Chapter 4: Sleepover Secrets

After the Meryton Assembly dance, Elizabeth (nickname Lizzie, if you'll remember) and her sister Jane scurry up to their shared bedroom and hunker down for some serious-time pillow talk. Jane isn't a big share-your-feelings kinda gal, but she spills the beans with Lizzie:

I really like Mr. Bingley. 

Yeah? says Lizzie.

Yeah. He's nice, he's polite, he has good manners....he's nice...

...he's hot...

I couldn't believe he asked me to dance TWICE!!

Really?! You couldn't believe that he would ask the prettiest girl in the room to dance with him?

Lizzie...

Well, you have my approval. You've liked stupider people.

Lizzie!

It's true! You like EVERYONE. Remember that guy who stole our spot in line after we had waited 3 hours to see Les Mis??

He was so cold, he needed to get inside...

And the girl who claimed that your ladybug science fair project was actually hers?

That was fifth grade, she didn't know any better...

And the guy who punched you in the face to take your restaurant reservation??

He didn't mean it...

And the WORST part, exclaims Elizabeth, is that you truly believe that all of those people genuinely meant the best in that moment, and that every person is good and wholesome and honest.

Well yeah.

While Elizabeth tears her hair out over her sister's unreasonably good nature, we'll swing over to the boys' sleepover at Netherfield Park. 

Can you believe how many gorgeous women were at that dance?? exclaims Bingley.

Nope, retorts Darcy.

I mean, GORGEOUS! That red head, the two blondes, even the brunette wasn't half-bad. 

Yup.

But that Bennet girl, ohhhhhhhh man, Jane....Jane Jane Jane....

What was her name again?

*cue soundtrack to "Maria" from West Side Story* JAAAAAAAAAAANE! I'VE JUST MET A GIRL NAMED JAAAAAAAAAAAANE, AND SUDDENLY I'VE FOUND, HOW WONDERFUL A SOUND--

Please stop.

Come on man, are you going to sit there and tell me not a single one of the women in that room caught your eye? Not a single one lifted you up on love's light wings and made you see the world as if for the first time? Not a single one made you believe that love is tangible and real and possible and true? Didn't you think any of them were at least...pretty?

Yours was. But she smiled too much.

Thus commenced more hair tearing on Bingley's part, which only lasted a short while before he was lifted away by "love's light wings" again and soon forgot the sulking Mr. Darcy...

---

And Darcy sat, and Darcy brooded, and Darcy couldn't quite shake the image of a particular pair of piercing brown eyes from his head...

To be continued next week!