Who Francesca ends up with is not who you might think! (At least if Netflix sticks to the books)

The third season of Bridgerton has arrived and, while Penelope and Colin might be the central romance of the season, it’s another couple that seems to have quietly stolen the hearts of the fans. 

Among the season’s side stories is the love triangle between Francesca Bridgerton, John Stirling and Lord Samadani. The season sees Francesca making her debut this season and she quickly begins attracting suitors after catching the queen’s attention at Lady Danbury’s ball. The Queen decides to help Francesca find a suitor and summons Lord Samadani who travels to London and is introduced to Francesca at the hot air balloon display. 

Following their introduction, the pair had the chance to connect further at the Innovations Ball, but it quickly becomes clear that the two have very different wants in life as Lord Samadani wants to have a large family while Francesca wants nothing more than to live a quiet life. Overwhelmed by their conversation, Francesca sneaks away to grab some fresh air and quiet time away from the ball which is where she meets John Stirling, who has also stepped away from the festivities for some quiet. 

The two share a really sweet moment together in which they simply partake in a moment of quiet reflection alone together and it’s clear that John has caught Francesca’s eye. The two later meet while out in the ton and share a sweet, yet awkward conversation about the musical arrangement of a song being played by musicians and when John leaves abruptly, Francesca assumes it’s simply because he was not interested in what she had to say about the musical arrangement. 

However, we later learn that he stepped away to seek out the music and have it rearranged to the melody that Francesa has discussed. He then gifts her with the sheet music for this arrangement as a gift for her to play on the piano, which is where she is happiest. 

Needless to say, Francesca and John quickly steal our hearts and have fans wondering whether the pair end up together. While we have to wait to see where their love story goes within the show, the books hold the clues to who Francesca ends up with and fans aren’t likely ready for the answer to the question. 

Warning: We’re about to get into spoilers from the Bridgerton book series! If you don’t want to be spoiled on what happens in the books and who Francesca ends up with in them, this is where you’ll want to leave us. 

Who does Francesca end up with in the Bridgerton books? 

In the books, Francesca actually has two sweeping love stories due to a tragic fate that her first love faces. As in the show, Francesca does indeed fall in love with John Stirling and the two are quick to marry. They get to share two years of marital bliss together before tragedy strikes and John dies from an unexpected brain aneurysm. 

The day prior to his death, John complained about a headache that lingered all throughout the day, but he declined medication as he had an important meeting he needed to attend. It turns out the headache was caused by a brain aneurysm which led to John’s death that evening, and it was poor Francesca and his cousin, Michael, who discovered John’s dead body upon returning from a walk and attempting to wake him for a meeting. 

John’s death turns Francesca’s world upside down as she grieves for the loss of her love and the life they dreamt of having, as the pair had not yet been able to start the small family they hoped to have. Following the loss of John, Francesca finds an unexpected new love in When He Was Wicked which occurs after John’s death when Francesca becomes drawn to his cousin Michael, who was John’s heir. 

The two share a secret kiss and Francesca attempts to push away her growing feelings by fleeing the country and going to Scotland, feeling as though she has betrayed her husband’s memory. Michael follows her and fights for her affections telling her that she should not be ashamed and that John would want her to find happiness and love again. 

Eventually, Francesca and Michael marry and they have two children, John and Janet. Their love story is an unexpected one and it’s going to be interesting to see how the show adapts the storyline in looking to kill off John. Could it be that Francesca’s story will be adapted for season 4? Or might her story come later in the show’s run, thus allowing fans the chance to see her happy with John for a bit before his death? 

We’ll have to keep tuning in to find out!