The Bennet family lives at Longbourn with five unmarried daughters and a limited inheritance. Because the estate is entailed away from the female line, Mrs Bennet is consumed by the need to secure suitable husbands. News that the wealthy young Charles Bingley has rented nearby Netherfield Park therefore causes immediate excitement. At a local assembly, Bingley proves cheerful and attentive, especially toward the eldest Bennet daughter, Jane. His friend Fitzwilliam Darcy is richer but proud, reserved, and unwilling to dance with strangers. Elizabeth Bennet overhears him dismissing her as merely tolerable and decides to dislike him.

Jane and Bingley quickly develop a gentle mutual attachment. When Jane becomes ill while visiting Netherfield, Elizabeth walks through muddy fields to care for her, shocking Bingley’s fashionable sisters. During the visit, Darcy becomes increasingly attracted to Elizabeth’s intelligence and lively eyes. Elizabeth sees only his arrogance, while Caroline Bingley recognizes his interest and attempts to ridicule the Bennet family.

The arrival of Mr Collins complicates the household. He is the pompous clergyman who will inherit Longbourn, and he proposes to Elizabeth as though offering a practical favor. She refuses despite her mother’s fury. Her sensible friend Charlotte Lucas accepts him, valuing security over romance. Elizabeth is disappointed, but her visit to Charlotte later helps her understand the limited choices available to women without fortunes.

Elizabeth also meets the charming militia…