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Benedict Bridgerton marries Sophie Beckett in the Bridgerton books – will she appear in Bridgerton season 4?
Bridgerton season 3 might still have four more episodes left to drop focusing on Penelope and Colin, but fans are already looking ahead to Bridgerton season 4 and whether or not Benedict Bridgerton's romance with Sophie Beckett will be the focus.
Season 4 of the Netflix smash hit has already been renewed, but bosses are keeping the new central characters close to their chests for now.
Speculation surrounding Benedict (played by Luke Thompson) becoming the next lead is at an all-time high, particularly since the show deviated from the book series order. Benedict is the focus of Book 3, while season 3 skipped him in favour of Colin.
But who will be at the forefront of that romance with Benedict? Who does he actually marry? Benedict's story, 'An Offer From A Gentleman', brings a romantic Cinderella vibe to the book series, and fans are desperate to see the same story brought to life on the show with Sophie Beckett.
In Benedict's book, the Bridgertons throw a masquerade party in which Sophie Beckett sneaks in to. Sophie is the illegitimate daughter of an Earl, but following his death, she is relegated to the role of servant for her stepmother, Araminta, and her daughters.
Sophie meets and dances with Benedict and the two instantly make a connection. The only problem is, Benedict has no idea who she is and when the clock strikes midnight she disappears before he gets her name. After the ball, he becomes obsessed with trying to track her down, swearing she will be the one he marries.
Two years pass by before Benedict and Sophie meet again – but Benedict doesn't realise it's her. As the story progresses, the two find themselves drawn closer and closer to each other as Sophie starts to work as a maid for Violet Bridgerton. Unaware that Sophie is the girl from the ball and still abiding by his rule of not marrying until he finds her, he asks Sophie to be his mistress. (Big mistake!)
Without going into full detail about what happens between Benedict and Sophie, they do eventually marry and have four children.
In season 3, Benedict strikes up a physical relationship with Lady Tilley Arnold, a widowed woman who is enjoying the privileges and power that comes from being in charge of her deceased husband's estate. She's financially independent and sexually free.
Lady Tilley is actually a brand new character who does exist in the books. She was added to the series in order to allow the show to explore and have fun more with Benedict's character before having him settle down.
Don't worry Benophie fans, Benedict and Lady Tilley are not endgame – they're just having a bit of fun before he meets his future wife!
Watch the Bridgerton Season 3 trailer
Well, that all depends on whether Benedict Bridgerton will become the lead in season 4. While the Bridgerton bosses already know which sibling will take the lead in season 4, it's not yet been publicly confirmed.
Technically, Sophie could still appear in season 3... Absolutely nothing has been confirmed just yet, but showrunner Jess Brownell has teased that the final episodes of season 3 will give viewers some big hints as to what to expect next.
If season 3 ends with a masquerade ball hosted by the Bridgertons, fans will know that Sophie's arrival is imminent. If not, we may still get to meet her in season 4. Watch this space!
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