Ah, first chapter uploaded since my computer crash. I think this is the lucky one. ^^
Chapter Two
The next day of the Bennet household, Mary found herself in quite an interesting situation. Sitting at her desk, she was writing her extracts when she heard the door to the garden open.
Lydia came into the pallor room with her beloved Mr. Wickham following her.
Mary was reminded of a hunting dog following the scent of the kill.
Of course, she did not voice that.
Lydia was giggling and flirting with Mr. Wickham who happily returned the flirtation.
Mary noticed something important.
"Lydia, where is Kitty?"
Lydia turned to her older sister as if she was noticing her for the first time.
"Kitty is with the other officers."
"Oh…" Mary said, losing interest. She then returned to her writing.
There was a long silence until Mr. Wickham cleared his throat.
Lydia quickly said, "Mary, there was this giant book at the library that I thought you were interested in."
Mary glanced up at her sister and nodded, "I will have to look at it later."
Another long silence.
Lydia said, "Perhaps you will go look at it now?"
Another silence.
"Perhaps I will," Mary sighed as she stood up. She curtsied to Mr. Wickham who in turn bowed to her, smiling charmingly.
She left the palor room and got her straw bonnet off the table in the hallway.
Irritated that she was subtly being forced out of her own home, she tied the bonnet in a double knot.
Her hair was no longer down. It was back to its usual tight bun.
Mary made her way out of Longbourn and made her way to the library.
It was a long walk and she was confident that by the time she got there it would be well into the afternoon.
Why did Mr. Collins have to take the carriage?
It didn't take fifteen minutes for Mary's legs to start hurting. She wasn't a woman of endurance. Far from it.
And it didn't help that her ankle was close to being sprained from last night.
It was then that she heard her name being called by a male voice.
"Miss Mary, is that you?"
She turned to the direction of the sound and saw a carriage near her.
The window was down and she saw Mr. Collins in the carriage.
Nervously, Mary nodded, "Oh, it is me. I am on my way to the library."
Mr. Collins smiled slightly, "The library is a long way away. I didn't know that you could walk that far without complaint."
Mary felt a smirk on her face, "Far from that, Mr. Collins. I complained to myself five times already."
Mr. Collins chuckled and asked, "Well, Miss Mary, would you like a ride?"
Mary smirked as she approached the carriage, "And here I thought that you were going to be rude."
Mr. Collins opened the carriage door and offered his hand to Mary, "Then you do not know me that well."
Mary took his hand and pulled herself up into the carriage. She felt her face get hot and she looked away from Mr. Collins.
Mr. Collins said as the carriage started moving, "I never let the opportunity of a pretty woman's company pass me by."
Pretty? Now that was a most curious adjective. Especially when it came to Mary.
"Now, Miss Mary, would you be looking for company in the library?" snapped Mary out of her thoughts.
Mary looked up at the heavyset young man before her and looked at him, warily, "No, thank you, Mr. Collins. I'm sure that you're very busy."
He just smiled and said, "Oh, no, Miss Mary. I am intending to stay at Longbourn longer, so I no longer need to pack. And the only thing I had to do today was call upon Sir Lucas. I have already done that."
Mary just shook her head, "Well, thank you for the offer, but I must decline."
His smile wavered slightly and he went to look out the window.
There was another long silence. Mary was growing irritated with them.
"So, Mr. Collins, what fine weather we are having," Mary stated.
Mr. Collins said, softly, "I prefer snow."
Mary smirked slightly, "Snow is far too romantic. It's silly."
He looked at her, "There is nothing wrong with romance."
She turned to him, "Romance is something that has always interested me. But when it is too romantic it is false."
Mr. Collins said, "Those are words spoken by a scorned woman."
Mary replied, "No, they are words spoken by a realistic woman."
The carriage stopped in front of the library Mary noticed. She wanted to continue the conversation. She hadn't been so intrigued since the conversation she had with Jane over a penny dreadful.
But she had to leave.
"Thank you for the ride, Mr. Collins," Mary said as she opened the door and started to step out.
Mr. Collins placed a hand on her shoulder, "Miss Mary, would you like to hear my opinion?"
Mary turned to him, "Of course, Mr. Collins. I consider myself open minded."
He smiled to her, "My opinion is that I stayed here mostly because of you."
Mary looked at him in surprise, "Me? Why?"
Mr. Collins said, "You are the only one that lets me win at chess."
Mary's face grew hotter as she looked away, "Win? I-I didn't let you win."
Mr. Collins smiled, "Yes you did…Next time, play for real and I'll have more to say."
He closed the door to the carriage and the carriage left.
Which left Mary smiling in front of the library.
Thanks for reading, please review.