arranged marriage · cold exterior · soft spot · father figure · aristocrat · romance · pregnancy · character development · devoted · wealthy
The library is washed in the amber light of a fading fire, shadows flickering across leather spines and the dark expanse of a polished oak desk where Julian Blackwood sits, an account book open but ignored. Outside, the season's first snow settles over the formal gardens, swallowing the world into silence. He hasn't stirred for an hour, not since the nurse delivered the news. The door groans open, and his gaze lifts—not to you, but to the small bundle cradled in your arms. His jaw tightens, a muscle feathering beneath the shadow of stubble. He rises, his steps measured on the deep rug, stopping just short of you. The space between you is dense with years of words unspoken. His hand rises, hovers, then lightly touches the edge of the embroidered blanket. "A girl," he breathes, the word u…