The Duke's Masked Wife

184 Walk in the garden (3)

“Do you think it would be alright for us to pick some of the fruit? There are blueberries,” Alessandra pointed to the bushes filled with the small fruit.

“Yes. Pick as many as you want. You will need a basket,” Edgar looked around for one the gardeners would have been using to store them in. He found one with a couple of blueberries in it and tossed them out before giving Alessandra it. “Enjoy.”

“You are not picking some with me?” She looked up at him as he walked to take a seat.

“No,” Edgar replied.

“Then I suppose you won’t be eating any. After winter passes, we should plant some more fruit trees around the house. It would save money from having to buy them from the market. I would like to tend to them daily as they grow. I bet they would taste much better than the ones we buy after watching them grow each day,” said Alessandra.

“There goes my theory that you would have ended up on a farm if you had run away from your family.”

“Probably. I would have needed to find a way to make money and considering I wouldn’t be able to buy things for painting, I would have done manual labor. Farming would have been fun I suppose. Well, if it did not involve tending to animals because I can imagine continuously stepping into their poop. If you were not a Duke, what do you think would have been?” Alessandra asked.

“King or a heroic knight,” Edgar quickly gave his answer without needing to think about it. “I believe I have always been destined to hold a great title. Nothing less.”

“Yet again, your confidence blows my mind. The world seems to love you given how you have good looks and wealth, and you are smart,” Alessandra complimented him.

.....

Edgar couldn’t help but find her compliments to be suspicious. “What do you want from me, Alessandra? You are being too nice.”

Alessandra once again looked up from the bush, surprised to hear this. “Am I not always nice to you, Edgar? Have you felt otherwise this entire time?”

“You have been nice but you are throwing out compliments without acting shy right afterward. I feel like a few days ago I would have to tie you up and torture you to hear you compliment me without blushing or looking away. I must assume you want something so go on. Your husband is waiting.”

“I see. Well, over the last couple of days I have become more comfortable around you so there’s no reason to shy away. I’ve gotten used to having normal conversations with you and I do enjoy them when you don’t try to tease me,” Alessandra replied, knowing that from the time they got married in the church and up to this point, she had started to change.

“Is it because of what we did in the tub?” Edgar asked, then dodged a handful of blueberries thrown his way. “You have terrible aim.”

“I would have hit you had you not moved. Stay still,” Alessandra picked up a blueberry from her basket and positioned her hand to throw it at his chest.

“Children, don’t tell me you are wasting my good blueberries.”

Hearing Rose’s voice behind her, Alessandra quickly placed the blueberries back into the basket. She turned around and said, “No, we weren’t.”

“Yes, you were,” Edgar happily called out her lie. “Or were you expecting us to find and eat the ones you threw at me? It isn’t good to lie,” he smiled as he spoke. He knew right now she must feel like throwing the entire basket at him. “Grandmother, do you like Alessandra?”

Rose gave Alessandra a look, inspecting the basket of blueberries she had been using to pick out ones to throw at Edgar. “Yes. Why? Don’t you like me,” dear?”

“I do,” Alessandra replied and looked back at Edgar wondering why he would ask such a question.

“So she can relax around you, right? No need to act all prim and proper?” He asked as he stood up to go to Alessandra’s side.

“Of course,” Rose replied with a smile full of wrinkles. “You are standing beside the most disobedient child I had to deal with.”

“I was always obedient around you, grandmother.”

“Yes but you disobeyed others and I had to deal with the complaints. Just let loose and be yourself, dear,” Rose advised Alessandra. “I have so many young women and men introduced to me and they all act the same. It’s so hard for me to tell them apart honestly. It would be hard for me to get to know you if you are acting how you think I want you to act. Understood?”

“Yes,” Alessandra replied but knew she could easily relax around Rose just yet.

“Wonderful. How do you find the garden to be? I planned where everything would go,” said Rose.

“It is beautiful. I was just telling Edgar that we should add more fruits around our home. When we do, I hope you can come and spend time seeing it. If it’s not too much,” Alessandra added because of how old Rose appeared. From her wrinkles, white hair, and how she had to take her time as she walked, Alessandra didn’t know if Rose would enjoy traveling around.

“I suppose it’s about time I take a trip back to Lockwood. I have to visit many of my old friends there and see what Edgar has done to his home. After winter, please send an invitation. Speaking of invitations, do you have something to do tomorrow afternoon?” Rose inquired as there was something she wanted to bring Alessandra along to.

Edgar slid his hand around Alessandra’s waist and said, “She’ll be with me. How can you expect great-grandchildren if you split us up during this time?”

“Don’t mind him,” Alessandra took Edgar’s hand from around her waist. “Is there somewhere you need to go tomorrow afternoon? I’d be happy to go along with you.”

“You shouldn’t say that until you learn where she intends on taking you. Besides, are you going to leave me all alone tomorrow when I have been trying to spend time with you?” Edgar said in a sad tone to trap Alessandra into staying with him. The one thing he could always use to get what he wanted was making her feel guilty.

“You won’t be alone. Alfred and the others are there,” Alessandra replied and enjoyed the way the small smile on his face vanished. Some of his tricks were no longer going to work on her. “Where is it you have to go tomorrow, grandmother?” Alessandra referred to Rose as she was told to.

“There is a gathering for the women here that I was supposed to attend with my sister but since she is not feeling well I was not going to attend. I would be delighted for you to come along and be introduced to everyone. I can finally show off Edgar being married. Don’t worry about the mask or what others may say. I have them quiet like a mouse,” Rose assured Alessandra.

Rose had some age to her but she was still what the younger girls called a social queen. Once she gave the word, no one would speak about Alessandra negatively unless they wanted to be exiled from the group.

Alessandra considered that the people here wouldn’t know much about the rumors surrounding her face as they were far out of Lockwood. Due to this, they would be more curious and less afraid of it. “I will go along with you. I think no one would believe you about Edgar being married unless I am with you as proof,” she joked and felt her heart warm up when Rose laughed.

“That is true,” Rose forgot to cover her mouth as she laughed. “I lost hope in him getting married a long time ago so it wouldn’t be surprising if others never had hope in him. Tomorrow I will have some wedding gifts prepared for you to take back home. I wanted to see what type of person you were before I prepared any.”

“She’s not a fan of jewelry, bags, shoes, dresses, or anything you have bought for the women in our family. She has not taken my interest in the things I bought her. Be warned,” Edgar gave his grandmother a heads up. “I am still trying to figure out what else makes her happy. Besides me of course. There is no greater gift than me.”

Alessandra once again could not believe Edgar had managed to compliment himself in a moment like this.

“No there is not,” Rose patted Edgar’s arms, agreeing with his words. “The best gift I have ever been given.”

‘I see why he keeps thinking like that now,’ Alessandra thought as she realized it had to be Rose filling up Edgar’s head. It was sweet to watch the two but slightly annoying when Edgar said it.

“Now I have too wonderful gifts that money cannot buy,” Rose held Alessandra’s hand. “Welcome to the Collins family, dear.”

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