Chapter 65 Return to London 27 Seeing Old Friends Again
In the morning, Heather was awakened by the strong smell of baking cookies.
"Oh my God! Mary, how could you eat such delicious cookies in my bed!" Heather closed her eyes again: "And you didn't leave me a piece."
Mary held up the last half of the cookie, looked at the plate with only crumbs left, and reflected deeply for two seconds.
"I'm sorry. Flora told me yesterday that London girls often eat breakfast in bed. Putting a shelf like this on the quilt will keep it from getting dirty. I'd like to try it. Aunt, please believe me, I meant to share Mrs. Johnson's new cream sandwich cookies with you, but I didn't expect you to get up even later than I expected."
Heather turned her head weakly. "Thank you, but I don't think I can eat anything before washing up. I'd rather miss breakfast than have it in bed."
Mary nodded regretfully. "Well, I think it's all right. Oh, and Charlotte's reply arrived. Do you want to see it now?"
Heather perked up, climbed up carefully to avoid dirtying her favorite bedding set, took the letter and read it quickly.
"...Life at Hunsford was peaceful but dull. After successfully securing sole use of a small study, reading became my primary recreational activity. Fortunately, Lizzie, my father, and my sister arrived in time to temporarily alleviate my loneliness. When I received that letter, I was initially incredulous, but then I was overwhelmed with surprise. You are indeed on a unique path. I am deeply honored to be able to join this interesting project. Everything is ready, and I look forward to you sending someone to renovate the garden behind the parsonage as soon as possible."
Heather got out of bed, her eyes still on the letter in her hand. "Great! Charlotte agreed. Now we can start planning our next move. The Rose Garden owner has been showing signs of raising the price again this past week."
Mary was also delighted. "The company installing the greenhouse is ready to send people out anytime, and the seeds and seedlings are ready. But do we still need to find a gardener to guide us?"
"Of course, I need to find a professional gardener, and someone familiar with my operations should also go with me. Otherwise, they might not understand the planting guide I wrote. Where is Reina now?"
"Reina, yes, she was in the kitchen when I came up just now."
Heather grabbed a cloak and wrapped herself in it, then hurried downstairs.
"Reina, Reina!"
When Heather walked into the kitchen, she saw Mrs. Johnson teaching Reina how to make new cookies.
"Reina, I need you to help me with something. Miss Lucas is going to cooperate with us to grow greenhouse flowers. I need you to go to Hunsford and help guide the gardeners there so that they don't misunderstand my intentions."
Reina's hands were still stained with wet flour, and her eyes were filled with clear confusion: "Me? I think I only know how to water and check the thermometer."
Heather pushed her to the sink and asked her to wash her hands. "Don't worry, you're much more talented at growing plants than you are at cooking. You got involved when we only had a dozen pots, didn't you? I'll explain the steps to you again later."
Reina obediently turned on the faucet, but still emphasized that her cooking skills had improved greatly.
"Okay, it'll only take half a day to get there by car, and I'll be back in less than a week to continue learning how to make cookies."
As they were talking, Lena washed her hands, hung up her apron, and went out. Mrs. Johnson listened to their conversation silently without saying a word until there were only two people left in the kitchen, then she looked up.
Heather poured herself a cup of warm tea and said as casually as possible, "So, that guy, Gis, brought the boy to you first, right?"
Mrs. Johnson had heard about what happened at the banquet last night and wasn't surprised. She replied calmly, "Yes, the Earl left a few people in London, but after his death, they basically dispersed. Only one or two remain in contact with us. When Mr. Johnson first came to London, he stored a batch of boxes with them. This time, the man contacted them first."
Heather didn't want to condemn her own intelligence, but she did feel a choking sensation. When she first arrived, unaware of the Earl's illegitimate child, she easily trusted the Johnsons' loyalty to their master's family. She'd even specifically requested that part of the box be stored elsewhere, lest it all be left at her brother's house and seized. Damn, she'd almost delivered it into the hands of the enemy just to spread the risk.
"Well, okay, then you really did remind me to find the mask the day before yesterday, right? Mrs. Johnson, can I understand that after your contact with her, you still choose to stand on my side?"
The bell rang, indicating that a new batch of pastries was ready. Mrs. Johnson turned around and took out the baking tray in an orderly manner, and then packed it up in an orderly manner, as if she was not facing the master's questioning of her loyalty, but how long it would take for lunch to be ready.
She kept her hands busy and whispered, "She is indeed not as good as you. She is more impetuous, paranoid, and impatient."
Heather brought the teacup to her lips with satisfaction.
"You are not as bold, decisive, or thoughtful as the former wife."
"Cough cough cough..." A mouthful of hot tea got stuck in her throat, choking her so much that tears were about to flow out.
Mrs. Johnson handed her a tissue and walked over to help her calm down.
Heather finally calmed down, staring at her with wide eyes as if she had seen a ghost, and asked without hope: "No... the original lady refers to the Earl's first wife, right?"
Mrs. Johnson denied her fantasy with her eyes, and her gaze immediately became deep, as if she was missing something through the person in front of her.
"I discovered the night we arrived in London. Madam had clearly just fallen asleep from exhaustion, but upon waking she was a completely different person. You are completely different people. She is always like an exhausted tiger that never sleeps, coldly staring at any enemy who wants to rush over to grab a piece of her meat. When she was in France, she had no weaknesses, no scruples, and her eyes were full of ambition and desire. How ridiculous that the Count never truly took her seriously. Because of this, my husband and I have decided to change our master."
Even after saying such shocking words, Mrs. Johnson's tone remained as steady as a rock.
"But you are different. You are frightened by nightmares, laugh without restraint, are mostly non-aggressive, and always treat those around you with kindness unless necessary."
Heather had no objection. She said that the environment would shape a person's character. It would be difficult to remain vigilant and aggressive all the time if one lived in a safe environment.
"Maybe it's because you're back with your family, so you relax." Heather reminded: "Mrs. Johnson, if you say that, people will misunderstand that you believe in witchcraft." Nowadays, people are very vigilant against witchcraft, and the consequences will be unbearable once it is discovered.
Mrs. Johnson didn't insist. She simply said, "I've never told anyone, including Mr. Johnson. He was just following my instructions. Besides, I didn't re-select my team because of Miss Biggs's abilities. I made the decision long ago, before all the boxes were safely moved to the new house. You have an incomparable infectiousness, perhaps derived from your love of the novelty and daily life, and I am one of those who have been infected. Perhaps after today, I will lose your trust, but I believe that being honest with you can buy me a stable life in the second half of my life. Because you have the ability, the connections, and the kindness."
Mrs. Johnson's eyes were sincere and firm. Heather couldn't be sure whether it was still not entirely true, but she couldn't eliminate all the uncertainties and risks in advance. After all, Mrs. Johnson had helped her a lot.
Heather took a deep breath. "Well, I hope I didn't make another mistake in judgment. You only made choices to protect your own survival and didn't harm me. But I can't keep you by my side without any grudges just yet."
Mrs. Johnson lowered her eyes and waited for the next trial.
"That manor will be transferred to me next month, barring any unforeseen circumstances. I heard it's only undergone some simple renovations and hasn't been properly maintained in years. Mrs. Johnson, you and Mr. Johnson will go there to oversee the renovations on my behalf. I hope we can meet there again soon."
Mrs. Johnson looked up in shock, moved her lips a few times but said nothing.
"We don't have the friendship of fighting side by side for many years, but this is a good start, right?" Heather blinked. "I hope you won't let me down."
Reina will be leaving soon. Mrs. Gardner's cousin and his family are going to visit relatives in the south. The Heather family's car can follow his car to Hunsford County, and then go to Charlotte's house alone, which can better ensure Reina's safety.
Reina hadn't left Hesser for more than a day since she was twelve, and when she left, she was like a sensible child on her first day of school, wanting to do well but also wishing she could be home in the blink of an eye.
Heather spent five minutes praising her efficiency in learning knowledge and her irreplaceable role in this mission. Only then did Lena regain her confidence and got into the carriage with the determination to help Heather solve her problems.
"I don't know if there are other maids who will talk to Lena on the way. She loves to talk so much, it must be so lonely for her to travel alone." Heather couldn't help but feel a little worried.
Mary couldn't understand it at all: "Aunt, Reina will arrive at her destination this afternoon. She won't die of silence for half a day."
In fact, Reina did not find any maids of the same age who she could talk to along the way. The two carriages hardly stopped for a few minutes in the whole morning, so there was no chance to make friends.
When we arrived at the center of Hunsford County, the Collins family's servants were already waiting there, and it was only about an hour's journey away.
But it was already a restaurant, and Lena was already starving, so she took out the money that Heather had given her in the morning and prepared to have a simple meal at the inn, and also bring some bread and sausages for the coachman, gardener and others.
She paid for the bread and sausage first, asked the waiter to send them out, and then sat down at the window seat and studied the greasy and simple menu carefully. Usually, she didn't need to order her own food during long journeys, so she frowned and looked at it for a long time without deciding what to order.
“The pickled herring morsels here are good.”
A male voice interrupted her thoughts, and Reina raised her head alertly.
"Hey, aren't you the Mr. Laurent from that day?" Reina had a good memory for recognizing people, so she recognized at a glance that this was Mr. Laurent who came to the side hall of the subscription meeting to greet the lady that day. However, compared to the glamorous and exquisite look that day, he was dressed much more low-key and casual today.
"What brings you here?"
Mr. Laurent took off his hat and bowed slightly, which startled Reina so much that her eyes widened.
"Can I sit here? All the other seats are full."
Reina agreed hesitantly.
Mr. Laurent sat down and ordered two servings of pickled herring and two servings of mashed potatoes. These were ready-made and the dishes arrived quickly. He pushed one of them in front of Reina.
"Eat it quickly, it will smell fishy when it gets cold."
Reina had just looked at the menu. The most expensive dish here was only 10 pence, which was completely acceptable, so she accepted Mr. Laurent's kindness.
She imitated Mr. Laurent and mixed the pickled herring into the mashed potatoes. It didn't look very nice, and Reina frowned as she put a spoonful into her mouth.
"Mmm! Mmm!" The bland mashed potatoes paired with the salty fish mince were surprisingly more delicious than the meat. "This tastes so familiar, I must have had it before! I just don't know where, could it be France?"
Mr. Laurent smiled slightly and said, "If you like it, you can find it in London, not in the rich areas, but in the alleys around the factories."
Reina nodded, wondering in her heart how this gentleman could be more familiar than her.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
