The Duke's Masked Wife

"It seems the carriage is finally leaving."

"Good," Alfred replied as he looked out to the gates from a window. "How dare someone like that come 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.

"Clark Barrett," Alfred looked at Alessandra.

"My uncle? Why on earth would he come here?" Alessandra asked as she did not have a good relationship with her uncle for him to be paying a visit. "He must be looking for money. I've heard the Baroness complain about him many times."

Edgar left Alessandra's side to look out the window where Alfred stood. "What is your relationship like with him? Do you care for him?"

Alessandra contemplated whether to say no. The last time Edgar asked her this question was right before he killed her father. It was his way of getting permission to kill her relative. "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 have complained 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 become 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 his land 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 manipulate 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 relationship 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 relationship with others when we will have our own family? There they go turning red," Edgar commented 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 relationship now. That is why I was hoping there were others from your side who would accept 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 placed 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 relationship 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 placed 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 from coming? Please put me down," she sighed.

"I have not," Edgar replied but he still placed 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 glad 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.