The Sensory Animals of Ston Hill

The Earl's bedroom was at one end of the corridor, and Alan Stone's at the other.Grace wandered between the two doors, but in the end neither door knocked.

He went back to his little room, still unable to fall asleep.He didn't feel it before, but now the narrowness and darkness of the room was a bit unbearable to him, and he didn't want to stay in it.But he didn't want to be in the servants' dining room, or in the yard either.He would look at the stars to estimate the time, and knew that the maid who lit the fire would be up soon, and then the other servants, one after the other, and soon the basement and the exterior of the house would be full of people.Grace doesn't want others to see her.

He changed into his old clothes, picked out the three most valuable gold coins from the pile of coins he had accumulated, and put them in his skirt pocket.He was worried that it would be very cold outdoors in the morning, so he wrapped a shawl around himself, stuffed the knife into the other skirt pocket, and went outside the villa.

He walked very far, through farmland and fields, until the sky was turning white, and finally he saw the red house that the girl had told him about.

He saw someone he knew in the group of farmers yesterday. It was the daughter of the farmer's family who took care of him, Sophie and Orisa last winter, named Eva.

He was glad that he didn't get lost, and the hand that had been holding the knife handle was finally taken out of his pocket.

He walked to the door of the red house, and found that the house was completely overturned.There were several children crying at the same time, as well as the screams of women.That sound was terrifying, and the sounds made by the butcher in the backyard killing pigs were even better than this one.

Eva came out of the house and hurriedly splashed a basin of bloody water outside the door. Grace couldn't dodge in time and was kicked.The two were stunned at the same time, Eva grabbed Grace's sleeve and dragged him into the room, "Please help me take my younger brothers and sisters outside! They are too much of a hindrance here!"

Eva only left her eldest sister to help, and the remaining four children of various sizes were pushed into Grace's arms. One of them, who could not walk, was held by her sister and cried the loudest.Although the children were crying, they were all well-behaved and followed Grace outside while crying.

Grace learns from the children that their mother is having a baby.

"Probably a younger brother," said the youngest boy.He couldn't hear his mother's screams right now, so he stopped crying and started looking forward instead.His brother is several years older than him, and he hopes to have a boy younger than himself in his family.The other two older ones were still sobbing, with grown-up sadness on their small faces.

After a long time, Eva came out of the house, still wearing a dirty apron, covered with blood.She said wearily to her siblings: "Go and see your mother, be quiet, she is too tired."

The children rushed in happily, and Eva and Grace sat on the two stones at the door.

"No. 12 children." Eva said suddenly.

Grace was surprised and looked back into the house. He didn't expect that there were other children hidden in such a small house.

"Counting those who died young and those who had miscarriages, there are a total of twelve." Eva wiped her eyes vigorously twice, "If she continues to give birth like this, it will kill her."

The two thought at the same time, if there is another one, it will be No. 13, and the number is too unknown.

Grace took out the three gold coins from her skirt pocket: "It's for you."

Eva was a determined woman—even though she was two years younger than Grace, she was already a well-deserved woman who could carry the burdens of the family.In some ways, she's even more of a man than Grace.Last winter, she fearlessly cared for three people with contagious diseases; she still had strength, was taller than Grace, had strong shoulders, and could help Sophie turn over with her own two arms.

Eva looked at the three coins and cried.Grace stuffed the money into her hand, "No need to pay it back, I have nothing to spend it on."

Eva remembered after crying, "You walked here by yourself? How dangerous! What if you meet a drunk rascal!"

Grace didn't have time to show her her knife.They were startled by a drunken yell, and Eva quickly hid the three coins in her pocket, stood up and stopped the man with sloppy footsteps: "Dad, Mom just gave birth, you have to wash your face to wake up... ..."

It was only now that Grace remembered that if she kept having children, there must at least be a father in this family.

Eva got into an argument with her father.Eva scolded him for taking all the money the Odor family gave to drink, and there was nothing to eat at home; the drunk man cursed her for being useless, saying that her mother was always sick and unable to do anything, and that she The eldest daughter should go out and make money.Even Grace understood. He asked his daughter to go to the factory built by the earl, but that factory produced weapons and only recruited male workers.He asked his daughter to wait for business at the factory gate.

Eva insisted on dragging her father to the backyard and throwing him into the haystack.Her father found a comfortable position in the grass, closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Eva felt extremely humiliated, Grace wanted to go, and he had important things to do.Before leaving, Eva thought of another thing and asked him, "Do you have a red petticoat?"

Grace shook her head, remembering that Sophie had a red petticoat, and Orisa had given him a red petticoat when she was fifteen or sixteen.

Eva ran back to the house, and when she came out again, she had an old red petticoat in her hand, and said to him, "You must have this." Then she pointed to Grace's neck, "And your shawl, you'd better have it first." Wrap it around your neck."

Grace laughed and said that it was outdated to wear it like this, and it was the most fashionable to hang it from the sides like this.

Eva touched his throat with her fingertips, "It's not obvious, but it's best not to be seen." Seeing that Grace was terrified, she quickly said, "I haven't told anyone! I won't tell anyone in the future." meeting!"

Eva swore to Grace: "If you need help in any way, I will do my best!"

Grace hurried back with her red petticoat in her arms.His shoes and socks were all soaked, and it was uncomfortable when he walked, and he kept reminding him that the water was full of blood.

He has been thinking about a question, he has seen pigs and cattle slaughtered so many times, the blood is all over the ground, he has never been afraid, why is human blood so terrible?Even if it is his enemy who bleeds.

He thought, it wouldn't be because of people wearing clothes that made him worry about blood staining the clothes.

Eva's mother had twelve children, but there were only seven in that room.People die too easily.Although a human is wearing clothes, he bleeds no differently than an animal, and will die if he bleeds to a certain extent.

This is the scary thing about human blood. It reminds that a person who can love and hate, has family and friends, and has been educated is no different from an animal. They are equally easy to die.

Grace broke into a run.

The earl had already gotten up, and Grace knocked on the door and went in, replacing the maid who was serving the earl's wash.

The soap has been lathered.The maid was brought by the earl, she was very good at work, the soap lather was rich and delicate, and the sink hadn't been wet yet.

Grace wants to please, but doesn't know how to present herself.He wanted to shave the count himself, but was pushed away.

How could the Lord of Arundel allow someone to bring a blade close to his neck?

Grace didn't even know that she was going to pass the towel to the Earl, she just twisted her skirt with her fingers and watched the Earl clean his face.

He knelt down in front of the count, and slipped his hand under the count's long shirt.He was not sure, for the Count had been at home for some time, and there was a regularity in the times when he was called upstairs.Today, especially in the morning, is not within the rules.

The earl actually laughed, and Grace quickly withdrew her hand and looked up.The earl was obviously amused by him, and the meaning of the smile was obvious: he was too eager.

"What do you want?" The count motioned him to stand up, and told him, "If you're so shy, it's better to say it directly. If you try too much, you will lose patience, and it will not be easy to achieve your goal."

Grace didn't really understand, but it didn't prevent the grievance that suddenly surged in his heart, "I'm just afraid that you will be unhappy." He couldn't figure out how he felt in his heart, and was even more afraid that he couldn't explain clearly, so he impulsively held on to it. The earl put one hand to his mouth to kiss, and looked into those gray pupils with wide eyes, "I don't want to upset you!"

There was a little movement in those cold eyes. He thought from the bottom of his heart that Grace had many unique and excellent qualities, which he had never seen in other men and women.

The hand that was kissed touched Grace's small face, "What do you want? Is there another servant who is rude to you?"

"Please...can you bring William back from the front?"

The Earl of Arundel turned him down.

The earl said to Grace: "Some men are born with guns, you can't force him to be a vase."

"Are you a gun too?"

The count smiled. "Let's go downstairs and have breakfast."

The count took him into the great dining room, seated him beside him, and taught him how to eat an egg gracefully with a silver spoon.

Mr. Wales stood aside and reported to the earl the growth of the tulips in the garden: "The gardener said that this year's spring came too late, and the tulips will not bloom until the weather really warms up."

This tulip is for Your Majesty.The earl said that their majesty is an avid tulip lover, so the garden in front of the villa is only planted with this kind of flower, which occupies a very large area.

The count asked: "Can it be transplanted from other places?"

Mr. Wales shook his head apprehensively. "The gardener said the tulip bulbs are too fragile."

Now the count's expression became gloomy, and he said in a low voice, "There is still one week... His Majesty will be here in one week."

With no one to guide her and her own inattentiveness, Grace smashed the hard-boiled egg so that the yolk spilled over the eggcup.He retracted his hands helplessly, peeking at the count's face.

The Count stared at his face.

Grace was very nervous, thinking that her clumsiness had offended the Earl.

However, the count just gently held his hand hidden under the tablecloth and put it back on the table. "Remember, don't put your hands down when you're eating." He also asked Mr. Wales to change one for him, and warned: "It's a little bit old when it's cooked."

Seven days later, a large field of tulips in the garden was ready to bloom, and Kent Villa welcomed the most distinguished guest ever.