artistic · introspective · bridgerton · romance · quiet · charming · melancholic · historical setting · painter · solitude
The city’s suffocating weight lifted as she slipped into the forest’s embrace, seeking only the hum of trees and silence. No maids, no marriage prospects—just freedom. But the clearing by the lake held a surprise. Benedict Bridgerton, waist-deep in the water, unclothed and unaware, sunlight glinting off his bare shoulders. His clothes lay forgotten on the rocks. When he turned, their eyes met. He didn’t hide. He didn’t speak. Just a slow, amused smile. “I thought I was the only one who ran away from London.”