Chapter 91: The Secret Treasure Box
This girl Tina was really something else. With just a few simple tricks, she had managed to stir up a storm, leaving William in his current flustered state.
William finally calmed himself down, silently chanting a mantra in his head. "Alright, alright, let's go see the rest of the castle. I haven't been back in ten years, so I've forgotten many of the rooms."
William pulled his hand free from Tina's grasp and walked out quickly. He didn't dare stay alone with her any longer. The way she was acting today made him feel like a starving man being tempted with a feast.
Seeing William flee the room, Tina huffed. *Hmph, you think you can escape my grasp that easily? I've already decided I'm going to marry you.*
Spotting William leaving the bedroom, she hurried after him, linking her arm through his again as they began to tour the castle.
After spending more than an hour exploring the main building, William led Tina outside. As they entered the garden, William's eyes were drawn to a six-meter-high, three-meter-wide statue. This was it—the secret his grandfather Henry had told him about was here.
The statue was 750 years old, specially commissioned at the time the Provisions of Oxford were signed. The original stone base had been broken long ago and replaced with the current bronze one over 270 years ago. The base was anchored by more than forty tons of granite poured into the ground, a measure taken in ancient times to prevent anyone from stealing the valuable bronze.
The core secret of the Devonshire family was hidden here in this garden, right out in the open. No one would ever suspect that the Provisions of Oxford were hidden inside this base, which had been weathered by wind and rain for centuries.
He reached out and touched the rust-covered bronze. The copper lion head on it could actually be rotated. By pressing the lion's eyes and a hidden mechanism in its upper jaw, a copper disc in the middle of the large angel statue would turn, opening secret passages in two corners of the castle.
When Tina wasn't looking, William reached out and slipped his hand into the copper lion's mouth, pressing the mechanism in its upper jaw. Thankfully, it hadn't been touched. William decided he would wait until the middle of the night to retrieve the copy of the Provisions of Oxford that Henry had placed in the base. He would give that to his grandfather, the Earl of Devonshire. As for the other secrets, they would have to remain buried in his heart from now on.
"Brother William, what's so interesting about this statue? It's all dusty and drab, and frankly, it's ugly. Come on, let's go look at the flowers I picked out for the garden," Tina said, pulling William away to see the flowerbeds she had planted. William gave the statue one last meaningful glance before following her.
As William was admiring the garden with Tina, he saw his mother, Lina, walking toward them.
The moment Tina saw her mother, she let go of William's arm and ran to take Lina's hand. She had been trying to please Lina all day, knowing that her mother's attitude toward her had changed. The girl was actually quite clever; she knew that when it came to her and William, Lina was the ultimate authority. If Lina disapproved, it would be very difficult for William to marry her, even if he wanted to.
Tina was still very confident she could win William's heart. They were childhood sweethearts, and during their time together recently, she could sense that he still had feelings for her. The only thing that worried her was that William seemed very wary of her, always keeping his distance. It made Tina doubt herself. Was she not beautiful enough? Or did William prefer women who were more mature and stable?
"William, now that the castle has been refurbished, the most urgent thing we need is a new housekeeper," Lina said worriedly. "The old housekeeper passed away, and his son now serves another noble family. I've been looking for months but can't find a suitable replacement. Right now, the maids and servants are making many decisions themselves. That can't go on for long."
Ugh, this was a real headache. The family of butlers that had served the Devonshire family for over a dozen generations was now employed by another noble house. Unless the nobles they currently served were stripped of their titles, they would never transfer their services back to him.
William sighed. "Mom, I really can't help with this. The only option is to look for graduates from the butler colleges in London." This generation of hereditary butlers was in high demand everywhere, especially in the United States.
Lina asked hesitantly, "Then what about using the Earl of Poustone's current housekeeper?"
Hearing this, William immediately rejected the idea. "No, Mother. I will never use the Earl of Poustone's housekeeper. I don't trust the current earl. For all I know, he could be as ruthless as Grandfather Henry was. I can't risk an 'accident' happening in the castle. In fact, I need to hire a professional investigation company to vet all the current maids and servants. Anyone with a questionable background must be dismissed."
"Alright, William, I'll leave you to handle it. Mom can't help you much with these things. It's almost noon. When are your guests arriving?" Lina asked.
William checked his watch; it was nearly 12:00. Anthony should be arriving soon. He took out his phone to call him.
The call connected. "Hello?"
"Anthony, how far out are you? It's almost noon, and I've had lunch prepared for you," William said.
"Boss, you shouldn't have gone to the trouble. We're going to eat in Oxford and then head to the castle. It's everyone's first visit, and it wouldn't be right to show up empty-handed," Anthony replied tactfully.
"No, I don't have so many rules. I wasn't raised like a typical nobleman's child. It doesn't matter, just come as you are," William insisted.
"It's really not necessary, Boss. There are more than a dozen of us today. It wouldn't be right for all of us to impose on you like that. We'll have lunch in Oxford and see you at the castle around 1:30."
William thought for a moment. Europe was different from China. Arriving at someone's home for a meal was a formal affair. You had to make arrangements in advance and bring gifts. Only very close friends could drop by unannounced, and his relationship with his men wasn't quite at that level yet.
"Alright, Anthony, since you insist, I won't force you. I'll be waiting for you at the castle."
"Okay, Boss. See you this afternoon."
Hanging up the phone, William said to his mother, "They're not coming for lunch. Let's just eat by ourselves."
"Alright, William. What would you like to eat? How about some grilled salmon?" Lina asked.
"Anything is fine with me. I'll eat whatever you're having. Tina, what do you want? Tell your aunt," William said, turning to Tina.
Before Tina could speak, Lina said, "Don't mind her. She's been saying for days that she needs to control her weight. She can only have vegetable and fruit salads and milk. I'll give her a small piece of grilled salmon."
William looked at Tina's already slender figure and asked in confusion, "Tina, you're in great shape. Why are you on a diet?"
Tina wrinkled her nose. "I have to be careful. If I get fat, you definitely won't love me anymore."
"Well, if you insist on dieting, that's up to you," William said, then turned to his mother. "By the way, Mom, I'm still growing, and my appetite is several times larger than it used to be. Please make some extra for me, or it won't be enough."
"No wonder you've grown so much these past three months. Alright, I know," Lina said, heading to the kitchen to prepare their lunch.
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