Chapter 67 Return to London 29 Secret Meeting
Lucy's cough symptoms were much more severe than she described. She said this was because during the day at the factory, everyone tried to control their coughing so as not to affect their work, and they could only cough as much as they wanted after work in the evening.
The family doctor was called in and gave her a thorough examination, but he could not come to any useful conclusion. He just advised the patient to drink more hot water to flush out the flocs that had been sucked into her throat.
After dinner, Heather was alone in the study, frowning as he recalled the scenes he had witnessed that day. The shock of facing the initial stages of bourgeois primitive accumulation was immense. Back then, there were no powerful unions, no labor laws, and all the oppression was blunt and undisguised, making it impossible for anyone with a conscience to sit back and pretend to be ignorant.
When she reacted, she was already sitting in the carriage.
"Madam, what is your destination?" the driver asked from the front. The wind had died down a lot in the evening and the temperature had risen slightly. He guessed that the owner might be planning to go out for a ride.
"Hmm..." Heather didn't want to stay home, but she couldn't think of anywhere else to go. "Let's go to Hyde Park. No, it's probably closed there this late. Let's go to 8 Park Lane."
8 Park Lane was Lancaster's most common mail delivery address, but he didn't return there every night.
The night wind was blowing, and as soon as I got off the car, I could see Hyde Park across the wall. The corner gate that was bustling with people during the day stood silently. Apart from the sound of wind and swaying leaves, it was so quiet here that it seemed as if there were no human beings present.
However, Park Lane clearly had quite a few residents, as the garden of the first building on the left was filled with delicate, dim, small lights. Whereas Gracechurch Street had only one streetlight for the entire side street, here one was visible every two meters.
Hessel walked alone down the quiet lane. It felt like a meticulously maintained private estate, with neat cobblestones winding along the road and each doorway decorated in a unique style. However, those with lights on didn't necessarily have owners; those who could afford to buy a property here likely had countless residences.
After walking for a while, she regretted it. Visiting an unrelated adult male at this time of year was not in line with the rules of the dogma. But she really wanted to talk to someone about the afternoon, so she walked on the cobblestone path for a long time before finally turning back.
Lancaster was taking a breath of fresh air on the terrace at this time. The overloaded meeting schedule for several days had made the work robot exhausted. He could only relax for a while to relieve his tense nerves.
Lancaster saw Heather as soon as she stepped into the alley. He immediately put down his legs that were resting on the railing and hurried into the house to change into a pair of leather shoes. When he came out, he saw her still pacing slowly, so he rushed back to change into a windbreaker.
Who knew that when she came out again, she didn't plan to come to the door for some reason. Before she could hesitate for a few seconds, only her back was left. Lancaster could only say: "Hey... Hey!"
This sound might not be clear in the daytime, but it was so sudden in the quiet night that it startled both parties.
Heather looked around awkwardly and ran back to the door of Residence 8: "Hi, uh, good evening." The tone of her voice was as if she was begging her roommate to help open the door downstairs in the dormitory but was afraid that the dormitory manager would find out.
Lancaster actually felt like he was being caught: "Well, the owners of both houses will only come back in the summer, so no one will hear us. But why didn't you knock on the door when you came?" He said as he walked down the exposed iron stairs.
Heather didn't know how to answer this question, so she made some small talk across the fence: "Your garden is quite nice, but why do you dress so formally at home?"
"Ah... just a little cold." Lancaster said seriously. After that, he could no longer find a safe topic to discuss on such a night. They racked their brains in silence across the railing, neither of them opening the door and the other refusing to go in.
It wasn't until the melodious sound of a violin came from the next door that Heather woke up, fearing that someone practicing on the balcony had witnessed what had just happened.
Lancaster guessed what she was thinking: "He's practicing on the side facing the park, so he can't see this side."
Then he said, "Do you want to go to the park? It's just over here."
He opened the door, and Heather subconsciously wanted to refuse: "Hyde Park is closed at this time, it's not a good idea to mobilize a large number of people."
Lancaster just stared at her: "There won't be any big fuss. You can just walk into my backyard."
His voice was as flat as a straight line, but Heather felt that he really wanted to go to the park. "Okay, but... I'm busy. Half an hour at most."
Lancaster leaned against the door, not urging her, and waited quietly for her to come in.
Heather braced herself and walked in. He let her go ahead, following behind him without a word. She could only glance back occasionally, and glance at the garden imperceptibly from the corner of her eye. It was a plain, unremarkable garden, devoid of any distinctive character. Perhaps it was managed by the same company, as there were three nearly identical gardens just as she entered. She felt it was a shame that this garden, with such thick grass and surely good soil, had grown in the hands of someone who wasn't willing to invest the time and effort.
It was also very dark, the darkest among the houses around here, with only a few lights on, which made people feel more and more nervous as they walked.
"arrive."
There is a low wall in front.
"Are we there?" Heather turned her head hesitantly. There wasn't even a hole here, so how could they be there?
Lancaster avoided her gaze, took out a ladder that was placed horizontally against the wall from under the wall not far away, and then returned it and placed it in front of her. He shook the ladder a few times under her distrustful gaze to prove that it was sturdy and reliable.
Lancaster: "You go up first, otherwise there will be no one to hold the ladder."
Heather didn't think this was a good idea. She thought the park house had some privilege of entering at any time, but how did it develop to the point where they had to climb over the wall like a thief to get in?
"I'd better go back. It's too late. My flowers are waiting for me to water them."
This excuse was so lame that she didn't dare to look him in the eye after she said it.
The violin stopped for a moment and changed to a faster-paced piece, the squeaking sound of which made people nervous.
Heather pursed her lips, subconsciously took a light breath, and walked to the ladder: "Well, if anything goes wrong, it's all your fault."
"Put on your gloves." Lancaster tilted his head. "Nothing will happen."
He waited for Heather to carefully climb a few steps before he approached and held the ladder in place. Neither of them dared to speak loudly, one looking down at the ground while the other looked up nervously.
"And then?" Heather sat down on the wall with difficulty and looked down. Then she remembered that she hadn't asked how to get down. There were no trees below, just a flat piece of grass. But if she jumped down directly, she would probably break her legs.
Before she could think clearly, Lancaster had quickly climbed up and sat next to her. Heather didn't dare to look to the left, for fear that she would hear him say that he would catch her below and let her jump down without worry.
That sounds romantic, but it's really easy to make mistakes when doing it, Heather thought slowly.
There was a slight creaking sound nearby, and Heather turned quietly. He had actually picked up the ladder with one hand and easily tossed it back to the inside of the park, placing it at his feet. He stretched out his foot to test it, and after confirming it was stable, he climbed down skillfully.
What strong arm strength.
In a few seconds, he landed safely on the ground and looked up and waved to her, indicating that she could come down.
Heather had no chance to regret, so she had to step up carefully and climb down slowly.
After she came down, she watched him hide the ladder in the bushes next to him with familiarity, and kicked the grass with his feet: "Do you often climb over the wall?" It was completely smooth.
"Only here." Lancaster walked closer, carefully observing her expression in the dim light, and added: "Many times."
He led her away from the open lawn and onto a more secluded path. The towering trees overhead made it difficult for even moonlight to penetrate. The sound of the violin became a little blurrier, but it was still audible. Heather had no musical talent and couldn't make out what tune it was.
"Can you waltz?" he asked.
"...Not quite yet." Mary had been sent to learn a popular social dance in London, but Heather had been lazy and only memorized a few moves. It looked easy, but without actual practice, she couldn't say she knew it.
"I'll teach you."
Huh? Here? This isn't a good idea. It's late at night, we're alone, in the dark, in a field of melons and plum trees...
Lancaster didn't hear the answer, so he looked back at her face in the light of the nearby lamp. She stared with wide eyes, like a suspicious rabbit that couldn't find the problem, standing in front of a trap, hesitating whether to jump down.
He didn't want to wait any longer, so he took a step forward and said, "It's very simple. First, step back with your right foot, then shift your weight to your left foot, make a small half circle, and repeat."
It's not that simple. She silently placed her hand on the palm he extended.
He clenched his fist, took a step forward, supported her waist, and whispered in her ear, "Follow the music, come on, step back first."
Oh my god, do you have to be this close to waltz? I feel like I can just tilt my head...
Before she could think of anything, he exerted force with his fingers and turned her half a circle. Heather got nervous and tried to avoid his feet dizzily. In a daze, he pulled her into his arms without leaving any trace.
"Well done, that's it, keep going."
The smell of grass and dew in the park was replaced by some kind of perfume on her body. Lancaster mechanically repeated the most basic movements, and as he advanced and retreated, he could no longer maintain the gentlemanly appearance he had put on.
Why go through so much trouble and waste time? It would be better to just reveal your identity and present your wealth to her directly. No matter how you look at it, he is more competitive than Lawrence.
Time passed in the wild thoughts of both sides, but perhaps not much time passed, because when the light hit another tree not far away, the violin music just ended.
It was the patrolling guard coming over. Heather's steps faltered, and she was about to push the person in front of her away and run back.
Lancaster grabbed her wrist and took her to the shadow nearby without saying a word.
"Don't be afraid, he didn't see us."
Hyde Park was probably a well-known secret rendezvous place. After the guard shouted, Heather heard a rustling sound, which sounded like the friction of clothes.
Ah, by comparison, they just practiced the waltz, which should be pretty serious.
"Will they be driven out?" She actually wanted to ask, will the guards patrol this area again? Lancaster's breath rose and fell above her head, and her heart was hanging with it.
"No, a little money can solve it."
Sure enough, there was another rustling sound, this time it was the sound of banknotes rubbing against each other. The guard also started to smooth things over, gave a few reminders to be careful of insects and snakes, and then left.
After he left, the man and woman who had just been interrupted began to speak.
The woman scolded him, "It's all your fault. You had to come to the park in the middle of the night to seek excitement."
The man was filled with regret: "The guards at Hyde Park are so mean. They gave me two pounds and they still thought it wasn't enough. If I had known, I wouldn't have listened to them and come here."
The woman must have been angry, so she pushed him away and left. He chased her and disappeared in a short while.
Finally, no one was around. Heather poked the man in front of her, asking him to step back. She didn't know why she remembered what the woman had just said.
"It's all your fault." Her tone was as serious as if she was greeting a stranger.
Lancaster stepped back and cleared his throat. "I think it's worth two hundred pounds."
Heather wanted to glare at him, but she felt that any action she took would be out of line, so she turned around and sat on the bench and said, "How come you are so good at dancing? It seems you must have danced a lot before." She gritted her teeth when she said this, and it sounded like she was jealous.
Lancaster walked over and sat down. There was a polite distance between them again, one sitting at each end of the bench. If anyone passed by, they would definitely look at him strangely.
"Only skipped with one person before tonight."
Heather is silent again. So she's the second one, which is normal...
Since she didn't speak, Lancaster had to say more, so he spoke again: "The first one... is my sister. It turns out that we always have to dance the opening dance at our family's banquets."
"My sister?" This was the first time Heather heard him talk about his family. "What kind of people are they?"
If the person asking the question had been anyone else, he wouldn't have bothered to answer, or in fact, he wouldn't have bothered to recall it. But it happened to be her.
"She used to be... a very gentle person. She would do everything the elders asked her to do very well. She was very thoughtful, considerate, and patient."
Heather thought, probably a girl like Jane.
"However, sometimes she's so perfect she seems to have no emotions of her own." Lancaster wanted a cigar, but now he could only rub his fingers. "When she was a child, she had a close friend who was almost her fiancé. Because their families were of similar age, both parents tacitly agreed. But then his family fell on hard times, and another suitable candidate appeared. As soon as the elders expressed their interest, she successfully and peacefully broke up with the previous man, and she and her new fiancé became everyone's golden couple."
"At that time I felt sorry for her, but later I thought she was amazing." Lancaster quietly unbuttoned two buttons on his collar, suspecting that he was really getting old. He began to recall the past when he had a big fight with his father over this matter.
Heather enjoyed hearing him talk about the past and asked, "What about now? What kind of person is she now?"
"I don't know." Lancaster had to admit: "After she got tired of being a model lady, she suddenly did something that shocked everyone one day, and then she disappeared completely."
Heather secretly wondered if this "disappeared" meant missing or... dead. She couldn't decide whether to comfort him, so she had to change the topic to herself.
"Actually, I might be that kind of person, too." She plucked a flower from behind her and stuffed it back guiltily. "It's not that I'm amazing, but I appear to be a good girl on the surface, but deep down, I'm always thinking about doing something truly rebellious, so I can break out of my fixed life trajectory."
"Do you understand?" She turned her head.
He didn't say anything, just looked at her quietly, his blue eyes clearly showing her reflection. He understood that although he was not obedient, he still became the judge as everyone wished.
"Even though I know I can't be willful and that once I take a wrong step there's no going back, I still really want to escape from the right path," she tried to explain.
"Did you run away?" he whispered.
"No, never. At least I haven't dared to do it myself." She said regretfully, "I guess I have always been following the safe path step by step." She went to a plain but safe school, worked part-time to save money and lived a safe life. If it weren't for that huge accident, she might have found a boring but safe job now.
After she finished speaking, she suddenly realized that there might be ambiguity, and looked at him hurriedly: "Marrying to France is not escaping, it's just...it's just..." Heather couldn't explain, so she could only ask awkwardly: "Why are you silent again?"
It wasn't that Lancaster didn't want to talk, but the words he wanted to say right now didn't seem very gentlemanly and proper, and he was afraid they would scare her. What he wanted most was to break up with her quickly and write to her. Writing was easier.
"Speak," she urged softly, like an irritated kitten, which was the kind Miss Lancaster had once kept when she was at home, and he only found it troublesome.
He had no choice but to choose a more polite question: "What kind of man do you like?" It didn't seem particularly polite, because her eyes widened again, probably not wanting to answer.
"Okay, why did you come to see me today?"
Heather's ears flushed red, she wasn't sure if it was anger or embarrassment. She stood up and wanted to run away like the woman just now, but she was worried that would be too unreasonable, so she said stiffly, "I'm going home to bed now," and then walked back the way she had come.
Lancaster didn't stop her, touched his nose, and followed her silently.
Heather had overestimated her ability to find her way. She hadn't walked very far just now, but now the road seemed increasingly unfamiliar, and she couldn't find the wall. Yet, the person behind her let her walk freely, not stopping her in any direction, but simply following quietly.
She finally accepted her fate, stopped in anger, and condemned him with her eyes: "How are we going to get there?"
Lancaster thought for a moment and said, "The first fork in the road is the wrong one."
Heather felt that he was playing tricks on her and was really getting angry: "Then why don't you say anything!"
"Because...I want to stay with you for a while longer."
Her ears turned red again, even redder than before.
Lancaster recalled some of the routes he had just taken and replanned his way back. This time, he walked in front and Heather followed behind.
"Why don't you answer my question? Don't you want to answer?" he asked in front.
Heather was terrified, afraid he would repeat himself, so she quickly chose the easier answer. "Today I ran into a maid I'd met at my sister's. She works in a textile factory. When I went to see her, I looked inside. The working conditions there are truly horrible. Long-term use is bound to have serious consequences for human health."
Before they knew it, they were walking side by side.
"I originally wanted to ask you what you should do, but now I have some ideas, I plan to try it myself."
Lancaster looked at her inexplicably confident appearance in the darkness and smiled silently: "Is there anything I can do?"
"Not now. If I need you later, I'll find you."
They didn't talk much in the second half, just walked together quietly, keeping a distance between them. Sometimes they would brush each other's sleeves if they couldn't control themselves, and then silently distance themselves, but soon they would get closer again without any prior agreement.
After finding the wall, everything went very quickly. In less than ten minutes, Heather was in the carriage.
Lancaster knocked on the window and Heather opened it.
Lancaster looked at her waiting obediently, opened his mouth, and finally said dryly: "Good night."
Heather nodded, thought for a moment, and said, "I don't know."
"What?"
"I don't know what kind of person I like because I've never liked anyone before."
She quickly closed the window and knocked on the wooden board in front. The driver understood and quickly urged the horses on. Heather didn't dare to look sideways, even if she caught a glimpse of him standing there and making some gestures.
Ahhhh.
The carriage started, and she buried her head in her scarf, shouting silently.
Lancaster looked at the carriage driving away and was reluctant to move for a long time.
The next day was Sunday, and the factory usually closed for half a day in the morning. Heather called Lucy over and asked her where she had lived before.
"I came to London with a distant cousin who had married off from Longbourn. She had been home a while ago, and I asked her how I could find work in London. Her husband had died in an accident, and the factory had arranged a job for her to support the family. She let me stay at her house for only five shillings a week."
Heather asked, "Does she work in the textile factory, too?"
Lucy replied, "Yes, but she works in the dyeing workshop, where the salary is higher than mine. But I don't want to go. I saw that her hands were ulcerated in several places, and I was a little scared."
Heather thought that it was probably caused by the toxic gases released by chemicals such as acid dyes and bleach.
"So you all live near the factory?"
Lucy nodded. "Yes, ma'am. It's about the same distance from Sir Lucas's house to ours. It's called Soot Lane."
Heather suddenly thought of the street they had visited before: "Lucy, do you know Fishmongers Road?"
Lucy was surprised that Mrs. Lawrence knew the name. "Yes, the factory workers in our area all live in the adjacent lanes: Fishmonger's Lane, Red Brick Lane, Dock Lane, and so on. I've bought fish in Fishmonger's Lane, but most of the people there aren't fishmongers. A girl I know who works in the textile mills lives there."
Heather: "Are the people on Fishmonger's Road easy to get along with? Are they particularly exclusive?"
Lucy shook her head. "No, they're all very easy to get along with. The park is in the West End, and Fishmonger's Road is right at the junction of the West End and the East End. Every time I go home from the park, I have to walk through there. There was an old man who was very kind and even gave me a bag of fish flakes. They were delicious with potatoes baked in coal ash."
Heather figured it was just bad luck that day, and she happened to run into trouble.
"Lucy, can you show me the street where you live?"
Lucy agreed: "It's just right for me to go home before work this afternoon."
When Reina heard her say this, she looked at Heather eagerly. Heather said, "I run a plant salon in London. Reina should have told you about it. Go home and pack up today. In a few days, you will receive training from the salon staff. Then you can work for me from now on. I will pay you the same salary."
Lucy didn't have the capital to be arrogant. A better work environment was something she had been dreaming of for the past two weeks. She knew it was due to Reina's favor. "Madam, I will definitely work hard. I will always remember your kindness and Reina's."
Reina took her hand and said, "Great, we can talk every day from now on!"
This was the closest friend of her age she'd ever met since returning to England. Back in the country, their masters had a relaxed schedule, and after work, they'd run hand in hand through the fields, hiding behind haystacks and gossiping about everyone they passed. Lucy had never left Longbourn before, but she'd learned a great deal about London from the maids of the ladies who'd returned to visit. It's fair to say that many of Reina's first impressions of London, after more than a decade away, came from her.
Heather was also happy to see the two displaced little girls happily get together. The fate of the lower class people can easily be drowned in the torrent of the times, and being able to meet again is itself a kind of fate.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
