The Shadow of Great Britain

Chapter 1852: Chapter 123: Isn’t This Victoria’s Marriage? What Does It Have to Do with Me, Arthur Hastings?

As someone aspiring to become a Talleyrand-like politician, Arthur always aimed to master all secrets, to understand beforehand what the world would need afterward, and to ponder over the words to describe events yet to occur, and the predetermined facts yet to unfold.

However, he was not truly a Prophet and couldn’t arrange all events in this world.

Therefore, there would always be some unforeseen events that deviated from his original plans and caused immeasurable impacts.

Victoria and Lord Elphinstone’s clandestine romance was such an event.

Arthur had to admit that the development of this matter had exceeded his basic expectations.

The gleefully sinister public stoking by King William IV and Kensington Palace’s overreaction led to a terrible consequence; he hadn’t seen Victoria in person for nearly half a year.

Since the incident, all of Victoria’s regular classes had been suspended, and Kensington Palace no longer hosted visits from society’s elite. In recent months, only the Duchess of Kent’s relatives from Germany and suitors deemed suitable by her and Conroy had visited Kensington Palace.

Of course, the past few months weren’t entirely void of good news.

The sole piece of good news was that Lady Leisen was ultimately not dismissed from Kensington Palace.

This wasn’t because the Duchess of Kent suddenly had a change of heart but because she felt pressure from King William IV and Leopold I.

Although these two kings didn’t explicitly state it, the implication was clear: if Lady Leisen was dismissed, King William IV would immediately consider cutting the royal allowance allocated to Kensington Palace. Leopold I took an even more drastic stance; he intended to cut off his sister’s subsidy, which was previously 3,000 pounds a year plus all travel expenses. But if Leisen left, then he wouldn’t give even one penny.

In conclusion, the Crown Prince’s romance scandal seemed temporarily quelled, and Lady Leisen retained her position at Kensington Palace; All’s Well That Ends Well.

However, there is a problem.

Where has Sir Arthur Hastings gone?

Due to the Duchess of Kent and John Conroy’s overreaction and their decision to close off Kensington Palace.

For the past six months, the only channel through which Arthur could exert influence on Victoria was also closed.

Being suddenly excluded from the court’s politics nearly drove Arthur mad, although he still maintained an outward air of calm, attending to his duties at the University of London from Monday to Friday, presiding over the board meetings as the chairman of the Imperial Publishing Company on Saturdays, and attending various social balls and salons on Sundays.

His life seemed quite fulfilling, but how empty he felt inside was something only he knew.

Over the past six months, the Dean of Academic Affairs at the University of London felt a void so profound that he placed family affection above all else.

Of course, by family affection, he didn’t mean the folks and elders of Yorkshire.

The Dean of Academic Affairs at the University of London, honorary advisor to Scotland Yard, and chairman of the board of the Imperial Publishing Company poured all his resources into one goal: to curry favor with his frail, eccentric, but well-informed distant cousin—Miss Flora Hastings.

Initially, he merely sent Flora some issues of The British magazine now and then, occasionally including a leather-bound, hardcover edition of Tennyson or Heine’s poetry.

Later, he began to visit her personally.

Initially, it was once every two weeks, then it became once a week, and on one occasion, while ”passing by” Kensington Palace, he delivered a few baskets of hothouse grapes and two bottles of d’Yquem to the side door of Kensington Palace, having the servants deliver them inside, saying they were ”to refresh the Duchess of Kent, Her Highness the Princess, and his cousin.”

He was so fervently attentive that the entire London elite circle spread the dreadful rumor that Sir Arthur Hastings was courting Miss Flora Hastings.

As for this rumor, the Marquis of Hastings was quite pleased to see it flourish.

After all, in the Nobility circle, inter-cousin marriages to preserve wealth and purity of lineage weren’t particularly uncommon.

Moreover, his sister Flora, having surpassed her 30th birthday in February 1836, might well end up a lifelong Lady if she didn’t marry soon.

So, whether for the sake of his sister’s lifelong happiness or to firmly establish Arthur Hastings as a member of the Hastings family, the Marquis of Hastings was quite willing to facilitate this marriage.

On top of that, the Marquis of Hastings always felt guilty regarding his sister.

Since the Hastings family was long mired in financial straits after the death of the first Marquis of Hastings, Miss Flora Hastings, despite her high status, had no dowry estate or substantial personal fortune, which led to a significant problem—Flora stood awkwardly in Britain’s high society matrimony market as ”not good enough for the higher, not wanted by the lower.”

Those below the Hastings family’s status could not afford her, while those above were not interested in this impoverished Lady.

But if Sir Arthur Hastings was willing to relieve the Hastings family’s urgent plight, that would be another matter entirely.