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When Jane Bennet had traveled to London with the Gardiners after Christmas, her avowed purpose had been to assist her aunt and uncle with their young children.

Not a week had passed, however, before the embarrassing echoes of Mrs. Bennet’s laments over the loss of Mr. Bingley had faded enough that Elizabeth’s assurances of that gentleman’s affection began to take root.

Jane had begun to believe that seeing Mr. Bingley in London might be rather nice after all.

She sent two notes to the Hursts’ home where she understood Miss Bingley to be staying.

After two weeks with no reply, Jane had wondered aloud if the address had been written incorrectly, or perhaps Caroline was not staying with the Hursts and her letters had not been forwarded.

Mrs. Gardiner had suggested that Jane call in person and even recommended a day, as she herself had an appointment to visit a favorite cousin at Cavendish Square less than a block from the Hursts’ address on the following week.

When the day arrived, Miss Bennet spent rather longer on her toilette than usual, unable to quell her private optimism. Although she was looking forward to visiting with Miss Bingley again, Jane could not help but hope that she might also catch sight of a certain gentleman.

On the appointed day, Mrs. Gardiner and her niece were welcomed into the house of Mrs. Emma Watson, a cousin who had known Madeleine since they were both girls.

Once she had answered Mrs. Watson’s polite questions regarding the health of the family at Longbourn, Miss Bennet mentioned that she had friends living nearby and was excused with an indulgent smile.

Jane could not quite mask her eagerness (much to the other ladies’ amusement) and was soon on her way with her uncle’s manservant in tow.

Mrs. Gardiner shared a few details with her cousin about her niece’s unhappy love affair but their attention was soon given over to the fundraiser they were planning for a favorite charity.

The pair was deep in discussion when Jane returned, not fifteen minutes later.

They commiserated with her for a few minutes—she explained that she had met her friends only briefly as the ladies were just leaving for an appointment—but soon turned their attention back to their work.

The ladies’ energy helped Jane to set aside her disappointment for a time, though she still found herself drifting into daydreams occasionally.

Later that evening, Jane indicated to her aunt and uncle that she expected Miss Bingley and her sister to call soon, although a particular date had not been set.

However, days passed and January turned into February with no word from her friends.

The weather was poor and the children were delighted to have their dear cousin to play with when they could not go to the park.

Seeing traces of melancholy in Jane’s gentle manners, Madeleine drew her niece into her housekeeping and charity work, as well as various entertainments with a variety of the Gardiners’ acquaintances.

Influenced by Jane’s gentle optimism, her aunt was persuaded to believe that there was some honest reason for the three-week delay before the visit was returned.

Thus, when Miss Bingley alone was announced, she was shown up to the family sitting room.

Mrs. Gardiner’s thinking was that, as the lady had neither sent a note forewarning them of her appearance, nor had she made the effort to discover which were Mrs. Gardiner’s usual mornings in, she would not expect to be treated with all the ceremony of a formal call.

Indeed, her niece’s sweet remembrances had convinced Madeleine that Miss Caroline Bingley was a dear friend who had spent many hours nursing Jane when she fell ill at Netherfield.

The hostess saw that she had misjudged the situation the very instant that Miss Bingley was shown in.

While Jane was all that was genuine in her welcome, the other lady swept her eyes around the cozy room, seeing only the comfortably worn furniture chosen for ease rather than fashion, the pile of children’s blocks on the rug, and stacks of books scattered about haphazardly.

“I’m so glad to see you again,” offered Jane happily, not recognizing her dear friend’s scorn. “Did you have any difficulty finding the address?”

Miss Bingley accepted a cup of tea but made no move to drink.

“My driver had a great deal of trouble—our family never visits this part of town. I quite feared for my safety at times.” In her defense, her brother’s new driver had taken Caroline along a rather circuitous route and, in his ignorance of London’s streets, the man had driven the carriage somewhat closer to the dockyards than a more experienced man would have dared.

Mrs. Gardiner guessed what must have happened and attempted to improve the opinion of her niece’s guest. “Ah, you must have gone too far south on Gracechurch Street, toward the Thames; that area can be a bit rough. But you needn’t worry here on Corbet Court.

My husband’s father bought this house when he was a child, so now we have a third generation of Gardiners growing up here.

Though a little more space might be nice, we do not like to think of moving—to lose so many interesting neighbors…

and such excellent proximity to the shops!

” Mrs. Gardiner directed this last tease at her niece, who had, in her melancholy over Mr. Bingley’s absence, lately sustained herself by purchasing little gifts for all her family members and even the occasional trinket for herself.

Of course, Miss Bingley was eager to misunderstand and her response was spoken with the greatest condescension.

“Hm. I suppose it would be important to your family to be close to such places.” Her tone implied that all the Gardiners down to the smallest child were probably laboring at some barely legal enterprise in a fishmonger’s cellar somewhere nearby.

Mrs. Gardiner’s good breeding prevented her from delivering the rebuke that her guest so richly deserved. However, the only way to keep from unleashing her temper was to remain silent, and so she left her niece to carry on the conversation.

Even Jane had picked up on some of Miss Bingley’s disdain, and so she turned their dialogue to the safer topic of the Hursts’ health.

After agreeing that Mr. Hurst was just as ever and insinuating that Mrs. Hurst was happy to be spending a great deal of time with Miss Darcy, Caroline made a few more pointed comments regarding her brother’s growing intimacy with “dear Georgiana.” After staying barely ten minutes, Miss Bingley had risen to leave, having drunk no tea and acting as if she would need to burn her gown after sitting on so unfashionable a sofa.

Mrs. Gardiner and Jane bade farewell to their visitor from the sitting room and allowed her to be seen to the front door by a maid.

Had Caroline been less eager to leave as quickly as possible, she might have peeked into the much more impressively furnished drawing room that the Gardiners used to entertain, or the dining room whose chandelier alone would have made her drool.

However, Miss Bingley had seen exactly what she wanted to see—a room with no evidence of fashion or fortune—and she departed without a second glance.

Her report of the call to Mr. Darcy not long before he departed for Kent might have affected the poor wording of that gentleman’s marriage proposal to a certain young lady just after Easter.

As a result of her previous visit, Caroline was wholly unprepared for the fashionable, elegant rooms that she was shown into for the engagement party.

That there were so many fashionable people present produced a sour taste in the young lady’s mouth even as she pasted on a smile.

The feeling of queasiness increased as she was introduced to several prominent politicians, writers, and musicians, not to mention a countess who called Mrs. Gardiner by name.

After receiving the sincere congratulations on their brother’s match from neighbors of the Hursts, a family who had barely deigned to nod to her previously, Louisa drew her sister to an unoccupied corner.

“What on Earth were you speaking of to say that the Gardiners’ house was dowdy and cheaply furnished?

! These rooms are everything that is fashionable!

And they are obviously not without connections!

Why, Mrs. Emma Watson is here, and you know she never puts a foot wrong in Society. ”

“But I never saw these rooms! They had me taken upstairs to a sitting room that looked out over the yard. They were trying to trick me!”

But her elder sister was already shaking her head.

“No Caroline; you only looked to see what you wanted. I would venture a guess that Mrs. Gardiner received you in her private sitting room where the family gathers. For heaven’s sake!

They invited you into the family quarters, treated you as a dear friend, and you did everything but cut them direct. ”

Caroline’s eyes were wide and she could not seem to frame an argument to her sister’s words. “But… but…”

“No excuses, not now. We shall speak on it later. For now, wipe that sour look off your face and try to be pleasant, particularly to our hostess and future sister.” Louisa turned on her heel and left her younger sister alone in the corner, moving directly to Mrs. Gardiner and proceeding to compliment that lady on her home.

Caroline’s mind was reeling and, not long after, she made her way to Bingley’s side.

Unfortunately, although she had recognized her mistaken assessment of the Gardiners’ situation in life, she had not yet learned to regret her treatment of her brother.

“Charles—I need you to take me home immediately; I have a headache.”

Charles Bingley stared at his sister in disbelief.

After all she had done to hurt Jane and mislead him, she thought that she could order him about at her whim?

He took a sip of punch, hoping it would loosen his throat.

“I’m sorry to hear that you are unwell, Caroline, but if you must leave now, you will have to take a hansom.

This is a party in honor of my engagement, and I will not be departing for some hours.

” Not wishing to say any more in public, Charles turned his back on his stunned sister and moved to stand beside Jane and greet a newly arrived guest.