The Duke's Masked Wife



Mark covered his face with his right hand. He was a fool for thinking this would be a quiet meeting with Edgar, Katrina, and Kate in the same room when they hated each other. "Duke Collins, that was uncalled for," he said.

Mark was ticked off by the fact Edgar did not look remorseful about what was said. Instead, Edgar wore a calm expression like he did not just start a fight. He understood Edgar's animosity toward the two women who hurt his wife, but would it kill Edgar to be normal for at least an hour? An hour of peace was all Mark was asking for and then they could all go back to fighting each other.

"I disagree. I thought the moment called for it. Life works in an odd way, doesn't it? Where karma does not skip anyone," Edgar mused as Kate might need to borrow Alessandra's old mask since she was so prideful about her looks and now she was wounded.

It would help for him to offer the cream he got from the palace, but why waste it on someone who needed this moment to feel exactly what life was like for Alessandra? The rumors he once disliked about Alessandra being cursed would make an appearance again to haunt Kate who would now be called cursed. He cared little about what Simon did with Kate as he did about Bella.

Edgar had much more in mind for Kate if she was involved with Simon wanting to take Alessandra. First, he had someone to get rid of. Edgar looked at Katrina who looked like she wanted to jump over the table and strangle him. For a woman who came from the red-light district, one would expect her to have a better heart. 

"Apologize," Katrina ordered Edgar as his words were insensitive to Kate. Why did they all feel the need to mention Alessandra when this was about Kate? Kate was the victim here.

"Not even my mother could get me to do such a thing. How about this? If you get down on your knees before my wife, apologize for how you've treated her, then rot in hell, I will apologize to your daughter," said Edgar.

Ducan shook his head at Edgar's suggestion which no one in their right mind would ever agree to.

"End this conversation now," Mark smacked his hand on the table to get their attention. "We are not here to talk about your personal issues with each other. We are here to talk about Simon and it is rude to Bella and her mother who are present. Stop arguing or I will also throw you out, Duke Collins."

Edgar was fine with that. When would anyone realize that he wanted to be at home? He had more important things in his life going on that he wanted to witness. The only good part about coming to the court today was the fact he got to miss out on Alessandra's going to his mother's home. She wanted to visit Priscilla for once instead of her always visiting their home.

He sent Reed and all her other guards to keep her safe. It might give his mother trauma seeing his guards entering her home again since the last time they were there, she was taken to his dungeon. Edgar came to learn that Dominic, for some reason, would be visiting his mother with Heather. 

"Now, we can get started. We've gathered a lot of information after searching Simon's home. The notes he made in books from the time he was a child until now. We've placed his parents back in their graves and buried all the servants. There were two servants who wrote down what they saw Simon do and a lot of it aligns with what you told us," Mark looked at Bella.

Bella was helpful with writing down everything she remembered the moment she got home so she wouldn't forget even the smallest detail and sent it to the court as soon as she was finished. Not all of the young ladies Simon killed had been placed around the town for him to toy with the court and with all this new information, they found two young women the court was hoping were not a part of Simon's case. 

"Marchioness, you had an inside look at his house.  Is there anything we should know? Do you think there was anyone aside from the servants who helped him? We need a list of visitors during your time there," said Mark.

"There's nothing more aside from the fact he showed me his dead parents on our wedding night and the only visitors we had were the Scott brothers. Dale and Kyle are their names. Dale seemed alright, but Kyle gave me a bad feeling," Kate honestly spoke. It was up to the court to make a judgment if Kyle was innocent or not. "I know nothing more. He did not speak with me like he did with Bella."

"I see," Mark answered, but he felt like there was something more. Why would Simon reveal what he was doing just to keep her in the dark? Why hide something when Simon was long dead unless there was something that involved herself?

Mark looked at Edgar, silently giving him permission to go ahead with what he wanted to do. Mark wanted nothing but the truth uncovered in this case. It had left the kingdom unsettled for months so he wanted everything to come to light and eventually put it to rest. 

"I looked around at the books Simon left behind. He detailed all of his plans from the beginning right until his end. He wrote down how he would end this game he started. I'm particularly angered by the fact he intended to take my wife," Edgar said, ignoring Kate's expression for now. She wasn't good at hiding the fact she did not want this to be revealed.

Bella cocked her head to the side, confused by everyone continuing to mention Simon writing his plans in books. He once told her about the things he wrote in a book as a child, but he never mentioned continuing to write now. Bella had started to feel like Simon replaced the book with her and kept telling her all of his plans. So what was Edgar talking about now? It was possible for Simon to keep some things from her but still.

Bella now looked at Kate, wondering if she had forgotten about Simon wanting her sister. That was something important to be mentioned. 

"I continue to be angered by the fact there is mention of someone in this room plotting with him to take my wife," Edgar revealed, finally looking at Kate who looked like she wanted to disappear from the room. A little lie would get her to confirm what he already knew about Kate. He wanted the court to witness her behavior.  "Were you trying to escape or help him get more victims?"

Kate's body suddenly felt cold. She was not told about Simon keeping track of his plans. She would have made up a story to protect herself if she knew. "I- Mother," she looked to her right at her mother. She wanted her mother to speak in place of her.

"Kate didn't-"

Edgar quickly interrupted Katrina. "If she forgot to tell the court, she forgot to tell you so you cannot answer for her. Unless the two of you made plans to exclude things that would make Kate look bad? There is a punishment for that."

"Were you aware that Simon wanted to take your sister?" Mark asked, hoping Kate would feel more comfortable speaking with him than Edgar. "It's understandable if you knew, but could not do something to warn your sister. We understand your predicament."

Kate didn't know what to answer. She couldn't say that she didn't know since she and Bella had talked about it before and Bella might call out her lie. "H-He talked about taking someone close to me. Either my mother or Alessandra."

"Why Alessandra? You dislike my wife so him taking her would not affect you as taking your mother would. Did he want you to be like him by taking someone you disliked and have you punish them or did you tell him to try taking my wife? Which is it?" Edgar asked, his voice raising with each word. 

He saw right through Kate who did not have the heart to change and not target Alessandra when she was going through something so harsh with Simon.

Wasn't it enough that they ruined Alessandra's life up to the point she got married to him? Kate hated Alessandra so much she would plot with Simon to take her instead of looking for ways to get away from Simon.

Kate dug her nails into the palm of her hands once more. "Simon always believed that Alessandra and I cared for each other. He didn't know about what happened in our youth. I swear!"

"And what happened in your youth, Kate? I thought you and your mother said nothing happened between you and Alessandra in the past. Is there something you want to tell the court now?" Edgar smiled as Kate had admitted to trouble between her and Alessandra in their youth. It was the start of him trapping her just as he had done with her husband. "Perhaps I have been too harsh on a victim," he decided to back off for now. "After all, Ida didn't raise you well."

Katrina stared at Edgar in shock after he called the name she had buried long before she came to Lockwood. 'How?' She panicked.