The Shadow of Great Britain

Chapter 1663: Chapter 47: When You Spot One Hastings, His Friends Have Already Spread Throughout Kensington

”Oh?” The Duchess now truly showed interest, raising her eyebrows slightly: ”What does ostrich egg taste like?”

Arthur paused deliberately, seemingly to tease the audience: ”Ostrich egg, well, naturally it tastes good. But Mr. Carter once wrote to me complaining that when he first tried to roast such an egg over the fire without experience, he threw the whole egg into the fire, and the result was the shell exploded and the yolk splattered all over his face, and it was quite a burn. Later, they got smarter, they cracked open a hole at the top of the shell, supported it with sticks and slowly baked it, while roasting, they sprinkled some dried herbs from Buenos Aires, and once cooked, it actually had a unique flavor similar to a mix of cheese and nuts.”

”A mix of cheese and nuts?” The Duchess repeated: ”That is indeed somewhat unexpected. It’s a pity that even if we have ostriches here, it’s not certain we can obtain their eggs. Twenty in a nest, what size pot would we need?”

”Where there’s a will, there’s a way. If you want to deal with twenty at once, I think you could emulate the cooking methods of the American natives.”

”How do the natives usually do it?”

”They dig a pit in the sand, place the egg inside, cover it with charcoal, then wait for an hour, and when uncovered, it becomes an ostrich egg pudding.”

Hearing this, the Duchess couldn’t help but feel a bit regretful for not having looked closely at the ’Beagle Voyage Diary.’ She had thought it was merely a boring science book, unexpectedly it contained recipes too.

Arthur was planning to add another anecdote about the culinary wonders of the Tierra del Fuego people, when suddenly he heard a light cough.

He turned his head, only to see Victoria had already put down her quill pen.

She lifted her head, her expression expectant yet a bit tentative, looking towards her mother: ”Mother... I have finished writing.”

”Very good.”

The Duchess of Kent nodded slightly, about to instruct Leisen to bring the papers, when she saw Victoria suddenly clutch the answer sheet tightly, summoning the courage to add: ”I... I have a request.”

Her tone was very soft, but from her gesture of holding the edge of her dress, it was clear she very much hoped her mother would agree to her request: ”I would like to ask, today at lunch, could Sir Arthur... stay and dine with us? I want to hear more about the Beagle, ostrich eggs, ground squirrels, buffalo meat... and that Mr. Darwin and Mr. Carter he spoke of.”

As soon as she spoke, the hall fell silent for a moment.

Lady Leisen’s eyebrows furrowed slightly, clearly this was not part of her daily schedule.

Arthur remained composed, only offering a gentle smile.

This turn of events was somewhat unexpected, but now it seemed, Victoria really enjoyed eating lamb.

The Duchess of Kent initially looked at her daughter with slight surprise, but did not immediately respond.

She withdrew her gaze, turning slightly to cast a querying look at Sir John Conroy, who was by the door.

Conroy had originally been standing by the fireplace, hands clasped in front of him, ready to usher guests out at any moment.

Now being addressed by the Duchess, he took two steps forward and responded in a low voice: ”There aren’t many plans for this afternoon. If Sir Arthur wishes to stay, I see no harm. It’s still early, so the kitchen can prepare the meal anew.”

Only then did the Duchess of Kent turn to Arthur, giving him a gentle and graceful smile: ”If you have no particular arrangements for this afternoon, why not stay a while longer? It’s not just Delina who is interested in your stories, I also enjoy hearing about the gentlemen’s legendary experiences at sea.”

Arthur nodded slightly, half-jokingly saying: ”The invitation from Your Highness is, of course, an honor. If you and the Princess wish to listen, I am certainly willing to share more stories of the Beagle. However, I must forewarn you, sometimes the dinners at sea aren’t as tidy and delicious as those in Kensington Palace.”

”That would be the best,” Victoria finally smiled a little more: ”Mother and Leisen always say I should be more moderate with my eating. If these stories can help me eat a little less, then I think it’s beneficial for my well-being.”

The Duchess of Kent was amused by this, she turned to instruct the maid: ”Inform the kitchen to add a meat dish for lunch, add a serving of cream asparagus soup, and two more desserts, prepared to Sir Arthur’s taste.”

Then she looked back at Arthur: ”I hope the food at Kensington suits your palate.”

Arthur bowed slightly: ”At your service.”