The Shadow of Great Britain

Chapter 1765: Chapter 86: The Carter Family’s Old Friends

”Which maid from Kensington Palace do you actually know?”

Eld didn’t shy away from the question; instead, he replied with a cheeky smile: ”Arthur, speaking of which, that lady actually has some connection with you.”

”Connection?” Arthur mused: ”Is she also from York? Could she be related to the former Duchess of York’s...”

Before Arthur could finish his sentence, Eld waved him off, interrupting: ”I’m not talking about fellow townsfolk; if you trace it back to the roots, that lady and I are from the same place.”

”Are you saying that the lady is from Nottingham?”

Arthur slightly frowned, speaking with a tone of skepticism.

Although he hadn’t scrutinized the backgrounds of every maid in Kensington Palace, he knew that being chosen by the Duchess of Kent as a Lady often meant being either the daughter of notable nobility or a well-educated girl from a reputable family.

Nottingham certainly had its prominent families, but to catch the eye of the Duchess of Kent and Conroy, and get King William IV’s nod...

Arthur couldn’t think of anyone offhand.

Seeing Arthur puzzled, Eld simply gave him a hint: ”Who told you she’s from Nottingham? It’s true I’m from Nottingham, but the Carter family is genuine Irish nobility, and that lady is also from Irish nobility.”

Once Eld mentioned Ireland, Arthur instantly understood.

Having Irish nobility in Kensington Palace wasn’t unusual.

Because the ”Chief Steward” of Kensington Palace, John Conroy, was Irish, taking care of his compatriots was only natural.

Yet even so, Arthur pondered for a long while before hesitantly asking, ”Eld, you’re saying she has a connection with me?”

”Mm-hmm.”

”Could it be you’re talking about Miss Flora Hastings?”

”Bingo!” Eld replied with a mischievous smile: ”To be honest, when I was in school and first met you, I had a good impression because your last name was Hastings. I thought you might be a distant cousin of hers. After all, Hastings isn’t a common surname, although I heard some people in southern England have it, but you said you were from the North, so you can’t blame me for making the connection.”

Arthur’s fingers tapped on the table: ”Are you saying you thought I was a branch of the Marquis Hastings Family? A relative of Miss Flora Hastings?”

”Of course, but who would’ve thought you were actually a pig farmer.” Eld laughed so hard his stomach hurt, thinking of his silly assumption back then: ”And I still remember my first reaction was: ’My God, if this man inherits their family style, he’s definitely going to be trouble.’”

”What do you think now?”

”Now...” Eld shrugged: ”I think my prediction was correct after all.”

Arthur nodded with a chuckle and poured himself a cup of tea: ”Mr. Nine-Thousand-Pounds, your words are rather impolite, especially since I’ve frequently bailed you out from Scotland Yard. Oh, and next time you go to the Alhambra Theater or Nightingale Mansion, don’t sign the bill as A.H.”

Hearing this, Eld instantly apologized without hesitation: ”Come on, Arthur, it was just a joke. Given our relationship, why keep track so meticulously? You’re doing big business.”

”So tell me, how exactly did the Carter family and the Hastings family become associated?”

Eld didn’t respond immediately this time. He straightened up in his chair, adopting a slightly more serious tone for the topic: ”Since you’re sincerely asking, I’ll share some old tales. But before that, you must promise not to spread it around outside after you hear it.”

”Spread it around?” Arthur laughed, exasperated: ”If I really wanted to spread it, you’d already be in Fleet Street’s debtor prison.”

”Alright, as long as you say so.” Eld began: ”Let’s start from Ireland. Our Carter family is originally a military family from Kildare County, traceable back to the Cromwell era. We had an ancestor who came to Ireland with the Parliament Army as a newly-rich family during the rebellion. Later, during the reign of George II, our family married into the Rotton family from Dun County, and it’s said the bride and groom met at a ball in Dublin.”

Arthur lit his pipe and took a puff: ”Has your Carter family always been Protestants?”

Eld widened his eyes: ”Of course! Otherwise, our family would’ve died out in the eighteenth century. Do you think Cromwell’s army was joking around? That old guy was quite skilled with a ’shaving’ blade.”

Arthur chuckled amidst the smoke: ”The Carter family truly has a glorious tradition. So, the Rotton family from Dun County you’re talking about, isn’t that...”

”Indeed, that’s the one.” Eld interrupted, with a bit of an ”Oxford graduate” pride in his demeanor: ”Marquis Hastings, or more precisely, the Earl of Moira branch. They were called Rotton then, but the family that married into the Rotton family is quite familiar because that family is the Hastings family, and the Rotton family changed their surname because they inherited the Baron Hastings title from the Hastings family.”