Betrayal or Rakish Behavior: The Reason Lady Danbury Is So Angry at Her Brother, Lord Marcus

Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers for Season 3 of Bridgerton.

As one of the most collected and respected members of the ton, Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh) appears visibly unsettled by the news of her brother, Lord Marcus Anderson, paying her a visit in Season 3 of Netflix's Bridgerton. With her showing no indication of comfort in seeing a familial face upon Lord Marcus’s (Daniel Francis) arrival, fans have become increasingly curious as to why Lady Danbury harbors such a strong dislike for him.

Is it because of the rakish behavior he’s displayed in the past or something deeper? What exactly happened between Lady Danbury and Lord Marcus that has caused such a rift in their relationship? Let’s explore!

Unlike the close bond shared between the Bridgerton siblings, Lady Danbury and her brother clearly lack affection in their relationship. And in Season 3, we find out why. While Lord Marcus questions whether the grudge she holds against him has something to do with their father favoring him over her, Lady Danbury snaps, “I do not care about that!”

In a bitter tone, she sharply explains, “What I care about is that I had a chance of happiness, and you took it from me.” Seeing that he's still confused by her anger, Lady Danbury continues, “The night before I was to be married, I very nearly escaped to freedom. Do you think I do not know that it was you who betrayed me to our father? I heard him thank you.”

“Soma,” Marcus replies sympathetically, hoping that addressing Lady Danbury by her birth name will ease the tension. She promptly excuses herself, showing no indication of forgiveness toward him.

You see, when Lady Danbury was a debutante, she attempted to escape an arranged marriage by running away. However, Marcus betrayed his sister. He told their father about her intentions, ultimately forcing her to marry a much older and unattractive man.

So, it seems Lady Danbury's grudge against her brother is clearly justified.

In the brief interactions we witness between Lady Danbury and Lord Marcus, it's evident that she views him as a rake. Although Marcus was once a married man, his wife, whom he admits he didn’t love at first, had passed away. But, upon his return to Mayfair, Marcus clearly sets his sights on having himself a little fun, and Dowager Viscountess Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell) looks like the perfect prospect.

However, Lady Danbury swiftly shuts down any attempt Marcus makes to get close to Violet, redirecting the attention of the widowed woman of the ton toward him to keep him away from her (for most of Season 3, at least).

Fan theories on Reddit also speculate that Marcus may have once pursued something with one of Lady Danbury’s friends (when they were younger), although his rakish behavior caused her heartbreak before he moved on to marry someone else.

Another theory suggests that Marcus found himself in a situation similar to Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor) and Simon’s (Regé-jean Page), where his scandalous behavior led to his getting caught. This forced him into a marriage he wasn't prepared for but ultimately grew to be happy with.

While we don’t know much about Marcus’s past, we do know he took his duties as a brother seriously, which he reveals to Lady Danbury in the final part of Season 3.

Yes! With the tension continuously rising between Lady Danbury and her brother in Season 3, they finally face the situation as adults. Marcus admits to his sister that the night she escaped, he "had no concept of why [she] was escaping." He draws attention to his age at the time (he was only 10) and only knew of the outside world as being extremely dangerous for a young lady. Fearful of what might happen to her, Marcus informed his father of her intention to leave.

Not only did Marcus believe that by keeping his sister home she would be safe, but that it would also give him the opportunity to prove himself to her (perhaps prove his ability to be a kind and caring brother?). By the end of Season 3, Lady Danbury and her brother make up. She even gives Violet her blessing to see him, acknowledging that he is "a good man."