The Duke's Masked Wife

The day went by quickly for Alessandra and Wilma. For Edgar, Wilma served as the perfect distraction for Alessandra while he, Caleb, and Reed finished plotting the night they would infiltrate William's house the moment William returned to town. As much as Edgar didn't like keeping things from Alessandra it was best she didn't know too much about his plans.

The time of evening soon fell on Lockwood and unknown to anyone else but Edgar, the king, and queen had returned from their vacation.

Hazel was confused when they passed the palace and were on their way to where Edgar lived. Tobias kept avoiding her questions at first but eventually said they were going to celebrate Edgar's birthday. Hazel knew Tobias well enough that if they were just going for Edgar's birthday he wouldn't have been able to keep his mouth shut about it from the moment they departed. What was with the secrecy at first?

Hazel knew something was up but could not figure it out just yet.  Still, she looked forward to seeing Alessandra and hearing about how Edgar spent his birthday. If she were Edgar, she knew how she would have spent a birthday when there was such a cute wife around.

"We are here," Tobias's excitement interrupted her thoughts and turned her attention to the giant house on her side.

Hazel turned to Tobias and asked, "Should I honestly get concerned about how excited you can get when it comes to Edgar? I tend to get jealous and it annoys me."

"You do not. If I had to pick between you and Edgar it would always be you. Well, unless the matter concerned war and issues with the men in the palace but everything else is you," Tobias replied.

"How wonderful," Hazel muttered.

"Thank you," Tobias said, missing that she was being sarcastic. "In a few days, you get to celebrate the birth of your wonderful husband. My parents will be returning from their quiet life to be at the ball. I need to see what has been planned when I get back."

"I'm sure there will be a lot for me to look over. Making sure this all goes as planned is my job. We are back from a break to go straight to work. It is better than having to entertain a large group of women again. I'll need to see if my parents are in town. The last letter they sent to me said they were going to pay a quick visit to my sister. It doesn't seem like her husband wants to visit our side. What an ass," Hazel cursed as it was just her and Tobias alone.

"He is insufferable to be around. I don't see what your sister fell in love with and why you aren't honest with her choice when you are around her," said Tobias.

"I feel like there is still some lingering anger on her side since she did not become queen. Sisters are not exempt from bad feuds when it comes to finding a husband. She and I are on good terms now so I don't want to ruin it by telling her how much I dislike her husband. She will bring up me stealing you away," Hazel sighed, leaning back in her seat.

"I never liked your sister so you did not steal me away from her. My eyes went straight to you and I thought I made that quite clear by always showing up by your side. Then again, your sister was always by your side and I was kind to her to get you to like me. Oh," Tobias realized when he must have given her sister false hope. "She has a beautiful sister. She should have asked which sister you thought I was courting. What would you have said?"

"Her," Hazel honestly replied. "I thought I was failing at catching your attention and my sister was more prepared to be queen. She prepared for the selection process better than I did. I only noticed your feelings from the first flowers you gave me and soon after you said you already had your queen picked and looked straight at me."

"Admit it that before then you had already fallen for me. Go on."

"The day you tell me what you and one of the candidates did in the library when you had your separate time with her," Hazel said.

Tobias bit his lip. It wasn't fair for her to bring up something that happened before her group of ladies came to the palace. "We've arrived at the steps so I think it is time we cut this conversation short. Let me get the door for you," Tobias said, quickly opening his door to get away from the question that haunted him from time to time.

"Yes you do that," Hazel spoke loud enough for him to hear as he went around the carriage and stopped by her door. Sometimes his flirtatious past irritated her but it was useful when she wanted him to shut up. "Thank you," she accepted his hand to get out of the carriage when he opened her door.

"Dominic is here but I don't know who the other carriage belongs to. It is not like Edgar to have strangers in his home. I like to think I know all of his close friends and relatives so who the hell is that," Tobias said, scratching the back of his head as he tried to place who the unfamiliar carriage belonged to. "Maybe there is a family seal or flag."

Hazel pulled Tobias back close to her before he could leave her to inspect the carriage. "Don't go snooping around like a crazy person. You are the king and will find out who is here when we go inside.  I don't want to explain why the king is searching someone's carriage."

"I am not going inside with you so- shit," Tobias cursed as he revealed it differently than how he planned.

Just then, Edgar opened the door.

Tobias couldn't be more happier with Edgar's timing to change the subject. "Have you become the butler now that Alfred is resting-"

"What do you mean you are not going inside? Aren't we here to celebrate his birthday? What is going on?" Hazel questioned, only now looking over her shoulder to see her luggage being taken off the carriage while Tobias's was nowhere to be found.

She was not paying attention to the fact that all of Tobias's luggage and most of her own were packed in the other carriage which was nowhere in sight. It had to be on the way to the palace.

"Tobias, why are my things being taken off the carriage? Am I spending the night here?" Hazel asked as that was what it started to appear to be happening.

"Help me," Tobias mouthed to Edgar. He had a good way to tell Hazel of his plans but he slipped and didn't know how to suddenly inform her of someone potentially stopping her from having a child. She was supposed to see Alessandra and then he would throw out the idea of her staying here for a while to spend time with Alessandra.

"Not my problem," Edgar replied, leaving the front door for Tobias to take care of his own issue.