After Jane was settled in with the Gardiners in Gracechurch Street, she sent a note to Miss Bingley telling her that she was in town. After receiving no reply to this first note, she sent a second one, assuming that her first note had gone astray. Still hearing nothing from Miss Bingley, one morning she went to pay a call at the Hurst townhouse.
Both sisters were in, but they received Jane quite coolly. Miss Bingley was full of regrets that they were just about to go out, so Jane did not stay long. Miss Bingley promised to return Jane's call as soon as they found the time in their busy schedule. She did not mention her brother, nor did Jane dare to ask about him.
Jane did not go out any morning for the next two weeks, expecting their visit. When they finally came, Miss Bingley was full of regrets that they were so busy that they could not stay long. From her distant attitude, Jane realized that they had no intention of continuing their acquaintance in spite of the friendly words she had written in her last letter from Netherfield. Again, no mention was made of Mr. Bingley except to say that he was fully occupied with his London friends. By this, Jane assumed that Caroline meant to include Miss Darcy.
After Bingley's sisters left, it was obvious to her Aunt Gardiner how upset Jane was at the almost disrespectful attitude these supercilious ladies had shown her. "Jane, dear, from their haughty manner they displayed to us, I cannot believe that they have any intention of remaining friends with you. I am very disappointed that so-called ladies would treat a friend like this. You are better off accepting that they do not want to continue their acquaintance with you. I know you wanted to see their brother, but just think what kind of sisters they would be to you if you did marry Mr. Bingley. I doubt that they would accept you and just might do everything they could to make your life miserable. In any case, if they have such a strong influence on him, he may continue to give precedence to them rather than to his wife.
"I cannot believe that with their close association with trade they could feel they were superior to you, a gently born lady, just because they happen to be reasonably wealthy. Their attitude is simply incomprehensible to me." Mrs. Gardiner could see that her words were beginning to have an effect on Jane.
She continued, "Jane dear, in view of their hostile attitude, I suggest you just think of Mr. Bingley as someone who might have been more than a friend, but it was just not meant to be. I suggest that you adopt the same attitude as Lizzy: remember the past only as it gives you pleasure. So, please try to remember him only as a friend who was a pleasant acquaintance for several months, then moved on." Mrs. Gardiner could see that her niece was still not convinced. She decided to be more direct.
"Jane, he is not worthy of you! In my opinion, you should look on this as a learning experience. For example, was he the kind of man you would want to spend the rest of your life with? Was he serious about you, or was he just amusing himself for a short time? From what I know of him, he is not a very dependable suitor at all, so would he have remained true to you for the rest of your life or would he have tired of you and looked elsewhere for amusement? Perhaps he is just too young for a serious relationship and needs a few more years to mature into a man who can be trusted with a lady's heart."
Mrs. Gardiner was disgusted with all of the Bingleys and could only conclude that Mr. Bingley was not worthy of her niece. She decided to try to distract Jane by taking her out to as many entertainments as she could to give her some pleasure while she was here. Perhaps she might meet someone who was more worthy of her. She would also talk to her husband about any eligible men he might know and they could figure out how to get them to meet. She knew she would have to be subtle doing this as Jane was feeling quite depressed just now. It was obvious that she had thought quite a lot of this Mr. Bingley, the undeserving cad; he did not deserve her. She would like to give him a piece of her mind for treating her niece so thoughtlessly.
When Elizabeth heard of all this from both her sister and her aunt, she wondered if she would ever again meet any of the gentlemen who had stayed at Netherfield last autumn. She thought that it would be unlikely that she would, but this might be for the best as she would be sorely tempted to give Mr. Bingley a thorough verbal thrashing. She did wonder some if Mr. Darcy had played any part in convincing Mr. Bingley not to return when he said he would; if he did, why would he do that? He seemed quite friendly after his cousin left.
Aunt Gardiner began her campaign slowly, taking Jane first to an art exhibit that was obviously popular from the number of people in attendance. Mr. Gardiner met several of his acquaintances there and carefully introduced them to his wife and niece. However, they met no young men who might be worthy of Jane. In spite of this, Jane found that she enjoyed the outing and noticed that she received a number of appreciative glances from many men. This helped raise her spirits. She had been reluctant to go with them, but now found that she was more willing to go wherever they suggested. Her aunt found there were quite a few public events in town, so they managed to get to one or two every week.
One of their outings was to a popular play for which Mr. Gardiner managed to procure three tickets, even though they were not great seats, being in the pit. Aunt Gardiner made sure that Jane had a new gown for this night, one that managed to enhance her beauty, so she attracted a lot of attention as they were entering the theater. She was easily one of the most beautiful ladies there. Jane kept looking around to see if a certain gentleman was there, but she did not see him. If she had met him, she was not sure how she would react to him, hopefully respectfully but distant.
Once again, several acquaintances of Mr. Gardiner stopped them to be introduced to his wife and niece. He obviously had a wide circle of people he had met through his business, most of whom were also in trade, but a few were landed gentlemen and some were even titled. Jane once again was impressed with the number and wide range of the people that he knew.
One notable introduction occurred just before they went to find their seats. A distinguished gentleman, who was very well-dressed, stopped Mr. Gardiner. He was accompanied by an older lady who was dressed in a very fine gown, obviously expensive. This gentleman had first noticed this beautiful lady and then was pleased to see that he was acquainted with the gentleman who was accompanying her and another lady.
"Gardiner! How are you? It has been a long time since I have seen you." Even though he was addressing the gentleman, his eyes were mainly on Jane. Both Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner noticed this. Jane could not raise her eyes to appreciate where his attention was directed.
"My Lord, good evening." Mr. Gardiner was well aware of where his interest was. "May I introduce my wife, Mrs. Madeline Gardiner, and my niece, Miss Jane Bennet? Miss Bennet is visiting us from her family estate, Longbourn, in Hertfordshire." He added this last to assure his acquaintance that his niece was a gently born lady and not directly related to trade as he was. "My dear, Jane, this is Lord James Metcalf, Baron Glenwood." The two ladies made polite curtsies which were returned with a bow. Jane managed to lift her eyes to him and blushed to see his obvious interest.
The Baron said, "Ladies, I am pleased to meet you. May I introduce my mother, Lady Victoria Metcalf, Baroness Glenwood?" More curtsies were exchanged. He then addressed Jane. "Miss Bennet, I assume you are in town visiting the Gardiners to recuperate from the busy Christmas season. Are you enjoying your stay?" Both Gardiners were well aware of his understandable interest in their niece.
Jane again blushed to be addressed so directly. This only increased her attractiveness, which did not go unnoticed. "I am, My Lord. I find that there are many more entertainments here than in the country." She managed to raise her eyes to him when she said this. She saw that he was a few years older than herself, but was not unattractive in the least. She also saw that his eyes were only on her and realized that his smiles were also for her. His smiles made him quite handsome. This made her blush even more.
The Baron looked at his mother, who was well aware of his interest in this very attractive and well-mannered lady whose apparent shyness made her so different from most young ladies they met in town. She nodded her approval without his even asking. "I say, Gardiner, where are your seats? We are all alone in our box and have plenty of room. I know how popular this play is and how difficult it must have been to secure any seats. Would you care to join us? You will find it much more comfortable than sitting in the pit." His assumption as to where Gardiner's seats were was very accurate.
Mr. Gardiner looked at his wife, who nodded. "My Lord, that is very kind of you. We will gladly accept your offer." Both of them knew very well why this offer had been made.
The Baron was tempted to offer his arm to Miss Bennet, but he knew it was far too soon for him to show his interest too overtly. Lady Metcalf took his arm and their guests followed them up to their box. Lord Glenwood obviously had a wide circle of friends as he greeted a number of people on their way up the stairs. Many of these acquaintances looked curiously at his guests, but did not ask about them.
Jane enjoyed the play, even though she was often distracted by the gentleman sitting next to her in the front row of his box. During the first intermission, they all went out of the box to stretch their legs. They were graced by a constant stream of visitors, some of whom were introduced to the Gardiners and Miss Bennet.
One particularly elegant older couple stopped them. The lady greeted the Baroness, "Victoria, my dear, how lovely to see you. How are you?"
"Eleanor! We are well, thank you." By the Baroness's polite curtsy, it was obvious that this lady was of a higher status.
She then turned to the gentleman and curtsied to him. "My Lord, how are you?"
He returned her greetings with a bow and turned to the Baron. "Glenwood, it is good to see you." Then he acknowledged his guests. "Will you introduce your guests?"
"Certainly, My Lord. Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner and their niece, Miss Jane Bennet. We encountered them here and invited them to share our box. I have had some successful business dealings with Gardiner." He then introduced the couple. "May I introduce His Lordship Hugh Fitzwilliam, the Earl of Matlock and his lady, the Countess of Matlock?"
Immediately after making their bow and curtsies, Jane could not restrain herself. She turned to the Countess, "Pardon me, My Lady, but I met a Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam this autumn in Hertfordshire. Does he happen to be a relative of yours?"
The Countess was surprised to hear this. "Richard is our son! He was in Hertfordshire with his cousin Fitzwilliam Darcy for the sport. How did you happen to meet him?"
"Our family estate of Longbourn is right next to Netherfield, the estate he was visiting. We were frequently in company. When he left, he was still not sure where his next posting would be. May I ask where he is and how he is doing?"
Both the Earl and Countess noted that her family was of the landed gentry, which made them pay closer attention to her. The Countess responded to her question, "The Colonel was posted to Canada. The last we heard from him, he was doing very well and had not seen any action. We are thankful for that."
Just then, Jane saw that a gentleman was approaching them. "Mr. Darcy!" She curtsied to him. "How are you?"
He bowed to her. "Miss Bennet! I did not know you were in town. I am fine, thank you." He then bowed to the Glenwoods. "My Lord, My Lady, it is good to see you again." While he wondered how Miss Bennet happened to be with the Baron and Baroness. He turned to the Gardiners. "Miss Bennet, will you introduce me to your friends?"
"Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, this is Mr. Darcy from Pemberley in Derbyshire. He was visiting at Netherfield this autumn as well. Mr. Darcy, Mr. Gardiner is my mother's brother." They all made the proper greetings. Mrs. Gardiner recognized from his name that he was the owner of Pemberley as she had grown up very close to his estate. However, she did not mention this to him.
The Baron interjected, "I have known Gardiner for years and have done some good business with him. If you are looking for investment opportunities, I can highly recommend that you talk to him."
Darcy saw that this couple was very well dressed and appeared to have proper manners. He would not have thought that Gardiner was in business if he had not been told. He recalled how Miss Bingley had made such fun of them when she did not know anything about them except that they were in trade and lived in Gracechurch Street, but he thought they were conducting themselves better than she did.
Just then the bell sounded to warn that the play was about to begin, so they separated to return to their boxes. The Baron had known Darcy for years and noted that he appeared to be somewhat nervous when he greeted Miss Bennet. He wondered what caused this and hoped that Darcy did not have any intentions for this lady. He would not be surprised if he had as she was so beautiful, yet so unassuming.
He decided to ask her, albeit carefully and quietly. "Miss Bennet, please tell me how you found Darcy when you met him in Hertfordshire. He does not always appear to be comfortable meeting new people, but I know that he is a very good person once you get to know him."
"He was certainly not as sociable as his cousin or his friend. He did not say much to anyone for the first month or so, but then he became more friendly with my sister Elizabeth."
These words relieved the Baron. As the action on the stage began again, they became quiet. Jane was quite aware of his presence next to her even though she tried to pay attention to the play. The Gardiners, who were sitting just behind them, were well aware of their cautious glances at each other. They could not have been more pleased.
Somehow, during the play, His Lordship managed to convey a message to his mother and she invited Mrs. Gardiner and Miss Bennet to come to join her for tea at their townhouse later in the week. The Gardiners were astute enough to realize what this meant although Jane thought that she was just being polite.
When they had returned to Gracechurch Street, Mrs. Gardiner went to Jane's room and said, "Well, Jane, I think you made a conquest tonight. Are you not pleased that you wore this new dress? I must say that Baron Glenwood sounds as if he is quite the catch. Your uncle says he is very well off and has a fine estate in Warwickshire in addition to his house in town. He heard that a number of young ladies have tried to capture his interest without success, but here you attracted his attention without even trying. As his mother invited us to tea, I assume she will be trying to find out if you are worthy of him. Her approval will mean a lot."
"Aunt! I just met him. When he finds out about my relatively humble origins and small dowry, he will likely lose interest." After how Mr. Bingley had treated her, her self-confidence was still suffering. She was well aware that the Baron was much more distinguished that Mr. Bingley.
"Jane, just be your normal self when we go there. I have the impression that Lady Metcalf is quite perceptive, so she will see your many fine qualities. Do not worry; just act as you always do. If he is not interested in you, it will be his loss." Mrs. Gardiner was very pleased at this fortuitous meeting as Jane needed a boost to her self-esteem after her disrespectful treatment by Bingley's sisters.
Jane was a bit torn between being pleased by the reception she had received from the Baron and nervous about her meeting with Mr. Darcy. She wondered if he would mention his encountering her to Mr. Bingley. She suspected that he would not if he had been involved in his friend's abandonment of her.
When Jane and her aunt arrived at Metcalf House in response to Lady Metcalf's invitation, they saw that it was in one of the best areas of town, but was not the largest in the block. The interior was furnished quite well but was not overly ornate. Lady Metcalf welcomed them warmly. During tea, Lord Metcalf did not appear, but his mother delicately but thoroughly questioned Jane about her family and background. Even though Jane was not aware of what was happening, the Baroness was not so interested in the details of her responses; rather, she was assessing Jane's poise and intelligence. If her son did end up marrying her, she would face much stronger criticism from members of the highest classes.
Mrs. Gardiner became aware of what the Baroness was doing even though she was being very subtle. Lady Metcalf had talked to her son about what attributes he should look for in a lady who would be suitable to be the next Baroness. She emphasized that a suitable lady did not need to have significant wealth or connections; they had plenty of these already. In this, her attitude was quite different from most of the people in her class. Lady Metcalf was becoming concerned that her son had not found any lady who interested him sufficiently to have him court her. He was thirty years old and she was getting worried; she wanted grandchildren that she could spoil before she was too old to enjoy them. Fortunately, Jane was her usual composed self and impressed her interrogator with her gentleness, intelligence, and excellent manners. From Jane's responses, the Baroness became convinced that Miss Bennet was not looking to marry only for security or a title. The Baron knew that his parents had married for love and this is what he wanted for himself. By the end of their visit, the Baroness quite approved of Miss Bennet. She decided to do whatever was needed to assist her son in his relationship with this lady.
Just before they left, the Baroness invited them to come for dinner later that week. Jane was a bit hesitant to accept as she really did not know the Baron, having met him just that once. However, with her aunt's encouragement, she accepted as she was willing to get to know him better. If he was as polite and genteel as his mother, he would be worth getting to know better. She was still hoping, in the back of her mind, that Mr. Bingley might renew his attentions to her even after how she had been treated, but she was quite willing to give the Baron a chance. While she did not admit it, it felt good to be admired, especially by such an esteemed gentleman.
When they arrived back home, her aunt was pleased to see that Jane's spirits were much improved from what they had been when she first arrived in town. She knew that a bit of interest from a distinguished gentleman would lift any lady's spirits.
Her aunt insisted that Jane needed another new gown for this important dinner, so they went shopping the very next morning. When they arrived at Metcalf House, the Baron's smiles showed his obvious appreciation of how well Jane was looking. Dinner with the Glenwoods went well and everyone enjoyed the company and conversation. The Baroness had told her son that she was impressed by Miss Bennet and had her approval. She had worried that her son had first been attracted only by her unquestionable beauty, but now she knew that her beauty was accompanied by a gentle soul. She knew that this lady would make a very suitable Baroness under her guidance.
At the end of the evening, the Baron decided that he wanted to continue to get to know her better. Jane was not sure what she felt about the Baron. She could not help but compare him to Mr. Bingley. While Mr. Bingley had a more open manner and easy speaking style, the Baron's conversation was more intelligent and his maturity made him the more interesting gentleman. From what she had already learned of him, she liked him and was beginning to respect him, but she still had some hopes for Mr. Bingley. As for the Baron, he was quite sure she would make an excellent Baroness and mother of his children. He decided that he would do whatever was necessary to win her regard.