9 major questions we still have after the dramatic Bridgerton season 1 finale

We've taken a look at the unanswered questions – and even added a little speculation:

1. Who has inherited the Featherington estate?

After the death (murder) of reckless gambler Lord Featherington (Ben Miller), the fortunes of the Featheringtons have been thrown – yet again – into question. Lady Portia Featherington (Polly Walker) now has three adult daughters to marry off, and she doesn't even get to inherit the family home or any of her husband's assets.

"Tell me you have a name," says Lady Portia to her servant Mrs Varley (Lorraine Ashbourne).

"Oh, we located him, ma'am. The man who will inherit the Featherington Estate," Mrs Varley helpfully responds, handing her boss a folded piece of paper. "Only – well – look."

But, of course, we – the viewers – are not let in on the secret. Who could this man be? Someone we know, or a newcomer to the story? A lovechild, perhaps? A distant cousin? Or is this related to Lord Featherington's nefarious business dealings, and his bets and gambling debts?

And will this heir be generous enough to support the three young women and their widowed mother in the style to which they are accustomed?

"Of course, there are other endings that will offer new beginnings," says the voice of Lady Whistledown. "However uncertain those new beginnings may be."

Bring on a second season of Bridgerton!

2. Is this the last we've seen of Lady Whistledown?

Okay, so we are under strict instructions from Netflix not to even whisper the truth about who Lady Whistledown is. For the first five days after Bridgerton's Christmas Day release, Whistledown's true identity must not appear in print (or in pixels), or we'll be in big trouble.

However! To those who've already watched the season finale, we can say: wow, did you see that coming?? And doesn't it kind of make sense in retrospect? But – huh! Who would have thought.

There's also the question of whether Lady Whistledown will continue publishing her scandal sheet if (and hopefully when) Bridgerton returns for a second season. Penelope Featherington (Nicola Couglan) raises that point when she speculates to her friend Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie): "Well, I'm sure if Lady Whistledown is still on the loose next season it will be far more interesting."

And if she does continue to write, will she still manage to keep her identity a secret? Will Eloise and the Queen (Golda Rosheuvel) continue trying to unmask her?

3. Will Anthony Bridgerton settle down?

Now the Daphne Bridgerton story has concluded with a happily-ever-after, will the spotlight now turn to her older brother Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey)? After all, he is the subject of the second of Julia Quinn's Bridgerton novels, "The Viscount Who Loved Me".

In season one we saw him seen him trying to take on the role of the family's patriarch after his father's death, with mixed results. We also followed his struggle with his love (and lust) for opera singer Siena (Sabrina Bartlett); first casting her aside – and then trying to win her back – and then finally admitting that their relationship can never work, thanks to his high-class position as Viscount and her lower-class background.

Now, it seems Anthony is on the hunt for a respectable bride. But he isn't that enthusiastic about the idea.

To his sister Daphne and brother-in-law Simon, he declares that his plans are "Nothing of note. Other than finding and promptly declaring my intentions to my new Viscountess."

"And which young lady?" asks Daphne, to which Anthony responds morosely: "Does it matter? I have finally determined the difficulty: love itself. Removing it from all romantic relations shall make me all the better for it. No more distractions from responsibility or being waylaid from the sensible path."

But we'd be willing to bet Anthony will, indeed, be waylaid from the 'sensible path', and that he will not be able to escape falling in love again.

4. Will Colin realise Penelope's feelings?

Oh, poor Pen! Just when she was about to throw caution to the wind and confess her love for Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton), he announced he was off to travel in foreign lands.

Even worse, he was inspired by Penelope's own words about how he should follow his dreams of travel, when she'd only urged him to go abroad because she didn't want him to marry Marina. Whoops.

With Colin still single after breaking off his engagement to Marina, there's still time for him and Penelope to get together when he returns to London. But will he ever notice she loves him – or will she ever tell him? And could Colin one day feel the same about her too?

5. Is that the last we'll see of Marina?

So, pregnant Marina Thompson (Ruby Barker) has made the difficult decision to marry her dead lover's brother Sir Philip Crane (Chris Fulton).

He's married her out of a sense of honour and duty, so that his brother's child can be born in wedlock, and so that Marina can be saved from social ruin; that points to him being a good man and potentially a good husband, but it's not exactly a love match. Marina is clearly not thrilled about the idea either, even if it's the most sensible course of action at this point.

The two have now driven off in a horse and cart, set to begin their married life together. So is that the end of their story? Or would they return in a second season?

6. What is Eloise's future?

Eloise will probably be the next of the Bridgerton girls to make her debut on the marriage market, following in her sister Daphne's footsteps. But she's much more cynical about marriage, and she's terrified of childbirth, and she'd much rather go to university (and impossible dream for a woman) or at least follow her own intellectual interests.

So what does the future hold for Eloise? Will she find a partner who's a good match for her, or will she manage to dodge marriage entirely?

7. Will Benedict explore his sexuality?

In season one, Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) was inducted into a social circle full of sexual libertines and artistic types. He was both scandalised by it, and attracted to it – and now he's sleeping with Madame Delacroix (Kathryn Drysdale) and enjoying some very fun parties.

Will he explore his sexuality further? And perhaps even with a man?

8. Does Philippa Featherington marry the sneezing man?

Honestly, I can't even remember his name. His main character trait is "sneezing".

But will Philippa Featherington (Harriet Cains) tie the knot with her one and only suitor? He seems like such a good match for her, but he was scared off before by Philippa's dad (who'd gambled away his daughter's dowries). Will the change in the Featheringtons' fortunes threaten their marriage prospects once again?

9. Do Daphne and Simon live happily ever after?

It looks like all is well in the Hastings marriage, now that Simon has embraced the idea of becoming a father and having an heir. So is that it? Do they just go around for the rest of their lives being deliriously happy, having babies, enjoying their wealth and having lots of hot sex?

Even if they become supporting characters in future seasons, hopefully we'll get to see a bit more of their lives and find out how they get on.

Bridgerton is available to stream on Netflix from 25th December. Looking for something else to watch? Check out our guide to the best series on Netflix and best movies on Netflix, or visit our TV Guide.