Miss Angelica Rotherham is not a debutante - at least, not in the conventional sense of the word. Her father, a renowned painter hailed as the second Gainsborough, has brought her to London in the hope of making a decent match for her to help their family rise in the world. However, far from shrinking from the world of painting, Angelica wants nothing more than to make her mark in it. A portrait commission from a family as splendid as the Bridgertons should do the job... except first she must charm one of the brothers into offering it.
Benedict Bridgerton is a gentleman who can enjoy both the freedom of the artistry and the delights of the ton - or so he thinks. When he meets Miss Rotherham, what starts as a dalliance grows into an infatuation. However, the difference in their stations is great, and someone in as precarious a position as her is doubly vulnerable to the sharp tongues of the great and not-so-good...
(Note: this is set in between Season 1 and Season 2, hence why Daphne is married, but Anthony is not).