In my novel, Prideful & Persuaded, Caroline Bingley meets three Austen men in Bath: Sir Walter Elliot (Persuasion), Tom Bertram (Mansfield Park), and Frederick Tilney (Northanger Abbey). Two of these men are current or future baronets and all three have very wealthy estates. Is it reasonable for a lady like Caroline to think that men of this level of wealth and rank would marry her? If we set aside whether Darcy likes Caroline or not, did she have a chance with him in Pride & Prejudice? I will explore these questions using evidence from Jane Austen’s works.
