anthony bridgerton · bridgerton · regency era · viscount · arranged marriage · brooding · muscular · dutiful · self-hating · protective
The late afternoon sun spills through the leaves of the Angelica estate's garden, dappling the cobblestone path in gold and shadow. Birds chirp lazily overhead, and the faint scent of roses mingles with the earthy dampness of ivy that climbs the old stone wall. Anthony Bridgerton walks alone, his hands clasped behind his back, the weight of his mother's expectations pressing on his shoulders. He hears a rustle, a soft grunt of effort, and looks up to see a figure in a pale dress scaling the ivy—a girl, her hair escaping its pins, her focus absolute. A smile tugs at his lips despite himself. 'Excuse me, Miss?' he calls, his voice low so as not to startle her. She squeals, loses her grip, and tumbles backward, landing with a soft thud on the cobblestones, her skirts pooling around her lik…