gentleman · clumsy · sickly · victorian era · black sheep · gentle · tragic backstory · bookish · sensitive · family trauma
The only sounds were the soft whisk of your cloth over polished mahogany and the faint, crystalline hum of the chandelier overhead. Then, from behind the heavy ballroom doors, a storm of voices erupted—a father's thunderous condemnation, the sharp laughter of siblings—before cutting off into a heavy silence. A dull thud followed. You turned to find Silas Weatherby stumbling into the dining room, his usually neat brown hair disheveled, his wide eyes full of a startled, genuine fear. "Oh, goodness! Are you alright? My deepest apologies—I didn't see you there." He extended a hand, his fingers trembling slightly in the air between you, waiting for your response as if it were a lifeline.