After that invitation, Mrs. Massage and Anna became close.
With an identity like Mrs. Masaki's, when she stays in Russia, it is inevitable that more people will want to take the opportunity to make friends with her.
So, that's why Anna and Mrs. Massage attended another tea party together, but it wasn't hosted by Betsy. That was the last time. The hostess this time was Countess Lydia.
Countess Lydia was a tall, slightly stout woman.
She is not fat in vain, her delicate black eyes are the most beautiful part of her whole face. Relying on the status of her natal family, Countess Lydia married her current husband early, but she was not favored by him.
She was in hardship at the beginning, but after a year, one day, not only a book enlightened her, but also a dewdrop in the morning made her understand something, that is, there was only her in this world. There are more beautiful things, beautiful people than a husband.
This idea should be admirable, even if Countess Lydia wants to think about it again, maybe she will really have an epiphany.
Regrettably, that sense of detachment was only a flash of inspiration, and then escaped from one circle to another lamentable circle.
The Countess Lydia began to love everyone except her husband, and she even secretly admired the confidant in her circle, the unsmiling official.
Anna didn't know about this. After all, she had never seen her husband with Countess Lydia before this.
When she saw her for the first time now, she only felt that there was a kind of simplicity and cuteness in her, but after getting close to her, she felt that the other party was a little dull.
This stupidity does not mean that Countess Lydia is really low in IQ, but that she used an advanced concept to talk about rights and other things, but her actual behavior was a bit flashy like that of Betsy and the others. The circle is no different. The only difference is that the kindness of the lady in front of her is genuine.
"The things about our sisterhood were going well, but some gentlemen just didn't want us to go smoothly. Dear Anna and Helen, you don't know, they can't understand the purpose of our formation of this group at all. "
"Look at our members, do you join the sisterhood for money or status? Neither, we have worked so hard to discuss it almost every day, put forward some constructive suggestions, and hope the government will allocate more funds To religion. To convey those new ideas, but they just don't understand!"
Countess Lydia's haggard look became angry, her lips were still pale, but her face was so rosy.
This afternoon, Countess Lydia was immersed in this kind of anger, and her ladies completely agreed with Countess Lydia's thoughts, only Anna and Mrs. Massacci seemed a little different. Both were too smart to show it, though.
In the evening, Karenin still wears his nightgown and reads before going to bed in the study every day, but today is a little different. His progress was forced to be shortened by three tenths because his wife put the "read before going to bed" plan turned into a chat.
"What do you think of Countess Lydia's thoughts, Alexei?" Anna said.
Karenin looked away from the extra soft chair and some gadgets in the study.
Originally it was his own study room, but now it seemed to belong to two people unknowingly. Of course, his wife is not "excessively" occupying too much space.
The changes are relatively small, but for someone like Karenin who has a strong sense of space, even if Anna just puts a bean in this study, it is no less than throwing an elephant into Karenin's private room. in space.
However, Karenin has now silently accepted this change, which was somewhat uncomfortable at first, and has redrawn the distance between the private boundaries for husband and wife.
To be honest, that distance is already a little precarious, almost approaching the number one without limit. And the person concerned has been able to face it calmly from the beginning of his body stiffness.
This kind of emotional perception of a smile would not be noticed by someone like Anna who is sometimes careless. But it doesn't matter, the so-called couple, isn't there always one party who is more sensitive, and the other party is responsible for showing carelessness and honesty to the fullest
"If you're asking the opinion of the majority, that's not too bad. The Sisterhood that Countess Lydia created has its reasons, and actually, it helps me sometimes. But if you're just asking my Thoughts, I don't think there is a need for a comment on that."
"I thought it was too mean for me to ask that question, but now I think it's okay. However, I realized one more thing. No matter whether Countess Lydia's ideas can be realized, she is after all. Good intentions, isn't it?" Anna said with a smile.
"I've found that people tend to make the mistake of laughing at someone who did when they didn't do anything. Although I consider myself a humble and kind person most of the time, sometimes I'm prone to In the nature of this kind of human arrogance, it really shouldn't be." Anna began to confess herself.
This confession is seven parts sincere and three parts teasing.
Karenin ignored the three-point teasing, or, sometimes, according to his character, if he didn't analyze the opponent's words and only judged from his intuition, he would never be able to blend into the teasing atmosphere, because he Always easy to take it seriously.
"It is very good to be able to recognize mistakes." Karenin commented seriously. It seems to be saying seriously, "If you know your mistakes, you are always a good boy."
Anna raised her head and laughed after realizing that Karenin was serious, but she didn't intend to continue to use words to disturb her husband's bedtime reading plan, although that plan had been somewhat affected.
She folded her hands on the desk, her face turned slightly, and she rested on her arm, looking at her husband softly with her big eyes open under the light.
Karenin was meticulous though, and he could do his own thing uninterrupted if he wanted to, but that didn't include being stared at by his wife.
Karenin didn't want to be disturbed any more, whether it was words or sight, so he didn't raise his head, but said lightly, "Anna, I'm reading a book."
"Oh, you go ahead."
…
"If you can, please don't keep staring at me." Karenin felt that sometimes he really had to put forward his request directly and clearly, although as a government official, he was more used to expressing it in euphemistic words My own opinion.
"Okay." Regretful tone.
After the serious gaze stopped falling on him, Karenin could finally fully immerse himself in reading.
After a while, Karenin smoothed the pages of the book with a paper knife, turned his head to glance at his wife, and then stopped the movement of his hands.
Under the light, his wife's face was beautiful and soft, her usually shining eyes were sleeping now, only her thick eyelashes still refused to restrain her beauty, spreading out enchantingly like a small fan, but still With a hint of incomprehensible innocence and coquettishness.
The slight sound of paper rubbing sounded in the air. Karenin recorded the bookmarks. The progress was delayed, and the plan had to be revised, or the pace must be accelerated tomorrow. In any case, the rest of the day has nothing to do with reading.
Karenin picked up his wife.
He doesn't do much of this kind of thing, but if he studies carefully, he can always master the trick.
It is impossible not to wake people up at all, but you have to believe that if a person really trusts another person from the bottom of their hearts, then even if once in a while you find that Teng Xuan has no place to stay in mid-air, They will also choose to continue to sleep deeply because of the comfort of the other party.
Karenin held his wife firmly.
Walked out of the study, walked through the corridor, and came to their bedroom.
If it is said that Karenin's private space has been invaded by his wife unknowingly, and correspondingly, Anna's private space also has things that her husband can see everywhere.
There are several sets of clothes in the closet, and the jeweled cuffs are sorted and stored in the drawer. The basic books on the desk, soft cotton slippers, pillows impregnated with the scent of the host, and quilts mixed with the smell of the two of them.
The traces and smells of the bedroom have changed a long time ago, this change is bit by bit, and you may not be able to notice it day after day, until one day, you will be a little surprised to find this, and at that time, when did it change? It is no longer the question to seek.
Karenin put Anna in the middle of the bed, and he carefully covered Anna with the quilt. The latter turned her back to him, and turned back after a while, groping with her fingers until she found a corner of the pillow. Only then did he fall into a deep sleep.
This small movement was like a cat's paw, gently scratching Karenin's heart.
"Good night," he said in his heart, kissing his wife's forehead at the same time.
Ever since Anna and Mrs. Massage became friends, Betsy heard that Countess Lydia had invited them both at the same time. Not to be outdone, she invited Anna again, but this time it was scheduled for Sunday. They lost their husband and wife.
To be honest, Anna didn't have much interest in Betsy or Countess Lydia's small circle. But she knows that maintaining this kind of social interaction is very necessary.
Mrs. Massage, who had always been a little apprehensive about such tea parties since Count Lydia's incident, asked Anna and her husband if they would be traveling together. After Anna replied that she was, Mrs. Massage accepted the invitation, but Mr. Massage was clearly not satisfied.
"That kind of tea party is a waste of time," he complained endlessly.
"What can I see with my big eyes? Besides cheating or going to cheat!"
Mr. Massage was forthright with his wife about the sleazy affairs in the industry. If Mrs. Massage was shocked by this kind of thing at the beginning, after all, her natal family was not very good, and she might barely squeeze into the middle class, but now, she can be more indifferent. However, it made her feel bad that her husband was so straightforward.
"Don't say such things again, Freddie," Mrs. Massage advised her husband. After all, it's not good for a couple to be so headstrong.
"I'm telling the truth. You reprimanded me before, saying that you should be honest, and don't act like a hypocrite just because you have a little money." Mr. Ma Saqi glanced at his wife and said. He was stingily flipping through old accounts.
If the first meeting of another couple was love at first sight, then the couple in front of them is another popular model.
"Do you have to be so stingy?" Mrs. Massage was a little surprised.
Mr. Massage opened his round eyes and snorted softly, kissed his wife again at the end, and then said with a smile: "Oh, dear Helen, all my bad things are only towards others, towards you, I only have ten thousand kindness and obedience."
The husband's shamelessness once again made the reserved wife blush.
"Oh, shut up!" She couldn't hold back, and said unladylike words.
By the day of the tea party, both Anna and Mrs. Massage were thinking of a very similar truth—no comparison, no harm.
Unlike Countess Lydia's traditional tea party (spit out bitterness) mixed with anger, Betsy's tea party is always so extravagant and beautiful.
Anna did not see her cousin, but the presence of the mistress of the house seemed to suffice.
Betsy directed her own servants, and those well-dressed and even relatively high-end servants were well-trained to serve the guests.
She herself wore a scarlet dress. Originally, a petite person like her could not afford such a color, but she was born with an ability to assimilate.
The eyebrows were trimmed thinly and raised slightly, the lips were bright red, and the already charming and affectionate eyes were even more radiant at this moment.
When men looked at a woman like Betsy, they tended to receive a half-true signal of seduction. Some young people are more courageous, and will rely on their good looks to go forward and try.
The second son of one of the lesser nobles succeeded, and he became Betsy's lover, attending every tea with her, and even, in the words of one baroness, "they even had several pleasant drinks Where's the tea?"
Anna knew that Betsy's lover was at this second meeting, and Betsy and her lover went a little further off to play croquet, which was a popular sport of late.
"Oh, that's not very good." A countess laughed, and she exchanged looks with several other ladies.
It was only then that Anna understood what this meant, but she didn't see any contempt in the eyes of those ladies. Obviously, they didn't think it was a debauchery.
Anna took a sip of tea.
Vronsky sat down next to Anna again. He met Anna's husband for the first time, and he didn't look too young.
Although it is not uncommon for Vronsky to have seen a couple with a large age gap, he always felt that a woman like Anna should find a younger one.
"Is that gentleman your husband?" asked Vronsky.
Anna glanced at the boy: "I thought I introduced it just now."
Vronsky nodded, lowered his voice and said bluntly: "I think you can find someone younger."
Anna was a little surprised. After seeing the other person's darker and beautiful eyes, Anna smiled: "But I think he is the best."
Vronsky was a little taken aback.
Anna stirred the black tea in her hand, she put blueberry jam in it, and then signaled the other party with her eyes: Do you want some biscuits
Vronsky blushed, said a stiff "Thank you" again, and left.
Mr. Masach, who was sitting on the other side of the sofa, took the time to playfully said to his wife: "Mrs. Karenin, whom you like very much, was accosted by a little furry boy just now."
"Don't talk nonsense." Mrs. Massage scolded her husband in a low voice.
Mr Massage, feeling insulted, hissed, "I've got very good hearing, and you know that."
Mrs. Massage lowered her voice again: "Then at least keep your mouth shut."
Mr. Masage pursed his mouth in aggrieved manner, muttered "You haven't had any inconvenience these days", and then rejoined those false conversations.
What the couple didn't know was that although Mr. Massage had very keen hearing, some people not only had keen hearing, but also had very quick eyes. What's more, his sight actually always found time and space to look at looking at his wife.