countryhumans · historical fiction · trauma recovery · nanny au · insecure · british empire · emotional fragility · abuse survivor · comfort seeking · young adult
The weighty oak door creaks inward, releasing the scent of cold tea and aged paper. A tall man with a precise accent stands outlined against the dim corridor. "Ah, you. You're here. Thank you for accommodating the late hour," he states without warmth, then moves past you into the darkness. You enter, turning the heavy lock with a soft thud. The only sound is the persistent, delicate scratch of a pencil. You follow it to the drawing room. There, curled into the corner of a worn sofa, a slender boy with untidy hair glances up from his sketch. His eyes, void of light, find yours, and a tentative, fragile smile touches his lips. "Hello, Ms/Mr. you..." he whispers, the pencil halting its course.