Diksha Sundriyal
In the third season of HBO’s ‘The Gilded Age,’ Mrs. Russell tries to elevate her social status by trying to hitch her daughter with the Duke of Buckingham. In the first two episodes, she spreads the word around in the form of rumours and newspaper headlines, which all but confirm that Gladys Russell is going to marry the Duke. Even though young Gladys’ heart is with Billy Carlton, things take such a turn that she suffers a heartbreak at her lover’s rejection, while preparing for the possibility that she might have to enter a marriage she might not like. SPOILERS AHEAD.
The Deal With the Duke Reaches an Uncertain Point
When Bertha Russell enticed the Duke to marry her daughter, she agreed to certain terms that she kept from her husband. When the Duke arrives at the Russell house with a lawyer, George is taken by surprise because this means that his wife promised more than she let on. The episode opens with him in tense negotiations where he sets the price for what would be considered Gladys’ dowry. It is clear that the Duke wants this marriage because it will accompany the Russell fortune, which he wishes to use to resurrect his own family’s fortune. Though George offers him quite a large sum, the Duke doesn’t seem satisfied with it.
The night ends with them reaching an impasse, while Bertha tries to convince her husband to find some common ground. Meanwhile, Marian and Larry are left behind in the hall, and before she is about to leave, he kisses her. In the midst of this, Bertha’s maid walks in on them. This doesn’t concern Larry, but Marian knows that the maid will report this to his mother, and she doesn’t want Mrs. Russell to think low of her. She shares this concern with Ada, who advises her to exercise caution, especially after Marian expresses her concern over Larry’s previous relationship with an older woman in Newport.
The next morning, George revises his offer, where he agrees to throw more money at the Duke, but this money will be in the name of Gladys, not her husband. He asks the Duke to take it or leave it, and when the royal leaves, it seems that this is the last time he will be seen. While Bertha is taken aback by this sudden turn of events, Gladys is happy. In fact, she seems so convinced that the Duke is out of the picture that she asks Larry to talk to Billy Carlton and convince him to talk to their father again. Unfortunately for her, Billy has made up his mind, and no matter if Gladys marries the Duke or not, he is not going to make a move to get her hand in marriage. This breaks her heart, but it is a reality she must accept.
Ada and Agnes Clash Over Being the Head of the Household
Since Oscar lost all the Van Rhijn fortune, things have changed in the household, as now, Ada is the one paying all the bills. In the previous episode, Aurora tried to help draw a line such that the staff are now answerable to Ada, as she is paying their wages. Still, she feels that her elder sister’s influence is much stronger than hers. In this episode, however, Agnes starts to feel that she is being pushed out of society. The charity that she helped set up does not mention her name in the benefactors anymore, though they do mention Ada, who cut the cheque in their name due to Agnes’ insistence. While she starts rambling about it, her sister believes she is overreacting. Meanwhile, Marian continues her teaching, while Oscar reveals that he has found two new clients, all thanks to John Adams.
Meanwhile, Jack finally gets to go to the meetings with Larry, but none of those meetings end on a positive note. Each time, the investors ask for some time to think about it, which disheartens Jack, who was looking forward to talking about his watch and dazzling the investors. There comes a point where he even talks to the investor and answers their questions about how the device works. But even then, there is no “yes.” As she sulks about it, Mrs. Armstrong tells him that this is nothing to be disappointed about because, at least, he has his foot in the door now, which is more than what most people have in the world of business.
A while later, Ada asks Bannister how many of the staff have signed the pledge for her temperance movement. She is shocked to discover that only Mrs. Armstrong signed it, which also shocks Agnes, because she didn’t think her own maid would go against it. The realisation that not even her own staff is supporting her in her endeavours makes her reflect upon her standing in the household. Later that night, she talks to Mrs. Bauer and wonders if everyone would have signed the pledge had Agnes asked them to. The conversation then turns towards Ada talking about how much she misses her husband and wishes she could talk to him. To this, Mrs. Bauer reveals that there is someone who can help her with that.
The Encounter Between the Scotts and the Kirklands Gets Awkward
Peggy Scott’s health issues led her to be introduced to the kind Dr. William Kirkland, who took a fancy to her even in her sickly, dishevelled state. Now that Peggy is much better and spending some time with her family in Newport, he seeks her out. They go out for a walk together, at the end of which he invites her and her family to attend a family dinner. Peggy’s mother and aunt view this as a very good sign. Her aunt is ecstatic because the Kirklands are a prominent family in Newport, and associating with them would be a very good sign for Peggy and her family. Even though her mother and aunt push her towards William, Peggy wishes to be cautious as she wants to know the doctor better before making up her mind about him.
At the gathering, Peggy and William’s parents meet, and they are off to a good start. Things change when William’s mother asks about Mr. Scott and his business. He reveals that he started his own pharmacy, which is now quite a successful business, after he came to the North following the emancipation of formerly enslaved people. William’s mother’s reaction leads him to believe that she is looking down on him for his past as a slave, and this prejudice is not something he can accept. While his wife wants things to go forward with Peggy and William, she also worries that the mother’s behaviour might be a cause for concern. For now, however, Peggy is not thinking about any of it because she does not want to think too far, considering that she doesn’t really know William well so far.
Bertha Convinces the Duke to Come Back to Gladys
When George refuses to throw more money at the Duke, the latter decides to move out of the Russell house and seek his fortune elsewhere. This worries Bertha, especially after she finds him with another family with a single daughter and enough fortune to buy a duke. In the hopes of dissuading the thoughts of marriage, Bertha meets with the family’s patriarch, especially after she discovers that George’s investment helped save his bank. Fortunately, the man does not want to send his only daughter to the other side of the pond because he wants to see his grandchildren grow up in front of him.
The realisation that the Duke is not going to find any other option soon reassures Bertha. She and George have a talk, where he asks her if they, too, don’t want their grandchildren to grow up in front of them. However, his wife convinces him that their social standing is linked to their financial one, which is why it is important for Gladys to marry the Duke. Despite knowing that his daughter isn’t keen on the marriage, George can’t help but agree that his wife is right. The marriage to the Duke will allow Gladys more power and influence than she would have in any other case. But this also poses a problem, as he also decided to take a gamble with his ambitious railway project with the money that he thought he wouldn’t have to give to the Duke anymore.
With nowhere else to go, the Duke returns to Bertha when she calls. She convinces him to take George’s offer, explaining that Gladys’ money will still be his money, and it’s better than nothing. This prompts the man to accept the offer, which means that the engagement plan is back on track. Now that even her father is in favour of the marriage, a heartbroken Gladys finds herself left alone. George urges her to give the Duke a chance, and the prospective spouses have a chat, where the Duke accepts that the reason he wants this marriage is for the money, though he hopes that Gladys will find happiness in their union.
The conversation allows Gladys to see the Duke in a more sympathetic light, especially considering that he was honest with her about his true intentions. This leads her to agree to the engagement, which is announced later that evening at the unveiling of her magnificent portrait. But while she may have agreed to her mother’s plans, it doesn’t mean she is happy about it, and her tension comes off in the form of the pearl necklace that breaks after she fidgets with it too much.
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