The first person they meet at Pemberley is Mrs Reynolds, the Housekeeper. She is very respectable and civil towards the party. At once she shows them to the dining parlour, where Lizzy is amazed at the beauty and elegance of the inside of Pemberley. She actually shows signs of regret towards not accepting Darcy’s proposal. ‘”And of this place,” thought she, “I might have been mistress.”’ She then remembers that if she were Mrs Darcy she would not have been allowed to have the Gardiners visit, as they are considered lower class. This brings her back to reality.
At length, the characters begin to talk about Darcy. Mrs Reynolds is ecstatic about her master; she is obviously extremely fond of him. She calls him ‘a very handsome gentleman’, and Elizabeth agrees he is. Once knowing that Lizzy is acquainted with Darcy, Mrs Reynolds becomes a lot friendlier. She says things that surprise Lizzy - according to the housekeeper she has ‘never had a cross word from him in her life’. He is, in her opinion, and always will be ‘the sweetest-tempered, most generous-hearted boy in the world.’
The Gardiners, who are intrigued by the Darcy family, ask about his younger sister Georgiana. Mrs Reynolds thinks that Miss Darcy is ‘the handsomest young lady that ever was seen; and so accomplished.’ This surprises Lizzy because Wickham told her that Georgiana was proud and conceited. However, she is coming to realise that not everything Wickham says is true.
Again, Darcy’s image occupies Elizabeth’s mind. After hearing the way his own servants talk about him (‘what praise is more valuable than the praise of an intelligent servant?’) she wonders if turning him down was really the right path to take.
While looking round the grounds, Darcy appears suddenly. It was ‘so abrupt his appearance that it was impossible to avoid his sight.’ Both are extremely embarrassed; Elizabeth wishes to make it quite clear that she only came to Pemberley because she was told he was not due until the following day. Mr Darcy is civil, even inquiring after Lizzy’s family! However, the atmosphere is strained considerably; Lizzy feels the minutes are hours.
All the while they are talking, Elizabeth is wondering in amazement over Darcy’s utterly altered attitude. He is not only pleasant to Lizzy, but also to the Gardiners. She cannot help but smile when she thinks what Darcy would say if he knew the Gardiners were so low as to be relations of hers. She is again surprised; when he finally does realise they are related to her, he doesn’t change his behaviour towards them.
As they are walking (Mr and Mrs Gardiner slightly behind Darcy and Elizabeth) Darcy conveys to her that the rest of his party will be arriving the next day as expected. He, however, had to come ahead because of business with his steward. Elizabeth is soon told that the party who are coming to Pemberley include Bingley, his two sisters and Georgiana Darcy. Elizabeth is again amazed when Darcy asks her if she will allow him ‘to introduce his sister to her acquaintance during her stay at Lambton.’ She replies that she would like it, and immediately thinks that the only reason Georgiana should want to meet her is because her brother has spoken of her. She finds herself pleased by this.
Their walk soon finishes, whereupon the Gardiners and Lizzy are invited inside Pemberley. They decline, and set off back to Lambton in their carriage. Elizabeth finds herself beginning to admire and respect Darcy, as do the Gardiners. They are impressed by him - Elizabeth’s aunt says ‘he is not so handsome as Wickham; or rather he has not Wickham’s countenance, for his features are perfectly good. But how came you to tell us that he was so disagreeable?’ Mr Gardiner thinks him to be ‘perfectly well behaved, polite and unassuming.’ Elizabeth has to agree and excuses herself for saying that Wickham was better than Darcy.
By the end of the chapter, Elizabeth is overwhelmed by the day’s events. She cannot comprehend why Darcy has changed so much, and is utterly bewildered by him wanting her to meet his sister. She thinks everything about him is pleasant, and has fallen in love with his home. She is actually beginning to like him, maybe even love him. This chapter is the turning point of the novel.