The weather the next morning was such that Elizabeth was unable to take her walk. Instead, she moved to the still room. After only half an hour of quiet industry, she was joined by Jane.
The two sisters worked side by side in comfortable, familiar silence as the house came alive around them. Once their tasks were complete, they repaired to the breakfast-parlour to join the rest of the family.
Mrs Bennet lamented the rain hampering her ability to shop for necessities for the ball. Mr Collins joined in her lament causing everyone else at the table to concentrate on their meal.
Mr Collins simpered at Elizabeth before enquiring as to her pursuits for the day. Upon hearing she would be engaged in making up her gown with Jane, Mr Collins enthused over the usefulness of her skills. Elizabeth cut him off by offering to help Mary make her gown over.
Mary looked startled but agreed to join her sisters, professing her gown was perhaps in need of the hems letting out. Elizabeth jumped on the news with alacrity.
"Then Mary you must come look through my gowns and see if we can't find you something that might fit better. Come." Elizabeth stood up, holding her hand out to Mary to encourage her to leave the table.
Jane stood as well, lending her support to Elizabeth's scheme. "Yes, Mary, do come. I think there is a gown of pale rose that would look lovely on you. If we start now, we can be assured all the alterations are made in time. And we could practice some styles for your hair."
Mr Collins began to offer his opinions on the industry of young ladies, but the three sisters left the room before he could properly start. His attention turned to the remaining sisters at the table, but Lydia and Kitty ignored his comments and instead questioned their mother on the possibility of new ribbons and lace.
Four days of rain followed, each chasing the heels of the previous, allowing no respite. Lace, ribbon and shoe roses had to be sent for instead of the anticipated visit to pick between the available merchandise. This caused no end of regret for Lydia, Kitty and Mrs Bennett. Jane dealt with the situation with her usual equanimity and distracted herself by helping Mary with her gown and distracting Elizabeth from her troubles with Mr Collins.
Mary, who was actually grateful, if surprised by her elder sisters' generosity, was aware enough to take notice that the work to complete the alterations on all three gowns was taking more time than she would expect. Elizabeth was most certainly the principal cause of this delay, and while Mary did not feel adequate to asking her elder sisters outright, she chose to take more note of her surroundings.
When Elizabeth, on the third day of rain, approached her to ask what music she was planning on exhibiting at the ball Mary knew something was afoot. No one in the Bennet household was interested in Mary's pursuits.
Curious, Mary showed the piece to her sister. As Elizabeth perused the music choice, Mary grasped her courage.
"Sister, would you tell me why you are so interested in my dress and my selection of music?"
Elizabeth lifted her head to see her younger sister twisting her hands within the folds of her dress nervously, and bit back the sharp comment on the tip of her tongue. The weather had stymied her walks accompanied or not. Mr Collins had found every excuse to engage her in conversation when she was with her family, and her temper would not be well spent on her sister.
"I had thought Mary, that you might welcome someone who could listen to the piece? I do not profess any great skill but a second opinion could always be of use?"
"Yes," Mary allowed reluctantly. "But it is not usual for you to be so concerned."
"No, you are right Mary, and while I am genuinely interested in which piece you will exhibit I confess my reasons are not wholly altruistic."
Mary felt her face fall. It had been too much to expect Elizabeth to be interested in her for Mary's own sake. Elizabeth wanted something from her as everyone who ever paid her any attention did.
"Do you think I should not exhibit at all?"
"No," Elizabeth said stepping closer to her sister and reaching for one of the twisting hands. "Perhaps I worded that poorly. Come, sit, let me explain." Elizabeth tugged Mary down next to her on the pianoforte bench. "You know Mr Bingley has called upon Jane? It is our belief that he is half in love with her."
"Yes, Mama has said that their match is a certainty. What is that to do with me?"
"Oh Mary, their match is very much not a certainty. Mama can say as she sees, but Mr Bingley, if he offers for Jane will be marrying into our family. Mama is not always as she should be in public and you know Papa will not check her. Kitty and Lydia have not the sense of a goose between them, so it falls to us to promote our family. You and I, Mary, must make the best of a bad lot. Mr Bingley might be able to forgive Kitty and Lydia their youthful exuberance if it is plain that we three are more dignified. And honestly the rose gown looks better on you than it ever did on me, so do not think that was a charity to persuade you to help."
"I do not think I should need asking," Mary said hurt.
"No, and that is why I have not," Elizabeth said. "However," she glanced down at the music once again. "Do you perhaps have a second choice?"
Mary looked affronted. "I have practised this especially, and Mr Bingley and his sisters and Mr Darcy will be used to hearing only the best of musicians."
"Well that is not true," Elizabeth said ruefully. "For they have all heard me play. But Mary, the reason Lydia and Kitty ask you for jigs is not only because they enjoy the dancing but because you can put such liveliness into the music. This is not an animated piece and will not show truly how you can infuse the music with your spirit. For this once Mary, will you reconsider to help Jane?"
Mary looked at the sheet of music Elizabeth held, chewing on her lip. "I, I would very much wish to play this. But, but if you think it will help then perhaps I can choose another."
"Thank you, Mary," Elizabeth said warmly giving her sister an impromptu hug.
Mary blushed looking down at her fingers. "Do you have any suggestions?" she asked hesitantly.
"Perhaps," Elizabeth offered as gently as she could. "Shall we spend some time going through your collection?"
Mary nodded then glanced again at her sister. "Elizabeth, why have you spent so much time with Jane and me? You are usually happy in solitary pursuits."
Elizabeth grimaced. "You are correct but the rain has stopped my walking and if I do not find something to fill my time Mr Collins fills it for me."
"He is very dedicated to his profession and healing the breach in our family, that can hardly be criticised."
"He is very dedicated to his patroness and if he showed but half of that dedication to his profession I should imagine he would be altogether better for it. Alas, his dedication is split between the praise of Lady Catherine de Bough and his pursuit of a wife."
"Mr Collins is pursuing a wife?" Mary asked a little shocked. "But he spends so much of his time speaking with you."
Elizabeth cocked her head at her sister and smiled wryly saying nothing.
"Oh!" Mary blurted colouring. "I had not, that is, I did not…"
"Do not be uneasy Mary, I have no wish for his attentions."
"No," Mary agreed faintly.
"Do you like Mr Collins, Mary?"
Mary sat up stiffly staring at her sister. "Do you think that a suitor not good enough for you should be passed down the line of your sisters?"
"No," Elizabeth replied. "Certainly, Mama does, but if you like him, I could always bare a little more of his company to allow you to speak more to him."
Mary looked at her sister. "You would?"
"Mary, I do not wish to marry Mr Collins. If you would like to, then, while I think you would have no easy task persuading Papa to let you marry him, you could encourage his attentions."
"I, I had not thought of it," Mary admitted shuffling her music in agitation. "I had not looked at him in that manner."
"Why not?" Elizabeth asked. "I perhaps am not suited to him, but that does not mean no woman is. He would conceivably benefit from an opinion other than Lady Catherine's on scripture, and you are knowledgeable on the topic."
"I shall consider your words," Mary said before turning back to her music to hide her confusion over the conversation.
Elizabeth watched her sister for a moment before helping her sift through the pile of music searching for something that might help raise the esteem of the Bennet sisters.
The day of the ball was finally upon them. Mr Collins gallantly offered his hand to Elizabeth for the first two sets over the breakfast table. Casting a glance toward Mary and Jane, Elizabeth hedged.
"Your offer is most generous, cousin. I could not, in good conscious take so many of your dances. Perhaps if I accept the first and allow Mary to have the honour of the second?"
Elizabeth looked at Mary again who twitched her head in acknowledgement.
Mr Collins looked startled at the suggestion, and as he began to bluster that, of course, he was more than willing to dance with all of his cousins, Mary stepped into the breach.
"I thank you, Mr Collins. I would be honoured to take the second with you."
Mr Collins stopped talking and looked at Elizabeth and Mary as if he was unsure how events had turned out as they had. Mary's words had brought Mr Bennet out from behind his newspaper, and he looked between the three players.
"Well then Mr Collins, your first two are chosen and settled with great finesse. I congratulate you. I shall permit you to dance with Lydia and Kitty as well, have no fear that they would reject you. Indeed, go ahead and secure their hands now, for once at the ball I am sure they shall not want for partners."
"Want for partners? Oh, Mr Bennet! Do not speak so, you know that Lydia and Kitty are never in want of a partner." Mrs Bennet added attending the conversation for the first time.
Mr Collins spurred on by this show of paternal encouragement turned to Lydia and Kitty. "My fair cousins, I would be humbled indeed to stand up with you both as your dear sisters before you."
Lydia and Kitty grimaced and pouted but held their protests under their father's watchful eye. A refusal of Mr Collins would mean a night of no dancing and neither wished such a thing for themselves.
Dances secured Mr Collins looked entirely pleased with himself and rose, excusing himself from the table to attend some correspondence. Once the door was between them and their cousin, Lydia and Kitty made no bones of their displeasure. Their protests were only silenced by Mr Bennet who promised to refuse to allow them to attend at all if they did not quiet. If they refused the promised dances with Mr Collins, they would not be allowed to participate in any balls in Meryton for six months complete.
Jane, Mary and Elizabeth dressed together for the ball, an occasion that was entirely new to Mary. She allowed her sisters to guide her choices of hair styling. Sarah artfully pinned and tucked until Mary was no longer sure it was her own hair upon her head, for it had never been so prettily arranged. Elizabeth helped Jane, who helped Elizabeth in turn. As they dressed, Jane spoke of her hope of dancing with Mr Bingley and conversing with Mr Darcy again. Elizabeth agreed that she would very much like to speak to both gentlemen and teased Jane to allow her sisters at least one dance with the gentleman. Jane only smiled at Elizabeth knowingly.
At last all three sisters were ready and waiting for the carriage. Mr Bennet joined them complimenting each sister in turn on their dress while they waited for the rest of the family to join them. As the remainder of the Bennet women descended the stairs, Mr Collins made his own entrance, and it was with mixed anticipation and nerves that the Bennet family set forth to Netherfield.