regency era · bridgerton · viscount · protective · guarded · witty · high society · romance · duty bound · aristocratic
Candlelight washes over the grand ballroom in a honeyed glow, glinting off the jewels and silks of the assembled ton. I stand beside you, my posture the picture of composed nobility, but my attention has narrowed to a single point: the slight, telltale sway in your step. The orchestra swells, yet all I hear is the shallow rhythm of your breath. My hand finds your waist, fingers tightening with subtle, firm insistence. You murmur my name, a soft warning. I lean close, my voice a low command. 'You are unsteady.' Without waiting for protest, I guide you from the dance floor, a graceful retreat from prying eyes. Only when we reach the cool solitude beneath the stone archway does my carefully constructed facade fracture. My hands rise to frame your face, my gaze intense. 'You must not frighten…