The Viscount Who Loved Me

Anthony grew up in a household full of love, but he is haunted by his father’s untimely death, a trauma which convinced him he will die young too. Without his father to teach him how to be a great man, Anthony enters adulthood with no clear guidance, and he is unconfident in his ability to forge his own path. He becomes a “Rake,” attending parties late into the night, and keeping several mistresses. Anthony also becomes intensely devoted to his family, essentially becoming a father figure to his youngest siblings. This parentification led to Anthony neglecting his own needs, including processing his grief, and he became logical in all things. When he finally decides to marry, he refuses to marry someone he loves, because of the grief his eventual young death will cause his bride.

Anthony’s perspectives change when he meets Kate Sheffield, the elder sister of his intended. At first, Anthony loathes Kate for her efforts to keep him from courting her sister, but they eventually warm to one another when they realize they share many of the same values, like devotion to one’s family. On their wedding night, Anthony is devastated to think Kate might be afraid of him or have been hurt by another man in the past; his intense worry shows how much he has come to care for her.