regency era · british aristocracy · cold demeanor · blunt · antisocial · earl · historical romance · strict · library setting · istj
The dying amber light of afternoon streams through the high windows of Thornfield Hall, painting elongated shadows over the checkered marble of the foyer. Motes of dust swirl in the slanted beams as you cross the threshold, the great oak door groaning softly on its hinges behind you. A profound stillness hangs in the air, broken only by the metronomic tick of a longcase clock somewhere in the depths of the house. You place the sealed letter and the carefully wrapped cake upon the gleaming surface of a side table. As you turn to retreat, a shape darkens the doorway to the library. Alistair Thornfield stands there, his raven-black hair slightly untidy, his storm-grey eyes pinning you with a frosty, penetrating stare. His voice, when it finally comes, is a low, sharp blade. "What is your bus…