"Do you know about Viscount Bute's invitation to cooperate on a piece of land before, Bonnie?"
Now that she said she wanted to think about it, Barron ate a piece of freshly cut steak and changed the subject.
The steak comes from the farm, it is very fresh and tastes good.
"I don't know about this..."
As if she had thought of something, Bonnie said:
"No wonder my cousin told me about inviting you to the horse race this time. Barron, are you on good terms with my cousin's husband, Viscount Bute?"
Seeing Bonnie's expression slightly... strange when she said this, Barron was a little confused:
"Not really. In fact, I first met him when I attended the Golden Jubilee Celebration. Viscount Bute mentioned that he had discussed cooperation with our family... You know, I have never participated in family affairs before."
"So that's how it is. Fortunately..."
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing, I'm just a little curious. Actually, I seldom go to my cousin's house. Although I have a good relationship with my cousin and she has taken good care of me since I was in college, I seldom come into contact with Viscount Bute, so I feel that fate is a bit strange."
"You mean our encounter?"
Just when the topic of Viscount Bute was being discussed, Barron keenly sensed that Bonnie's attitude was a little strange.
But when he asked, she didn't seem to want to talk more, so Barron didn't ask any further, but just followed Bonnie's words and made a joke.
"Well, I can't come to a conclusion yet..."
Seeing Bonnie wink at him playfully after saying this, Barron raised his glass and clinked it with her.
He shook the wine gently, and the scarlet wine entered his mouth, with a light aftertaste. He put down the glass and asked,
"I am a little curious, Bonnie, what kind of person am I in your eyes?"
Facing Barron's question, Bonnie pondered for a moment and said,
"Actually, when I was in school, whether in high school or college, I also met classmates who were from noble families. I feel that some of them are just like other people - I mean, in many things, they will not take the initiative to tell others about their noble identity, and in daily contact, they will not realize that the other person is a noble child. But some of them feel a little... weird."
"So you think I'm a weird person?"
"Of course not. When I first met you, I knew your identity. But the strange thing is that many times, especially when I came to your manor this time, I felt like I was just friends during the time we were together. That feeling occupied most of the time. Only suddenly did I remember that the person in front of me was a duke and I was chatting with a duke. This feeling often made me feel like Cinderella."
"In fact, you don't need to always care about my status as a duke, Bonnie. Like I told you before, we are already friends, aren't we? Nobility is often just a label. This label will add some glory to people, but I don't need it when facing everyone."
After Barron finished speaking, he saw Bonnie looking at him with a heart-pounding emotion in her eyes:
"Barron, I'm really happy to hear you say this. You know, many people have said this, but looking into your eyes just now, I can feel that your words are sincere. I'm very happy that I can be that special one..."
Having said this, Bonnie seemed a little embarrassed and lowered her head shyly:
"I just said that when you mentioned writing a novel, I was afraid that my ability would disappoint you. Also, I had some doubts about your purpose at the time... But now, I have decided that I am ready to give it a try. I hope that this decision will not make you regret it, and it will not make me regret it either."
"I believe that neither of us will regret it, Bonnie. Let's have a toast and celebrate..."
After taking another sip of red wine, Barron said to the girl,
"I will find a lawyer tomorrow to sort out the relevant agreements, and then we can start."
"That's a bit of a pity. I won't be able to hear your story until tomorrow..."
"Trust me, it will all be worth it."
…
So on the next day, when the Cavendish family's lawyer came to the manor and drafted the contract agreed upon by Barron and Bonnie, the two signed it and the contract was concluded.
According to this contract, the novel dictated by Barron and written and polished by Bonnie will be jointly signed by both of them. Barron will pay Bonnie corresponding remuneration, and ultimately all copyrights of the work will belong to Barron himself. Bonnie will be able to obtain one-third of the income from future publication of the work.
Then, after sending the lawyer away, Barron returned to the study in the manor, put a recorder on the table, and said to Bonnie in front of him:
"This story begins with the sinking of the White Star Cruise Ship Titanic in 1912. At that time, there was a Downton Abbey in Derbyshire, England, where the Earl of Grantham and his family lived..."
Yes, what Barron told Bonnie was the content of the British TV series "Downton Abbey" that he had watched in his previous life.
Downton Abbey is a fictional aristocratic estate in the original drama. In its previous life, the TV series came first, and later another writer was authorized to write a novel of the same name.
The TV series "Downton Abbey" was first released in 2010. The story was created by the famous British screenwriter Julian Fellowes.
The reason why Barron wanted to write it in advance was not because he really wanted to gain some false fame through such a novel that was extremely sophisticated about the life of the aristocrats of that era, but because the previous life of "Downton Abbey" was filmed at Highclere Castle. After the broadcast of this drama, the popularity of the place increased greatly, attracting countless tourists to visit and check in.
If in the future TV series filmed here, the filming location is changed to Chatsworth House which is completely not inferior to there, it will also promote many industries of the family and thus greatly increase the family's income.
Of course, in addition to this, Barron has many other considerations, which need to be carried out step by step later.
The reason why she used a recorder to record the entire process of his narration was that after he spoke, Bonnie could use it to better complete the novel "Downton Abbey".
In addition, these records can also serve as evidence for Barron. If "Downton Abbey" becomes as popular as in the past, and there is any dispute between him and Bonnie because of it, this will be the most favorable evidence for Barron to prove that he is the "creator" of the story.
No matter what, even if the other party is a charming beauty like Bonnie who makes his heart beat, Barron will not trust the other party casually on such a matter of great importance. At any time, he needs to keep enough cards in mind.
In this way, he told Bonnie the content of the first season of "Downton Abbey" as detailed as possible based on his memory. After that, Bonnie could polish it and create the first part of the novel.
Barron was not really good at writing in English - even in his previous life's native language, Chinese, to be honest, he was not very confident about novel writing. And most importantly, he had too many things to do and had no time to write, so it was necessary to find a ghostwriter.
Bonnie is also his most suitable choice so far.
"You're right, Barron. This is a really wonderful story. I can't wait to start writing it now, but I can't wait even more to know what happens next..."
"Well, actually, I just have some ideas for the rest of the story, and I need some time to conceive it, but it should be ready once you finish writing this first part."
Barron spread his hands and said this to Bonnie.
"Barron, you are so lovable and hateful. It seems that I need to work hard to finish these first for the story later. I can see that the prototype of Downton Abbey in your story is Chatsworth Manor. I need to use these two days to learn more about the etiquette and life details of the nobility."
"That's no problem. Bonnie, butler Sean and housekeeper Riley are all experts in this area. You can use them as creative consultants and ask them questions at any time."