Chapter 5 chapter Five

May 9, 1893 Philippe!Ferdie yelled. Philippe.It had been less than twenty-four hours since Ferdy called her that.She liked the high-pitched rhymes and the way Ferdie stuttered as he spoke, as if he still couldn't believe he could address her in such an endearing way. But now she only thinks that his name is not Jiaqi.He didn't even know her nickname was Jiaqi.No man in the world calls her Jiaqi. Except Condon. Are you all right, honey? She smiled at the man she loved.Ferdy has a fair complexion and pink cheeks. Gainsborough's boy in blue should look like him when he grows up.He had beautiful curly sandy hair and eyes the color of blue and white porcelain.The gentle and humble character is like the warm sun in May.The good man who belongs to her is like Mr. Bingley in the novel "Pride and Prejudice", a model of young men.

I'm fine honey, I'm fine. He came over to hold her hands, but hesitated before reaching her, the concern in his eyes broke her heart.Is Lord Tremais really not at home?Will he conspire to design you, pretend to go out and then run back to monitor.He can definitely make you miserable if he wants to. How would she explain it.Condon already has a large number of weapons, which can make her life worse than death at any time.Her future is completely in his hands, and he is very cruel. Tremes is quite personable, she said.Will not get angry casually. I can't believe he's gone, Ferdy said.He arrived in London only yesterday afternoon.

There's no reason for him to stay here, is there?Jiaqi said. The back hall is where they drink tea.The decoration of this room is all in purple tones, the chair cushions are dark purple brocade, the curtains are light purple velvet, and the tea set is painted wisteria flowers from the bottom.As a young woman she favored primary colors and dismissed other colors, but now she appreciates the many shifts in the spectrum. So did Ferdy.At the age of eighteen, she would have absolutely disdain to associate with such a shy and withdrawn person, even at the age of twenty-three.When she was young, she would only find him ashamed and burdensome.Now that she has changed, she can only see the radiant kindness in Ferdy's heart.

Where did he go.Zandi asked uneasily.When are you coming back? He didn't have a valet with him, so we couldn't find out.If Goodman had not just heard him order the cab to go to the station, I should not have known he was gone. She was very angry. The house and the servants belonged to her, so let him use it as he wished, and he didn't say anything when he came and went. This should be the most basic etiquette, right?But as soon as he left.She could finally catch her breath. This morning, she was crazy about him, she was so ashamed, she almost fell to the ground without a handkerchief.However, his upper body is really pleasing to the eye, as if it was made by the master sculptor Bernini. It is smooth, lean, and graceful. His beautiful slender arms are well-muscled, like a sailor who has been sailing for many years.

She sat side by side with Ferdie in the chaise longue.Tell me what he's asking for, Zandi said.He must have made a condition. Congdon's terms occupied her mind.Even now that he was far away, she was still upset.His request was nothing short of catastrophic.There is no benefit in sleeping with her, it will only cause catastrophic disasters, which will explode suddenly when they are not expected. He felt that just because I wanted to marry someone else was not enough grounds for divorce.She just couldn't tell Ferdy the truth.Her husband intends to regain his long-abandoned rights and demand the fulfillment of conjugal duties until she shows signs of pregnancy.Although she has to accept it, she intends to prevent conception by using every method human beings have devised.How could she say those words to Ferdy?

What's so special about Condon?She used to tell big lies for him, but now she has become a bad person who treacherously.But he is willing to reason.After a year, if we still insist on getting married, he is willing to divorce. one year!Ferdy exclaimed.Then he sighed.If that's all he asks for, it's not too bad.We can wait a year.It will be hard, but we can wait. She held his hand, full of excitement in her heart.you are so kind to me. No such thing!It's you who treat me well!Everyone thinks I'm clumsy and slow, but you think I'm fine. On any other day, she would have felt so complacent, boasting of her depth and maturity that she could see that Ferdy was a diamond in the rough, while everyone around her, male and female, was still blinded by appearances.But today she really understood what depth and maturity meant, and she felt so humbled that she was not good enough for him.But she couldn't say it.Ferdi relied on her for courage and guidance, and she couldn't fall from that position.

I'm definitely not alone in thinking this way.Miss Carlesso spoke highly of you too. Miss Carlesso has a crush on Ferdy.Although she loves face too much and keeps it secret, she can't fool Jiaqi.Normally, Jiaqi would not point out such things to Fei Di, but now it is not normal, her crime has outweighed her possessiveness. Angelica?Really?She laughed at me every time I fell off the horse when I was a child.She also used to call me an admitted idiot. People change when they grow up, Jiaqi said.Sooner or later we will understand that kindness and loyalty are more important than anything else, and there is no one better than you, Ferdy.

Ferdyce smiled eagerly.Since you said so, you must be right.Angelica is not feeling well, I originally wanted to send someone to send her a bottle of nourishing tonic, but now I decided to send it myself and ask her if I have improved over the years. The clock on the mantelpiece rang, and it was thirty.Ferdy was in her living room for fifteen minutes.She used to let him stay for more than half an hour, but after Condon came back, she couldn't do that anymore. Ferdy stood up.Although I am very reluctant, I should go. She stood up, and I was also very reluctant.I really hope, but thinking about it is just a waste of time.

Ferdy held her hands, his palms were generous and warm.Honey, you're sure you're all right.really all right? No, she felt sick and lonely.She despises herself.She's about to take a dangerous gamble, and she's lying to two men at the same time.In vain, she once swore to herself that she would never play tricks again. For him, she squeezed out a bright smile.Honey, don't worry about me.Didn't you say that?I am not afraid of the sky, the earth, or anything. Lonff, Duke of Perrin.Fitzgerald walked eight kilometers every afternoon, but today he left half an hour earlier.He likes the occasional surprise, for lately his life has been as dull as the Sunday sermon of an untalented pastor.But he didn't mind, not too much.As a scholar, he needs a peaceful and quiet life in order to delve into the history written by Homer and the heroic battles under the city of Ilion.

His favorite spot on the road was a small farm exactly three kilometers from his gate.The house itself is not remarkable, two storeys, white walls, red brick, but the gardens are beautiful, perhaps not worthy of much praise, but definitely worthy of a sonnet. The front yard is a rose wonderland.It's not the kind of budding roses he often sees, but it's in full bloom without shyness. The variety comes from a relatively old and open age. The huge and colorful flowers bend the bushes and climb out of the flower stand, and the colors change from fresh to fresh. Ranging from pink to deep wine red.

He'd always wanted to see the backyard, which is where people who love gardening spend the most time.However, the hedge in the backyard was very high, and he could only vaguely see a roof ridge, which seemed to have a large greenhouse.He didn't want to know anyone who lived on the farm, so he waited patiently that sooner or later someone would forget to remove the ladder after trimming the hedge. Peeking into the gardens of private homes did not disturb his conscience.What if I was caught?Hand him over to the police?He had been a duke for nearly thirty years, and he knew he could get away with anything, save maybe felony homicide. Today the ladder did appear, but unfortunately it was not leaning against the hedge, but in front of an elm tree that separated from the garden by a path.A woman stood on a ladder with her back turned to him, her dress was so fashionable that it was ridiculous to stand on a four-meter ladder in that dress. The woman was trying to put a kitten on a branch nearly four meters above the ground. This scene made Ronff stop in astonishment.She kept scolding the cat in her mouth. Hector, shame on you!You are a relative of the steppe lion.You have lost all face of the lion!Just stay still, someone will come to your rescue soon. The kitten disagreed with her. As soon as she let go, the cat jumped on her chest. No, Hector!The woman yelled to grab it.Can't jump down again.Don't spoil my plans.I am fed up with capricious men, you are not allowed to do bad things, I must marry my daughter to a husband who has a strawberry leaf crown. Ronff's interest instantly rose, because he was the only one within a hundred miles who owned the Strawberry Leaf Crown, which was a duke's crown and was worn at the king's coronation ceremony.He did not quite know where his diadem was, for he had never been crowned by an English king in his life. Listen clearly, Hector.The woman held up the cat and met its eyes.Listen to me carefully.If you don't cooperate obediently, you will never eat any fish, liver, or tongue from now on.Not only that, but I will get a dog and feed it foie gras in front of you.A dog, do you understand?Like that dirty beast Croyce that Jiaqi raised.The kitten meowed pitifully, but the woman showed no mercy.Hurry up and wait this time. The kitten did not dare to continue to make mistakes. Although it complained again and again, it did not jump down again.The woman let out a long sigh and slowly climbed down the ladder.Ronff took another step, deliberately hitting the hard ground with his cane. Upon hearing the sound, the woman turned around immediately.She was beautiful, with black hair like black jade, skin like alabaster, and red lips, like the happy Snow White decades later, her age was much older than he guessed.Judging by her voice and figure, he originally thought she should be in her thirties, but she is at least forty, and probably more than that. Her eyes widened instantly at the sight of him, but she regained her composure quickly.Excuse me, sir.She panted slightly when she spoke, and the ruthlessness when she reprimanded Hector just now completely disappeared.Sorry to trouble you like this, but my cat is stuck in a tree and I can't catch it. He frowned.He looks so scary during the test that it can make people panic and hide across the room.Is there no groom or manservant who can catch that beast for you? She was clearly displeased to hear him call the ball of fur that way, but she swallowed her disgust hard.Unfortunately, this afternoon I just put the servants on leave. Visionary women are very rare.In fact, men with vision are equally rare, but he will never admit it easily.His brow furrowed even tighter, but his stinky face seemed temporarily disabled as she was completely unimpressed. May I ask you to show kindness and help catch it?She twisted her handkerchief and looked helpless. Really interesting multiple choice questions.Should he just refuse and watch her slump and admit defeat?Or should we just cooperate for the sake of having some fun? No problem, he said.Why not.His life is too monotonous recently, and when he was a child, he liked the legendary stories of heroes saving beauty. She stepped aside quickly and looked at him with admiration. If he walked towards the ladder, he felt as if he was the golden bull worshiped by everyone in the Bible.If he hadn't heard about her ambition to hunt for his daughter, he might have thought that she herself had taken a fancy to him. He climbed up the ladder, which felt unstable and made strange noises, and seemed reluctant to support his weight.The kitten stopped meowing and eyed him suspiciously.He grabbed it by the scruff of the neck and dragged it down, and the kitten wrenched itself free at the first opportunity and landed on its master's chest, where it was so full that it pushed up the coat. She has a thick skin and whispers about Hector, bad cat, and it worries me to death.Hector was afraid that he would become a vegetarian from now on, so he didn't refute aloud.Sir, how can I thank you? It's an honor to be able to help.Goodbye, madam. But please at least tell me where you live, kind sir!she said aloud.My chef's strawberry shortcake is so delicious I'm sending one over. Thank you, madam.I don't like strawberries very much. Then change to cherry pie. I don't eat cherries.He wanted to test how far she was willing to go in order to get closer to him. She was slightly frustrated, but quickly recovered.I have a case of Château Lafitte red wine, aged forty or six years. This gift is hard to refuse.When he was young, he was obsessed with the taste of good wine. The red wine of Chateau Lafitte was the most outstanding in the 1940s and 1960s. His stock was exhausted three years ago. He saw two facts at once.While her farmhouse is modest in appearance, she is quite rich in substance.Secondly, she really wanted to marry her daughter to him, not just joking; maybe she wouldn't go to the mountain of swords, but she was definitely willing to work hard. Or, you don't like fine wine either?She sensed that he was tempted, and she just teased him on purpose. He throws in the towel.I live in Neutrogena. She released her right hand holding the cat in an instant, and after drawing an arc in the air, it landed on her chest with a double slap, her fingers spread out, and she made a classic gesture of surprise and joy that made her speechless.Oh my God, you can't believe it! A normal woman might pass out, but she was a ruthless cat exploiter, so she just made a graceful curtsey.Your Excellency, I will send wine to Neutrogena before dinner. As she straightened up, he had a sudden sense of déjà vu, long ago, when the world was young, at least when he was young.He dismissed the thought and nodded briefly.Goodbye. Although he didn't ask her name, and didn't even mean to ask, she said it on her own initiative: I am Mrs. Roland.Farewell, Your Excellency. Mrs. Roland.The name stirred a little in his mind, but not enough to evoke memory.She was wise enough not to pester him any further, nor to mention her daughter.He couldn't help feeling bewildered, too curious, and he didn't like it.