All the excitement of the evening's festivities did not wear off so easily for those at Longbourn, and surprisingly it was still the topic of discussion at Netherfield as well.

From the moment, they stepped into the carriage up until their arrival at Longbourn, Lydia took exceptional care to recount every single minute detail about her evening. She talked about every single dance, dance partner, every gentleman she met, every dress the ladies were wearing, every conversation she had and all the gossip she overheard. Suffice it to say, the thirty-minute carriage ride was clearly not enough time for her to relive the whole night in all its glory. But she was definitely determined to try. As they were rounding the curve towards Longbourn, Lydia began describing the third dance set and how it was unfair that the music had stopped the minute Mr. Bingley and his party had arrived.

Throughout Lydia's narration, Elizabeth had been staring out the window trying to recount the events from her own evening. Especially the portion that involved Mr. Bingley's party. She was not one to rush to judgement, but she could not help but form an initial opinion about all the newcomers.

Mr. Bingley, she liked very much. He was charming, with kind manners. Much like her Jane. And what's more, they both seemed to share similar opinions about Jane. Elizabeth had overheard Mr. Bingley's praises towards Jane before they had left, and she could not help but glow with pride.

Mr. Bingley's sisters, she did not like. She had trouble understanding how they could be related to him at all, seeing as how their dispositions were complete opposites. Elizabeth tried not to judge too quickly, but there was little doubt in her mind that her initial opinion of the sisters would have reason to change. At least when it was regarding Miss Caroline Bingley. Miss Bingley was rude, self-centered and she walked around with an air of self-imposed entitlement. No, there would be no change in her opinion of Miss Bingley. As for Mrs. Hurst, there may still be hope.

Of Mr. Hurst, she did not have any strong opinions. He stayed among his party throughout the dance, but his presence was hardly noticed.

Now, as to her opinion of Mr. Darcy…try as she might, she could not come up with a firm opinion of him. She had seen both sides of the coin, and did not know which one was his true nature. Forming an opinion about Mr. Bingley and his sisters was as clear as black and white. But Mr. Darcy, was a shade of gray. If she placed him in the same bucket as Mr. Bingley, in her head she could hear his arrogant comment being played over and over again. However, if she put him in the same category as the sisters, something inside her heart told her it was a mistake. Torn, Elizabeth finally managed to break free of her thoughts and return to the present.

Jane, surprisingly, was also in her own world, and she only seemed to come back only when Lydia mentioned Mr. Bingley's name. Elizabeth was the only one who noticed this and she couldn't help but smile. It wasn't every day that Jane allowed her emotions to be so exposed. Elizabeth looked forward to their late night heart-to-heart.

Meanwhile at Netherfield, soon after their arrival the ladies had decided to retire early for the night. Mr. Darcy took this opportunity to enjoy the comfort of solitude in the library. He picked out a book from what small collection was available and settled into a comfortable chair near the fire, treasuring the peace and quiet. But the silence only lasted mere minutes, as he was soon joined by Mr. Bingley.

"Darcy! Good, you're still up. Sensational evening, wasn't it?", Bingley asked as he beamed with happiness.

Darcy couldn't help but give a small smile at his friend's joyous state, at how easily he wore his emotions on his sleeve.

"Sensational may not be the word I would use to describe my evening, but I dare say it seems to perfectly describe yours."

"Oh, it does. It does. What a night! Such lively music, such lovely people. I really like this place Darcy. I can see a future here for me"

"Yes, it certainly looked that way," Darcy chuckled as he peered over at him from behind his book.

"What do you mean?" Bingley asked innocently.

"Oh, come now Bingley. Everyone at the assembly could tell that you favored Miss Bennett. After all, you danced with her twice" Darcy remarked.

"Thrice, actually" Bingley corrected.

"I wouldn't be surprised if people expected a proposal soon." Darcy joked.

"Do you think she would say 'yes'?" Bingley asked his friend.

Darcy was a bit taken aback by the question. Up until now, he had thought they had just been having a light, jovial conversation, but from the look on Bingley's face he could tell this was a serious question.

Darcy put the book down, straightened up, cleared his throat and picked his next words very carefully.

"Bingley, you've only just met. You've hardly had a chance to have a proper conversation with her. Yet you are planning to propose? Have you thought it all through?"

"Not immediately Darcy, no of course not. But I'm hoping that with time, it will come to that."

Darcy didn't know what to say. But even if he did, he probably wouldn't have gotten an opportunity to say it as Bingley seemed to be in the midst of a monologue. An ode to his new-found love.

"She's different Darcy! I've never met anyone like her! She's not like any of the ladies in town. So sweet, so kind, so unassuming. She is so gentle and not to mention so very beautiful. Darcy, I've never met anyone as beautiful as her. I feel so calm when I'm near her, so frazzled when I'm not. The thought of seeing her again makes my heart beat twice as fast. When she smiles my heart melts, and when she looks into my eyes…."

At the mention of 'eyes', Darcy couldn't help but think about the young lady he himself had spent much of the evening observing.

"…when she looks into my eyes, I feel as though our souls are communicating. She is the one, Darcy. I can feel it. I know it. Do you think she feels it too?"

At this point Bingley finally came to a halt so as to give Darcy a chance to respond.

"I…I'm not sure Charles…" he said. Darcy was conflicted. If he had been asked this question yesterday, he would have given the same speech that he has heard so often from his relatives regarding marriage: "A marriage should be an advantageous union. You cannot simply pick any girl. What is her social standing? What are her connections? Are there any bad apples in the family? Is she accomplished? Etc…"

But he just could not bring himself to say all this to Bingley.

What had changed?

What was different now?

He wasn't sure. But he did not have the heart to crush his friend's happiness.

"I'm not sure Charles…I think it is too soon to tell. I would suggest that you wait to be further acquainted with her before making any assumptions."

Bingley's face fell a bit, but he nodded in agreement.

"Do not worry Charles, did not your sister say they were having Miss Bennet over for tea in two days?" Darcy asked, in an attempt to revive his friend's happiness.

Bingley immediately beamed. Then his smile turned into a grin. He looked around the room to ensure they were alone before he whispered, "Actually Darcy, we don't have to wait that long."