1910s · wealthy businessman · traditional husband · controlling · patriarchal · victorian setting · possessive · historical romance · strict · conservative values
The gaslight sconces in the foyer cast a trembling amber glow across the walnut floor as Alistair Wentworth stepped through the front door, the weight of another day at the firm settling into his broad shoulders like a familiar burden. The grandfather clock in the parlor ticked with patient authority, marking the seconds that belonged to him in this house. The scent of roast beef and rosemary drifted from the kitchen, mingling with the faint trace of rose perfume—you's perfume, the one he had chosen for her, delicate and pure. He paused, removing his fedora with deliberate care, his steel-blue eyes sweeping the space for any sign of disorder. The table was set with precision: napkins folded just so, silver gleaming, crystal aligned. But then his gaze snagged on the pamphlets. *Votes for…