I honestly thought Elizabeth was always way too hard on Darcy and not hard enough on Bingley for being week after all Darcy didn't tie him up, just gave his opinion and I thought Jane was too forgiving too. Here is how I think Jane should have answered his proposal.

What I think Jane should have said to Bingley!

It had been months since Charles Bingley had left Hertfordshire. His sudden departure had devastated Jane Bennet, and while she had borne her heartache with characteristic grace, her love for him had never waned. Yet time, they both knew, had changed things. She was no longer the same unassuming, trusting woman who had once blushed at his compliments and dreamed of a future by his side. Jane had grown—more certain of her own worth, more aware of her emotions, and more resolute in her beliefs about love and trust.

And so, when he returned to Hertfordshire on that fateful afternoon in Autumn, it was not with the eager joy of the man who had once swept her off her feet. It was with the determined air of a man who had come to rectify his mistake. Bingley had not been blind to the distance that had grown between them, but he was convinced that his affection for Jane had never faltered. With that in mind, he arrived at Longbourn, intending to ask for her hand in marriage, to make amends for the cruel way in which he had allowed his sisters and friend to sway him.

But Jane Bennet was not the same woman he had once known.

It was a quiet afternoon when Charles Bingley arrived at Longbourn, a nervous smile playing on his lips as he stood in the doorway. Mrs. Bennet, always eager for any prospect of a good marriage, had been thrilled at his arrival, and it took little effort to arrange for Jane to meet him in the drawing room.

Jane entered, her features composed but her heart already fluttering with the memories of what they once had. As she saw him, her breath hitched for a moment—but it was not the shock of seeing a long-lost lover. No, it was the hurt she had carried for months that surfaced, unexpected but undeniable.

"Mr. Bingley," she greeted him softly, though there was a coolness in her tone, a distance in her eyes. "You have returned."

"Jane," he said, stepping toward her, his voice full of emotion. "I—I am so sorry for the way I left things, and I cannot stand the thought of you thinking badly of me. I should have trusted you more, trusted myself more. The truth is, I never stopped caring for you. I was a fool. I only hope you might allow me to make it right. Will you marry me, Jane?"

Jane took a step back, her composure faltering as her emotions stirred. She could see the earnestness in his eyes, the sincerity in his voice, and yet... something within her would not let her simply accept his words. She had suffered too much, had endured too many days of uncertainty and heartache for this moment to be as simple as he wished it to be.

"Mr. Bingley," she began, her voice steady but her heart heavy. "You are very kind to express such sentiments, but I must tell you the truth—that I am not the same woman you left behind. And I am not the woman you think I am, either."

Bingley blinked, taken aback. "Jane, what do you mean? I—"

"I mean," she interrupted, her eyes not leaving his, "that I am no longer the naive girl who trusted you implicitly, who believed your every word and action. You hurt me, Mr. Bingley. You allowed your sisters and Mr. Darcy to dictate your actions, to influence your heart. You left me without a word, without any explanation, and I was left to suffer in silence."

Bingley opened his mouth, but Jane held up a hand, silencing him.

"You should have trusted yourself," she continued, her voice stronger now, her words ringing with the clarity that only time and reflection could bring. "You should have trusted our love more than the opinions of others. I would have stood by you, Charles—no matter what. But you abandoned me. And for what? For the sake of your pride? Your fear of what others would think of us?"

His eyes were wide, filled with regret, but Jane could not, would not, be swayed. "I am not angry with you, not in the way you might think. But I am disappointed. And I cannot—will not—be your second choice. I will not be the woman who waits in silence, who waits for you to return and tell her that you made a mistake. That is not love, Mr. Bingley. It is merely convenience."

Her words stung, and yet Bingley could not deny their truth. His heart ached at the sight of her, at the coolness in her tone, but he knew that he had no right to ask her to simply forgive him. Not now, not after all that had transpired.

"Jane," he said, his voice breaking slightly, "please. I never meant to hurt you. You have to believe me. If I could undo everything, I would. I—"

"I know," she said gently, her expression softening for just a moment. "But love is not about undoing the past, Mr. Bingley. It is about trusting, about being true to one another, no matter the obstacles. And you did not do that. I cannot marry you now, not when I have come to understand that my worth is not defined by your affection or anyone else's approval."

Bingley stood there, his heart heavy with grief, his soul torn. He wanted so badly to make things right, to hold her in his arms and beg for her forgiveness. But he knew now, with absolute certainty, that it was not his love that she needed—it was her own sense of self, her own strength.

"I—" he began, but the words failed him. "I understand, Jane. And I am truly sorry for everything I put you through. I never meant for it to be like this."

Jane nodded, her eyes bright with unshed tears. "Thank you for understanding. But I will not be with a man who could not trust in me, in us. I deserve better than that, Mr. Bingley. I hope you find the happiness you seek, but I must find mine on my own."

With a final, lingering look, she turned and walked away, leaving him standing alone in the quiet drawing room. His heart broke a little more with every step she took, but deep down, Bingley knew that Jane was right. She was strong—stronger than he had ever realized. And perhaps it was this strength that would guide her to a future far beyond the man who had once loved her, but had failed to prove it when it mattered most.

The days that followed were filled with quiet reflection for both Jane and Charles. Jane, though heartbroken, felt a sense of peace. She had stood up for herself, for her worth, and in doing so, she had found a strength she never knew she possessed. As for Bingley, he was left to reflect on the painful but necessary lessons of love, trust, and the consequences of doubt.

They would go their separate ways, perhaps forever, but Jane Bennet knew that she would be just fine. She had learned that true love was built on trust, not on empty promises or half-measures. And as the days turned into weeks, she found herself moving forward—stronger, wiser, and more certain that she deserved a love that would never falter.