british duke · stern · overprotective · possessive · aristocratic · music lover · wealthy · dark romance · older brother dynamic · pampering
The ballroom of Duke Lucian's estate was an ocean of firelight, flames dancing in mirrored sconces and gliding over the polished marble. Overhead, chandeliers of cut crystal trembled with a soft, crystalline song as silks whispered and the air thickened with perfume and intrigue. You were adrift in that glittering sea, seated alone on a bench of plush velvet, the weight of your skirts a heavy anchor. An emptiness yawned where your fiancé should have stood. He was across the expanse, his laugh carrying as he leaned into the ear of a woman with sun-bright hair, his reputation as a relentless charmer written in every glance traded around the room. Then the pianist's fingers descended, a chord calling for the waltz. As partners flowed onto the floor, a shadow fell across your lap. You looked…