[HP Doujin] 1943

I didn't have a good hunting season that year, but I think I'm getting better at disguising.For example, if I was still having trouble with Francis the night before, I can hold his arm at the luncheon the next day, greet everyone with a sweet and happy smile, and accept people's expressions of our newlyweds. blessing of.

Before all the guests had left, I went to London in spite of Francis' objections.It was early November 1947, and I was six months pregnant.I couldn't use Floo powder or Apparatus because of the severe pregnancy reaction, so I chose the Muggle train.

The manor driver drove Becca and me to the station.It was a gloomy winter day, the sky was covered with thick lead gray clouds, and the biting cold wind blew through the glass windows of the waiting room, making a shrill whine.

Wearing a thick woolen coat and a smooth fur around my neck, I boarded the train accompanied by Becca.

The train came to Nottingham and stopped for water and coal.The heating was fully turned on in the first-class compartment, and a layer of white water vapor condensed on the windows.

"I'm going out to get some air," I said to Becca, picked up my coat and hat, and stood up.

Becca is dozing off with a novel in her hand.

"Yes, ma'am," she said vaguely.

I put on my coat and hat, held my belly, stepped out of the car, and walked carefully to the platform.

Thick leaden gray clouds hung low, and the biting wind carried hard icicles across the icy platform.There are long ice edges on the eaves, like sharp daggers.Warm yellow lights flickered in the windows of the waiting room, casting a faint shadow on the wet, cold stone floor.

I took a deep breath, and the exhaled breath immediately turned into a white mist.

In the dense wind and snow, there were three long and one short sirens when the train changed tracks. With the vibration of the wheels and tracks, a train coming from the direction of London came to a stop on the opposite platform. down.

I breathed the cold air for a while and felt cold hands and feet.As I was about to go back to my compartment, out of the corner of my eye I saw a tall, slender young man in a black coat stepping off the train on the opposite platform.He walked to the platform, took a cigarette from his pocket, lowered his head, and lit it.

He raised his head and exhaled a puff of smoke slowly, his handsome side face seemed so unreal in the cold winter wind and snow.

He also saw me, frowned slightly, and strode towards me.

I couldn't move easily, so I could only support my stomach with one hand, squeezed a smile on my frozen face, and stood there waiting for him.

"Hello, Elizabeth." His voice was deep and slightly hoarse, "Long time no see."

The moment he called my name softly with a hoarse voice, my nose was sour and I almost shed tears.I swayed in place, and if Tom hadn't caught me just in time, I would have almost given up and fell to the ground.

Tom, Tom, Tom... I was calling his name frantically in my head, but nothing came out of my mouth.The moment I saw him, many things that I hadn't seen clearly in the past became clear: the magnificent Stuart manor, the gorgeous jewelry, and the status of the hostess of the manor...all of these Everything in my life is not worth mentioning.

He threw the cigarette on the ground, reached out to help me, and helped me get on the train.

I got into the car awkwardly, held the door and turned my head.

"Tom," I finally whispered his name, "Where are you going?"

"I just came from London and went to Glasgow to do some business." His face was extremely calm, and his dark eyes were fixed on me. "What about you? Are you going to London?"

I nodded.

His eyes turned around my lower abdomen, then he took a step back, nodded to me faintly, and said, "Goodbye."

The strong wind rolled the rain and snow, one after another.He smiled, waved at me, turned around, and walked to the other side of the platform.

I watched his leaving back with tears in my eyes, thinking, in this life, our fate is like these two trains.I'm going to London, he's coming from London.We briefly crossed paths at Nottingham station, then headed off in opposite directions.

Becca had fallen asleep, and I sat in the car and continued to cry.

I finally understood what Francis said, sex is not equal to love, marriage is not equal to love.Love is such a thing, in our circle, it makes people laugh when it is said.That's a word only used by female students who are just in love.

The train left, I went to London, he came from London, our fate in this life, maybe that's it.

******

It was already dark in London.The lights illuminated Waterloo Station, where the chauffeur and valet of the family were already waiting.

Even if he did not live in London, Francis kept the servants at the house in the Strand, in case anyone in the family came to London in a hurry.I think it's a waste of his manner, but that's the way the Stuarts are, and I can't be bothered.

Because the journey was exhausting, I fell asleep after dinner and slept until noon the next day.When Becca brought the lunch plate to my room, she put the business cards of the guests who visited in the morning on a small plate and brought it to me.I scanned them one by one and noticed Sylvia's name.

"Miss Black said, if you wake up, I will ask if you would like to go to Northumberland Manor for tea at 04:30." Becca said as she served me porridge.

"Okay." I said, picked up the spoon, "go tell the driver."

I just met Sylvia at the Stuart Manor not long ago, and we were very polite to each other. I didn't expect her to come and visit so soon.

Northumberland Manor is where Sylvia is about to get married.The house is quite big, in the suburbs of London, it is the real estate of the Black family, and her fiancé inherited the house.We used to come here once for Christmas when we were in seventh grade.

The car drove into the suburbs through the gloomy wind and snow, and drove up the long drive to the house.A butler greeted us at the door holding a black umbrella, and a valet held an umbrella and helped me into the door.Becca took my handbag and slipped behind me step by step.

Abraxas Malfoy's wife, Georgiana, was also in the living room. Seeing me, she stood up and greeted me happily.

"It's a pity that I didn't bring Lucius here today." There was a deep smile on her rosy face, and her light blonde hair was wrapped in a dark golden hairnet, looking very dignified, "Otherwise, I Gotta let you meet my youngest son. How are you feeling?"

I hugged her, smiled and said, "Charles must be an active kid, kicking me every morning."

"Charles?" Georgiana laughed. "Isn't that Francis' father's name?"

"He insisted on naming his son that," I shrugged, "and I didn't object."

"These men are so arbitrary," Georgiana sat down on the couch with me. "We'll just spend their money, and never mind that much."

A maid came with tea and a plate full of strawberry pie, and Sylvia stepped up to say hello.

"Good afternoon, Lizzie," she said. "I didn't expect you to come to London alone, and Francis would agree?"

"Do I need his permission to come to London?" I said a little unhappily.

Sylvia laughed: "Your temper really hasn't changed at all."

She sat down opposite me, took a sip of tea, and looked me up and down with sharp eyes.Then, in her usual sneering tone, she said: "I really didn't expect that after I stayed in France for a year, you would become Mrs. Stuart."

She emphasized the words "Mrs. Stuart" with undisguised mockery.Georgiana glanced at her uneasily, and subconsciously patted my hand.

I slowly put down the teacup, wiped my fingers with the cream-yellow silk napkin on my lap, and said nothing.

"You have been nesting in Scotland for more than half a year," she said, squinting at me, "Why did you come to London suddenly this time? Let me guess why..." She put down the biscuit plate, smiled charmingly, His eyes were icy cold, "You can't stand the polite and hypocritical life in Stuart Manor anymore, can you?"

It's useless to pretend in front of Sylvia.I folded the napkin, smiled at her, and said calmly, "Yes, I'm going out to get some air."

"It's a good choice to come to London to breathe," Sylvia said, putting down her teacup. "I believe the smog that hasn't dissipated for several months must be very beneficial to your health."

I dropped a sugar cube into my teacup, stirred the teaspoon, smiled and said, "I think so. Can I use your bathroom?"

"Go upstairs and turn right." Sylvia glanced at me and said lightly.

I put down the teacup in my hand, stood up, stroked the folds of the skirt, said "excuse me" politely, and went upstairs alone.I don't know if I was overthinking, but I always felt that the eyes of several servants in the corridor were following me all the time.

After closing the bathroom door, I sat down on a white sofa for rest, waiting for the pain in my chest to dissipate slowly.Since I was pregnant, I have often experienced dizziness and chest tightness from time to time. Mr. Kahn said that this is not a serious problem, as long as I have a good rest and maintain a good mood, I will be fine.

I sat on the sofa for a while, stood up, picked up the warm white towel placed on the silver tray and wiped the sweat from my forehead, and made a decision in my heart: I will say goodbye to Sylvia early.I had hoped to find some news of Tom's life from her, but from her bad attitude to me, I had better not talk to her.

I opened the bathroom door and walked out, but as soon as I reached the stairs on the second floor, a voice came from a half-open door.I knew it was two maids chatting while cleaning. Originally, I planned to walk over directly, but I heard my name, so I hesitated for a moment, put one hand on the railing of the stairs, and stopped in my tracks.

"—poor Lady Elizabeth, she doesn't know anything yet."

"No, my cousin works in the kitchen at Stuart Manor. You can't guess what she told me."

"Say it quickly."

"After their wedding tour, Mr. Stuart left Lady Elizabeth alone on the first night when he took her back to the Manor, and went to Paris alone."

"Merlin! First night?"

"I suppose it must be that the one in Paris is not happy to see him remarried, and that's why he's making a fuss over there, trying to drag Mr. Stuart over there."

"I think so. Perhaps she thought Mr. Stuart would marry her after Mrs. Laura's accident."

"Impossible even if you think about it! She is just the daughter of a servant, and she still wants to marry into the Stuart family? She has less dreams, even if she has a daughter, it is impossible."

"I heard Mrs. Sylvia and Mrs. Georgiana talk about the illegitimate daughter last time. Mrs. Georgiana also said that we are not allowed to mention this matter in the manor, lest Mrs. Elizabeth hear— —”

For a moment, my mind went blank and I didn't know what to think.Immediately afterwards, waves of humiliation and anger flooded my head, and I exhausted all my strength to slowly walk down the stairs step by step.

"My God, Elizabeth, why do you look so pale?" exclaimed Georgiana, as soon as I entered the drawing-room. "Are you feeling unwell? I'll write at once—"

"You all know?" I interrupted her and asked lightly.

Georgiana froze. "Know... what?" She asked blankly, and glanced at Sylvia, who was also puzzled.

"He has a woman in France." Out of anger and shame, I didn't want to say Francis' name.

There was a sudden silence in the living room.Georgiana stood up suddenly, and the blood on her face disappeared. Sylvia sighed, turned her head and said to the maid who was laying out the snack tray, "Ellie, go out and close the door."

"Ma'am? What did you hear?" Becca walked to my side and looked at me in horror.

"You know that too?" I stared into her eyes and said angrily.

"Ma'am!" Becca's tears flowed down her cheeks, "I—"

"Honey, don't blame her, she's just a maid that Francis arranged for you, she doesn't understand anything." Georgiana walked to my side, pulled me to sit on the sofa, put her arms around my shoulders, "How did you know that?"

"You all know that I am the only one kept in the dark. In your eyes, I am an idiot, don't you?" My tone was still very angry.

"Lizzie..." Georgiana frowned slightly, "No one thinks you are stupid, we just think it's best for you not to know."

"She's going to know sooner or later, isn't she?" Sylvia said with a hint of mockery in her tone, but she handed me a cup of hot tea, "Okay, okay, Lizzie, don't talk to a little girl It’s the same fuss. Who in our circle doesn’t know about Francis and that French woman? It’s just that everyone knows it well, and they won’t say it outright. Now that you know it, it’s best to pretend I don’t know, otherwise it will become a big mess, and it will be of no benefit to anyone.”

"At least he's well-mannered," Georgiana said in a comforting tone. "He won't embarrass you on any occasion. And he also has a way of dealing with the media. It is absolutely impossible for this kind of thing to be made public. made you feel wronged."

"Abraxas is the same," Sylvia said. "When Georgiana was pregnant, he had a woman outside. Men are like this. Do you expect men of their status to be like that?" Do you treat you wholeheartedly like a student who is in love, and regard you as the center of his whole life?"

Hearing this, I blinked, and two hot tears fell down my cheeks.

Sylvia probably saw my thoughts, she turned her face away, looked at the snowflakes flying outside the window, and stopped talking.

We sat in the living room and talked for more than half an hour, and then Georgiana left early because of family business.As I sat alone in the living room with Sylvia, she finally brought up something that had been on my mind.

"Has he visited you?" She asked lightly.

I glanced at her indifferent face and nodded slightly.

She reached out to open the bottom drawer of a desk, took out a white envelope, and dumped it on the table, a ring inlaid with sapphires rolled down on the dark green carpet.

"Tom came to me after he came back from you," she looked at me coldly, her dark eyes like the ice of a cold night, "he did it with me."

I looked away, twisting a handkerchief tightly in my lap with trembling hands.

"He threw this in the trash can." Sylvia picked up the bright and watery sapphire ring and threw it at my feet. "He originally wanted to bring this to you. But Unexpectedly, you have already prepared a big gift for him, haven't you?"

"Stop it!" My voice trembled uncontrollably, I stood up staggeringly, without even saying goodbye, I staggered towards the door, and Becca quickly followed me, Carrying my coat and handbag.