The drizzle obscured the color of the sky, and the thick dark clouds prevented the sun's rays from being revealed. Before five o'clock in the afternoon, the street lights in the city were already on, and the summer heat could no longer be felt in the air. The desolation of autumn can't wait to spread in the drizzle of rain, which is typical London weather. In comparison, there are no strong winds today, which is already good news.
The taxi stopped in front of a retro building. The mottled brick walls can clearly see the layers of water stains. The original marble appearance is almost invisible, and it has gradually turned dark brown; a typical Victorian building The style reveals simplicity and elegance, and the gray exterior wall reveals an indescribable dullness and restraint; the simple and heavy gate is firmly established in front of the eyes, dividing the world into two completely different countries, inside and outside.
The three-storey pattern extends along the entire street, and the unified style brings elegance and dignity unique to the United Kingdom. Across the street, the greenery spreads endlessly as far as the eye can see, which is even more rare in London, where land is expensive.
Matthew Dunlop opened the car door, and a man in a black three-piece suit came down the stairs quickly. He looked at least fifty years old, and the hair on his head had almost fallen out, but the rest The hair is still meticulously organized, and even in the rainy weather, the white shirt and black bow tie are still neatly ironed without any slack.
He held a black umbrella in his right hand, which supported Matthew's sky, and escorted Matthew into the carved wooden gate in front of him. After walking in, he put away the umbrella in his hand and put it on the into the iron bucket next to the door, and then took the briefcase from Matthew's hand, "Master Matthew, is everything going well today at work?"
"Well, not bad." Matthew stood at the door and wiped the mud under his feet on the carpet at the door. "Hait, are father and mother coming back from vacation this weekend?"
"Yes. The plane arrived on Friday afternoon," Haiter-Wesley said skillfully. "And, Master Renly is here."
Matthew took off his jacket for a while, and there was a hint of surprise in his surprise, and his smile rose, "What? When did he arrive? Why hasn't there been any news before?"
"At two o'clock in the afternoon." Hayter said in a calm tone, dutifully. "He said he needed to adjust the time difference and is resting upstairs now. Master Matthew, do we need to inform Lord George?"
Matthew was stunned, "No need." The steps under his feet took two steps, and then stopped again. After thinking about it, he explained, "Don't tell father and mother for the time being." Handing it to Haite, Matthew strode up to the second floor and skillfully walked to the guest room.
When he was about to approach, he lightened his footsteps, tried to avoid making any noise, and then gently opened the door of the room and pushed it open carefully.
The curtains in the room were pulled up tightly, leaving only a dim yellow lamp at the head of the bed that was not turned off, and the dark room revealed a hint of warmth; the clothes on the floor were still scattered all over the floor, and he didn't even know it. Why would there be a shoe running to the edge of the door, as always, someone's style; there is a person lying on the bed, drowsy asleep, steady breathing means that he has entered a deep sleep, even the lightning and thunder are not noisy Awake.
Walking to the head of the bed, through the hazy halo, Matthew recognized the familiar face at a glance.
I didn't expect that this guy would come back to London without a sound. It's really been a long time. The last time I saw him in London was eighteen months ago, and the city still seemed to have not changed much, lifeless and amiable; but he had become different, so familiar, yet so unfamiliar. .
He can easily picture his face complaining about the bad weather in London, and his eyebrows are full of disgust; and this social occasion is bound to be lively and gossip for a while - the poor young son of the Hall family. back again. Thinking of his dismissive look, Matthew couldn't help but smile.
He bent over to pack up all the clothes scattered on the ground, folded them neatly, and placed them on the sofa beside him. Then he lightly exited the room and returned to the living room on the first floor, "Haite, prepare some hot water. , Renly will get up in a while, and he will definitely take a bath. Where did he fly over this time, did he say?"
"Los Angeles." Hayter said politely and gentlemanly with his hands in front of him.
"Did he come here by taxi?" Matthew's question was answered affirmatively by Haight. He shook his head and said helplessly, "Make a phone call to let him know in advance, it will not be much more convenient to pick him up at the airport."
"Master Matthew, what about today's dinner, how to prepare it?" Haight asked again.
"Fish and chips." Matthew thought for a while and said solemnly, the cold face line seemed to be serious, but there was a hint of mischievous banter between his eyebrows, seeing Haite respectfully Nodding his head in approval, Matthew shook his head again to deny his idea, "No, let's prepare roasted rabbit meat, the two that Henry hunted and caught at the weekend, and then prepare a fried steak, five mature, and caviar. and whisky."
"Do I need to get the silver cutlery and Chinese china out?" Haight asked routinely.
"No, no. You know Renly doesn't like this." Matthew waved his hand, and after watching Haight leave, Matthew stood there and thought about it seriously, and after confirming that there was nothing missing, he went back upstairs. in the study, and started to work.
The passage of time became silent in the sound of the drizzle, and it seemed that this autumn rain had no plans to stop in a short time.
"Knock knock", the dull knock on the door disturbed the quiet air in the study, Matthew looked up and saw Renly standing at the door at a glance.
Lan Li, who had just woken up, looked a little lazy, her slightly curly hair looked messy and scruffy, her bright eyes were also hidden behind a blurred halo, and the look between her eyebrows was like a curling blue smoke, He dragged his weary footsteps to the sofa next to the study, sat down with a thud, lying on the sofa like a broken body, as if he would fall asleep again at any time.
Matthew just quietly looked at his friend who grew up with him, shook his head incredulously, and the smile on the corner of his mouth couldn't help but rise, "Why did he come back suddenly? Come to me, and don't tell me in advance? I'll let Haight Go to the airport to pick you up."
"Hait didn't do anything wrong, why should he punish him?" Ren Li still closed his eyes, his lazy voice with a thick nasal tone, obviously not yet fully awake.
Haight is the housekeeper of the Dunlop family and has been working for more than 30 years. Haite's father and grandfather are also the housekeepers of the Dunlop family. Therefore, Haight not only grew up in the Dunlop family, but also watched Matthew grow up , Although they are housekeepers, their status and status are different. For Renly, the relationship with Haight is naturally different.
"Trust me, Haight is very willing to pick you up at the airport." Matthew sat down on the sofa next to him. "If you don't want to go to Bayswater, you can also go back to the apartment in Knightsbridge."
London is a very large city. The center of the city is the first district, and then it is divided into the outer districts. From the second district to the sixth district, it is the same as the Beijing/Beijing ring.
Bayswater is a small subdivision in the second district. There are two stations and three subway lines passing through it. It can be said that it is the most convenient area to enter and exit the city center, but the rent can be reduced by at least one third, or even more; and Knightsbridge is the very center of London, next to Hyde Park. It is not only a gathering area for the upper class in the city, but also a high-end shopping area.
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Aristocrats like the Hall family usually have more than one place to stay. For example, the villa in Bayswater is their home base, with a total of eight master bedrooms and two reception halls, but other than that , everyone has their own private residence in London. Renly's apartment was located in Knightsbridge, a favorite gathering place for young nobles.
The same goes for the Dunlops, who now visit the mansion in Gree-Park, the family's inner city base.
This is one of the favorite areas of the emerging aristocracy, and although the park is small, it has an unparalleled geographical advantage: at the transition between Hyde Park and St James' Park, at the end of Oxford Street, and close to Buckingham Palace. There are several boulevards in the park, consisting of hundreds of tall trees with a sense of history. Not as noisy and prosperous as Hyde Park, but not as quiet.
"Because the scenery here is more beautiful, I have missed the row of trees outside for a long, long time," Renly said half-jokingly.
Matthew rolled his eyes. Of course he knew that the apartment in Knightsbridge was managed by George. As long as Renly went back, his whereabouts would definitely be exposed, but if you come to Green Park, you can at least enjoy another day or two of cleanliness. "Don't worry, I told Haite, don't tell your parents."
Renly shrugged and said nonchalantly, "It's a very small circle." In London's high society, a little bit of news would spread quickly, and there was no need to deliberately fan the flames. What's more, his brother Arthur was a very well-informed guy. Even if it is not this afternoon, it will be spread tomorrow or the day after. "Where are your parents?"
"They've gone on vacation to Sicily and are back this weekend," Matthew replied. "Are you going to say hello to them?"
"Of course, if we meet head-on." Renly didn't mind.
"If you don't want to meet them, you can go to Notting Hill, where I rent my own apartment." Matthew said with a smile, and then saw Renly open his eyes with a surprised expression, Ma The smile at the corner of Xiu's mouth rose, how could he not know the true thoughts of this small heart, "Go take a bath first, Haite should put the hot water in. After dinner, we will go over and promise. Ding Shan."