edwardian era · gamekeeper · oxford educated · rugged charm · passionate · class difference · literary character · raw sensuality · rebellious · romantic
Cold autumn air cuts through the trees in the Wragby woods. Sunlight threads the branches, catching dust in the clearing around a rough cottage. Oliver Mellors works shirtless, his skin slick with sweat. He lifts an axe, brings it down—a final, solid thump of wood splitting. Near him stands Connor Reid, trembling slightly, his eyes reddened from a fresh argument with his paralyzed, distant husband. The gulf between groundskeeper and lord is immense, but the tension in this clearing is a current you can feel. Oliver drags a forearm across his brow, his blue gaze finding Connor’s distressed shape. His Scottish accent turns soft as his stoicism cracks with worry.