Masterpiece Classic

Mr. Charles Bingley, a rich man from the north of England, settles down at Netherfield estate near Meryton village in Hertfordshire for the summer. Mrs. Bennet, unlike her husband, is excited at the prospect of marrying off one of her five daughters (Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Kitty, and Lydia) to the newcomer. At a local country dance, Bingley takes an immediate liking to Jane, while his best friend Mr. Darcy (rumored to be twice as rich) refuses to show an interest in anyone. Elizabeth's poor impression of his character is confirmed at a later gathering at Lucas Lodge. Elizabeth and Darcy verbally clash on the two nights she spends at Netherfield caring for the ailing Jane.

The plot thickens when a sycophantic clergyman named Mr. William Collins visits his cousins, the Bennets. He is the entailed heir of their home, Longbourn, and decides to marry Elizabeth to keep the property in the family. While on a walk to Meryton village, they meet members of the newly arrived militia, including a Mr. George Wickham. Elizabeth notices an apparent resentment by Darcy toward Wickham, and soon learns that Darcy cheated Wickham out of his inheritance. Darcy surprises Elizabeth with a dance offer at a ball at Netherfield, which she grudgingly but politely accepts. Mr. Collins proposes to Elizabeth the next day, but she resoundingly rejects him. While Mr. and Mrs. Bennet disagree about Elizabeth's decision, her close friend Charlotte Lucas sees an opening and invites Mr. Collins to stay at Lucas Lodge.