“Bridgerton” Season 3: Anthony Only Has Eyes for His 'Beautiful' Wife Kate in New Sneak Peek

Season 3 of the hit romance series drops on Netflix in two parts on May 16 and June 13

The wait is nearly over for the newest installment of Bridgerton, and in a brand new clip from season 3, fans can get their first taste of Anthony and Kate’s married life.

As the clip begins, a very grown-up version of one of the younger Bridgerton girls, Francesca (Hannah Dodd) is overwhelmed by suitors at a ball and seeks some refuge from her brother.

“Brother, I should like a moment alone,” Francesca tells Anthony (Jonathan Bailey) as she walks away from a group of eligible suitors.

“Of course,” the head of the Bridgerton house replies, before locking eyes with his wife, Viscountess Kate Bridgerton (Simone Ashley), who is talking to his mother across the room. From the moment he spots his wife, it’s clear that the Viscount only has eyes for her.

Related: Bridgerton Sneak Peek: Penelope Confronts Colin About His 'Cruel' Dismissal of Her as a Romantic Prospect

With a smile, Anthony walks over to Kate and Violet (Ruth Gemmell), who asks, concerned, “Oh, dear, is Francesca quite well?”

“She simply needed a moment,” Anthony replies. “As do I. And I should like to use that moment to dance with my beautiful wife.”

“Please, enjoy yourselves,” Violet tells her son as she watches the love-struck couple head for the dance floor.

The Viscount and Viscountess then enjoy a dance together — while a disappointed-looking Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) looks on — and Anthony even sneaks a cheeky kiss onto his wife’s lips before the clip ends.

While the first look at Kate and Anthony released Wednesday by Netflix only briefly shows Penelope — and neglects to show Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) at all — she will be at the center of the story in season 3.

Penelope has “finally given up on her long-held crush on Colin Bridgerton after hearing his disparaging words about her last season” and has “decided it’s time to take a husband, preferably one who will provide her with enough independence to continue her double life as Lady Whistledown, far away from her mother and sisters,” per the official synopsis.

"But lacking in confidence, Penelope’s attempts on the marriage mart fail spectacularly. Meanwhile, Colin has returned from his summer travels with a new look and a serious sense of swagger. But he’s disheartened to realize that Penelope, the one person who always appreciated him as he was, is giving him the cold shoulder," the synopsis continues. "Eager to win back her friendship, Colin offers to mentor Penelope in the ways of confidence to help her find a husband this season. But when his lessons start working a little too well, Colin must grapple with whether his feelings for Penelope are truly just friendly."

Meanwhile, Penelope is also struggling with the ongoing “rift” between her and her best friend, Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie), after Eloise discovered Penelope’s secret identity as Lady Whistledown at the end of season 2. As she finds love with Colin, her presence in the town grows, making it “all the more difficult to keep her Lady Whistledown alter ego a secret.”

Related: Bridgerton's Penelope Gets Flustered by Her Longing for Colin in Lusty Sneak Peek at Season 3

Coughlan, 37, previously told PEOPLE that season 3 — which is based on the fourth book in Julia Quinn’s series, Romancing Mister Bridgerton — is “just so romantic.”

“I always look at the three seasons like this. I think season 1 was about passion, season 2 was about longing and season 3, I think it’s romance all the way,” she said.

“It’s really special and it stays very true to the books,” she added of the plot. “We had one of the best times filming it and it’s one of the best experiences I’ve ever had, for sure.”

Of how her character takes her life into her own hands in the new installment, Coughlan said Penelope is “sort of like, ‘I can’t do this anymore. I’m out with Eloise. I’m out with Colin. I don’t want to be with my family. I need a husband.’ So she’s like a woman on a mission. She’s ready to go, ready to launch herself out into the marriage market in a new way. She wants a whole new look, and she gets it.”

Bailey, 35, called the season “tantalizing” as he teased to E! News: "It's going to be good. And also, my brother Luke Newton is bringing the heat with Nicola. So it's going to be great."

As for what is to come for Anthony and his new bride, Ashley, 28, told Deadline in 2022 that the couple are “just getting started” as she confirmed her return for season 3.

“In season 2, there was a lot of push and pull between Kate and Anthony, there were complications with the family, and then they find each other towards the end. I think everything is just starting," she said. "I want to keep that softness and vulnerability to Kate, for sure, and she can share that with Anthony. I'm just excited for her to have a home and to have a family."

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Bridgerton season 3 premieres in two parts on Netflix, with part one dropping on May 16 and part two premiering on June 13.

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