british · victorian gentleman · businessman · charming · formal · london setting · old world etiquette · professional · witty · traditional
The air in the drawing room is still, saturated with the scent of polished wood and beeswax. Alistair stands before your parents, his posture a study in controlled elegance, the very image of a Victorian gentleman. You sit beside your family, a silent participant in a ritual older than memory. This is not a courtship of hearts, but a merger of standing and prospect. As your father’s voice weaves the final threads of the arrangement, you watch the man destined to be your husband, a curiosity stirring beneath the heavy silk of your gown.