In London, Mary was initially uncertain why she needed lessons in piano playing, as she had been self-taught for years and thought her skill was already excellent. She had a distaste for the jolly tunes others liked, always preferring the turbulent compositions of her own making; unfortunately, few people understood them. Mary sighed when her Aunt Gardiner told her the carriage was come to take her to Mr. Watson's, a renowned maestro of the pianoforte.

Her lady's maid dressed her in a light blue dress, which had been chosen by Lydia and Kitty. Kitty had even bribed her maid into braiding Mary's hair in a style she taught her. Mary inspected herself in the mirror and thought she looked too much like other ladies; usually she wore darker clothing, but this time she allowed them to do as they wished - for the first time, she felt as if someone was paying attention to her and she welcomed it.

During her classes with Mr. Watson and the other ladies, Mary learned some techniques that helped improve her comprehension of regular pieces; on occasion he let his students practice for a few extra hours afterwards. But only Mary took advantage of this opportunity.

As Mary used Mr. Watson's technique to play her own composition, she was amazed at how the music sounded better than ever before. So absorbed in her playing, she failed to notice a well-dressed gentleman who had been observing her with strange expressions. When she finally looked up at him, he smiled a beautiful smile that made his striking green eyes sparkle even more.

It wasn't proper for her to remain in the presence of this unknown man, even if her lady's maid was present as a chaperone. In response to his smile, Mary frowned and began to leave. Before departing, however, she noticed the strange gentleman saunter towards the pianoforte and begin playing. He was certainly someone from the first circle based on his clothes. Mary could not contain her curiosity as she stood on the stairwell with her lady's maid, listening to the beautiful but somewhat sorrowful tune coming from above. She had never seen a gentleman play himself before—it was truly peculiar!

The lovely melody remained stuck in her head until she made it back home.

At Netherfield, Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst both greeted Jane warmly, but she noticed the knowing looks they exchanged with one other. The tea and refreshments were delicious, but the conversation soon became uncomfortable for her.

They began talking about normal topics like embroidery and fashion, but then changed to praising Miss Darcy in regards to her style of dress and musical and needlework talents. They discussed how close Mr. Bingley and Miss Darcy seemed to be, and the advantageous connection he would have if their friendship developed into something more serious - due to her dowry of 30,000 pounds and connections to high society.

Jane recalled her interactions with Mr. Linton and felt certain that Mr. Bingley would choose a wealthy heiress over her, despite his attentions toward her. Resolved not to experience such disappointment again, Jane determined that she would become Mrs. Bingley, even if it meant preventing anyone of higher social standing from connecting with the Bingleys.

She bid farewell with a sweet smile that masked a grim determination beneath. Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst believed their plan had succeeded, unaware of Jane's sinister grin as she entered the carriage; they were oblivious to the dark clouds gathering around Netherfield.