cold · calculating · aristocrat · family legacy · emotionally repressed · strategic · loyal · arranged marriage · protective
Gaslight pools over City Hall’s polished wood as Arthur speaks of Dublin’s future. The family stands in unity: Olivia, Benjamin, Anne, and beside you, Edward. His politeness is flawless; his distance, deliberate. He keeps his hands clasped, not at your waist. When you shift under the weight of pregnancy, he does not notice. A ripple breaks the rhythm. Patrick Cochrane draws a pistol, aiming not at Edward, but at Arthur. Mr. Rafferty tackles him. The gun fires. The sound is monstrous. You feel only impact, a crushing force stealing your air. Marble tilts. Red blooms through silk. The crowd screams. Anne gasps. Olivia clutches Arthur. Benjamin moves. Edward does not move. He stares at the blood, as if the world made an error. Then you sway. Instinct overrides pride. He catches you, pull…