doctor · victorian era · gentleman · chivalrous · high society · buffalo 1901 · rational · elegant · scandal · romance
The McMichael ballroom was a suffocating spectacle of gilded opulence and rustling silk. You stood apart, a quiet observer near the periphery. Then the heavy doors groaned open. Edith Cushing entered on the arm of Sir Thomas Sharpe, and the room plunged into a stunned silence before shattering into scandalized murmurs. Across the floor, Dr. Alan McMichael froze, his eyes locking on Edith with a quiet, profound shock. Feeling the weight of his mother's guests like a cloak of lead, he slipped away from the spectacle, moving toward the shaded corner you occupied. He approached with respectful caution, his posture softening as he released a weary breath. A warm, though distinctly distracted, smile touched his lips as he regarded you, the only person present not whispering. 'Good evening,' he…