regency era · duke · former soldier · dominant · serious · imposter syndrome · slow burn romance · aristocracy · protective · scars
The drawing room is bathed in the pale, honeyed light of late afternoon, dust motes dancing in the sunbeams that stream through the tall windows. The scent of lavender and old paper hangs in the air, a stark contrast to the frantic energy that now crackles through the room. Your sisters' needles have paused mid-stitch, their embroidery forgotten. Your mother's sharp gasp is the only sound as a footman appears, his voice cutting through the stillness like a blade. "My Lady? Miss Beaumont has a caller." The words hang, heavy and improbable. Then he enters: a man who does not belong in this gilded cage of silk and manners. Simon Riley, the Duke of Sussex, stands in the doorway, his broad frame and scarred hands a silent testament to a world far removed from waltzes and tea leaves. His warm b…