"The Widow" Bertha

The last guest came late, so Mr. Rochester ordered his servants to prepare dinner.

Bertha actually doesn't like British food very much, but due to the hard work in the past, she doesn't have the capital to be picky about food.So from a reporter who worked hard on the front line to a "widow" with a lot of assets, every meal after coming to the [-]th century is much better than before.

For example now.

The British Angus beef cattle were just slaughtered, and they were delivered to the table in a short time, becoming the main course of tonight.

The outside of the roast beef is burnt brown with gravy, but the inside is still tender and delicious after being cut with a knife and fork.Although the kitchen in Rochester did not use spices, it felt like it lacked something, but on the premise that the beef itself was excellent, it was just salt as a seasoning, which made Bertha eat with relish.

Conversations are inevitable at the party table, but Bertha doesn't like to be hypocritical when eating, which is a great disrespect for food.

And Mycroft had noticed this long ago.

So when someone throws social rhetoric to Bertha, the "lover" sitting next to her takes care of it all, and responds to most of the exchanges that are equivalent to nonsense for the two of them on her behalf.

When Bertha was seventy percent full, she put down her knife and fork, and then raised a proper smile: "It seems that everyone is very curious about you, Mike."

"That's natural," Mr. Lynn continued Bertha's words. "Although we have been famous for a long time, we don't know what Mr. Holmes actually does."

"No big deal."

Mycroft raised his glass and said slowly: "Just like Mr. Ashton, just do something for the queen. Let's toast the queen with this glass of wine."

It sounds like what Mr. Holmes means is that he and Mr. Ashton have similar identities and both work in the government, so you didn't think much about it.

Only Bertha understands that there are many people who work for the queen. From the prime minister to the government typist, don't they all "do things for the queen"?

It's just that he used the queen as an excuse, which caused everyone to raise their glasses and changed the subject lightly.

While everyone was talking about other things, Bertha turned her head slightly, narrowed the distance with Mycroft and asked softly: "Did you not delay your work by coming tonight?"

"Where is it," said Mycroft, "it's nothing more than a private interview. People in the Ministry of Finance can afford to wait."

This doesn't sound like a trivial matter, but Bertha pretended not to understand his irrelevant sarcasm at all, and nodded nonchalantly: "Oh, then it's no big deal."

Mycroft responded with his trademark social smile.

"I haven't congratulated you yet, dear." He didn't answer the topic, but took the initiative to speak.

"Congratulations on what?"

"Congratulations on the opening of your office."

The two seats were very close together, and Bertha moved closer to Mycroft, even if they were talking about things that should not be discussed at the dinner table, in the eyes of outsiders, this was just a whisper between lovers. Just whisper.

"The Whitechapel District has its own set of rules, and even I cannot break them," said Holmes. "If there is a need in the future, I will really have to rely on you."

Some compliments rang in my ears, but the man's tone was somewhat cold.Bertha knew there was something in his words: Mycroft was watching it himself, it's okay to gang up, don't go too far.

In this regard, Bertha just smiled indifferently: "Why do you have to divide it so clearly, Mike? Naturally, the benefits I earn are also yours."——returning what he said before.

The brief exchange ended, and Bertha sat up straight again.The intimacy naturally attracted the attention of others, and the second Miss Mary Ingram, who was sitting next to Bertha, said enviously: "You two have such a good relationship, miss. Are you just talking about congratulations? If there is a happy event, you can say Come out and make everyone happy."

"It's not a happy event," Mycroft responded politely. "It's just congratulations to Bertha for breaking a big case and clearing justice for the innocent victims of the trial drug case."

With a light word, he brought the topic to the dead Colonel Dent.

Everyone here is an accomplice in the Thornfield Manor murder, and everyone made up their minds to do it after listening to Colonel Dent's words.Now it seems that it has been used by the colonel and has become a knife for destroying corpses and traces, and annihilating flaws.

The former Colonel Dent was his man in name, so Holmes had already mastered the whole process of the case.

But the other guests only thought that he didn't know, and the atmosphere suddenly became delicate.

During the dinner time afterwards, the topic of discussion became more restrained.

Bertha looked at the suddenly quiet dining table, only thinking it was amused: maybe it wasn't that Mycroft finally got bored of this boring social dinner and threw out his trick to silence everyone.

How to say……

The majestic Mr. Mycroft Holmes, the great devil sitting in the shadows, seemed to be playing petty temper in his actions.

Bertha didn't feel embarrassed, but she thought it was quite cute.

Mycroft didn't expect that one of his soft and not hard words would make Bertha, who had been slightly upset, suddenly feel better, and she even aroused a bit of interest in chatting after dinner.

The second young lady of the Ingram family is not as beautiful as the dead eldest sister, so she puts more attention on cultivating her own sentiment, and is very concerned about social affairs on weekdays.She had a detailed chat with Miss Jane Eyre, and found that the tutor who used to hide behind the curtain was no longer the same. The two had an in-depth exchange of social topics and found that they hit it off quite well.

Miss Mary Ingram listened to Jane's report of some social activities with great interest, and then concluded: "Mrs. Fisher is really a busy person, and she has to open a school and organize lectures, which makes me interested. Miss Ai, if there is a salon lecture in the future, can you bring me one?"

"Naturally," Jane nodded, "I will definitely let you know if there is a chance in the future, miss."

Miss Jane Eyre learned a lot of speaking skills from Mrs. Fisher. She did not clearly state that all activities revolved around calling for women's right to vote, but only mentioned women's interests and the general direction of starting a women's magazine.Science popularization about children's education and health knowledge sounds like it is closely related to every lady.

The second lady of the Ingram family showed a grateful expression: "You are also very capable, miss."

At this time, Rochester seemed to intervene unintentionally: "The big city is to train people."

Miss Jane Eyre gave him a surprised look. Although she didn't know why Rochester interrupted, she still agreed: "Life in London is not as beautiful and comfortable as the countryside, but it does have many opportunities."

"If this continues, ordinary young people will not be worthy of you, Miss Love," Second Miss Ingram teased, "We must find someone who is good enough."

Jane said nothing.

Second Miss Ingram, who just regarded Miss Jane Eyre as a new friend, immediately noticed the change in her expression, and lowered her voice: "Do you have a sweetheart?"

Bertha laughed calmly when she heard this: "Jane is very shy, don't annoy her."

"Not at all."

Hearing Bertha's words, Jane responded in a very soft voice: "I can't get over that hurdle."

As for the hurdle of finding a good husband, or the hurdle of being unable to openly communicate with the sweetheart right in front of you, only the person involved knows.

Not bad, at least to be able to admit it personally.Bertha was very relieved, she felt that confession is often the first step in finding an idea.

Miss Jane Eyre has made this beginning, and Rochester?

Bertha's eyes turned to the other client. When he heard Jane's words, his expression became extremely complicated, as if he was excited and wanted to defend himself.But Rochester, who has always been straightforward and serious, thought of Bertha's previous admonition, and finally endured his sincerity.

He turned around pretending not to understand, and interrupted the conversation of the other gentlemen.

The sour topic was skipped, and the second Miss Ingram chatted with Jane Eyre about the specific content of women's magazines.

That should have been the end of tonight's party, at least Bertha hoped it would be without incident.But the progress of things was not always as expected. Just when the chat was coming to an end and the night was almost over, Rochester's servant suddenly came over very anxiously and called him out of the living room.

Afterwards, all the guests present heard low voices of arguing outside the door. In the end, it seemed that Rochester hadn't said anything to the other party. After a while, he led a strange man in.

"Sorry, friends." When Rochester said this, he glanced in Bertha's direction intentionally or unintentionally, "allow me to introduce you."

"..."

Bertha couldn't help raising her eyebrows, what did he think he was doing?

And when the man behind Rochester walked into the living room, Bertha's doubts naturally disappeared.

In came Richard Mason.

It has been nearly half a year since the previous meeting at Barclays Bank.Bertha had almost forgotten about her having a cheap brother, and when this pale face appeared in front of her again, she felt the long-lost excitement suddenly hit her heart.

At that moment, Bertha almost forgot how to breathe, and the emotions rushing to her face were irrational and completely out of Bertha's control. After a little thought, she understood that the intense emotions came from the natural nature of this body. reaction.

The former Bertha Mason wanted to get rid of everything in the past until her death. She and Rochester had severed the relationship, but it was impossible to draw a line with her relatives who had a blood relationship.

"This is my... friend Mr. Richard Mason. He has urgent business to do in London, and he will rest at my place for the night."

When Rochester's words fell to the ground, Richard looked up, and he saw Bertha sitting on the sofa almost at a glance.

Not only Bertha was stunned, but the other party was also stunned.

After half a year, Richard Mason encountered this "ghost" of Bertha Mason again, this time even in front of Rochester.