Miss Mary in Pride and Prejudice

In the first few days, Mary was so disturbed that she couldn't think about it. When the situation changed and she was able to think about it with the eyes of a bystander, she couldn't help being moved by the depth of the earl's love.After all, it is enough to be proud that a woman can inadvertently arouse such deep love from others, not to mention that in the eyes of the world, the earl is still so rich and powerful, which has attracted countless noble ladies.

But although Mary was moved, she didn't regret rejecting the Earl of Leicester's marriage proposal.In fact, the more she thinks calmly, the more she feels that her decision is correct and it is a good thing for both of them.She thought, a man proposes to a woman because of his enthusiasm for a while, and once the enthusiasm fades after marriage, he finds out that his wife has many unsatisfactory things, how painful and embarrassing it is.And she herself knew clearly that she never had the intelligence of her sister Elizabeth to manage such a large property and so many servants.Thinking that at that time both of them would regret choosing the wrong marriage partner and become bitter spouses, Mary felt that her refusal was a rational thing.

What's more, marriage is based on love, and has she fallen in love with the earl?She wasn't sure about that.When she is really moved, when he asks her to dance, when he picks grapes with him, when he kisses her... But more often, when her reason is not blinded by emotion , She felt alienated from the earl, she felt that he was moody, and followed her own will, never considering other people's feelings.Nor did he seem to be so merciful to his own tenants as Mr. Darcy, though Mary heard no servant or villager speak ill of the Earl.In the end, in order to make herself feel better, Mary resolutely told herself: No, I never fell in love with the earl, at most it was a kind of attraction, because of his wealth and status, the vanity attraction, but definitely not love.

Mary struggled with these contradictory thoughts for a long time, recalling the Earl's words more than a dozen times a day, each time more clearly and vividly. Later, she finally persuaded herself to forget the Earl in order to maintain peace of mind. , because she thought that she had completely offended that nobleman this time, so the possibility of encountering him again was almost zero, so she didn't need to ask for trouble.Fortunately, she was able to think about it in this way, and she gradually recovered her former calm.

In February, spring came to England, and there was a vibrant atmosphere everywhere. Jane's delivery date was approaching, and everyone decided to go to Howard Manor to accompany and take care of her, waiting for the arrival of the little life.When the Darcys visited Howard Manor happily with Mary, they found that Mr. Bingley's sister had arrived earlier, and Mrs. Bennet and Kitty had also stayed in Howard Manor. Only Mr. Bennet returned two weeks ago. Longbourn went off to find some peace and quiet, and that was a little bit of cold water to their joy, which is hard to find perfection in the world.

On the last Sunday of February, Jane gave birth to a baby boy very smoothly. The Bingley family had an heir, and everyone was relieved. When Elizabeth heard the news, she was moved to tears. Only Miss Bingley mocked Elizabeth No kids yet.But since everyone loves Elizabeth, her sarcasm is naturally ignored, and Miss Bingley is afraid that Mr. Darcy will hear her bad words, so she quickly signals with her sister Mrs. Hurst's warning eyes, Cautiously kept silent.

Elizabeth stayed in Jane's room almost every step of the way. She did not pretend to be a nanny to take care of the baby, but she did it herself. Jane had great trust in her, so she was naturally happy to do so, except to remind her sister not to be too tired. Besides, Jane is really satisfied now, and everything goes well.

After the initial joy, Mary's interest in the baby gradually weakened. She would visit the baby's room every day and listen to Jane and Elizabeth discussing every movement and expression of the baby in detail. She really didn't have much love for the crying little thing, especially when Elizabeth put the baby in her arms for her to hold, it frightened her, the soft touch made her afraid of herself A careless little guy would hurt the delicate little guy, so after hugging him that time, she didn't appreciate it, and looked at him from a distance, at most, she was satisfied with pinching his little hands and feet.

The situation of Miss Bingley is similar to that of Mary, but Miss Bingley's older sister, Mrs. Hurst, also showed great enthusiasm for the baby. For the first time since Jane got married, she was able to sincerely care about the lives of her brother and his family. , which touched the heart of Jane, who is kind by nature, and soon the two of them became confidants again.

Mr. Darcy was worried about Miss Darcy staying alone in Pemberley Manor, so he went home soon, and he left Elizabeth to take care of Jane and the newborn baby.After seeing her first grandson come into the world with her own eyes, Mrs. Bennet finally went home contentedly, and brought Kitty back to Longbourn.

As a result, Miss Bingley, who had no one to joke and ridicule at all, was bored every day, and Mrs. Hurst, who had always been obedient to her, refused to follow her advice and go to London this time. Howards End was very boring, she couldn't stand all the people around a baby who was less than a month old, and there were no male guests to pursue her, or worthy of her pursuit, the only young lady was Mary, but It is not in harmony with her, and only gnaws books every day.At last Miss Bingley, fed up with an excuse, went to visit her relatives in London.

As for the reason why Mary stayed in Howard Manor and did not go home with her mother and sister, it was because at Christmas, the Gardners invited Mary to join their spring trip to the Lake District.Mary liked the plan so much that she was now waiting for Aunt Gardiner to take her on a safari after she came to Howard Endor to visit Jane and the baby.

Uncle Gardiner and Aunt Gardner are the best uncles and aunts in the world, they love and value all the nieces, especially the two older ones, but as Mary grows up, they also gain their attention , and they are considerate of their sisters and brothers-in-law's financial difficulties. Every year, they invite a niece to participate in the spring and summer travel. The year before last was Jane, and last year was Elizabeth. For some reason, the itinerary was shortened, and it was changed to Devonshire. The accident made Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy a good thing. This year, it was Mary's turn. Aunt Gardner thought that there should be no changes in the trip to the Lake District. .

The weather was getting warmer, and the baby was baptized under the auspices of Mr. Collins, the pastor of the church, and was named Alan after his grandfather. When Mr. Collins pronounced the name of Alan Bentley with a gorgeous ending At that time, the relatives present were all moved to tears.Even Mary found Mr. Collins no longer so repulsive.

Aunt Gardner's letter to Mary told her that Uncle Gardner would settle the business by the beginning of April, and she would settle the housework, and the children would be sent to Pemberley to be looked after by Elizabeth, and they would Have fun for up to three weeks.Mary wrote back with the same expectation and said that they would definitely travel to every corner of the Lake District to have a panoramic view of all the beautiful scenery, especially those historical sites that poets have enthusiastically sung, and they must not be missed.She has read geographical atlases and travel notes of celebrities many times in the library, carefully studied the places of interest and natural landscapes in the lake area, and has a lot of experience with the famous mountains and rivers and the relics of great men along the way. Of course, with her usual habits , She made detailed notes on all this.

Aunt Gardner did not express any objection to Mary's preparations, so Mary continued to search in the library happily, enjoying herself.However, the spring rains knocked on the window lattice time and time again, and the spring light flooded into the fields and villages with an unstoppable force. On this afternoon, Mary couldn't help the robin's call outside the window, so she put down the heavy book, took it off and went deeper. spectacles, intending to go for a walk in the fields, to breathe in the air full of the fragrance of new leaves.

Unknowingly, she walked farther and farther, along a path, over a small hill, and came to the Emerald Valley.Emerald Valley is still as green as last year, and it is even more beautiful under the influence of spring. Mary knew that the owner of the manor was not at home, so she boldly walked to the bottom of the valley, chasing the elf-like stream flowing among the rocks.

Mary jumped briskly among the rocks, and the stream gurgled by her feet, and now and then a trout jumped out of the water, splashed its tail, and swam briskly away.Mary's mood seemed to be washed by the stream, and she became refreshed and happy. She crossed the valley bottom and walked up to the opposite hillside. The half slope there was full of lilies of the valley. The flowers undulate like waves, and Mary is intoxicated by the beauty, standing and staring for a long time.

She suddenly thought: If she had agreed to the count's marriage proposal, she would be the hostess here now.You don't have to worry about being seen, but you can secretly come to enjoy the beautiful scenery here, and you can invite your sisters and friends to hold an elegant afternoon tea party on this beautiful hillside...

But then she thought that maybe at that time, she was not in the mood to appreciate the scenery, but to worry about the frighteningly cumbersome family affairs of noble families, and how to control those rebellious servants.Fortunately, she didn't regret it when she thought of this.

After enjoying the scenery, Mary felt a little tired, so she walked slowly back along the path in the valley.Birds chirping all around, the sound of the wind blowing the treetops, the rustle of her stepping on the newly grown grass, and the distant sound of the bell from the church in the distance... The surrounding scenery is picturesque, Mary doesn't know She herself is part of the painting.

Later, she finally walked on the main road back to Howard Manor. When she was about to enter the main gate of the manor, a rush of horseshoes broke the tranquility around her.Mary hurriedly stood on the side of the road, stopped and stared, and saw a horse galloping towards Mary with a knight on its back. When she came in front of Mary, the knight on the horse reined in abruptly, and Mary couldn't help being surprised—it turned out to be the Earl of Leicester. .

The Earl of Leicester stared at Mary steadfastly, which made Mary a little confused. She had the feeling of being spied on when she was in the Emerald Valley just now. Could it be that the Earl saw her in his manor but did not show up?So what does it mean that he is catching up now?Mary looked down and saw that she was only wearing an old home blue cotton dress, her shoes were full of dust from the long walk, oh, and she was foolishly holding a handful of wild flowers picked by the roadside...she I don't know that in the earl's eyes, her cheeks are flushed, her eyes are bright, and she looks radiant.

Mary was a little suspicious that the earl could not suppress his passion again, and came to propose again, but she really didn't know how to refuse.Fortunately, the Earl of Leicester spoke at this time, and he said in a low voice: "I'm very sorry, Miss Bennet, to disturb you so rashly, but don't worry, I don't mean to repeat the old story, just to annoy you—I It's for Mr. Darcy, and there's an urgent matter that needs him to attend with me."

Mary answered quickly, "Mr. Darcy? He's gone back to Pemberley. Only my sister, Mrs. Darcy, is here."

The Earl frowned: "So that's the case, then I'd better rush to Pemberley now, please pay my respects to Mrs Darcy instead. I believe we will get news here soon."

As swiftly as he had come, in the blink of an eye the Earl of Leicester turned his horse and galloped down the road.

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