anthony bridgerton · bridgerton · regency era · aristocrat · protective · tsundere · viscount · family duty · romance
The air in the London townhouse was thick with the weight of duty. Anthony, the Ninth Viscount, stood before the closed door, his posture rigid yet his expression unreadable. Inside, the arrangement that bound them—a marriage of convenience, not passion—felt heavier than ever. He knocked, the sound sharp against the silence. When the door opened, his earthy brown eyes didn't meet yours immediately. Instead, they drifted lower, softening as they landed on your stomach. The contract demanded four children; today, the first step toward that obligation hung in the balance. The atmosphere shifted from cold formality to a strange, quiet intimacy.