Chapter 45 Return to London 7 Shopaholics and the Consumer Market
"That's right, that's the crux of the matter." Hessel placed the two specimens together. "They're not just different in appearance; they're actually two completely different plants. Look, their leaf veins are also noticeably different. The veins of the specimen you used last time were evenly distributed radially, while in this one, its main veins converge into a hard knot at a V-shaped notch. In fact, this V-shaped notch serves to channel rainwater and concentrate toxin secretion. This is where its venom glands are concentrated."
Anna stared at the specimen for a long moment before reluctantly admitting, "Okay, it seems I've overlooked a lot of details. I don't fully understand what you're saying, but it does make sense. But I'm really curious. Even Dorothea didn't realize they were different species. How did you tell at a glance?"
Anna moved closer to Heather, her fox-like eyes locked on her face. Heather couldn't adapt to the distance for a moment and hurriedly took a step back.
"I am indeed a botany enthusiast, and I think you are too." Heather felt that Anna meant no harm. "But who is Dorothea?"
Anna didn't pursue the matter any further. She turned around and lazily slumped on the sofa, excitedly waving Hazel to sit down with her. "I'm not some botany enthusiast! Dorothea pays me, and I paint according to her wishes. It's that simple. But since you're into botany, don't you know Dorothea? Her husband is the actual head of Kew Gardens!"
It’s actually Kew Gardens!
In the 21st century, Kew Gardens is a must-visit place for all botanical scholars around the world. It attracts millions of visitors every year and can be said to be the global heart of botanical research.
In her previous life, Heather had never even left the country, so naturally, she had only seen Kew Gardens through videos. Unexpectedly, not long after arriving in this life, she'd coincidentally run into one of Kew Gardens' most renowned leaders, Joseph Banks! No, it was Joseph Banks' wife's subordinate.
"So that's how it is!" Heather excitedly clenched Anna's arm, her breathing becoming slightly faster: "Then can I go to Kew Gardens to take a look?"
"Of course..." Anna smiled like a fox that had just eaten the cream, and she deliberately dragged out the last word. "No, that's not possible. That's Kew Gardens. The only women allowed in are probably members of the royal family or the wives of the nobles Banks wants to win over. Even if you know so much, Heather, don't even think about getting in as a female scholar."
"Okay then..." Heather dropped her arms in disappointment.
Anna couldn't bear to upset the beauty. "Hey, I haven't finished yet. I don't have the power to ask Dorothea to let you in, but I can take you to see her. If you can find a way to get her to agree, maybe you can get in."
Heather immediately perked up, "Really? How about you take me to see her the next time she comes to you to take back the results or pay her?"
Anna couldn't help but burst out laughing. She laughed carefreely and fell on Heather's shoulder. "Of course not. She never comes here in person. She usually sends her assistants or maids to deliver things. If you want to see her, the fastest way is to attend the botanical salon she's hosting next weekend. In addition to botanists, she's also invited many dignitaries and others who have financial dealings with Sir Banks. I happen to have an invitation that allows family members to come, and even better, I don't have any family members, so I can take you with me."
"That's great, Anna. I don't know how to thank you." Heather had never expected that just a plate of dessert would give her the opportunity to observe London's core botanical social circle.
Anna patted her arm happily and said without hesitation: "Don't thank me too much. The desserts made by your cook are really delicious. Just bring some over to feed me often!"
Heather suppressed her doubts and agreed.
Heather always felt that Anna was full of contradictions. She lived in such a large house and could freely transform her studio, yet she had no trace of nobility. She had no regard for etiquette, and there was no servant in the house. Moreover, independent women in this era were rare. How did Anna become Mrs. Banks's painter? Did she rely entirely on her own wages to support such a house?
Anna yawned loudly. She couldn't hold on any longer and decided to have a good sleep before getting up to paint again.
Heather said goodbye to her, promised to have the servants bring some dessert in the evening, and left.
After returning home, Heather immediately went into her study, pulled out a new notebook, and began to memorize the differences between calla lilies and elephant-ear taro. She spent the better part of the day, closing the notebook with satisfaction just before bed. This way, she had completely mastered this part of the knowledge, which might be useful when she met Mrs. Banks.
The next morning, breakfast began on time. With Heather in charge, breakfast time became quite flexible. She usually sat down at the table after nine o'clock, but Mary was told to eat whenever she got up.
Today, they all woke up on time. While Heather was telling Mary about the amazing neighbor she met yesterday, the doorbell rang. A minute later, Lena came in and told Heather that the visitor was Ms. Anna from next door.
Heather suddenly felt embarrassed as if she had been caught talking behind someone's back, and quickly asked Lena to invite the guest in.
As soon as Anna appeared in the restaurant, she ran straight to the table and shouted, "Ah! Great! I haven't eaten yet! Can you give me one too?"
Heather immediately signaled to Mrs. Johnson to bring the extra breakfast. Fortunately, Mrs. Johnson always had the aristocratic habit of leaving enough leftovers.
Anna bit down half a sausage and muttered, "Hey, Heather, don't you live alone?"
Heather finally found the opportunity to introduce her: "This is my niece Mary Bennett, she lives here with me." Then she turned around and told Mary: "This is our neighbor Anna Wellesley, you call her..."
Anna bit her toast and said vaguely, "Just call me Anna. But, how old is niece Mary this year? Is she going to participate in the plant salon too?"
Mary glanced at Heather and replied, "19. My aunt just told me about this salon, and I'd love to go see it, but I wonder if it would be too much trouble for you."
Anna said, "At 19, you're old enough to go out in society. It won't be a hassle. But if you want to go, you really should get yourself a nice outfit from head to toe, otherwise those mean women will definitely say something unpleasant."
Mary blushed a little, but Anna spoke so frankly, without any contempt or sarcasm in her words, that she could not get angry at all.
Heather agreed. "Indeed, Mary will always have to join London's social scene. It's time to dress up. I've actually been wanting to go on a shopping spree for a while now, but shopping is best done with people you know. Otherwise, I'd have no idea how London's business landscape works."
Anna immediately raised her hands excitedly. "Me, me, me! I can take you with me! I know all the trendy stores in London. I recently sent my cook home to rest, and I've saved up a ton of money so I can go on a shopping spree!"
Heather and Mary were both shocked by her. She even gave up her cook job to save money on shopping. She was really a real shopaholic.
Heather hesitated and said, "Is this okay? Can you still eat without a cook?"
Anna said nonchalantly, "It's okay. The cook's health hasn't been good to begin with, and she plans to go home and retire. I'll pay her one-fifth of her salary to come over and cook two meals a week. The rest of the time, the maid can just do it casually. But don't worry, next week will be a new month, and the pocket money my dad gave me will be deposited into my account."
Heather breathed a sigh of relief. It turned out that she still had a father to support her life.
"Okay, that's no problem. Once breakfast is over, we'll go shopping!"
——
"If you want to transform a lady's image, the first step is to start with her hairstyle." Anna said seriously while sitting in the carriage, holding the shopping list she had just written. "Hazel, your hairstyle is very natural, exactly in line with the curly hair style popular in London now. Mary's hair is a little too messy, and it's obvious that it has never been properly taken care of. It needs to be transformed. I haven't taken care of my hair for a while, so let's go to the milliner's shop at the end of Bond Street that I often go to."
"Miller's?" Hazel waited until she had explained the location to the driver. "Why not a barber's?"
Anna told Heather, "If a woman went into a men's barber shop, her name would probably be known throughout London the next morning. Most aristocratic women hired stylists, but skilled barbers needed to be hired at least a month in advance, and the price of a visit was enough to buy a nice dress. Millinery shops were much more cost-effective; in addition to selling hats, they also offered curling services, wigs, and hair perfumes."
Bond Street is the largest luxury shopping street in London. The commercial part is obviously more friendly and lively than the residential area.
The carriage stopped in front of an inconspicuous women's hat shop as instructed by Anna, and Anna led them inside as if she knew the place well.
"Ms. Wellesley, long time no see. Your curly hair is almost straight." A slightly plump lady came over immediately. It was obvious that Anna was a regular here. "These two ladies seem unfamiliar faces."
Anna walked straight through the rows of hats and went deeper into the store. "Yes, Mrs. Smith, these are my two new neighbors. I'll do my job as usual. You just need to design a hairstyle for Miss Mary that suits her age."
Mrs. Smith drew aside the curtain at the back and invited Heather and Mary in.
As soon as Heather walked in, she discovered that there was a hidden world behind the hat shop. It was only 40 square meters, but it was filled with four compartments. There were even two ladies waiting at the door, which showed that the business was very booming.
Anna was a regular, and Mrs. Smith took them into a slightly smaller compartment at the back, where there were two seats side by side, very close together, just enough for Mary and Anna.
Heather looked around. The ladies in line seemed to be dressed very fashionably and their financial situation should allow them to live in at least a few boroughs in central London. However, the layout of the store was really disappointing. In such a small place, there was no service environment at all.
It can be seen from this that it is really rare to find such a reasonably priced barber shop that serves women in London, which is why these wealthy women are willing to endure such an environment.
The cubicle was too crowded, so Hazel went outside to wait while Mrs. Smith came in with the improved temperature-controlled hot iron.
Heather looked around and finally decided to find an empty seat on the sofa where two ladies in line were sitting.
The two ladies seemed to know each other; they were discussing an upcoming evening party. They were both wearing muslin dresses and daytime freshwater pearls, and the one on the left was wearing a brand new cashmere coat with a silver-plated brooch. This was typical new money attire, and Heather guessed that they probably had factory owners as their husbands.
The lady on the left caught a glimpse of Heather secretly observing them, and immediately turned around and enthusiastically pulled her into the conversation.
"Good day, ma'am. This is your first time here, right? Don't be fooled by the ordinary environment here. Mrs. Smith and Miss Angela are first-class perming skills."
Heather was happy to talk to them. "Yes, I've just arrived in London and this is the first time I've heard there's a place like this behind a millinery shop. I thought everyone either did it themselves or hired a stylist."
The two ladies laughed and kindly tolerated the bumpkin in front of them.
The wife on the left explained, "A senior hairdresser earns 60 pounds a year, which is equivalent to half a year's salary for a supervisor in my husband's factory. And that doesn't mean that once you pay the hairdresser, she's completely yours. She has quite a few clients, and if it's an important holiday, you might have to book them at least two weeks in advance."
The wife on the right also added: "And remember, never let your maid do it. According to a survey by Lady Magazine, the perm accident rate among London maids last year was as high as 23%, and less than 15% of maids can master both the Greek bun and the loop curls and ensure they are completed."
"And here, a full look, including the wig, costs only fifteen shillings a pop."
Heather nodded thoughtfully, "Then there really is a market for this. No wonder business is so booming."
Her approval made the two ladies even more cordial.
"Of course. Oh, and my last name is Victor, and my husband runs the best brewery in London." The lady on the left said, "Mrs. Smith's shop is really good. The only problem is that it's too small. If you run into someone you know and want to exchange fashion or marriage tips, you have to wait until everyone is done before you can go out and find a place together. I really hope Mrs. Smith can rent a bigger new shop this year."
Yes, Heather thought, men have their own clubs for daily entertainment and socializing, so wouldn't it be great if women also had a social center where they could meet acquaintances without making a special appointment? If such a center also offered beauty salons, massage therapy, and styling services, wouldn't it be a perfect 19th-century beauty parlor for noblewomen? True hereditary noblewomen might find such a place demeaning, but the vast number of newly wealthy wives brought to London by the Industrial Revolution would surely love it.
While Heather was lost in thought, Mary had already had a brand new hairstyle completed by Mrs. Smith under Anna's guidance.
The moment Mary walked out of the cubicle embarrassedly, Heather was stunned for a moment. It turned out that hairstyle is a woman's second face. Now Mary is completely a lady from a scholarly family.
Mrs. Smith made such a noise as she pushed Mary out that the curtains of several compartments were drawn. She boasted openly, "Look, my specialty, the classic Greek curls, so well suited to this young lady. They're easy to manage without being exaggerated, and they accentuate her scholarly air without being too dull. Wow, especially the sky blue ribbon and the little quill hairpin I paired them with. Madam, if you like, you can add an extra £2 and take it away."
Heather couldn't help but admire that the owner of the millinery shop was very good at sales, but her aesthetic taste was really good, and Mary herself liked it very much.
"That's right, never mind the price. Mrs. Smith, please take my niece to pick out some suitable hats and tools for styling her curly hair." Heather pulled Mary over and took a closer look before pushing her back to Mrs. Smith.
Mrs. Smith didn't give Mary a chance to refuse and immediately flattered her: "Madam, I have never seen such a generous and kind aunt as you. Don't worry, for less than five pounds, I promise to dress your niece beautifully!"
After they left, Mrs. Victor, who was sitting next to them, also began to ask about Mary. "Your niece looks well-educated. Excuse me, how old is she? Is she engaged? I have seven unmarried sons at home, and the oldest is only 20 years old."
Heather politely declined Mrs. Victor's attempt at matchmaking, claiming that she wanted to keep her niece by her side for two more years.
Mrs. Victor was not disappointed. "Madam, you don't live in Chelsea, do you? I've only been in London for a few years, and the only people I know are businessmen near Chelsea. If you're interested, you can always bring your niece over. I live at 21 Lords Road, Chelsea, and we have lively social dances there almost every week."
Heather was very interested in the lives of these upstarts. She accepted the note handed to her by Mrs. Victor and made an appointment to visit them when she was free.
Just then Anna finished her meeting, and Heather said goodbye to Mrs. Victor and the others.
After getting your hair done, the battle has only just begun. No wealthy woman can resist the urge to shop, especially when accompanied by a fellow shopaholic whose enthusiasm is more contagious than that of the top salesperson.
They spent the entire morning rapidly sweeping through the commercial landscape of Bond Street, and their final result was more than twenty boxes of various sizes piled up like a mountain, and a freight cart that had to be hired temporarily to load the boxes.
Heather had collapsed exhausted in the carriage, while Anna looked as high-spirited as when she first left the house. She held up a long list with a sharp gaze: "The latest women's hats, headpieces, embroidered belts, cashmere shawls from Cashmere, Florentine iris ointment, 12 yards of Brussels lace, oh, and velvet shoes are also custom-made. Yes, only the last thing is left!"
"One more thing?!" Heather and Mary asked in unison. While shopping without worrying about prices was a delight, even an iron man would tire of shopping for hours on end.
"Yes, and the most important thing is to customize a long dress that's currently the most popular. Let's go to the hottest women's clothing store and buy a Charlotte bias-cut dress that's essential for attending important events!"
"Ah?" Heather almost choked on the pastry she had just stuffed into her mouth. "Ahem, Charlotte Bias?"
Anna, inexplicably, calmed Heather down. "Yes, the latest trend in London social circles this month is the Charlotte bias-cutting technique. I heard that skirts made with this method are more form-fitting and show off beautiful lines than ever before. Many aristocratic tailors have mastered this technique, but I heard that the source of this technique comes from a small shop called Wood Tailors. This shop has recently opened three branches, and we are going to the original one now."
Wood's Tailor Shop was originally an inconspicuous little shop next to Regent Square, run by a little-known former aristocratic tailor, Mrs. Wood, and her husband. Until two months ago, this shop became a hit because three or four well-known aristocratic tailors said that their newly upgraded bias cutting technology all came from this nameless little shop.
It was lunchtime when the carriage arrived at Wood's Tailor Shop, so there weren't as many people as one might have expected. Heather and Mary had eaten various snacks along the way and weren't very hungry, but Anna, who probably had a different energy reserve and digestive system, hadn't eaten a single bite yet was still in high spirits.
A well-dressed old lady received them and instructed different employees to take charge of the reception and record their various data, fabric choices and style preferences.
As the old lady was about to return to the front desk, Heather casually asked if she knew Ms. Charlotte Lucas of Longbourn. The old lady then asked the employee in charge of Heather to leave and personally took her to the third floor.
"If I'm not mistaken, you should be Mrs. Lawrence?" the old lady asked as she picked up the tape measure.
"Yes, Charlotte told you that?"
"Miss Lucas promised me that she would never reveal this method, but she stated that this technology was first proposed by one of her respected elders, Mrs. Lawrence. So I thought you must be that Mrs. Lawrence."
Heather didn't expect Charlotte to mention her: "I heard your business is good recently?"
Mrs. Wood said with emotion: "When I first started in Meryton, I just wanted to make a small profit. I never thought it would become so popular now. But the advice Miss Lucas gave me was really helpful. If it weren't for Miss Lucas, maybe I wouldn't have made even 500 pounds by the time this technology got out."
Heather was now really curious about what Charlotte had said.
Mrs. Wood wrote down the measurements in the notebook beside her. "Miss Lucas said this technique isn't difficult to master. An experienced tailor might be able to figure out the trick after taking it apart. So I want to make money from that initial period and from those who prefer the original source."
"She asked me to give the bias-cutting method to a few of my old acquaintances who were tailors for the nobility for free. I just had to ask them to spread the word. Those people make a small amount of money from the nobility and don't want to compete with me for customers who need custom-made clothes from my tailor shop, so those old friends really helped me a lot."
Heather couldn't help but be amazed. Charlotte, a country lady who had only been out of Hertfordshire a few times in her life, came up with such a clever idea after reading a book all night. If she was born in a freer era, her future would be limitless.
Mrs. Wood continued, "I was a little worried when I paid Miss Lucas 80 pounds, but now I think I got a great deal. Oh, yes, later I sent someone to Meryton to ask my relative to contact Miss Lucas, but I learned that she was already married."
She took out a check for 500 pounds and said, "If Mrs. Lawrence sees her in the future, please give her this check, which can only be cashed by her in person. In addition, if she needs it in the future, she can always come to my shop as a consultant. However, I don't think she will have this need now that she is married."
Heather agreed to help pass the message and chatted with Mrs. Wood about her main customers and the preferences of the middle and upper class ladies in London.
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