After tumultuous times of rumors, deceit, and betrayal, peace is finally restored in Belgravia. Belgravia: The Next Chapter started with Frederick Trenchard falling in love at first sight with Clara Dunn. Clara was a young bride, and her rose-tinted idea of marriage started to fall apart when she tried to understand Frederick’s past. Frederick was a troubled man, and the trauma inflicted upon him during his childhood days continued to haunt him. All his life, he was desperate to win his father’s affection, and as a result, he was quite tough on himself. Clara wanted to help Frederick, but it backfired. He made it evident that he was not looking for her sympathy, and his behavior pushed Clara away from him.
Clara found a friend in Dr. Stephen Ellerby, but he mistook her friendly behavior for romantic affection. The scandal started to spread all across Belgravia about the affair, leaving Frederick devastated. Frederick was fooled by a scamster from France, Marquise D’Etagnac. He lost a good chunk of his wealth, and his personal life also started to fall apart. Clara was heartbroken when Frederick accused her of the affair, and she left with Miss Davison for North London. Even though Frederick’s manager, Ross, tried to take advantage of Clara, she and Davison managed to find their way out of the tricky situation. In Belgravia: The Next Chapter‘s final episode, Frederick acknowledges his mistakes and strives to become a better man.
Spoiler Alert
Who was Josiah Enright writing letters to?
Throughout Belgravia: The Next Chapter, Mr. Enright had been keeping in touch with a secret entity in France, and in the final episode, it was revealed that he had been writing letters to John Bellasis. Twenty-five years ago, Josiah Enright met John Bellasis at a bar in Calais. He was a purser at the Royal Navy, and he was finding it immensely difficult to make ends meet after he got tricked into buying supplies. John saw an opportunity in Josiah to keep in contact with his son, Frederick. After escaping to France, John realized there was no way for him to return to England to claim Frederick. He decided to instead hire Josiah to keep him updated about his son’s progress. He paid Enright to resign from the Navy and provided him with a yearly fee. Enright managed to secure a job at Glanville House, and gradually, he gained the trust of the Trenchard family.
When Enright accepted the job, he did not know that John Bellasis had attempted murder, and that was the reason he fled England. For twenty-five years, Enright regularly wrote him letters, but he did not receive a reply. All of a sudden, when he did receive a letter from Bellasis, he knew it was something serious. The letter mentioned that he was on his deathbed, and he hoped to meet his son before it was too late. Enright reached out to James for assistance, but unfortunately, Frederick’s relationship with James had worsened over time. James decided to take a chance and reached out to Frederick.
How did meeting John Bellasis impact Frederick?
Frederick initially refused to see James, but he ended up sparing James some time to explain himself. James handed him the letter and encouraged him to meet his birth father. Frederick had spent all his life believing a lie, and James thought it was time that they searched for the truth. Frederick agreed to the proposal, and they headed out to France to meet John Bellasis. It had been two months since Clara left, and Frederick was extremely lonely. The thought of never meeting his birth father perhaps scared him, and he decided to give him a chance. Even though he was on his deathbed, Bellasis lived up to his image of a pompous casanova. Frederick realized that the man was not lying when all the details matched. Accepting that he had led a life of lies was painful for Frederick, but meeting John Bellasis helped him become more lenient towards himself.
Bellasis expressed how proud he was of Frederick’s achievements. He remembered every landmark in his son’s life and celebrated them in his own way. There were times when he wanted to return to England and unite with his son, but he knew that his rash decision would only cause harm to Frederick. John believed he had done nothing in life to be proud of except being the birthfather of a remarkable gentleman. Frederick was emotional—these were words he had been waiting to hear all his life, and finally, he too experienced fatherly affection. Frederick realized that he was never the problem, and it was a complicated relationship that resulted in his traumatic childhood. Frederick experienced a sense of fulfillment, and his relationship with James improved. James realized that he, too, was perhaps not the son of Oliver Trenchard and that his mother probably had an affair with one of the groundsmen. They decided it was best to keep their mother’s affairs a secret. The next morning, Frederick learned that John had passed away. Even though he had spent a brief time with his father, meeting him somehow helped him fill the void.
Why did Clara decide to return to Belgravia?
Clara and Davison settled in the north of London. They were short on cash and ended up working as servers at a restaurant. It was not an easy choice for Clara, but she had made up her mind not to return home to Frederick. As time passed, Clara started to miss her family. She was reminded of her mother and Emily when she saw a mother and daughter at the restaurant. While writing a card to them, Clara accepted that the distance had become too much for her to bear.
Emily and Mrs. Dunn were shocked to see Clara after two months. She finally decided to return for a short while to meet her family. Clara had no intention of meeting Frederick, and her family respected her decision. After heaps of misunderstandings, Clara and Emily finally had an honest conversation. Emily admitted that she had been too tough on Clara. She was ashamed of doubting her integrity and thinking the worst of her. Emily also realized that Clara was right about James and that he would never marry her. Clara, too, apologized for leaving Emily to deal with the messed-up situation all by herself. The sisters overcame their differences and sought the comfort of their childhood memory of having cocoa at night.
What happened to Nell and Stephen Ellerby?
Clara met Nell at the church in Belgravia. She had learned from Emily that Nell got married to Stephen Ellerby. Nell was aware of the friendship Clara and Stephen shared, but she did not hold any grievances against Clara. She believed her husband was a romantic, and he adored Clara. She was happy to be married to the man she had always been in love with. Clara assured her that her relationship with Stephen was strictly that of friends. She had come to realize that she enjoyed the flattery because her husband never cared to spoil her. Before leaving, Nell expressed that she hoped that Clara would not misunderstand Stephen. She believed he would have never abandoned her had he found out about her pregnancy. Nell’s family did not approve of him, and that was why he moved away to London. Clara had forgiven Stephen and wished the newlywed couple a prosperous life. After overcoming tough times, Nell and Stephen found love in each other and lived happily.
Did Frederick and Clara reunite?
Clara’s heart softened after Emily handed her all the letters Frederick had written to them enquiring about Clara. She was surprised to find out that instead of stopping the allowance he provided to her family, he increased the amount. Frederick had suffered financial loss, but with the wealth he acquired from his father, he could have afforded to keep the house, but instead, he chose to sell it. Frederick gave the money he bequeathed to James to help the poor. James was convinced that his brother had changed. The distance from Clara and meeting his birth father helped him evaluate his mistakes and become a better person. James begged Clara to give his brother another chance, knowing that he would never experience a sense of contentment without Clara by his side. Clara was hesitant, worrying that maybe they were never meant to be together, but James assured her that they would always be miserable apart.
During Belgravia: The Next Chapter‘s ending, Frederick returned from church and was surprised to see Clara in the drawing room. For a second, he thought he was wishfully dreaming. Frederick apologized to Clara for misunderstanding her and doubting her when she needed his support the most. He had realized how his rage and fear affected their relationship, and he assured Clara that he was trying to improve and better himself. Frederick was aware that an apology was not enough to fix the mistakes he made, but Clara believed it was a stepping-stone. Clara had come to realize that finding love was quite a miracle, and even amidst their chaotic circumstances, they managed to experience moments of pure joy and love. She admitted that what they shared was too precious to let go, and finally, at the end of Belgravia: The Next Chapter, Frederick and Clara reunited. They intended on traveling for a while to clear their minds, but they confirmed that they would always return to Belgravia. Everyone close to the couple celebrated their union at the Christmas party. All hopes are not lost with Emily; she took an interest in the nephew of Mrs. White, who had recently returned from his service in the army. And who knows, maybe the next season will revolve around Emily and her new-found romantic interest!
