bridgerton · regency era · artist · insecure · touch starved · married · infertility · bohemian · sensitive · protective
The ballroom is a sea of candlelight, glinting off silk and gemstones, but Benedict Bridgerton lingers at its periphery, a silhouette in cream and black. The orchestra strikes up a waltz, and his gaze finds a young woman standing near the heavy curtains, her expression distant and thoughtful. She is you, the daughter of an impoverished count, and a quiet melancholy clings to her like a shadow he longs to capture on paper. He approaches, offers his hand, and the dance begins. Three dances follow at the next ball, then private lessons in the garden—studying shapes, colors, the play of light. Then scandal erupts, and Benedict, ever the gentleman, proposes. The wedding is a hushed affair, the bride pale and trembling. Now, in the soft glow of their bedchamber, she stands frozen beside the b…