Page 28

T he next morning, Miss Bingley cornered her sister. “Louisa, there must be something we can do.”

“I will not speak about it, Caroline.”

“But you must! If Charles marries Jane Bennet, what becomes of my own marriage chances?”

“You have had your chances, Caroline, and none of the gentlemen who offered for you were, evidently, good enough for you.”

“And that situation will certainly not improve if Jane is my sister.”

“I think you quite wrong in that regard, Caroline; she is the daughter of a gentleman. In any case, I have been forbidden by my husband to have any part in your scheming.”

“Harold?” Caroline scoffed.

Louisa faced her sister, a new determination in her eyes. “Caroline, my husband has pointed out to me how very dependent we are upon Charles’ good will. I will not jeopardise our situation.”

“But I am your sister –“

“And he is my husband. I will bid you good day now, Caroline; I must speak with Cook about dinner.”

A frustrated Caroline retreated to her room to think.

There had to be something – anything! – that could be used to discredit Jane Bennet.

Caroline considered the family carefully.

Mrs. Bennet, with her terrible manners, was dead; Caroline would weep no tears for her.

And that dreadful youngest sister, Miss Lydia, was in Brighton, apparently ill.

But, Caroline thought, there was something wrong there.

It seemed to her unlikely that the girl really had been too ill to attend her mother’s funeral, and had not managed to get herself well since then!

The distance was not great; a mere sixty miles or so, easily traversed. What was keeping Lydia away?

Caroline was determined to find out. She had no acquaintance in Brighton, but certainly one of her friends must have such connections. She sat down at her writing desk.

My Dear Harriet,

It has been far too long since we have spoken, dear friend!

I hope you, your handsome husband, and your charming little boy are all in good health.

As for myself, my brother has leased an estate out in the county of Hertfordshire.

As you may imagine, I am positively starved for agreeable companionship!

A friend of mine was enquiring about a military family in Brighton.

I know no one in Brighton, but I recall that you have a vast number of acquaintances!

Do you know anyone who lives in Brighton?

If so, I would be so very grateful for an introduction by letter so that I might help my friend with her enquiries.

If you are ever in Hertfordshire, I beg that you will come and visit me; but I expect my brother will take us all to London soon enough, and I hope to have the pleasure of your company then.

Your affectionate friend,

Caroline Bingley

Caroline wrote out three more letters, all in the same vein, and put them in the salver to go out in the next post.