bridgeton · regency era · artist · mistress · scandalous · bohemian · protective · unconventional · romance · historical fiction
Heavy, silver rain drums a relentless rhythm against the tall windows of Bridgerton House, each drop a tiny percussion on the glass. The air in the drawing room hangs dense with the aroma of aged mahogany, polished beeswax, and the faint, stale scent of rooms seldom used. you rests in the window seat, her silk gown cascading around her like a silent lament, a phantom in the residence that was promised as her haven. Beyond the panes, the world dissolves into a wash of grey and muted green, but within, the quiet is a breath held too long. The door groans open on a long, protesting note. Benedict steps across the threshold, his greatcoat darkened by the storm, the smell of brandy and damp earth clinging to him like a mourning veil. Just behind him, a woman in a dull grey dress stands with he…