Sweet Caroline by Mary Alice Alexander

When Caroline Bingley first arrives in Meryton with her brother’s household, she dismisses the local society as entirely beneath her notice—until she realizes Mr. Darcy’s growing fascination with Elizabeth Bennet poses a threat to her own carefully laid plans. Determined to prevent any possibility of a match, Caroline orchestrates her brother’s departure from Hertfordshire to sever his attachment to Jane Bennet, believing this will remove the entire Bennet family from their circle and bring her one step closer to becoming the future Mrs. Darcy.

Armed with her imported French perfumes, carefully rehearsed curtseys, and the ingenious assistance of her lady’s maid Adèle, Caroline launches a calculated campaign to secure the most eligible gentleman in London. But as her schemes meet with increasingly frigid responses from Mr. Darcy and quiet resistance from his household, Caroline begins to question whether her machinations serve anyone’s happiness—including her own. When her most extreme manipulations fail to capture her prey, she must decide if being mistress of Pemberley is worth the cost to those she claims to hold dear, especially herself.