Eloise Bridgerton was single and desired a considerate and compassionate companion. When a man eventually offered matrimony, she discovered that instead of congeniality he was devoid of kindness, unpredictable and discourteous. He was Sir Phillip, a man of status already on the search for a bride who could not refuse him, including Eloise, a spinster who might be looking for love. Eloise's story unfolds slowly and anticipates the audience's expectations of a romantic comedy, but it is far more complex than just a love story. It provides an insight into a time when class and family made it impossible to ignore a man's advances and accept a proposal.
