aristocratic engagement

Darcy handed the letter to Anne: "Now you are the owner of the Earl's former residence, how to deal with this matter, I don't think anyone has more say than you."

Anne took the letter and just read two lines when she suddenly remembered something and looked up at Lady Catherine.

Lady Catherine did not show any surprise at all. She faced out the window, not knowing what she was thinking.

'Did mother know long ago that the Earl would leave me the residence in London? ... It's not surprising that no one knows more about her father's assets than her. '

Annie guessed that maybe there was a promise she didn't know about in the previous generation.

"I leave it to me to write to Mrs. Blake, and it is my duty to write to Georgiana as her brother and guardian, which shows my respect for this wonderful lady. Georgiana is not an easy girl to manage." Mrs. Black must have been worried about her all these years." Darcy pushed the tableware and stool away and stood up.

He bowed to Madam Catherine and said, "Excuse me for the time being. I'm going back to my study to write a letter. Later, I will go to Rowland Village with Annie to post a letter. Annie, you—"

"I'm going back to my room to change." Annie also stood up, "There are still some letters to check, cousin, you don't need to worry, but I might ask you to wait."

After Darcy responded, he strode out of the restaurant.

Lady Catherine withdrew her gaze from the window and winked at Anne.

"Have you changed your mind about Darcy now?"

"Yes, I admit that I underestimated him before, Mom." Anne folded the letter paper and stuffed it back into the envelope, "He is better and more interesting than I thought. I think we can be good friends and... …Partner."

"that is it?"

"that is it."

After returning to the room, Annie quickly changed into her outwear with Du Li's help.Du Li told her that Darcy was still in the study, so Anne sat back on the sofa by the window and read the previous letter.

Du Li also stood beside her, picked up a knife and opened the wax for her.Annie suddenly thought of something, stood up and went to the bathroom, and drew down the curtains and windows—the handkerchief was still hanging on the bushes.

"Go and get that handkerchief." Annie ordered.

Du Li looked at the handkerchief, nodded in surprise, and left.

Anne sat back on the sofa. The letter she was reading now came from a small factory near London.Rather than saying that it is a factory, it is better to say that it is a studio or research room.

After accepting Mr. Bergram's steam engine improvement workshop, Richter New Invention Company invested a sum of money to improve the working environment for him in order to improve efficiency.In order to facilitate his experiments on the old ship, Anne bought a bankrupt steel factory on the Thames River outside London.Due to poor management, it suffered losses year after year. When the only daughter of the original owner was about to enter the social world, he sold the factory at a low price, making Anne cheaper.

Bergram complained in the letter that the person in charge of the mine that has been purchasing coal steadily over the years suddenly informed that the next output of their mine was covered by a factory with royal blood. For the sake of continuous cooperation for many years, some can be allocated to Bergram Studio, but the price has to be discussed separately.

'Is this the only one that can buy coal? ' Annie frowned resentfully.

Then Mr Bergram writes:

"Recently, the price of coal on the market has skyrocketed. We consulted everywhere. In the end, Mr. Hall, who is in charge of procurement, had to apply to you, and the expenditure was [-]% more than the previous quarter's budget."

"Otherwise, at most the price used to be able to buy coal with a slightly lower quality...Mr. Richter, as the head of the studio, I have to explain a few more words to you. The main problem in the research and development of steam engines today is still energy. If the loss is too large, if the quality of coal declines, it will hinder our further research."

Annie dropped the letter, unconsciously drawing circles on the table with her fingers, pursing her lips in thought.

The price of coal has risen as a whole. According to Mr. Bergram, the royal family has interfered and contracted almost all the output of the coal plant with great fanfare—but those nobles are always concerned about this dark and dirty thing. Not interested, what made them abandon their prejudices and rush into this market?

Anne glanced casually around the room, and suddenly, her attention was attracted by the book "On the Functioning of the State" that was lent to Darcy on the bedside table...German, England, coal, steam engine...

……France?

Annie caught her breath.

"No way, I actually forgot this..." Annie murmured.Suddenly she stood up and walked quickly to the front of the closet.The heavy cabinet door was opened, and Anne peeled away the layers of skirts, and turned out a locked box from the bottom.

Her hands were trembling, Anne's heart was beating extremely fast, she took off the key from her neck, and opened the box in a panic - because she was so excited and restless, she almost scratched her hand.

Inside the box was a notebook she had used for many years, last owned by Sir Louis.

When Annie made a decision for the first time and suddenly realized that the memories of her previous life were gradually fading in her mind, she immediately and decisively recorded all the things she still remembered that would happen in these years.She understands that her only advantage is her ability to predict and control the future. Once she really forgets, she is really just an ordinary country girl in the 89s.

Annie quickly flipped through the timeline.At first she wrote carefully, but her memory was indeed fading, the more she couldn't remember clearly, and the content she wrote down became less and less.Annie's heart almost jumped out of her throat when she saw that the remaining paper in her hand was getting thinner and thinner!

Annie's fingers trembled as she carefully slid word by word across the page.

--found it!Anti-French Alliance!Napoleonic Wars!

Annie looked at those years and numbers, and her legs felt weak for a while.She let out a long breath and slid to the ground.

'No, the world has been changed by me. '

Annie thought for a long time, and closed the book that recorded the memories of her previous life.

Anne took out the stationery and quickly wrote a reply to Mr. Burgram. Her handwriting had never been so scribbled.

In the letter, she told Mr Bergram that Mr Richter had approved his application.Mr. Bergram can rely on this letter written by her as a certificate, hand it over to the manager of the bank, Mr. Smith, and transfer money from Mr. Richter's account.

At the end of the letter, Annie couldn't help "urging" Mr. Bergram's research progress. In the past, she never interfered with the studio's business, but now...

In the fourth anti-French alliance last year, the entire Prussian army was wiped out, and Napoleon occupied most of Prussia.In three years, the fifth war will break out, which is doomed to failure. No matter what the morals are, Anne is not a native "British", but even for those she cares about, of course she has to worry about this land.

Rommel disappeared after the count left, as in the past few years, he always left without saying goodbye.Annie never asked about his affairs, but thinking about it now, maybe he was also running around for his own country?

Conquering the doubts in her heart, Annie hurriedly signed a name and sealed the envelope.

"Dong dong dong" the door was knocked.

It should be Du Li who took the handkerchief and came back, Annie thought.

"Come in." She said without raising her head.

The door was pushed open, and the sound of footsteps gradually approached from the door. Annie was pressing down on the sealing seal with all her strength, but suddenly found that there was something wrong with the sound of footsteps.

"You also have a letter to send?" The male voice startled Annie, her hand shook, and the candle used to heat the wax suddenly fell down.Anne hurriedly wanted to reach out to help it up—the table was full of her important letters!

Darcy knocked her hand off with a snap, and he quickly took off his clothes, slapping it on the table quickly.Annie hurried to the bathroom and picked up the sink.

The dots of flames were soon extinguished before they became arrogance.

"How dare you? How dare you just grab the candle with your hands? Don't you want your hands?!" Darcy's roar made Annie, who had just returned to the room with the water basin, stand still suddenly, and was frightened.

——She was not frightened by the roar that was not even a reprimand, but by Darcy's expression.

He glared angrily, his blue eyes seemed to be filled with dark clouds, and now they became dark and turbulent.Those eyes locked on to hers, anger and worry leaking from the lines on his cheeks when his lips were pressed together.

Darcy angrily threw the coat in his hand on the ground, only to see that there was already a burnt brown black hole on it.

He strode towards Annie and raised his hand—Annie closed her eyes subconsciously—but the hands didn't land on the place Annie was afraid of, they rested on her shoulders, and the strength made her feel sore Almost groan/groan out loud.

Annie clenched her teeth to endure the pain, but the strength soon relaxed.

"...I'm sorry, I realized how stupid I was just as soon as I stretched out my hand." Annie closed her eyes and said, the inexplicable grievance made her feel a little sour, "But those letters are too important... I never did this before, but……"

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't be angry with you." Darcy's voice came in from beside his ear, "I frightened you just now and made you touch the candle. I should be responsible for it."

"No, it's not like that."

Perhaps it was because "seeing through the secrets" made her in a trance, Annie's mind was always in a state of bloodshot and wandering thoughts when she wrote the letter.Even if she didn't realize just now that it wasn't Du Li who she subconsciously thought entered the room, but Darcy, she shouldn't be so nervous——

Anne subconsciously refused to think about why she was nervous.

Anne opened her eyes, and Darcy's beautiful, dark eyes were close at hand.Annie's heartbeat suddenly accelerated, she blinked her eyes in a panic, then quickly turned her face away, and looked towards the small table.

"Ah! My letter!" Anne hurriedly walked there. Darcy let go of the hand that was holding her shoulder tightly, and let out a deep breath out of Anne's sight.

A letter that hadn't been torn was burned through. Annie quickly opened it to check, only to see a small black hole in the middle of the letter.Annie frowned and carefully identified the content around the focal hole, checking whether it would affect reading, when suddenly——

"Excellent!" screamed Anne. "Excellent! Darcy! The letter didn't burn in vain, my God! It's a good thing I saw it before I went out. Guess what . . . "

Anne's voice grew quieter, because Darcy's face grew darker.

Anne had to write another letter to send to London temporarily, so Darcy sat across from her with his arms folded.

Being stared at and writing by this person is really stressful.Annie complained silently in her heart, but the movements of her subordinates were not slow at all.

The burnt letter was from the caretaker of a small estate.The land left by Sir Louis is not only the Rosings Manor, but also several small manors scattered all over the place—of course, it is not as large as the Rosings Manor, but it is enough for his wife and daughter to spend their free time if they want to No need to rent someone else's house to go on vacation elsewhere—that's not the point, the point is that the manager wrote to tell her that the land had been accidentally discovered a month ago, and there was at least ten yards of land below the surface. Seam!

Seam!

Ten yards thick! !

Get rich again! ! !

These words rumbled through Annie's heart like a barrage, and countless gold coins fell from the sky, pressing the villain in her heart to the bottom of the golden mountain.

Annie took several deep breaths to calm herself down, which was difficult because she could already feel her cheeks burning with excitement.Finally, she wrote the letter.

Instead of telling Mr Bergram, she informed Mr Smith—he might be able to help her find experts who could examine the soil and coal seams.If it was in the past, Anne would definitely write to Allen and cooperate with the shipyard under his control, but now...

Annie's heart sank when she thought of Allen.

"What's wrong?" The person on the other side sensitively sensed that her emotions were wrong.

"No, nothing." Annie shook her head.

"If you still want to make me angry, then don't say anything." Darcy squinted coolly.

Annie shivered: "Okay, let me say... I just thought of Alan and Egerton."

Darcy raised his eyebrows and lifted his chin.After squinting his eyes and thinking for a moment, he nodded to Annie: "And then?"

The author has something to say: *Anne: Hey!Go disco crazy on Darcy's Thunder Point!

* How about changing it to update every day at 2333 noon?It feels like the update in the early morning and everyone is asleep [-]