Pride and Prejudice the Poor Princess

Marianne was eating quietly, and Collins and Mrs. Bennett were also unusually silent. Mr. Darcy on the opposite side didn't even touch a knife and fork, but just held his wine glass expressionlessly, as if he was meditating and waiting.

The atmosphere in the restaurant was extremely weird, and many ladies left after taking a few bites in a hurry.

Mrs. Bennet put down the knife and fork, and patted her daughter on the shoulder, "Honey, I'm going to play cards in the game room, eat slowly."

Darcy held the wine glass tightly, and looked across with deep eyes.

Under his constant gaze, Mary's scalp felt numb, but she didn't want to follow her mother to play cards, so she quickly wiped her mouth with a napkin, "Mum, wait, I'm going to the lobby, and I happen to be on the same road as you."

She took Mrs. Bennet's arm and hurried away, and Collins followed closely.

Darcy raised his head and drank the wine in the glass in one gulp, and walked towards the hall with his hands behind his back.

Mary joined a group of ladies in conversation, and Collins had a pleasant conversation with Miss Charlotte Lucas.

Darcy stood ten steps away, watching them silently.

When the dance music started, Collins invited Miss Lucas to step onto the dance floor, and the crowd around Mary also gradually dispersed. Darcy moved to move forward, but then stopped.He didn't understand when he fell into such a predicament. He just wanted to get Mary's forgiveness. Why was it so difficult?

Mary walked quickly to the lounge area by the dance floor, joined a group of elderly gentlemen in conversation, and never moved a step.She knew that the conversations of the elders always lasted for a long time, and they often felt that they still had more to say when the ball was over.Staying with them was enough to keep Darcy away.

As the minutes passed, Darcy took out his pocket watch and found that the dance was coming to an end.He looked at Mary in the crowd with an unusually gloomy expression.

As usual, Mrs. Bennet delayed her departure until the last moment, and Mary, holding her arm tightly, walked in the front.When the carriage moved slowly, she couldn't help looking at Darcy.

He stood behind Bentley with his hands behind his back, his waist straightened, his resolute jaw lifted slightly, his face did not have the usual stern expression, but a bit of pain and embarrassment.Facing Mary's gaze, he was stunned for a moment, then nodded.

His movements were heavy, and his dark and unpredictable eyes made Mary feel short of breath.After the carriage drove more than ten meters away, his tall figure gradually merged with the night, turning into a blurry silhouette. Mary turned her head and sighed deeply.

She managed to block Darcy tonight, but she didn't feel good about it.

After sending off all the guests, the hall of Netherfield seemed particularly empty. The servants came and went to clean up the mess, and several masters moved to sit in the cleaned lounge.

Darcy was looking over a paper in his hand, and Bingley crowded up to him, and ordered him to get rid of his work at once, and that it was entertainment time before and after the ball, and he did it in such a disgraceful way!

"Have you heard? Mr. Collins, who came with the Bennets tonight, intends to marry Mary. Good God! His eloquence is a perfect match for Mary's sharp tongue! The residents will submit to the words of their husband and wife!" Miss Bingley said exaggeratedly.

The document in Darcy's hand changed shape in an instant.

Bentley next to him felt the cold air emanating from him, and moved slightly.

"That must be an interesting scene," Mrs. Horst nodded in agreement.

"My God, why do you think they are so good for each other? It is a tragedy that Miss Mary is married to that unknown priest! Her elegance and the priest's stupidity don't seem to match! They shouldn't be together at all!" Howe Stuart frowned in disgust.In his view, Mary's marriage to Collins was like red wine and overnight dry bread.

The document in Darcy's hand was restored to its original state.

"It's not up to you whether they should be together or not. Mr. Collins once told me he was going to propose to Mary tonight. I think he may have succeeded by now. He's going to inherit the Bennets, you know." Marrying him is undoubtedly the best choice for Mary. With her unremarkable appearance, it is her luck that Mr. Collins can choose her among the five sisters." Miss Bingley said as she secretly observed Darcy's expression.

Mary's words about 'successful marriage' came to my ears again, Darcy frowned fiercely, stood up and said in a deep voice, "It's very late, I'll take my leave first."

He nodded to everyone, walked towards the door, paused as if thinking of something, and looked back at Bingley, "I'm going back to London tomorrow, and I have a lot of business waiting to be dealt with."

"Ah, I'm going back to London tomorrow. I have an important letter that will arrive at my apartment in London. I'm always worried that the servant will lose it carelessly." Bingley said with a sad face.He originally planned to spend Christmas with Jane before leaving.

"Then let's go together." Darcy nodded.

"I'll go back with you too. Life in Longborn is so boring, I'm tired of it!" Miss Bingley clapped her hands happily.

Mrs. Horst immediately agreed.

Mr. Horst was the only one who was reluctant.Returning to London meant that he would not be able to eat the meals cooked by Miss Mary for a long time, and he thought that he would lose weight quickly.

At the same time, in the living room of Bennett's house, Collins called Mary who was about to go upstairs, "Mary, can I chat with you alone for a while?"

Mrs. Bennet showed a joyful expression; Mr. Bennet frowned; several sisters looked at Mary with deep sympathy in their eyes.

Mary was silent for a moment, and found that Mrs. Bennet was winking at her desperately, so she nodded and said, "Yes."

The idlers exited the hall wisely, and the atmosphere suddenly became extremely strange.

Collins straightened his tie and coughed twice, then bent down to Mary, and said very sincerely, "Miss Mary, I hope you can marry me..."

He began to talk endlessly about the benefits of marrying him: Mrs. de Boer's gratification after hearing the news; the grand wedding held in Hunsford's new house; the sincere blessings of the parishioners; the extremely happy marriage Afterlife; children born year after year...

Mary was reclining on the sofa, resting her forehead with one hand, her sitting posture was lazy yet elegant.Collins looked at her every time he said a word, and the more he looked at her, the more passion surged in his chest.If he was still a little hesitant at the beginning, now, he is absolutely satisfied with his choice!

Mary is very good-looking, smart and capable, and is even more talented in communication and cooking. She is a sweet girl who everyone loves.Mrs de Boer will certainly appreciate his choice!

After a few minutes, Collins finally stopped talking and looked at Mary eagerly.

"Are you done?" Mary said calmly.

"Yes. What's your answer?" Collins felt his throat dry.

"I'm sorry, but I can't accept your marriage proposal." Mary stood up and rejected him simply and directly.

By the time Collins recovered, Mary had already left.He slumped down on the sofa, covering his face with his hands.

Mrs. Bennett, who had been eavesdropping outside the door, almost became an ant on a hot pot.She thought the marriage was a sure thing, but she didn't expect Mary to refuse at the last minute.What about this family?How did she and her daughters live after her husband left?A dowry of a thousand pounds was not enough for them to last a year.

The miserable future was pictured in her mind, and Mrs. Bennet's eyes were red, and she looked even more pitiful than Collins.

She tiptoed into the living room, tried to comfort Collins, and then went to talk to her daughter, maybe there was still room for redemption.

But before she got close, Collins suddenly raised his head, and there were no tears on his face as Mrs. Bennet imagined, but a surprise of sudden realization.

"I'm so stupid! How can a lady as reserved as Mary agree to my marriage proposal at once? Yes, she must be shy, and she wants to test my perseverance! God, I almost gave up!" He screamed bluffing.

Mrs. Bennet stared dumbfounded at him talking to himself, unable to recover for a long while.

Collins found her and walked over to hold her hand firmly, "Auntie, I want to tell you, I will never give up on Mary! I will stick to it until she promises me. It's a pity that I have a lot of academic affairs to deal with, and I can't Long stay, so I intend to invite Mary to visit Hunsford, and when she visits my renovated home, she will be satisfied with this marriage."

Mrs. Bennet could only nod her head nana, and only realized when he was far away, and hurried to Mary's room.

"Honey, you turned down Collins' proposal? Do you know what you're doing?" She asked aggressively as soon as the door was opened.

"I know mom." Mary's tone was light, but she revealed a force that could not be threatened.

Mrs. Bennet's momentum softened like a punctured rubber ball.She sat next to Mary, hugged her shoulders affectionately, and persuaded softly, "My child, mother told you that this is an extremely rare and good marriage. If you miss this one, you will regret it later. Collins has He has status and high income, how many people will envy you if you marry him? Don't you see? The eldest daughter of the Lucas family has all set their minds on him, and they have been teasing him tonight. He speaks!"

"Mom, I know your worries." Mary looked directly at her with a serious expression, "If I told you that even without the property of the Bennett family, I could still make you live a good life, and you would still force me to marry Give it to him?"

"How can you support your mother and yourself?" demanded Mrs. Bennet.

"Not sure yet." Mary waved her hand.

Mrs. Bennet held her forehead, desperately wanting to faint.She shook her daughter's shoulders vigorously and begged, "Son, don't refuse so quickly! Collins said that he wanted to invite you to Hunsford to have a look, and it won't be too late to make a decision when you come back. I beg you, mother." ?"

Mary thought for a while and agreed.

Oriental embroidery is extremely popular among nobles, and she only needs to make one or two boutiques a year to make a living.Although it cannot be guaranteed to be as decent as it is now, it can always be done without worrying about food and clothing.But now things are not sure, she doesn't want to tell her family.Right now, I have no choice but to follow my mother's wishes.

Anyway, she had no guarantee that she would agree to Collins' proposal.The world is always full of various variables, isn't it?