Chapter 42 Jade Rabbit and Careful Preparations on the Eve of the Ball
"If I hadn't met the Bishop of London, I wouldn't have known you'd done such a bold thing!" the old Countess scolded. "What on earth are you thinking in your foolish head? I told you to marry a rich lady from the upper class to supplement your life, but you haven't even gotten her yet, and you've already lost your position?"
She simply couldn't understand her son. Why was he struggling so hard, yet he didn't get a wife, and he also lost the job and free house that the family had found for him?
"The Rectorship of Soho barely allows you to maintain a decent living. How will you support yourself after resigning?" She continued to criticize her son harshly. "You already have no title and no money, and now you have no house and no salary, and are reduced to being a homeless homeless person on the streets?"
"Mom..." Adrian Moran wanted to say something, but his mother stopped him with a "Don't interrupt", and he couldn't get a word in.
"You must go to Lambeth Palace immediately to see the Archbishop, withdraw your intention to resign, and implore him to discontinue this foolish decision."
"Mom, I received the Archbishop's letter of approval this morning," the man replied calmly.
"Then what are you doing here? Just to piss off your poor old mother?" The old Countess of Camden was furious with her son's irrational behavior.
"I have received an invitation from the Queen to attend the masquerade ball at the palace with Miss Alice."
The old lady, who had already turned her head away, not wanting to look at that face, turned back to her son and asked, "Why did the Queen invite you to the ball?"
Knowing that only a very few people knew the truth about the king's illness, he only gave the queen's apparent reason.
The old countess suddenly became excited. "A ball held exclusively for marriageable men and women from the upper class? That's a great opportunity!"
Thinking of her original target, Alice, she pressed on, "What's going on between you and Miss Alice? The Queen invited you to the ball together. Does that mean you're already in a relationship?"
"Mom, don't misunderstand me. This is just my wishful thinking."
"I don't know what you're doing. You refused the young lady's proposal, and now you're pursuing her eagerly." Madam Elegant's eyes were filled with resentment. She should have listened to her earlier.
Seeing her son finally grasp the situation and set his sights on this young lady, she reiterated her doubts, "When I asked you about the poisonous ingredients in the hair-strengthening and rejuvenation ointment, you wouldn't go into further detail. Then, when I asked to visit her, you said she'd been invited to the palace, but you couldn't explain why."
The old countess had also used many ointments on her hair, and she always had a lingering doubt, "Is that ointment really harmless?"
"Of course, Mother," said Adrian Moran. "The King and Queen came to Miss Alice's shop yesterday to praise her medicine."
Recalling the gossip she had heard, she suddenly had a guess in her mind and said directly, "Then you should catch her."
"So, Mom, I came here to ask you for help. You know, I know nothing about dances." Adrian Moran did not intend to reveal his thoughts, but just followed his mother's wishes and told her the purpose of his visit.
"Come with me. You're not too stupid to come to me." The old countess looked at her son critically. "If you were to go on your own, it would be hard to say."
Then she explained to him all the ins and outs of the ball and took him to the most fashionable clothing store in London to choose a ball attire.
After saying goodbye to his mother outside Vera's clothing store, Adrian Moran asked John to take the pile of clothes back to the townhouse and went to St. George's Church alone.
He rarely comes here since he decided to hand over this priesthood.
The church is still filled with a quiet and solemn atmosphere.
"Mr. Moran," called the rector.
"Mr. Evans." He turned.
The Archdeacon knew his resignation was a decision even before the old Countess did, but he still sighed, "Why... Alas, few sons of noble families devote themselves to holy duties; they just come here to gild themselves and collect a salary. I've only met a rector like you who is truly devoted to God."
"Sorry." Adrian Moran didn't intend to say more. Evans didn't ask any more questions after hearing this.
The man who decided to say goodbye to his old master came to make the final handover.
The new rector is a young man who was born and raised in a typical English aristocratic family. He behaves like a gentleman but has an arrogant attitude, which reveals his contempt for the common people. However, since he has not inherited a title, he is actually a commoner himself.
Adrian Moran wanted to hand over his work to him, but he refused. He simply said, "Mr. Moran, please hand it over to Mr. Evans. He will be my deputy from now on."
He turned to Evans and said, "The affairs of the Soho Diocese will be fully entrusted to you. I will pay you a little extra salary."
After saying that, he nodded to the two of them reservedly and left.
"Mr. Moran..." Evans was a little speechless to his new boss, and subconsciously asked his old boss for help. Suddenly realizing that it was really time to say goodbye, he immediately changed his words, "Sir, I wish you all the best."
"Thank you." The man responded and continued, "You go ahead and do your work. I'll take a look around."
The two said goodbye.
Adrian Moran looked forward step by step until he reached the nave of the church, where he used to preach to the faithful.
I walked along the corridor to the small chapel on the north side of the nave. There was no one else there at the time.
He walked into the room, clasped his hands together, and closed his eyes in prayer.
Merciful God, please hear my prayer one last time.
Adrian Moran, a former believer, is about to surrender to his new Lord and dedicate the rest of his life to her.
I will remain celibate in honor of your promise, and I can only repay it in my next life. Even the most despicable person cannot change their faith over and over again. I cannot abandon her, nor do I want to defile you. Therefore, I am willing to trade my promise of celibacy for a single break in this lifetime. I dare not hide it from you: if this is my punishment, it will also be my sweetness. I will belong to her forever.
You need not worry about my breaking my promise in the next life. The new master your followers will turn to will also be a newly born god. She has not promised to be with me for generations, and I do not have a future long enough to accompany her. She will live forever, while I am destined to die.
I dare not ask for your forgiveness for this despicable betrayal of my promise. I only pray that you will not blame this sin on my new mistress, Miss Alice. I already know that she has no real desire to marry me, so it cannot be considered that she actively broke my vow of celibacy. Her mere joke led me to indulge in such delusion. It is my lack of devotion to the faith, and my desire to follow her, not her seduction into betrayal.
Please, please, if you still have mercy on me, please answer my prayer and put all the blame on me, a sinner, so that I can redeem myself over a long period of time.
Please have mercy on me. The man prayed with a stronger desire than ever before to be answered.
Those who are full of new masters do not know whether this humble request will be granted, and can only hope that the most important thing at the moment will not go wrong.
The Bennett family also looked forward to the ball with him.
Alice's house was bustling with activity as she attended a ball at the palace tomorrow night. The invited sisters were making final arrangements. Lydia was even more enthusiastic than Alice, the main invitee.
"Jane, what do you think of my hair accessory? Does it match my dress?" Lydia tilted her head to show it, seeking Jane's opinion.
The night before the ball, Jane came back to stay and help the sisters choose their outfits. Hearing this, she examined Lydia's beaded headband, removed it, and rearranged the pearls. Putting it on again, it was indeed much more harmonious.
Alice had already chosen her dress and jewelry. She sat down beside Jane, resting her head on her sister's shoulder and said coquettishly, "Jane, I want you to comb my hair tomorrow. No one else's hands are as dexterous as yours."
“Of course, Alyssa.” Jane looked at her sister tenderly and stroked her fluffy hair.
"I want one too, Jane." Elizabeth was the first to speak, feigning jealousy with a playful expression. Unable to contain her anger for even a second, she smiled and hugged the two sisters.
"I, I, I, I also want Jane's help." Lydia was unwilling to be left behind.
"If Jane is still busy, I want one too." Catherine held several masks in her hand and tried them on her face, trying to choose the best one.
Mary straightened the wrinkles of her clothes and continued, “Alyssa is right. Jane is indeed the most skillful among our sisters. I will join in too.”
"Okay, okay, I will help you comb your hair, and you will all look your most beautiful tomorrow." Jane accepted all the requests from her dear sisters.
The six sisters chattered and laughed all night long.
It's very lively here, but it's always quiet next door.
Are we just going to sleep? Don't we need to do something in advance?
Alice, having gathered her outfit for the next day and preparing for bed, suddenly became curious about the man. With a sudden thought, she transformed into her original form, leaped from the adjacent balcony into the next townhouse, and accurately located the man's bedroom.
Huh? Not in the bed, and not in this room.
Alice walked leisurely on the carpet in the room, searching for Adrian Moran in the house, as if she were patrolling her own home.
She followed the sound and walked forward. She passed the study next door, but it was indeed empty. That meant the empty room ahead. Why would someone be pacing around in an empty room so late at night? Alice was baffled.
Soon they were outside the vacant room on the third floor. She focused her eyes on the tiny crack in the door and peeked inside.
The man was dressed very neatly in a white linen shirt with the hem tucked into his slim-fitting riding trousers.
His upper body remained almost motionless, his posture was elegant, his arms stretched or bent with each step, his palms always slightly curled, as if there was a dance partner opposite him, holding hands with him and dancing here.
His lips opened and closed, but no sound came out. He just danced to his own rhythm, from one end of the room to the other.
The upper body is relatively calm, but the movements of the lower body and legs are full of problems.
He either tripped over his left foot or forgot to keep his steps. He imbued the cheerful pace of English country dancing with a touch of humor. He didn't give up; if he made a mistake, he would start over until he mastered it.
Having finally engraved the English country dance into his mind, he began to dance the salon dance alone, moving in circles in the empty room.
Adrian Moran performed all the popular dance moves of the day, over and over again, with the same expression on his face.
The firelight from the nearby fireplace illuminated the man's focused face. Beads of sweat covered his forehead; it was unclear how long he had been practicing quietly here.
More white fur squeezed in through the crack in the door, and the rabbit's long whiskers swayed against the doorframe. Her erect ears tilted forward slightly, swaying gently in the air.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
