1482 memory fragments
The Duke of Hamilton's family background and family background are extraordinary. Different from the Hall family, the Dunlop family and the Dormer family, the Hamilton family still inherits the nobility and wealth of the aristocracy, and the family business is still booming, which also makes their lives Quality and social confidence both add to the atmosphere.
James Duncan is the old butler of the Duke of Hamilton's family. The surname Duncan has been serving as a butler for five generations and is still continuing. James has not yet reached the retirement age, but due to chronic health problems, the current Duke of Hamilton took the initiative. Orders were issued to send James to garrison in Venice.
On the surface, this was a demotion and transfer, forcing James to leave the position he had worked for for more than thirty-five years; in fact, this was a translational transfer of jobs..
Because the Duke of Hamilton knew that even if his physical condition was poor, James would definitely choose to stick to his position and refuse to retire early; but after many years of getting along, James' importance in the family far exceeded that of a butler, so James was sent to Venice to take care of his private residence while resting and recuperating..
James is not too close to Renly, Matthew and others. Every time James appears, it means they are in trouble, and Andre is also involved. James is the first to deal with it; or maybe it is , every time he goes on an important trip, James is responsible for the relevant itinerary arrangements..
Not close, but familiar.
“Master Renly, your room is still arranged next door to Master Matthew; Master Andre lives opposite." James' legs and feet are not very good, but his years of training as a housekeeper have always allowed him to hide it well, but The pace of walking slowed down a little. At this time, he was leading the way, and Renly and Matthew followed behind without any hurry, but there was no clue..
James turned around and said with a questioning expression, "In addition, the extra guest room on the third floor has been packed up and can be accommodated by the entourage and bodyguards. Master Andre said that it is enough to arrange a room for ten people. This is it enough？”
Renly didn't react at first - because he had never been in the habit of traveling with others. Then he realized that he was now part of a team. "Don't worry about them. Their accommodation has been arranged. I My agent came over in advance to rent a B&B, and we moved in together, just a few streets away..”
“Understood. Please give me your agent's contact information in a moment so that I can arrange travel every day." Apart from anything else, the private dock at the door is not accessible to just anyone. James must keep statistics on strange visitors. , "By the way, Master Arthur arrived in Venice yesterday, and he checked in at the Venate Palace.”
The Venate Palace is not a palace, but a five-star hotel. It must be emphasized that it is not a chain hotel..
This is a five-star hotel exclusive to Venice. It is the only one. There is no semicolon. This modern hotel is built in a sixteenth-century luxury building. On the main island, where every inch of land is at a premium, they It has a large and lush garden; at the same time, more than half of the rooms have balconies with river or sea views, as well as private bathtubs and retro decoration..
In addition, the hotel also has one of the few Michelin-starred restaurants in Venice. Not only does it have a private dock, but it is also within walking distance of St. Mark's Square. What's even more rare is that you can find peace in the middle of the bustle. , guests’ accommodation will not be affected in any way..
Undoubtedly, Palazzo Venate is one of the top hotels in Venice. According to the market price, a luxury suite costs 1,500 pounds a night in normal times, but during the film festival, it costs 3,300 pounds a night, or even higher..
For nobles, the commercial atmosphere is slightly stronger, and the sense of familiarity of the nouveau riche is also slightly prominent, but it is a good choice to go on vacation occasionally - at least, the down-and-out nobles are not able to live in such a way, and being able to live means that the family has not yet decline.
This time, Arthur stayed at the Venet Palace specifically, obviously choosing that place specifically for the follow-up work..
Escorting Renly to his fixed room, James bowed slightly and turned around to leave..
When you open the door to the room, you can see at a glance the mint air freshener and the charcoal basin for dehumidification placed on the bedside. There are also some simple snacks placed next to the bedside table, all based on Renly's personal habits. What he has been preparing for - eight years, it has been eight years since he last came here, but James has never forgotten those details..
“Phew, everything is still the same." Renly's steps became brisk..
“No, no, no, there is still something different." I didn't hear the footsteps for a while, but Eaton's words could not wait to spread, "James said that this place was renovated the year before last, and the most important project was to renovate the bathroom and bathroom. The bathroom, if we continue to use the equipment from a century ago, is so backward that even the Duke can't stand it..”
“Real or fake? "Renly showed an expression of surprise, "I thought I wouldn't see any modifications in my lifetime..”
He strode towards the bathroom and opened the dark green leaf door. A brand new bathroom with light green and sky blue as the main colors appeared in front of him.：
An emerald green four-corner bathtub is placed at the end, but a shower area is added next to it. The mint green shower curtain is pulled aside, and modern shower equipment can be seen; the gold-rimmed mirror complements the dark green bathroom cabinets. , the golden copper basin washbasin still maintains the consistent style of the building itself; and finally there is the precious and rare flush toilet..
Everyone thinks that those luxury houses in Venice must be a kind of noble enjoyment, but the fact is quite the opposite..
Because these mansions have a long history, everything from the decoration design to the piping system are old antiques. They have begun to be mottled with the passage of time. You can't even see too much magnificence, but instead have a sense of decay. Furniture, Not to mention the software such as decoration and space, the bathroom and bathroom hardware are the most troublesome.——
There is no hot water supply system or sewage pipes here.
If you want to take a bath, then use the most traditional method, bring a bucket of freshly boiled hot water to the bathroom, pour it into the bathtub, and take a bath. In winter, the housekeeper or maid will always be waiting outside the door. Please be careful not to take a long bath and the hot water becomes cold. They will provide new hot water in time..
Imagine if it takes an hour for a noble to take a bath, that means the kitchen must maintain a scalding supply of hot water within an hour. What if it is all members of a family? Then, the cost consumption is not only considerable, it can even be said to be scary..
Not only for bathing, but because there are no drainage pipes, they are also the most practical and traditional chamber pots to solve physiological needs, and are dumped every morning in the same place where they are transported to the city..
Of course, in the development process of the city of Venice, problems such as drainage pipes have been solved; however, any modification or change in an antique building with a long history like this needs to be done carefully..
Just like Rome, in order to protect cultural monuments and historical heritage, urban construction work must be cautious and cautious, and the time can only be delayed longer and longer. Until now, there are still a small number of buildings in Venice that have not completed the renovation of relevant projects..
In fact, the Duke of Hamilton's house once had its sewer pipes modified. It was in the second half of the 1990s. They were equipped with washbasins and basic sewer pipes in order to cooperate with the city's sewage management system; but the renovation project was too huge. , may even damage the building itself, and other pipeline projects will be put on hold..
Is it conceivable that in the 21st century, there are still houses without showers and toilets? In fact, besides Venice, you can find many, many more places like this in Europe.
“Haha, do you still remember? That time, Andre drank so much that he vomited into the washbasin and blocked the sewer. The next day, all the sewage swelled up, like a flood, and woke everyone up early in the morning. , we thought Andre had kicked the chamber pot over. At that time, the sewer pipe of the washbasin had just been installed not long ago, and there seemed to be some problems with the placement and size of the pipe..”
Eaton stood behind Renly, looking at the brand new bathroom with excitement and excitement - despite the modern transformation, the original style of the building was still maintained. This was not an easy task, "I heard that this The renovation project of all rooms took nearly a year to complete..”
“Why didn't you tell me that Matthew was also drunk that night and ended up lying on the deck of the yacht unable to get up, and almost fell into the water." Andre's protesting voice rang out immediately, and he stepped on it. The sound of footsteps came from behind.
“Renly didn't seem to be very sober at that time, so we came down to ask for help. As a result, Renly drove the yacht out by himself, and wandered outside with Matthew all night. In the end, he seemed to go directly to the Colorful Island. I thought the two of them were swallowed up by the waves..”
As he spoke, the previous memories became vivid. Andre successfully changed the target. Eaton immediately turned his head, "I remember, I remember, Matthew, where did you go that night? Renly was This sells you.”
Matthew raised his gaze and cast a glance at Renly, and then saw Renly spreading his hands with an innocent expression on his face, "I tell you, I can't drink any more, but you force me to I drank that glass of vodka, so I don’t remember what happened. God, I didn’t even have much chance to drive, so you guys just watched me drive away on my yacht? You’re so lucky that it didn’t capsize..”
Matthew also laughed dumbly and withdrew his gaze, "I had completely fallen asleep. When I woke up, I found out that I had been kidnapped by Renly..”
“Hey, it's called adventure, adventure! OK! "Renly immediately raised his voice in protest..
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