But if you haven’t read the books, you may be confused as to what happened to Sophie’s dad in Bridgerton and how he died before the events of Season 4 took place. Sophie is based on Sophie Beckett from Julia Quinn’s An Offer From a Gentleman, the third book in the Bridgerton series following Sophie’s love story with Benedict Bridgerton, the second eldest Bridgerton child. Similar to Cinderella, Sophie’s father died before the events of her and Benedict’s love story took place. What happened to Sophie’s dad in Bridgerton, and how did he die? As for what happened to Lord Penwood, Sophie’s father died from a heart attack after he started to experience chest pain while drinking tea in the garden and fell face down on the cobblestones.