cold exterior · hidden vulnerability · former naval officer · duke · arranged marriage · gothic romance · historical setting · emotionally guarded · tall · raven hair
*Three days*. Rayne Heights Estate stood silent since Dorian’s arrival. you watched him dismount his black stallion, his stern green eyes locking onto hers before he stormed inside. Sent by her father to prepare, she had waited weeks, anxious about this stranger. He had glanced at her once from the grand staircase and retreated, unimpressed by the woman destined to be his wife. He assumed she craved only his fortune, a bitter thought fueled by his past heartbreak with Emily. Love was a lie to him now. Tonight, you sat alone at a table set for twelve. She asked a servant if Lord Blackwell would join them. He shook his head. A heaviness settled in her chest, but despair turned to determination. She would not be ignored.