Chapter 66 Chapter 66 in Edward...
In Sir Edward's view, Mary now possesses too much wealth, and many nobles facing huge financial holes would consider pursuing her if they were not married.
These jackals and hyenas couldn't be stopped by him and William alone (both were Mary's protectors). He had initially announced that his daughter Anne's dowry would be £50,000, with the remainder still in his own name; several nobles had already set their sights on Anne. Had it not been for the favor he owed the Price family, he might not have agreed to William and Anne's marriage.
Just as Mary was about to enter social circles, Richard finally returned from India. Upon arriving in London, he went directly to the Duke of Devonshire's residence on Piccadilly.
When he went to India, he carried letters written by His Highness the Duke to his subordinates. During his time in Kashmir, he received the Duke's assistance and successfully purchased a batch of rough sapphires at a reasonable price. Among them was a rough stone weighing ninety carats, which, after being cut, still weighed close to sixty carats.
At the Duke of Devonshire's residence, Richard repeatedly thanked the Duke and asked, "Your Highness, are you interested in acquiring this largest gem?"
William Cavendish shook his head slightly. He had possessed far too many luxurious treasures since childhood, and this 58-carat sapphire, though flawless in color, clarity, and cut, still failed to move him. Just as he was about to refuse, he thought of someone and had his butler buy the gem.
Richard was unaware of the Duke's change of heart. He only knew one thing: once this largest gem was dealt with, the other sapphires would easily find suitable buyers in a big city like London.
He did not haggle with the man, accepted the check from the butler, and Richard once again expressed his loyalty and gratitude to the Duke before taking his leave.
After getting into his carriage, he glanced at the amount on the check: eight thousand pounds. This gem alone had earned him back the principal for this round trip between India and England, not to mention the remaining gems. This time, he had earned more than three times his initial investment.
After Richard left Piccadilly, William Cavendish instructed his butler: "Tell the jeweler to make that gem into a necklace, and remember to choose sapphires and diamonds from the same region for the stones."
When Mary, who lives in Grosvenor Place, learns that her dear brother Richard has returned, she is trying on the evening gown she will wear to the ball.
This is an elegant and dignified white silk dress. The silver thread embroidery of laurel leaves and flowers makes the dress more lively. If you look closely, you will also find that each flower is sewn with a pearl as an embellishment, while the white lace at the neckline makes the dress material less monotonous.
“I still think this dress isn’t formal enough, Mary. You should wear the gold one; it would suit your golden hair better, making you look like you’ve been kissed by Apollo,” Anne suggested from the side.
Mary took out an exquisite sapphire pendant from the jewelry box. The main stone was about five carats. Instead of the currently popular gemstone carving, it was surrounded by a circle of rose-cut diamonds.
She then took out a necklace made of gold and platinum. This necklace did not use the geometric symmetry elements commonly used at the time, but instead used natural plant elements. The shape resembled the branches of a laurel tree, with the sapphire pendant below resembling flowers hanging from the branches.
This necklace was designed by Mary herself. After drawing up her design, she searched all over London for jewelers. Platinum was once called by King Louis XVI of France "the only precious metal worthy of the king's noble status." It's very difficult to produce with current processing techniques, and Mary searched for a long time before finding a jeweler who mastered platinum processing techniques to achieve the effect she wanted.
As for the most important sapphire pendant, it was of course the Kashmir sapphire that Richard had given her. Its bright yet deep blue color resembled the deepest cornflower petals or the most beautiful feathers on a peacock. As soon as it was taken out, it captivated Annie.
When Mary put on the necklace, the jewels around her neck and her evening gown complemented each other, making her look like a laurel goddess from pagan mythology.
“So beautiful, Mary! I understand why you chose this evening gown; it matches your necklace perfectly!” Anne exclaimed. “Just like Mrs. Maxwell said, you will amaze every gentleman at the ball.”
Just then, a servant came up to inform the young lady and lady that Mr. Richard Price had arrived. Mary changed out of her evening gown and into her daytime dress, forgetting to remove her necklace in her haste.
“Richard, you’re finally back! Did everything go well for you there?” Mary rushed to her brother’s side and looked him over carefully.
Although Mary was unaware of the thrilling and dangerous experiences Richard had encountered in the Kingdom of Punjab, she sensed that Richard's eyes had become sharper and more determined; the man nearing adulthood had become a resolute and reliable one.
Richard hugged his dear sister and exclaimed, "This sapphire necklace suits you very well. I brought back some larger gems this time. Although the largest one has already been bought by the Duke of Devonshire, there are still quite a few larger gems. I don't know if it's too late to find a jeweler now. I think you can change it to a pendant."
Then he turned to his sister-in-law: "Annie, you are my dear sister now, please pick one too."
Anne smiled and thanked Richard for his kindness.
“No, I like this one. It was the first gem you gave me, and it has special meaning.” Mary shook her head. “You still haven’t told me if you encountered any danger in India and the Kingdom of Punjab.”
Richard didn't want to tell his sister about what he had encountered in the area. To avoid being looked down upon by the men sent by General Crawford, he killed several disobedient local natives shortly after arriving at the mining area to establish his authority. If Mary knew, she would definitely be frightened by her kind nature.
He then asked his sister, "As soon as I got back, Smith told me what you've been up to lately. I didn't expect you to actually build the garment factory and even poach my manager. He's calling me 'Miss Price' all the time now, he doesn't respect me at all."
“Are you laughing at me? The meager profits of a garment factory can’t compare to the exorbitant profits of a sewing machine company.” Mary smiled.
Richard didn't think so. Currently, most of the sewing machine company's profits come from high-end sewing machines. However, there are only so many wealthy people, and high-end sewing machines will eventually stop selling. Relying on installment payments and franchising, the company's operations have not encountered a bottleneck for the time being. However, the European market is limited, and to continue to expand, it must find the next market outside of Britain and France.
Mary's newly built clothing factory may seem to be making little profit now, but it targets the largest number of people in the lower and middle classes in Britain, and the market prospects are very broad.
Then, the three of them sat in the living room and exchanged news about other relatives.
Upon learning that Mrs. Price had been deceived by the servant and had now been taken to Harley Street, Richard repeatedly expressed his gratitude to his dear sister-in-law, Anne. Learning that Fanny had given birth to a boy last month, named Thomas after the child's grandfather, Richard then looked regretful for not being able to return sooner…
The day was fast approaching when Sir Edward, or General Maxwell, would host a ball for his goddaughter.
To ensure the success of the ball, the host invited many prominent figures from London, including men Mary knew such as Colonel Brandon and Tom Bertram, as well as some she didn't. Even a baron and the youngest son of an earl were present; the quality of the male guests was even higher than at the first ball held for Anne.
Among the female guests, Mary was only familiar with her sister-in-law Anne and a few ladies and young women that her godmother often saw; there were no other particularly noteworthy figures.
Mary originally thought her younger sister Susan could come to London with her, but her older cousin Tom regretfully said that his mother couldn't leave her for the time being. Her uncle, Sir Thomas, invited Mary to the countryside at the end of April to attend a ball in Mansfield.
Just as everything was about to proceed as the master had planned, Sir Edward received a short message from Piccadilly Street. He stared at the contents of the letter in astonishment, his mouth agape for the first time in a look of surprise.
"What's wrong, darling? What's making you so surprised?" Mrs. Maxwell looked at her husband with a puzzled expression.
"Having gone through everything that happened while fighting alongside General Nelson, I thought nothing could surprise me anymore. Now, if you knew that a great man was about to appear at our ball, you would be even more surprised than I am."
He paused, then continued, "I've always considered myself an open-minded father who doesn't like to interfere in my children's friendships, but now I really want to know what happened to Mary and the other young people after they left us last year."
"What do you mean, dear Edward? Stop teasing me. Which important person wrote to invite you to the ball? Perhaps one of your viscount friends or the heir to the earl is going to attend? That shouldn't surprise me. If Mary were of a higher birth, I think she might even be able to win over the king with her beauty."
Mrs. Maxwell knew all too well about Mrs. Fitzherbert's deeds. Now, their Queen Caroline was still overseas and had not returned to London. People were saying that the King was not willing to bestow a title upon her at all.
Sir Edward smiled. “My dear, you can let your imagination run wild. This man is a golden bachelor who drives you ladies crazy. You’ll have to have the butler prepare everything for the ball again, or we might offend His Highness the Duke.”
"A duke? Who is it? Good heavens! Who else could it be but His Highness the Duke of Devonshire, right? I knew it when Mary was invited to Chatsworth House last year. His Highness wouldn't invite them for no reason. Even if Mr. Price makes a lot of money, he doesn't deserve such an honor..."
Like many women who encounter similar situations, Mrs. Maxwell said she had long suspected there was something special between the two. She had even thought of a solution for Mary: if His Highness the Duke were to propose, he should obtain a marriage certificate. With the Duke's involvement, the Archbishop of Canterbury would surely agree.
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