[Titanic] I can't help myself

I frantically searched for all the books and materials on speech eloquence in my mind, and finally remembered which marketing guru said it. If you want to arouse the topic, it is best to start with the other party's special hobbies or career, and let the other party start. tell a story.

I decided to listen to the opinions of my predecessors.And then we just sat on this couch, facing the window where the cool breeze was blowing in, and we chatted.

I asked him about the grand occasion of the maiden voyage of the Olympic, which was officially put into use on June [-] this year. This ship is currently the largest, most luxurious, and also the fastest ship officially put into use in the world. The steel used in the construction of this ship was provided by Hockley Enterprises.Another Olympic-class cruise ship in the same series, the Titanic, was also launched in May this year.

Mr. Hockley, no, it's Karl now. Karl is a very talkative person, it is inevitable. As a businessman, it is impossible not to be eloquent.With a faintly proud tone, he described to me how the Olympic caused a sensation, and how the experts of the steel company of Hockley Enterprises worked overtime to develop the strongest steel currently available, which made the ship Indestructible, not even Poseidon's trident can cause any damage to it.

Hearing this, I frowned in my heart. The increase in the strength of steel is generally accompanied by the weakening of toughness. According to the current technology in this world, I am afraid that there is no way to achieve the best of both worlds. In the event of an accident, the ship will be destroyed. A brittle failure occurs which is silent and complete.But it's none of my business, besides nodding and smiling and exclaiming, I'd better keep my mouth shut.

At first I just listened to him cautiously, smiling politely and nodding in response, but as the content of his speech expanded, I was immersed in his story and couldn't extricate myself.

He is not like those young aristocrats I have come into contact with, who spend all day riding in the country manor and reading books, or doing some boring official business in London, resisting the Liberal Party and the House of Commons, he is a man who has a real career and achievements .He was courteous and eloquent, and every word of his could reveal his good breeding.He has been to many places, has a wide range of knowledge, and has a high ability to accept new things.He described to me the scenery of the places he had been to, those exotic customs, and anecdotes.He also told me how, when he was 15 years old, he rejected his father's help and started his own business, with ups and downs in the process, some short-term successes and some tragic failures.

I can't help but admire him in my heart.I'm not really 15, and I still don't have the guts to take risks, even in his shoes.

The conversation with Carl made me gradually relax. In just one hour, he completely dispelled the sense of distance between me and him. I have completely let go of all restraints, and I can get along with him freely as if I have been with him for more than ten years. Talk like an old friend.It wasn't until Carl proposed to go back to the lobby that I realized how relaxed I had never been.And if my mother sees it, she will pass out immediately, and then immediately hire a tutor to re-instruct me on my etiquette and behavior.

I suddenly felt that my face was burning hot, and I jumped up quickly to arrange my clothes.Carl sorted it out quickly, he just took off his coat and I had to re-do my tie.Although I know how to wear a tie, with George around, there are very few opportunities to actually do it. Standing beside me is Carl, who is already well-dressed, waiting for me.

"I bet you haven't put on your own clothes since you were born." Carl walked in front of me, pulled his hands out of his pockets, bowed his head deeply, and brought his face closer, trying to get fucked by me Messy tie unrolled.

When his hand was on my tie, the hairs on my back stood up at the intrusion of another person, and I felt a strong sense of suffocation.

He is too close to me, his hips are close to my waist, as long as I move a little, I can touch his chest, and I just turn my head slightly, and my lips can rub against his side face.I could see the faint stubble on his face from the night, and I could smell the faint scent of cologne and cigars.His fingers touched my neck from time to time, and the warm and somewhat rough feeling made me feel shivering down my spine one after another.My heart was beating wildly, clearly audible in this silent room.

To me, this tie seems to have been worn for a century.When Carl straightened up, patted me on the shoulder and said "OK", I felt as stiff as a rock.

I walked side by side with him, a candlestick with a single candle in hand, through the dimly lit hallway.The couples in the corridor who were "whispering" had disappeared, and there was no one around. The candle in his hand was as bright as a bean, as dim as a firefly, and it was almost useless for lighting.The footsteps of Carl and I were infinitely amplified, and all the ghost stories that Andy the valet told me came out in an instant.

Looking forward from the long corridor, it seems that some kind of horrible ghost will rush out at the end of the next second. When I look around, I feel that someone is peeping at me from behind the pillar, and there seems to be something behind. It seems that when I turn around again, I can see a woman's head hanging upside down, with long hair hanging down... Shit!When I go back, I must deduct Andy's salary for ten years and let him tell me ghost stories!

While telling myself in my heart that these were just scaring myself, I couldn't help but quietly leaned towards him.Soon he felt it.

"Are you afraid of the dark?" Carl stopped and looked down at me.He is tall and I do not reach his chin.

"Ah? Uh, no, no." I took a small step back nervously, with a decent smile on my face, "Sorry to squeeze you, I was distracted just now."

"It's not something to be ashamed of." Carl smiled and stretched out his hand to wrap my shoulders, "Come on, I'll protect you, Lord Earl."

I couldn't help but burst out laughing, and my sense of fear was much less.He laughed too, a muffled laugh that echoed down the corridor.

"When I was young, the horse-manservant at home would often tell me ghost stories behind my parents' backs. Although I knew it was fake, I didn't dare to walk alone at home at night for a long time, especially the long ghost stories. A corridor for people, no matter what you do, people must follow you.”

The hall is less than five steps ahead, Carl said, suddenly stopped, looked at me with a smile, and a few crow's feet formed at the corners of his eyes.

"So, we're sharing another little secret?"

I was dazzled by his smile, and my heart was like being shot by an arrow, a small hole was poked out, and the warm current that I hadn't tasted for a long time flowed out.To be honest, he is really a handsome man. If the current occasion was a gay nightclub in my previous life, I think I would rush to strike up a conversation with him even if I knew I would be rejected.

It was already 02:30 in the morning, and the band was still playing one song after another, but there were not many people on the dance floor.However, when the ladies saw the appearance of Karl, who had disappeared for a long time, they regained their vitality almost immediately, and the bold ones came to invite them to dance.

Carl took the lady by the hand and slid down to the dance floor.I stood aside and watched him put his arms around her waist and dance flexibly to the music. I was inexplicably melancholy for a while, and began to look for my mother.

The mother was undoubtedly sitting with Aunt Edith, and Rose sat next to her with a tired look, twisting her fingers around the long necklace around her neck in boredom.

"Where have you been hiding, my dear?" asked Aunt Edith, laughing.

"Just going out to get some air." Looking around, I finally had to sit next to William, "It's too hot here."

"Are you with Mr. Hockley?" William grabbed my hand, let go of it quickly, and then added as if to explain what he just did, "My dear cousin, your hands are too cold , watch out for a cold to catch you."

I shrank my hands uncomfortably, then clasped my hands together and placed them on the side away from William.

No one paid attention to William's actions, but was attracted by his first words.

"Mr. Hockley?" asked Aunt Edith. "You went out with Mr. Hockley? Oh~" Auntie made an exaggerated expression and covered her mouth with a small fan. "He's a sought-after man, Henry." You're so quick, baby, the girls must hate you to death."

"Aunt Edith!" I said helplessly, "Stop making such jokes. Actually..." Thinking of Carl's request, I hurriedly turned my brain to fabricate a chance encounter scene, "Actually, uh, I'm going to the corridor to breathe , and saw Mr Hockley smoking a cigarette by the window, and we chatted for a while."

"Have you been chatting for an hour? What are you talking about with such interest?" William stared into my eyes, his tone was gentle, but I could hear a hint of aggression.

I avoided his gaze uncomfortably: "I talked a lot, and I have everything."

"It seems that the dance is not very attractive to Mr. Hockley. He would rather blow the cold air in the corridor." Aunt Edith pursed her mouth, opened and closed the small fan in her hand, and flicked a trick. Although she Already over 50, but doing such a girly action does not seem to be against harmony at all, on the contrary, it has a special flavor.

"It's not Mr. Hockley's fault, Aunt Edith." I was a little nervous. Could it be that I was self-defeating? "It's me who has been pulling him to talk. It's not easy for Mr. Hockley to refuse me."

"So the prom is no longer attractive to our little Henry?" Aunt Edith showed a playful expression, and I realized that I was being teased by my aunt again, "It seems that Henry is still too young to grow up. When you can appreciate the beauty of the dance." Auntie stretched out her hand and pinched my cheek gently.

Everyone laughed.Then someone invited Rose to dance again.So my mother pulled me to sit beside her and kissed me on the cheek.

An hour later, the dance was finally over.Everyone came out in a single file, and walked towards their own room under the leadership of the male servant and the maidservant.

"Henry," Carl's voice rang in my ears. I turned around and saw that he was standing behind me. Seeing me turn around, he took a natural step to my side and put his arms around my shoulders, " Since we are all on the way, let's go together, after all, even if candles are lit in the corridor, it is still very dark."

"I'm really not afraid of the dark... well, thank you, Carl." Maybe they're Americans are so enthusiastic, I thought to myself, but it's a love-hate habit.

We had just entered the corridor when I heard William call my name.Willem made his way through the crowd, his eyes flicking to Carl's hand on my shoulder, and his expression immediately darkened.

"I'll see you off, Cousin Henry." William managed to squeeze out a mild smile. This expression made me feel a little uncomfortable, like a tolerant husband who found out his wife was cheating.

"With me escorting Henry back to the room, the Duke can rest assured." Carl continued his words and replied, "Besides, this is your castle. Don't you worry about the security of your own home?"

The smile on William's face almost couldn't hold back.We stopped in the hallway to talk, and someone was already looking our way.I hurriedly said, "Cousin William, there's no need to be so troublesome. I'm not a kid who doesn't know the way. By the way, I saw Laura looking for you just now. Is there something wrong with Jane?"

Laura was the personal maid of William's wife Jane.

William stared at me blankly for a few seconds, his face became paler and paler, and finally he smiled again: "Then thank you, Mr. Hockley, I'll excuse you first." After speaking, he nodded to Carl, turned around leave.

There was another unease in my heart.Ever since I returned to the hall, William’s behavior began to be a little abnormal. Those words and actions that seemed to regard me as his property made me extremely disliked, but he was my cousin after all, and it was not my intention to hurt him. Wish, I am not very comfortable seeing his expression like this.

"Let's go, Henry, aren't you tired?" Carl took a deep breath, patted my shoulder and said, "I can't wait to run to the soft bed."

"Uh, huh? Oh, okay, let's go." I put all the messy thoughts behind me and replied with a smile.

Back in the guest room, Carl escorted me to the door, pointed to the diagonally opposite room, and said, "That's my room. If possible, I hope to have the opportunity to come to your room and chat with you."

"Of course, Carl, I'd love to."

"Then, take a good rest." He hid a yawn, then raised his eyebrows, and unfolded a bright smile that showed all his teeth. This smile is mature and has a bit of wicked naughtiness, which makes all my blood rush to my head .

I was shocked by this smile, and my heart pounded hard against my chest: "...I wish you a sweet dream..."

After watching Karl also open the door, I nodded to him and entered the room.

So many things happened this night, I thought I would lose sleep, but after I changed into my nightgown and got under the covers, I quickly fell into a deep sleep.