In “The Perfect Duchess” (The Buccaneers Episode 3), a couple of weeks have handed because the Duke’s marriage proposal to Nan. She’s nonetheless considering the choice, primarily confused at how the Duke can love her with out actually understanding her. But when she confides in her finest buddy Conchita, she’s waved off. “After the marriage is when the understanding occurs,” Conchita says, out of the blue sensible about married life.
Nan and her mates (minus Lizzy, who has returned to New York after being humiliated by Lord James Seadown) have been invited to a personal ball on the Duke’s dwelling, offering the backdrop for the episode. James’s arrival on the fort is accompanied by information that he and Jinny have eloped, eschewing the historically massive ceremony that was slated for New York. The Marable dad and mom aren’t thrilled at this transformation in custom, however he’s nonetheless married into cash and that’s all that basically issues to them. They’re fairly depressing dad and mom anyway, making snide feedback to their daughter Honoria about how she’ll by no means marry and, in fact, throwing shade at Conchita at each probability they get.
But the ball is a showcase for Nan, who has fortunately stepped apart for her mates and sister all through the debutante season. When she arrives, she’s handed a letter from Theo and the 2 meet on the seashore. He expresses that he desires the proposal to be “a pure query, unburdened by context,” although his life as a Duke has modified all the equation. Theo understands her hesitations, not desirous to have the title himself, and tells her that she ought to name it off if she’s not within the life-style that accompanies it.
Being the visitor of honor means she’s additionally summoned to talk to Theo’s mother, the Duchess, one on one—a manageable feat for the quick-witted and open-hearted Nan. They have an open alternate about life as a Duchess and his mom expresses her considerations about how little they find out about her, although she’s positive that her son loves her simply by his actions. Nan shares that she’s carrying a bluebell blue gown to the ball and the Duchess recounts that she, too, wore a gown that shade for her personal debut—although she warns her to behave otherwise than a bluebell and maintain her head excessive. The Duchess later sends a necklace and earring set to enrich her gown, subtly endorsing Nan as her daughter-in-law-to-be.
Of course, Nan’s different suitor has to make an look in what would in any other case appear to be a fairytale ending. It’s revealed that the person she met at Conchita’s wedding ceremony is none aside from the Duke’s oldest buddy, Guy. Suddenly, Nan is terrified that Guy will spill the beans about her true parentage, which may injury her stead amongst the British elite. She approaches him cautiously, even considerably rudely (like when he helps regular her horse) however the distance between them doesn’t final lengthy; on the ball, they’re paired collectively for a dance and Nan asks him why he left so rapidly after her confession at Runningmeade. He admits he was scared however reassures her that he hasn’t instructed a soul. By episode’s finish, he describes her as his “new buddy” and tells her that she’ll be a terrific Duchess, concurrently bowing out of the struggle for her coronary heart and promising that her secret is protected with him. So far, the plot of him marrying an American for cash hasn’t reared its head because the pilot, so it stays to be seen if, when, and the way he’ll sabotage Nan’s relationship.
The dance with Guy on the ball and the chat on the steps after is sufficient to give Nan hope for the long run with the Duke, and at daybreak after the ball she accepts his proposal on the seashore. But as ordinary, Conchita steals her thunder: all evening she’s been sulking about her in-laws. It’s a legitimate factor to be furious about—they deny her accusations about her pores and skin coloration being an element and Jinny doesn’t assist when she assures their mother-in-law that she’ll be “much less of a peacock” than Conchita.
But for Conchita, her plight—which mustn’t have been a significant shock given Richard’s vocal considerations—sucks up the entire air within the room, leaving little for anybody else, and Nan is over it. When Conchita runs off in the course of the ball after the dialog with Richard’s dad and mom, Nan, barely out of character, tells everybody that she’s doing it for consideration. Later, when Conchita comes again in a single piece and giddy with Richard’s promise that they’ll relocate to New York, Nan lets unfastened about how every part revolves round her finest buddy. They yell at one another with out actually listening to the opposite particular person, and by episode’s finish they’re nonetheless at odds with each other.
While all of this drama is going on, Mabel and Honoria get nearer and share a rain-soaked kiss behind a stone wall. It’s been clear since they met that they’re drawn to one another, and it’s all the time nice to see a queer story obtain some shine in a interval setting.
After Nan accepts Theo’s proposal, she requests time to return to New York to talk together with her mother—doubtless asking for solutions to the query of her parentage that has been looming because the secret left Jinny’s lips. To Theo’s credit score, he’s excited to see the place his bride-to-be got here from however when he makes use of these phrases, it saddens Nan as a result of she herself is now not sure of the reply. When she sneaks again into her bed room and awakes a sleeping Mabel, her buddy tells her that Guy did come again to Runningmeade the subsequent day, which means her assumption that he was so horrified by the reality that he fled was unfaithful. As Nan lies in mattress that evening, a glance creeps throughout her face: what have I achieved?
Radhika Menon (@menonrad) is a TV-obsessed author primarily based in Los Angeles. Her work has appeared on Paste Magazine, Teen Vogue, Vulture and extra. At any given second, she will be able to ruminate at size over Friday Night Lights, the University of Michigan, and the proper slice of pizza. You might name her Rad.
