The Curiously Uneven Symmetry of Kate Sharma & Lady Danbury

Bridgerton’s Kate (Simone Ashley) and Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andou) shared a few similarities. DP: Jeffrey Jur.

Kate Sharma and Lady Danbury could have been a formidable pair. 

The Bridgerton writers seemed to build parallels between the two— Kate having more substantial scenes with Lady Danbury than her own stepmother, Lady Mary is key. Yet Lady Danburry’s constant contradictions to Kate slightly spoiled whatever they had in mind. 

Lady Danbury suggests some gentlemen for Kate’s dance card. An uninterested Kate, however, never wears a dance card the entire season. DP: Jeffrey Jur.

During their head clashing introduction in Capital R Rake, after coyly hiding the evidence of her secret morning ride, Kate smugly informs Lady Danbury that she taught Edwina every wifely requirement including pianoforte, dancing, and French. Kate then cheekily inquires about the preparation of the despicable tea. It comes off as insulting. After all, it is the household staff preparing such trivial matters as tea and cake. Then again, Lady Danbury rudely inquires Kate’s advanced age and Kate responded with a forced smile. These two women were playing chess, testing each other’s wills under the demure impression of English respectability. Lady Danbury sees Kate as an unexpected opponent, more so than a spinster making a grand debut. Kate sees Lady Danbury as the resourceful influence to solving her family’s problems and what she hopes her future independence to mirror. So where did it all go wrong? 

Kate pleads with Lady Danbury to keep her secret. DP: Jeffrey Jur.

Lady Danbury is surprised that Kate is dead set against finding a match of her own. DP: Jeffrey Jur.

Later, Lady Danbury scolds Kate for lying about her reasons for coming to London and claims that few can outwit her. A desperate and grateful Kate pleads for Lady Danbury to keep her secret. Although it appears that the lonely Kate has a confidante at last, Lady Danbury advices her to reconsider being alone. At the conservatory ball, Lady Danbury quickly puts Kate in her place when Kate makes several minor mistakes. This seems like payback for Kate’s unladylike manner and her diabolical scheme.

Kate and Lady Danbury are pleased that Edwina is announced the season’s diamond. DP: Jeffrey Jur.

When Edwina is announced Queen Charlotte’s diamond, Kate and Lady Danbury find common ground as co-conspirators. 

In Off To The Races, Kate intentionally leaves Anthony’s name off the suitor’s list due to his desire for no love match. Kate is looking out for Edwina’s best interests in addition to her own, obviously vicariously living through Edwina. In fact, Kate believes the poetic Lord Lumley perfect for Edwina. By insinuating that love matches are extremely rare, Lady Danbury candidly informs Kate that foolhardy romanticism has no place in their society. Marriage is a social contract, blah, blah, blah. Lady Danbury is trying to dominate Kate’s hope for Edwina. She is inserting politics over the pure human inclination for what the heart wants. Thus, at the races, Lady Danbury plots with Lady Violet to persuade Anthony into changing his mind about finding love while Lady Danbury aims to sway Kate’s influence, noting that Kate’s naivety is an advantage. Perhaps Lady Danbury—seemingly unknowing about the traumas that ail Anthony— believes that a man’s mind can be easily persuaded. Yes, Lady Danbury may have allowed Kate to leave Anthony off the soirée guest list, but she’s the first to allow him to speak false nothings to Edwina. 

In Off to The Races, Kate (Simone Ashley) shares that Anthony is not about finding love to Lady Mary (Shelley Conn), Edwina (Charithra Chandran), and Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andou). Lady Danbury severely tells Kate that marriages are usually nothing more than business contracts. DP: Jeffrey Jur.

During this fiery soirée, the next conversation between Kate and Lady Danbury is an iron battle. Kate admits to watching Lady Danbury’s powerful, influential independence. Lady Danbury snaps that she has known love, lived an excellent life due to that, and that Kate will never become anything like her. Thus, if Lady Danbury has experienced this rare love match for herself, why not help Kate obtain that for Edwina? Lady Danbury heard Anthony quite clearly. She knew what he was about. Yet, like Edwina, Lady Danbury saw a good name, title, and fortune. Why not fight for someone such as Lord Lumley for Edwina’s hand? From that point on, no other suitor mattered more than Anthony. While Lady Danbury and Lady Violet are busy planning to put another couple together, for they had succeeded well with Simon and Daphne last season, they’re the ones who see the sparks flying between Kate and Anthony. Yet, Lady Danbury is fresh out of advice for Kate— the woman not looking for love. Maybe that’s why Lady Danbury holds her tongue.  

Lady Danbury encourages Kate to change her behavior. DP: Jeffrey Jur.

Kate only cares about seeing her sister married, no dreams of her own. DP: Jeffrey Jur.

In Victory, Lady Danbury witnesses that Kate and Anthony are falling in love. It is especially evident as she watches them dancing at the Heart and Flowers Ball. Also, what did she think of them at the earlier pall mall game? Did she not notice Kate and Anthony chasing their balls together? Did she not see the mud on their clothes when they returned? This editing will bring death to the mind. The writers were veering from the typical “alone unchaperoned” scenarios. Still, it is very strange that no one brings up pall mall. After Kate and Anthony’s “love is on full display for all” dance, Lady Danbury sees Kate following Anthony out of the ballroom. That same evening, Lady Danbury finds Kate crying outside and advices her to tell Edwina the truth about Anthony. There is tenderness and understanding in Lady Danbury’s expression. If only Lady Danbury told a conflicted Kate that her confusing “hatred” was love. In this scene, Kate became so utterly young and vulnerable that you must remember that Kate has never before experienced the feelings Anthony inspires in her. While we know Daphne tells Anthony that the feelings are indeed love, a super cryptic Lady Danbury does not use flowery language to prop Kate up. She lets the spinster believe that her feelings are “dislike.” 

In Bee In Your Bonnet, Kate promises to be on her best behavior at Aubrey Hall—the setting that will change her life forever. DP: Jeffrey Jur.

In An Unexpected Fate, Lady Danbury gives Kate daggering stares and more contradictory advice— even in the same scene. Kate has had enough torture of bearing Anthony and Edwina together, but Lady Danbury forces her to promenade with them (that carriage ride was probably pure hell). Lady Danbury tells Kate in one breath to let go of the viscount, implying that Kate would be a fool to try to get between Edwina and Anthony. She even implies that she believes Kate would be pleased if the engagement would break. It is a rather callous statement. Hadn’t Lady Danbury witnessed the great sacrifices Kate made in order to ensure Edwina’s happiness? Had Kate not shown in Lady Danbury’s face that Edwina is at the very top priority in Kate’s life? In the next breath, Lady Danbury suggests that Kate appreciate her upcoming freedom— now a nice consolation as opposed to her earlier criticism of it. Seconds later, Lady Danbury pushes the reluctant Kate into accepting a boat ride with Thomas Dorset. Did Lady Danbury believe that Thomas’s obvious interest would change Kate’s mind? That her broken heart could move so swiftly towards another man, let alone Anthony’s former Oxford schoolmate? Perhaps keeping favor with Queen Charlotte by having Anthony and Edwina’s wedding come off without a hitch meant more to Lady Danbury than saving Edwina from a disaster Kate warned her about. After all, Lady Danbury knew damn well that Edwina wanted a love match. 

In Victory, Lady Danbury pointedly asks Kate if she has been enjoying her time alone with Anthony, raising this question in inappropriateness. DP: Jeffrey Jur.

Daphne and Lady Danbury clearly see what is going on. They are the ones who attempt to steer Anthony and Kate in a proper direction. DP: Jeffrey Jur.

After Lady Danbury’s wedding efforts embarrassingly failed in The Choice, Lady Danbury went into hiding, seeking refuge from Queen Charlotte’s wrath. The keen, observant Lady Danbury must have known why Edwina ran down that aisle. With Lady Mary on Edwina’s side, Kate needed someone on hers. Lady Danbury probably saw Kate as the wrecker to the union— a union that Lady Danbury avidly advocated for. In these six episodes, Kate and Lady Danbury’s established relationship hinted at protégé and mentor, wise elder and young mind, etc. Moreover, Lady Danbury has some blame for her role in staying silent. In a rather eye rolling moment, Lady Danbury later admits this to Lady Violet who also knows about Anthony and Kate. 

Lady Danbury tells Kate that she would be a fool to jeopardize Anthony and Edwina’s nuptials and that an independent life is a great consolation prize… DP: Jeffrey Jur. 

Lady Danbury also then speaks for Kate— saying “she will be delighted” when Thomas Dorsey requests Kate’s presence on the lake. DP: Jeffrey Jur.

If the Bridgerton writers collectively decided against fully fleshing out Lady Mary’s character— Kate’s supposedly loving stepmother from the book who receives minor onscreen interaction with Kate in the series— they could have at least showed consistency in forming an otherwise tepid older woman and young woman trajectory. It was a creative decision to utilize Lady Danbury as the Sharma family sponsor— making them rent a place would be another story (and set location) entirely. The execution, however, leaves room to be desired. Lady Danbury may have kept mum about Kate’s misdeeds, but if she had not interfered maybe the story would have turned out better for everyone.

Now Simone Ashley and Adjoa Andou play well off each other. It is wonderful to watch two women of color share the screen in an otherwise predominantly white streaming series. In fact, some of Ashley and Andou’s strongest acting this season is in their scenes together. Apparently, the writers— however fickle they wrote Lady Danbury— had a better time giving Ashley lengthier lines with Andou than properly sculpting out her undeniable chemistry with Jonathan Bailey. One cannot be fully upset by this fact— the sight of Ashley and Andou matching wits was another source of gratifying entertainment. 

It is highly doubtable that Lady Mary will return, seeing as her role so minor and almost glaringly insignificant until the last episode. Thus, it may continue to be interesting seeing Lady Danbury and Kate interact in the third season if they even interact at all.