PRIDE AND PREJUDICE CONT…D

After the success of the Ball for Jane, her mother is thrilled that her eldest daughter is then invited over for dinner with Bingley's sisters. She forces Jane to go on horseback in the pouring rain, saying that they'll have to keep her overnight due to the weather. Lizzie isn't happy with her mother's plans and she's proved right when Jane catches the flu and is bedridden at Netherfield.

The next day, Lizzie walks over to Netherfield to visit her sister and due to the rain, the fields she crosses are nothing but mud. Upon arriving, she is met by Mr. Darcy who is slightly amused at her unkempt state. They go in and Bingley insists that Lizzie stay at Netherfield until Jane is better. Lizzie reluctantly agrees as she doesn't want to spend time with Darcy and Bingley's sisters, who she is rapidly coming to the opinion are terrible snobs and not at all pleasant.

Once Jane is better, Lizzie is even more resolved to dislike Mr. Darcy as she didn't agree with him over a number of things and at one point, she'd all but called him proud to his face. Darcy, on the other hand, was starting to fall heavily for Lizzie although he denied it probably more to convince himself than the others.

As time went on the Militia arrived at Meryton and brought with it a man called, Mr. Wickham. His easy charm won Lizzie over and they became friends. It was soon clear however, that he and Mr. Darcy were old acquaintances and it was also abundantly clear that Mr. Darcy wanted nothing to do with Mr. Wickham in the slightest…