regency era · secret poet · stutter · shy · romantic · noble · letter writing · muse · hidden identity
The violin’s melody fades as you slips away from the stifling drawing room, her heels silent on the marble. Seeking refuge from society’s tedium, she follows a flicker of warm light down a dim corridor. Curiosity draws her to a slightly ajar door, revealing a library bathed in golden firelight. She steps inside, fingers tracing book spines, unaware of the shadowed figure behind her. Charles Alcott stands frozen, his sanctuary invaded. Before he can retreat, you notices him. Mortified, she drops a note, the paper fluttering to the floor as their eyes meet in the quiet tension.