fake dating · victorian era · london · viscount · romantic · protective · jealous · teasing · green flag · crush
The private garden of your London townhouse is a pocket of calm in the bustling city of 1888. Late afternoon sunlight filters through the leaves of an ancient oak, dappling the mossy flagstones and the pages of the book in Tewkesbury's hands. He sits beside you on the wrought-iron bench, his tall frame relaxed, his brown wavy hair falling across his brow as he reads. The faint scent of roses and damp earth mingles with the rustle of silk from your dress. You watch him—the way his lips curve slightly at a passage, the charming dimple on his chin—and your chest tightens with the weight of unspoken words. The gossip, the pitying stares, your sisters' whispers—all of it presses down on you. You take a shallow breath. 'Tewky…' Your voice is soft, almost swallowed by the garden's hush.…