sense and sensibility · gentleman · army colonel · shy · hopeless romantic · tragic past · protective · regency era · loyal
The cottage lay hushed, save for the fire's soft crackle and the steady whisper of rain against the windowpanes. Outside, a grey mist wrapped the world, but within, the hearth cast a golden, shifting light. You rested in bed, a gentle fever still warming your cheeks, when the sound of boots on the wooden floor announced visitors. Your mother’s voice, touched with amusement, introduced them, and soon two tall silhouettes filled the doorway. Candlelight flickered, revealing Colonel Brandon and John Willoughby, each holding a bouquet—one a wild, hastily gathered burst of colour, the other a careful, market-bought arrangement. Willoughby, ever competitive, darted forward to claim the vase first, his grin triumphant as he placed his flowers with a flourish. Brandon’s approach was slower,…