The Duke's Masked Wife

"What exactly was your mother right about? You went from rarely speaking to her to thinking she is right over me. I am the one who has been taking care of you for years when you didn't want to remain in your parent's house. I have loved you and did what was best for you even more than I did with my own son," said Rose. It was a slap in the face for Edgar to be siding with his mother now.

"Are you done? I didn't take back that you have cared for me but your behavior toward my wife isn't something I like. I know how you can get it. I have watched you well in my youth and how you treated others. It was amusing as a child but as a husband, you won't treat my wife the same just because my father allowed it with my mother. Picking at her not decorating the house will only be the beginning," Edgar said, knowing how it would go if he let her act as she wanted with Alessandra.

"It's a real shame honestly. I spoke so highly of you and how she did not need to worry about you accepting her. I thought you would want me to be happy. You put on a really good show when we visited you. Go back to being the sweet grandmother that just pesters us for children. You will not be able to snatch up our children because you think she is not a good mother. If you want to see the great-grandchildren you desire, ease up on how you are helping Alessandra," Edgar added, putting his papers down as he could no longer focus.

Rose couldn't believe the little help she offered Alessandra was creating this much of an issue. "Make no mistake that I care for Alessandra and I enjoy seeing the two of you together. I have been more gentle to her than I have been with anyone else because I like her. If she cannot handle me simply telling her to be more aware of how the house looks then the women she encounters will eat her up."

Edgar's lips curled as he had a different opinion. Alessandra was blossoming day by day and with it, came confidence. He would like to say she had more confidence than when they first met but in his opinion, she had the most fire to her the night they met. Alessandra was able to go toe to toe with someone like him so he knew she could handle the ladies here well.

"I heard she was hit in the head by a stone and did nothing," Rose argued. She would have had the woman who did such a crime hung in the morning for her children to see.

"Alessandra is not one to use violence to get even with someone and I don't want her to do so. Have you ever noticed how quick she is with her responses? Takes you by surprise honestly. Again, you mistake the fact she has been kind to you and even my mother because she doesn't like to see families be so broken. She's still working on herself and it would be nice if she had someone older to guide her but let the stupid shit go," said Edgar.

"Language," Rose warned him. She was not one of his friends for certain words to be used around her. "I planned to guide her-"

"Avoid matters concerning our household and just help her navigate through the drama that will come her way. I do not care about changing the furniture every season because the entire town does it. I don't care to be sheep like the rest of you when it comes to trends. Alessandra and I will run our house how we see fit," Edgar sat up from the bed to get changed out of his damp clothes because of his sweat.

Rose watched Edgar leave the bed and walk into another room. "If you would let me help as I see fit, now that you are sick Alessandra would be able to perfectly step in and run the household until you are back in good health."

"It is interesting you speak of her having to run this house when for years I have watched you and many of my female relatives leave that job to a butler or a head maid. All you did was shop, ask for furniture to be changed, and met with other women. I don't want Alessandra to do anything but enjoy herself when she is in the comfort of our home. Why is that so bad? Aren't all these young women taught to look for a husband who will take care of them?" Edgar called out the hypocrisy.

"They are also taught how to take care of a household, their husband, and children. We do not just get to enjoy life without having work to do. Alessandra, unfortunately, skipped out the lessons of what it means to be a wife-"

Edgar exited the closet the moment he heard Rose's mistake. "She did not skip out on being taught to be what you define as a lady. Her family fucking hid her away because they considered her damaged. This household is fine, she takes care of me wonderfully since you failed to notice and she will be a good mother to our children. From what I see, she is doing well for someone who didn't have any tutors."

Rose couldn't respond to Edgar.

"Be honest. It is her lack of wealth that bothers you. Her father was a Baron but their household went into debt. That is what you dislike," Edgar said, done with ignoring the real issue. "I have wealth I leave behind in this world for generations to come and I will make more money before I am dead. I only need Alessandra, not any money she or her family can add to my wealth. All of you have been pushing daughters of wealthy families down my throat for years but I have not once thought of marrying one."

"You envisioned me marrying someone with the same status or wealth but you should be happy with the fact I have met a woman I love more than the people I share blood with. I am only telling you this last time to forget about her father's lack of wealth, that she is different from other women by liking to paint more than she cares about furniture and just loving her for who she is. Just as I have," Edgar stated, getting dressed in a fresh shirt so he could leave.

"Marriage is a way of gaining something for both the husband and wife. It is only Alessandra who benefitted from this marriage and I knew that from the moment you introduced her but I ignored it. I am only trying to help her make up for the wealth she lacks. From the moment I came to Lockwood, I heard about your cursed wife and now I will have to hear about your parents' divorce," Rose replied.

"Then go back home so you will not have to hear about either one. I will be kind and give you an hour to make amends with Alessandra. I would like for you to help guide her but back off when she says there is something she doesn't like. I'd hate to ban you from entering my estate all because you want to force her to do things she does not like," Edgar said as he walked to the door.

Rose could not believe she would have been better off if she had not traveled to Lockwood. One single trip affected the relationship she had with Edgar. A relationship she believed could not be broken. "If I cannot help her how I see fit then I will keep my help to myself. All of this over me telling her to change furniture?"

"Exactly. The fact that it is over something so foolish is what irritates me and most likely annoys Alessandra because you will not let it go. I will apologize in advance if my visits to your home become less in the future until you get rid of your plans to mold Alessandra into another person. I shall have your carriage prepared for you to leave," Edgar replied, opening the bedroom door and walking out, leaving Rose alone.

One by one there were people being added to a list of those he would keep away from him and Alessandra so their opinions, judgments, views, or whatever would not affect their peaceful marriage. If not for how stubborn he knew his grandmother could get when she did not get what she wanted, they would have been able to go back to how things were a few weeks ago.

Edgar refused to make Rose aware of Alessandra's new wealth from her mother's side since this shouldn't be revealed in order for Rose to go back to being a sweet grandmother to Alessandra.

"Why are you out of bed, Edgar?" Alessandra asked, looking up the stairs where Edgar was coming down from the second floor.

Edgar inspected the appearance of her dress covered in flour and her hands had traces of dough. "Wasting flour again?" He asked, still remembering the taste of her horrible cake.

"Flour? Oh," Alessandra looked at her dress. "My grandmother is teaching me and Hazel how to bake. I find it to be a fun activity we can do in the future when it is not just you and me. I was looking for Alfred to see if he would like to join us. Would you like to see the cookies I made? They look far better than the cake I tried to make."

Edgar enjoyed the way her eyes lit up similar to how she was when she spoke of painting. "As long as I do not end up with a mouth full of something that tastes of flour," he answered, following her to the kitchen.

"You will end up with a mouth full of dough if you do not stop speaking ill of what I have made," Alessandra replied, reaching out her finger covered in the dough to rub on his cheek.