More romantic silliness.

Mary has always been my favourite P&P character and I always wished she was developed more as a character and allowed to have a happy ending, so I'm working toward that for her, never fear. I like her too much to leave her in the clutches of the horrible Mrs Bennet for too much longer.

Enjoy.


Some two days later a letter was received by Mr Bennet from Mr Bingley, inviting the family to dinner that Thursday, along with several other families, to celebrate the shooting season. The letter also extended an invitation to Mr Bennet and Vince to join the shooting party the following day. Mr Bennet scoffed at the idea of shooting, his hands were not as steady as they once were, he claimed, but Mrs Bennet seized upon the letter and began at once to pester her son.

"But I cannot see what would be gained by my going!"

"How can you not see?" his mother cried in reply. "For your sister, for your family, you should go, Vince. Nay, you must."

"But I do wish to shoot. I do know know how and I would rather not learn." Vince knew his expression was petulant but he could not shake it. He had no desire to wander about a field while other men shot at the sky. The possibility of their missing and hitting him instead was terrifying. Imagine what his hair would resemble if such a tragedy were to occur!

"You are a grown man now, Vince," his mother argued on. "I think perhaps I have indulged you too greatly. You should know how to shoot, Vince, it is only proper. Your wife will expect it of you!"

At that Vince threw his arms above his head in disgust and stormed from the room. He made his predictable way out to the elm trees but there was no solitude to be found, for Mary followed soon after, bringing with her a small bag of sugared almonds which she knew would soothe her brother's temper.

"You do not wish to go shooting?"

"There is nothing about shooting which I like. I detest it."

"Mr Darcy will be there," she said, looking at him from the corner of her eye and smiling.

"All the more reason for me not to go," Vince retorted. "I cannot do it, Mary. I cannot live with all this too-ing and fro-ing of my emotions. I cannot be in his company, I have tried. It is too painful and I am quite fed up with my stomach threatening to bring up my lunch whenever Howard comes near me."

Mary nodded thoughtfully.

"And you told him such, did you not?"

"I did," Vince answered carefully, for he had told his sisters only the most basic facts about his visit to Pemberley.

"Do you not think it strange then," Mary continued softly, "that he has chosen to reacquaint himself with you? That he came back with Mr Bingley to the neighbourhood? That he could not look at you without blushing?"

Vince let out a harsh sigh.

"He does have feelings for me, I am sure. But I cannot see a way that we can do anything about them. I cannot excuse him saying our love was a degradation, calling me sinful and all sorts of horrible things. It was not pleasant."

"I can see it would not be, but I think that Mr Darcy's greatest failing is a general inability to give a good impression."

"Sorry?"

"Perhaps he is more like a good gouda cheese, and one must get used to him before one can find enjoyment."

Mary was attempting to look serious but Vince could see the smile in her eyes and the ludicrous truth of her statement caused him to laugh with more abandon than he had done for a very long time.

When they had both recovered themselves, sitting lazily in the grass and watching the leaves move on the trees, Mary began again on her original line of questioning.

"So, will you go shooting at the end of the week, then?"

Vince merely groaned in response but Mary was not to be put off.

"I think you must, Vince. You need to actually talk to Mr Darcy, plainly and openly. It does you both a disservice to second guess one another and misunderstand each other's intentions. If you go out to the shooting you can speak in the open air, and perhaps find time to be alone together."

Vince nodded again and smiled at his sister.

"You are right, I suppose, Mary. But to be alone with Howard..."

"Yes," she said wryly. "Do try and talk to the man, Vince. Mother shall think it a very odd thing indeed if you return from a day out in the fields with the skin of your face rubbed pink. She shall not believe any stories about you shaving a second time."

Vince poked his tongue out at his sister, hating his pale skin which showed his blush so plainly.

"Why does no one in this family believe that I shave?"

Mary only chuckled and gave Vince the last sugared almond.

Well, Vince thought. I suppose I am to go shooting after all. It may be bearable, as long as my hair is not made to suffer.