第十章

來倫敦與威爾夫人作伴已經兩個月了，莎拉回想起當初被威爾夫人邀請到她倫敦大宅的情形，不知為什麼緣由，懷特夫人極為熱心的叮囑莎拉，無論如何一定要到倫敦來與威爾夫人作伴，說是威爾夫人最近氣喘病又發作，極需要有人陪伴才能復原得快，因為這樣的原因，莎拉放下教導兩個孩子的責任，便被威爾夫人的豪華馬車接到倫敦來。

離開懷特一家人前，兩個孩子長期以來因為已經與莎拉建立密不可分的關係，兩個孩子哭哭啼啼不肯讓莎拉走。

除了懷特夫人異常的高興，安德魯則總是沉著一張臉，莎拉看著這樣的安德魯，都不敢跟他說話，更別提跟他說聲再見了。

馬車往前行了，看著熟悉的事物慢慢消失在眼前，莎拉心理極度不捨，喜歡培頓莊園的一景一物，甚至在夏天，培頓莊園都有特別的味道，更別提能和安德魯談天說地，那是最快樂的時光了，安德魯總能興高采烈地找出話題，而且莎拉很驚訝的發現兩人的感覺是如此契合，觀念上也沒多大的差異。

每當安德魯在作畫，而她默默坐在一旁陪伴的時刻，莎拉總覺得那樣的時間特別安詳而愉快，彷彿時間是靜止的，但莎拉知道此刻靜止的時間，卻同樣在她感情上躍動，莎拉那時很明白自己除了欣賞安德魯的努力，對他還有一種說不出的孺慕。

安德魯個性活潑，卻不失莊重，總能在適當時刻表現出紳士風度，有一回她和安德魯走過莊園附近一條乾涸的小溪，莎拉差點被小石頭給絆倒，安德魯連忙從背後扶住她，使她免於跌倒的窘境，若她答不出安德魯的問題，安德魯也會從容幫她解圍說世界上再聰明的女士也無法回答他那聒噪而古怪的問題。

安德魯與生俱來有種貴族人家的貴氣，卻總不會拿出在人前使態，彷彿他也只是個普通人家出生的男孩一般，會拿很多事情開玩笑。

與安德魯在一起，莎拉發現自己自在而滿足，安德魯常對她用一種鼓勵的微笑，尤其當他得知莎拉喜歡寫作，便鼓勵莎拉要多看書多寫，才能發揮自己真正的實力，到此莎拉才驚覺，自己的興趣能獲得支持是多麼幸運的事，而安德魯對她的支持，已成為她寫作的最大動力了──

不過已經兩個月沒有見到安德魯，那股想念的滋味既酸楚又心痛，不知道為何，安德魯竟連一封信也沒寫給她！是在忙畫畫嗎？還是把她給遺忘了？

莎拉坐在餐桌前愁眉不展，眼前的早餐她一口也沒吃下去，威爾夫人見狀馬上就說：「莎拉，你不餓嗎？」莎拉搖搖頭說：「我實在是沒胃口呢！威爾夫人」威爾夫人彷若瞭解莎拉的心思，她微笑的說：「晚上在克拉克夫人的大宅子有場舞會，我會請人幫你打扮，到時帶你去舞會上認識一些人」

莎拉原想婉拒威爾夫人的好意，又怕隨便拒絕威爾夫人恐怕會引起她的不悅，只好點點頭：「好的，夫人！」威爾夫人滿意地點點頭

餐後威爾夫人去拜訪朋友，請莎拉去自由活動，莎拉穿上外出服，一個人走在倫敦街道上，心裡覺得很茫然，不知該往何處去，她並非不喜歡倫敦，但比起熱鬧的城市，鄉下的景緻更讓人覺得心曠神怡，正當發呆時，不小心撞上一個人，那人驚呼了一聲：「這不是莎拉．伍德小姐嗎？」

莎拉連忙抬頭一看，很熟悉的面孔但想不起他的名字，那人鞠躬做了自我介紹：「我是詹姆斯．布朗，我們在懷特夫人的客廳見過一次面，記得嗎？伍德小姐？」莎拉終於回想起這件事，沒錯！是威爾夫人介紹給她認識的那個有名的律師，莎拉屈膝行了個禮：「日安！布朗先生！」詹姆斯．布朗連忙說：「請直接叫我詹姆斯吧！我不知道伍德小姐已經回來倫敦了，前些日子向威爾夫人探聽，她說妳還和懷特一家人逗留在培頓莊園呢！現在他們一家人也回到倫敦了嗎？」

「不！」莎拉回答：「懷特一家還在培頓莊園，我被威爾夫人邀請到倫敦與她作伴，現在住在威爾夫人的大宅裡」「那好極了！」詹姆斯．布朗愉快的說：「以後我可以常到威爾夫人家拜訪你呢！」

莎拉勉為其難地說：「是的！詹姆斯」，然後詹姆斯跟莎拉說他現在正要去拜訪一位客戶，沒有時間和她多聊，就等以後再見了，詹姆斯道再見的那個姿態有點輕佻，望著莎拉的眼神讓莎拉有點不舒服，莎拉還是極為有禮的向詹姆斯．布朗道了再見。

等詹姆斯．布朗走開後，莎拉深深的呼了口氣，她實在不怎麼喜歡詹姆斯．布朗這人，但基於禮貌，還是不得不以禮相待，想到日後要常在威爾夫人的大宅常見到他，莎拉不禁頭痛起來

轉身往回走，莎拉希望頭痛能儘快消失，回到威爾夫人的大宅，莎拉回到自己的房間，像往常一樣坐在桌前，拿起一疊紙，上頭一個字都沒有呢！自從來到威爾夫人的大宅，一個字都沒寫出來，現在滿腦子只有詹姆斯．布朗那張臉，「看來真的一個字也別想寫出來了」，莎拉懊惱的想。

午餐時間威爾夫人沒有回來，莎拉只草草吃了一些東西就回房間，好不容易熬到晚上，威爾夫人派給她梳理打扮的女人看來很時髦，她給莎拉梳了一個目前流行在舞會的髮式，又給她穿上一襲極為精緻典雅的舞會裝，打扮好的莎拉．伍德，儼然是一個貴族小姐的模樣。

這是莎拉．伍德完全沒有看過的全新的自己，看著面前那鏡子，莎拉自己都驚呆了：「這真的是我嗎？」威爾夫人派人來催促了，莎拉趕緊出門。

搭上威爾夫人的豪華馬車，威爾夫人已經端坐在馬車內，一副貴氣逼人的樣子，威爾夫人顯然很滿意莎拉的裝扮，頻頻點頭，而莎拉只希望，這場舞會自己千萬別出糗才好。

待續~(107.9..29)

______________________________________________

Love in London 

Chapter X

It has been two months since she came to London to be with Mrs. Will, and Sarah recalled that she had been invited by Mrs. Will to her London mansion, and for some reason, Mrs. White was extremely enthusiastic to tell Sarah that she must come to London to be Mrs. Will's company no matter what, saying that Mrs. Will had recently had another asthma attack and needed someone to accompany her to recover quickly.

Before leaving the White family, the two children had established an inseparable relationship with Sarah for a long time, and the two children cried and refused to let Sarah go.

Except for Mrs. White's unusually happy, Andrew always had a calm face, and Sarah looked at Andrew like this, and didn't dare to talk to him, let alone say goodbye to him.

The carriage moved forward, watching the familiar things slowly disappear in front of her, Sarah was extremely reluctant, she liked the scenery and things of Peyton Manor, and even in summer, Peyton Manor had a special taste, not to mention being able to talk to Andrew, it was the happiest time, Andrew was always happy to find out the topic, and Sarah was surprised to find that the feelings of the two were so compatible, and there was not much difference in concepts.

Whenever Andrew was painting, and she sat silently to accompany the moment, Sarah always felt that the time was particularly peaceful and pleasant, as if time was still, but Sarah knew that the time was still at this moment, but it was also emotionally beating on her, Sarah knew that in addition to appreciating Andrew's efforts, she also had an indescribable admiration for him.

Andrew has a lively personality, but he is not without losing his dignity, and he always shows his gentlemanly demeanor at the right moment, once she and Andrew walked through a dry stream near the manor, Sarah almost tripped over a small stone, Andrew hurriedly supported her from behind, so that she would not fall into the embarrassment, if she could not answer Andrew's question, Andrew would calmly help her out, saying that no clever lady in the world could answer his noisy and strange question.

Andrew was born with a kind of aristocratic nobility, but he would never act in front of others, as if he was just a boy born in an ordinary family, and would joke about many things.

With Andrew, Sarah found herself comfortable and content, Andrew often smiled at her encouragingly, especially when he learned that Sarah likes to write, he encouraged Sarah to read more books and write more, in order to show her true strength, then Sarah realized how lucky she was to be supported for her interests, and Andrew's support for her has become the biggest motivation for her to write

But I haven't seen Andrew for two months, and the feeling of missing is both sour and heart-wrenching, and for some reason, Andrew didn't even write a letter to her!

Sarah sat at the table frowning, and she didn't eat a bite of the breakfast in front of her, and Mrs. Will immediately said, "Sarah, aren't you hungry?" Sarah shook her head and said, "I really don't have an appetite! Mrs. Will" Mrs. Will seemed to understand Sarah's thoughts, and she smiled and said, "There is a ball at Mrs. Clark's mansion in the evening, and I will ask someone to dress you up and take you to the ball to meet some people."

Sarah wanted to decline Mrs. Will's kindness, but she was afraid that rejecting Mrs. Will would cause her displeasure, so she nodded, "Yes, ma'am!" Mrs. Will nodded in satisfaction

After the meal, Mrs. Will went to visit a friend, and invited Sarah to free time, Sarah put on her outfit and walked alone on the streets of London, feeling very dazed and not knowing where to go, she did not dislike London, but the scenery of the countryside was more pleasant than the lively city, and when she was in a daze, she accidentally bumped into a person, and the man exclaimed, "Isn't this Miss Sarah．Wood?"

Sarah hurriedly looked up, a familiar face but couldn't remember his name, the man bowed and introduced himself: "I'm James．Brown, we met once in Mrs. White's living room, remember, Miss Wood?" Sarah finally remembered the incident, yes! It was the famous lawyer whom Mrs. Will had introduced her, Sarah curts, "Good day, Mr. Brown!" James．Brown hurriedly said, "Please call me James! I don't know that Miss Wood has returned to London, but when I inquired with Mrs. Will the other day, she said that you are still staying at Payton Manor with the White family, and that they are now back in London?"

"No," replied Sarah, "the Wright are still at Peton Manor, and I was invited by Mrs. Will to London to be her companion, and now live in Mrs. Weir's mansion," "That's wonderful!" said James．Brown cheerfully, "I can visit you at Mrs. Weir's house more often in the future!"

Sarah reluctantly said, "Yes, James", and then James told Sarah that he was going to visit a client now, and he didn't have time to talk to her, so he would see her later, and James said goodbye to Sarah in a somewhat frivolous manner, looking at Sarah's eyes made Sarah a little uncomfortable, and Sarah still said goodbye to James．Brown very politely.

After James．Brown walked away, Sarah exhaled deeply, she really didn't like James． Brown very much, but out of politeness, she still had to be polite, and the thought of seeing him often in Mrs. Will's mansion in the future made Sarah have a headache

Turning and walking back, Sarah hoped that the headache would disappear as soon as possible, and returned to Mrs. Will's mansion, Sarah went back to her room, sat down at the table as usual, and picked up a stack of papers, not a word on it!

Mrs. Will did not come back at lunchtime, and Sarah only ate some hastily and went back to her room, and finally stayed up until the evening, and the woman whom Mrs. Will sent to her to groom looked very fashionable, and she combed Sarah's hairstyle, which is now popular at balls, and dressed her in a very delicate and elegant ball dress, and Sarah Wood, dressed up, looked like a noble lady.

This is a new self that Sarah Wood has never seen at all, and looking at the mirror in front of her, Sarah herself is stunned: "Is this really me?" Mrs. Will sent someone to urge, and Sarah hurried out.

Riding on Mrs. Will's luxurious carriage, Mrs. Will was already sitting in the carriage, looking extravagant, Mrs. Will was obviously very satisfied with Sarah's dress, and nodded frequently, and Sarah only hoped that this ball would not be embarrassed.

To be continued ~ (107.9..29)

因為用中文創作,再翻譯為英文,所以英文上的正確用詞無法翻譯出來,夫人可以意指"你的淑女身分"(代表的是當代的一種地位稱呼),公爵大人,伯爵大人,男爵大人等,小說中都有出現,抱歉,因為請Google翻譯翻譯的,而本人沒有從事過英文寫作,只想嘗試用英文表達整部小說的內容,敬請原諒!!謝謝!!

Because it is created in Chinese and then translated into English, the correct words in English cannot be translated, Madame can mean "your lady" (representing a contemporary status title), Lord Duke, Lord Earl, Lord Baron, etc., all appear in the novel, sorry, because I asked Google Translate to translate, and I have not been engaged in English writing, I just want to try to express the content of the whole novel in English, please forgive me!! Thank you!!

本小說創作如有雷同,純屬巧合,而小說寫作的年代約略定在與作家珍．奧斯汀同一年代

It is a coincidence that the novel was written in the same era as the writer Jane Austen