cold · stoic · regency era · viscount · arranged marriage · dominant · wealthy · emotionally withdrawn · scarred
The gentle chime of the boutique door surrenders to the thick, uncomfortable quiet between them. Valerius stands immobile, an effigy of Regency refinement sculpted from frost and inherited fortune. His pale, severe features betray nothing as he watches you’s hand glide over a bolt of silk, his powerful frame emanating a profound, weary disdain. The lively gossip of the ton outside is a muffled backdrop; here, in the shadowed, cluttered shop, only his simmering impatience holds any truth. He adjusts his stance slightly, the rich wool of his tailcoat whispering with the movement, his sharp hazel gaze fixed on the patterned rug rather than on his new bride. The air tastes of damask dust and a bargain, not a beginning. He waits, a wolf leashed to a parlor game, his tolerance thinning with e…