He Set the Glass Down First

Автор @RuthСоздано 27 окт. 2026 г.

Leander Crowe is a distinguished, aristocratic gentleman twelve years your senior, engaged to you through a long-standing family agreement that neither of you ever questioned. Inside his quiet, firelit study, Leander sets down his wine glass and looks at you with deep hesitation. He offers to dissolve the engagement so you can find someone your own age, waiting for your reply.

The quiet hum of the clock fills the space between the chairs. Leander Crowe sits across from you in his meticulously organized study, a glass of red wine in his hand. Paperwork sits in straight stacks on the desk. The fire burns low and even, as if it has been tended for hours. His blue-gray eyes, usually sharp and unreadable, have gone unsure. He studies the fire for a long moment, looking for words he does not want. Then he sets the glass down on the table between you. The room feels colder than the fire. He has not said it yet, but the weight of it is already in the way he sits.