Chapter 57 This really came out of nowhere...
This was truly unexpected. Mary and Anne looked at each other, their eyes showing surprise. Miss Crawford had just made some "profound" comments about Anne and William being together, only to turn around and get engaged to someone like Mr. McDonald.
Mrs. Maxwell continued her rambling: "They must have hit it off at that ball in January. I remember they danced two dances together. I knew then that they were about to get married. It's just a shame, I thought Mr. McDonald and Miss Crawford were friends with us, but they got together without telling me. We should really congratulate them on this happy occasion."
“Congratulations? Mr. McDonald’s change of mind so quickly that I have to wonder if his feelings are genuine,” Anne exclaimed.
“Oh, Anne, you can’t deny Mr. MacDonald just because he liked you in the past. He was hurt by you but found solace with Miss Crawford. It’s normal for that. How can you say he’s indecent?” Mrs. Maxwell advised the two young ladies. “I know you young people always fantasize about a gentleman loving you forever. In fact, that’s impossible.”
Anne wanted to say something more, but Mary stopped her. They couldn't tell anyone that Mr. McDonald was pursuing her behind her back. So Mrs. Maxwell thought Mr. McDonald's behavior was normal and there was nothing wrong with it.
After Mrs. Maxwell left the room, Anne said hurriedly, "Although I don't like the way Miss Crawford mentioned William, I still feel uncomfortable thinking about how she accepted Mr. Macdonald's proposal."
“That’s because we all know what kind of person Mr. McDonald is. He only cares about money and has no feelings. So we feel sorry for Miss Crawford. She was definitely deceived.” Mary felt the same way as Anne. Miss Crawford hadn’t done anything wrong. She shouldn’t have fallen into the hands of such a person.
"What should we do? Why don't we go and warn her? Whether she believes us or not, at least it will put her on her guard," kind-hearted Annie suggested.
Mary asked Kate to call Richard over, saying, "That's a good suggestion. Miss Crawford is a smart woman. Our suggestion might get her to postpone the wedding. Besides, we need to find something on Mr. McDonald."
"Mary, what did you call me here for?" Richard asked as he opened the door.
After the two girls explained the situation, Richard pondered for a moment and said, "Ever since Mary reminded me of Mr. McDonald's strange behavior last year, I've sent people to inquire about his background. Although I didn't find out anything of value, that's the strange thing."
"What do you mean?" Mary pressed.
"You know, everyone says that Mr. McDonald's mother's relatives left him a huge fortune. Some say it's forty or fifty thousand pounds, others say it's seventy or eighty thousand pounds, but I've asked around and haven't been able to get any definite information. Isn't it strange that this money was left to him by someone else and how much it is?"
"You mean there might not be such a sum of money at all, and it's just a false rumor that Mr. McDonald spread to package himself?" Mary thought of the pig butchering scams of later generations, with similar tricks emerging one after another, not to mention the 19th century when transportation was inconvenient and information was not readily available.
"Perhaps. On the contrary, Mrs. Russell, I learned that her late Mr. Russell did leave her a sum of money before his death. Although it was not as much as she claimed, it still caused Mr. Russell's relatives to have a lot of resentment towards her."
They told me that the people I sent to inquire about this were telling me that Mr. McDonald had lived almost entirely with the Russells while he was in Derbyshire, and that the Russells had squandered a lot of money with their friends, leaving Mr. Russell with only a small piece of land besides the house when he became seriously ill.
"Then it's quite clear: Mrs. Russell and Mr. McDonald colluded to swindle money from the deceased Mr. Russell until the poor man passed away. McDonald may or may not have had some money of his own, but in any case, after losing Mr. Russell as his wallet, he set his sights on Anne, me, and Miss Crawford."
Mary thought for a moment, "No, he couldn't possibly know exactly how much money I have, Richard. It seems he's after your money! That's why he introduced you to Mrs. Russell, trying to use the same trick again."
After hearing this analysis, Anne was stunned: "How can there be such a wicked person in the world? Why would Mrs. Russell help Mr. McDonald against her own husband? I really can't understand it."
“Mr. McDonald introduced Mrs. Russell as his cousin, so perhaps she was in cahoots with Mr. McDonald from the beginning,” Richard explained.
Mary wasn't entirely convinced by Mr. McDonald's words and speculated, "Mr. McDonald told you about my cousin's identity. Maybe she has other identities and has always been under McDonald's control, or maybe he has some secrets about her that he can't tell you about, so she has to obey him."
Finally, Richard told the two ladies that he would continue to send people to track Mr. McDonald and Mrs. Russell, and that Mary and Anne intended to speak with Miss Crawford first.
They had their maids deliver their visiting cards to Mrs. Stoneaway and Miss Crawford's residence, and the two women were warmly received by Mrs. Stoneaway and Miss Crawford the following afternoon.
Mrs. Stonowey was good at sweet talk: "Miss Maxwell, Miss Price, your presence is a great honor to our humble abode. I always joke with Mary that while we can still call ourselves beauties before Miss Price attends the ball, once she makes her mark in social circles, the queen of the ball will undoubtedly be none other than you."
Mary smiled and said, "If that were the case, the gentlemen present would be blind, for your beauty, Madam, is equally unforgettable."
After exchanging a few pleasantries and compliments, the conversation inevitably turned to Mr. McDonald, who had just proposed.
“Several of my elders have told me that nothing is more reliable than land, which is why they wrote to dissuade my brother Richard from buying a house in the city first. Miss Crawford, I wonder where Mr. MacDonald plans to acquire property? If Richard were as wealthy as him, he would surely buy an estate in the country first, and then a suitable house in London. I remember hearing at Maxwell’s that he is currently renting, is that right, Anne?” Mary asked, feigning curiosity.
“That’s right, I’ve never heard Mr. McDonald talk about his business.” Anne said seriously. “In fact, my father has always been quite skeptical about it. He’s rather old-fashioned and can’t understand why a young man wouldn’t want to settle down and build a business.”
Before Miss Crawford could say anything, Mrs. Stoneaway interjected, “We ladies can never understand the plans of gentlemen. However, Mary, you should indeed urge Matthew to settle down and build a business as soon as possible. Men always say that we women spend too much, but in fact, the money they spend on a single bet on horses or a hunting trip is not a small amount! If you don’t let him spend his money where it’s needed, you’ll soon find his fortune flowing away elsewhere.”
Mary and Anne exchanged a glance; these words carried more weight coming from Mrs. Stoneaway.
Anne continued, "Even if they don't acquire property, they should at least find out where their assets are. But William has always been very clear about his situation, so I don't need to worry about these things."
What's there to say about William Price's meager fortune? Mary Crawford remained noncommittal.
Seeing that she remained unmoved, the two young ladies started talking about other things, mentioning the experience of a young lady from a certain county being deceived, and condemning those men who used schemes and tricks to deceive good girls.
When they got up to say goodbye, Miss Crawford saw the two young ladies out alone. She hesitated several times, wanting to say something, but ultimately remained silent.
Anne added a final reminder: "Miss Crawford, although Mr. McDonald is a distant relative of the Maxwell family, my father doesn't know much about his past. Please be very careful."
Seeing Miss Crawford deep in thought, Mary and Anne said goodbye and left. Once Miss Crawford returned to her room, she couldn't help but ponder the purpose of Miss Maxwell and Miss Price's visit. She had barely sat down when Mr. McDonald arrived.
The gentleman had come to confess his feelings to the young lady; he simply couldn't bear to be apart from his beloved and wished he could marry Miss Crawford next month with a priest.
To his slight disappointment, Miss Crawford hesitated about holding the wedding so soon. She and Mrs. Stoneway were currently on vacation and couldn't abandon their friends halfway through. Furthermore, her sister, Mrs. Grant, was still in mourning and hoped to wait until her sister could attend the wedding; Mr. McDonald would have better wait a little longer.
Mr. McDonald was somewhat disappointed, but he still insisted that everything was in accordance with Miss Crawford's wishes and that he was willing to follow her arrangements. As for Miss Crawford's mention of purchasing property, the gentleman readily agreed, saying that he had long considered settling in a county near London, but had not yet found a suitable place, and hoped that Miss Crawford could give him some advice.
Mary and Anne's reminders seemed to have some effect, but not a significant one. Mr. McDonald's explanation was so convincing that it dispelled Miss Crawford's doubts.
In fact, once he left Miss Crawford's residence, Matthew McDonald was not as composed as he had appeared in front of her. He was eager to hold the wedding so that Miss Crawford's dowry could fill his financial gap.
He had extorted at least £20,000 from Mr. Russell, but almost three years have passed since Mr. Russell's death, and because he cultivated an image of being wealthy and generous, he has almost spent all of that money.
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