It’s taken me a hot minute, but I’m finally reading My Lady Jane (co-written by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows), and it makes one of my favorite scenes in the TV adaptation stand out even more. It happens in Season 1, Episode 2, “Wild Thing,” right as Jane says Guildford’s name for the first time.
When it comes to historical romances of any kind, the first use of a partner’s name is as intimate as a touch or a longing gaze that stretches into a wordless conversation. A person’s name is sacred. It’s acknowledging who they are, and it’s stating that you see them. It’s especially fascinating for Guildford because, in the books, he hates his name. This isn’t something we get confirmation of in the show, but I was always taken aback by how he pauses, watches her for a beat, and then admits aloud that the reason for his shock is that she’s never said his name before. I brushed it off initially to the show’s means of expertly giving us another beloved romance trope, but now it’s clear that there’s something deeper here.
In the show vs. the book, we also have the distinction that Guildford’s mom is dead and he blames himself for it. It’s why he’s so adamant about finding a cure and why he believes being an Ethian is a curse. As the scene starts, he and Jane, newly married, are discussing the potential cure while bantering over the fact that she’s a polyglot. They’re alone in a dimly lit dining room, but it’s clear as day when the shift begins because Edward Bluemel doesn’t hold anything back. The moment Guildford hears his name from Jane’s mouth, something in him flares and settles. Perhaps it’s the first indication to him that right at this very moment, he’s nothing but a man standing before the woman he’s married to.
For a beat, he isn’t the Ethian horse he loathes being—he’s just Guildford. (Side note: I’m so happy that he doesn’t insist she call him G as he does in the book. It might just be my least favorite thing, and as someone whose name also starts with G, I feel I can say this with emphasis—it’s not an attractive letter or sound on its own.) Still, the distinction in the time period we’re in also gives the couple a new ground to solidify themselves on. The use of first names to counter the formalities of last names or lords and ladies is a significant transition to showcase a sense of comfort.
Jane doesn’t think twice when she says Guildford’s name—she isn’t considering the formality of it all, but rather, for her, it’s about the fact that she’s now partially accepted the state of their alliance. Yet, for Guildford, the sound of it is a form of hope. There’s the obvious matter that he’s attracted to her, but more than that, it’s the spark of something that extends in him. It’s how it sounds coming from her lips and the fact that it means something, even if he can’t fully grasp what, right on the spot.
There’s also something to be said about how she notices the doe-eyed expression he’s wearing and how he doesn’t hesitate to tell her exactly what’s causing it. The way Bluemel drops his voice a bit to convey the longing that’s lodged inside of him is also no small detail. It’s a beat to lower his armor and admit that this moment means something to him. It’s the way he leans ever-so-slightly and how he doesn’t fight the smile quirking at the edges of his lips. It’s how she gets a little tongue-tied, too. It’s how Jane and Guildford both realize something’s different now, and they resume talking about the cure like this wasn’t just a monumental moment for them.
And yes, sure, right after they decide that they’ll divorce if she finds him a cure, but we all know where that goes instead. Still, this is a moment about two people who understand that, if nothing else, the fate they’ve been dealt isn’t the worst thing they can think of. It might even be the small glimmer of hope they’ve been searching for.
If you’ve yet to sign the petition for a potential renewal, you can find it here.
First Featured Image Credit: ©Prime Video