It is a truth universally acknowledged in Regency-era London that a single woman in possession of a secret must confide in her husband-to-be, yet Nicola Coughlan’s Penelope Featherington hesitates to reveal her pen name to Luke Newton’s Colin Bridgerton in the trailer of Bridgerton Season 3 Part II ahead of its premiere on Netflix on June 13.

The two-minute-18-second trailer begins with Julie Andrews voicing Lady Whistledown, reminding viewers of the steamy ending of Part I. Though Colin and Penelope have successfully transitioned from friends to lovers, Colin is still unaware of Penelope’s darkest secret – her dual role as Lady Whistledown, a society gossip writer.

While the rest of the Bridgerton family is overjoyed to learn of Colin’s engagement to Penelope, Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie), who is privy to the secret, urges Penelope to disclose the truth to her brother. However, Penelope knows that such a revelation would jeopardise her union with Colin, who loathes the infamous gossip writer with all his heart.

The trailer also provides a glimpse of the fiery romance between Penelope and Colin that awaits viewers in Part II. “There is nothing that makes me happier than being with you,” says Pen to Colin as they share a dance. However, tensions escalate when Colin finds Penelope’s hands smeared with ink and Eloise threatens to reveal Lady Whistledown’s identity to her brother herself. “Whistledown is power,” exclaims Penelope, unwilling to sacrifice her passion at the altar of her husband’s dreams.

We also see The ton, especially Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh) and Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel), having their eyes fixed on Penelope and Colin after the two make their engagement official.

The trailer ends with a warning from the omniscient Lady Whistledown. “While most seasons of our marriage mart follow a pattern, this season is surely a surprise,” exclaims the chronicler of scandals, thus fuelling the excitement surrounding Part II.

The trailer suggests that the upcoming instalment will answer all the questions raised by Part I, particularly those concerning Francesca Bridgerton’s (Hannah Dodd) little love knot and the possibility of a relationship between Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell) and Lady Danbury’s brother. Additionally, it seems that Anthony (Jonathan Bailey) and Kate Bridgerton (Simone Ashley) will return from their vacation in Part II to congratulate Colin on his betrothal. The trailer also features Luke Thompson, who plays Benedict Bridgerton in the series.

The first four episodes of the third season premiered on Netflix on May 16, while the next four will debut on June 13. The third season of the Regency-era drama, set in London, deviates from the original sequence of the novels by Julia Quinn on which it is based.

The first season of the popular Shondaland series explored the love story between Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor) and her husband Simon (Regé-Jean Page), while the next season focused on the budding romance between Viscount Anthony Bridgerton and Kate Sharma.