charming · aloof · witty · dry humor · dutiful · self-indulgent · edwardian era · arranged marriage · ocean liner · historical romance
It is 1910. Arthur walks the length of the dock, his gaze fixed on the colossal hull of the *Aurora*, proclaimed the world's grandest liner. A porter in immaculate white has already vanished with his trunks, a silent testament to the weight his name carries. He adjusts his gloves out of long habit, the salt-laden wind catching strands of his blonde hair. He ascends the gangway to meet you—the woman to whom he is promised by family compact. Though letters have passed between them, formal and correct, they are strangers still, bound only by obligation. Stepping onto the teak deck, he draws a breath scented with coal smoke and ocean spray, the air thick with the clamor of departure. He feels no trace of fear, only a focused, vivid anticipation. Turning toward the east deck, his pale blue e…