little miss austin

She didn't speak, just lashed the riding whip vigorously until her arms were sore.

Henry waited for her to smoke dozens of times, and finally came down to hold her, "Okay, don't get tired."

Then she dropped the whip, turned around and threw herself into Henry's arms.

"Don't be angry, don't be angry." Henry patted her on the back lightly.

She bit her lower lip, nodded slightly, and got into the carriage.

With a hesitant and sad look, Byron watched the Austin family's carriage drive away.

William Godwin hesitated for a moment, then waved his hand, signaling Byron's servants to drive the carriage over.

Hugh helped the host into the car.

The carriage walked for a long time before Byron sighed, "Why is she so angry?"

The three Godwin girls see the matter differently.

Fanny thinks that Alice is bold and unrestrained and dares to beat a man; Mary thinks she is ruthless and charming; Claire sympathizes with Byron and thinks his ex-girlfriend has a bad temper.

There was nothing to hide about it, and it couldn't be hidden, even if the Godwyns didn't tell it, the servants couldn't keep it up, and the neighbours.It didn't take long for people in high society to know that Austin's sister had violently whipped Byron.This brought them new gossip, and for a while, everyone was discussing this matter.

Julian was overjoyed when he heard about it.

"Good draw!"

Evan Holmes said lazily: "Another one has tasted her riding-whip at last."

Julian kicked his leg, "You still say!"

"What can't be said? Oliver is not here." Evan yelled.Oliver gave him a good meal back then.

"It's good that Oliver is not here, so as not to be involved."

"What about Alice? Her reputation—"

Julian waved his hand, "As long as Oliver doesn't care. In fact, I think this may not be a bad thing. At least she knows what kind of man George is, and she will think Oliver is more suitable for her."

Evan expressed doubts, "What about Ivo?"

"He? Still a child."

Ivo Gordon, who is still simmering on the Isle of Wight, wants to go back to London every day.

Newspapers in London are delivered every day, and news about Byron will be published in the social news section of the "London Morning Post" every now and then. Instead Byron defended her, saying he didn't blame her.

When Ivo saw the report, he just wanted to roll his eyes at his cousin: Does Alice still care if you blame her?Thinking that she must be so angry that she would whip him.She probably doesn't care what others say about her, and wonders if Mrs. Austen will be annoyed again after reading the report.

Well, it's not easy for Alice.

He remembered that she said many years ago that it is not easy for a woman to live happily in this world. There are always many rules and regulations, and she will always be gossiped. You have to be rich enough to not care what others say.

money.

This is a big problem.

He has no way to get rich overnight, he can only wait to inherit the family property in the future.This time when I went home to reconcile with my parents, Mrs. Gordon did not nag, probably because she was afraid that she would run away from home again if she talked too much.He also made up his mind that if his mother continued to scold Alice, he would leave home completely and never return.

Mr. Gordon didn't say anything, but told him that his own affairs are his own decisions, and his parents can't control too much. He showed him the family's account books and savings, so that he can understand the family's financial situation. ——Gordon Jia is really rich, much richer than he thought.

He spent a few days looking at the account books, and then discussed with his father to increase the dowry for the two unmarried sisters, so that they would not find a suitable husband because the dowry was too small.Talked to the two sisters again and asked them if they wanted to get married or stay at home.

The sisters were very surprised that the baby brother knew to come to ask their opinions.

The two sisters are 27 years old and 29 years old. Although they have passed the best age for marriage, they can still find a suitable husband as long as they don’t care about the man’s marital history.They decided to live together in the future, so they wanted their father to give them a small villa, some land, and an annual income of 2 pounds would be enough.In this way, they don't have to worry about food and clothing, and they don't have to deal with their husband and his family, which is also very flattering.

Ivo then went to discuss with his father, saying that he could meet the demands of his sisters, but for him, his income would be less than 500 pounds a year.He also decided to take a sum of money from the family savings and donate it to his four married sisters after his father passed away.

As for himself, in the future he will be able to inherit a property worth 10 pounds and the accompanying fields, and his annual income will be 6000 to 8000 pounds. The fluctuation is due to the unstable harvest of agricultural products. He has a rent income, so he can say that he doesn’t have to worry about finances. In the future, he can afford to marry and marry a wife, and have ten or eight children. But first, he must have a wife.

In fact, the two older sisters had given up their plans to get married a few years ago, but he didn't take it seriously at the time. Now, he saw the shadow of Alice in the older sisters, and she probably felt that getting married was boring, and she was still a People are happier.

On the one hand, he wanted to respect her ideas, but on the other hand, he knew clearly that if he respected her decision, it meant that he could not marry her.

This made him extremely embarrassed!

After smoking Byron, Alice was refreshed and in a good mood.

Mrs. Austen did not come to question her, and she was even happier.

Cathy came to see her a few days later and said what her mother meant, "My mother said, forget about Byron, she doesn't want you to have to face several illegitimate children after you get married, and change lovers every few months. Can't stand this."

"As long as she doesn't care what others say about me not being gentle enough or virtuous enough, and that she won't be able to find a husband in the future, then there will be no problem."

"The trick is, if anyone wants to talk about you, my mother can turn around and leave without having to deal with them. I just discovered now that having money can really lead a happy life."

"Of course. Just think about it, can I offend this person? Will he provide me with living expenses? If he doesn't give me money and is still talking nonsense, then go somewhere cool!"

Cathy smiled from ear to ear, "You're right!" People who want something need to please, be careful with socializing, there is nothing to ask for, of course, you can come here as you please.The British are reserved, which is also relative. When you are entertaining, you are reserved, and you don't even want to deal with it. This attitude can't be said to be more obvious.

Cathy stayed in London for a few days and visited Henry and Jane.Her current life is very simple. She just stays with Mrs. Austin every day. If she wants to show her maternal love, she will bring Helena, Diana, or little William from Henry's family to live for a few weeks.The children of Edward's family are sometimes packed by their father and sent to stay for a month or two. Cathy is gentle and patient, and her nephews and nephews love her very much.

Alice is very busy. She is continuing to write the book "The Queen of Atlantis" and plans to write "In the Name of the Father" published last year into a trilogy. The protagonist is still Mariana, the daughter of a religious scholar.She wrote the second "Samaria" on the Isle of Wight. Five years after Mariana avenged her father's death, she suddenly discovered that she had a half-brother who was also in trouble. In danger, the encounter between father and brother showed that this was a huge conspiracy.

"The Queen of Atlantis" tells the story of a strange revenge man. The female archaeologist Christine discovered the suspected ruins of the ancient Atlantis continent in the Western Sahara Desert, and found Atlantis after going through many dangers. The last territory of Lantis, and the last descendant, a beautiful woman who claimed to be the queen of Atlantis invited her to stay in her palace. Christine could not refuse the invitation of the beautiful queen, but she was surprised to find out that there The records of the Queen of Atlantis all say that the Queen is a master at manipulating men, her best exhibits are her victims, and no man can refuse her temptation.Finally, the queen said, since you know my secret, I can give you two choices, leave and never come back, or stay and become my lover.

At the same time, she also made another writing project, which is expected to start next year.

To become a "famous writer" or even a "literary master", at present, you can only write down-to-earth and tell the reality. "theme.This is also inseparable from the times. The Industrial Revolution has advanced to a very high level in the UK, so the social changes brought about by it can be said to be huge. The whole country has been affected, from rural areas to cities, from the types of crops to the The rapid development of the cotton textile industry and the rapid development of the metal smelting industry.

Alice is going to write a 100-year history of the development of several families of different classes from the poor, the gentry, and the aristocrat based on the investigation she did in the textile worker’s family a few years ago, plus other materials. This will definitely be a big project. , it may take 10 years to write at least 5 books.

She still has to do some research, look up information, and go deep into the lives of the poor and common people, after all, she doesn't understand this class.By the way, Ivo can also provide her with some necessary information.She wants to describe the details from all aspects of society and tell about the changes in the whole society from bottom to top. She is a little worried that she will not be able to grasp this subject well.

She was enthusiastically busy arranging the existing materials, spending a lot of time every day making settings, and had no time to think about emotional issues at all.What's the point of being in love?It's boring, how can it be fun to make up stories!

Byron was going to be depressed.

After Alice had whipped him, Lady Caroline Lamb had another quarrel with him, and tried to whip him too.

He raised his hand and whipped the whip away, quite disdainful, "Stupid woman! Do you think you can be like Alice?"

Caroline sneered, "Is she any different from me? Didn't she also get into your bed? Don't pretend to be a noble lady!"

Byron glanced at her coldly, "Who allowed you to say that about her?"

"She's a mean country girl! Common people should stay in puddles, don't try to enter palaces."

"You are really ignorant and vicious. I've had enough of you, you go, I don't want to see you again." Byron didn't want to deal with her at all, and gave the order to evict her.

Caroline was so angry that her beautiful face twisted, "George Byron! You shameful cowardly cripple!" She stretched out her hands towards Byron's face, and her long, well-manicured nails left a gap on his face. Got two scratches.

Byron didn't expect that such an elegant lady like Caroline would use shrew tricks, and pushed her away, "Crazy woman!"

"You're the madman! You're so bad, you're an idiot!" Caroline yelled, losing her grace, "What's so good about her? Can she satisfy you in bed? Her breasts are softer and more tender than mine. Is it big? Or does she have some dirty tricks that a lowly woman would use?"

The scene was once ugly.

Caroline was furious, scolded Byron for a good meal, and smashed all the things in his living room, and finally Byron had to escape from his apartment.

He rode out in a hurry, thinking about it, not knowing where to go—he had many friends, but those were friends of wine and meat. .

In the end, he actually went to Henry Austin.

Henry didn't miss him, but of course he didn't have a good face.

"Your face—" As a married man, Henry is very clear about the injuries a man can suffer at home, and Byron's face can be seen scratched by a woman's nails.

Byron was a little embarrassed, "There's nothing to say."

Henry snorted.

"Tell me, why does an originally beautiful and elegant woman become unrecognizable when she gets angry?" Byron asked in wonder.

"Are you talking about Alice?"

"No." He sighed. "I mean, Caroline—" It suddenly struck him as absurd, and maybe Henry would beat him up too.

Henry snorted again, "You are a man, you should take care of your own affairs. As for Alice, stay away from her."

Byron stroked his hair in boredom, "I thought Alice was different—" He just couldn't understand this, obviously Alice knew what kind of man he was, and the word "loyalty" didn't exist in his dictionary, obviously in Neither Greece nor Italy cared about his other lovers.

"She said that she doesn't want to get married and will never consider having children. Isn't it good to be with me? I will never force her to get married—"

Henry glared at him angrily, “What did you say?”

Byron snapped shut.

After a moment of silence, he stood up, "I have to go back and see if that crazy woman is gone."

He left in a hurry and was swept out like a gust of wind.

After Cathy came home, Alice put aside her work for a while and began to sort out the letters that had been sent home since she went to the Isle of Wight. She had piled up a large pile of letters and did not answer them.

After receiving the letter according to the sender and replying to several letters, she suddenly realized that something was wrong: there was no letter from Oliver.

Oliver had not written to her since the siege of Badajoz, but he had sent several letters last time, the last lines of which were hastily scribbled on the night of April 4 before the fighting began.She thought he was doing some kind of military operation before and couldn't send letters, but now that she thinks about it, it's unlikely that military operations in this era just finished a tough battle with huge casualties and didn't get replenished troops, so they started in a short period of time. one action.

He got hurt again?But there was no news. She had only met Julian a few days ago, and Julian just mentioned that Oliver hadn't written to his family recently, nothing else.Julian was not one to keep things in his mind, and if Oliver had been hurt he would have said it.

Could it be, then, that he was angry at her article in the London Morning Post about the massacre in Badajoz?Like he wouldn't be mad about that kind of thing either.

She was puzzled, so she wrote a note and asked the servant to send it to Jane's house, asking Tom if he had heard about Oliver's recent situation.As a member of Parliament, Tom can inquire about many secret things.

Tom wrote back quickly, saying that he would go to the military department tomorrow to inquire.

Three days later, Jane and Tom, without their two children, came to find Alice.

Alice was still wondering why they didn't bring the girls when they came over?

I heard Jane say: "Alice, sit down."

It's even more strange. Is the young lady trying to teach her something?Tom also looked serious, which made people very nervous.

She was still trying her best to think about the things she hadn't done to mess with Jane recently, and she was pushed to sit on the sofa by Jane.

Tom sat down before her. "Alice, hasn't anyone from the Bundfields written to you, or sent?"

"No. What's the matter? Has something happened to his house?"

Tom glanced at Jane who was sitting next to Alice, "It's Oliver, he—he's hurt."

Alice was taken aback, "He was injured? Then why didn't he write to me? Is the injury serious?"

"I haven't had time to send someone to the hospital to check the medical records. You have to know that if the injury is not serious, you will not be sent back to China for treatment."

Alice panicked, "Then where is he hurt?"

"I don't know. Just, you have to think about it, in case he—" Tom hesitated, looking at his wife.

Jane took the words, "If he becomes disabled and proposes to you again, you—" Jane found it difficult to continue.Oliver was injured in battle. If he can't continue to serve, maybe the government will give him a knighthood, and he will become a battle hero. It's not easy for Alice to refuse a battle hero's marriage proposal, no matter where he is injured—maybe missing an arm or a few For legs, that might not be good.

This creates a double dilemma, Alice doesn't want to get married, and Jane doesn't want her husband missing a leg or anything, even if she does.This is unfair to Oliver, why can't a fighting hero who bleeds for the country marry the girl he loves?But this is also unfair to Alice, why must she marry a man who lacks arms and legs?

Jane was stumped by the tangled plot that she made up in her head.

Alice didn't think too much about it, "He won't, if he was really seriously injured, he would hide secretly and say nothing—" She stood up abruptly, "He didn't write to me! He must have been seriously injured!"

She panicked all of a sudden, "What should I do? He might be dying soon."

Jane hurriedly hugged her, "Don't worry, wait until Tom sends someone to the hospital to find out."

Tom also hurriedly said: "I have already sent someone to the hospital to inquire, you don't have to worry too much. Being able to send him back to the country means that his injury is not fatal."

"I haven't been very good to him. I went to see him when he was injured last time. He wanted to kiss me, but I didn't let him kiss me. Jane, I don't want him to die," she leaned on Jane sadly, "He can't die."

Jane and Tom told her to stay at home and wait for news, and then left.After they left, Alice also went out.

She went to Julian.

"Did you know Oliver was injured?" she asked straight to the point.

"What?" Julian was surprised and suspicious, "Who did you hear that from?"

"Lefroy. He checked the wounded list from the military department. Lieutenant Colonel Bundfield was among the wounded officers sent home."

"How is it possible? He was injured and returned home. I should know." He thought for a while, then rang the bell to call the servant in, and told him to go to various hospitals in London immediately.

"First check which hospital he is in, and then check whether the injury is serious. Since he is sent back to China, it must not be a fatal injury. Otherwise, the coffin should be sent back."

Alice glared at him.

"Are you going to visit him?"

"of course."

"That's good. I'll take you home first. There are not many big hospitals in London. You should know which hospital he is in tonight."

But when Alice got home, Tom Lefroy sent a letter saying that Oliver had been taken home by his family after a week in the London hospital.

Julian yelled: "I am family, why don't I know about this?"

Alice wondered, "What do you mean? That means your father took Oliver without telling you? Is he dying?"

Julian frowned, "What are you talking about? He is the eldest son. If he is dying, my father will definitely call me home. Although I don't know why he didn't tell me, I think Oliver's injury will not be too serious. But Things are still very strange. You pack your bags, we go to Newton Park tomorrow."

He hastily said goodbye.

Alice was restless.

Sidney also panicked, and while packing her luggage, she muttered, "Master Oliver is such a good person, how could it be—Miss, Master Oliver will be fine." Suddenly thinking, Miss may also be panicked, she can no longer give Miss Added trouble.

"He'll be fine." Alice said with a lot of thought.

"Strange, why didn't he write to tell you? Why didn't the baron send someone to tell you?"

"This must be Oliver's meaning. He doesn't want me to know. If he doesn't write to me, he may have hurt his arm and can't write? He can't let others write to me. It's not his handwriting. I will doubt it immediately —" But that still doesn't quite make sense. "He should know that it won't be long before I find out that he is injured and returned home. Damn, what the hell is he thinking?"

It dawned on her that she hadn't actually known what he was thinking all along.

No, it's better to say that she has never tried to understand him.

The author has something to say: *The core of the story of "The Queen of Atlantis" is taken from the French writer Bonoit's "Atlantis".