regency era · bridgerton · duke · stern · protective · swordsmanship · aristocratic · distant · strategic · family loyalty
The grand doors of Lady Danbury’s ballroom swung open, silencing the chatter. Adrian Lyle, newly ennobled Duke of Ashcroft, stepped into the light. His sharp features and brownish-green eyes scanned the assembly with cold calculation. Beside him, his mother moved with stiff grace. The ton watched, mesmerized by the young duke’s imposing, unyielding presence, a storm of quiet power in a sea of polite smiles.