The Season 4 finale of Bridgerton has delivered a twist so scandalous, so deliciously audacious, that even the most seasoned members of the ton are clutching their pearls. Penelope Bridgerton has retired her quill. And yet Lady Whistledown lives on.

Yes, you read that correctly.

In Episode 6, Penelope announces her retirement at Cressida Cowper’s first ball as Lady Penwood, distributing pamphlets in true Whistledown fashion. Speaking to Queen Charlotte, she confesses:

“Like you, I will always believe in the power of gossip. But since I have become known publicly, there has been a change. The power I hold over the ton is too great.”

Penelope acknowledges that marriage into the Bridgerton family has altered her standing and her power. The anonymity that once shielded her has vanished. The column, once a weapon for the voiceless, has become something heavier, something fraught with consequence.

“I’m no longer a wallflower, an outsider. I am a Bridgerton. I’m privileged to visit the queen. Whistledown takes up a space which makes it impossible to deliver good, true, fair gossip.”

With Queen Charlotte’s reluctant blessing, Penelope steps aside and turns her attention to novel-writing. A neat, poetic ending. Or so we thought.

“We are reunited”

As Benedict and Sophie’s wedding montage unfurls in the finale, a voice returns. Familiar, yet not. Still voiced by Julie Andrews, yet edged with something different.

The new Whistledown purrs:

“Are you perhaps feeling a little shock? You thought I was gone for good, but far too much transpires for this author to remain silent. It is assuredly a reunion rooted in care and love, though this time with a very different author. But for now, my new identity shall remain a secret. Dear reader, we are going to have so much fun.”

Fun? For whom, one wonders.