Chapter 38 (Reverse V) John's Residence...
John lived in Westminster, a place with many government agencies and offices, which attracted a large number of government clerks like John to work and live there. These low-level clerks generally did not earn much, and many had to share accommodation with others.
When they arrived, John and his friends were still at work, and the maid asked Richard and Mary to wait in the living room for a while. In the meantime, the brother and sister observed their brother's quarters.
The apartment wasn't very big, and apart from some essential furniture, there was no other decoration. But at least the two of them had their own rooms and only needed to share the living room and dining room. Mrs. Pinker, the apartment's owner, provided them with meals, and they also paid for a maid to clean.
Considering there were only two bachelors in the apartment, the living conditions weren't too bad compared to John's time at Price House. John was far more fortunate than the working class in St. John's and St. Margaret's parishes, where large families had to squeeze into single rooms.
After waiting a while, John finished work. He was wearing a cheap government-provided uniform, which looked fairly clean. He was overjoyed to see Richard and Mary: "Dear Richard and Mary, what brings you here?"
John quickly poured them tea and remarked, "I'm so sorry, I don't have much to offer, and this maid named Anna isn't as clever as Kate or Lily. How did you arrive in London at this time? Where are you staying?"
Richard and Mary quickly said that they would be happy with just some tea and didn't care whether they ate or not: "Mary and I came in my uncle's carriage and plan to stay at the hotel for one night and then return to Portsmouth tomorrow."
They came to see John both to visit him and to ask him to help them find a suitable place to live in London. Richard and Mary would be coming to London around April next year. Mary could stay at General Maxwell's house, but Richard would have nowhere to go and planned to rent a cheap place like John had.
If John hadn't been sharing the rent, he would have preferred to share with his brother, but since John's lease wasn't up yet, Richard planned to live alone. Besides this, there was another matter John needed to inquire about: were there any skilled machine makers in London, and, importantly, good character?
"Why would you want someone like that?" John asked, puzzled.
Richard turned to look at the maid, Anna, who was cleaning the gentlemen's bedroom. He whispered, "Mary has designed a blueprint for a machine that could change the development of the clothing industry. If we can successfully manufacture it and apply for a patent, it will definitely change the fate of the entire Price family."
Seeing his younger siblings taking it so seriously, John nodded: "Don't worry, I will definitely help you find a reliable craftsman."
After finishing their business, the group sat and chatted for a while. Seeing that it was getting late and John's roommate was about to return from the office, Richard and Mary said their goodbyes. The Price siblings were looking forward to seeing each other again in a few months.
They stayed at the hotel for one night, and the environment was certainly not very comfortable. The next morning, the hotel guests all got up, most of them busy getting on their way, and Richard and Mary were no exception.
When they returned to Portsmouth, they were not greeted with a warm welcome from Mrs. Price. The house was in complete disarray; the hot water was not yet boiled, the bread was not yet toasted, and everything was in a mess.
Mrs. Price and Kate were both eager to speak ill of each other in front of Mary, with the maid Lily occasionally adding a word or two in Kate's defense.
Their chatter was so loud it was a real headache. Even though Mary had been prepared based on Richard's description, she hadn't expected the house to turn out like this.
Mary decided to act quickly and get the matter resolved, otherwise Mrs. Price would nag endlessly. She told the two maids to boil water and prepare tea and snacks; she and Richard were starving.
Then the daughter pulled her mother to sit down and said, "Okay, okay, Mom, I've heard Richard explain it clearly. You think that since we've already paid Kate and Lily such high wages, we shouldn't be giving them sausages, bacon, and bread anymore, right?"
“Of course, Mary, you’re too young to understand. These servants are all prone to taking advantage of us. We’ve been good enough to them. If this continues, she’ll start riding all over me,” Mrs. Price said indignantly.
“But Kate does a lot of work in our household. She’s already taken on the role of housekeeper. Giving her more benefits will motivate her even more,” Mary advised. “Besides, I’ve already promised them. I can’t go back on my word. If Kate chooses to resign, it won’t be easy to find a suitable servant in Portsmouth.”
Mrs. Price didn't see it that way. She felt she had done nothing wrong: "Oh, Mary, you're being too kind. Many families provide room and board and even deduct from the maid's salary! Quit? Don't try to scare me. Where can a twenty-eight-year-old spinster find such a good job after leaving the Price family?"
The matter has been thoroughly clarified. Mrs. Price was not only stingy with money, but also taking advantage of Kate's inability to find a suitable replacement, which allowed her to act arrogantly and blatantly reduce the servants' pay.
In the 19th century, it was common for servants to need a guarantor or recommendation to be hired. Given Kate's past experience working for the Price family, and the fact that she didn't have any relatives working for wealthy families, she could only continue to find work in households with similar incomes to the Price family, which might even offer her worse pay than Mrs. Price.
Even if Mrs. Price were told that Kate's workload far exceeded that of an ordinary maid, and that not maintaining her previous treatment would only lead to her slacking off, Mrs. Price wouldn't care. After all, she wasn't Mary, who could tolerate a messy and dirty house.
Unable to persuade Mrs. Price, Mary had another idea in mind, but she didn't know if Kate would agree. As for the other maid, Lily, she had only worked for the Price family for five years, and according to the rules Mary had set, her benefits hadn't been reduced as much as Kate's. If Kate agreed to her solution, then Lily's problem wouldn't be an issue.
Just then, the water was finally boiled and the tea set was brought out. As for the snacks, there were only a few slices of bread with butter left. The brother and sister looked at each other and gave each other a wry smile.
They just wanted to have some tea in peace, but Mrs. Price kept nagging Mary about why she didn't stay in Mansfield: "My darling, Susan stayed, why don't you? Mr. Price and I have nothing for you to worry about. If you stay there, Sir Thomas can certainly find you a good marriage."
As she said this, the mother showed no sign of disappointment that Susan was staying in Mansfield. Her eldest daughter, Fanny, had become Sir Thomas's daughter-in-law, and the Price and Bertram families were now even closer, so Susan was living a good life. Now, only the most beautiful Mary was left without a future.
“Oh, that’s because Anne invited me to London in April to be with her. Dear Mother, you’ll surely agree, won’t you? If we’re at Mansfield Park, I wouldn’t dare leave Aunt Bertram behind to ask Sir Thomas for permission.” Mary offered her excuse.
Upon hearing this, the mother felt that she could meet more wealthy people in London, and thus stopped complaining. As for Fanny's marriage to Edmund, Mrs. Price calmly commented, "I'm so glad she's found such a good husband. I'm so glad Sir Thomas didn't object. My sister Bertram must love her very much." She had never placed any expectations on her eldest daughter, and remained calm even after learning that she had found a good husband.
After finishing her snack, Mary quickly told her mother that she needed to rest; it was too awful to keep listening to Mrs. Price telling her to seize the opportunity.
Kate helped her carry her luggage upstairs, and as expected, her room turned back into its original small room. However, the maids had already tidied up the room before she returned.
Mary shook her head helplessly and told Kate to put her things down. Before she could even organize her thoughts, Kate spoke first: "Miss Mary, if you go to London in April, could you take me with you?"
Hmm, Kate's idea coincided perfectly with Mary's solution, and she gestured for the maid to continue.
“I just heard what you said, madam,” Kate said, glancing at Mary to make sure the young lady didn’t seem offended by her behavior. “Indeed, I earn quite a bit in Portsmouth, but I’m not content to stay on twenty pounds forever. I’ve heard that London is a different story, with plenty of opportunities to make money. Maybe a wealthy family will take in an older maid like me?”
I see. But Kate was too naive. London not only offers opportunities to make money, but also countless poor people who can't find work. Without connections, it won't be easy for Kate to find a suitable home in the city.
“Kate, I also have a suggestion. Richard will be going to London with me this time. Although I’m staying with the General, Richard lives outside and he also needs a maid. You can come with us to London. If you can’t find a suitable job, you can stay with Richard, but your starting salary won’t be more than what you have now,” Mary said gently.
“Miss Mary, you are so kind. You will surely marry a wealthy gentleman in the future.” Kate was extremely grateful after hearing Mary’s words. A few tears welled up in her eyes, and she clutched her skirt with both hands, wishing she could clean Miss Mary’s room again.
Bringing Kate to London would not only solve the problems at home, but if her and Richard's plans went smoothly, a familiar and trustworthy maid would be much safer than a temporary handyman.
In this way, Lily, who stays at home, can also be promoted, and another cheap maid can be found. Mrs. Price will no longer have to worry about the meager food that is not even enough for Mr. Price to have a few big meals.
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