The Duke's Masked Wife



"How does it feel to be carrying a child?" Eleanor asked as she sat down beside Alessandra. 

"I think there should be a change but I feel like normal when I wasn't pregnant. Well, other than when I feel the need to vomit when something smells awful. Maybe when my stomach grows larger and there is movement, I will feel the change. There are times when I have forgotten that there is life inside of me. I wonder why everyone is being extra cautious around me and then I remember," Alessandra replied.

"Recently, I wondered why I hadn't bled and then I remembered that I am pregnant. It slips the mind easily," Hazel agreed with Alessandra. "So," Hazel looked at the young woman Rafael brought along with him. "What is your relationship with Rafael like? I have not gotten the full story from Tobias."

"It is quite nice. We have been travelling around together, your highness," Annalise answered. 

"Oh, you don't need to call me that when we are alone. I prefer to just go by Hazel when I am with friends. It helps me feel like a normal person again. All through the day I hear queen, queen, queen, mostly by people coming to criticise something. I wish they would just drop dead," Hazel sighed.

"I can help with that," Annalise offered her help. 

"I shall call upon you whenever I wish to go through with it," Hazel smiled, saving Annalise's offer for the future. "Now, the men aren't here, we should talk about them. Alessandra, how is Edgar taking on that he will become a father? I hear he believes there is more than one child in there."

"Why has his assumption reached the palace? I believe there is only one. With his personality, many would think Edgar doesn't speak much about becoming a father, but he is excited. So excited that he hopes two will come out the first time. He wanted an heir at first, but now he wants many children."

"It is so wonderful to see how much Edgar has changed because of you. I cannot wait to see the kind of father he will be. Can you imagine how it would be if you were to have many girls? Edgar would constantly have to worry about them being courted. I imagine he would not want them marrying anyone not up to his standard. Young ladies normally worry about their mothers-in-law, but in your case, your sons-in-law would need to keep an eye on Edgar," Hazel chuckled. 

"I worry about that," Alessandra mumbled. She pictured Edgar with a gun and a hole in the ground ready if they were to have a daughter. "Still, it would be cute to watch him be so protective. I want to see him not being able to say no to someone far smaller than him. I cannot help picturing him with a baby in his arms. For some reason, he looks more charming when I imagine it."

"I have a long way to go, but Edgar and Alfred have made a lot of progress for the baby's room. It should be finished painted today and some of the things from Edgar's youth will be placed in the room," said Alessandra.

"Nothing from your youth will be placed in the room?" Annalise asked since she didn't know if it was normal here for only things from the husband's youth to be placed in the room. She still had much to learn about this side.

"I don't have anything kept from my youth. No dolls or anything else one would hold onto. I want to paint the room so there will be a part of me there,' said Alessandra.

"There is a tiny person who will painfully force its way out of you, sleeping in that room. I say there are already enough of you in that room," Eleanor muttered before taking a sip of water. 

Alessandra resisted the urge to laugh. It was much better than Edgar saying a child would crawl out of her. Now she was awaiting the day Eleanor's mind would change about having a child. It was scary, as Eleanor said, but then Alessandra thought of the new member of her small family and forgot about it.

"I hear that you and Priscilla will be attending a gathering together, Alessandra. I still don't like the woman, but it is good to see that you are getting along with her. She is the perfect person to help you grow as a duchess and deal with the women here in Lockwood. Why have we drifted from speaking about our men? Let's share secrets. Tobias has a stuffed bear from his youth that he would not let me throw away. The man would fight me over it-"

Eleanor, spitting out her water, interrupted Hazel. She covered her mouth with her hand, somewhat embarrassed by her action. "Sorry," she awkwardly smiled.

Alessandra chuckled. She understood Eleanor's reaction since she wasn't expecting Hazel to come out of the blue and tell them about Tobias and his favorite bear. 

Hours later, after the other guests had arrived, Edgar and Alessandra left first due to her wanting to rest. Hazel offered a room in the castle so they would stay a bit longer, but Alessandra preferred the comfort of her own bed. 

As their carriage took them home, Alessandra rested her head on Edgar's shoulder while he wrapped his arm around her to prevent her from falling over. 

Edgar looked down at Alessandra, sleeping peacefully against him. He brushed her hair back with his fingers to stop the strands of hair that had fallen onto her face, from bothering her. She had an exciting and energetic day meeting with her friends. She was completely relaxed, unlike the times when she went to other gatherings she was invited to as duchess and she needed to put a wall up. 

Edgar looked out the window at their home in the distance. He squinted his eyes to get a good look and confirm if he was seeing a carriage outside their gates. He wasn't in the mood to deal with Kate or the court unless they came with good news about Kate.

As the carriage turned to wait for the gates to open, Edgar saw clearly that it was Melanie and some man seated in the carriage he had spotted. 

"Duke Collins," Lewis took off his hat as he exited the carriage he was using for the day. "We have not been introduced," Lewis said as he walked to the side Edgar sat. He spoke loudly hoping Edgar would hear him. 

Edgar continued to look at the man whose mouth was moving, but not a single word was heard on the inside. Good, he did not want to wake Alessandra. He was aware Alessandra was over speaking with her mother so why was she showing up now, unannounced with the man Edgar had to assume was her husband?

Annoyed by the mouth moving with no words being heard, Edgar opened the door. "If you wake my wife, you shall find yourself in an eternal slumber. Why are you bothering us?

Lewis felt like his collar had suddenly become tight to choke him after hearing Edgar speak. "My wife wishes to speak to her daughter. It is something important the duchess must hear."

Melanie moved to stand beside her husband and get a good look at Alessandra resting. She wished they had gone with her idea to just leave town, but here they stood now.