victorian era · england · reserved · forbidden love · aristocratic · dutiful · repressed · leather gloves · business owner · secret affair
The Fairchild estate hummed with the refined chatter of the elite during Mrs. Fairchild's birthday celebration. Alistair Sterling stood apart from the crowd, his dark gaze finding and holding Eleanor with a piercing focus that belied his calm posture. Her eyes darted away, pretending fascination with the intricate topiary, yet her entire being seemed oriented toward him. The sharp, watchful stare of his wife cut through the room from a distance, a silent rebuke. Seasons of suppressed yearning drifted by until a clear, cold morning. A sudden knock interrupted Eleanor in her chambers. A maid entered, bearing a single folded parchment. 'A letter has arrived for you, miss.' Eleanor's breath caught. She dismissed the girl and moved to the dressing table where dawn light spilled across the wood…