Miss Mary in Pride and Prejudice

After the Earl of Leicester ate the muffins made by Mary himself, he asked, "Tell me, dear lady, what do you need my help for?"

Mary was shy and embarrassed: "As a friend, do I have to ask you for help in order to be courteous to each other?"

The Earl of Leicester looked at her angrily and amusedly and said: "From my experience, women are the most unconscionable species. Especially you, Miss Mary, who is always cold to me, if you are nice to me anytime A little bit, then there must be something I need to do, and it's all for other people's business."

Mary felt ashamed and indignant at being exposed face to face, and she retorted angrily: "Jane is not someone else."

The Earl of Leicester sighed quietly: "Oh, oh, last time it was for Mrs. Darcy, this time it is for Mrs. Bingley. It seems that you attach great importance to sisterhood, but you are so ruthless to me."

Mary said with a straight face: "Elizabeth and Jane are such good people, who would bear to see them suffer?"

The Earl of Leicester immediately asked back: "Then where did you see that I am not a good person and deserve to suffer?"

Shouldn't this person hastily agree after hearing his request?So what's the situation now?Mary thought gloomily: either she was not charming enough, or the other party was too cunning.She remembered what the priest of Lisbon said about the Earl of Leicester: this man never suffers a loss in business, and always tries his best to maximize his own interests.

Sure enough, the Earl of Leicester saw Mary's pensive look, and he was a little uneasy, so he threw out the bait: "But who would make me willing to find the fault myself? Tell me, Mrs. Bingley—to be precise, it is What trouble has Mr. Bingley encountered?" Seeing that things had turned around, Mary hurriedly handed the Earl another piece of muffin, not forgetting the previous agreement—calling him by his first name, and she asked in a low voice: "Dear Vee, have you heard about the silver mines in Mexico?"

The Earl of Leicester was enjoying taking the muffins with thin cheese and jam, and was about to put them in his mouth to enjoy. When he heard about the Mexican silver mine, his eyes narrowed and his expression became serious. : "Recently, an unknown consortium is lobbying for financing in London. The signboard is a 50-year mining license for a silver mine in Mexico. What? Has Mr. Bingley invested any money? I really don't see that he has a bet The potential of gangsters - they ask a lot of money, and I don't think Howard End is worth that much."

Mary asked in horror: "Doesn't that so-called silver mine exist? Could it be that Mr. Bingley was deceived?"

The Earl of Leicester pondered for a while before saying: "The silver mine does exist, and it is indeed worth mining. My friend Dr. Castella from the French Academy of Sciences has personally explored it. His words are credible. However, The silver mining license used to raise funds was signed by the local Spanish colonial governor, but now Mexico is fighting for independence, and Spain's ruling power is in jeopardy. Once the new regime comes to power, all the documents signed by the Spanish governor will be scrapped Paper, the money that was thrown into this silver mine at that time was tantamount to being thrown into the Atlantic Ocean."

Mary didn't expect the seriousness of the situation. She was so afraid that she wrung her hands together and asked in a low voice, "What should I do? What can I do then? Can Mr. Bingley get his money back? Will he listen to advice? You can go to Persuade him? He has never had his own opinion, and he will definitely listen to you. "

The Earl of Leicester sneered and said: "Since you are born as a human being, you must have the mental preparation and courage to endure misfortunes and fortunes. As the head of the family, Mr. Bingley should also be responsible for his actions and assume the responsibility of supporting his family. I don't think any outsider has the position to speak out."

Mary was flustered, and when she wanted to continue pleading, Miss Bingley had finished playing two concertos in the living room, and the piano stopped, so Mary had to shut her mouth. After a while, Miss Bingley appeared, Miss Bingley was very pleased with Lord Sturt's apt compliments on her skill in playing.

Jane also came out at this time, and together with Miss Bingley, she strongly invited the Earl of Leicester to stay for lunch, but the Earl of Leicester declined, because he still had business to deal with, so he put on his hat, took his cane, and joined the ladies. Let's say goodbye.When it was Mary's turn, the Earl of Leicester raised his hat slightly and said, "Goodbye, Mary." Mary replied listlessly, "Goodbye, David." With a smile, he shook her hand, walked down the steps quickly, got on his horse and left.

When his figure disappeared at the edge of the woods in the distance, the three ladies turned around and continued to drink tea. Miss Bingley said angrily: "Miss Bennet, I want to be a friend, and I have a duty to remind you of a lady You should be reserved, I don’t think you are familiar with the Earl of Leicester enough to call each other by first name? Then doing so, especially as an unmarried woman, will attract criticism from others.”

Mary was holding a note with sweat in her hand, which was stuffed into her hand by the Earl of Leicester when she shook hands and said goodbye. She had never experienced such a thing before, so she was so nervous that she didn't even listen to Miss Bingley's provocative words. Clear, just answered vaguely.

Although Jane is a good-tempered person, she can't just see her sister being accused for no reason in her own home, even if the person accused is her sister-in-law, so she simply said: "I heard from Mrs. Davis, When they were traveling in Europe, they met the Earl and had a relationship for a period of time, so Mary and him are relatively familiar, and it is not inappropriate to call each other by name."

It was only then that Mary realized that Miss Bingley was taking the nameless jealousy just now, so she calmed down and said with a relaxed smile: "Yes, the Earl still calls Mrs. Davis by the name Anne, he is such a familiar and informal person. Man, maybe he will call Miss Bingley Caroline in two days, I hope our Miss Bingley will not be so cruel and embarrass him on the spot."

When Miss Bingley heard what she said, she couldn't help but feel happy, and her tone became calm: "Oh, it turned out that the Earl is so easy-going. I really didn't expect it. I always thought he was serious and not easy to get close to."

Jane also said: "Yes, the Earl always looks a little melancholy, he is not a talkative person. From my experience, such a person either doesn't make friends with others, as long as he makes friends, he will stay forever He can be trusted. Although many people say that he is arrogant and unapproachable, I think his quietness is just due to his shy nature."

Mary felt that their opinion of the Earl was too different from the actual situation, so she didn't answer the conversation. She was eager to find a reason to stay alone so that she could read what was written on the note in her hand.So she asked Jane: "Is Little Allen asleep?" Jane smiled and said, "Isn't he finally fell asleep. I don't know what happened today. He made a lot of trouble. I coaxed him for a long time and refused to take a nap." , and said that Aunt Mary must come and tell him stories."

So Mary stood up and said, "I'll go to the baby room to take care of him. Alan often wakes up in his sleep, and he will be afraid if there is no one around him. That nanny is really worrying."

Jane said gratefully: "You are so kind, Mary, I don't even know what I would do without you." Mary replied with some embarrassment: "My sisters, don't be so polite, Jane, besides, Ellen is so cute Who wouldn't want to take care of a child of mine?"

Miss Bingley snorted, lightly brushed off the non-existent crumbs on the thin silk skirt, picked up the delicate cup handle with two fingers, took a sip of black tea gracefully, and then stared at the distance Rose bushes in the garden trance.Mary is not as elegant as Miss Bingley, who disdains such trivial things as taking care of children. She goes upstairs with brisk steps. Sleeping soundly on the bed with her hands and feet spread out, Mary sat down in front of the bed, opened a large tome on her lap as a cover, and then carefully opened the note that she had been holding in her hand.

There are only a few words on the note: "Tonight at 10 o'clock under the octagonal pavilion in the courtyard, see you there or be square."

Mary's heart was pounding. This was the first time someone handed her a date. In the past, she always sneered at this kind of behavior, but when she became the party, she found it very exciting and eager to try.Perhaps no matter how well-behaved people are, there is a rebellious impulse in their hearts. Mary decided to go to the appointment without hesitation.

That night Mary was a little absent-minded in everything she did, and she didn't even pay attention to what everyone was talking about at the dinner table. It was not until Jane blamed her for being distracted twice that she secretly reminded herself not to let others, especially Miss Bingley, notice the difference.

Because there are children in the family, Howard’s work and rest time is that everyone returns to the dormitory at nine o’clock in the evening. Usually Mary reads for another hour before going to bed. Today she spends this hour dressing up. At 10:[-], she Only then did I tiptoe out of the room, the corridor was quiet, only the moonlight left a milky white shadow on the carpet through the window.

The night wind was cold, so Mary put on a thin cashmere shawl over her skirt, and she went down the stairs carefully, her heart beating like a drum would wake up the whole mansion.But no one noticed that she walked out of the gate, and all the accidents she was worried about did not happen. The moonlight outside the house was like flowing water, illuminating the dark bushes and woods. Mary wrapped her shawl tightly and sneaked in the shadow of the building as much as possible. , The octagonal pavilion is located in a corner of the garden, some distance from the mansion, with a greenhouse in the middle. It is a perfect place for trysts. Mary doesn't know how the Earl of Leicester knew about this humble place in Howard Manor.

Panting, she came to the octagonal pavilion, and when she was looking around, a powerful arm suddenly stretched out from behind, and suddenly embraced her. Mary almost screamed out, but the familiar breath made her express her thoughts before she had time. The exclamation was swallowed back, and her lips were blocked by a passionate kiss the next moment.