Elizabeth was returning to Longbourn, the carriage rolling smoothly over the country roads. The morning had been spent in a delightful, if rather peculiar, visit to Netherfield. Mr. Bingley's sister, Miss Bingley, had been most civil, though her attentions were clearly directed towards Jane. Elizabeth found her brother, Mr. Darcy, to be a man of imposing presence, yet his reserve was such that it was impossible to gather his sentiments upon anything.
The conversation at breakfast had turned to the subject of country society and the amusements it afforded. Miss Bingley expressed a disdain for the simple pleasures of Hertfordshire, comparing them unfavourably with the balls and assemblies of London. Elizabeth, ever ready to defend her home, countered with a spirited defence of the natural beauty and genuine affections to be found in the countryside, suggesting that true happiness was not always to be found in the glare of fashionable society.
Mr. Darcy had listened to this exchange with an impassive countenance, offering no opinion. Elizabeth, amused by his silent observation, found herself speculating on his thoughts. Was he in agreement with Miss Bingley’s sentiments, or did he, perhaps, possess a more discerning eye for the merits of a less ostentatious life?
As the carriage drew nearer to Longbourn, Elizabeth reflected on the encounters of the day. She felt a growing curiosity about this proud and reserved gentleman, a curiosity that she suspected might lead her into further, and perhaps more complicated, observations of his character.
The scene at Longbourn was as lively as ever. Her father was in his library, her mother in the drawing-room, enumerating the shortcomings of their neighbours, and her younger sisters, Kitty and Lydia, were engaged in a boisterous game of chase in the garden. It was a familiar tableau, and Elizabeth felt a sense of contentment in its predictable chaos.
She recounted her visit to Netherfield, omitting, of course, any mention of the conversations that had particularly interested her, or the impressions she had formed of Mr. Darcy. Her mother was eager for news of Mr. Bingley and his sisters, and her father, though feigning indifference, listened with a keenness that betrayed his own interest in the affairs of the neighbouring estate.