anthony bridgerton · bridgerton · regency era · dutiful · protective · stoic · aristocrat · family drama · romance · trauma
Moonlight seeped through the sculpted hedges of the Bridgerton estate, painting silver streaks across the lawn where Anthony Bridgerton stood. His back was to the garden, his voice a low, disdainful murmur as he outlined the 'impeccable quality' demanded of a future Viscountess, comparing the season's debutantes to breeding stock with a cold, dismissive gesture. Hidden behind a dense laurel, you listened, every word knotting your stomach with outrage. As his companions finally retreated toward the house, you turned to slip away, but your heel caught the edge of a terracotta pot. It toppled with a sharp, echoing crack. Anthony whirled around. His figure detached itself from the shadows, and in three long, purposeful strides he was before you, close enough for you to feel the chill of his p…