Bab 16: The Neighbor
"Josh, have you been waiting long?" In the early afternoon, a brand new car pulled up in front of Josh, and Margaret got out of the car and warmly hugged him.
"No, waiting for the most beautiful woman in the world is my honor!" Josh complimented.
"Oh, Josh, you're so charming." Margaret laughed at Josh's praise, then pointed to the driveway. "This is the car I prepared for you. What do you think? Do you like it?"
"It's a little flashy but very beautiful. I like it!" Josh looked at the car and raised an eyebrow.
Certainly, Margaret, the rich woman, had spared no expense on this car. Although it was inferior to the Cadillac V16, it was no less than Margaret's Packard.
It was a 1942 Lincoln Continental, the last car Lincoln released before the United States entered World War II.
Although it lost the European Continental-style arch wheel lines of the first generation 1939 model due to redesign, it was more in line with Josh's aesthetic senses.
The only downside was that Josh said that it was too flashy.
Well, it wasn't the car model that was flashy, but the color... the car was burgundy.
"Young people should be more lively and flashy. You, on the other hand, seem a bit too mature." Margaret said unconcernedly. "Come on, get in the car and drive yourself!"
When they went to see the house yesterday, Josh said he could drive, and Margaret didn't believe him. But after letting Josh try it, Margaret found that Josh's driving skills were better than hers, so she wasn't worried that Josh wouldn't be able to drive.
While speaking, Margaret also reached out to take the suitcase beside Josh.
There were two suitcases next to Josh, one large and one small.
The large one was a classic 28-inch leather suitcase of this era.
The other one looked like a seven or eight-inch leather suitcase.
Margaret didn't try to lift the large leather suitcase because it looked heavy.
So she decisively went to pick up the small one.
Then, she almost fell over just by picking it up.
Fortunately, Josh was quick to catch her.
If he had been a little slower, Margaret falling down would have been a minor issue. But if that suitcase had been damaged and its contents scattered, it would have been a big problem.
"Tommy, are they the new neighbors? It looks like we have neighbors now." The middle-aged man's wife asked as they enjoyed their afternoon tea in the yard, basking in the warm winter sun.
"No, we've always had neighbors. It's the girl next door, but it seems we'll have a new neighbor, a young man." Tommy, the middle-aged man, replied.
After Josh and Margaret left yesterday, he inquired a little. He discovered that the house next door was already occupied by a wealthy young girl who didn't live there. So when he saw the arrival of a young couple today, he immediately assumed they were the new neighbors.
"Well, should we invite them over for coffee? After all, we'll be neighbors." Tommy's wife suggested.
"Hehe, let's not bother the young folks. Look at that young man with his luggage; he must have just moved in today. Who knows, they might be in the middle of something right now." Tommy laughed and joked.
"Well, you're right." Tommy's wife nodded, slightly embarrassed by the memories of the reckless things they did when they were young.
In this era, such behavior might have been frowned upon in China. Still, in Europe and America, it was considered normal.
With that thought in mind, she couldn't help feeling a little flushed.
"What's wrong, Sarah?" Tommy noticed his wife's unusual behavior and couldn't help but become interested. He put his hand on her leg and pretended not to know, asking.
Despite being an old married couple, they had actually been separated from their family for four out of the past five years. It wasn't until they moved here last year that they finally reunited with their loved ones.
It is said that a short separation is better than a honeymoon. This four-year separation made their feelings even stronger.
Moreover, both of them are not old yet. Tommy is in his early forties, and his wife just turned 40, which is still a relatively energetic age.
"Go, go, don't mess around. You still have to pick up the kids later." Feeling her husband's dishonesty, Sarah rolled her eyes and pushed away his hand.
The school time for American students is very early, and even in the 21st century, the general school time is only around 3 pm. The school workload in the 1940s was far less heavy than in the future, and the time for school dismissal was basically the same, even a little earlier.
So it is indeed not the time to be intimate.
Realizing this, Tommy could only reluctantly retract his hand.
Meanwhile, in the adjacent house, Josh and Margaret were not engaging in a passionate affair as Tommy and Sarah had suspected.
After all, they had only known each other for two days. While Margaret held a great impression of Josh, she hadn't reached the point of falling in love with him so quickly. Besides, a hint of coyness was still in her heart, typical of a young lady.
If it were not for her own husband's change in attitude towards herself after marriage, spending most of his time outside, drinking, and fooling around, Margaret might not been attracted to Josh...this is something Margaret has not told Josh yet.
That is, Margaret had already discovered that her own husband had more than one lover outside, relying on his status as a star athlete and even using her money.
At this moment, Margaret's state is similar to Rose's in Titanic, eager to escape from the cage of her original life.
Margaret's advantage over Rose lies in the fact that Margaret's husband had an affair first, while Rose got engaged to the steel magnate Carl, only to cheat on him with Jack in no time.
Another difference is that Ruth is merely a bankrupt noblewoman, while Margaret, although not of noble birth, controls their finances.
Marriage laws in this era were not as well-established as they would be in the future. Moreover, the family's wealth came from Margaret's inheritance. If Margaret were to use her husband's affair to initiate a divorce, her tennis player husband wouldn't be entitled to a single penny.
Similarly, Josh is not Jack.
Jack was a genuinely poor guy, and even his third-class ticket for the bottom deck of the ship was won through gambling.
But Josh is not poor.
For example, when Josh opened that small box, and the total weight of the gold bars inside, almost 15 kilograms, was exposed, Margaret's head was stunned for a while.
Of course, this is not because Margaret has never seen money. After all, 500 ounces of gold, even at black market prices, is only just over $20,000. Margaret's wealth is several hundred times this number.
It's just that when Josh said he was rich before, she thought it was just his pride speaking. She didn't expect him to have so much money.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone