Chapter 74. Mary and her party arrive in Bath...
Mary and her party stayed on Milson Street after arriving in Bath, and it was raining the day they arrived. Walking through the streets of Bath in the rain wasn't a pleasant experience, but thankfully the travelers were in a carriage, avoiding the muddy roads. Anne just wished the carriage would go faster.
Shortly after their arrival, they were invited by Mrs. Carlson, a friend of Mrs. Maxwell's Bass, to a family social dance, where they met some gentlemen and ladies who were also vacationing there.
The group of guests quickly gained acceptance in Bath's social circles. Captain Price was quick-witted and masculine, and his wife and two Miss Prices were both very beautiful and charming. People in Bath vied to invite them, hoping to add luster to their own balls.
Just as the two Miss Price were feeling physically exhausted from the increasing number of family social dances and were reluctant to leave their homes, someone came to visit them.
The visitor was Colonel Brandon, who happened to be vacationing here with his friend Sir John Middleton and his family. Upon hearing the news from his friends, he naturally came to pay a visit.
He seemed delighted to meet the Price family in Bath, and his usual serious demeanor softened considerably. They sat together discussing their journey and recent events in London, and when they mentioned Mary's attendance at the ball at Althorp Manor, the Colonel couldn't help but cast a curious glance at the young lady.
With everyone engaged in such lively conversation, Colonel Brandon soon learned that their destination was Devonshire. He immediately asked William where Ross Estate was. After William and Anne explained the location, he immediately said, "Ross Estate is not far from Barton Estate. So you and my friend Sir John are neighbors. They happen to be on holiday in Bath right now."
As fate would have it, William and Anne asked Colonel Brandon to introduce them to Sir John, as they needed to learn everything about Devonshire before arriving at Ross Estate in complete confusion. Upon meeting, they quickly hit it off and agreed to travel to Devon together.
Mary silently assessed their new friend: Sir John Middleton was a gentleman of about forty, and although he was no longer young, one could still glimpse the handsome features he had in his youth. He was frank and warm, and spoke without restraint; the two families had become friends thanks to his irresistible enthusiasm.
Mrs. Middleton was slender and elegant; though only twenty-three or twenty-four, she was already a mother of three. She remained courteous to Mrs. Price and the two Miss Prices. While her elegance surpassed that of her husband, he was far superior in genuine hospitality.
Mrs. Middleton's upbringing had instilled in her the qualities of an obedient housewife and a doting mother. Even in Bath, she longed for her second son and youngest daughter, who remained at home, and few others could capture her interest. Mary and the others recognized this, and thus showered praise on her eldest son, who was with her.
Mary also met another "notable figure," Sir John's mother-in-law, the witty Mrs. Jennings. This lady was a widow who had left her a large fortune before her husband's death.
After her eldest daughter got married, she only had one thing on her mind: to find a husband for her younger daughter, Charlotte Jennings. Miss Jennings was currently visiting Mrs. Jennings' brother, and presumably that gentleman would arrange it.
Therefore, Mrs. Jennings was more willing to share her joy with others. Upon first meeting the Price family, she felt it was necessary to find husbands for the two beautiful young ladies, especially Miss Price.
The ladies sat together chatting about everyday matters, and Anne had more time to observe whether Colonel Brandon was interested in her friend.
Before she could figure it out, Mrs. Jennings leaned close to her: "Mrs. Price, I bet you've noticed, our good friend Colonel Brandon is interested in Miss Price. He's completely smitten with her, isn't he?"
Fearing that the young Mrs. Price might not believe her, she pointed as she spoke. Following Mrs. Jennings's direction, Anne saw Colonel Brandon listening intently to Mary, with a respect that rivaled even William's when he listened to her.
Although Anne agreed with Mrs. Jennings's opinion, she wouldn't discuss it openly: "Oh, Mrs. Jennings, I don't understand what you mean. Colonel Brandon is a good friend of my father's. I think Mary is talking about something very interesting right now. Mary, Mrs. Jennings would like to chat with you."
When Mary came over, Mrs. Jennings couldn't wait to ask, "Miss Price, I think I'll be able to hear your good news soon." She then laughed loudly.
When Anne met Mrs. Jennings for the first time, she felt embarrassed for Mary. Mary, however, was well-prepared for the lady's temperament and calmly replied, "Mrs. Jennings, if you're hoping for that, I'm afraid you won't be able to wait any longer. I haven't met my Romeo yet. You might as well look forward to your second daughter bringing you good news."
Although Mary behaved with great poise and showed no shyness toward Colonel Brandon, this did not prevent Mrs. Jennings from believing that Colonel Brandon and Miss Price were interested in each other. Later, at a concert they attended together, she saw Mary and Colonel Brandon exchanging their views on music, which made her even more certain of the matter.
The group spent two or three weeks together in Bath, and just as they were preparing to leave in another week, they encountered another man in Bath. This man's appearance was so abrupt that no one could believe he was there.
It was raining in Bath that day, just like when they arrived. The continuous drizzle prevented them from going out, so the Price family had to stay in the hotel.
Therefore, when he heard the knock on the door, William was quite surprised: "In this awful weather, who would come to visit us? Could it be Colonel Brandon?"
When the servant opened the door, a person no one expected entered: the noble Duke of Devonshire.
Before everyone could finish their greetings, His Highness spoke up, "Don't be so polite, Captain Price. I won't be staying here for long."
He didn't appear to have arrived by carriage, as there were still raindrops in his hair and his clothes were slightly damp, giving him a somewhat wet and charming appearance.
As soon as William Cavendish entered, he looked in Mary's direction with a complex expression in his eyes. Mary felt embarrassed after being stared at by him for a while.
She lowered her head, feeling her cheeks burning. Mary had always thought this prince was one of the most handsome men she knew, but this was the first time he had completely captivated her. Looking at the Duke of Devonshire's complicated expression, she suddenly felt her heart pound.
She didn't hear what the Duke and William said, only that he had just arrived in Bath to take care of something and had come to visit them after learning that they lived there.
The important man lingered in the small hotel room for a while, and the news that they would be leaving for Devon in a few days made him frown. He then expressed his desire to speak with Miss Price alone for a few minutes.
After the others in the room left, William Cavendish paced anxiously around the room. He walked up to Mary and suddenly said, "Miss Price, are you going to Devonshire and planning to settle there permanently? You might not have time to go to Europe now."
This was utterly baffling. Mary was completely confused. She looked at the Duke with a puzzled expression: "Of course I won't stay there all the time. I'm just going on vacation."
"Are you planning to live in both London and the countryside?"
"Probably, but it depends on what William and Anne think."
"Your brother and sister-in-law?" William Cavendish sensed something was wrong and asked directly, "I heard someone proposed to you, is that true?"
"How did you know?" Mary replied in surprise.
These words made the prince frown again: "Did he tell you about his situation? He has an adopted daughter, the daughter of his first love, and there are rumors that she is his illegitimate child."
He hesitated for a moment, then refrained from making any defamatory remarks, and continued, "However, based on my investigation, the rumors are not true, but Miss Price, you clearly deserve a more outstanding man..."
Mary then realized that His Highness the Duke was not referring to Mr. Eldridge, but to Colonel Brandon: "Oh, Your Highness, who told you that? The Colonel did not propose to me!"
Upon hearing this, William Cavendish's eyes instantly shifted from worry to joy: "So what you just said?"
"I was referring to another man, but unfortunately I have no plans to get married, so I've already rejected his proposal."
The Duke, who had just been feeling down, instantly regained his composure and apologized to Miss Price for believing the rumors.
"I should thank you for telling me this; otherwise, it would have been so awkward between Colonel Brandon and me."
The room was quiet for a moment, then the Duke of Devonshire offered his final blessing: "Miss Price, I hope you will always be as healthy and happy as you are now."
After saying this, he got up and took his leave.
After the important figure left, William and the others returned to their room. Anne couldn't help but say, "Mary, he really put on a show by coming all the way to visit us. If he wasn't interested in you, why would he be so polite to us?"
After the Duke asked those questions, Mary was also at a loss and almost didn't hear her sister-in-law's question. She made a few excuses and returned to her room, but kept thinking about what the prince meant by those words.
William Cavendish, who was leaving, was also unsure why he had asked the question directly in front of Miss Price.
It turns out that shortly after Henry Wentworth Fitzwilliam arrived at Althorp Manor and before Mary and the others set off, he had already left Northamptonshire and returned to Chatsworth.
After a while, William felt that his recent strange feelings had calmed down, but just then he received a letter from his sister, Countess Carlyle.
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