The Shadow of Great Britain

Chapter 1950 - 162: Princess, Please Hold On

I am eagerly anticipating the events that may unfold soon, with calmness and tranquility. I do not feel fear, nor do I feel fully capable of handling everything. However, I believe that with goodwill, honesty, and courage, and with the assistance of Baron Stockma, Sir Arthur Hastings, and Leisen, I will not fail under any circumstances.

— "Victoria to Uncle Leopold I" June 1837

The night was deep, and the solitary lamp in the office on the third floor of Scotland Yard, belonging to Sir Arthur Hastings, was still lit.

The glow of the gas lamps on the street slanted through the blinds, casting dappled shadows on the walls.

Arthur stood by the desk, holding a nearly burnt-out cigar, his gaze resting on the map of London hanging on the wall.

Several places related to the Royal Family on the map were marked with red-headed pins, particularly the outskirts of Kensington Palace, densely covered like hidden lines on an alarm system.

"Mogg’s Guide to London for Foreigners 1837" was crafted by the 19th-century publisher and engraver Edward Mog.

The fireplace in the room was unlit, with only a portable kerosene lamp stove in the corner providing a faint glow.

On the sofa on the other side of the room, Colley and Hutter had removed their hats, their shirt collars partially unbuttoned, and even their scarves were askew on their shoulders, clearly indicating they had recently returned from a plainclothes assignment.

"It’s been the third day," Colley’s voice sounded somewhat hoarse, as if he had caught a cold from the frigid wind outside, "Hutter and I have been taking turns guarding the perimeter for three days. On the first day, we thought it was just a routine shift change. After all, Kensington Palace often swaps night shifts. But on the second day, we discovered even the postman was stopped outside, so we sensed something was amiss."

He paused, reaching into his briefcase to pull out a few crumpled handwritten notes, "This morning, I was watching the southeast stables. The milk delivery man inside the palace was temporarily replaced with a new face and instructed not to converse with the palace servants, only to leave the milk cans at the doorstep."

"And the servants?" Arthur asked, "Were there any changes?"

"A few maids have been reassigned. Matilda, who was responsible for helping in the kitchen, disappeared overnight. After asking around, we learned she seemed to have taken leave to return to her hometown."

Arthur remained silent for a moment, extinguishing the cigar in the ashtray before slowly sitting down.

Hutter softly concluded, "The guards have been replaced, servants reassigned, the postman can’t enter, and the milkman has to stop at the gate. Even the Scotland Yard police outside the palace have been verbally requested to remain at the perimeter street corner. Sir, Superintendent Laidley King’s initial judgment from Section Five is that the Princess has been confined again."

Colley, rubbing his hands together in excitement, exclaimed, "Sir, let’s let our section take the lead this time! Our section chief, Chief Inspector Brayden Jones, has already issued orders for our officers to stand by these days. As soon as you give the command, we will immediately organize personnel to rush into Kensington Palace."

It’s no wonder Colley was so excited. After all, over the past year, the story of Superintendent Thomas Plunkett and his veteran colleagues following Sir Arthur during the loyalist mission in Ramsgate had spread like wildfire in Scotland Yard.

Not to mention, all these veterans were promoted by a rank, with Plunkett becoming the Deputy Director of the Police Intelligence Department, and others moved to assist the chief of police in other key cities.

The opportunity to serve the Royal Family and possibly get promoted seemed close at hand; surely it was time for him, Michael Colley, to "sacrifice for the country" once!

Compared to Colley’s excitement, Hutter was noticeably much calmer.

Perhaps because of the guidance from his brother, who worked at the Foreign Office, Hutter knew that speaking at such moments was taboo.

He only cautiously asked, "Sir, should we rescue the Princess?"

Arthur leaned against the sofa chair, staring at the ceiling contemplatively. After a moment of silence, he unexpectedly spoke, "Now is not the time to act."

The words left Colley somewhat dumbfounded. He originally thought they came to Arthur tonight just as a formality, not expecting Sir Arthur Hastings, who had been so bold in Ramsgate, to uncharacteristically refuse to give the order.

He couldn’t help but ask further, "Sir, why not? The Princess is under confinement, how can we just sit back and do nothing?"

Hutter, startled by these words, quickly tugged at his "big brother" Colley’s sleeve, whispering a warning, "Stop talking, are you instructing the Sir on how to do his job?"

Colley realized his slip of the tongue and was just about to apologize, when Arthur nonchalantly waved it off.

"No need for such wariness in front of me. Besides, even if you hadn’t asked, I would have definitely explained this matter to you all. I know everyone wants to prove their abilities, but London is not Ramsgate. Besides, from the intelligence I’ve gathered from other sources, the Princess is not in critical condition, she’s just facing some restrictions on her personal freedom."

Arthur’s words, though brief, clarified the current situation.

Last year in Ramsgate, being far from the power center of London and with Victoria suffering from typhoid, Arthur had been able to act with discretion, and with Plunkett and others on vacation, they followed Arthur to Albion Villa in a personal capacity.

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