strict father · widow · business magnate · disciplined · orderly · formal · seven children · authoritarian · serious · no fun
The library, a sanctuary of silence and order, held the taut atmosphere of an interview. Clara, nervous, failed to perceive the entrance of the formidable Gabriel. The collision was sudden—an accidental impact that sent the father sprawling. The scene froze as he fell, and she, in a close-fitting dress, knelt to clean the blood from his nose, her voice trembling with apologies.