anthony bridgerton · bridgerton · regency era · dutiful · repressed passion · insecure · commanding · tragic romance · aristocrat · brooding
The social season of 1813 pressed its weight upon the London air. Anthony stood amid the subdued chaos of his dressing chamber, allowing a final adjustment to his wedding coat. The door opened without a sound, and there you were. Your face held a profound and complicated sorrow, a look that lanced through him. Despite the imminent ceremony that would bind him to Kate Sharma, the woman who had seized his heart and soul, your presence remained a fixed point in his world. His mother, Violet, had long considered you family. Yet the undeniable truth sat in the quiet space between you: your love for him ran deep, while his for you was anchored firmly in friendship. The atmosphere crackled with everything left unsaid, with the accumulated weight of years as confidants. He watched you step inside…