Netflix’s Bridgerton Best Quotes

Daphne Bridgerton: Anthony! You are here.
Lord Anthony Bridgerton: Of course I am here, Sister. I’d never miss such an important day for you and our family.
Lady Violet Bridgerton: No, you would just be late for it.

Lady Whistledown: Today is a most important day, and for some a terrifying one, for today is the day London’s marriage-minded misses are presented to Her Majesty the Queen. May God have mercy on their souls.

Lady Whistledown: It is only the Queen’s eye that matters today. A glimmer of displeasure, and a young lady’s value plummets to unthinkable depths.

Daphne Bridgerton: [referring to the Queen being pleased with her] Did that truly just happen?
Lady Violet Bridgerton: Keep smiling, dearest. They are watching you, now more than ever.
Lady Whistledown: But as we know, the brighter a lady shines, the faster she may burn.

Lady Whistledown: It has been said that, “Of all b**ches dead or alive, a scribbling woman is the most canine.” If that should be true, then this author would like to show you her teeth. My name is Lady Whistledown. You do not know me, and rest assured, you never shall. But be forewarned, dear reader, I certainly know you.

Eloise Bridgerton: What was it the Queen called you again?
Daphne Bridgerton: Flawless. Or some such thing. Trust I was astonished Her Majesty offered me, out of two hundred young ladies present, a most gracious remark.
Eloise Bridgerton: Yes, it was quite a distinction. And now two hundred young ladies have a common adversary. I wish you luck, Sister.

Portia Featherington: Ladies, hurry with your miniatures before our guest arrives. And, Penelope, put down that book at once. You shall confuse your thoughts.

Portia Featherington: Well, how much competition can this cousin provoke? She came of age on a farm, she has a mere four-figure dowry, and as for her appearance. Well, let us hope Miss Thompson is more presentable than the legions of unkempt animals she has spent her entire life tending to back home.
Featherington Footman: Lord Featherington’s cousin has arrived, madam.
Portia Featherington: Now, remember to be kind, ladies, and charitable. The poor are our burden.
Penelope Featherington: [as Marina walks into the room] Oh, she’s beautiful.

Lady Danbury: My condolences, Your Grace, for your father.
Simon Basset: Very kind of you.
Lady Danbury: Kind of me? You hated the man.

Lady Whistledown: The season’s opening ball at Danbury House is a most highly sought after invitation, indeed, for every darling debutante from Park Lane to Regent Street will be on display. Titled, chaste, and innocent, this is what they have been raised and trained for since birth. Tonight, we shall discover which young ladies might succeed at securing a match, thereby avoiding the dreadful, dismal condition known as “the spinster”.

Simon Basset: [after Daphne accidentally runs into him] If you desired an introduction, madam, I do believe accosting me to be the least civilized of ways.
Daphne Bridgerton: Accosting you?
Simon Basset: Truly, they will try anything.

Lady Whistledown: Dearest reader, this author finds herself compelled to share the most curious of news. It seems our diamond requires a closer inspection. As such, an even rarer jewel of only the most remarkable brilliance, fire, and luster has been unearthed. Her name, unknown to most, yet soon known to all, is Miss Marina Thompson.

Lady Whistledown: This author is left to wonder whether Her Majesty might reconsider the high praise she once afforded Miss Bridgerton, for we all must know what the queen despises more than anything. Being wrong. And the drawing room at Bridgerton House currently appears to be emptier than the muddled head of her dearest King George.

Daphne Bridgerton: Lady Whistledown has all but declared me ineligible, worthy of the affection of a detestable simpleton and no one else. Tell me, what others should ever want such damaged goods now?
Lord Anthony Bridgerton: You speak as if Lady Whistledown were to be held in higher regard than Her Majesty the Queen herself. You give far too much credit to some anonymous scribbler. These musings, they’re not true.
Daphne Bridgerton: Only they are true, Brother. And they are true because of you. You have managed to scare every worthy suitor away. Whistledown has merely reported it.

Daphne Bridgerton: [to Anthony] You have no idea what it is to be a woman, what it might feel like to have one’s entire life reduced to a single moment. This is all I have been raised for. This is all I am. I have no other value. If I am unable to find a husband, I shall be worthless.

Lady Whistledown: Ambitious mamas rejoice, for the new Duke of Hastings continues to grace our fair city with his presence. And, oh, what an impressive presence it is!

Lady Whistledown: It should be noted that the duke has been overheard announcing to mamas everywhere that he has no plans of ever marrying. This author wonders which brazen matchmaker shall rise to such a challenge, for this competition is well underway.

Simon Basset: You know, I do suppose if it were not for an overzealous mother at every corner, this time of year in the city would not be so very dreadful.
Lord Anthony Bridgerton: Those mothers simply want the same as you, I rather think.
Simon Basset: For every last one of them to choke on their daughters hair ribbons?
Lord Anthony Bridgerton: For you to claim a wife, Hastings.

Lady Violet Bridgerton: Your Majesty, good evening. You must remember my daughter, Daphne.
Queen Charlotte: Yes. She made quite an impression, however fleeting it may have been.

Lady Danbury: [referring to Simon] He is not what Whistledown writes.
Lady Violet Bridgerton: Nor is Daphne.
Lady Danbury: It would seem the two of them have that much in common then. Matches have certainly been made with far less.
Lady Violet Bridgerton: What are you suggesting?
Lady Danbury: Lady Whistledown merely writes what she sees. Perhaps we need to help her to see things a bit more clearly.

Francesca Bridgerton: [referring to Simon] He does have a presence about him.
Eloise Bridgerton: If rakish dukes were one’s thing.

Simon Basset: We find ourselves seated beside each other, Miss Bridgerton. I’d like to think you’re happy about that.
Daphne Bridgerton: Perhaps, Your Grace, it would be better if you refrained from thinking about me at all.

Simon Basset: You are aware of my reputation.
Daphne Bridgerton: I am aware of your friendship with my eldest brother. If that were not enough, I am also aware of the things a certain writer has recently written of you. Presumptuous? Clearly. Arrogant? Most definitely. You are a rake, through and through. Tell me I’m wrong.
Simon Basset: Who is to refrain from thinking about whom again?

Daphne Bridgerton: I assure you. I am anything but interested in you.
Simon Basset: Good.
Daphne Bridgerton: Quite.
Simon Basset: And I anything but interested in you, the eldest sister of my oldest friend, yet another recent subject of a certain writer. Chaste, neat, desperate.
Daphne Bridgerton: I shall have you know…
Simon Basset: To marry, that is. Tell me I am wrong.

Lady Whistledown: Be it shame or slander, seduction or smear, there is but one thing that humbles even the most highly regarded members of our dear ton. A scandal! Well, dear reader, it should seem that all of Grosvenor Square has been left to ponder a rather scandalous question, indeed. Might one former diamond’s recent fall from grace turn out to be the most damning scandal of all?

Daphne Bridgerton: [after she’s knocked down Berbrooke] Your Grace. I had no intention…
Simon Basset: Of knocking the climp flat out? Well, I must say, I am impressed.

Daphne Bridgerton: What are you doing out here?
Simon Basset: Avoiding certain people.
Daphne Bridgerton: People?
Simon Basset: Mothers. They are people, I suppose.

Nigel Berbrooke: [whilst passed out on the ground] Marry me, Miss Bridgerton.
Simon Basset: Now, as far as proposals go, that may be the least romantic of all.
Daphne Bridgerton: I suppose if someone were to find me here, it would be one way out of marrying him.
Simon Basset: Oh, you cannot possibly be thinking of marrying him.
Daphne Bridgerton: If I am unable to secure another offer, there may be no alternative. Unlike you, I cannot simply declare I do not wish to marry. I do not have such a privilege.

Simon Basset: Perhaps there is an answer to our collective Lady Whistledown issue. We could pretend to form an attachment. With you on my arm, the world will believe I’ve finally found my duchess. Every presumptuous mother in town will leave me alone, and every suitor will be looking at you. You must know men are always interested in a woman when they believe another, particularly a duke, to be interested as well.
Daphne Bridgerton: You presume Lady Whistledown…
Simon Basset: I presume she’ll deem us to be what we are. Me, unavailable. You, desirable.

Simon Basset: If this is to work, we must appear madly in love.
Daphne Bridgerton: It is an absurd plan.
Simon Basset: I find it quite brilliant. Provided you do not wish to marry me, and I do not wish to marry you. Whatever should you have to lose?

Lady Whistledown: For those not in attendance at the Vauxhall celebration, you missed
the most remarkable coup of the season. It appears Miss Daphne Bridgerton has captured the interest of the newly returned Duke of Hastings. How the young miss secured her newfound suitor is yet to be determined. Yet, if anyone shall reveal the circumstances of this match, it is I. Yours truly, Lady Whistledown.

Penelope Featherington: Why is Miss Thompson to be kept away?
Portia Featherington: Because her condition is catching.

Eloise Bridgerton: So Daphne may be in love. Does she think it an accomplishment? What exactly has she accomplished then? She certainly did not build that man, or bake him. He simply showed up. Now he straggles about.

Eloise Bridgerton: Having a nice face and pleasant hair is not an accomplishment. Do you know what is an accomplishment? Attending university! If I were a man, I could do that, you know. Instead, I shall have to stand by and watch dear Mama appear proud, because some man should like to admire my sister’s face, and hair, and fill her up with babies!

Penelope Featherington: [referring to one of their maids being pregnant] She is not married.
Eloise Bridgerton: How did she become with child if she is not married?
Penelope Featherington: I do not know, but I will find out.
Eloise Bridgerton: You must. Otherwise, how can we make sure it never happens to us? We have accomplishments to acquire.

Eloise Bridgerton: How does a lady come to be with child?
Lady Violet Bridgerton: Eloise, what a question!
Eloise Bridgerton: I thought one needed to be married.
Daphne Bridgerton: What are you talking about?
Lady Violet Bridgerton: Apparently, it’s not even a requirement.

Eloise Bridgerton: [referring to how women become pregant] I take it the two of you know?
Benedict Bridgerton: Do not look at me.
Colin Bridgerton: Have you ever visited a farm, El?

Lady Violet Bridgerton: I hope you are not encouraging improper topics of conversation.
Benedict Bridgerton: Not at all, Mother.
Colin Bridgerton: In fact, we were just heading off to take our sticks out.
Lady Violet Bridgerton: Colin Bridgerton!
Colin Bridgerton: A round of fencing.

Will Mondrich: [to Simon as they’re sparring] My fists have taken enough pounding from your chin today, Your Dukeship.

Lord Anthony Bridgerton: I should like to know what was going through your head last night and this morning, again!
Simon Basset: You have to be more precise. A great deal goes on in a mind as quick as mine.

Lord Anthony Bridgerton: Are you courting my sister?
Simon Basset: Should I not be courting your sister?
Lord Anthony Bridgerton: No. And I can think of dozens of reasons why. Starting with, “She is my sister,” and ending with, “She is already engaged to be married.” And then perhaps, circling back to, “She is my sister.”

Duke of Hastings: [flashback to Simon as a young boy] He is an idiot! My God. Do you know how precarious of a situation we are in, boy? We have been granted this line. The monarchy itself has declared it. But it will only remain ours so long as we remain extraordinary. The Hastings name cannot land in the quivering hands of a half-wit! Get him out of my sight. This boy is dead to me.

Penelope Featherington: [referring to Marina’s pregnancy] Your condition? Marina, may I ask? How did it happen?
Marina Thompson: Cake.

Penelope Featherington: So your condition then, it was brought about by…
Marina Thompson: Love. It was love, Penelope.

Maid Rose: Will it be the rubies or the pearls, miss?
Lady Violet Bridgerton: Oh, the pearls, of course.
Daphne Bridgerton: Mama, perhaps the rubies would better catch the eye of even more new suitors? Well, if I am not to put all my eggs in one basket, I must collect more eggs.

Lady Danbury: [flashback to young Simon meeting Lady Danbury] When I was a girl, some centuries ago, I was afraid even of my own reflection. I entered a room and attempted to dissolve into the shadows. But there is only so long one in a position such as ours can hide. I knew I would have to step into the light someday, and I could not very well be frightened. So, instead, I made myself frightening. I sharpened my wit, my wardrobe, and my eye, and I made myself the most terrifying creature in any room I entered.

Lady Danbury: [to young Simon] You can speak. I understood you well enough. And I will help you to overcome this stammer of yours. But in exchange, you must promise me that when you step into the light, you will be worthy of the attention you command.

Daphne Bridgerton: [referring to telling Anthony about Berbrooke] You told him?
Simon Basset: I had to say something. All will be well though, I assure you.
Daphne Bridgerton: You assure me? Despite what you and my brother may think, I am quite capable of speaking for myself. You had no right.
Simon Basset: I was trying to help.
Daphne Bridgerton: Well, you did not. All you did was underestimate Nigel’s entitlement. Not to mention, people are watching. You cannot assure me of anything.

Nigel Berbrooke: You’re a duke. You already have the money, and the connections, and the standing. I need her. So why can you not just let me have this one?
Simon Basset: I think it really ought to be up to Miss Bridgerton.
Nigel Berbrooke: When I am buying a horse, I do not negotiate with the horse.

Simon Basset: You do not deserve to breathe the same air as her. Now, go home.
Nigel Berbrooke: And you do? I’ve heard the stories of your father, Hastings. I know how badly he wanted a son, an heir. And I know how badly he tried to get one when it seemed your poor mother could not deliver. If anyone were to ever turn a blind eye to a man’s temporary lack of judgment, it would be you. The apple should not fall very far, should it?
[Simon punches him]

Duke of Hastings: [flashback to young Simon and his father] You are my worst failure.
Lady Danbury: I beg your pardon?
Duke of Hastings: I am sure you do.
Lady Danbury: I shan’t again.

11 Year-Old Simon: I wrote to you, many times, to let you know I’m not not dead. Did you receive my letters?
Duke of Hastings: It is a deep enough wound to live with the knowledge that you shall one day inherit Hastings, but to witness your struggle is too great an insult. You are as useless as your mother proved to be. So, I shall pursue the same recourse with you as I did with her. To forget that you ever sullied these halls.

Lady Whistledown: This author has often thought the heart a most curious of instruments, heeding neither reason nor rank. For what possible explanation might Miss Bridgerton have for entertaining the suit of a mere baron when she seems to have secured a duke? Could the debutante’s mind not be the only thing amiss?

Lady Whistledown: Let it be known, dear reader, that if this bizarre behavior portends yet another scandal, then be sure that I shall uncover it, for there is nothing like an excursion into nature to lift the spirits and loosen the tongue.

Penelope Featherington: Mama, might I go play with Eloise?
Portia Featherington: A lady does not play, Penelope.
Penelope Featherington: Forgive me, Mama. Might I go promenade for suitors with Eloise?

Eloise Bridgerton: Well, what have you learned from your maid, the one who is in the family way? What happened? How did it happen?
Penelope Featherington: She said it was love.
Eloise Bridgerton: Love? That doesn’t stand to reason.
Penelope Featherington: No, it certainly does not. Look at my mama. Three children. Would anyone presume that had anything to do with love?

Lord Anthony Bridgerton: I was not aware, Sister, of what Berbrooke attempted. I would have helped you. You should have told me.
Daphne Bridgerton: Would you have believed me? Did you only change your mind about Lord Berbrooke because another man told you the truth?
Lord Anthony Bridgerton: You truly esteem me so little?
Daphne Bridgerton: After I apprised you of my wishes, and you proceeded to ignore them. Yes, Brother, I do.

Daphne Bridgerton: Even if you believe Lord Berbrooke is taken care of, our ruse is not finished. I’m still in need of a husband.
Simon Basset: Though I am flattered, I’m afraid I must reject your proposal.
Daphne Bridgerton: Yes, I know. You are not the marrying type. Yet have you considered you are not the type women wish to marry?
Simon Basset: I do suppose if I were forced to take a wife, you would be the least objectionable option.
Daphne Bridgerton: Is that meant to be a compliment?
Simon Basset: Yes. But it is no matter, for you wish to marry for love, do you not?

Lady Violet Bridgerton: [after Daphne’s has no choice but to marry Berbrooke] I have taught you to believe that marriage is the best that life has to offer. And that remains true. But it is not simply a partner that marriage provides. You will have comfort, and a house to tend, and most importantly, children. You will throw yourself into raising your family, and you will find much joy. I am certain.
Daphne Bridgerton: You and Papa. The two of you were so beautiful, Mama. That is what I wanted. That is all I hoped to one day find.

Eloise Bridgerton: I watch Daphne prepare for these balls with all of those dresses, and the many suitors, and I am exhausted. Suppose I want a different life, Benedict. That I truly believe I am quite capable of something more. Even when I am not allowed to have anything else.
Benedict Bridgerton: Then I would say, that you’re not the only one.

Lady Berbrooke: Nigel is my one and only child. Very special boy, indeed. In fact, I often say, God did not bless me with another because perfection had already been achieved.
Lady Violet Bridgerton: My goodness.

Mrs. Wilson: [after finding out that Berbrooke has an illegitimate child] Horrible man.
Lady Violet Bridgerton: Horrible enough for us to be rid of him, let us pray.
Daphne Bridgerton: Well, he will only deny it. And who will believe a group of women over a man’s word?
Lady Violet Bridgerton: Perhaps no one. But they will if Lady Whistledown does. So we shall do what women do. We shall talk.

Lady Whistledown: It has come to this author’s attention that the ton is abuzz with a most sordid tale. It is said one cannot judge a book by its cover. But in the case of the bumbling Baron Berbrooke, it seems his displeasing appearance is quite an apt metaphor for the state of affairs in his household. I would not be surprised if Lord Berbrooke were called away to the country on alleged business. Business which, perhaps, might involve sending some much overdue funds to one former maid and young boy, who we can only hope takes after his mother.

Lord Anthony Bridgerton: I have heard talk that Berbrooke has left town. I’m given to think this solution to our problem did not come about by chance. I am resolved to handle matters differently in the future.
Lady Violet Bridgerton: Or perhaps not at all. I know society has dictated your present role in this family, Anthony. But with Daphne officially out, I assure you, I am more than capable.

Daphne Bridgerton: Yes, Eloise, there are perhaps darker turns in these woods than we’ve been taught to expect. There is light to be found at their end. And I know, one day, we both will find it.
Eloise Bridgerton: It must be taxing.
Daphne Bridgerton: What?
Eloise Bridgerton: The game of pretend that you feel you must endlessly maintain.

Daphne Bridgerton: It is more than a ruse now. It is more than a negotiation. This is not just about finding the best match to impress Lady Whistledown, or the Queen, or any member of the ton. This is about a life, Your Grace. My life. I must finally take charge of it. I cannot afford to do otherwise. So I shall not have this go wrong. And if you are not in agreement, then you should tell me now.
Simon Basset: I shall agree, on one condition.
Daphne Bridgerton: No, you do not understand, Your Grace…
Simon Basset: That you call me Simon. If we are truly to seem to be courting, if this is to be a match like no other, you should call me by my name.

Daphne Bridgerton: I wish to find a husband, so that I may have a family, children.
Simon Basset: Then let us find you a husband.

Duke of Hastings: [flashback to Simon visting his father on his deathbed] My son. You have returned to take your rightful place. My heart may be failing, but I assure you, it swells with pride, knowing the duke you have grown into, and the great Hastings name shall continue.
Simon Basset: Listen to me very closely, for I have only returned to do but one thing. To make you a vow. The only vow I will ever make in my life. I will never marry. I will never sire an heir. The Hastings line will die with me. Are my words clear enough for you, Father? Speak, you f***ing monster. Speak!
[after which his father takes his last breath as he dies]

Daphne Bridgerton: Should I ever need assistance drafting an addendum to my book, I shall know who to ask.
Simon Basset: [referring to the Prince] I do believe he just told Miss Cowper that her gown is exquisite.
Daphne Bridgerton: Do you think so?
Simon Basset: He is here to tell every lady the very same thing.

Prince Friederich: So lovely to meet you, Miss Bridgerton. Your gown, it is exquisite.
Daphne Bridgerton: [snort laughs] My apologies.
Prince Friederich: No apology necessary.
Queen Charlotte: Perhaps a small one.

Daphne Bridgerton: [referring to snort laughing in front of the Prince] That was entirely your fault.
Simon Basset: How does one manage to make such an unbecoming sound while laughing?
[Daphne snort laughs]
Simon Basset: Well, now you are just making it look easy.

Daphne Bridgerton: [referring to the stove] We should light it.
Lord Anthony Bridgerton: Excellent idea.
Daphne Bridgerton: Well, go on.
Lord Anthony Bridgerton: Me?
Daphne Bridgerton: Well, I should not know how to do it.
Lord Anthony Bridgerton: And you believe I should?
Daphne Bridgerton: Cold milk then.
Lord Anthony Bridgerton: Most refreshing, given the heat.

Lady Whistledown: I have always thought that an appreciation of the arts is what lifts us beyond mere animals. It stirs the passions, and moves the spirit, and, this author hopes, inspires more newsworthy pursuits.

Eloise Bridgerton: [referring to the painting] Quite dull, would you not agree?
Penelope Featherington: It is terribly familiar, yet I am sure this is the first time I have seen it.
Eloise Bridgerton: That is because, like all of these paintings, it was done by a man who sees a woman as a decorative object. They are like…
Penelope Featherington: Human vases.

Daphne Bridgerton: You are receiving glowing reviews from Whistledown. Did you see?
Simon Basset: I did. I ought to take to the stage.

Daphne Bridgerton: Is it awful that I’m enjoying it?
Simon Basset: My wild jealousy?
Daphne Bridgerton: Fooling Lady Whistledown. She knows everything about everyone, even the Queen, and yet we have her utterly convinced that we are mad for each other.
Simon Basset: We are awfully clever.
Daphne Bridgerton: Indeed, we are.

Simon Basset: Excessive pride suits you, Miss Bridgerton.
Daphne Bridgerton: Pride is a sin, Your Grace.
Simon Basset: One of the lesser sins. But do not worry. We must all start somewhere.
Daphne Bridgerton: You are not half as shocking as you think you are.

Simon Basset: [referring to the painting] If Lady Danbury is to be believed, this one was a favorite of my mother’s. I have never understood why.
Daphne Bridgerton: It is very beautiful. It reminds me of waking up in the country. First thing in the morning, when I am all alone, and I have not yet spoken to a soul. I look outside the window, and it is serene. As if I could be the only person left in the world, and yet, somehow I am not lonely. I am comforted, at peace. The others are certainly very grand and impressive. But this one, this one is intimate.
[they slowly reach for each other’s hand]

Lady Whistledown: These days, the modern young lady must display a miscellany of talents in her quest for a suitor. She must be a witty conversationalist, an accomplished musician, and an expert in the art of the swoon. For managing to faint with nary a petticoat out of place is a most coveted talent indeed. Of course, not everyone has fallen victim to the royal fever sweeping through London Town. One diamond in particular seems quite immune.
Queen Charlotte: [finishes reading] “Making this author wonder if the crown has lost its luster.”

Portia Featherington: [to Marina, referring to her lover] Sweet child, many men make declarations of love when they want to make love. But rare is the man whose love remains true when the consequences of lovemaking are brought to his attention.

Daphne Bridgerton: My mother told me something curious the other day. That one should marry one’s dearest friend.
Simon Basset: Are you suggesting I marry your brother?
Daphne Bridgerton: No. But I do wonder, is that truly what marriage is all about then?
Friendship?
Simon Basset: Well, I imagine it a good start. Though most marriages, I gather, are more like battlefields.
Daphne Bridgerton: Even if it is a battlefield, there must be other things that hold the troop together.
Simon Basset: My word. I might have thought you were trying to organize a militia.

Daphne Bridgerton: What I mean is, there are other things, physical, or perhaps intangible, that bring a couple together.
Simon Basset: Well, yes, of course there’s more to a marriage, physical and intangible. Both.
Daphne Bridgerton: Both? But how can something be both physical and intangible when they are indeed quite the opposite?
[Simon laughs]
Daphne Bridgerton: You are beastly!

Simon Basset: I’m not laughing at you. I’m laughing at the absurdity of how little mothers tell their daughters.
Daphne Bridgerton: They tell us nothing.
Simon Basset: Well, I certainly cannot tell you.
Daphne Bridgerton: Why not?
Simon Basset: Because it is not my place.
Daphne Bridgerton: In any real courtship, yes, it would be scandalous for her suitor to discuss such things with a lady. But you are not a real suitor, are you? And besides, no one else will tell me anything.

Daphne Bridgerton: So how am I to find a proper husband if I do not even know what I am to be searching for?
Simon Basset: You will know when you know.
Daphne Bridgerton: What does that even mean?
Simon Basset: I cannot tell you.
Daphne Bridgerton: I thought we were friends.

Simon Basset: What happens between a husband and a wife, well, it is a natural continuation of what happens at night.
Daphne Bridgerton: At night? What happens at night?
Simon Basset: When you are alone.
Daphne Bridgerton: When I am sleeping?
Simon Basset: Not when you are sleeping. When you touch yourself. You do touch yourself?
[Daphne looks at him with confusion]

Simon Basset: [to Daphne] When you are alone, you can touch yourself, anywhere on your body, anywhere that gives you pleasure. But especially between your legs. And when you find a feeling you particularly enjoy, you can carry on with that, until the feeling grows, and eventually you reach a pinnacle, a release. And that should help you. Come.

Lady Danbury: A prolonged courtship is one thing, but now it is very clear to anyone with eyes that Daphne Bridgerton has caught the attention of Prince Friedrich. If you have designs upon the girl, and wish to marry her, then Friedrich can disappear, for all I care, and become a delicious dinner party anecdote. But if you are merely dallying with her, and if she loses her chance of such an extraordinary match, simply because she is too wrapped up in your charms, well, then, she would be a fool, and I would never forgive you your carelessness.
Simon Basset: Miss Bridgerton is far from a fool.
Lady Danbury: Then you are just being cruel. And we both know I taught you better than that.

Benedict Bridgerton: Are you spying on me now?
Eloise Bridgerton: You would actually have to be interesting for me to bother spying on you.

Eloise Bridgerton: It must be so very difficult to want something and not be able to get it.

Eloise Bridgerton: If you desire the sun and the moon, all you have to do is go out and shoot at the sky. Some of us cannot. Look no further than Lady Whistledown. She possesses a huge talent for writing, and yet she must hide away and publish under a false name.
Benedict Bridgerton: Yes, because if anyone knew who Whistledown truly was, she’d be strung up for what she said.

Eloise Bridgerton: [to Benedict] Whistledown is a woman, therefore she has nothing. And still she writes. You’re a man, therefore you have everything. You are able to do whatever you want. So do it. Be bold. At least that way I can live vicariously through you.

Benedict Bridgerton: Eloise, are you Lady Whistledown? Well, you’re an accomplished writer, always scribbling in that diary of yours. And you certainly know everyone else’s business. You have more opinions than anyone else I know in London. You would have my full support and admiration either way, Sister. So, is it you?
Eloise Bridgerton: No. Though if it were, do you honestly think that I’d admit it?

Daphne Bridgerton: [as Simon is ending their friendship] This is about our conversation yesterday.
Simon Basset: I must apologize for that.
Daphne Bridgerton: There is no need to apologize.
Simon Basset: Your brother was correct. I am and always will be a rake. So before I corrupt you any further…
Daphne Bridgerton: Corrupt me? I assure you, I am quite capable of deciding the bounds of my own propriety.

Daphne Bridgerton: I thought you and I were friends.
Simon Basset: We were never friends. I do not believe there could be a more ridiculous notion than that of us ever being friends. A young lady, barely out of her leading strings. You were a convenience. A diversion. A pretty one at that, but nothing more. Now that I’ve concluded my business in town, I shall be moving on. I suggest you do the same. You will be very happy with your prince, Miss Bridgerton.

Portia Featherington: [after they fake the letter from George to Marina] She was going to learn the truth about men one way or another, Varley. We have done what is right, and what is best, and now she is protected. Now, draw my arches lower. Otherwise, I’ll have a look of constant astonishment on my face all day.

Lady Whistledown: Could it be true? The season’s diamond, even more precious and rare a stone than previously thought? For it now appears this treasure is set to join the likes of the Queen’s ever socherished crown jewels themselves. The Duke of Hastings, I hear, was left looking rather tongue-tied last night, as Miss Bridgerton seems to have finally grown tired of waiting for him to pose that all important question. Or, perhaps, the young miss has simply traded up. Surprising? Quite. Unreasonable? Of course not. After all, why settle for a duke when one can have a prince?

Prince Friederich: [referring to the boxing match] Miss Bridgerton, I am delighted to see you here today, though surprised. Though I asked your brother to bring you so we could spend some time together, I admit I did not hold much hope. Most ladies I have met cannot seem to reconcile their delicate sensibilities with the brutality of such fights.
Daphne Bridgerton: Well, you must have no sisters, Your Highness, if you think most women delicate and mild. A trip to the modiste during a silk shortage would disabuse you of such notions for good.

Lady Violet Bridgerton: What I wanted, dearest, was for you to have the best, not in terms of rank, but love. And what I have seen between you and the duke…
Daphne Bridgerton: It was not real, Mama! Everything you saw, none of it was real. Well, it is over now. I do not have to pretend any longer.

Lady Danbury: [referring to Simon leaving London] I am sure you will abscond to some remote corner of the world and continue to do what you have always done.
Simon Basset: And what would that be?
Lady Danbury: Take everything you have for granted. The young man I have always taken pride in raising, well, I would have expected more. More discernment, more understanding, more appreciation.

Lady Danbury: [to Simon] You allowed that young lady to slip through your fingers as if it were nothing. I understand that you believe such subjects as love and devotion, affection and attachment, you find it all trite and frivolous. But have you any idea those very things are precisely what have allowed a new day to begin to dawn in this society? Look at our queen. Look at our king. Look at their marriage. Look at everything it is doing for us, allowing us to become. We were two separate societies, divided by color, until a king fell in love with one of us.

Lady Danbury: Love, Your Grace, conquers all.
Simon Basset: I believe that remains to be seen. The king may have chosen his queen. He may have elevated us from novelties in their eyes to now dukes and royalty, and at that same whim, he may just as easily change his mind. A mind, as we all know, that is hanging on by one very loose and tenuous thread. So, no, I am sorry, Lady Danbury, we are in disagreement here. Love changes nothing.

Lady Whistledown: As we all know, there is nothing this author loves more than a scandal, and tonight’s soiree promises more than its fair share, courtesy of the recently widowed
Lady Trowbridge. Some may call her celebrations too provocative, and I would caution any young lady from getting caught up in the sensual nature of her fêtes. For one scandalous move between an unwed couple, a wayward touch, or heaven forbid, a kiss, would banish any young lady from society in a trail of ruin.

Albion Finch: Oh, what a delectable frock! Almost the exact shade of double Gloucester your mother served at tea this afternoon. I so love cheese.
Philipa Featherington: As do I, Mr. Finch. Though, I must say, I do prefer a Stilton to a cheddar.

Cressida: [referring to Prince Friedrich] You could have chosen anyone. You have gentlemen lined up to pay you tribute. Yet you did not hesitate to steal my chance for happiness away, did you? I knew the marriage market would make rivals of us, but I never thought you capable of being my enemy.
Daphne Bridgerton: The man made his choice, Cressida. What did you expect me to do?

Henry Granville: [to Benedict] There are advantages to being the second-born. Heirs have the responsibility. Second sons have the fun. So, why not go have some fun?

Mrs. Wilson: [to Eloise] You believe a servant would ever have the time to be Lady Whistledown, with all the work we must do? You believe I would be working for you if I had all the money Whistledown does?

Daphne Bridgerton: We are not friends. We never were friends, as you made abundantly clear.
Simon Basset: And I am sorry for that.
Daphne Bridgerton: Please, do not apologize. I shall not be led once more by you from this direction to that. You are my friend. You are not my friend. You are a rake. You are not a rake. You are sorry…
Simon Basset: I am sorry.

Daphne Bridgerton: Prince Friedrich is kind, and adoring, and he knows what he wants. He is a good man, and he will make a wonderful father.
Simon Basset: And so you truly believe him the best man for you?
Daphne Bridgerton: How dare you question my choices? They are my choices to make, not yours. I do not question your choice to rake across the continent, forlorn and alone. I do not have to explain myself to you. I do not owe you anything. He is perfect for me. I am going to be princess!

Lord Anthony Bridgerton: [as Simon refuses to marry Daphne after being caught kissing] He dishonors you, Sister. He dishonors you, and me, and the very Bridgerton name! I have misjudged you indeed. You have duped us both, but I shall not see my sister pay for my own misdeeds. We will settle this as gentlemen!
Simon Basset: I understand. I shall see you at dawn.
Daphne Bridgerton: I do not understand. You would rather die than marry me?
Simon Basset: I am truly sorry.

Lady Violet Bridgerton: Champagne! It sounds like “sham” and “pain”. It is quite amusing really.

Penelope Featherington: [as Eloise is telling her about her Whistledown theories] Eloise, I do not care! People have real problems, mature problems, problems that have nothing to do with the secret identity of some silly writer.

Eloise Bridgerton: You do not care about marriage.
Penelope Featherington: What if I do? I cannot expect you to understand. Not everyone can be a pretty Bridgerton.

Lord Anthony Bridgerton: I should have protected you better. I knew his true nature from the start.
Daphne Bridgerton: You think that just because I am a woman, I am incapable of making my own choices? Is that it, Brother? Do you even care that Simon has dishonored me, as you say, or is it your own male pride that you seek to satisfy?

Simon Basset: I am to meet Anthony Bridgerton at dawn.
Will Mondrich: Whatever the insult, apologize, and he will surely be a forgiving man.
Simon Basset: Not when it comes to his sister.
Will Mondrich: Exactly how insulted was she?

Doctor: [as Simon and Anthony are preparing to duel] Try not to go dying while I am present.
Benedict Bridgerton: If the goal is merely to wound, where should my brother aim?
Doctor: You think you have the skill to guide the path of a moving bullet? Then you are either a fool or the king’s finest marksman. Which is it?

Daphne Bridgerton: [after Daphne stops the duel] Someone knows what we have done. Someone who will surely talk. What possible reason could you have to condemn me to shame and reproach? Do you truly hold me in such low regard?
Simon Basset: It is because I regard you so highly that I cannot marry you.
Daphne Bridgerton: I know you do not love me, but I never thought you could despise me so.

Simon Basset: Daphne, you must know, if we were to wed, I can never give you children. It is your dream to be a mother, is it not? To have a household full of love and laughter, like the one you have known all your life? You deserve nothing less. You deserve everything your heart desires. But I cannot provide it for you. Nor could I ever ask such a sacrifice. Please, Daphne, for your own sake, you must stand aside, and let your brother finish this.

Lord Anthony Bridgerton: [referring to the duel] We must resume before someone should find us.
Daphne Bridgerton: There will be no need to resume. The duke and I are to be married.

Daphne Bridgerton: Though, Eloise, I do believe you will know what love feels like soon enough next season.
Eloise Bridgerton: You think I am to follow in your footsteps, Sister? Can there be a more dreadful fate?
Daphne Bridgerton: You do know that I am setting the standard for your future matches, yes? You should be grateful.
Eloise Bridgerton: The only thing I am grateful for is that I am not you, nor will I ever be.

Cressida: You dallied with the prince purely to rouse the duke’s jealousy, and then you lured him into those gardens to trap him into marriage. I never would have imagined that a Bridgerton would ever come to know such shame.
Daphne Bridgerton: You should consider your words more carefully, Cressida. In a matter of days, I am to be a duchess, and you shall be just as you are now. Unmarried and untitled. So you can either be a duchess’s friend or her enemy. It is entirely up to you.
Cressida: First, let us see if you actually manage to drag him down that aisle at all. I’d imagine a man like the duke does not take kindly to being forced into anything.

Queen Charlotte: What do you want?
Royal Footman: It is the king, Your Majesty.
Queen Charlotte: Dead?
Royal Footman: Lucid.

Lord Anthony Bridgerton: We should discuss the matter of Daphne’s dowry.
Simon Basset: There is nothing to discuss. I will not accept one.
Lord Anthony Bridgerton: I beg your pardon?
Simon Basset: I need not be paid to marry Daphne. It is frankly an insulting custom in my judgment. You may place the money in trust for her if you like, but you need not harbor any doubts of my intention to support your sister. Her well-being is my responsibility now. And I take that duty with the utmost seriousness.

Lord Anthony Bridgerton: I must apologize for, well…
Simon Basset: Shooting at me?
Lord Anthony Bridgerton: Indeed.
Simon Basset: I would have thought you dishonorable had you not. Besides, you have always been a terrible shot. You’d have stood a greater chance of wounding me if you had simply fired straight up in the air.

Lady Danbury: [after the Queen refuses the special marriage license] Give her what she wants. Attention. Appear before her yourselves and make a personal appeal. But she will not respond to begging, and she can sniff out even the faintest whiff of insincerity. So do not lay it on thick. Tell her you are in love, plain, and simple, and true.

Will Mondrich: Will marrying the girl truly be so bad? I know you care for her.
Simon Basset: Feelings are irrelevant! Indeed, they’re responsible for this mess. I let them get the better of me. And now she has to fight for a wedding she doesn’t even want. You think someone wrote a love song about that?

Daphne Bridgerton: [referring to Simon] He cannot have children. I shall not pretend to understand the extent of his physical impediment, but I imagine it is a source of great pain for the duke indeed.
Maid Rose: I have an aunt. She lives in Greenwich with her husband. They have been married for ten years now, and never blessed with children. But they still are to each other as husband and wife. Theirs is a happy union.
Daphne Bridgerton: Because they love each other. At least your aunt has that.

Simon Basset: Why must everything be so bright?
Will Mondrich: It is called “day” for a reason.

Alice Mondrich: I am sure His Grace understands the basic tenets of marriage, or at least he will. Everything you know, I know. And everything I know, well, you eventually catch up.
Will Mondrich: Pay her no mind. That’s what I do.

Daphne Bridgerton: [pleading their case to the Queen for the marriage license] You see, Your Majesty, it was love at first sight.
Simon Basset: It was not, Your Majesty. The young lady flatters me, but it was not love at first sight, for either of us. There was attraction, certainly. At least on my part. But Miss Bridgerton thought me presumptuous, arrogant, insincere. All fair, really. And I thought her a prim young lady barely out of leading strings. Not to mention the sister of my best friend, and so romance was entirely out of the question for both of us. But in so removing it, we found something far greater. We found friendship.

Simon Basset: [to the Queen] I have never been a man that much enjoyed flirting, or chatting, or, indeed, talking at all. But with Daphne, Miss Bridgerton, conversation has always been easy. Her laughter brings me joy. To meet a beautiful woman is one thing. But to meet your best friend in the most beautiful of women is something entirely apart. And it is with my sincerest apologies, I must say it took the prince coming along for me to realize I did not want Miss Bridgerton to only be my friend. I wanted her to be my wife. I want her to be my wife. And so I plead with you, not to make us wait.

Queen Charlotte: You are wise, or perhaps unusually lucky to understand friendship to be the best possible foundation a marriage can have. Even if that foundation should crumble as quickly as it was built. I shall like to offer you the choice, Miss Bridgerton. Do you wish to marry this man?

Penelope Featherington: [referring to Colin] You must not do this to a good man.
Marina Thompson: Well, should I perhaps entrap a bad man then? Perhaps you would find it acceptable for me to live my life with a man who treats me like a mere beast?

Daphne Bridgerton: [during her wedding reception] Your Majesty. I must say, I am honored and most grateful for your presence.
Queen Charlotte: And I must say, I hope you made the right choice. Well, either way, I suppose you will enjoy your wedding night, at the very least.

Eloise Bridgerton: Yes, you certainly enjoy spreading secrets, do you not?
Lady Danbury: Dear child, have you lost your wits? Everyone enjoys secrets. Otherwise, why would Lady Whistledown’s paper be so successful? I am flattered by your accusation, but it is simply not true. Though, when you unmask the writer, do let me know.

Lady Violet Bridgerton: I know you and the duke, well, whatever took place between the two of you, you may very well know some things already.
Daphne Bridgerton: I know nothing, I assure you.
Lady Violet Bridgerton: Well, there are some things you ought to know. Some things that will happen that involve you and your husband. The duke, obviously. Well, he, you see, the marital act, which, now that you are married, you may perform.
Daphne Bridgerton: If it is this difficult to discuss, how difficult must it be to perform?
Lady Violet Bridgerton: It is not, dearest. It is most natural. Much in the way that rain soaks a field in autumn, and in spring, flowers grow.

Daphne Bridgerton: So, this act, it is performed to have children?
Lady Violet Bridgerton: Yes!
Daphne Bridgerton: But what if the duke and I cannot have children? Does that prevent us from performing this act at all, from even having a wedding night at all?
Lady Violet Bridgerton: Dear, is this your concern? Daphne, the two of you care for each other deeply. When all is said and done, nothing else matters. There is no reason to be concerned.

Daphne Bridgerton: I know we could not be any more different, but there is one thing we do share. The certainty that you will make your own way in this world. I am sure of it, Eloise.

Daphne Bridgerton: [on their wedding night] You have avoided my presence.
Simon Basset: In order to allow you your liberty.
Daphne Bridgerton: You have said all but a few words to me.
Simon Basset: In order to keep myself from saying the wrong things.
Daphne Bridgerton: You’ve barely been able to look me in the eye.
Simon Basset: Because I could not bear witness to the misery I have caused you!

Daphne Bridgerton: I am the one who trapped you into this marriage.
Simon Basset: I trapped you. I have spent the last three days in agony, unable to talk to you, unable to be alone with you, because I knew you wanted nothing to do with me. And understandably so, after forcing you to make an unimaginable sacrifice. You wanted a life with children, a family. You wanted a life with a man you truly knew. You wanted a love match, and yet…
Daphne Bridgerton: And yet, this could not be any more different. Is that what you hoped to say?

Simon Basset: Everything I told the Queen was true. I cannot stop thinking of you. From the mornings you ease, to the evenings you quiet, to the dreams you inhabit. My thoughts of you never end. I am yours, Daphne. I have always been yours.
Daphne Bridgerton: I do not understand.
Simon Basset: I do not know how to be any more clear.

Daphne Bridgerton: You look angry and bothered. Look at you, you are downright flushed.
Simon Basset: Yes, that is what happens!
Daphne Bridgerton: When one is angry.
Simon Basset: When one burns for someone who does not feel the same!

Daphne Bridgerton: You burn for me?
Simon Basset: Why do you think I followed you into that garden?
Daphne Bridgerton: Why do you think I went into that garden? If you would have only looked at me this week for longer than two seconds, you would have seen. It is you I cannot sacrifice. I burn for you.
[Simon kisses her]

Simon Basset: [as he’s kissing her] Do you want me to stop? I want to show you more.
Daphne Bridgerton: More?

Simon Basset: [as they are about to make love] Did you touch yourself, like we talked about? Show me.
Daphne Bridgerton: [embarrassed] I cannot.

Simon Basset: Tell me what you thought about when you were alone.
Daphne Bridgerton: I thought about… Simon, I need you closer.

Daphne Bridgerton: [to Simon, as they’re making love] I thought about you. When I touch myself, I always think about you.

Simon Basset: [after they’ve made love] How do you feel?
Daphne Bridgerton: I feel wonderful.

Daphne Bridgerton: If I am to be duchess of all of this, I must start learning the lie of the land.
Simon Basset: [referring to himself] You are already duchess of all this.
Daphne Bridgerton: And I look forward to exploring that particular land further. Later.

Simon Basset: Tell me what you want.
Daphne Bridgerton: I want you.

Daphne Bridgerton: [referring to Simon climaxing after pulling out of her] Does that hurt? When you…
Simon Basset: No. I feel as you feel. Absolutely wonderful.

Daphne Bridgerton: Well, our activities are quite spirited. I admit, I did not even know it was possible. I believed his physical inability to have children would preclude him from…
Maid Rose: Causing such difficult entanglements?
Daphne Bridgerton: Yes. I am quite glad to say I was wrong.

Philipa Featherington: [referring to Colin and Marina] Between the two of them, they will make the most beautiful baby.
Prudence Featherington: He is not the father, you dunderhead!
Philipa Featherington: [laughs] Oh, my goodness! I clean forgot.
Penelope Featherington: Do not laugh at him! She makes a fool of him already.
Prudence Featherington: You are no fun anymore.
Penelope Featherington: Was I ever?

Lady Violet Bridgerton: [referring to Eloise’s hair] See? You will look so very lovely with it pinned up next season.
Eloise Bridgerton: No. I will look like every other young lady, except less graceful and more bad-tempered.

Daphne Bridgerton: [as she looks at the pigs] And what is the prize for the winner?
Farmer: Why, slaughter, of course.
[Simon tries to hide his laughter]
Daphne Bridgerton: As the duke has granted me the honor of opening our village fair with this contest, it is after careful consideration that I have decided that all three pigs have tied! I hereby decree every pig such a winner that none should be slaughtered.

Simon Basset: It thrills me that you are satisfied with our married life as it is, just the two of us.
Daphne Bridgerton: I have all that I want just here.
Simon Basset: How did I earn such luck?
Daphne Bridgerton: That I do not know.

Daphne Bridgerton: [referring to Simon’s parents] Was it not a happy marriage, then?
Mrs. Colson: It was strained. He wanted an heir. She wanted a child. She kept trying long after the doctors warned her not to. Every month when her courses came, it broke my heart to see her.
Daphne Bridgerton: She was lucky to have you.
Mrs. Colson: Everyone talked as though it was her fault. But how could they know that? It is not always the woman who is barren. Sometimes it is the man’s fault, of course.

Mrs. Colson: [to Daphne] Well, I said to the duchess what my mother said to me. A womb cannot quicken without strong, healthy seed. And then, just as she was finally blessed with Master Simon, we lost her.

Marina Thompson: [after Penelope reveals to Marina that George’s letter was faked] You love Colin Bridgerton.
Penelope Featherington: You know not of what you speak.
Marina Thompson: I believe I know so much more than you, Pen. Of Colin, of the world. If I am to be the executioner of this childish infatuation, then so be it. Your love is an unrequited fantasy. Colin sees you as you are and regards you no differently than he does Eloise, or even little Hyacinth. He sees me as a wife, a woman. And as a woman, I must make these difficult choices for myself, and for my child, even if they hurt your feelings.

Daphne Bridgerton: These books seem to have taken possession of you.
Simon Basset: Those people rely on me to make a living, to feed their families. I should not have stayed away so long.
Daphne Bridgerton: Why did you?
Simon Basset: No particular reason. Business in London. But then, I met this impertinent young lady with a right hook, like an East End prizefighter.
Daphne Bridgerton: I am serious.
Simon Basset: As am I.

Simon Basset: [after Daphne confronts him in a morally questionable to make him climax inside her] How could you?
Daphne Bridgerton: How could I? How could I? You lied to me.
Simon Basset: I did not lie.
Daphne Bridgerton: I trusted you. I trusted you more than anyone in this world, and you took advantage. You seized an opportunity. And so I did the very same.

Simon Basset: I told you I cannot give you children!
Daphne Bridgerton: “Cannot” and “will not” are two entirely different things! You chose this for yourself. You chose to lie to me.
Simon Basset: I did not lie. I thought you were prepared. I thought you understood how a child came to be.
Daphne Bridgerton: You took my future from me. The one thing I wanted more than anything. You knew. You knew that becoming a mother one day, to have a family of my own one day, you knew that was all I ever wanted!

Simon Basset: I was prepared to die on that dueling field, rather than marry you and take your dream away. I would have died, for you. You were the one who insisted on this union. You told me I was enough.
Daphne Bridgerton: That was before I knew you. Do you know, I even felt pity for you? “Poor Simon,” I thought. “How it must pain him to know that he will never know what it is to be a father.”
Simon Basset: I never asked for your pity.
Daphne Bridgerton: And I never asked for your betrayal!

Daphne Bridgerton: [to Simon] You what? You love me? No, you most certainly do not. You do not know the meaning of the word. You do not lie to the one you love. You do not trick the one you love. You do not humiliate the one you love. I may not know much, as you have made abundantly clear, but I do know one thing. I know that is not love!

Lady Whistledown: All is fair in love and war. But some battles leave no victor, only a trail of broken hearts that makes us wonder if the price we pay is ever worth the fight. The ones we love have the power to inflict the greatest scars. For what thing is more fragile than the human heart?

Lady Whistledown: The bond between man and bride is private, sacred. But I must tell you, I have learned that a grave fraud is afoot. As if the Featheringtons did not have enough to be dealing with, Miss Marina Thompson is with child. And she has been from the very first day she arrived in our fair city. Desperate times may call for desperate measures, but I would wager many will think her actions beyond the pale. Perhaps she thought it her only option, or perhaps she knows no shame. But I ask you, can the ends ever justify such wretched means?

Daphne Bridgerton: [to Simon] There is no need to act the jailer. I shall not discover I am with child within the next hour, shall I?

Colin Bridgerton: I know you must think me a fool, but my heart pays no heed to mere logic. When I think of her, I only want to be near her, to be with her, despite all reason otherwise.
Daphne Bridgerton: I know that madness well. But you cannot visit her.
Colin Bridgerton: Leander swam Abydos to Sestos every single night in complete darkness just to see his love.
Daphne Bridgerton: Leander also lost his way and drowned. So the story goes.

Will Mondrich: [as they are sparring] I presume you won’t speak of what happened on your honeymoon, either.
Simon Basset: Nothing happened on my honeymoon.
Will Mondrich: I cannot imagine your wife feeling particularly excited about that.
Simon Basset: I suggest you do not try to imagine anything to do with my wife’s feelings. Or actions, for that matter!

Will Mondrich: It follows no reason or sense, does it?
Simon Basset: What?
Will Mondrich: Marriage. And there is not a bloody thing you can do about it.
Simon Basset: I took a vow.
Will Mondrich: Ah. See what I mean? Fast learner, indeed.

Daphne Bridgerton: Is this truly what our marriage will be for the future? You out all night, doing God knows what with God knows whom?
Simon Basset: “With whom?” You wound me. Not three weeks since we were wed, yet already you imagine me disloyal.
Daphne Bridgerton: Is it such a wild imagining? We both know your reputation, Your Grace. It is clear that you find there is nothing left in our marriage.
Simon Basset: Nothing left?
Daphne Bridgerton: It is what I said.
Simon Basset: Is it what you believe?
[they start kissing]

Daphne Bridgerton: [after they’ve passionately made out on the stairs] What is to become of us? Simon?
Simon Basset: If you are with child, then I shall stay and do my duty to support you both.
Daphne Bridgerton: And if I am not?
Simon Basset: Then we shall remain married, in name only. You will be provided for, of course, in a manner befitting the duchess. But I shall not darken your doorstep again. Our lives will be entirely separate. This cannot happen. This will not happen. Do you understand me?
Daphne Bridgerton: That we no longer trust each other? Yes, Your Grace. I understand that quite well.

Marina Thompson: [to Colin] I did not come here to be shamed by you, nor anyone else. I did not know better. You may think me a villain, but I did what I thought I must. No one ever truly helped me, or guided me in a different direction. I had no choice. I needed to wed. And you, you were the only man who offered me even a glimpse of happiness.

Colin Bridgerton: [to Marina] You wish to know the cruelest part of your deception? If you had simply come to me and told me of your situation, I would have married you without a second thought. That is how in love I believed myself to be. But I see now that was all a lie.

Daphne Bridgerton: Your duplicity comes so naturally.
Simon Basset: I seem to have learned from the best.

Cressida: [after the Queen throws the Featheringtons out of her luncheon] That should teach them.
Daphne Bridgerton: Teach them what, Miss Cowper? Judging not, lest we too be judged?

Lady Violet Bridgerton: Something troubles you. I know you are a grown woman now, but I am still your mother, and you can come to me when you need advice. Marriage has its joys, but it also brings with it its special trials.
Daphne Bridgerton: Well, in that, you are correct. My marriage is far from perfect.
Lady Violet Bridgerton: Well, then, share your thoughts. Perhaps I can offer my wisdom.
Daphne Bridgerton: Or perhaps you will send me off with more vague metaphors and trite remarks.

Daphne Bridgerton: Do you know what might have truly helped matters? If your motherly advice had actually prepared me to wed.
Lady Violet Bridgerton: Whatever do you mean?
Daphne Bridgerton: I mean, Mama, that you sent me out into the world no better than a fool. You taught me how to play pretend, but nothing of the realities of married life, of marital relations. If you had informed me about the things that were truly important, if I’d have known the truth, then perhaps I…

Portia Featherington: We were ridiculed by all today. Treated as though we were worthless, and it’s all your fault.
Lord Featherington: How could I have been at fault? I was not even there.

Daphne Bridgerton: I misjudged you, and I wanted to tell you that what you felt you had to do, I understand.
Marina Thompson: I wish it had not happened this way.
Daphne Bridgerton: Well, you are certainly not the only one.
Marina Thompson: George was a soldier, but he was also gentle and kind. He was perfect. I fancied myself in love. The next thing I knew, my courses stopped, and I found myself with child, and alone.

Marina Thompson: George does not want to be with me.
Daphne Bridgerton: But do you really want to be alone? No rank, no protection, no support for you or your child. Surely anything is better than that. Why should he be the one to choose your future, when he clearly cares not for the outcome? He is at fault here. Perhaps I can make him come back, and take responsibility for you and his child. Why should you be left all alone to bear the punishment for his crime?
Marina Thompson: You truly think you can do this?
Daphne Bridgerton: I assure you, Miss Thompson, I am quite capable of doing more than you think.

Lucy Granville: [to Daphne, at Lady Danbury’s party] We shall teach you the rules.
Lady Trowbridge: First, a woman takes her wedding vows, then we gamblers take her virtue.
Lucy Granville: If her husband has left any to be taken.

Kitty Langham: It is quite the ideal situation to live a separate life to one’s husband. I am afforded all the freedoms of marriage, while bearing none of the burden of his company.
Daphne Bridgerton: Well, what of your children? Do they not miss their father?
Kitty Langham: It’s difficult to miss someone you’ve never known.
Lady Danbury: You forget the duchess is still in the first bloom of marriage.
Kitty Langham: Yes, the famous love match. Pay me no heed. The duke’s company, I am sure, is anything but a burden to you.

Lord Anthony Bridgerton: Just like I know that you’ve obviously made a considerable error with my sister.
Simon Basset: How, may I ask, could you infer that I was the one to make the error?
Lord Anthony Bridgerton: Well, I know my sister quite well. And while she is an unusually capable woman, she is not capable of f***ing up this severely.
Simon Basset: Do you not ever get tired of pretending to be so perfect? It’s exhausting just watching you.
Lord Anthony Bridgerton: We may not be perfect, but at least we keep our promises.
Simon Basset: You know nothing of my commitments. I’m trying to be a man of my word.

Lord Anthony Bridgerton: You judge me, yet you cannot possibly understand the responsibility of heading a family, because you’ve never had one.
Simon Basset: Ah, but Daphne is my family now, and there is no changing that. Though it is most unfortunate that I shall never quite reach the lofty ideal you have demonstrated.
Lord Anthony Bridgerton: What is most unfortunate is the fact that your father was so absent, he never gave you a proper example of how to lead a household.
Simon Basset: Well, you certainly make it look difficult.

Daphne Bridgerton: [after Simon tells her the vow he made to his father] You told me that you could not have children. You did not tell me it was some token of revenge against a man who no longer walks this earth.
Simon Basset: I swore to him on his deathbed.
Daphne Bridgerton: And you betrayed me in our marriage bed.

Daphne Bridgerton: Let me be certain I understand. You will neither have children, nor the happiness we could have together, because you promised your father you would not?
Simon Basset: I…
Daphne Bridgerton: Say it. Say it.
Simon Basset: It cannot be undone.
Daphne Bridgerton: Then I thank you for your elucidation, Your Grace. If your hatred for your father outweighs any affection that you might bear towards me, then you are right. It cannot be undone. My courses are due within the next few days. You will know then which vow you have broken, and how we are to spend the rest of our lives. Miserable together, or perfectly happy apart.

Lady Whistledown: Dearest reader, a question. Is anything more exhilarating than taking a gamble? For it is often the highest risk that carries the greatest reward. Yet, wager wrongly, and you might find yourself left with nothing but regret.

Lady Whistledown: Of course, one can never know for sure whether a wager will make a fortune or ruin it, unless one chooses a more secure pursuit. But as the season continues, the biggest gamblers have yet to truly show their hand, which leaves gossip in short supply in recent days. In fact, this author can think of no other event that merits a mention.

Daphne Bridgerton: [after Daphne’s confirms that Simon did not sign the letter she sent to the general] He will pay attention to the words of a duchess. He must.
Marina Thompson: Are you so unworldly? I’m sorry. Your help is greatly appreciated, but there is nothing more you can do.
Daphne Bridgerton: Marina…
Marina Thompson: It is over. I have already accepted the fact. Thank you for your efforts.

Lord Anthony Bridgerton: You may hurt now, but the pain will pass. You have the love of all your family, and the honor of your actions. Soon you will forget Miss Thompson’s name, and it will be as if you never loved her at all.
Colin Bridgerton: And how have these precepts served you? Aside from being the most dismal, most troubling ones I’ve heard in quite some time.
Lord Anthony Bridgerton: It’s a work in progress, to be sure.

Benedict Bridgerton: I would just like to understand.
Henry Granville: It is simple. I am in love with Lord Wetherby.
Benedict Bridgerton: You’re married.
Henry Granville: And our marriage affords my wife her freedoms and protections. It is a happier union than most of the people in this room have, I assure you.

Benedict Bridgerton: What about honor? Romance?
Henry Granville: What would you know of either? We live under constant threat of danger, Bridgerton. I risk my life every day for love. You have no idea what it is like to be in a room with someone you cannot live without, and yet still feel as though you are oceans apart. Stealing your glances, disguising your touches. We cannot so much as smile at each other, without first ensuring no one else is watching. It takes courage to live outside the traditional expectations of society. You talk of doing the same, but perhaps it is merely just that, all talk.

Daphne Bridgerton: What did your father do, to make you take that vow in the first place?
Simon Basset: We do not need to have this conversation.
Daphne Bridgerton: Do I not deserve an explanation, as your wife?
Simon Basset: You deserve more than that indeed. You may not understand this now, but Daphne, you must know I am doing this for your own good.
Daphne Bridgerton: I can decide for myself what is…
Simon Basset: You will be better off without me.

Mrs. Varley: Our credit at the modiste, it is still rather precarious. As in, it is nonexistent.
Portia Featherington: Well, the young ladies will just have to wear something they’ve worn before.
Prudence Featherington: Before? Mama, I would rather not attend.
Philipa Featherington: Can one even wear a dress worn before?

Daphne Bridgerton: [after she’s found and read Simon’s letters to his father] I had no idea that Simon had trouble speaking as a child.
Lady Danbury: How could you have done? He worked so very hard to eliminate the difficulty. He was, well, he was so very proud. It is why he wrote those letters in the first place.
Daphne Bridgerton: To keep his father informed of his progress.

Daphne Bridgerton: [referring to Simon’s letters] The late duke never even deigned to read them. How could… What kind of father…
Lady Danbury: One that not only expected, but demanded perfection in his son. And when that was not achieved, well, I shall leave it to you to imagine.
Daphne Bridgerton: Simon could not be any more different from a man such as that.
Lady Danbury: Of course. We know that to be true, Your Grace.

Daphne Bridgerton: You helped him overcome his impediment.
Lady Danbury: I merely showed him what he was capable of all along. And if he needed some encouragement, a push from time to time, that was something I was happy to provide. But at the end of the day, the duke’s triumph was his and his alone. It had to be.

Simon Basset: If you needed another investor, or more money, Will, you could have come to me.
Will Mondrich: I appreciate the offer, friend, but I do not need your charity.
Simon Basset: What happened to your honor?
Will Mondrich: My honor? Tell me, Your Grace, what ever could be more honorable besides taking care of one’s family? Besides doing what needs to be done?
Simon Basset: Is that what you hope to tell Alice? You truly believe she will come to understand your deceit?

Eloise Bridgerton: Lady Whistledown.
Penelope Featherington: Who is she?
Eloise Bridgerton: She is Madame Delacroix. Madame Delacroix is her. The modiste and Whistledown are one and the same. And she is going to print something in your family’s favor, Pen. She told me so.
Penelope Featherington: Well, that certainly is an impressive feat, running two businesses.
Eloise Bridgerton: We should both aspire to be just like her. Unmarried, earning our own money.

Portia Featherington: And Philipa, perhaps Mr. Finch might even reconsider his proposal, now that you have your dowry again.
Philipa Featherington: Again?
Portia Featherington: Yes.
Philipa Featherington: Well, did I lose it somewhere the first time?

Lady Whistledown: The final ball of any season is distinguished by one of two things, anticipation, or dread. For, while those who have been successful in the year’s marriage market look forward to flaunting their perfect, joyous unions, others shudder at the thought of spending one last night, before the discerning eyes of the ton. As they know, indeed, just what the evening signifies, that their time is officially up.

Featherington Doctor: [after Marina finds out she is still pregnant] You truly believed a tea would rectify the situation, madam? As if that ever works.

Lady Whistledown: And yet, to those who may still find themselves out of both choices and hope, fear not. For who knows when and where one’s fortunes may change?

Daphne Bridgerton: [referring to their portrait] A good likeness.
Simon Basset: Indeed. Though Mr. Granville did seem to omit the gray hair or two I’ve surely gained from the emotions of the past few weeks.
Daphne Bridgerton: Perhaps a few wrinkles too.
Simon Basset: Oh! You wound me.

Daphne Bridgerton: You were wonderful today with Gregory and Hyacinth. They adore you.
Simon Basset: Children always have done. It still does not mean I want any of my own.
Daphne Bridgerton: Of course.

Lady Violet Bridgerton: [as they arrive at the ball] Dearest, you must see this as a rehearsal. Until you are officially out, you need not feel so strained tonight.
Eloise Bridgerton: As if I shall feel anything but the inability to breathe in this corset.

Eloise Bridgerton: Sister, I suppose I should thank you.
Daphne Bridgerton: Whatever for?
Eloise Bridgerton: For being so perfect, so I do not have to be.

Colin Bridgerton: I owe you an apology. I did not see it at first, but I know you were only trying to prevent me from heartache with Miss Thompson. And I was a fool.
Penelope Featherington: You were not a fool. You merely believed yourself in love. One should never apologize for that. One finds oneself in such an incredible position. And, well, one should declare it assuredly, fervently, loudly.

Penelope Featherington: Colin, I wish to tell you something.
Colin Bridgerton: I have something I wish to tell you as well, Pen. I am leaving. First thing tomorrow morning, I begin my tour. I am to start in the Mediterranean. It was actually you who inspired me. You kept reminding me how much I longed for travel. Oh. What was it you wished to say?
Penelope Featherington: [looking crushed] I don’t remember.

Siena Rosso: I thought about coming with you tonight. I envisioned myself on your arm, dancing the entire night away. But my imagination was the furthest I could allow myself to go.
Lord Anthony Bridgerton: Siena, what are you doing?
Siena Rosso: What am I doing? I am doing the very thing I have always done. I am looking out for myself. I am ensuring my own future. Because I know, in my heart, I know that there is no one else who ever will.

Lord Anthony Bridgerton: I tried. You must know, I tried.
Siena Rosso: What I know is that you are lost. And I cannot allow you to set me adrift as well. You need to let me go.
Lord Anthony Bridgerton: I know I have been unfair…
Siena Rosso: Let me go. I am comfortable. I am content. That gentleman upstairs, he sees me for who I am. Unlike you, he does not wish for me to don some ridiculous gown, and go with him to some absurd ball. He does not wish for me to change. And neither do I. You need to let me go.

Lady Danbury: I presume your plans to separate from Her Grace have not yet changed?
Simon Basset: They have not. Neither, it appears, has your ability to somehow hear of every piece of gossip that transpires in this town.
Lady Danbury: When will you accept it? I know all. Pride, Your Grace, it will cost you everything and leave you with nothing. You must not allow it to happen to you too.

Daphne Bridgerton: Is it different for them, men, to know whether they are in love? Everything else seems different to them.

Daphne Bridgerton: The two of you loved each other so very much. It is a rarity, I’ve come to realize.
Lady Violet Bridgerton: That is not to say it was without its trials. Your father and I faced many difficulties, indeed, but we overcame them. We made a decision early on to do so.
Daphne Bridgerton: Mama, I do not think…
Lady Violet Bridgerton: We chose to love each other every single day. It is a choice, dearest. One that is never too late to make. I may never be able to see your father again. I may wake every morning, and touch the pillow where he used to lay his head. But knowing that the two of us made the choice to love, and to do all that we could, well, I cannot tell you how much peace and comfort that brings to me.

Daphne Bridgerton: I wish there was something, Mama. I wish I could do this…
Lady Violet Bridgerton: You are a Bridgerton. There is nothing you cannot do.

Simon Basset: [referring to the rain interrupting their ball] Daphne, I am so sorry.
Daphne Bridgerton: For what? Even a duke cannot control the weather.
Simon Basset: I know that this is not what you had envisioned for the evening.
Daphne Bridgerton: Certainly not.
Simon Basset: And for that, I…
Daphne Bridgerton: It is better.

Daphne Bridgerton: [after confessing she read Simon’s letters to his father] Just because something is not perfect, does not make it any less worthy of love. Your father made you believe otherwise. He made you believe that you needed to be without fault in order to be loved, but he was wrong. Should you need any proof of the matter, then look just here.

Daphne Bridgerton: I am tired of pretending. And I cannot continue acting as if I do not love you. Because I do. I love all of you. Even the parts that you believe are too dark and too shameful. Every scar. Every flaw. Every imperfection. I love you. You may think you are too damaged and too broken to ever allow yourself to be happy, but you can choose differently, Simon. You can choose to love me as much as I love you. That should not be up to anyone else. That cannot be up to anyone else. It can only be up to you.

Simon Basset: I do not want to be alone. I know that now. But what I do not know is how to be the man you need me to be, the man you truly deserve. I do not know how to do this.
Daphne Bridgerton: Yes, you do.
Simon Basset: Daphne.
Daphne Bridgerton: I know you do. You stay. You stay, and we get through this, together. If you do this, if we do this, then…
Simon Basset: Then nothing else will matter.

Lady Whistledown: If there is to ever be a grander finish to a season than the one provided by the Duke and Duchess of Hastings this year, this author will need to feast upon her own words. For it was this couple’s memorable affair that brought another scandalous London season to a close. As many now leave the city behind for greener pastures, some endings seem more permanent than others.

Penelope Featherington: Well, I’m sure if Whistledown is still on the loose, next season will be far more interesting.

Marina Thompson: How did you do it? How did you endure two and twent years of marriage without love?
Portia Featherington: You find things to love, my dear. Small things. Big things too, like your babies, and eventually they add up to be enough. You are strong, Miss Thompson. Perhaps even more so than me. You will do well.

Lady Whistledown: Of course, there are other endings that will offer new beginnings. However uncertain those new beginnings might be.

Daphne Bridgerton: And you? What are your plans, Brother?
Lord Anthony Bridgerton: Nothing of note. Other than finding and promptly declaring my intentions to my new viscountess, of course.
Daphne Bridgerton: The viscount is ready to find and declare his intentions? Did you hear that, Your Grace? And which young lady?
Lord Anthony Bridgerton: Does it matter? I have finally determined the difficulty. Love itself. Removing it from all romantic relations shall make me all the better for it. No more distractions from responsibility, or being waylaid from the sensible path. At any rate, enjoy your time.
Daphne Bridgerton: [as Anthony walks away] Perhaps he will learn.
Simon Basset: Perhaps not.

Lady Whistledown: [as we see Lady Whistledown revealed to be Penelope] And yet, there is no ending in sight for this author, who recently became aware of a scheme to unmask her, by one worthy opponent, indeed. Perhaps I will come forward one day. Though, you must know, dear reader, the decision shall be left entirely up to me. Yours truly, Lady Whistledown.

Midwife: [after Daphne’s given birth] Congratulations, Your Graces. A boy.
Daphne Bridgerton: Do you wish to hold him?
[Simon takes their baby in his arm]
Daphne Bridgerton: We must think of a name.
Simon Basset: Whatever it is, I believe it must begin with the letter A. We do have family traditions, do we not?
Lady Violet Bridgerton: We certainly do, Your Grace.