In the evening, due to the arrival of Charlotte's family and friends, Rosings Manor's dinner party also invited several people.
It remained the opulent extravagance that Lady Catherine loved most, which was precisely what best displayed status...
Interestingly, from the mont they took their seats, this Mr. Collins' mouth never stopped, his cadence rising and falling, the endless stream of flattering words making even An Ning feel sowhat impressed.
No wonder he could so perfectly hit her mother's sweet spot!
Glancing at Lady Catherine, whose expression remained haughty yet whose brows and eyes faintly showed comfort and whose mood was clearly quite good, An Ning's sapphire blue pupils unconsciously gained a few traces of amusent!
Excellent, may this gentleman continue his efforts!
An Ning thought sowhat amusedly to herself, but the mont she turned her head, she directly t an exceptionally bright pair of erald green eyes.
"Miss de Bourgh, pardon my boldness, but you don't seem to find this behavior inappropriate?"
"With your intelligence, you should know what I'm referring to!"
During a break in the banquet, while An Ning was casually chatting and admiring flowers nearby, Elizabeth suddenly spoke up.
"Yes, as Miss Elizabeth says, I truly don't see anything wrong with it."
Casually playing with the petals in the potted plant, An Ning showed no intention of denial, saying casually:
"Miss Elizabeth also saw, at the very least just now, my mother was in good spirits, wasn't she?"
"As for that Mr. Collins, since in reality he hasn't hard anyone's interests, then under that premise, his ans of making a living, I personally believe shouldn't be arbitrarily criticized by others..."
At the very least, while still having no significant assets, he successfully obtained a respectable job, didn't he?
Although his behavior wasn't considered entirely proper in this era.
The young lady's eyes still held a faint hint of amusent, like morning dew, carrying a refreshing purity from within! Or like the most dazzling pearl on a crown...
Elizabeth couldn't help but pause montarily.
Rationally, she knew what this Miss de Bourgh before her said was very correct and reasonable, but thinking of that so-called cousin's fawning expression earlier, Elizabeth still couldn't help but frown.
After a mont, she said sowhat defiantly:
"Alright, perhaps you're not wrong! But I will never express any approval of such thods..."
"Of course, that is your freedom."
While they were speaking, a maid suddenly approached from nearby, saying that the two young masters were seeking an audience in the garden!
Oh ho, the cheap cousin has arrived too, An Ning instinctively looked toward Elizabeth nearby.
Tsk, real-life Pride and Prejudice!
Not to ntion, watching these two interact really has quite so tension! It's rather amusing too.
Absolutely not admitting that these years of leisurely countryside life had been too dull, after the customary greetings, An Ning very tactfully pulled Georgiana back to the main seating area.
eting this cousin's sapphire blue eyes that seed to see through everything, even Darcy, who considered himself quite forthright, instinctively stiffened montarily.
And Georgiana nearby, seeming to have discerned sothing from her cousin's gaze, her curious little eyes also began occasionally pretending to glance over intentionally or unintentionally. Even Colonel Fitzwilliam nearby cast teasing looks.
Oh, God!
What's it like having an overly clever and perceptive little cousin?
Thinking of his previous experience of being utterly defeated on the chessboard until he questioned his existence, Mr. Darcy's expression grew even stiffer.
It must be said, for a gentleman originally quite confident in his own intellect, that was truly too embarrassing.
Perhaps lost in so unpleasant mories, it wasn't until Elizabeth beside him called twice that Darcy vaguely snapped out of it.
Elizabeth: "………"
Due to An Ning and the other's actions, Miss Bennet, who originally had so romantic thoughts, instantly sobered up. Her expression toward the person before her gradually turned unfriendly...
Georgiana: "???"
An Ning: "...Pfft!"
***
"Let guess, what has made our beautiful, elegant, and generous Lady Catherine so unhappy?"
In the evening, having changed out of her complicated dress with the help of maids, An Ning, wearing a light purple satin gauze dress, naturally leaned against her mother, "curiously" asking about the other's displeased expression.
"Enough of that!"
Regarding her daughter's clearly deliberate questioning, Lady Catherine snorted quite coldly and proudly:
"Dear Anne, please don't think that just because your mother is getting older, I don't understand you young people's clumsy tricks!"
"Hmph, young people always get carried away by montary passion, but Anne, my precious daughter, allow Mother to spoil the fun by saying this - that Miss Bennet is not a good marriage prospect, at least not for your cousin, the current Darcy family heir."
"Clearly, whether in family background or temperant, this young lady is insufficient to support the position of mistress of Pemberley Estate!"
In the future, she would be even less capable of helping the Darcy family advance further.
As she spoke, this noble lady's brows were filled with certainty.
"But as for you, Mother, you didn't say anything earlier, nor did you speak disparagingly of Miss Bennet, did you?"
An Ning blinked playfully.
Lady Catherine again snorted through her nostrils:
"Oh, my dear, you must understand, Darcy, your cousin, is twenty-eight this year, not eighteen. By age, he's long past the hot-headed youth stage. Oh, God knows, young n of this age are most impatient with advice from us elders!"
As she spoke, Lady Catherine slightly frowned, wearing an expression that said "I understand all too well."
Seeing that although the other was unwilling, she clearly didn't intend to interfere, An Ning chuckled again, her exquisite little face full of delight:
"Now I declare, Mother, you must be the most beautiful, lovely, and also the most open-minded and generous lady in the world!"
Stroking her precious daughter's beautiful, satin-like long hair, Lady Catherine unconsciously showed so complexity.
Actually, as a count's daughter raised in utmost privilege since childhood, this lady was clearly not as tolerant and magnanimous as one might imagine.
If her Anne were still as frail as before, to better care for her daughter and ensure Anne's honor and wealth in her later years, Lady Catherine would never easily let go of Darcy as an excellent candidate.
But now the situation was quite different - a healthy, intelligent girl with a large dowry had much wider options.
Besides, her Anne also had an angelic, sufficiently beautiful face.
Lady Catherine thought with no small amount of criticism.
Nephew Darcy, while not bad, with sufficiently upright character, was after all sowhat older in age and not gentle or considerate enough in disposition.
Most importantly, Anne had no feelings for him beyond familial affection.
Of course, in Lady Catherine's perception, being able to fancy what she considered a rather unremarkable country girl sowhat made her feel this nephew of hers might have poor judgnt.
Because of this, Darcy's standing as a cheap nephew was considerably lowered in Lady Catherine's estimation...
But since he was eliminated as a potential son-in-law, then as Anne's cousin and one of the maternal relatives who would support her daughter in the future, this relationship naturally needed to be well maintained.
Ultimately, this was why this lady before her, despite many dissatisfactions and not viewing this so-called marriage favorably, hadn't spoken out directly earlier...
Regarding her mother's thoughts, An Ning was completely unsurprised.
Being able to manage Rosings Manor and the county's vast lands impeccably for over a decade after her husband's death, maintaining substantial inco, clearly showed that her original self's mother, while perhaps sowhat haughty, was not foolish.
Weighing advantages and disadvantages was the upbringing ingrained in noble ladies of this era.
How wonderful!
On the way back, An Ning quite contentedly admired the exceptionally beautiful sunset over the manor.
Others' affairs were fine to watch as drama, but personally stepping on stage to perform, especially playing the clown role, was truly unnecessary.
In the evening, lying in the soft large bed.
It must be said, days where one needn't worry about anything and could sleep until naturally waking were truly beautiful...
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