New Gods of North America

Doug has not returned yet, Ryan has a bruised face,

Willy, the youngest and most experienced agent in the detective agency, was forced by Lina to be the coachman.

In addition, there is a trainee detective accompanying the vehicle as a "bodyguard".

"Do you know what the coachman should do?" Lina sat in the carriage and pulled down the partition to test Willy.

Wayne and his two companions were riding in a four-wheeled carriage that they had bought when they returned from Richmond.

Although their idea of ​​choosing a horse-drawn carriage is mainly based on cost-effectiveness, which has almost nothing to do with "luxury", but as a small prop for socializing with the upper class, if you have some of these things, you can barely cross the threshold of "respectability".

Otherwise, if you rent every time, it will actually be more expensive in the long run.

Willy was also forced to wear some handsome clothes today and comb his hair like an adult.

He answered Teacher Lina's question honestly:

"Got it. First, drive the carriage to the main house of the manor. After you get off the carriage, follow the instructions of the manor servants to find a place to park. Wait until the ball is over or you receive a reminder, and then pick you up in front of the main house and take you back to the detective agency."

Lina crossed her arms, "What else?"

"Ah? There's more?"

Willy seemed a little nervous. He was thinking while driving the carriage, and the speed of the carriage slowed down a little.

Ever since Willy was taken by Lina to be Emma's "classmate", Willy would inevitably get nervous when Lina asked him questions.

Just like students in school facing the dean, there is a sense of restraint.

Lina nodded:

“As a coachman, you need to observe the location and alert status of the main entrances and exits in a timely manner, and if necessary, it is best to accurately provide a relatively reliable evacuation route plan.

“By the way, you must quickly memorize and identify other families’ carriages and servants, learn to observe the most prominent features of other carriages, and understand other people’s hobbies and habits.

"And this is the most basic four-wheeled carriage. By observing it, we can consider how to quickly camouflage it with specific markers. Who knows, it might come in handy someday."

Willy couldn't help but hesitate for a moment, "Ms. Lina, are we really just going to the dance? And not on any other mission?"

"Of course."

Lina took out a small mirror and checked her makeup. She looked very pretty. "If you want to carry out the mission, you need to make a lot of preparations in advance. How can you be so relaxed? The Brooke family's manor doesn't seem to be a place with too strict security. There is no need to consider succeeding with a single contact. You can explore it for the time being."

Wayne's purpose of attending the ball was not only to make the detective agency more visible in the local social scene, but also to provide cover for Lina, so that she could see if she had a chance to confirm the pendant with her own eyes.

Inessa was dragged along by the two men to jump into the fire pit. Although she was not very proactive in socializing, she was not stage-shy. She was the type of person who would rather not go, but would go if she had to.

Then naturally you can't escape.

…

According to unwritten rules, the right to host a dance usually belongs to the "head of the family" couple of a large or small family.

This is because the funds needed to hold a ball are often too huge for ordinary members who do not have access to family funds.

On the other hand, guests also need to be clear about “who” they are building friendship with and whether the status of both parties is equal.

Just like Ian Fisk's sister, Miss Olivia, it shouldn't be difficult for her to hold a dance party, whether from her connections, financial resources, or the actual location she needs.

But before she actually gets married and starts a family, it would be considered "inappropriate" to hold a social dance alone.

But she can do so after she is divorced or widowed, in which case she can represent "herself" - if the marriage is still ongoing, the invitations need to be sent in the name of "Mr. and Mrs. So-and-so" rather than "members of the Fisk family."

Ian Fisk's situation is similar. After marriage, he basically only represents himself. Before marriage, he can occasionally represent the Fisk family, but only with the authorization or permission of his father.

Otherwise, unless he can officially become the head of the family or the designated heir, as long as the family elders or brothers are present, it will not be his turn to represent the entire "Fisk family."

However, if you represent "yourself", "small family" or "the whole family", the level of guests you can invite may be completely different.

Before getting off the carriage, Wayne made a final summary:

“So our temptation tonight must be carried out without being noticed or offending anyone.

"After all, this is an invitation from the Brooks, representing the official face of a family. Even if the guests present are not necessarily powerful, if we offend them, we may be offending the upper-class rules of Georgeburg and even the entire Virginia."

"I know," Lina gave Wayne an "OK" gesture, "We still have to stay in Virginia for a while. We can't just run away after getting into trouble like we did before. I understand."

Then, amid the announcement of "Mr. Constantine, Miss Winslet, and Miss Kyle from the Wayne National Detective Agency are visiting\

,"Led by the servants, Wayne and his two companions walked into the main house of the manor. They first greeted the Brookes, and then the unmarried men and women separated and went their own ways.

——Generally speaking, in such occasions, only legal couples can stick together according to etiquette, even though they may not be willing to do so.

Wayne quickly went to the crowd to find David Mills.

David Mills, nominally a senior inspector of the police station and in fact the head of the local church's exorcism department, was forced to attend the invitation on behalf of Pastor Bazzini. He was instigated by Wayne to secretly confirm Mr. Brooke's situation.

After seeing Wayne coming over, David Mills quietly took the time to whisper to Wayne:

"Mr. and Mrs. Brooke should not be 'Fallen', at least not low-level 'Fallen'."

Wayne was a little surprised.

Mr. Brooke, you can still shake hands, Mrs. Brooke, how did you get it?

As both of you are unmarried men, are you and Mrs. Brooke close enough to kiss each other on the cheek?

David Mills was a serious man, and he explained to Wayne honestly, "Mrs. Brooke had had dealings with the Secret Service before, and it's normal for me to kiss the hand of an elder lady."

Okay.

Wayne left David Mills and went to the dining table as usual to take a peek at the delicious food, intending to start serving the dishes after the first dance was over.

Compared to the last dance at Mr. Russell's house,

Although Wayne was already an officially invited guest, he didn't have Ian Fisk's conspicuous bag, nor did he have the presence of Bishop Corleone, so Wayne seemed more relaxed in comparison.

The other guests gathered in small circles, occasionally glancing at Wayne, but no one took the initiative to accept him for the time being.

Instead, it was Inessa and Lina who were in a circle with Miss Olivia, Miss Russell, and Miss Mary.

The unmarried men who were looking for partners looked at the two girls' figures and looks, and learned a little about the identities and backgrounds of the other girls. They seemed to be eager to invite them to dance and get to know each other better.

Compared to the glamorous Lina, Inissa, who was wearing a conservative dress, attracted no less attention.

Generally speaking, such clothing is not considered "open" and usually implies that the lady herself does not intend to actively socialize tonight. Some gentlemen usually keep their distance politely after understanding this.

However, some other gentlemen often choose to increase their level of "enthusiasm".