Pride and Prejudice Chapter 31 Summary

  • A week later, they're at Rosings.
  • Lady Catherine greets them, but it's clear that she'd rather talk to her nephews.
  • Nephews? Yep; Darcy's cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam is there, too, and very glad to see them.
  • Especially Elizabeth. He sits beside her and it kind of looks like they're flirting—so much that Darcy is practically glowering at them, and Lady Catherine wants to know what they're talking about.
  • They're talking about music, which leads to Lizzy being forced to perform on the piano.
  • Mr. Darcy is staring at her, so she stops playing to let him know that he can't intimidate her; she is too stubborn to let somebody else tell her what to do.
  • He almost laughs and tells her that she doesn't really believe what she's saying, and she laughs back.
  • There's some more flirting about how he behaved "shockingly" the first night they met by sitting out dances when there were ladies without partners, and how he's just shy.
  • Lizzy points out that she's not naturally good at the piano, but she doesn't blame the piano—she blames herself for not practicing more.
  • Speaking of practicing, Lady Catherine has some tips on that.