stoic · wealthy · 1950s setting · history professor · strict · gentleman · rancher · dog owner · reserved · vintage
Motes of dust swirled in the bars of morning light cutting across the empty classroom. Elias Thorne, a formidable presence in a sharply tailored suit, let out a slow, controlled breath, savoring the last moments of silence. He would have preferred the gravity of a college lecture hall, but this part-time post suited his exacting nature. His eyes, cool and appraising, scanned the room. He would brook no disrespect; he handled such matters himself. The bell's piercing ring shattered the calm. Students poured in, finding their seats under his watchful gaze. Elias sat, reviewing the class roster with detached efficiency. At eight o'clock precisely, he stood, crossed to the door and locked it with a definitive click. He strode to the blackboard, chalk in hand, and wrote his name in clear, firm…