Miss Mary in Pride and Prejudice

When Georgiana and Mary left Ward Manor, Earl Bryan did not go to the gate to see the guests off. It is said that the Earl suddenly felt unwell. When Mr. George sent Georgiana and Mary to the carriage, he quietly held Mary's hand and said in a low voice. Apologizing for his father's offensive words, Mary smiled indulgently, showing that she didn't take it to heart.

As they headed north, autumn became more and more intense, and colorful colors appeared on the originally emerald green field, just like a watercolor landscape painting with thick colors, which made the two girls who love painting feel refreshed and beautiful.Finally, when they finally approached Leicester Castle, they were stunned by the beauty in front of them—in just one year, the surrounding landscape of Leicester Castle has undergone great changes.

A small village not far from the castle disappeared without a trace, and turned into a large flat grassland. Only a group of deer and a few sheep roamed freely among them, which set off the majesty and uprightness of Drest Castle. Formed a beauty that can't help but hold your breath.

Although Mary admits that the current landscape is more pure and harmonious, she still remembers the beautiful small village she saw when she came here last year.There used to be a lot of half-timbered thatched huts, which together with the tall castle constitute a fresh rural picture. Mary can't forget the tavern with a signboard painted with a red lion and a lovely mountain shape. The roof, decorated with black and white walls, is as vivid as a chocolate bar on a cheesecake.

But now, that old but vibrant little village has disappeared without leaving a trace, which makes Mary doubt that it ever existed.That question was answered shortly after she met Annie, though.

Anne lived in Wells Village, a small riverside village surrounded by water on three sides to the west of the castle. The carriage drove across the stone bridge across the river, along a cobblestone-paved main road, and passed through a wild field. After a while, we arrived at Annie's riverside cottage.

It was a lovely thatched cottage, with a dozen cherry and mulberry trees planted in front of the house, as well as low purple heather. Standing in front of the door, through the sparse hedge, you can see the river bank at the end of the small river, Local willows grow on the high and low weirs, giving the surrounding environment a simple and natural beauty.Roses and marigolds were planted in front of the cottage, and they were in full bloom.

The friends were very happy to meet each other. Mary and Anne were bosom friends, and Georgiana was Anne’s cousin. Anne hugged them with a smile on her face. She was thinner than in spring, and she had just put on a thick woolen shawl just after autumn.

The house is not big, but the layout is very comfortable, and the necessary supplies are also complete.Mary knew their financial situation, and knew that it was not easy for Anne, but Georgiana lived well since she was a child. Seeing the shabby house and the shabby furniture, she couldn't imagine how Anne lived, so she often couldn't help it. He kept showing a look of surprise.Fortunately, Mary had repeatedly hinted at her, so she was smart enough not to ask straightforward questions that would embarrass her master.

Mr. Davies was not at home. He had gone to work in the castle and would not be back until evening. Anne told Mary that Davies' research work had made great progress.Then Anne led them to visit their small and warm home. Everywhere they went, they could see the housewife's unique intentions, and various small decorations made the humble house look elegant and comfortable. In the end, even Georgiana had to admit that Anne She is a capable housewife, Annie smiled contentedly when she heard this.

But there was only one guest room, Anne told her guests apologetically, and so during their stay at the River Cottage, Mrs. Annesley and the servants had to stay at the inn in the nearby village, while Mary and Georgiana were to share a room. bedroom.Of course, her friends thoughtfully told her that they didn't feel any inconvenience from this arrangement, and actually being able to stay with her for two or three weeks was already the greatest satisfaction.

Since Anne became pregnant, Mr. Davis hired a girl from the village to do some heavy housework and help Anne cook, so that Anne would not work so hard, but well-trained maids worked in the castle, This girl is a little clumsy, so for dinner that day, the potato cakes were a little burnt, and the fried herring steak was not cooked. With genuine concern and natural tenderness, Mary knew Anne was a happy wife.

During dinner, Mary inadvertently asked about the small village that disappeared, only to find out that just half a year ago, the Earl of Leicester accidentally stood on the terrace of the castle and looked into the distance. So he ordered the demolition of all the buildings in the village, and asked the villagers to move to a plain in the west of his territory, where there was a tall oak forest that could cover the village. After the village was removed, lawns and shrubs were planted. The natural landscape is better set off, but the Earl's ruthless decision displaced many villagers in a short period of time.

This news surprised Mary. She was greatly favored by the Earl, but such arbitrariness was actually a side of the Earl's character. She drank the soup silently without commenting.After a brief silence, maybe Mr. Davis also felt that he should not complain about the benefactor, so he added: "But shortly after this, the Earl of Leicester called Mr. Robertson, the most famous architect in France, and ordered him Redesign and build a new village at a new location, and provide houses to the villagers for free. Now that the village has been built, most of the villagers have moved in, and several new shops have been opened. You can visit it tomorrow during the day Take a look. The architectural style there is very characteristic of the World Architecture Expo."

When he said this, everyone became interested. Even Annie said that she hadn't been there yet and wanted to see it very much.Then naturally, everyone talked about the activities of the Grape Picking Festival. Mary remembered that the Count said that he would personally participate in the grape picking and preside over the winemaking ceremony every year, so she asked the Count nervously when he would return to the castle.As a result, Mr. Davis said that the earl will not return to the castle this year. His sniping against General Napoleon in Egypt has achieved results, and he is currently working on fostering a pro-British force in Paris. Moreover, Mr. Davis carefully looked at Mary , exchanged glances with Anne, and said: "I heard that the count fell in love with the daughter of a French duke in Paris. The two had a close relationship. Everyone said that he might get married soon."

Mary's heart sank involuntarily, but she immediately convinced herself that the news had nothing to do with her, so she quickly recovered. Anne said slowly: "I think this is just a rumor, and it is said that the Duke Having a decisive influence on the situation in Paris, the Earl of Leicester may just want to have enough reason to enter the duke's house. I don't think he will marry a foreigner."

Georgiana understood Mary's thoughts best, and Anne had some reasonable doubts because she had witnessed Mary and the earl falling in love at the lakeside villa, so she paid attention to the changes in Mary's expression, which made Mary feel extremely uncomfortable.She tried her best to speak in a normal tone of indifference: "I think Earl Eliest's wealth and status can marry any noble lady he likes." After that, everyone stopped talking about this topic up.

After breakfast the next day, Mr. Davis went to work, and Anne, Mary and Georgiana set off to visit the newly built village west of the castle.It really is a wonder they have never seen in England. All the roads are paved with new stone slabs, which are durable and the layout of the houses is reasonable and beautiful. It is required to present all kinds of popular European architectural styles in the construction of the small village. Some huts here imitate the dome buildings of ancient Rome, some focus on creating a medieval castle-like momentum, and some draw lessons from the shepherds in the Swiss mountains. cabin.The chimneys of the Tudor dynasty, the herringbone gables of Queen Elizabeth, and the popular porch of Edward I have all been organically applied to various village houses.

According to the owner of a bakery they walked into, the Earl of Leicester is not afraid of spending money. Every piece of stone and wood used in the village is of the highest quality. In a hurry, the losses suffered by the villagers due to relocation have also been doubled.These words made Mary feel a lot better, because she was afraid that this incident would affect her perception of the Earl, and she was very afraid that she would eventually find out that the Earl was a ruthless person.

There is a small square on the east side of the village, and next to the square is a small Gothic church with a towering spire, which can be seen no matter where you stand in the village.Anne seemed to be a little tired from walking, so she suggested going in to have a rest.It was not a Sunday, the church was empty, no one could be seen, and it was a little deserted, but the sunlight passing through the windows inlaid with stained glass cast a warm color on the church.

This is a newly built chapel. The log altar and rows of chairs look thick and uncarved. It seems that it was built for 100 years of use here. There are flowers on the altar. It seems that someone is carefully Manage and look after the place.Anne was resting on a chair near the door. Georgiana and Mary admired the exquisite religious oil paintings on the wall one by one.They browsed while discussing like this, walking further and further, and gradually walked into the depths of the chapel. Both of them were attracted by the statue of the Virgin above the altar. Georgiana asserted that the smooth texture and lines must have come from the hands of famous artists. , while Mary thought it was a copy or imitation of Michelangelo's works in the Renaissance period. When the two were enjoying it with great interest, they suddenly heard the sound of shouting from the door of the chapel.

The two of them hurried back and found that the pastor had returned. The poor pastor found Anne fainted on the bench as soon as he entered the door. Mary and Georgiana were both panicked. Anne looked sallow and seemed to be sick, and Not the fainting that noble women often experience.Fortunately, Mr. Pastor quickly ran out and invited the village doctor.Mary also calmed down at this time, and she asked Mr. Pastor to send someone to Leicester Castle to find Mr. Davis.

In the small clinic of the country doctor, Mary reminded the doctor that Anne was pregnant. Could it be a short-term fainting caused by fatigue?But the doctor shook his head pessimistically, thinking that the situation was much more serious than the pregnancy reaction. He believed that Annie's body was weak and not suitable for pregnancy at all. As time went by, the situation would continue to deteriorate and even threaten her life.These words made Mary and Georgiana tremble with terror.