Can we talk about how Anthony goes from disdainful, arrogant and proud nobleman who thought no one was good enough for him or his family, except for a diamond, to falling in love with an actual commoner, humbling himself before her and choosing her as his viscountess, willing to give up everything to spend a lifetime with her? Or the fact that not even once has Kate’s relatively humble origins bothered him nor does it ever bear any significance in accepting his feelings for her because he has always wanted her for herself and seen her as her own unique and singular person without such superfluous trappings as a lineage or a noble blood?
Even though, it’s addressed rarely in the story, there are hints that Kate has been cruelly scorned upon due to her parentage (at least behind her back) for most of her life, especially during Lady Danbury’s ball; the very same event Anthony expressed his disdain for one of Daphné’s potential suitors for the same perceived ‘sin’ only a year ago.
If Lady Featherington and Lady Cowper consider her lineage lacking, it’s very likely most of the ton thinks the same, considering those two women serve as a representation of a public opinion, and the Sheffields basically repeat the same words at the dinner. To them, Edwina shares the Sheffield noble blood, Kate does not and she has been painfully aware of it. The continuous backlash and scorn has shaped her and influenced her whole life.
Moreover, no one ever dances with Kate nor talks to her unless the men want to get to Edwina through her. It’s a combination of her age, lack of dowry, prickly nature and definitely her relatively ‘low’ birth. If Anthony starts the season as the most eligible bachelor in London, Kate kicks it off with the mantle of least likely to marry and ends it with snagging the biggest catch, the Viscount Bridgerton.
Moreover, Kate’s impassionate claims that she is going to leave for India, that she will never marry and doesn’t care what the English nobility thinks of her reveal that she has been at the end of similar insults and sneers for most of her life. She doesn’t merely negates herself for the sake of her family, she negates herself because of the way the upper society looks down on her and her vow to remain single and independent is a defiant message to a society which doesn’t embrace her as one of their own. She uses her pride as a bravado to mask the pain and seeks a lifetime of loneliness as a gesture of defiance against them, because there would not be a day when they wouldn’t besmirch her one way or another if she lived with Edwina in London after her marriage.
That’s why when she overhears Anthony in the garden talking about his requirements for the perfect bride, she doesn’t feel merely disappointed, she feels extremely hurt and sad as her face visible falls while listening to Anthony’s description of his future wife because she can never aspire to be the woman of ‘impeccable quality’ he wants, the mere origins of her birth disqualify her as a candidate for his heart, and it makes him just like everyone else, just like the rest of them who have been scorning her for most of her life.
Although Kate had no one to defend her at her first ball, during the dinner at Lady Danbury’s not only her mother comes to her support (which is to be expected from a family member), but Anthony stands up to her and protects her from the Sheffields’ insults. It’s not merely the fact that he does it, but the way in which he does it. The Sheffields are utterly blunt and condescending, yet even Lady Danbury doesn’t dare to admonish them openly because of their social station. And while Kate tries to defend herself she doesn’t dare to do anything that would make them shun or endanger Edwina and her dowry, even though her anger and pain is apparent – in her eyes or the way she throws her napkin and clutches it tightly in frustration next to Lady Sheffield’s hand.
And Anthony sees it all – her hurt and helplessness – because he’s always watching her and always notices everything about her. It’s no coincidence that every close-up of Kate is shown through Anthony’s POV, allowing the audience to see her from the position where he is and through his eyes.
He won’t tolerate anyone insulting her and causing her pain and rushes to her defence because he knows how much Kate’s been suffering since the moment she met the Sheffields in the drawing room earlier.
He didn’t miss the blatant way they’ve been ignoring her and pretended she’s invisible, like some nasty stain which disgusts them or dirty sordid secret to be hidden away, while they’re preening only over Edwina; nor the way they’ve been sneering at her from the moment she entered the room. He catches the way they openly show that they consider her far beneath them and not worthy of their company.
And Anthony Bridgerton always notices when Kate Sharma enters a room because his eyes instantly seek her out and his world shifts on its axis, pivots to her and slowly starts revolving around her; and his eyes follow her until the moment she leaves.
That’s why he’s noticed that the Sheffields never greeted her or Mary – he comes from a loving family and knows this is the complete opposite of one. The dark quizzical and judging and outraged look he gives to Lord Sheffields reveals he immediately disliked them and recognized them for the awful people they are.
It’s very telling that from the moment the Sharma family arrives in Lady Danbury’s drawing room, Edwina becomes the center of the Sheffields’ attention, yet Anthony can only look at Kate and barely takes his eyes off of her the whole time. Like, the thing that most intrigued him about the conversation must have been the information that Kate enjoys opera, which he immediately stores in his memory under ‘All the Things Kate likes’ file and which he could use to woo her or make her happy.
When he intervenes and comes to Kate’s defense (and that of her entire family, which is the most precious thing for her in the world), roasting the Sheffields and commandeering Lady Danbury’s house and servants right in front of her gooseberry sauce, Anthony unwittingly becomes the man he has always aspired to be and always thought he had failed to become – a man like his father and a man his father could be proud of. He calls them out on not treating her right and not giving her the respect she deserves.
This aspect of Kate being a commoner-turned-viscountess is definitely something that could be explored in more detail in the upcoming seasons, even more so after Jonathan Bailey mentioned Anthony protecting Kate. And what better and more fitting way to protect her than from the scorn and censure of the ton which would be vast because, despite the Queen’s approval of their relationship, as at least some members of the ton would no doubt see Kate (out of envy, jealousy and prejudice) as nothing more than a mere commoner and a scandal who seduced the viscount, the most eligible bachelor in town, and married her sister’s fiancé, effectively stealing him from her.
In some ways, Kate and Anthony will always be quite a scandalous couple in the eyes of the ton and it would be so powerful if Anthony became her overprotective guardian angel and avenger, slaying all her dragons (be it literal or figurative ones) that would dare to give Kate as much as an evil look. Kate is definitely going to show their mettle to them but there is no doubt Anthony is going to be there having her back, supporting her and battling anyone who hurts her, fighting her battles not only for her but with her, even more so because men don’t face the same amount of prejudice as women often do and they have better means and wield more power in 19th century society to fight such attacks.
Finally, over the course of the story, Anthony goes from being just another member of the ton sneering at people like Kate and for every perceived imperfection no matter how insignificant, holding it against them, to falling in love with a commoner girl and choosing her as his viscountess, lack of dowry, dubious parentage and all.
He transforms into the man he has always wished to become and his father had always known him to be. One may say fortunately because it’s clear if he failed in convincing Kate to spend her life with him, he would have spent his whole life pining after her, never marrying or siring children (Benedict, The Viscount of Bridgerton, AU!) because if he couldn’t have Kate, he didn’t want anyone else.
