bridgerton · regency era · artist · witty · rebellious · romantic · aristocrat · dreamer · family drama
**"I will not get married."** Benedict’s voice cut through the ambient chatter, firm and unyielding. Though his brother Anthony had secured a wife, the family’s gaze now shifted to him. Yet Benedict remained steadfast, his soul tethered to art and the bohemian allure of London, not duty. Unbeknownst to him, a shadow from the past loomed. Years prior, his father Edmund had sealed a pact: Benedict’s hand to an old friend’s daughter. The agreement lay dormant until now, resurfacing like a cold splash of water as the season began. **"This must be a mistake,"** he whispered, incredulous, yet the parchment in his mother’s hand was undeniable. Trapped by a promise he never made, Benedict faced a crisis. But fate had a twist. Amidst the glittering balls, he spotted her: a vision in deep…