The Duke's Masked Wife Chapter 550 [Bonus ] Epilogue

550  [Bonus chapter] Epilogue

For Alessandra, the time following that dinner flew by quicker than usual. The months of anticipation for their baby's arrival had shrunk into mere weeks, and now the moment their child would enter the world loomed ever nearer.

With her frame growing heavier, as Edgar frequently remarked, she ventured out less often, yet the attentive support from the Collins household staff, her close companions, and her grandmother's visits ensured those indoor days remained far from dull.

Just a week prior, the realm welcomed a newborn prince, prompting festivities, yet tranquility eluded the palace. Edgar had been summoned to assist Tobias, only to return swiftly to Alessandra's side.

He harbored deep remorse for this, as it coincided precisely with the day their own children chose to make their entrance.

"Edgar!" Alfred called out to Edgar, who leaped from his carriage before it fully halted.

"Has it begun yet?" Edgar inquired, shedding his coat while dashing up the stairs, bounding over two at a time if necessary.

"They're not here yet, but the labor has been underway for some time with no word of the baby's arrival. The duchess's screams are unbearable. She's enduring tremendous agony, and all we can do is wait," Alfred explained, accepting Edgar's coat and trailing after him. He yearned for Alessandra to avoid such suffering. Though anticipated, her cries wrenched at his heart.

Edgar hurried to the ground-floor chamber where they'd relocated Alessandra for easier access, sparing her the arduous climbs to their upper bedroom. The door stood closed, and as Edgar reached for it, Alfred seized his wrist.

"You can't go in, Edgar. You'd merely hinder the women and the physician. You must remain out here-"

"Can't you hear her?" Edgar demanded, gesturing fiercely toward the door whence Alessandra's pained wails echoed. "At the very least, I could clasp her hand and offer solace."

"That's precisely what I'd prefer for you, yet they've insisted no one enter, allowing them to handle the delivery securely and safeguard Alessandra. Your being there would disrupt their focus. We cannot interfere for her well-being. Kindly wait outside," Alfred urged.

Typically, men were barred from such scenes, viewed as pointless or prone to rage over unfamiliar proceedings. Sometimes, they simply shunned the shrieks and sight of blood, appearing only post-birth to learn the infant's sex.

It demanded immense resolve for Edgar to retreat from the door. He avoided meddling with the midwives and doctor, despite his burning desire for Alessandra to sense his timely arrival and his readiness to support her.

Though he'd often professed wanting a large family with her, Edgar now pondered if these initial children sufficed, sparing Alessandra further torment.

Alfred observed Edgar stiffen at every utterance from Alessandra. "Shall we move to-"

"I'm rooted here," Edgar declared. This spot represented the closest he could stay to her. Once concluded, he'd rush in to be with her.

"Edgar! I'm horribly unfit these days."

Edgar glanced toward the entrance, recognizing Tobias's voice. "We're this way," he replied.

"Excellent! Looks like I haven't missed the event," Tobias panted, leaning against the wall for support upon spotting Edgar. "You were so caught up aiding my kin that you nearly overlooked your child's birth, and it troubled me, so I hurried over. Hazel's securely guarded by the knights, so… Might I trouble you for some water?"

"Immediately," Alfred responded, departing the pair. He appreciated Tobias's arrival to divert Edgar. Their conversation would hasten the wait.

"Why the poor conditioning? You traveled by carriage, right? All you needed was to dash up these short steps to our door," Edgar critiqued, dismayed by Tobias's condition.

"Hey! Kids keep you dashing about nonstop. Add the endless wakeful nights—no one warned me about that. I've clashed endlessly with those idiots pushing me to hand my boy off to the staff. I'm half-inclined to dispatch them all. Come, sit, Edgar," Tobias invited, tapping the wall nearby. He sank to the floor. "I recall Hazel's cries. They linger in your mind forever."

Edgar approached the wall and lowered himself next to Tobias. Waiting was his sole option now.

"I'm just grasping that our firstborns will be a week apart, mirroring us. I'd hoped for a daughter from you since mine's a prince, but a budding duke in the making wouldn't displease. Hazel extends her best wishes. Were she recovered, she'd have joined me," Tobias noted.

"Thanks for being here," Edgar acknowledged, grateful for Tobias repaying the gesture by visiting his family. "Count me out for future palace duties when Alessandra nears her due date."

"Reasonable," Tobias agreed. "I ought to have asked Alfred for spirits rather than water. I—Did you catch that?"

"Yes," Edgar confirmed, springing up. Silence had fallen within, broken by an infant's wail.

"That's the cry of a robust babe. My congratulations," Tobias clapped Edgar's shoulder.

What about Elijah Collins? Eli for short," Edgar proposed, gazing at his son clutching his finger.

The door swung open, showing a woman cleansing blood from her hands. "You-"

Words escaped her as a gust whooshed past.

Edgar bolted inside, heading directly to the bed where Alessandra reclined, blood staining her thighs. Sweat plastered her hair to her skin, yet cradled in her embrace lay their minuscule creation, swaddled gently. A single child, contrary to Edgar's assertions.

"You arrived just in time," Alessandra beamed, delighted by Edgar's presence. Exhaustion tugged at her, craving sleep, but first, she needed to confirm he was there and let him behold their boy. "He requires a bath, but I yearned to cradle him ere I dozed off. I'm utterly spent."

Edgar settled beside Alessandra on the bed as the attendants bustled to clear the mess and the physician worked in the corner. "You performed admirably," Edgar praised, bending to plant a swift kiss on her lips.

"Take him now. We need to choose his name," Alessandra urged, tenderly transferring their son to Edgar. "How about Edmund-"

"You've got quite the humor, Alessandra. Care for Desmond as a counter? Not amusing, is it? What about Elijah Collins? Eli for short," Edgar offered, peering at his son grasping his finger.

"I approve," Alessandra agreed, finding it superior to her alternatives.

"Are they certain nothing else remains? I sensed twins-"

"Edgar, were you not cradling our son and my limbs not so feeble, I'd strike you," Alessandra retorted, shooting him a stern look for clinging to the notion of multiples.

A single child satisfied Edgar presently. Should Alessandra wish, opportunities abounded later.

Beyond the expanding bliss of their household, Edgar reflected on how much he'd have forfeited without that visit to Desmond's abode—from his stunning spouse to their son, vowing to excel as a parent. He cherished that fateful accidental encounter with Alessandra that night.

Your unwavering support for this tale from start to finish warms my heart. I've relished your comments since the outset and continue to revisit the amusing and uplifting ones you've shared. I aspire to craft more tales you'll adore. Side stories arrive in under two weeks for binge-reading. Check out Rafael's narrative for returning faces. Grateful anew ~ Violet.