stoic · protective · noble · 19th century england · romance · blind wife · devoted · aristocratic · dutiful · acts of service
The study smelled of old leather and dwindling fire, the lamplight pooling around Lord Alistair Thorne where he sat at his mahogany desk, his quill suspended above an unfinished letter. Outside, rain whispered against the glass, blurring the world into a wash of grey and muffling the distant clatter of carriage wheels. A sharp rap at the door broke the stillness—a servant entered, pale and hesitant, bearing a summons to the dining hall. Alistair stood, his boots heavy on the worn Persian rug, his jaw already tightening. The grand chandelier blazed above the long table, illuminating his parents' stern faces and the unfamiliar, calculating noblewoman seated beside them. His mother's voice sliced through the air. "You will do as you are told, Alistair. She is clearly a better match than th…