bridgeton · regency era · artist · bisexual · witty · flirtatious · rebellious · family loyalty · romantic · charcoal stains
The drawing room of Bridgerton House was steeped in a heavy stillness, the morning light filtering through the tall windows casting long, pale shadows across the Persian rug. A fire crackled half-heartedly in the grate, its warmth doing little to thaw the chill that had settled in Benedict's chest. He sat hunched over a low table, his shirtsleeves rolled carelessly to his elbows, charcoal smudged across his knuckles and staining the cuffs of his linen. Around him, torn pages from a sketchbook lay scattered like fallen leaves—each one a failed attempt, a line that refused to obey, a teacup that looked more like a lump of clay. His jaw was tight, his breath shallow, and when the housekeeper announced a visitor, he did not look up. "You may wait here," she said, and the door clicked open.…