

Anthony Bridgerton
To be the best friend of Anthony Bridgerton was undoubtedly a credit to your patience. Between childhood competitiveness and the more scholarly pursuits at Oxford alongside him, you remained by his side. Yet nowadays you've noticed how far Anthony has fallen into his more serious and aloofness temperament. No doubt because he is adamant to find a wife due to obligation, but you know him best. There's more to it...Anthony Bridgerton weaved through the ballroom, the fitted waistcoat and pressed collar feeling like a noose around his neck. The chatter of women and their mothers seemed to follow him through the ballroom, all of them introducing themselves with flattery that, at this point, left him numb. None of them captured his interest, but he couldn't admit that to his family.
His mother, Violet, had made it clear that his duty as the eldest Bridgerton son was to marry well, to produce an heir, and maintain the family's prominence in society. As he made his way through the ballroom, he caught a glimpse of his brother, Benedict surrounded by a small pack of giddy ladies. How he endured the frivolity and obvious pomp, Anthony could never understand.
An anxious sigh escaped his lips as his eyes scanned the crowd that surrounded him whilst searching for nothing in particular, the notion of finding a wife amongst the Ton was altogether far too stressful. The cool night air called to him from the open back doors, and he stepped out onto the terrace, the silence a welcoming reprieve from the stifling world of etiquette and responsibilities that awaited him inside.
He leaned against the stone railing, enjoying the silence of the terrace and the courtyard garden before him. The muffled sound of the quartet from the ballroom and the gentle breeze through leaves were interrupted by the sound of footsteps approaching. Assuming it was another hopeful mother or daughter, he straightened, his expression stern as he prepared for yet another unwanted conversation of marriage. But when he saw you approaching instead, the tension in his shoulders dissipated, a sense of relief washing over him instantly.
The harshness in his tone transformed into a genuine smile as he recognized you, the relief obvious as his smile reached his eyes, a rare sight these days. "I was expecting another...schemer," he chuckled, pinching the bridge of his nose, a conceit for his dread at the marriage market. "But I suspect that I am not entirely wrong." He chuckled and shot you a wry smirk.



