The Duke’s Reborn Wife

He was the centre of attention—mostly female attention, of course.

Women fluttered around him like moths, constantly finding new reasons to start a conversation, laugh, or simply linger beside him a few moments longer. He accepted their admiration calmly, with an air of mild superiority, as someone who had long since grown too used to such attention to give it much thought.

His arrogance might have put some people off, yet it was impossible to look away from him.

The soft light of the ballroom lamps cast a golden glow across his face, gliding over his smooth skin, catching his lashes and glinting in his dark eyes.

It made them seem deeper still—perceptive, intelligent, slightly mocking, as though he could see right through everyone around him but was too polite to say so.

He was tall and slender, his frame elegant but by no means fragile. Thick black hair framed his face in soft waves, setting off his elegantly pale skin and making his features even more striking. A fine, straight nose, high cheekbones, beautifully arched dark brows and sensual lips came together in a rare, almost unreal beauty that made you want to keep looking.

He smiled faintly, just one corner of his mouth lifting. Yet the moment it appeared, the women around him began talking louder, laughing more brightly and moving closer.

He remained distant and out of reach, letting them admire him without giving any of them reason to think he admired her in return.

I watched him from my secluded corner like a hungry lion eyeing an antelope as it strode proudly along.

The boldest and final brushstroke in my painting of revenge.

As I set down my glass and walked towards him and the group gathered around him, my hands were steady and my knees didn’t tremble. I had spent so long working towards my goal that the most beautiful man in the room seemed like just another step I had to take. And I would take it today, whatever it cost.

My hand instinctively reached for the simple pendant with its unremarkable pearl resting in the hollow between my breasts, but I stopped myself just in time. Not now! Too far away! I needed to get closer.

Close enough for him to notice me and look straight in my eyes. That was the difficult part.

Valerian Esterval was so used to being adored by women that he barely gave anyone a second glance, which meant…

I noticed movement to Valerian’s right, and my heart skipped a beat before it began to race. Lavinia Devereux was walking straight towards him.

Pure, burning hatred consumed me, driving out every other feeling, including my uncertainty. I no longer had any doubts. Nothing would stop me from reaching my goal.

With one swift motion, I knocked the tray out of a passing waiter’s hands. The waiter cried out in alarm as the metal tray clattered to the floor and glasses shattered around him.

I think I was splashed from head to toe. I think all two hundred guests turned to stare at me in confusion and disapproval. And I think a flying shard of glass even scratched me.

But none of that mattered… What mattered was that it had worked! Valerian Esterval lifted his head and looked my way, then met my eyes.

This was it! The moment I had waited so long for, the one I had chased and fought so hard to make happen.

Keeping my hungry, predatory gaze fixed on my future victim, I raised my hand and touched the pearl resting in the hollow between my breasts.

Done! The trap had snapped shut! Now there was only one thing left to do: finish off my prey.

Two years earlier…

“Sister, let’s go!”

Adrian’s hand touched my shoulder, and I looked up at him in surprise. The housekeeper, Mrs Clarke, fell silent too. Looking bewildered, she let the three fabric swatches—pale pink, deep pink and fuchsia—drop into her lap.

We were choosing fabric to decorate the main hall for the wedding celebration. I was torn between pale pink and deep pink, wondering which Everett would like better.

I had always preferred bright colours and rich shades, and I was leaning towards fuchsia. But my fiancé believed a lady should be elegant and modest, with refined taste. He considered anything loud or showy inappropriate.

So I immediately rejected the bright fabric Mrs Clarke had suggested and was just about to point to the more modest pale pink pieces of fabric when Adrian interrupted us.

“Where?” I asked puzzled, and pointed to the fabric my fiancé would like best. “This one, Mrs Clarke. It’s more suitable for the ceremony.”

“As you wish, Your Grace.” The housekeeper nodded, gathered the fabrics into their pouch and stood. “I’ll leave you now. I still need to get the menu from the kitchen for the second day of the celebrations. Lord Callaghan, Lady Oberlin.”

She bowed with dignity to my cousin and me, then discreetly left us alone. Adrian immediately took her chair by the fireplace and pointed a finger at me as he gave an order:

“Go and get changed. There’s somewhere we need to go.”

“Where?” I repeated with a frown. “I have a million things to do, Adrian. Everett will be here any minute with the entire Skylar clan. His mother is coming along, and I need to give them a proper welcome. I don’t want to upset his mother. Neither of us does.”

I gave my cousin a pointed look. Lady Angela Skylar was notorious for picking fights and causing scenes, not just around Newcastle but even in the capital. Everett’s mother intimidated people and drove them away. Her cutting, spiteful remarks, disguised as concern and politeness, had ruined more than one reputation.

People were afraid of Lady Angela and did everything they could to avoid her. I would have to go to great lengths to keep my wedding from turning into yet another public humiliation.

So I’d been running myself ragged, making sure every last detail was right. My only comfort in all of this was that Everett and I would be living here in Newcastle, in the fortress I had inherited from my parents.

“That’s exactly why you need to hurry, little sis.” Lady Skylar’s sharp tongue didn’t scare Adrian one bit, and he kept ordering me around. “I’ll give you my present now, before that old witch has you completely under her thumb.”

“Adrian!” I protested, though deep down I agreed with him. “Don’t talk like that about a respected lady and my future mother-in-law.”

Honestly, if it weren’t for Everett, I wouldn’t have let someone as poisonous as Angela Skylar anywhere near my doorstep. Unfortunately, my Prince Charming came as a package deal with his mother and the rest of his family, some of whom were every bit as bad as she was.

Thankfully, he was nothing like his mother. My heart ached as I remembered his bright smile and the way he’d waved goodbye the last time we were together, promising that the next time we saw each other, he would call me his wife instead of Miss Oberlin.

“Vivi, I’m only telling the truth.” Adrian shrugged. “The inquisitors should have visited Ivanhall a long time ago and questioned the esteemed Lady Skylar thoroughly.”

Adrian!” This was no joking matter. The Inquisition was not something to bring up lightly. “Stop it!”

“As soon as you come with me,” my brother replied at once.

“Fine,” I gave in, knowing full well that Adrian wouldn’t leave me alone and would pester me all day long. That was my cousin for you—once he latched on, there was no shaking him. But he, my aunt and uncle were the only family I had left.

Sad memories swept over me as suddenly as clouds gathering in a clear sky, and I instinctively reached up and clutched the pendant hanging from my neck.

To everyone else, it was a powerful weapon that had ended up in the hands of some snot-nosed girl from the Grey Cliffs of Newcastle—the last surviving member of the family’s main branch. To me, it was a keepsake from Mum and Dad. I remembered his hands, cold but so comfortingly familiar, as he fastened the pendant around my neck.

“It will protect you, my girl. Don’t trust anyone with it. And don’t trust anyone with your life, either…”

Those were my father’s last words. But I was twelve then, and neither he nor I knew Everett existed. The kindest, most caring, most loving man in the world.

The man who would warm my lonely, wounded soul and make me believe I could still have a home and a family in this world. And children! Three, at least! Two boys and a girl, all with Everett’s golden curls, his fine, straight nose and blue eyes.

I wasn’t particularly fond of my own muddy green eyes. In the mirror, they looked dull and squinty, like an owl’s. And then there was my hair. My fiancé might call me his golden-haired girl, but I knew perfectly well it was dark blonde at best. And my nose!

Perhaps a bump on the nose suited some people, giving them an air of nobility, but on me it was ugly. It made me look like a bird of prey.

I didn’t like the way I looked. I thought I was plain and unattractive, but Everett would just laugh, kiss my forehead and swear he’d never met a more beautiful girl in his life.

I would blush and get flustered, secretly hoping he meant it. And then he proposed…

“Vivien, the napkins and garlands are waiting. Hurry up,” my cousin said, reminding me he was still there. “Dress warmly. We’re going to the shore.”

“The shore?” I repeated in surprise. “Why?”

“You’ll see when we get there.” Adrian gave me a reassuring smile. “Hurry up.”

And hurry I did, wondering what that troublemaker was up to. Ever since we were children, my cousin had never been able to sit still and was always dragging me into trouble. Preferably the kind that left us in danger and covered in bruises.

I’d lost count of how many fingers I’d broken as a child. And as for broken arms… I’d only broken a leg once, though, when Adrian dared me to try riding my father’s horse.

After that, I spent four months in bed, and my cousin got a whipping, but he never showed any remorse. My only saving grace was that my aunt and uncle didn’t visit Newcastle very often, especially after my parents died.

“Luna, help me!” I ordered my maid as I entered the room, pointing to the lacing on my dress.

“Where are you going, my lady?” She looked up from the chest holding my trousseau, whose contents she had been carefully counting, and gave me a disapproving look.

“Get me my travelling dress,” I replied, a little irritated. “Adrian wants to show me something.”

“Now?” The maid cast a pointed glance around the room, which was in complete disarray.

“Yes,” I snapped, then softened my tone. “He said it wouldn’t take long.”

“He always says that, and then you end up in bed for a month,” Luna grumbled. Still, she helped me unlace my dress and handed me my travelling outfit. “He needs to get married, that’s what I say, miss. Lord Adrian needs a good wife who’ll keep His Grace on a tight leash.”

“You’re so cruel, Luna,” I giggled, imagining my cousin breaking out in a cold sweat if he heard her.

But we could never hold anything against Luna. She wasn’t just a maid—she was practically family.

She had been by my side since childhood. After my parents died, the king ordered me—a twelve-year-old orphan—to live alone in a cold castle on a cliff, without a guardian. Luna was the one I could lean on, the one who kept me going.

My aunt and uncle had supported me too, but as I said, they were far away.

“All done, my lady,” the maid announced, tightening the final knot. “Hurry up, and don’t let Lord Callaghan drag you into trouble.”

“I won’t,” I promised, giving the maid one last warm smile before slipping out of the room.

*****

The horses raced the wind, neither willing to give the other an inch.

My horse, Whirlwind, looked bulky and clumsy, but the moment he burst into a gallop, passers-by could only gape in amazement. He had enough muscle and power beneath his grey coat to rival the king’s finest horses.

My cousin’s horse could easily match Whirlwind, though the two looked nothing alike. Onyx was tall and black, with slender legs, a thick mane and a permanent look of distaste on his noble face—especially whenever Whirlwind was nearby.

They were always competing, though I suspected neither took it too seriously. Our horses had become firm friends long ago, and now they were enjoying the gallop just as much as we were enjoying the ride.

“Did you drag me out here just to see who’s faster and the better rider?” I finally asked, easing the reins on an excited Whirlwind. I’d had my fill of galloping. Adrian pulled back on Onyx’s reins too, and the horses slowed, then settled into an easy walk.

“No.” He shook his head. “We’re almost where we need to be.”

Adrian pointed ahead, and I followed his gaze. My expression darkened, and I turned to him with a reproachful look.

“You must be joking.”

But he wasn’t joking. He simply shook his head and said seriously,

“No, Vivien, I’m not. It’s time.”

My hands tightened nervously around the reins. My playful mood gave way to despair as I scanned the distant cliffs.

“But I’m getting married the day after tomorrow,” I murmured helplessly. “The guests, Everett…”

My cousin’s expression softened, and sympathy showed in his eyes. He rode close enough to reach over and take my hand in his.

“It’ll be okay, Caramel.” He called me by my childhood nickname, which used to infuriate me but now, for some reason, brought tears to my eyes. “You can do this. You’re an Oberlin!”

Yes, I was an Oberlin. That was both my curse and my blessing. Our family’s duty protected us, yet carried the greatest danger of all.

“I’m scared, Addy,” I admitted to my cousin, feeling tears well up in my eyes.

“It’s okay,” he said, then let go of my hand. “I’ll be right there to help if anything goes wrong. We’ll get this over quickly and get back to your awful, boring napkins. Your equally boring Everett will be happy to inspect them, after all.”

“He’s not boring,” I protested, smiling through my tears. Addy always knew how to cheer me up. Especially after I’d broken something because of him.

But I had no choice. If I didn’t go today, when the guide had felt the call, everyone could suffer the consequences, not just me. I took a deep breath and urged Whirlwind forward.

“Come on! Let’s finish this as quickly as possible!” I shouted to Adrian and raced towards the cliffs.

“That’s my girl!” he called enthusiastically, following me.

At a gallop, we reached our destination in about twenty minutes.

The cliffs rose above the sea like a dark, jagged wall, proud and imposing. Waves crashed angrily against the rocky ledges, flinging white foam into the air. Fine salt spray settled on our faces and clothes. The wind was especially fierce here. It tore at our hair and lashed our cloaks against our legs, drowning out almost every sound except the ceaseless roar of the sea.

The path brought us to a narrow gap between two cliffs. Barely visible from the road, it looked like nothing more than a shadow among the rocks when seen from below. We dismounted and walked on, leading the horses behind us.

A small boat lay hidden among the boulders deep in the cleft. Sheets of coarse grey fabric covered it, stained with salt and sand. From a distance, they blended in with the surrounding rocks.

The boat was well maintained. Every year, the Oberlin household’s servants replaced rotten planks, tarred the hull and checked the oarlocks to make sure it would be ready when needed. For two hundred years, servants had carried out this work without knowing why, but the lords and ladies of House Oberlin made sure the work was carefully done, just as tradition required.

So the boat was sound, yet my hands still shook as I helped my cousin clear away the sea debris that had collected inside. Addy tactfully pretended not to notice.

We tethered Whirlwind and Onyx beneath a rocky overhang, stripped the covers off the boat and pushed it into the water. A wave immediately rocked the fragile little boat, and I tightened my grip on its side.

“Careful,” Adrian said, helping me climb aboard.

I sat on the narrow bench and hid my trembling fingers in the folds of my cloak. My cousin settled opposite me, took up the oars and pushed off from shore with a confident stroke.

The boat glided slowly across the black water and soon slipped beneath the cave’s shadowy ceiling.