In Bridgerton Season 3, the mysterious Lord Kilmartin doesn’t appear too often, but when he does, he makes a lasting impact as Francesca Bridgerton‘s unassuming love interest. Played by actor Victor Alli, he has a quiet and composed personality that seems to match Francesca’s. Yet there’s not a lot of information about him in the first part of the season as he is rarely a topic of discussion, though there are some scenes where we can glean details of his social standing and reputation. Here’s everything we know so far about Lord Kilmartin in the third season of Bridgerton.
Who is Lord Kilmartin in Bridgerton Season 3?
Lord Kilmartin is an available bachelor that first appears near the end of the third episode of Bridgerton Season 3 at the Hawkins ball. In the books, his full name is Michael Stuart Stirling and he is the ninth Earl of Kilmartin, but in this TV series, his name has been changed to John Stirling.
As such, the Netflix version of Lord Kilmartin would seem to differ in more than just name from his book counterpart, where he is described as “London’s most infamous rake.” That moniker has been attributed more to Lord Anderson, Lady Danbury’s brother, and Anthony Bridgerton before he becomes more serious about finding a wife at the start of Season 2. In fact, the portrayal of Lord Kilmartin in the series looks to be quite the opposite to a rake, being a person who wishes to find quiet in much the same manner as Francesca does.
His book counterpart was born in England in 1791 and is the only son to a mother named Helen Stirling and an unnamed father. He also has a cousin named John Stirling, an aunt named Janet Stirling, and an unnamed grandmother. Since Lord Kilmartin is known as John Stirling in the show, we imagine that this cousin from the books has been nixed or perhaps had his name changed. We don’t know if these details will be altered further along in the series, though we stand to learn more about Kilmartin and his family when the rest of Bridgerton Season 3 drops.
How does Lord Kilmartin become Francesca Bridgerton’s love match?
After a brief meeting with Francesca, Kilmartin appears in the fourth episode as a surprise guest who calls upon the Bridgerton family, despite them expecting Lord Samadani who was selected as Francesca’s match by Queen Charlotte.
His unexpected arrival is a source of confusion for the Bridgertons, and his conversation with Francesca in the sitting room being essentially silent only adds to their bewilderment. Eloise believes this silence is her sister’s way of dismissing Kilmartin as a suitor, when in fact, it is quite the opposite. When Lord Samadani arrives afterward to call upon her, Kilmartin quickly removes himself from the situation so as not to interfere, though similar to Francesca’s personality, this hints at his desire not to be overwhelmed.
According to Violet Bridgerton, the Kilmartin family is a “reserved bunch” who keep to themselves. Lord Kilmartin confirms as much about himself at least to Francesca during an encounter on the street where he says he doesn’t attend society events unless it is matter of good manners. Later in the episode, he admits that he is not a man of words.
We also discover that Lord Kilmartin is a composer of sorts. When a fiddler begins playing a composition, he asks Francesca whether the melody is enjoyable, but she says that the pace of the piece is “too fickle” and would be better in a 3/4 time signature. Kilmartin is so taken by the suggestion that he abruptly leaves the conversation, making Francesca believe that he is uninterested in her.
But at a ball later in the week, he hands her a scroll with what is revealed to be sheet music and she rushes back home to play it, while dismissing Lord Samadani to do so. She tells Violet that the sheet music is the fiddler’s song they heard earlier in the time signature she proposed, saying that it is “exactly as I imagined it.” The fullness of her smile at the gesture conveys to Violet that Francesca has finally found “that spark” in a love match with Lord Kilmartin, despite Lord Samadani being the most reasonable and most socially acceptable choice. However, we’ll have to see if Queen Charlotte might interfere with this match in Bridgerton Season 3 Part 2 considering her backing of Lord Samadani.
