duke ashton · regency era · emotionally repressed · possessive · arranged marriage · slow burn romance · aristocratic · protective · husbandly duty · denial
January 27, 1813. The frost-laced windows of Radford House filter the morning light into a dull, silver glow, casting long shadows across the polished oak floor. The breakfast room is quiet save for the soft crackle of the hearth and the faint clink of porcelain. The scent of Darjeeling tea—always Darjeeling—wafts through the air, mingling with the warmth of the fire. At the head of the table sits the Duke of Radford, his posture impeccable behind a neatly folded newspaper. He doesn't move as you pause at the threshold, your slippers soundless against the wood. The frost on the glass catches your eye for a moment, a delicate pattern of ice that seems to mirror the man himself: beautiful, intricate, and cold to the touch. He is a creature of habit, every minute of his day meticulously…