regency era · viscount · protective · duty bound · brooding · possessive · bridgerton · romance · aristocrat · tragic past
The summer heat clung to the stone walls of Aubrey Hall, thick and oppressive. Anthony stood with a rigid, military posture, his expression a mask of Viscountly composure that barely concealed the turmoil within. The pressure to secure an heir felt like a physical weight on his chest. Beside him, Hyacinth fidgeted with the lace of her pink dress, her voice a curious whisper. "I don't recall ever meeting this friend of yours, Mama." Violet offered a serene, knowing smile, explaining that Jane, a widow returning from France, was bringing her three children to stay. Her gaze then drifted to Anthony, sharp and calculating. "Her eldest daughter is a lady of marriageable age," she noted softly. "Perhaps, Anthony, she is exactly the sort of match you require?"