A/N: Alright, here's the next chappy! I don't mind this one so much, but I've "pre-written" the next 3 chaps and I'm not sure I like them. Oh well...BTW, it's hard to figure out the exact sequence of events so I found a random P&P calendar at a random website jimandellen(dot)org(slash)austen(slash)p&p(dot)calendar(dot)html. So I must credit them. Also, if my sequence of events is not correct, blame them. It might not be an accurate calendar, but it's the best one, and most detailed I could find. If anyone knows a better calendar or timeline I am open to recommendations.
I FINALLY saw the '95 p&p and I was amused to see that Lydia pushes past Mary at the Netherfield ball, just like she did in the last chapter of this fic. LOL. Also, I noticed Mary talking to some dude at the Ball, I think she was showing him her music book. When I saw that I was like "RICHARD!!" haha...but then I was like "No, that's not how I picture Richard at all" lol. Seriously, who was that guy supposed to be?
Actually, I'm curious. How do you, my dear readers, picture Richard? I want to know. I won't tell you how I picture him, until maybe next chapter, because I'd like to see your unadulterated idea of what he looks like. I think the only thing I said so far to describe him is "good-looking".
Also, I wanted to say thanks to Raven .E for reviewing, since she (he?) is anonymous and didn't have an email address. Also, I think at some point in the story Mary and her father might come to an understanding...I don't know. And thanks again to all who have reviewed, favorited, or alerted this.
Mary was very tired the next day and didn't wake up until well after breakfast. After readying herself she dragged herself downstairs, not looking forward to the day's events after a disappointing previous evening. Upon entering the downstairs hall she came across Kitty and Lydia, who were giggling outside the sitting room door. It appeared they were listening in on a conversation, and from the voices she heard it was between her mother and Mr. Collins.
"What are you two doing?" she exclaimed.
Lydia shushed her.
"Eavesdropping lacks immensely of virtue. One must keep to one's own business and not interest themselves in the business of others." Mary chided.
"Oh please, Mary!" Lydia said. "How dull can you be?"
"We cannot help it, Mary!" Kitty giggled. "This is just too entertaining. Mr. Collins has proposed to Lizzy!"
Mary felt her heart crash into her stomach as the color drained from her face.
"P-proposed?" She barely forced out.
"Yes!" Lydia exclaimed, and then snorted. "But the best part is she, unsurprisingly, won't have him!"
Mary felt a slight inclination of relief, but was still very upset at Mr. Collins preference for Lizzy and felt quite sorry for the said gentleman.
"Honestly, though," Lydia said. "What pathetic creature WOULD take Mr. Collins? She'd have to be very ugly. And desperate."
Mary's insides churned and her face grew hot. Just then, Mrs. Bennet stormed out of the sitting room. She did not even pause as she chided Mary for listening at doors and being a poor influence to her younger sisters. Kitty and Lydia, snorting, followed their mother to hear what she would discuss with their father. Mary barely heeded the three of them and purposefully walked into the room that still contained the distraught Mr. Collins. He was standing by the window, staring out it lost in thought. Mary tried to catch his eye with long gaze but that went unnoticed.
"M-Mr. Collins, are you alright?" She asked. Mr. Collins didn't answer her. Mary sat down and continued shooting him apologetic glances. Finally, she stood up and went over to him.
"Mr. Collins, I'm terribly sorry about what had happened," She started. "M-my sister didn't know what she was doing turning you down-"
Mr. Collins finally acknowledged her with an irritated look.
"Pardon me," he said, and walked past her. Mary gave him one last look of distraught.
Mary spent her day in her room, avoiding the flutter of activity that took place in the house. She hadn't eaten breakfast and skipped lunch, which was alright with her for she couldn't eat a bite anyway. The book she had been staring at for several hours had many tear stains on the unturned pages. She should have known all along, someone as wonderful as Mr. Collins would never have gone for a pathetic thing like her. Why did she even bother hoping in the first place?
It was about an hour or two before dinner when her mother abruptly barged into her room.
"Sit up Mary! I have something important to discuss with you about!" Mrs. Bennet ordered.
Mary unwillingly forced herself into a slumped sitting position and stared at the floor.
"Your sister Lizzy has very foolishly rejected Mr. Collins' proposal to the inconsideration of my poor nerves." Mrs. Bennet ranted as she paced the room. "She is a most foolish child and I am ashamed she has little regard for her dear, loving mother."
Mary sighed as her eyes stayed connected with the floor. Why must her mother discuss this of all subjects with her? She barely bothered to discuss anything with Mary otherwise.
"Now Mary, I have no idea if he'll have you, but if by some miracle he will you must understand that you are not to reject Mr. Collins!"
"R-reject Mr. Collins?" Mary asked, finally lifting her head up.
"I shall discuss with him about the possibility of taking you instead. I want to make it absolutely clear, if want you to behave like a grateful daughter you MUST accept a proposal from Mr. Collins if he were to request it."
Mary's heart thumped in her chest. Her mother was planning on convincing Mr. Collins to take her instead! Well, this was too good to be true! It wasn't definite but maybe Mr. Collins would notice Mary if the thought were presented to him.
"I-I suppose I can be prevailed to accept him." Mary rambled breathlessly, hoping not to sound too desperate. "For I do find his abilities to be quite high, w-what I mean to say is I'm often struck by the solidity of his reflections. Of course he is by no means clever as myself, but I suppose if he were to read and improve himself by my example he could prove to be a...a very agreeable companion."
She was answered with an odd look from her mother who wanted nothing more than a simple yes.
"Very good, my dear girl! Very good indeed!" She exclaimed. "I don't see how Mr. Bennet thinks that foolish Lizzy is the intelligent one. I have always told that man that you were the clever daughter."
Mary doubted this but at the moment it was no concern to her.
"Well then, I shall go and discuss with Mr. Collins this new development." Mrs. Bennet said, heading to the door. Upon her leaving she ordered "Do something with that hair, and powder your face so you don't look so sallow."
Mary spent a long time fidgeting with her hair, fussing over her appearance, and demolishing her closet for a decent dress. It was no use, however. She was never one who had remarkable genius in regards to appearance. She eventually gave up and took up the occupation of pacing the room and biting her fingernails, an activity that would have mortified her mother had she been witness. Finally, her mother returned and to Mary's happy amazement she bore good news.
"Well Mary," Mrs. Bennet said upon entering the room. "It is not as I hoped. I talked to him for a good hour, and he has not agreed to marry you."
Mary's face fell and a sharp pain stabbed at her chest.
"However, he has said 'it would be something to take into consideration'."
Mary smiled. It wasn't completely hopeless after all!
"Now, you must try harder to win Mr. Collins over." Mrs. Bennet said, scrutinizing her third daughter. "I thought I told you to fix that hair of yours! Perhaps if you tried to put some effort into your looks Mr. Collins would have agreed much more eagerly!"
Mary tried not to let her mother's words bother her and as Mrs. Bennet left the room she couldn't help but smile as she sat on her bed. Perhaps it wasn't exactly what she wanted to hear, but he did say he would consider her, and she hoped he would soon realize he loved her and wanted to marry her. The more Mary thought about it the happier she became and the more convinced she was that he would propose.
After all, no young man had ever, to her knowledge, even considered her before and now the very young man she placed all her hopes and dreams in was the very young man to finally consider. It was too good to be true; fate had finally smiled upon her. Mr. Collins must surely be the match for her!
Mary quickly found her appetite and was willing to join the family for supper. Though Mr. Collins hadn't graced them with his presence she couldn't find herself too disappointed. Why, they would be spending many dinners together in the very near future, she was sure of it. And she wasn't too distraught when he hadn't appeared at breakfast the next morning. Actually, she was quite relieved. Though she desired to hear the most beautiful question in the world pass from his lips to her ears, the thought also put her in a bit of turmoil. What if he were to ask today? Was she ready for this? What exactly was she supposed to do and how is she supposed to behave in a relationship with a young man? It was all so new and overwhelming.
"Mary?"
"What!" Mary exclaimed, looking up from her plate terrified and into the faces of her confused family.
"I asked if you wanted to go with us to Meryton today." Jane said, giving her a warm smile.
Mary shot a look up the stairs and hastily exclaimed:
"Yes!"
Her family gave her odd looks; Kitty and Lydia snorted and whispered to each other.
"Yes, I might like a new book or something..." Mary continued, trying to control the nerves that she inherited from her mother. Hopefully a trip to Meryton would take her out of Mr. Collins' presence so she could have the opportunity of sorting her thoughts.
The five girls set off for Meryton and along the way came across that dreadful Mr. Wickham. They stopped and chatted with him and a few officers while Mary stood around desperately bored. Her boredom was quickly relieved, however, for she spotted Mr. Singleton nearby walking toward the bookstore. She quickly rushed over to him. Did she have the most happy news to tell him!
"Mr. Singleton!" she called. Mr. Singleton looked over and smiled at Mary's cheery face.
"Hello Miss Mary! You seem quite happy this morning."
"Oh Mr. Singleton, it's absolutely wonderful! I have the best news in the entire world!"
Mr. Singleton chuckled.
"Well, don't keep a man waiting, Miss Mary."
Mary laughed.
"Miss Mary, ha! You shall soon not call me Miss Mary anymore. Oh no, you will soon have to call me by the most wonderful name in the entire world: Mrs. Collins!"
"M-Mrs. Collins?" Mr. Singleton forced out, color draining from his face.
"Yes! Isn't it absolutely wonderful?" Mary said. "Who would have thought, me, Mary Bennet, the so-called plain Bennet, married before any of my sisters?"
"It wasn't such a farfetched thought in my mind." Richard muttered.
"It was the most dreadful thing yesterday morning. Mr. Collins had proposed to that...that Lizzy! Fortunately, however, that idiot had the intelligence to turn him down. Poor Mr. Collins, he was so distraught! But my mother surprised me with having the brillant notion of Mr. Collins marrying myself. So she discussed with him this possibility and, oh I can hardly believe it!, he said 'it would be something to take into consideration'."
Richard was surprised to hear it wasn't a definite engagement and a little bit of color returned to his face.
"Consideration, Mr. Singleton! Isn't it wonderful? He must be the perfect match for me! Name one other man who had ever thought of considering me, I dare you!"
Mr. Singleton looked very much as if he wanted to say something, but kept silent.
"But, oh dear, Mr. Singleton...what am I to do?" Mary said, flustered. "I do want to marry him, but it is so overwhelming! I don't know what to do. I've never been married before!"
"I should hope not." Mr. Singleton forced a joke.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Singleton. I know I sound idiotic, like Kitty or Lydia, but I'm so excited and yet so mortified at the same time! Oh my poor nerves! I don't know what to think!"
Mary gasped and threw her hands over her mouth.
"Mr. Singleton, what did I just say?" she asked with a horrified expression on her face.
"'I don't know what to think'?" Mr. Singleton offered.
"No, before that."
"'I'm so excited and yet so mortified at the same time?"
"No, after that! Did I just say 'Oh my poor nerves!'?"
Mr. Singleton looked thoughtful.
"Yes…yes, you did."
Mary let out a sob.
"Oh no! I'm turning into my mother!" Mary exclaimed.
Mr. Singleton chuckled.
"I will force myself to eat soap whenever I say that! I refuse to turn into my mother!" she said.
Richard continued laughing. Mary smiled.
"But let's not think on such dreary thoughts when such a happy occasion may soon be among us! I shall focus my mind on my union with Mr. Collins."
Richard stopped laughing and frowned.
"Mary!"
Mary turned around to see her sisters looking at her from some ways off.
"Just because poor Richard is the only one who will listen to you doesn't mean you have to preach at him every time you see him." Lydia shouted to her. "We're leaving, come on!"
Mary rolled her eyes and turned back to Richard.
"I'm sorry to be so short, Mr. Singleton, but it appears I must bow to her highness' whims."
Richard forced a smile.
"That's alright, I-I have some business to take care of anyway."
"Oh! Well I suppose I should let you return to that." Mary said. "Goodbye Mr. Singleton!"
With a wave of her hand Mary dashed off to join her sisters. Richard stared after her.
"Goodbye, Mary." Richard said quietly, though she was too far by now to hear. He stood there watching her until she walked out of sight. Finally, he gave a sigh and hurried off.
That dreadful Mr. Wickham accompanied them to their aunt and uncle's house but Mary didn't let this bother her. She occupied her thoughts with her beloved Mr. Collins, barely hearing the comment from her aunt that she could use a little more sun. They finally returned home before lunch and upon their arrival saw Mr. Collins quitting the house.
"Hello there Mr. Collins!" Mary greeted. Mr. Collins gave her a startled look.
"Oh, hello there, fair cousins." he said greeting the five sisters. Kitty and Lydia paid no attention, and walked into the house. Jane gave him a polite smile, Lizzy a forced one, and the two followed their younger sisters.
"Are you off somewhere?" Mary asked him, a little disappointed.
"Yes...no! I mean, yes, I just have something I need to do in town..." he said, his eyes darting around.
"Oh, well I'm sorry we didn't wait for you, I suppose you could have gone with us." Mary said.
"No, no! Quite alright! Quite alright!" Mr. Collins said nervously. "Well, I must be off."
And with that Mr. Collins headed off, leaving Mary staring after him in confusion. A smile slowly crept across her cheeks however. Perhaps all this secrecy had something to do with his proposal to her. An engagement gift, perhaps? Or a wedding ring? The happy fantasies flooded Mary's mind as she spent the next few hours in a fog.
The next day the Bennets dined with the Lucas's. Mary was hoping to sit next to Mr. Collins during supper, but he somehow ended up between Charlotte and one of the Lucas boys. Mary stared jealously at Charlotte as she had the lucky opportunity to converse with Mr. Collins all evening. Mary herself was stuck with Maria Lucas for a conversation partner. Mary barely listened to her, but thought she might have heard the words "Mister" and "Jenson" used more than once.
Mary found the lack of opportunity to converse with Mr. Collins a regular occurrence. He had disappeared once more the next morning, and the rest of the day he seemed very distracted whenever she tried to say something to him or whenever her mother tried to push her in his face. That evening he was to say his farewells, for he would leave early the next morning. Mary was beginning to feel very frustrated. When would she be able to converse with the man she was to marry? However, to Mary's happy amazement, he announced he was planning on returning soon. Mrs. Bennet voiced Mary's thoughts as the women walked upstairs to bed.
"Fancy his soon return! Why Mary, I cannot help but believe he will come back to propose to you!" She said turning to Mary. Mary forced herself not to smile too much. Mrs. Bennet went on to say, "And if not, he's bound to have found satisfaction with Kitty or Lydia."
Mary found it much easier not smile after this statement. However, she didn't let it bother her as she went to bed. He just had to be coming back to propose to her! After all, he did say he would consider her and why else would he be coming back? For Kitty or Lydia? Please, they were not his type at all! She was sure he found himself annoyed in the presence of those two. Her dream was coming true, and nobody could take it from her!
Yes, I know Mary is pretty stupid but she's blinded by love. Oh well, there you have it. I don't have much else to say, so here's the quote:
Quotes take from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen:
"I-I suppose I can be prevailed to accept him." Mary rambled breathlessly, hoping not to sound too desperate. "For I do find his abilities to be quite high, w-what I mean to say is I'm often struck by the solidity of his reflections. Of course he is by no means clever as myself, but I suppose if he were to read and improve himself by my example he could prove to be a...a very agreeable companion."
Taken from the quote: "…Mary might have been prevailed on to accept him. She rated his abilities much higher than any of the others: there was a solidity in his reflections which often struck her; and though by no means so clever as herself, she thought that, if encouraged to read and improve himself by such an example as hers, he might become a very agreeable companion." Volume I, Chapter 22