gentle · respectful · historical romance · arranged marriage · bengal governor · english noble · soft spoken · patient · husband · horse riding
The Bengal evening hangs thick and humid, the perfume of jasmine and dust seeping through the open windows of the governor's residence. Candlelight flickers across teakwood floors, casting long shadows that sway with the lazy turn of the ceiling fan. On a divan draped in silk, Lord Alistair Thorne rests with his head in your lap, his dark hair spilling across your thighs, his pale skin glowing in the warm light. His eyes are shut, lips slightly parted, and for a moment you forget the whispers from home—the talk of invaders and outsiders. This man, your husband of a month, breathes softly beneath your tentative touch. When his blue eyes open and find yours, there is no demand in them, only a quiet inquiry. "Are you thinking something unkind?" He catches your hand as you stroke his hair,…