The Shadow of Great Britain

Chapter 1931 - 155: I, Arthur Hastings, Was Born to Be a Dragon Among Men!

The fear of liars lies not in their deceit, but in their knack for telling us what we want to hear.

——Arthur Hastings

Tom lowered his voice further: "Miss Yvonne has been waiting upstairs for almost an hour. Initially, she wanted to bring the snacks down herself, but seeing that you were holding a meeting with us, she restrained herself. But just now... you saw what happened."

Arthur did not reply, his gaze drifting to the window as if merely enjoying the night view.

Seeing his silence, Tom continued: "Arthur, don’t blame me for being vocal. No matter how fiery her temperament is, she is ultimately a girl. Over the past year, news about you and Miss Flora Hastings has spread throughout the city, and she must feel uneasy about it. If it were merely emotional issues between you two, it wouldn’t be a big deal; a few kind words would smooth things over. But you know well that Nightingale Mansion is her asset, tied to numerous people, and our secret networks..."

Tom paused: "If this emotion truly breaks out, not only will your relationship suffer, but the whole situation will be affected. Among the information lines I know, four or five are entirely under her control. Yet, I understand that the lines I know likely represent only a small fraction within Nightingale Mansion; only you two probably know the exact amount of information she holds. If she decides to let go in a fit of anger, or on a whim... we might not even have a chance to remedy."

Finishing his words, Tom sighed gently, as if relieving himself of a burden, yet he dared not speak further, quietly waiting for Arthur’s reaction.

After a few seconds, Arthur finally turned around, tapping his fingers lightly on the window frame, and with a smile, he said: "Firstly, Tom, I’m very grateful that you spoke to me today because it shows that deep down you still regard me as a friend."

Arthur opened the liquor cabinet and poured Tom a drink: "Furthermore, you are indeed right on this matter. After all, issues arising from mishandling male-female relationships are not particularly rare in London."

Arthur’s words were not merely to appease Tom, but also to state facts.

In London, whether it’s the Whig Party or Tory Party, from the King to the commoners, many have made a mess of their romantic entanglements.

Some were purely unlucky, like Viscount Melbourne, who married the disruptive and reckless Lady Caroline Ponsonby.

Others simply exhibited improper conduct themselves.

Indeed, finding someone upright in high society is inherently challenging.

However, if you must count them on your fingers, Robert Peel and his wife are undoubtedly the top choice.

In an era marked by impulsiveness, political marriages, and mistress culture, Peel and his wife stand out starkly against the social norm. Mrs. Peel is not keen on socializing and rarely engages in politics, which coincidentally matches Sir Pier’s cautious and low-profile character. Their relationship is so harmonious that even their Whig Party opponents do not bother attacking it.

Even the most anti-Peel liberal newspapers reluctantly praise Peel as a respectable father and husband.

Yet Peel represents a minority in matters of affection within high society.

The rest, even former Prime Minister Count Grey, much admired for stability, was quite the Casanova in his youth and fathered a daughter with Lady Greyville, George IV’s mistress. However, after Grey marries, he quickly settles down.

Moreover, Grey’s wife, Mary Elizabeth Ponsonby, always presents herself gracefully and appropriately in public, managing many relationships within the Whig Party, contrasting sharply with her cousin, Viscount Melbourne’s late wife, Caroline Ponsonby—an important reason Grey ascended to Prime Minister ahead of Melbourne.

Compared to political advancement due to domestic harmony, incidents of temporary or permanent withdrawal from politics due to scandals in romantic affairs are countless.

Like Henry Fitzroy, the uncle of Beagle’s captain, Colonel Fitzroy. In his youth, he was a promising MP, but after an affair with an actress and subsequent scandal, his father Duke of Grafton was furious, cutting off financial support, leading Fitzroy into gambling and debauchery, ultimately causing his exit from politics.

Though his life is not worth recording extensively in history, it doesn’t prevent him from being a regular feature in gossip tabloids and third-rate novels (excluding "The Shadow of Great Britain").

Moreover, today’s Home Secretary Lord John Russell was reprimanded in his youth by party elders for allegedly enticing a Duchess, which, though he never succeeded, slowed his progress significantly, leaving him out of the Whig Party’s core circle until the 1832 parliamentary reforms.

If citing a recent example, one might discuss Arthur Hastings’s mentor, Lord Brougham.

Since leaving the High Chancellor position, Lord Brougham has been vacationing on the European Continent, currently in Paris. Nevertheless, rumors have surfaced about his close ties with a dancer in Paris, prompting extensive newspaper coverage and analysis, with some even suggesting he has a secret family in France.