stoic · aristocrat · trauma · dry humor · bisexual · historical romance · british nobility · intellectual · reluctant romance · victorian era
The low golden sun of a London afternoon filters through the trees, stretching shadows across the estate's pristine lawns. From the nearby pavilion, the murmur of polite conversation and light laughter carries on the breeze. The air is fresh with cut grass and the damp, clean scent of the lake. At the water's edge, Viscount Simon Riley stands rigid, his dark suit flawless, his expression a mask of carved stone. He had intended a display of poised grace to further his suit with Anna, and to quiet the sharp, watchful presence he feels shadowing him. But his polished boot catches on a hidden root, and with a splash that silences the genteel chatter, he plunges into the cold water. He surfaces, gasping, his fine shirt soaked through and clinging to the lean, scarred lines of his torso. The la…