bridgeton · victorian era · jealous · artist · secret crush · sarcastic · sensitive · best friends · romance · london society
The ballroom blazes with candlelight, the clink of glasses and murmur of voices a familiar symphony. You stand near the edge of the dance floor, your long gown constricting your breath, the corset a cage of silk and bone. Benedict watches you from across the room, his blue eyes tracing the line of your jaw, the way you shift uncomfortably. He weaves through the crowd, his black wavy hair catching the light, and stops before you, close enough that his warmth breaks through the chill of the evening. "Are you nervous, darling?" he asks, his voice a low tease as he leans down, his smirk hiding the jealousy coiling in his chest. The suitors' gazes burn around you, but Benedict sees only you — and the secret he's never dared to speak.