Guidebook for the Dark Duke

The sky outside the train was a bit gloomy and thick fog enveloped the whole of London. Even in the brightly lit train station, the faces of people around were blurred. Everyone was in a hurry and had no interest in the things around them. .

There was a woman standing by the platform. She was wearing a long black dress and the black veil hanging from the brim of her hat covered most of her face. She seemed a little nervous, holding her cuffs tightly, looking around nonstop.

Such a strange behavior can be regarded as an outlier in this place.

It’s just that the faces of the people around were indifferent and numb, and not many people paid attention to her, only a few people in sloppy clothes but with naked eyes gradually approached the woman.

The woman also noticed those people approaching and she became tense all of a sudden. She took a step back, looking anxious.

At this moment, a middle-aged woman with a sallow complexion and a strong figure came over. She waved her thick arms to disperse the group of people, cursing dirty words from her mouth.

The woman finally breathed a sigh of relief temporarily, but the middle-aged woman made her a little uneasy.

“Ma’am.” The woman approached flatteringly and said in a low voice, “Is this your first time in London? Those scoundrels are very hateful. A classy person like you shouldn’t stay here for long. Are you looking for a place to live? Our price is the most reasonable, and you will be satisfied.”

The woman looked at the middle-aged woman in front of her and frowned in disgust, and a contemptuous look flashed in her light brown eyes.

“I don’t need it, thank you.” She said stiffly.

The face of the middle-aged woman changed instantly. She raised her fist angrily and insulted her with dirty words that the woman had never heard in her life. The woman’s face turned pale, and she almost wanted to run away.

In the end, the middle-aged woman finally caught sight of the patrolmen wandering around, said a curse viciously, turned and left.

The woman had never been so humiliated in her life. She stood on the platform trembling and almost fainted, but the people around her didn’t even look at her.

The woman’s tears finally flowed down at this moment, along her delicate and graceful jaw, and fell on her silk clothes, blurring a small dark shadow.

She lifted her veil, revealing the slightly weak face behind the veil.

This woman was Elisa, who had just escaped from Delanlier.

She tightly held in her hand a secret letter that Mel wrote to her before she left. This letter is now her life-saving straw.

Elisa suppressed the grief in her heart and quickly left the platform. She didn’t know how long she could last like this.

At the same time, Evan and Duke Wilson in Delanlier saw another scene.

Although it was already winter, the entire castle had already lit the fireplace and the house was warm as if it were spring.

And in this quiet afternoon, Evan and Duke Wilson nestled comfortably on the sofa on the small balcony of the study, leaning on each other and looking at the books in their hands, and there were cups of hot black tea and pastries on the coffee table.

Although the things in Britain are terrible, the afternoon tea is very rich, and even a picky person like Evan feels satisfied.

Although Duke Wilson seemed to be reading a book, most of his mind was on Evan. He secretly looked at the side of his face from the top of the book, looked at his serious appearance and looked at his slight frown. Seeing the smile on his lips, Duke Wilson suddenly felt very satisfied in his heart. Maybe this kind of life is what he has been pursuing, maybe as long as he has this person, he can compromise no matter what.

Duke Wilson squeezed the information he just received. Elisa, who was supposed to take the Sapphire cruise ship to the United States, was not caught. The person who was caught was one of her maids. As for where Elisa went, no one knows.

Duke Wilson knew that with Mel’s wisdom, he would never trust him enough for Elisa to be handed over to him. He would definitely have other arrangements, but Duke Wilson was not reconciled. He was not reconciled to this woman’s escape from the law, but looking at it now, it is Mel who has the upper hand.

Duke Wilson’s expression became indifferent. He looked down at the book in his hand. If there is anyone in this world who would make him give up revenge, then this person is only Evan. That woman has completely disappeared, he doesn’t need to waste his life on this kind of thing anymore, the most important thing for him now is this person in front of him.

“Charles, this novel is really interesting. Have you read Mr Dickens’ works before?” Evan suddenly turned his head to look at Duke Wilson.

The Duke was slightly taken aback, and then smiled again, “I haven’t read many novels, but this Mr Dickens, I have heard of him.”

Evan didn’t take it seriously and immediately explained the plot of the novel to Duke Wilson excitedly.

Duke Wilson didn’t listen carefully to what Evan was saying. He was completely attracted by the expression on Evan’s face. His expression was so vivid that the Duke couldn’t help but want to kiss his cheek.

***********

Elisa looked at the huge photo in the newspaper with a satisfied smile on her face.

Sure enough, Mel guessed right. Duke Wilson really wouldn’t let them go easily.

A woman on the Sapphire cruise ship was forcibly extradited, suspected to be related to a certain dignitary.

This news filled the headlines of almost all newspapers but none of the newspapers rushed to expose who the so-called powerful man was, and even the face of the extradited lady wasn’t shown. With a blurred side face, no one could recognize who that person was at all.

But Elisa recognized it at a glance. That woman was her personal maid, and because she was attracted by the money Mel gave her, she became her substitute.

There was a smile on the corner of Elisa’s mouth. Even Duke Wilson would not have guessed that she did not leave England, but hid in London, right under his nose.

Elisa felt a dull pain in her heart when she thought of this. This was all the plan Mel came up with. Even if he died, he was still thinking about her.

Elisa wanted to cry, but found that she couldn’t shed a single tear at this moment. She lived in the most luxurious apartment in London, ate the freshest vegetables and food, and the surrounding environment was rich and comfortable. She was like a real aristocratic lady. Before she came to London, Mel made the most comprehensive preparations for her, including a complete but hidden identity, which made it easy for her to blend in. In such an environment, it is also easy for her to completely forget the regrettable things that happened in that small village while the people around her are flattering her.

Elisa shook her head, pretending to be reserved, turned over a page of the newspaper in her hand and looked at the next sensational news.

********

The pace of time will never stop and Christmas is just around the corner.

In the small town of Delanlier, Christmas is a big deal, and as a priest, Evan has to perform his responsibility. On the eve of the carnival in the whole town, Evan needs to prepare a long prayer session and presiding speeches seem to have become a custom in Delanlier. Every priest who comes to Delanlier has to accept the test of the Christmas carnival.

Because old Bruce had already left, Evan returned to his priest’s cottage. Although he was a little reluctant, facing the current social reality, this was a choice Evan had to make.

Duke Wilson was rather curious as to why old Bruce would give up so easily, but Evan knew very well in his heart that old Bruce would probably not give up the Bruce family’s manor easily. But he had no hope with himself, so naturally he had to find another one. As for what this method is, Evan is unwilling to guess, because he knows very well that it will be a very ugly process.

Evan returned to his long-lost house and almost immediately, he was overwhelmed by a mountain of prayers and presiding speeches. Almost every priest in Delanlier will have such a test, so this is piled up every year. The number of prayers is also a very considerable amount.

Evan looked at these old calendars with a headache and wanted to refuse, but looking at Mrs Sanders’ serious face, he consciously swallowed back what he was about to say. This matter is considered a major event for him. After all, this kind of thing is about religion and the bishop also attaches great importance to it.

Evan groaned in his heart, but he had no choice but to plunge into the vast ocean, but because of this, he ignored a newspaper in his hand. There was a small piece in the newspaper, which simply talked about a piece of news in the West End of London. The news of a lady’s bankruptcy is so common. In London, where the rich and powerful are everywhere, this kind of thing is like a drop of water in the ocean, quickly disappearing into the depths of the ocean, without causing any waves.

*********

Elisa protected her already exposed belly, looking at the dirty and muddy road in front of her and the numb and ragged people on both sides of the road, the stench blowing on her face made her a little nauseous.

Before she came to this place, she despised this place so much. In her mind, this place was hell on earth, where all the villains, tramps and gypsies in London gathered.

She never thought that she would end up in this place one day.

Elisa has been held like an egg by Mel for so long that she forgets that the money will be spent.

Filled with discomfort, she rejected the simple house that Mel had rented for her, rejected the honest housekeeper that Mel had arranged and also rejected the bank manager that Mel had arranged for her long ago.

Instead, she rented the most luxurious high-end apartment in the West District, hired expensive senior butlers and bank managers of large banks that were used by nobles.

Then in a shipwreck, she lost most of her investments. The nobles who encouraged her to invest were still high-ranking nobles, but she lost all her property, was kicked out by the landlord and the housekeeper resigned and left. The polite bank manager also very politely announced her bankruptcy.

From that moment on, the people who played her friend at the parties no longer knew her, she had no money but a little jewelry left and now she can only come to the East End of London because she couldn’t afford any more hotels than here.

After hesitating for a moment, Elisa finally stepped into this sinful place.

Elisa was dressed in silk, her hat was piled high with lace and her diamond ring was still on.

As soon as a person like her walked into the East District, she got almost everyone’s attention.

But Elisa did not have such a good sense of self-awareness. Her long career as a nun made her unable to bear any form of self-restraint. All her vanity was accumulated during that time, and today, it has completely exploded.

Elisa didn’t know how to find a house in this place. She just thought that when she came to this place, there would be a lot of people begging her to rent a house. She seemed to have forgotten the humiliation at the train station. The contempt in her heart almost overflowed from her eyes.

But unfortunately, no one paid attention to her from the top of the street to the end of the street. They just stared at her with strange eyes, but they didn’t mean to say hello at all.

Elisa endured the stench from the tip of her nose and wanted to take the initiative to ask, but at this moment, she saw the woman she had seen at the train station.

Elisa hesitated for a moment, then immediately chased after her.

***********

After Evan changed into the priest’s robe, he actually felt a little nervous. This was really unusual, and he even felt his palms sweat a little.

This is really ridiculous, Evan told himself, it is just speaking in front of people, and it’s unnecessary for me to be so nervous.

When Evan was fidgeting in the waiting room, the door of the room was pushed open. Evan looked back, but found that it was Edward. He pushed the door open with some difficulty and walked in. The moment he saw Evan, he ran over with a smile.

Evan leaned over and hugged him, and the nervousness he was feeling just now finally dissipated.

“Why are you here?” Evan asked softly, “Where’s the Duke?”

Little Edward grabbed Evan’s neck, wrinkled his nose and said, “I haven’t seen you outside for a long time, so I came to look for you. Father is still waiting outside.”

Evan was amused by his childish yet serious appearance, couldn’t help stretching out his hand to pinch the tip of his nose and whispered, “I’m going out soon, you can go outside and wait obediently. The duke will be worried if you come out privately.”

Edward pouted, and finally agreed with a look of reluctance.

Evan put him down, watched him approach the private room where the Duke was, and then went back. After being disturbed, he suddenly found that his originally nervous mood was much better.

Evan laughed as he looked at the prayer and presiding speech in his hand.

**********

Elisa leaned on the wall with one hand, feeling anxious.

She just went out to buy a piece of bread, but found someone following her when she came home. This is really terrible. She just experienced the cynicism of that terrible woman and this is where she has managed to find a place to live. Now it happened like this, it was really too bad. Elisa was in a panic, she didn’t know how to deal with it, she could only run towards her place quickly, but at this time, the child in her stomach lost its temper. It started to hurt violently.

Elisa was afraid of harming the fetus, so she didn’t dare to do any strenuous exercise, so she could only walk slowly while leaning on the wall, but in this way, the group of people got closer and closer to her.

Elisa’s heart was full of despair. She didn’t know why she was so miserable and fell to this point.

The group of people finally caught up. Elisa gritted her teeth and wanted to run, but was dragged into the alley next to her by the leader. The cold blade pressed against her neck. Elisa found that she could not even speak.

“Hand over all your money!” The man’s eyes looked like a wolf in the night, sharp and cold, and his deep voice made Elisa tremble all over.

“Please…” She looked at that person with a desolate expression. This is the only money she has for survival. If it is all lost, then she really doesn’t know how to survive.

It’s a pity that that person didn’t have Mel’s compassionate heart. He just sneered as the blade got closer to Elisa’s neck, “Hand it over! If you don’t want to die!”

Elisa was caught by his cruel tone. She was so frightened that she couldn’t stand still, she knew that this person meant the truth.

Elisa tremblingly wanted to take out the wallet from her arms, but at this moment, she suddenly saw a person in police clothes walking by outside the alley. Elisa felt ecstatic in her heart, and called loudly, “Police! Please help me…”

Before she finished speaking, she suddenly felt a chill in her lower abdomen. She slid down the wall and sat down.

Blood stained her silk dress and formed a stream on the muddy ground.

She was at a loss for words.

The man grabbed the wallet in her hand a little rudely and quickly left the alley. In an instant, she was the only one left in the congested alley, and the policeman didn’t come in.

Elisa seemed to hear cheerful singing in her ears, mixed with the unique low voice of gypsies, which made her feel a little dazed for a while. She looked up and the moonlight tonight seemed unusually bright.

It’s Christmas!

As she thought like this, the vitality slowly left her body, until she could barely open her eyes at the end. But she seemed to see Mel’s gentle smile in a trance and she stretched out her hand, trying to grab him, but a piece of ice fell on her palm.

It was snowing. Before she lost consciousness, she vaguely thought that it was snowing when she first met Mel.

Elisa fell on the dirty floor of the alley, and the mud covered her white skin. She laid there, and no one came to save her.

**********

When Evan walked out of the town hall, he suddenly felt a chill on his neck. He raised his head and looked at the sky. The silver light of the moon was soft and bright, and there were white elves floating in the sky.

It’s snowing.

He smiled, it looks like Christmas will be perfect this year.

Little Edward ran out of the hall and rushed straight towards Evan, with an innocent smile on his face, full of undisguised love and joy.

Evan couldn’t help looking behind him. Duke Wilson was wearing a black suit, standing at the door of the hall. Light and darkness intersected on him. His expression was reserved and indifferent. There was a hint of a smile, but it was gentle.

Evan hugged Edward, who had rushed over, and walked towards the Duke who was standing alone at the door.

After that, he was finally not alone.

The author has something to say: UPDATE! One feeling, two endings, I think life may be formed by the accumulation of countless choices. Some people choose the right path, some people choose the wrong path. We don’t know if what we choose is right or wrong before we choose, but we can know whether every choice we make is worthy of our hearts. 

This chapter is the end chapter and this article will end today. Thank you for your company from the beginning of this article to the present. In the writing of this article, I also have more or less deficiencies, but fortunately I have persisted all the way. This article is finally over, I have finished writing what I want to write, I hope I can also leave a good impression, see you in the next article.