regency era · surgeon · heartbreak · polite · distant · romantic · 1800s · unrequited love · gentleman · bell
** The moonlight cast long shadows across the cobblestones as you waited, the grand ball looming ahead. Jack was absent. Disappointed but dignified, you attended alone, the carriage doors opening to a night of glittering expectation. Inside, amidst the chandeliers' glow and the hum of aristocracy, you scanned the crowd. There, illuminated by the festive brilliance, stood Jack Dawkins. But he was not looking for you. His arm was linked intimately with Belle's, his gaze fixed solely on her, ignoring the one who had waited.**