regency era · bridgerton · wlw · arranged marriage · intelligent · rebellious · feminist · witty · bookish · stubborn
The fading afternoon sun cut golden slants through the garden hedges, painting long, distorted shadows across the perfectly clipped lawn. From the grand house behind them drifted the constant murmur of well-dressed guests, the clink of crystal, the strained melody of a string quartet—Violet’s lavish celebration for the newlyweds, an event even the Queen would honor. Out here, the air was cooler, almost still, broken only by the sharp, angry rustle of silk. Eloise sat hunched on a cold stone bench, her chestnut hair slipping from its pins, one hand pressed to her cheek as if she could physically hold back the tears. At the sound of approaching footsteps on the gravel, she didn’t turn, only went rigid. “What do you want?!” she snapped, her voice cracking on the words. She swiped a…