Bride Behind the Mask

Chapter 13: The Winter Feast

Dedicated to a random commenter @Sanrio_k - Thank you for the support!

I've read that Wattpad chapters should not exceed 3,000 words but I really couldn't be bothered splitting this into two parts so... Welcome to the longest chapter so far. Sorry if the length bothers anyone!

Chapter 13: The Winter Feast

Oh, curse himself for the order to escort the sickly to Steersberg. That was what brought the boy and his sick mother here early enough to disrupt his first 'rendezvous' in the gardens with his wife. After she'd avoided him for days, he hadn't expected it to go so well. And having had it gone so well, he definitely hadn't expected it all to be ruined by a little pony. He dragged his hands down his face and grumbled to himself.

What was it about the damned pony anyway? His own stallion was far grander.

No, she should be clinging to her husband. Not horses. At all!

Drake pinched his fingers to the bridge of his nose and forced his attention on the accounts laid out before him that were long overdue for review.

She seems to enjoy their intimate moments. Why was she always avoiding him?

Argh!

It has never before been so hard to concentrate on his work.

Damned woman.

* * *

" 'Do not bother abandoning your poor husband and sneaking home'—Poor husband?" Amelia scrunched her nose as she read her father's message out loud. "Does papa even know what manner of creature Drake is?" she vented with a shake of her head. "Shamelessly lying in bed for me to spoon feed when he could walk already! Poor!"

She continued to read.

" 'I am going on an extended sabbatical.'" Huh? Her father never took holidays, he didn't believe in abandoning his estate for personal enjoyment. She turned to Timo, who was busily munching on a large beef pie from Tom. "Did papa say anything else?"

Timo looked up at Amelia with large eyes and nodded, his little mouth full of delicious beef and pastry.

"Well...?" she pressed.

Timo swallowed the mouthful, before he started, "His Grace said... he said..." Timo looked down at the mouth-watering filling in the pie and took another bite without thinking. He's never had a pie so good!

"Timo!" cried the frustrated lady.

The young boy looked up at her with round eyes of guilt before he swallowed again. "His Grace said... t' come here..." Timo spoke slowly as he recounted the last instructions of the Duke. "Find your grace... an'... an' speak t' no one." He eagerly took another bite.

"That's all?"

Timo nodded.

"Umm... did it look like papa was going on a sabbatical?"

Timo thought long and hard, and shook his head.

Oh, she knew it! Her father was a lying piece of—

"I don' know a Sir Babaco, m'lady."

(In another world of another time, Amelia might have done a *headdesk*.) "Oh, Timo, you are going to take lessons from now on." She sighed in exasperation, and asked again, "Did papa look like he was going on a holiday? An extended holiday?"

Timo tilted his head to the side and recalled those last days before he left the Marlborough House. "Aye," he finally confirmed. "Everyone was packin'."