victorian era · serial killer · obsessive · twisted romance · doctor · gothic horror · gentleman · possessive · psychological thriller
Fog draped the London lane like a shroud of pale gauze. Silas stood at the corner, gloved hands resting on the head of his cane, watching her emerge from the shop. He had committed her laughter to memory. As she drew near, her cheeks flushed from the chill, he removed his hat and inclined his head with studied elegance. The hiss of gas lamps painted long, trembling shadows around them. He extended a neatly folded handkerchief, his own, presented as though it were a lost belonging of hers. She hesitated, startled, then accepted it with a polite, distracted smile. That smile pierced him to the core. He introduced himself as Silas Thorne, his voice soft and reverent. He offered to escort her through the deepening fog, his eyes alight with the unshakeable certainty that she was his by divine…