The Duke's Masked Wife

"Mother, you are going to pass out when I tell you this news. Simon wants to court me," Kate jumped up and down excitedly. She had been keeping in her excitement until the moment he left.

"Well done Kate," Katrina applauded her daughter. It was wonderful for Kate to catch a man like Simon. He was rich and had good connections. "You are going to need new clothes if you are going to be around a man like Simon," she thought about the clothes Kate had been sorting out. Katrina was now unamused by the look of them all. Even the ones Kate wanted to save.

"We should buy new dresses until he has asked for my hand in marriage. I can return the money once I get married to him. I can't wait to tell my friends about this. I knew they were laughing at me because Alessandra married Edgar but looked at me. Grace will boil from jealousy"

"No, don't say a word to them. They'll talk too much. You must not let Simon see that you are excited about him courting you. Play hard to get Kate. Men like him enjoy a game. He will want you more when it feels hard to get you. It is not you chasing after him as you did with Edgar," Katrina offered Kate advice.

This was how she got Desmond while he was married. She played hard to get and play with him occasionally to keep him hooked. He bought sorts of gifts to get her attention and when she finally seduced him, Desmond made plans to marry her.

"Where was this advice when I was chasing after Edgar? It might have been helpful then. Do not worry mother, I will not let Simon slip away from my hands. I will marry him and have us live in luxury again. If things go well, I will buy you a bigger house," said Kate. She suddenly found the house they were in to be too small.

"It will be good to have you buying me gifts Kate instead of me always spoiling you. Do not forget your mother after you get married. Men will come and go but I will always love you. You know that, right?" Katrina fixed Kate's hair as she spoke. Kate was given the life Katrina always wanted but she was not jealous of her daughter, she was extremely happy she broke her family's curse of poverty.

"I know that, mother. Do not tell me you are going to cry at the thought of me getting married. It won't happen anytime soon because Simon wants to get to know me. I've been invited to a party many of his friends will attend. There's a chance Edgar and that wrench Alessandra might be there. I can hardly wait," Kate smiled at the thought of showing Alessandra she had also grabbed onto a man with a good title.

Kate stated she would find a man to boost her up into Edgar's word and now it was happening. She would enter the social world where Alessandra was now and chase her out of it. "Mother, the girls seem to think Alessandra had been sneaking out at night and met the Duke before our party. They think she is pregnant."

"That is not believable. We would have all noticed something. Now is not the time to be thinking about Alessandra. You need to put all your energy into grabbing Simon." Katrina had always hated the sight of Alessandra and now she hated hearing her name. She wanted Kate to focus on securing a wealthy husband to help end their financial crisis.

"Priscilla Collins was interested in the story. The conversation then turned to what relationship did Alessandra have with our cook. They were always together.  We could have some fun and spread around she was sleeping with the cook. You shouldn't let how she treated you at the ball go unpunished. People were starting to talk about it."

"I did feel like giving her a good smack for acting as if she is above us," Katrina frowned at the unpleasant memory. "I will take care of it. You need to focus on Simon. Alessandra already has her husband, unfortunately. Focus  if you want to have your dream winter wedding."

"It'll be the greatest wedding of the year. I…" Kate paused and went to a window to look outside. "There's a carriage outside. It's too old looking for it to be Simon or anyone important."

"What?" Katrina walked to the window to see who was arriving. "No no no. James, lock the front door. Do not let him inside!"

"Yes Baroness," James rushed to the front door to do as he was told.

"Who is it?" Kate questioned, confused as to who could have her mother panicking. They had many guests since her father died and other than William, she was never this rattled.

"It's your uncle. That leech only visits when he wants money from your father. He's showing up to cause nothing but trouble. Good," Katrina said when James locked the door. She would prefer to have him thrown off the property but for now, she would be civil.

She watched from the window as Clark Barrett exited his almost broken-down carriage and looked around the property as if he was searching for something.

Katrina could smell greed a mile away and knew  Clark was here to gain something. All that Desmond owned finally belonged to her and Kate. The likes of Clark would never get anything as long as she was alive.

Katrina smiled when the door shook and would not open no matter how much Clark tried to enter.

"Baroness! I know that you are locking me out you heartless bitch! We need to talk. Do you think all of this belongs to you? I will get what was promised to me by my brother. Mark my words, I will be back and you will open this door. I have a way of getting you to do as I say. I am giving you one day!" Clark yelled at the top of his lungs.

Desmond was gone and now, everything his brother owned could belong to him. Clark kicked the door but winced as he injured his foot. "I'll change that door when I own this house," he motioned as if he was going to punch the door. Giving up on Katrina for now, he decided to shift his focus to someone else. "Where the hell does Duke Collins live?"