The Duke's Masked Wife

Edgar watched Alessandra and his grandmother meet up with a couple of women he was familiar with. Now that he knew where she would be, he walked anyway in search of something to drink.

A room full of family members here for his marriage meant a whole lot of questions he wasn't in the mood to answer. All that mattered was the fact he had gotten married. Why did anyone feel the need to find out where they shared their first kiss or how they fell in love? That was certainly not their business.

"Running off to a corner already?" Dominic came to Edgar's side. "Take me with you. You know, I should be upset with you. Your marriage has led to me being questioned about when I will be next. You, Tobias, Rafael, and I were hellbent on not getting married. You and Tobias have broken the pact."

"I take it you have not heard the news," Edgar said as he took a glass of wine from a servant walking around with a tray. "Rafael is about to break the pact."

"What?" Dominic exclaimed, ignoring the looks of the people around. "Mind your business," he told them before going back to Edgar. "What the hell do you mean he's going to break it? That brute is always out somewhere fighting so where the hell did he have time to fall in love with someone?"

Edgar swirled his glass, amused by Dominic's panic over being the last one to be married. "In his home. I've heard it is a maid of his but it is a one-sided romance for now."

Dominic snatched away Edgar's glass of wine and gulped it down. Being the last one from their friend group to get married meant his parents would jump down his throat now. "I need to move somewhere far from home. I've even heard your friend Oliver is getting married which is surprising. I heard it is a woman. I could never forget how angry he got with me because I pointed out his feelings for you."

"You did?" Edgar asked as this was news to him. It would explain why Oliver never got along with Dominic when Dominic visited in their youth. "Get me another drink. I need something to relax before-"

"You two decided to find a corner to hide and didn't invite me," Daniel's voice was heard.

Edgar and Dominic groaned at the same time.

"He's my little brother but I find everything about him to be annoying. I am certain we picked him up from the side of the road. Be grateful for being an only child," Dominic muttered.

"That's rude," Daniel glared at his brother. Sometimes it annoyed him to see Dominic act more like a brother to Edgar than him. "Edgar Collins, the talk of the town. You must be enjoying the spotlight being on you."

"I am overflowing with joy," Edgar replied with a sarcastic tone. "What do you want? Let's get this over with."

"Nothing. Like everyone else who has gathered here under our grandmother's wishes, I am here to congratulate you on getting married. I wish for the same happiness that I have found," Daniel said then reached out to touch Edgar but quickly decided against it after the stare he received. "Well then. Like everyone else, I have some questions about your marriage."

"Daniel," Dominic sighed, knowing this won't end well. "Please shut up and find someone else to annoy. Edgar and I were conversing."

"Well, why can't I join? This party is all about him and his newfound wife. His wife whom he married quite fast I might add. A month before his marriage he had been very much single, enjoying his time with a certain lady. Do you mean to tell me that he met Alessandra, immediately fell in love, and changed his views about marriage? Yeah right," Daniel scoffed.

Daniel believed everyone were fools for believing in this fishy story about Edgar's marriage. No one, not even the king or Rose Collins could get Edgar to settle down and get married.

"Be honest with me. Does her family have something that you want? Normally you would be the type to just take it-"

"Daniel," Dominic warned his brother for the last time. "Give it a rest and find something else to talk about."

Edgar ignored the fight between the two brothers and took another glass from a servant while he watched Alessandra leave his grandmother's side with the troublesome Maxine Collins. A young girl who made her mother worry because of her love for boyish things and gossip.

He kept his eyes on her to make sure no pests would bother her like the one who now stepped into his view, blocking him from watching Alessandra.

"You have not answered my question, Edgar," said Daniel. He was determined to get the truth by the end of the night. He knew Edgar well, though Edgar would not admit it, and knew the type of women Edgar would normally share his bed with. Alessandra was far from it with her body and then there was the mask. There had to be a reasonable explanation.

Edgar sipped the sweet wine his grandmother always got right. "The sooner you realize I don't care for your questions the better. This is not an interview for the papers. Stop questioning me and move along before my patience snaps."

Edgar looked around for a servant walking around with food to send them Alessandra's way.

"Come on, Edgar. All I am trying to understand is why you are settling for someone like that out of all people. The mask is a bit extreme. What does she have to hide? I'm telling you, it has to be something that her family owns so what treasure have you stumbled on and gained thanks to her? Or perhaps," Daniel grinned as he felt he found the reason.

Dominic covered his face preparing for the worst to come. He might get his wish of being an only child soon. His younger brother just did not know when to shut up.

"I know there are a lot of things men like these days and they do whatever they can to keep their hands on it. You do seem like the type to have a kink for a woman wearing a mask," Daniel said and smiled when he finally caught Edgar's attention.

Edgar's gaze had shifted from watching someone to him. From one married man to another Daniel had advice to offer.

"Listen, you don't marry women like Alessandra because they satisfy your desires. Even if she is a good fuck in bed-"

"Ah!" A scream echoed throughout the room as Daniel stumbled back from the punch he had not seen coming.

The sound of glass was heard shattering against the marble floor after Edgar dropped the wine glass he had been holding. His hands were only focused on Daniel's face.

"Here we go," Dominic set his empty glass to the side as he watched the outcome he knew was coming.

Daniel touched his nose where he had been punched and glared at Edgar. "You fucking-"

His words were interrupted when Edgar punched him again and this time, it was hard enough to make Daniel fall against the floor. Edgar did not end it there as he followed Daniel down to the floor and continued to repeatedly punch him right in his face.

Edgar had been drowning out most of what nonsense Daniel was saying as he had been watching Alessandra but when he finally listened and heard Daniel had the nerve to mention something about Alessandra being good in bed, his tolerance had snapped and his hand moved on its own.

"We need to break them up."

"Wait," Dominic blocked a man he did not recognize from breaking up the fight. "Let Edgar get one more hit in. One more," he added after Edgar hit Daniel twice. "Now we can break it up," he bent down to pull Edgar off of his younger brother. He was the only one in the room to be able to break up a fight Edgar was a part of.

Had it been a playful conversation and Edgar just punched his brother out of the blue, Dominic would not have allowed things to get this far. However, Daniel had taken things too far by speaking on Alessandra when Dominic warned him to shut up. He had no choice but to let a husband be angry at someone speaking nonsense about his wife.

Dominic successfully pulled Edgar back by restraining his arms. He shook his head at the sight of his brother with a bloody nose and lip.

"Edgar."

Dominic looked to the sidelines and found Alessandra standing at the front of the crowd that had gathered. Concern and confusion were written all over her face. "Edgar, you have every right to want to beat the shit out of him for talking too much but your wife is here. Think of her instead of Daniel," Dominic whispered to Edgar.

Edgar's heated gaze left Daniel and looked up where he saw Alessandra worried about him.

"What did I say about tonight?" Rose's angry voice was heard over the crowd. A path was made for her to see just who had ruined the party.