He Opened A Matchmaking Agency In 18Th Century London [EN]: Chapter 104

< London in the 18th Century Marriage Agency - Episode 104 >

< Episode 104. To London >

◈ The last day of November, 1777, in Lord Grey’s drawing room.

As news spread that Theo would soon return to London, the wives of Jamaican plantation owners and aristocratic ladies eagerly sought marriage consultations.

Having repeatedly promised to provide marriage counseling, Theo could no longer avoid the commitment.

In the end, he had to dedicate the entire last day of November to consultations, listening to their stories.

*

The endless consultations gradually came to an end, and finally, he sat face to face with the last mother and daughter.

“Mr. Sanderson, just look at my Dorothy. Her nose is so refined, and her eyes are so bright. Isn’t she beautiful? Moreover, she is fluent in French. A French merchant was so impressed after exchanging a few words with her that he asked if she was French. And she plays the pianoforte [an early piano] so well, the best around here…”

A woman named Mrs. Bailey brought her eldest daughter and eagerly boasted about her, even without being asked.

She seemed to believe that highlighting even one good quality would lead to a better match than others, relentlessly listing her daughter’s strengths.

However, Theo’s hand, which was about to record Miss Bailey’s physical characteristics in his notebook, hesitated.

Perhaps because she had such an ordinary appearance, describing her features in suitable words was not as easy as he had thought.

Theo, giving up on describing her appearance, chuckled and glossed over it.

“Yes, yes. I understand very well. Looking at Miss Dorothy Bailey, I can see that she would indeed make an excellent bride. If there is a gentleman in London or nearby who would be a good match, I will be sure to contact you by letter.”

“Hoh-ho-ho. Thank you.”

It was merely a formality, but Mrs. Bailey and her daughter smiled brightly as if a marriage partner had been decided on the spot.

In fact, they were well aware that connecting with a good family in England was extremely difficult.

However, just having Theo, who was gaining great fame in London, listen to their concerns and record their information in his notebook was a great comfort.

And Theo, well aware of their feelings, diligently provided consultations and soothed their emotions.

With Dorothy Bailey as the last, all the marriage consultations in Jamaica came to an end.

* * *

That evening.

Leaning back on the bed, Theo was flipping through the consultation notes he had recorded all day.

No matter how formal it was, it could be a matter of someone’s life, and there was no knowing when the right person might appear from among them.

Theo did not neglect to review and supplement the notes until the very end.

However, a major problem was discovered while organizing the members.

‘Hmm… a mole on the cheek? An awkward smile? Who was it…?’

Because he had only recorded the external characteristics in writing, he was confused about who was who.

If it was the child of someone with a long-standing relationship, or if he had a personal acquaintance with the consultant, their face would easily come to mind, but when meeting unfamiliar people all at once like today, their faces often did not come to mind at all.

There was a clear limitation to expressing things in writing without natural photos or videos.

‘It would be so convenient if I could use photos or videos like in the modern era. Writing it down like this, I won’t even remember them later when there are too many people.’

In a way, this was an inconvenience felt not only in Jamaica but also in London.

‘Right. It’s my fault for putting it off every time because it’s a hassle. When I go back to London this time and open a marriage agency, I should hire an artist as an employee who can quickly capture people’s facial features. After all, natural photos or videos are still a distant future thing.’

If there was an artist who could quickly sketch the features of people’s faces, it would be of great help in recording and organizing the consultant’s characteristics.

◈ Early December 1777, Jamaica.

Early morning, the entrance of Theo’s coffee plantation.

“Mr. Sanderson…”

“Master!”

Mr. Spencer and Noah, along with all the dozens of black slaves, were at the entrance of the plantation.

It was to see off Theo, who was returning to London today.

Next to Theo, the twin siblings Harold and Margaret, who would be going to England with him, were also standing with sad faces.

Originally, they were going to say their final goodbyes in front of the harbor, but due to urgent odd jobs on the plantation, they had no choice but to say their farewells here.

Tears were already welling up in the eyes of the female slaves, including Juba.

“Don’t act like you’ll never see me again. If the coffee quality drops even a little, I’ll come running here right away to scold you, so be prepared, haha.”

Theo instructed the manager, Noah.

“Noah, thank you so much for everything. If it weren’t for you, this coffee plantation wouldn’t have been able to run so well. I can trust you and leave because you’re here, so please take good care of the plantation. And take good care of our plantation family as you have been.”

Noah’s eyes turned red.

“Don’t worry, Mr. Sanderson. I’ve learned a lot during this time. And I will become one with the plantation family as I learned from Mr. Sanderson and grow this plantation well, so that you won’t be ashamed when you come back later.”

“Yes, yes. Just hearing that makes me feel reassured.”

Theo patted Noah on the shoulder and then faced each of the plantation’s slaves, shaking hands and saying goodbye.

“Samson, even if it’s difficult, please take care to build the remaining new residences. Don’t worry about the costs involved.”

“I understand. I will do my best to build them.”

Peter, who was next to him, said with a forced bright smile.

“Master, if there is a problem with the machine we made, please let us know by letter. We will definitely find a way to fix it.”

Peter and Samson had developed a device for roasting large quantities of green beans and a mechanical device for manually grinding coffee beans.

These devices were to be used in the cafe that Theo would open in London.

“Okay, I understand. I have written down the manufacturing process and the purpose of each device in detail, so if there is a problem, it seems that it can be repaired there as well. But if that doesn’t work, I’ll be sure to write a letter.”

Since it took half a year for letters to come and go, Theo wrote down the purpose of each device in detail, just in case.

“Father…”

Margaret’s eyes, looking at Mr. Spencer, were swollen.

She had been in great sorrow since last night due to her separation from her father.

“Shouldn’t I stay here? Can’t only my brother go? I’m so worried about Father that I just want to be by his side. Sniffle-”

Mr. Spencer patted his sobbing daughter on the back and comforted her.

“Margaret, haven’t you always wanted to go to London? Spread your dreams to your heart’s content there. That would be a greater joy for me. It would be such a waste of your youth to be taking care of an old father at such a young and beautiful age, wouldn’t it? Heh-heh.”

Harold, who had been holding back his tears, finally showed tears as well.

“Father…”

Mr. Spencer hugged Harold tightly and said.

“Harold. Now that you’re going to London, you’re going to be the head of the family. So you have to take good care of your sister.”

“Yes, don’t worry, Father.”

Mr. Spencer patted Harold on the shoulder, turned his head, approached Theo, and grabbed his hand.

His warm sincerity was conveyed to Theo.

“Mr. Sanderson, now, the only person I can trust is Mr. Sanderson. If there have been any words or actions that I have been rude to because of my rough personality, please forgive me as the ramblings of an uneducated old man.

And if you could watch over our children with your deep insight so that they do not go down the wrong path, I will never forget your grace and will surely repay you.”

Theo replied with a warm smile.

“Rude words? I have never felt that way, so don’t say such things. And don’t worry too much about your children. I will take care of them as best as I can. Don’t worry about anything.”

“Thank you so much. I will trust only Mr. Sanderson.”

After saying their goodbyes, the plantation family waved their hands, shedding tears until Theo and the twin siblings descending the mountain were out of sight.

“Master! Please go to England safely!”

“Please write us a letter when you arrive, sob-”

“Thank you so much. Please come back soon!”

Emotions filled with sincerity can be fully felt by the other person without having to be forcibly revealed and decorated.

The sincere and warm heart that Theo had shown to the plantation family had become the driving force that united them.

According to Theo’s philosophy that good fruits also come from a happy heart, the coffee plantation, which had never seen a whip, was growing into a very special coffee plantation unlike any other in the world in less than a year.

◈ Mid-February 1778, London, England.

Theo, along with the twin siblings, arrived in London in early February 1778, after a long voyage of about two months by ship.

As soon as they arrived at the port, they hurriedly moved the hundreds of green coffee beans they had brought and various mechanical devices needed to operate the cafe to a warehouse that had been prepared.

Also, with the guarantee of Baron Palmer, he exchanged the bill of exchange [a type of promissory note] for cash at a London bank and secured sufficient funds.

And he decided to move his residence from Hampstead, where he had been living, to Mayfair in central London.

This was based on the judgment that he needed a residence in the city center rather than the outskirts in order to open a marriage agency in earnest.

The twin siblings, Harold and Margaret, stayed with Theo at his home until they settled down in London and began researching the cafe to be opened.

Theo also wrote a letter directly to King George to inform him of his arrival, and he received an invitation dated at the end of February as if he had been waiting.

Having organized the accumulated work, Theo headed to the Intelligence Club after a year.

*

“Let’s leave quickly. We’re a little late for the meeting time.”

“Yes, sir. We’ll leave right away, gee-up!” [A command to make horses move faster]

Inside the carriage heading to the club.

A small excitement was rising in Theo’s chest.

‘It feels like not just a year but about four or five years have passed. I wonder if everyone is doing well…’

To Theo, the Intelligence Club was now like his spiritual home.

It had provided him with a lot of information and opportunities since he entered the 18th century, and it was a place that had created valuable relationships.

However, the feeling of visiting the club was not entirely pleasant.

It was because of the war with North America.

‘Now is the time when they will be troubled by the American Revolutionary War, so it will be noisy at the club because of that issue. Moreover, they suffered a major defeat a few months ago at the Battle of Saratoga to the North American colonial independence army, so they must be seething with anger about that.’

Thinking about how the atmosphere would be dark due to the war with the North American colonies when he arrived at the club, Theo’s heart felt heavy for some reason.

He regretted not explaining it more actively to King George so that he could prepare well, but he also wondered if the major course of history would have changed even if he had done so.

◈ Intelligence Club.

The quiet club suddenly became noisy.

It was because of Theo, who had appeared after a year.

As if a celebrity had appeared, they lined up to greet Theo and were busy asking about his well-being during that time.

After the bustling greetings, Theo took a seat in one corner of the club with the welcoming faces.

Earl Anthony Burns, who was sitting with him, asked.

“Mr. Sanderson, I heard that you went to Jamaica and built a large plantation?”

“No. I just renovated a small plantation, and I thought I would be back in a couple of months, but it took longer than I thought.”

As everyday conversations went back and forth, Adam Smith, who was sitting next to him, brought up the issue of the war with North America.

“Mr. Sanderson, did you hear the news in Jamaica that our British army was badly defeated in the war with the North American colonies?”

Theo nodded.

“Yes, I heard it there. It’s a very unfortunate thing.”

As expected, many members anxiously asked about the American Revolutionary War, and Theo responded appropriately, offering his opinions.

‘······.’

However, the atmosphere of the club was somehow strange.

Clearly, the members were lamenting the humiliating defeat of the British army, but in the conversations whispering here and there, a strange topic seemed to be receiving more attention.

-···The moment you roast those green beans well, age them, and grind the roasted beans, an incredible aroma comes out, to the point of being ecstatic. And the taste of the coffee, without adding any spices, is so good. Anyway, France is in an uproar because of that coffee.

-No, is that possible? Can such a good taste come from coffee without any sugar? And I don’t understand how a country can be shaken up by just one coffee.

-Well, it is said that when you smell and taste that coffee, anxiety and depression disappear completely, and it has a very mysterious power to make you feel completely different in that short moment.

-Haha, well, I haven’t smelled or tasted that much-talked-about coffee, so I can’t rashly conclude, but I think it’s just a rumor that the pretentious French guys exaggerated and spread to sell their coffee at a high price.

-That’s right. I think so too. Just listening to it, it’s too absurd a rumor. It’s not a medicine, so how could there be such coffee in the world?

-Maybe they’re secretly putting addictive opium in the coffee? The French guys are human enough to do that…

Theo, who was talking about international affairs with Adam Smith, kept getting distracted by the coffee stories he heard here and there.

‘Coffee? Is the story that France is in an uproar because of coffee? No, but why are they talking so much about coffee at the club…?’

He thought the atmosphere would be very bad due to the British army’s major defeat in the war with North America, but strangely, the club was buzzing with coffee stories from France.

Feeling puzzled, Theo asked Earl Burns, who was sitting across from him, in a low voice.

“Earl? Why are our members talking so much about French coffee? What’s going on?”

Earl Burns smiled bitterly and replied.

“Ah, Mr. Sanderson, you’ve been in Jamaica all this time, so you wouldn’t know. There’s a lot of buzz about coffee beans in France right now.”

“Yes? What do you mean it’s noisy because of coffee?”

“A great coffee that appeared in France about a month or two ago is now shaking up even England.”

“…?”