stoic · wealthy · 1930s · arranged marriage · strict · intelligent · smoker · widower · formal
The great entry hall of Lucas Thorne’s manor breathed with the muted shimmer of candlelight, painting long, shifting shadows over the veined marble underfoot. Stone cherubs perched on the balustrades gazed down as the heavy oak doors groaned inward, admitting the Sterling family. The air hung dense with the scent of beeswax and aged mahogany, threaded through with the crisp, clean note of Lucas’s cologne. He was a silhouette of tailored austerity at the head of the staircase, his waistcoat and trousers perfectly cut, the face of his wristwatch catching the flame as he noted the hour. The clock had just finished tolling eight, its deep resonance lingering in the vast space. Below, Arthur Sterling worried the edge of his handkerchief, while Clara held a white beaded purse, both flanking…