[Pride and Prejudice] Mrs Bennett

Are you pushing too hard?

Grace smiled wryly.This is something that can't be helped. Even if she now has a husband and three children, she still doesn't feel safe enough to work hard to improve the financial situation and status of the Bennett family.

For her, England in the [-]th century was too far away from her. Even after living here for a few years, she still couldn't fully integrate herself into it.

Whether it was with Mr. Bennett, or the twins and the youngest daughter, there was a divide between them.This kind of estrangement is a psychological problem. Now that she can't find a psychiatrist for help, she can only adjust herself.

"Grace, relax, life is beautiful." Mr. Bennett took her white catkin and kissed her slender fingers gently. "The children have their maids and governesses, and we can Live a little life together, such as riding horses, fishing, reading our favorite novels in the study, discussing our favorite plots, sitting around the fireplace in winter, and going to the manor in the Lake District to escape the heat in summer.”

"We can have a good and easy life, Grace darling," said Mr. Bennett in a deep, rich voice, "and we've got enough money to support us, even with a few more children. What's more, the money is all earned by us, if Dylan wants a better life in the future, let him work hard."

Grace, who was smiling and listening to Mr. Bennett's words, twitched the corner of her mouth, and she sighed: "Dylan will be sad to hear you say that, dear."

"It will make you sad?" Mr. Bennet raised his eyebrows. "I was always under the blows of the old Mr. Bennett. He said that boys should be taught more setbacks."

"It's a pity that I couldn't see old Mr. Bennett." Grace said calmly.

She has always felt that Mr. Bennett, like her, is not quite like the British of this era, and the biggest variable among them is the old Mr. Bennett who has passed away.Whether it is breastfeeding, the way of educating Mr. Bennett, or even the respect and attitude towards women, it is obviously completely different from this era!

"Dad will be very pleased to hear you say that." Mr. Bennett's handsome face had a nostalgic look on his face. "He and Mom will be very happy if they know that I have married such a good wife. When Liz grows up At one o'clock, let's take the three children to visit their graves."

"Okay." Grace still doesn't know what British customs are for grave-sweeping, because Mr. Bennett arranges them every time they go.And in the memory of their predecessors, the time when they went to visit Mrs. Gardner's grave was also uncertain.

"Okay, it's time for my Mrs. Bennett to get up!" Mr. Bennett stood up and put his big hand in front of her eyes, "Eat something casually to cushion, and then start to dress up, the maid arranged by Mr. Smith I'm already waiting for you in the room."

With Mr. Bennett's hand, Grace got up and took his hand and walked to the living room.

She was sure she didn't like these so-called dances at all, country or high society!To attend the ball, you must dress up, even if you dress up like a Christmas tree with all kinds of gemstone jewelry, the most important thing is that there is no inner beauty in this era!

In order to express the beauty of women, the corset that can strangle people is comparable to a big killer!And those women who can still dance in the ball dressed like this are the objects of Grace's worship.She felt uncomfortable just wearing that dress, and she wanted to dance so happily... Let's forget it.

It's not that Grace never thought about being an inner beauty, but she really didn't dare to challenge the current era too much.In the era when the "big aunt" comes and can only lie on the bed and wait for the end, some ideas are too shocking, especially the influence of the church is not small at all!

Entering the living room, Mr. Bennett kissed Grace on the forehead and withdrew.He had to see if the twins were really up to something, or if they were messing with Mr. Smith and the maids.

"Ma'am, the dress and jewelry you want to wear are all ready." The red-haired girl in a maid outfit came over with a long dress and corset, causing Grace to narrow her eyes slightly.

It's her, Anna... She glanced at Hill standing beside her, and Grace nodded, "Put your clothes down. Hill, Cecil said that he has prepared some snacks, why didn't he see it?"

"Aisha went to the kitchen, ma'am." Hill bent over and said.

"Then you go down first." Grace said to Anna, "After I finish my snacks, Hill and Aisha will help me dress."

Anna put down the dress and corset, bowed to salute, and stepped back. The light in her eyes was captured by Grace, and her brows were slightly frowned.For such a restless maid, it is better for her to leave the Bennett mansion as soon as possible.

****

The restored Bennett House dining room is nothing like the old one.In the past, it was a middle-class layout that was mainly practical, but now, it needs to reflect the owner's wealth, upbringing and knowledge everywhere.

In the restaurant which was arranged as a dance venue, servants carrying things came and went, the tables were covered with spotless tablecloths with beautiful patterns, beautiful silverware gleaming with silver, sofas with exquisite and magnificent patterns, exquisite Luxuriously carved wooden doors, a lovely billiard room with wood-panelled walls and soft light, large oil paintings hanging on the walls, and shiny brass candlesticks scattered here and there, without any sunshade effect, just for decoration. It looks like a carpet imported from Persia.

After Grace and Mr. Bennett danced the opening dance, they separated and greeted the guests respectively.Little Liz, of course, stayed in the nursery with Mrs Green, while the twins took the little ones to the nursery, where there were plenty of toys for them to play with for a long time.

"The Viscountess looks really good, she doesn't look like she just gave birth to a baby." The somewhat bloated Mrs. Lucas said in a shrill voice, "Is there any secret recipe, can you share it with us? "

"Just keep exercising. When I was in London, I would take a walk in the garden every morning and evening." Grace said with a decent smile.

"...Is it useful?" Mrs. Lucas looked suspicious.She doesn't have much time to go for a walk every day, but there are many things to do at home.There is only one servant in the house, who feeds the chickens, cleans, and is busy in the kitchen, hardly resting for a moment, and he never loses weight!

"It probably has something to do with one's physique, anyway, it has a great effect on me." Grace shook the feather fan in his hand.Yoga is something that the lower classes in India know, and basically the British would not learn it, so she just practiced it secretly by herself.

"Is that so?" Mrs. Lucas smiled, and took two glasses of champagne from the serving tray, one of which was handed to Grace, and raised the glass in her hand, "Very good dance, very good wine .”

Grace nodded, took a sip, and said with a smile, "Mrs. Lucas is having a good time. I'll go over there and have a look." pressure.She didn't wear much gold and silver today, but she still got hatred in the end.

If it weren't for the etiquette that the Bennett family needed to hold such a dance, Grace would have been hiding whenever he could.The ball was one of the best places for men and women of marriageable age to meet, and the Bennetts had no marriageable crowd at present.And she, while not socially flawed or problematic, doesn't like the red tape either.

"Viscountess, good night." A beautiful voice interrupted Grace's steps towards the garden to breathe. Turning his head, he saw Mrs. Jin wearing a golden dress and a full set of pearl jewelry.

"Good night." There was a gleam in Grace's blue eyes, and after walking over with a decent smile on the corner of his lips, he slightly bowed his knees and saluted, "The presence of Mrs. Jin will make the Bennett mansion flourish tonight .”

"The Viscountess is really good at talking." Madam Jin covered half of her face with a silk gilt fan in her hand and chuckled, "Actually, I am very ordinary, mainly because this dress and jewelry set me off."

"No matter how gorgeous the clothes and jewelry are, the person who wears them must have the temperament to show them, right?" Grace and Mrs. Jin looked at each other and smiled.

"The Viscountess really knows the goods. The price of pearls is still high now. This is because my husband happened to be in the business of pearls, and he just left a set for me. Do you want to consider buying a set, too? You must wear this jewelry." It also fits very well." Mrs. Jin smiled sweetly, her narrow gray-blue eyes were slightly narrowed, and her chin was raised so that her sharp cheekbones became obvious.

"Thank you Mrs. Jin in advance, but my jewelry is enough for the time being, and I don't need to add more." Grace lowered her eyebrows and smiled, "If necessary, I will not be polite to Mrs. Jin."

"In recent years, the amount of pearls collected has been getting lower and lower, and the cost of seawater cultured pearls in Sri Lanka is getting higher and higher. It is not easy to get such goods now." Mrs. Jin played with the big pearls on her neck. Zhu Chuan said that Grace could see her arrogance hidden under her humble face.

"Hehe, if necessary, I will trouble Mrs. Jin and Mr. Jin to talk about it." Grace secretly speculated about the possibility of joining forces with Mr. Jin to start the pearl business.It's just that this troublesome matter doesn't require her, a housewife, to come forward, she only needs to disclose the news to Mr. Bennett.

"Tonight's dance was very good, whether it was catering or servants, the only fly in the ointment..." Mrs. Jin looked at several women sitting in the corner eating and a girl holding a little boy.

Grace frowned, turned his head and called a servant over.Not all the children are in the children's room, so why are there two left here.

"That's Charlotte and William of the Lucas family." Mrs. Jin said with a half-smile, "It is said that she is the eldest daughter of the Jazz family, but in fact...everyone knows it well."

In Longborn, Meryton, the Jin family used to have the highest income, but now the Bennett family has become the number one.However, whether the Bennett family ranks first in family background and income or only in family background, only God knows and they themselves know.Just looking at the decoration of the mansion and the many servants, you can probably get a glimpse of it.

The Jin and his wife could see a little way, and the other squires were probably just watching the fun.

Grace narrowed her eyes and smiled, nodded slightly and said, "I'm sorry, Cecil called me over there for something, so I'll take my leave first."

Looking sideways at Mr. Bennett who was standing beside Sir Lucas and waving, Mrs. Jin shook her fan and said teasingly: "Go, your husband and wife have such a good relationship, it seems that it won't be long. There will be another little Bennett born."

"You have a good word." After bending his knees, Grace swayed and walked towards Mr. Bennett with lotus steps.With just a few short conversations, she felt that many brain cells had died.This kind of unnutritious probing confrontation is really boring.

"Hello, Sir Lucas." Holding the skirts on both sides, Grace bent his knees and performed a standard court salute.

"Oh, hello, Viscountess. You are still so beautiful. Did you go well when you met the king? Did you attend the ball in the palace?" Sir Lucas put his left hand on his chest and bowed to salute. It became frenzied.

Mr. Grace and Mr. Burnett looked at each other helplessly before smiling appropriately and said: "The meeting with His Majesty the King went smoothly. Both His Majesty the King and Your Excellency the Prince are in good health. Of course, the ball in the palace is also elegant and luxurious. Our dances here are incomparable." She said while curtseying in the direction of London.

"The well-being of His Majesty the King and His Excellency the Prince is a blessing to the people of our British Empire." Sir Lucas smiled.

Grace complained secretly in her heart when she heard the words. His Majesty the King is now in the early stages of schizophrenia, and the Prince of Wales will become the Regent in a few years.And the Prince of Wales...presumably busy with his numerous mistresses.

"Mr. Lucas is right." Mr. Bennett smiled, "Look, there are so many ladies at the ball today, don't you think about going to dance?"

"Of course a lady should match a gentleman. Although I am also a gentleman, I am already married." Sir Lucas stroked his mustache, "But although I don't dance, I still go to say hello to other people. I will come tonight I've always had a good conversation with Lord Viscount, and I can't ignore other people." Smiling, he paced away shyly with his bloated belly tightly wrapped under the tuxedo.

Mr. Bennett sighed, and Mo Tong looked at Grace helplessly: "You have a good chat with those ladies, and you left me here alone?"

"Where did you see that I had a good conversation?" Grace rolled her eyes, but in Mr. Bennett's eyes, she was coquettish.

"I don't know about Mrs. Lucas, but you said a few words to Mrs. Jin." Mr. Bennett nodded to his eyes from time to time, and finally moved his chest impatiently. "It's really not an ordinary trouble, Grace. If it's not necessary in the future, let's not hold a ball and take part in less." He looked at Grace with pleading eyes, and his black pupils were shimmering. .

If it wasn't at the ball, Grace might have said, "There's no way this time. After the ball is over, let's stay at home together and be a homebody!"

****

After midnight, the dance at the Bennett family finally came to a perfect end, and the two hosts of the Bennett family were very satisfied with the happy ending.

In the master bedroom, Grace sits on a dresser in a silk nightgown and makes a face mask with cucumbers from the farm.Mr. Bennett was lying on the bed with a faint smile on his face: "Grace, you take these things for maintenance every day, don't you feel tired?"

"When I followed you to the dance party, why did you look so proud?" Grace slowly squirmed the corners of her lips to prevent the cucumber from falling.

Even if married, women should pay attention to body and skin maintenance, so that the husband and wife can live in harmony longer.When young, humans are visual animals.Grace, she also loves Mrs. Bennett, who is in good shape and good looks, if he is the same as Sir Lucas...

Shivering, she stopped fantasizing, that scene was really too penetrating.

Mr. Bennett clenched his fist and coughed twice on his lips: "This is a matter of a man's face, so...you see, I have never been stopped from doing anything, have I?"

"This should be a tacit understanding between husband and wife." Grace walked over with her face up, took a slice of cucumber and stuffed it into Mr. Bennett's mouth.He frowned and bit the cucumber into pieces and swallowed it, causing her to chuckle, "Don't worry, I've washed the cucumber and my face, so you can eat it without worry." After finishing speaking, she also stuffed a slice of cucumber Put it in your mouth.

"We still have to eat cucumbers at this time? Shouldn't we do something else that is good for our body and mind?" Mr. Bennet lowered his voice.They hadn't been together as a couple since Grace was seven months pregnant.It was almost half a year in total, and he couldn't bear it anymore.

"Cecil, you really have no pursuit, I have something to tell you." Grace waved his restless hand and said directly.

Seeing Grace's serious look, Mr. Bennett could only sigh and continue to endure obediently.

After Grace slowly told him the conversation she had with Mrs. Jin today, she continued: "The [-] pearls in our hands should be sold as much as possible. It will mature. When those pearls come on the market and hit the market, so many pearls in our hands will become worthless."

"I also thought about getting rid of the pearls as early as possible, and we can keep some of the top ones." Mr. Bennett frowned, "If we just cooperate with Mr. Jin... In terms of supply, we can say that it comes from His Excellency the Prince, and it is impossible for him Go ask. Let me talk to him some time, Pearl is still a huge profit at the moment."

"Of course, Mr. Bennett, who is in charge of the house, is in charge of this matter. Now, your wife, I am going to sleep for a beauty sleep!" Grace lifted the thin quilt and lay down, touching the silk skin and feeling the silk. The unique cold feeling made her sigh in satisfaction.

After raising silkworms at home, she can't do anything about extracting silk essence, but it's still possible to find a way to get some benefits for herself.Silk quilts in summer and silk quilts in winter are both good things!

"Honey, you don't plan to just sleep like this, do you?" Mr. Bennet smiled wryly, and touched her body suggestively.

"I'm tired, Cecil." Grace looked at him pitifully, "Aren't you tired after entertaining so many people today?"

"Okay." Mr. Bennett is a good husband who respects his wife. He lay down next to her in frustration, and took her into his arms. "It's okay not to do certain things, but the benefits of sleeping with you are a must!"

"...Aren't you hot, honey?"

"It's the end of September and it's not that hot."

What is the sticky sweat on the skin if it is not hot? !Grace really admired Mr. Bennett's ability to open his eyes and tell lies.

She closed her eyes in Mr. Bennet's warm arms, and soon fell into a deep sleep because she was so tired.But Mr. Bennet held her tossing and turning all night. A man who has a wife but still has a vacant room to himself cannot afford to be hurt!

The result of being suppressed for one night was that Grace was completely eaten by Mr. Bennett when it was still daylight in the early morning.When he left the master room refreshed, Grace was still sore and lethargic on the bed.

"Good morning, Dad!" When they came to the restaurant, the twins sitting at the dining table greeted Mr. Bennett with bright smiles.

"Good morning, Daddy's Princess Jane and Baby Dylan." He walked over and leaned over to kiss the two children's foreheads.

"Dad, I have already helped my mother arrange the prom affairs, I am no longer a child, you can no longer call me baby!" Dylan said sternly, holding a fork, asking his father for the justice he wanted.

"Well, from now on, my father will only be called Dylan." Mr. Bennett smiled without hesitation. It is necessary to show respect for the child in a timely manner, especially since Dylan is a precocious heir to the Bennett family. .

After sitting down at the dining table, the maid quickly delivered his breakfast.

"Is mom going to sleep late today?" Jane blinked her blue eyes, "Is she pregnant with a baby again?" In her heart, a mother who is pregnant with a baby will get tired easily and needs to be protected.It was like that when Mama was pregnant with Liz.

Mr. Bennett almost spit out the milk in his mouth. He coughed a few times before smiling and said to Jane: "Mom is just tired, so she needs to sleep a little longer, and she is not pregnant yet."

The doctor told him that it is best to wait three to five years between giving birth, so that the burden on the woman's body is not so heavy.He already has an heir now, so he doesn't have to work so hard to make people.This kind of life between husband and wife is just for fun, and the children are second.

"Really?" Jane pouted, "I wish my mother would have more younger sisters to play with me. Liz is still too young, and Charlotte from Sir Lucas's family can't play with me... Dad, I feel so lonely."

"..." Mr. Bennet was speechless. What kind of loneliness does a child under four know?

"Jane, haven't I been playing with you all the time?" Dylan said angrily, his sister actually forgot about him.

"But Dylan, you're a boy, we like different things." Jane said, pointing her fingers.

☆、Chapter 20