Wingless Bird - стр. 9
"Let her admire it. Servants love handsome gentlemen," thought the guest indifferently, and purposely curved her red plump lips in a charming smile.
– What a pity you can't keep me company, Jane," she said to the girl. – 'But I'm sure Mr. Brown…Who is this Mr. Brown?
– The butler, miss! – Emily answered readily, ahead of her friend, who had already opened her mouth to reply.
Jane cast Emily a displeased look: having met Miss Vivian only fifteen minutes ago, she was already jealous of her attention to the other servants.
– 'Don't keep Mr. Brown waiting. Come back to me as soon as you're free. In the meantime, I'll take a stroll through this magical garden and pick myself a bouquet," Vivian said, removing her white gloves from her hands.
The maids made a curtsy and hurried into the house, while Vivian continued her slow walk through her aunt's garden. Walking along the stone paths, in a sea of flowers, Vivian pondered hard.
"The new Earl of Cranford is no longer free! Aunt Beatrice with such a pleased face told of his family! Married! Three children! Perhaps we should devise a new plan and find a new target. My cousin Anthony is very good-looking, but alas, he is only the youngest son. – Thoughts were whirling through the fiery-haired girl's head at the speed of light. She picked the prettiest, most colourful flowers and put them in a bouquet. – I'll have to write to them. They'll be upset… It's all right, London is rich in suitors, and the season has only just begun… But good God, what a heat! I wish I didn't burn in the sun!"
Vivian brushed away a few drops of sweat from her high, white forehead with her fingers. Like all redheads, her delicate skin turned red and sometimes blistered at the slightest contact with the sun's rays. But she should always remain dazzling, because the girl knew the bitter truth: if you are poor, beauty is your only wealth.
– Don't forget your hat, my dear cousin. In this heat, in the sun, without a hat, you may get sick. – Suddenly she heard the voice of her cousin Mr. Cranford behind her.
– Alas, my favourite hat is gone: it was blown away by the wind while I was admiring the sea," she replied, with a slight annoyance at her embarrassment. She did not turn round to Anthony: he was of little interest to her, both as a man and as a prospective bridegroom. There was no need for her to put her charms to work.
– It must be a great loss. You girls always take the loss of even easily replaceable things to heart," Anthony smiled. He had come up to his cousin and could now admire the profile of her face.
– You are right, dear cousin: we girls are so frivolous," said Vivian out of politeness, but not out of any desire to keep the conversation going, still without dignifying her cousin with a glance.
– What a beautiful bouquet. Did you make it? – Anthony asked: he was too shrewd not to notice his cousin's indifference to him. But he mistook it for fatigue: the beautiful guest had spent many hours in the carriage, and naturally it had taken its toll on her health.
– That's right, dear cousin, I'll do it myself," Vivian answered him, as she bent to pick a large red rosebud, but pricked her finger on the sharp thorns and gave an involuntary shriek.