The Shadow of Great Britain-Chapter 603 - 303: Business Competition? _2

Mr. Lowey, upon hearing these words, became so furious that he picked up his cane and repeatedly tapped it on the floor, "Roseville, you old clockmaker, what do you know about municipal construction? Are you planning on laying a road on King Street with pocket watches? You damned fool, you can’t even keep the clocks in the church towers running on time, and you’re not afraid of God’s wrath, ready to take your wretched life!"

Roseville retorted sarcastically, "That’s right! You know about municipal construction. Ever since you stopped running ships, you’ve been studying the streets every day. After more than a decade of research, the road you’ve paved, the moment it rains, can splash mud up my pant leg—that’s the construction quality of your construction company."

Hearing this, Lowey’s face turned red with anger as he insisted, "That’s only because the municipal committee’s allocation of construction funds is incorrect! If that bunch of bastardly bureaucrats would pay at least seventy percent of the construction funds like the customs authorities do for Brunswick Docks, I guarantee the streets of Liverpool could be better paved than Westminster Palace’s hall!"

Seeing their old associate getting worked up, others hurriedly interjected to calm him down.

"Lowey, you’re a professional at this. If this plan really comes to fruition, it’s mostly your company that will win the bid. We others, with no experience, even if we got the project in the end and had to find planners and construction workers at the last minute, we wouldn’t be able to pull together a team!"

"Roseville, you should give it a rest too. A watchmaker like you, why are you meddling with construction? What’s it to you?"

Roseville adjusted his tie disdainfully and said, "I didn’t want to speak up initially. But Mr. Lowey’s disrespectful attitude towards Mr. Hasting is something I can’t stand to watch. I don’t know what kind of crude person would propose, at a gentlemanly gathering, to do away with Britain’s most talented young musician and researcher in the field of electromagnetism."

"Musician? Researcher?"

"When did that young fellow pick up those two titles?"

Seeing everyone confused, Roseville couldn’t help but feel a bit smug. He feigned surprise and said, "You really don’t know? Oh, my apologies, I almost forgot. Although all present here are cultured Liverpool gentlemen, not every gentleman is passionate about scientific pursuits and musical arts. However, I suggest that everyone should still pay some attention to these areas so as not to end up like Lowey here, exuding the air of a vulgar nouveau riche from head to toe."

Roseville hadn’t been smug for long when, at that end, the always silent and observant old Gladstone suddenly spoke up sarcastically, "Robert, speaking of which, how did you come to know about Mr. Hasting’s other identities? It wouldn’t be Catherine who told you, would it?"

Roseville didn’t care that old Gladstone had pierced the truth; far from caring, the old watchmaker even took the opportunity to elevate his daughter’s value.

"Yes, it was my girl who told me. She has always been fond of science and music. Whenever there’s a novelty in London, she wants to bring it back and delve into it. Take the phonograph, for example; as soon as it came out, she pleaded with me to buy her one. Although it’s quite expensive, and we also had to buy the records that come with it, what’s a little money to cultivate her refined taste? Though Catherine wasn’t born into the nobility, the upbringing I provide for her is absolutely of noble calibre."

Gladstone, who had merely wanted to snark at the disagreeable old fellow, couldn’t believe his ears when Roseville dared to compare their children’s education. As always competitive, old Gladstone felt a surge of rivalry.

He deliberately avoided looking at Roseville, merely sipping tea with an unbothered air, "Oh? Is that so? Did Catherine attend Harrow or Eton College, and did she study at Cambridge or Oxford in England? Or perhaps in Scotland at Edinburgh or Glasgow? Oh, if all else fails, attending the University of London like Mr. Hasting wouldn’t be too bad either. With Lord High Chancellor Brougham backing it, it still has some semblance of prominence."

Upon hearing this, Roseville was so enraged he nearly choked.

Gladstone knew full well that Harrow, Eton College, Cambridge, Oxford, and the universities he mentioned did not admit women. Even the most progressive University of London at the time only allowed women to audit classes occasionally.

By asking such questions, he was clearly picking a fight.

But Roseville also understood why that old fox was nitpicking at everything he did; it was nothing more than an attempt to sabotage the budding romance between his son and Gladstone’s daughter.

Knowing exactly where to strike, Roseville delivered a precise blow, "Indeed, as a young lady, Catherine certainly can’t compare with a talented young man like William in terms of knowledge and insight. But because she lacks in this area, she needs a capable husband to guide her forward even more. Fortunately, although Catherine isn’t highly educated, her taste in music closely aligns with William’s. John, please convey my thanks to William for me; I am extremely grateful that he was willing to heed my daughter’s impudent request and ask Mr. Hasting for a score signed by Mr. Chopin, aptly named ’To Hasting’."

Gladstone, having initially thought that old Roseville had finally given up, was shocked when the narrative took an unexpected turn, and he nearly spit out the tea he had sipped into Roseville’s face.