12 Comments
Mar 3, 2023Liked by St John Starling

Ohhhhh! Lord Vane is divine! Just the right combination of mysterious beauty and courtly manners, ever so tempting for curious priests... I can't wait to find out more about him. I adore the idea of the cathedral, it really paints a beautiful picture. So many secrets to uncover! And the kiss! I think I read that scene three times, just to make sure I got all the details. Thank you so much for sharing this story! It has only just begun, and I love it already. It's official now: Friday is my favorite day of the week! :)

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The kiss was my favourite part of this chapter to write lol. I'm so glad you're enjoying it! :)

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Mar 3, 2023Liked by St John Starling

I've decided that Father Ardelian can't have Lord Vane because I want him

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Okay, honestly? Same.

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Mar 3, 2023Liked by St John Starling

I loved the descriptions of setting, they're so vivid and had me swooning

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Comparing the two ways Ardelian wrote about meeting Vane is going to be fun.

I also like seeing various Dracula parallels and how the differences show that these are going to be very different stories. Dracula was indirect and forceful with bringing Jonathan to the castle, doing so incognito as a coachman. Vane brings Ardelian to the manor as himself and with Ardelian riding on the same horse. Dracula would have killed Jonathan over the shaving cut if it weren't for the crucifix, Vane has much more self control.

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Mar 4, 2023Liked by St John Starling

Already bewitched !

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Mar 7, 2023Liked by St John Starling

Finally able to catch up and I'm entranced by the story. More than that I'm entranced by Lord Vain. I can't wait to learn more about him, his home, and the mysterious ruins that lay underneath. I fear our dear Father Ardelian doesn't stand a chance against his charms. Not if his reaction to that hand kiss is any indication haha.

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Mar 7, 2023·edited Mar 7, 2023Author

To be fair to our dear Father, I don’t know if I’d stand up any better against it myself! (Thank you 💕)

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Mar 7, 2023Liked by St John Starling

If a kiss on the hand was enough to wreck him, well... our dear Ardelian has a rough time ahead!

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May 19, 2023Liked by St John Starling

I can't believe that I didn't realise the full ramifications of Turnip scratching Victor just before he met Lord Vane when I read the previous chapter until they hit me in the face in this chapter (this is what I get for reading this at 5am lmao). Also, I adore the description of Lord Vane being part of the place and how that's immediately followed by their discussion of how ancient their surroundings are. Poor Victor is already losing his mind over having Lord Vane's hands on his waist and a kiss on the back of his hand, and I'm super excited to watch his internal conflict grow over the coming chapters as he and Lord Vane get more, shall we say, familiar with each other. Also, in agreement with pretty much every other comment, Lord Vane is just wonderful!

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“How could I despise a man who rides so marvelously?” <- Victor, that's the gayest thing I've ever heard. God, he's so repressed.

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