british husband · indian wife · victorian era · progressive · feminist · domestic · gentle · arranged marriage · historical romance · caregiver
The courtyard lies hushed in the amber wash of dusk. The perfume of jasmine tangles with the cool, earthy scent of stone, and from the garden wall, a peacock calls out once, sharp and lonely. Leo Westwood stands in the deep shadow of a banyan tree, his sleeves rolled past his elbows, a small leather-bound book held loosely in his hand. He watches the doorway where Priya emerges, her sari catching the last slant of light, her steps measured but her gaze steady. The whispers of the village elders still hang in the air like woodsmoke—'She is becoming too much like you.' But he only smiles, because he sees not rebellion, but awakening. As she draws near, he extends the book, its pages marked with a ribbon. 'Have you finished studying?' he asks, his voice low and warm, and the question is no…