[Comprehensive Book] A Rose for Catherine

Bespoke and ready-to-wear.

Leonard only said a few words. For some reason, he did not tell Catherine his plan in detail, but Catherine vaguely guessed Leonard's thoughts based on the experience of later generations.

"Since imitation is unavoidable, rather than allowing others to imitate, it is better for us to do it ourselves." Leonard's tone was relaxed, but the slightly lowered eyelids could not conceal the ambition in his eyes.

Leonard's plan, Lydia's design drafts are used to tailor clothes for those duchesses and ladies in London, clearly telling these wealthy women that these are private orders, unique, and very expensive, and earn money from these ladies The ladies' large sums of pounds, and through the fashion trends set off by these noble and aristocratic women, produced a large number of ready-made clothes with similar styles and sold them to middle-class women.

At present, there are no ready-made clothes to buy. One is the social custom of tailoring, and the other is that the productivity is not up to standard.

This seems like a simple plan, but it is not easy to implement it.One is that the machine industry is currently underdeveloped, and most of the women workers who make these clothes need to do it by themselves. For this reason, Leonard intends to recruit a large number of women from Ireland to the London area to make a living, and at the same time assist some simple machines to improve efficiency.The other is that Leonard needs a woman of high enough status to make his name known to the world, and he needs people to believe in Lydia's design.For such a candidate, even if Leonard is surrounded by dignitaries, it will be difficult to pick a candidate that everyone is convinced by.

In addition, there are many scattered problems that will be encountered in the actual operation process.

In this regard, Catherine sighed: "It would be good if the machine was more developed." The current situation is only enough to sell these expensive clothing designs to the wealthy middle class and upper class, and it will take a while to really popularize the largest number of civilians. time.

"Of course." Leonard smiled faintly, "Who would have thought that machines would develop to this extent 100 years ago? The next era will be our era."

Catherine knew that what he said was right. In the next few decades, these big capitalists would set off countless storms on the stage of world history, and that was indeed their era.But on the surface, she didn't express any opinion on Leonard's emotion, and just chatted with him casually: "Are you only going to sell women's clothes? But I seem to see that gentlemen in London also pay attention to dressing up."

Leonard was surprised: "Miss Kitty, your ambition is bigger than mine. But your opinion is completely reasonable. I think many gentlemen who don't like trouble are willing to buy our ready-made clothes, so this will be troublesome." Miss Lydia put more thought into the design."

"Lydia has always been very concerned about design. But Mr. Leonard, how do you open up the reputation of these clothes in London?"

Leonard smiled calmly: "People like to follow trends, and French trends are the most popular. However, across the English Channel, and the war is like this now, who knows what is popular over there?" ①

"But maybe the Londoners would be more willing for the French to follow their trend?" Catherine said casually, pressing the fingers of her right hand lightly on the back of the other hand.

Leonard thought for a while: "You are right."

Rather than telling the people in England that these are trends from France, it is better to say that these are things that already exist in London, but it is easier to get their pursuit when they are passed on to France.

"Also, Mr. Leonard—" Catherine paused, she didn't intend to pause intentionally, but walked two more steps to her room, and she needed to say goodbye, "If I can introduce you to someone who can help you What kind of reward can I get from you for opening a famous person?"

"That depends on how noble the person is, or just being noble is not enough." Leonard tested the situation to Catherine calmly.

"A person who will never let you down." Catherine slowly responded to Leonard's temptation, "The status is very distinguished."

"If the dignity of this great man allows me to achieve my goal, I am willing to pay you a considerable reward."

Catherine finally looked at the dagger: "How about one percent?"

She's talking about one percent of the business' revenue.

Leonard knew the essence of doing business well, and nodded: "If it is really suitable, I believe such a reward is worth it."

"Then don't worry, I won't disappoint you," Catherine said briskly.

This conversation should almost come to an end here, Leonard nodded, and said politely: "Then I will look forward to your good news, good night, Miss Kitty."

"Good night."

After Leonard left, the Gardners planned to take their nieces back to the countryside of Longborn.Lydia excitedly held two hundred pounds in bank notes, made a lot of lists, and was about to rush to the shop to buy them.Aunt Gardner kindly exchanged the banknotes for her into British pounds, which was a bag full.

Lydia counted the money in the bag several times over and over, and insisted on pulling Catherine to sit with her, and finally put away the money bag reluctantly before leaving the house.

Catherine accompanied Lydia to several shops, selected gifts for everyone in the family, and specially picked out an expensive oriental porcelain tea set for the Gardners to express her gratitude to Uncle Gardner for making this whole thing happen. Thanks for the business.

More than half of the gold and silver coins scattered like running water, and Lydia was reconciled.

After the selection, Catherine proposed that she go to the bookstore in London to bring some books to Mary.Lydia had a look of seeing through everything: "Is it you who want to buy books or Mary who wants your help?"

She hummed a few words in dissatisfaction, and accompanied Catherine to the bookstore.

There were not many people in the bookstore, only a few well-dressed young ladies and gentlemen, and the two young people leaned close to each other. Catherine thought that they might be a loving couple.After a while, one of the gentlemen took a set of books and went to the counter to check out, just turned his face.

Lydia couldn't help but whispered in surprise: "Mr. Knightley!"

She still remembered that Catherine had a good relationship with Mr. Knightley, so she subconsciously wanted to pull Catherine over and tell her to take a look.

Catherine also looked over because of Lydia's surprised voice, just as the young couple turned their eyes, the gentleman among them was quite similar to Mr Knightley, but it was still obvious at a glance that they were not the same person.

Catherine looked away and said to Lydia: "Honey, you read it wrong, that is not the gentleman we know. Wait for me for a while, I will take the book and leave."

As soon as she finished speaking, the young couple walked over.

The gentleman who looked somewhat similar to Knightley was thoughtful, and his wife spoke softly for her husband: "I am very sorry for disturbing the two ladies. I just heard you calling Mr. Knightley, I think that Mr. Knightley you know is my husband's brother."

Catherine did not expect such a coincidence. She was a little surprised at first, and then briefly said that she and her sister had the good fortune to meet Mr. Knightley in the countryside of Longbourn by chance.Unexpectedly, the couple was extremely enthusiastic, especially the wife. She quickly said that Mr. Knightley is now at their residence in London, and the two ladies can come to the house as guests if they wish.

Catherine politely refused, and the other party and her husband looked at each other, and asked Catherine's address tenderly, saying that they would go home and tell Mr. Knightley so that he could come to visit.

Catherine, overwhelmed by her enthusiasm, wanted to say no, but Lydia had already given Mr. Gardiner's address.

The young lady pursed her lips and smiled, "Then let's take our leave first, and we will definitely tell him to let him pay a visit as soon as possible. Goodbye, Miss Kitty, Miss Lydia."

When the couple walked away, Lydia said strangely: "Kitty, I remember we didn't tell them your name just now?" Lydia said her own in passing.

"Mr. Knightley and his family must have mentioned you." Lydia figured it out and said confidently.

Catherine felt helpless against Lydia, who was full of curiosity, and went to check out with the two sets of books specified by Mary.Lydia also wandered around the bookstore, picked out several sets of novels written by Catherine under the pseudonym "Lyan Appleton", and planned to take them back to Longborn and give a set to each of her friends.

She didn't care about this chance encounter, she just regarded it as a wonderful fate, and shared it with Elizabeth as an anecdote after returning home.

"I didn't expect that London is so big, and we can be connected again in such a coincidental way."

After hearing this, Elizabeth raised a sly smile: "Kitty, so we can be sure this time that Mr. Knightley really has a good impression of you."

She had been trying to convince Catherine of this fact she had observed.

Not long after Elizabeth finished speaking, the maid announced that there was a visitor.The two sisters looked at each other, and Elizabeth joked again: "Look, Kitty! It must be him!"

Catherine was very calm: "Impossible, he can't post a post saying he wants to visit the door in such a short period of time."

Indeed, neither of the two gentlemen who entered was Mr. Knightley.

Seeing these two gentlemen, it was Catherine who raised the corners of her mouth triumphantly towards Elizabeth.

"Look, my dear Lizzie!"

It was none other than Bentley and Darcy, two of the most popular gentlemen who had ever been at Longbourn.

The author has something to say: [It's too late, so I'll add so much today.The career line has opened up a lot of golden fingers, so don't bring it into reality. 】

①: The war here refers to the Napoleonic War.Another: At that time, the British pursued the fashions passed down from France. During the war, the news between Britain and the European continent was not very exchanged. Therefore, when the war ended, the French laughed at the British clothes as styles that they had long since stopped wearing. .