Chapter 58 Return to London 20 Cooperation
Mr. Crawford held a prominent position. As soon as he opened his mouth, all fifteen people at the round table stopped talking to listen. Mr. Crawford was dressed particularly smartly today. At the previous banquet, his straight, medium-length blond hair had been casually draped over his shoulders; this time, it was neatly tied back with a dark green velvet ribbon. He wasn't overly serious, and his eyes were piercing as he spoke, as if he were exchanging glances with different people every second.
Heather found a moment to look down. The majority of the fifteen people at the round table were middle-aged, over forty years old, clearly divided between those of status and wealth. Those with thinning hair and drooping eyelids were mostly titled nobles, though the exact rank of their titles was unknown. Those with shrewd eyes and a vibrant energy were the major business owners. These were generally not simply businessmen, but rather landowners and gentry who controlled a particular industry.
Among them, only two were relatively young, one was Mr. Darcy, who was less than thirty years old, and the other was sitting directly opposite Mr. Crawford.
"Tsk, Mr. Darcy is such a promising young man. Look how he stands out among this group of people." Hazel leaned close to Elizabeth's ear and whispered.
Elizabeth hesitated suspiciously for a second. "...The man across from Mr. Crawford is more powerful, isn't he? He looks about the same age as Mr. Darcy, but his position is far more important. Look at him, there are people on both sides who are vaguely supported by the center."
They moved away from the window and moved a little closer to avoid disturbing the meeting below.
Mary guessed, "So that gentleman is the son of a knight? Or maybe his father died early and he himself is a knight?"
Elizabeth didn't think so. "That gentleman may have the most privileged position, but the people around him don't treat him with humility and respect. I observed him just before the show started. Although he's also very popular, he's much quieter than the two people next to him. I think he's just an agent of a noble."
"You guessed right." At this time, a lady who had come into the side hall at some point came over.
Heather turned around in surprise and found that the other person was actually a member of the aromatherapy salon. She had been there twice in a row and Heather had some impression of her.
"Miss White! So you're here too!"
Miss Hart nodded. "Mrs. Lawrence, I haven't seen you for a few days. I came here with my parents. My father owns textile factories in London and Birmingham."
Miss White pointed out her parents to them, and Hazel realized that the wealthy lady who was bossing people around in the side hall was her mother.
Mary, who had met Miss White several times, asked, "Is that young gentleman really the agent of a noble?"
Miss White glanced at her mother, making sure she was concentrating on the backstage, before lowering her voice and saying, "Yes, I heard he was an orphan rescued by the Marquis of Norfolk. He's deeply trusted by the Marquis, and many of his properties in London are managed by him."
At this point, we have begun to get to the point.
Mr. Crawford directly announced the ownership of the 40% shares subscribed this time, of which the Marquis of Norfolk received 15%, and the private banker next to him and the owner of the largest steel plant in the UK each received 12.5%.
Miss White was very talkative and kept talking to Hazel.
"Do you know why these points were given first?" This was obviously an opening statement intended to explain himself.
Elizabeth replied, "Mr. Banker can provide loans for Mr. Crawford's properties in the canal company, and the steel mill owner can provide low-cost raw materials."
Miss White was stuck for a moment, then continued to ask unwillingly, "What about the Marquis of Norfolk? His title is not irreplaceable."
This involves Elizabeth's blind spots in knowledge. No matter how smart and well-read she is, her understanding of these nobles is limited.
Finally satisfied, Miss White winked and said, "My mother told me that because the development of the canal involves the approval of bills such as land expropriation and navigation rights, and any future extensions will also require a vote in Parliament, the Marquis of Norfolk is very prestigious in the Conservative Party and has more political resources than the Duke of Crawford."
Heather was indeed unaware of this: "I see, it seems Mrs. White has done sufficient research."
Miss White blurted out: "Of course, I even know the relationship between you, Mrs. Lawrence, and Mr. Darcy." After she said that, she suddenly realized that she shouldn't have said so much, and she covered her mouth with her hands and rolled her eyes.
Huh? And Mr. Darcy? That sounded too strange.
Heather was puzzled: "Are you sure you know?"
Miss White was still unaware, confused as to why the three men across from her looked so embarrassed. "Yes, my mother figured it out when Mr. Darcy was mobilizing his connections in London. You two are just partners, one providing the subscription rights and the other the money."
The inner hall was already bustling with activity. Everyone agreed with the first three, so it was time for those with connections to the canal project to determine their respective shares. Those who offered no assistance and could only contribute financially would have to wait until the end to compete for the remaining shares.
Mary whispered in Heather's ear, "Although Mr. Darcy is a large landowner, he doesn't have any related properties. It seems we need to prepare for the third round. The White family runs a business at the source of the canal, so they must be considered related parties."
Sure enough, not long after, Mrs. White sent someone to deliver a note into the backroom. Mr. White took it, unfolded it, looked at it for a while, and then stood up.
Mr. White was a soft-spoken, honest man. It took him a while to get the crowd to quiet down enough to give him a chance to speak.
As Mr. White began to stammer, Miss White looked at her mother. "Oh my God, my mother must have had new words sent down instead of the one my father had prepared. She must be very angry now. Maybe she wants to rush down and speak for him."
Miss White was right. Mrs. White was so angry that she turned back and forth, and her jewelry was clanging. However, the White family's reasoning was impeccable, and even if it was not well executed, it would not affect the final result.
Mr. White was showing the freight list to the people around him. Their three textile mills in Birmingham transported 600 tons of cargo to the Port of Liverpool every year, and then transported 8 million tons of cotton back from the Port of Liverpool. This was irreplaceable value to the canal company.
In addition, the note sent by Mrs. White also wrote the names of several upstream and downstream allies, who would stand together with the White Textile Mill. That is, if they could not get a favorable share, they would abandon the waterway next year and turn to promoting the construction of private railways.
After all, the White family was indeed related to the future operation of the railway, at least in the first few years. In the end, Mr. White's timid speech earned him a 10% share, second only to the three core members.
In the side hall, people from all sides came forward to congratulate the proud Mrs. White on her good result. Mrs. White was particularly generous and confident at this time, in sharp contrast to her husband.
"Oh, that's great! Now my mother will definitely agree to buy me a new pair of diamond earrings!" Miss White smiled happily. She relaxed and started chattering again.
Just at this moment, Mr. Darcy stood up, and Heather and the other two nervously rushed to the window, and Miss White had to follow him.
Darcy was tall and had a naturally aloof temperament. As soon as he stood up, he quickly quieted down the people around him.
Darcy was prepared, as he dared to stand up in the second round. He pointed at the canal map with a long wooden stick.
"The original planned route passed through the marshes of Staffordshire, requiring the construction of three stone arch bridges at a cost of £800 each, and the reinforcement of 500 meters of embankment, for a total cost of approximately £5,000. If the route is changed to the east side of Pemberley Manor in Derbyshire, although the route is 1,200 meters longer, the ground along the way is hard, requiring only one wooden bridge at a cost of £200. I have also pledged to use the road free of charge for construction, saving approximately £2,700 in total costs. Furthermore, Derbyshire also transports hundreds of tons of timber annually, and a significant amount would be transported via the canal."
Mr. Darcy's remarks were original and indeed highlighted the importance of the canal project. However, many people rushed to their feet. Some offered to pay more per share to cover the cost losses, while others claimed to have personal connections with certain factory owners. No one was willing to wait until the end to share the remaining shares.
The atmosphere in the venue suddenly became heated. Except for those who really couldn't find the connection and a few gentlemen who had already confirmed their shares, everyone else stood up.
Heather frowned. "Cost savings alone probably isn't convincing enough. After all, the last thing people here lack is money. The timber business is a good bargaining chip."
Mary gnawed furiously at her pen, flipping through the pages of her notebook. "Saving costs isn't enough. What about time? I've read the Staffordshire geography and a canal construction timeline Mr. Darcy sent me. Construction in the swamps is impossible in winter, so if we divert the route, we can complete the entire line at least three months earlier. That way, instead of February, the canal could be opened to navigation in December of the previous year."
Hazel's eyes lit up, and she immediately asked the butler to take the note Mary had written to Mr. Darcy.
Elizabeth stopped her. "Wait a moment, aunt. We are not safe on our own. Why not ask Mrs. White to help us? Their textile business is most prosperous in the winter. If the canal is opened in February, the canal route will be out of use at the beginning of the year. Carriage transport is not as convenient as the canal. I think she would be willing to move forward three months."
Sure enough, not long after Hazel told Miss White this idea, Mrs. White sent someone down to deliver the letter.
Time was far more important than money, and many merchants, not just the White family, were eager for the road to open as soon as possible. Mr. White led the charge, and Darcy's share was quickly confirmed: 9%. This result far exceeded all their expectations.
Mr. Darcy's face relaxed slightly, he nodded to Mr. White in thanks, then calmly straightened his clothes and sat down.
After he sat down, he looked up at the side hall for a second before turning back to the others' game. Heather felt that he had locked onto their position; otherwise, why would Elizabeth suddenly move back?
"My God, that Mr. Darcy is much more handsome and impressive than I thought!" Miss White said excitedly in a bubbly voice, "Maybe I should listen to my mother's advice."
"Huh?" Heather was confused.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
