Dear gentle reader, ‘Bridgerton’ is my kind of affair

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Netflix announces new spin-off, taking fans back to where Violet and Edmund’s love story began

Dear gentle reader,

Single, still a hopeless romantic. I sometimes wonder if my own love story will ever begin.

I remember talking to my best friend about whether I would ever experience the kind of love I have spent years watching on screen. I still don’t have an answer.

I know life isn’t a fairytale, but a part of me hopes it might surprise me. Somewhere inside me, the little girl who dressed up like a princess and dreamed of being swept off her feet is still waiting. And honestly, I am not quite ready to tell her to grow up.

At 37, I suppose I should have learnt to be a little more practical about these things. But maybe that is why I am so fond of the world of “Bridgerton”. It isn’t just the romances or the drama. It is the gowns, the gardens, the music and the feeling of stepping into a dreamy world where love gets to be larger than life. It takes me back to the teenager who believed a stolen glance could mean everything.

Some people unwind with a good book or their favourite comfort food. Give me a binge-worthy show, complicated courtships and people making questionable decisions in the name of love and I am happy. Once a show gets me hooked, I want to stay with its characters a little longer, find out what happens next and postpone saying goodbye.

So, when I heard that Netflix was bringing us more of the “Bridgerton” universe, including Violet and Edmund’s love story, I was ecstatic. We know Violet, played by Ruth Gemmell, as the mother who wants her children to find love. But before she became the woman encouraging them to follow their hearts, she was a young woman falling in love herself.

We caught a glimpse of young Violet Ledger, played by Connie Jenkins-Greig, and Edmund, portrayed by Rupert Evans, in “Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story”. Now, I want to know more about the love that shaped Violet’s belief in romance and the story that came before the one we already know.

Of course, beautiful costumes can only do so much. A story needs heart, too. But I am not ready to leave this world just yet. There are still characters I want to know better and romances I want to get lost in.

Growing up doesn’t mean giving up on fairytales. We just get better at hiding how much we still want to believe in them. I suppose I am still learning how to be practical about life without being practical about every dream.

So, I shall be waiting for the next invitation. And if you happen to find me watching just one more episode, dear reader, please know that I have absolutely no intention of defending myself.

As Lady Whistledown might say, “The author must take her leave, but the story, dear reader, is far from over.”