The Duke's Masked Wife



"Run Kate. They won't be able to keep them distracted for long," Katrina said as she ran with a bag to the back of her home.

Katrina sent out two maids with blonde hair dressed up as she and Kate in a carriage to distract Edgar's men while she and Kate ran to the back to get away. There was a small space in the gates at the back for the two of them to slip out of. 

James had kept a watch out and noted that some of Edgar's men at the side of the home started to move to the front of the gates to inspect who was in the carriage. Katrina had ordered her guards to follow beside the carriage to create trouble. 

Katrina felt relieved when they reached the gates and there was no one around. "Go out first and I will pass your bag afterwards," she instructed Kate.

"I'm hurt," a voice to the right of them said. "For you to think the Duke and his men are so foolish to fall for that stunt. Take a step out and I will take you away," a man stepped into their view.

Katrina panicked, seeing that there was someone there. She grabbed Kate and pulled her before she could try squeezing through the small space.

"The Duke is not ready for the two of you to leave this place yet. You shall know when it is time. Here," he held out a paper he had folded up to Katrina.

Kate took it in place of her mother. She quickly opened it and when she saw what it contained, her mouth fell. "Mother," Kate showed the drawing. It was a portrait which resembled Kate. It was the wanted poster for her mother because of the men she had killed. 'Why did he draw me and not my mother?' Kate panicked. She had nothing to do with the men her mother killed. 

Katrina took the paper from Kate and stared at it in disbelief. The town would mention Kate's name at first, but then they would consider the year she had killed those men and know it was her.

"I suggest you go back inside. That drawing was scattered all over town. Even a dog would recognise you when you walk."

Katrina glared at the man who stopped their escape. If he was not here, she and Kate might have had a chance to get a carriage and put some distance between themselves and the guards who were bound to come after her. "Go back inside," Katrina softly spoke.

The only thing she could do now was have her guards stop anyone from coming inside to take her. Katrina picked up the bag Kate had dropped to start going through the space in the gates and turned around to go back to her home. She should feel angry, but deep inside, Katrina was glad she would not be leaving her home.

She longed to have a home for many years and she could not easily let it go. Edgar or the guards would have to kill her to get her out of it.

"Mother!" Kate ran behind Katrina. She was still hopeful that there would be a way to get out of there. 

"My past has nothing to do with you, Kate. They are after me, not you. If anyone comes to take me, stay out of the way and gather our things. I will have James start to pack all our belongings. Take them and travel far to the countryside to settle down-"

"No!" Kate exclaimed, not liking her mother's plan. "I am not going to leave without you. There has to be a way for us to get out of here together."

"There isn't," Katrina replied. This was Edgar's doing after all. He was not going to let her get away. "I have to make sure you are taken care of first. I will give James money to take care of you. Do not argue with me about this Kate. It's inevitable. I should have worked with William to get rid of Edgar. Come, I must tell you where to go when you are finished packing."

Kate did not want to go along with her mother's plans. She did not want to leave alone while her mother had to pay for something she did a long time ago, but there was nothing more she could do. If they tried to force their way through the gates, they would have to fight off Edgar's men and be taken to be punished by Edgar for how they treated Alessandra. 

"I wish to have a normal day like the ones before Simon. You and I are sitting around together and then enjoying dinner," Kate said. She held back her tears as her crying would cause her mother to cry.  She was still Marchioness at the moment and if anyone were to come to take her mother away, she would use whatever power her title gave her to help her mother.

Kate walked up to her mother and took her to bag. She held her mother's free hand so they could walk back inside together with their heads high. Kate feared her mother would do the worst since her world was crumbling. "You must promise me not to hurt yourself," she whispered. She could not lose both parents.

"I would never make you go through that," Katrina promised, but jumping from the roof filled her mind. She could never allow Edgar to feel like he had won, but at the same time, with what was happening with Kate, she knew Kate's mind would never be the same if she were to find her dead.

Katrina squeezed Kate's hand as they walked back. She loved her daughter more than escaping facing ridicule and punishment. She would not be like her mother, taking the easy way out and leaving her daughter. Katrina would plan for Kate to be able to settle down out of Lockwood and have an easy life where she would not need to turn to men for help. 

James frowned, seeing that Katrina and Kate had not gotten away. He noticed the defeated look from Katrina and Kate on the verge of crying. 

"James, tell the guards to not let anyone in. I need to have a word with you privately. Leave us be for now Kate," Katrina released Kate's hands. She needed to make sure that James would take care of Kate in her absence. It was embarrassing how she wanted to kill him, but now he was the only person she could lean on for help right now. 

"I will start to pack my things," Kate excused herself. Out of sight of her mother, she started to cry. She wanted time to go back so they would have left this town the moment she had left the court. No, they should have been out of town before she thought of marrying Simon. 

"There is no way for me to get out of here. The guards or Edgar will come for me. Besides you, there is no one that I can trust to leave Kate with. I will pay you whatever you ask to get her far out of Lockwood. Find her a home and teach her how to survive on her own. You don't need to stay with her forever just…" Katrina covered her face with her hands. She did not want anyone to see she was losing. "Just keep my daughter safe for me please."