[Pride and Prejudice] Mary's Pride and Prejudice

Chapter 32 Miss White

"Are you sure?"

Almost everyone asked Mrs. Bennet in unison.

"Of course," Mrs. Bennet nodded firmly, "I saw that Miss White was picked up by a carriage."

She was very irritable, and said in a very disdainful and very angry tone: "I asked many people, and they all said that she was often picked up by this carriage when she was resting. People said that she did something dishonorable because someone Saw her going in and out of a house with a well-known London swinger brother, who kept several theater actors and several illegitimate children!"

"Kitty, Lydia, go back to your room," Mary ordered the two sisters.

"We want to hear it," Lydia said aloud.

"What did I tell you last time?" Elizabeth asked Lydia, and before she could answer, she continued, "Everyone has an interest in exploring other people's privacy, but you must distinguish the occasion, and you were not allowed to listen to this before. stories, and you are not allowed to discuss them.”

"You are not dissatisfied either, Mary is even only one year older than me." Kitty was very dissatisfied.

"But we are mature and rational enough, and we can also make sure that we will never spread the word after hearing something that should not be spread, can you? If you promise to do it, I will not stop you, but if you can't If you casually say those groundless right and wrong while chatting with others, then you will be severely punished!" Elizabeth's tone was very severe.

Kitty and Lydia looked at each other, both hesitated.

Mary immediately found some stimulation for her two sisters: "Think about the clothes, hats, and shoes you just bought."

They bought a lot of things when they went shopping these days. At that time, Mary didn't object at all. They thought the ban had been lifted, but two days ago, Mary checked their homework. The recent studies of the two children were very unsatisfactory. Mary confiscated all the beautiful clothes and accessories up.Except for those who went to the Ministry of the Interior and asked them to wear beautiful new clothes, they were only allowed to wear old clothes the rest of the time.

When the two of them thought of this, they immediately became honest, obediently left the living room, and cast pitiful glances at everyone present before leaving.

"They are much more obedient than before, and they often read to their two cousins. Girls can't be disciplined too harshly, otherwise it is not a good thing to become timid and introverted." Uncle Gardiner couldn't help pleading for the two of them.

"Think about Mom and Aunt Philip." Mary reminded her uncle in a low voice. Mr. Gardiner thought about it and shut up decisively. The temperament of the two sisters is so troublesome that he really won't let the nieces go. his old ways.

After the scene was cleared, Elizabeth said to Mrs. Bennet: "I think you probably made a mistake in this matter. If Miss White is really a mistress, she doesn't have to stay in our food store at all. That's not a relaxing work."

"Ha," Mrs. Bennet sneered disdainfully, "a lot of shameless opera singers are the mistresses of wealthy men, and they still come out to perform on stage, maybe she thinks that's another part-time job for her."

Mary shook her head: "I have been in contact with Miss White several times, and I feel that she is not such a person."

"Yes, Mom," Jane agreed, "I think this is probably a misunderstanding. Before the facts are found out, I don't think we can jump to conclusions. Otherwise, the truth will eventually come out and prove that everything is nothing. How embarrassing."

Mrs. Bennet admitted that she was meticulous in her observations: "The carriage that came to pick her up was very beautiful and luxurious, with the emblem of the nobles on it! I heard that this has been the case for two weeks, and sometimes the food store will be closed. Pick her up and bring her back at a very late hour!"

"It may be a friend I met by chance, or someone else looking for her. There are always some strange things in this world that are beyond people's expectations. I think there must be a reason for this. I never believe that someone like her Such an elegant, modest woman would do something dishonorable." Jane went on to defend Miss White.

"But her room is furnished like a lady's boudoir, more elegant than Lydia's and Kitty's, and she has a lot of pretty clothes in her closet, most of which she hasn't worn. These things of hers are How did it come about? Did Mr. Lake pay her a lot of wages?" Bennet questioned.

"Fanny, how do you know what Miss White's room and her clothes are like? You went into her room?" asked Uncle Gardiner suddenly.

"Of course, I asked the store manager to open her room." Bennet nodded confidently, "We paid for the dormitory she lives in, of course I can go in and take a look, I have to make sure she has done nothing disgraceful thing."

Everyone was very surprised that Bennet did such a thing, broke into the employee's room and searched wantonly, which is also disgraceful.

"Mom, how can you do this? It's too demeaning of your identity!" Elizabeth said dissatisfied, "If you have any questions, you can ask the store manager, Mr. Lake, or even Miss White herself. I believe you will Got a satisfactory answer. Never do this again! This is so disrespectful."

"She doesn't deserve my respect!" cried Mrs. Bennet angrily.

Mary sighed, and said helplessly to Uncle Gardiner: "Please send a letter to Mr. Lake to let him come. Although I think this is nonsense, it should be explained clearly in person. In any case, since such rumors have arisen, we have to find out the truth of the matter before dealing with it."

Uncle Gardiner was willing to help spread the word, and the servant left immediately after receiving the note asking Mr. Lake to come over.

Mary frowned but did not let go. Miss White is the sister of Mr. Lake's friend and the daughter of a cook. If she is indeed not taken care of by someone, then she should not know the nobles of the upper class due to her background.

But Miss White is not without a trace of doubt. She is an educated lady with outstanding temperament and good education. If such a lady becomes a tutor, she will definitely not have to worry about finding a good master.Her salary as a cook is definitely not comparable to that of a tutor, and her social status is even more different. One is a blue-collar worker and the other is a white-collar worker. One can read and play the piano in the living room, but the other has to smoke in the kitchen all day long. burn.

Mr. Lake's residence is very close to Gardiner's house. After receiving the letter, he soon appeared at the door of Gardiner's house. The servant welcomed him in and announced to the master: "Mr. Lake... "

Before she finished speaking, Mrs. Bennet interrupted: "Mr. Lake, I have something to tell you, I found that there is a..."

"Mom, please ask Mr. Lake to sit down first." Elizabeth interrupted Mrs. Bennet.

Mrs. Bennet took a breath, and planned to speak again after Mr. Lake sat down.But this time Mary rushed ahead of her and asked Mr. Lake: "Mr. Lake, my mother has been shopping in the food store for the past two days and heard bad rumors, so I want you to come over and check."

"Ah? What rumors?" Mr. Lake didn't know why. He has been busy building factories these days, and he thought he was called here to ask about this. It turned out to be about the food store!

He checks the accounts of the food store every day, and it seems that the business is in good condition so far. He also plans to open one or two branches in the West District next year, which is a rich area, and the customer flow is not small, especially the consumption level of the people there. It's very high, as long as the decoration is high-end, it will definitely be more profitable than the current two stores.But now there are bad rumors about the grocery store?Mr. Lake was a little nervous. Did something happen to the food store that he didn't know about? !

Mary told Mr. Lake the gossip about Miss White being a mistress.

Mr. Lake was very shocked when he heard these words, he stood up immediately: "This is absolutely impossible, I can guarantee Miss White with my personality, she will never do such a disgraceful thing, she is a A self-respecting and self-reliant woman, I admire her very much, she doesn't think she would do such a thing!"

"Then how do you explain her whereabouts? It's too suspicious to be so elusive!" Mrs. Bennet exclaimed.

Mr. Lake thought for a while, and said slowly: "I may know what's going on, please forgive me, I can probably guess, it should be like this: the carriage should be my friend, Miss White's brother sent Come get her."

"Brother?" Mary raised her eyebrows: "Isn't that your friend?"

"Yes, he is a naval colonel. He was injured at sea and returned to London to recuperate. I met Miss White when I went to visit him, so the so-called Miss White was picked up by a nobleman's carriage, definitely It was his brother who sent the carriage to fetch her."

"Is his brother a nobleman? I heard that the carriage that came to fetch Miss White had a badge of nobleman on it?"

...Mr. Lake was silent for a while and said: "He is indeed a nobleman, but he has been expelled from the house. He now lives in Drury Street. His carriage was lent to him by his brother."

Drury Street?There are many theaters there, the most famous being the Royal Opera House.That Mr. White lived there!

Elizabeth asked sensitively: "Is Miss White also born in a noble family? She was also expelled from the house?" But she clearly remembered that Mary said that Miss White's mother was a cook, so how could her own brother be born in a noble family? ?Do nobles marry cooks as wives?

Mr. Lake was a little embarrassed, he paused: "Please forgive my previous concealment, I have no intention of deceiving you, Miss White's background is not glorious, she is an illegitimate daughter."

The author has something to say:

There will be a second update later, it's too hasty, and there are not many words, please forgive me!