Mary's Nineteenth Century

In the study room, two cups of coffee were steaming.

With the glow of sunlight outside the window and the mellow aroma at the tip of the nose, this should be a leisurely afternoon tea time.

Unfortunately, the atmosphere in the room was not relaxing.

"This is the result of the investigation into Tori the murderer."

Darcy handed over the information, "In addition, the bronze coffin hidden in the basement of the wooden house in the forest has been transported back to London. You can take a look at the results of the autopsy."

Mary took the file.The content of the report is clear, but Harlan Tory is too cunning, there is no way to know his activity track, and he hardly leaves any valuable clues to solve the case.

Looking at the results of the autopsy, it is also difficult to get accurate data, because the dead in the coffin have been mummified.

The deceased was a southern European female, barren, aged around 25 to [-] years old.Its internal organs were dug out, filled with various spices, and then the body was stitched up.Afterwards, it is dried and dehydrated, and wrapped in antiseptic burlap.

This series of operations can be said to have destroyed the clues left on the body of the deceased to the greatest extent, and even the time of death cannot be estimated.

"Well, Harlan Tory's research achievements in Egyptology are far from being ineffective as shown in his resume. He is too humble and too shy to show his abilities to others."

Mary put down the document, "This practical operation is so amazing that one can't help but suggest that he be awarded the 1869 British Egyptology · Best Practice · Royal Prize for Science."

If you ignore the sarcasm at the corner of Mary's mouth, the tone seems to be sincerely praising the criminal Tori.

Facing the results of the investigation, Darcy was also speechless for a while.

This era is full of opportunities, and this era is also full of dangers, and this is the first time he has come into contact with the latter so closely.

"People have been sent to Cairo and Berlin, and they are also going to investigate the origin of the bronze coffin. Maybe in the future, we can find out the relationship between Tori and the unknown female corpse."

Darcy's tone was not firm.With Harlan Tory's good at disguising and solitary characteristics, whether he can find clues depends more on the will of Goddess Luck.

"No further discoveries have been made so far."

Darcy was not only referring to the criminal Tory, "Mr. Minton, unfortunately, there have been no missing persons notices related to you in the newspapers recently."

No one was looking for M. Minton, of course, but neither was anyone looking for Mary Bennet.

Mary has been in London for six days, and she has collected all the newspapers in continental Europe that will be issued in April, and there is no news of finding the original owner in any corner of it.

She also went to Scotland Yard in disguise to inquire about the situation, making sure that there was no relevant missing person report.

This means there are four possibilities.The original owner's family members also died unexpectedly, or they were conservative and didn't use the media channel to find someone in the newspaper, or they didn't care about her life at all.

Of course, it could also be that Tori created a surrogate to make the original owner's family think that the missing daughter/sister was dead.

Nowadays, identification science and technology are backward. If a corpse has a similar body shape, its face and body surface are destroyed, and it holds the same identification items, the possibility of being mistaken is extremely high.As for whether it will attract doubts, it depends on the intelligence of the original owner's family and the criminal Tori, who is better.

Given that the original owner was the first to be kidnapped, Tori had plenty of time to cast doubts.It is worth noting that Tori's control of time is very precise.The order of the three kidnappings was not random, but deliberately arranged.

The first to kidnap the original owner is to have enough time to destroy the traces without causing his family to follow him.The second is to kidnap Watson because he came to London alone, and no one close to him will quickly find out his disappearance.

In the end, he attacked Georgiana, boldly robbing people halfway, and drugged the water source of the entire hotel.Destroy other evidence in time and exchange for a large amount of gold coins.No matter how powerful the Darcy family is, if they only use the last day to complete the sacrifice and escape, the probability of success for the golden cicada to escape from its shell is very high.

However, Tori's mechanism was exhausted and too clever, and in the end he died suddenly and lost his life.

Mary was silent for a moment, and she might as well go with the flow as things were at this point.According to the plan, first live and develop in London.

"Mr. Darcy, thank you for your concern. As I said earlier, please let everything take its course. This is God's test for me. I am willing to respect the will of the Lord, so that I will not fall into confusion and anxiety, and live a better life. "

Darcy declined to comment. He was no Georgiana who had fallen into Mr. Minton's admirer.

"With all due respect, Mr. Minton, you don't remember any friends or relatives. Did you discover anything vividly during your six days in London?"

"Yes, some new discoveries. I should like books very much and understand the customs of different countries through reading. At my age, I may choose to go out for a year or two before going to university."

Mary perfected the background setting, "Since no one in the European newspapers approached me, I may have come to the UK by myself not long ago, which explains why I have no impressive friends."

Darcy did not speak, but silently agreed with this guess.

"Also, I found myself fluent in American English."

Mary switched accents. "If I'm from the other side of the Atlantic, that would explain why London feels strange to me."

The American Civil War had just ended two years ago. ①

After the war, the Constitution and other regulations of the United States were amended, and the loose confederation became a federal state.There is no need to exaggerate how good the federal state system is. Just at this stage, the United States, where the North and the South are united, is developing faster.

Based on this, it is logical that the American Civil War ended and young people began a pre-university tour across the ocean.

Darcy speculates that M. Minton's grandparents migrated from England to the United States. The family environment still has a strong British atmosphere, but it is also inevitably contaminated with American atmosphere.

For example, openly mentioning the sharing of spoils in front of a lady, oh no, it is an equal share of compensation.Even if it was mainly to divert Georgiana's panic, it would not be a trick that an English gentleman could dare to say.

The above can also explain why M. Minton seems to have no such person in the UK.

"Since you have decided to live in London temporarily, then accept them."

Darcy put a file bag on the table, "You saved Georgiana, you deserve it, take it."

Listen to the tone and wording, what does it mean to deserve it?These words did not seem to be thankful at all, they were bluntly close to giving condescendingly.

Mary didn't change her face, and didn't open the file bag immediately, but she already had a guess.There should be three items in the bag, a job reference, a temporary London housing contract, and a high-value cheque.

"What's the matter? You asked Georgiana to charge £139, and now you dare not open the file bag?"

Darcy said and pushed the file bag forward, "How can the Darcy family let the benefactor leave empty-handed, please open it."

Oh, yes!

The Darcy family has a grateful heart, but as the head of the family, the attitude of thanking them is inevitably somewhat arrogant.

"Of course I can open the paper bag, but that doesn't mean accepting it all."

Mary didn't push back again and again, and when she opened it, the contents were roughly the same as she had guessed, but there were still "some" differences.There was a letter of recommendation for a job at the British Museum, a check for £[-], and a deed related to the gift of real estate.

—is an estate on the north side of Pall Mall Street.

If you have no concept of this street, it is in the Westminster area of ​​central London.Its east side is less than 1000 meters away from Buckingham Palace, and its west side is less than [-] meters away from Downing Street.

Since the beginning of the nineteenth century, different clubs have opened here one after another, such as the Oxford and Cambridge United Club.It is conceivable that the market value of its real estate is so high that it can be described as having a price but no market.

This thank-you gift can be summed up in one word - Hao.

Even though the property that Darcy offered as a gift was relatively small, with four floors and two to three rooms on each floor, its location made it worth a fortune.

Mary just glanced at this lightly, and put down the file as if nothing had happened.

"Mr. Darcy, I can fully perceive your sincerity. Your concern for Miss Georgiana is reflected in these gifts. The so-called expression of gratitude proves how much you care."

Mary smiled and flicked the document, "This is not a sky-high pound figure, but the evidence of your brotherhood. You sent them to me just because I helped Miss Georgiana. This kindness must be Reciprocity and generosity, people can't help but praise you as an undoubted good brother."

Having said that, Mary paused, "Although your tone is a bit blunt and not gentle enough, I understand your good intentions very well, because you don't want to hear my rejection of your sincere kindness."

Darcy: No, he didn't!

At the moment, Darcy could only maintain a deadpan expression.Is it necessary to expose the fact that the expensive thank you gift is a hidden temptation, but it is inevitable that there will be some discomfort.

He was probing, but the person in front of him interpreted it as "Gentleman Darcy's devious, uncommunicative, expressing deep gratitude" with either blunt or eloquent words.

Mary didn't seem to see the unnaturalness of Darcy's sudden disappearance, and continued, "But I have to decline these generous gifts, please take it as my strange insistence, and I don't want to taint too much with the easy rescue. The smell of money.

Please don't advise.I certainly do not refuse your sincere thanks, Mr. Darcy.It is better to let me choose one of the three, and only this recommendation letter is enough.It is the best gift to be able to go deep into the library of the British Museum to appreciate the charm of the ocean of wisdom.What do you think? "

Silence for a while.

After a long while, Darcy said, "Mr. Minton, I'm expressing my gratitude, not bargaining with you about equity distribution. You just want to accept the letter of recommendation, so where do you plan to live? Will you continue to stay in the hotel?"

This is London, how many decent sets of clothes can you collect from criminals for more than 100 pounds in compensation, and pay a few months' rent in a comfortable place? "②

It is not that Darcy does not eat minced meat, so he is more aware of the insurmountable gap between classes.

"It is true that more than 100 pounds is the wages of many people who have worked hard for a whole year, but it is also necessary to distinguish who. Do you plan to wear work boots to the museum, or live near the East End. My God, so choose, you Where is the honor of the Darcys?"

The implication is that the friends of Darcy's family must also be in the same class.

These words are a bit harsh.Not everyone is born with a silver spoon in their mouth.What's wrong with the East District, do you look down on the lower class people?Is Whitechapel doomed to fail to produce a billionaire, or a mastermind who manipulates the decisions of a country's parliament?

Mary didn't refute it, the harsh words were the truth.

As a general rule, if you do not use methods such as burning, killing, looting, etc., it is indeed extremely difficult to break through the shackles of the original environment in an era when institutions of higher learning have thresholds.There will be exceptions, but only one in a million.

"Mr. Darcy, you have some truths, why don't we take a step back."

Mary calmly proposed a solution, "As generous as you are, why don't you rent the house to me at a low price for one year, and reserve the right of first refusal for me for three years. Within three years, if I am willing to buy it at the market price, you will not propose any objection."

Based on the income of a general clerk, the annual salary is at most two hundred pounds a year.

Even if you don't eat, drink, or pay rent, if you want to buy a house with a market value of at least [-] to [-] pounds, I don't know if it is possible in this life.

Mary's offer to buy a house in three years may sound crazy at first.

Darcy did not sneer, but reluctantly said, "Since you insist, I am willing to respect your choice proposal. The rent is unnecessary, you might as well move in today."

Mary agreed, without further excuses.

The two finally reached an agreement on this, and picked up the bone china gilt tea coffee cup.

The entrance to the coffee is the Blue Mountains of Jamaica.It perfectly blends sweet, sour and bitter tastes, mild and mellow with endless aftertaste.

For a moment, the atmosphere in the room seemed quiet and peaceful.

Mary's eyes were lowered. Although Darcy's speculation was different, her overall judgment was not wrong.

Why presume that there will be housing arrangements?This can be interpreted as Darcy acting in a thorough manner, but if you think about it more deeply, it might not be a form of surveillance in disguise.

Surveillance may not sound like a good word.

Changing it to a friendly wording is to keep people within the observable range, so as to confirm that she is indeed not deliberately approaching Georgiana with ulterior motives.

After experiencing Georgiana's kidnapping, Darcy would be grateful to those who rescued his sister, but he would also be wary of unidentified rescuers.Examine it for a period of time within the scope of control, so that it is in line with his status and ability to handle affairs.

These are all expected by Mary, but there are also unexpected ones. The money cost of her temptation is high.

Darcy looked out the window.

In the sky, the clouds are beautiful and dazzling.

If Mr. Minton had the same history as Mr. Watson, he would not doubt the gentleman who rescued his sister from the brink of death.

But if there is no if, then we have to be cautious.Fortunately, the test results are good, at least M. Minton is not a money-seeking person, or the depth of the city is staggering.

Is the desire for money a sin?

Darcy didn't think there was anything wrong with that, as long as it didn't use disgraceful means.And he just wanted to observe for a while longer to make sure that M. Minton was harmless to the Darcy family.

This temptation is not brought up to the second person.

Because the two sides had reached an agreement long ago, they kept silent about the cause of Georgiana's kidnapping.

Darcy properly arranged for the coachman, maid and others who were unconscious that day, and characterized the matter as a group of criminals who drugged and kidnapped the daughter of Darcy's family. In order to extort money, he was lucky to meet a kind-hearted person who was brave enough to do justice, and it was definitely not an kidnapping by an underground priest. murder.

It was just in case the dead Tori had any accomplices behind the scenes, and to prevent someone from trying to attack Georgiana a second time through the revolving door.

Mary knew very well that the details of this case would never get out.

"By the way, there's one more check left, please take that too. Please don't say no, just pretend I took it, but use it to ask for a favor."

Darcy looked sideways, "What's the matter?"

"I want to reapply for a passport. If I have to leave the UK after a while, it will be inconvenient to apply for it temporarily."

Mary looked relaxed, "Get ready in advance. If you think of a memory related to the United States one day, you have to check it out. Mr. Darcy, isn't it difficult?"

It's really not difficult, and American passports are easy to get these days.

More than 20 years have passed since the establishment of the Federal Immigration Service. Now there is no relevant law to become an American, as long as you arrive at Castle Clinton in New York and register.In this way, if you have the money to go through the formalities for reissuing a U.S. passport, it is good.

Of course, there is always a difference with a clean and formal identity.

"Try to finish it within two months."

Darcy would not admit frankly that one week is enough, and there is no deep meaning in asking him to reissue the passport, it is to use the reputation of Darcy's family to guarantee a person's identity.

Since it is done, it must be seamless, because Georgiana's benefactor cannot be a dangerous person of unknown origin, but a kind-hearted gentleman.

"Thank you."

Mary said reasonably, "It's the social season and there must be a lot of busy things. Don't worry too much about trifles such as passport replacement. By the way, as for the name column on the passport, we might as well tentatively choose Mark Minton."

Mary, Mark, one letter difference.

Mary casually took a temporary name.

"Okay. But you don't need £[-] for a replacement passport. In any case, please don't refuse the check."

Darcy couldn't thank the tempted person for his understanding in turn, but he couldn't even send out a pound of thank you. "I insist on this."

Not to mention letters of recommendation and free rent, the Darcy family has not yet been reduced to thanking for their life-saving grace.Besides, Georgiana got £130 first.

"Ok."

Mary smiled helplessly, "Since you insist, then I won't argue again."

Now that everything was settled, the study room became quiet again.

Soon, the coffee in Darcy's cup bottomed out.Today, the speed of drinking coffee is a little faster than usual, and it is time to see off the guests.

"Yes, there is one more thing to explain."

Darcy seemed to be kindly reminding, "Even if you have a letter of recommendation, the British Museum has strict criteria for applying for a job. Mr. Minton, please forgive me, I can't manipulate those researchers."

Mary nodded understandingly, "Strict assessment is reasonable. Please rest assured, Mr. Darcy, I will not let the recommender fall into the predicament of being unclear."

"Then, I wish you all the best."

After all, Darcy was unable to say anything in a high-sounding manner, because this seemingly comprehensive letter of recommendation was also a temptation.To test whether Mr. Minton has real talents and learning, rather than by mistake, he unlocked the secret of the underground triangular stone chamber.

"Accept your good words, goodbye."

Mary collected the check and letters of recommendation and got up.This good job delivered to your door is also a test, and you have to be mentally prepared for it, otherwise you would not have guessed that there must be a job recommendation letter for the thank you gift.Thinking about it better, it is better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish, but behind all the excessive gifts, there are always hidden deep thoughts.

Darcy also stood up to see off the guests. In fact, he still had an unexplainable reason for probing.

Georgiana adores Mr. Minton so much that, as an elder brother, he inevitably wonders whether there will be another brother-in-law in a few years.No, absolutely impossible, there is absolutely no way he and this person in front of him are related by marriage.

Mary:?

What's going on, why Darcy's eyes were complicated for a moment just now, but she couldn't figure out the reason.