aristocratic engagement

When the clock struck ten o'clock, everyone left the living room one after another, went upstairs, said good night on the stairs, and each went to their own rooms.

Wickham's matter came to an end, but Anne was still preoccupied.She was eager to have a chat with Darcy alone, and communicate with him about the Earl, but Darcy avoided her words again and again.

——No, to be precise, he was just avoiding talking to himself alone, being alone.

Although he didn't say that, Anne just felt that way.

With doubts and irritability, Annie lay on the big bed after washing, planning how to meet him alone the next day.

This is completely opposite to the headache she had a few days ago. At that time, she was still struggling with how to avoid him, draw a clear line with him, calm her restless heart as soon as possible, and restore her former clarity and calmness.

But now, she wanted to talk to him alone again—maybe it was objectively because that sort of thing needed to be resolved and discussed with Darcy; maybe, Anne was ashamed to admit that she also had that kind of cloudy and sunny mood. Girlish feelings, when he really neglected and avoided himself, she was the most unaccustomed to it.

"However, at Pemberley Manor, we will have a chance to talk alone." Thinking of this, Anne breathed a sigh of relief and let herself fall asleep.

However, she did not expect that Darcy, who had become angry, would be so difficult to deal with!

These days, Anne has never seen Darcy alone? !

Either, he left the manor, and he couldn't even catch a person; or, he stayed in the study with lawyers and managers all day; or, surrounded by servants, he seemed to become dull suddenly, He did not understand a word of Anne's hints.

But Anne couldn't speak out about those conspiracies in front of everyone, especially in front of Lady Catherine and Georgiana.

If those evasions were all coincidences, Anne wouldn't be so angry.

Until that time, Annie clearly saw his figure and the hem of his clothes at the corner of the corridor, but after hearing his footsteps, he immediately turned around and went back in the direction he came from.

——The angry Annie forgot to question why he could even hear her own footsteps.

Annie was very angry, and finally she was sure that this person was avoiding her!

She picked up the corner of her skirt and ran towards the corner.

Turning the corner, at the end of the hallway, the side door was swinging in the wind, apparently just being hit hard by someone.

"Ha - it really is him."

Suddenly, the door was opened from the outside.

"Darcy—" Anne blurted out, but when she realized that the person in front of her was Mrs. Reynolds, she immediately stopped talking and saluted, "It's you, Mrs. Reynolds."

Mrs. Reynolds also returned the salute, and asked with a smile: "Are you looking for Mr. Darcy? He just left through the back door and went to the mountain!"

"Thank you!" Annie's eyes widened, and she immediately saluted again, and was about to catch up.

"Wait! Miss Anne!" Mrs. Reynolds suddenly grabbed Anne's wrist.

Annie stopped in her tracks, turned her head and asked doubtfully, "What's the matter? I'm going to find Darcy, please—"

"Mr. Darcy will not see you now, Miss Anne."

Mrs. Reynolds' words made Annie feel ashamed for being exposed for a while.

"So, are you free now? I have something to tell you." Mrs. Reynolds smiled kindly.

Annie blinked her eyes, looked at her for three seconds, and nodded: "I'm free anytime."

Mrs. Reynolds led her into the garden.

Among the rose beds, under the high parasols, there are small white wooden tables and chairs.A teapot and snacks have been prepared on the table, and a rose has just bloomed in a slender vase.

It was only then that Annie noticed that the roses that had only sprouted a tip at the ball were already scrambling to show their little faces.Although the garden has not yet been filled with the fragrance of flowers, there are already dots of red in the greenery.

The two sat down at the wooden table.

Annie knew at the first sight of this arrangement that Mrs. Reynolds had come prepared, so she took the initiative to ask: "Mrs. Reynolds, did you come here under the order of Darcy?"

"Yes, and no," said Mrs. Reynolds, pouring her tea, "I am here for Mr. Darcy, but not by his appointment—of course, I dare say, he will not come for it." Blame me for that."

Annie took her tea and took a sip—it was rose tea.

"I'll get straight to the point, Miss Anne, have you noticed that Mr. Darcy is avoiding you?"

"You know?" Annie's eyes widened. "Yes, but why did he avoid me? Could it be that I am a scourge? Or is it that I am disgusting and he will be disgusted when he sees it?"

After hearing this, Mrs. Reynolds chuckled: "You are really humorous... But, you are so beautiful and innocent, who can hate you?"

Annie waved her hands unbearably: "Wickham must hate me to death."

After Mrs. Reynolds laughed, she poured herself a cup of tea and said, "Mr. Darcy's reason for not wanting to see you alone is the same as your previous reason."

Annie's hand paused slightly.

"Oh? You know why?"

Annie is used to going straight to the point. In negotiations, such a strategy will always make the other party stunned for a while and reveal their flaws.Unexpectedly, Mrs. Reynolds nodded.

"The last time I saw such a scene was many, many years ago, Miss Anne."

Anne froze for a moment, and suddenly realized that Mrs. Reynolds did not call her Miss de Bourgh today, but... her Christian name.

"Why you tried to avoid Mr. Darcy earlier, I do not know. But it was your pound that made Mr. Darcy back."

"...the station?"

"That's right." Mrs. Reynolds took out an object from her pocket and placed it on the plate in front of Annie that should have held the small cake.

It was that coin.

"You mean, Mr. Darcy understood more than ten times." After Mrs. Reynolds finished speaking, she suddenly sighed, "Perhaps it is a common problem of the Darcy family, they always accept other people's feedback silently, but rarely take the initiative Striking, except—"

"Except Georgiana."

"Yes, Miss Darcy is like her mother."

Annie pursed her lips.

"He was worried that he would annoy you, so he took the initiative to avoid it, and kept a distance that was not too far or too close - which was just right for the cousins." Mrs. Reynolds continued, "Maybe he also thought that a timely distance can make you feel better." His hot head calmed down and he thought more rationally."

"...He is very similar to me." Annie murmured unconsciously.

"Yes, you are very similar, almost not like cousins, but like sharing a brain and soul."

After hearing what Mrs. Reynolds said, Annie's face suddenly became warm, and she argued: "If that's the case, I don't have to guess his changing mind."

"Miss Anne, you said he was changeable, but you didn't give up too much."

"That's different. I'm looking for him for something! It's not..." At this point, Annie faltered.

Mrs. Reynolds just smiled, and the smile lines were full of wisdom.She cut open the cake on the plate in front of her, took out a small piece, put it on the plate in front of her, and held it in front of Annie.

"Miss Annie, tell me, is this cake sweet?"

Annie looked at the red currants in the middle of the cake interlayer, and couldn't help swallowing—this is a thing that people love and hate, it's so sweet that it's so sweet, and it's too sour that you can't stand it.

"I don't know, it depends on my luck, maybe it's sweet, maybe it's sour," Anne replied.

"Yes, no one knows whether it's sweet or sour until you try it." Mrs. Reynolds pushed it forward again. "Then why don't you try it?"

Annie suddenly understood what she meant, or what he meant—a burst of ecstasy swept over her, but in an instant, she was thrown into the ice cellar again.

After a long silence, Annie picked up a fork, picked up a fruit, and put it to her lips.

She didn't bite it off in the end.

"Mrs. Reynolds, if I knew that I was allergic to red currants, it could lead to death... Should I eat them?"

Mrs. Reynolds frowned suspiciously.

Anne was sleepless all night, and the red currants, big and small, formed a long procession and danced in her head.Anne opened her eyes in an instant when the dawn sunlight shone through the window and climbed onto the rose-colored velvet quilt.

Her mind was a little groggy, but she was exceptionally sober.

Annie lifted the quilt, shivering, and put the dressing gown on her body.She stood up, the sleepless night made her brain weigh more than a thousand catties, and she almost couldn't stand upright.

Annie rubbed her eyes, supported the low table, and moved to the window in small steps.

With a sound of "swipe", the curtain was pulled open.

Annie yawned and pushed open the window. She stretched, rubbed her eyes and looked out the window.

The quiet manor hadn't woken up from its deep sleep, but movements could be vaguely heard coming from the direction of the kitchen.Occasionally, there are one or two chirping birds in the mountains and forests, and sometimes there is the rustling of leaves.

The open lake has a panoramic view, and the sun has just exposed a corner on the horizon.The golden sun shone obliquely, shining into Annie's eyes through the calm lake.

Annie squinted her eyes, stretched out her hand, and her five fingers were vacantly spread out, blocking her eyes.

The sight became clear, Annie took a deep breath, and suddenly, the sight stopped under a tree by the lake.

—Is there a person there?

Annie thought she was mistaken, but she blinked and found that it was not her imagination.There was indeed a man standing under the willow tree, leaning against the trunk with a book in his hand.

Is it Darcy?

It's him.

Annie woke up suddenly.She didn't have time to put on her coat again, so she ran out of the room wrapped in her dressing gown.She ran with big strides, walked through the long corridor on the second floor, through the stairs, through the hall on the first floor, and came to the gate.

The door was open.

Annie kicked her house shoes, pushed open the half-covered door, jumped down the three steps outside the door, and almost twisted her foot.

It wasn't until she ran into the garden that Anne suddenly realized how stupid her actions were - she just caught Darcy!She wasn't even wearing a heavy trench coat, she was freezing to death!

Annie stood on tiptoe and looked towards the lake, but because of the view and slope, she couldn't see the whole picture, nor could she see the willow tree.

Gritting her teeth, Annie ran there again.

She clutched the chest of the dressing gown tightly, panting with each step.Finally, when the sun shone unceremoniously into her glasses, she vaguely saw the tree and the person.

Annie couldn't tell exactly how she was feeling.She was thinking of catching him, discussing with him about London, the earl, the mine... all kinds of thoughts, but at this moment, the string in her mind suddenly broke and bent.

What Mrs. Reynolds had said to her was vivid in my memory, and the bright red currants danced before my eyes again.

Is she going to make it clear to her?Explain what?

Annie knew clearly that she shouldn't confront him, as long as she pretended to be confused, she could act as if nothing had happened and calm down.

But before her rationality came back, her stupid, chaotic, and impulsive mind had already driven her body to this place—there was no way out.

What exactly does her intuition want her to do?

Annie stopped in her tracks, timidly wanting to turn around.

But the people under the tree had already spotted her figure, walking step by step in the morning light.

The author has something to say: Darcy: I want to fall in love with you, but you actually want to talk to me about things?

日更6500+达成，（3/31）感谢在2021-01-0320:48:21~2021-01-0323:52:57期间为我投出霸王票或灌溉营养液的小天使哦~

Thanks to the little angels who threw mines: MK71;

Thank you very much for your support, I will continue to work hard!