Chapter 110

Chapter 110

Investiture Day

"Achoo! Achoo!"

"James, okay? Don't you have cold symptoms? Let me see a bit. I'll fix the scarf a bit tighter."

"Ah, ahem, nothing special. Okay."

James held the slightly cold nose bridge and shed a bit of tears.

Somehow seemed a bit stimulated by the acrid wood smoke from the surrounding grill.

Or did he look at the sunlight wrong.

Well that was really nothing special. The important was the fact that she he so longed for is by his side, and the two together are devoted to festival preparations.

James awkwardly looked at her side profile once more and picked up the hammer again.

James, he was originally a dock laborer at the Thames River dock.

On the day grilled eel first appeared in London, James first met her who was selling grilled eel together with her father.

She who very resembled the deceased old wife.

After that day, James circled around her every day as if meeting the destined pair again, and ultimately became a closer relationship due to a minor incident.

So the proposal of helping festival preparations instead of her father who sprained the waist could also naturally come out.

Lord Mayor's Show.

Can't rest business on the big day of London's largest parade festival.

But the place that carriage procession is scheduled to pass, quite distant from the position they were doing business so receiving benefits might be a bit hard.

So James came up with one idea. How about modifying the cart left unused at home and making a mobile grilled eel stall.

She also agreed, and the two together succeeded up to cutting boards and hammering nails and making a plausible shape.

But there was a minor problem.

"James, nails seem a bit insufficient, what to do?"

"Please wait while resting a bit. I'll quickly go to the store and buy."

If the cart is flimsy and collapses it shouldn't, so trying to make sturdy and adding materials this and that so more nails than thought were needed.

James stood up abruptly and ran to the nearby general store.

And passed between people busy decorating carts or stalls in empty lots along the road like them.

The Lord Mayor's Show was tomorrow. So today as much as many people closed business in advance and devoted to tomorrow like them.

James slightly lifted the hat to people on the roadside and greeted happily. Living on this street for over ten years no unknown faces.

"Hey, James! Where so busily going!"

"Going to buy nails! Was modifying Lily's cart!"

"Don't do that and come here for a moment! Taste the sauce combination I made once!"

"Sauce?"

"Yes! I really thought of an amazing combination!"

And among them a middle-aged man with half peeled hair stopped James.

He was originally a person who grilled and sold meat pie nearby, and James also often bought and ate at his stall so had acquaintance.

He handed James something like a long green stick. And that was also a familiar item to James.

"This is celery, right?!"

"Right, celery common as can be in London! Found a method to eat this deliciously without cooking that talk!"

No way not knowing. Mainly put in soup or stew to bring out aroma, or made into pickle and ate. But raw celery is unfamiliar.

Why suddenly handing this? Without time to wonder James inadvertently received the celery stick.

“That celery, try dipping deeply in this Durand sauce and eating!”

In the concave bowl the man handed was full of the unfamiliar white sauce said recent trend.

Don't know the exact name. Just everyone calls this Durand sauce so James also only knows as such.

James habitually slightly touched the celery to that sauce.

"No no, that's not! Dip deeply, very deeply!"

"Deeply? More than this?"

"Yes! That's exactly etiquette toward Durand sauce! Haven't you read 'The Hound of the Baskervilles' either?"

“Haha, lately busy so no time to read books...”

In fact James was illiterate who didn't properly learn writing so no interest in trending novels, but living by wits so no one around knows.

Like that the celery pulled out had thick Durand sauce thickly smeared.

"That's it! Taste as is! And tell the impression!"

Is it okay to eat like this?

James bit one mouth of the salad, and opened the eyes very wide.

This is very savory... savory! Much more than mayonnaise!

The first time in life such a savory and delicious and soft sauce taste!

"How? Okay, right? Matches well with celery's strong grass aroma, right?"

"Good? Really directly thought of?"

"Right! Thinking of combining like this and selling how? Huh? The name Durand salad that!"

"Selling this? Hmm, seems okay. With such sauce even raw vegetables would eat very deliciously. Wouldn't it match well with spinach or roasted carrot, tomato too? Seems to match as filling of Edward Sandwich too."

"Right? Now done, go."

The moment James imagined how about pouring this Durand sauce a lot on the grilled eel Lily sells.

So briefly hesitated.

"By any chance, how did you make this sauce?"

"Ah, how made? I didn't make?"

"Yes?"

"Anyway you're going to the general store to buy nails, right? Go and ask Pinch."

Is this sauce also sold at the general store? If selling buying one bottle and subtly asking Lily would be good.

James took off the hat again and greeted and hurried the way.

The general store of Pinch arrived like that was all bustling.

In one corner of the store workers were unpacking wooden boxes full of peanut butter, and as soon as unpacking housewives standing around snatched one bottle each.

No one with a dark expression and the excitement of tomorrow being the festival seemed to have infected up to here.

The only store owner Pinch, was raising his voice doing something like arguing with some old man.

"No, old man. Clearly cut the rope securely 6.5 inches! Measure with a ruler!"

"This guy, insufficient! My hand span is exactly 1/2 foot but doesn't match!"

"On earth who said the old man's finger length is officially correct?!"

"I've measured like that all my life!"

"There's a ruler here!"

"Who guarantees that ruler is correct?!"

Always seeing scene. Comparing imperial ruler with palm width or arm length.

Old country people insisting on measuring with familiar old methods was a common matter.

Pinch also sighed.

"Then how about this? There's Durand ruler here..."

"Durand ruler? This guy, where did you obtain that? That real Durand ruler correct? Strand Magazine December issue hasn't even come out yet how did you get that in your hand?"

"Currently my cousin is working at the factory making that Durand tablespoon, the guy said made the same matching accurate Durand ruler standard and secretly delivered. Just let's agree with this."

Pinch took out a long stick.

"Give here! Hmm, ho... Correct correct! Length the same as my hand span! Genuine!"

"Right? Then with this as the old man said let's cut 3 and 1/2 Durand segments. Come, pay 2 pence more."

"Good, good! Easy to recognize good! Continue using that ruler ahead! On such an auspicious day like today when Jean-Paul Durand really becomes sir one has to use matching methods!"

James watching from behind was dumbfounded. On earth what is Durand ruler and what is Durand segment again.

Completely unheard unfamiliar unit.

But the old man somehow satisfied nodded and left the place.

"Mr. Pinch, is that really the ruler Sir Durand made...?"

"Ah, this? Well? I also received free somewhere so don't know well?"

"Just now said cousin gave?!"

"Have to believe that, right? Everyone if Durand whatever dies from surprise so no choice. What does it matter if waiting one month real ruler will come out who will know? Next I'm also thinking of changing this store name to Durand trading company. That's that what looking for?"

As expected skilled merchant Mr. Pinch. James thought it was very fortunate the old man who just left didn't hear this conversation.

"Came to buy some nails. Ah and here by any chance sell Durand sauce too?"

"Durand sauce? Ah. 7 pence per bottle. Our wife made so taste will be good."

"Directly making and selling... Give one bottle."

"Thank you."

7 pence. Although burdensome, thinking one bottle of sauce is usually 10 pence not that bad.

Ingredients entering seem cheap, but already saw the taste so no choice but to accept.

James held the nails and that white Durand sauce bottle and stepped back.

Then the person behind him stepped forward.

"Pinch! Heard talk of selling that rumored Durand cider here!"

"Durand cider? Ah, just pay 4 pence per bottle."

"What's so expensive?!"

"Ah, this received to sample in advance! Didn't see the newspaper? The all-purpose drink the famous Sir Jean-Paul Durand directly devised that! Just drinking one glass indigestion completely disappears and mood becomes good! Moreover matches so well with Edward Sandwich! Empty bottles good to use as flower vases!"

"Tsk, give two bottles. The drink with lemon scent correct, right?"

"Chose well. Now only a few bottles left in our store too."

James pricked up his ears. Durand cider? What's that again?

If just cider knew. Would be fermented liquor made with apples.

But if Durand cider a word hearing for the first time.

Lately seemed a trend of attaching the word 'Durand' to every item.

That was so, a while ago heard someone calling the grilled eel Lily makes 'Durand eel'.

James nodded. Ah, whatever good thing just attaching the word 'Durand' is fine.

Then saying like this to Lily also wouldn't be bad. Bought ‘Durand nails’ at the general store.

"Why looking so blank? Shall I give you one bottle too?"

"Uh... That Durand cider?"

"Yes! Just drinking one bottle of this the stomach feels completely washed! After eating Durand Grilling full and one bottle of this kkeu... No need for rum either! Rather than drinking beer this side much more reliable!"

Aha, Durand cider was a kind of digestive.

James shook his head and came out of the general store.

Then suddenly another idea flashed in his head, so wanted to quickly run to Lily and brag.

How about accurately cutting Durand eel to Durand 1 segment length, applying Durand sauce and grilling and selling? And that as a dish celebrating Sir Jean-Paul Durand's knighthood investiture!

And if writing letters on a long cloth and advertising the promotion effect would also be solid!

Coming up with such thoughts probably only oneself!

But James was illiterate so didn't properly know.

That the stall vendors he just passed already wrote all kinds of phrases like Durand cake, Durand pie, investiture celebration commemorative Durand peanut butter cookie cheap sale on banners and were scribbling.

* * *

The long awaited knighthood investiture, finally that morning dawned.

Riding the carriage going to Buckingham Palace, seeing the advertisement boards hung here and there on the streets I was dumbfounded and lost words.

"No... Really going crazy. What's Durand pea soup again?!"

I swear to heaven I never intervened in London's pea soup recipe once.

Just looking the feeling came. Even in modern with 0.5% lobster content saying lobster snacks or lobster ramen such talk, right.

That also clearly putting about 0.5% Durand Fish Ball and insisting Durand soup.

Don't know who the person inaugurating as Lord Mayor now, but looking at those contents seemed would get quite angry so sorry.

That is the protagonist completely changed, right? Today is the Lord Mayor inauguration commemorative festival day?!

When my knighthood investiture overlapped with the Lord Mayor's Show somehow seemed it would be like this.

Thought no more absurd matters, but people's imagination as expected exceeded the limit.

Still if enduring only today is fine. Today all festivals end so tomorrow no matter of seeing such crap.

I forced the absurd scenes just seen into one corner of the heart, and organized the schedules to do today.

Seeing the head throbbing, seemed a bit of hangover remaining.

In fact yesterday an accident also solidly occurred.

In 1901 the concept that absolutely shouldn't exist 'cold draft beer' that guy set fire to the men's hearts.

No, that Marquess of Salisbury who seemed able to cut one or two people with just gaze suddenly changed and shouted 'one more glass!'.

No matter me there was no guts to dare refuse the request of His Excellency the Prime Minister of the British Empire.

And the place being the restaurant was the problem. And that very famous for Chicken and Chips.

I quickly fried chicken as snack and offered...

In the end couldn't prevent the future of them deeply planting the Union Jack flag in the unexplored land ‘chimaek’.

Decided not to remember the matters that occurred after that.

Only vaguely remembered that gentlemanly Marquess of Salisbury unlike a big shot fully drunk and carried to Chairman Balfour's carriage...

Ah, and whether asked how much time it would take to commercialize this refrigerator.

I didn't answer there.

Because matters to solve were like mountains.

The problem was the fact that the currently existing refrigerator body is only one.

I had no thought of absolutely giving up this refrigerator! Refrigerator is mine! Didn't want to send even one step out of the restaurant!

But stopping Chairman Balfour and Sir Samuel fully drunk and fully encouraged by the refrigerator's performance was as expected impossible.

To completely snatch this refrigerator as Britain's, and on the condition of promising wealth and glory to the two refugees, my refrigerator...

Tore...

In the end the outrage of changing my knighthood investiture celebration party to a draft beer tasting event occurred!

Chairman Balfour saying he'll do how do I stop? There even the fully drunk marquess seemed to have nodded, up to there didn't remember.

In the end early this morning the refrigerator was moved to Buckingham Palace together with Mr. Edison.

How much will everyone be surprised.

Hope the same accident as yesterday doesn't repeat.

But couldn't guarantee.

His Majesty Edward VII is a heavy drinker who can't do without alcohol.

Okay, right?

Absolutely had to be okay!