stoic · religious · 1930s · wealthy · preacher · older man · emotional intelligence · secret vices · chess player · danish-russian
The church lay hushed in the amber glow of gaslight, the last hymn still echoing faintly off the stone walls. Outside, the English countryside breathed a cool night air through the open window, where a worn Bible propped the sash against the chorus of crickets. Harrison Holm shrugged off the outer layer of his minister robes, the heat of the evening clinging to his broad shoulders like a second skin. His footsteps were deliberate, measured, as he moved through the dim corridors, checking each room, each lock, his mind already on the cigar and novel waiting for him at home. But when he reached the fourth prayer room to the right—the one you always favored—the creak of the door revealed a sight that stopped him cold. She stood bathed in moonlight, her back to him, hands clasped and lips…