Francesca Bridgerton doesn’t have a lot of storylines in the book series until her book, When He Was Wicked, which is the sixth in the series. As she married quickly and moved to be with John, she wasn’t part of the big family moments from the first books. But after John died, and she became a young widow, she found love again with John’s cousin, Michael.
Originally, Eloise’s story came right after Colin and Penelope’s.Romancing Mister Bridgerton, the fourth Bridgerton book in the series, is followed by To Sir Phillip, With Love, which is Eloise’s love story. And, in the book, there’s one major subplot that could now be used for Bridgerton Season 5 instead: Colin suspecting Eloise of being Lady Whistledown.
Eloise’s departure marks the beginning of To Sir Phillip, With Love, where readers learn more about what was going on with Eloise and who she wrote letters to. Colin’s story and Eloise’s story happen almost at the same time, but the Bridgerton TV series changed the order and removed the connection between the two.
The shocking that reveals there’s a new Lady Whistledown in town is something no Bridgerton fans were expecting, as that is not something that happens in the book. And while there’s a lot of speculation about who the new Lady Whistledown might be, the show might use Romancing Mister Bridgerton to set up Eloise’s story during Francesca’s season.
Bridgerton Season 5 could bring about a new twist, where everyone starts suspecting Eloise of being the new Lady Whistledown. And it would make sense, as she is now unmarried while her best friend and all her siblings, those closer to her age, are married and dealing with their new family lives. And she has the sharp wit for it, too.
But Bridgerton Season 5 could set up an even better storyline, using Romancing Mister Bridgerton’s subplot to set up Eloise’s love story the same way it’s done in the book series. Colin could even suspect Eloise to be Lady Whistledown the same way he does in his own book, before revealing that Eloise has been writing to Sir Phillip.
Sir Phillip, who was introduced in Bridgerton Season 1, was married to Marina before she died, and as a widower, he began corresponding with Eloise. The two develop a bond, and Eloise eventually decides to run away to Sir Phillip’s home without everyone knowing. Setting up the secret letters during Season 5 could perfectly lead to Bridgerton Season 6 next.
Lady Whistledown was a big part of what made Bridgerton interesting, a Regency-era Gossip Girl that knew everyone’s secrets. But after Penelope reveals she’s Lady Whistledown, and she stops writing her column, it makes sense that someone would fill that void instead. And without having the source material to back up this part of the story, the reveal might shock everyone.
And while it’s possible that Eloise could be the new Lady Whistledown, it would make more sense to have everyone suspect her because she has ink stains, just for it to be a setup for her love story in the next season. Changing the book order adds a new twist, one that might keep viewers on the edge of their seats.
