Pride and Prejudice

Mr. Bennet's Longbourn estate is entailed away from his five daughters, and Mrs. Bennet is preoccupied with finding husbands for them. When Charles Bingley rents nearby Netherfield Park, he quickly becomes attached to Jane Bennet. His friend Fitzwilliam Darcy initially refuses to dance with Elizabeth Bennet at the Meryton assembly, and Elizabeth takes offense at his dismissive remark. Darcy soon begins to admire her, but Elizabeth's dislike deepens after militia officer George Wickham tells her that Darcy denied him a church living intended by Darcy's father. Elizabeth believes Wickham. After Bingley goes to London, Darcy and Bingley's sisters join him there, and Jane is left disappointed. Elizabeth suspects that they have worked to separate Jane and Bingley. Meanwhile, Elizabeth rejects a proposal from Mr. Collins, who then marries her friend Charlotte Lucas.

While visiting Charlotte at Hunsford, Elizabeth again encounters Darcy and meets Colonel Fitzwilliam. Fitzwilliam mentions that Darcy recently congratulated himself on saving an unnamed friend from an imprudent marriage, and Elizabeth becomes convinced that he means Bingley and Jane. Darcy soon proposes to Elizabeth, declaring his love while emphasizing his objections to her family connections. She rejects him, accusing him both of separating Jane and Bingley and of mistreating Wickham. In a letter the next morning, Darcy admits that he persuaded Bingley that Jane was indifferent, urged him not to return to Hertfordshire, and concealed Jane's presence in London. He also gives a sharply different account of Wickham: according to Darcy, Wickham renounced the promised living in exchange for three thousand pounds, later asked for it again after spending the money, and attempted to elope with Darcy's fifteen-year-old sister Georgiana. As Elizabeth rereads the letter, she identifies inconsistencies in Wickham's conduct, admits that Jane's reserve could have misled Darcy, recognizes truth in Darcy's criticism of her family's public behavior, and acknowledges that vanity and wounded pride distorted her own judgments.

During a summer tour with the Gardiners, Elizabeth visits Pemberley after first confirming that Darcy's family is away. The housekeeper, Mrs. Reynolds, speaks highly of Darcy as a brother, master, and landlord. Darcy unexpectedly returns a day early, treats Elizabeth and the Gardiners with marked civility, introduces Elizabeth to Georgiana, and invites the Gardiners to Pemberley. Elizabeth recognizes that her former dislike has been replaced by respect, esteem, gratitude, and interest in Darcy. This new understanding is interrupted when Jane writes that Lydia Bennet has left Brighton with Wickham and that there is serious doubt they intend to marry. Darcy learns the news from Elizabeth. Mrs. Gardiner later reveals that Darcy followed the party to London, used his knowledge of Mrs. Younge to locate Lydia and Wickham, negotiated a marriage after learning that Wickham had not intended one, paid Wickham's debts, provided an additional settlement for Lydia, and purchased Wickham's new military commission. Mr. Gardiner participates in the negotiations and receives public credit for the arrangement. Elizabeth suspects that Darcy's continuing affection for her helped motivate him; Darcy later tells her that the wish to give her happiness strengthened his other inducements for acting.

Bingley eventually returns to Netherfield, renews his attentions to Jane, and proposes to her. Lady Catherine de Bourgh then arrives at Longbourn after hearing a report that Elizabeth may marry Darcy. She demands that Elizabeth promise never to accept him, citing the long-standing family intention that Darcy marry Anne de Bourgh. Elizabeth refuses. Lady Catherine reports this refusal to Darcy, who later says it gave him hope that Elizabeth's feelings might have changed. On a walk from Longbourn, Darcy renews his declaration of love, and Elizabeth tells him that her feelings are now favorable. Darcy explains that he has admitted his earlier interference to Bingley and told him that Jane was not indifferent. Jane marries Bingley and Elizabeth marries Darcy. After a year at Netherfield, Jane and Bingley move to an estate within thirty miles of Pemberley. Kitty improves while spending much of her time with her elder sisters, while Lydia and Wickham remain financially unstable and periodically seek assistance. Georgiana becomes close to Elizabeth, Lady Catherine eventually resumes relations with Darcy and Elizabeth, and the Darcys remain especially close to the Gardiners.