[EXT. COUNTRYSIDE - DAY]
[Lydia, Kitty, and Mary walk in the distance. Lydia stops and waves, then Kitty waves, too.]
LYDIA: Lizzy!
[Elizabeth sees them as she walks down the road.]
LYDIA: Wait till you hear our news! Heh!
[Elizabeth waves back, smiling.]
--
[INT. LONGBOURN, DRAWING ROOM - DAY]
[Mr Bennet sits in his chair reading the newspaper. Lydia stands, while the others sit.]
LYDIA: Mr Bingley has officially moved into Netherfield.
KITTY: And Sir William Lucas went over to welcome him to the neighbourhood!
LYDIA: Save your breath to blow on your porridge, Kitty. I'll tell Mamma.
[Kitty begins to cough.]
MRS BENNET: I don't want to know. Why should we care about Mr Bingley if we are never going to meet him?
LYDIA: But Mamma!
MRS BENNET: Oh, don't keep coughing like that, Kitty. For heaven's sake, have a little compassion for my nerves!
[Lydia and Kitty speak at the same time.]
KITTY: I don't cough cos I enjoy it!
LYDIA: He has thirty servants, forty waiters, and he's very handsome, and wears a blue coat.
KITTY: And he told Sir William that he loves to dance!
LYDIA: And he's promised to come to the next ball!
KITTY: At the town hall!
LYDIA: On Saturday!
KITTY: And bring six women and four men!
LYDIA: No, it was twelve girls and seven men.
ELIZABETH (aside to Jane): Too many women.
[This is because there are not enough men to partner up with the women to dance. Elizabeth and Jane smile.]
MRS BENNET: Oh, Lydia, I'm begging you to stop. we will never meet Mr Bingley and it pains me to hear about him.
LYDIA: But Mamma!
MRS BENNET: I am sick of Mr Bingley!
MR BENNET: I'm sorry to hear that.
[He folds up his paper.]
MR BENNET: If I had known that this morning, I wouldn't have visited him.
[Mrs Bennet, Kitty, and Lydia turn to him in shock.]
MRS BENNET: You visited him?!
MR BENNET: I am afraid we can't escape meeting him now.
MRS BENNET: Ahahaha! My dear Mr Bennet, you're so good to us.
[Mr Bennet, pleased, chuckles. Elizabeth and Jane smile and chuckle silently.]
MR BENNET: Yeah, well, well.
MRS BENNET: Oh, girls, girls, isn't he a good father? And he didn't tell us; what a good joke! Oh, and now you will all dance with Mr Bingley!
[Mrs Bennet takes her youngest daughters' hands and they laugh together. Mary does not look pleased, and puts her glasses back on to read.]
YOU ARE READING
Pride and Prejudice 1995
Historical FictionThe arrival of two rich men into a small English country town sends a mother into a frenzy to marry off her five daughters. Elizabeth Bennet, however, with her stubborn personality and strong opinions, is more interested in avoiding the unpleasant M...
