The Duke's Masked Wife 2: The Prince's Outcast Bride-Chapter 129: Ending friendships (2)

"Wait!" Erin exclaimed, holding Alessandra’s hand to stop her from leaving. "I don’t want our friendship to end like this. You are right that I was wrong not to speak with you first. I truly am in a difficult position with my husband and business."

Alessandra moved Erin’s hand from holding her. Like Edgar found Erin many years ago, Alessandra could find someone else who would want their business.

"I understand you wish to protect your business and not ruin your relationship with your husband. I do know how hard it was for you two to marry, but I cannot take part in waiting for these lies to pass for you to accept our business again," said Alessandra.

When Alessandra thought of the friends she would lose because of the current gossip, she hadn’t placed Erin among those friends.

It was unfortunate, but Alessandra didn’t want a friendship in secret.

Dale did not like to see Erin trying so hard to keep her friendship with Alessandra. She had outgrown needing only the Collinses as customers and now had many young ladies seeking her out.

Edgar moved as soon as Dale started to approach the women.

Dale grabbed Erin’s hand and said, "Once this all settles-"

"Nothing will happen once this settles," Edgar said over Dale.

Dale and Erin were certainly two peas in a pod if they thought a friendship awaited them after this. The trust given to Erin was now broken.

"Very well," Dale said, seeing nothing wrong with Erin moving on.

The Collinses were the kind of customers Erin should have, but there was always an awkwardness which Dale seemed to be the only one to notice.

Dale’s brother Kyle was once friends with Simon Farley, who Edgar exposed for killing young women.

While Dale didn’t support what Simon did, there was tension from his brother because the town guards came to Kyle’s door to question what he knew about Simon. It was frustrating to Kyle for the guards to assume he had any hand in it.

Dale didn’t think it was Edgar’s fault, but it was awkward to be near him and the duchess.

"You’ve invested money into my wife’s business, and we are more than happy to give it back so nothing is owed. I will have the exact amount sent to the estate tomorrow," said Dale.

"Exact amount?" Edgar chuckled. "I don’t want the amount we invested years ago. That money has grown just as her business has grown. That is how money is earned."

"What?" Dale replied, puzzled by what Edgar wanted. "There isn’t more for you to gain. Take back what you gave her."

Edgar smiled. This was why he had a love for writing up contracts, so he couldn’t be burned in moments like this.

Dale wasn’t a stranger to debts, so why was he surprised the amount had increased?

"That money has now tripled all these years later. It was there in the contract your wife signed, but if she has lost it, I still have mine. I want all of my money by tomorrow, like you said. I can be quite moody when my money is messed with," said Edgar.

Normally, Edgar would have been kind to Erin since she was a dear friend of his wife, but there was no reason for such kindness now. It turned out to be a wise decision to treat Erin as he would treat anyone asking for money.

Erin stared at Alessandra, noticing how Alessandra wouldn’t meet her eyes. Erin wouldn’t be able to look into the eyes of a friend who stabbed her in the back as well, but she wished Alessandra would just look at her once.

With Alessandra no longer wanting to entertain their friendship, Erin expected that she wouldn’t hear from the friends she met through Alessandra, like Hazel or Eleanor.

It hurt Erin, but Dale was right in some ways. She had grown apart from Alessandra over the years since Alessandra only frequented Lockwood during the season.

Dale laughed at what Edgar was demanding. "Wasn’t the money given to help my wife? Now you are asking for much more than you gave to her. In what world does such a concept exist? You are greedy."

"I am a man with expensive children, and you are a man who owes me. If you can’t pay with money, pay with your home," said Edgar.

Erin gasped. She knew Edgar would be cruel, but she didn’t think it would go this far.

"Ha," Dale released a dry laugh. "So, you weren’t helping her. You wanted to rob her later on."

"That is not true. I gave Erin money to fund her shop because I wanted a way to make money without my husband. That money helped the two of us. Now is not the best time to speak of this," Alessandra said, not wanting to give anyone eavesdropping a show.

"I will send one of my guards to collect the dresses we have already paid for and settle our business then," said Alessandra.

Tonight was not meant to be focused on Erin, but on Penelope and Tyrion.

"We should speak in private another day without our husbands," Erin suggested.

Only then could Erin let Alessandra know all that was happening without upsetting Dale and his family. freewebnoveℓ.com

"We have spoken enough. We need to go back," Alessandra informed Edgar.

A little bit more, and Dale would either be dangling from somewhere or be the first guest in the dungeon.

Edgar walked away with Alessandra, but this wasn’t going to be the last time Dale saw him, especially if his money wasn’t returned. Since Dale was the one to bring up money, it was only fair that he saw it through.

"Are you well?" Edgar asked.

Despite what he felt, Edgar knew it would sting to lose a friend of many years so fast..

"I am fine. I cannot believe she would turn her back on us so fast, but I understand the predicament she is in. It was always hard for her to settle into the Scott family. That I understand," Alessandra said, placing herself in Erin’s shoes.

"But," Alessandra continued to say. "I cannot ignore what she has done. I would have been understanding if she had sent me a letter and explained that her business was being affected. I would not like what puts food on her table to be affected."

Alessandra and Erin had been friends long enough for Erin to know a simple conversation could have avoided all of this.

"Perhaps we will be friends again, or maybe we will move on to meet others. I am more concerned about what I will tell the girls. I must find a new dressmaker for them soon," said Alessandra.

Finding a new dressmaker would be easy since there were many searching for business, but Alessandra had to think of how to tell her daughters that they couldn’t go to someone who had known them all their life.