The proposals
Mr. Collins sees his chance and proposes to Elizabeth the next morning. She refuses again. Mrs. Bennett is shocked and angry. She finds Mr. Collins a good party for her daugher. Mr. Bennett is glad that Mrs. Bennett tries to change her daugher�s mind but it�s useless. Mr. Collins doesn�t mourn very long and a few days later he proposed to Charlotte, who is Elizabeth�s best friend. Elizabeth is shocked when she finds out Charlotte accepted his proposal. Her explanation doesn�t satisfy her.
At one of her walks to Meryton Elizabeth encounters Wickham. Wickham gives Elizabeth a vague explanation when she asks him why he didn�t attend the last ball. Elizabeth buys the story and even invites him to dinner.
Out of the blue Jane receives a letter from the Bingleys telling her they left town and they have no intention to return. Jane is convinced that Mr. Bingley doesn�t love her anymore because he left her without a word.
Christmas is approaching. Mrs. Bennett�s brother and sister-in-law (the Gardiners) pay them a visit. At a party Elizabeth sees Wickham again and she grows more attracted to him. The Gardiners return to London again and take Jane along trying to raise her spirits. Jane is still upset by the break-up.
When spring arrives Wickham is courting Miss King, a young lady who has quite a fortune. He tells Elizabeth about Miss King and his mercenary motives. She forgives him and promises him to be friends for always. Afterwards Elizabeth pays Charlotte a visit. Charlotte is quite pleased with her new life but tries to avoid her husband as much as she can. They are all invited at Rosings Park. This is the residence of Lady Catherine de Bourgh. She is Mr. Collins� patroness and Mr. Darcy�s aunt. Unexpectedly, Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam, his cousin, arrive at Rosings to visit their aunt. Darcy is glad to see Elizabeth again but she prefers Colonel Fitzwilliam to Darcy.
When Elizabeth meets Fitzwilliam in the woods of Rosings Park, Fitzwilliam tells her that Darcy prevented the marriage of Mr. Bingley. Elizabeth realizes that Darcy is the reason of Bingley�s departure. She dislikes Darcy even more. When Elizabeth returns to the parsonage, she decides to reread Jane�s melancholic letters. As she is reading those letters, Darcy enters the room and declares his love for her. Elizabeth is shocked by his declaration and the way he proposed to her. She angrily refuses the proposal. She doesn�t want to marry a man who has so many things on his conscience.
 
 
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