Dhruv Trivedi
‘Bridgerton‘ follows the complicated and tumultuous matchmaking of the wedding season of Regency-era London, bringing the myriad romances and scandals to life in its signature vivid and eccentric style. Season 2 follows Viscount Anthony Bridgerton as he embarks on a search for the perfect bride, only for all his plans to fall through when he comes across Kate Sharma.
Apart from the central romance, however, the show’s bewildering array of side characters and subplots form an essential part of the narrative. It comes as little surprise then that there is ample drama going on in the everpresent and ever entangled Featherington household as well. Their new lord, Jack Featherington, also joins the season’s pool of eligible bachelors but eventually seems to take an interest in the recently widowed Lady Portia Featherington. Do they actually get together? Let’s go over the details. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Do Jack and Lady Portia Featherington Get Together?
After the death (an apparent murder) of her husband, Lord Archibald Featherington, in season 1, Lady Portia Featherington struggles to meet the expenses of keeping up her opulent home and appearances, to say nothing of the regular visits to the modiste in order to finalize the betrothal of her two elder daughters. The Featherington estate passes to Archibald’s brother, who is also revealed to be dead. And so, the new head of the Featherington estate turns out to be the strapping Jack Featherington, who arrives from the USA to take charge of the household.
Initially, it appears that all the Featheringtons’ problems are solved as Jack, who owns ruby mines Stateside, seems to be exceedingly wealthy. In an effort to ensure the wealth remains under her control, Lady Portia schemes to have her daughter, Prudence Featherington, marry Jack and actually succeeds in entrapping the man. Unfortunately (and rather hilariously), it is then revealed that Jack is broke and the mines he owns are worthless. In fact, his motive for coming to England is to marry into a suitably wealthy household and enrich himself with the dowry.
Once again down to scraping pennies, Lady Featherington concocts a plan to get investors for Jack’s mines by showing off fake rubies. The latter, who is as much if not more of a swindler, enthusiastically joins in the plan and soon entraps almost every wealthy member of the Ton in his scheme. Thus, the season 2 finale opens with the Featheringtons once again wealthy, this time on ill-gotten gains.
However, when Colin Bridgerton discovers the deceit and threatens to reveal it, Jack and Portia hatch a plot to leave for the United States with all their wealth. In an effort to allay Lady Featherington’s apprehensions about leaving, Jack swoops down on her and seductively reminds her of what a good team they make. For a time, it looks like she is under his spell.
However, Lady Featherington once again proves that, for all her faults, she is not one who can be outplayed. Realizing that Jack — who is so ready to abandon his engagement to Prudence and shift his affections to the young woman’s mother — cares for no one but himself, Lady Featherington swindles the swindler. She threatens to reveal Jack’s plot to all the investors lest he leaves forever. With all notions of any future romance between them gone, the Lady also claims half the ill-gotten wealth, ensuring that she has enough to last her till at least the next wedding season.
And so, Jack and Lady Portia Featherington do not get together. In fact, it’s much the opposite — the two end things on bitter terms, with the latter putting her swindling nephew in place while conveniently enriching herself. But then, we wouldn’t expect any less from Lady Featherington, would we?
Read More: Who is Kate Sharma’s Father? What Happened to Her Real Mother?
