Reborn: The Duke’s Obsession

Anne sat in the grand Ellington drawing room, already dressed and waiting. She was wearing a new gown of deep emerald silk, a color chosen to make her look sophisticated and powerful. Her hair was styled in a low bun and her silk wrist gloves were tapping angrily at her lap. She looked at the tall grandfather clock in the corner of the room, its steady, ticking rhythm seeming to mock her. She let out an annoyed, impatient sigh.

Augusta, sitting in her favorite plush armchair, calmly took a bite of a delicate, buttery scone. "What seems to be the matter, my sunshine?" Augusta asked, her voice a smooth, calming melody.

Anne turned to her, her own voice sharp with frustration. "Look at the time, Mama. It is well past the hour he said he would send his carriage to come and pick me up. I am so annoyed. It is rude to keep a lady waiting. Very rude."

"A powerful man can get caught up when he is doing big things, my dear," Augusta replied, taking a slow, delicate sip of the lemonade from her porcelain cup. "And how long are you going to treat His Grace like an enemy? It is time to change your tactics."

Anne's brows frowned in confusion. "What did I do now?"

"You must treat him like a man," Augusta explained, her voice taking on a low, instructive tone. "See him as a man. You must massage his ego. Insecure men like Duke Philip, men who live in the shadow of a more favored brother, they need that kind of reassurance the most." She dropped her cup on the table beside her, her full attention now on her daughter.

"You have chosen him for a reason, Anne. For his power, for his title, for his money. Now, you must make him undoubtedly yours. Once you have done that, you will have him at the palm of your hand. You will be able to control him at will, the very same way that Delia now has Duke Eric eating right out of her hand. All of Kaulder will be under your feet."

"I know that, Mama," Anne replied, a flash of determination in her own eyes, her annoyance slightly lowering.

Just then, the sound of a fine carriage pulling into the courtyard could be heard, the horses neighing softly as they came to a stop. A servant came into the drawing room and bowed.

"My lady," the servant announced. "The Duke's carriage is here to pick you up."

" Finally." She said as she stood up, her earlier annoyance gone, replaced by a cool, focused resolve. She smoothed the front of her silk skirt and said, "Goodbye, Mama."

Augusta simply nodded, a look of a proud, scheming mother on her face.

Anne came out of the house and, with the help of a footman, entered the luxurious carriage. As the grand vehicle, bearing the unfamiliar crest of the Duke of Kaulder, began to leave the Ellington manor, another, much simpler hired carriage that had been waiting down the street began to move. From within, a low voice ordered the driver, "Follow that carriage. And do not be seen."

Anne got to the luxurious dining establishment, a place called "The Crystal Palace," known for its towering ceilings, glittering chandeliers, and the hushed, reverent atmosphere that only old money could create. It was exactly the kind of place that suited her tastes, the kind of place a lady of her status is to be seen in. A maître d' in a crisp, black uniform showed her to a secluded table that had been reserved for them in a private alcove. She sat down and waited for Philip.

In a few minutes, he came walking in, his elegant cane making a soft, rhythmic thud on the plush carpet. He sat down opposite her, placing his cane carefully against the side of the table.

"You are here," he said, a simple statement of fact. "Did you wait long?"

Anne smiled, a practiced, charming expression that she had perfected over years of social gatherings. "No, Your Grace," she lied smoothly. "I just arrived myself."

Philip nodded as he settled down into his chair.

"Is your business going well?" Anne asked, her voice full of a polite wifely concern, trying to start a conversation.

Philip was busy unfolding his linen napkin, not really paying attention to her. "Of course," he replied dismissively. He then looked at the large, leather-bound menu. "What would you like to eat?"

Anne smiled, trying to be flirty, to close the cold, business-like distance between them. "Why don't you choose for me, Philip?" she asked, her voice a soft purr.

He finally looked up at her, a flicker of surprise in his cold eyes. "What?"

"We are always all business with each other," Anne continued, her smile unwavering. "But we are going to be married soon. I think it is time for us to begin courting each other properly, don't you?"

Philip chuckled, a short, dry sound that held no real humor. "Usually, Lady Anne, it is the man who says such things first."

"Is that so?" Anne smiled, her confidence not wavering in the slightest. "Well then, I guess I am just too impatient to wait for it."

Philip let out a small, almost imperceptible smile. He raised his hand and, with a flick of his wrist, summoned a server to take their order.

George, who had followed Anne all the way from her home, just stood by the large window outside, looking in at them. His face was a mask of raw shock. He could not believe what he was seeing. He saw Anne, the woman he loved, the woman he had risked everything for, leaning across the table, smiling and flirting with another man, with a powerful, dangerous Duke. A look of deep, profound mortification and heartbreak settled on his face as he watched the scene unfold, a silent, helpless witness to his own foolishness.