Francesca’s frequent absence might have worked with a huge focus being on her siblings in Bridgerton seasons 1 and 2, but one important character connected to her must appear in Bridgerton season 3, or her story’s timeline might be greatly affected. Disappearing to study piano with an aunt in Bath shortly after all the Bridgertons were introduced in the Bridgerton season 1 premiere, Francesca’s dynamics with the rest of her siblings were only briefly explored. However, Ruby Stokes’ other work commitments introduced more unexplained absences for Francesca in Bridgerton season 2, as she could be seen even at Aubrey Hall before completely disappearing without attending their traditional Pall Mall game.

Francesca’s absence in the series isn’t implausible as Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton books didn’t focus on her before her book When He Was Wicked. However, Netflix’s Bridgerton established very different dynamics among the Bridgertons, with them all involved in the others’ business, thus appearing and having relatively central storylines even before their own season. This singled out Francesca as the only Bridgerton who wasn’t shown interacting enough with her siblings, and Hannah Dodd’s recasting as the second-youngest Bridgerton sister can finally put Francesca front and center in Bridgerton season 3. Still, in addition to exploring Francesca’s place in her family, Bridgerton season 3 must introduce one key character for her story.

Bridgerton Season 3 Must Introduce John Stirling For Francesca’s Story Setup

Unlike any other Bridgerton sibling, Francesca marries twice in the Bridgerton books. Her first husband John Stirling, Earl of Kilmartin, is introduced in When He Was Wicked, but their romance is only touched upon as he dies of a ruptured cerebral aneurysm per Quinn’s author note in the book. The event heavily affects Francesca not only because her husband dies so soon, but also because his death remains unexplained, as those closest to John only saw him lie down because of his terrible headache before inexplicably dying, due to the state of medicine at the time.

While Francesca’s story eventually focuses on her falling for John’s cousin Michael in When He Was Wicked, time necessarily needs to pass between the two romances. With only three siblings left whose Bridgerton seasons need to be announced before the youngest Gregory and Hyacinth whose stories will likely be tackled last, Bridgerton season 3 must deal with Francesca and John’s short engagement, wedding, and move to Scotland. Otherwise, there won’t be enough time between Francesca and John’s wedding and his death two years later, and Francesca and Michael’s romance in the years after John’s death, even if Francesca’s story were featured in Bridgerton season 6 while involving a time jump.

Francesca’s Refusal To Abandon Her Widowhood Is A Central Point In Her Book

Bridgerton season 1 already highlighted how marriage gave more power to the women of the ton, with Sir Granville and Lady Granville’s marriage of convenience perfectly explaining how their position would benefit them greatly even if they were never in love. Similarly, when Daphne returned to London while having problems with Simon, she was introduced by Lady Danbury to the soirees organized only for the ladies of the ton, which opened Daphne’s eyes to the public life of married women. When He Was Wicked’s love story between Michael and Francesca happening four years after John’s death guaranteed Francesca got used to her freedoms as a widow.

Indeed, Francesca took care of the Earldom of Kilmartin after Michael essentially escaped to India, and she got used to living her life away from the Bridgertons, not wanting to return to her mother’s house as that would have made her relive her girlhood’s absence of freedoms. Francesca only considered marrying again because she wanted a child, and even then, submitting herself to the marriage mart didn’t last long, with Francesca soon escaping to Scotland. Marrying Michael proved the perfect solution in her Bridgerton book not only because she ended up falling for him, but also because she wouldn’t have had to go through the ton to achieve her goal.

Francesca’s Refusal To Abandon Her Widowhood Is A Central Point In Her Book

Bridgerton season 1 already highlighted how marriage gave more power to the women of the ton, with Sir Granville and Lady Granville’s marriage of convenience perfectly explaining how their position would benefit them greatly even if they were never in love. Similarly, when Daphne returned to London while having problems with Simon, she was introduced by Lady Danbury to the soirees organized only for the ladies of the ton, which opened Daphne’s eyes to the public life of married women. When He Was Wicked’s love story between Michael and Francesca happening four years after John’s death guaranteed Francesca got used to her freedoms as a widow.