In earlier times, aristocratic estates clearly demarcated living areas for masters and servants, upstairs and downstairs. Generally, without a master's summons, kitchen staff were not permitted in the living room. Conversely, family members would rarely venture into the servants' quarters, as it was considered very rude. If a master needed a servant, it was always done by ringing a bell. Just like in many period dramas, one often sees the master pressing a wake-up bell, and the corresponding bell in the servants' quarters would ring, signaling the summons. Even today, many noble families retain this tradition, with the only slight difference being that modern bells are electric, whereas in the past, they were purely mechanical.
Through Ramos, Lord Arthur now generally understood the slightly anxious sentiments among the household staff, but he wasn't overly concerned about it. In truth, apart from a few individuals like Butler Sean and Housekeeper Reilly, who had provided continuous service to the Cavendish Family for two or three generations, most of the servants were simply employed. Arthur's current idea was pragmatic: to use the present crisis as an opportunity for less committed servants to leave, which might not be a bad thing. After all, thirty-something servants were indeed too many.
"Young Master Arthur, this is the catalog of assets we directly hold, most of which are not mortgaged..." Butler Sean was remarkably efficient; after Lord Arthur finished breakfast, the compiled asset catalog was already in his hands.
Lord Arthur took the catalog, read through it, and sighed. "It seems the family's situation is indeed not good..."
Yes, including the estate's fixed assets and the funds required for daily operations, most were managed through the family trust fund. The true assets directly held by the family at this time, apart from a small amount of cash, consisted only of some jewelry, ornaments, and clothing that were not easily liquidated.
Of course, after hundreds of years of accumulation, especially since the Devonshire Family once had a "bachelor aristocrat" who was devoted to art, their collection could be said to be vast. Just like the former Eleventh Duke, who sold paintings by Rembrandt and Rafael to pay inheritance tax, these were only a small fraction of the family's collection. There were still many Rembrandt paintings and a dozen Rafael paintings within the house – a testament to the profound heritage of the Devonshire Family.
It felt paradoxical: the family seemed on the brink of bankruptcy, yet the value of these artworks alone was enough to sustain them indefinitely! However, Lord Arthur knew that selling these artworks now would be incredibly unwise. The prices of these collectibles were vastly different compared to later years, by dozens or even hundreds of times. He would not sell these irreplaceable pieces unless there was absolutely no other way.
But for now, Lord Arthur needed to "save the family," or at least restore it to sound operation, which required at least 35 million pounds. Even if all the general jewelry and other items in the current catalog were sold, they would not exceed 500,000 pounds, a mere drop in the bucket. Furthermore, in the current climate, selling jewelry and similar items might not fetch a good price, and if word got out, it would only confirm to the world that the Cavendish Family had reached its most desperate situation.
However, Lord Arthur's immediate concern about discreet sales soon seemed less important. When his personal valet Ramos brought today's newspaper with a solemn expression, Lord Arthur saw the report on it and couldn't help but frown deeply. Reports about the Duke of Devonshire's Family appeared in many newspapers today!
Of course, due to his father and elder brother dying in a car accident, there had been quite a few reports about the Duke of Devonshire Family – one of London's few remaining ducal families – during the funeral and the period leading up to it. But what was different was that today's reports all focused on the Duke of Devonshire's financial situation! Almost all reports indicated that the Duke of Devonshire Family had invested a huge amount of money in the recently exposed "London Star" fraud case. Some newspapers even revealed that many assets of their family trust fund had been mortgaged to banks, and if they were unable to repay due to huge losses, most of the family assets would be forcibly repossessed! These reports would undoubtedly make his family a hot topic in the near future, thus exacerbating their already difficult situation.
Just as Lord Arthur was wondering why these reports had suddenly appeared, his phone rang; it was the family trust fund manager, Yulia Moore.
"Lord Arthur, have you seen the reports in the newspaper?"
"I just saw them, Ms. Moore."
"The situation is a bit grim; these sudden reports are having a significant impact on us."
Hearing Yulia's words, Lord Arthur frowned again: "What happened?"
"It's the bank. The bank we previously mortgaged with contacted me, hoping to clarify whether we have the ability to repay."
At this moment, Lord Arthur glanced at Butler Sean and Ramos in the room, and asked in a lowered voice, "That shouldn't be the case. When the loan was taken out, there was a definite term, wasn't there? Why are they rushing now?"
"That's why they only called to inquire, but it must be said, it's already a method of applying pressure."
"Do you have any news about the reports? Why did such reports suddenly appear?" Indeed, something was amiss. Although the Duke of Devonshire Family's title was the highest rank outside the Royal Family, their family had generally been quite low-key. Apart from the recent car accident, the last time they were extensively reported on was almost half a century ago, when his grandfather faced a high inheritance tax and couldn't inherit the estate. But now, after the funeral, their investment losses were suddenly being reported on such a large scale, which strongly suggested an unknown reason behind it.
"I also had someone investigate; the news was initially spread by a small tabloid in London, who reported it yesterday, and then it attracted the attention of other newspapers, which is why these reports appeared today..."
"If you have time, could you come over today, Ms. Moore? I'd like to discuss the family trust fund with you properly."
"Alright, Lord Arthur, I will visit this afternoon. Also, you need to be aware that quite a few reporters might appear at the estate recently, or even come directly to interview."
After hanging up the phone, Lord Arthur temporarily set aside the newspaper reports. While these reports affected him, he had more urgent matters to deal with at the moment. Ultimately, as long as the financial problem was solved, no matter what kind of conspiracy or trickery, strength would always overcome all! Moreover, with the heritage of the Devonshire Family, they were not at the end of their rope as the reports suggested at all.
In his previous life, Lord Arthur had worked in the financial industry for many years and had conducted in-depth research on overseas markets. And London, as one of the global financial centers, was a point he could leverage at this time. Yes, even if this "rebirth" had happened without him inheriting a ducal family, he would still have been confident in making a name for himself based on his experience from his previous life.
And in fact, the family's true assets at this time were far greater than the so-called "debts"! It was just that the global economy had not yet begun to recover, so the selling prices of many assets were far below their actual value.
Thinking of this, Lord Arthur's heart stirred—could someone be coveting the Cavendish Family's assets?