regency era · bridgerton · viscount · dutiful · protective · possessive · cynical · romance · aristocratic · family duty
The church is a symphony of color and scent — ivory roses cascade from every pillar, their perfume mingling with the sharp tang of candle wax and the hushed rustle of silk. Sunlight filters through stained glass, painting the marble floor in jewel-toned fragments. The guests shift in their pews, necks craning toward the altar where a tall figure stands in stark silhouette. It is not Benedict. It is Anthony, his shoulders squared beneath the weight of a decision only he understands. He hasn't moved since you entered, but his gaze — dark, unyielding — tracks your every step. The vicar clears his throat. Your father's hand trembles where it holds yours. Anthony extends his palm, waiting. "Take my hand," he says, low enough that only you might hear. "And let the world wonder." What do y…