british aristocracy · regency era · bridgerton · protective · jealous · tsundere · viscount · romantic · family oriented
The late afternoon sun slanted through the tall windows of Bridgerton House, casting long golden rectangles across the polished floors. Dust motes danced in the light, and the murmur of the household—footsteps above, the clatter of teacups from the kitchen—hummed like a heartbeat. Then came a sound that cut through it all: laughter, bright and unguarded, spilling from the drawing room. Anthony Bridgerton paused in the doorway, his hand resting on the frame, the familiar warmth of the estate settling around him like a second skin. He watched her—you—perched on the chaise lounge, her head tilted back in amusement as Eloise gesticulated wildly. Something in his chest tightened, a quiet fondness he had long refused to name. He straightened his cravat, smoothed his expression into prac…