Detective Mary

Chapter 22

Mr. Charles Bentley confesses his love for Miss Jane Bennet!

The story spread from Netherfield Manor to Meryton in just two days, and it was a big, big deal. Though the whole social circle of Meryton had a premonition of it, when it really happened, it created a great uproar.

Mr. Bingley's friends and family did not seem to approve of his "impulsive action," and even Mr. Darcy, who had always been a poker-faced man, was said to have been shocked with disapproval when he learned of it.

He talked the matter over with Mr. Darcy that day, and no one knows what they talked about. But after that, this arrogant and cold gentleman, surprisingly did not show any attitude in public - neither said support, nor said firmly opposed. Other people asked only said that they respected Bentley's choice, and never said more than a few words.

As for Miss Bentley and Mrs. Hurst, while greatly surprised, but also showed strong dissatisfaction. It is said that Miss Bingley was angry with Mr. Bingley for this, because she wanted to set up her brother and Mr. Darcy's sister.

Mr. Bingley, however, was determined to marry Jane, and whoever disagreed was at odds with his happiness for life.

Mary had naturally heard all this about Netherfield Hall from her own mother, Mrs. Bennet.

"It's wonderful, wonderful!"

Mary was in the parlor reading a letter when she was startled by her mother's sudden voice.

Mrs. Bennet, who had returned from her inquiries, had not yet crossed the threshold, but her voice was there first. After announcing the feedback from those around her in the parlor in a loud voice of joy, she added smugly, "From the first moment I saw Mr. Bentley, I knew it would work out, and a gentleman as lovely and upright as he is can't have a bad eye!"

"Yes, yes," said Mr. Bennet, who had listened to his wife's ramblings for two whole days, and whose patience was about to run out, "I think you had better ask Mr. Bingley again if he needs more wives, and preferably to take all his four remaining daughters."

Mrs. Bennet: "What are you talking about!"

But the great joy was before us, and Mr. Bennet's taunts were not worth mentioning, and Mrs. Bennet looked at her eldest daughter, "I don't know when Mr. Bentley will come to discuss the marriage, and the sooner the better; only when you are married, don't forget your own sisters, and your mother's credit."

Elizabeth sniffed and lost her voice in laughter, "I rather think Jane should remember Mary's credit."

Jane snapped, "Lizzie!"

Jane's face reddened again at the mention of Mary's prank.

Even though Mary had been entirely kind, and her pranks had been surprisingly effective in helping Jane and Mr. Bingley break the last of their windows, Jane was still a little embarrassed at the thought of the previous day's scene.

"Don't ever do that again, Mary," she admonished, "you're young and single, and it would be damaging to your reputation if people knew you had dared to do it."

Mary didn't care.

She teased with a smirk, "Who told you and Mr. Bingley to be polite and courteous, but just refused to declare your heart, and I was so anxious to see it. If I hadn't lied to you both, Mr. Bingley would have thought you had no feelings for him."

This was true.

Listening to Mr. Bentley pouring out his heart, the understanding Jane first reflected on herself - she loves Mr. Bentley, and it is not too much to say that she loves him. It is precisely for this reason that Jane restrained herself more strictly, for fear of an impulse to do something out of the ordinary.

Unexpectedly, she convergence, but let Mr. Bentley misunderstood.

Had it not been for Mary's sudden mischief, there was no telling how long the misunderstanding would have lasted.

"Indeed I must thank you." So Jane blushed and spoke from the heart.

"Don't thank me, but thank Shakespeare," said Mary, "I happened to be rereading Much Ado About Nothing lately, and had the bright idea of using the idea from the play."

Mr. Bennet looked up rather surprised at this.

He was at last not tired of his wife and daughter's parental and laborious chatter: "It does seem true that Mary loves to read. It is not always useful to socialize in the country, but Mr. Bingley is a man of insight, and the decorations on Lydia's hat are not as valuable as her talents. Lydia, why don't you apologize to Mary?"

Lydia was instantly reluctant: "Papa!"

Mrs. Bennet was not impressed either, "It's not too late for Lydia to apologize when she uses her talents to catch a golden son-in-law."

Elizabeth snorted a laugh.

"What are you laughing at, Lizzie?" Mr. Bennet asked curiously.

"No, nothing."

No one else knew what Mary had in mind, but could Elizabeth not? Not to mention, if Mary got what she wanted as much as Jane did, I'm afraid it would have to be talent.

Mary, on the other hand, just rolled her eyes when she heard this and continued to read the letter.

"It seems," Mr. Bennet snickered, "that no amount of preaching is as important in Mary's eyes as the letter in her hand."

"Whose letter is it, Mary?" Jane asked curiously.

"It's from Mr. Sherlock Holmes," Mary finished, unsurprised to see Elizabeth's derisive look before adding without haste, "Letters from him to Mr. Bingley, to be exact."

Before Mr. Holmes had left, Mary had pleaded with him to write and let herself know if there were any clues in the case. The then detective had promised to do so, but that did not mean that the detective, who acted in a highly efficient manner, would make a point of writing another letter.

The case did progress, and Sherlock Holmes wrote the letter to his client, Mr. Bingley. Mr. Bentley, being a man of honor, reads the letter and passes it directly to Mary.

The whole letter is not long, and the detective's words are crisp and clear, describing all the clues in just a few lines.

Returning to London, Mr. Holmes at once commenced his investigation of Captain Carter. Instead of coming directly to his door, he disguised himself as a coachman and secretly observed Captain Carter for several days.

Captain Carter's social circle is no different from that of any other officer, but on the third day of his stakeout, Mr. Holmes discovers that Captain Carter appears to have had a private meeting with a certain factory owner from the North.

That's telling, isn't it?

Mr. Holmes also said in his letter that it was not yet possible to identify the factory owner, and if it was confirmed that he was from Milton ...... then I am afraid that Captain Carter was not the only one who knew about it, and that the partner who had recommended Mr. Bentley to change his supplier was also an accomplice.

What profit could they have gained from such an effort to upset the cotton raw material market? Especially if the factory owner is also involved, the production is directly related to their own interests, the industry chain is broken for him there is no benefit ah.

Moreover, Mr. Bentley did not sign the contract, so why would they steal it back?

Mary fell into deep thought, her eyes subconsciously falling on the last paragraph of the letter.

After recounting the incident, Mr. Holmes entreated Mr. Bentley to convey the clue to Miss Mary Bennet on his behalf, with a special note to write to him, assuming she had any new ideas.

could write to him!

Fan girl to this point, Mary really feel no regrets in death - is there anything happier than an idol's special permission to write a letter? Saying this proves that he'll definitely read it ah.

Taking advantage of the fact that her mother and sisters were poking fun at Jane in unison, Elizabeth got permission to quickly scan the letter.

"Though I do not know the detective, from a brief encounter," she said, "this Mr. Sherlock Holmes is eccentric and reckless of propriety, and a little haughty like Mr. Darcy, with no eye for anyone to go to but the case."

Mary: "......"

That's technically true, isn't it, and I have to say that Elizabeth is a pretty good judge of people. Even though she would sometimes never budge from what she had decided, even her judgment of Darcy hadn't drifted far, had it?

"But."

Elizabeth looked at the letter again before raising a smile.

"Now I'd like to think that the person who only saw the case can now think of you," she teased, "Perhaps you're the special one in the detective's eyes."

"......"

"What?"

"Nothing."

Mary had a goofy grin on her face, "Even though I know it's impossible, it sounds moving."

Elizabeth: "......" This is probably completely hopeless!

It wasn't that Mary was overly flamboyant, but she felt like she could give no more of a reaction than that.

--She was special in the eyes of Sherlock Holmes? Why not! The original "that lady", Miss Irene Adler, had screwed the detective so badly, revealing herself to be a "special being" in his mind by showing her amazing intelligence and unwavering independence.

Mary, on the other hand, is just a country girl who has traveled through time and space and is still a little smart.

It was impossible to say that she received special treatment. Mary felt that Mr. Holmes was treating her so kindly because she was interested in the case and was willing to think and learn, and that he was just trying to help her out of the goodness of his heart.

But that was enough for Mary.

Well, for the moment it was.

Mrs. Bennet was talking to the other Bennet ladies and naturally did not notice Mary and Elizabeth muttering. But Mr. Bennet, who was sitting on the sidelines pretending to read the newspaper, did take in the two sisters' girlish gestures solidly.

Seeing them discussing letters, Mr. Bennet also took out a letter without haste.

"Speaking of letters," he interrupted Mrs. Bennet, "I received an important one this morning, too, from that cousin of mine, Mr. Collins, who says he will visit Longbourn some day."

The smile on Mrs. Bennet's face immediately disappeared at the sound of "Mr. Collins."

The law of limited inheritance stipulated that Mr. Bennet's assets could only be inherited by male relatives, so no matter how smart and beautiful his five daughters were, Mr. Bennet's heir to the Longbourn after his death would still be his distant relative, Mr. William Collins.

Naturally there was no welcome for the fellow who was to inherit Mr. Bennet's estate. But Mary is fine with that; Mr. Collins will marry Elizabeth's best friend, Charlotte, anyway, and with Mary's own good looks, she will certainly not be in the vicar's good graces.

What she cared about was ......

Mary's eyes turned once again to her little sister Lydia.

Almost at the same time as Mr. Collins was Werhane Wickham, the real scumbag who had flirted with Elizabeth and then other ladies, and had eventually eloped with Lydia.

Just because Mary doesn't like Lydia, and she and her little sister have been at odds since they were children and fight every day, that doesn't mean she's going to stand by and watch Lydia get ripped off by a man like that.

What should be done? Mary was silently lost in thought, realizing that Lydia was difficult to manage in every sense of the word.