Chapter 66 Return to London 28 God is not on this side
Reina returned from Hunsford a day earlier than expected. It was Friday, and spring was just around the corner. Heather had just returned from the West Street market with a bunch of overseas seeds sold by plant hunters, planning to use the spring to develop new varieties.
At this moment, Lena rushed into the study with a panicked look on her face, as if a ghost was chasing her.
Heather stood up from the soft, specially made cowhide chair and asked, "Why are you back so soon? Did something unexpected happen?"
Panting, Reina leaned on the desk and said, "Miss Lucas's work is going smoothly. The greenhouse has been built. I explained the instructions to them as you instructed. The gardener is very confident. I plan to send someone to check on it regularly starting next month. I don't think there will be any problems."
"Did you encounter any problems on the way back?"
Reina shook her head. "The journey back was smooth. I happened to meet Mr. Laurent, who was returning to London after finishing his business. I returned with his motorcade, so I arrived faster than expected."
Heather thought there was something wrong with her ears: "Mr. Laurent? Which Mr. Laurent? Is he the one we met at the subscription meeting before?"
Reina nodded affirmatively. "That's him! I wouldn't mistake him. Madam, he's a really nice guy. He even recommended some delicious herrings to me. But that's not the point. The important thing is, do you know who I saw on the way into town?"
Heather felt relieved, as she was glad that there were no safety issues.
Reina couldn't wait to share the news, and she didn't keep it a secret any longer. "It was Lucie! Oh my God, I saw Lucy, in London. When I passed that road, it was lunchtime, and I saw Lucie washing her hands in a well and then walking into a factory with a tall chimney. I was sure it was Lucie, but the factory manager stopped me from entering. Mr. Laurent said that it was afternoon work time, and the machines were running, so outsiders couldn't enter casually. The workers would only start to leave around five in the afternoon, so I hurried back. Madam, why do you think Lucie is here?"
Heather pondered, "I remember you said before that she really wanted to live in London."
Reina said hurriedly, "She did say that, but she planned to come to London with her husband after getting married. Now her fiancé has gone to the battlefield, right? It's only been a short time. Why did she come here alone? I don't know if her family knows the news."
Looking at the still unconscious Reina, Heather had a bad feeling in her heart and said, "I'll go with you this afternoon. Do you remember the location of the factory?"
Of course Reina remembered. She had specifically asked Mr. Laurent to write down the address for her. Knowing that this matter could not be rushed, she placed Charlotte's reply on the desk and left the study.
At 4:30 p.m., Heather's carriage stopped promptly at the entrance to the Black Cotton Mill at 42 Parrot Lane. Not long after, around 5:00 p.m., workers began to emerge from the factory. Most of them were men of varying ages, with the occasional young woman, mostly unmarried, also present.
Reina stretched her neck to look around, but after another half an hour, fewer and fewer people came out, and there was still no sign of Lucy. Only a few young men with bare chests in early spring passed by the carriage and whistled frivolously.
Heather got off the carriage and said, "It's not a good idea to keep waiting like this. The man standing at the door with a stick should be the factory supervisor. Let's go ask him."
The man, wearing a shabby suit, looked the master and servant up and down several times, then said greedily, "There are hundreds of workers here, and there are at least 10 with the surname Rooney. I want to help you, but if I delay the work, the factory owner will not let me go."
Heather understood what he meant and winked at Reina. "Just shout for us. It won't interfere with your work. This is your hard work fee. Please do me a favor."
The overseer took the bag from Reina, opened it, and saw that it contained 20 pence. His expression immediately changed. "Oh, you are such a cultured person. It's okay for you to go in and take a look. Please wait inside. I'll go and call out. If the person is still here, I'll definitely find him."
Heather curiously followed him into the gate. There were many factories in London, but she usually only looked at them from afar outside the towering brick walls. This was her first time walking inside the walls.
The first thing that hit me upon entering was the oppressive heat. Outside, spring had just arrived, and a chilly north wind still blew. But inside, there was no breeze at all. The heavy oak door, tightly shut, shut out the fresh, revitalizing air outside. An indescribable heat, a mixture of oil, sweat, soot, and a certain sweet decay, replaced the sweet, grassy air of the Paddington gardens just an hour earlier.
"Dear ladies, I think you'd better cover your mouth and nose with your handkerchief, so as not to fall ill and be unable to get up from the bed the next day." The overseer joked proudly.
Heather obeyed his words, pulled out a large handkerchief from her sleeve, and tied it tightly around her nose, and a simple homemade mask was barely formed.
The first thing that caught her eye was a heavy snowfall, the kind rarely seen even in winter. It wasn't actually snow, but countless tiny, fuzzy cotton balls, blasting out from above the roaring looms, swirling and tumbling erratically through the stagnant air. In just three seconds, Heather's long black flannel dress was smeared with dense cotton wool, clinging to every surface like a living thing.
"Oh my god, what kind of place is this!" Reina's low exclamation echoed behind her, followed by the overseer's greasy chuckle: "Well, rich people? Was this 20 pence worth it? I bet you've never seen anything like it in your lives."
He didn't waste any more time, his sharp voice piercing the monotonous mechanical sound: "Lucy Rooney, who is Lucy Rooney? Someone is looking for you, come here quickly, I'll give you one minute."
No one answered. The dozen or so workers in front of him seemed to be deaf and still buried in their machines. Their movements were so fast that people couldn't see their gestures clearly. No one was distracted by any name other than their own.
Soon, footsteps were heard, and a young girl lightly avoided the densely arranged equipment and came out from the flying catkins. It was Lucy.
"Lucy, oh my god, it's really you!" Reina could no longer maintain her false calmness and rushed forward to hug her.
"Reina, how did you find me?" Lucy looked a lot thinner, but her eyes were still bright. She was extremely happy to meet her old friend again.
The supervisor was about to get angry. Running and fighting here would undoubtedly violate the factory owner's taboo. If the factory owner found out after returning from lunch, he would also lose his job.
Heather immediately took out 50 pence and stuffed it into his pocket. "This girl and I are from the same hometown. It's a rare opportunity for us to meet, so I'd like to treat her to a meal. What do you think?"
The supervisor looked around and quickly stuffed the money into his front pocket. "That's for a good chat. Take her out now. Her work for the day is done."
Heather thanked him and motioned for Reina to take Lucy out quickly. It wasn't until they walked out of the door, took off their mask, and coughed violently a few times that she felt her throat better.
Lucy remained calm and said, "Mrs. Lawrence, go back and make some pear juice to moisten your throat. People who come here for the first time will feel uncomfortable, but it will get better slowly."
Heather told her to get in the carriage quickly. Lucy hesitated for a moment, took off her coat and rolled it up, patted her petticoat vigorously a few times, and then climbed into the carriage and found the farthest seat. When she sat down and felt the cold wind blow, she breathed a sigh of relief, and her abnormally red face slowly recovered.
Lena couldn't wait to ask, "Lucy, what happened? Why didn't you stay in Longbourn? You didn't even tell me you came to London."
Seeing her undisguised worry, Lucy sighed and slowly told her what had happened in the past few months.
"Jerry's in trouble. It was about a month ago, not long after you left, that I received a letter. It must have been sent back by the officer who recommended Jerry for military service." Lucy lowered her head slightly, the cold wind blowing in through the window making her confused face appear blurry. "I was wondering, could he have reached his destination so soon? Didn't they say it would take a long boat ride? Sure enough, the letter brought the worst news. Jerry had unfortunately died, or rather, he had disappeared at sea."
"Oh my God," Reina moaned, not knowing what to say, so she could only lean over and hold Lucy's hand.
Lucy tightened her collar and coughed for a long time. "The ship carrying him encountered a storm the night before landing at Bombay Harbor. Most of the people on board survived, but many soldiers were thrown into the sea during the turbulence. No one had the courage to search for them in such weather. The officer who wrote to me told me that after repeated confirmation, Jerry was not among the survivors. He was buried in the merciless sea before he could even fight a single battle."
Such misfortunes happened every day in this era. Perhaps more than half of the soldiers who successfully reached shore ultimately could not return to Britain safely. But Jerry was undoubtedly the most unfortunate among them. His beloved fiancée never waited for the promise and medal, and even did not see his body. All his unfulfilled ambitions were easily buried in the depths of the sea.
Heather wanted to comfort Lucy, but she couldn't find the right words.
But Lucy didn't look like she needed any comfort. She quickly raised her head and shrugged casually: "Well, it seems that God is not on Jerry's side. He can't come to London to live, but fortunately, I'm here by myself now. The scenery in London is more interesting than I thought. Central Park is open to the public before six in the morning. The trees there are much more beautiful than Longbourn. The only drawback is that the smell from the factory is so bad. I tried many ways but couldn't stop the cotton wool from rushing into my nose. Pear juice may be helpful for the throat, but my nose is too itchy." As she spoke, she couldn't help but tilt her head and sneezed loudly.
Lena yelled at her to get a handkerchief, complained that she didn't go to the Gardner family to report the news earlier, and asked her to promise to sleep in the same bed with her tonight. They played and fought, as if all the haze had been swept away.
Heather leaned back on the cushions and watched them silently, frowning in thought.
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