Chapter 194 Miss Martha (Ⅰ)
The gatekeeper looked Qiao An up and down several times, with obvious suspicion in his eyes, but he didn't say much. Help him tie the horse first, and then rush into the castle gate to report.
Joan paced slowly in front of the door, appreciating this antique and magnificent building, while making a draft in his heart, waiting for how to answer the host's cross-examination.
Footsteps came from the opposite side of the gate, and it was not the hostess that Joan was expecting, but an old man with gray beard and hair in a tuxedo and a white shirt. Although he is getting old, he still walks vigorously, his eyes are extremely sharp, and his demeanor is like that of a veteran.
"Good morning, young gentleman. This is Philip Downs, the steward of Custis Manor. May I help you?"
"Good morning, Mr. Downs."
Joan bowed slightly in return, and said straight to the point.
"My name is Joan Vida. Yesterday at the 'Red Tomato' tavern, I saw a reward notice signed by Miss Martha, and I came here specially to eliminate those strange insects that harass people and animals."
The old butler nodded, and looked at Joan with a reserved and indifferent look.
Although he didn't say it clearly, the eyes of the old man already hinted at his inner concerns: he deeply doubted whether this weak-looking boy really had the ability to eliminate strange insects.
Qiao An sensed the old man's state of mind, and quickly revealed his identity.
In today's era, the old-fashioned aristocratic families have become increasingly desolate, and have to gradually give up the stage of politics and power to those capital upstarts who have made a fortune through industry, commerce and finance, but they still stick to the so-called "style" of the upper class. Ideas are deeply ingrained.
Qiao An was not from a noble family, nor was he the young master of a wealthy family.
A poor boy from the country is not qualified to enter the Custis family's drawing room. Even the housekeeper looks down on him. How can the mistress condescend to receive him?
However, family background is indeed important, but it is not the only factor that determines a young man's status.
The old-school aristocrats in Leiden Port not only value family status, but also attach great importance to a person's knowledge and succession.
Young people who graduated from prestigious schools, even if they come from a humble background and are temporarily at the bottom of society, after all, they still have a chance to find a good job and join the upper class.
"Mr. Downs, I am studying Austrian law at Leiden College, and Master Robert Rawls is my tutor!" Joan said neither humble nor humble.
A boy from the country like Joan has no family background to show off, and can only win the respect of others by virtue of his school and tutor.
Sure enough, after hearing his report of education background and apprenticeship, Philip immediately restrained the contemptuous attitude on his face, and said respectfully: "So you are a student of 'Father of the Scarecrow', please forgive me for saluting."
The old butler bowed deeply to Joan and invited him into the mansion.
Joan followed the old butler through the spacious courtyard and walked outside the living room door.
Through the half-open door, Joan vaguely saw a slim figure in a blue dress.
The young woman looks preoccupied as she stands in front of the glass window looking out into the garden.
"Miss, a gentleman from Leiden College asked to see you, saying that he came here specially to eliminate the strange insects."
"Ask him to come in, Philip." The woman's voice was soft and friendly, and she turned around slowly.
Joan followed the old butler into the living room and looked up at the hostess of the White House Manor, Miss Martha Custis.
This rich lady is thin, with a slightly haggard face and a pair of glasses on the bridge of her nose, making her look older than her actual age.
Before Joan arrived, he asked Thomas about the situation of the Custis family.
For this old-fashioned aristocratic family in Port Leiden, Thomas' evaluation is "the prosperity of yin and the decline of yang".
The Custis family moved from the Ashan Empire to the New World as early as the middle of the last century.
At that time, the family was still very inconspicuous, with less than 1,000 mu of land, at best they were small farmers.
After more than half a century of operation, the Custis family's business has grown from strength to strength. In the generation of Martha's father, Lord Dantridge Custis, the family's wealth and reputation reached their peak.
At that time, the Custis family’s land property expanded to more than 20,000 acres, and the owner of the manor, Dantridge Custis, also showed his talents in the "James Ear War" that broke out more than ten years ago, and became the southern land of the New World. A famous war hero.
After the war, Dantridge Custis was canonized as a "Lord" by His Majesty Charles IV, Emperor of the Holy Ashean Empire, and the Custis family became a veritable noble family.
Unfortunately, things always go up and down.
Not long after the war ended, Lord Custis was ordered to go to the Midgard area in the north of the New World to participate in a war for a new colony.
At the beginning of the expedition, Lord Custis thought it was just a short-term mission, so he left his wife and two daughters in the warm and safe southern hometown, and went to the north alone to take up his post.
Unexpectedly, this journey has been twelve years, and there has been no news so far.
The lady has sent people to the north many times to inquire about her husband's whereabouts.
However, no one actually saw the Lord himself, and only brought back some unfounded rumors.
Some say the Lord died in battle against the Fizen Colonial Legion.
Others said that the lord was not dead, but was seriously injured and sent back to the Old Continent for recuperation...
Over the years, the lady took care of the family business with her two daughters, and suffered from overwork and illness. Unfortunately, she died of illness last spring, and she was unable to see her husband again before she died.
After the Lady's death, the Custis family was left with only two daughters, and the eldest daughter, Martha Custis, was left with internal and external affairs.
This weak 20-year-old woman had to support a heavy family business, and with the recent frequent occurrence of strange insects in the manor, it was no wonder that she looked a little haggard, with a hint of melancholy hanging over her brows.
With a trace of sympathy, Joan plucked up the courage to walk into the living room, bowed to Miss Martha, and explained the purpose of her visit.
"Hello, Mr. Vida, welcome to our house, please forgive me for the poor hospitality."
Miss Martha smiled and lifted her skirt, slightly bent her knees, and saluted him.
In the following pleasantries, Joan's impression of this noble lady changed.
Miss Martha is not the kind of beauty that surprises people at first sight, but she speaks dignifiedly and behaves decently, possesses both the intellectual cultivation of a lady and the gentle temperament of a good wife and mother, except that she does not naturally exude from most noble ladies. The kind of domineering arrogance.
When Joan talked to her, he didn't feel that he was inferior to her at all, as if he was not facing some famous daughter and owner of a large manor, but an amiable sister next door.
After finishing the polite words, Joan didn't know how to continue the chat.
Fortunately, he had been prepared for a long time. Taking advantage of Miss Martha's averted gaze, he quickly took out the note from his pocket, glanced at the negotiating words written in advance, and gained confidence in his heart.
"Miss Martha, before I start to deal with the monster, I want to know more about it. If you have seen the monster, can you tell me about its appearance and characteristics? This will be very useful for my future work. help."