The morning was rather tranquil, her mother had received a letter as they were having an appetizing and home-style breakfast; the letter was from London and was opened immediately. Elizabeth felt with excitement as she carefully read the elegantly pressed sheet covered in a well-detailed manuscript.   

     “Dear Miss Bennet, I hope this letter finds you well. I would like to inform you of my visit to Meryton this fortnight and the arrangement of the most eligible of ladies to accompany me on an outing to whatever your liking may so choose. I am at an age now where I must consider an arrangement for engagement and marriage and must pick the finest of ladies. To finish our night, I hope you will accept to be my date at the Enquirium Ball hosted at Netherfield Park. I wish for you to cordially accept my invitation. Warm regards, Laurence DeQuincy.” Elizabeth was amazed at this news and her mother would be most excited.

“DeQuincey! Mrs. Bennet cried after Elizabeth had read the letter. “This is the most wonderful news brought upon me, have you heard of the DeQuincey family? They are one of the most prominent families in London. The men of that family are quite handsome if I say so myself, and for my own daughters to receive an invitation to a court with a DeQuincey, oh how so great! Elizabeth my dear, you must accept his invitation for it is a rare opportunity brought upon you. And for him to invite you to the Enqurium Ball, for his date! My dear Elizabeth, you must realize the mere gravity of this invitation and you must accept this at once, I beg of you.`` Mrs. Bennet was most jovial over the news. When the first tumult of joy was over, she began to declare, “How good it is for you, my dear Mr. Bennet!”

Mr. Bennet responded,  “It is the most wonderful of news.” He went back to his usual employments impervious to the matter at hand.

“What about here at Longbourn, it is the most romantic spot in all of Meryton.” Kitty, Elizabeth’s younger sister, laughed heartily.  

“Kitty, you have no discretion for the gravity of this situation!” Mrs. Bennet exclaimed. Elizabeth then settled in the corner of the room admiring the tempestuous outcries from her family as her anxieties about the date Mr. DeQuincey heightened. Elizabeth was a bit reluctant to go, as she had been disheveled from Charlotte Lucas’ engagement, she hoped that her own personal engagement would be out of romance and not mere convenience or societal pressures. 

Walking about in the promenade of Meryton; Elizabeth was in a pensive state. She decided to wear a superior outfit for the occasion, a perfect medium of casual yet formal. She thought of the vices that this Laurence DeQuincey may possess. Jane and her were contemplating over the various aspects that may be unappealing such as a stark aloofness or an exorbitant ego and such other unpleasant qualities. In the street, Elizabeth found the tavern where she was supposed to convene with this fine suitor. She had arrived at the tavern promptly, (as she was thoroughly relieved). The tavern was bustling, dwelling with energy that excited her quite much. The tavern was quite reputable; though there was a variety of people in the tavern, commoners and nobles alike, all convening over food that piqued her interest. The lighting from above was dark and eerie. The smell of the tavern was quite… grotesque in her opinion. “Elizabeth!” shouted a rather stark voice.

The voice captured her as she turned her head facing the direction of a rather peculiar man. This man, in which she presumed, was her suitor who had quite handsome features: a defined yet subtle nose and agreeable eyes; he was also cladded in a nice suit appropriate for the occasion (or so she thought). 

“Good afternoon Miss Bennet, I am Laurence DeQuincey,” Mr. DeQuincey said with adequate politeness.

“Good afternoon Mr. DeQuincey,” she replied as she sat down at the table. Elizabeth and Mr. DeQuincey both talked cordially and ordered drinks and appetizers to start the date forthcoming. 

“Elizabeth, if you so don't mind, what are your favorite authors or novels you read in your leisure?”  His confidence pleased her quite well and the stark steadiness of voice surprised Elizabeth quite much; though maybe it was due to Mr. Collins’ abnormal manner. 

“I am currently pursuing Mary Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication of the Rights of Woman.” Elizabeth knew that this was unconventional and certainly not sensible, though it permitted her to thoroughly examine Mr. DeQuincey’s true intentions. 

“Well, I think it’s a perfectly gratifying book indeed.” 

This astounded Elizabeth. 

He continued, “What exactly piqued my interest throughout the texts, her arguments specifically about the rights of females to education I found truly fascinating and stood with personal assentment,” Mr. DeQuincey said with true confidence and after more examination seemed to be a veritable opinion he possessed.

Elizabeth was stunned by his statement. “Personally, I believe that every woman has the right to be awarded equal to men and should be regarded in the same way,” Elizabeth declared. She ought to have been an outlier in the many women that Mr. DeQuincey has courted. Though it doesn’t particularly bother her that she may cause him any discomfort. 

Mr. DeQuincey looked dumbfounded over Elizabeth’s exclamation. “I find that to be very just and principled. Equality, I personally believe, should be bestowed upon every civilized society, and this truth should rightfully be fixed into the pantheons of our civilization,” Mr. DeQuincey declared confidently. 

This impressed Elizabeth quite much. “I find that to be very agreeable Mr. DeQuincey.” Elizabeth smiled. This gave Elizabeth a new sense of ataraxy by acknowledging that Mr. DeQuincey had respect towards women’s educational prowess.

“Tell me about your childhood, Miss Bennet. What is the disposition of your family and what are your familial connections?” Elizabeth agreed to convene on such matters. As the night moved on; Elizabeth and Mr. DeQuincey talked of their upbringing whilst they finished their dinner.

Netherfield was adorned in opulent decor: decor that complimented the ball’s formality. The estate was buzzing with excitement as people socialized. Elizabeth and Mr. DeQuincey settled at the ball, and had soon made themselves acquainted with all the principal people; Elizabeth noted that Mr. DeQuincey was lively and unreserved, danced every dance, a truly gregarious man of his stature. Such amiable qualities must speak for themselves.

 “Come, Miss Bennet,” said Mr. DeQuincey, “I must have you dance. I hate to see you standing about in this stupid manner.” Elizabeth was quite pleased with his cordiality and humor towards her. She admired how easily mannered he was and enjoyed his time with her. He made her feel valued for who she was regardless of the inferiority of her connections or her educational upbringing. He had a certain je ne sais quoi that appealed to Elizabeth quite much. Mr. DeQuincey didn’t have the sort of boisterous disposition of some immature boys but neither possessed a copious amount of pride sometimes found in men of his age. She found his pleasure and their consensus in equality fascinating and gave her great comfort in knowing that she would be decently respected if she so chose to be engaged with him. She and Mr. Dequincey danced together in all of the dances with almost near-perfect synchronization and enjoyed drinks and talks; furthering their acquaintance. In her eyes, he quite pleased her and was the perfect suitor for her liking.