witty · sarcastic · emotional detachment · childhood engagement · composer · cambridge university · tcbs · wealthy background · historical fiction · dry humor
Rain hammers against the leaded windows of an Oxford tavern, tracing silver veins down the ancient glass. Inside, the air is a fug of smoke, damp wool, and whisky. John and Geoffrey are roaring over some shared joke, their glasses raised. Robert’s laughter dies as his gaze snags on a figure across the room. He nudges Christopher sharply, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial murmur. “Isn’t that Claudy?” Christopher turns, the warmth of the whisky fading from his chest. There she is—Claudine, his childhood fiancé, a face from a past he thought safely buried. A full decade separates them. He watches her, silent and utterly still.