The Duke's Masked Wife

"Why are the three of you in the kitchen?" Edgar asked, leaning against the kitchen while he watched Alessandra, Sally, and for some reason Caleb, run around in the kitchen covered in flour. It was the last place he expected to find the three of them when he was looking for Alessandra.

"Hi. You weren't supposed to come looking for us," Alessandra said, hiding her hands covered with flour behind her back. "This was meant to be a secret."

"It has gotten late. If you didn't want me to come looking for you, you should have sent a maid to notify me. I hope you did not make something sweet for my birthday. I am not a fan of them," Edgar said, leaving the doorpost.

"We're trying to do something nice for you, you bastard," Caleb muttered though his cake wasn't meant for Edgar. He planned to give it to Sally's mother.

"I didn't ask you to make anything for me, Caleb. Are you using my birthday as an excuse for you to eat cake?" Edgar asked, having a feeling she was just interested in having cake for herself. "I recall you using me to have two slices of cake in my grandmother's home."

"No, I made it thinking only of you eating it. I hope this one will be better than the others," Alessandra said, glancing at the previous ones stacked up in the corner of the kitchen. They were alright but not what she wanted to give Edgar. "Turns out it is more than just following a recipe."

"This should be your last attempt before you accidentally set the kitchen on fire. Where is the cook? Did he see what the three of you were doing and run off?" Edgar questioned, looking around for the man of the hour who never allowed too many people in his kitchen.

"He left us after we promised we would be good alone. We have to be out of the kitchen in time for him to start making dinner. You should try my cake first," said Caleb. He began to cut a slice from his cake that had cooled off already. He didn't want to brag but he had certainly done the best out of the three.

Alessandra went to the oven to get her cake which was the last to finish. She marveled at the sight of the golden brown color on top and had a feeling this would be the perfect practice cake.

She ignored the ruckus of Edgar turning down Caleb's slice of cake and the insults which followed.

Sally was in the corner trying to hide her burnt mess from the group.  Now she regretted suggesting they bake a cake since she was failing. Just like Alessandra, she had never baked a day in her life. Sally couldn't understand if she had used almost the same measurement as Alessandra and Caleb and if she was taking out her cake before theirs, how her cakes came out burnt.

'What kind of foul magic is this?' Sally wondered. She was hoping to take home a couple of pieces for her parents but now she could not. 'Did I put it too close to the fire?'

"Can I try a piece of your cake?" Sally felt Caleb's warm breath against the tip of her ear. She squirmed, moving to the side to get away from him whilst covering her cake to hide her failure. "You've baked your own cake. Why do you need to have a piece of mine?"

Caleb was able to get a glimpse of Sally's cake and said, "I'll hire a cook first thing in the morning."

Meanwhile, Edgar came to Alessandra's side to have a piece of her cake. It was better looking than he would have expected from someone who had never baked before but the taste was what mattered.

"It is hot," Alessandra touched his hand to prevent him from cutting into the cake so soon.

"I don't mind.  I need to go back upstairs so I cannot wait for it to cool," Edgar replied, continuing to cut into the cake. He used a fork to break off a piece of the slice he cut away from the steaming cake and placed it in his mouth.

Alessandra anticipated his reaction but she was a bit nervous about how he eyed the cake.

"See, I learned something new about you today. There was no need for you to worry about us not knowing enough about each other," he smiled, putting the fork down beside the plate. Edgar tapped her hand when she tried to take up the fork to taste her cake. "I learned that you cannot bake and you mustn't eat that," he pointed at what she called a cake.

Edgar wanted to spit it out but he was trying not to hurt her feelings. He closed his eyes as he chewed, trying to picture it was something else in his mouth that was delicious and not full of flour.

Alessandra didn't understand how it could be so bad that he did not want to chew it. "You must be exaggerating. I followed the recipe the cook gave me. Let me have a bite."

Edgar picked up the entire cake to put it out of reach from her. "It has too much flour. That is all I can taste," he stated the problem.  "The two of us shouldn't have to suffer eating it. It was a nice attempt so don't look so sad. I can't bake either."

"It was too runny so I added more flour. I should have just left it. I will make another one tomorrow," Alessandra said, not giving up. With a little more practice she could make one that would be perfect. "Maybe I should try cookies too and you can join me."

Caleb looked at the married couple after the mention of Edgar helping to make cookies. It was a sight he could not picture.

"Hmm," Edgar put the cake back down. "I advise you to keep the cook in the kitchen next time you want to practice baking but I appreciate the attempt to do something nice for me. Have you seen my grandmother?"

"Not after I left the two of you alone. You didn't tell me she wasn't supposed to know about your mother," Alessandra replied.

"She was going to find out at some point. I was only hoping she would find out after my birthday when she would start throwing out questions about what my parents have given me. She must have left after visiting the dungeon so I will assume her conversation didn't go as she expected. I warned her it wouldn't," Edgar said.

"I can hardly wait for this house to be empty and we don't have to think about anyone else but each other. Perhaps I would have a better interest in the cake if it was sitting on top of you while you were dressed in nothing but-"

Alessandra covered Edgar's mouth before he could say anymore in front of Caleb and Sally who could certainly hear him. "Please leave or I will change my mind about your birthday. You!" She gasped when his tongue licked the palm of her hand. "Shouldn't there be a change to your teasing ways now that you will be a year older?"

Edgar removed her hand from his mouth. "And miss your reactions? Never."