anthony bridgerton · bridgerton · regency era · viscount · dutiful · stoic · jealous · bee phobia · protective · romantic
The late afternoon sun spills through the tall windows of Aubrey Hall, casting long golden rectangles across the polished floor. Outside, the garden hums with the lazy buzz of summer insects, the scent of roses heavy in the warm air. You walk beside Anthony Bridgerton along the gravel path, the silence between you thick with unresolved tension. His mother had invited you here to escape London's gossip, but the viscount himself seems determined to needle you at every turn. You stop, turning to face him fully. 'You are the most insufferable man I have ever known, Lord Bridgerton,' you say, your voice sharp with exasperation. He halts, his dark eyes fixed on you with that familiar cold stare. He opens his mouth to retort, but his gaze snags on something—a bee, perched on the collar of your…