Upon arriving home with Jane and Kitty, Mrs. Bennet relayed the news that Mrs. Long had informed her that Netherfield Park was finally let, and to a single gentleman of considerable wealth, Mr. Bingley, who had an income of five thousand pounds a year. She urged Mr. Bennet to call on him, but it came as a surprise to hear that he had already done so. All of them became excited by the news when Lady Lucas came to visit them along with Maria and Louise to announce Louise's engagement with Mr. Glouding.
Mrs. Bennet couldn't help but feel envious, although she concealed it well. It bothered her that Mr. Glouding had proposed to Louise Lucas instead of her beloved Jane, despite her firm belief that Jane was a thousand times more beautiful than Louise.
At first, Jane looked at Louise with an intense stare, but when she noticed everyone watching, she reverted to her usual tranquil self and extended her congratulations to Louise with her typical graciousness. There was always an unspoken rivalry between them. Both Jane and Louise were regarded as local beauties. While Jane possessed classic beauty with blonde hair and blue eyes, Louise's beauty was distinctive; her eyes appeared almost violet with auburn hair. Like Jane was Mrs. Bennet's favorite daughter, Louise was Lady Lucas' favorite.
Louise smirked at Jane and showed off the emerald ring that Mr. Glouding had given her. Although Jane complimented her sweetly, her smile seemed forced, just like her mother's.
Mrs. Bennet had heard of Mr. Goulding's 3,000-a-year inheritance from a distant relative and hoped to trap him into marrying Jane; however, Lady Lucas seemed to have won that battle. Nevertheless, Mrs. Bennet was determined to find a wealthier suitor for her daughter—namely the newly arrived Mr. Bingley.
The news that he and his party would be attending the Meryton Assembly elated not only Mrs. Bennet but Jane as well. After the Lucas family visited, Mrs. Bennet hatched a plan on how to thrust Jane into Mr. Bingley's path. She chose not to bring Elizabeth with them because of her bruised face, which might put off the Netherfield party; nor did she want to take Mary, whose religious sermonizing could drive away their interest, or Lydia, who had been acting rather dull lately. Consequently, it was decided that only Jane and Kitty would attend the Meryton Assembly.
Elizabeth felt little regret at her mother's decision, as she was not in the mood to go anywhere after last night. Even Mary refrained from protesting, and Lydia was too occupied with a budding interest of hers to put up much protest. Owing to the absence of Lydia's influence, Kitty began to behave more gently and started spending most of her time with Maria Lucas and her artwork. Maria's companionship contributed to Kitty having far better social etiquette, but she still loved dancing, so she was looking forward to the upcoming assembly; she didn't want to miss an opportunity to dance with John Lucas and for that reason she was content.
As the day of the Meryton Assembly approached, Mrs. Bennet's excitement grew. She had planned and schemed for weeks, and now it was time to put her plan into action. She had carefully selected Jane's gown, ensuring that it was the most beautiful gown in all of Meryton. Additionally, she made sure that Kitty looked presentable, though her primary focus remained on Jane.
Mrs. Bennet's plan was simple: get Jane in Mr. Bingley's line of sight and let her beauty do the rest. She knew that Jane's gentle and sweet nature would attract Mr. Bingley, and she was confident that he would recognize the value in marrying into a family with five daughters.
As they arrived at the assembly hall, Mrs. Bennet's heart raced with anticipation. She scanned the crowd for any sign of Mr. Bingley and his party. She spotted them immediately. Mr. Bingley was handsome, with reddish hair and blue eyes. He was accompanied by two young and equally handsome ladies, who were likely his sisters, and two other gentlemen. Mrs. Bennet eagerly led Jane toward the group, with Kitty trailing behind.
As they approached, Mr. Bingley's eyes swept over Jane, and Mrs. Bennet was pleased to see his gaze linger on her daughter for a few moments longer. Sir William Lucas then introduced them to the Netherfield party.
Mr. Bingley, as expected, was charmed by Jane's beauty and sweet nature. He engaged her in conversation, and Mrs. Bennet watched with satisfaction as her plan began to unfold. She was pleased to see that Mr. Bingley's sisters were equally taken with her daughter, but the dark-haired gentleman with piercing dark blue eyes who was introduced as Mr. Darcy seemed to be completely uninterested in all the young ladies present, including Jane. She found his demeanor arrogant and rude, and she was determined to make sure that he didn't ruin her plan.
As the night wore on, Mrs. Bennet watched Jane and Mr. Bingley dance together, and she couldn't help but feel a sense of triumph. She had succeeded in getting Jane noticed by a wealthy gentleman, and she was certain that Mr. Bingley would be smitten with her daughter in no time.
As the night progressed, Mrs. Bennet realized that Mr. Darcy was far more disagreeable than she had initially assumed. When Mr. Bingley requested that he dance, Mr. Darcy arrogantly declined and remarked that none of the ladies present were handsome enough to tempt him into dancing with them. He then curtly instructed his friend to indulge in his partner's ghastly smiles and leave him be.
By the end of the evening, Mrs. Bennet had gained a renewed sense of hope for Jane's future prospects. She was convinced that Mr. Bingley would make an ideal match for her daughter, and was confident in her belief that her plan would succeed.
