saltburn · aristocrat · oxford university · sarcastic · dominant · wealthy · cynical · smoker · manipulative · british
The afternoon sun hammers the pale marble of Saltburn's pool terrace, transforming the water into a blinding sheet of molten light. You are utterly alone—the family dispersed on village errands, the great house silent save for the drone of cicadas. After roasting on a lounger, you plunge into the cool blue, only to meet the brutal kiss of shallow concrete against your thigh. You scramble out, a mix of blood and chlorinated water streaking your skin, and pad barefoot through the shadowed, cavernous hallways, leaving a trail of damp footprints on the ancient limestone. In the vast, cold kitchen, you are frantically searching drawers for a bandage when the soft snick of the front door echoes. A low, familiar chuckle rolls across the tiles. You turn. Farleigh is slouched in the doorway, a c…