Chapter 14 Jade Rabbit Arrives at the Hot Springs Town "Mr. Moran is also here to spend his time...
Alice looked behind Jane. Speaking of going to the spa town for vacation, it was strange that Katherine and Lydia didn't come with her from Longbourn.
There were no red uniforms in London, so the two of them had already dragged Mary back to Longbourn. Jane couldn't have come home with Bingley without mentioning her plans for a holiday, and how could the two of them, who loved participating in such activities, not insist on going together?
Alice's face was filled with doubt. Jane naturally understood what she was thinking. She felt a little embarrassed and whispered, "Mom stopped them and said that we, the engaged couple, should strengthen our relationship."
"They're willing too?" Alice raised her eyebrows. She was well aware of the power of her two sisters at home, and how Mr. and Mrs. Bennett were often forced to compromise in various ways because of their arguments.
"You know, Mom just needs to tell them that a lady in Meryton is holding a ball in a few days and has invited the red-uniformed members of the militia, and they won't want to go anywhere." At the end, Jane smiled helplessly.
I have to say, Mrs. Bennett is really very wise in life sometimes. Alice doesn't think it's a big deal, as long as the trick works.
Mr. Bingley, who had by this time put his carriage in order, knocked at the door and entered the drawing-room, and they paused.
"Good afternoon, Alyssa," Mr. Bingley greeted her cheerfully, looking refreshed and radiant. He changed his address naturally, evidently adjusting well to his change of status, perhaps even feeling overjoyed.
"Then Mr. Bentley, do you mind? If I join the journey, won't it delay your sweet date?" Although Alice asked her new brother-in-law, she winked at Jane.
Mr. Bentley finally understood what the two were talking about, but he didn't care. "Alyssa, just call me Charles, just like Caroline does. My sister, brother-in-law, and Caroline are also on this trip. Besides, you will soon be my sister in the legal sense. We are all family, so don't be so polite. I love the lively and lively family life the most."
He was so happy now, with a silly smile on his face, and he couldn't wait to share the joy of his successful proposal with the whole world.
"That's a deal, then," Mr. Bingley invited warmly.
Jane also hoped to have a companion: “Alyssa…”
"Okay." Anyway, the pharmacy business is on track. After the fight two days ago, with the residual influence of Mrs. Finsbury, no one would be so blind as to provoke her. She can go out for a vacation.
This trip, in addition to the regular four-member Bingley family, was Jane and Alice. Elizabeth had left London two days before to visit her friend Charlotte Lucas's new home.
Charlotte moved into the new home to get married, and her husband was an old acquaintance of the Bennet family, Mr. Collins. It is said that after being driven away by the Bennet family, Mr. Collins met Charlotte in Meryton and was warmly invited. They got along very well, and thus became the eldest son-in-law of the Lucas family.
Charlotte had originally planned to invite her family and friends to visit her in the spring, but she suddenly received a letter saying that the time had been changed and that she hoped they would come soon so they could spend Christmas together. The letter revealed that this was the earnest expectation of her husband, Mr. Collins.
Elizabeth believed that Mr. Collins had heard that his daughter Alice had made a name for herself in London's upper class society and wanted to use his wife to gradually build a good relationship with the Bennet sisters.
Of course, this eagerness stemmed from the fact that if he didn't show off his parsonage near Rosings Manor, he might not have the chance to show it off to his former suitor, Elizabeth. After all, anyone who had heard about recent events in London could see that Alice was very good at making money. Once she earned enough money to buy a house, Mr. Collins was worried that he would not be able to make Elizabeth feel strongly about losing this marriage.
"He is dreaming. Even if I am penniless, I will never regret not accepting Mr. Collins' proposal." Elizabeth said to the two of them at the time, firmly refuting this absurd idea.
For a long time, she could not accept her friend marrying such a fool in England. She came to London not only to visit her sisters, but also to relax. Therefore, she said she would use the most foolish idea that matched him to guess Mr. Collins's intentions.
In short, she went on a visit with Charlotte's family in a carriage, leaving only Alice and Jane in London.
Mr. Darcy, who would normally be persuaded by Mr. Bingley to join, is said to have gone to Rosings Hall to visit his aunt, Lady Catherine.[1]
Alice understood. Good luck to him.
The next day, at dawn, the Bentley family's carriage came to pick them up.
Alice asked Anna and Anne to look after the store and then got on the carriage.
Besides Jane, who had just sat down, there were the two Bingley sisters. The carriage was already full with four people. Mr. Bingley and his brother-in-law had no choice but to ride horses.
Mr. Hurst looked a little unhappy, probably because there was no place for him in the carriage and he couldn't sleep all the way. He thought that other social activities were boring except playing cards and were better to sleep.
In recent years, the main roads from London to various holiday resorts have been gradually repaired, greatly facilitating travel for Londoners. Now, getting to Bath only requires a full day of carriage travel, which is much better than the previous long journey that took several days.
At noon, we stopped at a hotel on the road to have a meal and rest before continuing on our journey.
Alice was getting bored with the ride and wanted to swap with Mr. Bingley, but Mr. Hurst, having already said he didn't want to ride anymore, dismounted his horse and got straight into the carriage, which seemed even more cramped.
Fortunately, they exchanged seats, and Mr. Bingley's sister, Mrs. Hurst, sat with him. Jane sat opposite Mrs. Hurst and was not squeezed by the somewhat obese gentleman. This is also the body shape of most upper-class gentlemen in London.
Alice, therefore, found it even more difficult to find a dancing partner to her liking in London, and she wondered if there was anyone in Bath who was quite acceptable. She thought as she rode on her horse.
Alice controlled the horse to move forward slowly according to the speed of the carriage.
In the past, she could have reached the destination in a flash with just a few leaps, so there was no need for such trouble. She impatiently adjusted her cloak that was getting in the way.
Finally, as it was getting dark, they saw the town of Bath.
Alice waved her whip and said, "I'll go ahead and wait for you in town." Without waiting for anyone to reply, she rode her horse into the town.
It was night, the streetlights were still dark, and the streets were sparsely populated. She sped along, passing passersby before they could even see her, leaving behind only her laughter.
She galloped to the largest crescent lawn in Bath, and the lamplighter just happened to light the gas lamp on the roadside. She rushed into a ball of hazy yellow light from the night and saw the figure in front of her clearly.
He quickly reined in his horse, letting its raised front hooves avoid the gentleman dressed in black who was almost blending into the night.
"Good evening, Mr. Moran." Alice rode her horse and paced in place, bowing her head to greet him, with a happy smile on her face as if she was riding a horse and feeling the wind.
Mr. Moran never expected that he would meet this lady here in this way.
Looking up at the man on horseback, he saw that he looked nothing like anyone else he knew. In the British upper class, where social rules are most respected, she seemed to follow the etiquette of a lady and practice the code of conduct for a gentleman's daughter, but in reality her behavior was indulgent and her words were careless, far from what others described her as.
"Miss Alice." Adrian Moran returned the greeting, then withdrew his gaze and lowered his eyes to look at the shadows of the horses moving on the ground.
"Mr. Moran is also here for vacation?" Alice was a little curious.
"I come here every year to accompany my mother for recuperation," the man added stiffly, "but I don't think this has anything to do with Miss Alice."
"Well, it's true... but it's related now." She didn't wait for the man to refute, and continued, "Bath is so popular, I'm beginning to worry that there won't be enough hot spring pools."
"Please rest assured, Bath has expanded considerably over the years, so you'll have plenty of space for a few more." Adrian Moran seemed unconvinced and brought up a previous incident to mock her. "Miss Alice, I've always believed you were well-educated and possessed basic common sense, but this is the second time I've seen you out alone at night."
"Isn't Mr. Moran alone too?" Alice asked nonchalantly.
"Although it's unfair," said Adrian Moran, "night robbers are always more malicious towards ladies."
After thinking for a while, he added: "Where do you live? I'll take you back." From beginning to end, he never looked up at her.
Alice could hear Mr. Bingley on horseback approaching, and she smiled as she heard him say, "No, I don't know where to stay yet. But I don't mind. Mr. Moran told me your address in Bath, and I'll call on you."
Following Alice's gaze, Adrian Moran saw Mr. Bingley.
He finally looked up at Alice and said, "It seems you really don't need my help." Then he turned and left.
"Alyssa!" Mr. Bingley called from a distance. "How could you run so fast? It's giving me such a hard time chasing you."
In a blink of an eye, he said optimistically again: "Fortunately, we told you in advance that we live in this area, otherwise I really don't know where to find you."
Hearing the nickname, the gentleman who had already turned around paused for a moment, then quickened his pace and left.
"Charles, don't worry, I know what's going on." Alice's attention was still on the gentleman who had blended back into the night, watching him walk into the crescent-shaped building next to him.
Soon, Jane and her friends arrived in a carriage. They discussed whether to rent an apartment on nearby Gay Street or the crescent-shaped building complex in front of them, named the Royal Crescent.
Alice and Miss Bingley reached a rare consensus.
"Charles, when you come to Bath, of course you should stay at the most famous Royal Crescent," Miss Bingley said with certainty.
"I like this building, too." And even more so, the people who live inside. Alice's eyes were so intense that it seemed as if she could see through the building and see the gentleman inside.
The group rented one of the houses arranged in a crescent shape. As for choosing among the unrented houses, Alice pointed to the one next to the one the man had just entered and said, "Let's go with this one. It looks like a good view."
Mr. Bentley was of course happy to meet the reasonable request of his future sister-in-law to please his beloved fiancée, so he readily agreed.
After a tiring day of travel, they asked the servants in the house to pack their luggage and went back to their rooms to rest.
Before entering the room, I saw that there were unmarried ladies with me. The villa manager also reminded me that there would be a grand public dance in the most luxurious and upper-class party hall in Bath tomorrow. I could go and feel the enthusiasm of Bath, and the ladies might even find their true love.
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[1] Catherine de Bourgh, Mr. Darcy’s aunt, and the benefactor Mr. Collins credits with giving him the pastorate and financial support.
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