The Duke's Masked Wife

"Oh, how you forget that she was promised to me first. You just had to swoop in and steal what I had my eyes on. I must admit that you did show me how much more I could use her rather than just have her on display-"

Reed threw his second dagger, aiming it at William's head for the way he spoke of the Duchess. If William was not keeping an eye on him, this second dagger would have had a better chance at getting William. It was a letdown but there were still more daggers to be thrown.

"Stop throwing things in my house, you fucking bastard! You are damaging things far greater that the cost of your life!" William yelled at Reed. The second dagger got closer to his face than he would have liked. "She is mine. I had a deal with her father. The only reason you got her was that you killed Desmond. You had no reason to go for her other than the fact I had my eyes on her. You are always trying to compete with me. Admit it."

"I forget you are alive until you come buzzing around. These aren't sweet," Edgar placed the apple down after taking one bite. He was looking forward to its sweet taste but was disappointed in the end by how it lacked any taste. "Let's get this over with quickly. What do you know about her mother?"

Edgar would love to finally be rid of William but first, he wanted to learn what William knew about Melanie. He should know much about her since he was good friends with Desmond in the past. William was a guest in Desmond's house when he was married to Melanie so there might be some information William knew that others did not.

Now that Desmond owed William money, it wouldn't come as a surprised if Desmond talked too much and shared what happened to his first wife.

"Ha!" William scoffed, finding Edgar's question to be unbelievable. "You already have the daughter but still want the mother? What would I know about Melanie? Had I known she was going to run away I would have been there to capture her and bring her here. I still think of it to this day. Perhaps that is why I want her daughter who is a perfect copy of her. I should have married Melanie instead of Desmond."

Just like any other man back in his youth, William loved Melanie but instead of going to him who had nothing much to offer her, she went to Desmond who had a good reputation at the time. He could never forget how much he hated Desmond for having everything and the smiles he forced seeing Melanie pregnant with Desmond's child.

"So you can lust after the children you share with her?" Edgar questioned.

"I wouldn't need the daughter if I had the mother. Besides, I am a man who loves art and your wife made herself the perfect art by wearing that mask. Tell me, does she wear it when you fuck her? It must be fun to see what no one else has," William said, trying to make Edgar mad so that the young Duke would come to him and the man in the corner wouldn't be able to throw a dagger.

William kept eyeing Reed to make sure a dagger wouldn't be thrown now for his words. "I can't get how dressed up she was at the winter party out of my head. So perfect unlike all the other women present. I would have placed her right here in my dining room for me to watch her as I eat and then I would have her right here," he touched the table. "Screaming for me. Wanting someone to come for her but she would be with me forever."

Reed wanted to throw another dagger but first, he looked at Edgar to see what he would do. If this was his wife being spoken about, he would have jumped up and killed William from the first line about his woman.

Edgar only stared at William and Reed couldn't place what was going through his head. Reed knew if he threw the next dagger, he wasn't going to miss William's head. However, he didn't want to steal the satisfaction of killing William from Edgar.

William wasn't pleased by Edgar's lack of a reaction and judging by the look of Edgar's companion, he also was confused about Edgar's silence. "Tell what it is like when you fuck her. I thought of having her dress up like her mother-"

Edgar took a small gun from inside his coat, aimed it perfectly at the hand William had on the table and released the first shot.

"Fuck!" William groaned, quickly moving his hand from near the table and holding it in his other hand. He looked at the open wound at the side of his hand where blood started to pour out. He was still lucky to have his index finger intact. His hand became rigid and his body trembled out of shock from the foreign pain. "G-Guns aren't allowed to be used in the kingdom."

Edgar pointed the gun at William's chest, ready to take the next aim. "No one will know of this. No one will ever know how William Lancaster died. They will just know that you have vanished.  Death comes so easy with these things," he looked at the gun. "You have good taste in the style of it."

William looked at the gun in Edgar's hand and only now realized it belonged to him. "You search my house you bastard," he spat. It was impossible for Edgar to know where he kept the guns he bought even if Edgar found someone who knew the layout of his home. The only ones who would know are the servants.

William started to wonder if the young servant boy who answered the door was scared because of his arrival or scared of when he would find out the servants had led Edgar around his house. It was clear why the women had not come out to see him. They must have fled by now.

"Where are my women?" William asked in a low tone. Those women belonged to him now. They were under his mercy.

"You couldn't get women to look your way in the past so once you got money, you bought them so you could mistreat them for ignoring you. I let them go free but first, I was shown the ones you killed and were preparing to turn into dolls so you wouldn't lose your art. It's surprising none of them are the missing girls I am looking for. I wanted this mystery case to end here tonight with you," Edgar said, moving the gun to aim it at William's head to make the death quick.

"W-Wait," William stepped back. "I can offer you information about those opposing the king. I can even tell you about Katrina's plans to take your wife. I will be useful if you leave me alive. I know about all of Grant's allies."

"You have nothing to offer me when we already have Grant and I am aware of his allies. What makes you think you can speak about my wife in such a manner and I let you live? I am not a fool to know the Baroness wants my wife to bring her to you.  Goodbye William," Edgar pulled the trigger.

William tried to move to get out of the way but his speed was not quicker than the bullet which entered his head. "You," his sentence went unfinished as his body fell to the floor. His body shook from the pain of the bullet that entered his head through his eye because he had turned when Edgar fired the gun.

"He's going to be alive for a little while. You should shoot him again," Reed said as he approached the table to get a look at the quick damage guns caused. He wanted a gun and he needed it right now. Guns seemed to be more fun than swords.

"No," Edgar looked down at the pleasing sight of William in pain. "Let him suffer until he meets his death. Have the men bring out all the bodies of the dead women, get rid of his body and this," he placed the gun on the table. There would be a lot of noise if anyone were to learn he used a gun to kill someone. "Do it and then send for the town guards. I will be waiting outside."

Edgar stood from the table as his business here was done. He had a wife who was most likely worried sick about him and to whom he needed to return. While he left Reed to instruct the small group of men they came with, Edgar noticed the young servant standing in shock to see his former employer dying.

"I suggest you grab something of value and get out of here quickly. Run before I take away the freedom I handed to you," said Edgar.

The young servant boy nodded his head and ran off who knows where.