shadow of britain

Chapter 822 Small Jar of "Tea", Made in York

When Arthur heard the words "William of Prussia," his brow twitched almost imperceptibly, as if he had heard some old news that was both too familiar and too ridiculous.

"Which William?" he asked in an almost weary tone. "You mean the future King of Prussia? He's been married for almost ten years, and if I remember correctly, his wife is Princess Elisabeth Ludovica from Bavaria?"

Flora didn't answer immediately; she simply picked up her teacup and took a sip, seemingly to leave room for decency in her response.

“Or perhaps his brother, another William? But I think he's married too? His wife is Augusta of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.” Arthur wasn't particularly interested in European royalty before, but because of Victoria's marriage, he had crammed on the genealogies of various royal families last year and studied heraldry for a while. “Besides these two, the only other Prussian royals left are Prince Karl (the third prince) and Prince Albrecht (the fourth prince)... Or rather, did the Duchess choose one of the Williams from the Hohenzollern branch? Which prince from the Hohenzollern-Heigenzollern family?”

“Arthur,” Flora finally spoke, her tone still gentle but with a hint of restraint: “For now, this is just an idea of ​​the Duchess, and the name William isn’t that uncommon in the Hohenzollern family, is it?”

"So you're just using it as an example?"

Flora replied meaningfully, "Not me, but the Duchess. She's been quite unhappy lately with the influence of Baron Stockmare and His Majesty Leopold."

Upon hearing this, Arthur finally understood what was going on.

After all that fuss, she was just trying to outdo her younger brother and use the name of the Prussian Hohenzollern family to intimidate him.

After all, if we're being serious, although she's the third child in the family, she's still Leopold's older sister, and being scolded by her brother like that last year must have really hurt her.

Flora's next words basically confirmed Arthur's guess.

Earlier this year, the Duchess of Kent invited her two brothers, Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and Ferdinand I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Cohari, to Kensington Palace.

That's right, she called out to both of her older brothers, but not her younger brother Leopold.

Of course, it's also possible that Leopold only visited England last year, and given his current status as King of Belgium, he can't visit London too frequently. However, while it's understandable that Leopold didn't visit London this year, the Duchess of Kent not writing to her brother for six months straight is purely out of spite.

However, the fact that Leopold did not communicate with his sister does not mean that he did not communicate with his niece.

He wrote at least one letter to his niece almost every month, and the day his Uncle Leopold's letter arrived in London was the only time Victoria was willing to go out during those six months.

I remember Arthur mentioning this habit to Victoria when he was teaching her at Kensington Palace.

She said that going to the post office to pick up the mail in person was her uncle's requirement, because Leopold had taught her that any letter that passed through someone else's hands was at risk of being read, so she always had to go to the post office to pick up her uncle's letters in person to prevent outsiders from reading them.

Victoria's move, if seen by the nervous Duchess of Kent, could easily be interpreted in various ways.

Perhaps she felt that her brother Leopold was instigating his daughter to secretly oppose her?

After all, as she gets older, Victoria becomes increasingly disobedient, almost to the point of being visible to the naked eye.

Moreover, Leopold's dislike for Conroy was obvious, coupled with the recent incident where Baron Stockmaar instigated her eldest son, Prince Leiningen, to flee overnight...

Whether from the perspective of consolidating her own position or from the perspective of securing Victoria's right to the throne, the Duchess of Kent urgently needs a strong ally to back her up at this moment, even if that ally is fictitious.

The Hohenzollern family of Prussia was a very suitable candidate.

Flora's words to him at this time may not necessarily be intended for him to persuade Victoria to marry William of the Hohenzollern family. Perhaps she said these things simply because the Duchess of Kent wanted to use Arthur to tell her brother Leopold that she was also in talks with the Prussians.

Of course, she could have conveyed these words to Leopold through letters from Baron Stockmay or Victoria, but neither of them, nor Arthur, were under her control. The Duchess herself was too embarrassed to write to her brother directly, so she could only hint at it to him through various indirect means.

But whatever the truth may be, the Duchess's series of baffling actions have a somewhat "fussy" feel to them.

However, Arthur cannot rule out the possibility that Conroy was instigating her to do this.

If Conroy is really that desperate, then Arthur can't easily give in.

Although Arthur didn't understand what had happened inside Kensington Palace in the past six months, judging from the current situation, with the support of Baron Stockmare and Lady Leather, Victoria not only withstood the pressure, but even pushed Conroy to the point of desperation.

Now, Miss Flora Hastings, who had once stood on Conroy's side, has softened her stance due to the "potential possibility of marriage," and is no longer as eager for a future court position. Even Princess Sophia, who also resides at Kensington Palace, has intentionally or unintentionally distanced herself from Conroy, no longer diligently providing him with courtly intelligence. Therefore, this head of Kensington Palace is experiencing unprecedented isolation.

As is well known, Sir Arthur Hastings was always very helpful to those standing on the edge of a cliff, especially those who blocked his way. He never hesitated to give them a push, even if they were three or five hundred meters away.

Although he is no longer employed at Kensington Palace, how could Sir Arthur Hastings stand idly by while Lord Stockmaar and Lady Leather exert their influence within the palace?

"Did the Duchess really tell you those things?" Arthur paused suddenly, his lips drooping, looking somewhat sad. "Are you sure it wasn't... Sir John Conroy?"

The moment those words were spoken, even the gentle breeze in the room seemed to fall silent in that pause.

Flora paused, taken aback.

She didn't immediately refute, nor did she show anger or shock. She just sat there quietly: "How could you think that? I'm not Conroy's mouthpiece. Besides, why would I lie to you?"

“It’s nothing, I… I’m probably just overthinking it.” Arthur, a first-class actor from Scotland Yard, quickly got into character, rubbing his forehead and wiping the sweat from his temples with a handkerchief. “I knew it, it was all nonsense…” Flora’s hand holding the teacup trembled slightly, making a barely perceptible sound. She put down the cup, her gaze never leaving Arthur’s face. “Darling, I hope you can explain yourself clearly.”

Arthur lowered his head with feigned helplessness and sighed softly, "Flora... it's not that I don't want to say it, it's just... I don't want to make you sad."

“If you keep it to yourself, I’ll be even more upset.” Flora’s tone was gentle, but her attitude was unusually firm: “I know you’re not someone who makes baseless accusations, nor someone who would easily doubt a friend. But what you just said didn’t sound like something you said casually.”

"But Flora..."

"No buts, just think of it as doing this for my own good. Darling, tell me, what did you hear?"

Arthur paused for a moment, as if making the most difficult decision. Judging from his expression, he had never shown such pain when he was shot under the Tower of London.

Arthur finally nodded slowly: "I have indeed heard some...unpleasant rumors recently."

He spoke in a low voice, as if speaking too loudly would invite some unnecessary embarrassment: "It wasn't in the newspapers, nor from an official source at Kensington Palace, but from some small figures who run between Whitehall and the court, those who are good at making sniffs. I overheard them whispering about...something...too close...speculations...about you and Conroy getting along."

Flora's expression suddenly changed.

She sat up abruptly, her emotions seemingly ignited, the teacup almost slipping from her fingers.

"You believe me?" Her voice trembled slightly, tinged with a hint of sadness. "You doubt me?"

Her eyes were fixed on Arthur, as if waiting for an explanation that could wash everything away.

But Arthur remained silent and did not respond immediately.

The silence, however, surprised Flora.

She was initially angry, but then gradually became more complicated, with feelings of grievance, self-reflection, and vague expectation swirling within her.

Flora lowered her eyes and turned her head away, her long eyelashes concealing the moisture in her eyes, as if she was trying her best to suppress the unease and wavering in her heart.

After a moment, she asked in a low voice, "Arthur, do you really think... I would have some kind of shady relationship with someone like that, with a married man?"

Her tone had lost its anger, replaced by restraint and bitterness: "I admit, I did say some things in support of the Duchess and Conroy. But that was because... because of my duty, to protect the peace of Kensington Palace and keep Her Highness from attacks by those with ill intentions. But, but I... I have never, ever had even the slightest romantic feeling for Conroy!"

She looked up, her eyes reddening, but she held back her tears: "I'm not a frivolous woman, nor am I the kind of person who would curry favor with the powerful for my own advancement. You know what kind of person I am, Arthur."

She bit her lip, and tears finally slid down her cheeks: "If I really wanted to be attached to any gentleman... I would have made it as obvious as possible long ago."

Insincerity can never beat genuine sincerity.

Even the superb acting skills of Scotland Yard's first-class actors could not match the divine touch of Flora Hastings's heartfelt performance.

Arthur, having made a fool of himself, was momentarily stunned by her antics. After all, he wasn't a master of romance like Disraeli or Dumas; he had no contingency plan for similar situations and no experience in handling such matters, so he didn't know how to react.

He could only awkwardly reach into his pocket, pull out a clean handkerchief, and gently hand it to Flora.

“I’m sorry, Flora,” he said softly, his tone unusually sincere. “I shouldn’t have said that. And I shouldn’t have doubted you based on such unfounded rumors before I really understood the situation. I knew that even if all of London was talking about it, I should have been the first to stand up and deny it.”

Flora didn't rush to take the handkerchief. Instead, she looked up and glanced at Arthur, her eyes filled with a hint of reproach, a touch of shyness, and a mild reprimand.

"So you're admitting you were wrong?" She sniffed softly, her voice still slightly choked, but a smile played on her lips. "Sir Arthur Hastings, you actually apologize?"

Arthur smiled and replied softly, "I only bow my head to those who are worthy."

As soon as she said those words, Flora's face flushed red.

She gently took the handkerchief Arthur offered, first wiping away the tears on her cheeks, then turned away, taking the opportunity to hide her sudden shyness, and smiled shyly.

The laughter was soft, yet it seemed to dispel the stagnant air in the room.

After a moment, as if she had finally mustered up her courage, she spoke softly, “However… I also had my faults. I was indeed too lenient with Sir Conroy before. I know what kind of person Conroy is… It’s not that I don’t know his ambition, nor do I completely trust him. But… I admit that I did, intentionally or unintentionally, defend him in front of him and said a few words for him. But that wasn’t because I had any other feelings for him.”

Flora paused for a moment: "Perhaps it's because, as a single woman, I was raised with the virtue of 'order'... and Conroy's control over order, at least on the surface, is reassuring. He's efficient, speaks appropriately, and has been so loyal to the Duchess over the years, doing so much for her. Although there have been some shortcomings, overall, his contributions to Kensington Palace are undeniable. Without Conroy, there would be no Kensington system, Her Highness the Princess's social reputation wouldn't be as good as it is today, and her succession to the throne wouldn't be as secure."

At this point, she looked up at Arthur, blushing as she apologized, "However, I really shouldn't have gotten so close to him. Even if it was out of duty, even if it was out of a desire for stability, I shouldn't have given others the opportunity to speculate about me like that. I shouldn't have expressed so much support for him without any restraint. I'm an unmarried young lady, and he's a married gentleman... Even if I know perfectly well in my heart that I have no ulterior motives, in the eyes of others... it's very easy to misunderstand."

Her voice lowered: "I didn't pay much attention to this before, but recently I've noticed it myself. Now every day when I go back to my room, I'm always thinking about what I did that day, who saw me, and whether there will be any rumors. I've also noticed that it seems like someone is deliberately spreading rumors that are bad for me... but I don't know how to explain it, and I don't dare to talk to anyone about it. It wasn't until today, until you brought it up, that I realized these rumors have already spread... so widely."

(End of this chapter)