As the Bennet family sat around the dinner table that evening with Mr. Collins, Elizabeth grimaced when the man pronounced their dining room furnishings merely serviceable while her mother astonishingly remained calm.
To Elizabeth’s surprise, Mrs. Bennet artfully turned the conversation to the family he served in Kent. “Mr. Collins, surely there is much to tell of your patroness and her family?”
At this, he beamed with joy. Elizabeth had to wonder if he was in love with Lady Catherine in spite of how scandalous and impossible the idea seemed.
“My dear Mrs. Bennet, you would be most impressed! I count myself quite fortunate to have gotten the living at Hunsford. Lady Catherine is a woman of rare wit and intellect and her daughter, Miss Anne de Bourgh, why there isn’t a more beautiful young lady in all the kingdom. Tis such a pity she is a sickly girl.”
Elizabeth thought it most rude for the man to speak of the young mistress’s health as though she was known to the Bennet family.
“Surely she has the best of doctors to attend her, Cousin Collins?” Jane asked, the furrow of her brow betraying her concern for the young lady who was but a stranger. There was not a soul Jane did not take pity upon when hearing of a misfortune.
Mr. Collins was pleased by this reaction. “Oh, indeed Cousin Jane! You are not to worry for the young Miss for she is promised to her cousin, a Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, and shall be well cared for until her dying breath.”
Mrs. Bennet gasped and nearly dropped her cup. “There is a Mr. Darcy, from Derbyshire, staying at Netherfield Park! Is it the same man?”
The parson nodded sagely. “Why it must be Mrs. Bennet. He holds a large estate there, Pemberley it is. Quite a wealthy man though he does not hold a title.”
Elizabeth gave her eldest sister a pointed look as the table erupted in excited chatter around them though her heart gave a sharp twist as her mind whispered silently to her sister. See? He does not care for me Jane.
Jane Bennet did not believe she had been mistaken where Mr. Darcy was concerned. Many times, in families of wealth and status, cousins were expected to marry just as she or one of her sisters would be expected to make a match with Mr. Collins. It would not have been a love match for any of them.
Wondering whether their father had agreed to the parson’s offer, Jane turned to Mr. Bennet and leaned closer to where he sat at the head of the table. She whispered softly though her younger sisters were making enough noise to cover her question if she had spoken it aloud. “Papa, what of our cousin’s plan to marry one of my sisters?”
Mr. Bennet did not care for the question though Jane had asked most humbly. As he spoke, he cut his eyes at Mary. “I could not see him leave without choosing one of your sisters.”
Jane understood immediately that her father had only accepted the man’s generosity in the hopes that he would choose poor Mary. It was true that her middle sister would likely have very few offers of marriage.
A thought occurred to her and she glanced to Elizabeth and back to her father. “But Papa, there is also Lizzy he might choose. What shall you do then? Lizzy would not accept a man so foolish that his chief concerns in life are shelves and potatoes.”
Mr. Bennet smirked at Jane for she could be as witty as his Lizzy when she wished. “Do not worry, my dear. Lizzy is far too opinionated to please Mr. Collins.”
Jane thought perhaps Mr. Bennet was a bit complacent in his surety of their cousin’s inclinations and decided to promote Mary as a match for the man whenever she might. There would be no harm in steering his decision.
When dinner was done, Jane followed her sisters to the parlor while the men remained seated at the table.
Joining Elizabeth on their favorite settee, Jane addressed Mrs. Bennet. “Mother, Father has said he will allow our cousin to choose one of my sisters as a wife. Have you any idea which of us he might favor?”
Lydia and Kitty began to caper about the room pretending to be Mr. Collins and Mary on their way to the church. Elizabeth cast a wary eye at the pair and shook her head. Poor Mary had borne the brunt of their teasing for half the day.
Mrs. Bennet hushed her youngest daughters and sent them away. Their giggles and guffaws carried up the stairs behind them as they went. “We know he shall not choose either Lydia and Kitty since they are far too young and foolish to be considered by any man just yet. That leaves only Lizzy and Mary. I expect he would follow tradition and choose Lizzy as it is only proper she marry after you, Jane.”
Elizabeth was most alarmed by the ease with which her mother decided she should be the one to marry the parson. Before she might complain, Mary rose from her seat and crossed her arms. “Why not allow the man to choose between us, Mother? If any of us should be fit for the life of a parson’s wife, I should think it would be me. Lizzy cannot play half as well nor does she know the Good Book from cover to cover.”
Mrs. Bennet dismissed her middle child with the wave of her handkerchief. “Oh Mary, do sit down! Mr. Collins will choose as he wishes and you have no say in the matter. Though your father and I do hope he chooses you as his offer may well be the only one you shall ever have, dear.”
Elizabeth was pleased that Mary seemed happy with the idea becoming Mrs. Collins but her heart ached for the harsh words their mother delivered without a care for the girl’s feelings. “Mary, do you sincerely wish to be married to Mr. Collins?”
Mary swiped at the lone tear brought on by their mother’s harsh remark but her countenance remained defiant. “He is a clergyman with a fine living in Hunsford and as mother says, I am not likely to marry for love nor have many offers. I would be happy to have my own home and family, Lizzy. We cannot all of us be beautiful and marry rich men.”
With this, Mary turned to quit the room. Elizabeth went to her and took her by the arm. “Stay Mary and speak with him when he comes in with Father. If you wish to win his affections, you must sit with him and listen as he speaks. Smile when he is witty,” here Elizabeth grimaced to think of Mr. Collins as witty, “encourage him by speaking of his work and life in Kent.”
Mary’s eyes brightened at her sister’s advice. “Do you think he will like that Lizzy? I am afraid I am not so skilled at conversation.”
Jane joined Elizabeth in her encouragement of Mary. “But of course, dear. Gentlemen love to speak of their success and impress a lady. Simply keep your gaze upon his face and seize upon a thing here or there that he seems most proud of and praise him for his talent. With Mr. Collins’s love of speech making, you shall not have to worry about interesting conversation.”
Emboldened by her sister’s advice, Mary returned to her seat and sat nervously watching the door where her father and Mr. Collins would enter the parlor.