Chapter 2 Chapter 2 Herman White, why him? ...
A cloud of gloom hung over the Norman estate. No matter how troubled they were, they still had to eat and sleep. Just like the aristocrats of today, no matter how many storms and turmoil they hid within, they still had to maintain a dignified and respectable appearance. The red wine and beef were indispensable on the table.
After dinner, Audrey invited her sister to walk around the room.
The vast castle remains as magnificent as it did in the last century, though the spiral staircase and the mottled beams add to the traces of time. This highly acclaimed manor was once a destination that many tourists yearn for and often brought great honor to the Norman family.
Audrey was not in the mood to appreciate it at the moment. She held her sister's arm, absent-minded, her aquamarine eyes were dull, and even her golden curls were drooping.
"Dear Otti, if you are depressed because of the bad news today, then I advise you not to be so." Isabel stroked her sister's curly hair. It felt soft to the touch, like the golden shaded cat she raised in her previous life.
Audrey forced a smile. "I'm sorry, Bella, my unhappiness has infected you. I hope you won't bother trying to think of nice words to comfort me. We both understand that no one can disobey the Queen's marriage."
Isabel raised an eyebrow and stared into her big eyes for a moment, "No, I'm not trying to comfort you."
Audrey's eyes flickered with doubt: "?"
"I just want to say that after one piece of bad news there will always be another piece of bad news, so don't worry too much." Isabel said calmly.
Audrey stretched her lips and said, "...What a comfort."
"You're welcome." Isabel continued to pace gracefully.
After a moment of silence, the two sisters laughed out loud.
Audrey wiped away tears of laughter, "Dear Bella, you always know how to make me happy."
Candles were lit in the living room, and Audrey looked at Isabel, her blue eyes meeting hers.
The difference is that the elder sister's eyes are as deep as the ocean, while the younger sister is always smiling, like a sapphire shining in the sun.
From childhood to adulthood, the two sisters are like the two sides of a coin, with very different personalities, but complementing each other.
Audrey often felt that Isabel was isolated from the crowd. She was intelligent, knowledgeable, and sharp-witted, but she never showed off to others. Only Audrey, who grew up with her, could glimpse a corner of the deep sea - of course, it was not a good situation.
As a child, Isabel was a self-taught genius whose favorite pastime was to bask in the sun and read in the courtyard. Audrey, on the other hand, was a complete idiot who could never master the handicrafts her tutor assigned her. Even her usually gentle mother began to suffer from headaches after tutoring her. In desperation, she had no choice but to throw this burden onto Isabel.
If you think Isabel is a gentle and reliable big sister, you are totally wrong. From then on, the ten-year-old sister Bella had her own "exclusive little servant" - five-year-old little Otti.
The little follower's daily routine: waking up at six o'clock, running to her sister's room to wait for her to get a three-hour nap, then giving her a late good morning kiss; serving her breakfast, often spilling the milk but persevering; while her sister basks in the sun and reads, she obediently stands by, building blocks and mud houses, always ready to serve her tea and water. Sometimes, tired from playing, she falls asleep on the lawn, only to wake up next to her sister. Though her sister's face is filled with disdain for the dirty child, she'll shield her from the sun with the book she holds. Whenever this happens, little Otti forgets all her unhappiness and remains on call the next day.
As for homework, Audrey completely forgot about it. Anyway, when the teacher checked it, her sister would help her to get by. When her mother asked about it, Isabel replied nonchalantly: "Little Ms. Audrey is obviously not an expert in music and cooking. I think she has a talent for building mud houses."
Her mother, Jenny, was worried: "If a noble girl doesn't master a few talents, she will be accused of being uneducated in the future."
"That's great! You already have a daughter destined to be uncultured, so you shouldn't mind having another one." Ten-year-old Isabel teased her mother without blinking. "At least I will do my best to cultivate Ms. Audrey's talent for playing in the mud, so that she can have a happy childhood."
Jenny: “…”
Isabelle wasn't lying. Over the next few years, she taught Audrey a great deal about math, from building houses to assembling machinery, gradually exploring her interests. These days, few women pursued such professions, let alone those from aristocratic families. Even a math prodigy wouldn't impress at a social dance if you weren't proficient in piano or painting.
Audrey had once been troubled by this, but Isabelle had simply pinched her sister's face and said calmly, "If piano and painting bring you joy, then it's not too late to learn some social skills. If you're just using them as a tool to flaunt your status and win the affections of gentlemen, then I doubt you'll have the energy to delve into your passions."
That night, Audrey thought for a long time.
In the middle of the night, she went into her sister's room with her pillow in her arms and whispered, "I understand, dear Bella. I understand what will make me happy."
——It is to stick to what you love, which will make your life fulfilling and rich.
In the darkness, Isabel just ruffled her little curls, seemingly unsurprised, "Congratulations, little Otti."
Audrey hugged Isabel and nuzzled her lovingly, "Thank you, sister."
If it weren't for those deep blue eyes that discovered little Audrey's talent and led her onto a special path, perhaps Audrey would never be able to experience true love at this moment.
As she grew up, Audrey actually realized that her sister was different.
Her sister always classified herself as "uneducated", but Audrey had seen with her own eyes how skillful her piano playing skills were and how exquisite her painting skills were.
Also, much of the knowledge imparted by my sister is beyond the present era and could not possibly have come from a tutor.
In Audrey's eyes, her elder sister is the real genius, and this genius will only show a little bit in front of her younger sister, and even her parents know very little about it.
Whenever Audrey thought of this, she would feel a secret happiness - she was the only one who knew her sister's secret, and she would tacitly keep this secret to the end.
The full moon was hanging high outside the window, illuminating Audrey's beautiful blue eyes, just like now.
"If you continue to be in a daze, I will ask Aunt Anna to ask the gypsy woman to help you see if Spencer's curse has taken effect early." Isabel waved the fan in front of Audrey's eyes.
Audrey pulled herself away from her memories, scratching her head in embarrassment. Then, remembering something, she became dejected again. "If the curse is going to come, please let me die at home before the second week of next month. I don't want to leave the manor, I don't want to leave Mom and Dad, and you."
A smile flashed across Isabel's eyes. "Good idea! If bad luck chooses me, I can learn from your method."
"No! Bella, don't say such unlucky things!" Audrey was willing to laugh at herself, but she didn't want to hear her sister say the same thing.
Isabel held out her arms. "Don't be afraid, Otti. What's coming will eventually come. Maybe..."
Suddenly, there was a rapid knock on the door, like a stone falling into a calm lake, breaking the peace of the whole night.
A glimmer flashed across her ice-blue eyes. Isabel watched the butler go to open the door and chuckled softly: "Maybe... right now."
Audrey raised her eyes nervously, "Are you talking about... bad luck?"
Isabel didn't say anything. The two sisters stood on the second floor and looked down at the chaos downstairs.
The Normans, whose nerves were disturbed by the bad news, rushed out of the bedroom the moment they heard the knock on the door.
Edward, still in his funny nightcap, cried to the footman, "Who's here? God, for my poor nerves, don't let me hear any more bad news!"
The footman held the door open, his calves trembling. Only after Edward had asked several questions did he turn around and slowly raise his hand. Behind him, a short-barreled musket was pointed at the back of the footman's head, and a dozen strong men in deerskin coats, revolvers strapped to their waists, slowly entered.
Everyone's pupils shrank sharply, and the servants screamed and fled. The Norman couple barely supported each other and asked tremblingly, "Who are you? What do you want to do? This is Norman Manor, protected by the laws of the Principality of Ceylon!"
Aunt Anna, who was hiding in the corner of the second floor, turned pale with fear and made the sign of the cross repeatedly: "Is it a robber? This is terrible! Please God! Bella, Otti, hide back in the house!"
There was no fear on Isabel's face. She just pulled Audrey back into the studio on the second floor and observed the situation on the first floor through the gap.
Downstairs, the spacious living room became crowded due to the influx of strong men. Suddenly, they made way for a path like Moses parting the sea, and a young man walked slowly in.
Audrey hid behind her sister, her aqua-blue eyes reflecting the unfamiliar face.
This man was undoubtedly the most handsome man Audrey had ever seen in her short eighteen years. He had deep features, pale skin, and long, silver-gray hair, its soft, glossy texture dazzling in the dim light. Looking down, he wore a snow-white, high-collared linen shirt with French copper cuffs and a double-breasted black dress coat, a true middle-class attire. Yet, this decorum and composure, in such a solemn atmosphere, made him seem even more terrifying.
"Sir Norman, long time no see." He said.
Edward's expression was completely frozen. If it weren't for his wife's support, he would probably faint immediately.
"Mr. White?"
On the second floor, Aunt Anna almost screamed out loud: "Herman White! The profiteer who bankrupted us! Why is it him?!"
The two sisters looked at each other.
Herman White?
Audrey's eyes flickered—his name turned out to be Herman.
Isabel's eyes flickered slightly—as expected, another misfortune arrived.
The author has something to say:
----------------------
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
