On the next morning the guests at Longbourne as well as the gentlefolk that resided there came down to a fine break-fast of tea and various dishes of a tomatoe nature laid out by Mr. Collins. It was during this splendid breakfast that all of the previous evening's festivities began to once more enter their thoughts. It was Mrs. Bennet who, perhaps because of the sudden detonation of her husband's cufflinks the night earlier, brought their break-fast conversation to the upcoming competition for Mr. Darcy.
"I wish to grant all of you fine young women the best of fortune," Mrs. Bennet said, "but, I beg your pardon, Miss Bingley, I hope to see you dispatched before any one of my daughters, for you see, we are attached by our blood, and as the ancient saying goes..."
To which Miss Bingley replied, "Oh, Mrs. Bennet, it is quite acceptable to support your own children, and I agree with you wholeheartedly on such a delicate matter."
"I thank you for your understanding and kindness, Miss Bingley, and to that end I wish you the most happy death a young woman such as yourself could have. A quick, painless dispatch without any improper or disagreeable strings attached."
"But would that not mean," Mr. Bingley questioned, "That I would have to detonate alongside my dear sister Miss Bingley's dispatch and at a much sooner date than expected, I presume?"
Mr. Collins, who seemed to be in a rather cross humor on this morning, answered sharply, "Yes, Mr. Bingley, it would be so. And I wish that all of my guests would remain silent at the moment, for I will be announcing further rules and regulations at present." To which he stood from his chair at the dining table and began his allocution.
"The competition shall begin promptly at 9 o'clock this morning, on the croquet pitch. The actual game shall begin a quarter of an hour after the hour of 9, and in that time between the congregation and the true start of the game at a quarter past, the competitors will attempt to conceal themselves wherever they wish on the estate and begin the courtship of Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy. Mrs. Bennet and Mr. Bingley both shall sit with me on the terrace and observe the events as they take place."
The time at that moment was precisely three quarters past eight, and Mary quickly addressed the entire party. "Do you think there will be enough time until the start of the match to play a swift game of backgammon?"
Mr. Collins gave a long sigh and replied, "Miss Bennet, you are about to embark on a game of the most serious nature in your life, and yet you still insist on playing another game of a frivolous nature such as backgammon?" Mr. Collins then inspected the diningroom clock once more. "Fine. I agree to your final request, Miss Bennet. We shall all now play one last game of backgammon before the real competition starts."
After a rapid yet excitable game of backgammon, which many of the party agreed could most likely be their last, Mr. Collins led his guests out to the croquet pitch, where two members of the Longbournehelp heldin their handsthe tray on which all of Miss Bingley and the Bennet sisters' weapons were laid out on the handsome dark velvet bed. Each one of the six young women recieved from these trays a pistol and a rapier each, and once the distribution was completed Mr. Collins continued with his explanation of the upcoming competition.
"All of you young ladies have recieved weapons from me myself, but your arsenal is not limited to what I have given you. You shall need all of your wits, skills, and attractive and winning natures to overcome your rivals and recieveMr. Darcy's affections." After he saw to it that the young ladies were well equipped with weapons and his information, he continued, this time speaking solely to Mr. Darcy. "Dear Mr. Darcy, you must take a long, circuitous walk along the Longbourne Estate, so that each young lady may attempt to attract your attention."
Mr. Collins, after the entire party was well informed of his game's final regulations, pulled a pistol from his own pocket, and held it up over his head. "Miss Bingley and the Miss Bennets, you all have three days to find a winner to this challenge. If more than one young lady is alive after three days, everyone shall detonate as I have already explained yesterday. I wish you all the best of luck." After his small oration, he fired a shot into the air above his head, and the five young ladies jogged quickly over the hedges and topiaries to various and sundry parts of the estate. As soon as he saw that they all had disappeared behind the hedges and beyond the croquet pitch, he guided the remaining members of his party back to the terrace and sat them comfortably in latticed patio chairs.
Mrs. Bennet looked out at all of the estate she could see while sitting at the terrace, and spoke to Mr. Bingley. "I do hope one of my girls come out with Mr. Darcy at the end of this," she said. "But---I am sorry to admit this rather rude statement to you Mr. Bingley--- I do hope that you yourself shall explode before I do."
"Oh, it would be quite all right to explode before you do, Mrs. Bennet," Mr. Bingley replied, but he secretly wondered how and why Mrs. Bennet had grown so cold with him so rather quickly.