Chapter 44 (1/2)
At 4:30 p.m., Anna decided to go back.
She stopped talking to one of the countesses who had been talking, saying that she was going to see the Duchess of pettesy.
When Anna found the Duchess of patecy, she was leaning on the sofa, surrounded by two noble youths, one of whom Anna had seen last time, presumably his lover.
”Oh, Anna, don't tell me anything bad.” Petunia looked up and grinned when she saw Anna coming towards her.
”You are right. I think I've got to go, my dear Betsy
Betsy held out an arm, the color of milk, and his face was crimson. A young man with curly hair let his eyes fall freely from his snow like arm to the back of his hand, and finally gave him a peck with a smile.
On hearing Anna's reply, petsy gently pushed away the man with curly hair. A pair of watery eyes were looking at the former and said, ”won't you stay for dinner?”
In the past, Anna would have refused.
But this time she just laughed: ”if your cook can prepare enough delicious food.”
Patsy pretended to be surprised and said with a smile, ”I've just dug up a cook and I've been known by you!”
”My dear cousin, no one in this circle knows that if you want to see beautiful clothes or eat delicious food, you will have to come here!” Anna complimented.
As a matter of fact, it was only in their own circle that women like Betsy would be secretly winked in the circle of Countess Lydia.
Betsy began to laugh a little. She got up, took Anna's hand affectionately and said, ”come on, dear Anna, let the messenger go and send a message to your husband. I hope the next time I see him, he won't blame me for robbing his wife and forcing him to have dinner alone
As everyone in the circle knows, the Duchess of Betsy has a beautiful face and a clever mouth. Her words were always playful with her expression. Several ladies also all Chi Chi Chi's smile.
”Maybe he'll appreciate you instead, so that I won't disturb his work all the time.” Anna also said with a jocular expression.
Most people think of this as a kind of ridicule, or, literally, how unhappy women like Mrs. Karenin are.
She is so young and beautiful, but what's the use of her!
Her husband is so old-fashioned that he is such a workaholic that a shy young lady like his wife can't help walking around the circle.
A small number of people, such as Betsy, are aware of two facts.
One is that her husband is very industrious in business affairs, the other is that they have a good relationship with each other.
Betsy was not stupid, otherwise she would not have been the leader of the circle. Although she was Anna's cousin, she did not have much contact with each other until Anna got married and married to Petersburg.
Maybe the outsider would find the other person a little shy, but pettesy knew it wasn't. But she doesn't care. If Anna chooses to be a little woman in front of her husband, who is 20 years older than her, let her go. If she has any other ideas, she doesn't mind helping her.
Whether it's a man or a woman, it's only beauty that makes her happy that matters to her.
The most important thing is to live and have fun in time.
The dinner was well prepared, and everyone was very happy, but since the host, Anna's cousin, came over, the scene seemed a little boring.
There was a certain formality in the crowd, for the Duke was not really very conversational, and though he was so kind, almost all the people present were not interested in prints, which Mr. Duke did not notice in time.
”Honey, don't you have a drink first?” Said Betsy to her husband, with a smile in her eyes.
”Oh, yes, I'm so happy, honey. I need a drink.”
The valet, who served his master's dinner, poured a glass of wine to the Duke, who drank it all at once.
Alcohol did not make the Duke learn to shut up. He became drunk and clamored for more drinks.
Usually, a kind person usually makes people feel that there is no sense of crisis. If this person is not so smart, most people will not be kind enough to laugh at him in their hearts.
When a less intelligent person gets drunk and becomes unrestrained, people usually get more tired of him, pity him and ridicule him. It seems to say that his incompetence was already a pity, but now he still has this shameless bad habit.
”More wine!” Said the Duke, with a ruddy face and open mouth.
There was a hint of awkwardness on Betsy's face, but she had covered them up well before she was found out.
Anna saw that the dinner, which was supposed to be dominated by the host, had been destroyed.Betsy wanted to take the glass from her husband's hand, but in the eyes of drunken people, such plunder was unforgivable. The latter is holding his own wine glass, and does not let go.
”Are you drunk?” ”Asked the young man, who had been tired of being around him.
”Of course not.” Murmured the Duke. Her wife's hand in mid air was placed on the table top. Her eyebrows were twisted up and then loosened, with a smile around her mouth.
Anna's eyes turned around the three men, a lover, a noble lady, a noble gentleman, and now they are eating at the same table. Most people except Anna's cousin knew about the affair, but no one told the poor man.
People don't think it's a scandal. It's abnormal to keep a lover or mistress, while an honest husband who is drunk turns into an intolerable clown.
Anna raised her eyes and caught a duchess winking at her close friend. That kind of look is very subtle, but as long as it is mixed in this circle of people can understand.
Percy didn't seem to notice it at all.
She raised her hand again, this time crisp and smart, as if that short, soft hand suddenly grew a bone.
She snatched the glass from her husband's hand.
A drama that should have ended in a mess turned a corner, because the hostess seemed to have the ability to turn corruption into magic.
”You can't be happy alone. Come on, let's have a drink for your new print collection Said Betsy, raising her glass and saying a toast.
Anna picked up the glass, and the rest of the group took it.
The women are prepared with mellow honey wine, which is not as strong as vodka, but Anna sipped only a little.
The Duke looked at his wife with a happy, drunken look, and he kissed her finger, and Betsy looked at her husband with a motherly tenderness.
The eyes seemed to have love. But if you want to explore carefully, you are not so sure.
It's almost the end of dinner. In the living room, the guests in the waiting room are resting. The maids or men servants no longer need too much instruction from their masters to guide them to their seats.
Betsy whispered a few more words to her husband, who laughed like a child.
When she saw that her husband had become obedient, she called on the servants to help her husband up and let them take him to my place.
”Anna.” Cried Betsy.
Anna went up to Betsy, who blinked at her and said, ”honey, I have to go and settle my husband. Would you mind taking my guests for a while?”
”Don't worry about it.” Anna said.
Betsy went up the second floor with her husband and servants. She walked by her husband and laughed from time to time. The laughter was not the same as when she was with her lover. It seems to be more sincere, but it is just an illusion.
After taking her eyes away from Betsy's back, Anna glanced at everyone.
She found that the eye contact between the Duchess and several of them had become more presumptuous, as if her fingers were about to poke in.
And Betsy's lover, tired of a long necked young lady, intimately told jokes. No one was surprised, or wanted to blame the young man, who was busy discussing Betsy's husband with their eyes.
Anna blinked her eyes slowly to get a deeper understanding of the circle.
She went to the place of the circle and fulfilled her promise to Betsy.
The Wollensky brothers and sisters were not asked, but Wollensky's sister had consciously joined the discussion. Only Wollensky, who was originally a very gregarious teenager, even more integrated into this relaxed to debauchery environment, but at the moment, the youth is somewhat expressionless.
”Come here, dear.” The Duchess beckoned to vorensky, and more people held out their hands like this beautiful young man.
Wollensky didn't want to get close to them at the moment, and he suddenly found them very dazzling.
No, maybe he can get close to them. A strong view of right and wrong suddenly penetrated into the young's mind.
As vorensky was walking towards them, a hand rested lightly on his shoulder.
”You are wrong, Mr. Wollensky. May I take care of the guests here?”
Vorensky looked up at the speaker. When he saw clearly that it was Anna, he was a little annoyed: ”don't you always get used to this?”
Anna took back her hand and said slowly, ”the lamb chops for dinner are delicious, but it's easy for young people like you to get angry when they eat too much. I suggest you drink more water to avoid getting angry. It's not very good at that time. ”Anna brought Wollensky a glass of water, then lowered her voice and said, ”let the kitchen people make some pear juice. You take it to Betsy
Vorensky subconsciously took the glass and asked, ”Why are you doing this?” He wanted to ask, didn't you always feel that you were not the same kind of people as us?
Anna pretended to be puzzled: ”because pear juice can be saved!” After that, she turned and walked towards the crowd.
Vorensky hesitated for a moment, then grabbed a servant and asked him to go to the kitchen for a glass of sanity. Then he broke it himself, or he was afraid that he would really do something irrational.
Ten minutes later, Patsy came down from the second floor.
Her hair was still exquisite, her dress was clean, and her body was full of fragrance. Her tender hands were slightly folded and gently laid in front of her abdomen.
The woman's shoulders were forced open, so that the open shoulder dress could completely expose her high breast.