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“Oh yes! But if I take any of them out, Mama is sure to be angry.”
“You know,” said Lizzy, “I think it is very easy for ribbons to slip out, particularly from the back. What say you, should I help them a bit?”
“Oh, yes, please!” exclaimed Mary.
Lizzy untied the ribbons in the back of Mary’s hair, being careful not to disturb Sarah’s deftly curled ringlets. “There!” she said, surveying her handiwork, “now I can see your beautiful black hair, and the ones in the front still form a lovely corona around your face. I think the dress would look better with a few less of them too, but I dare say Hill has attached them most securely. We had better leave them there for tonight, but perhaps you could take a few off before the next assembly.”
“Oh, no!” replied Mary. “It is Kitty’s dress. I am only borrowing it for tonight.”
“It is a very demure dress, Mary. I do not think Kitty will be demanding it back. Now, as to the rouge on your face… Will you permit me to take a little of that off?”
“Oh, yes, please! I cannot think it becomes a young girl to wear rouge at all! And as to thinking that Mr Collins would ever look twice at me, it is quite ridiculous! Why he has not spared a glance at me since he arrived, being wholly taken with you and Jane!”
“Well, as we are the eldest, it is only natural that he should consider us first. But, surely, Mary, you cannot welcome Mr Collins’ attention?”
“Indeed, I would, Lizzy! A clergyman would suit me very well! To be able to return to Longbourn in the future would be so comfortable! And poor Mama would not have to move at all!” said Mary with uncharacteristic fervour. “But I cannot hope that he will even ask me to dance, and then Mama will be angry and say I did not try to gain his favour, and I have not the least idea how!”
This declaration left Lizzy quite speechless, but she quickly regained her composure while rearranging Mary’s shawl about her neck.
“Well, we must see if we can contrive to get him to dance with you, Mary. He asked me for the first set, but after this morning’s contretemps he cannot be eager to keep the engagement. If one of the other gentlemen does not ask for your hand when we return to the ballroom, keep close to me and I will see if I can arrange a substitution.”
“Thank you, Lizzy,” said Mary earnestly. “But as to conversing with him, do you think it would be better to speak of Deuteronomy or Leviticus? I have been focusing my studies most recently on those books.”
“You must not talk of the Bible at all, Mary,” said Lizzy, trying to think of the best advice she could give her sister and the most diplomatic way of couching it. “I expect clergymen prefer not to do so all the time. It must be quite tiring.”
“Oh,” replied Mary, “I never thought of it like that, but what should I speak of?”
“Well,” said Lizzy, thinking aloud, “he likes to talk of his patroness, Lady Catherine and her estate, Rosings; so perhaps you could ask him about that, and possibly domestic matters…”
“Like the altar cloth I am stitching? I expect the symbolism of the dove and olive branch will appeal to him after his letter…”
“No symbolism, Mary. Remember, he just wants to relax and enjoy himself. Perhaps, you could tell him about the pretty colours you have chosen for the silks…”
“Oh? The colours?” said Mary, considering.
“Yes,” affirmed Lizzy, “and smile and agree with him a lot. But I expect Mama has already told you this?”
Mary nodded with a sigh.
“Come now, we should get back to the ballroom—they will be striking up the first set soon. You look very pretty tonight, Mary, and if Mr Collins does not notice you, he is a great buffoon.” said Lizzy, before thinking better of it.
The sisters had no sooner opened the door to leave the retiring room when they encountered Charlotte.
“Oh, thank God, I found you, Lizzy!” said Miss Lucas. “There is something I must tell you straight away.”
Lizzy indicated to Mary that she would follow her shortly. She let Charlotte pull her back into the retiring room.
“Well, of course, Charlotte,” she said after the door was safely closed. “Whatever has you in such a pucker?”
“Lizzy,” said Charlotte taking a deep breath, “I am engaged to Mr Collins.”
“What!? Charlotte, how could you?”
“Oh, dear, I knew you would think it traitorous of me, especially after he only just proposed to you this morning; but he asked me this afternoon, and well, Lizzy… it may be the only offer of marriage I will ever get.”
“Oh, Charlotte! You misunderstand me. I do not think it traitorous of you, although I cannot think that Mama will feel the same way…, but such a man! Surely you would be more comfortable as a spinster looking after your parents in their old age?”
“What certainty is there in that, Elizabeth? My parents may die tomorrow and then where will I be? Thrown onto the charity of one of my brothers! While I get on tolerably well with them, I cannot say the same for all their wives. At least with Mr Collins, I will be mistress of my own establishment.”
