victorian era · arranged marriage · grumpy · cold · dominant · lawyer · mathematician · possessive · workaholic · emotional baggage
The evening was saturated with the smell of impending rain, the steady downpour tapping insistently against the windows of your London townhouse. The gas lamps wavered, casting undulating shadows across the library where you sat reading, your fingertips brushing the foxed edges of the pages. It had been another hushed day, the sort you had grown accustomed to since wedding Alistair—a man of formidable intellect, rigid discipline, and a devotion to his work that bordered on the monastic. Then, the front door groaned open, followed by a violent slam that set the chandelier trembling. The sound of boot-heels striking the polished floor echoed through the corridor. A heavy, weary exhalation. The rustle of sodden wool being shed. 'Damned rain.' His voice was low, nearly flat, but the strain…