Page 25 of The Crown’s Gift

Mr Collins sat, though his eyes continued to travel over the room with the proprietary grief of a man discovering his inheritance occupied by better furniture than he anticipated.

Sir Thomas came for him before ten.

"Cousin Collins," he said, entering the breakfast room. "Welcome to Hertfordshire. I hope Mr Bingley has not charged you rent for the chair."

Bingley laughed. Mr Collins did not know whether he was permitted.

"Sir Thomas, I must offer my most humble congratulations upon the extraordinary distinction which Providence, acting through His Majesty, has seen fit to bestow upon you. My noble patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, has often observed that gratitude to one's superiors—"

"Has she? Then you may tell me in the carriage."

At Netherfield, Mr Collins met Lady Bennet with an apology prepared for inheriting Longbourn. She heard him without agitation.

"Yes, yes, the entail is tiresome," she said. "But Mr Bennet has provided for us very well, and my daughters will not be turned into the lane. You need not look so miserable over it."

This deprived Mr Collins of his best speech.

He had come, in part, intending to marry one of the Bennet daughters and thereby repair the injustice of the entail. His plan had seemed generous at Hunsford. At Netherfield, surrounded by polished wood, fine paintings, and servants who addressed his cousin as Sir Thomas, generosity became calculation in a mirror.

Jane's beauty first fixed him. Lady Bennet informed him, with unusual economy, that Jane was likely soon to be engaged.

Elizabeth alarmed him within an hour.

Mary appeared possible.

She listened when he spoke of Lady Catherine. She did not laugh when he praised the shelves at Rosings. When asked to play after dinner, she performed a quiet sonata with feeling and no display. Mr Collins watched with approval.

Mary felt his attention and missed two notes.

Later she found Elizabeth in their shared sitting room.

"He means to consider me."

Elizabeth looked up from a letter. "Mr Collins?"

"He asked whether a clergyman's wife ought to understand parish music. Then he said Lady Catherine approves of plain young women because beauty encourages idleness."

Elizabeth placed the letter aside. "I shall kill him."

Mary sat beside her. "Please do not. Papa would be inconvenienced."

The dry answer delighted Elizabeth and made Mary smile, but the smile faded.

"Mama did not discourage him."

"Mama may not have understood."

"She understood when he looked at Jane."

Elizabeth took her hand. "What do you want?"

Mary's fingers were cool. "Not him. I know it is foolish to answer before being asked, but I do not want to spend my life being grateful to Lady Catherine for telling me where to place shelves."

"That is not foolish."

"I am not like you. I could not refuse him without everyone watching."

"Then he will not be permitted to ask where you can be cornered."