The few times there was any interesting news or gossip in Meryton, Mrs. Phillips was one of the first to hear and spread it. On that particular day, she had heard that Netherfield Park had finally been leased. With much haste, she went to Longbourn to tell her dear sister the exciting news.

As soon as she arrived, she dramatically exclaimed, "My dear Sister, have you heard the latest news?"

"What's the news?" Curiously, Mrs. Bennet asked.

"Netherfield Park has finally been leased to a gentleman by the name Bingley. He is a good friend of Mr. Darcy's."

"Oh really? Elizabeth did not say anything to Mary in her last letter." Fanny beamed, "Please, tell me more details, Sister. Is he single?"

"Yes, he is young, single and he is wealthy! He has £5,000 a year! He will arrive with his sister next Monday, and perhaps some of his friends will come with him."

"What excellent news for my daughters! I will write to Elizabeth to ask her for more details about Mr. Bingley. Also, I will write to Jane. She must return to Longbourn immediately."

"But you told me that Jane has a suitor in London…"

Fanny cut in mid-sentence to her sister. "My dear Sister, Mr. Jameson is a merchant who has less than £1,000 a year, and you just told me Mr. Bingley has at least £5,000!"

The two sisters continued talking excitedly about Mr. Bingley, and how wonderful it would be if he married Jane and they lived at Netherfield Park.

That same afternoon, Fanny wrote both letters; the first one to Elizabeth to ask her for more details about Mr. Bingley, and the second to Jane requesting that she return to Longbourn as soon as possible. There was no time to waste in the wake of Mr. Bennet's rapidly deteriorating health. He was losing strength and becoming weaker by the day.

PPP

The next two weeks, Jane and Mr. Jameson saw each other four times. The second time they met was at Mr. Jameson's house, and they had a chance to continue talking about Boston and London. They then met at the home of an associate of Mr. Gardiner and finally again at the Gardiner's.

As they got to know each other better, Jane began to question many of her old beliefs and pay much more attention to her surroundings. Undoubtedly, Mr. Jameson intrigued her and made her think about her future from another perspective. He was nothing like the faceless gentleman she had imagined she would marry one day. But she acknowledged to herself that she enjoyed his company very much.

That night, she would see Mr. Jameson for the fifth time, but she was not in a good mood. A couple of hours earlier, she had received a letter from her mother demanding her to return to Longbourn because a friend of Mr. Darcy's - whom she did not know - had leased Netherfield Park.

Mrs. Gardiner was an observant woman and had noticed her niece's sudden change in mood after she had read her mother's letter. She wondered if there was a relation between the two events and cautiously remarked, "Jane, you have not said anything since you read your mother's letter. Are you well?"

"Forgive me, Aunt, but my mother's letter left me very surprised." She sighed, and said wryly, "I do not even know Mr. Bingley, nor does he know me, and my mother is already planning our wedding!"

Mrs. Gardiner looked at Jane surprised; It was the first time her niece had been so critical of her mother. "I partially agree with what you said. But are you sure that is the only thing bothering you?"

Jane shook her head, looking genuinely confused and uncertain. "I do not know exactly what is wrong with me." She looked her aunt straight in the eye and added, "And Mr. Jameson is partly responsible for all the doubts I have at the moment!"

"Mr. Jameson?" Mrs. Gardiner smiled slightly. "The last three times we met him, I got the impression that you two got along quite well and you liked him."

"Yes; I like Mr. Jameson. He is intelligent and educated and I enjoy his company. But after thinking about our conversations, I have been wondering what I want to do in the future; and I have come to the sad conclusion that I do not know!"

Mrs. Gardiner nodded and encouraged Jane to continue. So, Jane added, "Until a few weeks ago, I was convinced it was my destiny to marry a kind and wealthy gentleman. We would have a beautiful house with a few servants and we would have several children." She sighed. "I thought that I wanted to have a life similar to the one my mother has; but now I have serious doubts if I would really be happy with just that life." She shook her head. "It is clear, my mother is not happy. On the other hand, you are always helping Uncle Gardiner, and you are happy."

"Jane, you know very well that not all people enjoy doing the same things." Mrs. Gardiner smiled. "Your uncle and I have a happy marriage, but it is mainly because we complement each other so well. Perhaps another type of woman would not be happy with your uncle, and vice versa. As far as your mother and your father are concerned, they are two people who have absolutely nothing in common, so it is difficult for such a marriage to be happy in these circumstances."

"You are right, Aunt…"

An hour later, Mr. Jameson and his mother took Jane and the Gardiners to the theater to see "A Midsummer Night's Dream."

PPP

For the third time, Fanny was reading Jane's letter with a growing frown. She was still in shock over the note's contents, and could not believe what she was reading.

4th November 1811

London

Dear Mother,

I received your letter yesterday and am glad to hear that Netherfield has been leased again. I am especially glad that the new tenant is a friend of Mr. Darcy's.

Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend the assembly in Meryton as I have promised Aunt Gardiner to help her with her children since their governess is sick.

Additionally, I had accepted an invitation to a party at Mr. Jameson's house which is the same day as the assembly.

With love,

Jane Bennet.

It was the first time her well-mannered, beautiful, obedient daughter refused her request. A few hours ago, Lady Lucas had told her that Mr. Bingley had arrived the day before at Netherfield Park; Sir William had already visited him and invited him to Meryton's monthly assembly, and Mr. Bingley had agreed. But Jane would not be at the assembly to meet him!

She looked at her daughters carefully, one by one, to determine which one of them was best suited to attract the attention of a £5,000-a-year gentleman. Unfortunately, none of them were as beautiful as Jane.

No doubt Mary was the least attractive of her daughters, but if she changed her hairstyle, and dressed in lighter colours, she would look much prettier. Kitty was second in beauty to Jane, but lately, she had lost weight, she coughed often, and she made no effort about it. Unfortunately, Lydia had not entered society yet.

There was no time to order new gowns for the assembly. Besides, Mr. Bennet had given her little money. It was a disgrace!

PPP

"Is there any news from Longbourn, my love?" Fitzwilliam asked as Elizabeth finished reading her aunt's letter that had arrived hours earlier.

Elizabeth nodded. "Jane has been in London for a few weeks at the Gardiners'. My Uncle Bennet's health is still the same as two weeks ago, and most importantly, my Aunt Bennet is excited that Mr. Bingley has finally leased Netherfield Park."

Darcy was pleasantly surprised by the news as he had not yet received a letter from Bingley, "I am so glad he leased it. Netherfield is a beautiful estate, with a good steward, and meets all the requirements he was looking for. In addition, it has the advantage that it is only half a day from London."

Elizabeth nodded. "On top of that, my aunt, Lady Lucas, Mrs. Long, and all the ladies in the neighborhood who have daughters and nieces of marriageable age will welcome Mr. Bingley with open arms."

Darcy laughed heartily. "Knowing Bingley, he will be delighted with such a situation, and I would not be surprised if he falls for one of the young ladies."

"Knowing my Aunt Bennet, she must be deciding which of my cousins he should marry." Amused, Elizabeth added, "I suppose my aunt will decide he should marry Jane."

Fitzwilliam hugged her and kissed her tenderly. "What else does your aunt say?"

"Nothing important, the rest of the letter is the same as usual." Gazing over at the letter on her husband's desk, she asked. "What does Lord Matlock's letter say?"

"There is very good news. And I am glad I listened to you and I did not burn it." Darcy smiled slightly. Since the last conversation with Lord Matlock before his wedding, he did not want to have any kind of relationship with the Matlocks, but Elizabeth encouraged him to make peace with his family. "My cousin Richard has just returned from the Continent and in a fortnight the King will bestow upon him the title of Sir Richard because of his bravery and valor in battle." Darcy sighed, "Lord Matlock invited us to the party for Sir Richard, which he is hosting at his house in London."

"This is excellent news! You told me that you have a good relationship with your cousin." She caressed his cheek. "If you wish we can go to Sir Richard's party, and then continue to Longbourn."

"I don't know, Lizzy. I am still upset with Lord Matlock for the derogatory way he spoke of you…"

Elizabeth kissed him to stop him from talking, and replied softly, "My love, you must forget about what happened and what your uncle said back then. Your cousin is not to blame for what his father said. You also know that at some point we must enter society. Sir Richard's party could be a very good occasion."

"It will be difficult for me to forget what he said and forgive him for such an offense…" Darcy shook his head, "I never liked London's high society, but I know you are right. We cannot indefinitely postpone our entry into society. I will answer the letter and let Lord Matlock know that we are going to attend the party."