Bridgerton enthusiasts have already devoured the first part of season four of the Netflix period drama, which was released last week.

Many are eagerly awaiting the next four episodes, which will conclude the adaptation of Julia Quinn's cherished 2001 novel An Offer from a Gentleman, reports the Manchester Evening News.

Season four delves into the complicated romance between second son Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) and maid and ward Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha), as they navigate love across social classes. While the new episodes focus on the main couple, fans are curious about the fate of other beloved characters, particularly Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh).

Be warned, spoilers ahead.

The formidable society matriarch and widow, known for her matchmaking prowess among the ton, appeared to be weary of the opulent lifestyle and keen to expand her horizons. Fans are speculating whether she might soon depart from Bridgerton.

Here's everything you need to know about her potential exit.

The short answer is no, much to the relief of Bridgerton fans. In a recent interview, Bridgerton's showrunner Jess Brownell addressed Lady Danbury's newfound desire to venture beyond the ton.

Speaking to Deadline, the writer clarified: "I want to say very clearly that we have no intentions of Adjoa stepping back. She's still absolutely a part of the story in season five."

Brownell continued by explaining that Lady Danbury's storyline in season four was "more about wanting to explore the dynamic between a friendship in which there's a power imbalance". This imbalance is also mirrored in Benedict and Sophie's romance, with My Cottage servant Mrs Crabtree (Susan Brown) hinting that the maid would need to comply with whatever the aristocrat desired.

The writer revealed that season four focused heavily on the "relationship between servants and their employers". Yet she confirmed that the Queen and Lady Danbury are "real friends", though the power disparity created friction between the pair.

Bridgerton's creative team wished to examine what unfolded when Lady Danbury finally pursued something for herself. Brownell noted: "It was an opportunity to explore new depth for their friendship."

Lady Danbury has remained central to the Bridgerton world from the outset, and Brownell's comments indicate this will persist, though precisely how she'll feature in season four, part two is yet to be revealed.

Considering Sophie and Benedict's controversial affair, it appears Lady Danbury and Queen Charlotte could well become entangled, much as they did in season one with Simon Basset (Regé-Jean Page) and Daphne Bridgerton's (Phoebe Dynevor) swift marriage.

Lady Danbury also played a pivotal part in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, which acted as a prequel to the main series and offered a glimpse into her early bond with Queen Charlotte. Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story received overwhelmingly favourable reviews, and whilst a second series hasn't been confirmed, Bridgerton's producer and director Tom Verica has hinted at additional spin-offs being developed.

At the season four premiere in Paris, Verica revealed: "With Queen Charlotte, we thoroughly enjoyed that experience. It was a smaller look at a particular love story that's spanned over those episodes and I think we caught something that people really responded to. So, we are in talks of some other projects, hopefully, something, some news will be coming out at some point, hopefully."

Whilst Verica remained tight-lipped on specifics, he did hint: "I will say this, there have been characters that you've met before, ones that you are invested in."

He continued: "But again, we're talking about different possibilities and the great thing about having a cast this size is that there's a lot of stories to dive into. But the particular ones we're talking about, it's going to be really enjoyable."

For the time being, it appears fans must remain patient for further announcements regarding the spin-offs, though the outlook remains promising for Bridgerton, which has already been commissioned for series four and five.

Bridgerton season 4, part 2 will be released on Netflix on February 26

**For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new **Everything Gossip** website**