Chapter 350: The Breakthrough

Chapter 347 The Breakthrough

Arthur looked Fiona’s outfit up and down and returned with a nonchalant comment.

“It seems that you are so unattached to your employer’s work schedule that you even missed the time for mourning. As you can see, I’ve just been resurrected.”

“Wow …… dear.”

Fiona raised her skirt slightly and sat on the couch, “Can’t you humble the ladies a little more? You have to realize that ladies spend a lot of time dressing themselves before they go out. Humility, honor, sacrifice, valor, mercy, honesty, justice, faith, where is your chivalry?”

Arthur poured a cup of tea and placed it on the coffee table beside her hand, “I’m sorry Fiona, I was never a knight, but a humble commoner. However, if you like knights, I can tell you where to find them.”

“Yes?” Fiona cupped her teacup to warm her hands, her eyes narrowing slightly as she looked as if she was trying to figure out some of Arthur’s changing emotions, “Where are knights?”

Arthur leaned against the wall with his arms wrapped around him, “The graveyard at Westminster Abbey, that’s where all the knights are buried, and best of all, you don’t have to worry about them coming back to life.”

“You’re still mean.” Fiona sipped her tea, “Why didn’t you tell me to go to the House of Lords? There are nobles sitting in there that are higher than knights, and much younger than the ones in the graveyard.”

Arthur apologized sincerely, “I’m sorry Fiona, all this time I thought you liked mature.”

“That’s right, you know me well.” Fiona nodded, “But I don’t think a bunch of old men who argue every day in the Upper House can be called mature. Do you know who the benchmark is in our line of work?”

Arthur thought for a moment, “Kitty Fisher? I’ve read books about her and many say she was the most successful woman of pleasure in London in the 18th century, whether it was MPs, artists or the rich and famous who fell at her feet, she even once ate a check worth a thousand guineas sandwiched between buttered bread.”

Fiona bristled, “Kitty Fisher? Nothing more than a vulgar woman. Willingly reduced to being a toy for the upper class for money and materialism, and when she does get that, she realizes she can’t use that much. Swallowing a check may seem like an enviable life to those who don’t know her. But I know that this foolishness is nothing more than a method she uses to hide her low self-esteem and anesthetize herself. Thomas Hobbes said that for every time a man defies reason, he is punished by reason. That’s what happened to Kitty Fisher.”

Arthur pushed the window open and lit his pipe, “An interesting observation, Fiona, it seems you’ve been reading a lot lately and you speak almost like a philosopher.”

Fiona’s cheeks flushed as she lifted her silk fan over her mouth, “Oh Mr. Hastings, I can’t afford to hear that kind of talk. You must know that girls can’t afford compliments.”

The Red Devil scoffed as he took Arthur’s shoulder, “Ha, Arthur, the chick is telling lies again. It’s not that women can’t afford compliments, they’re the most hard-hearted. But there is one exception, and that is if she likes him.”

Arthur spoke up, “If a compliment is all it takes to make a lady want to throw away her check and be happy to serve, then I don’t mind delivering one more. Fiona, you are so beautiful today.”

Fiona rolled her eyes at that, “Mr. Hastings! I don’t think our relationship should be that deep yet. Besides, I have a bunch of girls under my hand that I need to feed. Do you know how much Scotland Yard has cost me during this time? If it hadn’t been for the few hundred pounds I got for you earlier by checking on Bernie Harrison, we’d almost be out of pocket.”

Arthur nodded slightly and said, “It seems you did take my kind reminder to heart. But Fiona, don’t be in a hurry to get angry, it’s no big deal to make less money than to die during the cholera. Look at me, I didn’t almost call for a bomb.”

“I don’t care that much. At least until we dish out a legal brothel and get a license to operate it, you’ll still have to pay the girls who run around for you at the original price.”

Fiona spoke up, “And once they have a roof over their heads where they don’t have to worry about being chased around by the police, I’ll be able to move towards the industry benchmark without having to worry about the wannabes who only have eyes for fine perfumes and jewelry.”

Arthur nodded slightly, “Sounds like you’re aiming high.”

“That’s for sure.” Fiona said seriously, “I’m all about becoming a respected lady, just like Emma Hamilton, or Harriet Wilson did.”

Arthur was no stranger to those two names.

In the various social places he had attended during the past year, gentlemen’s chats had occasionally brought up these two popular figures who had once stirred up the London social scene.

This was made possible, firstly, by the innate beauty of the two ladies, secondly, by their talent and cultivation, and thirdly, by the various gossip stories between them and their legendary lovers.

In recent decades in Britain, there are two most admired figures, they are neither the three generations of kings nor the successive prime ministers, but the Duke of Wellington from the army and Horatio Nelson from the Royal Navy.

Known as Britain’s first beauty, Lady Emma Hamilton was of humble origins but shot to stardom when she became Horatio Nelson’s lover, and was the center of attention both at the court in Naples and at the Ormac Club in London.

As for Harriet Wilson, her story is a little more legendary.

The daughter of a Swiss watchmaker, she entered the business at the age of twelve, was picked up as a socialite by the discerning Earl of Coliven at the age of fifteen, and effortlessly made her way through the ranks of the country’s biggest names.

However, unlike Emma Hamilton, who is completely captured by Horatio Nelson and longs to be with him for the rest of her life, Miss Harriet does not seek to become the wife of one of the great men.

She has a very clear head and knows exactly what she is doing.

Because of this, she does not limit herself to the Duke of Wellington as a lover, and is quite aware of her impossibility of keeping a leash on the flamboyant old man who dares to tussle with Napoleon in all sorts of ways.

How wide was the range of her friendships?
Even if we take the example of Arthur’s acquaintance, the guys with whom Miss Harriet had fun included the Duke of Wellington, the Viscount Palmerston, the former King George IV, and, of course, Lord Byron, who was rich in all kinds of emotions.

As to why Arthur would know about it, that would be another very outrageous piece of old news.

When Miss Harriet decided to retire in 1825, she had sent threatening letters to her old lovers, threatening to expose the nasty things they said and did in her published memoirs if they didn’t pay hush money.

According to the gentlemen, it seems that there were close to 200 noblemen who received the threatening letters at that time, knowing that all the seats in the House of Lords together amounted to just over six hundred, which means that one third of the House of Lords received the threatening letters.

It is said that when the House of Lords was in session, the members often joked with each other about this matter, and the language of meeting and greeting became: “Have you received the letter?”

But although MPs were blackmailed en masse, most didn’t mind paying Miss Harriet a fee for her old age because she was so measured. And Miss Harriet reciprocated this by singing the praises of generous lovers in her book.

Of course, Harriet’s tricks don’t always work, and the Duke of Wellington doesn’t quite buy her line.

Still, the icy Miss Harriet maintains the utmost respect for this national hero.

From the experiences of these two people, Arthur also got a rough idea of what Fiona’s goal really was.

The status of a highly respected madam, a socialite of the upper class, this was indeed much nicer to listen to than a stray bird or a woman of the wind.

Arthur opened his mouth to give his blessing, “Fiona, I wish you success. If you can really do that well, this is indeed much better than Kitty Fisher.”

Fiona blinked and smiled with the corners of her mouth hooked, “No, Mr. Hastings, it is I who wish you success. Do you think you can make it in this society with just one woman alone? Look at Caroline Norton, that unenlightened, stupid woman who hasn’t realized what she has at her disposal, who has resources but doesn’t know how to use them, so now she won’t even see her own children.”

Hearing this, Arthur suddenly clenched his chin and pondered for a moment, “Fiona, I have to say, you seem to have provided me with a new way of thinking. That is indeed a not-so-smart woman, so do you have any plans to help this sister you’ve never met become smarter? Her relationship with the Viscount of Melbourne will help her, and it will help me. If I remember correctly, I think you just said that you hope I succeed?”

When Fiona heard this, she simply turned her face to the side as she wrapped her blonde hair around herself and spoke, “Aren’t you afraid that I’m just saying that? After all, you’re asking me to seduce an innocent lady into making a mistake, which is an unforgivable sin.” Arthur pressed one hand on the couch and leaned down to stare into her eyes and asked, “But you’re deep in this sin now …… aren’t you? Fiona, don’t wait until now to tell me that you’re already planning to get out of it.”

In that instant, the air in the room seemed to freeze.

Arthur’s afterglow detected Fiona’s fingernails almost sinking into the couch, and the tip of his nose could vaguely feel the slightly burning breath.

“I ……”

Fiona suddenly stood up and pushed Arthur out of the way.

It was obvious to her that she hadn’t used much force, but Arthur took several steps backward like an eighty year old man.

This unexpected turn of events caused Fiona to freeze in shock for a few seconds, and then, in its place, she roared in annoyance, “What do you think I am? I’m not such a casual woman!”

Arthur just smiled, “What about Caroline Norton?”

“She would be!”

“You promise?”

“You’re not convinced?!”

Arthur smiled and sighed, “Fiona, you’re such an angel.”

Fiona sniffed and kicked the coffee table in front of her in anger, “Arthur Hastings! You’re a son of a bitch! No, you’re an orphan, you’re not even a fucking son of a bitch!”

“Oh ho ho ho!” The Red Devil lay on his desk and laughed his ass off, “Arthur, you’re getting to be such an asshole, how did you come up with that one?”

Arthur finally realized that things seemed to be getting a little serious when he saw how angry she was.

Arthur asked, “Want to do it again?”

“Again?” Fiona broke in with a red face, “I’m warning you, if you come one step closer to me, I’ll sue you for molesting me! Hastings, wait until you’re as ruined as Bernie Harrison!”

Arthur just shrugged his shoulders, “It’s not like I traded money for a fleeting relationship, Fiona, that’s just too much to say, you’re breaking my heart.”

“You ……”

I don’t know if I’m angry or happy, Fiona just feels like she’s angry and happy at the same time, “After all, you’re a great leader of Scotland Yard, you’re really getting more and more skillful in your speech. But do you think I can spare you just like that? Dream on! You’re really unlucky that the Poles didn’t blow you up, and let me tell you, if I had been the one to carry out this plan, you and I would have met in hell by this time.”

When Agareth heard this, he just skimmed his lips and shook his head vigorously, “Look at that! Look at that! Arthur, you’ve got this chick all hysterical. At this point in time, she’s still dreaming. Hell has become a good place in her heart. It seems Aristotle was right when he said that if women are compared with men, they have more qualities of love than of justice.”

Arthur looked at the eastward-facing coffee table and the broken glass all over the floor, and was about to pour a cup of tea for Fiona to remove the fire, but before he could pick up the teapot, he heard a bang as the door of the room was slammed open.

Immediately afterward, an angry roar could be heard, “Nobody move!”

Dumas, who was dual-wielding revolvers, twisted his burly body and rushed into the room with a single stride, closely followed by the Scotland Yard officers who were fishtailing in.

The crowd looked at each other in all directions, Arthur glanced at Dumas and Inspector Jones, who was eager to show his loyalty, and bent down to pick up a piece of scattered broken glass, “What are you doing?”

Dumas swept his eyes over the mess, the fat Frenchman murmured in a hmmm, and craned his head to look at Fiona, whose clothes were slightly disheveled as a result of jumping onto the couch in shock.

He asked in a taboo voice, “Arthur, you didn’t tell me.”

Arthur took off his white gloves and asked, “What didn’t I tell you?”

“Shit!” Dumas looked left and right and returned, “We used to have special health care expenses? I used to think that was exclusive to the Liverpool Port Authority.”

Arthur asked, “Of course we do, I’ve always been big on building the welfare of departmental employees.”

Jones also heard a hint of something amiss, “The Criminal Investigation Department still has such a thing?”

Dumas gave a shy laugh in his bravado, “I see, I just wonder, how exactly should I be entitled to this benefit?”

Arthur didn’t say much, he pointed to the corner of his eye, then pulled open a drawer and took out his revolver, “Just do it like me. I’m going to count to three, and if you’re still here after three, then I can claim the cost of Scotland Yard’s funeral subsidy for you, in addition to healthcare.”

“What the fuck, Arthur, you boys eating alone?”

“Three ……”

Snap!
Almost instantly, the room was empty, even the door of the room, Dumas had thoughtfully closed it for Arthur.

As silence returned to the room, Arthur turned his attention to Fiona and asked, “Perhaps we should get down to business. It would be too big of a stretch to bring you over from London just for healthcare.”

Fiona glared at Arthur before she re-gathered the sarong around her shoulders and spoke, “If that’s your reason for not being able to withstand a push from a tender lady, then I accept it.”

The Red Devil sniffed and whistled, “Don’t be too smart for your own good, girl. Any thinking is superfluous when your head isn’t clear.”

Fiona regained her composure and removed a file document from the handbag she carried.

“Regarding Agnieszka, the wife of the Polish assassin you asked me to investigate, I have the honor to inform you, Arthur, that you may know her.”

“Wow?” Arthur recalled, “Have I ever had another encounter with such a lady?”

Fiona gave him a blank look and continued, “You wish! You should be glad you didn’t have such an encounter with Agnieszka, because the guy she had an encounter with was that idiot congressman you took out – Bernie Harrison.”

(End of chapter)