The Shadow of Great Britain

364: Chapter 219 Fashion Spokesperson (4K)_2 364: Chapter 219 Fashion Spokesperson (4K)_2 Arthur was taken aback by his own nonsensical response and did not know how to continue the conversation.

After a moment of silence, he picked up a bottle of perfume from the counter and asked, “The perfume in your store, you’ve added too much arsenic, haven’t you?”

“Arsenic?

Oh no, we do not put that in our perfumes, it’s used in face creams.”

With those words, the perfumer dared not neglect this dignified customer of unknown status any longer.

He quickly invited him to the VIP section on the second floor: “The goods here may not meet your standards.

You should have a look on the second floor, where everything is of the highest quality.”

As Arthur made his way to the second floor, halfway there, he did not forget to turn around and instruct, “Is Mr.

Riddle in today?

I went to find him in Jermyn Street earlier, but I was told that he has moved to work here.

I rather like the colognes he blends.”

“Ah!

You are here for Mr.

Riddle.” The perfumer sighed with relief, smiling as he replied, “Why don’t you have some tea on the second floor?

He has an appointment this morning and will not come here to work until this afternoon.”

Arthur nodded slightly and headed up to the second floor.

No sooner had he popped his head onto the second floor, he heard a familiar voice close by.

He looked in the direction of the voice and saw Disraeli, who was having tea and chatting with someone in the second-floor refreshment area.

The recently successful editor of “The British” couldn’t keep the smile off his face, and sitting opposite him was a gentleman dressed in an exquisite purple Rudinket coat that reached his calves, cream-colored fitted trousers, a dark black vest and a simple collared shirt.

Disraeli complimented with a smile, “Mr.

Brummell, I didn’t expect to encounter you here.

I thought that you, the royal fashion consultant who leads London’s menswear trends, could only be found on Savile Row and Jermyn Street.”

Brummell put down his coffee cup, his lips tinged with a smile, “If it’s about buying morning suits and shoes, then surely Savile Row and Jermyn Street are the places to go, but when it comes to perfume, Regent Street and Bond Street are obviously more representative.”

Disraeli asked, “Is that so?

But I’ve heard that the royal family’s official perfumer is Floris at No.

89 Jermyn Street, right?”

“With perfume, it’s still all about personal preference.”

Brummell recalled, “Indeed, the late King George IV did have a greater fondness for Floris, but our current King William does prefer French perfumes, and he is quite fond of various fashionable items from France.

I suspect in private that this is probably due to the influence of his unofficial former wife, the actress Dorothea Jordan, whose marriage to him was not recognized by the ‘Royal Marriages Act.’ After all, Mrs.

Jordan’s preference for French fashions is well known.

You may not know this, but even during his endles and utterly boring after-dinner speeches, our King has to make do with French.”

Hearing this, Disraeli could not help but smile, “Are His Majesty’s speeches that bad?”

Brummell pursed his lips, “There are those who like to listen to him, like His Majesty’s Royal Naval aides-de-camp, who always say that listening to His Majesty giving an after-dinner speech makes them feel young again.

The newly promoted Royal Naval Marshal Gambier also praised, ‘After all these years, His Majesty’s speeches are still so spirited.

Whenever His Majesty gives an after-dinner speech, it always brings back the memories of the times he served in North America with His Majesty, with his tone and expressions being just like when His Majesty used to pace up and down the deck, shouting ‘helm to the starboard’ at us.’”

Gossip from the Royal household always intrigues the British, and Disraeli was no exception.

He laughed and asked, “Surely His Majesty’s taste cannot be that awful?”

Brummell joked, “Compared to his brother George IV, King William’s taste in fashion is definitely not as good.

But compared to what Parliament expects of him, King William’s performance is quite exceeding.

The most His Majesty does is enjoy a drink and occasionally give a speech to stand out, but he doesn’t interfere much with political matters and is willing to accept the advice and requests of his ministers, governing the nation as everyone hoped.

To my knowledge, at least the Duke of Wellington and our Prime Minister the Earl Grey are quite satisfied with His Majesty.”

Disraeli laughed, “Aren’t the citizens of London quite fond of him as well?

He’s much more popular than the late King George IV.

Although he was a debt-ridden wastrel in his early days, since his marriage to Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, thanks to Princess Adelaide’s frugality, his debts were soon cleared, and now he has even ascended to the throne.

Wasn’t there a time during the coronation when His Majesty wanted to cancel the entire ceremony to save the country some money?

The British public were cheering for him then.”

Upon hearing this, Brummell pulled out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his forehead, “Benjamin, let’s not bring that up.

The Lords in the House of Lords went to great lengths to persuade him to agree to the coronation, but even so, in the end, he ordered the cancellation of the lavish banquet, and the total cost of the ceremony dropped to one-tenth of what was spent on the previous king’s coronation.

Because of this, those stubborn conservatives in the Tory Party were cursing out of anger, declaring that they’d resist this ‘half-crown’ nation.

If not for the Duke of Wellington keeping them in check, those Lords probably would have started sulking right at the coronation.”

Disraeli inquired, “Really?

But I saw that on the day of the coronation, His Majesty seemed quite happy, the previous king’s coffin there, the funeral not even over, and he was loudly chatting with friends.

After the coronation, he happily climbed onto the parade carriage, with a face flushed with naval red, standing on the carriage and waving to the cheering citizens of London.

The public really likes him, feeling as if he were a sailor they could meet at a West India Docks.”

Hearing this, Brummell quickly raised his hand to signal Disraeli to stop, “Enough, Benjamin, let’s not talk about this anymore, it’s really too much of a blow to the royal dignity.

But you do make a point; His Majesty has his virtues, being frugal and his hobbies not costing much, just enjoying a drink and a bit of boasting.

And since the new king’s coronation, His Majesty has appeared in public more frequently than the previous king.

The former king liked to stay in Windsor Castle living a life of luxury, while King William prefers to walk around London and the docks, which is quite like the recently-crowned Louis Philippe of France, who I’ve heard also likes to spend his time with a small parasol by the Seine in Paris.”

Disraeli also remarked, “It’s not easy indeed, when was the last time Britain had a king so beloved by the people?

The common folk like him, the Royal Navy likes him, and because the Duke of Wellington approves of him, so does the Army.

It seems, then, that only those Lords upset over the ‘half-crown’ are the ones who dislike him.”

Brummell sipped his coffee, “Unfortunately, those Lords who can’t stand the sight of the ‘half-crown’ all sit in the House of Lords, and more than once has His Majesty complained to me, feeling that those self-proclaimed cultivated gentlemen act as if he is invisible.”

Arthur, leaning on his cane, walked up and said with a smile, “Benjamin.”

Seeing Arthur, Disraeli quickly rose with a smile and introduced, “Ah!

Arthur.

Come, Mr.

Brummell, let me introduce you.

This is Inspector Arthur Hastings of the Greater London Police Department.

Do you know the ‘Hastings Case Files’?

Those are his work.”