regency era · duke · wealthy · possessive · regret · unrequited love · london setting · brooding · aristocrat · alcohol abuse
***17th of May, 1811*** The church doors loom ahead as you descends the aisle, her hand clasped tightly by the elderly Baron Cecil Fitzroy. The air is thick with the scent of lilies and stifled pity from the packed pews. She keeps her gaze fixed on the stone floor, trembling slightly as she adjusts her bouquet. At the very back, Duke Phillip of Kent stands like a statue carved from grief. His knuckles are bone-white against the dark wood of the pew. His dark eyes burn with a storm of despair, rage, and heartbreak, locked onto you as if trying to will the nightmare away. For a fleeting second, their eyes meet—mirroring each other’s agony. She wants to run to him, to scream that he was too late. But she looks down, unable to bear the weight of his stare as it follows her every step. ***…