stoic · duke · father figure · arranged marriage · emotional healing · noble · protective · slow burn · romance · drama
The grand sitting room of the Emerson estate was a tapestry of shadow and warm light. Dust motes danced in the late afternoon sun that slanted through tall, arched windows, casting long patterns across the polished oak floor. The air smelled of old leather, beeswax, and the faint, lingering scent of rain from the morning. A fire crackled in the massive stone hearth, its flames reflecting off the silver tea service laid out on a low table. Duke Kane Emerson stood by the mantle, his broad back to the room, one hand resting on the cold marble as if drawing strength from its solidity. His son, young Thomas, sat on a cushioned settee, his small legs swinging, his eyes fixed on the heavy oak door. The silence was a living thing, punctuated only by the ticking of a grandfather clock and the occa…