With Bridgerton season 3’s premiere date looming ever closer, all eyes are, rightfully, on Penelope Featherington and Colin Bridgerton. They are, after all, this season’s hottest soon-to-be couple, and their love story has the potential to be utterly swoon-worthy and romantic. I can’t wait to see it unfold.

But what about Benedict? I will happily admit that Benedict has been my favorite Bridgerton since season 1. I love an artist who has a way with words. And yet, while Benedict’s story is the focus of the third Bridgerton novel, it is not the focus of the third Bridgerton season. I can understand why that’s happened. Penelope and Colin have been a part of the show’s main storylines since season 1. One person has already found out about Penelope’s Lady Whistledown alter ego, and more will surely follow soon. Benedict’s story, on the other hand, has been rather far removed from the larger goings on so far, the focus on his aspirations as a painter and his solo escapades in town.

In the context of the show, it makes sense that Colin would come first, but thankfully, Bridgerton showrunner Jess Brownell has assured us that Benedict will be a “vital part of season 3.” (via Variety). Hopefully, that means the show is setting him up to become Bridgerton season 4’s leading man, though, at this time, nothing has been confirmed—Eloise could very well be up next, too, given her prominent role in the show’s first two seasons. But let’s say, for argument’s sake—and my own sanity—that Benedict has already been tapped as Bridgerton season 4’s primary protagonist. How might that influence his role in Bridgerton season 3?

Could we meet Sophie Beckett in Bridgerton season 3?

For those of you who haven’t read the Bridgerton books, Benedict’s story, An Offer From A Gentleman, is essentially a Cinderella retelling. During a masquerade ball hosted by Lady Bridgerton, Benedict dances with and falls for Sophie Beckett, the illegitimate daughter of the Earl of Penwood. Sophie snuck out to the ball, avoiding the watchful eye of her late father’s evil wife, Araminta, and is forced to leave the party early to avoid her “stepmother’s” wrath and the ball’s midnight unmasking. As Sophie rushes out, Benedict is left to wonder whom he just danced with and whether he’d ever see her again. She never even told him her name.

Sound familiar?

Two years later, Benedict and Sophie meet again under very different circumstances. By then, she’s working as a maid for a different family. Benedict saves her from a violent party-goer and promises to find her a job working for his mother. Of course, in the end, they can’t stay away from one another. Benedict falls for Sophie without knowing she’s the one he danced with all that time ago, and she still carries a torch for him, too. What happens next is probably obvious.

Now, quite a few of the Bridgerton books include a similar sort of time jump, but because of the way the show is written, these time jumps are often ignored when structuring the next season. It might not have to be ignored for Benedict’s story, though. If, hypothetically, Benedict and Sophie were to have their fairytale meeting near the end of Bridgerton season 3, say, at a masquerade ball thrown by the newly minted Viscount and Viscountess Bridgerton, Benedict and Sophie’s love story could begin in season 3 and then continue in season 4. Given the amount of time it apparently takes to produce a single season of Bridgerton, any discrepancies in appearance or cast member absences could be explained away by a two-year time jump, just like the one featured in the book.

Part of the joy of Benedict’s story is that, for those two years apart, he never truly forgot about that night. It affected his very being, other women coming up short in comparison. That sort of yearning can only truly be accomplished if there are years in between their meetings rather than mere weeks or months, but including a two-year gap in the middle of a season might feel somewhat jarring. A two-year story gap between seasons, however, is nothing.

It would also benefit Eloise’s love story, should she be the focus of an eventual fifth season of Bridgerton. If the show is intent on giving Eloise the same love interest as she has in the books, that particular romance will need a generous amount of time to unfold—those of you familiar with Eloise’s novel, To Sir Phillip, With Love, will know exactly what I mean, and those of you who haven’t read the book, well, you’re in for a surprise.

Part of Benedict’s “vital role” in Bridgerton season 3 will undoubtedly be to bond with Colin, be a confidante for Eloise, as well as pursue his art further without his elder brother’s behind-the-scenes influence. But maybe, just maybe, as he watches his younger brother fall in love, Benedict’s story in Bridgerton season 3 will also be about discovering his own need for love and romance, as well. We’ve seen hints of it, sure, but when he meets Sophie Beckett, he’ll need all the self-awareness he can get.