Hello, I hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday. I promise that updates will be faster. Holidays are always hetic.
To My Reviewers
Spanish Sunrise: :) I thought that was the funniest part of the chapter. Thanks for reading.
BonBonnett: Kitty and Lydia do have their uses. They do love their sisters, too.
can't think: Yes, and this is the nineteenth century. There was not a lot that they could do about it anyway, so there was little point for Mary to tell anyone about it.
Jiang Quig: I totally agree. I figured that Jane Austen put them in there for a reason, though.
Chapter Six
Now, our charming, red coat wearing Mr. Wickham was conversing with a fellow charming, red coat wearing officer when he saw Mr. Collins and the Bennet family walk into the ballroom at the Lucas Estate. He then asked the fellow officer, "I daresay, since when is there a sixth Bennet girl to reside in Meryton?"
"I believe that is Mary Bennet. She is just different looking."
"…Are you sure? The Mary Bennet I know would never wear something like that…But I am not complaining. This is a quite nice change of pace."
Mary Bennet barely set foot in the ball when she noticed all eyes on her. Mary had never experienced this before.
Jane and Elizabeth were the beautiful ones. Why were they looking at her? Why were that not looking at her fairer sisters?
She looked down feeling embarrassed, but she had looked up when Mr. Collins spoke to her.
"Miss Mary, may I have this dance?"
Mary looked to the object of her affections and she had let a smirk form on her face, "Yes, you may, Mr. Collins."
Mr. Bennet watched disapprovingly as he watched his daughter leave with his cousin.
Mrs. Bennet gushed in overjoy and happiness, "Oh, young love. Do you remember when we were that way, Mr. Bennet?"
"Vaguely," Mr. Bennet said, dryly.
"Oh you jest, Mr. Bennet," Mrs. Bennet said, playfully, "You just love to upset me and my poor nerves."
Mr. Bennet turned to his wife and smiled, "If I had upset your nerves as much as you said I have, I am surprised they have not tried to killed me in my sleep."
Mrs. Bennet giggled, shyly and Mr. Bennet saw his beloved young Blossom for one moment.
"May I have this dance, Mrs. Bennet?" Mr. Bennet bowed, mockingly.
She laughed, "Mr. Bennet, we are married. You need not to ask me."
Mr. Bennet took his wife and started to dance with her.
Meanwhile, Mr. Collins and Mary were dancing to the music.
"Miss Mary, I thought that you didn't dance," Mr. Collins teased as he held her hand tightly.
"Like you said, Mr. Collins, one must have a little fun," Mary said, teasingly.
Mr. Collins finished the dance and said to Mary, "The Lucases have a balcony adjacent to the ballroom, may we go?"
Mary nodded as Mr. Collins escorted her to the balcony.
Now, the moon had risen by the time they had reached the balcony. The sky was dark and the stars were bright with a whiteness that was only rivaled, in Mr. Collins' opinion, with Mary's ivory skin.
The sound of the party was muffled after Mr. Collins, subtly closed the doors to the balcony.
This was something that made Mary nervous. Why was it that he had asked her to the balcony? Certainly he could speak to her in the ballroom.
Mr. Collins said, "My purpose to come to Longbourn was to select a wife. I sought someone to spend the rest of my life with and increase my social standing. I did not come to seek love."
He continued as he made his way over to Mary, "My opinion of love is something that I never thought about until the last few weeks. What is the meaning of love and why should I take part in it? I tried to love because love is part of marriage. Not a necessary part, but a good part to have."
Mary then added, "It is like what holds a marriage together, it is a small part, but it stays throughout a marriage when things like wealth and looks fade."
Mr. Collins looked at her, surprised, "That was what I was going to say…Word for word, Miss Mary…Are you some sort of witch to read my mind like you do?"
Mary shook her head, "No, sir. Just a woman that goes with her instincts. Wherever they may lead her."
Mr. Collins asked as he came closer to her, "And where would they lead you now, Miss Mary?"
She could not speak. She could only watch as Mr. Collins placed his hand on her shoulder.
Mr. Collins felt the soft and sweet skin of Mary's exposed shoulder before he leaned his head down. He then made a bold, daring move. He kissed his younger cousin.
He then pulled away immediately as did Mary. Both had pulled away for different reasons. Mary pulled away because of the pure and utter shock of what had transpired. Mr. Collins pulled away because of shame.
"Mr. Collins..." Mary said, softly.
"No, I apologize," Mr. Collins said as he pulled away from her. The way she said his name...
"Do not," Mary said, faintly as she remembered the kiss.
"What would you like me to do, Miss Mary?" Mr. Collins asked, at that time wanting to do what ever he could to please this intellectual and beautiful woman.
"Kiss me," Mary commanded as she put her arms around his neck in a bold manner.
Happy to oblige, Mr. Collins kissed her. He kissed her in a way that Mary could only dream of. The indulgence, the passion, and the shocks raged through Mary and Mr. Collins as they kissed in a way that most young couples have never kissed before. Mr. Collins had a hunger that he never felt in a long time and Mary was more than happy to feed him.
It was then that Mr. Collins finally pulled away. He stared at Mary for one moment before he opened the doors to the balcony and ran back into the ballroom.
"Mr. Collins!" Mary cried out as she went back into the ballroom, but lost the man amidst all the people in the room.
Mr. Collins had rushed to a horse and carriage and had it drive him back to Longbourn.
All the while, he thought about how stupid he was.
Mary was standing by the wall of the ballroom, trying to be herself composed.
It would not be pleasing if everyone in the room would see her start to cry like a newborn baby.
It was then that she felt someone stand next to her. She turned to see Mr. Wickham.
"Miss Mary, you are looking quite brilliant tonight," Mr. Wickham smiled as he bowed to her.
Mary curtsied, though she was in no mood at all for the officer's games, "State your business with me, Mr. Wickham. You should know that pretty words do not work so well on me. They may work with Lydia and Kitty and maybe even Elizabeth, but I am not so easily charmed."
Mr. Wickham said as he brushed the imaginary dirt off of his coat, "Miss Mary, I find you to be one of the most outright people I know. That is an admirable trait."
Mary smiled, slightly, "Oh, well, I am glad that someone has noticed."
Mr. Wickham asked, "May we dance, Miss Mary?"
Mary turned to him, suddenly attracted to him. There was something about his cunning and his strength that made her want to stay with him longer.
"Yes," Mary said as she allowed herself to dance with Mr. Wickham.
Meanwhile, Mr. Bennet looked to see his daughter dancing with the officer. He burrowed his brow at that.
The evening came to an end as the Bennets left the Lucas Estate and returned home.
Mary took one last look at herself in the mirror before she let her hair down.
She changed out of Lydia's green dress into her white nightgown.
All traces of the once gorgeous Mary was gone.
However that was her opinion.
When Mary had left the room, Mr. Collins peeked his head out of his room to watch her go down the hall.
In his opinion, she looked like an angel, wearing that long white nightgown over her body..
The middle Bennet sister returned the beautiful dress to Lydia and went down the hallway.
Mr. Collins darted back into his room before she could see him.
It was then that Mary remembered that she had left her bonnet downstairs.
While everyone else was in their rooms, getting ready to retire for the night, Mary went down the stairs, thinking of what had happened at the ball.
Her bedroom shoes hit the floor with a soft thud.
It was then that she heard someone.
"I wish to have a word with you."
Thank you for reading. Please review. I am sorry for the long wait, I hope that it was worth it.