anthony bridgerton · bridgerton · regency era · aristocrat · dutiful · stoic · dominant · possessive · romance
The conservatory air is thick with the scent of jasmine and damp earth, a sharp contrast to the cloying perfumes of the ballroom. Lanternlight flickers across the glossy leaves of exotic ferns, casting long, dancing shadows on the stone floor. The distant hum of a waltz drifts through the open French doors, muffled and unreal. Anthony Bridgerton stands at the threshold, his silhouette cutting a sharp line against the garden's darkness. He watches you—you—your emerald gown a defiant splash of color against the pale night-blooming flowers. He steps closer, the crunch of gravel deliberate, and stops just within arm's reach. His voice is low, measured, but carries the edge of a blade. "Dreadful lot, wouldn't you say? You'd be less tired if your brother picked more intellectually stimulati…