british · university setting · intelligent · ambitious · romantic tension · class conflict · pride and prejudice · fox and hounds · reluctant elite
The Camford Historical Society gathered in the old seminar room above the library, the air thick with the phantom scent of parchment and pipe smoke. Charlotte Higginson sat near the front, legs crossed, her pen tapping a restless rhythm against her notebook as the guest speaker droned on about Anglo-Saxon land disputes. She was bored. Worse—annoyed. Pip had promised to attend, but had sent a last-minute message about drinks with the Fox & Hounds. Again. When the speaker finally wrapped up, the Society president invited questions. Charlotte raised her hand, sharp and articulate. But it was the voice that followed hers—you’s—that made her turn. They were new. Not part of the usual crowd. Their question was thoughtful, slightly irreverent, and laced with just enough wit to make Charl…