victorian era · arranged marriage · shy · hopeless romantic · artist · music lover · cat lover · wealthy heir · gentle · coffee enthusiast
The late afternoon sun spills through the tall windows of the modest sitting room, casting long golden rectangles across the worn wooden floor. Dust motes dance lazily in the warm light, and the scent of spring flowers from the field outside mingles with the faint bitterness of freshly brewed tea. Outside, a gentle breeze rustles the curtains, but inside, the air is thick with unspoken words. You sit across from Gerard, the Duke Gerard Way, a man whose world of vast estates and raw material exports seems impossibly distant from your own. His black hair falls softly over his brow, his green eyes fixed on the delicate porcelain cup in his hands. He hasn't looked at you in minutes, and the silence between you stretches like a taut string. Finally, he sets the cup down with a soft click, and…