shadow of britain

Chapter 810 The King's Great Revenge

William IV did not often summon officials to St. James's Palace, especially at dawn. On most days, the sailor king was usually still somewhat intoxicated at this time. But today was different; while newsboys on the streets of London might just be beginning to hawk The Times, William IV had already been waiting in his office for quite some time.

Arthur followed the stern-faced head servant to the door. Just as he was about to knock, the door opened from the inside.

The man who appeared through the door was Sir Herbert Taylor, the King's private secretary.

"Come in, Sir Arthur."

Taylor's voice sounded tired, as if he had been busy all night, or as if he was carrying some heavy burden on his mind.

But William IV, who was warming himself by the fireplace, was quite the opposite of his old secretary. The ruler of Britain still had his usual flushed face, but he looked to be in good spirits today, even radiant.

“Your Majesty,” Arthur bowed respectfully, his posture humble and proper, “you summoned me?”

“A summons?” William IV scoffed, tossing the letter on the table. “I’d rather it be a summons than an interrogation.”

Arthur glanced down at the letter on the table, his eyes landing on those few glaring words: a secret rendezvous at Kensington Palace, Lord Elphinstone and the young princess…

“Sir Arthur, I hope you understand your mission.” William IV frowned, and in his usual blunt tone, he rebuked, “Such a serious matter has occurred, why didn’t you report it in time?”

"To be honest, Your Majesty, I only learned of this news yesterday morning," Arthur replied calmly. "Although I think it's just some unfounded rumors, considering the seriousness of the matter, I still spent a day verifying it."

At this point, he pulled a document from his pocket and placed it on the table: "These are the testimonies of two Scotland Yard officers at the crime scene and related clues. I spent the whole night yesterday sorting through the relevant intelligence and managed to barely reconstruct the truth of the incident."

“Oh…” When William IV saw the report Arthur produced, the anger that had just been brewing vanished instantly: “If that’s the case, then it’s another matter, then it’s another matter… I’m sorry, Sir Arthur, you know I have a short temper.”

Arthur lowered his head respectfully and said understandingly, "Of course I understand, Your Majesty. After all, it concerns Her Highness's reputation. Concern can cloud judgment, and your worries are completely understandable."

William IV approached the table, somewhat rudely picked up the document, and quickly flipped through it.

His brow furrowed and relaxed at times, accompanied by a few muttered sounds from his throat that sounded both satisfied and dissatisfied.

"Elfin Stone, I really didn't expect this... Knowing him as I do, he doesn't seem like the type to do something so stupid. But then again, men, when they encounter a young and beautiful woman, anything is possible..."

William IV paced back and forth in the room, muttering to himself, "Ha, who would have thought Kensington Palace would end up like this? The wheel of fortune really does turn..."

Arthur originally thought that William IV would be furious when he learned that his heir was dating a non-royal nobleman, and would take the opportunity to get rid of Elphinstone.

But to his utter surprise, William IV's tone seemed to suggest that he was actually quite pleased.

But before he could figure it out, he heard Herbert Taylor cough softly beside him: "Sir Arthur, His Majesty the King has something else he would like to confirm with you today."

"Please speak."

Taylor first exchanged a glance with William IV, and only after receiving confirmation did he slowly begin to speak: "Yesterday we received various reports from different sources, but a significant portion of them suggested that Her Highness the Princess's relationship with Lord Elfenstone was actually deeper than a private rendezvous, and there were even rumors that Her Highness was pregnant, this..."

Even though Arthur had done his homework before arriving at St. James's Palace today, he still hadn't expected the rumors circulating there to spread so wildly in just one day. In truth, the imaginations of these high-ranking officials were no less vivid than those of third-rate tabloid reporters on the street.

It's one thing for Victoria to have given herself to Elfenstone, but how could she even get pregnant?
Arthur couldn't help but scratch his head after hearing this.

He knew, of course, that none of this was possible. After all, although Victoria had been disappearing briefly recently, each disappearance only lasted three to five minutes.

If she and Elphinstone can get things done in this short time, then Lord Elphinstone will undoubtedly become another London gunslinger after MP Bernie Harrison.

Of course, all of the above is a joke. Even if Elphinstone is a quick shooter, the three to five minutes that Victoria was missing would only be enough for the two of them to talk and hold hands. After all, those three to five minutes also included the time it took for Victoria to go to the meeting and return to the convoy.

However, William IV's concern about whether his niece was pregnant made Arthur understand the sailor king's intentions.

Based on Arthur's observations during this period, William IV showed no ill will towards his niece. Judging from his warm attitude whenever he met Victoria, he even seemed to like this adorable niece. At the very least, he did not treat Victoria with the same indifference he showed to his brother, the Duke of Cumberland.

Therefore, William IV's malice was primarily directed at Victoria's mother, the Duchess of Kent.

He was probably still holding a grudge against the Duchess of Kent for looking down on his illegitimate son, Fitzclarence.

William IV has always maintained an open attitude towards the issue of illegitimate children in the royal family. Whether it was his own ten illegitimate children or the illegitimate children of his brothers, he treated them all as his own nephews and nieces. He never believed that illegitimate children would bring shame to the royal family; on the contrary, he thought that they would make others admire his fertility.

However, the Duchess of Kent took a completely opposite stance to William IV on this matter. She not only looked down on William IV's illegitimate sons, but also treated other royal illegitimate sons with considerable contempt.

William IV clashed with the Duchess of Kent on this issue more than once, but Victoria's secret affair with Elphinstone clearly gave him an opportunity. The Duchess of Kent had previously been most proud of her daughter's legitimate inheritance; however, now her daughter might give her an illegitimate grandson…

Arthur's doubts were resolved; the drunken sailor king didn't actually care whether Victoria had made a mistake.

In fact, he probably didn't believe that his beloved niece would do such an absurd thing.

What he cared about from beginning to end was whether the Duchess of Kent's arrogant and conceited face would lose its former pride and composure because of the rumors.

No wonder he looked so happy today...

Thinking of this, Arthur couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for the Duchess of Kent.

Because he knew that His Majesty the King would not let her off easily this time. Even if he couldn't make her nervous, he would make her live in constant fear.

Arthur raised his head without changing his expression and cautiously replied, "Your Majesty, according to my investigation, these rumors are completely unfounded. There could not have been any improper conduct between Lord Elphinstone and Her Highness the Princess, let alone any pregnancy."

Upon hearing this, a hint of barely concealed disappointment appeared on William IV's face: "Is that so... Are you sure, Sir Arthur?"

“Absolutely certain, Your Majesty.” Arthur nodded with feigned seriousness, then added, “If this were true, it would have been the talk of the town long ago, and a young lady’s pregnant belly is impossible to hide. I teach at Kensington Palace every week, and as of last week, I haven’t noticed any significant changes in Her Highness’s physique.”

William IV stood before the fireplace, hands on his hips, a thoughtful expression gradually appearing on his face.

After a while, the king suddenly turned around, his signature hearty smile blooming on his face once again: "Hahaha, now that the matter has been investigated, I am relieved! That's right, Lord Elphinstone was raised by Viscount Keith, a true man of the Elphinstone family. How could I easily doubt Lord Elphinstone's honor? That would be so wrong!"

At this point, William IV, in high spirits, couldn't help but relapse into his old habit of reminiscing about past glories: "Sir Arthur, do you know Viscount Keith? When I was an acting lieutenant, I trained on his HMS Warwick. Old Viscount Keith was a master of warfare. Whether it was the Charleston landings or the Battle of Delaware Bay, every battle he fought was brilliantly executed."

Arthur certainly knew who Viscount Keith was that William IV was referring to. The first Viscount Keith, George Elphinstone, was not only Lord Elphinstone's guardian but also his uncle.

More importantly, he was a Red Banner Admiral in the Royal Navy, having experienced the full range of firepower during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars. In North America, he captured a Dutch 50-gun battleship and a French 38-gun frigate. During the anti-French war, as commander of a detachment, he also captured an entire Dutch squadron in Saldanha Bay. At the outbreak of the Battle of Cape St. Vincent, he was the second-in-command to Horatio Nelson, the symbol of the Royal Navy, and later served as commander of the Mediterranean Fleet and the Channel Fleet.

It's no exaggeration to say that in the Royal Navy, you could count the number of officers with a higher rank than Viscount Keith on two hands. Aside from renowned figures like Horatio Nelson, Richard Howe, Samuel Hood, and John Jervis, Viscount Keith was next on the list.

William IV muttered, "Now that the truth has been uncovered and Lord Elphinstone has not overstepped his bounds, he should be compensated. So, to compensate Lord Elphinstone and to express my gratitude for his loyal service at court over the years, I hereby award him the Royal Grand Cross of the Order of Guelph immediately!"

Upon hearing William IV's words, not only did Arthur frown, but even the King's secretary, Sir Herbert Taylor, couldn't help but advise, "Your Majesty, isn't this... a bit too hasty?"

"In haste? Not at all! This title should have been awarded to Viscount Keith, but unfortunately he has been gone for ten years, so I can only award it to his nephew now." William IV waved his hand and continued excitedly, "Not only that, I have also decided to recommend him for the Privy Council! You know, the Elphinstone family has served the royal family for many years, and I have always intended to honor them, but I have been struggling to find a suitable opportunity. Now the opportunity has finally arrived."

Arthur couldn't help but offer a word of advice, already imagining how frantic the Duchess of Kent and Conroy would be when the news reached Kensington Palace: "Your Majesty, are you sure you want to do this?"

William IV waved his hand magnanimously: "Of course I'm sure! Since it's all a misunderstanding, then I should give Lord Elphinstone an explanation. I cannot mistreat anyone loyal to the Royal Family!"

Although his words were spoken with righteous indignation, Arthur could clearly see that the sailor king's eyes were gleaming with an undisguised schadenfreude.

Seeing that William IV was so resolute, Taylor didn't say anything more about the awarding of the medal.

If the king were to award other medals, Taylor could perhaps cite the various review procedures as evidence.

However, the Royal Order of Guelph is not part of the British order of merit; it is awarded by the Kingdom of Hanover. While William IV could not directly oppose Parliament in Britain, in the Kingdom of Hanover, as the de facto monarch, his word was law.

If William IV so desired, he could bestow upon Elphinstone a baronetcy of Hanover, and Westminster Palace would have no say in the matter. Similarly, Lady Letsen's baronetcy of the Kingdom of Hanover was granted by William IV a couple of years prior as a reward for her many years of loyal service.

Taylor couldn't easily dissuade someone from awarding a medal, but...

Taylor hesitated slightly before adding, "Your Majesty, the matter of awarding the medal is fine, but shouldn't we postpone the matter of entering the Privy Council? At the very least, we should discuss it with Viscount Melbourne, shouldn't we?"

“My dear Herbert, when did you become so indecisive?” William IV glanced at him dismissively. “Speed ​​is of the essence in these matters. Before the rumors die down, we should send out the decree of reward as soon as possible. That would be the most effective way to clear Delineate and Elphinstone’s name!”

Seeing that William IV was in a good mood, Arthur immediately seized the opportunity to bring up his agreement with Stockmall: "Your Majesty, there is one more thing that I think you should know in advance."

"Hmm? What are you talking about? It's not the fight between University College London and King's College, is it? Young men get hot-tempered, and it's inevitable that some physical altercations will occur. Don't worry, I won't hold it against you."

Arthur smiled and said, “Your Majesty, you don’t need to interfere in the affairs of the young. However, you might need to help Lady Lyzen.”

(End of this chapter)