Tina was certainly not holding back at all. Her little tricks were coming one after another, with a clear intent to win William over right now.
William finally managed to calm down and silently recited a prayer, "Okay, okay, take me to see other places. It's been ten years since I've been back, and I've forgotten a lot of spots."
William pulled his hand out of Tina's embrace and quickly walked out. He couldn't stay with Tina any longer. Her behavior today was overwhelming, and he hadn't been intimate for months.
Seeing William hastily leave the room, Tina snorted, thinking, "Run away all you want, but I am your rightful wife. Others can only be considered mistresses. If we hadn't been apart for ten years, I might have already married you."
As William stepped out of the bedroom, Tina quickly followed, clutching his arm as they began to tour the ancient castle.
After spending over an hour exploring the main castle, William led Tina outside. When they reached the garden, William was excited to see a six-meter-high, three-meter-wide statue of a grand angel. This was the place where his grandfather Henry had hinted the secret was hidden.
The statue was 750 years old, created specifically when the Oxford Ordinance was signed. The original stone base had deteriorated, and the current bronze base was added over 270 years ago.
The bronze base was cast and welded onto four pieces of granite, each weighing over ten tons. In ancient times, no one could have stolen the bronze base. Even modern cranes would struggle to lift the combined weight of these four pieces of granite, totaling more than 60 tons.
The core secret of the Devonshire family was so openly placed in this garden that no one would suspect the Oxford Ordinance was hidden inside this base, enduring centuries of exposure to the elements.
William touched the tarnished bronze base. The lion head on it could actually rotate. By pressing certain mechanisms inside the lion's eyes and mouth, he could turn a copper disk between the angel's feet. Rotating it twice towards two corners of the castle would open it.
While Tina was not paying attention, William reached into the lion's mouth and pressed the mechanism. Fortunately, it hadn't been tampered with. William decided to come back at midnight to retrieve the Oxford Ordinance placed there by Henry. He needed to photograph it and show it to the Duke of Devonshire. As for the other secrets, they would remain buried in his heart from now on.
"William, what's so interesting about this ugly, dusty statue? Let's go look at the flowers I chose for the garden," Tina tugged at William, leading him to see the flowers she had planted, completely oblivious to the significance of the statue he was examining.
As they walked through the garden, they saw William's mother, Lena, approaching.
Tina, upon seeing Lena, let go of William's arm and ran over to cling to Lena, sweetly speaking to her. Lately, Tina had been trying to win Lena's favor. It was clear that Lena's attitude towards her was much different here than it was in London. Tina was smart enough to understand that Lena's approval was crucial for her relationship with William. If Lena disapproved, marrying William would be very difficult, even if he wanted to.
Tina was confident in her ability to win William's heart. They had grown up together, and from their recent interactions, Tina could sense that William had a good impression of her. However, she was concerned about how William seemed hesitant and often avoided contact with her. This made her wonder if she wasn't attractive enough or if William preferred more mature women.
"William, now that the castle has been renovated, the most pressing issue is finding a butler. The previous head butler has passed away, and his son is now working for another noble family. I've been searching for months but haven't found a suitable replacement. The maids and servants have been making decisions on their own, which isn't good in the long run," Lena said worriedly.
This was indeed a troublesome matter. The butler family that had served the Devonshire family for generations was now working for another noble. Unless that noble went bankrupt or lost their title, they would never come back to serve his family.
"Mom, I really don't have any solutions for this. We'll have to look for one at the butler academy in London," William replied. Such generational butler families were in high demand, especially in the USA.
Lena suggested hesitantly, "What about using the Earl's current butler?"
William immediately dismissed the idea. "No, Mom, I can't use the Earl's butler. I can't be sure if the current Earl harbors any ill will towards me or Grandfather Henry. I can't risk allowing someone with uncertain loyalties into the castle. I'll also hire a professional investigation firm to vet the current maids and servants. Anyone with issues will have to be dismissed."
"Alright, William, you handle it as you see fit. I can't help much with this. It's almost noon; when are the guests arriving?" Lena asked.
William checked his watch. It was almost 12 o'clock. Anthony and the others should be arriving soon. William took out his phone and dialed a number.
"Hello, Boss."
"Anthony, how long until you get here? It's almost noon, and I want to prepare lunch for you all," William said.
"Boss, there's no need for that. We plan to have lunch in Oxford and then head to the castle. We didn't bring any gifts on our first visit, and it wouldn't be appropriate to come empty-handed," Anthony politely declined.
"No need for formalities. There aren't so many rules here. I'm not a noble heir raised with those traditions. Just consider it a friendly visit. How many of you are coming?" William insisted.
"Really, Boss, it's fine. There are more than ten of us. It would be awkward to just show up and eat. We'll have lunch in Oxford and be at your place by around 1:30 PM," Anthony declined again.
William thought for a moment. Unlike in China, where inviting guests over for a meal was casual, in Europe, it was a more formal affair, usually planned ahead and with gifts. The English weren't as hospitable in this way.
"Alright then, Anthony. If you insist, I won't push. I'll be waiting at the castle."
"Okay, Boss. See you in the afternoon."
After hanging up, William turned to his mother. "They won't be coming for lunch, Mom. Let's just eat by ourselves."
"Alright, William. What would you like for lunch? How about some grilled salmon?" Lena asked.
"Anything is fine, Mom. Whatever you want to eat. Tina, what about you? Tell Mom what you want," William said, turning to Tina.
Before Tina could reply, Lena interjected, "Don't worry about her. She's been saying she wants to control her weight. She'll have salad, fruit, and milk, with a small piece of grilled salmon."
William looked at Tina, whose figure was already perfect, and asked, "Tina, you look great as you are. Why are you dieting?"
Tina wrinkled her nose and said, "I still need to watch my weight. If I get fat, you won't love me."
"Alright, suit yourself. Just be mindful of your diet. Oh, Mom, I'm still growing, and my appetite has increased significantly. Please make extra food; I don't want to go hungry," William said to his mother.
"No wonder you've grown so much taller in the past three months. Alright, I'll take care of it," Lena replied, heading to the kitchen to prepare lunch.
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