The Shadow of Great Britain

402: Chapter 233 Crime Den (5K) 402: Chapter 233 Crime Den (5K) London, Kensington District, a coffee shop at the corner of Oxford Street.

The drizzle draped a thin mist over the windows of the cafe.

Arthur stirred his white porcelain cup with a spoon, and with each stir, the creamy milk gradually merged into the pure black coffee, blending the flavors along with the melting sugar cubes.

Sitting across from him, on a chair, there sat a blonde lady dressed in a light green pleated skirt and wearing a wide-fashionable hat as deep as the night.

Needless to say, she was none other than Fiona Ivan, one of the most capable women in all of London.

Fiona watched Arthur leisurely stir his coffee cup, and after a long time without him speaking, she picked up her teacup somewhat discontentedly and said, “Previously when I met you, I could at least expect a few harmless compliments.

Why is it that the longer we know each other, the fewer compliments I receive?

Mr.

Hastings, have I displeased you in some way?”

Upon hearing this, Arthur put down his spoon, looked up, and smiled, “Fiona, it’s not that I don’t want to praise your beauty.

But after being scolded by you last time, I have reflected a lot.

I think I owe you an apology.

It was wrong of me to compliment your beauty before, I’m sorry, Fiona.”

Fiona adjusted her sunhat, curiously asking, “Hmm?

What have you realized?”

The Red Devil at the next table, munching on sugar cubes, heard this and just laughed twice, “There it starts again, Arthur, you are getting better and better at this game.”

Arthur glanced at the Red Devil and smiled in response, “I think, I can use the beauty of appearance to describe a butterfly or a flower, but it’s inappropriate to use it to describe a person.

As Joseph Rubel said: true beauty is seen with the eyes of the heart.

And my heart’s eye has long been blind, so I feel I am not qualified to judge your beauty.”

Agares, leaning his head on one hand while chewing on sugar cubes, muttered, “Not even willing to offer a flattering word, Arthur, you are getting lazier.

But that’s fine, as long as a woman has a good opinion of you, even if you commit arson or murder, she will think you must have had a compelling reason.

This girl doesn’t hate you yet, so just deceive her casually, but be careful not to overdo it.”

Plato said something, didn’t he?

The pain of being a woman is that, once she has had a physical relationship with the man she loves, she naturally sees it as a forever thing, whereas men might feel differently, seeing it just as another rendition of living.

As the book says: it’s better to keep things simple between men and women before any marital commitment; otherwise, there truly are no years to look back upon.”

Ha, it’s hard to believe that this sentence actually came from a lifelong bachelor.”

Arthur, under the table, flipped off the Red Devil, who fancies himself a relationship guru, but his smile did not diminish by even a fraction.

Fiona looked puzzledly at him, hesitated for a while, her slender eyelashes fluttering, “That doesn’t sound much like something you would say, but on second thought, it seems somewhat fitting coming from you.

After all, your hands wield a knife from Monday to Saturday and dance on the piano keys at the theatre on Sunday.

I must admit, Mr.

Hastings, you indeed are the most complex and difficult to understand man I have ever met.”

Arthur took a sip of coffee, “You’ve seen my performance?”

Fiona, looking at the traffic outside the window, sipped her tea, “If only you knew a few more pieces.”

Seeing that the atmosphere was set, Arthur quickly followed up, “Of course I would love to spend more time studying music, but Fiona, you understand, I’ve been busy with other things recently.”

Hearing this, Fiona sighed and held her cheeks, “I knew it, round and round we come back to work.

Bernie Harrison, right?

Didn’t I tell you?

That fool fell for the bait long ago.

It’s easy for my girls to manage a man blinded by lust.

Don’t worry, in a little while you will be able to pick up the person from Oxford Street, 57-B, right on time.”

Arthur took out his pocket watch, the tips of his fingers deftly opening the cover, “Hmm…this timing is just right, when Mr.

Harrison arrives, the journalists I met with should be showing up soon.”

Fiona’s pink nails tapped on the table, one hand covering her lips as she winked at Arthur, “So, should we talk about the price while we wait?

I took off work today to arrange this for you, and you even brought journalists here.

Though Harrison deserves it, my girls are innocent.

Even if we leave my part aside, Mr.

Hastings, surely you must provide some consolation for that poor, helpless young woman.”

Arthur heard this and pursed his lips, smiling as he set down his teacup, “Fiona, I thought with our relationship, such a small favor would just go by unnoticed.

Besides, didn’t I advance you a payment of six hundred pounds already?

And it’s all in Bank of England notes, which you can cash for over four thousand grams of gold any time if you wish.”

Fiona, fiddling with the hair at her temple, bargained, “Mr.

Hasting, I’m not expecting you to be as generous as before, but you can’t not give anything at all.

Commanding my girls isn’t as costly as commanding me, but having girls come and go at your behest, you should pay something.

You may not know, but the sisters in the east end see you as a sun hanging over London.

You wouldn’t want to tarnish your grand image in our hearts, would you?”