shadow of britain

Chapter 807 The University of London with its Wide Network of Connections
"Did Scotland Yard agree?"

Once Elder's thirst for knowledge is piqued, it's really hard to stop him from asking all sorts of questions.

The sudden revelation of a shocking royal secret made Elder feel that even the oxtail soup at Simpson's Cafe tasted bland today.

Arthur didn't hide all the details from Elder, or rather, he didn't completely understand what had happened last night.

Officers Cowley and Hught, who caught Victoria and Elfenstone in their tryst, were given leave by Scotland Yard early this morning. Commissioner Rowan ordered the two officers to keep quiet. All officers who had recently participated in plainclothes patrols near Kensington Palace were also questioned by the department, with questions mainly focusing on whether they had noticed anything unusual in the Kensington area.

Compared to Arthur, Rowan was more concerned about whether there was an assassination or kidnapping plan targeting the crown prince.

In Rowan's view, if Victoria could so easily escape Scotland Yard's sight, then who knows if she might be kidnapped by criminals in the future?
If Scotland Yard had no connection to her, it wouldn't have been a problem, but now they've sent plainclothes officers under the guise of "voluntary overtime."

If such a situation arises, Scotland Yard will be affected to some extent when it comes to holding those responsible accountable.

To solve this problem, it is natural to need to increase manpower.

Arthur, a retired officer, wholeheartedly supported Rowan's decision. After all, as the de facto head of the Kensington plainclothes police force, the more officers under his command, the better.

If it weren't for Scotland Yard's strict gun control regulations, Arthur would have planned to equip this plainclothes police force with ample firepower.

He spent most of the morning at Scotland Yard arguing with Rowan about the issue of plainclothes officers carrying firearms, but Rowan wouldn't budge on it no matter what. He wouldn't even allow him to take out the Police Intelligence Service's Hastings revolvers, let alone four or five Baker rifles.

Fortunately, Arthur hadn't had high hopes for this matter. He had worked with Rowan for three years and knew that his old superior had always advocated maintaining a low-force approach in the police force. Like Sir Robert Peel, he always insisted that police officers should just be uniformed civilians.

However, this wasn't entirely bad news for Arthur, because Rowan's stance indicated that the top leader of Scotland Yard did not view the police officers as a special branch of the army, but rather as an independent department. Given this, Rowan's adherence to regulations was understandable.

Arthur vaguely agreed with Elder: "Scotland Yard? I still have some influence at Scotland Yard, and this matter has nothing to do with them. Even if I don't go to Rowan, he didn't intend to make a fuss about it. Scotland Yard isn't Fleet Street."

Elder crossed his arms and pondered seriously, "This... I really didn't expect that Elphinstone would actually dare to do such a thing... Hmm, Arthur, do you think they were mutually in love, or did Elphinstone just keep pestering her until Her Highness..."

Arthur wiped his mouth with a napkin: "How would I know? Young passions always come so suddenly. I knew before that Her Highness didn't like those two young men from the Orange-Nassau family of Holland, finding them clumsy and not good-looking. But... Elphinstone... to be honest, I don't think he's that handsome or dashing, not even as good-looking as the two princes of Orange-Nassau. I think there's probably some misunderstanding in Elphinstone's case. How could Her Highness fall in love with him? It's a bit absurd."

Elder stroked his chin and pondered for a while, then suddenly clicked his tongue: "You really shouldn't disbelieve me, I think this matter is most likely not a misunderstanding."

Arthur raised an eyebrow and took a sip of his now-cold coffee: "Oh? Then tell me, how come it's not a misunderstanding?"

Elder leaned back in his chair, and this "Nottingham Casanova" analyzed shrewdly, "Think about it, what kind of person is Her Highness? She's not an ordinary girl; she's of noble birth, raised in Kensington Palace since childhood, manipulated like a doll, constantly watched over by Conroy and her mother. The men she can come into contact with are either obedient servants or sycophants with cloyingly sweet words but no personality whatsoever. You expect her to choose one of these people to fall in love with? That would be the death of her."

One of the slightly more individualistic sycophants shrugged. He didn't speak, but gestured for Elder to continue.

Elder continued, "But Elphinstone is different. He's Scottish, stubborn, and hot-tempered. You know, there aren't many nobles from Scotland who are obedient."

Elder was not making things up when it came to Scottish nobles.

Because within the British aristocratic circles, the Scottish nobles have a long history of "disobeying royal authority."

The old Scottish nobles, whether from the Highlands or the Lowlands, mostly believed deep down that they were the true aristocrats of the British Isles.

For them, Britain was not the same as England, and the Hanoverian dynasty was by no means the same as a legitimate monarchy.

For example, the Gordon family, to which Lord Byron belonged, was a prominent Highland family in Scotland. They had long been sworn to the Catholic Church and were a major royalist force during the Scottish Reformation. In the struggle for the throne between Mary, Queen of Scots, and her son James VI (James I of England), the Gordon family firmly sided with Mary. During the English Civil War in the 1640s, the Gordon family fought against Cromwell's Parliamentarian army as royalists supporting Charles I.

Although the Gordon family has now accepted the Hanoverians' British royal status, they still look down on these German outsiders and often speak contemptuously of them in private.

The Gordon family shares the same attitude as the "Kings of the West" who still insist on Gaelic education, the Macdonald family who have ancient Scottish royal lineage and often refer to the Hanoverian family as nouveau riche, and the Cameron family, the Highlanders who believe that Highlanders are of higher rank than Germans.

In addition, the Hamilton family, considered the first noble family in Scotland, and the Bethborough family, whose lineage dates back to the Tudor dynasty, also frequently criticize the royal family in public. The latter even publicly accused the "Hanoverians of being unable to understand British traditions" during a meeting of the House of Lords.

At this point, Elder suddenly slammed his cup on the table: "These people, deep down, despise the Germans from Hanover the most. Have you ever met Elphinstone? He belonged to that kind of Scottish noble family. The first Lord Elphinstone died as a Scottish soldier in the Battle of Floden, which broke out between England and Scotland. Not to mention the Hanoverian royal family, he didn't usually respect even the Tudor royal family. A fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl suddenly discovers such an arrogant young nobleman, who is also wealthy, talented, and has a refined demeanor. Even if his appearance isn't the most outstanding, his strong aura is certainly enough to attract girls who have been confined to the inner palace for a long time."

Although Arthur didn't want to admit it, he still had to.

Elder's words seemed to make some sense. Victoria enjoyed the thrill of escaping the Kensington system's surveillance, and the sudden appearance of a young man who was neither timid nor obsequious, and even a bit arrogant, in her monotonous life could indeed satisfy her psychological needs.

“A strong presence can certainly be alluring.” Arthur tapped his fingertips on the table, seemingly deep in thought. “However, if the spring breeze blows too strong, it’s hard to guarantee that this little boat won’t capsize…”

As soon as Arthur finished speaking, the wind chimes suddenly rang at the entrance of Simpson's Cafe, and a figure wearing a gray woolen cloak and a top hat was brought in by the gust of wind carrying a drizzle.

The conversation in the coffee shop paused briefly, but quickly resumed as usual.

The man at the door had a calm gaze. When he took off his hat, a familiar face was revealed. He was Baron Stockmay, a close advisor to King Leopold of Belgium.

He didn't look at anyone else, but instead scanned the café, finally fixing his gaze on the corner where Arthur and Elder were.

"Sir Arthur." The man walked up to Arthur and said, "It seems I haven't come to the wrong place."

Arthur raised an eyebrow slightly, pushed his coffee cup aside, and stood up to gesture for the other person to sit down: "Sir, I really didn't expect to meet you here."

Stockma smiled and looked at Elder, asking, "And who is this?"

Elder was taken aback by these words, and quickly stood up to extend his hand to Stockma: "Elder Carter, Third Secretary of the Admiralty, a friend of Sir Arthur Hastings."

Stockmay suddenly realized, "Major General John Carter's nephew?"

"You and my uncle are acquainted?"

Stockmay smiled and nodded, saying, "Back when I was in London, I often went to the United Services Club in Belmel."

Although Stockmay didn't elaborate, for older Londoners, the name United Services Club alone speaks volumes.

Because this club was primarily open to active and retired Royal Navy officers, and occasionally to a small number of diplomats and senior Whitehall bureaucrats, and because of its proximity to the Whitehouse of the Admiralty, many officers would often come here to relax while awaiting transfer orders or cabinet consultations. Over time, it evolved into a place where senior Royal Navy commanders arranged personnel matters, inquired about appointments, and lobbied for the cabinet.

Admiral Horatio Nelson, a symbol of the Royal Navy, and several current Royal Navy fleet commanders have maintained private rooms at the United Services Club.

Although Elder didn't know who Stockma was, just the fact that he got into the club meant that this guy was definitely someone important.

After sitting down, Stockma casually took the coffee pot handed to him by the waiter and poured himself a cup of black coffee.

"Your sudden visit is surely not just for a simple reunion, is it?"

Arthur smiled slightly. He had expected Stockmay to come looking for him, but he hadn't anticipated that the other party would act so quickly. It seemed that the Belgian side was just as concerned about whether Victoria could successfully ascend the throne as he was.

Stockmay understood what Arthur meant, of course. They shared a common interest in Victoria's succession, so there was no need for him to beat around the bush: "To be honest, I have come here on His Majesty's orders."

"His Majesty's orders?" Elder shrank back, quite sensibly taking out his pocket watch to glance at it, and said, "It's almost time. I have to return to the Admiralty. You two can continue your conversation."

No sooner had Elder stepped out than Stockma spoke up, saying, "His Majesty Leopold is extremely concerned about what happened at Kensington Palace last night."

Has His Majesty Leopold not yet returned to Brussels?

“Of course I went back,” Stockma said calmly. “But His Majesty entrusted me with full responsibility for the situation at Kensington Palace, and my concerns are His Majesty’s concerns. You can trust the weight of my words in this regard.”

Arthur did not question Stockma, for neither reason nor emotion did he want to offend Leopold's most trusted advisor, after all, the English Electromagnetic Telegraph Company still had business in Belgium: "Is he worried about the princess's safety, or about whether this matter would affect her future political status? I can do my best to address the former, but the latter is really beyond my control."

Stockmay did not answer directly, but instead said, "Her Highness is still young and inexperienced, yet she is attracting more and more attention. Any slight movement will be amplified by the outside world. Especially at this time, when the political climate in Downing Street is not yet stable, Peel's government has only recently fallen, and the political situation in Melbourne is still unstable. If something inappropriate happens at this critical juncture, it will not benefit anyone."

"Your Excellency, I understand your position and your concerns stemming from your loyalty to His Majesty Leopold. However, these words are meaningless to me. You should tell the Whigs instead. Tell the Viscount Melbourne, the Earl of Grey, the Viscount Palmerston, and those old foxes in Brooks Tavern who are intoxicated with the corridor politics between the gentlemen's club and the House of Commons. If they truly want this young woman to ascend the throne smoothly, then they should open their eyes wide and see clearly those opponents who are eager to use palace scandals to cause trouble."

Upon hearing this, Stockma stared at Arthur and suddenly said, "Can you guarantee that this sudden situation was not arranged by the Duke of Wellington and Sir Robert Peel? I happen to have some information here that is not good for you."

(There should be two more chapters today)
(End of this chapter)