The Shadow of Great Britain

Chapter 1628: Chapter 34: Bastard Hastings

”Sir, Mr. Fagin is here.”

Arthur glanced away from The Times slightly, took out his pocket watch, and looked at it. The hour hand pointed to eight o’clock sharp. That old fellow Fagin was quite punctual.

Fagin stood straight at the doorway. Although his chronically bent spine still made him look a bit hunched, the naturally kind smile under his low-brimmed hat made him look just like the typical stern old man often seen in the West District.

A young woman in a gray dress stood behind him.

Her face was somewhat pale, and she kept her head down, not daring to look at anyone in the room.

It was obvious that this girl probably wasn’t a habitual offender; otherwise, she wouldn’t be this nervous about a delivery.

Look at Fagin beside her, this maritime shop owner who had turned over a new leaf had specifically changed into a gentleman’s attire for the occasion today.

The dark woolen coat was so neat it almost showed no wrinkles. Although the fabric was somewhat worn, it was evident that it was well-maintained, with even the buttons gleaming with an oily sheen, appearing particularly meticulous. Paired with a mahogany cane, white shirt, and tall hat, it wouldn’t seem out of place even if Fagin suddenly burst out with ”Praise the Lord.”

Becky stood at the doorway, her gaze pausing slightly at the appearance of the young woman.

She furrowed her brows slightly, feeling as if the young woman seemed familiar, but she couldn’t immediately recall where she had seen her before. It wasn’t until the woman entered the room cautiously, still keeping her head down, that a flash of surprise appeared in Becky’s eyes.

”Lizzy?” Becky blurted out unconsciously, an unexpected expression on her face.

Lizzy’s body tensed up abruptly, clearly startled by Becky’s voice.

She quickly raised her head, a trace of panic flashing across her face, her mouth opened slightly but no words came out.

Becky didn’t notice the change in her emotions, instead stepping forward with a smile, full of excitement: ”Heavens, Lizzy! I never expected to meet you here! It’s been so long since I last saw you. How have you been lately? I’ve been so busy these days, I haven’t been to the reading club in nearly a month. How are things on your end now?”

Lizzy’s gaze flickered as she forced a smile, even her voice trembling slightly: ”I... I’m well, thank you, Miss Becky. The reading club... everything is fine.”

Becky chatted with her enthusiastically: ”That’s wonderful! Lizzy, you know, every time I hear the pieces you read at the club, I always feel so enriched! You really are extraordinarily smart and talented.”

Then she turned to look at Arthur, happily introducing Lizzy to him: ”Sir, this is Miss Lizzy. She’s a very popular lady at our reading club. There are many maids in the reading club, but the most capable among us must be her, after all, she works for the Royal Family.”

As she spoke, she instinctively patted Lizzy’s shoulder, completely unaware that Lizzy’s body had already stiffened like a tightly wound spring.

Lizzy’s face turned as pale as a sheet of paper, her mouth opened to deny Becky’s statement: ”I, I... am not...”

However, before she could finish, Becky’s voice interrupted her like a flood.

”What brings you to visit Sir Arthur today? Did the Royal Family send you? Have the bigwigs finally remembered Sir’s contributions and plan to transfer him back to Scotland Yard, or perhaps to other departments at White Hall, like the Foreign Office?”

Lizzy clenched her hands tightly, her heart pounding wildly as if it were about to leap out of her chest.

Her mind was in a daze, suddenly recalling Becky’s various ”wild boasts” at the reading club before.

Although the reading club they attended wasn’t large, maids who could afford such unnecessary expenses certainly couldn’t be ordinary laundresses. Although they didn’t belong to the upper class, they had nevertheless developed the bad habit of keeping up appearances like the upper class.

Therefore, which family they served and what position they held in the household determined a maid’s social status within the reading club.

The most respected among the maids were undoubtedly the housekeepers. They managed the drawing room maids, who served guests tea and poured drinks; the pantry maids, who disinfected and stored food, and looked after the dinnerwares; and the housemaids, who cleaned the rooms.

Next in line were the cooks. Due to their specialized skills, they generally weren’t constrained by housekeepers, nor could the other maids interfere with their work. The cooks usually also managed the kitchen maids and scullery maids.

Lastly, there were the lady’s maids. They weren’t under the housekeeper’s command but directly under the mistress’s. Due to their unique position, they not only helped the mistress dress and wash but also warmed her bed before sleep and had to be familiar with the latest fashion trends, ensuring the mistress projected the best etiquette before others. Naturally, they had a need for reading and writing, and lady’s maids were the most represented in the reading club.

As for other types of maids, due to their low pay, heavy workload, and lack of days off, you were hard-pressed to see them in the reading club.

Of course, not all maids would spill their secrets as carelessly as Becky. To maintain their vanity, it was not uncommon for lady’s maids to claim they were housekeepers.

Even if everything Becky said was the truth, it didn’t stop the other maids from thinking she was lying.