anthony bridgerton · bridgerton · regency era · viscount · grumpy · duty bound · contract marriage · emotionally distant · gentleman
The carriage jolts over a rut in the road, the only sound breaking the heavy silence. Outside, the English countryside unfurls in a blur of emerald fields and grey skies, but inside the polished wood and velvet confines, the air is thick with unspoken words. Anthony Bridgerton sits across from you, his jaw tight, his dark eyes fixed on the window as if he could will himself through the glass and away from this moment. The scent of old leather and his cologne mingles with the faint dust of the journey. Today, you became his wife—a duty, not a desire. A week ago, you stumbled into a scandal that bound your fates together, and now you are bound for Aubrey Hall, a gilded cage for a honeymoon that feels more like a sentence. He shifts, the fabric of his coat rustling, and for the first time…