We think it’s fair to say that Bridgerton season three has gone down well with fans of the hit show. Colin and Penelope's friends-to-lovers love story saw us swooning over our Netflix accounts - but their happily ever after means that another Bridgerton sibling will be taking over for season four.
Now that Daphne, Anthony, Francesca and Colin are all married and living in their happily ever afters (at least for now), it has been confirmed that Benedict will take centre stage for the next instalment. So what will his storyline look like? Here’s what we know from the book and warning, potential spoilers ahead…
Benedict Bridgerton's love story explained
The third novel in Julia Quinn’s series is An Offer from a Gentleman, and follows Benedict Bridgerton falling in love with a woman named Sophie Beckett. The tale uses a classic 'Cinderella story' trope as Sophie is the illegitimate daughter of an Earl who is reduced to servitude for his wife and her two daughters after he passes away. With the help of the servants, she spends one magical evening at the Bridgerton Masquerade Ball, the very same one that we think was referenced in the season three finale, where she meets and falls in love with Benedict.
Years pass (which hopefully won't be the same for the show) and the pair remain fixated on one another, with Benedict never able to settle with anyone else who could compare to the mysterious lady that he spent one magical night with. However, after Sophie runs away from her evil stepsister's home, they run into one another at her new household where she is working as a servant, where Benedict rescues her from the unwanted advances of several guests.
Offering her a position in his mother’s household at the Bridgerton House, the pair travel back to London together. Benedict is taken ill while riding through a storm, and Sophie nurses him back to health (classic)! The pair grow closer during his recovery and fall in love for a second time, all while Sophie is now working as a maid for Benedict's mother, Violet.
Due to their different positions in society, Benedict offers to have her as his mistress rather than wife, which upsets Sophie who is determined not to bear illegitimate children following her struggles in life. After arguing with Benedict, Sophie resigns from her position with the Bridgertons and leaves but is ambushed by her stepmother - who has always been resentful towards Sophie - and has her arrested for theft.
Benedict and his mother Violet rush to Sophie's aid at the jailhouse to save her, where they hatch a plan to trick the Ton over Sophie’s true identity by giving her vague origins - meaning that Benedict and Sophie can wed and live happily ever after. The latest season of Bridgerton officially revealed that Benedict was bisexual after years of speculation, and so season four could see Sophie gender-swapped - but whoever is cast to play the role (and we have our list of favourites here), we can't wait to watch it all play out!