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viscountess-nila · 4 months ago

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A little chaos - Theloise oneshot

Set in the social season after the season Polin gets married. Benophie could or could not be happening, that is up to you. In conclusion, Lady Danbury's boredom can lead to quite a few amazing things.

It seems that even gossip can become boring when it is a person's only source of entertainment.

It was truly a phenomenon that shocked Lady Danbury, and that was not something that happened often.

It had started gradually, a few months into the off-season, as the effect of Lady Whistedown's reveal (something Lady Danbury has suspected; the now Mrs Penelope Bridgerton was a genius indeed) slowly lessened, the excitement of secrets and scandal gradually faded away.

Now as the next season was to commence, the ton made their way back to London, and sitting in her glamorous carriage, Lady Danbury had concluded that gossip would not be enough, the season would only be the slightest bit entertaining with something more.

But what?

Lady Danbury sighed, completely stumped (a first for the intelligent matriarch), and looked out the blinds to see the huts and smoke of Bloomsbury.

And just like that, a plan clicked into place within her devious mind.

A grin unfurled, 'Entertaining indeed'

----------------

A few hours after the next dawn, Lady Danbury arrived at an edge of Bloomsbury, a list of successful worker's names.

The ton had been lacking both drama and population, and Lady Danbury would quench both deficiencies. And it would also align with her opinions on the imbalance of power between the high-fashioned ton of Mayfair and the hard-working citizens of Bloomsbury, who faced blatantly unfair discrimination.

So, starting now, every year, Lady Danbury had decided to provide for 4 of the most successful from the town, so they may also get a chance of the glamorous life Mayfair was born into.

Give them the chance to marry into it. Or to gain powerful influences from it.

Yes, part of this was fueled by the matriarch's guilt of the unearned privileges of her birth, but mostly by the need for something chaotic, something beyond glamorous life.

She looked down at the carefully acquired list of names of the newest members of the ton

Miss. Elina Bernard - silks and velvet merchant, best quality material Violet has used

Violet's clothes were quite impeccable.

Mr. Jacob Clint - import business, from America to Asia, freshest and most authentic Indian products Kate has purchased in London

The new Viscountess could not last a lifetime in London without mangoes and had hunted down this businessman almost immediately.

Miss. Esther Addams - doctor, provides service free of cost and always guarantees recovery, saved Lady Mary in her initial years

Life had not been kind to Mary Sharma in the years after her marriage, but this doctor had been.

However, Lady Danbury's favourite recommendation was the last.

Mr. Theo Sharpe - Printer, most successful in Bloomsbury due to being Lady's Whistledown's preferred printer

Now all that was left was teaching them the basics and introducing them at her ball, the first of the season.

This was going to be fun.

----------------

Theo Sharpe, a man of hard work and dedication did not expect a Countess summoning him to take part in the ridiculousness the uppish ton called a social season.

Two years ago, he would've scoffed in the Lady's face, niceties be damned, for he did not need her charity work or pity.

But then a maddeningly beautiful and terrifying intelligent woman had entered his life (and left, quickly), leaving a mark in his heart that nothing could erase.

And taking Lady Danbury's offer would give him the chance he thought he'd never get, to see Eloise Bridgerton again.

She, evidently, did not think of him every waking moment the way he had these last two years, but being able to see her once again would sustain his feelings for the rest of his life.

And maybe an apology for his damning words the last time he saw her, to erase the guilt of how he's broken their friendship.

And maybe-

She deserves better than you. She deserves better. She deserves better.

Theo watched as Elina, Jacob and Esther accepted Lady Danbury's offer, all varying shades of wonder, shock and scepticism, then their eyes turned to him.

A few seconds of silence then-

"Yes, I'll do it"

I can see Eloise Bridgerton again

----------------

Eloise Bridgerton had come from Scotland's mountain views and brimming libraries, back to London's bustling ton for the sole reason of her mother's masquerade ball, two weeks from now, and had no intention of setting foot in a ballroom that was not hosted by her mother or Kate.

But then she had received Lady Danbury's invite to her Introductory ball, which had boasted a phenomenon that had never been seen before, and now Eloise was intrigued.

From anyone else, that claim would've been untrustworthy, but from Lady Danbury...

It was something considerable indeed.

And so, Eloise sat in a carriage, donning a simple blue dress, riding towards the introductory ball of her 3rd season.

From her right, Benedict asked, "Is there any reason you decided to join us last minute, sister?"

Eloise turned, her eyes showing her confusion.

"I mean, anything or anyone...", the rest of his question trailed off into nothingness as Eloise fixed Benedict with a deadly glare.

He immediately assumes it is about love

Anthony, who was seated beside Kate, grinned, "No brother, Eloise simply wanted to see Lady Danbury's grand phenomenon, as the invite stated"

Her glare and Anthony's grin did not die down until they reached the ball.

----------------

Penelope, Kate and Eloise stood together, though the two married women were whispering with grins on their faces, and clueless Eloise could not last without answers.

"What are you-"

"Eloise", Kate replied, not waiting for the question to be completed, "If you wish for Lady Danbury's surprise to be a surprise, then you cannot know what we are speaking of"

What?

Eloise's mouth fell open, "You know?"

"We were part of planning it", Penelope replied with a cheeky grin.

"Betrayal", Eloise shook her head, "Betrayal, by the only two people I actually trust"

A beat passed, and all three women started laughing, lost in the mirth and comfort of sisterhood.

As Eloise opened her mouth to shoot back another playful retort, an announcement rang out asking everyone's attention and silence.

Lady Danbury stepped onto the podium, a smirk playing on her face.

Eloise's mind was reeling, "But surprises are usually not revealed until the end of the ball!"

Kate simply smiled in response, mirth dancing in her eyes.

Lady Danbury's voice echoed across the room, "Within London, there is a section none of us really consider, and yet is the backbone of our society. Bloomsbury"

Eloise's heart clenched at the memories flooding her brain.

No, don't think about him, he's probably forgotten you already

"The people living there are just as strong and worthy as us all"

Eloise's eyebrows furrowed, Where is she going with this?

Lady Danbury's smile grew, and Eloise's heart picked up the pace in anticipation, "And so, I have decided to present four of Bloomsbury's most successful in this year's social season and will continue to do so every year"

Eloise's mouth fell open, her mind blanking, 'What'

Lady Danbury powered through the rising murmurs of dissent and disapproval, her eyes hardening and her voice turning to steel, "Treat them with the respect you give each other, they work much harder than we do and still succeed beyond our own achievements"

Four people walked out of a door behind Lady Danbury, and Eloise's heart stopped altogether.

"Miss Elina Bernard, Mr Jacob Clint, Miss Esther Addams and-"

His eyes scanned the room and found hers, and suddenly the whole room reduced to the two of them.

"-Mr Theo Sharpe"

----------------

When he was a child, the colour blue had been a favourite to Theo, whether it was the sky, the oceans he read of, or the cover of the only book he owned at the time.

As he grew, preference in colour didn't matter, only the smell of ink, the feel of parchment and the all-consuming need to succeed in his life as his mother had wanted him to.

Then, one unsuspecting day two years ago, a girl had walked into the print shop with eyes somewhere between the skies and the oceans and that childhood fascination had come back in full force.

And once he was better acquainted with her devious mind and knowledge-hungry soul, the fascination had grown into a raging love, love as natural as breathing.

She deserves better. She deserves better, Theo.

This last year, it had morphed into heartache, dull, throbbing and constant, but as their eyes met over a thousand judgemental ones, all he felt was that maddening all-encompassing love, and a smile formed on his face.

The shock lighting those cerulean blue eyes and the faint blush on her face morphed his smile into a grin.

Oh, how he had missed seeing her.

Of course, he could not walk up to her and brazenly declare their friendship and his feelings, which would tarnish both their reputations and this once-in-a-lifetime offer, but before the night ended, he would speak to her.

She would be the only person he thought of all night.

----------------

An hour, it had been an hour since Lady Danbury's announcement, and while most members of the ton were enamoured with Esther's kind smile and caring words (who Eloise had to admit were very pleasant), the 5th Bridgerton's eyes had not left Theo.

It had been an hour. Why hadn't he approached her yet?

Eloise sighed 'He does not care for you anymore Eloise. He has moved with his life and found his success'

Then why couldn't she? Move on, and go forward in her life beyond this pain.

It wasn't entirely her fault, though, for every time she convinced herself he didn't care, his eyes found hers, lingered a little too long for it to be coincidence, his lips curving upwards and all semblance of the belief disappeared.

Why did talking to a friend have to be so complicated?

Maybe because there was a little more-

No. She had decided never to be so careless as to fall in love, she wanted a life of freedom and independence.

But wouldn't Theo give her that?

Caught up in, by her confused heart and raging mind, Eloise did not hear her sisters-in-law approaching until they started speaking.

"You should go talk to him", Penelope's voice rang out from behind her, startling Eloise.

She fixed Penelope with her reproachful eyes, "Yes after my association with political radicals-", Penelope winced, "-that would be an amazing idea"

Kate, who had been clueless until now, lit up with realization, "So this is who you were working with to discover Whistledow-, well Penelope"

Eloise nodded while Pen's expression grew sheepish.

A grin bloomed on the Viscountess's face, "He seems like more than just an acquaintance"

"Yes, he-", Eloise took a deep breath, memories flooding her in full force, "He was a friend, an intellectual, whose thoughts resonated with mine so perfectly it was like debating and talking with myself and yet my best opposition"

Both Kate and Penelope's eyebrows raised in expectation and Eloise blushed, despising the interrogation.

Why me

"Alright maybe, just maybe, mind you", Eloise continued, berating her thundering heart, "I felt a little more than just platonic friendship for him"

The Viscountess smirked, a true successor to Violet Bridgerton, "Very well-"

"But", Eloise interrupted before any plans were hatched, "we broke it off on bad terms, and Theo has probably forgotten all about me"

"You may want to reconsider that Miss Eloise", the voice behind her caused her heart to drop to her stomach, "You make quite the impression"

The girl in question whirled around, and despite her confusion, the rawness of the wound their broken friendship had left on her, the cruel words he had thrown at her last time they had spoken, the sight of his warm brown eyes, the small smirk gracing his lips and the familiar rightward tilt of his head tugged the corners of her lips upward.

The retort came as natural as breathing, "I made an impression on you, Theo Sharpe, because I was the only person who deigned to read your musings and crazy writings"

His eyebrows furrowed in mock confusion, "But were you not the one who came to me for discernment due to the complexity of my ideas?"

She stepped closer to him, tilting his head upwards and relishing the flare of surprise in his chocolate brown eyes, "That was, as I mentioned that day, due to your ineffective communication"

"And as I mentioned that day", he replied, leaning the slightest bit closer to her, "ideas such as those require more exposure to this world of ours", his smirk grew, "and a less fragile mind"

Eloise glared at him, though her smile remained and was about to shoot back another scathing retort when a sharp, pointed cough came from the Viscountess behind her.

Immediately, the two intellectuals became painfully aware of the mere millimetres of space between them and the hundreds of other people in the ballroom with them, jumping back as though they were burned.

A small smile replaced the smirk, "I've missed you, Eloise"

"More like you've missed being in the acquaintance of someone with some semblance of wit, unlike yourself", Eloise's blinding grin at his confession softened as regret passed over her features, "I've missed you too"

Guilt and regret clouded his eyes, "It was my fault, I shouldn't have spoken so cruelly, you can do nothing about your birth and its privileges and...", his voice grew quieter and timid, "Sorry, about the other thing"

The almost kiss

Eloise did not wish to talk of that, she wished to rebuild the friendship she had lost, "No, I- I must apologise. Both of us reacted rashly that day", her ocean-blue eyes met his forest brown ones, "We're not doing whatever the last 2 years was again"

A slight nod and determination shining in his eyes, he offered his arm to her, "Very well, Miss Bridgerton, let us take a turn around the room and discuss Wollstonecraft's Memoir, shall we?"

Butterflies fluttering in her stomach, her grin returning in full force, Eloise took his arm, "I suppose we shall"

----------------

Not so far away from this reunion, three chestnut-haired brothers stood beside each other, each holding a glass of champagne and wearing an expression of disbelief, all looking toward their second younger sister.

"Why is he willingly talking to her, of all the people in this ballroom?", sheer confusion laced Benedict's question, though his soft smile at his sister's happiness was in complete contrast to it.

Colin shook his head, unable to believe what he was witnessing, "Why is she so happy about it? Eloise hates conversing with men of the ton"

"How sightless can the two of you be", Anthony sighed, though he was also shocked (pleasantly, that is), by the turn of events, "They are formerly acquainted, close friends judging the way are conversing. If my speculations are correct, then Mr. Theo, was it? He should be the political radical she was associating with her debut season"

Realisation dawned in Colin's face, while Benedict turned to his older brother grinning and surprised at his perceptiveness, "I'm surprised, brother, this is not the kind of analysis I expected from you", his grin widened, "but I suppose Kate and little Edmund have softened you"

Anthony lit up at the mention of his gorgeous wife and adorable son, "You will get there soon, Benedict, I am sure you will"

"I hope I do"

A few moments of comfortable silence passed and was broken by Benedict once again.

"Well, which one of us is going to interrogate him?"

Anthony replied solemnly, "We do not need to, Eloise herself is enough. If he survives her, our interrogation will be insignificant"

A beat passed and all three brothers burst into laughter, all three rejoicing the happiness of their headstrong sister.

----------------

Had it been seconds, or had it been years? It didn't matter to Theo, for all he cared for was holding onto his arm, speaking at the speed of light, her eyes lighting up like sapphires in sunlight, emotions from excitement to sarcasm taking over her face as they talked and talked and talked.

In his opinion, beautiful was an understatement.

She deserves better. She-

Theo stopped himself. What was he saying? Who was better for Eloise?

Sure, she would live a more comfortable and influential life if she married one of the ton.

But that wasn't what Eloise wanted, was it? No, she was an intellectual, a woman who wanted to advocate for the rights of others, who wanted to read and read and read and might even want to publish one day.

And even the most open-minded of these men would not allow her that life. Theo would.

Theo would do anything for her, but that was another matter entirely.

And the inkling of the thought of her smiling at another man like this had him seeing red.

Yes, economically, she deserved better. But he could not imagine her with any other man, so instead he would become better, for her.

His attention shifted back to reality, where Eloise (still holding onto his arm) had been silent for a few moments, the reason he had let himself spiral into his thoughts.

Eloise's attention had been captured by the dark-haired woman she had been talking to earlier and a man who looked rather similar to Eloise (Theo presumed it was one of her 7 siblings) and despite Eloise's usual distaste for the concept of romance, she seemed rather wistful at the sight.

Theo could see why too. While all the others danced to the music or the steps they had practised, the two of them seemed to be in a world of their own, dancing to a tune only they could hear.

"I thought you would make a remark on how sickening the romance was", Theo asked, "Not stare at them dancing as though you wanted it for yourself"

Eloise rolled her eyes at his remark, though the underlying pensiveness remained, "It is sickening, Theo, one cannot be in the same room as those two at home and want to stay there"

"But?"

Eloise smiled, "But, the man my brother was before Kate entered his life was a ghost of the man he was before my father died. He became entirely work and duty and protecting us, and existing solely for us, killing the side of him that had fun and read books and debated with me for hours about it and lived for himself"

"She brought it back"

"Yes, she did", Eloise's eyes fell once more, "And that is why, despite my distaste for romance, part of me hopes to find someone-", her eyes flicked up, met his, then went downcast again, "-who might change my life the same way"

"A suitor then?", Theo's eyebrows were raised, carefully keeping his jealousy in check.

Eloise scoffed, "As if any man here would let me live the radical life I wish to live. No, I am afraid these thoughts should remain dreams"

In her head, however, there was one man she had in mind, a man who would let her live the life she wanted. She was standing beside him at that very moment.

But why would he want her after how she had reacted the last time?

And it was because of these thoughts that she did not expect his next sentence at all.

"I would", his cheekbones became light pink, and Eloise was doing everything she could to hold in her smile, "I would live the radical life with you"

A few seconds of silence, and Theo continued his voice barely was whisper.

"If you were fine with it, I would court you, you know", he hesitated, but continued, "I know you aren't comfortable with romance and love, and if you tell me to stop right now, I'll stop"

Eloise wanted everything except for him to stop, "Don't"

Hope lit up his eyes as his gaze met hers and he kept talking, "Until you came into my life, my only opinion of the ton was that they're uppish, unempathetic and selfish. I wanted nothing to do with any of them"

Eloise laughed, "Yes, it was evident with how you reacted the first time you saw me"

Theo winced, "Yeah, let's not bring that up. Point is, when I despise the concept of classes and the obvious powerlessness I will feel as a part of this ton, why do you think I took Lady Danbury's offer?"

Eloise's lips curved upwards, her cheeks turning red, which had a smile blossoming on Theo's face as well.

"For you, I came for you, because your constant talking and crazy ideas and rebellious personality have made me fall in love with you, and two years without you in my life has been horrible"

Eloise's smile burst into a full-blown grin, though her eyes were suspiciously bright. Theo couldn't blame her, with tears pricking his own eyes.

"Well", Eloise dragged out the word, her tone childish, her happiness palpable, "Turns out you're in luck because despite you're mediocre writing skills, I love you too"

Theo laughed at her retort, "Very well, Miss Eloise, I suppose I have your permission to court you, then?"

"I think you will also require my brother's", Eloise directed his gaze to the brother who had been dancing, now standing at the edge of the floor, holding onto his wife, but for some reason looking at them.

Theo tilted his head towards her, "I do believe that to court you, your permission of more important than his"

Eloise nodded, bouncing on the balls of her feet with unbridled joy, "That it is. Now that we've got all the emotional stuff sorted, may we please go back to discussing Wollstonecraft's various wonderful arguments"

"You started the emotional stuff, though"

"And you just gave that gods-damned speech about loving me"

"You loved it, don't lie"

And so, for the rest of the night, though neither of them got on the dance floor once, they too danced to a tune only the two of them could hear.

----------------

The next morning, Viscountess Kathani Bridgerton was helping her husband with the ledgers, when a footman entered the room saying a man named Theo Sharpe required an audience with her husband.

The Viscount and Viscountess exchanged a grin, and Anthony left the room, a second after which her mother-in-law entered.

"There's a man calling on Eloise?", Violet asked, her surprise written in her wide eyes, "No, even that is fine. But she seems overjoyed about it?"

Kate beckoned her forward with a conspirator's grin, "I do believe you are yet to hear the events of last night's ball"

A few minutes later, once all the information had been transferred from the current viscountess to the former, Anthony walked in and informed his mother, "I believe you have some chaperoning to do"

After spending a mere five minutes chaperoning Eloise and Theo, Violet started planning the wedding breakfast.

They already acted like a married couple, it wouldn't be long until her planning was put to use.

Violet chuckled under her breath. Yes, she was being a bit dramatic but-

What is life without a little chaos?

Thank you for reading this far <3

(Part 2 if you all like it)

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forasecondtherewedwon · 5 months ago

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The Ladies Whistledown - chapter eight

Pairing: Eloise Bridgerton x Penelope Featherington Rating: T Chapter: 8 / ? Word Count: 2666

With the Viscount and Viscountess came fresh joy. Although Aubrey Hall was the home of all the Bridgertons, Penelope had the pleasure of seeing the place be made even more ready, even more beautiful ahead of the couple’s arrival.

Apparently, Anthony had studied his bride’s preferences closely in advance, and sent instructions to the staff dictating exactly which china ought to be used for the breakfast service, how the furniture in his now-shared bedchamber ought to be rearranged to suit his wife’s taste and habits, and a thousand other little adjustments he thought might please her. Penelope, as was her wont, found his attentiveness very romantic, while Eloise thought it rather silly.

“It is thoughtful,” Penelope said, holding a biscuit on a plate of a different colour and style than the one she had held the day previous.

“Actual thoughtfulness,” Eloise countered, “would be waiting until Kate was here to allow her to make the selections herself. I cannot imagine anything less like freedom than having one’s choices chosen for them.” She scowled and bit into a slice of cake.

Soon enough, the Viscountess was there, and her husband with her. The whole family—plus Penelope, effortlessly included—talked happily together. Penelope was glad to have had the opportunity, because the couple quickly made themselves scarce; after the first day, it was a rarity to glimpse them at any point in the day besides dinner.

“What can they be doing all this time?” Eloise asked Penelope, hunching to lean an elbow on her croquet mallet as though it were a walking stick.

Penelope’s own guesses were indistinct—compilations of hints from her cousin Marina, the romances in novels, and the high, happy, feminine cry that shot from the Viscount and Viscountess’s open window one afternoon while Penelope was passing below, in search of a shady spot to read a book—but Benedict, who had been playing a rather lazy game, now offered them a similarly lazy smile.

“Nothing that need concern you,” he teased.

“It concerns me that our brother is a shockingly poor host,” Eloise countered. “He neglects his duties.”

“Not his duties to his wife.”

This was all Benedict would disclose on the matter. Eloise turned to Penelope, looking frustrated but unsurprised. Benedict saw and chuckled.

“Just tell me,” Eloise insisted.

“It is not for a lady to know.”

“What about Lady Whistledown?”

Penelope eyed Eloise, on alert. Though she trusted Eloise not to reveal their other identity to anyone, it was with Benedict that the trust had the greatest chance of being… if not broken, then bowed. The siblings’ bond had always been strong. Besides Penelope’s, Penelope knew it was Benedict’s friendship Eloise sought out most. In almost all ways, Penelope was glad for her; while her own sisters had forever been her sisters, they had never felt anything like friends. If they had, it was possible she would, at some point or other (and especially when things had been hard), have been tempted to share her great secret.

“Oh, I am certain Lady Whistledown knows,” Benedict said with a grin. “It is there in between every scandal she prints. It is what causes most of them, and what makes many of them worth committing.”

Colin, playing croquet diligently while his opponents loitered about, strode up to them, hiking after his ball. Penelope could see that he had caught a part of his brother’s speech, but perhaps not enough to divine its subject. This was confirmed when he spoke.

“What does Whistledown know?” Colin asked affably.

He looked to Penelope, who understood enough to feel shy. She lowered her gaze without responding. She could sense Eloise’s eyes on her and felt incredibly aware that she had not quite answered her question of whether she wished for Colin to court her. At least, by looking down, Penelope could betray no more than the ladylike ignorance which was expected of her. The men would not press her or tease her the way they might their sister. Eloise may try her again on the subject of Colin later, but it would not be now. Penelope would take the reprieve gratefully.

“Whistledown knows,” Eloise informed them all, “not to announce the winner until the race is run. Clear a path. Colin has struck and it is my turn.”

—

While the Viscount and his wife may have been present in Penelope’s life during her stay at Aubrey Hall, they were not currently entertaining a wider circle or making the social rounds to other families who had decamped to the country. Of course, other members of the Bridgerton family had no need to obey this etiquette of honeymoon isolation, and soon enough, Lady Bridgerton was encouraging Penelope and Eloise out of the comfortable confinement of the Bridgerton grounds, urging them to divert themselves with other young ladies.

The pair submitted grudgingly. There were some very trying teas, in Penelope’s opinion, at which Eloise did little to attempt to appear anything more than aloof and sarcastic, compelling Penelope to stumble along in conversation with ladies who smiled frigidly at her, or looked outright disinterested in her presence. Neither of them was well-suited (because not well-prepared, Penelope thought of them, kindly) to this sort of superficial exchange. Failing to see why she should view the same young ladies from Mayfair as people who deserved the effort she would need to expend to try to impress them, Eloise refused to hide her boredom. Penelope would have loved to hide. It was so much more challenging to be a wallflower out-of-season; though flowers themselves were plentiful, walls were extremely thin on the ground when everyone insisted on taking tea out of doors.

Though Penelope’s sisters were, as ever, no great friends of hers, it was a relief when Philippa hosted an afternoon party at the modest Finch estate. (The estate had been bought, guests would whisper in horror, not inherited.) Penelope knew her sisters would command much of the attention—Philippa because she was hostess and Prudence because she had seemed, all her life, unable to help it. As Penelope travelled the short distance in the Bridgerton carriage, she found herself looking forward to this less demanding event. It would even be pleasant, she thought, to see Mr. Finch again. She wondered whether it was very awful that he might be her favourite relative.

This occasion was different from others Penelope and Eloise had attended lately, not only because the surroundings were less grand, but because the host and hostess were a young married couple. While Penelope had never considered either of her sisters sparkling intellects, Philippa was clearly conscious of having attained that most coveted status which many of her guests had not: wife. Penelope supposed Philippa never had had many friends while on the marriage mart, but now, how the young ladies flocked to her! How they admired her dress, her gardens, the biscuits she served! Never mind that the biscuits were dry (Penelope listened, cornered, while her sister loudly bemoaned the Finches’ terrible cook)—the important thing to her unmarried company was the fact of Philippa having chosen these things herself. That she had had it all done to her taste. They all longed for the same. Even Penelope felt fleetingly jealous when Mr. Finch offered his wife his arm and Philippa slipped hers through, beaming up at him as she clung to his side. Penelope did not care so much for gardens and biscuits; those things were nice, but companionship was another matter entirely.

The guests did not go so far as to ask Philippa how she had caught her Finch (it was not an untitled, slightly odd gentleman any of them saw in their dreams of the perfect union), but they did crowd around Eloise with questions. Penelope would have been buffeted aside had Eloise not grasped her wrist and kept her near with a grip like iron, alarmed at the sudden attention from girls she had only ever dodged and derided. Mere moments after the words “the new Viscountess Bridgerton” came drifting through the air, they were quite hemmed in.

“Is Lady Kate Bridgerton well?” one girl asked.

“Of course she is well, she has just married the Viscount,” another answered.

“Who would not be well with so dashing a husband?” a third young lady agreed, and the trio tittered giddily. Penelope muffled her own laugh after catching sight of Eloise’s disgusted expression.

After compliments and pleasantries, requests for well-wishes to be sent back with them to Aubrey Hall, one girl finally seemed to decide that having the Bridgerton daughter trapped here was too good an opportunity to squander. Her lowered, eager voice cut through below the giggles: “But how did she secure him?”

Penelope watched Eloise flounder.

“Accomplishments?” she guessed.

“Lord Bridgerton was rather critical of mine when he called,” a girl reflected.

“And mine,” another said. “When he came for tea.”

“It cannot all be down to accomplishments, can it? Surely Miss Edwina shared many with her sister, and yet she…”

Apparently realizing speculation was sliding towards scandal, the young lady had the good sense to shut her mouth firmly. But one girl was braver.

“No,” came Cressida’s strong, sure tone. “It was not accomplishments that won Lady Bridgerton her husband.”

“You speak as if you know what did.” Eloise had found her voice. Penelope glanced quickly between the two.

“I cannot claim to,” Cressida demurred, losing none of her superiority in the admission.

Though the rest of the young ladies were as fixated on the exchange as Penelope, Cressida ignored them, brushing between dresses to reach Eloise. She stood right in front of her. Penelope, a little ashamed of herself, felt intimidated by Cressida’s closeness.

“Might I converse with you frankly, Miss Bridgerton?”

Even Eloise swallowed at this entreaty, but then she bucked up, scrunching her face.

“Can’t see why not.”

They moved away from the others, and Penelope wavered, unsure where she belonged. Certainly, she was not one of the young ladies who habitually stood around whispering behind their hands, but neither was she accustomed to sharing Cressida Cowper’s society. But Eloise had gone!

Thankfully, Eloise glanced back at her just then with a look that begged Penelope not to leave her alone with Cressida. Penelope hurried after them, soon striding along on Eloise’s right side while Cressida took the left. Cressida did not smile to see the addition to their party, but neither did she attempt to banish Penelope from her sight. Like most, she accepted that Penelope would be where Eloise was. Penelope appreciated anew that this was still the case.

“The Queen approved of the match,” Cressida observed without preamble.

“She did,” Eloise acknowledged. “At the Featherington Ball.” She tossed Penelope a smile, which was returned.

“In fact,” Cressida continued, as though Eloise’s input had been irrelevant, “even Lady Whistledown raised no objection when she reported it.”

“So?”

“So, it is rare to see our rulers of country and of gossip united in their opinions.” Cressida’s smile was wolfish and, for a moment, Penelope feared that she knew to whom she was speaking, that an accusation was coming, that the wolf-smile was prelude to a pounce.

“Hardly strange though,” Penelope hastened to suggest. “With Miss Edwina Sharma—the Queen’s own diamond—supporting the match, it was in the Queen’s best interests not to—”

“What would you know about the Queen’s best interests?”

Penelope fell silent.

“It is not for me to disagree with Her Majesty,” Cressida went on, wearing an expression of false humility. “I simply wish to understand.”

“What is it, exactly, that you wish to understand?” Eloise blurted, coming to a stop and crossing her arms. Penelope assumed that her friend, like she herself, had wearied of Cressida’s circuitous comments.

“I do not care if it was scandalous,” Cressida hissed. “I do not care if your brother threw one Sharma sister over for another. I care…” And her complexion cleared, what looked like genuine vulnerability flickering across her features. “…that he chose an older bride. Why?”

“You are afraid.” Penelope pronounced her realization as soon as she thought of it.

Cressida barely turned her head to look at her, eyes sliding coldly over her face as she sneered. But she did not—could not—deny it.

“Cressida…” Penelope ventured softly, but Cressida’s eyes flared in annoyance.

“I do not seek your advice,” she snapped. “Your eldest sister is yet unmarried!”

She looked back to Eloise, but whether due to Eloise’s inability to come up with a quick response or to a worry that she had shown more desperation than she had intended when she accosted Eloise, Cressida abruptly left them, swanning back towards the other young ladies with an easy smile on her lips.

Eloise stood shoulder to shoulder with Penelope, observing the pastel cluster.

“What do you make of that?”

“That fresh air is no cure for how horrible Cressida is,” Penelope concluded.

“She was much as she always is,” Eloise allowed.

“Which is horrible,” Penelope prompted.

“Still.”

Eloise swiveled away from the guests, from the house, looking out towards the woods that bordered the property.

“Would you have skewered her?”

“What?”

“Lambasted her, ridiculed her in Whistledown?” Eloise demanded.

Penelope was taken aback.

“What for?”

“For going so long unmarried,” Eloise said, as though it were obvious. And perhaps it should have been; marriage—who looked likely to enter into holy matrimony and who had not yet succeeded—had accounted for much of the ink on any given copy of Penelope’s gossip sheet. But the way Eloise had asked, especially after Penelope had witnessed Cressida’s anxiety with her own eyes, felt unfair.

“No,” she said.

“No?” Eloise was visibly irritated.

“Why are you angry with me?”

Eloise sighed noisily and threw up her hands before allowing her shoulders to sag.

“I am not.” She glanced at Penelope. “Pen, I am not. I am angry that anyone—even Cressida Cowper—should have to wonder if some ladies are keeping the secret of how to find a husband to themselves while others suffer. We suspect each other.” She shifted her weight, looking wounded by her own thoughts. “We suspect each other, as if there is truly anything more to it than chance and contrivance—parents interfering to steer their children this way and that. Into so-called ‘good matches.’ A designation I find very thin indeed.”

“We agreed that we would help them,” Penelope reminded her. “Do not think that is nothing.”

Eloise twitched her mouth to the side, then asked, “Did you imagine that our efforts would include Cressida?”

“I did not imagine they would exclude her,” Penelope said carefully, which made Eloise snort.

“Perhaps Lady Whistledown is growing more generous.”

“Perhaps you have helped with that. Anyway,” Penelope said, “I think it will be… good.”

“So do I.”

“Beginning with the most difficult cases will be a challenge, but it will be satisfying work. Most of all, I believe it will give other ladies hope.”

“Ah,” Eloise said. “I was thinking the primary benefit to getting Cressida married would be how much less you and I would need to find ourselves in her insufferable society.”

“You do not think she will be so much more insufferable once married? My goodness, El, now who is being generous?”

They laughed quietly together before linking arms and heading back towards the gathering.

“Who did you have in mind for the other, by the way?” Eloise asked conspiratorially. Penelope saw her gaze skim those assembled.

“Hmm?”

“The other ‘difficult case.’”

They collected glasses of lemonade and, between sips, Penelope looked in a certain direction, slightly tilting her glass that way as well to indicate her subject.

“Yes, that does make a great deal of sense,” Eloise said.

“It is hardly selfless—”

“Well, we never agreed to selfless. Generous, we’ve said. And helpful. It would certainly be a great help to you if she were settled elsewhere.”

Penelope sighed, gaze still firmly on Prudence.

“I cannot pretend it would not.”

#my writing #The Ladies Whistledown #Bridgerton #peneloise #Penelope Featherington #Eloise Bridgerton #Eloise x Penelope #Peneloise fic #Bridgerton fic #Benedict Bridgerton #Colin Bridgerton #Cressida Cowper

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pagetreader · 10 months ago

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"And which of the brothers do you wish to credit? You know better than I the sort of stock that comes with that breed."

He had her there. Sometimes the truth was a brutal thing.

"I think we can be of use to one another." He reiterated, "You're not the only one lost in the fray at events like this. Not much use, inviting a cripple to dance."

Penelope repressed the urge to grimace. While she wasn’t the most graceful dancer, she was not in the same boat as Kaz, who probably couldn’t so much as sway without causing himself pain. This hindrance of his, however, meant that he had bountiful opportunity to study the guests at every soiree, to learn anything and everything about their habits and tendencies, should he so desire. She swallowed down the uncomfortable lump forming in her throat.

“I find it difficult to imagine there are no provisos to your proposal, Mr. Brekker,” she admitted.

"The deal I'm offering is for you to escape your mother and that I might be allowed to call upon the services of Whistledown for a line or two in her latest column," he paused, "You're clever enough to know it's a good deal. It's public record, the expenses paid to an anonymous contributor for Whistledown's column. Now I doubt a Lord or gentlemen would much approve of his wife making such a lump sum for herself. Unlike them, enterprise is what I'm after."

So that was it. Brekker wished to use Lady Whistledown’s column, her column, for himself. Penelope wasn’t certain she could be more shocked than she was at that moment. He was right, all things considered. No other husband would permit her to continue her writing in such a fashion, should they ever discover her secret.

“You wish to marry her for her written power?”

"I don't want to marry her, I want to marry you. Contrary to what the season might persuade you to think, not all men want foolish wives."

She was utterly stunned. There was no hiding. He was certain it was her, and he was right. The game was over long before it had begun, and Penelope was caught between a rock and a hard place.

“If I were to accept,” she began carefully, “What sorts of things would you want published?”

While it was true, Penelope was in no position to be turning down proposals from anyone, being at the frightening age of a spinster and with no other suitors in sight, she couldn’t fight the urge to protect her alter ego, to protect herself, if need be.

“Wouldn’t it be more plausible that her identity be one of the Bridgertons themselves?”

"And which of the brothers do you wish to credit? You know better than I the sort of stock that comes with that breed."

It was a cruel thing to say, but was it so far from the truth? These past years, Kaz had purchased Whistledown's papers believing them to be useful resources to the comings and goings of mentionable businessmen, socialites; he was sure none had been more disappointed than him to discover the pamphlet was merely lines of teatime gossip; the potential of the papers though was something entirely different.

“Just what are you insinuating, sir, assuming your observations prove correct?”

A brow flicked upward with interest when Miss Featherington drew away from the terrace railing, the making of faux bravery in her countenance.

"I think we can be of use to one another." He rephrased his earlier line. "You're not the only one lost in the fray at events like this. Not much use, inviting a cripple to dance."

She was considerably lacking in height and as he looked down at her, he almost wondered if she was capable of seeing things with more clarity from her position beneath others; always underfoot.

“I still don’t understand. Why would you want to marry her?”

"I don't want to marry her, I want to marry you. Contrary to what the season might persuade you to think, not all men want foolish wives."

#a marriage of business ventures #retrograderesemblance

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theviscountessbridgertonn · 4 years ago

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I NEED a book series about the next generation Bridgertons growing up , like imagine:

• Anthony, Benedict and Colin literally losing their minds over finding their daughters the perfect match, if you thought they was protective over their sisters imagine how they would be over their daughters/nieces

• Uncle Benedict and Auntie Sophie being the favourite family members to stay with - you get very spoiled

•Every niece wants a husband that looks at them the way Uncle Colin looks at Aunt Penelope

• Aunt Eloise is always at your service when you want to prank your parents/siblings/cousins

•As the nephews got older they liked to go to Uncle Michael for womanly advice

•Uncle Anthony is the first person to go to when is trouble, that man can fix anything

•Aunt Daphne and Uncle Simon throw the best parties every year, it’s the favourtie social event of the season

•You never mess with Aunt Hyacinth, she can freeze you with a glare

•Aunt Francesca is the best at giving advice, she always keeps a level head and always keeps your secrets

•The entire family gathers together at Aubrey Hall for Christmas and a few summer games of Pall Mall. Everyone is scared of Aunt Kate during the game- she’s very competitive (especially if Uncle Anthony is playing)

•Uncle Colin likes to turn up just before it’s bedtime, get the children excited with sweets, create noise, a huge mess and then leaves with a mischevious grin at his siblings

• Grandma Violet spends an equal amount of time at the homes of each child and their family- she’s never ever lonely

•The children love it when Aunt Francesca and Uncle Michael visit- they always bring Scottish sweeties and biscuits

• Although Uncle Philip is quiet- he knows everything that’s going on in the family, he’s a good listener

• There’s a competition between Uncle Gregory and Uncle Gareth of who can think of the naughtiest joke (But Aunt Eloise eventually won)

•Aunt Kate’s dog Newton is treated with supreme respect- he’s the goodest of good boys after all

•Uncle Colin will only share his biscuits if you can successfully tackle them from him

• One of the nieces found a box full of Lady Whistledowns, sharing them with her cousins they loved listening to their families love stories- none of them could quite believe it when they discovered Whistledown was Aunt Penelope!!

•Although Oliver and Amanda aren’t blood related- none of the cousins ever treat them with anything less then love and affection

• The nephews (and some nieces) were taught how to shoot by Aunt Eloise, something the Bridgerton brothers refuse to discuss

• Uncle Simon will always help his nephews make up an excuse to leave a party - he remembers how scary those mamas on the prowl for a son in law can be

• It’s every man for himself when trying to choose a Pall Mall mallet- everyone’s after the Mallet of Death

•It’s not considered a successful family game of charades if there hasn’t been a massive argument, followed by someone storming out the room

• Aunt Daphne is always overly affectionate, but all the cousins secretly love the attention she gives

•You can turn up to any of your Auntie/Uncles house with no notice at any time of the day or night and always be welcome to stay for however long you want

• Uncle Benedict burst out crying when he sees one of his nieces sketches of him with ‘the best uncle’ scribbled at the top. He tells anyone who will listen that she will have work in the National Gallery

• Nothing better then Christmas at Aubrey Hall, it’s a very noisy dinner but the entire family gather outside for a snow ball fight

•It’s not uncommon to catch a tear in Grandma Violets eye, she will alway say nothing is wrong but really she is wishing Edmund was there to see how happy her children and grandchildren are

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don-lichterman · 2 years ago

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The Bridgerton Cast Portrait Challenge | Netflix

Nicola Coughlan is never one to keep a secret, much like the character she plays on Bridgerton. Watch as she gives #TUDUM a sneak peek into Lady Whistledown’s first column of Season 3! Bridgerton Season 3, is coming soon only on Netflix. SUBSCRIBE: http://bit.ly/29qBUt7 About Netflix: Netflix is the world’s leading streaming entertainment service with 221 million paid memberships in over 190…

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aion-rsa · 4 years ago

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Bridgerton Review: Netflix Series Redefines Period Romance on TV

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This Bridgerton review is spoiler-free.

With concise storytelling, character development, and big-budget Hollywood aesthetics, Netflix’s latest original television series, Bridgerton, represents the best of British period drama. The series is based on Julia Quinn’s romance novels and production company Shondaland adapted the books with a unique focus on Black and POC representation rarely seen in period dramas. It is safe to say the series has set a new standard for other productions in the genre to follow. Some viewers may be concerned that the pre-release promotion and dialogue around Bridgerton may just be giving lip service to advancing diversity and representation. But, when it comes to racial inclusivity, Bridgerton lives up to and even surpasses expectations.

Adapting the Bridgerton novel series for TV is particularly tricky as each book focuses on one romantic relationship with other characters moving in occasionally conflicting orbits as supporting characters. The series’ scripts successfully transform the story into a true ensemble effort while also weaving in occasional changes and characterization shifts original to the series.

The main focus of the miniseries is, of course, the Bridgerton family, as widowed Lady Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell) attempts to steer her eight children through growing up and the marriage market. From oldest to younger: Anthony (Jonathan Bailey) inherited his father’s title Lord but he’s shirking his responsibility. Benedict (Luke Thompson) is a spare heir and realizes he can forge his own life outside of the strict lines of the Ton. Colin (Luke Newton) is now exploring the marriage market. But all eyes are on the oldest daughter, Daphne (Phoebe Dyvenor), as this is her debut into society. Her younger sister, Eloise (Claudia Jessie), rejects the marriage market but still manages to pay attention to the society gossip.

Lady Violet is not the only mother in the Ton with daughters to marry off. The brassy and ostentatious Lady Portia Featherington (Polly Walker) wants Prudence (Bessie Carter), Phillipa (Harriet Cains), and Penelope (Nicola Coughlan) to secure good matches, but suitors aren’t exactly keen. It’s also not exactly helpful that they have to host Lord Featherington’s (Ben Miller) hot cousin from the countryside, Marina Thomspon (Ruby Barker), who could turn potential suitors her way.

Although Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) is the head of the social scene, the real boss is the gossip mill. The mysterious Lady Whistledown (voiced by Julie Andrews) knows who was the worst dressed at the ball, who had a tryst, and who made a major social faux pas and is all too eager to spill everyone’s secrets in print.

Although Lady Whistledown is perhaps the most fantastical element in the script, her omnipresence in everyone’s affairs is a necessary representation of the limits on reimagining Regency society. At its core, the Ton is obsessed with sustaining wealth, titles, and property. Marriages of virgin women to the eligible bachelors ensure financial and social security for the next generation. The high class single men could have numerous liaisons while only at worst be called a “rake” while the reputation of a wealthy single woman is completely destroyed. This dichotomy is essential to understanding the novel and, in turn, the choices the characters make throughout the episodes.

Although there are constraints in terms of gender and class politics, the plot leaves the Black and POC characters free from interacting with slavery and colonialism. This is where the impact of having Black and experienced inclusive drama writers, such as Doctor Who’s Sarah Dollard, can be seen the most. While some critics may insist that this is a piece of realism the show needs, the intense focus on fantasy renders the need for realism moot. There are only two references to slavery: one is an illusion of a historical event during the slavery era and the other is a reference to Black assimilation into society. Both could be interpreted as classism clashes, but the first is definitely a historical Easter Egg of sorts. All of the Black and POC characters deal with family, relationships, and in some cases financial conflicts that anyone can relate to.

Simon, the Duke of Hastings (Regé-Jean Page), is the Ton’s most eligible bachelor. He contains the multitudes of Regency leading man tropes. Simon is handsome, has several million pounds in the bank, and refuses to marry despite being the most eligible bachelor. The script does a much more effective job in portraying Simon’s backstory to explain his hesitancy towards marriage and raising a family. Viewers see flashes of Simon’s father mocking his stutter and calling him a disgrace to the title. At the same time, the development of Simon’s character shows an acute awareness of avoiding negative stereotypes of Black men, especially regarding anger and assertiveness. His pride and intransigence is clearly a trauma response. By the end, even the most skeptical book reader will recognize that a switch in physical appearance didn’t completely change Simon’s personality.

Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh) acts as Simon’s godmother and advisor. She is an imposing figure but her strength comes from her political and business connections and not from the usual “strong Black women” tropes and, on the flip side of her power moves, is her firm yet tender relationship with Simon. One can argue she is above both Lady Bridgerton and Lady Featherington in the social hierarchy. Black characters like Lady Danbury are extremely rare in period dramas and it is due to the screenwriters’ commitment to shifting the existing narrative. It would have been easy for the screenwriters to stop there as far as featuring Black characters, but Bridgerton adds original to the show characters to enrich the book narrative.

Will Mondrich (Martins Imhangbe) is a boxer who is hoping to provide a more stable living for his wife and kids. The character is a nod to history as Bill Richmond, a former slave turned bare-knuckle boxer is a Regency celebrity. Will is also Simon’s friend and occasional sparring partner. Their conversations end up revealing information the women in their lives are not privy to. It would be easy to label him simply as a foil for Simon, but his livelihood presents an intersection of class and sporting ethics at a time before professional regulation. Men of the Ton spend thousands betting on Will’s fights, but he takes home only a fraction of those winnings. Not only is there more exploration of what Regency men did in spaces away from women, Bridgerton ensures that there are Black and POC characters representing every level of society.

Marina’s storyline is clearly a byproduct of class and gender politics versus race. She is the opposite of Daphne and the Featheringtons, as she comes from the countryside and lives modestly. Lady Whistledown makes particular note of her ability to attract interested suitors. Her natural hair and visibly African features are seen as a positive thing, and many come to call on her which is such a refreshing sight in a genre so stuck on white standards of beauty. Marina may not wish to be constrained by the rules of the Ton but she does not have that luxury. She must make her way through society to make the best of what is offered to her.

Many in the audience may also be looking to see if Bridgerton measures up to previous Regency dramas. It measures up in terms of acting quality and set design but it will fail if people insist on holding the show to historical accuracy standards the creative team rejects. First of all, it is disingenuous to compare a modern romance novel adaptation to adaptations of novels written during or shortly after the Regency. In addition, the show’s extensive focus on the richest members of Regency society is in stark contrast to previous miniseries which portray rural landowners and minor gentry. Austen’s characters in particular are at least one to two full social classes removed from the Ton.

The costumes are the biggest visual assistant towards crafting a different aesthetic than previous productions. Queen Charlotte’s sky high Afro wig paired with massive brocade gowns, Penelope’s sunshine yellow embroidered dress, and differences in the cut of the mens’ breeches only scratch the surface of the purposeful design choices. 7,800 costumes are featured in total in Bridgerton, which is easily double or triple the amount of variety in lower budget UK productions. This is a cornucopia of stylish treats for fans who are willing to set aside their design biases. Many will end up seeing themselves as possible members of the Ton and imagine themselves at a ball. Some historical costumers are already discussing which characters they want to recreate costumes for.

Those who wanted to see an exact replica of existing white-centric aesthetics should definitely avoid the show. It should also be pointed out quite a few of these critics gave productions such as the 2016 War & Peace miniseries, the live action Beauty and the Beast, and Marie Antoinette, a pass on anachronistic and fantasy styling purely because white actors were wearing these costumes.

All that’s missing in the Ton’s elegant mansions, country estates, and stately townhouses is indoor plumbing and electricity. Despite all the talk by showrunner Chris Van Dusen and others on the production team about Bridgerton purposefully moving away from recreating history, the set design of the interior and exterior locations show a surprising level of attention paid to era-accurate details. Netflix’s almost unlimited budget resources were skillfully used to secure the best UK locations, furniture, and set decorations. The design of scenes such as the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens and the are where the influence of historical advisor Dr. Hannah Greig is most visible.

Genre purists may bristle at Bridgerton being described as a “Regency Gossip Girl” but the Lady Whistledown subplot was an overarching plot in the book series before the show existed. Her commentary ties all of the main and subplots together in an effective introduction for non-readers and is an essential component of building the world of the Ton as distinctive from previous productions.

Every good drama needs some mood music to set the tone. Kris Bower’s score is a creative mix of orchestral music and sweeping instrumental covers of recent pop tunes. What’s better to evoke the mood of drama at a ball than a cello pushing out “Bad Guy” by Billie Eillish? This is one other aspect where sticking to authenticity would result in blandness. Bower’s work is one more example of the show featuring Black creatives behind and in front of the camera.

From Bridgerton to Hamilton: A History of Color-Conscious Casting in Period Drama

By Amanda-Rae Prescott

How Bridgerton Can Avoid Outlander’s Mistakes

By Amanda-Rae Prescott

Romance, lust, and love are critical components of the miniseries. Viewers that are opposed to more than hugs and kisses should give the series a wide berth. Despite Regency society being known for having strict rituals around courtship, they were not prudes. Bridgerton replaces the Victorian and modern religious tropes common in the genre with vivid portrayals of male and female desire in hetero and queer relationships. A lot of the strictly PF relationship content viewers expect from Regency dramas comes from Victorian purity culture plus religious moralism and is not accurate to the era. These ideas also have racist undertones as well. Having an open minded approach to the variety of human emotions around relationships enriches the overall story versus productions which use sex scenes for shock value. Some critics may believe this to be the case, but this is a fundamental misunderstanding of what romance fiction is all about.

Although the entire cast brought their A-game to Bridgerton, there are a few standouts that must be specifically mentioned. Phoebe Dyvenor and Regé-Jean Page have excellent chemistry and anti-chemistry depending on the scene. Ruth Gemmell brilliantly portrays Lady Violet as iron-willed but with an endless supply of affection for all her children. Adjoa Andoh brings out the best of Lady Danbury from the books. Nicola Coughlan proves she’s a formidable force in drama as well as comedy. Sabrina Bartlett’s past work in portraying women on the margins of the 18th and 19th Centuries comes through in Siena Rosso.

The main elements the show loses points on are certain teasers for future plot development. Some viewers may feel that the series falls slightly short on queer representation as that plot line isn’t fully developed by the last episode. In addition, the resolution to the most problematic element in The Duke and I may still leave some viewers unsatisfied as ethical questions remain.

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Bridgerton’s eight episodes show the endless possibilities for expanding diversity in romance and period drama on-screen if screenwriters are willing to work alongside authors on a fresh take of their literary world.

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