Pride and Prejudice the Poor Princess

The interior of the hotel is as shabby as its signboard, and in the narrow and dark lobby, desolate guests wander past from time to time.Seeing Mary, the receptionist was obviously taken aback.Her dress and demeanor are not at all like those who would lodge here.

"Which room does Mr. George Wickham live in?" she asked, putting down ten shillings on the counter.

The waiter's eyes shone greedily, and he said in a low voice, "Room 307, you can go up by yourself. A few minutes before you came, two gentlemen also came to see Mr. Wickham. Although they were very luxuriously dressed, but given Tips are not as generous as yours!"

Mary smiled and nodded, lifted her skirt and went upstairs slowly.The carpet laid in the corridor has long been riddled with holes, and the original color cannot be seen. The wooden floor below is also loose, and it will make a creaking sound when pedestrians walk by.

Mary walked lightly, and stood in front of the door of Room 307.She heard Uncle Gardiner's voice, and her preparations to knock on the door froze.

"My dear Lydia, don't ruin your life because of a momentary impulse. It is a rather stupid decision to marry a gambler. You will not be happy, and you will spend your whole life in quarrels and poverty!"

"God, you are my relatives, can't you bless us? I love Wickham, no matter how much you despise him, I will never despise him. If I can't be his wife, I will die in pain!" Lydia cried out in a high-pitched voice.It seemed she was determined to be with Wickham.

Mary sighed silently, lowered her head and rubbed the space between her brows.

"Mr. Wickham, what are you going to do?" Darcy's deep voice sounded.

Mary's pupils shrank slightly, and she immediately cheered up and knocked on the door.

Wickham, who came to open the door, saw her face clearly, with a strange arc on his mouth. "Here you are at last, Miss Mary!" he exclaimed in an exaggerated aria.

He has been waiting for his arrival!Mary saw the message through his malicious eyes.She also evoked a weird smile, and said calmly, "Long time no see, Mr. Wickham."

Hearing her voice, Darcy immediately got up and walked towards the door.He looked her up and down to make sure she was unharmed before he frowned and asked, "How did you find it? This is not the place for a single woman like you to come!" His tone was unprecedentedly severe.

Uncle Gardner and Lydia were equally astonished.

Only then did Wickham realize that Darcy did not tell Mary her whereabouts, so how did she find her?With such doubts in mind, he felt an ominous premonition.Mary is too mysterious, so many people have no clue to find him, even Darcy has spent a lot of money and time, she is only one step behind him as a woman.

"Of course I have my own way, let's go in and talk about it." Facing Darcy's brown eyes full of worry, Mary's heart softened.She sidled around Wickham and stood beside him in a gesture of intimacy.

Darcy's frown slowly relaxed, signaling her to sit down.It was a narrow double sofa, Darcy's figure was too tall, Mary's legs were inevitably close to him, and the skirt fell down on his knees and then slid down gently.

There was a trace of tenderness in Darcy's deep eyes, and he carefully arranged the skirt for her, forgetting to ask how she found it.

It was too intimate a gesture for Mary to accept, but she didn't find it at all offensive.If her perception is correct, the last second when she received the letter, it seemed that he was going to propose to her?But the sweetness in his heart was quickly replaced by bitterness. Now that such a scandal has happened in the Bennett family, he must never have such an idea again.At the moment, he can help with all his strength and has taken care of the last bit of friendship, and she is very grateful.

Thinking of this, Mary gave Darcy a tender look.Before he caught her gaze, she turned to look at Wickham, with a tinge of artificial pain in her pretty face.

"How do you want to marry Lydia?" Her voice was almost squeezed through her teeth.

"Mary, you are still young, and your perspective on problems is not as far-reaching as our old guys. Lydia must not marry Wickham..." Uncle Gardner hastily stopped.

"Then what should I do with Lydia?" Mary looked Lydia up and down, and found that there was a charming look in the corners of her eyes and brows, and her heart sank. "Her reputation has been ruined. If she doesn't marry Wickham, how will she meet people in the future? None of our four sisters are married yet, and we will suffer a lot of negative effects because of this! In order to restore reputation, getting them married is the best way Good way." Her voice was full of depression.

Uncle Gardner fell silent.

Darcy's fingertips moved slightly, wanting to hold her in his arms to comfort her, but reason stopped him in time.

"Mary, I knew you would think of me! Wickham and I will remember your kindness!" Lydia said gratefully.

"Have you finished?" Wickham, who had been silent all this time, laughed strangely.He was very satisfied with Mary's pained expression, but it was not enough to appease the resentment in his heart.

"Who said I'm going to marry Lydia?" He poured himself a glass of whiskey and took a sip slowly.

Lydia looked at him incredulously.

"Then what do you want to elope with her? Just to play with her and throw her away?" Mary asked in a deep voice.

"You're right, I'm just here to play with her. Remember what I said, Miss Mary? You'll regret it for meddling in your own business! I really admire your selfless trust and defense of Darcy , but you never thought that it would hurt your family?" Wickham laughed lowly, full of complacency and malice.

Lydia's expression changed from disbelief to doubt.She stared blankly at Mary.

Darcy also stared at Mary closely. He didn't expect that the cause of this incident came from himself. She caused this disaster in order to protect herself.His chest heaved violently, and some kind of fiery and violent emotion surged in his deep eyes.

"Mr. Wickham, your goal has been achieved! I really regret it now. But I don't think you will do such a laborious thing without any benefit. Tell me, what conditions do you want before you are willing to be with Liddy?" Ya get married?" Mary looked pale, but her heart was calm.

Wickham drank the wine and said after a moment of consideration, "I can marry Lydia. You pay a dowry of 5000 pounds, pay off all my gambling debts, and then give me 100 pounds a year." This condition is not too harsh, you know, there are quite a few girls with a dowry of more than [-] pounds waiting to marry me."

How dare you say it!A layer of frost formed in Mary's eyes.

Lydia looked at her hopefully.

"I'm sorry, I'm afraid we can't meet your conditions. Lydia's dowry is 1000 pounds, nothing more." She said coldly.

"Don't you five sisters have a dowry of [-] pounds each? Can't you make a little sacrifice for the happiness of your little sister?" Wickham raised his jaw.

"Mary, I beg you, lend me the dowry, I will return it to you in the future!" Lydia was actually instigated by him, and she held Mary's hand and begged bitterly.

Mary almost laughed at her selfishness and stupidity.She stared at her with cold and indifferent eyes, and asked in a low voice, "Repay us, what do you use to pay back? Does Wickham have a stable income? Do you know how to manage the family? £5000 is not enough for him to gamble for half a year. You know How many years did Dad save for our dowry? Ten years! We lent you all the dowry, how long do you want us to not get married? Ten years? 20 years? Or a lifetime? For your own happiness, we must sacrifice all of us What's more, will a man who marries you for money bring you happiness? Lydia, use your brain to think about it!"

Lydia was reprimanded speechless.Uncle Gardner was so disappointed in her that he didn't want to say a word for her.

Darcy pursed his lips, as if he wanted to speak, Mary quickly held his big hand, and wrote 'NO' on his palm.Darcy understood and kept silent appropriately.

"A dowry of £1000 and annual interest of £100, this is all we can pay." Mary looked straight at Wickham.

Wickham glanced at Darcy, and was very annoyed at his indifference.He said mockingly, "Do you want me to marry a stupid and slutty whore for such a small price? You have such a good idea!" He completely tore off his elegant disguise, revealing his vulgar and greedy true face.

Lydia's heart was about to break.She couldn't believe that her lover would use such terrible words to describe herself.She threw herself at his feet, begging for his love and embrace.

Wickham kicked her irritably, stood up and opened the door, "You can go! Come here with 5000 pounds and I'll talk to you." He looked like he was sure of winning, because he knew Lydia She couldn't leave him at all, even if he hurt her with the cruelest and most vicious words.

Uncle Gardner and Mary grabbed Lydia one by one and dragged her down the stairs.

Unwilling, Wickham shouted at her back, "Miss Mary, you paid such a terrible price for protecting Darcy, yet he ignored you and your family! I really pity you!"

Mary glanced back at him contemptuously.

Darcy stopped, turned around and said word by word, "Wickham, my tolerance for you has reached the limit. Men in the Darcy family have never been benevolent gentlemen. I hope you can bear my revenge on you." .” He smiled at him for the first time, then turned and strode away.

Wickham's heart instantly became cold.No one knew better than he the cruelty that lay behind the perfect gentlemanly demeanor of a Darcy man.Their wealth is piled up in blood and bones, and the countless slaves who die on their plantations every year never frown upon it.If he really angered Darcy, he could hardly survive in England.

Wickham knew he had miscalculated, he miscalculated the importance of Mary to Darcy.But since he cared about her to the point of taking revenge on himself regardless of old Darcy's last wish, why didn't he pay the dowry for Lydia?This is definitely the best way to save Mary's reputation, isn't it?

Wickham closed the door with a pale face, considering whether to flee London quickly.But he quickly dismissed the idea and decided to take a gamble that Darcy would eventually give in and pay.

They are just bluffing now, and they will come to the door again soon to beg for mercy!As a brother-in-law, Darcy not only has nothing to do with me, but will support me for the rest of my life!he told himself so.