Chapter 42 "Richard, I..."
“Richard, how about we try installment payments?” Mary thought of some methods for selling high-end appliances in later generations, but she wasn’t sure if it was possible in the nineteenth century.
"Installment payment, what does that mean?" Richard felt as if he had grasped the thread of his jumbled thoughts.
"Just like when we pay rent, a large expense is not something every family can afford. So well-off families will choose to pay annually or quarterly, but ordinary families often choose to pay monthly or weekly, spreading a large expense into many smaller expenses, which reduces the pressure."
Mary explained, “The same applies to our sewing machines. We can advertise that you can take the sewing machine home with just a two-pound down payment, and then pay two pounds a month for twelve months.”
Richard's eyes lit up, and he added, "That's not all. You said you wanted to sell these sewing machines to middle-class families, but if we offer installment payments, we can do it over two or even three years. The down payment can be as low as one pound or even a dozen shillings. Families with even lower incomes might buy our sewing machines too."
Annie, who was standing nearby, overheard their discussion and asked curiously, "Won't the people who paid in full upfront feel cheated?"
“No, because if you pay in full at once, we only charge twenty-four pounds, while customers who pay in installments over a year will have to pay an additional 2% interest, which is 4% for two years and 6% for three years. This way, we won’t make those who pay in full upfront unhappy,” Mary said with a smile.
With Mary's advice, Richard contacted The Times the next day to place an advertisement: "Only 14 shillings! With Christmas just around the corner, you can get a sewing machine as a Christmas gift for your wife with a minimum down payment of 14 shillings."
Keep in mind that for the middle class at that time, having clothes made by a tailor or buying a nice hat from a store would cost more than ten shillings! With the already famous Butterfly brand sewing machine advertising like this, who wouldn't be curious? A steady stream of people flocked to Richard's store.
Now the sewing machine was truly famous throughout the country, and merchants from other counties began to approach Richard seeking cooperation. In fact, they had discovered this extremely attractive new product long before Princess Charlotte passed away, but the recent market downturn had made them hesitate. Now that the sewing machine was selling like hotcakes, no one would let such a golden opportunity pass them by.
Currently, their company does lack the manpower and funds to establish a nationwide sales network. After discussing with Mary, Richard decided to sell the sewing machine distribution franchise. Except for the London market, which the company will manage itself, they plan to hand over the other counties. The high-end sewing machines that were originally difficult to sell were all snapped up by the merchants who obtained the franchise rights.
Price and his associates truly made a fortune. After consulting with Mary and General Maxwell, the two major shareholders, Richard distributed a portion of the profits as dividends. A huge sum of five thousand pounds was laid out before them, and everyone was overjoyed and beaming with happiness.
William, who had just received another £150, planned to return to Portsmouth for Christmas to tell his parents about his promotion, and asked his younger siblings if they wanted to come along.
Richard was busy negotiating with merchants and signing franchise agreements. To avoid cutthroat competition, each county could only have one franchisee in principle, so it depended on which merchant offered the highest price. He was too busy making money to go back.
John's work at the Treasury became increasingly demanding towards the end of the year. Mary initially didn't want to go back to face Mr. Price, but a letter from Charlotte changed her mind—Mr. Brown had decided to move his family to Manchester next year.
Before returning home, because Anne mentioned that the General and his wife always took them to Kensington Gardens, and Mary hadn't yet visited Hyde Park, which is adjacent to Kensington Gardens, since she had come to London, William decided to take his sister and Miss Maxwell to Hyde Park for a stroll.
The weather that day was just right; the rare winter sunshine temporarily dispelled the smog of the city, and Hyde Park attracted many gentlemen and ladies who came to enjoy it. After all, no one wants to be confined to the city's dirty streets and polluted air.
Mary only started learning to ride after arriving at General Maxwell's mansion, and she wasn't as skilled as Anne yet, so they had to travel by carriage. Once in the park, the two girls, arm in arm with William, thoroughly enjoyed their stroll.
The evergreen trees in the park brought Mary a lot of joy, and the robins that flew by were like winter elves, perching on the trees and singing.
"The city is definitely not as comfortable as the countryside," Mary thought to herself. In the past, she wanted to make money and seek opportunities in London. Now that she was wealthy, like many others, she began to miss the comfortable days she spent at Mansfield Park last year.
When they reached the vicinity of the Nine-Bend Lake, they saw an acquaintance from the side of the road. Miss Crawford and another lady walked over arm in arm. Anne whispered that it was Mrs. Stoneaway.
Everyone exchanged polite greetings, with Mrs. Stoneaway's eyes darting between William and Mary. As for Miss Crawford and the Prices, neither side felt they had anything to say.
Miss Crawford, in particular, felt very differently upon seeing William Price again than she had two years prior; she still hadn't found a suitable partner. Although she had resolved not to marry her youngest son, none of those lazy, incompetent legal heirs and philandering members of Congress could make her forget Edmund.
After they quickly parted ways, Mrs. Stoneaway began to question her friend: "Mary, tell me quickly, who is that young man? I know Miss Maxwell on his left, and the girl on his right is his sister, isn't she? The two siblings are very pretty."
“His name is William Price, a naval lieutenant or second lieutenant, anyway, a complete nobody in front of Lord Crawford,” Miss Crawford said, feigning indifference.
“Price, the merchant who recently sold the ‘Butterfly’ sewing machine seems to have the same last name? I wonder if he’s related to us? If so, the Price family must be quite wealthy now.” Mrs. Stoneaway thought of the sewing machine she had bought.
"It shouldn't be. I've never heard of anyone in the Price family being in business before."
“Oh, right, I remember the girl Henry wanted to marry before also had the surname Price, didn’t she? That surname really does appear quite often.” Mrs. Stoneaway thought of her old friend.
“He was that girl’s brother.” Miss Crawford now feels both regret and resentment when she thinks about it.
"That's a real shame." Mrs. Stoneaway had only wanted to get to know the handsome young man William Price, but seeing that her friend wasn't cooperating, she stopped talking.
As time passed, Henry Crawford's wrongdoings were gradually overlooked, and in today's society, it seems unlikely that someone like him will receive the punishment he deserves. As long as he has money, someone will always accept him, and Mary Crawford is certainly less likely to resent her brother.
On the other hand, Mary spoke of Mr. Crawford in a completely different tone: "I think it's very unfair, William. I think you must have heard that Mr. Crawford has become active in social circles again, while our cousin is still living a reclusive life, making the same mistake."
“Indeed, regardless of gender, people who do not abide by morality should be punished.” William first affirmed his sister’s statement, then added, “But these two people, one is married and the other is unmarried, so in the eyes of the world, their mistakes are not entirely the same.”
"Come on, William! You're a man too. The rules of this society are made by those in power, and they're almost all men, so of course they'll defend men. As a woman, I don't see any difference between their mistakes," Mary scoffed at her brother's words.
"In all such cases, even when both spouses have their own lovers, when the truth comes out, the punishment for men is always perfunctory, minimal, or even nonexistent; but for women, it's different. They not only lose their reputation, but they may lose everything, including their children, property, and even their lives."
“So both husband and wife should be loyal to each other to build a happy family,” William muttered. “Mary, not everyone is Crawford. Most gentlemen wouldn’t be like that. Your brother has never done anything wrong!”
“You two siblings shouldn’t argue, dear Mary. You’ve made the gentlemen sound so terrible!” Anne pointed to the swans by the lake. “Why don’t we go take a look at the lake?”
They happened to be walking in the shade of a tree when they were talking, so they weren't worried about being overheard. Unfortunately, a person who was in a bad mood was hiding on the other side of the corner, hidden by the trees, and overheard Mary's fierce criticism of male-dominated society.
This man was a nobleman, considered by the world to be born lucky and able to get almost anything he wanted. He had come to London for Princess Charlotte's funeral and stayed there after the funeral because of his friends.
To avoid people he didn't want to see, he didn't stay at his Piccadilly mansion today, but instead came to Hyde Park alone to escape the noise.
Mary's statement that "both husband and wife had their own lovers" perfectly contrasted with his deceased parents. His mother was even exiled to France for a time because of this, while his father continued to live with his lover, who later became his stepmother, the new Duchess of Devonshire. At this point, his identity becomes clear: he is the current Duke of Devonshire, William George Spencer Cavendish.
What the young woman said made a lot of sense; rules always favor those in power. After listening to Mary, the Duke decided to no longer avoid his mother's former lover, Earl Grey.
Mary was unaware that an important person had overheard her conversation and become somewhat curious about her. After their discussion, she followed Anne's advice and continued walking to admire the swans in the lake.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
