Chapter 93 Is Eleanor troubled? No…
Is Eleanor troubled? If it's not for her sister, it can only be for Edward Ferras.
Thinking of that indecisive man, Mary pursed her lips: "I really hope that the gentlemen of England are worthy of the preferential treatment they receive from society. I really don't see what makes them so special that some outstanding ladies would fall for them."
Upon hearing this, Susan suddenly recalled some recent news and laughed, "Oh, Mary, isn't the Duke of Devonshire worth it? Didn't he invite you and Richard to a ball a while ago? I heard from Richard that you were the only lady who danced with him twice."
Mary blushed slightly as she recalled the scene, then said, "He was alright. If only all men could respect women like he did!"
“Don’t William, Richard, Edmund, Charlie (Mr. Hawthorne), and Mr. Smith respect women?” Susan thought it was hardly a virtue.
“I mean respecting women’s wisdom and abilities, not protecting us as the weak. In this respect, I admire the Duke of Devonshire more than anyone else; he is even willing to admit that he is inferior to women, which not all men are willing to admit.”
Susan didn't understand the difference between the two, but Charlotte, thinking of the female workers in the factory who earned the same or even more wages as their husbands but didn't receive their respect, understood her friend's meaning.
Some men, even if they are inferior to women, will go to great lengths to belittle them. Fortunately, her husband, Thomas Smith, was not that kind of person. It is truly rare for the Duke of Devonshire, despite his high position, to be willing to admit his shortcomings.
The ball that day was originally intended to celebrate the engagement of the Duke of Devonshire's cousin and the Earl of Carlisle's daughter. Since both the betrothed were close relatives of the Duke, the ball was held at his residence.
Both unmarried Mary and Richard received invitations, and it was undoubtedly an extremely lavish ball. The drinks and food provided were far more than the guests could possibly consume, and none of the attendees were there for the food.
Mary wore a custom-made evening gown made of the finest deep blue silk velvet. The neckline extended to the skirt, where a beautiful starry sky was depicted. Upon closer inspection, one could see that the stars in this starry sky were sewn on with gold thread and gemstones of various colors.
Mary's appearance in this dress immediately drew gasps of admiration; the dress made her look like a goddess from the starry sky.
No wonder that when the Duke of Devonshire invited Mary to a second dance, someone said to the Countess Carlisle, "Georgiana, Miss Price's beauty is already rare, and she dresses so well. It's no wonder the Duke of Devonshire is captivated by her. But if she marries the Duke, Blanche may not become the Duchess."
“I know my brother well. If he intends to propose to Miss Price, no amount of persuasion will change his mind. Since he hasn’t proposed yet, he probably doesn’t intend to do so.”
Countess Carlyle was unaware that Mary had already rejected the Duke's proposal and naturally assumed that Miss Price would not marry her brother. After attending that private party, she grew closer to Lady Cavendish, and the two noblewomen's schemes undoubtedly received the support of their respective husbands, ultimately leading to a successful engagement. As for the wishes of their children, that was of no importance.
“Your Highness, we have all come to celebrate a marriage, but I have yet to see the betrothed,” Mary said as she danced.
“It’s just another common high society marriage. If you really want to see them, William will definitely show up at my niece Blanche’s sixteenth birthday ball.” William Cavendish swayed nimbly to the music.
“So his name is also William. That’s such a common name. I’ve met so many Williams around me.” Mary smiled.
"So, in your heart, is there any William who is special?"
As he spoke, William Cavendish gazed at Mary's rose-like face, his eyes sweeping over the gold-inlaid mother-of-pearl carnelian pendant around her neck, its relief depicting Miss Price herself. Alas, no matter how exquisite the sculptor's skill, a shell carving could never truly capture the lifelike spirit of Miss Price.
The music stopped just then, and Mary replied playfully, "If I had to pick a special William, the one dancing with me right now is a little different, because no one else is dancing with me."
William Cavendish was already overjoyed at the mere mention of Mary's words, suppressing his excitement as he maintained the rhythm of his dance. After the dance, the Duke of Devonshire had no interest in speaking to anyone else; he only wanted to remain beside Miss Price.
“Miss Price, please don’t joke with me, because I can easily take your witty remarks seriously.” William Cavendish looked at Mary with affection.
“I thought we had reached a consensus on marriage and childbirth at the last gathering.”
“I certainly agree with your attitude on the latter, but as for the former, won’t you reconsider?” William Cavendish desperately hoped that his beloved girl could give him a more intimate and special status, not just as he was now—a good friend.
After the ball that day, it was obvious to everyone that the Duke of Devonshire was pursuing Miss Price. By the time this news reached Susan's ears from the high society ball, it had become somewhat distorted; there were even rumors that her sister Mary was secretly engaged to the Duke, but had not yet made it public.
Susan certainly didn't believe Mary would do such a thing. If she were engaged, she certainly wouldn't hide it from her family. But with the rumors swirling around, she was bound to bring it up when she saw Mary.
Mary had no intention of hiding it from her sister and best friend. Her feelings had changed since three years ago. Although she had not given the duke a clear answer, their communication had become so frequent that she even wrote to him for his opinion on the contents of the fashion magazine.
Although this exchange was still veiled by a sense of responsibility towards investors, there was no doubt that the two had become completely open with each other. In the process of exchanging letters, Mary gradually developed a feeling akin to a modern-day romance.
Perhaps another reason she rejected the Duke of Devonshire three years ago was that the pace of marriage proposals in the 19th century was still too fast for Mary, and only now did she feel that she and the Duke were lovers.
Mary's new friend Eleanor was not in such a good mood. She and Marianne saw Willoughby and Miss Grey at a ball. Eleanor had intended to persuade her sister not to go to the ball, but Marianne insisted on going.
Witnessing the close relationship between the two was a complete blow to Marianne, but fortunately she had been informed beforehand and did not do anything too outrageous at the ball, which gave Eleanor some comfort.
Mrs. Jennings vowed never to associate with Willoughby again, and thus led the way in not greeting him. Willoughby, however, seemed to be constantly watching Miss Grey's expression, and considering his actions, Eleanor felt no sympathy for him.
Miss Dashwood had received a letter from her mother in Barton, who worried that her second daughter would be reminded of Edward upon returning and strongly urged them to stay in the city. However, staying in the city posed another risk for Eleanor: she might very well see Edward.
However, Mrs. Dashwood was unaware that her eldest daughter was suffering no less than her younger sister, and hoped that both daughters could relax in the city. Mary was of great help to the two Miss Dashwoods in this matter, because Miss Price's social circle did not overlap with Mrs. Jennings's.
With her around, the two young ladies didn't have to worry about running into those two people they didn't want to see. Mary hadn't mentioned Willoughby again since telling them about it, which was a great comfort to them. Eleanor was fed up with everyone talking badly about Willoughby in front of her, even though they all carefully avoided her sister, she just couldn't escape it.
In early February, Willoughby left town after his wedding, and the two Miss Steeles followed. Since their visit, Eleanor had become more inclined to visit Miss Price.
Mary had not yet met the two Miss Steeles, but she soon had the opportunity when she and Anne went to the shop by carriage to buy some things.
Anne selected some fine cotton fabrics that suited her taste. Just as Mary picked up a bracelet to examine it closely, two more ladies entered the shop.
They were dressed very fashionably and behaved quite elegantly. Although the older lady was rather plain-looking, the younger one was quite pretty, but their manners were a different story.
The young woman, who looked to be in her thirties, kept mentioning the young man who had brought them into the city: "Lucy, do you think Dr. Davis is deliberately taking care of us? He paid us twelve shillings more than we did."
She said this without any shame, implying that her sister got this good deal because Dr. Davis was infatuated with her.
Anne was surprised to hear a young lady speak like that in public for the first time, and looked over in astonishment.
At this moment, another young lady in her mid-twenties seemed a little embarrassed and quickly stopped her sister: "Annie, you have to be mindful of the occasion."
Good heavens! She's also called "Anne," Mary thought, feeling her sister-in-law's grip on her wrist tighten.
At this moment, the older sister exclaimed, "Lucy, what's wrong? Am I wrong? Anyway, you've found someone. Don't think I don't know you came into the city for Ferras, right?"
Upon hearing this, Mary finally realized that these two young ladies must be the Steele sisters. Anne, standing beside her, although unsure of the girls' identities, recognized the surname Ferras.
After Mary bought the bracelet, the two left the shop and got into the carriage. Anne couldn't wait to say, "Mary, are they talking about Mr. Ferras, whom we know? You don't know, Miss Dashwood's brother and sister-in-law have also come to town. They're staying on Harley Street this time. Mrs. Dashwood has asked me about you several times already."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
