I am aging gracefully in the world of famous books

After arriving home, Pei Xiang asked Mycroft for information on Sissel and Bridge, and prepared to study these two people carefully.She had to do some research before the official engagement was ten days away, lest Jane Gladstone be duped.

However, all the work was for the next day, and she had to leave the rest of the evening to dear Mr. Holmes...

In the afternoon of the next day, Pei Xiang went to Gladstone Mansion for afternoon tea, and made insinuations about the whole process of the acquaintance of Jane Gladstone and Philip Sissel.

The more she listened, the stronger she felt that something was wrong in her heart. She always felt that Sissel's affection for Jane was inexplicable.

It's not that Jane doesn't deserve love at first sight, but just looking at Philip Sissel alone, some things are worth pondering.

It would make sense for such a well-informed and handsome man to say that he has a good impression of Jane Gladstone and is willing to enter into a marriage after considering each other's status, status and character.

However, it would be a bit exaggerated and bizarre to say that after dancing a dance, he would never marry another, and his eyes were full of obsession, but it happened to be the case.

With such a development, not only Pei Xiang had doubts about it, but Jane Gladstone also felt fooled at the beginning, and even disliked Sissel very much for a time.

However, every little thing later proved that Philip Sissel was indeed in love with her. When he looked at her, his eyes were full of tender fascination.

Jane Gladstone's girlfriends all said that they all noticed how Mr. Cessel was gazing intently after Jane's back.If it is hypocritical and playful, relying on Philip Sissel's status, there is really no need to be so real.

Therefore, Jane Gladstone gradually fell into the love net woven by Sissel in dubious faith, thinking that she was indeed a lucky woman who met the most suitable person in her best years. fall in love.

In the middle of the afternoon tea, Mr. Cecil, the character in question, arrived with his friend Lord Bridge.Jane was busy entertaining her handsome fiancé-to-be, so Pei Xiang could only speak some kind words to Baron Bridge, neither too enthusiastic nor rude.

But Bridge obviously didn't feel Pei Xiang's indifference, or he didn't care.

He had always thought that simple-minded young and pretty women like Miss Gladstone were always up to tricks.They pretend to be indifferent and arrogant in front of their admirers, just hoping that the man will think that she is a reserved and noble woman who cannot be easily moved.

However, such tricks are easy to debunk. As long as you get in touch with them a few times and create some "encounter" opportunities, innocent women who like to fantasize about romantic stories will throw away their armor and offer their sincerity.

Just when Pei Xiang was about to give full play to Missy's savage temper, a servant walked in and handed Baron Bridge a note.

After Baron Bridge read the contents of the note, his face changed slightly.

"Everyone, I'm very sorry. I have to take care of some urgent business matters."

"What's the matter, Bridge?" Sissel asked with concern.

"A rash new subordinate messed up what I explained, and I need to personally deal with the aftermath."

"Oh, you're out of luck then, my old chap."

Philip Sissel no longer asked in detail, but told his friend that if he needed help, he must not be polite.

Baron Bridge nodded, hurriedly took his leave and left.

Pei Xiang lowered his head to drink tea, and guessed not too seriously by the way, Bridge was called away at this time, I don't know if it was a coincidence or her family took action, anyway, the annoying spirit left, and the surrounding air became fresh.

Two days later, Pei Xiang went out to do errands, and when passing through Hyde Park, the carriage stopped suddenly.

"what happened?"

"Ma'am, I, I have a stomachache."

The driver of the car was sweating profusely as he clutched his stomach, as if he had eaten something bad.

"Passing by a newly opened food store in the morning, I ate a little giveaway, this...sorry!"

Seeing this, Pei Xiang hurriedly asked him to park the carriage.

"Hurry up and find a place. I'll give you a vacation today. Here's the money for seeing a doctor. If your stomach hurts all the time, go see a doctor. Don't delay."

"Thank you, madam, then, what about this carriage?"

"I'll handle it, you go quickly."

After a few simple conversations, the coachman White hurried away.

Pei Xiang looked around and walked into a nearby shop.After explaining the situation to the owner of the store, she temporarily hired a reliable clerk who could drive a carriage to help her solve the trouble.

"Madam, please tell me."

"Please help me drive this carriage back to No. 16 Pall Mall Street, Sherlock Holmes House. This is my reward."

"Okay, ma'am, I'll make sure."

Standing on the side of the road, Pei Xiang watched the carriage go away, turned his head and glanced at the park behind him, thinking that he was not in a hurry to do today, since this little accident happened, he might as well go another day.

The weather is fine, and she plans to go for a walk in the park.

Walking slowly along the winding and unique path, Pei Xiang stopped occasionally to watch the two puppies roll and play on the lawn with a smile.

Just when she was feeling relaxed, a beautiful blonde girl came not far away. She seemed to be thinking about something. She kept her head down while walking, and her steps were a little slow and swaying.

Pei Xiang didn't pay much attention to it, and even avoided to one side to make way for the restless girl. However, when the blonde girl approached her, she suddenly stopped still!

The other party stood stiffly in the middle of the path, with a look of shock and surprise on his face.

"Are you, are you Mrs. Holmes?"

Pei Xiang nodded with doubts in his eyes.

The stranger looked at Pei Xiang's appearance for a while, and suddenly covered her face and choked up a sob. After she said "I'm sorry, I just love him so much", she ran past Pei Xiang .

However, she was probably too excited. When she passed by Pei Xiang's side, she suddenly tilted her body and looked like she was about to fall to the ground. Pei Xiang reached out to help her.

After standing still, the blonde girl whispered a thank you, then avoided Pei Xiang's support with a look of embarrassment and shame, and turned to leave without hesitation.

"Hey, please wait!" Pei Xiang said.

When the other party heard Pei Xiang's shout, his back paused, and then he ran faster, as if there was a man-eating monster chasing her behind him.

"Alas, ma'am, you dropped something..."

Seeing the strange woman who appeared suddenly run away, Pei Xiang had to bend down to pick up the letter paper and a handkerchief on the ground after waiting for a while.

The letter paper was folded and opened, and initials were embroidered on the edge of the handkerchief. When Pei Xiang picked it up, he couldn't help but see the contents clearly.

"Dearest Betty,

I miss everything about you crazily, please don't worry about my wife's existence anymore, apart from her noble background, what advantages does she have that can compare with you?I am tired of her barren brain and vanity, have mercy on me, dear Betty.

I will arrive at No. 32 Morelos Street at [-]:[-] in the afternoon. I hope to see your graceful figure appear there, in our little world.Betty, I will explain everything to you and promise everything, including our future and our children.

love you……"

Pei Xiang raised his eyebrows. This is a letter between a cheating man and his mistress, but I don't know if the woman just now is the "Betty" in the letter, or the noble and boring "wife".

However, judging from the dress and skin care of the blonde woman, she should not be a particularly rich and pampered lady, so... is that Betty?

——Since you are a mistress, why did you show such a rich expression to me?Guilt, panic, oh yes, and that endless explanation.

Pei Xiang took a careful look at the initials on the handkerchief.

——Coincidentally, heh, it is exactly the same as the abbreviation of Mycroft Holmes.

Pei Xiang shook his head, and said in his heart that the identity of this "lover" was almost ready to be revealed, but the person who arranged the layout ignored a detail, which made this romantic scandal not so credible.

— 32 Morelos Street?It is indeed a secluded and quiet place for a date.

Pei Xiang and Sherlock had traveled almost all the streets and alleys of the city of London before, so they naturally knew something about Morelos Street. Unfortunately, the No. 32 property on that street should be in an alley.

——The carriage can’t get in, and every time you pass through that alley, you have to walk for 5 minutes, and there is a section of old potholed stone steps.

——For Mycroft, such road conditions are simply synonymous with the word trouble.If he really wanted to hide his beauty in a golden house, he should also find a spacious place that is easy to come and go.

——Well, I'm bored thinking about these loopholes here.Let me think about it, if according to the character I have always shown, how should I react at this time?

In the past life of Doris Gladstone, the two behaviors of forbearance and compromise have never existed.

At this time, if no one persuaded and stopped her, she would definitely make a big fuss.

Pei Xiang looked at the sky, and thought that since the other party had given her enough preparation time to "catch the rape", she couldn't live up to this painstaking effort.

Therefore, Pei Xiang immediately left the park angrily, and called a carriage to take her back to her mansion on Pall Mall Street.

She rushed back to the room like a gust of wind, sat at the desk and wrote out all the things that happened today, including the coachman's sudden stomachache, the blonde girl she met named Betty, and the "accidentally" dropped letters and handkerchiefs .

"Gerald, when you deliver lunch to your husband at noon, you put this letter inside and remember to hand it to him yourself."

"Okay, ma'am."

"By the way, has the carriage been sent back?"

"Yes, the coachman is back too, ma'am, he returned the medical expenses you gave. White said that today's accident was caused by his greed for petty gain, and he should not accept your medical expenses any more."

"In that case, Gerald, you can use the money to buy sweets and pastries, and give a share to employees who have young children."

"I made a note, ma'am."

Pei Xiang nodded, turned around and returned to the bedroom. Around two o'clock in the afternoon, she walked out of the house wrapped in an expensive cloak.

After she boarded the carriage, the coachman White saluted: "Madam, I will definitely do what you ordered."

"Well, I believe you, White, to be more cautious in the future."

The carriage moved forward, and when passing through Regent Street, White, the coachman, suddenly stopped the carriage again.

Pei Xiang saw his face blushing in shame, and waved his hand impatiently, telling him to leave by himself.

White clutched his stomach and ran away quickly, while Pei Xiang stood by the road and waited, looking a little impatient.

A waiter came forward and complimented Pei Xiang, and then he pointed to the jewelry store window behind Pei Xiang to make an introduction.This move diverted the attention of the eldest lady who had always liked fancy dresses and jewellery. After a while, the sparkling diamonds and lustrous pearls attracted all of her attention.

So, instead of waiting for the driver, she opened the door and entered the jewelry store.

The person following her in the distance: "..."

——Can you visit a jewelry store for a while on the way to "catch a traitor"?

——Hey, which one is more important, a diamond or a husband?

——Also, is the medicine given in the morning too heavy? Why did the driver have adverse reactions?

The people in the dark waited for a long time, but Pei Xiang didn't appear again until the coachman White came back listlessly, and Pei Xiang didn't come out of the jewelry store either.

White looked around for a moment, worried.When he was about to ask someone to ask, the waiter in front of the jewelry store approached enthusiastically.

After learning that his mistress was safe and sound, White heaved a sigh of relief, and then he sat back on the frame of the carriage with peace of mind.

In fact, Pei Xiang had already left the jewelry store at this time. She pretended to be a poor old woman in the country, and slipped out through the back door of the jewelry store under the support of Mycroft's subordinates.

The old woman tremblingly walked to Morelos Street, and began to ask people where her relatives lived from the corner of the street. By the time she got near the No. 32 house, she was already out of breath.

She leaned on the wall to slow down, raised her hand and knocked on the door of No. 32 Morelos Street.

"Excuse me, does anyone here know my little Nelly? He wrote me that he lived in this street in London and made a lot of money. But I asked many families, and they all said they didn't know my nephew. "

The door opened, and a tall man stood in the shadows, and said impatiently: "There is no little Nellie here, go ask other people."

At this time, a sweet call came from inside the house: "Mike, who is it?"

"It's not that lady, it's an old lady from the country who came looking for someone."

These words seemed to be a hint, and the female voice in the room immediately became colder: "Oh, who is she looking for?"

The man called "Mike" was positioned very cleverly. Because of the light, Pei Xiang who was standing at the door couldn't see his specific appearance clearly. However, judging from his figure and clothes, he was very similar to Mycroft. resemblance.

"Come and talk to her, I don't know the neighbors here." The impatient man retreated into the house, his back was more like Mycroft.

A blond-haired young woman came out with a hint of caution hidden in her eyes.Pei Xiang saw that it was the Betty she met in the park this morning.

Betty talked a few words with the old woman who was looking for someone.For some reason, under the old woman's various descriptions and pleadings, she suddenly realized that the servant who was fired last month by the neighbor next door should be the little Nelly the old woman was looking for.

It's a pity that the other party changed his name and his hands and feet were dirty, so he was driven away by his employer.

Betty thought of the corresponding person, dispelling the last trace of doubt in her heart.While silently laughing at her timidity and suspicion, she comforted the poor and helpless old woman with nice words, and then closed the door.

The old woman who was told the "truth" looked dejected and desperate. She took a deep breath, swayed a few times, and had to rest on the wooden stake at the gate of the courtyard for a while.

After a while, she moved to the opposite shade and sat down with her back bent.She fumbled and took out a broken water bottle from the basket she carried with her, and drank slowly.

Pei Xiang counted the time silently in his heart. Around three o'clock, some drunken homeless men began to appear near the alley. They wandered around the No. 32 house, looking around from time to time, but they ignored the old lady who was sitting under a tree in the corner eating pancakes. .

As time passed, these people became more and more anxious. After a while, someone ran over and slammed the door of No. 32.

It was Betty who opened the door.

"Why are you here at this hour? When will Mrs. Holmes arrive?"

At this time, Pei Xiang coughed loudly, without lowering her sense of existence at all. She coughed so hard that she seemed to be choking.

"Who is this?"

"I came to seek refuge with my relatives. Unfortunately, the relatives used fake names and were driven away for stealing things. I talked to her before. Here, it's about the house next door. I guess, she wants to wait for the owner of the house to come back." After that, I will ask again, and I will ask for two money by the way."

Betty's words dispelled the vigilance of the visitors. They ignored a poor old lady, but they would not go into details in front of her.

So, the man quickly said in a low voice: "I have already come out of the jewelry store, the carriage is coming this way, you are ready to receive 'honored guests'."

"Okay," Betty raised her chin towards Pei Xiang's position, "By the way, what should the old lady do, can I drive her away?"

The visitor just wanted to nod his head in agreement, but then he rolled his eyes and shook his head to veto:

"No, we happen to lack witnesses with clean backgrounds. This old lady is fine here. After a while, no matter what happens, she must see clearly."

Pei Xiang couldn't hear the content of the whispered conversation between the two, but from their eyes and movements, he probably guessed their intentions.

After a while, an unmarked carriage stopped at the entrance of the alley, and a man in a long black coat came out of the carriage.

The man who had just talked to Betty trotted over quickly, bowed to the man, and said hello repeatedly.

Afterwards, he pointed to the homeless people wandering nearby, and said a few words with a smile.

The other party nodded without making a sound. After standing for a while, he took out his pocket watch to check the time, and then returned to the car.

Although the man covered half of his face with the collar of his coat, Pei Xiang recognized at a glance that the man was Lord Arthur Bridge whom she had just met the day before yesterday.

Pei Xiang took a sip of water thoughtfully.

Regarding today's "accident", when she first realized something was wrong, her first reaction was that someone wanted to plot against Mycroft, and she was the knife being used.

This is the critical period for job transfers. Seeing that Mycroft is about to secure his position as the number one in the ministry, if there is a sudden scandal, and even a rift with the Gladstone family, it will be very easy for him to make a career. Frustrated, and then lost a good opportunity.

However, seeing Baron Bridge appearing here, Pei Xiang felt that this incident was not just for one person, but for their husband and wife.

This guy probably wants to have a hero rescue and take advantage of the situation.

Just as she lowered her head to ponder, Baron Bridge's unmarked carriage restarted, turned around and walked towards the direction it came from, seemingly intending to leave this place.

Pei Xiang pondered for a moment, and the map of London flickered in his mind.

She packed up the food and water bottles while coughing, stood up tremblingly, sighed, and walked towards the other side of the alley.

Sure enough, when she dawdled to the other end of the alley, she saw that the carriage had stopped by the side of the road, and Baron Bridge was smoking a cigar beside the carriage.

She didn't stop, she still walked staggeringly. Of course, when the carriage passed by, the country old woman gave the nobleman a curious look, then turned her head in a panic, and seemed to shrink back a bit.

Baron Bridge was still smoking and meditating, and he didn't care about the poor people everywhere in the streets of London.

When Pei Xiang took the time to reach the corner, a small man rushed over quickly:

"Mr. K, the lady diverted the road halfway. She seems to have ordered the driver to go to Mr. Holmes' office."

Pei Xiang leaned against the wall at the corner, listening carefully to the conversation not far away.

"Why did you change the course suddenly? Did you encounter something?"

"Not on the way. I guess I heard something in the jewelry store and changed my mind."

Baron Bridge took a sip of his cigar and spoke indifferently:

"In that case, you go and arrange for our people to keep an eye on it. Once they quarrel, they will make a big fuss. Anyway, Mrs. Holmes has already seen the letter, and she will definitely not let it go. Where is the quarrel, for Holmes Say, it's all a scandal."

"Then here..."

"Let Betty's group evacuate immediately, and don't let Holmes, who has reacted, grasp it."

"Yes."

"By the way, just send those homeless people away, let them keep their mouths in check, otherwise, they will go to the Thames to settle down."

"Okay, don't worry, they don't dare to talk nonsense. Mr. K, in this way, you won't be able to meet Mrs. Holmes by chance, and you won't be able to send away the drunk tramp for her. Do you want to arrange it again?" one time?"

"Don't be in a hurry, no one is allowed to move without my order. Mycroft Holmes will definitely be extremely vigilant after suffering a loss, so keep a low profile at this time."

"Yes, I will convey your meaning, and there will be no mistakes."

Baron Bridge nodded, and didn't say anything more to this subordinate, but just told the coachman, "Go to the club."

The coachman immediately understood which club the baron was talking about, and responded without hesitation.

When the carriage left again, Pei Xiang spotted a half-open courtyard door and dodged in, squatting quietly in the corner and not moving.

After a while, the subordinate who had left before turned back, looked around for a while at the entrance of the alley where the carriage stayed, and then checked around to make sure that no one was eavesdropping before leaving in peace.

Pei Xiang waited again before walking out of the courtyard with his back bent.

However, at the same time she left the hiding corner, another black shadow crept out from behind the cover.

They met each other on a narrow road, and their eyes faced each other.

Pei Xiang looked at the ragged homeless man opposite: "Sherlock?"

Sherlock stared at the wrinkled old country woman: "Doris?"