This story is a hypothetical deleted scene from Jane Austen’s novel, Pride & Prejudice. It takes place between Chapters 21 and 26. What might Caroline have been thinking when she left for London after the ball…
It was the day after Charles had departed for London, two days after the Netherfield Ball. Caroline Bingley sat in the drawing room preparing to compose a letter. It would not be the first time she had written such a letter nor did she think it would be the last: Charles was so often in love. Yet, if Darcy had not been her ally in the current situation, she doubted anything she could have contrived would have separated Charles from his object. Louisa had raised the subject over breakfast; finding the whole party in agreement, Darcy and the two sisters had resolved together to join Charles in town and by their presence detain him there.
It fell to Caroline to inform the lady. She could not help but remember a very similar letter she had received from the sister of Lord Ravenshaw. Caroline had accepted the hint and moved on. Three months later he was married to the honourable Miss Morton, with a fortune even larger than her own. Caroline harboured no ill feelings; marriage was a matter of family concern and the family had rejected her. She had maintained the friendship with the sister for the same reason that anyone would, it was a good connection.
“You know I like Jane, she really is a very sweet girl,” Caroline said to Louisa, who was sitting nearby.
“You need not drop the friendship entirely,” Louisa said mildly, “Jane said herself that her father hates town. I cannot think there will be any danger in correspondence.”
“She is the only one I shall miss; I could hardly keep my countenance at the ball. Did you hear her mother?”
“Everyone within ten miles heard her mother.”
“I wonder that such a family can even produce someone as well-mannered and good-tempered as Jane.”
Caroline carefully considered her words, she liked Jane, but even Darcy saw no symptom of love in her. If Jane’s feeling were fervent, they were too little displayed to be believed. Caroline could understand her friend’s motives, she could even imagine Jane was being pushed into a mercenary marriage by her mother. This was no shocking thing; girls were always making themselves agreeable to a man with four thousand a year. If Charles had not his friend or sisters, he might well have been married years before.
Caroline requested correspondence with Jane as a friend, but she was clear, Jane ought not think of Charles again. If her brother’s nature was to be trusted, in a few weeks it would no longer matter.
Dear Jane,
I write to inform you that we are to follow our brother to town directly and dine at Mr. Hurst’s house at Grosvenor Street. I do not pretend to regret anything I shall leave in Hertfordshire, except your society, my dearest friend; but we will hope, at some future period, to enjoy many returns of that delightful intercourse we have known, and in the meanwhile may lessen the pain of separation by a very frequent and most unreserved correspondence. I depend on you for that.
When my brother left us yesterday, he imagined that the business which took him to London might be concluded in three or four days; but as we are certain it cannot be so, and at the same time convinced that when Charles gets to town he will be in no hurry to leave it again, we have determined on following him thither, that he may not be obliged to spend his vacant hours in a comfortless hotel. Many of my acquaintances are already there for the winter; I wish that I could hear that you, my dearest friend, had any intention of making one of the crowd—but of that I despair. I sincerely hope your Christmas in Hertfordshire may abound in the gaieties which that season generally brings, and that your beaux will be so numerous as to prevent your feeling the loss of the three of whom we shall deprive you.
Mr. Darcy is impatient to see his sister; and, to confess the truth, we are scarcely less eager to meet her again. I really do not think Georgiana Darcy has her equal for beauty, elegance, and accomplishments; and the affection she inspires in Louisa and myself is heightened into something still more interesting, from the hope we dare entertain of her being hereafter our sister. I do not know whether I ever before mentioned to you my feelings on this subject; but I will not leave the country without confiding them, and I trust you will not esteem them unreasonable. My brother admires her greatly already; he will have frequent opportunity now of seeing her on the most intimate footing; her relations all wish the connection as much as his own; and a sister’s partiality is not misleading me, I think, when I call Charles most capable of engaging any woman’s heart. With all these circumstances to favour an attachment, and nothing to prevent it, am I wrong, my dearest Jane, in indulging the hope of an event which will secure the happiness of so many?
I shall eagerly await your letter.
Kind regards etc. Caroline Bingley
Caroline thought very little of Jane over the next few weeks, despite their continued correspondence. Her mind was occupied by her very large acquaintance and the usual attractions of London. The addition of frequent visits between Grosvenor Street and the Darcy’s house must be dwelt on with keenest pleasure and the hope that some understanding would be reached between Charles and Georgiana was often talked of between her and Louisa.
Several weeks later…
Caroline read over the last letter from Jane for a second time before handing it to her sister. She felt a small pang of sadness, knowing now that Jane only kept up the correspondence to try again for Charles. “Jane means to come to London. She hopes that we shall call on her. You see, she gives her direction.”
Louisa read it over, “She no doubt means to see our brother here, there cannot be any other motive.”
Caroline nodded, “Does she really believe we shall visit her in the house of her aunt? In Cheapside?”
Louisa laughed, “Whatever she believes, she is a persistent creature.”
“She is exactly the sort of creature that I understand! She wishes to throw herself in the way of our brother and follows us to London on purpose to do so. It is very sly for her to request a visit as she does, she wants us to think that friendship is her only motive. If she only but knew how many women have courted me for my brother’s sake!”
Louisa looked again at the direction, “I would not set foot in that part of town for a kingdom!”
“We are to dine at the Darcy house today, are we not?”
“What of it?”
“If she means to come here; we would not want Charles to be with us,” Caroline observed.
“Heavens no!”
“Then Darcy may help us keep him away from Grosvenor Street.”
“Will you write to Jane?” said Louisa.
“I shall not reply, if she does visit, we may have to endure it. Do you agree?”
“If she does visit, we shall be going out,” said Louisa, “we must now drop the friendship entirely.”
Caroline nodded. It was for the best; there was indeed nothing else to be done.
Later that day…
“What do you recommend?” Caroline asked Darcy.
“Your brother is not long enough removed from Miss Bennet for him to see her again without some danger. I will not inform Charles of her coming; that is what the situation requires.”
Caroline nodded, disappointed that no other woman, especially Miss Darcy, had as of yet become Charles’s next object. “We are greatly indebted to you for your assistance.”
“Had there not been such strong objections to the alliance I would not condescend to disguise; but the behaviour of the family is unacceptable. I am entirely convinced it is the mother’s motives that Miss Bennet follows. It would be a most unhappy connection.”
Caroline agreed, “We are of one mind on that account. If she does call, I shall make it clear we mean to drop the acquaintance. If you could keep Charles as much away from Grosvenor Street as possible for the time being, that would be great weight off my mind.”
“There will be no difficulty there,” said Darcy, and Caroline walked away from the fire. Georgiana’s playing had given their conference sufficient cover and she sat back down beside Louisa to listen, confident that everything would be settled according to their plan. She looked over at her brother, the longer Charles was removed from Jane’s presence the better.
Find out what Caroline did next in my new book, Prideful & Persuaded… (Available on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited)
For more short stories, go here
For my Mansfield Park variation, here Unfairly Caught
Author’s Note: I was really struck by a line from Mansfield Park when writing this, Mary Crawford, whose brother also has 4000 a year says, “If you were to see how he is courted, and how I am courted for his sake!” Ch 34. While Caroline is often seen as a false friend, this gives a small glance into her life in London. How many women have befriended Caroline for a chance at her brother? We know he has often been in love! While we know Jane Bennet’s true motives, one can easily imagine that Caroline is always on her guard, always wary that she is courted for the sake of her brother…