Chapter 45 "Annie, you really..."
“Annie, are you really not planning to participate in the social season this spring? Recently, almost all the nobles in London are planning to have their daughters appear at the ball.”
At the end of March, General Maxwell's wife suddenly said to Anne in the living room, "I don't think it's necessary to wait until the second half of the year. You'll be eighteen in August, so this is just a few months earlier."
“Since it’s only a few months’ difference, why does it have to be in the spring?” Anne was a little puzzled by the general’s wife’s urgency. “I can’t possibly go to the palace to attend a ball.”
“My dear, as far as I know, the Duke of Devonshire has been staying in London recently. You see, this eligible bachelor is being eyed by many high-society ladies who are madly hoping to become his mother-in-law.” Mrs. Maxwell smiled smugly; this kind of news couldn’t be kept from her.
She then looked at her stepdaughter: "Although we dare not dream of such a thing, since such news has spread, there will surely be many new faces at the balls, big and small, this year. Why not take this opportunity to find a suitable husband?"
“Then forget it. I have no interest in squeezing in with other people to choose a husband,” Anne replied coldly to her stepmother.
General Maxwell turned his gaze to Mary, hoping his goddaughter could persuade Anne, but Mary shook her head. She could let other things go, but this was something she couldn't easily advise on.
Although the general's wife was unaware that Mary owned shares in the sewing machine company, since the sewing machines had become a bestseller, the general's wife naturally became more respectful towards her goddaughter. Seeing that Mary was unwilling to persuade her, she did not force her.
Anne didn't say anything at the time, but the next day when Mary dragged her out to the British Museum, she suddenly complained: "I hope the Duke of Devonshire can choose a wife soon. This commotion won't subside anytime soon unless a woman succeeds. Even my classmate from the girls' school is now fantasizing about marrying the Duke."
"I'm afraid there's no use in you worrying about this. If the Duke himself doesn't want to get married, no one can influence his decision." Mary smiled. She remembered this famous bachelor Duke, after all, the Pemberley estate in the 2005 version of "Pride and Prejudice" was Chatsworth House, the Duke of Devonshire's estate.
Who wouldn't think of the lovely Elizabeth and the affectionate Mr. Darcy after learning they're in the world of Jane Austen's novel? Unfortunately, as far as she knows, Pemberley doesn't exist in this world.
"How could that be? Mary, he has no brothers. If he doesn't get married, who will inherit the dukedom?" Anne's eyes widened. Although the duke had never announced his marriage, Anne believed that he was just like most wealthy and powerful young men who didn't want to be bound by marriage.
“If one marries for the sake of passing on a title, is it the person or the title that is being married?” Mary said as she admired the sculptures at the Parthenon.
The conversation didn't continue because Mary was captivated by the ancient Greek sculptures in front of her, while Anne wasn't very interested in them. She decided to look at other items first, while Mary stayed behind to wait for her.
Mary stood for a long time before the statues of the Three Fates. Although they were headless and armless, their graceful figures exuded a solemn divinity. Their soft, light dresses seemed to envelop vibrant bodies. Mary could imagine how dignified and beautiful the complete Atropos, Clotho, and Lachesis would be.
Mary wondered to herself whether these goddesses of life and nature truly existed in some other time and space, and perhaps they were watching and laughing at humanity right now.
“This is Phidias’s work, representing the pinnacle of ancient Greek sculpture, a gift left to us by Athens.” A deep and magnetic voice came from beside her ear. Mary turned her head and saw a young man who was even more noble and elegant than her brother-in-law Edmund.
He was tall and the most handsome man Mary had ever seen. Compared to William's bravery, he had more charisma; compared to Edmund's frailty, he had more determination; compared to Crawford's womanizing, he had more elegance. If there was any flaw, it was that his cold face and aloof attitude gave people a sense of distance.
“Us? I think these lifelike ancient Greek sculptures should be displayed in the real Parthenon for the world to admire, rather than in the British Museum.” As a visitor, no one felt more complicated than Mary; she loathed that colonial pride.
"Do you think Lord Elgin shouldn't have brought them back from Athens? But he had permission from the Ottoman Empire to bring these artifacts back so that they could be better protected." The man looked tenderly at the statue before him, his eyes particularly captivating at that moment.
“Although Greece is not yet independent, these treasures undoubtedly belong to the Greek people. The Ottoman Empire, as the occupier, has no right to decide, and besides, whether the lord has obtained the Sultan's consent is also a question.” Mary understood all too well what kind of person an official of a once-great empire in decline was.
The man beside him was silent for a moment, then said, "In any case, at least these statues receive more protection here than they do in their homeland."
This time it was Mary's turn to be silent. She was about to ask a question: If Greece were to protect these artifacts one day, would the British government be willing to return them to Greece without hesitation?
Just as she was about to speak, Anne and her maid returned. Upon seeing someone approaching, the handsome yet aloof man made no attempt to greet them. He simply said, "I hope to see you again, Miss Mary," and walked away.
“Mary, who was that gentleman just now…” Anne looked curiously at the man walking away in the distance.
“I don’t know this person. It’s strange, how does he know my name?” Mary racked her brains but couldn’t recall where she had seen this person before. If she had seen him before, she couldn’t possibly have forgotten his appearance.
The two girls wandered around the museum for a while longer, and seeing that it was getting late, they took a horse-drawn carriage back to Grosvenor Square.
April arrived quickly, and according to Mary's calculations, Fanny's due date was fast approaching. She decided to go to Mansfield to be with her sister who was about to give birth, instead of going on vacation to Brighton with the General's wife and Anne.
This time she did not ride in the general's carriage. Richard had recently bought a carriage to facilitate his travel between the factory, shops, and residence, so he naturally let his sister ride in his own carriage to Mansfield.
Richard did not change residences again. As the initial frenzy of wealth cooled, he returned to the caution he had developed during his time as a sailor. The medium-sized house was sufficient for him, and he was determined to buy a truly luxurious house on a nearby street once his business stabilized.
In addition to the coachman, Richard hired a cook who suited his tastes better and a housekeeper, so Kate was assigned to serve Mary.
Even so, General Maxwell still felt it was unsafe for Mary to travel with only a maid (he completely ignored the coachman), so he sent his male servant to his goddaughter and told her to be careful along the way, as if she were going to Scotland rather than Mansfield Park in Northamptonshire.
Enjoying the care and attention of her godfather and brother, Mary's first solo short trip went relatively smoothly. She arrived safely at Mansfield Manor and was warmly welcomed by her sister Susan in the corridor.
“Dear Mary, I missed you so much. I thought you would come with William when he came more than three months ago. You have no idea how disappointed I was when I didn’t see you.” Susan hugged her sister and started to whine.
“Last time, the Godfather sent a carriage to pick us up. I promised Anne I'd go back quickly, and I certainly can't break my promise.” Mary looked at her younger sister, who had grown up to be even more capable, and felt a mix of emotions. “How is Fanny now?”
"She should be resting at the clergyman's house at this time. Thanks to the Eastern nursing advice you sent, she has been in very good spirits. Edmund is very grateful to you."
Susan led her sister into the living room. Sir Thomas and Aunt Bertram hadn't aged; they looked just as they had always. Aunt Bertram greeted her niece with a beaming smile, and Uncle Bertram's brow was no longer furrowed.
My cousin Tom was away helping the Duke with something and wasn't home. Edmund managed to see Mary briefly, exchange a few words, and then went back to the Vicarage to be with Fanny without even having dinner.
After dinner, Sir Thomas inquired about the Price sewing machine. He was quite surprised when someone asked him in town some time ago if the machine had been invented by his niece, Richard. He had assumed it was solely Richard's invention, but it turned out Mary was also involved.
“Mary, a proper lady should not flaunt her talents too much. Even if you contributed to the invention of that machine, you should not put your name on it. Being too fond of showing off is not a good thing.”
“I think that sewing machine is very useful, Sir Thomas.” Aunt Bertram didn’t understand what her husband meant by these words. When she heard “showing off,” she glanced at Mary, clearly very proud of her niece.
Sir Thomas knew his wife was never sensitive to these matters, and he didn't mind her interruption. He continued, "As for Richard, last time I was in town I advised him to make enough money and buy property in the neighboring counties. I hope he understands. With William's military achievements and his wealth, in a generation or two, the Price family could very well become a prominent family in the area."
No wonder Richard never took her to see her uncle in London, nor did he mention his meetings with him; how could Sir Thomas tolerate such clichés? Out of respect for her elder, Mary did not argue; she treated it as if she were back in school attending Miss Williams's class, ignoring the sir's words entirely.
Susan had already noticed her sister's absent-mindedness, but she didn't dare to speak up for Mary. When she realized that Aunt Bertram was finally starting to doze off, she quickly reminded her uncle to go back to his room to rest.
Mary glanced at her sister, then yawned in perfect unison. Back in their room, the two sisters smiled at each other, as if they had returned to Price's little house.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
