Detective Mary

Chapter 35

A full twelve pounds for the manuscript!

Mary felt as if she were dreaming when she got her fee.

It had been nineteen years since she had traveled through time and space to this world. Although Mary had been a workaholic in the twenty-first century, these twelve pounds were the first money she had ever earned on her own as Mary Bennet.

Although twelve pounds for a single lady like Mary is like a drop in the bucket, but there is always a beginning. Even Conan Doyle himself was not well regarded when he first started writing full-length novels, and A Study in Scarlet Letter received only twenty-four pounds in royalties.

As for Mary, she didn't experience any rejections, she didn't get shut out, and she was even recognized by Editor-in-Chief Hall, so as a novice author, her luck could be said to have exploded.

Editor Hall said it was customary to send Mary a sample copy of the magazine before it was printed.

She can't wait for the response to her work.

Mary returned to Mr. and Mrs. Gardner's house with the twelve pounds in her hand, and Mrs. Gardner was so happy to hear that the novel had gone through that she had to order the cook to cook a big dinner tonight to celebrate.

"I must tell papa and Lizzie about it."

The introverted Jane was delighted, and when they came back to the room after dinner, she sat down with a smile, "Lizzie wrote today, and I haven't had a chance to share it with you yet."

"A letter from Lizzie?"

Mary, who had carefully deposited her manuscript payment, said in surprise, "What's new in Longbourn lately?"

"As fresh as it gets, as fresh as you running off to the slums."

Jane laughed and chided, "I thought about it for a long time before I put it in a letter. If mama finds out, she'll have to come to London herself and drag you home."

"Heh heh." Mary just laughed.

She sat down next to Jane and pulled her arm around her, "I knew Jane was the best!"

"Don't be a wimp," said Jane, "you've been pleasing Lizzie and then me, why don't you think of talking to the gentlemen and ladies of the social circle?"

Because they were bored to death, and all that pettiness and gossip wasn't nearly as interesting as listening to the Irish laborers drink and sing.

But Mary didn't argue with Jane, just leaned over her shoulder and looked at the letters on the table, "What did Lizzie write about?"

Elizabeth's letter was written to both Jane and Mary, the girl's correspondence is always trivial and serious, even Elizabeth, who is quick-witted by nature, has written down everything that has happened in Longbourn recently.

First came the grounded Lydia. Mrs. Bennet was a startling and secretive person, but she would not change what she had decided, even if she had to talk about it - a fact that she had inherited from most of her daughters, including Mary, as well.

Therefore, when it came to grounding Lydia, Mrs. Bennet showed no mercy.

Now it was all right for Lydia to attend social occasions, and it was all right for her to go to Meriden to buy a hat, but Mrs. Bennet had to be there too.

Without Elizabeth having to say much, Mary could imagine how miserable Lydia was having a miserable time.

"She deserved it," Mary judged nonchalantly, "Losing a bet would have been fine, a few less words and a few less cries and she wouldn't have ended up grounded at all."

"Let's hope she remembers the experience."

Jane sighed, mentioning their little sister, even the tolerant eldest sister couldn't help but get on her nerves, "Lydia needs to be disciplined for this character, she's only fifteen, how can she continue like this?"

I'm afraid grounding her once won't help. Mary in the bottom of her heart slandered, not that she looked down on Lydia, but Lydia did ...... spend less effort on attracting butterflies on the good.

"Where's my hat," so Mary spoke up, "how come there's no mention of the hat?"

"You!" Jane lost her voice in laughter.

Once the letter had said its daily routine, Elizabeth mentioned Mr. Collins and Charlotte's wedding and Charlotte's invitation to be a guest at Mr. Collins's parish.

In the original, Elizabeth is invited to visit Charlotte's new home and runs into Mr. Darcy there.

The famous scene of Mr. Darcy condescending to ask Elizabeth to marry him and being angrily rejected by Elizabeth is also there.

Only now that Mr. Darcy has apologized to Elizabeth, and Elizabeth knows that Darcy is not a small-minded, despising nuisance, how would Elizabeth react if they still met again and Mr. Darcy proposed again ......?

Mary was instantly energized, "It would be good to go out for a walk, it's too boring to stay at home, tell her to never remember to write."

Jane: "So who's watching Lydia?"

Mary blinks, "Isn't grounding enough?"

And by Mary's careful math, the first signs of elopement had only begun when both Jane and Elizabeth had returned to Longbourn. Now if she really wanted her to be unable to go out and socialize freely for a few months, she feared it would backfire and force Lydia to rebel.

"Just remember to hurry my hat when you write back," Mary admonished badgeringly, "I'll have to inspect it when I get home, and if Lydia can't finish the embroidery, I'll advertise her lack of discipline to the Militia Corps."

Jane: "......" That's so mean!

The eldest sister shook her head hopelessly and looked equally at Elizabeth's letter, "I'm more worried now that Lizzie will be bad than Lydia."

Mary froze, then realized that Jane was referring to the visit to Charlotte.

After all, Mr. Collins had proposed to Elizabeth first, and was rejected by Elizabeth before turning to her friend Charlotte. With this invitation, Charlotte herself, being of a kind nature, would naturally not mean anything else, but Mr. Collins was afraid that he would not be able to avoid flaunting his hand.

It was normal for Jane to be so worried, but ......

Thinking of Elizabeth's character, Mary was reassured, "I rather think that Lizzie doesn't give a damn about Mr. Collins, she wouldn't be embarrassed and uncomfortable!"

"I'm just worried about her marriage." Jane let out a long sigh.

"Ouch," Mary teased, "where's the easy way out, Miss Bennet, when you've got a sweetheart yourself and you want all the unmarried girls in the world to have sweethearts."

"Ghostly."

Jane followed Elizabeth's lead and reached out to poke Mary in the forehead.

"It is not only Lizzie, but you too," she said, "who is it not good to like, but to follow Mr. Holmes to the slums? Elizabeth is no one to look at, and you are full of absurdities; you two, neither of you, are any better than the other, and I'm really afraid you won't be able to find a suitable match."

"Well ......"

"What?"

Mary tickled the corners of her mouth, "I do think that there is a gentleman who would be quite a match for Elizabeth."

Jane was a little surprised, "Who?"

Mary: "Mr. Darcy."

Jane: "......"

Upon hearing Mary's words, Jane immediately covered her mouth, with a look as if Mary had said something extremely horrible.

She stared at Mary with wide, beautiful eyes, as if she didn't know her, and looked her up and down several times before confirming that Mary was not joking.

"Mr. Darcy?"

Obviously Jane had never thought of that possibility, but when she saw Mary nodding desperately, the words of retort were on her lips, but she couldn't get them out.

On second thought, Mr. Darcy was a man of great talent and knowledge, and although he had not taken Elizabeth seriously at first, and had been very judgmental, he had realized his mistake afterwards, and had apologized for it in a deeply reflective manner.

This proves that Mr. Darcy is not only a wealthy man, but he is also a man of integrity and sincerity.

And not to mention, Mr. Darcy in all respects meets Elizabeth's criteria for a husband, if the two people are in love ......

Mary: "Right?"

Jane: "............"

Mary: "Right?"

Jane thought about it, and surprisingly couldn't find a definitive reason to disagree with Mary, except to admit, "It does fit, if Mr. Darcy likes Elizabeth."

"He likes! Likes it very much," Mary spoke up hastily, "Why do you think Mr. Darcy apologized, because I reminded him of it, and he admitted that he liked Lizzie!"

"What?!"

Jane didn't know about this matter at all, and hearing Mary's confession, while being surprised, connecting it to the past, she did immediately figure it out.

"In that case, Mr. Darcy was extraordinarily fond of talking to Lizzie," Jane added, "and danced with her at the second ball with a great deal of interest."

"Now it depends on Lizzie's liking Mr. Darcy," said Mary; "if she doesn't, Mr. Darcy can't help it, even if he's deeply attached."

"That."

Jane thought for a moment, then turned her head to Mary, whose eyes were shining, and instantly realized what she meant.

"You are planning to join forces with me to set her up with Mr. Darcy, aren't you," Jane smiled slightly, "No wonder Lizzie was so annoyed when she heard you mention Mr. Darcy earlier."

"But Lizzie doesn't annoy you!"

Mary did not conceal her motives, "Good sister, dear sister, for the sake of Lizzie's and Mr. Darcy's happiness, be moved."

"If Lizzie liked Darcy too," returned Jane, "I would naturally support them."

"That's easy!"

Mary breathed a sigh of relief at the approval. She had already made a little plan, if Mr. Darcy succeeded in his first proposal, then fine, if not ...... she had an idea.

"Then it's a deal," said Mary, mysteriously, "when we get back to Longbourn, you'll have to help me."

Jane had long ago learned firsthand about Mary's bad ideas - where else would she and Mr. Bingley have been able to pierce that window. Seeing Mary's flinty look, Jane shook her head, "Worry about this, worry about that, what about your own life's work?"

"I'm worrying about yah."

Mary held out her own twelve pounds, "I've got money to make, twelve pounds for the first story, twenty-four pounds for the second story I'm afraid - by the tenth story I'll be a little rich girl!"

What a ball of childishness.

Jane was amused by Mary's roguish algorithm and she couldn't help herself, "Nice try."

But Jane knew that Mary didn't like to talk about childish things about herself, so she didn't force herself. Besides, the submission went well, which was indeed a happy event.

"So what murder mystery are you going to write about in your next book," Jane said, "big writer?"

"No more murders." Mary replied.

This was both Mary's intention and the advice given to her by Editor-in-Chief Fred Hall.

The editor-in-chief's idea was straightforward: the first story was intriguing, but one never knew what the feedback would be. After the murders, it would be much better to have a less shocking, but fresh-looking story.

That's what Mary thought, too.

"I think," she said to Jane, "it would be good to write a burglary case."

And a burglary case would be much more helpful to write, with Mary's twenty-first-century insights - take away the high-tech workings, and all the thieves in all the world steal with nothing more than superb disguises, great skill, and a good plan.

It's always easier to write characters that are a little bit new, and processes that are a little bit outlandish and romantic, than it is to portray an earthly demon with a real-life prototype.

"Burglary?"

The unexpected answer really piqued Jane's interest, "What are you going to write about it?"

Mary: "Steal the painting, I guess, and ...... the crime team is the circus."

Jane: "Circus?"

Yes, the circus.

Mary's inspiration was a very simple one: when you think of a great hand, you can't help but think of one of the founding fathers of the nineteenth century, the king of the circus, P. T. Barnum.

Thanks to Hugh Jackman's musical movie "The King of the Circus", Mary was introduced to this master.

The circus members, all of whom were skilled in their own right, were perfect for the beloved "Rogue Bandit". But Mary felt that a crime is a crime, and she didn't want to make criminals out of marginalized people who were discriminated against in reality.

She had to think about it.

"I have only a thought for the moment," Mary said truthfully, "and must think well how it will develop."

If the story was not well handled, and no one wanted to hear it, but if it became popular and made people discriminate against and hate the marginalized, then Mary would never forgive herself.

To really write this story ...... case is still secondary, she has to do far more work than a murder case.

Seeing Mary's grave expression, Jane took her hand and earnestly encouraged her, "There's no hurry, think about it, and if you get an idea, be sure to let me know."

Mary lost her smile, "I'm afraid I'll scare you!"

Jane: "I'll listen even if I'm scared."

Mary is stunned.

Jane smiled and took Mary's hand, a moving sincerity gathering in those beautiful eyes.

"I always wondered what you were thinking, Mary," she spoke, "you're so well read and full of silly ideas that people don't understand, but you've never done anything wrong - whether it's going to the slums or embarking on a creative endeavor, it's all worthwhile."

"Jane?" Mary was a little confused.

"So," Jane said solemnly, "I thought a lot about it after you came back from the slums, and the answer I finally came up with was that - even though I can't understand you, what you're doing is right, and then I have to try to understand you."

"......"

"Then let's start with your story," the eldest sister said, rubbing Mary's hair, "You must let me know when you've come up with an idea, I need to hear it so I can figure out what's going on in your little brain.

"

"............"

"Mary?"

"Nothing."

Mary said with immense emotion, "God is stuffing angels into me as sisters, isn't he?"

Jane cried and laughed, "What nonsense!"

She wasn't bullshitting!

Mary hadn't really expected Jane to say that-even Elizabeth reprimanded herself daily for being ridiculous! And Jane, a native-born, unmarried nineteenth-century girl, standard enough to be a template for a great lady, could honestly say that she wanted to understand herself.

At the moment Mary really didn't know how to describe how touched she was, so good and kind a sister that she couldn't bear to think of Jane marrying Mr. Bingley.

"Thank you, Jane," Mary raised a bright smile, "if I think of an idea, you'll be the first to know."

"More than that."

Jane was as attentive as a hair, remembering exactly every word Mary had said when she returned from the slums, "You said you made a new friend named Mary Morstan, didn't you?"

The next morning, Miss Mary Morstan, an Irish girl, arrived as promised.

Mary's intention had been to instruct the maid not to stop Miss Morstan at the door because of her patched clothes. Now, not only did Mary not have to tell her, but Jane even took it upon herself to solemnly invite Miss Morstan to her door.

Miss Morstan, who was flattered with her brand new cotton dressing gown, and Jane just took it with a smile, "Thank you so much for taking care of Mary, Miss Morstan, she's always so startled and headstrong, I think she's given you a lot of trouble."

"Whereas."

Miss Morstan, who shared Mary's name, shook her head hastily, "Miss Mary Bennet tracked down the truth for my friend, and I can't thank her enough."

Jane sniffed in amazement, "And you were in the know?"

Miss Morstan spoke frankly, her words full of pride, "Not only that, but I brought a message from Mr. Holmes today asking me to ask Lady Mary out."

"To visit Mr. Holmes?!"

Mary, hearing this, hurried downstairs, and was on the point of rushing straight to Miss Morstan with a red face.

"No," Miss. Morstan smiled, "not to visit the detective's apartment, but to Mr. Hamp's factory."