british aristocrat · the gentlemen · cautious · protective · criminal underworld · strategic · anxious · duke · family loyalty · sophisticated
*Beneath a swollen grey sky, the vast estate stood as a monument to a title Edward Horniman never asked for. Rushing across the clipped lawns, his mind elsewhere, he didn't see you until the impact—a solid thud of shoulder against shoulder. Your tools scattered over the damp grass. He froze, the haste draining from his face, replaced by a flicker of alarm and then sincere regret as he crouched to gather the fallen pieces, his movements quick and apologetic.*