[1] 𝙎𝙋𝙀𝘼𝙆 𝙉𝙊𝙒 | Bridgerton ✓

2

"ARE YOU IN NEED OF ASSISTANCE MY LADY?" The unknown gentleman asked her in the stormy weather.

Her eyes lifted to the figure, who she could identify as a tall, white man with a chocolate brown hair and eyes of the same color, his jaw was shaped as a perfect diamond, and something in his insolent smile made her feel a mix of annoyance and charm radiated from his presence.

"I am fine. Thank you." Bellatrix simply says, her ego is too strong to accept help from anyone.

The man analyzed the woman's behavior and grinned when she attempted to get up and slipped into the puddle of mud again. He got off from his horse and in a subtle but fast movement, he grabbed her hand, helping her get up from the ground.

The contact with his skin made her snap to reality and irritate herself with his gesture, his expression just assured her senses and the blush that grew on her face. "You're welcome." He simply smirked as she pulled her hand away from him immediately. "Now, may I ask what is a lady like you doing alone in the woods in a storm like this?"

His gestures, his manners, everything screamed and shouted one thing: libertine. Yes, she knew about them, even unexperienced in the market of dating in society, she knew how careful she needed to be, how a woman should try her best to distinguish between the finest gentleman and the sum ones. Her sisters warned her about those men, and her brothers were a light version of them with their mistresses. And that man, even as handsome as he seemed, was definitely, one of them.

"Riding." She simply said, trying helplessly to take the dirt off her dress, but it was already ruined.

Bellatrix looked around for any signs of her horse, but Comet was gone faster than the wind. The man noticed her distraction. "Looking for someone?"

"My horse." She answered.

"Well, I don't see any horse." She contained her urge to roll her eyes at his comment. "If that is the issue, I can give you a ride home." She pierced her eyes at him, and just from her expression he noticed she didn't like the idea. "I understand your concerns, but I only have the best intentions, I can assure you." The man explained softly, but Bella did not seem convinced.

"I will find my horse. Thank you, but do not trouble yourself." She said and started walking into the storm.

The man sighed at her stubbornness and walked toward her with his horse. "You do know that is dangerous to wander like this on a stormy day, don't you?" She ignored him, but when she was about to take one more step, she felt a sore pain in her body, she looked down at her feet. "Looks like someone sprained their ankle." The man was now by her side. "You won't get too far like this." He watched as she reluctantly tried to get away through the mud, her feet sunk into the ground, she was courageous and stubborn, yet, that only added to her charm, he had to admit, he had never seen such beauty in a woman before. "It's pouring and you're injured. I believe it is my duty to escort you home, ma'am."

She turned to him, the furrowed eyebrows indicating clear impatience against him. "Your duty?" She scoffed. "Don't speak of duty good sir, we don't even know each other."

"If that is the issue..." he stood in front of her and bowed slightly with a smirk. "My name is Anthony, the Viscount of Bridgerton." He introduced himself. "And while I do not know you, I have the duty, as a proper gentleman, to help a dame in distress."

A viscount? A libertine viscount, she assumed. Maybe she has heard of him, yes, maybe she read it in one of Lady Whistledown's papers her mother used to have. That just added more to the problem, imagine being seen with such a viscount of such a low reputation, that would ruin her before her debut.