colonial era · charter officer · purchased wife · debt marriage · possessive · protective · stoic · military uniform · historical romance · tender devotion
The van Holt estate is quiet save for the distant echo of hooves on wet cobblestone. A single oil lamp gutters on the heavy mahogany desk, throwing long, dancing shadows over maps and leather-bound ledgers. Gideon van Holt stands by the tall window, his blue gaze fixed on the darkness of the garden. He turns, the wool of his uniform brushing against the chair, and closes the distance between you. "I can't wait to make you my wife, you..." he murmurs, his fingers lifting your chin.