Well, here's another chapter. I like this one better than the other 2. It's more interesting in my opinion. It's probably the last chapter I'll post for the next 2 weeks. I probably won't post anymore this week, and next week I'm going on vacation. But, if I get enough interest to post the next chapter I will TRY to before I leave on Saturday. No quotes in this one…will, one sorta, but not really. Hope you enjoy
Mary's skills of inobservance were not enough for her to retain her lack of knowledge of the topic that was joyously discussed. Indeed, Mr. Bingley was all she heard about from the rest of the female population of her household. She had finally discovered Mr. Bingley was a very rich, young man who had taken Netherfield. If Mary believed in telekinetic powers she would have sent the poor chap a mental message to move out of Netherfield before he met her mother. She knew Mrs. Bennet was likely to parade her daughters in front of the young man until he picked one just to have some peace of mind. Mary wasn't too afraid of this; she would be the last daughter to be thrust before him. The honor of being first would go to Jane, naturally, being the eldest and the prettiest young lady in all Hertfordshire. Though Lydia wasn't out of the question, with her addictive personality and favored position with their mother.
The days wore on, and still Mr. Bingley was all that was discussed. He even paid visit to Mr. Bennet, though none of the girls had the honor of meeting him. Finally, the Meryton Assembly arrived and the house was equivalent to a war zone as the young ladies prepared for it.
"Jane! I'm going to borrow your green dress!"
"Oh-"
"That's not fair, Lydia! I asked her first!"
"Oh please Kitty, you can't even fit in it!"
"Lydia, I didn't say you could borrow my necklace."
"Well you didn't say I couldn't either, Lizzy."
"You didn't even ask!"
"Kitty, you're in my way! Let me use the mirror."
"I was here first, Lydia! cough"
Mary groaned from her room and laid her head on top of her book. This assembly was twice the headache they normally were thanks to Mr. Bingley.
Mary wasn't planning on getting ready until about an hour before they left, and she still had a good four to go. She figured on tossing on her nicest grey dress and twisting her hair in a simple bun. That was plenty. Even if she dressed in Cinderella's ball gown she figured she wouldn't be asked to dance. That was more than fine with her. Her first experience at an assembly was quite dreadful. She had danced with her father, made so many mistakes, and stepped on so many feet she was the comical relief of the night. It was the only time she ever danced, and the only time she ever would dance.
Mary hadn't even wanted to go out into society that soon. It was allowed, and strongly encouraged by her mother, that all girls could come out when they turned sixteen. Mary preferred to have waited until eighteen, for she knew she wouldn't have been able to go older than that. Her mother did not like this, but her father stated Mary could make her own decision on the matter. This would have worked out well, despite her mother's nagging, if Kitty hadn't turned sixteen the next year. Her mother, with her scheming mind, announced Kitty was not allowed to go out until Mary did. Kitty, of course, never stopped wailing about the injustice of it all. Betwixt the combined nagging efforts of Kitty and Mrs. Bennet, Mary finally gave up and ventured out into society.
This, of course, lead to Lydia's cries of injustice for being the only sister not out. Mrs. Bennet quite agreed with her, but Mr. Bennet would not have a daughter out at fourteen. However, betwixt the combined nagging efforts of Lydia and Mrs. Bennet, Lydia was finally allowed out into society the next year at age fifteen.
Kitty cried out more injustice until Lydia informed her she would make things much more amusing. ("After all, who will you hang about with? Mary? Please!") Kitty quickly got over the injustice of it all. Lizzy thought it quite unfair, after all she had to wait till sixteen, but decided it best to just let it go and move forward with her life. Jane, undoubtedly, thought it best for Lydia to come out. She quite agreed that it was unfair for one sister to watch her four sisters have all the fun. Mary was indifferent to the whole nonsense. Lydia could take her place for all she cared!
And so, Mary found herself sitting, in her grey dress and simple bun, at the assembly, very bored. She wished she had remembered to sneak in a book, but alas, she had waited longer than she expected to get ready and had to scramble to get that done.
Mr. Bingley had arrived and was dancing his second dance with Jane already, to no surprise of Mary. He had brought with him his two sisters, who seemed like perfect little snots to her, and two other men. One was his brother-in-law and the other a young man named Mr. Darcy. Mr. Darcy seemed alright to her, he preferred sitting alone to socializing, which Mary had to admit was what she preferred doing herself. Most people seemed to think he was proud and arrogant, Mary thought perhaps he just didn't enjoy the trivialities of mindless enjoyments such as assemblies. Overall, though, Mary regarded Mr. Darcy with unconcern more than anything. Perhaps because it seemed he noticed Lizzy more than anyone else in the room. But alas, that was typical, no one would notice plain, little Mary Bennet.
"Hello Miss Mary, how are you this evening?"
Mary looked up to see Mr. Richard Singleton. Mr. Singleton was a good-looking young man of four and twenty who worked for her uncle, Mr. Philips. He was an old friend of the family, even before he began working for her uncle.
"I'm doing well, I suppose, Mr. Singleton. How are you doing?"
"Quite well. I must say though, you look rather bored."
Mary smiled.
"You know how I hate these assemblies."
Richard smiled at Mary and sat down next to her. Richard liked all the Bennets, including Mary. He found them to be a very amusing family and spent time in acquaintance with all of them, even Mary. He actually really enjoyed talking to Mary. He found her very interesting. Even though others found her conceited and annoying with her learning habits, he discovered it was more of an outer shell she built up for herself. People regarded Mary as plain and uninteresting and so Mary clung to her achievements to have something her sisters couldn't claim. Mr. Singleton was a very cordial young man, and though at first he thought her moralizing to be dull and pedantic, didn't ignore her or push her away as others did. After giving her a chance and conversing with her he came to discover there was more to her than just her dull intelligence. There was more thought and heart to her than she allowed to reveal to those who just ignored her. And though her bookish ways and moralizing were still a part of her, he found her pursuit of knowledge honorable, and her attachment to simple morals innocent and endearing. After all, many people could use a little reminder of simple virtues now and then.
Mr. Singleton did not even find Mary plain as everyone muttered she was. Sure she may have been awkward when she was younger, but he thought she was growing out of it as the years went by. Many people didn't notice, though, for she didn't spend her time beautifying herself as most young ladies did. Her hair and clothes were simple and she never bothered tweezing her eyebrows or wearing powder. She also regularly hid behind her reading glasses, though she had taken them off tonight. She didn't have the ideal, classical looks like her sister Jane but Mr. Singleton actually found the perfect, idealistic looks of Jane to be boring. He thought Mary had an interesting, unique beauty to her that most people didn't notice. But enchanting mysteries can be discovered by those who take the effort to open their eyes.
These, of course, were all thoughts Mr. Singleton kept to himself, for it had only been the past year he started asking himself what they meant. No one thought anything of Richard's acquaintance with Mary, for they all knew Richard to be a nice young man who befriended all. Most of her family thought that he was likely to have his eye on Kitty or Lydia for he danced with them often at assemblies and they liked to flirt with him.
"Well perhaps I can make this assembly a little less boring if you would share the next dance with me." Richard said, a slight blush spread across his cheeks.
"Oh, thank you Mr. Singleton, but you know how I feel about dancing." Mary said politely.
Richard feigned a depressed sigh.
"Miss Mary, when will you cut a man some slack?" Mr. Richard said in mock disappointment. "I'm sure I've asked you about every assembly for a dance, and you've never once thrown me a bone. I supposed you find me repulsive."
Mary laughed at his antics.
"Perhaps I do," Mary joked. "But you know how I embarrassed myself at my first assembly. I'd rather history did not repeat itself."
"I could teach you if you want."
"All the more reason for others to laugh."
"Alright, you win...any interesting books you've read lately?"
Richard chuckled as Mary's eyes lit up.
"Why yes! I've just finished reading-"
"Oh Richard!" Mary was cut off as Lydia's voice rang through the air. The pair looked up to see Kitty and Lydia approaching.
"Richard, how are you?" Lydia asked flirtatiously. Kitty giggled.
"I'm doing well, how are you ladies doing?"
"Wonderful, now that you're here," said Lydia.
"Well." Kitty answered, giggling.
"You must dance, Richard. You don't have to sit here, listening to Mary," said Lydia. "No need to be polite to her, have some fun after all."
Mary scowled and Richard frowned.
"It's alright, she was just telling me about a most interesting book." He said, smiling at Mary.
"Oh pooh! Don't be silly! Come on." Lydia said, grabbing Richard by the arm to pull him to the dance floor.
"I-" Richard said, throwing Mary a look. He was in quite a predicament. He wanted to stay and talk with Mary, but he didn't want to be rude to Lydia either, even though she was being rude. Mary gave him a reassuring smile.
"Just go." She muttered to him. "Or I'll never hear the end of it tomorrow."
Richard chuckled a little but followed Lydia and Kitty reluctantly. Mary sighed a little, but brushed it off. It was typical for others to prefer the company of her sisters anyway.
The evening continued on, and Mary sat in boredom and silence, watching her sisters enjoy themselves with the various amusements of the assembly. Mr. Singleton was standing a little ways off, conversing with his friend and colleague, Mr. Jenson, a young man the same age as Richard. They happened to be standing next to two of the visitors that had provoked much interest, a Miss Bingley and a Mr. Darcy.
Caroline Bingley leaned over to Mr. Darcy.
"I wouldn't be surprised if there is not one accomplished young lady at this entire assembly." She said haughtily.
Richard, overhearing, could help but enter into their conversation.
"Don't be quick to speak; over there is Miss Mary Bennet. She is the most accomplished girl in the neighborhood. (1)" he said fondly, gazing at Mary seated not too far away. "She plays the piano and studies and reads many subjects."
Mary, overhearing, shot him a grateful smile. A small smile crept across Richard's lips.
Miss Bingley looked scandalized at the interference in her conversation. Not noticing, Mr. Jenson, wanting to join in the conversation with the young lady, leaned over to Miss Bingley.
"If you ask me she has much to be improved. I mean, she plays well but is rather dull to listen to. And though she is well studied her intelligence isn't much of her own, it doesn't lie much outside the knowledge of what she reads. She's also quite conceited about all her accomplishments, which takes away from her performance."
Luckily for Mary, she was too busy staring blankly into the crowd to hear this, pondering a philosophical theory she had read that day. Luckily for Mr. Jenson, Richard was too busy staring stupidly at Mary to hear this, pondering something that had nothing to with philosophy.
Miss Bingley smirked at Mary.
"And pray tell are there any pretty accomplished girls in the neighborhood?"
Mr. Jenson, quite pleased with having a conversation with a rich, attractive young lady such as Caroline went on to say:
"Well over there is Miss Elizabeth, her sister. She's quite smart and reads often as well, though not as much as her sister. And she's plays a little piano. She's pleasing enough to listen to."
Mr. Darcy looked over at Elizabeth and his eyes stayed there. Miss Bingley huffed and grabbed him by the cuff of his sleeve.
"Mr. Darcy you have yet to dance with, perhaps we should."
Mr. Darcy and Miss Bingley left, leaving a disappointed Mr. Jenson and an unaware Richard behind.
"What happened?" Richard said, coming to.
Mr. Jenson looked at his friend piteously.
"You're pathetic."
I'll explain why Lydia calls him by his first name later, but kudos to anyone if they recognize him.
Even though I love love/hate relationships, this won't be one. I do have a love/hate fic in my head for Mary, but I don't know if or when I'll ever write it. This one was pleading more to be written.
1. Mary overhears herself being called "the most accomplished girl in the neighborhood" to Caroline on page 14 of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I decided to make Richard the one to call her that.