aristocratic engagement

Annie looked at her patiently, did not answer, and waited for her to finish her sentence.

And that young lady seems to be used to half-talking, asking others to guess her thoughts.Mademoiselle de Bourgh's gaze made her more timid, flushed, and brought tears to her eyes.

Annie frowned. She was so timid that she couldn't even finish her sentence?What should I do if I enter a social dance in the future?

What Anne didn't know was that her expression seemed a little unreasonable of Mrs. Catherine.

The countess was very aware of the theater-watching mentality hidden in the eyes of the people around her. Seeing that Anne had no intention of speaking up, she said, "Miss Stocker, what do you want to say?"

This majestic order and inquiry made Miss Stock tremble.

"I...I would like to ask Miss de Bauer to write a letter for me. I will also have a senior dance in May this year..." Her voice was getting weaker, but at least people could understand her Meaning.

Annie squinted her eyes and looked at the girl in front of her without speaking. When she shrank and wanted to sit in the corner, Annie slowly said: "I'm sorry, I'm not sure whether my letter of recommendation will work or not. After all, the Phoenix’s rules have been set, and it’s not something a little jazz lady like me can change.”

"You just said..." Miss Stocker was anxious and interrupted Anne.

Annie said unhurriedly: "Yes, I am willing to give it a try, but whether Mr. Richter is accommodating is not something I can decide."

"Mr. Richter?"

This strange name made the wives and ladies whisper.

"I only know that the director of the Phoenix Textile Factory is Mr. Brown, and who is Mr. Richter?" Miss Slivan asked suspiciously.

Anne looked at Miss Slivan differently. She actually knew the director of the Phoenix Textile Factory?It was common for ladies to be interested in new styles of cloth and clothing, but factories were not an interesting subject.

"Mr. Richter is the real investor and owner of the Phoenix Textile Mill, and the Browns are the managers." Anne explained.

The ladies and ladies nodded. To be honest, those young and ignorant ladies didn't understand the difference.Only a few wives who were not born high and whose natal family used to run a factory understood the key points.

Mrs. Edgerton couldn't help asking: "How did you get to know Mr. Richter? Miss de Bauer, as far as I know, you have been living in Rosings for these years... how did you meet like this?" What about a big factory owner?"

Inadvertently, Mrs. Edgerton has used the honorific title for Anne.

"You are right. I have always lived in Rosings Manor, far away from the city. But just as I got acquainted with your second son Alan, on a rainy night, Mr. Richter came to Rosings Manor. He met He got into some trouble—it just so happened that I was able to help him." That's all Anne said, and let them make up for themselves.

Mr. Richter is herself, and it was a rainy night when she came into this world.

After hearing this, the wives exchanged a wink as expected.After a while, Anne was surrounded by them.The ladies insinuated whether they could write a letter of recommendation for them; the bold ladies stepped forward and asked where she bought the material for her clothes-they expected that they could not afford the light cloud-like clothes. Luxurious fabrics, it is better to focus on other available things.

Phoenix's name was thus started.

While coping with temptations and flattery from all parties, Annie secretly calculated how much Phoenix's business would flourish after this tea party and how much money it would bring her.

When the teahouse was in full swing, the door was opened, and a maid walked in sideways, came to Mrs. Edgerton, bent down and told her: "Master Edgerton and Master Allen have just returned. They heard that you are They held a tea party and stood at the door, I wonder if you would like to meet them now?"

"Mr. Edgerton is back? Let them in quickly. I haven't seen your two excellent sons for a long time!" Countess Fitzwilliam said.

Mrs. Edgerton had no reason to refuse, so she nodded and asked the maid to inform her sons.

"You also have two sons, Countess Fitzwilliam. When will we have a chance to meet? I heard that they are all working with the Earl now? It's really amazing!" the fat lady boasted.

The countess just smiled slightly: "It's not great, but I just learned some basic ways of treating people from their father. Lance is still young, and he will go back to public school in a few days. His brother Lawrence should follow the count. Do things well after your death, after all, you will bear the responsibility of the family in the future..."

"Cousin Lawrence has always been excellent. Uncle praised him more than once for his calmness and carefulness in front of me. He will definitely not let you down, aunt." Annie turned her head and echoed.

The Countess of Fitzwilliam was delighted to hear that, even though she had known it for a long time.

"Lance is still in school? What's his future plan?" Mrs. Edgerton asked with concern.

Annie shifted her gaze to the door, and saw the door swaying slightly, as if the person behind it stopped moving just as it was about to push it open.

The Countess moistened her throat, and said casually: "In a family like ours, what other plans can we have? I just hope that he will find a good wife in the future. Although Lance cannot inherit the Earl's Mansion, he is also a member of the Earl's Mansion. Lawrence has a deep relationship with him and will not treat him badly."

As soon as the voice fell, the door was opened.

Anne noticed that Mrs. Edgerton's expression twitched unnaturally.

Two young gentlemen with half or seven similar faces came in.One fat and one thin, similar in height, but completely different in temperament.

The fatter one is graceful and graceful, and he looks like heir who grew up in a honey jar, but his eyes are slightly black and black, and Anne can even smell the mixed perfume on his body and the smell of smoke on his body. However, a trace of it still leaked out.The thinner one is Allen, his brows are slightly frowned, and he has a melancholy temperament.Unlike his brother, he has sharp eyes and hidden ambition.

After the two Mr. Edgertons met their mothers, they were warmly invited by the ladies to sit on the sofa and chat with the guests for a while.

"Where did you come back from?" Although Mrs. Edgerton asked two people, she only looked at Edward.

"From the port, Mom. There is a new ship in the shipyard that is about to be put into use, and I... We were invited to participate in the trial." Edward returned.

'A sea trial can make him smell like a mess of perfume? 'Anne didn't believe that.

The lovely Mrs. Jayton believed it. She was very happy to hear her eldest son describe the busy scene of the port and the majesty of the new ship to her, but she seemed not to notice her other son at all.

After hearing Edward's nonsense, Annie shifted her attention impatiently—these words were enough to deceive the wives living in the mansion, and they really couldn't fool her at all. Edward's words revealed that His unfamiliarity and assumptions about the shipyard.

Annie looked at Alan, who was silent on the other side, and saw that he was also looking at her from the corner of his eye, as if he had something to say.

"Alan, I am relieved to see that you are so healthy now." Annie nodded to him and greeted him.

"If you really care about me, at least write me a letter, Miss de Bauer." Allen smiled slightly, and continued without waiting for Anne to answer, "But everything is fine with me. I passed away half a month ago. I can walk freely underground. You see, I am quite a normal person now."

Annie took a closer look at his face and said, "Your face is still a little pale. If it's convenient, let the kitchen make some soup to drink, Alan, I heard that oriental people often boil herbs in the soup. Delicious and nourishing to the body.”

Their whispered conversation attracted the attention of the ladies beside Anne.

The ladies asked about the situation with concern, but Allen couldn't shirk it, so he recounted what happened before Christmas, which caused the girls to exclaim.Miss Stock turned pale with fright, as if she had experienced it herself.

"I am sincerely grateful that Ms. De Bauer did not choose to shut me out, otherwise I might not have the opportunity to sit here and talk to everyone." Allen looked into Annie's eyes and repeated. Many words of thanks.

Annie waved her hand: "If you do this again, I'm ashamed and can't accept it, Alan. That night, my cousin Darcy called the doctor to treat you for a night, and it was the kind mother and son who were there You were saved in the forest, and I did little."

"Without your consent, Rosings Manor would not agree to take me in."

"Accommodation is too serious a word, Mr. Edgerton."

After finishing this topic, Allen mentioned the new gadgets that had just arrived at the port, which caused the ladies who rarely went out to ask questions again and again.Even Anne couldn't help asking about the load and route of the ship... I don't know if Darcy will take the ship owned by the Duke of Bridgewater's mansion?

Over there, Mrs. Edgerton stopped her "examination" of the eldest son contentedly, and finally shifted her gaze to the second son.She heard the conversation between Annie and Allen, and suddenly her face changed slightly, her eyes flicked back and forth between Annie and Allen, as if she had a brilliant idea.

"I didn't expect you to be so interested in ships, Miss de Bourgh. Next time, if you want, I can invite you to take a look on board. On weekdays, when the ship does not leave the port, it will be moored on the shore waiting for maintenance and loading. Then it would be perfect." Allen's eyes lit up, and he suggested sincerely.

Mrs. Edgerton interrupted suddenly: "This is really a good idea, Ellen. Miss de Bourgh is your savior, you must take good care of her and take her to have fun in London... Mrs. Fitzwilliam, de Bourgh How long will Miss Power stay in London?"

The countess made no answer, and she gave Anne the chance of answering.

"How long you will stay depends on the charm of this city, Mrs. Edgerton." Anne did not give a clear answer.

But this kind of answer cheered up Mrs. Edgerton. She wanted to say something more, but Allen interrupted her first: "Mom, I suddenly remembered that I have something to go to the bank. Not first……"

"Edward, go!" Mrs. Edgerton ordered, pretending not to see the confusion, puzzlement and dissatisfaction on the eldest son's face, "How can you always leave the tasks assigned to you by your father to your younger brother? I I know you want to exercise Allen's abilities, but that's still your business after all."

Mrs. Edgerton's blatant cover-up made Anne's mouth twitch uncontrollably.

TBC.

The author has something to say: *Everyone should understand Mrs. Edgerton's little calculation~

*Uploaded before dawn... Praise myself (sleepy eyes

Tonight, we will continue to update steadily at nine o'clock~