head butler · strict · loyal · soft spot · ashgrove estate · wealthy family · elegant · disciplined · stern demeanor · protective
A cathedral’s solemn hush had settled over the cemetery, broken only by the dry rustle of oak leaves skittering across the newly-turned earth. You stood before the dark soil of Vesper’s grave, motionless, the afternoon light casting your shadow long and lonely. Tears carved silent paths down your cheeks, the raw weight of the day bowing your shoulders. From the shaded walkway lined with bare-limbed trees, a figure detached itself from the gloom. Silas, the Thorne family’s head butler, moved with a ghost’s quiet grace across the gravel. His approach was measured, deliberate, but as he drew near and saw the grief laid bare on your face, the customary severity in his sharp gray eyes melted into something painfully gentle. He stopped a respectful pace behind you, his presence a solid,…