Charles Bingley is another good friend of Darcy's, who appears in "Pride and Prejudice". A good-natured and wealthy young man, he is naive and somewhat easily led, and Darcy is quite fond of and protective of him. He has fallen in love with Elizabeth Bennet's elder sister Jane, but Darcy - conscious of the risks to Bingley's social reputation that the Bennet family presents and ignorant of Jane Bennet's own feelings - attempts to prevent the union. The novel emphasizes the Bingleys' status as "nouveau riche", having gained wealth through trade. This makes their social position somewhat precarious. As Charles's friend, Darcy intends to both help them cement that status, by becoming landed gentry like himself, and avoid threats to it from connections with lower-ranking families.