under her mask?¡± Mark asked, not missing the way Kate became ufortable.


    ¡°Alessandra had an ident when she was younger and chose to wear a mask to cover it. It is something she is insecure about. This is not a matter the court should waste its time on. My husband dealt with the ident when it happened. Children run around and get hurt all the time,¡± Katrina quickly answered before Kate could act suspicious.


    ¡°I find that many of your answers point to your husband. Children do get hurt but what kind of ident was this that she hide half of her face? Since you and your husband messed with her inheritance we must investigate mistreatment toward the Duchess and once again, we will need you to be honest. Keep in mind that I will make note of everything you said today and if a lie is found, you can be locked away,¡± said Mark.


    Katrina was not worried since there was nothing anyone could prove about what happened to Alessandra. Alessandra could say that Kate attacked her but it happened so many years ago so there was no proof to point at Kate.


    .....


    ¡°Lastly, there is a matter concerning yourte husband. There has always been an investigation on Desmond Barrett and with the information provided to us by the Duke and other sources, there is a high possibility yourte husband will be stripped of his title,¡± Mark said, holding out three papers for her to take a look at.


    Katrina was stunned to hear that Desmond could lose his title as Baron. She snatched the papers out of Mark¡¯s hands to read. ¡°You cannot do this. He was given this title by the previous king for all his efforts,¡± she argued.


    ¡°He was but given the crimes your husband hasmitted he has disgraced himself and the title bestowed upon him. These crimes cannot be forgiven and as more informationes in, he is likely to lose his title and so will you. I suggest you take a good look at his crimes to see why his title will be stripped. It is not something that happens often but your husband got himself wrapped up in schemes that endangered many of the people in the kingdom,¡± said Mark, disappointed in the man Desmond became.


    It was a shame to see Desmond Barrett, who was once respected in his youth, have such a big fall from grace.


    ¡°Mother,¡± Kate tugged on her mother¡¯s arm. She would never be able to show her face any time soon if her father would lose his title. The only thing that could save her would be for her to marry Simon soon so she would be Marchioness. No one could ridicule her with the new title.


    ¡°Edgar Collins is the same man who killed my husband because his union with Alessandra was not approved of. There is no doubt in my mind he has framed my husband. Desmond would never do any of these crimes,¡± Katrina threw the papers back at Mark.


    Mark licked his lips, looking at the papers falling to the floor. Luckily he had a lot of patience when it came to women. ¡°I know there is a difficult rtionship between yourte husband and Edgar but it is not only the Duke who hase forward with information about your husband. We have caught other men who engaged in disgusting business practices pertaining to girls far less younger than your daughter.¡±


    ¡°So, you wille after my husband but not get rid of the red light district where girls sell their bodies daily? You only care to punish my husband because you dislike him. The Duke is no saint and has done things worth being stripped of his title,¡± Katrina argued, her voice rising with each word she spoke.


    Contrary to what Katrina thought, Mark was simply doing his job. If she could provide evidence of Edgar¡¯s crimes, he would do everything in his power to make Edgar pay. Desmond¡¯s punishment had nothing to do with what Mark thought of the man. Desmond just had too much evidence highlighting his crimes.


    Mark knew some of the things Edgar did but there was never a trial to show others to arrest Edgar and quite frankly, Edgar got rid of people Mark thought the kingdom would be better off without. People the guards often times let get away and his peers were paid off to ignore.


    ¡°First of all, the red light district is a tricky business and the court has announced our ns to get rid of it. We can not do anything about women who wish to sell their bodies-¡±


    ¡°What about the children!¡± Katrina yelled, grabbing a handful of her dress as she was reminded of her past. ¡°You do nothing for the children.¡±


    ¡°There is aw that no child cany with any of the customers. They should only work to help clean the establishment. Their parents have signed away their children to those ces with contracts we cannot easily break. Your husband got involved in a business that snatched young girls from their homes and sent them to sleep with men who could be their fathers. That we can get him for,¡± Mark rified the difference.


    He had a good judge of her character now that she was defending her husband¡¯s crimes and pointing fingers at Edgar.


    ¡°That is only one of the despicable businesses he got involved in to keep himself out of debt. You will be called to the pce the day the decision is made when you will lose your title,¡± Mark said with great certainty she would no longer be a Baroness. ¡°Thend will be taken back but you will be able to keep the house. It is unfortunate you did not have a son to pass the title to him instead so you have a chance of fixing your ruined name.¡±


    Mark¡¯s words only pushed Katrina¡¯s n that she should im to be pregnant to solve many of her problems. She opted not to blurt out that she was pregnant now as it would be suspicious. First, she would sleep with James again tonight and not make any attempts to get rid of a child, and then at the right moment, she would announce it.


    There was no way she would lose her title.

 Chapter 346 - 354 Chs

    354 Chs


    ADD


    346 [Bonus chapter] Punish her (1)


    Two dayster, Alessandra sat with Sally trying to n out how she would take charge of Edgar¡¯s birthday which was now only one day away. She wanted him to enjoy his birthday from the moment he opened his eyes till the day was officially over at midnight.


    ¡°I have finished wrapping the painting. I am sure the Duke will love it though I am surprised you didn¡¯t paint one of yourself. He would love it if you did one that was tempting,¡± Sally said, alluding that it should be brazen.


    Alessandra informed Sally of her ns to seduce Edgar,pletely leaving out the whips, chains, and more. There was no other woman to talk to besides Sally and though Sally was not in a rtionship and never slept with anyone as she was told, Alessandra still valued what Sally had to say.


    ¡°It would be hard for me to paint myself that way. I would have to sit in front of a mirror to get the angles right and I truly would not like to have such a picture of myself hung up anywhere in the house,¡± Alessandra replied, cringing at the image of it in her head.


    ¡°As if the Duke would hang it up for anyone else to see. You said you wanted gifts that would surprise him and a painting of yourself would definitely surprise him. You have today and all of tomorrow to get it done. Unless you wish to sit naked in your private room while holding only a brush and paint in your hands. You¡¯ll tell him to paint your body as he-¡±


    ¡°Uhm Sally,¡± Alessandra interjected before the fantasy could go into more detail.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Sally scratched the back of her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know where that came from but it is a good idea, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    With what would follow if she were to do Sally¡¯s idea for Edgar, there were ces Alessandra did not want to get paint in. The paint would also make things messy and Alfred might faint if he saw the aftermath. ¡°I think it is best if I stop at giving him a painting of myself.¡±


    ¡°What about making him breakfast? All of the servants have started to pack for the vacation the Duke is giving us but I heard the cook will be here in the evening to prepare dinner. You can help with breakfast or better yet you can bake him a cake,¡± Sally suggested.


    .....


    ¡°I have never baked before let alone cook even if it was just an egg,¡± Alessandra replied, not having any faith in her skills.


    ¡°That is why it will be special in your husband¡¯s eyes. It is better we stick to baking for now instead of making breakfast. We can get the cook to help us now that he will not be so busy,¡± Sally stood up. ¡°We have enough time to practice making a good cake and with your art skills, it will be decorated well.¡±


    ¡°It couldn¡¯t hurt to try. While Edgar is busy in his study we can start practicing. It is a wonderful idea,¡± Alessandra said, getting up from her chair to follow Sally. She hoped the cake coulde out nice and Edgar would enjoy it even though he was not a fan of cake. She would eat what he would not want.


    Alessandra and Sally left the room allocated for her to paint in and it wasn¡¯t long before they stumbled into Rose who visited with Alfred just in time for breakfast a while ago.


    ¡°Where are you in a rush dear? Making ns for Edgar¡¯s birthday?¡± Rose asked.


    ¡°I want to try baking a cake for him. You can go ahead to the kitchen without me, Sally. I will be there shortly,¡± Alessandra said as she wished to speak with Rose about what Rose wanted to do to celebrate Edgar¡¯s birthday the day after. ¡°Have you finished thinking of how you n to celebrate his birthday?¡±


    ¡°I was thinking of dinner the day after his birthday with a few rtives and his close friends. I have yet to visit my son to hear what he has nned for Edgar¡¯s birthday but I doubt Edgar will want anything from his parents,¡± Rose replied, certain Edgar would walk away from her if she mentioned his parents.


    Alessandra was certain he did not want anything from his parents. ¡°After what his mother did to Alfred, there is no-¡±


    ¡°What did you just say?¡± Rose asked, tilting her head with confusion stered on her face. Her eyebrows knitted as she tried to process who the culprit was all along. ¡°Is it Prisci who harmed Alfred? Are you certain of it?¡±


    Alessandra was just as confused as Rose was but for a different reason. ¡°Didn¡¯t Edgar or Alfred tell you? Was I not supposed to?¡± She whispered. For as long as Rose had been in Lockwood, Alessandra thought she was aware of Prisci¡¯s involvement in what happened to Alfred and Timothy. Edgar did not tell her Rose was not supposed to know.


    ¡°It is no wonder why the two of them have been so secretive. I am going to pay that woman a visit,¡± Rose started walking to the front door to head for Edmund¡¯s home.


    Alessandra didn¡¯t know much about what Edgar was doing with his mother but she came to learn Prisci was not in her home. Prisci was here all along. ¡°Rose, you should speak with Edgar before you leave. He will tell you everything,¡± Alessandra said, walking ahead of Rose to block her path. ¡°Edgar is already dealing with his mother.¡±


    ¡°The least he could have done was tell me that his mother was behind what happened with Alfred. That wench!¡± Rose spat, beyond frustrated with Prisci. She moved to the side to go around Alessandra to get to Prisci. ¡°Alfred has done the family a favor that I can never repay for staying beside Edgar for so long. I knew she harbored some hatred and jealousy toward Alfred but never did I think she would harm him.¡±


    Alessandra hurried behind Rose to stop her from going to look for someone who was already there. ¡°Edgar is taking care of it-¡±


    ¡°Unless his mother is dead Edgar has not taken care of the matter. Do not stand in my way, child. You have no idea the things I have let slide when ites to Prisci. I had my own faults and had nannies raise Edmund when I was busy but I could never bring myself to harm any of them. Had Alfred not known how to protect himself, he would have died. Prisci does not deserve any grace just because she is Edgar¡¯s mother,¡± Rose said, bing more frustrated by the second with Alessandra blocking her.


    ¡°I understand your anger but you must speak with Edgar about his mother. She is here,¡± Alessandra revealed as thest resort to stop Rose from leaving.

 Chapter 347 - 347 [Bonus chapter] Punish her (2)

    347 [Bonus chapter] Punish her (2)


    ¡°When do you n to storm his house? I have a skilled group of men picked out for the job.¡±


    Edgar looked over theyout of William¡¯s ns he was able to get from a prisoner who once frequented William¡¯s house. He fulfilled the prisoner¡¯s wish to let him meet with his son who was now of age to get married before taking him back to the pce dungeon. He learned of how much William¡¯s house was like a maze to hide his secrets from those who weren¡¯t supposed to see what he kept inside.


    Edgar had not for even a second forgotten about his n to get rid of William once and for all. It took careful nning for how they would get in and out of William¡¯s house without anyone on the outside seeing what was happening. Then they needed to find William before he could escape. He learned of secret doors all throughout Williams¡¯s home and it was those secret doors he would use to get inside.


    ¡°We could strike him the moment he returns,¡± Caleb suggested, preferring to get William when he was out of his home.


    ¡°We cannot predict when he will return to town and the roads will be full of witnesses. That is why he has been spending so much time looking at theyout of Williams¡¯s house you fool,¡± Reed insulted his brother.


    ¡°It was merely a suggestion,¡± Caleb retorted, reaching over to the chair beside him to smack his brother on the arm.


    Reed didn¡¯t like the sudden act of violence toward him and smacked Caleb back on his arm. ¡°You should be nice to me before I tell mother about your fake engagement. She has been dying to get a visit from me and there is so much I am dying to tell her.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare you bastard,¡± Caleb muttered in a threatening tone.


    Edgar gripped the paper in his hands, fed up with the two of them. How their mother managed to raise the two of them without killing one by now was beyond him. He had to reconsider if he and Alessandra honestly needed children. He couldn¡¯t take the noise in his ears.


    .....


    ¡°Who will stop me if I want to tell her-¡±


    ¡°I will cut out your tongues so neither of you will speak from this moment on,¡± Edgar ended the bickering.


    ¡°You know when you have children you cannot silence them with acts of violence,¡± Caleb said, pushing his chair back so Edgar would not be able to reach him.


    ¡°You are not my child which makes it easy for me to use violence to shut you up. If you wish to stay then shut the hell up or look for someone else to bother with your constant bickering. I am once again reminded why being an only child was such a blessing,¡± Edgar muttered, putting his attention back to William¡¯s home.


    ¡°Who else am I to bother if not your wife? I overheard your wife wanting to n something for your birthday-¡±


    ¡°What is it? No no,¡± Edgar stopped Caleb before the surprise could be ruined. ¡°Do not tell me what it is.¡±


    ¡°How does it feel to be almost twenty-four? You have finally grown up. Married and most likely will have children soon. What is next? Will you put down your sword and live a quiet life? Perhaps move to the countryside like all the other couples-Woo!¡± Caleb dodged the book Edgar threw. ¡°And with that, I will shut up. I hope you do not have any children who love to speak a lot.¡±


    ¡°I hope you do not have any at all,¡± Edgar retorted.


    Reed opened his mouth to give a pettyment but was interrupted by a series of loud knocks on Edgar¡¯s door.


    ¡°It is my grandmother,¡± Edgar said, leaning back in his chair. He could hear the faint sound of her yelling. After spending a lot of time doing mischievous things around her, he knew when she was yelling at him even from far away. A little gift he picked up over the years. ¡°The two of you can leave now. I have a feeling she found out about my mother.¡±


    It was the only thing Edgar could think of that would have her yelling for him.


    Not wanting to be present when Rose was angry, Reed and Caleb did not have to be told twice about leaving.


    Edgar on the other hand remained calm. His grandmother was scary when she was angry but he was not one to tremble before her.


    ¡°Edgar, how could you hide from me that it was your mother who tried to have Alfred killed?¡± Rose asked as soon as she stepped foot into the room. She didn¡¯t care who was present to see her anger.


    ¡°Simple, I kept my mouth shut because I know how you would react. Alessandra,¡± Edgar looked past Rose to his wife with a guilty expression. ¡°I am guessing you told her. Do not look sorry since she was bound to find out at some point. Leave us be.¡±


    Edgar did not want her to witness how the conversation might turn. He considered killing his mother but Rose would be adamant about her dying.


    Alessandra was reluctant to leave but she did not want to get in the middle of Rose and Edgar. Hopefully, they would be able to talk about this with just the two of them alone. Alessandra walked out of the room, closing the door behind her to give them privacy.


    ¡°I am not going to kill her,¡± Edgar said the moment the door closed. ¡°My decision is not changing.¡±


    Rose was puzzled by why Edgar was letting his mother get away with such a crime. ¡°Have you forgotten she almost killed Alfred? The man who raised you? The man who shares no blood with you but he would stick his neck on the line for you. She tried to kill him!¡±


    ¡°I am aware of that. If Alfred had been killed, there is no question I would have killed my mother. I assure you she is getting what she deserves. I am not like my father to let her off the hook so easily. My mother will not be an issue when I am finished with her-¡±


    ¡°There would not be an issue with her if you kill her. Punish her more than whatever it is you are doing, Edgar. I am not satisfied with this and I am a bit disappointed that you have not ended her for what she has done,¡± Rose said, shaking her head at Edgar.


    ¡°The two of you have your problems and I have my own. I wanted to kill her but quite frankly it was Alfred¡¯s decision for he wanted to be done to the person who tried to kill him and you already know he truly does not want her to die. I have severed ties with her and will no longer refer to her as my mother. I am punishing her in a ce she never thought she would step foot in. Her saving grace is the fact that Alfred is alive. She is getting a well-deserved punishment but I will not kill her.¡±


    ¡°You,¡± Rose realized something. ¡°Do you care for her? After everything she has done, do you care for her? I know you well, Edgar. You would kill her behind Alfred¡¯s back. Have you left her alive because you are unable to kill her?¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t any child find it hard to kill their mother? I am stuck in a hard ce and you are not making it better but that is not why I have left her alive. I will deal with her my way and there is nothing you can say to convince me otherwise. I hope this does not create tension between us. My birthday is almost here after all,¡± Edgar said,


    Rose wasn¡¯t pleased with how he was dealing with his mother but there was nothing more she could do. ¡°Fine but I want to pay her a visit right now. Let me see how she is being punished.¡±

 Chapter 348 - 348 [Bonus chapter] Punish her (3)

    348 [Bonus chapter] Punish her (3)


    ¡°There is nothing for you to say to her and you won¡¯t get the satisfaction you desire from seeing her in my dungeon. Continue as you were with taking care of Alfred and forget that she is here. Nothing wille of you speaking with her,¡± Edgar added when Rose opened her mouth to disagree with him.


    He wasn¡¯t able to get a word out of his mother so with the bad blood Prisci and Rose had, there wasn¡¯t a response Rose would get from Prisci. It was like talking to a wall at this point.


    ¡°I want to see with my own eyes the state she is in,¡± said Rose, not changing her mind.


    ¡°Grandmother, there is no hope for me to have a better rtionship with my mother after this but if you wish to have a rtionship with your son who cares for his wife, you should not visit her,¡± Edgar offered a bit of advice in effort for his father and grandmother to not have a strained rtionship.


    ¡°It is about time your father and mother separated but your father has been holding on. It is not like he loved her in the first ce-¡±


    ¡°He was forced into a marriage he wanted no part of just like my mother was trying to do with me. My mother has her ws but it was wrong of you to chastise her when my father had another woman during the early years of their marriage. She did not deserve any insults. My father did. I will never forgive his affairs even though he was pushed to be with my mother and could not let the other woman go,¡± Edgar said, as his father¡¯s affair was part of why they did not get along.


    It was the one thing he sympathized with his mother on. He witnessed the few times it was tossed back into her face to ridicule her when she did not deserve it.


    ¡°You know that I was not the one who wanted Edmund to marry Prisci. It was your grandfather because of a deal he had with an old friend. I did Prisci a favor by helping to get rid of that woman and even before the wedding, I asked if she wanted to get out of it. In return for my efforts, she called me a fool. I no longer try to understand her and I do not care if your father will never speak with me again. Let me see her,¡± Rose said in a demanding tone.


    Rose continued to say, ¡°It is your mother who wronged you. Aren¡¯t you afraid your father will not speak to you after this? I know the two of you have been trying to fix your rtionship.¡±


    .....


    ¡°I hope that he distances himself from me and leaves town with my mother. I won¡¯t convince you to stay away from her any longer but I am not going to visit her with you. I am looking forward to my birthday and I do not need my mood soured by seeing the two of you arguing. I need to get back to work if you do not mind,¡± Edgar patted the papers on his desk to show that he was busy.


    ¡°Suit yourself. I will have a word with your mother alone. I cannot make any promises that I will not try reaching through the cell to strangle her. You are not the only one who cares for Alfred,¡± Rose said to remind Edgar that she also formed a bond with Alfred over the years.


    Rose allowed Alfred to get closer to her than any of her rtives could, whether it be from her side of the family or from her husband¡¯s side. She did not care if Edmund would get angry with her for getting involved in the matter. He should keep quiet and look back on his actions as he did not get involved to stop Prisci¡¯s bad actions he knew about.


    Rose left Edgar alone and went down to the dungeon she had only visited once before this house was given to Edgar. When she reached the dungeon, there was a guard blocking the door but he stepped to the side to let her pass. The guard knew she would not have made it this far unless Edgar wanted her to.


    Rose covered her nose when she walked into the dungeon and got a whiff of the aftermath of whoever was tortured there or was still here. She had just arrived but wanted to turn back because of the pungent scent. Prisci, who was born with a silver spoon in her mouth, would not be doing well here.


    Rose followed the noise of something shuffling around in what sounded to be wood, figuring it might be Prisci, while the guard walked around lighting up thenterns to give the dungeon some light. To her surprise, Prisci was curled up in one of the cells, hugging her legs.


    ¡°Of course, he would send you here to see me in this state. I guess it is better than speaking with Edgar. Where is your son?¡± Prisci asked, desperately wanting to know what Edmund was doing to get her out of there.


    ¡°I have not spoken to my son but I know if he wanted you out of here, he would have made a move to get you out. Edgar might be a Duke but Edmund has enough resources to save you. What is this?¡± Rose kicked the box where the noise wasing from.


    Prisci covered her ears to block out the noise from the rats running around in the box. She didn¡¯t understand how there were still some alive after days passed without being fed unless they were eating each other now.


    ¡°Rats? I see why he thinks this is a good punishment for you. I wanted to kill you instead,¡± said Rose.


    Prisci already knew that Rose would want her dead. Rose was always waiting for the moment she would mess up. Prisci had nothing more to say to Rose. Rose could take the satisfaction of seeing her like this and then leave.


    ¡°Why? I could understand if you wanted to kill me, Edmund, the woman he had in the early years, or a few of your peers but not Alfred. He raised your son in your ce. Loved Edgar like his own from the moment he started to work for you. How could you be so evil to try taking that away from him? This is not enough,¡± Rose confirmed now that she looked at Prisci.


    Prisci¡¯s current state was terrible but it wasn¡¯t enough to calm Rose¡¯s anger. Prisci should pay with her life for Alfred¡¯s injuries and Timothy¡¯s death.


    ¡°A family is mourning their son who died all because of your jealousy toward the man who raised your son. I will not be as kind as Edgar is to you now. If you so much as whisper Edgar or Alfred¡¯s name, I will see to it that your head is sent to your father¡¯s home. When you get out of here, live quietly or die,¡± Rose kicked the box with the rats, somewhat satisfied with how Prisci flinched and covered her ears.

 Chapter 349 - 349 Punish her (4)

    349 Punish her (4)


    ¡°Why are the three of you in the kitchen?¡± Edgar asked, leaning against the kitchen while he watched Alessandra, Sally, and for some reason Caleb, run around in the kitchen covered in flour. It was thest ce he expected to find the three of them when he was looking for Alessandra.


    ¡°Hi. You weren¡¯t supposed toe looking for us,¡± Alessandra said, hiding her hands covered with flour behind her back. ¡°This was meant to be a secret.¡±


    ¡°It has gottente. If you didn¡¯t want me toe looking for you, you should have sent a maid to notify me. I hope you did not make something sweet for my birthday. I am not a fan of them,¡± Edgar said, leaving the doorpost.


    ¡°We¡¯re trying to do something nice for you, you bastard,¡± Caleb muttered though his cake wasn¡¯t meant for Edgar. He nned to give it to Sally¡¯s mother.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you to make anything for me, Caleb. Are you using my birthday as an excuse for you to eat cake?¡± Edgar asked, having a feeling she was just interested in having cake for herself. ¡°I recall you using me to have two slices of cake in my grandmother¡¯s home.¡±


    ¡°No, I made it thinking only of you eating it. I hope this one will be better than the others,¡± Alessandra said, ncing at the previous ones stacked up in the corner of the kitchen. They were alright but not what she wanted to give Edgar. ¡°Turns out it is more than just following a recipe.¡±


    ¡°This should be yourst attempt before you identally set the kitchen on fire. Where is the cook? Did he see what the three of you were doing and run off?¡± Edgar questioned, looking around for the man of the hour who never allowed too many people in his kitchen.


    ¡°He left us after we promised we would be good alone. We have to be out of the kitchen in time for him to start making dinner. You should try my cake first,¡± said Caleb. He began to cut a slice from his cake that had cooled off already. He didn¡¯t want to brag but he had certainly done the best out of the three.


    Alessandra went to the oven to get her cake which was thest to finish. She marveled at the sight of the golden brown color on top and had a feeling this would be the perfect practice cake.


    .....


    She ignored the ruckus of Edgar turning down Caleb¡¯s slice of cake and the insults which followed.


    Sally was in the corner trying to hide her burnt mess from the group. Now she regretted suggesting they bake a cake since she was failing. Just like Alessandra, she had never baked a day in her life. Sally couldn¡¯t understand if she had used almost the same measurement as Alessandra and Caleb and if she was taking out her cake before theirs, how her cakes came out burnt.


    ¡®What kind of foul magic is this?¡¯ Sally wondered. She was hoping to take home a couple of pieces for her parents but now she could not. ¡®Did I put it too close to the fire?¡¯


    ¡°Can I try a piece of your cake?¡± Sally felt Caleb¡¯s warm breath against the tip of her ear. She squirmed, moving to the side to get away from him whilst covering her cake to hide her failure. ¡°You¡¯ve baked your own cake. Why do you need to have a piece of mine?¡±


    Caleb was able to get a glimpse of Sally¡¯s cake and said, ¡°I¡¯ll hire a cook first thing in the morning.¡±


    Meanwhile, Edgar came to Alessandra¡¯s side to have a piece of her cake. It was better looking than he would have expected from someone who had never baked before but the taste was what mattered.


    ¡°It is hot,¡± Alessandra touched his hand to prevent him from cutting into the cake so soon.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind. I need to go back upstairs so I cannot wait for it to cool,¡± Edgar replied, continuing to cut into the cake. He used a fork to break off a piece of the slice he cut away from the steaming cake and ced it in his mouth.


    Alessandra anticipated his reaction but she was a bit nervous about how he eyed the cake.


    ¡°See, I learned something new about you today. There was no need for you to worry about us not knowing enough about each other,¡± he smiled, putting the fork down beside the te. Edgar tapped her hand when she tried to take up the fork to taste her cake. ¡°I learned that you cannot bake and you mustn¡¯t eat that,¡± he pointed at what she called a cake.


    Edgar wanted to spit it out but he was trying not to hurt her feelings. He closed his eyes as he chewed, trying to picture it was something else in his mouth that was delicious and not full of flour.


    Alessandra didn¡¯t understand how it could be so bad that he did not want to chew it. ¡°You must be exaggerating. I followed the recipe the cook gave me. Let me have a bite.¡±


    Edgar picked up the entire cake to put it out of reach from her. ¡°It has too much flour. That is all I can taste,¡± he stated the problem. ¡°The two of us shouldn¡¯t have to suffer eating it. It was a nice attempt so don¡¯t look so sad. I can¡¯t bake either.¡±


    ¡°It was too runny so I added more flour. I should have just left it. I will make another one tomorrow,¡± Alessandra said, not giving up. With a little more practice she could make one that would be perfect. ¡°Maybe I should try cookies too and you can join me.¡±


    Caleb looked at the married couple after the mention of Edgar helping to make cookies. It was a sight he could not picture.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Edgar put the cake back down. ¡°I advise you to keep the cook in the kitchen next time you want to practice baking but I appreciate the attempt to do something nice for me. Have you seen my grandmother?¡±


    ¡°Not after I left the two of you alone. You didn¡¯t tell me she wasn¡¯t supposed to know about your mother,¡± Alessandra replied.


    ¡°She was going to find out at some point. I was only hoping she would find out after my birthday when she would start throwing out questions about what my parents have given me. She must have left after visiting the dungeon so I will assume her conversation didn¡¯t go as she expected. I warned her it wouldn¡¯t,¡± Edgar said.


    ¡°I can hardly wait for this house to be empty and we don¡¯t have to think about anyone else but each other. Perhaps I would have a better interest in the cake if it was sitting on top of you while you were dressed in nothing but-¡±


    Alessandra covered Edgar¡¯s mouth before he could say anymore in front of Caleb and Sally who could certainly hear him. ¡°Please leave or I will change my mind about your birthday. You!¡± She gasped when his tongue licked the palm of her hand. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t there be a change to your teasing ways now that you will be a year older?¡±


    Edgar removed her hand from his mouth. ¡°And miss your reactions? Never.¡±

 Chapter 350 - 350 Pain and pleasure (1)

    350 Pain and pleasure (1)


    The long-awaited day finally came. Well, the long-awaited day for Edgar finally came. Never before had Edgar ever been so excited to celebrate turning one year older. Normally he was not looking forward to traveling out of town to see his grandmother and rtives who gathered not to celebrate him but to ask him for something.


    The servants left in the early hours of the morning, all excited to have a day off of work and even better, spend it at a house Edgar provided for them.


    Alessandra was the first to wake up which was not usual considering it was always Edgar who would wake up first but she made sure to go to bed early the previous day so she would be awake before Edgar.


    It was a struggle for her to get out of his grip on her like someone would steal her away in the middle of the night if he did not hold her so tightly. Alessandra had a feeling he had woken up in the midst of her fighting to get out of his hold but he pretended to be asleep to let her do as she was nning.


    Once she was finally free, Alessandra took a bath and got dressed before going downstairs to double-check there was no one there but her and Edgar. Not even the kittens who were meant to be taken care of by Sally. It came as no surprise to her that the servants left a couple of gifts for Edgar in the dining room. No matter what anyone said about Edgar, he did take care of those who were loyal to him and they repaid his kindness.


    ¡°It is time to start his day,¡± Alessandra said, personally taking the tray of breakfast the cook left for her and Edgar back up to their bedroom. She intended for Edgar to have a good birthday from beginning to end which was why the guards on the outside were not to allow any guests no matter who it was.


    It could be Tobias in desperate need of Edgar¡¯s help but Alessandra would not let him inside. That was how hellbent she was on only the two of them being together and enjoying the day without any outside drama.


    When Alessandra returned to their bedroom, she found the bed empty and thought Edgar had gone looking for her but then she heard water sshing against the floor in the bathroom.


    Alessandra ced the tray of food down on the table but took a small cake with her to the bathroom. By now, she wasn¡¯t embarrassed to walk in on Edgar while he was bathing. ¡°I knew you were awake when I was trying to leave the bed. Couldn¡¯t you have loosened your grip to help me?¡± She asked.


    .....


    Edgar sat with his arms spread across the tub and his hair pushed back, water dripping down his face to the smug smile on his lips. ¡°Why ruin the bit of entertainment I had first thing in the morning? Is this a product of you trying to bake?¡± He eyed the cake in her hand.


    ¡°No, I had the cook bake me a small cake. My efforts were all in vain because I could not make a good cake for you in time but at least there is one for you to enjoy. I haven¡¯t lit the candle. One moment-¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Edgar stopped her from leaving the bathroom. ¡°Bring it here just as it is.¡±


    Alessandra thought it would be more enjoyable if the candle was lit but she listened to Edgar and went to the edge of the tub to sit down. ¡°Happy Birthday, Edgar.¡±


    Alessandra held out the cake for him to try and said, ¡°I told the cook not to make it too sweet for you to enjoy. How does it feel to be twenty-four?¡±


    ¡°The same as it felt to be twenty-three,¡± Edgar replied, taking the cake from her. He always found that question to be foolish as nothing about his life would change in one day. ¡°Well, unlike when I turned twenty-three, I now have a beautiful wife and I don¡¯t need to go through the you are getting older, you need a family conversation. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°How is it?¡± Alessandra asked after he took his first bite. Edgar had a much better reactionpared to when he took a bite of her cake.


    ¡°It is delicious but it would be better if you get in the tub with me,¡± Edgar replied. He was not joking about being with her intimately for the entire day.


    ¡°You said you were crossing off the bathroom,¡± Alessandra replied, but her actions did not match her words. She began to untie the string of her dress so she could get into the water with him. ¡°There are many gifts you should open first. I have gifts I want to see you open.¡±


    Edgar leaned over the side of the tub to ce the te of cake on the floor. ¡°There are some things I lie about,¡± he said, referring to the bathroom being crossed off. ¡°I will take a look at them when we make our way downstairs. I¡¯m sure you have checked there is no one here so we can do as we want?¡±


    Alessandra nodded her head as her dress dropped to the floor and all that remained was her bodice. She was against what Edgar had in mind at first but now that the day finally came, there was a great amount of excitement inside of her as she looked forward to the new things they would try today. Perhaps it wasn¡¯t just Edgar who became a horny beast after their first time.


    Edgar, on the other hand, enjoyed how easy it was for her to get undressed before him. She was bold when she didn¡¯t overthink it too much.


    Out of herst piece of clothing, Alessandra stepped into the tub of warm water and soap with Edgar. ¡°You will owe me something because I am doing this when it was meant to be crossed off.¡±


    Edgar pulled Alessandra closer to him, mindful not to squeeze an important part of him while doing so. He snaked his arms around her waist to keep her just where he wanted her. With her legs spread on both sides of him and her breast in perfect view.


    Weekster from when she first arrived, it was evident that she had gained weight after they focused on bringing her to a healthy weight. Parts of her that he liked had be fuller for him to grab a handful of like her thighs and dear he say it, her breasts seemed to be a bit bigger. He should know after spending a good amount of time feeling and staring at the two wonderful things.


    ¡°Why are you just staring at me?¡± Alessandra whispered, breaking the silence which had fallen over them. Edgar just sat staring at her when she expected he would have jumped straight to making love as he said in the previous days.


    ¡°Admiring your changes. Both your confidence and appearance. It is good to see you are eager to get started with my birthday gift. I¡¯ll need you to keep that eagerness and energy while I thoroughly enjoy all of you today,¡± Edgar said, gripping her thighs to lift her up so he could have a better angle to prate her.

 Chapter 351 - 351 Pain and pleasure (2)

    351 Pain and pleasure (2)


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to-¡± Alessandra bit her lip, groaning from the sudden intrusion of Edgar¡¯s length inside of her. How eager he must be if he wasn¡¯t going to prepare her slowly for what was toe.


    Alessandra rested her head against his shoulder de while he continued to push himself inside of her. With this position, Alessandra felt like all the air was knocked out of her body as she felt the entirety of Edgar¡¯s length.


    Edgar ced a hand on her bare back, waiting for her to get ustomed to it or settle what she was feeling from them being connected. He didn¡¯t mind her hardened buds, thanks to the cold air from the opened window, pressing against his chest.


    ¡°You, you just woke up. How could you be so ready for this?¡± Alessandra mumbled against his skin.


    ¡°Just woke up? I try to wake up before you so I can get a glimpse of you sleeping so peacefully in my arms. This morning it was torture to watch you sleep while I awaited what you have nned for today-¡±


    ¡°You were awake that long?¡± Alessandra lunged back, identally pushing herself further down the rest of Edgar¡¯s length.


    Edgar hissed, leaning his head back before looking up at Alessandra. Both of his hands went back to holding her waist so she could not catch him off guard again. ¡°Yes, I was awake that long. It is the day I have been waiting for. Now, must I take control or will you?¡±


    Alessandra subconsciously licked her lips. Thest time they were here when Rose arrived, it was Edgar who took control. Using all the confidence she prepared for this day Alessandra replied, ¡°Since it is your day, I will take control.¡±


    Edgar relished this moment with her not shying away from what he was expecting. He released her waist, once again spreading his arms along the edge of the tub so he had the perfect view of her exposed chest, her face, a view of where they were connected, and her semi-wet hair which started to glue to her body.


    .....


    He was quickly reminded of the stories from the men at sea who spoke tales of beautiful women who live in the water and would seduce men. If these tales were true, Edgar believed Alessandra must secretly be one of those women.


    ¡°You must tell me if I am not doing to your liking,¡± Alessandra said, cing her hands on Edgar¡¯s shoulder as she lifted her body, already light-headed from the pleasure of him slowly sliding out of her.


    ¡°It is already far beyond my liking,¡± Edgar replied honestly. Just touching her was more than enough. ¡°I¡¯ve said how you torture me so have a bit more confidence in what you do. Fuck,¡± he cursed from the impact of her going back down his length faster than she lifted herself.


    That water in the tub rose and went over the sides, sshing onto the floor because of her movement.


    Alessandra continued to lift and push herself back down Edgar¡¯s lengths, using him as she liked for her pleasure. She didn¡¯t know the reason for it but hearing Edgar curse made her desire him even more. She liked when he didn¡¯t watch his words around her and his current expression which showed that she was doing it right.


    Alessandra noticed how his fingers fidgeted like he was fighting hard not to reach out and touch her. Having an idea, Alessandra stopped just as she lifted herself.


    Edgar frowned, not in the mood for them to stop right now. ¡°What is wrong?¡± He asked.


    ¡°We should y a game. Do not move your hands from where they are now,¡± Alessandra smiled, enjoying that this might be the one time she would be able to get the best of him.


    Edgar was stunned that she was taking the lead in ying such a game right now but that shock quickly went away as he looked forward to what she had in mind. ¡°And if I move them?¡± He asked but kept his hands in the same position not wanting to lose whatever she was nning.


    ¡°You will be a disappointed birthday boy if you do. You said that I could take the lead,¡± she palmed his face. ¡°So you must do as I say and not touch me,¡± she whispered against his lips before taking the initiative to kiss him.


    Alessandra continued to take charge with their kiss, being the dominant one of the two at this moment while Edgar followed behind her. She truly meant for it to be a sweet kiss to savor the moment but it quickly changed to one full of desire. The first chance she got, Alessandra, slipped her tongue inside to change the intensity of their kiss.


    The sweetness of the cake lingered in Edgar¡¯s mouth which was a shame she would not get to try it herself as the water must have ruined the cake by now. Alessandra pressed her body against Edgar as much as she could because she knew how infatuated he was with her breast. Just like him, she had been paying attention to what he liked to know how to tease him.


    Amid their heated kiss, Alessandra continued to ride Edgar¡¯s length but this time she increased her speed and each thrust was sharper when she settled herself back down on hisp.


    Alessandra¡¯s moans became muffled in between their lips. She opened her eyes for a second to make sure Edgar had not moved his hands but the sight of his muscles appearing more prominent because of his restraint caught her off guard. As if there wasn¡¯t enough about Edgar to make her knees weak and her stomach full of butterflies.


    Alessandra pulled out of the kiss, and a mixture of their saliva appeared on their lips before falling into the water when she pulled back far enough. From this angle, she could see the desire in Edgar¡¯s eyes and how much it was killing him not to reach out and touch her. As fun as it was to mess with him, Alessandra wanted him to take control to help her reach her end.


    ¡°Edgar,¡± she pleaded for him, letting him know her game was over.


    Edgar didn¡¯t waste a second taking his arms from the edge of the tub to once again hold her waist. Each time she stopped moving, she gripped and squeezed the hell out of him inside of her. Like she was begging him to release his seed deep inside of her. Edgar couldn¡¯t help thinking that if she wasn¡¯t already pregnant she would be by the end of his birthday as he nned to give her all that he could.


    Edgar took back control by lifting her and meeting her with a thrust when he pulled her back down. He attacked her breast with his tongue as they had been taunting him the moment she got undressed and were deserving of punishment. He snaked his arms around her waist to hold her tighter as his thrust became relentless and he needed her right as she was.


    ¡°Edgar,¡± Alessandra cried out when he found that one spot that made her body tremble.


    It was his cue to continue thrusting right there to bring her to her end. Edgar ignored her nails digging into his back as she clung to him. He didn¡¯t mind it and never would. There was something to enjoy about her doing so. A little pain wasn¡¯t so bad.


    Alessandra became undone first and shortly after she felt his warmth inside of her, filling her up as always. She panted, continuing to rest against his shoulder to catch her breath. Her body was still on a high as Edgar continued to enter her with slow thrusts while he filled her with his seed.


    ¡°There are many things I would love to do to you in this bathroom but first, I would like to see those gifts you spoke of and fill your stomach with food before we continue,¡± Edgar said, lifting her in his arms ae he stood to take her to the kitchen.

 Chapter 352 - 352 Pain and pleasure (3)

    352 Pain and pleasure (3)


    Edgar carried Alessandra down to the kitchen in his arms. There was a quick stop in their bedroom as Alessandra did not want to be walking around the house naked even though they were the only ones present. Edgar gave her a robe while he wrapped a towel around his waist.


    Before going to the kitchen, they made a quick stop in the dining room where gifts were piled up for him. Some were big and small depending on how much money the servants had to spend. Among the pile were Alessandra¡¯s gifts for Edgar.


    Edgar had ns to only open Alessandra¡¯s gifts right now before continuing with what they started in the bathroom. He ced Alessandra down so she could pick out her gifts for him.


    Alessandra brought the wrapped-up portrait of Edgar for him to open first. She spent the most time on this gift and hoped he would like it.


    Edgar quickly tore the paper off the canvas before Alessandra¡¯s excitement could make her faint. He was pleasantly surprised by the portrait of himself which she had done without him to pose for. It was quite good to work for someone who had learned to paint on their own.


    ¡°I am not familiar with painting people so it is not my best work but I think it is almost there. I will keep practicing until I get it right,¡± Alessandra said in case it wasn¡¯t to his liking.


    ¡°You did well. It is hard to get my handsome features captured on a canvas so you should be proud of yourself for getting so close,¡± Edgarplimented himself and her skills at the same time.


    She needed to boast about her skills more. If they were to hire a teacher for her to learn more about painting, she might be one of the best in town.


    Alessandra had to thank her years of being locked away in her room with nothing to do but paint as it was the one thing her father bought for her to keep her upied. She had plenty of time to practice painting and learn from her mistakes.


    .....


    She had to keep it a secret that she had once painted what she thought Tobias looked like from what she heard from Kate and Katrina speaking about the prince. Edgar¡¯s jealousy would ignore the fact that it was years ago when she tried painting his friend. It was an ugly painting which she threw away so luckily when he collected her belongings it was not there.


    He wouldn¡¯t think it was Tobias since her image of him was wrong now that she saw Tobias but he would surely think it was someone she liked.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Edgar kissed her cheek. ¡°We should have it on disy where you wish to have other portraits. Is the other one also from you?¡± He pointed at what appeared to be another painting.


    ¡°Yes, but I didn¡¯t have enough time to paint as it was ast-minute decision so I decided to draw on the canvas instead. It doesn¡¯t have any color besides the ck charcoal I used but I will create one with color-¡±


    Edgar shushed her with a kiss on the lips. ¡°Stop trying to make excuses because you think that I will dislike it. I will enjoy whatever you make for me,¡± he said as he opened the second one.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need your cruel honesty with the painting like you were with the cake,¡± Alessandra said.


    ¡°That is different. You were trying to poison me with cake and I had to let you know it. This,¡± Edgar froze when what she drew was revealed. It wasn¡¯t finished as she said but he knew where it was going. It was her drawn with ack of clothing and a quite close effort to the expression he loved when they made love.


    Alessandra couldn¡¯t bring herself to look at what she started to draw. The drawing would have been finished if not for her covering her face every minute as she could not believe what she was doing. Even without color to show more of how presumptuous it was, it was still too much for her to look at let alone draw.


    ¡°Leave it without the color. It is better this way. I will need to ce this in a room only I will enter or I will end up having to kill anyone whose eyesy upon this. You are full of surprises today my sweet wife,¡± Edgar said, carefully cing the canvas, which riled him up, down on the floor. ¡°You are learning well. Come,¡± he took her hand and led her to the side of the table where there were no gifts.


    Alessandra became anxious as she knew what they were going to do right now. ¡°Edgar, we all eat here,¡± she said, trying to get him to pick somewhere else.


    ¡°I will buy another one,¡± Edgar replied, turning her around so she backed him. He pushed the robe off her shoulder and let it fall to the floor. His towel joined it soon after.


    Alessandra didn¡¯t understand why he had turned her around just to take off her robe but then, she felt his hand on her lower back pushing her forward until her stomach and chest were t against the table. His hands trailed the side of her body while she felt the tip of him at her entrance.


    ¡°I should have brought the whip downstairs but I was saving it for the main eventter. My hands will have to do it right now. Stay,¡± Edgar said, in a tone deeper than what his voice was a moment ago when she started to move. ¡°Turn your head to the side to look at me.¡±


    Alessandra did as he asked her to and looked sideways at him behind her. His yfulness had vanished and his expression once again had her stomach twisting in knots. She was curious about what he needed the whip for right now.


    ¡°I thought of having you like this many times. To see you looking up at me, your hair disheveled and the shape of your body,¡± Edgar said as he ran his hand along her side, feeling the softness of her skin. The sight of the side of her breasts still in view was the best part of it.


    Edgar pulled her rear up a bit and arched her back with his hands so she would be in the right position to feel every inch of him when he would prate her. Edgar started to enter her from this position, pulling her against his body to help with the process.


    When hepletely settled inside of her, Alessandra anticipated he would start to move but was caught off guard by his hand spanking the left side of her buttocks. The sound echoed in the quiet dining room.


    ¡°I am going to ask you some questions and you must answer honestly or you will be punished.¡±

 Chapter 353 - 353 Pain and pleasure (4)

    353 Pain and pleasure (4)


    Alessandra gulped, fearful of both the questions and the punishment. How did they go from opening gifts to being stuck in this position? He had not even opened all the gifts she wanted him to. Her nerves increased when Edgar touched the side of her left cheek again, almost warning her of another smack there.


    The slight coldness of the table pressed against her stomach and chest felt strangely good at the moment.


    ¡°Have you ever had any sexual fantasies about the two of us? I am always open about mine while you are painfully quiet. I know there has to be something you imagined us doing after we made love for the first time. What is it?¡± Edgar asked, yfully tapping his fingers against her skin, ready to spank her buttocks again if he sensed a lie.


    ¡°I have,¡± Alessandra slowly answered. She feared the punishment more than being embarrassed about what she would say. ¡°My mind always goes back to the window when Alfred interrupted our conversation or to the tub during our trip. That is all.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Edgar hummed, not believing that was all. He was more than happy to spank his hand right on the same spot as before which started to turn red because of her sensitive skin.


    ¡°Edgar, I did not lie-Ah,¡± Alessandra gasped from the weird sensation of pleasure when Edgar spanked her buttocks again while he entered herpletely. Alessandra tried to grip something but as she was lying against a table there was nothing for her to grab so she ended up balling up her hands.


    Alessandra turned her head to look away from Edgar to hide the embarrassment that she enjoyed what he had just done.


    Edgar took pride in his guess that she did in fact like a bit of pain with their intimacy. It was a surprising yet pleasant discovery considering her personality. He didn¡¯t mind that she looked away for now.


    Edgar slowly pulled out of her until just the tip before burying himself back inside of her. He opted to go slow right now while she got over her obvious embarrassment for liking when he spanked her. She didn¡¯t need to be in his opinion but Edgar knew once she stopped overthinking it Alessandra would soon give in to the fact this was something she desired


    .....


    Alessandra¡¯s body jerked forward each time Edgar buried himself back inside of her but thanks to the heaviness of the dining table it did not move.


    Edgar quickly became impatient with her not looking back at him so he decided to punish her. With his left hand, he gripped her left thigh, perhaps too painfully at the moment without realizing but Alessandra did not wince or cry out. Edgar entered her with a sharper thrust and spank her right cheek harder than thest two times.


    ¡°Alessandra looks at me,¡± he said, still buried inside of her, refusing to move again unless she looked at him.


    Alessandra slowly turned her head to face him, her fists still balled up to help her not be so overwhelmed by the intense pleasure. Her embarrassment came not only from Edgar spanking her and her liking it but from her mind suddenly wondering what it would be like if they used the whip instead.


    ¡°Why are you embarrassed?¡± Edgar asked as his second question. The game was still very much going on.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know,¡± Alessandra honestly replied. ¡°It is strange that I like what you did,¡± she concluded after thinking about it.


    ¡°It is not strange at all. We all have something that feels good to us and it ispletely natural. Sex can include other things to make it exciting so stop overthinking it and just enjoy the pleasure because I certainly am. If only you could paint yourself like this with your lips plump from biting them too much and your delectable body,¡± Edgar said, leaning forward to slip his hand under her body and palm her left breast.


    ¡°Edgar,¡± Alessandra moaned, excited from Edgar toying with her hardened bud as he continued to move inside of her again. She desperately wanted something to hold to help her release the pleasure she was feeling.


    Edgar kissed her back before removing his hand from under her and going back to his earlier position to get a good look at her. He licked his lips at the sight of her mouth open in an O shape as his name left her lips in a sweet cry. She was the only person to repeatedly call out his name and he would not find it annoying. He longed to hear more of it.


    To please her more Edgar spanked her left cheek, giving it the same torture as the right one. His pace with his thrust had increased, bing sharper and rougher with each pration. Her cries excited him just as she was excited by him spanking her. In between each thrust, Edgar would spank her to receive a beautiful cry of pleasure from her lips and she would grip his manhood causing him to hiss.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± Edgar stopped for a moment to pull her up so her back was pressed against his chest. His left hand wrapped around her waist to hold her, the right palming her breast, and without him telling her to, Alessandra looked sideways to meet him for a kiss.


    Alessandra reached behind her to the back of Edgar¡¯s head, cing her hand in his messy hair to pull him to her to deepen the kiss. Her embarrassment about where they were and what they were doing was out the window right now. Edgar was the only thing on her mind and she felt like a fool for turning down his request to make love on his birthday.


    Alessandra gave in to her lust and matched Edgar¡¯s intensity with their kiss. There was a tightness in her chest when Edgar pulled away first and stared down at her. The tightness wasn¡¯t because of pain but the emotions she felt from the way he looked at her. It was hard to believe how someone could look at her and she could feel the amount of love they had for her.


    Edgar slid out of Alessandra, turned her around, and hoisted her up in his arms. Contrary to what Alessandra was thinking that they would continue in this position, Edgar took her out of the dining room to the window by the front door where they could look out and see the gate in the distance.


    He seated her on the window pane but she was still in his arms. Edgar wrapped her legs around his waist and entered her once more. He lost count of how many times they did this when the day had only just started.


    ¡°Someone might pass and see us,¡± Alessandra whispered. There were still guards roaming around outside to keep the house protected. There was nothing at the window to hide her and Edgar from being seen.


    ¡°Then we should be quick,¡± Edgar replied, cing his hands under her buttocks and giving it a rough squeeze. ¡°It is only fair that I carry out your fantasies today. You mustn¡¯t miss this opportunity,¡± he added, burying his head in her shoulder and biting her there.


    Edgar started to make love to her at the window and despite her fears of being seen, Alessandra dug her nails into his back, enjoying the moment she thought of many times.

 Chapter 354 - 354 Pain and pleasure (5)

    354 Pain and pleasure (5)


    ¡°For someone wanting to move from the window, you are doing a terrible job of showing it. Or maybe you have not noticed how much you are moving your hips to meet me and how your moans fill the empty house.¡±


    ¡°S-Shut up,¡± Alessandra replied in between her pants. It was his fault for bringing her to the window and riling her up. ¡°Just¡­¡± she trailed off, closing her eyes.


    ¡°Just what?¡± Edgar teased her, already knowing what it was she wanted. She wanted him to continue aiming for the one spot which made her toes curl each time. His tongue swirled around her nipple before taking a bite and licking her once more to soothe the pain. He didn¡¯t know why he enjoyed biting her and didn¡¯t care to find out. He will have her covered in bites by the end of the day.


    Alessandra wasn¡¯t in the mood to deal with Edgar teasing her right now. It was already hard to think as he filled her with his length and tortured her breast which tingled because of his bites.


    Edgar plunged into her, jerking her body up each time, and earned the sight of her breast bouncing along with her. It wasn¡¯t long before she would reach her end but this was far from over.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t told me what you-Shit,¡± Edgar cursed, startled by her suddenly squeezing the life out of him the moment he entered her again. He was unable to move for a few seconds as he stayed buried inside of her.


    Alessandra was pleased with his reaction. He wasn¡¯t the only one who could be doing the torture. Her mouth fell open when some of his seed poured into her womb. Since it wasn¡¯t like the other times he came inside of her, she knew this did not mean he was finished.


    ¡°Ha,¡± Edgar licked his lips. He had to dere her the winner in this battle for forcing him to release inside of her earlier than he intended to.


    Edgar pushed Alessandra back against the window so that she was now seated on the tiny edge of the window pane. He seized her legs, spreading them a bit more before pushing them back toward her. In this position, Edgar had a better view of seeing himself still inside of her.


    .....


    Alessandra blushed because of their new position and Edgar looking down there. She opened her mouth to speak but only his name came out as he started to move again hitting the spot inside of her which she asked him to a moment ago. Alessandra ced her hands on the edge of the window pane to help bnce herself.


    Edgar went back to not being gentle with his thrust and her back struck against the ss of the window each time he pushed inside of her. Alessandra was afraid that the force she was being pushed back against the window would cause it to break and then attention would surely be on them by the window.


    ¡°Edgar!¡± Alessandra cried out as she reach her end before him.


    ¡°Not yet,¡± Edgar replied through gritted teeth. He was close but there was more he wanted to give her before finishing. ¡°When I tie you to the bedter, I should not release you. I should hide you away from the rest of this town. They are not worthy ofying their eyes on you.¡±


    ¡°I do not want to be locked away,¡± Alessandra replied.


    ¡°Then you will deal with the jealousy of your husband. A price to pay for making me addicted to you. You must never forget how much I love you,¡± Edgar said, finally reaching his end and burying himself inside of her to fill her with his seed once more.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Alessandra moaned, her chest rising and falling as their heated moment came to an end. She remained still to take all of him until she felt his seed trickling out of her. She was already prepared that after today there was a high chance she would be carrying his heir. Their child.


    Edgar pulled out of her once there was nothing left to give her. Their fluids dripped onto the floor. Just seeing her before him was enough to make him be hard again but first, he needed to feed her. They had skipped breakfast because he had taken her to the bathroom. She was in need of food and a break before they would continue.


    Edgar remembered passing food in their bedroom on the table as they were leaving. She could eat that and theny on the bed to rest to regain her energy. ¡°You need to eat,¡± he said, touching her swollen lips, from her biting down on them, with his finger. ¡°There is something else I wish to fill your mouth with but for now, food will do.¡±


    ¡°You need to eat too,¡± Alessandra replied. She had not gotten the chance to give him the breakfast she brought to their room.


    ¡°Believe me, I intend to eat when we return to our room,¡± he gave her a suggestive look. The only thing he nned to devour today was right in front of him.


    Alessandra understood what he nned to do but before then, she needed something other than Edgar inside her stomach. She needed to eat before her stomach would start to remind her that she had not eaten yet.


    Alessandra only now realized that it would have been smarter for her to eat her breakfast before going upstairs to wake Edgar. Her excitement to start her birthday made her forget about eating back then


    Edgar lifted Alessandra from by the window and started to carry her in his arms back upstairs.


    ¡°I am able to walk,¡± Alessandra reminded him though she enjoyed being carried around like this. Since they wore no clothes, she got to feel his well-built body. She could not wait to see what the maids spoke of about Edgar and the other men training outside topless when winter would go away.


    ¡°I am aware of that,¡± Edgar replied but refused to put her down.

 Chapter 355 - 355 Pain and pleasure (6)

    355 Pain and pleasure (6)


    ¡°Edgar, it is your birthday but that does not mean you cannot lift a finger. You can feed yourself,¡± Alessandra said, cing the fork in her mouth instead of feeding Edgar.


    ¡°After I carried you all the way to our room this is how you treat me?¡± Edgar retorted.


    ¡°I would have been more inclined to feed you if you had not suggested we have sex on the stairs. It was quite ufortable and I am certain my back will forever be in pain,¡± Alessandra said, touching the spot which was sore because of where she was pushed back against the stairs. ¡°Never again.¡±


    Edgar nodded his head agreeing with her. As exciting as it was, it was only a one-time thing. ¡°You were so vocal about not doing it by the window but quiet about the stairs. Admit it that you were curious about what it would be like.¡±


    ¡°I was,¡± Alessandra had no issue admitting this. ¡°I am just saying it will never happen again and because I am sore from it and other things, you must feed yourself. In fact, it couldn¡¯t hurt for you to feed me.¡±


    ¡°All you had to do was ask nicely,¡± Edgar said, taking the fork from her hands to feed her. The whole point of theming back to the room was for her to eat. He wasn¡¯t the slightest bit hungry as yet.


    ¡°A part of me thinks you don¡¯t mind feeding me so I can finish eating quickly and get back to what we were doing. I need a moment to rest Edgar,¡± Alessandra replied. He forgot that they did not share the same amount of stamina. This was already more than how much they made love on their first night.


    ¡°I know you do. I don¡¯t n to overdo it when the day has just begun. Eat and rest for a moment if you wish,¡± Edgar said, cing the fork down while she chewed.


    He sat back in the chair he ced beside the bed. His abdomen was still exposed since they had not gotten dressed.


    .....


    Alessandra coughed after almost choking on her food. She knew Edgar was showing off his abs on purpose and like a fool, she was falling for it. How could she not when he was so desirable? One of the things she enjoyed about him was his muscr body and it seemed he knew. She remembered a phrase Sally used about a shirtless guard she saw that anyone would be able to wash clothes against their chest.


    Alessandra continued to watch Edgar stretch his arms, twisting and turning to show off his body. It didn¡¯t help that his member was casually exposed because Edgar wasfortable enough to sit naked while she had covered her body with a nket.


    ¡°You are eyeing me like I am a piece of meat and you are a starved woman,¡± Edgar mused, knowing his plot had worked. He had to pity men with out-of-shape bodies or who had no sex appeal who couldn¡¯t easily get their wives riled up.


    ¡°Technically you are a piece of meat. Stop what you are doing Edgar. It is tempting but I need to rest even if it is for a few minutes. You can finally take your bath without me interrupting you. What are you doing?¡± Alessandra asked after Edgar stood from his seat and came to where she wasying sideways on the bed.


    ¡°Letting you rest but I can love you without prating you,¡± he said, moving to hover over her but he kept his weight from crushing her.


    ¡°You truly are a horny beast,¡± Alessandramented, rolling on her side to look up at him. She didn¡¯t mind the two of them being this close to each other. ¡°I am starting to believe that Alfred was not lying about you bringing women here.¡±


    ¡°Why must you bring that up now?¡± Edgar asked, fearing an argument might start from jealousy.


    ¡°Do not worry. I am not upset by it,¡± she caressed his face. ¡°You are charming and those women do not matter now that you are mine. Just as you are greedy so am I. You must not forget that you belong to only me.¡±


    Edgar held her hand and kissed the back of it. ¡°Of course,¡± he replied. ¡°My mind, body, and soul all belong to you. I expect the same from you.¡±


    ¡°You never have to worry about my love for you going to anyone else. As you said, there is no other man like you in this world. I honestly should not feed your ego but it is true. Edgar, tell me honestly. If the incident with my face never happened and we met another way, do you think we would have fallen in love?¡± Alessandra asked, curious about his answer.


    ¡°I do not know. There is no telling if you would have turned out to be spoiled and annoying like all the other women I detest,¡± Edgar gave an honest answer.


    It was unfortunate she got hurt which started her desire to run away from home and then ultimately start a contract with him but he couldn¡¯t wish for history to be changed in case they would have nevere to be as they were now. It was hard to imagine his life without seeing her daily.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I would have been spoiled. I was really depressed being my father¡¯s favorite and faked smiles around his peers. I don¡¯t think that would have changed and I might have thought of running away. I truly believe that if we are meant to be together we would be no matter how we met. I would not be truly happy if you were not in my life,¡± Alessandra confessed.


    ¡°You have be skilled inplimenting me.¡±


    ¡°I listen to youplimenting yourself numerous times to know how it should be done. I changed my mind, Edgar. I do not need to rest anymore,¡± Alessandra said. Thinking of how much she loved him and how happy she was with him made her want to be closer than they were now.


    ¡°Are you certain?¡± Edgar asked before making a move. He considered that she would be a bit sore from having sex back to back and they did not share the same energy.


    Alessandra smiled, loving how he was always a gentleman even at this moment when he would love nothing more than to continue being intimate. ¡°I am,¡± she wrapped her hands around his neck to pull him down to her.


    Alessandra could feel how erect he quickly became as his member brushed against her inner thigh. She didn¡¯t know how she would pull this off but she would dly remain this close to him for the rest of the day or perhaps forever.


    Edgar eagerly leaned down to kiss her once again. No matter how many times they kissed, it did not make him tired of it. He could kiss her fifty times in one day but it would still not be enough. Edgar rubbed his member along her slit walls, earning a muffled moan from Alessandra against his lips even though he had not prated her yet. He too was excited to enter her once more.


    Tangled up in each other in a heated kiss, they both forgot they were still at the edge of the bed and ended up rolling off to the side. Edgar quickly pulled Alessandra against him and took the brunt of the fall. Heid on his back on the floor while Alessandra sat on top of him.


    Alessandra was shocked at first that they had fallen off the bed but as the shock passed she started tough and Edgar joined her. The fall did nothing to ruin the moment as Alessandra didn¡¯t mind continuing with this new position of her on top of Edgar. She quite liked the view she had to see how he would react when she rode him.


    ¡°Leave it to me,¡± she said.

 Chapter 356 - 356 Pain and pleasure (7)

    356 Pain and pleasure (7)


    After fooling around on the floor, Alessandra did need to take a rest. Sheid on the bed right after, falling asleep for more than an hour to regain her energy. She woke up to the sight of Edgar sitting by the table in their room, sipping on wine and eating fruit he must have gotten himself from the kitchen.


    He wasn¡¯t naked like she remembered when she had fallen asleep. Now he wore shorts but his chest was still bare.


    ¡°What time is it?¡± Alessandra yawned, covering her mouth with her hand. ¡°I hope I have not wasted your day.¡±


    Edgar ced his ss of wine down on the table and looked at Alessandra. ¡°You have not. It is just a few hours after noon. If you are still tired you can continue to rest. Making love to you an entire day didn¡¯t mean every minute or hour. We are just making use of the house being vacant. Well, except for the dungeon which is upied by my mother.¡±


    ¡°I wish you hadn¡¯t mentioned your mother is here while we are doing this. My mind would have been better not remembering her,¡± Alessandra muttered.


    She crawled from the top of the bed to where Edgar sat to try some of what he was drinking and eat the fruit. ¡°Did you cut the apples yourself?¡± She asked.


    ¡°I said that I cannot cook, not that I cannot cut fruit with a knife. It is no different than cutting up someone,¡± Edgar replied.


    ¡°I am learning so much about you in this one moment-Wait!¡¯ Alessandra eximed when he pulled her onto hisp. ¡°A warning would be nice and it is not fair that you are dressed while I am not. My body feels sticky which means I need to wash up. Why can¡¯t I have any?¡± She asked because Edgar pushed the wine out of her reach.


    ¡°It is time you stop consuming anything with alcohol for a while just as a precaution. I will buy you drinks that are without alcohol. There is a chance you could be pregnant from the first time we made love or from today. We need to be more careful.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Oh,¡± Alessandra realized. She did hear that pregnant women refrained from drinking alcohol. They had a while to wait until they would learn if she was pregnant by little signs doctors created a list of. Even if she wasn¡¯t pregnant, Alessandra didn¡¯t mind lowering how much wine she drank. ¡°Then I will stick to the fruit,¡± she took up a slice of a red apple.


    ¡°You can take all of it with you and enjoy a warm bath,¡± Edgar said as there was something he wanted to prepare in the bedroom but he had to wait because she was fast asleep.


    He didn¡¯t buy the whips and other things just for them to go to waste. He was saving it for a bitter but found it was time they added something new rather than finding new ces to have sex. Edgar needed her gone for a moment toy them out. He nned to give Alessandra all the pain and pleasure she clearly liked.


    He doubted she would be against what he had bought since he saw a new side today with her when it came to their intimacy. Alessandra was bolder and did as she pleased to enjoy herself.


    Alessandra was suspicious of why Edgar wanted her out of the room but still took up the te of fruit and walked to the bathroom. She would not believe it yesterday if anyone told her that she would be able to walk around naked in front of Edgar with a te of fruit in her hands.


    Her shyness had vanished as he thoroughly loved all of her mind and body today. Edgar had reassured her many times and she felt it when they made love that she didn¡¯t need to be insecure and hide.


    Edgar waited until she closed the bathroom door behind her to get up and go to the closet where he had hidden most of what he bought. Never before would he imagine going into one of those shops but now he considered investing in them. The town was missing out if they were not being adventurous with their sex life but then again, none of them had a lover like Alessandra by their side.


    Edgar returned to the bed with two bags in his arms. The first items he pulled out were the various shapes and sizes of whips. It was harder than he imagined to just pick one so he bought them all. One shouldn¡¯t think about money when it came to spoiling yourself for your birthday.


    He knew Alessandra would make his ears sore if she learned how much money he spent on these items even though money wasn¡¯t an issue for them. Though he would like her to, Edgar knew Alessandra would never visit those kinds of shops so she would never learn of how much money he spent.


    One by one, Edgarid the items which could be considered toys for married couples down on the bed to give Alessandra options for what she would befortable with. All he had to do now was wait for her to return.


    Three minutester, Alessandra exited the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her. She didn¡¯t make it too far out before her eyes went to the ropes tied around the pirs of the bed. Her heart rate quickened from both anticipation and nervousness. She recalled Edgar wanting to tie her up but it was her understanding those things would happenter on.


    Alessandra silently watched Edgar approach her with a look that created a familiar sensation between her legs. The room was darker now because he had blocked the windows and the only light wasing from the firece.


    ¡°Edgar,¡± she called his name but the rest of her words were silenced by his lips.


    Edgar lifted her, not bothered that he became wet from touching her, and ced her down on the soft bed. He distracted her with the kiss while he reached out for the rope he would tie around her hands.

 Chapter 357 - 357 Pain and pleasure (8)

    357 Pain and pleasure (8)


    Alessandra turned her head to the side when she felt something tight around her left hand. She was so into the kiss that she had not noticed Edgar had started to tie the rope around her hand. She did not know when he had even removed both his hands from her to start tying it.


    Now that she knew what he was up to, Edgar sat up to tie her other hand. ¡°I meant to use chains but thought it would be harsher than the ropes. You shouldn¡¯t move your hands around too much so that you aren¡¯t bruised.¡±


    ¡°I thought I would get to be in control so why am I being tied up?¡± Alessandra asked. To convince her to do this, days before Edgar said she would be in control but it felt like he was leading her this entire time. If he tied her to the bed, he would be the one inplete control.


    Edgar licked his lips. He didn¡¯t mind being the one tied to the bed but he didn¡¯t think she would want to take the lead on this one. The whole point of being tied to the bed was so he could inflict her with a bit of pain while they had sex.


    Alessandra said, ¡°It is your birthday. Shouldn¡¯t I be pleasing to you?¡±


    ¡°You have. If you wish for our roles to be reversed, I am fine with it but I have nned this for you. If you have not noticed the things I have bought,¡± Edgar pointed to the bottom of the bed. ¡°I am enjoying seeing you more open with all of this and giving in to your desires. That is all that matters to me.¡±


    Alessandra propped herself up using her arms. The rope tugged on the hand that was already tied. She blushed when her eyes settled on the whips, pointy little things she had never seen before, chains, and all sorts of interesting items she didn¡¯t know how they were meant to be used. Were they really for pleasure or was Edgar secretly trying to kill her?


    ¡°Okay,¡± Alessandra replied, no longer caring to be in control now. There were others days when she could take the lead. Since Edgar went through all of the trouble to buy these things, she didn¡¯t want to ruin his ns. Even though there was a lump in her throat from her nervousness, she was still excited. ¡°Continue what you were doing,¡± she added.


    As much as Edgar wouldn¡¯t mind if he was in her position, he was d she chose to be the one tied up. He wanted to bring out a new side of her, see her expressions, and hear her sweet voice fill his ears. She was forgetting the day was far from over and she would have plenty of time to do what she wanted to him.


    .....


    ¡°Go up to the pillows andy down facing the firece,¡± Edgar ordered her so the ropes could be tied tighter to restrain her movement.


    Alessandra did as she was asked andid down in the middle of the bed. Edgar came beside her to untie the rope already around her left hand. Edgar left Alessandra on the bed to get a knife to make the rope shorter so her hands would be pulled back so she could not meddle in what he nned to do.


    Eventually, Alessandra¡¯s hands were pulled behind her head and the rope was tight enough for her hands to not slip out but not to bruise her if she tried to wiggle herself free.


    ¡°I feel like I am making a big mistake letting you do this,¡± Alessandra admitted. She could see the deviousness in Edgar¡¯s eyes as she could do nothing while he would tease her as he liked. Normally, she would get to walk away from him. ¡°This isn¡¯t just about me. You like that I can¡¯t escape you.¡±


    ¡°Clever as always. It was a tad bit boring having you try to run away from me many times when the moment was getting wonderful. Now,¡± he tugged on the towel wrapped around her to expose her naked body to him. ¡°There is no running away. Surprisingly, you have been good to indulge in my suggestions so there is truly no need to tie you up but unfortunately for you, I love how you are now.¡±


    ¡°Of course, you would,¡± Alessandra muttered. It was a win for Edgar no matter who was tied up. Alessandra remained still as Edgar got rid of the towel she needed to use to dry her skin and tossed it to the side of the bed. She didn¡¯t see why when it was not like she could move her hands to cover herself.


    Edgar lowered his head to kiss her stomach. ¡°I must apologize in advance. If I hurt you more than you like, please tell me.¡±


    Alessandra squeezed her eyes shut as his wet tongue trailed from her belly button up to the swell of her breast. Despite wood burning in the firece, there was a coldness that followed behind the trail of his saliva.


    ¡®It should be impossible for someone to be so handsome and so talented,¡¯ she thought. It was a miracle she could think straight during what Edgar was doing to her.


    ¡°Do not close your eyes,¡± he said in a deep husky tone. Edgar wanted to keep her eyes on him at all times. ¡°I will stop the moment you do and not continue.¡±


    Though she knew he would not stop entirely when he was enjoying this, it was still very much a threat as Alessandra disliked the mention of their moment not continuing. She opened her eyes to stare back at Edgar. He settled himself between her legs with his head just above her breasts.


    Once this was over, Alessandra wanted to ask what it was about her breasts and biting her that he enjoyed so much. She failed to believe other men went around biting their wives at least. She once thought shecked something in her bust because of other women she saw walking around showing off their bigger chests but she was wrong.


    Starting first with her right breast, Edgar licked the swell of it up to the hardened nipple just waiting to receive his attention. Alessandra almost closed her eyes from the sensation of him licking her lips and then the coldness she felt in the short opening before he licked her again. She could not help wondering what it would be like if they were to be out in the snow and the only warmth they had came from each other¡¯s bodies.


    Edgar palmed Alessandra¡¯s right breast while he continued to enjoy swirling his tongue around the left one. A thought came to mind as he enjoyed how soft Alessandra¡¯s breast was but he didn¡¯t know if it would be something she was up to. Deciding to test it out, Edgar released her breast and moved to straddle her so that his member was ced between her breast.


    Alessandra was unsure of what was happening and could only conclude that he wanted her to pleasure him with her mouth like she did a while back but had not finished. Her questions were answered when Edgar pressed her breast along the sides of his length. She found it to be odd at first as she did not know how Edgar would be able to get any pleasure from this.


    ¡°Is this too much for you?¡± Edgar asked. He hoped it wasn¡¯t because the feeling of her breasts on his length was enough to make him release before he had started.


    ¡°No,¡± Alessandra shook her head. Just as Edgar was trying new things for her, she wanted to do the things he liked. She never found it fair that it was always about her and what she liked which was why she wanted to find ways to please him specifically and make him happy.


    Edgar circled her nipples with his thumbs as he started to move back and forth while massaging his length with her breasts. It was something he had never done before and thought of at the moment. ¡°Shit,¡± he muttered, enjoying the feeling maybe more than he should. If he pushed a little further, she would be able to take a portion of him inside her mouth while he enjoyed her breasts at the same time.


    Unbeknownst to Edgar, Alessandra had the same thought. During their sessions before this, she wanted to ask if he would like her to try taking him into her mouth again. Now he was this close to her mouth there was an urge to do it.


    With the newfound confidence she gained today, Alessandra pushed herself forward as much as she could go with the ropes holding her back and licked Edgar¡¯s length when he pushed forward again. She was rewarded with the rare stunned expression fromst time and for a second she was certain she saw a red hue appear on his cheeks.


    ¡°You,¡± Edgar began to speak as he tried to register how bold she was to do this. She was lucky he held back from releasing into her mouth due to the feeling of her tongue on him for a second.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want it to be one-sided today. I want to do all the things you like too,¡± Alessandra said.

 Chapter 358 - 358 Pain and pleasure (9)

    358 Pain and pleasure (9)


    The surprise left Edgar after Alessandra¡¯s confession. She was more confident than he thought. Edgar didn¡¯t know what happened to her today but he would not question this new side of her that liked to try new things.


    ¡°Very well,¡± Edgar replied and pushed his length closer to her mouth for her to do as she wanted.


    Alessandra licked the tip of his length as she had enough confirmation that he liked it. She didn¡¯t mind the odd taste and continued to repeat this action a few times before taking him into her mouth.


    Edgar started to rub her breast against his length while moving back and forth, his length going deeper inside her mouth each time he pushed forward. This sight of her was far better than the first time she attempted to please him this way. It was still new to her but her determination to please him had definitely helped her to be more skilled.


    Alessandra¡¯s moans were muffled by the thickness of Edgar¡¯s length inside her mouth. The hardest task she faced in this position was following Edgar¡¯s movement so she would not choke.


    After a few more strokes Edgar pulled out of her mouth, letting his seed release on her chest instead of inside her mouth.


    Alessandra panted, catching her breath while Edgar¡¯s warmth trickled down her neck and shoulder, and some remained on her chest.


    ¡°I should have pulled away quicker,¡± Edgar said as she was now covered in his seed. He pulled the nket on the bed to wipe what he could from her.


    ¡°It is okay,¡± Alessandra replied. It was nothing another bath could not fix.


    .....


    Edgar made a mental note to help her wash up once they were finished. He moved to stop straddling her and went to the bottom of the bed where the whips were. The shop owner had given him instructions for each toy he bought. It was hard to pick out what he wanted to use first.


    Edgar picked up a blindfold to cover Alessandra¡¯s eyes with. Though he liked her staring back at him during their intimacy, he knew it would be a better experience for her if her eyes were closed and she wasn¡¯t able to see what would be used next. She would only have to focus on feeling good. There was something meant for her mouth but Edgar wanted to hear her moans and cries from pleasure fill the quiet room.


    Edgar returned to Alessandra¡¯s side and said, ¡°Trust me.¡±


    ¡°I am already trusting you enough to let you tie me to a bed,¡± Alessandra muttered as the cloth in Edgar¡¯s hands blocked her sight. ¡°You mentioned this ce having masks different from the one I wore.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve spent more than enough time wearing a mask. It is not needed now and I want to see your full face. It is not too tight right?¡± Edgar asked, not wanting to hurt her. At least not yet.


    Alessandra shook her head. With this, Edgar left her to get the whip. Just using his hand in the dining room had gotten her excited so he anticipated how she would react to the whip smacking against her skin.


    Edgar regained his position between her legs. He took in how she flinched when he touched her leg. She had no clue where he would touch her next and it excited her. Edgar ced the whip down beside her, not ready for it yet.


    Alessandra tried to pinpoint where Edgar would touch her and when he touched where she hadn¡¯t anticipated he would, her skin tingled. Alessandra was about to open her mouth to speak but ended up gasping when she felt his finger spreading her most intimate area and then his tongue was inside of her.


    Out of instinct, she wanted to close her legs but feared she would hurt Edgar so she kept them open. She bit her lips not to intentionally hold back her voice but the intrusion of his tongue suddenly inside of her had brought a wave of sensation she could not handle. When his tongue rubbed against a spot inside of her, she could no longer bite her lip and released a moan.


    She grabbed the ropes tied around her hands and squeezed them to try to take the focus off of Edgar between her legs. ¡°E-Edgar,¡± she moaned, on the verge of releasing so he needed to move. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t stay there.¡±


    Edgar ignored her words and continued his handy work until fluid flowed out of her and into his mouth which he dly epted. He licked his lips after having enough of her. He thought of devouring her today and now he had. As he sat up, he took in how much she panted, and there was that familiar look of embarrassment. She turned her head to the side as she knew he would look at her right after.


    Edgar didn¡¯t mind that she tried to hide her face. ¡°It is a natural thing to do, Alessandra. There is nothing to be embarrassed about by your husband tasting you,¡± he said to reassure her while he positioned himself to enter her again. ¡°It is apliment to you that I enjoy doing these things,¡± he said, pushing inside of herpletely.


    ¡°Edgar!¡± Alessandra eximed, her mouth falling upon from how quickly he filled her instead of taking his time. Her hands continued to squeeze the rope to keep them upied since she could not move them.


    Alessandra couldn¡¯t help thinking once again how foolish she was when they first made love to think he would not be able to fit inside of her. Her body stretched to apany all of Edgar inside of her. Her knees became weak as he pulled out of her. Not being able to see him added to the pleasure.


    Alessandra prepared herself for him to fill her again but what wasn¡¯t prepared for was something smacking her thigh as Edgar pushed all the way in. ¡°Ah!¡± She moaned, her cheeks turning red from the pitch of her voice. It was hard to focus on both the stinging pain on her thigh and Edgar burying himself deep inside of her.


    Alessandra gripped the rope tighter if it was even possible when what she knew to be the whip made contact with her skin in a different spot.


    Edgar wrapped her legs around his waist to have better ess to prate her. Before he thrust back inside of her, he used the whip to smack her across her buttocks.


    Alessandra jolted due to the feeling of the whip hitting her buttocks and without thinking moved her feet, pulling Edgar forward and entering herpletely once more. They both groaned from him filling her again.


    ¡°Alessandra.¡±


    Hearing her name leaving Edgar¡¯s lips in a sweet tone stirred her emotions. It was much softer than how he would normally call to her and with this, she knew he was just in the same amount of bliss as she was.


    ¡°Edgar,¡± Alessandra hissed when the whip was used against her buttocks again. Now, they both certainly knew she liked being whipped there. The whip inflicted more pain but there was something she liked more about Edgar using his hand. ¡°More,¡± she pleaded with him.


    Alessandra didn¡¯t care how she would feel when she looked back on all of this tomorrow. All that mattered was this very moment and wanting more from Edgar.


    Her request for more was like sweet music to her words. It was not every day Alessandra would plead for more during their intimacy. Edgar spanked her with the whip on the left cheek as he continued to thrust inside of her. He switched to the right cheek when her skin started to turn red. He worried about it being too painful but Alessandra¡¯s cries of pleasure said he was doing everything but hurting her.


    Edgar started to thrust into her with a greater force than before. A bit rougher with his movements which were met by his name filling the room. He discarded the whip for now as he needed to kiss her. Edgarid almost t on Alessandra to capture her lips as his hips continued to move in a circr fast pace motion.


    Alessandra moaned against his lips as the kiss matched the roughness of his thrusts. He became a bit wilder with the way he took her as if he desperately wanted to release inside of her. Alessandra used her feet wrapped around Edgar¡¯s waist to nudge him further inside of her when he didn¡¯t go all the way in.


    ¡°W-Wait,¡± she said after pulling away from the kiss as she identally pushed Edgar to the spot inside of her which pushed her on the verge to release. Edgar ignored her and continued to keep aiming there to take her to new heights.


    Her body trembled as she inevitably released, no longer able to hold back. Shortly after, Edgar released his warmth inside of her, slowing down his pace as he finished. He panted just like Alessandra after the intensity of this round.


    ¡°Are you going to untie me? W-wait,¡± Alessandra stuttered because Edgar suddenly moved inside of her again. He released his seed inside of her a second ago but he was already bing erected again. How much more could he have to give her?

 Chapter 359 - 359 Free (1)

    359 Free (1)


    Edgar sat on the edge of the bed watching Alessandra sleep. There were still a few hours left for his birthday but he wasn¡¯t going to wake her. They had done more than enough and though she didn¡¯t like to admit it, he could tell she was extremely tired. She wanted to be woken up before the day would be over to watch him open the rest of his gifts but it wasn¡¯t necessary.


    Edgar resisted the urge to pick out one of his cigars to enjoy while Alessandra was asleep but he remembered a certain someone saying that smoking would kill him. He had enough wine for the day so that wasn¡¯t an option.


    Edgar gave Alessandra a look over to make sure she was alright before leaving the bed to go to the closet to put on pants. He made the rash decision to visit the only other person in the house. With nothing else to do, he wanted to see if Prisci was finally able to admit her faults and promise to leave his family alone. Then, he might free her.


    He threw a log in the firece to keep the room warm in his absence. Edgar then made his way down to the quiet dungeon and found Prisci, just like always, curled up in the corner which he deemed her favorite spot. Since there were no servants inside the house she was given all of her food before everyone left.


    Prisci looked up at the person who came to visit but her vision was fuzzy due to a headache. Judging by their silence she figured it was Edgar. The guard whistled each time he came to her cell. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be enjoying a party at your grandmother¡¯s house?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Alessandra and I made different arrangements this year. I never really needed to have a big party. It is a year for our traditions to start. Like you in this cell. Have all of your friends died?¡± Edgar asked, kicking the box of rats he left as motivation. ¡°Had I known I would have brought you more.¡±


    Prisci wasn¡¯t in the mood to talk about rats when she had not too long ago stopped hearing the disgusting creatures moving around. ¡°What do you want, Edgar? Have youe to threaten me like your grandmother or have you grown bored of your wife and sought me out for entertainment?¡±


    ¡°Grow bored of Alessandra?¡± Edgar chuckled. ¡°Impossible. Quite frankly I came to love her even more today. Had you not been so controlling you would have her in your life.¡±


    ¡°Have youe to try to make me like the woman you picked?¡±


    .....


    ¡°No,¡± Edgar shook his head. ¡°I had no ns of doing such a thing when I married her and I won¡¯t do it now. When will all of you understand that I do not care if you like Alessandra? My feelings are all that matter. I came to see if you are ready, to be honest about what happened to Alfred. You are the reason why you are still here. You cannot be honest about your actions.¡±


    ¡°I already told you that I did not order Federick to-¡±


    ¡°You took the order back and he disobeyed,¡± Edgar finished what she kept repeating. ¡°Once again, you are missing what you did wrong. There was no reason for you to order Alfred to be killed and then take it back. Alfred did nothing to you. Unless there was something I was never aware of?¡±


    Prisci remained silent as there was nothing Alfred did to her. She just hated his presence and the way Edgar cared for him more than her.


    ¡°So there was nothing,¡± Edgar understood from her silence. ¡°There must be something wrong with your head. I don¡¯t see why you cannot admit-¡±


    ¡°Fine, I was wrong,¡± Prisci admitted. ¡°It wasn¡¯t the first time I wanted him dead or to send him far away from your side. I still don¡¯t like the ce he has in your life now. No matter what, I am your mother and some portion of the love you have for that man should be given to me. It was irritating to overhear a butler advising my son to speak with me.¡±


    ¡°This is so stupid. It is not like he got in my head and spoke ill of you to influence me to stay away from you. I distanced myself from you. Do you know how ridiculous it sounds for you to hate him because he wanted me to speak to you?¡± Edgar found her hatred toward Alfred had formed for a foolish reason.


    ¡°How many times must I say you should have been grateful to Alfred for pushing me to speak to you when for many years I wanted to cut you out of my life? Are you not thankful that when our rtionship became strained there was someone by my side ying the role of both parents?¡± Edgar asked.


    ¡°I was at first when I didn¡¯t have to look at you. When I was younger and wanted to focus on myself so I didn¡¯t mind there was someone present to look after you while I did the things I liked,¡± Prisci said, thinking of the fun she had when she forgot about her husband and son in the past.


    ¡°I married your father at sixteen and had you at seventeen. Stuck alone with a child I only had to please your father¡¯s demanding rtives while Edmund was out with the woman he loved. It was unfair that I was stuck at home so I left you behind or sent you away to school. That I am sorry for but I wouldn¡¯t change that decision,¡± said Prisci.


    She continued to say, ¡°At some point, I became ready to start being a mother but by then all you wanted was Alfred. It hurt that there was no room for me in your heart for me and that is when my jealousy started. When ites to not epting your wife, I am not the only viin here. Your sweet grandmother made it quite clear I was to find a woman worthy of the Collins name to be your wife. Now she pretends to wee Alessandra.¡±


    Prisci couldn¡¯t help but find Rose to be a hypocrite. Without Edgar knowing, Rose had given her a list of qualities she wanted for Edgar¡¯s future wife and Alessandra fit nothing on that list. Rose demanded Prisci find him a suitable wife before his birthday and it was Rose who settled on Heather.


    Rose lectured her about the Collins family line and how it should not be tainted by someone who did not have a good background. Now she was weing Alessandra with open arms? It wasughable. Prisci wanted to end the marriage before Rose could find out about it to avoid being scolded but Rose somehow turned around and weed Alessandra.


    ¡°I am not the only one in this family who cares about reputations. Your grandmother and father do too. Your father hid his affair better than other husbands to avoid destroying his image of a good man. Your grandmother does not want just anyone to be added to this family unless they have status. No matter how much she smiles before your wife. I suppose to make you happy she has settled for Alessandra but she will start molding your wife into someone else. The perfect Duchess,¡± Prisci added.


    Prisci would bet her favorite ring Rose had started to nitpick at the things Alessandra did. Since Alessandra did not have a good background Rose would want her to be perfect as Duchess to make up for what shecked.


    ¡°I¡¯m amazed you took a conversation about yourself and shifted the light onto someone else,¡± said Edgar.


    Prisci stood up from where she sat in the corner and walked to the cell door. ¡°I am being honest about everything. Not just Alfred. Isn¡¯t that what you wanted?¡±

 Chapter 360 - 360 Free (2)

    360 Free (2)


    ¡°I¡¯m more concerned about your hate for Alfred, but if you want to talk about everything, feel free to do so. What else do you want to bring up to justify your actions over the years?¡± Edgar asked, curious about what else he would learn.


    ¡°None of you ever considered how I felt in this marriage¡ªa marriage prepared for me by my father. Edmund was never my first or second choice to get married to but I remained quiet and married him because it would be a good look for your grandfather. I sent you away because I needed time to myself and to let you avoid the drama from your father¡¯s affairs,¡± Prisci said, gripping the cell bars.


    ¡°I screwed up as a mother but the one thing I thought would be the best option was to send you away from school when that woman kept showing up. The first time she showed up angry and screaming for Edmund to leave me and be with her. I had your things packed up and sent you off to school so you wouldn¡¯t know the secret your father had,¡± Prisci said.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t leave the house to get away from your father as it would have spread rumors of us splitting so I stayed there while he tried to push her back into whatever hole he was hiding her in. It was frustrating when you kept returning home in the midst of me and your father at odds more than ever. Eventually, Rose took care of that woman. I don¡¯t need to say how,¡± Prisci hinted at the fact Rose either paid her off or disposed of her.


    ¡°After that, there was no reason to keep sending you to that school so you got to stay home but when you returned the final time I could already tell you weren¡¯t happy being around your father and me. To be honest, I rarely spent time with you so it was hard to suddenly start acting like your mother. I kept the distance between us, only meddling when you needed to act right because I did not know how to approach you.¡±


    Prisci released the bars and looked at her fingers which were coated with dust. ¡°I wanted to speak with you but you would always ignore me and look for Alfred. You knew I hated being ignored and I am certain you did it to piss me off.¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± Edgar admitted. He liked seeing her fume in anger from being ignored. It was payback for the many times she ignored him.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Prisci replied, not the slightest bit surprised. ¡°Well, when you came of age to be married I needed to be more involved in your life, or else I would have to hear from your grandmother. I will say it did hurt that you didn¡¯t like marriage because you witnessed your parents not loving each other. I truly believe I did not ruin the idea of marriage for you.¡±


    ¡°You yed a small role in me knowing the characteristics of a woman I would never want to marry but I will agree my father left a bad taste in my mouth about marriage,¡± Edgar said as he knew at a young age about his father¡¯s mistress even though everyone tried to hide it. ¡°Me not wanting to get married was not all your fault. I simply knew I could not give my heart to anyone and I was not going to settle as you two did.¡±


    .....


    ¡°It was certainly a smart decision. There were so many days I wanted to strangle your father in his sleep. After Rose got rid of his mistress, your father and I was cordial. I thought maybe I had started to love him. One thing I can say I like about you is that you protect the people you care for. It might seem like your father protects me but he doesn¡¯t. He only cleans up what will affect his image,¡± Prisci said.


    Edmund didn¡¯t protect her from his family, from the gossip of his affairs after she begged him to let it be known, and worst of all, from his mother.


    ¡°I am not pleased that you always point fingers at me while your father is given a second chance,¡± Prisci stated, angered by this more than anything else at the moment. Edmund should be locked away with her.


    ¡°When have I given him a second chance? I don¡¯t want to see either of you. I was on your side when it came to my father having a mistress but then you did things that made me distance myself from you so I was never able to express that. There are things you have done that you cannot ce the me on my father or grandmother for your actions,¡± Edgar said, wanting her to take ountability for things she did on her own ord.


    ¡°You are right. I am used to getting things my way and when ns do not go as I want or someone disrespects me, I get rid of them. I have been that way since I was a child. I wanted to control your life so you would be on my side against your grandmother. I wanted a daughter-inw who would listen to me and get you to be on my side. As of right now, I am never going to be cordial with your wife but I will avoid her,¡± Prisci said, meaning every word of it.


    She wasn¡¯t going to pretend to be nice to Alessandra to build a rtionship with Edgar. Quite frankly, she was still upset with Edgar for cing her in this dungeon. Prisci could not picture her and Edgar getting along in the near future.


    ¡°There have been many times I wanted to kill Alfred but I refrain from doing so because of the guilt I felt after those words left my mouth. That is why I took back the order but Federick didn¡¯t listen. I am sorry for almost taking away someone you care for and for the death of your driver. Do not expect me to bake cookies and apologize. There is still jealousy left inside of me when I look at him,¡± Prisci said, not caring if it sounded harsh but she wasn¡¯t going to pretend.


    Edgar did not mind that she did not magicallye to like Alessandra or Alfred. ¡°I would not have believed a single word that left your mouth if you suddenly spoke nicely of Alfred. We are better with the distance between us. I don¡¯t n to rebuild a rtionship with you right now because what happened to Alfred is still fresh and I am angered by it. I cannot guarantee I will ever call you mother again.¡±


    Edgar left the cell and walked over to where a key was hung up before returning to Prisci¡¯s cell. He started to unlock it.


    Prisci¡¯s hands fidgeted from the freedom awaiting her.


    Edgar unlocked the cell but before he opened the door to let her out he said, ¡°Next time I won¡¯t be locking you away. Do not plot on my wife or Alfred. I will bring hell to your doorstep if you disobey this. There are no servants here so go to the guards at the gates and have them prepare a carriage for you.¡±


    Edgar stepped to the side to let her pass by him. He wasn¡¯tpletely sure she had learned her lesson and would stay away from the people he cared for but if she didn¡¯t, he would not hesitate to kill her.


    Prisci rushed out of the cell, her chest feeling light now she was out of that hell hole. Never again would she end up like this.


    ¡°You,¡± Edgar said before she reached the door leading out of the dungeon. ¡°You should cut off what makes your life miserable just as I have. It is not worth it to remain where you are not happy,¡± he advised her.


    Prisci didn¡¯t respond to Edgar¡¯s advice and started walking to be out of the dungeon. She didn¡¯t need to be told to cut Edmund out of her life. She had enough time to think about her cowardly husband. Her ties with the Collins family would end today.

 Chapter 362 - 362 Letters (1)

    362 Letters (1)


    The next day, Alessandra walked slowly downstairs, a yawn escaping her lips as she was still tired. Unlike the day before, the house was back to having servants roaming around. She looked at therge clock as she reached the first floor and found out that it was nearing noon. She had missed breakfast with Edgar who was out of bed by the time she woke up. Of course, he would be perfectly fine the next day.


    ¡°Duchess!¡± Sally called, running to Alessandra from the direction of the dining room. ¡°I wasing to check on you. I would have helped you get dressed if I knew you were awake. The Duke ordered me to keep checking on you.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t in need of assistance this morning,¡± Alessandra said as she would have died of embarrassment if Sally saw the marks covering her body. She had to wear a dress to cover her neck and even her arms. ¡°What time did you return?¡±


    ¡°The time you normally get dressed. I came a littleter with Caleb than the other servants,¡± Sally replied.


    ¡°I see. Do you know where Edgar is? Has he left home?¡± Alessandra asked, hoping he was still around.


    ¡°He was in the dining roomst time I saw him. The dining table was getting changed. It must have been fun for the two of you to be here alone,¡± Sally said, knowing why the table suddenly had to be changed. Caleb wasn¡¯t quiet with his thoughts on why he thought it had to be changed.


    ¡°It was good for it to be just the two of us. Oh, there he is. Excuse me a moment Sally,¡± Alessandra said. She walked toward Edgar who quickly noticed her presence. ¡°Good morning,¡± she greeted him.


    ¡°Good morning. I didn¡¯t expect to see you out of bed so soon. Have you rested enough?¡± He asked as he inspected her appearance. It was amusing to see how she had covered up herself. He didn¡¯t bother to hide where she had kissed his skin.


    ¡°I have rested enough. You haven¡¯t opened the rest of your gifts without me, right? And you hid what I drew for you right?¡± Alessandra asked, fearing the servants might have seen it if Edgar was not quick to move it.


    .....


    ¡°I have not opened anything else and I moved itst night. This I did openst night and I have already responded to it for you,¡± Edgar said, holding out a letter to her.


    Alessandra took the letter which had the seal of the pce on it. After she read the full letter, she said, ¡°My grandmother is in town and wants to meet today. What did you reply?¡±


    ¡°You would like to meet with her. You have anticipated their arrival but I am curious why there is only mention of your grandmother. The court would have informed you if your grandfather passed,¡± Edgar said.


    ¡°Well it was a sudden request for them to disrupt their daily lives ande to speak with me,¡± Alessandra replied, nervously ying with her fingers. It was nearing time for her to see what kind of people her mother¡¯s parents were. She might also receive some answers about her mother¡¯s disappearance. ¡°Where will I be meeting her?¡±


    ¡°Here so you do not have to travel. You must be sore from all that happened yesterday so I thought it was best you stayed at home and if you need me, I wille to you. I am going to give the two of you some privacy to speak with each other in the waiting room. She should be here in two hours. What is wrong? Do you want me to be present?¡± Edgar asked after he noticed her expression.


    ¡°No, I think it is best that I am alone with her. Your presence might scare her. I am just thinking of what wille. If I will be able to move past her absence and have a rtionship with her or if I have another rtive to add to the list of people I should avoid. I am nervous about the person she is and what I might find out about my mother. I won¡¯t think about it until she arrives,¡± Alessandra shook her head to get rid of her worries for now.


    ¡°Hazel will be returning to Lockwood this evening to stay with us. Think about that instead-¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±Alessandra eximed, looking forward to having Hazel as a guest. ¡°I need to make sure her room is perfect before she arrives. Your grandmother is supposed to have dinner with us tonight to celebrate your birthday. I need to start changing around the house to please her. I think I should just change the furniture whenever she visits us in town. It is a waste of money to keep buying new furniture because everyone else does it.¡±


    Edgar thought of his mother¡¯s words about his grandmother wanting to turn Alessandra into the perfect Duchess. She had already given Alessandra a list of things she needed to do as his wife which he hadn¡¯t found necessary. From day one, he wanted Alessandra to do things her way and live life carefree because of what she endured in her father¡¯s house.


    Edgar nned to keep an eye on the things Rose wanted Alessandra to do. He loved his grandmother but he knew how demanding she could be when it came to the family name.


    It was true Alessandra wasn¡¯t the type of woman to marry into their family. Thest time a male rtive married far below his status, he was excluded from family dinners and parties. Edgar still saw him from time to time and the man appeared to be happy.


    Edgar took hold of her hand and twisted the ring on her finger. ¡°Do as you want. If changing furniture or meeting with other wives does not interest you, you do not need to do it to please my grandmother. As for the servants, even though Alfred is fired we won¡¯t be able to stop him from overseeing matters concerning them.¡±


    There was nothing about Alessandra he was going to let anyone change even if it was his grandmother. He didn¡¯t mind anyone helping her to handle her life as the Duchess better but that was where it should stop.


    ¡°Okay but I still want to be helpful to you. You earn the money so the very least I can do is take care of the household. I need to meet with Erin again to go over our ns for a business together. I am going to have breakfast and prepare Hazel¡¯s room until my grandmother arrives. We should also gather the servants and let them see you open their gifts. I will see youter,¡± she tiptoed to kiss him goodbye.


    Alessandra stepped out of his hold before he could try getting more than a simple kiss. After the amount of time they spent tangled up in each other yesterday, he still looked at her as if they had not been together for days.


    ¡°Goodbye,¡± Alessandra hurried away before anything more could happen. She would not be swayed by his charms after she had given all of her yesterday. Her cheeks turned red and she bit her lips as memories of what happened yesterday came back. Alessandra walked in the opposite direction of the dining room as she was not ready to face there yet.


    ¡°You keep forgetting that I enjoy a good chase,¡± Edgar reminded her.

 Chapter 363 - 363 Letters (2)

    363 Letters (2)


    Two hours felt like a day in Alessandra¡¯s opinion. She was tortured while waiting for her grandmother to arrive and could not focus on preparing Hazel¡¯s room. Finally, two hours passed and as Alessandra looked out the window by the front door, an unfamiliar carriage was seen entering the gates.


    She couldn¡¯t wait to get a glimpse of what her grandmother looked like as she could not picture the woman in her mind. Alessandra tried to control her excitement in case she would be let down once she got to meet her grandmother.


    From the window, she watched a slender older woman with shoulder-length hair step out of the carriage. Alessandra noticed they had the same striking green eye color she inherited from her mother.


    ¡°Sally, please open the door,¡± Alessandra said.


    Sally had been standing behind Alessandra the whole time as she needed to aid Alessandra with whatever she wanted. Whether it be bringing drinks, and snacks, or getting Edgar if Alessandra wanted her grandmother gone.


    Sally moved to open the door, rubbing her arms as the cold air immediately nipped at her. She could not wait for winter to be over so there wasn¡¯t a constant need to wear a coat. Sally inspected the woman making her way up the steps and just like Alessandra she couldn¡¯t help but wonder if this woman would be any different than the Barretts.


    ¡°Wee to the house of the Duke and Duchess Collins. They have been anticipating your arrival. Pleasee inside,¡± Sally ushered the woman in.


    Wilma Cromwell was in awe of the position her granddaughter had found herself in by marrying a Duke. She wondered if it was Desmond¡¯s connection that got her granddaughter to marry such a man but what was going on with the inheritance?


    ¡°Duchess Alessandra Collins,¡± Sally pointed to where Alessandra stood.


    .....


    Wilma froze for a moment at the sight of someone who greatly resembled her beloved daughter. There were certain features to distinguish her granddaughter from her daughter but Alessandra did look like a young version of her mother.


    ¡°Hello. It is good to finally see you after all these years. You were so tiny when Ist saw you,¡± Wilma said, her eyes softening as she remembered holding Alessandra when she was a little baby and then once more when Alessandra was a few years older.


    Alessandra could only smile as she did not have any memories of her grandmother. To not be rude she said, ¡°Good afternoon. It is nice to have you here.¡±


    Wilma smiled, feeling like she was being greeted like a stranger but she had to remember she was a stranger to Alessandra. There was so much awkwardness between the two of them that she did not try to make an attempt to hug Alessandra


    ¡°I¡¯ve prepared a space for us to sit and talk. I hope the trip to Lockwood wasn¡¯t too harsh with all the snow,¡± Alessandra said.


    ¡°The snow here is nothingpared to where I live. Is your family home?¡± Wilma asked, curious about Alessandra¡¯s family.


    ¡°Only my husband is home and I have no children yet so it is just the two of us here. What about my grandfather?¡± Alessandra asked as they started to walk to the waiting room.


    ¡°He wanted to visit to see you but his doctor advised us it would not be a good decision. Your grandfather has never had the best health and as the years went on he became weaker. He can no longer leave his bed without someone¡¯s help. He regrets that he cannot be here today,¡± Wilma replied.


    ¡°I see,¡± Alessandra muttered, taken aback by the state of her grandfather. It made sense why they were never in Lockwood.


    Wilma and Alessandra sat on chairs facing each other while Sally left to get something warm for Wilma to drink after traveling in the cold.


    ¡°I am sorry that I have not been around for all these years. We saw you frequently when you were a little baby and then I think it was your third birthday. We didn¡¯t intentionally stay away from you dear,¡± Wilma said, hoping Alessandra understood they did care for her.


    ¡°So,¡± Alessandra started, ready to hear the entire story. ¡°What happened for us to only meet yearster when I am this age?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what exactly happened but Mnie asked us to stop visiting the house often. I didn¡¯t understand why when it wasn¡¯t like my husband and I made constant trips to Lockwood. We visited when your grandfather was well and we wanted to see the two of you. I thought maybe Desmond felt like we would get too involved in his family,¡± Wilma figured because he always looked annoyed when they were present.


    ¡°One day, the gates wouldn¡¯t open for us to see Mnie. We stayed in town a few more days and spoke with your mother on thest day. She told us it wasn¡¯t necessary for us to visit and she would write to us. I didn¡¯t like that but I didn¡¯t want to make trouble for her. Sometimeter, news reached us that Mnie had run away from Desmond so I returned alone. Once again your father would not let me inside the gates or speak to me,¡± Wilma said, bing shaken up as she remembered the fear that something grave happened to her daughter.


    ¡°I went to the guards but there was nothing much they could do. They spoke with Desmond and concluded it was another case of an unhappy wife running away from her husband. I didn¡¯t think that was the case because Mnie had not run ande to me. While we tried to find her, I offered to help raise you but Desmond denied it and warned me to stay out of his and your life.¡±


    ¡°Did you ever try reaching out to me as the years went on?¡± Alessandra asked, needing to know how much Wilma had tried.


    Wilma didn¡¯t understand Alessandra¡¯s question when they hadmunicated over the years. ¡°Of course, I reached out to you. Don¡¯t you remember the letters we sent? I still have the ones you sent back to me. I wanted to visit you but with your grandfather¡¯s health I had to settle for your letters.¡±


    ¡°Letters?¡± Alessandra asked, not having the slightest clue about letters. How could she write to someone she did not know? ¡°I did not send you any letters nor did I read any letters from you.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, dear? For eight straight years, I sent you letters and you always replied. I even sent you gifts on your birthdays. You told me about your love of painting so I would send you brushes, paint, and canvas. Plus a bit of money in case I ever bought the wrong thing. I even brought the letters to show you I saved them. Where?¡± Wilma looked to her side for the letters. ¡°My silly mind. I forgot them in the carriage.¡±


    The more Wilma spoke about letters the more confused Alessandra became. She did receive gifts to paint with but it wasn¡¯t on her birthdays. Her father would bring them to her on normal days as something for her to pass time with.


    ¡®Is it possible that those were my grandmother¡¯s gifts?¡¯ Alessandra thought.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± Wilma said as she stood. ¡°I will get the letters to bring back your memories.¡±

 Chapter 364 - 364 Letters (3)

    364 Letters (3)


    Wilma returned before Alessandra with two stacks of envelopes tied with pretty ribbons. One stack had more letters and it was given to Alessandra first. ¡°These are all the letters you sent to us over the eight years. We would keep them in a box to read over while we awaited another response. One day the letters just stopped and it was wrong of us to note to visit you again when you were older.¡±


    Alessandra untied the ribbon and opened the first letter on the stack. She most definitely did not write any of these but she wanted to see what was sent.


    ¡®Dear grandmother, today I had a wonderful day with my father. We visited the town to find a new dress for me to wear for my ninth birthday party. I saw a pretty doll in town that reminded me of myself but it had red hair. I wanted to buy it but my father said I could not have any more gifts before my birthday. I was sad but I hope I get it on my birthday. I hope I can send you one of my paintings soon. Please write back to me soon, love Alessandra.¡¯


    Alessandra remembered there was a doll with red hair which Kate loved. Kate loved it so much that she stopped ying with it and wanted a room assigned to the doll as it was family in her eyes. She was certain the doll mentioned in the letter was the same as the one Kate had begged their parents for.


    ¡°This letter mentions a doll with red hair. Did you send it to me?¡± Alessandra asked, already figuring out what her father did but wanted to hear Wilma¡¯s answer.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have what is popr in Lockwood back at home so I sent the money just in case your father had not bought the doll,¡± Wilma answered.


    ¡°I see,¡± Alessandra replied, folding the letter as her hatred for her father increased. Of course, he would make use of the situation and take Wilma¡¯s money to spoil Kate.


    Alessandra didn¡¯t care to read the rest of the ridiculous letters which would only rub in her face that Kate got what belonged to her. ¡°I did not write any of these letters or had anyone write them for me. My father didn¡¯t like me speaking with anyone.¡±


    ¡°But they are right there. We have talked,¡± Wilma pointed at the letters which were evidence.


    .....


    ¡°For eight years, my father fooled you. I have never read a letter you sent nor have I replied to you. Without going through all of these letters, I know that I have not received all the gifts you sent me. I am sorry,¡± Alessandra apologize even though she did not have to as she was not the one to wrong Wilma.


    Alessandra felt bad due to the fact Wilma had kept these letters all these years because she thought they came from her granddaughter. The realization that it came from someone else had to hurt as much as Alessandra was angry she was not given any of the letters meant for her. She wondered what else wrong her father had done that she was not aware of.


    ¡°How¡­¡± Wilma started to speak but paused. She needed to wrap her mind around the fact she had been speaking to someone else. Each year she and her husband eagerly awaited these letters to read together. It was their only way of knowing what their granddaughter was doing since they were not allowed to visit her.


    ¡°My father did not want me to get married because he would have to give me my inheritance. I don¡¯t know why he and my mother wanted you to stay away but I am assuming after my mother left he didn¡¯t want the two of you visiting because you might have pushed harder to take me away once you saw my face. If I got married in your care he would have to look for money he did not have,¡± Alessandra exined.


    ¡°What happened to your face?¡± Wilma asked. She inspected Alessadnra¡¯s face and found nothing wrong with it.


    ¡°I used to wear a mask because I wanted to hide scars I got as a child. I started to not wear it at home a few days ago. There is a lot to catch you up on. What are those letters?¡± Alessandra pointed at the smaller stack of letters.


    Wilma was silent for a moment as she regretted not visiting more often to try seeing Alessandra even though Desmond turned him away. She failed as a mother and now she failed as a grandmother. She sniffled, wiping her ears so she could not act like the victim in all of this.


    ¡°These are the few letters your mother sent to me after she left your father. They are the only reason why I could not get your father arrested because she is alive,¡± she said, holding out the letters to Alessandra.


    ¡°If your father kept my letters from you, he must have kept anything your mother sent to you. I don¡¯t know if she sent you a letter. I couldn¡¯t ask her if she did because her address kept changing each time she sent a new letter. She must have been traveling around the kingdom. I don¡¯t know what has gotten in her head for her not to return to see her only child after all these years. I¡¯m sorry,¡± Wilma apologized.


    Alessandra untied the red ribbon and just like Wilma said as she skimmed through the letters, there was a different address on each. Her mother had not stayed in one ce and none of the letters had Lockwood as an address. ¡°Do you know where she is now?¡± She asked.


    Wilma shook her head. ¡°I have not seen my daughter since the day she told us to stop visiting. We learn what she is up to when she sends a letter. I don¡¯t know what I have done for her to not visit us.¡±


    ¡°Why did she marry my father?¡± Alessandra asked.


    ¡°Mnie was a well-sought-after girl because of her beauty. She came to Lockwood to stay with a rtive for a while when it was time for her to find a suitor. Your father started to court her and in the end, she picked him. It did seem like they fell out of love as the days went on but I truly do not know every detail,¡± Wilma said in an apologetic tone. She wished she had more information for Alessandra about Mnie.


    ¡°Your grandfather and I would like to make up for lost time if you would allow us. If he was not so ill we might have been able to travel more. I could, no. I should have gone to the court to get more done to see you. I know money does not solve everything but we want to show you how much we care,¡± Wilma said whilst taking an envelope from her coat and giving it to Alessandra.


    ¡°We had always stated all that we have would be left to you. You can see the date we created our will. We loved you and your mother so much but we were pushed out of your lives. You have this new life so you don¡¯t need to forgive us and ept having-¡±


    ¡°I would like to get to know you, grandmother,¡± Alessandra interjected, not upset with her grandmother.


    With a sick husband, she didn¡¯t expect Wilma to be away from him to fight against her son-inw. Her father should have given her to her grandparents and found a way to get back the inheritance he spent. Her father and silent mother were the ones she was angry at.


    So far, it didn¡¯t seem like Wilma was a bad person. She was just pushed into a space of trying to find her daughter and see her granddaughter while having a sick husband to look after.


    Wilma bit her lip, resisting the urge to cry. For years she thought of seeing Alessandra and now here they were. She had her fears that Alessandra would not want to have a rtionship with her. It was a chance she would not waste.


    Alessandra ced the letters created by the lies of her father to the side. ¡°What do you wish to know about me, grandmother?¡±

 Chapter 365 - 365 Letters (4)

    365 Letters (4)


    ¡°We also have two kittens that were a gift to me from Edgar. They are two little traitors who onlye to me when Edgar is not around. I was thinking of convincing him to get another who would love me more but I don¡¯t think the other two would get along with a neer in their space. Maybe a dog will be more suited. I¡¯m sorry if I am rambling,¡± Alessandra apologized when she caught herself talking about something off-topic.


    ¡°No no. I enjoy hearing every little detail of your life. I also have a cat I have had for five years now. It was a gift to my husband to keep himpany when I had to leave the house. You should see the two of them in bed together. Sometimes I think the cat stole my husband,¡± Wilma chuckled.


    ¡°See, there are such traitors. I¡¯m not sure where they would be right now since they have so many areas to y around. Sooner orter they will hunt Sally down for food,¡± Alessandra said, briefly ncing at Sally who looked terrified now.


    ¡®I hope not,¡¯ Sally thought as she wanted to avoid the two little things when they were hungry. It was hard to believe two kittens were being fed and cared for better than most people.


    ¡°Edgar named the two of them but I don¡¯t n to let them keep the names. It is time I bring Edgar to meet you. I think we¡¯ve chatted long enough and he must be worried about how our meeting is going. I will find him-¡±


    ¡°Let me,¡± Sally offered so Alessandra would not have to leave in the middle of her conversation. She wanted to stretch her legs in her search for Edgar. She was sitting around listening to Alessandra and Wilma but her feet needed to be woken up now.


    Alessandra wanted to be the one to find Edgar and tell him Wilma was nice so there wasn¡¯t a need for him to have his guard up but considering how long she was speaking with Wilma, he should be able to guess the conversation was going well. Hopefully. She didn¡¯t want scary antisocial Edgar to show up first.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, in the end deciding to let Sally go.


    ¡°My palms are sweating,¡± Wilma said, rubbing her hands in her dress to dry them


    .....


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about meeting Edgar. I don¡¯t know if you have heard anything about him. He likes to joke around a lot but don¡¯t let it get to you. It is his way of having fun. He¡¯s not the type to enjoy being around other people so don¡¯t take his closed-off behavior as him not liking you. He is a really good person once you get to know him,¡± Alessandra said, certain the two would like each other.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about your husband. When I arrived in town, I just settled down and then came here so I didn¡¯t have much time to ask around about him or you. I do know his father Edmund Collins. He was the young gentleman all the girls were trying to marry but he quickly became engaged to his now wife. It must be the same for Edgar given his title,¡± Wilma said, looking around at the grand room.


    ¡°Yes, Edgar had and still has many admirers. Sometimes I can¡¯t help but wonder how I was able to snag him. Thankfully, his desire to not get married kept him a bachelor until we met each other,¡± Alessandra replied.


    ¡°What of your younger sister? Kate was it? Has she gotten married too?¡± Wilma inquired, interested to know about the daughter of the woman who reced Mnie. She had never seen Kate or Katrina.


    ¡°I do not keep up with news about my stepmother or sister so I do not know if she is engaged, already married, or not. I don¡¯t like to think about the two of them. If you ever meet the two of them you will see why.¡±


    ¡°I have no reason to meet with the two of them. It was your father I would have wanted to speak to but I have missed that chance. Thank heavens he has died or I would have killed him myself if I ever got close to him. I am sorry dear,¡± Wilma covered her mouth as it was Alessandra¡¯s father she was speaking so harshly about.


    Alessandra didn¡¯t mind Wilma¡¯s words considering she had told Edgar to go ahead with killing her father. ¡°It is alright. Given how he had lied and treated both of us, you are free to want to strangle him. I have thought about it many times.¡±


    ¡°Not like I have. You have no idea how shocked we were to learn that you had not received your inheritance. There were items I had given your mother to be passed onto you. Honestly, your father had his nose in the air but turned around and stole the things your mother left for you. That low-down bastard. I used to hate how he made it sound like he was above your mother because of his title. Our family had more money than his and didn¡¯t need the title,¡± Wilma argued, bing angry as she thought about the past.


    Alessandra was curious about the wealth on her mother¡¯s side. She had never sat and thought about the fact her mother was ady from a good family. She always focused on her father¡¯s finances. She was looked down on because her father had run his house into the ground but she had another family with perhaps a better status.


    Although she was curious, Alessandra didn¡¯t want to ask about it now in case it seemed like she was looking for what she could gain from this new reunion. Wilma already handed her a will she had not read through.


    ¡°I think the problem with your father was his title. He would have been better off if the king had not named him Baron. His new status in society made him have to keep up appearances. He made his home bigger, had to have the finest clothes and so did your mother, and did everything he could to be where everyone with a title gathered. I liked my daughter being spoiled but your father wanted too much attention,¡± Wilma exined.


    Alessandra already knew about her father¡¯s love of attention. He loved showing that he had a perfect life and when she didn¡¯t fit what he wanted to show others, she was reced with Kate.


    Alessandra wished Kate would have realized that their father only cared about her beauty. If something had happened to Kate, their father would have tossed her to the side too. Instead of his daughters, they were viewed more like essories. Like a ne for example. When that ne became broken instead of fixing it, their father ced it in a box and moved on to the other.


    ¡°He was such a good man before. He did so many good things for the kingdom which earned his title. As soon as he got it, he slowly stopped caring about good deeds and more about his peers¡¯ opinions of him. I remember one year long after he had remarried, he sent us a letter asking for money to help raise you. I requested I get to see you but he never replied. That fool,¡± Wilma muttered.


    She could not believe someone could have such audacity. To force her away from her granddaughter but still want money when Alessandra was not even getting the gifts or money she sent. If only she could dig up his grave and give him a couple of ps he might feel wherever his soul is.


    Wilma moved to sit beside Alessandra on the same couch and held her hands. ¡°I am sorry for what you endured in your father¡¯s house but it is good to see you have a kind heart. I have been searching for your mother for years but I will try harder to reunite the two of you.¡±


    ¡°Honestly, you do not have to for my sake. It does not make me happy that someone has to search for my mother and bring her back to the daughter she left. What is making her so happy that she remains away from her mother and daughter? I will be forgiving if she probably found herself in trouble and therefore she could not see either of us but if that is not the case, I do not want to see her,¡± Alessandra said, standing firm on her decision.


    She came to this conclusion long ago and she was not going to change her mind.


    Wilma didn¡¯t like how Mnie had note back to see her daughter. From the letters, it sounded like she was happy so it wasn¡¯t like she was in trouble. If only there was a way to find out where Mnie lived now and send her a letter about Desmond¡¯s death and Alessandra¡¯s sad life.


    Wilma felt guilty for not being one hundred percent honest with Alessandra as she had kept one letter away. A letter Mnie sent about another grandchild Wilma had. She didn¡¯t want Alessandra to learn her mother had started another family somewhere in the kingdom. She didn¡¯t want to see Alessandra sad to learn her mother left her alone but ended up raising another child elsewhere.


    ¡°I am going to find her. I promise,¡± Wilma said, making a note to use whatever she could to search the kingdom for her daughter again. ¡°You should get to see her, hear her side, and voice what you felt about her leaving you alone. She deserves to be yelled at and scolded. I would have epted her not ever appearing before me if she took you with her.¡±

 Chapter 366 - 366 Don鈥檛 worry (1)

    366 Don¡¯t worry (1)


    ¡°Good afternoon,¡± Edgar said as soon as he entered the room. He gave Wilma a quick look over to see the type of person she was. He noticed her holding Alessandra¡¯s hand and Alessandra giving him a look as if warning him to be nice. He was always nice so he didn¡¯t see the need for the warning. ¡°It is nice to meet you, Mrs. Cromwell,¡± he held out his hand to greet her.


    Wilma covered her mouth with her hand as she took in the beautiful sight of Alessandra¡¯s charming husband. He certainly was the son of Edmund Collins and the grandson of Theodore Collins who was a hot topic in her youth. It must be inevitable for all of the men of this family to be handsome.


    ¡°Pardon my manners,¡± she snapped out of her trance and stood to shake his hands. ¡°It is nice to meet you too, Duke Collins.¡±


    ¡°You can call me Edgar and don¡¯t worry, you are not the first person to be caught off guard by my looks. It is what made Alessandra fall for me,¡± Edgar replied, taking the chance to annoy Alessandra.


    ¡®Why is he telling lies?¡¯ Alessandra thought.


    ¡°I can tell you stood out among your peers but I am sure that is not the only reason she fell for you and likewise. I thought of bringing the two of you a wedding gift but I didn¡¯t want to feel like I was winning you over with gifts and Alessandra told me it was your birthday yesterday. Happy bted birthday. I hoped you enjoyed it,¡± Wilma said, wishing she had bought the gifts.


    ¡°I did. Your granddaughter took care of me well,¡± Edgar answered, enjoying the sight of Alessandra squirming in her seat. ¡°How is your reunion going?¡±


    Alessandra wanted to get out of her seat and sew Edgar¡¯s mouth shut but she calmed her annoyance to not ruin the moment. ¡°It is going well. I learned she was sending me letters over the years but they were never given to me. She sent gifts I am certain Kate received and also money. Someone was sending her letters acting as me.¡±


    ¡°Really? I have met all types of people but I think your family is on another level. Did you find out about your mother¡¯s whereabouts?¡± Edgar asked as it was the most unsolved mystery.


    .....


    ¡°No,¡± Alessandra shook her head. ¡°There are letters she sent to my grandmother which I will read on my own time but that is all. The letters were sent from different towns so it is not certain where she resides.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure they were from your daughter? What would have stopped Desmond from sending you fake letters from your daughter?¡± Edgar asked, wanting to make sure they were legit first.


    ¡°The letters detailed things only my daughter would know. It is not possible for anyone to fake them,¡± Wilma replied. There was nothing off about the letters which had Mnie¡¯s handwriting she would never forget.


    ¡°Write down the address and the dates of the letters in order. I might be able to trace her tracks and find where she settled. I will need a portrait of her. Perhaps thest one you have of her,¡± Edgar said, sure of himself he could find her from these letters alone. He could use the court to search the towns more quickly.


    ¡°I brought along a portrait of her for Alessandra. You can have it to aid your search. I also brought a portrait of Alessandra as a child and created of you with your mother. They were gifts for my birthday from your mother. If it is alright with you, I can bring them back tomorrow,¡± said Wilma, indirectly asking for permission toe again.


    ¡°Instead, I would love to visit where you are staying. If Edgar doesn¡¯t mind, we are having dinner tonight to celebrate his birthday. I would love it if you stay to enjoy dinner. There is so much more I want to know about you. Is that alright, Edgar?¡± Alessandra looked at him with pleading eyes. There was so much more about the Cromwells she wanted to learn about.


    ¡°It is fine with me,¡± Edgar honestly replied. He liked seeing Alessandra excited to spend time with her grandmother. It was about time she had a rtive whosepany she could enjoy. ¡°Your husband was unable to join us?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, his illness has gotten the better of him. It is hard for us to travel around or even move because the doctors who treated him for many years reside in our town. I try not to disrupt his treatment. Winter is a terrible time for him to move around so I apologize if his absence displeases-¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t,¡± Edgar cut in to stop her from apologizing for having to leave her sick husband behind. ¡°I don¡¯t know much about either of you so I thought he might have been busy with work. Just for my knowledge, are you the Cromwells who own mines?¡±


    ¡°My husband¡¯s older brother deals with the mines but there are a few in my husband¡¯s name. I deal with all the paperwork and finances for my husband. Have you ever visited the mines?¡± Wilma questioned, racking her mind to remember if she had ever met him.


    ¡°No, but I have heard of your family having luck with gold a few years back.¡±


    ¡°Oh yes. It was quite the year for us. We thought the mines were empty and almost stopped sending workers inside but then gold was found. We don¡¯t stumble upon much these days but it is enough to bring some ie to our home. I would love for the two of you to visit one day to see the family businesses. I have a business making fine china. A skilled pass down from a rtive who once traveled the world,¡± said Wilma.


    ¡°This sounds like you and Alfred will get along well,¡± Alessandra chuckled as she pictured Alfred getting excited to have someone to talk to about tes and other things.


    ¡°Who is Alfred? You said it is just the two of you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how he skipped my mind. Alfred raised Edgar from when he was a little boy. He used to be the butler but now he is officially part of the family. He is currently staying with Edgar¡¯s grandmother but he will return this evening for dinner. Would you like a tour of the home now? I can show you the paintings I made,¡± Alessandra said in a calm tone to try to mask how much she wanted Wilma to say yes.


    ¡°I would love to but we just called for your husband and he has only just sat down,¡± Wilma reminded Alessandra.


    She feared the Duke would be angry with the two of them for disrupting his time but when she nced at him, she noticed he appeared amused. She followed his line of sight and found his eyes glued to Alessandra who was watching her.


    She didn¡¯t have to worry about no love between the two. Wilma only hoped the love would never fade as it did with Mnie and Desmond.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind. You should go on the tour before her excitement chokes the two of us. I have one request for both of you. Can you keep the Cromwellst name and your business a secret when the guest arrives for the party?¡± Edgar requested as he wanted to test out what his mother was saying about his grandmother.


    Edgar wanted to see what his grandmother was telling Alessandra without knowing her mother¡¯s side had a good amount of wealth from their mines and he knew Wilma had a sessful business as coincidentally, the te Alessandra broke and tried to hide from Alfred was created from a member of the Cromwell family.


    The Cromwells weren¡¯t well known here in Lockwood unless you were interested in mines but a few of the rtives were great craftsmen. Not all of the Cromwells had ownership of the mines and they liked to be secretive about who did. He figured Wilma admitted to her husband¡¯s share as it might be Alessandra¡¯s.


    ¡°Why?¡± Alessandra asked as the peopleing to dinner wouldn¡¯t bber about Wilma¡¯s business.


    ¡°I did some digging into your family to find Alessandra¡¯s mother but I wasn¡¯t informed of your hand in making china or your ownership in the mines. Your family seems to dislike showing off your wealth. This means the people we invite won¡¯t know much about you. There is something I want to test out so I need the two of you to trust me,¡± Edgar said, needing them to be silent so his n would not fail.


    Alessandra didn¡¯t see what he could test out from this but she had no other choice except trust him. She would learn of itter. ¡°We should start the tour now,¡± Alessandra said, letting it go for now.


    Wilma didn¡¯t mind not speaking about her business to their guests as it was the norm to keep their business life private from anyone other than family. She stood up with Alessandra to start the tour of the home.

 Chapter 367 - 367 Don鈥檛 worry (2)

    367 Don¡¯t worry (2)


    The day went by quickly for Alessandra and Wilma. For Edgar, Wilma served as the perfect distraction for Alessandra while he, Caleb, and Reed finished plotting the night they would infiltrate William¡¯s house the moment William returned to town. As much as Edgar didn¡¯t like keeping things from Alessandra it was best she didn¡¯t know too much about his ns.


    The time of evening soon fell on Lockwood and unknown to anyone else but Edgar, the king, and queen had returned from their vacation.


    Hazel was confused when they passed the pce and were on their way to where Edgar lived. Tobias kept avoiding her questions at first but eventually said they were going to celebrate Edgar¡¯s birthday. Hazel knew Tobias well enough that if they were just going for Edgar¡¯s birthday he wouldn¡¯t have been able to keep his mouth shut about it from the moment they departed. What was with the secrecy at first?


    Hazel knew something was up but could not figure it out just yet. Still, she looked forward to seeing Alessandra and hearing about how Edgar spent his birthday. If she were Edgar, she knew how she would have spent a birthday when there was such a cute wife around.


    ¡°We are here,¡± Tobias¡¯s excitement interrupted her thoughts and turned her attention to the giant house on her side.


    Hazel turned to Tobias and asked, ¡°Should I honestly get concerned about how excited you can get when ites to Edgar? I tend to get jealous and it annoys me.¡±


    ¡°You do not. If I had to pick between you and Edgar it would always be you. Well, unless the matter concerned war and issues with the men in the pce but everything else is you,¡± Tobias replied.


    ¡°How wonderful,¡± Hazel muttered.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Tobias said, missing that she was being sarcastic. ¡°In a few days, you get to celebrate the birth of your wonderful husband. My parents will be returning from their quiet life to be at the ball. I need to see what has been nned when I get back.¡±


    .....


    ¡°I¡¯m sure there will be a lot for me to look over. Making sure this all goes as nned is my job. We are back from a break to go straight to work. It is better than having to entertain arge group of women again. I¡¯ll need to see if my parents are in town. Thest letter they sent to me said they were going to pay a quick visit to my sister. It doesn¡¯t seem like her husband wants to visit our side. What an ass,¡± Hazel cursed as it was just her and Tobias alone.


    ¡°He is insufferable to be around. I don¡¯t see what your sister fell in love with and why you aren¡¯t honest with her choice when you are around her,¡± said Tobias.


    ¡°I feel like there is still some lingering anger on her side since she did not be queen. Sisters are not exempt from bad feuds when ites to finding a husband. She and I are on good terms now so I don¡¯t want to ruin it by telling her how much I dislike her husband. She will bring up me stealing you away,¡± Hazel sighed, leaning back in her seat.


    ¡°I never liked your sister so you did not steal me away from her. My eyes went straight to you and I thought I made that quite clear by always showing up by your side. Then again, your sister was always by your side and I was kind to her to get you to like me. Oh,¡± Tobias realized when he must have given her sister false hope. ¡°She has a beautiful sister. She should have asked which sister you thought I was courting. What would you have said?¡±


    ¡°Her,¡± Hazel honestly replied. ¡°I thought I was failing at catching your attention and my sister was more prepared to be queen. She prepared for the selection process better than I did. I only noticed your feelings from the first flowers you gave me and soon after you said you already had your queen picked and looked straight at me.¡±


    ¡°Admit it that before then you had already fallen for me. Go on.¡±


    ¡°The day you tell me what you and one of the candidates did in the library when you had your separate time with her,¡± Hazel said.


    Tobias bit his lip. It wasn¡¯t fair for her to bring up something that happened before her group ofdies came to the pce. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived at the steps so I think it is time we cut this conversation short. Let me get the door for you,¡± Tobias said, quickly opening his door to get away from the question that haunted him from time to time.


    ¡°Yes you do that,¡± Hazel spoke loud enough for him to hear as he went around the carriage and stopped by her door. Sometimes his flirtatious past irritated her but it was useful when she wanted him to shut up. ¡°Thank you,¡± she epted his hand to get out of the carriage when he opened her door.


    ¡°Dominic is here but I don¡¯t know who the other carriage belongs to. It is not like Edgar to have strangers in his home. I like to think I know all of his close friends and rtives so who the hell is that,¡± Tobias said, scratching the back of his head as he tried to ce who the unfamiliar carriage belonged to. ¡°Maybe there is a family seal or g.¡±


    Hazel pulled Tobias back close to her before he could leave her to inspect the carriage. ¡°Don¡¯t go snooping around like a crazy person. You are the king and will find out who is here when we go inside. I don¡¯t want to exin why the king is searching someone¡¯s carriage.¡±


    ¡°I am not going inside with you so- shit,¡± Tobias cursed as he revealed it differently than how he nned.


    Just then, Edgar opened the door.


    Tobias couldn¡¯t be more happier with Edgar¡¯s timing to change the subject. ¡°Have you be the butler now that Alfred is resting-¡±


    ¡°What do you mean you are not going inside? Aren¡¯t we here to celebrate his birthday? What is going on?¡± Hazel questioned, only now looking over her shoulder to see her luggage being taken off the carriage while Tobias¡¯s was nowhere to be found.


    She was not paying attention to the fact that all of Tobias¡¯s luggage and most of her own were packed in the other carriage which was nowhere in sight. It had to be on the way to the pce.


    ¡°Tobias, why are my things being taken off the carriage? Am I spending the night here?¡± Hazel asked as that was what it started to appear to be happening.


    ¡°Help me,¡± Tobias mouthed to Edgar. He had a good way to tell Hazel of his ns but he slipped and didn¡¯t know how to suddenly inform her of someone potentially stopping her from having a child. She was supposed to see Alessandra and then he would throw out the idea of her staying here for a while to spend time with Alessandra.


    ¡°Not my problem,¡± Edgar replied, leaving the front door for Tobias to take care of his own issue.

 Chapter 368 - 368 Don鈥檛 worry (3)

    368 Don¡¯t worry (3)


    ¡°Tobias, what is happening? What is being said or done concerning me? Do not keep in the dark. Do they want you to take another woman already?¡± Hazel asked as this wasn¡¯t new. The men in the court, specifically those with daughters of age, tended to create a lot of noise to convince Tobias to take another woman. ¡°I told you I am fine with it.¡±


    ¡°That is not it, Hazel. I wanted to avoid you learning of this but I suspect someone might be preventing you from getting pregnant. I don¡¯t know how they got past the royal taste-¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Hazel asked in a low voice as she stared up at Tobias. It was nothing new inside the pce but she didn¡¯t think it would ever happen to her. She always assumed it was her body. ¡°What made you think this?¡±


    ¡°Grant¡¯s sudden interest in me taking Linda to be my mistress. It works out perfectly for him if you cannot bear an heir to the throne. He has been pushing for Linda to officially enter the pce and he¡¯s starting to get a lot of support. I¡¯m going to inspect everyone who tends to you. It might affect your friendship with Linda but I am not going to leave Grant alone,¡± Tobias said, giving her a heads up since it might affect her friendship.


    ¡°Grant? It is one thing to push Linda to share my husband but to prevent me from having a child is another. I looked at him as a grandfather for as long as I¡¯ve known Linda. I yed around in his house with her. How could he do this to me?¡± Hazel asked, her voice raising with each word.


    ¡°It is what happens when someone desires the throne. It could still be anyone else or maybe I am wrong but I am going with my gut feeling to inspect this thoroughly. I don¡¯t want you to see what I will do,¡± Tobias said as he caressed her hair. ¡°So please stay here with Edgar until it is time for my ball.¡±


    ¡°I want to speak with Linda. She should be back in town with her brothers and father by now. There is no way she couldn¡¯t have known about her grandfather¡¯s plot. At least to make her enter the pce. If you want me to stay here, promise me you¡¯ll have here to me. Immediately,¡± Hazel said in a firm tone.


    These days it seemed like something was happening back to back to shake up a friendship she greatly cherished. Sometimes Linda was more like a sister than her own blood sister was. Hazel wanted to keep trusting Linda was in the dark about all of this but her heart would only rest once she spoke with Linda. It was oddly convenient how Linda was out of town when all of the talks about her being barren were once againing up. Linda never missed Grant¡¯s winter party as she did this year.


    ¡°You must have my father return to Lockwood right away. I don¡¯t care how much my sister will be against it. I need him here now,¡± Hazel said since her father had enough influence in the pce to defend her.


    .....


    ¡°I will get both of them for you. Do not do anything reckless and remain in Edgar¡¯s care. I will make the pce safe for you to return to. Please don¡¯t tell me you are angry with me,¡± Tobias said, not wanting this to ruin the peace they had.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like the fact you didn¡¯t tell me about this before we got here. I would have understood you and you know that. I am not angry at you, I am just tired of whates with sitting on the throne. The moment you find out even the slightest evidence I might have been fed something please send for me. I want to see who was working for who and why. Going up against Grant will not be easy so you better be safe or I will kill you with my bare hands,¡± Hazel warned him, but her touch was gentlepared to her words.


    Tobias smiled as only Hazel would threaten to kill him if he allowed anyone to defeat him. ¡°You act as if your husband has ever lost a battle. I will be fine. Grant underestimates me because he still views me as a boy. The Duchess must be waiting for you,¡± he said, opening the door behind Hazel. ¡°I can¡¯t stay as it is time wasted I could be carrying out my inspection. I will visit you soon,¡± he kissed her forehead.


    Hazel rested her head against his chest and closed hers as she needed a moment more with him before going inside.


    Tobias hugged Hazel, ignoring Edgar and Alessandra watching them from the stairs. He was curious about Alessandra¡¯sck of a mask but Hazel was his main concern ¡°I am sorry I have not protected you as well as I thought. It will not happen again,¡± he apologized. The trouble at the border and the constantints from his court had distracted him from figuring out the reason behind theirck of an heir.


    ¡°You have protected me well. It doesn¡¯t help that there is an enemy at every corner. Don¡¯t worry about me, Tobias. Return to the pce and get rid of as many enemies as you can. I don¡¯t want to keep you hold up any longer,¡± Hazel said, stepping out of his hold to not keep him back. She looked inside Edgar¡¯s home and found Alessandra waiting for her beside Edgar.


    Hazel left Tobias¡¯s side without another word or a kiss goodbye as it would make it harder for her to let him return to the pce without her.


    Edgar walked past Hazel to go to Tobias to hear of his ns.


    ¡°Edgar, what kind of friend are you?¡± Tobias asked in a hushed tone. ¡°I could have used some backup to tell her.¡±


    ¡°The type who is not going to get in the middle of you telling your wife the truth. Do not pull me into your problems. I am already keeping an eye on her and I already feel annoyed about the constant letters you will send, wanting to know what she is doing as if she is not safe here. Are you sure you will be fine cleaning out the pce yourself? I can join you or you can take Dominic,¡± Edgar said, offering his help.


    Grant and some of the men in the court weren¡¯t easy enemies which were why they were still alive.


    Tobias stepped to the side to let Hazel¡¯s luggage be ced inside. ¡°No. I already have a n and as luck would have it, Linda¡¯s father is against her entering the pce so he will support me against his father. The man does love his daughter more than anything else. You need to continue your n to strike William. He is one of Grant¡¯s new strong supporters and I need him gone.¡±


    ¡°If you need help just send for me and I wille to help you. Do not get yourself killed. There is no one else I can tolerate as king if you die,¡± Edgar replied.


    ¡°Would it kill you to just say you care for my well-being, Edgar?¡± Tobias asked as he watched Hazel with Alessandra.


    ¡°I just did. Read between the lines. You should leave now before you are unable to leave her. I will take care of her in your absence. Quite frankly better than how you took care of my wife as I returned to her with a bruise on her head from a stone.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re never going to let that go, aren¡¯t you? Fine, I am off. Oh, happy birthday Edgar. I¡¯ll bring a gift next time,¡± Tobias said as he walked down the steps to get his carriage. His smile fell as his anger came back. It was a hard task to appear calm while he was boiling with anger on the inside as he thought of who was harming his wife.

 Chapter 369 - 369 Perfect (1)

    369 Perfect (1)


    ¡°It is good to see you again, Alessandra. I need to ask a favor of you. Please distract me. There is a lot about the pce on my mind but I don¡¯t want to think about it as I might go insane. Please help me take my mind off my troubles,¡± Hazel requested as she was on the verge of having a mental breakdown.


    Alessandra was more than happy to help Hazel ignore what was weighing her mind. She could look at Hazel and see n her face how tired she was. ¡°I will. You¡¯ve arrived just in time for dinner to celebrate Edgar¡¯s birthday so there will be a few guests to distract you. You might be interested in knowing I have reconnected with my grandmother from my mother¡¯s side.¡±


    ¡°Reconnected? Did the two of you not get along at one point?¡± Hazel asked as she did not know the backstory. She was aware Alessandra had not seen her mother in years.


    ¡°No. My father didn¡¯t want her around me and only now that I was not able to receive my inheritance did the court contact her and she came to see me. She thought I was sending letters to her so we knew each other but that was a lie.¡±


    ¡°Uhm, that is a lot to take in. Your life certainly is full of enough distractions for me to ignore my own problems. What was she like?¡± Hazel asked, curious about how seeing her grandmother went.


    ¡°She is a nice woman I would have liked to have around-¡±


    ¡°Oh my goodness!¡± Hazel suddenly screamed, startling Alessandra and causing two maids to run out to see what happened. ¡°Your mask,¡± she whispered softly with her hand covering her mask. It took her a moment to figure out what was extremely odd.


    Alessandra ced her hand on her chest to calm her racing heart. ¡°I thought it would be the first thing anyone noticed. How did you miss that I am not wearing a mask?¡± She asked.


    ¡°My mind was elsewhere until I started to focus on what you were saying and then when I looked at your face, no mask. When did this happen and why did you hide your face?¡± Hazel asked, reaching out to poke Alessandra¡¯s once-hidden cheek. ¡°It is so soft.¡±


    .....


    ¡°I stopped wearing the mask at home recently and my skin is soft because I have been using a cream from the pce. Though your reaction was dyed I have to say it was better than Dominic¡¯s. My next goal is to leave home without a mask. I am still getting used to the fact there are no scars on my face so there is no reason to hide it,¡± Alessandra replied, touching where Hazel poked her.


    ¡°Scars? Who hurt you? Are they still alive given the fact you have an obsessive crazy husband who would kill a fly fornding on you?¡± Hazel asked.


    Alessandra chuckled, imagining Edgar trying to kill a fly for touching her. ¡°It happened in my youth with Kate. I don¡¯t want to get too far into it because then my mood will be ruined.¡±


    ¡°I understand. My oh my. I can¡¯t wait to see Edgar¡¯s jealous side when you go out without your mask. Hopefully, you reach the strength to leave home without it for Tobias¡¯s birthday ball so I will be present.¡± Hazel wanted to witness this new side of Edgar.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why everyone wants to see Edgar¡¯s jealous side. As his wife, I don¡¯t want to see it again. I¡¯d rather no one does something foolish to upset him,¡± Alessandra replied, hoping her face reveal end without anyone being punched.


    ¡°Trust me, it can get you pumped up to see your husband jealous. They get all touchy and overprotective. It is cute to witness and perhaps you might find yourself pulling him into a bathroom,¡± Hazel touched her exposed neck for Alessandra to catch on to what she was saying. ¡°Aw, look at your little blush. How are you still a shy little thing when you have Edgar as your husband? If there is ever a time you need advice, you cane to me. I am hardly a prude.¡±


    ¡°Thank you-¡±


    Alessandra¡¯s words were cut shut by Rose¡¯s voiceing from by the door. ¡°Happy birthday, Edgar! It is a shame I didn¡¯t get to spend it with you like we do every year but I suppose this dinner will make up for it.¡±


    Hazel was pleasantly surprised to see Rose Collins here in Lockwood. ¡°Alessandra, do you remember what we talked about? With you bing a social queen? I hope you have asked Rose to help you. She has a better connection with her peers to get you closer to their granddaughters. I heard about her days when she lived in Lockwood. There¡¯s a thing or two we can both learn from her,¡± she said as she watched Rose kiss Edgar¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°She has already offered to help me be a better Duchess. I¡¯ve changed my mind about hosting a party as Rose thinks I must be more social,¡± Alessandra said.


    ¡°I agree but you should still keep to yourself, especially after you were hit in the head. First, we should have a sleepover with close friends now that I am spending a week here. You have met a few youngdies who can be your lifelong friends. Rose Collins,¡± Hazel greeted Rose when the older woman approached them.


    ¡°Queen Hazel,¡± Rose bowed her head. ¡°What a wonderful surprise to see here. I passed your husband leaving the gates a moment ago. I would have loved to spend some time with the king and queen together. As luck would have it I just might be in town for the king¡¯s ball.¡±


    ¡°I look forward to seeing you there and spending time with you at dinner. Alessandra, where is my room so I can get out of this dress I traveled around in and prepare for dinner?¡± Hazel asked, in desperate need to freshen up.


    ¡°Your room is on the second floor. I¡¯ve picked out a maid to aid you in getting dressed and whatever you may need. I don¡¯t know where she is now but oh, Sally!¡± Alessandra called to Sally who was heading toward the kitchen with Caleb by her side. ¡°Please take Hazel to her room and find Tiara to stay by he side.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Duchess. Please follow me,¡± Sally said as she walked up to Hazel to take her upstairs. Her heart rushed from being in the presence of royalty and hoped she wouldn¡¯t faint like what happened the first time she saw the king up close.


    Alessandra watched Sally leave with Hazel and then her eyes lingered on Edgar standing at the door with Alfred.


    ¡°You mustn¡¯t call the queen by her name,¡± Rose scolded Alessandra. ¡°And you should have made sure the maid you picked out was nearby so you wouldn¡¯t have to search for her. You spoke too casually before the queen, especially to your maid. Edgar informed me of the queen staying here for a few days. I am contemting staying here during those days to help you be a proper host.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. The queen and I are used to speaking casually around each other so when there is no audience, I don¡¯t refer to her as queen Hazel. She is alright with it,¡± Alessandra exined but she bit her lips after the look she received from Rose. It was like she was caught with her hand in a cookie jar and she was about to be scolded.


    ¡°No matter what setting you are in, you must always speak properly. You will slip up in front of others if you keep referring to her without her title. Some will be jealous of your closeness to the queen while others find it disrespectful. I noticed you have not taken my advice to redecorate the house. I thought you listened well and would have done it before I arrived to impress me,¡± Rose said, greatly disappointed in Alessandra.


    Alessandra didn¡¯t seem to be taking this seriously in her eyes.


    ¡°I intended to start but I had to prepare for Hazel- the queen¡¯s arrival,¡± Alessandra quickly corrected herself. ¡°And I had a visit from a rtive. Honestly, I think it is unnecessary to change furniture which is perfectly fine. Edgar and I don¡¯t mind it-¡±


    ¡°You must be used to looking at the same old things in your father¡¯s home but it ismon for those who can afford to change around their homes as the seasons change. Anyone who is used to such a thing will talk after they visit this home,¡± said Rose.


    ¡°Well, we do not receive guests other than family and friends. No one else has spoken about the furniture. I assure you when it is needed I will change the furniture,¡± Alessandra said, hoping the issue would be solved with this. She was ready for Edgar¡¯s dinner to start soon so they could celebrate together.


    ¡°I mind the furniture,¡± Rose sighed, slightly annoyed by Alessandra not understanding her. ¡°Dear child you need to be perfect so no one will think about your back-¡±


    ¡°Alessandra,¡± Edgar interrupted the conversation, taking hold of Alessandra¡¯s hand to bring attention to himself. ¡°Alfred has something he wants to tell you urgently.¡±

 Chapter 370 - 370 Perfect (2)

    370 Perfect (2)


    ¡°Alessandra and I were having a conversation. I am sure Alfred is not in a rush to interrupt us. It would be unlike him,¡± Rose said, looking at Alfred speaking with a maid. It didn¡¯t seem like he wanted Alessandra.


    ¡°I am taking her away because I want to,¡± Edgar replied, leading Alessandra away from his grandmother. There was a lot he wanted to say but now was not the time when dinner was about to start soon. He already knew it would not be a conversation his grandmother would take well.


    ¡°Edgar!¡± Rose called to him as his behavior was absurd. ¡°Alessandra,¡± she turned to the young woman in hopes she would get Edgar to leave her be to speak with Alessandra.


    Unfortunately, Alessandra was grateful for Edgar suddenly wanting her as the conversation about the furniture she did not want to change and referring to Hazel by her name would be over. She would hear more of itter but as of right now, she wanted to only focus on Edgar and the people here for him.


    ¡°We can finish our conversation after dinner,¡± Alessandra said, not stopping Edgar from taking her away. She realized Alfred did not want her when they walked right past him and started to go upstairs. ¡°Where are we going, Edgar?¡±


    ¡°To have a quick chat without being interrupted,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Does it have something to do with your grandmother bringing up my background? You interrupted her but I knew where she was going. I am not offended by it if that is what you are pulling me aside to ask. I knew from day one I came into this marriage with nothing to offer you though I thought my father being a baron didn¡¯t make my background that bad,¡± Alessandra said. She still came from a decent household.


    Alessandra was already prepared for anyone to point out the distance between her and Edgar. She just didn¡¯t think it would be Rose. ¡°I should have paid more attention to making the house better for her arrival. I don¡¯t want this to spoil your evening,¡± she added.


    ¡°You are not the one ruining it. It¡¯s the person who is making my mother right. I detest it whenever my mother is right. If changing furniture regrly is not something you care to do then just say it. You do not have to do everything she asks of you because she is my grandmother,¡± Edgar said, knowing it was the reason she was going along with what Rose wanted. She didn¡¯t want to upset one of the few rtives he was close to.


    .....


    ¡°I did try to say it is not something I want to do a moment ago but it wasn¡¯t taken well. Rose is quite stubborn when ites to this so I do not think it will be easy for me to get past this without making her even more upset. Your birthday dinner is not the right time for this so I hope it won¡¯t be brought up again,¡± Alessandra said.


    Celebrating Edgar¡¯s birthday should not be overshadowed by something as silly as changing furniture. Just because you had the money at your fingertips didn¡¯t mean you should spend it every season to please the eyes of visitors.


    ¡°Whatever you like or don¡¯t like, stand firm on even if it makes anyone unhappy. I am included in this. If you are worried about how your rtionship with her might change, I will speak with her. I already intended to,¡± Edgar said as his mother¡¯s words weighed on his mind.


    Then he couldn¡¯t help forgetting what he witnessed from Rose in his youth. He always knew what type of woman she was but she couldn¡¯t do as she pleased with his wife.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Alessandra replied, happy to be left out of it. Edgar was better at speaking with his grandmother than she was. ¡°If it is brought up when you are not around, I will deal with it on my own. I cannot always rely on you to save me from conflict.¡±


    Edgar didn¡¯t see why he could not. ¡°Why can¡¯t I resolve conflict in your ce? What is wrong with a husband helping his wife?¡± He asked.


    ¡°If you have to fix everything I will be seen as weak for always depending on you. I want to stand up for myself and not have to rely on anyone else. Quite frankly, I would like that you aren¡¯t always aware of when I am having trouble with someone because I always have a little fear you will be annoyed with it,¡± Alessandra said as it had been on her mind from the moment he first defended her.


    There were some things she wanted to do on her own and many things she wanted to hide from him. Trouble seemed to love her and when she came into conflict with another woman she wanted to deal with it without Edgar having to learn of each argument. She wanted to stand up to Rose but it was differentpared to going against Sophia or Kate.


    Edgar sighed, touching his face to calm himself. ¡°It is not you that I be annoyed with. It is the people around you. It would be different if you go around starting a mess I have to clean up but it is the other way. People bring their stupid views, opinions, thoughts, or judgments to you when you are just trying to enjoy yourself. It is not a bad thing to have a husband to aid you.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps but I can¡¯t shake the feeling of being weak. I think it is better if I go back to speak with Rose before dinner. There might be a greater chance of a rift in our rtionship if she thinks Iined to you. I don¡¯t want to change the furniture and as you said I should be firmer. Please let me deal with it,¡± Alessandra requested.


    Edgar knew his grandmother¡¯s stubbornness and wanted to deal with the matter alone but he could not steal away the chance for Alessandra to speak up. ¡°Just know there is a conversation I must have with her about something else. If you are certain it can be done quickly without an argument, you should speak with her now. You¡¯ve anticipated this dinner far more than I have for it to be ruined by talk of furniture.¡±


    Alessandra chuckled as it seemed so silly she was a little at odds with Rose over furniture. ¡°I never thought there would be a day I needed to defend not changing furniture. I am seeing more and more of why you do not let guests in your house. Even family.¡±


    ¡°It has taken you this long to see why? I thought it-¡±


    ¡°Dear lovely couple, please forgive me for interrupting,¡± Dominic said as he approached the pair standing at the top of the stairs. ¡°Edgar, I believe I searched this entire house but I have not found a single cigar. Did you hide them from me?¡±


    ¡°Why would I waste my time hiding something from you? I tossed them out this morning to not be tempted to use them,¡± Edgar answered. These days he needed to have a cigar but had a feeling Alessandra would stay out of his reach if she smelt he had used one. It was either the cigar or Alessandra to clear his mind and his pick would always be Alessandra.


    Alessandra was surprised to hear Edgar had tossed out his cigars. She never liked the smell of cigars from when her father would use them or he would have guests over and the horrible smell ruined the air. There were other ways to enjoy yourself instead of smoking.


    Alessandra liked to believe he stopped because of what she said when they first met. She had not seen him smoking a cigar from the first day she started to live here. ¡°I will see the two of you shortly,¡± she excused herself, taking the interruption as a chance to speak with Rose before dinner started.


    ¡°Edgar, I can deal with you getting married but you throwing out those cigars is where I draw the line. How could you do this¡­¡± Dominic¡¯s words became faint as Alessandra walked downstairs.


    She returned to where they had left Rose but she was not there. Alessandra was about to ask a maid until she heard the sound of Rose¡¯s voice and Alfred¡¯sing from the dining room.


    Alessandra walked to the dining room, finding the two standing by the tableughing about something, and when Rose saw hering, there was a look of disapproval. Alessandra knew that look quite well to mistake it for something else.


    ¡°Alfred, it is good to have you back. I know this is abrupt but do you mind if I have a word with Rose alone?¡± Alessandra asked, wanting the conversation to just be with the two of them so she could put her foot down on her own.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Alfred excused himself. He desperately wanted to inspect how the maids did in his absence.


    Once Alfred was out of sight, Rose spoke up first. ¡°Are we going to be interrupted by Edgar again? I get the feeling there might have been aint about what I have been telling you. He has never looked at me the way he looks at his mother.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Alessandra shook her head. ¡°It is just me and you right now. Please take a seat.¡±

 Chapter 371 - 371 Perfect (3)

    371 Perfect (3)


    Alessandra waited for Rose to sit down first and then took a seat on the opposite side of the table. ¡°I am truly grateful for you wanting me to be better but not when ites to furniture. I don¡¯t want to be continuously changing furniture because it is what everyone else does. I don¡¯t intend to live my life following trends. Edgar and I do have guests outside of you, Dominic, and the few friends I have so there is no one to impress.¡±


    ¡°I told you that I mind it,¡± Rose repeated.


    ¡°I love you dearly but I am not going to change furniture for one person. I was going to do it whenever youe around but I rather not hide that it is not something I enjoy. Edgar and I don¡¯t mind the house the way it is. I was already adding paintings and we are looking to get portraits so it is not like the house is not changing. I am sure Edgar didn¡¯t change the furniture every season before I came,¡± Alessandra said.


    ¡°Edgar didn¡¯t have a wife to deal with the household. He had Alfred take care of it but now it is your turn. Do you not n to host parties? Will you have the house looking the same each time?¡± Rose asked, needing Alessandra to see her point.


    ¡°It is a waste of money-¡±


    ¡°I have put my grandson in the position to not worry about money and he has created more than enough wealth for himself. We are not short on money, dear. I need you to realize that your status has changed and there are things you must do even when they seem foolish. That is why women are raised from a young age to get used to this life,¡± Rose argued. Alessandra¡¯sck of training was what stopped her from understanding.


    Alessandra yed with her fingers under the table. ¡°I am seeing now how you like me but love Edgar. It is not about making me better. You don¡¯t want me to make Edgar look bad. I truly have no intention of doing so. Be honest with what you think of me, Rose. I can¡¯t help but think you only like me because Edgar is finally married and you sort of tolerate my background.¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± Rose quickly admitted. ¡°My grandson will alsoe first and though I am happy you have helped him open his heart to marriage, I must think of everything that affects him. I like you and I feel terribly sorry for what caused you to wear a mask but everything about your life has be attached to Edgar. From your father to the ridiculous rumors of your curse. The only way to fix this is for you to be perfect. ¡±


    ¡°Both of those things were out of my control and I have been doing my best as Duchess. I do not go out and cause trouble for Edgar. My father is not a part of my life and soon any talk of me being cursed will fade away. I want to do my best as Edgar¡¯s wife but I will not do things I do not care for. I am politely asking you to let the matter with the furniture go,¡± Alessandra said and stopped toying with her fingers as the words came out.


    .....


    In her opinion, this wasn¡¯t just about the furniture. No, it would be too silly if they weren¡¯t seeing eye to eye over furniture. This was about obedience. Following themands of the head of the Collins family.


    ¡°Why do I offer my advice if you are not going to take it?¡± Rose sighed.


    ¡°I appreciate your advice but I am allowed to pick and choose what will work for me. I am not you or anyone else who has married into this family. I don¡¯t care much about trends, appearances, and many of the other things you like, I do not. Perhaps it is because I have not been trained to like them so I never will. I will do well as a Duchess by doing things I want to do. Please ept this or-¡±


    ¡°Or my grandson will not see me?¡± Rose finished what she thought Alessandra was going to say.


    Alessandra smiled as that was far from her answer. ¡°No. I was going to say I will no longer need your guidance which is a letdown. I am not petty toe between you and Edgar. He cares for you and I would never want to be the reason that changes. ¡±


    ¡°Then I will take back my offer to make you better. Just know when you slip up they will say it is because you are the daughter of thete failing Baron and that you are cursed with bad luck. I could make you a woman without any ws,¡± Rose said to convince Alessandra onest time.


    ¡°I don¡¯t doubt you can but I know I will have to change a lot about myself to be the perfect Duchess you want. That, I do not want. We should leave this conversation here for now. Now you know what I won¡¯t do. I want to go back to making sure Edgar has a birthday dinner he enjoys,¡± Alessandra stood from her seat.


    Rose looked at the ring on Alessandra¡¯s finger. ¡°Where is the ring that has been passed down? The least you can do is wear it as it is an important part of my family. I wore it and many of the women before me. Everyone who sees the ring will know you are a part of the Collins family.¡±


    Alessandra couldn¡¯t stop thinking of Rose saying my instead of our family. She was married to Edgar therefore she was a part of the Collins family. Perhaps it was a simple mistake on Rose¡¯s part. Alessandra didn¡¯t want to make her out to be a viin just because they weren¡¯t seeing eye to eye.


    ¡°They will know I am a part of the Collins family when I introduce myself as Alessandra Collins and Edgar is right beside me. The ring didn¡¯t suit me but I will be more than happy to pass it down to our children. Besides, it cannot be needed if it was not given to Prisci. She has more years as a Collins than I do,¡± Alessandra smiled and then proceeded to leave the dining room.


    Rose disliked the way it came off like Alessandra was taking up for Prisci. It was a p in the face when, unlike Prisci, she had epted Alessandra into their esteemed family. She needed to have a word with Edgar to get things in control before his name suffers. Before the Collins name suffers.

 Chapter 372 - 372 Familiar (1)

    372 Familiar (1)


    ¡°Alessandra,¡± Wilma called out to her as they were about to cross each other in the hallway. She noticed Alessandra seemed lost in thought as she neither heard nor saw anyone walking right up to her. ¡°Alessandra,¡± she called again.


    ¡°Huh? Oh, hello grandmother,¡± Alessandra greeted Wilma. ¡°How long have you been standing before me?¡±


    ¡°Just for a moment. I was calling you but you didn¡¯t answer me at first. What is upying your mind? Nervous about the dinner?¡± Wilma asked, thinking the pressure of making sure Edgar have a good dinner was worrying Alessandra.


    ¡°No, I am just thinking of what will happen after dinner. Do you think people care too much about appearances and wealth?¡± Alessandra questioned, as she needed to hear what someone from another generation thought.


    ¡°They do, especially Lockwood. It is the center of the kingdom so it is expected for everyone to look a certain way and then there is a lot of emphasis on wealth. I cannot keep up with it so I am grateful my family does like speaking of our wealth or getting too deep into society¡¯s rules. We live a quiet life in our small town. I suppose it is harder for you as Duchess,¡± said Wilma.


    Alessandra¡¯s status had more pressure than Mnie¡¯s which made Wilma fear Alessandra having enough and wanting to run away.


    ¡°There are a few people that make it hard. I am the daughter of ate Baron but his finances don¡¯t make my background special and then there were so many ridiculous rumors. My excitement for today feels drained. I shouldn¡¯t think about this,¡± Alessandra shook her head to clear her thoughts.


    ¡°Would it be better if you announce you have ownership in the mines? People only speak of your father because they don¡¯t know much about your mother. I would be more than happy-¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Alessandra stopped Wilma. ¡°You like privacy and I am not going to ruin it for my advantage. I don¡¯t care to wave around that I have wealth. Enough about me. I am sorry I had to leave you alone. The queen has arrived and so has Edgar¡¯s grandmother. Have you ever met Rose Collins?¡±


    .....


    ¡°I have not. The Collins is the type of family that I only see from afar. I don¡¯t like to get in their paths but life has other ns now that you are Alessandra Collins. Is everyone at the table already? It is nearly the hour of six so dinner will start soon. Were you going to get your husband?¡±


    ¡°Not really. I was only taking a walk to clear my mind and I wasn¡¯t aware of the time. We should go back to the dining room now and grandmother, it is alright for you to call him Edgar or Duke. He is also your family now,¡± Alessandra said, knowing Edgar wouldn¡¯t mind.


    Wilma tapped her mouth for her carelessness. ¡°Pardon me. I forgot he is now part of my family. I didn¡¯t want to offend him in case he didn¡¯t think we were that close yet. How do I look? Is my dress appropriate for meeting with the queen and his grandmother?¡± Wilma asked whilst fixing her dress that was not out of ce.


    Alessandra didn¡¯t have to give Wilma a look over as she was dressed quite well from the moment she arrived. ¡°You look wonderful, grandmother.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Let us go together so you can introduce me to everyone. I am looking forward to meeting the man you say loves my tes. It is not every day I have someone who speaks of their love for tes and appreciates the craft. I pour a lot of love into making my tes you know. I will have one of the new batches sent to your home for you to use,¡± Wilma said, making a mental note of it.


    ¡°Thank you but you should send them straight to Alfred. He will treat them like his children and store them away for no one to use. I broke one and I have never gone near any of those tes ever again. Edgar,¡± Alessandra smiled as he came to the entrance of the dining room at the same time they did.


    ¡°I will leave you two alone for a moment,¡± Wilma excused herself and entered the dining room first.


    ¡°How did your talk go?¡± Edgar asked, curious whether they ended on a good note.


    ¡°Honestly, I do not know but at least I said what I wanted to. Are you ready to be the center of attention tonight?¡± Alessandra asked since the dinner was all for him.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t I always?¡± Edgar smugly replied, taking hold of her hand.


    ¡°You two,¡± Hazel said as she approached the dining room. ¡°Do not make me miss my husband. It would be nice if you think of the single people and the person separated from her husband.¡±


    ¡°Then I am afraid you will have to find somewhere else to stay,¡± Edgar kissed the back of Alessandra¡¯s hand to show he was not going to limit his affection.


    ¡°Sometimes I forget that you can just be as annoying as Tobias,¡± Hazel muttered, walking ahead to get away from their affection.


    Alessandra smiled, chuckling as Edgar couldn¡¯t help being devious. She pulled her hand away from his hold. ¡°How on earth can you still be so touchy? I¡¯m sure you can limit it a bit to not make Hazel miss Tobias. I would not enjoy seeing Tobias and Hazel in each other¡¯spany while I am missing you,¡± she said to convince him to decrease how much they touched each other.


    Unfortunately, it just backfired for Alessandra.


    ¡°Then I will never leave your side,¡± Edgar replied.


    ¡°That is not what I expected you to respond with,¡± Alessandra poked his chest.


    ¡°Duchess,¡± Sally interrupted the moment. She handed Alessandra a note that came from the gates. ¡°You have a guest who wishes to see you right away.¡±


    Alessandra couldn¡¯t ce who could be here to visit her. It couldn¡¯t be Erin as the guards would just inspect her carriage and let her in. She hoped it wasn¡¯t another run-in with a Barrett. Alessandra read the note and said, ¡°It is Eleanor. This is odd. Why the sudden visit? Tell them to let her inside,¡± Alessandra said.


    ¡°Edgar, you can go inside without me,¡± Alessandra said then followed after Sally to hear what Eleanor came for. She liked Eleanor so she didn¡¯t mind the sudden visit.


    Alessandra waited a few minutes by the front door as the note was taken back to the gates by a guard and then a carriage started to make its way to the house. Alessandra narrowed her eyes when Eleanor hopped out of the carriage before it could stop. She walked to the front door as Eleanor¡¯s frantic behavior worried her.


    Alessandra opened the front door before Eleanor reached it, ignoring the cold as she stepped outside. ¡°Eleanor-¡±


    ¡°Duchess!¡± Eleanor sighed in relief as she finally reached someone who could help her. ¡°The tea. Neither you nor the queen should drink the tea!¡±

 Chapter 373 - 373 [Bonus chapter] Familiar (2)

    373 [Bonus chapter] Familiar (2)


    Four hours ago.


    ¡°What should I name this character?¡± Eleanor wondered out loud as she stared at the ceiling of her room. She was tortured for hours to think of the names for her new book which needed to be done soon.


    Unknown to the many young women who turned their noses in the air at her, many of them had already bought herst book as it was filled with drama inspired by life in Lockwood. Some of them were reading about themselves but Eleanor had done well to mask the characters.


    ¡°I should visit Bryce so he can help me. I need to rest my creative mind,¡± she rubbed her temple.


    ¡°Eleanor!¡± The faint sound of her aunt¡¯s voice calling her from downstairs was heard.


    ¡°Coming!¡± Eleanor called back, quickly gathering all of her papers before her aunt could visit her room.


    Writing books to make money wasn¡¯t epted by her aunt who thought a young woman should spend her time trying to find a husband to take care of her. Eleanor didn¡¯t want that kind of life especially when she found all the young men she grew up around to be annoying. She preferred to stay alone for as long as possible or until she found someone she liked.


    Eleanor ced the papers in a box and pushed the box under her bed before going downstairs to find her aunt.


    For as long as she could remember, Eleanor had lived with her aunt. It was no secret that her aunt disliked the business which her sister got tangled up in the red light district and took Eleanor to raise her into a fine youngdy. Unfortunately, her aunt¡¯s efforts to erase Eleanor¡¯s connection to the red light district were all for nothing as everyone kept bringing it up.


    .....


    ¡°Aunt Scarlet,¡± Eleanor said as she hurried down the stairs. She found her aunt putting away her coat. ¡°I thought it would be a few more hours before you return home.¡±


    ¡°So you could continue writing in my absence? There is ink on your cheek, Eleanor. You are never able to hide when you write. If only you would put that same energy into going out and socializing with your peers to find yourself a husband. How long do you n to be in my care?¡± Scarlet asked, closing the small closet door.


    ¡°I went through so much trouble to get you into the pce and be near the queen but you did not bring me any good news,¡± she sighed.


    ¡°I sat with the queen and got close to Alessandra Collins. That is far better than what anyone other youngdies there could say they did. I am not looking for a husband, Aunt Scarlet. You should stop wasting your time and let us think about what we will eat for dinnerter,¡± Eleanor said while wiping her face to get rid of where there might be ink. ¡°I am in the mood for fish. Should we go to the market together?¡±


    ¡°Eleanor,¡± Scarlet slowly approached her niece as there was some good news she needed to share. ¡°I stumbled into Hayden today.¡±


    ¡°What does that annoying bastard want now?¡± Eleanor questioned, angered by just the name of the young boy who used to tease her. Only when she punched him did he finally shut up.


    ¡°Apparently he has not gotten married-¡±


    ¡°Not surprising. What poor fool would want to spend their days with someone so annoying?¡± Eleanor asked, sitting down on a small couch. ¡°What?¡± She asked when she noticed the nervous expression on her aunt¡¯s face.


    ¡°I told him you were also not married and suggested the two of-¡±


    ¡°I would rather die!¡± Eleanor eximed.


    ¡°Eleanor,¡± Scarlet ced her hands on her hips. ¡°What did I say about cutting me off?¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Eleanor apologized. ¡°But I would rather die,¡± she stood firm on her words. ¡°Get a dagger and I¡¯ll show you.¡±


    ¡°Eleanor, don¡¯t be so dramatic. He agreed to set up a meeting with you. The two of you are not children. You are now attractive young adults who will realize the two of you shared feelings for each in your youth. He is quite the handsome young man and a catch among his peers,¡± said Scarlet.


    ¡°Which makes it suspicious for someone who wants to get married to not already be married. I am not going to sit by and believe that someone who teased me in my youth is now somehow interested in marrying me. I am not falling for it and you should not entertain his chatter. Now, chicken or fish for dinner?¡± Eleanor asked, preferring to talk about food instead.


    Scarlet wasn¡¯t ready to let the conversation change so quickly. ¡°Eleanor, you should meet with him just once. This is your first suitor around your age. I¡¯d hate to think your only choices will be men far older than you.¡±


    ¡°My choice is to remain alone or if marriage is so needed I would just marry Bryce to silence you. I am not going to marry Hayden let alone meet with him so whatever n you concocted and ran home to get started, please get rid of it immediately,¡± Eleanor said, standing up as she was too annoyed to remain seated.


    ¡°Eleanor, I am no longer asking you to meet with Hayden. I am telling you that you will meet with him. I am going to do your mother¡¯s job to see you get married to a good- Where are you going?¡± Scarlet asked when Eleanor walked by her and opened the close to take out a coat.


    Eleanor took out her coat from the small room and began to put it on. ¡°To see my mother. You have taken me under your roof but she is still my mother and I am certain she will value my judgment to not entertain Hayden. I will be back for dinner.¡±


    ¡°You know I dislike when you visit that district. There are all sorts of men you can run into. Men who I am not sure your father can save you from if they desire you. Please stay and talk to me about this. I just want the best for you, Eleanor. You fail to see that spending your days writing will not end up with anything worthwhile. I admire your talent but it is time you focus on other things,¡± Scarlet said, pleading with Eleanor to listen.


    ¡°I will visit Bryce and have him escort me there so you do not have to worry. I am thankful you have taken care of me but I make my own choices for what I will do with my life. If I regret itter on then it is all my fault. I will pick up some fish on my way back,¡± Eleanor stated then walked out the front door to make her way to her mother in the red light district.

 Chapter 374 - 374 Familiar (3)

    374 Familiar (3)


    ¡°Why am I getting wrapped in your argument with your aunt and having to go to the red light district? People have started to assume I am a regr customer there,¡± Bryce said, trying to avoid all eyes on them as they walked to Eleanor¡¯s father¡¯s establishment.


    ¡°No, they won¡¯t. You¡¯re the most innocent person I know and the only time youe here is when you¡¯re with me. You can¡¯t sneak around ande here behind my back because thedies will tell me. If anything, people might assume we are sleeping with each other,¡± said Eleanor, not bothered if that were to be said.


    ¡°I hope they don¡¯t. No offense but you are not my type. It is funny that Hayden of all people might be the person you settle down with,¡± Bryce chuckled.


    ¡°As if. He could be thest person in this world and I would not spend a second with him. There has to be something he wants from me now or some game he is ying but my aunt is so hellbent on getting me married that she does not see it. What is so good about marriage anyway? There are only a few couples that make me see what it is to be loved. I have witnessed many husbands sneakilying here or openly paying a visit not caring what will be said about their marriage,¡± said Eleanor.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I suggest we pack our bags and get out of here. Lockwood has nothing for either of us. Just people with broken promises,¡± Bryce muttered as his own predicament weighed his mind.


    Eleanor looked beside her at Byrce wondering when he woulde clean about what he was going through. It wasn¡¯t long ago that it appeared like he was in love with someone and now he was depressed. ¡°I hope you remember you can tell me a secret and I won¡¯t ever share it with anyone,¡± she said.


    ¡°I know but this is a littleplicated and I am worried about what people will think of me. We¡¯re here. What are the chances of me getting lunch from your mother?¡± Bryce asked, walking ahead of Eleanor to open the door for her.


    ¡°How could anyone ever assume you are here for women when you only ask about food?¡± Eleanor shook her head, entering therge house ahead of Bryce. ¡°Mother!¡± She called.


    ¡°Why not your father?¡± Bryce asked as he closed the door behind them. A bell jingled to alert anyone on the inside of guests.


    .....


    ¡°We¡¯re closed- Oh, Eleanor! Your parents didn¡¯t mention you stopping by or are you running away from your aunt again?¡± A scantily d woman asked from the stairs. ¡°Hello Bryce,¡± she winked at the handsome young man behind Eleanor.


    ¡°Hello Lucy,¡± Bryce awkwardly waved at the woman who eyed him from head to toe.


    ¡°Do not toy with him, Lucy. You know he is shy around women and yes I am hiding from my aunt. You will not believe who she wants me to meet to consider marrying. It is Hayden,¡± Eleanor revealed, earning a surprised look from Lucy who knew her well.


    ¡°Perhaps your aunt has been smoking secretly. Those refineddies always have their secret addictions. At least, that is what I got a doctor to reveal to me. Your mother and father are not here if that is why you havee. Your mother should be back shortly soe stay with me and the other girls. We are chatting a bit before the work hours start,¡± Lucy said, walking up the stairs and fixing her robe on her shoulder. ¡°Girls! Eleanor is here.¡±


    Eleanor followed Lucy up the stairs, excited to talk with the other women. It was a little while since she came to visit.


    Though others expected the women would dislike her because they were kept here by her father to make him money and pay off their debts, the women here had always taken care of her from a young age. They were sort of like her sisters. They were the only ones who knew of her business selling books and even sold a few copies here.


    ¡°Hello everyone,¡± Eleanor greeted all the women when she reached the second floor.


    It was an open floor with tables and chairs to serve drinks to their customers. Sometimes there would be shows with the girls dancing to gain money without sleeping with all the customers.


    ¡°Eleanor! We were just talking about you. I have some juicy details that would make for an interesting story in your book. It involves a certain baker and the girl who sells the flowers on the corner. Quite an interesting affair,¡± Kylie said, covering her mouth as the news was all too much to keep to herself. ¡°He came here running his mouth like flood waters because his wife caught him and kicked him out. I should have told him that another man once spoke of the girl he is having an affair with.¡±


    ¡°Trying to start more fights, Kylie?¡± Eleanor asked as she gave the young woman a hug. ¡°Do not be so shy, Bryce. Say hello to everyone,¡± Eleanor said as she sat down on one of the chairs.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Bryce greeted the group but he did not look at anyone. The floor was surprisingly intriguing like always.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Lucy watched Bryce with great interest. ¡°It is always nice to see an innocent one like you. Whenever you get curious remember that I can help you. Or maybe, you have already figured out what you like?¡±


    Bryce looked at Lucy and saw how amused she was as she stared at him.


    ¡°I know men well,¡± she ced a finger on her lips.


    ¡°I swear I will never take that bastard as a customer again. He is never gentle,¡± Thea, another one of the workers, angrily marched into the room with a cup in her hands. ¡°Only now did I get him to leave. The only bright side is how much he pays me. Oh, hi Eleanor and the little cutie.¡±


    ¡°Did you boil some for me?¡± Lucy asked, looking at the steaming from Thea¡¯s cup.


    ¡°You were out here for so long, why didn¡¯t you brew your own? There is still a bit left in the pot. Someone needs to remind the madame we are in need of more before it runs out. So Eleanor, what trouble have you found yourself in-¡±


    ¡°Thea,¡± Eleanor covered her nose with one hand and used the other to fan the smell away. ¡°You know I hate that smell.¡±


    ¡°Oh right,¡± Thea turned her body to block the scent from going to Eleanor. ¡°I will drink it quickly. What time did the doctor say he wasing?¡±


    ¡°I do not know how all of you put up with that smell. It makes me want to throw up,¡± Eleanor covered her mouth and fought back the urge to vomit.


    Thea smelled her drink. ¡°There is not a strong smell. Well, if there is, it does not bother me. The taste on the other hand is quite bitter. I should mix it with a strong tea to help. Lucy, can you-¡±


    ¡°What!¡± Eleanor eximed as something started to dawn on her. ¡°What did you just say?¡±


    ¡°What is the matter, Eleanor?¡± Lucy asked, confused by Eleanor¡¯s behavior. She hated their way of ensuring they never became pregnant but Eleanor was starting to act odd.


    Eleanor touched her head as there was something troubling her but she didn¡¯t know what. ¡°What is it about tea?¡± She muttered, trying to solve what was making her itch. ¡°Tea, tea, tea. Oh no,¡± her eyes widened. ¡°I knew that scent was familiar. Why the hell am I so stupid to know it then!¡± She abruptly stood up, startling everyone else who did not know what was happening. ¡°I need to get to the pce!¡±

 Chapter 375 - 375 Familiar (4)

    375 Familiar (4)


    ¡°Eleanor, you need to exin what you are talking about because it is not just me that you are worrying with your outburst. Why do you need to go to the pce?¡± Bryce asked as he stood up with her.


    Eleanor looked at Bryce and all the other confused faces in the room. She was sure the familiar taste she got when she drank the queen¡¯s tea came from the same remedy she grew up smelling. Eleanor was familiar with it so much that she became sick of the smell and her body would instinctively try to throw up as if she had drunk it.


    Eleanor was sofortable in the pce that it slipped her mind this was what she had tasted. Now that she smelled it once again there was no one in this world who could tell her it was something else. It made sense that the remedy was masked by the strong scent of tea mix. It was something her mother did to help newer girls drink it as they were not fond of the bitter aftertaste.


    ¡°I will be back soon,¡± Eleanor started to run instead of exining herself. She was certain about this but didn¡¯t want to get anyone else tangled up in this.


    ¡°Eleanor!¡± Bryce called after her whilst he followed her out. He didn¡¯t understand how they went from talking about scents to having to go to the pce. ¡°Eleanor! Slow down a second and exin this to me. Why must you go to the pce?¡±


    ¡°We all drank it. Everyone except for the queen. I drank mine and her tea. Mine didn¡¯t taste odd but the queens did. Alessandra and Heather had some too,¡± Eleanor rambled as she ran outside in search of a carriage to take her to the pce. ¡°I need a carriage.¡±


    ¡°Eleanor,¡± Bryce held her hand to stop her. ¡°Slow down a moment. I didn¡¯t catch a word you said other than tea. We took my carriage here, remember?¡±


    Eleanor licked her lips out of nervousness. ¡°The day I visited the pce I drank tea with the queen, Alessandra Collins, and another young woman. There was something familiar about the tea meant for the queen but I don¡¯t know why I foolishly skipped over it or forgot. I know those scents anywhere. We need to get to the pce now to tell the king and queen. We are wasting time.¡±


    Bryce was in shock that Eleanor had caught onto someone preventing the queen from getting pregnant. It was a hot topic all over the town as everyone wondered when there would be an heir.


    .....


    ¡°Bryce!¡± Eleanor¡¯s voice snapped him out of his thoughts.


    Bryce looked ahead and saw how far away she already was. ¡°I-Iing,¡± he replied, running to catch up to her.


    They found his carriage and started to make the long journey to the pce. Eleanor was unable to keep still and endlessly shifted in her seat.


    ¡°Eleanor, this might make me sound like a bad person but we have to think for a moment. Anyone who is bold enough to do this to the queen is not someone you would want to anger. What if they set their sights on you for ruining their ns?¡± Bryce asked as he was concerned for Eleanor¡¯s safety more than anything else. They shouldn¡¯t get involved with games in the pce and should probably use another way to alert the queen.


    ¡°I can¡¯t know what I know and not tell anyone. Can you imagine the pressure she faces to have an heir but it is not her fault? I understand your concerns but I can¡¯t keep my mouth shut. I have to tell her even if there is a slim chance I might be wrong,¡± Eleanor replied.


    Bryce sighed, ¡°You will need another approach because the guards might throw you right in the dungeon and question you with all sorts of measures. You might have met the queen but she is out of town, remember?¡±


    ¡®¡±Shit,¡± Eleanor cursed as she only now remembered the queen and king were not in town. Everyone knew that. ¡°Then I must go to the Duchess and let her husband do something about it. There is a chance something could have been wrong with her tea too. Have your driver take us there. We are already going in that direction.¡±


    Bryce hesitated for a moment but after a deep breath he said, ¡°I can¡¯t.¡±


    Bryce had not forgotten Edgar and his wife catching him with Oliver at the ball. It would be awkward for him to show up at the Duke¡¯s home and Oliver would not talk to him if he learned he was anywhere near Edgar.


    ¡°No? What has gotten into you, Bryce? This is not like you. You are aware the health of our queen is at stake? I have the connections to get the medicine she needs to turn this around and you are saying no?¡± Eleanor asked inplete disbelief at what was going through the mind of her lifelong friend. ¡°If you are scared that you will get tangled up in this, I won¡¯t-¡±


    ¡°That is not it. Stop the carriage,¡± Bryce spoke loud for the driver to hear. ¡°I will let you use the carriage to get there but I am not going with you. I hope everything ends well,¡± he said, opening the door and stepping outside the moment the carriage stopped.


    ¡°Are you kidding me, Bryce? Tell me what it is that is stopping you from going to the Duke¡¯s house or I will no longer speak with you,¡± Eleanor said, holding the door so that he could not close it on her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Bryce apologized before going to where the driver sat. This wasn¡¯t something he could speak to Eleanor about and she would be able to offer him advice. This town wasn¡¯t used to his kind and he would rather not see Edgar who was aware of his rtionship. ¡°Take her to the Duke¡¯s estate and then return for me on this road. Go now.¡±


    The carriage started to move again and as it passed by where Bryce stood, the door was still wide open and Eleanor could not believe the one person she expected woulde along with her no matter what was ditching her. It was a p in the face for him to be so secretive when she was always so open with him.


    Eleanor slowly closed the door as she had no time to think about Bryce or stop the carriage to speak with him. As of right now, getting the message to Alessandra was more important. Eleanor rested her head back against the seat, thinking of how she would tell Alessandra about the tea. Her feet kept bouncing as she could not handle how painfully slow it was taking for the carriage to reach Alessandra.


    Eleanor bit her nails one by one, a habit she never had until now.


    After too many minutes of traveling to the Duke¡¯s estate, Eleanor¡¯s nervousness increased when the carriage finally stopped in front of the gates of the Collins home. There was another nerve-wracking couple of minutes as she stated her name and had to wait for permission to enter.


    ¡°Finally,¡± she felt relieved when the gates started to open and the carriage moved once more. Eleanor contemted hopping out of the carriage and running up to the house as it might be faster in her eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t wait,¡± Eleanor decided, opening the door of the carriage before it could park, and began running up the steps so she could deliver the message sooner.


    ¡°Eleanor-¡±


    ¡°Duchess!¡± Eleanor sighed in relief when she found Alessandra standing by the door as she finally reached someone who could help her. ¡°The tea. Neither you nor the queen should drink the tea!¡±

 Chapter 376 - 376 Men at the gates (1)

    376 Men at the gates (1)


    ¡°Tea? What tea? I haven¡¯t drunk any tea with Hazel yet,¡± Alessandra replied, not understanding what Eleanor spoke of.


    ¡°You did when we were at the pce and we went into the room to have a break. We all drank tea and I am not concerned about myself. The two of you are married and will want children. Well, the queen needs a child,¡± Eleanor rambled off, pacing back and forth.


    ¡°Eleanor,¡± Alessandra touched Eleanor¡¯s shoulder to calm her down. ¡°What was wrong with the tea?¡±


    Eleanor took a deep breath. ¡°At the red light district, it is important the girls do not be pregnant so there are some herbs you brew and drink to prevent pregnancy. I know it well because I grew up around it and I smelled it the day we were in the pce. I drank the queen¡¯s tea,¡± she exined. A sh of pain was in her chest as she looked at Alessandra¡¯s face.


    Alessandra opened her mouth to speak but couldn¡¯t the first time. In a second attempt, she asked, ¡°A-Are you certain?¡±


    Standing behind Alessandra, Sally could not believe the news brought to Alessandra. She worried for both women but her greatest fear was their husband¡¯s reactions.


    Eleanor nodded her head. ¡°I would not havee to you if I was mistaken. I am sure there was something in that tea and the target had to be the queen. I did not taste your tea so I do not know if there was something in your tea but mine was normal. Then again, I don¡¯t have any ties to the pce like the two of you.¡±


    ¡°Come inside. We need to tell Edgar quickly. The queen is also here,¡± Alessandra warned Eleanor before she stepped inside. ¡°She will not take this well. It might be best if I bring them away from our other guests. Wait here with Sally.¡±


    Alessandra tried to shake the unsettling feeling as she left the front door and walked to the dining room. She almost stumbled as she tried to think back to the tea she drank and if there was anything odd. Now that she and Edgar were open to having a child this was not the news she wanted.


    .....


    Her mind was filled with thoughts of what would happen if there was something wrong with her tea. She and Edgar were intimate the night before she visited the pce so her mind kept bringing up the worse case scenarios. What if there was something in her tea and it was still in her body? She was hoping for news of a child soon, not this.


    Alessandra rested her hand on the wall and tried to reassure herself it was a high chance there was nothing wrong with her tea. No one in the pce gained anything from her not having a child. Alessandra removed her hand from the wall and continued to the dining room.


    Alessandra forced her best smile when she entered as no one besides Hazel and Edgar needed to know at the moment. She would not be able to handle Rose¡¯s questions or see Wilma concerned.


    ¡°Edgar,¡± she went to where he sat at the head of the table. ¡°I-I need you toe with me right now.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Edgar inquired, immediately knowing something was wrong from how she walked into the room and then her voice cracked for a slight second. ¡°Did this Eleanor do something to you?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Alessandra shook her head. ¡°I need you and Hazel,¡± she looked at Hazel. ¡°Toe with me for a moment.¡±


    ¡°What is being discussed that everyone else cannot hear? I would like for you to introduce us to your grandmother. I thought you did not have any rtionship on either side of your family,¡± Rose said, wanting to get to the bottom of the woman sitting at the table. She had no clue who Wilma was or what her family did. It seemed they were adding random people to the family.


    Edgar stood up, not caring to exin to his grandmother why Wilma was there as he needed to the bottom of what had affected Alessandra during the time she left his side. ¡°Come with us,¡± he looked at Hazel.


    Hazel was confused as to what was going on just like everyone else at the table but she stood up from her seat, thinking Tobias might have sent some good news already.


    ¡°Do not follow us,¡± Edgar ordered Rose when she started to get up. She was proving to be quite the nuisance recently. ¡°What is wrong Alessandra?¡± He asked when they exited the dining room.


    ¡°I am also in need of an exnation,¡± said Hazel, following behind the two.


    ¡°Eleanor will exin it to the two of you,¡± Alessandra answered, leading them back to the front door. There was a growing lump in her throat as she could not find it in herself to be the one to tell Edgar.


    Hazel found it odd that Eleanor was present as she had only met Alessandra not too long ago. Unless they became close while she was out of town? ¡°What is going on Eleanor? The two of you are starting to make me nervous. This has nothing to do with my husband right?¡± She asked as she had not received an update on what Tobias was doing.


    ¡°Your highness, do you remember when we were all in the pce and we were drinking tea before going back with the other young women? I drank your tea and there was something odd about it. Today I pieced together that there are herbs in there to prevent you from bing pregnant. It is used in the red-¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Hazel interrupted Eleanor. ¡°My tea had something in it?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I smelled something familiar and when I went to my father¡¯s business I smelled it again when one of thedies was drinking the herbs to rid her chances of having a child. I came as soon as I found out,¡± Eleanor exined, rubbing her hands nervously as she looked at Hazel.


    ¡°All of you drank the tea?¡± Edgar asked, looking directly at Alessandra as he understood her odd behavior.


    ¡°I did,¡± Alessandra replied in a meek voice. ¡°I don¡¯t remember if there was something strange with the taste.


    ¡°Who? Who brought all of you the tea?¡± Edgar asked in a calm tone despite his anger. His hand trembled due to his anger but he clenched his fists to not startle the women.


    ¡°Julia served us tea but it was always inspected. I was always kind to her so she wouldn¡¯t betray me. I helped her when she had nothing. It must be someone in the kitchen,¡± Hazel said, refusing to believe it was someone she always helped and the one maid she could lean on in the pce.


    Edgar didn¡¯t care about how loyal Hazel thought this maid was to her. What he cared about was the fact someone potentially put something in Alessandra¡¯s tea. Edgar released a chuckle. Why? He didn¡¯t know himself.


    Hisughter caught the three women off guard. Edgar ran his right hand through his hair as he knew what had to be done. Hisughter quickly died down and was reced by a scowl. ¡°Stay here. All of you,¡± he said, leaving the three at the door to go back to Caleb.


    Eleanor stayed behind tofort Hazel who still could not believe she could have been betrayed by someone close to her while Alessandra ran after Edgar.


    ¡°Edgar! Where are you going? You need to tell Tobias about this maid,¡± Alessandra said as she tried to keep up with him. She followed him back to the dining room.


    ¡°Caleb, gather the men now,¡± Edgar ordered Caleb who was seated at the table as a guest for his birthday. ¡°Get them to their feet and ready to leave right now.¡±


    Caleb quickly stood up as the tone of Edgar¡¯s voice let him know there was no time for fooling around. ¡°How many will you need?¡± He asked.


    ¡°All of them.¡±

 Chapter 377 - 377 Men at the gates (2)

    377 Men at the gates (2)


    In the pce.


    ¡°How can I trust that you were doing your job right and made sure nothing to harm the queen got past you?¡± Tobias asked, pointing his bloody sword at the royal food inspector in charge of inspecting Hazel¡¯s food. ¡°Be honest if you have betrayed the crown and I might spare you. Give me a name.¡±


    ¡°Y-Your highness! I have not betrayed you or the queen. I inspect all the food brought to me for the queen and many times I have stood in the kitchen to watch what is going into the food. Please believe me,¡± the royal inspector cried on the floor. He refused to look up to see the sword in Tobias¡¯s hand which could kill him at any second.


    The sight of the beheaded guard in the room added to his fear of losing his life any second. When he was told the king wanted to see him, he thought he wasing to taste and inspect food but he was met with a bloody sight. Why was this being done to him when he was always loyal?


    ¡°Unfortunately, I am no longer in the mood to believe any of you. I have been too nice, haven¡¯t I?¡± Tobias questioned, stooping down to the same level as the frightened man. ¡°That is why all of you have been treating my wife as you, please. I tried not to end every problem with violence to not be called a tyrant. I had a temper in my past, did you know? If anyone was a threat, I disposed of them quickly. My father didn¡¯t like it, you see.¡±


    ¡°I quite liked being on the battlefield more than sitting on the throne. There are too many rules on the throne and I might scare my people if I deal with my issues the way I would have in the past but you people make it hard for me to do so. The final straw is my wife. So tell me before I end your life, have you ever caught something but let it be taken to the queen?¡± Tobias asked as he stood up and pointed the sword once more.


    He didn¡¯t care if anyone was innocent or not. Everyone who didn¡¯t do their jobs correctly and let something or someone reach Hazel deserved to die. Tobias didn¡¯t care how the people would view him after this. His kindness and the image he created had run out. He was going to y the same game as everyone else. ughtering anyone in his way without a care.


    ¡°Your highness!¡± A guard frantically entered the room.


    ¡°I said no one is to disturb me. You have one task of bringing in everyone one by one,¡± Tobias sighed, annoyed by the disruption. ¡°What is it?¡±


    .....


    ¡°Duke Collins is at the gates with an army of men requesting we give him one of the queen¡¯s maids. The gates won¡¯t open for him and the pce guards are preparing to fight if he does not leave-¡±


    Tobias tossed his sword on the floor, ignoring what else the guard had to say. He gave Edgar one job to stay put and watch his wife so why was he here with an army at the pce gates to cause trouble?


    ¡°Shit,¡± Tobias cursed, running toward the gates before a fight could start. It didn¡¯t matter if it was Edgar. Anyone who brought an army to the pce was viewed as a threat and the pce would attack.


    As Tobias ran out to the gates, he saw guards moving with weapons in the same direction. Edgar needed to have a good reason for stirring up the pce like this when Tobias had more important matters to deal with.


    When Tobias reached therge doors of the pce entrance and looked down at the gates, he found just as the guard said that Edgar had arrived with an army. It was like a sea of men, which Tobias was not aware Edgar had this many, surrounding the pce. Tobias didn¡¯t know when and how but it appeared as if Edgar¡¯s followers had doubled in size since thest time the two of them went out to war.


    The pce guards parted to give way for the king who might be the only person who could send Edgar away. No one wanted to fight against Edgar and his men as their reputation in thest war were not forgotten.


    ¡°Edgar!¡± Tobias called out to his friend who sat in front of the men on a horse. ¡°Open the gates for me,¡± he ordered his guards. ¡°Why are you creating noise for me, Edgar? Not in the mood?¡± He muttered as Edgar neared him and his expression became clear. It was no wonder the pce guards were shaken up when Edgar looked like he would kill anyone standing before him.


    Edgar brought his horse closer to Tobias. ¡°Bring the maid named Julia. She is a suspect for putting something in the queen¡¯s tea and perhaps, my wife¡¯s.¡±


    Tobias didn¡¯t expect to learn this. He had not gotten to Hazel¡¯s maids as yet to learn anything from them. He wouldn¡¯t question why Edgar thought it was Julia, however, he had to question the need to bring so many men to create fear and panic in the pce. ¡°An army for one girl is a bit much-¡±


    ¡°I brought an army because we both know the people who could be behind this. I don¡¯t have a lot of patience to deal with my wife always being a target, Tobias. I want the girl and the name of the person she is working for. I don¡¯t care what wille from my actions.¡±


    Edgar was used to being a target because of his alliance with Tobias on the throne but now that Alessandra was potentially being affected was a different story. He needed to learn right now if anything was given to Alessandra because of his loyalty to Tobias.


    ¡°Bring me the queen¡¯s maid Julia!¡± Tobias yelled for any one of the guards behind him to do. He didn¡¯t care who brought Julia as long as she was brought before him in the next few minutes. ¡°If what you say is true, the queen was the target. I am the one who gets to deal with her.¡±


    ¡°Then you should try getting her before I do. How the fuck have you been watching everyone around your wife?¡± Edgar asked, no longer holding back his anger. For as much as Tobias loved Hazel, he should have had a better watch on what was happening around her. Now Alessandra was most likely tangled up in this just from drinking tea.


    ¡°Edgar,¡± Tobias said in a warning tone. ¡°I have been doing all that I can to protect Hazel but there are things that slip by me. It is not my fault that your wife got caught up in all of this. Do you think I wanted my wife or anyone else to go through all of this? Thest thing I need is for you to point out my mistakes because your wife is involved.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to question fucking thing that goes on inside your pce when it concerns my wife. First, a stone is thrown at her head, and now this. I have to watch her be shaken up at the thought this might prolong her chance to have a child-¡±


    ¡°I have been dealing with this from the moment Hazel and I got married so excuse me if I don¡¯t want to hear about you and your wife missing one chance to have a child. You are not the only one affected in all of this Edgar. Do not direct your anger at me,¡± Tobias snapped.


    Edgar stared down at Tobias from on top of his horse. He wasn¡¯t here to pick a fight with his friend but the carelessness in the pce had pissed him off because it reached Alessandra.


    He looked away from Tobias to the two guards approaching the gates dragging a woman who was kicking and screaming. If anything was added to Alessandra¡¯s tea, he would take his army to the gates of whoever she was working for with or without Tobias by his side.

 Chapter 378 - 378 Men at the gates (3)

    378 Men at the gates (3)


    ¡°That was quick. Did you run to get her or something?¡± Tobias asked as their return with Julia was faster than he expected.


    ¡°She was standing by the entrance with all the other servants, your highness.¡±


    ¡°Little did she know she would be a part of the show. Leave us,¡± Tobias ordered the guards as they did not need to be aware of what was said.


    In the meantime, Edgar slid off his horse to deal with the maid.


    Julia scrambled to bow her head against the snow on the road in the presence of the king and said, ¡°Your highness, why was I dragged out of the pce?¡±


    ¡°Edgar wait,¡± Tobias blocked Edgar before he could reach Julia. ¡°We won¡¯t get our questions answered if you kill her right away.¡±


    ¡°I am not going to kill her. There are effective ways of getting information quickly without killing her. I don¡¯t have time to waste while she ys innocent,¡± Edgar shoved Tobias away. ¡°Did you put something in the Duchess¡¯s tea?¡±


    Julia kept her head low and chose to remain silent. There was no way either of them could prove she had done something to Alessandra Collins.


    ¡°I consider a person who chooses not to speak as someone who does not require a tongue. Remaining silent will cost you your tongue and I shall have your lips knitted together with a hot needle. Speak now,¡± Edgar ordered Julia in a low tone. He was ready to drag her back to his estate by a rope.


    .....


    ¡°I am a loyal subject to the queen. I have never put anything in the Duchess¡¯s tea-¡±


    ¡°What about the queen?¡± Tobias spoke up. ¡°What have you put in her tea? There is evidence pointing to you,¡± he said, though he did not know how Edgar came to point fingers at Julia.


    Julia bit her lip out of sight of the two men. She had been careful each time to not get caught. ¡°I have never put anything inside the queen¡¯s tea. The tea is always prepared for me to take to the queen,¡± she replied.


    ¡°There are times when tea is served like clockwork in the pce but I am starting to recall you bringing my wife tea when you thought she was in need of rxing. You are always by her side. Have you forgotten how you got out of your past troubles? The queen helped you and you rose to be in a better position than most servants in the pce,¡± Tobias said, bing angrier by the second.


    Julia was close enough to Hazel to in fact put something in her food but Hazel had helped Julia more than anyone would help a friend, let alone a servant for him to never suspect her. When he wasn¡¯t by Hazel¡¯s side he asked Julia to stay close to her each time. It was hard to trust everyone in the pce but he came to trust Julia well enough to leave Hazel in her care.


    ¡°I know how innocent people act when they are used. You aren¡¯t too convincing for me to believe you are innocent. Who are you working for? Won¡¯t speak? How are your little sister and your mother doing?¡± Tobias inquired.


    Julia lifted her head in shock. Her family had nothing to do with this.


    ¡°Why do you look so surprised? What made you think that if you hurt my family I would leave your family alone? Since you won¡¯t talk, I shall find some motivation for you. Maybe if you were to witness their execution-¡±


    ¡°You cannot,¡± Julia pleaded with him.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I? Is it too cruel? Isn¡¯t it as cruel as you robbing me of the chance to be a father and watching the queen cry knowing it was your fault? Why should I care about your family? Is it because I am the king? I am not like others you fool. My wifees before the kingdom. I will have your family ready to lose their heads if you do not answer my questions. A good punishment would be for you to watch your little sister be eaten by a few starving dogs. Isn¡¯t it?¡± Tobias questioned with a smile.


    ¡°Did you put something in my wife¡¯s tea?¡± Edgar asked once more as this was what was important to him.


    Julia hesitated before speaking as she thought about her family. Their safety was promised even if she got caught by the king. ¡°I am the queen¡¯s loyal-¡±


    ¡°Reed,¡± Edgar called to the man behind him on a horse. ¡°Bring the child.¡±


    Julia looked up at the crowd of men standing behind the Duke. She watched as the crowd of men parted and one came forward holding the hands of a little girl. ¡°No-¡± she tried to stand up but was met by Edgar¡¯s foot pushing her back down. ¡°She is just a child.¡±


    ¡°That statement makes you quite the hypocrite. She is off limits you missing with someone¡¯s ability to get pregnant is not? I am not as merciful as your dear king. I will kill that child if you do not speak,¡± said Edgar but he did not intend to make the child pay for what her sister did. ¡°Speak now before I give the order.¡±


    ¡°I-It was only a little bit for the Duchess. The order came at thest second. I don¡¯t know what she did to upset them but I was told to put a little bit in her tea to teach her a lesson. The queen has been kind to me but my loyalty is owed to someone else who has always helped me as a child-¡±


    It appeared like a race between Edgar and Tobias for who could grab Julia¡¯s throat first. Both wanting to kill her, Tobias and Edgar grabbed her throat, and neither intended to let go. With the strength between the two, it was easy for them to lift Julia to her feet by her throat.


    ¡°Give me a fucking name!¡± Tobias yelled.


    ¡°G-Grant Henson,¡± Julia managed to reveal despite their hold on her throat. ¡°He wants his granddaughter to be the mother of the next king. I have answered you so release my sister from your care.¡±


    ¡°Of fucking course,¡± Tobias released Julia while Edgar continued to hold her. ¡°What rtionship do you have with Grant?¡±


    ¡°He loves me,¡± Julia answered. ¡°As long as I do what he wants, he will take care of me and my family.¡±


    ¡°Any man who took care of you as a child and ims to love you when you are a woman has taken advantage of you and toyed with your feelings tomit a crime worthy of death,¡± Edgar released Julia and went to grab his sword. ¡°I will hold out her hands,¡± he said, handing his sword to Tobias to get the satisfaction of punishing her for all that he and Hazel went through because of this woman. Edgar would get his satisfaction by taking her to his dungeon.


    ¡°No!¡± Julia eximed and tried to run but she was pushed down onto the snow and pinned down by Edgar who held out her arms. She thrashed and turned, trying to kick Edgar off her but he was much stronger. ¡°Your highness, please,¡± she wept. ¡°Please kill me instead, your highness. I do not want to suffer without my hands. Please!¡±


    ¡°Cry for Grant instead. You deserve to lose the hands you serve the tea with,¡± Tobias said, raising the sword and aiming it at where he wanted to sever her hands.


    Julia¡¯s screams were heard by everyone who was present as the sword cut deep into her hand with the first blow but as her arm was not severed the first time, Tobias nudged the sword out of her hand and delivered a second blow.

 Chapter 379 - 379 Men at the gates (4)

    379 Men at the gates (4)


    Tobias resisted the urge to drive the sword right into her heart to end her life but just as he told Edgar, they needed her alive to testify against Grant though he nned to kill Grant regardless.


    ¡°Did you n to take my face along with her hand?¡± Edgar asked, letting go of Julia to get to his feet. Tobias had aimed the sword quite close to his body. ¡°I¡¯ve always known you were jealous of my face.¡±


    Tobias snickered, thankful for Edgar calming his anger momentarily with ament about himself. Just like that, they were back in a good ce. He knew Edgar¡¯s anger wasn¡¯t meant for him but they were two very angry husbands. ¡°Can you lend me your army, Edgar? The Henson¡¯s control most of the pce army so-¡±


    ¡°Like I would let that old bastard get away with going after my wife. All because she interrupted a conversation. What the hell did you mean by them?¡± Edgar asked, looking down at the groaning woman on the ground as he now recalled her saying them instead of him when referring to who ordered her.


    Julia was in too much pain with her hand to answer Edgar¡¯s question. Her eyes were full of tears and the blood oozing out of her severed hand stained the snow.


    ¡°She¡¯s not going to be able to speak for a while. I can¡¯t imagine what the hell is going through Hazel¡¯s mind after learning someone so close to her was her biggest enemy. I¡¯m going to get my horse so we can march out before Grant bes aware of this. Get someone to wrap up her hand before she bleeds to death. I am not finished with her yet,¡± Tobias said then walked away to get a horse to leave with.


    ¡°Reed! Deal with her hand,¡± said Edgar, going back to his horse to get ready to depart for Grant¡¯s home.


    Reed looked at the woman he had no intention of taking care of. The fight didn¡¯t start yet and this was not how he nned to get blood on his hands. ¡°You there,¡± he called to random men in the crowd. ¡°Deal with her arm. Pick up her hand in case she wants it as a memory.¡±


    Reed rode up closer to Edgar, ¡°Most of the pce guards are loyal to the Henson¡¯s. They might hesitate to fight when they see where the king is going. We should just leave them behind and take your men.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Spread the word we¡¯ll kill anyone who stands with the traitor who harmed the queen and a duchess. Keep that little girl safe,¡± Edgar said, eyeing Julia¡¯s sister they had picked up along their way here.


    ¡°I doubt your wife will be happy to hear you brought a child-¡±


    ¡°And who the hell will tell her?¡± Edgar stared at Reed, daring him to tell Alessandra about this.


    Reed licked his lips. ¡°I certainly won¡¯t but talk will get out. The lips of your men are sealed but most of the king¡¯s men are not. I suppose as long as a single hair on her head is not harmed, it will be understood we only brought her here to get her sister to speak. Not like we would ever kill an innocent child but it seemed like the king would.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not in the right mind to care about anyone other than his wife and I would not have stopped him if he wanted to murder her entire family. I would kill anyone when ites to my wife no matter the age. Even you if you ever double-cross me,¡± Edgar said.


    Reed was very much aware of how Edgar was not one to easily forgive anyone who betrayed him. It was apparent from his throwing his own mother into a dungeon. ¡°My loyalty can¡¯t be bought. I don¡¯t know about my brother,¡± he added, throwing Caleb under the carriage. ¡°Staying by your side is the perfect mixture of chaos and peace that I enjoy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m getting too old for the chaos.¡±


    ¡°You just turned twenty-four Edgar,¡± Reed shook his head in disbelief. ¡°These will be the most chaotic years of our lives. These years and the first few years raising your children. It¡¯s scary,¡± Reed said as he looked at Julia being tended to. ¡°To think of what I would do if someone tried to harm my woman. I couldn¡¯t be as calm as you are.¡±


    ¡°I am hardly calm,¡± Edgar replied, still very much angry but he prefered to remain reserved to think about his ns.


    ¡°That¡¯s scary too. How you look calm when you¡¯re actually pissed. The day you actually show your anger and flip out is the day I am going to quit since it¡¯ll be the day you murder everyone in sight.¡±


    Edgar didn¡¯t respond to Reed and eyed Julia being lifted from the ground so she coulde along with them. Her body shook, most likely not from the cold but from the shock of losing her hand. ¡°Who else is working for Grant? I will spare your other hand if you answer,¡± he said, hoping to get the other names.


    ¡°W-Will. W-Will,¡± Julia repeated, trying to get the name out but she was in too much pain to speak.


    ¡°William Lancaster,¡± Edgar finished for her. It made sense to be William since he was at the party Grant invited them to and he had an interest in Alessandra.


    Julia didn¡¯t respond to the name but Edgar did not need her to. She was taken into the crowd of men.


    ¡°Is William back in town yet?¡± Edgar asked, reaching his end with William still being alive.


    ¡°He should be now? Do you want to go to him instead of Grant-¡±


    ¡°No, we¡¯re going to stick to the n but we¡¯re going after William tonight. I need to aid Tobias against Grant first. The Henson¡¯s won¡¯t be an easy fight and I still have a bone to pick with Grant for targeting Alessandra. He¡¯s ready,¡± Edgar watched Tobias ride out the gates with only his knights. They werepletely under Tobias¡¯s control unlike many of the other pce guards who could be swayed. ¡°Ride out!¡± Edgar called to his men and started to lead the crowd to Grant¡¯s house.


    ¡°Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have sent Rafael away. There might be a war within the kingdom today and we could use his men. It would be like the old days when the three of us went to war together. I will admit that I am a bit jealous of you today, Edgar. The slightest threat to your wife and you brought an entire army to my gates. You¡¯re right that I haven¡¯t been protecting Hazel well,¡± Tobias admitted. Things wouldn¡¯t have gotten to this point if he had been.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let my words get to you. I was just angry back there. I told you many times you have been protecting her as best as you could while ruling an entire kingdom. You can¡¯t be by her side to watch what is happening to her every second. I¡¯m sure she knows this. On another note, I n to get rid of William tonight. Once we get Grant and William, we can get rid of their followers in the pce. A good old cleaning as Alfred would say,¡± Edgar said.

 Chapter 380 - 380 Saving friendships (1)

    380 Saving friendships (1)


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry your dinner was disrupted dear but I am sure it would have been wonderful. I¡¯lle again tomorrow with the portraits of you and your mother. I must remember to bring a gift for your husband¡¯s birthday. I hope whatever is happening gets better,¡± Wilma kissed Alessandra¡¯s cheek as she hugged her.


    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m sorry you didn¡¯t get to stay for dinner but I will make it up to you tomorrow. Maybe I can visit you instead?¡± Alessandra asked, stepping out of the hug but she was still holding Wilma¡¯s hand.


    ¡°That would be nice but it seems something big happened today so you might not have time to travel tomorrow. I don¡¯t minding to you tomorrow and if everything settles down I can host a little dinner for you and Edgar. You will love my cooking. Besides my good looks and personality, my food is how I got your grandfather to fall for me,¡± said Wilma with a wink at the end.


    ¡°Really? Do you know how to bake? I wanted to make a cake for Edgar but I failed. I don¡¯t have any experience in the kitchen but I would love to bake more. Making cookies sounds fun,¡± Alessandra said as she thought it would be good to do one day when she has children.


    ¡°Then how about you and I have a baking day and then Edgar joins us for dinner-¡±


    ¡°What is going on?¡± Rose¡¯s voice interrupted the peaceful conversation between Alessandra and Wilma. ¡°Where is Prisci?¡± She asked.


    After Edgar abruptly left home without telling anyone what was happening and Alessandra was being tight-lipped, Rose had taken it upon herself to visit Prisci only to find her cell empty.


    ¡°I will see you tomorrow,¡± Alessandra said to Wilma, quickly ushering her out the door so she could leave on a peaceful note rather than stay to hear Rose¡¯s questions.


    Wilma noticed what Alessandra was doing and left after saying a final goodbye. She didn¡¯t know what to make of Rose Collins yet but from what she saw with Edgar, Alessandra was in good hands. She was worried about what made Edgar suddenly leave and the queen to be nowhere in sight but Alessandra reassured her everything would be alright.


    .....


    Alessandra waved goodbye to Wilma as she walked down the steps and went to her carriage. ¡°I do not know where Prisci is. I do not check up on her and wait until Edgar gives me an update. If she is not there, then her punishment is over,¡± she answered.


    ¡°Has that boy lost his mind? It is odd how you do not know what is going on in the house you live in. My husband could never get anything past me-¡±


    ¡°The difference is,¡± Alessandra interjected before Rose could scold her again. ¡°Edgar is not hiding anything for me to have to be looking around to know what is happening. He will tell me about his mother when he is ready because wemunicate with each other. Should I have your carriage prepared for you to leave?¡±


    ¡°Why would I leave when my grandson left in such a rush and took a lot of men with him? I looked out the window and saw him riding out the gates with many of his followers. It is rude for the two of you to leave out everyone else at the table who is worried about what is going on. We are all worried sick,¡± said Rose, desperately needing to know what was going on.


    ¡°There is a chance that I drank something which would affect my chances of bing pregnant. It was only a little bit and my friend says she has the solution for it. Edgar has left to see if it is true,¡± Alessandra revealed, keeping Hazel¡¯s part out of it.


    If it were possible, Rose¡¯s jaw would have dropped to the floor. She was waiting anxiously for Edgar to have children she could dote on but now there was something to potentially push back happening? ¡°Where were you when you drank it? Were you not paying attention-¡±


    ¡°Can we please go back to how we were before you came to Lockwood? I don¡¯t understand why there is a sudden change in how you act toward me now. You knew back then who my family was and that I was trying my best to take on the role of Duchess. There is only so much I can take and as much as I know you are excited for Edgar to have children, it is my body and I am already shaken up by this. I don¡¯t need your questions,¡± said Alessandra.


    Alessandra closed the door now that Wilma¡¯s carriage was gone and she needed to check up on Hazel who went to her room with Eleanor.


    ¡°I am not trying to be against you, Alessandra. I love you and I want the best for you. It can only happen if I give you tough love and you stop Edgar from interfering with my help. I find that you are a bit too sensitive. I am easier on you than I am with anyone else whoes into our family,¡± Rose said, once again annoyed by Alessandra. ¡°Now that you have your grandmother are you going to treat me like a bad guy?¡±


    ¡°That is far from what is happening here. My grandmother has nothing to do with the uneasiness I feel toward you today. I would love to have more than one grandmother in my life but this easy approach you speak of is not working for me. I¡¯m sorry but I must ask that you take your leave now as dinner will not continue. Caleb,¡± Alessandra looked in the corner where he watched them from a distance.


    Caleb was made to stay behind to watch over her as he was her personal guard. She sent Clyde and Andre up to Hazel¡¯s room to make sure no one would pester her at this sensitive time.


    ¡°Please havedy Collins¡¯s carriage brought to the front of the house,¡± Alessandra said, ignoring Rose wanting to stay to wait for Edgar. She needed to focus on Hazel but would not be able to do that with Rose present.


    ¡°Duchess, there seems to be another carriage at the gates,¡± Sally spoke. She stood by the window trying to not make her presence noticed by Rose and as she stood there, she could see thanks to there being less snow falling, that there was a carriage by the gates.


    ¡°What now?¡± Alessandra muttered as she walked to where Sally stood to see the carriage she spoke of. She had no time for other guests unless it was someoneing to tell her about what Edgar was up to. She watched a guard running from the gates toward the house to deliver the message of who the person was.


    Rose remained silent as she considered staying though Alessandra was sending her away. If she stays, she would learn what Edgar was really doing quicker but at the same time, her rtionship with Alessandra might change and thest thing she wanted to do was be at odds with Alessandra. Instead, she needed to speak with Edgar as she nned to. He would understand where she wasing from.


    Sally went to the door to open it for the guard delivering the message. ¡°Who is at the gates?¡± She inquired.


    ¡°A miss Linda Henson. She says the king has sent her here to speak with the queen.¡±

 Chapter 381 - 381 Saving friendships (2)

    381 Saving friendships (2)


    ¡°Duchess,¡± Linda greeted Alessandra when she entered the door. She felt a bit awkward standing before Alessandra now that she knew what was going on between her grandfather and everyone else. ¡°The king told me of Hazel staying here.¡±


    ¡°I take it that it was your grandfather messing with Hazel¡¯s chances to be queen,¡± said Alessandra. It was an unfortunate turn of events for the best friends.


    Linda nodded her head. ¡°Your husband and the king have surrounded my grandfather¡¯s home. It was by some odd coincidence my father and I were visiting my grandfather. They only allowed me to leave so I could speak with Hazel. Where is she now?¡± She asked, nervously ying with her fingers. A habit she did as a child when she was scared.


    ¡°I will take you to her. I was now going there,¡± Alessandra said and proceeded to lead Linda to where Hazel was staying. Alessandra had a few things she wanted to ask Linda but decided to leave it for Hazel to ask.


    ¡°Is she angry with me? She must feel like I had something to do with this. I would too if I were in her position,¡± Linda muttered.


    Alessandra thought carefully about her answer to avoid making Linda more nervous than she already was. ¡°She is just trying to process everything and has been silent so I do not know what she is thinking. I am sure she will be d to see that you havee to speak with her.¡±


    Linda bit her lip, hoping that Hazel would wee her visit and listen to her. Never would she have imagined her grandfather would do something so evil to someone she viewed as a sister. She was holding onto the fact that Hazel knew her well and would never for a second think she had any part of this but what made Linda nervous was her absence recently.


    Linda jolted when Alessandra suddenly knocked on a door and she realized she had walked past where Alessandra had stopped. She didn¡¯t know why but she could not hear a word of what Alessandra was saying when she opened the door and smiled as she waited for her to enter.


    Linda took a deep breath and walked toward the room. When she entered, her eyes softened as she looked at Hazel sitting by the window and staring out of it lost in thought.


    .....


    ¡°Hazel, you have a visitor. Linda is here to see you. Eleanor, I think it¡¯s best you and I leave the two of them to-¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Hazel spoke up before the two of them could leave. ¡°I want the two of you to stay. Close the door please, Alessandra.¡±


    Alessandra didn¡¯t think anyone else should be involved in the conversation but as it was what Hazel wanted, she closed the door and took a seat near Eleanor.


    ¡°Have you received any updates about our husbands?¡± Hazel asked, looking at Alessandra instead of Linda. She couldn¡¯t bear to look at Linda just yet.


    ¡°They have reached my grandfather¡¯s home and won¡¯t let anyone leave. Men on my grandfather¡¯s side have put up a defense against the two of them. It won¡¯t be pretty if the two sides start to fight,¡± Linda answered in ce of Alessandra. ¡°Hazel, you know me. I did not have any part of this.¡±


    ¡°Where were you these days? You are normally by my side or at home with your mother but you were out of town for so long and then when you returned, I did not hear much from you. You did not attend your grandfather¡¯s party which is unlike you,¡± Hazel said, still refusing to look at Linda.


    ¡°My brothers and father were also not in attendance. My father had to go out of town and as always, he took me and my mother with him. Had I known about my grandfather¡¯s ns I would have warned you or the king. Hazel, I have been by your side andforted you when you cried about not having a child-¡±


    ¡°Which is why I would never forgive you if you are lying to me,¡± Hazel looked out the window to hide the tears forming. ¡°You have been my friend for as long as I could remember but I am finding it hard to trust anyone from your family or close to them. Julia betrayed me. What would make you any different? I wish you hadn¡¯te here.¡±


    Hazel did not want to learn of Linda knowing even the slightest part of her grandfather¡¯s ns. Linda¡¯s loyalty weighed her mind but with Linda not around she could continue to hold on to the bit of trust she had left to keep her friendship. Julia had led her to start thinking over the people she trusted. If Linda were to be lying, Hazel didn¡¯t know how she could ever be so close to someone aside from Tobias or her family.


    ¡°Hazel, I came to tell you that I had no part in this and I knew nothing. I would never betray you. You know that I have no interest in the pce and the only reason I visit is because of you. We both entered the pce at the same time to win the king¡¯s affection. Never once did I want to be with Tobias or have any role in the pce. My eyes were always on Edgar. Umm,¡± Linda paused to look at Alessandra.


    ¡°It is alright,¡± Alessandra said since they moved past the crush Linda had on Edgar.


    ¡°Hazel, me standing here should be enough proof that I am on your side. I would not havee if I did not care about you and your husband would have not let me leave if he did not believe I had no part in this. It is an awful position to be in knowing that he is the reason behind your suffering. I would never hurt you, Hazel. Please do not let his actions ruin the bond we have. I cannot be without you as my friend,¡± Linda said, her voice trembling as she fought to hold back her tear.


    ¡°I should have paid more attention to his questions about me getting married or the tasks he was giving my father which made us have to leave town. I just never thought he would ever hurt you. Please believe me. I understand if you never want to be near me again but you have to know I was not aware of this,¡± Linda said.


    Hazel looked up at Linda for the first time since Linda came into the room. Linda was not Grant and it was true Linda had spoken of not liking life in the pce. She remembered their days in the pce when Tobias was looking for a wife. Linda¡¯s eyes were always glued to Edgar and it was Linda who helped hide her secret meetings with Tobias.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like feeling like there is no one I can trust. I don¡¯t like doubting you but I cannot help it. So please forgive me if I am not epting your words right away. I need some time to think about everything,¡± Hazel replied, giving her an honest feeling that she did not know what to believe at the moment.


    Linda wasn¡¯t hurt by this as Hazel did need a moment to think about their rtionship. She was contented with the fact Hazel spoke to her and listened to what she had to say. There might be some hope for their friendship. ¡°I will leave to give you some time to think-¡±


    ¡°No, stay. Stay here with me,¡± Hazel said as she needed thepany of the three women in the room and she did not want Linda to return home to witness what was going on between Tobias and Grant.


    She noticed the way Linda yed with her fingers and knew what the simple action meant. Linda was in a difficult position tofort her friend but still think about her family.

 Chapter 382 - 382 Saving friendships (3)

    382 Saving friendships (3)


    ¡°Duchess, I have been trying to hold it in but I can¡¯t anymore. Where is your mask?¡± Eleanor asked as she reached the limit of holding back her curiosity. ¡°Do you only wear it at gatherings?¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Alessandra touched her face only now realizing she was without it in front of Eleanor and Linda. She was already sofortable with not having it on at home that she did not pay attention to putting it on around unexpected guests. ¡°I started to not wear it at home.¡±


    ¡°I see. You look beautiful without it,¡± Eleanor gave her a thumbs up.


    ¡°Thank you. Eleanor, are you sure you can fix what happened to Hazel?¡± Alessandra asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Eleanor nodded her head. ¡°The red light district is where these herbs float around the most so there is a lot of knowledge about them there. The women must take it regrly to avoid bing pregnant because the effects wear off if they do not keep up with drinking it. Someone at my father¡¯s business got pregnant because she secretly stopped taking it. The medicine helps to fully get it out of your body or something.¡±


    ¡°There are some which have longsting effects but I have never heard of it being in this kingdom. The red light district owners would have been the main ones to get their hands on it to guarantee their workers don¡¯t be pregnant. A lot of dangerous people set up markets in the red-light district and that must be where her grandfather got the herbs. I doubt the queen was giving one tost forever because her maid seemed to keep feeding it to her constantly,¡± said Eleanor.


    Alessandra released a sigh of relief. ¡°So you would be able to get your hands on the medicine quickly?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Yes, I only need to ask my father but I hear the pce has the best doctors. Will they really need my help?¡± Eleanor wondered.


    Alessandra knew they would because they could not trust too many people in the pce at the moment.


    .....


    ¡°Alessandra, I only hear you mentioning what is happening with Hazel but what about yourself? Aren¡¯t you worried that you have drunk the tea with something in it?¡± Eleanor asked as they were so fixated on Hazel that no one really asked Alessandra how she was feeling.


    ¡°I am worried about it but Hazel has consumed more of it than I might have. I don¡¯t remember finishing all of the tea and as you said, you must be given the herbs frequently or it will wear off. I like to believe that I am fine so I am more worried about Hazel. There is more pressure on her to have a child than there is for me so I worry about what is going through her head,¡± Alessandra replied, looking at Hazel still seated by the window.


    Alessandra wouldn¡¯t be surprised if Hazel no longer wanted to be queen and stepped down to live a normal life. Pce life seemed to be taking a toll on Hazel.


    ¡°If I were in her position, I would be thinking about the people I think crossed me in the past. I would start nning the ways I would punish them right now. I feel bad to just sit here and watch her sit far from her friend,¡± Eleanor pointed at Linda who had not left. ¡°I hate when the actions of men ruin friendships among women. In this town, it is not easy to find women you can trust. I hope they can move past this. We need something to get everyone¡¯s mind off this.¡±


    ¡°Like what? I don¡¯t know what would make Hazel take her mind off Julia and Grant. It must not be something to annoy her,¡± said Alessandra. She wouldn¡¯t want to hear ridiculous ideas to have fun in a moment like this.


    ¡°She needs to take her anger out on something. Do you have anything around here she can destroy?¡± Eleanor suggested.


    Alessandra thought about it for a moment and then came up with something she had in one of her rooms Hazel would be able to destroy easily. ¡°I do. Hazel,¡± Alessandra stood up and Eleanor stood up behind her. ¡°Do you mind leaving this room to go somewhere with me? I know it will be hard since you have much to think about but we would like to kind of distract you and help you release your anger. You don¡¯t have to-¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Hazel quickly stood up. The more she thought about everything the more negative her thoughts became. She didn¡¯t want to think about it anymore until she saw Tobias again.


    Linda slowly stood up as she was not sure if she was also invited to tag along on what they were going to do but until Hazel sent her away, she would stay.


    Alessandra led the three women to a nearby room that was assigned for her to paint in. Edgar had bought her many canvases that she would not be able to use anytime soon so she did not mind if Hazel destroyed a few to release her anger.


    ¡°You certainly love to paint. What is this?¡± Eleanor pointed to one of the paintings hung up in the room.


    Alessandra looked at the painting Edgar had done when they painted together and said, ¡°I am still trying to figure it out. Edgar painted it. The others were made by me and the big ones will be going downstairs on the walls,¡± she said as she cleared a space for them to break a few of the canvas. ¡°I have more canvas in another room so you are free to break the ones that are in here. As long as they do not have paint on them.¡±


    The room became silent as Alessandra, Eleanor, and Linda watched Hazel to see if she would like to break the canvas or go back to her room.


    Hazel didn¡¯t think twice about it and walked over to the nk canvas stacked against each other on the floor to pick up one. Hazel lifted it in the air and brought it down against the floor as hard as she could to try breaking it. Only one of the corners cracked. It felt better than she thought it would.


    Hazel looked at the others who were just watching her. ¡°Do not just stand there. I¡¯m sure all of you have something you need to release anger for,¡± she said, not wanting to be the only one with issues or see their concerned looks.


    ¡°Of course I do. My aunt wants me to consider getting married to someone who made my childhood hell,¡± Eleanor said as she walked over to get a canvas. ¡°As a child, I had to keep hearing about my parents¡¯ business as if I told them to sell girls¡¯ bodies for money. Every single time I get close to someone they throw it in my face like I had something to do with it,¡± she added, hitting the canvas against the floor as hard as she could.


    Hazel was wide-eyed and stepped away from being close to Eleanor as the canvas she picked had easily broken from her repeatedly hitting it on the floor.


    ¡°I really hate my aunt trying to portray me as some refineddy when everyone just whispers how hypocritical it is for me to have a good life when there are girls in my parents¡¯ business being used. I didn¡¯t sign up for this. I just want to write books and live my life how I want. If I hear one more word about Hayden I¡¯m going to¡­¡± Eleanor trailed off, continuing to destroy the already broken canvas.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Hazel awkwardly smiled, trying to look away from the murder happening beside her. ¡°I didn¡¯t think anyone else was that angry but I like it. Alessandra, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve got something to make you want to destroy a couple of these canvases. Now is your chance when no one is watching you.¡±

 Chapter 383 - 383 Saving friendships (4)

    383 Saving friendships (4)


    Alessandra had many things which angered her today from her father creating letters in her name to Rose pestering her about her duties as Edgar¡¯s wife and now learning of Grant¡¯s evil deeds. She needed a break when it came to bad news.


    Things between her and Edgar were going so well, especially after how they spent his birthday. She would never tell him but she would like for them to magically go back to yesterday when it was just the two of them at home and they were tangled up in each other¡¯s arms.


    ¡°I do have a few things I want to let go of,¡± Alessandra replied, going to pick up her own canvas to destroy. ¡°I am tired of people meddling in my life. I always try to be respectful,¡± she said, hitting the canvas against the floor. ¡°I don¡¯t want to upset the rtives Edgar is close to because I don¡¯t want their rtionship to be ruined. I know what it is like to be alone without family and it is not something I want for Edgar.¡±


    ¡°I want us to have a loving family and it won¡¯t just be us but people will not shut up with the opinions they think I must follow,¡± Alessandra¡¯s tone changed from calm to angry and the canvas collided with the floor with a greater force. ¡°Out of all the people who make you feel small, why must it be family? My father and then my absent mother. I¡¯m sorry,¡± Alessandra apologized as she looked at the broken canvas.


    ¡°Are you apologizing to us or to the canvas you murdered?¡± Eleanor chuckled. She was happy to be in the presence of these women with status and see this side of them.


    ¡°To both of you,¡± she threw the wood that was left onto the floor. ¡°I feel like I am getting angrier instead of letting go. I need another one.¡±


    ¡°How did the both of you get it to break but I did not?¡± Hazel asked, looking at the partially intact canvas in her hands. ¡°Am I not angry? I mean, I do feel like all I want to do is cry. I¡¯m surprised I was able to walk here with all of you with how tired I am both physically and mentally. Some days I just feel like I would just go to the balcony of my room and jump from it so I can finally rest.¡±


    ¡°Hazel,¡± Linda took a step forward but she stopped herself.


    ¡°I don¡¯t because I think of my husband and my family. I don¡¯t see why anyone is so vicious to have the seat of the queen or be the mother of the next king. You get told you have to share your husband and besides Tobias, no one there really cares about the pain I have endured trying to get pregnant. The awful medicines I took and the painful inspections on my body when all along there was nothing wrong with me,¡± Hazel softly spoke.


    .....


    ¡°I won¡¯t get an apology from everyone who added pressure for me to have an heir. They will push for me to be inspected more and have a child or think that my body is a waste and bring in mistresses. I¡¯m tired more than I am angry,¡± Hazel touched her forehead. ¡°I really wanted this to work but it didn¡¯t. I¡¯m sorry Alessandra. Your day to celebrate Edgar¡¯s birthday is ruined because of my problems.¡±


    ¡°Tobias will get rid of everyone who had a part in trying to hurt you-¡±


    ¡°Are you aware that means your grandfather will die?¡± Hazel asked, looking at Linda who appeared conflicted. ¡°I am not just upset with what he was doing to me but what this will do to you. You have always loved your grandfather. If you pick me, you lose him and if you pick him, you lose me. You don¡¯t want to be roped into the pce but there are many people who will think you are better for Tobias. They did in the past. You were at the top of the list.¡±


    ¡°And yet in a turn of events from our group, Tobias picked you,¡± Linda reminded Hazel. There was no one but you who Tobias loved. I have never dreamed of sharing a man with anyone else and I certainly would not want to share the man my best friend loves. I stand for what is right and that is not my grandfather¡¯s side. I can still love him but not stand for his actions. He knew where his actions could lead him so he has epted his death and so have I.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t turn back time to question what my grandfather was doing and stop all of this before it got out of hand. I don¡¯t know what to do to make you trust me or be sure that I don¡¯t want any parts of the pce. If us gettingpared to each other is too much for you, I will leave town. When Tobias and Edgar reveal everything and my innocence is proven, I will leave town. I won¡¯te back so no one has to think of me bing the king¡¯s mistress. If that can bring somefort to your mind, I will do it,¡± said Linda.


    ¡°Your family isn¡¯t going to move because of this. Your brothers and father are still respected and if they did not know about what Grant was doing to me, they would be fine,¡± Hazel replied.


    Linda smiled as she didn¡¯t n to leave with her family. ¡°They will stay but I will go. It would be better if I could get married to someone out of town quickly so the discussion about who I will marry woulde to an end. I can¡¯t be a woman of the king if I am married. There were a few proposals I can ept or spend the next season with my aunt-¡±


    Hazel could not believe that Linda, who had her eyes set on Edgar only and did not think of marriage to anyone else, would consider getting married to prove she did not want to be chosen as one of the women to be the mother of the next king. ¡°That is not necessary. I would never want you away from your family,¡± said Hazel.


    ¡°It is what I want to do so you do not think of me as your enemy. I am long overdue to get married anyway. I have been pestered about my age and- Hazel?¡± Linda was startled by Hazeling toward her and though she wanted to be near her friend, Hazel suddenly embracing her left her speechless.


    ¡°I am sorry for doubting you and feeling like we werepeting with each other. It was just all in my head and I feel like a fool for letting everyone¡¯s opinions make me second-guess our friendship. I really need you by my side right now,¡± Hazel confessed with teary eyes as she hugged Linda.


    It hurt that this involved Linda¡¯s rtive because the first person she wanted to reach out to in Tobias¡¯s absence was Linda.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry about all of this. I will do what I can to make sure everyone working with my grandfather is exposed,¡± Linda made a promise to Hazel and to herself.

 Chapter 384 - 384 Saving friendships (5)

    384 Saving friendships (5)


    ¡°We are still going to destroy the canvas right?¡± Eleanor interrupted the moment. It felt like minutes had passed since the two friends made up while she and Alessandra were standing on the sidelines waiting for the right moment to speak up.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Hazel let go of Linda and wiped the tears in her eyes with her fingers. ¡°Linda has not tried to destroy one. I don¡¯t know about anyone else but I suddenly feel the need to paint but I don¡¯t know how to.¡±


    ¡°I feel like tossing paint around,¡± Eleanor said, feeling hyped up and wanting to take things to another level.


    ¡°Throwing paint is something we cannot do inside the house. It is already bad enough that we are breaking canvas in here. If Alfred were to pass by and see what we are doing he might faint. I don¡¯t need him dying right after Edgar¡¯s birthday so we should stick to destroying canvas,¡± said Alessandra, fearing the reaction of the retired butler.


    She had not forgotten how Alfred reacted to her and Edgar having paint on the floors. Even though he was no longer the butler, she caught him inspecting the home and ordering around the maids many times. Alessandra was starting to feel bad that the job he loved was taken away from him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind sticking to the canvas but I am in need of something to drink. I would have liked to have eaten before all of this. My mind is saying something with alcohol but that is thest thing I need right now. I will have some water. I don¡¯t mind if the rest of you want to drink alcohol,¡± Hazel said, taking a seat on the floor to rest for a moment. She didn¡¯t mind how udylike it was.


    ¡°It¡¯s no fun when everyone isn¡¯t drinking. I keep hearing that it is the Duke¡¯s dinner that I interrupted. That means there should be food either cold or still a bit warm for us to eat right? You should fill your stomachs so when your husbands return they are not worried about you. I don¡¯t know how long I am invited to stay here but it¡¯s been a while since I ate something. I hope you don¡¯t mind feeding me,¡± Eleanor said, pointing at her mouth.


    ¡°I would not send you away on an empty stomach when I am enjoying yourpany. I will get someone to bring us drinks and snacks. I am also feeling a bit hungry. Excuse me,¡± Alessandra said, leaving the women to look for a maid to bring them water, something to eat, and to have the cook warm the food meant for Edgar¡¯s disrupted dinner.


    ¡°Thank you, Eleanor. I don¡¯t think I took the moment to thank you for traveling to tell Alessandra about the tea. I am sorry this is taking up your time and I will reward you for what you have done,¡± said Hazel. Without Eleanor, they would never have suspected Julia.


    .....


    ¡°I don¡¯t need a reward. I would like for someone to tell me if something was put in my tea and it is not taking up my time. If I was not here I would be hiding from my aunt to avoid speaking of marriage and I enjoy spending time with youdies. Other than thedies in the red light district, I don¡¯t have too many women as friends. From the gathering in the pce you might see why,¡± Eleanor replied, taking a seat on the floor.


    ¡°I can¡¯t disagree with you there. It is hard to find friends amongst our peers. I did enjoy seeing youughing and speaking your mind that day. You appear to know a lot of information about the youngdies in attendance. Rather than speak negatively of you, they should fear what you know. I hope your writing does well and everything works out with your aunt,¡± Hazel stated, wishing the best for Eleanor.


    ¡°I hope this town bes better so I can reveal it is me who is writing the books that are selling well. I know I would lose customers if they learn who the author is. Thank you for not judging me because of my parents work. Ugh, I feel like I am getting emotional which I hate. I am already feeling jealous of you and Alessandra,¡± Eleanor confessed, looking away from Linda and Hazel.


    Hazel didn¡¯t see why Eleanor would be jealous of her and Alessandra. Did she forget someone was trying to keep the both of them without a child? ¡°Jealous of what?¡± She inquired, curious to know what it was.


    ¡°Your marriages of course. I am not ready to get married but I would hope to have someone like your husbands who storm out to protect you at the first news of danger. Not everyone gets to find a partner who loves them so much. I hope you keep what I said a secret so no oneughs at me. I normally pretend that I do not want to be in love but let¡¯s face it, everyone wants to experience it. I just try to not look forward too much,¡± Eleanor exined.


    Eleanor knew what everyone thought of her and if there was anyone looking to marry her, they either wanted a hand in her father¡¯s business or they misjudged the type of woman she was. She had many bad experiences in the past which she kept to herself.


    ¡°It is truly horrible how what our family does affects us,¡± Linda said, taking a seat on the floor with the other twodies. She started to think her family will be affected by what her grandfather has done.


    Although she made up with Hazel, there will still be some challenges going forward. She could already imagine people telling Hazel to stay away from her in case she was looking to harm her.


    ¡°Do you think we will be better than our parents and rtives? To not be so harsh on those younger than us?¡± Eleanor wondered out loud.


    ¡°I n to be better. I want the next person to be queen to feel safer,¡± said Hazel.


    The door of the room opened as Alessandra returned with Sally who helped her carry a tray into the room.


    Sally eyed the mess of the canvas inside the room but didn¡¯t say a word. She wondered if the women had fought each other and were now calming down with water. She noted to keep Alfred off of this floor for the time being.


    ¡°Thank you Sally,¡± Alessandra said after the trays were ced on the floor. She sat down on the floor to join everyone else, not questioning why they were using the floor.


    ¡°Duchess, are you aware that you are not covering the faint red mark on your neck well?¡± Hazel smiled and winked her right eye at Alessandra. ¡°d to know that amid everything else Edgar enjoyed his birthday.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Alessandra blushed, hiding her neck with her hand. She was certain there was nothing there this morning or she would have worn a different dress. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are speaking of,¡± she denied Hazel¡¯s im and removed her hand but she already exposed herself with her reaction.


    ¡°Cute as always,¡± Hazel chuckled.

 Chapter 385 - 385 Mine (1)

    385 Mine (1)


    ¡°That fucking idiot,¡± William cursed, hitting the wall of his carriage as he made his way back home.


    After hours and hours of receiving updates about the standoff between Edgar, Tobias and Grant, he learned that Grant had lost the battle as his own son was against him. This was exactly why William wanted their allies to join Grant in the fight to even the odds as Grant¡¯s son and grandsons could not be trusted. However, their allies did not want to join the fight unless Grant had the upper hand.


    With Grant¡¯s status in the king¡¯s army, it was expected that he would put up a strong fight but what they didn¡¯t expect was for his son to join Tobias and outnumber the men Grant had.


    For William, this defeat cost him a lot as he had just formed an alliance with Grant. One that took him years to build up. Grant would get his granddaughter to be the mother of the next king and Grant would aid him in getting rid of Edgar. They only needed a bit more time for their ns to work. He wasn¡¯t aware of Grant making the queen without a child. All William cared about was the ruined alliance he had.


    He meant to visit the Baroness to talk about what she was doing to get him what he desired but he needed to return home to be out of sight of the mess happening in the kingdom.


    ¡°I need a new ally,¡± he muttered, looking out the window at the homes he passed.


    Many of his allies were working to get the king off the throne and put someone who would work better under theirmands. By getting rid of the king, he would get rid of Edgar¡¯s biggest ally.


    His hatred for Edgar was more than just wanting Alessandra. Their feud had started for years because Edgar constantly looked down on him. He hated the attitude of the Duke who had everything handed to him. Edgar stealing Alessandra away from him was what set off his desire to kill Edgar even more.


    William exited his carriage, in need of a drink quickly to help calm his anger. Now at the time of dinner, he expected his servants to be on time with serving his food as the first person to mess up would be the target for him to unleash his anger. In a time when losing Grant had pissed him off, no one should look to add to his anger.


    .....


    A servant opened the door for William so he would not need to use his hands to do it himself.


    William looked at the young boy who trembled and could not meet his eyes. It was a pathetic sight and at times he missed the presence of Rowan who was the only person to act withmon sense in his house. All the other servants were fools who trembled before him. He liked their fear but it annoyed him when they acted like stuttering fools before him.


    ¡°Be careful with it or I shall have your head for ruining what cost more than your life,¡± he tossed his coat onto the head of the young boy. ¡°Where are those women? I need them toe to settle my anger,¡± he spoke out loud. The best way for him to get rid of his anger was to have his way with one of the women he kept here.


    ¡°Why haven¡¯t any of youe out to wee me home?¡± William yelled, his voice echoing in the quiet house. Everyone knew the rules that thedies must be dressed up ande to him the moment he got home in case he wanted to have one of them or he had a guest he wanted to entertain.


    William stormed down the hallway to find where they were now. They would have hell to pay if they were resting when he was now returning home. William quickly passed the dining room but slowed down as he realized something. Slowly, he walked back to see if his eyes were ying tricks on him.


    ¡°What the fuck are you doing in my house?¡± He angrily asked the man who was the source of all his problemstely. ¡°Get your feet off my table.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a little disappointed. I thought you would be happy to see me. I bet you always envisioned me here in your house,¡± Edgar said, sitting at the head of William¡¯s dining table with his feet situatedfortably on the table while he peeled an apple with a knife. ¡°You¡¯ve kept me waiting far longer than I would have liked. I almost considered letting you return to your house on fire. Say thank you that I did not.¡±


    William didn¡¯t understand how Edgar was able to get his house which was protected well enough for not even the town guards to enter. Edgar¡¯s men were anywhere in sight on the inside or the outside and William passed his own guards at his gates when his carriage came in. Then again, he was upied with thinking about Grant and did not look at the men walking around. He didn¡¯t because no one should ever be so bold as to try entering his house.


    ¡°How did you get in here?¡± William just had to know. The gates were still intact andst he heard, Edgar was in the fight against Grant. When did Edgar have the time to deal with Grant and then get inside his house?


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t smart to have a secret door leading into your home and let someone who knows about it live. Your mistake was my opportunity. Have a seat, William,¡± Edgar pointed at the chair all the way on the other end of the table.


    William wasn¡¯t threatened by Edgar¡¯s presence in his home. Seeing that Edgar was alone, this was a good chance for him to get rid of the young Duke.


    William started to walk toward Edgar to end their feud once and for all. However, something whistling through the air in his direction caused him to step back before he could reach Edgar. A thud was heard as something collided with the wall in the dining room and after looking for what it was, William noticed there was a dagger stuck in a painting he paid a lot of money for.


    ¡°What makes you think I am alone, William?¡± Edgar asked, still peeling the apple in his hands. He had not moved an inch when William started to walk toward him or flinch when Reed threw the dagger at William.


    ¡°I missed. Let me go again,¡± Reed said, bringing attention to himself in the corner where he sat. It was getting boring waiting for William to arrive but now the fun could start. He showed another dagger he would throw if William took another step.


    William licked his lips, irritated by the presence of the man he saw around Edgar many times. If not for him, he would take the chance to go at Edgar. ¡°It is disrespectful for you to walk into another man¡¯s house and put your feet up on his table like you own the house,¡± he said, ring at Edgar who was nonchnt about the entire ordeal.


    ¡°The same as constantly messing with my wife. Have a seat,¡± Edgar said.

 Chapter 386 - 386 Mine (2)

    386 Mine (2)


    ¡°Oh, how you forget that she was promised to me first. You just had to swoop in and steal what I had my eyes on. I must admit that you did show me how much more I could use her rather than just have her on disy-¡±


    Reed threw his second dagger, aiming it at William¡¯s head for the way he spoke of the Duchess. If William was not keeping an eye on him, this second dagger would have had a better chance at getting William. It was a letdown but there were still more daggers to be thrown.


    ¡°Stop throwing things in my house, you fucking bastard! You are damaging things far greater that the cost of your life!¡± William yelled at Reed. The second dagger got closer to his face than he would have liked. ¡°She is mine. I had a deal with her father. The only reason you got her was that you killed Desmond. You had no reason to go for her other than the fact I had my eyes on her. You are always trying topete with me. Admit it.¡±


    ¡°I forget you are alive until youe buzzing around. These aren¡¯t sweet,¡± Edgar ced the apple down after taking one bite. He was looking forward to its sweet taste but was disappointed in the end by how itcked any taste. ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with quickly. What do you know about her mother?¡±


    Edgar would love to finally be rid of William but first, he wanted to learn what William knew about Mnie. He should know much about her since he was good friends with Desmond in the past. William was a guest in Desmond¡¯s house when he was married to Mnie so there might be some information William knew that others did not.


    Now that Desmond owed William money, it wouldn¡¯te as a surprised if Desmond talked too much and shared what happened to his first wife.


    ¡°Ha!¡± William scoffed, finding Edgar¡¯s question to be unbelievable. ¡°You already have the daughter but still want the mother? What would I know about Mnie? Had I known she was going to run away I would have been there to capture her and bring her here. I still think of it to this day. Perhaps that is why I want her daughter who is a perfect copy of her. I should have married Mnie instead of Desmond.¡±


    Just like any other man back in his youth, William loved Mnie but instead of going to him who had nothing much to offer her, she went to Desmond who had a good reputation at the time. He could never forget how much he hated Desmond for having everything and the smiles he forced seeing Mnie pregnant with Desmond¡¯s child.


    ¡°So you can lust after the children you share with her?¡± Edgar questioned.


    .....


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t need the daughter if I had the mother. Besides, I am a man who loves art and your wife made herself the perfect art by wearing that mask. Tell me, does she wear it when you fuck her? It must be fun to see what no one else has,¡± William said, trying to make Edgar mad so that the young Duke woulde to him and the man in the corner wouldn¡¯t be able to throw a dagger.


    William kept eyeing Reed to make sure a dagger wouldn¡¯t be thrown now for his words. ¡°I can¡¯t get how dressed up she was at the winter party out of my head. So perfect unlike all the other women present. I would have ced her right here in my dining room for me to watch her as I eat and then I would have her right here,¡± he touched the table. ¡°Screaming for me. Wanting someone toe for her but she would be with me forever.¡±


    Reed wanted to throw another dagger but first, he looked at Edgar to see what he would do. If this was his wife being spoken about, he would have jumped up and killed William from the first line about his woman.


    Edgar only stared at William and Reed couldn¡¯t ce what was going through his head. Reed knew if he threw the next dagger, he wasn¡¯t going to miss William¡¯s head. However, he didn¡¯t want to steal the satisfaction of killing William from Edgar.


    William wasn¡¯t pleased by Edgar¡¯sck of a reaction and judging by the look of Edgar¡¯spanion, he also was confused about Edgar¡¯s silence. ¡°Tell what it is like when you fuck her. I thought of having her dress up like her mother-¡±


    Edgar took a small gun from inside his coat, aimed it perfectly at the hand William had on the table and released the first shot.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± William groaned, quickly moving his hand from near the table and holding it in his other hand. He looked at the open wound at the side of his hand where blood started to pour out. He was still lucky to have his index finger intact. His hand became rigid and his body trembled out of shock from the foreign pain. ¡°G-Guns aren¡¯t allowed to be used in the kingdom.¡±


    Edgar pointed the gun at William¡¯s chest, ready to take the next aim. ¡°No one will know of this. No one will ever know how William Lancaster died. They will just know that you have vanished. Deathes so easy with these things,¡± he looked at the gun. ¡°You have good taste in the style of it.¡±


    William looked at the gun in Edgar¡¯s hand and only now realized it belonged to him. ¡°You search my house you bastard,¡± he spat. It was impossible for Edgar to know where he kept the guns he bought even if Edgar found someone who knew theyout of his home. The only ones who would know are the servants.


    William started to wonder if the young servant boy who answered the door was scared because of his arrival or scared of when he would find out the servants had led Edgar around his house. It was clear why the women had note out to see him. They must have fled by now.


    ¡°Where are my women?¡± William asked in a low tone. Those women belonged to him now. They were under his mercy.


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t get women to look your way in the past so once you got money, you bought them so you could mistreat them for ignoring you. I let them go free but first, I was shown the ones you killed and were preparing to turn into dolls so you wouldn¡¯t lose your art. It¡¯s surprising none of them are the missing girls I am looking for. I wanted this mystery case to end here tonight with you,¡± Edgar said, moving the gun to aim it at William¡¯s head to make the death quick.


    ¡°W-Wait,¡± William stepped back. ¡°I can offer you information about those opposing the king. I can even tell you about Katrina¡¯s ns to take your wife. I will be useful if you leave me alive. I know about all of Grant¡¯s allies.¡±


    ¡°You have nothing to offer me when we already have Grant and I am aware of his allies. What makes you think you can speak about my wife in such a manner and I let you live? I am not a fool to know the Baroness wants my wife to bring her to you. Goodbye William,¡± Edgar pulled the trigger.


    William tried to move to get out of the way but his speed was not quicker than the bullet which entered his head. ¡°You,¡± his sentence went unfinished as his body fell to the floor. His body shook from the pain of the bullet that entered his head through his eye because he had turned when Edgar fired the gun.


    ¡°He¡¯s going to be alive for a little while. You should shoot him again,¡± Reed said as he approached the table to get a look at the quick damage guns caused. He wanted a gun and he needed it right now. Guns seemed to be more fun than swords.


    ¡°No,¡± Edgar looked down at the pleasing sight of William in pain. ¡°Let him suffer until he meets his death. Have the men bring out all the bodies of the dead women, get rid of his body and this,¡± he ced the gun on the table. There would be a lot of noise if anyone were to learn he used a gun to kill someone. ¡°Do it and then send for the town guards. I will be waiting outside.¡±


    Edgar stood from the table as his business here was done. He had a wife who was most likely worried sick about him and to whom he needed to return. While he left Reed to instruct the small group of men they came with, Edgar noticed the young servant standing in shock to see his former employer dying.


    ¡°I suggest you grab something of value and get out of here quickly. Run before I take away the freedom I handed to you,¡± said Edgar.


    The young servant boy nodded his head and ran off who knows where.

 Chapter 387 - 387 Mine (3)

    387 Mine (3)


    ¡°Duchess,¡± Eleanor tapped Alessandra¡¯s shoulder to wake her up. ¡°You must go to bed.¡±


    Alessandra slowly opened her eyes and found Eleanor standing over her. She rubbed her eyes to get rid of her tiredness. ¡°What time is it?¡± She asked, covering her mouth to hide a yawn.


    ¡°It is nearing seven in a couple of minutes. The queen has fallen to sleep and Linda is resting in the guest room you gave her. I must take my leave soon before my aunt worries about me but first, you should go to bed,¡± Eleanor said, worried about the position Alessandra was in now, dozing off at the front door in the chair she sat in.


    Alessandra looked behind Eleanor and saw that Caleb and Sally were also present. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sally. You and Caleb must be ready to go home to your parents. You can retire for the rest of the night. I won¡¯t need you from this point on,¡± Alessandra stated, sending home Sally and Caleb.


    ¡°We are not going home to my parents,¡± Sally informed Alessandra, missing the smile on Caleb¡¯s lips because she said home. ¡°We are going to stay in our rooms here. You should go to bed. There is no telling when the Duke will return.¡±


    Alessandra looked out the window at the gates. ¡°So many of his men have returned but not Edgar. Was there any update while I slept?¡±


    ¡°No. We would have woken you up the moment it came,¡± said Eleanor.


    Alessandra was worried something must have happened to Edgar for him to not return by now. None of the men she questioned when they returned home had answered her about Edgar¡¯s whereabouts. They were even tightlipped about what happened with Grant.


    She wanted to stay and wait for him but knew she would keep everyone else awake as they were looking after her in Edgar¡¯s absence. ¡°Then I will go to bed. Eleanor, you can take one of our carriages to return home. If you find yourself in trouble with your aunt for being here so long, I would be more than happy to send a letter to her about your stay here or even visit your residence.¡±


    .....


    ¡°I will handle my aunt myself but take you up on the offer of the letter if it is needed. I would never have silence if you were to visit her home. Then again it would be wonderful if I got you to tell her that you are trying to set me up with someone so there is no need for Hayden. She might think I forged the letter,¡± Eleanor realized the one w in the n.


    ¡°I would be more than happy to visit you if you need help. I owe you a lot,¡± Alessandra stood to hug Eleanor. ¡°Never think twice about wanting my help.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Eleanor hugged Alessandra back. ¡°Now you must go to bed before I worry about you being awake. A chair is not a good ce for you to doze off in. You shouldn¡¯t let your husband see you like this when he returns. I want to see you go up the stairs.¡±


    Alessandra stepped out of the hug and smiled as she felt like she was being told by a parent to go upstairs to bed instead of ying some more. ¡°Good night all of you,¡± Alessandra bid goodbye and then walked toward the stairs to go to her bedroom.


    Caleb waited for Alessandra to make her way far up the stairs and then said, ¡°She is just going to stay awake in her bedroom.¡±


    ¡°We are aware of that but it is better for her to wait in their bedroom instead of falling asleep in a chair. I can¡¯t imagine the torture this must be for her and the queen to be waiting for their husbands to return in one piece. I will help her change out of her clothes before going to my room. You should get a carriage for Miss Eleanor to leave,¡± Sally told Caleb before she left to follow Alessandra.


    ¡°Would it hurt for her to give me a proper goodbye? What?¡± Caleb asked when he looked away from Sally and saw Eleanor smiling at him.


    ¡°Nothing. It is just amusing the types of couples present in this household. I am left to be jealous each way I turn,¡± Eleanor replied.


    ¡°A rtive of Edgar is in town if you want to take a chance. He is out with Edgar and the others so you would dy your leave if you want to identally bump into him. I find myself to be good at matchmaking,¡± Caleb said, willing to offer his talents to Eleanor.


    ¡°And yet you cannot get the woman you have feelings for to kiss you goodbye or even acknowledge you more before she leaves. No thank you,¡± Eleanor turned down the offer. ¡°Besides, I do not want to get involved with any rtive of the Duke. My standards are lower for a man more suited for someone with my background. If you can find someone whose family will ept mine, then we can talk.¡±


    ¡°You know there are plenty of men who won¡¯t care about your family business-¡±


    ¡°It is the family drama and stares I wish to avoid from rtives who will look down on me. I suppose Alessandra is the one person to give me hope that someone can forget about everything else and just love me. I must get that carriage now or my aunt will go to the town guards to search this kingdom for me,¡± Eleanor changed the subject to the carriage.


    ¡°Right. I will get it for you,¡± Caleb replied, going to the door and opening it so he could let her go home. Maybe Alessandra and the other women would help change her mind. ¡°We should have let Alessandra stay a bit longer,¡± he said the moment he opened the door.


    ¡°Why?¡± Eleanor asked, walking to the door to see what he was looking at. ¡°Oh,¡± she noticed the Duke approaching his house on a horse and a group of men behind him. ¡°Would you have rather let him see his wife in an ufortable position in the chair?¡±


    ¡°Good point,¡± Caleb answered. He hurried down the steps to get news of what had happened since Edgar, his brother, and Dominic left home. ¡°I was just about to get a carriage for the youngdy to return home. It is an order for the Duchess. I will put away your horse while I get the carriage.¡±


    Edgar slid off of his horse and looked up the steps at where Eleanor stood. ¡°Reed, apany her home,¡± he said. It was dangerous for her to ride home alone even in one of his carriages.


    Reed tilted his head back as he sighed. He knew he should have gone to his brother¡¯s house instead of returning here with Edgar. Now his ns to sleep were ruined. ¡°Why can¡¯t Caleb-¡±


    ¡°Because I said you are taking her,¡± Edgar looked at Reed, letting him know it was final. With Caleb¡¯s fake engagement with Sally, it wouldn¡¯t be a good look for him to be apanying anotherdy alone even if he was just guarding her. Edgar felt his hands itch from helping Caleb with his ridiculous n.


    Caleb stuck out his tongue at Reed and led Edgar¡¯s horse to the stables.


    Reed ignored his childish brother and looked up the steps at the young woman who was interrupting his time to do nothing.

 Chapter 388 - 388 Relieved (1)

    388 Relieved (1)


    ¡°Just so you know, you¡¯re not the only one not happy about this. I would have preferred to travel with your brother who seems to be the pleasant one,¡± Eleanor said, walking down the steps toward Reed who did not hide his dislike for taking her home. It was an unexpected twist of events that Caleb had a twin. A grumpy twin it seems.


    ¡°You can still let him take you home and Edgar would not find out. I would not tell him,¡± Reed replied.


    ¡°Your brother is busy and there is ady I am certain he would love to spend his time with. Besides, it is a bonus to see someone grumpy be annoyed. It will be a quick silent trip so you will not suffer as much as you think,¡± Eleanor said, looking in the direction Caleb went to see when the carriage wasing.


    From his horse, Reed looked down at thetest addition to Alessandra¡¯s group of friends. Her circle had an odd mixture of personalities. This one was annoying him already but he had to be grateful it wasn¡¯t the talkative dressmaker he heard about.


    The more he stared at her the more he found her to be familiar. ¡°Do you frequent the red light district?¡± Reed asked.


    ¡°I am not a prostitute. My father has a business there,¡± Eleanor answered, hoping he would end the conversation here. She didn¡¯t like when most men bring up seeing her there.


    ¡°I never called you a prostitute I just asked if you go there. All sorts of people pass through that ce. Even women looking for a moment to satisfy themselves with men who sell their bodies.¡±


    ¡°I see. You look like the type,¡± Eleanor smiled, looking up at Reed.


    ¡°Type to do what?¡± Reed inquired.


    .....


    ¡°The type to go there to enjoy yourself,¡± Eleanor said, picturing the uproar he would cause among the women who loved having handsome customers.


    Reed found her words to be funny. ¡°You took one look at me and think I have to pay for sex? That is thest way I would waste my money. You must be mistaking me for my brother. Women find their way into my bed without me having to do much to entice them. Do not put me in the same box as the sleazy men in your father¡¯s business.¡±


    ¡°All of the men that go there do not have a sleazy look. I would watch my words if I were you. I can easily find out if you do visit there and find all your little dark secrets,¡± Eleanor smiled, expecting this would shut him up.


    ¡°Have you fallen for me?¡± Reed asked, watching the triumphant smile on her lips quickly disappear. ¡°I don¡¯t know why else you would go around asking about me unless there is some infatuation there. I don¡¯t like to mix business with pleasure so I must turn you down. My apologies.¡±


    Eleanor couldn¡¯t believe his nerve to assume she like him. ¡°I do not have any feelings for you. Are you insane?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Look at you two conversing. Getting along?¡± Caleb asked as he walked up to the pair with his hands in his pockets. Someone else had taken care of the horse and the carriage was getting prepared to leave.


    ¡°No!¡± Reed and Eleanor replied in unison.


    Caleb was taken aback by the aggressiveness of their tone. ¡°Alright. It was just a simple question.¡±


    Meanwhile, Edgar went straight to his bedroom to see Alessandra. He was surprised she was not waiting for him by the door as she was the type to worry too much and most likely thought about the worst-case scenarios about what must have happened today. It was unfortunate that the day she was looking forward to was ruined but it still ended on a good note with one person dead and the other awaiting their punishment of being hung in the morning.


    Upon opening the door, he first saw Sally sitting on the bed with Alessandra nowhere in sight.


    ¡°Duke,¡± Sally stood up from the bed. She hoped he didn¡¯t think she wasn¡¯t doing her job and was justzing around. She came to help Alessandra change into a nightgown which she had started but then Alessandra freaked out and left her alone to get dressed in the closet. Sally was just waiting around in case Alessandra needed help. ¡°She is in the closet.¡±


    ¡°You can leave us now,¡± Edgar spoke softly to not alert Alessandra of his arrival. It was by some luck she had not heard Sally address him. He walked to the closet while Sally hurried out of the room and locked the door behind her.


    Without making his presence known, Edgar entered the closet and in the corner, he saw Alessandra failing to untie the strings at the back of her dress. ¡°You are a married woman,¡± he said, walking over to help her. ¡°Sally would understand you having marks on your skin from our intimacy.¡±


    Alessandra jumped at the sound of Edgar¡¯s voice behind her. She quickly spun around to get double-check if her mind was ying tricks on her because she wanted to see Edgar. Although Edgar was walking toward her, Alessandra still could not believe he was actually there. It was only when he touched her that she finally believed Edgar had returned home.


    ¡°No one told me if you were alright,¡± Alessandra whispered, relieved to have him back home without any wounds. Everyone else had faith in Edgar winning the battle and didn¡¯t worry about him but the same couldn¡¯t be said for her which was why she hated the silence from everyone who returned. ¡°It is wrong for no one to update me on how my husband is doing.¡±


    ¡°I apologize for not sending a message to let you know that I am fine. I wanted to return and show you that I am alright. If a couple of hours in a fight scares you, what would you do if I were to ever go back out to war? It is weeks instead of a few hours. I have to say,¡± Edgar pushed her chin up with his index finger to make her look at him after she looked away. ¡°I would love the sight of you running out to me with teary eyes upon my arrival.¡±


    ¡°It is not funny,¡± Alessandra pushed his hand away and turned around to continue with getting undressed but truthfully, she wanted to wipe her watery eyes.


    ¡°I was not telling you a joke. This is the first time I have returned from a fight to someone waiting for me with such emotions. Alfred does not count,¡± he said, earning a chuckle from Alessandra but she tried to hide it. ¡°I am sorry for myte return. You would see if you turn around to face me that I am in one piece. Your wonderful husband rarely loses a fight.¡±


    ¡°It is unlike you to admit that you have lost fights,¡± Alessandra replied, slowly turning around to face Edgar once more.


    ¡°Well I am human. There are times when I have been outnumbered and had to retreat before returning with a new n. I am only talented now not because I was born perfect but I have learned from my mistakes. Like next time, I should send you hourly updates,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°I hope there won¡¯t be a next time. Hazel is resting and so is Linda in another room. She said Tobias sent her,¡± Alessandra informed him.


    ¡°He did. He said Hazel wanted to have a word with her and it was her father¡¯s request she be far away to not see the fight amongst her family. Tobias has taken Grant to be killed before the town as a warning to anyone who tries to harm the queen,¡± Edgar said, ying with a strand of Alessandra¡¯s hair as he spoke.


    Alessandra found it to be a good way to warn their enemies. ¡°I hope there can be some peace in their lives now for them to have the child they yearn for.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I apologize if this is bad timing but I am in desperate need of your touch,¡± Edgar said, snaking his right hand around her waist to pull her closer.

 Chapter 389 - 389 Relieved (2)

    389 Relieved (2)


    Alessandra didn¡¯t answer Edgar¡¯s request immediately, but as soon as she did, she was lifted up into his arms with one foot dangling on each side of his body. She couldn¡¯t recall the exact moment when she and Edgar began to kiss or when her hands slipped into his hair.


    Since they had both missed each other so much during the hours they had been apart, their kiss did not begin as sweetly or gently as it usually would. Alessandra genuinely had no idea how she would have fared if Edgar had gone to the border to deal with the trouble with Rafael.


    Alessandra was lost in the kiss and only snapped out of it when she felt Edgar¡¯s length right at her core. She was still clothed in the dress she wore but the garment she wore had be loose, exposing her to Edgar. They had never made love with each other while still dressed. She wished to know how he had taken off her garment without taking off her dress and opened his pants without her realizing it until his length probed at her entrance.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it better to take off my dress?¡± Alessandra asked as theyers would get in their way.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait any longer to have you,¡± Edgar replied, pushing her back against the door of the closet to help him hold her up with his left hand while the other got most of her dress out of the way. He rested his head on her shoulder as he slowly prated her, taking in the pleasure he got attached to.


    She filled his mind the moment he left their home to find the maid Eleanor mentioned and after he left William¡¯s home, he thought of her having one less person she had to worry about and how much he wanted to embrace her. Once he saw her in the closet, he desired to do much more than touch her.


    His neck was encircled by Alessandra¡¯s hands as she clung to him for support. This kind of connection sparked something in her heart that made her miss him even more. She didn¡¯t set out to be a needy wife, but after the ordeal of spending hours waiting for him, she needed him to remain in her sight until her emotions subsided.


    As he was firmly nestled inside of her, Edgar began to move. His pace was slow as he intended to make love to her rather than be intimate for the sake of pleasure. There were a lot of thoughts clouding his mind but once again it was filled with only her. Her touch, her warmth, her moans, her scent, and all that she was.


    From the very beginning, she was always someone he felt inclined to protect and shield away from the cruelty of this world. The very thought of Grant trying to steal away her chance to be a mother when they were both looking forward to it was enough to make Edgar want to kill him on the spot.


    .....


    Edgar clenched his fists as he thrust up inside her. Desperately trying to give her all that he could in this position. If the closet had a rug, he would have taken her on the floor to have her in more ways but he quite liked the way she clung to him in this position.


    ¡°Edgar,¡± Alessandra cried out his name,ying her head sideways on his shoulder. Her nails were pressed into his back out of reflex as the pleasure consumed her mind. Maybe it was because of how much they were longing for each other that it felt more intimate as they made love now. She wrapped her legs around him to help him prate her.


    She did enjoy it when he was rough but at this moment, his gentleness and slow pace were preferred. She felt how much he had missed her and eventually when her name left his lips she knew she could no longer hold out.


    ¡°Edgar,¡± she said.


    ¡°I know,¡± Edgar kissed her cheek and palmed the back of her head. He continued to leave a trail of kisses from her cheek down to her neck as he brought him to their end.


    Alessandra was the first to reach the end and after three more thrusts inside of her, Edgar released his seed. He continued his slow thrust inside of her while he filled her with his seed.


    Alessandra loosened her hold on Edgar and leaned back to get a look at him. Thinking the long strands of hair might bother him, she pushed his hair back to be off his face. Immediately, she looked at his chest to see if she could spot any wounds because he held her up high where she could look down on him a little.


    She was trying to make sure he wasn¡¯t hurt but the best way to check would be to get him out of his clothes. ¡°You need to stop leaving home abruptly without a coat. You will catch a cold,¡± she said, starting to unbutton his shirt.


    ¡°There is no use in wearing a coat to a fight. You should be more worried about me going without armor. I shouldn¡¯t have said that,¡± Edgar regretted his words when she looked down at him and her face turned pale since she now had something new to worry about. He was trying to let her know he was fine but ended up adding to her worries.


    ¡°Sometimes my mouth gets me in too much trouble,¡± he added, pulling out of her and cing her back down on the floor.


    ¡°Sometimes?¡± Alessandra stressed the word as his lethal mouth should get him in trouble all the time. She continued to undo the buttons of his cold shirt. Once they were finished, she nned to seat him by the fire and make him drink something warm. At this point, they should have coats hung up by the front door for Edgar to easily grab one when he was rushing off somewhere.


    Alessandra pushed his shirt off his shoulders and with Edgar¡¯s help, it finally came off. His hands went straight behind her to aid her in loosening the strings she was fighting against when he came in. ¡°Do not tear them,¡± she said the moment his fingers hooked around the strings and could tug at them.


    Edgar smiled, amused by how well she came to know him. The dreaded strings would prolong him seeing more of her and he did in fact think of ripping them. He could always buy her a new dress or an entire room of them if she would let him. Trying to be patient even though he wanted her again this very second, Edgar tortured himself and slowly untied the strings.


    He considered having all the dresses with these strings tossed out after this. Edgar untied them quicker than he expected but he was still annoyed by it.


    ¡°I want to take care of you first,¡± she touched his hands before he could initiate a second round.


    ¡°You are,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Not like that. I worry that you will catch a cold. We need to start the fire,¡± she held his hand and led him out of the closet.

 Chapter 390 - 390 Relieved (3)

    390 Relieved (3)


    Alessandra started the fire herself and forced Edgar to sit right in front of it with her while she inspected him for wounds. She trusted Edgar but at the same time, she knew he would hide any wounds he got to not worry her. Her mind would be more at rest if any wounds, even the smallest ones, were taken care of right away.


    ¡°As much as I would love for you to strip me and search every inch of me, I am not hurt, Alessandra. We outnumbered Grant and with his son not on his side, there wasn¡¯t a need for me to fight. It was more of Grant versus his son while Tobias and I waited for anyone to try attacking. My hand is a bit sore from holding my sword,¡± Edgar ced his hand in herp.


    He could not pass up the opportunity to have her massage her hands even though there were not hurting.


    Alessandra read between the lines and knew he wanted her to massage his hand. Any other day she might push his hand away but not today. She looked at his hand first and saw that it was red or maybe it was always this reddish color but she was overthinking it. Still, she gently massaged his hand to help ease any pain he might have.


    ¡°I will have something warm brought for you to eat when I am done. You haven¡¯t eaten since morning and your birthday dinner was ruined. I don¡¯t know how to go about inviting everyone back to continue where we left off. Your grandmother is aware that your mother isn¡¯t here. I didn¡¯t know,¡± Alessandra said, starting to go through what he had missed.


    ¡°I had a conversation with her yesterday when you went to sleep. She was the most honest I have seen in years and we agreed to not be concerned with each other¡¯s lives. I have not forgiven what happened with Alfred and Timothy whether she ordered it or not but we may be in a better ce right now. There might be a family drama going forward so we will not entertain my rtives besides Dominic,¡± Edgar said, somewhat surprised it had not blown up yet.


    Unless his mother decided against divorcing his father which would be a foolish decision. They could no longer say they were staying together for their only child. He liked to think Rose was not aware of the separation yet.


    Alessandra was trying to keep up with her own problems and didn¡¯t want to be involved with what else was going on. Still, she was curious about what he meant. ¡°What drama?¡±


    ¡°I suggested she divorce my father.¡±


    .....


    Alessandra paused massaging his hands as the thought of Prisci and Edmund divorcing was thest thing she expected. They were idolized by many young women both married and looking to marry. Their divorce would be the talk of the town as everyone would question what went wrong. With that in mind, Alessandra couldn¡¯t picture a socialite like Prisci ruining her image.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see eye to eye with her when ites to many things but I never liked how she was treated in her marriage. Even though my father loved someone else but was forced into a marriage with my mother, she didn¡¯t deserve all that she put up with. My father didn¡¯t hide that woman well and I even learned of her easily. She shouldn¡¯t hold on to what doesn¡¯t make her happy. I thought the same as a boy and though we are at odds now, I still think she should let go of him,¡± Edgar said.


    ¡°Is that why you dislike your father? He is loved by everyone,¡± Alessandra said, understanding more of why Edgar didn¡¯t care to be around his father. Anyone looking in from the outside would think Edgar would want to be more like his father who did good things for the kingdom and would want to be close to his father to learn his ways.


    Edgar equally kept both his parents away but for different reasons.


    ¡°Of course he is. To the kingdom, he is a man who will stick his neck out to save anyone but at home, he was a man who didn¡¯t put his wife and son before his job or the woman he once loved. I know what he is really like and my mother cannot be the only one painted as a viin. She was given a hard time while my father suffered nothing from his affair. He spent thest years covering up her evil deeds because he feels guilty,¡± Edgar exined.


    ¡°Do you think there is a possibility you would mend the rtionship you have with your mother in the future?¡± Maybe it was because of being a woman or having to deal with Rose pressuring her over something as small as furniture that Alessandra started to sympathize with Prisci. There was no way they could be close when Prisci does not approve of her but she at least understood Prisci a bit more.


    ¡°It depends on how far in the future you are speaking about. If we speak of tomorrow I will definitely say no but I am not certain of five or ten years from now. It is not me who has to fix our ruined rtionship but her as there are many times she must let go of. Do not let my grandmother drag you in the middle of what is toe. In fact, I still need to have a word with her. I have news that will make you feel better. William is dead,¡± Edgar finally revealed what he had been waiting to tell her.


    ¡°W-What?¡± Alessandra stuttered,pletely caught off guard by the sweet revtion. Grant was a small enemy to her as Hazel was more of his target but William was much more. She despised the man and the infatuation he created surrounding her. ¡°How did he die? Was he there trying to help Grant?¡±


    Alessandra couldn¡¯t ce how William was killed when they were going after Grant. It was almost surreal that she would no longer need to be on guard when it came to William.


    ¡°I killed him in his home but that is all I can say for now. The less you know the better because the town guards will being to my doors at some point. You already know how a certain one of them is towards me. When he questions you, you will state the truth that all you know is your husband killed him,¡± Edgar instructed her so Oliver couldn¡¯t try wrapping her into this somehow.


    His reasoning for killing William involved Alessandra but he was not going to let the details of William wanting Alessandra to be known. She didn¡¯t need any more gossip or foul rumors circting in town. Edgar already nned to say William was killed for helping Grant.


    ¡°I am always indebted to you. I would not be rid of him if not for you. Thank you,¡± Alessandra replied, her shoulders feeling light and her heart full of relief. One less enemy to be concerned about.


    ¡°It is not a debt when I am protecting my wife but since you are grateful, my arms would also love a massage.¡±

 Chapter 391 - 391 [Bonus chapter] When the past comes knocking (1)

    391 [Bonus chapter] When the pastes knocking (1)


    ¡°Mother, I am going to fix my hair before Simon arrives. I think it would look better in a ponytail to show off my neck. I want to appear my best tonight,¡± Kate said, twirling around in front of a mirror to check if all that she wore was perfect.


    ¡°That is a far better choice,¡± Katrina spoke, standing behind Kate to make sure she was perfect for tonight.


    Simon had sent a notice that he would love to join them for dinner which prompted the two to n the perfect dinner. Before the court could start trying to take away her title, Katrina wanted Kate to grab onto Simon¡¯s. Her marriage to Simon would be their saving grace.


    Kate was having more progress with Simon than she did with Edgar or any other gentleman. Katrina knew a proposal could not be far away after this dinner.


    ¡°I need this to be perfect, mother. Of all the times the cook had to quit, why now?¡± Kate pouted, her shoulders slumping from her dismay. Their previous cook was much better than the new one her mother hired.


    Looking into the mirror, Katrina saw James standing not too far away from them. ¡°It could not be helped that the cook received a better job elsewhere. The cook we have now is more suited for a man like Simon. Hurry up and get your hair changed into a ponytail, Kate. He will be here any second.¡±


    ¡°Right. I wonder if he will have any news about what happened today with the King. No one seems to know at the moment. When I marry Simon, I will know so much more about what is going on in this town. I can hardly wait for the life he will give me,¡± Kate smiled, looking forward to her future.


    Katrina found happiness in watching her daughter be excited about the life ahead of her. She was close to giving Kate the one thing every youngdy needed which was a suitable husband. When Kate left the room, she looked at James¡¯s reflection in the mirror. ¡°This dinner must go well, James. Fire anyone who messes up. I apud you for finding a new cook quickly. How is the old one doing?¡±


    ¡°He isn¡¯t saying much but he will get used to where he is soon,¡± James replied without giving away what they had done to Mario. He was taken in the midst of an errand he had to run and a new cook was here to rece him. They were awaiting an opportunity to send a message about Alessandra without Edgar knowing.


    .....


    ¡°Do whatever you can to get him to tell us about his new job,¡± said Katrina.


    James looked off to the side to listen to something outside of the room. ¡°Excuse me a moment Baroness,¡± he said before leaving to see if he had heard a knock on the front door.


    ¡°Baroness,¡± Katrina sighed as the thought of losing her title gued her mind. She had gotten so used to it and now someone wished to snatch it away. If only she could see Desmond for even a second to p him for not hiding his deeds better. Now she had to bear the shame of being stripped of a title while he was dead. ¡°I should ask William to help me get out of this.¡±


    ¡°Baroness,¡± James returned to the room. ¡°You have a guest at the door. He says he is an old friend.¡±


    ¡°Friend?¡± Katrina turned to face James. She had no old friends to show up at her home. Anyone she dismissed as a friend over the years should note to her now. It was odd for the person to be a man unless it was an old friend of Desmond who waste with his condolences. She wasn¡¯t in the mood for it but the gifts they brought were always weed. ¡°What is his name?¡±


    ¡°Randall Crane. He said you will want to meet him. Baroness?¡± James narrowed his eyes and took a step toward her because of her paleplexion. ¡°Are you alright?¡± He asked now wondering who this old friend was.


    Katrina became rigid after hearing a name she had long tried to forget. They agreed to never meet again after she had given him what she promised and she had her new life as Baroness. Why was he here now when everyone was digging around, trying to learn about her past? Was he taking this chance to ckmail her?


    Katrina felt a mixture of fear and anger. Randall was the source of many of her nightmares and a man she worked hard to get away from. His presence angered her because it brought back haunting memories and it could ruin everything she built if anyone were to learn how they knew each other.


    Unfortunately, she could not just send him away because Randall was loyal to no one and he would spill her past to anyone willing to pay to find out about her. She had to know what prompted him toe to her now when he knew for years she was here. It could not be that he no longer had money. Randall always knew how to get hold ofrge sums of money. He was here for something else.


    ¡°I will have a word with him. Make sure that everything is going well for dinner,¡± Katrina cleared her throat and tried to hide her nervousness. She needed him gone before Simon arrived.


    ¡°Baroness-¡±


    ¡°I gave you an order, James. Know your ce and do not stand before me,¡± Katrina snapped, her words and tone causing him to step back to the side to let her pass by. She did not care to hear about his concerns. He did not understand why she would have to see Randall.


    Katrina quickly walked by James, ignoring the hurt expression he wore. It was his fault for getting attached to someone using him. It will be the end of him if he continues to care too much when she does not.


    Katrina kept her held high as she walked to the door to meet with Randall. She was not in the same position as she was more than twenty years ago when he owned every inch of her. She was free now and would not let him ruin her life or the marriage Kate was looking forward to with Simon.


    Katrina opened the door, ready to tell Randall they would meet another time to speak but to her surprise, Simon stood beside Randall.


    ¡°Goodnight Baroness,¡± Simon greeted Katrina along with a bouquet of flowers he prepared. ¡°I was having a conversation with your guest. He has good tales about his journey around the kingdom. Is he joining us for dinner?


    Katrina opened her mouth to say no but Randall beat her to a response.


    ¡°Yes. My little Ida wouldn¡¯t send me away,¡± Randall smiled, taking joy in seeing Katrina displeased by the name she hated. The name which her mother bestowed upon her reminded her of her low birth, not Katrina who was everything little Ida dreamed of. It was a shame such a pretty girl had such a boring name. ¡°Am Iing in?¡±

 Chapter 392 - 392 When the past comes knocking (2)

    392 When the pastes knocking (2)


    Katrina forced a smile so Simon wouldn¡¯t suspect something was wrong. He already seemed to pick up on something going on between her and Randall. Regardless of how much she wanted to drive a knife into Randall¡¯s heart, she held back to not ruin the night for Kate. ¡°He is staying with us,¡± she said.


    ¡°Wonderful. I want to hear more about where he has traveled to. I have not been to many towns outside of Lockwood you see. Are you a friend of the family or a rtive? I¡¯m afraid I have not seen you before?¡± Simon asked, suspicious of the man standing beside him. He didn¡¯t like another guest attending but it was in his fake persona to care to have the man at dinner.


    Simon resisted the urge to re at Katrina for not sending the man away. This was meant to be an intimate dinner with him showing his intentions to marry Kate. Still, it amused him to see how quickly Katrina smiled when she was clearly ticked off by herpanion. He could see where Kate had learned her habits from but Kate was far better at hiding her true personality than her mother.


    Luckily, his marriage to Kate would give him one more person he could get to act like nothing was wrong. Simon was tempted to see if Katrina could continue to put on a show if he were to hurt her daughter. He had never tried breaking a mother and daughter before.


    ¡°I am like family to the Baroness and I knew her husband well. We should go inside before the cold air gets to us,¡± Randall smiled, motioning with his hands for Simon to go inside first. He could tell the young man had money judging by his attire, the way he carried himself, and the fact he was standing before Katrina.


    Katrina continued to smile as Simon entered the home first but the smile fell when she turned to Randall. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± She mouthed.


    ¡°I cannot believe how long it has been since west saw each other,¡± Randall pulled Katrina into a hug to continue their act in front of her guest. ¡°Try sending me away and I will expose who you really are,¡± he whispered, kissing her cheek as a greeting before letting go.


    ¡°Can I ask why you called her Ida?¡± Simon asked, curious to know what was really going on between Katrina and this man. They must think he was a fool to not know when someone was acting before him. Had he known this house was so interesting, he would have arranged to visit sooner. Kate did something the other women failed to do. She was making the game fun. Not just with herself but with her family.


    ¡°It is a nickname I gave the Baroness to tease her. It is a name she hates. We were not properly introduced. My name is Thomas,¡± Randall held out his hand for Simon to shake.


    .....


    Simon eyed the disgusting hand of the man from obvious low birth with disgust but it disappeared before anyone noticed it. He shook Randall¡¯s hand and introduced himself, ¡°I am Marquess-¡±


    ¡°Marquess?¡± Randall interrupted Simon before he could be given a name. ¡°I am surrounded by big titles. I should have dressed better,¡± he chuckled.


    ¡°Simon, Kate has been anxiously awaiting your arrival. James,¡± Katrina called for the butler who was already watching them. ¡°Please take Simon to surprise Kate. She will be delighted to see you here. You should take those flowers and give them to her instead.¡±


    ¡°Then if you would excuse me for a moment,¡± Simon said, turning to James to be taken to Kate. He wanted to witness more of the interaction between Katrina and this Thomas but he would get to see more at dinner. ¡®If I find out what the Baroness is hiding, I can have this family under my thumb, doing whatever I tell them to,¡¯ his lips curled.


    ¡°Why the fuck are you here?¡± The sweetness in Katrina¡¯s voice disappeared when Simon was out of sight. ¡°We had a promise that you would not show up before me if I paid for my freedom. I paid you three times the amount.¡±


    ¡°And yet here I am. You scored big,¡± Randall whistled as he walked around the entryway, inspecting the house she weaseled her way inside. ¡°I remember not thinking you could do it but you proved me wrong. It was a bit disappointing how long it took you to get rid of the husband. Did you love him?¡±


    ¡°I did not harm my husband. What do you want from me? Money? Haven¡¯t you heard this house is in debt?¡±


    ¡°You might have paid out your contract but you are a fool if you thought you were free from me. You should watch the way you speak to me. After all, I am the one who put you in this position. To meet the Baron and wipe away your life as Ida. You owe me for all that I did to get you where you are now. I lucked out by letting you get away. There were some wealthy men ready to pay for a night with you,¡± Randall shook his head as the money he lost pained him. ¡°So much money to be your first.¡±


    ¡°Well they couldn¡¯t pay for something you stole,¡± Katrina said through gritted teeth. The painful night came back to her, making her skin feel disgusted as she felt his dirty hands on her.


    Randall grinned, as always entertained by her fire. That was why he thought of keeping her to himself. The infatuation he had with her was what gave her the opening to suggest letting her aim higher than selling her body to random men and instead, scam men with wealth. It worked out for a couple of years until she wanted to aim even higher by marrying a wealthy man.


    ¡°Stole away? You gave yourself to me in exchange for listening to your ns. You were so determined to not be like the other girls taking customers every hour only to sell yourself to wealthy men. I did like the drive you had to always aim higher. I started to think of you recently when I heard someone bring up this name you created and I thought, why haven¡¯t you created more Katrinas? More young girls to marry big and give me money?¡± Randall asked.


    He grew bored of the business he had in the red light district in another town and wanted to take it to another step. ¡°If you want to keep my lips shut about how your mother sold you to me for only a warm meal,¡± he chuckled in the midst of his sentence as he could never get over how easily she was given to him. ¡°You are going to help me with my new business.¡±

 Chapter 393 - 393 When the past comes knocking (3)

    393 When the pastes knocking (3)


    Katrina didn¡¯t want Randall standing in her house so she was not willing to help him with this business idea he came up with. ¡°Randall, stick to the business you have now and get out of Lockwood-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a cut. Make you a business partner,¡± Randall said, knowing it would get her on board with the n. Just like him, she loved having more money and though she was now a Baroness, he doubted this side of her changed.


    Randall asked around about her family before he approached her. He learned about her dead husband, her stepdaughter marrying big, and the debt she was left with. He had to apud her for looking good while her life was falling apart.


    ¡°I have too much going on in my life for me to be caught with you right now. The court is looking into my background and if they see you around me, they will start looking into who you are. You should remember the steps we took to get me here. Find the right young women who really want this life and you¡¯ll seed,¡± Katrina answered, turning down the offer.


    ¡°What if I stay out of sight from you and you run the whole business? You¡¯re in the position to also find some youngdies desperate to climb higher. You¡¯re sneaky and you¡¯ve been able to hide in this town going on eighteen years now without anyone knowing who you are. You¡¯re the best person to help me run this business. Not like you have a choice,¡± Randall grinned as one word from him and her whole world woulde crashing down. Well, more than it already was.


    Katrina was reaching her limit with people who sought something from her. One after the other, men were showing up to ruin her life. First William, the court, and now disgusting Randall who had some nerve ckmailing her. She knew many crimes he did to get him thrown into a cell but the difference between them was Randall not having much to lose as she did. Everyone knew the type of businessman Randall was but she was known as the Baroness. She had far more to lose if her past was exposed.


    Setting up girls to hook themselves to a wealthy man was not a hard task since she had plenty of experience. As long as she wasn¡¯t making these girls sell their bodies like women in the red light district, this business wouldn¡¯t be so bad and recently, she could use a new flow of money. She wanted to go back to the height of her marriage with Desmond where money was always at her fingertips.


    Katrina loved the idea of running a business and unlike her fool of a husband or Randall, she knew how to hide secrets well. However, a partnership with Randall wasn¡¯t something she wanted. He would always dangle revealing her secret in her face. She needed him gone and with the clear lust he still had for her, slipping something in his food or drink wouldn¡¯t be too hard. If only she could stab him right here right now but Randall was not someone to travel alone.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about this right now. This is an important night for my daughter and I don¡¯t want filth like you here. Leave right now and I wille up with an excuse for your quick departure,¡± Katrina said. She didn¡¯t want Randall to see her daughter.


    .....


    He didn¡¯t have any morals to not lust after her daughter and refrain from ruining Kate as he did with her. His return might have presented the opportunity to get rid of the one person who knew about her life before Desmond. Then pitiful Ida would truly be dead.


    Randall suddenly had a thought he wished would be true. ¡°Right, you had a daughter for him, or did she belong to someone else? I remember us still fucking when you were securing be his wife. Who knows, she could be my daughter. Let me get a good look at her-¡±


    ¡°You bastard! Kate is the daughter of a Baron, not some low-down disgusting man like you. She looks nothing like you so get that thought out of your head. I would never bear a child for a man like you. You are the reason I searched for every possible way to get rid of a child I do not want. Kate has better blood than you and I. Leave right now,¡± Katrina said, angrily pointing at the door behind him. She would not tolerate even hinting this thought around Kate.


    ¡°Seeing you get so riled up means there must have been a point you worried about me being her father. Don¡¯t worry, I have never harmed any of my children,¡± Randall replied.


    Katrina knew he didn¡¯t harm his own children. He treated them like royalty with the money he got from his business providing sexual services with the people given to him.¡±Right, it is the ones sold to you that you treat badly. I have not forgotten.¡±


    Randall shrugged his shoulders, not seeing how that was a bad thing. ¡°It is not like I share blood with any of those children to care about them. It is a business at the end of the day. The parents are the real bad guys for selling their children so cheaply. So your daughter will marry a Marquess? He¡¯s got to have some wealth you can steal out from him. He looks like a sucker. Do what you do best and get him to give you everything he wants.¡±


    ¡°Get the hell out of my house,¡± Katrina said through gritted teeth. At any moment, Simon and Kate would return and Randall would have to join dinner.


    Randall ced his hands in his pockets to search for something. ¡°I suppose I have riled you up enough and you need a moment to calm your anger since we will be partners. Meet me here tomorrow,¡± he took a piece of paper out of his pocket which had his address. ¡°The time and ce are there. Do not bete, Katrina. A minute over and I will have the town gossiping about you. Oh, wear something nice,¡± he smiled.


    Katrina reluctantly took the paper from him. ¡°I am not sleeping with you,¡± she made this clear before they would meet again.


    Randall feigned a hurt look like it wasn¡¯t his intention to. How could he not when she had continued to grow into such a beauty? It was a shame she wasted herself on a Baron that he knew could not please her to her liking.


    ¡°Now that you are without a husband,¡± he reached forward to touch her hair that he missed but she smacked his hand away. ¡°I¡¯m sure you need a man¡¯s touch to keep youpany. Unless you are getting it from someone already? If there is such a man, I must warn you that I will kill him,¡± he whispered.


    Randall didn¡¯t like the thought of sharing his best prize with anyone else. It had been hard enough to let go of her and give her to Desmond Barrett. Now, he was back for what belonged to him. He considered taking her as his wife so they could expand his business together.


    He looked behind Katrina at the Marquess returning with a young woman who resembled her beautiful mother. ¡°I will take my leave now,¡± he said, turning to leave before her daughter could see him.


    ¡°Mother?¡± The sound of Kate¡¯s voice startled Katrina. Luckily, Randall was already halfway out the door. ¡°Simon said we were having a guest?¡±


    ¡°A family friend came to visit and wanted to stay for dinner but he remembered something he needed to do. Maybe he will visit again. Come now, we should start dinner so I can get to know more about Simon,¡± Katrina forced a smile.


    Before Katrina could help any youngdy raise their status in this town, she was going to help Kate dig her nails into Simon and never let go of him.

 Chapter 394 - 394 Loveless marriage (1)

    394 Loveless marriage (1)


    The next day in Lockwood.


    ¡°Mydy. Mrs. Collins is here,¡± a maid informed Prisci.


    ¡°Send her away,¡± Prisci quickly replied, not in the mood to deal with Rose. It was already hard enough to kick her son out of her house. If Edmund would be quicker with packing his things, she would not have had to deal with Rose now.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare,¡± Edmund spoke up, approaching the table where Prisci sat with a ss of wine in her hand already. ¡°You don¡¯t drink. What is happening to you?¡±


    ¡°I do now,¡± Prisci replied, looking at the remaining wine in her ss. ¡°I should have started the day we married so I might have put up with you better. It is quite calming,¡± she smiled, holding the ss up to him.


    Edmund couldn¡¯t understand what was happening to Prisci. Since she returned from Edgar¡¯s home, she was acting like a different person. ¡°Bring my mother in,¡± he told the maid.


    ¡°Do you really want to see me kick your mother out along with you? Hurry up and get packed, Edmund. You do not want to be here when my father arrives,¡± Prisci sipped her wine.


    ¡°You are going to start a feud between two families who have been friends for years. I don¡¯t know what you and Edgar discussed but this is not a smart move. I don¡¯t know what Edgar promised you-¡±


    Prisci¡¯sughter interrupted his speech she did not care to hear. ¡°At least I can say I know Edgar better than you do. Edgar promised me something,¡± she chuckled, covering her mouth with her hand as she did so. It was the funniest thing she heard all morning. ¡°That boy would never promise me anything. Except to take me back into his dungeon or die if I touch his little family.¡±


    .....


    Edmund frowned, shaking his head at the drunk sight of his wife. ¡°You need to stop drinking,¡± he said out of concern for where this new habit would take her.


    ¡°And you need to get the hell out of my house. Why do you think I am drinking? I need something to calm my anger from the sight of you. I want you out and I want our divorce to happen as soon as possible,¡± Prisci said, standing firm on her decision to divorce him.


    ¡°What took so long for me to be let in?¡± Rose asked, entering the dining room where Prisci and Edmund were talking.


    ¡°Oh great,¡± Prisci rolled her eyes, drowning thest of the wine in the ss to put up with Rose. ¡°Another,¡± she ordered the maid who stood behind Rose.


    Rose scrunched up her nose at the disheveled sight of Prisci with a ss holding out for more wine. ¡°What is happening here?¡± She looked at Edmund for an exnation. She came here to learn why Edgar had released Prisci but she stumbled across something questionable. ¡°Are you two leaving town? There is a lot of luggage outside.¡±


    ¡°Do not pay that any mind, mother. They will all be brought back inside shortly. Prisci and I are not seeing eye to eye so now is not a good time for a visit,¡± Edmund said, moving to usher his mother out of the house.


    ¡°That is a surprisingly new way to announce we are getting a divorce. I know your mother would love a drink to celebrate with me. I don¡¯t mind that she is here now. She can help you pack your things and get out of my house,¡± Prisci said, standing up from the table but almost falling over because of how much wine she had drank already.


    ¡°Divorce? No one in this family gets a divorce. Do you want the town to be talking about you for the rest of your lives? Whose idea was this? Edmund?¡± Rose questioned her son first. She warned him not to go anywhere near that woman again.


    ¡°It is not me who wants to get divorced now. It is Prisci. It seems Edgar convinced her,¡± said Edmund.


    Prisci shook her head because of Edmund¡¯s lies. ¡°I never said that. I said Edgar and I came to a mutual understanding we would not care about each other¡¯s lives. I am nning to divorce you on my own. You should be happy, Edmund. You get to be in the arms of that whore and your mother no longer has to be bothered with me. Our divorce won¡¯t affect Edgar. Not like you ever cared what affected him.¡±


    ¡°How has he never cared for Edgar-¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Prisci silenced Rose. ¡°I no longer need to put up with your crap. What I discuss with Edmund or Edgar has nothing to do with you. You always criticize me when it is your son who ruined this family first. It won¡¯t be long before Edgar and his wife want nothing to do with your controlling ways. You can only pretend to be sweet for so long.¡±


    ¡°Edgar should have never released you,¡± Rose said, even more disappointed by Edgar releasing her so early. Prisci got off easy for what she did to Alfred but Rose would take matters into her own hands.


    ¡°Of course, you wouldn¡¯t want him to release me. You liked visiting me in that pitiful state. Take your son and get out of my house Rose. I want nothing to do with either of you for the rest of my life,¡± Prisci stated, pushing her chair back to leave the dining room. ¡°Be quiet while you help him out of here. I¡¯d like to enjoy the sight of him leaving but I want to see how much space I will have for new dresses.¡±


    ¡°Edmund, do not pack your things to leave this house. Half of it rightfully belongs to you and this house is near your peers. If she wants a divorce, she needs to pack her things and leave,¡± Rose said, refusing to let anyone see Edmund be tossed out of this house by the likes of Prisci. Collins should never face such shame.


    ¡°This house is also near my peers. Besides, Edmund never wanted toe back to Lockwood. He should go back to White town just like he did years ago. Dragging me with him to that boring town,¡± Prisci muttered, rolling her eyes once more. ¡°Let the court send a letter for when I need toe to split everything we own.¡±


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll let you embarrass my son like this and get away with this? You won¡¯t walk out of this marriage untouched,¡± Rose warned.


    ¡°That threat won¡¯t work on me. I came into this marriage with my own money and status. Just like he is your precious only son, I am the precious only daughter of my father. I would watch my words if I were you. I learned to get rid of the people I hate by watching my father. He won¡¯t be pleased when he finally learns what I endured in this marriage,¡± Prisci said, no longer hiding the truth of her awful marriage.


    Rose could hold back her need to p Prisci. Not only for what she did to Alfred but for the years of disrespect. ¡°You!¡± She eximed, walking toward her target.


    Prisci remained where she stood, weing the opportunity for her to also release the anger she built up over the years from her encounters with Rose

 Chapter 395 - 395 Loveless marriage (2)

    395 Loveless marriage (2)


    Edmund moved swiftly to grab his mother before she could reach Prisci. The servants were passing in and out of the dining room witnessing their family fall apart so they need not act a fool by putting on a show for outsiders to enjoy. ¡°You cannot hit her mother,¡± he attempted to reason with Rose.


    ¡°It would not be the first time she hit me. She pped me once before when she didn¡¯t like how I was raising my son. Stopping her now isn¡¯t going to make me love you and change my mind about our divorce. Let here to me. She is owed a few strikes for the shit she put me through over the years like dealing with you wasn¡¯t enough!¡± Prisci shouted, contemting tossing her empty wine ss.


    ¡°You weren¡¯t a good mother to Edgar and now look at the state of you from this drinking habit you picked up,¡± Rose red angrily at Prisci while pointing her finger.


    ¡°Anyone who spends days in a dungeon and has to deal with their pathetic husband refusing to leave would turn to drinking. I don¡¯t like either of you and you do not like me so why are you two prolonging this?¡± Prisci asked, irritated by the mother and son dragging this out. ¡°You like to talk about how I think about my reputation but your family is no different. I warned Edgar about you. Of how you¡¯ll try to change his wife. I wonder if you started already. You did.¡±


    Rose scowled as Prisci grinned.


    ¡°One day Alessandra will look back and think she should have listened to me and left your family. It¡¯s overbearing how you want people who follow your words and how you try to raise our children to your liking. I don¡¯t see what Edgar liked about you when he was growing up. It is a mystery I will never solve. I hope Edgar and his wife will want nothing to do with you. I want you to see what it is like to receive his anger,¡± said Prisci.


    ¡°That is enough,¡± Edmund said as they were in no position to criticize his mother when she had looked after Edgar when they were busy.


    Prisci¡¯s smile widened as she fixed her dress and walked by where Edmund was holding his mother. ¡°No, this is the beginning of me not biting my tongue. You can release her. A good p will help her know her ce.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be ruined when you divorce my son,¡± said Rose.


    .....


    Prisci didn¡¯t respond to Rose. They kept repeating how ruined she would be like she didn¡¯t think through how she would save herself. Divorce was frowned upon which was why most people in their circle or those who cared about what others would say remained in their loveless marriages.


    Rose discredited how much influence Prisci had on the young women and even her peers. Prisci would be the one to make divorce be the sweetest thing anyone could do. In the midst of their separation, she would not look weak like she could not live on without Edmund. Besides, if all else fails she would just remarry someone who could make her life easier. All she needed was to be the only woman in their life.


    Rose felt like it was a p in the face to see Prisci be so nonchnt like she had everything figured out. She couldn¡¯t help but think there was more to what Prisci discussed with Edgar and he would be on her side to help here out of this marriage untouched while fingers would be pointed at Edmund. It wasn¡¯t every day a wife of a Collins man wanted a divorce.


    ¡°Oh, by the way, I already sent in a letter to the court informing them of my need to get a divorce. All Edmund needs to do is help the process move faster. If news spreads before the marriage is officially over, try not to lie,¡± Prisci said, looking directly at Rose as she was the main one to twist the story to save her family name. ¡°I am not in the mood to keep up with your lies so I will expose them. I hope we never see each other again, Rose.¡±


    Edmund loosened his hold on his mother when Prisci walked out of the dining room. ¡°Mother-¡±


    His words were silenced by a p.


    Rose needed someone to take her anger out and since Prisci was not present Edmund was her only choice. ¡°Have you seen that woman again?¡± She asked, referring to his old lover.


    ¡°I have not. I have not seen her in years since I ended our rtionship. Prisci knows that she is still alive,¡± Edmund revealed. To save their marriage years ago after he had ended his secret love. Still, his lover kept showing up so Rose said she would take care of it but Edmund asked her not to. In the end, he told Prisci that she was dead and since then his affair was over.


    To Edmund, it wasn¡¯t much of an affair in his eyes. He had always loved one woman even when he knew she would never be epted into his family. He married Prisci at a young age and back then, he could not let go of the woman he loved so he kept her around during the early years of his marriage. It was always Cassidy that he wanted, not Prisci. He longed to get out of his arranged marriage and now the chance was here.


    Once Cassidy was no longer by his side, he did start to feel something for Prisci but those feelings never matched what he felt for Cassidy.


    He covered up the things Prisci did like what happened with Jennifer to not only save their reputations but he felt like he owed her for what she put up with. Laying with a man she did not care for and bearing his child whilst knowing there was another woman he cared for.


    ¡°I am going to do as she wants, mother. This marriage was never something either of us wanted and I wasn¡¯t a good husband. Whether it be Cassidy or putting my work before my family, I messed up in many ways and she doesn¡¯t deserve your anger. I turned a young woman excited for what the future would bring into a scorned woman. Prisci¡¯s anger stems mostly from me,¡± Edmund admitted.


    ¡°You will be the first couple in our family to separate in years. As long as you are not seeing that woman there is no reason for her to be upset with you-¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t try to reason with Edgar to release his mother. Honestly, I felt better when she wasn¡¯t around. With all of the wealth that I have, I can never repay Prisci for how angry, sad, or hurt I have made her feel over the years. Even when ites to you speaking to her. You are too controlling mother and if you were not, I wouldn¡¯t have married Prisci in the first ce,¡± Edmund stated, leaving his mother¡¯s side to finish packing his belongings.


    ¡°Once I am finished with my matters in the court, I am returning to White town. It is more peaceful there and I have my garden I must tend to once the snow is gone. Do not speak ill of Prisci. She is still the mother of my child and there is some respect she should be given. Speak ill of me for having another woman and not being a good husband or father. I must ask that you leave now. My marriage is my business,¡± Edmund said, wanting her gone so he and Prisci could talk in a civil manner.


    Rose found now to be the time for Edmund to have her by his side but there was nothing more she could do. While she would bear the talk of their divorce she would at least celebrate getting Prisci out of their lives. ¡°I will not stay where I am clearly not wanted,¡± she turned on her heels to leave the house she would never visit again.

 Chapter 396 - 396 Loveless marriage (3)

    396 Loveless marriage (3)


    ¡°What now?¡± Prisci stopped brushing her hair for a moment when her bedroom door opened and Edmund walked in. She expected him to scold her for dismissing his mother.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for everything I put you through. I told my mother I won¡¯t fight the divorce and I asked her to not speak ill of you. We both know that won¡¯t happen but I at least want you to know that I told her. I will be returning to our house in White town once I finish my business so it would only be fair that I get that house,¡± said Edmund.


    Prisci was surprised by how he had finally joined her in wanting to separate. ¡°I did not like that town enough to want that house so you can have it. I won¡¯t be petty and try to own it. You need to tell the servants to send your belongings there because I have been telling all the maids to send your things to hell so I have no clue where they nned on sending them.¡±


    Edmund chuckled as it was the only thing he could do after hearing her words. It was very much like her to tell the servants to send his things to hell.


    ¡°I hope you do not think I am joking because I did tell the servants to send them to hell. My first thought was maybe they would send your things to your mother¡¯s house. That is the closest thing to hell for me. I ept your apology but I would honestly feel better if I were not looking at you right now,¡± said Prisci.


    ¡°I know. I had toe to let you know I will not try to convince you to work things out. We were never meant for each other. You must know that at one point in time, I did love you even if I did not do a good job at showing it,¡± Edmund confessed.


    ¡°And I love you at one point. At the beginning when you were kind to me, I loved you. It didn¡¯t go away when I learned about the woman you loved. I thought I could stomach you being with her as long as you continued to be kind to me. I was young and foolish obviously. Waiting for it to be my turn to be loved. The realization that it would never happen might be worse than the pain of birthing Edgar. My anger stemmed from hurt and it has taken you twenty-five years to properly apologize,¡± Prisci said, slowly continuing to brush her hair.


    ¡°We were both young and dumb in our own ways. I¡¯ve done things I should apologize for to others. Our marriage wasn¡¯t fun to be a part of but we did get a wonderful son out of it. No matter how he treated thest few days we still have a good son. Right now I do not wish to be near you but I would like for us to be cordial at some point. We¡¯ve been together for twenty-five years and I don¡¯t want to be always avoiding you. I only have one request for you,¡± Prisci turned in her seat topletely face him.


    ¡°If you get back with that woman, do not ridicule me. Try not to stand before me with her by your side. I do not love you but it still hurts. You might not believe it but I have feelings. If I were to ever fall in love with someone, I would not belittle you before them. Not unless your mother starts a whole lot of rumors about me,¡± Prisci added as she would fight fire with fire. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I am in the middle of getting dressed. I have a closet I need to fill. Shopping for dresses calms me.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Alright. I will try to be gone by the time you return. Goodbye Prisci,¡± Edmund said, going back out of the room to leave her alone.


    Prisci stopped brushing her hair when the door closed and looked at the ring which suddenly felt heavy. Despite asking for a divorce, out of habit she woke up and put on her wedding ring. It would be strange to be without it or see Edmund daily. However, she did not mind being alone and happy rather than married and miserable.


    Meanwhile, in the Collins estate.


    ¡°Edgar, I will tie you to this bed if you try to leave it again,¡± Alessandra said, pinning her husband down to the bed.


    ¡°That isn¡¯t much of a threat and I am enjoying you holding me down,¡± Edgar replied as it only riled him up.


    ¡°I warned you to stop leaving home without a coat and now you are burning up. You do not want to admit it but you are sick,¡± Alessandra pushed him back down when he tried to get up again. On other days she would not be able to overpower him so easily.


    Alessandra woke up to Edgar¡¯s body drenched in sweat and his body hot. Edgar imed to be perfectly fine though it was apparent he was not.


    ¡°Are you the type of person who doesn¡¯t like to admit that you are sick to avoid taking medicine? There is no other reason for you to deny you are sick. You do not have a cough right now so we must make you better before it gets worse. Let me take care of you,¡± said Alessandra.


    ¡°Will you nurse me back to good health?¡± Edgar asked, now interested in staying in bed if it meant she would take care of him.


    The only reason he did not want to stay in bed was due to the fact William¡¯s death would have been discoveredtest night and Grant would be hung in a couple of hours. He did not want to remain in bed for when the guards woulde trying to question him and get to Alessandra first because he was resting to get over a small fever.


    Alessandra bit her lip to refrain from scolding Edgar for being more interested in her taking care of him instead of wanting to get better. He was a difficult person to deal with when he was normal so she knew to take it slow with him when he was sick. Once she got him to stay in bed, she nned to call for backup. Surely, Alfred had experience getting Edgar to rest.


    ¡°I will personally take care of you today as long as you remain in bed. Now I regret what we didst night. I should have made sure you wouldn¡¯t get sick.¡±


    ¡°I am not sick,¡± Edgar repeated for the fifth time. ¡°I believe I know my body better than you do. I will be perfectly fine if-¡±


    ¡°Edgar, in my eyes you are sick and I will not share a bed with you let alone kiss you if you are burning up like this. Which do you prefer? Getting out of bed now while you are not well or sleeping alone tonight?¡± Alessandra asked though she already knew the answer.


    ¡°You are a cruel woman,¡± Edgar rxed, no longer fighting against staying in bed. ¡°Have Alfred give you medicine so I can get this over with quickly,¡± he closed his eyes. ¡°When the pce doctores to check on you and Hazel, you must not have me stay in bed.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t but it is still a while before the doctores and for Eleanor to return. Rest until then. I wille back with the medicine shortly,¡± she said, releasing his hands now that he was no longer resisting.


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Alessandra slowly sat up from the bed, making sure he was not tricking her and would try leaving the bed now she had released him. Luckily, her threat had worked. Alessandra hurried out of the room before Edgar might change his mind about staying in bed.


    ¡°Oh, Alfred. I wasing to look for you. Is this our breakfast?¡± Alessandra closed the door behind her so Edgar wouldn¡¯t hear their conversation. She looked at the tray of food in Alfred¡¯s hands.


    ¡°The two of you didn¡¯t join everyone so I brought food up. Is everything alright?¡± Alfred asked. He didn¡¯t get to speak with Edgar when he returned yesterday to know if he was wounded or not.


    ¡°Not exactly. Edgar has a fever-¡±


    ¡°We must move quickly,¡± Alfred pushed the tray into Alessandra¡¯s hands. ¡°It¡¯s been so long since he has gotten sick. I will have the cooks prepare a better breakfast with more healthy food to help him get better. I will need a towel and water to help him cool down. Excuse me, Alessandra.¡±


    ¡°I see why Edgar never needed a wife,¡± Alessandra muttered, feeling like her role of taking care of Edgar was stolen by Alfred.

 Chapter 397 - 397 Accountability (1)

    397 ountability (1)


    ¡°Alessandra, I missed you at breakfast,¡± Hazel said when she met with Alessandra on the stairs. She, Linda, and Alfred were puzzled by Alessandra and Edgar not attending breakfast with them. She considered Alessandra lucky to have probably been still asleep after a heated reunion with Edgar. ¡°I needed your presence to help me wait for Tobias¡¯s return. You have a way of brightening up a room. Is everything alright?¡±


    ¡°Edgar is not well because he left without a coat. It was bound to happen at some point. Alfred has sort of taken over caring for Edgar,¡± said Alessandra.


    ¡°It must be hard for you topete with Alfred. While Alfred is caring for him, you should take a moment to eat. I can help you,¡± Hazel took two tes from the tray Alessandra was holding to ease the weight. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, you can join me in my room to eat. Linda left after breakfast but she will try to returnter. She has to check up on her family. They¡¯ll be divided with what happened to Grant.¡±


    ¡°Do you think more of her family supported what Grant was doing?¡± Alessandra asked.


    Hazel thought about it for a moment. ¡°You know, looking back I can see how many people were in support of what he was doing than I realize. Some of her rtives would have loved for her to be Queen. She was scolded so many times for liking Edgar instead of Tobias. It is cringy to look back on the two of us saying we¡¯ll marry two Edgar and Tobias. Younger Linda would freak out if she knew yearster she would be close friends with Edgar¡¯s wife.¡±


    ¡°I am trying to remain positive by thinking that things happen for a reason. Like you, me, and Linda became friends. No offense but I doubted we would have be friends if you were around for the princess selection. You and Edgar are meant to be together and I would have been upset that my friend¡¯s crush was stolen. I got to know Edgar better when I married Tobias and just wanted him to find someone which is why I immediately took a liking to you. Linda will find someone when she gets away from her father,¡± Hazel chuckled.


    ¡°I think it is sweet to have a father who cares deeply about his daughter and wants her to marry someone good for her,¡± Alessandra said, having a different opinion about Linda¡¯s father. It was normal for everyone to care more about money than love.


    ¡°You say that until you have a daughter and Edgar is like a big shadow behind her keeping anyone away from getting near her. I hope you and Edgar have a house full of daughters so I can see how he is when it is time for all of them to get married. Are you prepared to be holding him back from hurting the young men trying to win their hearts?¡± Hazel asked, enjoying the look of horror on Alessandra¡¯s face. ¡°He¡¯s already so protective of you. It is not hard to imagine how he will be with children.¡±


    ¡°I suppose life wouldn¡¯t be easy for the daughter of a man who controls an army,¡± Alessandra now saw why Linda¡¯s predicament might be suffocating. ¡°Still, it is nice to have a father who cares for you. The only thing I worry about is being a good parent but there are good people around me to help when the timees. I will also be there for you if you need help.¡±


    .....


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid when I do have children I might not be able to let them out of my sight. As soon as the doctor thinks what Julia had been giving me is out of my body, I am going to pin Tobias to the bed for days,¡± Hazel whispered and chuckled when Alessandra blushed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he will enjoy it. Before winter ends, I will bring good news to this kingdom. It would be wonderful if you and I could have a child at the same time. I would like for our children to be as close as Tobias and Edgar are. Minus Edgar always sending Tobias away.¡±


    ¡°Who is sending me away?¡± Tobias asked, walking up the stairs to where the two women stood lost in conversation.


    ¡°Tobias!¡± Hazel eximed, running down the stairs to meet her husband.


    Tobias opened his arms wide for Hazel toe to hug him but as her happy expression to see him was quickly reced by anger, he closed his arms. ¡°My love-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t my love me, Tobias. I have been worried about you since yesterday and then I was waiting for you all night long until I fell asleep. How could you not send at least a pce guard to inform me of what you are doing or call for me back to the pce now that you have dealt with Grant? Do you want to drive me insane?¡± Hazel asked with her frustration evident in her voice.


    ¡°I should probably take these,¡± Tobias nervously smiled, taking the tes of food from her hands. It wouldn¡¯t be the first time she tossed food at him. ¡°A little help here, Duchess.¡±


    Alessandra shook her hand. ¡°I am not getting involved in your conversation.¡±


    ¡°You certainly are Edgar¡¯s wife. Always leaving me out on my own. I came as soon as I could Hazel. I¡¯m going to take you back to the pce with me when I leave. I wanted to clean out the pce as much as I could before you return. Aren¡¯t you happy you are going home earlier than the seven days I prepared for you to stay here? At least take these please Duchess,¡± Tobias held out the tes to Alessandra so he could properly deal with Hazel.


    Alessandra walked down the stairs for Tobias to put the tes Hazel previously had back on the tray. She didn¡¯t question how Tobias had gotten through the gates or where he hade from since she would have seen the front door open and himing inside.


    Tobias came from under the stairs and judging from the fact he had once snuck into her bedroom when he heard the news about Edgar¡¯s marriage, it was safe to assume he had snuck out of the pce toe to see Hazel. He would have used the gates ande through the front door if he didn¡¯t mind anyone knowing he was there.


    ¡®How does he get in if he does not use the front gate?¡¯ Alessandra wondered. Edgar¡¯s home wasn¡¯t easy to get close to and if Tobias had a secret entrance he used over the years, Edgar had to know about it by now. Unless Edgar left it be so Tobias coulde to his home as he liked. Edgar had a backward way of doing things to show he cared for people instead of just saying it.


    ¡°Sally, is there someone at the gates?¡± Alessandra asked, looking at the familiar note in Sally¡¯s hand as she walked down the stairs.


    ¡°The captain of the town guards requests an audience with Edgar,¡± Sally handed Alessandra the note.


    ¡°Oliver?¡± Tobias asked as he had overheard who the guest was. ¡°Wait a moment. Where is Edgar? He is never too far away from his wife?¡±


    ¡°Edgar is not feeling well so I have made him stay in-¡±


    ¡°Now you tell me,¡± Tobias said, stepping away from Hazel to go up the stairs to find Edgar.


    Hazel was appalled by Tobias leaving her to check on Edgar. ¡°Tobias!¡± She called to him, following him up the stairs.


    Alessandra remained by Sally¡¯s side not wanting to go upstairs yet as someone was going to get really angry with too many people visiting him and creating noise. ¡°Edgar is going to end up throwing the King and Queen out of our home,¡± she sighed.


    ¡°This house has be quite livelypared to when we first arrived,¡± Sally said, enjoying what all the different personalities of Alessandra and Edgar¡¯s friends brought to the house.


    ¡°It has,¡± Alessandra replied. A loud bang was hearding from upstairs where Tobias and Hazel had run off toward the bedroom she shared with Edgar. ¡°I think Edgar is no longer resting.¡±

 Chapter 398 - 398 Accountability (2)

    398 ountability (2)


    ¡°I will return with a response to the gates shortly but I need to speak with Edgar first. Please take care of this for me,¡± Alessandra said, handing over the tray of food to Sally and hurrying back upstairs to speak with Edgar.


    Edgar didn¡¯t want her involved in speaking about William, which had to be the only reason Oliver was here. Unless Edgar had done more than he told her about.


    Alessandra thought of sending Oliver away for a couple of hours to let Edgar rest but considered it better to get this over with so Edgar could stay in bed for the rest of the day.


    When she reached the second floor and turned right to go to her bedroom, in the distance she spotted Hazel and Tobias in a heated conversation while Alfred just looked at the door. Alessandra wondered how Edgar in his weak state had managed to kick out the three of them and she was curious what the loud noise was.


    ¡°Alfred,¡± she went up to the sulking man first. ¡°You should get something for him to eat and medicine. I will take you back inside when you return,¡± she said to ease his worries about Edgar.


    .....


    ¡°Thank you. A vegetable soup would do him good. Excuse me,¡± Alfred bowed to be respectful of the royalty present and smiled at Alessandra before he left.


    ¡°What about me? I didn¡¯t get to see much of him before he kicked us out,¡± Tobias stepped forward to be given ess to the room.


    Hazel gripped a handful of his shirt and pulled him back. ¡°You and I have a lot of things to speak about. Sensitive things which you seem to forget about. Tell me honestly, whoes first? Me or Edgar.¡±


    ¡°You, my sweet love but it would be rude of me if I do not check up on the person who took care of you in my absence,¡± Tobias replied.


    ¡°Oh please. Alessandra took care of me more than Edgar did and I don¡¯t see you thanking her,¡± Hazel said, pointing in Alessandra¡¯s direction.


    ¡°I was about to but you didn¡¯t let me get there. Hey!¡± Tobias eximed when he looked at Alessandra and found her trying to sneak into the room without him. ¡°How could you be so evil to try going in without me?¡±


    ¡°Good morning. Why is there a gathering outside this room and why wasn¡¯t I invited?¡± Dominic asked, joining the group with a frown. ¡°It¡¯s things like this that make me feel left out.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to make this about you, Dominic. Edgar is sick,¡± Tobias said, not even the slightest bit interested in Dominic feeling left out.


    ¡°You are not joking around that he is sick? I have to see this,¡± Dominic smiled, walking toward the door but it was blocked by Alessandra.


    ¡°No one but me or Alfred is going in to see Edgar. He needs to rest and he can¡¯t do so if all of you bother him. I don¡¯t see why it is so interesting that Edgar is sick. You need to speak with your wife,¡± Alessandra pointed at Tobias. ¡°And you need to find someone to pass time with,¡± she pointed at Dominic.


    Alessandra opened the door and went inside the bedroom before anyone else could try joining her. She locked it behind her for added privacy.


    ¡°Did you have to tell everyone that I am sick?¡± Edgar¡¯s hoarse voice was heard behind her.


    Alessandra turned around and found Edgar sitting up on the bed. ¡°I didn¡¯t think everyone would be so interested ande pay you a visit. I only wanted them to know the reason why you were not around. The captain of the town guards is waiting for us to allow him inside. Are you feeling good enough to meet with him?¡± She asked, going to the bed to help him stand up.


    ¡®¡±You are acting like I was wounded in battle. My body is simply hot. I was excited for you to be taking care of my every need but you sent an old man to care for me. You know how to kill one¡¯s fantasies well. I will speak with him and return to bed right after. The room really is hot,¡± Edgar said, slightly annoyed he would have to put on a shirt now.


    ¡°We can open the windows a little bit when you return. I will remain here with you if it will make youfortable,¡± Alessandra suggested.


    ¡°That is not needed. You were supposed to meet with your grandmother and I don¡¯t want to get in the way of it. You can leave when you are ready. I can bet my favorite sword that I will not be able to get rid of Alfred today. Stay here,¡± Edgar added after he got dressed in a shirt and a change of pants. ¡°Do not think for a second to join my conversation with Oliver.¡±


    ¡°If I wanted to, I would have spoken to him behind your back. If you start to feel like you cannot continue with the conversation, please put an end to it and return to bed. I can meet my grandmotherter and stay here with you. She would understand,¡± Alessandra replied.


    ¡°You should stop dangling the offer in front of me because you might end up not leaving my side today. I will be back shortly. Why the hell are all of you out here?¡± Edgar asked the trio who were still loitering around the outside of his room.


    Dominic held up his hands to defend himself. ¡°I just got here.¡±


    ¡°Traitor,¡± Tobias muttered. ¡°We came to see how you were feeling. You do look a bit pale- Why the hell are you walking away from me when I am trying to see if you are alright you bastard? Why are we friends with him, Dominic?¡±


    ¡°He is family to me and the only reason I am friends with you is through Edgar. Have you ever stopped to think about how the most antisocial person in our group is the reason we are all friends? I would have never been close to you, Rafael, or Benjamin if not for Edgar. It is a surprise someone with ack of patience like him even has friends. Well, try not to get killed while I am away. Let Edgar know I am going to meet with a friend,¡± Dominiczily waved his hand.


    ¡°Friend? What friend? You don¡¯t have any friends outside of us. Is it a woman?¡± Tobias mused, curious about Dominic¡¯s love life. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to meddle in Dominic¡¯s love life as he did with Edgar. He wasn¡¯t sessful with Edgar but at least Edgar ended up married.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think of getting involved in another conversation. Come with me,¡± Hazel held onto Tobias¡¯s hand and started to pull him to her bedroom so they could have a conversation. She knew he was purposely avoiding talking about Julia and everything that happened throughout the years. She wished to know what exactly it was that Tobias was trying not to speak about.


    ¡®See this is why I prefer to be alone,¡¯ Dominic thought as he watched the man, who was considered to be the most powerful person in the kingdom, get dragged away by his wife.

 Chapter 399 - 399 Accountability (3)

    399 ountability (3)


    From one of the windows beside the front door, Edgar watched Oliver ride through his gates on a horse with two other guards behind him. He had a growing headache which he nned to not make Alessandra aware of or he would be made to rest for more than he wanted to. It was boringying around doing nothing.


    Edgar didn¡¯t have any patience to deal with Oliver and any foolish questions he might have but he needed to get this conversation about William over with.


    ¡°Duke Collins,¡± Oliver greeted Edgar when he entered the home. His eyes narrowed at the odd sight of Edgar. He looked pale and his shirt had wet spots of what Oliver presumed to be sweat or Edgar had just finished washing up. ¡°You took so long I almost thought you weren¡¯t going to let us in.¡±


    ¡°I did think of sending you away. Now I am picturing building a tiny little house near the gates so I don¡¯t have to wee guests like you inside of my house and ruin the peacefulness with your presence. I should start it as soon as winter is over,¡± Edgar said. Why it took him this long to build an area for guests he didn¡¯t like in his house was a mystery.


    ¡°That would be unnecessary-¡±


    ¡°Only if I stop having visitors. Let¡¯s get this over with. I killed William,¡± Edgar admitted to his deed. ¡°He was one of Grant¡¯s allies and I am sure you have stumbled upon the dead women in one of the rooms. There is no need for you to thank me.¡±


    ¡°Thank you?¡± Oliver wanted tough at Edgar¡¯s delusion. ¡°You went ahead and murdered a dangerous man without informing the guards. Are we a joke to you? Does our existence mean nothing? We are here to protect the people in Lockwood and if you are going after William we should be involved.¡±


    ¡°I dislike how you go after these men without alerting anyone and then having an excuse to cover your ass. I know you killed the Baron on the spot because of your wife. What was it about William that made you kill him? Aside from the women we found,¡± Oliver said, knowing there was more to Edgar killing William. ¡°Everyone knows the two of you did not get along. It is a little convenient to kill these men you are feuding with.¡±


    ¡°Are you stupid? Did your parents drop you on your head as a child? I killed two men who either killed women or created businesses that involved children but you are more interested in questioning my beef with them? I hardly spoke to thete Baron and I¡¯ve ignored William for years. I am not the bad guy here. You have more than enough evidence to prove why it was important that William died. You can leave my residence now,¡± Edgar stated, finished with the conversation.


    .....


    ¡°Where is his body? It wasn¡¯t there when we arrived and considering most of his servants ran away instead of staying to see what would happen to their previous employer, I doubt they had something to do with it. Where is his body?¡± Oliver questioned once more.


    ¡°Disposed of so there is no point in looking for it. If you would stop trying to figure out what I am doing, you would catch more men who deserve to die. When are you going to stop being angry with me?¡± Edgar inquired, getting to the root of their issues for thest time.


    ¡°Go outside,¡± Oliver ordered the two men who came with him. ¡°When you stop abusing your power-¡±


    ¡°I could understand your point of view if I abused my power to get wealth or kill innocent people but I have been helping this town to be safe. You still hate me because you feel odd and if you don¡¯t stop meddling in my affairs, you will end up where William is,¡± said Edgar as this one-sided feud woulde to an end sooner than Oliver expected.


    Oliver touched his sword and took a step forward toward Edgar. ¡°Is that a threat to a guard?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a promise from a Duke,¡± Edgar replied, still calm despite Oliver wanting to fight him. ¡°I have done nothing to you for this obsession you have with trying to make me the bad guy to continue for so many years.¡±


    ¡°Obsession?¡± Oliver licked his lips. ¡°I just know what you are really like. You are not the Duke some people praise you to be.¡±


    ¡°So does your angrye from the fact you loved a man you believe to be evil-¡±


    ¡°Shut your fucking mouth,¡± Oliver grabbed the cor of Edgar¡¯s shirt. ¡°You don¡¯t know anything about my feelings. You affected me back then and acted oblivious when I spoke to you. Made me something that is not natural.¡±


    Edgar shoved Oliver away from being so close to him. ¡°I am not responsible for what you felt. How do you think I was to react to a good friend of mine who is a boy telling me they had feelings for me? I walked away from you and came back after trying to find the best way to turn down your feelings. I am not responsible for anyone whoes to like me. Your liking men is all on you. Stop pointing fingers at others since no one made you this way.¡±


    ¡°I am not like that anymore,¡± Oliver replied, his hands itching to grab Edgar again but Edgar¡¯s weak appearance made him regret the first time he grabbed him.


    ¡°Then I must have misheard the conversation at the ball. If not me, you might have liked another one of our friends. I have never been in the position to deal with your preference and though others would shame you, I have tried endlessly to be understanding. Now I am very annoyed and I will take back the position I put you in. Now you can use me of abusing my power,¡± Edgar said as he intended to get Oliver removed from being the captain.


    His emotions were too involved in his job which he was no longer doing right.


    Oliver gritted his teeth, angered by the threat to take away something he worked hard for. It wasn¡¯t easy when he did check how he got his position as captain and learned it was Edgar¡¯s word that got him this far. No matter how much he tried to get away from Edgar, there was something to connect him to Edgar. The only way for him to kill the side of himself that he despised was to get rid of the man who made him this way.


    Edgar was wrong that he would have liked another one of their friends instead. It was only around Edgar that Oliver felt something for men because of the way Edgar acted around him. Every day was a struggle because he was the only one among his peers who were not normal. Men weren¡¯t supposed to be with men, he had to remind himself daily and it was why he stopped seeing Bryce.


    ¡°You need toe with me to be questioned,¡± Oliver said, reaching out to grab Edgar again.


    Edgar took a step back, touching his forehead as the headache got worse. His body swayed for a second but he kept himself from falling.


    This was noticed by someone who wasn¡¯t pleased to see Oliver annoying Edgar in this state.


    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± Tobias questioned, going straight to Edgar¡¯s side to help him.

 Chapter 400 - 400 Accountability (4)

    400 ountability (4)


    Oliver stiffened at the sight of the King. He lowered his head and said, ¡°Your-¡±


    ¡°Why are you here? I kept myself busyst night and one of the things I did was to alert the town guards about William¡¯s death. It was my order to the Duke. So I¡¯ll ask again, why are you here?¡± Tobias asked, going to Edgar¡¯s side to hold him. He ced an arm around Edgar¡¯s shoulders to keep him upright but his hand was smacked away.


    ¡°Do not touch me. I can stand on my own,¡± Edgar muttered, taking one step to the right to get away from Tobias.


    ¡°I am trying to care for you, you heartless brute. Didn¡¯t you see me rush all the way down here to help you?¡±


    ¡°How can I see you rush down here when I am looking straight ahead? And you¡¯re just finding any excuse to get away from your wife,¡± Edgar said, looking up the stairs where Hazel stood with folded arms.


    ¡°Hey! When your wife is angry with you, you should take any opportunity you can to run away from her,¡± Tobias whispered. He had a lot to discuss with Hazel but he was trying to hold it off because he had a hard time preparing himself to say that he failed to protect her. He managed to keep an entire kingdom safe but the one person he loved most was hurt in a battle for the throne.


    ¡°My wife is never angry with me,¡± Edgar smugly said as his marriage was far better than any other.


    ¡°It is not apetition but I am just going to throw out that my wife loves me the most,¡± Tobias replied. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of passion hidden in that anger.¡±


    Oliver felt out of ce watching Edgar and the King be sofortable around each other. It was no secret that the two were extremely close and he had witnessed it in their youth but seeing them still close now that they were older was something he didn¡¯t like to see. At one point in time in the past, Oliver thought Edgar had rejected him because Edgar liked the King or maybe the King liked Edgar.


    .....


    Edgar was always near the King and sometimes they would be left alone in a room no one else could enter.


    ¡°Are you two¡­ together?¡± Oliver identally spoke what was on his mind. His eyes widened as the realization struck him what he dared to ask the King.


    Edgar frowned while Tobias covered his mouth to hide hisughter as they both looked at Oliver. Tobias turned around and clutched his stomach as his shoulders shook.


    Edgar wasn¡¯t in the mood to answer Oliver¡¯s question and the sound of Tobias snickering beside him only pissed him off.


    ¡°Oh man,¡± Tobias wiped his eyes as he turned back around to face Oliver. ¡°If I say that we are, would you stop pestering him? Oww,¡± he rubbed his arm where Edgar hit him.


    ¡°Stop fucking around,¡± Edgar said to Tobias. Oliver was thest person he would make that kind of joke around. ¡°This conversation is over,¡± Edgar said, leaving the two fools so he could go back to bed. Any longer and they would make his headache worse than it already was.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you just love the way he snaps at you?¡± Tobias smiled while he watched Edgar walk away. His smile started to fall the further Edgar got from them. ¡± It¡¯s about time you get over the past and move on. Edgar is married and you¡¯re about to get married. Stop pestering him because he doesn¡¯t share the same feelings.¡±


    Oliver clenched his fist in rage over the King finding out his secret. ¡°He told you-¡±


    ¡°See, you keep ming Edgar like everyone else didn¡¯t have eyes. It was obvious you liked Edgar as more than a friend. You hated when Dominic or Rafael came to visit him or even when I was close to him. You liked to keep him to himself and the way you reacted when he did the slightest thing for you made it obvious. It reminded us of how girls would react to the things we did for them and we teased Edgar about it. He threw a book at my head so I never mentioned it again,¡± said Tobias.


    ¡°You¡¯d get angry when he was with someone else and honestly your obsession with him even as a boy was a bit unhealthy for Edgar. It is not normal for two men to like each other and you tried to pressure Edgar into returning your feelings. You learned in the end that no one can make Edgar bend to their liking. Well, Alessandra can,¡± Tobias added as he witnessed the power she had when it came to Edgar.


    ¡°I did not force him to do anything,¡± Oliver replied, wishing Tobias would mind his own business.


    ¡°Really? So why are you so angry with him again? I always thought you found it unfair that it was only you who ended up liking men. You need to ept that Edgar is not responsible for what you felt or still feel. He treated me the same way he did with you and I never felt anything romantic towards him so it is just you. Your anger as you battled with yourself made you miss out on a good friend group,¡± Tobias stated as he was still quite close to Edgar, Dominic, and Rafael.


    They teased each other a lot but if there was ever a problem in his life, one by one they showed up and he would do the same for them. Oliver would have had the same group of friends had he not started to hate Edgar. He needed good friends, especially in this town which would crucify him for liking men.


    Tobias knew his kingdom well enough to know there were ces not only in the red light districts where people of both genders went to satisfy their desires. A man with another man wasn¡¯t as umon as the town might think. It was shown in thete hours of the night. Even the pce had rtionships that would shake the town.


    ¡°Edgar has let your hatred slide over the years even when your meddling annoys him but the same cannot be said for me. If we want to speak about abusing power, you abuse your position as captain to condemn Edgar for something he didn¡¯t do. In a time when girls are going missing, I don¡¯t need a captain like you who has personal matters to take care of. I am going to lower your position until you hold yourself ountable. Do not show up before Edgar again,¡± Tobias gave a warning.


    Oliver didn¡¯t enjoy the lecture from the King as he did not need it. He knew that Edgar did not have to return his feelings but it was unfair that Oliver was the only one with these kinds of feelings. He had to go through the torture of his father, who realized his crush, trying to beat it out of him and then getting him engaged to a youngdy he did not care for.


    ¡°Excuse me, your highness,¡± Oliver decided to leave.


    ¡°Why the hell didn¡¯t he like me when I am far better than Edgar?¡± Tobias muttered, looking to his side as Oliver left.


    ¡°Tobias.¡±


    ¡°Right, my darling wife. It is time we talked without any disruptions,¡± Tobias smiled, sweat trailing his forehead as he went back to Hazel.

 Chapter 401 - 401 Options (1)

    401 Options (1)


    An hour after Oliver¡¯s departure, Tobias left, but Hazel remained in Edgar¡¯s care contrary to what Tobias said about taking her back to the pce when he first arrived.


    Alessandra sent a message to Wilma for her toe to visit again since Alessandra wanted to keep an eye on Edgar¡¯s health. She was sort of pushed to the side by Alfred who knew more about how to care for Edgar. Alessandra would have liked to be more involved in caring for Edgar but found it more important that he got better. It didn¡¯t matter who helped him.


    ¡°How are your parents with their new home?¡± Alessandra asked Sally while she sat awaiting Wilma¡¯s arrival.


    ¡°They were still acting a bit awkward for the first few days but then they adjusted well. My father has gotten work in town and my mother takes care of the house while everyone is away. She wants to find work but my father told her to wait until winter is over. They want to save up for me to have a good wedding with Caleb. I feel bad that I am deceiving them but I don¡¯t want them to go back to my aunt. I¡¯ll start building our home so this is over with quickly,¡± Sally replied.


    ¡°I see. I wonder how Caleb will adjust to not having you and your family around. You two seem to be getting along well,¡± Alessandra said, tempted to probe further about Sally and Caleb¡¯s current rtionship but opted to be subtle.


    ¡°It is surprising how much we do get along. He is different from what I thought. I owe a lot to him for going through with this when he did not need to. It is not every day you find a man willing to go through with a fake engagement. Oh, I think your grandmother is here,¡± Sally stood up first when she spotted a maid going to the front door.


    Alessandra wished they could continue their conversation but she was delighted to have Wilma back.


    ¡°The Duke¡¯s grandmother is with her.¡±


    The excitement to have Wilma here was soiled by Rose¡¯s appearance. Alessandra wasn¡¯t aware that Rose would be visiting today but she should have expected it since Rose was not happy to learn Edgar had released his mother. Alessandra didn¡¯t like where her rtionship with Rose was going but rather than be scolded over the smallest things, Alessandra nned to avoid Rose and enjoy her time with Wilma.


    .....


    Alessandra sat up from her seat and walked to the front door with Sally right behind her. ¡°Good morning,¡± she greeted the two. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I had to change our ns for me to be the one to visit you, grandmother. Edgar is sick-¡±


    ¡°He is sick?¡± Rose repeated in disbelief. She couldn¡¯t think of thest time Edgar was sick. ¡°Where is he? Is he in his bedroom? What did the doctor say?¡±


    ¡°We haven¡¯t called for a doctor yet since it is something we can manage at the moment. Alfred has been looking after him and giving him medicine. Edgar should be awake now if you wish to check on him,¡± Alessandra replied, hoping it was Edgar who Rose came to speak with.


    ¡°Even if it is manageable you should still call for a doctor. Excuse me,¡± Rose quickly walked away as she cared more about Edgar than speaking with anyone. Whenever he was ill, she would call for the best doctors to treat him. It was better to get someone whose job was to care for others to pay a visit.


    Rose went up to the second floor, ignoring the fact nothing was done to the house which looked the same as it did with each visit. She had much more to discuss with Edgar so she could not waste her time on Alessandra. She found that Alessandra was acting more carefree now that her rtive was visiting.


    Without knocking, Rose entered Edgar¡¯s bedroom.


    Edgar was quick to hide the paper in his hand as he thought Alessandra wasing to check on him. He saw another side of her when she wanted him to rest and do nothing. It was simr to when he made Alfred angry. ¡°Has word that I am not well reached that far?¡± He asked, pulling back out the paper from his side.


    ¡°It has not. No one cared to inform me that you are sick. I am being left out of the dark on many things. Like you letting your mother go,¡± Rose said, slowly walking toward the bed.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware I needed to inform you of what I do with her. She acknowledged what she did was wrong and confessed to other things. There was no reason to keep her there any longer. We¡¯ve agreed to stay out of each other¡¯s lives. You should be happy to hear that,¡± Edgar replied, reading papers that contain information about his businesses.


    ¡°You should have kept her there longer. Your mother is nning to leave your father and he has decided to go through with it.¡±


    ¡°Ah yes. No one gets separated in our family. We take the vows quite seriously, don¡¯t we? That is their business. Why remain in a marriage where there is no love? Her husband didn¡¯t try to get her out of my dungeon. I¡¯d be damned if I let someone take Alessandra to their dungeon and do nothing to get her back,¡± Edgar said, finding his father¡¯s silence during the time he had his mother to say a lot. ¡°Not that he would have freed her from my dungeon but still. He should have made it less obvious he wanted her gone.¡±


    ¡°Did you put the idea to separate in her head? They mention you speaking to her about it,¡± said Rose. She couldn¡¯t ce why Edgar would meddle in his parent¡¯s marriage.


    ¡°I told her to choose happiness and she is doing just that. They are not children, grandmother. Your opinion doesn¡¯t matter just like it is not needed for the things you want Alessandra to do. I suggest you stop telling her about changing up the house before you find yourself not weed here anymore-¡±


    ¡°You would banish me from your home for wanting your wife to be better as a Duchess?¡± Rose raised her voice.


    ¡°It will always be her happiness over the opinions of others no matter who it is. You have been at the top of the women I care for throughout the years but my wife¡¯s happinesses before how you want the Duchess to look. You have been taken advantage of the fact she is trying to be respectful because you are one of the few rtives I care for. Stop it,¡± Edgar said, looking up from his paper to his grandmother.


    ¡°You,¡± Rose paused, trying to figure out who the person before her was. ¡°You have never disrespected me like this.¡±


    ¡°I had no reason to but if you continue to belittle her because of what you think of her background, I will not hold back because you are my grandmother. You¡¯ve done something that pisses me off. You¡¯ve made my mother right,¡± Edgar stated as he rarely was on the same side as his mother.

 Chapter 402 - 402 Options (2)

    402 Options (2)


    ¡°What exactly was your mother right about? You went from rarely speaking to her to thinking she is right over me. I am the one who has been taking care of you for years when you didn¡¯t want to remain in your parent¡¯s house. I have loved you and did what was best for you even more than I did with my own son,¡± said Rose. It was a p in the face for Edgar to be siding with his mother now.


    ¡°Are you done? I didn¡¯t take back that you have cared for me but your behavior toward my wife isn¡¯t something I like. I know how you can get it. I have watched you well in my youth and how you treated others. It was amusing as a child but as a husband, you won¡¯t treat my wife the same just because my father allowed it with my mother. Picking at her not decorating the house will only be the beginning,¡± Edgar said, knowing how it would go if he let her act as she wanted with Alessandra.


    ¡°It¡¯s a real shame honestly. I spoke so highly of you and how she did not need to worry about you epting her. I thought you would want me to be happy. You put on a really good show when we visited you. Go back to being the sweet grandmother that just pesters us for children. You will not be able to snatch up our children because you think she is not a good mother. If you want to see the great-grandchildren you desire, ease up on how you are helping Alessandra,¡± Edgar added, putting his papers down as he could no longer focus.


    Rose couldn¡¯t believe the little help she offered Alessandra was creating this much of an issue. ¡°Make no mistake that I care for Alessandra and I enjoy seeing the two of you together. I have been more gentle to her than I have been with anyone else because I like her. If she cannot handle me simply telling her to be more aware of how the house looks then the women she encounters will eat her up.¡±


    Edgar¡¯s lips curled as he had a different opinion. Alessandra was blossoming day by day and with it, came confidence. He would like to say she had more confidence than when they first met but in his opinion, she had the most fire to her the night they met. Alessandra was able to go toe to toe with someone like him so he knew she could handle thedies here well.


    ¡°I heard she was hit in the head by a stone and did nothing,¡± Rose argued. She would have had the woman who did such a crime hung in the morning for her children to see.


    ¡°Alessandra is not one to use violence to get even with someone and I don¡¯t want her to do so. Have you ever noticed how quick she is with her responses? Takes you by surprise honestly. Again, you mistake the fact she has been kind to you and even my mother because she doesn¡¯t like to see families be so broken. She¡¯s still working on herself and it would be nice if she had someone older to guide her but let the stupid shit go,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°Language,¡± Rose warned him. She was not one of his friends for certain words to be used around her. ¡°I nned to guide her-¡±


    ¡°Avoid matters concerning our household and just help her navigate through the drama that wille her way. I do not care about changing the furniture every season because the entire town does it. I don¡¯t care to be sheep like the rest of you when ites to trends. Alessandra and I will run our house how we see fit,¡± Edgar sat up from the bed to get changed out of his damp clothes because of his sweat.


    .....


    Rose watched Edgar leave the bed and walk into another room. ¡°If you would let me help as I see fit, now that you are sick Alessandra would be able to perfectly step in and run the household until you are back in good health.¡±


    ¡°It is interesting you speak of her having to run this house when for years I have watched you and many of my female rtives leave that job to a butler or a head maid. All you did was shop, ask for furniture to be changed, and met with other women. I don¡¯t want Alessandra to do anything but enjoy herself when she is in thefort of our home. Why is that so bad? Aren¡¯t all these young women taught to look for a husband who will take care of them?¡± Edgar called out the hypocrisy.


    ¡°They are also taught how to take care of a household, their husband, and children. We do not just get to enjoy life without having work to do. Alessandra, unfortunately, skipped out the lessons of what it means to be a wife-¡±


    Edgar exited the closet the moment he heard Rose¡¯s mistake. ¡°She did not skip out on being taught to be what you define as ady. Her family fucking hid her away because they considered her damaged. This household is fine, she takes care of me wonderfully since you failed to notice and she will be a good mother to our children. From what I see, she is doing well for someone who didn¡¯t have any tutors.¡±


    Rose couldn¡¯t respond to Edgar.


    ¡°Be honest. It is herck of wealth that bothers you. Her father was a Baron but their household went into debt. That is what you dislike,¡± Edgar said, done with ignoring the real issue. ¡°I have wealth I leave behind in this world for generations toe and I will make more money before I am dead. I only need Alessandra, not any money she or her family can add to my wealth. All of you have been pushing daughters of wealthy families down my throat for years but I have not once thought of marrying one.¡±


    ¡°You envisioned me marrying someone with the same status or wealth but you should be happy with the fact I have met a woman I love more than the people I share blood with. I am only telling you thisst time to forget about her father¡¯sck of wealth, that she is different from other women by liking to paint more than she cares about furniture and just loving her for who she is. Just as I have,¡± Edgar stated, getting dressed in a fresh shirt so he could leave.


    ¡°Marriage is a way of gaining something for both the husband and wife. It is only Alessandra who benefitted from this marriage and I knew that from the moment you introduced her but I ignored it. I am only trying to help her make up for the wealth shecks. From the moment I came to Lockwood, I heard about your cursed wife and now I will have to hear about your parents¡¯ divorce,¡± Rose replied.


    ¡°Then go back home so you will not have to hear about either one. I will be kind and give you an hour to make amends with Alessandra. I would like for you to help guide her but back off when she says there is something she doesn¡¯t like. I¡¯d hate to ban you from entering my estate all because you want to force her to do things she does not like,¡± Edgar said as he walked to the door.


    Rose could not believe she would have been better off if she had not traveled to Lockwood. One single trip affected the rtionship she had with Edgar. A rtionship she believed could not be broken. ¡°If I cannot help her how I see fit then I will keep my help to myself. All of this over me telling her to change furniture?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. The fact that it is over something so foolish is what irritates me and most likely annoys Alessandra because you will not let it go. I will apologize in advance if my visits to your home be less in the future until you get rid of your ns to mold Alessandra into another person. I shall have your carriage prepared for you to leave,¡± Edgar replied, opening the bedroom door and walking out, leaving Rose alone.


    One by one there were people being added to a list of those he would keep away from him and Alessandra so their opinions, judgments, views, or whatever would not affect their peaceful marriage. If not for how stubborn he knew his grandmother could get when she did not get what she wanted, they would have been able to go back to how things were a few weeks ago.


    Edgar refused to make Rose aware of Alessandra¡¯s new wealth from her mother¡¯s side since this shouldn¡¯t be revealed in order for Rose to go back to being a sweet grandmother to Alessandra.


    ¡°Why are you out of bed, Edgar?¡± Alessandra asked, looking up the stairs where Edgar wasing down from the second floor.


    Edgar inspected the appearance of her dress covered in flour and her hands had traces of dough. ¡°Wasting flour again?¡± He asked, still remembering the taste of her horrible cake.


    ¡°Flour? Oh,¡± Alessandra looked at her dress. ¡°My grandmother is teaching me and Hazel how to bake. I find it to be a fun activity we can do in the future when it is not just you and me. I was looking for Alfred to see if he would like to join us. Would you like to see the cookies I made? They look far better than the cake I tried to make.¡±


    Edgar enjoyed the way her eyes lit up simr to how she was when she spoke of painting. ¡°As long as I do not end up with a mouth full of something that tastes of flour,¡± he answered, following her to the kitchen.


    ¡°You will end up with a mouth full of dough if you do not stop speaking ill of what I have made,¡± Alessandra replied, reaching out her finger covered in the dough to rub on his cheek.

 Chapter 403 - 403 Options (3)

    403 Options (3)


    ¡°Where is Rose? Will she be joining us?¡± Alessandra stopped to ask before they entered the kitchen. Rose checking on Edgar had ended too fast.


    ¡°She might be leaving town soon. You don¡¯t need to concern yourself with what she is doing. Unfortunately, she will no longer be helping you but I am not certain if that is a bad thing yet. There is still a chance for the two of you to go back to normal but I am waiting a moment before I call for her carriage to leave,¡± Edgar said whilst picking at the dough on her hands.


    Alessandra still could not fathom how she and Rose came to be at odds with each other. ¡°Furniture is thest thing I expected Rose and I to argue about. I was hoping after the two of you talked it would be over with.¡±


    ¡°It would have be more than furniture had we leave her be. She never got along with my mother well because she could not control my mother. Some time apart will make her realize how pushy she was starting to get. She did confirm that my parents are ending their marriage. It should have happened years ago but now isn¡¯t a bad time,¡± Edgar said, preferring it end now rather than continuing to go on.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°What would I be feeling? It isn¡¯t my marriage,¡± Edgar said, trying to ce what it had to do with him.


    ¡°Still, it will be odd for you to not see your parents together,¡± Alessandra replied. It wasn¡¯t odd for her considering her mother left when she was young. For Edgar, his parents were together for over twenty-five years.


    ¡°It would be odd if I saw my parents regrly. Nothing will change for me. I will continue to avoid them individually rather than as a married couple,¡± Edgar answered, still not seeing what changed for him.


    Alessandra forgot who she was speaking to and how Edgar wasn¡¯t one to care about things like this. ¡°Right. Well, when news of their divorce is announced in town you will be pestered with many questions from nosy people who wish to know what is going on. Prepare to be annoyed,¡± she tapped his back but quickly regretted doing so because of the dough on her hands.


    .....


    ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought about that,¡± Edgar realized the flood of foolish questions he would hear.


    ¡°Why am I getting the feeling that if you knew you would be questioned about their divorce you would not have brought it up to your mother?¡± Alessandra asked and based on the look Edgar gave her she knew she was right. ¡°You are a very special man.¡±


    ¡°I prefer the words rare or unique. I use special as an insult many times. Were you insulting me?¡± Edgar asked, starting to get the feeling that her words were not apliment. More like an insult to his personality.


    ¡°As you said, I just meant there is no one else who thinks like you. Not necessarily a good thing,¡± Alessandra muttered.


    ¡°This is no way to treat your sick husband,¡± Edgar said, covering his mouth with his right hand and faking a cough.


    Alessandra saw right through Edgar¡¯s weak attempt to act sick. He should try getting a few lessons from Alfred who really knew how to act well with his dramatic side. ¡°Then you should return to bed and I will sleep in another room tonight if you are still sick. Should I have a maid prepare another room for me?¡± She smiled, challenging him to continue with his sick act.


    ¡°When did you be such a sly woman?¡± Edgar replied.


    ¡°From the moment I married you. I had to learn to keep up with your games. You-¡±


    ¡°Prepare my carriage this instant!¡± From near the stairs, Rose¡¯s shrill of rage could be heard.


    Rose¡¯s tone of voice startled Alessandra. Rose¡¯s soothing voice was more familiar to her than this one, which sounded like it was intended to frighten her.


    Alessandra looked down at her hands and picked at the dough she had left. Before she showed up, Rose and Edgar had a great rtionship. She wasn¡¯t going to bend like Rose wanted her to and be interested in things just because it was popr among other women but she couldn¡¯t escape the feeling she got from being the source of the rift between Edgar and Rose.


    ¡°Do not overthink this, Alessandra. What is happening with me and my grandmother is not your fault. I gave her the option for us to move on and she chose to storm out of our home. It is her way of making us feel guilty and from the looks of your reaction, it is working. The rtionship we have with her is not exactly ruined. We are just taking a break from each other so stop sulking,¡± Edgar flicked her forehead with his finger.


    ¡°Ow,¡± Alessandra groaned, touching the spot which now stung thanks to how hard he flicked her. ¡°What happened to being gentle to your wife?¡±


    ¡°As I recall, you prefer when I am rough with you-¡±


    Alessandra red at Edgar for having no shame to say this when they weren¡¯t too far away from her grandmother. ¡°I am not going to sleep in the same bed as you tonight. I am in need of some time away from you and your mouth,¡± she said, trying to think of how she put up with him daily.


    Alessandra removed her hand and started to go to the kitchen.


    ¡°Are you certain? You enjoy my mouth more than you think,¡± Edgar chuckled as Alessandra picked up her pace to get away from him. ¡°Always with a chase,¡± he added, following behind her.


    ¡°Alessandra, I was starting to think you weren¡¯ting back to check on your cookies. Are you joining us, Edgar?¡± Wilma asked, wiping her hands in a cloth quickly to not look like a mess in front of Edgar.


    ¡°For a moment to see if Alessandra¡¯s baking has gotten better. She tried to kill me with a cake full of flour recently. Has she improved or has our flour been wasted?¡± Edgar asked, ignoring the murderous re from his wife.


    ¡°I am learning. I didn¡¯t insult your failed attempt to paint to this degree and I should have considered the fact I could not make out what it was you tried to paint,¡± Alessandra poked his chest.


    Edgar grabbed her finger to stop the hard pokes to his chest. ¡°She always finds ways to keep her hands on me,¡± he said.


    ¡°I am seriously tired of the two of you making me miss my husband,¡± Hazel said, standing with folded arms in the corner of the kitchen as she waited for her cookies to be finished. Normally, she would enjoy seeing Edgar and Alessandra be cute but when her husband wasn¡¯t around, other couples were thest thing she wanted to see.


    ¡°Sometimes it is good to be away from your husband,¡± Alessandra said, ncing at Edgar to show the reason why. She left his side to go to Wilma before she decided to cover him in flour.


    ¡°Is that why you looked on the verge of tears when I returned home yesterday? There is no reason for you to be annoyed when in truth, you love to be near me,¡± Edgar said, enjoying the way she red at him.


    Wilma continued to mix another batch of cookies while listening to the banter of the young couple. ¡°Alessandra, have you told him about the court?¡± She asked as it was big news.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t get the chance to. My grandmother has already received a message to visit the court to have a sit down with the Baroness. Not only for the inheritance since it was somehow paid back but it seems my father might be stripped of his title.¡± The news came as a surprise to Alessandra but even in death, he shouldn¡¯t keep his title when he did not deserve it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who from my father¡¯s family will be attending aside from Katrina but I hope you can join us. I would love to avoid it since it would get messy but I am not going to protect my father¡¯s name and be honest with what I know. I can only imagine that Katrina and Kate must be losing their minds,¡± Alessandra said.

 Chapter 404 - 404 Ruined name (1)

    404 Ruined name (1)


    ¡°Are you certain your mother is not doing a crime? How are you able to shop like you used to so quickly?¡¯


    ¡°Grace, if you utter something so foolish again I will never speak to you. My mother is a smart woman and living proof of why husbands should listen to their wives. I told you my grandmother also helped us so knock it off,¡± Kate warned as she could hardly tolerate the ridiculous rumors about how her family had slowlye out of debt.


    ¡°I am not trying to anger you, Kate. I am trying to figure out what to say to everyone asking,¡± Grace replied but in reality, she was looking for news to share with her other friends.


    Kate was regaining her former glory which she had before it became known her family was broke. Grace liked seeing Kate as the topic of conversation and to stop Kate from getting back on her high horse, she secretly spoke with the other youngdies in order to keep Kate down.


    Grace didn¡¯t feel guilty because Kate would do the same to her. She knew this for a fact as Kate had once helped to spread a rumor about her. They remained friends because they were better off pretending they care for each other than being enemies.


    ¡°I know that you are just trying to find something to talk about behind my back Grace. If I hear that you said something about me, I will talk about your father pping you for failing to catch the eyes of a man he wanted you to marry. My father was disappointed that I had not married when he was alive but he neverid his hands on me. Imagine how I felt seeing you be pped,¡± Kate ced her hand on her chest, feigning concern.


    Grace hooked her arm with Kate¡¯s. ¡°What dress do you n for the King¡¯s birthday ball?¡±


    ¡®Much better,¡¯ Kate thought. At least Grace had themon sense to know when to not push any further.


    ¡°I want to find a dress to match my eyes. I already bought a new pair of shoes. Would it have been a better idea for me to try matching with Simon?¡± Kate asked.


    .....


    ¡°It might make you seem desperate considering you are not married or even engaged. If you are certain he will propose to you then maybe you can consider matching with him. Has he mentioned marriage to you yet? Everyone is curious if it is time Simon will finally settle down. You have made a lot of enemies now that you have been spotted with Simon often,¡± Grace said, thrilled about the new enemies Kate made but masked it with a frown.


    ¡°Great. There is nothing more exciting than seeing everyone jealous of my rtionship. Unless Simon is a man who has time to waste, I expect a proposal sooner than I nned. He met with my mother and he asked me to meet with him at the ball. My status will rise so you must behave well if you want me to introduce you to one of his friends. Do you like this one?¡± Kate picked up a green shoe for Grace to see.


    ¡°A green shoe, Kate? Not this time of the year. You should wait until spring to add such a colorful shoe to your closet. Speaking of introducing someone, have you heard anything from L? She is not around after announcing she is getting married and her family is a bit silent about what she is doing. She must be trying hard to n the wedding of the season. I wonder if her husband-to-be can afford avish wedding. Her family certainly should not waste the money,¡± said Grace.


    ¡°I have not heard from her since she announced she was getting married. L thought she was above us because she was the only one getting married but was embarrassed when Simon joined us. Maybe the man left her and now she can¡¯t show her face as there won¡¯t be a wedding. Poor thing,¡± Kate smiled, hoping her assumption was true.


    It would be the perfect karma for L not remembering her ce. In their friend group, Kate was at the top.


    ¡°It does feel like there is something wrong with her wedding. It¡¯ll be a shock if she shows up at the ball. Speaking of which, what happened to your devious n concerning your sister?¡± Grace whispered. Kate informed Grace of her n to knock off Alessandra¡¯s mask at the ball. It was the best form of entertainment anyone could think of.


    Grace had no ns to take part in what Kate was nning as a precaution if this n failed and the Duke would not be happy to know someone was messing with his wife. Everyone had heard about Sophia almost losing her hands and how she remained in the pce dungeon even now. Still, she would enjoy the show regardless of whether it was Kate or Alessandra humiliated.


    From a young age, Grace was always curious about what Alessandra was hiding beneath her mask. Rumors of there being a curse were silly but it was fun to have someone to speak about. That was why everyone joined in to call Alessandra cursed. It was better to have someone else to talk about to avoid the town picking you as the topic of gossip.


    Kate looked around the shop to make sure there was no one close to them. ¡°I still n to do it but I don¡¯t know how yet. I need to get her away from Edgar. Maybe when he leaves to be with the King.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t all thedies gather with the Queen at one point will the men stay with the King?¡± Grace asked, putting the idea in Kate¡¯s head.


    ¡°We were separatedst year,¡± Kate remembered what happenedst year during the King¡¯s birthday. The young women got a private moment with the Queen while the men went off to drink with the King. As a close friend of the King, Edgar would have to leave Alessandra¡¯s side. ¡°I only need to make it look like an ident or maybe I can get someone else to do it. There are many who are curious about her face and would love to knock the mask off.¡±


    ¡°You should spark everyone¡¯s curiosity about what she hides under that mask. You would not need to lift a finger. Have you ever seen what her face is like? Is she hideous? I wonder if she hides her face from the Duke,¡± Grace snickered, mentally picturing how Alessandra must be each time Edgar tried to touch her face. ¡®Then again, the Duke would have left her if she was hideous. Unless he wants to save face for moving too fast with marrying someone with such a reputation,¡± she thought.


    Kate remembered what she saw when Alessandra threw shit at her. The marks were still there but they were not as bad as years before. Still, it was still the source of Alessandra¡¯s insecurity, and seeing Alessandra freak out around others was enough for Kate. Alessandra was ruined and if anyone had topare the two, it was obvious to Kate that she would be picked.


    ¡®I should have ruined her face more before she got married to Edgar,¡¯ Kate thought as she wanted to guarantee she was better than Alessandra. She would never be second ever again.

 Chapter 405 - 405 Ruined name (2)

    405 Ruined name (2)


    ¡°I pity you for having to deal with a stepsister. Still, asdies, we much pity her because she must be jealous that your father remarried and had a new daughter he adored. I would be jealous of you too if I were in her position. That¡¯s why she aimed for the Duke. It is only because you liked him. There must honestly be some truth to her pregnancy for the Duke since there is no other exnation for why he married her so quickly,¡± Grace said, still trying to figure out why Edgar married Alessandra.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Grace grabbed Kate¡¯s arm. ¡°Between you and me, do you think your sister is pretty under her mask? It wouldn¡¯t make sense why-¡±


    Kate shoved away Grace¡¯s hand from touching her. ¡°Are you foolish?¡± She asked as it was the only reasonable exnation for why Grace would bring this up to her. What was happening in Grace¡¯s mind to make her ask if Alessandra was pretty?


    ¡°I am only trying to put together why everyone failed at marrying the Duke but your sister was sessful. Now that I think about it, Edgar always had a particr taste in the women he was spotted with and at first nce, your sister isn¡¯t like those women. I will admit since it is just the two of us now that the half of her face we see is quite pretty,¡± Grace replied, admitting that Alessandra wasn¡¯t ugly for the first time.


    ¡°If she didn¡¯t have that mask she would be sought after from the moment she came of age. She would have been able to find a wealthy husband with her looks. It¡¯s proof since she got the Duke with the mask,¡± Grace continued, and like always she once again thought this was why Kate hated her sister so much. Kate hated when there was someone better looking than her around.


    .....


    Grace hated to hear Kate rave about her blond hair and blue eyes which were honestly overrated now. No one cared about the color of Kate¡¯s hair or eyes but Kate.


    ¡°You,¡± Kate red at Grace for having the audacity topliment Alessandra in her presence. ¡°Have you lost your mind? Nothing about her is pretty.¡±


    Grace found it amusing how Kate was still in denial about her sister. ¡°You need to calm your anger as I am not the only person who thinks she is pretty. Your sister is catching a lot of attention from men and there are women who like how mysterious she is. You should do something fast if you don¡¯t want to be overshadowed by your sister. I can admit she is pretty but I still do not enjoy hearing everyone elsepliment her.¡±


    ¡°Men are so fickle with the things they want. They are only lusting after her because she is Edgar¡¯s wife. Nothing more,¡± Kate was sure of it. She heard before how men lusted after the wives of their peers. If Alessandra were to be caught with one of these men, even if the meeting was set up, her name would be ruined and Edgar might not look at her the same.


    It was irritating the cook Mario had left as he was the right person for Alessandra to get caught with because of the rumor they stirred around. Rather than knock off Alessandra¡¯s mask, Kate thought it would be better if Alessandra was found in the arms of another man when her husband was away.


    ¡®It wouldn¡¯t be too hard to find a man willing to take advantage of his time alone with Alessandra,¡¯ Kate thought. She wanted Alessandra ruined to the point of no return and maybe if she could hold everyone back for the man to do his job, Alessandra would take her life soon after. The only way they could not bepared in the future was if one of them died.


    Kate could never forget how their father once favored Alessandra over her and thepliments to Alessandra she had to endure while she remained on the sidelines. If she had not done something in the past, she would have forever lived in Alessandra¡¯s shadow. It was a ce she would never go back to no matter what.


    Once she became the pride and joy of her father, Kate¡¯s hatred for Alessandra when she was a child faded away and she kept Alessandra in her ce as the forgotten, unwanted, useless daughter. Now that anger wasing back when people like Grace spoke of how pretty Alessandra was. The anger she had now at this age couldn¡¯tpare to how much she hated Alessandra as a child.


    ¡°I will meet with youter Grace. I have much to think about before the King¡¯s ball. If you hear anything about L,e to my house right away. I need to know what she is hiding from us. Goodbye,¡± Kate excused herself, ignoring the disappointed look from Grace as their time together came to an end quickly. Kate¡¯s mood was soured thanks to Grace, so she did not want to remain in town.


    ¡°What a waste of my time,¡± Grace muttered.


    Kate heard what Grace tried to utter under her breath but it didn¡¯t bother her enough for her to turn around and make Grace apologize for it. She had Simon to think about and what she would do about Alessandra.


    As Kate exited the shop, she picked up on something strange right away. When she looked at two youngdiesing to enter the shop, they looked at her and whispered something to each other. Before they could walk by her and enter the shop, Kate held out her left hand to stop them from going inside.


    ¡°What are two whispering about?¡± Kate asked, turning her head to the right to look at them with a nk expression. She didn¡¯t appear angry, annoyed, or irritated that they were being secretive. ¡°Talk quickly.¡±


    ¡°There is a rumor that your family is going to be struck with a final blow to your reputation. News has traveled from a good source in the court that your father will lose his title. It is quite bold of you to be out shopping when such a tragedy-¡±


    ¡°You, your father just weed his secret son into the family, didn¡¯t he? Just like all of you, I know a lot of gossip,¡± Kate said, looking down on the two youngdies who were doing a terrible job at trying to make her shame about what would happen tomorrow in court. It wasn¡¯t certain yet that her father would lose his title but all his crimes were going to be exposed.


    Her grandmother was returning to town to stop what her father had done from bing public.


    ¡°That smile vanished as quickly as it fell on your lips. What a shame. The likes of you do not have what it takes to make me feel embarrassed,¡± Kate said, ncing down at one of the youngdies¡¯ shoes which were popr two seasons ago. ¡°Enjoy,¡± she removed her hand from blocking their path. ¡°You are in desperate need of shoes that are popr.¡±


    Kate forced a smile and left the youngdies with her head up but once she got far away, her smile fell.

 Chapter 406 - 406 Ruined name (3)

    406 Ruined name (3)


    News quickly spread around the town about a noble losing his title. It was a rare event in Lockwood so all eyes and ears were on the case, waiting for when the oue would be announced. After Katrina and Alessandra received their letters to visit the court, the time came for them to meet once more to discuss Desmond.


    Edgar traveled with Wilma and Alessandra as a husband and as the person who had killed Desmond. He was the one to pool together all the evidence about Desmond¡¯s crimes and would be working with the court today if not for the fact he was married to Desmond¡¯s daughter.


    It was brought to his attention that Katrina hadints about him being the one to kill Desmond. She imed he wrongfully killed Desmond not just because Desmond hadmitted crimes but because Edgar did it in a fit of rage for Alessandra.


    ¡°Why are you smiling so much when we are going to the court?¡± Alessandra asked after she looked at Edgar and noticed how much he was smiling.


    ¡°The better question is why aren¡¯t you smiling? We are in for a lot of entertainment. Back-to-back days of fun. I haven¡¯t had such a wonderful birthday week in a long time,¡± Edgar replied.


    .....


    Alessandra did not know how to respond to Edgar¡¯s idea of fun. They went from making love all over the house to him killing someone the day after his birthday. How had this ended up being a good birthday week for him?


    Aside from William¡¯s death and Grant being hung at the pce gates yesterday, Edgar¡¯s birthday had not gone as she nned. Edgar enjoying his birthday was all that mattered but Alessandra wanted it to be much better next year. No deaths, no fights with family, and not having to see Katrina dayster.


    ¡°I am curious to see what your father¡¯s second wife is like. If her looks match her awful personality for the way she treated you. I must apologize if I cannot hold back my tongue today. I can¡¯t help it when I am angry,¡± Wilma apologized in advance. She would not go easy on anyone who hurt her granddaughter and if she needed, she would use any measure to get rid of Alessandra¡¯s awful family members.


    ¡°There is no need to apologize. Curse her as you see fit,¡± Edgar said, indulging Wilma in speaking her mind. Today was not the day to keep quiet and not let your thoughts be heard. After today, Wilma might not see Katrina ever again since she was heading back to her sick husband soon.


    Alessandra pressed her shoe down on Edgar¡¯s own to stop him from using Wilma to find entertainment for himself. The Barretts were no doubt going to act a fool but in the midst of the chaos, she wanted to keep her anger under control, so the men of the court heard everything she knew about her father.


    She didn¡¯t want to get off topic and talk about other things. Alessandra had other days she could curse and point fingers at Katrina but today, she wanted to ensure her father was punished. As always, the person she hated the most was her father, and his death just wasn¡¯t enough to satisfy her. Alessandra looked forward to the title he loved so much being stripped away.


    Edgar wasn¡¯t fazed by her stepping on his shoe. Whether she liked it or not, there would be a lot of foul words used today. Perhaps even from herself. He tried to predict how Alessandra would be once they were all settled in the court but her quiet nature made it hard for him to make assumptions.


    Edgar looked at the mask she chose to wear today. He found this meeting to be the perfect time for her to be without it, but Alessandra said this was not the time she wanted to reveal her face. She wanted to get dolled up and enjoy herself when the time came. She wanted it to be a happy asion for herself and the people she cared for.


    She did not want to reveal her face for the sole purpose of startling Katrina and Kate. Alessandra wanted to do it for herself when she was finally letting go of her past self-hate and would be able to walk around people she didn¡¯t know without feeling the need to put back on the mask.


    The carriage stopped in front of the court which was near the pce. In Alessandra¡¯s eyes, it resembled a big church.


    ¡°I will help them out,¡± Edgar sent the driver away. He helped Wilma step out of the carriage first and then Alessandra right after. ¡°Nervous?¡±


    ¡°No, I am looking forward to this meeting,¡± Alessandra said, not the slightest bit nervous or anxious. She was not the same person who held her tongue when she was living with Katrina. As someone who snuck around the house in the shadows, she knew more than Katrina thought she did. ¡°You cannot try to kill anyone today, Edgar. No matter what is said. Promise me,¡± she stuck out her little finger for the promise to be made.


    Edgar stared at her little finger which was just waiting to be hugged by his own. ¡°I am not a fool to try killing anyone while I am inside the court. That is for when they are sleeping or traveling alone,¡± he made the promise.


    ¡°I forget there is someone talented with the way he kills people by my side. We should go inside now-¡±


    ¡°Alessandra!¡± Greta called to her granddaughter. As soon as she heard the news, she traveled back to Lockwood. Her son was already dead and nevering back so she didn¡¯t see why they needed to hold this meeting to ruin the name of a dead man.


    Alessandra looked to her right where Greta, Katrina, and Kate were walking from their carriage to the entrance of the court. The carriage they rode in wasvish so she wouldn¡¯t have thought it was them inside. She remembered her father sold his beloved carriage and bought a cheaper one.


    She noticed how Katrina and Kate were dressed like they did before her father started sending away the servants because he had little to no money. Alessandra was curious if Greta had paid off all the debts and inheritance. If she could pay for it now, why didn¡¯t she help her son in the past? Something was off but she couldn¡¯t ce what it was right now.


    ¡°Are you satisfied?¡± Greta asked as Alessandra would be the one person to enjoy what was happening to her father. ¡°Your father¡¯s downfall will affect your reputation-¡±


    ¡°I remember clearly that you will not think of me as your granddaughter, and I do not care for what will happen to my father. I will continue to live well after this is all over. It is you who will be affected. Is that not why you came back to town as fast as you could?¡± Alessandra replied, quickly putting an end to Greta trying to think of how this would affect her reputation.


    The three women standing to her right did not care about her reputation. Two of the three were the ones to ruin it.


    Kate found it amusing how Alessandra was acting now. A little power to her name made her bold. Kate opened her mouth to speak but stopped when a third carriage arrived with an unexpected passenger. ¡°Uncle rk?¡±

 Chapter 407 - 407 Ruined name (4)

    407 Ruined name (4)


    ¡°My two beautiful nieces together in one ce. My dear brother would be happy to see this family reunion. Why do you look so surprised to see me, mother?¡± rk grinned, finding his mother and Katrina¡¯s reaction to be priceless. Neither one of them thought to invite him but he was lucky to hear the gossip in time. ¡°You didn¡¯t think I would miss such an important meeting, did you? When news about Desmond spread, I just had to show up.''¡±


    ¡°You were supposed to be back home,¡± Greta said, annoyed by his visit. rk would only worsen the situation since he didn¡¯t know when to shut his mouth. ¡°Do not step foot inside this court, rk.¡±


    ¡°I would love to be an obedient child and listen to your request but I already made the court aware that I aming. It would be rude for me not to show up when they are already expecting me. You didn¡¯t raise me to be rude,¡± rk replied. One way or the other, he was going to get something out of this meeting.


    There was one side that wanted him to shut up and one side that would love for him to speak. rk would never let go of Katrina trying to kill him but before he got back at her, he nned to get some money out of today. He was not going to let her take his brother¡¯s belongings and he would be left with nothing.


    His appearance riled them up as much as he knew it would. rk¡¯s goal was to get something out of Katrina but if a wealthy man like Edgar offered him a better deal to be on their side, there was no question about who he would side with.


    ¡°Alessandra,¡± rk opened his arms wide for her to greet him with a hug. He didn¡¯t try to approach her because Edgar standing beside her.


    ¡°There is something wrong with my father¡¯s family,¡± Alessandra muttered as she watched rk act like they had some sort of a good rtionship. Maybe he had hit his head and forgotten she wasn¡¯t desperate to have a rtionship with him. ¡°We should go inside now.¡±


    ¡°This meeting is for family only. You cannot bring strangers with you,¡± Katrina said, looking at the older woman standing next to Alessandra.


    Greta narrowed her eyes as she tried to remember where she saw the older woman and then it clicked when those striking green eyes red at her. ¡°You, you are Mnie¡¯s mother,¡± she said.


    .....


    ¡°I am a little offended you took so long to recognize me. If your son didn¡¯t keep me away from his family, you would have known who I was at first nce. I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t say it is a pleasure to see you again, Greta Barrett. We should go inside dear,¡± Wilma agreed with Alessandra.


    Alessandra, Edgar, and Wilma walked inside the court leaving the Barretts on the outside.


    ¡°Her grandmother? Is Mnie back?¡± Katrina quickly asked Greta. No one informed her that Alessandra met her mother¡¯s family. The court asked about Mnie and now she couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Desmond¡¯s first wife was back.


    ¡°How am I supposed to know if that woman is back? It has been years since I saw her or her mother. Did Desmond ever allow Alessandra to speak with her grandmother?¡± Greta asked Katrina as she wasn¡¯t aware of the rtionship Desmond had with Wilma after Mnie left him.


    ¡°He received letters but none was given to Alessandra. She must have met that woman after her marriage to the Duke. It¡¯s a bit too coincidental her grandmother is here when we have to speak about Desmond. Do you think that woman knows something?¡± Katrina asked, starting to worry as she hadn¡¯t thought about a third person joining Edgar and Alessandra.


    Greta looked to her side and asked, ¡°What can she know if all she did was send letters? She knows nothing and they must have only brought her here to rile us up. You said the court was looking for Alessandra¡¯s mother. Prepare yourself if she shows up today.¡±


    Kate felt like she was the only one confused about Alessandra¡¯s grandmother and mother. She thought all this time that Alessandra¡¯s mother might be dead because she had not shown up in years so why was anyone expecting a return?


    Quite frankly, Kate thought her father might have done something to the woman because she once overheard him saying he would strangle his first wife if she ever showed up before him again. Then again, she had once caught him staring at a small portrait of Alessandra¡¯s mother. Her father seemed conflicted when it came to his first wife and at the thought, he might still love her, Kate had found the portrait when he was away and destroyed it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see what the big deal is about Alessandra¡¯s grandmother. She doesn¡¯t look like anyone important. Why did my father marry her daughter?¡± Kate muttered.


    ¡°Looks can be deceiving child,¡± Greta said as Kate was greatly mistaken about the wealth from Alessandra¡¯s maternal side of the family. ¡°Her grandmother has money. Perhaps far more than I do but the woman was always tight-lipped about where her family gets their wealth. It was something your father hated because he wanted a hand in the business. No matter how much we asked, Mnie would not speak about her family¡¯s wealth.¡±


    ¡°Wilma is not from Lockwood and resides out of town where her husband¡¯s family stays close to each other. That is all I know. That family likes to be secretive about their money because they im not to like the high life of the wealthy. The attention it brings. Whatever Mnie asked for at her wedding, her parents brought it right away and I noticed many of their rtives dressed in gold. Your father was a fool to let Mnie leave him,¡± Greta said, looking Katrina up and down as she came into the marriage with nothing.


    Katrina rolled her eyes, hardly in the mood to bepared to a missing woman. Katrina walked ahead first to go inside the court before Greta could tell her more about Mnie. Greta should favor the daughter-inw who is stuck by Desmond¡¯s side.


    ¡°This means Alessandra will be given wealth from her grandparents?¡± Kate softly spoke as her anger increased as it dawned on her the position Alessandra was in.


    Not only did Alessandra manage to get a rich husband but now her grandmother who was not around in years was here to dote on Alessandra. While Kate had to get used to not spending money when she wanted to, Alessandra was surrounded by wealthy people. Alessandra stole the life meant for Kate and though she was going to have Simon, it just wasn¡¯t enough.


    ¡°This is not fair,¡± Kate muttered.


    ¡°How is it not fair? Don¡¯t you have a grandmother who takes care of you too? If you want a rich grandmother from your mother¡¯s side, ask your mother to introduce us to her family. I am still waiting to see what life your mother had before your father. My days have not been peaceful since Mnie left,¡± Greta grumbled, going inside the court to get this over with.


    ¡°Life¡¯s not fair for the younger sibling, Kate. People like you and me, have to take what we want by force,¡± rk said as he walked past Kate. ¡°Even if you have to turn your back on your family.¡±


    Kate didn¡¯t want any advice from rk who was trying to grab onto what he could from her father¡¯s death. They were nothing alike. Soon, she would have the title and life she desired while rk would be left begging for money. Alessandra¡¯s perfect life would soon shatter as Kate started to plot her way to ruin Alessandra.


    Kate tried to calm her anger as she walked into the court behind rk. She was thest person to enter and if she waited any longer, her grandmother might get upset for holding up the meeting.


    The court was somewhere no one liked to enter unless they were here to be given something of value which rightfully belonged to them. Upon entering, there were many men and only a few women dressed in a white uniform which would alert anyone that they were a part of the court. There were papers all around which Kate assumed to contain information about everyone in the kingdom.


    Kate hurried to the room she saw rk enter and reached it in time before the door could close. The man who came to their home to inform them of her father losing his title was seated at the end of the table with two men standing behind him. On the right of the table was Alessandra¡¯s side with rk who for some reason wanted to sit on that side. While on the left were her grandmother and mother.


    Kate went to the seat beside her mother. Family should sit together no matter what and rk was only making things worse for himself by sitting on the side with Alessandra.

 Chapter 408 - 408 Family secrets (1)

    408 Family secrets (1)


    ¡°Right on time,¡± Mark nced at therge clock in the room. ¡°No one else will be allowed toe inside now that the meeting has started. Den, Zachary, and I have been in charge of this case so we will make the final judgment here today and then send it to the King for him to look over and make it official. Desmond Barrett has a stack of crimes he would have been locked away for or even hung if he was still alive-¡±


    ¡°My son was not involved in any business that his peers were not already involved in. I don¡¯t see you trying to ruin their name,¡± Greta argued.


    Mark side-eyed the mother of Desmond and found her to be one of the people he greatly disliked. A mother who didn¡¯t know when to admit her son had done something wrong. ¡°Just because his peers did it does not mean it was alright for your son to be a part of these businesses. We are already investigating your son¡¯s business partners and friends. Two are already in the pce dungeon but please, if there is something you wish to tell us about his peers, please speak now.¡±


    Greta grumbled something under her breath which Mark was not able to make out. He assumed she was cursing him.


    ¡°The court has had an eye on Desmond for months now and it was actually Duke Collins who gathered all the information on Desmond before we could. Before I get into Desmond¡¯s title, we will deal with theint from the Baroness about the Duke killing her husband,¡± Mark said, choosing to do this first as it would end quickly.


    Edgar yfully tapped his fingers on the table, awaiting what foolishint Katrina hade up with.


    Mark looked to his right at Edgar who appeared amused by this. ¡°The Baroness believes you killing the Baron had nothing to do with her husband¡¯s crimes. You killed him in a fit of rage for his daughter. Before you give an answer Duke Collins, I would like to hear from your wife,¡± Mark said, briefly ncing at Alessandra.


    He was curious from the very beginning of this case what Alessandra thought of her husband being the one to kill her father. Their marriage seemed perfectly fine despite this but then again, he didn¡¯t know what was happening behind closed doors.


    Alessandra looked at Mark, not knowing what exactly he wanted to hear from her. Did he want to hear what Edgar killing her father made her feel? Did he want to hear how happy she was when her father died?


    .....


    ¡°What reason would the Duke have to kill your father for you? As you are in the court, it is important for you to be an honest Duchess. If we find out you lied to us today, you will be punished. Speak only the truth, Duchess. Even if it will benefit your stepmother,¡± said Mark.


    ¡°Edgar did kill my father because of me,¡± Alessandra admitted and for a second, she saw Katrina trying to hide a smile. ¡°He had no choice but to kill my father to save me. There is something I want to say but you must promise not to let it get out of this room,¡± she requested.


    Mark looked at Den and Zachery who gave him a nod. ¡°You have our word no one outside of here will hear what you are about to say. Go on.¡±


    ¡°The night my father died, I had locked myself in my room because I had a feeling like something bad was going to happen. Edgar and I were already engaged but my father wanted me to marry someone else-¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Katrina interrupted Alessandra. ¡°That has nothing to do with this. Speak only of what happened the moment your father died.¡±


    ¡°Baroness, you do not control the court. Need I remind you this is being discussed because you im your husband was wrongfully killed? The court was not aware the Duchess had another man to marry other than the Duke. Let the Duchess speak without any interruptions. Everyone will have their turn to tell their side,¡± Mark said, hoping this would keep the bunch silent. ¡°Who were you meant to marry aside from the Duke?¡±


    ¡°An old family friend, William Lancaster,¡± Alessandra revealed.


    ¡°The same William Lancaster your husband reported dead to the town guards,¡± Den spoke up before Mark could.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Alessandra replied.


    Mark nced at Edgar who was acting nonchnt about the matter. ¡°He is close to your father¡¯s age. Are you certain it was him that your father nned to marry you to?¡±


    Alessandra continued, ¡°It is not the first time a father has given his daughter away to an older suitor. I am still uncertain if it was meant to be a wedding. I ran into William maybe two times and he made wanting me to be something sinister. You can ask around about the man who died with my father that night. I can¡¯t remember the name but a man came in a carriage to take me to William.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to as I had epted Edgar¡¯s proposal and also the fact he was near my father¡¯s age but they wanted to drag me to William. Had Edgar not shown up, I would have ended up like those women you found in his home,¡± Alessandra said, repeating what little Edgar told her about William¡¯s death before they left home. ¡°My maid can tell you about my father trying to force his way into my room to send me to William. She used to work for the Baroness before I brought her with me.¡±


    ¡°Given some of the businesses your husband was involved in, I can see why no one wanted to mention the Duchess was to go to William Lancaster. He is a man your husband had a debt with or am I mistaken?¡± Mark looked at Katrina.


    Unlike a few minutes ago, she was quite silent. Perhaps she thought Alessandra would have been ashamed to say someone more than twice her age wanted her. Incidents like these weren¡¯t talked about every day as the town would never let Alessandra forget about it by either talking about it when she was near or throwing it in her face when they wanted to ridicule her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know much about what Desmond and William agreed to. I found out about it around the same time she did. Desmond didn¡¯t tell me about his meetings with William. He would get up in the middle of dinner and go to William. The only reason I know where he was going was through the butler. I can have my butler here in the next hour,¡± Katrina replied, notpletely telling the truth but there was no way to prove she was leaving out bits and pieces.


    Desmond and William were dead so now it was just Alessandra¡¯s words against Katrina¡¯s.


    ¡°Still, you were aware of what was happening that night with your stepdaughter. It is understandable why the Duke would step in to help her. Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do about yourint about Edgar. Your husband¡¯s hands were not clean and if the Duke wrongfully killed an innocent man, he would not be sitting here with us. Let¡¯s move on to your husband¡¯s crimes and his title,¡± Mark said, ready to get to the bottom of why he brought them here.


    ¡°It is preposterous for you to disrupt my son¡¯s rest with this. He is already dead, why do you have to take more from his family? Desmond was a good man easily swayed by the people around him. His peers lent him money and then got him involved in bad businesses. You should focus on them instead poking at a dead man,¡± Greta said out of frustration.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t describe my brother as someone easily swayed. He was always looking for ways to get money. Is this the part where you ask the family about what we know concerning his crimes?¡± rk rubbed his hands together. ¡°I would like to go first.¡±

 Chapter 409 - 409 Family secrets (2)

    409 Family secrets (2)


    ¡°rk, this is not the time for you to speak. Anything thates out of his mouth is nonsense. He is only here to see how he can get money out of this. Ignore him just as I am. He should not even be present,¡± Greta muttered, ring at her younger son. She would not have minded if it was rk who died instead of Desmond. ¡°Such a waste of life.¡±


    rk frowned. ¡°Your favorite son is involved in shady business and yet, I am the one to receive a bad look from you. Ha!¡± He licked his lips. ¡°She only loves Desmond, you know. Even when we were children she would always let him get away with his behavior because he was the smart one. She put all her faith in him to be the one to make our family proud.¡±


    ¡°Why would I waste my time with someone who wasn¡¯t going to do anything for our family? I paid attention to the son who wanted to do well. When Desmond was making a name for himself, what were you doing? Drinking yourself away and spending time with women who emptied your pockets. The wrong son was taken from me too early,¡± Greta grumbled.


    ¡°Mrs. Barrett,¡± Mark said as her words weren¡¯t right to her son.


    ¡°That¡¯s nothing new. She didn¡¯t have to say it was me she wanted dead. I could feel it the moment we met after my brother¡¯s death. The look in her eye as she imagined me going into the ground instead of my brother. That¡¯s the type of mother she is. She¡¯s right, I am trying to get money out of this but since I won¡¯t, I should speak freely. Right?¡± rk looked at the court men.


    ¡°You should,¡± Mark urged him as he was curious about what the younger brother had to say. If looks could kill, rk would be dead from the look he received from his mother alone. Mark thought Katrina would have more of a reaction but she was calm. Her daughter looked at her uncle as if he was crazy.


    ¡°rk-¡±


    ¡°My mother,¡± rk began to speak over his mother. ¡°Will never think what Desmond does is wrong. When he didn¡¯t want to borrow any more money from people like William, he came to our mother. She wouldn¡¯t lend me money to keep my house but she would lend him money to get into a business of selling orphans to a red-light district. Maybe she didn¡¯t know what he was using the money to invest in,¡± he shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about the fact that when Desmond got married, our mother took money that was in my inheritance to give to my brother. It would have been enough for me to live on for a few years. She told me not to speak of it because my brother was on his way up to mix with important people. I would get back double that money because Desmond became a Baron and he would be amongst a good crowd of people he could invest in,¡± rk continued.


    .....


    ¡°Desmond was never a fool. No one should be med for what he got himself into. He was a part of those dirty businesses because he wanted to get quick money. Everything you im my brother was a part of was true. Once I got him drunk enough he would give a bit of information about his deals and I did know a bit about William. He was obsessed with Alessandra,¡± rk said, looking down at the table where Alessandra sat.


    Greta grabbed a handful of her dress to hold back from throwing something at rk. He didn¡¯t realize he could be punished for knowing about all of these things but not telling the guards or the court. He was ruining more than just Desmond¡¯s name.


    ¡°What else do I know? Oh, we were all aware of how Alessandra was being treated. When we all learned of her scars, it was such a waste. My brother and mother had a list of families who wanted to arrange marriages for Alessandra with their sons in the early. She had the same beauty as her mother so why wouldn¡¯t they? Her face was her value in our family and once it was no longer worth something, she found out what happens to useless people in this family,¡± said rk.


    ¡°Who was the one to harm her face?¡± Zachary asked as Alessandra¡¯s life in her father¡¯s home was a case they needed to take up against the Barretts like Katrina and her daughter. That was a case they were going to build another day.


    rk smiled and looked directly at Kate. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I wasn¡¯t present when that was discussed. You would have to ask soon to be not Baroness or my mother,¡± he said.


    Mark didn¡¯t buy that rk was unaware of who was responsible for Alessandra having to wear a mask. He didn¡¯t miss rk briefly looking at Kate and the panic that filled her face. At this point, rk was toying with all three of the Barrett women. It must be because it sunk in that there was nothing he would gain from helping his family.


    Alessandra was surprised to hear rk go against his family. She wondered if he was expecting something from her or Edgar for doing this. Alessandra was not going to offer rk money or any other gifts for being a decent human being and telling the truth. Still, she enjoyed that she could remain silent while the Barretts argued with each other.


    ¡°When will it be our time to speak? You¡¯ve allowed them to have all of these usations on my family and we have sat here silently!¡± Greta yelled, smacking her right hand down on the table. It stung but she ignored it at that moment. ¡°You,¡± she pointed at Zachary. ¡°Take over this meeting. He¡¯s not fit,¡± she red at Mark.


    To Greta, it felt like Alessandra had paid off the man sitting at the table.


    ¡°For thest time, you do not control the court. Since you have much to say, go on. How can you debunk your son¡¯s involvement in these shady businesses when there is the evidence? He signed his name on documents and was seen by witnesses going to these secret businesses. Do you not have a sense of empathy for your granddaughter-¡±


    ¡°She is not my granddaughter,¡± Greta dered. ¡°And he is no longer my son,¡± she looked at rk.


    ¡°Mrs. Barrett, you can love your son but still admit to when he is wrong. We have enough evidence on yourte son but wanted to hear from the family first. Today showed why your son will lose his title. Desmond Barrett will no longer be referred to as thete Baron,¡± Mark said as Den ced a paper before him. He pushed it toward Katrina for her to sign away her title as Baroness.


    ¡°Thend given to Desmond will be taken back by the King and a new nobleman will take over. There is no Barrett man fit to take over thend. His wife will be referred to as Katrina Barrett from the moment the King signs this document. There will be consequences if you continue to use the title, Baroness. You must sign it now,¡± Mark said as Katrina had not moved to sign her name.


    ¡°Do not sign that!¡± Greta yelled, moving the paper in front of Katrina to tear it up. ¡°How could you take away his title when we have not yet defended him?¡±


    Mark held out his hand for Den to give him another paper. ¡°As I have said, the decision was already made but we wanted to hear what the rtives wanted to say. You,¡± he pointed at Greta. ¡°Think of your son as innocent and me his peers. His wife and daughter have nothing to say. Why do I need to drag this out any further?¡±


    ¡°I want a divorce. I want to officially not be known as Desmond¡¯s wife anymore,¡± Katrina said, taking the opportunity to be free of Greta. The Barrett name was only good when it was attached to a Baron. She would be free to move on to another man if she wanted with her marriage officially over. She didn¡¯t want to hear a dead man be called her husband.


    Katrina only prolonged officially signing her marriage was over to avoid affecting Kate¡¯s chances with Simon in the beginning but she was tired of Greta and rk who would help ruin the Barrett name.


    ¡°You,¡± Greta turned to Katrina. ¡°You won¡¯t get anything that belongs to my son. You will leave just as you came into this marriage.¡±


    ¡°That is not true. Byw, there is a portion of her husband¡¯s wealth she is entitled to and she will get what else is in the will. We can have that prepared now if you wish,¡± said Zachary.


    ¡°Can we leave?¡± Alessandra asked as she knew her father had not left behind something for her.


    ¡°She¡¯s going to stay right here. How about we discuss her trifling mother who ran away?¡± Greta asked, deciding to drag everyone down so Desmond¡¯s name wouldn¡¯t be the only one ruined. ¡°And how this whore plotted to marry my son,¡± she added, referring to Katrina.


    ¡°I hope we can talk about my mother letting Katrina get away with trying to poison me,¡± rk smiled.

 Chapter 410 - 410 Family secrets (3)

    410 Family secrets (3)


    ¡°Poison?¡± Mark asked, looking at Katrina who didn¡¯t react to rk¡¯s usation. She was doing a better job at controlling her facial expressions now than she did at first.


    Mark considered the Barretts to be a mess but poisoning someone was new. The bad blood between Katrina and rk was worse than he was aware of. Katrina was quite bold if she did in fact try poisoning rk. ¡°What proof do you have she was poisoning you? That is a big usation to make.¡±


    ¡°I stayed with her after my brother¡¯s death and slowly I started to get weak. Like there was a burning pain in my chest the more I ate and once I stopped eating food from there, I got better. I confronted her and told my mother about it but the end result was I got sent out of town. Isn¡¯t that right, mother?¡± rk smiled, enjoying the way her wrinkles became more prominent with her anger.


    The least she could do was defend her son even if he wasn¡¯t her favorite. rk was quickly reminded today how much he hated his mother.


    ¡°Did you find poison in Katrina¡¯s home, have a servant as a witness, or at least visit a doctor?¡± Mask inquired further since he couldn¡¯t do much without any proof. He couldn¡¯t take anyone¡¯s word as the truth and if he did, rk wasn¡¯t a person he would believe told the truth. rk was just looking to get back at his mother and sister-inw. It didn¡¯t help that rk looked perfectly fine.


    ¡°No, and no but I did visit a doctor. Whatever I consume doesn¡¯t show any effects on the outside. I might have just dropped dead one day. I¡¯m just throwing this out so if one day someone around Katrina drops dead, you know the first suspect. We don¡¯t know much about her background so we have no idea what she is capable of. Doesn¡¯t that make her quite dangerous?¡± rk asked, throwing suspicion on Katrina¡¯s past which he was curious about.


    Katrina wished she had rk in her home a bit longer for the poison to work. Aside from Desmond, rk was the one person she regretted not seeding in the killing. His mouth never knew when to close and though he called her dangerous, he underestimated how much she could have his body in a hole with dirt covering it by nightfall.


    Mark did n to make a note of it. They made no new discoveries about Katrina¡¯s past which concerned him every time he thought about it. Katrina was certainly not her real name but when was Katrina created? Who helped her?


    It would work in the court¡¯s favor to have rk nearby. They needed him to keep speaking about what he knew about Katrina. This meant they couldn¡¯t let rk out of their sight or he would be discovered dead one day.


    .....


    Katrina didn¡¯t respond to rk as she would not give him the satisfaction of thinking she was so bothered or panicking as if her life was about to fall about. Only one person would suffer from speaking too much today. Well, two. Katrina side-eyed Greta who was about to make a fool of herself again.


    ¡°Talk about her mother. Her mother stole from my son when she ran away!¡± Greta went back to Mnie after rk¡¯s ims were ignored. She had forgotten all about his belief that Katrina tried to poison him. There was nothing she could do about it now. After what he did today, she shouldn¡¯t have stopped Katrina.


    ¡°My daughter had no reason to steal from your son. Stop spewing lies and ept that your son was not as innocent as you thought,¡± Wilma spoke up, refusing to let the likes of Greta speak negatively of her daughter.


    ¡°People,¡± Mark sighed. Why couldn¡¯t these meetings ever go in a civil manner?


    ¡°Some daughter you raised. Leaves her husband and daughter in the middle of the night. I bet she did it to be with a lover. Why else would she run away from her marriage?¡± Greta retorted. Why else would a woman leave all that she knew behind? Some man must have fed her lies of how he loved her.


    ¡°To get away from your son!¡± Wilma eximed as she would also have left to be far away from Desmond too. ¡°The only thing she did wrong was leave her daughter behind. Still, Alessandra should have been fine in her father¡¯s care and if he did not want that responsibility, he should have sent her to live with me. I can at least acknowledge where my daughter made mistakes but you seem to think Desmond is the victim in all of this.¡±


    A man who kept his mother-inw away and kept his daughter in her room was not a victim. ¡°Your son faked letters-¡±


    ¡°Do you think it was easy for him to raise a child alone when your daughter ran away? He had other important things to take care of but was left to look after Alessandra too. That was Mnie¡¯s responsibility. I am telling you, her daughter is nothing but a thief,¡± Greta said, wanting Mark to investigate it and bring the woman in from whatever hole she was hiding in.


    Alessandra was over the back and forth about two people she wasn¡¯t fond of. She nced to her side to see if Edgar was just as irritated as she was and it was no surprise he was enjoying every moment of this. If he had a tail, it would certainly be wagging right now.


    Nevertheless, she preferred Edgar silently enjoying all the questions and usations being thrown around instead of him being the one under fire. She could see how people got themselves in trouble as the men of the court had not asked about any of this but Greta had started this conversation.


    ¡°Your son deserves everything that ising to him even in death. I will one day get to the bottom of what happened between him and Mnie. I had no issue with you before today but if you continue to let my daughter¡¯s name pass through those dry lips, I will not sit still,¡± Wima said.


    So far, all they knew was that Mnie had run away from her marriage. It was nothing to point fingers at to take the attention off of Desmond. This was Desmond¡¯s time and whenever Mnie returned, she would be scolded. Not right now. Not by Greta who could not acknowledge her son¡¯s actions.


    ¡°You!¡± Greta abruptly stood up and leaned forward with her hand in the air ready to strike Wilma.


    Wilma looked forward to Greta trying to hit her. Greta exposed what a ssless woman she was and just as Wilma anticipated, the man Zachery grabbed Greta. Still, Wilma wanted Greta to try hitting her so she had a good reason to hit Greta back.


    ¡°Let go of me! I am not a simple person for you to touch as you please,¡± Greta argued, pushing to get out of his hold so she could get to Wilma. ¡°I won¡¯t let any of you ruin my son¡¯s name.¡±


    The sound of small scribbles turned Greta¡¯s attention from Wilma to Katrina who took the chance to sign away her divorce. Katrina ced the pen down when her name was signed and was ready to get everything owed to her in her name.


    ¡°You trifling whore!¡± Greta pped Katrina and before she could do it again, Zachary pulled her away from the table.


    ¡°Mrs. Barrett, you are out of line toy your hands on someone in this room-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been hit. The person who assaulted me should be thrown into a cell even if it is only for one hour,¡± Katrina calmly said, not holding her cheek or wincing from the pain. This was not enough to hurt her when she endured much more than this. Despite her cheek turning red, her main focus was seeing Greta be dragged out.


    ¡°Then shouldn¡¯t you rot in a cell for the times you have hit or mistreated me?¡± Alessandra asked, not to help Greta not be taken away but she couldn¡¯t resist asking after hearing Katrina¡¯s hypocrisy.


    ¡°I never hit or mistreated you, Alessandra. Why wouldn¡¯t your father have punished me if I did? I took care of you the best that I could,¡± Katrina replied, forcing herself to cry to appear as a pitiful stepmother who always took the me.


    ¡°Do not cry mother,¡± Kate said whilst looking around for something to wipe her mother¡¯s eyes with.


    ¡°You dramatic whore!¡± Greta spat, disgusted with Katrina¡¯s poor performance.


    ¡°Take her out into one of the vacant rooms for her to cool down,¡± Mark ordered Zachary as he could no longer put up with Greta. This meeting was dragged out far more than he would have liked. Luckily, he had experience dealing with familiesshing out at each other or his patience would have snapped by now.


    ¡°Take your filthy hands off of me. rk!¡± Greta called rk to help her be released.


    ¡°Consider me dead as you wished,¡± rk responded, remaining in his seat.

 Chapter 411 - 411 No hard feelings (1)

    411 No hard feelings (1)


    ¡°Duchess, you are free to leave if you still want to. We¡¯ve heard enough from you at the moment and if there is something else we want to hear, we will send for you again. The matter with your inheritance has been settled since your stepmother paid you back. However, we need to look into any abuse you endured before you married the Duke. All of you will need toe to the court again,¡± Mark said.


    Unlike this meeting which already had the decision made before the family showed up, they would be joined by other men of the court who would all decide the punishments for anyone who might have hurt Alessandra. They were still receiving information from servants who once worked for Desmond first before they would question the ones still working there now.


    Mark also wanted to have as much information on Katrina as he could by that time which was why he was pushing back this second case. He didn¡¯t want her to sit before them, cry and lie about her past. Something about Katrina really bugged him and if his gut was right, he would take her down in one day.


    Mark hoped Alessandra wouldn¡¯t mind being patient with her justice. It was not something you could easily request from the victim.


    ¡°We will be going through the divorce and the will after a small break for us to gather all the papers. Duchess, do you wish to be present for your father¡¯s will?¡± Mark asked though he would bet his arm Alessandra did not care to stay here. He still needed to ask before she left.


    ¡°If there was something left behind for me, please send it to my home. I don¡¯t want to stay here any longer,¡± Alessandra stood up as remaining in a room with people like Katrina and Kate would only ruin the peace in her life.


    Alessandra had not forgotten how they made her life hell but today, she was satisfied with what happened to her father. One was down and only two more left to go.


    It was even more satisfying that she had nothing to do with her father losing his title. She did not have to ruin her days by plotting revenge on her father, Katrina, or Kate. Alessandra couldn¡¯t wait to see how Katrina and Kate¡¯s downfall woulde about.


    ¡°I will escort the three of you out,¡± Mark said as he wanted to speak with Edgar. Edgar was always in some sort of trouble and though Edgar always had a good reason for killing someone or a good story to prove his innocence, it was only a matter of time before Edgar tripped up and found himself punished.


    .....


    Edgar¡¯s only saving grace was the fact he was weeding out the bad men and women in the kingdom who had allies in the court to help them get away with their crimes. Still, Mark wasn¡¯t a fan of Edgar and his smug attitude but he knew Edgar did not like him either.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got my eye on you,¡± Mark warned Edgar. They walked behind Alessandra and Wilma who wereughing about something.


    ¡°How else would you see me?¡± Edgar replied, not the slightest bit worried about Mark. ¡°You can just admit that you like me, Mark. I make your job easier. You¡¯ve been trying to get William for years and now he is gone.¡±


    ¡°Are you fishing for a thank you?¡± Mark asked, already knowing how Edgar liked to beplimented. The man thought highly of himself. Though Mark hated people whopliment themselves a lot, Edgar was more tolerable than other noblemen he met.


    ¡°No. I have never asked anyone to thank me. I would like for all of you to just let me be a Duke and stop calling on me to do the court¡¯s work. There is something I would like to ask but there is a pest eavesdropping,¡± Edgar said, looking over his shoulder at rk who thought he was light on his feet.


    ¡°Why are you leaving? Shouldn¡¯t you stay to see if your brother left something for you?¡± Mark asked. rk was fishing around for something of value to grab onto and he potentially could gain something from his brother¡¯s will. He thought rk would have been impatient and not leave.


    ¡°Oh, I am not leaving. I am just going to have a word with my niece. Easy,¡± rk stepped back from Edgar. ¡°I am not going to ask her for money unless you are willing to give me some,¡± he took the chance to beg. ¡°I just want to have a simple conversation with her. Uncle to niece. I could have kept my mouth shut back there or lied to side with my mother. You should be thanking me.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t care whether or not you spoke. Do not ask her for money or say anything stupid,¡± Edgar replied, allowing rk to have one final conversation with Alessandra. He will be running from his mother and Katrina after today.


    ¡°Good,¡± rk rubbed his hands. ¡°That didn¡¯t mean anything,¡± he added as his action could have been mistaken as him looking forward to money. ¡°I should talk to her quickly,¡± he picked up his pace to reach Alessandra before she could get inside her carriage.


    ¡°Alessandra.¡±


    Alessandra thought for a second she had misheard, not her name being called but whose voice it was. ¡°Yes?¡± She replied a little apprehensive to speak with her uncle. She assumed he wanted something for speaking up.


    Wilma let go of Alessandra¡¯s hand and said, ¡°I will get in the carriage first.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so on guard with me. I won¡¯t do anything when that wild animal you call husband is near. I thought that we needed to have a conversation before we never run into each other again. I¡¯ll be honest, if I was offered money from my mother, I would have protected my brother and Katrina. It¡¯s just hard to get over how much my mother wants me dead. You might hear about me found dead somewhere,¡± rk chuckled but he was serious. He ratherugh than worry about it.


    He picked a fight with his mother and Katrina today. Both would be aiming for his heart once this was all settled. However, he would attack first. He had not given up that there was much more owed to him.


    ¡°How heartless,¡± rk ced his hands in his pants pockets. ¡°You didn¡¯t jump to offer protection. You must really hate me but I won¡¯t feel offended. I don¡¯t really care for anyone in this family. I just look out for myself.¡±


    Alessandra found rk to be somewhat pleasant to talk to when he didn¡¯t want something. ¡°I don¡¯t hate you, uncle. I just don¡¯t care for you. If you want to do one thing as my uncle, please tell me what happened to my mother.¡±

 Chapter 412 No Hard Feelings(2)

    Chapter 412 No Hard Feelings(2)


    "Everyone''s so worked up about Mnie while she gets to enjoy her time away from this crazy family. You should do the same," rk suggested.


    "Leave my child behind and never return or at least send a letter? That is what you want me to do?" Alessandra asked, reminding him of what her mother enjoying herself was like for her.


    "I didn''t mean it like that. I could never understand what your mother was thinking but I did know hearing from her own mouth that she was tired of being married to your father. It wasn''t as exciting as she thought it would be or something. She felt in a box staying in Lockwood. You know what, she really gave me some hints she wanted to leave," rk thought out loud as he looked back on their conversations.


    "I could honestly have a good conversation with your mother whenever I came around. Not like how that witch talks to me," rk looked behind them at the court where Katrina remained inside. "She would give me some change for a meal, drink, and ride home when your father was angry with me."


    "Nothing happened to your mother. At least that I know of. Speaking to your father, he honestly had no idea where she went. Your mother seemed to have a n for where she wanted to go and how she would get there without anyone following her. You don''t have to worry about anyone in this family doing something to her. We''re just as clueless as you are," rk said, being truthful as no one had any reason to hurt Mnie.


    "So, she just left because it was something she wanted for herself," Alessandra muttered.


    "Listen, as someone practically surviving on my own I can say it is hard. Even though she had a n, it wouldn''t have been easy to take a young child with her. At that time, you were better in your father''s care. Maybe she thinks you''re living well without her and that''s why she hasn''t shown up. She might not know about your face or my brother''s death yet. People outside this town won''t care to speak about your father. People here hardly cared," rk said as no one felt sad enough to give him money to cheer him up.


    "It''s still not enough to make me understand her not seeing me for so many years," Alessandra responded. Her mother could choose her happiness instead of staying in a marriage she didn''t like but it wouldn''t change the fact she forgot she had a daughter waiting for her.


    "You don''t have to. Mothers tend to forget about us when they are going after what they want. Be happy you don''t have a mother who favors your brother over you and would like to see you in the ground instead of him. You know, I would be just as good as your father if our mother invested in me too. I had the potential but not the knowledge," rk honestly admitted.


    "I tried topete with Desmond to make mother notice me and lost all of my money. My mother still owes me some of the inheritance she borrowed and gave to Desmond. That''s why I am not going to let Katrina take what is meant for me. Am I pulling your heartstrings?" rk leaned close to Alessandra.


    "No, but I am understanding you a little bit. I prefer honesty over you always reaching out for something to gain. Why are you being honest with me?" Alessandra asked as it was a bit suspicious. "I have done nothing for you and you cannot say anything for me to help you get what you want from Katrina. As pleasant as this conversation is, it won''t change what little of a rtionship we have."


    "Well, I have two big targets on my back so I am a dead man walking. Before that, I should at least act like your uncle for once. I am not looking for our rtionship to get better or worse. If I had to, I would screw you over to make money," rk said as that was what he nned to do today. "I am always going to look out for myself but I thought I would have a chat with you and Kate before things get messier."


    "I see. It was nice talking to you onest time and thank you for telling me about my mother. Other than my grandmother, it is good to hear about my mother from someone else. I hope you can stop begging and turn yourself around. My father is not here for you topete with him and there is nothing you have to prove to anyone else. I truly wish you the best. That doesn''t mean you can ask for money," Alessandra quickly added when rk opened his mouth.


    "Seemed like the perfect moment to ask," rk shrugged.


    "It wasn''t," Alessandra replied.


    "Oh, I just remembered. There was some valley your mother wanted to visit if she ever got the chance to travel. I think there is a flower that only blooms once a year she wanted to paint. If you ever want to track her down, you should start there. It''s been so many years that I can''t remember where else she wanted to go. She might have traveled far outside of this kingdom by now or dead for all we know," rk said but he wanted to smack his face as soon as thest few words left his mouth.


    "It is true she could be dead. The only person she kept in touch with was my grandmother but there aren''t any recent letters. If my father left behind something in the will for me, I will have it sent to you instead. You are greedy but you are not the worst person in my life right now. Don''t get your hopes up," Alessandra said as she couldn''t guarantee there was something for her.


    "If there is something, don''t waste it. Take it from me that it is never toote to change your life and find happiness. Don''t run back to grandmother. You do not deserve the way she treats you," said Alessandra.


    "Why are you trying to make me feel guilty for not being a good uncle all your life? You''re too kind for your own good. Remember, it would be rude for you to take back that you''re giving me whatever your father left for you. I would like to talk some more but your husband scares me and I need to go back to making Katrina''s life hell. See you from afar," rk waved goodbye as he walked away.


    "See you," Alessandra softly spoke. She doubted they would run into each other again and it wasn''t because she thought rk would die. There was simply no reason for them to see each other again. She didn''t suddenly desire a better rtionship with rk now.


    Alessandra genuinely hoped rk could change his ways and be happy. She was never aware of how harsh Greta was on rk and now she pitied him. In different ways, everyone had their own trauma that made them the way they are now.


    Edgar came to Alessandra''s side now that her talk with rk was over. "Did you enjoy your time with rk?"


    "Surprisingly, I did. I offered him what my father left for me. I don''t know what is in my father''s will and I would never use it. As long as it is not in Katrina or Kate''s hands, I don''t care where it goes. That is if he left something for me. rk mentioned a ce my mother would have visited if I wanted to look around for her butI honestly do not wish to search for her. We should leave," Alessandra stated when the carriage with Wilma already inside came right in front of them.


    While Alessandra didn''t care to search for her mother, Edgar had already started his own search after having a portrait of Mnie recreated numerous times for his men to go around with. He didn''t inform Alessandra or Wilma to avoid giving them false hope.


    Just as Desmond needed to be punished Mnie needed to be brought back to Lockwood, even if it would be against her will, to face the people she left behind. Mnie might have been smart enough to hide her tracks from Desmond and Wilma but she was never prepared for a Duke hunting her down. Mnie was bound to return to Lockwood sooner than anyone expected.

 Chapter 413 No Hard Feelings (3)

    Chapter 413 No Hard Feelings (3)


    "Why are you still here? There is nothing for you," Katrina said, looking to her right where rk sat with his feet on the table. He continued to show why he didn''t belong in ces like this. rk was more of a fool than she thought if he truly believed Desmond left something behind for him.


    Desmond might have made promises to rk when they were alone but Katrina recalled how Desmond would always say he wouldn''t waste his time leaving his valuables with rk. Anyone would be a fool to have rk in their will.


    "Mister court man," rk said, referring to Mark as he had forgotten the name. "Please tell her that I can be present."


    "Get your feet off my table," Mark said in a low tone as he stared at the man he suddenly felt the urge to throw something at. "In case you have forgotten, this is the court."


    "My apologies," rk replied, removing his feet from the table. He didn''t see why everyone was being so snappy when it was such a lovely day. "I forgot where I was for a moment but I can stay right?"


    "Unfortunately, you can," Zachary answered, just as annoyed as Mark was. He needed a drink tonight after dealing with this one family alone.


    "Please try to be civil this time," Mark said as he removed the string wrapped around the paper that was Desmond''s will. He could not take the yelling and interruptions at the moment. He could hear the faint yellsing from the room they ced Greta in. "Desmond Barrett changed his will five years ago."


    Katrina narrowed her eyes at this news. As far as she was concerned, Desmond''s will had only changed one year after they had gotten married. She was starting to worry that rk might have been right about Desmond leaving something behind for him since Desmond was so secretive to do this behind her back. Desmond was the type to screw all of them over at thest second.


    "The smallnd he owns where your home resides will be put in Kate''s name," Mark read.


    Kate mockingly smiled at rk as she was the first person to receive something. Of course, her father would make sure she was taken care of. She was never worried like everyone else.


    "The house will be given to Katrina. This makes no sense," Mark muttered. In his opinion, Desmond should have left thend and the house to the same person. This would cause one big headache in the future if mother and daughter shed.


    Kate didn''t see it as an issue. Once she got married, she would give thend to her mother as there was no need for her to have it when she would have a wealthy husband at hand.


    "All of Desmond''s personal belongings such as clothes, jewelry, paintings, and carriages will be given to Kate. His wealth will be divided equally between Katrina and Kate Barrett. For his daughter, Alessandra, a smallnd in Willow town will belong to her. That is all, your husband had no more assets after his debt," Mark concluded.


    There wasn''t much Desmond left behind other than the house, thend it was on, and then a very small piece ofnd which a Duchess would not bat an eye at. Desmond''s wealth wasn''t something to split considering he had debt. The only person who benefitted the most from this was Kate.


    rk wondered if thisnd in Willow town was the one that their family owned but to his knowledge, it was not yet divided amongst the family. ''Why am I surprised Desmond was already given his share?'' He thought.


    They weren''t allowed to sell thend as the n was for their families to build up homes there to be like a small town full of Barretts. If they could, Desmond would have sold what he meant to leave for Alessandra to help get himself out of debt.


    "Wonderful," rk pped his hands after learning Desmond had lied to him for several years. Of course, Desmond just liked to talk and didn''t leave something for him.


    "Why are you pping? There was nothing left for you," Kate said, entertained by her delusional uncle. She wasn''t pleased to hear Alessandra had gotten something from the will but she knew their father would not give Alessandra thergernd so she wasn''t going to waste her time getting upset. It was better to mock rk.


    "That''s why I am pping. My brother was such an excellent liar that even I forget how good he is. Don''t hold back your smile," rk said, looking at Katrina who was acting like this didn''t make her happy. "At least he cared for his wife and children. He did not leave something for our mother. I am sure she won''t be pleased and that''s enough for me."


    "I have no reason to be here," rk started to stand up. He had no ns to rub in the fact Alessandra would hand over hernd to him. He wanted to wait and see howrge thend was before making a fool out of himself. It was surprising that Desmond remembered to leave something for her.


    "Actually, I need to speak with you," Mark stopped rk before he could leave. There was a lot about Katrina that he could learn from rk. To make sure nothing would happen to rk, Mark nned to keep him in the court. "We will start the process of changing the titles to your names but it will take around two days for it to be sent to you. You might not have gotten what you were expecting from this will but it was better than nothing."


    Katrina wasn''t upset about the will like anyone would think. Her goal was always to have the house in her name so Greta could stop threatening her about it and Kate havingnd in her name was a win for the both of them. She didn''t need wealth when she had her own from the money she saved up over the years but the house was something she could not give up.


    It was amusing to watch rk be left with nothing. It was a waste of time and valuables to leave something in his name. It wouldn''t be long before rk spent all of his money and came begging for more.


    "Better than nothing?" rk scoffed. How quickly they forgot he was left with nothing. "I will assume those were positive words for his daughter and former wife. I am going to miss calling you sister-inw. I am going to miss the way it would tick you off. You deserve that house for all the years you yed the role of a loving wife."


    "Would you like money to be able to take a carriage back home?" Katrina offered, taking her bag from herp to open it. "I am feeling generous right now. Oh wait, with your mother angry with you, do you still have a home?"


    rk licked his lips and ced his hands on his hips. How dare she make a fool of him when there was nothing to her name other than the things his brother gave her? It was certainly a good world for women who could use their bodies to nt themselves in wealth. "I don''t need your money. I am not that desperate," he replied.


    "Really," Katrina smugly said as she stood up. "I hope you continue to not be desperate and don''te yelling at my gates. I won''t be epting you or your mother. We''re done here right?" She smiled at Mark.


    "For now," Mark replied.


    "Come along Kate," Katrina said, quickly leaving the room as she had better things to do. Kate was right behind her mother out the door.


    "I really hate that woman," rk scowled. "What the hell do you want from me?"


    "Help us find out who Katrina really is and we will reward you."

 Chapter 414 Birthday Ball (1)

    Chapter 414 Birthday Ball (1)


    Two dayster, Wilma had already departed Lockwood to return home to care for her husband. Lockwood was turned upside down during these two days as those invited to the King''s birthday ball rushed to prepare for it.


    It would be the highlight of the winter season so everyone wanted to look their best as one simple bad outfit would be remembered until the next ball.


    Hazel returned to the pce as she needed to be dressed there and enter the ball by Tobias''s side.


    One by one, carriages lined up outside the pce to drop off the excited guests.


    "This is grander than the first ball I attended. I still think we should have brought a gift for Tobias. He would have appreciated it if it came from you personally," Alessandra said. She sat in a carriage with Edgar, waiting until they would reach the steps to go into the pce.


    Unlike their other visits, there wasn''t a quick ride to the steps as they were met with too many carriages going in at once. Alessandra didn''t mind the time to prepare herself before going inside.


    "I will send him one-"


    "It is better to hand it to him yourself," Alessandra interjected. "He would thank you in person and you get to see his reaction."


    Edgar didn''t see what the difference was. For most years, he sent Tobias a gift. Tobias would then find a way to get out of the pce to visit his home to tell him how much he liked the gift. "If I go myself, Tobias doesn''t have an excuse to be away from the pce. He used to visit me to take a break from being inside the pce, doing his job as King. Linda is Hazel''s excuse."


    Edgar looked away from the window to Alessandra who sat all dolled up. If he had it his way, he would take her away from the pce and enjoy the night with just the two of them. First, he would like a portrait done of how beautiful she looked tonight. If the painter could not capture her beauty, it was only fair he gave up painting. Maybe his fingers too if Edgar wasn''t in the mood.


    "Will you be alright without your mask? You don''t need to rush this," he said.


    "We''ve been through this from the moment I told you that I wasn''t going to wear my mask to the ball. I am fine but thank you for worrying. People will either ept this is how I am now or have something to say. All that matters is that I am ready. I don''t want to be your masked wife anymore," Alessandra replied, feeling confident in herself.


    She had gottenfortable being without a mask at home around the servants and guests who came to see them. Alessandra was more than ready to show her face at the ball.


    "If anyone talks about a curse, tell me right away. I will take care of it," he promised.


    "No fighting tonight, Edgar. You should not ruin Tobias''s birthday.I don''t care if anyone mentions a curse. It doesn''t bother me anymore."


    "Fight? I will ruin their livelihood in the morning. They will see a curse affect their families for years if they speak ill of you. Stick with your friends and do not wander off when I am not near," Edgar instructed her.


    "I am not a child, Edgar.I know not to wander off. Eleanor will be attending so I will meet with her. We will meet with Linda and then Hazel when she has time. If anyone troubles me, I will scream at the top of my lungs for you. Everyone will think a crazy woman has entered the pce," Alessandra joked.


    "That might be the best thing for you to do. Or maybe I should have Reed enter the pce with you," Edgar seriously considered. No other guards aside from the pce guards would be present but the status of Reed''s mother inside the pce would grant him entry as a guest.


    Reed sat with the coachman and was meant to look out for any danger while all the guests were inside. It wasn''t umon for someone to mess with the carriages while all the coachmen went off to chat with each other.


    "I am certain Reed had ns to sleep in the carriage the moment we left. He will not be happy with this. Caleb would have done it in a heartbeat. It is almost our turn," Alessandra said, her nerves suddenlying back as a man dressed in white was waiting to open their door. She touched her hair Sally had done an excellent job in pinning it up into a bun so a certain ne could be disyed around her slender neck.


    Alessandra was dressed in red to match the rubies decorating her ne. There was no better time to wear the Queen''s heart than now when she was revealing her face. Having no mask would get the people talking but the Queen''s heart would shut them up. It was not worn by anyone in years so it would leave those who know about it puzzled.


    "Good evening Duke and Duchess Collins. The King wees you to his birthday ball," a male servant greeted the pair.


    "I will help her out," Edgar said when the man tried to give Alessandra a hand out of the carriage. "Her husband is still alive to do simple things like this," he added, forcing the servant to step back as he got out of the carriage first to help Alessandra.


    "If I were dead, I would haunt any man trying to help you," Edgar whispered.


    Alessandra chuckled and shook her head at Edgar''s possessive behavior. "Thank you," she epted his help. Leave it to Edgar to find a way to haunt someone.


    "Reed!" Edgar called to Reed who was already dozing off at the front where the coachman sat. "You''reing with us."


    "What the fuck?" Reed mumbled under his breath. He should have known his n to rest would be ruined"Every sinlge time I look forward to resting there is some-"


    "We should go inside now before you end up with a cold. You can leave your coat behind. I willsend Reed for itter," Edgar said, not trusting her coat being ced with others. After the tea incident, he doubted the safety of the pce more than usual.


    "Right," Alessandra replied, taking off coat to show of more of red dress.


    "The Duchess is here without her mask," an endless night of chatter started.

 Chapter 415 Birthday Ball (2)

    Chapter 415Birthday Ball (2)


    "Next year, I should hold a party for you with music and decorations just like this but without therge crowd," Alessandra said, taking in the beauty of the pce as they walked inside. No decorations resembled those from the previous ball and it was as if they walked into another pce. "They must have spent a lot of money on this ball. I can see why everyone was talking about it days ago."


    "The town considers this ball to be the end of a season. You''ll have to witness the horrible sight of young men and women trying to find a partner before the night ends. Mothers will be over their daughter''s shoulders trying to push them into the arms of the best suitor in their eyes," said Edgar, recalling the torture it was for him.


    "So, if you were not married you would have a crowd of youngdies around you by now. I wouldn''t be surprised if there is someone foolish enough to try flirting with you though I am right here. I can never escape that you are quite the catch and there will always be someone who wants you," Alessandra spoke softly so no one could say she was being insecure.


    "Like the fools who are bold enough to stare at you though I am right here? They will find themselves without eyes if they do not stop staring," Edgar spoke out loud, specifically to the men who watched Alessandra with a gaze he did not appreciate.


    "Whatever happened to I am going home with you?" Alessandra mused.


    "It is not forgotten but I still do not enjoy their stares as if they are undressing you," Edgar replied. Not only did she need to be protected from jealous women who didn''t know how to act but now there were men who needed to be warded away.


    Edgar noticed the attention she was getting from his peers before but now that Alessandra was dressed up without her mask and she was oozing confidence, there was double the attention on her. If anyone tried to get too touchy with Alessandra tonight, Tobias would have special entertainment in watching someone lose their hand. Whether it be Edgar or Reed doing it.


    "I have to say, I am enjoying this jealous side of you. I thought I would always be the one annoyed that there is someone lusting after you. The only man I care about tonight is you," Alessandra said to calm his annoyance.


    "Please be reminded that I am here," Reed spoke up so the couple knew not to be romantic before him. He respected Alessandra and Edgar but he didn''t care for the sappy conversation.


    Reed didn''t see why practically why everyone inside was watching the couple or Alessandra to be specific. What was the big deal about the mask? One side of her face was always exposed and it was obvious she was a beautiful woman. How could nonsense about a curse make them so blind to deny her beauty?


    Still, Reed was more interested in keeping an eye out for his mother so he could avoid her. He didn''t need a lecture about settling down or how many good youngdies were present. He would throw Caleb''s little fake engagement under the carriage to get the conversation off of himself if he ran into his mother. All he needed to do was not go anywhere near the princess as that was where his mother would be.


    "You should rx and enjoy yourself, Reed. It is amazing how Edgar has surrounded himself with people who like to do nothing but keep to themselves. I am probably the most social person at home. Oh, Tobias and Hazel are already sitting on their thrones. We missed their entrance," Alessandra said, a little disappointed but the busy roads weren''t their fault. They left home at a good time but were held back by other carriages.


    "Duchess!" Eleanor greeted Alessandra as she approached the group. "Duke Collins. Reed," she side-eyed the grumpy man standing behind the Duchess. Their ride back to her home was not pleasant and she found him to be insufferable. Where was the happy twin when you needed him? "You are stirring up a lot of talk when the night has only just begun."


    Eleanor was made aware of Alessandra''s arrival because news was traveling quickly of Alessandra being here without a mask and everyone wanted to see what was hidden all these years. It didn''t seem like Alessandra was affected by all the eyes on her and the whispering. Eleanor hoped it would remain that way.


    "Eleanor," Alessandra let go of Edgar to greet Eleanor with a hug. She ignored the gasps heard around them. To everyone else, it was odd for a Duchess and someone with a family background like Eleanor to be in the same circle. Alessandra didn''t care as these were the same people who avoided her. "You look lovely."


    "Thank you. You are stunning tonight Duchess. I can feel the jealousy and shock of our peers from here. I hope I get a chance to thank the Queen for giving me an invitation. This is the first time attending the King''s birthday ball. My aunt went overboard dressing me for the asion," Eleanor said, feeling out of her element with how she was dressed tonight.


    Eleanor''s shoes weren''t pleasant for her feet, her lips were painted too much, the pink dress wasn''t something she cared for, and the dress was bound to choke her by the end of the night. Her aunt didn''t hide the fact she wanted Eleanor to find a suitor tonight. She felt the need to tear the dress a tiny bit so she could breathe.


    "What?" Eleanor asked when she saw Reed staring at her. What smart thing was he going to say? She wasn''t afraid to knock him over the head even in the pce. He must think it was odd to see her this dolled up. One stupid joke and mouth would be ready to throw out insults even though there was nothing bad she could say about him. Reed was getting attention from youngdies left and right.


    "Nothing," he answered.


    Alessandra noticed how Eleanor felt out of ce but it was important for Eleanor to be here. It would have taken anyone longer to notice what Julia was doing if not for Eleanor. "You look wonderful, Eleanor. You should stop tugging at the dress. If Erin, my dressmaker is here tonight, I will ask her to help with your dress."


    "Thank you," Eleanor sighed in relief.


    "Duke Collins."


    Alessandra looked at a man she had never seen before whispering something to Edgar.


    "Give me a moment. Alessandra, I need to leave for something important. I''m sorry," Edgar apologized as they had only just arrived but he already needed to leave her side.


    Whenever he came to the pce, there was always something he needed to deal with. Grant''s death was causing a lot of conflict in the pce. Even on the King''s birthday, there was someone looking to stir up trouble.


    "I understand. I have Reed and Eleanor to keep mepany," Alessandra replied, not upset he was leaving so soon. She understood Edgar had private matters to deal with in the pce and she would rather him take care of it now so they could be togetherter and enjoy the rest of the ball.


    "Reed, keep trouble away from her," Edgar said and kissed Alessandra''s cheek as a goodbye before leaving.


    "Unfortunately, trouble has just arrived," Eleanor said, looking at the entrance where Alessandra''s half-sister and stepmother were standing. Eleanor wasn''t particrly fond of Kate who kept mentioning what her parents did for a living.


    They would always sh when they were in the same room but since Kate was Alessandra''s rtive, she would try to y nice even though Alessandra and Kate did not get along.

 Chapter 416 Birthday Ball (3)

    Chapter 416Birthday Ball (3)


    "Mother, keep an eye out for Simon. I want to be seen by his side as soon as possible," Kate said, giving the room a quick look over to see if she could find him herself. Kate had a good feeling that by the end of tonight, she and Simon would take their growing rtionship to the next step.


    Regardless of her father losing his title and her mother finally moving along with the divorce, Simon had sent her a letter to cheer her up. He did not care like everyone else which was a big relief. Kate feared she would have to start all over again trying to make a man fall in love with her.


    "Kate, stop looking around for him. You are starting to look desperate. Let Simon search for you. In the meantime, if there is anyone who wants to dance with you, do not turn them away. A little jealousy might push Simon to make things serious," said Katrina. Just like Kate, she wanted the night to end with good news.


    If not for Kate potentially getting engaged soon, Katrina would have stayed home as the town was still talking about her not having a title. It wasn''t enjoyable to go from Baroness to just Katrina. Their words didn''t get to her but it was frustrating to deal with their fake concern.


    "I know but I don''t want to upset him. What if dancing with someone makes him leave? I want my first dance to be with Simon. I have everything nned for this to be the perfect night for us. Trust me."


    "Fine. Do things your way," Katrina backed off. Kate had grown a lot since the days she used to chase after Edgar. Kate made a lot of progress with Simon on her own so there was no reason for her to be watching over Kate tonight. "Do not get distracted by anyone else tonight, Kate."


    "I won''t," Kate lied. She had not forgotten her n to make a fool out of Alessandra tonight. She was anticipating the sweet moment when she would get to see Alessandra crumble again. "Mother, have you heard from L''s parents?"


    "I visited her mother but she does not want to talk. I told you many times to watch who you surround yourself with. I doubt they are going through with the marriage or maybe they are hiding her because she was pregnant all this time and that was why she got engaged out of the blue. She is the most boring one in your group. There is no way she would get engaged before you even if the man was of low birth," Katrina muttered.


    Kate snickered as she found her mother''s words to be true. It would make more sense if it was Grace but not boring L who went along with everything they say. "Now that you mention it, her stomach looked odd thest time I saw her."


    "Did you see Duchess Alessandra?"


    Kate overheard Alessandra''s name from two young women passing by her. She liked that Alessandra was present so she could go through with her ns.


    "The Duchess is beautiful," she heard the brief conversation as she walked by a group of men.


    Now that Kate was no longer thinking about Simon, she noticed how much she was hearing Alessandra''s name the further she got from the entrance. Alessandra and beautiful didn''t belong in the same sentence.


    "Mother," Kate started but something caught her eyes and made her words be lost in her throat.


    "What is wrong, Kate?" Katrina asked when she noticed Kate appear shocked and then it was quickly reced by a look of horror. "Kate? What are you looking at?" Katrina asked, trying to find what had startled Kate.


    Just like Kate, most of the people around them were looking in the same direction.


    "Mother," Kate muttered, trying to process what she was seeing. "Why doesn''t she have her mask?"


    Katrina stared at the young woman she despised just as much as the mother she resembled. Alessandra was the spitting image of Mnie, the woman Greta liked topare her to and the woman Desmond continued to love though he denied it.


    It was as if all the attention was back on Mnie. It was the only thing Katrina saw when looked at Alessandra, standing around in expensive clothing with the entire room fascinated. Katrina spent yearspeting with a woman she never met and now, her daughter would be forced topete with Alessandra.


    Kate found it hard to breathe the more she looked at Alessandra. There was a tightness growing in her chest and for a moment, she felt like she could pass out. What upset her more than Alessandra not wearing her mask was the ne around her neck.


    Kate wanted nothing more than to go over to where Alessandra stood, yank the ne off, and force Alessandra to cover her face. The tightness in Kate''s chest grew as she could already hear people aroundparing the two of them. "Mother," Kate covered her ears with her hands.


    Hearing Kate called out to her snapped Katrina out of staring at Alessandra. It was only now Katrina noticed how heavy Kate''s breathing had be. "Kate," Katrina panicked, rubbing Kate''s back to calm her. Now was not the time to be making a scene.


    "Make them stopparing us," Kate pressed her hands against her ears to stop theparison. She was not ready to be forced back into second ce and be forgotten.


    Katrina looked around to see who was talking about Kate but everyone looked upied in speaking about Alessandra alone. "No one isparing the two of you but they will start to talk if you do not calm down Kate," Katrina whispered, to avoid bringing too much attention to Kate. "The music is too loud," Katrina exined to the people who started to look at Kate.


    "I can hear them," Kate replied as theparisons filled her ears. She could even hear her father''s voice telling her to be more like Alessandra.


    "Enough of this," Katrina angrily pulled Kate''s hands away from her ears. She understood why Kate was upset but there was no need to cause a scene. There was already enough being said about them because of the title and divorce. "Listen Kate. No one isparing you. You are still better than her."


    Kate looked away from Alessandra and tried to listen to what the crowd was saying.


    "What''s wrong with Kate? She looks like she will pass out."


    Kate steadied her breathing as she realized what she heard was all in her head. She almost made a fool out of herself because of Alessandra. ''That''s right. I am still better than her,'' Kate thought, ncing at Alessandra who continued to pretend like she didn''t notice the attention.


    Kate quickly tossed out her n to knock off Alessandra''s mask but there was still one thing she could do to ruin Alessandra.


    "Kate!" Simon called to Kate as she came to her side. He touched her arm to make her notice him. Simon didn''t miss the look she gave her own sister like if she had the chance to be alone with Alessandra, Kate would kill her but when she realized he was present, she smiled as though she had never once had an evil thought.


    She was too perfect to just discard despite what the town was saying about her family.

 Chapter 417 Birthday Ball (4)

    Chapter 417 Birthday Ball (4)


    "The staring is starting to feel ufortable. I hope there will be something else to capture their attention soon. I knew not wearing the mask would bring a lot of attention but this is ridiculous," Alessandra said, trying not to look directly at the crowd of people watching her.


    Tobias was the main character for the night and yet, hardly anyone was looking in his direction. It was starting to feel like she stole the spotlight from the birthday boy. She would dly give it back to Tobias.


    "I''ve been wondering if I should leave your side to get away from it. I''m joking," Eleanor chuckled when Alessandra panicked. "I will help protect you from these gossiping fools until your husband returns. I thought they said no personal guards are allowed inside?"


    Alessandra looked at Reed who was bored out of his mind. "Reed is here as a guest," she exined.


    "I see," Eleanor replied.


    "I have not seen Linda yet. I wonder if she is here already or lost in the carriages outside," Alessandra said now looking around the room to find Linda. They were meant to be near each other until Hazel was free to have people around her.


    With everything that happened with Grant, the town started to talk negatively about the Hensons even though Tobias made it clear Linda''s brothers and father helped him. The town just wanted something to talk about and now they were saying Linda and Hazel are enemies but that was far from the truth.


    "Maybe she will arrive when no one is looking at who ising through the entrance. Maybe she is already here with the Queen and is waiting for the right moment toe out. I hope she attends and doesn''t let these people stop her from enjoying the ball. By the way, have you heard Sophia was released from the dungeons yesterday?" Eleanor asked.


    Alessandra has forgotten about the incident she had with Sophia. "No, I have not heard about her for a while."


    "Her husband was pleased to not have her hands removed. I wonder why," Eleanor smiled suggestively. "The King must have changed her punishment so she spent long days in the dungeon instead of taking her hand. I doubt you will be seeing her for a while. That was a nice warning to anyone thinking of harming you. The King, Queen, and Duke are all protecting you. There will still be some fools looking to say something foolish."


    "It is Lockwood after all. The people here find it hard to keep their mouths shut. I have already prepared myself that in the next five minutes, trouble wille my way," Alessandra said and right as soon she looked around the crowd she noticed that Kate was here with the Marquess. She had heard the two were quite close. At least with Simon by her side, Kate should be well-behaved.


    "And here ites," Eleanor muttered, watching Emmae over to Alessandra with Oliver by her side.


    "Duchess," Emma curtsied. "I was hoping to run into you tonight. I''ve sent letters to your residence hoping to spend some time with you and get to know you better. You never responded. Did I do something wrong?"


    Alessandra immediately felt awkward due to Emma bringing this up out of the blue and Oliver was right beside her. "I think I''ve made it quite clear that I was not looking to entertain us spending time together. We have nothing inmon and our husbands-"


    "Pardon me but what do you have inmon with Eleanor to pick her over me? I am a refineddy and it would benefit you to have me around instead of," Emma paused to give Eleanor a look over. Eleanor was pretty but it did not change her disgusting background. How was Eleanor even able to get an invite to this ball?


    "You," Eleanor began but Alessandra stopped her.


    "I have the choice to pick who I want to surround myself with. I''ve been respectful in turning down your offers for us to meet. Please do not push any further. This is making me ufortable. If you would excuse me," Alessandra hooked her right arm with Eleanor''s to leave. She spotted Heather and wanted her to join their group.


    It was not only Emma being pushy with trying to get an invitation to the Collins estate that bothered Alessandra. It was the memory of Emmaughing at Heather being made an outcast because of what happened with Prisci. Alessandra did not find it to be funny and considering she had helped Emma not make more of a fool out of herself when she was slightly drunk at Grant''s party, it was wrong of Emma tough at anyone so soon.


    Emma could feel Eleanor enjoying having Alessandra side with her. She could not understand why Alessandra would gravitate toward the likes of Eleanor who had such a foul mouth. Perhaps it was because Alessandra wasn''t much of ady even though she was the Duchess. Alessandra should consider herself lucky that anyone wanted to be by her side. Alessandra should be begging other young women to be her friend.


    Emma pulled her hand away from Oliver who said nothing to help her. After something odd she noticed a day ago when they started moving their things into the home their parents bought, she was confused when it came to him and hoped this was just all in her head as their wedding was drawing closer.


    Alessandra, Eleanor, and Reed went to join Heather and to their surprise, Dominic was Heather''s escort for the night.


    "So you two are together?" Alessandra asked, trying to piece together when this happened.


    "No," Heather quickly denied it. "After everything with Prisci and everyone distancing themselves from me, I didn''t want to attend the ball and remain by my parents'' side. I ran into Dominic yesterday and he offered to be my escort tonight. We''re just here as friends. I''ve known him almost as long as I have known the Duke," she reminded the trio.


    Reed gave Dominic a look as if he wasn''t a fool to believe the just friends story. ''Sneaky bastard,'' he thought. Dominic ran away from his mother wanting him to get married only to end up courting a woman who was meant to be with Edgar since they were young.


    ''It''s obvious he likes Heather,'' Eleanor thought but she would not be the one to break this to Heather. The two should figure it out.


    Alessandra felt like there was more to Heather and Dominic coincidentally running into each other. There were a few days where Dominic was away for hours and then returned home whistling as something put him in a good mood. He was supposed to be moving into his new home out of town by now but something was keeping him here.


    "Why are the three of you staring at me?" Heather asked Alessandra, Reed, and Eleanor. They were staring at her like they had something to say to her.


    "Nothing," they replied.


    "It doesn''t feel like nothing," Heather muttered. She wished to know what they wanted to say. Did they think she should not havee here with Dominic? "Where is the Duke?" She asked to take the attention off of herself.


    "Edgar was pulled away to deal with something. I am sure he will return soon," Alessandra answered.


    "I see. You look beautiful, Duchess. If the crowd isn''t talking about your face they are talking about your ne," Heather said, getting a good look at the infamous Queen''s heart. Alessandra learned quickly how to stir up a lot of talk and create a grand entrance.


    Heather was curious why exactly Alessandra covered her face if there was nothing wrong. Heather heard many assumptions from Alessandra covering her face because of her sister''s jealousy to her wanting attention but it had a negative response years ago.


    "It''s starting. We get to walk around the royal garden. Stick with me," Eleanor pulled Alessandra close. "We will get some marriage proposals and heartbreak in the garden."


    The doors leading to the garden were opened and now guests could wander around from inside the ballroom to the garden outside. This was the time gentlemen would seek out a youngdy they were courting to ask for their hand in marriage. Some rejection was inevitable but the garden would be filled with newly engaged couples shortly.

 418 Love and mistake (1)

    418 Love and mistake (1)


    Alessandra found going to the garden to find a partner a lot of pressure. A crowd of people would find entertainment in watching couples be happily engaged or rejected and left alone. As she got closer to the garden, she noticed it was more like a maze and the only way you could see what was happening was if you had a good spot on the balconies.


    Alessandra didn''t want to witness hearts being broken on such a good night but had to stay close to the group instead of staying behind. "Eleanor, wouldn''t your aunt want you to go into the garden to find a match?" She teased.


    "She would but I already made up a good excuse about not finding a partner. I went through the trouble of hiding the fact the invitation to the ball said I could bring along one guest. I would be forced into that garden against my will if I let here with me," said Eleanor, feeling a chill run over her body as she imagined the torture she would have to endure if her aunt was present.


    "Are you afraid you won''t find a match if you go into the garden?" Reed asked.


    "Of course not. I''m afraid I will be annoyed by foolish proposals from men who know nothing about me. Why don''t you go down and try to win some poor girl''s heart? Afraid they will turn you down the moment they see you?" Eleanor retorted, highly annoyed by Reed''s presence.


    ''Is this what it will be like to have children? Hearing them bicker all the time?'' Alessandra wondered. To her left and right were couples slowly being formed.


    "Duchess. Your sister and the Marquess are going into the garden. Another wedding may be in your family soon," Heather said, pointing to where Kate walked behind Simon. If not for her fallout with Prisci, Heather would have gone down to the garden to see if there was anyone willing to propose to her. Unfortunately, she had not spent enough time getting acquainted with potential suitors.


    "She will have what she always wanted. That is good for her," Alessandra said, not having anything bad to say about Kate soon achieving what she dreamed of which was being the wife of a reputable man. Alessandra wished Simon the best as he didn''t know who he was looking to spend the rest of his life with.


    "It is hard to believe the two of you are sisters. Maybe it is your mothers that make the difference? Kate is so nasty while you are pleasant. No offense but I hope he is taking her there to reject her. I have a terrible history with Kate. She looks down on everyone around her but I have a little secret about her. Do you know she once visited the red light district hoping to run into your husband? This was over a month ago before it was announced you married him," Eleanor revealed.


    Alessandra was aware Kate had a big crush on Edgar but didn''t know it was to this degree that she would risk going to the red light district.


    Eleanor continued to watch Kate and Simon walking further into the garden away from where all the other couples were. "I don''t know why everyone keeps troubling me when I say time and time again that I know a lot about what goes on in this town. That''s why you should keep me around," Eleanor added as what Emma said had bugged her. She was useful to Alessandra more than anyone realized.


    "I don''t need you around to tell me what you know. I enjoy yourpany Eleanor," Alessandra rified so Eleanor wouldn''t feel like she was only useful for information.


    "Alessandra," Edgar returned to her side. He didn''t question why Dominic and Heather were standing near each other like a couple. It was about time Dominic admitted he liked Heather. Edgar noticed it in their youth and hoped Dominic would have made his feelings known so Prisci could stop forcing Heather on him. "Enjoying the ball?"


    "Yes. I didn''t know there was time allocated for couples to get engaged. Are you finished with what you were pulled away for or will you have to leave my side again?" She asked, hoping it was not thetter. Earlier she understood he would be busy but watching the couples made her want her husband near. She was excited to dance with Edgar tonight after the lessons she had with Alfred to prepare for the ball.


    "I won''t have to leave your side for the rest of the night. Reed, your mother is looking for you," Edgar mentioned before he might forget. He ran into the woman when he was on his way back to Alessandra and somehow, she knew her son was at the ball.


    "Shit," Reed looked around to make sure she wasn''t near. She would follow Edgar to find him. "Excuse me for a moment."


    "What is with all of you running from your mothers?" Alessandra asked as they all watched Reed run away like his life was on the line.


    Meanwhile, Kate could not hold in her excitement the more she and Simon ventured into the garden. It was obvious that he nned to propose to her. It would be rude and unlike him to take her this far into the garden just to say he was no longer interested. Kate would not allow Simon to make a mockery of her.


    "Tonight is quite beautiful. I should have brought a flower to match your beauty. The ones in the pce garden do not do you any justice," Simon said, standing at a good distance from Kate to get a good look at her. She was so perfect and with her mess of a family, she needed him. It was easy to control someone who had nothing and wanted more than she was supposed to have.


    "You tter me too much, Simon," Kate replied, wishing he would stop with what she already knew and propose to her already. She wanted to share the good news right now.


    "I disagree. I have not said enough when ites to your beauty and how perfect you are. I have never met a youngdy like you. You have made me think about new things, Kate. The way I live, the things I enjoy, and what I want to do in the future. You have no idea how long I have been waiting for someone like you but I was let down time and time again. I simply cannot let you slip away but I find myself confused," Simon frowned.


    "Confused about what?" Kate didn''t understand.


    "If you feel the same way about me. There are so many men you can pick so why should you settle for me? I thought numerous times about marrying you but I fear-"


    "I only want to marry you, Simon. I have turned down anyone''s advances because all I want is you. I would not have followed you here if you are not the person I want. I would love to marry you, Simon. I will do my best to make you happy for the rest of your life. I hope our time together is proof of how happy we can be as husband and wife. You will not regret giving your heart to me," Kate promised.


    "Will you? Will you regret giving your heart to me? Once I have you officially as mine," Simon walked toward Kate. "I''m afraid I will never let you go."


    "I will not regret it," Kate smiled. His title was enough to let her put up with anything. All she wanted now was to be Marchioness.


    "Then," Simon took his mother''s ring out of his coat pocket. "I would love to ask for your hand. There is no better person worthy of wearing my mother''s ring. She was once the one woman in my heart and now, you shall rece her."

 Chapter 419 Love and mistakes (2)

    Chapter 419 Love and mistakes (2)


    Kate bit her lip to hold back from squealing as Simon ced the ring on her finger. She knew the ball would bring good news and now what she always wanted. Kate couldn''t wait to rub this into the faces of those who were talking about her family recently. Her status was about to soar and she would be surrounded by people who envied her.


    ''Marchioness Kate,'' Kate repeated in her head. Nothing sounded better than the title that would go in front of her first name. She would be owed respect from her peers just from their engagement alone. ''I need to find my mother.''


    "You don''t have to hold back your excitement," Simon said as he wanted to enjoy her happiness before he would one day destroy it. He was savoring the moment more than Kate. It would be fun to look back on her expression now. He was looking forward to seeing how long she could remain happy.


    Hopefully, Kate continued to prove why she was so special so he would not kill her. After all, Kate was the first youngdy he thought of marrying and he was going through it. She would find herself tortured more than his other victims if she turned out to be wed. The game was too entertaining for Kate to ruin it.


    Simon touched her shoulder and could not look away from her slender neck he would break if she could not continue to put on a good show. He hated to be disappointed. "We should find your mother to tell her the good news," he said, removing his hand from so close to her neck before he could be tempted to strangle her here in the dark maze. "Should I make an escape before your friends find out? I can already hear them screaming."


    Kate kept her eyes on therge ring as she walked with Simon to find her mother. None of her peers had a ring better than the one on her finger. "I would have to search for Grace but I am not sure if L is here. I have not seen her for days. This is quite big," shemented on the size of the ring. It was big enough to make anyone else who received a ring tonight jealous.


    "Really? Is she ill?" Simon asked. "Have you visited her?"


    "No," Kate shook her head. Why was their engagement all about L now? "I don''t know what happened to her. She''s been silent since she announced her engagement."


    "Perhaps she has buried herself in preparing for her wedding. I''m sure you will hear from her soon," Simon replied. He thought of running the ball by putting L''s body in a nearby field but why ruin his engagement? He already ruined thest ball.


    L''s parents started to bore him with their silence. Why wasn''t she reported missing yet so he could watch the town guards hopelessly try to find her? Did they not care for their daughter or did they think they could find her on their own?


    L''s death wasn''t fun and maybe it was due to the fact she was not on his list. Simon was aiming for Grace but foolish L showed up randomly wanting to tell him what Kate was really like. He didn''t appreciate L acting like more of a saint than Kate was. He had no reason to keep her alive long when she wasn''t what he wanted. It was a headache to hide her trail so no one would know she came to his house in the middle of the night.


    "Probably," Kate replied, not caring about L but she quickly realized how bad of a friend she was sounding. "I will visit her tomorrow to see how she is fairing and share the good news. I cannot wait for us to be married," Kate pulled Simon close as they reached where the crowd could see them. She wanted everyone to see how much of a happy couple they were.


    Kate kept the ring in view so everyone could see she was now an engaged woman. Kate subtly moved her hand around as much as she could to show off her ring. Her smile fell when she looked around and noticed that Alessandra was not paying attention to her like everyone else was.


    Why wasn''t Alessandra looking? The ring Simon gave to her was bigger than the one Edgar first presented to Alessandra. Alessandra should look to see who has the bigger ring now. Instead, Alessandra was busyughing about something with Edgar, acting like she didn''t care about anything around her.


    It was frustrating for Kate but she forced a smile to not let Alessandra ruin the moment. It was soon time for the men and women to separate which would be when Kate paid for someone to make a move on Alessandra.


    Kate was smart enough to send a servant to visit a ce that did all sorts of jobs for the right price. Without knowing her name, the job to have a male servant in the pce have his way with the Duchess and then get away quickly was epted. Soon, Alessandra''s life would shatter.


    Meanwhile, Alessandra tried her best not tough at Edgar''s impersonation of what was happening among the couples in the garden. He kept making up sappy lines the men must have practiced to win the hearts of youngdies.


    "I am sure they are speaking from their heart and that is all that matters. If I asked you to, would you give me a sappy romance line? It doesn''t seem sappy when it ising from the person you love. Was there ever something I said to you that made you cringe?" Alessandra asked, curious as sometimes things just slipped out when it came to Edgar.


    "No. I love everything you say," Edgar replied.


    "See that was sappy," Dominic said, feeling like throwing up the more he listened to the two. "Hey!" He eximed when Edgar pushed his head in the other direction. "Don''t get mad at me that you have be one of the men you once shook your head at. You in love bastard."


    "It is sweet to me," said Heather. She enjoyed the romance in the air from the married couples and newly engaged. Her heart went out to those she saw storming out of the garden in anger or their eyes full of tears as they did not get the ending they wanted.


    "Enjoying the lovebirds?" Tobias asked as he approached the group with Hazel by his side and two lines of servants behind them. "I don''t see why they make my birthday the time for others to get their heartbroken or engaged. Isn''t this like someone wanting to get married at their friend''s wedding? Stealing all of my attention."


    "Happy birthday," said Alessandra, Heather, and Eleanor.


    "Thank you. At least you''re not rude like your partners who have not visited me once today or brought me a gift. I need to find new friends," Tobias said, looking at Dominic and Edgar.


    "I''ll help you look," Dominic offered. "Happy birthday. You act like you are not surrounded by a lot of people on your birthday so it is a waste of our time to see you before the ball. Hazel, I feel sorry for the attention-seeking husband you have to put up with."


    "It''s his birthday so I will put up with it today. Ladies, it is nearing time for us to go off on our own to have a chat while the men go off to drink with Tobias. I promise to keep an eye on her," Hazel said, knowing Edgar wouldn''t trust leaving Alessandra alone with the women after what happened thest time she was here.


    "What are we going to chat about?" Eleanor asked as it didn''t seem like something she would enjoy. A room full of these women meant drama.


    "It''s mostly young women asking me for advice or trying to get into my circle. The three of you cannot leave me alone. Linda is having a hard timeing out to the ball because the things said about her grandfather are taking a toll on her. I need all of you in her absence and it would be fun to get away from the men," said Hazel.


    "Hey! That is not something you say when your husband is around and it is his birthday," Tobias stated, pretending to be offended.


    "Don''t act like you are not excited to go off to have a drink with Edgar and all the other men. Follow me. I will take you to the room thedies are starting to gather in. Don''t get into any trouble," Hazel warned before giving Tobias a goodbye kiss on the cheek. She could already hear someone scolding her for being affectionate in the presence of so many people.


    On a night full of love and fun, it couldn''t hurt for their guests to see her kiss Tobias.


    "It seems no one wants us to enjoy our time together. Don''t drink too much Edgar. I want to have a dance with you when we return," Alessandra said, also giving him a kiss goodbye before she followed Hazel with Eleanor and Heather.


    Unbeknownst to the group, someone was watching their interaction, waiting for the perfect moment to make their move.

 Chapter 420 Love and mistakes (3)

    Chapter 420 Love and mistakes (3)


    Hazel looked at Eleanor who was dressed up like a doll tonight. Eleanor did not pay attention to the men who were eyeing her. If Eleanor had walked down to the garden there was a handful of men to follow her and make her peers jealous. Hazel didn''t think those men were right for Eleanor but she wanted to rub it in The faces of the youngdies who kept talking about Eleanor''s background that Eleanor had the ability to steal the attention.


    "Did you bring an escort, Eleanor? I noticed one of Edgar''s guards was standing near you-"''


    "Certainly not! I''m sorry," Eleanor apologized as she interrupted the Queen. Speaking with Hazel wasn''t as easy as speaking with Alessandra sometimes. There were many maids walking behind Hazel who could inform someone of her words sounding disrespectful. She didn''t have the status Alessandra did to get out of trouble.


    Hazel nced behind her at the two lines of maids that were full of spies keeping an eye on what she was doing. All they did was report what she was doing so there wasn''t a good reason to send them out of the pce. The men in the court were making a big deal out of her wanting to change up who was around her. They quickly forgot about what Julia had done to her.


    "All of you are dismissed. Inform all the youngdies that we are gathering in the tea room," Hazel said, sending them all away. There was no one she trusted at the moment to keep by her side.


    "Yes, your highness," the maids replied and slowly backed away to do as they were told.


    "How annoying that after everything the people here keep shoving tea in my face when I say many times that I havee to hate it. They continue to poke at me. Tobias and I have a long way to go before wepletely clean out the pce but it has been somewhat peaceful these days. How has life been for everyone? Alessandra?" Hazel inquired, needing something to take her head off of the pce. It was still draining.


    "Life has been fine for me. I have been drama-free since the meeting with the court. My grandmother went back home but she promises to send the recipes she told us about," Alessandra replied. The cookies they baked with Wilma had turned out great and Wilma offered to send more recipes.


    Edgar refused to eat the cookies at first but after Alessandra pretended to cry, she had gotten him to try one. He could not insult her baking anymore when it came to cookies.


    "Great. I keep telling Tobias about how good the cookies are and I''ve been impatient to make them again. What about you, Heather? I noticed Dominic was standing quite close. Do I hear wedding bells?" Hazel mused. Tobias let it slip when they saw Heather and Dominic standing together that Dominic once had a crush on Heather but she was too focused on Edgar.


    "No. Dominic and I are just friends. He came with me so I would not be stuck with my parents. It was nice of him," Heather replied. She knew others would get the wrong idea about theming together which was she told Dominic to really think about this but he still wanted to escort her.


    "I see," Hazel replied, not believing they would remain friends for much longer. "What about you, Eleanor? Is there a special man in your life?"


    Hazel thought she sensed something between Eleanor and Reed but it seemed she was wrong. Unless they were like every other couple who were in denial?


    "Only an annoying bastard my aunt keeps inviting to her home. He made my life hell in the past. If any of you don''t hear from me one day, I have run away to get away from my aunt and him. I don''t see the reason for all the rush to get married to people you hardly know. I''ll find a husband on my own," Eleanor answered.


    "Well, if you ever need someone who can match you to a partner who suits you, I am that person. I owe you. I can even bring you into the pce so you do not need to run away. Whatever you need,e to me right away. I have already informed the guards to grant you entry into the pce. You can be in the Queen''s court if you wish but I have to warn you that it is quite boring," Hazel said as she did not want to be a part of it.


    "Your highness!" Emma called out to the Queen. She picked up her dress to catch up with the women. She ignored Alessandra and Eleanor as she no longer cared to try getting close to Alessandra. Anyone who enjoyed Elenaor''spanycked ss in her eyes. If not for Oliver, she would not have wasted her time speaking with Alessandra in the beginning.


    Behind Emma were Grace, Kate, and several other youngdies who wanted to speak with Hazel.


    "I''m happy to see all of you made it to the ball. Excuse me," Hazel quickly whispered to her friends. "I need to socialize as Queen but we must continue this conversationter. Emma, how is nning your wedding going?"


    "I can''t imagine having to force yourself to speak with so many youngdies at once. The Queen''s court is no ce for me. On the other hand, a bathroom is," Eleanor said, looking around for where one might be. "I need to find one soon."


    "I wille along with you," Alessandra said as it wouldn''t be safe to let Eleanor go to the bathroom alone. "Reed?" Alessandra muttered when Reed slowly eased out of a room to their right. "I am not going to ask why you were there. You should know your way around the pce. Can you please escort Eleanor to a bathroom and bring her back to where the women have to gather?"


    "Why can''t she go alone-"


    "Because it is not safe and if you don''t apany her, I will. We both know there is a certain Duke who won''t like me going away from the crowd. Which is it?" Alessandra smiled, knowing what his answer would be. "Even in the pce, it wouldn''t be safe for her to go to the bathroom alone. How about I go along with both of you-"


    "No," Reed disagreed with her suggestion. The nearest room with a bathroom would take Alessandra far away from the crowd of women. She was safer near the Queen and surrounded by all the other women as guards were stationed nearby to protect Hazel. Since personal guards were not allowed tonight, he could not follow Alessandra with the other women. "Stay with the Queen."


    Alessandra looked at therge group of women surrounding Hazel and then at the pce guards following behind. If they were not present, she would not have sent Reed away but she was safe at the moment. Well, unless someone else was foolish enough to throw something at her. "I didn''t intend to walk off into the dark alone or drift from the women. I know to be careful Reed," she replied.


    "It is not you that we worry about. Come quickly," Reed said to Eleanor, leading her to the bathroom.


    "Honestly, I would rather hold it now," Eleanor muttered as she followed him.


    "Are you sure the two of them won''t end up fighting each other?" Heather asked as there seemed to be some animosity between Eleanor and Reed.


    "If neither returns in ten minutes I will have Hazel get the guards to search the pce," Alessandra joked.


    "Maybe we should make it five minutes. It was nice of you to send your guard with her. It is true the pce is not safe. There have been a few incidents at balls in the past. I am happy you stayed behind," said Heather as she didn''t want to be left behind with the women surrounding Hazel.


    "I could hear Edgar scolding me for leaving the group of women. Reed had excellent timing. Truthfully, I didn''t want to go because anyone targetting me would follow us to the bathroom and cause trouble for Reed and especially Eleanor who just wants to use the bathroom. They can''t make a move here," Alessandra exined. At the moment, she had no enemies other than Kate and Katrina but there were people she didn''t know who would love to go after Edgar''s wife. As long as she remained with the group, nothing could happen.


    Kate couldn''t help staring at Alessandra who was once again not paying attention to what was happening around her. There was not a single nce in Kate''s way to get a look at her ring. Unless Alessandra didn''t know she was engaged?


    "Hey! Where are you going? We''re next to speak with the Queen," Grace said when Kate left her side. "Is she going to her sister?" Grace whispered, finding this to be more interesting than speaking with the Queen.

 Chapter 421 Love and mistakes (4)

    Chapter 421 Love and mistakes (4)


    "Alessandra," Kate greeted her half-sister. She liked to think of Alessandra as more of her stepsister as she failed to believe they shared the same father. A house guest would be more suited as a title for Alessandra instead of a sister. It would have been a good rumor to stir up that Alessandra''s mother had an affair and Alessandra was not the child of Desmond Barrett.


    "Duchess," Alessandra corrected Kate. They weren''t close enough for Kate to drop the title. She knew Kate was trying to be disrespectful. Why was Kate even speaking with her? They had nothing to say to each other.


    Kate forced a smile as she didn''t want to seem like the aggressor between her and Alessandra. Kate knew it wouldn''t be long before all eyes would be on the two of them. It was evident by now to everyone else that they did not care for each other. She wanted Alessandra to appear like the unhappy one.


    Now that they were away from the men, Kate had an opening for her n to start. The man she paid for should be nearby so all she needed to do was get Alessandra away from everyone else and then leave her.


    "I would like to have a word with you in private. There is a hallway nearby for no one to hear us," Kate said, expecting Alessandra to follow her.


    Alessandra couldn''t help but wonder if something hit Kate''s head before this. "I am not going anywhere with you," she replied. Not now, not ever would she leave the group to hear what Kate wanted to say. "Whatever you wish to speak about I do not care to hear."


    "Can''t you spare a moment for your sister?" Kate raised her voice to get the attention of the other young women. They would help pressure Alessandra into having a conversation with her.


    "No," Alessandra replied. Hearing the word sister from Kate was as odd as Kate speaking to her now.


    "Kate just got engaged, Duchess. I am sure she is excited to share the good news with you," Grace said to help Kate. She wanted to see whatever Kate had nned to y out. The ball was quite boring since no one had asked for her hand in marriage. Seeing the Duchess fight with her sister would make up for it. "You two should speak in private."


    "Congrattions on your engagement. I wish you happiness but I have more to say to you. If I leave with you now, it would be no different than a mouse leaving with a cat who always spoke of eating it. Whatever you are nning, put it to rest and enjoy your engagement. Do not let your hatred ruin your night," Alessandra advised Kate.


    On the night Kate got engaged, how could she look to ruin it by speaking with someone who didn''t care for her?


    Alessandra did not forget the type of person Kate was. Kate might have bossed her around in their youth but it was only because Alessandra could not say no. She didn''t want to create more trouble for herself back then as Kate liked to attack her when she didn''t listen. Now it was a different story.


    "I''d like to take a seat, Heather. I don''t think the Queen wille back to us any time soon," Alessandra said, pointing to the open room nearby where she assumed the women were meant to go. She could see chairs and maids standing around with trays in their hands.


    "What? Oh yes, I would like to sit down," Heather replied after she snapped out of her thoughts. She was wondering what could make sisters be so against each other.


    Heather felt the animosity and dislike the two had for each other. It was a bit ufortable and odd as she had heard when she returned to Lockwood and was learning about Edgar''s wife, how Kate had taken up for her sister and spoke of taking care of Alessandra daily. Kate received a lot of pity for having to care for her sister who was known to have a curse.


    Heather didn''t have many interactions with Kate when she returned from White town but her time in Lockwood now showed Kate was not exactly sweet. Kate was jealous of how close Heather was to Prisci so it wasn''t surprising to hear Kate join the group of young women who were excited to see Prisci push Heather out of her circle. Heather was still getting to know more about both sisters so she didn''t know how to feel about the tension in front of her.


    "Alessandra," Kate grabbed Alessandra''s hand before she could walk away. Alessandra was still looking down on her.


    Was it because Kate did not have her title yet or because Simon didn''tpare to Edgar? Did Alessandra think her face was special? Was Alessandra foolish to think she was better than her? Kate didn''t like the way Alessandra looked at her. She preferred when Alessandra could not meet her eyes and panicked when she was near. "You really think you are something special."


    "For thest time, it is the Duchess," Alessandra pried Kate''s hands away from holding her. She looked in the direction of the hallway Kate wanted to take her to speak and wondered what Kate had nned there. It was the same direction Reed had taken Eleanor to find a bathroom. "We are not familiar with each other, so do not use my title."


    "I will be Marchioness-"


    "And when you are officially married, I will not be childish and give you the respect you are entitled to but not right now when you are grabbing my hand. We have nothing to say to each other, Kate. I know you let your anger get the best of you but to ruin your engagement night by messing with me is a new level. Savor the night Kate," Alessandra said. Everyone should look back on the night they got engaged and be happy.


    "Stop acting all high and mighty. When will you address the fact that you went after the Duke solely because I liked him? That is the kind of person you are. You want to appear like you are so innocent but I know the real you. You let your husband kill our father and didn''t help with the funeral after everything-"


    "What about you? Will you address what happened to my face?" Alessandra asked, refusing to let Kate paint her as a viin. No one was aware of what she endured when living with her family so it was easy to say she turned her back on her family the moment she got married to Edgar. Katrina and Kate fueled talk of her being ungrateful when she did not attend the funeral. "Stop acting like you are an innocent person with clean hands, Kate."


    Alessandra continued to say, "Since you are hell-bent on ruining a good night, how about I tell a story from our childhood? From when we were alone and you-"


    "You!" Kate eximed, clenching her fist. She looked over her shoulder to see if anyone other than Grace and Heather was close enough to hear.


    "Talking about my face isn''t hard to do anymore, Kate. I want to have a good night with my husband and friends. If you continue to pester me, I won''t mind ruining your night even more. I wonder what your fiance would think about how aggressive you were in your youth. I''ve let you lie about me and what happened to my face for years. Leave me alone before I shatter your life," Alessandra warned in a low tone so not everyone watching could hear.


    As good as it would be to reveal the full story right now, Alessandra wanted to hold on to it and dangle it over Kate''s head to keep her silent. Thest thing Kate would want was for Simon to hear about this. Kate''s karma woulde without Alessandra being the one to expose their past.


    "Do you still wish to talk?" Alessandra asked.

 Chapter 422 Working together (1)

    Chapter 422 Working together (1)


    "Edgar, don''t look so sad since you are away from your wife. Why the hell am I cheering you up on my birthday? Have a drink," Tobias said, pouring more of the expensive liquid he saved just for this asion. He looked forward to spending time with his friends since morning. His birthday was more of a big party for the town instead of a celebration he got to enjoy with his family and friends.


    "I don''t want anymore," Edgar replied, pushing the mouth of the bottle up so no more could be given to him.


    "Why are you such a gloomy person? Can''t you just drink because it''s my birthday? Don''t tell me you are like one of those fools who quit drinking right after his birthday," Tobias said, hoping it wasn''t the case.


    "I don''t want to drink a lot tonight. Stop trying to peer pressure me. It won''t work," Edgar said, standing firm on his decision not to drink. Alessandra had stopped drinking since there was a possibility of her being pregnant soon and he made a promise to not get drunk so they could danceter. Not like he would ever get so drunk he couldn''t walk around.


    Tobias shook his head at Edgar. "Why did I even try with him? It is just you and me, Dominic."


    "Pass the expensive drinks I don''t need to pay for," Dominic happily ced his cup to receive more wine. It was always a good day when he drank high-quality wine or alcohol he did not need to pay for. "Edgar and Alessandra haven''t been drinking at dinner. Well, Edgar has a ss but Alessandra doesn''t at all. Yet Edgar won''t give away some of his bottles to me."


    "I have not stopped drinking. Alessandra and I wouldn''t mind having a child now. I simply don''t care for more than a cup right now. I have a bad feeling," Edgar said, looking at the door where the servants passed.


    "You always have a bad feeling. What is it now?" Tobias asked. Edgar''s intuition was always something they needed to pay attention to. "And good luck with trying to make a child. It''s harder to do than anyone realizes. I can''t wait to see what type of fathers we will be. You too," he pointed his cup at Dominic.


    "I don''t want any children but I am interested in seeing children driving the two of you crazy," Dominic replied. He liked to visit Daniel to see his nephew turn his brother crazy. "Then again, I hear Alfred is ready to raise your children so as soon as they start to annoy you, just send them to-"


    "Your highness! I came to wish you a happy birthday and a healthy life," Simon raised his cup as he approached the group. He got bored of watching all of them having a good conversation and wished to join. The three of them were always around each other and Simon was made to watch on the sidelines in envy. All three men had perfect lives and childhoods. "Duke Collins, can I call you Edgar now?"


    "Why?" Edgar asked, almost unamused by Simon''s presence.Simon didn''t annoy or amuse him in the past but Simon was getting ahead of himself recently.


    "Haven''t you heard the news? I am now engaged to Kate Barrett. We will be family as soon as our wedding takes ce. I hope we can fix the broken rtionship between the two sisters," Simon said, ignoring the look Tobias and Dominic gave each other. "I''ll send you an invitation as soon as we sort our date. I don''t like winter so we might have to wait till spring. Kate might want my head when she finds out."


    "Engaged for less than an hour and think we are family. Nothing needs to be fixed. No matter how many times you approach me, I won''t consider anything you have to say in regard to Kate. Mind your soon-to-be wife and I will mind mine," Edgar replied. He never had an issue with Simon but his constantly mentioning Kate was moving him from a two to a seven.


    Simon would quickly be a ten if a wedding invitation showed up at Edgar''s house.


    "Well, I do think you need to mind your wife a bit more. She could be a bit more disciplined," Simon stressed the word. He could see why the old fool William wanted her but Alessandra wasn''t special in his eyes. He would be helpful in making her perfect if Edgar asked nicely.


    "Why?" Tobias palmed his face. Edgar already seemed bothered by something. Hadn''t Simon heard what Edgar was like when it came to his wife? The Edgar before Alessandra was already not someone you wanted to piss off. "I''m sure he didn''t mean how it came off to us. Right?"


    "I''m sorry. I can see how bad it could be for me to tell a husband how to deal with his wife. Forgive me?" Simon smiled, holding out his hand for Edgar to shake and get over his words.


    Edgar stared at Simon''s hand he didn''t n to shake. He noticed something when Simon''s coat was pulled up slightly. "Lost a fight to a cat?" Hemented on a small scratch. There was someone else bothering him at the moment so Simon''s words went in one ear and out the other. For future reference, he would remember Simon as a ten just like his fiancee.


    Simon quickly pulled his coat down. He forgot L had grabbed a hold of him when she tried to run away. "Cats tend to not like me," he chuckled. "I had to give the poor thing away. I hope you don''t think of me as a bad person because of what I said, Duke Collins."


    "I don''t think about you at all.Maybe I should. The King is looking for more people to join the search for the young women who have gone missing. You should think of joining. Excuse me for a moment," Edgar handed his cup to Tobias.


    ''Since when did I say more people could join?'' Tobias thought.


    Edgar had looked into many people with shady backgrounds like William but he hadn''t taken notice of men like Simon who were forgotten because of their quiet nature. He didn''t know much about Simon and others who were quiet like him.The scratch on Simon was odd but it was too fresh to belong to thest young woman found. Still, it couldn''t hurt to pay attention to more of the quiet men in town.


    Edgar left the room where all the noblemen had gathered to drink in honor of Tobias. The women weren''t too far away from here. When he left Alessandra''s side earlier after they had arrived, he had continued to watch her from a distance. Regardless of Reed nearby, Alessandra was still surrounded by a crowd of people eyeing her with bad intentions.


    Alessandra was safe near Hazel since Reed could not join the women but he needed to make sure so he could get this bad feeling out of his mind. It was always better to check than regret thister.


    On his way to see Alessandra, Edgar passed by a couple and didn''t pay them any mind until it clicked who the man and woman were. Edgar turned around and asked, "What the fuck are you doing?"


    "Well shit," Reed cursed, keeping Eleanor out of view from Edgar''s gaze. "The Duchess wanted me to take her friend to the bathroom."


    "This doesn''t look like a bathroom and rather than trying to fuck one of her friends in a hallway, you''re supposed to stay close to her. That is the only reason you are here at the ball, remember?" Edgar reminded Reed. He was d to havee to check up on Alessandra. Left and right, one of his men were trying to fuck her friends and get distracted from the one job they had."Where is Alessandra?"


    Eleanor wiped the corner of her lips to fix where Reed had smudged her aunt''s hard work. It was embarrassing to be caught up in a moment with Reed and then to be found by Edgar. "She is with all the otherdies. I will rejoin her," Eleanor said, keeping her head low as she felt like a fool for kissing Reed and enjoying it. They were supposed to be with Alessandra right now.


    "Wait," Eleanor ignored Reed''s call. She didn''t want to look him in the eye any time soon.


    "Excuse me," Eleanor apologized to the person she bumped into since she was not watching where she was going.


    "It is alright," the servant apologized. He panicked when he noticed Edgar was present with the couple. He had been waiting for Alessandra to meet with the woman who passed by him so he could make his move. The Duke was not supposed to be here yet. "I will make sure no onees this way," he turned around.


    "Wait," Edgar said as the servant seemed familiar. "Turn back around. You''ve been following us since the moment we arrived. I saw you in the crowd with those bastards eyeing my wife."

 Chapter 423 Working together (2)

    Chapter 423 Working together (2)


    "I was just mesmerized by the Duchess''s beauty like everyone else was. I apologize if my staring angered you, Duke Collins. I''m sorry but this area is for women only-"


    "A moment ago you were going to make sure no onees this way. Only maids are allowed in this area. I''ve spent plenty of years in the pce to know the rules. You must be new," Edgar observed. He noticed how nervous the man became like he was hiding something more. "I was going to see if I could have a word with my wife. I am allowed to do that but I suppose we should all go back before we get into trouble."


    "Was it you? We kept hearing someone walking by the bathroom. There''s that annoying sound of ss clinking in your pocket," Reed said, looking at the bulge in the servant''s right pants pocket. The sound of ss rubbing together kept annoying him when he was inside the bathroom. Someone did a terrible job at spying on them.


    Edgar didn''t care to question why Reed and Eleanor went into a bathroom together. He was more focused on what the servant was doing here. "Do you go around spying on couples who want a moment alone?"


    "No, I was just passing through. I saw thedy and the gentleman here sneaking off somewhere so I wanted to make sure thedy was alright. He is not supposed to be here just like you and I are not supposed to be here, Duke Collins."


    Edgar took a step forward as he sensed a lie. "How long have you been sneaking around in a ce you don''t have permission to be to see him leave with the youngdy? Why didn''t you alert the guards? You chose to follow them despite knowing the rule that not just any man cane to this side once the women have gathered. Is there ady you are keeping an eye on?"


    "Certainly not, Duke Collins. I know there have been a few incidents where women were harassed so I only wanted to follow and see if it was a couple or a woman in danger before I alerted the guards-"


    "You shouldn''t be anywhere near that area to have seen us. I identally ran into the Duchess and other women but you had to have been stalking someone or maybe you are just a pervert who likes to peek at couples who want a moment alone. You''re almost as bad as the creeps waiting for the moment ady is alone. What would you like me to do with him?" Reed looked at Edgar. Something was fishy about the man before them.


    "How much were you paid to follow someone? Don''t waste your time lying to me. You might have fooled the idiot who let you slip in among the other servants but I know what that mark on your neck means. Who is your target?" Edgar asked, wanting a clear answer to get this over with quickly.


    "Duke Collins-"


    "Reed," Edgar gave Reed amand.


    Reed knew exactly what to do and approached the servant who pulled a knife out of his pocket. "You need bigger weapons when fighting me," he said, pushing the hand with the knife back and taking the small weapon away. Reed covered the servant''s mouth to stop him from alerting anyone nearby.


    Edgar opened up one of the windows and stuck his head out to see how far down a drop it would be from where they stood. "If we throw you head first, I guarantee you will die before a doctor can find and help you. I don''t like when people beat around the bush with me. I know your kind who have the mark of a raven burnt into your skin. Who are you after? Reed, you need to stop covering his mouth so I can hear him," Edgar rolled his eyes.


    Sawyer, the servant, spat at Edgar when Reed removed his hand. "My business does not concern you."


    It took Edgar a lot of restraint not to snap at the sight of spit dangling on his coat. "This was expensive and it gave me a lovelypliment from my wife," he said, taking off the coat he no longer wanted. "I''m trying to be on my best behavior but I won''t be so-"


    "Someone paid me to feel what it is like to fuck a noblewoman. We all have been wondering what the Duchess is like-"


    Reed was impressed by the servant passing out after one punch in the face from Edgar. He touched the neck to see if the man was dead. "You almost killed him," he said.


    "Not on my fucking birthday," Tobias groaned as he stumbled upon the sight of a seemingly dead man in Reed''s arms. "What is it with your mind that you knew something was going on, Edgar? What did he do?"


    "Be thankful he''s not dead. Someone paid him to take advantage of the Duchess," Reed showed the mark on Sawyer''s neck.


    "Who the fuck let one of those bastards inside of the pce? Shit, good thing you left when you did. I will hold him in the pce dungeon and have him questioned. The women will soon return to the ball. This isn''t something I would tell my wife to ruin the night. Hold him here tonight and you can personally question him tomorrow but you know there''s a high chance he has no idea who hired him," said Tobias.


    It was a growing business for people who wanted their hands clean. The customers were kept a secret and the person doing the job isn''t told who wanted the job done. It kept both individuals protected in case one wanted to ckmail or kill the other.


    "Why the hell is your coat on the floor?" Tobias asked, leaning forward to pick it up.


    "He spat on it," said Edgar.


    "Right," Tobias stopped right before he could touch the coat. "I know your head has a million and one thoughts going through it and you want to kill someone but Alessandra has been dealing with a lot of crap recently. Control your anger and enjoy the night with her. Reed," Tobias looked at the giant and squinted his eyes when he noticed the smudged color on Reed''s lips. "You whoring bastard. Bring him so I can inform a guard to take him to the dungeon. Whatdy have you convinced to kiss you?"


    "Mind your business, King," Reed replied. He wasn''t one to kiss and reveal who the person was. If he was, he would rather tell Dominic before the big mouth King beside them.


    "It is my business as King. I have to know everything happening inside the kingdom in order to protect the people. So, who is it? If you don''t tell me, I will tell your mother you are going around kissingdies," Tobias said.


    "Fuck off," Reed replied, lifting the unconscious man in his arms to take him to a pce guard.


    "Don''t act like you aren''t scared of your mother. I am and she''s not even my mother," Tobias muttered, watching Reed walk ahead. He looked to his left at Edgar and put his arm on Edgar''s shoulder. "Come let us go drink and dance with our wives. I''m surprised you haven''t shoved me and told me not to touch you."


    "Don''t tempt me," Edgar replied, choosing to be civil on Tobias''s birthday.


    Tobias was pleasantly surprised by Edgar''s reply and started to pat Edgar''s shoulder. "Okay," he quickly removed his hand after the deadly look he received. I was taking it too far. You look like you would bite my arm. If I didn''t need my hand when I am with Hazel-"


    "Tobias," Edgar spoke before he could be given too much information.


    "You have a dirty mind, Edgar. Hazel prepared gifts for me in her room. I''m supposed to visit her and open them when all the guests are gone."

 Chapter 424 Working together (3)

    Chapter 424 Working together (3)


    "Are you alright, Eleanor?" Alessandra asked when Eleanor joined the group, but she was acting odd. Eleanor seemed flustered and lost in thought about something as she sat down beside her and Heather. "Did something happen in the bathroom? Did you fight with Reed?"


    "No," Eleanor quickly denied Alessandra''s usation. She ced her hand on her forehead as she thought she heard Alessandra ask if she kissed Reed. "I''m going to be quick with this because I am sure the Duke won''t care to keep it a secret. I kissed Reed in the-"


    Heather spat out her drink and covered her mouth as it gained her some attention. Her mother would pass out if she were to have witnessed this. "I''m sorry," she apologized.


    "I would have done the same thing if there was something in my mouth. How did you end up kissing Reed and how would Edgar know about this? You weren''t gone long enough for all of this to happen. What happened to you and Reed bickering with each other?" Alessandra asked as she failed to see how Reed and Eleanor went from picking at each other to kissing.


    Eleanor was just as confused as to how she kissed someone she wanted to hit over the head earlier. "It started off with us arguing because I needed someone''s help to untie my dress a little bit so I could lift it. I told him to find a woman, but he argued he could do it. That he wasn''t going to take a peep. He ended up helping me and when we were walking back, he asked why I didn''te with an escort."


    "I thought he was being funny and insulting me, so I insulted him first. Then he mentioned me looking pretty. One thing led to another, and we were kissing but it didn''tst long because your husband was there. I think he was looking for you. I don''t want to make a big deal out of this," said Heather.


    "Just for my curiosity, if there is some sort of attraction between the two, would you consider being with Reed?" Alessandra asked. The twins were doing a good job at getting toofortable with the women around her. First Sally and now Eleanor.


    "I don''t know. I am not interested in being in a rtionship and if I was, it would certainly not be Reed," Eleanor replied. She knew he had no interest in her and only took the chance to kiss her to toy with her.


    "But you kissed him," Heather said. "I wouldn''t kiss a man I had no interest in. Why not see where it goes from tonight?"


    "It was something that happened at the moment and when we awkwardly meet soon, there will be no interest from either side. Can we talk about something else? Like why your sister is ring at you?" Eleanor asked, staring right back at Kate.


    "Alessandra kind of silenced Kate when you were not here. From all theughter in the room, it seems to be a big deal," Heather answered, ncing at Kate who stood with folded arms watching Alessandra. It had started to be creepy how Kate looked at Alessandra endlessly. For an engaged woman, Kate did not seem so happy.


    "I did?!" Eleanor eximed, disappointed she missed a big show. "How did you do it? Did she cry?"


    "Ladies," Hazel greeted the three women who abandoned her. "Thanks for leaving me alone with all these women while you sit and have a good chat. I can''t handle any more of this. We will return to the ball even if the men aren''t ready. Please stand on both sides of me to fend them off," she softly spoke so the young behind her would not get offended.


    She didn''t need their parents approaching her. If she heard one morement about Grant and someone touching her stomach for no reason, she was going to lose her mind. Talking about Grant was something Hazel could understand as it was big news but there was no reason to touch her stomach as if a baby was there.


    "We will protect you, your highness," Eleanor teased, standing up to rescue Hazel. If she was Queen, Eleanor would have blocked her ears by now to stop listening to the forcepliments from young women who only wanted to be closer to royalty.


    Kate couldn''t stand another second watching Alessandra enjoy the life she wanted. A wealthy husband and a close rtionship with the Queen. Simon had money but she hadn''t once heard of him having close connections to the King like Edgar did. Kate disliked the side of Edgar she saw after he married Alessandra but there was still a bit of desire to be his wife.


    Kate looked at her hand where therge ring decorated her finger. Nothing had changed since she announced she would be getting married to Simon. There was envy from other young women for a moment but what happened with Alessandra got everyoneughing at her.


    "How long are you going to stand here and just look at her? Aren''t you going to do some grand n? This is boring," Grace muttered. Of course, Kate failed at embarrassing Alessandra. She got excited all for nothing. "If someone told me years ago that Alessandra would have put you in your ce, I would have called them crazy. I''m starting to wonder if I befriended the wrong sister."


    "What?" Kate looked to her right at Grace. Grace was sprouting nonsense daily and forgot whose friend she was.


    "You''ve lost your touch, Kate. No one really cares for you anymore. It''s proving to be social suicide to be against your sister. She''s not the same girl we used to have fun bullying. There''s nothing you can do to embarrass her now so stop ring at her and let us find something fun to do. We should see if L is here and show her your ring," Grace proposed. She wanted to see L''s jealousy.


    "You-"


    "When are you going to realize that you are no match for her now? It''s so boring to be around you these days. I would rather be with L and let her rub her engagement in my face. If you''re not going to seed in embarrassing your sister, just ignore her. It''s already decided she''s the better sister," Grace taunted Kate. She knew how theparison to Alessandra drove Kate crazy. "Going after her really shows your jealousy."


    "You need to find a new friend," Kate said then stormed out of the room. Grace was lying to get her riled up. Alessandra was not the better sister. "Where the hell is he?" Kate muttered, referring to the man she hired. She didn''t care if he would try doing the job here in front of all the women. Kate wouldn''t mind if he took a chance at Grace.

 Chapter 425 Working together (4)

    Chapter 425 Working together (4)


    "Kate! Darling," Katrina called and ran after Kate who marched out of the hall and didn''t notice her.


    Katrina was ecstatic by Kate''s news and after she received numerous congrattions for her daughter''s engagement to Simon, Katrina was impatient to wait for the young woman to be finished with the Queen. Katrina waited by the opening of the hallway for when Kate would be done but she didn''t expect Kate to be so angry when it was a joyous asion.


    "Mother, I am so sick and tired of hearing about Alessandra. Grace tries to take every opportunity to ridicule me. Like she has a ce to speak when no man is desiring-"


    "Kate, I told you to forget about Alessandra. You are engaged to Simon and yet your mind is gued with that awful girl. This is a big night for you, Kate. I don''t want to hear Alessandra''s name from your mouth again. Come, there are people that I want you to meet," Katrina said, reaching out to touch Kate but Kate moved her shoulder.


    "How am I not supposed to think about her when everywhere I turn someone is talking about her? She''s not supposed to be without her mask. I-" Kate''s words was silenced by Katrina suddenly covering her mouth.


    "Do not speak of that here. There are ears all over the pce. You are to be a wife and sooner than you think, a mother. You have no time to think about Alessandra. It is not toote for Simon to take back his ring and promise to you. You must secure your spot as his wife and it certainly won''t happen if you concern yourself with Alessandra. You and I," Katrina lifted Kate''s chin to make her face her. "Are close to no longer being Barretts. Like the phoenix in those books I read to you, we will rise from the mes."


    "They are making a mockery of us, mother. Your divorce, my father losing his title, and now Alessandra is threatening to reveal what happened to her face. I feel far behind," Kate admitted. It was bing hard to catch up to Alessandra. Part of the reason was that she underestimated how much Alessandra changed.


    "You won''t be for long. Your dearest mother always has a n and is looking out for your best interest. Stomach it for now, Kate. You will witness how I shall change their minds and have everyone afraid to speak ill of you," Katrina said. She started to make ns with Randall to create a business among the others in the red light district.


    Katrina didn''t care for the title anymore. What she desired was money. Money was what she needed to silence the people around her and Kate.


    "Kate, forget about Alessandra. Hold your head up and show off your ring. I will deal with Grace for you," Katrina promised. Grace had nothing good to her name to be trying to ridicule Kate. "You''ll be Marchioness soon so you need friends with the same status around you. No more making a fool of yourself, right?"


    "Right," Kate agreed. She should have listened to her mother and focused only on Simon instead of trying to embarrass Alessandra. Her mind should be focused on her wedding which she would make the highlight of this season. "Who do you want me to meet, mother?"


    "The Count and his wife wish to meet you. As soon as Simon returns from speaking with the King, you should stay by his side. We need to focus," Katrina said, looking down the hallway where Alessandra was walking with the Queen. Kate should be there but all hope was not lost if Kate listened to her from now on. "Come," Katrina led Kate to find the Countess.


    Alessandra sighed in relief when she saw Katrina and Kate leaving instead of sticking around to speak with her.


    "Missing Edgar?" Hazel nudged Alessandra. "I''m starting to miss Tobias too but don''t tell him I said that. He will annoy me the rest of the night. I feel like pulling him away from wherever he is now so we can have at least one dance before his mother arrives. She prefers that we sit on the throne instead of being lost in the crowd with our guests. Mother-inws are stressful. I heard what happened with Prisci. Her divorce is moving quickly."


    "I have not heard any news about it. Edgar has not said anything since he confirmed they were getting divorced. I do know that many youngdies feel like love doesn''t exist since a couple they idolized is getting divorced," Alessandra said. She found it to be a foolish reason to give up on love.


    "Their divorce has mixed reactions. Many wonder why Prisci would be foolish to divorce a man with a good reputation. They talk about her age and now rumors of a woman Edmund used to see are going around. Prisci has fingers pointed at her these days but it is because someone is stirring the pot. Rose Collins," Haze informed Alessandra.


    "It is not surprising she would get involved. Is it bad that after everything, specifically with what happened to Alfred, I feel bad for Prisci?" Alessandra asked. Most would call her a fool for caring about Prisci when the woman didn''t like her with Edgar


    "It is not bad. It just shows you have a good heart. I am not fond of Prisci but I feel bad for her. This town frowns on couples who choose to separate instead of remaining unhappy. They will have much to say but luckily, Prisci is not a woman you can easily break. It was bold of her to ask for a divorce and I have to respect her courage. Tobias, did you have someone lurking to see when the women are going back to the ball?" Hazel asked as it was too coincidental to run into Tobias and the other men so soon.


    "Mr. Baxter must have drunk a bit too much because he started to get loud and take off his clothes. Not the sort of stripping I wanted to witness on my birthday so I got out of there before I could see anything I shouldn''t. Drama amongst thedies? Why are the four of you making an early escape?" Tobias questioned.


    Alessandra went to Edgar''s side while Hazel and Tobias caught up with each other. "Having fun or are you ready to start looking for ways to go home?"


    Edgar was not over what the pce servant said but he was not going to make what lingered at the back of his mind known. "It is fun," he replied.


    "That was not convincing but I will take it. If you don''t mind, I would like to dance as soon as we go back out to the ball. I can''t let what Alfred taught me go to waste. In the next hour or so, these shoes will be unbearable for me," Alessandra said as the heel was ufortable to be standing around on for so long. ording to Erin, beauty is pain so for one night she needed to put up with the shoes.


    "We can go now. Do whatever you want, Reed," Edgar dismissed Reed from guarding Alessandra now that he would be by her side.


    Reed looked at Eleanor who quickly avoided his gaze and walked with Heather. What happened to her boldness? Eleanor would soon find herself wanting hispany as Dominic would want to dance with Heather and having no escort, Eleanor would be left alone.


    "You need to check over if there are any guards who won''t try to get engaged or kiss one of my friends. Luckily Hazel is married and Heather already has Domninc buzzing around her. And once again all eyes are on us," Alessandra added when they entered the ball and the crowd continued to stare at her. It was going to be a long night of everyone getting used to her face.


    "Focus on your handsome husband instead of the babbling fools," Edgar said, leading her to join the other couples dancing.


    "Of course," Alessandra chuckled. Once upon a time ago, she might have been nervous from the attention she was receiving regarding her face but now, it didn''t bother her at all. People talked about her mask and now they were going to talk about her exposed face.


    Alessandra and Edgar went to the middle of the room just as the music was about to change as a new dance would begin.


    "I will apologize now if I make a mistake and step on your foot. Alfred taught me well but I am not the dancer I aspire to be yet," Alessandra said, curtsying in sync with the other women as the music began.


    "Don''t apologize. I will return the favor and step on your foot. Let that be your motivation to not mess up," Edgar joked but he would do it at least once to annoy her.


    Alessandra also knew Edgar would step back on her foot in retaliation. She could onlyugh but control her movement as Alfred taught her. Alessandra ced her right hand on Edgar''s shoulder and kissed him on the cheek.


    "I am liking this affectionate side of you. Unfortunately, my other cheek and lips will feel left out if you do not kiss them. So," Edgar pulled her closer, ignoring the judgemental stares of jealous people who secretly wish they could be in their position. "Give them equal attention."

 Chapter 426 A mothers help(1)

    Chapter 426 A mother''s help(1)


    One monthter.


    "Where did you get your bag? I need a new set before springes. I''ve started to n out my looks for the season."


    "I''ve already sat with my dressmaker to look over fabric. You will be jealous when you see what I have nned."


    Alessandra drowned out the conversation about dresses, shoes, and bags. She was more focused on the juice that calmed her stomach. She hoped the conversation wouldn''t turn to her about what she was nning for spring. She was going to wear whatever Erin had nned for her.


    "Duchess, excuse me for beingte," Heather said as she sat down beside Alessandra. "Did I miss anything important?"


    Alessandra was happy to see Heather was present. A few women received an invitation to attend a small sit-down with important women in Lockwood. For thest two weeks, Alessandra made an attempt to be more social with her peers. She critically picked through all the invitations she received with Alfred''s help. Today''s invitation came from an older woman Edgar was familiar with as he helped her in the past.


    "You have not missed anything. They are on the topic of dresses for spring already. Thank you for showing up," Alessandra hugged Heather. She was in dire need of someone to talk to.


    Men were not invited so Edgar was not present. After sending letters back and forth to Hazel, Alessandra learned the Queen was busy. Hazel was not making much of an appearance these days and Linda was out of town.


    "I take it you wish to be excluded as you have not started to prepare for spring. Neither have I," Heather whispered. She preferred to wait until spring was at least one week away to start rearranging her dresses. "Something looks different about you today. Have you stumbled upon a new cream? I need one for my face."


    Alessandra touched her face. "I don''t have a new cream," she replied. She stopped applying the cream from the pce to save it even though Edgar could easily get more.


    "Oh. Maybe it is your dress or jewelry that makes you look different today. I heard of a new business with creamsing to Lockwood soon. We should n a day with Eleanor to see if it is good. We have not spent a day together for thest week," Heather said.


    After the ball, Heather found herself closer than ever to Alessandra and Eleanor. It was thanks to Dominic who kept inviting her over for dinner at the Collins estate. Now Dominic was out of town in his new home but Heather continued to visit Alessandra. Eleanor would visit Heather''s home from time to time and once spent the night. It was a refreshing change for Heather to be surrounded by women who genuinely cared for her.


    "I didn''t know she was going to be here today."


    Alessandra looked around to see who it was the women at her table were talking about. To her surprise, it was Prisci. Even though Alessandra was being social these days, she had not once run into Prisci. Not even at the ball as Prisci did not attend.


    Prisci''s marriage to Edmund was officially over and the day it was, Alessandra heard Prisci walk around like a new woman. During Rose''s time in town, she tried to make Prisci an outcast but it did not work. Prisci continued to be the powerful social Queen that she was with young women rushing to her side as she entered.


    "Duchess," Nadine, the Viscountess, sat down in the empty chair to the right of Alessandra. "It has been a while since west saw each other."


    Alessandra looked away from Pisci to the woman with the fake smile in front of her. Weeks had passed since she met Nadine while she was in town shopping but Alessandra did not forget Nadine''s friend speaking negatively to her. Alessandra knew Nadine put the young woman up to it but Nadine continued to act innocent.


    It was always amusing to Alessandra how from the very beginning she was never the only one wearing a mask. Her mask was just visible.


    "Viscountess," Alessandra greeted Nadine.


    "I always look forward to seeing you but you never attend the same gatherings I do. Luckily, I had the pleasure of getting to know your sister. Sweet little thing. Her wedding is drawing near. She told me the Marquess prefers to get married in spring. She doesn''t like the wait but what can she do?" Nadine smiled as she remembered the troubles of finding a good date that pleased her husband.


    "Hmm," Alessandra gave a simple response as nothing about Kate''s wedding interested her.


    "When you attend the wedding, maybe we can try to sit together-"


    "If you have been spending time with Kate as you said, you would know we are not close for me to be attending or for me to be interested in any details about her wedding. If you weren''t aware, I am letting you know now that what you speak of is none of my concern," Alessandra said, ending the topic of Kate quickly. Life was going well as she did not think about Kate or Katrina since the ball. Nadine would not be the reason she started to care about either.


    Nadine pitifully looked at the other woman seated at the table and said, "I apologize. I thought the two sisters would be close. Have I offended you in any way, Duchess? We have hardly spoken to each other but it feels like you have some sort of animosity toward me. Is it because I mentioned your sister?"


    "Not at all. I am just not in the mood to pretend," Alessandra replied. She was not joining what the other women did by ying friendly with women who did not like her.


    "I don''t understand what you mean. As noblewomen and wives, I thought we could be close enough to offer each other advice. I could offer you advice on children when you have one," Nadine rubbed the bugle of her stomach. "Or how to have one. It has been some time without any news from you."


    "When your child is born I can help to teach them the manners you clearlyck," Alessandra replied. The questions about when she would have a child for Edgar needed to stop. Alessandra thought of it as a ssless jab other women should avoid using. Life was strange where Nadine could find herself desperately wishing to have another child but would not be blessed with one.


    Nadine didn''t take any offense to Alessandra''s words as in the end she was able to be blessed with the child her husband wanted. Nadine''s eyes lit up when she noticed who entered the room. "Duchess, do you know you worry about the saying like father like son?"


    "What?" Alessandra replied as she didn''t see what Nadone was referring to now.


    "Well, talk about Edmund Collins'' mistress has been going around since the divorce. There have been other women before you. The Duke was seen with a few women on his arm. Aren''t you worried he will be like his father? Where the former wife and the mistress run into each other?" Nadine pointed to the woman who entered the room with a smile and ignored the murmur around her. "Collins men can do as they want. I just hope you aren''t one day in the same position as your mother-inw."


    Alessandra looked at the woman Nadine pointed to. She had never seen this woman before and though she knew of Edmund once cheating on Prisci, everyone made it seem like the woman was dead.


    Alessandra thought Nadine was lying until she looked in Prisci''s direction and saw her frowning for a second before a smile appeared on her lips to mask what she was feeling.

 Chapter 427 A mothers help(2)

    Chapter 427 A mother''s help(2)


    ''So much for a peaceful day,'' Alessandra thought.


    "You look surprised, Duchess. Did you not know she was making an appearance in town these days or did you not know what she looked like? I thought the Collins family would have a big meeting to deal with this but then again, Prisci isn''t a Collins anymore so your family wouldn''t care. She must be boiling-"


    "Viscountess," Alessandra stopped Nadine before more of the nonsense flowing out of her mouth could be said. "The seats were assigned so I must remind you that you have stayed where you do not belong far too long. You should watch what you say about other women before you find yourself in a simr position yearster. Karma skips no one."


    Nadine rolled her eyes. "Always the fool. Everyone knows Prisci did not care for you and yet you sit here defending her. Even moreical that you sit with the woman she wanted her son to marry. Your recement isn''t so far away."


    Alessandra took a deep breath as she did not want to be the one to argue with a pregnant woman though Nadine would deserve it.


    "You are out of line, Viscountess. Instead of questioning the Duchess about her family, you should be more concerned about your husband''ste whereabouts in the red light district. Rumors have started to visit the stores I frequent for my bags," Heather said in defense of Alessandra.


    "My husband would never," Nadine huffed, standing up to get away from the lies.


    "If she can paint your husband to be a cheater when he is not, then I can do the same to her husband. I don''t know the slightest thing about the Viscount," Heather shrugged her shoulders. She lied in the moment to help Alessandra.


    "Thank you. You''ve been spending too much time with Eleanor. I don''t have it in me to argue with a pregnant woman. I feel tired," Alessandra yawned. Her attention went from Edmund''s former lover to her empty ss. The juice had worked at first but now it felt like it slowly wanted toe back up to make her vomit.


    Alessandra picked up her ss of water to help with how uneasy she felt. Early in the morning, she didn''t feel well but she did not want to remain at home when she already replied she would be in attendance today. ''Only a few hours,'' she said as motivation.


    "Are you alright?" Heather touched Alessandra''s shoulder.


    "Yes but I think I drank too much juice. I might have upset my stomach by drinking water," Alessandra covered her mouth. The water had not helped to settle her urge to throw up all the juice she had drunk. "I need to find a bathroom," she stood up as any minute she could let it all out.


    "Would you like me to join you?" Heather asked.


    "Yes," Alessandra replied but when she noticed the woman Nadine pointed out as Edmund''s lover was standing near Prisci''s table, she changed her mind. "No, I will go with someone else. Prisci!" Alessandra called to the other side of the room. "I am not feeling well. Can you please join me to go to the bathroom?"


    Confused was an understatement to Prisci. She was already trying to deal with Edmund''s foolish whore trying to attend the same parties as her. Cassidy was acting like she needed to convince Prisci to let Edmund go despite the fact they were divorced.


    It was obvious Alessandra was trying to help Prisci avoid speaking with Cassidy or being entertainment for the other women. Another day Prisci might have remained in her seat but she stood up since she was not in the mood to hear Cassidy act as if they were friends.


    ''Why is she trying to help me?'' Prisci thought. She had not seen Edgar or Alessandra for weeks and here was Alessandra acting like some savior.


    On the bright side, Alessandra and Prisci leaving together would take the conversations away from Cassidy for a moment. The women would try to put together when Alessandra and Prisci had formed a good rtionship.


    "I didn''t need your help," Prisci said when they were out of the room. "I''ve been doing a good job at avoiding her for two weeks."


    "That doesn''t change the fact you wanted to get away from her just now. You wouldn''t havee with me if you did not. Where is the bathroom?" Alessandra asked a passing maid. Another minute of talking and she might throw up the juice where she stood now. After receiving the directions, Alessandra picked up her pace to find the bathroom quickly.


    Prisci followed behind, walking with her arms folded as she tried to figure out what was going on with Alessandra. "Do you honestly need to use the bathroom? I thought it was a fake excuse. I am not going to go inside a bathroom with you-"


    "I need to vomit," Alessandra said, keeping her mouth covered with her right hand while the left grabbed as much of her dress as it could to help her run.


    "Vomit?" Prisci said in disbelief. Alessandra did start to look pale and kept covering her mouth like she wanted to vomit. Curious about something, Prisci continued to follow Alessandra. "Well, this is a nice surprise," Prisci closed the door of the room Alessandra ran into. She locked it to give them some privacy in case someone wanted to eavesdrop.


    Prisci scrunched up her nose, put off by the sound of Alessandra throwing up everything in her stomach. Prisci found herself in an awkward situation as she didn''t know if she should pat Alessandra''s back or sayforting words. She wasn''t the best person for situations like this. She was already afraid of Alessandra''s vomit getting on her new shoes and dress.


    "I must be crazy," Prisci muttered, walking toward Alessandra who was slouched over the toilet. Prisci hesitated at first but eventually, she pulled Alessandra''s hair back. "You must be the crazy one to attend these gatherings when you are pregnant. When I had Edgar, I remained home and sat near a bathroom."


    "What?" Alessandra looked up at Prisci. Her head felt light and her forehead started to sweat profusely. Her stomach was better after she vomited but she was not done with vomiting yet. While trying to feel better, Prisci mentioning her being pregnant surprised her.


    "Don''t tell me that you have not noticed a change in your body. You are pregnant. Why do you think you are here vomiting everything you have eaten?" Prisci replied.


    "I thought it was because I drank too much juice. My stomach feels uneasy," Alessandra softly spoke. She wanted nothing more than to lie on the floor right now.


    "You thought wrong. That is how it starts. During the first few weeks with Edgar, I couldn''t keep anything down. I stuck to water and a few fruits. I fired three cooks until I found the perfect one who brought me just what I liked. You need to see a doctor right now. The beginning of your pregnancy is dangerous and just to be sure, you need to be checked to see if you are pregnant. When was thest time you bled?" Prisci asked.


    "I cannot remember right now," Alessandra replied. She couldn''t ce a date but now that she thought about it, she hadn''t bled for a while. At first, she and Edgar paid attention to it but then they decided to not worry about it. Neither wanted to get excited but then face disappointment when she started to bleed.


    "Get it all out first and then I will walk you to your carriage. If you vomit on my shoes, you will find yourself in the dungeon I just spent a fortune to build," Prisci warned but she didn''t mean it. She didn''t want to pick a fight with Edgar again.

 Chapter 428 A mothers help(3)

    Chapter 428 A mother''s help(3)


    "Are you certain you are finished? I don''t feel like rushing back to the bathroom with you," Prisci said, carefully releasing Alessandra''s hair. "These shoes are not meant for running around in."


    "I am finished for now," Alessandra replied.


    Prisci looked away from the mess Alessandra created. "Go wash your mouth. I will get rid of this. At this age, I didn''t think I would deal with a pregnant woman throwing up."


    "I''m sorry. I wouldn''t have called you if I knew I was going to vomit but thank you for holding my hair," Alessandra said, grateful to have Prisci around. It was awkward since they never had pleasant interactions in the past but Alessandra appreciated the help.


    "It would have annoyed me if there were bits of vomit in your hair. Nothing more," Prisci mumbled,ing to stand beside Alessandra to wash her hands after taking care of the vomit in the toilet. This was going to stay in her mind for days. "Have you and Edgar spoken about children?"


    Prisci couldn''t picture her coldhearted son excited to be a father. Edgar always said children were a nuisance.


    "We were trying to have one," Alessandra answered. She could already picture Edgar not wanting her to leave the house and Alfred might probably faint.


    "Rose will be ecstatic but a little advice, keep her far away from you during your pregnancy. It''s already stressful and painful enough but she will make your life hell. She picks at everything you put in your body and she visits too much. When my body is bing bigger, thest person I want to see is Rose," Prisci said, remembering how many times she wanted to stab Rose with a fork.


    Alessandra rinsed out her mouth with water to get rid of the taste and smell of vomit. "I have not spoken to Rose for more than a month now. Edgar will have to be the one to tell her when he wants to."


    Prisci smiled but cleared her throat to hide her excitement. It was satisfying to know what she told Rose had happened. "What happened between the two of you?" She asked.


    "I know this must be amusing for you but I would rather go home and have a doctor visit me. I just want toy in bed at the moment. I wouldn''t mind a cold floor," Alessandra said as the bathroom floor seemed tempting. She did not want to leave the toilet.


    "Right right," Prisci remembered. It was more than enough to know Rose had to be at odds with Edgar for more than a month. Had she known this, she would have rubbed it in Rose''s face when she was here in Lockwood. "We need to get your bag and mine before we go. This party is already ruined for me. There is no point in staying so I might as well go home."


    "You don''t need to answer if you don''t want to. Why is that woman here? I don''t know her name," Alessandra said, referring to Edmund''s former or maybe current lover.


    "She crawled out of the hole she has been hiding in for years. Makes me wonder if that bastard has been seeing her during our marriage. He and his mother lied to me about taking care of that woman. Now that my marriage is no more she keeps showing up wanting to apologize but there''s more to it. Why am I exining this to you?" Prisci asked, confused as to why she was telling Alessandra this


    "Because you have been waiting to vent to someone but others will spread it around," Alessandra answered.


    "I don''t know you well enough to trust you won''t repeat anything I say and I still don''t like you. Don''t let what I am doing now confuse you," Prisci said, hoping this was perfectly clear as they left the bathroom.


    Alessandra smiled as she knew Prisci didn''t believe her own words. "You don''t like me but you certainly care. You do have a heart after all. I am possibly carrying your grandchild. You should want to care for me so the child is safe."


    "A grandchild I will never see," Prisci reminded Alessandra. Edgar was not going to let her anywhere near his little familiarity and it was her fault. The prospect of having a grandchild had not crossed her mind until now. Quite frankly, she did not want anyone calling her grandmother.


    "It''s never toote to fix the rtionship you have with Edgar. I will tell him how you have helped me or maybe, you can go home with me-"


    "To a house where I was ced in a cell? No thank you. I still hear rats scratching at the damn box when I go to sleep. Edgar won''t be pleased to see me showing up with you. There is no going back from what happened with Alfred. If you weren''t informed, we chose to avoid each other," Prisci said. Her rtionship with Edgar was better when they did not run into each other.


    Alessandra thought differently. There was still a chance for Prisci as long as she put in the effort. There was already some change to Prisci. The woman she met right after she married Edgar would not have helped her in this bathroom today.


    Alessandra pitied Prisci for living in a big house all alone. It reminded Alessandra of the small room she had in her father''s home except a big mansion had to be more torture. The big space would remind you of the fact you were alone. Prisci probably enjoyed the peace at first but then you miss having someone around.


    "I am inviting you there. Truthfully, if I am pregnant I have no one around me to ask for advice. As you said, I shouldn''t have Rose around so my only option is you," Alessandra said, crossing her fingers behind her back Prisci would say yes. "If Edgar isn''t thrilled by your presence, I will make sure you leave safely."


    "You certainly know how to make someone feel sorry for you. There are plenty of women for you to speak with but I suppose none will understand having a small tyrant growing inside of you. Let''s be clear, I am only helping because you are carrying my grandchild. It has nothing to do with you and Edgar. The two of you give me a headache," Prisci said, dramatically touching her head as if there was a headache now.


    ''This family is full of dramatic characters,'' Alessandra thought.


    "I will not forget it. Can we please leave now? I need to lie down," Alessandra said, touching her stomach as it was feeling upset again.


    "Our bags. Those nosy women must have their fingers all over my bag. I can''t- Are you serious?" Prisci scowled, rolling her eyes at the person waiting outside the room she and Alessandra wereing out of. "It is Edmund you are meant to be seeking out, not me, Cassidy."

 Chapter 429 A mothers help(4)

    Chapter 429 A mother''s help(4)


    "Prisci," Cassidy took a step toward the angry woman. "I am so sorry-"


    "Why do you think I care to hear an apology from you? You and I were not married nor did we have a friendship. I don''t want to hear sorry from you. I want you to leave me alone," Prisci spoke calmly despite her anger. It wasn''t easy to control her anger when her ex-husband''s first love kept stalking her but she would not allow Cassidy to rile her up and make a scene. "Shouldn''t you be trying to get with Edmund now? He is free."


    "We never knew each other but I caused your marriage to be ruined. I have to at least apologize for that," said Cassidy.


    "The nerve of women like you. I might have epted you feeling remorseful if you would have stopped fucking him in the early years of my marriage but now I know, I wouldn''t have cared for what you had to say then. You did not ruin my marriage. You weren''t a part of the vows I made with Edmund. Stop bothering me before I finish what Rose could not," Prisci said, meaning every word of her threat. "Stop showing up where I am. Have you no respect for yourself?"


    Cassidy licked her lips. "I have not heard from Edmund and no one knows where he has been since your divorce. I cannot go to your mother so," she trailed off, hoping Prisci understood what she wanted.


    "He picked someone with nomon sense over me," Prisci muttered, feeling like she was pped in the face as she realized just how foolish Cassidy was. "To be so desperate toe to me as ast resort to find Edmund. You don''t have a drop of shame inside of you. At least it amused me. Get out of our way," Prisci held Alessandra''s hand. She didn''t need Alessandra being nice to this woman.


    "Duchess," Cassidy grabbed Alessandra''s free hand to stop her from leaving. "We have never been introduced."


    Alessandra didn''t like the push-and-pull situation she was in now when she could vomit at any second. "We do not need to be introduced to each other. Please release my hand. You will regret it if you do not," Alessandra warned but it wasn''t a threat like Prisci''s. If they kept holding her like this, she was going to vomit on one of them.


    Cassidy slowly released Alessandra''s hand. "We couldn''t help that we loved each other-"


    "No one cares about your ruined love story," Prisci stated, pulling Alessandra away now that her other hand was free. "If you had tried to be nice to her just now all thoughts about me helping you would have been tossed out a window. That woman has to be aware to never approach me."


    "Can we slow down?"Alessandra covered her mouth. The quick movements were not helpful.


    Prisci slowed down and released Alessandra''s hand as she remembered she was walking with a pregnant woman who could vomit on her at any time. "Why am I getting involved with this?" She looked up for answers. Between Cassidy and Alessandra, she was bound to have a few more white hairs.


    "Take your time and go to your carriage. I will get our bags and join you shortly. If she approaches you again, scream as hard as you can. My son might have the ability to show up before you to get rid of her. I would enjoy it if he put her in a cell. Walk carefully when you go down the stairs. If you fall, you risk the life of your child. Go," Prisci shooed Alessandra away.


    Prisci ignored Cassidy walking at a distance behind them. Cassidy would be more of a fool than Prisci thought if she tried to approach her or Alessandra again. Luckily, Cassidy went off in another direction.


    Prisci waited for Alessandra to get a good head start at leaving before she left to collect their bags from the room full of nosy women who would want to know why they were leaving so soon and would think it had something to do with Cassidy. Prisci didn''t care who thought she was trying to run away from being in the same room as Cassidy.


    "Is this Alessandra''s bag?" Prisci asked the women at Alessandra''s table.


    Heather thought she was hallucinating as Prisci of all people was asking for Alessandra''s bag. "It is," Heather answered, squirming in her seat from Prisci being so close. "Is the Duchess alright?"


    "We are leaving. She is ill," Prisci answered, leaving out the pregnancy as it wasn''t her news to share. Having nothing more to say to Heather or the other women, Prisci picked up Alessandra''s bag and went for her own.


    Heather stood with her bag to follow Prisci so she could check on Alessandra. She did not forget there was something wrong with Alessandra before she left to go to the bathroom and wanted to check on Alessandra to see if she was sick or if this was an act to help Prisci escape an awkward situation.


    "Where are you going?" Prisci looked to her right at Heather following her.


    "To check on Alessandra. I shouldn''t let her go without knowing if she was alright. I wouldn''t be a good friend if I did not check on her," Heather replied but then looked away from Prisci.


    Prisci continued to leave before any of the other women could offer to join her to see Alessandra off. Heather was better than the others so she didn''t mind walking with the young woman. "You don''t need to be wary of me. I won''t say anything to hurt your feelings. Your mother has already given me an earful and I would rather not hear more."


    "I didn''t know she spoke to you. I am not wary, it is just awkward. It has been a long time since we have seen each other. It is a bit odd to go from seeing you daily to not seeing you for weeks," said Heather.


    "It is. I must admit I do miss yourpany. I apologize for how I treated you during ourst conversation and maybe, how I treated you from the moment you came of age to marry. I''ve heard the women starting to taunt you because I was no longer speaking with you. I did not send them after you," Prisci rified as the young women attacked Heather on their own ord. "I also did not defend you. I had too many things happening in my life to care about it."


    "I am aware. I ept the apology but I am d our rtionship ended even if it was on a bad note. I was finally able to speak with my mother and live my life how I want. It showed me who was truly my friend and I made new friends. I am sorry to hear about your separation from Edmund. I know how much you loved him," Heather could say as unlike others, she watched how Prisci longed for Edmund to return her feelings.


    "Well, I am not sorry about the separation. You should also remember how angry he made me. I know that I have hurt you but if there is ever anything you need, my doors are always open. I owe you for all the years you have kept mepany. My doors are opened for your mother too as long as she doesn''te barging in screaming. So many headaches," Prisci touched her head.

 Chapter 430 [BONUS CHAPTER] EXPECTING (1)

    Chapter 430 [BONUS CHAPTER] EXPECTING (1)


    "You''re pregnant?" Heather eximed. "I''m sorry," she looked around to make sure no one was nearby to hear the news. It should be passed around before Edgar heard it. "Congrattions!"


    "I need to have a doctor visit my home but Prisci is certain I am," Alessandra said.


    "You are. You don''t have to prepare yourself for disappointment because you are pregnant. I know a pregnant woman when I see one. I was once pregnant. You are with child," Prisci said for thest time.


    "This is good news. It''s a good decision to leave instead of staying with these women. I will join you. I cannot wait to see Edgar''s reaction. The two of you will make excellent parents. Excuse me. I need to have my carriage brought around," Heather said, leaving the two momentarily to inform a servant she was ready to leave and needed her carriage.


    "Duchess!" Caleb called when the carriage stopped by the steps. He was here alone to guard her today. "It is early. Did something happen?" He side-eyed Prisci. The woman was nothing but bad news. It was odd to see her holding Alessandra''s bag.


    "I am not feeling well. Caleb, please send for a doctor to meet us at home-"


    "Are you sick?" Caleb panicked, eyeing her from head to toe. Why did he have such bad luck with her being sick when it was his turn to guard her?


    "Caleb, please do not worry. I will tell you when we get home. Prisci is offering her carriage to be sent for the doctor and she will ride home with us. Please pass the message to the doctor that this is urgent. Caleb," Alessandra called his name again as he had not moved. When they all heard she was pregnant they would run around like chickens with their heads cut off.


    "You are scaring me, Duchess. Give me a moment," Caleb left to do as he was told. He moved quickly to not leave Alessandra alone with Edgar''s mother.


    Prisci watched the man who looked simr to the one who hade with Edgar to take her to his dungeon. She knew they were twins and she could tell the difference between the two but she was still ufortable around Caleb. "Careful," Prisci warned Alessandra who was trying to get in the carriage by herself.


    "I am. I am perfectly capable of getting in the carriage without hurting myself. I did it this morning," Alessandra said, already feeling like she and the word careful would be enemies in the next few weeks. Her overprotective husband would be the one to say it the most with Alfred shortly behind.


    "I am just looking out for you. There is still a bit of snow on the ground so it will be slippery and those heels you are wearing won''t be helpful even if they are short. You need to buyfortable shoes. The person who made mine is still in business. I can give you the name. The heavier you get, the morefortable clothes and shoes you will need. You will need to start having bigger dresses made now," Prisci said, entering the carriage after Alessandra was seated.


    "There is much to do from having clothes to fit you as the baby grows, to picking out which room you want as the child''s bedroom or just for ying, buying clothes, toys, looking for a good nanny early, and more. What would you do without me?" Prisci took a deep breath after she exhausted herself from talking.


    "It is a lot to be done on such short notice," Alessandra realized. She yed with her fingers as she thought about how busy her life will be now. It seemed like a long time before a baby would be here in her arms but she heard time goes by quickly when children are involved


    Prisci regretted mentioning the things Alessandra needed to prepare for when they had not seen the doctor or told Edgar the news. "Don''t think about those for a while. You have plenty of people around you to take care of them. If I am allowed to, I will take care of the clothes. I can''t let you dress my grandchild in any old thing."


    Alessandra didn''t take offense to what Prisci said andughed. "If you wish," she replied. "I would love for my children to have a grandmother to spoil them."


    Prisci hesitated for a moment but knowing what Alessandra was thinking she said, "I knew your mother. We were married to noblemen so it was inevitable we would run into each other. She married a few years after I had gotten married to Edmund. You look just like your mother. Thank goodness," she added as Alessandra''s beauty might be different if she looked like her father.


    "Did the two of you get along?" Alessandra asked.


    "We were cordial with each other but never friends. Both with husbands we found irritating from time to time. I could tell life as Baroness bore her. She was always looking out a window like she craved to be elsewhere. Maybe she thought life with your father would have been exciting but she quickly learned it was not. I felt the same during the first year of my marriage. She was an interesting woman," Prisci said, looking out the carriage window.


    "From everyone''s tales, it seems that she was," Alessandra replied as she had no tales of her mother.


    "As mothers, we make a lot of mistakes our children will never understand. Not even when you have your children. After years of pleasing others, we seek a moment to be alone and it, unfortunately, means leaving our children behind. I don''t know what happened with Mnie but I understand," said Prisci.


    "Unfortunately, I am past the point of trying to understand but thank you for telling me a bit about her. Does that mean you would understand Rose''s-"


    "Of course not," Prisci quickly ended that thought. "That woman is simply controlling and the devil in disguise. There is no understanding of her even if someone were to put her thoughts in a book for me to read. My day is ruined just hearing her name. If you think of your mother as I think of Rose then you should never forgive your mother."


    "Oh how quickly your views changed," Alessandra chuckled. Surprisingly, Prisci did a good job at taking her mind off of worrying about the future with her child.


    "Only because Rose is involved. During my divorce, it seemed like I was separating from her instead of Edmund. I received a letter that she wanted back everything she ever gave to me. She only gave me one thing which was her son and I was already giving him back. You must not let her find out I am helping you. She will make your life hell. She can get all the other Collins to pester you while she sits back like an angel," Prisci shook her head.


    "There''s going to be too much in my life in the next few months for me to tiptoe around to avoid Rose finding out you are near. Luckily, no one gets toe through the gates without our permission," Alessandra replied. Alessandra didn''t have to concern herself with family drama as Edgar would not let anyone get near her.


    While she prepared to be a mother, everyone should be preparing for the new level of anger Edgar would have for anyone trying to stress her during this time.

 Chapter 431 [BONUS CHAPTER] EXPECTING (2)

    Chapter 431 [BONUS CHAPTER] EXPECTING (2)


    "Are you looking for more business partners?" Alfred asked, carefully cing a cup of coffee on Edgar''s desk. He avoided the papers with names of noblemen and well-known businessmen.


    "No, I am just checking through again. We have not found who took all those young women and I don''t want to miss out on anyone. Why are you bringing me coffee, Alfred? Must we go through this again?" Edgar looked up at Alfred.


    After two weeks of Alfred sulking and acting like his life was over, Alfred was once again the butler but the deal was, he could not serve Edgar.


    "I brought you coffee as a family member, not as a butler. I have not broken our deal," Alfred replied.


    "You always have an answer for everything, don''t you?" Edgar gave up. "Why did you let that in?" Edgar looked at the white cat stretched out on a chair. "It won''t be long before it messes with my papers."


    "It slipped inside when I opened the door. You should be d it is not the ck one. He is the true troublemaker. I will take it back with me on my way out. It is nearing time for Sally to feed them. They are like you missing the Duchess when she leaves. You should count yourself lucky the cats like you. Some of the servants say it is hard to get the cats to like them," Alfred said, watching the white devil scratch at the chair.


    Blessing and curse were nothing like what they were as kittens. They only behaved around three people. Alessandra, Alfred, and Edgar. Sally was someone they liked but she had to bear with their bites from time to time.


    "Hmm. How much longer until Alessandra returns?" Edgar asked, looking at therge clock. She was gone for more than an hour.


    "I believe it is five hours more until she returns. Do you n to keep yourself lost in work until she returns? I know searching for those girls is important but you should take a break. Not only when the Duchess is not present. Tobias should punish the other noblemen who have note forward to help with the search," Alfred said as the others not helping meant more work for Edgar.


    "I don''t need anyone to join me. I don''t trust any of them. I will be visiting Earl''s home tomorrow. He has a new cigar business and invited men to test them out. I''m going to get a look around at the men there. One of them might be our culprit," said Edgar.


    A knock at the door interrupted the conversation.


    "Come in," Alfred answered as he walked to the door. It was rare for anyone toe knocking unless there was an important message. "Sally, looking for blessing? Honestly Edgar, it is time to pick another name for the cat."


    "No, the Duchess has returned and she is here with a guest. She sent for a doctor and the Duke muste down to the drawing room right now," Sally ryed the message. Edgar''s expression reminded her of how she felt when Alessandra returned early and spoke about a doctor. The expression would quickly change the moment heys eyes on who Alessandra brought home with her.


    Sally and Alfred stepped to the side to let Edgar pass by. Before Alfred could follow, Sally tapped his arm to tell him who the guest was. "Prisci is here. She came in the carriage with Alessandra," she whispered. No one could forget the unfortunate event that involved Alfred and Prisci. Before Alfred would go downstairs, Sally had to warn him.


    Alfred didn''t like the sound of Prisci being here and Alessandra needing a doctor. "Thank you for warning me. Tell the other maids to stay clear of the drawing room. Don''t go too far in case Alessandra needs you. I must go quickly before mother and son start to argue."


    Meanwhile, Edgar hurried down the stairs in fear something had happened to Alessandra while she was away. Nothing had happened at the gatherings she attended so far but there was always that one gathering waiting to ruin the peace.


    "Alessandra! Why are you here?" Edgar frowned when he entered the drawing room and found his mother sitting beside Alessandra. Alessandra was the type of person to bring home all sorts of things she found interesting during her trips out of the house but never did he think she would bring his mother.


    He wished to know why Prisci was here but first Edgar went to Alessandra''s side to inspect her body for wounds. If someone threw something at her again he would go through with removing their hands.


    "I have no wounds, Edgar," Alessandra said so he could stop searching for her. Now that Edgar was here, her excitement quickly grew, and with it, the n she made on her way back home to break the news to Edgar went right out of her thoughts. "Your mother is here because she helped me today. I wasn''t feeling well and she took care of me."


    "Was she the one to make you sick?" Edgar asked.


    "How would that be possible?" Prisci red at her son. He would soon eat his words once he learned how she had helped Alessandra.


    "No, Edgar. She would not havee here with me if she did. I was vomiting and your mother said I might be pregnant. That is why I sent for a doctor to confirm it but I have not bled for a while now so it is true. I will need medicine to help with how uneasy I am feeling. Edgar?" Alessandra snapped her fingers in front of his face. "Please do not be broken when we are finally having a child."


    "You are pregnant!?" Alfred eximed. "Since-"


    "Hush you old fool. This is my moment," Edgar snapped before Alfred could be the one to ask questions. Edgar touched Alessandra''s stomach where new life was slowly growing. Nothing about her looked different but something about their family was very much different. "It is about time they make their presence known."


    "They?" Alessandra frowned. There was no way to know how many babies she was carrying but the norm was one. "You mean they as in one right? Since we have to wait to know the gender."


    "You think your wonderful husband only put one child in there? How dare you underestimate my skills," Edgar replied, continuing to rub her stomach gently to not cause her any pain.


    Prisci wanted to wash out her ears with water to forget what Edgar said. She didn''t want to hear about him putting babies anywhere. She wanted to ask who raised him but then she looked at Alfred patiently waiting for his chance to ask questions. She wouldn''t put it past him to start crying as if he was the father.


    "You know, I am starting to be concerned about the things this baby will hear," Alessandra muttered. Edgar''s mouth never cared who was around. Whatever was on his mind, he would say it. "Alfred, you can ignore Edgar ande here. I am in need of- Edgar," Alessandra quickly tapped his shoulder. "I think Alfred is going to faint."


    "The carpet in here will provide him with a safending," Edgar replied, more interested in touching her stomach than catching Alfred.

 Chapter 432 EXPECTING (3)

    Chapter 432 EXPECTING (3)


    In the end, Alfred assured Alessandra that he was not going to faint. He did not want to miss hearing how Alessandra found out she was pregnant and what the doctor would say.


    When the doctor finally arrived, Alessandra and Edgar left Prisci and Alfred alone while they went into a room for Alessandra to be inspected.


    Alfred and Prisci sat in different chairs which unfortunately made them have to face each other. Prisci avoided looking at Alfred and instead looked around the room they were in. When Edgar released her a month ago she had not spoken to Alfred. An apology was probably suited now but Prisci did not know where to start so she kept quiet.


    "There are plenty of items from Edgar''s youth in storage at your home. You should have the maids organize them to see what is good and send them here. There must be a few sentimental things Edgar can pass down to his children or he can look back on," Alfred spoke up first.


    "Very well," Prisci replied, having no issue with bringing what belonged to Edgar.


    "Thank you for helping the Duchess today," Alfred thanked Prisci as pregnancy might not have entered Alessandra''s mind if Prisci was not present.


    "Must you always be so nice? You almost died a month ago because of someone who worked for me," Prisci said, turning to look at Alfred. "You shouldn''t be speaking to me so casually right now."


    "I shouldn''t but I want those things from Edgar''s childhood. The books and all even if they smell old. I will find the exact book to rece and put in the child''s room. Back then I was angry with you even though I expected you would try to kill me. More than a month has gone by and a child ising into this world. The fact it is Edgar''s child means I will be stressed enough. I don''t have time to be angry with you," Alfred honestly replied.


    At his age, he did not need to hold onto grudges and seek out revenge. Alfred did not n to get back at Prisci by trying to kill her so when he looked at her, he felt nothing. As always, he hoped Edgar and Prisci could fix their rtionship. It was all he ever wanted and it seemed there was hope.


    "Edgar by himself was a headache so you better hope it is not more than one in her stomach. Then again, it will be your headache to deal with so why should I care," Prisci stated since Edgar was not pleased with her presence and failed to properly acknowledge her. "Why am I still here?" She wondered out loud. She had better things to do than sit here ufortably awaiting news of Alessandra''s pregnancy.


    "You should speak with the Duchess before you go. She''ll be disappointed if you leave without a goodbye. If my presence bothers you, I shall take my leave. I can hear the good newster," Alfred started to stand up.


    "You can stay. Edgar will paint me as the viin if you leave. He already used me of getting his wife sick when he is part of the reason she is sick. I never thought there would be a day he would have children. So far he is doing better than his father," Prisci said because as far as she knew, Edgar was a faithful husband. There was gossip but she could tell it was all lies.


    The women in these gossip about Edgar were simr to the type of women Prisci tried introducing to Edgar but he turned them down. If lies were to be created, the least the people who started the rumors could do was create a more believable woman for Edgar to cheat with.


    Some of the people in the town found Edgar and Alessandra''s love to be too perfect for their marriage to be full of happiness and not have any drama so they tried to look around for what the couple was hiding. Prisci was tired of the questions fools would ask her when it was obvious she knew nothing about Edgar''s marriage and did not care to know.


    "Am Ite?" Heather rushed to the drawing room. "My carriage wheel got stuck."


    "They are with the doctor right now. I will get some drinks and snacks for the two of you," Alfred said, getting up from his seat. There was nothing more to say to Prisci and his presence was making her ufortable. It would be awkward to sit near someone you tried to kill no matter how much time passed. "Edgar," Alfred stopped before he could leave the drawing room.


    "Where are you going? The doctor is packing up while Alessandra is changing out of her dress to rest. She is pregnant," Edgar confirmed.


    "Congrattions Duke Collins," Heather said, excited for the married couple. She was aware of their want for a baby.


    "Thank you. You can see her now if you wish. She is in our bedroom. You can go too," Edgar rolled his eyes at Alfred. Alfred was like a child eagerly waiting for their parent to let them open a present.


    "I will be quick to not bother her," Heather replied then left the drawing room with Alfred.


    Only mother and son remained now.


    Prisci avoided Edgar''s gaze she knew was on her. It wasn''t in the deal for Alessandra to leave her alone with Edgar.


    "Thank you."


    Prisci''s eyes widened and without thinking, she looked at Edgar. "Did you just thank me?" She asked, not believing she heard him right. Maybe the house had a ghost or something.


    Edgar looked around the room and replied, "You are the only person here. There is no one hiding in the walls."


    "It is strange for you to be thanking me. A few minutes ago you were using me of getting your wife sick when it was you who put her in this position. By the way, I have not broken our deal of staying away from each other. Your wife pleaded with me toe here. It is hard to say no to her when she makes you feel guilty," Prisci said, once again avoiding Edgar''s gaze.


    Silence fell upon the room once more as mother and son were not used to being together but not arguing with each other or simply mentioning something the other disliked.


    "I am not over what you tried to do to Alfred but I cannot deny you were helpful today and Alessandra would like your advice in preparing for the baby. I don''t see why when you had servants to do everything for you. She has plenty of people here to help her. What?" Edgar shrugged his shoulders when she seemed offended by his words. "It is the truth."


    "None of them know what it is like to push a baby out of your body. There are still plenty of things I had to be aware of. I wasn''t the best mother but I won''t sit and take your jabs," said Prisci. She was not desperate for Edgar''s attention to sit through this.


    "I am not fond of it but Alessandra would like you around and as of right now, you do not seem like a threat. One day a week for an hour, I will give you entry to our home to visit Alessandra. If you wish to see your grandchild grow up, I rmend you do not ruin this rare second chance I am giving you. You must send a message a day in advance when you n to visit. If you behave, I will increase your visits. That is all," Edgar finished, having no more to say to his mother.


    Edgar was thankful there was someone to keep an eye on Alessandra when she was not home but this didn''t magically fix the strained rtionship he had with his mother. They needed more time. Alessandra wanted his mother here and during this time, he nned to give Alessandra all that she wanted to please her.


    Prisci was surprised to hear Edgar was inviting her to visit the home. "I understand. I must go now. There is no point in me staying here when she is going to rest. You might know by now but that woman is in town and she is looking for your father. She tried speaking to Alessandra and I am sure she will do it again. It was," Prisci started but she was reluctant to say it was good to see Edgar. "Goodbye," she said in the end.

 Chapter 432 - 432 Expecting (3)

    432 Expecting (3)


    In the end, Alfred assured Alessandra that he was not going to faint. He did not want to miss hearing how Alessandra found out she was pregnant and what the doctor would say.


    When the doctor finally arrived, Alessandra and Edgar left Prisci and Alfred alone while they went into a room for Alessandra to be inspected.


    Alfred and Prisci sat in different chairs which unfortunately made them have to face each other. Prisci avoided looking at Alfred and instead looked around the room they were in. When Edgar released her a month ago she had not spoken to Alfred. An apology was probably suited now but Prisci did not know where to start so she kept quiet.


    ¡°There are plenty of items from Edgar¡¯s youth in storage at your home. You should have the maids organize them to see what is good and send them here. There must be a few sentimental things Edgar can pass down to his children or he can look back on,¡± Alfred spoke up first.


    ¡°Very well,¡± Prisci replied, having no issue with bringing what belonged to Edgar.


    ¡°Thank you for helping the Duchess today,¡± Alfred thanked Prisci as pregnancy might not have entered Alessandra¡¯s mind if Prisci was not present.


    ¡°Must you always be so nice? You almost died a month ago because of someone who worked for me,¡± Prisci said, turning to look at Alfred. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be speaking to me so casually right now.¡±


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t but I want those things from Edgar¡¯s childhood. The books and all even if they smell old. I will find the exact book to rece and put in the child¡¯s room. Back then I was angry with you even though I expected you would try to kill me. More than a month has gone by and a child ising into this world. The fact it is Edgar¡¯s child means I will be stressed enough. I don¡¯t have time to be angry with you,¡± Alfred honestly replied.


    At his age, he did not need to hold onto grudges and seek out revenge. Alfred did not n to get back at Prisci by trying to kill her so when he looked at her, he felt nothing. As always, he hoped Edgar and Prisci could fix their rtionship. It was all he ever wanted and it seemed there was hope.


    .....


    ¡°Edgar by himself was a headache so you better hope it is not more than one in her stomach. Then again, it will be your headache to deal with so why should I care,¡± Prisci stated since Edgar was not pleased with her presence and failed to properly acknowledge her. ¡°Why am I still here?¡± She wondered out loud. She had better things to do than sit here ufortably awaiting news of Alessandra¡¯s pregnancy.


    ¡°You should speak with the Duchess before you go. She¡¯ll be disappointed if you leave without a goodbye. If my presence bothers you, I shall take my leave. I can hear the good newster,¡± Alfred started to stand up.


    ¡°You can stay. Edgar will paint me as the viin if you leave. He already used me of getting his wife sick when he is part of the reason she is sick. I never thought there would be a day he would have children. So far he is doing better than his father,¡± Prisci said because as far as she knew, Edgar was a faithful husband. There was gossip but she could tell it was all lies.


    The women in these gossip about Edgar were simr to the type of women Prisci tried introducing to Edgar but he turned them down. If lies were to be created, the least the people who started the rumors could do was create a more believable woman for Edgar to cheat with.


    Some of the people in the town found Edgar and Alessandra¡¯s love to be too perfect for their marriage to be full of happiness and not have any drama so they tried to look around for what the couple was hiding. Prisci was tired of the questions fools would ask her when it was obvious she knew nothing about Edgar¡¯s marriage and did not care to know.


    ¡°Am Ite?¡± Heather rushed to the drawing room. ¡°My carriage wheel got stuck.¡±


    ¡°They are with the doctor right now. I will get some drinks and snacks for the two of you,¡± Alfred said, getting up from his seat. There was nothing more to say to Prisci and his presence was making her ufortable. It would be awkward to sit near someone you tried to kill no matter how much time passed. ¡°Edgar,¡± Alfred stopped before he could leave the drawing room.


    ¡°Where are you going? The doctor is packing up while Alessandra is changing out of her dress to rest. She is pregnant,¡± Edgar confirmed.


    ¡°Congrattions Duke Collins,¡± Heather said, excited for the married couple. She was aware of their want for a baby.


    ¡°Thank you. You can see her now if you wish. She is in our bedroom. You can go too,¡± Edgar rolled his eyes at Alfred. Alfred was like a child eagerly waiting for their parent to let them open a present.


    ¡°I will be quick to not bother her,¡± Heather replied then left the drawing room with Alfred.


    Only mother and son remained now.


    Prisci avoided Edgar¡¯s gaze she knew was on her. It wasn¡¯t in the deal for Alessandra to leave her alone with Edgar.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Prisci¡¯s eyes widened and without thinking, she looked at Edgar. ¡°Did you just thank me?¡± She asked, not believing she heard him right. Maybe the house had a ghost or something.


    Edgar looked around the room and replied, ¡°You are the only person here. There is no one hiding in the walls.¡±


    ¡°It is strange for you to be thanking me. A few minutes ago you were using me of getting your wife sick when it was you who put her in this position. By the way, I have not broken our deal of staying away from each other. Your wife pleaded with me toe here. It is hard to say no to her when she makes you feel guilty,¡± Prisci said, once again avoiding Edgar¡¯s gaze.


    Silence fell upon the room once more as mother and son were not used to being together but not arguing with each other or simply mentioning something the other disliked.


    ¡°I am not over what you tried to do to Alfred but I cannot deny you were helpful today and Alessandra would like your advice in preparing for the baby. I don¡¯t see why when you had servants to do everything for you. She has plenty of people here to help her. What?¡± Edgar shrugged his shoulders when she seemed offended by his words. ¡°It is the truth.¡±


    ¡°None of them know what it is like to push a baby out of your body. There are still plenty of things I had to be aware of. I wasn¡¯t the best mother but I won¡¯t sit and take your jabs,¡± said Prisci. She was not desperate for Edgar¡¯s attention to sit through this.


    ¡°I am not fond of it but Alessandra would like you around and as of right now, you do not seem like a threat. One day a week for an hour, I will give you entry to our home to visit Alessandra. If you wish to see your grandchild grow up, I rmend you do not ruin this rare second chance I am giving you. You must send a message a day in advance when you n to visit. If you behave, I will increase your visits. That is all,¡± Edgar finished, having no more to say to his mother.


    Edgar was thankful there was someone to keep an eye on Alessandra when she was not home but this didn¡¯t magically fix the strained rtionship he had with his mother. They needed more time. Alessandra wanted his mother here and during this time, he nned to give Alessandra all that she wanted to please her.


    Prisci was surprised to hear Edgar was inviting her to visit the home. ¡°I understand. I must go now. There is no point in me staying here when she is going to rest. You might know by now but that woman is in town and she is looking for your father. She tried speaking to Alessandra and I am sure she will do it again. It was,¡± Prisci started but she was reluctant to say it was good to see Edgar. ¡°Goodbye,¡± she said in the end.

 Chapter 433 - 433 Cutting off the head (1)

    433 Cutting off the head (1)


    ¡°They got the tes wrong. Are they serious? Be careful with those dresses! All of you are giving me a headache,¡± Kate sighed, touching her head to calm her anger. The servants seemed hellbent on ruining her dresses.


    Four weeks after her engagement, Kate went straight into nning her wedding and now was the time to start moving all that she owned into Simon¡¯s home. It was a painful process for Kate as the servants kept dropping her belongings. She would prefer if James was present to lead Simon¡¯s servants.


    ¡°Take the dresses to the closet and everything else to the empty bedroom for now,¡± Kate repeated the same order for the third time.


    ¡°Kate,¡± Simon called to her from the stairs. He pushed himself against the wall to avoid getting squeezed by servants walking with a big box full of who knows what. ¡°Wasn¡¯t today supposed to be a light move-in? It seems like you packed everything. Do you still have clothes at your mother¡¯s house?¡±


    Kate¡¯s face lit up now that Simon was present. ¡°You underestimate how many clothes I have. I will need to give away some of the ones I have now to make room for new ones. I should send them to the church.¡±


    ¡°That is an excellent idea. I remember you were giving away some a long time ago,¡± said Simon.


    Kate could only nod her head as the time Simon was referring to was when she was actually nning on selling her clothes so she could buy more. ¡°I would like to use this time to make others as happy as I am. I¡¯m sorry if the noise interrupted you. This would have been quicker if you let me bring servants from my mother¡¯s home to help. I don¡¯t see why they could note.¡±


    ¡°I am not used to people that I am not familiar withing in and out of this house and there are more than enough servants here. The noise did not bother me. I enjoy the loud noise since it blocks out everything,¡± Simon smiled.


    Kate did not believe him. ¡°You say that now but I feel like you will get angry with me about thister. That is why I suggested we go out while the servants bring in my things. We should see if the tes I wanted are ready and there are so much more wedding details I want to show you. I don¡¯t want to prepare anything you would not enjoy.¡±


    .....


    ¡°I trust your judgment, Kate. I am sure whatever you have nned will be wonderful,¡± Simon replied, not the slightest bit interested in wedding details. He did not care for the wedding in general.


    Kate, on the other hand, enjoyed that Simon was going along with what she wanted and paying for all of it. He already annoyed her by asking for a spring wedding but then he decided on when there would be less snow than there was now. Simon would not change his mind about it so Kate had to wait.


    It was annoying considering many of the youngdies who were proposed to at the ball were either already married or their weddings were soon while Kate had to wait one more week. She wanted to be married now and be called Marchioness. It was frustrating that Grace had somehow managed to get proposed to and was boosting about her uing wedding. Kate wanted to silence everyone by showing off the grand wedding she was nning.


    ¡°Simon,¡± Kate pretended to fix his shirt. ¡°Can I start changing up the house to my liking? It is wonderful as it is now but there are a few things I would like to add to show that ady now lives here. This house screams bachelor.¡±


    Simon looked at another stack of dressesing into his home. ¡°Aren¡¯t the dresses enough to show that ady is here? Unless the town will assume I am trying them on?¡± He joked.


    ¡°That is not funny,¡± Kate yfully tapped his chest. ¡°You cannot be like that guard. I still cannot forget how shocking it was to learn the captain of the town guards had been seeing a man. It was bold of Emma to expose him.¡±


    Lockwood received a big wave of the news one week ago when Emma exposed her fiance Oliver for being with a man.


    ¡°Now we all know why he never epted her love. How she still shows her face is beyond me. It creeps me out to think she might have kissed a man who rolled around in bed with another man. Disgusting,¡± Kate¡¯s skin tingled now that she thought about it. ¡°Don¡¯t joke around about wearing dresses even when it is at our home. I don¡¯t want your name to be sullied. I love you so much to let anyone ruin you.¡±


    Simon held Kate¡¯s hand and touched the ring on her finger with his thumb. ¡°No one can ruin me,¡± he replied.


    ¡®He didn¡¯t say it back,¡¯ Kate realized. It wasn¡¯t the first or second time he ignored her when she said she loved him. It bothered her but at the same time, Kate also did not love Simon. She only said it because it would fit the moment. Kate liked to believe he was someone he didn¡¯t like having to repeat it all the time. Simon would not be marrying her if he did not love her.


    Kate forced a smile to not let it show that it bothered her. ¡°Of course, no one can ruin you. Who would be so foolish to go up against a Marquess like yourself? If there is such a fool, I will deal with them for you,¡± she said.


    ¡°Is that so? Then I have a few people I would love for you to take care of,¡± Simon joked.


    ¡°After the wedding, I will get rid of them for you. Right now, I am swamped with looking over this wedding. The invitations have been sent out to the rtives you care for. It is unfortunate that I never met your parents and you could not ask for my hand in marriage from my father. I would like to go to your parent¡¯s graves to introduce myself before we are married and you shall visit my father. I want your parent¡¯s to know about me.¡±


    ¡°They do,¡± Simon responded but had to exin himself further when Kate seemed confused. ¡°You don¡¯t need to go to their graves to speak with them. They are all around us now. My parents are present in this room and have known about you long before I proposed to you. I frequently speak to them and have told them about you. How perfect you are,¡± he tapped her nose.


    ¡°You are right. My father¡¯s soul must be with us now. Still, we should go to the graves to put down fresh flowers,¡± Kate stuck to her n.


    Simon fought the urge to not let his annoyance show. He had no interest in visiting empty graves.


    ¡°Kate!¡± The sound of Katrina¡¯s voice annoyed him more. The mother and daughter put on a good show out he was tired of Katrina¡¯s constant visits like Kate was a child she needed to look after.

 Chapter 434 - 434 Cutting off the head (2)

    434 Cutting off the head (2)


    ¡°Mother, why didn¡¯t you tell me you were going to visit us? Did the two of you n this? I could use your help,¡± Kate said, feeling relieved now that her mother was present.


    ¡°We did not,¡± Simon replied as Katrina¡¯s presence ticked him off. The former Baroness required a hobby to pass her time instead of seeking out Kate.


    Simon had too many secrets for Katrina to be showing up unannounced. He disliked how Kate hung onto her mother¡¯s every word instead of only his. Topletely control Kate, he needed to cut her mother loose.


    ¡°I was out in town buying a few things and thought I would pay a visit on my way back home. I hope I am not intruding,¡± Katrina said, specifically to Simon.


    Contrary to his thoughts, Simon replied, ¡°You aren¡¯t. You are always wee here. You will be my mother-inw in one week.¡±


    Katrina entered the house and touched Simon¡¯s arm. ¡°I hope you can one day think of me as your mother.¡±


    ¡°I already do,¡± Simon answered. He had the same hate for Katrina as he did for his mother. He started to picture Katrina¡¯s lifeless body sitting at his table to join his parents. He could even dig up Desmond¡¯s body to make the collectionplete.


    ¡°See, I told you he did. Simon and I were talking about the wedding for a bit and all the clothes I have brought to be put in our closet. The workers have finished expanding the closet but I will have my clothes put inside tomorrow. The task for today is to get everything inside our home. I¡¯m taking a break to start thinking of how I will add my touch to this house,¡± Kate looked around at the boring decor.


    ¡°Slow down Kate. Give Simon time to get used to all the changes. The two of you have a long life ahead of you. You don¡¯t need to rush moving in and decorating the house all in one day. I bought something for the two of you to snack on as I am sure you are busy preparing for your life together and have not eaten,¡± Katrina handed Simon and Kate a bag each. They were filled with warm pastries for the two to enjoy.


    .....


    ¡°Thank you, mother,¡± Kate happily epted the food. She had not eaten since breakfast as she was too busy dealing with moving in. Leave it to her mother to know what she wanted. ¡°Come take a seat with us. I can have the butler get something for all of us to drink.¡±


    ¡°I would love to sit with the two of you right now but there is something I must take care of now so I can spend more time with Kateter,¡± Simon said, forcing an apologetic expression. He had years of practice to fake what he was feeling just like Kate and Katrina.


    ¡°I thought you were not going to be busy today. Isn¡¯t that why we picked today for me to start moving in?¡± Kate asked, disliking the fact he was leaving now her mother was here. They should at least sit together before he disappeared to his study.


    Katrina touched Kate¡¯s shoulder to stop her from pushing the matter. ¡°It is alright, Kate. He is trying to do his work so he can spend time with you. I will keep herpany while you work, Simon. Don¡¯t mind us.¡±


    ¡°I will try to finish in time to join the two of you before you leave. If you don¡¯t have anything to do today, you can returnter to join us for dinner. Kate can return home together with you after dinner,¡± Simon proposed. It took all the strength that he had to let the suggestion leave his lips. ¡®I will consider it a wedding gift before I rip her away from her daughter,¡¯ he thought.


    Kate had a better idea. ¡°Why should she go home in the first ce? She should stay here until dinner to help me organize my things to look at what I am nning for the wedding. Please tell me that you have nothing to do at home now mother,¡± Kate whined, pleading with her mother to stay.


    Katrina had to look to deal with the young women involved in the business she shared with Randall in an hour but Kate would alwayse first. Randall should have no issue helping the girls reach the men they were meant to target. ¡°Very well,¡± Katrina decided to stay. ¡°I will try to make your life easier and help with whatever you need Kate but I will not be able to join the two of you for dinner. I will return to pick up Kate.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps another day.. I need to get to work now. See you soon, Kate,¡± Simon kissed her forehead. He had to give Katrina credit for knowing when her presence was not needed and turned down the offer for dinner. Maybe he was too hard on her though he disliked her presence in his home. Once he got married to Kate, her visits should decrease.


    ¡°Come with me,¡± Kate hooked her arm with her mother¡¯s and led her to the drawing room. She listened to Simon¡¯s footsteps as he went back upstairs. ¡°I am happy you are here. Maybe you can convince him to get rid of some of the servants he has. They hardly listen to me but Simon does not want to get rid of them because he says their loyalty is unmatched and I will see it soon.¡±


    ¡°That is normal, Kate. When your father first took me to his home, the servants did not listen to my orders. They always looked to him to confirm what I wanted to be done. They will listen to you when you are officially Simon¡¯s wife. I would have loved to be in your position where I did not need to weed out servants who were loyal to his first wife,¡± said Katrina as Kate had it easy.


    ¡°It is still frustrating. He is not a pushover like before. Now that we are engaged, he doesn¡¯t want to just say yes to the things I want. This house should already be decorated to my liking. So annoying,¡± Kate stomped her feet.


    ¡°Do not be so loud Kate,¡± Katrina looked behind them. The servants would love to run and tell Simon what Kate said. ¡°Men like to act like leaders when they are getting married. They like to feel in control. Give it some time for him to agree with what you want but don¡¯t act spoiled.¡±


    ¡°Whose fault is it that I am spoiled?¡± Kate muttered, dramatically sitting down on a chair. ¡°I am already tired but I am not a wife yet. I need to hire a head maid to take some of my duties off my shoulders,¡± she closed her eyes to rest.


    Katrina was pleased to see how much Kate had grown in such a short period. ¡°You will get used to it. You must before the two of you have children. Kate,¡± Katrina whispered as she sat down beside Kate. ¡°Have you found out what is in that room yet?¡± She pointed to a locked door in the drawing room.


    ¡°No mother. He does not want to tell me what is in there and he made me promise not to try going inside. It is probably his private space where he could not be bothered. I intend to get one for myself. You and father also had your own spaces that you did not want anyone to enter,¡± Kate replied.


    ¡°Still,¡± Katrina couldn¡¯t help her curiosity. What could a man like Simon have in a locked room no one could enter? ¡°Do not fall asleep yet. Tell me about the wedding ns.¡±


    While mother and daughter got lost in their conversation, Simon stood at the bottom of the stairs listening to every word. The servants quietly walked by him to not alert the women of his presence. They did not want to get in the way of Simon¡¯s game.

 Chapter 435 - 435 Found (1)

    435 Found (1)


    ¡°For thest time, I am feeling fine. I feel no different than what I felt this morning. I don¡¯t feel like vomiting. However, I am feeling annoyed,¡± Alessandra said, looking at Edgar who sat on the edge of their bed.


    Alessandra tried to rest after taking medicine given to her by the doctor but the sound of someone constantlying in and out of the room got on her nerves. It was even more irritating when she heard someone walking around the bed and fixing the nket which did not need to be fixed.


    Alessandra appreciated the concern but she felt no different from ten minutes ago when it was Alfred who asked her how she was feeling. She could not help thinking about how many days she would have to go through this. Alessandra could look at the clock and predict when someone else woulde to check on her.


    ¡°Why is there so much noise outside?¡± Alessandra asked, trying to sit up but Edgar pushed her back down on the bed. After Alfred left, there was a constant loud noise like someone was banging something.


    ¡°Alfred and the servants are cleaning at the moment,¡± Edgar replied, somewhat telling the truth. Excitement filled the house as everyone rushed to prepare for children who had months to go before they made their grand entrance into this world.


    ¡°You¡¯re lying,¡± Alessandra saw right through him. ¡°I¡¯m not a delicate flower, Edgar. I walked around on my own this morning and I was pregnant then. All of you are up to something.¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t know you were pregnant this morning. A few things are changing up downstairs. We¡¯ve picked out a room to use when it bes troublesome for you to walk up the stairs. We need to start working on putting everything you¡¯ll need in there now. To stop Alfred from bothering you, I let him clear out a room on this floor to turn into the baby¡¯s room. That is the noise you are hearing,¡± Edgar exined.


    Edgar underestimated the fact Alfred would have servants pulling furniture out of the room today.


    ¡°So what do I need to get you to stop bothering me?¡± Alessandra joked.


    .....


    ¡°Nothing. You are stuck with me like this until those little things crawl out of you,¡± Edgar replied.


    Alessandra opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. She didn¡¯t know whether to address him being glued to her or the fact he said their baby would crawl out of her. Instead, she chose to enjoy Edgar¡¯s excitement to be a father. He changed from only wanting an heir to wanting a house full of children. She had no ns of going through this many times but she still enjoyed seeing him excited.


    ¡°So, have you taken over Sally¡¯s job? I told her to take a break since I wanted to rest but here you are tending to me. You can go back to what you were doing before I came home and bring Sally back. Nothing will happen in our home if you take your eyes off of me, Edgar. I would like some water,¡± Alessandra used as ast resort to send him away.


    ¡°We have a house full of servants. I only need to open the door and tell one to bring water,¡± Edgar replied, showing how he could ruin her n but he knew he had pestered her enough. ¡°I will still be at home if you need me,¡± he sat up from the bed. He had to check if Alfred was destroying his home.


    ¡°I know you would not be leaving home today,¡± Alessandra smiled. There could be a war happening outside their gates and Edgar would not bat an eye today. ¡°Can you send a letter to Ruth to apologize for my sudden departure from her party? Your mother and I left in a hurry so I did not get to tell Lady Ruth goodbye. You don¡¯t have to reveal that I am pregnant. I don¡¯t need anyone else bothering me. We should only tell our friends.¡±


    ¡°I will send the letter as soon as I leave. Did anyone bother you at that party?¡± Edgar asked, only now remembering what his mother said about his father¡¯s old lover.


    ¡°I confirmed the Viscountess and I will never be friends. I knew there was something wrong with her the first time we met each other. I did meet the woman Cassidy. She seems to be looking for your father. Do you know where he is?¡± Alessandra asked as she had no idea where Edmund was. She only knew Prisci was still in town because she continued to socialize while there was no word from Edmund.


    ¡°I am not his keeper. I don¡¯t follow up on where he goes. I will find you a female guard to join you at these parties you attend. Andre and Clyde will wait for you outside with Caleb.¡±


    Alessandra was curious if Cassidy tried to speak with Edgar. ¡°Have you spoken to her?¡±


    ¡°When I was young and my mother was away visiting my grandparents. She came to the home iming to be a friend of my father and tried acting like she was my mother when she saw me. My father took her out of the house right after. That was how I found out what she looked like. I have not seen her again even now with the divorce. Do not concern yourself with their drama,¡± Edgar said, fixing the bed where he previously sat.


    ¡°I won¡¯t. I only wanted to help get your mother out of that awkward run-in. I don¡¯t agree with her having to see someone your father loved during their marriage. It is not fair and if I were in her position, I wouldsh out at everyone around me too,¡± Alessandra replied. ¡°I hope she finds someone who can make her happy.¡±


    Edgar didn¡¯t have anything more to say. This was all his parent¡¯s business which he wanted no part in. He didn¡¯t need his father¡¯s problems showing up at his gates or approaching Alessandra. Instead of running away to wherever he was now, Edmund should be here to tell that woman whether or not he wanted to be with her so she could stop going to people who did not care for her.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± Edgar left to find Sally.


    ¡°Edgar,¡± Reed said when Edgar stepped out of the room. For three weeks, he was gone to carry out an important task Edgar gave to him. He returned with good news or maybe this might be bad news. ¡°My group and I returned to Lockwood a while ago. I heard your news from Caleb. Congrattions on the baby.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Edgar closed the door behind him so Alessandra could not hear their conversation. ¡°Did you find anything?¡±


    ¡°The information we received was right this time. We followed the lead and found her,¡± Reed said, handing Edgar papers with the information they gathered when they watched their target. ¡°We found Mnie Barrett. Well, she is no longer a Barrett. She was so hard to find because she settled down in a small town where there is no court. She married a schr.¡±


    Edgar flipped through the pages of what Reed collected from watching Mnie and her new family. ¡°Shit,¡± he cursed. Life had a habit of ruining good days.

 Chapter 436 - 436 Found (2)

    436 Found (2)


    During the few weeks he was away, Reed thought Edgar had sent him on a wild chase for someone no longer in this world. Each lead they had about Mnie ended up leading him to nowhere. He went around showing a portrait of Mnie and by some luck, there were a few people who recognized her.


    With each new person who recognized her, Reed and the men who traveled with him had to stop and try mapping out the order of towns Mnie had traveled to so they could figure out where she ended up. Reed was ready to give up and have someone else assigned to this job until there was someone who pointed them to a small town. Saying the woman in the portrait looked like a younger version of the schr¡¯s wife.


    Reed was surprised when he encountered a woman with simr features to Alessandra. They tried to map out what they gathered from other towns again and it made sense for Mnie to pass through the small town.


    ¡°Will you tell the Duchess?¡± Reed asked since Alessandra stated many times that she was not interested in seeing her mother again.


    ¡°Would you tell your pregnant wife who is not supposed to be stressed out that her missing mother was found?¡± Edgar asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Reed honestly answered. Alessandra didn¡¯t have a good record when it came to her family members. They personally did not know what this Mnie was like. She could be just as bad as Desmond. Reed didn¡¯t have a good opinion of a woman who abandoned her daughter and started another family. There was no good excuse. ¡°Will you wait until the baby is born to tell her? Your wife won¡¯t be happy if you do not tell her ow.¡±


    Alessandra was not made aware of their search for her mother. Edgar did not want to wait for the court to hunt down Mnie when he had the power to do it himself. He wanted to allow Alessandra to speak with her mother. To have the chance to either move or wee the woman back into her life. Each time she received letters from Wilma, Alessandra would mention her mother and then go on to say she did not care.


    Edgar was in a rough predicament to tell Alessandra now and disrupt her peace or hold onto this information until a better date and risk Alessandra being upset with him. ¡°How far away from Lockwood is she?¡± He asked.


    ¡°It took me three days to get back to Lockwood but that includes the stops I made to eat or rest. You can cut that down to two days. Do you want me to bring her here?¡± Reed asked.


    .....


    ¡°No,¡± Edgar shook his head. He considered traveling to see for himself what Mnie was like before informing Alessandra about her mother. However, he could not get up and leave his pregnant wife. ¡°Come to my study,¡± he said, wanting to leave in case Alessandra woulde to the door.


    ¡°In my opinion, this is one of those times when you can hide something from her until the right time. She will be angry but it will notst long. Alessandra will understand you were looking out for her. I asked around the town and it seems she is well-loved alongside her husband. Nothing bad was said, no drama since they settled down there, and she helps around the town,¡± Reed ryed what he knew. Right now, Mnie seemed like a caring woman to others.


    Reed stepped to the side as maids passed by him with chairs that looked like they came from a bedroom. He started to wonder if he should have waited a bit more beforeing back. He would hate to be asked to move among furniture when all he wanted to do after a long trip was sleep but first, he had some unfinished business with a youngdy who kept avoiding him.


    Reed followed Edgar inside his study for privacy and closed behind them.


    ¡°They have three children,¡± Edgar read from the first paper.


    ¡°The oldest child is from her husband¡¯s previous rtionship. The two young girls are their own,¡± Reed answered.


    ¡°She¡¯s raising two girls and a boy with him. Wonderful,¡± Edgar sarcastically added.


    Someone needed to have a lot of audacity to raise a child belonging to someone else and create new children while forgetting their firstborn. ¡°I want you to send everything you found to Mark. Have the court be the one to inform her of what happened to the family she left behind and let them bring her back to Lockwood. ¡±


    ¡°Tell the men you returned with to not speak of this. I don¡¯t want Alessandra learning about her mother just yet,¡± Edgar said, picking up a sheet of paper to write a letter to Wilma. It was best to inform her of her daughter¡¯s whereabouts now when her husband was on hisst days. He should have the chance to try reaching out to his daughter again before he would pass away.


    ¡°Understood,¡± Reed answered. He gathered the papers to take to the court. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to bring this up on a good day when you are meant to be celebrating.¡±


    ¡°My day isn¡¯t ruined. This mostly concerns Alessandra. After you visit the court, send a message to Tobias that I want to speak with him. He¡¯s been awfully quiet,¡± Edgar said, finding it odd how little Tobias was reaching out to him. ¡°Hazel must be pregnant. There is nothing else in this world to keep him so silent.¡±


    ¡°If the Queen is pregnant, your children might have close birthdays like you and the King. If your children have opposite genders, Tobias will arrange for a marriage-¡±


    ¡°Over my fucking dead body,¡± Edgar was immediately against it.


    Not because it was Tobias¡¯s child but due to the fact he hated being forcefully paired up with anyone and life in the pce was not something he wanted any of his children to experience. He had the power to protect them but seeing what Hazel went through was enough convincing to keep them away.


    Edgar wouldn¡¯t be against sending them to y with a prince or princess as he did the same in his childhood but marriage was out of the question.


    ¡°Luckily for you by the time your children are of age to marry, guns will be allowed in the kingdom. I can hardly wait to see you stressing over the men who will want to court your daughters if you have any,¡± Reed chuckled.


    Edgar slowly looked up at Reed. He wasn¡¯t fond of Reed finding amusement in his future problems. ¡°You mean like how Eleanor is being courted by a man her aunt wants her to marry?¡± He retorted, knowing it would hurt Reed since he took a liking to his wife¡¯s friend.

 Chapter 437 - 437 Found (3)

    437 Found (3)


    ¡°That was low. Even for you. With a child on the way shouldn¡¯t you learn to be nice?¡± Reed asked. They say babies have a habit of changing people so Reed wanted Edgar¡¯s change to hurry up and happen.


    ¡°I am always nice,¡± Edgar replied. ¡°I am nice to hide how irritating it is for you and your brother to keep going after Alessandra¡¯s friend and maid. I am nice to allow you to sleep when you should be working like everyone else.¡±


    ¡°Your definition of nice and mine are different. You should be annoyed with Caleb, not me. He is the one nning a fake wedding since Sally¡¯s parents still think the two are getting married. I am waiting for our mother to find out about it. She will lose her mind for not being informed about a wedding,¡± Reed smiled. The one person they feared was their mother. She would change from a sweet woman to a monster in a matter of seconds the moment she learned of Caleb¡¯s fake predicament.


    ¡°You talk of me not being nice but you always look to get your brother in trouble. Twins should have a bit of loyalty to each other. I am going to rece the two of you as Alessandra¡¯s guards soon. Your interests lie elsewhere these days,¡± Edgar said. He was not going to take any risk during her pregnancy.


    Edgar was all for her going to these gatherings with other women before but now he wanted to limit her going out. It was no longer just Alessandra who needed to be protected.


    ¡°That is unnecessary. We would never let anything happen to the Duchess while we are guarding her,¡± Reed replied, disliking his job going to someone else. It would make him appear ipetent if he could not watch Alessandra and keep her safe.


    ¡°I recall you off in a hallway kissing her friend when the only reason you were in the pce was to watch Alessandra. Why Eleanor of people? Why couldn¡¯t you have found someone else to bother that has nothing to do with Alessandra?¡± Edgar asked, curious if they were purposely doing it to annoy him.


    ¡°It just happened without thinking. It is nothing serious to affect my job of protecting your wife. The only reason I was with Eleanor was because of your wife. She sent me to guard her friend. You did not tell my brother about this, did you?¡± Reed eyed Edgar with suspicion. Caleb was not good at keeping secrets. Secrets that belonged to Reed so thest person Reed would like to know about his kiss with Eleanor was Caleb.


    ¡°I have no ns of getting involved in your personal business that wille back to bite you in the ass. Unless this business puts my family in danger that is. Why are you still standing here? You should be delivering my message to Mark and Tobias. Then running off to see if Eleanor is getting married or not. Go on,¡± Edgar shooed Reed away.


    .....


    ¡°I hope you are cursed with daughters who will make your life hell,¡± Reed said and then walked away.


    Contrary to what Reed thought, Edgar wouldn¡¯t mind if he had daughters. He could spoil them and there was always his trusted gun to get rid of any fool looking to court them.


    ¡°Sally,¡± Edgar stood as he remembered he was supposed to be getting Sally for Alessandra along with water.


    The Collins household continued to be in disarray thanks to Alfred clearing out a room for the child he longed to take care of. Soon evening fell on Lockwood and a grand visitor was at their door.


    ¡°Edgar!¡± Tobias yelled from the door as he walked in. He had much to celebrate as this was the first time in a while that Edgar sent for him. ¡°You called me here but did not wait at the door for me.¡±


    Edgar shut the book he was reading and walked to the front door from the drawing room. ¡°Do you n to wake up anyone who is sleeping? I did not call for you. I said I wanted to talk with you. We were supposed to arrange a-¡±


    ¡°Stop lying to yourself, Edgar. You know when you say you want to speak to me, I alwayse to your home. What did you want to talk about? Did you miss my presencetely?¡± Tobias asked, hoping it was this. It was about time Edgar started missing when he was not around.


    Tobias limited his time out of the pce a week after the ball when received good news.


    ¡°Whenever you are not leaving the pce frequently it means you have found yourself in trouble that I need to help you out of. Why have you been silent? I have not heard of you leaving the pce nor has there been any news from the pce. What trouble have you found yourself in?¡± Edgar asked.


    Tobias ced his hands on his hips and smiled. ¡°Well, we¡¯ve been keeping this on the low but since my absence bothers you, you will be the first friend to know. Hazel is pregnant. The kingdom will soon be able to celebrate the arrival of a prince or a princess. Just in time too since those fools started to bring in women for me to pick one to be my mistress.¡±


    ¡°Congrattions,¡± Edgar patted Tobias¡¯s back. After everything he went through with Hazel and her tea, there was nothing funny Edgar could say now.


    ¡°Thank you. Hazel wants me to tell Alessandra the good news. Where is she and why weren¡¯t you hovering around her? Marriage problems?¡± Tobias joked.


    ¡°No, I¡¯ve been kicked out of our bedroom for bothering her or something. Pregnancy has made her a bit moody already. I¡¯ll be lucky if I don¡¯t have to sleep in another bedroom tonight. That can¡¯t happen,¡± Edgar said and started to think of a way to get back on her good side.


    ¡°You should see how Hazel- Wait! What the fuck!¡± Tobias eximed as it now dawned on him what Edgar said. ¡°Pregnant? The two of you are having a child. What the hell?¡±


    Edgar narrowed his eyes at Tobias¡¯s reaction. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t there be a congrattion right now just as I gave to you? You seriously did not think you were the only one looking forward to a child right?¡±


    ¡°No, you told me about your ns to have a child but this was supposed to be my time to shine. Along with Hazel of course,¡± Tobias added since she had an important role in all of this.


    Edgar felt a sense of deja vu listening to Tobias speak. ¡°I am starting to see what is wrong with me,¡± he muttered.


    Tobias was confused by Edgar¡¯s words. ¡°What? There¡¯s nothing wrong with you. I mean, you could learn to not have this don¡¯t care attitude that makes me want to strangle you sometimes but then I understand your childhood so I let it go. I like to think that before Alessandra and Alfred, I was the light in your life. I knew you before they did since we knew each other as babies. ¡±


    Tobias saw a bright side to Edgar having a child now. ¡°Congrattions on your child, Edgar. It is good that you are having a baby at the same time as me. I want our children to be as close as our fathers were and as close as we are. I¡¯m starting to think that if-¡±


    ¡°Our children are not getting married,¡± Edgar cut in before this ridiculous n could be said again. ¡°Come and have a drink with me before you go back. I have a feeling Hazel kicked you out of her bedroom.¡±


    ¡°She sure did. I made the mistake of saying how big her stomach will get,¡± said Tobias.

 Chapter 438 - 438 Escape plan (1)

    438 Escape n (1)


    ¡°Goodbye. I wille again tomorrow after I visit the dressmaker for my wedding dress. I wish I could show it to you now but we can wait a few more days. Get some rest,¡± Kate tiptoed to kiss Simon¡¯s cheek.


    After a long eventful day, it was time for her to return home with her mother. This didn¡¯t make Kate happy as she was ready to start living here with Simon but she only had to hold out for a few more days.


    ¡°I will take care of things here. You should focus on your wedding dress tomorrow,¡± Simon said in hopes she stay away from his home for one day. There was much he needed to get rid of and so much more he needed to prepare for Kate staying with him forever.


    Kate was constantly at his home which stopped him from carrying out his ns. Only when they were married and she was living here did he n to show her what his world was truly like. He wanted to test her and see if she could continue her act. She better if she wanted to live. He was not going through the trouble of marrying Kate just for her to disappoint him. She would anger him more than the others had if she failed him.


    ¡°Trying to get rid of me already?¡± Kate joked. ¡°I suppose we have seen each other too much these past few days. I should give you some space as my mother said to get used to the big change. I won¡¯t keep you standing here and my mother must be annoyed with me for keeping her waiting in the carriage so goodbye Simon. I cannot wait to see you again,¡± Kate bid goodbye before walking away.


    Her smile fell when her back was turned to Simon. The corners of her mouth hurt from constantly forcing herself to smile around him. The future she wanted being so close in her hands was what kept her going with her act of loving Simon. She would learn to love him one day. She would put up with his boring personality and fall for something about him. The bright side was his kindness. It made it easy for her to get along with him.


    Simon waved as Kate got into the carriage and Katrina looked out at him. Unlike Kate, Simon¡¯s smile did not hurt. He had gotten used to the persona he showed to everyone. ¡°About time,¡± he muttered when their carriage started to leave his home.


    Having someone inside his home all day was annoying but Kate had saved him once. The King started to request houses for everyone in Lockwood to be searched for any clues for the missing girls. Kate was present when the guards came and stated that she noticed nothing odd here when they started to look around.


    Simon closed the front door and instead of going to rest, he had someone he wanted to speak with. He had not fully decided if he wanted to keep or discard her to rattle the town. The game he yed was starting to be boring since no one pointed fingers at him. He was almost tempted to reveal himself and make the game a chase, running away from the guards.


    .....


    ¡°He¡¯s disappointing,¡± Simon whispered, referring to Edgar. He thought the man everyone boosted about his skills would have figured something out by now.


    This could not be the same Edgar that Simon wanted to befriend as a child. Edgar who had issues with his parents just like Simon. They were the same in Simon¡¯s eyes which was why it only made sense for Edgar to be the one trying to clean up the mess Simon was creating. They were connected to the point they would be married to sisters. This was another benefit of marrying Kate as she tied him to Edgar¡¯s wife regardless of their bad rtionship.


    Simon was curious to know what happened between Kate and Alessandra when Alessandra could not leave their father¡¯s home. It seemed like Kate was not good to her sister and judging from what he heard about when the women gathered at the ball, Kate might be the reason Alessandra had to wear a mask. Perhaps Kate was just like him.


    Simon exited the door near the kitchen and walked out to the area with tall trees like always. The snow would soon be gone which meant he had to cover the opening of his secret room with something else. Simon opened the secret door and jumped down inside, quickly finding a torch.


    ¡°Be,¡± he called to the young actress who should consider herself lucky for being alive when all her peers were dead. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I could note to visit you as ofte. I hope you are not angry with me,¡± Simon said, spotting the light in the corner where Be liked to curl up. ¡°Did you enjoy the food the servants bought you? I heard you were a good girl and did not plead to be released unlike this one,¡± Simon kicked L¡¯s lifeless body.


    Her body reeked as it started to dpose in this very room long ago. The smell did not bother Simon but Be was tortured by it. She did not understand why Simon had not sent out this body as he did with the others. Why was he keeping this one?


    ¡°I am not angry with you,¡± Be answered before Simon could get angry with her. She came too far to die from upsetting him when she knew what he was like. Be was holding onto hope that since she was the one to survive this long, she would get out of there. ¡°Thank you for the food.¡±


    ¡°Good girl. I might not be able toe to feed you for a little while since I am getting married,¡± Simon said.


    Be¡¯s eyes widened at the news of Simon getting married. The poor unfortunate girl who was getting married to him did not know the kind of monster he was. Whoever was marrying Simon might end up with her in this darkness or maybe Simon will continue his madness without his wife ever finding out.


    ¡°Congrattions on your wedding,¡± Be pped for him.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t tossed out this body yet since it¡¯s a wedding gift for my bride. This one was no fun,¡± Simon walked around L¡¯s body. ¡°Her parents took so long to report her as if they didn¡¯t care. No point in giving her back if they aren¡¯t desperately looking for her. She would still be alive if she minded her business. I was aiming for her friend and she ruined it. If you ask nicely, I can have her body ced somewhere else. Maybe cleaned and ced with my parents. I am thinking of digging up my father-inw, Desmond Barrett.¡±


    ¡®He¡¯s marrying Barrett? Kate?¡¯ Be wondered. She wouldn¡¯t count on Kate to help her out of there.


    ¡°Be, I enjoy yourpany. You understand me well and know how to avoid annoying me but I still can¡¯t help thinking this should be the end of the road for us. You must want to bring your mother some peace,¡± Simon said.


    ¡°No,¡± Be shook her head. ¡°I wish to stay here with you.¡±

 Chapter 439 - 439 Escape plan (2)

    439 Escape n (2)


    ¡°If not Kate, I would have married you. It¡¯s a shame where you ended up. You would have made an excellent actress. I can see myself going to ys to watch you but it is better to have you here all to myself. Perhaps I will keep you until you bore me. You are like a pet I can use to get away from the outside world. My mother would have loved you,¡± Simon said, looking back on his childhood.


    ¡°She always spoke of wanting a daughter. You are the perfect daughter to listen to her. Should we pretend to be siblings?¡± Simon asked, looking down at Be with excitement. ¡°We can speak about how cruel our mother was. How she would punish us if we did not answer her questions right or if we missed a step in our dance lessons. How we both wanted to crush her throat and watch the life leave her body.¡±


    ¡°Father might have taken a liking to you and you would have felt suffocated. While I killed our mother, you would be the one to kill him. We would make quite the duo in killing our parents and then ruining this town after. You would all understand me if you knew what I endured. Behind my parent¡¯s smiles were two evil people who endlessly tortured their child when he messed up. I can still feel the wood she once beat me with for not being as smart as she wanted,¡± Simon touched his arm.


    Be didn¡¯t care to understand Simon. He could tell her about his sad childhood over and over again but it would not justify the things he did now. Simon had no right to punish others for what his parents did. His parents were already dead so he should move on. There was so much Be wanted to scream at Simon but to keep herself alive, she kept her mouth shut and pretended to feel sorry for him.


    ¡°Do you know what upsets me the most? When peoplein about their parents over the smallest things. They have nothing toin about like I do. I went to sleep with my arms sore from the bruises my mother made from hitting me each time I messed up reciting what she wanted me to tell the guest so I seemed smart and they could show me off. Your problems are nothingpared to mine,¡± said Simon.


    It was irritating to hear othersin about their parents not buying them a toy or a dress when there were others facing abuse.


    Simon stooped down to Be¡¯s level and taunted her by putting the torch close to her as if he wanted to burn her. ¡°My parents forced me to be perfect and it worked. No one could ever predict what I am thinking because all they see is a warm smile from a Marquess who keeps out of trouble. Unfortunately, I am my parent¡¯s child as I have fallen in love with seeing others put on a show. I can¡¯t help it if my punishments are a bit more severe. There are so many youngdies in town to use, so why keep them alive?¡±


    Simon stood up and ced the torch over Be. ¡°Since you are so well-behaved, I will let you have some light tonight. No need to thank me. I will introduce you to my bribe soon. If she gets jealous you are here, I might have to get rid of you. Then again, it would be fun to watch the two of youpete for my love. Maybe I should give you another chance to see if you are rid of your ws. If you are better than Kate, I will switch your ces. No, we can¡¯t do that,¡± Simon realized why this n would fail. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be acting like my sister.¡±


    Be felt her hope disappear after Simon changed his mind. If she was able to get out of this ce and walk around his home even if she was being watched by the servants who bring her food, she would be able to plot a better escape.


    .....


    ¡°You look disappointed,¡± Simon smiled. ¡°I like that. As another treat, how about I ask around about how your mother is doing? The poor woman fainted thest time I sent out a body. Do you truly believe people can die from missing someone too much? We should test it out.''¡±


    ¡®Last time he said she didn¡¯t care about me,¡¯ Be thought. She knew that was a lie but she believed what Simon said about her mother fainting. She needed to get out of there soon before her mother harmed herself.


    ¡°I wish I could stay with you longer but there is a wedding I need to prepare for. Did you picture yourself getting married? I can buy you a wedding dress so you can walk around here to y pretend. Heaven knows you will never have the real thing. Unless I find some man I detest and bring him down here to wed you. There is a man named Kyle who I wouldn¡¯t mind getting rid of. I have much to think of,¡± Simon said, giving Be onest look before making his way out of the room. L¡¯s body was finally starting to get to him.


    Be quietly listened to Simon climbing up thedder to leave the room. She listened closely for the click after he locked the door he used toe inside. Be remained seated for a few minutes as there were a few times Simon woulde back right away to see what she was doing the moment he left.


    Be had waited long enough and moved away from the corner she sat in each time Simon visited her. She scrunched up her nose to block out the horrible smell of L¡¯s body that she could taste on her tongue from how strong it had gotten thanks to the closed-up room. She tried not to vomit to make the small space she had a mess.


    Be pulled away at the wood on the walls. She used to pick at it out of boredom until one day she identally lifted a piece of it off the wall. She continued to try removing the wood carefully so Simon would not notice. Be had to stop each time Simon brought in a new victim as Be did not trust anyone but herself.


    The other girls were too loud and would no doubt identally give away what she was doing to save themselves. Two people would make this work but Be would not take the risk.


    Be sat in this corner each time Simon or a servant came inside to hide if there was anything off about the wall.


    ¡°Come on,¡± she quickly pulled all the board she had pulled away at for numerous weeks. Be carefully ced them on the floor to not damage them and took a deep breath when she found the hole she created. She had a hard task of figuring out where to put the dirt from her hole but she managed to hide it for now all over the room.


    Her fingers ached from digging into the dirt behind the walls with only her fingers and a spoon she slipped away but she continued to make a hole the perfect size for her to slip through so there wouldn¡¯t be too much dirt for her to have to hide in the room. It didn¡¯t matter where it would take her as long as she could get out of this room.


    Be took the spoon from where she hid it in the hole and started to dig once more. ¡°I am getting out of here alive,¡± she said as motivation to ignore the pain and focus on digging.

 Chapter 440 - 440 Escape plan (3)

    440 Escape n (3)


    ¡°You¡¯re almost there, Kate. I am so proud of you,¡± Katrina said as she watched Kate who sat on the other side of the carriage. Kate had scored bigger than Katrina did. There was nothing more satisfying than seeing her daughter having an easy life. It was what Katrina worked so hard to achieve. ¡°The house is turning out nice. I will give the two of you some money so you can continue to change it up to your liking.¡±


    ¡°There is no need for that mother. Simon tells me to spend what I want but I am being mindful to not seem like I will waste his money in the future. You should save the money you want to give us,¡± Kate replied, looking away from the window to her mother.


    Katrina smiled as Kate was changing quickly. Perhaps too quickly. Katrina was preparing Kate for this very moment for years but now that the time hade, Katrina did not want to have her only child leave her side.


    As hard as it would be to let go of Kate, Katrina could not hold Kate back. Kate¡¯s marriage to Simon would continue to push Katrina closer to the status she wanted her family to have. Not like the days when she worked in the red light district and had nothing to her name.


    ¡°Why are you smiling at me, mother? You have not replied to me,¡± said Kate.


    ¡°I am just thinking about how close you are to having everything I always envision you having. I dreamed of you having a life better than what I grew up with. I want the best for you, Kate. Seeing you getting ready to be married and be without me is just making me sad. It will just be me when you are gone,¡± Katrina said, holding back her tears.


    ¡°That is why I said you can look to remarry. I won¡¯t mind if you find someone else to share your days with. Father has been gone for a long time so no one can talk about you finding new love by now. You do not have to get married right away and it is not like I will not visit you often. Who else will I ask for advice? When we have children, you are the only grandparent they will have so they will regrly visit you. Nothing will change other than the fact I am not living there,¡± Kate assured her mother.


    Kate also thought of what life would be without her mother in arms reach. They were always together and her father¡¯s death brought them even closer. It was weird to think of not seeing her mother daily.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need another man in my life unless he is a King. I will try to enjoy the peace in the house now until you have children to bother me,¡± Katrina said, looking forward to raising her grandchildren.


    .....


    ¡°I will try to have one quickly so I can send them to your home. Mother, I was thinking of hosting a gathering before our wedding and inviting some of my peers. Grace already did one. You can get all sorts of gifts but Simon does not want to have too many people in our home. He is not fond of visitors,¡± Kate frowned. It was the one thing that ticked her off about Simon. She loved the attention but Simon hated it.


    ¡°He lived a quiet life before you, Kate. Some people prefer to not let anyone in their homes. Try suggesting somewhere else as the location for this party and see what he says. We can do it at my home but there will be so much to n when we are already nning a wedding. I think you should leave this party out and stop trying topete with Grace. She is not on your level,¡± Katrina replied. Grace came from a good family but her looks did notpare to Kate¡¯s.


    ¡°I know she is not but I get tired of her boasting about the things she does. I want to do everything better than her. I wish she was the one to disappear instead of L. L got ahead of herself for a moment but I could always put her back in her ce. I don¡¯t believe that she is missing. I am sticking to the rumor that L got pregnant before her wedding and that is why she ran away. She¡¯ll eventually have toe back to Lockwood and I cannot wait to see her,¡± Kate smiled, looking forward to the reunion where she would rub her marriage to Simon in L¡¯s face.


    Katrina wasn¡¯t in the mood to hear about L or Grace. ¡°I told you to stop thinking about the two of them and find more friends who suit you. I like the Viscountess for you. You said she has been visiting you a lot to see if you need help with the wedding or advice as a new wife since she has only been married for three months. Stick with her.¡±


    ¡°I only speak with her because of her title. All she does is talk about the child in her stomach and ask about Alessandra. She¡¯s just using me to find out information about someone else. She¡¯s lucky to be Viscountess or I would have sent her away. I want to surround myself with people who have titles and statuses. Let me,¡± Kate stood to open the carriage door for her mother when it parked in front of their home. ¡°I will be like your maid thesest few days we are together.¡±


    ¡°I must be blessed to have a future Marchioness opening doors for me,¡± Katrina said as she exited the carriage first. Her smile fell when the first person she saw waiting for them was Randall. ¡®I told him to stay away from my home,¡¯ she thought.


    Katrina was secretly involved with his business so she did not want Randalling to her house like this. No one knew she was behind the sess of his new business in the red-light district.


    It would only take one person to be curious about how they knew each other to start looking into Randall and exposing her past. No matter how many times she told Randall to stay away he kept showing up like this to make her angry. He took joy in the fact he knew all of her secrets and could expose her at any moment.


    Kate disliked seeing Randall at their door again. She noticed how her mother tensed up when he was around but Kate could not figure out why. He imed to be an old friend of the family but Kate did not recall her father speaking about Randall. She found it suspicious how Simon called Randall by a different name when he spoke of a family friend he met.


    ¡°Go in and do not speak to him,¡± Katrina ordered Kate. The second reason she did not want Randall around was so he could not try putting his disgusting hands on Kate.


    Kate didn¡¯t need to be told to avoid Randall. Despite his clean appearance in clothes she knew was expensive, Kate wanted nothing to do with Randall. A Marchioness should not be around someone like him. Kate ignored Randall as she entered the home.


    ¡°She has the same attitude as you. We had business ns today Katrina. You know that I have no one else with your skills to help me. We are supposed to be targeting a young Lord to get one of our women married to but you blew me off. For what exactly?¡± Randall spoke softly despite his anger.


    ¡°Something came up. Can¡¯t you be a big boy and use your brain to figure certain things out? You were the one to get me to Desmond-¡±


    ¡°But you yed the role of the woman he wanted well,¡± Randall reminded him. If he had put any other woman in Katrina¡¯s ce to go after a Baron, they would not achieve all that Katrina did. Katrina took scamming to another level. He needed her to teach the young women what she knew.


    ¡°That¡¯s what desperation would do to you. When you don¡¯t want to go back to the lowly life you had before, you find you could put on any grand show to trap anyone who can offer you a better life. I will write down more instructions for you but you need to send me half of what ee made from the youngdy who is getting married. I helped put her in that position to marry a man who would inherit his father¡¯s wine business. Pay me first,¡± Katrina said as she was not going to let Randall get all the money.


    ¡°I will have it in your hands by the end of the day,¡± Randall replied. He noticed something in the corner of his eyes and saw that it was the butler who had a habit of appearing when he was near Katrina.


    ¡°Is he just doing his job or is he smitten? I hope you are not fucking your butler, Ida. I am a jealous man so if I cannot have you, no one else can. I hate that he is always here with you. Get rid of him before I do,¡± Randall advised her, smiling at James to taunt him before he left to take care of business.

 Chapter 441 - 441 Keeping secrets (1)

    441 Keeping secrets (1)


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I say to send notices when you want to visit?¡± Edgar asked, holding the door to stop his mother froming inside. By some luck it was him who received the message about her wanting toe inside the gates.


    ¡°I did. It should have arrived a little over an hour before I did. Be grateful I have brought with me all the things Alfred wanted,¡± Prisci pointed at her carriage. ¡°Have your servants bring them out for you and take them to wherever. Get out of my way, Edgar.¡±


    ¡°It has not been a day as yet, but I am already regretting my decision to let you have entry to our home. Has her pregnancy suddenly made you like her or are you lonely? We can get you a dog tofort you. A small one though I am tempted to get one of the big ones you are afraid of. There are a few somewhere on the property,¡± Edgar said, seriously considering letting the dogs roam free.


    The only reason they were never present was because of Alessandra¡¯s cats who liked to go outside from time to time. After the death of herst kitten, he didn¡¯t need to traumatize her with the bloody mess of what his dogs could do to her cats.


    ¡°Who raised you?¡± Prisci asked, thinking it could not be Alfred because of the way Edgar turned out.


    ¡°Not you,¡± Edgar replied.


    Prisci rolled her eyes. ¡°How many times must you throw that in my face? Yes, I was an absent mother. Do you want me to tell the entire town? When will you let it go? Move your foot before I press my heel down on it. I did not travel all this way for you to send me away before I get inside. Edgar, I swear I brought you into this world and I will be the one to take you out of it if you do not move-¡±


    ¡°What are you two doing?¡± Alessandra asked, staring at the mother and son fighting by the door. Any more of this and the door might snap in two.


    Edgar released the door which unfortunately made Prisci almost fall forward because she was pushing against it. ¡°Nothing,¡± he answered, ignoring his mother ring at him. ¡°Why did youe downstairs? I could have gotten what you wanted.¡±


    .....


    ¡°I was going to paint when I saw the two of you by the door. Why were you stopping your mother froming inside? Didn¡¯t we agree that she could visit to help me?¡± Alessandra asked. Had she not suddenly have the urge to paint she would not have known Prisci was here. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t force her away. You should apologize, Edgar.¡±


    ¡®Good luck with that,¡¯ Prisci thought as she fixed her dress.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Edgar quickly let the word leave his mouth before his stubbornness coulde into y.


    Prisci looked at Edgar as if he grew a second head. First, he thanked her yesterday and now he was apologizing to her. What had they done to her son? ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?¡± Prisci asked Alessandra.


    Alessandra looked at Edgar to figure out what Prisci was talking about. He seemed perfectly fine unless she was referring to him apologizing. ¡°Did Edgar apologizing scare you?¡± Alessandra asked in disbelief. Certainly, this could not be the reason Prisci was acting like she made a wild discovery.


    ¡°Of course it did,¡± Prisci touched her chest to calm her heart. Edgar was stubborn just like her which made apologizing hard sometimes. It felt like someone stabbed you right in the heart when you had to say those two awful words.


    ¡°You two,¡± Alessandra sighed. Another day she could sit and try to figure out the two of them but not today. Not when she finally started to feel well enough to paint. Edgar and Prisci were not going to ruin this for her. However, this was a good opportunity for the mother and son to start working on their rtionship. ¡°I am going to paint-¡±


    ¡°I will join you,¡± Edgar and Prisci said in unison. The pair looked at each other, almost ring a hole into the other¡¯s head.


    Edgar was trying to spend more time with Alessandra to not miss out on anything new with her pregnancy while Prisci did not travel all the way here to not spend time with Alessandra and give her advice.


    ¡®Oh no,¡¯ Alessandra thought. She looked back and forth between the two. She didn¡¯t want to be a part of their game for who would spend time with her.


    ¡°Edgar, you cannot paint,¡± Alessandra said, regretting his offer to join her. Prisci smiled in triumph, but Alessandra quickly popped her happiness. ¡°And Prisci, youbwill not want to risk getting paint on your dress. I have a better idea. How about the two of you talk to each other? And leave me alone,¡± Alessandra added thest part in her head.


    ¡°Then the simple answer would be to do something else so I can join,¡± Prisci replied.


    ¡°I see where Edgar gets all his quick solution skills from,¡± Alessandra muttered. She thought it came from Alfred, but now she knew it was passed down from Prisci. ¡°Then the two of you can join me to paint. I am tired ofying around and I don¡¯t just sit around chatting. We need to do something fun.¡±


    Prisci raised her hand to bring up one important detail. ¡°I cannot paint,¡± she said.


    ¡°Neither can your son so the two of you will have something to bond over. This way,¡± Alessandra turned around to lead the pair up the stairs.


    Prisci did not appreciate the harsh truth being told by Alessandra even though she was the one to mention not being able to paint first. She bit her tongue to not give a smart response to Alessandra while Edgar was right beside her. She nced to her left at Edgar, who like a lost puppy, followed behind Alessandra.


    Prisci almost envied how easy Alessandra had it with a Collins man. Though Edgar was involved with the pce, he was here with his pregnant wife. Regardless of how much they did not get along, she could live with the fact Edgar was nothing like his father.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t youing, Prisci?¡± Alessandra asked, looking down at the bottom of the stairs where Prisci stood in a daze.


    ¡°I aming,¡± Prisci replied, following the two up the stairs. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to tell the servants to bring all the things from Edgar¡¯s childhood out of my carriage.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Alessandra asked, suddenly more interested in that than painting. ¡°I want to see what you brought with you,¡± she said, going back down the stairs.


    ¡°I don¡¯t recall having anything memorable from my childhood that my children should want,¡± Edgar said.


    ¡°Your second father asked me to bring them,¡± Prisci replied, referring to Alfred. She did her part in all of this. ¡°Give it to him if you do not want any of it. I had my servants pack what does not smell old or had spots in it. Most of what I brought with me are books we ced on shelves in his room. You liked to read. I know that much.¡±


    ¡°I would like to hear more stories about Edgar¡¯s childhood. Looks like we turned around just in time,¡± Alessandra said as a guard entered the front door with a note in his hand. ¡°Who is at the gates?¡±


    ¡°Men from the court, Duchess.¡±

 Chapter 442 - 442 Keeping secrets (2)

    442 Keeping secrets (2)


    ¡°My apologies for disturbing your family so early in the morning. We have a lot to discuss,¡± Mark said, entering the front door with papers in his hands. He came alone for this visit. ¡°Lady Scott,¡± Mark greeted Prisci.


    ¡°Finally someone not mistakenly using the Collins name. Where were you during my divorce, Mark?¡± Prisci asked. She knew Mark because of attending parties with Edmund which involved members of the court.


    ¡°I don¡¯t normally deal with divorces unless a case I am dealing with calls for it,¡± Mark replied.


    ¡°Then you should have told me to attempt to kill Edmund so you can have the case. The man who dealt with mine kept letting Edmund¡¯s mother speak over him. Why did he even let her in the room in the first ce? I get annoyed every time I think about it. Go on and speak with the two of them. I will take a tour around a house I have been banished from for years. I will see what changed,¡± Prisci said, leaving to give herself a tour.


    Edgar narrowed his eyes at Mark. ¡°Your eyes, Mark. Look away before you lose them.¡±


    Mark looked away from Prisci to Edgar. ¡°Calm down, Duke Collins. I have no intentions of suddenly being a father to a man like you. I am only here to speak about what you sent to us,¡± Mark said. ¡°And also, your mother is a growndy. Where would you like to speak, Duchess? I am here for you.¡±


    Alessandra tried to ignore Edgar who was not pleased with Mark looking at his mother. The same Edgar who not long ago was bickering with Prisci, but was now angry with a man for looking at his single mother. ¡°We can speak in the drawing room. Edgar, can you please tell Alfred to let the servants take what Prisci brought from her carriage and then you can join us?¡± She asked.


    Alessandra wanted Edgar to stop ring at Mark so she was sending him away for a moment. If Mark and Prisci had something going on, which Alessandra doubted, Edgar had no right to meddle. Still, it was amusing to see Edgar be protective of his mother.


    Edgar kept his eyes on Mark while he touched Alessandra¡¯s stomach before he left to find Alfred. ¡°Don¡¯t leave right here. I don¡¯t want you in a room with him,¡± he said.


    .....


    ¡°As if I have ns to harm her,¡± Mark said loud enough for Edgar to hear as he left them. ¡°Congrattions on your pregnancy, Duchess.¡±


    Alessandra looked down at her stomach which was t and showed no signs of her carrying a child. ¡®Am I gaining weight already?¡¯ Alessandra internally panicked. She had not mentally prepared herself for that.


    Mark noticed her panicked and said, ¡°I can tell because of the Duke touching your stomach before he left. I am an observant person. It helps with the job. I¡¯ll be keeping an eye on your family with this baby on the way. I don¡¯t need your husband going around threatening anyone who tries to harm you or your baby. Over a month ago, I had to deal with a man trying to attack you at the ball.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Alessandra said, knowing nothing about someone wanting to attack her at the ball. ¡°Was Edgar aware of it?¡±


    ¡°The King sent the person to the pce dungeon to stop your husband from attacking him. I spent the next day looking into who paid him to try taking advantage of you. It is not easy to do because of how secretive the business he is a part of it,¡± Mark replied.


    Alessandra found it odd Edgar had not mentioned this to her. She understood not telling her the night it happened but why not the day after or even a week? She would like to be informed that someone was out to get her. The man was caught but what about the person who paid him? She needed to keep an eye out for that person.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to rattle you with this. However, if you remember someone acting odd during the ball, please inform me. They might have to do something with it.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t really paying attention to anyone at the ball since they were staring at my face. The only thing odd was my half-sister wanting to speak with me in private. We are never on good terms to speak with each other in private or even with others around. I wouldn¡¯t put it past Kate to do something like that. Our fights are nothing like normal sisters,¡± Alessandra said, subconsciously touching her face.


    Mark noticed the action. ¡°I am still looking into your former stepmother. There is a man lingering around her for a while now. He is using a different name but I am aware his real name is Randall. Have you ever heard of him?¡±


    Alessandra shook her head. ¡°No, I have not. I never heard Katrina or my father mention this name before. What does he do? Is that why you are here today?¡±


    ¡°He is setting up a business in the red-light district. I¡¯ve learned of the past businesses he had in other towns and I have a feeling he is more of a friend to Katrina than your father. I can¡¯t tell you much about that right now but that is not all of why I am here today. I am here about what Edgar sent to us about your mother,¡± said Mother.


    Alessandra felt like she was missing out on a lot of information from what was happening around her. ¡°What did Edgar send about my mother?¡± She questioned. What could Edgar possibly know about her mother?


    ¡°I thought you were notified before the court was. Perhaps it would be best to ask your husband about why I am here before we get started,¡± Mark said, looking at an unsuspecting Edgar who was not aware of his wife¡¯s growing anger from being left out of something important. Mark didn¡¯t regret spilling all of this to Alessandra when Edgar was not around. He considered it payback for Edgar always causing him trouble.


    ¡°Edgar, what did you send to the court about my mother?¡± Alessandra asked the moment Edgar returned to her side.


    Edgar looked at Mark who could not keep his mouth shut while he left them for less than a minute. ¡°I sent the court her whereabouts yesterday. I didn¡¯t inform you then because you just found out about the children-¡±


    ¡°Child,¡± Alessandra corrected him.


    ¡°You¡¯re in for a shock when the big dayes,¡± Edgar stuck to his belief that there was more than one child in her stomach. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to add knowing where your mother is onto celebrating the fact you are with a child yesterday. I intended to tell you. If I wanted to hide it from you forever, I wouldn¡¯t have sent what I found to the court. I did not want to ruin yesterday because I did not know how you would react.¡±


    ¡°What about the man who tried to attack me at the ball?¡± Alessandra asked. The only reason she was upset was due to the fact she was learning about this from someone else. One of the things she loved about their marriage was not keeping secrets even if they felt it would upset the other person. That way they could be both aware of what was happening around them and be prepared for any danger.


    ¡°You just had to open your big mouth and reveal everything, didn¡¯t you?¡± Edgar red at Mark. Why did Mark have to inform her about this? What did it have to do about her mother? ¡°I hid that from you simply because I didn¡¯t want to worry you.¡±


    ¡°Mark, can you please go ahead to the drawing room? We will join you shortly,¡± Alessandra forced a smile and pointed to the drawing room.


    Mark didn¡¯t want to miss the show of the great Edgar Collins being scolded but he respected Alessandra¡¯s wishes. He could live with the fact he irritated Edgar for once.


    Alessandra pinched the bridge of her nose and then said, ¡°I know it seems foolish to get angry with you when you are trying to protect me but I prefer when you don¡¯t leave me out. I would have preferred to hear that you found my mother from you. You had plenty of time to tell me when we were sending the guard back to let Mark through the gates. I always tell you everything. Hearing it from Mark was more of a shock than if I would hear it from you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Edgar genuinely apologized. He understood how learning her mother was found and then her husband was the one to do it from Mark would be a double shock for her. ¡°I won¡¯t leave you in the dark anymore and will tell you all that I know that concerns you. Those were the only things I kept from you, I swear.¡±


    ¡°I believe you and thank you for searching for her,¡± Alessandra said as no one else could provide her with a location for years.


    ¡°Am I forgiven now- Are you crying?¡± Edgar asked, trying to pry her hand away from her face.


    ¡°I am not. There is just water in my eyes.¡±

 Chapter 443 - 443 Keeping secrets (3)

    443 Keeping secrets (3)


    Mark sat with his right legfortably ced over his left leg as he watched Alessandra and Edgar continue to talk. His first impression of Alessandra was she was too quiet for someone like Edgar, but surprisingly, she was able to keep Edgar in line. Perhaps when he wanted Edgar to behave, he needed toe to Alessandra.


    ¡°Are you better now?¡± Mark asked when they entered the drawing room, ignoring the fact he had caused trouble between the two.


    ¡°You are sitting quitefortably in someone¡¯s home,¡± Edgar said, intentionally walking by Mark to brush his feet. He sat down beside Alessandra to face Mark.


    ¡°How grown up of you. Hopefully, you mature by the time your child arrives. I hope your children take after their mother. I don¡¯t need another Duke or Duchess with your personality,¡± said Mark.


    ¡°My personality is wonderful. It is just because you fools cannot keep up with me that youin. I am creating another generation of smart people who will be far above their peers,¡± Edgar smugly replied. No other children will be a match for his own. It might be quite hard for them to find partners to suit them.


    ¡®Why does it sound like he is creating an army?¡¯ Alessandra thought. She could admit she would love for their children to have his confidence. They needed it if they were going to live in this town.


    ¡°If you say so. Let¡¯s start with why I came here today. We¡¯ve sent out a request for your mother to return to Lockwood. She cannot ignore it as there is a price to pay. We are giving her one week to return to Lockwood. She will be imprisoned if she tries to run away from us. Your mother needs to officially sign away her divorce from your father and be told about what happened to the inheritance. Since your husband kept secrets from you, here,¡± Mark picked out the paper with information on Mnie and handed it to Alessandra.


    Edgar tapped his fingers on his leg and smiled as he held back from responding to the jab Mark took at him. Mark was making use of his issue with Alessandra a moment ago but he was setting himself up for a battle he would not win.


    ¡°My mother has other children,¡± Alessandra said, her shock evident from her tone. Not one child, but there were three her mother was raising. What made the other three better than her? Did her mother not care for her because of her father? Did her mother truly believe she would be better in her father¡¯s care so she forgot about her?


    .....


    ¡°The son is from her husband¡¯s previous union, but they share the two daughters,¡± Edgar said. This was part of the reason he would have liked to prolong Alessandra learning about her mother¡¯s life.


    Alessandra continued to read the information about her mother¡¯s life. Although she gave up waiting for her mother¡¯s return and didn¡¯t have any good feelings toward someone who abandoned her, it still hurt. It was a painful p in the face to learn her mother had moved on to another life raising two girls and a son who did not share any blood with her. It was quite unfair.


    Was she supposed to not hold any negative feelings toward her mother because her mother might have assumed she would be better in her father¡¯s care and had no idea what life was like for her with Katrina or Kate?


    Mark found the situation to be quite sad to witness a daughter learn that her mother was able to raise a child she did not share blood with while the blood daughter was left to be mistreated by her stepmother. Regardless of what Mnie faced with Desmond, there were enough years for her to return to see her daughter who was far past being of age.


    ¡°She truly let go of her old life,¡± Alessandra released a dryugh. This hurt her as much as it hurt for her father to ignore the things Kate and Katrina did.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to meet with her when she-¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Alessandra shook her head. Her mother should not continue to forget. It was time her mother sat face to face with the child she left behind. ¡°I want to arrange a meeting with her the day shees to town. Excuse me for a moment,¡± she gave the papers back to Mark. ¡°I want to be alone, Edgar,¡± Alessandra said as she stood up. She needed to clear her mind alone and calm her emotions before continuing to speak with Mark.


    ¡°I¡¯m a little surprised you didn¡¯t go out of your way to bring her mother here on your own terms. Why let the court handle it?¡± Mark asked when Alessandra left them alone.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it your job to deal with these matters? Why should I do your job? I am already looking for a murderer which is your job along with the guards. Since you¡¯re so involved dealing with her family matters, you should take care of it,¡± Edgar folded his arms, looking off in the direction Alessandra walked off to be alone.


    ¡°I personally think you don¡¯t want to piss off your mother-inw in case there is a chance your wife makes amends with her,¡± said Mark.


    ¡°I think we should both mind our personal business,¡± Edgar replied.


    ¡°So, that means you won¡¯t mind your mother¡¯s business-¡±


    ¡°Do you want to die?¡± Edgar red at Mark.


    ¡°Eventually, but not right now. Even though it took more than a month, you were quicker than the court was to find a woman who did not want to be found for years. I need your help,¡± Mark handed a paper to Edgar. ¡°There are only a handful of people in the court I trust who cannot be paid off. Corrupt men and women can get past the court with the right amount of money. You cause a lot of trouble, but you are trustworthy and there is no denying you are better than most of the other wealthy men in town. I want you to find everything you can about a man named Randall. Involved in the red light district.¡±


    Edgar quickly read through the one paper with little to no information about Randall. ¡°My hands are already full. Why should I-¡±


    ¡°He might be the only link we have to Katrina¡¯s past. He showed up in Lockwood out of the blue and went straight to her. I have been keeping an eye on her and I know you must be too. Do you already know something about him?¡± Mark inquired. He didn¡¯t believe Edgar¡¯s don¡¯t care attitude about Randall.


    ¡°Of course, I am looking into him. I have not forgotten what those two women did to my wife,¡± Edgar replied. He had not let Katrina and Kate off the hook even for a second. First, he was looking to find the past Katrina worked so hard to hide. ¡°Leave it to me. I will send what I find out, but I cannot promise my mouth will remain shut.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it to. Do as you wish, but know this, I want to punish Katrina or Kate for whatever they did to your wife through the court. One of the things I don¡¯t tolerate is abuse,¡± Mark said as it was the reason he was sticking to this case.

 Chapter 444 - 444 Keeping secrets (4)

    444 Keeping secrets (4)


    ¡°Send your reports about Randall to me as soon as you get them. I¡¯m concerned about this business he is setting up here in the red-light district. It doesn¡¯t seem like any of the other businesses in the district. He is collecting girls and setting them up with wealthy men. He doesn¡¯t appear to be the type to help others find romance. I would like to soon find all the information I need to put them in a dungeon for a very long time,¡± Mark said.


    ¡°Dungeon?¡± Edgar chuckled as it was somewhat funny Mark thought that was where he wanted the mother and daughter to end up. ¡± That is not satisfying enough for me. I¡¯m going to stick to working on my own if you think I will let Katrina and Kate just rot in a dungeon. I want them to suffer as much as my wife did, and then, I consider letting you lock them away in the pce dungeon. Try getting the two of them first if you want to deal with them in court.¡±


    ¡°I will remember to reach the two of them before you do, but I still require your help with Randall. You have the resources to find out more about him and Katrina. I have never met anyone who sessfully wiped their past life away so even the court has no idea who she is. KDesmond surrounded himself with skilled women,¡± Mark noted.


    First, Mnie disappeared for years without anyone having a clue where she went, and then, Katrina lived in Lockwood without anyone having a clue where she came from.


    ¡°You might find some trouble dealing with thedy Kate Barrett since she is getting married to the Marquess. Simon is a quiet man, but we might see a different side to him when you try to punish his wife. He is well liked among other noblemen and you are, well. They are getting married in a week,¡± Mark revealed, but Edgar did not seem interested in the news.


    ¡°They will get to enjoy their wedding and marriage until I find out more about Katrina. You should know by now that Kate was the one to injure Alessandra¡¯s face. The scars are no longer there so I have a feeling someone who is not fond of me from the court will try fighting on Kate¡¯s behalf to say she was a child. This is not a case you will be able to solve through the court, Mark. It needs to be solved the old way,¡± Edgar said, referring to the old way of taking punishments into your own hands. ¡°You cannot always win going by the book.¡±


    ¡°It is my goal to follow thews that were created. You will not understand because you rather the two women dead, but I have principles to stick to. Since you have been helpful to the courttely, I will owe you a favor. If there is anything you need, do not hesitate to ask. I have a feeling your wife might not being back any time soon so I will take my leave so you canfort her,¡± Mark stood and straightened out his coat as he stood. ¡°I will send a letter to the Duchess the moment her mother is back in Lockwood. I will also send one to her grandmother.¡±


    Edgar said nothing more to Mark. Right now, they were both on the same track to expose the type of people Kate and Katrina were even though their punishments for the two differed.


    ¡°I should say goodbye to your mother before I leave,¡± Mark said to taunt Edgar. Flirting with Prsci while annoying Edgar was a win-qin situation. A way to upset Edgar did note easy.


    .....


    Edgar wasn¡¯t fond of this repeated joke which he honestly did not believe was a joke. He truly believed that Mark had some interest in his mother and was testing the waters. ¡°Some morals you have to keep joking about being with a woman who was once married to one of your peers. You are a fake saint. I have a priest I should introduce you to. Keep this up and the court will be looking all over town to find your body.¡±


    Mark looked over his shoulder at Edgar. ¡°I had the belief that you did not have a good rtionship with your mother. What a good son you are to try fending men away from her. I am almost tempted to be your new father so you can listen to me. Besides, your father and I were hardly friends. You mustn¡¯t throw that,¡± Mark said, taking quick steps out of the drawing room.


    For a moment, he forgot how violent Edgar could get no matter who was standing before him.


    ¡°I can do whatever the hell I want in my home,¡± Edgar replied, keeping the jar he picked up from the small table in the drawing room. ¡°I warned you to stop fucking around, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t kill a member of a court-¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a first for everything,¡± Edgar interjected.


    ¡°What the hell are the two of you doing?¡± Prisci angrily asked with her hands ced on her hips. She looked around for Alessandra first then back at the two men who seemed to be causing trouble. ¡°Edgar, I hope you do not intend to throw that jar. Excuse mynguage, but there is a pregnant woman who does not need to witness your shit. I am not pregnant and I do not want to witness it so put the jar down. Why are the two of you fighting?¡±


    ¡°Your son is a tiny bit upset that I made a few jokes about courting you. You have quite the guard dog,¡± Mark chuckled.


    Prisci failed to believe that Edgar, who disowned her as his mother, was getting upset at the possibility of Mark wanting to court her. That was her business at the end of the day. Still, it was a step forward to see Edgar acting like a protective son. ¡°Edgar, you cannot throw a jar because his words upset you, and I am allowed to be with someone after your father,¡± she added as she did not intend on staying alone forever. There were plenty of men out there willing to court her even though she was divorced.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if you want to get married again. I am only against it being this bastard,¡± Edgar pointed at Mark.


    ¡°Should we do it just to piss him off?¡± Mark asked Prisci.


    ¡°As fun as that sounds, I don¡¯t want to waste my precious time getting involved with someone from the court. I have witnessed how you devote your life to the court instead of your lover. Rest assured I will not be getting with Mark so put down that jar before someone gets hurt,¡± Prisci replied.


    ¡°I am on my way out so there won¡¯t be anyone getting hurt. I hope we see each other soon with good news son,¡± Mark threw out a final joke as he made his way to the front door.


    ¡®Should I? No,¡¯ Prisci shook her head. She should stick to not getting involved with anyone from the court.


    ¡®One of these days, I am going to kill him,¡¯ Edgar thought.

 Chapter 445 - 445 Excuses (1)

    445 Excuses (1)


    One week felt like one year for two sisters in Lockwood. One sister eagerly looked forward to her wedding day while the other sister nervously awaited her mother¡¯s return.


    Alessandra looked out the window of her carriage to take her mind off the endless questions she wanted to ask her mother. It was still hard to believe that after all these years she was finally seeing her mother again. She had to pinch her hands a few times to believe that this was all real and she was not dreaming this.


    Edgar joined Alessandra on the trip for support though he wouldn¡¯t be in the room with her. For their reunion, Alessandra wanted to be alone with her mother so no one could interrupt their conversation. It was the only request she gave to Mark. Alessandra was not told of any request Mnie wanted.


    ¡°It will be fine,¡± Edgar touched Alessandra¡¯s hand. ¡°It better be,¡± he muttered. He was hoping for a civil meeting to not stress out Alessandra more than she already was. He had himself to me for being the one to find her mother.


    ¡°I know. I am just thinking of how long I have waited for this moment and now it is finally here. My mind is restless. I have so much to think about. I am not getting my hopes up that I will suddenly have a good rtionship with my mother today, but I will hope for the best. If she does not have a good reason for staying away all these years, prepare to leave the court quickly,¡± Alessandra replied.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been forcing me to speak with my mother these days so I am afraid I will not leave until you¡¯ve said everything you need to. Get all your answers today so you can have peace and move on. I¡¯ll treat you with anything you want after this. Anything at all,¡± Edgar smiled, suggesting more than what the regr innocent person was thinking.


    Reed rolled his eyes at the couple who seemed to forget they were not the only ones in the carriage.


    Caleb leaned over to his brother and whispered, ¡°I told you that we should have sat out front.¡±


    Reed scrunched up his nose when Caleb got too close. ¡°What the hell did you eat?¡±


    .....


    ¡°Fish,¡± Caleb happily smiled. ¡°I snagged some from the kitchen. There might have been a few onions on the fish. Can you tell?¡± He blew air in Reed¡¯s direction.


    Reed pushed Caleb¡¯s face in the other direction. ¡°You know mother said never to do that. It is rude and I will tell her.¡±


    ¡°Must you always run to our mother? I know you¡¯ve been sending her information about Sally and me, you bastard,¡± Caleb said, fighting to remove Reed¡¯s hands from touching his face. ¡°Remove your hands. I don¡¯t know where they¡¯ve been.¡±


    ¡°Then stop blowing your breath all around the carriage. None of the windows are open,¡± Reed replied.


    Alessandra bit her lip to notugh at the two. Unintentionally, they were able to take her mind off of her mother.


    Edgar, on the other hand, felt his patience with the two running out. He kicked under the seat where they sat and said, ¡°You two, shut the hell up before I permanently shut you up.¡±


    Caleb pointed at Reed. ¡°He started it.¡±


    ¡°Stop talking,¡± Edgar sighed. He couldn¡¯t take much of the fish smell either. ¡°Why do I let the two of you work for me? I¡¯m going to change you from being her guard when our children are born.¡±


    Reed didn¡¯t want to hear this conversation again. ¡°I told you we are fit-¡±


    ¡°It is not about either of you being fit. It is the fact I don¡¯t want your stupidity to rub off on my child. I should fire you all together,¡± Edgar said, seeing that as a more effective way.


    Alessandra nudged Edgar to stop him from firing the twins. ¡°Stop it, Edgar. I happen to like the rtionship they have and most of the time, I envy how close they are. It must be nice to work with your brother.¡±


    ¡°It is not,¡± Reed and Caleb replied in unison.


    Alessandra didn¡¯t believe they did not enjoy each other¡¯spany. She looked out the window at the court in view. ¡°Thankfully, we have arrived so no one will be getting hurt, or fired. Be nice to each other while Edgar and I are inside.¡±


    ¡®Why are we not going to go inside with you?¡± Caleb asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to scare my mother by arriving with two big guards behind me and then there is Edgar. I only need one scary person with me. Thank you,¡± Alessandra thanked the driver after he opened the door for her.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to have to get the fuck out with that breath,¡± Reed muttered after Edgar exited the carriage.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think I would have a reason to visit the court so soon,¡± Alessandra said as she walked to the court with Edgar by her side.


    ¡°Be careful,¡± Edgar guided her away from rocks on the ground.


    ¡°Yes yes. I will,¡± Alessandra said in a yful tone. She had gotten used to Edgar¡¯s new protective level. She had to by now since there were long months ahead. ¡°Do you think she is here already? We might be a little bit early.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Edgar replied.


    ¡°You¡¯re a killjoy, Edgar. Mark is waiting for us. Good afternoon,¡± Alessandra greeted the man who has been quite helpful in her life recently.


    ¡°Good morning, Duchess. Collins,¡± Mark greeted Edgar without looking at him.


    ¡°Bastard,¡± Edgar greeted Mark.


    ¡°Your mother and her family are already here. I have a room assigned for you to have a conversation first and then I will join you. I will take you there. Will this be joining you for the entire meeting?¡± Markzily pointed at Edgar.


    ¡°You woke up and forgot your manners, Mark. You are speaking to a Duke. You need to be respectful,¡± Edgar said and then bit his tongue to hold back what was on his mind.


    ¡°Forgive me,¡± Mark dramatically bowed to Edgar as he would do in front of the King. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking of you as a family membertely so I got toofortable speaking with you. This way, Duchess.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even want to know what the issue is between the two of you,¡± Alessandra sighed. Her nerves went back up as they neared a room her mother was waiting for her. As they got closer, Alessandra heard more than one person speaking on the inside.


    Mark was the one to open the door and walk in first to announce her arrival. ¡°The Duchess is here.¡±


    ¡°I will wait out here,¡± Edgar released her hand.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Alessandra replied and followed behind Mark to finally meet her mother. Alessandra was confused the moment she entered the room.


    Inside the room, was an older woman who was no doubt her mother because of their simr features. Alessandra was confused by the presence of two youngerdies who had to be her sisters. As much as she would like to meet her sisters who she had no issue with, Alessandra wanted to speak with her mother alone. Unless they were going to a different room while her sisters remained here?

 Chapter 446 - 446 Excuses (2)

    446 Excuses (2)


    ¡°Am I going to another room to speak with my mother or is everyone else going to leave now that I am here?¡± Alessandra softly spoke with Mark.


    ¡°I mentioned you wanted to speak with her alone, but they insisted on remaining together,¡± Mark replied.


    ¡°Then I would like for Edgar toe inside in the next five minutes,¡± Alessandra said. It wasn¡¯t fair for her to be alone while her mother had her two other daughters beside her. Wanting no one around to interrupt her conversation with her mother was out the window.


    Alessandra was not looking for a fight today but she wanted Edgar in the room at some point in case it felt like she was getting nowhere with the three people in the room.


    ¡°Alessandra,¡± Mnie stood up to greet her daughter. She was nervous yet excited to see Alessandra again. News of Desmond¡¯s death and Alessandra¡¯s inheritance were like a ssh of cold water to the face. The life she left behind was much different than she expected. ¡°It is good to see you again, my sweet child.¡±


    ¡°Hello,¡± Alessandra greeted her mother. Mother could not easily roll off her tongue as calling someone this word felt odd. She only called Katrina mother to upset her in the past.


    Mark cleared his throat, wanting absolutely nothing to do with the awkwardness in the room. ¡°I won¡¯t be far away from this room. Just step outside when you are ready for me to join you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve be a Duchess,¡± Mnie said as she walked around therge table to get to Alessandra. ¡°Your father always dreamt big about the type of man you would marry.¡±


    ¡°My father had nothing to do with me marrying the Duke. I did that all on my own to get away from my father. I will sit here,¡± Alessandra sat down before Mnie could reach her. She wasn¡¯t ready for greetings that involved touching right now.


    .....


    Mnie stopped and looked up for a moment to get over the action she deserved. She knew with herte return Alessandra would not want to speak or even hug her. She deserved it for being away for so long.


    ¡°That was rude- Ow!¡±


    Alessandra looked further down the table at the two youngdies. While Alessandra had taken after her mother¡¯s appearance, her sisters looked to be a mixture of both parents even though Alessandra was yet to meet their father. Her sisters did not share her dark hair or striking green eyes. Their eyes looked as if there were two colours present.


    ¡°Do not kick me. It was rude. Mother was looking forward to this the entire trip,¡± the younger-looking sister said.


    Alessandra wasn¡¯t affected by her words. She didn¡¯t start to feel bad for not hugging her mother nor did she dislike the young girl for sticking up for their mother. Alessandra only wished they would have listened to her request to be alone with her mother so her sisters would not have to view how strained the rtionship was between their mother and older sister.


    ¡°Girls, please be quiet. I was told you wanted to speak with me alone, but the girls were so excited to meet their older sister. Your brother will join us in a few days with my husband. It was a bit hard for them to put their lives on a halt to travel here with me,¡± said Mnie.


    ¡°I apologize for disrupting the peaceful life you have with my problems,¡± Alessandra said, slightly annoyed to hear about how it wasn¡¯t easy for them. At least they had that inmon with her mother.


    ¡°I should be the one apologizing to you, Alessandra. I never stopped thinking about you. I wanted to bring you along with me when I first left, but I had no idea where I was going. I just picked up my bags and that wouldn¡¯t have been a good life for you. Travelling with me when there wasn¡¯t a ce I was going. Your father loved you so much so I knew it would be better for you to remain with him. That is why I left you behind,¡± Mnie exined.


    Before Alessandra could reply, she looked at her sisters listening closely to the conversation. ¡°I asked for my husband to join us in a few minutes so I do not feel alone in this room, but I would still prefer for you and me to have a conversation alone before everyone is together. Please.¡±


    ¡°Girls, please leave the room for a moment. Don¡¯t wander off far away or cause any trouble. This is nowhere for you to be ying around,¡± Mnie said, reminding the two that this was nothing like the small town they grew up in. Lockwood was a whole new world for her daughters.


    ¡°No fair. We have a new sister who is a Duchess of all things but we have to wait to meet her. It¡¯s not fair we get to miss out on what is being said here, mother. It is as interesting as finding out you were once a Baroness-¡±


    ¡°ire, get out now!¡± Mnie raised her voice and gave the two a look.


    Alessandra was startled by the loud noise and out of instinct, she touched her stomach. At least she learned one of her sisters¡¯ names was ire. She would learn the other name once she was finished here with her mother. Her focus was on her mother so the introductions with her sisters could be done afterwards.


    Mnie waited until the two, who would be getting a scoldingter, left the room to apologize to Alessandra once more. ¡°I am sorry for not listening to your request to be alone with me. It is true the two of them should not have been present but they were so eager to meet you that I let them stay. I also hoped that my other daughters being here would ease the awkwardness between us. I thought wrong. You probably do not want to hear any more apologies from me.¡±


    ¡°I do not. They hardly mean anything to me. What I want to know is why. I understand wanting to get away from my father and at the time, it was not ideal for me to be travelling with you, but years have gone by. You have no excuse to not return to see me. Even if my father tried threatening you, the court would have helped you,¡± Alessandra said.


    Mnie sighed. ¡°Your father had connections in the court to help him back then. Desmond potentially threatening me after the shame he dealt with when I ran away would not have stopped me from seeing you. I have no good excuse. I simply grew tired of my life in Lockwood and the life before that. I travelled, which is something I knew would make me happy, and it did. Eventually, I met someone who loved me as I wanted to be loved and as a young fool, I made the decision topletely forget about everyone-¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear about you being young,¡± Alessandra stopped the ridiculous excuse. She would have cared for it more than ten years ago but not now. ¡°You are old enough now, one year ago, or even five years ago to know it was time to start looking to meet with your daughter. My husband should not have to look all over the kingdom for you.¡±

 Chapter 447 - 447 Excuses (3)

    447 Excuses (3)


    Mnie opened her mouth to exin herself but she could not say anything. She chose to let go of her old life, including Alessandra, her mother, and her father. She truly believed Alessandra would be in good hands with her father. ¡°I have no excuse for staying away all this time. I won¡¯t deny that if your husband or the court had not searched for me, I would not have returned to Lockwood.¡±


    ¡°I miss my mother. I keep thinking my mother will scream at me when I meet with her but she is too kind to be angry with. Have the two of you met each other? Your father didn¡¯t like when my parents came to visit. I had to send them away to avoid both sides arguing with each other,¡± said Mnie.


    ¡°I met my grandmother a month ago. She thought we weremunicating with each other, but my father was the one sending her letters, giving the money or toys she sent to my sister,¡± Alessandra replied.


    ¡°Oh. It does sound like something your father would do. My mother must have wanted to kill him when she found out. Good thing he¡¯s dead,¡± Mnie chuckled, but was met by silence. ¡°I am really trying my best here. I don¡¯t want you to act as if you care for my words today, but the least you could do is react. Your silence is killing me.¡±


    ¡°What do you want me to say?¡± Alessandra asked, genuinely wishing to hear what responses her mother expected. ¡°I am reacting to your words. I have been responding instead of keeping quiet. Was I supposed tough at what grandmother would do when you have not visited her? Are you aware of grandfather¡¯s state? He is not doing well.¡±


    Mnie grabbed a handful of her dress under the table. She was aware of her father¡¯s state in the past, but as her letters to her mother decreased, she did not know what was happening to her father. ¡°What¡­ What is happening to him?¡±


    ¡°Write to grandmother, or better yet, visit them. As you said, she is kind enough to embrace you instead of yelling at you. You do not have another fifteen years to hold off reuniting with them,¡± Alessandra advised her mother.


    ¡°I n to take your siblings to meet my parents. If you want to, you can travel with us. It won¡¯t be so soon since I am here to get to know you, your new family, and learn what has happened in my absence. The girls are also excited to be in such a big town-¡±


    ¡°They can alwayse back after visiting your parents,¡± Alessandra quickly interjected as it would be a big mistake to stay in Lockwood instead of seeing her grandfather. ¡°I won¡¯t be upset if you go to visit grandfather. His time is limited but Lockwood will always be here. Everyone should understand why you suddenly need to leave Lockwood.¡±


    .....


    Alessandra continued to say, ¡°I met my grandfather once. Edgar and I did a quick trip two weeks ago, but we will go back when we can. I was nning my own trip for Edgar and me to spend at least a week there, but unfortunately, I cannot travel at the moment so I will not be going with you.¡±


    Mnie looked Alessandra up and down. ¡°Are you sick? Hurt?¡± She asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Alessandra replied and left it at that. She was not ready to share the good news with her mother.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Mnie answered, her shoulders dropping from the disappointment of their conversation. ¡°Tell me a bit about your life. I would like to catch up no matter how long it will take.¡±


    ¡°Where do you want to start? From when father paraded me around like a doll to impress his peers? From when he remarried and I got a little sister? From when half of my face was bruised and once father saw, that was the end of his love for me? Wearing a mask every day, being forced to stay in my room daily and especially when there are guests, not being fed if I upset my stepmother and having to go to the kitchen?¡± Alessandra asked.


    Before Mnie could respond she held up her hand and added, ¡°Oh wait, the best one was when one of the few things I loved which was a kitten that kept mepany was tossed from a window. No, a better story might be when your wedding dress was ruined. I¡¯m sorry I did not keep it safe and sound for you. In the past, I kept a few of your clothes to give back to you when you returned. Some of them slowly spoiled in my closet but I think I did a good job keeping them safe.¡±


    ¡°Alessandra, I deserve you trying to make me feel bad, but it would be better if we make this a more positive reunion,¡± Mnie said, not able to listen to the things Alessandra mentioned.


    ¡°You asked me about my life and I told you. That was my life up until I got married. Do you want me to skip my childhood? Do you want me to skip the bad parts of my life so you don¡¯t feel like you messed up by not returning? The reality is my father did not treat me like a princess as you thought he would. He was stealing money that belonged to me and because of this, he refused to send me to my grandparents,¡± Alessandra answered, giving her mother the harsh truth.


    ¡°You left and found your happiness while every day in that house was hell for me. There was a stupid rumor about my face being cursed and the servants fear me when I finally left my room. I really hated my face in the past. When father liked to show it off and when it was ruined. Each year that went by, I awaited your return. Even when I was older and knew that by then you wouldn¡¯t return, I still held onto a little hope that you would,¡± Alessandra added.


    ¡°I am trying to guilt you,¡± Alessandra admitted. ¡°I don¡¯t want to tell you about the good parts of my life like my husband and all the people I have met. You aren¡¯t deserving of it yet and I really want to see you regret your decision to not return because even now when you sit before me and apologize or exin yourself, I don¡¯t feel like you regret or feel sorry. If you want to try having a rtionship with me, I won¡¯t stop you, but I won¡¯t warm up to you so easily.¡±


    ¡°I understand that,¡± Mnie slowly replied. ¡°I will do whatever I need to do to make you view me as your mother. I only have one request that you do not be distant from your sisters because of me. They are looking forward to getting to know you. Don¡¯t punish them for what I have done.¡±


    ¡°I would love to get to know my sisters. Are we done for now? For many days I had so much to ask you, but now that we are here, they all seem pointless. It¡¯s weird. I really wished my father had threatened you to stay away or he was the one to send you out of Lockwood. That way I could handle the feelings of my mother not wanting me in her life better. It really hurts to know both parents did not care for me,¡± Alessandra said.

 Chapter 448 - 448 Excuses (4)

    448 Excuses (4)


    ¡°I do care for you, Alessandra. I was selfish only thinking about my happiness. Regardless of how much I thought Desmond would take care of you, I knew what he was like. How demanding he was with looking good in front of his peers. I should have thought more about how you would have suffered like I did to y a role in his perfect life. I can¡¯t help but apologize to you,¡± Mnie sincerely apologized. It was the only thing she could do now.


    ¡°I did think about you often. I thought of what kind of youngdy you were growing into. What type of man would you marry? If you were anything like me and shared the same passions as I did. On our journey here, I tried asking around about you, but tales about you have not reached out of Lockwood yet. As a Duchess, I am certain it will shortly. It was surprising that you married a Collins. That family is so strict,¡± Mnie said, looking back on her days watching Edmund and Prisci Collins.


    ¡°I met your husband¡¯s parents a long time ago thanks to your father¡¯s title. I met a few of the Carsons and a few other close rtives. I remember the days of listening to Prisci go on and on about her mother-inw when she thought no one was listening in the bathrooms. When I first ran away from your father, I ended up in the same town as Rose Collins. From afar she seems pleasant. Are they treating you well?¡± Mnie asked, not expecting an answer since Alessandra did not want to tell her about her marriage. ¡°I know Prisci is a bit exhausting to be around.¡±


    ¡°Prisci didn¡¯t like me at first. She still says she doesn¡¯t like me now but her actions say otherwise. Prisci visits our home every few days. As for Rose, it has been a while since we spoke, but I have not had a really bad time bing part of their family. Others had it worse I am sure, but Edgar doesn¡¯t let just anyonee into our home. So,¡± Alessandra trailed off, trying to think about what to say next.


    Mnie tapped her fingers on the wooden table. ¡°Are you close to any of the Barretts? Your grandmother? Uncle? Anyone at all? That family has a habit of acting like they¡¯re royalty and are above everyone else. I made your father stop his rtives froming to our home in the first year of our marriage.¡±


    ¡°The only Barrett who I can say I have somewhat of a good rtionship with is my uncle, rk. We don¡¯t see each other or keep in touch, but he is the best of the bunch. Grandmother no longer views me as her granddaughter and I have not seen the other rtives. It is better this way. I am curious if rk has taken my advice and started living differently,¡± said Alessandra. If there was money left for her, she wondered what rk did with it.


    ¡°I agree that rk is the best of the bunch. Your father was a really good man when I met him but he got too caught up with appearances. I always felt sorry for rk because he was trying his hand at so many businesses to be sessful and prove his worth in the family. He was only annoying when he desperately wanted money. I should reach out to him to let him know that I am back,¡¯ Mnie said as she had a good rtionship with rk.


    ¡°We should probably let Mark know that we are finished here. Unless there is something more to be said on your end?¡± Alessandra asked, secretly hoping there was nothing more to be said. This sit-down was bing more awkward by the second even though they were speaking to each other and not giving one-word answers.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a little bit too quiet out there so I need to check on the girls. Before we meet with everyone else, I need to ask. Is it possible for us to meet again and continue to try to work this out? The court might want us to handle this elsewhere so maybe we can meet at your house-¡±


    .....


    ¡°No,¡± Alessandra declined the offer to meet at her home. ¡°We should meet at a more neutral ce. There are plenty of ces in town for us to meet and speak to each other. We are not ready to have a meeting where we rest our heads.¡±


    ¡°Understandable for you. I would extend the offer for you to visit where we are staying. The doors will always be opened to you. It is not a big fancy estate like you are used to now but it is cozy. You can bring your husband and anyone you want to introduce me to. That might also be too soon, isn¡¯t it? Well, I am trying,¡± Mnie added after Alessandra agreed it would be too soon.


    Alessandra stood up from her seat instead of responding to her mother. She was aware that her mother was trying but her mother also needed to understand that she was also trying her best to sit here and listen to what her mother had to say.


    It wasn¡¯t easy to not cry or yell more about how hurt she was. For now, Mnie had to ept the distance and realize nothing would change or feel better in a few minutes of speaking to each other.


    If Alessandra had not married Edgar, it was safe to say Alessandra would have weed her mother back with no questions asked because she was desperate to get out of her father¡¯s care. Alessandra¡¯s life was different now where she did not need to forgive easily.


    If she was to ever have a proper rtionship with her mother, they needed to take baby steps after Alessandra¡¯s emotions were settled. Right now, she felt angry for reasons she could not exin. Alessandra just found herself not wanting to be alone with her mother anymore.


    Mnie sighed and followed Alessandra out of the room. For now, there was nothing she could do other than give Alessandra some space. She had faith that the two of them would be closer now that she was back here in Lockwood and nned to be more involved in Alessandra¡¯s life.


    ¡°Did it go well?¡± Edgar asked, taking Alessandra to the side to privately speak to her.


    Mnie inspected the young man who resembled the Edmund Collins she remembered from her youth. Mnie worried about Alessandra being involved with a man who had such a grand title.


    She hoped life for Alessandra wasn¡¯t going to be suffocating as it was for her but it wasn¡¯t her ce to bring this up to Alessandra. Alessandra said her happiness was with her husband so Mnie had to assume Alessandra was treated well by Edgar Collins.


    ¡°Mother,¡± ire ran to Mnie with her sister Melody by her side. ¡°The Duke is right there,¡± she whispered, looking at Edgar. They were from a small town but stories of Edgar fighting in thest war alongside the King had reached them. All the girls from her town dreamt of being the ones to marry the King or even one of the noblemen. ¡°When can we speak to him?¡±


    ¡°Wait for Alessandra to introduce all of you,¡± Mnie answered.

 Chapter 449 - 449 Excuses (5)

    449 Excuses (5)


    ¡°Do not leave me with these people again,¡± Edgar replied, annoyed with the youngdies not far away from them. There was only so much whispering, giggling, and staring he could take from the two young women who left the room shortly after Alessandra had gone inside.


    ¡°Edgar, how are you to deal with our children if you get annoyed so easily?¡± Alessandra chuckled.


    ¡°They will be our children. All of you seem to think I like all children. Others,¡± Edgar looked behind Alessandra to where her mother stood with her sisters. ¡°Are quite annoying. They are replicas of their annoying parents. Our children will not bother me.¡±


    ¡°Of course. How can I forget the way you think? Would you like to be introduced? I won¡¯t stop you if you want to introduce yourself. My sisters are excited to speak with us,¡± Alessandra said.


    ¡°No offense but one of your sisters already annoys me. I am not too thrilled about meeting two more. I suppose I should let her see your wonderful husband but you have not told me how your conversation went. I don¡¯t want to introduce myself to someone who might have disrespected you,¡± Edgar said, still not a fan of Mnie for abandoning Alessandra.


    ¡°There was no yelling so I think it went well for the first meeting. I won¡¯t be inviting her over to our house any time soon but I don¡¯t mind speaking with her again. There is more I want to know about and more I have to say, but I don¡¯t feel like myself for some reason. I feel like I am not only angry, but I am jealous,¡± Alessandra admitted.


    There was jealousy toward her sisters who seemed to have a good rtionship with her mother. Alessandra didn¡¯t want to feel jealous of her sisters. She didn¡¯t want it to get in the way of getting to know them.


    ¡°It is also natural that you feel ufortable and unable to remain alone with her. You should have yelled at her as much as you wanted to. You have a right to,¡± Edgar replied.


    In his opinion, Mnie should have the sense to leave her two other daughters behind for the first meeting and then have a second meeting to introduce the siblings. Mnie should have considered how ufortable it would be for Alessandra to see her mother with the two daughters she chose to stay with and raise.


    .....


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to work myself up and I honestly do not have it in me to yell. It would be pointless to yell since it is like she doesn¡¯t understand my feelings. All I heard were her excuses that are not good enough for me. It hurts but I got my answer about the woman my mother is. I don¡¯t have to keep wondering anymore,¡± Alessandra said, feeling like a weight was lifted off her shoulder.


    The reason her mother stayed away gued her mind for years and now, she finally knew it. It hurt that there was not a good enough reason but now, she could move on.


    ¡°I need to properly introduce myself to my sisters,¡± Alessandra hooked her arm with Edgar¡¯s. ¡°I also hope they are nothing like Kate. I cannot go through dealing with an irritating sister while I am pregnant.¡±


    ¡°Say the word and I can make all of them truly disappear,¡± Edgar said, walking with Alessandra back to meet her mother.


    To anyone, it would sound like Edgar was making a joke, but Alessandra knew how serious he was.


    ¡°Uhm,¡± Alessandra hesitated when she and Edgar stood in front of her mother and sisters. Mother would be appropriate but Mnie had not earned that title back. Was calling her mother Mnie alright? ¡°This is my husband, Duke Edgar Collins,¡± she decided to not address her mother.


    ¡°Mnie Harris,¡± Mnie introduced herself with a small bow. ¡°Girls,¡± she touched Melody¡¯s shoulder for her to go next.


    ¡°Melody Harris,¡± Melody curtsied as she had practised at home.


    ¡°ire Harris,¡± ire curtsied. ¡°We have heard a lot about you, your grace. Of your time out fighting beside the King when he was only a prince. Your tales have to reach even our small town.¡±


    ¡°Well, I am a well-known man around the Kingdom. The Collins are spread out all over the kingdom and like to boast about each other¡¯s aplishments. That is why stories of youth might have reached your town. It is nice to meet all of you. Time will tell if we can be well acquainted with each other,¡± said Edgar.


    Alessandra leaned close to Edgar and poked his side. What he said was the truth but that did not mean he needed to say it out loud.


    ¡°Sister! We can call you sister right?¡± ire asked, excited to have a new sister who held the title of a Duchess.


    ¡°You can,¡± Alessandra allowed it.


    ¡°Wonderful. I¡¯ve been looking forward to meeting you since mother said we had a long-lost sister,¡± ire said, trying her best to keep calm in front of the Duke.


    ¡°Long lost aren¡¯t the words I would use,¡± Alessandra muttered as she wasn¡¯t the long-lost person here. She was always in Lockwood while her mother disappeared.


    ¡°How did you manage to snag such a high-ranking husband? You will need to offer Melody some advice. She is of age to wed,¡± ire pushed Melody forward.


    ¡°I am. I know the time for finding a partner hase to an end here in Lockwood, but I have asked my mother to let us stay here a while longer so I can socialize and hopefully find a husband. Then I would get to live near you. I hope you or your husband would be able to introduce me to a man with a good background,¡± Melody said, crossing her fingers behind her back.


    The small town they came from had few nobles, unlike Lockwood. They were not in Lockwood for more than a day, but Melody preferred life in Lockwood more.


    ¡®I thought she was sticking around town to build a rtionship with me,¡¯ Alessandra thought. Alessandra didn¡¯t want to read into it too much. It was only fair for Melody to try finding a husband here while Mnie tried to make amends with Alessandra.


    However, Alessandra knew she wasn¡¯t the best person to help Melody find a husband. ¡°Unfortunately, I do not know any single men I can introduce you to and Edgar is not one to matchmake. It would be better for you to find someone who can spend the rest of your life with on your-¡±


    ¡°But if you spread that you are looking for a husband for your sister, it would make it easier for Melody to find a good husband,¡± ire spoke up in Melody¡¯s ce. She would also like help when it was her turn.


    ¡°By a good husband, do you mean a nobleman? I am a Duchess but I have no rtionship with other nobles who are looking to marry. It is best for her to explore the town and find someone to her liking on her own. I don¡¯t want to set her up with anyone I do not know,¡± Alessandra replied, sticking to the fact she would be of no use.


    ire took a step forward to hold Alessandra¡¯s hands. ¡°But-¡±


    Edgar blocked ire from touching Alessandra. He wasn¡¯t enjoying how pushy the two sisters were and then there was their mother who said nothing to make the sisters stop asking. ¡°Refrain from getting so close,¡± he warned the younger Harris. ¡°You must find your husband on your own. I don¡¯t care to set anyone up and Alessandra has no time for it. Drop it.¡±


    He was gracious enough to let Alessandra be alone in a room with her mother while pregnant, but with her sisters continuously asking for help after she said no, and then trying to touch Alessandra was where he drew the line. This was Alessandra¡¯s family, but Edgar did not trust any of them. It was his job to be suspicious of the people around her. Edgar did not care if her mother would view him as overprotective.


    ire was offended Edgar stopped her from touching Alessandra. ¡°I was not going to hurt my sister. What kind of person do you take me for?¡± She asked.


    ¡°You are a stranger. I don¡¯t know what to make of you aside from the fact you are pushy. As I said, time will tell how close we be with each. I would like to think none of you are here to make use of her title. To get married,¡± Edgar looked at Melody who avoided his gaze. ¡°Or any other foolish ns you have,¡± he looked at Mnie.


    Mnie grabbed ire and Melody¡¯s hands to pull them back behind her. ¡°I am sorry their behaviour rubbed you the wrong way, Duke Collins.¡±


    ¡°I was not the one who owed an apology. Alessandra, you should take your sisters outside. I am sure they wish to apologize for being pushy and see you off,¡± Edgar said, releasing her hand so he could stay behind to speak to her mother.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Alessandra reluctantly replied. She left Edgar alone with her mother and received apologies from her sisters.


    Edgar kept his eyes on Alessandra as he still did not trust her sisters. ¡°Those tales about me tend to twist the more they get spread around. You should ask around this town to find more urate tales. I found you for her sake to get her questions answered. Quite frankly, I don¡¯t like you nor do I trust you. Let fixing your past mistakes be the only reason you are in town.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve killed your former husband and I would have no issue killing you if you hurt my wife. Again,¡± he added as Mnie leaving Alessandra behind was the first time she hurt Alessandra. ¡°Do not try using or hurting my wife.¡±

 Chapter 450 - 450 Perfect wedding (1)

    450 Perfect wedding (1)


    ¡°Mother, would you be so kind as to fix my dress? These servantsck the sense of how to do it,¡± Kate snapped, angrily looking down at the servants who were supposed to be straightening out her wedding dress, but they made it worse.


    ¡°Do not fret, Kate. This is supposed to be a happy day. All of you out,¡± Katrina shooed the servants she brought from home. They were also getting on her nerves for messing up Kate¡¯s dress. ¡°Our money was well spent on this dress. Not even the Queen¡¯s dress could rival your own.¡±


    Kate agreed with her mother¡¯s ims. She remembered Queen Hazel¡¯s dress which looked boring not that she looked at her own extravagant dress. ¡°Of course not. The Queen¡¯s dress was more expensive, but she did not have the beauty to add to the dress. Everyone will be talking about my dress for years and take inspiration from it. I will have the best wedding of this season.¡±


    Katrina looked at the mirror Kate was using to check her appearance. The only bride to rival Kate was herself when she married Desmond. Katrina felt proud to know that it was thanks to her, Kate was in this position. ¡°Stop interfering with your lips Kate. I don¡¯t want your dress to be dirtied by the paint.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t. I won¡¯t let this dress have a single stain. Have you told the guards to make sure none of my father¡¯s family enters the church? None of them were given an invitation, but they would be so bold to show up today. I don¡¯t want Simon to witness how ssless they are. I heard uncle rk might be back in town,¡± said Kate. rk alongside her grandmother should not make an appearance today.


    ¡°Do not worry about them. The guards already know what to do if a Barrett shows up. Focus on your wedding. This is all you ever wanted. In a few minutes, you won¡¯t be my little girl anymore. I will stop myself now before I make the two of us cry. Remember, if he ever causes you any trouble,e to me,¡± Katrina said, always ready to protect her only child.


    Katrina witnessed how cruel men could be more than Kate ever would. She wanted Kate to never see the dark side of men.


    Even though today would be the start of Kate¡¯s marriage she was already nning for when Simon might be irritating as Desmond did. Katrina sessfully took everything Desmond owned and if Simon started to remind her of Desmond, Katrina would dly dispose of him, and give Kate all that she was entitled to as his wife.


    ¡°Mother, I¡¯ve told you that Simon does everything I tell him to. There will be no need for you to get involved in my marriage. Besides, I can handle our issues on my own. I am ready,¡± Kate took a deep breath.


    .....


    Kate was ready to have her perfect wedding get started, live her perfect life, with a perfect husband, and have the title she longed for. The only thing that was missing was her father. Kate had long gotten over his death, but now she wished he was here to walk with her as all the other fathers did. However, she did not want to mention it to her mother who no longer cared for her father.


    ¡°Good. Everyone should be seated by now and waiting for you to arrive. Get your flowers, Kate. I will walk ahead to have the music start. Simon better be in his ce,¡± Katrina muttered, not allowing even the groom to make a mistake. Everyone needed to y their roles right today to ensure Kate had the perfect wedding she always dreamed of.


    Kate pulled herself away from the mirror to get the bouquet of roses she specifically asked for. She regretted not having a paintere to capture her beauty on this day, but she could always put back on the dress, and have a paintere to her home. Kate wanted arge portrait for everyone to see the moment they walked into the home she shared with Simon.


    Kate proceeded to leave the small room the church assigned to her. If not for Simon¡¯s love of getting married in a church, she would have chosen to get married in a garden, surrounded by flowers that almost matched her beauty.


    Kate¡¯s heart rushed, not because the wedding made her nervous, but because the thought of almost being named Marchioness thrilled her. Anyone who doubted her was eating their words now. ¡°Marchioness Kate,¡¯ Kate repeated in her mind with each step.


    Katrina was quick to return to Kate¡¯s side to inform her of the ceremony starting. ¡°Simon is standing by the altar. The music will start to y shortly. I need to take my seat,¡± she kissed Kate¡¯s cheeks as a goodbye. Katrina wanted to be front and center to witness the big change in their lives. Well, Kate¡¯s life. ¡°Head up high as you walk. Look straight ahead.¡±


    ¡°I know, mother. I remember everything we practised from the moment I got engaged. I can hear the sound of the music. You need to get to your seat before you miss my entrance. Go,¡± Kate shooed her mother away. She loved her mother dearly, but her mother was bothering her from the moment she opened her eyes this morning. Her mother was acting like she was some fool who could not remember how to walk down the aisle to her husband and say I do.


    Katrina reached out to fix Kate¡¯s hair but decided against it as Kate could snap at any moment. Katrina picked up a handful of her dress and hurried off to her seat to have the perfect view of Kate¡¯s entrance. Katrina made arge payment to have Kate¡¯s wedding mentioned in the papers tomorrow morning. A surprise for her wonderful daughter.


    Simon rmended a male Barrett rtive walk with Kate but Katrina was adamant about Kate walking alone. This way all the attention could be on her daughter who was the star of the day. If anyone were to walk with Kate, it would be her mother who diligently raised Kate to be the person she was now.


    As the music yed, Kate slowly began her walk down the aisle. She briefly nced over the crowd to see if they were watching her intently as she wanted.


    For a moment, her eyes met with Grace who had no choice but to attend her wedding as her new husband was a friend of Simon. Kate smiled to taunt her former friend and show she had won. It would not be long before Grace would be back at her side begging to be friends again.


    ¡®Alessandra should be here to witness this,¡¯ Kate thought. Alessandra should be sitting in the crowd, like Grace was, watching her walk to her happy ending. Kate wanted Alessandra to witness the wedding she did not have with Edgar. ¡®Almost,¡¯ she thought, looking at Simon who was the key to opening greater doors for her.


    Kate¡¯s smile widened when she finally stood beside Simon. Although she held no feelings for him, she felt something now when he looked at her as if he had struck gold.


    There was a possibility that she could one day fall in love with Simon as much as she loved his title.

 Chapter 451 - 451 Perfect wedding (2)

    451 Perfect wedding (2)


    ¡®Almost,¡¯ Simon thought, looking down at Kate who could not hide her excitement. So perfect yet so naive. The moment they say I do, she would be his forever. The perfect woman to y any role. She prepared herself for this very moment well.


    The moment Kate would change from Kate Barrett to Kate Farley, he would cut the annoying hold her mother had on her. Katrina was just as interesting as her daughter but he was not ready for her yet. Simon had a n for Katrina, but first, he wanted to hurt her by taking away the daughter she loved.


    ¡°Do you Kate, take Simon to be your husband¡­¡±


    Simon drowned out the annoying voice of the priest given the job of wedding him. He remembered the priest¡¯s name to be Peter. Duke Collins would often visit this priest for unknown reasons. Simon found the priest to be annoying for some reason. Why was Edgar using this priest? He certainly was not going to the priest to be prayed for.


    The fact Simon could not figure out Edgar¡¯s motives with the priest made him want to get rid of the priest to end whatever game Edgar was ying. Only Simon should be ying games here while others tried to catch him.


    ¡°Simon.¡±


    Simon snapped out of his thoughts when Kate called his name.


    ¡°You are to say I do,¡± Peter said, feeling the man before him could not be interested in the bride if he was thinking about something else. What could be more important than looking at the bride in front of you? ¡°Or if you wish to-¡°¡®


    ¡°You!¡± Kate quickly silenced Peter. Simon was not going to change his mind at this moment. He would ruin her if he did. She¡¯d be aughing stock for bragging about this wedding only for the groom to say no on the wedding day.


    .....


    ¡®What a headache,¡¯ Peter thought, looking at Kate who was different from her sweet appearance. He had to ask if the groom was having second thoughts. ¡®He really should reconsider this marriage from the way she snapped so easily and then smiled as if she did nothing wrong.¡¯


    ¡°I do,¡± Simon said.


    ¡°Really?¡± Peter said, wide-eyed that Simon was going to continue. He quickly realized his mistake and tapped his mouth. The members of the church would scold him for this if the bride ring at him did not kill him first. This was why he hated being chosen to do weddings. He was never good at them. ¡°I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.¡±


    Peter stepped to the side to let the newly married couple kiss to seal the deal. ¡®Is this youngdy truly the sister of the woman Edgar married? They seemed different,¡¯ Peter thought.


    Somehow, Edgar¡¯s marriage which started off with wire for rings was still strong. Alessandra had not tried to flee from the devil. Peter thought she would havee running back to him by now to end her marriage to Edgar.


    Peter pped his hands along with the guests as they watched Simon and Kate kiss. ¡®What the hell?¡¯ Peter jolted when Simon opened his eyes in the middle of the kiss and looked at him. He ced his hands on his chest to calm his racing heart. The only other times he felt this scared were when Edgar would suddenly visit him. ¡®What was that?¡¯ He wondered, taking a step back away from the couple.


    Simon closed his eyes and continued to kiss Kate as if nothing happened.


    Peter had talked with his colleagues about the newlyweds and heard of how Simon Farley was a good man who made numerous donations. ¡®Good my ass. He creeped me out. Where have I seen him before this?¡¯ Peter scratched the back of his head. ¡®I¡¯m tired of being around nobles,¡¯ he shook his head.


    Peter wanted to find a hiding ce in case Edgar might show up at this wedding as this was his sister-inw.


    Simon pulled away from his kiss with Kate and opened his eyes, looking behind for the priest who was walking away. His right hand tingled like there was an itch he needed to scratch right now. If he did find a perfect man for Be to get married to so she wouldn¡¯t be so sad about not getting married like Kate, he would need a priest present to make it feel real.


    ¡°We¡¯re married,¡± Kate reached out to touch Simon¡¯s cheek. He seemed lost in thought. He had to be in disbelief that he now had a wife. She found it hard to believe too. ¡°I am now your wife, Kate Farley, the Marchioness,¡± she smiled.


    ¡°Yes, you are. I can hardly wait to spend the rest of my life with you,¡± Simon forced a smile. For now, he should stop thinking about the priest, and focus on the prize right in front of him. ¡°I prepared something special for you for our wedding night,¡± he whispered.


    Kate blushed, already knowing her wedding night would officially turn her into a woman. It was what her tutor said and she heard the hushed tales from other women. She wished toy in his bed and have a son right away so she could never find herself in her mother¡¯s position. Kate wanted a son who would inherit everything and reward his mother. Luckily, if Simon were to die there were no close rtives to try taking what belonged to her.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Kate asked.


    ¡°I will not spoil it for you but it is two things dear to me. After today, you will understand your husband, and I hope to learn about you. Right now, we have guests to entertain, but my mind should forever be on having you tonight,¡± said Simon. He longed to be alone with her and hear the lock on his front door click, trapping her inside his world. Inviting her to his yground. ¡°I¡¯ve alsoid out a few gifts in our room to please you.¡±


    Kate wished he had not informed her of this yet. She could hardly wait to see what Simon prepared for her. She wanted it to be expensive family heirlooms she could show off. Or new jewellery or clothing. Kate would prefer thetter instead of something worn by others unless there was a big gem to show off. ¡°Should we just forget about everyone else and go home?¡± She suggested.


    Simon yfully tapped her nose. ¡°No. You¡¯ve poured your heart into preparing this wedding. I want you to savour the day before we go home. Come, your mother is waiting for us.¡±


    ¡°You mean our mother,¡± Kate corrected him. ¡°I told you to think of her as your new mother. She has no issue with it. My mother cannot rece your own but she will try to do a good job to measure up to your mother.¡±


    ¡°If that is what you wish, I shall open my heart to think of her as I thought of my mother. The sooner we greet the guests, the sooner we can go home to start our new life,¡± Simon held out his hand for Kate to take.


    Kate ced her hand in Simon¡¯s. He was wrong. Her new life started right now as Marchioness Kate.

 Chapter 452 - 452 Perfect wedding (3)

    452 Perfect wedding (3)


    ¡°It is time for us to take our leave, mother. Do you want me to visit you tomorrow? You¡¯ll be all alone tonight,¡± Kate said, hugging her mother goodbye for the fifth time. It was harder to let go now that the moment was finally here.


    ¡°Nonsense,¡± Katrina fixed a strand of Kate¡¯s hair that fell out of ce. ¡°You need to enjoy your time alone with your new husband. I won¡¯t feel alone tonight or any other night. We can n a meeting as a new family when you¡¯ve settled into your new role.¡±


    ¡°Okay, but I will send servants to check up on you. Goodbye,¡± Kate hugged her mother once more.


    ¡°Let me help you,¡± Katrina bent down to help pick up Kate¡¯s dress from dragging on the floor. Simon was already outside getting the carriage so she did not want Kate to keep him waiting. ¡°Do you remember everything I told you about your wedding night? Do not let him hurt you. Get up and leave if you have to. If you let him hurt you once, he will continue to do it. There will be a little pain when he starts to have sex with you, but it should go away quickly if he is gentle.¡±


    ¡°For thest time, Simon will not hurt me. I don¡¯t know what you experienced with my father, but you cannot keep putting Simon in the same box already. You know Simon would not hurt me as you would not have allowed us to get married. Stop worrying mother,¡± Kate ced her right hand on her mother¡¯s cheek to calm her. ¡°I will be fine.¡±


    ¡°I know you will be fine, but as your mother, I cannot help worrying about you. You will be fine,¡± Katrine agreed with Kate. Kate did note this far to be held back by her mother who could not handle her only child leaving. ¡°Simon!¡± Katrina called her son-inw. ¡°I wanted to say goodbye before you leave,¡± she ced her hand on Kate¡¯s lower back and pushed her toward where Simon stood.


    ¡°Goodbye, mother. I hope to see you soon,¡± Simon replied from where he stood. He did not care to go through the unnecessary hugging again. The mother and daughter were acting like he was taking Kate out of town. ¡°Kate, we should move now to get home in time for what I have nned.¡±


    ¡°I aming,¡± Kate walked to the carriage with her mother holding her dress to help her. She stepped inside the carriage with Simon¡¯s help and after she sat down, Kate waved goodbye to her mother once more.


    ¡°Goodbye!¡± Simon waved to Katrina. The happiest he was today was finally leaving the wedding so he could get to what he looked forward to. Once moving away from the church, Simon ced one leg over the other and looked at Kate. ¡°You look splendid. I can¡¯t get enough of you.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Thank you. I told you the dressmaker I picked does wonders. She was worth all the money we spent. We should get dressed one day and have a paintere to create a portrait for us. Why are you sitting there? Come right here?¡± Kate patted the space beside her.


    Simon did not move from his spot. ¡°I like being on this side to get a better look at you,¡± he said.


    ¡°I suppose you should savor the way I look in my wedding dress before I have to take it off. Now that we are going home, can you please give me a hint about the gifts you have for me? I cannot stop thinking about what they could be,¡± Kate said, unable to wait until they were home.


    ¡°We will be home shortly, Kate. It wouldn¡¯t be good for me to tell you what the gifts are now. You might start running,¡± Simon replied.


    Kate chuckled. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t jump out of the carriage and start running home. I can wait.¡±


    Simon smiled, enjoying how oblivious she was to what was awaiting her. He had to pat himself on the back for a job well done. He yed the part of a good man better than he thought. Now, his reward would be watching her reaction when he showed the person he truly was.


    The trip to their home was full of Kate speaking about their wedding and Simon giving the responses she wanted to hear. For some reason, the trip to their home felt longer than it should have been, but the newlyweds finally returned to their home.


    Simon, being the gentleman that he was, opened the carriage door, and lifted Kate out of it. Her dress was a hassle and he could not wait for her to try slowly walking to the door.


    Kate wrapped her arms around Simon¡¯s neck, loving being carried into their home. She loved the fact the dress would not get dirtied with Simon carrying her like this. She held onto him tightly as a servant opened the door for them. She bit her lip to refrain from asking about the gifts again as Simon took her up to the room they now shared.


    When Simon reached the room and began to open the door, Kate was excited to finally see her gifts, but the sight before her caused her to let out a scream. ¡°W-What is going on?¡± Kate held onto Simon tighter and tried to get down at the same time. Her body started to panic because of what was in the room.


    Simon put Kate down so she can stand on her own two feet. ¡°Do not think about it,¡± he said when Kate turned to open the door. ¡°You were so excited about my surprise and now look at you trying to run away when we are just getting started. You wanted to speak with my parents to introduce yourself, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Are you crazy?¡± Kate softly asked. She wanted this to be some sort of joke Simon was doing to scare her and for the two corpses in chairs beside their bed to be fake. However, the stench in the room confirmed the corpses were very much real. Kate trembled as she walked back away from Simon until her back pressed against the door. She tried to feel around for the doorknob without him noticing.


    Simon ignored her trying to run away. She wouldn¡¯t be able to get out of this room no matter what she tried to do. ¡°I¡¯ve been telling them about you from the moment I bumped into you at the ball. They didn¡¯t think you were the right choice but I don¡¯t care for their opinion anymore. They don¡¯t have the eyes to see what I see in you. How perfect you are,¡± he brushed his hands against what remained of his mother.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that, Kate,¡± Simon feigned hurt, but he enjoyed every second of watching the happiness from her wedding disappear. ¡°Weren¡¯t you happy to be a Marchioness? Why are you sad now? There¡¯s a price to pay for what you want. You got the title you yearned for so now it is time for me to get what I want.¡±


    Kate pulled at the doorknob to make her escape. Simon was crazy and she wanted no part of this. No matter how hard she tried, the door would not open as if it was locked from the outside. ¡°Help!¡± She banged on the door for one of the servants to hear and help her.


    ¡°I told you, my servant¡¯s loyalty is the reason I cannot fire them.¡±

 Chapter 453 - 453 Perfect wedding (4)

    453 Perfect wedding (4)


    ¡°Stop banging on the door, Kate. It is annoying and pointless. Instead of banging on the door and continuing to irritate me, you shoulde over here to meet my family. You mustn¡¯t keep them waiting. They get angry,¡± Simon patted his father who was the one to hate when others took too long to speak. ¡°Come before you angry me, Kate.¡±


    Kate released the doorknob which would not open. There were servants all over the house when they came in who should have heard what happened. They were noting to save her. With teary eyes, Kate turned to face Simon. She did not want to look at the people who seemed to be his parents but she did not want to anger Simon.


    Simon was normally a sweet man but Kate had a dangerous feeling about him now. Like he would hurt her if she stayed by the door.


    ¡°I want to go home,¡± Kate said as she cautiously walked to where Simon stood behind the corpses. She covered her nose with her hands the closer she got to Simon. There was an awful scent mixed with a pleasant scent that reminded her of flowers but there were none in the room.


    ¡°You are home, Kate. You¡¯ve been moving your things into your new home for thest few days. You were excited to be living in my home and bragging to your friends about it. Do you think I knew nothing of the things you said? How you rubbed it in other¡¯s faces you would be Marchioness. I enjoyed every bit of it. I loved seeing you boast not knowing the life that awaited you,¡± Simon smiled.


    ¡°My parents,¡± Simon looked down at his mother specifically. ¡°They were awful people but now I understand why they did what they did. I was a fool when I was younger to not realize the fun it was to create perfect puppets. Women like you put on a show to please others. Perfection!¡± Simon pped his hands and then pointed at Kate. ¡°I know you won¡¯t be like the others.¡±


    ¡°Others?¡± Kate asked, confused by what he meant. Kate had no idea what he was talking about when he spoke of his parents or being perfect. All she wanted to do now was get out of the room and alert the guards of the madman she married. Everyone would take pity on her and be on her side.


    ¡°I have another surprise for you,¡± Simon remembered. She should enjoy it more than meeting his parents. Simon left his parents¡¯ side and walked to the bathroom where there was a more exciting surprise awaiting Kate.


    As soon as Simon was out of sight, Kate went to the window and try pushing it to open, but it would not budge. Thest time she was here adding her dresses to her closet, the windows could easily open, and so did the door. Simon must have messed with it to be like this for their wedding night.


    .....


    ¡°No,¡± Kate cried and started to panic even more. Her breathing quicken as thoughts of potentially dying filled her mind. Her wedding had started off so perfectly so why was it ending like this? Why did her perfect day have to be ruined? What was wrong with Simon? Someone had to have swapped ces as this was not the man she knew.


    ¡°No!¡± Kate eximed and covered her mouth when Simon returned to the room, dragging someone across the floor. She didn¡¯t want to see any more bodies and unlike his parents who had the smell of flowers somehow, this new body reeked and filled the room.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t targeting her, but she got too ahead of herself and tried talking me out of being with you. She had no idea how much I wanted you. I remember the two of you arguing once upon a time ago so this might please you. Do you like what I have prepared?¡± Simon dropped L¡¯s body for Kate to inspect.


    ¡°L-L?¡± Kate stuttered, recognising the ugly ribbon L liked to wear in her hair, and though the corpse seemed beaten, she could tell it was her old friend. ¡°How could you-¡±


    ¡°To please you. I saw the way you looked at her like you wanted her dead. I was hoping to get your other friend Grace. I had the perfect trap lined up to take her,¡± Simon sighed. All of his plotting to take Grace were for nothing. That was why L had to have a painful death for screwing up everything. ¡°I had the perfect spot waiting for her next to Be.¡±


    ¡°You,¡± Kate realized something. ¡°You¡¯re the person taking all the young women. How¡­¡± Kate trailed off, trying to figure out what signs she missed about Simon. The Simon she bumped into at the ball and attended many parties with was not the same Simon standing in front of her right now. ¡°You fooled all of us.¡±


    ¡°Is that such a bad thing? Weren¡¯t you putting on a show? Sweet little Kate who could do no wrong and yet, you seem to be the culprit behind your sister¡¯s face. Was it jealousy?¡± Simon wondered out loud. He tauntingly approached Kate with slow steps. He liked the tears escaping her eyes and the fact she had nowhere to run to get away from him. She was perfectly trapped with him.


    ¡°People like you have no right to judge the person I am. I am just the one meant to punish you for not doing a good job at keeping up with the persona you created. Well, not you. I have no ns on punishing you if you continue to do a good job. I said you were perfect, didn¡¯t I? I wouldn¡¯t have gone through all the trouble of marrying you if I thought you were going to fail me. But,¡± Simon snaked his hand around Kate¡¯s throat. ¡°Disappoint me and you will find yourself in a state worse than your friend.¡±


    Kate trembled under Simon¡¯s touch. Her tears ruined the pretty appearance she wore before they entered the house. What started as a wonderful dream had turned into a nightmare. Kate wanted her mother toe for her now. This was not how her day was supposed to go. She was being robbed of her perfect ending.


    Simon wiped away Kate¡¯s tears with his thumb. He was pleased by the fact she was not hysterically crying like the others. If anything, the disbelief and shock had left Kate, and now she looked angry. This was quite a surprise.


    ¡°What will you decide to be, Kate? Be like your friend and all the other women, or be my little puppet? You get to enjoy the title you so desired and y the role of a spoiled wife. We both win in the end. If anyone ever questions me, you defend my character. What do you choose?¡± Simon asked, already knowing what Kate would go for.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t fair,¡± Kate muttered. Her tears had stopped as her fear was reced by her anger caused by frustration. ¡°Why does Alessandra get to be spoiled by a Duke and I am stuck with you? After I worked hard to never lose to her.¡±


    Simon licked his lips. ¡®Now this is interesting,¡¯ he thought.

 Chapter 454 - 454 Perfect match (1)

    454 Perfect match (1)


    Simon was interested in the rtionship between Kate and Alessandra. It wasn¡¯t every day he stumbled across sisters who hated each other so badly that one injured the other¡¯s face. Simon backed away from Kate and went to sit on the bed.


    ¡°You¡¯re a smart girl Kate. Surely you won¡¯t lie to me about what I want to hear next. What happened to your sister¡¯s face?¡± Simon asked. At the first sign of a lie, Kate would be spending her wedding night with Be.


    Kate clenched her fists. This did not need to be talked about now but she did not want to face whatever Simon would do to her if she lied to him. Kate was not going to die at Simon¡¯s hands. She would get out of here.


    ¡°Our father always had one favorite. It used to be Alessandra and nothing I did could match up to her. One day I got really angry and we were alone, I attacked her. Scratched away at one side of her face as much as I could. I went to get antern to burn her but I was caught before it could happen. I didn¡¯t ruin her face myself. Alessandra started crying and wed at her own face,¡± said Kate.


    Back then, she was puzzled by why Alessandra finished off ruining her face when she was so loved by their father. Alessandra ruined herself further by digging at the wounds Kate created. None of that mattered now as those wounds healed and they were hardly visible.


    ¡°Are you ming her?¡± Simon asked. It felt like Kate was trying to take some of the me off herself. ¡°It¡¯s funny you openly admitted to wanting to set your sister on fire but then pointed fingers at her. It must have been traumatic for her so she attacked her own face.¡±


    ¡°You have no ce to be trying to understand anyone,¡± Kate said, ncing at L who Simon killed for simply speaking to him.


    ¡°I can,¡± Simon disagreed with Kate. ¡°I was once the victim like your sister. Tormented by my own flesh and blood daily. You¡¯re lucky your sister did not turn into a madwoman and tried killing you all in your sleep. A rumor that she was cursed. I learned it was fueled by you and your mother. Perhaps, I should have sought after your sister instead of you.¡±


    ¡°Look at you. Even second to her now,¡± Simon chuckled. ¡°If William would have moved quickly to get her before Edgar did, I might have your sister now and would have married her instead of you.¡±


    .....


    Kate narrowed her eyes as no one should know about William wanting Alessandra. She hardly knew about it and from the meeting at the court, Alessandra requested that information would not be spread around. ¡°How do you know about that?¡± She asked.


    ¡°William told me of course. He was the only person to know my true personality. He used to borrow money from my family before he became the man you know him to be before his death. He continued toe to me when my parents died and I helped him. I enjoyed his love for a special kind of art. Edgar ruins the funs for everyone. You are something Kate special to me like his art,¡± Simon smiled.


    ¡°How twisted your mind must be to have a civil conversation with me when you after you found out I killed your friend. There must be something wrong with right here,¡± Simon tapped the side of his head. ¡°You have a twisted mind just like me.¡±


    ¡°I do not!¡± Kate disagreed with Simon. She was nothing like him. There was simply no point in continuing to cry for L who was already dead when she had to worry about keeping herself alive.


    ¡°You are faced with the fact your new husband is a killer. A little bit on the crazy side maybe. You shed a few tears for the life you got yourself into because you were chasing after my title. Shed less when you saw your friend and when I gave you two options, you mentioned your sister who has nothing to do with this. A sane person wouldn¡¯t think of burning their sister. Admit it, Kate. There¡¯s something wrong with you,¡± Simon said.


    Whether it be theck of concern she had for other people, her poor reaction to her friend who Simon honestly believed Kate secretly enjoyed had died, or what he witnessed at the King¡¯s birthday Ball.


    ¡°I had the pleasure of watching you covering your ears and iming you can hear othersparing you to your sister. It¡¯s a shame your mother stopped you. It was quite the show. Those voices will only get louder the more you ignore them and they won¡¯t stop if that person is still in your life. Lucky for you, I want to get Edgar desperately trying to find me. It would shake up the town more if my next victim is the Duchess. Don¡¯t you think?¡± Simon asked and then waited for Kate to ept his offer.


    Simon was attracted to how two-faced Kate was and could act just like he wanted, but he was enjoying this new side to her. This hidden anger and jealousy toward her sister were exciting. He could mold Kate to be like himself. Then they would perfectly rece his parents.


    Kate wanted nothing more than to get away from Simon, but at the same time, since Simon was never caught for the things he did, he would be the best person to get rid of Alessandra. Kate¡¯s world was shattered by the man Simon turned out to be so it was only fair Alessandra¡¯s would shatter too. Kate¡¯s marriage would forever bepared to Alessandra¡¯s if she left Alessandra alive.


    ¡®He owes me a title and the life that goes with it,¡± Kate thought. The papers were signed and all that belonged to Simon would go to her. She could let him go after Alessandra while she found a way to get out of there and expose him. She would get rid of both Simon and Alessandra.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t easy to get to Alessandra. I have tried,¡± said Kate. Edgar would always block whatever n she made to get someone close to Alessandra.


    ¡°I might have something to aid you. More than a month ago, my mother imprisoned a cook Alessandra cares for. I do not know if he is still alive but he is somewhere hidden near our home as a backup to use against Alessandra. I overheard my mother speaking about it.¡±


    ¡°Look at you already helping your husband out instead of pleading to be freed or for me to leave your sister alone after the pain you have caused her. There¡¯s no turning back for you, Kate. I am d I watched you a little bit longer instead of snatching you away while no one was watching,¡± Simon said, d he changed his ns.


    Kate would have gone to waste if Simon did what he originally wanted to when he eyed her as his next target.


    ¡°Do you wish to see who used to amuse me before you?¡± Simon asked, ready for her to meet with Be. ¡°You should know of a youngdy named Be. Her name is in the papers once a week. A young actress. She would have been big if not for, well me,¡± he pointed at himself. ¡°I can speak for myself when I say she is good at pretending to be someone else. She is just like you and all the others but her tears didn¡¯t dry up as quickly as your tears did. Know of her?¡±


    ¡°I never met her but I have heard of a missing woman named Be. One of your victims. They say she must be dead by now since her body was never found like all the others. Everyone thinks they missed where her body was ced. It is unlikely her captor kept her alive,¡± Kate said what she knew.


    Kate never thought about whether Be or the girls before and after her were alive. None of them was her friend for her to be concerned over their disappearance. She once called them foolish for being taken. Lockwood was such a busy town and yet they managed to be taken.


    Kate now had to eat her words as she thought only of a title and married the madman who killed those same girls.


    Kate thought she was sessfully tricking Simon but he was miles ahead of her. Kate looked back on their conversations now and realized the real meaning behind the things Simon told her. Responses she thought were innocent had a different meaning now. Like the servant¡¯s loyalty and her running away if he told her about the gifts.


    However, Simon had another thinging if he thought he could control her. Nothing would stop her from getting the life she desired. Not Alessandra, not Edgar, and certainly not Simon.


    ¡°Are you ready to pay Be a little visit? I am sure she is excited to know my home now has ady. I want to see her plead with you to get help. Come with me,¡± Simon stood and held out his hand for Kate to hold.


    Kate did not wish to touch his hand which dragged L into this room but she had a role to y in order to survive. ¡°Lead the way,¡± she ced her hand in his and forced a smile.

 Chapter 455 - 455 Perfect match (2)

    455 Perfect match (2)


    Kate thought of making a run for the door now that Simon had let her out of the room, but in the corner of her eye, as they made their way down to the first floor, Kate noticed the servants watching her. As if daring her to try and make a run for it. ¡®Where did he find so many people to keep what he¡¯s doing a secret?¡¯ She wondered. They all had enough evidence to get Simon locked up.


    Kate obediently followed Simon outside, toward the trees behind his home. She couldn¡¯t help but think he had changed his mind and was leading her to her death. There was plenty of space for her to try running away from Simon, but her wedding dress would hinder her from getting far away to find someone to help her.


    Kate had no choice but to continue following Simon and act like she enjoyed what he wanted to show her. ¡®How can someone be so sick in the head?¡¯ She thought, stealing a nce at him. Kate was stuck on the fact that Simon was delusional enough to think they were simr.


    ¡°We are almost there,¡± Simon said, seeing the familiar spot where the secret door was. ¡°My father had this built to get away from my mother. He let mee down here with him once. Luckily, when I decided to carry out what they started on me, I already had a good spot to hide the yers in my game. Run away and I will slit your throat,¡± Simon said when he released Kate¡¯s hand to open the door.


    Kate bit her lip, tempted to knock him over the head with her fist now that he bent down in front of her to open something. However, she was reminded of the fact she would not be able to get rid of Alessandra without him.


    ¡°Ladies first,¡± Simon stood to let Kate go into the underground room first. He wouldn¡¯t mind if he entered first and she tried to run. It would be a good lesson after he caught her, why she shouldn¡¯t run from him. There was no escaping the predicament Kate got herself into.


    Kate struggled to enter the room with her wedding dress and almost fell to the ground. Simon, on the other hand, easily jumped down because of his experience.


    ¡°Be,¡± Simon called to the lonely woman who might have missed his presence. He lit one of the torches to give some light to the dark room.


    Kate heard movement in the room and when there was finally light, she spotted a young woman curled up in a corner. She somewhat did not believe that Simon was taking her to see Be still alive. It was a shock to Kate to see the young actress here.


    .....


    Kate inspected Be¡¯s dirty appearance. The young woman looked quite small and her body was dirty as if she didn¡¯t bathe regrly.


    Be, on the other hand, was stunned to see another woman standing next to Simon instead of being dragged in while unconscious. From the wedding dress, she remembered Simon telling her about marrying Kate Barrett. Be never put hope in anyone¡¯s hands to save her, but just this once, she hoped Kate seeing her down here was the beginning of her rescue. Be could not take much longer being trapped in this small room and watching other women losing their lives to Simon¡¯s brutality.


    Simon was right that they did put on a facade but they did not deserve to die over it.


    ¡°This is my bride. I must apologize that you could not attend the wedding, Be. You are very dear to me after all. That is why I brought Kate to meet you,¡± said Simon.


    Kate looked away from Be, hoping the young woman would not dare ask for help. Kate had to look out for herself. If Be survived this as she did all this time, the guards would find Be once Kate told on Simon.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t she a doll?¡± Simon asked, pointing to Kate.


    ¡°She is. You were right. She is a good choice,¡± Be answered. She hadn¡¯t missed Kate avoiding her gaze but Be did not mind it. They both had to look out for themselves.


    Although Kate was not trapped in this room, it did not mean she was not one of Simon¡¯s victims. Be had witnessed a lot of surprise deaths in those who shared this room with her. No one waspletely safe and with the way Simon looked forward to having Kate around, Kate¡¯s death might be one of the cruellest Be had ever seen if Kate let him down.


    ¡°Why are the two of you silent? Is there jealousy?¡± Simon smiled, expecting there to be some amongst the two. ¡°Do you want me to get rid of her, Kate? I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t enjoy your husband having another woman so close by and Be has spent more than needed in this room. I don¡¯t want her thinking too highly of herself for staying alive longer than anyone.¡±


    ¡°I am not jealous,¡± Kate softly replied. She preferred to have someone else around so Simon¡¯s attention would be on them.


    ¡°You have no reason to be. I am not an evil man to try sleeping with the women I have here,¡± said Simon.


    ¡®As if that makes you a saint,¡¯ Be thought. Still, it was a blessing she had never been taken advantage of during her time here. It might have pushed her to kill herself instead of trying to find a way out. She pitied Kate who had to y the role of Simon¡¯s wife and probably share a bed with him.


    Be couldn¡¯t help but wonder how Kate got herself caught up with Simon.


    ¡°I am thinking of bringing a man down here so Be can also get married. It wouldn¡¯t be fair for her to remain without a husband. How about I let Kate pick who I will let you marry? Who is a man in your life you want to get rid of Kate?¡± Simon asked.


    ¡°There is only the Duke or the man bothering my mother these days,¡± Kate quickly answered.


    Be frowned as Kate answered Simon too quickly. ¡®Is she a part of his game?¡¯ She thought. Be started to question the type of person Kate was. Maybe she knew about what he was doing and married him. Kate did not seem shaken up when she spoke. ¡®She will be of no help to me,¡¯ Be realised. If anything, Kate might one day cost her life.


    ¡°Edgar is out of the question. I enjoy him trying to find me and I want to see him searching for his wife when we do get her. I suppose I can bring in the man around your mother. He is far older than Be,¡± Simon looked down at the said woman. ¡°I will think about it. Unfortunately for you, Kate and I cannot stay down here any longer. As a treat for our wedding, I will leave the torch going. It isn¡¯t good for you to be in the dark all the time. Come, Kate,¡± Simon said, going back to the entrance.


    Kate gave ast nce at Be who strangely did not ask for help when Simon¡¯s back was turned. She left without saying anything to the young actress.

 Chapter 456 - 456 Rude (1)

    456 Rude (1)


    ¡°Thank you foring along with me, Alfred. I doubt Edgar would have let me out of his sight if you didn¡¯t offer to travel with me,¡± said Alessandra.


    One day had passed since shest saw her mother and sisters. A letter was sent for them to meet again in town. Edgar was against it as he had matters to take care of in the pce but Alfred offered toe along with her. Edgar was toeter on once he was finished with his work.


    ¡°I feel like I am moving with an army,¡± Alessandra said, looking at the others who were squashed in the carriage.


    Aside from Alfred, Sally, Caleb, Rafael, Andre, Clyde, and Alessandra¡¯s new female guard Ivy were present. Rafael rode with Andre out front with the coachman while everyone else squeezed together on one side.


    Alessandra looked at the space between her and Alfred. ¡°I told you someone should sit here with me and Alfred. The four of you look squashed together over there. I¡¯m surprised that the seat has not broken.¡±


    ¡°Duchess, I speak for everyone when I say we would rather walk beside the carriage than sit next to you and identally touch your stomach. Your husband has taken crazy to another level,¡± Caleb said, trying his best to not squash Sally who sat beside him.


    ¡°None of you will hurt me if you sit here. We should have brought a second carriage to avoid this-¡±


    ¡°But then what if something happens here and we cannot help you!¡± Sally eximed. Edgar made it quite clear with the sword in his hands at thest meeting with all the servants, that they were to stick close to Alesandra.


    ¡°I would still have Alfred here with me and what could go wrong in the carriage? I feel like I am already dealing with children when all of you are near. If you wish to be ufortable then so be it. Edgar¡¯s protectiveness has gone up another level, but I keep telling you that I am not a fragile littledy,¡± Alessandra said, wishing they would stop walking on eggshells around her.


    .....


    ¡°There is no point in telling them this, Alessandra. You are carrying important children in your stomach. No one wants to piss off their fathers,¡± Alfred said.


    ¡°Alfred, please do not tell me you are also thinking there is more than one. Please do not encourage Edgar,¡± Alessandra sighed. Edgar kept mentioning how they needed to buy two of everything. Then it turned out to be four of everything because he then said there could be two of the same gender or one of each.


    ¡°Edgar has a strange intuition,¡± Alfred chuckled. He wouldn¡¯t be surprised if there were truly twins in her stomach. It didn¡¯t matter to Alfred if there were. All he wanted was to care for their children. If they only had one child, he would help to raise it as he did with Edgar. ¡°And I enjoy his excitement. He isn¡¯t one to care for children. He thinks of them as annoying replicas of their parents.¡±


    ¡°He told me this recently. Oh, we are in town already,¡± Alessandra looked out the window. Aside from meeting with her mother and sisters, she was excited to secretly look around at some of the shops dedicated to nurseries. They had a long way to go, but she was excited to start decorating a room.


    Alfred looked out the window when the carriage stopped. He looked at a woman and two youngdies standing behind her. It was certainly Alessandra¡¯s mother because of the simr features. Edgar already told him to keep an eye on the trio.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Alessandra thanked Reed who helped her out of the carriage.


    One by one, her entourage got out of the carriage and stood behind her.


    ¡°Alessandra, you look wonderful today,¡± Mnie greeted her daughter. She tried to ignore the number of people Alessandra brought with her.


    ¡°Thank you. You as well,¡± Alessandra replied. Mother was still a hard word to leave her mouth.


    ¡°It is good to see you again sister. Who is the man beside you?¡± ire pointed at Alfred. He was dressed like he was rich and since he was with Alessandra he had to be.


    ¡°This is Alfred. He is the family butler, but he has raised Edgar for years so he is more like family. He¡¯s been like a father figure to me since the day we first met,¡± Alessandra happily introduced Alfred.


    ¡°Oh,¡± ire replied, uninterested in the butler. She wanted to see more of the nobility she heard about in Lockwood. ¡°Why have you travelled with so many people? Are they your guards?¡± She asked.


    ire didn¡¯t like how it wasing off that Alessandra needed protection against her own family. They were not here to hurt her. ¡®Does she think that because we have no title we would look to harm her?¡¯ ire wondered.


    ¡°It is normal for nobles to travel with many guards. One can never be too safe. Edgar always makes sure Alessandra is safe when she leaves the estate. Please do not misunderstand,¡± Alfred answered in ce of Alessandra.


    ¡°I understand. I remember the dangers that came with being Baroness. So many people are looking to rob you of your wealth. It is good to see that your husband keeps you protected. I had a good warning from him thest time we met,¡± said Mnie.


    ¡°He warned mother not to hurt you,¡± Melody said, sharing the same feelings as ire that the Duke was wrong to threaten their mother. She knew it was wrong of her mother to leave a child behind for years and only return when she was ordered to, but Melody could not ignore the threat said to her mother.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see anything wrong with that,¡± Alessandra said, standing on Edgar¡¯s side. ¡°It is good it was said in the early. If you don¡¯t mind, I am getting a little tired of standing around outside even though we just arrived. Edgar has paid for no other customers to be present so we will be alone inside.¡±


    ¡°The power of a Duke. I forgot the strings nobility could pull to get what they want. Come inside quickly before you get sick from the cold air,¡± Mnie said, attempting to touch Alessandra and guide her to the entrance since there was still ice on the ground, but the butler beat her to it.


    ¡°The grounds are still quite slippery. It is good Sally did not pick out a shoe with too much heel. Careful,¡± Alfred held Alessandra¡¯s hand and led her inside.


    Mnie ced her hand on her hips and sighed as Alessandra¡¯s group of people walked by her. If it wasn¡¯t Alessandra giving her the cold shoulder, there was the Duke warning her as if she would ever physically hurt her own flesh and blood, and now there was a butler who beat her doing a nice gesture.


    ¡°Mother,¡± Melody ced a hand on her mother¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I don¡¯t like seeing you like this.¡±


    ¡°It is fine. It is what I have to pay for leaving her behind. Come along before they think something is wrong with us that we have not entered. ire, I don¡¯t like the way you pouted when you heard that man was the butler. No wonder they think we are after something. We need to be nice to everyone in Alessandra¡¯s life so we can get close to her,¡± Mnie said, guiding the two inside.

 Chapter 457 - 457 Rude (2)

    457 Rude (2)


    ¡°How much money did you have to pay to make this private?¡± ire asked, looking around at the fancy decorations on the inside. The inside screamed wealth. Of course, it would since a Duke picked it out. Her friends will be jealous when she tells them the tales about her trip.


    ¡°Do not knock anything over, ire. Excuse the girls, Alessandra. Our town is pretty simplepared to Lockwood so their eyes light up at everything wee across. They have plenty of stories to tell their friends when we head home,¡± Mnie said, d the girls were enjoying themselves.


    ¡°I understand. I¡¯ve travelled out of Lockwood once and saw how different life in other towns is. They certainly are more peaceful,¡± Alessandra said, watching her mother walk to the other side of the table to sit down with Melody and ire.


    ¡°No other town I have travelled to canpare to the fast life of Lockwood. There are some that started to mirror life in Lockwood, but they are missing out on the grand balls in the pce. Before we came today, I took the girls to pass by the pce. They were shocked to see the pce was bigger than they expected,¡± Mnie looked to Melody.


    ¡°It was grand. I can only imagine what the inside looks like. It must be fun to get dressed and attend balls in the pce. One of our friends travelled all the way from our town to attend the King¡¯s ball weeks ago. I wanted to take a trip with her to witness it once in my life but mother said no. Luckily, we have a sister who lives here so we can attend the ball at some point,¡± Melody said, excited to witness the life inside the pce. ¡°Have you attended any balls, Alessandra?¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Alessandra thanked Alfred after he poured water for her. ¡°You can sit here,¡± she patted the seat beside her.


    Alfred was standing behind her with Sally and Ivy while the others guarded the outside.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Yes, I have attended balls, but there were only two. They were wonderful. Unfortunately, I don¡¯t think there will be another ball until the new season starts and youngdies start making their debut. What was youring out into society like, Melody?¡± Alessandra asked.


    ¡°Oh, I have not done it yet,¡± Melody answered. She was still nning for the important party.


    .....


    Alessandra didn¡¯t understand how it wasn¡¯t done yet if Melody was looking to get married. In Alessandra¡¯s case, she did not properly debut because her father saw it as a waste and invested heavily in Kate. ¡°You said you are looking to marry. Is it not something you do in your town?¡± She asked, looking at her mother for answers.


    ¡°Melody is only fifteen while ire is fourteen. She will be sixteen soon. I want her to wait a little longer before jumping into marriage,¡± Mnie said,bing her fingers through Melody¡¯s hair as she spoke. ¡°But she keeps telling me she doesn¡¯t want to be mocked for getting marriedte.¡±


    Alessandra didn¡¯t see the issue with getting married at ater age. She knew about thements that her chances of giving Edgar an heir would be lower but here she was now, pregnant with their first child. ¡°I got marriedte and there is nothing wrong with it. I have a few friends who have not gotten married yet and they are not getting mocked. All that matters is you finding someone who cares for you no matter what age you find them at,¡± she said.


    Melody sighed. ¡°That is sweet but I don¡¯t want to be ridiculed. If I start looking now I can find a partner to court by the time I turn sixteen and if I fail my first season, I have two years to try. I don¡¯t want to startte. You and your friend probably do not get ridiculed because of your status. You have it better than all of us.¡±


    ¡°That is hardly true. I have been judged before and after I was the Duchess. I¡¯ve learned that people will always have something to say no matter what you do. You should look out for your best interest instead of caring about how you look in front of everyone else,¡± Alessandra replied, knowing there would not a lot of happiness in trying to please society.


    ¡°We have heard about your mask and the curse,¡± ire said.


    ¡°ire!¡± Mnie eximed, ring at ire for bringing up this now. ¡°Excuse her.¡±


    Alessandra wasn¡¯t the slightest bit annoyed by ire mentioning the curse. She wished her mother would stop apologizing for the things her sisters said. Alessandra wanted ire and Melody to speak their minds so she could see what they were truly like. She was trying to understand them as much as she was trying to understand her mother.


    ¡°What?¡± ire shrugged her shoulders, not seeing this was an issue when it was first said when they asked a stranger about Alessandra.


    ¡°I did wear a mask for a long time ago and the town was foolish enough to think that a curse was involved. People who were supposed to be my family created that ridiculous curse. Now that you probably know more about it and Mnie knows a bit about my treatment when I lived with my father, all of you should understand why my husband is so protective. Aside from grandmother, my experience with the family has not been pleasant,¡± Alessandra said, once again defending Edgar¡¯s threats.


    ¡°I understand. I thought it was a bit much after we had just gotten introduced, but I know it is needed to protect you. I don¡¯t want you to get hurt ever again. I promise you that I, that we,¡± Mnie touched her daughter¡¯s hands. ¡°Have not travelled here to hurt you. I want to make up for lost time and let you bond with your sisters. I hope your husband can one day see that and not send you with so many guards.¡±


    ¡°Knowing Edgar, it is quite surprising there weren¡¯t more guards. You have nothing to worry about if you have no ill intentions-¡±


    ¡°You know, it sort of hurts that you do not seem to believe we are not here to hurt you. No mother,¡± ire pushed her mother¡¯s hands away. ¡°I had nothing to do with my mother not returning to you and yet it feels like you are being cold to us for what she did. We are not here to hurt or use you. Why can¡¯t you believe me or Melody are harmless?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think the two of you have intentions of harming me, but we are strangers even though we have the same mother. I am excited to have sisters, but it will take some time for us to be close. That is why we are here today. To try and get to know each other. I¡¯m sorry if I seem cold, but this is just me taking my time to figure all of you out. As Alfred said, I always travel with guards so it is not because of you that I suddenly have guards,¡± Alessandra exined.


    ¡°ire takes offense to the slightest thing. Do not mind her, Alessandra. She snaps at me like that too. I was only thinking of my mother when I heard about your husband¡¯s threats. It seems there has been a lot of pain in your life so it is only fair you be cautious. I am sorry if we have not been understanding enough. Can we start over?¡± Melody requested.

 Chapter 458 - 458 Rude (3)

    458 Rude (3)


    ¡°Your husband was right. We were pushy when I mentioned wanting to get married. Honestly, I am nowhere ready to be married, but I am afraid of being shamed. You see, I want to be a schr like my father. Going around gaining knowledge and then teaching to others, but these have been called a fool¡¯s dream because I am a woman, and I am more suited to caring for a family,¡± Melody repeated the words told to her by many. ¡°There are certain books I wish to read but I get strange looks so I put them back.¡±


    The town they grew up in was small and held onto the fact that there were certain things meant for men and not women. It was a pleasant ce to be in Melody¡¯s opinion but no one besides her father understood why she cared to learn more than she needed.


    ¡°I made the mistake of making it known how much I wanted to study and travel around like my father did to write down what I learned in my own books. Many of the young men in our town don¡¯t see me as a perfect partner and they have not hidden the fact they have no ns of courting me when I turn sixteen. I have given up my hopes of being a schr since no one would care to learn such things from me,¡± said Melody.


    Mnie touched Melody¡¯s hand to stop her from talking. It was a bit too much information. ¡°We should order something to drink,¡± she said.


    ¡°I already have my water and I am interested in hearing more about her,¡± Alessandra replied. For the first time since they met, she felt like she was finally understanding Melody. Another youngdy with dreams crushed and pressured to focus on marriage.


    Melody made Alessandra think of Eleanor who liked to write books, but because of her background, did not let anyone know she was the person behind the books so they could sell.


    Melody yed with her fingers under the table. She found this hard to tell even her own mother, but she wanted Alessandra to understand that she was not exactly trying to use her.


    ¡°When I heard we had a sister here in Lockwood and you are a Duchess, I thought the best way I could save myself was to find a partner here. I thought that if you introduced me to a nobleman, I could rub it in the faces of the boys at home that I am still wanted even though I dream of teaching. I won¡¯t speak about marriage with you anymore,¡± Melody promised.


    ¡°You should not give up on what you want. If it is what you truly desire, go after it. I¡¯m sure your father would love that you are taking after him and finding a way to help you. You will find someone who shares the same passion as you and help you achieve all that you are aiming for. I truly wouldn¡¯t be helpful in finding you a husband, but I will ask Edgar to get you the books you want so you can start your journey,¡± Alessandra replied.


    .....


    It was a better path than chasing after marriage when she wasn¡¯t ready.


    Alessandra didn¡¯t miss ire¡¯s annoyed look throughout the conversation. ¡®Is it always the little sisters?¡¯ She wondered. Still, ire was easier to handle than Kate.


    ¡°Melody, you said you gave up on those dreams and looked forward to being a wife,¡± Mnie said, reminding Melody of a conversation they had. She wanted the best for Melody but it didn¡¯t seem like Melody knew what she wanted. Melody went back and forth between wanting to get married and studying.


    ¡°Well, if the Duke can get me all kinds of books, I can study on my own or with father¡¯s help,¡± Melody replied.


    ¡°But there is a high chance you will not be epted into the schools you need to attend. Who will hire you if you cannot show off where you went to school? Many will think you are a woman spouting nonsense and discredit you,¡± said Mnie.


    ¡°Right,¡± Melody¡¯s shoulders slumped as she remembered reality. She needed to attend a good school like her father did but they would not easily ept a woman.


    ¡°All hope is not lost. There are always families looking for someone to privately teach their children. Most will not look at what school you attended as long as you seem knowledgeable and your father¡¯s work will aid you. My sister was tutored by a woman at one point. It is not as umon as you think for women to teach other things than what it means to take care of a family. I wouldn¡¯t mind hiring you to teach my child whenever I have one,¡± Alessandra said, hoping Melody¡¯s dreams would not be shattered.


    Alessandra couldn¡¯t help but dislike how her mother destroyed the confidence Melody had a moment ago. As someone who ran away from an unhappy marriage, shouldn¡¯t their mother be looking to do whatever it takes to help Melody reach what made her happy before Mnie had to experience someone she loved also disappearing?


    ire abruptly stood up, her chair creating a skin-crawling noise as she pushed it back when she stood. ¡°I need to speak with Melody alone. Please excuse us,¡± she looked down at her sister.


    Melody didn¡¯t see why ire needed to leave the room to speak, but she offered Alessandra a smile and stood up. ¡°Excuse us,¡± she said.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Alessandra replied and looked at her mother which instantly made her feel awkward. Instead, she looked at Sally and Alfred who seemed to have the same thought as her.


    On the outside of the room, ire led Melody to a corner where none of Alessandra¡¯s guards stood.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± ire asked right away.


    ¡°Getting to know our sister. Have you not been paying attention? What is your problem, ire?¡± Melody folded her arms. ¡°You are being extremely rude when we are around Alessandra. It is not like you.¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t like how hard mother is trying, and she is being dismissed. I get that she was mistreated and abandoned, but I cannot sit still and watch the hurt in mothers eyes each time when Alessandra does not acknowledge her,¡± ire angrily replied. ¡°I don¡¯t care if mother is okay with it. I don¡¯t like her husband threatening us.¡±


    Melody thought the same at first, but she realized their mistake. ¡°Would you just jump into our arms if you were in her position? I don¡¯t like the sh of hurt I see on mother¡¯s face, but honestly, I am starting to find something odd. Mother has been telling us the entire trip here that Alessandra¡¯s father took care of her, but when we finally arrived, that is not the case. Mother was vague about Alessandra¡¯s life with her father when we asked how their conversation in the court went.¡±


    ¡°I feel like we¡¯re kind of trying to forget the bad side of her life with her father. Like we¡¯re pushing her to forget that she was hurt and just ept us. You and I have nothing to do with that since it¡¯s mostly an issue for her and mother. However, we have to watch how we speak. Your rude behavior is giving Alessandra a reason to be wary. Honestly, father was right that mother is deserving of a cold shoulder from Alessandra. I would be angry if mother one day left us. Doesn¡¯t it feel like we stole Alessandra¡¯s time with mother?¡± Melody asked.


    ¡°No. I stole nothing. Mother chose to be with the children she wanted to raise. I won¡¯t allow anyone to disrespect her no matter what she is deserving of. You are only taking Alessandra¡¯s side because she is helping you with that foolish dream,¡± ire brushed past Melody.

 Chapter 459 - 459 Moving on (1)

    459 Moving on (1)


    Melody grabbed ire¡¯s arm to stop her from leaving already. ¡°ire! You cannot say such a thing. Never say that in front of Alessandra. Do you know how much it would be a p in the face to hear you admit that too?¡±


    ¡°You know, Alessandra isn¡¯t going to bring you into her fancy world just because you switched your tune. She still doesn¡¯t trust us. It was fake of you to tell her about wanting to be a schr. You really think she will let you teach her children?¡± ire asked.


    ¡°If I work hard then yes. And I switched my approach because I realised how rude we wereing off to someone who has trouble with rtives she meets. I want to get to know our sister. That is the reason we came here with our mother. Isn¡¯t it? I get defensive for mother too but we have to put ourselves in Alessandra¡¯s-¡±


    ¡°You weren¡¯t saying that yesterday!¡± ire yelled, deeply frustrated with her sister.


    ¡°I said that from the moment we left home! I got angry when mother said she was threatened, but the more I hear about Alessandra¡¯s life, I understand why her husband is wary. ire, I will always defend my mother and I hate to see her look so sad, but we have to stay out of this if we want to have a rtionship with our sister. She could be acting worse toward mother,¡± Melody said.


    Alessandra was quite calm in the face of a parent who abandoned her. Alesandra had the power to make their lives hell, but here she was, meeting with them and trying to get to know her half-sisters.


    ¡°ire, why are you acting like this? You never cared about the mour of towns like this before. You have to stop asking about how much things cost or pouting when you hear someone is a butler. You don¡¯t have the wealth to pout at a butler. Promise me that you will start to behave. I will tell father about your behavior when he arrives tomorrow,¡± Melody said, knowing this threat would get ire to behave.


    ¡°Father told mother to be prepared for a cold shoulder. He wasn¡¯t happy to learn about mother¡¯s hidden life and the fact she wasn¡¯t travelling to see her sick father. I told you that he and mother got into a screaming match before we left. We should be more worried about their marriage,¡± Melody added, fearing her mother¡¯s secrets would crumble her marriage. ¡°Do you think it was right for mother to hide this from us for years? Especially father?¡±


    ire looked off to the side. ¡°Of course not. I was angry with her too. I can¡¯t get how hurt father looked when the news arrived. I just don¡¯t like seeing mother looking sad. I suppose I should stay out of it. It wouldn¡¯t be fair if you get a new sister and I don¡¯t. It might be toote for Alessandra to want to start over with me.¡±


    .....


    ¡°It isn¡¯t. As older sisters, we write off your behavior as being bratty and annoying. You have to apologize for the way you have behaved. The looks and the side remarks,¡± Melody said.


    ¡°I know,¡± ire muttered.


    ¡°Good,¡± Melody sighed, d this was over with.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I said your dream is foolish. I was just angry with you at that moment. I am just against it sometimes because it means you won¡¯t always be at home. I¡¯m sorry,¡± ire apologized.


    ¡°I know. See, you¡¯re a sweetheart when you control your emotions. We should return before they think I am out here pulling out your hair,¡± Melody said, walking back to the room where everyone was.


    ¡°Why would you be pulling my hair? I am the better fighter- Duke Collins?¡± ire almost choked on her words when she saw Edgar standing not too far away from them. She rubbed her eyes and looked again. She thought he had appeared out of thin air to kill her.


    ¡°Duke Collins,¡± Melody curtsied. She also wanted to know why Edgar was here when Alessandra said he would beingter.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Edgar gave a short greeting and went into the room to find Alessandra. After a quick meeting with Tobias to talk about what was happening at the border, he left the pce and came straight to Alessandra.


    ¡°Edgar!¡± Alessandra eximed, surprised to see him. She was happy to have him here as the sit down with her mother was suffocating after her sisters left. ¡°I thought we would not be seeing you for another hour.¡±


    ¡°I finished early so I came here to see you. How lucky are you to be so loved,¡± Edgar said, taking a seat beside Alessandra. He made an attempt to touch her stomach, but his hand was pushed away by Alessandra. Edgar briefly nced at Mnie who had no idea Alessandra was carrying his children in her stomach. ¡°Hello again,¡± he greeted Mnie.


    Mnie understood why Alessandra did not call her mother, but she found it rude for Edgar to not refer to her as mother-inw. There was still some respect owed to her. It was thanks to her that Alessandra was in this world for Edgar to be married.


    Although it bugged her, Mnie knew to keep quiet as talking about it would only make Alessandra angry. Mnie also asked around about Edgar to see what he was truly like.


    She didn¡¯t like the things she heard about him. Thest thing she wanted was for Alessandra to marry a man as cruel as her father. Although Edgar did not care for appearances like Desmond, there were a few things said about him that she did not like for her daughter. Everyone she turned to said Edgar Collins was a cruel man you should stay far away from.


    At first, she viewed Edgar¡¯s actions as love, but now, Mnie found that it was a bit controlling and rude. He carried a don¡¯t care attitude that she greatly disliked and then there was that look in his eyes whenever he looked her way.


    ¡°The two of you have not been married for long. Have you thought about children?¡± She asked, watching Edgar¡¯s reaction.


    ¡°We have. We are both looking forward to having children one day. Although we have not reached a year yet, I think we have been married for a good enough amount of time to think about children,¡± Alessandra answered. ¡°How many months into your new marriage did you have Melody?¡±


    ¡°I was pregnant with Melody before we officially got married. Luckily, the timing was quite close so no one ever assumed anything. It is something I never told Melody,¡± Mnie said, smiling at Melody and ire as they returned to their seats. ¡°I hope you can have a child soon so I can be a grandmother.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Edgar made a sound. He felt Alessandra pressing her shoe down on his but it didn¡¯t affect him. Mnie will be a grandmother, but it did not mean she would see the child.


    ¡°Is there something wrong, Duke Collins?¡± Mnie asked. ¡°We should all be able to speak freely since we are family. Speak your mind.¡±


    ¡®You don¡¯t want Edgar to speak his mind,¡¯ Alessandra thought.


    ¡°You already told me that you do not like or trust me. Quite frankly, I feel the same when ites to you,¡± Mnie added.

 Chapter 460 - 460 Moving on (2)

    460 Moving on (2)


    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± Edgar replied, not even the slightest bit hurt by her words. It was only fair she didn¡¯t like him when he didn¡¯t like her.


    ¡°Mother,¡± Melody said, trying to understand what their mother intended to do by picking a fight with Edgar. This would only put Alessandra in an awkward position.


    ¡°I want the best for my daughter-¡±


    ¡°That was hard to tell with you staying away from how many years?¡± Edgar replied. She missed the mark on wanting the best for Alessandra.


    Mnie red at Edgar over the unwarranted jab. ¡°You show up and all of a sudden the peace around us is gone.¡±


    ¡°He did not start this fight. It wasn¡¯t necessary for you to state now that you do not like him. I don¡¯t want either side to fight right now,¡± Alessandra said, looking back and forth between husband and mother to try to make them stop.


    Mnie looked to her right at ire who had note to her defense like always. ¡°I heard his response when I said I wanted to be a grandmother.¡±


    ¡°Well, it is odd for you to want to be a grandmother when I do not view you as my mother yet. What will it take for us to move on from this? Should we start ordering food?¡± Alessandra looked at Alfred and Sally to ask the servers toe inside.


    ¡°If anything you should have taken from me, it is to stay away from nobles. Why did you marry a man with a title after what you witnessed your father be?¡± Mnie asked, a tad disappointed in Alessandra¡¯s choice. Alessandra would always have that insufferable attention on her because of her title.


    .....


    For a moment, Alessandra thought she misheard her mother. ¡°Edgar is nothing like my father. Haven¡¯t you heard from the court that Edgar saved me from my father? If we would have moved on like I wanted to, you would have enjoyed food with us and seen why I fell in love with Edgar. There is no hope for us,¡± Alessandra muttered. She always knew this from their first meeting, but she could admit it today.


    ¡°We can have a thousand sit-downs and I still would not open my arms to you. I don¡¯t know what to make of you. You are defensive as if you are the victim here. You don¡¯t take into ount my feelings and your behavior has been somewhat childish. I truly do not know what to make of you,¡± Alessandra said, staring at her mother who was so confusing.


    ¡°If you would open your heart a little bit, you would understand me,¡± Mnie replied.


    ¡°Honestly, it feels like you believe the story of you not being in love with my father is enough for me to understand and forgive you. I have opened my heart a little or I would not be here. I am here because I don¡¯t want to look back and regret not trying. Answer me honestly. If the court did not force you toe back, would you have returned to Lockwood after learning I was mistreated?¡± Alessandra asked.


    ¡°Yes, I would have. How could I stay away after learning my daughter was hurt all these years? I am not the monster you paint me to be in your head, Alessandra. As your mother, I do care for you,¡± Mnie said, reaching out to the other side of the table to hold Alessandra¡¯s hands.


    Alessandra slid her hand back away from her mother¡¯s touch. ¡°I truly want to believe you, but I do not. If you stayed away while knowing where I lived all these years, why should you care now? I know there¡¯s a part of you that loves me, but you don¡¯t want to be here. At least we saw each other once more. It is best that we go back to not seeing each other. My questions were answered and now I don¡¯t have to wonder about you.¡±


    ¡°Alessandra, I did note all the way here for us to end like this. I can¡¯t,¡± Mnie paused as she would be revealing too much. Her husband would not speak to her if he were to learn she had not fixed her rtionship with Alessandra.


    Truthfully, Mnie wanted nothing to do with anything that reminded her of Desmond, and the life before she ran away. Life was toying with her for making Alessandra take after her when it came to looks. She was looking at herself when she faced Alessandra. There was hardly a hint of Desmond in Alessandra¡¯s features but it didn¡¯t change the fact that Alessandra reminded her of her marriage to Desmond.


    Mnie did wish she did not have toe back to this awful town. She did not want her new family to know about the one she had tried hard to forget. Life was perfect up until this point. No one would ever be able to understand it unless they walked in her shoes.


    ¡°We are not leaving on a bad note. At least, I am not. I am satisfied with the short time we spoke to each other. You and I will never have a mother-daughter rtionship. I feel ufortable around you and many of the things you say rub me the wrong way. If your return was earlier, I would have weed you back, but I am at a point where I won¡¯t forgive easily, and I want to move on with my life without certain people in it,¡± Alessandra said, taking a deep breath afterwards as she let go of thoughts about her mother.


    It was strange for Alessandra. She could feel bad and forgive Prisci who almost got Alfred killed, but her heart could not bring itself to be closer to her mother. Perhaps she needed time. Perhaps Mnie needed to stop acting like everything was supposed to fall into ce at her whim.


    ¡°I still want to get to know my sisters,¡± Alessandra rified. ¡°That is if they want to.¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± Melody answered. Alessandra not wanting to be around their mother did not mean it was the end of getting to know her sister. She could one day be the bridge to mend the broken rtionship.


    ¡°I do too,¡± ire raised her hand, not looking in Alessandra¡¯s direction. She felt ashamed of her actions.


    ¡°Then we should n a day for just the three of us to meet. I will take care of it. It will be awkward if I continue to stay so I will take my leave, but please stay and enjoy the food. It will be our treat,¡± Alessandra said, standing up with Edgar¡¯s help. She knew he was more than happy to leave.


    ¡°Mother. Fight for her to stay,¡± Melody whispered to her mother. This was the time for their mother to be dering to Alessandra how much she wanted to work on their rtionship. Why was she sitting so quietly while Alessandra was leaving? ¡°Do you not care?¡± Melody identally asked out loud. ¡°Why did we travel all this way? So you can avoid being imprisoned?¡±


    ¡°Melody, watch your tone with me and the words that leave your mouth,¡± Mnie said as Melody must have lost her mind to speak like this.


    ¡°Why are you letting her leave? You said you wanted to be her mother again. Make her stay!¡± Melody eximed, frustrated with the fact their mother did not seem to care about her daughter walking away.

 Chapter 461 - 461 Leads (1)

    461 Leads (1)


    Alessandra felt bad for Melody being the one to push Mnie to say something more. It was more proof that her mother truly did not care as much as she wanted Alessandra to believe. Alessandra was not going to stay even though Melody was pleading with her eyes.


    ¡°No more finding missing rtives,¡± Edgar said when they exited the room with Alfred and Sally right behind them.


    Mnie hadpletely wasted her second chance to act like a mother.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any more missing rtives. Do you?¡± Alessandra asked as it would have to be someone on Edgar¡¯s side they needed to find. His father was currently missing.


    ¡°No,¡± Edgar replied. ¡°Unfortunately.¡±


    ¡°Of course, you would want some of your rtives to go missing so you do not have to speak or see them,¡± Alessandra said as she knew her husband well.


    ¡°You should have tortured her. You are letting her off the hook too easily. I would have let guilt eat her alive. I¡¯m annoyed by how she dismisses your life with your father. I am like Desmond? What a joke,¡± Edgar scoffed. He was nothing like Desmond other than the fact they both had a title. His title was far out of reach for someone like Desmond.


    ¡°That was wrong of her to say. I would be somewhere standing around like a doll in William¡¯s home if not for you. She never thanked you for saving me. Unless she did when the two of you spoke at the court,¡± Alessandra said, hoping Mnie did.


    A recollection of what happened up to the point she married Edgar was sent to her mother so Mnie had some knowledge of what Alessandra¡¯s life was like. The court didn¡¯t know much, but Edgar having to kill her father should have made Mnie curious for more details about that night straight from Alessandra¡¯s mouth.


    .....


    Alessandra shook her head to rid herself of any thoughts about her mother. ¡°We should do something together now you are free. I don¡¯t recall us walking around the town together.¡±


    ¡°Melody!¡± The sound of ire calling after her sister interrupted the moment. ¡°I like the dramatic exit, but how are we going to get home without mother?¡±


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Alessandra asked ire.


    ire sighed as today was turning out to be nothing but a headache. ¡°Melody told mother we needed time away from her, but Melody forgot mother paid for our ride here and she was going to pay for our ride back. We have money,¡± she showed her purse. ¡°But we were to buy a gift for grandfather today. We are supposed to leave Lockwood once father arrives so we can all meet our grandparents.¡±


    ¡°We can simply return tomorrow to buy a gift,¡± Melody said with folded arms.


    Alessandra looked at Edgar who looked at Alfred to offer the two young women money to get back to wherever they were staying.


    ¡°I am going to take them home,¡± Mnie said, not needing her children to be given money.


    ¡°Please leave us,¡± Melody said to Alessandra. She wanted to speak to her mother without Alessandra present. She could see more of why her father was so angry. Where was their warm and happy mother? The one who was always smiling wherever she went? Where was the mother who loved her children so dearly?


    Melody was told the story of her mother being in an unhappy marriage and Lockwood bringing back unhappy memories, but what did that have to do with Alessandra? Why was their mother messing up getting to know their sister as if she wasn¡¯t the viin in all of this by keeping Alessandra a secret?


    ¡°I will see you soon,¡± Alessandra bid goodbye to Melody and ire. They had their hands full with their mother.


    ¡°Why do we get to throw away your mother, but my mother is in our home more than I would like?¡± Egar asked, not seeing why he had to be tortured.


    ¡°Because it is clear Prisci is trying to make up for her mistakes though she doesn¡¯t like to admit it. She¡¯s been nice to me and I don¡¯t mind if it is because of her grandchild. She¡¯s been sending me letters to offer advice and I once caught her speaking with Alfred. Are you upset that Prisci is in our home?¡± Alessandra looked behind her and Edgar to ask Alfred.


    If at any point Alfred felt ufortable with Prisci¡¯s visits, she would make them stop.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask him that,¡± Edgar muttered. Alfred was mister peacemaker.


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Alfred replied. ¡°She has been helpful with getting all that I requested from Edgar¡¯s youth. I have wanted the two of them to get along.¡±


    ¡°So you will ignore the fact she almost got you killed and Timothy died. Wonderful,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°I like spending time with Prisci because I get to see how simr the two of you are and neither wants to admit it. It is also funny to see you protecting her from being courted by men like Mark. It is cute.¡±


    ¡°It is not. Do not run away from me,¡± Edgar released Alessandra¡¯s hand and quickly followed Peter who looked shocked as their eyes met. ¡°I have been meaning to speak with you, Peter.¡±


    ¡°I had a feeling the devil was near,¡± Peter mumbled, wanting to drop the box of donations and make a run for it. Nothing good came from a meeting with Edgar. ¡°Just kill me and get it over with already. Stop popping up in my life like this. Hello again, Duchess. Why are you still married?¡±


    Alessandra was happy to see Peter again. It had been a long time since she visited the church and saw Peter who feared Edgar. ¡°I am happily married, Peter. It is good to see you again. Are those children¡¯s books?¡± She asked, looking into the box he carried.


    ¡°And clothes. The church received a big donation for children so the priests are going around handing out a few things to those who need them. I should have passed up on this today. I had a bad feeling but ignored it,¡± Peter said, side-eyeing Edgar who was the reason behind the bad feeling.


    ¡°I am a saint,¡± Edgar said.


    ¡°Saint my- Nevermind. I have had enough of you nobles. Oh!¡± Peter remembered something. ¡°I didn¡¯t think the two of you were in town since I didn¡¯t see you at your sister¡¯s wedding, Duchess. I was the one to wed her to Marquess Simon.¡±


    ¡°I am not close to my sister,¡± Alessandra answered. This was the first time she was hearing about Kate¡¯s wedding. Kate now officially had everything she wanted so hopefully she was happy.


    ¡°I can see why. The two of you are like fire and ice. Nothing alike and that husband scared the hell out of me. More than Edgar ever has. I didn¡¯t think he had it in him,¡± Peter touched his chest as the fright came back.


    Edgar was surprised to hear Simon had scared someone. ¡°What do you mean?¡± He asked.


    ¡°He looked into my eyes and for a moment, I thought he wanted to kill me. I got a cold sweat all over my body. You know I lived a colorful life before bing a priest. I met all sorts of dangerous people so I know when someone is bad. He wasn¡¯t even paying attention in the middle of the wedding. Your sister better watch out that he is not one of those secret evil bastards who act differently at home. Lucky for you, you don¡¯t have to guess if Edgar is evil,¡± Peter said, once again pitying Alessandra.


    Edgar found it odd Peter thought Simon looked like he wanted to kill him. When you heard about Simon, it was always that he was a loving man who liked peace. He was not involved in any big scandals and stayed out of trouble. However, there was a scratch on Simon¡¯s hand that Edgar was still concerned about. He was looking into the slightest details about the men he came across after learning one of the girls had scratched the person behind all of this.


    After months of not finding the culprit, Edgar was following the smallest lead even if it pointed him to nowhere.


    ¡°I will pay Simon a visit since you are so concerned,¡± Edgar said.


    Peter¡¯s mouth fell open from the shock of Edgar going so far as to confirm his thoughts about Simon. ¡°You do have a heart,¡± he said.


    Alessandra, on the other hand, could not believe Edgar was going to visit Simon because of what Peter said. If there was a bad side to Simon, others should know about it, but she didn¡¯t think he would want to be anywhere near Kate.


    To visit Simon meant he had to see Kate. There was also the fact it didn¡¯t seem like Edgar and Simon were friends for Edgar to just be one day dropping by. Alessandra had no ns of joining Edgar on this trip.


    ¡°Duchess!¡± Eleanor¡¯s voice was heard to the right of the group. She was pleasantly surprised to see Alessandra out and about in town today. When she heard of Alessandra¡¯s pregnancy in a specially delivered message, she thought she would be seeing less of Alessandra. ¡°It seems the whole family hase out today,¡± she said, looking at the number of people behind Alessandra and Edgar.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± Alessandra said to Edgar so she could speak to Eleanor. It had been a while since they talked face to face.

 Chapter 462 - 462 Leads (2)

    462 Leads (2)


    ¡°Has Simon ever visited the church?¡± Edgar asked after Alessandra left to speak with Eleanor.


    ¡°He has because I heard the other priests say he makes a lot of donations. I feel like I have seen him before, but I do not know if it is when he came to make donations,¡± Peter said, scratching the back of his head. It was quite a long time ago, but Simon¡¯s face was popping up in his head. If not for meeting a lot of people whoe to pray daily, he would remember.


    ¡°Have you been making the list of men you hear young women praying about?¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Peter¡¯s eyes widened and he looked around to see if any of his fellow priests were around. ¡°Do not say that at a time like this. I am not supposed to be doing such a thing and the only reason I am is that you are ckmailing me. Young womene into the church and cry about young men all the time. You should have seen how many cried when the season ended. I have never seen so many unhappy unwed women.¡±


    ¡°If there is anything that is more than a young woman crying over not being married, send me a letter. You are doing this to keep them safe,¡± Edgar said, reminding Peter why he was breaking the church¡¯s rule.


    ¡°I know. Makes me feel like I am one of the King¡¯s men. That didn¡¯te out right,¡± Peter muttered.


    Meanwhile.


    ¡°How is the future destroyer doing?¡± Eleanor whispered, referring to the child in Alessandra¡¯s stomach.


    Alessandra could not believe the names everyone wasing up for the child she was carrying. They truly believed a child with Edgar¡¯s blood would bring trouble. ¡°Fine. I cannot wait for the months the doctor says I will feel the child moving around,¡± Alessandra replied.


    .....


    Eleanor was freaked out by the idea of the child swirling around in there. Pregnancy sounded weird the more she heard about it. She nced at Alfred who reeked of happiness like he was the father and then she made the mistake of looking at Reed. She quickly looked away.


    Reed caused some trouble for Eleanor thest time he came looking for her. She didn¡¯t know who spilled to him that her aunt had someone courting her. It could not have been Alessandra and why did Reed even care? After one kiss, his whole attitude toward her changed. Now her aunt was asking about who Reed was and if he was courting her. Her aunt could pass out at any second from thinking two men were fighting for her niece¡¯s attention.


    ¡®What is going on between the two of them?¡¯ Alessandra wondered as she noticed Eleanor looking away from Reed and Reed who kept staring at Eleanor.


    Reed and Eleanor were acting like there was more to the kiss they shared a month ago. Alessandra didn¡¯t want to meddle but she did not want Eleanor to start avoiding her in order to avoid Reed.


    Heather was already hard to see now as Alessandra knew a certain Carson recently asked for help decorating his home. Heather might be decorating her next home without realizing it.


    ¡°Oh, Erin!¡± Alessandra called and waved to the dressmaker who was heading in the opposite direction with dresses in her hands. ¡°Erin?¡± Alessandra frowned as Erin looked at her and quickly turned her head as she walked away. ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°That was odd,¡± Sallymented behind Alessandra. It wasn¡¯t that long ago Erin was delivering a new dress for Alessandra so why was Erin avoiding her now?


    ¡°Oh right. She used to be your personal dressmaker. She must be ashamed to face you after all the drama recently,¡± said Eleanor.


    Alessandra had no clue what Eleanor was referring to so she asked, ¡°What drama?¡±


    Eleanor hesitated to tell Alessandra about Erin, but with Kyle¡¯s big mouth, Alessandra was bound to hear about it soon. ¡°Well, she was involved with a man named Dale Scott. In fact, she was living with him. Apparently, the two of them nned to get married or maybe they did, but there was already a girl his parents wanted him to marry. His brother Kyle told thedies in my father¡¯s business that one day Dale was away and when his parents visited the home, they found Erin.¡±


    ¡°The mother yelled at her for messing up their ns for their son. It seems the rtionship between Erin and Dale was a secret for a really long time that not even his parents knew. Kyle did and to get back at his brother for something, he sent his parents there knowing Erin would be there. I heard Erin did not return home because her mother wants nothing to do with her so she is staying at some inn and uses the room to continue making dresses. The town isn¡¯t aware of this yet.¡±


    Alessandra didn¡¯t understand how Erin¡¯s life was flipped upside down since thest time they saw each other and why was Erin avoiding her. She knew Erin¡¯s rtionship with Dale would try to cheer her up about the situation. By now, Erin and Dale¡¯s rtionship should have been known to both parents. Alessandra understood why Erin didn¡¯t tell her parents before, but now, she had money of her own to not fear her mother cutting her off.


    Honestly, Alessandra forgot Erin nned to get married. Alessandra never understood why Erin and Dale were taking so long to get married when they started to live together. Erin had ns to marry Dale in the middle of the night without her parents knowing, but it was pushed back over and over again.


    ¡°Is this Dale a good person?¡± Alessandra asked as up to this point, Erin still did not introduce him like she said she would.


    ¡°Sort of. His brother is a pain in the ass and Dale has his days but who are we to question the man she fell in love with? I¡¯m sure Dale is a wonderful man to her. What they did to do is calm down his parents and get married before this news hits the town. It won¡¯t be long before it leaves the red-light district. See, this is why I wish to remain single. Too much conflict, but it makes for a good book,¡± Eleanor said, making a mental note to add a simr situation into her next book.


    ¡°You have not sent me the book you sent out a while back. It was sold out before I could find it. Alred also wants a copy,¡± Alessandra said.


    ¡°I am a fan,¡± Alfred said, eager to see where the story would continue. It was filled with mystery and drama to keep him wanting more.


    ¡°Thank you. I can visit tomorrow and bring you two copies. Alessandra,¡± Eleanor tilted her head to try and understand the scene not too far away from her and Alessandra. ¡°Why does it look like that priest will pass out any second? I don¡¯t think the Duke should be smiling when the priest might faint.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve met Edgar many times, Eleanor. You should know he likes to see people tremble with fear. Please join me,¡± Alessandra hooked her arm with Eleanor¡¯s so they could leave before witnessing a potential death.


    Peter and his faint heart would neverst long when Edgar was around.

 Chapter 463 - 463 Bella鈥檚 husband (1)

    463 Be¡¯s husband (1)


    ¡°You don¡¯t look happy, Kate. Didn¡¯t you sleepst night?¡± Simon asked, looking up from his book to Kate who sat in a chair opposite him. She sat with folded arms looking out a window. ¡°You continue to surprise me with how calm you are. I almost wish you would get frightened and try to run so I can drag you back here. Go on, I will give you a head start.¡±


    Kate dug her nails into the arm of the chair she sat in. ¡°That is not funny.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t joking. I¡¯m quite bored these days. I should take someone again,¡± Simon sighed.


    Kate rxed her hands as she was curious about something. ¡°How¡­ How do you pick who you will take next?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Getting interested in the family business, are we? I simply stand back and watch for a few days. Lockwood is full of so many youngdies like yourself so I don¡¯t have to look for long. It helps that a good handful of you do not pay attention to your surroundings,¡± Simon replied.


    Kate mustered up the courage to ask. ¡°Do you work alone?¡±


    Simon snapped the book shut. ¡°What is with all these questions? Are you gathering information in hopes of one day getting out of here? You are,¡± hemented after noticing her tense up. She underestimated how good he was at reading other people. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I am not mad at you.¡±


    Kate didn¡¯t believe he was not angry.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look so worked up. I was starting to think you didn¡¯t have a heart. To want to expose me one day means you do. I¡¯m messed up, but you¡¯re another kind of messed up,¡± said Simon.


    .....


    Kate wished he would stopparing the two of them. ¡°I told you we are not alike.¡±


    ¡°When will you realize it, I wonder. I love torturing women, you love torturing your sister. So much so that you are putting up with this to ruin her life. Somehow, you think it is normal. At least I am aware of what I am doing. Doesn¡¯t that make me better than you?¡± Simon asked, believing it to be true.


    ¡°I have not killed anyone-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s boring to have this conversation with you, Kate. Should I spread what you told me about your sister¡¯s face? When the people of this town hear about what you¡¯ve done, their words would help you understand just how not normal you are. Have you thought more about the man you want for Be?¡± Simon asked, standing from his seat to take care of flowers in a vase.


    ¡°I told you it¡¯s Randall,¡± Kate replied, wishing the man bothering her mother would just disappear. She was going to make use of Simon as much as she could.


    ¡°Why are you so stuck on him? He¡¯s a criminal, but other than that, there is nothing exciting about him. I don¡¯t want to take someone just to save your mother. Besides, I am a little bit interested in the woman with no background. I hope whoever this Randall is, exposes your mother¡¯s deepest darkest secrets. Honestly,¡± Simon plucked the beautiful flower and crushed it. ¡°I should bring your mother here with you.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Kate yelled. Her mother should not have to face this hell hole too. She would rather die than allow that to happen.


    ¡°Why not? Your mother is the only person to match what I have done. Like I have hidden my true nature, your mother has hidden her past for years. No one can prove what she was before meeting your father. It¡¯s wonderful and clear evidence of where you got your skills from. Weren¡¯t you the one who kept telling me to think of her as my own mother? That¡¯s exactly what I am doing and yet-¡±


    ¡°You know this is not what I meant. I had no idea you were some insane bastard who keeps his dead parents around. I will not allow you to bring my mother into your sick twisted games!¡± Kate dered.


    Simon smiled and ced the crumbled-up flower on the table before going toward where Kate now stood. ¡°Kate,¡± he ran his fingers down her soft cheek. It was clear she was pampered her whole life. His fingers continued to move downward until he snaked them around her neck. ¡°Perhaps I have been too kind to you. How dare you tell me what I can¡¯t do?¡± He tightened his hold on her neck.


    If not for the fact he would soon have to parade her around as his wife, he would consider breaking her neck now.


    ¡°I will always do what I want. You are just a puppet who moves when I pull strings. Do not for a second think that you are my equal in this house. I can kill you at any given moment. Do you understand?¡±


    Kate fought to remove his hands from choking her. Tears started to escape her eyes as she tried to give him a response. She knew who she was dealing with, but somehow forgot she had to y it safe. Kate couldn¡¯t help herself from speaking up when he mentioned her mother.


    Her saving grace was a knock at the door.


    Simon released Kate and looked at the butler who was waiting for an order before going to check the door. ¡°Hurry up and catch your breath, Kate. If our guests notice something odd, I will kill you the moment they leave. Don¡¯t even think about mentioning Be or anyone else. This is my ying ground. No one who walks through my doors can save you.¡±


    Kate touched her aching neck which had to be turning red by now. Never in her life was she manhandled like this for speaking. Kate took deep breaths to calm herself before Simon could get angry again. Forget about getting Alessandra, she had to get out of there before she ended up the town¡¯s next victim. She could notst another day with Simon.


    Simon rolled his eyes, annoyed by Kate taking her sweet time to get over what happened. ¡°Kate-¡±


    ¡°Someone is at the door, Simon. We need to greet our guest,¡± Kate said, slowly getting to her feet. As long as she did as he wanted by being his perfect wife, she would get out of there, and one day get to see him hang for the crimes hemitted. She would be his first victim to get away. ¡®I can¡¯t be so loud with him again,¡¯ she thought.


    Simon licked his lips. She managed to surprise him with her quick change. Simon almost felt bad for hurting her. Almost.


    Kate wouldn¡¯t behave if not for what he did. Now he knew how to get her to act right. Just a little pain to remind her of her position every once in a while. He liked her acting, but her attitude was starting to get under his skin. She needed to be properly taught how to be obedient like Be.


    ¡®She¡¯s making me miss Be. Should I switch them once in a while?¡¯ He wondered.


    ¡°Simon! What took so long? You became a husband and now you are hesitant to see your friends?¡±


    Kate frowned upon hearing the familiar voice of Kyle who she met at a party hosted by Simon¡¯s friends. What on earth was he doing here? She was hoping for someone withmon sense who might be able to sense something was off between her and Simon.

 Chapter 464 - 464 Bella鈥檚 husband (2)

    464 Be¡¯s husband (2)


    ¡°You know that is not the case, Kyle. Come inside. Dale, it¡¯s a surprise to see you away from your home,¡± Simon greeted the brothers. ¡°I¡¯m surprised to see you with Kyle after what happened.¡±


    ¡°He still has not forgiven me for what happened. He¡¯s being a bit dramatic,¡± said Kyle.


    ¡°You brought our fucking parents to my house. Now they are angry with me and the girl I want to marry is angry with me. Simon would understand since he¡¯s in love,¡± Dale said, expecting a man who was recently married to be on his side.


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t understand the parents being angry with you, and now that I think about it, I can¡¯t understand the woman being angry at you. Kate and I are happily in love. Kate, you remember Kyle right? You¡¯ve yet to meet Dale,¡± Simon said, holding out his hand for Kate toe to his side. He needed her close to be able to stop her from saying something, but he had a feeling Kate was smarter than that. That was why he married her.


    ¡°Kitty Kate,¡± Kylemented, keeping his eyes on the young woman he would have liked to steal away for himself. ¡°Simon, you lucky bastard. What are those marks on her neck? Is the good boy a lover of rough y?¡±


    ¡°Kyle,¡± Dale hit his brother on the back of his head. ¡°Excuse my brother. No matter how much our mother tried, she was never able to teach him manners. We¡¯ve never met,¡± he extended his hand out to greet Kate. ¡°I heard Simon was getting married, but I have been too busy thest month to introduce myself. That¡¯s why we¡¯re here today.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you,¡± Kate greeted Dale. He was far better than his annoying brother already. Her opinion of Kyle had not changed and she was more than happy he had not visited until now. His brother Dale, on the other hand, seemed like a man withmon sense she could use to eventually get out of there.


    ¡°I must say that I am a little offended that neither of you attended my wedding, but it does make me feel a little bit better to see you both here today. With Dale sneaking off with some woman I understand, but what was your excuse, Kyle?¡± Simon looked at the brother he could not stand. He wanted to kill Kyle for having eyes for what belonged to him.


    Kyle shrugged. ¡°Thest time we were around each other, your wife was ring daggers at me. She didn¡¯t like the way I mmed you to the floor and I can¡¯t me her. Dale and I were just passing by to say a quick hello and see how marriage is fairing you.¡±


    .....


    ¡°How wonderful,¡± Kate smiled, fighting back the urge to roll her eyes. ¡°Who is the woman you are sneaking around with? Do I know her?¡±


    ¡°Get this. She¡¯s the dressmaker for your sister,¡± Kyle chuckled, ignoring the anger on Dale¡¯s face. Out of all the women in Lockwood, he could not believe his brother was angry with him over a dressmaker.


    ¡°Erin?¡± Kate was surprised by the revtion. She heard Erin boasting about already having a partner, but no one was introduced to him. Why did life have to make Dale involved with someone close to Alessandra? Or maybe, this was a good opportunity for her. ¡°When she is no longer angry with you, you should bring her here to have lunch with Simon and I. Don¡¯t you want to see what kind of woman is keeping your friend so busy, Simon?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± Simon agreed. Only a special kind of woman was worth all the trouble Dale found himself in. The fact this dressmaker was connected to the Duchess made her interesting already. She might be the perfect bait to lure the Duchess out. He had to start working on giving Kate her wedding gift which was Alessandra while he got to toy with Edgar.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that will be anytime soon. She¡¯s pissed and when I do make up with her, you might be attending a wedding instead of lunch. I need witnesses there by my side. I know it is a bit rude to ask considering I did not attend your wedding, but this is my way of making up to you,¡± said Dale.


    Simon wasn¡¯t interested in attending another wedding when he wasn¡¯t even interested in his own. His good friend persona had him doing too many things he did not care for. ¡°Kate and I thank you for the invitation. We would love to attend. Do you want something to drink? I received a lot of wine for my wedding. Excuse me.¡±


    Kate tapped her hand on her side as Simon walked away from them to find wine. Simon was leaving her alone with the brothers, but there wasn¡¯t a chance to speak with Dale. The servants continued to watch her while Simon was away. She had a feeling that they were so loyal to Simon that they would attack her or the Scott brothers at the first thought of a betrayal.


    Also, Kate didn¡¯t quite trust the brothers yet. She had no clue how many people were in on Simon¡¯s ns. Kate¡¯s head was full of doubt about how she would get out of this house of horror.


    ¡°If only I had spotted you first,¡± Kyle said, taking the opportunity to sweet talk Kate while Simon was away. He was friends with Simon, but they weren¡¯t that close. If Kate ever grew bored of her husband as most women did, he was here tofort her. ¡°Simon got himself a good littledy.¡±


    Kate turned her body to get away from Kyle¡¯s nasty eyes. How could he be so rude toe to visit his friend¡¯s wife and look at her with such desire? She had to me her beauty for making the man act a fool. If only he had somemon sense, she would use this attraction as her way out.


    ¡°You better knock it off Kyle before Simon kills you,¡± Dale said, taking a seat while they awaited Simon¡¯s return. Thest thing he wanted to do today was pull Simon away from beating his brother for talking toofortably with his wife. ¡°Must you always try flirting with a woman, Kyle? Save it for the red-light district.¡±


    ¡°What can I say? I¡¯m a little bit jealous. If Simon had not met you first, I might have entertained you. As ady from a fallen household, you did well to grab onto Simon to save your name. Make sure you treat my friend well. Without him, you are pretty much nothing now that no one cares much for the Barrett name and everyone knows your mother¡¯s name has no worth,¡± said Kyle.


    Simon stood not far from the room, listening to the brother¡¯s conversation with Kate. He didn¡¯t like the disrespect for a woman who now shared his name, but he wanted Kate to see how Kate would react.


    Kate remained calm in the presence of Kyle who did nothing but talk like a fool. She still viewed him as a man far below her. Regardless of the state of herte father¡¯s reputation, she was now a Marchioness. Kyle, on the other hand, just earned himself the title of Be¡¯s husband.

 Chapter 465 - 465 The talk (1)

    465 The talk (1)


    ¡°I found it,¡± Simon returned with a bottle in his hands. ¡°This one is quite strong so I doubt Kate would be interested in it. I told a servant to bring something light for you to drink, Kate.¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t necessary. You should spend some time alone with your friends, Simon. Since Dale is a busy man with rtionship problems and Kyle is more interested in the red-light district than meeting with us, have a moment with your friends. I wee them to join us for dinner another day when they are free,¡± Kate said. She needed a moment away from Simon.


    Simon didn¡¯t want her to be out of sight from him. ¡°Nonsense-¡±


    ¡°Come on, Simon. I know it must be hard for you to pull yourself away from your wife, but it is time the men have a drink and talk. We won¡¯t be able to catch up with you when you be a father. Which by the looks of it,¡± Kyle nced at Kate¡¯s neck. ¡°Is not far from now. Dale and I are not staying long anyway. Why bore your wife with our talk?¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Simon sighed. ¡°You can go.¡±


    ¡°I will see you soon. Oh! I almost forgot. Since Kyle seems to be the only one here without a partner, I have a dear friend of mine that I would love to set him up with, Simon. She¡¯s a lovely young woman who would be happy to be set up with him. I¡¯m sure marriage wouldn¡¯t be far off once they meet,¡± Kate said with a smile at the end.


    She made her way out of the drawing room knowing Simon was aware of what she was saying. Kate couldn¡¯t help it. Kyle was nothing but a bother to her. She wanted to make him shut up for once. Soon he wouldn¡¯t be as cocky as he was now when he realized the insane bastard Simon is. Others had to join her in this hell.


    ¡°Marchioness,¡± a maid greeted Kate before hurrying off to do her tasks.


    ¡®That¡¯s odd. She¡¯s the first servant to greet me since I found out about Simon. Is she not loyal like the others?¡¯ Kate wondered. She had to watch this particr maid to see if they could work together. There were a few maids who had the chance to go out in town on their days off. Kate would love to deliver a message to the town guards.


    .....


    Kate had not made it far from the drawing room and she already felt the other servants watching her now that she was away from Simon. ¡®What exactly has he done to turn them to be like this?¡¯ She thought.


    There was no way Simon had somehow hired an entire household of servants with the same sick twisted mind as him. He must have threatened them.


    Kate feared how much he had threatened them as no one made an attempt when they were out of the house to tell a town guard or even a stranger about what was happening in this house. If the servants took the chance to expose Simon, they would seed as everyone in town wanted the culprit to be caught so the ims would be taken seriously.


    Kate quickly learned that servants would go to the room where Be was to feed her so it wasn¡¯t like they didn¡¯t have evidence to reveal what Simon had done.


    ¡°I cannot believe I wasted my time decorating this house,¡± Kate muttered.


    Instead of going to the bedroom, she was meant to share with Simon, she went to a guest bedroom as Simon had left his parents in their room to scare her. Even when they were removed from the room, Kate had no ns to ever sleep in that room.


    Kate somehow managed to get him to remove L¡¯s body because she lied and said she wanted to see L¡¯s parents crying over the loss of their daughter.


    Kate entered the guest bedroom and closed the door behind her. She was tempted to lock it, but Simon had one rule if she wanted to sleep in this room, the door had to remain unlocked.


    ¡°Why am I so unlucky?¡± Kate muttered.


    She had the title of Marchioness, but nothing about her life was wonderful as she nned.


    The next day in Lockwood, Edgar found himself once again standing face to face with a guest he considered a nine.


    ¡°Why are you here again? Did you miss it when I said you can visit once a week and you must give us a heads up?¡± Edgar asked, holding the door to stop his mother from entering his home. It was bad enough that they had to deal with Mnie forgetting how to be a mother, but now he had to deal with Prisci who wanted to suddenly start acting like one.


    ¡°I nned this day with Alessandra. It isn¡¯t my fault she said nothing to you. Everyone else wees me here. Why can¡¯t you do the same when I am trying to make up for my actions in the past?¡± Prisci asked, no longer trying to push past Edgar. He needed to let her in without this struggle each time.


    ¡°Just because Alessandra requests your help and Alfred has forgiven you, does not mean I enjoy regrly seeing you. The point of having you send notice a day before your arrival was so I can prepare to see you walking around my home,¡± Edgar said.


    Prisci never thought that was the reason why. She thought Edgar was just being petty and wanted her to do something extra whening to his home to toy with her. ¡°I apologize. I will start sending a letter a day in advance, but my arrival today was discussed with Alessandra already. She must have forgotten. Should we talk once more, Edgar?¡±


    They talked when she was in his dungeon, but Prisci knew there was more left for the two of them to discuss. She could not fix her rtionship with Edgar as easily as she did with the others. If not for Alessandra being pregnant and the two of them running into each other, she would not dare step foot in Edgar¡¯s home.


    ¡°Not right now,¡± Edgar replied, opening the door wide for his mother toe inside. ¡°I have to leave home soon and I would rather not have to deal with this right now.¡±


    ¡°Okay. You do know that I am sorry for all that happened because of me right?¡± Prisci asked.


    ¡°I know. You¡¯re not the type to fake an apology to get back in someone¡¯s good books. Perhaps I inherited that from you. Alessandra is in the room Alfred picked out for our children. It is close to our bedroom,¡± Edgar said, walking with his mother as he nned to spend a bit more time with Alessandra before going to speak with Simon.


    ¡°I cannot believe you have a room picked out already, but then again this is Alfred. Years ago this would have ticked me off because of my jealousy. I birthed you, but Alfred became your mother hen. When will you stop saying Alessandra is pregnant with more than one child? She sighs every time she hears it. I can¡¯t recall thest time someone in our family birthed twins. Childbirth is already scary. A rtive of mine recently died,¡± Prisci softly spoke. There was that fear of the mother not getting to meet her child.


    ¡°Leave that negativity at the door. Alessandra will be fine. I will get the best doctors around the kingdom to help her. I will stop saying there is more than one in there when the big dayes and only one childes out. I can always aim for more the second time,¡± Edgar replied.


    ¡°You¡¯ve changed so much. For years you have hated children and now you are looking forward to your children. Have you heard of it?¡± Prisci frowned as she remembered the bad news she heard. ¡°Your father and that woman met with each other.¡±

 Chapter 466 - 466 The talk (2)

    466 The talk (2)


    ¡°Why do you continue to listen to news about a man you are no longer married to? If he chooses to get back with her, it does not concern you. He is no longer your headache,¡± Edgar said.


    ¡°It was my one request that he would not meet with her. He couldn¡¯t do that much. It¡¯s hard to not hear news about him in this town. Would you be able to quickly move on if it were you and Alessandra-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll stop you right there. Alessandra and I won¡¯t have that problem. We have no issue in our marriage at the moment and I don¡¯t see one in the future. It is outsiders who ruin our fun. Move on from him. Start entertaining someone who would piss him off if that is what it would take for you to feel even,¡± Edgar suggested.


    ¡°So Mark then?¡± Prisci replied, enjoying the frown that quickly appeared on Edgar¡¯s face. ¡°He¡¯s recently sent me flowers. I¡¯ve known him for years and he has a good background.¡±


    ¡®That man wants to die,¡± Edgar muttered. He warned Mark enough times to stay away from his mother. ¡°Stay away from him. I will help you find someone else.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so I can¡¯t step into your home when I want to, but we¡¯refortable enough for you to pick a man for me? Especially after you¡¯ve denied my help to find you a wife over the years?¡± Prisci called out Edgar¡¯s hypocrisy. Edgar disowned her as his mother more than a month ago, but he was still quite protective.


    ¡°I won¡¯t be pushy like you were. If you¡¯re going to continue to be around me, I have to be able to stomach the man you pick, or you could simply stop visiting. Besides, Mark is only courting you to piss me off. There are other single men with good backgrounds suited for you. Unlike you who would push youngdies not suited for me, I know the partner you need. I¡¯ve paid enough attention over the years,¡± Edgar replied.


    ¡°Really? And what kind of partner is that?¡± Prisci asked, intrigued by what type of man Edgar would set her up with. They weren¡¯t around each other enough for him to know what she needed.


    ¡°Obviously someone who puts you first and loves you. You should probably start with those whose mothers are dead,¡± Edgar said as she didn¡¯t need another Rose in her life. He was still on his mother¡¯s side when it came to her marriage to his father.


    .....


    ¡°Am I not evil in your eyes? You wouldn¡¯t ward men away from me?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve be tamedpared to other years and when you would bother me or Alessandra. You¡¯re not an angry person anymore so I have reason to warn men about you. If father can have his happy ending after the crap he put you through with that woman, you can find your happiness too. So you can stop visiting my home,¡± Edgar muttered under his breath.


    ¡°I heard that, but thank you. Still, I can find a man on my own, but if you see me talking to someone you know is only trying to get a piece of my wealth, a warning would be nice. If he has secret children no one is aware of or there¡¯s another woman in his life. I would appreciate your help with that since nothing slips past your ears. It is surprisingly pleasant to speak with you,¡± Prisci said. She could not remember thest time they had a conversation without bickering.


    She was finally starting to feel like a mother around Edgar. Before, they were like strangers who fought a lot.


    ¡°I am pleasant to speak to when no one is annoying me. Your lovely husband is back,¡± Edgar said as he entered the room where Alessandra, Sally, and Alfred were.


    ¡°Odd. I didn¡¯t notice you were missing,¡± Alessandra joked. ¡°Thank you foring again, Prisci. We were looking through the books from Edgar¡¯s youth and at the portraits of when he was tiny.¡±


    ¡°I have a few more portraits of him if you desire more. Most of the portraits have Edmund in them so I have no use for them. When will you get portraits done of you and Edgar? You should have one done before your stomach bes bigger. I noticed you don¡¯t even have one for your wedding. What do you think about getting a wedding dress made specifically for a portrait? The two of you had such a boring wedding,¡± Prisci sighed, trying not to think much about her son getting married in the middle of the night.


    ¡°We were supposed to get portraits done,¡± Alessandra said, only now remembering she forgot to go through with it. It had gotten lost in all the talk about not changing furniture when Rose was here.


    Alessandra wouldn¡¯t change the way she got married to Edgar, but it would be nice to dress up for a wedding portrait. Alfred and all their friends could dress up for one big portrait and then they had dinner afterwards. It was good timing since she now had two little sisters who could potentially join the portrait.


    ¡°You already have a portrait of yourself, Alessandra. Have you forgotten the one you made for my birthday? I can bring it out now,¡± Edgar said, referring to the portrait of her with ack of clothing. He had it somewhere safe with his own eyes and would never show it to anyone else, but it made for a good moment to tease her.


    Prisci covered her face with her hand. She didn¡¯t need any details of what this portrait looked like if it concerned Edgar¡¯s birthday and then there was a sheer look of horror on Alessandra¡¯s face.


    ¡°Edgar, behave,¡± Alfred saved the moment.


    ¡°I am,¡± Edgar replied, going to Alessandra¡¯s side despite the fact she looked like she wanted to murder him at the moment. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind getting dressed up to create a wedding portrait with you. Still angry? How about you paint a portrait of me naked with me as the model so you can tease me about itter?¡±


    ¡°You are too confident with yourself to be teased by that. Never mention that portrait again or I will find it and burn it,¡± Alessandra whispered and pinched Edgar¡¯s hand as a warning. She had no idea where he had hidden it, but she made a mental note to search and hide it from Edgar. ¡°Are you still nning to visit Simon¡¯s home? I am against it if you are.¡±


    ¡°I am going. I didn¡¯t offer him congrattions and a drink for being stuck with your sister. It is important that I go and no, you cannote with me,¡± Edgar said.


    ¡°You could not pay me to go visit Simon and Kate. After what Peter said, I can¡¯t help being concerned about you going there alone. To calm my mind, you should take Reed and Caleb with you. I won¡¯t be leaving home today and all the other guards are here. Please,¡± Alessandra pleaded with him.


    Kate was already a nuisance to be around and caused trouble each time she was near, but now she was worried about Simon. Alessandra remembered Grant¡¯s party where Simon had given her a look that scared her. She thought she was overthinking it back then, but hearing what Peter said proved she had not mistaken the look Simon gave her.


    ¡®Of course, there is something potentially wrong with Kate¡¯s husband,¡¯ Alessandra thought. Bad people had a way of finding each other. ¡®That was wrong. I shouldn¡¯t call him a bad person just yet.¡¯


    Edgar rubbed the back of Alessandra¡¯s hand to calm her nerves. ¡°If it will ease your mind, I will take them. I will need a guard to keep your sister away from me,¡± he said. In case there was something off about Simon, Edgar could use two people he trusted by his side.


    Since Edgar was listing Simon as one of the men who could be behind the missing women, he knew to be careful, but this visit was not supposed to end in a fight. Edgar nned on learning more about Simon to see if he was putting on an act like his wife usually did.

 Chapter 467 - 467 The talk (3)

    467 The talk (3)


    ¡°Your family is causing quite the stir in town, Alessandra. Mnie who everyone thought was dead has returned. You should avoid attending gatherings for now as they will pester you with questions about your mother. Let her deal with their questions,¡± said Prisci, not wanting Alessandra to be overwhelmed with questions so early in her pregnancy.


    As someone who was once around Mnie in the past and somewhat believed the woman was dead, Prisci was surprised to hear Mnie was finally back.


    ¡°What was it like to meet with her? Are the two of you close now?¡± Prisci asked.


    ¡°No, and I don¡¯t see us being close anytime soon. I do have two sisters and I am trying to convince Edgar to let one of my sisters teach our children in the future,¡± Alessandra said and smiled to convince Edgar to do it.


    Edgar looked away from her face since she wasn¡¯t going to get him with her smile. ¡°No,¡± he denied it once more. Nothing about her sisters from the two meetings they had convinced him to let either one teach his children.


    ¡°She will be studying and finished by the time our children are ready for a tutor. We just need to give her a chance. I don¡¯t know why I am even pleading with you when it is half my decision to make. As long as Melody brings no trouble to us and she studies hard, I would consider her in the future. It is final,¡± Alessandra said, leaving Edgar¡¯s side to look at more books.


    Edgar sighed, not interested in arguing about her sister. ¡°We will deal with thister on when the children are born. Try not to find yourself in trouble while I am gone. Do not let her stand around in this room for so long,¡± he said to Alfred.


    ¡°I am not that pregnant. I can stand for a long time,¡± Alessandra muttered.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you crying this morning, after you vomited, about not wanting to be on your feet? Were you just mentioning random things that came to your mind?¡± Edgar asked, needing an honest answer because the things Alessandra did or said recently were starting to confuse him. ¡°I will see you in a couple of hours, my little crybaby.¡±


    .....


    ¡°I don¡¯t like that nickname,¡± Alessandra sighed, shaking her head at Edgar. ¡°Be safe!¡± She yelled as he left the room.


    Edgar left the bedroom and went downstairs to first find the twins to get them to join him on his trip. It was no surprise to find Caleb in the kitchen eating food he wasn¡¯t supposed to and Reedying around on one of the counters.


    ¡°The two of you areing with me. We are going on a little trip to visit Alessandra¡¯s sister,¡± Edgar said.


    ¡°Which one? You have to be specific now since she has two more,¡± Caleb replied, snatching up a shiny red apple to take along with him.


    Reed opened his eyes, not happy to have his sleep disrupted. ¡°It¡¯s Kate, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± Edgar answered, stepping out of the kitchen.


    ¡°Kate? Why the hell are we visiting her? Are you ill?¡± Caleb asked, worried Edgar had forgotten about the bad blood between Alessandra and Kate. ¡°Does Alessandra know about this?¡±


    Reed got up to follow behind his brother and Edgar. ¡°Are you trying to insinuate he is going behind the Duchess¡¯s back and meeting with her sister?¡± Reed inquired, trying to get his brother in trouble.


    ¡°No!¡± Caleb eximed.


    Edgar sighed and stopped before he could reach the front door. ¡°Why do I bring the two of you anywhere when all you do is irritate me?¡±


    ¡°Think of it as us preparing you for when your childes. Babies don¡¯t shut up when you ask them to. Then again, you have this big house and could send Alfred to the other side so you don¡¯t have to hear the crying,¡± Caleb realised.


    ¡°Just stop arguing with each other. What we are doing today is important. We are going to have a chat with Simon. He¡¯s on my list of the men involved in taking the girls. Pay attention to every single detail in their home. Simon¡¯s behaviour to see if he gets nervous and his servants,¡± Edgar said as servants were quite loyal to his employers. His servants were the same way and that was why nothing about his marriage ever escaped his gates.


    ¡°Simon? The person behind all the girls going missing? I would have never suspected him. What makes you think it could be him?¡± Reed asked since Simon didn¡¯t look like he could hurt a fly. He knew that looks could be deceiving, but whenever he looked at Simon all he saw was a soft man who made the mistake of marrying Kate.


    When Edgar asked them to look into Simon and nothing was found, Reed thought this would be the end of Edgar¡¯s interest in the Marquess.


    ¡°There was a scratch on his hand back at the ball. One of the victims had skin under her nails so she had scratched whoever killed her. Peter said Simon gave him a look that scared him. Normally, I would take Peter¡¯s word with a grain of salt, but he did mix with all types of people in the past, and I am already curious about Simon. If there is nothing suspicious, we simply move on to the next person on my list,¡± Edgar said, continuing to walk outside to get his carriage.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be something if the sister the Duchess hates ended up with a murderer?¡± Caleb joked.


    More than an hourter, Edgar arrived at Simon¡¯s home which he had never visited before. He was aware it once belonged to Simon¡¯s parents. Edgar and Simon weren¡¯t friends in the past so Edgar never visited Simon¡¯s home. The few times Simon visited the pce as a child, Edgar remained near Tobias so he didn¡¯t have much interaction with Simon and the other boys.


    They shared simr circles because of their titles, but their conversations were few. Simon marrying Kate further helped to seal the deal that they would not be seeing much of each other in the future.


    ¡°There aren¡¯t many houses around,¡± Reed noted, looking around at the trees to the right and left of Simon¡¯s home.


    ¡°Well, it was a bit of a long trip to get here. Anyone with the money to build a house here wouldn¡¯t like to stay in this area. There aren¡¯t many nobles around. You know they like to stay in areas full of the wealthy. Well, what do you know? He¡¯s like you, Duke. He likes being far away from others,¡± said Caleb.


    ¡°We are nothing alike,¡± Edgar replied. When would others stopparing him to people who could never match up to him?


    ¡°What about the two of you marrying half-sisters? I will just shut up and knock on the door?¡± Caleb added when Edgar red at him.


    While Caleb knocked on the door, Reed looked behind them at the servants by Simon¡¯s gates who easily let them in. ¡®Why does he have regr servants doing a job meant for guards?¡¯ Reed thought.


    The reason most nobles had gates and guards at those gates was that they were always targeted by thieves who liked to steal their wealth. Guards were meant for protection. Did Simon have no fear? How could servants defend Simon¡¯s gates? ¡®Does his servants have some sort ofbat training?¡¯ Reed wondered.


    ¡°Duke Collins! What a pleasant surprise,¡± Simon opened the door. What a lucky man he was to have Edgar finally noticing him. ¡°Come inside.¡±

 Chapter 468 - 468 The talk (4)

    468 The talk (4)


    ¡°Marquess-¡±


    ¡°I told you all not to bother me,¡± Simon said, irritated with the butler disrupting his nning. Kate wanted Kyle and as a good husband, he was nning to bring the man here to be with Be. He did not want to prolong Kate having her matching set to his Be.


    ¡°Forgive me. There are three men approaching the house. One looks to be Duke Edgar Collins.¡±


    Simon froze when he heard Edgar¡¯s name. He quickly stood and went to the window to see if it was true. ¡°You weren¡¯t toying with me. He¡¯s here. He¡¯s finally here,¡± he smiled.


    Simon had not grabbed Alessandra yet, but Edgar was already here visiting his home. ¡°Clean this up quickly,¡± Simon pointed to a map of the town. ¡°Have Katee out to greet our guests. I will open the door for him. Wait! How do I look?¡± Simon spread out his arms for his clothing to be inspected. He could not look terrible on such a joyous day.


    ¡°Wonderful-¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Simon cut in, leaving the butler to open the door for Edgar. He couldn¡¯t allow any old servant to open the door for Edgar Collins.


    As he walked downstairs, Simon heard a knock at the front door. Life was going well for him recently. Perhaps Kate was a good luck charm.


    ¡°Duke Collins! What a pleasant surprise,¡± Simon said as he opened the door. ¡°Come inside.¡±


    .....


    Simon wasn¡¯t happy to see the two men with Edgar, but he would ignore them for now.


    ¡°Good afternoon, Marquess Simon,¡± Edgar greeted the man who seemed overly happy for some reason. ¡°I am sorry to disturb you when you must be enjoying your time with your new wife,¡± he stepped inside.


    ¡°There is no need to apologize. Must your guards join you inside?¡± Simon asked, not wanting the two men he knew to be guards sticking close to Edgar. They would take away from the alone time he wanted with Edgar.


    ¡°We go everywhere with him,¡± Reed stepped inside, challenging Simon to say otherwise. He towered over the Marquess who surprisingly smiled in response, not intimidated by Reed¡¯s frame.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Simon walked away from the door. Just like the priest, Simon would like to get rid of the guards who were too close to Edgar. They were all ruining his fun.


    On the stairs, Kate was surprised to see Edgar standing by the door. She only witnessed Simon have a conversation with Edgar once before and didn¡¯t think the two men casually visited each other¡¯s homes.


    She got excited to have Edgar here as he would be able to get her out of there, but then she frowned. Why would Edgar help her? It was as clear as day he hated her because of the things Alessandra filled his head with.


    If their positions were reversed, Kate would leave Edgar to rot in this hell. He was the man who killed her father and he gave Alessandra what was always meant for Kate.


    Still, Edgar was the one leading the case for the missing women so she should take a risk to get his attention and somehow point out Simon as the suspect. It wouldn¡¯t be easy to do since Edgar had a habit of avoiding her gaze. Who would have ever thought she was putting her life in his hands?


    ¡°Duke Collins,¡± Kate smiled, putting on her act as Simon wanted. ¡°This is a surprise. What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Kate,¡± Simon gave her a look. The ending was not necessary when Edgar didn¡¯t need a reason toe here. He was always weed here. Edgar was a big part of his game from the moment Tobias made Edgar get involved in leading the case.


    ¡°I came to have a chat with your husband. Caleb here,¡± Edgar ced his hand on Caleb¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Keeps mentioning how simr you and I are because we married sisters.¡±


    ¡®What the fuck?¡¯ Caleb thought. ¡®He was upset with me saying that and now he is using it for this.¡¯


    ¡°I thought to pay you a visit to get to know you a little bit. Congrattions on your wedding. You too,¡± Edgar looked at Kate. His eyes went to Kate ying with her fingernails as if she was nervous, but quickly stopped when Simon also looked at her hands.


    Simon turned his attention back to Edgar. ¡°Come take a seat with us in the drawing room. Kate, bring the men something to drink-¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t needed. I don¡¯t drink around from anyone. I am quite picky anyway,¡± said Edgar. He didn¡¯t think someone like Kate would do a servant¡¯s job, but she did start to move before he said he didn¡¯t need anything. How long did she n to keep up this good girl act?


    ¡°I am sure I can find something to suit your taste, Edgar. Everything I have in my house is something even a Duke can enjoy. How about water? Or are you afraid I would put something in that?¡± Simon asked and then silence fell upon the group. ¡°I¡¯m kidding,¡± Simon added to break the tension. ¡°We are family now, Edgar. I¡¯ve been telling Kate how I wanted her to fix the rtionship she has with your wife. I hope the two of us talking is the start of their reconciliation. Kate is ready to apologize for what she did wrong.¡±


    Edgar wouldn¡¯t believe that even if it came out of Kate¡¯s mouth. For a moment, Kate proved it when she frowned. There was the real Kate he knew.


    ¡°Right, Kate?¡± Simon held out his hand for Kate toe to his side.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Kate replied, taking his hand to go to his side. ¡°I would like to apologize for my wrongdoings.¡±


    Edgar released a chuckle. ¡°You sure love to y peacemaker, don¡¯t you Simon?¡±


    ¡°I hate to see two sisters fighting instead of being close to each other. As you know, my family died when I was young so it is hard for me to watch anyone not cherish the time they have with their rtives. Why are we still standing around? Come sit down,¡± Simon said, leading the group to the drawing room with Kate by his side.


    Edgar and Reed shared a look as if picking up on the same thing.


    Edgar looked around the house as he followed Simon to the drawing room. To the right of them, he noticed a servant girl peeking at what they were doing, and when their eyes met, she looked away. Despite servants walking around the home, the house was awfully quiet on the inside. Certainly, Simon had not found a butler better than Alfred who could keep his house so quiet.


    ¡°How is married life treating you, Simon?¡± Edgar asked, entering the drawing room and sitting down opposite the couple. Despite the odd feeling he got from Simon¡¯s house, what was strange to Edgar was Kate. He expected her to be boasting about her new life already. Instead, he felt her burning a hole through his head with her gaze.


    ¡°It is better than what others said it would be like. Kate and I are happily in love,¡± Simon answered, squeezing Kate¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Your mother must be happy that you are finally out of the house,¡± Edgar said, finally turning his attention back to Kate.


    ¡°She is, but I worry about her being all alone at home since I¡¯ve been married. I can¡¯t wait to see her again-¡±


    ¡°I always view you and your mother as an inseparable pair. You have not seen her since you got married?¡± Edgar asked, finding it odd. With Katrina¡¯s title stripped away, she should be hovering around Kate to attach herself to her Marchioness daughter.


    Kate hesitated for a moment but then knew what to answer to avoid angering Simon. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve just gotten married and I don¡¯t want to be away from Simon just yet. You seem to be hot, Duke Collins. Are you sure you do not want me to get something for you to drink?¡±


    ¡°I suppose it is rude for me to not ept what the owners are offering. I¡¯ve got something private I want to discuss with your husband in the meantime while you are gone. Simon, have you received your letter from the pce yet? Honestly, it is the reason I am here today. I am going around trying to get nobles to join me in looking for the missing women,¡± Edgar changed his story as it would never be believable that he came here to work on bing family with Simon.


    While the two men spoke, Kate stood up and slowly walked behind the chair Simon sat in. She looked at Edgar, wanting him to notice her so she could mouth something to him, but Edgar would not look away from Simon.


    Before Kate could exit the open space of the drawing room, she bumped into Caleb who had moved from where he was standing before for some reason. She looked up at the tall man she remembered seeing behind Alessandra from time to time.


    ¡°Kate,¡± Simon stood up to separate her from the guard who was too close to her.


    ¡°Help,¡± Kate mouthed to Caleb and stood back before Simon could reach them.


    ¡°I apologize, Marquess. I was fascinated by the sword on the wall and almost pushed down your wife,¡± Caleb awkwardly rubbed the back of his head.


    Simon narrowed his eyes at the clumsy guard who reminded him of a child. He then looked at the sword which once belonged to his father. He remembered stabbing his father¡¯s corpse with it many times. ¡°That sword has been in my family for generations. Come take a closer look at it. Excuse us for a moment, Edgar. Run along Kate,¡± Simon sent her away.

 Chapter 469 - 469 Trapping Simon (1)

    469 Trapping Simon (1)


    ¡°You have a good eye. I deem you the better of the two. It¡¯s a shame you had to share a wound,¡± Simon said, taking a liking to Caleb while he disliked Reed.


    ¡°Finally someone agrees with me,¡± Caleb said.


    ¡°Simon, I don¡¯t have much time to waste. Caleb, stay put so you do not bump into anyone else,¡± Edgar said, not having time to hear about a sword. He wanted to get out of here soon.


    ¡°Right right,¡± Simon put back the sword on its stand. ¡°The missing young women. I did hear the King wants more nobles involved in the search. I agree that it should not be only you leading the search. I want to help. What do you need me to do?¡± He sat back down in front of Edgar.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to need to start searching homes and looking at deserted areas in the kingdom. The King wants to find the culprit before another youngdy can be taken or killed. It would be helpful if you convinced some of your friends to join us and if there is anyone you find suspicious, please bring it to me or the town guards. No one is safe with this person running wild. Not even our wives,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°No, they aren¡¯t. I fear for Kate¡¯s life each time someone mentions what happens to those poordies. We have to catch that bastard,¡± Simon said, gripping the edge of the chair as if he were angry.


    ¡°A bastard indeed, but for me he is more of a coward,¡± Edgar said,pping one foot over the over, and resting his chin on the palm of his hand.


    Simon didn¡¯t agree with Edgar. ¡°How so? He¡¯s killed many young women since he started, hasn¡¯t he? I don¡¯t know the count, but that makes him quite dangerous.¡±


    ¡°He attacks young women who cannot defend themselves and even tries to attack the little boy who saw a body being ced on the snow. I view any man who goes after people who are defenseless to be a coward. Why doesn¡¯t he go after a man like me? I wonder how pitiful this bastard must be. The scum of the earth who thinks this makes him something by torturing women. Probably does it because he¡¯s never been loved and takes his frustration out on women,¡± Edgar said, ncing at Simon¡¯s nails digging into the leather of the chair arm.


    .....


    ¡°I do have to give him credit for hiding who he is so well for all this time, but I will cut this short soon. I look forward to you joining me on the search, Simon. It is always good to have a man like you who cares for others. I will call for a meeting in the pce in three days to see who else will be joining us. I look forward to meeting with you then. I¡¯m afraid I must move on to the next home,¡± Edgar upped his legs and stood up.


    Edgar stuck out his hand for Simon to shake. ¡°Let¡¯s get this coward together.¡±


    Simon bit his tongue. He greatly disliked the insults Edgar had unknowingly thrown at him. He thought of attacking Edgar right here right now to show the man they spoke of was no coward. Edgar was going to eat his words one day. He should count himself lucky that Simon intended to hurt him by getting Alessandra first or Edgar would have ended up with Be for his insults.


    Simon stood up from his seat and shook Edgar¡¯s hand. ¡°Let¡¯s get him together. Allow me to show the three of you out. Next time, pleasee with the Duchess so Kate can speak with her sister.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Edgar replied, but he had no ns of bringing Alessandra anywhere near Simon. Let alone Kate.


    ¡°I hope you can convince the others to join us. I will speak to my friends a bitter,¡± Simon said, opening the front door and holding it open for Edgar.


    Edgar, Reed, and Caleb exited the home and walked toward the carriage without saying a word to each other. It was only when the carriage was out of the gates that they began to discuss what happened inside Simon¡¯s home.


    ¡°Do you remember thest time we marched with the King¡¯s army? We spent the night near a bar and the owner there had a beautiful daughter. He used to eye the hell out of us to make sure we wouldn¡¯t make a move on his daughter. That¡¯s how it felt to be in that house. I felt watched but not by Simon. It was the servants,¡± Caleb said, shaking his body to get rid of the eerie feeling.


    ¡°I did meet a couple of eyes when I was looking around,¡± Reed agreed with Caleb. The house had a weird vibe to it.


    ¡°Kate mouthed help to me and did you see the way he tensed up when you spoke about a coward? I wasn¡¯t too sure of it before, but it¡¯s definitely him. If he¡¯s not the one taking the girls, he is something else we need to look out for. I don¡¯t like this Kate too often, but do you think it is safe for us to leave her behind there? It looked like she was desperately trying to get Edgar¡¯s attention,¡± said Caleb. The poor girl might get hurt for him bumping into her.


    ¡°I am not going to leave him be. We are going to the pce right now to tell Tobias about this. We need to attack Simon before he hurts Kate or gets suspicious of my visit. His personality seems to be different each time I have spoken to him. I don¡¯t like this interest he has in Alessandra and Kate. Alessandra¡¯s time outside the home will be on hold for now,¡± Edgar said.


    ¡°Reed, see if you can track down who built that house. I want ayout of it by nightfall. I want to strike him noter than tomorrow night. Caleb, assign a group of men to keep watch of Simon¡¯s house in the meantime. As of right now, we have no clear proof other than Kate wanting help, but it is better to search than risk letting him get away with whatever he is doing. Not a word of this to Alessandra,¡± Edgar said, not wanting her to be concerned with this.


    There was already too much on her te with the babies and now her mother. Kate and Alessandra did not like each other, but Edgar would not put it past Alessandra to want to help Kate get away from Simon.


    Kate still needed to be punished for what she did to Alessandra¡¯s face and the abuse inflicted on Alessandra when they lived under the same roof, but it wasn¡¯t meant toe from Simon.


    Edgar tapped his fingers on the door of the carriage. He needed to look more into Simon¡¯s history. Who Simon met frequently to see if there was anyone working with him. It was clear as day his servants were.


    Edgar tried to ce what reason Simon would have to take the youngdies and kill them. He couldn¡¯t ce any connection between Simon and the youngdies who had disappeared. Was this all for sport and he was just randomly taking them? What was the reason some young women seemed to live longer than others after they were taken?


    ¡°That bastard,¡± Edgar muttered.

 Chapter 470 - 470 Trapping Simon (2)

    470 Trapping Simon (2)


    ¡°The three of you are serious that you believe the person taking the girls is Simon? Why?¡± Tobias asked, not seeing how Simon fit with all of this. What could make the quiet man do such a thing? Tobias knew Edgar would nevere to him with this if there weren¡¯t some clue, but right now, he was puzzled.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why he is doing this just yet, but there is something off about him, and we cannot ignore Kate asking Caleb for help. I had a suspicion about him before and now I am led back to him. I will take all responsibility if I am wrong,¡± Edgar promised.


    ¡°No,¡± Tobias sat down in his seat. ¡°If Kate of all people is asking you for help there is something wrong with Simon. That bastard. Coming around giving his concerns about those women. Okay, let¡¯s fully assume that it is him. Where does he keep them? You said his servants look to be on his side, but he wouldn¡¯t put the girls in his home, would he?¡±


    ¡°I doubt he keeps them in his home. It is not like he doesn¡¯t get guests in his home. There has to be another ce he keeps them. Reed is going to get ayout of Simon¡¯s house so we can find any rooms he could keep someone in,¡± said Edgar.


    ¡°Good. Keep this among the four of us for now. Anyone else who hears about this might just think of this as a case where a wife got hit by her husband and is acting out. As if that is not a bad thing. This would all be made easier if we could speak to Kate. Find out what exactly she needs help with. Fuck,¡± Tobias cursed, running his hand through his hair.


    ¡°I doubt we will be seeing Kate away from Simon anytime soon. Unless you invite them to the pce tomorrow night so I can use that time to search the house. Invite a few more nobles so it doesn¡¯t seem strange right after my visit. Say you want to make a big announcement so it is important they all attend,¡± Edgar said, walking to the window to look at the view of the town.


    ¡°And what announcement is that? Don¡¯t tell me you are referring to announcing Hazel¡¯s pregnancy. We aren¡¯t ready yet-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a win-win with this announcement. The kingdom is restless since there has not been an announcement for an heir and you will help me catch the madman killing young women. It is time to make the announcement. I need the distraction,¡± Edgar replied.


    ¡°Why the hell don¡¯t you announce your wife¡¯s pregnancy? I am trying to y it safe for Hazel with these early weeks. Dammit,¡± Tobias gritted his teeth and smacked his hand on the table.


    .....


    It was true that they did have toe out and share Hazel¡¯s pregnancy soon. Talk of him having a mistress who could bear him a child since the Queen seemed to be barren began again. The pity everyone felt when they learned it was not Hazel¡¯s fault the kingdom was left without an heir for long quickly went away.


    ¡°Fine, I will do it. Getting that bastard is what matters most. I cannot sit through being told of another young woman dying again. I hope this is it and we can finally put this to an end. Bring peace to the families. I will get a list of anyone we have not found yet. Dead or alive, you need to find them in the open window I will create for you. What will you do about the servants? They might put up a fight,¡± Tobias said as from what he heard, they seemed quite loyal to Simon.


    ¡°Then they will die,¡± Edgar honestly answered.


    He didn¡¯t care if Simon had threatened his servants. Brought them under hismand with fear. If Simon was out of the house and his servants chose to fight Edgar who was there to help, they would have to die. Edgar¡¯s main focus was to save any girls still alive and anyone who got in the way of that would die.


    ¡°I suppose it is inevitable. Try to keep a few alive or just wound them enough to get them from fighting you. I want most of them alive to be questioned. In order to get Simon away from Kate, we will need to get Hazel involved in this. Have her pull the women away from the men for a moment and question Kate. I will send a message to you as fast as I can if we guessed wrong,¡± said Tobias.


    ¡°Reed, Caleb. Do what I ordered you to ande back to me right after. I want someone watching that house right now. Watch who goes in andes out. Go,¡± Edgar sent them away.


    Simon was a smart man who could be suspicious as they spoke right now. He did hide from them for this long after all. If Simon does not show up to the dinner, it was a sign he knew Edgar was onto him, and he could only point to Kate as the reason he was exposed. Her life was at risk.


    ¡°Have the invitations sent out right now, Tobias. You¡¯ll need to double the guards tomorrow night to protect everyone attending. I need to find out more about Simon in the meantime,¡± Edgar said, walking to the door to leave. He had a few sources who could tell him about Simon.


    ¡°Watch your back, Edgar. You can¡¯t underestimate him,¡± Tobias said.


    ¡°I know,¡± Edgar replied, leaving the room to find what he needed.


    ¡­


    ¡°It feels like the days are going by too fast. I¡¯m going to be an old man before I know it,¡± Peter muttered, watching the sun setting to begin the ending of another day in Lockwood. The view of the sun going down was one of the things he loved about the church.


    Peter stood on the steps of the church with his hands behind his back, enjoying the moment of peace before the night crowd would starting to the church. He remembered the time he had visited another church in the middle of the night and asked for forgiveness. His mother would be happy to see how much he had changed his life around.


    ¡°I should pay her a visit soon,¡± Peter said, turning around to go back inside the church. He needed to bring out the nkets for anyone who needed to use the church as a shelter for the cold night. ¡°Should I put on some tea and bring out some biscuits for anyone who has an empty stomach?¡±


    Peter left the doors wide open for any visitors toe inside and sit down or go straight to praying. He hoped he didn¡¯t have anyone who was drunk out of their mind waltzing inside the church tonight. He was not in the mood to be cleaning up after someone.


    ¡°This should be enough for now,¡± Peter returned with nkets to be ced on the benches. ¡°Oh,¡± he said when he noticed someone seated close to the altar. ¡°Good evening,¡± he greeted the person as he ced the nkets down.


    ¡°Rude,¡± he muttered when there was no response. ¡°God isn¡¯t going to answer your prayers.¡±


    ¡°Hello again.¡±


    Peter froze and looked at the visitor with the familiar voice. ¡°Simon? I mean Marquess. What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m having a rough day. I had a bit of trouble with my wife today and it seems my fun might be over soon. I came here hoping to get some advice from the priest who wed us,¡± said Simon.


    ¡®Well, my advice was you shouldn¡¯t have married her, but no one listens to me,¡¯ Peter thought.


    ¡°What advice can I help you with?¡± Peter asked, slowly approaching where Simon sat. He had not forgotten how Simon had frightened him but this was a person in need. ¡°How to make up with your wife?¡±


    ¡°No, there is no hope for us. She isn¡¯t what I thought she would be. I will deal with herter. How can I start over priest?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you should give up on your marriage just yet. To start over, you should think back to what made you love her-¡±


    ¡°No, I meant my life. How do I start it over? Or should I just ept that I have been dead inside for a long time and just end it all? Have a grand finale to it?¡± Simon asked. His game could not go on forever. He wanted to have a big end to it. ¡°Edgar isn¡¯t ying the game fair. He¡¯s ying out of turn before I make a move.¡±


    Peter stopped right before he could pass Simon. ¡°What? I¡¯m confused about what we are talking about now. What game?¡±


    ¡°You seem to be quite close to Edgar,¡± Simon said, looking up at Peter.


    Peter took a step back as there was a crazed look in Simon¡¯s eyes. ¡°I assure you that we are not close. I hate that bastard. We¡¯re just a priest and Duke who run into each other from time to time. Whatever you hate him for, I hate him for it too.¡±


    Simon chuckled. ¡°A priest who lies while standing in a church. How interesting. You will make a nice addition to the collection,¡± he stood up.

 Chapter 471 - 471 Trapping Simon (3)

    471 Trapping Simon (3)


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be added to anything,¡± Peter slowly backed away from Simon. His eyes widened when Simon revealed four daggers in his hands. ¡°You dislike Edgar. Why don¡¯t you go after him instead of a poor little priest? I have nothing to do with this.¡±


    ¡°You seem quite friendly with him. I hope taking you upsets him. Running away from me will only get you killed and it increases the chance of another priest arriving to be killed. Come with me quietly and I will take care of you,¡± Simon said, taking a step forward with each step Peter took back.


    ¡°This town is no longer fun. I shouldn¡¯t have married Kate. I should have just ced her with the others but I must admit, she was much better than all of them before she started to live with me. Perhaps I should have let her getfortable in my home before I showed her my world. She has a mind like mine. We could have toyed with this town together. A shame,¡± Simon said, picking out the first dagger to use.


    ¡®Why is my luck so bad with these nobles dammit,¡¯ Peter cursed. He didn¡¯t keep his eyes off Simon as he headed toward the entrance of the church. He was not going to die right here at the hands of Simon.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if I drag you out of here dead or alive. As long as I have your body to show to Edgar when I get him. Don¡¯t,¡± Simon warned when Peter positioned himself to make a run to the open door. ¡°I have quite the aim with my daggers. See,¡± Simon lifted his hand and threw the first dagger, aiming it for Peter¡¯s head.


    ¡°You crazy bastard!¡± Peter yelled as he ducked. Luckily, he had been in worse situations because of his past.


    ¡°Crazy?¡± Simon sneered, irritated by the word. ¡°I¡¯m simply a man getting his fun after years of abuse.¡±


    Instead of running, Peter knew he had to fight or he would risk a dagger going to his head if he ran. He could try to get Simon to use out all of the daggers in his hands, but Peter did not want to risk one hitting him.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of you nobles,¡± Peter said, charging toward Simon.


    .....


    Simon smiled, enjoying the fact one of his targets was fighting him back like this. He tried to sh Peter with the remaining daggers in his hands.


    Peter grabbed Simon¡¯s hand before his face could be struck. Simon had clearly underestimated him. ¡°I am not dying tonight,¡± he said, fighting to push Simon off his feet. ¡®Shit,¡¯ he cursed as Simon was far stronger than him and it had been a long time since he had to fight anyone like this.


    ¡°Boring,¡± Simon said in a dry tone. He used his left hand that had gone behind him to grab a bench to stop himself from falling backwards, to punch Peter in his face and release his right hand.


    Peter stumbled to the side, almost falling after his feet got tangled up when he stumbled. The right side of his face was in pain and from the force Simon used, he wouldn¡¯t be surprised if his jaw was messed up.


    ¡°Coward?¡± Simon looked at the daggers in his hands. The word had not left his mind since Edgar insulted him. He had never used daggers to get any of the women he took. He could always overpower them. ¡°I don¡¯t need these for you,¡± he dropped the daggers. Edgar was going to see that he was not a coward.


    Peter could not believe Simon had dropped the daggers. He could now put up a good fight to overpower Simon or fight long enough for one of the other priests to arrive or make a run for it and hope Simon would not take up a dagger to throw.


    ¡°Come now,¡± Simon rolled up the sleeves of his shirt. ¡°I,¡± he paused, picking up on footsteps entering the church. When Simon turned around, he wasn¡¯t surprised by who had entered the church. ¡°Well well. This just proves my guess was correct. Edgar knows. I¡¯m d it was you tailing me and not your brother. I happen to like him.¡±


    Reed tapped his sword on his shoulder. If not for Edgar assigning them to watch Simon¡¯s home, he would have missed Simon trying to kill the priest. ¡°Women, priests. You just can¡¯t seem to pick on someone else who would give you a good fight. Coward,¡± he smiled, knowing hated the word.


    ¡°Mother is going to kill us if she finds out we are fighting in a church.¡±


    Simon looked behind him at another door where Caleb now stood.


    ¡°Peter,e here,¡± Caleb called to the priest who stood far too close to Simon. ¡°If you¡¯re going to be killed by anyone, it should only be Edgar.¡±


    ¡®I don¡¯t want to be killed by him either!¡± Peter internally screamed. After this, he was packing his bags and getting far away from Lockwood. He already had a Duke constantly trying to kill him. His life could not take a crazy Marquess. ¡®I married those two bastards to their wives.¡¯


    ¡°No Edgar? I am a little disappointed,¡± Simon said, lunging at Peter and capturing him to be his way out of here. Simon took hold of Peter, pulling him against his body, and ced Peter in a chokehold. ¡°Not so fast,¡± Simon said, taking out another dagger and pointing it to Peter¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Peter,¡± Caleb smacked his face. ¡°Why the hell didn¡¯t you move faster?¡±


    ¡°I was lost in my thoughts and you¡¯re not supposed to say hell in church! Just save me,¡± Peter whined as he felt the tip of the dagger at his throat.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t had this much fun for a long time. If only Edgar was here to make this all the more exciting. Don¡¯t tell me that he is at home with his wife leaving the two of you to end this game?¡± Simon asked, disliking how Edgar was ruining the fun.


    ¡°Release the priest, Simon. We¡¯re not letting you out of here with him as your hostage. Be a man and fight against us. We won¡¯t all attack at once,¡± Reed said, removing his sword from his shoulder and cing it on the floor to drag as he walked. ¡°Quite frankly, I don¡¯t care if you kill the priest.¡±


    ¡®What!¡¯ Peter screamed inside. What was the point of them being here if not to save him?


    Reed was not going to let Peter, who simply had to move away from Simon before, be the reason Simon get out of there. He would rather kill Simon now than have Edgar bother with this man any longer. If Simon died now, Reed could go home and sleep. Hopefully.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Simon replied, rxing his hold around Peter¡¯s neck. ¡°Then there is no point in me holding him.¡±


    Peter sighed in relief but it was short-lived as he felt something pierce into his side and Simon pushed him forward.


    Simon pulled out the dagger from Peter¡¯s side as the man stumbled forward. He ignored the twins approaching him from both sides. ¡°I am not getting out of here,¡± he admitted as he could not fight against the two men who towered over him. ¡°I have a new game for Edgar. See if he can find them without me,¡± Simon chuckled as he stabbed himself in the chest with his own dagger.


    He was ready to die the moment he realized Edgar was onto him. He wanted to end with a grand fight against Edgar, but Edgar once again ruined the game by not showing up. The game of searching for the young women he took would not end with his death. There was no way for anyone to find Kate and Be after his death.


    Now, he could move on to his next game. Finding his parents in hell and torturing them.


    ¡°Ah, what a time I had,¡± Simon staggered to the floor as he tried to sit down.


    Caleb was surprised to see that this was the way Simon was going to die. ¡°Peter,¡± Caleb rushed to the priest who was holding himself up against a bench and covering the wound Simon created. ¡°We have to get you to a doctor now.¡±


    Reed went to stand in front of Simon instead. The man truly was a coward as Edgar said. He thought the priest would have been an easy target since priests were normally not violent people. He attacked women he could overpower, but the moment he had to fight the twins, he killed himself. Simon wasn¡¯t worthy of a grand fight against Edgar.


    ¡°W-Why aren¡¯t you asking where the girls are? Aren¡¯t you curious about where Kate is? If only I could witness her mother seeing what happened to her,¡± Simon smiled.


    Reed didn¡¯t see the point in asking when Simon was not going to tell them. That was the point of him killing himself. He was taking the location of the women with him.


    Simon disliked Reed¡¯s silence. ¡°I truly hate you,¡± he muttered.

 Chapter 472 - 472 The search (1)

    472 The search (1)


    ¡°We got here as fast as we could, but it was toote. He stabbed himself in the chest. The doctor says he aimed close to his heart.¡±


    Edgar looked down at Simon whoid still on a table. It was quite the news when he was informed Reed and Caleb had caught Simon and Peter was wounded.


    ¡°We should have acted quicker and stopped him from stabbing himself. We¡¯re sorry,¡± Caleb apologized. Simon should be alive to be punished for what he did.


    Edgar didn¡¯t see the need for an apology. ¡°There was nothing more you could have done. He intended to die once he was found out. I rather the two of you not be injured in a fight-¡±


    ¡°So everything is fine as long as it is only Peter who gets injured!¡± Peter yelled from the bed he wasying on. ¡°The doctor said that I am lucky to be alive after bleeding so much. If Simon had pressed that dagger into me any further, I would be dead too!¡± Peter argued.


    ¡°Peter, you said you lived a colorful life. Shouldn¡¯t you know how to fight?¡± Edgar asked without looking at the loudmouth priest.


    ¡°I am not used to fighting anymore!¡± Peter replied. ¡°It doesn¡¯te naturally to me anymore. This bastard here told Simon that he didn¡¯t care whether I was alive or not,¡± he pointed at Reed.


    Reed rolled his eyes at the priest who should count himself lucky to be alive. ¡°I did,¡± he stood on his word.


    ¡°I am getting out of this town tomorrow,¡± Peter muttered.


    .....


    ¡°Can all of you shut the fuck up?¡± Edgar snapped as their bickering was thest thing he wanted to hear right now. ¡°Caleb, go to the town guard and have theme for Simon¡¯s body. They will need to send a group to join me to look for Kate and whoever is alive with her.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Caleb answered, hurrying out of the room to do as he was ordered.


    ¡°Come with me, Reed. We need to get a head start searching for Kate,¡± Edgar said, looking away from Simon¡¯s body as he walked out of the room.


    ¡°He went as far as to kill himself. Do you think Kate is alive?¡± Reed asked as he doubted they would find her alive.


    ¡°Our job is to find her and anyone else Simon was hiding. Dead or alive,¡± Edgar replied. It was an equal chance that Kate could be dead or alive. It depended on if Simon suspected her of exposing him.


    Edgar and Reed left the doctor and got into his carriage to go to Simon¡¯s house. There was no telling what awaited them in Simon¡¯s home. Edgar was informed of the fact Simon wanted them to continue the search for the women he took. What Simon had done was far from over.


    ¡°Should you send word to the Duchess that you will be away for a long time?¡± Reed asked as Edgar had not returned home since they met with Simon early in the day.


    Edgar tapped his fingers on the door of the carriage as it began to move. ¡°I should. She is probably worrying her little heart. He should still be alive so I could have killed him for taking me away from my wife and children for so long. We need a long trip after this.¡±


    He should be at homeying in bed with Alessandra right now, witnessing the small changes in her body as their children grew. The only bright side was the fact Simon¡¯s death meant he would no longer be dealing with this case soon so he could enjoy more time with his family.


    Reed looked at Edgar tapping his fingers. ¡°You are worrying your little heart out too. Worrying she¡¯s stressing herself waiting for you to return. Before we arrive, answer me honestly. Do you want to see Kate still alive? After everything she had done to your wife?¡±


    ¡°I would like to see her punished, but not under these circumstances,¡± Edgar replied. No one deserved to die from Simon¡¯s twisted games. ¡°We¡¯ll drop her off at the court to be punished for what she did to Alessandra¡¯s face right after.¡±


    ¡®We¡¯re saving her from her crazy dead husband just to have her imprisonedter,¡¯ Reed thought. After everything leading up to this point, Reed found it funny how Kate¡¯s life depended on Edgar¡¯s help.


    The ride to Simon¡¯s home remained silent as the two tried to think of what might be awaiting them. More than an hourter, Edgar¡¯s carriage arrived at the front of Simon¡¯s home, but there was something differentpared to thest visit.


    ¡°There are no servants here to watch the gates,¡± Reed said as he opened the carriage door for him and Edgar. The gates of Simon¡¯s home were wide open, weing anyone from the road inside. Reed kept his hand on his sword since he got a bad feeling.


    Edgar looked around at the property which was more silent than before. All that was heard was the high wind shaking the leaves on the trees. At night, Edgar¡¯s estate was never this silent. There was always someone still awake at this time keeping a bit of noise. Either his guards, the servants, or the animals.


    Even though Simon had died faster than he probably anticipated, Edgar didn¡¯t trust blindly walking into Simon¡¯s house which was full of servants loyal to him. They had not the slightest clue if Simon hadid out traps for anyoneing to get him. Simon was not to be underestimated in his death. This was still the man who went unnoticed as he took women from town.


    Instead of going to the front door, Edgar went to a window with Reed who busted it open for them to enter. They had created a loud enough noise for anyone at home toe running, but the house continued to be quiet.


    As the two entered, there was no one toe confront them about breaking into Simon¡¯s home.


    Edgar was the first to notice why the house was so quiet. ¡°They¡¯re dead,¡± he said, going toward a maid whoid dead right at the bottom of the stairs to go to the second floor. A knife was stuck in the back of her head. She wasn¡¯t the only one.


    Edgar stepped over her body and followed the bloody prints of someone¡¯s shoes which led him into the kitchen to discover a more bloody mess.


    ¡°He already killed anyone who might know where Kate is,¡± Reed muttered. It was why Simon was so sure they would not be able to find who he was hiding. Once again, he didn¡¯t think they would find Kate alive. ¡°He probably figured out we knew and went on a killing spree. They kept his secrets only to be killed by him in the end. It looks like they were about to make dinner,¡± Reed said, as vegetables and meat were ced on the counters.


    ¡°Search every room in the house now,¡± Edgar said, leaving the kitchen to do a deep search of the house.


    Unfortunately, he was not given an outline of Simon¡¯s house. Simon had made a move quicker than Edgar expected. They were searching blindly and were at risk of missing any secret rooms Simon had.

 Chapter 473 The search (2)

    Chapter 473 The search (2)


    Edgar went straight up to the second floor while Reed inspected the first floor. Edgar was careful not to step into any of the blood on the stairs. The blood here painted a picture in his mind that someone in a bloody state was dragged from the second floor down to the first floor.


    "It could not have been her," Edgar said, looking at the dead maid at the bottom of the stairs. The trail of blood didn''t lead to her. It went in another direction.


    Edgar had a feeling that Simon wouldn''t waste time dragging a servant downstairs while he murdered the others where they stood. It had to be Kate who Simon took the time to drag downstairs. His eyes went to the wall where there was a bloody smudged print of someone''s hand as they were dragged downstairs.


    Instead of going upstairs, Edgar followed this trail of blood in hopes it would lead him to Kate. The blood led him under the stairs where furniture was stained with blood and pulled out of their spot.It kept going until Edgar ended up at a door which would take him outside.


    Luckily, there were still some traces of blood on the ground when he exited the house, but as he got further outside, the track disappeared as the snow falling from the sky covered it. If they were here an hour or two ago, they might have been able to see more blood in the snow.


    The bright side to this discovery was that Edgar now knew wherever Simon had taken Kate was not inside the house. It was somewhere outside of his home.


    "Reed!" Edgar called inside. He turned around to go back inside to find Reed. He needed to get his dogs to follow Kate''s scent.


    "In here! You''re going to want to see this shit. This bastard has new levels of crazy the further you go into this house," Reed said.


    Edgar followed Reed''s voice to the drawing room where they were earlier when they visited Simon. A door was wide open and Reed stood by the door.


    "Nothing about him is normal," Reed said, making way for Edgar to get inside.


    Edgar wasn''t expecting to be walking into a room where two corpses sat on chairs like it was normal. "What the fuck," he muttered.


    "I had to break the door open. It''s his parents," Reed pointed to the portrait behind the corpses. There was a portrait of a young Simon with his parents. The ring on the corpse that wore a dress matched the ring on the woman''sfinger inthe portrait. "His parents," Reed said in disbelief.


    "He didn''t kill them. His parents died in a carriage ident, but to my knowledge, they were buried. I remember my father talking about attending the funersl but I never did. I didn''t go to funerals for people I did not know. He must have dug them up at some point," Edgar said, covering his nose to bear the awful smell. He could not fathom how he had missed this foul smell when he was seated in the drawing room with Simon. It had to be that they were not here when he came to talk with Simon.


    Edgar looked around the room and found some of the flowers he found ced on the bodies of the girls Simon killed were in vases. It was either an effort Simon made to try getting rid of the smell or these flowers had some connection to his parents.


    Edgar couldn''t ce why Simon would dig up his parent''s bodies. Did he care deeply for them and was unable to let them go? Were they part of the reason he decided to kidnap the young women?


    Edgar walked around the room and stopped at a table full of books. He took up one book to flip through the pages and to his surprise, there were drawings of a young boy and two adults. Not the happy drawings you would expect from a normal child.


    There were drawings of the child seemingly being struck by a stick from the woman, the man pointing off somewhere while curses came out of his mouth, the young boy crying in a box, and the word perfect written over and over again.


    Edgar continued to flip through the pages of the book and was met with the same drawings over and over again. Like this was all that filled the child''s mind or perhaps, this happened daily and the drawings were made every day. Edgar stopped flipping through the pages when one showed a different drawing. In this one, the man and woman seemed to be dead, but for some reason, the child did not look happy in the drawings that followed.


    "His parents seemed to have abused him in the past. Never would have thought. He was always smiling whenever his parents walked around with him. They must be here because of his hatred," Edgar said, looking at the couple who were meant to be under the ground. He scrunched up his nose, unable to take another second of the smell.


    Edgar closed the book which the court should take a look at and walked out of the room.


    "Everyone has their own story that makes them who they are. He was once a victim, but I can''t feel sorry for him because of the path he took," Reed said as he couldn''t feel bad for Simon as he killed others for reasons he still could not understand. Reed was not fond of anyone who preyed on the weak.


    "There is a trail of blood that leads outside. We need to get my dogs," Edgar said and took a deep breath after he was far away from the room. "Kate has to be somewhere outside and wounded. Tell the driver to return to my estate and bring my dogs."


    Reed moved quickly to do as he was ordered since if Kate was wounded the longer they waited meant there was a higher chance of finding her dead. He would not allow Kate to die yet when she was meant to be punished for the things she did to Alessandra with her mother. All the bad people could not easily die.


    Reed clenched his fists as he regretted not being able to either stop Simon from killing himself or at least be the one to kill him. Edgar had already regretted letting his anger get the best of him, killing Desmond too soon and now, Simon was gone by his own hands. It would have been different if Peter was not standing so close to Simon. Regardless of what he said, Reed could never allow an innocent man to be hurt, and had they rushed to attack Simon with Peter there the church would be nning a funeral for Peter once the sun rose.


    While Reed went out to get the coachman to bring the dogs, Edgar went outside once more to try tracking where Kate could be.


    Meanwhile,


    Be continued to dig the hole she had created in hopes of getting out of there before Simon would return. After hisst arrival and the crazed look in his eyes, she knew she would not continue to live when he returned, and had to get out of there now. She looked over her shoulder at Kate who she had rested against the wall.


    Be tried her best but she wasn''t able to get an answer out of Kate about what happened for Simon to be so angry. Be was still in shock that Simon attacked Kate.


    Hours ago, which felt like days to Be, she was sitting in her corner awaiting the arrival of her food when she heard the door open and a woman screaming. Simon threw Kate down into the room just as he had done to the others and dragged her to be in Be''s view. Be closed her eyes as she tried to get rid of the haunting image of blood flowing from a wound on Kate''s face.


    Simon didn''t engage in his normal antics of having Be beg to stay here and just gave her a look before leaving.


    Be''s nerves grew by the second as she continued to dig through the mud to get out of the room. Her hands ached but she continued to push through the pain. She didn''t care to stop if Simon were to return now. She knew she was dead the moment he returned.


    "Fuck!" Be cursed, frustrated with not reaching an opening despite how long she had been digging. "Rx," she calmed herself as getting angry would only affect her progress. "I am getting out of here."

 Chapter 474 The search (3)

    Chapter 474 The search (3)


    "I can''t," Be stopped digging and looked at her fingers. They were on the verge of bleeding and they were quite sore.


    Be pushed her way out of the small hole she created. With there not being a lot of time, she had to find another way to get out of there. Something she was never bold enough to do in the past because of her fear Simon would see her or a servant would. She had to try pushing open the door.


    She was no longer afraid of getting caught as she felt she was dead either way as that was the feeling she got from Simon.


    "Kate," Be said when she exited the hole.


    She found Kate still leaning up where she had ced her long ago. Be couldn''t help wondering what Kate had done that Simon snapped at her so soon.


    "Her face is going to be ruined," Be muttered, feeling sorry for Kate. "Kate!" Be called again as she went closer to tap Kate''s leg.


    Kate groaned at the sound of someone calling her name and the pain in her head. It was unbearable like someone was constantly hitting her in the head each time she moved. The rest of her body was sore and she barely remembered it was because of Simon pushing her into furniture when he found her in her room and then dragging her down the stairs.


    using her of saying something to Edgar when she didn''t. Simon was present the entire time she was around Edgar and his guards. Kate didn''t think he had seen her mouthed help. Something else must have happened and Simon med her for his mistakes.


    "Good. You''re alive," Be sighed in relief. "I''m going to try opening the door and if I do, I need you to be ready to get on your feet. I can''t carry all your weight myself."


    Kate slowly opened her eyes, ignoring the headache as she did so. Her vision was blurry at first, but she could see Be was sitting right in front of her. "Y-You are not leaving me?" Kate asked, not believing that she would be helped out of there once Be found a way out. Be could make a run for it and be fine. Kate would only slow her down.


    Kate would leave Be without a second thought if their roles were reversed and Be was the severely injured one. It was best she didn''t tell Be that she was looking for a husband for her. Kate did it to make Simon happy, but she truly wanted Kyle to be down here because of her hatred for him. With that, Be would have suffered from whatever ns Simon had for that marriage.


    "I''ve been looking out for myself because everyone who gets thrown here with me ends up dying. I should at least try to save someone else. I would want to be saved if I were in your position. Don''t get your hopes up yet. I still have to try breaking open the door. It only opens from the outside so it will be hard. What happened with Simon?" Be asked as she stood up to get started with breaking open the door.


    "Edgar Collins visited us today. I told one of his guards to help me. I don''t know what led Simon to think he was found out, but he came to my room and attacked me. I hope he truly is caught," Kate said.


    If Simon wasn''t caught, Kate wouldn''t put it past him toe to her apologizing to her for what he did and then try to take her back as his wife.


    "Edgar is really leading the case to find us? I thought Simon was joking about it," Be muttered.


    "How long have you been down here?" Kate asked as even should know that the King assigned Edgar to do this.


    Be tried to find her way toward the entrance of the room which was darker than the space where she was with Kate. "It feels like years. I truly do not know. I tried to keep track but I don''t think it is urate."


    "It is winter now," Kate said, hoping that would help. "Well, it has been for a while, but it will soon end."


    "Really?" Be stopped. "There was a y I wanted to take part in at the beginning of winter. Well, I have to get us out of here so I can join one at the end of winter. I''ve been here long before winter. It was somewhere near the start of the season. I remember thest party I attended and then I made the mistake of wandering off to audition for a y in the middle of the night. I was taken and brought here. There was another actress with me. She was nice."


    Kate couldn''t imagine being stuck in here for so long. She wasn''t married to Simon long and she already had enough of the things he did. Be was far better than her seeing how the young woman survived longer than everyone else Simon took.


    Kate squeezed her eyes closed when another headache happened again. There was an excruciating pain right above her left eye. "How bad is where he hit me on my head?" She asked. Kate was worried about the mark the wound would leave. She could not take her face being ruined along with everything else. Marrying Simon was enough torture.


    "Uhm," Be hesitated to tell Kate that it looked like it would leave a bad wound, but there was a lot of blood so it was hard to tell exactly how bad Kate''s wound was. "We should get you to a doctor first. I could tell you something wrong and you start to panic. Come on," Be said as she hit the door with all her strength. "I feel bad for you."


    "Because of the wound?" Kate asked, raising her hand to try touching where the pain wasing from.


    "That and all the other things Simon told me. I don''t know if you were aware, but he woulde here and tell me things. I can''t tell anyone his secrets so that must be why he always came to tell me his ns. Like he nned to bring your sister here. Perhaps to torture you. I could never stomach seeing any of my rtives here. Did he ever tell you about it?" Be asked.


    Kate remained silent as Be misunderstood something here. Simon liked messing with Edgar, it was Kate who wanted Alessandra here so she could share the same fate. If not for Simon bing too much for her to handle, she would have helped him get Alessandra here.


    "I understand if you don''t want to talk about it. It must be hard to stomach the fact he wanted to bring your sister here. I feel even more sorry for the fact that you married him. Did he court you?" Be asked, interested in how the two met. She needed to talk about something to get her attention off the fact the door was not budging.


    Kate closed her eyes. She didn''t like speaking with Be anymore since she was reminded of the fact she had chased after Simon in an effort to find a man she couldpete with Edgar and be where Alessandra was as Duchess. "I don''t want to talk anymore," she said.

 Chapter 475 Shame (1)

    Chapter 475 Shame (1)


    "I''m tired," Be said after spending a long time trying to get the door to somehow open. She knew it would never open so easily because Simon would never give them an easy opening to run away from him. It was some miracle that he had not returned yet. "I need to take a moment. Kate?"


    "I am still awake. Just resting to help with the pain. "The blood has stopped for now."


    "We still need to get you to a doctor quickly. That kind of blow to your head could be dangerous. You''ve lost too much blood. I will only rest for a few minutes," Be said. She had to rest her hands as they were in pain from digging and then going straight to beat on a door with her fists.


    "Please rest. We won''t get out of here if you injure yourself too much. I am no use to either of us," Kate replied. She didn''t feel like she could stand on her two feet because of the pain she was in.


    Be leaned back on the wall and held onto the bars Simon used to climb out of the room. "I''m fine," she said, looking at her hands. Her hands were no longer without a scratch. They were full of cuts which showed she tried her best to find a way out. "My mother used to- Wait," she looked up at the entrance. "Did you hear that?"


    "Hear what? I can only hear you."


    "I heard something outside. I am sure of it," Be replied, climbing back up the bars to get closer to the top to hear. This was the first time in months that she heard something from the outside world. She was always here in silence until Simon came to speak to her.


    "What if it is Simon?" Kate asked, fearing he was returning to finish her off.


    "I don''t think it is. The door would have shook as he opened it. It sounds like a dog," Be slowly said as she didn''t believe her own ears. ''Have I officially gone insane?'' She thought.


    "I don''t recall Simon having dogs. I would have seen them by now. The only animals I have seen are the horses. Nothing else. Come sit down Be. Your mind is ying tricks on you," Kate sighed. She rxed now that she knew it was not Simon.


    "Perhaps," Be agreed with Kate. It had been so long since she heard a dog. Maybe her mind must be ying tricks on her. Giving her false hope when she longed to be rescued. "I cannote to sit down. I have to rest and continue to find a way out of here. If I rest too much, Simon wille back to us. Just open," she tried pushing the door up to open.


    "-te!''


    Be heard another sound when she pushed the door up. She did not understand what was said, but she was certain she heard something outside. "Kate, I am telling you there is someone outside. I heard a voice and there was a dog."


    Kate sat up as her fear of Simoning for them grew. "It must be Simon. Come sit down and cover that hole you made so he doesn''t punish us."


    "You said he had been caught, right? Maybe this is someone looking for us? We have to take a chance," Be decided and repeatedly pounded the door with her fist. At the moment, it didn''t feel like her hands were hurting her as she did so. She thought only of someone finding the two of them before Simon returned.


    Be continued to hit the door with her hands until she was startled by the sound of something scratching on the outside. She lost her grip for a moment, almost falling to the floor, but she managed to hold onto the bar and keep herself from falling.


    "What is it?" Kate asked after hearing Be gasp. She couldn''t get a good look at what Be was doing because of the darkness of the room.


    "I almost fell," Be softly replied. She tried to calm her startled heart before looking back up at the door where there was a lot more noise, but she was still unable to make it out. The scratching was too loud.


    The scratching then went silent for a moment leaving Be confused. Was Kate right that this was Simon and he was probably ying a trick on them?


    "I''ming back- Ah!" Be gasped when the door shook like it was struck by something.


    The door shook once more with a loud noise. Be jumped down to get away from whatever was happening with the door as dirt and bits of snow were starting to fall down onto her face. She stayed close enough to see what was happening to the door.


    "It''s breaking," Be whispered after seeing cracks start to form. "This isn''t Simon," she knew.


    "We''re down here!" Be yelled so the person on the other end would know there was someone who needed help right under where they stood. "We''re down here!" She repeated again as her hope for being saved gave her a new source of energy.


    Be watched as a hole formed in the middle of the door and a hand reached in to start pulling it up. Be rushed to the opened space which would show her who had broken the door. "D-Duke Collins," Be choked up when she looked up and saw Edgar Collins staring down at her. "Finally," her body rxed and her eyes filled with tears.


    Be wiped her eyes as now was not the time for crying even though it was all she wanted to do right now. "Simon''s wife Kate is down here. She''s injured," she said, going back into the room to where Kate was instead of climbing out.


    Edgar handed Reed the damaged sword he had used to hit the door with. One of the dogs had suddenly circled around a spot and started to dig. He knew the guards who were now there were expecting a body, but to everyone''s surprise, a wooden door was revealed out in the middle of nowhere.


    Edgar jumped down into the hole to follow Be to see what happened with Kate. Be had no idea how much it was a relief to see that she was still alive after all this time. "We need some light down here," he said to Reed who was about to jump down with him.


    Edgar tried to maneuver his way around the darkness. He first noticed there was a torch with a tiny me that was not offering much light to the room. It was just enough for him to see the colorful dress that Kate wore and the faded one that Be wore.


    Be sat beside Kate who was surprised to see Edgar. "He wounded her head. We need to get her to a doctor."


    Edgar looked down at Kate who quickly looked away from him. Shame. Embarrassment. He couldn''t pinpoint what her look was. Although she was trying to tell him about Simon earlier, it was hard to meet his eyes now with her state. After everything she had done, her life was being rescued by the husband of the sister she hated.


    The room started to be brighter as the guards and Reed jumped down into the hole with torches.


    Edgar was now able to see the open wound Kate had on the left side of her face. "Get a doctor," he ordered the men who now entered. "The Marchioness needs tending to. Be, are you injured too?"


    "No," Be shook her head. "I don''t need a doctor, but I would like to get out of here and see my mother right now. I don''t want to spend another minute in this room."

 Chapter 476 Shame (2)

    Chapter 476 Shame (2)


    The guards helped Kate out of the room first since she needed to be taken to a doctor.


    Be nervously rubbed her hands as it was her turn to finally leave. It was a surreal moment and she hoped she had not nodded off to sleep leaving this to be all a lie. That she would open her eyes and end up back in this room. Leaving was too good to be true. If this was a dream, it felt truly real and she would enjoy it while itsted.


    "Be," Edgar called to the young woman who seemed hesitant to leave.


    Be looked behind her at Edgar who promised to personally escort her home. She didn''t feel safe with anyone but him since he was the first face she saw when the door opened. "I know I said I wanted to get out of here quickly, but I''m scared. What if I wake up and I am back down here? My mind doesn''t want to believe this is real. What if Simones back?"


    "Simon is dead. He killed himself while trying to take someone else," Edgar said. He was meaning to tell her earlier, but whenever someone mentioned Simon''s name she started to panic and her breathing quickened. "You might have liked the chance to get back at him-"


    "No," Be shook her head. "I thought of one day killing him with my own two hands in the past, but now, I am satisfied with him no longer living. He will still haunt me but I will be free of this ce. Of course, he was crazy enough to kill himself."


    "He got into a fight he knew he could not win. It was only women he liked to attack. He killed himself to y with us. Expecting we would never find you. He made the mistake of dragging Kate out here while she was bleeding," Edgar said.


    "His ns were ruined," Be smiled. "I''m sure he is angry in hell. He always said he was carrying on what his parents started," Be said, looking around the room. "He never took men despite there being men who put on a show in front of others too. Please have this ce burned, Duke Collins. I don''t want it to be someone else''s nightmare."


    Be took a deep breath and began to climb out of the room. She looked up and became teary-eyed at the night sky that was in perfect view with no trees blocking the sky. The night breeze kissed her skin the moment she reached the top.


    Be was never happier to see snow. The moment she got out of the hole, she picked up a handful of snow enjoying the coldness she missed. She would love to run around and enjoy feeling the outside world a bit more. Never again would she take such things for granted.


    Edgar got out of the room right behind Be. There were still guards on the inside who wanted to inspect it further. Soon the court would arrive to start building the case on Simon before stripping everything from his name. He was another noble not deserving of the title he held in his death.


    "We''re taking Be home," Edgar said to Reed. After that, he was going straight home to his wife who will certainly be giving him the cold shoulder. They started to walk toward Simon''s home which was full of light because of the guards looking at all the dead servants.


    Edgar hoped Alessandea had at least fallen to sleep. He would tell her the good news about Be to make her get rid of her anger. News of him no longer being the one to lead this case should excite Alessandra. Now they had more time to start preparing for the growing family.


    "I cannot wait to see my mother and hug her. I have to make up for the many times I did not tell her that I love her. She''s fine right?" Be looked at Edgar. She couldn''t help thinking about the things Simon told her about her mother. "Simon told me her health wasn''t good."


    "Well, her beloved daughter was missing so I''ve been told she stopped eating and started to lose a lot of weight, but many of your rtives have been taking care of her," Edgar answered.


    "I see," Be replied in a soft tone.


    "Would you like us to find you a coat?" Edgar said after he noticed her rubbing her arms.


    "No, I want to enjoy the cold a bit more."


    Edgar was curious about something as he watched Be. "You said Simon yed a game where he took girls who acted two-faced and forced them to carry on the act or die. Kate, I understand, but you seem to be different," he said.


    Be smiled as she was d to hear he thought otherwise. That she was the odd one in the bunch. "Time alone with an insane murderer helps to get rid of my attitude and change the way I think. I did act nice depending on who I was standing in front of. I was mean in the past and I can''t help but hate my past actions now."


    "Wait!" Be realised something with what Edgar said. "Why do you understand Kate being chosen? I didn''t have many interactions with her before all of this, but she was kind here. I think she yed a part in Simon being caught. I honestly feel bad for her with the wound and then Simon wanting to bring her sister here."


    ''Oh shit,'' Reed thought. He was listening to the conversation in and out but this part caught his attention. He looked to his left at Edgar who looked pissed off in a split second.


    "He wanted to do what?" Edgar slowly asked, clenching his fist to suppress his anger. What was Alessandra included in all of this?


    Be covered her mouth as she remembered being told that Edgar was married to Kate''s sister. "I''m so sorry. I am not used to the fact you have gotten married, Duke Collins. I shouldn''t have let him wanting your wife slip out like that. I think he intended to bring Kate''s family into that room to mess with her. That was why he nned to take your wife."


    Edgar knew Simon wanting Alessandra had nothing to do with wanting to mess with Kate. Kate didn''t care for Alessandra for Alessandra''s presence there to mess with Kate. Kate was the type to enjoy Alessandra being in Simon''s hands.


    Edgar pushed his hair back and began to pace back and forth to calm his mind. It was by some luck that with Alessandra being pregnant, she had only travelled around to meet her mother, and had many guards by her side. Had she ever been alone there might have been a chance for Simon to get close to her.


    Edgar was angered even more by the fact that he couldn''t tell if taking Alessandra was something Simon wanted or Kate wanted. Once Kate was patched up by a doctor, he would get his answers.


    "Duke Collins," a guard with some age to himpared to the others, approached the three. "It is good to see you are well, Miss Be," he acknowledged the strong young woman first. "I heard you were taking her home. That is not necessary. We''ve already sent word for her mother and Marchioness''s mother to meet us at the court. The Marchioness is being taken to the court so a pce doctor can look at her. You need to escort the youngdy here to the court. There is much to be done to end this case."


    Edgar wasn''t in the mood to be going to the court instead of going home when he already sent word to the guards about what he knew about Simon and how he figured it out but it could not be helped. He wanted this done with tonight. "Reed, find your brother and have him deliver another message to Alessandra. I''m going to be homete."

 Chapter 477 Shame (3)

    Chapter 477 Shame (3)


    "I''m going to kill that man," Katrina said, looking at the papers which contained how much she would be earning from a youngdy who managed to catch the eye of a rich heir. She wouldn''t be getting married to the man but he was doing well with spoiling her.


    "Randall you snake," Katrina sneered as she wasn''t receiving her fair share despite her hard work. It was she who gave the girls advice on how to trap these men. Randall would gain nothing without her. "I need to cut him loose soon," she decided.


    Katrina intended to get rid of Randall and have all the profits going to her. It was easy to get him near her with his guard down since he lusted after her. She only needed to lure him into her bedroom and do the job.


    "Men," Katrina sighed, rubbing the back of her neck with her hands. She didn''t have her title anymore but she was slowly building up her wealth. The best way to shut people up was to have money. Everyone who was enjoying talking about her not having a title would soon be kissing her ass once she gained more money.


    "I need something to drink," Katrina said, standing up from her seat to leave her bedroom.


    Life was so different without Kate living with her, but she was slowly getting used to it. She thought Kate would have visited her by now to say how married life was going, but Katrina knew it could not be helped that Kate was busy with her new life. Katrina hoped to see Simon and Kate soon to catch up. Life in a big house with no one else around to share it with was not what she thought it would be.


    Katrina was starting to consider remarrying a man she could see herself falling in love with. She no longer needed to chase a man just for his wealth but it would help to charm her.


    Katrina left her bedroom and walked the quiet halls down to the first floor. She hugged her body to warm herself from the cold that crept inside from the outside.


    "Mydy."


    "Of course you are awake," Katrina sighed, looking ahead at James. "Mydy? You know no one thinks that is a title for me."


    "It is what I wish to call you," James said slowly approaching Katrina. It had been a few days since she called for him to her bedroom. She only did it when she was angry with Randall. James was concerned about her being all alone without any family.


    "You are still a fool," Katrina shook her head. After everything, James was still hooked on her when she could ruin him any second. James was to her what she was once to Randall. An innocent person caught up in someone''s desires. The difference was Katrina had never cared for Randall. James made the mistake of getting attached when she wanted nothing more from him. "Why do you care for me?" She wondered again.


    James didn''t see why she kept asking this question when he proved time and time again that he cared for her. "I see you differently now than I did before," he answered. He came to learn that Katrina was a hurt woman. Hurt from the time she was a child based on the memories she would let slip out in bed. She was so cold to others because that was how the world was to her.


    "How sweet," Katrina smiled, but his words did not warm her. "If only they were believable. I like to believe you took a liking to the fact you get to fuck a woman you once lusted over. That and the fact you are foolish. I always knew men thought with the lower half of their bodies. Come to my bed tonight. I am in need of a distraction, but first, I need something to drink. Something strong."


    "Yes, mydy. I will- It sounds like there is a knock at the door," James looked in the direction of the front door. No one should being thiste to see Katrina. Unless it was Randall? James frowned at the thought of Randalling to see Katrina. The man could only want one thing from her.


    James was aware of the fact Randall wanted Katrina to fire him since Randall had somehow sensed that he was sleeping with Katrina. James was going nowhere. He did not help this house get back on its feet only to be fired now.


    "Excuse me," James said, leaving Katrina''s side to answer the door. He was silently praying that it would not be Randall.


    When James opened the door, he wished it was someone else other than a town guard.


    "Good night. I am sorry to disturb the residence at this time, but I must speak with thedy of the house. It is about her daughter Mar-"


    "What is wrong with Kate?" Katrina quickly went to the door. Her heart rushed due to a town guarding sote to speak about Kate. "Is my daughter alright? Out with it."


    "Unfortunately, I was sent to get you before I was told the full condition of your daughter, but we have safely found her. Your daughter is heading to the court to be seen by a pce doctor. I regret to inform you that the man she married, Marquess Simon, is the one responsible for all the missing young women. He attacked his wife-"


    "Katrina!" James called after Katrina who began running outside the front door without any shoes and proper clothing. "Mydy, you need toe back."


    Katrina could not hear James'' words or the guard calling after her. All she knew was that she needed to get to the court right now to see Kate. Her daughter had to be fine. This was all some big lie to ruin her day. "I need to see her," Katrina said as she ran. She would run there barefoot if she needed to.


    "Katrina!" James grabbed her hand to stop her from running out of the gates in her attire. Katrina had quickly be a mess. Everyone knew how much she loved her daughter more than anything else in the world. It was no surprise she started to run in an effort to see Kate. "I know you wish to see her now but you cannot run there. You must take a carriage and change your clothes. You are wearing a night dress."


    "My child," Katrina trembled. Her body shook as she thought of Kate being hurt. She worked hard to never let even a single strand of Kate''s hair be messed with. "I don''t believe it. Simon is not the person who took those girls. I did not let Kate marry a man like that. She cannot be hurt."


    "I know," James touched her arms to calm her. He was just as confused about what was being said about Simon but a town guard would note to lie to Katrina. "You need to calm down. Change your dress to something suitable and I will prepare a carriage for you. You need to stop," he squeezed her arms as her shaking concerned him.


    Kate was the one thing Katrina cherished most. He feared what they were going to learn soon would break the woman before him.

 Chapter 478 Shame (4)

    Chapter 478 Shame (4)


    "His ability to sleep anywhere is somewhat amazing," Caleb said, looking down at his brother who imed a chair in the court as his own and went to sleep. "I delivered the message to the Duchess. I doubt she ns to go to sleep before you return. Alfred was also still awake."


    "Right," Edgar tapped his arm with his fingers.


    "Where is she?" Be nervously yed with her fingers as she awaited her mother''s arrival at the court. "I would have seen her by now if they would just let you take me home."


    ''I would also be home by now,'' Edgar thought.


    "I''m sure she will be here soon," Mark promised as he approached the small group. Be was sticking close to Edgar while Kate was in a room being looked at by a doctor. "Do you want something to eat or drink, Be?"


    "No, I just want my mother. Once I have shown her that I am still here then I will think about other things. Oh, a carriage has arrived," Be said, slowly walking to the entrance to see who would being out of it. "Mother!" She yelled running out to be reunited with her mother.


    "It''s good we were able to reunite one family with their daughter," Mark said as they watched Be''s mother hop out of the carriage before it stopped and fall to the ground crying before she could reach Be to hug her. She was most likely not believing her daughter was right in front of her.


    "We?" Edgar asked as he didn''t recall Mark being involved with finding Be. "Stop trying to attach your name to other''s good work."


    Mark smiled. "I am not and you know what I meant. There''s going to be a lot of noise tomorrow once everyone finds out Simon killed himself. The kingdom wanted to see the person hung for all his crimes. Simon seemed so normal. How far gone could he have been to kill himself? I heard about his parents."


    "What they did doesn''t matter after he went on a killing spree. No one wants to hear about the sad childhood he had right now. That will be your headache tomorrow. I am officially off this case and I don''t want to be put on another. I have a family I prefer to spend time with," Edgar said. If Tobias Mark looked away from Edgar to the other carriage that arrived in front of the court. Katrina was yelling before she was out of the carriage.


    tried putting him in another case, the kingdom would be without a King.


    "Aren''t you concerned about the people ming you for letting Simon get away so easily?" Mark asked.


    "Why would I be? I wasn''t there when he died and my men were the ones who helped solve this long before the town guards could. I hope people willin so I won''t have to get involved in something that is not my job in the future. Next time, have the people sign up to chase around a madman and see if it is easy. The important thing is that he is dead," Edgar replied.


    He could not turn back time to be there in the church with Simon and take him to face his punishment in the morning. Edgar preferred that Simon was a coward and though he knew Reed or Caleb would have won the fight, he liked that they didn''t fight against Simon who had nothing to lose. If Peter was not involved, perhaps this day would have had a different ending.


    "I''d like to say his death will bring peace, but themoners might not let this die down so easily. Hopefully, they don''t take their anger for Simon out on other nobles. Now that her mother is here, you can leave. We''ve already made a note of everything you did up to this point. I know you want to get- You!" Mark eximed as Edgar started to walk away from him before he finished speaking.


    "Where is my daughter?"


    Mark looked away from Edgar to the other carriage that arrived in front of the court. Katrina was yelling before she was out of the carriage.


    "Where is Kate?" Katrina asked as she exited the carriage. She paid no attention to Be and her mother. "Someone answer me right fucking now and say that this is all a joke. Where is my daughter?"


    "The Marchioness is being taken care of by a doctor. I know you are worried, but keep in mind this is a court. We will tell you everything you need to know-"


    "Take me to her now!" Katrina demanded. She didn''t want to hear about anything else until she saw Kate.


    "She is with a doctor right now. I''m afraid you cannot go inside until he is finished. You might distract him," Mark said. The doctor asked for no disturbances while he dealt with Kate''s wound.


    Edgar looked over his shoulder and told Caleb, "Wake your brother. We''re going home."


    "You had something to do with this," Katrina turned her attention to Edgar. First, it was her face, and now he was somehow involved with what happened to Kate.


    "The Duke was the one to suspect Simon and help find your daughter. Regardless of the bad blood between you two, you should thank him right now. Simon was the one who hurt your daughter and wounded her face-"


    "Her face? Where the hell is that bastard!" Katrina yelled, wanting to get her hands on Simon for having the audacity to hurt her daughter. She trusted Simon to take care of Kate and this was what she got in the end. She went out of her way to make sure Kate had a better life than her own so how did it turn out this way?


    "Simon is dead," Mark answered. "He killed himself."


    Edgar had enough of the conversation and started to walk away.


    "He wounded Kate''s face and all of you have the nerve to let him get away with it?" Katrina said, frustrated with these men who could not do their job right.


    Edgar stopped when he heard her words and said, "You''re right. We should have gotten him punished for injuring Kate''s face."


    Katrina was confused by Edgar agreeing with her. Kate''s face was a treasure and she had never allowed anyone to ever hurt her daughter. Simon deserved to be punished instead of getting off so easily. "At least one of you has some sense-"


    "With that in mind, don''t you think it''s time you bring yourself into the court and confess to the things you did to Alessandra? The things you and Kate did. You have a few things you need to be punished for," Edgar said.


    "This isn''t about your wife," Katrina replied, annoyed by the fact he had somehow brought Alessandra into this when Kate was the one injured. Why should she care about what happened to Alessandra? Kate was her flesh and blood. The one person Katrina had to look out for.


    "It is always about my wife to me," Edgar answered and then turned to continue his way out of the court with Caleb and a sleepy Reed right behind him. He hadn''t forgotten about punishing Katrina for the things she did to Alessandra and with there being a chance Kate nned to have Simon take Alessandra, his hatred for the mother and daughter grew.


    Killed or imprisoned. Edgar did not care how their punishment woulde. He simply did not want the mother and daughter whocked sympathy for his wife to get off so easily. Whatever Simon did with Kate wasn''t enough.

 Chapter 479 Wounded (1)

    Chapter 479 Wounded (1)


    "Alfred," Alessandra tapped his shoulder to wake him. Alfred had fallen asleep by the door waiting for Edgar to return.


    "Alessandra," Alfred opened his eyes. "You should be sleeping by now. What time is it?" He looked around for the clock.


    "I could say the same for you. I am going to bed soon. I just came to make sure you also go to bed. I am sure that Edgar is fine and he will return home soon. You should get some rest, Alfred. This chair is ufortable," Alessandra said, disliking how ufortable he looked in the chair. "I will only go to bed if you go to bed."


    "That is evil of you, Alessandra. You know that I want you to get some rest. Alright," Alfred stood up.


    "You cannote back out here when you think I have fallen asleep," Alessandra said, seeing right through what Alfred intended to do.


    Alfred smiled as he had been caught. "I will not. I suppose by this point Edgar will return in the morning. I am always nervous when he goes out for long hours doing something dangerous. I fear he might never return. Let me walk you to your room."


    "Thank you," Alessandra replied. She knew that seeing her safely get to her room would sort of take his mind off Edgar for a moment.


    "Did you enjoy the fruits I had sent to your room? I''m told most of them are sweet. I hope none of them upset you," said Alfred.


    "They didn''t. I enjoyed the sweetness and it all stayed down. You''ve been helpful with the smells and the foods that upset me. They all disappeared right after they made me vomit," Alessandra said, remembering how eggs were suddenly off the menu after the smell upset her.


    "It''s my job to do whatever I can to help make this an easy pregnancy. Anything you dislike will not get past me. Even if it''s Edgar. Say the word and I will throw him out of the house," Alfred joked.


    Alessandra chuckled, believing that Alfred would make Edgar leave if he annoyed her during her pregnancy. "Thank you, Alfred. You will make a wonderful grandfather when the child is here."


    "Don''t you mean children?" Alfred corrected her since Edgar was adamant that there would be more than one child.


    "Do not encourage him, Alfred. I''ve been slowly getting him to stop saying children. It''s scary that I am starting to believe that I am pregnant with more than one child. How did Edgar go from only wanting an heir to wanting a house full of children?" Alessandra wondered out loud. He had a quick change of heart early in their marriage.


    "That would be all your doing," Alfred said as no one else, but Alessandra was able to make Edgar suddenly like children. "I''ve waited a long time to see Edgar so excited to grow his family. Do you know he has called for a craftsman to make rocking horses already? The little ones will be quite spoiled."


    "They certainly will be. We will witness Edgar being unable to say no to someone else and spending his fortune buying things that are not needed. This is far enough," Alessandra said when they reached her bedroom. "Good night, Alfred."


    "Good night Duchess," Alfred replied.


    Alessandra entered the room by herself and close the door behind her. The room was still lit up by the firece which was burning to warm up the room. Alessandra walked to the bed and began to take off her coat so she could go straight into bed. She was already in her night dress, but had put on a coat to go downstairs to check on Alfred.


    Alessandra sat on the bed and then crawled to the middle where she liked to sleep. Sheid her head on the pillow and closed her eyes right away. The sooner she fell asleep, the sooner she would wake up and Edgar would be right next to her.


    After minutes of worrying herself about Edgar, Alessandra had fallen into a deep sleep.


    Time quickly passed in the quiet room.


    Alessandra opened her eyes when she felt something touch her hair.


    "Edgar," Alessandra softly spoke, watching Edgar who sat at the edge of the bed taking off his shirt. "What time is it?" She began to sit up.


    "You don''t need to get up. It''s far past midnight, but nowhere near time for the sun to rise. I will join you shortly after I wash up. I''m sorry for worrying you," Edgar apologized.


    "It is alright. I was told you were searching for Kate," Alessandra recalled what the coachman who came for Edgar''s dogs told a guard. "Why?" She asked. It was extremely odd for Edgar to go looking around for Kate unless she had done something stupid.


    "Simon was one the kidnapping the young women and killing them. He tried to hurt Peter and ended up killing himself. We had to search for Kate and found a young woman named Be who survived all this time. They are now speaking to the court," Edgar said. It was alright to tell her this early since by the time they woke up in the morning, the news would be spread all around the town.


    Alessandra couldn''t believe there was truly something about Simon. She didn''t know him to say it came as a surprise, but she couldn''t believe the look he gave her might mean so much more. "Are Kate and Be alright?" Alessandra asked.


    "Be is fine. She only wanted her mother. Nothing more. Kate, on the other hand, has a big wound on her face. Simon seemed to have struck her with something on her face. It will most likely leave a permanent wound. She is lucky to be alive after being hit in the head and having such a wound. Her mother arrived at the court just before I left," Edgar replied, folding his shirt and cing it to the side and then began to take off his shoes.


    "Her face is injured? Wow," Alessandra said.


    "It is karma working on her for injuring your face. I don''t care about her being a child when she did it. Don''t feel sorry for her or think about forgiving her past actions. There is something about her and Simon that I need to confirm," Edgar said, referring to Simon wanting to take Alessandra. He could not mention this to her now.


    "I don''t have the heart to not feel bad for, but it doesn''t mean I''ve let go of the past. I am a little shocked by how the world works for Kate to end up with a wound. She will experience what I did with the insecurities and wanting to hide my face. It''s all over now, right? You don''t have to be hunting down anyone anymore?" Alessandra asked as she didn''t want Edgar to putting his life in danger with a case like this.


    "It is," Edgar replied, taking hold of her hand. "I am going to wash up quickly. Normally, I would take the chance to ask you to join me, but I will let you off the hook tonight. Keep my side warm for me," he stood up.


    Alessandra shook her head, but sighed in relief that he was home safe and sound.

 Chapter 480 Wounded (2)

    Chapter 480 Wounded (2)


    Edgar exited the bathroom and wasn''t surprised to find Alessandra sitting up on the bed waiting for his return. He went to add more wood to the firece tost till morning and then got on the bed so Alessandra could go back to sleep.


    "How blessed am I to have someone who can''t sleep until I am in bed?" Edgar asked.


    "You always had someone who did this. Alfred was awake for a long time and I have a feeling he was still awake until you returned. We can''t help but worry. You are not hurt right?" Alessandra asked, inspecting his body when heid down beside her.


    Edgar enjoyed the feeling of her hands roaming his body to look for any wounds or bruises he might have. He could tell her now that he did not have to fight anyone, but then she would stop willingly touching all over his body.


    "You don''t have any," Alessandra said in relief. She didn''t know how she would ever handle Edgar going back out to fight again. He left home for less than a day and she was already restless. "If Tobias asks you to go help at the border again, you mustn''t."


    Edgar was confused as to why she was bringing up the border."Rafael has already dealt with the border. There is peace there now so I have no reason to leave. Why?"


    "When Tobias wanted to send you there, I thought you should have gone because he needed your help, but I can''t handle worrying about you. If he ever asks you to go out of town, say no. Use our child as an excuse," Alessandra said, cing her hand on her stomach. She would personally go to the pce to turn Tobias down.


    "You are something," Edgar carefully pulled her down to lie on his chest. "I had no ns of going anywhere anyway. He''ll have to find another noble to bother or call back Rafael. Even without the babies in your stomach, you make it quite hard to leave you."


    "I give up trying to convince you that there is only one child in my stomach. You are too stubborn. I''m starting to hope there is more than one so you won''t be disappointed. You''re going to regret wanting more than one when I start to get fat," Alessandra said.


    "I will still love you when you''re fat," Edgar replied. It would be foolish for his feelings to change because she was gaining weight. She was carrying his children. Their children.


    "I know. I must warn you to watch how blunt you will be in the future when I do get bigger. I''m told I will be emotional and there is no telling how I will react to certain things. I might try to strangle you."


    Edgar had a feeling she was told this by his mother. Though he wasn''t fond of Prisci''s visits entirely, she did seem to be helping Alessandra. It was sort of the mother-and-daughter rtionship Alessandra should be having with Mnie. He had to thank his mother for helping Alessandra have an experience where she could depend on an older woman in her life for help.


    Edgar frowned as the thought of thanking his mother started to give him a headache. If he had to add a hug into the mix, he might just faint.


    "You can strangle me if you want. Here in bed if you''d like," he said, picking up strands of her hair and letting it fall.


    Alessandra''s eyes widened for a moment. No matter how many hours she spent with Edgar, there was still something left for him to say to surprise her. "I would rather not strangle you at all. Must you always think of something sexual?:


    "Sexual? I simply thought it would be easier for you to do it here on the bed than standing up. You have a naughty mind," Edgar teased despite the fact she was right about him.


    "Good night," Alessandra rolled to the other side to stop facing him. Why did she wait up for him?


    "Why are you embarrassed? I always knew you had a dirty mind. It is part of the reason you are pregnant now," Edgar said, moving his body to be closer to her. "Must I remind you of my birthday?"


    "I said good night," Alessandra closed her eyes, ready to go back to sleep.


    "It is actually morning now. Am I not allowed to hold you?" Edgar asked after she pushed his arm away. She reminded him of the cats when they didn''t want to be touched. They would try to scratch anyone invading their space. "You wound me, Alessandra. I looked forward toing into bed, holding you, and touching your stomach."


    "Do not try to guilt trip me, Edgar. You can hold me again as long as you do not mention your birthday or any other way that I might have be pregnant," Alessandra said, slowly turning her body to face him once more. She did enjoy sleeping in his arms and though her stomach was still quite t, she enjoyed his touch since the moment he found out she was carrying their child.


    Edgar pushed her hair out of her face. "Am I also not to mention that you look beautiful and if not for the fact you are already pregnant, I would get you pregnant right now?"


    "I am tired," Alessandra replied. If he had returned home a bit earlier, she would have been in the mood, but her body was starting to be heavy with the sleep she fought for hours to try to stay awake to see Edgar return.


    "I am aware. You should get a lot of rest ahead of tonight or as long as you don''t n to have any guests over, we can have fun during the day," he suggested.


    Alessandra gave him an apologetic smile. "Eleanor might be visiting me tomorrow. I will make it up to you after she leaves," she touched his left cheek. Worrying for his safety made her want to be close to him and if not for the fact she was extremely sleepy, she would love to be intimate with him now. "Now that you are no longer working on the case, we will have more time to be together."


    Edgar held the hand she ced on his cheek and squeezed it. "We can take a trip if you wish. Get out of Lockwood for a while. I wouldn''t be against you bringing a few of your friends along. Anyone but the dressmaker. The town will be noisy tomorrow since Simon killed himself. I am predicted to be partially med for it."


    "You shouldn''t be med for him dying by his own hands. You helped save one of his captives and Kate. I watched you for weeks trying to piece together who was behind all of this and now the person is found. If anyone tries to me you for Simon dying without facing the town, I will get rid of them for you," Alessandra promised.


    "How kind of you but there will be no need. No one cane to visit us without our permission and when I do leave home, there won''t be many bold enough to tell me in my face that I should have kept him alive. Sleep now," Edgar covered her eyes with his hands. "You need to get some rest before the sun rises."

 Chapter 482 Wounded (4)

    482 Wounded (4)


    "Kate."


    "Kate."


    Kate opened her eyes after hearing her mother call for her. The room given to her by the court was dark as it waste into the night or early in the morning of the next day by now. She wasn''t allowed to go home yet and while Katrina believed the court was keeping Kate here for no reason, it was actually Kate who did not want to go home.


    Kate knew there was no one home to make her feel safe despite the fact that there were guards there. She wanted more of them before she would return home.


    The court was safe in Kate''s opinion because of the guards walking around and everyone knew the men in the court were all skilled in fighting. Then the pce was right next to the court so no one would ever be foolish to try attacking the court.


    Kate stared in the darkness at her mother who was fast asleep on the edge of the bed. Katrina sat in a chair and rested her head on the bed Kate was using to sleep. Katrina refused to go to another room and leave Kate all alone.


    Kate was about to close her eyes and go back to sleep, but she was reminded of the reason she had woken out of her sleep and opened her eyes once more. She thought her mother was calling for her. Her mother was the only person here unless someone on the outside was calling for her. Kate did not want to speak to anyone else when her face was damaged.


    When she would be ready to leave the court, Kate nned to wait until the town was dead in the night and cover her face as she left the court. She had to go into hiding for a while. It was part of her mother''s n.


    Kate decided to ignore the person calling for her on the outside and closed her eyes to fall back to sleep. She wanted the morning toe quickly so it would be bright outside and it wouldn''t feel like she was inside the room Simon ced her in.


    "Ignoring me now, Kate?"


    Her eyes opened wide when she heard Simon''s voice. Kate quickly sat up, giving herself a headache as she did so, and looked into the corner where she heard Simon''s voice. Her mind had to be ying tricks on her since Simon was dead. She overheard that his body was taken to the pce for the King to see that he was dead and then his body would be ced elsewhere.


    "Just go to sleep," Kate whispered.


    "Come on, Kate. You can''t get rid of me so easily. Don''t make me angry by ignoring me. You know I hate it when you do this."


    Kate flinched when she felt a cold breeze on her ear like someone was whispering in her ear or about to touch her. "You are not real," she whispered.


    "I might be gone, but the town still has the little monster that you are. I told you, you and I are the same, but you are worse than me. You cannot admit what you are. Is she the reason why?"


    "No!" Kate eximed, sitting up when she thought Simon was going to touch her mother. Her mother was still fast asleep and there was no one besides the two of them in the room. "No," Kate grabbed a handful of her nket. She did not want to be haunted by a dead man. It was bad enough she kept seeing him drag her around in her dreams.


    Kate touched her ears to block out what she was hearing in the quiet room, but it was no use. She was hearing Simon in her head. It felt like when she was at the ball and heard the crowdparing her to Alessandra when they weren''t in reality.


    "Do you like the little gift I left for you? My fun was ruined so it was only fair I ruined my wife. We share everything. The love, the wealth, the pain. Nothing was more fitting than ruining your face-"


    "Shut up!" Kate shook her head. She did not want to hear about her face from a Simon her mind was haunting her with.


    "Be was kind enough to rescue you when you would have left her behind. Are you going to tell the truth? That you wanted to take Kyle? I am not the only fucked up person here!" Simon yelled. "My beautiful bride shared the same mind as me. It was why I was attracted to you all along."


    "Are you truly going to follow your mother''s ns? Presenting yourself a victim to have the town feeling sorry for you? Presenting yourself as a victim more than Be who helped you and was truly a victim. Remember, you would have worked with me to get your sister."


    "Shut up!" Kate yelled, waking up Katrina who was startled by the noise.


    "Kate?" Katrina mumbled, rubbing her eyes to see clearly what was happening with Kate. "What is wrong, Kate? Did you have a nightmare?"


    "Get him out of my head," Kate pleaded with her mother. She didn''t want Simon of all people to haunt her. She suffered enough as his wife and then with him attacking her.


    "Why don''t you like what I''m saying, Kate? I am only saying what is on your mind, but you''re too stubborn to acknowledge that you are not innocent. You fear this is your karma. That after everything you''ve done, you will end up wearing a mask like Alessandra-"


    "Stop it!" Kate ruffled her hair and yelled. She tapped her ears repeatedly to stop hearing Simon. She had gotten over the nightmare of her being in a mask like Alessandra and now it wasing back to her.


    "Kate," Katrina stood to check on her daughter since Kate was scaring her. "Kate, you have to tell me what''s wrong. Who is in your head?" Katrina asked whilst trying to stop Kate from hitting her head.


    "Simon," Kate replied.


    "Simon is dead, Kate. Listen to me. You need to take a breath and rx Kate. You will hurt your wound if you do not stay still. Just breathe," Katrina said and showed Kate how to rx.


    There was a knock at the door and then someone asked, "Is everything alright in there? We heard screaming."


    "We are fine," Katrina replied through gritted teeth. She wasn''t going to let anyone see her daughter have a breakdown. "I have no choice," she said and then pped Kate to snap her out of whatever she was seeing or hearing. "Simon is not here, Kate."


    With teary eyes, Kate looked up at her mother who hit her for the first time. She slowly moved her hands from near her head and looked around to see if she could still see or hear Simon. She could not."There''s something wrong with me," Kate whispered, still shaken up by how real it felt as if Simon was here a second ago.


    "You experienced something traumatic, Kate. It''s affecting you still, but I will have you fixed in no time. Once you get out of the court, you''ll go back to normal. Here," Katrina sat down on Kate''s bed. "I will hold your hand while you sleep and I will keep watch. Go back to sleep Kate. Everything is fine."

 Chapter 482 Wounded (4)

    482 Wounded (4)


    "Kate."


    "Kate."


    Kate opened her eyes after hearing her mother call for her. The room given to her by the court was dark as it waste into the night or early in the morning of the next day by now. She wasn''t allowed to go home yet and while Katrina believed the court was keeping Kate here for no reason, it was actually Kate who did not want to go home.


    Kate knew there was no one home to make her feel safe despite the fact that there were guards there. She wanted more of them before she would return home.


    The court was safe in Kate''s opinion because of the guards walking around and everyone knew the men in the court were all skilled in fighting. Then the pce was right next to the court so no one would ever be foolish to try attacking the court.


    Kate stared in the darkness at her mother who was fast asleep on the edge of the bed. Katrina sat in a chair and rested her head on the bed Kate was using to sleep. Katrina refused to go to another room and leave Kate all alone.


    Kate was about to close her eyes and go back to sleep, but she was reminded of the reason she had woken out of her sleep and opened her eyes once more. She thought her mother was calling for her. Her mother was the only person here unless someone on the outside was calling for her. Kate did not want to speak to anyone else when her face was damaged.


    When she would be ready to leave the court, Kate nned to wait until the town was dead in the night and cover her face as she left the court. She had to go into hiding for a while. It was part of her mother''s n.


    Kate decided to ignore the person calling for her on the outside and closed her eyes to fall back to sleep. She wanted the morning toe quickly so it would be bright outside and it wouldn''t feel like she was inside the room Simon ced her in.


    "Ignoring me now, Kate?"


    Her eyes opened wide when she heard Simon''s voice. Kate quickly sat up, giving herself a headache as she did so, and looked into the corner where she heard Simon''s voice. Her mind had to be ying tricks on her since Simon was dead. She overheard that his body was taken to the pce for the King to see that he was dead and then his body would be ced elsewhere.


    "Just go to sleep," Kate whispered.


    "Come on, Kate. You can''t get rid of me so easily. Don''t make me angry by ignoring me. You know I hate it when you do this."


    Kate flinched when she felt a cold breeze on her ear like someone was whispering in her ear or about to touch her. "You are not real," she whispered.


    "I might be gone, but the town still has the little monster that you are. I told you, you and I are the same, but you are worse than me. You cannot admit what you are. Is she the reason why?"


    "No!" Kate eximed, sitting up when she thought Simon was going to touch her mother. Her mother was still fast asleep and there was no one besides the two of them in the room. "No," Kate grabbed a handful of her nket. She did not want to be haunted by a dead man. It was bad enough she kept seeing him drag her around in her dreams.


    Kate touched her ears to block out what she was hearing in the quiet room, but it was no use. She was hearing Simon in her head. It felt like when she was at the ball and heard the crowdparing her to Alessandra when they weren''t in reality.


    "Do you like the little gift I left for you? My fun was ruined so it was only fair I ruined my wife. We share everything. The love, the wealth, the pain. Nothing was more fitting than ruining your face-"


    "Shut up!" Kate shook her head. She did not want to hear about her face from a Simon her mind was haunting her with.


    "Be was kind enough to rescue you when you would have left her behind. Are you going to tell the truth? That you wanted to take Kyle? I am not the only fucked up person here!" Simon yelled. "My beautiful bride shared the same mind as me. It was why I was attracted to you all along."


    "Are you truly going to follow your mother''s ns? Presenting yourself a victim to have the town feeling sorry for you? Presenting yourself as a victim more than Be who helped you and was truly a victim. Remember, you would have worked with me to get your sister."


    "Shut up!" Kate yelled, waking up Katrina who was startled by the noise.


    "Kate?" Katrina mumbled, rubbing her eyes to see clearly what was happening with Kate. "What is wrong, Kate? Did you have a nightmare?"


    "Get him out of my head," Kate pleaded with her mother. She didn''t want Simon of all people to haunt her. She suffered enough as his wife and then with him attacking her.


    "Why don''t you like what I''m saying, Kate? I am only saying what is on your mind, but you''re too stubborn to acknowledge that you are not innocent. You fear this is your karma. That after everything you''ve done, you will end up wearing a mask like Alessandra-"


    "Stop it!" Kate ruffled her hair and yelled. She tapped her ears repeatedly to stop hearing Simon. She had gotten over the nightmare of her being in a mask like Alessandra and now it wasing back to her.


    "Kate," Katrina stood to check on her daughter since Kate was scaring her. "Kate, you have to tell me what''s wrong. Who is in your head?" Katrina asked whilst trying to stop Kate from hitting her head.


    "Simon," Kate replied.


    "Simon is dead, Kate. Listen to me. You need to take a breath and rx Kate. You will hurt your wound if you do not stay still. Just breathe," Katrina said and showed Kate how to rx.


    There was a knock at the door and then someone asked, "Is everything alright in there? We heard screaming."


    "We are fine," Katrina replied through gritted teeth. She wasn''t going to let anyone see her daughter have a breakdown. "I have no choice," she said and then pped Kate to snap her out of whatever she was seeing or hearing. "Simon is not here, Kate."


    With teary eyes, Kate looked up at her mother who hit her for the first time. She slowly moved her hands from near her head and looked around to see if she could still see or hear Simon. She could not."There''s something wrong with me," Kate whispered, still shaken up by how real it felt as if Simon was here a second ago.


    "You experienced something traumatic, Kate. It''s affecting you still, but I will have you fixed in no time. Once you get out of the court, you''ll go back to normal. Here," Katrina sat down on Kate''s bed. "I will hold your hand while you sleep and I will keep watch. Go back to sleep Kate. Everything is fine."

 Chapter 483 A Chaotic Town (1)

    Alessandra was the first to wake up while Edgar continued to sleep after a long day out yesterday. It was one of the rare times she got to see Edgar sleep. His guards were down here as he slept with his arm wrapped around her waist.


    To get out of bed now meant she would have to pry his hand off of her and wake him up. Alessandra wanted Edgar to get as much rest as possible since the town will be chaotic today because of news about Simon. She could stay in a bed a bit longer for Edgar to get the rest he needed.


    Alessandra hoped that after all of this blew over there would be nothing to disrupt her and Edgar''s life. Well, nothing aside from her mother. Alessandra didn''t get the chance to tell Edgar about her mother sending a letter to join her for dinner because her husband and son were in town.


    Alessandra now believed there had to be something wrong with her mother''s head for an invitation to be sent when Alessandra had made it clear she wanted to move on from getting to know her mother. Alessandra wouldn''t mind meeting with ire and Melody again, but there was no chance for her to attend this dinner with her mother.


    "Edgar, are you awake?" Alessandra narrowed her eyes at the man she thought to be asleep. She had a funny feeling that he was actually awake. A tiny smile on his lips was all the confirmation she needed. "Why were you pretending to be asleep?"


    "You would have gotten out of bed if I was," Edgar replied with his eyes still closed. "Stay in bed a little bit longer. We have to speak with others if we get out of bed."


    "How are you so antisocial to even the people in your residence? I will stay in bed if it means you will rest. I want you to take the day off. You no longer have the case to deal with and you should not look at anything regarding your businesses ornd. Just rest like you are now. I should bring us breakfast," Alessandra suggested so they could eat here instead of getting dressed to go downstairs for breakfast.


    "Let one of the servants do it or Alfred must already be on it since we arete for breakfast. You are pregnant," Edgar said.


    "Edgar, let''s make a promise that you or anyone does not make me feel like I am not capable of doing something so small. When you were not home yesterday I lifted a-" Alessandra bit her tongue as she remembered she was not supposed to tell Edgar about that. Alfred nearly fainted when he walked in on her.


    Edgar opened his eyes and looked down at Alessandra who innocently smiled. "Lifted what?" He asked. He made it quite clear that the servants would do whatever she needed. Lifting something was one of the tasks the servants should do for her. He promised to pay them a bonus if there were his second eyes and ears taking care of Alessandra.


    Trouble loved Alessandra for some reason so Edgar was being extra careful with her.


    "Nothing," Alessandra looked away from Edgar. She wanted to smack her face for having such a big mouth. Thest person she should have mentioned this to was Edgar especially when she and Alfred made a promise to keep this a secret. "I think I have to go to the bathroom," she said, trying to sit up, but she felt Edgar pull at her dress to make hery back down.


    "Edgar, will you make your pregnant wife pee on the bed?" Alessandra asked, trying to guilt him into letting her go.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I know your pee face. You don''t need to go anywhere. What was it you were trying to lift?" Edgar asked, wanting to get to the bottom of this first. "I know you are capable of doing things on your own, but we were warned to be careful in the beginning. There are chances of you losing the babies."


    "It was nothing heavy I promise. I was simply dragging the table in my room for painting to put it in a better spot. I lifted it a little bit and then Alfred walked into the room, screamed and I dropped the table. He truly is dramatic," Alessandra said as Alfred scared her to the point she peed a little. "Is that table going to disappear now?"


    "Maybe," Edgar replied. He wouldn''t put it past her to try lifting the table again when no one was watching. "I will get you one made of lighter wood, but that does not mean you should go around trying to lift it. This just tells me that neither Andre, Clyde, Ivy, nor Sally were keeping a good eye on you. Not even Alfred. He''s gotten too old to be at the top of his game."


    Alessandra wanted to say that Edgar''s little panic group was in the room watching her and rushed to take the table from her, but Alfred had walked in and screamed before they reached her. "They were keeping a good eye- Hey!" Alessandra realized something. "I am not a child who needs watching. How would you like it if I assign a maid or guard to keep an eye on you? Every little thing you do, they are in the background repeating the word "careful."


    "I wouldn''t mind it," Edgar replied. Whoever she tried to send to watch him would only get scared and not say a word around him. Besides, Alfred was already like that with him.


    "At this point, I am going to ept your mother''s offer to spend a day with her so I can get away from all of you who worry too much," Alessandra said. "The only way you could keep an eye on me there is if you join me at your mother''s home."


    "No," Edgar replied as he had no reason to visit his mother''s home. "It''s not good for you to travel around right now. No, it is not because you are pregnant and I am overly worried about hurting yourself. There is something about your sister I need to confirm and until I do, it doesn''t feel safe to let you leave home."


    "That and the fact that if anyone sees my symbol on your carriage, they might be foolish enough to block your carriage to get answers about Simon. Stay home for the time being and let my mothere to you," said Edgar.


    "You are calling her mother again," Alessandra noticed. She knew Prisci would be delighted to hear him call her mother again, but Alessandra was going to wait for Edgar to take baby steps. Prisci also knew she had to wait for Edgar to befortable.


    "You can get out of bed now. You''re boring," Edgar released Alessandra and rolled to the other side so he would not have to face her.


    "I can''t believe that is what you finally let me go for," Alessandra said in disbelief. Had she known, she would have mentioned Prisci long ago. "Now I know how useful it is to mention your mother in the future."

 Chapter 484 A Chaotic Town (2)

    "Good morning Alfred. What are you watching outside?" Alessandra asked as she walked down the stairs and found Alfred looking out the window by the door.


    "Good morning, Duchess. There are people by the gates. I heard from one of the guards that news about the Marquess has spread like fire through the town. The paper men havee to get information from Edgar to write in tomorrow''s paper and some of the townspeople are outside. It''ll be a busy day for the guards at the gate," said Alfred.


    "So early," Alessandra said, going to Alfred''s side to get a look at how many people were by the gates. "Edgar has no ns of going outside to speak with anyone. They would have better chances of going to the court. If they are going to stand outside our gates, I hope they don''t try to rush in when we have guests. They will end up hurting themselves."


    "The moment they step on Edgar''snd we have the right to do as we please with them. Do not worry about them, Duchess. Where is Edgar?" Alfred asked, looking back up the stairs expecting Edgar to not be too far behind Alessandra.


    "When I left our bedroom he was stillying around in bed. He should sleep a bit more after being out sote yesterday. I''m looking forward to having Edgar home more often. Please make sure no one goes into our bedroom to disturb him and I don''t want him to know about the people at our gates yet. Eleanor is to arrive soon so please inform the guards to help her safely get inside," said Alessandra.


    "Yes, Duchess. Oh! You have another letter. It came in the early hours of the day."


    "Who is it from?" Alessandra asked, following behind Alfred as he was going to the letter.


    "It is from your mother," Alfred replied.


    Alessandra frowned and stopped walking. "Another one? Why is she so persistent now? She wasn''t like this when my sister pleaded with her to make me stay thest time. This needs to stop."


    "Perhaps she is trying to make up for what she did wrong," Alfred said, picking up the letter from the table he ced it on. "You''ve been doing well with getting Edgar to speak with his mother again. Why not continue to work on you and your mother?"


    "Because her actions don''t seem the slightest bit genuine. I would love to create a rtionship with my mother, but I have a feeling she is only inviting me to dinner because her husband is in town. I will not help her look good in front of her husband. I don''t see why she has not left town when I said grandfather is ill," Alessandra said, quickly reading through the letter which was yet again another invitation to dinner. "She''s going to regret not meeting with him onest time."


    Alessandra gave the letter back to Alfred since she was not going to entertain the request. "I would like to meet with my sisters again, but I wouldn''t put it past my mother to try tagging along with them. I have no reason to meet with her husband when I don''t want to see her. Please throw away all of the letters from my mother. I am not in the mood to deal with her invitations."


    "Understood," Alfred replied. Mnie had no idea how much she messed up for someone like Alessandra who liked to see the good in people and gave them second chances to not want to continue mending the rtionship with her mother. ''Well, Mnie was given a second chance and she blew it,'''' he thought.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Before you go, there is a letter addressed to Edgar. I think it''s best to give you a heads-up that Rose might being back to town soon. It seems she will be holding a family dinner here in honor of Edmund''s birthday," Alfred said.


    Alfred was aware that Alessandra and Rose did not end on good terms and with Alessandra being so close to Prisci these days, it would only make Rose angry. Rose was already petty enough to send an invitation to Alfred, who was just the butler in this family, and one to Edgar. Alfred sent a guard out to double-check that there was a letter for Alessandra that was messing, but there was none. As of right now, Alessandra didn''t seem to be invited to Edmund''s birthday dinner.


    It was like Rose to forgive Edgar who took his wife''s side, but Rose would want Alessandra to apologize and listen to her once more. Alfred felt like he was back in the early days of Edmund and Prisci''s marriage. Prisci''s refusal to bow to Rose was what started this long hatred between the two.


    "Another family dinner. It''s unlikely that Edgar would attend. He''s not really a fan of his father at the moment or ever. Then there''s that woman who might be back with his father. I take it from your expression that I wasn''t invited to this family dinner?" Alessandra asked. She was hoping after some time apart everything would go back to normal between her and Rose. She had long moved on from what happened over a month ago.


    "There were only two invitations sent to me and Edgar," Alfred answered.


    "Right," Alessandra sighed. "Well, if you and Edgar want to go, I won''t stop either of you. I will find something else to do. Maybe invite a few friends over and have a dinner of my own. I should warn Prisci that Rose will be in town. The two of them shouldn''t stumble into one another. There''s going to be a lot of noise when Rose finds out I am pregnant and Prisci has been helping me, right?"


    Alfred nodded his head. The moment this was known, it would create chaos in the Collins family for those members who cut ties with Prisci right as soon as they received word about the divorce. The Collins believed in loyalty and right now, they would view Alessandra as not being loyal for seeking help from the woman who cursed this family with divorce.


    "I should ept Edgar''s offer to go on a trip. Thest thing I want to argue over is who is helping me during this time. What would it take for there to be no arguing or drama in our lives?" Alessandra asked as just when life started to feel peaceful there was something to pop up and disrupt the peace.


    "Move far out of Lockwood and never speak with any of your rtives again. I''m afraid that is the only way for peace. Many couples eventually move to the edge of Lockwood which is more quiet. I would rmend you and Edgar take a few trips out of town as the months go on. Enjoy the moments and make more memories for when it will just be the two of you," Alfred said.


    "Maybe I should take the lead in nning a trip for us. Edgar always takes the lead. I will think about it, but as for right now with our gate being blocked, we won''t be going anywhere. I am going back upstairs with Edgar. When Eleanor arrives, please send for me," Alessandra said.


    The house was quiet and for the moment, there was nothing to do so she would go back upstairs and maybe read a book while Edgar continued to rest.

 Chapter 485 A Chaotic Town (3)

    "Why is there a line?" Eleanor asked herself when she reached the gates of the Collins estate. "This town works fast," she said, watching the people yelling and then when they saw the carriageing, they turned their attention to her.


    They were in for a letdown since she was no one important to get news from.


    "How am I supposed to get out of here?" Eleanor wondered. She paid for a carriage to bring her here since her aunt was using the one carriage they had to their name. "Excuse me," she called to the driver. "Would it be possible for you to- Oh!" Eleanor looked outside at the gates opening already and the carriage going inside.


    Eleanor sat back in her seat and waved at the people who appeared frustrated that she was getting to go inside. Eleanor''s amusement stopped when the carriage stopped moving and her door opened. "What is- Why are you here?" She asked Reed who entered the carriage and sat like he was weed there.


    Reed tapped the carriage for the driver to start going again. "We''re going to talk. This seems to be the only way without you running away. Unless you want to jump out of a moving carriage? I can hold the door open for you to jump."


    "Reed, why do you want to speak with me?" Eleanor asked.


    "Why do you keep running away from me? I''d like to think that if you weren''t the slightest bit interested in me, you would tell me long ago that you weren''t. We both know you are not one to hold your tongue. What''s made you so shy now?" Reed asked, holding the door so that she could not open it herself and jump out.


    "We kissed once and for some reason, you think you like me after we spent so many hours bickering with each other. You don''t like me, Reed. You''re just like the other men who see the daughter of a red-light district owner and think I''m an easy fuck. It''s not going to happen," Eleanor replied, certain that it never would.


    "There''s that fire mouth you have. I''m afraid you''re a bad mind reader. I didn''t kiss you because I thought you were easy. I simply kissed you because I wanted to at the moment. Believe me, you annoy me, but at the moment I felt the need to kiss you. I honestly don''t give a damn who your parents are," Reed added as he never once cared about her connection to the red light district.


    "I''d like to believe that but I don''t," said Eleanor.


    "This is thest time I am going to seek you out. I have no time to waste in this game of catch-Fuck!" Reed grabbed his side and hunched over.


    Eleanor panicked seeing that he was suddenly in pain. "W-What''s wrong with you?" She reached out her hands to help him but didn''t know how to help him.


    "That bastard. Don''t worry about it-"


    "Don''t worry? I''m trapped in a carriage with a man who is in pain. Why does their home seem so far away today?" Eleanor asked, trying to peep outside to see how far away they were from the home. She was certain the carriage was going at a speed where one could walk past it. "Did you just hurt yourself?"


    "No, yesterday when I was fighting Simon that bastard wounded me. The doctor said it was going to take a few days to heal. Just give me a moment," Reed said.


    "You fought with Simon?" Eleanor asked, surprised as she hadn''t heard about anyone fighting Simon, but then again, she did hear Edgar''s men were involved in solving the case. "We''re almost there. Are you sure you do not need my help?" Eleanor asked, standing up from her seat to go over to where Reed sat.


    The carriage finally stopped and Eleanor was ready to get out and find someone to help Reed. Eleanor opened the door and helped Reed get outside. She ignored the weight of the man leaning against her and helped him outside.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Why are the two of youing out of a carriage? I thought you were going to the gates to deliver a message," Caleb said as he walked down the steps to his brother and Eleanor. "What the hell is wrong with him?" He pointed to Reed.


    "His wound from when he fought with Simon is hurting him," Eleanor said.


    "Wound? What fucking wound-"


    "My brother will help me from here. You shouldn''t keep the Duchess waiting," Reed talked over Caleb who didn''t have the sense to put two and two together.


    "You shoulde to hold him when I let go," Eleanor said to Caleb.


    Caleb wasn''t thrilled about the idea of holding up Reed and all his lies. How desperate was Reed to be lying to Eleanor? "You can go inside Eleanor. I will make sure my brother and this painful wound of his are taken care of. When you go inside, be sure to tell the Duke that Reed''s wound from his fight with Simon is hurting. I''m sure he''d want to know."


    "Okay," Eleanor said, letting go of Reed who groaned in pain. ''The main character faking a wound to get a woman''s attention should be added to the next book,'' she thought. Eleanor realized what was happening thanks to Caleb''s poor acting. She was angry with Reed, but she had to apud him for getting her so worked up.


    Eleanor nned on telling Edgar if she came across him so Reed would have to keep up his act.


    "You''ve started to stoop low," Caleb said to Reed who stood up straight when Eleanor went inside. "Is this how you get women to be with you? As your brother, I am a little ashamed."


    "I''m ashamed of the fact you have been fake engaged to Sally for weeks now and though you like her, you''ve never shared a kiss with her," Reed replied, patting Caleb''s back as he walked past him.


    "I hope this all blows up in your face, you bastard," Caleb muttered, following behind Reed so could witness when Eleanor would figure out Reed was lying to her.


    Meanwhile, Eleanor walked with Alfred to find Alessandra.


    "Did something happen? You''ve been smiling since you came in. I thought our guests would be annoyed by the visitors we have at our gates," Alfred said.


    "What?" Eleanor snapped out of her thoughts. "Oh, nothing happened honestly. I''m surprised the Duke has not gotten rid of the people at his gates. Is he aware of the fact that a small group is cursing him, the court, the guards and the King? It is led by some of the families who were not fortunate enough to have their daughters returned to them alive. They want the Duke and everyone else to answer for why Simon is already dead."


    "I cannot get angry with them for being upset that their daughter''s killer is dead, but it still isn''t right to harass the people who searched high and low for the culprit for months. Do you mind not mentioning this yet? I''d like the two of them to have a peaceful day, ignoring what is happening with the town," Alfred requested.


    While the town would be chaotic, harassing the court, guards, and King for answers about Simon''s death and perhaps wanting them to apologize, Alfred wanted the couple here to just enjoy a day without any noise. They weren''t given a chance to peacefully enjoy the experience of bringing new life into the world.

 Chapter 486 Petty Games (1)

    "Duchess!" Eleanor called when she entered Alessandra''s painting room. "Your greatest friend is here. Don''t mind that I have given myself the title."


    "I do not mind," Alessandra chuckled.


    "Good because I wasn''t going to change it. Thank you for helping me find her, Alfred. I''ll make sure to keep a good watch over her," Eleanor said. She ignored the fact that Sally and Ivy were present. "Even in your home, the Duke has you heavily guarded. I get to witness the Duke taking overprotective to another level. It is needed because of how this town is."


    "It''s only just begun, but the feeling of constantly being watched is starting to get to me. I can only imagine how it will be when the town learns that I am pregnant. We are lucky that Edgar''s servants are so loyal since it has not slipped out yet," Alessandra said.


    "And you have trustworthy friends who have not let it slip out yet," Eleanor added, taking a seat beside Alessandra. "I have to thank my aunt for making me attend the Queen''s party. I would have missed out on a good bunch of friends. Which is great since I''ve lost a friend a while back. Life goes on. Is there any growth with the destroyers in your belly?"


    "Destroyers? With an s? How many people have Edgar convinced that there is more than one child? Have you been speaking to him behind my back?" Alessandra teasingly asked.


    "I heard it from Alfred," Eleanor answered.


    "I like to believe that my children will not be little destroyers. The town has nothing to fear. I hope," Alessandra added.


    "Of course, they have their sweet mother to take after. The town will have something to gossip about for days when it is revealed you are pregnant. Look at it this way. The Collins are a well-known family, but it is mostly your husband who resides here. The Collins are wealthy, have status, and have a close connection to the pce. Your children will be sought after for marriage," Eleanor exined.


    "Mothers will hope you have sons. Families with sons will hope you have a daughter. They''ll be trying to get close to you when the children are young to earn your favor. What they will forget is these children will be somewhat like their father. The great Edgar Collins who hated being around everyone and took years to pick a bride. I honestly hope you have little Duke''s who will have the women losing their minds. Which do you prefer? To have a boy or girl?"


    "I have not thought about it since it is not something I can control. Whether it is a boy or girl, I hope that the birth will not be too much on my body. There is always a risk of something going wrong really fast," Alessandra said as she was afraid of the risk the birth could be too much on her body and she would die.


    "I''m sure it will be fun. I have faith that your husband would fight off the grim reaper to keep you here and I''ve heard the pce doctors are out of this world. I''ve searched high and low for ady who I can speak to sofortably so you mustn''t leave me," Eleanor replied, now scared of the thought of something happening to Alessandra. ''Children are not worth this. I should never have one,'' she thought.


    "This is starting to get too sad. What about you? Is your aunt still trying to push you to meet someone? I suspect that next season you will be married-"


    Eleanor covered Alessandra''s mouth with her hands. "Do not curse me with such a thing. It is already bad enough that your guard is trying to court me and my aunt is smitten by him. Let me remove my hands before your husband walks in and thinks I am trying to kill you," she said, quickly removing her hands and looking at the door.


    "The two of you kissed and I am aware he paid you a visit after returning from his search for my mother. I can vouch for Reed and say he is not a bad person. Why don''t you give him a proper chance to court you?" Alessandra asked. Eleanor seemed to be running away before something could happen between her and Reed.


    Eleanor looked at Sally and Ivy who stood in a corner watching Alessandra. There were at a good distance to not hear if she whispered. "You mustn''t share this with anyone else. Are you aware that his mother takes care of the princess?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I am aware," Alessandra replied.


    "How do you think someone with such a title will react to their son courting me? My father''s business is still attached to me though I have no hand in it. I would like to avoid any drama with his family. I don''t need to be reminded of what my family does and then have to inevitably move on to someone more suitable for me," Eleanor softly spoke.


    Alessandra wanted to give Eleanor a positive response but she had never met the twins mother to know what she was like. She didn''t want to help get Eleanor''s hopes up and then Eleanor be met with the insults that she wished to avoid. "Why not ask Reed what his mother is like?" She asked in the end.


    "Then he will think I am taking interest in him. He just faked a wound to get me to care for him. I didn''t think he had in him," Eleanor said.


    "It''s no surprise for me that the people around Edgar would do such a thing to get the person they like to care for them. What if we ask Caleb when Reed is not around? Or Sally," Alessandra turned to look at Sally. She was now reminded of the fact Sally was fake engaged to Caleb. "Have you ever met Caleb''s mother or heard about her?"


    "I have never met her, but I have heard from Caleb that she is strict. She seems to be the only woman in his life to scare him. I can find out now if you''d like," Sally offered. She could find him now and get it out of him.


    "Yes please," Alessandra replied.


    "Look at you so ready to be a matchmaker," Eleanor smiled and tapped Alessandra''s hand.


    "I have to help out my friends as much as I can. Edgar," Alessandra said when he entered her room.


    "Duke Collins," Eleanor stood and curtsied.


    "Eleanor. Why does it sound like the two of you are plotting something and why is Sally leaving your side?" Edgar asked.


    "Calm down. We are sending Sally a mission to find out about Caleb''s mother. What would you say she is like?" Alessandra asked since Edgar must have met her before.


    Edgar walked to Alessandra''s side and looked at what he considered to be an ugly painting. "She is a serious woman. She has to be when taking care of the princess and she also took care of Tobias. When she is out of the pce, she is more rxed and a little bit more fun. Why the interest? Are you trying to figure out what your mother-inw will be like?" He looked at Eleanor.


    Eleanor''s mouth almost fell open due to Edgar''s words. "Of course not!"


    "Good," Edgar replied, toying with a few strands of Alessandra''s hair. "I''d advise you not to join that family. Reed and Caleb are a pain in the ass."

 Chapter 487 Petty Games (2)

    "Edgar," Alessandra warned as she pinched his hand. He was the walking ball of negativity that Eleanor did not need.


    "For someone who wants honesty from me, you love to abuse me when it''s not the honesty you want to hear. Stay single, Eleanor. Marriage hurts," Edgar said, looking at the spot on his hand where Alessandra pinched him. He suffered many idental and on-purpose wounds from her during their marriage. "You should kiss where you injured me."


    "Do not listen to him. Why are you here interrupting my time with Eleanor? Are you bored because I told you not to work? Read a book or keep Alfredpany. Anything to take your negativity away from this room," Alessandra said.


    "I came to tell you that I am going to do an inspection of the property. Winter is quicklying to an end and the snow will soon be gone. I have to see what damage the weather caused and start nning repairs. If you are nice to me, I will make ns to build a pavilion so you have somewhere to sit in the garden when the flowers start to bloom," Edgar said.


    "I am always nice to you, Edgar. Thank you for the pavilion, but please go now. You are taking up my time with Eleanor. You know, there are people blocking the gates that you should get rid of," Alessandra stated in hopes it would take his attention elsewhere.


    "One moment you will be pushing me away and when Eleanor is gone you will want mypany. I will have you begging on your knees when you want mypany again. Goodbye," Edgar replied, leaving Alessandra with her guest. He had much to do today and was only there to make sure she was alright.


    Edgar wasn''t going to waste his time getting rid of the people gathering at his gates. More would just show upter and they were all after getting his attention. Enjoying the fact the Duke was bothered by their presence and trying to get rid of them.


    "Alfred, stop watching them unless you n to go out and throw a bucket of water on them," Edgar said as he walked down the stairs and found Alfred standing by a window. "They will help fend off anyone trying to visit me."


    "Good morning, Edgar. Should I have the cook prepare you a fresh breakfast right now?" Alfred asked, happy to see Edgar. He missed Edgar''s return early in the morning because Alessandra sent him off to bed.


    "I am not hungry right now. What is in your hands?" Edgar inquired, looking at a letter in Alfred''s hands.


    "It is a letter addressed to you. It arrived just before you came down," Alfred handed the letter to Edgar. "Has Alessandra mentioned any letters to you?"


    "No. What is it?" Edgar replied, opening the letter which came from Be''s family.


    "As you know, your father''s birthday is quickly approaching and instead of a party held in Rose''s home, there will be a dinner here in Lockwood. You and I have received our invitations, but there is none for Alessandra a the moment," Alfred said and then waited for Edgar''s reaction.


    "Is that so? You can toss out mine whenever youe across it again," Edgar answered and started to walk outside to take care of the inspection.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "This will create problems that Alessandra does not need right now," said Alfred, following Edgar outside.


    "That is why I will not be attending and if you are loyal to me, you would not attend. Grandmother is petty to not send an invitation for my wife and expect me to show up. I can join the petty games and hold a dinner the same night. I might even invite my mother. The only person grandmother is hurting is herself by ying these stupid games. I will not have Alessandra apologize when she did nothing wrong so grandmother can feel in charge again," Edgar said, cing the letter he read back into the envelope.


    Be and her family were inviting him and Alessandra to dinner at their home. They made it known that they were on his side when it came to Simon''s death.


    "You and are grandmother are too simr for the two of you to be at odds. This will create a split in the family. One serious conversation could have resolved this long ago. I remember when you were eager to introduce Alessandra to your grandmother-"


    "Grandmother ruined that by starting to be too controlling. She wanted to make up for what she thought Alessandracked in her background and change Alessandra. I can not allow her to do what she failed to do with my mother. Little does she or anyone in town knows that Wilma has already started to put many of her mines in Alessandra''s name and we''ve started to receive money from Wilma''s businesses. Alessandra could live afortable life without me," said Edgar.


    Alessandra was now looking for a way to make that money grow so she would have more to leave to her children.


    "I agree that Rose is trying to make Alessandra followed her lead. I thought once you made it clear you wanted it to stop, she would go back to how she was before. I''ve forgotten how Rose likes to keep the family perfect in her way. You are the only one she has never tried to control. I love the woman as she has taken care of you in your parents absence, but I must acknowledge that along with your father, Rose turned your mother into an angry woman. I would not want that to happen to Alessandra. It is rare to find someone with her kind heart."


    "Do you think her pettiness would reach the point of taking back everything she nned to leave to you? Including her home," Alfred said, hoping it wasn''t the case as he saw no one more fitting to inherit Rose''s things than Edgar. Edgar''s rtives visited Rose most when they wanted something from her while Edgar visited because he cared for his grandmother.


    Edgar had always made it clear he didn''t care to have anything left for him, but Alfred wanted Edgar to inherit Rose''s home which was full of childhood memories for him and Edgar.


    "I don''t care if she changes her mind and gives it to Daniel. I am not short of wealth to apologize to her just to inherit her home. Are you missing the fact that I have homes in almost every town? And I never took you as someone interested in inheritance."


    "I care about your inheritance. I want you to get everything you were promised. Perhaps I should try speaking with Rose to try to mend things. If the two of you speak it will only end in a fight," Alfred said, knowing there was some hope for him to put an end to this since he had a good rtionship with Rose.


    Edgar didn''t need Alfred to y peacemaker since Rose simply needed to stop this one-sided anger, but he would not stop Alfred from doing what he wanted to do. "Do whatever you want, but do not tell her about Alessandra being pregnant. I don''t want her to drop her attitude simply because she wishes to be near our children. If she is to be around us again, she has to drop whatever ill feelings she has towards Alessandra."

 Chapter 488 Petty Games (3)

    "I don''t mean to pry, but have you heard from Erin?" Eleanor asked.


    "No actually," Alessandra replied, now remembering what was happening with Erin. "She was meant toe and measure me for new dresses. I''ll need her to start making dresses for when I start to grow, but she has not shown up. I have not been leaving home to be able to pay her a visit so I''ve sent her a letter. I don''t see why she is avoiding me."


    "Well, it is a pretty embarrassing situation she found herself in. She probably thinks you''ll pity her. I''m certain I''ve heard that she and Dale are back together. Perhaps they will officially get married soon to end all the gossip. She took the spotlight off of Emma for a while," said Eleanor.


    "I disagree with what she did, but I understand her feeling betrayed. With the way this town is, it would be hard for Oliver to exin why he did not want to marry her. I don''t think it was needed to tell the entire town that he is fond of men," Alessandra said as people were harsh to those who liked others of the same gender.


    "He''s no longer captain of the guards. The other guards im they are notfortable around him. That he has made advances to them in the past. It is a whole load of lies. They should honestly just say they don''t like that he is interested in men. All of his achievements are forgotten and he is no longer a guard. Now Emma is saying she didn''t think this would happen. She only wanted to hurt him a little bit. Idiot," Eleanor muttered.


    "At this rate, he will have to move out of town. Have you heard about his parents? Are they supporting him?" Alessandra asked though she knew there was a high chance Oliver would be abandoned by his parents.


    "His father was quite cruel to him. Disowned him right away. You are right that he will have to move out of town and start over where no one knows about this. It''s funny to me how all these men all of a sudden have a problem with him, but there are so many parties in the kingdom where men get together to have fun with each other. You''ll be surprised who," Eleanor said, smiling as she thought of the names in her head.


    "I don''t want to know who. I think that sort of thing should be kept private, but at the same time, those indulging in it should not be pointing fingers at Oliver. I didn''t have good run-ins with him, but I hope he will find a ce where he belongs and no one judges him. If he had stopped being so angry with Edgar, he might have been able to find work with Edgar''s help-"


    "Why do you two have Sally asking about my mother? She''s not the best person to ask to be secretive. She cracked the moment I asked her why she was asking about my mother," Caleb said as he walked into the room with Sally right behind him.


    Sally kept her head low as she had failed her one mission.


    "Duchess, I am a little bit offended that you tried to use Sally instead ofing to me directly. I would have answered any question about your mother. So," Caleb dragged a chair close to Alessandra and Eleanor. "What do you want to know about her? Is it for her?" He pointed at Eleanor.


    "Why does everyone just straight assumes it is for me?" Eleanor asked.


    "Because everyone can see how stupid you have my brother acting. For fucks sake- Sorry," Caleb looked at Alessandra. "He faked a wound to get your attention. Do not tell him that I revealed this. Have you heard Duchess? Reed imed he got a wound from Simon. We didn''t even get the chance to fight Simon. When have you seen Reed put so much effort into doing something unless he wants to get a task over with to go to sleep?


    Alessandra thought about it. "Well, never. He is smitten."


    "Yes. Do me a favor and let him court you. I can''t take the sight of my brother acting a fool to get you to care for him. It should be funny, but it is a sad sight. Like a puppy with a broken leg. What does my mother have to do with this?" Caleb asked, looking at Alessandra.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Do you think your mother would be weing of me with my background? The red light district?" Eleanor asked.


    "Well," Caleb scratched the back of his head. "I don''t know. She often told us not to bring just any woman off the street into her family, but I believe as long as we''re happy, she wouldn''t make a problem out of it. Quite frankly, she should be happy we found a woman we want to introduce her to. We both never had ns to settle down anytime soon. Truthfully, I thought I would have gotten married before Edgar in like five years, but then the Duchess came along."


    Caleb continued to say, "You know what, I never expected Edgar to get married at all. He was enjoying his single life. Having his home empty and then there were those women he would meet with from-"


    Eleanor cleared her throat to get Caleb to shut up.


    "Time to time that I would envy. Isn''t it surprising that none of them have shown up yet? What?" Caleb asked Eleanor since she smacked her face and shook her head.


    "You have no awareness," Eleanor answered.


    "It''s alright. I''m aware that Edgar had rtionships before me. We''ve talked about it before. I trust Edgar, but I hope no one shows up in my life at this time," Alessandra replied, going back to focus on her painting.


    ''Nice going you fool,'' Eleanor mouthed to Caleb.


    ''Oh shit,'' Caleb thought. If Edgar were to ever find out about this, he could kiss his head goodbye. ''Why would I mention her husband having other women to her now? When she''s pregnant!'' Caleb screamed in his mind.


    "Duchess, I apologize for souring the mood. I wasn''t thinking," said Caleb.


    "The mood is not ruined, Caleb. I have already gone through this with Edgar and it doesn''t upset me. In the end, I got to be with Edgar and trust that he is faithful enough that should any of these women show up, he will not look their way. So, it''s determined that Eleanor doesn''t have to worry about your mother?" Alessandra changed the topic.


    "Yes so go ahead and make the poor fool''s day. I want to watch it. Don''t you, Duchess?" Caleb asked, excited to see Reed be riled up over Eleanor speaking with him. It would serve as something useful to tease Reed withter on.


    "Only if Eleanor wants to speak with him. We shouldn''t rush her to do anything she doesn''t want to," Alessandra replied.


    "I''ve made all of you go through the trouble of asking about his mother, so I suppose I should try letting him properly court me. It''s either him or Hayden at the moment and if my aunt tries forcing me to speak with Hayden once more, there will be another murder in town. Let''s find Reed," Eleanor stood up.

 Chapter 489 Petty Games (4)

    ?


    "Hold on," Caleb pulled Eleanor''s hand to make her sit down. "Why would you go looking for him? You are not the sad pathetic one here."


    "You''re aware this is your twin brother you speak of?" Alessandra asked.


    "Hence all the insults," Caleb replied. "It is Reed''s job toe to you. I will get his attention and bring him to you. All you have to do is make him work for your attention. Have you ever courted anyone before."


    Eleanor shook her head. "I never had any reason to. I always wanted to stay single."


    "Caleb pped his hands. "The two of you are perfect for each other. Reed is quite the flirt so you will need some help to be better than him. Luckily, you''re halfway there since he is making up lies to be make you feel bad for him. To mess with Reed, you should try to touch him as much as possible," Caleb said, touching Eleanor''s hand. "Made you feel something didn''t it?"


    "It made be awkward to be doing this with someone who looks exactly like Reed, but I understand where we''re going with this," Eleanor replied.


    "Good. If I were in your shoes, I wouldment on his muscles and make an attempt to touch one. Smile sweetly like this," Caleb smiled to show her how.


    Alessandra felt like this lesson for Eleanor was pointless when Reed already seemed affected by Eleanor and all she needed to do was speak with him. If Eleanor started to act differently, wouldn''t Reed be suspicious of her sudden interest and think she was toying with him?


    "You," Reed said as he entered the room watching Caleb touch and smile at Eleanor. "What are you doing? Don''t you have a woman already?"


    "Rx brother. I was only helping the women with something," Caleb removed his hand from touching Eleanor. "Why are you here? I thought you were going to sleep-"


    "We''re supposed to be helping Edgar with the inspection, but you''re here fooling around with his wife and her guest," said Reed.


    "Oh, don''t act like you don''t want to fool around with her guest. By the way, what happened to your wound. Has it magically healed already?" Caleb mused.


    Reed looked at Eleanor who was waiting for his answer. "What happened to your fake marriage? Has it ended already?" He retorted.


    "Why do you have to tell the world that it is fake? Excuse me us, Duchess. Come here you big mouth bastard," Caleb muttered, standing up from his seat to go to Reed who deserved a p in the form of a punch.


    "I see why the Duke asked if I truly wanted to get involved with that family. I pray that you do not have twins, Alessandra. It is too much for one person to handle. I see why their mother is strict. I will have another chance to speak to Reed," Eleanor said, watching Reed leave with Caleb who was trying to put him in a headlock. "It must be fun to have so many people around to keep your life entertaining. It is only me and my aunt at home. I am starting to wish I had a sibling now."


    "I told you, having a sibling is not as fun as you might think it is. I am only now starting to have a rtionship with normal sisters. I hope they are normal now," Alessandra said since she wasn''t one hundred percent sure about ire yet.


    "Then I should consider myself lucky. Honestly, Ie visit your home when I start to feel lonely. Ugh, I can''t believe my aunt is starting to be right about me wanting to have someone by my side. What is bing of me?" Eleanor covered her face. "Next thing you know, I will picking out a room for a child. I don''t even have a house of my own."


    Alessandra reached out to pat Eleanor''s back. "It will be fine."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I hope. Do you want to go for a walk with me? See what inspection they were talking about?" Eleanor suggested.


    "I am curious about what was damaged during winter. Sally, Ivy," Alessandra looked behind her at the two. "I''m going to take a walk outside. You can stay inside and rest if you want to. Edgar will be outside."


    "I think its best the Duke doesn''t see me not by your side once more or I might end up losing my job. I will join you," said Sally.


    "I am not to leave your side," Ivy reminded Alessandra. "Do you need a coat to go outside?"


    "No," Alessandra looked out the window as she stood up from her seat. "I''ve been feeling a litle bit hot so I wouldn''t mind enjoying the cold air without a coat. If it gets too cold I wille back inside."


    "Allow me," Eleanor hooked her arm with Alessandra''s to be her escort and make sure Alessandra would not fall when they got outide to the slippery ground.


    Eleanor and Alessandra walked hand in hand while Ivy and Sally followed behind. It was easy to spot Edgar and Alfred who were looking at a tree that had fallen in the garden.


    Alfred was the first to notice Alessandra. "Duchess, you should have a coat."


    "It''s not too cold out, but be careful with the ground. There is ice to make you fall," Edgar said eyeing the ground where she stood. He was tempted to lift her instead of having her walk around.


    "I''m surprise you have not scolded me foring outside without a coat," Alessandra said, releasing Eleanor''s hand to carefully go to Edgar''s side.


    "You know your body better than I do. I like to believe you are not going to force yourself to be in the cold without a coat and you were the one to say you don''t want everyone treating you like you are fragile. Are you changing your mind now?" Edgar asked, holding her hand as an extra precaution.


    "No."


    "I was told about my father''s birthday and how you don''t seem to be invited. I won''t be attending," Edgar said so she wouldn''t be worrying about it. He trusted Alessandra knew him so well that she didn''t have to question if he was going without her. "Grandmother wants to be petty and I can y on her level for a little bit. We can have our own dinner and invite you know who."


    "Your mother? Wouldn''t it be odd for us to throw a dinner on your father''s birthday so you can upset Rose? I''m sure Prisci would love to be a part of it, but I don''t find it to be necessary. He is still your father and will be expecting your arrival. I am fine with staying at home," Alessandra said.


    "I am not going where my wife is not wanted and it is not like my father is used to me visiting him on his birthday. I have not for thest two years. You don''t-"


    "Okay, we should have a dinner of our own. You are giving me the rare chance of inviting your mother over for dinner and I would be a fool to miss out on this. I don''t know what ising over me, but I would like to show that I can also join these petty games and upset Rose," Alessandra smiled.

 Chapter 490 Nothing But The Truth (1)

    ?


    "You look like something has been weighing your mind, Kate. Do you not want to be here? I felt that way this morning," Be said as she sat beside Kate. "My mother would have argued all day and night with the court if I didn''t want toe. We have to tell all that we know so we can let the town know who Simon truly was. I hope they wipe his name from the good things he pretended to do. Make it so that it is like he never existed."


    Knowing Simon, Be thought it would most likely piss him off if no one were to ever remember who he was. He was not this great punisher who would be remembered forever. Instead, only his victims would be remembered.


    "Don''t take my word for this just yet, but I heard the King ns to ce our names somewhere in the kingdom so our names will always be remembered. You, me, and all the young women who lost their lives. The two of us being saved will serve as hope for any families who have a missing rtive. I hope it gives others strength," Be said.


    Kate remained silent as there wasn''t much about her story to give anyone strength. She wasn''t taken by Simon like Be and all the other youngdies. She wanted his title. While Be searched desperately for an escape, Kate was plotting with Simon to take Kyle and Alessandra. Her story wasn''t as grand as Be''s to give hope to anyone, but her mother wanted to make use of it to rebuild her reputation and survive being known as Simon''s former wife.


    "Does it hurt?" Be leaned forward to get a look at Kate''s face. "Has the doctor told you if it will heal up well? I''m sorry you were hit in the face, but at least you are walking away with your life."


    Kate turned her face to hide it from Be. She did not want to talk about her face. She requested the court seat her somewhere no one could look at her face. Kate did not want to show her face until it was healed and back to normal like she knew it would be. Her mother promised that it would go back to normal soon. They had a doctoring to find a way to make it heal faster.


    Be sat back in her chair giving up speaking to Kate. Kate was the only person to understand what she was feeling now so she wanted to be close to Kate to help get past this terrifying experience. They could be friends and heal from this together. Moving on with their lives while continuing to check up on each other. They should stay close at a time like this.


    "Do¡­Do you see him when you want to go to sleep?" Kate softly asked. She wanted to see if it was only her mind that was like this. If it was only her being haunted by Simon''s ghost that wanted to make her out to be a bad guy along with Simon.


    "How can I not?" Be replied, looking at where her mother sat. She smiled when her mother waved at her. "I get paranoid when I hear doors opening because I am reminded of the door to that room opening. I can''t sleep with my door open because I will see himing to me in my dreams, but this time, my time is up and he is there to kill me. I need the door open to run away from him."


    "I am haunted by the memories of the deaths of all the youngdies I shared that room with. Simon was not one to take them elsewhere to kill them so I would not have to witness their deaths. I remember vividly how each one died and sometimes I feel like I can see their blood on my hands. This is nothing new for me. I''ve always been haunted by him in that room all the weeks I have been in there. The court says there is someone I can talk to. You should try it," Be said.


    Kate wanted to do whatever it took to get Simon out of her head, but Katrina feared talk about it would spread and she truly believed there was nothing wrong with Kate. Kate only needed some time to herself to get used to the fact she was no longer in Simon''s care. Then Kate would go back to normal.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "What do you see in your dreams?" Be asked as it was evident from Kate''s tired expression that she was not getting any sleep.


    "I hear his voice telling me things I don''t want to hear. Things that have nothing to do with him. There are things from before I met him," Kate answered. He was always bringing up the things she did to Alessandra.


    "Don''t take this the wrong way, but why did Simon marry you? I never expected he would get married and show someone the things he did. You know he went after girls he thought weren''t being themselves and put on an act for anyone important? I wasn''t a nice person," Be admitted.


    Her past actions also haunted her since she didn''t like the person she once was. She was mean to some of her peers and thought that as Simon was a monster to her, she was a monster to someone she picked on in the past.


    "There is no doubt why he took me. I am a bit conflicted. If not for Simon, I would have continued to not be nice, but I didn''t deserve what he put me through. Sometimes I hate myself, but then I feel strong for surviving what I did. My mind is a mess," Be touched her head.


    "I don''t know why he took interest in me. He has never seen me being mean to anyone and then acting nice when he was near,'' Kate said, but as the words left her mouth, she did not believe them. Kate dug her nails into the palm of her hand.


    "Oh," Be replied. She was confused as to why the Duke seemed angry when she mentioned that Simon wanted to bring the Duchess to mess with Kate. She didn''t see why the Duke who invested so much time into saving them would be angry at Kate then and there.


    Be didn''t like the fact she knew Simon too well, but what she knew was useful at this moment. Simon had never once taken a young woman who was not two-faced in his eyes. Part of the game was to continue to y that role in front of him.


    "You know Kate, the court and everyone is going to dig around for the truth for why we were taken. All sorts of people wille out to say things about you. It helps to acknowledge the type of person you are and the things you''ve done so that when you hear about yourself, you are not overwhelmed. We should use this as a chance to better ourselves. I hope that just as I have changed, you can change too. I am willing to be your friend so we can do this together," Be said, holding out her hand for Kate to shake and agree to it.


    asionally missing content, please report errors in time.

 Chapter 491 Nothing But The Truth (2)

    ?


    "Kate!" Katrina called, interrupting the agreement between the two young women. "I am so frustrated with these people. Back inside your room now. We won''t be speaking to anyone today. Now Kate!" She raised her voice when Kate did not start to move.


    Kate stood up from her seat without telling Be goodbye. "What is wrong mother? They said I am supposed to tell them everything I saw Simon do. Has that changed?" She asked. It was thest thing the court needed from her before she would go home with her mother.


    "I said we are not speaking to anyone today," Katrina said, taking Kate''s hand to lead her to the room given to her.


    Kate looked behind them at Be who was concerned. She didn''t get the chance to ept or deny Be''s offer, but this had to be for the best. Being friends with Be would only remind her of Simon who she was trying so hard to forget. Kate followed Katrina into her room and when they were inside, she watched her mother walk back and forth.


    "What happened when you went to speak with them?" Kate asked, confused by the sudden hostility. Her mother only went to arrange a time for her to leave the court tonight when no one would be able to see her face.


    "I''m tired of these brutes who don''t know how to do their jobs right. Do not ask me about it, Kate. I am tired," Katrina touched her forehead.


    ''You are tired? I am the one haunted by my ex-husband,'' Kate thought. Her mother''s tiredness with the people here did notpare to how tired Kate was. She didn''t need her mother arguing with the court right now.


    "I want to speak and get this over with, mother. If I don''t speak today, I will have to be back to the court tomorrow. Please do not make this difficult for me. I am already struggling right now. We are going to speak and get this over with," Kate said, standing firm on this decision whether or not her mother liked it.


    "Make me out to be the bad guy, why don''t you? Fine," Katrina sighed as there was nothing she could do. She also wanted to get out of the court as soon as possible. She left James running her servants and Randall was most likely keeping her money for himself. "You will talk and we wille right back here. I hope they can do their job right to make sure no onees in to see your face. You will only be in a room with the men of the court, the guards who saved you, and that young woman out there."


    "Her name is Be," Kate said since her mother did not seem to remember it.


    "Right," Katrinazily flicked her hand.


    "She has offered for the two of us to be friends to get over this together-"


    "She is nothing like the young women you were friends with before. You don''t have to lower your standards so soon Kate. At the moment, you are still Marchioness. I am going to fight to have you keep your title. It is owed to you after what you endured with Simon. I will get the town on my side to pressure the King into letting you keep it," said Katrina.


    Some of the people in town were angry and wanted something to yell at the King or court for. She would use that to let Katee out of this with everything owed to her from her marriage.


    "Be also has nightmares of Simon so she understands me. Her family does not have a bad background. She only works because she wants to be an actress," Kate said.


    Kate decided to take a seat after her mother did not say anything more. She could not wait this day to be over so they would be back at home and her mother could rx.


    A knock at the door interrupted the silence in the room.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Katrina rolled her eyes, but stood to open the door and see who hade to speak with her or Kate.


    "It is time for you to join us," Duncan said. He was sent to escort the two of them to the room where the others were now since Katrina and Mark had gotten into an argument. Duncan didn''t want his ears filled with nonsense from Katrina. They only needed Kate who was old enough to care for herself so he didn''t see why Katrina wasn''t told to leave the court.


    "Count yourself lucky that we are going to speak with you. Come Kate," Katrina looked at her daughter. Katrina left the room first followed by Kate and Duncan who walked side by side.


    Kate noticed that Be and her mother had left to go to the room already.


    "What is he doing here?"


    Kate looked ahead at her mother who was once again making noise in the somewhat quiet court. She was curious about who had shown up to make her mother angry once more.


    "It was thanks to the Duke''s efforts that your daughter was found along with Be. If you are going to keep making a fuss and interrupting our job, we will have you wait outside the court until this is over. Be loud again and you are out of here," Mark said, meaning every word as he was at his limits with Katrina. She kept insulting them when they were only trying to do their jobs. "Duke Collins will be staying. Make your decision if you cannot handle his presence and want to leave."


    Kate nced at Edgar who was obviously amused by her mother being angered by his presence. Kate also did not want to see Edgar right now. He was always out to ruin their lives so his presence at the court gave her a bad feeling.


    "I will stay with my daughter," Katrina replied, entering the room and going to sit far away from Edgar. It would be hard to keep quiet when he was in the room with his smug expression.


    Kate followed behind her mother to sit far away from Edgar. It was already embarrassing that he was the one to save her life, but now he also had to see that her face was wounded to the point of it was still being bandaged up.


    "Aren''t there supposed to be more people?" Edgar asked, looking around the half-empty room. More guards and men of the court should be present.


    "It was requested that there would not be too many people here so Kate could-"


    "Marchioness Kate. She has a title to be addressed by," Katrina interrupted Mark. Whether or not they nned to take it away, though she would stop it, Kate still had her title right now. Nothing had changed and she needed to be properly addressed just like Edgar was addressed by the men present in the room.


    Mark controlled his anger to refrain from kicking out Katrina. Kate''s title was hanging on by a thread and he didn''t see why Kate would not want to let go of it so she would not be connected to Simon. He had been putting up with Katrina since Kate needed someone by her side.


    "Marchioness Kate," Mark corrected himself to keep the peace. "Would feelfortable speaking. She does not want anyone to see the wound on her face."


    "Is that so? My wife has old masks she no longer uses that we would be more than happy to donate," Edgar said, looking directly at Kate who became wide-eyed at his offer.

 Chapter 492 Nothing But The Truth (3)

    ?


    Mark covered his face with his right hand. He was a fool for thinking this would be a quiet meeting with Edgar, Katrina, and Kate in the same room when they hated each other. "Duke Collins, that was uncalled for," he said.


    Mark was ticked off by the fact Edgar did not look remorseful about what was said. Instead, Edgar wore a calm expression like he did not just start a fight. He understood Edgar''s animosity toward the two women who hurt his wife, but would it kill Edgar to be normal for at least an hour? An hour of peace was all Mark was asking for and then they could all go back to fighting each other.


    "I disagree. I thought the moment called for it. Life works in an odd way, doesn''t it? Where karma does not skip anyone," Edgar mused as Kate might need to borrow Alessandra''s old mask since she was so prideful about her looks and now she was wounded.


    It would help for him to offer the cream he got from the pce, but why waste it on someone who needed this moment to feel exactly what life was like for Alessandra? The rumors he once disliked about Alessandra being cursed would make an appearance again to haunt Kate who would now be called cursed. He cared little about what Simon did with Kate as he did about Be.


    Edgar had much more in mind for Kate if she was involved with Simon wanting to take Alessandra. First, he had someone to get rid of. Edgar looked at Katrina who looked like she wanted to jump over the table and strangle him. For a woman who came from the red-light district, one would expect her to have a better heart.


    "Apologize," Katrina ordered Edgar as his words were insensitive to Kate. Why did they all feel the need to mention Alessandra when this was about Kate? Kate was the victim here.


    "Not even my mother could get me to do such a thing. How about this? If you get down on your knees before my wife, apologize for how you''ve treated her, then rot in hell, I will apologize to your daughter," said Edgar.


    Ducan shook his head at Edgar''s suggestion which no one in their right mind would ever agree to.


    "End this conversation now," Mark smacked his hand on the table to get their attention. "We are not here to talk about your personal issues with each other. We are here to talk about Simon and it is rude to Be and her mother who are present. Stop arguing or I will also throw you out, Duke Collins."


    Edgar was fine with that. When would anyone realize that he wanted to be at home? He had more important things in his life going on that he wanted to witness. The only good part abouting to the court today was the fact he got to miss out on Alessandra''s going to his mother''s home. She wanted to visit Prisci for once instead of her always visiting their home.


    He sent Reed and all her other guards to keep her safe. It might give his mother trauma seeing his guards entering her home again since thest time they were there, she was taken to his dungeon. Edgar came to learn that Dominic, for some reason, would be visiting his mother with Heather.


    "Now, we can get started. We''ve gathered a lot of information after searching Simon''s home. The notes he made in books from the time he was a child until now. We''ve ced his parents back in their graves and buried all the servants. There were two servants who wrote down what they saw Simon do and a lot of it aligns with what you told us," Mark looked at Be.


    Be was helpful with writing down everything she remembered the moment she got home so she wouldn''t forget even the smallest detail and sent it to the court as soon as she was finished. Not all of the youngdies Simon killed had been ced around the town for him to toy with the court and with all this new information, they found two young women the court was hoping were not a part of Simon''s case.


    "Marchioness, you had an inside look at his house. Is there anything we should know? Do you think there was anyone aside from the servants who helped him? We need a list of visitors during your time there," said Mark.


    "There''s nothing more aside from the fact he showed me his dead parents on our wedding night and the only visitors we had were the Scott brothers. Dale and Kyle are their names. Dale seemed alright, but Kyle gave me a bad feeling," Kate honestly spoke. It was up to the court to make a judgment if Kyle was innocent or not. "I know nothing more. He did not speak with me like he did with Be."


    "I see," Mark answered, but he felt like there was something more. Why would Simon reveal what he was doing just to keep her in the dark? Why hide something when Simon was long dead unless there was something that involved herself?


    Mark looked at Edgar, silently giving him permission to go ahead with what he wanted to do. Mark wanted nothing but the truth uncovered in this case. It had left the kingdom unsettled for months so he wanted everything toe to light and eventually put it to rest. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I looked around at the books Simon left behind. He detailed all of his ns from the beginning right until his end. He wrote down how he would end this game he started. I''m particrly angered by the fact he intended to take my wife," Edgar said, ignoring Kate''s expression for now. She wasn''t good at hiding the fact she did not want this to be revealed.


    Be cocked her head to the side, confused by everyone continuing to mention Simon writing his ns in books. He once told her about the things he wrote in a book as a child, but he never mentioned continuing to write now. Be had started to feel like Simon reced the book with her and kept telling her all of his ns. So what was Edgar talking about now? It was possible for Simon to keep some things from her but still.


    Be now looked at Kate, wondering if she had forgotten about Simon wanting her sister. That was something important to be mentioned.


    "I continue to be angered by the fact there is mention of someone in this room plotting with him to take my wife," Edgar revealed, finally looking at Kate who looked like she wanted to disappear from the room. A little lie would get her to confirm what he already knew about Kate. He wanted the court to witness her behavior. "Were you trying to escape or help him get more victims?"


    Kate''s body suddenly felt cold. She was not told about Simon keeping track of his ns. She would have made up a story to protect herself if she knew. "I- Mother," she looked to her right at her mother. She wanted her mother to speak in ce of her.


    "Kate didn''t-"


    Edgar quickly interrupted Katrina. "If she forgot to tell the court, she forgot to tell you so you cannot answer for her. Unless the two of you made ns to exclude things that would make Kate look bad? There is a punishment for that."


    "Were you aware that Simon wanted to take your sister?" Mark asked, hoping Kate would feel morefortable speaking with him than Edgar. "It''s understandable if you knew, but could not do something to warn your sister. We understand your predicament."


    Kate didn''t know what to answer. She couldn''t say that she didn''t know since she and Be had talked about it before and Be might call out her lie. "H-He talked about taking someone close to me. Either my mother or Alessandra."


    "Why Alessandra? You dislike my wife so him taking her would not affect you as taking your mother would. Did he want you to be like him by taking someone you disliked and have you punish them or did you tell him to try taking my wife? Which is it?" Edgar asked, his voice raising with each word.


    He saw right through Kate who did not have the heart to change and not target Alessandra when she was going through something so harsh with Simon.


    Wasn''t it enough that they ruined Alessandra''s life up to the point she got married to him? Kate hated Alessandra so much she would plot with Simon to take her instead of looking for ways to get away from Simon.


    Kate dug her nails into the palm of her hands once more. "Simon always believed that Alessandra and I cared for each other. He didn''t know about what happened in our youth. I swear!"


    "And what happened in your youth, Kate? I thought you and your mother said nothing happened between you and Alessandra in the past. Is there something you want to tell the court now?" Edgar smiled as Kate had admitted to trouble between her and Alessandra in their youth. It was the start of him trapping her just as he had done with her husband. "Perhaps I have been too harsh on a victim," he decided to back off for now. "After all, Ida didn''t raise you well."


    Katrina stared at Edgar in shock after he called the name she had buried long before she came to Lockwood. ''How?'' She panicked.

 Chapter 493 Nothing But The Truth (4)

    ?


    "Ida? Who is Ida, Duke Collins? Is there something the court is not aware of?" Mark asked. Edgar looked to be amused while Katrina seemed worried. There was a new battle between the two which Mark was not aware of what caused it.


    Edgar had found something to get under Katrina''s skin, but he was keeping it to himself for now. The court would not punish Katrina and Kate the way he wanted them to be punished. He was going to have a mind game with the two of them and looking at Kate, he didn''t have to do much to break her.


    "The Duke is just spouting nonsense that has nothing to do with this meeting. We must move on before more time is wasted," Katrina answered.


    "Ida is-"


    "Enough!" Katrina eximed to interrupt Edgar from revealing whatever he knew. He had to know so much about her since he knew that name. "Duke Collins, I will speak with youter to settle our differences. We must not bring up things that have nothing to do with Simon."


    "I don''t know if I can agree to that. I feel the need to talk right now," Edgar smiled.


    Katrina gritted her teeth, angered by Edgar toying with her once again. Wasn''t it enough that he picked Alessandra over Kate, killed her husband, and cut her face? She had been hurt enough for him to stop trying to ruin her life. Wasn''t Alessandra happy by now? Was Alessandra still holding onto the past like a fool when everyone else had moved on?


    Katrina didn''t know how Edgar had suddenly be aware of her old name. Randall could not have been so foolish to tell Edgar as what he did with her in the past would get him thrown into a cell right beside her. Then again, Randall sometimes was a fool who could be easily won over by money.


    Like everyone else in the room, Kate was confused about the battle between her mother and Edgar. Kate was clueless about the name Ida, but for some reason, it felt familiar.


    "Let''s move on," Edgar decided in the end. He had enough of seeing Katrina panicking for now. He had enough time to drive her crazy before making her live out punishment for what she did to Alessandra and the people she hurt before marrying Desmond.


    Kate was already starting to live out her punishment with her wounded face and Edgar sensed something off about her. She was not her usual cocky self and he couldn''t ce if it was because of what happened with Simon that she was acting differently or if something else had happened.


    Call him evil, but he hoped she would never recover from what Simon put her through. Kate wasted the chance for Edgar to ever feel sorry for her. She was a person who could never admit to her wrongdoings and kept pushing at Alessandra who rarely spoke of her old family,


    Mark knew they should move on back to the topic of Simon wanting Alessandra, but now he was curious about this Ida person. Why did Edgar have to stay silent now when he didn''t hold his tongue other times?


    "Uhm, I think this is a good time for me to interject," Be spoke up to help bring the meeting back to being about Simon. She was now curious about the rtionship between Kate, the Duchess and Duke. She was picking up from Edgar''s hostility that Kate wasn''t as good as she was portrayed to be. "Simon told me about wanting to bring the Duchess in the room with me. He kept saying it was a gift for Marchioness Kate."


    Be did not want to believe that Kate would have helped Simon bring her sister into that horrid room. How could someone hate their sibling so much to help Simon take them? Be could not see Kate being such a person. She could never stomach helping to save someone who would hurt their sister. Be had her own issues she was looking to slowly fix, but if Kate had truly started to help Simon, there might not be any possible way for Kate to change.


    Kate was already turning down the offer for the two of them toe together and heal from this experience, and most of the time, Kate didn''t want to speak about herself and Simon.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Be snuck a nce at Kate and their eyes met for a moment before Kate had a mortified expression and looked away from Be. Kate''s actions made Be believe that there was more about what happened between Simon and Kate. It infuriated Be since they should tell the full story about Simon.


    Still, Be couldn''t bring herself to hate Kate. Be knew what it was like to be a bad person and did not realize it at first. At least right now, it seemed like something was weighing Kate''s mind and Kate might finally tell the court everything about Simon. Even if it would ce her in a bad light.


    "After he got married, Simon also wanted me to get married which meant he might''ve been looking for a man to take," Be revealed.


    Kate turned her attention to Be once more. What if Simon wrote about her picking Kyle in one of those books he left behind? What would happen to her then? Why couldn''t Be have just remained silent?


    Kate touched an area of her chest which started to feel tight. It was bing hard to breathe and her body felt cold despite the fact the room had been warm when she first entered. "I want to leave" Kate requested. She was nowhere near ready to speak about Simon when she was so conflicted about her actions.


    She didn''t think anything she did was wrong. Simon was the bad guy who would have taken Alessandra not her. Kate was troubled by her heart and mind not agreeing with each other. She could not say she had done nothing wrong without a strange feeling building up in her chest and then there was the faint sound of Simon''s voiceughing at her. Calling her the evil he left behind to ruin the town.


    "I want to go back to my room," Kate spoke louder since no one heard her the first time. "No, I want to go home with my mother. I don''t want to speak about Simon or anything else concerning him for the time being. Please," she pleaded with Mark.


    There were too many voices in her head for her to be able to focus and lie about Simon wanting to take Alessandra having nothing to do with her. Edgar was also taking advantage of her state and made her slip that something did happen between her and Alessandra.


    "It is time she goes home and gets over this experience. Hasn''t she suffered enough by being married to Simon? And then you have Edgar painting her to be Simon''s partner in this madness and none of you in this room stopped him," Katrina angrily spoke as the men in this room were useless. "We are going home," Katrina stood up.


    "Isn''t she supposed to be hiding her face? There are a lot of people outside the court. I am afraid I have no mask to offer her right now. I wonder if the town would think that foolish curse Alessandra was said to have moved on to you, Kate. What do you think?" Edgar asked.


    Surprisingly, the court was more fun than he thought it would be today. Perhaps it wasn''t a bad thing to have left home for this.


    Katrina leaned forward to reach out to hit Edgar who was taunting her daughter.


    "Katrina!" Mark eximed, standing up to stop her.


    Edgar remained still in his seat, not fearing Katrina attacking him. "Ida, would not want you to attack me," he said, causing Katrina to stop with her hand in midair. "Not when I know all of her secrets."

 Chapter 494 Plotting (1)

    ?


    "You remind me of your old mother-inw by trying to smack someone. Smack my right cheek," Edgar turned his head. "My wife hasto see my left cheek when we''re sleeping and I don''t want her view to be ruined."


    ''You idiot,'' Mark shook his head for what might be the tenth time. Katrina wanted to hit Edgar and the man was unphased by it.


    "Katrina, you must not p the Duke, especially when he cannot return it. No man or woman willy hands on each other in the court. I will ept Kate''s request to leave the room. Perhaps it has been too soon for you to recount what you witnessed while married to Simon. I will give you a bit more time, but please try to write down anything you remember and send it to the court. I shall make ways for you to leave tonight as you requested," said Mark.


    Next time, he wanted to speak with only Kate instead of her insufferable mother. Katrina tried too much to control Kate who was old enough to speak and take care of herself. With a woman like Katrina raising her, Mark could see why Kate was like what he heard of her. Kate was starting to look like a nervous wreck. Take the mother from around the daughter and Kate might have a chance.


    "Thank you," Kate stood from her seat. She wanted to hurry out of the room right away. "Come mother," she tugged on Katrina''s dress.


    Katrina swallowed her anger for now. It was wrong of her to attempt to hit Edgar when he held information that could destroy all that she built for herself in Lockwood. All that she built for Kate. She needed to speak with Randall right away. "I truly detest you and your wife," she muttered.


    "I''ve been aware of that from the start of this story," Edgar shrugged his shoulders.


    "Duncan, escort the two women back to their room. I will finish up here," Mark said. He needed to know what Edgar had discovered about Katrina and who this Ida person was. Why did the mention of Ida seem to anger, but yet, control Katrina? Was this Ida person a part of her past?


    Katrina practically stormed out the room, uttering curses under her breath while Kate silently followed behind with Duncan.


    "That was something," Be said when the room became quiet. She got to see how much Edgar and Katrina disliked each other. She would have never guessed there was such tension.


    Mark touched his aching forehead as he sat back down. "It is what happens when the Duke is in the room. I apologize for not getting anywhere today, Be. We''ve called you from your home for nothing."


    "I wouldn''t say for nothing. I wee every opportunity for me to travel around. I''ve spent too much time in one ce for me to stay still now. Call me whenever you need my help, please. Oh, wait. I might be out of town soon. My mother thought it would be best for me to leave town for a little bit to visit family. There are too many people gathering outside my home and though I can answer questions, I don''t want to spend an entire day speaking about Simon. It makes it hard to forget him," Be softly spoke.


    "Very well. While you are still in town, I will make arrangements with the guards for your house to be guarded so no one can surround it. The King''s offer for you to stay in the pce for a couple of days-"


    "The pce is not safe like people think it is. You''ll be safe in your own home," Edgar said. When Hazel herself could not be safe in the pce, why would anyone want to stay there? Especially someone with no connections? There were a lot of conflicts still going on in the pce that would ruin Be''s time there.


    Mark had a better idea. "Why not let her stay on your estate? No one can seem to get through your gates."


    Edgar red at Mark for the suggestion. He felt sorry for Be and could stomach being around her, but it didn''t mean he wanted to open his doors wide. He didn''t need someone else living in his home when he was already busy making arrangements for the ones in Alessandra''s stomach. "Why don''t you let her stay in that thing you call a home?" He retorted.


    "What I have is a home. I might not be rich like you, but I do have a good home. However, I spend most of my time here in the court. Be would not like her stay with me," Mark replied.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "There are all kind offers, but I prefer to stay at home until it is time for my trip. I still would love to invite the Duke and guards who found me over for dinner," Be said.


    "It is the least we can do for all of you finding my daughter," Bethany, Be''s mother, said. She was forever in debt to the men who brought her daughter home. She would give them all that she had to her name as a thank you. She was so close to taking her life, but Be was brought back to right in time.


    As a mother, Bethany found it hard to think that she was outliving her child. No parent should have to bury their child. Back then, she was told Be must have been long dead, but her body was never found. It was hard to think about burying her own child, but harder to think her child was dead and she could not give Be a proper send-off because the person responsible was holding onto Be''s body.


    "You''ve brought her back to me. Please let us do something for you, Duke Collins. Though it was your job, I must repay you," Bethany said.


    "I will ept the dinner, but I will be inviting the two of you to my home. My wife and I might be holding a small dinner soon. On our way to the court, Be told me about some cookies you make. You can repay me by teaching my wife to make a few cookies. She cannot bake and I am soon to die if I eat any more flour," Edgar said, now tasting flour as he thought about Alessandra''s baking. She was getting better when Wilma was there with her, but now she had gone back to wasting flour.


    Bethany covered her mouth with her hand to hide herughter. "I''d be delighted to visit and help the Duchess bake. I run a small bakery so I will do well with teaching her. Please inform us of the date and we will be there. If that is all, Be and I should leave before the crowd outside grows. Remember, we are on your side. There is nothing to me you for."


    Bethany found it ridiculous how people were getting angry with the King and Duke when Simon was the one who deserved their anger. If they wanted the culprit captured alive, why hadn''t they volunteered to help with the search? Some might say she was biased because her daughter was returned to her, but she slept better at night knowing Simon was dead already.


    Mark waited until Be and her mother were out of the room to then look at Edgar. "Where the hell is my invitation?" He asked.


    "For a smart man, you have a lot of dumb moments, Mark. I don''t like you so why would I invite you into my home?" Edgar replied. He would be setting himself up to be annoyed by inviting Mark.


    "I hope by the time your children are grown, I am no longer in the court. I cannot deal with you and then yearster your little spawns," Mark said.


    "Spawns?"


    "Well, you are the devil. What else am I to call your children? The only saving grace is their angel of a mother. Careful now," Mark pushed his chair to get away from Edgar who went into his coat to get something. "It was merely a joke."


    "Hrious," Edgar faked a smile thatsted two seconds. "Now it is my turn to make a joke out of you."


    "There''s no need for you to get violent, Edgar. I will tell your wife if you try to hit me," Mark stood as he didn''t think it was safe for him to be sitting down. "You wouldn''t want to stress out a pregnant woman, would you?"


    "You have to be alive to tell her. Come here, Mark."

 Chapter 495 Plotting (2)

    ?


    "What are the two of you doing?" Duncan asked after he entered the room and found Mark with his foot out pushing Edgar away from reaching him.


    "Having a little chat. Can you stop trying to murder me now, Duke Collins? I might have you imprisoned if you do not leave me be. I was merely making a joke. You need to find a sense of humor," Mark said, trying to kick Edgar away, but his foot was grabbed. "We need to speak about who this Ida person you spoke of is and about Simon wanting your wife. You can kill me after."


    "You better keep your promise," Edgar retreated for now and went back to his seat. "I''m not telling you who Ida is. Not yet at least."


    "If it concerns Katrina, why shouldn''t the court know?" Duncan inquired.


    "I''ve made it clear that the way you intend to punish the two of them won''t satisfy me," Edgar answered.


    "Why does it have to satisfy you? This is all about your wife, not you. You appear to be more angry at her family than she is," Duncan replied, annoyed by Edgar being secretive.


    "My wife would very much like to see them get what they deserved. She just doesn''t spend her days thinking about them. I''ll take care of them for her as her husband. It is that simple," Edgar answered. How was he to leave Katrina and Kate be when they kept poking at Alessandra and were not remorseful of how they treated her in the past? Alessandra shared bits and pieces of what they did, but Edgar had a feeling there was so much more left out. His dislike for them would never fade away.


    "Her husband wanted to take my wife. It is evident my wife can never move on with her life since those two have a way of dragging her into their mess. I''m going to make life peaceful for my wife without your help. The court is quite useless honestly," Edgar said, ignoring the offended look from Duncan.


    "All you do in here is sit around calling up meetings after everyone else has done the job and throw people in a dungeon. I''ve left you to take care of Alessandra''s treatment in her home for how long now? You''ve found nothing about Katrina, but I have. There''s no need for me to tell you about her at the moment. I will take care of her and her daughter. Stay out of the way," Edgar warned the two.


    "The court does things the right way. We do not go through dirty measures like you do to find what you need to know. We punish people the right way. I think it is time the Duke stays out of our case against Katrina," Duncan looked at Mark.


    "I was never in it. I was simply giving you the push in the right direction," Edgar replied.


    "Leave him," Mark decided since they wouldn''t be able to stop Edgar from going after Katrina and Kate. Plus, Edgar was right about a few things. Mark wanted to punish wrongdoers ording to thews created by the court and King, but their clean methods made capturing those people slow. They could not always keep their hands clean.


    "Mark!" Duncan found the man to be losing his mind. Normally Mark would warn Edgar about being imprisoned for the way he went after his enemies.


    "I want to know who Katrina truly is and we''ve sworn to get justice for children mistreated in their homes. She''s been able to hide who she is for years and the servants do not want to speak about the Duchess''s time in her father''s home. Most likely because they indulged in mistreating her and fear being punished. I will let you handle it Edgar, but you must not kill either of them. Let us imprison them when you finish toying with the two," Mark said.


    "I will think about it," Edgar stood up. It could not be helped if Katrina or Kate suddenly ended up dead. It depended on what mood he was in. Also, he could not control if either one would take their lives. "I have other ces to be. I will kill you next time, Mark."


    "I look forward to it," Mark replied.


    Edgar exited the room and hoped that this was officially thest time he had to be in the court for a really long time. He ended up leaving home just to toy with Katrina and confirm that Kate was part of Simon wanting Alessandra.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "You."


    Before Edgar could get out of the court, he was stopped by someone. He looked to his right and found the person who wanted to p him not so long ago. "I have a name I like to be addressed by. Are you here to p me again, Ida?"


    "Stop calling me that name!" Katrina eximed but realized her mistake. She looked around to make sure there was no one near the two of them.


    At times, she could not believe that she had wanted to set Kate up with Edgar. The man was out to ruin her life from the moment he proposed to Alessandra. Perhaps if he had gotten married to Kate, he would have been helpful with further burying her past.


    "What do you want from me?" Katrina asked as she needed to be on his good side for now. Until she was ready to get rid of him and his wife. She had the money to hire someone to get rid of Edgar when he would be alone.


    "To choke and die. Haven''t I been making that quite obvious? Did you think I wanted you to have a happy ending?" Edgar asked, truly wanting to know what was going on in her head. Why would she ask what he wanted when it was painfully obvious? Did she think he would ask her for money? Her of all people?


    Katrina bit her lip.


    "You have one minute to choke and die before my carriagees around. Go on," Edgar encouraged her.


    "I am not going to roll over and die at your request," Katrina answered.


    "Then it was pointless of you to approach me. You''re more of a clever woman than I thought. Sleeping with men and robbing them right after. You ended up poisoning two who died. Was that what made you decide you needed to get away from that life before you could be caught? Why you targeted Desmond to be a Baroness? It appears you were slowly robbing him," Edgar mused. Granted he didn''t like Desmond so he didn''t feel bad for the former Baron.


    Katrina now knew it had to be Randall who spoke to Edgar. Randall was the only one to know about what she did. Stealing from wealthy men was what she proposed to Randall so she wouldn''t have to be like the other women in his business taking customers back to back. She picked the men she wanted to sleep with and took their wealth when they slept peacefully.


    She poisoned two of them because it was what they deserved. Acting righteous among their family, but paying to sleep with her in the silence of the night. She cleaned them out leaving nothing for their families who had life too easy.


    "You''ve been told lies," said Katrina.


    "Your anger tells me otherwise. Since you don''t n to roll over and die now, we shall continue this another time. I have ces to be and you have worrying to do. Oh, you might want to check the paper first thing tomorrow. There will be something special about Ida," Edgar said, walking down the steps to get to the carriage that arrived for him.


    "Why don''t you just get this over with and reveal who I am?" Katrina asked.


    "Well, it is more fun to crumble the life you''ve created here in Lockwood before Ie for you. Don''t think about running out of town. I am watching and waiting for you."

 Chapter 496 Plotting (3)

    ?


    "You can''t tell since I have never invited you over here, but I''vepletely changed my home since Edmund moved out. I''ve painted the walls and reced all the furniture that Edmund touched while he was here. It feels like a new home, but I am not certain if I intend on living here much longer. I should sell it and move elsewhere," Prisci said, looking around at the changes she made.


    No matter how much she changed, she could not erase the memories she had here with Edmund. A new house would be a much better new beginning.


    Alessandra followed behind Prisci as she was being given a tour of Prisci''s home. "Since it is only you, a smaller house-"


    "Ha," Prisci snorted. "That was a good one."


    "It wasn''t meant to be funny. Sometimes I feel like the home Edgar and I have is too big for us. Most days I do not make it to the other side of it. Honestly, I have no clue what is in some of the rooms," Alessandra said.


    "All you need to do is fill it up with children. Edgar has so many guards on his property so there is a need for arge home. When your children are here and you want to be alone, you''ll appreciate a big home with rooms where they cannot find you in. I will think more about selling this home. There is one I have been eyeing which would suit me. A couple just moved out of it to go to the countryside. Perhaps I should keep this one and buy the other. Move between them when I feel bored," Prisci decided.


    "It seems like you are bored now which is why you want to carelessly spend money. If this home reminds you too much about Edmund, you should move. There is no reason to hold onto it if you are not happy. I think we should take a break from walking around. My shoes are starting to hurt," Alessandra said as she walked around for quite a bit to tour Prisci''s home.


    "We can sit on the balcony and enjoy a bit of the cold air. You have to enjoy thest of winter before the town bes so hot. There''s no need for you to follow us so closely. Especially you," Prisci pointed at Reed. She had not forgotten about him waltzing into her home behind Edgar to take her away. That memory was another reason she wanted to get away from this home.


    "All of you seem to think that I''ve gone through all of this effort to be nice just to hurt you in my home. I have no time for ying around with you or Edgar anymore. I have my life to focus on. I''ve heard from a Collins member that Rose ising back to Lockwood for Edmund''s birthday. I don''t see why when she likes to hold all the celebrations in her home. That witch is up to something," Prisci said, sitting down on a chair outside.


    "We always had to travel to her home for birthdays and family dinners, but now she is suddenly interested in Lockwood? Have you told her you are pregnant?" Prisci asked, thinking that was the reason Rose was suddenlying back. She wasn''t keeping up with if Alesandra and Rose had made amends. "The one time she was sort of nice to me was when I was pregnant with Edgar. There were constant visits that I honestly hated. She had weird brews she wanted me to drink to make sure Edgar was strong."


    "I have not spoken to Rose since thest time she was here to tell her the good news. I do agree that there seems to be something in y here. Edgar and Alfred were invited to Edmud''s birthday dinner, but I was not."


    Prisci wasn''t surprised by this. Rose liked to make you feel excluded and with Alessandra''s quiet nature, Rose might think she could have Alessandra begging to be included in the dinner. Alessandra didn''t appear to be so bothered about Rose not inviting her.


    Prisci thought the young woman in front of her was easy to break, but she was a lot stronger than others realized. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Edgar doesn''t n on intending and wants to hold a dinner the same night. I am not against it and you are invited," Alessandra innocently smiled.


    Prisci''s surprise was evident from her wide eyes and slightly opened mouth. She fell into a fit ofughter soon after. "My oh my that is petty of the two of you. To not attend Edmund''s dinner, throw on the same night, and invite his ex-wife. It is a dinner that I simply could not miss. I will be at any asion to mess with Rose. Please let it slip somehow that I will be attending the dinner."


    "Well, Rose is being petty trying to leave me out. I will not apologize for what she started between us. She''s yet to also find out about the mines that I own. My grandmother has ced plenty in my name. I believe they have struck gold recently. It is not as much as they would like, but it is good news that they might stumble upon more," Alessandra said.


    "Gold sells for a good price these days. A few of them could feed and house you for more than a month. Tell me, do you truly intend to stop attending parties now that you are pregnant? I know you must be careful around this time, but there is a lot of talk about you now which means it is the best time for you to make appearances. You are a Duchess. You should solidify your position amongst these women and be respected. Everyone should respect you as Alessandra Collins, not fear you as Edgar''s wife."


    "I don''t want to take any risks in the early months. I don''t want something to happen to the child when we are all so excited," Alessandra touched her stomach. "I was being social before. Making a name for myself amongst thedies. There were a few youngdies who will debut next season who asked me to take them under my wing. It was surprising."


    "That''s what happens when you are a hot topic and marry an influential man. Right now, youngdies are deciding who they want to follow. What circle will make them better off? You are the Duchess, you are great friends with the Queen, and you have a few friends in the right ces. They will wish to follow you. Socialize and continue to establish yourself. I will aid you," Prisci decided.


    "What?" Alessandra replied in disbelief.


    "Why is that so surprising? I''ve offered you my help with other things up to this point. I will offer my advice to help you be what the youngdies call a social Queen. I have been one for many years. I controlled circles so that even now when I am divorced, many know not to toy with me as my influence can ruin them. You have potential that I didn''t see in the past. I am not going to let you ruin it simply because you are with child," Prisci said.


    "Rose offering to help me is what has the two of us at odds. I don''t want to ruin the rtionship you and I are starting-"


    "Are you a mad woman? Neverpare me to Rose! I have no need to pester you about furniture and other things. I simply want you to run the social world as I have done for years. Just know, I would not be offering you my help if I didn''t think you were the right fit. I''ve known and liked Heather for years, but never thought of teaching her. Do you want my help?" Prisci asked, for what would be thest time.


    "Yes," Alessandra epted it.

 Chapter 497 Mother Dearest (1)

    ?


    "We just need to convince Edgar to not be so worried. I will let you take care of that," Prisci said as she already knew Edgar would not listen to her. "There''s a partying up which will be full of elite women. You mustn''t miss it. You might have received an invitation already but ignored it. I will make arrangements to have you sit with me," Prisci said.


    "Were we never seated with each other because you''ve made it known that you dislike me?" Alessandra asked as she was never once seated at the same table as Prisci.


    Prisci frowned. "Why do you love to bring up the past?"


    "It helps me to understand you more. You had to have told someone you didn''t like me as many of the youngdies who followed your rule kept a distance from me. I knew it wasn''t because of my mask back then," Alessandra said.


    "I didn''t parade you around as my daughter-inw and I kept Heather close by. Seeing me walk around with the youngdy who I said many times I wanted to marry my son instead of you who married my son was all the evidence they needed. And I might have said some things," Prisci added, looking away from Alessandra.


    "Don''t be ashamed or embarrassed about what you did. I already knew what you were doing then. Luckily, we''vee to a ce where I can visit your home now. It''s good we got your hate out of the way before bing friendly," Alessandra joked. It was the opposite of what happened with Rose who was sweet at first, but then turned sour. With Prisci, there should be no more arguments now.


    "If anyone told me that I would be aiding you in preparing for your child, I would have called them mad and have them taken somewhere to be treated. There are some things about you that still annoys me, but you are not as bad as I thought," Prisci honestly spoke.


    Alessandra was stuck in a weird position of feeling offended and d for the honesty. "Just like with Edgar, I can sort of count on you, to be honest with what you think about me. I can also admit that there are some things I question about you when ites to Edgar, but I see you are working on it."


    "Oh, I''ve lost faith that Edgar and I will have a mother-son rtionship in the future. We are both extremely stubborn and I prefer the rtionship we have now where we are cordial with each. The little bastard will never see it, but I do care for him. I carried him for many months and dealt with the pain of bringing him into this world to not love him," Prisci said, thinking back to the time Edgar was first ced in his hands.


    She was happy to see there was a healthy baby boy who filled her ears with his cries. Prisci''s mood was soured when Edmund quickly walked into the room with his mother right behind him, taking Edgar from her arms. Edmund handed Edgar to his mother and then tried to kiss Prisci for a job well done.


    Prisci remembered being annoyed with the two and because she had been angry about something before, she said to them, "I''ve given you the son you wanted, now leave me alone."


    It led to her and Rose arguing about Prisci ruining a good moment with her attitude.


    "I just wasn''t ready to be a mother, but I wanted to get pregnant quickly so Rose would stop pestering me. I knew Edmund wanted to get it over with quickly because he was still running around with that woman. A little advice from a former married woman. If Edgar is foolish enough to bring another woman around you, just kill the woman early to save yourself stress," Prisci said, regretting she had ced the task on Rose.


    Alessandra had a different thought about it. "Why wouldn''t I just leave Edgar?"


    "Because we''re foolish to think that with the woman gone our husband will turn to us. They never do. Don''t be foolish like I was. You might not have to leave Edgar since I would strangle and kill him for being like his father. I swear if the two of you ever be close to that woman, I will make your life hell in the social world," Prisci warned, meaning every word.


    "Noted," Alessandra replied. She had no ns to get involved in Prisci and Edmund''s drama. And it was quite impossible for her to ever meet with Edmund and Cassidy since Edgar was not on good terms with his father. Edgar was not fond of the rtionship Edmund had with Cassidy. He was on Prisci''s side when it came to this.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "We''ve been searching all over for you," Heather said as she walked onto the balcony with Dominic following behind her like a guard.


    "Heather," Prisci sighed and covered her face to hide her disappointment. "Why is there a Carson following you?"


    "I thought I mentioned I was with Dominic?" Heather asked, looking to her side at Dominic who now stood at her side. "I was helping him with his home. He has moved close to Lockwood to get away from his mother. He wanted help with decorating his home so I went to help him."


    Prisci looked at Alessandra and asked, "Do you believe this nonsense story?"


    "No," Alessandra shook her head. She saw right through what Dominic was doing, but Heather was yet to realize he was doing this to be near her.


    "It is the truth. I have been away helping him with his home. I''m honestly surprised my mother let me go without apanion," Heather said as she sat down.


    "That''s because your mother sees the golden opportunity that is right in front of her. Do you know why I disliked it when your mother would bring you to visit Edgar, Dominic? It is because I knew you would ruin my ns back then," Prisci revealed. She noticed his feelings for Heather when he was younger and she had already made ns for Heather to be with Edgar.


    Back then, Prisci would not allow Dominic to ruin her ns.


    "Luckily, Alessandra was the one to ruin them," Dominic pointed out.


    "Why?" Alessandra squinted her eyes, trying to understand why Dominic was bringing her into the mix.


    "Am I the only one missing what the three of you are talking about? What would Dominic have-"


    "It is better we let you figure it out. I am not in the mood to watch someone''s feelings be turned down. I know the Collins and Carsons are still at odds so I hope that means none of your rtives would be in town for Edmund''s birthday, Dominic. I cannot deal with the two sides at once," Prisci said.


    Prisci mostly had a rtionship with the Carsons who disliked the Collins and tried topete with them. Anyone who disliked Rose or Edmund had the potential to be a friend of Prisci.


    "As far as I am concerned, only my brother and his wife areing. He ims Rose has taken an interest in him again. I doubt it," Dominic replied as Rose had always tolerated Daniel. He found it odd Rose would be interested in having Daniel around when she had banned him from her home after Edgar punched him to defend Alessandra.


    "I believe it," Prisci said, looking at Alessandra.

 Chapter 498 Mother Dearest (2)

    ?


    Alessandra wasn''t thrilled by the news of Danieling to Lockwood with Rose. She had no positive interactions with him and what he had said to Edgar was out of line. Rose was being petty, but did it need to go this far? Why was it hard to sit down, have a simple conversation, and promise not to be so controlling in the future?


    "I can convince my parents to make him stay if it upsets you, Alessandra. I don''t see why Daniel wants to be in the same town as Edgar after Edgar broke his teeth. Well, there is Rose''s house that he is after. He truly believes that he can get his hands on it. I will speak to my mother," Dominic promised.


    ''That is not necessary. I''m not going to have any run-ins with Rose or Daniel when theye to town. Once Edgar hears of it, I might end up with more guards surrounding me. Instead of five," she looked at the group standing by the balcony door. "I might end up with ten. I have not seen Hazel walk around with so many guards."


    "That is why what happened with the Queen not having an heir would never happen to you. I need to hire a few more for myself when Edmund''s birthday is closer. Why are you still here, Dominic? You have never sat around chatting with me," Prisci said, staring at the face of Dominic who should have made his exit by now.


    "I''m trying to make some changes so visiting you will be one," Dominic said. "And I have to drop Heather off at home. I promised her father."


    "Well, at this point I should have lunch prepared for us. I will have it started to be on time for when Edgar arrives," Prisci stood up.


    Alessandra wondered if Edgar had sent a message that he wasing. He had not mentioneding here when they went their separate ways after breakfast. Alessandra would never bet money that Edgar would visit his mother''s home. "How do you know Edgar ising?" She asked.


    "Because you are here," Prisci stated the obvious. "I don''t see why he has ced so many guards around you just to show up wherever you are. It won''t be long before he shows up so I will tell the butler to start preparing lunch for us."


    "It is a miracle that you have Edgar willingly visiting his mother''s home and it''s not because he''sing to argue with her. Let me just," Dominic touched Alessandra''s hand and rubbed it so he could get some of her abilities to work on him. He kept his attention on the door so Edgar would not walk in on what he was doing.


    Alessandra pulled her hand away from Dominic. "It is already a task to get used to Edgar''s personality and actions. I don''t want to start having to figure you out too, Dominic. Did the two of you enjoy your time decorating Domnic''s home?" She asked and right away she noticed how shy the two became. "Nevermind," she added to avoid making the two ufortable.


    "Alessandra, I thought you and I had a pretty good rtionship. Why did you get pregnant-"


    "What?" Edgar asked, walking out to the balcony.


    Dominic felt a pang in his chest from the fright of Edgar magically showing up. "What the hell is up with your timing? Aren''t you supposed to be at the court? How are you here already? Are the rumors about you being a monster who can fly true?" He became suspicious.


    "This isn''t far away from the court. You know the ride here is short. What were you asking about her getting pregnant?" Edgar asked as it sounded like something that would intrigue or anger him.


    "You''ve gotten married and now you are adding a child to your family. Do you know what this means for me?" Dominic asked the pair.


    Edgar looked unamused while Alessandra nodded her head.


    "Your mother is going to tell you about Edgar being married and having a child," Alessandra answered.


    "Correct," Dominic pped for the right answer. "Every shit Edgar does gets put on me. My mother once tried to buy me the title of Duke. Can the two of you stop doing things?" He pleaded with Alessandra and Edgar. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Weren''t you supposed to be getting a fake marriage? Or instead of continuing to hide your feelings, just tell the woman beside you that you love her so your mother will be satisfied," Edgar nonchntly revealed Dominic''s feelings for Heather.


    Alessandra held onto Edgar''s hand and squeezed it as punishment.


    "Dominic has always had feelings for you when we were younger, but he feared you would not take interest in him. Your time decorating his home was more so he could spend time with you. His mother had already paid for someone to decorate his home. It was her way of trying to get back on his good side," said Edgar.


    "Do you truly have feelings for me?" Heather asked in belief. She felt something during their time alone, but didn''t want to ruin her friendship with Dominic. She thought she had been reading too much into his kindness and would have made a fool out of herself if she mentioned liking him.


    "I thought it was painfully obvious that I was courting you. I mentioned many times that you could stay in my home for as long as you like. It would have been easier if I just let you know that I was courting you," Dominic realized, awkwardly scratching the back of his head. It was never this hard to court any otherdy. Heather made him feel like a fool.


    "Yes, it would have made things much easier. Well, instead of going to take me back home right after this, would you like to visit the market and walk around with me?" Heather asked, ying with her fingers for some reason. It was obvious he would say yes so why was she nervous?


    "We would need to inform your parents first. Your mother would say yes, but I already told your father the time I would have you home by," said Dominic. Heather''s father wasn''t too pleased with his wife letting Heather visit his home without apanion. Dominic received a lengthy lecture about not even breathing so close to Heather.


    Alessandra''s mouth was slightly open due to the fact Edgar had managed to push the two into bing a couple.


    Edgar sat down beside Alessandra and pushed her chin up to close her mouth. "Just say thank you. Now we don''t have to watch the two of them act shy with each other."


    Alessandra turned to face Edgar. "You are amazing," sheplimented him.


    Edgar folded his arms, enjoying thepliment. "Have you only now noticed? Go on,pliment me more," he encouraged her.


    "No,plimenting you too many times in one sitting will not end well for me. Why have youe from the court so early?" Alessandra asked in an effort to change the conversation so she would not have topliment him any further.


    "The usual happened. Arguing, me almost getting pped, and Kate might need to borrow your old masks to cover her wound," Edgar mused, on the verge ofughing as he remembered her face when he made the offer.


    Alessandra didn''t think the wound Simon gave Kate would have her wearing a mask. "I can only imagine that Kate was the one to argue with you for offering masks?"


    "It was mostly her mother that I argued with. Kate looks like she is struggling with something. That attitude she once had is not there. The meeting ended early because she could not handle speaking about Simon."


    "Living with Simon must have taken a toll on her. Hopefully, her attitude changes after this. I know Kate cherishes her beauty more than anything in the world. We grew up hearing about the importance of a woman''s beauty from our father. That we are nothing without. I hope she decides to wear a mask so that she can feel what life was like for me," Alessandra spoke, enjoying the way life took a turn for Kate.


    Kate started the wounds on Alessandra''s face, but the lies Kate helped spread about a curse were what helped to make life difficult for Alessandra. Kate should get a taste of what life was like behind a mask.

 Chapter 499 Mother Dearest (3)

    ?


    "How did you get in here without me noticing?" Prisci asked, dumbfounded by Edgar''s presence in her home. "Did you just walk freely inside of my home?"


    "I did," Edgar answered. "A maid opened the door for me and I walked right in. Now you know how it feels when you show up unannounced at my home."


    "That is not the same," Prisci replied, walking back to the group that was quickly growing.


    "I used to think Edgar was more like his father, but when you see him and his mother go at it, you see he is really simr to her," Dominic said, looking back and forth between mother and son. He had rarely seen the two conversing like this so he had never noticed it.


    Edgar found Dominic''s im to be ridiculous. "We are nothing alike," he said.


    "That I can agree with," Prisc nodded her head as she walked behind Edgar to get to her seat. "He mostly took after his father when it came to looks and he spent so much time with his grandmother that he became rude like the old bat."


    "I also see the two of you being simr," Alessandra agreed with Dominic. She ignored Edgar staring at her because he didn''t like the fact she was agreeing with Dominic. " You are both stubborn and find it hard to apologize to each other like you would die if you say I am sorry. Honestly, sometimes I see a bit of Prisci when I look at Edgar. Your noses are the same. Why is it so hard to admit that you share some things inmon? You are mother and son."


    "You know he once told me that he didn''t think I was his mother. That his father had an affair and I was made to be his stepmother?" Prisci rolled her eyes as she thought back about it.


    "I do believe it is something he would say," Alessandra side-eyed Edgar. "How did you get him to think otherwise?"


    "I don''t know. He just went back to calling me mother and dropped the whole stepmother theory," Prisci replied.


    "I realized you would never raise the child of your father''s mistress and unfortunately, we do share the same nose," Edgar answered. His mother would rather crawl through the underworld than raise a child that was not her own.


    "I certainly would not. If you were not my son, I would have packed you off to be with your real mother."


    "Are there any good memories between the two of you? Everything seems to be so aggressive. I am already aware of you kissing Edgar''s wounds when he''s hurt. He asks me to do it from time to time," Alessandra said.


    "It was the only thing to get him to stop whining. I don''t know if he thought he could not die since he would be outside ying the most dangerous games you could think of. He''de inside trying to act like he wasn''t in pain, but I could see it in his eyes that he was on the verge of crying. With one kiss and a cookie from the kitchen then he''d be back out to y. Where has that little boy gone?" Prisci asked, looking at Edgar to figure out how that little boy became this.


    There was a short period of time when Edgar would cling to her whenever she was near. Then he got older and paid attention to what was going on around him. He followed suit and distanced himself from her and Edmund.


    "Edgar, there has to be something about your mother that you liked," Alessandra nudged him. They were in a good space to move further with mending the rtionship Edgar and Prisci had.


    "Just so you know, I am going to make you have to speak with your mother again since you are forcing me to do this. I used to be afraid of thunder and before Alfred, she wouldy in bed with me until it was over. That is all," Edgar said, wanting this to end.


    Dominic snorted before chuckling as he imagined Edgar of all people hiding under his nket when thunder was heard.


    Edgar red at Dominic forughing at his old fear when Dominic;s was more ridiculous."What the fuck are youughing at? You used to be afraid of cats. You still are based on the way you try to avoid the ones Alessandra has."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Dominic stoppedughing and stared at Edgar in shock. Why the hell would Edgar reveal this in front of Heather? "I am not scared of cats anymore. It''s because of you and Tobias throwing two at my face that I hated them in the first ce."


    "Yea sure," Edgar replied, not believing Dominic.


    "Why did this need to turn into an argument? We should go inside to be seated before lunch is ready. It is getting too cold outside for you Alessandra. I will find you a coat for when you are ready toe back outside," Prisci said, standing up and motioning for Alessandra to stand up to leave.


    "So everyone else should freeze," Dominic said, watching Prisci take care of Alessandra.


    "Carry my grandchildren and I will take better care of you," Prisci stated.


    "I will walk with my wife," Edgar swatted Prisci''s hands away.


    "It was better when you weren''t here. Walk with me, Heather. There are a few people here giving me a headache," Prisci held out her hand for Heather.


    "That wasn''t a bad conversation between the two of you. You two of you don''t need to be so negative when you are around each other. Your mother seems more rxed these days. You''d be surprised to learn that she has already picked out a room for the baby to stay in when it is her day to watch over them," Alessandra said. She found it to be sweet how Prisci''s eyes lit up as she described how the room would look.


    "Unfortunately, she might be moving since she doesn''t seem to be happy here. It is a big home for one person," Alessandra added. "Before you ask, I did not ask if she wants to live with us."


    Edgar looked ahead at his mother. Though she spoke about headaches and acted annoyed, she must be enjoying thepany. Having people over that she did not have to watch her back around and could be more rxed. Edgar did not hear of his grandfather in town to check on his mother during the divorce.


    If his grandfather were toe to town and learn that his mother was not happy, there would be a war between the two big families. His mother was the beloved daughter of a wealthy man. She was spoiled and loved because she was the only daughter. It was surprising that his grandfather was not here in town strangling Edmund for not taking care of his daughter.


    Edgar figured his mother had said something to keep the peace and not get her father worked up.


    Living in a big house with only servants reminded Edgar of the days his parents would leave home. Edmund at court and Prisci out finding ways to make herself happy. Luckily, he had Alfred who followed him to the estate he now owned, but before Alessandra, it was still another home without a family present. Not that he minded most of the time.


    "Mother," Edgar called out to Prisci.


    Heather looked back at Edgar and was confused when Prisci kept walking. Heather tapped Prisci''s hand to get her attention and said, "Edgar wants to speak to you, Prisci."


    "That was not in my head?" Prisci asked, turning around to see Edgar looking at her.


    "Are my things still in my old room or have they been tossed out? I want to show Alessandra," said Edgar.


    "They are still there. The only time someone goes in that room is when the maids do their cleaning. It should be the same as when you walked out of here," Prisci replied, still trying to wrap her mind around Edgar calling her mother. She thought she would die before Edgar would go back calling her mother.

 Chapter 500 Mother Dearest (4)

    ?


    "How long is this going to continue?" Lewis stared at his wife and daughters who sat silent not speaking to each other. "You were fine before you left town to travel here. Mnie, you are the adult."


    "Which is why I should be respected," Mnie replied. Melody and ire were acting a fool since their father and brother arrived in Lockwood. Acting like she had done something to them.


    "We are not here to be arguing amongst ourselves. We are here to be making up for the time you were away from your daughter. A daughter I did not know about I must add. Why hasn''t she weed the idea of dinner?" Lewis asked for anyone to answer.


    "It is mother''s fault," Melody answered.


    "Enough!" Mnie demanded, taking a deep breath to calm her anger.


    Melody didn''t want to sit still and lie to her father just as her mother was doing from the moment he arrived. Their mother was acting clueless as to why Alessandra had not yet responded to the numerous invitations. "Alessandra had been meeting with us until mother showed how little she cared about making up for lost time. She would havee to have dinner with us if mother made a proper effort to show our sister that she cares-"


    "Know your ce, Melody. I''ve raised you to speak your mind, but to also respect your parents. Do not lecture me on what I am dealing with my own daughter," Mnie said, having enough of Melody trying to lecture her. "She offered you the opportunity to be a schr and you''ve quickly turned your back on me."


    "It had nothing to do with what she offered me. I realized our mistakes before she made those offers. She only made those offers because I showed her a piece of who I really am. How dare you believe that anyone can pay me to be against you, mother. Am I not to have morals and a change of heart when I know I am wrong? Is it only wrong because I am calling out how you have been acting? The moment we stepped on Lockwood soil you have changed or have you always been like this?" Melody genuinely wanted to know.


    "I am the same as I always have been," Mnie replied.


    "Then it is truly disappointing," Melody shook her head. "Father, the issue does not lie with my sister. It is mother and she has been lying to you. ire and I walked around the town and heard the things said about Alessandra and her mask. The curse and how people distanced themselves from her. We care more about what happened than mother. You want everything to fall into ce so you can go back to the life you enjoy and it will not, mother."


    Lewis looked at his wife, trying to understand her while Melody expressed herself. Normally he would never let the children be this hard on Mnie, but the moment called for it. Mnie was not acting like herself at the moment. A stranger sat before him. "Mnie, have you spoken to her about what happened when she lived with her father?"


    "I have and Alessandra keeps being angry with me for not returning to take her from her father''s care. I did not know he remarried and the woman would treat her so horribly. Desmond loved Alessandra dearly. Loved her more than me as he should have so I thought she would have been fine. I could never have predicted he would let her be treated that way. There is nothing I could do to change what happened so we should move forward," Mnie answered.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "You needed to let her get her anger out and apologize for returning to see her. I understand you did not want to travel with a young child back then, but the fact of the matter is that you did not check up on how the child was doing. A single visit would have shown you that your daughter needed you. Or was it your intention for the town to think your husband killed you?" Lewis asked.


    "I am not that cruel," Mnie looked up at Lewis. "It is hard for me to stomach listening to what she endured-"


    "Then think of how painful it was for her to endure all of those things alone. To be wounded so young and have to wear a mask because people think you are cursed and don''t want to see your face. If you were to fall out of love with father, would you leave us?" Melody asked as it had been weighing her mind. She never wanted to wake up one day and her mother was not around.


    "Of course not! There is no chance for me to fall out of love with your father and I care for all of you to leave you," Mnie replied. Her daughters were grown enough to travel around with her if she ever wanted to leave Lewis, but no one had to ever worry about it since she loved her husband so much.


    "Is the reason you don''t understand Alessandra''s feelings is that you don''t care for her as you care for us? Do you love us more because you love our father?" ire softly spoke up for the first time since the discussion began. "You hate Alessandra''s father and you''ve been away from her for so long while you''ve raised us and love our father. Is there a difference between us and her?"


    Mnie folded her arms and tapped her fingers against the back of her arms. "There is bound to be a difference. I have watched the two of you grow. I have a bond with you while I must reconnect with Alessandra."


    "Girls, please leave your mother and me alone for a moment. Go outside to see when your brother will be returning with the vegetables," Lewis said as he did not want them around for the other half of the conversation.


    Lewis waited for Melody and ire to leave first before speaking with Mnie. "I feel lost with you these days, Mnie. I don''t know what to make of you. I have always been honest with you. I''ve told you about my life before I met you. You made mention of being married before, but did not include it was to a Baron and you had a daughter. I don''t understand why you could not tell me that you had a daughter. Did you think I would not want her around? For heaven''s sake, you have raised my son who does not share blood with you."


    Lewis could never push away Mnie''s daughter when she had taken care of his son like he was her own. He was not cruel to pull Mnie away from his daughter. He felt betrayed that Mnie would keep this secret from him and only thanks to the court finding her had she spoken up.


    "You told me that your husband made life horrible for you and you never wanted to see him again, but you could not just forget about your daughter. You cannot be so cold to her because she reminds you of your time with yourte husband. The woman I knew and fell in love with would be trying her hardest to be with her daughter again. I need that woman to be here right now because I find myself wanting nothing to do with the woman before me," Lewis confessed.

 Chapter 501 Starting Over (1)

    ?


    "I should be allowed to keep some things to myself without getting pressured into going over my past. You know my character, Lewis. I would never intentionally hurt my children. I simply made a wrong choice back then. How was I to know that her father would let her be treated so poorly? He loved her as much as he loved gold back then," said Mnie.


    "Mnie," Lewis touched her arms. "We know now that his love for her wasn''t strong enough to keep her safe. We cannot keep going back on what you thought would have happened when you left her. Focus on what we know now and stop bringing up the past. It is just you and me here. Tell me why you are being like this. I know you to be a warm person."


    Mnie looked away from Lewis and bit her lip. Everyone should be able to bury their secrets and move on. "I cannot believe you are threatening to leave me over this. After I have never questioned you about many things about your life before me."


    "Well," Lewis removed his hands from touching her. "I can tell you that I was never married to a noblewoman and I do not have a child I intend to never tell you about. I told you about my son the day we first met so you know that it was not just me. Be honest with me. What is it that is holding you back from reconciling with your daughter? The girls told me that she looks just like you so how can you push her away? Did he hurt you?"


    Mnie tensed up.


    "Okay. Let''s start slowly. Tell me about how you met him," Lewis said, trying to go slow. Mnie had briefly told him about Desmond, but there was more Lewis wanted to know. He wished to know what life was like for her as Baroness.


    Mnie took a deep breath before answering. "I met him when I became of age to marry. I came to Lockwood because it is the best town to find a suitor. I stayed with a rtive who lived here at the time and my mother woulde visit often. I remember meeting Desmond at a party. Back then his reputation was different. He had devoted so much time to the kingdom and the King was recognising his efforts. It was rumored that he would be given a title and morend."


    "The Barretts had money, but Desmond slowly increased his wealth and with the rumor of a title, he became one of the most sought-after men that season. I was also sought after even though much wasn''t known about my family''s wealth. Oh, I doe from a family with money," Mnie realized she had not mentioned this to Lewis. "My family likes to be secretive when ites to their wealth."


    There were plenty of times when her parents'' wealth and the money she ran away from could have helped her and Lewis when he was struggling to find work as a schr to support the family.


    "It didn''t seem like it at the time, but Desmond cared a lot about appearances because of all the attention on him. Since many of his friends wanted to marry me, he courted me. I liked him because he spoke of travelling around the kingdom to help others and I wanted to explore the kingdom with him. He was a sweet man then. We soon got married and as you can imagine, Desmond had no ns of leaving Lockwood when there was so much attention on him. Perhaps he only mentioned travelling because I wanted to travel," Mnie wondered.


    "I never wanted to settle down in Lockwood forever so we argued about it. My parents and Desmond never got along. He felt like they got in my head and would one day convince me to end our marriage. Then the time came for every married young woman to be like an animal and push out heirs for her husband. I was too angry with Desmond for not being the man I thought he was to even try having a child with him."


    Mnie continued, "You can imagine how angry that made him. His peers were announcing their future heirs and Desmond had nothing to boast about. One way or the other, he was going to have his heir soon whether or not I wished to sleep with him. I shall go no further than there."


    Lewis understood what she was saying and would not push any further.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "We ended up having Alessandra, not the son he wanted. I''m d the bastard ended up with another daughter instead of a son. Desmond always found a way to get what he wanted. Many of his wealthy friends had sons who Alessandra could marry and the kingdom was already blessed with a prince. He had high hopes for Alessandra''s husband. He treated her like she was already a princess. Parading her around like a girl with her beloved doll," said Mnie.


    "I hated the way my daughter was brought into this world and though I cared for her, it was hard to forget what her father had done. It wasn''t easy for me to look at her and I became so fed up with life as Baroness so I decided I would just leave. I didn''t know where I would go, but I was not going to stay. I could not take Alessandra with me when it was hard to look at her and my money would eventually run out so I could never care for her. I truly believed she was better with the parents who loved her unconditionally."


    "Yes, I know that Desmond''s pressure for her to marry a good man would one day break her. That she would have to live her life being perfect like he wanted and should she fail, she would face his anger. I knew it, but I did not care as long as I was free to travel the kingdom as I always wanted. I was free of anyone weighing me down until I met you. I had no ns of getting married since I had not gone through the proper measures to separate from Desmond, but you are what I always wanted so please do not make them break us."


    Lewis felt sorry for being so hard on Mnie. "You have to tell your daughter this story so she can understand you a bit more-"


    "No," Mnie shook her head. "I would like for the two of us to move forward, but I still cannot stomach the sight of my daughter and I should not add the story of her birth to her troubles. I look at Alessandra and I find myself unable to emotionally care for what has happened to her like she isn''t my child. Life has already been hard for her. I prefer that we stay apart from each other. Let us go back to our happiness. I never wanted toe back to this town. It is not because of the court that I came. It is because you threatened to leave me. I wish to go home."


    "We can''t just leave like this," Lewis said, but they were in a terrible position. Mnie didn''t want what happened to be known as she probably relived the moment in her mind and her daughter might not take it well.


    "Melody and ire are angry with you and Alessandra has a bad opinion of you in her mind. I know you feel like you cannot bond with Alessandra, but you must try harder. She is your daughter regardless of how she was brought into this world. She''s been through enough with her father. Be the parent who makes it up to her. Properly apologize for abandoning her and express how you find it hard to connect with her emotionally," Lewis advised Mnie.


    "Alessandra no longer wants to meet with me. She has said she is satisfied with knowing the type of person I am and she can move on. It will be no use trying to speak to her. She only wants to get to know ire and Melody now. I feel so foolish for making the girls be so defensive with her," Mnie covered her face with her hands.


    "You have to apologize to them too. You''ve been snappy with all of us, but we can forgive you. We''ve been backing you into a corner without knowing your story. You are partially to me since we have always been left in the dark, but now that I know, I will not force you. I don''t think you should leave things as they are, but if you wish to go home, I will pack our bags and leave with you. If you want to express yourself to Alessandra once more, I will go with you. You decide," Lewis said, giving Mnieplete control.


    "Melody and ire wish to know their sister so to make life easier for them, I should have onest conversation with Alessandra. Tell her most of the reason why I don''t feel motherly towards her without letting her know that her birth was a mistake. I will try to understand her feelings better this time. What are the chances the girls will help me set up a meeting with Alessandra?" Mnie asked.


    Lewis looked ahead at where Melody and ire had been sneaking nces inside. "I say they will want to help you."

 Chapter 502 Starting Over (2)

    ?


    "As soon as all of you have finished eating, please leave. I''ve had enough of hearing all of you talking and I need to rest," Prisci said.


    "Getting old?" Dominic joked, but quickly regretted his words. "I apologize."


    Prisci red at Dominic for using the foul word. "I am still quite young. Be careful with the words that slip out of your mouth or I will be inviting your mother to town to deal with you. It''s about time you settle down and let the poor woman stop trying to have youpete with my son. I''ve always found it funny that she thought you could measure up to Edgar. Ha!"


    "Okay now my feelings are hurt," Dominic said, putting down his fork.


    "That is exactly how it feels to be called old," Prisci said the word with disgust. "The two of you should teach your children to not call me a grandmother. I don''t want to be reminded of how quickly I shall have white hair all over my head."


    Alessandra looked at Edgar who smiled and without him saying anything, she knew what was going through his mind. "Saying that will have Edgar make them call you grandmother extra loud. There is nothing wrong with being called grandmother."


    Prisci replied, "That''s because you will have no one calling you it any time soon. I should just paint my hair white and sit around talking about the weather if I let someone walk around calling me a grandmother. The only good thing about a child calling me it is that I get to rub it in the faces of my friends who have been showing off their grandchildren. One of them had to shut up because her son had officially brought the child of a mistress into the family."


    "Speaking of which. Alessandra and I were talking about the possibility of you cheating, Edgar," Prisci said, continuing to cut her food while everyone else stared at her. "Alessandra has more sense than I did because she said she would leave you."


    "Why the hell did the two of you talk about something so foolish? Do you want me to go back not speaking to you?" Edgar asked his mother. Just when he thought of being civil, she was having a ridiculous conversation with Alessandra. He did not want any thoughts about him cheating in Alessandra''s head. "You still want to ruin my marriage, don''t you?"


    "Rx," Prisci rolled her eyes at how defensive he was getting already. "Women talk about it all the time. Alessandra and I already know that you wouldn''t cheat. That''s why you aren''t speaking to your father, but I was just telling her that if you were so foolish to be like your father, I would strangle you."


    "He just called you mother. Why are we having this conversation?" Alessandra muttered. Everything was going perfect up until this point. "So Heather, wonderful day isn''t it?" She tried to change the topic.


    "And how exactly would you strangle me? I am far stronger than you and I tower over you. Enlighten me, mother. The day is starting to get boring so I need something to humor myself with," Edgar said, waiting to be amused.


    "Trust me. Any mother who is fed up with their child would find a way to punish them no matter how strong the child is. You''re lucky I''ve held back for years. There is something else Alessandra ad I were talking about-"


    "What now?" Edgar interjected, still convinced his mother was trying to ruin his marriage. First cheating and now there was something else. Alessandra should stop talking to his mother. "Don''t take rtionship advice from her. Look at her state."


    Prisci''s lip twitched and she was suddenly reminded of how peaceful life was when Edgar was not around. Did she really want him back in her life to be giving her the harsh truth? "First of all, that jab was not needed, you bastard. Alessandra and I were talking about going to a gathering for women and hoped you would let her out of your sight."


    "I am not her parents. Thank goodness," Edgar mumbled, taking a grape from the basket of fruits on the table and cing it in his mouth. "She doesn''t need my permission. Simon is dead and her rtives won''t be roaming the town for a while."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I''m a little surprised you''re so rxed about this. Have you been smoking behind my back?" Alessandra leaned forward to get a whiff of his breath.


    Edgar rolled his eyes. "I have not smoked since someone told me it will kill me."


    "He threw away his cigars instead of being kind and giving them to me," Dominic interjected so everyone would know how cruel Edgar was to him.


    "I also think you shouldn''t smoke those things. My father has a terrible cough and I have been trying to convince him to stop," said Heather.


    Dominic looked to his side at Heather who was ying a dangerous game here. He was not throwing away his expensive cigars as Edgar did. He would have to smoke the ones he had and then not buy any. Too much shopping wasn''t a good thing for women, but he was not walking around telling them to stop.


    "Back on topic here," Prisci pped her hands to bring attention back to what was important. "I will make arrangements for Alessandra, Heather, and me to attend this gathering. It is not one for women like us to miss."


    "Speaking of gatherings, I need to speak to you for a moment," Edgar stood from his seat. He was looking at his mother who he wanted to have a private conversation with.


    Prisci became suspicious of Edgar wanting to speak to her alone. "Is it about the cheating-"


    "Stop mentioning that. Do you wish to make her paranoid? I want to talk about something else. I should have gone home and enjoyed the peace," Edgar muttered under his breath as he left the table.


    "Excuse me," Prisci stood up to follow Edgar. First, he arrived at her home, only because Alessandra was here, but it was still a surprise. Secondly, he called her mother and now he wished to speak with her alone. Prisci pinched her hand to make sure this was real and she was not still in bed. "What is it?" She asked, feeling nervous.


    "Tomorrow morning, something about the former Baroness Katrina will hit the papers. I want you to gather your friends and talk about it. Speak about it around your servants so they will pass it around to other servants until it reaches Katrina''s servants. Do your best work to help it spread around quickly," Edgar said.


    "If there will be something about her in the papers, why do I need to gather my friends and talk about her? I have not given Katrina or her daughter a thought since they were going to spread rumors about Alessandra and the cook. I have to at least know your reasoning before I use my time to talk about Katrina," Prisci said since Katrina was old news. She was only getting a bit of sympathy because of what happened to Kate.


    "Katrina will close herself away from the town when the papers arrive at her home tomorrow. I don''t want that to be the end of her knowing the town is speaking about her. I want her servants to talk and spread whatdies are talking about her. I want her servants to fill her home with a constant reminder that her secret is out," said Edgar. He realized a moment ago how useful his mother would be in pissing off Katrina.


    "That is outright evil of you. Luckily, I enjoy gathering my friends to talk. I need to be given something for my hard work. A new bag will do for now."

 Chapter 503 Starting Over (3)

    ?


    The next day, in the early hours of the morning, Edgar walked down the stairs to collect the paper to see if his money was well spent.


    "Good morning Alfred," Edgar greeted the butler who stood reading the very paper Edgar was after.


    "Edgar! You are awake early. Do you have some business to tend to? Should I prepare the carriage right now?" Alfred asked. Edgar was only awake at these hours if he had somewhere to go which required a long travel. These were the hours when the servants started to feed the animals and prepare breakfast.


    "Did the cats scratch you?" Alfred inquired as he spotted a line of red marks on Edgar''s chest.


    "No," Edgar took the paper from Alfred. "That is the work of my wife. Feisty little thing she is. I''m not leaving home yet. I came down for the paper."


    Alfred sighed. "The next time I ask you a question, if the answer involves your privacy with Alessandra, please don''t tell me. As much as I care for both of you, there are some matters I do not wish to know about. The paper is quite odd today. News of a woman who slept and killed men is written bigger than news of the war at the border ending. What the town finds to be better news is ridiculous."


    "I have to disagree with you there Alfred. News about this woman is important. I haven''t wasted my money," Edgar said as he quickly read through what was written about Katrina. "They did a good job of hinting that the woman is here in Lockwood and gave a few ideas of who it could be. The reward for finding this woman should get the town motivated."


    "You did this? Who is thedy behind this?" Alfred asked, stepping closer to Edgar to look at the paper once more. It was hinted to be a well-knowndy with status, but then it mentioned the red-light district. "Why couldn''t there be peace so we could get over what happened with Simon?"


    "You''ve lived here long enough to know that there is never peace in Lockwood. This is about Katrina. I found valuable information about her two days ago. Money will get you all the answers you need. In three hours, portraits of what the woman in the paper looks like shall be handed out around the town. The town will not be peaceful, but for Alessandra, there will be one less headache. Enjoy the show," Edgar handed Alfred the paper.


    "I thought you were nning to leave the two alone," said Alfred. It was so long since he heard Edgar speak about Katrina. Alfred hated the woman for hurting Alessandra, but he also enjoyed that Alessandra and Edgar were focusing on the better things in life.


    "Nonsense. There were other people who I had to deal with first like Grant and William. Then Simon suddenly joined the list. Now all of my attention is on Katrina and Kate.Katrina will no longer be an issue by tomorrow evening. She will be joining our guest in the dungeon before I send her off to the court. She is not deserving of rotting in my dungeon. She will ruin Tobias''s. I am going to visit my guest to tell him the good news," Edgar said, walking away in the direction of the dungeon.


    "Keep an eye on Alessandra. She is bound to notice that I am no longer in bed ande looking for me. You know how my presence is missed."


    Alfred shook his head at Edgar''spliment to himself. "Is it really?" He whispered.


    Meanwhile, Edgar descended underneath his home to the dark halls that lead to his dungeon. It had been a while since he had someone before this guest. The person before them was his very own mother. Edgar whistled a tune to wake his guest.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    They were so loud when they were brought here that they could have woken Alessandra from her sleep. As always, after one night his guests would settle down. There was enough motivation in the dungeon to eventually make them silent.


    "Release me," Randall said without looking at Edgar. He sat in a corner where the light could not reach him. One foot was stretched out while the other was bent and his right hand was ced on top of it. "We were supposed to be working together."


    "Nothing about that has changed. You and I are still working together to expose the truth about Ida. I came to tell you that the little story you told me about her is in the paper this morning. A bit of money and learning that she was fucking the butler was all it took to get you to run your mouth," Edgar said.


    Randall clenched his fist, annoyed by how Edgar said it was only a bit of money. Edgar had offered him enough money that he could quit his businesses in the red light district and settle down somewhere. Randall had to work all his life while a man like Edgar was born into riches he could easily give away.


    "If we are working together, why am I here? You were supposed to give me the money and I would be on my way. You''re a liar and a cheat," Randall looked at Edgar. He understood why Katrina hated him so much.


    "Liar? The money is right there," Edgar pointed to a box full of the money Randall wanted. "I gave you the money and then I took you here. My part of the deal was finished. The money will remain there until you are ready for it.You will be in here for a few more days. Ida will want to see you-"


    "It is her that you want. Leave me the hell out of it and give me my money! I''ve done all that you''ve asked for so properly hold up your end," Randall said, slowly getting to his feet.


    "Fine," Edgar sighed, agreeing to what Randall wanted. "I shall have one of my guards ce the money in your cell.


    Randall''s eyes widened. "And let me go-"


    "That requires another deal between the two of us and unfortunately, you have no more use for me. I will let you out when the courtes to take you away," said Edgar.


    "Court?" Randall was puzzled by why the court woulde for him. "I have done nothing wrong. My businesses are no different from the other ones in the red light district. You must take the other owners too if the court is toe for me."


    "Did you think I wouldn''t look into your background once you told me about how you came to know Katrina? You deserve to rot for all the people you have taken advantage of. The young children who worked in your businesses. Katrina being one of them. You sat and talked about your obsession with her when she was merely a girl and expected I would forget about it," Edgar said, disgusted by the man before him.


    "The court will learn about you just as the town is learning about her. At the very least, she will have some justice in seeing her tormentor killed, but first, there is a punishment of removing what makes you a man. She shall get that satisfaction as she shares a cell near where you shall cry in pain. I would like to be a fly on the wall to see her now. As much as I would like to see the realization of your impending death hit you, I have a wife waiting for me."

 Chapter 504 Starting Over (4)

    ?


    On the other side of town, Katrina paced back and forth, waiting on the morning paper to be delivered. She tried her best to find out what Edgar was nning for her and stop it, but no one involved in the papers would speak to her no matter how much money she offered them. She could only wait to see what it was now since Edgar had stayed true to his word and ced his guards around her home to stop her from leaving town.


    Katrina had James send aint to the town guards to have Edgar''s men moved, but he was informed they were not on her property for the guards to do anything about it. Katrina had no way of getting help or sneaking off. She didn''t want to take the risk of sneaking off as Edgar would be waiting to drag her somewhere.


    Katrina believed she was safe in thefort of her home for now. Edgar could not step on hernd to take her anywhere. The guards would then have the power to stop him.


    "Is it here?" She frantically asked James who came inside with the paper in his hands. "Give it here," she marched over to him and snatched it from his hands. This was the moment of truth to see if Edgar had revealed who she was or if he was going to have his fun and drag this out to mess with her slowly.


    James remained silent as he had read the paper when he was walking back to the front door. It arrived when he went to inspect the garden. Katrina kept rambling about Edgar putting something in the papers and during their heated nights, she had told him about her life before Desmond. He was aware that the woman in the paper was her and since this was Edgar''s doing, the town would soon know.


    James found Edgar to be cruel to spread this news through the town instead of just taking it to the court. Alessandra now lived a life offort so why was there a need to keep toying with Katrina. First her husband, her face, and now this. Thest thing she was holding onto was her identity.


    James knew she was the viin in Alessandra''s story, but in Katrina''s own story, she was the victim. Katrina was a young woman whose beauty captured the eyes of men who used her to their liking. She simply had enough and gave those men what they deserved.


    The paper shook in Katrina''s hands as her body trembled. Edgar had not t-out said it was her but there were many hints pointing to her. Like her husband losing his title after his death, but all his wealth went to the scheming woman. There was mention of a red-light district and the woman seducing her then husband.


    What worried Katrina was the fact that the brother of one of the men she killed was in town, ready to identify any woman who resembled the one who took his brother''s life. Katrina changed her name, but her appearance was very much the same. He would easily identify her. In fact, he would identify her through Kate who was like a younger version of her.


    Katrina tried to hold back her anger to think of a solution, but she could not. "Ah!" She let out a frustrated scream as she started to rip the paper. "That fucking bastard!" She spat, referring to Randall who exposed her. They were meant to be business partners. "I should have killed him the moment he showed up at my door," she pushed her hair back out of her face, creating a messy appearance.


    From the moment she woke up, Katrina had a distraught look which the servants were not used to.


    Katrina ced her thumb in her mouth to start biting at the small nail. It was a habit she had not done since she was a child. "How am I to get out of this? The town will not be able to figure it out so easily, but Edgar will make sure they know it is me eventually. I need to get rid of him," she looked at James.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    James felt ufortable under her gaze. How was he supposed to help her out of this? He did not wish to get involved with her feud against Edgar. It was already hard to stomach that Mario''s blood was on his hands. A man who trusted him as a butler was long dead after Katrina had no use for him.


    James loved Katrina, but he was not as cruel as her when it came to these battles and getting rid of someone. He was far from being the man she needed to get rid of Edgar.


    "What should I do?" Katrina pleaded with James to give her a solution. At the moment, she could not think of a way to stop Edgar. She always had a way to dig herself out of any situation, but now, she found herself lost when she was in need of a grand idea. "Tell me something!" She yelled at James. Why was hepletely useless now?


    James looked at the floor to avoid her gaze. He had no way of helping her and she knew it too. Katrina just wanted someone to take her anger out on. She should have made ns to leave from the moment Edgar informed her of his ns. Katrina sat around in fear instead of making ns to get out of town before the news would hit.


    "Useless as always," Katrina said as James could not meet her eyes. She should not have kept him around for this long. He was nothing but a good fuck who ran his course a long time ago. "I suggest you think about a n for me because I will not go down alone. I will tell how you took advantage of me-"


    "You are not in the position to speak about being taken advantage of," James spoke up.


    Katrina gritted her teeth, angered by the fact he was already using what was in the papers against her. Katrina pped him across his left cheek to remind him of his ce. "I don''t care what position I am in now. Nothing will change the fact that your life is in my hands."


    "It wasn''t said to insult you. It is to let you know that I could walk out these doors right now and not be afraid of what you will tell anyone. Yet here I stand, like a fool awaiting your order," James answered.


    Katrina rxed, somewhat regretting that she had pped him. Since Desmond''s death, James was the one servant who was most loyal to her. "I cannot start over, James. I''ve spent too many years investing in the life I have built here with Kate. She has already suffered enough. How am I to make her run away from the one ce she has known as home?"


    "You won''t reach Edgar in time to stop what he has nned for you. You must find a way to leave with Kate. You will be taken away and Kate will be left alone if you remain here," James said, giving her the reality of her situation. Katrina could only run before the guards woulde knocking.

 Chapter 505 Hypocrite (1)

    ?


    "What is the use of trying to run away when my home is surrounded? There is no way-"


    "I will find a way," James said. There had to be a way for him to get Katrina out and then Kate would shortly follow after since it seemed like Edgar was only after Katrina right now. "You need to start gathering some money and a few dresses. Pack light so you can not be held back."


    Katrina looked around at her home full of countless items she spent money on. If she had to leave, she wanted to take it all. She did not want to leave not even a single painting behind. Everything she owned shoulde with her. "You must find a way to strip this house and bring everything that belongs to me. You and I can start over with Kate," Katrina touched his arms.


    Contrary to what she said, Katrina had little ns to take James with her and Kate once he found her a way out of this. She could only take care of herself and Kate. James did not have any money to offer her so they would never worry about food. She did not want to waste her money on an extra person.


    ''I have enough money to take care of me and Kate for a while. Kate can get married again far away from this town,'' Katrina thought.


    Kate was still of good age to get married again after her wound would heal. Katrina would find a good doctor out of town. "I will start to pack my belongings. Have my guards take a look at exactly where Edgar''s men are positioned and look for any openings I can use to get out of here with Kate. If I could, I would go see that bastard and kill him. How am I to tell Kate we must leave?" Katrina asked, worried about Kate''s reaction.


    "It is best if you tell her the truth. She will find out about it at some point. You mustn''t lie to her. She can take no more lies," James said as Kate''ste husband Simon had done enough lying. "I will start to pack for you while you speak with Kate. I will have the servants serve breakfast as usual so pleasee down in time. If there is any word about you from Edgar, I shall inform you right away."


    "Good. Life doesn''t need to feel like it''s going to shit right away. I want this morning to be as normal as possible for Kate while we pack. Get to packing quickly, James. At the first opportunity, Kate and I will leave-"


    "Would it work if we call the town guards to escort you and Kate out of the home? It is just a thought that came to mind now. The only issue is we have no clue if Edgar and the guards are working together. You must not go with the guards if we do not know who Edgar is working with, but the guards would be the best way to get you out of here if they are not with him. His men can not touch you when you are in the care of the guards," James said.


    If Edgar were to attack the guards to get to Katrina, it would be a fight between him and the guards who would be in the right to imprison the Duke.


    "I do not trust that Edgar is not working with them. He has allies everywhere. The pce, the court, and certainly those guards. They must all be working together to get me," Katrina said, sure of it. "I cannot get their help. Find two servant girls who can pass off for Kate and me. I have a n in mind."


    Katrina left James to get started on packing and find two servant girls for her. She was dreading having a conversation with Kate about what was happening now and about her past. She wished to keep her life before Lockwood from Kate so her daughter could live in bliss. Rather than have Kate hear twisted stories from anyone else, Katrina wanted Kate to hear the truth from her mouth now.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Katrina''s heart felt heavier the closer she got to Kate''s room. It was never her intention to let Kate know of her tainted background. Kate prided herself to be of good birth, but her mother''s side of the family was nothing but low lives. Far different from the life Katrina had as Baroness.


    Katrina took a deep breath as she now stood in front of Kate''s door. She hesitated at first, but then knocked on Kate''s door. "Kate," she said to let Kate know it was her. Kate hade straight to her room and locked herself inside the moment they returned from the court. Onlying out when it was time for food. Katrina refused to let her hide and not eat as a family.


    The door slowly opened and Kate poked her head out to look at her mother. "Is it time for breakfast already?" Kate asked.


    "No, I have something else to talk to you about. I aming in," Katrina said and then forced her way inside Kate''s room. When she entered, she was taken aback by the mess in Kate''s room. "What is happening here?" She turned to Kate. This room was tidy when they returned home.


    Kate looked at the mess she created in her room. The voice in her head would not stop talking. She fought hard to get rid of Simon, but he would always show up in her room with that daunting smile. She threw whatever her hands could reach to get him out of her room. "I am nning on throwing away a few things. I want to make my room look different," Kate lied.


    Kate did not wish to seem like a mad woman. Her mother was yet to understand what she goes through at night when she wants to sleep. She was not fine like her mother thought and it certainly was not easy to forget about Simon. To forget about the moment he ruined her face or her wedding night when she stumbled upon his parents. How was she supposed to move on like her mother wanted?


    Kate regretted not taking Be''s offer to use each other to move past this. Be was the only person who would not call her a madwoman because Be knew what it was like with Simon. Then there were the voices that would not stop mentioning Alessandra. Kate was tired and just wanted to close her eyes to take a long rest. She did not want to wake up and see Simon haunting her again.


    "What do you wish to speak about?" Kate asked, desperately wanting to speak about something else. "Do I need to go to the court again or is there a crowd outside?"


    "Neither. You''ve always been curious about my family. Why none of my rtives have nevere to visit us," Katrina said.


    Kate slowly nodded her head. Each time she asked about her mother''s family, she would get yelled at or told to not worry about those people.


    Katrina took Kate''s hand and led her to the bed to sit down. "I am going to tell you a story that I wanted to forget more than anything in the world. Please do not judge me after."

 Chapter 506 Hypocrite (2)

    ?


    "My family was poor. My father was always away working whatever jobs he could find and my mother worked as a maid. Life was a struggle back then as there were times when there wasn''t much to eat on the table. I thought that life could get no worse than that, but then my father left us. My mother had to try to take care of the two of us. I remember having a job picking berries for the couple she worked for. I was five when I started to work," Katrina said.


    Even now as she spoke about it, she remembered how tired her arms were then when she would pick the berries that the owners would eat with their breakfast. She was scolded when she tried to eat any.


    "The money from picking berries was taken by my mother. She said it would be used to buy food for us, but at dinner, there was still nothing for us to eat. I don''t know what she was doing then. I remember one day she came home with a messy appearance and ced a small bag of money on the table. Saying she had a new way to survive. She stopped working as a maid and would go out at night, returning with a lot of money."


    Kate was surprised to learn that her mother came from this life. How did someone with that background marry a Baron?


    "My mother had a habit of spending money faster than she was making it and in the end, we were left without anything when she had to pay back the people she owed. My mother was desperate and unable to care for both of us. She decided to sell me for just a hot meal," Katrina chuckled. It was funny that was what her mother thought she was worth.


    "Randall was the one who bought me. I was worth more than what he paid her but she happily handed me off to him. She filled her stomach and then told me to make a lot of money to take care of myself. I was too shocked to call for her to take me with her when she walked away. If I ever saw her again, I would have killed her. Filled her mouth with the food since she loved it so much," Katrina said, picturing herself doing just that.


    "Byw, I wasn''t of age to take any customers in the red light district. Children could only work cleaning or serving food. I did that for a few years while men bid money to be my first. Men like your father. Men who had daughters at home, but revealed their true nature to me. I had to be careful to not be alone with any of them. They would not miss the chance to take me and then pay Randall. Young girls who had never been with a man were sought after," Katrina exined.


    Kate felt ufortable hearing about this. She did not wish to know about what happened to young women in those businesses. She knew her father was not like those men.


    "The court likes to think nothing happens to children but they are wrong. I''ve seen girls, even boys I worked with, be harassed by those customers. They pleaded with Randall. Said there was no need to wait long since girls once married young. They spoke so much about wanting the age to marry to fall instead of rise. Randall always kept me close to him. Saying I would one day make him a lot of money with my beauty. I don''t know when, but at some point, he made up his mind that only he would have me. Called me to his room one day and said it was either him or take customers the next day like all the other girls. I did not want to be with those men so Iid with Randall."


    Katrina grabbed a handful of her dress as she remembered how painful the night was. It hurt more than her mother and father leaving her.


    A teary-eyed Kate squeezed her mother''s hands tofort her. "I''m so sorry."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I think I was fifteen by that time. After a few nights with Randall, I worried that he would get bored with me and I would have to serve those men. I wanted out of the red light district so I proposed to him that I would sleep with men of my choosing and steal whatever I could find when they were sleeping. Randall never wanted me to be with other men, but he let me do it after I begged. There were times when he wanted to make me happy. Like he believed we were in love," said Katrina.


    "I went after an Earl and returned with several of his rings. Randall could not believe it. He started to set me up with more men I pointed out and I earned money for him that way. That started to end one day when I entered the home of one of my customers while his family was away and saw the portraits of his family. His children did not know what it was like to suffer. They had it easy. On the second visit, I poisoned him and cleaned out everything valuable. Hiding a few items for myself."


    Kate was shocked to hear that her mother had killed someone. ''To take someone''s life. How could she?''


    "I really hated seeing those men with their children. It just pissed me off that this was what I had to be doing while those children grew up happy. I did it once more. I just remember after we finished having sex he threw money at me and told me to get out before his daughter woke up. How dare he," Katrina said, angered by the memory. "As I poured him a drink, he came behind me trying to have his way one more time, but I convinced him to drink."


    "He dropped dead before he could touch me again. I took what I could but made sure to wake his daughter before I left. Let her know what he was doing. That got Randall angry since I became wanted by the guards. I had to leave and I ended up here. I didn''t want to sell my body here where no one knew me. I wanted so much more."


    "I convinced Randall to help me find a man of status who I could marry and then dispose of to take his wealth. My real name was Ida. Randall used his connections with his customers to get rid of Ida and make Katrina. Put me in the right ce to meet-"


    "My father," Kate released her mother''s hand and stood up. "You were going to kill him."


    "I was," Katrina admitted. "Him and Alessandra who I would have to share his wealth with. Then I realised I could control him. Let him grow his wealth while I stole it. Along the way I had you. The greatest gift the world has ever given me," Katrina said, reaching out to hold Kate''s hand, but Kate stepped back from her mother. "Kate. Do not judge me. I was doing what was necessary to get a better life for myself."


    "Did you ever love my father?"


    asionally missing content, please report errors in time.

 Chapter 507 Hypocrite (3)

    ?


    "I did-"


    "I don''t know if I can believe you. You weren''t too shaken up about his death. It felt like I was the only one mourning him. Did you want me or was I just a part of your n?" Kate asked as she felt her mother only had a child so that her father would not leave too much money to Alessandra. He would have to split it between children.


    Katrina hesitated but she was here to bepletely honest with Kate. "I had you because it was what your father wanted and it helped me secure my spot as his wife. I could not wait around and let Mnie walk back into his life. I had a good opportunity so I took it. Regardless, I have always loved you, Kate. More than anything."


    Katrina stood up. "From the moment you came into this world, I had a new purpose-"


    "Shouldn''t it be from the moment you found out you were pregnant?" Kate argued. She didn''t like the feeling that she created so her mother could secure a spot as Baroness. She always believed that her parents were happy and in love. That was how she came into this world. Not this. "Why is there always something wrong with us now?" Kate muttered.


    First, the things she saw and heard with Simon, and now her mother was someone who killed men.


    "You''re a hypocrite," Kate said. It was the only word she could think of to describe her mother. "You''ve walked around talking about women who you deem to be beneath but you''ve sold your body to men. You''ve shamed women who are no different than you."


    Kate remembered her mother and friends turning their noses in the air at a woman who was well-known in the red-light district. A woman they hated for seducing their husbands. Kate had joined the group to talk negatively of the lowly woman. Was she supposed to chant those same words at her mother now or feel sorry for the woman? No one had any clue how that woman ended up in the red-light district.


    "I did," Katrina had no shame in admitting it. "I was a part of a different world from those women. Everything about the disgusting world was beneath it. It still is. I''ve done enough to pull myself away from that world. I am no longer Ida. I am Katrina, who for many years had status."


    "It still doesn''t change the fact that you criticized women you should have understood," said Kate.


    Katrina started tough as Kate was doing well with acting like a saint. "For all of the things you''ve said and done, you are calling out my actions? You lived a good life because I yed a role and hid my past. Make no mistake that you would not get to enjoy a good life as a Baron''s daughter if I had not lied. They would have taunted you. Say that you would be like me."


    Kate bit her lip. She would not like the town to know about her mother''s past. Not now or in the past when she was growing up. She would prefer to forget about this and believe that her mother had a good background. This would ruin her. "I will never be able to get married if this is found out," she said.


    Katrina looked away from Kate as that was exactly what was happening now. "Edgar knows about that life. Randall must have talked to him. We have to leave now before the guardse looking for me. We will run away-"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I do not want to run away with you. We will have nothing," Kate said, looking at her mother as if she lost her mind. If she couldn''t remarry, at least she would have the money Simon left behind. She was not going to leave without it. "For everything I''ve suffered, I should get Simon''s money. I will not run away with nothing."


    "I have some money put aside that should keep us safe for a while and then I will figure something out," Katrina promised.


    "You''ll sell your body again?" Kate asked, hoping it wasn''t what her mother intended to do. She could never live with herself if she let her mother do that to keep her fed.


    "No, I will find work if needed, but it is enough money that I will not have to think about working for a long time. We can settle somewhere and use the money to start a business. It will be just you and me where no one knows us and you can get married again. I know I must disgust you," Katrina softly spoke. "But I want the best for you Kate. I think of your safety more than my own. I always wanted you to have the life I did not have.


    "You do not disgust me," Kate replied. Her mother could never disgust her. She was just shocked to learn about her mother''s past and then be reminded of how they treated others. They were hypocrites, but Kate still loved her mother. Whatever she asked for her mother would try to have in front of her the next day. "I am sorry for my reaction. I should be hugging you right now. I just do not know what to make of myself right now. What to make of my life."


    Kate yed with her fingers. It helped to calm her thoughts. "Mother, do you think we are bad people? Honestly. You killed those men because they used you. What do you make of me and everything I have done?"


    Katrina walked up to Kate who did not back away this time and hugged her. She was denying it at first but she had noticed a change in Kate. She wanted her daughter to go back to normal. Perhaps it was best they left town so Kate would go back to normal. She wanted her proud daughter back. "You have done nothing wrong, Kate. I promise you."


    "Do you think Simon is my karma for how I treated Alessandra? That is what he says," Kate revealed.


    "What?" Katrina looked down at Kate. Kate had not hugged her back and just stood still. "Simon told you that? When?"


    "Last night. All he speaks of is Alessandra. I want it to stop," Kate replied. She did not wish to hear about Alessandra now when her life was falling apart. Simon knew this too which was why he kept mentioning Alessandra. Wanting to make her feel guilty for how she treated Alessandra.


    Katrina hugged Kate tighter. She did not wish to believe that Kate had lost her mind. "Simon is dead, Kate. He did not speak to youst night. Start packing a bag. When the time is right, you and I will leave here. I will have James bring our other things to us somehow. You will go back to normal," she promised.

 Chapter 508 Hypocrite (4)

    ?


    "Run Kate. They won''t be able to keep them distracted for long," Katrina said as she ran with a bag to the back of her home.


    Katrina sent out two maids with blonde hair dressed up as she and Kate in a carriage to distract Edgar''s men while she and Kate ran to the back to get away. There was a small space in the gates at the back for the two of them to slip out of.


    James had kept a watch out and noted that some of Edgar''s men at the side of the home started to move to the front of the gates to inspect who was in the carriage. Katrina had ordered her guards to follow beside the carriage to create trouble.


    Katrina felt relieved when they reached the gates and there was no one around. "Go out first and I will pass your bag afterwards," she instructed Kate.


    "I''m hurt," a voice to the right of them said. "For you to think the Duke and his men are so foolish to fall for that stunt. Take a step out and I will take you away," a man stepped into their view.


    Katrina panicked, seeing that there was someone there. She grabbed Kate and pulled her before she could try squeezing through the small space.


    "The Duke is not ready for the two of you to leave this ce yet. You shall know when it is time. Here," he held out a paper he had folded up to Katrina.


    Kate took it in ce of her mother. She quickly opened it and when she saw what it contained, her mouth fell. "Mother," Kate showed the drawing. It was a portrait which resembled Kate. It was the wanted poster for her mother because of the men she had killed. ''Why did he draw me and not my mother?'' Kate panicked. She had nothing to do with the men her mother killed.


    Katrina took the paper from Kate and stared at it in disbelief. The town would mention Kate''s name at first, but then they would consider the year she had killed those men and know it was her.


    "I suggest you go back inside. That drawing was scattered all over town. Even a dog would recognise you when you walk."


    Katrina red at the man who stopped their escape. If he was not here, she and Kate might have had a chance to get a carriage and put some distance between themselves and the guards who were bound toe after her. "Go back inside," Katrina softly spoke.


    The only thing she could do now was have her guards stop anyone froming inside to take her. Katrina picked up the bag Kate had dropped to start going through the space in the gates and turned around to go back to her home. She should feel angry, but deep inside, Katrina was d she would not be leaving her home.


    She longed to have a home for many years and she could not easily let it go. Edgar or the guards would have to kill her to get her out of it.


    "Mother!" Kate ran behind Katrina. She was still hopeful that there would be a way to get out of there. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "My past has nothing to do with you, Kate. They are after me, not you. If anyonees to take me, stay out of the way and gather our things. I will have James start to pack all our belongings. Take them and travel far to the countryside to settle down-"


    "No!" Kate eximed, not liking her mother''s n. "I am not going to leave without you. There has to be a way for us to get out of here together."


    "There isn''t," Katrina replied. This was Edgar''s doing after all. He was not going to let her get away. "I have to make sure you are taken care of first. I will give James money to take care of you. Do not argue with me about this Kate. It''s inevitable. I should have worked with William to get rid of Edgar. Come, I must tell you where to go when you are finished packing."


    Kate did not want to go along with her mother''s ns. She did not want to leave alone while her mother had to pay for something she did a long time ago, but there was nothing more she could do. If they tried to force their way through the gates, they would have to fight off Edgar''s men and be taken to be punished by Edgar for how they treated Alessandra.


    "I wish to have a normal day like the ones before Simon. You and I are sitting around together and then enjoying dinner," Kate said. She held back her tears as her crying would cause her mother to cry. She was still Marchioness at the moment and if anyone were toe to take her mother away, she would use whatever power her title gave her to help her mother.


    Kate walked up to her mother and took her to bag. She held her mother''s free hand so they could walk back inside together with their heads high. Kate feared her mother would do the worst since her world was crumbling. "You must promise me not to hurt yourself," she whispered. She could not lose both parents.


    "I would never make you go through that," Katrina promised, but jumping from the roof filled her mind. She could never allow Edgar to feel like he had won, but at the same time, with what was happening with Kate, she knew Kate''s mind would never be the same if she were to find her dead.


    Katrina squeezed Kate''s hand as they walked back. She loved her daughter more than escaping facing ridicule and punishment. She would not be like her mother, taking the easy way out and leaving her daughter. Katrina would n for Kate to be able to settle down out of Lockwood and have an easy life where she would not need to turn to men for help.


    James frowned, seeing that Katrina and Kate had not gotten away. He noticed the defeated look from Katrina and Kate on the verge of crying.


    "James, tell the guards to not let anyone in. I need to have a word with you privately. Leave us be for now Kate," Katrina released Kate''s hands. She needed to make sure that James would take care of Kate in her absence. It was embarrassing how she wanted to kill him, but now he was the only person she could lean on for help right now.


    "I will start to pack my things," Kate excused herself. Out of sight of her mother, she started to cry. She wanted time to go back so they would have left this town the moment she had left the court. No, they should have been out of town before she thought of marrying Simon.


    "There is no way for me to get out of here. The guards or Edgar wille for me. Besides you, there is no one that I can trust to leave Kate with. I will pay you whatever you ask to get her far out of Lockwood. Find her a home and teach her how to survive on her own. You don''t need to stay with her forever just¡­" Katrina covered her face with her hands. She did not want anyone to see she was losing. "Just keep my daughter safe for me please."

 Chapter 509 Nothing Alike (1)

    ?


    "From the moment I woke up, you have been smiling. Why are you so happy? What have you done, Edgar?" Alessandra asked, suspicious of Edgar''s behavior. He was walking around smiling andughing about something. She saw him go to the door and look out the window as if he was waiting for something or someone to arrive.


    Alessandra loved to see Edgar smiling and being happy, but there were many times when this smiling meant he was up to no good.


    "It is just a good day," Edgar replied. He tapped his fingers on the table, wanting time to hurry up. It was only a matter of time before Katrina would be on her way here.


    "I do not believe that there is no other reason why you are smiling to the point your jaw will start to hurt you. Whatever it is, I want no part of it," Alessandra said in the early. She was enjoying the peaceful day and did not want it to be disturbed.


    "What I am smiling about has everything to do with you."


    Alessandra frowned and felt more concerned about what Edgar was doing. "No, it doesn''t," she said.


    "It does. Trust me, you will like it when it happens. Right in time, Alfred. Is there any good news from the town?" Edgar asked.


    "No, I''m afraid you have a guest. Your father is at the gates and he wishes to speak with the two of you. He said he will not leave until he sees you," Alfred repeated the message given to him.


    Edgar''s excitement disappeared. He was not interested in speaking to his father. The man disappeared right after his marriage was over, got back with his old lover, and now wanted to show up on his steps to speak to his son. "Ignore him," Edgar replied. "Don''t," he warned Alessandra before she could tell him to go outside.


    "I was not going to tell you to let him in. Believe it or not, I am actually happy that your father got you to stop smiling. It was starting to creep me out. Now I know why others get scared when you start to smile. Alfred, I have a few paintings I would love ced around the home. Can you help me pick out a few spots on the walls for them? And have you heard from the artist who will do our family portraits?" Alessandra asked as she stood up.


    It was Edgar''s turn to be suspicious of Alessandra. "Are you sick? Why aren''t you asking me to meet with my father?"


    "I''ve kind of had enough of speaking with parents. In a strange turn of events, it is only your mother who I wish to speak to. And I do not see why your father would want to speak to me now. I cannot recall thest time I spoke to him and he has not made an effort to reach out to us for thest month. We had no idea where he was and now when there is a conflict about his birthday he shows up. I cannot take this," Alessandra sighed and started to walk away.


    "It is not just me who sees that she has started to get annoyed quickly as the days go by right?" Edgar said, still taken aback by Alessandra.


    "The Duchess just does not have the patience to be annoyed these days. She is like her husband. Excuse me, Edgar. I must tell her about the artist and aid her with putting up the paintings. I intend to change up the house to give it a new look as spring ising. The painters are alsoing today to paint over the baby''s room. You and Alessandra still need to pick out a color. Excuse me," Alfred said as he needed to catch up with Alessandra.


    Edgar watched Alfred practically run to catch up with Alessandra. Once upon a time ago, Alfred would only be running around behind him. "He forgets how old he is," Edgar muttered, getting to his feet to deal with the nuisance at his gates.


    Edgar truly did not wish to speak with his father, but he would get the conversation over with. There was something he had to confirm with Edmund. He had given his mother a second chance so it was only fair he had one conversation with his father. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Edgar left thefort of his home and walked down to the gates where his father''s carriage awaited him. Edmund had to count himself lucky that Edgar was not in the mood to have him waiting outside for days before deciding to speak to him. Since his attention had to be on Katrina and Kate, Edgar wanted this small talk to be over with.


    "Don''t open them," Edgar ordered the guard who controlled the gates. He was willing to speak, but it did not mean that he wanted Edmund on hisnd.


    "You will have your father outside like a stranger," Edmund said, exiting the carriage to speak with Edgar. "It is because of me that you have this home."


    "Odd. I remember grandmother being the one to pass it down to me," Edgar replied.


    "At my request. I hear that you have been visiting your mother. That is quite a surprise. I didn''t think there would be a day the two of you get along. Especially with her hating your wife. How is Alessandra by the way? Did she convince you toe outside to speak with me?" Edmund figured she was the only reason Edgar woulde speak to him so soon.


    "She didn''t. I came out on my own to get this over with. Why are you here now? After weeks of no one knowing where you were?" Edgar asked.


    Edmund smiled. "You were looking for me? Had I known I would have returned earlier. My birthday ising up and I am told you were sent invitations, but no word came from your end."


    "Here is the difference between me and you. You cannot invite me somewhere and not my wife, but then expect me to show up. I have too much love for my wife to let her be so disrespected. If you were the same, you would still be married," Edgar replied.


    "I can send Alessandra an invite-"


    "We''ve already made up our minds not to attend," Edgar quickly turned down the offer. "We shall have our own dinner with mother. You''ve got your little happy ending so you should be satisfied. Answer me honestly. Are you with that woman?"


    Edmund frowned and for a moment, he avoided Edgar''s gaze. "We''ve talked. That situation has nothing to do with you. It is between your mother and me."


    "You had themon sense to do so much for the kingdom and yet you''ve never been able to understand why I have no respect for you. She will be there at the party, won''t she?" Edgar asked though he already knew the answer.


    It would be a p in the face to Prisci for Edmund to be seen with his old lover. The woman he was rumored to have loved from the beginning.


    "You''ve done more than talk to her. Not even a monthter and you''re already back in her arms. If you want to be with her, fine, but stop her from trying to approach my wife and mother. She has no reason to seek them out when she has you," Edgar said.

 Chapter 510 Nothing Alike (2)

    ?


    "Edgar, you do not understand-"


    "I understand perfectly. You''re going to give the same story of her being your first love and grandfather forcing you to marry my mother. We''ve heard this perhaps a thousand times and I have long been bored of it from the first time it was told. Enjoy your birthday with her. I shall not be attending nor will my wife or Alfred. Happy birthday. Save that and remember it when the dayes," said Edgar.


    There would be no letter or surprise visit on his father''s birthday.


    Edmund could not understand Edgar. "Your mother is the one who almost got Alfred killed. Your driver died because of her jealousy. She disliked your wife and tried everything she could to have other youngdies bully Alessandra. Yet you''ve forgiven her only to remain hostile toward me. My rtionship should not have you so angry."


    "Mother did not just jump back into my good graces. We needed time apart. You''ve been away long so you are not aware that mother and Alessandra have be quite close. They have something to bond over recently. It is annoying, but it allowed me to see the soft side of mother. A side that was rare to see in my youth," Edgar replied.


    "You wish to know why I am angry with you. Well for starters, you had a hand in fucking up my childhood. Painted the idea that marriage was nothing but a joke. Do whatever you must to get it into that woman''s head that I only have one mother. I clearly remember her visits when mother was out of the house and the things she imed were going to happen. You were the kingdom''s savior by trying to make it safer, but at home, we had to deal with your shit," Edgar said, annoyed by just the thought of it.


    Edgar continued to say, "I equally disliked you and mother for years for different reasons. I only spoke to you because you were the one who knew to back down and stop being pushy. Why am I not thrilled to see you now? I''m certain grandmother told you about her issues with Alessandra. She had to have told you something about why Alessandra would not be invited to your dinner."


    Edmund sighed. He never expected his mother, who once spoke so highly of Alessandra for getting Edgar to marry, would be at odds with the young woman. "She spoke of it briefly that Alessandra was not following her instructions. That is why I am here to make things right and have Alessandra attend my dinner."


    Edgar chuckled, amused by how his father thought he could just swoop in and save the day now. "Alessandra and grandmother have not spoken to each other for over a month now. You''re a littlete with trying to make things right. Did you think you coulde here, wave around an invitation, and we''d attend? I don''t care to attend and though you might not believe it, neither does Alessandra."


    "You had more than a month to show up and y peacemaker. You did what you do best. Stay quiet instead of speaking up to your mother-"


    "When have you ever wanted my help, Edgar? You speak so highly of never needing your mother or my help. How was I supposed to know you wanted my help? You hardly speak to me," Edmund answered. He had to learn about the riff between Alessandra and Rose from everyone but Edgar. "You nevere to me and ask for help so I never think you need it."


    "You are my fucking father," Edgar reminded Edmund of the role he forgot about many times. "You should care enough to try fixing it without me having to ask. You show up here the day before thinking it would all be fixed now. You have not changed one bit. You are still the same man who could speak loudly about what the kingdom needs, but stay silent when ites to defending your family."


    "You are a coward who will not speak up to his mother most likely because she is helping to clean up that woman''s image so your reputation will not be damaged. The timing of your birthday and her being surrounded by Collins works so well for the two of you," said Edgar.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "This has nothing to do with my reputation, Edgar. I simply wished to have the woman I loved and my son around. I apologize for not thinking ahead to speak with my mother in regard to your wife. You care for your grandmother and likewise, so I did not think I needed to step in until now that it has gotten so far to the point Alessandra isn''t invited. I''m sorry," Edmund sincerely apologized.


    "I had my own issues to deal with-"


    "You hardly loved your wife and finally got divorced. I don''t see why that troubled you so much that you went into hiding. Admit it. You were ashamed that your rtionship with that woman became public and talk of that being the reason for your sudden divorce overshadowed all that you have done for the kingdom. You''vee back trying to think of how to clear the negativity. I will not be anywhere near that woman to help you. Go home," Edgar advised his father.


    "Edgar," Edmund walked closer to the gates. "I came here to have a proper conversation with you. To clear the air and start over. Just as you have done with your mother."


    "No, you''ve already admitted toing here to offer Alessandra an invitation," Edgar said as he was not going to fall for Edmund''s lies. "Don''t change your words now because you feel guilty. You know I hate it when someone tries to y in my face. Alessandra and I are not going to attend so the town can assume I''ve epted that woman as your new partner. You will not use us. If I am anywhere near that woman I might just sew her lips shut as I am still annoyed by the things she said in my youth."


    Edgar looked at the guard who was watching the exchange. "You have my order to attack if he does not get off mynd in the next hour. He is not wee here."


    "I am not on yournd," Edmund said, walking back to the stone area where his carriage was parked.


    "If you paid attention to me, you would know that I had my gates moved from the edge of mynd so I can deal with fools like you. You are still on mynd and I am within my right to attack. Go back and have the family you have always wanted. Perhaps then you would make an effort to stop being so cowardly," said Edgar.


    Edmund was beyond annoyed by Edgar''s irritated behavior. "You point fingers at me, but you never defended your mother-"


    Edgar pinched the bridge of his nose. "She''s not my fucking wife. I didn''t need to defend her from her mother-inw. You did. I did remind babbling fools like yourself that she was not to me for your failing marriage. I had to warn rtives to be careful with their tongue when they mentioned your love only going to that woman while you sat silent and bought mother gifts to calm her anger."


    "Mother has her moments that I cannot stand, but at least she has acknowledged her mistakes. You still ce yourself as the victim because you could not marry the woman you loved. Mother was also arranged to marry you and put up with the fact that there was another woman in your life. I do not hear her whining about it when I am near her, but you continue to use it as an excuse for your actions. Leave in an hour or I shall send your head to grandmother," Edgar turned to walk back to his home.

 Chapter 511 Nothing Alike (3)

    ?


    "If you walk away from me now, it will keep this strained rtionship between us, Edgar. I am at the point in life when I will not continue to fight to be around my son. I have apologized to you enough and tried to make up for how much I made life difficult for you and your mother. It is my time to be happy and I do not wish for you to miss out," said Edmund.


    Edgar stopped walking and turned to face his father. "Alessandra is pregnant," he revealed, watching the shock ster across his father''s face. "I will not be the one missing out on happiness. You can do what you want with your life. I''ve long not cared about what you do with your life."


    Edmund could not get words out at first. "You would take away your child''s time with their grandfather?" He asked. "Alessandra''s father is dead. I am their only grandfather. You must not steal that away."


    "They already have a grandfather on my side. Alfred is quite active in my life and involved in preparing for their arrival. They shall not be around you because you have greatly annoyed me with your silence and they will not be around that woman because I dislike her," Edgar answered.


    "So, I am not meant to be happy?" Edmund asked. He did not know if he could give up Cassidy again. Edgar was cing him in a tight spot to pick between being around his grandchildren or the woman he had loved from the very beginning.


    "There were better ways for you to deal with your marriage and then one day going back to the woman you loved or objecting to in the beginning so my mother would not have wasted her youth with you. I don''t care if it means I would not exist. I will never agree with you running around with her behind mother''s back with that woman. You should have been clear that she would never have your heart. I told you to be happy. It is just that I will not be near you," Edgar replied, turning around to go back to his home.


    There was nothing more he wished to discuss with his father. The rtionship between his father and Cassidy irked him because he had a few run-ins with the woman when he was a young boy that he would never forget. Cassidy''s constant visits to their home to tell his mother about her and Edmund were a part of the reason why he was sent off to school. The other half was that his mother did not have the time to care for him.


    Edgar was never one to get involved in his parent''s messy rtionship and though he distanced himself from them both as he grew up, he couldn''t help but feel sorry for his mother and side with her when it came to this. Perhaps he was a mother''s boy all along. Though he didn''t have the best rtionship with his mother in the past, he was around her more than his father who practically lived in the pce and court in the past.


    "Why are the two of you spying on me?" Edgar asked as he entered the front door, finding Alessandra and Alfred standing by the window, pretending they weren''t watching him when he came inside. "Your ears must hurt from trying to hear what was being said at the gates."


    "We were trying to find you and were told that you went outside. How did the talk go?" Alessandra asked, curious as to whether or not Edgar was back on good terms with his father.


    The rtionship between father and son was odd. Sometimes Edgar and Edmund spoke casually, but then there were times full of animosity. She was aware of the fact Edgar wasn''t for his father being with Cassidy and Prisci had informed her of Edmund possibly being with Cassidy again. Alessandra didn''t know where this would put Edgar and Edmund.


    "He came to offer you the invitation to his dinner but I declined it. We had not seen or heard from him in weeks and what he decided to talk to us about is his party. There have been many other things that require his attention. That woman will be at the dinner. She can only be there since grandmother all of a sudden epted her," Edgar said, closing the door behind him.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ''This has to be Rose doing this to hurt Prisci,'' Alessandra said to herself. If only Rose knew that Prisci was not sitting around thinking about how to hurt Rose. Rose was going out of her way to hurt a woman who had mentally checked out of being a part of the Collins family the moment she asked for a divorce. ''Is this what I have to look forward to should Edgar and I ever divorce?''


    "I will not stop you if you wish to speak to my father, but I will not be anywhere around him while he is involved with that woman."


    Alessandra noted how Edgar refused to say Cassidy''s name. She wished to know more about Edgar''s anger toward Cassidy which she figured had more to do with just the fact Cassidy was Edmund''s lover. "Since I am close to Prisci these days, it would be a p in the face for me to be anywhere near Cassidy right now. Besides, I don''t want to be in the middle. I will leave that to you, their son."


    Alessandra found it easier to be around Prisci as opposed to Edmund because they could bond over the child. Alessandra couldn''t think of what she and Edmund could possibly talk about. When she first met Edmund, she was certain he liked her, but his visits stopped after Jennifer''s death, and she had never seen him when she left home.


    After all the stories she had heard, Alessandra still was not sure what to make of Cassidy. She understood Cassidy and Edmund using this chance to finally be together. However, she also thought of Cassidy following Prisci around to ask about Edmund''s whereabouts. Alessandra couldn''t ce if Cassidy was truly desperate as she did not know where Edmund was or if she was doing this to ridicule Prisci.


    Alessandra didn''t have any other interactions with Cassidy since the day she found out she was pregnant, to know what the woman''s intentions were. Wouldn''t it have been better to have sought out Edgar than Prisci back then? Cassidy must view Prisci as the one who stole her lover, but Prisci was just a youngdy whose parents wanted her to marry Edmund.


    "If your father proposes that the two of you can meet without Cassidy around, would you?" Alessandra asked. If Edgar could view Prisci as his mother again, there was a chance for Edmund.


    "Perhaps," Edgar honestly answered. He was annoyed with his father now for waiting sote to reach out to them in regards to what happened with Rose and only to offer an invitation to a party that was more of a show than a celebration. Edgar could not have been the one to reach out to Edmund first since he had no knowledge of where his father ran off after his divorce.


    "Well, all hope is not lost for your father then. I feel we will be expecting another visit from him soon. You can go back to whatever you were plotting earlier, Edgar. Alfred and I will go back to my paintings," Alessandra said and then attempted to leave, but she felt someone grab her hand.


    "Why would I let Alfred get all your time? I will join the two of you," Edgar held her hand so they could walk together.

 Chapter 512 Taken (1)

    ?


    "It''s gettingte," James said, closing the front door. He returned from making a trip to the gates to see if the town guards had paid a visit at any point. Strangely, they had not. "Why haven''t theye? Surely all the talk in the town should have made theme to inspect Katrina, but they have note. They must be working with Edgar."


    James went to the window to look out the sun going down and the pathway to the gates slowly lighting up. There was a small crowd outside asking about Kate and Simon then there were some asking if the woman in the paper was Kate or Katrina. Mother and daughter could not get a break.


    James worried that as the town got darker and quieter Edgar would make a move to get Katrina. The woman was already prepared for anything that could happen tonight or the day after. She spent the day focusing on making sure Kate would be taken care of if something were to happen to her.


    ''No one can deny that she loves her daughter,'' James sighed. It was unfortunate that they were in this position of not knowing if they would have to say goodbye for a long time.


    Kate and Katrina were both on edge since aside from the small crowd outside, it had been too silent from Edgar''s end, the court, and the guards. All of this information was spread around with a portrait which pointed to Katrina, but no one made a move to take her. At this point, the silence was making Katrina paranoid since she could not figure out what was happening to be able to plot something.


    James left the window and went to the dining room where Katrina already sat. She had a paper in front of her on which she endlessly wrote something.


    "James, why are you walking around looking so depressed? It is not you who has to worry about what is toe," Katrina said without looking up at him. She could imagine how he looked now without having to see it with her own eyes. The man always cared too much. He was more concerned about what was toe than she was.


    "I came to say the dinner will be served in an hour as normal. The servants will need to clear the table before then so if you don''t mind," James replied.


    Katrina sighed. "I suppose I have sat here long enough. I will be out of their way shortly. Where is Kate?" She looked around for her daughter. Kate had surprisingly gone back to acting like nothing was wrong. Spending the day like she normally would in the past talking about dresses. "I will go see her for a moment," she stood from her seat.


    "Thest I saw her, she was in her father''s study, but it seemed like she was going back to her room right after," James replied.


    "What could she have possibly wanted from that room? That girl must still be looking for a way for the two of us to get out of here. I told her there is none. I''d like for Edgar to just drop dead so I can feel like I have notpletely lost. Keep an eye on the gates," Katrina said as she walked off to find Kate.


    Katrina started to make her way to Kate''s room, but on her way there, she heard soundsing from Desmond''s old study. She figured Kate might not have returned to her room like James thought. "Kate!" She called out to her.


    After receiving no response, Katrina became suspicious of who was in the room. It could be a servant digging around to find something of value before running away. Katrina hadn''t missed some of the concerned looks from the servants who worried about their jobs.


    All of them knew what was being said in the town as some came from their homes in town at different hours to start working. Two were already fired for whispering rumors about her.


    Katrina entered the room, expecting to find a servant, but it was Kate. "Kate, didn''t you hear me call you? Why have you made a mess in this room?"


    Just like Kate''s bedroom, Desmond''s study was now a mess with books shattered all over the floor and furniture pushed around.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Mother, wasn''t there a secret space in father''s room where he hid his cigars from you?" Kate asked, continuing to rummage around the room.


    "There was, but I could not find it. Please don''t tell me you are resorting to smoking. It does not suit ady like yourself-"


    "No! It might be a big enough space that when the guardse you can hide in it. They won''t be able to find you and take you away. They will think that you''ve somehow managed to run away and while they are distracted, we can finally leave," Kate revealed her big n. She only needed to find the space for her mother to hide.


    Katrina didn''t share Kate''s excitement about the n. "Kate-"


    "What are you doing here?"


    Katrina turned around after hearing the faint sound of James seemingly yelling at someone downstairs. She listened carefully, trying to make out what was happening, but could not make out anything more. "What now-"


    "No," Kate grabbed her mother''s arm. Why would her mother go down there now when people wereing to take her away to be questioned? "You must hide," she said.


    Katrina removed Kate''s hold on her. "I am not going to hide in my own home, Kate. I was just down there with James. It could not be the guards. I hope it is not rk," she muttered as rk would take this opportunity to try getting something for himself. "I have to see who it is. You should stay here."


    "No, I aming too," Kate decided. She could not let her mother go alone. She needed to be right by her mother''s side to defend her if anyone was there for her. Kate didn''t know how she was going to help her mother, but she had to try anything when the moment came.


    Katrina was hesitant to let Katee with her because of the weird look she was getting from Kate. Kate looked like she would be unable to stay still if Katrina asked her to be and Kate kept ying with her fingers which Katrina now noticed were full of bite marks. However, she had no time to waste trying to make Kate stay here.


    Katrina left the room, followed closely by Kate whose nerves grew with each step she took.


    "You cannot be here! You are forbidden to enter someone''snd!"


    Katrina heard James'' voice more clearly as she started to walk down the stairs. It was evident from his tone that this wasn''t the town guards. It had to be someone James was familiar with because the guards would have every right to step on hernd at a time like this.


    "You!" Katrina''s eyes widened when she entered the dining room and saw the number of people surrounding James. "What the hell are you doing in my home!"

 Chapter 513 Taken (2)

    ?


    Reed turned to face Katrina who was the star of the day. He was ced with a special task of bringing her to Edgar''s estate so she could join Randall. "The Duke is ready for you. Let''s not try to put up a fight. I have ns that I cannot miss in an hour. Come quietly and save yourself the trouble."


    Katrina gritted her teeth, angered by the sight of the man who was normally behind Alessandra. "How dare you break into my home-"


    "We didn''t break into your home," Reed rified before Katrina could get ahead of herself. "Well, not exactly," he added since there were a few things he needed to break to get inside. "That''s not important right now. Juste with us or your little lover here will be hurt."


    "People have seen you forcefullye through her gates. The guards here will alert the town guards of what you''ve done," James said, continuing to fight against the man who was holding him down.


    "We didn''te through the front gates or the back. All of you seemed to forget that the Duke''s wife once lived here. She knows a lot of secrets about this home. Perhaps more than you since the two if you did not use that entrance to get out of here," said Reed.


    Reed was not sure when but Edgar had let it slip to Alessandra that he had Katrina''s home surrounded and was waiting to take her. He was waiting for night when he was hoping Katrina would try to run away so he could take her. Edgar did not want to create a big scene by fighting his way inside Katrina''s home. His men surrounding it were already gaining a lot of attention.


    Alessandra then revealed to Edgar that he could use a hidden path to get inside. Alessandra wasn''t certain what the path was created for, but she recalled ying with it as a child. She identally found it when she was bored and was exploring the home. There used to be a small crack in the door she could squeeze through when she was young and after a long walk, she ended up in a small grassy area.


    Her travels through the path stopped when she stumbled into Desmond. Alessandra recalled how furious he looked to see her there. He wasn''t happy to see that someone had discovered the path he made for himself. She was warned to nevere back or tell Katrina about it. Alessandra didn''t listen and after returning to the path, she found it sealed up.


    "Your sly husband had a secret path down in the cer where he kept his wines. A door that took so much effort to break open. It leads a little bit outside yournd. I wonder why he needed a secret entrance. Hiding secret businesses or maybe he moved around a mistress while you slept," said Reed.


    Katrina didn''t believe in a secret path. She would have known about it by now. "You''re lying to me," she said, believing they had fought with her guards at the gates. Desmond wasn''t smart enough to hide something like that from her.


    Kate, on the other hand, believed Reed''s words. She remembered when her father would speak of going to get a wine, but then he would lock himself in the cer for hours. She used to stay close to him because she wanted his attention and would sit outside the cer waiting for him. Kate would eventually get bored of waiting and run off elsewhere to y until he was finished. ''Why would he need to be so secretive?'' She wondered.


    "I have no reason to lie to you and I also have no reason to exin that path to you any further. The point is, we''re inside and you need toe with us. Edgar didn''t specify if I had to bring you alive or dead. Run and it will be thetter," Reed said, looking at the men who came with him, giving them the signal to take her.


    Kate stepped in front of her mother to block the men from touching her. "If my mother needs to be punished, the guards-"


    "The court has allowed Edgar to do as he pleases before he must hand her over to the guards. Why do you think with all the shit that is being said in town, no one hase for you? Did you think the guards would overlook it? I''m tired of this," Reed snapped his fingers.


    From the crowd of men, three moved to grab Katrina and Kate.


    Katrina panicked and pushed Kate to the side to get her out of the way. This had nothing to do with Kate. They should not take her daughter. "I wille willingly-"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Mother!" Kate yelled as one of the men covered her mother''s face with a rag and her mother''s body slowly rxed. Before Kate could make a move to help her mother, she was grabbed and just like her mother, there was something ced on her face. "You cannot do this¡­" her voice trailed off as her eyes closed.


    Reed waited for a few seconds until Kate''s body was still. He went to where she was lying on the floor and picked up the rag. He gave it a sniff and looked away immediately to get a good breath of fresh air as his head instinctively felt light. On the rag was a strong concoction to make someone pass out.


    "The world is bing dangerous with all these new weapons," he said, handing the rag off to someone. He already felt lightheaded and wanted to return. ''Why the fuck did I smell that?''


    "Do not touch her!" James yelled when the man who had done something to Katrina, bent down to pick her up.


    "Edgar didn''t mention anything about you, but I say we should take you," Reed said, looking down at James. James would be a nuisance to Edgar if they left him here. "Leave the daughter. We are only here for the mother, but bring the butler too."


    James struggled to get free from the person holding him down. He only needed to make it to the door and yell out what had been done here.


    "Stay still."


    A raging close to his face was thest thing James saw before his sight went dark.


    "Ugh," James groaned as he started to wake up. He rolled around on a surface with had something sharp stabbing him in his stomach when he moved. He heard something scurry the moment he moved. "Where," he opened his eyes and immediately noticed what looked to be a cell door.


    "Good. One of you is awake. It''s been getting a bit boring waiting. Reed, how much did you pour on the rag?" Edgar turned to the said man leaning against a wall. It was because of Reed and the men who followed him that Edgar had to wait hours for someone to wake up.


    He was starting to believe the two people Reed brought were dead.


    Reed''s response to probably using too much when an hour passed and no one had woken up was simply, "Problem solved."


    "It was a small amount that they should be awake by now. Since the butler is up, she should soon wake," Reed nced at Katrina whoid on the dirty floor of her new home.


    "You," James tried to reach out to Edgar, but his body felt sluggish.


    Edgar didn''t see why Reed brought along James, but since he was here, this would serve as a nice wake up call for the butler who thought he was in love.

 Chapter 514 Taken (3)

    ?


    "Throwing water to wake them might help," Reed suggested.


    "We mustn''t be rude to our guests," Edgar said, watching James start to sit up. "If you have somewhere you need to be, leave. Hearing you tap your fingers repeatedly is annoying me."


    Reed pushed himself off the wall, happy to leave, but before he could leave Edgar said, "If the ce you have to be is with my wife''s friend Eleanor, keep your ass here."


    Reed folded his lips and went back to where he stood before. "You''re an ass. Are you to be the only one who has a woman?"


    "No, but I still get annoyed you and your brother had to go after the women around my wife. Luckily, there is no one for Clyde and Andre to go after. Wake up faster before I am tempted to throw water on you," Edgar said to James.


    "Why am I here?" James softly spoke as he rested against a wall. He had nothing to do with Edgar and Katrina''s issues. He was simply the butler.


    "There was a point in time when you should have distanced yourself from her. Your urges blinded you and now here you are. I wonder if your rtionship with her started when Desmond was alive or did you jump into her bed right after?" Edgar taunted.


    "I have never slept with her-"


    "Ohe on," Edgar replied, not interested in lies at this point. "Everyone with a pair of eyes sees it. You said you saw it right away, Randall."


    "Don''t speak to me," Randall said as Edgar should have released him by now. He should have never been brought here in the first ce. He did not want to speak about Katrina and her butler.


    James looked at the cell opposite him and saw Randall sitting down. ''Katrina was right. It was Randall who exposed her. Now look at him.''


    James wished to get up and punched the man for ruining everything. All because he could not get Katrina he did this. Now they could all die.


    "Am I to believe you do not have a rtionship with her when you are looking at Randall like you would kill him if I were to open the doors and let you? Do you really love her?" Edgar asked, genuinely wanting to know. He''d bet Alfred that Katrina did not share the same feelings.


    "That has nothing to do with you," James snapped at Edgar. He was just as angry with Edgar as he was with Randall. "You''ve gone too far to take her instead of letting the guards do their job."


    "Hmm. What do you think of my wife now, James? Do you hate her? Given your love for Katrina, I must ask Alessandra how you treated her when she lived under her father''s roof. Sometimes, I get angry thinking of how the servants must have treated her. I promised the court I would hand over Katrina and Randall eventually, but I might keep you depending on what I find out," Edgar said.


    "I did nothing to your wife. I treated all members of the Baron''s family with respect as any other butler would. Alessandra-"


    "Duchess," Edgar corrected. "You addressed a dead man with a title he no longer holds. Show respect and address my wife by her title. Unlike the fools you served, she will continue to hold her title."


    "What-Ah!" Katrina''s screams filled the dungeon. She shook her dress to get rid of what she felt crawling on her.


    "That was fast," Edgar said as normally you needed time toe to your senses. A rat or whatever was in her cell, aided her ining to her senses quickly.


    Katrina shook her dress, trying to find the source of what had crawled on her. "Get it off," she pleaded with anyone around. "I," she paused when she looked up and noticed she was not in her home. The memories of what happened quickly flooded her mind. "Where am I?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "In my lovely home. We''ve been waiting for you to wake up. I was starting to believe that you were dead and this would be no fun. I told Randall you would like to see him."


    Katrina looked ahead of Edgar and first spotted James who looked concerned. He was not meant to be taken. James was supposed to look after Kate while she would be away. Before she could speak, her eyes settled on Randall. "You bastard! You ruined everything!" She yelled.


    "Give it a rest," Randall muttered. It was obvious that he knew that he ruined everything. Look where he was now. If he could reverse time, he would not end up here. He would have gotten the money and got far out of town. His mistake was underestimating the Duke.


    Randall thought for a second that he and Edgar had be acquaintances because of how Edgar had spoken to him and then with all the money Edgar offered him. Edgar used that one second of trust to catch him off guard and take him here.


    "I cannot give it a rest. I did everything you asked for and still, you ran your mouth to this bastard here. For what? Because I would no longer sleep with you? You are still delusional to think that I would ever want to be with you. Now look where the fuck we have ended up!" Katrina yelled, beyond frustrated with Randall.


    "Don''t act like you weren''t nning on killing me so you could take the business for yourself. I just made the move to stab you in your back first," said Randall.


    "You," Katrina gritted her teeth. She could not take how much Randall had ruined her life. When she was a young girl and now, when she had everything she wanted. "Where is Kate?" She asked, needing to make sure her daughter was safe.


    Edgar shrugged his shoulders. "I am here with you. How should I know?"


    "Do not y with me. Tell me that my daughter is safe. There is no need for you to take her captive. I am the one who has plotted on you and Alessandra. Do not bring Kate into this because you or your wife dislike her," said Katrina. She would take all the punishments in Kate''s ce.


    Edgar was amused by the sight of Katrina pleading with him. He knew very well that it wasn''t just Katrina ying games with Alessandra. Had Katrina forgotten that he knew of Kate working with Simon to take Alessandra? Had he not caught onto how Simon was acting, the man would have tried to take Alessandra. Why? To satisfy Kate.


    "Kate''s already living out part of her punishment. With her face and then losing you. You are not in any position to be pleading with me to not wrap your daughter in what you started. It is you and her who have always hated Alessandra and tortured her. It is time for the two of you to be punished. You will be tortured more because you knew better when you let your young daughter toy with your stepdaughter. What type of woman are you to have been jealous of a child-"


    "I was never jealous of Alessandra," Katrina quickly replied. What did she have to be jealous of?


    "I''ve heard your story from Randall. There is no point in lying to me. I am already aware of your jealousy toward young children from families with money. Specifically young girls. You could not take it that Alessandra had an easy life while you had to struggle. You let your daughter, who I personally think you live through to imagine you didn''t have a bad childhood, to harass Alessandra. There is no other reason why you should have hated my wife so much," Edgar said.


    "All of you point fingers at me, but never at the men who made me like this. Men like Randall who used me to their liking-"


    "I am not interested in your sob story," Edgar stopped Katrina before she could make excuses for her terrible actions. "Yes, you had bad things done to you, but you turned around and did bad things to others. Just like Simon. Instead of trying to help others just like you or try to find some peace in your life, you decided to hurt others and then, you are no longer viewed as a victim for anyone to care about you."


    "Alessandra was tormented by you, your daughter, her father, and this town because of foolish rumors. Instead of using her power as Duchess and connections to the crown to ruin all of you, she moved on with her life. Never did she try to treat others like she was treated or sought out to ruin your lives when she should have. She hardly thought about you or Kate. She found peace and held onto it. Keeping her heart the same as when I met her," Edgar said.


    Edgar didn''t know how Alessandra managed to remain so kind after all that she dealt with from the people she called family. Not just from Katrina and Kate, but from her mother and father. He learned she had given what little her father left for her to rk. A man who wasn''t much of an uncle to her.


    "Duke Collins," a guard interrupted the moment. "The Duchess wishes toe inside."

 Chapter 515 Begging (1)

    ?


    "Why are you asking for my permission? Let my wife in," Edgar replied. He never gave any orders that Alessandra could not venture down to the dungeon. Then again, one would think he wouldn''t want her to see the horrible things that happen here.


    "Wonderful," Katrina forced a smile. "All of you areing to enjoy the show. You say she has a kind heart, but I am certain she ising here to torture me."


    "Why shouldn''t she? After all you''ve done, she should get her revenge now. Alessandra can yell, curse, or even throw something at you if she wishes. This is a long timeing for her. To see you here. Alessandra," Edgar changed his tone when Alessandra stepped inside. "Why are you ring at me?"


    "You were supposed to be seated for dinner yet here you are. You didn''t have the decency to tell me you wereing down here," Alessandra answered. She did not like eating dinner alone and though Alfred was there beside her, she needed her husband.


    "Right. I sent a message to a servant, but I suppose they forgot. I will fire them tomorrow," Edgar replied.


    "Duchess," Reed interrupted the couple''s moment. "I have somewhere important to be. May I have your permission to leave?"


    "Is that important ce Eleanor''s home? It is quitete to visit her, Reed. No matter what, she is still ady who you should not meet in thete hours of the night. You''re a littlete with your visit, but it is because of what Edgar tasked you to do. I will speak to Eleanor if she is upset with you," Alessandra said.


    Alessandra and Eleanor kept sending letters to each other about what was happening between Eleanor and Reed. Alessandra was aware the two had to meet, but Reed had forgotten the important task Edgar ced upon him today.


    "You can leave if you still wish to. Eleanor might love to see you now, but please do not let anyone see you sneaking around her aunt''s home sote. Her father''s business already creates trouble for her. Do not ruin my friend please," Alessandra pleaded with Reed.


    Eleanor already had to deal with people thinking she would sell her body like the women in her father''s business. She did not need to have Reed seen sneaking around her home sote for more rumors to start.


    "I have no intention of doing so. I will make sure not to be seen," Reed said and then excused himself.


    Edgar wondered how Reed intended to do that with his giant body. Somehow was bound to see his giant shadow moving around and get scared.


    Alessandra looked around at the cells, purposely ignoring Katrina who she had seen first when she walked in. She had heard of a man named Randall being here and this was her first time seeing him. She knew why he was here, but why was James here?


    "Edgar, why is James here?" Alessandra asked as she wasn''t keeping up with news about Katrina''s household to know what James might have done to deserve to be here.


    "That was Reed''s brilliant idea. Since James here is so in love with Katrina, Reed thought he would be a headacheter. The two of them have been fucking each other," Edgar said, enjoying the way James tensed up. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "What?" Alessandra stared at James in disbelief. She remembered how loyal he was to her father so how did he end up sleeping with Katrina? How long was it happening? "This is a day full of surprises," she muttered.


    "James," Alessandra walked to where he was being kept. She had no issue with James. He wasn''t rude to her, but like everyone else, he never viewed her as a Baron''s daughter. She remembered how he tried to send her away from sitting at the table after she was engaged to Edgar. "Nothing will happen to you. Does Mario still work there? I have not heard from him in a long time."


    "Must we really speak about that man?" Edgar said, annoyed by just the mention of the cook''s name. After the cook''sst visit, Edgar thought Mario was out of Alessandra''s life forever.


    James looked away from Alessandra. Given his current situation with him being here because of her husband, he did not want to answer any questions for her. He did not want to state his involvement in taking Mario and then knowing about his death, but saying nothing. "I don''t know anything about-"


    "He''s dead," Katrina answered in ce of James. She wanted to hurt Alessandra and she knew the man''s death would do just that. No one could convince her that there was nothing between Alessandra and the cook. "He died a slow painful death. All because he was tangled up with you. What a shame."


    Katrina didn''t fear what woulde from her revealing this. Her life was pretty much over at this point.


    Alessandra looked away from Katrina to James so she could see if Katrina was telling the truth. Seeing that James could not look her in the eye, it had to be true that Mario was dead. "Why?" Alessandra softly asked.


    Mario had nothing to do with anything. He was just a kind cook who became her friend. He was meant to leave and get away from Katrina. Alessandra gripped her dress and thought about how she had failed her friend.


    Edgar went to Alessandra''s side and ced his right hand on her shoulder. He would have never predicted Katrina would kill Mario. Edgar always envisioned it being him who would get rid of Mario.


    Alessandra released her dress after she calmed her emotions. She would properly mourn her friend away from the people who had killed him. Alessandra turned to Katrina who had the nerve to be smirking. Katrina made it quite hard for anyone to have an ounce of sympathy for her. "You deserve everything that ising to you."


    "I am shaking in fear of what awaits," Katrina replied.


    "You should. I hope that for all your crimes, the King will not have mercy on you. As much as I would like for him to keep you imprisoned forever, I hope he hangs you in front of the town. So that as you die and gasp for air, you shall remember the stares. The people you have killed will meet you wherever you end up and get their revenge," Alessandra said.


    Katrina frowned, taken aback by the words that left Alessandra''s mouth. It was something she could expect to hear from Edgar, but not Alessandra. "So, the little girl has finally grown up. You had to wait until you had a husband to do it. Child, do not be angry with me. Be angry with your father who allowed you to be an easy target. I pity you. Not loved by your parents."


    "You are in no ce to pity me. Regardless of who loved me or didn''t love me in the past, I am loved now. I shall go on to live a wonderful life while you rot somewhere. After all the schemes you have pulled to get riches, here you sit with none of those riches near you. Was it worth it?" Alessandra asked.

 Chapter 516 Begging (2)

    ?


    Katrina''s silence gave Alessandra her answer. All the money Katrina had gained over the years would be left behind for someone else to take. That is if there was money left behind because of the way Katrina spent money. Katrina had done foul things to get money only to be left without it.


    "Let''s get to the point. Have youe here to find out why I never liked you? Why I treated you less than a servant?" Katrina asked as she did not want to talk about being hung with Alessandra or about money.


    "No," Alessandra shook her head. "I don''t need to hear your excuses or reasoning. I''ve long passed wishing to know why you hated me so much. I''ve settled on the fact you are just a foul person. Ie to see the state that you are in now. To see you caged up. It is quite satisfying."


    Before her marriage to Edgar, Alessandra would have never pictured Katrina like this. Sitting in a cell while the town talked about her. Ready to ruin her reputation.


    "I hope that somehow rk will be the one to get father''s home-"


    "That house belongs to me and Kate!" Katrina yelled. It could not be given away to rk.


    "With you and Kate gone, it has to go to someone else. It is unlikely that you will ever see the light of day again and as for Kate, I don''t know what the future has for her, but I doubt she shall remain in that home. With all the ridicule about her mother''s past, her crazy husband, and her father who lost his title, why would she stay here?" Alessandra asked, knowing this reality would hurt Katrina.


    "You are no stranger to how the Barretts are. They will not take in Kate with her ruined life. Perhaps uncle rk could take care of her. He knows what is like to be the ck sheep of the family. Then again, Kate has things to be punished for so maybe she will find herself in a cell near you," said Alessandra.


    "You!" Katrina got to her feet and reached her hand out of the cell to try grabbing Alessandra. Alessandra was not close enough for her to reach.


    "Kate and I could have been great sisters, but you filled her head with the idea that she needed topete with me. You should take this time to look back and realise how you ruined your daughter''s life. That is all I have to say for now. Though I greatly dislike you, I cannot ruin my peace by yelling at you or attempting to pull your hair. I''ve long given up on that part of my life," Alessandra softly spoke.


    She did not want to go down memoryne to when she was sad and hated every second of her life.


    "It is enough that you have witnessed me living the life you wanted for yourself and for your daughter. Edgar, please find out what they did to Mario. He needs a proper burial. I am going back upstairs," Alessandra said, turning to leave. She could not hold back her sadness that Mario was gone any longer.


    Edgar tried to hold her hand to walk her back but Alessandra did not let him.


    "I want to go back alone. Please do not spend all night down here," Alessandra said as she did not want his time wasted on the people here. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I will be up shortly. Make sure you eat. It is not just you who needs to eat," Edgar gently touched Alessandra''s stomach before she left. He waited for her to be out of sight before turning to Katrina. "Well, she was easy on you, but I am hardly the same. We should have a bit of fun."


    Meanwhile, Alessandra slowly walked back up the steps leading her out of the dungeon. Her mind was filled with different things she should have done to help Mario. She tried not to me herself for his death as she had asked him toe to live here with her, but he refused. Still, she knew he had died because of her. Katrina only went after Mario because they were close.


    Alessandra stopped walking and rested her body on the wall as she started to feel light-headed. It wasn''t only that she had moved on from her life with Katrina that she was so calm, but she was trying not to stress her body during this time. Mario''s death made it quite hard for her to keep calm.


    Alessandra took a deep breath. She was in need of air as she suddenly felt hot.


    "This is why you should have let me walk with you," Edgar said, cing one hand on her back and the other under her legs to lift her. "No more time in the dungeon for you."


    "How-"


    "I am your husband. I would be a terrible one if I couldn''t sense that something was wrong. Are you alright? Do you hurt anywhere?" Edgar asked, worried that Mario''s death must be too much for her to bear. Even after his death, Mario was still causing problems for him.


    Edgar began to take her up to their room so she could rest and go to sleep while he took care of their guests.


    "I am fine. I just need some air. Do you think you would be able to find his body? I don''t want him to rest wherever they ced him," said Alessandra. It was the least she could do now.


    "I will try. I don''t mean to ruin you mourning the loss of your friend, but it should be noted in the early that if we were to have a boy, I would not allow the name Mario as a tribute."


    Alessandra wanted to be angry with Edgar, but a chuckle escaped her lips. "How is that what is on your mind now, Edgar? I wasn''t thinking of doing that. I thought of what more I could have done to help him pay off his debt and get away."


    "He loved you and could not stomach seeing you happily married. He would have never epted your help. Not when he knew I would have to aid you. Wouldn''t want to give me that satisfaction to know I had to help him. Men are stubborn like that," said Edgar.


    "I suppose you are right, but I can''t help thinking of how much more I should have done to help him. He never once betrayed me and he was my friend for years. Please have everyone involved in his death punished. I don''t care if it is through the guards or of your own ways. They should not get away with killing my friend."

 Chapter 517 Begging (3)

    ?


    "Edgar," Alessandra mumbled as she patted the spot on the bed where Edgar should be, but found it to be empty. "Is he still down there," she muttered.


    Alessandra rolled over to her back and rubbed her eyes to get rid of her sleep. Edgar had joined her in bed after spending time dealing with Katrina and the others, but he had left again sometime after she fell asleep. "I need them out of this house soon. They are like toys distracting him," she whispered.


    Alessandra looked to her right at the slightly opened window which offered a cool breeze. She missed the sight of snow falling, but she wanted to see the flowers bloom and start working on the garden with Alfred. As soon as it was finished, she would invite a fewdies over for tea. The uing season would have a lot of parties and though she was pregnant, she wanted to make a lot of memories with her friends and possibly make more friends.


    Alessandra slowly sat up and looked at the jug which was supposed to be filled with water. It was empty because she would drink a bit of water each time her stomach felt upset and she wanted to vomit. Edgar was normally the one to go down to get water no matter the time, but now he wasn''t here.


    "I will need to discuss hours when he''s allowed to go torture others," said Alessandra.


    This time of the day was for the two of them to be in bed.


    Alessandra took up the jug from the table and proceeded to walk out of the room to have it filled herself. The servants should be sleeping by now and she was not going to bother anyone over water. As she walked, she now had the urge to eat an apple, an orange, and maybe a slice of cake.


    The bright side of Edgar being nowhere in sight was her being able to eat cake without him telling her not to eat sweet things. Alfred was her partner in crime who let her eat what she wanted and help her hide from Edgar. Alfred paid more attention to what they ate for breakfast, lunch, and dinner to ensure she had something healthy so he didn''t see why she couldn''t have a few treats during the day.


    "Alfred," Alessandra stopped, confused by Alfred who stood by the front door looking out the window. It was quite early for Alfred to be awake unless he was alerted of trouble at the gates. "Alfred!" Alessandra called to him as she continued to walk downstairs.


    Alfred was surprised to hear Alessandra call for him. "Duchess! Why are you awake? Do you need more water? I thought I had it filled before you and Edgar went to bed. Let me take care of that for you."


    "Why are you awake at this hour and where is Edgar? Is there trouble at the gates?" Alessandra handed Alfred the jug and walked around him to get a good look outside.


    "Well," Alfred hesitated to tell her. There was a reason Edgar had left her sleeping instead of informing her of one of her rtives at the gates.


    Alfred was woken up from his slumber by a knock at his door. A guard came to inform him there was someone shouting at the gates for the Duchess toe outside. Alfred then went to inform Edgar who was now outside dealing with the issue. Alessandra was awake now so there was no need to hide it.


    "The Marchioness is here. Demanding you release her mother," said Alfred.


    "Oh. She does care for her mother so it is no shock that she is here," Alessandra replied, looking out the window. "How long has Edgar been out there?"


    "Not long. I woke him up a little while ago. It appears that your sister has no intention of leaving any time soon. Edgar should just-"


    "I will go speak with her," Alessandra decided. "I will need a coat."


    "Duchess, you do not need to concern yourself with these people."


    "I am the reason Edgar has to be woken out of his sleep to do this and I would like to speak to Kate. A conversation between the two of us is inevitable, especially with what will be of her mother and the court soon needing to get involved. I want to get it over with. Can you please get me a coat, Alfred? Edgar might have a fit if I go out without one," Alessandra said, turning to the butler who was about to have one since she wanted to go outside.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Right away," Alfred left her side to find the thickest coat they had to keep her warm. "I will join you for the walk," he said when he returned. It was still dark out and he could never let her walk to the gates alone.


    "Thank you. I should prepare myself for a headache," Alessandra took a deep breath.


    Her conversations with Kate were never pleasant and Kate always thought the opposite of what Alessandra would tell her. Kate would definitely think that her mother did nothing wrong and did not deserve this. Kate should be thankful that Edgar had not taken her along with her mother.


    "You''ve got to be kidding me," Edgar muttered, angered by the sight of Alessandra walking with Alfred.


    "Alessandra!" Kate''s desperate call was heard on the other side of the gates. "Please release my mother."


    Edgar ignored Kate''s pleas and walked to his wife who should be in bed right now instead of out in the cold air. He was starting to regret not taking Kate so he wouldn''t have to deal with this now, but he wanted her to endure the stares and whispers about her face.


    Edgar stood before Alessandra and pulled the coat closer so no cold air would reach her. "I am dealing with her," he said.


    "And you are getting nowhere since she is still here. I know she wants to speak with me, Edgar. Give us a moment alone. I want to speak with her alone," Alessandra said.


    Edgar bit his tongue, not liking the idea, but if it was what she wanted, he could not stop her. She already had what sounded to be her final conversation with Katrina so she should have one with Kate. What he didn''t like was the early hour of the new day which Kate picked to travel to their home.


    "Spread out and give the Duchess some space," Edgar ordered the men at the gates. "Do not get too close to where she can reach you. She will have more than a wound on her face if she does something foolish."


    Kate could look directly at all the guards and Edgar standing close by, but still take it upon herself to try harming Alessandra.


    "I won''t go too close," Alessandra promised. She didn''t trust Kate even for a second.


    Alessandra left Edgar''s side and went to Kate who seemed strangely relieved to see her. ''She really does have a wound on her face,'' she noted. Hearing about it was one thing, but seeing Kate with her face bandaged up was another.


    "Alessandra, please release my mother. I promise you the two of us will get far out of town and never bother you again. So please," Kate pleaded with her sister. She had no idea what else to do, but beg Alessandra. "Just think of me as your younger sister and help me just this once."


    "Why is it that when you wish to feed off my status or need something from me that you only realize we are sisters?" Alessandra asked, annoyed by this small detail she noticed.


    "That is not true. I have called you my sister before-"


    "I have a faint memory of you calling me your step-sister when we are in fact half-sisters," said Alessandra. They shared the same father, but Kate never liked to acknowledge it.

 Chapter 518 Begging (4)

    ?


    "I have always thought of you as my little sister. No amount of feuds between us could ever change the fact that we have the same father. I stopped caring for you as a sister when you would go out of your way to make my life hell. Did you really think you coulde here, call me sister, and I would release you? Do I seem so desperate for a family in your eyes?" Alessandra asked.


    "Do you have any idea what it takes for me toe here and practically beg you to release my mother? You of all people?!" Kate eximed, frustrated that this was where life brought her to. To need to ask Alessandra for help so she could have her mother back. It was already bad enough that Alessandra stole her life as Duchess.


    "I know how much it must have taken you toe here," Alessandra said as she was well aware of Kate''s pride. "Your love for your mother is the only thing greater than your pride to bring you here. Unfortunately, your travel here was all for nothing. I have no intention to help you simply because you request it, Kate. I am not going to carry on letting you be spoiled. Letting you get what you want when you ask for it."


    "Is it not enough that you have everything while mother and I were left to suffer? It is time that you stop acting like a saint. There was a point in our lives when you rubbed that you had father''s favor in my face-"


    "At what point was that because I remember being unhappy with him thinking of me as his prized daughter? Parading me around like a doll. Never once did I boast about it or rub it in your face. If anything, I never wanted you to face the pressure of it, but you wanted to get all of his attention and I would have done anything to let you have it since you desired it so much. You and I were good for a few years until your jealousy grew," Alessandra said.


    It would be hard for anyone in their lives now to believe, but there was a point in time when she and Kate acted like sisters. Katrina sometimes pull them apart, but since they only had each other in their home, they would find each other and y. That stopped when Kate desperately wanted their father''s attention and Katrina got into her head.


    "You and your mother ruined the chance of us being good sisters. I did nothing to you. Even now when I could make your life hell, more than you have experienced with Simon, I have left you alone. I did notment on your wound which I could be enjoying right now. You need to realise that I have never done something to you first. It was never my fault that father wanted a favorite, but you grew up cing me on me," said Alessandra, but she felt like she was wasting her breath on Kate who would never understand her words.


    "I am sorry for the way I treated you in the past. For what happened with your face and everything else that hurt you," Kate apologised. With this, she hoped Simon would stop bothering her about Alessandra and Alessandra would move on, letting her mother go.


    "And everything else that hurt me?" Alessandra released a dryugh. "We both know that you are not being sincere Kate. I am not looking for an apology from you at this point. I would have weed one when the incident happened or right after when you used father''s disinterest in me to toy-"


    Kate angrily approached the gate. "Why do you keep cing the me solely on me for what happened to your face? You ruined it further after me!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I can always admit to the fact that seeing my own sister be so angry with me that she would attack me and the frustration of having my worth surround my looks made me finish what you started. It is because you like to forget what you did that I must remind you of your part. If we were not found in time, you would have thrown thentern on me. To let me burn," Alessandra replied, thinking back to the look Kate gave her when she stood over her with thentern.


    "What was wrong with you for you to hate your sister so much to think of burning me? It has to be more than jealousy," Alessandra said as she failed to understand how Kate had so many deadly thoughts at such a young age. She saw the nasty tricks youngdies pulled now, but they were merely children when Kate attacked her. "Perhaps, there has always been something wrong with your mind. That is why you could never understand why you were-"


    "There is nothing wrong with my mind!" Kate yelled, angered by those wordsing from Alessandra. It was already hard to follow her mother''s words and believe that there was nothing wrong despite the fact she kept seeing Simon from time to time. She didn''t need Alessandra to be the one person to believe something was wrong with her mind. "I am begging you to please release my mother. We shall go far away for you to never see us. That should make you happy."


    Alessandra wished Kate would pay better attention to what she was saying. "I am very happy even with the two of you living in the same town so why should I just let you leave? After everything, you cannot juste begging me and expect I would let you leave. If you are not aware, your mother has hurt other people."


    "You do not understand. Your husband has twisted the truth. My mother was once a victim. Taken advantage of by men," Kate''s eyes filled with tears as she spoke. "She has suffered enough. I will make sure she never returns and live a quiet life with her."


    "She was once a victim who turned around and hurt others. It was wrong for men to use her and create the person she is now, but for me, she is a cruel woman. I cannot ignore the things she has done to me in my youth and suddenly hug her tofort her for all that she endured. It is not only me she has hurt. She left the children of those men she stole from with nothing. As disgusting as their fathers were, the children did not deserve it," said Alessandra.


    Kate felt lost since Alessandra was not going to ept her offer. She could not deal with the aftermath of Simon alone or take care of a household on her own. Kate was not ready to be on her own. It was already hard to leave home and show her face. She was only outside to get her mother and then leave as they nned.


    Alessandra suddenly had a solution to end this once and for all. So the court wouldn''t have to keep digging around and the truth would be revealed. "I will have Edgar release your mother on one condition. Go to the court and tell the truth about what happened to my face. Tell them about my time living with all of you. Confess to everything and I will have Edgar release her from our dungeon."


    asionally missing content, please report errors in time.

 Chapter 519 Circle (1)

    ?


    "That is the only way I will ask Edgar to release your mother," Alessandra said.


    Kate opened her mouth to give an answer, but words would note out. If she confessed to the things she did, then she would be ruined alongside her mother. She could never return to this town. Not that she ever could since her parents andte husband hadpletely destroyed her life here. She would have to move far away so that no one would recognise her.


    Kate thought of what would happen to her if she would confess. She was only a child back then so they could not punish her for it now. The court should take pity for all that she endured with Simon. She would be free after she confessed to everything.


    "I will go now and tell the court. When I return, my mother must be set free," said Kate.


    "I will need to hear from the court first what you have confessed to and then I will let your mother go. You should return home and wait until the court tells me that you have done your part. Leave our gates Kate. I wish to sleep and not be bothered by this. The sooner you go to the court, the sooner your mother will be released," Alessandra said and then turned to go back to where Edgar stood.


    Alessandra wondered for a second if before Kate reached the court, she would give up on trying to help her mother, and just run away. Kate had that she needed to run away and start over, but Kate wasn''t someone who could survive on her own. If Kate were to abandon her mother, she would have to run to the other Barretts to live with them or eventually return to town after struggling on her own.


    Alessandra didn''t care if there was no punishment for something that happened when they were children. Knowing that Katrina would be locked away was already enough and Kate was already suffering. Alessandra now wanted the truth to be exposed. Kate didn''t need to be locked away to be punished.


    The people in Lockwood were harsh with their words and making someone an outcast. It was the opposite of the life Kate wanted which was why it would be a fitting punishment than Kate being taken to the pce dungeon.


    Life worked in a strange way for Alessandra and Kate to have switched ces. With their faces and their lives altogether.


    "That was fast," Edgar said, impressed by how fast Alessandra had dealt with Kate. He watched Kate hurry back to her carriage. "What did you tell her?"


    "If she goes to the court and confesses what happened to me in my youth, I will have you release her mother," Alessandra replied.


    Edgar wasn''t thrilled by this offer. "We''ve only just taken her. You want her released to get away-"


    Alessandra ced a finger on Edgar''s lips to shush him. "I never said she would get to run away. I just said we would release her. You still have a deal with the court you must keep."


    Edgar stared at Alessandra as she walked away from him. He quickly understood what his wife had done. Edgar licked his lips and ced his hands on his hips as he watched Alessandra. "You cannot do something so sly and then walk away from me, my dear wife. Now I am excited," he followed after her.


    "I suggest you get rid of that excitement quickly. I am not over waking up and you weren''t in bed. There was no one to get me water," said Alessandra.


    ''She''s turned Edgar Collins, the feared Duke into a servant,'' Alfred noted.


    "I didn''t mean to be gone for so long and it is not my fault you drink water like a fish," Edgar replied, taking a step back when Alessandra red at him. The normally sweet wife of his was starting to scare him a bit. "My mistake. I will get you some water right away."


    "I will do it myself. I feel the need to eat a few fruits and a bit of cake. Do not tell me about sweets," Alessandra pointed a finger at Edgar. She did not want to hear how it was not good for her.


    "I wasn''t going to say anything," Edgar replied, staying back with Alfred while Alessandra walked ahead. "I think you should take this one and feed her, Alfred. She''s a different person these days when she wants to eat."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Scared of your wife?" Alfred chuckled. "You should know this is just the beginning. I will enjoy seeing you walk on eggshells around Alessandra. There needs to be someone other than me scolding you."


    "Enjoy this too much and I will break every one of your precious tes."


    "Edgar!" Alfred yelled. If Edgar were to break any more of his beloved tes, it might be what destroys the years worth of rtionship between the two. Alfred would have to pack his bags and go live where his new tes could be protected.


    Alfred rushed to catch up to Edgar and smacked him on the back of his head.


    "What the fuck?" Edgar eximed, touching the spot on his head where Alfred struck him.


    "I should have done more of it when you were a child. A nice tap on the hand so you wouldn''t be as you are now. Stay away from my tes or there will be more where that p came from," Alfred warned.


    The next day.


    Alessandra sat in the drawing room awaiting when Edgar would be ready to leave. In her hands was the morning paper which showed Hazel and Tobias''s big news. The pce had finally announced that there was a royal child on the way. To celebrate, there would be a festival in town.


    Alessandra was happy that Tobias and Hazel were in a safe space where they could announce their child so now the kingdom would not have to worry about an heir. Hazel''s position as Queen could not be questioned with this announcement.


    Alessandra wished for Hazel to have a healthy baby first and foremost, but she also hoped the child would be a prince. There was nothing wrong with having a princess, but a crown prince was needed so no one in the pce would try offering Tobias more women he should take in case Hazel would not have a prince. Alessandra hoped Hazel could shut those old men up with this pregnancy.


    "I am lucky to not have that pressure," Alessandra noted as it didn''t matter if she had a boy or a girl.


    Edgar stated from the very beginning that he needed an heir, but at this point, he did not seem to care whether this child was a boy or a girl. If her husband did not care, Alessandra was not going to worry about it. Alessandra was not in the same seat as Hazel who needed a boy quickly so the kingdom would have its future king.


    There was also the fact that with a husband like Edgar, this would certainly not be her only child though she said it would be in the past.


    "I''m ready," Edgar said, fixing his sleeve as he walked into the drawing room.


    While the kingdom would celebrate the future prince or princess at theing festival, Hazel and Tobias sent invitations to their close friends toe to the pce to celebrate today. It would be the first time in weeks they would see Hazel who had closed herself away from others so she could not miss the chance to be a mother. She had not moved on from what Julia had done and found it hard to trust those around her.


    "Good. We must hurry to see Hazel. Our future son or daughter-inw is in her stomach," Alessandra teased.


    "Over my dead body."

 Chapter 520 Circle (2)

    ?


    "Alessandra!" Hazel''s eyes lit up when she spotted the woman she had been missing dearly. When she heard the news from Tobias that Alessandra was also pregnant, she wanted to meet with Alessandra to congratte her, but she was told by the pce doctor not to move around too much. She had to be extra careful not to lose the child she was finally blessed with.


    "Queen Hazel," Alessandra curtsied, smiling along with Hazel.


    "What was with that greeting? I told you to be normal when it is just us," Hazel said, hugging Alessandra. "Should we bump stomachs? Make the children acquainted with each other before they are out. They''ll be good friends in the future I hope."


    Hazel wanted the Castros and Collins to continue to be close to each other just as Edgar and Tobias were now. She wanted her child to have a friend they could trust like how Tobias could always lean on Edgar and all his other friends. Her children will need it to survive all the schemes in the pce.


    "That is unless we move," said Edgar. He was seriously considering moving somece where there weren''t too many fools and using the home they had now whenever they wanted to visit Lockwood.


    "I will not allow the two of you to move. You havend to look after, Edgar. And you," Hazel held Alessandra''s hand. "Cannot abandon me. Friends like you and Linda are rare for me."


    "I am not going anywhere at the moment. Edgar and I have not talked much about moving. Maybe taking more trips outside of town so the drama in Lockwood does not bother us so much. I will always be near," Alessandra promised.


    "Wonderful! What do you think the child in your stomach is? Are you hoping for a girl or boy?" Hazel asked, touching Alessandra''s stomach. She enjoyed the fact there was someone she could share this journey with. Her sister already had a child, but they bickered over the smallest things, and Hazel had to use her power as Queen to shut her sister up. It would be different with Alessandra.


    "Both at the same time," Edgar answered in ce of Alessandra.


    Alessandra sighed. When would Edgar give up? This was one of the many things out of their control. "Please ignore my husband. I have not thought of what I am hoping for. I''ve mostly thought about the pain."


    "I hope it is not terrible of me to say this in case I have a daughter, but I am hoping for a prince. Go away, Edgar. I want to speak with your wife," Hazel said, shooing him away. "Go find Tobias. I don''t know where he walked off to."


    "I was also hoping your first child would be a prince so that pressure would be off your shoulder," said Alessandra. It wasn''t only the men in the court who were restless, but also the people of the kingdom.


    "That is what I want. To give them the prince they desire so I do not have to worry about what my other children will be. Honestly, I hope I never have a princess. When ites to marriage, it is not always easy for princesses to marry the man they want. I would never be able to sit back and watch my daughters have to marry for all kinds of reasons. If I do have a girl, I will have to fight tooth and nail to protect them. First from their grandmother," Hazel rolled her eyes.


    Though the former Queen liked her, Hazel didn''t like many of the things told to her when she was picked to be Tobias''s wife and the next Queen. For a woman once in her position, Hazel didn''t find her to be understanding. At times it seemed that because the former Queen suffered, she thought Hazel needed to do the same, and did not offer much help.


    "If it were possible, our two families should take a trip together, but it is not safe for me to leave right now. I thought of visiting my father and Tobias wanted to send the entire army with me. He''s reached a new level of being protective after the Grant situation," said Hazel.


    "Sorry I amte," Eleanor announced as she walked into the room behind a pce maid.


    "What is happening here?" Hazel whispered to Alessandra, confused by the man standing beside Eleanor. After Eleanor had helped figure out why she was not having a child, she was weed to the pce many times. Hazel extended an invitation for Eleanor to bring a partner, but why was Reed next to her?


    "A new couple has quickly formed. Eleanor has stolen my guard," Alessandra answered.


    "That is not true. I simply borrowed him for the day. Everyoneing today will have a man beside them so I did not want to be alone, looking lonely," said Eleanor. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Right," Hazel replied, not believing Eleanor''s words. She knew a new couple who''ll be picking out a wedding date when she saw one.


    "Congrattions on your child. The two of you are pregnant and as much as I care for both of you, please keep the whole getting pregnant to yourself. I do not need it in my life at the moment," Eleanor said, keeping a good distance from the two. Many of the young women who got married thest season were slowly announcing they were pregnant.


    "With a man like that by your side, I don''t know how long you can stay away from it. It''s hard to think about bing pregnant when you''re caught up in lust. Your neck dear. I can lend you a scarf," Hazel teased as she walked by Eleanor.


    Eleanor ced her hand on her neck to hide whatever was there. "What-"


    "She''s teasing you. There is nothing there," Alessandra said, saving Eleanor from panicking. "But why would you assume there is something there?" Alessandra eyed Reed. It wasn''t that long ago that Eleanor decided to give in to Reed courting her.


    "Oh look! The king," Eleanor pointed to distract Alessandra.


    Tobias paused and smiled, enjoying Eleanor''s excitement. "d to know my presence was missed. All of you should be more like Eleanor when I enter a room. Look who I managed to get to attend today," he stepped to the side to let in a rare face.


    "More like you harassed me with letters days before, telling me to attend or you would assign me to another feud after I told you that I needed a break," Rafael red at Tobias. Whenever he wanted to rest, Tobias would pester him with some task.


    "Now now. Don''t get too upset. Today is meant for celebrating Hazel and me having a child. Plus meeting with friends we don''t see often. Dominic and Heather should be here soon. Then there is Linda with her escort. Benjamin and all his children might being. Everyone is getting married just as I nned," Tobias credited himself.


    Most of his friends said they were never going to settle. Now look at them. A woman they would go to war for in their arms.


    "Uhmm," Tobias heard someone clear their throat.


    Tobias looked beside Rafael at his little bride-to-be. "He is so tall that I didn''t see you there. Wee," he greeted Annalise.


    Annalise curtsied before the king. "Thank you for the invite. I hope you can forgive what happened between us."


    "You trying to kill me? Hardly, but if I want to keep my friendship with Rafael, I have to get over it. You are like Alessandra. Ruining all my ns," said Tobias.


    Alessandra frowned. "What is that supposed to mean?"


    "Well, my ns were for Edgar to marry Linda, but then you came along. That was quite upsetting. No offense, but it was just that I didn''t like your father. I hadn''t picked out a woman for Rafael yet since getting Edgar to marry took up so much of my time, but you weren''t my choice. No offense, but I hated your father too," Tobias said to Annalise. There was bad blood between them.


    "Tobias," Edgar and Rafael warned.

 Chapter 521 Circle (3)

    ?


    "Everyone wants honesty until it''s towards them. Remember that I am the king so none of you can touch a hair on my head. I need to look over why I have so many violent friends. Hazel," Tobias walked over to his wife. "How are you doing?"


    "I am doing fine, but I would love it if you would not talk about who you wanted to arrange your friends with. That is in the past and they''ve chosen great women on their own" said Hazel, preferring how it all worked out. If Tobias had not strayed from the women the court was trying to get him to marry when he was a prince, she would not be here.


    She didn''t know much about the woman Rafael picked, but she loved Alessandra. Linda was doing just fine. Well, sort of. Her brothers and father were on their toes about her being courted by some man Hazel was yet to be introduced to. Heather was with Dominic. Their little circle had grown so quickly. Hazel wouldn''t change a single thing.


    "I do like the women they have picked, but my ns were ruined. Who out of our friend group is left without a woman? I can set them up," Tobias said, thinking of who had moved to find a wife.


    "Stop plotting on your friends to get them married. It is annoying," said Edgar. Tobias was as annoying as his mother in trying to get him to marry. Before he visited Desmond''s home and met Alessandra, he had travelled out of town to get away from Tobias being a pain in the ass. Tobias married Hazel and then all of a sudden he thought everyone else needed to marry.


    If Alessandra wasn''t already pregnant now, Edgar had a feeling Tobias would be in his ear telling him to have a child. Now that she was pregnant, Tobias kept bringing up a marriage. The only solution to these Tobias problems that Edgar could think of right now, was to kill the king. Sure the kingdom would panic, but for Edgar, there would be peace.


    "I have one more plot to do. I am waiting to see if I will have a little prince and Edgar will have a little girl so- Hey!" Tobias eximed when Edgar started walking towards him. "I am not making it an official engagement between the two even if it were to be a boy and a girl. I''m just throwing marriage out there. I''m sure Alessandra wouldn''t mind our children getting married. Wouldn''t you like your little princess to be an actual princess?"


    "I joke about it to tease Edgar, but I am not someone who likes arranged marriages. I would prefer my children to fall in love on their own. Why are you so focused on my child? There are Eleanor, Heather, and Linda who will one day have children. Bother them instead," Alessandra said, going to where the food was ced and someone was standing to serve them.


    There was no way Tobias could convince Edgar to let their children marry each other and if Tobias made a royal order, Edgar might just kill him. It wasn''t the fact that it was Tobias''s child, it was the fact that pce life wasn''t easy.


    ''We need to worry when ites time for our children to marry. They will be close and we can do nothing if any of them were to like each other,'' Alessandra thought. She would not let Edgar get in the way if that were to ever happen. ''Maybe it is better that guns are not allowed to be used in the kingdom. I will have to hide Edgar''s when it is time for our children to marry."


    Eleanor raised her hand, "I am not having a child anytime soon so count me out."


    She was not ready to be responsible for someone''s life. It wasn''t like she was out of her aunt''s home or getting married to be thinking about children. Eleanor also wanted everyone to remember the fact that she and Reed were just getting to know each other after a month of her avoiding him.


    "I bet my favorite earrings that Dominic and Heather will soon tell us about their engagement. You told me that he liked her when you were children," Hazel looked at Tobias.


    "It''s taken this long for him to tell her that he likes her, imagine how long it would take for them to get married," Tobias replied. He had little faith in Dominic.


    "Edgar, was it needed for you to flip my town upside down with news about Katrina? I had toe up with this festival idea quickly to make the town calm down. Where is she by the way? Dead?" Tobias inquired since it was Edgar. He had a special talent for making someone disappear. The guards were still looking for William''s body.


    "In my dungeon," Edgar smiled. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "He''s been spending too much time there. At this point, I will have him put a bed in there and kick him out of our bedroom," Alessandra said. She hoped Kate had already gone to court to do what she promised so they could get Katrina and the others out of their home.


    "I spoke to the court this morning, and the conversation was all about you, Alessandra. What have you done to make your sistere out and reveal all your family secrets? I am shocked by what I was told, and it makes me hate your father much more. The court''s been ced in a tricky situation," said Tobias.


    They were already receiving hell over Simon''s death; then people wanted tofort Kate and Be, now there was this news about Katrina, and Kate wasing out with stories about Alessandra. The former Barrett women were causing a ruckus.


    "She did it," Alessandra muttered. Half of her expected Kate to make a run for it at some point and not tarnish her name any further to save her mother. As promised, she would have to release Katrina and let the court handle it from here.


    A weight was lifted off of Alessandra''s shoulders now that everything would soon be out in the open. This was a long timeing for her life with her father to be revealed.


    "What is this tricky situation?" Edgar asked, finding that to be more important than Kate''s confession.


    "Well, what they were looking at most was Alessandra''s face. Not that any other abuse isn''t important. From what Kate said, the servants used to avoid you, but it was she who bullied you. Like calling you names, killing your cat, stepping on your hand, and not having your food sent to your room. We''ve also heard about Katrina stopping the servants from sending your food to your room and a few instances when she struck you," Tobias answered.


    "That doesn''t sound like a tricky situation. It sounds like you have enough evidence from the culprit," Edgar said, waiting to hear what the issue was. He and Alessandra had done all the work for the court, so all they needed to do now was serve these people their punishments.


    "Normally, they would take Desmond, but he''s already dead. Courtesy of Edgar. Katrina will be punished regardless of all that she did before she was a baroness. When ites to Kate, not all of the court agrees with punishing her for what happened with Alessandra. That decision is going on right now. The argument is that Kate was young, and since she was a survivor of Simon, some of the men in the court think it will rile the town up if we punish her," Tobias revealed.


    Men like Mark and Duncan were all for having Kate receive some sort of punishment along with her mother, but there were also an equal number of men who didn''t want to deal with the town being angry.


    "So, there are men in the court who care more about looking good and pleasing the town than doing what is right," Alessandramented, disheartened by the news.


    Alessandra already came to terms with Kate already receiving her punishment through her life as Marchioness and then with her mother''s deeds spreading through the town, but what if she wasn''t? What if she wanted Kate to be punished more, but then she had to be met with the decision that the men in the court wanted to look good for the town? So far, the court hasn''t been helpful. It was no wonder Edgar did things on his own.


    "As King, I get a vote for what happens, but it isn''t much to tip the decision in your favor. The court is more in charge of these matters. I am sorry," Tobias sincerely apologized. Though he was king, he could not just dere that Kate be punished. The court and the king needed toe to a decision together, and when they couldn''t, there would be a vote.


    "You don''t need to apologise. I''m sure you would do more if you could. Right now, I am more worried about Katrina than Kate, so as long as Katrina receives her punishment, I am fine," said Alessandra. "Don''t let my problems ruin your day. We are here to celebrate the two of you," Alessandra added, wanting to move on from this since it had soured the mood.

 Chapter 522 Circle (4)

    ?


    "Are they thinking of letting her keep her title?" Edgar asked.


    "It was brought up. I am not for it, of course," Tobias answered. Many would call him biased since Edgar was his good friend, but he didn''t see why Kate should hold her title after the things he was hearing she had done.


    Many were forgetting that she wanted to plot to have her sister taken by Simon. Kate was spilling the truth about all the horrible things done to Alessandra. Tobias didn''t see why Kate wanted to hold onto the title. She was already entitled to what Simon owned, so she could drop his name, the title he gave her, and move on if the court would not punish her.


    ''That settles it. I will just kill her," Edgar decided.


    "You will not kill anyone. If the court doesn''t want to punish Kate, even if it is just taking away her title, we will not hand over Katrina, James, or Randall. I am in need of food, and I don''t want to spend my day thinking about Kate. Please move on," Alessandra said in a firm tone.


    It was bad enough that she was losing Edgar during the night and morning as he became so busy taunting Katrina. She did not wish to spend this time talking about Kate any further when it seemed like nothing wasing out of Kate''s confession. Alessandra preferred the days when she didn''t think about Kate or Katrina.


    Until what happened with Simon, Alessandra had forgotten that Kate existed. Life was peaceful, and regardless of what decision was made about Kate, life would continue to be peaceful.


    "The men are just ruining this special day for us. Tobias, take your friends and go somewhere else to enjoy a chat and do whatever makes you happy while I speak to the women. I have not seen them for long, so I want a moment alone to catch up," Hazel said, motioning with her hand for them to hurry up and leave. "I''ll let the others know when they arrive. We can meet with each other in an hour."


    "You mean you want an hour alone to talk about us behind our backs? I know you, Hazel. You''ve been itching to gossip. Only an hour, and then we will be back. There''s a special gift I have for Edgar, so this works out. Come along, men," Tobias said, kissing Hazel on the cheek before leading the men out.


    "Be careful," Edgar said to Alessandra.


    "I will be sitting in this room, Edgar. How much more careful could I get? Try not to kill anyone while you are away. And by anyone, I mean Tobias. You mustn''t hurt the king," Alessandra reminded Edgar.


    Arguing was Edgar and Tobias''s way of getting along, but Tobias didn''t seem to realise how much Edgar hated talking about their children marrying, and Edgar was so easily annoyed that he would strangle Tobias and not realise what he had done until there would be guards running all around.


    "No promises. He needs a few wounds once in a while."


    Edgar kissed Alessandra goodbye and then reluctantly followed behind Tobias with Reed and Rafael. Just like Alessandra had not met with her friends in a while, he had not seen his. It was easier for them to visit each other when they were all still bachelors, aside from Reed, who saw Edgar every day.


    "It feels like yesterday Edgar sneaked off from school, kidnapping you and bringing you here to meet me," Tobias looked at Rafael.


    Tobias was bored in the pce, and somehow, Edgar, who was supposed to be away at school, showed up with Rafael. That ended with Rafael''s mother almost flipping the kingdom upside down when she was told he was missing, while Prisci didn''t bat an eye since it wasmon for Edgar to run away from school.


    "I met Reed and Caleb because of their parents, and for some reason, you two decided to pledge your loyalty to Edgar instead of me. It wasn''t that long ago that we were watching the youngdies who wanted to be my wife fill the pce. Me judging them. Rafael and Edgar not caring while hiding in the dark to avoid your namesing up in conversations about marriage," said Tobias.


    Edgar remembered the long, boring night. "Did you ever tell Hazel how many of those women you fooled around with-"


    "Do you want to tell Alessandra that you somehow got a candidate for my wife to visit the gardens with you where you had a bit of fun?" Tobias counterattacked. There were many good memories in the past, but then there was a handful that should be buried and not revealed to their wives.


    Reed smiled, but unfortunately for him, it did not go unnoticed. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "What are you smiling about? I remember the trouble you caused your mother with the pce maids. You were banned at one point, weren''t you? The three of you were promiscuous in your youth. Luckily, it has stopped now. I hope," Rafael added as he wasn''t sure what was happening in their marriages now.


    "Now that I am older, I regret a few of those moments in my youth. Hazel has only been with me and with the number of women that I entertained in the past-"


    "I don''t think I can count them on one hand," Edgar said, trying to count Tobias''s past rtionships in his head.


    "Are you sure you are healthy?" Rafaelmented as with the number of women Tobias entertained, there was bound to be something wrong with him.


    "What the fuck is wrong with the two of you? To think I nned something nice and you two are bringing up the past," said Tobias.


    "You were the one to bring up memories, your highness," Reed reminded Tobias. For once, he wouldn''t mind going to do his job guarding Alessandra so he wouldn''t have to be a part of this conversation, and he would be near Eleanor now.


    "I don''t want to hear from you, Reed. I should have left you and Rafael behind. My gift is for Edgar since, besides me, there will be someone calling him father in a few months. Father," Tobias frowned as he repeated the word. "I am starting to feel old now," he muttered. "We need to enjoy our youth, Edgar."


    "I will still be a young Duke with children. I see no need for you to get sentimental, and if you are about to cry, I will go back to be with my wife. I can only handle one person crying in a day," said Edgar.


    "We are here," Tobias said, waiting for the guards to open the door of the room where Edgar''s gift was. "After all these years, I kept them for this moment," he said, walking into the room filled with his old toys. From wooden horses to balls, he used to throw around and break windows with.


    Edgar was pleasantly surprised to see so many toys from his time visiting the pce to y with Tobias. Coming to the pce to y with Tobias was a great escape from his parent''s marriage and when he had left school. "How are they all still in good condition?" He asked as he walked around the room.


    "I had them taken care of to regain their glory. We''ve all shared so many memories as children in the pce. I''m d to see that we stand here as men, still strong as ever. The young prince grew to be a king. The boys who yed with wooden sticks became a knight and a guard. And you," Tobias looked at Edgar. "You''ve made a good Duke. Soon, a good father."


    "As will you," Edgar patted Tobias''s back. There was no denying that Tobias would make a good father.


    Tobias appreciated the kind words. "As boys, we promised to stick together when we would be great men. I hope that as the years go by, I will look and see all of you still by my side."


    "We have no choice. You keep abusing your power as king and making use to the pce," Edgar said, but even if Tobias wasn''t calling for him as king, he would still make his way to the pce to see his friend. "As long as you never speak of our children getting married to each other, I will always be here," he promised.


    Rafael folded his arms. "As a king''s knight, I have no choice but to be by your side."


    ''I don''t want to be here,'' Reed thought. He didn''t have memories of ying with the toys in the room. It was Caleb who would listen to their mother and y with the prince while he found a tree with enough shade to sleep under.


    Edgar suddenly had a brilliant idea that would make them feel like they were back in their youth. "For old time''s sake, how about trying to hoist Tobias out the window and shake him?"


    It would always end with more than one of them almost falling out of the window and then the entire group being scolded.

 Chapter 523 Honesty (1)

    ?


    "How does it feel to be carrying a child?" Eleanor asked as she sat down beside Alessandra.


    "I think there should be a change but I feel like normal when I wasn''t pregnant. Well, other than when I feel the need to vomit when something smells awful. Maybe when my stomach growsrger and there is movement, I will feel the change. There are times when I have forgotten that there is life inside of me. I wonder why everyone is being extra cautious around me and then I remember," Alessandra replied.


    "Recently, I wondered why I hadn''t bled and then I remembered that I am pregnant. It slips the mind easily," Hazel agreed with Alessandra. "So," Hazel looked at the young woman Rafael brought along with him. "What is your rtionship with Rafael like? I have not gotten the full story from Tobias."


    "It is quite nice. We have been travelling around together, your highness," Annalise answered.


    "Oh, you don''t need to call me that when we are alone. I prefer to just go by Hazel when I am with friends. It helps me feel like a normal person again. All through the day I hear queen, queen, queen, mostly by peopleing to criticise something. I wish they would just drop dead," Hazel sighed.


    "I can help with that," Annalise offered her help.


    "I shall call upon you whenever I wish to go through with it," Hazel smiled, saving Annalise''s offer for the future. "Now, the men aren''t here, we should talk about them. Alessandra, how is Edgar taking on that he will be a father? I hear he believes there is more than one child in there."


    "Why has his assumption reached the pce? I believe there is only one. With his personality, many would think Edgar doesn''t speak much about bing a father, but he is excited. So excited that he hopes two wille out the first time. He wanted an heir at first, but now he wants many children."


    "It is so wonderful to see how much Edgar has changed because of you. I cannot wait to see the kind of father he will be. Can you imagine how it would be if you were to have many girls? Edgar would constantly have to worry about them being courted. I imagine he would not want them marrying anyone not up to his standard. Youngdies normally worry about their mothers-inw, but in your case, your sons-inw would need to keep an eye on Edgar," Hazel chuckled.


    "I worry about that," Alessandra mumbled. She pictured Edgar with a gun and a hole in the ground ready if they were to have a daughter. "Still, it would be cute to watch him be so protective. I want to see him not being able to say no to someone far smaller than him. I cannot help picturing him with a baby in his arms. For some reason, he looks more charming when I imagine it."


    "I have a long way to go, but Edgar and Alfred have made a lot of progress for the baby''s room. It should be finished painted today and some of the things from Edgar''s youth will be ced in the room," said Alessandra.


    "Nothing from your youth will be ced in the room?" Annalise asked since she didn''t know if it was normal here for only things from the husband''s youth to be ced in the room. She still had much to learn about this side.


    "I don''t have anything kept from my youth. No dolls or anything else one would hold onto. I want to paint the room so there will be a part of me there,'' said Alessandra.


    "There is a tiny person who will painfully force its way out of you, sleeping in that room. I say there are already enough of you in that room," Eleanor muttered before taking a sip of water.


    Alessandra resisted the urge tough. It was much better than Edgar saying a child would crawl out of her. Now she was awaiting the day Eleanor''s mind would change about having a child. It was scary, as Eleanor said, but then Alessandra thought of the new member of her small family and forgot about it.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I hear that you and Prisci will be attending a gathering together, Alessandra. I still don''t like the woman, but it is good to see that you are getting along with her. She is the perfect person to help you grow as a duchess and deal with the women here in Lockwood. Why have we drifted from speaking about our men? Let''s share secrets. Tobias has a stuffed bear from his youth that he would not let me throw away. The man would fight me over it-"


    Eleanor, spitting out her water, interrupted Hazel. She covered her mouth with her hand, somewhat embarrassed by her action. "Sorry," she awkwardly smiled.


    Alessandra chuckled. She understood Eleanor''s reaction since she wasn''t expecting Hazel toe out of the blue and tell them about Tobias and his favorite bear.


    Hourster, after the other guests had arrived, Edgar and Alessandra left first due to her wanting to rest. Hazel offered a room in the castle so they would stay a bit longer, but Alessandra preferred thefort of her own bed.


    As their carriage took them home, Alessandra rested her head on Edgar''s shoulder while he wrapped his arm around her to prevent her from falling over.


    Edgar looked down at Alessandra, sleeping peacefully against him. He brushed her hair back with his fingers to stop the strands of hair that had fallen onto her face, from bothering her. She had an exciting and energetic day meeting with her friends. She waspletely rxed, unlike the times when she went to other gatherings she was invited to as duchess and she needed to put a wall up.


    Edgar looked out the window at their home in the distance. He squinted his eyes to get a good look and confirm if he was seeing a carriage outside their gates. He wasn''t in the mood to deal with Kate or the court unless they came with good news about Kate.


    As the carriage turned to wait for the gates to open, Edgar saw clearly that it was Mnie and some man seated in the carriage he had spotted.


    "Duke Collins," Lewis took off his hat as he exited the carriage he was using for the day. "We have not been introduced," Lewis said as he walked to the side Edgar sat. He spoke loudly hoping Edgar would hear him.


    Edgar continued to look at the man whose mouth was moving, but not a single word was heard on the inside. Good, he did not want to wake Alessandra. He was aware Alessandra was over speaking with her mother so why was she showing up now, unannounced with the man Edgar had to assume was her husband?


    Annoyed by the mouth moving with no words being heard, Edgar opened the door. "If you wake my wife, you shall find yourself in an eternal slumber. Why are you bothering us?


    Lewis felt like his cor had suddenly be tight to choke him after hearing Edgar speak. "My wife wishes to speak to her daughter. It is something important the duchess must hear."


    Mnie moved to stand beside her husband and get a good look at Alessandra resting. She wished they had gone with her idea to just leave town, but here they stood now.

 Chapter 524 Honesty (2)

    ?


    "None of your conversations with my wife has gone well. Why should I wake her up for this?" Edgar asked. He didn''t trust Mnie would have anything good to say to Alessandra so it was pointless to wake her up. For all he knew, Mnie could just be acting like she cared in front of her husband.


    Lewis twisted his hat. "I assure you that this one will go well," he said.


    "Really?" Edgar feigned surprise. "The other times were bad because you weren''t here to keep an eye on your wife? That doesn''t sound convincing. Alessandra is tired and if you make me wake her just for you to get nowhere-"


    "It won''t be like the other times," Mnie promised.


    Edgar wanted to tell Mnie that he didn''t care for her promise. He looked ahead at the gates wide open. He could just go inside and leave the two of them outside, but if Alessandra were to find out that her mother hade here, she would have his head with how snappy she had be.


    "Alessandra," Edgar tapped her shoulder to wake her. If after three tries and she would not wake, he would not stay here.


    Unfortunately, after the third tap, Alessandra stirred against him and opened her eyes.


    Alessandra thought she wasn''t seeing right when the first person she saw was her mother. She closed her eyes and opened them again. "What?" She backed off Edgar''s shoulder.


    "Your mother wishes to speak with you. If you don''t want to, I will have the carriage go inside. If you want to, do it here because I don''t want the two in our home," said Edgar. There was enough negativity in their home from Katrina.


    Alessandra felt confused because of her tiredness and her mother''s presence at their gates. She wasn''t responding to her mother''s invitations for a reason. "I will speak with her quickly," she decided.


    "Stay in here," Edgar said as he exited the carriage. He didn''t want Alessandra to stand outside in the slightly cold air when she had just woken up. "You can speak with her inside," he told Mnie.


    Mnie walked to the carriage, got inside while closing the door behind her, and sat opposite Alessandra.


    There was an awkward silence at first.


    "I''ve been sending you invitations," Mnie started.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I''ve been ignoring them. Thest time I met with you, you spoke of not liking my husband and seemed fine with us not having a rtionship. Is it because of him that you are acting a bit differently?" Alessandra asked, looking outside at the man her mother came with. He looked nervous as he gripped his hat.


    "My husband has a way of talking some sense into me," Mnie answered.


    "You know, it doesn''t make me think of you any better that a stranger has to talk some sense into you for you to speak with me. I suppose those dinner invitations had something to do with the sense he talked into you. It''s not that you care. Is it that he is pushing you?" Alessandra asked and somewhat hoped her mother would say no.


    Mnie hesitated at first as she knew Alessandra would hate her answer, but she was here to be honest. "I am here because it is what my husband wants me to do. He and the girls have been angry with me," she replied.


    "I see. When you answer like this, with everyone but you seeming to care, do you think of my feelings?" Alessandra asked. Why was her mother here when she didn''t want to be? "I don''t want to speak with you if you are being forced to. I told you that I am satisfied with the fact that you are alive, and I''ve had enough of us meeting. Why are you here?"


    "I''vee to tell you a little more about my rtionship with your father in hopes you can understand me a bit more. Understand why I find it so hard to bond with you as I should. It is not something that I enjoy speaking about. I''ve buried it in my mind, and it''s a part of why I have never returned to Lockwood when your father was alive," Mnie said, sping her hands as a way to get through this.


    "I wasn''t happy with him, and I did not want to give him a child simply because his other friends had children, but you know how Desmond was. He didn''t want to be left behind in anything, so he took it upon himself to ensure that he would soon have a child whether I agreed to it or not. That was how you came about."


    "Oh," Alessandra frowned as she understood what her mother was saying. She had such a good day with all her friends, and she wouldn''t have minded if this was something told to her another day. Bad things about her past just kept piling on top of each other.


    "I did care for you so much when you were born and first ced in my arms, but as time went on, each time I looked at you, I was reminded of what your father had done. How he hurt me and how he was nothing like the man I fell in love with. It became hard to be your mother and be his wife so I decided to do what was best for everyone and leave. I have to be honest and say that I do not regret leaving. I had to find my happiness," said Mnie.


    "I wish that I could bond with you emotionally and be there for you how you need me to be, but it is hard for me. We''ve just reunited with each other, and though your father is dead, I think of him when I see you. I just need some time to deal with the truth of what happened. I have never spoken about it, but I want to now so I can stop distancing myself from you. I wish to have a rtionship with you, Alessandra. It is alright if we start slowly, like friends getting to know each other."


    "That was a lot to take in. This might be harsh for you to hear, but it is what I feel. I''m sorry that my father hurt you, but you''ve had plenty of time away from him and me to start healing. I have never been in your position to know how long it should take, but I think enough time has passed for you to have started worrying about me and stopped pushing me away because of my father," Alessandra said.


    "You started a new family. You had daughters you saw daily. You see how much ire and Melody need you. How they could not be without you. My father hurt you, but couldn''t you have thought of me without him? Even now, with this story, I fail to understand you. I cannot ignore the fact that you do not want to be here. I know you came here to tell me this story in hopes that I would understand the distance between us, but I wish you had note," Alessandra added, looking outside at Edgar, who stood with folded arms.


    "I''ve already dealt with enough in my life. I did not need to hear that my birth surrounds you being hurt by my father. What am I to think of myself after this?" Alessandra asked.

 Chapter 525 Honesty (3)

    ?


    "I''ve spent a long time hating my life, and now that I am happy, there just has to be something to disrupt it. I''m sure you must feel relieved now that you''ve spoken of it. I will bury this truth so I do not have to think about how I came to be. I do not hate you, but I still believe it is better for us to be apart. What you''ve now told me confirms that," Alessandra said, turning to face her mother once more.


    "Motherhood is starting to appear more scary than I already thought it was. I can''t picture myself leaving my child behind or letting someone hurt them, but you and father have done it so easily. Sometimes I worry about how I will be with my child. I hope to be the opposite of you when ites to picking my own happiness over my child''s. They will always be part of my happiness. Since your husband had to push you toe here, you are not ready," said Alessandra.


    Alessandra still believed that her mother had found all that she wanted in the new family she had now. Anything from her past would ruin it, and that was part of the reason why her mother did not want to be here in Lockwood. No matter how much they tried, it would feel awkward to be around each other.


    Mnie had pretty much pretended she had no other family before Lewis and Alessandra wouldn''t be surprised if her mother started to forget that she did in fact have a daughter. Alessandra was written out of her mother''s life, and at this point in her life, she did not want to be putting so much effort into building a rtionship with her mother when her mother kept thinking about her father.


    Alessandra wished she couldfort her mother about what happened with her father and act like everything was fine now so they could start building a rtionship with each other, but she could not. Alessandra had a lot of terrible things done to her in the past. Whether it be physically, mentally, or being abandoned by her parents. There was also dealing with William, who had a disgusting interest in her. Alessandra also wanted to beforted, but she didn''t think she would get it from Mnie.


    "I can''t just jump into wanting to start over with you. Your reason for not being near me is your bad memory with father and as much as I feel sorry for you, I don''t think you feel sorry for me. I view our rtionship as one-sided. I always sit and listen to what happened with you and father, but you wish to skip over my experience, like your story matters most. I''ve dealt with trauma in my life. You need to deal with your own problems before trying to start over with me. I can''t keep trying and be met with someone forcing you to do something," said Alessandra.


    "I see," Mnie said, looking off to the side. She had hoped that this would have been enough to push them in the right direction. She looked at Lewis, who sent her a smile of encouragement. At least he saw that she was in fact trying.


    Alessandra followed her mother''s gaze to Lewis. "Is it all for him? Why are you here today?"


    "Yes," Mnie honestly answered. "I do not want to lose him. He is my peace in this world."


    Alessandra sighed. "Goodbye, mother. It is time you leave. Instead of visiting me to please others, please visit grandfather and grandmother."


    Mnie grabbed a handful of her dress. Alessandra called her mother, but it was to say goodbye. "I promise to work on myself and then visit you again when I am ready. I hope to be a mother you can lean on one day. I can already see that you will be a far better mother than I could ever be. You are strong and you have a heart of gold. I apologize for how much I have hurt you. I genuinely mean this from the bottom of my heart."


    Mnie reached to open the door to let herself out, but before she did so, she looked at Edgar, whose eyes never once left the carriage. "I was wrong about what I said. You weren''t like me. You chose better."


    Mnie opened the door and finally left before Edgar could burn a hole through her head. "We are leaving Lewis," she said as she walked by her husband.


    Lewis bowed his head slightly to Alessandra as a goodbye. "Is everything alright between the two of you? Will she see you more often or join us for dinner?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "No. Not yet. There is a lot I need to fix with myself before Ie to her again. We are living in Lockwood today, Lewis. It is time I see my parents," Mnie decided, as she did not want to regret not seeing her father before something happened to him. Her children needed to meet her parents.


    Edgar got into the carriage and closed the door. He found Alessandra leaning her head back against her seat, looking up at the top of the carriage. "I take it that it didn''t go better than the other times," he said, thinking he should have gone with his decision not to wake her.


    "I learned something I want to forget. I hope it does not gue my mind. Edgar, do you ever worry that ourck of a rtionship with our parents might affect the way we are with our child?" Alessandra asked. She was starting to worry about it, though she knew she would always try to do the best that she could as a mother.


    "No," Edgar answered. "Our home is not like our parents'' home. We care for each other, wemunicate, and they are people to help us. I don''t see why we would be terrible parents simply because we weren''t close to our own in the past. Their failures won''t be passed on to us. I''m happy to say we are nothing like the people who brought us into the world when ites to being parents."


    "Go back to sleep and forget she was here," Edgar covered Alessandra''s eyes with his hands and pulled her back to lie on his shoulder. He tapped the carriage wall for them to start going inside the gates.


    Alessandra smiled, making no effort to remove his hands or fall asleep. "I cannot go back to sleep now. I need to get out of the carriage shortly."


    "Then I would lift you out of it," Edgar stated the obvious. "You are not yet so heavy that I cannot lift you."


    "What is it with you men and mentioning how heavy we will be? Hazel has told me of the time she had to kick Tobias out of their room," said Alessandra.


    "What is it with women denying that they will grow daily with the child they are carrying? It is not an insult. The bigger you get shows that the life inside you is almost here."


    Alessandra frowned and removed Edgar''s hand from covering her eyes. "Because I think of what Prisci says about waking up one day, trying on a dress you like, and finding it doesn''t fit. The frustration and the tears that follow."


    "Then we shall buy the same dresses in different sizes. That way you don''t cry and I don''t have to find a way to cheer you up when the timees. Isn''t it nice to have a wealthy husband," Edgar said, holding her hand. "I used to think that women don''t like hearing you''re growing bigger because you don''t want to think you''re no longer attractive to your husband. That some smaller woman would swoop in and steal him. You don''t have to worry about that with me. I love only you."


    "Trust and believe I do not worry about someone stealing you. My onlypetition for who can put up with you is Alfred. I wouldn''t mind losing you to him," Alessandra joked.

 Chapter 526 Ending Feuds (1)

    ?


    "I don''t want to meet with anyone else today. I am tired and just want to rest. Alfred," Alessandra greeted Alfred, who like always, was waiting at the door. "I always wonder how you are able to tell when we are returning home. Do youe to the door regrly to check the gates?"


    "That is part of it, but other times I just get a feeling that you might be there. I am used to predicting when Edgar will return home. How was the pce?" Alfred asked, helping Alessandra out of her coat.


    "It was fun. It is good to meet with friends and let your guard down. Is the room finished painting?" Alessandra asked because she wanted to see what was done to the child''s room in her absence. It would help take her mind off what was discussed with her mother.


    Alessandra had a feeling that, though her mother said she would work on herself, they would not see each other for a long time. Which would make things awkward when it came to meeting with her sisters. She would have to make ns for her sisters to be able to be here in Lockwood since Mnie would not want toe and Lewis could not always be made to travel.


    "It has been painted white as you requested. I have a window opened to help with drying and getting rid of the scent. You should wait a while before going inside. I moved your paint and brushes into the room for you," said Alfred. Alessandra informed him that she nned on adding a few paintings directly on the walls.


    "Thank you. Then I will hold off painting until tomorrow. I am going to rest. Please do me a favor and keep Edgar busy. Do not let him go down to the dungeon. He will find himself sleeping in another room tonight if he goes down today. Please send Sally to my room shortly, Alfred," Alessandra said, leaving the two men to keep each other busy.


    "There seemed to be someone at the gates you spoke to. Why didn''t theye inside?" Alfred asked, walking to close the front door behind Edgar.


    Edgar looked down at Alfred''s feet as he walked. "It was Alessandra''s mother. They spoke briefly. Did you injure your right foot? You are walking with a bit of a limp."


    Alfred touched his right knee. "I am getting older as the days go by. The time I spent chasing after you has caught up to me. These old things will start to hurt on their own. I shall rub itter."


    "This is why I told you to stop being the butler, Alfred. You are not as young as you think to be moving all around this home. Even I get annoyed walking from one end to the other. Step away from being a butler, and don''t ask for it back this time. You''ll hold a better title when my children are here," said Edgar.


    Alfred sighed. He did not want to be fired twice. The first time was already hard to bear. "There is no one to run this home like I do-"


    "We need to get a new butler at some point. If you wish to overwork yourself and speed up no longer being here, do it elsewhere. While you are here, rest. When the children are here, do you wish to be a grandfather or a butler?" Edgar asked.


    "Edgar, it is kind of you to grant me this title and I am always honored, but with the tension between you and your father, you should-"


    "They are my children. I will give whoever I wish a title. You have been by my side for so long that you could be mistaken for my father. Well," Edgar said, giving Alfred''s appearance a look over. "Not when ites to looks. I would have to say I take after my mother."


    Alfred frowned, once again trying to figure out what it was about Edgar that made him stick around for so many years. To the point where he was ready to devote more time to raising Edgar''s children. Long ago, the n was to settle down outside Lockwood after he helped find Edgar a family so he would not be alone. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Do not frown, Alfred. It cannot be helped that I am a good-looking man, and though you are easy on the eyes, you do not physically look like you could be my father. I expect that you will retire as a butler by the end of the day, and don''te crying to me again to get the job back. Get off your feet and start enjoying a more rxed life. Now, what are we to do since I cannot bother my wife? You have me all to yourself," said Edgar.


    "Since I am supposed to be off my feet, there is nothing I have to do with you. There seems to be someone else at the gate. You and Alessandra are quite sought after today," Alfred said, looking out the window at a guarding to the front door.


    "We are always sought after. Alessandra does not want to be bothered, and neither do I. Whoever it is, send them away," Edgar said, ready to walk away to find something to do while Alfred opened the door to receive the message.


    "It is Mark from the court," Alfred ryed the message before Edgar could get too far away.


    Edgar stopped. He had already heard a bit of what was happening with Kate from Tobias. He was curious if a final decision was made about whether Kate would be punished, or was Mark here thinking he could get Katrina? Alessandra wouldn''t need to be bothered toe down to speak with Mark. He could take care of this all on his own.


    "Let him through the gates, but he will go no further than the steps," Edgar decided to speak with Mark.


    "Let him in," Alfred told the guard.


    Edgar went outside to await Mark''s arrival, with Alfred standing right behind him.


    "Duke Collins," Mark greeted after getting off his horse. "I was told you were at the pce. I went there to speak with you, only to find you had left."


    "I don''t like being followed. What is the decision about Kate?" Edgar asked, getting to the point. He did not care to exchange pleasantries with Mark.


    "Not even a hello or an invite inside. Let''s start with the suspicion that Kate was going to work with Simon to take your wife. There is no proof, so many have voted not to punish her for that. It is not something Kate admitted to. When ites to her abusing your wife in her youth-"


    "Kate messed with Alessandra up until I proposed to her. She got married to Simon the same year. Since she has married, we should not be using youth as an excuse for her behavior," said Edgar.


    "Kate admitted to things done in her childhood. Things she knows we can''t punish her for. Things we would have had to go after her parents for. Many of the men in court don''t want to upset the town, but they don''t want to upset you at the same time. We''vee to the decision to take away Kate''s title as a punishment and have her pay the duchess for her trouble. It should be enough, given her state. Now, about her mother," Mark trailed off, wanting Edgar to say he would hand her over.


    "I am going to keep her a little longer," Edgar answered.

 Chapter 527 Ending Feuds (2)

    ?


    "Edgar, that wasn''t the deal-"


    "The deal was that I take Katrina, and when I am ready, I will hand her over to you. After all that I have done to help the court, all Kate will get is a loss of her title and payment. Are you even going to release the things she told you to the town? I joined the king to get rid of Grant, I got rid of William, I revealed it was Simon, and I helped find Be. The least the court could do is expose the truth about what happened to my wife. I don''t want to be the person doing everything. The court exists for a reason," said Edgar.


    Edgar had already spread the word that Katrina''s life was a big lie. Did he have to do the same with Kate? After all he had done, the court should reveal to the town everything they heard straight from Kate''s mouth.


    Mark was faced with a difficult decision. What was happening with Kate, Alessandra, Katrina, and Simon was a big case, so his word wasn''t final. There were other men in the court who had a say. "I will convince them to reveal what Kate and her mother did to your wife. The moment the town hears about it, you must give me her mother."


    "You could have made life easier for yourself and done that before showing up here. I will have Katrina and the others delivered to the court once I hear about what Kate has done," Edgar promised.


    "Others? Isn''t it only Katrina and the man named Randall?" Mark asked, curious about who else Edgar had taken. He felt that if he were to walk into Edgar''s dungeon, he would find it full of the people he was looking for.


    "Her butler is also here. You need to have the guards start looking around for their former cook, Mario. I do not know hisst name or if he has family around here. Katrina has admitted to my wife that he is dead. Check all over theirnd. There is nowhere else they could have ced the body without being seen," Edgar said, leaving Mario''s death to the court and the guards. No one could ever convince him to look for Mario. Not even Alessandra.


    Mark didn''t like hearing that someone he presumed to be innocent, was dead. "We will need to inform his family if he truly is dead. Is this the same cook who was said to have a rtionship with your wife?"


    "Do you wish to die today?" Edgar red at Mark, who was a fool for repeating those lies.


    "No," Mark replied. He wasn''t one to listen to drama in couples rtionships, but he kept up with news about Edgar and remembered the story about his wife and a cook. The story was cleared up quickly. "I will work hard to have what Kate said revealed to the town by nightfall. Have Katrina and the others ready. Kate will receive news about losing her title in the morning. The document has been sent to the king."


    "Reveal what she told the court in the morning. Let the shock of losing her title, her deeds being exposed, and having her mother taken by the court hit her all at once. Then I will be satisfied. Get off mynd now. I have nothing more to say to you," Edgar said, turning to go back inside.


    ''That much bad news will kill her,'' Mark thought. The final pieces of Kate''s life were going to shatter.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Tell your wife I said hello!" Mark yelled right before the door closed. Edgar had a skill for making short visits, shorter than nned. Always to the point and leaving after everything important was said.


    Alfred closed the door behind Edgar. "Once you hand over those people to the court, will this be the end of you going after Alessandra''s family? You will leave her sister be?"


    "I don''t see why I would waste any more of my time on them. Katrina will be imprisoned, and Kate will be unable to show her face. I am satisfied with it, and Alessandra certainly is. It has been a long timeing, but we can now move on and not have to think about her rtives. Alessandra can now be at ease," Edgar said, unbuttoning his shirt as he walked. Since Alessandra was busy, he would get back to training like he used to.


    "Not exactly. Your grandmother and other Collins rtives are in town for your father''s birthday. I have already received another letter while you were away. It came from Rose, who asked why I had not yet responded to her invitation. She wishes to meet with me," Alfred revealed instead of keeping it a secret. He had already sent back a letter saying that he would not meet. He had to stay by Edgar and Alessandra''s sides in this matter.


    "Right," Edgar sighed. He had forgotten about his grandmother. "Grandmother is the least of my worries. Carry on with nning a dinner the same night, Alfred. It would have been a gathering for friends, but I want it to be a normal dinner with just us, Dominic, and my mother."


    Alfred could already imagine Rose''s reaction when she learned that Edgar was holding a dinner on the same night and inviting his mother. She would make her way here. "Is there no other way to stop this aside from being petty?" He asked.


    "Her not inviting my wife is a p in the face, so I am returning the p by having my mother here. I would like for all of them to leave town as quickly as they came. Too many Collins should not be in one ce," Edgar said, handing Alfred the shirt he took off.


    "You know Alessandra doesn''t like it when you walk around shirtless, and it is true that too many of your rtives should not be in one ce at once. Thest time you were around your rtives, you repeatedly punched Daniel. It is a shame that Rose is so angry that she has invited Daniel. The two of you were so close. There is finally the great-grandchild she has longed for on the way," Alfred said, shaking his head, disappointed with where they were now.


    Alfred could not forget the days of taking Edgar from his parent''s home and travelling to see Rose. Rose was the one rtive Edgar always cared for before there was Alessandra. Since Edgar and his mother were able to make up, so should he and Rose. Alfred now thought it was best he spoke to Rose to end the feud.


    "Grandmother is the one who has started this. I will not have her try to control Alessandra as she tried to with my mother. Alessandra has nothing to make up for in terms of wealth. If you secretly meet with grandmother, do not tell her about the children. I want an honest apology to Alessandra and me. I had high hopes she would ept my wife and she has greatly let me down. I am going to train for an hour. Keep an eye on Alessandra," Edgar said, entering a room that was kept locked because he had not been training often.


    Now that winter was over, he had to make up for the time he missed in training. It wasn''t just training in case there was ever war again, but if he didn''t want his knees to hurt like Alfred''s while chasing after children, he needed to stay fit.

 Chapter 528 Tricked (1)

    ?


    "There should be some news right now. Where is she?" Kate wondered as she looked out the window of her home, waiting for someone to bring news that she could go for her mother or see her mother return on her own.


    It was the next day after she had gone to court to speak about the things she had done in the past.


    Kate did exactly as Alessandra wanted, so her mother should be released from Edgar''s hold. She was already packing up most of their things so they could leave town and nevere back. They had no ce in Lockwood anymore. Too much had burdened them in this town, from her father''s death to her marriage to Simon. They could run away and forget the life they had here.


    Kate ced her thumb in her mouth to bite away at her nail.


    "Marchioness-"


    "Just pack! Unless it has something to do with my mother, just pack as I instructed you to. Why did they have to take James too?" Kate muttered, annoyed with the fact she had to be the one ordering around the servants. She had other things to worry about instead of giving the same order to fools who didn''t get it the first time.


    Kate faced the window once more, and this time, she noticed a carriage had stopped at the gates. "Mother," she whispered, moving to the door and opening it. Kate ran outside to meet who she believed was her mother, but slowed down when she saw that it was a man. A man she did not wish to see now. "Uncle rk," she muttered.


    Of course, he was here when their lives were falling apart. rk was here to see what he could grab for himself. Kate wanted to send him away, but since rk was always so desperate for money, she thought of using him. She allowed him to enter the gate and walk toward her.


    "Good morning, Marchioness," rk dramatically bowed. "My nieces have such fancy titles. I''m sure your father is proud. One is doing so well with that rich husband of hers, and the other husband just died, leaving her with his wealth. I''m sorry I missed the wedding, but I wasn''t invited."


    "What do you want from me?" Kate asked.


    "Want? Do you think I came here to beg? I came here to see the state your mother is in. The woman did try to kill me, so it is only fair that Ie here to see her life go to shit. She isn''t here, is she?" rk asked, knowing Katrina couldn''t be here since he had easily walked through the gates. She certainly wouldn''t let Katee greet him. Unless she was now desperate,


    "My mother will be back home short-"


    "Ha! Who fed you that lie? Your mother''s name is being talked about all over town. I know there was something about her getting into rtionships with men who had money, but it is amazing how much more there is to her. I made my way here as soon as I heard. I was enjoying life after my dear niece gave me a bit ofnd," said rk.


    Kate didn''t know what rk was talking about. "I didn''t give you anynd. Are you drunk?" She took a step back.


    rk frowned. "You are aware you have a sister, right? You have that wound on your face. Did you lose your memory?"


    Kate gasped, covering the bruised side of her face with one hand. She had forgotten about it because she was worrying about her mother. A new bandage needed to be ced.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "So this is your karma. Why don''t you ask your sister for one of her masks?" rk chuckled, walking around Kate to go inside the home, which should belong to him.


    "That is not funny! Where do you think you are going? Even if something were to happen to me or my mother, this house andnd would never belong to you!" Kate yelled, following behind rk. "I do have a job for you. I will pay you handsomely."


    "Is that so? It''s a shame that I don''t need your money and I would be a cruel man if I took money from you at a time like this when your home is falling apart-"


    "Don''t act so high and mighty," Kate said, ticked off by the fact that rk, of all people, was looking down on her. It wasn''t that long ago that he was here, begging to have the house andnd they stood on. "You''vee here for money, haven''t you? Help me and my mother get out of town, and I will pay you. I will give you this house and the one in Simon''s name."


    "Why haven''t you been listening? I said that I am not here for your money. I''vee to see the state your mother is in. Why would I want something that belonged to that crazed man? I am not so desperate. Thend Alessandra offered me was small, but it give me a bit of money. You cannot offer me any kind of job. I am not looking to get on the Duke''s bad side," rk said, taking a seat on the step right before the front door.


    Kate''s eyes widened. How did he know she wanted him to go against Edgar?


    rk fished his pockets for the end of the cigar he had been smoking. "Why do you look so surprised? It''s obviously Edgar you want me to go to, and he must be the reason your mother is not here. That man is the only one who makes life feel like hell. I don''t want to be on his list, so I will enjoy the show. Just asking to speak with Alessandra alone made him want to kill me. Look!" He pointed to the gates. "You have more guests."


    Kate wanted rk gone since he would be of no use to her, but first, she had to deal with whoever wasing to speak with her now. All she wanted to hear was news about her mother. "You need to leave," she said to rk and then turned to look at who was at the gates.


    Kate saw one familiar face, which was Mark. He had to be here to tell her that her mother would be released.


    "Where is my mother?" Kate questioned Mark, skipping any kind of greetings.


    "That is why I am here," Mark said, sliding off of his horse. He didn''t n to be here long so he would not leave his horse and go inside. "You need to read this," he handed her one of the two papers he brought here.


    Kate didn''t see why she needed to read anything. She just wanted to hear about her mother. Kate began to read through the paper and felt like someone had sshed her with water. "I am losing my title," she looked up at Mark. "I had nothing to do with Simon''s games. I do not need this added to what is being said about me."


    Once again, Mark was put off by Kate wanting to keep something that connected her to Simon and caring so much about what others were saying. She would live just fine without the title. Well, if she had been a good person. He kept up his promise to Edgar and released everything she told the court.


    To get the other men to agree to it, Mark lied and said that Edgar was ready to march an army to their doors. Though he lied, Mark knew it was something Edgar would certainly do.

 Chapter 529 Tricked (2)

    ?


    "Simon has been stripped of his title. What he did pained this town for a long time. There was talk of letting you keep your title, but there are things that you have done that deserve punishment. You have already confessed to them," said Mark.


    "That," Kate started, but she could not find the right words to defend herself.


    "Before you married Simon, I was already building a case around you and your mother for what happened to your sister. You were Simon''s victim, but that doesn''t excuse how you have hurt others. Your own sister. You might only share a father with her, but it is enough that you should have never hurt her," Mark said. "Seeing that you came to us to confess means that you realised your mistakes."


    Kate balled up the paper and threw it at Mark. "Mistakes? I only went to you because Alessandra said she would release my mother! Why is the court letting the Duke hold her? My mother has been wronged her entire life. Why don''t you go after the men who have taken advantage of her? Do your job so she wouldn''t have to do horrible things to survive."


    "I had high hopes for you," Mark said, bending down to pick up the paper Kate threw at him. "That you could find it in your heart to be sorry for your actions. That you could want to change and live a better life after everything you experienced. The Duchess has a rare, kind heart. I have a feeling if you had gotten down on your knees and sincerely apologised, she would forgive you, and your heart could feel less heavy with guilt."


    Mark opened the wrinkled paper and held it back out to Kate. Tearing it up wouldn''t change the fact that she had lost her title. "You won''t end up in a good ce if you do not acknowledge the things you did and admit that you were wrong. Don''t do it because you want your mother or because your life is hanging by a single thread. Do it because you regret your actions. Life will never be simple for you if you continue this way."


    Kate clenched her fists. She did not need another person telling her this when Simon constantly brought it up. After everything she told the court, she thought Simon would have disappeared by now. "Just tell me about my mother. When will she be returned to me?" Kate asked.


    Mark was amused by the fact that Kate thought there was any chance for her mother to be freed. "Your mother will not being back here. By now, the town guards should be on their way to take her to the court. "Your mother will-"


    "No!" Kate yelled, lunging forward to hold Mark''s hand. "That wasn''t part of the deal."


    "You have made no deal with me," Mark replied, trying to pry Kate''s hands off of himself. "Your mother is to face the court for her crimes. She''d be lucky if she escapes immediate death and gets imprisoned. She also has to pay for her treatment toward your sister, and your uncle has imed that your mother tried to poison him," Mark added, looking ahead at rk.


    rk kept visiting the court to talk about Katrina slipping something inside his drink. At first, they ignored it, but now that they were hearing about Katrina''s past, they had to take rk''s words more seriously. rk said that if he got ess to Katrina''s home, he would look for whatever she was using to kill him.


    "Alessandra made a deal with me! She promised that if I went to the court, she would let my mother go. She...tricked me," Kate muttered as the realisation hit her. She was so desperate to get her mother back that she did not realise what Alessandra was doing. Alessandra got her to willing confess to the court.


    "The duchess is a kind woman, but she is starting to be like her sly husband. I have made arrangements for you to be in court when your mother will be judged and told what her punishment will be. Here," Mark handed Kate the second paper. "As of right now, you are not being imprisoned. I suggest you start figuring out what you will do from here on out since there is no hope for your mother. I must take my leave now."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Kate''s hands shook as she read what appeared to be an invitation to watch her mother''s lifee to an end. She was so certain that they would run away and be together. Kate tried to think of a way to get out of this, but she had no solution. Kate had ced all her hope in Alessandra keeping her end of the promise.


    "Well, that was quite the show," rk said, standing up from the steps. He was right on time for when the court came to deliver the bad news. It would have been much better if they had delivered it straight to Katrina. "Should I go to the Duke to watch them bring out your mother? If I get a carriage now, I might be able to see it."


    "Get off mynd," Kate softly said, despite the fact that she just wanted to yell. Yell at Mark, rk, Alessandra, and the foolish servants here.


    "Don''t send me away just yet. You will need my help from now on," rk said, going into his coat to get a gift for Kate.


    "You said you weren''t going to help with Edgar. I don''t need you for anything else. Just leave," Kate pleaded with him.


    She didn''t have the energy to deal with rk. She just wanted to crawl into her bed and dream of the times when she was happy. When her father was still alive and there was nothing for her to worry about. Kate wanted to stay in those happy dreams forever instead of being here dealing with her mother being taken away, her ruined face, and asionally seeing Simon.


    Kate wanted to escape into a long, peaceful dream.


    "Take a look at this. I don''t think you''ll want to take a step outside your gates when you read this. The girl everyone pitied for suffering at the hands of her husband used to torture her sister. Alessandra now has a good reputation as the duchess, and no one withmon sense wants to piss off her husband these days. You keep digging a hole for yourself, Kate," rk said, cing the morning paper at eye level for Kate to read.


    Kate''s chest felt tight, seeing the exact words she told the court spread out on the paper before her. They had all worked against her and her mother. Not caring about what they endured. Tears built up in her eyes as she found it hard to bear how much her world had shattered. She had more than fallen from grace.


    "I am here to offer my help to help you run this home. To go outside in your ce and take care of business since you wouldn''t want to show your face to the town now. You won''t have your mother to help you, so lean on your dear uncle. I know what it is like to struggle-"


    Kate smacked the papers Mark had given her against rk''s chest for him to hold. "Get off mynd," she muttered, dragging her feet as she turned around to make her way back inside where she wished to hide.

 Chapter 530 Punishment (1)

    ?


    Once again, Alessandra found Edgar to be acting strange. Whenever he was too happy and it wasn''t because of her, he had done something to someone else. She was curious who it was this time since Katrina was here and she had banned him from going to see her so frequently.


    "What are you up to now, Edgar?" Alessandra asked, giving in as she could no longer stop her curiosity.


    "You haven''t read the morning paper? For once the court has done its job right although it took so long to do it. Here," Edgar handed Alessandra the paper. He almost found himself wanting to give Mark a pat on the back, but he wasn''t that kind. He had to give himself a pat on the back since he was the one pushing Mark to be better at his job.


    As Alessandra read the paper, her eyes widened with every sentence. "The court released everything Kate said. That''s surprising since from what Tobias told us, it didn''t seem like they wanted to do anything to her."


    "Perhaps they had a bit of motivation," Edgar said, leaving out that he threatened to keep Katrina if the court did not hold up its end of the deal. "I will hand Katrina and the others over to the court or guards today. Whoeveres for her first. Are you sure you don''t want to torture her a bit before she has to go?"


    "What happened to keeping my hands clean?" Alessandra asked.


    "We can find you a pair of gloves to wear," Edgar replied.


    "You always have an answer for everything. I don''t want to bother myself with Katrina. You''ve done enough in my ce. I just want to see the guards take her so I can feel like it is truly finally over. I hope that the court does not need me to do or say anything. I don''t want to travel to the court to see what her punishment will be. I''ve had enough of the court," Alessandra said, tired of the drama that came with visiting the court.


    "They have enough evidence to not need you. The brother of one of the men Katrina killed is here in town to speak. There is another bright side to Katrina''s case. The court is pushing forward with removing children from the red light district as workers since the owners are lying about not having the children sleep with customers. They hope to get rid of the light district altogether soon," said Edgar.


    First, they wanted to make aw that no one could be sold to the red light district, but as always, they were men in the court who frequented the area and did not want it toe to an end. The discussion of lowering the age women could marry came up again.


    "It is good that they are moving to put an end to it. No one should have their youth spoiled like that. I feel sorry for her when ites to her youth, but no more than that," Alessandra said as the Katrina she knew was a monster. "Alfred, since you find yourself having nothing to do, would you like to paint with me today?"


    Edgar narrowed his eyes, trying to find where his invitation was. "What about me? Why aren''t you inviting me to paint?"


    "You can''t paint Edgar and I do not want the room to have an ugly painting. Please find something else to do. I heard Caleb say that it is time you and the men start training. Then there are repairs from winter that you want to oversee. You shall be busy," Alessandra smiled.


    "Duke, Duchess Collins," Sally greeted the pair. "There are guards at the door wishing to speak with the two of you."


    "Good," Edgar stood up from his seat. "It is time to get those horrid people out of our home. They have been sucking up the good air. Let them through the gates," he told Sally.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Alessandra stood up along with Alfred who also wanted to see Katrina being taken out. Alfred was no fan of Katrina for the way she treated Alessandra. This was one time he wouldn''t have minded Edgar keeping someone in the dungeon forever. Let her rot below Alessandra''s happiness.


    Alessandra and Alfred walked behind Edgar to the front door and stood near the drawing room. Their home was well protected, but Alessandra didn''t want to stand near where Katrina would have to pass in case Katrina would try herst attempt to do something stupid.


    They watched Edgar speak with a guard who left the front door, most likely to have others bring up Katrina while Edgar spoke with the visitors.


    "Are you alright, Alessandra?" Alfred asked since Alessandra seemed nervous.


    Alessandra looked to her right at Alfred. "Yes. It is just that a wave of emotions has juste over me. It happens each time I think of the fact all the people who once hurt me are getting what they deserve. It feels like a dream and I have to pinch myself to know that this is real. It will probably stop when I hear Katrina''s punishment from the court. It is truly over then."


    Nothing would be heard from Katrina once the court gave her a punishment. Be it death or imprisoned in the pce dungeon. The town would talk for a few weeks, but then everyone would forget about the former baroness. Everyone but Kate.


    Alessandra silently watched one of Edgar''s guards bring out Randall, who was trying to wiggle his way off the guard''s hold. Alessandra wondered if he were to get away for a second, where he would go? There were town guardsing for him, Edgar was right here, and there were too many of Edgar''s men walking around the estate.


    "I never thought he would be like this," Alessandra said, watching James be brought out next.


    How did James go from being loyal to her father to helping Katrina with her dirty deeds? In the past, Alessandra wouldn''t ce him as someone who would get one of the servants killed under Katrina''smand, but then again, she didn''t have many interactions with James to know if he was always like this or if his love for Katrina changed him.


    Just like James, Katrina walked out quietly. Not putting up a fight or muttering things under her breath like Randall, whom Alessandra could hear yelling that they would all pay for this.


    Alessandra took in how dirty Katrina looked, unlike her other appearances when she was dolled up. Her look reminded Alessandra of a wet dog.


    Katrina refused to look in Alessandra''s direction. She could ept that the perfect life she had pieced together was ruined. That death most likely awaited her, but she could not stand to look at Alessandra.


    See that the girl who made life difficult for her daughter in their youth had somehow still gotten a better life. See Alessandra dressed in fine clothes that Katrina wanted to cover her own skin with.


    Katrina gritted her teeth, wanting to get out of the guard hold to destroy Alessandra''s face again and have her be the insecure mess who hid from others once more, but she didn''t have the energy to make a move. Time in her cell had taken a toll on her.

 Chapter 531 Punishment (2)

    ?


    James stared endlessly at the floor in the room he and Katrina were ced in. Someone had taken Randall away what felt like hours ago, and he had not returned. James didn''t see why the court was carrying out their punishments on the same day. They weren''t giving him time to process what was toe. He would have been released by the Duke if Katrina had not revealed what happened to Mario.


    Katrina rolled her eyes. "Stop staring at the floor and sweating so much. It is annoying me."


    James turned to face Katrina with such speed that it looked like he could have broken his neck. "It is annoying you? I''m sorry that I cannot help but be nervous about what is toe. I have not gotten the chance to speak with my mother, who depends on me."


    "Well, you should have thought about that when you slept with me and did everything I wanted," Katrina replied.


    "That was because you were going to lie on me-"


    "Oh please. That was long ago, and you have confessed many times that you started to fall for me. This is where that love has brought you. I told you to admit that you were just lost in sleeping with me. Do not me me for where you have ended up. me yourself for acting like a fool in love," Katrina said, folding her arms.


    James felt the need tough, but no matter how hard he tried, no sound would leave his lips. How could she not try tofort him now that he was scared? After everything he had done for her. James had trulye to love her beyond just sleeping together. Unlike everyone else, he saw a different side to Katrina, and like a fool, he loved her.


    James'' body finally shook fromughter. Everyone kept calling him a fool for following and caring for Katrina. Now he felt like one. The worst part about it was that he still cared for her. Even now, when he should want to strangle her for where his life hade and for how his poor mother would be without him, he still cared for her.


    James leaned back against the cold wall. "Baroness," he called her by the title she loved so much. "I am a fool," he confessed.


    Katrina wondered if James was starting to lose his mind. "Yes, you are. I have told you many times that you are a fool."


    James slowly nodded his head. "I am a fool, but I am a fool who has loved you. Perhaps the only man who has loved you despite seeing who you really are. I wanted more than your body. I wanted to protect you even when you had ns to ruin me with lies. I am a fool," he said, closing his eyes, awaiting his turn to be taken away.


    Katrina stared at James, not knowing what to make of him. How could he still have feelings for her when he could lose his life soon for helping her kill Mario? James was strange. Different from all the other men she knew. She looked away from him, not liking the feeling she got when she looked at him. She could not worry about James now. She had to think of Kate.


    The door opened wide with a m against the wall beside it, causing James to open his eyes. Two men dressed in the uniform the court wore picked James up from where he sat and took him out of the room, just like Randall.


    Unlike when he was taken from Edagr''s home, James did not go easy with the two men. He dragged his feet on the floor, hoping to slow down where they were taking him. Unfortunately for James, the two men did not care if they would have to drag him by one foot. He was going to face the court one way or another.


    Katrina was left alone in the small room, having to wait her turn. Seeing that Randall was not brought back, she wondered if his trial was still ongoing, if they sent him to the pce dungeon, or if he was sent to be killed.


    Katrina nervously yed with her fingers. She was never afraid of death, as she had knocked on its door many times in the past. She was afraid of Kate being all alone, especially when her mind was ying tricks on her. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Kate could not be left alone at a time like this. Katrina didn''t want Kate to be all alone for anyone with bad intentions to approach her and trick her out of the wealth she sat on now. James was supposed to be there with Kate.


    "Please be okay," Katrina whispered, hoping the best for Kate. She hoped that the court could go easy on her and just have her imprisoned so she would be able to hear about Kate from time to time. There might even be a chance for her to be released and reunited with Kate. They only needed to wait.


    "Time needs to go back," she muttered. It needed to go back to right before Edgar showed up wanting to marry Alessandra. That was the point in Katrina''s eyes when everything started to go wrong.


    Once again, the door opened wide, and two new men stared at Katrina. It was her time to stand before the court. They wanted her toe without making a noise like the other two, but if she wouldn''t, at least it was easier to lift her over their shoulders.


    Katrina slowly got to her feet. Until the very end, she would keep her head up and not be made to look afraid. That she regretted everything. She would do it all again to get away from the life of having no money. She only wished she had gotten the chance to send off Kate properly and meet her parents onest time to kill them.


    Katrina walked out of the room, following one of the men who walked in front, while the other walked behind her in case she tried to run away.


    "Will I be in the same room as the two other men, or are they finished?" Katrina asked. She didn''t want to be in the same room as Randall to hear him ce me on her to save himself.


    "The man Randall has been sentenced to death for his involvement with children and the people he has killed. He will be hung before the day ends. I do not know about your butler," one of the men answered.


    Katrina felt a tightness around her neck. Since Randall was sentenced to death, the chances of her being imprisoned seemed low, as Randall would surely expose the things she did for him in the past.


    Katrina stopped walking, causing the two men to stop with her.


    "Do not try running-"


    Katrina wasn''t foolish to try running. "C-Can we please walk slowly?" She requested. She did not want to get to the room so soon to hear what her punishment would be.


    The two men looked at each other.


    "We cannot. The king is here looking over the decisions, so you must move quickly."


    Katrina took a deep breath and began to walk again. This time, her fear was evident.

 Chapter 532 Punishment (3)

    ?


    Katrina entered the room, which wasrger than all the others she had been in before here at the court. Her eyes first went to the king, who was seated on the sidelines, then to the three men seated in the middle of the room. Katrina didn''t want these three men to decide her fate. Why not Mark, who had been dealing with her cases?


    "You are a tricky woman," Howard Norman, the court man in charge of assigning punishments, said as he flipped through the records of information gathered on Katrina. "With the position you are in, I shall refer to you as Ida. It is your birth name. What is your family''s name? The man Randall said he wasn''t given that information when you were sold to him."


    Katrina kept her mouth shut, not wanting to speak about that person she had forgotten about so long ago. She was Katrina now.


    Howard looked up from his papers at Katrina, who was choosing to be stubborn. "You''re already in a bad position. Not speaking won''t make it good for you," he advised her.


    "I will speak if you will not have me killed," Katrina said.


    Howard looked to his left and right at the men beside him. "Unfortunately, the others do not agree with your request. You are in no position to make any demands. Quite frankly, a bit of remorse for your actions would ce you in a better position. To be so bold as to stand before us and even King Tobias himself, and refuse to answer us shows that you are deserving of your punishment."


    "The king is good friends with Edgar Collins. Whatever punishment he has thought of for me is to get revenge for his friend," Katrina argued. Everyone knew that aside from his family name, Edgar was untouchable because of his long rtionship with the king. Edgar would use that to have her killed.


    "I always get a goodugh when someone speaks about the duke and the king. The same duke that helped save your court. When you mention Edgar Collins name in the court, some sigh and some get excited because, like his father, he has done good for the kingdom. A little trip back to the books would have informed you that the court was created to avoid kings making judgments on personal issues. There is a vote thates with deciding punishments, and the king only gets one vote," Howard exined.


    There was no denying that if Edgar were to ever have to face a punishment, the court would be faced with a problem. First of all, Edgar wouldn''t be willing to walk into the court and to get him, they would need the king''s army to go up against Edgar''s own. It didn''t help that Edgar had a friendship with the man who led the knights. He would be a difficult person to capture.


    Over the years, Howard noted how smart Edgar was at covering his tracks if he were to kill someone. They were still trying to figure out what he had done with William Lancaster. Howard knew that he would never have Edgar standing before him where Katrina now stood.


    "There was a majority vote on what your punishment would be. Your punishment could change if you were a bit remorseful, as I said, but I don''t see that happening. The king is here to sign off on your punishment. Nothing more. Now that we should all understand how the court works, let''s get back to the task at hand. Randall was helpful to list out the things you have done for him," Howard said, looking back down at what he received from the men who dealt with Randall.


    There was also information gathered by Edgar.


    "We were told you approached Randall with the idea to sleep with men and rob them-"


    "Why do all of you continue to point fingers at me, but the men who made my life hell get to be free? I am a victim of being sold to the red light district when I was young. Taken advantage of and had to use all that I had to survive. Those men I stole from were not innocent," Katrina said, taking a step forward, but the men beside her yanked her back.


    "It is unfortunate what happened to you, but those men are not standing before me. You are here because of your actions. You killed men. From what Randall said, there were more than we know of. You set a home on fire where the childreny so they could be left with nothing like you were. You even saw to it that one of those children who ended up in the red-light district was abused. Just as someone hurt you as a child, you have hurt others!" Howard yelled, hitting the palm of his right hand down on the table.


    The brother of one of the men she killed was left to take care of the children. He had to spend years trying to rid his niece of the sight of Katrina waking her up to tell her about her father''s deeds and then stumbling upon her dead father.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "I have not even gotten started on what happened to your stepdaughter while she was in your care. The answer is never to turn into the monster you always feared. I will not waste the court''s or the king''s time on you. We shall read your punishment," Howard said, standing up with the two men beside him. "Katrina, for all of your crimes, the court and the throne sentence you to death. You shall be hung at the pce walls for the town-"


    "I am all that my daughter has left. You must not kill me. Imprisoned me. I shall look over my actions and ask for forgiveness," Katrina said, pleading with the court to take back their decision.


    "You did not care for the children you hurt," Howard replied, having no sympathy for Katrina. If he had met her when she was younger and she had told him her story, he would have looked to help her. Get justice for her against those men. "Your daughter is old enough to take care of herself. Take her away to be hung with the man she worked with."


    Howard could not have much sympathy for Katrina because of the fact that she and Randall created a business where they would take women in the red light district and have them go after wealthy men. To either try marrying, being a mistress, or just stealing from them. The same dirty business that had Katrina poisoning the men she slept with.


    "Wait!" Katrina''s voice broke as she yelled. Once again, she tried to walk forward to talk with them. To plead her case. They needed to hear that Kate only had her. That there was something wrong with Kate and she could not be left alone.


    "Now you wish to speak," Howard said, shaking his head. He looked at Tobias, who also stood and straightened out his clothes. Howard ignored Katrina''s pleas and walked over to Tobias to have him sign and put the mark of the royal seal on the paper. "Your Highness. I am sorry you had to witness two cases leading to deaths today. We are meant to be celebrating the queen''s blessing."


    "I like to call it my blessing too," said Tobias. He would rather get this case over with so the news about his unborn child and his festival could bring a bit of peace to the kingdom. Now that Katrina was dealt with, there was no big case the court was working on aside from getting children out of the red light district. "Has the butler been sent off to the dungeon?"


    Tobias witnessed James admitting to his part in killing a man who worked for Katrina. The body was not yet found, as they were only told where it was ced by James right before Katrina''s trial started. James earned himself plenty of years in the pce dungeon. Just like Katrina, he tried telling the court there was someone he needed to take care of. His mother, who had no one else.


    "He will be taken there after Randall and Katrina have been hung. We will start addressing her as Ida now since that is who she truly is," Howard answered. All the information they had about Katrina would be reced with the name Ida.


    The name that Katrina tried her hardest to forget would not be spread around the town or perhaps the kingdom, as word of a former baroness being hung would travel around quickly.


    "Good. When the town guards send you a report about the cook''s body, send it to me right away. Simon''s body is also being burned before the town today. It is about time I got that rotting corpse out of the pce. The church ims it is the best way to get rid of the evil inside him. This should satisfy the town," Tobias said, hoping those who were angry about Simon''s death would now stop pointing fingers.


    Tobias heard some were gathering wood to keep the fire going much longer and torture Simon''s soul.


    "I have to be on my way now, Howard. I have my own battles in the pce I must deal with," said Tobias.


    Howard wondered what it could be since Grant was dead and many of his followers were imprisoned. "Are there still enemies going after you and the queen?" He asked.


    "Oh no. I was speaking about the queen and her temper these days."

 Chapter 533 Lockwood (1)

    ?


    "She''s noting back."


    "Shut up," Kate muttered, trying silence the voice in her head. She bit away at her finger, regretting her decision to not travel to the court to see her mother. She stayed to hide because of the loss of her title which her mother promised she would keep.


    "You should have gone," Kate scolded herself. It would have been herst time to see her mother before she would be ced in the pce dungeon. "Is it toote?" She wondered.


    Surely the court would allow her to see her mother.


    Kate tapped her fingers on the window ss by the front door. From here she could see that a crowd had gathered by the gates, just waiting for a bit of news or to taunt her. Her old friends would certainly do it.


    All thoughts of leaving to travel to the court left her mind. Kate did not want to hear what was being said outside the gates. Aside from Simon, it was peaceful here. She did not wish to be on the receiving end of the harsh things said by the town.


    Kate thought of the things she would have told anyone in this position. Her own words scared her. To face a group of people questioning, or making a mockery of how this house had fallen, was not something she could handle now. It was better to hide away here.


    "What am I to do without a title or rtives?" Kate started to panic once more. James was not here to aid her as her mother had nned. "I can''t show my face," she muttered.


    To lose her title, her face wounded, and her interactions with Alessandra exposed, she could not show her face around town now. Any hope of people having sympathy for her after what Simon did was long gone. She had a chance if Alessandra had not tricked her to reveal the things she did to the court.


    "You could have shamed your mother and been on the town''s side," the voice in her head said.


    Kate seriously contemted it. She could ce me on her mother who would be locked away and unable to deny her ims. Her mother loved her enough to bear this lie so she could survive in Lockwood.


    "No!" Kate shook her head. She loved her mother too much to turn her back on her now. After everything her mother went through, she did not deserve to be abandoned by her daughter too. "What am I to do? I have Simon''s money, but how long will thatst? How am I to take care of this home alone? Who will want to do business with me?"


    Kate left the window to wait until news about her mother would be delivered. It was a few hours after rk and Mark had left her so there should be some news soon. For the first time in her life, Kate wanted to drink something strong to numb what she was feeling.


    Before Kate could get far from the front door, she spotted two maids with their bagsing towards her.


    "Where do you think you''re going?" Kate questioned as there was still work left for them to do. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Home," one of the maids answered. "Soon there will be no work for us here. We must leave before no one wants to hire us."


    "There is still work for you here. I am not poor," Kate reminded them. Anyone could judge her, but she would still use any money she would get from her marriage to Simon. "Put down your bags and get back to work. I told all of you-"


    "We are not staying here," the maid interrupted Kate. It was a long timeing that she could speak back to the spoiled young woman. Working for the former baron and baroness was never easy. Then they had to deal with Kate who treated them less than animals. "This house has lost its glory and a woman like yourself who has no idea how to run a household or to bring in any more money will be of no use to us. We need to be paid to survive."


    Kate could not believe that a maid of all people was telling her this house had lost its glory. Not the king, not a noble, but a mere maid with nothing to her name was looking down on her. "Go! I don''t need you or anyone else who doubts me!" She yelled, pointing to the door for them to leave. "I can rece all of you."


    "No one wants to work here," the maid muttered as she walked by Kate. Who would want to work here when there was so much being said about Kate and her mother? The servants were worried that Kate would move and they would be out of a job, so they were leaving first.


    Despite her words, Kate became worried when two more servants walked to the door to follow the others. They couldn''t leave until she had found someone to rece them. She needed one of them to go outside the gates to find a butler and more servants for her. Kate did not know how to find servants on her own without leaving her home.


    Kate turned to a maid standing with a broom in her hands looking out at the door as if contemting if she wanted to leave or not. "I am going to my room. Do not disturb me unless it is news about my mother," she said. She could not stand here and watch any more servants decide to leave.


    Kate felt drained. Life just kept throwing something her way without giving her the chance to rx and n a move to protect herself. Strangely, she thought life was better in Simon''s home. She was a marchioness and no one dared disrespect her. She had her title and status. What she had always dreamed of. Now she had no worth since she had no good reputation. Everything she built up from childhood was gone.


    Kate made her way back into her room and sat down on her bed. She had no idea what to do next. For a second, she considered rk''s offer to let him take care of her. She could not go to her grandmother after siding with her mother thest time she was there. If she were to go to the Barretts, they would just look to spend her money and then cast her aside.


    There was a knock at the door, followed by a quiet voice. "Mydy."


    "I just said I do not want to be disturbed. They never listen," Kate said, but she kept her voice quiet to not anger the servant. "Come in."


    The same maid Kate spoke to a moment ago entered the room, unable to look at Kate at first. "The guards at the gate delivered a message from the court-"


    "Mother!" Kate eximed, getting to her feet to read what came of her mother. She snatched the paper from the maid''s hands and read what was written. Kate''s excitement quickly died as she read what would happen to her mother or what had already happened since hours had passed since she was meant to be at the court to see her mother''s punishment. "They will kill her," Kate whispered, her body suddenly feeling cold.

 Chapter 534 Lockwood (2)

    ?


    "Mydy-"


    "Get out!" Kate ordered the maid. "I want to be alone."


    Her mother would be killed, and since she had stayed behind to hide, she had missed any chance to plead for her mother to be spared. The thought of her mother dying pained her, but what added to it was the fact that the court ordered her to be hung so the town could see what would happen to those hurting others.


    They continue to fail someone who has been hurt most of her life. Punishing her while others who deserved to be killed walked around untouchable, like Edgar, who killed her father and did not receive a punishment.


    The maid quietly left the room to give Kate some space to grieve for her mother in peace. She closed the door behind her. She had no idea where Kate would go from there, and she had a feeling that Kate also did not know where she would go from there. Kate was now alone with a husband, mother, or father. She should turn to her sister for help.


    Kate continued to stare at the paper as if the words would change and there would be a different punishment for her mother. Losing her father was painful, but losing her mother felt worse. There was a different love she had for her motherpared to her father. She could easily move on from her father''s death, but not from her mother''s. She could not live without her mother.


    Kate''s knees felt weak, and instead of trying to reach the bed to sit down, she dropped to the floor. Tears started to flow from her eyes, dropping onto the paper and ruining the ink. It was not supposed to end this way. She could have left town with her mother and never bothered Alessandra again. They would all be alive.


    "I can''t," Kate bit her lip as she found it hard to get more than two words out. She felt numb without having to drink something to feel this way. Thest piece of happiness holding her together had shattered. What was she to do now?


    Kate could not visit her mother in the pce dungeon and hold on to the hope that her mother would be freed after a few years and they would be together again. There was no one for her to lean on in the future.


    Regardless of what Katrina had done, she was Kate''s mother. The court and Alessandra stole all that Kate had left.


    Alessandra knew what it was like to be without a mother, and yet she still went ahead to ce that same fate on Kate. Alessandra was not as kind as she wanted others to believe. Kate knew the truth, and that is why she did not regret the things she did to Alessandra in the past. Alessandra deserved every bit of it since she had now taken her mother away from her.


    The voice in her head was wrong that she should feel sorry for Alessandra.


    "What am I to do?" Kate asked herself. She felt more helpless than she did before the news arrived.


    Her mother would be gone and she would not have to worry about what the town would say, but Kate had to face their words at some point. There woulde a time when she would have to leave her home and be taunted by people like Grace, who would show off her husband and her happy life.


    Though she had money tost her for a while, Kate felt worthless since she had no title, reputation, or beauty. The gossip and rumors would eventually break her. Life in Lockwood was never easy when you didn''t have someone to shield or guide you. Kate knew it, as she was often the one to toy with those who had no protection.


    "Why stay here? You know you''ll bepared to Alessandra who has everything."


    Kate made no attempt to ignore Simon''s voice which continued to haunt her. She wished she had taken Be''s offer for them to heal together. She hid in her home to get away from the words of the town, but Simon''s voice made life inside hell for her. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Kate never told her mother or anyone else, but before Simon''s voice, there were others who pushed her to torture Alessandra from a young age. She had gotten better at ignoring them, but her time with Simon and theparisons to Alessandra brought them back more than ever. There were headaches and strange feelings like someone was cing their hand on her.


    "I cannot do this alone," Kate continued to cry. She needed someone to help her, but there was no one by her side now.


    Kate looked ahead at the open window where a breeze came in. A single thought filled her mind.


    Kate slowly got to her feet, almost falling over because she could not properly bnce herself as she was still shaken up about her mother''s death. She gripped the two sides of her dress as she dragged her feet to the window.


    As soon as she got closer to therge open window, she stepped up onto the little space of wall where her feet barely fit and tried to keep herself bnced. She looked down at the drop from the window of the second floor to the rocky path down below.


    Death was better than living under the pressure of Lockwood. This town will eat her up alive, as she will be the source of their entertainment. Kate had no idea what life outside of Lockwood would be like for her to travel by herself to search for a new life. This was her only option at the moment.


    Kate thought over her options onest time, but could not find a better solution than this. She would not stay around for Grace to mock her or for Alessandra to smile in her face because she hadpletely ruined their lives.


    Kate stuck one foot out to attempt to jump, but it was harder than she anticipated. She took a deep breath and decided to do it in one go, or she would never be able to do it. Kate jumped from the window, feeling like someone had pushed her back to help her get it over with.


    By night, on the Collins estate, Alessandra stared at the flowers she had painted on the walls. She wondered if it would be too girly if they were to have a boy. She looked to her right at the fish Alfred had painted for some reason. She learned today that, just like Edgar, Alfred could not paint. If not for Edgar looking like Edmund, Alessandra would wonder if Prisci''s anger stemmed from the fact that Alfred was somehow Edgar''s real father.


    "You should tidy up and prepare for dinner. Your dress is covered in paint. It was a good decision to wear one you could toss out after," Alfred said, looking at the spots of paint on Alessandra''s hands and dress.


    "We''ve made a bit of a mess on the floor. We should-"


    "No!" Alfred panicked, taking the rag Alessandra wanted to use to go down and clean the spilled paint. "I shall take care of it. You should go wash out before the paint dries on your skin, and we have been away from Edgar for too long. He must miss your presence."


    The door opened and in walked Edgar, inspecting the newly painted room. His eyes then settled on Alessandra, who smiled at him. She waspletely unaware of what the town was talking about now.


    "What kind of talent is this for him to always walk in when someone is speaking about him? Edgar- What is it?" Alessandra felt nervous as she sensed something was wrong.


    Edgar did not show his usual teasing smile and it seemed like he was hesitant to tell her something.

 Chapter 535 Lockwood (3)

    ?


    "The town has much to talk about today. First with Katrina dying and now I have been informed that Kate jumped from the second floor of her home in what looks to have been an attempt to end her life," said Edgar.


    Shock wasn''t the right word to describe what came over Alessandra at the moment. She knew Kate and Katrina loved each other dearly, but she did not expect that Katrina''s death would lead to Kate doing this or had something else push her to this decision?


    "It doesn''t sound like she has died," Alessandra realised after she thought back to how Edgar ced his words.


    "Well, she only jumped from the second floor. If she had done it head first perhaps she would have hit the ground hard enough to kill herself. The roof would have been a better pick. She didn''t seed in killing herself, but she severely damaged her body. I don''t know the exact details of her state. She is still being looked after by a doctor," Edgar said, taking slow steps toward Alessandra as she tried to wrap her mind around what Kate had done.


    "I don''t know if you would call it an issue, but since Katrina is dead and rk is not exactly Kate''s closest family, you are tasked with making decisions about what will happen to Kate. You and Kate do not get along, but in the eyes of the court, you are still her older sister. Thend and the house left to Kate are now under yourmand while you care for Kate," Edgar revealed.


    "What?" Alessandra replied in disbelief. Her father hadn''t left any of it to her but not that Kate needed to be cared for, she was now given control.


    Alessandra knew nothing could change the fact she was Kate''s older sister, but she did not want to spend her days taking care of Kate and her former home. How had this turned around to be a punishment for her? "I don''t want to spend my days taking care of Kate and running that house in her ce. Do I get to answer if this is something I want to do or not?"


    "Of course, but it means you will have to go see Kate tomorrow. Men from the court will be there to hear your decision. This is why I am happy to be an only child," said Edgar.


    "Lucky you. I have to go to a gathering with your mother tomorrow afternoon. Then there is the festival in town to celebrate Hazel and Tobias, but I do not think I will attend," Alessandra said as arge crowd, the news surrounding her former family, and being pregnant did not seem like a good mix. There would be more festivals for her to attend and she had already celebrated with Hazel and Tobias. "We have the dinner falling on your father''s birthday the day after."


    "Get it over with before you meet with my mother. I will stop saying then there will be peace because something always happens afterwards. Why is it you have pushed me away from painting but you''ve allowed Alfred with his horrible skills?" Edgar asked, moving on to the second issue. Alfred was hovering around a depressing painting of a fish.


    "Do not feel bad, Edgar. I will also stop Alfred from painting. I am going to wash up ande down for dinner in a moment. Tomorrow will be a day full of headaches, so I must make the most of tonight," Alessandra said, kissing Edgar on his cheek before leaving.


    The next day, Alessandra exited her carriage and looked up at the home of a well-known doctor in Lockwood. His work was known to be years ahead of the doctors in the kingdom.


    Edgar informed her that the doctor gained his knowledge of medicine by travelling around the kingdom and even outside of it. It was this doctor who helped make the cream that healed her scars.


    Alessandra looked around for any signs of her guest. "He iste," she noted. She shouldn''t have expected any more. Alessandra was not here to take care of Kate, so she thought of a solution that would benefit everyone.


    Not waiting to prolong what was meant to be a short visit, Alessandra walked up the steps of the doctor''s home with Caleb and Reed right behind her. It felt like old times to just have the twins with her.


    "Duchess," Mark greeted Alessandra when she reached the door. "How many times must we meet each other? Your family has kept my life busy for a month now. There are other cases that need my attention. I hope to see less of your family soon."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Hello, Mark. I am hoping for the same thing. I hope this doesn''te off as rude, but I am in a bit of a rush, so I need to do this quickly. I have invited someone who should be here shortly unless he wants our deal to end. What must I do?" Alessandra asked.


    "Come with me," Mark said, walking beside Alessandra to take her to see Kate. "Your sister is awake. She won''t be leaving the bed anytime soon until it is time to take her home so she can heal there. I know there is bad blood between the two of you, but you should see her. There is a paper for you to sign to take over your father''snd-"


    "I will not be the one caring for Kate or thend. My uncle and I have agreed that he will stay here in Lockwood to look after Kate until she is able to care for herself. I am only here to sign away that he will care for her, and then I will be on my way. I do not want to see Kate. It would only end in an argument, and seeing that I am going to a gathering with many women soon, I must save my voice," Alessandra said.


    "I see. We can''t force you to take care of her. It is only because you are her sister that the responsibility fell on you before your uncle. Please sit here," Mark said, pointing to a chair. "I don''t need Edgar to find out that I let his pregnant wife stand around instead of offering her a seat."


    "Thank you," Alessandra dly sat down. "So, she is in this room right ahead?" She asked, looking at the closed room right ahead.


    "Yes," Mark answered. "If she is determined, she could start walking around in no time. What your sister did today made me think of how stressful it is to be ady in Lockwood. She is not the first youngdy who has attempted to end her life after losing her status, and she will not be thest. They fear what life in town will be like with no status and no husband."


    "For someone to pick death over facing the town, it makes you think of how bad the town is. If it is a good thing to raise a child here," Alessandra touched her stomach. "Perhaps I should move, and you would no longer have to deal with Edgar."


    Mark imagined a life without Edgar being in the same town as him. "I would like that," he replied.


    Alessandra did notpletely believe Mark. She felt that deep down, Mark enjoyed his interactions with Edgar and would miss him. Regardless of Edgar''s personality, he greatly helped the town, and Mark could not deny how much he depended on Edgar.


    "I am here. Where do I need to sign?" rk rubbed his hands together. He could not believe that Alessandra was entrusting him with caring for Kate. He could take care of himself now, but he wouldn''t mind taking over the home he felt belonged to him in the first ce and caring for Kate.


    Kate annoyed rk with her attitude, but once again, he saw himself in her. Alwayspared to the perfect older sibling. rk would be damned if he let Alessandra turn down this responsibility and let all of Kate''s wealth from her ex-husband fall into his mother''s hands. He would care for Kate, so she would not have to beg like he did.


    "I will write up a new agreement here that the duchess will be handing over all responsibility for Kate to you. Both of you need to sign it, and then I will take it to the court to be kept safe. It will be a pain in the ass to change this in the future, so while I am away, confirm if it is what you want to do. Excuse me," Mark said, leaving to find a nk piece of paper.


    Alessandra watched Mark walk away, and then she turned to rk, who smiled. "I hope you got rid of your habit to spend money quickly and then beg. It is not just you that you must care for now."


    "Since you had been so kind to give me thend left for you, I have changed my ways. I am not going to run away with Kate''s money. I will care for her, so she does not need to go around begging like I did. This is a chance for me to finally settle down and have a home for the first time in years. I must thank you for making it possible," rk said, as without Alessandra, he would be left with nothing.

 Chapter 536 Growth (1)

    ?


    "Duchess, are you alright?" Caleb asked.


    Alessandra looked away from the window at Caleb and Reed, who sat opposite her in the carriage. "Yes. Why do you think there is something wrong?" She asked.


    "Since we left the doctor''s home, you have been quiet. Are you not feeling well? Should we head home?" Caleb questioned her, not wanting to have her travel around if she was sick.


    "Oh. There is nothing wrong. I was just thinking about my uncle. If he can stay true to his word and not waste the money that is now in his hands. Though I must admit that he seems to have changed. When he came to me after I had just married Edgar, I saw a man who only wanted money. He seems happy now, and not because of Kate''s money," Alessandra said, looking back out the window. They were close to where she needed to meet Prisci.


    "I thought I would have killed him at some point," Reed said, folding his arms. rk had somehow be the only Barrett hovering around Alessandra in Lockwood to not have his life ruined by Edgar, despite the fact that Edgar almost considered killing rk when he started to bother Alessandra.


    "I honestly thought he would have died also," Alessandra agreed with Reed. She never expected rk to have such a change of heart. "Oh! I can see Prisci waiting for me."


    When the carriage stopped, Reed opened the door for Alessandra, exited first, and then helped her out.


    "I was starting to think that you abandoned me. That would have been embarrassing after all the good things I said about you," Prisci said, eyeing Alessandra from head to toe as she approached her. Alessandra did look her best when she didn''t overdo her appearance with too many essories like the other women. "That looks expensive," her eyes went to Alessandra''s neck.


    Alessandra touched the ne Sally picked out for her. "It was a gift from Edgar when we got married. I haven''t had the chance to wear most of what he bought-"


    "Alright," Prisci waved her hand to stop Alessandra from gloating about her wonderful husband. Even though it was her son, she didn''t want to hear about it. "Most of thedies are already here. It is a good thing I waited a moment so we could walk in together. Have all their heads turning to us. The two of you must stay out here," she said to Reed and Caleb.


    Caleb didn''t think that it was a good idea since Edgar threatened to cut off a special part of them if they were to ever leave Alessandra''s side. Considering he wanted to have children one day and he liked the act to get those said children, he was not going to leave Alessandra''s side. "We must stay with the duchess. We will stay out of sight to not scare the otherdies attending."


    "Fine," Prisci sighed, having no time to argue with them. "Hold my hand, Alessandra. You must radiate pride as you walk, for you are a duchess. You must take over the room as soon as you enter so that when they sleep, they will see your face and be jealous. Oh, how I would do anything to be so young again. It was so much fun whenever I made someone envy me. I still do it now, but I would prefer to be younger. Come, we mustn''t bete."


    Alessandra walked with Prisci, who held onto her. Of course, all eyes would be on them when most of the other women still thought Prisci disliked her. Alessandra had not gone around revealing that she was on good terms with Prisci, and Prisci was so busy changing up her home that she might not have told many of her friends.


    "Time seems to be flying by quickly, or maybe I am just impatient, but I think you will start showing soon. You''ll see a change in the attitudes of the women around you. Especially those who already have children. Matchmaking starts now and they will want to be close to you so their children can marry into your wealth. Do not fall for their sweet words," Prisci advised Alessandra.


    "I know," Alessandra replied, as she was aware of how things worked in Lockwood. Some people still called her cursed behind her back and pointed her out as the reason her father''s home fell, but when they were standing before her, you would think they had never said a bad word. "I will not fall for it. I remember clearly who spoke ill of me and I like to think I can judge those I don''t know well."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "You are able to handle Rose, and you dealt with me well, so I won''t have to worry too much about you. I will be here to point out what you missed. Head up," Prisci said as she could hear theughter of the women attending as they neared the room.


    "Prisci!" Lucina, the host and owner of the home they were in, stood to greet her. "Duchess Collins, it is a pleasure to finally meet you. I have heard many good things about you from Prisci."


    "Thank you for inviting me today, Lady Lucina," Alessandra curtsied as she greeted the older woman. She looked away from Lucina and toward some of the familiar faces in the room. Women she had seen at other parties and when Hazel had invited them to the pce.


    "We were just talking about what style of dresses will be fitting for theing season. I''ve ced your seats at my table," Lucina said, pointing to two empty seats at the table. Having Prisci and the duchess in her home at once would make her party the talk of the town for a while.


    Alessandra waited for Prisci to sit down first before going to her seat. She hesitated for a moment when she finally noticed that she would be seated beside Emma, who she had not seen in a long time.


    "Oh! Duchess, you might know my niece. I''m certain the two of you attended the parties. She used to speak about you a lot, hoping the two of you would be friends. It is a shame that her season was ruined," Lucina sighed since nning for Emma''s wedding had gone to waste. "We were lucky to save her before she married that disgusting fellow. His father has yet to properly reward us for how his son''s deeds almost ruined Emma. Sleeping with men. He should be hung," Lucina said.


    Most of the women at the table nodded their heads, agreeing with her.


    ''Oh right,'' Alessandra said, remembering what Eleanor had told her. Oliver''s secret was out, and it was Emma who had revealed it.


    "Duchess, I hear that your husband was once friends with him. He must be disgusted to know the dirty secrets his friend had," said Lucina.


    Prisci didn''t like Lucina bringing Edgar into this conversation. "You-"


    "Edgar is not bothered by it. He doesn''t spend his days worrying about what others do with their time. Neither do I. To sit around and worry about who someone likes is quite childish, isn''t it? I am neither disgusted nor intrigued about who Oliver liked," Alessandra replied, not allowing anyone to use Edgar''s name to ridicule Oliver since she knew Edgar did not judge Oliver.


    "W-Well," Lucina said, bing flustered. It was natural for everyone to be disgusted by a man wanting to be with another man. She thought the Duke would be the same. Alessandra should use this chance to state her husband didn''t think of Oliver as a friend anymore. "I can speak about it because he fooled my niece. You need to worry about it, duchess. What if more of that spread around the town? Think of our children. How they would think it is right."


    Alessandra thought that the town could be filled with men walking around with men, but she would be more concerned about her children having to face women like this who had nothing better to do than judge someone.

 Chapter 537 Growth (2)

    ?


    There was too much in Alessandra''s life for her to worry about who was sleeping with who, be it two men or a man and a woman.


    ''Eleanor has told me about women meeting with each other. Why does the town only judge the men?'' Alessandra thought. Once again, the town picked and choose what was eptable though both situations were equal.


    Emma looked at Alessandra, wondering if she knew all along that Oliver was never interested in women. Since Edgar and Oliver were once great friends, Alessandra or Edgar had to know something. While Lucina and the older women found something else to talk about, Emma tapped Alessandra''s hand.


    "Hello duchess," she greeted Alessandra. "It has been so long since we spoke to each other."


    "It has been," Alessandra replied.


    "I wished to invite you to my wedding, but now that is all over," Emma said, looking down at herp. It was a painful discovery to catch the man she loved with another. Not even a woman but a man of all things. "Did you know about it?" She asked.


    "That you would no longer be having a wedding?" Alessandra asked. She wasn''t following any news about Emma so if Eleanor had not told her the news, she would not have known. She was not friends with Emma to reach out after she had heard. She had always tried to distance herself from Emma because of theplicated history between Edgar and Oliver.


    "I meant about what Oliver likes. Did you know?" Emma asked once more.


    "Oh," Alessandra looked away from Emma. If Oliver''s preference was so frowned upon, why did they insist on talking about it so much?


    "You did," Emma bitterly smiled. "How cruel of you to not think to mention it to me so I would not make a fool of myself."


    "It was not my ce to tell you. That was something Oliver needed to do on his own. Please do not bring me into this because your love for him did not end how you nned," Alessandra said. The only rtionship problems she wanted to deal with were her own and since she didn''t have any with Edgar, that didn''t mean she wanted to be wrapped into someone else''s problem.


    "You must think that I am cruel to have told the town about him. Men have been taunting him. Throwing rocks at him and his own father turned his back on him. I didn''t think it would go like this," Emma said, hoping one person understood her intentions.


    Alessandra did not believe Emma. Emma knew well how the town would react. That Oliver would not be safe once those words left her mouth. Alessandra thought the two handled their rtionship poorly. Oliver could have been honest with at least Emma and Emma shouldn''t have told the town.


    Oliver could lose his life because men would be after him. This town didn''t like people who were different.


    Alessandra appreciated how much she and Edgar spoke to each other. When she looked at some of the couples around her, she counted herself extremely lucky. Alessandra chose not to continue to speak with Emma. She did not want to fall deeply into what happened with Emma and Oliver.


    "Now that everyone is here, we can move around and take a look at my garden," Lucina said loudly to capture the attention of the women present. She spent a lot of money to have her garden prepared for this very moment.


    "It is now a battle of the gardens since winter is over," Prisci whispered to Alessandra. "There will be many tea parties to show off. We should n a party around the time youngdies debut."


    "What isn''t there a battle for?" Alessandra whispered back. From men, dresses, furniture, and now gardens. What more did she have to keep up with?<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Prisci chuckled. "There is always a battle, dear. It is how we establish a rank among women. There wille a time to show off husbands. Now, there are plenty of young women here dying to have a moment with you. They want to attach themselves to a high-ranking woman before the season officially starts. Gather your circle carefully."


    Alessandra carefully stood up to join the women walking around. She wasn''t here to just have a good time. Alessandra looked around therge open room at the vast number of youngdies. They would do anything to be under the wing of a duchess, but Alessandra didn''t want just anyone around her. She wanted her space to be filled with people she could enjoy her time with.


    Her eyes went to two young women who immediately stood off in a corner away from a crowd. It was always her goal to be the person to help those who found it hard to fit in. Alessandra wanted to be the person she wished she had when she became duchess. A shoulder to lean on.


    Alessandra left Prisci''s side to introduce herself. She did not need Prisci to be with her for this moment.


    As she got closer to the two young girls, she noticed their simr features and how one stepped behind the other to hide. These days Alessandra had to wonder if it was because of the old rumors about a curse or if being in the presence of a duchess was just too intimidating for some.


    "Oh. Are you scared of me? I promise I am noting to hurt either one of you. I wanted to introduce myself," Alessandra said, keeping a distance since the smaller of the two remained hidden.


    "Everyone knows who you are, duchess. Please do not take offense to my cousin''s actions. She stutters when she gets nervous, so she chooses to hide instead of embarrassing herself. My name is Thea Ramsy, and this is my cousin Wren Ramsy. Our fathers are brothers," said Thea. Just like Wren, she was nervous to speak with a duchess, but she had to muster some courage to not offend Alessandra.


    "It is nice to meet you two. I believe I have heard of the Ramsy brothers before. Your fathers have a business in making carriages, right?" Alessandra asked, receiving a nod from Thea as she was correct. She knew about their fathers because Edgar spoke of having them fix his carriage wheels.


    Alessandra looked behind Thea at Wren. She found it cute how much they depended on each other. They were cousins, but the way they acted would have anyone mistaking them for sisters. ''Their fathers must have raised them to be close.''


    "Do the two of you intend to hide away here forever? We are going outside to see Lady Lucina''s garden," said Alessandra.


    "We are going outside behind everyone else. This is our first season and attending a party like this. We don''t know anyone other than my aunt who has wandered off to catch up with an old friend," Thea said,


    Her mother suddenly fell ill, so her aunt was acting as her escort. They were left with the task of finding friends on their own and speaking with women who had sons still without a wife.


    "I see. Well, if you do not mind, you can walk with me. The only person I am close to here is my mother-inw and I don''t want to burden her with my presence for so long. You do not have to join me if you do not want to-"


    "We would dly join you!" Thea eximed and bit her lip after feeling embarrassed by how excited she sounded. They were failing on their own to speak with the other noblewomen, who already had a crowd of young girls around them, so they could not miss this chance with the duchess. "Come along," she said, grabbing Wren''s hand to pull her along.


    "I will not judge you if you stutter around me," Alessandra whispered to Wren.


    Wren looked at the floor instead of Alessandra. "I-It is embarrassing," she replied. She was made fun of when she stuttered, which made her stutter more. She depended on her cousin, but soon Thea would marry and leave her.


    "Only when you surround yourself with people who do not care for you. The people who love you will ept it. When you surround yourself with people who wish to help you ovee your nervousness, you will be surprised by the woman you can be. Trust me," Alessandra said.

 Chapter 538 Growth (3)

    ?


    "They are beautiful," Alessandra said,plimenting the flowers in Lucina''s garden. Seeing all the different colors and sizese together to create one big, beautiful painting made her want to start working on her garden once the repairs were finished.


    Instead of inviting women over, Alessandra wanted toy around on the grass with Edgar and eat there. She could use the distraction of gardening to ignore everything else in town.


    ''I need to see what the budget for the garden is once the repairs are finished,'' Alessandra noted forter.


    Alessandra walked behind Thea and Wren, who had became talkative as they walked around the garden. It was like they had never hid in a corner a moment ago.


    "Duchess."


    Alessandra looked away from the flowers to the right of her, where Erin stood. After two weeks of Erin having someone elsee to measure her or dropping off the dresses before Alessandra coulde out to greet her, seeing Erin here was a sight for sore eyes.


    "Hello," Alessandra said, feeling a bit awkward with the greeting. She remembered seeing Erin in town and Erin avoiding her.


    "It is good to see. I made Lady Lucina''s dress, so she gave me an invite. I was happy to hear that you would be here. Can we please talk about why I have not been around? Alone," Erin added, as there were two young girls by Alessandra''s side. During their time apart, Alessandra seemed to be a different person. Her name was constantly brought up by her customers.


    "Excuse me for a moment," Alessandra said to Thea and Wren.


    Erin watched the youngdies walk off a little bit, where they would still be in sight when Alessandra was finished. "First off, I apologise for avoiding you. It had nothing to do with you. I was just going through a lot with my engagement to Dale. I felt embarrassed about what happened with his parents because I had been speaking so highly about our rtionship, but his parents were angry and chased me away. I hope you didn''t think that I used you for your connections and then turned my back on you."


    "I didn''t," Alessandra replied. Once again, Eleanor informed her about what happened with Erin and Dale. She looked at Erin''s finger, where a ring was shown off. "It was odd, but you needed your space, and I was fine with that. However, I wonder what you thought of me back then when you had to avoid me. I would haveforted you."


    "I know. That is what fills me with guilt. I was hoping you would push your way into asking me what was wrong," said Erin.


    "I''ve yed peacemaker far too long. Sometimes it is nice for others to approach me to make things right. I am not angry with you, Erin. You avoiding me because of your troubles is not something that upsets me. I knew in time you woulde to me. I knew that it was nothing I had done since you were still sending me dresses. Congrattions on your marriage, Erin," Alessandra said, as Erin had longed for this moment since they met.


    "Thank you. You would have been invited, but it was a quick wedding at the church with just Dale and me. We decided to get it over with so our parents could just shut up. Dale''s family has some wealth, so my mother isn''t too upset, and with my growing business, Dale''s parents are starting to open up to me. We could have avoided all that drama if we had made our rtionship known from the beginning," Erin said.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Alessandra was d everything worked out for Erin in the end. She had been so suspicious of this Dale Scott she had never met, since everything about him was a mystery and he was not walking around with Erin. If not for Simon being found to be the person the guards were looking for, she would have pointed Edgar to Dale for the sake of making sure Erin was safe.


    "So, everything is fine between us?" Erin asked, still feeling like there was more for her to exin or apologise for.


    "Erin, I don''t know what else to say to convince you that I am not angry with you. Here," Alessandra said, taking hold of Erin''s left hand so they could walk together.


    Erin jumped on the spot one time and then looked around to see if anyone had noticed it. "It is good to be back by your side. I am sure the Duke enjoyed not seeing me around," she said.


    "Honestly, I don''t think Edgar thought of you or noticed that you weren''t around," Alessandra honestly answered. "He will realise it when youe to our home. His ability to ignore someone or not notice when they aren''t around is out of this world. I am lucky to be his wife, or I would be forgotten. Though there are times when I wish he would forget that I am home and find someone else to torture."


    "Then I can''t wait to see his face when I visit to deliver your new dresses. I wanted to see you today to see how you are doing with everything that has happened to your family. I know you weren''t close to your stepmother, but how are you taking her death? Do you feel relieved now that the town knows about her and Kate? You must have had so many people giving their apologies to you," Erin said, walking with Alessandra to catch up with the youngdies who were patiently waiting.


    "Apologies for the way anyone treated me? No, and I don''t need them. No one wants to acknowledge they were wrong for believing I was cursed and for the things they said. They''ve just turned to talking about Katrina and Kate. I hear what the town is saying from the maids, and I am not surprised that I am said to be a curse that caused the baron''s home to fall. They are expecting it to happen to Edgar," Alessandra shook her head as the town reached a new level of ridiculousness.


    "I am satisfied with it being out in the open, and I don''t have to exin what life was like with my father to anyone," she added.


    "Will you be going to the festival to celebrate the queen''s blessing? I heard that many of the Collins are now in town. Everyone is hoping you will hold a ball to start off the season earlier than nned. Balls mean good business for me. Dale has created a space in our home to act as my dress shop. I hope to see you tonight so I can let you see what he is like," Erin said.


    "Unfortunately, I won''t be attending the festival tonight. I will be staying home with Edgar. I would love to enjoy the night walking around, but there will be too many people looking for news about Kate, and I do not want to be bothered with it. I wouldn''t say no if you wanted to invite Edgar and me over to your home to meet Dale," Alessandra replied.


    "Deal," Erin said, pulling Alessandra closer as they walked.


    "I''m sorry I kept you two waiting," Alessandra said to Thea and Wren when she caught up with them. It was good to have Erin around again, and now she had these two youngdies to get to know.

 Chapter 539 Growth (4)

    ?


    Alessandra returned home an hour before the party ended to avoid how busy the road would be with everyone heading to the festival. She did not want to get caught up in anyone rushing to get to the festival as if it was going to be over so soon.


    Alessandra enjoyed her time out, but there was something about being at home that she loved. Her image as duchess faded when she walked through the front door. She was simply Alessandra, free of any rules.


    After a quick clean-up and changing into a morefortable dress, Alessandra sat at the bottom of the stairs waiting for Edgar to return from outside. Alessandra decided that the servants should get to leave to enjoy the festival, so it was just her and Edgar at home, plus a few servants who did not wish to go.


    Surprisingly, Alfred informed them that he had somewhere to be and that he would be back in a few hours. Alessandra was curious if Alfred was meeting with ady now that he had free time, while Edgar believed Alfred was going to see if the festival brought in new books for him to buy. Alessandra believed that both of their assumptions might be right.


    Edgar entered through the front door and was puzzled to see Alessandra sitting on the stairs. "Why are you sitting on the stairs? I told you to go up to bed without me."


    "I didn''t want to be up there alone. It is lonely now that many of the servants are gone. I was hoping to y with the cats, but they abandoned me. They ran off somewhere," Alessandra said, looking in the direction they ran. She heard something drop moments before the cats decided it was more fascinating than ying with her. "Maybe I should get a dog to feel more appreciated."


    "Last night you spoke of getting fish to put in the pond outside. How many animals do you want to have just for them to like me instead of you?" Edgar asked, going in front of her to help her to her feet.


    "That wasn''t nice of you to point out that you are more loved. I don''t see how fish can have a favorite person, but if we have fish, the cats might linger around the pond. The dog is a better choice, isn''t it?" Alessandra smiled, knowing she could get Edgar with this. The dogs Edgar currently owned were not the type for her to y around with. "Dogs make excellentpanions for children."


    Edgar lifted Alessandra into his arms so he could carry her upstairs. "Soon there will be birds flying over my head inside because of your love for animals, and then there are the stray people you invite into our home. I must warn you that if Ie home one day and there is something pping over me, it will end up as the cat''s dinner. The same can be said for people who would be the dog''s chew toy."


    "That is mean of you. Perhaps I should buy a home for myself with the money I get from the mines. I can keep my pets there and stay there when I want to get away from you. You can change my mind if you think more about getting a dog," Alessandra said.


    "We are already preparing for children who do nothing but cause us to spend money and devote a lot of time to them for all their lives. Do you really want to add another tiny, annoying creature to our home?" Edgar asked.


    "You cannot call our children annoying creatures, Edgar. Children are lovely. With the way you have been preparing for our child''s arrival, you know they are not annoying. Or maybe you are worried that your child will stress you out as much as you have stressed others out as a child. Specifically Alfred. He has been telling me all the tales of the things you thought were fun. I love you Edgar, but I am not strong like Alfred to handle that," Alessandra said, worrying for her poor heart.


    "You know Alfred is dramatic so you shouldn''t believe his words-"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Alessandra poked Edgar''s left cheek with her finger. "I absolutely believe Alfred''s words that you gave him a lot of trouble as a child. You worry him as you are now. As much as I don''t want to be chasing around someone simr to you, I think it is only fair that you get a dose of what Alfred went through. A little boy, so you see yourself in him, or a little girl who keeps you on your toes."


    "That does not scare me as much as you think. I wouldn''t mind my children mirroring my personality. Scaring the people in town with their words. I look forward to how they will be with other children," Edgar smiled as he imagined the mischief he would let them get into.


    "They shall be like normal children. Not throwing cats on their rtives or trying to push the king off a wall like you did. I look forward to when our children will have to marry, and you must let them go to experience a new life. I wonder if I will see you cry-Oh!" Alessandra gasped when she identally poked Edgar in the eye.


    Edgar turned his head in the opposite direction to protect his face from Alessandra. "You still have it in you to wound me. Wonderful," he muttered.


    Edgar stopped moving as his eye watered, and since he could not see out of one eye at the moment, he did not want to drop Alessandra. "If you keep this up, our children will be without a father," he said after the tears stopped. He looked down at Alessandra with her hands covering her mouth.


    "I didn''t mean to do it. I swear you turned at the wrong time. Perhaps it is best that you put me down and we walk at a distance. I don''t know why I always end up hurting you. Though this time it is still your fault," Alessandra said, cing the me on Edgar as always.


    Edgar kept her in his arms since he was near their bedroom. "I must keep you loving me so you never end up working with my enemies. You are the only person I know who hurts me this much. You do have a secret love for pain. A quiet night like this is the perfect chance for us to explore more of the toys we did not use on my birthday, or should we save them for when the timees to make you pregnant again? I see no other way to have you-"


    Alessandra covered Edgar''s mouth with her hand. Fortunately, she did not harm him. "This is why I keep causing you to be in pain, Edgar. It is your mouth. ept the idea of getting a friendly dog, and I will think about your suggestions."


    "You have a better chance of seeing Alfred bring home a woman than me getting you a dog. I have already given you two cats and let you invite my mother inside," said Edgar.


    Alessandra frowned. "Hey! Your mother doesn''t count for me since she is your mother. It is just the two cats you have given me. What happened to spoiling me since I am carrying our child?"


    "I believe I did most of the work in getting you pregnant while youid back and enjoyed the pleasure. When am I going to be spoiled?" Edgar inquired.

 Chapter 540 Make It Right (1)

    ?


    Alfred straightened out his coat as he walked up the steps of the home he had not visited in a long time. The Collins were hardly here and when they were, he came with Edgar. As much as he would like to stay home with Alessandra and Edgar, he had something important to take care of. So that while Alessandra''s family drama had ended, she wouldn''t have to deal with Edgar''s family.


    When Alessandra was away with Prisci and Edgar was busy outside looking over the repairs, Alfred had sent a message to Rose that he would be visiting this evening.


    Alfred followed the butler inside and as they walked, he eyed the servants moving around in a haste to prepare for Edmund''s big dinner. It would have been a nice family moment, but Rose was ruining it.


    "Lady Rose. Your guest has arrived," said the butler.


    "I was starting to think you wouldn''t being. Leave us," Rose said, looking up from her paper to Alfred. She wasn''t surprised that he had reached out to her. Alfred was always the one she could reason with when Edgar was difficult. She hoped he came here with good news. "I was hoping you would not being alone."


    "Alessandra and Edgar are spending time alone. I don''t want to disrupt that and they don''t know that I am here. I came to talk to you on my own because of what I feel. If you would allow me to speak freely," Alfred requested since he wasn''t of any status to speak with Rose as he liked.


    "You know you can. You have taken care of my beloved grandson for years so it grants you the privilege. Though I can''t say that he is beloved now. That boy has been working my nerves for how many weeks now? Sit down," Rose said, pointing to the chair opposite her. She had never gone this long fighting with Edgar. In fact, she could not think of a time she had fought with him at all.


    "He is defending his wife," Alfred answered as he moved to sit down. "I''ve witnessed time and time again that anyone who tries to harm Alessandra or even mess with the life she has now bes an enemy of Edgar. After what she experienced under her father''s care, Edgar wants her to enjoy her life. I would have liked to see you help Alessandra grow, but it was more like you were scolding her and you knew Edgar would not like it."


    "I had to scold her since she did not understand the importance of the things I told her. I care for Alessandra. She has helped Edgar to finally marry and I have epted her. However, Collins has always married into wealth. It is how we carry on our wealth for generations. It was the one thing shecked so she needed to make up for it by bing the perfect duchess. I purposely give her enough time to be carefree before I came to help her," said Rose.


    "I let her do as she wanted for a while before I came to Lockwood to help her change. I have never been so lenient with anyone aside from Edgar. She was getting stones thrown at her head, talking about her being involved with a cook, and then her family was no better. What happens to her affects my grandson. I wished to make her better so he would not be sullied by her nonsense. Has she at least done something that I told her?" Rose asked.


    She expected that by now Alessandra had realised that she was wrong for not listening.


    "The duchess has been learning her duties at her own pace and she is doing well. She has a home that is different from others. I do not mind being the one to change around a few pieces of furniture in ce of her. Though Edgar spoils her, she doesn''t see the need to waste money to show off she can buy expensive pieces. It isn''t like the two of them have guests who will care," said Alfred.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Rose didn''t like where this was going. "Have youe here to ask me to apologise?"


    "I came here because you are the head of the Collins family. You can make life difficult for Alessandra since the other Collins member would not want to be near her to upset you. She has had enough of being pushed away from her family. You should recall how happy she was to meet you and the other rtives Edgar cared for. I ask that you stop trying to change her and apologise so you can all move on," Alfred said.


    This had gone on long enough. It was like history was repeating itself with Alessandra falling into Prisci''s former role. Alfred didn''t like the strained rtionship between Prisci and Rose since it affected Edgar in the long run and he certainly did not like how it was heading with Alessandra.


    "Alessandra is not without wealth. She reconnected with her grandmother whose families own a number of mines. They also have other businesses that are here in Lockwood. They have been spoiling her to make up for lost time. You should know the wealth thates from mines. She would be perfectly fine without Edgar," Alfred revealed.


    Rose''s mouth fell open for a moment. This was wonderful news. "If that is true, why hasn''t she told anyone? If the town knows her family owns mines, they won''t look down on her as she would have more wealth than most of them. Do these mines have a lot of gold? Jewels?''


    "Her mother''s side of the family does not like to unt their wealth. Without being around them most of her life, Alessandra is the same way. She has never once unted being married to Edgar and having his wealth at her hands. Alessandra has no ns of telling anyone about the mines. She doesn''t need anyone viewing her differently because of it just as your eyes light up a moment ago," Alfred said, slightly annoyed that Rose now saw Alessandra as worthy.


    "All his life, Edgar has run to your home as a ce offort when his parents were at odds with each other. You have been someone he cared for and the first rtive he wanted Alessandra to meet. It will always be Alessandra first for him because he loves her. You will miss out on everything that will blossom from their marriage if you continue to be this way. Please let it go," Alfred begged Rose.


    Rose tapped her fingers on the arm of the chair as she thought it over. She did miss Edgar dearly, but she was never one to apologise to the wives first. As head of the Collins family, Alessandra needed toe to her to apologise, whether she was right or not.


    Edgar, she could let him do as he pleased and the other rtives would not question it. However, if she apologised to Alessandra, the other wives would get ahead of themselves and act foolish. Then there was the fact that, since they were not on good terms, Alessandra ran to Prisci. Anyone could see it was a jab to set her off.


    "I will not apologise, but we can move on. She can stop ying nice with Prisci to annoy me," said Rose.


    Alfred frowned because Alessandra''s rtionship with Prisci had nothing to do with Rose. The two had a moment where they finally bonded, and now they were on good terms. It was only tomorrow night that Alessandra was using Prisci to anger Rose. "You''ve misunderstood. Alessandra isn''t close with Prisci to anger you. The two havee to care for each other," he replied.

 Chapter 541 Make It Right (2)

    ?


    Rose wouldn''t believe it if Alessandra herself were toe and say that she had somehow be close with Prisci. Women had their own games that men would not understand. Alessandra was ying it well, and Alfred did not realise it. Rose didn''t think Alessandra had it in her.


    "Long after Edmund''s marriage has ended, I am still having trouble with that woman. I will not have Alessandra be so close to Prisci if she wants me to be near her. You know the trouble that I had to deal with his mother, Alfred. I cannot and will not be made to be anywhere near Prisci. Edgar should have gotten rid of her when she almost had you killed," Rose said, still angered by what happened.


    "We have all moved on from it. Edgar punished his mother, and after it, she changed for the better. Edgar has be close to his mother now that she is no longer against Alessandra. It is something that I have always wanted and that he has always needed. Since they can work things out, so can you, but you must do it early," Alfred advised Rose.


    "For me and you, we have more limited time in this world. Our age works against us, and we must make the most of the time we have left with the people around us. I can feel my body growing tired so I try to enjoy life so I will not have any regrets. You''ve spent many years by Edgar''s side, hoping that he could find someone to love. He has that now. You would be a fool to continue with your pride and ruin it," Alfred said as he stood up. He could say nothing more to change her mind.


    Rose had outlived many of the younger Collins, but time stopped for no one. Alfred had seen for himself when he had traveled to see Rose, how she could not get around on her own and needed someone to lean on before resting her feet. Rose was looking smaller each time he saw her.


    Why hold on to so much petty anger instead of making up with Alessandra and Edgar? Why let her dislike for Prisci get in the way of moving on? Edgar needed his parents around so it should never be a choice that Alessandra had to stop being close to Prisci for Rose toe around.


    "I have been by Edgar''s side since he could barely look over the table. I have seen him sit at a table alone for dinner. Nothing warms me more than seeing the seats at his dinner table slowly fill up. From Alessandra to his friends, the family they have reunited with, and now me, after he has weed me not as a butler, but as family to sit with them. I wish for you to see the love that fills that house when we all sit together. Excuse me," Alfred said, ready to leave.


    Rose wanted to see Edgar''s happiness, but once again, she never took well to being disrespected. "I take it you will not be here tomorrow night to celebrate Edmund."


    Alfred smiled, as the answer was obvious. "I go wherever Edgar goes. I will be with him and Alessandra tomorrow night. Excuse me," he said, bowing his head slightly and then making his way out. It was now up to Rose to decide if she wanted to see Edgar or continue to y these foolish games that Edgar would match her on.


    "Alfred!" Edmund called before Alfred could get out the front door. "It is a surprise to see you here. Did Edgare?" He asked, trying to look outside to see who else was there.


    "No. He is at home with Alessandra. Is there something you need from me?" Alfred asked.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Edmund ced his hands in his pants pockets. "I guess you came here to speak with my mother about Edgar and Alessandra. I see why Prisci was so jealous of your ce in Edgar''s life and hated you. There have been many times when I hated you."


    "I know. You masked it well for a few years until I finally noticed it. I thought it was Prisci who once tried to send me away from Edgar, but it was you," Alfred replied. Edgar had then hired Alfred as his own butler, so his parents could not get rid of him.


    "Well, he is my son, and I wanted him to take after me in court. You say father and he would look to you. It would anger me, but with everything that happened with his mother and me, I felt grateful that you were there in my absence. Did she hurt him that much?" Edmund asked, referring to Cassidy.


    "Yes. He was still a child with feelings, though he tried not to let them show. Edgar would never admit it, but even though his mother would sometimes push him away or anger him, he loved her dearly. How would you feel if you watched your father let another woman enter the home where your mother rested? There was no respect, and Edgar started to have a bad view of marriages," Alfred replied.


    "So, more than anyone else, I fucked up my son by trying to hold onto someone who made me happy. I cannot let her go now that I have her. I have waited too long for this moment, but I do not want to let go of my son. I will keep her out of his sight until he is ready. What are the chances of him letting me enter his gates to spend my birthday with him? What my mother is nning doesn''t suit me," Edmund said, looking around at the decorations that were already ced.


    He would have Cassidy stay at home and spend his birthday with his son. Even with Prisci around.


    "I messed up, and I want to make up for it. Would you be able to convince him?" Edmund asked, hoping Alfred would try. This was all he could think of to be near Edgar again. Prisci had done it so there was a slim for him. He would deal with the aftermath of not showing up to his own birthday dinner. What was the point of going if his son and daughter-inw were not present?


    Edmund thought a lot about what Edgar said thest time they spoke. This time, he thought about Edgar''s feelings instead of his own. He did expose Edgar to affairs and secrets at a young age. Edgar should never have witnessed him allowing Cassidy to sometimes enter their home. He worked hard to help createws to make the kingdom safer for children, but he neglected his own. Only thinking of himself.


    It was what helped turn Prisci into a woman full of hate. Edmund wanted to apologise to his former wife for getting back with Cassidy so soon. It was the one request she had, and he didn''t fulfill it. He couldn''t do as she wanted, and he needed to have an honest conversation with her.


    "I will mention it to him, but I cannot make any promises that you will be able to enter if you show up. It is Edgar after all," said Alfred.

 Chapter 542 Make It Right (3)

    ?


    "Mother, did you have a good talk with Alfred?" Edmund asked as he entered the drawing room where his mother sat looking out at nothing.


    "No. He''se to have me apologise to Alessandra and be around your ex-wife. Were you aware that Alessandra now owns mines?" Rose asked as she was curious how many Alessandra owned and if anything of value was found in these mines.


    "That''s news to me," Edmund replied. "How did she get her hands on some? A gift from my son?"


    "Alfred said her mother''s side of the family owns mines and they have been spoiling her. The foolish child does not want to tell the town about it. This can be useful," Rose said, beginning to plot how she would use this to clean Alessandra''s image.


    "Mother, if she doesn''t want to tell the town, respect her wish and keep it to yourself. I need to talk to you about my birthday dinner. I will be spending tomorrow night with my son and daughter-inw-"


    "So they''ve epted the invitation. Good. I need to spread the word that Edgar will be attending," Rose said getting to her feet as there was much to do now that Edgar would be here again.


    "No, I will be going to their home to hopefully get inside without a weapon pointed at my head. I see no other way to spend my birthday. Most of the rtives you invited, I am not close with. I must be where my son is. For once," Edmund added as Alfred''s words weighed his mind. "Will you be joining me?"


    "You are aware that woman would be there?" Rose asked, believing that Edmund had lost his mind. "I invited everyone here for you. Rtives have traveled far away from Lockwood for you. Do you have any idea the trouble I will go through to tell them that you are elsewhere? All the nning that I have done will go to waste."


    "Let''s not y any games here mother. You never n any dinners or parties here in Lockwood. This was never about celebrating my birthday. This was about you trying to make Alessandra feel excluded. I am choosing to spend it how I want. Think of all the family being here tomorrow night as a nice reunion. Send them my wishes," said Edmund.


    "You ungrateful bastard! I was even going to let you bring that despicable woman here!" Rose yelled, wishing she could walk over to Edmund and smack somemon sense into him. She was willing to face questions for having Cassidy around and yet, Edmund was repaying her by not showing up to the party. He had lost his mind.


    "It is interesting mother. You could put all your anger aside to ept Cassidy attending the dinner, but you can''t bring yourself to get over what happened with Alessandra. It is not like she disrespected you. I''ve sat back for years, being quiet and letting you mess with Prisci. I won''t allow you to do the same with Alessandra. If you want to join me tomorrow night, be ready by five so we won''t be standing outside their gates in the dark. I wish you well with dealing with our guests," Edmund said, making an attempt to kiss his mother''s cheek, but feeling like he would p, he walked away.


    Rose thought that the men in her life were losing their minds. Driving her crazy with their actions these days. Now that Alessandra had the mines, there was more they needed to talk about. She could not let Edmund go there without her tomorrow night. She too would have to leave the dinner here to speak with Alessandra.


    Another day quickly fell on Lockwood and on the Collins estate, dinner was being set for the guests that wereing over.


    Alessandra stood at the doorway of the dining room, watching the servants set the table just as she had instructed. Though they had been nning this for a while, she could not believe that they were seriously holding a dinner on the same night as Edmund''s birthday dinner. It screamed pettiness.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Alessandra jumped when someone suddenly touched her, but when their hands settled around her stomach, she knew that it was Edgar. "It is almost time for your mother to arrive, and Reed has asked to bring Eleanor. It''s a shame no one else could join us. It was toote for Erin, Tobias and Hazel are being cautious with her moving around, and Linda is staying at the pce. You should have told Rafael to stay a little longer."


    "The fewer people the better. I don''t see why you always want to be surrounded by our friends. They have too many annoying moments. You should sit down and rest your feet until they arrive. Who ising is not that important for you to be standing around for them," Edgar said.


    Alessandra paid no attention to Edgar. She was standing there because there was a surprise for Edgar which she didn''t want to miss. Prisci informed her that she would be bringing a date. Someone she had recently met who had never been married and was everything she was looking for in a man.


    Alessandra wanted to ask if it was Mark, but then she wanted to be surprised. She asked Caleb and Alfred to hide any weapons from Edgar in case it would be Mark. She nned to stick close to Edgar since he shouldn''t do something with his pregnant wife next to him.


    "Duchess, Duke Collins. There are guests making their way through the gates," said Gerald, the new butler.


    With Alfred no longer working as the butler and Edgar adamant that he would never be butler again, Alfred had found a new butler for them to help with the dinner. Alessandra had beenughing since Gerald was hired, as she would find Alfred looking around corners at how Gerald was doing his job. She wondered if Gerald knew that he was being stalked by Alfred. It wasn''t like Alfred was able to run away before being spotted with his hurt knee.


    "Come with me, Edgar," Alessandra said, holding his hand as she walked to the front door. "We need to greet our guests. Who do you think is the first to arrive?"


    "I don''t care as long as they show up," Edgar replied.


    "Would it kill you to be excited for once? For me? I like when the table is full of people. I had so many days wishing I could sit at a table full of love and full of people that I care about. You must not take it for granted. It is wonderful to see the seats filling up and maybe one day we will have to get a bigger table," said Alessandra.


    "I intend for us to get a bigger table so we have more room at dinner," Edgar said, watching Alesandra smile, but little did she know, his reason for a bigger table wasn''t the same as her own. "We shall have many children, so we will need to have a bigger table. I have in mind four or five."


    Alessandra frowned, and instead of responding to Edgar, she walked ahead of him to see who was arriving. Alessandra went to stand at the window beside the door to look at the carriagesing in. "Edgar, didn''t you give the guards the list of who would be attending so they won''t need toe to us for permission?" She asked.


    "I did," Edgar answered.


    "So why does it look like there is a carriage at the gates and a guard ising to us?" Alessandra asked.

 Chapter 543 Ruin The Moment (1)

    ?


    "We have an unwanted guest. What is new?" Edgar asked as it was normal for them to always have someone not invited just show up.


    "Maybe one of our friends decided toe," Alessandra said, hoping it was a friend and not someone who would bring drama to tonight. She was looking forward to sitting down and eating with everyone.


    Alessandra stood by the window and let Edgar handle it. She watched Edgar exit the front door to speak with the guard.


    "Alessandra, I have something to tell you," Alfred said as he walked to be by Alessandra''s side. He had a feeling who was at the gates.


    "Yes?" Alessandra replied, feeling a bit anxious since Alfred looked like he was about to deliver bad news.


    "Edmund asked if he could spend his birthday with you and Edgar. He wants to start over and spend time with the two of you. Make up for all the trouble he caused Edgar. I told him toe and try," said Alfred.


    Alessandra didn''t mind that since she wouldn''t get in the way of Edmund and Edgar fixing their rtionship. She wanted to ask when Alfred had met with Edmund, but she did not want toe off as if she was trying to keep track of him.


    "I don''t mind, but you probably should have told Edgar about it. It''s good that only Edgar is out there speaking to the guard. Whatever decision he makes about his father, we have to be silent and ept it," said Alessandra. They could not force him to let Edmund in.


    "Understood," Alfred answered. He hoped that Edmund would properly exin that he wanted to start over and not screw it up. He also hoped Rose had listened to him and woulde to make things right with Alessandra.


    "He''sing back inside," Alessandra said, leaving the window to hear what Edgar would do about his father.


    "Which one of you had something to do with this?" Edgar asked as it could only be his wife or Alfred trying to make peace. He looked at Alessandra first, and since she didn''t have that innocent smile she would show him when she did something, he knew it was Alfred. "It was you, Alfred."


    "Yes. He wanted to spend time with you and start working on your rtionship. I never agreed he coulde inside. I said that would be up to you," Alfred replied.


    "It is not just him who hase looking to get inside. Grandmother is with him. iming she is here to apologise. I take it that was your doing. Couldn''t help yourself, could you?"


    Alessandra found it odd that though Edgr did not seem too pleased, she could see through the slightly opened door that the carriage wasing inside, and there was another carriage that followed. Alessandra wasn''t familiar with the carriage Edmund and Rose used, but she was familiar with the white carriage Prisci used from time to time.


    ''This is bad timing,'' Alessandra panicked. They had not gotten time to see if Rose and Edmund were in a good ce going forward or if there would still be tension. Then there was the fact that Prisci was bringing someone tonight.


    Alessandra didn''t expect Edmund toe here to give Prisci a warning. She didn''t want Prisci to feel like they were ambushing her with Edmund and Rose.


    "Edgar, there is something I need to tell you," Alessandra said, pulling at the sleeve of his shirt.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Edgar sighed as it seemed that Alessandra had also done something wrong. "What is it?"


    "Prisci told me that she was bringing someone she met. Now your father and grandmother are here. We should give her a warning before she gets out of her carriage. Give her the chance to make a decision toe inside or leave," Alessandra said, panicking even more as the carriages neared the steps.


    "Who is joining her, and why did you wait sote to tell her? Is it Mark?" Edgar asked, his tone full of anger as the thought of that fool beside his mother disturbed him.


    "I do not know," Alessandra honestly answered. She was d she had not asked Prisci who would be her escort and she was especially d that Alfred and Caleb hid Edgar''s weapons.


    "Fucking wonderful," Edgar muttered, leaving Alessandra and Alfred to speak with his mother. This was a recipe for disaster. The only saving grace was that he found it amusing that he had stolen the important people for his father''s dinner. His other rtives had to be fuming that they traveled this far only for his father and grandmother to not be present.


    "Edgar- Or not," Edmund added when Edgar went right past his carriage to the one behind. He had opened his door when he saw Edgar walk outside, only to be ignored. The night was already off to a bad start, and though he expected this, couldn''t Edgar be a little bit kind since today is his father''s birthday?


    Edmund stepped outside and looked at the carriage behind him. He knew that it belonged to Prisci. A nice little gift she got herself when their marriage ended. He watched Edgar standing outside the carriage, speaking to his mother by the window.


    Edmund wondered if Prisci wasn''t getting out because he was here,pletely unannounced. Edmund now realised that he hadn''t thought about how inviting his mother toe along would make it difficult for Prisci. He had been so focused on his mother apologising to Alessandra that he failed to see another issue.


    "What are you doing, Edmund? Do you want me to spend all night out here?" Rose asked since Edmund was just standing around looking at something instead of helping her out.


    "Right," Edmund said, looking away from Edgar to help Rose out.


    "That boy did note out to greet us. This is off to a bad start. We should have stayed home and enjoyed the dinner I prepared for you. There is only one carriage besides our own. What kind of dinner are they hosting? Not extranterns to light up the way to their home," Rose shook her head as she looked around. "It is the same as when I wasst here."


    "Mother," Edmund sighed, starting to regret bringing her along. He didn''t need her to ruin his chances of starting over with Edgar and Alessandra. She was picking at the smallest of things when she was not yet out of the carriage. The house looked fine, in Edmund''s opinion, and there was already plenty of light from the gates to the house. "Do not pick at everything you see, or you will be made to leave, and I will not be following you."


    Rose stepped out of the carriage with Edmund''s help. She would keep her thoughts to herself for now, but she would still get Alessandra to work on adding a bit of change to the house every once in a while. It desperately needed a woman''s touch.


    Rose held onto Edmund''s arm so she could use him to walk up the stairs. She looked over where Edgar had walked and frowned when she saw him helping out Prisci. "Goodness, I already have to deal with her. If she had any sense, she would leave once she heard we wereing. Let us- Who is that?" Rose asked when a man got out of the carriage after Prisci.


    "I am not certain," Edmund replied, trying to get a good look at the man Prisci now hooked her arm with.

 Chapter 544 Ruin The Moment (2)

    Prisci would have rather stayed home if she knew Rose and Edmund were going to be present. She thought about leaving for a moment, but quickly decided against it. Her leaving would only make Rose think that she could chase her away. Prisci would never run away from Rose or Edmund. Not in the new shoes she just received as a gift.


    "Fight outside as much as you wish but do not bring it inside. I swear if any of you ruin this night for Alessandra and I am left to deal with it, no one would be celebrating another birthday," said Edgar.


    "You are aware that the night your wife is enjoying is my birthday? Alright," Edmund held his hands up when Edgar red at him. "I''m happy this day is making someone else happy. I''d like a word with you before I go inside. It will be short and not annoy you. Wouldn''t you rather I speak with you now before you let me walk into your home."


    "You do have some sense after all. I am giving you two minutes to say whatever it is that made youe here. If it is a repeat of the other conversation, you will experience falling on your ass tonight," Edgar replied, folding his arms as he awaited what his father had to say. Edmund also had somemon sense not to bring that woman with him and if she were to show up now, Edgar would send out his father.


    Any form of conflict or drama and he would be sending the people involved out of his home.


    "In private," Edmund said, letting go of Rose''s hand. He didn''t need the opinions of the others to be heard right now. "Alfred," he said, looking up at the door. "Please help my mother-"


    "I can get there myself," Rose interjected. She couldn''t let Prisci take joy in seeing that she needed help. Rose wanted to know who was the man by Prisci''s side. Prisci had moved on quite quickly to be bringing this man to Edgar''s home.


    So much had changed since she had left Lockwood. Rose regretted not finding a way to kill Prisc when Edgar had her in his dungeon.


    Instead of going inside and having to pass Rose who would cause trouble for her and the man by her side, Prisci decided to walk around outside and then return when Rose and Edmund were gone. She didn''t have it in her to argue with either one yet.


    "So," Edmund said, watching Prisci walk away with the man he did not know. "Your mother gets to move on but-"


    "Do not go there with me or I will send you out of here. Don''t try to make it seem like your situations are simr. Have youe here to move forward or to piss me off? You''re quite close to thetter," said Edgar.


    "Right. After some thinking about ourst conversation, I see where I went wrong. You are right that I have been a coward. I have thought about myself and the kingdom, but not my son or wife. I ignored your feelings because I was so caught up in my own happiness. I apologise for allowing Cassidy to be our home and you seeing that your mother and I were not happy with each. I could have stepped in with what Rose was doing with Alessandra," Edmund said.


    "I was once again caught up in the fact she was epting Cassidy into the family. If I could turn back time there are so many things I would do differently. I should have made youfortable in your own home so you didn''t have to leave to stay with my mother to find peace and then have this house at a young age to practically hide away from everyone."


    "I have to be honest that I will not be leaving Cassidy. I know the best scenario for this family would be for me to leave her, but I do love her. I will do my best to keep her out of your sight and she will never approach Alessandra or your mother again. I hope that you can give me a chance to start over and if I mess it up, I won''t ever show up before you again," Edmund said, putting his right hand in the air to swear on it.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Edgar stared at Edmund, contemting if he should go through with it. His father was no doubt a smart man when it came to helping the kingdom, but when it came to family he was clueless. "I will be fair since I have to start over with my mother. If you fall back into your old ways of being a coward or that woman shows up before my family trying to act like my second mother, I will forget your existence. Like you have vanished from the world."


    "If that is all, I have to see what grandmother is doing with Alessandra," Edgar said, going up the steps to find them.


    Edmund looked back out to where Prisci had gone and saw hering back. He assumed she was either waiting for his mother to leave or for Edgar to go inside. He wanted to have a conversation with her too. He had not done what she asked for him to stay away from Cassidy right after his marriage and he had to apologise.


    "Prisci, we need to talk," Edmund said when she was about to walk right past him. Edgar shared his features but he certainly had his mother''s personality.


    Prisci stopped and looked at Edmund. Now was not the time she wanted a new man in her life to meet her ex-husband. "Do we? I thought we said enough before we went our separate ways. Fine," she decided since he would try to speak with her the entire night while looking like a pitiful puppy. "Be a dear and get me some water to drink. I will be inside in a moment," she said to the man on her arm.


    "Who is he?" Edmund asked, following the man''s movement up the steps. Prisci purposely did not use his name.


    "I am saving proper introductions for Edgar and Alessandra. What do you want from me, Edmund? Why do you and your family continue to bother me? The divorce finally happened, and yet I am still on the Collins minds. It is annoying," Prisci said, turning to face Edmund.


    "That would be my mother''s doing. Listen, about what you told me to stay away from Cassidy-"


    "I don''t care," Prisci quickly interjected, knowing where this was going. "I don''t care that you went back to her as soon as our marriage ended. I should have never expected you to do me that one favor. That was your final p in the face. I do not care about what you do anymore, Edmund. Be with those who make you happy. You are no longer my husband, so I don''t expect you to think of me. Well, you never did."


    "Has your newfound love changed that?" Edmund asked.


    "Love? I am just reuniting with him after not seeing him since my youth. There is no love yet. I want to move on from our marriage, and getting mad at you for being with her won''t help me forget. So I don''t think of you, and I don''t expect anything from you, so I won''t be disappointed. I was thinking of selling our old home, but I will make it look brand new. I don''t need your apologies and I am not angry with you. I''ve fought with you long enough," said Prisci.


    "I see," Edmund said, resting his hands in his pockets. She was like a different woman.

 Chapter 545 Ruin The Moment (3)

    ?


    Alessandra didn''t know what to expect as she followed Rose to a private space away from everyone else for the two of them to talk. Edgar said she was here to apologise, but if Rose could carry this out for over a month, what made her want to apologise now?


    Alessandra and Rose entered the spare room that Alfred had used when he was wounded. When the door closed to give them some privacy, Alessandra immediately felt ufortable. She wished it wasn''t like this with Rose of all people. She was the first Collins to ept her and there was a special ce in her heart for Rose.


    Alessandra sat on the edge of the bed while Rose sat on the only chair in the room.


    "I will start off first," Rose said since she wanted to control how this conversation would go. "I was a little too hard on you. I was too eager to help you and did not realise how I was hurting your feelings. I do care for you. You know that don''t you?"


    "Yes," Alessandra said, but it did not sound confident in her ears. She didn''t know if Rose cared for her the same as when they met, but she weed the somewhat apology for them to return to that ce. She noticed that Rose had not yet said sorry.


    "I hope we can move on and be as we were. I will not nag you about your home anymore. Certainly, you can find it in you to forget about Edmund''s dinner. I was being silly and hoped you woulde to me to attend. I''m sorry," Rose added as ast attempt.


    Alessandra should count herself lucky since Rose wasn''t the type to say sorry just to anyone. Especially to the women who married into the family.


    "I hope you can forgive this old fool. I have missed you and Edgar so much. I have not been able to meet with Alfred and plot on the two of you to be alone as we did in the past. Could you find it in your heart to forgive me?" Rose asked. She knew Alessandra was all about family since she hardly had one so Alessandra was bound to forgive her.


    "I do not want to fight. I never did. I don''t like that you and Edgar are at odds because of me. The two of you were close and I would like for it to go back that way. Especially now that he is forming better rtionships with his parents. I can forget about it easily. It was always silly that we were at odds over furniture," said Alessandra.


    This would be one less person she had to put her guard up when they were in the same space.


    "Now," Rose said, standing up from the chair to make her way to the bed. "We have exciting news to talk about. That is a pretty ne with a remarkable jewel. Where did you get it?"


    Alessandra touched the ne Sally picked out for her. "This is something Edgar bought for me when we had just gotten married. He bought a lot for me that I still have not worn yet. I am trying to use as many as possible now so I don''t feel like he wasted money. If you would like one for yourself, I would have to ask Alfred where Edgar got it from. I doubt Edgar was the one to personally pick it out."


    Rose ced her hand over Alessandra''s right hand on the bed. "Don''t you have any nes made with the jewels from your mines?"


    "What?" Alessandra frowned, confused as to how Rose knew about the mines. She had not told anyone about them. She let it slip to Prisci when they spoke about her mother, but Prisci promised not to tell anyone. "How do you know about them?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Alfred told me. Now, wouldn''t it be better for you to tell that town that you have mines to your name? Do you have any idea whates out of the mines? Are they worth a lot? I mean, are there good things found there?" Rose asked, unable to hold back her curiosity.


    Alessandra was silent as she tried to wrap her mind around what was happening. She couldn''t understand why Alfred would tell Rose about the mines before they were on good terms. She knew now that Alfred had spoken to Edmund yesterday when she and Edgar thought he had gone to enjoy the festival. "When did Alfred tell you about the mines?" She asked, wanting to confirm something.


    "Yesterday. I was quite surprised to hear that you had mines to your name. It fixes our problem," said Rose.


    "I see," Alessandra replied, pulling her hand away from Rose. "You are not here because you find fault in your past actions. Wanting me to change because my family background was not good enough for Edgar in your eyes, and then sent invitations only to Edgar and Alfred. I cannot believe that I was so ready to move forward with you. It is so upsetting because I do like you, Rose. I liked that, along with Alfred, Edgar had you."


    "I won''t be asking you to change. To show that you are worthy of being married to a Collins, you should reveal that you own mines. Everyone thinks you are just the daughter of a former baron, and look what is being said about your stepmother. Your sister even married the man who killed all of those women," Rose said, finding Alessandra''s background worrisome the more she heard about it.


    "I do not care about proving myself worthy as Edagr''s wife. All that matters is the fact that he loves me. If you would stop judging me, you would see that I have settled in as duchess well by doing things my own way. Keeping myself the same instead of changing to fit in. What my family did has nothing to do with me. I should not have to be grouped with what they did. I am not doing this with you again," Alessandra said, standing up from the bed.


    "You and Edgar could be as you were, but I am not going to stand around and let you tell me that I am not worthy of him. I now wonder what was running through your head when we first met and you learned more about me. I can''t help thinking your opinion of me was not genuine. I have finally escaped a life of family members ruining the peace that I have found. You will not ruin that. Excuse me," Alessandra said, leaving the room because she was not going to continue arguing with Rose. Not tonight.


    When Alessandra opened the door, she did not expect to find Edgar standing outside, waiting for her. She was upset, and she didn''t want him to see it to ruin the night. "I-"


    "Go with Alfred and my mother," Edgar said, holding the door for her toe out. He had one simple rule, and yet it was already broken. "I will speak with my grandmother alone."


    Alessandra hesitated to leave the two alone, but she did not want to be anywhere near Rose, who was spoiling the night, so she left to find Alfred or Prisci so that she would be around people who would get rid of the foul mood she was in now.


    Edgar watched Alessandra leave and then stepped inside the room, closing the door behind him. "What the fuck is your problem?"


    "Edgar!" Rose eximed at his use of a foul word before her. "I am your grandmother. Not a simple person on the roads."


    "Exactly," Edgar replied, slowly entering the room with his hands behind his back to stop them from listening to what his mind wanted to do.

 Chapter 546 A Seat At The Table (1)

    ?


    "Against my better judgment, I let you and my father inside so you could give your apologies and all your games would be over with. It is irritating that I was the one to let you inside. I should get angry with Alfred for meeting with the two of you. I will deal with himter. What did you say to Alessandra?" Edgar asked, stopping in the middle of the room.


    "I said nothing wrong for her to leave so abruptly. When were the two of you going to tell me about mines? Why did it have to be Alfred to tell me about them instead of either one of you?" Rose asked, frustrated that Edgar did note to her.


    "This is what is needed to show that she is worthy of the Collinsst name. We marry into wealth and don''t let just anyone join our family. I want you to be happy, but your marriage has left you to constantly fix her mess. I like Alessandra, but I love you for you are a Collins and my dear-"


    "No one has ever been able to make you do something I do not want to. I take care of the fools around her because I want to. She is my wife, and I will do what is necessary to protect her. I need everyone around here to keep their mouths shut," Edgar said, annoyed by the fact that Alfred spoke about the mines.


    With Rose knowing, the Collins family would know, and then Lockwood would know. This was not only a problem for Alessandra, who wanted to keep it a secret, but for her grandmother and other rtives, who didn''t like to bring attention to the fact they owned mines. When will it be learned that there cannot always be peace?


    "What else has he told you?" Edgar asked since he would not be able to hold back his anger if Alfred told about Alessandra being pregnant. They were not ready for the town to know about it. It was a secret they wished to keep until Alessandra started showing.


    Rose narrowed her eyes. "Is there more?" She asked.


    "No," Edgar replied.


    "I respect you, grandmother. As a boy, I liked watching how you made people cower before you. How you controlled the Collins family and how you had a habit of sending my mother away when I didn''t wish to speak. Little did I know that my source of fun would bite me in the ass one day. Now that you have turned your attention to upsetting my wife. We have only just gotten rid of her rtives who caused her pain," Edgar said.


    "I see no problem in getting rid of my rtives who wish to ruin her days. From the early days that I met her, I have always been angry at what she endured and how positive she was about it. I gave her the opportunity to take charge of that house without her familyying a hand on her, and what she did was child''s y. She let them off easily. Not that I mind since I want to keep her hands clean. I could really use a cigar now," Edgar said, wishing to reach into his pocket to get one.


    "That''s going to kill you if you don''t stop."


    Alessandra''s innocent voice from the night they met stopped him from picking up one and then tossing it out. A simple offer for a contract marriage led him to be like this. Many times, Edgar forgot that was how it started. Their meeting felt different now that he loved her.


    Rose was confused by the sight of Edgar smiling. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Edgar snapped out of the fond memory and looked down at Rose. "You are not going to tell anyone about the mines. Let it be a secret that leaves your mind tonight. Pretend that all you know is that she is the daughter of a former baron and now my wife."


    Rose was amused by the fact that Edgar thought he could threaten her. She was the one to give him and Edmund their power. It was because of her that they carried the Collins name. "You cannot threaten me, Edgar. Not unless you want the entire Collins family against you," said Rose.


    "You''d be surprised by the things I can do and have them turn against me if you wish. You''d be surprised, in a battle between me and you, how many would turn against you. For your sake, I hope that I do not hear about mines or Alessandra from your lips or any other rtive tomorrow. Let your games with trying to change my wife end here tonight. I shall ce you in the same cell where my mother once sat if you continue to bother Alessandra," Edgar promised.


    "I am your grandmother!" Rose yelled, angered by the fact that Edgar was threatening to lock her away. "I have cared for you better than I cared for my own son. My only child."


    "Deep down, I always knew that love came from you loving me as a grandmother and because my father was a wed Collins. His name was spoken of for his great efforts, but you knew the woman he hid would ruin him. I was someone you could mold which was why you tried to control my mother. I never minded it because I would always do as I wanted and I liked being around you," Edgar revealed.


    "As the Duke of thisnd, I am making the order that you are banned from stepping foot on mynd. At first sight of your carriage arriving on mynd, the guards will take aim, and know that my men have good precision. You are not wee at any of my other homes-"


    "Edgar!" Rose eximed, trying to get to her feet, but there was a pain in her foot that slowed her down.


    "I shall order Alessandra''s guards that should you or anyone close to you try to approach her, they should take out their swords. If youe within arms reach of her when I am near, I shall cut you down myself. I have given you a chance to make things right, and you have wasted it. You only have yourself to me for where we are now. I want you out right now. Leave on your own unless you wish to have my servants witness the guards lifting you out," Edgar said, turning around to find one of his men to do it if needed.


    Rose almost stumbled back after she was finally able to stand up straight. "Edgar, you would really push me out of your life because I asked about mines? I will not allow you into my life after you have disrespected me to this point. You cannot take it back after I walk out of this room, so act wisely. I will not be giving you my home if you are this way."


    Edgar smiled because, as always, they thought he was desperate for that house when he had plenty to his name. "I do not need your home, but you must remember something. I spent just as much time with my grandfather as I did with you when he was still alive. That house is nothing for you to give away at your own will. My grandfather has always told me that it belongs to me. I shall add it to the homes to rent out when you are gone."


    "You-"


    "If it were possible, I would remove the Collins name and get my mother''sst name so you would no longer need to concern yourself about us, but I quite like that we shall be the two Collins you cannot control," Edgar said and then continued to leave the room.

 Chapter 547 A Seat At The Table (2)

    ?


    "Why did you tell her about the mines when you knew we were not on good terms?" Alessandra asked Alfred, whom she had pulled to the side, to speak about what he spoke about with Rose.


    "I had hoped that it would end her trying to change you. It was a great mistake on my part. It wasn''t my secret to tell, and I shall never do it again," said Alfred.


    "I should hope not. I would like to think I can trust you to keep a secret. This secret concerns not only me but also rtives I just reunited with not long ago. I don''t trust Rose to keep her mouth shut about it, and I don''t want my grandparents to think I revealed it to help with my status. I have learned that we cannot always try to make peace for others. That is why I step back these days and let otherse to me," said Alessandra.


    She let Erin, Mnie, and surprisingly, rke to her instead of her reaching out to them. Everything worked out in the end when she didn''t try hard to fix whatever was wrong. Erin came to exin why she was so distant, rk had been reaching out to thank her for thend which led him to caring for Kate, and because she was not willing to ept any story her mother told her and move on, she was able to see what her mother was truly like.


    "I didn''t need you to go to Rose and try to get her to like me again. That was something that I needed to happen because she thought ofing to us. I wouldn''t have felt like a fool for thinking I was finally in a good ce with her, only for it to shatter right after. I see how much I angered Edgar," Alessandra said, since she was always the one wanting to let someone through the gates to hear them out.


    Now, she had gotten used to leaving people at the gates and not allowing them to step foot into their home.


    "I know you did what you did with my best interest in mind, but it led to Rose not being genuine in the future. I know your heart, so I am not angry, but please don''t ever do this again. It is bad enough that I have to read the intentions of the people who surround me because I am the duchess. I don''t need you going behind my back to Rose to tell her something to please her enough to move on," Alessandra said.


    "I understand, and I will not do it again," Alfred promised. It was a careless mistake for him to reveal the mines when he knew Alessandra wanted them to be a secret. He stepped over the line with this, and from now on, he would not meddle.


    "I can easily get past it, but if Edgar were to find out you told Rose," Alessandra said, worried about Edgar''s anger. Nothing could be heard from the room where Edgar was alone with Rose.


    "Why are the two of you being so secretive and keeping all the gossip to yourselves?" Prisci asked, approaching the two with folded arms. "I am sure you just came from arguing with Rose, and yet you look calm as you speak to Alfred. Whenever I argued with Rose, I felt like I wanted to destroy everything in my home. You certainly would have been hard for me to crack. Now tell me, what are you two whispering about?"


    "You are supposed to be seated at the table," said Alfred.


    "I was, but then a te broke-"


    "What?" Alfred eximed, leaving to see which one. He had let the servants take out the valuable ones he had stored.


    "I knew that would have gotten him away so we could talk. Now, what is it that Rose is arguing about? Is it my presence, or is it still that ridiculous issue the two of you have?" Prisci asked. It was a big mistake to want dinner without arguing and let Rose inside.


    "Alfred told her about the mines. That is the only reason she was here to apologise. I left right after she told me, and now Edgar is inside with her. There is still some time left for this dinner to go as nned. I hid Edgar''s weapons so he wouldn''t try to kill anyone tonight. You only need to not let his hands get near you," Alessandra joked.


    "That and you forgot there were knives on the table. With how angry he can get, he can kill someone with one of those. On the bright side, Rose will be leaving soon, and then neither of us will have to deal with her. I cannot wait for the day for I shall dance around," Prisci smiled, as she imagined it happening tonight since Rose had pissed off Edgar.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Alessandra had a feeling that Prisci wasn''t simply talking about Rose leaving town because when Rose wasn''t in Lockwood, she was still poking at Prisci. "Are you referring to the fact that she will leave town now that Edmund''s birthday will be over or her death?" She asked.


    "Whichever answer will help you sleep better at night," Prisci replied, gently tapping Alessandra''s stomach. Of course, she meant that Rose would soon be dying because of her old age.


    "Right," Alessandra said, not wanting to go any further than that.


    "Edgar!" The sound of Rose''s voice filling the quiet home was heard.


    Alessandra and Prisci walked together to see what was happening. To Alessandra, it sounded like Rose was on the verge of crying. A scream full of desperation and anger.


    Alessandra saw Edgar walking toward the front door and then Rose right behind, trying to keep up. Alessandra and Prisci stood out of sight to not be wrapped up in what was happening between Edgar and Rose.


    Edmund was the one toe out of the dining room to check on the two. "What is wrong, mother?" He asked, looking outside where Edagr was walking to who knew where.


    "That boy is kicking me out of a home that I allowed him to have. I will not stand for the disrespect in this house. We are leaving," Rose said with teary eyes as she too watched Edgar leave to find guards to take her if she would not leave on her own.


    "I am not leaving with you, mother. I told you that I would not if you found yourself at odds with them. I have finally made my way back inside their home. I cannot let you ruin that now. I will have the carriage take you home to be with those who are waiting for me, and I will find my way home," Edmund said, taking her hand to walk her out.


    "You can stay as you are, you fool," Rose pulled her hand away from Edmund. Now was the time for him to be on her side and talk some sense into Edgar or Alessandra. "Your son has threatened to harm me if I go near his wife."


    "Then stay away from her," Edmund answered what he saw to be the obvious thing to do.


    Rose stared at Edmund in disbelief that there wasn''t more said to defend her. "You have all picked your side. Stay there," she said, walking to the front door. "You will need me one day."


    Rose Collins would never stay where she was not wanted, and she would not be lifted out of anywhere. She looked forward to the day that Edgar or Alessandra woulde to her, trying to apologise. That was the way it should have been from the start.


    "Stubborn to the end," Prisci said, shaking her head. She was d to see that Rose was finally showing how much of a problem she had been over the years.


    Alessandra didn''t see any reason why she would need Rose. Not when Rose was acting this way. Alessandra would hold onto the good memories she had with Rose since the trip to meet Rose was special for her. It was when her rtionship with Edgar changed. She would forget starting from the moment when Rose came to Lockwood. That she could easily let go of and move on.

 Chapter 548 A Seat At The Table (3)

    ?


    "Now that the dark cloud is gone, I say we sit at the table and enjoy whatever food you have nned. It would be good if Edmund could join his mother in leaving, but I will take what I can get. Let me introduce you to my guest," Prisci said, tugging on Alessandra''s hand so they could move away from watching Rose leave.


    Alessandra looked away from the front door to Prisci. "I honestly thought you were bringing Mark. I am a little bit disappointed. I kept the fact you were bringing someone a secret so I could see Edgar''s face."


    "What part of I don''t want a man who is involved in the court don''t you understand? I want someone who is the opposite of my first husband. Someone who has time to spend with me. I knew him a long time ago and he just happened to be in Lockwood recently. He has been doing well with showering me with gifts. Look at my shoes," Prisci said, holding up her dress a bit to show off the shoes she received.


    "They are pretty," Alessandra replied. "Is it awkward with Edmund here?"


    "Of course it is. You would not believe he seems to find it odd that I am with someone. There was a sadness that should not be there. I hope this is not that you don''t know what you had until it is gone sort of thing. I don''t need for it to be now that he realises he loved me. Come with me," Prisci said, leading Alessandra to the dining room. It would have been more entertaining to watch Rose leave if she was being lifted out.


    "Before I close this door, is there anyone who wants to act a fool? This is your chance for me to let you walk out of here on your two feet instead of throwing you out on your ass," Edgar said as he held the door open. At the first second of what sounded to be an argument, he was going to kick those involved out. He didn''t care if it woulde to just being him and Alessandra left.


    "Did we miss the drama?" Eleanor said as she carefully walked by Edgar without touching him. It was like a me was before her and if she identally touched it, she would be set on fire. If Bryce had not suddenly shown up at her doors to tell her that he was leaving Lockwood and nevering back, she would have been here on time to witness whatever has made Edgar angry.


    For Eleanor, it was good entertainment when Edgar would be angry and looking to kill someone. It was something she could add to her books.


    "I am sorry we werete," Eleanor apologised.


    Alessandra was d Eleanor came when she did so she did not have to witness the fights among the family. "You are right on time. We were just going to sit at the table. Reed, you should find Caleb and have hime to eat with Sally. I don''t know where those two have gone off to."


    "It is a young man and woman, Alessandra. If they ran off somewhere, they are doing something no one else should see," said Eleanor.


    ''I doubt it,'' Reed thought. His brother''s rtionship with Sally had not changed. They were still fake engaged, and now Sally was building a home on Edgar''snd instead of staying in Caleb''s home. ''He''s going to die a lonely bastard.''


    Edgar closed the door since no one else was supposed to be joining them for dinner. There was more for him to be angry about like Alfred telling their secrets, but the dinner already had enough drama for one night. He would have a conversation with the old bastard tomorrow. Right now, he would focus on letting the night go as Alessandra nned.


    "There is still some time for you to join her," Edgar said as he walked by his father, who was staring out the window at his grandmother leaving.


    "I am fine," Edmund replied, pulling his eyes away from the window and following Edgar to the dining room. He would deal with his mother in the morning if she was still in town. What bothered him now was watching his ex-wife be with another man. It wasn''t something he ever thought would upset him since he had wanted her to move on and be happy.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Do you care to tell us who is sitting at our table?" Edgar asked when he entered the dining room. He kept his eyes on the man his mother brought along with her. Prisci now had Alessandra''s talent for picking up strays.


    "Edgar, you could have allowed me to sit down before diving into who he is. This is David Wright, someone I knew when I was younger. He is an excellent businessman, and I am sure you would like to hear that he is here in Lockwood because he has a talent for making guns, so with them soon allowed to be used in the kingdom, he is setting up a business," said Prisci.


    "I''ve spent time outside of the kingdom for many years and studied how they are built. How they work. There are many sizes of guns that the kingdom is not yet familiar with. I hope to be the first to set up a business making and selling different guns here. Your mother says you have a liking for guns, Edgar," David said, hoping this could spark a conversation between him and Edgar.


    "I am not a child, and a gun is not a toy for you to wave around in my face for me to like you," Edgar answered, still not fond of the stranger in his home. What he did like was the fact that this man was making his father ufortable. It was time Edmund knew how this felt.


    "Fun little story, if not for my family''s strong ties with the Collins, it would have been David who I would have been arranged to marry. Our families were also close before they moved out of town. Isn''t that something?" Prisci smiled. Had her father not cared about the Collins and their wealth, she might have been with David and missed out on all the petty arguments with Rose.


    Alessandra felt the air be tense after what Prisci said. It would have been fine if Edmund were not here. "I am d to have all of you here tonight," she said, changing the conversation before Edgar could be his normal cold self to David and before it would get more awkward between Prisci and Edmund.


    "I care for all of you in different ways, and I am happy to be seated with you here tonight. It is unfortunate that everyone could not join us tonight, but I am sure there wille another time when we can all meet and all the chairs will fill up," Alessandra said, looking down at the other end of the table where there were a few empty chairs.


    "Thank you for the invite. If not for you, I would be holding onto my friendship with Bryce since I had no otherdy friends. Thanks to you always inviting me, I have met many moredies who I enjoy spending time with," Eleanor said, taking a ss of water to raise for Alessandra. "I would not have met Reed if not for you. I don''t know if that is a good or a bad thing yet."


    Reed ignored Eleanor because, when they were alone, her actions didn''t match her words now. In fact, her mouth would be in sync with her actions then.


    "I suppose Edgar and I would still be at odds if not for you," Prisci said, joining in on thanking Alessandra.


    "The same can be said for me," Edmund said, raising his ss.


    "I would still be worrying about Edgar being alone. Thank you for showing up in his life," said Alfred.


    Everyone, besides Alessandra, looked down the table at Edgar.


    "Why the fuck are all of you staring at me? She knows how my life changed because of her. I don''t need to say it before you," Edgar said.

 Chapter 549 A Seat At The Table (4)

    ?


    "Why are you so excited to have us over all the time? I''m starting to want fewer people in my home now. I had to make my circle of friends smaller after my divorce. It is better to have a nice empty home to yourself sometimes," Prisci said.


    When the house felt lonely, she would just leave to do a bit of shopping, and now she would visit David.


    "Well, there was a time in my life when I ate dinner alone in my room while my father and the others sat at the table, catching up with each other. It might sound foolish that I would want to sit with people who did not care for me, but eating at the table was something I longed to do. The night of my engagement to Edgar was the first time in years that I had a seat at the table," Alessandra replied.


    Alessandra continued to say, "Now, not only do I get to enjoy dinner at the table, but each time I look around, there is someone I care for and who cares for me. That is why I enjoy when we are all together to have dinner, and I also enjoy breakfast. Anything that brings us together like this."


    The kitten she would share food with was gone, and so was Mario, who provided her with food when Katrina wished to punish her. She was so close to bringing them along to enjoy the happiness she found. Alessandra would keep them in her memory since they were more than just friends. They were family.


    Eating alone was something she never wanted to go back to. Being alone in a quiet room when you knew your family was not far away, acting like you didn''t exist. Alessandra looked forward to the sight of her children running into the dining room to fill up the seats one by one. It was the only time she would agree with Edgar that they should have many children.


    They would have a home full ofughter with children who knew how much they were loved. She looked forward to telling them how she had met their father. How he had saved her.


    "Now I feel like I should appreciate the dinners I have with my aunt and parents. I never realised it would be something another person wished they could have," said Eleanor.


    Alessandra was a strange woman in her eyes. Many wish to get their hands on a lot of money one day so that they can be happy, and Alessandra was in that position now, but the thing that made her happy was having people sit at a table to talk and enjoy food together.


    It was no wonder that Edgar would go so far to protect her. Alessandra was too precious for Lockwood.


    "Invite me over as much as you like. The food here is much better than elsewhere. We should just go ahead and assign a room for me to sleep in. I can make an excellent nanny when the timees. As long as there is someone around me to cry on their shoulder when I start to panic," Eleanor said, looking at Edgar for permission Alessandra was always easy to convince.


    "Reed already has a room here so I don''t see why you would need one of your own," Edgar said.


    Out of Alessandra''s friends who liked finding a way to stay here like Erin, he happened to like Eleanor. She was never loud, diving too deep into their rtionship as if she were a part of it, and she had revealed what was happening with the tea. She was always weed since Alessandra might have lost a child if not for her.


    Eleanor beamed, happy to hear that Edgar would wee her to stay when she wanted. She didn''t mind taking Reed''s room and sending him out to find somewhere else to sleep. If he wanted them to sleep in the same room, he should propose to her first. <novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Eleanor did not want to bebelled an easy woman for being alone in a room with a man she was not married to. She always wanted to avoid being spoken of as being a woman who was with a man without a ring on her finger. Many made up their minds that because of her parent''s businesses, she would not marry a good man and settle down. That she would end up somewhere in the red-light district.


    "Speaking of children, do you both still think the first will actually be more than one?" Prisci asked. She would have to double the gifts she had started to buy for when her grandchildren would be with her. She was a firm believer that Alessandra needed help dressing children. "I hope that you only have girls so I can dress them up-"


    "Didn''t you have dolls as a child? They are not toys. I would like all of you to stop making ns for our children before they are here. There is still a long way to go before they arrive. There is no telling which one of you will lose your spot at this table by then," Edgar said, ncing at his father who had been too quiet.


    "You could have at least made it less obvious who you think will be gone. I will prove you wrong, Edgar. I shall be around for your children to call me grandfather," Edmund promised. He saw no reason why he should not be around when his grandchildren were here. It was an experience he did not want to miss out on when he only had one child.


    There was no one else but Edgar to give him grandchildren. At this age, he was not looking to start all over again to have children. Especially when he had not learned how to be a better father to Edgar yet.


    "Don''t be surprised if they will call you anything other than grandfather. I am sure Edgar will one day whisper in their ears what else they should call you," Alessandra said, looking at Edgar who grinned like he already had some names in mind for Edmund.


    "Who will get to name the children? That is the most important thing right now. I have a few in mind," Prisci said, eager to share. It was a little coincidence that the names she picked sounded like her own.


    "Edgar and I will be the ones to pick the final name, but I would love to hear your suggestions. I cannot stop thinking about what Edgar named my kittens and the fact that I never tried to change it. Blessing and curse," Alessandra sighed, shaking her head.


    She was not going to allow just any name for their children. Alessandra didn''t mind waiting for when the child would be ced in her arms, and then upon seeing their face, she would have a name.


    "I think Edmund junior would be a-"


    "Do you want to lose your tongue, old man?" Edgar interjected, midway through pouring Alessandra a ss of juice. "Why the hell would I name one of my children after you when I wouldn''t want to be named after you? Get a dog and name it Edmund junior. It is fitting."


    "I thought you wanted a peaceful dinner, son? Why is it that you are always so ready to fight?" Edmund mused. It was always fun for him to mess with Edgar a little bit. "We might have to throw him out soon for ruining our night, Alessandra."


    "I don''t mind this kind of bickering. It is yful and feels normal," Alessandra said, enjoying the conversation. It was fun to see everyone excited to name their children and look forward to their arrival. She looked around the table at everyone who had be lost in their own little conversations. "Continue."

 Chapter 550 [Bonus ] Epilogue

    550 [Bonus chapter] Epilogue


    To Alessandra, life after the dinner seemed to move faster than normal. What felt like months they had to prepare for the arrival of their child suddenly felt like a few weeks had passed, and now the day for their child to arrive was getting closer and closer.


    As her body became heavier, as Edgar would always point out, she moved around less, but with the care from those inside the Collins house, her friends, and her grandmother who came to visit, the many days she spent inside were never boring.


    One week ago, the kingdom was blessed with a little prince, and though it was time for a celebration, there was never peace in the pce. Edgar was called to aid Tobias, and then he would be back home by Alessandra''s side.


    It was something he deeply regretted, as it was the day their children decided they wanted to make their debut in the world.


    "Edgar!" Alfred called to Edgar, who jumped out of his carriage before it could stop.


    "Has it happened yet?" Edgar asked, taking off his coat as he ran up the steps, skipping two if needed.


    "They are not here yet, but it has been a while since it started, and no news of a baby hase out of the room. The duchess''s screams are something I cannot take. She is in great pain, and there is nothing we can do but wait for her," Alfred said, taking Edgar''s coat and following behind him. He wished Alessandra did not have to go through so much pain. It was expected, but to hear her screaming twisted his heart.


    Edgar rushed to the room on the bottom floor where they had moved Alessandra when he decided it would be better for her there than having to make long trips up and down the stairs to their bedroom. The door was shut, and before Edgar could try entering, Alfred grabbed his hand.


    "You are not to enter, Edgar. You would only get in the way of the women and the doctor. You are to wait-"


    "Do you hear her?" Edgar angrily pointed to the door, where Alessandra''s cries of pain could be heard. "The least I could do is hold her hand andfort her."


    "It is what I would like for you to do, but they have all stated that no one should enter the room and let them do their job to bring your child into this world safely and watch over Alessandra. Your presence will only throw them off of what they are doing now. We must not interrupt for Alessandra''s sake. Please stay out here," Alfred said.


    Most of the time, husbands were not weed inside at this time because they were seen as useless to be there or because they would get angry over something they had no idea how to do. Other times, husbands simply did not want to be there to listen to the cries and see the blood. They only came when the child was here for the gender to be known.


    It took a great deal of strength for Edgar to back away from the door. He did not wish to interrupt what the midwives and doctor were doing, though he desperately wanted Alessandra to know that he had made it on time and that he was there to hold her hand.


    Though he had stated many times that he would like to have many children with her, Edgar now felt like these first children would be enough so Alessandra would not have to go through this pain again.


    Alfred watched Edgar tense up each time they heard Alessandra''s voice. "Would you like to go to another-"


    "I am staying right here," said Edgar. This was the furthest he would be from Alessandra. As soon as it was all over, he would go inside to see her.


    "Edgar! I''m terribly out of shape already."


    Edgar looked up in the direction of the front door, where he heard Tobias''s voice. "We are over here," he said.


    "Good! It doesn''t seem like I missed anything," Tobias said, holding over to catch his breath when he found Edgar. "You didn''t notice meing behind you. I felt bad that you were helping with my family and almost missed the arrival of your child, so I came. Hazel is well protected by the knights so¡­ Can I have a bit of water?"


    "Right away," Alfred said, leaving the two. He was d Tobias was here to distract Edagr. The two of them talking would help the time go faster.


    "Why are you so out of shape? You rode a carriage here, didn''t you? The most you had to do was run up the few steps in front of our home," Edgar said, disappointed with the state of Tobias.


    "Hey! Children make you run around constantly. Then there are the sleepless nights. Nobody told me that I wouldn''t be able to sleep at night. I''ve had a lot of arguments with those fools who try to convince me to let the servants take care of my son in our ce. I''m tempted to just kill all of them. Come sit, Edgar," Tobias said, patting the wall beside him. He slid down onto the floor. "I remember hearing Hazel. You can''t get those screams out of your head."


    Edgar went to the wall and sat down beside Tobias. There was nothing else he could do at this point but wait.


    "I am now realising that our first children will be one week apart like us. I was hoping for a little girl on your end now that I have a prince, but I wouldn''t mind there being a future duke on the way right now. Hazel sends her congrattions. If not for her still healing, she would havee with me," said Tobias.


    "Thank you foring," Edgar said, appreciating the fact that Tobias returned the favor and came to check on his family. "I am nevering to help you in the future when Alessandra is close to giving birth."


    "Fair enough," Tobias replied. "I should have told Alfred to get some alcohol instead of water. I- Did you hear that?"


    "I did," Edgar answered, quickly getting to his feet. Inside the room, everything had gone silent, and then there were the cries of a baby.


    "It sounds like a healthy baby. Congrattions," Tobias patted Edgar''s back.


    it? What about Elijah Collins? Eli for short," Edgar suggested, looking down at his son gripping his 14:53


    finger.


    The door of the room opened, revealing a woman wiping blood from her hands. "You-"


    She was unable to get a word out as she felt a breeze pass her.


    Edgar entered the room and went straight to the bed, where Alessandray with blood between her legs. Her hair stuck to her body because of sweat, but in her arms was the tiny person they had created, wrapped in a soft nket. Only one, unlike what Edgar had been iming.


    "You made it in time," Alessandra said, happy to see Edgar. She was tired and wanted to rest, but she had to find out first if Edgar was here and have him see their son. "He needs to be cleaned, but I just wanted to hold him before I fell asleep. I am tired."


    Edgar sat next to Alessandra on the bed while the women in the room moved around to clean up the blood, and the doctor was off in a corner. "You did well," Edgarmended her, leaning forward to give her a quick kiss on the lips.


    "You can hold him now. We must name him," Alessandra said, carefully passing their son to Edgar. "What about Edmund-"


    "You have plenty of jokes, Alessandra. Would you like me to suggest Desmond? See, it isn''t funny, isn''t it? What about Elijah Collins? Eli for short," Edgar suggested, looking down at his son gripping his finger.


    "I like it," Alessandra said since it was better than the other names she thought of.


    "Are they sure there is not another in there? I had a feeling it was two-"


    "Edgar, if not for you holding our son and my body feeling weak, I would hit you," Alessandra replied, ring at Edgar for still believing there was more than one child.


    Edgar didn''t mind that there was only one now. If Alessandra was up for it, there was always next time.


    Aside from the joys of their family slowly growing, what filled Edgar''s mind was how much he would have missed out on if he had not visited Desmond''s home. From his beautiful wife to their son, he would try to be the best father that he could be. Edgar was d he had identally met Alessandra that night.


    Thank you so much for your continuous support of this novel from beginning to end. I have enjoyed reading yourments since day 1 and even now I will be going back to look at the funny and even the encouragingments you left behind. I hope that I can continue to write stories that you enjoy. The side stories will be posted in less than 2 weeks for you to read all at once. Please take a look at Rafael''s story to read about familiar characters. Thank you once again ~ Violet.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!