The Shadow of Great Britain

215: Chapter 146 Arthur’s Blowout (4K) 215: Chapter 146 Arthur’s Blowout (4K) In the misty drizzle of deep autumn, Arthur, wearing a broad-brimmed hat, stood in front of the detached villa in Kensington District with two phonographs in his arms.

The distinct edges of the rooftop, the exquisitely decorated triangular ivory-white walls, the five-tier marble steps at the entrance, and the broad porch upheld by spindle-shaped columns, all coupled with the intricately carved double redwood doors.

This luxurious residence would certainly stand out in any other area of London, yet in the Kensington District, which boasts landmarks like Kensington Palace, Knightsbridge, and High Street, filled with business and politics, it was just a commonplace dwelling.

And the lady of the house residing here was indeed the very person Arthur had come to visit—Emily Cooper, the fifth Countess of Copper.

According to the information Arthur received from Eld, and his observations of Lady Cooper during the previous banquet, this leading figure in London’s upper-class social circles was almost the complete opposite of her silent, reserved husband, the fifth Earl of Copper.

As a woman of considerable significance within the ranks of the Whig Party, her warm and sociable personality naturally brought her a substantial number of supporters.

Even, being native to Britain, in Almack’s Club, she could almost be called the most popular among them.

Her prominence outshone the well-established Ladies Castlereagh and Sefton, as well as Lady Liven, who, despite her adept social skills, suffered due to her Russian nationality.

In the competition with contemporary peers such as Lady Jersey and Lady Drummond-Burrell, Lady Cooper could be said to have triumphed completely.

According to the information provided by Eld, Lady Jersey was overly lively, often appearing rude and unrefined, while Lady Drummond-Burrell was too fixated on etiquette and formality.

Only Lady Cooper managed to grasp the balance between the two, drawing people closer while not offending them.

In short, Shakespeare’s famous saying did not apply to Lady Cooper—”Frailty, thy name is woman.”

Clearly, in the presence of Lady Cooper, Arthur seemed more the weaker one.

With his hands full holding the two phonographs, Arthur couldn’t spare a hand, so he had to tilt his head and use the brim of his hat to ring the bell hanging by the door.

A crisp tinkle sounded, and the mahogany door was pulled open from inside, revealing an elderly butler wearing white gloves, dressed in a black tailcoat, and donning a white shirt.

The butler sized up the young man with droplets falling from his hat: “May I ask who you are?”

Before Arthur could reply, a gentle female voice came from behind the butler, “Cox, that’s Mr.

Hastings from Scotland Yard, please let him in.

The rain is heavy today; if he were to fall ill from it, I reckon all of Scotland Yard would be paralyzed.

The citizens of London could ill-afford such a loss.”

Arthur’s gaze passed the butler and settled on the lady standing on the stairs, hands resting on her abdomen.

Perhaps because of today’s heavy rain, Lady Cooper had no plans to go out, hence her make-up was modest, her dress not as voluminous as the one she wore the night of the banquet; yet even so, this light blue gown in a Lolita-like style made from silk satin and velvet surely was not cheap.

Without saying much more, it would easily cost several weeks of Arthur’s salary.

Thinking this, Arthur started to ponder again about arranging a concert with Mr.

Mozesales.

Although he had now become an inspector at Scotland Yard, and his salary had accordingly increased.

Even though his salary exceeded 150 pounds per year, as a gentleman living near Hyde Park, Arthur’s earnings were still not in line with his required expenditures.

However, while in name his income was only 150 pounds, if anyone really believed that a Scotland Yard inspector was worth no more than that, they would be underestimating the government department’s potential.

Besides his regular income, he enjoyed many miscellaneous allowances and hidden benefits.

For example: he had access to the free postal service provided by the British General Post Office,

He received gifts and bonus money during major holidays distributed by the Home Office,

Free copies of “London Gazette,” “The Times,” “The Guardian,” and other major newspapers, saving about 25 pounds,

And routine gifts from various commercial associations and companies within his jurisdiction, though Arthur hadn’t yet received such, according to the old inspectors, the total value of these gifts could vary from 10 to 50 pounds depending on the type, quantity, and scale of the businesses in the area.

Of course, according to tradition, as a branch of the Home Office, Scotland Yard officials should, like civil servants of the Home Office, have priority access to the urban apartments planned by the City Construction Committee, which is subordinate to the Home Office.

But perhaps due to the nature of their work and the overall lower income level of the department, Scotland Yard has not been favored by counterparts in the Home Office since its inception.

For most Scotland Yard officers, they could only be referred to as government employees, not government civil servants.

If explained using Eastern concepts, the senior officials of Scotland Yard could at most be considered on an institutional career track, and the beat cops, who work tirelessly on the front lines, could not even count as such — they are a group of staff whose employment could be terminated at any time.

Meanwhile, the Home Office clerks sitting at their desks are true civil servants.

Compared to them, Arthur wasn’t even of the same class.