The noble lady always has a little intuition

After Olivia refuted, Carl, who calmed down a little nervously, realized that it was extremely inappropriate for him to comment on Olivia's reading habits just now. After all, the other party was a British nobleman. Miss, the education and etiquette courses she has received are not something he, an American civilian, can evaluate, let alone the Hockley family is begging to cooperate with the Campbell family, no matter what he should not say anything to make her unhappy.

In order to make up for his mistake, Carl tried to recall everything he knew about detective novels, and after a few seconds he asked, "What about Edgar Allan Poe's works? I got them a few years ago." A complete set of Poe's first editions, if Miss Campbell likes..."

"Yes, I have also read Poe's works. I also have a set in my study at home. My uncle brought it back for me when he went to the United States. Although it is not the first edition, it is enough for me. I don't need to trouble Mr. Hockley. Cut love."

Facing the smile on Olivia's face, Carl couldn't be sure whether what she said was the truth or just polite words, but just when he was about to ask more questions, Edgar, who had come over at some time, took the first step He asked with a smiling voice, "What's the matter? Have you started talking about business yet?"

As soon as she saw her brother appear, Olivia immediately put down the documents in her hand, and poured tea for him herself, "Not yet, we are talking about detective novels."

"Are you introducing Lord Doyle's book again?" Edgar couldn't help but patted her on the head, with a helpless but doting smile on his face.

"Anyway, the Sherlock Holmes series is something I have never seen before.

From the first episode, it is a work invested in the name of a private person. Lord Doyle and Mrs. Doyle are my friends. How could I resist introducing it to others? "

Facing the bright smile on his sister's face, Edgar also laughed a few times, then sat down on the seat beside her, and picked up the plan book she had read before and began to read.

It didn't take long for the Campbell brothers and sisters to read Carl's proposal one after another. However, contrary to Carl's expectations, it was Edgar who discussed the content of the next cooperation contract with him. As for Olivia, who he thought he was talking to, Sitting silently by the side, sipping dessert, occasionally nodding slightly in agreement when Edgar spoke.

Just when the two were talking about the same thing, and Edgar was even about to ask the servant to bring the lawyer over, Olivia suddenly put down the fork in her hand, wiped her mouth lightly with a handkerchief, and then turned to look at Carl, "Mr Hockley."

Her call made Carl, who was originally relaxed because the business was negotiated, instantly tense up. Fearing that something might change, he hurriedly asked in a cautious tone: "Miss Campbell, what do you think about what we just talked about?" Is there a problem?"

"No, I have no objection to what you said just now, but I have another question I want to ask." After a pause, Olivia slightly restrained the smile on her face, "I heard that Mr. Hockley After coming to the UK, I often talked with Mr. Ismay, the chairman of White Star Line, at banquets. Does the Hockley family have plans to cooperate with White Star Line?"

I don't understand why she suddenly asked this question, but Carl replied honestly: "Yes, I believe Mr. and Ms. Campbell should also know that White Star Line has been building Olympic-class luxury liners in the past few years. Construction is in its final stages, but White Star expects my factory to supply the final steel needed. If the project goes well, all of our steel will be used in the construction of the third Britannic.”

"Has Mr. Hockley officially signed a contract with White Star Line?"

"No, Mr. Ismay and I have an appointment to talk in detail next week. What's the matter..."

Halfway through the question, Carl thought of the answer himself. He remembered that the information he had read before stated that the Campbell family is currently the largest shareholder of Canard Shipping, and the biggest business rival of Canard Shipping is White Star Line. , if he wants to cooperate with the Campbells, he may have to give up the White Star Line business.

He began to analyze the interests of both parties in his heart. Although he would get more benefits if he cooperated with the Campbell family, White Star Shipping has launched an Olympic-class luxury liner. If it succeeds, its position in the shipping industry will be unshakable. , It can also provide more orders to its own steel mills.

Just when he was frowning and thinking, Olivia said again: "Then, I would like to add one more condition to the contract: the Hockley's factory will not provide any assistance in the construction of the Titanic." Steel, can you?"

Before Carl could say anything, Edgar, who was also confused, asked first, "What's the matter, do you have any inside information about White Star Shipping, Livi?"

"It's just a little worrying. After all, it's only been a year since White Star Shipping launched the Olympic-class luxury passenger liner. If something happens to the ship built with the steel manufactured by the Hockley Steel Works, the ship shipped from our factory It will also be implicated, so we should observe for a few more years and see the operating conditions of those passenger ships." At this moment, Olivia suddenly glanced at Carl, but quickly withdrew her eyes, "And, let that It’s not a bad thing that the current chairman of White Star Lines has had some trouble launching a luxury liner capable of surpassing the Lusitania and the Mauritania, isn’t it, Edgar.”

Hearing this, Carl belatedly remembered a report he saw on the news a few years ago: Because Ismay sold most of the shares of White Star Line to the American Shipping Holding Company—International Business The ocean company affected the British Empire's control of the Atlantic Ocean, so most of the British media and people did not have a good impression of White Star Shipping.As a matter of course, the Campbell brothers and sisters who came from ancient aristocratic backgrounds should dislike Ismay and his White Star Line for such a matter that would involve national interests.

As an American businessman who also holds a lot of stocks in International Commercial Marine Corporation and White Star Line, Carl could only sit aside in silence until Olivia looked at him again after the Campbell brothers and sisters ended their eye contact. , "So, Mr. Hockley accepts this condition?"

Even if he didn't want to miss out on the opportunity to cooperate with the Campbells, and he hasn't signed a contract with White Star Line yet, Karl still couldn't agree directly, "Sorry, I can't make the decision on this business with White Star Line, I have to discuss it with my father. Can only reply after that.”

"It's okay, just wait for Mr. Hockley to discuss with your father and then contact Edgar at the end of the month." She had expected that she would not get an answer today, so Olivia just smiled, "Since there is nothing wrong now Now, then I will go back to my room to rest, and Mr. Hockley can talk to Edgardo again."

Picking up the book on the table and standing up, she nodded to Carl and Edgar respectively, then turned and left the backyard.

After she got up, Karl's eyes followed her all the time, until her figure entered the house with the servants and disappeared from his sight, he came back to his senses belatedly, and remembered There is still something about Edgar by his side.

He quickly turned his head back, and carefully checked with his eyes whether Edgar had discovered that he was thinking carefully about Olivia. Fortunately, Edgar was also in a daze in the direction of Olivia's departure just like he was just now. , and did not find his abnormality.

After a long sigh, Edgar looked away and smiled apologetically at him, "It seems that there is still no way to sign a contract smoothly today."

Hearing what he said, Carl said with a sigh of relief: "It's okay, I will contact my father as soon as possible after returning to the hotel, and I believe I can reply to Mr. Campbell soon."

"Although I know that the White Star Line business is very important to your Hockley family, I hope we will have a chance to cooperate in the end." After saying this, Edgar put down his teacup and stood up, "By the way, Hockley Do you have any plans for the future, sir? If not, would you like to visit our house?"

"It's my honor." Carl stood up immediately, and then walked into the house with Edgar.

Under the leadership of Edgar, Karl visited the hall, ballroom, piano room, library, collection room and portrait room one after another.

The furnishings of the hall and the ballroom are similar to those seen in the Duke of Bedford's mansion before, but the scale is slightly smaller, and most of the famous paintings on the walls are works of famous French painters rather than Italian painters.

Although the piano room is called the piano room, in addition to a white piano, there is a harp in the corner.In addition, there is a whole wall of wooden bookcases and glass display cabinets. In the bookcases are the works of various famous musicians in European history, and in the display cabinets are several violins made by famous manufacturers in history. A few pages of fragments of the musician's scores, which were in the collection of the last Earl and Mrs. Campbell.

Needless to say, the library has a rich collection of books. In addition to European books, there are books from the United States, Asia and Africa, modern books and medieval books. There are several glass display cabinets in one corner like a piano room. He is the author of manuscripts of famous poets and writers in British history.There were several ink paintings on the wall next to the glass display case. Karl couldn’t identify which painters those paintings were from. After listening to Edgar’s explanation, he realized that they were not the works of famous painters, but It is an enlarged version of the illustrations in the Sherlock Holmes collection, which Olivia specially asked the publisher to send over and decided to put it in the library.

The collection room is like a combination of a museum and an auction venue. Half of it is an upright high cabinet, and the other half is a glass display cabinet. For decades, the Campbell family has photographed collections at various sales venues.Although there is no in-depth research on artworks or statues, under Edgar's introduction, Carl can also estimate that the value of the items in the entire collection room is about 600 million pounds, and if they are sent to the auction, they can still be sold. higher price.

In the end, Edgar took Carl to visit the portrait room of the Campbell family. On the wall of the portrait room was a huge tapestry, on which was embroidered the genealogy of the Campbell family with gold thread, and on both sides of the ancestral tree were hanging the family tree of the Campbell family. There are portraits of the family heads and family members of different generations.In the past 100 years, due to the invention of photos, photos of family members of various generations will be hung under some portraits. There is a row of glass low cabinets on the wall far from the window. Lots of photo frames and a few photo books in the corner.

For the historical portraits of Campbell members, Carl just took a look at them, and then stopped to watch carefully in front of the portraits of the Edgar family. The family portraits were painted at least five years ago, because Edgar in the paintings Jia is still wearing the uniform of Eton College, while Olivia looks like a child under ten years old. She is wearing a blue dress and has a childish smile on her face.

After realizing that he was fascinated by the person in the portrait, Karl quickly shifted his gaze to the previous Countess of Campbell and his wife, and then smiled and said, "Miss Campbell looks very similar to your mother."

"Yes, my aunt always said that seeing Olivia is like seeing her mother when she was young." At this moment, Edgar also raised his head to stare at the deceased mother in the portrait, and chuckled a few times, "However, after she said that, she would always refute her own words, and then said that Olivia is more beautiful than her mother, and she will definitely find someone who is even better than her father in the future."

Is there someone better than an earl... Karl began to think in his heart, but quickly gave up. After all, no matter what he did, he couldn't become a duke or a member of the royal family.It is still possible to become the richest man in the United States, but by the time he earns enough money, Olivia may have already married.

The author has something to say:

Next week, I will be in Cairo Zhuzhong's big cousin's pit

I am looking for death by opening two pits at a time, and I haven't thought about the background of my cousin until now.

In the musical, the identity of the big cousin and the parts other than the belligerence have been completely changed! ! ! !It’s okay to change it, but I can’t find the introduction of the complete setting on the Internet.