Bridgerton spoiler! Do not read until you have watched the full series

[Ihatesandwiches]

So, having binged the whole series this weekend... It took me a couple of steamy scenes to realise the Duke was using he withdrawal method. Where does your sympathy lie? With Daphne who entered knowingly into a childless marriage? Or the Duke who would / could not have children,?

Daphne, definitely. He could have done himself a favour and made it much clearer he was saying he wouldn't want children, not physically couldn't have them. Although she did really get him into the whole courtship and then marriage thing in the first place so I don't judge him very harshly, they were both lucky it turned out ok in the wash.

I agree with Puzzle above however I have also read the book which I think is a little more unclear because in the book, she took advantage of him when he was very drunk.

Daphne was the victim of terrible communication from her mother and her husband. What she did was pretty rubbish though.

I think she was out of order.

They both were on the wrong, but as mumsnet would say, if wanted to guarantee no children he should have been abstinent!

I am on the fence here. What she did was not on but then duke was a world ahead in that knowledge and therefore betrayed her first. Her mother wasn’t helpful either. So, on balance, I think it was just one of those things.

I think Marina was more out of order than either of them tho by not delicately explaining the facts of life to Pen and by association Eloise though - they're going to be twice as clueless regarding 'love' 😆

I think he should have been more upfront with her at the start and told her the reasons he didn’t want children and what he was doing to prevent them. She didn’t have a clue about how children were made and didn’t realise a man had to ejaculate inside a woman until the maid explained it to her. It’s been interesting explaining women’s choices in those days to my almost 17 year old daughter.

He was being unreasonable to expect the withdrawal method to work reliably. I wonder if he would have accused her of infidelity when she eventually fell pregnant anyway.

Her mother was no help, either. She had eight for crying out loud.

It could all have been avoided with clear communication and a bit of therapy.

They’re both right and wrong.
Duke in saying he couldn’t have children because that was a deathbed oath he took. And in this fantasy regency-Esq world, a man’s word binds him and he loses all honour if he goes against an oath.
Daphne in saying he made that choice...when she says it she doesn’t know about the death bed oath, but it’s true he chose to say that to his dying abusive horrible father out of rage and hurt.

So duke has to decide if his hatred for dead father outweighs his love for Daphne.

Of course Daphne sort of assaults him in that scene because she knew that he wouldn’t consent to sex with no birth control (yes withdrawal is unreliable but birth control back then). He’s even trying to get her to stop before he loses it and finishes.

@sweetkitty

I think he should have been more upfront with her at the start and told her the reasons he didn’t want children and what he was doing to prevent them. She didn’t have a clue about how children were made and didn’t realise a man had to ejaculate inside a woman until the maid explained it to her. It’s been interesting explaining women’s choices in those days to my almost 17 year old daughter.

Yeah he was happy enough to explain to her about masturbating so it's not like he was shy about talking about it!