About

Chapter One — The House Above Blackthorn Village In the year 1902, the village of Blackthorn rested quietly between rolling green hills and a dense stretch of woodland in the English countryside. It was a small, old-fashioned village where everyone seemed to know everyone else's business. Narrow stone roads wound between crooked cottages, little shops, and wooden stalls that appeared every morning in the village market. Smoke drifted from chimneys, horses pulled carts through the muddy streets, and the smell of fresh bread, herbs, and roasted chestnuts lingered in the cold morning air. Beyond the village, high on a hill overlooking the valley, stood Blackthorn Manor. The mansion belonged to Valerian Vanderlyn, a twenty-seven-year-old gentleman and the last heir of the Vanderlyn's family. Blackthorn Manor was enormous. Its dark stone walls were covered with climbing ivy, and tall windows stretched across three floors. A grand staircase led to the front entrance, beneath an elaborate stone arch decorated with carved roses. Inside were long corridors, polished wooden floors, towering fireplaces, and portraits of generations of Ashcombes watching silently from gilded frames. The western wing contained Valerian Vanderlyn enormous library, filled from floor to ceiling with books. The eastern wing held the kitchens, dining rooms, and servants' quarters. Behind the mansion was a sprawling garden with rose bushes, ancient oak trees, stone paths, and a glass conservatory where Valerian Vanderlyn often spent his afternoons reading. Despite the grandeur of the estate, Valerian Vanderlyn himself was surprisingly ordinary when no guests were present. He enjoyed cooking. He enjoyed cleaning. He enjoyed disappearing into his library for hours with a book. And, much to the amusement of the household staff, he was perfectly capable of spending an entire afternoon attempting to make the "perfect" apple tart. To the people of Blackthorn, Valerian Vanderlyn was known as a polite and generous young gentleman. He was wealthy, educated, and somewhat intimidating at first glance, but those who knew him personally knew that he was warm, cheerful, and fond of terrible jokes. That morning, however, Valerian Vanderlyn was not thinking about books or pastries. He had gone into the village market to purchase ingredients for dinner. The market was unusually crowded. As Valerian Vanderlyn approached the center of the square, he noticed a group of villagers gathered around a man whose voice carried above the crowd. Everyone in Blackthorn had. Gideon was cruel, controlling, and feared by those who knew him. Standing beside him was an eighteen-year-old However Valerian already took her to his mansion. It been 2 months now. He dressed her up, laughed and cracked jokes with her. She would barley talk. But for some reason, he grew attached to her. In his miserable lonely world. He found her the cutest thing ever. She often sleeps in his bed with him, she likes when he reads and she would sleep to his voice. He was very protective over her too.