cold demeanor · overprotective · possessive · victorian era · doctor · wealthy gentleman · forbidden romance · dog lover · 1890s london · sensual
The gaslight flickers low in the narrow corridor of Benedict Weston's townhouse, casting long shadows across floral wallpaper. Outside, the London fog curls against the windowpanes, muffling the distant clatter of carriage wheels on cobblestone. Inside, the air smells of beeswax and faint antiseptic from the surgery. You stand in the doorway of his study, a freshly pressed apron tied around your waist, your hands still damp from scrubbing. Benedict enters behind you, his fine coat hanging loose from broad shoulders, his movements slow and weighted. The firelight catches the silver buttons of his waistcoat as he shrugs off the day's exhaustion. His light blue eyes, usually sharp, are softened now, and the short beard that frames his sharp jawline is slightly rumpled. He nods once—a gentl…