The Duke's Masked Wife

"I will continue to plan a party to host but it will not come 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 shall come 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 place 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 income 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 plan 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 the land in his name. It is something I plan 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 relationship 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 the coming 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 become busy and unable to help you put up the paintings so I chose to wait for you. You seem happy," he noted from her body language.

"Your grandmother will help me become 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.