Chapter 30

Chapter Thirty

N early a week after Mary arrived at the Winters’ estate, and a fortnight after the accident occurred, the younger Mr. Collins was awake and able to receive visitors. He had not fully recovered yet, but he was now able to sit up and dress, though he still required assistance with both tasks.

Mr. William Collins was in his early twenties and had read for his university degree a year ago. He intended to become a rector but had yet to find a position as a curate. Though he had met with several prospects, none seemed willing to grant him a position. His father had taught him that grovelling would often get what he desired, but that had not worked thus far.

Additionally, he did not care to play the fool, and at each of these meetings, that was how he felt. He might not be the most intelligent man, but he did know the scriptures well and believed he would do a good job of caring for those who needed him.

He was surprised when he was introduced to his cousin. Since this was one of the cousins he was on his way to visit, he wondered why she was not at home, and if she had come all this way to see him. She quickly informed him that it was simply a matter of chance.

“I was very surprised to arrive at the estate of a friend for a visit and learn that you were in the same town. While I knew your father was expected to arrive soon at my family’s estate, I am not certain my father ever mentioned you. I wish to offer my condolences on the loss of your father,” Mary said.

“Thank you, Miss Bennet. I find myself uncertain what to do when I recover. I believe my father intended to move into Longbourn or at least the dower house, once he married your sister Elizabeth. I have been looking for a position as a curate somewhere, and I have no place to go when I leave here,” Collins answered.

Mary looked at him as she contemplated what she ought to do or say. “I think you would be welcome at my family’s home for a visit, and I can ask Reverend Allen if knows of anyone who is looking for a curate. Perhaps after meeting you, he would be willing to help you.” Mary was uncertain if Mr. Allen could do anything to help but thought that letting him know of the need could not hurt matters.

“I thank you, Miss Bennet. Perhaps you ought to write to your father to ask if he would be amenable to my staying there for a short time and I can figure it out from there,” Collins replied, his face revealing his gratitude for the offer of help.

Smiling at the man, Mary felt pleased to offer assistance in this way. It may not be exactly the sort of help Mrs. Allen and Mrs. Winters spoke to her about, but it was doing a good turn for someone who appeared to need it.

The visit that day was short, as Mr. Collins could not sit up for long without tiring. However, Mary continued to visit daily for the next fortnight as he recovered, and each day the visit lasted longer.

After that first visit, Mary sat and wrote a letter to her father, which she did not expect him to answer, and then letters to both her Uncle Phillips and Reverend Allen. Since Mr. Winters had written to her uncle about the accident so they could ensure Mr. Bennet knew about it, Mary thought she should let him know what she had written to her father. Additionally, she wrote to Mrs. Allen to inform her of the conversation she had with Mr. Collins and to ask for any assistance in finding him a position as a curate.

To no one’s surprise, Mr. Bennet did not reply to Mary’s letter, but her uncle and Mrs. Allen did. Mrs. Allen wrote that her husband was looking for a curate, and if Mr. Collins seemed a good fit, they would consider him. Mr. Phillips also responded, letting her know that he had spoken to Mr. Bennet about Mr. Collins and that the Bennets were happy to extend an invitation for him to stay for a time after he recovered enough to travel.

Mary and Mr. Collins developed a camaraderie during the weeks of his recovery, engaging in lively conversations on various topics. Despite occasional differences in opinion, Mary's willingness to challenge Mr. Collins was met with receptiveness. He found it intriguing to exchange ideas with a lady, considering it a refreshing departure from his usual company which primarily consisted of his father and others of his ilk.

Mrs. Winters chaperoned these visits. Mary was “out” in society, and though she believed the girl too young to marry, did not want any negative talk to circulate that would affect her reputation. While she remained quiet in most of the conversations, she did occasionally insert an opinion when it became necessary. Often, these comments required both parties to reconsider an opinion.

Through these conversations, both became a little less dogmatic in their beliefs. Mrs. Winters' presence helped maintain propriety and added a layer of practicality that one or the other might have occasionally lacked.

One afternoon, they spent the entire visit discussing the value of novels. Mr. Collins had been taught that women ought not to read such texts, having been told they were vulgar and endangered women’s delicate sensibilities.

“You see, Mr. Collins,” Mary remarked, “I believe that novels have the power to broaden our horizons and deepen our understanding of the human experience. They allow us to explore different perspectives and empathise with the characters. Yes, they can also teach us what is right and wrong and should be balanced by reading other texts that will teach us what is moral.”

Mr. Collins, initially sceptical of her argument, replied, "But Miss Mary, is it not better to spend your time in more edifying pursuits? Novels often indulge in frivolous sentimentality and distract us from our moral duties.”

Mary smiled patiently, ready to defend her position. “While it is true that some novels may lack moral depth, many offer profound insights into human nature and moral dilemmas. They can inspire us to reflect on our own lives and strive for personal growth. Again, I am not suggesting that is all a lady should read, but it does not harm us to read one now and then.”

Their conversation continued, with Mary advocating for the value of literature, while Mr. Collins listened intently, gradually opening his mind to her perspective. In fact, on her next visit, Mary brought a book written ‘by a lady’ that she read a portion of to Mr. Collins. At the end of her visit, he asked to borrow it, and the two discussed the book at a later visit.

Mary’s horizons were being broadened by not only her growing friendship with her cousin, but by several other relationships as well. Amelia and Mary had become fast friends as they practised the piano together, but it was Amelia’s influence that had encouraged Mary to embrace novels. Prior to coming to Maidstone, Mary had been sceptical of their value, but Amelia and Mrs. Winters had been reading one together and encouraged Mary to participate in the conversation. In the end, Mary had stayed up late into the night to catch up with them in the book as she found it far more interesting than she initially thought.

Her piano playing was also improving. Amelia’s teacher had easily included Mary in the lessons despite their different levels, and having a friend to encourage her was invaluable. Since Mary was the only one who played at home, there was no one with whom to speak about music, and most of what she had learned was self-taught.

Mrs. Winters was motherly in a way Mrs. Bennet had never been, at least not with her. In truth, the way Mrs. Winters was with both Mary and her own daughter was nothing like the way Mrs. Bennet parented any of her daughters. Mary had been visiting for almost a month before it dawned on her what the difference was: Mrs. Winters was (almost) entirely unselfish.

It was a startling realisation. Mrs. Bennet preferred the daughters who she thought most likely to assure her own security. While it did not say much for the relationship between her parents, she knew her mother’s greatest concern was what would happen when her father died. Since Mr. Bennet had presumably done nothing to ensure his family would be provided for after his death, Mrs. Bennet was justly worried about her future. With that in mind, she pushed and encouraged the daughters who were most like her, the ones she thought most likely to make a match that would provide for her in the future.

Even trying to force Elizabeth to marry Mr. Collins was an attempt at self-preservation. Having one of her daughters married to Longbourn’s heir would have—at least in Mrs. Bennet’s mind—assured her welcome at Longbourn for her lifetime. Of course, knowing what she now knew about her sister, she realised that would never have been true. Had Mrs. Bennet forced Elizabeth to marry, Elizabeth would have had few qualms about sending Mrs. Bennet into the hedgerows upon Mr. Bennet’s death. Whether the late Mr. Collins would have supported this decision was a different consideration .

After a mere month at Maidstone, Mary was a completely different girl compared to the one who had arrived there. All these realisations had helped her to mature and her discussions with her new friends and the letters she exchanged with Elizabeth had encouraged her to look at the world in a different light. She was also learning what the mistress of an estate ought to do and wondered how many of these practices she could put into effect when she returned to Longbourn.

To her disappointment, Mary was expected to return home before too much longer. Unfortunately, she had already received and ignored several letters from her mother demanding her return. Initially, she had been unsure why her presence was needed, but it soon became apparent that her mother had learned about the elder Mr. Collins’s death and the imminent arrival of the younger. She did not seem to know that Mary had already met the gentleman, but she wanted Mary to return home before he came. Since Jane was destined for a wealthier man—Mrs. Bennet decided Jane deserved a husband even better than the one Elizabeth had managed to get—Mary was now expected to marry Longbourn’s heir.

Mary did like Mr. Collins and enjoyed their conversations, but she was only sixteen and felt she was in no way prepared for marriage. Neither was Mr. Collins, given that he had no home and, at the moment, no prospects. If Mrs. Bennet got her way and the two did wed, where would they live and who would support them?

But that was not a concern for Mrs. Bennet. She wanted her daughter married and her own security assured, regardless of the cost to anyone else. Realising this, Mary first spoke to her hostess and wrote her mother a letter informing her that she had been invited to stay until spring. Since she could not in good conscience reject such a kind invitation, Mary accepted it, letting her mother know she could not possibly return before Easter.