Chapter 69 Mansfield at the end of April…
Mansfield Park was as beautiful as ever at the end of April. Sir Thomas and Aunt Bertram were still the same as always. Compared to city life, the countryside had a kind of timeless beauty. If it weren't for the arrival of Mary and her family, life here would hardly have changed.
Thomas was still a baby who only slept and drank milk, while two-year-old Frances had already learned to walk clumsily and looked increasingly adorable. For the young couple William and Anne, nothing could capture their attention more than a toddler.
Mary planned to see if there was anything else she could do to help her aunt, but by the time they arrived, the preparations for the ball were almost complete, and Susan's new dress was finished; the design was the one Mary had drawn and sent over.
On the day of the ball, Susan wore a yellow satin dress with tulle sleeves and neckline, and a skirt embroidered with daisies. She also wore a necklace made of peridot and diamonds.
Peridot became popular in high society because it was favored by His Majesty the King, but Mary secretly felt that no girl was more suited to this gemstone than Susan. The stubbornness in her eyes and brows matched the fresh olive green gemstone perfectly.
Mary, dressed in a plain white dress, stood with Fanny in a corner of the hall watching Susan being invited to dance by young men. Luckily, no one noticed her, and she felt a sense of relief, as if she had escaped unscathed.
Just then, William walked over and said, "Mary, what are you and Fanny doing hiding here? Why don't you go dancing?"
"Today's star is Susan; I've danced enough in London."
"I thought you thought the men here were too ordinary and didn't want to dance with them."
"Since I can tolerate that fool Lord Brooke in London, I have no reason to criticize the men of Northamptonshire."
No sooner had Mary finished speaking than a gentleman noticed the two ladies and came over to invite Mary to dance before the second round of dancing began.
Mr. Eldridge, Edmund's college classmate, is twenty-eight years old and comes from an old and wealthy family in northern England. Although he is also the second son in his family, he is favored by his grandmother, who bequeathed her dowry of £30,000 to him on her deathbed, allowing him to live a life of leisure.
He happened to be in Northamptonshire and, hearing that Mansfield was holding a ball, decided to join in the fun. He had originally come for Sir Thomas's beautiful niece, Miss Susan, but upon attending the ball, he discovered that another of the Sir Thomas's nieces was even more beautiful, and instantly fell in love with her.
"Miss Price, do you and your sister live together in Mansfield?"
“No, Susan lives here with her aunt and uncle. I live in London with my brothers and my godfather. All three of my brothers live in London. Only William is here today.”
Are there six of you siblings in total?
"No, I have three younger brothers."
"It must have been very lively and happy to have so many brothers and sisters in the family. Unfortunately, my mother, Mrs. Eldridge, did not want to have more children, so I only have one brother."
This conversation reveals that although Mr. Eldridge had lived for twenty-eight years, he was still a very naive young man. Hearing this, Mary secretly felt sorry for Mrs. Eldridge.
After the ball, Mr. Eldridge lingered in the neighborhood, frequently visiting the vicar's house, hoping to run into Miss Price.
Given the bad impression left by Mr. Crawford, the suitor of his niece Fanny, Sir Thomas initially viewed Edmund's friend with caution. Fortunately, Mr. Eldridge quickly convinced the Sir with his clear-eyed naiveté that he was by no means a bad person.
“If only Mr. Eldridge were more mature and steady, but fortunately he is already a young man who is financially independent. I have reason to believe that he will naturally become more steady after marriage. Do you think his pursuit of Mary will be successful?” Sir Thomas asked his second son.
Edmund didn't think highly of his friend. He hadn't seen any tender or affectionate response from the woman, and he had also learned from William that Mary had other suitors. He felt that his friend would definitely be disappointed.
Just as Edmund had predicted, Mr. Eldridge discovered that Miss Price had always been indifferent to him. The young man, who had never encountered setbacks before, decided to take a gamble and fight for his love one last time before leaving Mansfield.
That day, while taking a walk with several young people, he seized the opportunity to confess his love to Mary, asking her to believe in his sincere affection.
Perhaps because he had witnessed Mary's patience in caring for Frances, Mr. Eldridge, during his confession, kept praising Miss Price's gentleness towards the children, and while speaking, he imagined how sweet and happy his family life with this lady would be one day.
Mary didn't dislike this simple gentleman, but she couldn't bring herself to like him either. She found his mention of children and family happiness rather amusing.
“Mr. Eldridge, thank you for your kindness, but I must refuse you. I do not think I am the kind of woman who can bring you the kind of family joy you expect, and I have never had those feelings for you. If you see me taking care of Frances and think I am a traditional woman like my sister, then you are mistaken.”
Mr. Eldridge was extremely disappointed, and he tried his best to suppress his frustration: "Oh, Miss Price, I know you have no interest in me, but you don't need to put yourself in this way."
Heartbroken, poor Mr. Eldridge decided not to stay in Mansfield any longer and bid farewell to Edmund the next day, intending to visit his other friends in Bath.
This matter did not escape the notice of the young people in the manor. One day after the gentleman left, the eldest cousin Tom suddenly said, "Mary, you must have hurt that poor young man's feelings. Even if it was a rejection, you were far too cold-hearted. Edmund, this is probably the first time little Eldridge has suffered such a setback. I hope he can handle it."
“Heartbreak? I think your men’s heartbreak only lasts for a while. You can easily distract yourselves from your heartbreak with things like horse racing, hunting, and politics. I’m quite confident that Mr. Eldridge will fall in love with another lady before long.”
The men in the living room exchanged glances. Edmund seemed thoughtful. William stood up to defend the men: "Mary, you are being too harsh on us men. I can't be sure how long Mr. Eldridge's love for you will last, but there are certainly many men like me who are steadfastly in love with a lady."
In front of Anne, Mary didn't want to point it out. When Miss Gregory got engaged, William didn't show much sadness; he was quickly overshadowed by the joy of his promotion.
“I admit that such love exists, but it is certainly not as common as people think. Otherwise, there would be no need for poems and novels to sing the praises of love. It is precisely because it is rare that it is worthy of being sung by writers, isn’t it?”
“Mary, do you think that a man must love a woman forever for it to be considered love?” Edmund suddenly interjected.
"On the contrary, I believe that both men and women can experience several relationships, and there is no need to be ashamed of it. It's just that most of us will not encounter the kind of love described in the book, at least I don't think I have that kind of luck."
Tom, the older cousin, retorted, "Mary, regardless of whether love is as you say, a young lady who acts too coldly will not be welcomed by gentlemen."
Who cares if they welcome them or not, Mary thought.
After Mr. Eldridge left, Mansfield returned to his normal routine. Mary often spent time with Susan discussing the next steps for the clothing factory. She had already arranged for Thomas Smith to rent a shop on Oxford Street where ready-to-wear clothing would be sold.
Everything seemed peaceful until the owner of the manor and Mary received a ball invitation. The invitation read: "Sir Thomas Bertram, Lady Maria Bertram, and Miss Mary Price cordially invite you to the ball on the fifteenth of June." It was signed "Althorpe Manor, Spencer."
"The Earl Spencer's ball! This Earl is a real big shot in Northamptonshire. Mary, it seems your beauty has become widely known after the last ball. I heard that neither of the Earl's sons are currently married, so there will definitely be many ladies, young women, and nobles at this ball. You must seize this excellent opportunity to show yourself."
The person who reacted the most to Mary receiving the invitation was Aunt Bertram. It was astonishing that she would take the time to travel so far to accompany her niece to the ball.
Mrs. Bertram not only prepared to accompany her niece to the ball, but also gave her some advice on attending such events, reminding her to prepare a new evening gown and ball shoes.
Compared to Aunt Bertram's overwhelming excitement and Fanny and Susan's sense of pride, Edmund found the invitation somewhat puzzling.
William and Anne's feelings were much more complicated. They remembered that the Earl of Spencer was the Duke of Devonshire's uncle, and couldn't help but wonder if His Highness the Duke had done something to get Mary, who had only recently arrived in Mansfield, to receive the invitation.
“Mary, tell me honestly, you and His Highness the Duke have no private relationship, do you?” William asked, pulling his sister aside from the corner.
“What are you thinking, William? How could I correspond with His Highness without telling you?” Mary said helplessly. “I don’t know what’s going on with this invitation either. Maybe it’s just a pointless gesture by these nobles.”
Mary was wrong this time; the invitation did indeed have some connection to the Duke of Devonshire.
His sudden agreement to visit Althorp Manor would be hard to believe if it weren't for Miss Price also being in Northamptonshire. However, upon arriving at Althorp, he regretfully discovered that he had no suitable reason to go to Mansfield.
Just then, Frederick and Margaret found their father and mentioned the remarkable ball in London. Earl Spencer then decided to meet Miss Price to see what charm she possessed that had captivated his nephew. He didn't believe his nephew could have much to talk about with a general who had only risen to high society through war.
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