The Duke's Masked Wife

'I will talk about this with Edgar when he returns home,' Alessandra thought.

Alessandra continued to walk around looking for the best place 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 planning 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 exclaimed. 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 chill come 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 welcome back home?" Edgar questioned, slightly disappointed by her silence but he couldn't blame her. She must be caught off guard by the visit of her friend.

"Welcome 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 glanced 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 played in that rumor. Was he blackmailed or simply offered money and accepted it? For his sake, it shouldn't be the latter. 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 planning 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 the last 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 would complain 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.