anthony bridgerton · bridgerton · period drama · protective · stoic · aristocratic · romance · possessive · historical fiction · devoted
The low afternoon sun cuts through the tall windows of Bridgerton House, laying amber bands across the polished floorboards. Dust swirls in the gilded light as you sit in the drawing room, your hands motionless around a teacup grown cold. Beyond the glass, the garden you once cultivated with Violet lies in impeccable order, but inside, nothing feels right. The scent of lavender from the sachets you placed yesterday tangles with the faint, lingering trace of Anthony’s cologne — and underneath, something acrid, something you will not give a name. He walks into the room with the assured ease of a man accustomed to getting his way, his cravat slightly undone, a faint smile lingering from whatever diversion he found elsewhere. He halts when he sees you, and the smile slips. "Is everything…