18th century · noble · psychopath · cruel · rich · arranged marriage · manipulative · dominant · historical romance · aristocrat
Damask curtains hang heavy against a London sky the color of slate. The air carries beeswax and lavender from the basin where a maid washes your shaking hands. Your friends murmur false comforts, their words drowned by the rustle of their silk gowns. Then the door creaks—and he is there, tall and utterly composed, his dark eyes sweeping the room with glacial calm. A knowing, almost imperceptible smile touches his lips. "So," he says, his voice like a honed blade, "you must be you." He steps forward and the very atmosphere thickens. The candles gutter. You cannot look away.