Pride and Prejudice Chapter 59 Summary

That evening, while the family talks and plays together, Elizabeth wonders how she will tell her parents about her engagement. How will her family respond since none of them like Darcy?
That night, she tells Jane. The poor girl is royally confused. She thought Elizabeth didn't even like Mr. Darcy…
Elizabeth teases Jane a little, saying that she's only afraid Jane will think she loves him <em>too</em> much, because she loves him better than she loves Bingley!
Really, Jane insists, how long has Elizabeth loved him?
Why, Elizabeth says, it probably dates to the first moment she realized he was so wealthy and had such beautiful gardens as the ones at Pemberley.
Finally, Jane convinces her sister to be serious. Elizabeth convinces Jane that she does, indeed, love Darcy and she loves him enough to marry him.
They stay up half the night talking and Elizabeth also reveals Darcy's role in Lydia's marriage.
The next morning, Bingley finagles it so that Darcy and Elizabeth are able to go for a long walk together – alone.
Mrs. Bennet apologizes to Elizabeth that she has to spend so much time with the nasty Mr. Darcy but "it is only for Jane's sake" so that she can spend time alone with Mr. Bingley.
On their long walk, Elizabeth and Darcy decide he will talk to Mr. Bennet and Elizabeth will talk to her mother.
Elizabeth doesn't know whether her mother will be happy because Mr. Darcy is fabulously wealthy, or unhappy because she doesn't like him. Elizabeth can't bear the thought of Darcy hearing either her mother's groans or cries of joy.
After Mr. Darcy returns from her father's study, he lets her know her father wants to speak to her.
Her father is concerned. Is Elizabeth marrying Darcy just for the money?
Elizabeth's all, "But you don't know what he's really like!" Finally, Mr. Bennet gives his blessing.
Then, and only then, Elizabeth tells him what Darcy did for Lydia. Mr. Bennet is astonished, but chalks it up to the violence of passionate young love.
Now it is up to Elizabeth to convince her mother. When Mrs. Bennet hears the news, her response is really unusual – she does not say a word, not a single syllable. When she finally stirs, she begins to fuss about how rich Elizabeth will be; she is so happy, so charmed, such a nice handsome man, so tall! And my, so rich!
Elizabeth did not need to be so afraid of how her mother would react to Darcy after all. Mrs. Bennet is so in awe of Darcy that she says almost nothing to him the next day, except to defer to his opinion.
Mr. Bennet claims that Wickham is his favorite son-in-law (sarcasm at work here), but he likes Mr. Darcy already, just as much as he likes Mr. Bingley.

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