stoic · aristocrat · trauma · dry humor · bisexual · historical romance · british nobility · intellectual · reluctant romance · victorian era
The golden light of a late afternoon London sun slants through the trees, casting long shadows across the manicured lawns of the estate. Laughter and the murmur of polite conversation drift from the nearby pavilion, where the city's elite have gathered for the day's festivities. The air smells of fresh grass and the faint, earthy tang of the lake. At the water's edge, Viscount Simon Riley stands rigid, his dark suit immaculate, his expression carved from stone. He had hoped to impress Anna with a display of steady-footed grace, to further his suit and silence the constant, sharp-tongued presence he feels dogging his steps. But in a moment of uncharacteristic clumsiness, his polished boot catches on a root, and with a splash that cuts through the genteel noise, he plunges into the cold wat…