[Comprehensive Classics] Detective Mary

Lydia elopes with Wickham anyway.

The word "elope" blew up Mrs. Bennet almost instantly.

If it hadn't been for the fact that there were still many guests at Netherfield Manor, Lydia's daughter would not be the only one who would lose her reputation by spreading the word. Mrs. Bennet, who couldn't hide her matter in her heart, would have screamed out of her composure.

Fortunately, Mr. Bingley responded quickly. He sent off all the guests in a polite manner, and ended the party without most people noticing what had happened.

After the party was completely dispersed, without waiting for Catherine to speak or Mrs. Bennet to break down, Mary said, "It is impossible for Lydia to elope with Wickham. Even if she wanted to, Wickham would not choose On the wedding day."

"real?!"

Mrs. Bennet was so emotional that her voice was out of tune.

The mother, who never cared much about her third daughter, grabbed Mary's hands and said, "Is what you said true, Mary? Your little sister wouldn't do such a stupid thing, would she?"

Darcy: "I don't think so either."

Mary looked surprised.

He was a real outsider on this occasion, and according to Mr. Darcy's character, he would never intervene unless he had a solid basis.

Everyone looked at Darcy, his brows were furrowed, but his tone was very calm: "I know Wickham's personality, what he needs is money, not true love, as for Miss Lydia...not in within the range of his choice of spouse."

This is euphemistic, but everyone present can understand the subtext—Lydia has no property to inherit, and Wickham will never take her away just because he likes her.

Come to think of it.

The elopement incident in the original book is actually Lydia's wishful thinking.She loves the handsome and unrestrained Wickham, but because of her short-sightedness and superficial mind, she didn't see his character clearly, and decided that he was her destined husband, so she had to be with him.

However, for Wickham, if it weren't for Lydia's elders, even Mr. Darcy, who promised to guarantee the economy, future life and other aspects, he would not marry Lydia.

In his eyes, Lydia is just a plaything that takes the initiative to reciprocate.

But now, Lydia has long been suspicious of Wickham, and even if she still likes him, she doesn't have to.Mary felt that Lydia was obviously wavering in the previous quarrels. She was just spoiled and refused to admit defeat.

From this point of view, the possibility of Lydia and Wickham's elopement is not established at all.

As for why Catherine said that...

"Katie," Mary said, "tell me what's going on?"

"When I just, just came back from church," Catherine replied very nervously, "I saw Lydia and Wickham talking together, and Maria of Meryton called me something, so I left her behind. Mr. Wickham's side. When I remembered it, everyone was at Netherfield Park, and Lydia and Mr. Wickham were gone!"

Mary quickly calculated the time: "Based on this calculation, they have actually been away for only three hours."

In that case, it would be impossible to elope.After all, choosing to leave when everyone is around is really not something a smart person can do. Lydia is a silly girl, and Wickham is not.

If he was stupid, how could he deceive so many people with his flawless appearance?

——Not to mention anything else, everyone around Meryton knows that today is Jane's wedding, but Miss Jane's younger sister left overnight with a red uniform, which is too obvious.

After being discovered, Mr. Bennet only needs to ask a little to find out their whereabouts.

Therefore, if Wickham really wants to elope with Lydia, he will definitely not choose the night of Jane's wedding.

Mary's mention of elopement was an attempt to frighten her by throwing out the worst possible consequences.Unexpectedly, instead of scaring Lydia, it frightened Catherine badly.

This also made Catherine preconceived. Seeing that Lydia and Wickham disappeared at the same time, she directly called out the word elopement.

After thinking this through, Mary breathed a sigh of relief, but she didn't feel relieved.

"The possibility of elopement is unlikely," she judged. "Before that, Mr. Wickham asked Lydia to visit Meryton. Maybe it was just the two of us who came to Meryton?"

"in the evening?"

Mrs. Bennet's nerves were almost unbearable, and she immediately yelled: "Lydia, this dead girl, does she still want to be famous?!"

"enough!"

Mr. Bennet had a headache from the noise.

His face was very ugly. It was obvious that the father, who usually neglected to care for and restrain his daughter, did not expect such a disturbance at all.

That is to say, Mary said that Lydia could not have eloped, and Mr. Bennet was in a better mood.The father, who has always been indifferent to everything, restrained his sarcasm: "I'll go to Meryton to see."

Mr. Bingley: "I can go with you, so we can split up. William, how about you take care of the ladies here?"

Darcy shook his head.

"I think," he held a different opinion, "if Wickham wants to be alone with Miss Lydia, he may not choose Meryton at night."

"You mean?" Mary asked.

"...the moonlight is pretty good tonight," Mr. Darcy reluctantly said with a look of disdain, "do you know any nearby places that are open and unobstructed, where you can enjoy the full moon?"

"..."

Mary probably understood.

What are scumbags best at?Trick girls.So how to coax a girl?Naturally, I found a romantic place to be alone with her.

I am afraid that Wickham used the same trick to deceive Miss Georgiana Darcy when he was at Pemberley Park, and that is why Mr. Darcy is so well versed in Wickham's ways of courting girls.

"Have."

Mary nodded: "It's in Longburn, the farmland behind our house, I'll go find her right now."

Only then did Elizabeth interject: "I'm with you!"

It's night, how can we let the two ladies go out alone!Mr. Darcy said without thinking: "I will accompany you."

As for Jane, who has just become Mrs. Bingley, she stays at Netherfield Manor to appease Mrs. Bennet and Catherine.The eldest sister asked Mary and Elizabeth a few words, and there was a lingering worry in her brows and eyes.

She was only worried about Lydia, and Mary was a little angry.

It's Jane's wedding day!The whole family looked left and right, looking forward to the smooth progress of Jane's wedding.Unexpectedly, the wedding ended perfectly, and Lydia still made a fuss.

Fortunately, although Mr. Bingley is gentle by nature, he will not budge on the point of caring for his sweetheart.Not only was he not angry, but without further ado, he immediately assumed the responsibility of a brother-in-law and offered to help find Lydia.

Fortunately in the misfortune, Lydia was not so stupid as to take the last wrong step because of Mary's repeated beatings before.

According to Mr. Darcy's speculation, they found Lydia and Wickham in the farmland of Longburn.

The moonlight was clear and bright, reflecting the entire night as clean as a dark curtain, and even showing them the scene in the farmland at a glance.The icy light shines on a man and a woman standing in the farmland. The officer is tall and straight, and the girl is petite and lovely. Just by looking at their figures, they look like a couple.

...provided they didn't hear Lydia's cries.

As she walked towards Lydia and Wickham, Mary heard Lydia sobbing faintly from a distance of several meters, and then realized that she was not bowing her head because she was shy, but because she was crying.

Elizabeth's reaction was faster than Mary's.

The second sister, who dared to love and dare to hate, walked forward with her skirt in her hand, and lay directly between Wickham and Lydia, glaring at the culprit angrily: "You are really too much, Wickham! You are here at Jane's wedding!" Bullying our sister?"

"bully?"

Wickham's reaction seemed to be taken aback by being attacked instead: "I think there is some misunderstanding, Miss Elizabeth."

Elizabeth: "Do you still dare to argue?!"

As she spoke, she turned her head and glanced at the crying Lydia: "We saw it with our own eyes, what reason do you have?"

Wickham immediately frowned.

He glanced up at Mary and Darcy, and thought he understood.

"I think," said Wickham, putting on a contemptuous and haughty expression, "perhaps you have heard others speak ill of me, Miss Elizabeth, and I shall not defend myself, for this is not the time to do so, but you really Misunderstood me. It is not that I insulted your sister, Miss Lydia, in fact, she invited me here."

"Varied--"

"If you don't believe me, you can ask Miss Lydia herself."

Wickham's handsome face was full of deep disappointment, as if Elizabeth had insulted his personality and slandered his "noble and honest" soul.

"After your elder sister's wedding was over, Miss Lydia said she wanted to have a private talk with me," Wickham explained, "although I felt that it was inappropriate for a private meeting between men and women, but I was worried that she would wait alone, so I agreed. Unexpectedly, after a few words, Miss Lydia insisted on expressing her love to me."

Mary: "..."

Seeing that Elizabeth's face changed, Wickham continued: "Although I am very grateful for Miss Lydia's attention, I can't agree to her just because I am grateful. I expressed regret for this and frankly said that I have absolutely nothing wrong with her." Then Miss Lydia began to cry. I will never deny that it was my responsibility, but I don't think I did anything wrong."

As he spoke, he glanced at Darcy intentionally or unintentionally.

"I am sorry that you have misunderstood me, Miss Elizabeth," he said dryly. "Now I am relieved to have you with Miss Lydia, and I am sorry."

These words were extremely unfeeling, and they looked like a gentleman who immediately drew a line with others after being insulted.

Mary's face darkened.

Although I didn't expect it to be just like this... But thank God, it's better to ask someone to confess than to ask someone to elope.

To be honest, Mary admires the bold and active female images in literary works who take the lead in love.In her opinion, the image of burning the soul for love is really beautiful and moving, and the pursuit of freedom in love is indeed an important step in the awakening of women's consciousness and opposition to feudal shackles.

For example, in Oscar Wilde's "Salome", Salome, who would have his head if he could not get the love of a saint; or Juliet, who still chooses to die in love after discovering her lover's "death" in Shakespeare's works, such characters are all worthy. The image of praise.

These girls who devote themselves to love are clear-headed and persistent, and more importantly, they know what they want.

Does Lydia know what she wants?Mary was skeptical.

She doesn't know what Wickham is like, or confessing to him—or, to put it mildly, what future Wickham has in return for her love.

Even Mary felt that Lydia was not love at all, it was nothing more than impulsiveness, coupled with anger and unwillingness to admit that Mary was right again.

Wickham turned and strode away, nodding to her in a cold and polite manner as he passed Mary.

But Mary didn't let him go.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Wickham," she said calmly. "It was our sister who was rude first, but she disappeared without reason. Please understand our concerns."

Hearing that Mary was stepping down the steps for Wickham, Wickham looked a little better.

He glanced at Darcy, and seeing Darcy's thoughtful expression, he mistakenly thought that Darcy was surprised by Mary's "reversal of position", which inevitably brought a bit of complacency.

Little did he know that Darcy was thinking about what kind of harm Mary was going to do again—although Fitzwilliam Darcy didn't communicate much with the third Miss Bennet, he would not mistake her for a good-natured Role.

"Never mind," said Wickham, "misunderstandings are inevitable."

"Yes, I'm sorry Lydia misunderstood your motives," she said calmly, "Although you invited her to dances, asked her to be alone, and courted her everywhere, you really didn't have any thoughts about her."

Wickham: "..."

Only then did Wickham understand what Mary meant.

His pride froze on his handsome face: "With all due respect, miss, you asked me to invite your sister to dance."

Mary hooked her lips.

"Do what I want you to do?"

Then I want you to eat...will you go too?Mary complained from the bottom of her heart, but of course it was impossible for her to say that.The third lady of the Bennet family just kept her trademark smirk: "Okay, I want you to leave Meryton immediately, and you will never be half a step closer to where Lydia is in this lifetime, will you do it?"

Wickham couldn't hold back his expression: "You just—"

Mary: "Otherwise, I'll tell you about your debt."

Elizabeth: "What?"

Mary's words were astonishing, not to mention Elizabeth, and Darcy, who grew up with Wickham, also showed a shocked expression.

And Wickham himself freezes when Mary says the word "in debt."

"you……"

He didn't speak for a while.

This reaction made everyone present understand everything.

"How do you know?!" Wickham said.

"You are so close to Lydia." Mary raised her eyebrows and said with a smile. "Didn't she tell you that I went to London to assist Mr. Sherlock Holmes in solving the case? You grew up in Pemberley Manor, Naturally you know the name of Holmes, right? You don’t need Mr. Holmes to investigate you, an ordinary person, I can do it alone.”

"..."

Wickham's expression at this time can no longer be described as embarrassed.

Of course, Mary did not investigate Wickham.She has no proof.

But in the original "Pride and Prejudice", Wickham owed a lot of debts after leaving Meryton, which is enough to prove that this person is addicted to gambling.He came to Meryton to join the army because of desperation. Mary just tricked Wickham, but he had no power to resist and was directly exposed.

"So, Wickham," Mary sneered, "you'd better leave overnight, or else don't blame me tomorrow when three-year-olds in Meryton know you're a gambler."

So far, Mary didn't say any more, she went straight to Lydia.

After learning that Wickham was in debt, Lydia cried even more sadly, almost trembling like a collapse.

Seeing her like this, Mary actually felt a little pitiful.

In fact, Lydia is only 15 years old this year.In the 21st century, a 15-year-old girl is still a junior high school student. She is the age when she is full of youth and fantasy, and it is also the age that causes parents and teachers the most headaches and is especially difficult to manage.

A junior high school student who has gone through nine years of compulsory education would still do stupid things because of emotional impulse, let alone Lydia who has no systematic education and almost no one to discipline?

Mary also has some responsibility in this regard.

In the past years, as long as she paid more attention to Lydia, maybe she wouldn't become like this.It can only be said that people are always partial, just like Mrs. Bennet prefers Lydia, Mary also prefers to stay with her sisters than her silly sisters.

Intellectually she should stop Lydia from doing stupid things, but she doesn't lead her to realize her limitations.

Fortunately, it is not too late to realize my mistake now.

Jane found her own happiness, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy no longer misunderstood, and Mary felt that it was necessary for her to assume the responsibility of a sister.

She took a deep look at Lydia, who was pear-blossoming and rainy, and put away the unbearable feeling in her heart.

"As for you," said Mary to Lydia, "you and Catherine will come with me to Milton in a few days."

"Go away before I-"

Lydia originally wanted to blurt out a rebuttal, but she stopped abruptly after hearing Mary's irrelevant order.

She froze for a moment before remembering what "Milton" was: "I don't want to go! I don't want to go with you to some shabby town in the north, you are willing to suffer and don't drag me!"

You have to go if you don't.

Elizabeth is probably the only one who can control Lydia in the whole family, and Elizabeth is going to visit Pemberley Manor with her uncle and aunt. How can Mary let this silly girl bother Mr. Darcy and act as a light bulb between him and Elizabeth?

Then I can only take it with me. Although she is superficial, self-willed and has no brains, she is useless and annoying to Mary except for her pretty face, but she is her own sister after all.

This girl doesn't care, who knows what kind of troubles can be caused?

Mary still has the same view: she can hate her sister who bullies her, but others can't, let alone a scumbag.

"It's not up to you to decide," Mary rebuffed in a rare and forceful manner, "I will convince Dad about this, and you can pack your bags when you get home tonight."