A letter finally arrived from Miss Bingley, and it ended all hope. She told Jane that the whole family was now settled in London for the winter.
Jane was heartbroken. Caroline Bingley’s letter was full of praise for Mr. Darcy’s sister. She wrote about how much time her brother was spending with Miss Darcy and how she hoped they would marry.
Elizabeth was furious. She was sure that Bingley loved Jane, but she was angry at his lack of strength. He was letting his sisters and Mr. Darcy choose his life for him. By doing this, he was sacrificing both his own happiness and Jane’s.
A few days later, Jane finally spoke to Elizabeth about her feelings. “I hope my mother will stop talking about him,” Jane said. “The pain will go away soon. He will be forgotten, and we shall be as we were before.”
“You are too good, Jane,” Elizabeth said. “You always see the best in people. I am not like you. The more I see of the world, the less I like it. I don’t understand how Charlotte can marry a man like Mr. Collins. It is selfish and foolish!”
“Please don’t say that, Lizzy,” Jane replied. “Charlotte has a large family and no money. Think of her future. As for Mr. Bingley, we must not blame him. Perhaps we were just mistaken about his feelings.”
“No,” Elizabeth insisted. “He is a good man, but he has no will of his own. His sisters and Mr. Darcy are controlling him.”
Jane shook her head. She did not want to believe that people could be so unkind. She preferred to believe it was all a simple mistake.
Mr. Bennet saw things differently. “So, Lizzy,” he said one day, “your sister has a broken heart. I congratulate her! A girl likes to be unlucky in love sometimes. It gives her something to think about. When will it be your turn? There are plenty of officers in town. Perhaps Mr. Wickham can disappoint you!”
“Thank you, sir,” Elizabeth laughed, “but I don’t need to be as lucky as Jane.”
During this dark time, Mr. Wickham visited them often. He began to tell his story more openly to everyone in town. He told everyone how badly Mr. Darcy had treated him. Soon, the whole town of Meryton hated Mr. Darcy. Everyone agreed that he was the worst man in the world—except for Jane, who still hoped there was a mistake.