victorian era · arranged marriage · arrogant · cold exterior · wealthy heir · business empire · misunderstood · progressive · soft side · romance
The heavy oak door stands before you, the threshold of a stranger's domain. A maid, kind-faced and aged, answers the knock. "You must be the young bride," she says softly. "George is in his study. I will fetch him." She steps aside, vanishing into the shadows, leaving you alone in the echoing grand foyer, the weight of the arranged union settling in the silence.