The Duke's Masked Wife

"Didn't I say to send notices when you want to visit?" Edgar asked, holding the door to stop his mother from coming inside. By some luck it was him who received the message about her wanting to come inside the gates.

"I did. It should have arrived a little over an hour before I did. Be grateful I have brought with me all the things Alfred wanted," Priscilla pointed at her carriage. "Have your servants bring them out for you and take them to wherever. Get out of my way, Edgar."

"It has not been a day as yet, but I am already regretting my decision to let you have entry to our home. Has her pregnancy suddenly made you like her or are you lonely? We can get you a dog to comfort you. A small one though I am tempted to get one of the big ones you are afraid of. There are a few somewhere on the property," Edgar said, seriously considering letting the dogs roam free.

The only reason they were never present was because of Alessandra's cats who liked to go outside from time to time. After the death of her last kitten, he didn't need to traumatize her with the bloody mess of what his dogs could do to her cats.

"Who raised you?" Priscilla asked, thinking it could not be Alfred because of the way Edgar turned out.

"Not you," Edgar replied.

Priscilla rolled her eyes. "How many times must you throw that in my face? Yes, I was an absent mother. Do you want me to tell the entire town? When will you let it go? Move your foot before I press my heel down on it. I did not travel all this way for you to send me away before I get inside. Edgar, I swear I brought you into this world and I will be the one to take you out of it if you do not move-"

"What are you two doing?" Alessandra asked, staring at the mother and son fighting by the door. Any more of this and the door might snap in two.

Edgar released the door which unfortunately made Priscilla almost fall forward because she was pushing against it. "Nothing," he answered, ignoring his mother glaring at him. "Why did you come downstairs? I could have gotten what you wanted."

"I was going to paint when I saw the two of you by the door. Why were you stopping your mother from coming inside? Didn't we agree that she could visit to help me?" Alessandra asked. Had she not suddenly have the urge to paint she would not have known Priscilla was here. "You shouldn't force her away. You should apologize, Edgar."

'Good luck with that,' Priscilla thought as she fixed her dress.

"Sorry," Edgar quickly let the word leave his mouth before his stubbornness could come into play.

Priscilla looked at Edgar as if he grew a second head. First, he thanked her yesterday and now he was apologizing to her. What had they done to her son? "What's wrong with him?" Priscilla asked Alessandra.

Alessandra looked at Edgar to figure out what Priscilla was talking about. He seemed perfectly fine unless she was referring to him apologizing. "Did Edgar apologizing scare you?" Alessandra asked in disbelief. Certainly, this could not be the reason Priscilla was acting like she made a wild discovery.

"Of course it did," Priscilla touched her chest to calm her heart. Edgar was stubborn just like her which made apologizing hard sometimes. It felt like someone stabbed you right in the heart when you had to say those two awful words.

"You two," Alessandra sighed. Another day she could sit and try to figure out the two of them but not today. Not when she finally started to feel well enough to paint. Edgar and Priscilla were not going to ruin this for her. However, this was a good opportunity for the mother and son to start working on their relationship. "I am going to paint-"

"I will join you," Edgar and Priscilla said in unison. The pair looked at each other, almost glaring a hole into the other's head.

Edgar was trying to spend more time with Alessandra to not miss out on anything new with her pregnancy while Priscilla did not travel all the way here to not spend time with Alessandra and give her advice.

'Oh no,' Alessandra thought. She looked back and forth between the two. She didn't want to be a part of their game for who would spend time with her.

"Edgar, you cannot paint," Alessandra said, regretting his offer to join her. Priscilla smiled in triumph, but Alessandra quickly popped her happiness. "And Priscilla, youbwill not want to risk getting paint on your dress. I have a better idea. How about the two of you talk to each other? And leave me alone," Alessandra added the last part in her head.

"Then the simple answer would be to do something else so I can join," Priscilla replied.

"I see where Edgar gets all his quick solution skills from," Alessandra muttered. She thought it came from Alfred, but now she knew it was passed down from Priscilla. "Then the two of you can join me to paint. I am tired of laying around and I don't just sit around chatting. We need to do something fun."

Priscilla raised her hand to bring up one important detail. "I cannot paint," she said.

"Neither can your son so the two of you will have something to bond over. This way," Alessandra turned around to lead the pair up the stairs.

Priscilla did not appreciate the harsh truth being told by Alessandra even though she was the one to mention not being able to paint first. She bit her tongue to not give a smart response to Alessandra while Edgar was right beside her. She glanced to her left at Edgar, who like a lost puppy, followed behind Alessandra.

Priscilla almost envied how easy Alessandra had it with a Collins man. Though Edgar was involved with the palace, he was here with his pregnant wife. Regardless of how much they did not get along, she could live with the fact Edgar was nothing like his father.

"Aren't you coming, Priscilla?" Alessandra asked, looking down at the bottom of the stairs where Priscilla stood in a daze.

"I am coming," Priscilla replied, following the two up the stairs. "Don't forget to tell the servants to bring all the things from Edgar's childhood out of my carriage."

"What?" Alessandra asked, suddenly more interested in that than painting. "I want to see what you brought with you," she said, going back down the stairs.

"I don't recall having anything memorable from my childhood that my children should want," Edgar said.

"Your second father asked me to bring them," Priscilla replied, referring to Alfred. She did her part in all of this. "Give it to him if you do not want any of it. I had my servants pack what does not smell old or had spots in it. Most of what I brought with me are books we placed on shelves in his room. You liked to read. I know that much."

"I would like to hear more stories about Edgar's childhood. Looks like we turned around just in time," Alessandra said as a guard entered the front door with a note in his hand. "Who is at the gates?"

"Men from the court, Duchess."