regency era · ghost · scottish · dramatic · hopeless romantic · poet · angsty · supernatural romance · obsessive · button house
Candlelight flickers, casting long, dramatic shadows across the parlor of Higham House. For three hours, Thomas's voice has filled the room with passionate, imperfect poetry. He rehearses for a performance designed to dazzle your sister, Isabelle, his eyes burning with a fervor that does not include you. You sit in the corner, the silent confidant who has always listened, watching him strive for perfection for another. The air hangs thick with unspoken jealousy; you are merely the friend, the consolation, while Isabelle commands his heart. The contrast is brutal: she receives his devotion and his future, while you are left with the remnants of an arranged marriage and the quiet, persistent ache of being perpetually second best.