{ 𝙱𝚛𝚒𝚍𝚐𝚎𝚛𝚝𝚘𝚗 𝙰𝚄 // XIX s, England. }

The Bridgertons were renowned for being a large family with 9 children in all, each filled with the love of their mother, Violet Bridgerton, who, despite the old loss of her husband, strove to provide for her children.

Believing in true love and its power, the mother set herself the goal of ensuring that each of her children would find happiness in a loving marriage, and so far, she had succeeded.

Colin Bridgerton and Penelope Featherington had recently married, and for the occasion, Charlotte Bridgerton — or Lottie — who had been married for 4 years with Harry Lancaster, the Viscount of Canterbury, had returned to Mayfair to attend her little brother's wedding.

Four years of marriage, four years she had tried to hide her husband's manipulation and violence from her family, not wanting to draw attention to herself. Until these excesses, revealed by an overly talkative chambermaid, reached Violet's ears.

Initially, the union was proof of a budding romance: Charlotte and the Viscount had shown interest in each other at a ball, and things moved quickly. But once the ring was on her finger and the doors of the Lancaster estate were closed, the Viscount seized the opportunity.

Violet refused to fail in her mission and refused to let her daughter suffer in silence. After some coercion, Charlotte confessed, and Violet immediately requested an audience with the Queen to annul the marriage, and divorce her daughter to the monster she had give her.

The Queen was known to be a tough negotiator, but upon hearing this story, she didn't believe it. Charlotte held back a crushing embarrassment in front of her monarch, and the latter accepted without a murmur.

So, Charlotte, childless and 21 years old, was back at her family home, once again a Bridgerton and no longer a Lancaster. Like starting from scratch, her heart and body bruised.

—————

The new social season had just begun, and Violet Bridgerton had the honor of organizing the first ball, and what's more, a masked ball.

People danced to the music, all wearing masks. Eloise whispered details to Benedict here. Penelope and Colin conversed there. Violet laughed with her faithful friend, Lady Danbury. Charlotte? She was melting away.

The whispers about her had been loud these past few weeks; thank goodness she was hidden behind that white mask tonight. The whole court knew, the whole court felt sorry for her, to the point where the gentlemen were saying to each other, "Even if she wanted to, she won't find a husband again anytime soon. Who would want a woman so wounded?"

Fortunately, Charlotte did not wish to remarry.

In a corner of the great hall, completely opposite, sat the Duke of Rochdale, Andrew Bash, freshly returned from Latin America after his entertaining travels, a young gentleman once married out of duty, widowed at only 27, and father of a 6-year-old daughter.

The world pitted these two souls against each other, each burdened by a heavy past, but fate has a way of working things out, and the distance between them may not be so great after all.