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After two weeks of seeing Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst treat Jane as a dear friend, Mrs. Bennet was beginning to hope that they had decided to give up all animosity toward her.

However, she had been surprised to see them in one of the carriages which had assembled at Longbourn before setting out for Hatfield.

She had come to think that they did not care for outdoor activities.

But perhaps they had joined the party entirely to partake of Jane’s company.

They were insistent upon her travelling with them, which Mrs. Bennet was pleased to see.

If this meant that they had accepted their brother’s choice, then he would be able to go ahead and propose.

Perhaps that very morning. Hatfield was a romantic place for a proposal.

But that was entirely Jane and Mr. Bingley’s business, and none of her concern. She should not be indulging in expectations. And if they did return with interesting news, she intended to hear it in the most rational manner. A lady ought to conceal her feelings, as she had heard Jane and Lizzy say.

When they returned late in the day, it was not excitement which Mrs. Bennet had to conceal, but disappointment.

Her daughters offered no account of the day, but she could see that it had not gone well.

Since they did not choose to talk about it, Mrs. Bennet respected their privacy, but she had no doubt where the blame lay.

She had been wrong to think there was any chance of Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst having reformed.

The next morning, the footman handed Jane a note, informing her that it came from Netherfield and the servant was waiting for her reply.

There had been a time when Mrs. Bennet would have instantly thought that Mr. Bingley had chosen to declare himself in a letter, but now she was on the alert for trouble.

What villainy were his sisters up to now?

“It is an invitation for me to dine with Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst,” Jane said. “They want me to keep them company as the gentlemen are dining out with the officers.”

Mrs. Bennet was very sorry to hear this. She didn’t care about the lack of opportunity for seeing Mr. Bingley, but she would prefer her daughter to have some friendly support at the dinner table.

“I will not send you into the lion’s den,” she fervently declared. “Write back that you are otherwise engaged. In a very polite, apologetic way, of course.”

“I think I ought to go,” Jane said. “I can’t imagine that it will be a pleasant evening, but it would be rude of me to decline. Especially if they find out that I hadn’t any other engagement.”

“They probably would find out. I suppose you must go, but be wary of those ladies. I do not trust them.”

“May I have the carriage, Papa?” Jane asked.

“No,” Mrs. Bennet cried. “You must go on horseback. That will show Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst that you take a casual view of their invitation. And you know that your father is always needing the carriage horses for the fields.”

“I think it is going to rain.”

“In that case, you must allow Jane the horses, Mr. Bennet. If she goes on horseback, it might look as though she is angling for an invitation to stay the night. I won’t have them thinking that my daughter is artful.”

“That is a wise thought,” Mr. Bennet said. “You may have the carriage, Jane.”

“And be careful what you say,” Mrs. Bennet advised. “I have no doubt that they will be on the lookout for evidence of your unsuitability. Like owls hunting for prey. Miss Bingley in particular. It would not surprise me to hear her hooting.”

The carriage was ordered, and Mrs. Bennet watched with concern as it carried her daughter away from the safety of home.

What a pity it was that she could not feel pleased about this invitation.

In different circumstances she would have considered it a sign of that intimate friendship she had once na?vely anticipated.

But now it only felt like part of a plot.

She spent the evening worrying about how Jane was faring in the owl’s lair, and later listening out for the sound of the carriage returning. She could not feel comfortable until her poor daughter was restored to her.

When that moment at last arrived, she was anxious to learn how the dinner had gone.

“Awkwardly,” Jane said. “Lots of pretending to be friendly, but I am sure they did not really want me there. Perhaps I will be otherwise engaged if they invite me again. That was an excellent notion of yours, Mama.”

“You seem to be having quite a few excellent notions lately,” Mr. Bennet said.

Mrs. Bennet felt herself flush with gratification.