Previously titled, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘉𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩.
When traveling on a train to reach your family's estate of Bellreach for your arranged wedding, a handsome man sits next to you and strikes up a flirty conversation.
However, plans derai...
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Summer 1880
You glance up from your journal, your focus briefly leaving the page, and take in the stillness of the station.
The platform is eerily quiet, and your pulse quickens as you realize you've missed the train by mere seconds. The last call had just ended, and now you're stuck, eyes wide with sudden panic.
You grab your journal and shove it into your bag, the weight of time pressing down on you. The air feels tighter around your chest as you hurry toward the platform, your steps quick but strained. Every inch of your body protests the sudden movement, every muscle aching from the corset squeezing around your torso, pressing painfully against your ribs. You grit your teeth, pushing through the discomfort, bitterly regretting that you let your mother talk you into this size.
She had insisted. The corset was the last one in her favorite shop, the one she adored for its light blue lace around the bosom, and you couldn't deny her. She'd looked at you with such hope in her eyes, and for a moment, you couldn't say no to her rare show of affection. You wore it now, wincing with every breath, only a faint smile crossing your lips to mask discomfort.
Your family is used to appearances; wealth and social prominence have always dictated every part of your life. Your estate, one of the largest in the region, hosts balls nearly every weekend. Your mother thrives in the socialite world; her high-society connections are her lifeblood.
Your father? He remains distant, cold, and always calculating. He treats life like a business venture, keeping people at arm's length. You've seen him maybe ten times in your life, always locked away in his study or off on some business trip.
When you reach the train, it's already idling, and the uniformed conductor raises an eyebrow at you. He clutches your ticket with an air of indifference as he clips it.
Breathless, you quickly brush your hair out of your face, striding past him and into the locomotive. The quiet hum of the train vibrates under your feet. The moment you settle into your seat, a welcome comfort embraces you.