aristocratic engagement

Anne, regardless of the cold wind or the warm wind, she doesn't have so many sentimental feelings.The only thing she worries about now is how to fool the siblings—Anne is no longer the poor young soul she once was. Lady Catherine has gradually gotten used to her gradual changes over the years, and she was not used to it at first, but Lady Catherine of course Wanting to see the demented only daughter getting better and better, Annie's changes are exactly what she wants.

But it's strange to say that during the three years after Anne woke up, she rarely came into contact with Mrs. Catherine's natal family.Anne guessed that it was Madame Catherine's strong self-esteem that caused the trouble. She didn't want to show her collapse in front of "outsiders". She should always be the domineering, noble, and indestructible Madame de Bourgh.

With Du Li's help, Annie has already put on a light yellow silk dress.Because she was still young, Du Li didn't pull up her hair for her. Instead, she used a golden ribbon to braid her smooth golden brown hair into complicated and delicate circles.Annie carried her long skirt uncomfortably and slowly went downstairs - floor-length skirts always made her afraid of rolling down the stairs.

This is by no means alarmist. Anne once saw a maid who was reprimanded by Mrs. Jiang Jinsheng for her sloppy work. She covered her face and wept as she hurried downstairs. The poor maid stepped on the hem of her skirt on the high stairs and rolled from the second floor. Going down, the ankle was broken, and it took more than half a year to heal.

Annie was holding the stairs, and just stepped on the ground of the first floor when she heard a noise from the front hall.Du Li nimbly ran with small steps, hid at the corner and poked her head out. After a while, she ran back and panted and said, "Mr. Darcy and Miss Darcy should have already entered the front yard. Mrs. Jiang Jinsheng is bringing Let's all gather in the front hall."

Anne nodded and quickened her pace. As soon as she reached the entrance of the front hall, she saw Mrs. Catherine walking down the stairs on the other side.

"Oh! Anne, I was about to ask Mrs. Jiang Jinsheng to notify you, but I didn't expect you to come down." Madam Catherine couldn't stop the smile on her face, she looked at Anne with satisfaction.

Anne thought that her mother must have thought she couldn't wait to see her cousin, when in fact it seemed to Anne that it was only polite to greet guests and not keep them waiting.

"Yes, Mom. I miss Georgiana so much! The last time I saw her was three years ago...oh, I can't remember." Anne shook her head in distress.

Madam Catherine's smile faltered, but immediately raised the corners of her mouth, as if it didn't affect her good mood at all: "And Fitzwilliam, he must have changed a lot, he is already a reliable man."

Lady Catherine walked quickly, and Anne followed behind her without saying anything, and began to play a lady who abided by etiquette.To Anne's surprise, Madam Catherine did not sit in the front hall, waiting for her nephew and niece to be "visited", but walked towards the door enthusiastically.

The resplendent and resplendent door was opened from the outside, and with the cold wind and fine snowflakes sweeping in, three figures walked in unhurriedly under the eyes of everyone.As soon as they entered the warm room, two servants and a maid from Rosings Manor took a step forward and took off their warm cloaks.

"I'm glad to see you are healthy and healthy, my dear nephews!" Mrs. Catherine remembered her reserve at this moment, and the tallest one among the three who stood at the front showed a barely visible smile , he took off his hat and gave a gentleman's salute.Anne noticed Lady Catherine's restrained but delighted raise of her eyebrows.

Then Lady Catherine stooped, and Georgiana kissed her carefully, in style, on the cheek.Behind the two, a handsome young man showed a charming smile and bent down obsequiously: "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Catherine de Bourgh! You are as radiant as ever!" Without waiting for Mrs. Catherine Looking at him squarely, this man sent a series of beautiful compliments, eloquently.

Annie officially met the pair of superior-looking siblings while he was not paying attention to her.Without waiting for her brother to speak, Georgiana jumped in front of Annie happily, and Annie opened her arms to catch her big and intimate hug.

"Georgianna, long time no see." Annie stroked her hair.

"I miss you so much, Anne! You don't even come to see me in Derbyshire! Brother..." Georgiana realized her impoliteness, let go of her arms, and backed away shyly.Darcy took a step forward, lowered his head and met Anne's eyes.Anne immediately made a distant curtsey, which surprised Darcy.

Darcy also gave a polite salute subconsciously.

Seeing this scene, Lady Catherine's mouth curved down slightly, and the vanity and satisfaction caused by the exaggerated compliments of the pretty boy were swept away.

"Miss de Bourgh, you are still so beautiful! No, no, no, no, you are more charming than before!" The man immediately stepped forward and made an exaggerated expression of being fascinated, "I am Vic Ham, you must remember me."

"I don't remember you, sir," said Anne curtly.She didn't like that flattering expression at all-if she was really a young girl who was just 11 years old, she would definitely be dazzled by his flattery.

Wickham was taken aback, as if it was the first time he was cold in front of the opposite sex.

"Oh... ah, I, I am George Wickham, and my father was once Mr. Darcy's most loyal companion."

Anne noticed that Darcy frowned slightly, which made his already unkind manner even more indifferent.But Georgiana was unaware of her brother's dissatisfaction, and actively introduced Wickham: "George also came to Rosings Manor, don't you remember? Anne? At Uncle's..." funeral.

Georgiana suddenly realized something and looked at her brother.

Lady Catherine also thought about it, and the arc of her mouth went down two more degrees.Mrs. Jiang Jinsheng coughed lightly at this moment: "Madam, the living room is ready. Hot tea and desserts are ready in the kitchen."

Mrs. Catherine packed up her mood and greeted the group of people to walk towards the living room.Darcy walked beside Lady Catherine, listening to his aunt's concern hidden under the harsh words.

Georgiana took advantage of the situation and stood beside Anne. Annie saw her staring at herself hesitantly and stopped, so she simply took her hand.Georgiana beamed with joy instantly, and chirped about what she had seen and heard along the way from Derbyshire to Kentshire.The little girl seldom had the chance to go out, and now she was so excited that she couldn't control her desire to express herself.

"When I was at Pemberley, I had the servants find me the prettiest little rabbit in all Derbyshire! I was going to bring her to you, I remember you like little rabbits, but Mary said if I brought her Brought by Bonnie, she'll be dead on the road in two days in this weather... I've been thinking of something for you, maybe you'd like a nice gemstone necklace? I don't know, we haven't seen it in too long Let's meet, brother always won't let me go out to play..."

Georgiana babbled endlessly in Anne's ear, and Anne thought she must be suffocated.

"Because you are too lively, Georgiana, if you are half as quiet as Anne, I will take you out with confidence." Darcy interrupted suddenly.

They had already sat down on the sofa at this time, Darcy and his aunt sat on the big sofa in the middle, Georgiana and Anne knelt by the fireplace, and the beautiful boy Wickham was beside Lady Catherine Sit down on the low stool.At this time, Mary, Georgiana's personal maid, came in with a footman behind her.

After hearing Darcy's words, Georgiana pouted dissatisfiedly, seeing the figure behind Mary, she quickly dismissed her unhappiness: "Come here!" She was about to stand up, but was supported by Anne.

The person behind Mary was holding a small, dark object in his arms, still heaving weakly.

"I couldn't bring you Bonnie, but I just happened to meet a man in a shabby black robe selling puppies in Hansford Village! How lucky! Listen to him, he just needs the money to live comfortably It was Christmas, so I bought him... look, how cute he is!" Georgiana told the servants to put the dark puppy by the fireplace.

When Anne heard "black robe", her nerves jumped.

"I have to say, a dirty puppy is not a decent Christmas present, Georgiana." Darcy frowned.

"No, I like it very much," replied Anne.She stretched out her hand, and tentatively stroked the slightly dirty little thing. Before it touched it, the puppy's nose moved, and it moved towards her hand with its eyes closed. Annie He felt his hot breath from his fingertips.

"He likes you too! Anne!" Georgiana enviously said, "He is not polite to me. When he wakes up, he only does not resist to his brother." As she said, Georgiana also stretched out her hand and tried to touch it. The puppy, however, opened his eyes the moment he touched it, stood up vigilantly, and turned around in circles.

Georgiana sighed in disappointment.

Annie was amused by her pretending to be mature, she stretched out her hand to hug the puppy, and soon, under her touch, the little black dog relaxed its guard, nestled obediently in her arms, and snored .But under his rubbing, Annie's goose-yellow skirt was immediately covered with dusty little footprints.

Anne immediately looked up at Madam Catherine. According to usual, she had already started yelling.But she didn't. Anne saw Mrs. Catherine looking at the little black dog in a daze.

"I remember that Sir de Bourgh once had a hound by his side." Darcy understood.

"Yes, that's a pretty girl called Sigurn," said Lady Catherine softly.Sigurn was nowhere to be seen when Sir Louis de Bourgh died.At that time, Mrs. Catherine was in pain because of her husband's death, and Anne was almost dying because of her father's death...so when Mrs. Catherine remembered that her husband had such a partner, she could no longer find her.

Georgiana was a little uneasy. She saw that her brother and aunt were a little sad and melancholy, so she looked at Anne: "Choose him a name, he likes you so much, and you like him too, I think he is destined to be your partner—— Bonnie is enough for me!" She didn't say that it was a Christmas present, and her brother seemed to disagree.

"Fenrir, his name is Fenrir." Annie scratched the puppy in her arms, and he sniffed comfortably.

Darcy nodded and said nothing more.Wickham kindly reminded: "You must have misremembered, Miss de Bourgh, the two children of Sign are named Narf and Valli." Fenrir shared a father with them, But their mother is not the same person.

Annie didn't seem to understand what he meant, and said nonchalantly: "My Fenrir will definitely grow into a mighty young man like a giant wolf. Don't you think this name is bad, Mr. Wickham?"

Wickham shook his head embarrassingly, and turned his head to see that Madam Catherine didn't care. She didn't seem to know the allusion in Norse mythology.

Anne is not the original Anne, so naturally she will not use the names of Narf or Valli.Doves occupying the magpie's nest already troubled her conscience-though she knew there must be some reason for it, otherwise why wasn't she Anna, Anita or Ann?

"Whatever his name is, my dear, you have the final say." Madam Catherine looked at Anne lovingly and nodded.

Lady Catherine didn't care about those winding things, she turned her head and continued to care about Darcy's daily life.Darcy was not dissatisfied with her detailed "examination" and answered her aunt's questions gently.Anne noticed that although Darcy did not smile, his expression could be described as relaxed and respectful.

Georgiana continued to talk privately with Anne, and after the servants brought the presents, she took Anne to open it up with great interest—even if it was prepared by herself.They were all small objects, and Georgiana didn't think they could be regarded as Christmas gifts, but just wanted to share the strange things she collected with her sisters.

Anne let go of her mind and let herself be excited. Like a real 11-year-old girl, playing with her eight or nine-year-old cousin.Pretending to be childish is no easier than pretending to be mature!

Before I knew it, the clock struck ten o'clock.Only then did Lady Catherine stop questioning contentedly, and Darcy looked at the clock and at the two girls in front of the fireplace, and saw Anne's sleepiness hidden in her eyes, trying to cope with Georgiana's excited chatter.Darcy felt a little amused.

"It's time to go to bed, Georgiana. It's too rude of you to have breakfast in bed again tomorrow." Darcy stretched his body slightly.

Lady Catherine also nodded: "A lady should be polite. By the way, has Georgiana started her class, Darcy?"

"Not yet, Auntie." Darcy frowned. "That's one of the reasons why I came to visit you. Georgiana needs a governess very much, but I..." Darcy hesitated to speak skillfully.

"Leave it to me." Madam Catherine nodded reservedly, "Stay here longer, Anne starts classes very early, so Georgiana can study with her. You know, it's hard to find a good tutor. I don't think anyone can be more discerning than me in choosing a lady's governess."

Georgiana's eyes widened.

Anne stroked her head sympathetically.

"I believe you, Aunt," said Darcy, looking at Georgiana. "Now, my dear, it is time for us to say good night."

Georgiana obediently stood up from the ground, kissed her brother's cheeks—one on each side, and said coquettishly: "Good night, brother. I want to sleep with Annie today, okay?"

"You must ask Anne's wishes." Darcy did not want to disappoint Georgiana, who had rarely had a speaker.

"Of course." Annie agreed.

Mrs. Jiang Jinsheng immediately arranged for Mary and Du Li to put Georgiana's personal clothing and toiletries in Anne's room.At this time, Lady Catherine took a sip of her tea and said suddenly, "Anne, I think you should say good night to Darcy?"

Anne thought of Georgiana's actions just now, and her face froze.