The following morning, the Bennet family was gathered for breakfast when Mr. Bennet commented, "Mrs. Bennet, girls, I have some important news." He paused while six pairs of eyes looked at him expectantly and added, "Yesterday afternoon, I received a letter from a gentleman."
"From a gentleman?" Mrs. Bennet's face lit up, "it must be Mr. Darcy."
"It's not Mr. Darcy. It's from a gentleman we have never met. But tomorrow at 4:00 in the afternoon, we're going to meet him." He paused and added, "I propose to play a little game: each of you can ask me a single question. At the end of the game, each of you will have a chance to guess the identity of the gentleman. Do you want to play?"
The six of them agreed, and then the questioning began, beginning with Mrs. Bennet and continuing in order of age.
"Is he single?" impatiently asked Mrs. Bennet.
"Yes, my dear."
"Is he young?" added Jane.
"He is twenty-five years old."
"Is he rich?" Elizabeth asked.
"He is not poor."
"Does he have an estate?" Mary added.
"Not yet, my dear."
"Does he live in Meryton?" Kitty asked.
"No, he lives in Kent."
"Is he handsome?" Lydia asked.
"I told you, I never met him, my dear."
They continued for some minutes with the game, but they couldn't guess the gentleman's identity. At last, very impatient, Mrs. Bennet said, "Mr. Bennet, please, don't vex us anymore. Who is the gentleman?"
Amused Mr. Bennet replied, "It is our cousin, Mr. Collins."
"Mr. Collins! That horrible man! Why is that man coming to Longbourn? It is not fair that our dear girls can't inherit the property when you die."
"Mama, please; Papa is in excellent health!" Jane exclaimed.
"What is the letter about, Papa?" Mary asked.
"He wants to meet us to offer an olive branch. He will arrive tomorrow at 4 o'clock."
PPP
Mr. Collins was a tall, heavy-looking young clergyman, who had the very good fortune of serving his esteemed patroness, Lady Catherine De Bourgh. He arrived punctually at 4 o'clock the following day. He greeted the Bennets formally and complimented Mrs. Bennet on her house and her beautiful daughters and niece.
During dinner, Mr. Collins told Mrs. Bennet the main reason he had come to Longbourn was his esteemed patroness, Lady Catherine De Bourgh, had recommended he marry, preferably one of his beautiful cousins , so they wouldn't lose their home when Mr. Bennet died.
Mrs. Bennet was ecstatic; she thought about each of her daughters to decide which would be the most suitable to marry Mr. Collins. Jane was undoubtedly the most beautiful of her daughters, but she was convinced that Mr. Darcy was in love with her and he would marry her. Elizabeth was not her daughter, so she was not an option. Mary was her less-pretty daughter, and she also loved reading sermons. Yes, Mary should be the future Mrs. Collins.
The following day, Mrs. Bennet convinced a slightly reluctant Mr. Collins, who preferred Jane as the eldest and most beautiful of his cousins, to be his wife, that Mary was the perfect companion for his life.
PPP
Mary Bennet had been living all her life in the shadows of her sisters – and even her cousin - and was only compared to them negatively. Her mother always said she was the only one of her daughters who was not pretty and was destined to be an old maid. Her father never tried to get to know and understand her, and sometimes he was unintentionally cruel to her. Her siblings were most of the time kind to her, but she seldom was invited or included in the activities they did. Ironically, she had a better relationship with her cousin than with her sisters since Elizabeth had taught her to play the piano and speak French. She had always wanted to be accepted and loved by her family, but she always felt out of place and forgotten by them.
So, she was shocked and flattered when Mr. Collins started to pay her special attention. Nobody previously sought her company over her siblings, and indeed, no gentleman outside of the family had ever cared for her.
Mary realized that Mr. Collins wasn't the brightest of men, and he tended to talk too much about his patroness, Lady Catherine, her grand house, and magnificent estate. But on the other hand, he was a clergyman passionate about the scriptures. He was the heir of Longbourn, and overall, he seemed a good man. She never had an illusion that she would find a love match, there weren't enough gentlemen in the neighborhood, and she knew men preferred a prettier wife.
To encourage Mr. Collins's attention and with her mother's and Jane's help, she changed her hairstyle, dressed in soft colors that were more appropriate for her complexion, and highlighted her natural beauty. Mr. Collins was delighted with her new look; even Mrs. Bennet said she looked pretty.
Mr. Collins proposed to Mary in less than a week, and she gladly accepted.
Mr. Bennet gave his consent and blessing after Mary told him Mr. Collins was her choice.
Mrs. Bennet was blissfully happy, had one less daughter to marry, and didn't need to worry about their future anymore. They were safe; Longbourn would stay in the family.
Jane was happy for her sister and genuinely congratulated her. Elizabeth, at first, was annoyed because, in her opinion, Mr. Collins was a ridiculous man, and Mary deserved better. But it was clear to Elizabeth that Mary had never been truly happy at Longbourn and seemed delighted to marry Mr. Collins. So, in the end, Elizabeth was content with her cousin's choice.
Kitty and Lydia were indifferent, they had never been close to Mary, and in their opinion, Mr. Collins was a dull clergyman who wasn't even handsome.
Mrs. Bennet wanted to make a huge celebration for the engaged couple, but unfortunately, Mr. Collins could only stay four more days before returning to Kent. So, she had only three days to make the arrangements for the party. Sadly, it wasn't enough time to make the necessary arrangements for a ball. She had to settle for organizing the grandest dinner party of the year, the meal having at least five courses.