The Duke's Masked Wife

"That was low. Even for you. With a child on the way shouldn't you learn to be nice?" Reed asked. They say babies have a habit of changing people so Reed wanted Edgar's change to hurry up and happen.

"I am always nice," Edgar replied. "I am nice to hide how irritating it is for you and your brother to keep going after Alessandra's friend and maid. I am nice to allow you to sleep when you should be working like everyone else."

"Your definition of nice and mine are different. You should be annoyed with Caleb, not me. He is the one planning a fake wedding since Sally's parents still think the two are getting married. I am waiting for our mother to find out about it. She will lose her mind for not being informed about a wedding," Reed smiled. The one person they feared was their mother. She would change from a sweet woman to a monster in a matter of seconds the moment she learned of Caleb's fake predicament.

"You talk of me not being nice but you always look to get your brother in trouble. Twins should have a bit of loyalty to each other. I am going to replace the two of you as Alessandra's guards soon. Your interests lie elsewhere these days," Edgar said. He was not going to take any risk during her pregnancy.

Edgar was all for her going to these gatherings with other women before but now he wanted to limit her going out. It was no longer just Alessandra who needed to be protected.

"That is unnecessary. We would never let anything happen to the Duchess while we are guarding her," Reed replied, disliking his job going to someone else. It would make him appear incompetent if he could not watch Alessandra and keep her safe.

"I recall you off in a hallway kissing her friend when the only reason you were in the palace was to watch Alessandra. Why Eleanor of people? Why couldn't you have found someone else to bother that has nothing to do with Alessandra?" Edgar asked, curious if they were purposely doing it to annoy him.

"It just happened without thinking. It is nothing serious to affect my job of protecting your wife. The only reason I was with Eleanor was because of your wife. She sent me to guard her friend. You did not tell my brother about this, did you?" Reed eyed Edgar with suspicion. Caleb was not good at keeping secrets. Secrets that belonged to Reed so the last person Reed would like to know about his kiss with Eleanor was Caleb.

"I have no plans of getting involved in your personal business that will come back to bite you in the ass. Unless this business puts my family in danger that is. Why are you still standing here? You should be delivering my message to Mark and Tobias. Then running off to see if Eleanor is getting married or not. Go on," Edgar shooed Reed away.

"I hope you are cursed with daughters who will make your life hell," Reed said and then walked away.

Contrary to what Reed thought, Edgar wouldn't mind if he had daughters. He could spoil them and there was always his trusted gun to get rid of any fool looking to court them.

"Sally," Edgar stood as he remembered he was supposed to be getting Sally for Alessandra along with water.

The Collins household continued to be in disarray thanks to Alfred clearing out a room for the child he longed to take care of. Soon evening fell on Lockwood and a grand visitor was at their door.

"Edgar!" Tobias yelled from the door as he walked in. He had much to celebrate as this was the first time in a while that Edgar sent for him. "You called me here but did not wait at the door for me."

Edgar shut the book he was reading and walked to the front door from the drawing room. "Do you plan to wake up anyone who is sleeping? I did not call for you. I said I wanted to talk with you. We were supposed to arrange a-"

"Stop lying to yourself, Edgar. You know when you say you want to speak to me, I always come to your home. What did you want to talk about? Did you miss my presence lately?" Tobias asked, hoping it was this. It was about time Edgar started missing when he was not around.

Tobias limited his time out of the palace a week after the ball when received good news.

"Whenever you are not leaving the palace frequently it means you have found yourself in trouble that I need to help you out of. Why have you been silent? I have not heard of you leaving the palace nor has there been any news from the palace. What trouble have you found yourself in?" Edgar asked.

Tobias placed his hands on his hips and smiled. "Well, we've been keeping this on the low but since my absence bothers you, you will be the first friend to know. Hazel is pregnant. The kingdom will soon be able to celebrate the arrival of a prince or a princess. Just in time too since those fools started to bring in women for me to pick one to be my mistress."

"Congratulations," Edgar patted Tobias's back. After everything he went through with Hazel and her tea, there was nothing funny Edgar could say now.

"Thank you. Hazel wants me to tell Alessandra the good news. Where is she and why weren't you hovering around her? Marriage problems?" Tobias joked.

"No, I've been kicked out of our bedroom for bothering her or something. Pregnancy has made her a bit moody already. I'll be lucky if I don't have to sleep in another bedroom tonight. That can't happen," Edgar said and started to think of a way to get back on her good side.

"You should see how Hazel- Wait! What the fuck!" Tobias exclaimed as it now dawned on him what Edgar said. "Pregnant? The two of you are having a child. What the hell?"

Edgar narrowed his eyes at Tobias's reaction. "Shouldn't there be a congratulation right now just as I gave to you? You seriously did not think you were the only one looking forward to a child right?"

"No, you told me about your plans to have a child but this was supposed to be my time to shine. Along with Hazel of course," Tobias added since she had an important role in all of this.

Edgar felt a sense of deja vu listening to Tobias speak. "I am starting to see what is wrong with me," he muttered.

Tobias was confused by Edgar's words. "What? There's  nothing wrong with you. I mean, you could learn to not have this don't care attitude that makes me want to strangle you sometimes but then I understand your childhood so I let it go. I like to think that before Alessandra and Alfred, I was the light in your life. I knew you before they did since we knew each other as babies. "

Tobias saw a bright side to Edgar having a child now. "Congratulations on your child, Edgar. It is good that you are having a baby at the same time as me. I want our children to be as close as our fathers were and as close as we are. I'm starting to think that if-"

"Our children are not getting married," Edgar cut in before this ridiculous plan could be said again. "Come and have a drink with me before you go back. I have a feeling Hazel kicked you out of her bedroom."

"She sure did. I made the mistake of saying how big her stomach will get," said Tobias.