The Shadow of Great Britain

Chapter 1555: Chapter 5: Bring in Hastings, Break the Kensington System (Part 3)

Apart from Uncle Leopold’s influence, Lady Spath, the maid of the Duchess of Kent, Mrs. Brock, Victoria’s nanny, and Mrs. Louis have all been by the Duke and Duchess of Kent’s side since their marriage.

Although these ladies did not show any obvious inclinations, it was clear they all disliked Conroy, especially Lady Spath, who was close to the Duke of Wellington. Most of the Kensington Palace secrets that the Duke was aware of were divulged by this lady.

The latest news that the Duke of Wellington learned was that Lady Leisen, the governess representing Uncle Leopold, had constantly encouraged Victoria not to submit easily. As a result, it sparked the Duchess of Kent’s anger. She recently reprimanded Leisen for not being loyal enough to the Kensington System and decided she must pack up and leave. This also led to Princess Victoria, who was close to Lady Leisen, refusing to speak to her mother, but such behavior only reinforced the Duchess of Kent’s determination to dismiss Leisen.

The Duke of Wellington narrated the series of changes occurring within Kensington Palace.

Sir Peel, as he listened, increasingly sensed an opportunity and said, ”Could it be that His Majesty the King...”

The Duke of Wellington nodded slightly, ”If Leisen is dismissed, they will inevitably have to find a newcomer to fill the vacancy. His Majesty the King is currently vexed about how to discreetly select a suitable candidate and send him into Kensington.”

Sir Peel leaned back on the sofa, slowly rotating the glass in his fingers, ”We must admit, the Duchess of Kent is not an easy woman to deal with. Her arrogance, her stubbornness, especially her hunger for power, makes her hostile to any outside influence. To insert someone into Kensington, we must first ensure that this person doesn’t immediately provoke her dislike. It shouldn’t be someone who is obviously influenced by the Tory Party; ideally, they should appear more like they have Whig Party liberal tendencies...”

The Duke of Wellington closed his eyes and nodded slightly, lightly tapping his fingers on the table, ”Continue...”

Sir Peel put down his glass, clasped his hands behind his back, and paced slowly, ”More importantly, this person must be smart enough, skillful enough to navigate the complex environment of Kensington Palace, able to gain the Princess’s trust, deal with Conroy, and even convey crucial information to the King and us when necessary...”

At this point, Peel paused, fell silent for a while, then smiled wryly, ”Apologies, Your Excellency, I must admit, such a candidate is very hard to find, nearly impossible.”

The Duke of Wellington opened his eyes, raised a white eyebrow and drank a glass, ”I do have a candidate, but most people might not dare to use him.”

”Who do you mean?”

”Arthur Hastings.” The Duke of Wellington chuckled softly, ”If we could use his skills for establishing dossiers on MPs in Kensington Palace, and if he could fully exert that ruthless streak of his, I reckon Conroy might not be able to outplay him.”

”Indeed!” Sir Peel joked, ”In the worst case, he could always order a shooting. Hopefully, that young man will be smart this time; if he ends up playing ’resurrection’ in a coffin again, the Archbishop of Canterbury would be outraged.”

The Duke of Wellington questioned, ”Robert, I wasn’t joking with you. I’m seriously considering him. What do you think of this candidate?”

”Arthur Hastings...” Sir Peel repeated the name, ”Hastings served at Scotland Yard for many years, and although it was mainly my influence that promoted him from patrolman to Police Superintendent, which was his good fortune, his subsequent rise to Assistant Commissioner certainly showcased his excellent personal qualities. He can read situations well and gain advantages in complex circumstances. At the same time, he holds a good reputation in the fields of natural philosophy and cultural arts, not just a simple bureaucrat or scholar, but someone who has clawed his way up through sheer competence.”

The Duke of Wellington agreed, ”Moreover, during the parliamentary reforms, he suppressed riots with a strong hand, which, although it tainted his reputation in public opinion, is exactly what we need. He is not a weak or dithering gentleman, but a young man who can get things done.”

Sir Peel expressed his worry, ”But because of this, he might not be a popular figure in Fleet Street with those editorial types. The Duchess of Kent and Conroy will take this into account. I don’t think they’d let someone with such negative press get close to Princess Victoria and involve her.”

”Negative press? That’s in the past!” The Duke of Wellington pushed a newspaper towards Sir Peel’s direction, ”Look at this. This lad, together with David Eckett, caused quite a stir in the Caucasus. Although I don’t fancy his rash actions, I must say that his image in Fleet Street is on the verge of a turnaround. He is both spiritually and materially supporting the Chechens resisting the Tsar’s rule. Look at The Times’ headlines and their fawning praise of him! This kid is practically becoming the embodiment of liberalism!”

Sir Peel glanced at the newspaper, nearly dropping his jaw, ”This... isn’t he currently serving as a diplomat in Russia? If he acts this way...”

The Duke of Wellington waved it off, ”He’s no longer there; he just submitted his resignation yesterday and has already returned to London. He did it intentionally, leaving Palmerston with a mess and nearly dragging Dalhousie down as well.”

Sir Peel took a deep breath, ”If that’s the case, considering his academic reputation, his good relations with Faraday and others, and having worked alongside Gauss at the University of Gottingen—this, the Duchess of Kent might take into account...”

The Duke of Wellington reminded, ”And Leopold might not object to having him as a tutor, don’t forget the London Conference years ago, Leopold became King of Belgium partly due to his help. For that, I gifted the lad a bottle of d’Yquem.”

”Regarding the Duchess of Kent...” Sir Peel hesitated briefly before smiling, ”If we could recommend him in the name of Lord Brougham, the Duchess might not immediately refuse.”

The Duke of Wellington couldn’t help but chuckle at the suggestion, ”You’re quite thorough.”

Sir Peel smiled and took a seat, ”Then let’s see if our capable Officer Arthur is willing to take on this task.”

The Duke of Wellington heard this, and a sly smile crept onto his face, ”Trust me, he will be willing.”

”Are you so certain?”

”Of course!”

The old duke stood up and moved to the window. Within his line of vision, a carriage slowly pulled up by the street, and a familiar figure stepped out of the carriage.

”He better volunteer.” The Duke of Wellington took a sip of the brandy in his cup, ”Otherwise, don’t expect me to clean up his Caucasus mess.”