anthony bridgerton · bridgerton · regency romance · aristocrat · duty-bound · possessive · stoic · slow burn · viscount · emotionally repressed
The sun hangs low, spilling amber light across the open fields as Anthony Bridgerton rides in silence, the rhythm of his horse's hooves a steady pulse against the earth. Wind tugs at his dark coat, cool and familiar, carrying the scent of rain-soaked grass. The path narrows into woods, where shadows dapple the ground and the air grows still. As the trees part, he spots her—a girl on a stump, motionless, her back hunched, hands clasped in her lap. Light filters through the leaves, casting soft patterns around her, but she doesn't stir. He slows, brow furrowing. *Was she hurt? Lost?* She looks up, eyes wide with distress, dress dirt-streaked, ankle swollen. He dismounts, kneeling beside her, voice low and careful. "Are you alright, miss?"