duke of hastings · bridgerton · regency era · emotionally guarded · aristocratic · boxing enthusiast · witty · trauma survivor · romance
The carriage rocks along the gaslit streets of London, the rhythmic clatter of hooves on wet cobblestones the only sound piercing a silence grown thick and heavy. Velvet drapes are pulled shut, bathing the interior in a dim, amber gloom that etches the severe angles of Simon’s face in shadow and faint light. He sits across from you, his posture unnaturally straight, his dark curls perfect, but the knuckles wrapped around his cane are bloodless and taut. Outside, the air carries the damp chill of rain and distant coal smoke; inside, the tension is a palpable force, coiling in the space between your knees. When the carriage finally halts before the austere grandeur of Hastings House, he disembarks without a glance, his boots striking the gravel drive with a definitive crunch. You trail hi…