15 Cold-hearted (1)

"I'm lying about her face?" Kate said the words slowly to make sense of them. How on earth could she be lying about how disgusting Alessandra's face was? It led her to believe Edgar had not seen Alessandra's face and was lying to her. "I am not the liar here, Edgar."

"I will excuse you for what you said as they say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. You don't seem to have a good eye Kate. Alessandra's beauty is none of your concern as you are not the one marrying here. I suggest you either sit back down or leave before you irritate me more than you already have."

"Edgar, please be kind to my sister. Kate has always liked you so this will be hard for her to handle. Please understand," Alessandra said, adding salt to Kate's wound.

"I am the only sane one here," Kate stormed off, tired of trying to be the voice of reason for Edgar.

"I will speak with her," Desmond said then scurried off to stop Kate. He felt the need to smack common sense into her since she wasn't using her brain. "Kate, wait for me. Do not walk away from me."

"What do you want, father?" Kate turned around revealing tears threatening from her eyes. "Are you here to make me go back and play nice with Alessandra? That was supposed to be me. She is stealing my dream and you are just letting it happen. All for what, a gift?"

"You stupid girl. Do you think I wanted Alessandra to be the one to marry Edgar? I already made a deal for her to marry someone else and now I am screwed. You have not lost Edgar yet," Desmond looked off to the side plotting how they would make use of this situation.

Kate wiped away a fallen tear confused as to how she had not lost. "He came to ask for her hand in marriage."

"Kate, it takes a while to plan for a wedding and there are those moments where the person you were looking to marry can change. Edgar might start off wanting to marry Alessandra but if you play your cards right, his attention can shift to you. You need to stop acting like a child," he scolded her.

Desmond had a full view this morning of why Kate never caught Edgar's interest. She was too impulsive and childish in front of Edgar. She was acting like Edgar was just a random man off the street. "When in the presence of the Duke you must act like a refined lady."

"Alessandra will be your tool to get close to the Duke. Alessandra is scared of you so be kind to her in these coming days. If she complains to the Duke about you, he will not want to be around you. Go back there and apologize for what you did to that kitten."

"Father!" Kate exclaimed. It was one thing to play nice with Alessandra but it was another to have to apologize when Alessandra deserved it. It was just an animal anyway.

"You!" Desmond raised his hand in the air to slap Kate but stopped himself. "Kate, so help me I will slap you. Do you think you'll get close to Alessandra when she is upset about the kitten? You can't get to the Duke if you don't have a good relationship with her. What matters most now? Your pride or letting Edgar slip out your fingers?"

"Edgar obviously," Kate muttered but it still hurt her deeply to have to apologize. "My wedding better make everyone jealous of me," she finally agreed to her father's plans.

"Good," Desmond clapped his hands. "We must go back now."

"Father, who is the man you had to marry Alessandra? I never heard anything about it from my mother," said Kate.

"Just an old friend. It'll help us settle some debts," Desmond remembered the deal offered to him. His friend had a taste for unique things and nothing was more unique than his rumored masked daughter.

"I see. That is a fate more suited for Alessandra than living as the duke's wife," Kate grinned, picturing Alessandra's face the moment she would learn she would not be the one marrying the Duke in the end.

Desmond and Kate walked back into the dining room to find Katrina placing a plate of food in front of Alessandra like a maid serving her master.

Alessandra did not thank Katrina for fetching the food. Instead, she picked up her fork to taste the eggs. "You see. You took so long and now the egg is cold. I have never enjoyed cold eggs, Katrina. Why do you keep giving them to me?"

"I-"

"We're back," Desmond cut off Katrina before she could say the wrong thing. "Alessandra, Kate has something she wishes to say to you," he pushed Kate forward.

"I'm sorry," the bitter words left Kate's mouth.

"For?" In Alessandra's opinion, Kate had a lot to be sorry for therefore she needed to be more specific.

"Hurting your kitten-"

"You did more than hurt it. The animal died. If you're going to apologize, do it right," Edgar interjected. If this was the best apology she could come up with she could save it.

Feeling warmth against his hand, Edgar looked down to see Alessandra had touched his hand. An indication to let him know she would handle this.

"I am sorry for killing your kitten, Alessandra. My emotions got the best of me yesterday and to hear that the kitten has died, makes me feel really bad. I am also sorry for the way I have acted toward you in front of Edgar. I hope you can be happy with him. Please forgive me," Kate dug her nails into her skin as the words left her mouth.

Alessandra wanted to laugh in Kate's face. They really thought she was stupid to not realize they were going to play her. She knew her father and Kate better than they realize but instead of calling them out, she wanted to have fun. "Apology accepted-"

"That's good," Desmond smiled, glad Alessandra was quick to forgive Kate. His daughter was always too kind for her own good.

"I was not finished father," Alessandra looked at her father with clear annoyance written all over her face. "Since she has admitted her fault in the matter, she should take responsibility for burying the kitten."

"Kate is not your maid. Do not take things too far," Katrina tried to step in before Alessandra could make Kate look like a fool. Kate was a baron's daughter, not a maid and she would be damned if she allowed Kate to dig a grave.

"It is fine, mother. It shouldn't be too hard to dig a grave for the kitten. It is my fault after all. Hopefully, with this, we can mend our relationship, Alessandra," Kate held out her hand to call a truce between her and Alessandra.

Alessandra merely looked at Kate's hand, not moving to accept it. She had a better idea just from looking at Kate's hand. It was clear Kate never had to lift a finger in her life. "I just remembered I heard the gardener below my window saying the shovel we have is broken."

Kate retreated her hand, secretly glad the shovel was broken. "Too bad. We'll have to wait for a new one to arrive."

"Not really. The hole wouldn't need to be too big. I remember Katrina making me tend to the garden with nothing but my hands as a punishment. It shouldn't be too hard for you," said Alessandra.

Kate scoffed, disgusted by what Alessandra was suggesting. "I hope you are not expecting me to dig out a hole with my hands, Alessandra?"