The Duke and I

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2000

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Prologue-Chapter 1

Chapters 2-4

Chapters 5-7

Chapters 8-10

Chapters 11-13

Chapters 14-16

Chapters 17-19

Chapter 20-Epilogues

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Chapters 2-4Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 2 Summary

In her next column, Lady Whistledown confesses that she does not know the true reasons for Simon’s estrangement from his father.

At Lady Danbury’s ball, Daphne hides from a suitor, Nigel Berbrooke, whose proposal she has already refused once before. Anthony finds Daphne and commiserates about their mother’s obsession with finding them both spouses. Their brother Benedict joins them and teases that he may inherit the dukedom if Anthony doesn’t marry soon. The third Bridgerton brother, Colin, arrives to warm welcomes, newly home from Amsterdam. Colin is Daphne’s favorite sibling, closest to her in age. Lady Danbury approaches and assures Daphne that Nigel would make a poor match.

Meanwhile, Simon muses on his personal history while traveling to the ball. Despite the Duke’s refusal to educate him, the young Simon tricked the Headmaster at Eton into believing “that the mix-up was the school’s fault” (41). The Duke kept him enrolled to avoid disgrace. Later, at Oxford, Simon earned a reputation as “arrogant” and a “rake” because his introversion and care with words matched the social expectations for an aristocrat of his standing. Once, spying on Simon, the Duke learned of how Simon won a verbal sparring match with notorious dandy Beau Brummel by merely saying, “No” ; the “terse” response proved effective. Afterwards, the Duke approached Simon at a ball and Simon was unable to reject his father outright in public. Simon soon left England to avoid further interaction. Simon feels that Lady Danbury’s ball is pointless for someone who does not desire marriage but attends because of Lady Danbury’s kindness to him as a child. Simon plans to simply greet his hostess then leave, but first he encounters Daphne in the middle of refusing Nigel’s latest proposal. Suddenly, Simon hears Daphne “squeal”; she punches Nigel, who falls to the ground in a swoon. Simon laughs, catching Daphne’s attention. He takes in her appearance, and “something about her quite simply sucked the breath from his body” (49-50).

Chapter 3 Summary

While leaving the ballroom, Daphne tripped on Philippa Featherington’s foot; when Philippa called her name, Nigel found her. Worse still, her humiliation at Nigel’s proposal was witnessed by a stranger—Simon—who “put all of Michelangelo’s statues to shame” (52). Daphne demands to know his name, but Simon only identifies himself as an aspiring “rescuer.” Nigel recovers and begins to profess his love for Daphne again. She asks Simon for help, insisting that she is not angry with the drunken Nigel, who assumed her politeness was love. Impressed with her compassion and composure, Simon imagines kissing Daphne’s neck. Daphne notices his distraction, and they banter about his inattention.

Nigel speaks Daphne’s full name and Simon is horrified to realize he is flirting with his best friend’s sister. Daphne is similarly alarmed to realize who Simon is, but she assures him she has no romantic interest in him because of his scandalous reputation. Simon nearly stutters while trying to express his skepticism. Daphne explains what the Whistledown column is, and how it called him a “rake,” and Simon seductively teases her about being nervous to be alone with him. Daphne laughs and explains that she is well aware of the games men play. Simon calls her “annoying,” which Daphne enjoys, as it runs counter to her spotless public image. Simon thinks Daphne is “the sort of person he’d probably call friend if she were a man” (56). He reminds himself he must save Daphne’s reputation and overcome his attraction to her, if only for his own sense of internal “control.”

Simon and Daphne debate the best way to deal with the intoxicated Nigel. Simon infuriates Daphne by suggesting that she overestimates her “experience” with men because of her brothers; his wording implies she is either unchaste, unsophisticated, or both. Before she storms off, Simon reminds her she promised to help move Nigel. Daphne decides it is best to leave Nigel where he is, frustrating Simon. They leave together once she has rearranged Nigel’s legs.

Chapter 4 Summary

Lady Whistledown reflects on maternal ambition, singling out Lady Featherington and Lady Bridgerton as competitors for eligible suitors for their daughters.

To his dismay, Simon’s entry into the ballroom attracts the notice of an Oxford friend and he is subsequently introduced to all the young women at the ball. He wonders where Daphne is, noticing her brothers gathered together. As Anthony Bridgerton sardonically raises a glass in his direction, Simon is approached by Mrs. Featherington, who praises his father effusively and introduces her daughters. Simon decides to dance with Penelope, who seems “to have kind eyes” and is clearly disfavored by her mother (77).

Lady Danbury rescues Simon, upbraiding him for not greeting her sooner. She criticizes Anthony for not intervening on Simon’s behalf. Anthony teases Simon, and Simon threatens violence if his friend introduces him to any more women. Anthony introduces his brothers, and Simon is impressed by Colin’s zest for life and wit. Colin points out that Daphne is also miserable, which makes Simon view her with more sympathy. The brothers admit that they “should save Daff” (83) but are too intimidated to thwart their mother’s social ambitions. They suggest Simon could help and Simon reveals that he has already met Daphne. The Bridgerton brothers become protective and suspicious, especially Anthony. Simon diffuses the situation by claiming they met by chance in the hall. Colin is disappointed to learn Simon’s reputation is exaggerated. The brothers insist that Simon will understand their protectiveness when he has daughters, an event Simon considers unlikely. Finally, they persuade Simon to go speak to their sister.

Simon approaches Daphne and Lady Bridgerton, who is upset that Daphne has already met Simon and said nothing. Daphne reminds her that they have been distracted by social obligations. To Simon’s dismay, Lady Bridgerton smiles widely, looking from him to Daphne, clearly plotting a match between them. As Lady Featherington approaches again with her daughters, Simon sees his only chance of escape and asks Daphne to dance with him.

Chapters 2-4 Analysis

These chapters contrast Daphne and Simon—his role as newcomer, her role as a somewhat jaded observer of human nature. Simon, unlike Daphne, is preoccupied with the past. He has spent his entire life navigating his father’s expectations of masculinity, and the ableism that intertwines with it. Ironically, Simon’s introversion and his efforts to avoid revealing his speech disability earn him a reputation for masculine aloofness—precisely the model his father assumed he could not emulate. The Beau Brummel anecdote establishes that the characters inhabit English history. Although Simon is fictional, the famous dandy was not. Combining real and fictional events and people is a common narrative strategy in historical fiction, as it enhances the reader’s understanding of setting and the world of the novel.

Simon’s introspection before the ball suggests that his character arc will be concerned with defining what masculinity means for him, rather than waiting for others to dictate his path. He struggles with his own internalized ableism, believing that his speech disability must be concealed at all costs, and accepting his father’s certainty that any perceived errors reflect poorly on him. He can find no real triumph in his own successes due to being haunted by the past.

The savvy and imperious Lady Danbury’s appreciation of both Daphne and Simon hints at the romance between them, and reinforces that for all their differences, they come from similar temperaments, classes, and social backgrounds. Daphne, like Simon, avoids social interaction at the ball. She also disdains Simon’s rescue attempt, demanding instead to know who he is. She expects to be treated as a peer, if not an equal. Simon discovers she has already used physical strength to solve her problems, subverting gender roles with Nigel by first punching then pitying her unwanted suitor. Simon relaxes as her candor gives him permission to be fully himself, laughing and experiencing attraction. However, once he discovers her identity, Simon must conceal more of himself again, knowing that Anthony would not approve of any romantic connection between Simon and his sister. Within this dynamic, Daphne offers Simon a way to display his masculinity without traumatic implications of marriage while simultaneously presenting a sexual temptation. Simon’s skepticism about children and women in general suggest his doubts run deeper than mere sexism, which will become clear in later chapters. At the same time, Daphne herself is clearly sensitive about her relative social inexperience, dismayed at the implication that she is virginal and naive. She too, wishes to prove herself, to be more than a social role in a ballroom, even as it is not marriage itself that she rejects.

Quinn introduces Daphne’s brothers partly to reinforce that Daphne’s family is close-knit and loving, and because they each become protagonists in later books in the series—a common feature of Regency romances featuring large families. Lady Bridgerton and Lady Featherington represent the height of Regency-era feminine roles: matchmaking and family maintenance. While Simon confronts Daphne’s brothers’ paternalism, he ends up in his own social tangle as an eligible bachelor. Simon saves Daphne from her mother’s boring social obligations and Daphne becomes his escape from the Featheringtons, foreshadowing that a marriage between them will end Daphne and Simon’s respective social struggles around courtship and family.