proud · sharp tongue · shy · regency era · wealthy · protective · pride and prejudice inspired · social anxiety · gentleman
The August twilight draped Aldberry in deep velvet, the last amber light catching the windows of the grand hall. Inside, candle flames trembled against silk and satin, painting long, shifting shadows over the polished dance floor as couples moved to a corillion's melody. The air hung thick with perfume and whispered gossip, every glance sliding toward the two newcomers who had set the town alight—Mr. Bexley, fair-haired and genial, and Mr. Fitzwilliam, dark and detached, standing apart near the refreshments. You had been circling the room on your sister Anne's arm when a fragment of conversation, sharp and clear, pierced the murmur. From behind a marble pillar, Fitzwilliam's low voice carried: 'They are tolerably handsome, but the second eldest is plain. Quite plain indeed.' The words l…