The Duke's Masked Wife



On the other side of town, Katrina paced back and forth, waiting on the morning paper to be delivered. She tried her best to find out what Edgar was planning for her and stop it, but no one involved in the papers would speak to her no matter how much money she offered them. She could only wait to see what it was now since Edgar had stayed true to his word and placed his guards around her home to stop her from leaving town.

Katrina had James send a complaint to the town guards to have Edgar's men moved, but he was informed they were not on her property for the guards to do anything about it. Katrina had no way of getting help or sneaking off. She didn't want to take the risk of sneaking off as Edgar would be waiting to drag her somewhere.

Katrina believed she was safe in the comfort of her home for now. Edgar could not step on her land to take her anywhere. The guards would then have the power to stop him.

"Is it here?" She frantically asked James who came inside with the paper in his hands. "Give it here," she marched over to him and snatched it from his hands. This was the moment of truth to see if Edgar had revealed who she was or if he was going to have his fun and drag this out to mess with her slowly.

James remained silent as he had read the paper when he was walking back to the front door. It arrived when he went to inspect the garden. Katrina kept rambling about Edgar putting something in the papers and during their heated nights, she had told him about her life before Desmond. He was aware that the woman in the paper was her and since this was Edgar's doing, the town would soon know.

James found Edgar to be cruel to spread this news through the town instead of just taking it to the court. Alessandra now lived a life of comfort so why was there a need to keep toying with Katrina. First her husband, her face, and now this. The last thing she was holding onto was her identity. 

James knew she was the villain in Alessandra's story, but in Katrina's own story, she was the victim. Katrina was a young woman whose beauty captured the eyes of men who used her to their liking. She simply had enough and gave those men what they deserved.

The paper shook in Katrina's hands as her body trembled. Edgar had not flat-out said it was her but there were many hints pointing to her. Like her husband losing his title after his death, but all his wealth went to the scheming woman. There was mention of a red-light district and the woman seducing her then husband. 

What worried Katrina was the fact that the brother of one of the men she killed was in town, ready to identify any woman who resembled the one who took his brother's life. Katrina changed her name, but her appearance was very much the same. He would easily identify her. In fact, he would identify her through Kate who was like a younger version of her. 

Katrina tried to hold back her anger to think of a solution, but she could not. "Ah!" She let out a frustrated scream as she started to rip the paper. "That fucking bastard!" She spat, referring to Randall who exposed her. They were meant to be business partners. "I should have killed him the moment he showed up at my door," she pushed her hair back out of her face, creating a messy appearance. 

From the moment she woke up, Katrina had a distraught look which the servants were not used to.

Katrina placed her thumb in her mouth to start biting at the small nail. It was a habit she had not done since she was a child. "How am I to get out of this? The town will not be able to figure it out so easily, but Edgar will make sure they know it is me eventually. I need to get rid of him," she looked at James.

James felt uncomfortable under her gaze. How was he supposed to help her out of this? He did not wish to get involved with her feud against Edgar. It was already hard to stomach that Mario's blood was on his hands. A man who trusted him as a butler was long dead after Katrina had no use for him. 

James loved Katrina, but he was not as cruel as her when it came to these battles and getting rid of someone. He was far from being the man she needed to get rid of Edgar.

"What should I do?" Katrina pleaded with James to give her a solution. At the moment, she could not think of a way to stop Edgar. She always had a way to dig herself out of any situation, but now, she found herself lost when she was in need of a grand idea. "Tell me something!" She yelled at James. Why was he completely useless now?

James looked at the floor to avoid her gaze. He had no way of helping her and she knew it too. Katrina just wanted someone to take her anger out on. She should have made plans to leave from the moment Edgar informed her of his plans. Katrina sat around in fear instead of making plans to get out of town before the news would hit.

"Useless as always," Katrina said as James could not meet her eyes. She should not have kept him around for this long. He was nothing but a good fuck who ran his course a long time ago. "I suggest you think about a plan for me because I will not go down alone. I will tell how you took advantage of me-"

"You are not in the position to speak about being taken advantage of," James spoke up. 

Katrina gritted her teeth, angered by the fact he was already using what was in the papers against her. Katrina slapped him across his left cheek to remind him of his place. "I don't care what position I am in now. Nothing will change the fact that your life is in my hands."

"It wasn't said to insult you. It is to let you know that I could walk out these doors right now and not be afraid of what you will tell anyone. Yet here I stand, like a fool awaiting your order," James answered. 

Katrina relaxed, somewhat regretting that she had slapped him. Since Desmond's death, James was the one servant who was most loyal to her. "I cannot start over, James. I've spent too many years investing in the life I have built here with Kate. She has already suffered enough. How am I to make her run away from the one place she has known as home?"

"You won't reach Edgar in time to stop what he has planned for you. You must find a way to leave with Kate. You will be taken away and Kate will be left alone if you remain here," James said, giving her the reality of her situation. Katrina could only run before the guards would come knocking.