[Pride and Prejudice] Second Marriage

There were not many rooms in Bridge. A large part of the reason why Bingley took a fancy to it was that it was relatively close to Derbyshire. Mrs. Bingley was delighted to be able to live close to her sister, and this land did not have the problem of restricting inheritance rights.With these satisfactory conditions, Bentley didn't think about other things—for example, there are only two vacant rooms left, how should a large number of people be accommodated when there are guests or future additions?

Now, of course, Mr. Bingley need not be troubled by this; his only guest was Mr. Darcy.Out of selfishness, Miss Bingley arranged his temporary room at the end of the corridor on the second floor. Whenever his cowhide boots thumped on the floor and echoed in the corridor, she had enough time and thought to create a relationship with him. A scene that happens all the time.

It's a pity that this time, Miss Bingley watched his back disappear on the stairs, and heard the footsteps getting farther and farther away, so she could only sit on the sofa and vent her anger on the poetry book in her hand.

Darcy opened the door and saw some letters lying on the chest of drawers beside his bed.He sat down on the bed, flipped through it, and found that besides some bills and business reports, there was also a letter from Mrs. Reynolds.

He opened the letter casually and found another letter fell out of the envelope.Mrs. Reynolds said that everything in Pemberley was as usual, only Mrs. Catherine ordered this letter to be delivered, because this lady had not sent a letter to Pemberley for a long time, so she was afraid that there would be some important events in the letter. The letter had to be forwarded to Bridge.

To be honest, Darcy was also a little curious. He picked up the envelope that fell on the floor, and was surprised to find that his aunt, who was not good at writing, had written the entire letter paper densely. However, judging from the neat and neat handwriting and one or two contents ——It must have been dictated by her and written by someone else——Mrs. Collins honestly recorded Mrs. Catherine's tone on the letter paper.

Dear Darcy:

My dearest nephew, it is with great joy and pride that I tell you something worthy of celebration.My dear Anne, with her usual strong character, had valiantly delivered a healthy and strong heir to Mr. Brooke the night before.God, you don't know how powerful little Brooke's calves are!He kicked off his grandma's long-stemmed glasses with one kick! — Mrs. Collins, I hope that every word I say will be written down completely and truthfully, without losing a single word!I don't allow you to polish it privately, I'm afraid I can't express my meaning with your letter level.

How delighted Mr. Brooke was at this!He even kissed Anne lying on the bed in front of all--I was so shy, but shamelessly pleased with it--you mustn't think your aunt I'm a duplicity, In such an exciting situation, Darcy, you will find that any slight faux pas is allowed.How strong my sweet Anne is!You don't see the weak and contented smile on her face, there is simply no one in the world who can match her beauty.

Oh, I haven't forgotten you in such happy moments.Seeing the happy Brooke Mansion, I couldn't help but think of the deserted Pemberley Mansion.In order to avoid further unhappiness between us, I don't want to waste too much ink on your impolite, uneducated, lawless, and annoying ex-wife-Mrs. Collins, don't omit this because she is your friend. A few adjectives—these words alone are not enough to express my hatred for her.

However, it is consoling for you to think that you will still find your way back in your lifetime, and the only thing that is imminent now is that Pemberley House still lacks an heir.Mr. Brooke is only one year older than you. If you work hard and strive to marry a wife as soon as possible—a wife who can bring glory to Pemberley and all of us, you may be able to match his high spirits at the moment.

With great ardor and sincerity, my dear Darcy, I have made a match for you, with a charming lady of conversation and grace, who even Mr. Brooke admits is a pretty enough girl to match. Comparable to your Pemberley's.She was born noble, and her ancestors were also entrusted by the king.

Of course I haven't revealed my thoughts on this good thing to the girl. I am worried that you may meet a girl somewhere and end up causing everyone's displeasure--better not to do it, think of your Pember Leigh and old Mrs. Reynolds--she will faithfully manage the estate and parish affairs for you at a long time, because Pemberley lacks an able mistress and patroness.

That's all I can say.

Looking forward with eagerness to your reply, and to be able to tell you the exact time of my coming to Rosings, I must arrange a ball so carefully that Pemberley will have another much-desired hostess.

May God bless you.

your aunt

Darcy calmly folded the letter according to the original crease, and stuffed it back into the envelope.He fell back on the soft quilt and stared blankly at the ceiling for a while.The empty beige ceiling made Darcy feel a rare sense of relief. He closed his eyes, and the events of these days seemed to flow quietly through his mind like the gurgling water of the Derby River.Those once heavy thoughts that made him exhausted seemed to have been unknowingly forgotten. In the drowsiness that gradually covered his eyes, he seemed to see a hazy and elusive figure, so there was a faint trace of pain in the corner of his mouth. The smile fell into dreamland like this.

As a result of falling asleep like this, Darcy woke up the next day and found that he was a little top-heavy. He sat at the dining table to comfort himself. Somewhat overly perfumed.

The matter about Bingley was almost settled, and Darcy decided to take a few days off for himself to think about the problem mentioned in Lady Catherine's letter—perhaps it was really an imminent matter.In the afternoon, deftly out of Miss Bingley's sight, he came out of Bridge and walked slowly along the main avenue of Putrice Village.

The sun is warm, and everything under the sun is so peaceful and innocent. When Darcy saw the figure sitting on the grass sketching, his eyebrows raised involuntarily. He still walked slowly behind her, thinking Take a look at what she is scribbling on the drawing board with her head down.

"You're blocking my sunlight, sir." But Juliet didn't lift her head, and Darcy could see her bent slender neck. Looking at it from a high angle, it was clean and fragile, as if she had been on the journey yesterday. His soul-stirring liveliness and fragrance are all hallucinations. "When you come, I feel chilly. If you want to show off your height, you can stand in front of me, but I may not be very happy to see you." There was a kind of careless laziness in her voice — no respect at all.

Darcy was amused by her attitude, "What betrayed me?" He also sat on the fresh and clean lawn.

"The shadow cast on the ground, and the toe of your shoe that appeared out of the corner of my eye—I was lucky enough to see it up close yesterday." Juliet tilted her head, but her gaze had not moved away from the drawing board in her hand.

"How are your feet?" Darcy asked apologetically.

"It's perfectly fine to walk slowly as long as it doesn't make it too burdensome. Does it make you feel less guilty?" she asked rhetorically.

Darcy was speechless, and after a moment of silence, he said, "Can't you talk well?" He turned his head to look at Juliet, and suddenly asked hesitantly in a suspicious tone, "Are you...are you shy? I noticed that you Never looked up at me."

As soon as the words came out of his mouth, Darcy immediately realized that he had said the wrong thing.Because Juliet's face flushed immediately, she turned her head vigorously, her blue eyes opened wide, and she said in a vicious tone, "Who said I was shy? Just because I didn't look at you? Then I'll look at you now!" You look good, you're beautiful! I can't take my eyes off of you!"

The bright sun's rays made her blue eyes transparent and clear, and the water vapor seemed to be able to see the charming scenery of the Derbyshire valley.Darcy couldn't help being dazed for a moment, and was made nervous by her blunt "praise" and couldn't laugh or cry.Looking at the exquisite face that was directly in front of his eyes, he couldn't help breathing a little faster, and his head was a little dizzy - maybe it was because of a cold.He tilted his head, and this time he looked away first.

"I know you're not shy." He compromised first.

Juliet turned her head angrily, took a paintbrush and vigorously tapped twice on the drawing board.

Darcy turned his head silently again, "This painting was destroyed by yourself."

"I know, anyway, I was just here to kill time." Juliet glanced at him sideways, her lips pursed slightly, as if she still had something to say about the anger just now, "Is it not as beautiful as Miss Currel?"

Darcy scowled, "You shouldn't be fooling around with other people's reputations, Miss Stoke!"

"I'm just asking, and I don't mean anything else. Why are you guilty?" Juliet muttered in a low voice, but she lacked confidence and cast a quick glance at him.

"You..." Darcy felt that he was like a jug with a small hole in the bottom, as long as he didn't pay attention, the full water would gurgle out of the hole.His shoulders slumped slightly, he was helpless, and he felt that the only good thing was that her anger seemed to dissipate.Like a child, it comes and goes quickly.

"Miss Stock, your sudden temper is very undesirable. Don't act like a spoiled child in front of others. Not everyone can be kind and forgiving. One must learn to restrain one's temper Emotions, self-restraint—and mastering the art of speaking."

As soon as Darcy finished speaking, Juliet looked at her with a look of awe, "Is this from your experience, Mr. Darcy?"

"It's not just a matter of experience, Miss Stocker, it's a lesson everyone must master."

"You really are a gentleman who is always restrained--but how dull it is for girls--of course some good girls who are naturally quiet don't think so. I admit that I sometimes have a bad temper, attitude It's not good, even the behavior can be regarded as rude and boyish. But if I don't let me find a time to relax, then I won't be able to maintain my ladylike image calmly and self-sufficiently on important occasions. What's more, there is no one else here, " Juliet retorted, and she emphasized emphatically, "There is no one who is narrow-minded, critical, or tongue-in-cheek." After she finished speaking, she looked at Darcy with an expression on her face that seemed to ask, "Are you ?”

Darcy was silent, and quickly said, "You are lying."

Juliet laughed, her bright smile was like sunlight jumping on her delicate skin, "I thought the crookedness made sense. Mr. Darcy, you should be happy about this, because I have expressed my trust in you."