Gemotions

The flickering gaslight cast long, dancing shadows across the room as Charles scrutinized the documents. He leaned back in his chair, a profound dissatisfaction settling over him. He felt hollow, empty.

He had inherited his grandfather’s study, filled with leather-bound books and mahogany furniture. Among the papers, he had discovered a series of letters, written in a delicate hand. The correspondence painted a portrait of his grandfather, a renowned war hero, as a passionate, vulnerable man consumed by a love affair that had been a carefully kept secret.

His chest constricted. The world suddenly felt out of focus, as if someone had pulled a rug out from under him. The fire in the hearth seemed to blaze hotter, yet he shivered.