The Duke and I by Julia Quinn

Can there be any greater challenge to London’s Ambitious Mamas than an unmarried duke?—Lady Whistledown’s Society Papers, April 1813

By all accounts, Simon Basset is on the verge of proposing to his best friend’s sister – the lovely and almost-on-the-shelf – Daphne Bridgerton. But the two of them know the truth – it’s all an elaborate ruse to keep Simon free from marriage-minded society mothers. And as for Daphne, surely she will attract some worthy suitors now that it seems a duke has declared her desirable.

But as Daphne waltzes across ballroom after ballroom with Simon, it’s hard to remember that their courtship is a sham. Maybe it’s his devilish smile, certainly it’s the way his eyes seem to burn every time he looks at her… but somehow Daphne is falling for the dashing duke… for real! And now she must do the impossible and convince the handsome rogue that their clever little scheme deserves a slight alteration, and that nothing makes quite as much sense as falling in love.

---

I’ll be completely honest; The Duke and I is not a novel that I’d usually pick up.  But it was selected for my book group this month, and so I duly bought and read it.  And I quite enjoyed it – more than I expected to, if I’m completely honest.  I can’t honestly say that I’m fully converted to regency era romance, but I’d read another one.

Julia Quinn is a prolific author with many books to her name, including the eight Bridgerton novels plus spin offs.  I like how these have been structured, with one novel given to each of the eight Bridgerton siblings, who are named alphabetically from A to H.  The Duke and I focusses on Daphne – the fourth child and oldest daughter in the family – as she seeks a husband.  I liked Daphne from the beginning, particularly when she lands a surprisingly solid punch on a man who is bothering her.  I guess that growing up with three older brothers teaches you a thing or two.  And she is lucky, I think, in that she is able to choose a husband, rather than having one picked for her as was so often the case at the time.

Enter the titular Duke, Simon Basset.  Determined not to marry at all, he is, by dint of his title alone, quite a catch, and all the more so for being rather easy on the eye.  His attraction to Daphne is instantaneous, but she is his best friend’s sister, and some lines just aren’t crossed.  Eager to avoid societal pressure, Simon comes up with the ruse in which they pretend to be a couple.  For Simon, it means that those with daughters can’t try to secure him for their own offspring, while Daphne becomes the catch of the season through the duke’s interest.  It’s great plan which benefits them both, except that these two are both clearly attracted and extremely well suited to each other, leading to a will they / won’t they tale where I really wanted to see them form an attachment in earnest.

Simon is a complex character and he carries a lot of emotional baggage. His mother died shortly after giving birth to him, and while his father was initially thrilled to have a male heir to continue the line, he all but abandons Simon who doesn’t speak until he’s four, and then with a stammer.  It gives Simon the drive and determination to prove his father wrong, and he quickly proves himself to be a smart and capable child, although his father remains ignorant of his son’s intelligence.  Simon’s determination not to marry is to spite his father who he has never forgiven and to ensure that the Basset line dies with him.  He hasn’t factored in Daphne Bridgerton, however, who immediately tests his resolve. 

Many a woman has been ruined by a single kiss. Lady Whistledown’s Society Papers, 14 May 1813.

While many of the historical novels I read give their female characters a greater degree of control and agency, that isn’t the case here, and I did find the double standards of the time infuriating – men are allowed and indeed expected to sow their wild oats, while the women are expected to remain chaste and virginal until marriage.  Ugh.  I get it – this probably isn’t intended to be a social commentary or a feminist text, but I did still find that aspect of narrative a little frustrating.  Daphne has been permitted to choose her husband, which perhaps suggests a little more progressive attitude that one might have encountered at the time, but it’s a far cry from true equality. 

One element of the text that I do love, however, is Lady Whistledown.  Each chapter begins with a snippet of her Society Papers – effectively a gossip column discussing comings and goings, attachments, break ups, and everything one could wish to know about one’s friends and neighbours.  It’s not revealed in this novel who Lady Whistledown is – I have my suspicions – and I may have to read the other Bridgerton novels for that reason alone.  It’s a clever way of adding an additional point of observation and an outsider’s perspective on the narrative.

If I had a further niggle, it’s that there is a second epilogue in the novel, showing where Daphne is several years after the events of the novel and which was originally published separately in a collection of short stories.  While I like this idea and discovering how things progressed after the final page, it was a little disappointing in that I now know the fate of one of Daphne’s siblings without having read their novel.  Ok, there’s the journey of how they got there, but it is a spoiler, and I recommend that readers interested in reading the whole series approach the second epilogue with caution.  Of course, those who’ve seen the Netflix adaptation may already be aware of that sibling’s circumstances – I’ve no idea, having not seen any of them myself.

While The Duke and I isn’t a novel I would have picked up on my own, I found it to be an enjoyable and easy read, and I found it a refreshing palette cleanser after some of the darker narratives that I normally gravitate to.  The structure of the Bridgerton novels, with each one focussing on a different sibling, appeals as I expect that each one is quite different as they bring a different character to the fore. I’m particularly keen to find out Hyacinth’s fate who, aged 10 in this novel, has already proven herself to be an absolute gem. 

---

Book 19 of 20 Books of Summer.