Chapter 18: Country Life 12: The Lady Saves the Beauty
"Miss Bingley?!"
Mary stared blankly at the young lady in front of her who was so frightened that her face turned pale and she kept screaming. She turned out to be Caroline Bentley, who was always dignified and exquisite and should never appear alone in the back hills.
Hazel had only seen Miss Bingley from a distance on the day of the Netherfield ball, so she had not recognized her at all. After pulling Mary up, she quickly took two steps, holding up her skirt, and walked to Miss Bingley, grabbing her shoulders tightly.
"Miss Bentley, Miss Bentley, listen to me. He won't die so easily, and we are acting in self-defense. Don't be afraid."
Miss Bingley stopped screaming. She sobbed and looked at Heather expectantly: "Really? I'm still so young. I don't want to be sentenced."
Mary patted her skirt and cautiously approached the man lying on the ground. She had read many horror stories and was so brave that she put her hand under his nose. Miss Bingley saw her move and couldn't help but cover her mouth and hold her breath.
"She's probably not dead." Mary turned her head and whispered to Hazel, "There's no blood, and her breathing is even, with a frequency and depth similar to a normal person. She must have just fainted."
Heather let go of Miss Bingley, walked over and squatted next to Mary, saying, "I just checked too. He wasn't standing on anything sharp except the rock Miss Bingley threw at him, so he shouldn't have hit anything when he fell. And the rock was quite far from his head. I guess it hit his back and he fell and hit the ground."
Miss Bingley stepped up behind them and said in a trembling voice, "So he's not dead?"
Heather nodded. "He's definitely not dead, but I don't know if he has any accomplices. But no matter what, there was such a big noise just now, someone might come to check it out."
Miss Bingley covered her mouth again in fear.
Sure enough, within a few minutes, they saw a figure in a red uniform walking towards them.
It turned out to be Major Henry Brown.
He was originally running at a moderate pace, but when he saw the faces of Heather and the others, he started running anxiously, loudly asking them what had happened.
Heather and Mary looked at each other. She wondered whether the major was Davis's accomplice, an insider who was planning to rescue the damsel in distress, or a righteous man who happened to hear the voice and was ready to lend a helping hand.
Only when Major Brown ran closer did he see Davis lying on the ground.
He stopped in confusion and stood three or four meters away from them, gasping for breath and asking, "Mrs. Lawrence, are you all right? I thought I heard someone screaming over there just now."
He glanced at the person on the ground with a wandering look, then asked, "What happened? Is he... is he still alive?"
Heather felt that he was at least not another criminal who wanted to commit a crime, because he looked very worried about getting into unnecessary trouble.
She put on a worried look, wiped her nonexistent tears with a handkerchief, and said to the major, "Thank God, someone finally came. I had just left my companions and wanted to take a walk alone, and this person followed me and even tried to make a move on me. In desperation, I threw a stone at him, but I didn't expect him to fall to the ground like that."
Major Brown looked hesitantly at the other two ladies beside him. Heather looked the least like she had been through a harassment among the three of them. On the contrary, Mary was covered in dust below her knees, and Miss Bingley had cried so much that most of her makeup had been wiped off.
Heather stepped forward a few steps to stand in front of Major Brown and continued to explain, "After this man fell, my two companions heard the cry for help and rushed over. They were young ladies who had never seen the world, and they were terrified when they saw it."
Major Brown nodded. He walked quickly to Davis, pressed the artery in his neck and examined it for a long time. He listened carefully to his heartbeat before turning to Heather and saying, "He shouldn't be seriously injured. He just hit his head. He'll probably be unconscious for an hour or two. Ma'am, are you okay? Did he hurt you?"
Heather shook his head and said with an embarrassed look, "I'm fine. It's just that if this incident gets out, it will probably damage the image of the militia. An officer who is supposed to protect public order is actually committing crimes and forcing women on the garrison. If there is such a person in the militia, the gentry around Meryton and Longbourn will hesitate when supporting them financially."
Major Brown said solemnly, "This is our fault. He was just recommended to join the army last week. It's our fault for not properly disciplining our men. I will be fully responsible for his removal, and he will never appear in this county again. I hope the three ladies can help us keep this secret for the time being. If you are not satisfied with our handling of the matter later, we can compensate you."
Heather and the others all agreed. After all, Mary and Miss Bingley were still unmarried young ladies. If this matter were to get out and someone with ulterior motives exaggerated it, it would be disastrous. This was why Heather suggested to Major Brown that he protect the reputation of the militia.
Mary showed Major Brown a path that led directly to Meryton, and they planned to go their separate ways.
Major Brown dragged the man up and carried him on his shoulders, then walked down the mountain first. After a few steps, he turned around and looked at Heather deeply, saying to her, "Don't worry, I will find a way to make him pay a price and get out of the regiment. I will never involve you."
Heather gave a grateful smile in time: "Thank you very much, Mr. Brown."
After watching him walk away, Mary took them to another route, which was closer to Netherfield Manor. They wanted to accompany Miss Bingley home first.
Miss Bingley was a little overwhelmed at first, and would pull Hazel's sleeve at the slightest sign of trouble.
She only came back to her usual self when they saw the outline of Netherfield's buildings.
She lifted her skirt and complained angrily, "First, there's the general's son who comes to flirt with me, and then there's the major of the militia. You women in the Bennett family are all witches, right? You seduce all the men who are vying to get close to you. My brother is the same. He comes to your house every day. Otherwise, I wouldn't go to the woods alone!"
Before Heather could answer, Mary couldn't help but retort, "First of all, that man is the general's grandson, not his son. And that's just his one-sided statement. No one can prove his identity."
She kicked away the branches blocking her way and continued, "Secondly, even if he really is, I think that general has eight sons and twenty grandsons, otherwise he wouldn't have been sent to the militia here. He would have joined the Royal Guard long ago. Finally, he took the initiative to chase me here, and my aunt never said a word to him before!"
Miss Bingley disagreed. She felt the man possessed a distinguished demeanor. "How could anyone pretend to be of noble descent? And what I'm saying is wrong. Even if Lady Lawrence didn't actively pursue those men, it's common knowledge that the Bennett ladies are constantly chasing after officers. It's truly bringing disgrace upon the village."
Although Mary was also dissatisfied with Lydia and Kitty's behavior, she could not tolerate others mocking her sisters in person.
She took two steps forward, staring angrily at Miss Bingley. "Normal social interaction can be described in such a harsh way. Listening to officers' stories can be beneficial. At least when you're in danger, you can distinguish between the living and the dead, and avoid being as clueless as some people."
Miss Bingley always prided herself on being well-read, and she immediately became furious when she heard this "country bumpkin" calling her ignorant.
When Heather saw that they were about to have a duel, she quickly pulled one of them in each hand and advised them to be patient with each other.
"Netherfield is just ahead. Caroline, please go home. We won't bother you anymore. I'll come back tomorrow to thank you."
Miss Bingley turned around and glared at her in shock, saying, "Why do you call me Caroline? Who gave you permission? You really think you're my elder. Charles isn't married to Miss Bennett!"
Heather blinked at her innocently and said, "You saved me. I just thought we were already friends. You can call me Heather too."
Miss Bingley turned her head awkwardly. She always found it hard to resist someone who was good-looking and aristocratic. She thought indignantly that she must have some kind of charming talent that had led her to marry into the Earl's family.
She muttered softly, "I shouldn't have meddled in other people's business. Is the general's grandson not worthy of you?" Miss Bentley quickly passed them and walked into the manor without looking back.
"Then why did you take the initiative to save me?"
Heather was really curious. Whether in the book or from the people around her, Miss Bingley was an egoist who looked down on people of lower status than her. But she had just risked her life and reputation to help a stranger she was not very familiar with, who came from a family she hated.
Miss Bingley turned around impatiently and said, "Because you didn't want to. I heard your cry for help, how could I just ignore it? Who knew that officer could be knocked down with just one stone?"
After she finished speaking, she quickly slipped into the garden, not giving Hazel a chance to ask questions.
Heather watched her being greeted by the servants and safely walk into the house, then she turned and walked back with Mary in her arm.
Mary was silent for a moment, then tugged at Hazel's arm and said uncomfortably, "She doesn't seem to be an unforgivable bad person...but I still don't really want to be friends with her."
Heather looked at her in surprise, then smiled, put her arm around her shoulders, and whispered, "Of course she's not a bad person. As for whether you want to be friends with her, maybe you can decide for yourself after you get to know her better."
They strode forward into the sunset, leaving the haze behind. Heather's voice floated in the air and then deeply imprinted in Mary's heart.
"But she must be a brave and upright girl, and so are you, Mary. You are a thousand times braver than I thought!"
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