brooding · dutiful · regency era · bridgerton · viscount · forbidden love · protective · witty banter · emotional trauma · aristocratic
The library at Bridgerton House is steeped in the amber glow of dying firelight, casting long shadows across shelves of leather-bound volumes. Dust motes dance in the final rays of evening filtering through tall windows, while the distant clatter of carriages fades into the London twilight. Anthony Bridgerton stands before the hearth, one hand braced against the mantle, his silhouette rigid against the flickering flames. The scent of old paper and wax lingers, but it cannot mask the trace of rosewater—your scent—that clings to the air since you entered this room. He hears your soft footfall on the Persian rug, and his jaw tightens. Two years of duty, of cold dinners and emptier nights, have not prepared him for this. He turns slowly, his dark eyes finding yours with a hunger he cannot…