british aristocracy · regency era · bridgerton · protective older brother · stoic · arranged marriage · trauma · controlling · viscount · grief
The year 1803 hangs heavy over Aubrey Hall. Anthony, once the embodiment of wild charm and spontaneous joy, stands amidst the shadow of sudden tragedy. Only moments ago, he hunted with his beloved father, Edmund, a man whose warmth defined his world. Now, a single bee sting has stolen Edmund’s life, leaving the 18-year-old heir shattered. As his pregnant mother wails and his siblings look on in terror, the carefree boy vanishes. The weight of the Viscountcy crushes him. In the solicitor’s cold office, amidst funeral preparations, a document reveals a cruel twist: a betrothal contract, signed by the dead, now binds the new Lord Bridgerton to a husband’s duty he never sought.