The Lake Scene in ‘Bridgerton’ Season 4 Is Different in the Books

Mr. Darcy and Anthony Bridgerton, please welcome Benedict Bridgerton to the “emerging out of a lake” hall of fame.

There are a few monumental scenes straight from the pages of Julia Quinn’s books that fans demanded be included in the Netflix adaptation. You know the ones — remember the carriage scene from season three? Or the mirror scene that ended up being the longest sex scene in the show’s (steamy) history? Or maybe you’re more of a Kanthony fan, which means you were eagerly anticipating a certain bee sting.

This season’s monumental scene was known by the fans as “the lake scene.” It’s a big moment for Benedict (Luke Thompson) and Sophie (Yerin Ha), the leads of season four. They’ve fully warmed up to each other after a few days at My Cottage, and it’s become difficult to ignore the simmering tension between them.

So, when Sophie accidentally comes upon a nude Benedict taking a swim in the lake in episode three … well, you can guess what happens next.

But it actually goes down quite differently in Quinn’s book, “An Offer From a Gentleman.”

The lake scene is in season 4, episode 3 of the show

It’s a short (but impactful) scene in the show.

After recovering from a fever brought on by injuries he sustained while protecting Sophie’s honor — long story — Benedict and Sophie are spending time at Benedict’s (charming, if inaccurately named) My Cottage so he can recuperate.

While taking a walk, Sophie accidentally spots a naked Benedict taking a swim in the lake. Of course, he promptly spots her and begins teasing her for ogling.

But it takes a turn when Sophie blurts out she “can’t help but notice” Benedict, wherever he is. The two share a passionate kiss before Benedict backs away, apologizing.

The two then go their separate ways, with Benedict (as usual) being charmed by Sophie’s awkwardness.

And that’s it.

Here’s what happens in ‘the lake scene’ in the books

The lake scene occurs in chapter 11, about 40% of the way through the book — and it’s a much longer encounter.

First of all, the kiss is a lot more intense, lasts a lot longer, and has some more flirty banter, including Sophie accidentally calling Benedict by his first name (which he loves) and telling him that she doesn’t normally do this kind of thing.

Where it gets a bit dicey, though, is that this is when Benedict asks Sophie to be his mistress after deducing that she’s been lying about her parentage.

As she does when he makes this offer in episode four, Sophie says no. We don’t know how Benedict will react to this refusal in the show, but we can be almost certain that it won’t be what his literary counterpart does: Blackmail Sophie into working for his mother.

Yes, you read that right. When Sophie refuses to be Benedict’s mistress, he tells her she can either work for Violet or he’ll report her to the police for stealing from him.

Understandably, Sophie is furious about this — and actually punches Benedict in the face when he says she’s “not being intelligent” — but ultimately accepts the offer to work at Bridgerton House.

Thankfully, Benedict’s blackmail scheme seems like it won’t happen on the show

Of the many changes “Bridgerton” showrunner Jess Brownell has made from the source material, this is one we’re quite relieved about.

In the book, Benedict isn’t trying to be slimy when he does this. Ultimately, he’s trying to protect Sophie from having to navigate the world on her own (and he’s basically accepted the fact that he loves her and can’t live without her), but that doesn’t make it any less icky to read.

Instead, the show has actually leaned into the tricky power dynamic between Benedict, a member of the Ton, and Sophie, a maid. Soon after the lake scene in the show, he has a conversation with Mrs. Crabtree, one of the caretakers of his cottage, who warns him that the inherent power imbalance between him and Sophie means that a relationship between them can never truly be equal.

It’s a surprising bit of reality from an otherwise fantastical show.

The mistress offer comes a bit later during what’s been dubbed the “staircase scene” — a show invention — after Benedict has seen that a friend of his has a mistress he’s truly fallen in love with, and, by all accounts, the two seem happy. Benedict is genuinely trying to make it work with Sophie as best as he can.

But we’ll have to wait until part two on February 26 to see how Sophie responds.