[Sense and Sensibility] Fascinated by you

In the evening of the next day, Hathaway and her party gathered in the living room. Sir John went to the door to welcome the Dashwood mother and daughter, while Mrs. Middleton stayed in the living room to entertain the colonel and others. Of course, it was an entertainment. But she didn't participate in the chats of the guests. She sat there with a cold expression, making it difficult to know whether she was listening to everyone, and others dared not invite her to join the conversation.

Hathaway didn't pay attention to Mrs. Middleton. She is now a half-patient. The task of how to politely talk to the master will naturally not fall on her head. She just needs to sit quietly and occasionally respond to everyone. It's okay, no one will blame her.Her attention was focused on the upcoming Dashwood sisters, who completely aroused her curiosity, and she couldn't wait to see what the two of them looked like.She listened carefully to the movement outside with her ears upright, hoping to spot them in the first place.

Colonel Brandon not only has keen observation skills, but he is also paying attention to his fiancee all the time, which made him notice Hathaway's strange behavior. Not only did she decisively refuse him to stay in the room this morning The proposal to rest, and obviously dressed up before stepping out of the room, although it was just to make his complexion look better, it was enough to attract the colonel's attention.Now this young lady showed a strange look on her face again, her charming green eyes were showing a gem-like texture, like a crystal clear emerald, beautiful but cold.At the same time, he could faintly feel her nervousness, because her body was a little stiff against him.

He easily guessed the reason for her strange behavior, which is not difficult to guess, because she has not been quite right since Sir John talked about the new lodger, and look at her obvious distracted behavior now. , he has answered Andrew's question for her for the third time.

After a while, there was a sound of disorderly footsteps, and Sir John's sonorous and enthusiastic voice came into the living room, "Oh! I am so glad that you can come, and I sincerely welcome you! Look at these three young ladies. Beauty, I should find some pretty boys to welcome you! But my good friend Colonel Brandon brought his fiancée to visit the day before yesterday, but unfortunately she was unwell yesterday, and everyone was busy taking care of her, so no I’m so sorry that I had time to bring some young men here! Fortunately, among the friends Brandon brought, there is also a single male guest, he is handsome and rich, and has a funny talk, and he will never let you down.”

Hathaway felt hot on her face when she heard that she was unwell, and she felt particularly ashamed. In the past, she never felt that her physical illness was a defect, and she was benefiting from it. She would never feel ashamed because of it. and felt humbled, even with the Colonel, on the subject calmly, but the mere thought of making an impression of frailty in Sister Dashwood's eyes made her mortified.

Soon, Sir John entered the drawing room first, followed by several ladies, Mrs. Dashwood and her three daughters.

Mrs. Dashwood is about 40 years old. She has an elegant and dignified temperament and a kind expression. She can still vaguely see the beauty of her youth, but now she is unavoidably haggard. She wears a thick black gauze dress and is neatly combed Wearing only a black beaded flower in her hair, she still looks devastated by the loss of her husband.

Beside her stood three beautiful girls, except for the young Margaret, it was easy to distinguish the remaining two ladies, one of them was Miss Dashwood with a delicate complexion, fine eyebrows, and a graceful figure. , her demeanor is dignified and demure, her manners are generous and decent, she looks like a well-bred lady, her eyes reveal a look of wisdom and intelligence, there is no doubt that this is Eleanor.

The other, Miss Marianne, was still fairer, and though her figure was not so well proportioned as her sister's, she was taller and more conspicuous.Her face is very beautiful, her skin is dark, but translucent, and extremely smooth, her eyebrows are clear, her smile is sweet and charming, her eyes are dark, clever, airy, and eager, and anyone who looks at her will love him a little more.

Sir John stood beside his wife as soon as he entered, and said, "Darling, have you ever seen such a lovely girl?" as if he were very proud to have such a family of cousins.

Mrs. Middleton looked at Dashwood's mother and daughter for a long time before slowly saying, "Everyone is very welcome." But there was no enthusiasm in her expression and tone, and it was really doubtful that there was much in her words. Very sincere.

Then, Sir John introduced the colonel and his party to the Dashwood mother and daughter.

Hathaway had to admit that the Dashwood sisters were indeed attractive, and Marianne's stern, eager eyes were particularly impressive.She naturally held Colonel Brandon's arm and stood up to salute the Dashwood family, then quietly glanced at the colonel's expression from the corner of her eye, and then smiled with satisfaction.

Sir John again introduced Andrew to Eleanor and Marian sisters, "This gentleman is the young and handsome bachelor I just mentioned, Mr. Andrew Butler, a gallant lieutenant colonel, he is the best choice for young girls. Good choice."

The three of them were embarrassed when they said this, Eleanor could still maintain a polite smile, and Marianne turned her head a little unhappy.

At this time, the arrival of Mrs. Jennings saved the embarrassing atmosphere. Sir John immediately joked about his mother-in-law, "This is my mother-in-law, Mrs. Jennings. Why did you come? It must be a mirror." It's been too long!"

Mrs. Jennings didn't care about such words at all, "You bad guy, I haven't looked in the mirror for many years." Some vulgar, but also brought some joy to everyone.

Mrs. Jennings is a very happy and kind woman. Her husband left her a large inheritance before his death, so she had nothing to do after her two daughters got married successively. This kind of thing, as long as it is possible, is always full of enthusiasm and energy. As long as it is a young man she knows, she can't escape being teased. Sir John, who is equally warm and hospitable, has become her best helper. Sir John never worried about the lack of bachelor guests in her.

When dinner came, Sir John, who seemed to have been friends with his guests for many years, said to his mother-in-law, as he cut the lamb chops, "Mrs. Jennings, you must help these lovely Girls, let them find a good husband before the end of the year."

Mrs. Jennings took a sip of the red wine and swallowed the roast beef in her mouth, "I don't know if they have a lover before!" She glanced at the girls present, this lady may not be good at people Wink, but if it is said that he does have an extraordinary talent in tracking down the private affairs of his children.

Two of the three unmarried young ladies here are not good at concealing themselves, so the remaining one will inevitably be held back. Winnies lowered her head and blushed when she heard Mrs. Jennings mention her sweetheart, and Marianne glanced at Eleanor unconsciously.

"Oh! The faces of the girls are all red, look at Marianne's expression!" As she spoke, she looked at Eleanor with a smile.

Eleanor denied with embarrassment, "No, there is no such person."

"What line of business is he? Is he a handsome officer? Or a priest? Oh! I'll have to guess." Mrs. Jennings went on teasing Eleanor.

Sir John on the side helped and said: "She is better than my best hound. There is no secret here that can be hidden from her."

Hathaway watched the play cheerfully, as long as the fire didn't burn her or the colonel, she would feel a kind of fun in spite of her heart, and she didn't mean to help others at all.Seeing that Hathaway had returned to normal with a smile on her lips, the colonel did not interrupt the mother-in-law and son-in-law's drama.

"Give me a hint, does he wear a uniform?"

Margaret looked around at the two sisters and said loudly, "He has no job!"

Mrs. Jennings immediately smiled and asked, "So he's a gentleman?"

Marianne glared at Margaret angrily, "Margaret! You know that there is no such person."

Margaret pouted unhappily, and tightened her jaw, "Yes! His surname starts with F!"

Mrs. Jennings and Sir John immediately sang together and guessed his surname, "F? Let me think about it, Foster? Forrest? Foster?"

"Fortes? Fulton!" said Mrs. Jennings and Sir John, and they laughed so hard that they couldn't breathe.

At this time, everyone else at the table felt that the joke was a bit too much, and they were so embarrassed that no one answered.Mrs. Middleton frowned impatiently, but said nothing, as if she was too lazy to pay attention to the vulgar interests of her mother and husband.

On the contrary, Marianne could no longer tolerate the two making fun of her sister. She stood up abruptly, with unrepressed anger on her face, "Can I borrow your piano to play for a while?"

Everyone was taken aback by her and looked at her blankly. Even if Hathaway knew that Marianne was not hiding her feelings, she never thought that this girl would interrupt Mrs. Jennings in such a rude way. with Sir John.

The first one to come to his senses was Andrew. He smoothed things over for Marianne in a gentlemanly manner, "This is a really good idea. We just need some music to cultivate our sentiments." Colonel Brandon also nodded in agreement.

Sir John echoed blankly: "Yes, well, please feel free, you don't have to be so polite."

It wasn't until Marianne sat in front of the piano that everyone realized that she was really talented in music. She first played a few good piano pieces, which were praised by everyone, and then at everyone's request, she sang a few more pieces in the music score. The most beautiful songs, these scores were brought by Mrs. Middleton when she was married, and they were placed on the piano.Her singing voice is very beautiful, her voice is gentle and soft, and her performance is focused and devoted. Marianne's singing was warmly welcomed by everyone.

The few guests at Barton Manor were really decent people, and they would never talk loudly or distract others while others were playing. This made Marianne feel soothed, and felt that they were all people she could associate with. Ladies and gentlemen.Among them, Colonel Brandon was the most focused. He listened intently, not even paying attention to his fiancée at the side.

But Hathaway will not miss her fiancé. As soon as Marianne sits in front of the piano, she has already recalled some details of reason and emotion. She remembers that the Colonel started from Marianne playing the piano in the book Concerned about her, he was recalled by Marianne's emotional performance and finally fell in love with Marianne.Hathaway's eyes slowly turned from probing to angry. If she had the impulsiveness of Marianne, maybe she would immediately step forward to interrupt her performance or simply turn around and leave.

If there is anyone here who knows the feelings of Colonel Brandon best, then this person is neither Hathaway, who is his fiancée, nor Sir John, who has known the Colonel for the longest time, but has been in the same predicament as the Colonel. Andrew.He even went to the asylum with the colonel to visit Eliza, who was about to die of illness, so the person present who was most worried about the colonel being emotional was Andrew.A few months ago he was willing to find a girl like Elisa for the colonel, but a few months later he would never allow the colonel to focus on such a girl again.

He coughed, pushed the colonel who was still in a daze, "Brandon, Brandon!" Seeing that the colonel finally came back to his senses, he warned in a low voice: "Miss Marianne is indeed very similar to Elisa , but don’t forget that you are already engaged to Hathaway, you should have forgotten Eliza long ago! If you dare to use any other crooked brains, I will never let you go!"

Colonel Brandon smiled wryly. He wanted to make an excuse but didn't know where to start. He smiled apologetically at Andrew, and then turned his head to look at Hathaway who was sitting next to Winnes.

But at this time, Hathaway had already got up and walked to the piano. She smiled politely but a little bluntly at Marianne who finished the performance, and Marianne got up with a strange face and gave her the seat.

Hathaway smiled arrogantly at Colonel Brandon in front of the piano. Her slender and white fingers were placed on the keys. Hathaway played Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 17.

Also known as - the storm.

(Extra) A Day in the Life of Colonel Brandon

The genius has just dawned, and I have already woken up from my sleep. As for what I dreamed about in these short hours, to be honest, I can’t remember, but I am sure it must have something to do with that lady, otherwise How can I be in such a good mood?

I know that the servants may not have woken up so early, so I stopped being a gentleman and waited for someone to help me get up. You must know that I am not one of those noble young men who can't even wear clothes without people.

I moved my limbs and confirmed that my body is still as strong as it was ten years ago. Yes, I hope so. Since I met the lady, I have regarded this as a top priority. I hope I am still like a young man. Just as strong, if not better, so as not to make me feel less worthy of her.

I didn't stop the activity until my body was slightly hot. I don't want to spend all my physical energy today on sports. You must know that I have other things to be busy today.

I swiftly put on a set of clothes I found out yesterday, and stood in front of the full-length mirror and looked around. You know, I haven't done this in 15 years.I don’t know why I always feel that this black pinstripe vest seems to make me look too thin, or this gray woolen coat makes my face look gray?Anyway, it looks too old-fashioned.

I took off my overcoat and vest, frowned and stared at the man in the mirror, um... it's actually the shirt, right?It must be so old, look!The buttons are a little loose, well, yes, that's right, and I found out that Hathaway hates men wearing lace and lace, although she never explicitly said it, but I am sure of it.

I opened the closet and found another brand new white linen shirt (the same style as before), nodded in satisfaction, changed into a silver-white tight vest, checked whether the bow tie was correct, and found another shirt. A starched and crisp black coat, I stood in front of the mirror again, and I did feel that I looked younger.Oh, yes, and gloves.I double-checked, ok, everything is in order.

I looked at my watch, and it was just after 07:30, and the sound of servants starting to work could be heard downstairs.

Before stepping out of the room, I thought that there were not enough clothes in the closet. It seemed that I should order a batch. By the way, I also wanted to order a few pairs of handmade gloves with exquisite craftsmanship in France. I believe Hathaway will be very happy. like.

It took me half an hour to have breakfast, and I felt that there was no longer any place for me in this house. The servants were busy cleaning, and neither newspapers nor documents could arouse my slightest interest. If I stay here, I'm afraid I can only count the flowers on the wallpaper on the wall.

Maybe I should start now, maybe I'll get stuck in traffic on the way there?Well, it may be small, of course, but it would be nice to have a look at the beautiful gardens at the gates of Butler House.Thinking of this, I immediately stood up, ignoring the surprised eyes cast by the servants, and ordered people to harness the horses immediately and prepare to set off.

Unfortunately, I ran into Andrew who just came back from some lady at the door. If you talk about the person I don't want to see now, he must be in the top three.And this former third gentleman is now looking at me with the same eyes as the servants just now, I thought about it, and greeted him as usual, I only hope that he exhausted his energy last night and his mind is not clear.

I saw him circle around me suspiciously, and asked me where I was going vigilantly. I didn't want to answer him, so I hesitated for a while, and vaguely told him to go to a friend's house.

Until I walked to the carriage, I could still feel his suspicious eyes sweeping over me, and finally, just before I let the carriage drive, Andrew rushed up.He looked at me coldly, as if he had seen through my disguise.Well, I should know, this guy has always been keen in this regard, how could he not find out, if I thought that there would be a day when I would never let him live with me, I smiled wryly.

The carriage slowly drove towards the Mayfair district. In the early morning, the city of London was shrouded in thick white mist. Those dark Gothic buildings could only faintly reveal some thin and mysterious black spiers in the mist. It also seems to be isolated behind a white wall of thick fog. The weather is cold and humid. This kind of weather is not suitable for dating. I only hope that the fog will dissipate after ten o'clock, at least it will not be so cold.

It was just after nine o'clock when Andrew and I arrived at the gate of Butler's mansion, and it was still a little early. I was considering whether to have a chat with Andrew. Recently, our relationship was a little tense because of Hathaway. I took a look and closed my eyes to rest. He feels that he has no desire to talk at all now, and he probably needs a wide bed and a soft quilt more now.

There was another silence in the carriage, and I waited anxiously for the time to pass, knowing that I hadn't seen my lovely girl for two weeks, and I missed her snow-white face and charming green eyes, where there always seemed There is a secret that attracts me to explore.

I stepped into the Butler mansion with 10 minutes to go at ten o'clock, and I didn't want to be late or too early, so as not to make Hathaway feel too pressed for time.Andrew has fallen asleep in the carriage, of course I will not wake him up, and I even hope that he will just fall asleep in the carriage today.

Hathaway was already sitting on the sofa waiting for me when I walked into the living room, much to my chagrin, maybe I should have come in earlier.I greedily stared at this figure that made me think about it day and night, and felt that she was more beautiful than I remembered. Her golden curly hair did not fade in two weeks, and even shone brighter. Her fair face is still clear and bright, and her green eyes are as mysterious and charming as a calm lake. I am sure she has put on some makeup, because her lip color that is usually talked about has turned into an attractive pink. No, she looks amazing even without makeup.But maybe she's looking forward to today's date as much as I am, and that's why she's getting dressed so seriously, which pleases me.

She smiled happily when she saw me coming, her green eyes were shining like water, the corners of her lips curled into a beautiful curve, and her snow-white teeth were faintly visible.I don't think I must have told her, don't smile like this at a man, it will really make people misunderstand that it is a silent invitation, or the temptation of an angel?

For a short while I didn't feel like I was doing anything, maybe I was walking towards her?Or kissing the back of her hand?Until a light cough interrupted me, it was from another brother of Hathaway, Mr. Philip Butler, yes, I didn’t even notice his existence, I took off my hat and saluted him in embarrassment, unexpectedly I still have such a rude day.I know he has always had opinions on me, but I don't hate him, he is an upright gentleman, he protects Hathaway very well, this alone is worthy of my respect, not to mention that all his decisions are made by others. In terms of loving Hathaway's heart, this makes me have no reason to hate him.

Fortunately, he gently let go of my faux pas, turned around and left without saying anything, today must be my lucky day.

I followed Hathaway and walked towards the carriage, telling her what I missed while listening to her talk about the place I wanted to go. I would not tell her that I had already learned about the famous attractions in London, and even what delicious food nearby I have already inquired about it, and I believe she will be interested in tasting food.

I helped her into the carriage, knowing that she would be surprised by Andrew's existence, but I couldn't do anything about it. I couldn't stop a brother who loves his sister from being hostile to other men.

Hathaway looked out curiously. Although I don't know what's so good about it, if she likes it, I don't mind seeing some scenery that she can't see when she looks at other scenery. I noticed that she unconsciously I rubbed my red fingertips from the cold, I remember her hands were always cold, but luckily I was prepared for this, I took out the hot hand stove and put it in her hands, she didn't even notice, I laughed quietly, she sometimes behaves childishly, the childishness makes people laugh, I can't help but want to take care of her and pamper her.

I took her to Westminster Abbey and I thought she would love the decorations.It turns out that I guessed right, she was fascinated by the beautifully carved arches, the exquisitely decorated screens, and the colorful glass. She walked around happily in the church, studying those beautiful statues, and finally she left In front of the cross in the middle of the church, he clasped his hands together and gently closed his eyes, praying devoutly.

I stood beside her quietly, thankful that God did not take her life, although there is no one who is more suitable to stand beside God, I believe that the disease is just a trick God wants to take her back, but she Resisting this call tenaciously, she defeated the disease. Although she paid a price, it was all worth it. Being alive is the greatest victory.

I have no way of knowing what she was praying for, but I know that although I never prayed, I hope God hears my heart, and I am willing to give all my faith.I love this girl, and there has never been a moment when I realized, yes, I love her more than anyone else, myself included.I want her to be happy, even if this happiness has nothing to do with me, as long as she can be happy, even if I can stand quietly in a dark corner, this is all, all, and only wish of me.

Of course, if I can, I am qualified to protect her happiness, that would be even better, I believe I can do it, take her happiness as happiness, take her happiness as happiness, and let my life be the same as her life from now on. link together.

Because of Hathaway's obsession with the historic buildings in Westminster Abbey (and I didn't remind her), it was already late when we came out, and I only had time to take her to a famous French restaurant nearby For lunch, she raved about it.It's a pity that it's too late to take her to the teahouse that is famous for its afternoon tea, but I can take her there again next time, I believe there will be this opportunity.

I sent Hathaway back to Butler's mansion before dinner, and of course I would have preferred to have dinner with her before sending her back, but reason told me that it would be better to do what Philip asked for on the first date, I declined Hathaway's invitation to me, and decided not to provoke Mr. Philip today, and there is another gentleman waiting for me to comfort me in the carriage.

I watched Hathaway walk briskly through the garden, looked back at me at the corner, smiled sweetly and waved my hands, and I didn't get into the carriage until I couldn't see her at all.Andrew leaned weakly in the carriage, whining and complaining that he hadn't woken him up all day, which made him sleep in the car all day, he was about to starve to death...

No matter what he says now, it won't affect my good mood, because I know that tomorrow, I will still appear here, waiting for my lovely girl to come out, and then take her around London, the day after tomorrow, the day after tomorrow... After that It will be like this for countless days.I just broke up with her and I have already started to miss her. I am thinking about where to take her tomorrow and what to eat...

The carriage started slowly and drove towards St. James Street. With a happy smile on my face, I think I will fall asleep with anticipation tonight.