The Shadow of Great Britain

Chapter 1685: Chapter 55

A massive crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling of Rose Hall, and sunlight streamed in through the high windows, with faint remnants of last night’s coal fire lingering in the white fireplace.

Princess Victoria sat at the small desk by the window, carefully drafting the beginning of a speech, her brows slightly furrowed as she hesitated between describing the word ”freedom” as ”sacred” or ”unassailable”.

Arthur stood nearby, his gaze slowly moving away from her pen tip and settling on the distant roses in a porcelain vase.

After shedding his overcoat, he could be seen still wearing the Frock coat that Disraeli had strongly recommended, with the neckline buttoned tightly, yet the watch chain on his chest subtly peeked through.

The Duchess of Kent sat not far away on a lady’s chair, choosing a gray-blue silk gown today, and was examining a draft calendar prepared by Conroy for next month’s courses, occasionally whispering a few words with Lady Leisen beside her. Their conversations were very low, yet they frequently looked over at Arthur with a cautiously curious gaze.

However, it was no surprise she was curious, since the Golden Cross Station operation had dominated major London newspaper pages over the past two days, with Fleet Street reporters digging into the story behind the Royal theft mystery with the enthusiasm of discovering news for the first time.

The stories were riveting—from the significant contribution made by telegraph technology in the case, to Sir Arthur Hastings’ unexpected return at the station, and the daring confrontation with bandits by Officers Mike Colley and James Hute.

After everyone grew weary of it all, journalists interviewed Chief Charles Field of the Police Intelligence Department, the well-known detective of Scotland Yard, who warmly disclosed the usual police detective investigation processes to the public, and even led Great Britain’s literary figure Mr. Charles Dickens to experience a day in the life of a detective.

Satisfying his curiosity, Dickens then penned an article titled ”Patrolling with Chief Charles Field” in The Times, detailing his fantastical journey and grandly introduced this knowledgeable, charming, and highly responsible officer, along with the tireless detectives under his leadership to protect London’s peace.

Of course, the most moving reports amidst all the news were those about the fallen Officer Robert Cali. Without his persistent investigation and tracking of the Picket Street thugs during his lifetime, perhaps the theft case might still remain unsolved.

The plight of Officer Cali’s widow after her husband’s passing particularly outraged the Duchess of Kent.

She had never tolerated the mistreatment of widows throughout her life, and believes it will remain the same in her next life. Most importantly, Mrs. Cali was a widow with children, which inevitably reminded the Duchess of Kent of her own circumstances over the past fifteen years.

She remembers clearly how, in the early years following her husband’s death, she frequently strived to uphold her and her daughter’s rights, facing the bureaucracy with their endless ”under discussion” rhetoric. Countless meetings and correspondence eventually led to nothing but hollow replies and a note of ”Regrettably unable to offer support”.

Mrs. Cali was now being treated with even more indifference and isolation compared to herself back then!

Mrs. Cali had two children, one aged eight and the other five!

Yet what surprised her was that Mrs. Cali did not, like many helpless widows, accept the sympathy and donations from those around her. Instead, she repeatedly rejected donations from Scotland Yard, seeking only justice from the government to clear her husband’s name.

The Duchess of Kent mused that if she were in Mrs. Cali’s position, she probably wouldn’t be able to make such a decision, which inevitably stirred a sense of admiration within her.

However, what moved her even more was the small news column she discovered on the edge of The Times.

——Sources revealed that Sir Arthur Hastings learned about the plight of the Cali family from former Scotland Yard colleagues only weeks after his return to London from Russia. That same evening, he personally visited the Shoreditch home of Officer Cali’s survivors. Although there was rumored to be condolence money from the Home Office’s discretionary allocation, according to an off-the-record investigation by The Times journalist James Langworth, it turned out the funds were personally from Sir Arthur, who, to avoid Mrs. Cali’s refusal, claimed the money was a ”reward from White Hall for Officer Cali’s fair law enforcement, with an announcement from the Home Office regarding the vindication of her husband’s name pending”. This legendary figure of Scotland Yard demonstrated through his actions why his portrait still graces the entrance hall.

The Duchess of Kent secretly rejoiced at having hired Arthur as her daughter’s tutor, though she was initially displeased with Conroy’s request to increase Arthur’s salary.

But now, it seemed, such a gentleman with both integrity and empathy is absolutely deserving of a raise, and a salary increase from 800 pounds to 1,000 pounds still seemed insufficient—at the very least, it should be raised to 1,200 pounds to match his worth.

No, perhaps even higher!

The Duchess of Kent suddenly recalled the surprised expressions of Princess Esterhazy, wife of the Austrian Envoy, and Mrs. Dinoff, niece-in-law of the French Envoy Talleyrand, during a social reception when they learned that Sir Arthur Hastings was a family tutor at Kensington Palace.