Thanks for staying around for this long. ^^ Enjoy

To My Reviewers:

Lila-Veronica: Thanks for reviewing. I recently did the Pride and Prejudice play and I played Mary. I felt that Mary had feelings for Mr. Collins as soon as i read the script. I never read the book, never seen the movie.

Chapter Three

The hours of the afternoon and the early hour of the evening were spent in the library. Mary was reading from several history books and it wasn't until she was subtly chased out of the library at closing time, she realized how late it was. It was near sunset and Mary doubt that she would get home before the sun finally set.

Mary still had to get home in time. She went into a general store nearby and bought a lantern to guide her way home. It was there that she saw someone of interest.

"Oh, Charlotte, how nice to see you," Mary said, politely as she noticed the very plain older woman in the store.

Charlotte turned to her and smiled, "Oh, hello, Mary. How have you been?"

"Fair," Mary replied as she went to light the lantern.

"Mr. Collins has called upon us earlier. He is quite an interesting individual, do you not think so?" Charlotte asked as she paid for a candlestick.

"Quite," Mary said, shortly. She didn't like talking with Charlotte. The two weren't good friends. They were barely acquaintances. The reason that Mary didn't pretend to not see Charlotte was the fact that she was friends with Elizabeth.

"I will see you some other time, Mary," Charlotte said after a pause. She then left the store and got into her carriage. Mary sighed as she left the store as well and walked down the road to her home.

The moon was in the sky and the sounds of the nightlife filled the air as Mary walked her way home. She was tempted just to collapse to the ground, but she couldn't. She would not sink so low as to pass out on a dirt road like some harlot.

Luckily, she finally made her way home before that ever became a real issue.

She opened the door to her house and walked inside. It was well after nine o'clock. Her legs were hurting. She was cold. She was tired. She felt like she was going to collapse. She quickly defused the light in the lantern before setting it on the table in the hallway. She then started to the stairway.

It was then that she heard some giggling.

Kitty was at the top of the stairway in her nightgown. She looked down at Mary and said, giggling, "Naughty Mary is late. You're going to be in trouble." Mary hissed, "If you do not tell anyone, I won't be in trouble." Kitty giggled as she went downstairs, "I'm going to tell Papa."

Fear raged through Mary at that one sentence.

"No, you will not," Mary said as she grabbed her sister's arm, "What…what do you want? An outing with Wickham? I'll talk to him." Kitty snickered as she pulled her arm away and went in the direction of the library. Mary went to chase her, but she was too tired. Her ankle hurt too much.

Kitty made her way into the library and there was hushed conversation in the library. Mary was tempted to run as fast as she could and get out of the house, but she couldn't. She had nowhere to go.

Kitty's giggle became louder as she made her way out of the library and went upstairs.

Mary sat down in an armchair, awaiting the inevitable.

"Ah, Mary…" Mr. Bennet said as he walked into the room from the library. His vest was wrinkled and his eyes were tired. He sported a glass of brandy in his right hand and a book in the left hand. He sat down in the other armchair and set the brandy down on the end table.

"Where were you?" He asked, pleasantly.

"The library, Papa," Mary said, simply.

"Oh, the library…What is wrong with the one here?" Mr. Bennet asked as he opened his book and looked down at the pages.

"Nothing, Papa, it is just that the library has gotten a new book. I wanted to read it. I didn't mean to spend so much time there," Mary said, explaining herself. She started to stand up, wondering if he was done.

"Sit down," Mr. Bennet said, not looking away from his book.

Mary sat back down, instantly, and looked at her father.

There was a silence through the room. The only sound was of Mr. Bennet as he turned the page.

"If we had another carriage, then I would have gotten home in time for dinner," Mary said, wondering if the situation would help her.

Mr. Bennet looked up at her and smiled, "You…You are just like your mother…" He stood up and walked over to Mary, "All you do is…complain…" He grabbed her by her throat and as Mary started to squirm, he punched her, "And moan…" He let go of her throat before he punched her again. "And whine." He delivered the final punch to her arm.

Mary kept in her cries, not wanting to satisfy her father by letting him hear her cry in pain.

"Now, get up to bed," Mr. Bennet said as he stroked his daughter's hair. He then kissed her forehead.

"Yes, Papa," Mary said as she went up to the stairs.

Mr. Bennet watched her leave. He smiled and sat down at his armchair and drunk his brandy.

Mary went up to her room and instantly pulled off her dress. Underneath the layers of clothing were numerous brusies. There were also scars covering her back and legs.

They littered on her body like leaves on the ground. She got her nightgown on and pulled the pins out of her hair to let her hair fall down. The tips tickled her shoulders slightly.

Mary fell down on her bed and stared at the ceiling. She started to close her eyes and she fell asleep.

The next morning , Mary walked down to the dining room for breakfast. "Oh, Mary, what happened to your face?" Jane asked, concerned.

There was a giant bruise on her cheek that resembled a circle was what Mr. Collins had noticed.

Mr. Bennet looked up from his breakfast. He glanced at her, "Oh, yes, Mary, what did happen?"

"I tripped," Mary said, without emotion. She sat down at the table, next to Mr. Collins and Jane. As far away from her father as possible.

Mrs. Bennet asked, "So, Mr. Collins, what are you doing today?"

Mr. Collins looked up to her and said, "I am calling on the Sir Lucas and then I am preparing a sermon."

The smiling woman turned to her middle daughter and asked, "Perhaps you should ask Mary to help. She is oh so knowledgable."

Elizabeth looked up from her breakfast and commented, "Perhaps you should ask Mary before you make plans for her."

Mary glanced at her sister and said, "I don't mind if Mr. Collins wants my help."

Mr. Collins looked at Mary and said, "I wouldn't mind the help."

Mary smiled, wondering why she was happy. If she helped Mr. Collins, she would lose precious reading time.

Mr. Bennet lost his smile for a moment as he looked at his daughter and then at Mr. Collins.

Half an hour later, Mary left the breakfast table to the library. She sat down in an armchair and started reading. It was a book about the beginning of Europe, yet Mary wasn't interested in it a bit.

She had read the same paragraph five times, but she still had no idea what it said. She was distracted by something.

It was then, at precisely noon, that Mrs. Bennet rushed into the library, "Mary, Mary, dear."

Mary groaned as she looked up at her mother, "Yes, Mama?"

Mrs. Bennet squealed, happily, "Mr. Collins has just returned. He says that there is to be a ball at Sir Lady Lucas' estate. We are invited and so is Mr. Collins. It is to be tomorrow."

Mary blinked, "Am I supposed to feel happy? I don't. I feel irritated."

Mrs. Bennet rolled her eyes, "Mary, do not be so anti-social. It's not pleasing." She played with Mary's hair as she went on.

"You will look dazzling at the ball and Mr. Collins will have no choice but to marry you."

Mary sighed, "Mama, I do not think he is interested in me. I saw him looking at Kitty earlier."

Mrs. Bennet smiled, "Do not be ridiculous. Of course he is interested in you. He is right outside the door, waiting for you to help him."

Mary put her book up, "Alright, Mama. I will go amuse him."

Mrs. Bennet was pleased. She left the library and went to her room.

Mary followed after her and found Mr. Collins right at the door. He nearly knocked into her, "Oh, I'm sorry, Miss Mary."

Mary blushed softly, "It's okay. So, how may I help you with your sermon?"

Mr. Collins smirked, "I'm afraid that I told a little white lie to your dear mother. I was actually going to lounge in the garden."

Mary felt her stomach drop, "Oh…Well, I bet that you can do that on your own."

He chuckled, "Well, I want you to lounge with me, please."

Mary felt a smile creep on her face, "Oh. Well, I did not agree to do that."

Mr. Collins stepped closer to her, "You aren't being coy with me, are you Miss Mary?"

The eighteen year old girl said, softly, "Well, that depends on your interpretation, Mr. Collins." She offered him her hand.

Mr. Collins set his hand on top of hers and led her out into the garden.

Thanks for reading. ^^