Caroline Bingley

Also known as: Caroline / Miss Bingley / his sister / the elegant ladies · Family: Bingley · Role: Bingley's sister · First appears: Chapter 3

Caroline Bingley arrived at the assembly with her brother Charles Bingley, her sister Louisa Hurst, Mr. Hurst, and Fitzwilliam Darcy; “His sisters were fine women, with an air of decided fashion.” At Netherfield, she and Louisa Hurst were established around Charles Bingley and welcomed Jane Bennet, whom their brother regarded favorably. Caroline invited Elizabeth Bennet to remain at Netherfield, but her relations with Elizabeth became rivalrous after Fitzwilliam Darcy revealed that Elizabeth inspired his admiration. Caroline watched Darcy closely, tried to turn him against Elizabeth by discussing a supposed marriage, and later spoke of George Wickham’s parentage and his treatment of Darcy.

When the Netherfield party left for London without intending to return to Hertfordshire that winter, Caroline wrote of her affection for Georgiana Darcy and her hope that Georgiana would become her sister through marriage to Charles Bingley. Jane Bennet then resolved to end her acquaintance with Caroline, and subsequently gave it up; Caroline also knew that Jane was in London while her brother remained unaware of it because his sisters had concealed the information. At Pemberley, Caroline abandoned her resentment, renewed her attentions to Fitzwilliam Darcy and Georgiana Darcy, and restored her civility to Elizabeth Bennet: “she dropped all her resentment; was fonder than ever of Georgiana, almost as attentive to Darcy as heretofore, and paid off every arrear of civility to Elizabeth.”