shadow of britain

Chapter 839 Hastings: "Loyalty Beyond Words"
Arthur bowed slightly, rose to greet her, and said with impeccable manners, "Madam, it has indeed been some time since we last met."

He didn't say "since Ramsgate came back" because that phrase carried too much weight and could easily cause unnecessary embarrassment.

The Duchess of Kent simply nodded, seemingly weighing her options, but before she could utter another word, another, even heavier set of footsteps sounded outside the door.

The man who was unwelcome everywhere except Kensington Palace has arrived.

His coat was still impeccably worn, his eyes slightly upturned, and he walked straight into the house as if Lord Chamberlain were just an insignificant old bureaucrat.

However, Chamberlain had clearly anticipated Conroy's attitude. This was not the first time he had come to Kensington Palace to deliver a message, nor was he unaware of how Conroy had insisted on not yielding to William IV on the issue of the cannon salute.

If this guy behaves like this in front of the king, then imagine what he's like as a palace attendant and chief steward of the royal wardrobe.

“Sir Arthur, Your Excellency.” He nodded in greeting, then cut straight to the point: “May I ask what brings you two here today?”

Chamberlain clearly didn't want to get entangled with him any longer. He directly pulled out the letter bearing the royal seal from his pocket and said bluntly, "By order of His Majesty the King, this letter must be delivered to Her Highness Victoria by Sir Arthur and myself."

Conroy remained composed, his smile measured: "Her Highness is currently in class. Would it be alright if the Duchess accepted it on her behalf?"

“I’m afraid that’s not appropriate.” After the incident at the Albion villa, Arthur clearly didn’t want to save face for him at all: “Because His Majesty the King personally instructed that we must personally watch Her Highness accept this letter and ensure that she responds to it in accordance with her own will.”

When he said this, he didn't look at Conroy, but rather looked over his shoulder at the half-open door.

Diagonally opposite the corridor outside the door is the Rose Room, where Victoria usually taught, and also the place Arthur frequented most when he was still teaching at Kensington Palace.

Since the Albion Villa incident, Kensington Palace's governess team has undergone an unprecedented purge.

Conroy first dismissed Mr. Griffith, who taught Latin and French, on the grounds of "restoring academic integrity" and "eliminating sentimentality."

Then, the painting teacher was replaced by Edwin Lansier, a rising star from the Royal Academy of Arts, and even the dance teacher, Miss Taglioni, was dismissed. Conroy's stated reason was lax classroom discipline. But in reality, he simply suspected that these governesses were getting too close to Mrs. Lezen or Arthur in private.

The person standing on the platform in the Rose Hall, taking over Arthur's position as teacher of classical literature and rhetoric, was the newly arrived German lecturer, Mr. Bares.

As for why Barres was chosen, it's simply because Barres is a foreigner with no connections, so it's unlikely that he could ideologically incite Victoria to rebel against the Kensington system.

Indeed, even today, Conroy and the Duchess of Kent still believe that Victoria did not obediently sign the regency agreement because she was encouraged by Lady Leach and her governesses.

In order to restore Victoria's former peaceful and docile temperament, it was necessary to adopt German-style education, rather than continuing to allow the shameless liberalism of Britain to run rampant in Kensington Palace.

Although most people can't understand how the Secretary General of the Police Commissioner's Committee can be a liberal.

If the bullet that flew under the Tower of London knew about this, it would probably feel ashamed and think it might have shot in the wrong place. Wasn't it shooting at a royalist that Wellington praised?
But regardless, that's what Conroy was thinking.

In Arthur's opinion, Conroy's stubbornness was actually quite good.

If this Irishman were to one day remember that he still had the tactic of playing the emotional card, Arthur would really have no idea how to break through the shell he had laid in Kensington Palace.

Although Arthur and Victoria had only spent a year together, thanks to his experience in judging people honed while interrogating prisoners at Scotland Yard, he knew very well that Victoria was the kind of girl who responded better to gentle persuasion than force, especially now that she was going through puberty. So the more Conroy pressured her, the more she would dislike him.

While in Ramsgate, Victoria was bedridden for five weeks due to illness.

According to Victoria, Conroy came to her bedside almost every day during those five weeks, asking her to sign an agreement to appoint Conroy as the Queen's Private Secretary after her coronation.

At the time, Arthur even secretly suggested to Victoria that if she couldn't hold on in the end, she could sign the agreement first and then back out after the coronation.

However, to Arthur's surprise, Victoria was unwilling to even change her mind afterward.

No matter how many times Conroy came, she only had one sentence—No!
After a long tug-of-war between the two sides, it was Conroy who was the first to break down.

The middle-aged man in his forties couldn't help but rush into the room, yelling at Victoria and calling her a stupid, selfish, and unreasonable fool.

He said her mind was full of rubbish, her love of dolls and theater was utterly foolish, and it was clear she was incapable of ruling the country on her own, and that she owed him something. After all, Victoria had to think about how much he and her mother had done for her over the years.

Initially, the Duchess of Kent would help Conroy persuade Victoria. However, after Arthur barged into Albion Villa, whether out of guilt or a genuine realization that she had gone too far, the Duchess of Kent, unable to change anything, would deliberately avoid the situation.

Victoria was able to withstand pressure from both her mother and Conroy, so she naturally became even more determined when facing Conroy alone.

Not to mention, she soon received a letter from her uncle Leopold from Belgium—that the Irishman thought he could somehow bind you, but I am right here beside you, at your beck and call, so it was an impossible, unbelievable, crazy idea.

Of course, what reassured Victoria the most was that her teacher, Sir Arthur Hastings, was staying at the Albion Inn, just across the street from Albion Villa.

During the time Arthur was bedridden, he never left Ramsgate except for a brief trip to Windsor Castle to report to William IV.

His officers, including Thomas Plenkitt, Hamilton, and Wayne, all requested extended leave from Scotland Yard.

What moved Victoria even more was that Scotland Yard not only approved the leave of several officers, but also, despite the shortage of police manpower, subsequently approved the leave applications of dozens more officers.

As a result, Ramsgate suddenly became the wealthiest region in Britain in terms of law enforcement during that period.

When Victoria was recovering from a serious illness and just able to get out of bed, she would see several familiar faces wearing peaked hats near the gas lamp post by her window, both morning and evening. Occasionally, they would spot Victoria at the window, smile, and wave at her, removing their hats. Conroy was naturally furious about this. He repeatedly questioned Sheriff Murphy about why these suspicious individuals were allowed to loiter around Albion House, turning Kensington Palace into a scene resembling a military camp. But despite his anger and resentment, Conroy knew in his heart that if these men truly wanted to stay outside, he couldn't stop them.

Not only Sheriff Murphy, but even the servants and ladies-in-waiting at Kensington Palace began to turn a blind eye to what was happening outside.

Colonel Francis Venables-Vernon-Harcourt, the Duchess of Kent's squire and the Archbishop of York's youngest son, was discovered by Conroy to be sneaking off to drink with Arthur in the evenings. Even more shockingly, Miss Catherine Jenkinson, the Earl of Liverpool's eldest daughter, sided with this despicable Arthur Hastings in defense of Colonel Harcourt.

But all of this is not the most infuriating part. The most infuriating part is that Colonel Harcourt and Miss Jenkinson actually used this incident to confess their feelings for each other, and this secret palace romance was suddenly brought into the open.

Their fathers, the Archbishop of York and the Earl of Liverpool, were very pleased with the marriage upon hearing the news, so the two old men quickly finalized the engagement after their children returned from Ramsgate.

The newlyweds had just held their wedding last month, and Sir Arthur Hastings, as a close friend of both of them, was naturally invited to attend.

Unfortunately, Conroy, as the Grand Steward of Kensington Palace and the couple's superior in their daily work, did not receive a wedding invitation.

Conroy felt as if a stone was pressing on his chest whenever he thought about that wedding.

London's social circles were abuzz with talk of Colonel Harcourt and Miss Jenkinson's perfect match, while he himself hadn't even received an invitation.

What annoyed him even more was that Arthur Hastings was not only present, but also drank and chatted with the bride and groom, and was even specifically thanked by name after the Earl of Liverpool and the Archbishop of York gave their blessings.

"That despicable fellow."

Conroy gritted his teeth inwardly.

He couldn't understand how a police secretary from a poor background who was only recently granted a title could sit side by side with the archbishop and the count, and how he could swagger around and receive honors at a wedding.
The status that he had fought for his whole life seemed to come to Arthur Hastings effortlessly.

But ironically, at this very moment, he stood face to face with Arthur.

The room fell silent for a moment. Lord Chamberlain silently observed the two men, as if waiting for someone to speak first.

Conroy ultimately suppressed his anger; he knew very well that he couldn't lose his composure in this situation.

He put his hands behind his back and deliberately softened his voice: "Although it is His Majesty the King's order to deliver the letter to Her Highness the Princess, Sir Arthur, is there any difference between giving the letter to me... no, to the Duchess, and giving it to Her Highness the Princess? With your current status, there should be no need for you to be so particular, right? I heard that you were quite the star at a wedding last month!"

Arthur completely ignored Conroy's provocation: "Sir John, this is not my seal, nor the Duchess's seal, but His Majesty the King's. If His Majesty asks, how do you expect me to answer? Am I to say that because I was quite famous at a wedding, I just casually handed the letter over to someone else?"

Lord Chamberlain almost burst out laughing upon hearing this, but he couldn't help but cough softly to cover it up.

Conroy's smile froze, then he squeezed back in. He wanted to raise his voice in rebuttal, but he was afraid of actually arguing with Arthur in front of everyone and losing his last shred of dignity.

He could only snort coldly: "Sir, you are indeed eloquent. No wonder even the young lady of the Earl of Liverpool's mansion treats you as an honored guest."

Arthur seemed oblivious to the sarcasm, remaining as calm as ever: "You flatter me, Sir. Whether or not there are guests is a matter of the newlyweds' wishes. As for this letter, it is His Majesty the King's wish. You should know better than me which is more important. These 117 counties of the British Isles are in your hands; can you handle them?"

Conroy felt a chill run down his spine when Arthur looked at him; he seemed to recall that night at Ramsgate.

What was even more embarrassing was that he could feel Lord Chamberlain's eyes watching him subtly, as if he were ready to bring this underhanded struggle back to St. James's Palace as a joke.

The atmosphere inside the room was becoming tense when suddenly a soft footstep sound came from outside the door.

The door to the Rose Room was pushed open from the inside, accompanied by the sound of pages closing.

Victoria appeared at the door.

She was wearing a simple morning dress, and her face looked a little pale. Her long hair, which had thinned due to illness last year, now looked much thicker.

She stared straight into the room, and when her gaze fell on the envelope in Arthur's hand, a hint of urgency flashed across her eyes, but she quickly withdrew it.

Victoria, who had been standing outside the door, had overheard most of what was going on, but now she had to pretend to be unaware: "Sir Arthur? Is there something you need?"

Before Victoria could finish speaking, the Duchess of Kent frowned: "Delina! You should be in class right now, how can you just wander out like this?!"

Victoria paused, her lips pressed tightly together. She instinctively wanted to lower her head, but her gaze involuntarily drifted to the envelope in Arthur's hand.

Lord Chamberlain's eyes twitched, and he immediately stood up, speaking with utmost respect: "Your Highness, if I may be so bold, Princess Victoria's presence here is perfectly timed. His Majesty the King has instructed that Sir Arthur and I deliver this personal letter to Her Highness so that she may see it in person."

These words effectively silenced the Duchess's reprimand in front of everyone.

The Duchess froze, her face instantly turning bright red.

She opened her mouth as if to refute, but the words "Your Majesty" choked her, and she could only clench her fingers into her silk gloves, her chest heaving, and she remained silent for a long time.

Seeing this, Conroy tried to ease the tension: "Your Excellency, it is, after all, class time. Besides, Her Highness is young and lacks tact, so I'm afraid she may not be able to respond appropriately in time..."

"Quite the opposite," Arthur suddenly said. "Her Highness is no longer a little girl. In a few days, she will turn eighteen and become an heir to the throne who can take an independent oath. If she cannot even accept a letter from the king in person, how will she inherit the kingdom in the future?"

(End of this chapter)