At Longbourn, the Bennet family was preparing for the assembly with different expectations. Since there was only one maid at Longbourn to help Mrs. Bennet's daughters dress and do their hair, they needed to begin preparations several hours in advance. As usual, Mrs. Bennet tried to help, but unfortunately, she gave contradictory orders. Mr. Bennet found his wife's behaviour vastly entertaining, and he was secretly pleased that she was finally recovering her spirits.

Lydia was the most excited. She had been dreaming of her coming out since she was a little girl, and finally, her dreams would come true. For years, she watched her older sisters dress in their finery before the assemblies, and she wanted badly to go with them. Her mother had bought her a beautiful white dress with little flowers.

Kitty was happy and nervous. She was secretly in love with her young neighbour John Lucas, so she dressed with care and styled her hair flatteringly. She hoped that night was the day he would notice her and ask her for at least one set.

Mary was indifferent; she didn't like dancing and preferred to stay at home reading or playing the piano.

Elizabeth was annoyed with Mr. Darcy and especially with her mother. Her ankle was sore, thanks to Mr. Darcy, and she didn't want to go to the assembly. But her mother was adamant that she should attend. She, therefore, was dressed in her favourite gown, her hair done in a simple style with tiny flowers and intertwined ribbons.

At the appointed time, the carriage was waiting to take the four young women and Mrs. Bennet to Meryton. As usual, Mr. Bennet would stay at home reading a good book.

They arrived a few minutes before the first set started. Sir William Lucas, Lady Lucas, and Charlotte Lucas were receiving the guests as usual. The two families were greeting when the Netherfield Park party arrived.

The eyes of most of those in attendance looked at the newcomers with curiosity. There were only three gentlemen instead of five and two ladies instead of seven. Elizabeth's first impression of the Netherfield party was that they had varying degrees of enthusiasm to be there.

Mr. Bingley was a handsome young man of medium height with reddish hair and light blue eyes. He immediately requested an introduction and asked Elizabeth for the next set. Miss Bingley was overdressed for the occasion. She was barely civil, and it was crystal clear she wasn't impressed by her new neighbours. Her sister, Mrs. Hurst, and her husband, Mr. Hurst, were civil but looked bored. And last, Mr. Darcy. He was one of the most handsome men Elizabeth had ever seen, but he was the odious man responsible for her injured ankle.

Darcy wasn't in a good mood. He didn't want to attend the assembly but didn't want to stay with Miss Bingley at Netherfield Park. Despite his ruined reputation, Miss Bingley still wanted the title of Mrs. Darcy. She had a tight grip on his arm, and she didn't understand he was not interested in her.

After the incident with Miss Bennet in the morning, he received a letter from Wickham asking for more money. The situation was intolerable. On the one hand, he was worried for Georgiana's wellbeing, but on the other hand, he wasn't willing to send Wickham more money. In addition, everybody in the room was talking about his income.

Mr. Bingley was enchanted. In London, he was barely accepted into the first circle of society due to his status as a tradesman's son, and some of the men at parties were rude to him. Here in the country, he was greeted with effusion by everyone. In addition, there were several pretty girls in the neighbourhood, especially Miss Bennet with her fine eyes.

Miss Bingley was annoyed; the people were rustic, and the musician's execution was poorly done. She hadn't wanted to come to Netherfield, but when she learned Mr. Darcy had accepted her brother's invitation, she changed her mind. Although Mr. Darcy's situation in the Ton wasn't ideal, she knew in a few years, all was going to be forgotten. He was still the nephew of an Earl and one of the wealthiest men in England.

Mr. Hurst and Mrs. Hurst weren't interested in their neighbours. Mr. Hurst was the heir to a small estate, but his father was still alive. Therefore, he had little money and was pleased to spend the hunting season in the country at someone else's expense.

During Elizabeth and Mr. Bingley's dance, they talked about many things. He was an avid dancer and a good conversationalist. Once the set was over, Elizabeth's ankle was sore. Unfortunately, she was in pain and couldn't dance anymore. At least there were chairs in the hall, and she saw Charlotte sitting in one. Next to Charlotte, there was an empty chair, and she sat there.

"Lizzy, I am very glad you came! How are you feeling?"

"My mother was adamant that we should attend. Our mourning period is over, but… Honestly, it's very hard to continue along with my former life without Jane. I miss her so much!"

Charlotte knew that Jane and Elizabeth had been much more than siblings; their relationship was the closest she had ever seen between the two sisters. Charlotte wanted to help her dear friend, but Elizabeth never talked about her most profound sorrow and the guilt that came with it. So, she decided it was time to converse about lighter topics to improve Elizabeth's sombre mood.

With a teasing smile, Charlotte said, "Your mother told me you had a little accident today. She is vexed with you because you can't dance all night and you may lose your chance with Mr. Bingley."

Elizabeth sighed; she didn't want to talk about her first meeting with Mr. Darcy and her mother's matchmaking tendencies. "Yes, I sprained my ankle this morning. I wasn't paying attention and tripped over some roots in the path. "

"I am sorry to hear that." Some seconds later, Charlotte exclaimed, "Look, my brother is dancing with Kitty."

Elizabeth watched her sister with interest. Kitty looked radiant, and only a blind person could miss that she was fascinated with John Lucas, and it seemed John reciprocated her feelings.

Charlotte continued, "John is very impressed with Kitty's transformation in the past year. She doesn't resemble the girl she was before Jane's death. She has blossomed into a beautiful and kind woman."

The two friends continued talking in the same fashion for several minutes when they heard a conversation between Mr. Bingley and his friend Mr. Darcy.

Mr. Darcy was behind a column watching the couples dance and reflecting on the events of the night. This assembly was a nightmare, probably the worst he had ever attended. He had to dance with Miss Bingley, and during the set, she had excessively flattered him and insinuated he needed a wife! Mrs. Bennet hinted he should dance with her youngest daughter because it was her coming out. For heaven's sake, the girl was only fifteen years old; she should be at home and not in an assembly. He had tried to ask Miss Bennet about her injured ankle, but she was apparently avoiding him. In addition, everybody was talking about his ten thousand per year. It was outrageous! At least nobody was talking about Georgiana's disgrace in this corner of the Kingdom.

He was in a very foul mood and had a headache when Mr. Bingley approached him between sets. "Come, Darcy, you can't stay behind a column all night. We are at an assembly, you should dance. There are a lot of pretty and nice ladies in the room, especially the Bennet sisters. The eldest is considered a local beauty."

"I certainly shall not. You know I detest dancing. I did my duty and danced with your sisters. You are very easy to be pleased, but there isn't a single handsome woman at this assembly and certainly nobody worthy of my time. Please let me be, and return to your next partner whoever she is."

Mr. Bingley followed his advice and didn't approach Darcy again for the rest of the night.