Lady Catherine De Bourgh unexpectedly drops by Longbourn one day to talk to Elizabeth. She has heard a rumor that Darcy and Elizabeth are or are about to be engaged and is determined to stop any romance that may exist between them. Declaring that Darcy and Miss De Bourgh have been intended for each other since they were born, Lady Catherine tells Elizabeth that the match between her nephew and daughter will not be ruined by "a young woman of inferior birth, of no importance in the world, and wholly unallied to the family." Despite Lady Catherine's demands, Elizabeth refuses to be intimidated and she fuels Lady Catherine's outrage by refusing to promise never to accept a proposal from Darcy. Lady Catherine leaves angrily, threatening to approach Darcy on the matter. Shaken by the confrontation, Elizabeth wonders how Darcy will react to his aunt's denunciation of her. She decides that if Darcy does not return to Netherfield, she will know that he has submitted to his aunt's wishes.
The next morning, Mr. Bennet asks Elizabeth into his library, where he shares a letter with her that he received from Mr. Collins. In it, Mr. Collins also addresses the rumored engagement between Elizabeth and Darcy and warns his cousin against it, stating that Lady Catherine does not approve. Mr. Bennet finds the idea of Elizabeth being engaged to Darcy ludicrous and tries to get Elizabeth to laugh with him over the situation, while Elizabeth miserably listens and tries to think of something to say.
