Another Darcy: Simon, Duke of Hastings

Rege-Jean Paul

Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings, from Netflix's Bridgerton, joins the ranks of Darcy introverts!

In the original, Darcy states the following:

I certainly have not the talent which some people possess, of conversing easily with those I have never seen before. I cannot catch their tone of conversation, or appear interested in their concerns, as I often see done.

 In Bridgerton, Simon declares himself:

I have never been a man that much enjoyed flirting, or chatting, or, indeed, talking at all. But with Daphne… Miss Bridgerton… conversation has always been easy. Her laughter brings me joy.

Colin Firth

Brothers under the skin, Darcy and Simon do have one fundamental difference. Darcy is inherently introverted. He may or may not behave in extroverted ways depending on his circumstances. (Consider Sheldon from Big Bang Theory who gets downright garrulous on his chosen favored topics. Darcy gets giddy when he shows off his estate to Elizabeth.)

Simon is reserved. He is careful, remote. Reserve can be an element of personality. It can also be the result of life circumstances. Simon is a combination. 

The overriding similarity is two men who spend a great deal of time appearing to ask, "Why am I here? When can I leave?"