Just something that popped into my head. Anything you recognize isn't mine.

Mocking Mary

Mary Bennett was not accustomed to having fun, and she certainly was not accustomed to people having fun at her expense. Except her sisters. This … man … was definitely not one of her sisters. He wasn't even a member of the family, yet here he was laughing at her!

"You are no gentleman!" She fumed at him, pursing her lips. She'd gone to visit Kitty—who'd recently become engaged to a clergyman in Derbyshire. The sisters had gone to visit with Kitty's fiancé, and he'd had a friend from University there on a visit.

Kitty had eagerly suggested that they play a game of hide-and-seek, saying, "It'll be fun!"

Well, sister dearest
, Mary thought bitterly, I am certainly not having fun. Mary had hidden in a closet in the library, and at the last moment the clergyman's friend—Mr. Thomas Manning—had joined her and swung the door shut.

There was no way to open the door from inside the closet.

Mr. Manning tutted. "I certainly am a gentleman. How could I be friends with a clergyman if I weren't?"

Mary glared at him.

"Listen here, Miss Mary Bennett!" He stopped abruptly, turning away from her to take a few deep breaths. Finally, he spoke again, "I had no idea that the door would latch behind me. I am very sorry."

Mary sighed. "I suppose it isn't your fault, but I hope there are no rumors regarding my virtue!"

"Honestly, no one is his right mind would try to rob you of your virtue. A life shackled to you would vastly outweigh a few moments of pleasure!" He told her bluntly.

Mary sunk to the floor, sitting with her knees and elbows in front of her chest, silently fuming at the man in front of her.

Mr. Manning rolled his eyes. "For goodness sake! Don't be that way, you insipid little girl!" He pounded on the door, hoping to pop open the latch.

"I would rather be an old maid than be forced to marry you!" Mary spat, choking back tears.

"And you shall be an old maid, of that I have no doubts," he commented back to her. "I can imagine no one less desirable than you, at this very moment."

"Really?" Mary shrieked, "because I think you are far less desirable to me than I am to you! You have insulted me in every possible manner, and I am going to insist you are removed from the house immediately!"

"Mary, you're being absurd. Haven't you ever heard of a man talking badly about something he wants so that no one else will get ideas about claiming the desired object?"

"There's no one else here, Sir! So I am not going to put stock in your flattery and fancy words. They mean nothing to me!"

"Smart girl," the older man commented snidely. "Perhaps being married to you wouldn't be so terrible. There have been marriages built on far worse than banter and mutual intelligence."

"Are you being facetious?" Mary demanded. "If you are, it's not amusing in the slightest!"

"I'm not making a joke of it, Miss Mary."

"Fine, then. Since I am unlikely to ever get another offer of marriage…. I shall relish the opportunity to reject you soundly."

Mr. Manning chuckled. "We are both here for another fornight, Miss, and I shall be eager to convert you to my way of thinking and thus win you as my bride."