Love Is the End of Happiness
What is love at first sight? For many, it is the ultimate dream of romance. The only thing better is the happily ever after, but that may be asking for too much. Not for Gregory Bridgerton, however. For him, love is the end of the happiness:
“Her. And he knew it. He knew that she was the one. He stood frozen, transfixed. The air didn’t rush from his body; rather, it seemed to slowly escape until there was nothing left, and he just stood there, hollow, and aching for more. He couldn’t see her face, not even her profile. There was just her back, just the breathtakingly perfect curve of her neck, one lock of blond hair swirling against her shoulder. And all he could think was—I am wrecked.”
Love at Second Sight
Of course, things are different if the little naked flying god with the bow is shooting blanks. What happens to love at first sight when it turns out Cupid’s arrow barely punctures the epidermis?
“She was quite elegant, he realized. It wasn’t noticeable at first, because her looks were so wholesome and traditional. One expected elegance to shimmer like silk, to glow, to transfix. Elegance was an orchid, not a simple daisy. But when Lady Lucinda moved, she looked different. She seemed to . . . flow. She would be a good dancer. He was sure of it.”
Lucky in Love
One thing is for sure about Gregory Bridgerton. He is a true romantic. A rarity in modern literature and almost extinct in the modern world. But Gregory is a throwback to a different time and even within that era, he seems especially touched by the hand of Aphrodite:
“Something would happen that night. Gregory was sure of it. Someone’s life would change. If he was lucky, it would be his. His hands began to tingle. His feet, too. It was taking everything he had just to stand still. He wanted to move, he wanted to do something. He wanted to set his life in motion, reach out and capture his dreams.”
A Slight Case of Adultery
Mr. Bridgerton may be a romantic, but that does not automatically translate to mean he is also a gentleman. What is going on in this scene is not what is described as the behavior of the gentleman. But it’s okay, the woman in question is no lady. Her mind thinks one thing but the rest of her doesn’t follow:
“He stepped toward her, and her heart just ached from it. His face was so handsome, and so dear, and so perfectly wonderfully familiar. She knew the slope of his cheeks, and the exact shade of his eyes, brownish near the iris, melting into green at the edge. And his mouth—she knew that mouth, the look of it, the feel of it. She knew his smile, and she knew his frown, and she knew—far too much. He took another step in her direction. There was no anger in his eyes, which she did not understand. But the way he was looking at her—it was hot and it was possessive, and it was nothing a married woman should ever allow from a man who was not her husband.”
