The Duke's Masked Wife Chapter 4

“What’s the matter?” Mario inquired after noticing her somewhat dazed expression.

“Nothing. Just thinking about life,” Alessandra replied while grabbing the food and jug from his grasp. She had no desire to leave him lingering outside any longer than necessary. “Three more hours until we can finally enjoy some peace.”

“Alessandra, things will improve before long. The gossip, your daily existence, and even your bond with your father. It all will turn around one day,” Mario offered words of comfort.

“Are you about to hit me with that whole rainbow at the end of-”

“No no no,” Mario cut her off before she could finish that silly saying he despised. “When was the last time anyone spotted a rainbow in Lockwood? During all my years in this place, I’ve never laid eyes on one. Let’s just say happiness will arrive with the next delivery of rum.”

“Mario,” Alessandra shook her head in mild exasperation. There was a strong chance he’d already indulged in some drink despite being on duty. Whenever rum came up in conversation, it meant he’d partaken.

“What? It brings me joy. What else do you suppose keeps me going through tonight’s workload? I wouldn’t squander good rum on those visitors. They favor wine regardless. I snuck you something special,” he gave the jug in her possession a light tap. “This will make your evening enjoyable.”

.....

“I don’t get drunk easily.” She’d discovered her impressive tolerance for alcohol thanks to Mario’s secret shares of drinks during their shared moments of indulgence.

“Simply savor it. Enjoyment doesn’t require getting intoxicated. I’ll catch you tomorrow, alright?” Without pausing for her further response, he headed back indoors. He was already in trouble for his earlier lengthy absence from the kitchen.

“Okay,” she called after him.

Gazing at the food and beverage in her hands, Alessandra cast one last look toward the kitchen entrance. “Time to return,” she murmured, making her way quietly back along the path she’d taken.

Her chat with Mario had lifted her spirits sufficiently and boosted the confidence required to trust that her encounter with the Duke the following day would go her way. Marriage awaited, along with escape from her family’s clutches.

“All of them act so rudely. Why won’t they fetch their own beverages? If you dislike how I serve them, pour your own.”

Alessandra paid close attention to a servant heading her way, venting frustration about the partygoers. The servant’s anger had her glaring backward, flipping a rude gesture more than minding her footing. “You need to lower your voice,” Alessandra cautioned the youthful helper.

“A-Alessandra?” The maid gasped in shock, retreating a few paces from terror. A glimpse of the dark mask concealing most of Alessandra’s features made her feel doomed. “P-Please don’t harm me.”

“Harm you?” Alessandra examined her own hands. Unless she planned to launch food across the room, hurting anyone seemed impossible. When would people start using reason over falling for baseless tales?

“I-I’m only performing my duties. Don’t end me,” the maid pleaded, shielding her eyes with trembling hands as her frame quivered in fright. Choosing the alternate route would have spared her this run-in with Alessandra.

The servant dreaded that even a peek at the uncovered section of Alessandra’s face might prove fatal.

Paying it no mind, Alessandra pressed on toward her sleeping quarters. Her intent had been to assist the maid by advising quieter complaints about the visitors.

Alessandra firmly suspected Katrina possessed some mystical ability to detect negative talk about her guests from great distances. It wasn’t just once or twice that she’d overheard someone caught disparaging her or her companions from afar. Alessandra theorized the lady hailed from another realm entirely.

“Perhaps she dropped from the heavens,” she mused over the idea. It certainly seemed plausible.

Alessandra moved past the spot where she’d bumped into Edgar, approaching a doorway on the house’s far side from the kitchen. It opened into a storage area stocked with tools for the garden, and beyond that lay another exit to a deserted corridor.

Her father disliked guests roaming the residence beyond the designated party zones, lest whispers arise over the tiniest details.

With the music growing more vibrant, Alessandra skipped and spun lightly. All she lacked was an elegant gown and a dance companion. “The tunes have improved now.”

Off to the left from the celebration area sat Alessandra’s private space. The passage to her chamber dimmed slightly as the lantern flames flickered low, unattended by anyone. Yet this didn’t trouble her; she set the jug down to free a hand for unlocking her door.

“Meow,” a soft noise welcomed her from within.

“Kitty,” Alessandra glanced at the ginger feline she’d rescued. “I warned you against approaching the door. If others spotted you, they’d whisk you away. Do you want to abandon me?”

When the kitten dashed toward the exit, Alessandra used her right foot to softly guide it back indoors. Regrettably, her father cherished only canines and would never tolerate a feline under their roof. “You’re safer in here, and I’ve fetched us a meal.”

“Why do you appear to grasp the meaning of the word ‘food’ now?” She wondered aloud as the kitten paused, staring upward in anticipation of its share. “Here you go. Have some meat,” she set a portion down on the ground.

Door secured and kitten occupied, Alessandra approached her writing table to grab a bite before her hunger announced itself loudly.

First, she arranged the platter and container on the surface, then settled into the chair. Solitary in her haven with the kitten’s company, Alessandra removed her mask for relief. No souls lurked to describe her features, and she kept no looking glasses to view herself.

Aside went the mask, and as distant melodies seeped through to her space, Alessandra dined quietly, eager for the night’s conclusion so her discussion with Edgar could begin at last.