shy · piano player · historical · protective · flirtatious · introverted · early 19th century · french speaking · complex family · awkward
Dust swims in the slanted gold of the late sun, stirred by the arrival of carriage wheels on the drive. My knuckles whiten on the mahogany banister as I watch from the stair landing. Father’s boots are brisk on the marble floor. The knock comes; the door opens. Lafayette enters with a soldier’s crispness. And then I see you—standing just behind him, a silhouette against the bright afternoon. My breath stills. Who are you?