Notes: Half-chapter, next part is the proposal and Mr. Bennet and Elizabeth's reactions.
PPP
Four weeks after the passing of Mrs. Bennet and Jane, Mr. Bennet and his daughters were taken aback when they received an unexpected visit from Mr. Collins – the heir of Longbourn. This came as a surprise to everyone as they had never met him before.
A few days before Mr. Collins' arrival, Mr. Bennet had received a letter from him, but the letter remained unopened on his desk.
Mr. Collins was a robust, albeit not very attractive man; he was in his mid-twenties, having recently been ordained as a clergyman. He felt grateful to have been recommended to Lady Catherine De Bourgh, and SHE had appointed him the living of her estate. It was a position he took very seriously as well as his devotion to his patroness.
Upon arriving at the Bennet household, Mr. Collins learned that Mrs. Bennet and Miss Bennet had passed away. He took several minutes to express his heartfelt condolences to the family.
Although the family's mourning, Mr Collins believed it was his duty to stay with the family at Longbourn and provide moral and religious support during this difficult time. Despite some initial hesitation, Mr. Bennet allowed Mr. Collins to stay with them for four days instead of the seven he had originally planned. This decision was not only to avoid any potential disagreement between Mr. Collins and the family but also because Mr. Bennet found Mr. Collins ridiculous and a possible source of amusement during this sombre time.
During his visit to Longbourn, Mr. Collins spent most of his time reading passages from the Bible to his cousins in the hope of giving them comfort. He was a deeply religious man who found solace in his faith. He also spoke at length about the greatness of Rosings, the grand estate of his patroness, and shared numerous anecdotes about his noble patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, and her beautiful daughter, Miss de Bourgh.
Out of the four sisters, only Mary showed any interest in Mr. Collins' speeches. She listened attentively and asked thoughtful questions. As a result, Mr. Collins began to believe that Miss Mary was the perfect companion for his life. Furthermore, Lady Catherine had been clear when she stated that he should marry one of his cousins so as not to leave them homeless when their father died.
However, there was a major obstacle in his path; Miss Mary was in mourning, and as a result, he would have to wait several months before he could marry her. He was disappointed, but there was nothing he could do about it. But if they were engaged, at least they could write to each other…
PPP
Mary had always considered herself to be the plainest of the Bennet sisters, and she had never experienced the attention of a gentleman before. So, when Mr. Collins started showing interest in her, she felt flattered. She knew that her sisters tried to avoid Mr. Collins whenever possible, as they did not value his good qualities. However, Mary saw beyond his flaws and appreciated his devout beliefs and overall goodness.
Mary was not particularly romantic, and she had resigned herself to the possibility of being a spinster and had accepted it as her lot in life. However, the idea of marrying Mr. Collins seemed attractive to her.
A few hours before departing to Hunsford, when Mr. Collins requested to speak with her alone, Mary smiled and asked Elizabeth to give them a few minutes of privacy.