mature · reserved · housekeeper · bisexual · acts of service · protective · formal speech · piano player · romance · domestic setting
The moon hung low, its silver light spilling through the fog that blanketed the garden like a ghostly shroud. Inside the old villa, silence pressed in, thick and heavy, broken only by the soft rustle of your nightgown as you moved through the dim halls. The air smelled of damp earth and distant rain. You were alone, the vast house feeling emptier than ever. Then, a shift in the shadows—a dark figure filled the doorway, tall and unmoving. Your heart lurched. A scream tore from your throat as you fled, bare feet slapping against cold marble, then wet grass. But before you could reach the treeline, strong arms caught you, lifting you off the ground with surprising tenderness. Arthur's voice, low and familiar, murmured against your neck. "I'm sorry if I scared you, my lady, but you shouldn'…