“Bridgerton” Showrunner Explains Why She ‘Always’ Knew Violet and Marcus’ Steamy Romance in Season 4 Wouldn’t Last (Exclusive)

The relationship between the ‘Bridgerton’ matriarch and Lady Danbury’s brother did not occur in Julia Quinn’s book series.

Ruth Gemmell as Lady Violet Bridgerton, Daniel Francis as Lord Anderson in season 4, episode 5 of ‘Bridgerton’. Credit: Liam Daniel/Netflix

Warning: This post contains spoilers for Bridgerton season 4 part 2.

NEED TO KNOW

In Bridgerton season 4, matriarch Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell) takes things to the next level with her love interest, Lord Marcus Anderson (Daniel Francis)

The romance is an addition in the show that did not happen in Julia Quinn’s book series, which has led to mixed reactions from fans

Showrunner Jess Brownell tells PEOPLE why she added the romance between Violet and Marcus into the series

Violet Bridgerton is not heading down the aisle after all.

In season 4, part 2 of Bridgerton, Violet, the Bridgerton family matriarch played by Ruth Gemmell, took things to the next level in her relationship with Lord Marcus Anderson (Daniel Francis), the brother of Lady Danbury.

Violet invited him to spend the night with her and later in the season, he proposed. Though she initially said yes to marrying him, she changed her mind in the final episode of season 4, after Violet realized she liked this new chapter of independence in her life.

The romance has prompted mixed feelings from fan since Violet — who is a widowed mom of eight after the tragic death of her husband Edmund — does not seek any romantic partners in Julia Quinn’s book series, of which the Netflix series is adapted.

In response to the fan reactions, showrunner Jess Brownell tells PEOPLE that Lord Marcus is a “catalyst” for Violet’s journey of self-discovery.

“I always felt like it was going to not end in a marriage,” Brownell says of Violet and Marcus’s relationship. “I felt like Violet — this is the first person she’s dated since her husband died, and I felt like it was — he’s a catalyst, Marcus, for her to realize that she, in fact, has a lot more self-discovery to do.”

Daniel Francis as Lord Anderson, Ruth Gemmell as Lady Violet Bridgerton in season 4, episode 8 of ‘Bridgerton’. Credit: Liam Daniel/Netflix

Violet also “still has some business she wants to handle with her children” that she realizes she won’t be as equipped to do should she marry Marcus.

“So, I love the chemistry between them, but it just felt a little too soon for her to just settle down and get married again,” Brownell says.

After joining the series in season 3, Francis, 43, previously told PEOPLE that he saw Violet and Marcus’ romance as “a discovery process.”

“I think they are both enjoying the process of finding each other out, and I think that’s the beautiful thing about their story, which we haven’t seen in Bridgerton up until this point, is that it’s the second chance,” he said. “It’s the second go, and that brings with it a whole different energy.”

Ruth Gemmell as Lady Violet Bridgerton and Daniel Francis as Lord Anderson in “Bridgerton” season 4. Credit: Liam Daniel/Netflix

He added, “They both lost their partners and both have been devoted husband and wife, and so you’d love to see their happily ever after, and the second chances do exist and they do happen.”

Francis noted, though, that because Marcus and Violet’s relationship is “not in the novels,” he was “interested in how they get there, the journey,” given it was a new arc.

Part 2 of Bridgerton season 4 is now streaming on Netflix.