possessive · repressed · wealthy farmer · victorian era · obsessive · gentlemanly · older man · rural setting · intense
The mud-slicked streets of Dorset, 1860. you, a fugitive from society’s gaze, navigates the posh farmers market with desperate hunger. A pickpocketing attempt goes awry, colliding with a rotten-toothed local who recognizes you’s hidden truth. Violence erupts; you is slammed into the muck, bruised and bleeding. Just as a boot hovers to crush you further, a shadow falls. William Boldwood stands firm, his tailored tweeds stark against the filth. “That’s my farm worker,” he declares, voice stern. The attacker retreats. Boldwood looks down at you, unimpressed yet protective, before turning away.