[Titanic] Ticket

When Catherine was holding the milk and pushing open the study door, Lester was sitting behind the desk writing something, the parchment was spread out on the table, several pens were pushed to the edge, and the lid of the ink bottle was missing. He is busy with a big job.

She came closer and found that Lester had a book open in his hand-Berdeka's "Traveling on the Rhine", which she had only read in its entirety not long ago, and had asked May to order the rest of the series. Those, there are more books on his desk, and some that can't fit are piled up at his feet. Unsurprisingly, they are all related to travel.

"You should have something to eat, Lovejoy said you stayed in the study for more than three hours." Catherine put down the cup and carefully observed the parchment, a meticulously crafted map of Europe with many markings on it, The route from New York to Paris and London covers almost everything you can think of, and Lester records very carefully, so his work progress is not too optimistic.

"When will we leave?" Lester said, they were standing by the window, the night wind was rolling the curtains, the dark green blocks were silent in the shadows, revealing an uncomfortable darkness, they were about half a year ago After moving back to New York, I still live in the White Azalea Manor. Compared with New Mexico, everything here is cramped and cold.

Catherine covered his hand. "It's still a while. Thank you, Lester."

The warmth of skin-to-skin contact effectively prevented more fatigue from surging up from the depths of his soul, he smiled: "Don't mention this, you know, it sounds quite boring."

"...I'm very... glad..." Catherine said, her face was a little red, and she turned slightly to avoid Les' eyes, "Brother finally chose to be with you, and I didn't foolishly Stopping this from happening until the end, you're better than I could ever have imagined." She smiled and seemed genuinely happy about it, "I haven't tried to imagine what the future would be like since my mother passed away. What it looks like, after all it can only be that way, not bad, but you can't expect it to be good. But you bring something different, of course I don't mean the one who rebelled against society and the law Part - but something else, Lester, you gave me and my brother what is most precious - a real family."

She gave Lester a very firm hug, and said a quick good night, and left the study, her eyes reddened, and she might cry when she got back into the room, but Lester kindly kept silent.

He went back to his desk, picked up a book from the pile of books at his feet, and thought about his random, unverifiable thoughts while copying the main points.

The emergence of the diesel internal combustion engine in the past two years undoubtedly brought huge turmoil to the entire American society, and the oil business became a hot topic among the hot spots.Carl always complained that there were so many orders during that time, and he himself was so busy that he even shortened his sleep time. This obviously paid off, and people no longer used such descriptions as "Charlie Hockley's son" To describe him, but "the successful man", "the oil tycoon", "Mr. Hockley with great vision", etc., Carl of course won the inheritance right unanimously at the family meeting.

This was the beginning of all good things. Their careers in New Mexico went steadily, and it didn't take long for them to return to the circle of New York's upper class. Lester made a lot of money in venture capital, and World Star Entertainment launched one after another. A couple of good movies - not bad, even from Lester's point of view, which sounds like a perfect résumé for a winner who, apart from the bank manager, doesn't even know what's going on in the account Specific figures for wealth accumulation.

Except their love.

Human beings are always greedy, and they have milk and bread, so it is inevitable that they will not hope for spiritual comfort. At this time, a love without regrets is very necessary.

But as long as they firmly keep going in the opposite direction of the mainstream, no amount of money can make up for this regret, which sounds really sad.

But the situation now is that Carl insists on wanting, a wedding that everyone can know or more... legal proof...

His pen paused for a long time, and when he found out that there was an irreparable ink blotch on the parchment, Lester pursed his lips and stared at the stain for a while, about 10 minutes - before tearing up the rewriting He wrestled with whether it went on, before falling back into his chair with a rather hopeless groan - obviously neither side was winning.

……

After Carl's usual home time of eleven o'clock, he has a lot of papers to deal with, and countless parties, and he is tired of all the women who want to stick to him all the time-and occasionally men-just Because they've heard of Lester's existence, but hell, how dare they compare themselves with Lester!

Pushing away a woman who tried to invite him for the night, Carl roughly untied his tie. Victor walked up to him, and Carl glanced at him lazily: "What's your business?"

"Ask how Leicester is doing," Victor said.

"That's not what you should care about. I heard that Mrs. Strauss is pregnant." Karl said coldly and sharply. Even in the past two years, he had no intention of reconciling with Victor and establishing a friendship. , in view of the fact that he always picks a few days a month to visit alone, and at this time, the entire Hockley family is on the verge of an enemy.

"Four months, I want Lester to be its godfather." Victor didn't mind his attitude very much, they usually did, the conversation was full of gunpowder, like two hedgehogs at war, ready to kill each other at any time .

Carl looked as if he wanted to pour a whole glass of champagne in his face. Victor grinned, and then happily changed the subject: "I heard Mr. Hockley is coming back?"

"What? I don't know about it." Carl frowned. "Where did you hear that?"

"A lumber merchant in Pennsylvania, maybe it's a rumor." Victor was taken aback for a moment, and he quickly realized that there might be some inside story that he didn't know much about, so he quickly brushed it off.

Carl was still thinking about it when he returned to the manor. Old Charlie lived with them for a year, but he didn't seem to make much concessions. Disturbing, he mentioned the news to Lester, and the young man looked at him with a smile: "Let him come, even if it's a dozen fiancees, it's no big deal, this is our territory now. "

……

Soon it will be September, and the map of Leicester will be made. Catherine has set a date for sailing. On the [-]th of this month, she will go with Ash. The first stop is Paris, and then maybe Germany Or Switzerland.

It was a fine day.

They bid farewell on the pier, Lester hugged Ash and bumped him on the shoulder like a real buddy, Catherine was still snuggling in Carl's arms and whispering something, he turned his head: "Bon voyage, Don't do anything stupid."

Ash smiled and nodded. There is always some boyish temperament in him that has never faded away. He is sunny and upward but has the tenacity and courage of an adult man: "I assure you, I will return to New York well."

"If the <Washington Post> is brought back to life because of you, I'll give you some stock. I know you like Jessica, you can get married, buy a cute little house in Queens, have lots of kids...I can't Besides, you are about to cry, my brother." Lester said tolerantly, and motioned for him to use the handkerchief he handed over, "So don't say you don't need it, even the ability to provide for your wife and children. It’s not a shameful enough thing.”

"...I'm convinced by you." Ash resignedly conceded to him, and his last words moved him, but he quickly noticed the details, "When did you find out? I mean- er, You don't object?"

Lester sees his anxiety, obviously he has a decent job now - of course Jessica also has one, but this can't cover up her past disgraceful history, there must be quite a few people telling Ash that he should marry A good girl from a decent family, not an ex-whore who isn't IKEA in any way.

"Jessica is fine. I don't have any prejudice against her." Lester waved his hand. "Actually, I think she is at a disadvantage. As you know, I think you have a lot of problems, brother."

Ash rolled his eyes at him, shut his mouth, and refused to affirm the validity of this assessment.

Catherine came over, and she gave Lester a long and firm hug as if she was saying goodbye to her elder brother. Lester, you can't always have an excuse to skip lunch or dinner-even if the latter insists in every possible way that his negligence was not intentional.

She seemed to have withdrawn, and her light brown eyes flashed with some confusion about the upcoming journey, but she said nothing in the end, said goodbye to the two of them for the last time, and walked up the gangway very resolutely.

……

Lester said that life is always willing to give you some surprises or shocks. It is idle and moldy. If you brush up the sense of existence from time to time, it may collapse completely.

Early in the morning—it was never past six o’clock—it was a dream when Carl was holding his lover, and Lovejoy walked in, pushed him awake, and said in a tone as if he was still in a dream: " The master is here, and he has brought two... children."

"Two... what?" Carl blinked, his hair was messed up, and his expression looked bewildered.

"Two children—to be more precise, two and a half-year-old babies."

There was a terrible silence in the room. Carl scratched his head, and the expression on his face quickly changed from a warm and lovely one just waking up to one-whatever-anyway, it was so hideous that it was indescribable, Lester sighed Tone got out from under the blanket, stepped over him to find his own clothes, and told Lovejoy to prepare breakfast.

They met old Hockley about half an hour later. He looked refreshed, sitting at the table reading a morning paper. Lester noticed that it was the latest issue of the Washington Post, which appeared every day. The postman delivered, and it seemed they were here early enough.

"...I don't remember Hockley's family rules about disturbing lucid dreams." Carl didn't even change his clothes. He sat on the sofa in a thin silk shirt and pajama pants, his hair was messed up on his forehead, which made him feel uncomfortable. He looked young and uncommonly boyish.

"It's also not in Hockley's family rules to talk back to your father, son. Go and see, my grandson and granddaughter." Old Hockley said with raised eyebrows. He looked in a good mood, and Lester followed his gaze. When he reached the two children in Henry's arms, he took a few steps closer and took the one on his left. It was sleeping soundly, with blond hair, and looked very well-behaved.

"Boy?" Lester touched its little face, it looked extremely fragile, Lester almost moved his finger away after touching it.

"Yes, he was born 10 minutes earlier. Vincent is the elder brother, and Rebecca is the younger sister." Henry showed him the other one, she was awake, with brown hair and rare violet eyes, presumably this one The mother of twins is also a rare beauty.

"What did you bring them here for?" Carl asked coldly, "Don't expect me to take them in, I know this is the... child of that bastard." He couldn't speak, but Lester looked at him sternly. He understood the meaning of the look, so he could only give up reluctantly and continue talking.

"It has nothing to do with you. They will be the heirs of Hawkley's next generation." The old Hawk said in a cold tone not inferior to his, "And what you say doesn't matter, I don't believe that in Rice When you think they're good, you literally throw them out like trash."

Carl glared at him angrily, then turned to look at Lester—the eyes were straight and wronged, but Lester didn't like this, he liked children, not to mention they kept some of the same things as Carl. Blood, that was enough reason for him to favor them.

Carl went upstairs with fierce eyes, and said: "Don't let me find a chance! I swear I will get them out!"

Old Hockley looked at his back with pity, then at Leicester, and said, "...I'm really useless."