After the party, the Protector Military Company received more support from the British military and government. As long as they could provide enough jobs for veterans and avoid causing chaos to British society, they would be able to win more military contracting orders in Iraq.
Moreover, within the UK, the Protectorate security department can also compete for some police outsourcing orders and be given a certain priority.
At the same time, some personnel from the Ministry of Defense, the military and the Prime Minister also learned about some of the achievements of the Mars Fund and participated in the investment in this private equity fund under various names.
Well, just normal investing.
In the future, in response to the growing demand for employment in Iraq, the Protector Military Company will also increase its hiring.
It is expected that by the end of this year, the number of personnel they will send to Iraq will exceed 1,500.
You know, at the beginning of the war, the British army alone sent as many as 45,000 troops to Iraq at its peak.
According to information revealed to him by the Duke of Westminster, it is expected that by next year, the British military presence in Iraq will be reduced to less than 20,000.
The vacancies will need to be filled by at least 5,000 armed personnel from private military companies.
The benefit of using personnel from private military companies, besides reducing maintenance costs, is that in terms of public opinion, they are not considered as the country's armed forces, which can calm some anti-war voices.
Of course, these supplements will definitely not all be monopolized by the Protector Military Company.
But in addition to this, as Barron mentioned at this party, as allies who have fought together and worked hard for you, you Americans have to give some orders to our private companies, otherwise don't blame us for closing down.
He also knew that as some of Blackwater's scandals against civilians were exposed one after another, Blackwater would be quickly driven out of Iraq after the coalition forces handed over Iraq to their transitional government.
Then the Protector Military Company, which has always been demanding on military discipline, will naturally be able to obtain many of these orders.
However, this alone is not a drop in the bucket compared to the more than 100,000 retired British soldiers, but it is still a big difference.
The Protector Military Company is also preparing to increase its security business in the UK. Today, it also received a commitment from the Prime Minister's Office in this regard that it can help them obtain some local police outsourcing contracts.
As for the problem of retired soldiers that still cannot be completely solved?
That's enough. I can't do everything myself. Solving some of the problems is enough to deal with the criticism from the public.
…
"How was your day, baby?"
At night, Barron naturally returned to his residence to accompany Bonnie.
Before coming back, I went to the Devonshire Hotel to see the Hester sisters. That afternoon, accompanied by Wang Wanting, they went to London to visit shopping malls including Harrods, Selfridges and York Square, and it seemed that they had gained a lot.
"Yes, Victoria even invited me to her home, where I met her two little babies. They were so cute..."
When he heard Bonnie bring up the topic of "baby", Barron calmly changed the subject:
"By the way, honey, you have a vacation right now. I want to go on vacation with you. Where do you want to go? France? Italy? Or somewhere else..."
"Let me think..."
Bonnie leaned in Barron's arms, thought for a moment, and said,
"Italy. The temperature in Sicily is good right now, much warmer than London. But it may take a week. I will use this time to finish Love Island."
She hesitated for a moment and asked:
"Will you bring your cousin with you then?"
"It's just the two of us, baby, and I want to spend some time alone together."
Hearing Barron's words, Bonnie smiled sweetly and offered him a kiss.
…
Now that she and Barron had already decided to go on vacation to Italy, Bonnie started working on the final editing of Love Island from the next day.
Barron went to the Devonshire Hotel, picked up the Hearst sisters, and the convoy drove to Chatsworth House.
At this time, Chatsworth House has completed most of the renovation work, and the entire house looks brand new compared to when Barron first came here.
When the convoy entered the Chatsworth House, they were able to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the house through the car windows.
"This is a unique experience. Coming here is like entering the TV series Downton Abbey..."
It can be seen that compared to Amanda, Lydia is more fascinated by "Downton Abbey". When she could see the manor house from afar, she began to cheer.
She told Barron:
"It feels like I'm about to visit the Grantham family and be their guest."
"That's not wrong in a sense, but this time you're visiting the Devonshire family and will be our distinguished guest."
Barron said to her with a smile.
"I am very happy. It is a dream come true, especially in the company of the Duke of Devonshire."
When the group got off the car, they saw the manor servants standing in two rows at the door of the mansion to greet them.
Wherever Barron looked, he found that many faces were slightly unfamiliar - after all, when the family's financial situation was not good, some servants had resigned and left, and in recent times, he had returned here only a few times, and most of them left after staying for a day or two.
"Your Excellency the Duke, welcome home, and to the two beautiful ladies, it is an honor to greet you."
Standing at the front of the team is still the butler Sean. He and the housekeeper Riley behind him can be said to be the two people Barron is most familiar with at this time.
At this time, the Hester sisters also performed aristocratic salute to the butler in accordance with the scene in "Downton Abbey", which was quite professional.
The ancestors of many wealthy families in America came from Europe, just like the Hearst family, whose ancestors were descendants of the Dutch.
This kind of life of British aristocrats is somewhat different from the life that the Hearst sisters have accepted since childhood. The various rituals with historical background are fascinating.
Especially in the magnificent North Wing Restaurant, being served by numerous servants, if you imagine that nearly 170 years ago, Queen Victoria, who was still a little girl, once sat in their place and attended a formal social banquet for the first time...
In the nearly 400-year history of Chatsworth House, countless famous figures in British history have dined here...
It feels like I have become part of history.
…
While the Hearst sisters were visiting Chatsworth House, Barron also received news that the cargo ship carrying the special operations team and the female "important person" was about to arrive in the waters near Northern Ireland, and was expected to reach Billoux Castle tomorrow.
As for the Bilu Castle, preparations have also been made and a "cozy bedroom" has been prepared in the basement for the "distinguished" guest.
"Barron, what do you think?"
After hanging up the phone, Barron heard Amanda's question and looked in the direction of the voice...
"Very beautiful, Amanda, this dress suits you very well."
At this time, Amanda was wearing a long dress. The intricate design of the dress was exactly the same as the gorgeous dresses that the women of those families had worn before and were collected in Chatsworth House.
After cleaning and restoration, Chatsworth House currently has a collection of nearly a thousand dresses and gowns of various styles, some of which also appeared in the filming of "Downton Abbey".
After seeing these collections, Amanda and Lydia, as women, were immediately fascinated by the diverse and gorgeous dresses.
It is said that fashion is a circle. A fashion style that was popular a long time ago will become popular again in an unknown period of time.
These collections at Chatsworth House seem to be completely unaffected by the changing times, and even now they still look so noble and beautiful.
Therefore, the sisters couldn't help but want to try on these dresses and experience the gorgeous attire that the nobles once wore.
Of course, these complicated dresses are often not so easy to put on. Generally speaking, someone's assistance is needed. Both Amanda and Delia were put on with the help of the manor's maid.
For women, wearing these gorgeous dresses is not just an experience, of course they also need to take some beautiful photos to be satisfied.
To this end, Barron specially found a female photographer from a nearby town for the Hearst sisters to help them capture every gorgeous and beautiful moment in Chatsworth House.
"Last night, my sister confessed her love to you, right, Duke Barron?"
While Amanda was taking pictures in the next room, Lydia sat down next to Barron and whispered to him.
"Uh, Lydia..."
It was indeed as Lydia said. Last night, when Barron and Amanda were alone together, the girl boldly hugged her and expressed her love to him.
But Barron naturally wouldn't tell Lydia the details, and it wasn't convenient for him to do so. Although he didn't know how the girl knew it, did Amanda tell her, or did she guess it herself?
"You know, I had a girlfriend before, and although we had some arguments before, we calmed down for a while, but now..."
"I know all this. It was Ms. Stuart who published Downton Abbey with you. But my sister just wants a chance to compete. That's not too much."
"Well..."
It seems that Lydia knows more than he thought...
"I just don't want to hurt Amanda. After all, she is so innocent and kind."
"But I think you're hurting her by rejecting her, Barron..."
Lydia glanced in Amanda's direction, then looked at Barron with her beautiful eyes, her face slightly red, and said softly:
"Actually, I also hope to have such an opportunity..."
In fact, in Barron's opinion, Lydia is slightly better than Amanda in terms of appearance and figure alone.
He could also feel the other person's closeness to him.
But before this, Barron still regarded the other party as a fan's small admiration for his idol, but he did not expect that at this time, the girl would boldly confess her love to him.
"Lidya, this…I don't want you to be so impulsive and reckless."
If Barron said he wasn't moved by the confession of such a beautiful girl, he must be lying to himself.
Well, the sisters are certainly attractive, but from Bonnie and the Viscountess, Barron also knows that it is not so easy. If you are not careful, you may end up with nothing...
Moreover, the Hester sisters and the Stuart sisters are somewhat different. After all, the families behind Amanda and Lydia are not that simple...
No matter where it is, the power of a family with a scale close to tens of billions of dollars, especially its power in the local area, cannot be underestimated.
Although Barron is lustful, he is still rational, which is why he gave Lydia such advice.
"I'm not impulsive, Barron. I know what I'm doing. And unlike Amanda, I don't care that you have a girlfriend. I just want to be with you..."
Lydia leaned towards Barron, raised her head slightly, got close to him, and closed her eyes...
I have to say, in this scene, sister Amanda was taking photos next door, and I was here, facing my sister Lydia's initiative to kiss...
It's really exciting...
But no matter how exciting it is, this kind of thing has consequences!
So Barron watched her slowly approach him. She had already closed her eyes, and he could still see her eyelashes trembling slightly...
At this time, he took a deep breath...
Then kissed...
But after just a quick taste, Barron stopped.
It wasn't because of Lidya's awkwardness, but because after the light kiss, her face turned red, her eyes were blurry, and she felt like she was drunk…
If it's so obvious...Amanda was just taking pictures and would be out in a moment, wouldn't it be noticed right away?
"Barron..."
As expected, Amanda came into the room with her voice:
"I've finished taking the photos. Let Lydia go over. What are you guys doing..."
Amanda stared at them with wide eyes, only to see that there was a bottle of red wine on the table, and Lydia was holding a wine glass with a flushed face.
"Well, Lydia thinks that the photos will turn out better when you are slightly tipsy."
"Is that so?"
Amanda looked at Lydia and saw her cousin nodded, which looked very cute.
She smiled and said,
"Then I'll try it later... But Lydia is like this, she blushes when she drinks a little bit of alcohol."
"Then I'll go take some pictures first..."
Lydia put the glass on the table and stood up. As she walked behind Amanda, she turned around and winked at Barron...
"Amanda, I'm going to Northern Ireland next. There's our family's Billou Castle there. I'll go take a look. Do you want to come with me?"
"Okay, I heard the scenery over there is really beautiful, I'll go with you..."
Amanda grabbed the hem of her skirt with her hands, walked over to sit next to Barron, and looked at him tenderly with her eyes.
"Barron..."
She also glanced at the room where Lydia was. She leaned towards His Royal Highness the Duke, raised her head, got closer, and closed her eyes...