[Emma] Becoming Jane Fairfax

After personally experiencing a dance in London, Wei Lai rested at home for two days.She used too much effort to learn that dance, which was not easy. The next day, her legs were as if they had been filled with lead, and she couldn't even lift them.

The Dixons will return to Ireland soon. Colonel Campbell and his wife will really be separated from their daughter. Mrs. Campbell is afraid that her daughter will starve and freeze in Ireland, so she has issued a long list of orders to them. Ask them to buy everything on the list.

Mrs. Dixon dragged Wei Lai to go shopping with her, but Wei Lai couldn't get rid of it. With two wooden legs, the pain was excruciating when he went down a step, and fled back to the bedroom.

She grinned in pain, and Mrs. Dixon couldn't force her any longer.

The Dixons were out, and Colonel Campbell stayed in the study all day. Apart from chatting with Mrs. Campbell for a little while, Wei Lai finally had time entirely to herself.

After careful calculation, the day of submitting manuscripts to the "Daily Morning Post" has long passed.When she was an editor, she was most troubled by the delay of the authors, and now she has delayed it once.

After closing the door, Wei Lai took out a pen and paper from the drawer, and threw them neatly on the table.

Looking at the yellowed paper, half an hour passed, and Wei Lai didn't write a single word. Instead, her attention was attracted by the two potted flowers on the window sill. When she recovered, she was inspired and started to write , Suddenly someone knocked on the door.

"Jane, are you resting?" It was Mrs. Campbell.

Wei Lai swiftly put the pen and paper into the drawer, stroked her hair, straightened her skirt, and opened the door: "Ma'am, can I do anything for you? Come in and sit down."

Mrs. Campbell smiled kindly: "I won't come in, you come to my room, I have something to tell you."

"Yes."

Wei Lai learned that Mrs. Campbell was in poor health and never cared about things. Before Mrs. Dixon got married, she was in charge of all the big and small things in the family. After marriage, the retired Colonel Campbell took over all family affairs.What important things can such a person who has never done anything suddenly find out?

Wei Lai was beating drums in his heart, and for some reason, there was an ominous premonition.

Mrs. Campbell asked the servants to make tea and take some snacks. After Wei Lai had used it, she slowly said, "Jane, you have been in my house for almost 18 years."

so many years!

Wei Lai was taken aback subconsciously, and quickly lowered her head to hide her surprised expression: "Yes, ma'am."

"I remember when Colonel Campbell picked you up, you were a small, thin person. You were a few months older than Alice, and you were much smaller than her. It was pitiful to look at. Colonel Campbell and I decided to raise After you, I made up my mind to treat you as my second daughter. Whatever Alice has, you will have too. I am absolutely not partial. I believe I have achieved this."

In terms of Jane's food and drink, the Campbells were really good to her.

"Madam, I will never forget the kindness you and the colonel have shown me, and I have always been grateful."

Mrs. Campbell laughed: "I know you are a kind girl, and you have been doing well all these years."

The more Wei Lai listened, the more strange it became: "Madam, is there anything you want to tell me when you come here?"

Mrs. Campbell showed a embarrassed expression on her face: "This matter...is a good thing for you, but I really don't know how to tell you, Jane, you must not misunderstand, we all regard you as family .”

Wei Lai must be a big deal now. Could it be that he talked about an arranged marriage for her, who is going to marry her?

"Ma'am, it doesn't matter. You can just say it. With the relationship between us, I won't misunderstand what you say."

Mrs. Campbell hesitated, and said: "When I was young, I had a good friend named Theresa Hunter. She later married an army colonel. Let's call her Mrs. Baker. I lost contact. Last month, just before you came back, I suddenly received a letter from her. Jane, do you know how happy I am? People miss their young friends more and more when they get old. Their family is in I moved to Liverpool five years ago with my oldest son, and without knowing it, I deeply blame myself for being an incompetent friend."

Mrs. Campbell went off the rails while talking, and Wei Lai changed the topic again: "What did you say in the letter? Did Mrs. Baker invite you and the Colonel to Liverpool?"

"Yes, Teresa invited us, as well as Alice and Nicholas. She was a very enthusiastic person when she was young. However, she wrote for another matter." Mrs. Campbell looked at Wei Lai's expression , "Jane, the colonel and I have trained you to have all the talents to be a governess, because we know that for a girl who cannot inherit an inheritance, only a skill can make you live. Mrs. Baker's eldest son's family There is a 4-year-old boy and a 3-year-old girl who are just the age to be taken care of. Maybe I mentioned you to her. She wrote and said that she wants you to work as a tutor at her house and is willing to give you 40 years a year. wages in pounds."

When the second boot fell to the ground, Wei Lai felt relieved: "40 pounds, as far as I know, the average family will only give 30 pounds, and some people will only give 25 pounds. They must be very generous people."

Mrs. Campbell was also worried that Jane would think too much, thinking that they were going to drive her out of the house, and she was relieved to hear this: "They are indeed very generous, and Teresa's eldest son has a very large business in Liverpool. Big, if you go, I'm sure they won't treat you badly. Actually, I disagreed at first, I know the air in Liverpool is bad, your health is not good, I can't let you damage your health for work. But , Jane, you have not found a job, I am very anxious. Besides, if Alice becomes pregnant next year, the colonel and I must go to Ireland to take care of her. Ruth and the colonel insisted that I disagree with her marrying Nicholas. So, Jane, would you like this job with the Bakers?"

The more Mrs. Campbell said, the more she felt uncomfortable. After getting along for so many years, she had already regarded Jane as her daughter. She and Colonel Campbell originally decided to bear Jane's life for the rest of her life. As long as they lived, she would not have to run around for a living. No less than a daughter married to Ireland.After they left London, no one would take care of Jane any more. She was not allowed to find a good family as a governess as soon as possible. Should she go back to Highbury to live a poor life?

As for Wei Lai, she didn't intend to eat and drink for free at Campbell's house, but she certainly couldn't be a tutor, but what should I say?

Seeing that she had not answered, Mrs. Campbell asked, "Jane, don't you want to?"

"No, it's not." Wei Lai said hastily.

Mrs. Campbell was overjoyed: "If you agree, I will take you to see Mrs. Baker tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Wei Lai was startled, "To Liverpool?"

"Of course not. Mrs. Baker came back from Liverpool specially in order to choose a suitable tutor. She is the person who likes music the most. You are also good at piano. She must be satisfied when she sees you."

What?play piano!

Wei Lai was a little flustered.

Mrs. Campbell said that the wind was the rain, and she was going to write to Mrs. Baker at once, saying that she would call on her tomorrow.

"Madam, please wait a moment." Wei Lai hadn't come up with a reasonable argument, so he could only stabilize her first, "This matter is too important, can you give me some time to think about it, after all, it concerns me For the rest of my life, I must be cautious."

Mrs. Campbell was already guilty, and there was no disagreement: "Of course, this is an important matter. You must think about it. I absolutely respect your decision, but Mrs. Baker is only in London for two days. Tonight Give me an answer, can you?"

Wei Lai smiled wryly.

Back in the bedroom, Wei Lai was no longer in the mood to write a manuscript, and the inspiration at the beginning had already flown. Now the top priority is to find a way to get rid of this job, and Mrs. Campbell can't really let Mrs. Campbell take her to inspect Mrs. Baker. If Mrs. Baker asked her to play a song live, she was afraid that the sound of her ten claws on the keys would break up the friendship between the two ladies for many years, then she would be guilty of a serious crime.

She could not say that she had found a family, and she would be blinded if the Campbells insisted on sending her.

what can we do about it?

Wei Lai thought about it all afternoon, until the sun went down and the Dixon couple returned with a full load, but she couldn't think of a proper solution.

After dinner, Mrs. Dixon took Wei Lai into her room to count the spoils.Wei Lai was not in high spirits, and Mrs. Dixon thought she was ill again.

"I'm not sick, I'm fine, really, Alice, I'm just thinking of something."

"What's the matter? Is it difficult for you?" Mrs. Dixon said as she folded her clothes. "Tell me, maybe I can help you."

"Can you..." Wei Lai paused, that's right, Mrs. Dixon!

She organized herself, and told Mrs Dixon all that Mrs Campbell had said to her in the afternoon, emphasizing her reluctance to be governess.

Mrs. Dixon was delighted that her friend finally gave up the idea of ​​not marrying: "I know Mrs. Baker, to be honest, she is not the same as my mother, she is not an easy person to get along with, I heard that she is very powerful when I was a child. I'm so glad you didn't keep it in your heart and told me, don't worry about this matter, I told my mother that I haven't finished shopping yet, so I want you to go with me. "

Mrs. Campbell was about to part with her daughter. She would agree to any request Mrs. Dixon made, and this matter was no exception. Wei Lai escaped unharmed and was willing to go shopping with Mrs. Dixon on her injured leg.

However, it is not a long-term solution to be always on tenterhooks and rush to find a solution when something goes wrong. Wei Lai planned to find an excuse to go back to Highbury after the Dixons left London.

Wei Lai smiled self-deprecatingly, like a thief.

Wei Lai and Mrs. Dixon came out of the jewelry store, and a familiar figure walked by the door of the store.

"Mr. Knightley!"

The author has something to say: Why can't Wei Lai confess her work to the Campbells? I should write about it in the next chapter.

I've been too busy these two days, so I can't guarantee to update on time, sorry sorry.