The Duke's Masked Wife

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 become..."

"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 outplay 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 claim 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 not come with their copy of it instead of constantly speaking about Alessandra.

James did not want to be a part of Katrina fooling her in-laws 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 manipulate those same men to rise above them. People who tried to play nice would always gain nothing from this world and continue to suffer until their last 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 accusing 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 ever laid 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 would come 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?" She commented 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 plans.

Kate had a better chance of getting closer to Alessandra to deliver the message about Mario than Katrina could because of Kate's relationship 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 plan 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 face completely," 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 would completely 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 plan must not fail."