The Shadow of Great Britain

It must be said, this is because George III has been laid to rest for many years.

Otherwise, with his temper, he probably would have sent tea ships one by one to Boston long ago.

However, during the House of Lords inquiry that day, although Lord Brougham showed determination to break ties with Earl of Dalmo, the Cabinet united on the Canada issue and stood by Earl of Dalmo.

When Earl Ellenbarle stood up to request copies of recent announcements passed by the Canadian government to verify if Earl of Dalmo was suspected of breaking the law, Lord Grenelle of the Department of Colonial Affairs astonishingly defended his old rival Earl of Dalmo, saying he was very willing to show any related documents held by the Department of Colonial Affairs to everyone present. But what he currently had were only those decrees and private letters, which, due to confidentiality, he had no right to disclose. Furthermore, he simply wanted to point out that it was premature to condemn Earl of Dalmo’s actions now, as the Count has already gained the trust of both sides in Canada.

Viscount Melbourne, the Prime Minister, also stepped forward at this time: ”Considering the difficulties Earl of Dalmo faces in his position, considering the chaotic state of the colonies he was dispatched to govern, considering the current situation of the Empire, and the profound effects the Empire might face due to parliamentary resolutions, it would be extremely rash and unwise to resolutely condemn an action deemed necessary by the local nobility at this time.”

In a short few months, it was enough to reverse the positions of the Cabinet and Lord Brougham; politics always holds such fascinating twists.

However, at least in Arthur’s view, Earl of Dalmo’s situation was clearly much better than before.

Nowadays, not only is the Cabinet supporting him, but since the Duke of Wellington also supports Earl of Dalmo adopting extraordinary measures on the Canada issue, there has been no organized large-scale attack from the Conservative side against his actions.

Thus, in Parliament, apart from the Radical Party and legal professionals led by Lord Brougham, most of the condemnations regarding Canada are scattered moral outcries, temporarily insufficient to be concerning.

Of course, some words are not convenient for him to tell Lady Dalmo face to face. In his view, she feels more heartbroken due to the ”betrayal” of political allies.

Arthur jokingly said, ”Madam, he can say those words precisely because he is Brougham. Since you appreciate his candor and principles, you must also accept the flaws these traits bring. I believe Lord Brougham’s speech is simply due to differing political views, not because he holds any opinion against Earl of Dalmo or you. If you don’t believe it, you can invite him for tea another day; I’m sure he will not refuse.”

Lady Dalmo asked with skepticism, ”Why are you so sure?”

Arthur raised an eyebrow and said, ”You probably don’t know about the bizarre rumors he sparked while vacationing in Paris, do you?”

”What happened to him in Paris? I only know he spends his recesses in France for convalescence over the past few years.”

Arthur shrugged helplessly: ”I hear from friends in Paris that once, Lord Brougham went to seek an audience with Louis Philippe at 11 p.m. The Swiss Guards at the Tuileries Palace were dozing off in the stairwell as usual. They stopped Lord and informed him that the King had retired for the night and asked him to return the next day. Lord Brougham responded by saying, ’Your king lives like a country gentleman, retiring so early.’”

Lady Dalmo genuinely laughed this time: ”In that case, he’s not just making people awkward in the House of Lords. I should have realized. John always says that if there’s a day when Brougham doesn’t irritate someone, he must be unwell.”

Seeing Lady Dalmo finally smile, Arthur didn’t want to delve deeper into this topic.

After all, even though he doesn’t quite agree with some of Lord Brougham’s views, he is, after all, a graduate nurtured by the University of London. If it weren’t for Lord Brougham’s support during his career, Arthur couldn’t have reached his current position.

Therefore, he could crack a few jokes about Lord Brougham, but he never intended to belittle him.

Arthur turned his gaze to the center of the dance floor, where Lady Dalmo’s eldest daughter, Mary, was treading the waltz step to the tune.

Her steps clearly showed the results of repeated practice; the light-colored satin of her gown gently swayed in the light. The young man dancing with her seemed to be the Duke of Grafton’s nephew, and from his awkward steps, it was apparent that he was even more nervous than Mary. He occasionally whispered reminders of the steps, his tone cautious and nearly solemn. Mary heard him and only smiled slightly. By the time she regained her stance, her cheeks had blushed a light pink, whether from excitement or shyness.

”Mary does look quite happy.”

”She has been waiting for this day for a long time,” Lady Dalmo said with a broad smile, ”Ever since last winter, she kept asking me whether she should have a new dress tailored and if she could start choosing dance shoes. But I hesitated, always feeling she was still too young.”

”Perhaps she’s not very old, but she’s already starting to shine.” Arthur smiled and looked around, ”Where is Emily? Didn’t she come today?”

Hearing this, Lady Dalmo couldn’t help but sigh softly, but her sigh lacked much worry, carrying instead a touch of motherly exasperation and amusement.