They may not be the central couple of Bridgerton Season 3, but Benedict and Lady Tilly Arnold's budding relationship has viewers excited. The independent, forward-thinking widow is not a character in Julia Quinn's Bridgerton books, so the role she will play in Benedict's life remains a mystery.
Still, some viewers may have solved the problem — or at least think they have. Fans believe Mrs. Arnold may actually be an important character in the Bridgerton book that tells Benedict's love story, A Gentleman's Proposal : Sophie's Stepmother.
Secret stepmother?
If you've read the third book of Bridgerton (if you haven't, there are mild spoilers ahead), you know that it's a Cinderella-esque story. Benedict's love interest, Sophie Becket, is secretly the daughter of an earl, although her father does not acknowledge her true parentage and instead raises her as a ward. When the count married a widowed countess named Araminta, he let her in on the family's secrets and she became Sophie's stepmother. Later the earl died, leaving Sophie to endure the cruel treatment of her stepmother.
Mrs. Arnold is also a widow, leading some fans to worry that Benedict might have a relationship with his future stepmother. One Reddit user mentioned the scene in Episode 4 where Tilly is talking to his lawyer at home. "Maybe she's just super confident, but maybe she's rude," the Reddit user said, noting possible similarities to Araminta's difficult personality.
In addition, the lawyer did promise that "everything will come back in order." An important scene in "A Gentleman's Proposal" is when Araminta challenges her late husband's lawyer to take care of a provision in Sophie's will. If Tilly and Araminta were the same character, this scene might be a nod to that divide.
There's another possible early clue. In episode three, after formally introducing herself, Tilly assures Benedict not to be afraid of her trying to "trap" him because she's not looking for a husband.
"I'm not afraid of you," Benedict assured her.
"That... was a mistake," Tilly replied.
At the time, this felt like a bit of a flirting omen – but maybe there was a real reason Benedict should be worried?
Benedict's other road
Something does seem to be happening to Tilly — but she may not have a secret stepdaughter. If you don't like this theory, you'll be happy to know that another character has recently been linked to Araminta: Mrs. Cowper, Cressida's mother.
Bridgerton wig artist Grace Gorman teased the connection in a recent Instagram post. She shared a photo of Mrs. Cowper in costume, adding in the caption, "Fun fact - Mrs. Cowper's name is Araminta!"
No one involved with the show has confirmed that Mrs Cowper will be Sophie's stepmother, but it does seem possible.
