章節 36: Chapter 36: The Royal Family
"Of course, beautiful Miss Ella."
Barron's predecessor also participated in many dances, so ballroom dances such as waltz were not a problem for him at all.
After the girl gently raised her hand, he performed a gentlemanly salute, half-held her slender hand, and the two walked onto the dance floor.
It has to be said that Gabrielle's dancing was indeed elegant and skillful. Under her leadership, Barron's previous incarnation's memory was revived, and he gradually got into the state from being a little unfamiliar at the beginning.
"Your Highness, your movements are very standard. I am really happy to meet you today."
After the dance, Gabriel said this softly to Barron.
"Just call me Barron, Miss Ella. I'm honored to meet you. I've always heard that the Kent family is home to beautiful women. Now that I've seen you..."
"Are you disappointed?"
"Of course not. I can only say that you are worthy of your reputation. You are the most dazzling one in the dance."
Although she knew that Barron's words were mostly flattery, Gabrielle was still very happy. She took the champagne glass from Barron and smiled sweetly:
"So you recognized me a long time ago..."
"To be honest, I was just amazed at first. It wasn't until you told me your name that I realized it was you."
Of course, his words were not far from the truth, because he had realized that because his predecessor had no interest in aristocratic traditions and those families, these became Barron's weaknesses in participating in social activities at this time.
Therefore, before attending the ball, he asked Yulia to find all the information he could about nobles and their family members, including some photos.
Fortunately, Barron's memory seemed to have been strengthened after coming to this time and space. After reading the information several times, the effect of "cramming" was still very significant. At the dance, he was able to connect many people's faces with the information.
This included the girl in front of him, Gabrielle Windsor, who was born into the royal family.
She is the great-granddaughter of King George V - Gabrielle's grandfather was George V's fourth son, the Duke of Kent, so her father is the Queen's cousin.
The Kent family now lives in Kensington Palace, where many royal members live. Although she is born into a royal family and Gabrielle's father is Prince Michael and the Duke of Kent, as the youngest daughter, she still has aristocratic status but can no longer be called a princess.
In the final analysis, up to now, the Kent family can only be regarded as marginal members of the royal family. For example, Gabriel is still one of the heirs to the British king in theory, but he can only be ranked 50th in the succession sequence...
Moreover, this year, the British Parliament began to cut royal expenses. Apart from direct royal family members, the Kent family, who continue to live in Kensington Palace, will have to pay rent according to the market price - about 12,000 pounds per month!
The reason given by the Parliament is that Kensington Palace has been around for a long time, and the rent paid by the princes and princesses living there is nothing compared to the annual maintenance cost of 17.8 million pounds.
"Is Miss Ella in school now?"
"Since I call you Barron, you can call me Ella..."
Gabrielle blushed slightly under Barron's deep gaze, and she gently lifted her hair:
"I'm currently studying at Oxford University. I just had my holiday a short while ago. I came here with my sister today..."
"Wow, you are amazing, Ella. It turns out that you are not only beautiful, but also full of wisdom. I really envy you..."
In this way, the two had a great conversation and exchanged contact information.
"Miss Windsor, I'm sorry to bother you. I'll borrow His Royal Highness the Duke's luggage for a while. Don't worry, I'll return it to you soon..."
At some point, Viscount Bute appeared beside the two of them. His words made Gabriel smile shyly:
"As you please, Lord Bute. I'll go see my sister and won't disturb you from talking."
Watching her say goodbye to the two of them and leave in a graceful manner, Viscount Bute winked at Barron:
"A noble and charming girl, isn't she? If I were not married, I would also be fascinated by her. Your Highness, I think we should have a good talk."
"That's exactly what I was hoping for."
Walking through the hall with Ian Boot, Barron could once again feel how popular the other person was in this social circle, and people kept greeting him.
Among them are other nobles, wealthy businessmen, bankers and politicians. It can be said that Barron still needs to do more to increase his network in these aspects.
"Please take a seat, Your Highness."
Finally, they found a relatively quiet corner and sat on the sofa opposite. Ian Boot said,
"Regarding the land in King's Cross, I know you want to conduct a cooperative development, so I have the opportunity today and would like to hear your opinion."
"In fact, Lord Bute, my idea is to develop that land. As for whether to cooperate with others or develop it alone, it has not been finalized. And whether it is necessary to start the development there immediately also needs to be further evaluated."
Hearing Barron's words, Viscount Bute frowned slightly and looked at Barron:
"I feel like we have taken another big step back, Your Highness."
"My attitude at all times is that cooperation is based on honesty. Your Excellency, after I received some news about King's Cross, I became somewhat pessimistic about the prospects of our cooperation."
Under Barron's gaze, he caught the instant dilation of Viscount Bute's pupils, and he still replied in a calm voice:
"I can understand that there are always some noises that disturb our judgment. Before the news is finally confirmed, the risks still exist..."
"I have talked to His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales about the King's Cross area before. He is very interested in it. You know, His Royal Highness has always been interested in architecture... well, the neoclassical style. He also considered trying it in the renovation project of the abandoned gas tanks."
Barron turned to this topic, and Viscount Bute's expression finally changed slightly. He sighed and said,
"To be frank, Your Highness, no matter what the cooperation conditions I proposed for that plot of land were at first, after meeting you, I think we will be a very good match... My friend, I really hope to establish a friendship with you. I can guarantee that no matter what your choice of partner is, among the other options, our family will be the most sincere one. Of course, these all require time to be confirmed by each party. I hope that after this, we will be open and honest in our cooperation and offer our sincerity."
"I agree with this. In my choice, I also tend to find a partner to jointly develop the land. After all, we are a rookie in the real estate industry. This is why I am hesitant about whether to hastily develop the land in the short term. You know, the land will always be there. It doesn't make much difference to me whether to start sooner or later. But if there is a suitable partner, then the final decision will definitely be tilted."
"so..."
Viscount Bute extended his hand to Barron:
"I think we should start over with the utmost sincerity. I can reveal one thing: the surrounding area of that piece of land is not that simple. It involves a very wide range of areas."
Looking at the hand extended by the other party, Barron and Ian Boot looked at each other for a while, and finally shook hands with him:
"I prefer win-win, Your Excellency, rather than eating alone, especially when what is taken away belongs to us."
"I look forward to cooperating with you more frankly, but I have taken up too much of your time today. I see that the ladies have been looking over here frequently. I wish you a good night, Your Highness."
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