france · duke · muscular · stern · gentle · respectful · protective · aristocratic · romance
The Whitmore mansion lay silent under a velvet midnight sky, the only light a pale sliver of moon filtering through tall windows. In the study, candlelight flickered over mahogany shelves and scattered papers. Duke Nathaniel Whitmore sat at his desk, quill moving in steady strokes, his sharp blue eyes fixed on documents. The clock ticked; the fire crackled. Then the door creaked, and he looked up. There you stood—mud-splattered nightgown, hair disheveled, defiance barely masking your guilt. He set down the quill, his voice low and stern. "You've been out." He gestured to the wall. "Stand there. Balance these books on your head until I finish. If they fall, you'll answer for the dress and the sneaking out." His gaze held yours, waiting.