Jane and Bingley?

In Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Jane Bennet and Mr. Bingley’s relationship seems to be serving a deeper purpose than simply another romance story.  While Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy are the focus of the novel with their story of passion and love, the novel begins with the focus mainly on Jane and Mr. Bingley.  Austen must choose to start her novel this way, perhaps to begin a symbol that will continue throughout the rest of the novel. Why deviate from the main characters of the book and make it seem like they are not very relevant to the story (at the time when reading the opening chapters of the novel)?  Darcy and Lizzy start off being very cold to each other, not truly noticing one another. Darcy actually refers to Lizzy as "tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me" (17).  Lizzy isn't too impressed by Darcy in their first encounter either, as she hears this comment and is somewhat offended. In contrast, Jane and Bingley have a very different story of their first meeting.  Bingley immediately refers to Jane as "the most beautiful creature I have ever beheld" (16).  As time continues, Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy’s relationship begins to become more apparent, as comments about their interactions are snuck in.  There begins to be a shift in how Darcy feels about Lizzy when it is announced that "he was forced to acknowledge her figure to be light and pleasing; and in spite of his asserting that her manners were not those of the fashionable world, he was caught by their easy playfulness" (41).   After all, Mr. Bingley is the reason that Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet meet, as Jane and his relationship is what keeps Darcy and Lizzy in contact.  Jane and Bingley’s relationship seems to serve most as a contrast with Darcy and Lizzy’s relationship.  While Jane and Bingley feel an immediate connection, Darcy and Lizzy take a while longer to recognize their feelings for each other. While Jane and Bingley’s relationship seems easy and fun, Darcy and Lizzy’s is full of obstacles and proves to be more of a challenge.  Jane and Bingley are always considered as a pair before Darcy and Lizzy ever are.  Perhaps Jane and Bingley serve as an example of everything Darcy and Lizzy are not.  Even though Jane and Lizzy are sisters, they are very different in their approaches to love, as Darcy and Bingley are not very similar either.  Austen delays the development of Darcy and Lizzy’s relationship. One might think that Jane and Bingley are going to be the focus of the novel but Austen delivers an unexpected twist when it later becomes all about Darcy and Lizzy.