I am aging gracefully in the world of famous books

Because there was a banquet at night, Pei Xiang and Mycroft did not stay outside for too long, and the two soon separated on the stairs.

When Pei Xiang returned to the bedroom, the maid Lucy was already waiting for her at the door.

"Miss Doris, do you really want me to help you with your hair? But, but I haven't practiced much before. It's fine every day, but tonight..."

"No hurry, go and help me hang up the dress, and then pick out the jewelry that may be used, and put it on the dressing table. Someone will come to help me with the hair."

Sure enough, as soon as the words fell, Mrs. Morrie's voice sounded outside the door.

Pei Xiang signaled Lucy to open the door.

"Miss Doris, Ma'am was very upset that she didn't see you when she came back. She said that after this Christmas, she will take you to learn something herself."

When Pei Xiang heard that he was going to learn something new, he immediately leaned against the dressing table as if discouraged, and puffed his cheeks at Mrs. Murray.

"Mrs. Murray, I have a stomach ache and I can't be in the living room."

"Then why haven't you returned?"

Pei Xiang blinked, and immediately found an excellent excuse:

"Because, because I met Mr. Holmes. As the host, I must entertain the guests well. I walked with Mr. Holmes for a while, and introduced some scenery in our manor to him. I think, if mother knows What I did, I will definitely not blame me for not going back in time."

Mrs. Murray could not refute this reason.

She knew Mrs. Caroline's intentions very well, and knew that her wife hoped to facilitate the marriage between Miss Doris and Mr. Holmes.

Even her appearance in this room at this time is for this purpose.

Mrs. Caroline heard that the maid Leah's hand was injured, and she was worried that there would be no dexterous maid who could not fully show Miss Doris's beauty and make her lose a good chance to capture Mr. Holmes .

"In that case, I will explain to Madam on behalf of Miss."

"Thank you, Mrs. Murray," Pei Xiang smiled sweetly, "Lucy, come on, let's study how to get your hair done. I recently saw a new hairstyle in "Lady Magazine", which was recommended by Baroness Martin Yes, it feels pretty good, I'm going to try it."

Mrs. Murray couldn't help breathing when she thought of Miss Doris's previous fashionable "exaggerated" make-up.It's not that it's unattractive, but because, according to Mrs. Murray's understanding, most of what Miss Doris appreciates cannot meet Mr. Holmes's aesthetics of a stable gentleman.

"Miss, madam ordered me to comb your hair for you. Let's not try new things tonight."

Pei Xiang was not very happy, but faced with Mrs. Murray's serious eyes and persistent attitude, he had to choose "compromise".

"Well, I know what you and your mother are planning, and I want to match Mr. Holmes and me. But, Mrs. Murray, to be honest, do you think that gentleman is really suitable for me?"

"There is nothing that cannot be broken in, Miss Doris."

"Why should I run in? There are obviously many young men who are suitable for me."

"No, Miss Doris, when it comes to marriage, please trust the eyes of the old Earl and Lady Caroline. Those fashionable young people who talk and talk are not worth entrusting for life. They will only spend your dowry and neglect you, You might even get into debt, get into all kinds of scandals, and make you lose face in social circles."

Pei Xiang sat in front of the mirror, let Mrs. Murray busy behind her, and signaled Lucy to study hard with her eyes, so that she would not know anything next time she encountered such a situation.

Lucy was very clever, and immediately understood Pei Xiang's hint. She stared at Mrs. Murray's hand movements with burning eyes, and was ready for her command at any time.

"But, Mrs. Morrie, no one can spend my dowry, including myself. Have you forgotten your grandfather's will? Mr. Holmes guards my property like a dragon, and forbids anyone to come near it. Hmph, even the owner of the property has to act according to the face of the evil dragon."

Mrs. Murray did not like Miss Doris's analogy.

"How could Mr. Holmes be the evil dragon in the story? Miss, he is more like a guardian knight. You can see that he is so polite, and has [-]% gentleness and patience with you. He can definitely protect a lady from wind and rain. English gentleman."

Pei Xiang burst out laughing, and it was rare for him to say a few words from his heart.

"Come, Mrs. Morrie, how long have you known that gentleman? You know he is a good gentleman? Mr. Holmes is a rather cold, lazy fellow, if I ask you, the Dragon." The description is very suitable for him. You can see in the story, the evil dragon guarding the treasure is lying in his beloved cave all the year round, dismissing the explorers who want to find the treasure, and lazily It spewed out a burst of flame, and then went on to sleep soundly. Alas, if I sleep a lot, I might become fat and become a fat dragon with a big belly and a double chin."

Pei Xiang's words made Lucy laugh out loud, and Mrs. Murray couldn't help laughing.

She managed to straighten her face, and complained: "Miss, you have liked to read these nonsensical stories since you were young. You didn't turn a single page in the grammar book, and threw the piano scores under the bed. Only these weird storybooks can attract people. Your attention. If you still compare Mr. Holmes to a dragon, if other people hear it, they will definitely laugh at you."

Pei Xiang knew that no one would take her words seriously, so she didn't care, anyway, everyone was living with a mask, it just depends on whose mask is more serious.

She hummed softly, and said nothing more, while Mrs. Murray put pearls and gems on her head.

After dressing up, Pei Xiang got up and walked to the full-length mirror, looking at the beautiful woman in the mirror.

Tonight, following Mrs. Murray's suggestion, she chose a light pink long dress. The pink is extremely light, and the fabric has a layer of soft pearls. Under the light, it is almost pearly white, making her look pure and elegant. gentle.

"Oh, it's not like me anymore, Mrs. Murray, are you dressing me up like thirteen-year-old little Anne?"

"Miss, you are only talented. You don't need to dress up in a glamorous direction. Believe me, you will have decades to come, and you can choose to dress in a gorgeous, charming or noble and mature style."

Pei Xiang turned around in front of the mirror, showing an innocent and shy smile.

——Nonsense, at the age of 80, I am also a pure little fairy!

At the dinner at Gladstone Manor, Pei Xiang and Mycroft were seated very close together, but neither of them spoke much to each other.

Mycroft had been listening to the spiel of several gentlemen nearby, and at the same time enjoying the delicacies of Gladstone Manor, while Pei Xiang was attracted by another lady's topic.

"Miss Gladstone, at the hunting party last month, I noticed how beautiful you are on a steed. I really didn't expect that after such an accident, you could still master your riding skills." You have practiced so well, you can see that you are a brave girl."

Pei Xiang blinked, confused by the "such an accident" that the baroness said.

"I should have been extremely honored to receive your compliment, but excuse me for being slow, what do you mean by 'accident'?"

Pei Xiang's tone was relaxed, and he smiled playfully at the baroness:

"Well-meaning lady, if I don't figure out this question, I will feel that I have missed a lot of treasure. Mrs. Oakes, please be sure to clarify for me. In this way, when I talk about my talents with others in the future , will praise myself confidently, and will push you out as a witness."

Mrs. Osk smiled heartily, thinking that this young lady is quite good at talking, and the previous rumors were still exaggerated.

Of course, even if Miss Gladstone is not good at talking, as long as she has a generous dowry, Mrs. Osk will be happy to continue talking to this young lady, so she explained enthusiastically:

"Now I finally understand why you can have such a beautiful riding skill. Miss Gladstone, since you have forgotten that accident, it shows that you are a really brave girl. However, I can't forget the danger at the beginning." scene, although seven or eight years have passed."

"What kind of dangerous scene?" Pei Xiang asked again with a puzzled face.

At the same time, she was also trying to recall the memories of Doris Gladstone seven or eight years ago.

——It seems that nothing particularly dangerous has happened, so that the original body will have a psychological shadow, which will affect the subsequent riding practice.

"Miss Gladstone, you were only about ten years old at the time. My husband and I came to visit Gladstone Manor and happened to see you riding on a brown colt, followed by the trainer and several Servant. As we approached, we saw your pony start to run suddenly, and the irresponsible trainer was looking back for some reason, and did not realize your danger in time. It was my husband, Mr. Osk, who immediately He reacted and rushed over. Then, he covered you when you fell."

After this Mrs. Osk's explanation, the relevant memories in Pei Xiang's mind became clear.However, in her memory, the situation at that time was not as thrilling as the lady said, and Mr. Osk was not so brave.

At that time, the horse trainer who taught her how to ride a horse was indeed negligent, but the colt was very docile, and the so-called running was not a gallop, but a trot.However, for ten-year-old beginners, it was still a bit dangerous, so Doris Gladstone was so nervous that she closed her eyes and yelled.

It wasn't until a strange gentleman ran over to hold the pony and carried her off the horse that Yuan's emotions stabilized a bit.

Unfortunately, after her feet hit the ground, Doris didn't stand firm, and she staggered, causing her to fall on the lawn again, scratching her palms.

For Doris back then, the pain from the scratched palms was more unbearable than the fright of riding a horse. She even put aside the fright she received while riding a horse and concentrated on crying at the bloody wound.

Therefore, when Mrs. Oaks suddenly mentioned this past incident, Pei Xiang didn't react for a while.

Of course, she also understood why Mrs. Oakes wanted to speak so exaggeratedly, and deliberately proposed to mention a small past seven or eight years ago, because at the banquet tonight, more than one noble lady deliberately "closed" to her like this .

Since she had a dowry of nearly 15 pounds, all the wives who were not very enthusiastic about her before have changed their attitudes, especially those with unmarried second sons in their families, and they no longer dislike Miss Gladstone's "no "I don't know how to learn", but began to praise her in different ways.

The intimate words of the previous wives did not attract Pei Xiang's attention, she pretended not to understand.But the past intersection that this Mrs. Oakes racked her brains to come up with really aroused Pei Xiang's interest.

Because she suddenly remembered one thing through this lady's reminder.

After the original body fell and was injured, the old earl who heard the news was very heartbroken, and fired the horse trainer who was distracted and made a mistake at work on the spot.

—What was that man's name?Ai, Albert?Yes, Mr Albert the trainer.

——I remember that Leah once said good things to the horse trainer, but the original owner didn't want to keep the horse trainer because of the broken palm, so he ignored Leah's words.

——And after that, Leah never mentioned the horse trainer Albert again.

This is just a small past event. If Pei Xiang hadn't just received the original body's memory, he might have ignored such a detail.

Anyway, Doris had long since forgotten about it. After all, she was only ten years old at the time and was injured.

In addition, it happens from time to time that Leah speaks kindly to the servant who made a mistake.If Doris was in a good mood, she would agree to Leah's intercession, and if she felt uncomfortable, she would ignore Leah's words.

The horse trainer was not the only one who was rejected, so when Pei Xiang considered the motives of the maid Liya's murder, he did not consider those who were fired.

However, even though he noticed a certain detail in the past, Pei Xiang didn't take it for granted that the fired horse trainer was the reason why Leah hated the original owner, it just provided her with a way to decrypt it.

——Should look into those servants who were dismissed, especially those whom Leah begged for.See if anyone among them has a more intimate relationship with Leah.

While thinking about his own concerns, Pei Xiang joked with Baroness Oakes:

"Oh, I remembered it when you said that. My pony was a little lively at that time, thanks to Mr. Oakes who helped me hold the rein and then took me off the horse. But, I fell down and broke my hand, and I forgot the panic when I was riding, and only remembered the pain of the wound."

Another lady smiled and said: "Children are like this. They will only be impressed when they hurt. My Wade is like that. By the way, Miss Gladstone, do you still remember my second son Wade?" Duh? You met last year in London. Let me see, at Lady Elizabeth's Wednesday salon! Yes, I remember, you two young men raved about a painting and said yes In a while."

Pei Xiang smiled and nodded, and was about to say something when Mycroft, who was not far away, suddenly said, "Madam is Mr. Wade Seymour? I've seen him in Manchester before."

Mrs. Seymour nodded, with a reserved smile and faint pride:

"Does Mr. Holmes know Wade? What a coincidence. He is indeed in Manchester now. It is said that he is doing some machine research with his friends. Anyway, since he went to university, he has been full of words like science and industry. I I don't quite understand it, but I still support young people in their careers.

"Miss Gladstone, Wade wouldn't have missed the Gladstones' dinner if he was home. He'd mentioned Miss Gladstone to me before, oh, and your brothers and sisters, said You will never find a young man who speaks so congenially."

Mycroft praised Wade Seymour in a mild manner, then changed his tone, and mentioned what he had seen and heard in Manchester:

"Your son, Mr. Seymour, is indeed very talented. He shares the same goals with his friends and has very grand ideals. However, their research is a costly project. I don't know if there will be any results in ten years. I heard that Wo Mr. En has already written to order his eldest son to return to London. Unexpectedly, you still support Mr. Seymour so much. It is really rare. Of course, I also admire Mr. Seymour's adventurous spirit."

Mrs. Seymour's face was slightly stiff, but she had to smile and thank Mr. Holmes for his compliment.

She glanced at Pei Xiang out of the corner of her eye, and found that Miss Gladstone had restrained her smile, so she secretly complained in her heart that Mr. Holmes was talkative.

Let him say it as if their Seymours were coveting Doris Gladstone's rich dowry.

Although it is true that Wade Seymour spent all his share of property because of experiments and failed investments, and now urgently needs to marry a wealthy lady to fill the property hole, Mrs. Seymour, who is born noble, does not want people to think of at this point.

Mrs. Oakes, whose conversation was interrupted, smiled slightly, thinking that what Mr. Holmes said was enough for Miss Gladstone to see what the Seymour family was trying to do.

Sure enough, Pei Xiang immediately frowned.

"Mrs. Seymour, won't Mr. Wade Seymour find such a life boring? Oh, if I have to face those difficult knowledge every day, I will definitely not be able to hold on for a day. Your son is really amazing No wonder, when I saw him last time, I couldn't understand a word of his comments on the oil painting. Alas, later, I was sleepy, so I left quickly. "

Mycroft smiled inwardly when he heard such a lot of Liz's answers.Not only was he not surprised, but he also found this kind of thinking that always focuses on the wrong focus quite interesting.

With a wonderful object of observation, Mycroft felt that the dinner party was not so boring at last.

When the dinner was over and the ladies got up and left the restaurant, the men smoked and started talking about their own interests.

Mycroft slowly moved two seats, and then got into a conversation with Dr. Norton. After talking for a while, he hinted that others had led Secretary Howard to him. After that, he spent a lot of effort to research Howard the man.

Gradually, Mycroft's gaze became darker, his usually sharp and transparent gray pupils narrowed slightly, and his emotions became condensed.

——This person is cold and narrow-minded, selfish and stupid and short-sighted. He feels that he is underappreciated, hates his sister's identity as a mistress and is proud of having a nephew of noble blood. He is proud and inferior.

——He was very jealous of the achievements of his college classmates, and felt that he was only one chance short of them.If he also had the support of his family, he would definitely be able to do better, instead of being just a small private secretary who was ridiculed for relying on nepotism as he is now.

— Strange, according to the way people like Howard think, he shouldn't be so calm.Such a person should have taken some extreme measures long ago, instead of forcing a smile at this dinner party and preparing to marry a tutor who would not bring him any benefit in his official career.

Mycroft tapped the table lightly, thinking about where things had changed.

Some accident must have happened, making the ambitious Howard restrained and vigilant. He seemed to be threatened by something. This threat made him secretly panic, suspicious, and locked himself in a dormant state.

The brain belonging to Holmes was spinning rapidly.

——He wants to follow the path of a high-ranking civil servant in the government, and there will be a few suitable promotion positions in January next year, but there are many people who are staring at him.

——If he can persuade Earl Gladstone, it is somewhat possible.However, with his qualifications and status, if the Earl wants to win him a promising and popular position, he will have to spend a lot of money.

——Besides, that was just an initial investment. In the future, if he still wants to go up with mediocre ability, he will have to use more pounds to open the way.

Mycroft was thinking about Howard's question, and Earl Gladstone, who was sitting in the center of the crowd, stood up with a glass of wine and announced Howard's marriage in public.

All of a sudden, the gentlemen present expressed their congratulations. His Excellency the Earl didn't look particularly happy, but his face was not ugly, and he even patted Howard on the shoulder solemnly.

The performance of Charles Gladstone made Mycroft hit a point.

He had already guessed that the marriage between Howard and Winster was not decent, and from what Dr. Norton said just now, he inferred that Howard should have done some wrong things, which directly hurt His Excellency the Earl.

But now it seems that the earl took good care of Howard, not only announced his marriage in person, but also acted like an elder.

His expectant action of patting the shoulder made other people present realize that even though this young man married a girl of ordinary background and no longer served as the earl's private secretary, the earl still cared about him.

Mycroft pursed his lips, his expression cold.

——Such a friendly attitude will breed greed in stupid careerists, it is very dangerous!

— Or, the danger has already occurred?

For some reason, Mycroft suddenly thought of what Miss Gladstone had said during her walk.

The knight hero in the dream, the Santa Claus worshiper in the red and green vest, and as she said, the still warm fireplace and the ashes on the carpet...

After lightly tapping on the table, a somewhat whimsical idea was formed in Mycroft's mind.

—And what if what Miss Gladstone said is true?

——What if the dream she said actually happened in real life?

——If she became unconscious for some reason, was she really in danger, but was rescued when she was in a daze?

A malicious maid, a greedy and stupid secretary, a governess pretending to be sick, and a Santa Claus admirer. These four, no, or two parties, may have staged a murder and rescue drama.

The person who planned the conspiracy felt that the plan was about to succeed, but was secretly interrupted.

They were already in a panic, not knowing what the other party was going to do next after saving Miss Gladstone.So, they hibernate again and are full of vigilance.

While Mycroft was trying to figure out the truth, Pei Xiang in the living room also got some words out of Miss Winster's mouth.

Of course, Miss Winston didn't tell the whole story, let alone admit that she was involved in a murder, but Pei Xiang had pieced together part of the truth.

Why was the governess so afraid of her?

The primary reason was that she knew about the murder that night, so she was terrified when she suddenly saw Miss Gladstone alive.

Of course, this fright was only temporary, and she could immediately comfort herself by saying that the reason why Doris Gladstone was still alive and kicking was because her companion missed her hand, so she wouldn't be so panicked and subconscious in the following time protect the abdomen.

The reason why she showed such fear was because she was told that Doris Gladstone had a crush on Secretary Howard.

The person said that although Miss Doris knew that the possibility of the two of them getting together was extremely small, and she had been suppressing her feelings, she would not want to see Secretary Howard fall in love with other girls.

Jealousy can make people irrational, and that young lady is arrogant and willful, once she gets mad, who knows what vicious things she will do?Maybe, at that time, Winster and her children will all be lost.

In fact, once these words are spoken, many people will think they are nonsense.

However, Winston was caught in Howard's sweet talk. She really felt that her lover was the most attractive man in the world, and it was not surprising that the eldest lady fell in love with him.

In addition, the person who said these words had a special identity, and he also listed many true and false details to mislead Winster. The multi-pronged approach was enough to convince Miss Winster who was in a daze in love.

So, the first time she saw Pei Xiang, she subconsciously protected her stomach.Winster believed that if the eldest lady knew that she had Howard's child, the other party would definitely hurt their mother and child.

"Miss Doris, I have now realized that those words are all slandering you. If you were really jealous of me, how could you let Mrs. Caroline match me and Howard? I, I misunderstood you before, I am really sorry. "

Pei Xiang smiled softly: "It doesn't matter, I understand your feelings, you have such absurd thoughts, it is actually understandable."

"You, aren't you angry?"

"Of course not angry."

—only later, to make you atone for your participation in the murder of Doris Gladstone.

Pei Xiang leaned close to Miss Winster's ear, smiled sweetly, and whispered softly:

"Have you ever heard a joke, Miss Winster?

"That's right, a beggar held a piece of moldy dry bread and said, how happy is the life of the Duchess? Probably...you can eat bread every day, just like I do now!

"Oh, Miss Winster, when it comes to choosing a man, you are the beggar who treasures a piece of moldy dry bread. And I am the Duchess, and the delicacy in my eyes, you think, will be the mold you value. Dry bread?"

After speaking, Pei Xiang stopped paying attention to Miss Winster's pale and embarrassed face, and got up gracefully to leave.