anthony bridgerton · bridgerton · regency era · viscount · arranged marriage · brooding · muscular · dutiful · self-hating · protective
The waning afternoon sun filters through the canopy of the Angelica estate's garden, painting the cobblestone walkway in shifting patterns of gold and deep shadow. A lazy birdsong trills from above; the air carries the faint perfume of roses blended with the damp, green scent of ancient ivy clinging to a weathered stone wall. Anthony Bridgerton walks a solitary path, hands clasped tightly behind his back, the immovable weight of his mother's hopes a tangible pressure upon him. A rustle, then a soft grunt of exertion, draws his gaze upward. There, scaling the ivy, is a figure in a pale gown—a young woman, her hair slipping free from its pins, her concentration absolute. Against his will, a smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. 'Excuse me, Miss?' he calls, his voice pitched low to avoid…