Reborn: The Duke’s Obsession

The Rose Petal Tea Shop was one of the most fashionable establishments in the city, a place where noblewomen went to display their new hats, exchange the latest gossip, and be seen by the right people.

The air was a cloying mixture of strong tea, sweet pastries, and a dozen different expensive perfumes. The low hum of polite conversation and the delicate clinking of porcelain cups filled the crowded room.

Evelin Pembroke, sitting at a small table near the window, raised her hand, waving it back and forth so that Anne could see her through the sea of elaborate hats and fluttering fans.

Anne saw her hand and smiled, a cool, confident expression on her face as she navigated the crowded room and sat across from Evelin.

"Wow, Anne," Evelin said, her own face beaming with a nervous excitement. "You look like you are in a very good mood today."

Anne's smile widened as she sat down, untying her hat and placing it on her laps. "I guess so," she replied, her tone suggesting a secret she was eager to learn more about.

"Then since you are in a good mood, after this, we simply must go shopping," Evelin said, her voice dropping to an excited whisper. "There is a new modiste, just down the street, called 'The Golden Needle'. They have the most exquisite dresses from the continent. I heard that Lady Amber Carson herself went there last week and procured a set of beautiful dresses." She paused, imagining the scene. " You should have seen them, Anne. They were so beautiful and people have been buzzing about it ever since." She leaned forward. "We can take your carriage. It will be faster and stress free."

But Anne was not interested in shopping just yet. She held up her hand, a simple, elegant gesture that immediately stopped Evelin's enthusiastic chatter. "Show me first," Anne said, her voice quiet but firm.

Evelin, confused, asked, "Pardon?"

"You sent me a letter this morning," Anne replied, her eyes sharp and focused. "You said you had something important, something scandalous, on Delia. What is it?"

Evelin smiled, a shrewd, knowing expression that was far older than her years. "Wow, Anne. You are really very curious about this, aren't you?" She reached into her reticule and pulled out a folded piece of paper. It was not the final, printed pamphlet, but a handwritten draft, the words scribbled in a hasty, messy script. It was the story, ready for the printing press, based on the single most juicy piece of information in the entire kingdom. The same one she showed her brother nights ago when he threw her out of his room. She seemed to have added more to the story to make it juicier.

"What is this?" Anne asked, taking the paper from her.

"Just read it," Evelin replied, a triumphant glint in her eye.

Anne unfolded the paper and began to read. As her eyes scanned the messy but legible words, a wide, slow, and utterly malicious smile plastered itself across her face. This was more than she could have ever hoped for.

The story was devastatingly simple and brutally effective. It laid out the cold, hard terms of the contract George had stolen. It painted a picture of a desperate, illegitimate girl selling herself for a title for one year, and a cold, emotionless Duke using her to appease his family. It spoke of clauses allowing for other lovers, of a union with no love, no affection, only a mutually beneficial business arrangement.

"This is gold, Evelin" Anne breathed, her eyes shining with a hateful glee. " How did you come up with something like this? I like the little spins of lies you added. You truly are a professional."

"Everything is ready," Evelin said, her voice a proud whisper. "I have already spoken to the pamphleteer. He is the most notorious one in the city, the one who is not afraid to print anything, as long as the price is right. He has promised to have ten thousand copies printed and delivered to every noble house in Albion by tomorrow morning. You just need to say yes, and the story will be released and of course he does his business discreetly. No one will trace it back to him or us."

"A fake marriage with dirty, selfish intentions," Anne mused, savoring the words. "Who wouldn't want to consume a piece of gossip as juicy as this?" She looked at Evelin, her smile turning predatory. "This is the perfect blow for her final downfall. Her reputation will be in tatters. And the Duchess Lyra, who values honor and love so much… she will never forgive them."

Evelin, seeing her victory, decided it was time to secure her reward. "The money you promised me for my help," she reminded Anne, her voice a little anxious. "It still stands, right?" She thought of the debt collectors, of her mother's tear-streaked face, of the empty spaces on their walls. At the very least, she could use the money to get back the things the debt collectors had already taken this week. It would be enough to keep the wolves from their door for a little while longer.

Anne, still basking in the glow of her impending triumph, nodded happily. "Of course. In fact, because you did such a good job, and because I am in such a very good mood, we are definitely going for a shopping spree after our tea."

Pure happiness beamed from Evelin's face. She had done it. She had saved her family for the meantime and she was going to get a new dress from the one of the most fashionable modiste in town. She raised her hand and called for the server.

"Two cups of your finest jasmine tea, please," she ordered, her voice full of joy. The server bowed and left to fulfill her request. The two young women sat there, in the middle of the crowded, elegant tea shop, two happy schemers celebrating their cruel, perfect plan.