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The party Lydia bullied Bingley into throwing lights Netherfield up for the night. Lizzie comes dressed to see one person — George — and he never shows, ducking the one room Darcy is in and leaving only a breezy 'long story' text behind. Jane and Bingley fall into each other on sight; Caroline circles; and then Darcy, stiff and unexpected, crosses the whole floor to ask Lizzie for a single dance. She says yes before her pride can stop her. The dance is close, charged, and honest in a way neither of them planned — until she pushes on George's name and Darcy goes cold and guarded, warning her, without explaining, to be careful whose story she believes. She reads the chill as guilt. The night curdles as her family performs at full volume and Darcy watches it all; Lizzie steps out to the terrace with her verdict louder than ever and the ghost of his hand still at her waist. She leaves more tangled than she arrived — certain she was right about him, and unable to forget the dance.
Page 1
A wide establishing shot at night. The sleek glass Netherfield mansion is lit up for a party — warm golden light pouring from the floor-to-ceiling windows, string lights across the terrace, silhouettes of well-dressed guests mingling inside, a few cars in the drive. The cool blue night outside meets the warm gold within. (No dialogue.)