I stared at my laptop, not believing what I was seeing… Then I let out a shriek so loud that even my mother came running into my room.
“What in the world is going on, Elena?” she cried out, staring at me with eyes as big as saucers. I turn my laptop screen around and point towards it, “I got accepted, mother! Harvard has accepted my application!” I respond with glee, to a very confused mother.
She raised one expertly plucked eyebrow at me, “Excuse me? Harvard, as in The States?”
Fighting the urge to roll my eyes at her, I nod and could not help but grin.Harvard Law School, my dream Uni has accepted me! Nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing could knock me off this high. I’ve done it! I have proven to myself and my family that I could get somewhere without their influence.I mean, I could have chosen Cambridge or Oxford, but that would be too close to home and the Wiltshire name. I would immediately have been accepted if they knew I was William Wiltshire’s daughter.
My face hurts from grinning, and I look at my mother for a reaction, but as usual, there was none. And it was not the Botox.
“Well now, we will have to see what your father has to say about this. The States, Elena? Why not Oxford? It is, in fact, your father’s alumni.”
Did I say nothing could knock me off this high? Well, my mother just shot a bazooka straight into it.I stare at her, a little despondent. I expected this reaction, prepared myself for it even, but it didn’t hurt any less. Never in my 20 years on this earth, had my mother been proud of me or showed it. The smile drops from my face and I sigh, “Can’t you just be happy for me for once, mother?”She looked at me as if I had trampled on her favourite Louboutins, “I will be happy when I know you have rejected that acceptance letter and studied closer to home. Come, you need to get ready for tonight’s dinner party. The Dumont’s will be joining us this evening.” With that, she turned on her heels and strode out of my room.
I stare at her back and feel a tear slip down my cheek.
My mother, Susanna Wiltshire, is an upper-class socialite of noble blood so it will always be expected of me to follow in her footsteps. My twin sister, Eliana, slipped into the role much easier than I did. Where I was brash and spoke my mind, she was reserved and soft spoken. A proper lady.
Speaking of which; a face pops into my bedroom door with a smile plastered on her face, my mirror image. With a few alterations.Where she had soft honey coloured curls set in a natural balayage, I had more of a caramel tint to my balayage. Where her eyes were baby blue and sparkling, mine was more of an icy steel. We both had heart shaped faces, almond shaped eyes and bow shaped lips though.
People have said we were blessed with our looks, my sister seemed to think so. Where she got stares and knew she was beautiful, I had the self-esteem of a rock.“I heard the news!” She exclaims and rushes over to me, engulfing me in a hug. “I am so proud of you, Elena! This is fantastic news!”
Trust Eliana to be my hype girl. I smile against my better judgement and a giggle escapes from my throat. She let go of me and looked me up and down, her blue eyes sparkling with unshed tears.“You get to live your dream instead of being forced to live the socialite life.” She says, knowing that would have been the bane of my existence. My bottom lip starts to tremble at her words, knowing my father would never allow me to study at Harvard. The sudden realization hits me.
He would never agree to this. How stupid could I have been?Eliana’s smile drops from her face and she regards me with concern, “I was foolish, Eliana.” I start, “Father would never allow me to move overseas when he could just have easily gotten me into Oxford. Me and my stupid dreams.”
She offers me a thin smile then leads me back to my bed. “You never know, Elena. Speak to him about it. Maybe he wants one of us to experience what the world has to offer.” She said, a knowing smile crossed her lips and I had a feeling she was hiding something from me.
Call it twins' intuition, but I could always tell when Eliana was lying to me or withholding something. In this case, it was the latter.I decide to not push the subject but nod anyway. “I will after this evening's dinner party. I am guessing Sebastian and his parents will be joining us?” I ask.
Ugh, Sebastian Dumont. The most arrogant man God could ever have created. The man oozed self-righteousness and had an ego 10 times larger than his body weight. The first time he came to our estate to visit Eliana, he didn’t mistake me for her at all, normally people do. He called me ‘podgy’ and said he did not understand why people confused the two of us.
Call me childish, but I never forgot that day. I had never been so embarrassed in my life. Of course, I never mentioned this to Eliana, I did not want her to think any less of her fiance.She nods happily, “Yes, he is. Just a few last-minute preparations and alterations were made before the wedding. His parents wish to iron it out before the big day.” She says with calm as if she wasn’t marrying the wealthiest CEO in the UK.
“Ah okay. I will be expected to attend then?” I ask with a grin, already knowing the answer. She gives me a sarcastic look, “My maid of honour wants to sit this one out? I don’t think so.” She responded and got up from my bed to leave my room. Then she turned around at the doorway and gave me another smile, “I truly am so happy for you, Elena. You deserve this little bit of freedom. Speak to father after the dinner party. I am sure he will give you his blessing.”
Then she was gone.
I flop back down onto my oak four-poster and sigh out loud. Would my father honestly be okay with me studying overseas? If my mother was anything to go on, that would be a resounding no.
I take my cell phone out of my pocket intending to call my boyfriend, Nicholas. He had been my rock the past two years and was the one who encouraged me to apply at Harvard. This made no sense to me at all, because I wanted to be close to him as we were to be wed in a year’s time. However, I started to realize that I needed to do this for myself, I needed to pursue my dream.
However, on the fourth ring, I put the phone down as my call goes unanswered. Weird, Nicholas always answered when he saw it was me calling. I shrug and try to push my emotions down. I would tell him my news later on.
The Dumonts would be here soon, I had better make myself look presentable.
Dressed in a burgundy empire evening dress with a sweetheart neckline and cap sleeves, I put on my Mary Jane Louboutins and was ready to face the Dumonts. I left my hair to cascade in curls down my back and didn’t bother with over the top makeup. I had no one to impress, so why bother with frivolities? As I descend our winding staircase, I spot my sister in the foyer. She was on the phone and seemed rather upset. The clicking of my heels alerts her to my presence and she kills her call. Turning to face me, she plasters a fake smile onto her face and walks towards me and catches my frown. “Wedding problems,” she answers with the roll of her eyes. I knew she was lying, but who am I to say anything? She clearly did not want to tell me what was going on with her.I offer her a tight smile, “Eliana, you know…” I start, but decided against it with the shake of my head, “Never mind. Is everything ready for this evening?”
You could hear a pin drop. Eliana, my sweet sister, would be causing a scandal with her news. The worst type of scandal in the upper class and nobility circles. Affairs and babies born out of wedlock. Sebastian had gone pale, my parents were reeling from this news and the Dumonts? Well it seems that even they did not know this last little titbit. Mirabelle walks towards them, “You’re pregnant?! A child born out of wedlock, how shameful!” She shrieks and I could tell this upset her incredibly. “I knew there was something about you that I didn’t like.” Eliana throws her head back and laughs, or rather cackles, “Mirabelle, there will be no scandal. Robert and I will wed before the child is born. Then you will finally be rid of me.” I do not think I have ever heard my sister speak in such an acid tone, especially not towards Mirabelle Dumont. I could feel the shame radiating from where my parents were seated. Mirabelle goes completely
A knock at my bedroom door draws me out of my reverie. I knew I wouldn’t be able to hide in here forever. “Elena?” came the voice of my father. This made me frown. He hardly ever came into my room. I would have expected it to be mother or Eliana to run after me.Not the head of our family.“Come in, father,” I called out, then I sat up, straightening myself out as a lady should. He then opens the door and pokes his head in. “May I come in?”I nod and grab a tissue from my bedside table to dab my eyes with. Did he honestly expect me to tell him he could not enter my room?My father takes a seat on my bed and takes my hand in his, “Elena, I do not wish for you to go through with this marriage.” he starts abruptly, causing me to stare at him in surprise. Didn’t he just agree with everyone downstairs?“What do you mean by that, father? You just agreed with everyone downstairs that I should g
“This one looks beautiful, Elena!”Can you guess where I am right now? What a way to spend a peaceful Sunday.Currently swaddled in lace and silk, my mother and Mirabelle had kidnapped me so we could go hunting for a wedding dress. “Why can’t I just wear Eliana’s?” I had asked, and both of them looked like I had spat in their faces.Okay, then.So here I was, being a doll to my mother and Mirabelle. After trying on at least 10 more dresses, I started losing my temper.“Let me find my own dress, mother. Give me a few minutes,” I say in an exasperated tone to the surprise of the two ladies with me. If this was going to be my wedding, I might as well choose the damn dress since I didn’t get to choose the groom.I walk into the back section of London Bride Couture and sigh. This wasn’t how I pictured myself when I eventually had to choose a wedding dress. I thought I would be a lot happ
I spin around at the voice behind me and look straight into the eyes of Sebastian. Anger flared in his honey-coloured eyes as he took in the scene before him; Nicholas cupping my cheeks and my arms around his waist.I feel the anger radiating off Nicholas when he lets go of me and faces Sebastian, “We were just saying our goodbyes. There is no reason to be rude, Sebastian.” He says, meeting Sebastian’s angry stare.Wait, why the heck was he so angry, anyway?Stepping forward, I walk towards my supposed fiance and meet his gaze, “Nicholas was my intended before they forced me to marry you, Sebastian. I am saying goodbye to him, that is all.” I say to him and he peers down at me.“Irrelevant. I will not have another Eliana as my betrothed. You will go with me right this instant as we need to discuss a few things regarding our pending marriage.” He says and turns on his heel, “I don’t like to be kept wait
After fixing up my makeup, I leave the confines of my bedroom and walk downstairs. Might as well strike the iron while it’s hot. My mother’s words are still ringing in my ears as I descend the stairs. Could I be the wife to Sebastian as she was to my father?I spot Sebastian’s back and he turns around as soon as he hears the clicking of my heels. At this vantage point, I had to admit that he looked exceptionally handsome; raven hair that was a little long with a fringe that fell in his eyes. His facial hair was a medium stubble beard trimmed to perfection. Tall, yet broad and muscular. Think of Chris Evans.He looks up at me and an unfamiliar expression crosses his face when he takes in my stony expression. Was he going to try and intimidate or insult me again?I come to a stop in front of him, “Sebastian,” I say and he holds out his hand, palm up.“Walk with me, Elena. I think there are a few things we need to discuss,
1am - The morning of my wedding day.My mother and Mirabelle have been fussing over everything all week and it was driving me crazy. They had my walk-in closet cleaned out yesterday and they delivered my clothes to Sebastian’s villa in Kensington. My home from tomorrow.Heck, from today.I haven’t been able to sleep a wink because of nerves. Sebastian and I have been keeping our distance from one another since our kiss in his office, not that I mind! He threw me for a loop with that kiss, and I haven’t been able to think straight since it happened. At our rehearsal dinner, we were amiable, but as soon as it ended we went our separate ways. We barely made eye contact, and I think Sebastian was as awkward as I was.Rolling around under my covers, I sigh in frustration and decide to give up.The public had suspected something had happened, but the news outlets were too scared to report anything bad about the Dumonts. So now they were
A flutter at my bedroom door gets my attention, and I see Mirabelle saunter in with a beaming smile on her face. This makes me want to break down, and I felt light at the same time; everyone is expecting me to be okay with this, but I am not. I know this needed to be done, but yet again I am everyone’s second choice.“Elena, darling!” she exclaims, taking in my wedding attire with her eyes filling up with unshed tears. “You look beautiful, my dear. This dress altogether compliments your body well.”I genuinely smile at her compliment. Ever since I found out she preferred me to my sister, I have been seeing a different side to her. She certainly wanted me to be with Sebastian, but cared about my happiness as well and felt it lay with her son.In the weeks leading up to the wedding, Mirabelle and I spent a great deal of time together. She explained what they would demand of me as a Dumont wife and how the public would look upon me as Mr