The Shadow of Great Britain

338: 209 338: 209 “That’s not it,” Arthur replied, “I just thought you might have made a special trip to fish him out of the Thames River.”

Fiona wagged a finger: “No, no, no, Mr.

Hastings, you haven’t paid me yet.

Let him soak in the river for a bit longer.

Besides, could you really bear to watch such a delicate and frail lady stand outside the door?”

Arthur looked around and then stepped aside to make way: “I’m not in the habit of refusing ladies, but I must make it clear beforehand, I do not provide opium tincture here.”

Upon hearing this, Fiona merely gave him an unimpressed look and let out a light snort: “Kicked that habit.”

“What about coffee?”

“Too bitter.”

“Tea?”

“Only drink Ceylon.”

“Soda water?”

“It makes me burp, not ladylike at all.”

Arthur slammed the door shut with a bang: “You’re here to pick a fight, aren’t you?”

“Oh!

Mr.

Hastings, can’t you be a bit more gentlemanly?”

As Fiona covered her mouth with her lace glove and feigned sorrow, she stepped back and elegantly lowered herself into the most comfortable chair she had already chosen: “I come bearing incredible news, and this is how you treat someone who brings tidings of merit?”

“That’s not it,” Arthur said as he picked up the teapot to make a fresh pot, “This morning, I just issued a small house to a person of merit at the office; if you’re interested, I could prepare one for you as well.”

Yet Fiona was clearly not as easily fooled as Wheatstone; she clutched at her chest and lamented: “That doesn’t sound like anything good.

Don’t you have a more direct reward?

Say, something like…

cash…”

Arthur set the teapot back on the coffee table and said, “Fiona, don’t pant so heavily when you talk; you know very well what happens when you play these games with me, just like the first time we met.

In the end, it’s always you who comes off worse.”

Unperturbed by his words, Fiona tugged at her dress defiantly: “Mr.

Hastings, are you thinking of drawing a gun again?”

No sooner had she finished speaking than there was a click, and a flintlock pistol appeared on the table.

Arthur, lifting his teacup, nodded slightly: “Very astute, you guessed right.”

“Put it away, put it away!”

Fiona shuddered in alarm: “Damn it!

Where on earth did you learn that?

With such skillful hands, why don’t you go fight in street brawls?

I’ve recently opened a ring in the East End, and we’re in need of someone with your fighting prowess!”

“You came to me just to say this?”

“Of course not!” Fiona exclaimed angrily: “You’ve scared me so much I’d forgotten the real business.

We caught a foreign fellow at the docks this noon.”

“Oh,” Arthur nodded.

“I knew Alexander must have ended up in your hands.

When he sobers up, just let him go.

He’s grown enough to find his way home.”

Fiona, with one hand pressed against her pounding heart, replied, “Not that fat man!

It’s another foreigner, an artilleryman!”

“Artilleryman?” Arthur rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

“That’s still Alexander.”

“He’s the Emperor’s relative!”

“The Emperor’s relative?” Arthur pondered.

“There aren’t many emperors in the world.

Russia’s Romanov?

Or perhaps Austria’s Habsburg-Lorraine?

Brazil’s Bourbon?

Surely not Aisin Gioro, right?”

Fiona folded her arms and sulked in the armchair.

“It’s from a former dynasty!”

“A former dynasty?” After racking his brain, Arthur hesitantly asked, “Surname Zhu?

No, that can’t be right.

London doesn’t have any crooked-neck trees, does it?”

Fiona rolled her eyes at him.

“Mr.

Hastings, with your nonsensical mental state, are you actually telling me you don’t have opium tincture hidden at home?

His surname is Bonaparte, Napoleon’s Bonaparte!

If you don’t want him, I’ll just have someone throw him into the Thames River to drown.

After all, he’s a stowaway without even a passport for entry; his death wouldn’t be a big deal.”

“Bonaparte?” Arthur’s interest was piqued at the mention of the surname.

“How old is he, and have you figured out where he came from?”

Fiona said disdainfully, “A young man about your age but much more understanding than you.

My girls flattered him a bit, and he spilled all the truth.

He said he was attending military school in Switzerland, and after graduating, he went to Italy to join the Charcoal Burner uprising in Rome for his lofty ideals, but the uprising was brutally suppressed by the Papal States and the Austrian Army.

He’s wanted in all the countries of the Apennine Peninsula, so for safety, he had to take a ship overseas, passing through London on his way back to Switzerland.”

He disembarked this morning from London’s West India Docks, planning to have a meal nearby and leave after playing for a few days.

However, the lamb-like aura he exuded drew the attention of my subordinates from the start.

You can probably imagine what happened next; after a classic scenario unfolded, he was captured without much resistance.

Unfortunately, the young man had hardly any money on him.

We got tough with him and forced him to ask acquaintances for money, during which he spilled about his Bonaparte surname.”

“At first, nobody believed him, but he said his great-uncle lived in London and even wrote down his uncle’s address for us.

When we checked, it was correct.

We definitely didn’t dare to make any rash decisions, which is why I thought to come to you…”

Fiona felt less and less confident as she spoke.

In fact, although she claimed to have brought Arthur a surprise, she knew full well that it was nothing but a hot potato.

Having a member of the Bonaparte family in their hands put them in a dilemma; they couldn’t just let him go, nor could they kill him, so they had no choice but to seek Arthur’s help in resolving the matter.

Arthur, understanding Fiona’s intentions, asked, “What’s the full name of this Bonaparte?”

Fiona quickly replied, “Charles-Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte.”

Although Arthur already had his suspicions, he couldn’t help but catch his breath upon hearing the name: “You really captured an emperor for me!

Who says women are inferior to men, Fiona?

Your little brothers from Cambridge could nearly stand alongside Duke Wellington.”

On hearing this, Fiona was almost in despair.

She pleaded desperately, “My dear, please help me think of a solution.

I’ll even return the several hundred pounds I took from you previously.”

After some thought, Arthur sighed and said, “Let it be, I’ll take care of this issue.”