Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

The story follows the main character, Elizabeth Bennet as she deals with issues of manners, upbringing, education and marriage in society of the early 19th century. Elizabeth's family reside at the Longbourn estate near the fictional town of Meryton in Hertfordshire, near London. As Mr and Mrs Bennet have no sons the estate is entailed to one of Mr Bennet's relatives by the legal terms of fee tail. This means that, if Mr Bennet dies, his wife and five daughters will be left without a home or income. Mrs Bennet continually worries about this predicament and wishes to find husbands for her five daughters quickly.
The novel opens with Mr Bingley, a wealthy young gentleman and a very eligible bachelor, renting Netherfield Park near the Bennets. He arrives accompanied by his fashionable sisters and his good friend, Mr Darcy. Attending the local assembly,  Bingley is well-received, while his friend Darcy makes a less favourable first impression by appearing proud and condescending. When Elizabeth overhears herself being insulted by Darcy, she forms a prejudice against him. Bingley, on the other hand singles out Elizabeth Bennet's sister, Jane, for particular attention and it becomes apparent that they have formed an attachment to one another.
On an invitation from Bingley's sister, Miss Bingley, Jane pays a visit to Netherfield Park. On her journey to the estate she is caught in a downpour and catches ill, forcing her to stay at Netherfield Park for several days. In order to tend to Jane, Elizabeth hikes through muddy fields and arrives with a spattered dress, much to the aloofness of Miss Bingley. Miss Bingley’s malice only increases when she notices that Darcy develops an attachment to Elizabeth.
Mr Collins, the male cousin who is to inherit Longbourn, makes an appearance and stays with the Bennets. Recently ordained a clergyman, he is employed as parish rector by the wealthy and patronising Lady Catherine de Bourgh of Kent. Mr Bennet and Elizabeth are amused by his self-important and pedantic behaviour. Though his stated reason for visiting is to reconcile with the Bennets, Mr Collins soon confides to Mrs Bennet that he wishes to find a wife from among the Bennet sisters. He first offers to pursue Jane; however, Mrs Bennet mentions that her eldest daughter is soon likely to be engaged, and redirects his attentions to Elizabeth.
At the same time, Elizabeth forms an acquaintance with Mr Wickham, a militia officer who claims to be seriously mistreated by the proud Mr Darcy. Elizabeth seizes on this news as further reason to dislike Darcy. Ironically, Darcy begins to find himself drawn to Elizabeth, unbeknownst to her.
At a ball given by Mr Bingley at Netherfield Park, Elizabeth intends to deepen her acquaintance with Mr Wickham who, fails to appear. She is asked to dance by Darcy; here she raises Wickham's fate with him, causing their harmonious dance to fall into a petulant discussion.  Darcy also becomes aware of a general expectation that Bingley and Jane will marry.
The next morning, Mr Collins proposes marriage to Elizabeth, who refuses him, much to her mother's anguish. Collins handily recovers and proposes to Elizabeth's close friend, Charlotte Lucas, who immediately accepts out of her desire to avoid dying a spinster.
Though appearing at the point of proposing marriage to Jane, Bingley abruptly quits Netherfield and returns to London, leaving the lady confused and upset. Elizabeth is convinced that Darcy and Bingley's sister have conspired to separate Jane and Bingley.
In the spring, Elizabeth is persuaded to join Charlotte and her cousin in Kent.The parsonage is adjacent to Rosings Park, the grand manor of Lady Catherine de Bourgh, Darcy's aunt, where Elizabeth and her hosts are frequently invited to socialize. After Darcy and his cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam arrive to visit Lady Catherine, Elizabeth renews her project of teasing Darcy, while his admiration for her grows in spite of his intentions otherwise. Elizabeth learns from Fitzwilliam that Darcy prides himself on having separated Bingley from Jane; and, with the poorest of timing, Darcy chooses this moment to admit his love for Elizabeth, and he proposes to her. Enraged by his high-handed and insulting manner, she abruptly refuses him. When he asks why, so uncivil her reply, Elizabeth confronts him with his sabotage of Jane and Bingley's budding relationship and with Wickham's account of Darcy's mistreatment of him, among other complaints.
Deeply shaken by Elizabeth's accusations, Darcy writes her a letter which reveals the true history between Wickham and himself. Wickham had renounced his legacy—a clergyman's 'living' in Darcy's patronage—for a cash payment; only to return after gambling away the money to again claim the position. After Darcy refused, Wickham attempted to elope with Darcy's 15 year-old sister Georgiana, and thereby secure his part of the Darcy family fortune. He was found out and stopped only a day before the intended elopement. Regarding Bingley and Jane, Darcy justifies his interference: he had observed in Jane no reciprocal interest for Bingley; thus he aimed to separate them to protect his friend from heartache. After reading the letter, Elizabeth begins to question Wickham's credibility and that her early impressions of Darcy's character might not have been accurate.
Some months later, during a tour, Elizabeth and her aunt and uncle Gardiner visit Pemberley. Darcy's estate, while he's away. The elderly housekeeper has known Darcy since childhood, and presents a flattering and benevolent impression of his character to Elizabeth and the Gardiners. As they tour the grounds Darcy unexpectedly returns home. Though shocked, as is Elizabeth, he makes an obvious effort to be gracious and welcoming, and treats the Gardiners, whom before he would have dismissed as socially inferior, with remarkable politeness. Later he introduces Elizabeth to his sister, a high compliment to Elizabeth. Elizabeth is surprised and hopeful of a possible new beginning with Darcy.
Elizabeth and Darcy's renewed acquaintance is cut short by news that Lydia, her youngest and most flirty sister, has run away with Wickham while joining a friend of hers at the militia camp at Brighton. Initially, the family believe they have eloped, but they soon learn that Wickham has no plans to marry Lydia. Lydia's antics threaten her family, especially the remaining Bennet sisters, with social ruin. Elizabeth and her aunt and uncle hurriedly leave for home; Elizabeth is tormented and convinced that Darcy will avoid her from now on.
Soon, thanks apparently to Elizabeth's uncle, Lydia and Wickham are found and married. Afterwards, they visit Longbourn; while bragging to Elizabeth, Lydia discloses that Darcy was present at the wedding. Surprised, Elizabeth sends an inquiry to her aunt, from whom she learns that Darcy himself was responsible for both finding the couple and arranging their marriage, at great expense to himself.
Bingley returns to Longbourn and proposes marriage to Jane who immediately accepts. Lady Catherine surprisingly visits Longbourn. She sternly tells Elizabeth she has heard rumours of Darcy proposing to her; she came to confront Elizabeth and to demand that she never accept such a proposal because Darcy is suppose to marry her daughter, Anne. Elizabeth refuses to bow to Lady Catherine's demands. Furious, Lady Catherine charges off and tells Darcy of Elizabeth's obstinacy, which convinces him that Elizabeth's opinion of him may have changed. He visits Longbourn, and once again proposes marriage. Elizabeth accepts, and the two become engaged.
The novel's final chapters establish the futures of the characters: Elizabeth and Darcy settle at Pemberley, where Mr Bennet visits often. Jane and Bingley eventually move to locate near the Darcys in Derbyshire. Elizabeth and Jane teach Kitty who had always been badly influenced by Lydia better social graces, and Mary who had been the most reclusive sister learns to mix more with the outside world at Meryton. At Pemberley, Elizabeth and Georgiana grow close; Georgiana is surprised by Elizabeth's playful treatment of Darcy, and she grows more comfortable with her brother. Lady Catherine holds out, indignant and abusive, over her nephew's marriage, but eventually Darcy is prevailed upon to reconcile with her sufficiently that she condescends to visit. Elizabeth and Darcy remain close to her uncle and aunt Gardiner—the agents of their reconciling and uniting.