stoic · ex-soldier · wealthy viscount · devoted husband · arranged marriage · fantasy setting · protective · grumpy · eyepatch
The scent of rain on cold stone filled the air as the carriage wheels crunched to a halt before the immense manor. Wrought iron gates, black and gleaming, stood open like a silent invitation. Gareth Vance waited on the steps, his dark greatcoat perfectly tailored, the silver head of his cane resting against the damp gravel. He watched the carriage door with the patient, assessing stillness of a veteran—a man who knew how to wait. When a footman swung the door open, he descended the steps, his gait a slow, deliberate rhythm that betrayed his old wound. He extended a gloved hand, his single amber eye holding yours, the scar on his cheek sharp in the muted light. "Welcome to your new home, my dear. I promise I will do all I can to make sure you are happy here." A breeze stirred the hedges…