The Duke and I is a 2000 historical romance novel authored by Julia Quinn and first published by Avon. It is the first book in Quinn's series of Regency-era romance novels featuring the Bridgerton siblings. The story follows Daphne, the fourth child and the oldest daughter in the Bridgerton family.

Summary

In 1813, Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings, returns to London after being away for a long time. Others in society do not know that Simon was treated poorly by his father because of a stutter he had as a child. Simon has become known for being proud and distant because he often stayed quiet to hide his stutter.

Simon visits his godmother, Lady Danbury, and sees a young woman being harassed by a man who is too forward. Before Simon can help, the woman hits the man. Simon becomes interested in the woman until he learns she is Daphne Bridgerton, the sister of his friend Anthony Bridgerton. Both Anthony and Daphne are pressured by their mother, Violet, to marry, but they find the process unexciting.

Simon learns that as a wealthy and unmarried duke, he is seen as a good match for marriage. Since Daphne is the only woman he enjoys spending time with, he agrees to pretend to court her. This is meant to make others think he is already engaged, so they will leave her alone. Anthony does not approve of the fake courtship but allows it to continue because Daphne is now receiving more attention from other suitors.

During their pretend courtship, Daphne and Simon begin to care for each other. At a ball, Daphne tries to kiss Simon in the garden, but they are caught by Anthony. Anthony demands Simon marry Daphne to protect her reputation. Simon refuses, and Anthony challenges him to a duel. When Daphne learns this, she pleads with Simon to marry her to save her honor. Simon agrees but warns that he cannot have children.

Daphne and Simon marry quickly. Violet tries to explain about marriage to Daphne, but Daphne finds the instructions unclear. At first, Daphne believes Simon cannot have children, but they have sex and both enjoy it.

For their honeymoon, Simon takes Daphne to his childhood home. The housekeeper tells Daphne about Simon’s past stutter. The housekeeper also hints that Simon avoids having children by stopping during sex, which makes Daphne upset. This causes a disagreement, and Daphne stops sleeping with Simon until he changes his mind.

Feeling sad, Simon drinks heavily. Later, when he returns home drunk, Daphne has sex with him while he is barely awake and insists on finishing, hoping to become pregnant. This experience frightens Simon, and he starts stuttering again. He runs away, telling Daphne to write to him only if she becomes pregnant. Daphne goes back to London.

After two months, Daphne writes to say she is pregnant. Simon returns and finds out her period was just delayed. He admits he misses her, and Daphne says she would love their child even if it had a stutter. They agree to try having children.

In 1817, after having three daughters, Daphne gives birth to a son named David.

Later, it is revealed that Daphne becomes pregnant with a fifth child at age 41. Her brother Colin and his wife visit Simon for advice about their child’s speech. Simon reads letters from his late father but finds nothing useful. He burns the letters and shares his excitement with Daphne about becoming parents again.

Reception

After the Netflix series Bridgerton was released on December 25, 2020, sales of books in Quinn's series increased significantly. The novel became the top-selling book on the New York Times Best Seller List for several weeks. In January 2021, it reached the 11th position on Publishers Weekly’s mass market bestseller list and the 9th position on the trade paperback list.

The novel faced criticism for a scene in which Simon and Daphne have non-consensual sex, which is described as marital rape. The scene shows Daphne wanting children and having sex with Simon while he is drunk and half-asleep. She does not allow him to stop even though he objects and had previously said he does not want children.

— Daphne's perspective before the sexual assault in the novel

This part of the story was described as a harmful aspect of the relationship between the characters. Critics noted that the story did not show that the lack of consent was morally wrong. Some also pointed out that the novel did not address the challenges faced by male victims of rape, as Simon was deeply affected by the event.

— Simon's perspective after the sexual assault in the novel

Quinn has said that readers’ reactions to the scene have changed since the book was published in 2000. In a 2021 interview, she explained, "Women’s understanding of their own power and choices has changed a lot. It’s harder for us to relate to Daphne and the fact that, within that marriage and in that society, she has no power. I’m not saying what she did was right. I’m just saying it’s harder for a modern woman to understand it than it was 20 years ago."

Adaptation

The novel inspired the first season of the Netflix series Bridgerton, which began on December 25, 2020. In the series, Phoebe Dynevor plays Daphne Bridgerton, Regé-Jean Page plays Simon Bassett, and Jonathan Bailey plays Anthony Bridgerton.

The sixth episode of the Netflix series, titled "Swish," faced criticism for showing a scene between Simon and Daphne that did not include proper consent. Some critics also noted that the portrayal of Simon, played by a Black actor, may reinforce unfair stereotypes about Black men in media.

Quinn explained that changes to the setting in the show were made to prioritize storytelling over strict historical accuracy. She stated, "This is already a romantic fantasy, and I think it’s more important to show that as many people as possible deserve this type of happiness and dignity."