The Duke's Masked Wife



"Kate!" Katrina called, interrupting the agreement between the two young women. "I am so frustrated with these people. Back inside your room now. We won't be speaking to anyone today. Now Kate!" She raised her voice when Kate did not start to move.

Kate stood up from her seat without telling Bella goodbye. "What is wrong mother? They said I am supposed to tell them everything I saw Simon do. Has that changed?" She asked. It was the last thing the court needed from her before she would go home with her mother.

"I said we are not speaking to anyone today," Katrina said, taking Kate's hand to lead her to the room given to her. 

Kate looked behind them at Bella who was concerned. She didn't get the chance to accept or deny Bella's offer, but this had to be for the best. Being friends with Bella would only remind her of Simon who she was trying so hard to forget. Kate followed Katrina into her room and when they were inside, she watched her mother walk back and forth.

"What happened when you went to speak with them?" Kate asked, confused by the sudden hostility. Her mother only went to arrange a time for her to leave the court tonight when no one would be able to see her face.

"I'm tired of these brutes who don't know how to do their jobs right. Do not ask me about it, Kate. I am tired," Katrina touched her forehead.

'You are tired? I am the one haunted by my ex-husband,' Kate thought. Her mother's tiredness with the people here did not compare to how tired Kate was. She didn't need her mother arguing with the court right now.

"I want to speak and get this over with, mother. If I don't speak today, I will have to be back to the court tomorrow. Please do not make this difficult for me. I am already struggling right now. We are going to speak and get this over with," Kate said, standing firm on this decision whether or not her mother liked it.

"Make me out to be the bad guy, why don't you? Fine," Katrina sighed as there was nothing she could do. She also wanted to get out of the court as soon as possible. She left James running her servants and Randall was most likely keeping her money for himself. "You will talk and we will come right back here. I hope they can do their job right to make sure no one comes in to see your face. You will only be in a room with the men of the court, the guards who saved you, and that young woman out there."

"Her name is Bella," Kate said since her mother did not seem to remember it.

"Right," Katrina lazily flicked her hand. 

"She has offered for the two of us to be friends to get over this together-"

"She is nothing like the young women you were friends with before. You don't have to lower your standards so soon Kate. At the moment, you are still Marchioness. I am going to fight to have you keep your title. It is owed to you after what you endured with Simon. I will get the town on my side to pressure the King into letting you keep it," said Katrina.

Some of the people in town were angry and wanted something to yell at the King or court for. She would use that to let Kate come out of this with everything owed to her from her marriage.

"Bella also has nightmares of Simon so she understands me. Her family does not have a bad background. She only works because she wants to be an actress," Kate said.

Kate decided to take a seat after her mother did not say anything more. She could not wait this day to be over so they would be back at home and her mother could relax.

A knock at the door interrupted the silence in the room.

Katrina rolled her eyes, but stood to open the door and see who had come to speak with her or Kate.

"It is time for you to join us," Duncan said. He was sent to escort the two of them to the room where the others were now since Katrina and Mark had gotten into an argument. Duncan didn't want his ears filled with nonsense from Katrina. They only needed Kate who was old enough to care for herself so he didn't see why Katrina wasn't told to leave the court. 

"Count yourself lucky that we are going to speak with you. Come Kate," Katrina looked at her daughter. Katrina left the room first followed by Kate and Duncan who walked side by side.

Kate noticed that Bella and her mother had left to go to the room already.

"What is he doing here?"

Kate looked ahead at her mother who was once again making noise in the somewhat quiet court. She was curious about who had shown up to make her mother angry once more. 

"It was thanks to the Duke's efforts that your daughter was found along with Bella. If you are going to keep making a fuss and interrupting our job, we will have you wait outside the court until this is over. Be loud again and you are out of here," Mark said, meaning every word as he was at his limits with Katrina. She kept insulting them when they were only trying to do their jobs. "Duke Collins will be staying. Make your decision if you cannot handle his presence and want to leave."

Kate glanced at Edgar who was obviously amused by her mother being angered by his presence.  Kate also did not want to see Edgar right now. He was always out to ruin their lives so his presence at the court gave her a bad feeling.

"I will stay with my daughter," Katrina replied, entering the room and going to sit far away from Edgar. It would be hard to keep quiet when he was in the room with his smug expression.

Kate followed behind her mother to sit far away from Edgar. It was already embarrassing that he was the one to save her life, but now he also had to see that her face was wounded to the point of it was still being bandaged up.

"Aren't there supposed to be more people?" Edgar asked, looking around the half-empty room. More guards and men of the court should be present.

"It was requested that there would not be too many people here so Kate could-"

"Marchioness Kate. She has a title to be addressed by," Katrina interrupted Mark. Whether or not they planned to take it away, though she would stop it, Kate still had her title right now. Nothing had changed and she needed to be properly addressed just like Edgar was addressed by the men present in the room.

Mark controlled his anger to refrain from kicking out Katrina. Kate's title was hanging on by a thread and he didn't see why Kate would not want to let go of it so she would not be connected to Simon. He had been putting up with Katrina since Kate needed someone by her side.

"Marchioness Kate," Mark corrected himself to keep the peace. "Would feel comfortable speaking. She does not want anyone to see the wound on her face."

"Is that so? My wife has old masks she no longer uses that we would be more than happy to donate," Edgar said, looking directly at Kate who became wide-eyed at his offer.