20th of August 1811

The acrid smoke from a nearby gentleman smoking a pipe burnt Darcy’s nostrils as he entered the cardroom at White’s, and he crinkled his nose. Why did Bingley enjoy this diversion so much? The cardroom always reeked of the tobacco from those who fancied a smoke while they wagered their money with little to no regard of the consequences.

Bingley did deserve some credit, however. He once told Darcy how he had a set limit to how much he could or would lose on a given day be...