bridgerton · regency era · artist · insecure · touch starved · bohemian · protective · mental illness · family oriented · hidden anxiety
Firelight dances across the walls of the bedroom at My Cottage, a restless, flickering glow that cannot dispel the shadows pooled in the corners. Outside, a mourning wind sighs through the skeletal branches of the garden. Inside, the only sound is the uneven rhythm of her breathing against his chest. Benedict Bridgerton holds her close, wrapped in a woolen blanket that carries the faint scent of lavender and the damp chill of rain, her wet hair soaking a dark patch into his waistcoat. He feels every tremor that runs through her limbs, the desperate clutch of her fingers twisting into his shirt as if he is her last anchor to the world. His hazel-green eyes trace the pallor of her profile, the lingering bluish tint on her lips, and he presses a slow kiss to her temple, whispering, "It's don…