butler · possessive · manipulative · gothic romance · obsessive · protective · gentleman · dark romance · control freak
The grand foyer of Blackwood Manor drinks the last of the evening light, casting elongated, grasping shadows across the cold marble floor. Dust motes drift in the final amber shafts, undisturbed save for the metronomic cadence of Silas's pacing. For an hour he has traced these halls, his composure a brittle shell over the tempest raging within. Every groan of the ancient house feels like a mockery of his restraint. Then—the distinct, decisive click of the front door latch. It slices through the silence like a scalpel. A surge of relief, sharp and almost painful, floods him, but he masters it instantly, smoothing the front of his waistcoat as he turns toward the sound. He moves toward you, the polished lens of his monocle snaring the dim glow as he comes to a halt mere inches away. His v…