shadow of britain

Chapter 860 The First Hastings from the Baron
Arthur looked at her, his gaze quiet, as if he were thinking, or perhaps just waiting for her to finish speaking.

He only raised his eyebrows slightly after Victoria said, "She never said that about Uncle Leopold."

“Hmm…yes.” Arthur’s tone was gentle, as if he were agreeing, or perhaps he was trying to figure it out: “But His Majesty Leopold is a king, Viscount Palmerston is a seasoned politician, and you, perhaps in most people’s eyes, are just an eighteen-year-old girl.”

Arthur glanced at her and smiled again: "They say you can't act like you're seeking revenge because they think you're not a mature politician yet. If you were a mature queen, no one would dare say a word against you, even if you spoke as frankly as His Majesty William."

Victoria snorted and nodded empathetically, saying, "Besides, they've never felt as wronged as I have."

“That’s true.” Arthur nodded. “They are born with the right to make mistakes, while you’ve only just gained a little bit of freedom from interference.”

In Victoria's view, Sir Arthur Hastings always spoke in this way: unhurried, neither aggressive nor compromising, but rather like a light shining from some corner, carefully illuminating the small flame in her heart.

No matter what she was thinking, Sir Arthur always knew immediately.

But so what?

Although Victoria disliked Baron Stockmaar's advice, she understood that he was right in dealing with Conroy's situation, and even her Uncle Leopold had written in support of him.

If it were just Stockma who said it, Victoria might not have taken it seriously, but if even her dearest uncle was on his side, then she had to take it seriously. After all, her uncle had never mistreated her in anything from childhood to adulthood.

Victoria didn't speak, but simply lowered her head and tugged at the hem of her skirt.

Arthur, however, seemed to suddenly change the subject: "Speaking of which..."

He casually remarked, "Did Sir John Conroy ever mention what his most desired reward was?"

Victoria looked up at him warily: "You're not trying to take his side, are you?"

Arthur laughed, but not very seriously: "How could I dare? I was just curious."

He paused, his voice lower than before, sounding as if he were speaking only to Victoria: "If I remember correctly, in his letter to the Viscount of Melbourne yesterday, he requested the following: a respectable noble title, a red ribbon of the Order of Bath, a retirement pension of three thousand pounds... and, well, a respectable status befitting his years of loyal service..."

“He actually…” Victoria’s eyes widened in anger, “Why didn’t the Viscount Melbourne tell me about this?”

She was genuinely unhappy, and her voice even trembled with a hint of anger.

Arthur stood there silently, offering no words of comfort, but silently calculating in his mind whether this anger would even ignite if some fuel was added.

Before Arthur could even stir things up, Mrs. Lezen, standing beside Victoria, spoke up first.

“Because the Viscount Melbourne has always been fond of acting on his own,” Lady Lezen began. “And he probably thinks that such matters shouldn’t ‘disturb’ Her Majesty the Queen. Isn’t that just like Sir John Conroy?”

If Lyzen hadn't spoken up at that moment, Arthur would have almost forgotten about her.

Ultimately, Arthur Hastings wasn't exactly among the people who wanted to kill Conroy.

When it comes to the complicated relationship between Conroy and Victoria and Mrs. Leach, both of them have to stand ahead of him in terms of their history.

After all, for Arthur, Conroy was at most disrespectful, but for Victoria and Mrs. Lezen, they were either nearly killed by Conroy's arrangements or ostracized by Conroy for more than a decade.

Victoria was clearly angered, but she didn't react immediately; instead, she decided to listen to what Arthur had to say.

Arthur, understanding the implication, filled in the gap in the conversation: "Actually, Sir John's list... or more accurately, his petition, has a last sentence that is quite interesting."

Victoria sat down on the bench, looking sullen, and said in a cold tone, "What did he say?"

Arthur shrugged, as if he were talking about some trivial joke: "He said that if His Majesty is unwilling to let him retire so early, he is willing to step down completely and serve as His Majesty's personal advisor, waiting for orders."

“Private consultant?” Victoria’s face changed instantly. This position was like a fine needle, precisely piercing the darkest corner of her memory.

Victoria could no longer contain herself; she looked both angry and panicked: "Impossible, this is impossible. But it is also impossible for me to bestow a knighthood upon him."

Arthur smiled slightly, as if he had already anticipated that Victoria would say such a thing.

For seasoned Whitehall bureaucrats, encountering such difficult problems is a good opportunity to put their "ingenuity" to good use.

Currently, Victoria only has two options.

Alternatively, she could accept Conroy's terms without question, which Victoria naturally could not accept.

Alternatively, they could refuse Conroy's request and sever all ties, but this would almost certainly lead to Conroy joining forces with the Duchess of Kent, potentially jeopardizing the positive image Victoria had painstakingly built.

But as is well known, politics, especially British politics, has always been an art of compromise.

As far as Arthur was concerned, Conroy was a disgusting person, but he was still useful to him.

If Arthur wanted to bring down Conroy, he only needed to release the suspicious financial ledgers Conroy left behind when he worked at Kensington Palace. Although the ledgers from the Duchess of Kent were hard to obtain, Princess Sophia's asset details could be easily sorted out if Arthur was willing to put in some effort or spend some money to have Victor investigate.

Especially considering that after William IV's death, the Duke of Cumberland will succeed as King of Hanover, and the Duke of Cambridge, appointed Governor of Hanover by William IV, is already on his way back...

It is worth noting that among George III's children, Princess Sofia's two closest brothers were her deceased eldest brother, George IV, and the Duke of Cambridge.

Given the Duke of Cambridge's temperament and his relationship with his sister, Princess Sophia, if Arthur were to leak the information about the financial records, the Duke of Cambridge, now free of charge, would most likely step in to seek justice for his sister.

However, this matter cannot be rushed; we must wait until the attention surrounding Conroy has subsided before taking action.

Moreover, the Duchess of Kent doesn't seem to have abandoned the Grand Steward of Kensington Palace yet, and Arthur doesn't want to offend them both.

Furthermore, although this devoted student, who had been educated by Sir Arthur Hastings for many years, still harbored deep affection for her teacher after Victoria's accession to the throne, relationships between people cannot be maintained solely by feelings, especially with a monarch, where practical interests must be tied in addition to feelings.

Sir Arthur Hastings' ability to properly handle John Conroy for Her Majesty is a reliable interest that will last at least three to five years.

Arthur stood there, his expression calm and serene.

He did not immediately defend himself for his silence, but seemed somewhat hesitant until Victoria's gaze fell on him again, at which point he spoke softly, "Your Majesty, there is actually room for maneuver in this matter."

Victoria didn't speak, but the fingers resting on her knees twitched slightly.

Having observed Victoria up close at Kensington Palace for three years, Arthur immediately noticed that his good student was smitten.

Arthur hesitated before speaking, "If you allow, I can speak with the Viscount of Melbourne and tentatively agree to some of Sir John's conditions. For example, we could grant him a fixed annuity as a respectable reward for his continued loyalty after his term ends. We could also propose granting him a baronial title..."

“From a baron?” Victoria looked up, her gaze becoming somewhat complicated. It was clear that even with this condition, she was still very unwilling, but compared to the other two options, this one was relatively easier to accept: “But what he wants is the title of baron. You know, he wants to enter the House of Lords.”

Arthur nodded. "Of course I know. But the problem is, the Upper House doesn't want him in."

Upon hearing this, Madame Lezen almost burst out laughing, but fortunately she simply lowered her head and coughed.

Victoria paused slightly, as if she was gradually understanding Arthur's meaning: "But... what if he still insists on demanding the baronial title...?"

Arthur seized the opportunity and continued, "It's not a big deal if he insists on asking. You can promise him a baronial title in southern Ireland, but he can only be granted it after an existing Irish nobleman dies without an heir. After all, there are only so many baronial titles. Unless he can win Waterloo like the Duke of Wellington, you can't just conjure one up for him out of thin air."

Lady Leysen understood Arthur's subtext: "Let him see the future, but not deliver on it immediately? That way he can't claim he hasn't received anything in return, because nominally he's waiting for the state's arrangement. Moreover, this makes it difficult for him to continue his clamor, because if he continues to contradict her, he'll worry that Her Majesty the Queen might take the opportunity to withdraw her promise of a knighthood?"

Arthur smiled and nodded: "You're right. Besides, the title of baron he's now given, while not enough to be listed among the nobility, is enough for him to make a grand entrance in social situations. He can have his coat of arms printed, have clocks made to order, and tell his guests that he is Sir John Conroy, the first baron."

“But he still can’t speak in the House of Lords,” Victoria murmured softly. “That way he can stay away from me a little…”

“Exactly,” Arthur replied with a smile. “In that case, the initiative is in your hands, Your Majesty.”

Victoria raised an eyebrow, a smile returning to her face: "And what if this year... I mean, hypothetically, a certain Irish gentleman were to suffer misfortune, and happen to die without an heir... what then..."

Arthur gently shook his head and said, “Your Majesty, you need not worry about that. Have you forgotten how our Hastings family’s title of Earl of Huntington was restored?”

As soon as Arthur mentioned the Huntington succession case, Victoria immediately understood.

In the UK, when a nobleman dies without leaving a clear legal heir, or when there are multiple distant relatives claiming inheritance rights, the question of the title's attribution is legally recognized as a "petty succession dispute" and immediately enters into a formal statutory review process.

This so-called statutory review process first requires the claimant to submit a written petition to the monarch through a lawyer or notary.

Normally, after receiving a petition, the monarch would transfer the case to the House of Lords, which would then be heard by the House of Lords’ Committee of Noble Qualifications. This committee was usually composed of senior nobles and judges who were responsible for presiding over hearings, reviewing genealogical records, and questioning witnesses, among other things.

In addition, the royal legal counsel also assists in reviewing petitioners' claims for fraud or fabrication on behalf of the royal family.

If the House of Lords' Committee on Nobility and the Royal Counsel determine that the succession is legitimate, the monarch will formally sign a Decree of Succession to confirm the title's ownership. Otherwise, the monarch will personally assume the illegitimate title.

Everyone can tell at a glance that even if you go fast, it will take two or three years to complete such a process.

If you get stuck at any stage along the way, it's not uncommon to wait three to five years.

Even in the worst-case scenario, if a noble family in southern Ireland were to die out this year, Conroy would have to wait five or six years to receive his barony title if the process were delayed even slightly.

If Arthur were determined to make things difficult for Conroy, he could even do it for Victoria by finding a dozen or twenty "distant cousins" of extinct nobles on the street and having them line up and write a petition every month to claim the title.

In this way, even if it drags on for ten or eight years, or even twenty or thirty years, you won't be able to find any fault with the procedure.

“Sir Arthur.” Victoria smiled, her eyes crinkling.

"His Majesty?"

"Aren't you feeling smug?" Victoria's tone held neither anger nor blame, but rather a hint of mockery: "Your eyes were practically spitting fire when you were talking just now. Have you been wanting to do this to him all along?"

Arthur pretended to think about it seriously for a moment before slowly replying, "It's not that I'm going to do it... I just think that keeping him trapped at the door of the title he dreams of will make him feel more pain than slapping him directly."

After hearing this, Victoria bit her lower lip, as if she was amused by something, but refused to admit it: "You... But if you hadn't reminded me... I almost let them control me again."

“It’s not a reminder, it’s just that we’re thinking along the way,” Arthur corrected her. “You are the Queen, not a student anymore. No one can decide for you. All I, Lady Lyzen, and all the other subjects can do is to consider all the possibilities and let you decide which one you think is more suitable. If you need me, I can keep talking until you don’t want to hear it anymore.”

Victoria listened quietly, her fingers still gently stroking the hem of her skirt on her knees.

After a moment, she raised her head, her eyes lighting up as if she had come up with a good idea: "Sir Arthur, does the title of baron really make one put on airs?"

“Of course, Your Majesty,” Arthur replied with a smile. “After all, a baron is only one step away from becoming a baron. Although he is not enough to challenge the lords of the Upper House, he still looks quite prominent in the Lower House.”

Victoria tilted her chin up, unable to hide her smile: "Then... the name 'First Baron Hastings' sounds good, don't you think?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the garden suddenly fell silent.

Mrs. Lezen looked up, seemingly surprised to hear such words.

However, in an instant, she felt that such a reward was justified. If Conroy could boast of his loyalty and achievements and receive a baronial title, then why couldn't Sir Arthur Hastings do the same?
Arthur was silent for a moment, he hadn't expected that he had almost stepped into the Upper House: "Your Majesty, I have never dared to ask for such an honor."

Victoria's refusal only strengthened her resolve to promote Arthur: "I am not bestowing this title because of your extravagant request, but because it is what you deserve. Conroy's request has made me realize that those who consider themselves superior always use titles as bargaining chips. But I am no longer willing to be passive. I want others to see that those who truly deserve my trust and reward are pillars of the nation like you."

(End of this chapter)