Chapter 58 Mr. McDonald's Worries...

Mr. McDonald had no one to share his worries for the time being; his friend Mrs. Russell was on holiday in Bath, not Brighton. Mary and Anne were still waiting for news from Richard's investigation, giving him a little more breathing room.

The main theme of everyone's trip to Brighton was still vacation. Since they were there, Mary naturally had to visit the most famous Royal Dome Palace, a building located in the heart of Brighton and later known as the Royal Pavilion.

Although another year has passed, the Royal Dome Palace is still not completed. Fortunately, visitors can already admire the main palace, which is similar to the Taj Mahal in India and full of oriental charm.

“I heard that the Regent plans to fill it with Chinese-style decorations and furnishings. He claims he wants to make the palace so beautiful and flawless that all guests will feel at home,” Anne told Mary, sharing the information she had gathered.

Mary shook her head, looking at the completed decorations inside the palace, and said, "Chinese style, I suppose that's the China described in books and imagined? Real China isn't like this."

Just as Richard was about to say something, a group of elegantly dressed gentlemen approached, one of whom was none other than the Duke of Devonshire, who had come at the invitation of architect John Nash to inspect the construction of the palace.

Mary and the other two went to greet him. After they bowed, Richard said, "Your Highness, it is an honor to meet you here."

"Hello, Mr. Price, Miss Maxwell and Miss Price, are you on holiday in Brighton?" Upon seeing Miss Price again, William Cavendish behaved very much in accordance with his aristocratic status, exchanging only a few perfunctory pleasantries with her.

Just as we were about to part ways, he suddenly asked, "Would you like to come with me on the tour?"

The two young women and one young man were delighted to hear that they could tour rooms not normally open to the public with the Duke. As they walked along, the designer, John Nash, explained his vision in detail. However, when they discussed the palace's oriental-style exterior and decorations, Mary, who had just been discussing the matter, pursed her lips.

“Miss Price, perhaps you have a different opinion?” William Cavendish, who had been silently observing the young lady, asked.

Mary glanced at the confident designer, hoping Mr. Nash wouldn't mind: "I think this palace seems to reflect more of a Chinese and Indian style. As for China, the already painted decorative paintings depict the foreign dynasty that is currently ruling China, but at the same time, they also mix in European art styles. Of course, they cannot represent the real China. Many parts look a bit awkward."

John Nash dismissed Miss Price's outrageous claims about "the real China." How could a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl understand what China was like in the East? He had consulted numerous Eastern materials and interviewed many envoys who had traveled to the East before designing the current style.

Seeing John Nash's disbelieving expression, Mary pointed to the dragon-shaped chandelier and palm-leaf-shaped dome hanging in the banquet hall: "There are no palm trees in the palaces of Chinese emperors. These trees are more common in the small countries of the East Indies. Chinese dragons and phoenixes don't look like this either; Chinese dragons are much more graceful and majestic. And here, those things wrapped around the pillars seem to be snakes. In Chinese palaces, those things wrapped around pillars must be dragons. The animals on the roof look like lizards. Most Eastern dragons don't have wings; they ride the clouds and are divine beasts that control the wind and rain."

"Those portraits aren't quite right either; there wouldn't be any Black people in a modern Chinese palace..." If you wanted to nitpick, the Royal Dome Palace had far too many flaws. And that was only because Mary was being polite; otherwise, she would have thoroughly criticized this bizarre, Chinese-style palace. His Highness the Regent was far too easily fooled; this palace had been under renovation since 1815, and it still wasn't finished.

As Mary continued to point out problems with the decorations, John Nash realized that this young woman might actually know more about the East than he did, but he stubbornly refused to admit that he was wrong, instead deflecting the blame: "Miss Price, this is only your side of the story. My design has been approved by many experts who have been to the Far East, and His Highness the Regent also likes it very much."

Seeing that the scene was getting a bit awkward, Richard interrupted, "It's normal for different people to have different opinions. Perhaps Mr. Nash could send someone to Guangzhou, China to commission some decorations."

The group then continued their tour. Mary, knowing that her and Richard's suggestions would not be heeded, offered no further comment. After the tour, the Duke of Devonshire declined Nash's invitation and instead walked out of the palace with Mary and the others.

Mary couldn't help but ask, "Your Highness, what are you doing following us?"

“Miss, I originally came to visit the Dome Palace and see if Nash would be suitable to help me renovate Chatsworth, but after listening to your speech, I have to find someone else. How could I possibly stay there any longer? You even asked me why I followed you; you should be responsible for that,” the Duke said with a smile.

"Whether I'm right or wrong, as an architect, one should at least learn to listen to reasonable opinions from others, instead of using His Highness the Regent to suppress others. Judging from the palace's appearance, Mr. Nash is not without talent, but unfortunately, he has no artistic integrity; his design is purely to please the Regent. I helped you eliminate an unsuitable candidate; you should thank me, not push the responsibility onto me?"

Miss Price's sharp tongue surprised the Duke's servants, as it was the first time they had ever seen the Duke argue with a young woman.

The Duke seemed unconcerned about Mary's insolence. He was used to seeing dignified girls whose manners were measured by a ruler and who never offered any constructive opinions. Instead, he found it quite rare to see Mary so unconcerned about his ducal status.

He had worried that Mary would be flattered like Richard Price when she saw him, and that he would be afraid to see her again for a long time. But to his surprise, her attitude did not change at all.

He smiled and said, “Miss Price, as a token of my gratitude, I would like to invite you to visit my estate and offer your suggestions for renovations. I am worried that I might make a fool of myself without realizing it.”

After saying this, he looked at Miss Maxwell and Mr. Price and asked them to come with him to Chatsworth.

Mary looked at Richard expectantly. After nearly two months in Brighton, she was indeed getting a little tired of it. Mary didn't like the idea of ​​swimming in the sea while fully covered up, and she had already visited almost all of Brighton's attractions. Richard could still find some enjoyment in the balls, but Mary, who had not yet entered the social scene, and Anne, who was already engaged, could only pass the time with books.

Richard readily agreed, as he intended to use this trip to inquire with the Duke about any news from Kashmir.

So the three young men returned to the hotel and told the general and Mrs. Maxwell the news. The general naturally did not refuse, and I need not describe in detail how overjoyed the lady was to learn that the Duke had invited them to visit the estate.

In short, at the end of June, they left Brighton and their two elders and embarked on their journey to Derbyshire.

This was Mary's first time setting foot in northern England, and the beautiful natural scenery of the Peak District captivated her. Along the way, she saw tenant farmers busy with farm work in the villages, the vast, clear lakes rippling gently, the tall, straight trees in the valleys swaying their branches in the wind, the lush green grass teeming with life, and flocks of sheep resting leisurely in the distance.

When the group stepped into Chatsworth, they were all stunned by its stunning beauty. In this manor with more than two hundred years of history, it would be surprising to hear any kind of legendary story.

As the manor's owners led them through the magnificent rooms, Mary couldn't help but think of the Scottish Queen who shared her name and was imprisoned there. As she passed the hanging portraits, she also found herself searching for the image of Georgiana, Duchess of Cavendish.

The Duke saw through her thoughts and pointed to several portraits, explaining to her: "This portrait is of my mother, painted by Consboro, and that one was painted by Reynolds."

Mary gazed at the portrait of the blonde beauty in a wide-brimmed French hat, holding a rose. Her expression was resolute, and her nose was exactly like her son's. This pleased Mary; the Duke's features resembled his mother more than his hypocritical father.

As Mary looked at the portrait, William Cavendish was also looking at her, and Richard caught the tenderness in his eyes, which made his heart skip a beat.

They arrived in Chatsworth too late, and after a brief tour, the butler led them to their rooms to rest. The manor's rooms were an eye-opener for the guests; staying in such luxurious rooms made them feel like they were of extraordinary status.

The next day, everyone had a sumptuous breakfast together. Just as they left the restaurant, the Duke received a letter from overseas, delivered by his agent who had been sent to India.

Based on information gathered from various sources, the agent, along with the Marquis of Hastings, concluded that the Punjab Kingdom had a greater chance of winning the war against the Afghan dynasty. Although the troops stationed in India had previously fought against the Punjab Kingdom, this seemed to have facilitated smoother communication between the Marquis of Hastings and King Ranjit Singh, who promised to cooperate with the British in mining once he had control of Kashmir.

“Mr. Price, the news you told me has been confirmed. The King of Punjab has sent people to investigate the area. He intends to wait until the war is over before making any decisions. In exchange, we will have priority in selling our weapons to him. This is a win-win situation. We will hardly have to spend any money; we can just sell him our obsolete weapons as payment.” He handed the letter to Richard.

Upon hearing this news, Richard's desire to travel to India was rekindled. Unlike the Duke and General Crawford, who reaped the benefits without effort, he needed to fight for his own interests. Without personally visiting Kashmir, even with a promised share, he wouldn't gain any benefit. However, they had only just arrived in Chatsworth and couldn't leave immediately; he planned to spend the holiday with Mary and the others first.