The heroine of the healing department is very rigid [Pride and Prejudice]

London is not far from Hertfordshire, and spring has come, without the obstruction of the wind and snow, the speed of the carriage is much faster.

Mary did not tell her family that she accepted Heathcliff's marriage proposal in the letter, even Elizabeth did not tell, she was not ready yet, and only hoped that Mrs. Bennet would not overreact after learning the news.She touched the expensive ruby ​​ring on her right middle finger and sighed quietly.

Today is Sunday, but it is rare for Mrs. Bennet not to go to church, but to get busy early in the morning.She asked the cook to make Mary's favorite veal steak, and went to the fish market with Elizabeth to queue up to buy the freshest cod.

Jane prepares pesto bread and green salad at home.As early as a few days ago, she and her mother had cleaned up the house. The Bennet Manor was used as a temporary hospital during the war, which made this garden, which is not magnificent but somewhat decent, messy. .It took them a lot of time to restore the place to its original state. The embroidered tablecloth was taken out of the box again, the Venus-shaped candlestick was wiped clean, and the floor was waxed so that it could reflect people.

The walls outside the manor and Mary's bedroom have been repainted and new furniture has been replaced. Her books and notebooks are all neatly arranged on the six-story bookshelf, and there is a glass vase filled with water on the windowsill. Inside was a delicate white rose.

"Look, the carriage is coming. Dad, Mom, Mary is back." Lydia and Catherine have been standing at the gate of the manor since the morning, when the gorgeous four-wheeled box-shaped carriage was drawn by two big black horses. When they approached, they couldn't help shouting excitedly.

"Look, Elizabeth, what a beautiful carriage. Are you sure it's Mary in it?" Catherine asked, standing on tiptoe so she could see the carriage more clearly.

"Of course. It must be her." Lydia said before Elizabeth.

The carriage finally stopped at the gate of the Bennet Manor. Looking closely, everyone realized that the carriage was more spacious and beautiful than they had imagined.

The cabin was freshly painted in gloss black, and the door handles were sterling silver with subtle dark lines.Warm yellow silk curtains hung on the windows.Even the driver was in a suit of swan and silk velvet, a high-brimmed hat, and goatskin gloves.

The car door was finally opened.

Heathcliff jumped out of the car first, and the Bennet family was not surprised, because they had already learned in the letter that he had been fighting in London, and this time he would return to Hertford with Mary.Mr. Bennet took out his collection of wine, ready to toast the hero of the battlefield.

Mary came out right after Heathcliff. She didn't wear the dress she wore to the palace dinner that day, but changed into a relatively everyday skirt with green floral patterns on a white background, and she didn't wear such annoying things as panniers.Holding Heathcliff's hand, she got out of the car and ran towards the family, who immediately surrounded her.

"I can't believe this is real." Elizabeth hugged Mary tightly, "You are finally back, Mary."

"You are the pride of our family, son." Mr. Bennet wiped the wet corners of his eyes and kissed Mary on the cheek.

Suddenly, there was a low sobbing sound, and Mrs. Bennet, with red and swollen eyes, hammered Mary's shoulder complainingly, crying, "You always worry me like this. Going to the front line, God, is like a nightmare." .

How dangerous it is, many people have no time to escape, but you still want to go forward. Mrs. Bennet wiped her tears with a veil and spoke incoherently, then she hugged Mary tightly in her arms again.

"God, I'm so glad you didn't have any accidents. You damn girl always give me nerves."

"Okay, okay, mom, I'm fine." Mary choked up and said, she was angry with her mother when she was in Lowood, but when she arrived at the Sacred Heart Hospital, she only missed her mother.

"Honey, don't cry, we still have guests." Mr. Bennet rescued Mary from his mother's tight embrace, and smiled at Heathcliff in a friendly manner. Only then did everyone recall that there was another man stand by.

"Come in for a drink, Commodore, for Victory and England," said Mr. Bennet.

"You can just call me by my first name." Heathcliff nodded and let the coachman go back first.

Mary was surrounded by her two older sisters, and their younger sisters followed closely behind her, and surrounded her into this dreamy house.

"Oh my God, Mary." Elizabeth suddenly noticed the ring on Mary's middle finger, and she pulled her sister aside while her mother was going to get dessert, "Are you engaged? With whom? Are you a soldier on the battlefield? Or the Sacred Heart Hospital?" Doctor? Why don’t you write and tell us? Please, Mary, tell me who he is soon.”

Elizabeth held her hands and shook them from side to side, flushed and excited, as if she were the bride-to-be.

Mary was caught off guard by her sister's "surprise attack". She planned to wait for her father and Heathcliff to have a few glasses of wine, and announce the news when everyone was happiest, but she did not expect to be betrayed by the ring on her hand.She pursed her lips and unconsciously glanced in Heathcliff's direction.

"It's Brigadier General Heathcliff." Elizabeth's eyes widened, and she covered her mouth with her hands to keep herself from screaming. "Is it really him?"

Mary nodded.

"I can't believe it," Elizabeth murmured. "I thought it was the medic Wilson who wrote to you."

"What do you think of him?" Mary asked. Her secret was discovered, so she simply broke the jar and asked Elizabeth's opinion first, so as to add another person to help her speak.

Elizabeth tilted her head and thought for a while. She used to regard Heathcliff as an ordinary neighbor. Later, when the war broke out, she heard about what happened on the battlefield, so she changed her opinion of him, but she never thought that he would one day Will become my sister's fiancé.This made her not know how to comment for a while.

Seeing that her sister didn't speak, Mary was a little nervous. If even Elizabeth didn't approve of Heathcliff, it would be even more difficult for her mother.

"I think he is very good." Elizabeth finally came up with the answer, "There is no doubt that he is a British hero. It is beyond my expectation that you can be together, but I believe your vision is not bad. I just really want to very unexpected."

Mary breathed a sigh of relief.It's no wonder Elizabeth was surprised, even she herself couldn't believe it.If it was two years ago, someone told her that she would marry Heathcliff in the future, she would definitely let this person see a psychiatrist.

Honey muffins and carrot cake were brought out, and Mary was so nervous that the muffins crumbled in her hands and fell on the new carpet.

Heathcliff was not nervous at all, and he tasted wine with Mr. Bennet, talked to him about the trifles of the war, and praised the pastry in the kitchen in a cheerful but unaffected way.He was suddenly more popular than Mr. Bingley.

Seeing that half of the bottle of red wine has been consumed, half of the dessert has been eaten, and the whole living room is filled with a joyous atmosphere, Mary thinks this is a good timing, so she takes a deep breath and prepares to announce the news that may cause Mrs. Bennet to scream. call message.

"Dad, Mom, I have something to tell you." Mary raised her voice slightly after the muffin she crushed was thrown into the tea tray.

The conversation stopped abruptly, and all eyes were on her.

"Just half a month ago, I agreed to Heathcliff's marriage proposal." She said, her hands neatly placed on her knees, even her hair revealed tension.

No one spoke, and the air instantly became quiet.Lydia wanted to jump over to see the ring on her hand, but Elizabeth pulled her back and held her in place.

Mary thought, it's over, as expected, the mother could not accept Heathcliff, and the worst thing was, even the father didn't speak.

Her heart was pounding, her brain was running fast, thinking about how to persuade her family, whether she should first list Heathcliff's advantages, or throw out his pile of free medals, or find Mr. Bingley as foreign aid.

Or imitate the little sister Lydia, crying and acting like a baby to her mother?But this is also too embarrassing.Mary racked her brains desperately, trying to find a way to make Heathcliff more pleasing to her family.

She was so worried that her hair was about to fall out, but on the other hand, the other protagonist in the incident was not nervous at all, and was still sitting on the fabric sofa with a calm expression, without shaking the hand holding the wine glass.As if the whole thing had nothing to do with him.

What is this saying?

A few minutes passed, and no one spoke, and Mary's heart sank.

"I thought you weren't going to tell us about it until after dinner at least." The first to break the silence was Mrs. Bennet, who didn't look surprised or screamed.

Mary:? ? ?

"Mom, you mean you already know about this?" Mary was surprised that things didn't go as expected.

"Look at that ring on your hand, girl, I'm not too dazzled to see that it's a wedding ring." Mrs. Bennet didn't look angry, but said rather proudly, she glanced at the ring. A glance at Mary, and then at Heathcliff.

"Nothing escapes me."

"But how did you guess that it was Heathcliff who proposed to me?" Mary's mind was in a daze.

"Honey, there's no need to guess. The way you look at each other already says it all. You can't hide loving someone."

Mary: ...

She looked at her father again and asked, "Did you find these too?"

Mr. Bennet shook his head, "I'm not as careful as your mother, but I received a letter from Heathcliff two days ago, in which he explained everything to me."

Mary looked at Heathcliff in shock: "You wrote to my father? Why didn't you tell me?"

Mrs. Bennet also looked at Mr. Bennet in shock: "You actually knew that Mary was engaged but kept it from me!"

"I said you don't have to worry about anything anymore." Heathcliff smiled, and secretly exchanged a smug look with Mr. Bennet.

"Mom, won't you object to us?" Mary continued to ask without giving up, but she still felt flustered when she didn't get an affirmative answer from her mother.

"I believe you are right. In fact, my dear, you are often right, and I don't think this time will be an exception."

Mrs. Bennet got up and went back to the bedroom to take out an exquisite box, which contained an emerald necklace.

"This is my mother's dowry, and now it belongs to you."

Mary and Heathcliff's wedding was scheduled for a Wednesday in July, and it took them three days to write all the invitations, except relatives and Hertford neighbors, colleagues in the hospital, and Heathcliff's comrades-in-arms, They also invited Mary's new friends from college.

The place of bridesmaid was undisputedly reserved for Mary's sisters, but there was only one best man, Mr. Bingley.They also found a good girl from the neighbor as a flower girl.

The choice of wedding dress put Mary into a new round of difficulties. Although her two younger sisters were a few years younger than her, they were all experts in dressing. Tailors who came from London and Milan changed Mary's wedding dress again and again. It took twice as long as the average person to make a wedding dress that everyone couldn't fault, and of course they got double the pay.

Mr. Bennet already had a good reputation in the Hertford area, and during the war, he donated the entire manor as a temporary hospital for free, which made him receive even more respect.

With these respects came one order after another, and he no longer had to worry about the dowry money of his daughters.

The night before the wedding, Mary was so nervous that she couldn't sleep. She tossed and turned in her little bed, counting the tassels on the drapery, feeling a little unreal.

Hertford did not become a dead city because of the Black Death, she survived, and her family was healthy and happy.Jane and Bingley's wedding is set for October, as is Elizabeth and Darcy.

The night was quiet, except for the faint chirping of cicadas intermittently. Mary couldn't fall asleep, so she simply sat up and looked at the moon outside the window.

Heathcliff took the villa on Greek Street as their newly married property, and Bell Manor in Hertford as their vacation villa. Mary was a little excited, but more reluctant.

Because she didn't sleep well the night before, Mary was still in a daze when Elizabeth knocked on the door the next day.

Elizabeth sighed resentfully, combing her hair while scolding, "How can you still sleep, today is your big day. Hurry up, open your eyes, it's time to change your wedding dress."

The wedding dress was a traditional one, but extra attention was paid to the neckline and skirt, which complemented Mary's jewelry.

At eleven o'clock in the morning, everything was ready.Heathcliff stood in the church wearing a straight suit, the toes of his shoes were polished, everything about him was simplified, there was no pattern on the bow tie, and the material of the suit was also solid color. He still maintained the habit of a soldier, with his eyes fixed on the front , the back is straight.

Holding her father's arm, Mary got out of the carriage, her Pompadour shoes stepped on the red carpet of the church, and she walked towards Heathcliff step by step.

They did not choose the most magnificent church in London, but the one they usually go to the most. The priest and they are old acquaintances.

The little flower girl dutifully sprinkled pink and pink rose petals into the air, and Mary saw Heathcliff standing at the end of the church through the dancing petals in the air.He stood there motionless, looking at her, only her in his eyes.

The red carpet is not long, but Mary felt that she had walked for a long time, and when she stopped, she felt that the road was too short.

"I've given her to you," said Mr. Bennet to Heathcliff.

Heathcliff nodded, took Mary's hand, and led her to the priest.

"Mr. Heathcliff, are you willing to accept Miss Mary Bennet as your wife? Whether you are poor or rich, healthy or sick, successful or frustrated, you are willing to respect her and protect her until death." The pastor asked.

Heathcliff stared at Mary, he felt the gaze of God, his fallen soul has climbed out from the abyss, standing in the sun.All around him was brilliant light.

"I would," he said.

The pastor looked at Mary again.

"I am willing."

They took the rings from the Bible and put them on each other's fingers, and the rose petals were thrown into the air again, dancing endlessly with the bright sunshine.

The villa on Greek Street is in Baroque style as a whole. As night falls, the air is filled with the smell of burning candles.The clavichord that came from Austria and was said to have belonged to Maria Mozart was placed in the center of the French windows in the living room.

In fact, no one in this family can play the piano, and it looks a bit arty when it is placed here.

The music scores were neatly stacked and placed above the fireplace.The candle shadows flickered, the windows were not closed tightly, and the white gauze curtains fluttered in the wind and fell on the clavichord, outlining a pair of exquisitely crafted white marble Greek sculptures.Orpheus ③ played the piano, and the sigh of the instrument echoed in the empty house. The wind blew the sculpture of Eurydice down on the soft wool carpet, rolling around, the clavichord paused, as if to Lamenting is more like reminiscing.

This time he didn't look back.

"Heathcliff, is it going to rain? We seem to have forgotten to close the window." Mary asked taking a look at the dark clouds outside the window.

"Don't be distracted," said Heathcliff in a low voice.

Dark clouds rolled.

The notes continued to flow out, sliding over the folded silk cover placed on the window sill, and the startled lark in the cage gave a soft cry.The evening summer wind, softer than Oriental silk, blew out a candle and then opened the half-opened window a little more.Britain is always rainy, so it started to rain tonight, just as Mary had expected.

The lightning came before the thunder, illuminating the house like daytime, and the raindrops hit the glass windows densely, and then splashed on the keys of the clavichord, like dewdrops on flower stamens in spring.

The raindrops danced and danced on the keys, and the chaotic sound of the piano flowed intermittently. It was not as regular as before, but it was more beautiful and full of emotion.

In the second half of the night, this sudden, but for a country like the UK affected by the prevailing westerly wind, the expected torrential rain finally gradually subsided.The wind has also stopped, and the woolen carpet has become wet from the rain, and it is not until the sun rises that it gradually dries.

Its daybreak.

Outside the window is the long-lost sunshine and tranquility. There is no one who does not love peace and a day without gunpowder.

"We can go to Greece when we travel. There is a lot of sunshine and not so much rain." Mary suggested, stretching her waist and breathing the fresh air in the garden.

"Believe me, it will rain everywhere, otherwise the crops will not grow." Heathcliff replied.