Page 17 of Miss Bingley’s Return

“Then what do you suppose it is?” asked Aunt Gardiner.

Jane sighed and pressed a weary hand to her temples. When she dropped it, she stared out the window, perhaps not knowing what she wished to say, though it was possible she knew but did not wish to say it out loud.

“What Miss Bingley’s objectives or motives are, I cannot say,” replied Jane. “Her words last night, however, are not open to interpretation: she means Mr. Bingley and me to resume where we left off.”

“That may be the truest thing you have yet said about Miss Bingley,” said Elizabeth.

Mrs. Gardiner regarded them. “If she attempts to force a conclusion that is as yet unearned, what do you mean to do about it?”

“At present, I do not know,” confessed Jane. “Seeing Mr. Bingley again was a comfort, but it has not been the resolution I imagined. Mr. Bingley is much the same as ever: kind, attentive, engaging, and estimable.”

“But?” pressed Mrs. Gardiner.

“But there is no clarity,” said Jane.

“No, there is not,” agreed Elizabeth. “If he were the Mr. Bingley from Hertfordshire, there would be no question of him resuming his attentions. Mr. Bingley is holding himself back, though whether that is from confusion, obligation, or something else, I do not know.”

It was several moments before Mrs. Gardiner offered a response. In that time, Elizabeth watched Jane, who continued to peer out the window, though she knew her sister was seeing nothing—not the sky heavy with clouds or the passing carriages in the street below. In those gloomy weeks wishing for Mr. Bingley’s return, Jane had built an image in her mind about how their reunion would proceed. By Jane’s own confession, it was nothing like she had expected, though Mr. Bingley was still everything she had seen in him before.

“If I were to advise you,” said Mrs. Gardiner at length, “it would be to take care and remain observant. Mr. Bingley’s affection may remain, but something else is at work. You must understand what that is before you allow yourself to hope again, Jane. If you surrender to hope too soon, you may find yourself disappointed again.”

“Thank you, Aunt,” said Jane, summoning a smile. “For advice given most hesitantly, it is excellent.”

Mrs. Gardiner smiled and pressed Jane’s hand. “I am glad you are being so sensible about this. Sometimes the heart rules in such matters. Having a clear head will do you good.”

“And she has me to provide the cynicism,” joked Elizabeth.

They laughed together, dispelling the heavy atmosphere.

“Yes, you will,” said Aunt Gardiner, fixing them both with unmistakable affection. “I have every confidence in your abilities, Lizzy.”

Chapter V

Something was not quite right, and Caroline was not at all happy about it.

That evening, Caroline reflected on the party, on her brother and Miss Bennet, and she could not suppress the frustration creeping over her. To a disinterested viewer, everything had gone according to plan. Charles had seen Miss Bennet, Miss Bennet had seen Charles, they had talked, laughed, and spent most of the evening together.

Then why did she feel like something had happened that she could not control? Why had Charles not returned to the man he had been in Hertfordshire? Above all, why had Caroline seen a trace of hesitance in Miss Bennet’s manners?

Miss Bennet was not a woman Caroline had dreamed of her brother marrying. Though Miss Bennet possessed valuable qualities—kindness, gentility, and a truly angelic disposition—she lacked what was so important in London, having little fortune of her own and no connections of note.

Caroline knew that had she allowed nature to run its course in Hertfordshire, Charles might have already proposed to her, resolving the situation in a manner that was at least satisfactory. But Caroline had thought she could guide her brother to someone worthier, so she had followed him back to London, intending to see him connected to some woman who would raise their standing.

Instead, she had made that critical error and was now scrambling to set it right. Not that she doubted her ability to redirect Charles. He was predictable—the sight of a pretty face almost always turned his attention in whatever direction she wished.

Jane was a good girl, and Caroline would be happy with her as a sister, though she would always regret the missed opportunity to connect him to someone of more prominence. Then again, Caroline still meant to have Mr. Darcy, and he had all the standing her family required.

In another part of the house, Charles Bingley was considering the evening, though his thoughts traveled different paths.

Bingley was a man for whom contentment always came with little trouble. What he had told Miss Elizabeth in Hertfordshire was no less than the truth—he could be as happy in the country as he was in London. When he had been in Hertfordshire, he had been happy to direct his attention to Miss Bennet.

Contrary to appearances, however, Bingley had never found himself completely enamored with Miss Bennet. Then again, he never had with any woman to whom he had paid attention. Something always held him back, something that prevented him from offering everything in his heart to a woman.

Looking back on it, Bingley was uncomfortable with the notion that Miss Bennet had also made the same mistake as his sister. Darcy had told him many times that if he did not curb his behavior, he might give the wrong impression or even engage his honor without meaning it. He was correct on that score.

Where that left him, Bingley could not be certain. While he knew he needed to become more circumspect, he wondered if the damage was not already done. Though he esteemed Miss Bennet, seeing her again resolved nothing—rather, it presented an unforeseen complication.

With a sigh, Bingley turned away from the window and the dark streets below, and made his way to the bed, extinguishing the candle as he lay down. Tomorrow would be another day, one in which he must navigate an increasingly complex situation, still not knowing what he wanted. But he knew he would need to decide soon. And to decide, he would need clarity.