The Shadow of Great Britain

Just as everyone took their seats and the atmosphere gradually warmed up.

Suddenly, they heard footsteps coming from the corridor outside the meeting room. All the officers turned their heads in unison to see a lady standing at the door, dressed in a dark green velvet dress with a pomegranate red tasseled shawl draped over her shoulders.

It was Miss Fiona Ivan, who had personally come to greet the guests today.

”Gentlemen, Police Chiefs.” Fiona nodded slightly, with a just-right faint smile on her lips, neither overly intimate nor aloof: ”The weather is cold tonight, the streets are slippery. The refreshments are simple, the hospitality inadequate, please forgive me.”

Jones was the first to stand up, putting the cigarette case into his pocket, and replied with a smile: ”Miss Ivan, how can this be called a humble abode? To be honest, your place is much more refined than the pantry over at Scotland Yard. We, this group from Scotland Yard, spend more days drinking tea here than at home.”

As soon as Jones finished speaking, the room was filled with a burst of kind laughter.

Tony echoed: ”If it wasn’t for needing to maintain appearances and be a decent man in Greenwich, I’d want to move the precinct’s annual meeting here.”

Tom looked at Fiona now and couldn’t help but sigh: ”Time flies, hasn’t it been seven years since we met you? I still remember the first time we saw you...”

Hearing this, Tony hurriedly stepped on Tom’s shoe, reminding him not to speak carelessly.

Realizing his mistake, Tom quickly shut his mouth, awkwardly scratching the back of his head with a smile.

After all, he couldn’t very well reveal Fiona’s rebellious past in front of everyone, could he?

Even at Scotland Yard, not many people knew Fiona’s background.

Most only knew that Miss Fiona had an inexplicable relationship with Sir Arthur Hastings, but as for how they got involved, or the nature of their relationship...

Besides Tony and Tom, the early followers of Arthur from Scotland Yard, not many officers could make sense of it.

Field suddenly cleared his throat, gently placing his teacup back onto the silver tray: ”Miss Ivan, we just asked Colly and Hutter downstairs. So, Sir Arthur... when will he likely arrive? Of course, I mean no offense, but you usually know better than us when he’ll appear at critical moments.”

The room fell silent for a moment.

Jones put down his matchbox, and Ledley straightened his back, even the low whispers from Tom and Tony ceased suddenly.

As for Superintendent Thomas Plunkett, the burly sharpshooter, at this moment, his thoughts were unusually detailed, and he stared at Field with eyes full of reproach.

As an officer who had accompanied Arthur to Ramsgate, Plunkett certainly heard those rumors about Arthur and Miss Flora Hastings.

He had even seen Arthur strolling on the beach at sunset with Miss Hastings, chatting and laughing. Even if someone said they were getting engaged next month, Plunkett wouldn’t find it surprising.

But, the problem was, even someone as straightforward as Plunkett, after having tea here multiple times, could sense Miss Fiona Ivan’s genuine affection for Arthur.

Although the idea of keeping company with multiple partners isn’t particularly novel in high society, everyone tacitly avoids mentioning such things, especially not in front of those involved.

Though Field hadn’t explicitly mentioned Miss Flora Hastings in front of Fiona, only inquiring about Arthur’s whereabouts.

But, what if Arthur was currently whispering sweet nothings with Miss Hastings?

Isn’t this rubbing salt into someone’s wounds?

Even though Plunkett wished he could adopt Arthur’s ”rare maturity” when it comes to such matters, unfortunately, he was ultimately a warm-hearted Yorkshireman.