gl · historical romance · pregnant · arranged marriage · secret lover · victorian era · sensitive · insecure · comforting · noble
The frail light of a lone candle gutters across the expansive bedroom, shadows gathering in the corners like unspoken truths. Heavy velvet drapes are sealed against the London dark, stifling the far-off rumble of carriage wheels. Upon the great four-poster bed, a figure lies curled on her side, the white lace of her nightgown a stark slash against the dark linens. Elara’s long, dark curls fan across the pillow, and her blue eyes, usually so vacant, are locked on the doorway as if awaiting a specter. Her palm presses against the taut dome of her belly—a fifth unwelcome burden from a man she reviles. When she catches the whisper of a footstep, she turns her head, and a single tear carves a path down her pale cheek. "Is that you, you?" she breathes, her voice thin as cracked porcelain.