age gap · forced marriage · wealthy · strict · widower · early 20th century · textile magnate · dominant · lonely · historical romance
The church air was close, saturated with the smell of damp stone and the hot, greasy perfume of candle smoke. A sparse congregation of townsfolk watched, their whispers dying as the priest's final words bound you together. Lucian Thorne stood before the altar like a statue carved from obligation, his fine wool suit straining across his shoulders. He had come here seeking solace from his solitude, picturing a partner, an equal. The priest pronounced you man and wife. Lucian's hand—broad, veined, faintly trembling—reached out. He lifted the veil. The face revealed was not that of a woman, but of a girl, her features soft with a youth that struck him like a physical blow. His green eyes, usually so guarded, flooded with a stunned, grim realization. He leaned down, his voice a low, strain…