Flowers, Swords and France

Perhaps because the other party had other things to do, the dinner between Charles and Joseph Bonaparte did not last long, and he left directly, so Charles also left the place where they met.

It was already evening, so he did not choose to go back to the ministry, but let the carriage drive towards the Tuileries Gardens.

It was a coincidence that as soon as he arrived there, the carriage engraved with the coat of arms of the Duke of Treville was slowly driving over. So after secretly rejoicing, he ran over and stopped. next to the carriage.

The carriage door soon opened, and he extended his hand obligingly, allowing Charlotte to take his hand and step down from it.

"Didn't I keep you waiting for a long time, Charles?" Charlotte looked at Charles with a smile.

"Of course I didn't wait long, it was only half an hour, that's right. It doesn't matter, you don't have to take it to heart." Charles said immediately. "It's better than you waiting for me."

"Oh? That's really hard on you." Charlotte was indeed very happy, "Are you still interested in shopping now?"

"Very motivated." Charles replied with a smile.

Just like that, facing the sunset, the two people took a stroll in the garden.

Although it was already evening, and the sun had long since lost its poisonous air, Charlotte still adhered to the upper-class lady routine, wearing white silk gloves and holding a small silk parasol professionally.

However, although the garden was indeed beautifully arranged, the two of them did not pay much attention to the view, partly because they had been here many times. The other half is because they have more important things to worry about, and too many things are related to their future.

"Things suddenly took a strange turn." Charles looked up at the sunset, and then whispered. "Before I met you. I just met Mr. Joseph Bonaparte, and he told me an interesting thing."

"What's wrong?" Charlotte asked quickly.

"The Bonaparte family also wants to get involved directly." Charles replied.

Then he revealed to Charlotte exactly what Joseph Bonaparte had told him.

"Your masters, are you still not sure how long you can stay in that position?" Charlotte listened quietly, then frowned slightly. She also quickly figured out what the Bonaparte family was thinking. “You’re thinking about making money for yourself so quickly.”

"I can understand them. It's not a bad thing to be cautious in everything?" Charles defended them. "Besides, this is not necessarily a bad thing for us. If the Bonaparte family comes to play themselves, they will not let themselves become losers. It will definitely make the railway an inevitably profitable enterprise... This is right Of course it’s a good thing for me and your family’s investment?”

This is true.

In order to encourage private enterprises to participate in the railway industry and increase their enthusiasm for building roads in remote areas. After taking back the empire. Emperor Louis Bonaparte stipulated that the state could grant operating franchises to railway companies to help them make profits, and he also creatively announced that the state could guarantee a minimum profit of 4% for construction companies-that is, if the company was on the verge of development, If the line loses money, the state can provide subsidies to ensure that it benefits.

Although this was very much a public tool for private use, by using these incentives, the Second Empire quickly built a huge railway network. And Charles has no intention of changing this policy; Just change the order a little bit.

"What you say is not unreasonable." Charlotte sighed, "I just hope they don't interfere with Giverny's affairs. I have already paid so much, and I don't want to see any more setbacks!"

"Of course not," Ciel nodded, "Don't worry, I will never let their plans interfere with our plans. I still have this ability!"

The plan they were talking about was the common cause of both Ciel and Charlotte.

In 1847, at the end of the July Monarchy, the railway line from the port of Le Havre in Normandy to the northwest city of Rouen had been repaired. In 1843, the line from Paris to Rouen had already been completed, so at this time, Paris already had a direct railway line to the port area of ​​Normandy. What he has to do is to build a small branch line next to this main line that can go directly to Giverny. This is something that can be decided within his scope of authority.

In Giverny, in the once beautiful estate in Charlotte, there happened to be a steel plant that he was building. Now that the money has been invested and the land has started, there is no room for failure in any of this.

If he hadn't been familiar with history and knew that Louis Bonaparte was bound to win a great victory, Charles himself would never have dared to throw himself into it like this?

"Charle, even your benefactors are secretly worried. Aren't you worried?" Charlotte raised her head and looked at Charles, "What if they really can't keep it, then everyone will be in real trouble. Already..."

"Worried? No, I'm not worried at all. We will definitely succeed. Nothing can stop me." Charles replied firmly, "Believe me, I will make everything foolproof."

Seeing Ciel's determined look, Charlotte's brows gradually widened. "Okay, you are always so confident. I hope you are right this time."

During the conversation, the two people gradually got closer and closer.

"When do you plan to go there?" Charlotte asked in a low voice, looking at the golden sunset that was about to sink into the horizon.

"It will probably take a few days. I will soon make an itinerary with the ministry and go there to inspect the railway project. Then I will stop by to see the progress of the factory. At that time, we can go there together. "When he said this, Charles suddenly laughed, "Do you remember how we played there last year? Let's take the time to go there again this year? By next year, it will be completely different..."

"Isn't this all your fault?" Charlotte preempted him, "Okay. Okay, you will let me know when the time comes. I have to see how my own industry is doing now..."

Although he pretends to be very calm on the surface. But her face was secretly red, obviously remembering some "past things".

"That would be best." Charles suppressed the laughter in his heart, then stretched out his hand and stroked the blond hair on Charlotte's shoulders, "Then now, it's getting late, let's go back together?"

"Go back together?" Charlotte was a little confused. "Where to go?"

"Go to my house." Charles replied matter-of-factly, "It's been so long since you've met my sister, and you're almost the one you'll be spending time with in the future. Isn't this good? Besides, we're going on a long trip together this time. , it doesn’t matter if you just say hello to her?”

Upon hearing Ciel's proposal, Charlotte's face suddenly darkened.

"It's not my mother-in-law, why are you talking about not seeing me? Besides, she may not want to see me? Don't you know that?"

"You have misunderstood this. She is much more sensible now, and she has never made trouble with me about you again. Besides, you can't always remember those old grudges? After all, it should be you, an adult. Give her a break?"

Humph, you are more sensible? How can you be sensible? Charlotte sneered inwardly.

However, it was nice to be able to see her miserable appearance with my own eyes.

When she thought of this, Charlotte suddenly felt a different kind of joy in her heart.

"Okay, if you say so. Shall we go? Take my carriage, it's faster."

Charlotte agreed so simply. On the contrary, it made Ciel a little uneasy.

"Hey, Charlotte, we agreed beforehand that you didn't want to..."

"Ah, um, I know, I know, no need to say any more..." Charlotte rolled her eyes at him and interrupted him directly. There was a hint of sarcasm in her smile, "Anyway, it's just those clichés like 'she is my only sister, you can't treat her badly'? I've heard it countless times, I know it, you don't have to worry about me ..." The corner of her mouth moved slightly, and she smiled maliciously, "Anyway, this is what you said. If anything happens, I won't care."

Ciel suddenly regretted his decision, but now he couldn't take it back, so he had to bite the bullet and stick to it, hoping that the two of them could really live in harmony as he thought.

"That's good, let's go." He stretched out his hand again.

Charlotte also stretched out her hand and took his hand, and the two of them walked back step by step towards Charlotte's carriage.

………………

When the two of them returned to the Marquis of Treville's house, it was already time for the lights to start lighting up.

As soon as the two of them walked to the door of the mansion, they happened to bump into Fran who was seeing Laura off.

Seeing the two of them coming hand in hand, Fran's pupils suddenly shrank, and then she quickly lowered her head, as if not letting her pain and hatred leak out.

Read the original text in Liu#9@书/吧!

But her efforts did not work in front of the other two girls. They all observed Fran's reaction, and what was even more frightening was that they all felt almost the same pleasure in their hearts.

Laura watched the interaction between the two sisters, and she laughed again. After several trials, she now had a rough understanding of the grievances and grievances of the younger generation of the famous De-Treville family, so she was even more optimistic. The mentality of play.

She nodded to Ciel as a greeting.

"Ms. de Beauvin, you actually came to visit today? Do you want to stay a little longer?" Charles asked politely.

"No, I came here today just to see Fran." Laura replied coldly, "I have something to do tonight, so I said goodbye. Goodbye."

After saying that, she left directly without even looking at Charlotte from beginning to end.

Huh, low-class people only deserve to stay with low-class people. Charlotte, who was offended by Laura's arrogance, scolded in her heart.

After Laura left, for a while, the three Trevilles fell into a strange silence.

At this time, Fran raised her head again and looked at her brother with a smile.

"Good evening, sir." Although she tried hard to hide it, there was still a tremor in her voice, "You are here just in time. Dinner is about to start. Shall we go to eat together?"

However, she slowly turned her gaze and looked at Charlotte, "And you, Miss de Treville, good evening."

"Good evening, Fran." Charlotte looked at Fran with a smile, as if she didn't notice her cousin's reluctance, "I am honored by your hospitality."

Fran frowned slightly, then turned around quickly, as if to lead the way for her brother and cousin, and never looked at anyone again.

"Charle, let's go in? Don't keep Fran waiting." Charlotte turned to look at Charles, smiling happily.

Although he didn't know that there was one more person in advance, it was not difficult for the cook to prepare dinner for one more person, so the dinner started quickly and smoothly.

However, Charles felt that the atmosphere was a bit stiff. The two sisters sitting across from each other were eating in silence. There was no conversation, and there was very little eye contact. This made him quite uneasy when he was sitting in the main seat.

However, this was much better than the worst-case scenario expected, and it was finally an acceptable start. He comforted himself in his heart.

"Fran, I have to go out with Charlotte in a few days to do something, so you should be careful at home alone for a while." After eating for a while, seeing that the time had come, Charles finally said his Decide. "If someone important comes to visit, please write down his name and purpose for me, and then send me a letter and I will take care of it."

After hearing what Charles said, Fran was suddenly stunned for a moment, and then suddenly turned her head to look at Charlotte, but Charlotte was still looking back at her with a smile. This kind of sight made her mood suddenly fall to the lowest point. .

Are they going to run together again?

She suddenly felt a twinge in her heart.

The unspeakable current situation made this pain grow even more, and in order to prevent Charlotte from being happy, she had to take great pains to cover it up. This cover-up amplified the pain tenfold. The circulating anger burned her heart and all her reason. However, she became calmer.

"Where are you going, sir?" She raised her head and looked at Charles, her face full of curiosity.

"Giverny," Charles answered immediately.

"Giverny?" Fran frowned and thought for a moment, "I heard the scenery there is very good. Sir, can I go too?"

"Huh?" Charles was a little surprised.

The smile on Charlotte's face suddenly disappeared, and she quickly winked at Charles, asking him to refuse.

"Sir, I've been staying at home recently and I'm so bored. I want to go to a place with a nice view. Maybe it can relieve my mood..." Fran's eyes were full of pleading, "You also let me Come and take a look?”

Even though she knew it didn't actually mean anything, she still felt endless pleasure in Charlotte's momentary displeasure.

Ciel hesitated.

But Fran kept looking at him with pleading eyes.

"Okay...if that's what you want." Finally, he replied. (To be continued...)