aristocratic engagement

A wedding at the Duke of Bridgewater House has turned into a funeral.

When Anne woke up from her chaotic sleep, she heard Madame Catherine and Rommel talking about the news in a daze.

"Alan Egerton is really a ruthless person. It's okay to kill each other with his brothers, but he even...how is it that Annie is so unlucky that he will provoke him?" Madam Catherine sobbed.

"Anne is lucky, Egerton can't do anything to her." This is Rommel's voice.

"She has become like this, how lucky?! She was almost, she will be..."

"You said it too, and it was a bit close." Rommel's voice was extremely calm, but with some warm comfort, "After going through this time, the hidden danger of Alan Egerton can be completely eradicated."

"But he's not dead!" Lady Catherine resented.

"He's dead paranoid about Anne, and that's enough."

"If he...resurrects from the ashes in the future, will Annie have to go through that pain again?"

"..." Rommel was silent for a moment.

"If you want me to say, you have to tell the world what he did! But he still has the face and can calmly deal with the Duke's funeral?! This is terrible!"

Rommel's voice could not tell whether he agreed or disagreed. He said lightly: "He will be the next Duke soon."

Allen's power should not be underestimated. At this time, Rosings Manor and Pemberley are no longer his opponents.

"Then tell the king! There will always be a way!"

"Do you really think so?"

Lady Catherine was tongue-tied and closed her mouth embarrassingly.

Anne gasped when she heard this, and said with difficulty: "Darcy, where is Darcy?"

Her voice immediately attracted the attention of Lady Catherine and Rommel, and they immediately gathered around the bed.Lady Catherine lowered her voice: "Darcy went to the Duke of Bridgewater's funeral, remember that wedding invitation? It was today. But Bridgewater's wedding turned into a funeral."

"He, will he be okay?" Annie frowned, and with the support of Madam Catherine, she leaned against the thick and high pillow.

"It's okay, a duel is a matter of life and death, and no one has reason to blame him." Rommel said pointedly, "A gentleman's duel is originally allowed by the law. Darcy, as the winner, attended the opponent's funeral, which is even more graceful. .”

So, the reason for the Duke's death is that Darcy won the Duke in a gentleman's duel?

So, are the crimes committed by those people wiped out like this?

According to Allen, the old Duke—Alan's grandfather was the core figure who assembled and suppressed the old Earl Fitzwilliam, and he and the just-deceased Duke were the ones who tripped up the culprit for her.

But is this the case?

Annie didn't believe it. After going through this scene, she figured it out a little bit: they have their own ghosts and thoughts.

Their seemingly righteous behavior conceals their true purpose - the desire for power and status.

And Allen, fortunately, was the last one standing.

Annie didn't dare to say what his position was at the beginning, but Annie was sure that Alan would not stop from now on.

On the contrary, he has learned more from this experience, and will do it more seamlessly and flawlessly in the future.

It's just that those things will have nothing to do with Anne.

but……

Anne's eyes became sharp. She was sure that the two dukes were the core figures in planning the death of the earl.However, this siege against "Mr. Richter" will not end, and the person behind it just changed a leader that Anne doesn't know.

Whoever the leader is, he's not the only one Annie has to deal with.

And as long as this group of people exists, Darcy—anyone who stands in her way will take undue risks.

Annie made up her mind to do what she had considered for a long time but dared not do.She was no longer willing to let others stand in front of her, and this time Darcy's duel with the Duke gave her a heavy blow.

If Allen and Rommel hadn't broken the deadlock, if Darcy had missed, Anne would regret it for the rest of her life.

Things like this can't happen again.

"I'm going to the funeral." Annie raised her eyes and looked at Rommel with a clear face, "I've decided."

Madam Catherine was a little dazed, she opened her mouth, and wanted to persuade Anne to lie down on the bed and rest, but she heard Rommel's voice with a gentle smile, saying, "I will stand behind you."

In the oak forest, when Anne found herself dressed in a bride's clothes, a guess flashed in her mind-the next day seemed to be the date on the wedding invitation that Ellen gave her at that time.

It seems that the Duke has already made a plan. Once he wins and Darcy dies in the oak forest, he will kidnap her and go to the wedding scene.

At that time, Anne's lover is dead, and she will be ashamed.

However, the wedding turned into a funeral.

With Du Li's help, Annie changed into a black Yunluo dress and a black hat. Her sleeves were very long, covering the scars on her wrists, and got on the carriage.

After struggling for a long time, Mrs. Catherine changed into the same dress and accompanied Anne with Rommel.

When the group arrived at the church, the invited guests just filed out of the church.

There was a crowd of people, gentlemen, ladies and ladies were all dressed in black, but it was obvious that their sad expressions could not hide their surprise and doubt.

How does a good wedding become a funeral?

This is too bizarre, the Duke is so old, he would still take the duel impulsively?And his duel opponent——is standing far away on the edge of the crowd at this moment, watching with cold eyes.

What are they fighting for?

Such whispers continued from the beginning of the funeral to the end.

The Duchess and her little daughter supported each other, their pale cheeks were very numb, and the black veil covered most of their faces, making it difficult to see their expressions clearly.

But in front of the priest, they just stood there blankly, not even a cry was heard.

Until the Duke's youngest son appeared.

Alan Edgerton became the focus of the audience. As we all know, his elder brother Edward Edgerton was supposed to be the sole heir, but he was lying on the hospital bed at this time, and he still hasn't woken up.

Alan Edgerton officiated at his father's funeral - it was clear to anyone with a discerning eye that he was going to be the next Duke, it didn't go away.

Allen was vague about why the duke agreed to the duel, but no one would doubt the authenticity of the duel, because the most trusted people around the duke knew about it in advance.

The respect and politeness shown by the Duchess and Miss Edgerton after seeing Alan made all the guests present understand that they had recognized Alan's status.The ladies and ladies all flirted with each other, completely forgetting that this was the Duke's funeral.

Who will be the next Duchess?

Alan Egerton, who used to be too lazy to give alms to them, suddenly became the most popular gentleman in London—a young gentleman who was only 25 years old. Not surprisingly, he would become the youngest duke!

"Also, I've heard he's got a knack for running a business."

"This is really good. You know, the young people nowadays are not as good as they were in the past! Everyone only wants to have fun, and they hang around clubs without going home."

"And Mr. Edgerton never seems to have paid any London lady his favor."

"... clean yourself up..."

The ladies and ladies scrambled to exchange messages, trying to show that they knew the young gentleman better than anyone else.And the ladies and ladies who didn't know Alan Egerton at all, and even heard the name for the first time, listened annoyedly, and from time to time digested the information revealed by the "insider" in a few words. More guesswork was fabricated.

In just one funeral, Alan Edgerton has become a handsome gentleman who is young, promising, clean, and has a bright future.

Darcy frowned the whole time, but none of those exaggerated adjectives fell into his ears.

Darcy snorted coldly in his heart. If they knew Alan's true face, would they still be so enthusiastic, or would they run away immediately in fear?

Probably half and half.

And those gentlemen——Darcy knew that they were all former partners of the Duke just after listening to them talk a few words.

Darcy's face became more and more indifferent. It was hard for him to say how many of the gentlemen here were related to the death of Earl Fitzwilliam.Maybe one of the people behind the scenes, maybe just watching from the sidelines.

When the door of the church opened, Darcy couldn't stand it anymore, and strode towards the door without saying hello to Allen.

The carriages of the guests were parked far away, at this moment, a familiar carriage slowly approached.

"Who comes here after the funeral is over?"

"It's too disrespectful to the duke."

Darcy, ignoring the whispers, jumped hastily down the steps and walked towards the carriage.

Surrounded by the guests, Alan Edgerton walked out of the church with sadness and deepness. After seeing the carriage and Darcy's movements, he froze slightly.

The carriage stopped slowly at the door of the church, Darcy took a step forward, and opened the door before the driver jumped off.

He stretched out his hand in a graceful manner—but anyone who paid attention to his movements could find his urgency and excitement.

A pair of pale hands stretched out from the carriage and gently placed them on his palm.

Darcy held her hand firmly and led her to jump out of the carriage.

The same pale face was exposed to everyone's sight. Against the black dress, her skin was extraordinarily fragile and cold.

But her lips were redder than roses alone.

When she raised her eyes, her dark eyes flicked over everyone, and the sound of inhalation sounded one after another.

This girl is not like a real person at all, just like the lonely witch in the castle in the Gothic story—no, it is a ghost, who sucks the souls of everyone with her calm but dangerous and plundering eyes at any time.

"who is she?"

Alan Edgerton heard someone ask in a low voice.

"Anne de Bour." Allen's voice was extremely dry, "Miss de Bour from Rosings Manor."

The appearance of Miss de Bauer has caused layers of undercurrents to surge.

Not a few people had already surmised from Mr. Darcy's manner that Miss de Bourgh was probably the cause of the gentleman's duel.

but……

"If the duel is between Mr. Ellen Edgerton and Mr. Darcy, I believe it is more reasonable. You see, Mr. Edgerton's eyes are glued to Miss Nadell's body and cannot be removed at all. .”

"But what does that have to do with the Duke?"

"Yeah, that's weird..."

Anne took Darcy's hand and jumped out of the carriage, followed by Lady Catherine.For unknown reasons, Rommel stayed in the car.

She was well aware of the discussions she had sparked.

Her waist was held by Darcy, and Darcy lowered his head, and said in a volume that only two people could hear: "How long have you been awake? It's a long way from Louis Garden to here, are you tired?"

Annie shook her head, leaned her head on his shoulder, took a deep breath and said, "I'm not tired. After I woke up, I heard my mother and Rommel talking about you coming to the funeral. Why don't you tell me?" Woolen cloth?"

"I don't want you to come," Darcy replied honestly, "I know what you're going to do, but..."

"But you don't want me to do that, you want me to be deaf and dumb."

Speaking of which, Annie scratched his palm, and whispered, "It's time to make this decision, honey, I'm ready."

"I will stand behind you."

The familiar words made the corners of Annie's mouth curl up.Then, she let go of Darcy's hand, turned around and joined hands with Lady Catherine, and walked towards the direction where the duchess, lady and ladies were.

Darcy glanced inside the carriage and found that there was another person inside, and then walked behind Anne calmly.

Lady Catherine and the Duchess greeted each other coldly and saluted.She did not believe that the duchess knew nothing about the crimes the duke had committed against Anne.

But now, the Duke has died under the gun, and Mrs. Catherine is "high-spirited", and she can't help but want to embarrass her in front of his widow.

The Duchess has had a feud with Lady Catherine since her youth - when they were seen at social balls at the same time.

Lady Catherine is the daughter of an earl, with a noble status and a beautiful appearance. Although she is a bit domineering, she is the target that young people are chasing after.

Not only the duchess with a bad background, but even other noble women in the same period, somewhat regarded her as an imaginary enemy.

However, the earl's daughter married a viscount from a small country.

This surprised everyone and made them gloat.Mrs. Edgerton, who was of mediocre background, captured the heart of the Duke's eldest son, which made her even more interested in reading a joke about Lady Catherine.

Later, accidents happened one after another at Rosings Manor, which completely hit Lady Catherine's arrogance.

I don't know how many jokes the Duchess and her friends watched in private at that time.

But now, Feng Shui took turns, and bad luck came to the Duke's Mansion.

When the duchess really became a duchess, she couldn't even laugh: because the reason for the old duke's death was the affair between her eldest son and his second son's fiancée, and her eldest son was depressed and seriously ill in bed.

Fortunately, her second son is capable.

When she finally recovered from the blow and was about to enjoy the grandeur and life of the next duchess, her husband died in a duel.

The reason for the duel was clear to her, and because of this, she didn't know how to face Allen for a while.

As Alan's mother, her youngest daughter is Alan's only sister, but their future life depends entirely on this second son whom she rarely cares about.

The duchess had mixed feelings, and her suppression of him had now become a sword hanging over her head.

Mrs. Catherine sarcastically said "it's a pity" and "poor", and she pretended to be concerned about the future plans of Mrs. Egerton and Miss Egerton (Anne Egerton).

But she has never been good at acting, and she can hardly hide her ridicule and schadenfreude.

Annie was behind her, listening to her undisguised and domineering sarcasm, the corners of her mouth curled up.If the Duchess and Miss Edgerton were completely ignorant of the behavior of the man in the family, she would not rub salt in their wounds.

However, during those dark days locked in the basement, she clearly heard the voices of these two people.

Stimulated by Lady Catherine, Mrs. Edgerton gritted her teeth and flirted with her vaguely.But the young Miss Edgerton has always been favored, and Anne deliberately raised her eyebrows while watching her, and Miss Edgerton ran to Annie angrily.

Before her governess rushed to stop her, Miss Edgerton bit Anne's tiger's mouth.

"Anne?!" Mrs. Edgerton exclaimed in shock.

"Anne!" Madam Catherine was also taken aback, and her anger suddenly rose.

"It's too deceiving! Mrs. Edgerton! You have done such a thing, but you still don't know how to restrain yourself. Don't you think I'm so easy to mess with?!" Mrs. Catherine screamed, stretching out her hand to grab Love Mrs. Jayden's throat.

Miss Edgerton was so startled that she forgot to use her mouth forcefully.

The commotion here spread suddenly, and Darcy and Allen, who were always watching Anne, rushed over at the same time.

Darcy immediately blocked Annie behind him, but Annie just patted his arm and stood shoulder to shoulder with him.Allen glared at his sister and had her governess and maids take her by force.

The two ladies wrestled together in disregard of their appearance, and Anne's eyes swept over the faces of the surrounding gentlemen one by one, and recognized some familiar guys.

They are all families of the Duke of Bridgewater, and their interests are involved.Many of them are the actual control figures behind the major shipyards, and some of them have sent people to coerce and lure Mr. Bergram to defect to them with superb technology many times.

However, Mr. Bergram remained unmoved and remained loyal to Mr. Richter.

Anne was very fortunate that she had promised in black and white that she would not seize his patent ownership—only this point was beyond the imagination of those big men who thought highly of themselves.

'They, one and two, were participants in the murder of Lord Fitzwilliam. 'Annie's heart was beating fast, she clenched her fists unconsciously, her nails pinched tightly in her palm, 'Annie, your enemies are here, but how do you deal with them? '

It is impossible for her to let them be buried for the earl one by one, their lives are not that valuable!

"Mrs. Edgerton, are you really not curious about the reason for the Duke's death?" Anne asked loudly.

As soon as the voice fell, there was a sudden silence in front of the church.

Darcy's heart skipped a beat, he took Anne's hand and interlocked her fingers.

"He died in a duel with Mr. Darcy!" said the Duchess firmly, brushing away the loose hair, "he was a real gentleman."

"Oh! Really?" Annie sneered, and lifted the long sleeves covering her wrists, "Aren't you curious about the reason for the duel?"

The red bloodstain on her wrist made everyone gasp, and a whispered discussion suddenly broke out.

The Duchess gritted her teeth tightly, staring at her indifferent but firm eyes, and said through gritted teeth: "Miss de Bourgh, I think, you should understand that some words cannot be taken back."

"I understand this truth, madam. However, I understand better that there will be retribution for doing evil. I never provoke others, and if others take the first step and hurt the people around me..." Annie's tone gradually changed Low and dangerous, the Duchess couldn't help shivering.

Anne didn't look at her anymore, she knew that her enemy was not this vicious duchess at all.

She turned around, and the black skirt glowed mysteriously in the sun.

"The purpose of the duke's duel with Mr. Darcy is not the daughter of a little viscount like me." Anne's eyes swept over the faces of those gentlemen one by one, and those who were swept by her eyes felt a chill, "Although, I know that pornographic news is always what people are most interested in, but the real crime is always hidden under such ambiguous colors."

"What the Duke wants is Mr. Richter's power, so he kidnapped me and used me to threaten Mr. Darcy."

"Mr. Darcy is Mr. Richter?!" A burst of exclamation erupted from the crowd.

Darcy looked in the direction of the voice and shook his head.

There was another commotion.

Annie raised her bare wrist: "Obviously, the Duke thinks so too. It's a pity that he didn't understand it until he died."

The corners of Annie's mouth curled up and her eyes narrowed—like a ghost in Castle Black—she said clearly, "I am Richter."

"What?!" Exclamations and screams sounded one after another.

Annie swallowed, clenched her teeth tightly, and the muscles on her face twitched uncontrollably.The pounding heartbeat hit the eardrum, and accompanied by the shocking cry, it stimulated her brain.

Finally waited until this day.

"How could you be Mr. Richter?!"

"Mr. Richter turned out to be a woman?"

"No, it's impossible!!! Mr. Richter was already famous a few years ago, how old was she then?!"

"How could he be a woman? Do you think we are fools?!"

Countless doubts came overwhelmingly, and Anne stood firmly in place, accepting them and their undisguised wanton peeping and sizing.

Suddenly, her palms felt hot.

Darcy took her hand.

"I can testify for her," Darcy said loudly.

"I can also testify for her." A deep male voice came from the carriage, and everyone couldn't help looking, only to see Rommel jumping out of the carriage.

"I can too!"

"I can too!"

The voices of Mr. Bergram and Mr. Brown suddenly sounded from the crowd.

作者有话要说：感谢在2021-01-1523:58:21~2021-01-1623:56:43期间为我投出霸王票或灌溉营养液的小天使哦~

Thanks to the little angels who threw mines: Yi1;

Thank you very much for your support, I will continue to work hard!