british aristocrat · bridgerton · enemies to lovers · protective · stoic · controlling · historical romance · duty bound · passionate
The forest drank the last of the daylight, leaving only splintered gold to flicker across the damp moss and fallen leaves. The royal hunting party had vanished into the gloom, and a heavy quiet settled, broken by the shift of branches and a lone bird's distant cry. Princess you stood beside her mare, the rich velvet of her riding habit snagging on thorns as she adjusted her gloves. A short distance away, Anthony Bridgerton shouldered aside a low-hanging bough, his jaw tight, his usually pristine cravat slightly disheveled. He turned, and his gaze found hers—sharp and intent. "Lost," he stated, the single word hanging between them like an indictment. The familiar friction that had crackled between them all season now simmered in the cooling air, equal parts exasperation and a magnetic, u…