[Pride and Prejudice] Rich Lady

Major Fitzwilliam's courtship couldn't have been more flamboyant, in every sense of the word.

His pineapple rose, a symbol of status and money, exudes a sweet scent at the same time, successfully attracting Kitty's little babies—the adult hounds are better, but the puppies don't know how to restrain themselves, and they are happy to let go of the mischievous hairballs While chasing in circles, he was pierced in the nose by the top of a pineapple, and in a panic, he threw himself on the "rose petals" completely, screaming from the thorn.

A rose that took two hours to arrange was destroyed in five minutes.

The servants who were hiding nearby waiting to applaud and celebrate hurriedly ran out to rescue the whole puppies crawling on the pineapple. Poor young master Henry was almost chased and bitten by the big hounds.

Even so, Kitty's face was full of joy, and her spirited eyes were beaming with joy, and she, like Moses who parted the sea, rescued the gentleman from the siege of the hounds like a hero.

That night, the fourth lady of the Bennet family covered her face and chanted to her elder sister: "What a lovely and interesting gentleman!"

Elizabeth had no choice but to nod, as long as the little sister with the highest force value in the family likes it, she thinks she is not worried about Kitty being wronged at all, maybe she is also a little worried about Major Fitzwilliam, this gentleman is far inferior to Kitty in terms of brains and strength .

It was not long before Kitty and the Colonel were to leave Pemberley, and they were obliged to go back to Netherfield in person to ask the permission of Mr and Mrs Bennet.

Cousin Fitzwilliam has always been proud of himself. He originally wanted to take his cousin with him, but the abominable Darcy refused him mercilessly because he wanted to fall in love with his fiancée.

Mr. Darcy also schemingly brought him the props of his cousin’s courtship, indirectly expressing that what he explained back then was true—this gentleman was a little sour on his dear cousin’s smooth and unbelievably smooth love — Colonel Fitzwilliam made the proposal in less than two weeks.

Except for Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth, everyone else thought it was normal. At this time, marriage proposals between young men and women should have been so rapid, especially if they were of equal wealth and well-matched.It's strange to be like Mr. Darcy. Many servants whispered that it was because he was too serious to be liked, including his assistants and stewards, so everyone respected Miss Elizabeth very much. Master has been waiting for too long,

And the Darcy family urgently needs fresh blood, whether it is the married baroness or their future children.

Uncle Henry didn't expect such a wonderful marriage. In a blink of an eye, half of the burden on his heart was gone, which made the uncle work harder to help his nephew resist the anger and opposition from his sister, Mrs. Catherine——

"There is nothing destined, Catherine!" the count persuaded his sister: "No cousin is destined to marry his cousin at birth!"

"After Anne passed away, I have been taking care of him, Isaac! I have been taking care of him and Georgiana! But he is ungrateful. He not only failed my kindness, but also hurt his cousin!" Lady Catherine shouted angrily.

Isaac Henry did have to admit that, compared to the gentle aunt, Catherine, as the aunt of the Darcy brothers and sisters, did give her nephew a lot of love and help. He asked him to see clearly who is the heir of the Darcy family...

"But the children never showed affection for each other," Earl Henry pinched his brows, "you have to admit that."

"Besides, you already knew that Darcy's character is not at the mercy of others, otherwise you wouldn't have waited so long. You know that if he doesn't want to, it's useless for others to ask for anything." When the elder brother sighed: "His temperament, Not like Anne, nor like his father, but very much like you."

"Not to mention that there is nothing to pick and choose in his marriage." The uncle knew the inside story, and the nephew's success in the title was largely due to Miss Elizabeth, who was likely to be imprisoned in Darcy. Under the circumstances, she still agreed to his marriage proposal. In this point alone, Catherine was far behind—she didn't mention getting her two children married for a long time at that time.

Mrs. Catherine remembered that her daughter was only one year younger than her nephew, but her marriage was still unsettled, and she was only over 30 years old, and she was an out-and-out old girl... Aunt couldn't help but shed tears.But Lady Catherine is equally clear that since the moment Darcy got the title, she has not matched her daughter, and Anne can't bear the burden of the Countess.

Aunt Catherine made a fuss, but she was not reconciled to the failure of her hopes for many years, and she couldn't help venting her grievances to her gentle brother.More importantly, she had to plan for her daughter's future. Even if she couldn't marry her daughter to a reliable nephew, she had to arouse the guilt of her relatives, so that Anne's uncle and cousins ​​would pay more attention to her.

This is also the reason why Lady Catherine did not directly write a letter against the marriage no matter how angry she was.

Earl Henry and Darcy himself were willing to be considerate of her feelings, and they both condoned her private tantrums.Only Mr. Collins, who has become a pastor, blindly wanted to flatter his benefactor. After inquiring about the news from Rosings, he actually wrote a long letter of accusations and criticisms to be sent to Mr. Bennet.Unexpectedly, flattery was not the place. After sending someone to recover the letter quickly, Mrs. Catherine publicly accused Mr. Collins of ruining her friendship with her relatives. , Offended the only relative with power, and completely lost the power to climb up.Within a few months the funny gentleman was sent off to church in a poor town.

Regardless of the process, the union of Mr. Darcy and Miss Elizabeth has not been opposed by the family.

This allowed them to receive no objections to the wedding announcements released in the church for three consecutive Sundays before their wedding.This has also become the smoothest time since Mr. Darcy fell in love with Miss Elizabeth. You must know that any parishioner in the parish during these three weeks can report "the misbehavior of the newlyweds" to the church, sometimes even if they are of high moral character. Gentlemen and ladies will also be embarrassed by this rule-occasionally even trivial things will be brought out, such as the indecent behavior of a certain gentleman when he was a child, and what rude words did a certain lady say at a ball ...

Except for God, no one is perfect, and Mr. Darcy's shortcomings are even more obvious. He has always been arrogant and reticent, and I am afraid he has offended many ladies. The lord has hesitated for a long time whether to directly buy the archbishop's license and save this link. , In the end, the enthusiastic gentleman couldn't help his inner desire. After discussing with Elizabeth, they followed the tradition and released the wedding announcement.

The people in the parish are grateful to Mr. Darcy for building the road, which has greatly prospered the local market, especially he was awarded the title by His Majesty the King, and the local has an earl. Somebody ruined Lord Darcy's happy occasion... so their wedding announcement was completely calm.

***

Aristocrats always have some privileges. For example, most titled people will not get married in the church like ordinary people, but can hold the wedding time and place according to their own wishes.

According to the regulations of the church, the wedding time in the church is limited to 8:12 am to [-]:[-] am, which is obviously not in line with the current habits of the upper class.Mr. Darcy, therefore, fixed the wedding in the afternoon at a small manor on the outskirts of London.

This small manor is only about the size of Netherfield Manor. It was originally bought by Mr. Darcy for the London social season. Now we have to hold a wedding here. Fortunately, the manor has just been restored, with good wood furniture and gorgeous decorations. There is no shortage of rugs, antiques on display and ornate décor.

"Why can't we hold a wedding in Pemberley Manor?" Mrs. Bennet was a little puzzled. She heard from several daughters that Pemberley's garden was the most beautiful garden they had ever seen. It is not comparable to ordinary luxury mansions.

Elizabeth is also very helpless, of course she is willing to hold the wedding in Pemberley, but there are gains and losses. They have the right to decide the time and place of the wedding, but they are also shackled because of this: "Mom, you know, for the bride, it is more important than the wedding. It’s a first-time appearance in front of friends and family, such as the town ladies, who often refer to their wedding night gathering as a ‘show’.”

Mrs. Bennet agrees with this sentence: "Yes, ladies usually have to prepare several dresses. The ones worn in church are only better dresses, and the most gorgeous one should be saved for the ball that night."

"But for the aristocratic class, the most important thing is to meet His Majesty the King. For example, my official appearance is to salute in front of the King as a bride-we will go to the palace to meet His Majesty on the second day of our wedding." The lady explained, if in Pemberley If you want to hold a wedding, you must rush to London after the wedding. (Note)

Mrs. Bennet was very excited. She praised Mr. Darcy for his thoughtfulness, and said to her little daughters: "No wonder Lizzie has prepared more dresses than others!"

In the early 19th century, it was very important to hold a wedding, and a property distribution contract agreed by both parties was signed at the ceremony.This item is extremely important for the two families who are about to sign a marriage contract. Usually, the marriage agreement will clearly state the dowry that the woman will bring, how much pocket money the man will pay the woman every year, and how the property will be distributed after having children (Note ②).This prenuptial agreement will almost be the only property guarantee for the young lady who is about to enter the marriage.

Marriages often fail at this step, but for Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy it was the easiest step.

Their prenuptial property agreement is so generous that the Bennet family can't believe it. It is even more wonderful than the agreement that caused a sensation when Jane and George got married. Elizabeth not only retains the ownership of all her current properties, but also enjoys the right to buy, sell and control these properties Rights—even the old father, who was reluctant to marry his beloved second daughter, was speechless in front of this agreement. Mr. Bennet couldn't wait to notarize this property agreement, so it became a legal Formal agreement on conservation.

When Uncle Phillips was tongue-tied and red-faced repeatedly confirming with Mr. Darcy, he was startled by Earl Henry who came to the wedding and almost fainted, because this respectable gentleman directly told Mr. Bennet that in the future his son Fitz The property agreement between William and Kitty was also governed by this agreement.

Mr. Bennet was overjoyed, and Mrs. Bennet even said that Fitzwilliam was her favorite son-in-law, only behind Darcy.

The colonel's age and ordinary appearance were completely ignored by this realistic couple. Obviously, the two loving parents thought that the daughter had a guinea more than anything else. According to the property owned by Lizzie and Kitty, they were completely You don't need to look at anyone's face, even the husband and the husband's family.On the contrary, in order to keep this large fortune, their daughter will be treated better than any wife.

Mrs. Catherine obviously understood what this agreement represented. At first, the lady didn't care about it, but when she really saw Elizabeth's property and the amount of pounds in the property agreement that took effect, she had to be dismissed by her housekeeper. Helped to another room to be treated with sniffing smoke.

What's even more strange is that the first thing this arrogant and bitter lady did after waking up was to inquire about the son of the Bennet family: "I heard that their family, no, Viscount Bennet has a son, how old is he? "

Madam looked hopefully at the housekeeper who served her, and the housekeeper hurriedly said, "I heard that he is four years old, and his name is Alexander."

Madam Catherine's expression immediately became tense, and she kept muttering: "I'm only four years old, four years old!"

"It would be great if it was as old as his sister. I think their family would definitely be willing to sign this kind of prenuptial agreement with the young lady who married in. What a nice family! My little Annie..."

Earl Henry, who was about to come in to visit her, stopped and greeted the Bennets awkwardly.Mr. Bennet has always been a little weird. Not only did he not dislike Mrs. Catherine’s impoliteness, but he also understood the feelings of his wife’s beloved daughter. The old father immediately said: “Yes, when Alexander gets married in the future, he can do what his sister wants. Let's go with our agreement."

Now even Uncle Henry is in awe. He said that a large part of the reason is that these two marriages are special: the nephew is right, Lizzie has made great contributions to the title of the Darcy family, and should have enjoyed special As for his own son, it was because Fitzwilliam was so disappointing that he made a lot of jokes from the beginning of the pursuit. He was afraid that his son would lose his fiancée who was good in family, property, character, and appearance, so he was anxious. To please his future parents-in-law, he offered to abide by the agreement.Unexpectedly, Mr. Bennet was willing to let his son do the same. It would be a pity for Earl Henry to miss such a good son-in-law.

**

It didn't take long for the prenuptial property agreement and Mr. Bennet's promise to spread. Although people nearby said that it would be difficult for the remaining three ladies of the Bennet family to find a suitable partner, they were all Everyone wanted to marry their daughter into Netherfield Manor.

But then, the third daughter of the Bennet family, Miss Mary, got a fiancé, and the fourth daughter, Miss Kitty, also settled down. Both future sons-in-law were willing to sign Elizabeth's prenuptial property agreement—this became more than ten years later. The subject, which had been perennial in Hertfordshire in the past, was not superseded until the marriage of young Mr. Bennet.

More legendary than these things is Mrs. Bennet. Many people privately say that she has a "golden belly" favored by the gods. She is very lucky: the eldest daughter married a wealthy businessman who owned a manor and a knight title; The daughter herself has a title, and she married an earl with an annual income of tens of thousands; the third daughter became the official wife of the Ming Dynasty, and the foreign gentleman also owned two powerful fleets, and even the Prince of Wales treated him very politely; The fourth daughter became the daughter-in-law of the earl. This lady is the most frightening. She actually has her own big ship. Her husband and her husband's family are also very supportive. Kitty Sea ships sailed in Europe, and the wealth they brought could build a pure gold castle. house; on the contrary, the youngest daughter with the most suitors married a husband with no title and thin property. When people in the county were joking and discussing, no one thought that Mr. At the age of 30, he entered the cabinet as the Minister of the Navy, and the king also rewarded him with the idle position of the governor of the port so that he could get an annual salary of [-] pounds...

Even Lydia's husband, if he can't climb to the position of prime minister, once he resigns from his position, according to tradition, the king will definitely reward him with the title-not to mention that this gentleman who was once a lieutenant colonel is very worthy of the king and current The prime minister thought that he was extremely capable, and he had so many good in-laws. The position of prime minister was not unattainable.

In this way, none of the ladies in the Bennet family is not good at marrying, on the contrary, they look like each other. What makes the ladies jealous most is that Mrs. Bennet, these rich and capable son-in-laws, have no lace scandals. , no mistresses, let alone illegitimate children.

The son she gave birth to in her 30s is also a rare talent. Starting from Alexander Bennet, the surname of Bennet has really become famous throughout England. He is almost the richest nobleman in the south, compared with the upstart industrialists and the northern England. Rich businessmen in North America are not bad either.With property alone, Alexander Bennet became an advisor to the British royal family and even married a genuine royal princess.

Mrs. Bennet herself was not born well, and she was ridiculed for not having a son in her early years. Who would have thought that she would have such good luck?

Many years later, when the people of Meryton erected a statue of the Viscount Bennet who had made great contributions to the local area, the people of the whole town jointly paid for Mrs. Bennet's bronze statue and added gold, which was used in her Belly—— According to religious traditions, the sculptor shaped his wife into a pregnant state full of motherhood. During the imperial era, there was a bulging belly hidden under the dress of Shumiz Dorles. The sculptor pasted gold foil on it, and then used A very thin layer of copper is used as a long skirt covering it. (Note ③)

On sunny days, people looking at the sculpture can see Mrs. Bennet's golden pregnant belly.Mrs. Bennet's belly still had a golden gleam after everything else had oxidized green.

This later became a symbol of the city. Many newlyweds would come here to ask the guards under the statue with their marriage certificates to be allowed to enter the enclosure and touch the statue's belly, in order to pray for good luck like Mrs. Bennet. The lady gained a lot of fame for her children, and because of her legendary reputation, she was honored to be commemorated with her husband. Because of this special statue, she was able to leave her name in the book: Clarissa Gardner Bennett...

**

Of course, this is a matter of the future. Mrs. Bennet is crying like a waterfall now. She is crying and laughing, causing Mr. Bennet beside her to have red eye circles in embarrassment. erase.

Whether in a church or a private estate, the ceremony of marriage is always very similar.

But when Elizabeth wears a silver and white silk gown, with heraldry embroidered with silver thread, a patterned satin tail, and a garland of roses, orange blossoms, gems and pearls, produced by the most prestigious lace head in Devonshire. The yarn was lightly draped over the shoulders, holding the bouquets that the sisters picked and made by themselves, and when they stood in front of the pastor together with Mr. Darcy, their hearts were still beating like drums, and they were so excited and nervous that it was unimaginable.

All relatives and friends surrounded the newlyweds under the intertwined arches decorated with parasites. In the solemn and beautiful hall, only the gentle and solemn voice of the silver-haired elders of the Anglican Church echoed.

"In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit..." the pastor who officiated the wedding started from the thumb of his left hand and gestured to the ring finger, implying the Trinity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Mr. Darcy calmly picked up the ring on the "Bible", under the solemn voice of Mr. Pastor, gently took his wife's hand, and put the ring on Elizabeth's ring finger.

Elizabeth felt his slightly trembling hand, and suddenly felt light in her heart, as if she heard the sigh of her soul being settled down. The young lady rolled her teary eyes, picked up another ring, and wrapped her happiness in this life... …

(End of text)

The author has something to say: the text is over~~

There are also special episodes, daily routines after marriage, travel to the Ming Dynasty, unfinished career lines, and the like.

Putting an advance collection, Yu wanted to open it during the extra episode, and wanted to write "Barefoot Doctor [-]'s Struggle Diary" and "Dowry Maid Survival Daily [Red Mansion]" first, and wait for "The Lady" for a change.I beg the little angels to pass by and collect a wave~

"Barefoot Doctor [-] Struggle Diary"

When he woke up, Lin Gantang took his own small and worn-out storage bag and became a "barefoot doctor" who went to the countryside in the 70s.

Lin Gantang passed through, accompanied by the sound of glass shattering.

Lin Gantang thought it was an elegy of broken views,

After a long time, she realized that it was the sound of her head smashing the heroine's koi halo...

"Daily Survival of a Dowry Maid [Red Mansion]"

As one of Feng Lazi's four major dowry maids "Ping, An, Xi, Le",

And there will be a male master who is not taboo about meat and vegetables,

The life of the beautiful girl Du Yun'an can be expected to be in dire straits...

In order to earn a living, and even more so to be able to get out of the country cleanly—the story of the dowry girl making every effort to find her way through the red mansion and deep compound step by step.

Note: Refer to "The Dreamy Poetry That Has Never Faded - 200 Years of British Women's Wedding Dresses": "In the 18th century, the British aristocrats or upper classes tended to hold their weddings in their own private places" "The wedding dresses purchased by the bride There are often more than one set, but how much depends on the bride's family environment. Generally speaking, the dress worn at the wedding in the church is not the most gorgeous and expensive, but the most dazzling one is the bride's first time as a bride. A public appearance, known as an "appearance". For middle-class brides, the time of appearance is usually a party at home in the afternoon or evening of the wedding day; for noble and royal families , although they also hold a reception after the wedding, their official appearance is mainly when the bride salutes before the king."

Note ②: Refer to "Property Distribution of Aristocratic Families in Early Modern Britain" and "Property Distribution of Aristocratic Families in Early Modern Britain": [Because women will lose economic independence after marriage, so when concluding a marriage, the woman's parents will try their best Fight for various rights and interests after marriage for the daughter, such as annual expenses, and negotiate with the man's parents before the wedding. Finally, with the participation of a notary, a marriage property agreement is reached for future implementation.

The rights and interests of women involved in the marriage agreement include the "personal property" enjoyed during the marriage, such as the "pin-money" set aside for the bride by some aristocratic families since the 17s, and this personal property is at their discretion . 】

Note ③: This remark is not actually a reference, but when I searched for information, I realized that the entire Statue of Liberty is made of metal: "The entire bronze statue uses 120 tons of steel as the skeleton, 80 tons of copper sheet as the outer skin, and 30 rivets are assembled and fixed on the bracket." The ignorant fish always thought that the inside was made of marble.