I am aging gracefully in the world of famous books

This ball was held by the Earl of Leicester to celebrate the birth of his eldest grandson. In order to show his joy and make the ball novel and interesting, he ordered the walls of the ball hall to be covered with Turkish blue silk velvet. Orient-inspired decorations and colorful colors were introduced.

All the floor-to-ceiling balconies at the back of the hall were dismantled, and a bright and colorful crystal plank road was built, which connected the most famous glass dome greenhouse in the manor, so that the guests participating in the ball could freely shuttle between the ball hall and the sea of ​​flowers. Occasionally looking up, you can still see the glass dome under the mutual reflection of stars and lights, which is absolutely beautiful.

"It is said that the glass dome began to leak as soon as it was built, so it had to be converted into a flower house with one scene at a time. After leaving the flower house, it is the earl's favorite rose garden."

"Be a nicer guest, Bernard, and forget about that well-known regret."

Pei Xiang held Bernard's arm and looked at the Fragrant Rose Garden not far away, with a look of amazement and love on his face, but the words in his mouth did not match his expression at all:

"Besides, Mrs. Albert has been staring at you, Bernard, the beauty's favor, ha, it's not easy to get away."

Bernard lowered his head and smiled, and looked softly at the smiling fiancee beside him: "Honey, I know you have a way."

Pei Xiang's smile remained unchanged: "How long do you need to disappear? After that, do you want to make a big fuss or make a transition quietly?"

"Half an hour is enough. As for the subsequent arrangements, it is up to you."

Pei Xiang nodded slightly, raised his head and said a few words in Louis Bernard's ear. In return, the handsome man raised his eyebrows in surprise, and then smiled dotingly.

Bernard's expression and Pei Xiang's small movements made the relationship between the two seem very close. No matter how you look at them, this is a pair of lovers who are whispering and talking about love in a low voice, which makes the people around can't help but smile knowingly.

Not far away, Mrs. Ingram handed Mrs. Albert a glass of wine, then pointed to Pei Xiang and the two, and persuaded them pointedly:

"Although everyone likes fragrant honey, it is annoying to keep buzzing around the owner's honey like mosquitoes."

Mrs. Albert sneered disdainfully, ignoring Mrs. Ingram's sarcasm, she twisted her waist while holding the wine glass, and approached Pei Xiang and Bernard with a smile.

"Mr. Bernard, Miss Wilkes, I hope my joining has not disturbed your sexual conversation.

However, the layout here is so dreamy and beautiful, full of exotic customs, you two should not just talk in whispers, you should also go to the dance floor and dance a few dances to your heart's content. "

"Louis and I have already made an appointment for the next two dances, and we will not disappoint Earl Leicester's careful preparation." Pei Xiang's smile became polite and distant.

Mrs. Albert smiled softly, as if she didn't feel Pei Xiang's guard and disgust, her eyes rolled, and she straightened her chest in Bernard's direction.

"Mr. Bernard, don't you want to ask me to dance?"

The voice was sweet and melodious, and coupled with her snow-skinned body, Bernard's eyes were dazed for a moment. Lost, he nodded in accordance with Mrs. Albert's words, and agreed to her in a daze. invitation to dance.

Pei Xiang immediately straightened his face, glared coldly at his fiancé beside him, and immediately left him and turned to leave.

Bernard glanced awkwardly at Mrs. Albert in front of him, trying to catch up with his jealous fiancée.

However, he also felt that it would be unmanly to do so, so he couldn't help hesitating for a while. In the end, he reluctantly stopped in Mrs. Albert's teasing eyes.

"Haha, Lucy probably wants to talk to Mrs. Ingram about something. She always does this. She thinks about it every time she thinks about it. Haha, I'm sorry, Mrs. Albert."

Mrs. Albert immediately showed her empathy, stepped forward, and gently reassured the embarrassed Bernard.

On the other side, Mrs. Ingram persuaded Pei Xiang in a low voice, telling her not to be too proud, but to learn to use some gentle and coquettish means, to hold on to Mr. Bernard's friendship, and not to let some caring people take advantage of it machine.

Pei Xiang was both aggrieved and contradictory. While talking to Mrs. Ingram, she glanced towards Bernard from time to time, and found that her fiancé seemed to be having a good conversation with Mrs. Albert, so she couldn't help but snorted. .

In this way, Pei Xiang vividly portrayed a girl in love who is jealous and pretends not to care. She upholds a ladylike demeanor, pretending to be nonchalant and talking and laughing with the people around her. , has been paying attention to Bernard and Mrs. Albert, and this effort to whitewash the peace is quite in place.

The ladies and ladies around all exchanged glances tacitly, not only showing helplessness and understanding of this kind of thing, but also many people were secretly laughing at the joke.

However, none of them could say that Pei Xiang's behavior at this time was demeaning, and they all praised her restraint and gentle demeanor.

In their view, it would be impolite and uneducated if they cried out of control at the ball, or had disputes because of jealousy.

After a while, Bernard seemed to finally realize that it was time to come over to coax his fiancée, so he dismissed Mrs. Albert's entanglement with a few words, and walked towards Pei Xiang.

The handsome fiancé showed affectionate style, but the blond lady could not easily forgive this behavior that hurt her pride. After a few whispers between the two, Louise Bernard shrugged helplessly and left Pei Xiang's side , and walked towards the eldest son of the Earl of Leicester.

I don't know what was said there, but the little Mr. Lester laughed and patted Bernard on the shoulder. He first looked in the direction of Pei Xiang, and then looked away in the direction of the glass greenhouse. refer to.

Bernard followed the gesture of His Excellency Lester and strode towards the greenhouse.

After a while, a young gentleman walked up to Pei Xiang and said good things for Bernard:

"Miss Wilkes, Mr. Bernard has made a solemn request to His Excellency Leicester, hoping to allow him to personally pick the most delicate rose in the rose garden and deliver it to you."

The polite smile on Pei Xiang's face suddenly became lively and sweet. She tried her best not to let herself be overjoyed, but she didn't know that the joy in her bright eyes had already betrayed her true mood.

The gentleman who came to testify was first surprised by such a smile, and then secretly said that the Frenchman Bernard was lucky to have such an affectionate and beautiful fiancée.

Soon, all the acquaintances around Pei Xiang knew about picking roses, and they came up to her to joke, while Pei Xiang complained in a showy tone:

"Louis is the most picky man. He said that he would pick the most beautiful roses himself. He would definitely go around all the rose gardens in the Leicester mansion. After repeated comparisons, he would be found. The most perfect roses I think, alas, I hope he can send them to me before the ball is over."

"How nice it is. The gift is only precious when it takes time and effort, isn't it? If Mr. Bernard picked a random flower in the garden, you would not soon forgive him."

Pei Xiang smiled shyly, and said something wrong: "When did I get angry?"

Immediately afterwards, she teased again with a lively tone:

"Besides, the flower was growing on the branch well, and he just wanted to break her off. The flower did nothing wrong, so why should it be his gift for apologizing?

In addition, those are roses from the Earl's Mansion. If he really has the heart, he should plant one by himself, and when the flowers bloom, he will give it to me along with the flower pot. "

This remark made some ladies and gentlemen present laugh again. I don’t know who started it, and they all talked about the apology gifts they had received, including expensive ones, casual ones, handmade ones, and weird ones. Strange people speechless.

All of a sudden, new topics gradually spread. While recalling the past, everyone knew that Mr. Bernard was in the depths of the rose garden, personally picking the most beautiful roses for his fiancée.

"Oh, such a large rose garden, Mr. Bernard, don't be picky."

"Let him compare carefully, look at the flowers more, so as not to be fooled by other things. The beauty and fragrance in nature, alas, can cleanse the soul and eyes better than the pretentious pomp and gaudy."

Pei Xiang sneered coquettishly, and glanced lightly at Mrs. Albert who was looking down.

The ladies on the side also showed uncontrollable expressions.

After a while, Pei Xiang accepted a young gentleman's invitation to dance, and joined the joyful dancing crowd with brisk steps.

After she walked off the dance floor, the topics of discussion among the guests had changed, and not many people were particularly concerned about where Mr. Bernard had gone and when he would return.

Anyway, his fiancée said that romantic French men love to linger in the flowers, and they must be wandering in the rose garden under the moonlight and stars at this moment.

Even Mrs Albert has a new flirt.

The new dance music played, and Pei Xiang silently estimated the length of time Bernard had been away. He felt that the time was almost up, and the next step could be planned.

She walked up to Mrs. Albert casually, turned her back to Mrs. Ingram and said:

"It's time for me to look for Mr. Bernard over in the Rose Garden. He's been away long enough. It would be very rude not to come back and dance."

Mrs. Ingram waved her hand indifferently, and joked with a smile:

"The earl's ball will not be overshadowed by the want of a young gentleman, but Miss Wilkes needs the most beautiful and delicate rose.

If you go to him now, wouldn't that make the gentleman who offended you too complacent, thinking that you always compromise easily, and in the future, he should pay less attention to keeping a distance from some people. "

Pei Xiang pursed his lips and smiled: "Mrs. Ingram, I know, Bernard must learn the lesson. But, didn't you just persuade me to know how to use some cunning tricks to grab a man's heart? I went to him to practice your persuasion."

"Oh? What do you say?"

"Bernard, who likes romance the most, always firmly believes that any beautiful surprise is God's benevolent arrangement, and he cannot live up to God's grace.

So, I'm going to meet him in the rose garden, in the moonlight, starlight and scattered lights, and meet him in the ocean of roses. Look, isn't this the most romantic surprise? "

Mrs. Ingram was fascinated by the scene Pei Xiang described. She imagined it for a while, and immediately felt that the idea was very good.

The encounter in the rose garden, coupled with the beauty of Miss Wilkes, not to mention the romantic French man, even the most staid gentleman, can't help but sway.

"I trust, Miss Wilkes, that Mr. Bernard will be more attached to you from now on."

"Of course, for a man who believes in magical fate, I always know how to catch his admiration."

Although Pei Xiang said this to Mrs. Ingram, she was actually speaking to Mrs. Albert behind her.

Sure enough, just as Pei Xiang was about to turn around and leave, Mrs. Albert, who had been standing not far behind her, moved. She suddenly turned around and bumped into the waiter who was carrying a tray.

Although this small accident did not cause the well-trained waiter to fall, it also caused him to accidentally spill some wine. Coincidentally, the wine landed on Pei Xiang's skirt.

Mrs. Albert looked surprised, apologized repeatedly, and scolded the innocent waiter who was implicated.

Pei Xiang quickly stopped the lady's exaggerated performance, saying that this is a small problem, and she just needs to go to the lounge to rearrange her appearance.

Pei Xiang left in a hurry, took the unlucky attendant away by the way, and asked him to lead the way to the temporary lounge for the female guests.

Mrs. Albert, who was left behind, smiled. She straightened the hair accessories on her head, glanced at the ball hall where many people were missing, and also turned and left the scene of the incident.

She calmly walked towards the glass greenhouse outside the ballroom, which was originally a place for guests to enjoy and play, so naturally no one would stop her.

Mrs. Albert walked through the glass greenhouse with one view at a time, and walked into the rose garden where there were no people...

On the other side, before entering the lounge, Pei Xiang whispered to the waiter beside him:

"Send him a quick message that Mrs. Candy has gone to the Rose Garden."

The waiter, who had been terrified just now, was expressionless at this moment. After receiving Pei Xiang's order, he nodded slightly, and left in a blink of an eye.

Pei Xiang pushed open the door of the lounge, greeted the temporary resting guests inside, and then ordered the maid in the room to help her deal with the stains on her skirt.

After a while, the treated skirt looked the same. After giving the maid some tips, she left the lounge and planned to go directly to the Rose Garden to find Bernard.

However, probably due to unfamiliarity with the place of life, Pei Xiang "accidentally" lost his way and bumped into several ladies and wives who were enjoying the scenery in the glass greenhouse.

After the two parties greeted each other, Pei Xiang invited them to go to the rose garden with her. It happened that these ladies and ladies had also been curious about the rose garden in the Earl of Leicester's manor for a long time, so they agreed to Pei Xiang's proposal.

A group of people walked out of the glass greenhouse along the path and entered the lush and fragrant rose garden.

However, before they had gone far, they saw a somewhat embarrassing scene.

In front of the rose bushes, Mrs. Albert leaned close to Louise Bernard, as if whispering something, and Mr. Bernard, who was engaged to be engaged, made a posture of leaning back, but did not move away from Mrs. Albert , Under the moonlight, his expression showed a bit of struggle.

"Mr. Bernard, have you found the rose for me?"

When everyone was in a daze, Pei Xiang suddenly asked a question loudly. Her eyes were like sharp swords looking at the man and woman opposite, arrogant and stubborn, but her shoulders were trembling slightly, silently revealing her anger and anger. Fragile.

Suddenly hearing his fiancée's questioning voice, Bernard, who was still a little confused just now, took a step back suddenly, putting a distance between him and Mrs. Albert.

"Lucy, I, I'm trying to compare, but... I haven't finished visiting this rose garden, so I can't, uh, personally help you pick the most beautiful one."

"However, I don't think you have the heart to continue admiring the Rose Garden."

"How come, you, you can ask Mrs. Albert, she has been here before, and watched how I chose with her own eyes, right, Mrs. Albert, can you prove it? I have been carefully selecting before A gift for my fiancée."

Mrs. Albert smiled charmingly. She seemed to think of Pei Xiang's haughty eyes looking at her before. At this time, she also returned a proud expression.

"Of course, Miss Wilkes, I have been by Mr Bernard's side, admiring these lovely flowers with him.

We also talked about the bouquet at the wedding. Mr. Bernard said that he admired my outfit tonight the most, and if his bride could learn how to dress like me in the future, he would be very satisfied and happy. surprise. "

"Bernard, I don't believe you would say such a thing." Pei Xiang said coldly.

"Of course I didn't, Mrs. Albert, please don't talk nonsense."

Mrs. Albert winked like silk: "Could it be...you haven't been with me all the time before, admiring every rose here seriously?"

Bernard hesitated for a moment, and the atmosphere became even more awkward.

Among the accompanying people, a baroness said quickly:

"Okay, isn't it just admiring flowers in the garden? With so many explanations, no lady or gentleman here will think that there is anything wrong with admiring flowers."

Another noble lady from a higher family background coughed lightly. She gave Mrs. Albert a displeased look, but turned her head to teach Pei Xiang:

"Miss Wilkes, a real lady must know how to be submissive and humble, virtuous and courteous, your tone just now was too aggressive.

It was the Earl of Leicester's ball, and it was a great event, and there should be no unpleasant quarrel, which would be an offense to the master of the ball. "

Pei Xiang took a deep breath, her face became extremely pale, and the light blush on her cheeks completely faded away. She seemed to be exercising great patience. After a while, she nodded slightly to the noble ladies:

"Everyone is right. I did make a fuss too much. Maybe I drank a little too much wine, which made me look a bit out of shape and disturbed you."

"It's okay, we all understand Miss Wilkes, but I still hope that everyone should learn how to maintain demeanor and improve self-restraint, and don't learn how to behave rudely like some inferior people."

Pei Xiang nodded silently, she glanced back at Bernard and Mrs Albert, and finally said:

"I'm not feeling well after drinking too much wine. You guys continue to enjoy the scenery. I'm going to a place where there are few people."

After saying this, she hurriedly bowed to the others, then turned and left in a panic.

The rest of the people looked at each other in blank dismay, and the lady who had just taught Pei Xiang a lesson spoke again:

"Mr. Bernard, shouldn't you go back to the ballroom, there are quite a few gentlemen waiting for you, go talk to them about America."

Bernard looked worriedly at the direction in which his fiancée was leaving. After hesitating for a while, he still chose to follow the advice of this high-ranking lady and leave the rose garden and return to the indoor ballroom.

Immediately afterwards, a group of ladies and ladies who came to enjoy the scenery also left. From the beginning to the end, no one paid any attention to Mrs. Albert.

They will educate Miss Lucy Wilkes according to their own standards of doing things, and give the step and save face of Louis Bernard who is distracted, but choose to ignore people like Mrs. Albert.

Pei Xiang left the crowd with an expression of forbearance and sadness. She walked quickly along the winding path until there was no one around, then she stopped her rampant pace.

When she was alone, her expression became relaxed again. The Earl of Leicester's garden is not easy to appreciate. Tonight's play is almost done, and she can relax for a while.

Pei Xiang sat leisurely on a long wooden bench, recalling the performance of everyone just now in her brain, she was concentrating on thinking, and gradually focused on Mrs. Albert.

For some reason, Pei Xiang always felt that there was something wrong with that woman. During the previous London social season, she paid a lot of attention to Bernard.

At that time, there were rumors that she was particularly fond of French men, so as soon as she saw the handsome and gentle Mr. Bernard, she immediately lost her mind, disregarding the other party's marriage contract, and frequently lingered and flirted with him.

But tonight... things don't seem to be that simple.

After Bernard left the ballroom, Pei Xiang paid more attention to the second candidate Mrs. Albert entangled with, because, according to Pei Xiang's secret speculation, that person was one of Bernard's so-called shields tonight , is used to share his suspicious gaze.

Although Bernard never told Pei Xiang who was his shield, and Pei Xiang had been cooperating to pretend that she didn't know, but she was not a fool, how could she let herself know nothing.

The two chess pieces released tonight have long been on Pei Xiang's suspicion list. Before, she was not sure whether they belonged to Bernard, but with tonight's dance, Pei Xiang was sure immediately up.

And not long after she made sure, Mrs. Albert entangled one of them.

——Also, when the old gentlemen next to Mrs. Albert were chatting, they used to pronounce Napoleon Bonaparte's name as a joke. At that time, Mrs. Albert curled the corner of her mouth slightly...

——Although she quickly covered it with a wine glass, I should have read it right.

Pei Xiang slowly recalled that Mrs. Albert's every move, and the more she thought about it, the more she felt that she was not the kind of frivolous person.

——Unfortunately, I don't have any clearer evidence.

——No way... Mrs. Albert is the one Bernard said, the so-called person staring at "Poseidon", right?

——Then the arrangement I just made was a mistake?Let Mrs. Albert personally confirm that Bernard has indeed stayed in the rose garden?

——It's just that before she arrived at the Rose Garden, the other party to the negotiation, the Earl of Leicester, had already left.

——So, does Bernard know the identity of Mrs. Albert?If I'm not mistaken, the multiple contacts between Bernard and Mrs. Albert may not be just one-sided emotional entanglements.

Pei Xiang thought about the discoveries made in recent years, fiddled with all the clues, and felt that he gradually grasped some clues.

——However, even if I guess something, I must never reveal it. Anyway, I will concentrate on completing what Bernard tells me to do, and I will never mind my own business.

Just when Pei Xiang lowered his head to think about things, the tall gentleman who came from another direction happened to see this scene, because he couldn't see her expression clearly, just judging from her bowed head posture, she seemed to be dejected.

"Miss Wilkes?"

Pei Xiang looked up in surprise: "Mr. Darcy!"

Fitzwilliam Darcy strode up to Pei Xiang, frowned and asked in a low voice:

"Are you sad? Because of what happened in the rose garden?"

"Eh, you saw it too?" Pei Xiang blinked, suddenly not knowing how to answer this gentleman's question.

Darcy took a closer look at Pei Xiang's expression by the moonlight and light, and found that she looked very calm, but her face was a little pale.

Pei Xiang knew that her facial expression was not well disguised in a hurry, and she was unwilling to find excuses to deceive Mr. Darcy, so she smiled and said nothing.

On the contrary, Darcy's expression became more dignified. He didn't know whether he wanted Pei Xiang to be sad or not.

If it is sad, it means that she and Bernard entered into a marriage contract because of mutual respect and love, and some pure affection exists in this relationship.

If he wasn't sad, it meant that the girl he admired didn't have a heart for himself, but it also meant that she was indeed in deep trouble and danger.

Just when Darcy was wondering whether to ask, Pei Xiang suddenly brought up another topic:

"By the way, Mr. Darcy, have you paid attention to Mr. George Wickham these years? Did he have any bad ideas?"

Darcy nodded: "Last summer, I discovered that he was trying to get close to people around Georgiana. I immediately exposed his despicable plans, and then escorted him to his creditors. He has completely ruined his reputation now, and everyone knows He's a gambler and playboy."

"Then what does he do for a living now? Join the army, do business, or do coolies?"

"He can only make a living by himself. I use the name of the Darcy family to spread the word, and I will never forgive or forgive him. Therefore, if some places, such as the Corps, plan to take him in, they must first consider the attitude of the Darcy family."

"Have you seen him lately?"

"No."

Pei Xiang understood, and thought that Wickham was out early and did not appear near Longbourne. Her previous guess was partly correct.