October – December 1808

The Bingleys were a wealthy family of merchants from Scarborough. For two generations they had been saving money to buy an estate and establish themselves as landowners. The family consisted of a married couple in their fifties with three children: two daughters, Louisa and Caroline, aged twenty-three and twenty respectively, and an only son, Charles, aged twenty-two.

The eldest daughter had recently become engaged to a gentleman of little fortune, Mr. Hurst, but with connections to the nobility. Their marriage was going to be a marriage of convenience where Mr. Hurst obtained 20,000 pounds from Louisa's dowry that was going to be used to cover some debts of the estate that one day he was going to inherit and for her part, Louisa was going to be the wife of a gentleman.

Charles was a handsome young man, of medium height, with reddish hair and light blue eyes. He was friendly, cheerful, talkative, and optimistic. He had just recently finished his studies at the University. His parents were very proud of him as he was the first generation of Bingleys to have a gentleman's education at university and had also graduated with honors.

Caroline was a pretty woman, tall and like her brother, she had reddish hair and blue eyes. She was very ambitious and dreamed of being accepted by London's high society since in the expensive seminar she attended for several years, some gentlewomen were mean to her because she was the daughter of a merchant.

Mr. Bingley Senior had known Mr. Gardiner for several ago as he purchased fabrics from Gardiner's company for the luxury carriages the Bingleys had been making for generations. When he found out that Sandstone was for lease, he went to visit the estate with his family and since everyone liked the property, he agreed with Mr. Gardiner on the price and leased it for two years.

In October 1808, greatly excited, the Bingleys moved to Sandstone. A few days later Fitzwilliam Darcy was among the first to visit them to welcome them to Derbyshire.

Although Charles Bingley and Darcy had very different temperaments and characters, in a short time they became very good friends. Lord and Lady Matlock didn't understand why their nephew was a friend of a merchant's son, and the few times they met Charles Bingley, they treated him with courtesy.

For a few days, Darcy showed some interest in Caroline Bingley, as she was a pretty and educated woman, and had a dowry of £20,000. But as time went by and he got to know her better, the initial interest he felt for her completely disappeared. Darcy realized that Caroline was superficial, and she treated the servants poorly. Besides, the first time she visited Pemberley, he got tired of listening all the compliments she paid him about his estate and everything he did or said...

"Mr. Darcy, your estate is the most beautiful I have ever seen. Sandstone is nothing compared to Pemberley! I must congratulate you as the furniture and decoration in your house clearly reflect your exquisite and superior taste."

"Thank you, but my mother was the one who decorated the house several years ago, and she also bought the furniture."

"Well, your mother had excellent taste. It doesn't surprise me in the least since she was the daughter of an earl!"

"Mr. Darcy, your library is magnificent, you have so many books! but I'm not surprised since you are so intelligent and you like to read so much. Just yesterday I was telling Charles that you are the most intelligent and well-read gentleman I have ever met. I wish all gentlemen were like you!"

"I'm glad you like the library. It is the work of several generations."

"But I am sure you buy several books every year." she paused and to her brother's surprise said, "There is nothing I like more than reading a good book, in that, as in other things, we are alike Mr. Darcy."

After that first visit, Darcy stopped showing any interest in Caroline Bingley. Unfortunately for several years, Caroline tried to get Mr. Darcy's attention, not realizing that the gentleman only tolerated her because she was his friend's sister. Perhaps a less self-centered woman would have realized earlier that she was wasting her time…

In December 1808, Louisa Bingley married Mr. Gilbert Hurst in a small ceremony at Sandstone's chapel. After the wedding, the young couple moved into the estate of Mr. Hurst's parents.

Also, for the first time in a long time, partly at Lord and Lady Matlock's insistence, Darcy traveled to London to take part in the social season and visit his sister who had returned to the seminary some months ago.