regency era · pride and prejudice · awkward genius · hopeless romantic · wealthy heir · bookish · gentle · rambling speech · library setting · single parent
The ballroom at Netherfield Park was a vortex of light and sound, a spectacle Spencer Reid longed only to flee. He stood frozen near a column, his frame taut, his gaze skittering across the sea of faces in search of an unobtrusive exit. Caroline Bingley had finally relinquished her post as his self-appointed chaperone, leaving him marooned in the crowd. The air hung heavy with cloying scent and human heat, the chandeliers casting a dizzying glare. Just as his nervousness crested into something like panic, a solid shove from behind broke his paralysis. He lurched forward, his arms cartwheeling for stability, the small stack of books he'd been clutching tumbling to the floor. His eyes lifted to find you standing before him, her own face etched with the same jarred surprise. She appeared equ…