The Shadow of Great Britain

Chapter 1071: Chapter 85: Who Will Be the Groom Today

Submit to authority, or conquer.

— Balzac ”Pere Goriot”

The door of the Prokop Café swung open with a jingle of the wind chime.

Arthur and Louis walked side by side out of the café, amidst the bustling crowd and carriages on the street, faint strains of music from street performers could be heard.

The chain of Arthur’s pocket watch glittered in the sunset as he took out his watch to glance at it.

There was still a little time left before his scheduled meeting with the Royalists.

He glanced at the scenery on both sides of the road. Although he knew the French government valued Louis, it was rather vexing to have three or four carriages tail him daily.

Unless they could shake off those men, the plan to meet the Royalists would naturally prove futile.

After thinking it over slightly, he finally decided to lead Louis out through the café’s back door.

During his stay in Paris, Arthur frequently visited this café for meals, and his post-meal activity was to circle around the place. To an old policeman, a dozen meals were enough for him to survey the roads in front and behind the café.

Exiting through the café’s back door led to a deep alley, whose exit faced the Champs-Elysees. However, if one didn’t take the main road and instead climbed over the wall, they could veer into two alleys, one of which led directly to Concorde Square and Madeleine Church, while the other could diverge to the Invalides.

Arthur stood outside the door and finished the remaining tobacco in his pipe, then signaled to Louis with a glance. The well-coordinated secretary naturally understood the meaning of Arthur’s expression — the operation was to begin.

Just as they were about to return to the café, a familiar voice sounded from behind them: ”Sir Arthur Hastings, oh, and the honorable Bonaparte is here too?”

They turned back to see a short but extraordinarily charismatic middle-aged man approaching them, none other than Adolphe Thiers, who had recently been appointed as the French Home Secretary.

Today, Thiers’ outfit appeared very special. His Nanjing Cloth tailcoat jacket was adorned with gold-thread embroidery, and a captivating silver buckle embellished his luxurious calfskin belt. The dark trousers and tall boots made him seem almost six feet tall, while a few medals of honor hung beside his white neckerchief.

Thiers removed his hat, a friendly smile on his face, even his tone carrying a touch of joy: ”What a coincidence to meet you here.”

Arthur glanced at Thiers’ attire and asked, ”Did you just come from a cabinet meeting?”

Thiers neither confirmed nor denied it, merely smiled and said, ”How do I look in this outfit?”

”Very nice,” Arthur evaluated candidly, ”At least more stylish than the British cabinet uniforms, although our ministerial uniforms have a long-standing tradition, they really seem too old, unlike your fashionable attire.”

Louis couldn’t help but remark, ”If we’re just discussing aesthetic appeal, I still think the uniforms from the imperial period are the best. Bicorn hats with feathers, pure white gloves, the blue and white color scheme, and fitted breeches — nothing else better exemplifies manliness.”

Thiers didn’t refute this; he responded with a chuckle, ”I personally think the same, Napoleon had quite the taste in clothing, especially the Marshal’s uniform, it epitomized Parisian fashion.”

As Thiers spoke about the fashion of Paris, he casually joined Arthur and Louis.

He didn’t care whether Arthur and Louis had eaten or not, but he went ahead and seated them at a table in the restaurant and nonchalantly ordered, ”Start with a bottle of fine Burgundy wine, appetizer of fig jam with foie gras, butter-baked snails. For the main course... seared duck breast, Provençal stew, French baked snails, roasted lamb chops, and roasted sea bass with salad, and for dessert, a berry chocolate mousse.”

The waiter noted the dishes on the order sheet and asked, ”What soup would you like?”

”What cheese do you use for the French onion soup?”

”Gruyère cheese, we don’t skimp on quality.”

”Alright, then I’ll have the classic French onion soup.”

Thiers finished ordering and handed the menu back to the waiter, turning to notice Louis had an odd expression: ”Your Excellency, are you feeling unwell?”

”Hmm...” Louis started, ”I just think we ordered too much food.”

”Too much?” Thiers elegantly tied a napkin: ”For three young and vigorous gentlemen, this amount of food is just right.”

Arthur patted Louis’s leg, signaling him to remain calm, and then he smiled and said, ”Though the food isn’t too much, Louis hasn’t been feeling well today, he’s troubled by a matter.”

”A troubling matter?” Thiers sipped his wine: ”Is it about the return of the casket? If it’s about that, there’s no need to worry, the itinerary, personnel, and procedures, we will arrange everything. Your Excellency, you just need to come along. Although the sea journey might be turbulent, you need not see it as a task, just think of it as a leisurely overseas trip, wouldn’t that be a little more cheerful?”

Louis took over and followed Arthur’s earlier lead: ”As a member of the Bonaparte Family, it’s not the slight turbulence that bothers me in bringing my uncle’s spirit home. What weighs on my mind is the marriage my mother arranged for me.”