The Sensory Animals of Ston Hill

The house Alan Stone rents has three and a half floors. Like other houses here, each floor is only two meters high, and the foundation is small. There are only three rooms at most on one floor, and they share two blocks with the houses on the left and right. wall.

Compared with the villa, Alan Ston's residence is really far behind.

But in Grace's view, the house also had its merits.First of all, the outer walls and windows are light-colored, the walls are light yellow, and the windows are cream-colored, which are harmoniously matched; the windows are also opened very generously, so the sunlight in the house must be sufficient and the air can also circulate.

Secondly, Alan Stone told him that there are two floors of basements under this house, which can store a lot of food, and the bottom floor can also store ice in summer.Grace attached great importance to this kind of practicality, and on the whole, he felt that Alan Stone's house was chosen very smartly.

The interior decoration was several grades above the exterior: all the furniture and candlesticks were new, as were the carpets and wall tapestries, and Grace even thought they were as good as some of the fine things in the palace.

The stairs were new too, smelling of new wood and palm oil.Grace liked these smells very much, and she was attracted by them as soon as she entered the room. She couldn't help sniffing them on the handrail of the stairs.

Eva secretly pulled his arm, Grace turned her head back embarrassedly, and saw Alan Ston smiling at him, but as soon as she turned her head, he immediately put away the smile, pointed to the bottom of the stairs, and said: "That's the cloakroom, please."

Alan Stone asked them to go in first, while he went to the living room to light a fire.

There were men's clothes hanging in the cloakroom, including a military coat and several pairs of boots on the ground, which obviously belonged to Alan Stone.The soles of some of the boots had been left unpolished, with no apparent intention of re-polishing them, just the way of a bachelor.

Anna liked the new furniture in this wardrobe, and opened the door to look inside.

"Anna, you can't just rummage through other people's cabinets. You may find the skeletons hidden in the cabinets." Grace told her.

Anna shrank her neck shyly, but couldn't help but curiously took out a pair of soft-soled shoes from the cabinet: "Just take a look... Grace, do you think Master Allen has a girlfriend?"

They were a pair of light pink satin moccasins, and Anna took it for granted that they were for some lady.It's not that no men wear such fancy colors, it's just that it's impossible for Alan Stone, so these should be a pair of women's shoes.

Grace had just educated Anna, but now she took the shoes from Anna's hands and looked at them inside and out.

Anna never questioned Grace's behavior. She felt that what Grace did was right, and she asked him, "Is this the skeleton that Master Allen hid in the closet?"

"That's right..." Grace took a look at the shoes, then squatted down and took off her hard-soled high heels.

Eva shook her head disapprovingly.

"I'm just trying it out." Grace whispered, he was just curious about Alan Stone's eyesight.

He stepped into the moccasins—a little small, but they fit well, much more comfortably than the heels he'd worn before.

"Grace..." Eva called out to him.

"Okay, I got it." Grace perfunctorily walked around the room wearing these shoes, and touched the sleeve of a coat hanging on the wall, and felt that the fabric was good.

"Grace, if Master Allen sees..."

"Eva, you're only 20 years old, you're just nagging." Grace regretfully took her feet out of the soft shoes and put them back into the uncomfortable high heels.Eva wiped the soles of the shoes with her apron and put them back in the closet.

When they came out of the cloakroom, Alan Stone had already lit a fire in the fireplace in the living room.Grace judged at once that the house was well built, with thick enough walls, because it warmed up quickly.He once again felt that Alan Stone had chosen a good place to live.

Alan Stone glanced at him vaguely, and said, "I'm going to heat the hot water, you sit down first."

Grace quickly caught up with him and followed him to the kitchen.Alan Stone took a few steps and couldn't help but turn around and ask him, "Why are you following me?"

Grace followed him and asked him, "Can you boil water? I've never seen you do these things before. I remember that when you drink tea, you have to be brought to you by Mrs. Brown herself, and you have to be careful not to burn your mouth." .”

Alan Stone turned his head and ignored him.

Grace asked him again: "Why don't you hire two servants? Are servants expensive in the capital? At least one servant must look after your house and watch the fire. Fortunately, it's not so cold now, or it will be winter." Every time I go home, I have to get angry and suffer a lot... I also need to have a laundry and dishwashing woman. These tasks require experience and know-how, and you will definitely not be able to clean them yourself. By the way, remind you, do these two things You have to be nice to a live maid. Her hands will indirectly touch your mouth and skin. It’s easy to make you sick... Oh, by the way, do you iron your shirts now? Iron collars and cuffs You have to be careful not to heat the lace out of shape..."

Alan Stone turned around helplessly, "Can't you sit in the living room for a while?"

Grace tugged on his sleeve, "Did you wash your shirt cuffs yellow—"

Alan Stone withdrew his hand in shock, turned around in a daze, and started working in front of the stove.

He can boil water, and he is even quite skilled.While the water was heating up, he tried to keep himself busy, opening the cupboard to look for tea, and playing with teacups.

The teacups were arranged by him like a phalanx waiting for a military parade, and then changed by Grace to a circular shape.When Alan Stone was making tea, Grace leaned over to correct his method of straining the tea, and taught him how to pour it to get all the residue out.

During this period, Alan Stone hesitated to speak to Grace several times, but in the end he just stood aside and watched Grace quickly finish the rest of the work.

"Let's go!" Grace steadily picked up the tray containing four sets of teacups and a teapot, and raised her chin at him.

Alan Stone looked at his back, as if he had been in the villa, and now he knew what a great skill it was to be able to walk so fast while holding a tray.He suddenly remembered that Grace loves candy, so he quickly took a can of candy from the cabinet, and chased it out.

While drinking tea, Grace didn't make things difficult for him anymore, they just chatted about the weather, and then complained about the light snow that almost fell last night.

After drinking tea, Grace said to the two girls: "You go to Hatter Street for a while, and come back to pick me up in two hours."

Eva wanted to say something, but was stopped by Grace, took a few candies from the sugar bowl, put them on the plate, handed the sugar bowl to her, and said: "Tell the children, this is a gift from Captain Ston. .”

After the two girls left, the living room fell silent. Grace refilled Alan Stone's tea and threw a candy into her mouth.

Alan Stone held the cup in his hand and said, "Don't worry about William, he can take care of it himself."

Grace pushed the candy from her left cheek to her right cheek, and looked up at him, "But you have been suspended."

"It was only temporary. Napoleon had a cold shoulder before he showed his talents, which is very common in the military. New opportunities in the army always come quickly."

Grace snorted noncommittally with sugar in her mouth, "Did Napoleon also maim the hand of the nephew of the Minister of Finance of the Army?"

Alan Stone raised his eyebrows, then lowered his head mockingly, and put the teacup on the table, "I see, are you blaming me for causing trouble for William?"

Grace had a lump on her cheek, and her eyes were wide open: "I didn't say that!"

"Really? What if William is challenged? Even if he knocks off that stupid nephew's head, you should praise him for being brave, right?"

They stared at each other again.

This is not possible.Grace lowered her eyes and chewed the candy - to some surprise, there was an almond wrapped in the candy.He swallowed the sweet almonds, and put on a gentle expression again, "The conversation just now is invalid, let's go back to chatting about the weather, and start again—"

He picked up his cup lid and Alan Stone's with the other hand.He lifted his lid up first, pretending it was the lid talking: "Just now I said, 'The sleet last night was really annoying, it made the streets full of mud.'"

Then he lifted Alan Stone's cup lid to a higher position, "And then you said, 'Yeah, the capital city has already warmed up at this time of year...'"

Alan Stone, sitting opposite, was genuinely shocked at first, but he soon became a deadpan audience member.However, the disapproval of the audience did not affect Grace's performance. It was not easy to make Grace feel ashamed, not to mention that he rehearsed those dramas with His Majesty every day, and chatting with the lid of the cup was better than speaking those contrived lines.

Alan Stone folded his arms across his chest and leaned on the sofa to watch him perform.

It was Grace's turn to cover the cup, "I said, 'Last spring came late too, but I didn't expect it to be like this in the capital.'"

Then there's Alan Stone's lid, "You say, 'The weather has been bad for two years, all over the country. Farmers have had bad harvests and there have been more riots.'"

Grace finally stopped talking with the cup lid, and looked up at Alan Stone: "The Earl of Arundel said the same. He also said that this year may be a more serious harvest year. After autumn, there will definitely be bigger riots At that time, the enemy country will definitely take the opportunity to invade. But now the army is full of useless people, and there are conservatives in the court who are holding back. He said that it was a fluke to win the previous battles, all thanks to the unexpected cooperation of General Verrick and William, He doesn't want the country's most combative young officer to be exiled because of a failed political battle."

Alan Stone sat up straight, and even leaned forward slightly, earnestly persuading: "Grace, you are a woman, you shouldn't worry about these things."

"What does this have to do with men and women..." Grace suddenly fell into despair, "You are right, because I am a 'woman', so no one has ever told me these things. I don't understand why the real good officers suffer ostracized, while the bishop who should be ringing the bell in the church is calling the shots in the army."

"The Earl of Arundel has always wanted to win me over. He said that it is very simple to help you and William, as long as His Majesty knows that vaccination is useful, and he will complete the rest. But I don't know why he asked me to do this, and I don't know why he asked me to do this. I don’t know if doing this can really help you... I can’t tell if he just wants to use me, or if it’s true as he said, you are all in the same camp, and what he does is beneficial to both you and William.”

"I don't know if it's as terrible as he said. There will be a war after the autumn, and we will definitely not win; even if William has not been exiled, you will definitely go to the battlefield and fight a losing battle... ..."

"When I was in the villa, you said that you would help me. Because you told me about the queen, I didn't accept her favor, and because of your reminder, I would rather steal wine than accept anyone. Now I'm afraid again, and don't know whether to believe the Lord of Arundel, but if no one tells me, I'll have to listen to him."

"Are you threatening me, Grace?"

"Use what to threaten you? Use your concern for me to threaten you to help me not to be fooled again?"

He asked this question very skillfully, and although it seemed gentle and sincere, it actually contained the most obscure meaning strongly.Alan Stone couldn't refute, he could only rest his fingers on his forehead sadly.

Grace looked at his appearance from the opposite side, thinking that he must not have been so clumsy all the time, he was only like this in front of her.Among others, he must be proficient in words. He can skillfully control a conversation and easily use conversation to arouse others' interest. He is the most popular type in the social field.

When he was in the villa before, more than half of his heart belonged to him. It is said that there are also many noble ladies here who admire him... Maybe this duel is because of some woman!

Grace looked at Alan Stone sitting opposite him, with his elbows on his knees and his forehead in his hands, with a pensive look... He admitted that Alan Stone did have the advantage of being lovable , also has its charming features-in fact, he has always admitted that Alan Ston looks good, after all, he and William look so similar, both have beautiful blond hair and blue eyes.His smile is particularly attractive, maybe he himself is aware of this, so he often smiles, as if he is sure of everything, which makes up for his lack of age... Even Miss Nakoren did not hesitate to put down her self-esteem and ask herself about him Woolen cloth!And on the day I met him at the banquet, there were many ladies who paid attention to him...

Grace was somewhat dissatisfied with herself, and drove these useless thoughts out of her head, and interrupted Alan Stone's thinking in a sincere tone, "I know that the Earl of Arundel is not trustworthy, so I didn't Do as soon as you hear him; and I don't ask William, for I know he never says anything bad to me, and I only believe what you say."

Alan Stone conceded defeat and sat up slowly, "Arundel is scaring you. If the conservatives dare to exile William, they will declare war on us and split the country."

"'We'? Are you really on the same side as him? Does the method he said really work?"

Alan Stone looked at him very seriously, "Have you forgotten what I told you about Queen Margaret? Your Majesty hates women participating in politics."

Grace asked him back: "Is it involved in politics just by mentioning cowpox? So the Earl of Arundel's method is useful? Letting His Majesty know about cowpox can benefit William?" He clung to this point.

Alan Ston stalemate with him for a while, then conceded defeat again, and admitted: "It is indeed a solution. I think he intends to let His Majesty promote vaccines in the army."

Grace begged him to elaborate.

Alan Stone also fiddled with the teacup.

He would slam a set of teacups in front of Grace, "This is the church," and put another set of teacups next to it, "This is the nobility."

He first took out only the cup from the set of teacups of the "nobility", "This is the nobleman with swords that has developed since the Crusades, and the vast majority of officers come from these families - Willy General G. is from this part of his origin, as is the Duke of Orleans who huddled behind the fortress and dared not fight, and those greasy-faced 'military youths' at the banquet."

He put the lid of the "church" set of teacups on the cups of the "sword nobles", "these are the powerful bishops in the army. Part of the 'cloaked nobles'. Their uncles, nephews and illegitimate children occupy various important positions, not only in the army, but also in other departments. They are the group of people with the most extensive influence and the most complicated interests--that one was destroyed by me The uncle of the stupid nephew of the hand belongs to this category, and the Duke of Varna, who died of smallpox not long ago, is not in the army, but he also belongs to this category."

Alan Ston tapped the cup of "Nobility of Saber" lightly with the lid of the cup of "Church", "But if you only talk about being in the army, these two groups of people are basically opposing positions-can you understand?"

Grace looked up at him, then looked down at the half set of teacups, "Then you, William, and Arundel, which part do you belong to?"

Alan Stone took out the few candies that Grace grabbed out of the sugar bowl from the saucer, and then placed this unmatched small saucer under the "Nobility of Saber" and "Church", "these People include those who buy officials—"

"Buyer?"

"We have more than 3 jobs for sale in our country."

"Do people who want to buy an official need to take an exam?" Grace asked naively, "Just like Luka had to take an exam before going to the military academy."

Alan Stone smiled, "Money is the only exam, and this part of the income has a lot of weight in the country's income."

He continued to talk about the unmatched cup and saucer, "Mr. Odor is also in the capital now. He bought himself a title of nobility and has a position, which is related to the general affairs of the army. He belongs to this category; William and I also Falls into that category...and so does Arundel."

"He also bought the title?" Grace asked in surprise.

Alan Ston sneered, "Have you forgotten what I told you before? His title and fiefdom were not inherited from his father, but were awarded by His Majesty a few years ago through political intrigue. .But in this set of teacups, the key role is not the title he bought, but his connections in the army, and his factory."

"Factory?" Grace immediately understood, "The military factory near the villa? He sells guns, so he's a main fighter!"

Alan Stone looked at Grace appreciatively, indicating that he was right.

"As far as the current situation is concerned, Arundel is indeed on the same side as us, otherwise he wouldn't...wouldn't have married my mother, and he once promoted me and William in the army—"

"Did I mess you up?" Grace asked guiltily. If it wasn't for him, William and Alan Stone could have made greater achievements in the army with the help of Arundel's connections and status.

"Then you underestimate us. William and I are real soldiers, and Arundell is just a conspirator. I'm telling you this frankly, Grace. His idea is indeed good. Cowpox can hit the church -"

"why?"

Alan Stone blinked mischievously, "If smallpox can be cured with cowpox, who would give all their savings to the church to buy indulgences?"

"In the end, the cowpox is just an introduction. The essence of this battle is that the traditional nobles want to drive out the non-noble forces in the army, so you don't care about this matter. This storm is blowing in the army, and I already have a solution."

"any solution?"

"I plan to buy some doctors to secretly vaccinate civilians. It only takes more than ten days to prove that vaccinia is safe. I will also find some street performers and let them perform humorous plays on the streets, and let some doctors vaccinate on the streets. Do a demonstration to make people believe that smallpox can be prevented by vaccinia. Now that more and more people are suffering from smallpox in the city, it is always a good thing that more people are willing to be vaccinated.”

Grace figured it out, so the point was the cowpox.

"Listen to me, okay, Grace, don't get involved in these things."

Grace nodded obediently.He came to Alan Stone just to know if the Earl of Arundel had lied to him, and he already had the answer.He looked at the clock, thinking that Eva and the others might come to pick him up earlier than agreed.

"Grace, that day..."

Grace's heart, which had just loosened, was grasped violently, and her hairs stood on end.He didn't come to Alan Stone to talk about that matter!

"You just... If I understand correctly, you always mentioned what happened in the villa just now, are you implying that we should let the events of that day pass and let everything go back to the way it was before?" Alan Stone bent again He lowered his waist, twisted his hands tightly in front of him, and looked at Grace nervously.

Grace was flustered, thinking how could he bring up that day?He carefully recalled which of his own words caused Alan Stone to have such a misunderstanding... Was it because he mentioned ironing?Then he remembered how he had rubbed borage burrs on Alan Stone's shirt collar, making him look bad in front of Miss O'Dole and his cousin.It is said that he took off his shirt like a madman that day, jumping and scratching like a naked monkey.

Grace couldn't hold back, and laughed out loud.Alan Stone couldn't help but heaved a sigh of relief, and he also laughed, "There is nothing commendable about our previous relationship, except for one thing: frankness. Grace, I hope you can be as frank as before in front of me, instead of pretending Nothing happened."

Grace had lied to him just now, and she was very guilty at this moment, and asked him, "What do you want to hear from me?"

"I want to hear you speak your mind and express your true feelings. It doesn't matter even if you insult me. As I said, we should be as frank as before. You don't need to worry about my feelings."

"Alan Stone, what you said is really interesting. How could I not care about your feelings like before? I was really angry with you, but I regretted hitting you afterwards... I know you must not Well, you should know what I mean...I've even wondered these days if our father was cursed so that his ship would have a storm and so would the children who drenched his blood ..." Grace sighed depressingly, "But, no matter what, you shouldn't hide from me. It's obvious that you did something wrong, but you still hide so that I can't find you. This is very annoying, you know? It's more annoying than everything you did and said that day!" He got a little angry as he spoke.

"I understand, I won't avoid you anymore." Alan Stone laughed.In fact, he was not completely frank with Grace. When Grace said that he could not ignore his feelings like before, he wanted to kiss Grace's lips very strongly.