Who does Benedict end up with in the 'Bridgerton' book and show?

Warning: This story contains spoilers from "Bridgerton" Season Three and Julia Quinn's novel "An Offer From a Gentleman."

Could Benedict be the star of "Bridgerton" Season Four?

As Season Three of "Bridgerton" proves, Benedict Bridgerton's journey in the Netflix show is different compared to his arc in Julia Quinn's novels.

But one of his lines in the season's finale, which dropped on Netflix June 13, could be setting the character up for the path laid out in Quinn's third book, "An Offer from a Gentleman."

"Bridgerton," the show, notably changed the order of the books, skipping Benedict's story to pursue Colin's. That leaves a mystery for viewers of the show: Who does Benedict end up with?

Quinn lays out one option. In the books, Benedict is embroiled in a yearslong relationship inspired by "Cinderella."

The show has Benedict on a different path in Season Three. Following a string of casual romances, Benedict strikes up a dalliance with a woman named Tilley Arnold — and explores his sexuality.

So, has Benedict met his end game yet?

Who does Benedict end up with in the ‘Bridgerton’ books?

Benedict Bridgerton's story unfolds in book three, "An Offer From A Gentleman."

Benedict meets a mystery woman at a ball and becomes instantly entranced. She sets the standard for Perfect Woman in his life, so much so that he never forgets her, even if he doesn't know her name.

Her name, it turns out, is Sophie Beckett, and she is the daughter of of an earl. However, after the death of her father, her stepmother stripped her of her privileges and wealth and forced into working as a maid.

Years later, Benedict is still pining for the masked woman. He meets Sophie and, due to a skew in circumstances, she cares for him when he's sick. Benedict likes Sophie, but he still holds out for the masked lady.

Then he figures out she is the masked lady — gasp! But there's another problem: They are of different social classes. Before they can be together, Benedict faces judgment, disapproval and potential ostracism.

What happens to Benedict in ‘Bridgerton’ Season 3 — and who is Tilley Arnold?

Benedict, in the show, seems to be having a ball. As the second son, he reaps the benefits of his family's name without the responsibilities. Seasons One and Two see him having multiple sexual relationships and striving to become an artist.

Showrunner Jess Brownell says by delaying Benedict’s season, the team gets to “play” with the character more.

“Once people have their season, they fall to the background a little bit. But actually, by delaying Benedict’s season, we get to send him on more adventures for a little bit longer,” Brownell says. “And when he eventually gets his season. I’m sure it will be great.”

In part one of Season Three, Benedict strikes up a romance with a woman named Lady Tilley Arnold, played by Hannah New.

New tells TODAY.com that Tilley is essentially a “bad-ass widow.”

“I’ve just learned so much playing her,” New says. “She’s the most wonderful, independent, sex-positive woman that lives her life for herself and also is about finding the other person’s authentic being and connecting with that.”

Brownell tells TODAY.com that Tilley was not inspired by any character from the Bridgerton books.

“Tilley is an invention. We felt like she was a good match for Benedict because he’s someone who really doesn’t fit in anywhere. He doesn’t feel like he fully fits into society. He didn’t feel like he fully fit into the art world," she says.

Tilley is a model for Benedict on how to "straddle multiple worlds."

"She’s of society, but she also doesn’t play by the rules. So Benedict has something to learn from her," Brownell says.

In addition to his relationship with Tilley, "he’s going on a journey this season of figuring out what he wants and where he belongs," Brownell says.

Benedict's struggle to fit into society has been a throughline from the beginning. Fans theorized the character is queer after he struck up a friendship and seemed to flirt with artist Henry Granville in Season One.

Part two of Season Three seemingly confirmed some of those fan theories.

His relationship with Tilley leads him to Paul Suarez, one of her dear friends. They meet at a dinner party in Episode Six and have a heated conversation. He later runs into Tilley and Paul kissing, and the pair invite Benedict to sleep with them.

Benedict initially runs off. Later, Tilley clarifies that Paul thought he and Benedict had a "moment."

"I have known men like Mr. Suarez, but I myself have never felt tempted before," Benedict says.

At the end of Episode Seven, he takes Tilley up on her offer, and she, Paul and Benedict have a threesome.

But their casual throuple ends when Tilley finds herself falling for Benedict. While she hopes to settle down with him, Benedict gently tells her that he is enjoying feeling "free." She understands but warns that "even merriment can grow tiring."

In the last few minutes of the Season Three finale, Benedict says goodbye to Eloise (Claudia Jessie), who is leaving the Ton to accompany her newly married sister Francesca to Scotland.

Eloise tells her brother that she'll be back next year for their mother's masquerade ball — the setting where Benedict meets Sophie in "An Offer from a Gentleman."

"I will be there, hiding out behind a mask, avoiding eligible ladies like the plague," he jokes.

Will Benedict be the lead of Season 4?

Brownell and the "Bridgerton" team have remained mum on who will take center stage in Season Four, which was ordered by Netflix in 2021.

However, Brownell has confirmed that the show will aim to "foreground queer love" in the future.

The finale of Season Three seemingly confirms that this could apply to Benedict or Francesca. Francesca appears flustered when meeting her new husband's cousin, Michaela, in the finale.

Benedict, meanwhile, becomes involved with Tilley and her lover, Paul. When she asks to make their relationship more formal, he says she “opened his world” and he doesn't want to close it again.

"This is a show about love in its many forms and I think that it’s only right for us to foreground queer love and to tell queer stories,” Brownell told Pride. “I want to see more queer joy on my screens and that was definitely a priority for me when I stepped into the showrunner role.”

“How exactly that plays out over this season and the next couple seasons, I can’t say specifically," she added, "but I will say I’m excited for fans to see that."

This article was originally published on TODAY.com