The Duke's Masked Wife

"Are you certain your mother is not doing a crime? How are you able to shop like you used to so quickly?'

"Grace, if you utter something so foolish again I will never speak to you. My mother is a smart woman and living proof of why husbands should listen to their wives. I told you my grandmother also helped us so knock it off," Kate warned as she could hardly tolerate the ridiculous rumors about how her family had slowly come out of debt.

"I am not trying to anger you, Kate. I am trying to figure out what to say to everyone asking," Grace replied but in reality, she was looking for news to share with her other friends.

Kate was regaining her former glory which she had before it became known her family was broke. Grace liked seeing Kate as the topic of conversation and to stop Kate from getting back on her high horse, she secretly spoke with the other young ladies in order to keep Kate down.

Grace didn't feel guilty because Kate would do the same to her. She knew this for a fact as Kate had once helped to spread a rumor about her. They remained friends because they were better off pretending they care for each other than being enemies.

"I know that you are just trying to find something to talk about behind my back Grace. If I hear that you said something about me, I will talk about your father slapping you for failing to catch the eyes of a man he wanted you to marry. My father was disappointed that I had not married when he was alive but he never laid his hands on me. Imagine how I felt seeing you be slapped," Kate placed her hand on her chest, feigning concern.

Grace hooked her arm with Kate's. "What dress do you plan for the King's birthday ball?"

'Much better,' Kate thought. At least Grace had the common sense to know when to not push any further.

"I want to find a dress to match my eyes. I already bought a new pair of shoes. Would it have been a better idea for me to try matching with Simon?" Kate asked.

"It might make you seem desperate considering you are not married or even engaged. If you are certain he will propose to you then maybe you can consider matching with him. Has he mentioned marriage to you yet? Everyone is curious if it is time Simon will finally settle down. You have made a lot of enemies now that you have been spotted with Simon often," Grace said, thrilled about the new enemies Kate made but masked it with a frown.

"Great. There is nothing more exciting than seeing everyone jealous of my relationship. Unless Simon is a man who has time to waste, I expect a proposal sooner than I planned. He met with my mother and he asked me to meet with him at the ball. My status will rise so you must behave well if you want me to introduce you to one of his friends. Do you like this one?" Kate picked up a green shoe for Grace to see.

"A green shoe, Kate? Not this time of the year. You should wait until spring to add such a colorful shoe to your closet. Speaking of introducing someone, have you heard anything from Lila? She is not around after announcing she is getting married and her family is a bit silent about what she is doing. She must be trying hard to plan the wedding of the season. I wonder if her husband-to-be can afford a lavish wedding. Her family certainly should not waste the money," said Grace.

"I have not heard from her since she announced she was getting married. Lila thought she was above us because she was the only one getting married but was embarrassed when Simon joined us. Maybe the man left her and now she can't show her face as there won't be a wedding. Poor thing," Kate smiled, hoping her assumption was true.

It would be the perfect karma for Lila not remembering her place. In their friend group, Kate was at the top.

"It does feel like there is something wrong with her wedding. It'll be a shock if she shows up at the ball. Speaking of which, what happened to your devious plan concerning your sister?" Grace whispered. Kate informed Grace of her plan to knock off Alessandra's mask at the ball. It was the best form of entertainment anyone could think of.

Grace had no plans to take part in what Kate was planning as a precaution if this plan failed and the Duke would not be happy to know someone was messing with his wife. Everyone had heard about Sophia almost losing her hands and how she remained in the palace dungeon even now. Still, she would enjoy the show regardless of whether it was Kate or Alessandra humiliated.

From a young age, Grace was always curious about what Alessandra was hiding beneath her mask. Rumors of there being a curse were silly but it was fun to have someone to speak about. That was why everyone joined in to call Alessandra cursed. It was better to have someone else to talk about to avoid the town picking you as the topic of gossip.

Kate looked around the shop to make sure there was no one close to them. "I still plan to do it but I don't know how yet. I need to get her away from Edgar. Maybe when he leaves to be with the King."

"Don't all the ladies gather with the Queen at one point will the men stay with the King?" Grace asked, putting the idea in Kate's head.

"We were separated last year," Kate remembered what happened last year during the King's birthday. The young women got a private moment with the Queen while the men went off to drink with the King. As a close friend of the King, Edgar would have to leave Alessandra's side. "I only need to make it look like an accident or maybe I can get someone else to do it. There are many who are curious about her face and would love to knock the mask off."

"You should spark everyone's curiosity about what she hides under that mask. You would not need to lift a finger. Have you ever seen what her face is like? Is she hideous? I wonder if she hides her face from the Duke," Grace snickered, mentally picturing how Alessandra must be each time Edgar tried to touch her face. 'Then again, the Duke would have left her if she was hideous. Unless he wants to save face for moving too fast with marrying someone with such a reputation," she thought.

Kate remembered what she saw when Alessandra threw shit at her. The marks were still there but they were not as bad as years before. Still, it was still the source of Alessandra's insecurity, and seeing Alessandra freak out around others was enough for Kate. Alessandra was ruined and if anyone had to compare the two, it was obvious to Kate that she would be picked.

'I should have ruined her face more before she got married to Edgar,' Kate thought as she wanted to guarantee she was better than Alessandra. She would never be second ever again.