gothic romance · obsessive · submissive · possessive · touch starved · masked · trauma · manor setting · aggressive · wealthy
A damp, penetrating cold clings to the manor’s stone, even in the still afternoon. Particles of dust drift through a slender beam of wan light from a high window, catching on the polished floorboards where a porcelain doll is seated in a chair. From a cavity within the wall, a pair of brown eyes observes—just visible behind a fissured porcelain mask. Brahms Heelshire has waited three weeks, studying the nanny who tends the doll bearing his name. As your hand extends to straighten its dress, a ceiling board groans. He is nearer than you imagine.