The penultimate episode of Belgravia: The Next Chapter barely leaves any hope for Clara and Frederick’s reunion. The distance between them has only gotten worse, especially with Clara’s infidelity rumor spreading far and wide. Frederick is not just facing a crisis in his marriage but also in his business. His stubborn determination to prove himself as a Trenchard backfired. After all the red flags raised by his manager, Ross, Frederick chose to ignore them in the hopes of making an unimaginable profit. He was swayed by the marquise’s charm, and there was no stopping him.
Spoiler Alert
Why did Ross betray Fredrick?
After James revealed that Frederick was born out of wedlock, he felt the need to prove himself as a true Trenchard—someone who would not be afraid of risking his wealth to expand his business. He studied how his grandfather had built the company, and he realized that at a certain point in his life, he borrowed a lot more than all his assets combined. Frederick believed he must do the same if he wanted the company to reach new heights. He planned on investing more money into the Marquise’s silver mine, and to do so, he decided to borrow against the foundry, Trenchard imports, and patents. Ross hinted at the possible red flags in the silver mines opportunity, but Frederick was persistent about going ahead with his investment.
Ross did not mind watching Frederick lose all his money as long as he could benefit from it. Perhaps he felt disrespected when Frederick did not take his suggestions into account and implied that he was weak and a coward. Ross was not a reliable man, and the minute he noticed a possible opportunity to make money at the expense of his employer, he did not hesitate to go behind Frederick. According to Ross’ informant, the Marquise of Etagnac was born to a peasant in Charente. She was the youngest of his eight children, and her birth name was Mathilde Balmadier. When she found out that the descendant of Marquis D’Etagnac was living in a run-down house close by, she seduced him and eventually married him. Her husband had no money to his name, but his title helped her become credible, and she started to borrow money. Everything she owned was bought with borrowed money, and she eventually started a Ponzi scheme—borrowing money from new investors to pay the old ones. She had seven cases against her for fraud and schemes, but the powerful connections she had built helped her escape judicial punishment. Two of her victims had committed suicide after they lost all their wealth trusting Madam D’Etagnac. She escaped from Paris when the situation slipped out of control, and her next target was the Belgravia high society.
Ross had incriminating information against the Marquise, and he made up his mind to make a deal with the devil. He was ready to remain tight-lipped about her entire operation if she paid him half of Frederick’s investment in cash. The Marquise realized that there was no point in arguing with him, and she agreed to the deal.
What was the Marquise’s plan?
Ross was dealing with a gang of swindlers, and it was pretty foolish of him to assume that everything would work out for him. Sure, he had information that could destroy the Marquise, but she was an experienced player, and Ross was not the first man to threaten to destroy her. She had her own ways of dealing with threats. Instead of challenging Ross, she agreed to make a deal with him. But she could not trust him entirely and was afraid that he would take the money and reveal her secret to the world before she could escape. Moreover, she and her team did not think it was wise to hand him half the investment they received from Frederick. Their plan was to follow him the minute he stepped out of their house with the cash. They decided to eliminate him and take back their money.
Ross noticed the Marquise’s butler following him, but he managed to throw him off his trail. Ross planned on clearing his desk at the office and running away, but his plan was put on hold when he met Clara and Davison there. Clara needed financial aid, and Ross could not deny her request. He always had his eyes on her, and given her vulnerable situation, he decided to take advantage of it. Clara was searching for a safe place to escape, and Ross offered them to tag along with him. He was unaware that the Marquise had her man watching his every move, and he would once again find himself in trouble.
Why did Clara decide to leave Frederick?
The Duchess of Rochester confronted Stephen about his friendship with Lady Trenchard. Stephen assured her that their relationship was purely that of a doctor and a patient, and he was lately helping Clara cope with the overwhelming pressure that came with her social status. While the Duchess wanted to believe him, she was concerned when she realized that gossip about Stephen and Clara’s nature of friendship had started to spread rapidly. She thought it would be wise to have a word with Clara’s mother and sister to convince them to make Clara aware of the situation. While her mother refused to believe that her daughter would ever overstep her boundaries, Emily felt betrayed by Clara.
Lately, Emily had dedicated all her time to taking care of James, and she had started seeing a future with him. She believed that she would lose her chance to be with James because of Clara’s conduct. Emily warned Clara to apologize to Frederick before it was too late. She held Clara responsible for the shame she brought to her family. Emily has time and again proved to be an unempathetic sister to Clara. Instead of being her shoulder to cry on, Emily chose to bombard Clara with insults.
The Duchess assumed it would be in Frederick’s best interest to know about the rumors of his wife’s affair. Instead of confronting Clara about the rumors, Frederick accused her of infidelity. Clara realized that her husband had lost trust in her, even though she loved him with all her heart. She tried to explain that the rumors were false, but Frederick had already made up his mind. He decided it was best for them to pretend to be husband and wife in public, but behind closed doors, they would have no relationship. Clara refused to spend the rest of her life in misery, and she decided to live by herself outside of Belgravia. Davison announced that she would follow Clara wherever she intended to go. Except for Davison, everyone turned out to be quite a disappointment for Clara.
What happened between Stephen and Clara?
Before leaving Belgravia, Clara decided to bid farewell to Stephen. She might not have been in love with him, but she respected the friendship they shared. To her surprise, Stephen was embracing Nell when she entered the Bloomsbury apartment. As it turned out in Belgravia: The Next Chapter episode 7, Stephen Ellerby was the father of Nell’s child. They lived in the same town and fell in love with each other. By the time Nell discovered that she was pregnant, Stephen had left for London. After the death of her daughter, Nell traveled to London in the hopes of finding her lover. Her family had rejected her, and she had nowhere else to go. The Duchess had handed Stephen’s address to Mrs. Dunn, and when Nell came across it, she believed that all her prayers had been answered.
Stephen was surprised to see his former lover in Bloomsbury, and just as they were catching up on each other, Clara had entered the room. Stephen tried to explain himself; he was ready to leave everything behind and go along with Clara. Clara advised him to stay back with Nell if he had an ounce of self-respect. Even if he wanted to be with Clara, the situation turned unfavorable, and Clara lost her respect for him. Stephen Ellerby turned out to be a disappointment as well! The ending of Belgravia: The Next Chapter episode 7 suggests that there is no future for Stephen and Clara’s relationship.
What happened to Ross?
Ross did not keep his promise to Mrs. Enright, who had been looking forward to escaping from her loveless marriage. Ross seized the opportunity to accompany Clara outside of Belgravia. As Clara settled in her room at an inn to stay the night, Ross decided to check on her. Clara started to doubt him when he emphasized their staying together and the rumors that it could possibly generate. Clara felt uncomfortable when he mentioned how her beauty always left him mesmerized. She barely knew the man, and she did not expect him to be this rotten. Ross went ahead and kissed Clara’s hand and refused to let go of her. Davison came from behind and asked Ross to behave, but he refused to stop. Davison had no other choice but to knock him out to rescue Clara. She decided it was best for them to leave, and they collected their belongings and got on the next coach. By the time Ross came to his senses and stepped outside, Clara and Davison were gone. He perhaps would have followed them had the Marquise’s butler (helper or partner) not obstructed his path. He had a knife in his hands, and Ross immediately knew that his plan had backfired. The ending of episode 7 suggests that Ross will be murdered, and the Marquise will get her share back. Even if he is spared, his betrayal will make it impossible for him to head back to Belgravia, and Ross will have a tough time rebuilding his reputation.
What can we expect in the next episode?
Belgravia: The Next Chapter Episode 7 ends with Frederick realizing that he has been duped. With Ross going missing all of a sudden, Frederick was alarmed. He went to the Marquise D’Etagnac’s place and was shocked to find out that the madam and her staff had left with all their belongings. He discussed the situation with the Duke of Rochester, who had introduced the Marquise to his social circle. The Duke did not seem too surprised by Frederick’s discovery. He disclosed that he received a concerning note from Nathaniel Rothschild about some rumors in Paris. He planned on informing Frederick about it, but he was too embarrassed to admit that he made a wrong judgment of character. The Duke was unaware that Frederick had invested a lot more than he had initially planned, and what was merely a lesson for him was a great financial burden for Frederick.
Ross had left a letter written by Mr. Enright to a woman in France. Frederick came to know that Mr. Enright provided a detailed account of his life to a stranger. He assumed that Mr. Enright had teamed up with Ross to help the Marquise exploit him. Frederick immediately asks him to leave, but there seems to be a grave misunderstanding.
Frederick has lost his wife, his business, and the deed to his house. His life is falling apart, and maybe now is the time for him to think about the mistakes he made and work on them. There are too many things going on in the series as of now, and you cannot help but wonder how the creators are going to wrap it all up in a single episode. Maybe a happy ending with Clara and Frederick getting back together is what the series is aiming for, but it might be too hastily done if it happens in the very next episode. After getting her heart broken by Frederick, a mere apology might not cut it for Clara. There is also the mystery behind the letter that needs to be solved. Frederick has time and again proved his self-centeredness, and it is time for him to evolve and become a better person to be worthy of Clara. So, are we looking at an hour-long episode to wrap it all up or an entire new season for the couple to get back together and Frederick to rebuild his business? Well, episode 8 is definitely going to be crucial in determining the fate of the series.
