The Shadow of Great Britain

Chapter 1019: Chapter 65: The Big Fly on the Spider Web_3

And today’s visitor, Mr. Henry DelaSette, is the family’s principal figure in Britain. Although his business in London can only be categorized as a medium to small bank, as a guest from the European financial hub of London, he was still given the respect due by his brothers.

Among the praise and fake smiles from a group of relatives, Miss Emily DelaSette was the most eager performer.

She busied herself around the old granduncle, using language she learned from books to flatter the old man, coddling him, and pleading with a gentle tone. Although the granduncle was old, he was far from being senile.

He understood perfectly well why this girl was so attentive; she was eager to marry into a prestigious noble family. And if we’re talking about nobility, which country’s nobility in Europe has a longer history than Britain’s?

The old granduncle, whose temples were already gray, pleaded for mercy: “My dear Emily, enough, your granduncle can’t handle your antics at this age.”

Miss DelaSette, hanging on his arm, teased: “So did you bring me a gift from London this time?”

The granduncle easily saw through her little scheme, waved at the valet behind him, who instantly understood and handed over a small, bulging suitcase.

“I know you love collecting business cards, and counting the titles on them helps you fall asleep better than counting sheep.”

The granduncle patted the suitcase and said, “Just to satisfy this hobby of yours, before I left London, I specially sorted and categorized all the business cards I received over the years. It’s packed full of cards from notable people in London, each one a remarkable figure of our time. Some have even embarked on educational trips across the European continent; they might be in Paris right now.”

The gift clearly struck a chord with Emily’s heart, and she kissed the old man’s forehead in delight: “You’re an angel. Even though you’re now older, you still know how to win young ladies’ hearts.”

The old man, contented, beckoned Emily to sit down. As she said, the old man certainly was an expert at charming young ladies.

He seemed intent on teasing the youngest girl most beloved by the family elders. Instead of handing the suitcase to Emily, he took out the cards one by one, covering the letters with two fingers, revealing them bit by bit as if it were a riddle.

This only made the flames in Emily’s heart blaze even hotter.

“First, there’s Lionel Rothschild. I’m sure your father has already told you how outstanding he is. But unfortunately, this young man is not nobility, and the Rothschild family has always refrained from marrying outside.”

“Next is William Gladstone, this Oxford University graduate was just elected as a Member of Parliament this year, a rising star in British politics and a reliable protégé of the Duke of Newcastle. His father is the largest shipowner in Liverpool and wields significant influence locally. Although he is not nobility yet, I think he will be one day.”

“Here we have Mr. Benjamin Disraeli, another Jewish individual, currently the most promising young man in British politics…”

One name after another with considerable weight in Britain flashed before Emily’s eyes, her brows lifted with smiles, her cheeks rosy with excitement. Compared to these figures, those suitors her father introduced to her seemed trampled into the mud.

Suddenly, a new name occupied her view.

The first letter was A, and as the granduncle’s fingernail slowly moved, the full word finally appeared—Arthur.

Arthur!

Is it him?

Emily’s heart pounded, and she even stopped breathing.

The granduncle also noticed the little girl’s change, smiling broadly as he extended his thumb: “Emily, your father says you have a knack for sensing remarkable people, which I didn’t believe before, but now I truly admire you. You picked out the most illustrious and respectable card among them all at first glance.”

Emily blushed and urged her granduncle: “You know my thoughts. Why do you have to torture me like this?”

The granduncle laughed heartily, released his fingers to reveal the card’s full text, and enthusiastically read out the long list of titles: “Arthur Wellesley! The Duke of Wellington of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Prince of Waterloo in the Belgian Kingdom and Dutch Kingdoms, Duke Rodrigo of the Kingdom of Spain, Duke of Victoria of the Kingdom of Portugal. Chief Sheriff of England, Chief Noble of Hampshire, Commander of the Tower of London, Ranger of St. James’s Park and Hyde Park, Garter Knight, Golden Fleece Knight, and…”

Before the granduncle finished reading, Emily rather dishearteningly muttered angrily: “You’re just making fun of me. Although I’m just a girl, I don’t need a business card to know the Duke of Wellington.”

The granduncle rubbed his nose and apologized with a smile: “Oh, dear, I’m sorry. It seems you don’t like figures as old as me. But you’re right, old bones like us certainly don’t attract young ladies.”

Undeterred, the granduncle pulled out another card. This one also started with an A, but Emily no longer felt any excitement. Now she was just angry.

But in an instant, her anger was cast to the winds.

Because the name on the card revealed itself as the full name of an outstanding young talent—Arthur Hastings.

The granduncle didn’t even look as he flipped over this card, naturally assuming the young girl wouldn’t be interested in someone who was once a prominent figure but had since faded.

But before he could place Arthur’s card at the end, Emily’s hand stopped his index finger: “Granduncle, why not take a look at this card?”

“This card?”

The granduncle froze a moment, but in an instant, he was like a fox discovering hens in a barn: “Oh, Emily, that man isn’t nobility and hasn’t done anything noble; you wouldn’t be interested in him.”