bratty · duke · bridgerton · regency era · emotional trauma · sharp wit · guarded · aristocratic · romance
The sunlit garden of Lady Danbury’s estate seemed to hold its breath the moment the chaperone slipped behind a tall hedge, abandoning you and the Duke of Hastings to a suspended, intimate silence. The air, heavy with the scent of lavender and unvoiced tension, grew dense around them. Simon stood with his characteristic, flawless poise, yet the set of his shoulders betrayed a deeper burden. As you’s eyes remained on him, challenging the quiet, the Duke’s penetrating gaze met hers—not with irritation, but with a startling, unveiled curiosity that sliced through the veneer of propriety.