Coveting the Duke

The Space Between Us

After some time, Elena awoke, as she stretched, her eyes fluttered open to the sight of rippling water glinting under the afternoon sun. Almost immediately she noticed the blanket draped over her. Did Elly or George bring this? she wondered. 

Realizing she had slept longer than she intended, she gathered her things and made her way toward the front of the Lakehouse.

"Thank you so much for the blanket, George," Elena said as she rounded the corner and spotted him.

George smiled pleasantly, neither taking credit for the blanket nor revealing that it had been Sebastian.

As they exchanged their final goodbyes, Elena felt a renewed sense of calm. The unease she had carried, thinking about Sebastian's birthday banquet, had lifted. Refreshed and content, she pedaled home, blissfully unaware of what had transpired while she slept.

The next morning began like any other day, but as the hours passed, Elena couldn't shake the feeling that something had shifted. As she walked the halls with Lorianne, Gretchen, and Michelle, an odd tension hung in the air. There were awkward stares and hushed whispers as they passed by.

"Did something happen?" Michelle asked, glancing around curiously.

"I haven't heard anything," Lorianne replied, her brow furrowed.

"Actually..." Gretchen hesitated, glancing around before lowering her voice. "Let's find an empty room first."

When the door shut behind them, all eyes settled on Gretchen, eager to hear what she had to say. Gretchen nervously looked at the group, unsure of how to begin.

"Elena," she started slowly, her eyes filled with concern, "there have been some rumors circulating about you and your family."

Elena froze. She had expected that news about her family's situation would, sooner or later, reach her peers. But something in Gretchen's tone, the weight of her words, made her uneasy. 

Why were there more whispers than she had anticipated? Her father making a bad investment shouldn't be such a big deal—nobles were rarely free from scandal.

Stay calm, Elena reminded herself. She had spent hours going over scenarios in her mind, preparing to explain why they had moved to the capital. She thought she was ready. But the tight feeling in her chest said otherwise.

After a pause, Gretchen continued, her voice faltering. "You see... you didn't go to Sebastian's birthday banquet, and it's pretty well known that the Duchess invites the families of top students to the event."

Elena blinked, confused by where this was going.

"About why you didn't go to Sebastian's banquet... They're saying..." She paused, lowering her gaze. "That your mother... stole from the Duchess."

Elena's mind reeled. Stole from the Duchess? That wasn't true. Her breath hitched as Gretchen finished.

"In the capital," Gretchen added carefully, "people would do almost anything to be aligned with the duke's family. They're saying your rejection wasn't just rude—it was suspicious."

Elena felt the air leave her lungs. She had braced herself for the truth about her father's investments to come out, but this—this was something entirely different. A theft? That was the furthest thing from the truth.

What her mother had endured as a child, the pain she had suffered because of the Duchess's misplaced jealousy, was now being twisted and diminished into something shameful. After everything, her mother was once again being dragged through the mud for something she never did.