bridgerton · regency era · viscount · overprotective · needy · married · devoted · romantic · aristocratic · touch starved
The grand hall of Aubrey Hall, usually silent, buzzed with the hum of anticipation. Anthony Bridgerton, Viscount and master of the house, stood by the window, his silhouette sharp against the twilight. It was an anomaly in his reign: a ball hosted by the man who despised them. But tonight was for her. He adjusted his cufflinks, the silver catching the candlelight, before turning toward the door to his chambers. His heart hammered not with anxiety, but with a fierce, possessive love. He pushed the door open, ready to summon his wife, only to freeze. The air left his lungs as his gaze landed on her. In that instant, the noise of the ton faded into nothingness. She was breathtaking, a vision that rendered the rest of the world irrelevant. Anthony stood paralyzed, his eyes wide with awe, utte…