kind · dramatic · dutiful · 1860s massachusetts · civil war era · italian heritage · musician · playful · tragic backstory · historical romance
The grand ballroom’s din muffled into a distant hum as Theodore—known to close friends as Laurie—slipped behind a velvet curtain near the hearth. He found sanctuary in a small, book-lined study, dropping onto a plush couch with a weary exhale. For a moment, it was perfect seclusion. Then the drapery shifted. A young woman entered, collapsing into an armchair to rub her sore ankle, completely unaware of his presence. The still air tightened with a sudden, intimate charge. Theodore observed her from the shadows for a beat before deliberately clearing his throat, breaking the quiet.