The Duke's Masked Wife



"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 to come," 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 to come and try," said Alfred.

Alessandra didn't mind that since she wouldn't get in the way of Edmund and Edgar fixing their relationship. She wanted to ask when Alfred had met with Edmund, but she did not want to come 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 accept it," said Alessandra. They could not force him to let Edmund in.

"Understood," Alfred answered. He hoped that Edmund would properly explain that he wanted to start over and not screw it up. He also hoped Rose had listened to him and would come to make things right with Alessandra.

"He's coming 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 relationship. I never agreed he could come inside. I said that would be up to you," Alfred replied. 

"It is not just him who has come looking to get inside. Grandmother is with him. Claiming 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 was coming 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 Priscilla 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 place going forward or if there would still be tension. Then there was the fact that Priscilla was bringing someone tonight. 

Alessandra didn't expect Edmund to come here to give Priscilla a warning. She didn't want Priscilla 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.

Edgar sighed as it seemed that Alessandra had also done something wrong. "What is it?"

"Priscilla 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 to come inside or leave," Alessandra said, panicking even more as the carriages neared the steps.

"Who is joining her, and why did you wait so late 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 glad she had not asked Priscilla who would be her escort and she was especially glad 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 relatives 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 Priscilla. 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 Priscilla wasn't getting out because he was here, completely unannounced. Edmund now realised that he hadn't thought about how inviting his mother to come along would make it difficult for Priscilla. 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 not come 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 extra lanterns to light up the way to their home," Rose shook her head as she looked around. "It is the same as when I was last 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 Priscilla. "Goodness, I already have to deal with her. If she had any sense, she would leave once she heard we were coming. Let us- Who is that?" Rose asked when a man got out of the carriage after Priscilla. 

"I am not certain," Edmund replied, trying to get a good look at the man Priscilla now hooked her arm with. 

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