The Duke's Masked Wife

"Jennifer had a lot to say on our way to the dining room and I need it to be addressed. Speak child," Priscilla urged Jennifer.

"Open your mouth and will lose your tongue," Edgar picked up a knife from the table. He had been meaning to find a good punishment for Jennifer and now her presence was giving him all kinds of ideas. "Father, I am giving you until the count of three. One," he began to count.

"Priscilla we are leaving," Edmund moved from where he was sitting to the other side of the table to get her. "Get up. You've embarrassed yourself enough in front of our daughter-in-law. Edgar is married, get over it."'

"Do not manhandle me. I am capable of getting up on my own," Priscilla pushed Edmund's hands away. She was not getting through to anyone but she had a lot of time to make them listen and do as she wanted. "Fine, I will leave for now but this conversation isn't over. She will not keep the Collins name."

"Why must you always make things so difficult?" Edmund sighed. Priscilla was only doing this because of how hard it had been for her to join his family even though she came from a prestigious family.

"It is Edgar who made things difficult by getting married without our consent. His grandmother will throw a fit when she learns of this. Come, Heather. Let us leave before her curse starts to affect your face," Priscilla's face was scrunched up as she looked at the mask Alessandra wore.

Alessandra remained quiet, unaffected by Priscilla's words. She was hoping Priscilla wasn't the type to believe in foolish rumors and refer to her as cursed.

"It was nice meeting you, Duchess," Heather said to Alessandra as she stood up. "I hope we get to see each other in the future," she smiled.

Looking up at Heather, Alessandra found that although Heather was smiling it did not reach her eyes. Alessandra's heart ached for Heather as it seemed like she was fighting something on the inside but no one was asking her what was wrong. "Are you okay?" She asked.

"What?" Heather looked confused. Did Alessandra think she was sad because of what Edgar said earlier? Why was she asking now instead of earlier when she felt like crying? Was this Alessandra's way of teasing her? "I am fine, Duchess."

"I see. It was nice meeting you too, Heather. Please have a safe trip back," said Alessandra.

Heather bit her lip, forcing back the emotions she felt. She wished Alessandra would somehow disappear so that her life would become normal once again. 'Why did someone like you have to show up?' She clenched her fist.

"Did something happen to Heather? Did you do something to her?" Priscilla stopped right next to Alessandra as she was leaving and gripped her shoulder painfully for the answer.

"Priscilla," Edmund grabbed her hand to pull it away from Alessandra's shoulder. Hearing Alessandra hiss in pain, he noticed Priscilla was digging her nails into Alessandra's shoulder. Edmund roughly removed her hand and dragged her away just in time to avoid Edgar who no one had witnessed standing up.

"You are hurting my hand, Edmund. I am not just anyone for you to drag like this…" Priscilla's voice slowly died down as she was taken away.

"Let me see," Edgar's words came out in a whisper.

"See what?" Alessandra looked up at him. She had nothing to show.

"Your shoulder. Let me see it. Everyone out," Edgar ordered the servants in the dining room and Alfred to leave. "There are going so you don't have to be shy. Just let me see your shoulder to see if there is a mark from where she grabbed you."

"I don't-"

"Alessandra, it's incredibly hard for me to stay as calm as I am right now. Let me verify with my own eyes that your shoulder is okay. Please."

Alessandra heard the restraint in Edgar's voice and realized the only way to truly calm him down was to show her shoulder. She should have listened to him and let his parents leave. Then Edgar and his mother wouldn't have argued so much.

Alessandra slowly undid the first three buttons of her dress and slid the dress off on the right side where Priscilla grabbed her. She showed him just enough skin to show where she was touched.

She held her breath as Edgar leaned closer for a better look. Her body jumped, feeling his surprisingly cold finger against the warmth of her skin. To her surprise, Edgar laughed as he trailed every mark from his mother's nails.

"I must be crazy to let her get so near to you. I'll be back-"

"No!" Alessandra held onto his hand to stop him from going to his mother. It would only make their relationship worse. "It is only small cuts."

"Are you aware how hard she had to grip your shoulder to make marks under your dress? I saw the look on your face when she did it. I should have stuck to my gut and let her leave the moment she arrived," Edgar blamed himself. He knew what his mother was like when did not get her way and yet, he allowed her to get close to Alessandra. "My mother took her controlling nature to another level today."

It was one thing for his mother to hurt him but not Alessandra. That was where he drew the line.

"Please do not go to your mother, Edgar. I am fine. This is nothing bad."

"Your words do nothing but make me even more enraged, Alessandra. What have you suffered to be able to accept pain like this because it is not the worse you have endured?" Edgar tapped his fingers on the table to calm down his anger once again.

Alessandra started to pull up her dress now that Edgar had seen what he wanted but Edgar placed his hand over her own to stop her. "I should fix it before someone comes in and sees me like this. Ah!" Alessandra gasped when Edgar took hold of her hand and pulled her up to where he stood.

His hands circled her waist to keep her from moving. Edgar's heated gaze and their closeness were enough to have Alessandra become a puddle in his arms. For the first time, she knew he was not teasing her, and not knowing what he was going to do made her a  nervous mess.

"Edgar," she felt her heart skip a beat when his head moved from her line of vision down to her shoulder.

"This is not okay," he kissed the skin where his mother created marks.