His behavior toward her at the Pearsons’ ball had left her in a muddle, but it had been several days since she had seen him. Now, at a musical performance at a public room, whom should she see trying to catch her attention across the room? Mr. Bingley, in a very handsome blue coat, with his sister Miss Bingley. He had seen Jane and quickly made his way to her while Caroline glared at her. Was Miss Bingley truly a bad egg, then?

How disappointing.

And an alarming confirmation of her father’s advice regarding human nature.

Setting aside her disenchantment with the human race, Jane smiled and held her hand out to Mr. Bingley. He bowed over it and smiled at her joyfully; her heart stumbled a bit before breaking out into a run. She registered that he was looking at her expectantly. His lips had moved. What had he said?

“Good evening, Mr. Bingley,” she managed.

“Are you here with your aunt and uncle?” he asked.

“Yes. They are just there.” She pointed to the same couple she had indicated at the ball.

“Might you introduce me?”

“Of course.” She led him toward her relations just as they finished conversing with another couple. “Aunt, Uncle, this is Mr. Bingley. I met him in Hertfordshire last autumn. This is my Uncle and Aunt Gardiner.”

Bingley bowed gallantly and smiled, happy to be meeting Miss Bennet’s relatives and oblivious to the wariness in their gazes. They continued on in simple conversation, Bingley being as charming as he ever was, and the Gardiners eventually thawing to him. Finally, he asked where they were sitting and Mrs. Gardiner, being a genial hostess, asked if he would like to join them. He said he would just tell his party and hastened off like an excited boy granted a treat.

Even as she shook her head, Jane couldn’t help but smile.

Bingley approached his sister and her friends with less bounce in his step than he had left them with. He had not wanted to come tonight, preferring to stay in his rooms and think. But Caroline had whined and wheedled and finally told him something about there being a man she thought was showing interest in her and wanting her brother to examine the situation for her. He should have known she was lying to get her way, but he was so anxious to marry her off that he came along. Of course there was no such man. Caroline said something must have come up that caused him to cancel, but Bingley knew she was lying.