Chapter 40.
“Please, ask me anything.”
“Forgive me for saying this, but I heard you used to suffer from skin trouble. But your skin is so beautiful now. Is there a secret to it…?”
At that, every eye in the room sparkled. It seemed everyone was curious.
“Ah, that is…”
Just as she was about to open her mouth, a thought flashed through Harriet’s mind.
*This is it! This is it!*
A way to bring money to St. Clarissa’s Convent. A way for her to earn capital and gain status.
*I must sell the soap and herbs from St. Clarissa’s Convent in Genoa!*
Before, such items wouldn’t have caught a noble’s eye, but things were different now. As Harriet Listerwell, the woman at the center of high society gossip, she could set the tone herself.
Harriet swallowed the urge to blurt it all out and offered a soft, guarded smile.
“It’s a secret.”
“Pardon?”
The young ladies, expecting a grand revelation, asked back with blank expressions.
Harriet smiled with her eyes, her tone playful.
“I hope to be able to tell you soon. There are circumstances that make it difficult to speak right now.”
“You’re making me even more curious.”
“I’m sorry. I’ll save this story for our next meeting.”
As Harriet naturally steered the conversation toward their next encounter, Annabelle leaned in with newfound intimacy.
“You’ll sit at my tea table then too, won’t you?”
“If you invite me, I would be happy to.”
Harriet was certain that she had made a fairly decent social connection that day.
* * *
Having finished the tea party and returned to the Felon estate, Harriet sought out Roxana immediately.
Although Roxana was a busy woman serving as Trisha’s assistant, Trisha had ordered that important matters must be discussed with her. Thus, Roxana did not scold Harriet for the interruption—even if she did show her distinct annoyance.
“What is it? I’m busy trying to verify these ledgers before the day ends.”
Standing before the still-icy Roxana, Harriet asked without being intimidated.
“Teacher, I would like to understand the detailed process for selling local produce in the capital.”
“Does it have to be right now?”
“Yes. It’s urgent.”
“Haa.”
Roxana sighed deeply, but she pulled out a blank sheet of paper and a pen.
“Shall I explain only in terms of distribution and sales?”
“Yes. It’s a very good product; it just lacks a proper channel.”
“Whether or not it’s a good product is not for you, Miss Harriet, to judge. Regardless, I will answer your questions. To transport goods from the provinces to the capital, you must either contract with a distribution firm of sufficient scale or form a new one, and…”
The explanation, which lasted about an hour, was as clear as Roxana’s usual lessons. In short: it took money to make money.
“That means I have to borrow the funds, doesn’t it?”
To Harriet’s question, Roxana shrugged.
“You could borrow from a bank or an individual, or you could receive an investment.”
“An investment?”
“Transporting goods from the provinces to sell in the capital is a business. Businesses often rely on investments. You would have to guarantee a return higher than a bank’s interest rate, but it is often better than being shackled to a bank loan.”
“Why?”
“If you succeed and provide the investor with a decent profit, more investments will flock to your next venture, Miss Harriet.”
It meant that money begat money, and success invited greater success.
“What if it fails…”
“Then you become a failed entrepreneur. However, while bank debt must be repaid regardless of the outcome, including principal and interest, an investment carries different stakes.”
“Pardon? Really?”
“An investment is the responsibility of the investor themselves. They put money into an venture with the risk of losing the principal in hopes of greater profit. Of course, you should make as much recovery as possible.”
Her head felt increasingly complicated.
While a bank loan would be simpler, with her current credit, Harriet couldn’t borrow nearly enough to launch a soap sales business. But if she sought an investment, who would trust Harriet Listerwell enough to entrust her with a large sum?
*But there’s nothing to lose by trying.*
Harriet gritted her teeth.
She had to scout for investors and give it a shot. If that failed, then she could consider the banks.
“Thank you, Teacher. This was very helpful.”
“It seems you are trying to start another troublesome business…”
“I haven’t done anything yet to deserve the word ‘another’.”
“It is certainly true that you haven’t done anything yet. Whatever you do, make sure you do not cause trouble for Countess Felon.”
With that, Roxana returned to her desk and opened her ledger. Harriet bowed in greeting and exited the office.
Once she had a plan, all the necessary tasks came rushing to mind.
*Before finding an investor, I need to discuss this with Mother Catherine.*
There was no time to lose. St. Clarissa’s Convent needed capital, and Harriet needed to strike before her notoriety faded.
She went straight to find Trisha.
“Great-Aunt. I think I’d like to visit St. Clarissa’s Convent.”
Trisha arched her eyebrows, showing curiosity, but she didn’t press for details.
“Go down and have them ready the carriage.”
Feeling reassured, Harriet packed a light bag.
* * *
“Sister Harriet!”
“Mother Superior! Sister Assistant!”
Harriet ran to hug Catherine and Agnes, who greeted her with open arms.
They looked her up and down, checking if the sister who had been on a long, arduous journey had grown thin or sustained any injury.
“I am truly doing well. I told you, there is no need to worry.”
“Are you certain nothing happened? The demeanor of Viscount Listerwell back then was quite ominous.”
Catherine scrutinized Harriet with concerned eyes, but she was eventually relieved by Harriet’s expression, which had become as bright as a clear, sunny sky.
“It hasn’t even been two months since we parted, but it feels like a lifetime.”
“It does. Yet, standing inside the convent, it feels like only yesterday that I was living here.”
They exchanged warm greetings as they headed to Catherine’s office.
Harriet reached into her satchel, took out an envelope, and handed it to her.
“This isn’t much, but it is an offering from me. I hope it helps even a little with the work you are doing.”
“You haven’t even established yourself in the capital yet, how could you…”
“My room and board are covered by my new guardian, Countess Felon. So, I want to use the money I had to help the convent.”
“Oh, my heavens! Do you know what kind of money this is…!”
Catherine knew Harriet’s situation well. She knew that all Harriet had was the 5,000 dirham that Baron Villey had left for her.
But to Harriet, the goodwill behind the money was what mattered—especially now, with a business opportunity standing before her.
“What’s important right now isn’t the small sum of cash, Mother Superior. As I mentioned in my letter, it is difficult for me to rely on Countess Felon for everything, and it will be difficult for the convent to operate the ‘Haven for Girls’ solely on temporary donations.”
“That is true, but you know as well as I do the limited income we generate.”
“We must change that.”
Harriet’s eyes shone, and Catherine tilted her head.
“What do you mean?”
“I will be blunt. Let’s start a soap sales business under the name of St. Clarissa’s Convent.”
“Pardon?”
“It has potential. I will make it happen.”
However, before Catherine could even wonder how Harriet would manage such a thing, she balked at the very idea of ‘sales’.
“It is true that we have sold our products before to cover expenses. But for those who have dedicated their lives to God to jump into a business purely for profit is, well…”
“It’s not as if you or the sisters are starting something new; you are simply continuing what you are already doing, only earning what you deserve for it.”
“That may be so, but…”
Harriet leaned in closer.
“If I may share my honest opinion, I believe that using money earned from products made with the devotion of the sisters to help those in need is more in accordance with God’s will than relying solely on the whims of noble donors.”
At that, Agnes nodded in agreement.
“I don’t think Sister Harriet is wrong, Mother Superior. Although, of course, the sanctity of convent life and product production must remain balanced.”
“The amount we currently produce is not very much, so would it even be worth it to sell it in the capital?”