Chapter 40 Return to London 2 London House Hunting
London merchants were particular about settling all debts before Christmas. As Christmas week approached, the streets of Gracechurch were filled with all manner of carriages, the traffic so crammed together that the normally spacious streets were barely pedestrian-friendly.
The Gardners were the first to get out of the car and direct the servants to carry the luggage. Mary also volunteered to help watch over the pile of pots of plants. Only Heather and Lancaster walked slowly at the end.
Business for these middle-class self-employed individuals is not going well this year, but the Gardners' neighbors are obviously more generous and are not in the mood to celebrate the holidays just because their income has not met their expectations.
Many houses on both sides of the street appear to have been repainted and decorated with many Christmas elements. The snow in front of each house has been shoveled clean, and the emerald green evergreen trees appear to be thriving.
A child's clear laughter reached her ears, and Hazel looked up. On the second-floor balcony of a house, a little girl about four or five years old was holding a piece of candy in her hand and waving happily at every passerby. Hazel couldn't help but laugh at her dancing appearance.
"So you didn't really not recognize me just now, did you, Ma'am?" Lancaster was still bothered by Heather's confused and unfamiliar look at first. "How long has it been since you forgot what I look like?"
"How is that possible!" Heather's eyes widened. "I just woke up from a dream, and I'm a little dazed to be back in London so soon. I have to say, London is the best."
Lancaster looked at her deeply and asked deliberately, "Is Paris bad? Is it the scenery or the people?"
Heather hunched her neck, burying the lower half of her face in her thick fur scarf. She shouted through the wind and snow, "Of course it's not good! The scenery is bad, and the people are even worse. But while snow is beautiful, it's so inconvenient to travel. Sunny days are better."
They finally reached their destination, where the entrance was bustling with people coming and going. Servants, two by two, carried large dark brown boxes, their faces filled with the joy of the end of the year.
A little girl in a tutu skirt rushed out from the door and screamed and threw herself into Heather's arms. If Lancaster hadn't supported her in time from behind, she would have fallen onto the fat snowman with Lily.
Heather rubbed Lily enthusiastically, greeted the other nephews and nieces warmly, and then took Lancaster into the small reception room they had been in last time.
Lancaster had just been hit several times by a few children as a pillar of silence. It took him a while to come to his senses and continue the previous topic.
"I checked before I came here. The Royal Meteorological Society predicts that the snow will stop for at least three consecutive days starting tomorrow. Although their accuracy cannot be trusted, it is still good news. So I brought this to you."
Lancaster handed her the item he was holding. It was a black sheepskin book, twice the size of a normal book, and felt incredibly delicate. Heather opened it, revealing vivid drawings of houses in colored pencils, with neatly written English words next to them.
"These are the five most suitable houses I've shortlisted. Taking into account price, location, potential for appreciation, comfort, and safety, they're all quite satisfactory. You can take a look to see if there's one that suits your taste. If you're free a few days before Christmas, you can always come and inspect it."
Hessel flipped through the pages. It's no exaggeration to say that if this booklet were to be acquired by a private collector, it would surely become a sought-after treasure among history enthusiasts and aesthetic connoisseurs. It was so beautifully crafted, there was even a pink satin bow taped to the upper left corner of one page. It could be considered a true notebook.
Heather couldn't put the carefully prepared booklet down. She looked at it with delight and said, "Oh my God, this is simply a work of art. Mr. Lancaster, did you prepare this yourself?"
"Hmm." Lancaster wanted to admit it. "It was done by one of my assistants. I came up with the idea and the request, and he just followed my instructions."
"You're amazing! Honestly, I think even if you switch careers and become a real estate agent, you'll be one of the best."
Lancaster felt that this compliment was a complete curse on him. He coughed and quickly passed over the subject.
"The first three of these five properties are relatively suitable. The last two, located in Richmond and Chelsea, have beautiful surroundings but are relatively far from the city center and Mr. Gardner's home. Richmond is known for its pastoral scenery, while Chelsea offers views of the Thames. The other three are all near Westminster, which has a prime location and is home to many aristocrats and new money. There's a high probability that property prices in these areas will rise in the coming years."
"Westminster? I remember your mailing address is here, right?"
"That's right. But Westminster is huge, with its cluster of aristocratic residences, countless parks and entertainment venues, and even some political centers. A carriage ride between any three of these takes less than half an hour, so you can see them all in a day." Lancaster added nonchalantly, "But the second house is near Hyde Park, which has quite a lot of plants."
"Okay, I understand." Heather didn't have any obsession with living near a green center like a park. She could grow her own plants at home. When looking for a house, it was more important to look at the interior of the house itself.
They finally agreed that if it didn't snow tomorrow, they would go to see several properties in person, accompanied by Mr. Lancaster's assistant.
Heather had thought Lancaster would be sitting around doing nothing at home with Christmas approaching. However, it was clear that the lawyer's business was booming this year. No matter how turbulent the economy was, his clientele kept increasing, so he was still very busy during Christmas week.
Lancaster did not stay at Gardner's house for dinner. As soon as he walked out the door, he suddenly heard someone calling his name from above.
He looked up. Hazel was halfway out from the carved iron railings of the second-floor balcony. The cold light reflecting off the snow shone on her dark brown hair, giving it a honeyed sheen. Hazel waved a palm-sized red and green woolen rabbit bag over her head, and the pearl bracelet on her wrist jingled.
Lancaster was dazzled by the smile for a moment and couldn't open his eyes.
"Come on!" Heather threw the bag from her hand. Lancaster reached out his hand reflexively, but the bag hit his chest with a bang before falling into his palm.
"Merry Christmas in advance!"
Lancaster held the funny bag with two rabbit ears sewn on it, looking a little stunned and embarrassed.
On her first night in London, Heather slept soundly and dreamlessly. The next morning, when she opened her eyes, the sky was indeed clear and bright, as it was after a heavy snowfall. Even the slightest glimpse of sunlight was refreshing.
After everyone had a hearty breakfast together, a visitor arrived. It was Oliver Sinders, Lancaster's assistant who had accompanied him to Longbourn. He was more taciturn than Evan and more methodical in his work, but he was very familiar with the streets and alleys of London, making him very suitable for the role of guide.
Because Miss Bingley did not reply, Jane had no way of knowing Mr. Bingley's address in London, so she was completely unable to take any action. Her illness had almost recovered, and staying at home would only cause her to have wild thoughts, so she decided to accompany Heather to see houses and relax.
It just so happened that Mrs. Gardner was busy taking care of Christmas-related social interactions and was unable to spare the time, so she had to let the girls take care of their own safety.
The snow stopped and London became more lively. Mary leaned against the car window excitedly, full of curiosity about everything around her.
"Aunt, where are we going now? I carefully read that home buying guide three times yesterday and can now recite every word clearly!"
"Mr. Hinds just said that the house in Kensington is closest to us, so we should go there first."
Mary immediately began to recite with great emotion: "Kensington is adjacent to the Royal Albert Hall and the museum, and is densely populated with academic salons and art exhibitions. Most of its neighbors are reformist aristocrats and scholars, and are very tolerant of new ideas and new things."
Jane picked up the manual curiously and began to look through it. "Page five, Kensington Apartments. My God, Mary, in just half a day, you actually memorized it word for word. I didn't know you had such a good memory!"
Mary accepted the compliment modestly.
However, Kensington was soon eliminated, as the carriage was stuck in traffic for nearly ten minutes in the last five hundred meters to its destination before it finally began to slowly move forward.
Heather opened the window and asked Assistant Hinds, who was riding outside: "Is Kensington usually this crowded? My God, I never knew there were so many people in London."
Hinds replied, "It's much better on weekdays, Mrs. Lawrence. But on weekends or when there are other large exhibitions, a lot of people gather here, and congestion is common. The advantage of living here is that if you are interested in culture and science, you may wake up early and be the first to arrive at the exhibition entrance."
Heather politely declined. She had a layman's attitude towards culture and science, just wanting to watch the fun. It was okay to follow the trend and punch in, but there was no need to add a burden to her commute just to watch the fun.
At Heather's request, the carriage finally passed the Italian-style apartment that was for sale, and without stopping, it headed directly to the next destination.
"Fortunately, we didn't insist on going on to take a look." Mary looked back from the rear window. Perhaps there was a traffic dispute, and after just a few minutes, the car was completely blocked again.
Jane also agreed: "It's okay to squeeze in occasionally, but it would be too painful if it were like this every day. It's better to be quiet."
Mary: "So the house in Paddington, our next stop, might be more suitable." She cleared her throat. "It's right on the northwest corner of Hyde Park, and it's not yet highly urbanized. This allows residents here to enjoy the tranquility of a village while still being able to quickly reach the social scene of London's West End."
"Sounds like a combination of Longbourn and London," Hessel concluded.
After the traffic jam experience, everyone was looking forward to the second destination.
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