Capítulo 181: Savile Row
As news of the plague became more frequent, people began feeling restless.
For the first time since Gadreel's founding, a few hundred people emigrated out of Gadreel.
Paranoia and ghostly details were fabricated about the 8-Day Plague. Children and parents alike felt an impending nightmare barreling towards them.
Yet, all they could do is hope and pray that the plague would stay in Durres. However, not all prays are answered.
Will, Elizabeth, and their children Camile, and Edward sat eating breakfast. The oval rosewood dining table was the newest addition to the mansion.
As the lady of the house, Elizabeth took great care to make sure the house looked as distinguished as her husband. Although Will did not particularly care how the house was furnished, he took great admiration in Elizabeth's dedication to decoration.
As they ate jam donuts and drank tea, Micheal interrupted the breakfast to announce the arrival of Lord James vont Ballard and Lady Helen vont Ballard.
"Have you seen the latest reports son, what do you plan to do?" James asked stuffing a jam donut in his mouth.
"About what?" Will asked. He'd seen the report and there were several concerning things.
"About the northern migration of Albanians? About the northward spread of the 8-Day Plague," James said with a mouth full of food.
"Stop it, James! You're scaring the children. Now, there is no need to worry Edward. Grandmother shall protect you," Helen consoled a worried Edward.
"What do you suggest I do, father?" Will asked curious to hear his father's suggestions.
"Bloody hell if I know. But you built this city from the ground up, surely you have a plan in mind. You do, right?" James asked sipping tea to wash the food down his throat.
"James watch your words around the children. Camille don't listen to your fool of a grandfather," Helen said, staring angrily at James.
"I have the makings of a plan in mind. But everything depends on how fast the plague spreads," Will said.
"Whew," James, Helen, Elizabeth, and the staff all sighed in thankfulness.
Will had no idea his family needed this reassurance. If they needed to hear it, then what about his citizens.
"Quick tell us the plan," James said.
"As I said, I have the beginnings of a plan," Will said.
"Just tell me what you've got so far," James asked anxiously.
"Rat poison," Will answered truthfully.
"What? What kind of plan is rat poisoning? The 8-Day Plague is spread among humans, not beasts. Be serious, tell me your plan? How do you plan to deal with the flood of people heading our way?" James asked to nervous to eat now.
"As I said, I have a tentative plan," Will emphasized 'tentative.'
"Will you let those disease-infested Albanians into your territory?" James asked xenophobically.
"I plan to allow those without the plague entry," Will said.
"How can you tell? Do you plan to check everyone's bodies? The latest estimate is ten million Albanian are headed to the trade route. Your soldiers are not equipped to handle that many migrants at once!" James exclaimed to Will.
"Sit down James! You're scaring the children. Trust our Will! He was blessed by Gaia herself. Will why don't you go pray at the church, you might receive divine insight," Helen said piously.
"I shall do that this afternoon," Will said to Helen's content.
"Will, what may I do to help?" Elizabeth asked meekly. She hated that Will was forced to handle something this monumental by himself. If she could, she take some weight off his shoulders.
"Elizabeth there's going to be a lot of poor migrants arriving at Gadreel. They'll be unable to pay for food. If you could help raise money for hungry children or families, I would be grateful. I hate to watch young people starve because they couldn't afford to purchase food," Will said.
"Outrageous! How do you plan to feed the city, if you provide food to every Albanian that knocks on your gate? You'll doom your citizens to starvation, to feed dogs," James spewed xenophobically.
"James lower your tone, Camille is shaking in fear," Helen said angrily.
"Father your point is well taken, I believe I can feed my citizens and the migrants. Have no fear father, your lavish meals at my expense shall not stop. Nor that of the other nobles. Every noble shall continue to live lavishly. But I'm concerned with poor migrants, at the moment," Will said confidently.
Once James learned the noble's luxury lifestyle would be preserved, he relented. After all, his family would lose face, if Will asked the nobles to live like common beggars.
Ignoring James, Elizabeth asked Will bluntly, "You're asking me to fundraise again. How do you propose I do that?" Elizabeth had no desire to debate Will's purpose. She'd rather skip the headache and he just tell her.
"In the last five years, Gadreel had gained acclaim as a textile leader. Thanks to our abundance of fabric from the Textile firms' tailors and seamstresses create bespoke suits and couture dresses. I want you to host a fashion show in our home, to show off all the exquisite fabric and clothing in Gadreel," Will said.
Before the textile revolution in Gadreel. Most clothes in Fermion and Albania were made by hand. Women would spend hours making clothes for their husbands, children, and themselves.
If there was a tear or rip, it was the woman's responsibility to sew and stitch the tear.
Now many women worked in the textile factories. They would work eight-hour shifts, receive a steady wage, and had less to do on their plate. While this was not a win for women's rights, it did provide women with some economic freedom.
The great benefit to textile firms, was it decreased the price of fabric. Working-class women could now afford to buy a dress instead of making it.
Not only was the textile industry a boon to working-class citizens, but also Will. That was because the textile firms required electricity to operate, and Will monopolized the electric utility.
Five years ago, after the wedding, Will was slammed with orders for indoor lights. The Bourgeois, nobles, churches, academy, and businesses all wanted electric lights.
Will personally installed the lights. This only increased the demand for lighting in Gadreel. People lined up, to spend personal time with the City Lord.
Light bills were due monthly, and soon Silver Phoenix Energy and Utility rivaled his casino revenue. Of course, all of Will's businesses, city buildings, and city guard posts all had electric lights. Lights became a status symbol of the nobility and wealthy merchants.
Thanks to electricity, inexpensive textiles flooded Fermion, Albania, and the Tribal Lands.
Indeed, one of life's greatest pleasures was to own a bespoke suit or a fine couture dress.
To drive demand, Will had Elizabeth airship Queen Ashley Maria weekly shipments of couture gowns.
It worked like a charm. It wasn't long before other ladies began to copy the queen's fashion. Only in Gadreel could you fine over 20 different fabric materials. Noblewomen couldn't spend their money fast enough. In the end, much of it came back to Will in the form of taxes.
As the fabric boom grew, it created a virtuous cycle, tailors and dressmakers were able to afford their storefronts. Will was the first to spot this trend and incentivize tailors and dressmakers with tax credits to open their shops in Seville Row Fabric District. Seville Row Fabric District was near the casino, theatre, horse track, and auction.
After breakfast was over, Elizabeth quickly began to mobilize. First, she asked Will to open a spatial gate to Yorkshire. The first-person Elizabeth wanted to discuss the idea with was her mother.
For Elizabeth, there was no greater socialite in Terra than her mother, Charlette vont Whitby. Elizabeth knew if she could get her mother and Queen Ashley Maria, her aunt, to agree to attend then the fashion show would gain traction among women in society.
After a day, Elizabeth returned to Gadreel victorious. Both her mother and the queen were smitten with the idea and readily agreed to come. Charlotte also agreed to co-host the fashion show. It had been five years since the mother-daughter duo planned Elizabeth's wedding.
After confirming her mother and the queen, Elizabeth sought the aid of the women who served on the Endowment for the Arts.
Elizabeth's last stop was the Savile Row. In truth, Elizabeth enjoyed taking Camille to the modiste. As she watched Camille trying on dresses and gowns, it reminded Elizabeth of when her mother made her do the same. Afterward, Elizabeth would take Camille for candies.
As Elizabeth looked at shops in Savile Row, a sense of excitement riled up inside her. She looked forward to the fashion show. In a short time, all the modiste agreed to join the fashion show. Elizabeth felt giddy in anticipation.
However, as she met with the shop owners, they expressed disappointment with the Silver Phoenix's General Store's inexpensive clothes.
While clothiers sold expensively bespoke and couture clothing meant for gentlemen and ladies, Will's general stores sold clothes for the working men, women, and children.
Will's general stores were the largest retailer of clothes in the country. That was a fact that was not lost by the other merchants of general stores.
Several merchants had written Will strongly worded letters, because, unlike Will's general stores, they had to pay tariffs to transport goods out of Friendship Valley.
Thanks to selling clothes duty-free, Will's general stores held an advantage.
The merchants tried to sue Will through the Merchants Guild, but the tariffs were a result of a bilateral treaty.
Elizabeth promised to speak to Will on their behalf before leaving quickly with Sasha.
Two months later, it was time for the fashion show.
The fashion was held in the glasshouse, where Elizabeth had gotten married. It was mid-autumn, although it was a mild day, autumn was unpredictable.
When the orchestra began, that was the signal to begin the fashion show. Each modiste was tasked to bring ten gowns, dresses, and models.
With almost 30 modistes presenting their clothes, the ladies joyfully evaluated each article of clothing. Some fashion designers earned applause, others not a single clap.
Elizabeth included all the well know dressmakers, but a few were not yet famous. However, this fashion show would serve as their springboard to success. Even better she received several hundreds of thousands in donations to support hungry families.
After the fashion show, Elizabeth provided evening entertainment by hosting a grand ball. Elizabeth received a groundswell of support. Even Queen Ashley Maria lauded Elizabeth for such a creative and joyous event.
Wives of upwardly merchants, financiers, minor aristocrats, and successful tradespeople were clamoring to receive an invite to the second fashion show. Although the fashion show became a huge success, regretfully it was another five years until the second fashion show was held.
REFLEXIONES DE LOS CREADORES 
MightyEagle
MightyEagle I like Elizabeth's desire to help those who are unfortunate. Based on my rudimentary writing skills, I hope you see this is common amoung Light Mages.
As a writer I believe her character gives Will a good counter balance. Will's greed vs. Elizabeth's compasion. I try to show ways where they can work together and against each other.
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