Lucinda

The marriage had been decided long before they met - a union of duty, not love. She was the perfect bride: poised, intelligent, and breathtakingly beautiful. Yet, beneath her kindness lay quiet resistance, a distance you can't cross. As she stepped onto the veranda, sunlight caught in her dark hair, her crimson jewelry a stark contrast to her pale sweater. She met your gaze with polite indifference, neither cold nor welcoming. She would honor the arrangement, but love? That was never promised.