Chapter 23 Country Life 17 London Pen Pals

Charlotte had originally planned not to mention the red uniform. After all, it seemed that they parted on bad terms, and to be honest, a beauty like Heather with a special experience really made people feel distant.

However, after studying the fabrics together, Charlotte felt that she was much more enthusiastic and easy to get along with than she had imagined. She was no longer the polite and distant girl she was every time she came to visit and was introduced as a marriage partner. The real her seemed more casual and lovely.

Charlotte thought of Heather's somewhat guilty look when the carriage left, and decided to remind her so that she wouldn't be overwhelmed by her momentary reluctance.

"Actually..." Charlotte glanced at Heather, then quickly dropped her eyes. She was a little nervous, not wanting to inadvertently offend this new friend she'd just gotten to know. "What I meant to say is that while young girls tend to favor red uniforms, in reality, they're not a good choice for young ladies from the gentry class."

Heather had long noticed Charlotte's entanglement. She originally thought that she wanted to gossip about what had just happened, but she didn't expect that she was afraid that she would fall into the sweet trap of the red uniform.

Heather found it a little funny, yet also felt warmed by her kindness. She couldn't help but wink and joked with her, "Oh, really? How about compared to Mr. Collins? The men in red uniforms are at least a little more upright and agile, right?"

Charlotte blushed, realizing that Heather had seen through her thoughts. She wasn't ashamed of actively pursuing a less-than-perfect marriage, but it was inevitable that she felt a little embarrassed to be discovered for the first time.

Blushing, she forced herself to say, "When it comes to chatting and dancing, a hundred Mr. Collinses are no match for one in a red uniform. But when it comes to marriage, at least Mr. Collins can give his wife a comfortable home of her own. Most officers' wives either live alone in their hometowns raising children, or travel with the militia from one station to another."

Heather hadn't considered the problem Charlotte mentioned, but it was indeed a practical problem. No wonder Charlotte never chased officers.

“So having a house is important?”

Heather is actually still in the psychological state of having just graduated. She lived in the dormitory at school and rented a house after graduation. It is normal for her not to have her own house.

She had never lived in her own house for a single day, including since she came here, so she hadn't thought about the house carefully until Charlotte mentioned it.

Charlotte thought the question a little strange. So many people fought over houses, and Mrs. Bennet was most reluctant to leave Longbourn. A comfortable house was her greatest wish for marriage.

"Of course it's important. With a family like mine, with nearly ten people crammed into a small house, there's not much space for anyone to use freely. The living room is always crowded, and unless you stay in a cramped bedroom, it's hard to find a room to be alone. I don't want to live like this forever."

Charlotte knew that Mr. Collins's parents were both dead, and that a parsonage in a less poor area would certainly not be too simple. If she married him, she was confident that she would be able to gain control of the household and decorate a cozy study as she pleased.

Charlotte added, "It would be unfortunate if we had to move around with the militia and change our homes every year, never being able to furnish our own house. So the question of a house is of vital importance."

This reminded Heather that she needed a house of her own!

Christmas is two months away. After returning to London, although she can still live in her brother's house and they will definitely welcome her, it is obviously more convenient and comfortable to have a house of her own that she can live in at any time.

This way she could receive some of her own guests there, and also bring her sister and nieces to live in London. After all, land is very expensive in London, and the Gardner family does not have that much space.

Heather took Charlotte's hand gratefully and said, "Thank you so much, Charlotte. Your reminder was very helpful to me!"

Charlotte was a little confused as to why Hazel suddenly became excited, but she was still happy to be able to help Hazel.

Charlotte left contentedly, and Heather walked into the yard humming a song. She planned to write a letter when she got back.

However, as expected, as soon as she stepped into the house, Mrs. Bennet's spies discovered Hazel, so she was questioned until dinner started.

Mrs. Bennett had been expecting the two men who had gone out together that afternoon to come back hand in hand to share their good news. Instead, she waited for over an hour before Major Brown returned alone. He looked normal. She cautiously inquired about Hazel's whereabouts, but he simply said she had gone to visit a friend and hadn't returned with them.

Major Brown rode away quickly, and Mrs. Bennett asked Lucy to watch the door and make sure to intercept Heather as soon as she came back. She had to interrogate her in person.

But Mrs. Bennett could get nothing out of her inquiry, and when Hazel found that Major Brown had said nothing, she resolved to get over the matter.

She told Mrs. Bennett that Major Brown had only chatted about some common topics and had no further intention. She didn't know why he had to talk about such topics alone in the hot sun. Perhaps he just happened to want to talk to someone today.

This answer was somewhat perfunctory, but Hazel insisted, and Mrs. Bennett could only accept it doubtfully.

But she didn't think it was too pity. After all, the conditions of a major might not be as good as those of the other gentry she had asked for help before. After all, her sister had married an earl. Although she was not as young as she was back then, the gap between an earl and a red uniform was still too big, so she should choose carefully.

Mr. Bennett announced a good news at dinner time. He and several other gentry decided to hold a country hunting activity this weekend, five days later.

Mr. Bennett was old and frail, but he thought that an occasional gentle hunt, such as a rabbit or a pheasant, would be both a good exercise for the body and a good pleasure for the mind.

The ladies were not allowed to take part in the hunt, but they still looked forward to it.

Because they can see those young men wearing riding clothes to show their charm, they might even try their best to win the favor of the girls.

More importantly, after hunting, everyone would gather together for a dinner, enjoying game and dancing. This was a large-scale social event unique to the harvest season.

Moreover, this year's participants in the hunt included not only local gentlemen but also some officers from Meryton. Mr. Bentley was also happy to join in, which made the girls so excited that they could hardly sleep, and the whole building was not completely quiet until late at night.

Amidst the intermittent sounds of the fight, Heather began to write her reply.

Over the past few months, the lawyer far away in London has sent a letter almost every week. It seems that they have developed from the initial client-client relationship to a kind of pen pal.

Hessel often wondered if Mr. Lancaster had the energy to write so frequently to each of his clients; his letters, which began as ordinary greetings and progress reports, later developed into a collection of stories.

Although Mr. Lancaster said that his main business was property, his letters showed that he was involved in much more than one field.

It can be said that if his letters were compiled and sorted out, a book similar to the Sherlock Holmes collection could be published. Of course, his language is concise and his wording is stiff, and most of the time it seems like he is reporting on work, which makes the story less interesting.

But generally speaking, these stories still accompanied Heather through many nights. She learned about the era through these stories, raised wild questions and speculations, and Lancaster always answered these questions with new stories.

Mr. Lancaster's rational, objective and personal narrative was very trustworthy. Heather didn't know when she started to regard him as a reliable pen pal, and they began to communicate frequently and in-depth.

When Charlotte mentioned the house today, Heather immediately remembered what Mr. Lancaster mentioned in his last letter.

Mr. Lancaster mentioned in the letter that after repeated applications and additional arguments, the church court has issued documents supporting the inheritance of the bank's movable assets. It can be said that they have been at least 90% successful in the fight for bank deposits and bonds. Now they just have to wait for the bank to complete the specific operations of the transfer.

Private banks in England today are inefficient and have cumbersome procedures, but even if we take the longest estimate, we should get results within a month.

In other words, in a month, Heather will truly become a wealthy woman in the 19th century with a fortune of 100,000 pounds and a steady stream of dividends.

Moreover, as a widow, she had more freedom than unmarried ladies and married ladies, and a house of her own seemed to be within reach.

I don’t know whether it was intentional or not, but Mr. Lawyer’s story in this episode is actually about related content.

I recently handled a divorce property dispute case that caused a stir in London's legal community. A relatively well-known woman, Mrs. M, had acquired a mansion in Westminster thanks to bequests from three of her deceased husbands. The house, acquired during her widowhood, was considered her personal property. However, when she recently divorced for the fourth time, the house was awarded to her fourth husband by the Magistrates' Court.

If this were an article published in an evening paper or magazine, the author would definitely end the story here, leaving the suspense to be revealed in the next issue, leaving the audience scratching their heads for a week before starting the rush to buy the new issue.

However, Mr. Lancaster obviously had no such need. He always explained the ending easily and described the thrilling and complicated plot without any twists and turns.