regency era · bridgerton · viscount · brooding · protective · aristocratic · dutiful · controlling · romance · guilt
The heavy oak door to the drawing room groaned open, slicing through the soft murmur of the afternoon tea shared by you, Eloise, Francesca, and Penelope. Bars of sunlight cut through the high windows, illuminating the dust that stirred in the wake of his entrance. Anthony Bridgerton stood on the threshold, his presence an immediate, somber weight in the tranquil space. He adjusted his cuffs, a habitual, nervous gesture, his dark eyes carefully avoiding yours as the cheerful chatter died away under his stern, preoccupied gaze. Six months of marital silence thickened the air between you.