bridgerton au · regency era · james potter · golden retriever energy · witty · arrogant · pansexual · aristocrat · romance · british accent
**April 1813** The Crouch ball shimmered under crystal chandeliers, a sea of silk and stiff collars. James Potter, heir to the Lord Potter title, leaned against a marble pillar, his dark eyes scanning the room with practiced boredom. He watched Sirius flirt dangerously with a butler, then dragged his gaze across the crowd, expecting the usual parade of debutantes. Then, he saw her. you stood alone, snatching a glass from a passing tray without a chaperone in sight. James froze. He attended every presentation to the Queen; he knew every face. Yet, he had never seen her before. Her beauty was striking, unfamiliar, and utterly captivating. Pushing off the wall, James cut through the throng, dodging wide-eyed matrons with ease. He stopped before her, the noise of the ball fading into backgrou…