Chapter 11 Chapter Eleven

May 22, 1893 Condon is on a week-long business trip to Europe, and his thoughts are not on work but on his wife.After returning home, he decided to go to a gentlemen's club to take a break, which seemed to be a good way to recover from fatigue, but he regretted it as soon as he entered the door, knowing that he should not join the membership. He had never been to a British gentlemen's club before, and he had the impression that such occasions should be very quiet and peaceful, where men come to escape the disturbance of their wives and housework, drink whiskey, chat about politics, and take a nap with the Thames newspaper.

The exterior of the club seems to have not been repaired in half a century, the wine red curtains are faded and dull, the wallpaper is blackened by gas lamps, and the furniture may be elegantly called vicissitudes ten years ago, but now it is just old and dilapidated.The drowsy atmosphere made him think that he could spend an afternoon in quiet contemplation.He did sit in quiet contemplation for a while, but within minutes he was surrounded by a large crowd, vying to get to know him. The conversation quickly turned to Congdon's many businesses.Mrs. Roland once mentioned in a letter that the high society is different from before, and now everyone talks about money.He didn't believe it at first, but now it's confirmed.

How much does this yacht cost?asked an active young man. Are the profits good?another asked. The Great Agricultural Depression, which halved the income of many large estates, may have been the main cause of this phenomenon.The nobles were in dire straits, their mansions, carriages, and servants were all expenses, but their income was dwindling.It has been a centuries-old tradition for gentlemen not to work so that they can devote time to parliamentary and legislative work, but it is becoming less and less feasible.However, few gentlemen dared to overthrow the tradition, so they had to drink their mouths to express their collective anxiety.

The price of such a yacht is not low, and only the top richest Americans can afford it, Condon said.Unfortunately, this does not mean that those who sell boats can get rich overnight. If he only relied on the income from designing and building yachts, he might be able to live a decent life, but not enough to join the Manhattan elite.Much of his wealth came from other nautical professions, including shipping companies, and shipyards specializing in the manufacture of commercial vessels, which is what Americans call a main course How can you own this kind of company?asked another young man in the group, slightly older than the rest, and his silhouette showed that he was wearing a waistcoat under his waistcoat.

Condon glanced at a grandfather clock on the opposite wall, between two bookshelves.No matter what time it is, he decided to say that there will be an appointment in half an hour.It was fifteen past three, and Lord Renworth stood by the clock, watching Condon with a smile on his face as he was surrounded by the mob. How to do it?Condon looked back at the young man in the vest.Luck, timing, plus a very valuable wife, little brother. His answer left everyone speechless, and the atmosphere was somewhere between shock and envy.He took the opportunity to stand up.Excuse me, gentlemen, but I would like to speak to Lord Renworth.

The little girl sent a postcard from the Lake District.Lord Renworth was there, I heard. The little girl is about to go to Scotland with a group of friends, including Lord Renworth, and is expected to stay for a week. I was having dinner with my little girl a while ago and I saw her wearing a pair of really dazzling diamond bracelets that I hadn't seen her wear before.I asked her where she got it, but she kept telling me off. Mrs. Roland was full of praise for Lord Renworth, men wanted to be him, and women wanted to marry him.Although slightly exaggerated, it is not far from the truth.The man was well-mannered, stylishly dressed, calm, and completely unaffected.

Lord Tremais, you have attracted a considerable crowd.Renworth smiled and shook Condon's hand.Many people are very curious about you. Ah, yes, the tailor is the newest member of the circus, said Condon.You, my lord, are the ones who are really lucky, and have a rich family, and don't let business experience stain your soul. Renworth laughed.You are wrong, nobles need money no matter how good they are or not, and the children of rich families will spend even more.But I dare say that people are not only curious because of your career achievements. I guess, and the divorce thing. In addition to the classic murder, the divorce drama full of affair plots is even more helpful to the conversation. When gossip entertainment is needed, of course it will not be let go.

Not really.What have you heard? Renworth raised an eyebrow, but answered Condon's question anyway.I thank God for giving me a whole legion of sister-in-laws, one of whom claims to be reliable.She heard that you agreed to annul the marriage, but the condition is that Mrs. Tremais give up half of the property and promise to take your luxury liner for the honeymoon. interesting.I'm not in the liner business. You must be misremembering, but my wife's other sister has received equally reliable information that you are about to compromise. Condon nodded.And you want to keep it that way.Let me remind you first, Mrs. Cui Yusi is very dissatisfied with you.She blames you for not being kind enough to Lord Frederick.

In this way, I am even less loyal to her now, Renworth changed his original frivolous tone.Although Lord Frederick is a good man with nothing to say, everyone is welcome, those who love to talk, there will be big news to talk about tonight. His chin twitched toward the door.Condon turned to see a young man walking towards them.Although he is a little hunchbacked, he is still quite tall, at least 180, with a round face, a firm chin, and clear and simple eyes.The other men in the club put down their trifles and stared openly at the young man, their eyes constantly switching between him and Condon, but he didn't realize that he was the center of attention at all.

The young man held out his hand.Lord Renworth, it is a pleasure to see you.His voice was surprisingly rich and deep, very pleasant to the ears.I was just about to send a letter to you.A few months ago, Mrs. Zun asked me if I could help her paint a portrait. At that time, I said that I was not good at portrait painting.But recently I suddenly have a lot more space and time, if Madam is still willing Ferdy, she will be very pleased, Renworth said calmly and turned to Condon.Lord Tremais, I introduce Frederick to you.Lord Stewart.Ferdy, this is Lord Tremais. Condon held out his hand.Nice to meet you, my lord.

Frederick was stunned and stared at Condon for a moment, as if he thought the world would collapse.Then he swallowed a mouthful of water, and stretched out his big, slightly fat hand to hold Condon.Well, it's a pleasure meeting you, my lord. Although Mrs. Roland described him as useless in her letter, for some reason, Condon always thought that Frederick would be a handsome and handsome man, but it was not the case.Standing beside Renworth, Frederick looked too ordinary, not bad in appearance, but not outstanding; his clothes were a year or two behind the trend, and his temperament lacked maturity and sophistication. Lord Frederick, are you an artist? No, I just like to scribble two strokes. You are too modest, said Renworth.Although Lord Frederick is young, he has made great achievements in art. He was very young, which also surprised Condon.He was twenty-four at most, a baby, with a beard that didn't even grow to his chin. Lord Renworth is overrated, Frederick stammered.Although it was cool in the club, Condon could see he was sweating. No such thing, Renworth said.I have a painting by Ferdi at home, which my wife admires very much.in fact Frederick suddenly looked flustered.Lord Renworth! Renworth was taken aback.What's the matter, Ferdy? Frederick could think of no excuse.I uh forgot. Lord Renworth, what did you mean to say?Condon asked. I just wanted to say that my mother-in-law has been begging me to send her off, Renworth said.But my wife refused to give up. Oh, Frederick's face flushed instantly, almost as much as the crimson curtains. The two elderly gentlemen looked at each other.Renworth shrugged quietly, pretending not to understand the reason for Frederick's sudden gaffe.But Condon had already guessed.Lord Frederick, does my lady admire your work as much as Lady Renworth? Frederick looked to Renworth for help, but the latter decided not to venture into the muddy water and let Frederick face Condon's blunt question on his own.Well, Mrs. Tremais has been very sympathetic to my efforts.She is an avid collector of art. Condon knew that his wife was not really interested in art.However, the upper class prefers classical styles and themes, and appreciates Sir Layton and Lawrence.A painter like Alma-Tadema, in such an atmosphere, is probably the collector with the largest collection of Impressionist paintings.It seems that you agree with modern art trends? Yes, sir, that's right.Frederick was visibly more relaxed. Then, next time you have a chance to go to New York, please come and see me.My collection is much larger than Mrs Tremais's, or at least much larger. The poor lad was clearly struggling and wasn't sure if he was being played for a fool, but he chose to take Condon's invitation as genuinely well-intentioned.My pleasure. At this moment, Cong Deng understood what good Jiaqi saw in this young man.He is kind and sincere, willing to believe that there are no bad people in the world, not because of ignorance, but because of pure nature. Frederick hesitated.Are you going back to America soon?Or should we stay longer? Dare to ask this sentence in person, obviously he is also very brave.I'm supposed to stay in London until a divorce is arranged. Now Prime Minister Fei's face turned even redder, deeper and brighter than Hungarian paprika.Renworth took out his watch and glanced at it.Christ, I had an appointment with Mrs. Renworth at the bookshop, and I was five minutes late.Excuse me, the consequences of keeping a woman waiting too long are dire, worse than hellfire. I have to praise Federico, he didn't run away, although he looked like he wanted to run away.Condon looked around the spacious club hall, and suddenly everyone started flipping through newspapers and chatting about gossip, and the cigars that had fallen out of ash were raised under their mustaches. Satisfied that everyone's unbridled and blatant curiosity subsided for the time being, Condon returned his attention to Frederick.I heard you want to marry my wife. Federico's face turned pale in an instant, but he didn't flinch.Yes. Why? I love her. Condon had to believe it.Frederick's answer is very clear, only if the belief is deep enough can he be so decisive.He felt like he had been stabbed in the chest, but he tried to ignore the excruciating pain.Besides that. I don't understand? Love is very unreliable.Why do you think you won't go back on your word after marrying Mrs. Tremais. Frederick swallowed.She is kind, wise, and courageous.She understands human affairs and world affairs, but she is not stained by mud.She is brilliant.She was like he couldn't think of an adjective. The sun in the sky?Condon helped him, sighing inwardly. That's right, that's it, Frederick said.How did you guess it, my lord. Because I used to feel the same way.It still does sometimes. Just luck, Condon replied.Young man, have you ever thought that if you marry such a woman, your life in the future may not be easy? Federico looked puzzled, like a child who can only eat a few spoonfuls of ice cream at a time and hears someone say that eating too much ice cream will give him a stomachache.how come? Condon shook his head.What can he say?Just treat me as an old man talking nonsense.He reaches out again.Wish you all the best. Thank you, my lord.Frederick's tone was full of relief and gratitude.Thank you and I wish you the same. Then let's compete. This sentence reached the tip of his tongue, and Cong Deng suddenly noticed it, and hurriedly swallowed it back.How could he say such a thing.How could there be such an idea.He didn't need her, didn't want to take her back.That sentence was just a shipwrecked drift in his mind, washed ashore because the tide of male possessiveness rose momentarily. He nodded to Frederick and the other gentlemen, picked up his hat and cane and walked out of the club, the weather was fine in the afternoon.How can this be?It should be gray and gloomy, miserable and rainy.He'd rather that, he'd rather be drenched and shut out from the icy rainstorm. But now he has to endure the relentless early summer sun, is forced to listen to birdsong and children laughing, and the walls of rationality that he has worked so hard to build in his heart are about to crumble. She was wrong.The reason is not Xiudora.Never was.All along, the reason has always been her. Jiaqi is looking for trouble with her mother. Duke Perrin.She frowned.How did you know him? Victoria didn't expect Jiaqi to have such a reaction.She tried hard to persuade Jiaqi to leave London for a while, but only mentioned the Duke in the most casual tone.He is my neighbor.He goes out for a walk every day, and we happened to meet once. I didn't expect you to allow him to introduce himself.The waitress, in a white blouse, black skirt and long apron, came to refill their glasses of mineral water.Because she was worried that Jiaqi's servant would gossip, Victoria asked her daughter to meet at the Ladies' Teahouse.Don't you usually avoid villains and prodigal sons? Scoundrels and prodigal sons 1 Victoria yells.His Excellency is not that kind of person.You are mistaken, he is very respected. He had withdrawn from society about fifteen years ago after a near-death hunting accident.You made a mistake. Before the accident, he was a dissolute and gambling rascal. Victoria pretended to wipe her mouth with a napkin to hide her gaping mouth.The Duke had been her neighbor in his youth, and he was still, but she had no idea of ​​his condition for more than twenty years in between. At least not worse than Carrington, right? Carrington?Jiaqi glared at her.Why are you comparing him to Carrington.Do you want to marry him. of course not!Victoria vehemently denies it.But she immediately regretted it, because Jiaqi narrowed her eyes suspiciously. So why did you invite him to your house for dinner?Her tone became more and more icy.You're not going to come up with some crazy plan to make me the next Duchess Perrin, are you? Victoria sighed.It doesn't hurt, does it? Mother, I should have made it clear that after divorcing Trimes, I will marry Frederick.Lord Stewart.Jiaqi spoke word by word, as if her mother was a very dull child. But you're not going to get divorced so soon, Victoria pointed out the reasonable truth.By then, your feelings towards Lord Frederick may have changed. You're calling me skittish. No, why?God, Jiaqi's sweetheart has a brain smaller than a chipmunk, what can she say to make her daughter understand?I just wanted to say, well, Lord Frederick is not for you. He was a kind and gentle man, without any vices, and loved me very much.Where can I find a man who is more suitable for me? Damn, this kid actually provoked her.But you have to think carefully.You are very smart, but he lacks the same qualifications. Can you really respect such a person? Just put it bluntly, you think he is stupid. Oh silly boy.All right.I think he is stupid, his brain is full of holes like a cake.I can't bear the thought of you marrying him.He's not even fit to carry your shoes. Jiaqi stood up calmly.Nice to meet you, mother.Hope you have a great time in London.Unfortunately I won't be able to travel to Devon next week and not for the next few weeks.Goodbye. Victoria wanted to cover the test with her hands, but she fought hard to restrain the balance.She doesn't understand.She has been very cautious, deliberately not to mention Cong Deng, nor to criticize Jiaqi's application for divorce.Lord Frederick is clearly a fool, and now she can't even tell the truth? Jiaqi was still angry when she got home.What happened to mother?Jiaqi has seen through the meaninglessness of titles hundreds of years ago, but Mrs. Roland still firmly believes that the strawberry leaf crown can solve all problems. She looks everywhere for Croyce.Nothing soothed her more than him, always patient and caring, and always in love with her.Croyce was not in her bedroom, and occasionally he would run to the kitchen when he regained his appetite, but he was not there now. She felt a sudden fear in her heart.Where is Croesus?she asked Goodman.should not Don't worry ma'am, it's all right.It should go to the greenhouse with Sir Alex. Condon hadn't been seen all week, and it looks like he's finally back.very good.I'm going to rescue her right away. The greenhouse is almost as wide as the mansion itself.Even on the coldest days of winter, it is still a verdant oasis, with creeping plants and ferns growing on the transparent glass walls, interweaving a vivid green waterfall.The specially designed structure allows people to enjoy the beautiful street view and the park in the distance from inside. Condon half-sat, half reclined in a distant wicker chair, his arms stretched over the back, his stocking-only feet resting on the wicker footstool, Croyce dozing beside him. Condon was facing her in profile, the steely and flawless profile she had long ago compared to a statue of Apollo.He had been looking at the open window, and when he heard her footsteps he turned his head, but did not get up.My dear madam, his courteous tone is very hypocritical. She pretended not to hear, and bent down to pick up Croyce. It struggled, grunted a few times, and finally settled down in her arms and continued to sleep. She turned around and was about to leave. This afternoon at the Gentlemen's Club I saw Lord Frederick.her husband said.I have benefited a lot from it. She turned sharply.I guess.You think his mind is like a boiled egg. Better he had the guts to say yes.Now she really wants to find someone to vent her anger on, and he is very suitable. I think he's not eloquent or sophisticated, but that's not the point of my observation. So what's the point of your observation? Sincere, steady and faithful, he would make a good husband. She was shocked.Thanks. His gaze returned to the window.A comfortable breeze blows into the greenhouse, teasing his thick straight hair.The carriages leaving the park filled the streets, and the grooms shouted loudly, telling the horses and their companions to be careful. Apparently their brief chat was over.But Condon's compliments to Ferdy made her see a chance, and she couldn't let it go easily.Will you show nobility and release me from this marriage?I love Ferdi, and he loves me, let me marry him, while we are still young and capable of building a life together. Although he never moved, she felt that he froze suddenly. Please, she said slowly.I beg you.let me go. His gaze was still looking at the endless stream of carriages outside the window. British high society staged such carriage parades every day, showing vanity and arrogance.I didn't say he would be a good husband for you. How could you understand what a good husband is.As soon as the words came out of her mouth, she immediately regretted it, but it was a pity that it was hard to stop. I really don't understand, he admits without hesitation.But at least I can see your shortcomings.Despite this, I still find you interesting and charming, and it may be those flaws that make you special.Even the land you stepped on made Lord Frederick worship, because you possessed courage, perseverance and courage that he couldn't even dream of.When he looks at you, there are only visions he projects. He is my lover, I am perfect in his eyes, what is wrong. His gaze locked onto hers.I could see that he thought we would be separate in this family, as disembodied as God and the Virgin Mary.You hide the truth to protect him, does he know?For the sake of love, you can tell big lies without any care, he knows Ming.Your courage is unrepentant, ruthless, does he know that? Fortunately, my mother's upbringing was strict enough, otherwise she would definitely spit on the floor.I can see that you are still stuck in 1883.It's been ten years, you understand?I've said goodbye to the past, now you are the cruel one, you understand?You really thought I could confess to my loved ones that you were about to get me pregnant against my will. Someone in the distance laughed loudly, and the delicate laughter was high-pitched and piercing.Croyce snorted a few times and moved in her arms.She suffocated it by holding it too tightly.She let out a shaky breath, forcing the muscles to relax. He pressed two fingertips to his right temple.Dear, you are too embarrassing to say.Since you are about to be happy, shouldn't I benefit from this marriage? I don't know, she said.I do not care.All I know is that if I want to be happy in this life, Ferdi is my last chance.In order to marry him, I would not hesitate to become Lady Macbeth and destroy all obstacles. He squinted his eyes, and his eyes were as dark green as a nightmare forest.Want to brush up on your old tricks? You keep reminding me how shameless I am and how I can get over it.Her heart was full of pain, because of him, but also because of herself.A one-year covenant begins tonight.Don't keep procrastinating, I don't want to wait until you're finally in the mood to start tonight.If you're throwing up the rest of the night, that's none of my business. He just smiled.