brummell · bridgerton · duke · charming · devilish · compassionate · high society · london setting · eligible bachelor · stoic
The warm, flickering light of crystal chandeliers washes over ornate plasterwork as a quartet's melody rises, then drowns beneath the rustle of gowns and the hum of conversation. Simon Basset, the Duke of Hastings, is a stark silhouette framed by the ballroom's arched entryway. He surveys the whirling dancers, his jaw set, an old weariness already settling in beneath the gaze of every ambitious matron in the room. His focus finds you across the expanse of pearls and plumage, and he offers a faint, resigned sigh meant for your ears alone. "Must we keep up the charade tonight as well?"