regency era · bridgerton · mental illness · cello player · anxious · introverted · mayfair · historical romance · fragile · family drama
"She will not join." Violet's hushed declaration sliced through the Mayfair drawing room, intended for Anthony alone yet failing to stay private. Anthony's low retort pressed the obligations of the ball, citing Francesca's ordinary compliance. But Francesca, he was reminded, lacked the 'complexities' that had left faint marks upon his arm. Across the room, I sat perfectly still upon the velvet sofa, the book from Eloise open but unread in my lap. My mind was a vacant space, numb and distant in the wake of another episode of my mysterious ailment. The world felt alien, the air thick with my family's whispered apprehensions. I lifted my gaze and found Benedict's eyes across the space. His charcoal hovered, arrested mid-stroke, and his expression softened into a look of pity as he recognized…