The Shadow of Great Britain

187: Chapter 131 Expansion of Intelligence Channels_2 187: Chapter 131 Expansion of Intelligence Channels_2 Unlike her sister-in-law and mother-in-law, whose primary focus was politics, Lady Caroline Ponsonby’s main battlefield was singular, the world of arts and literature.

Or to be more specific, as a baroness who had devoted herself to novel writing for a long time, the only person she fancied was the leader of the liberal literati of Great Britain—Lord Byron.

However, with a mother-in-law as perceptive and dominant as Elizabeth Lamb, Baroness Ponsonby’s moves could hardly escape her watchful eyes.

Two strong-willed women together usually do not make for a happy ending, and this instance was no exception.

Baroness Ponsonby first fell out with her mother-in-law for refusing to abandon her son born with congenital mental disabilities, and then the daily quarrels gradually eroded their relationship, and when she proposed to Byron that she wanted to elope with him to Greece, Byron, who was only in it for some fun, promptly rejected this request.In the high society of Britain, an affair was normal, but taking it seriously was a grave matter.

The scandalized Byron finally realized that he had entangled himself with a woman he should not have, and he began to distance himself from Ponsonby.

But this only fueled Baroness Ponsonby’s extreme dissatisfaction, leading her to repeatedly confront Byron.

As a result, her affair with Byron became an increasingly public scandal, and her mother-in-law Elizabeth publicly denounced her as a ‘crazy woman who couldn’t grasp the situation’.

Baroness Ponsonby’s reaction to Byron’s growing coldness was quite straightforward.

To force Byron back to her side, Baroness Ponsonby used her writing talent to turn her affair with Lord Byron into a novel titled “Glenarvon,” which she then published.

As expected, “Glenarvon” became an instant hit throughout Great Britain; the book went through three reprints within just a few weeks after its publication.

Nevertheless, “Glenarvon” was still perpetually out of stock at London’s bookstores and libraries.

Thus, Claire Clairmont, the niece of another great British poet, Shelley, eager to read the book, had to write to her lover, the model for the novel’s protagonist, Lord Byron, asking if he could get her a copy directly from Baroness Ponsonby.

The infuriated Lord Byron had only one sentence in reply—this damned novel.

The enraged Byron quickly launched his retaliation against Baroness Ponsonby.

He wrote to her pretending to seek reconciliation, but when an elated Ponsonby rushed over, she found Byron with another woman.

Baroness Ponsonby, consumed with anger, burned all the portraits of Byron she had collected and took even more drastic action—she publicized the incestuous relationship between Byron and his sister Augusta.

Byron’s reputation in Britain was thus completely destroyed.

In Britain, incest and a disorderly private life were not on the same level; the former was seen as a desecration more severe than a crime, while the latter was at most a private indiscretion, which for someone like Byron could even pass for a romantic tale.

But once labelled with incest, Byron had no choice but to leave Britain for Greece, where he became personally involved in the Greek War of Independence, a cause he had supported financially, and where he eventually died for Greek independence far from home.

Byron’s death shocked Europe, and the Greek government immediately declared a state funeral for Lord Byron, mourning his loss for three days throughout the nation.

Baroness Ponsonby, who was expecting to feel vindicated by her enemy’s demise, was not only not happy but also fell into a high fever for several days.

And when Byron’s coffin arrived in London from Greece, onlookers saw a distraught woman rushing onto the streets, collapsing in tears on top of Byron’s coffin.

In this tale, the male and female protagonists, Byron and Baroness Ponsonby, both paid the price for their actions and suffered greatly for them.

Nevertheless, the story was still quite dramatic and spectacular.

But after telling the tale, it seems that something isn’t quite right, as if an important character has been overlooked.

Indeed, the man caught in the middle of the scandal—the second man, if you will—Baroness Ponsonby’s husband, William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne.

Throughout the entire affair, Viscount Melbourne maintained an extraordinary composure.

Not only that, but he even defended his wife amid the scandal at one point, hoping to preserve the honor of the Melbourne family.

He withstood the situation for several years until he could no longer bear it, finally divorcing Baroness Ponsonby under public pressure and his mother’s threats, ending their twenty-year marriage.

His demeanor led everyone in London, from the nobility and members of Parliament to the common people, to wonder if he was indifferent to women.

Otherwise, why would he tolerate his wife’s behavior to such an extent?

As a nobleman of dignity, why did Viscount Melbourne wait twenty years to divorce?

Of course, nobody could guess the true reasons behind Viscount Melbourne’s actions, but one thing was clear: he was an exceedingly indolent man, uncompetitive and lacking in desire for anything and everything.

This apathetic state was not only evident in his handling of his wife’s extramarital affairs but also during parliamentary sessions.

In the fierce political arena where Duke Wellington, Sir Peel, and other politicians were locked in intense debates, Melbourne, tasked with leading the charge for the Whig Party, would often find a cozy corner to snug down and snore away, thunderously asleep.