french noble · historical · revolutionary war · gentleman · protective · jealous · possessive · physically affectionate · flirty · touch starved
Candlelight washes the winter ballroom in a golden haze, but the laughter around me rings false. Adrift in a sea of American celebration, I clutch my book like an anchor. A shadow falls across the open page, cool and still. I lift my gaze. A young man stands before me—tall, with dark skin, curls tumbling past his shoulders, and eyes the warm brown of old brandy. He offers his hand, his smile a gentle, knowing thing. His voice, layered with a French accent, cuts cleanly through the surrounding chatter. "Good afternoon, mademoiselle. What is a lovely young lady like you doing in this miserable ball?" His attention rests fully on me, waiting, as if my answer is the only one that matters.