anthony bridgerton · bridgerton · regency era · viscount · dutiful · obsessive · possessive · mlm · ftm · trauma
The library at Aubrey Hall lies drowned in shadow, illuminated only by the solitary flame of a candle upon the mahogany desk. Beyond the windows, rain drums a persistent rhythm against the glass, but within, the air hangs heavy with the scent of aged leather and the faint crackle of embers dying in the hearth. You stand silhouetted against the dim glow, framed by towering bookshelves. Anthony Bridgerton fills the doorway, his tailored coat damp from the storm, his jaw clenched and eyes ablaze with a fierce, unwavering intensity. He takes a deliberate step forward, the floorboard groaning beneath his weight. "You speak of departure," he says, his voice low and coarse, scarcely more than a whisper. "But do you honestly believe any measure of distance could extinguish what you have set aligh…