The Duke's Masked Wife

An hour after Oliver's departure, Tobias left, but Hazel remained in Edgar's care contrary to what Tobias said about taking her back to the palace when he first arrived.

Alessandra sent a message to Wilma for her to come to visit again since Alessandra wanted to keep an eye on Edgar's health. She was sort of pushed to the side by Alfred who knew more about how to care for Edgar. Alessandra would have liked to be more involved in caring for Edgar but found it more important that he got better. It didn't matter who helped him.

"How are your parents with their new home?" Alessandra asked Sally while she sat awaiting Wilma's arrival.

"They were still acting a bit awkward for the first few days but then they adjusted well. My father has gotten work in town and my mother takes care of the house while everyone is away. She wants to find work but my father told her to wait until winter is over. They want to save up for me to have a good wedding with Caleb. I feel bad that I am deceiving them but I don't want them to go back to my aunt. I'll start building our home so this is over with quickly," Sally replied.

"I see. I wonder how Caleb will adjust to not having you and your family around. You two seem to be getting along well," Alessandra said, tempted to probe further about Sally and Caleb's current relationship but opted to be subtle.

"It is surprising how much we do get along. He is different from what I thought. I owe a lot to him for going through with this when he did not need to. It is not every day you find a man willing to go through with a fake engagement. Oh, I think your grandmother is here," Sally stood up first when she spotted a maid going to the front door.

Alessandra wished they could continue their conversation but she was delighted to have Wilma back.

"The Duke's grandmother is with her."

The excitement to have Wilma here was soiled by Rose's appearance. Alessandra wasn't aware that Rose would be visiting today but she should have expected it since Rose was not happy to learn Edgar had released his mother. Alessandra didn't like where her relationship with Rose was going but rather than be scolded over the smallest things, Alessandra planned to avoid Rose and enjoy her time with Wilma.

Alessandra sat up from her seat and walked to the front door with Sally right behind her. "Good morning," she greeted the two. "I'm sorry I had to change our plans for me to be the one to visit you, grandmother. Edgar is sick-"

"He is sick?" Rose repeated in disbelief. She couldn't think of the last time Edgar was sick. "Where is he? Is he in his bedroom? What did the doctor say?"

"We haven't called for a doctor yet since it is something we can manage at the moment. Alfred has been looking after him and giving him medicine. Edgar should be awake now if you wish to check on him," Alessandra replied, hoping it was Edgar who Rose came to speak with.

"Even if it is manageable you should still call for a doctor. Excuse me," Rose quickly walked away as she cared more about Edgar than speaking with anyone. Whenever he was ill, she would call for the best doctors to treat him.  It was better to get someone whose job was to care for others to pay a visit.

Rose went up to the second floor, ignoring the fact nothing was done to the house which looked the same as it did with each visit. She had much more to discuss with Edgar so she could not waste her time on Alessandra.  She found that Alessandra was acting more carefree now that her relative was visiting.

Without knocking, Rose entered Edgar's bedroom.

Edgar was quick to hide the paper in his hand as he thought Alessandra was coming to check on him. He saw another side of her when she wanted him to rest and do nothing. It was similar to when he made Alfred angry. "Has word that I am not well reached that far?" He asked, pulling back out the paper from his side.

"It has not. No one cared to inform me that you are sick. I am being left out of the dark on many things. Like you letting your mother go," Rose said, slowly walking toward the bed.

"I wasn't aware I needed to inform you of what I do with her. She acknowledged what she did was wrong and confessed to other things. There was no reason to keep her there any longer. We've agreed to stay out of each other's lives. You should be happy to hear that," Edgar replied, reading papers that contain information about his businesses.

"You should have kept her there longer. Your mother is planning to leave your father and he has decided to go through with it."

"Ah yes. No one gets separated in our family. We take the vows quite seriously, don't we? That is their business. Why remain in a marriage where there is no love? Her husband didn't try to get her out of my dungeon. I'd be damned if I let someone take Alessandra to their dungeon and do nothing to get her back," Edgar said, finding his father's silence during the time he had his mother to say a lot. "Not that he would have freed her from my dungeon but still. He should have made it less obvious he wanted her gone."

"Did you put the idea to separate in her head? They mention you speaking to her about it," said Rose. She couldn't place why Edgar would meddle in his parent's marriage.

"I told her to choose happiness and she is doing just that. They are not children, grandmother. Your opinion doesn't matter just like it is not needed for the things you want Alessandra to do. I suggest you stop telling her about changing up the house before you find yourself not welcomed here anymore-"

"You would banish me from your home for wanting your wife to be better as a Duchess?" Rose raised her voice.

"It will always be her happiness over the opinions of others no matter who it is. You have been at the top of the women I care for throughout the years but my wife's happiness comes before how you want the Duchess to look. You have been taken advantage of the fact she is trying to be respectful because you are one of the few relatives I care for. Stop it," Edgar said, looking up from his paper to his grandmother.

"You," Rose paused, trying to figure out who the person before her was. "You have never disrespected me like this."

"I had no reason to but if you continue to belittle her because of what you think of her background, I will not hold back because you are my grandmother. You've done something that pisses me off. You've made my mother right," Edgar stated as he rarely was on the same side as his mother.