The Shadow of Great Britain
Chapter 475 - 475 258 Collision of Eras 5K6

475: Chapter 258: Collision of Eras (5K6) 475: Chapter 258: Collision of Eras (5K6) In the midst of the audience’s discussion and laughter, suddenly, the lights in the Astley Circular Theatre went out abruptly.

Patrons in the theatre bar, who had been toasting and savoring delicacies from all over Britain, also halted their actions, looking up through the glass windows at the stage below, yet they could see nothing at all.

Under the silent night sky, the only thing left for the crowded ten thousand spectators inside the Astley Circular Theatre to admire was the dazzling twinkling of the stars above.

The weather was fine today; there were no clouds, no drizzle, and although a chilly wind whistled by, one could still see the charmingly seductive pale moonlight.

Inside the theatre’s third-level royal box, enjoying fine wines and a feast, King William IV, who had been earnestly conversing with the Duke of Wellington beside him, could not help but stop speaking.

He paused for a moment before remembering the war hero standing beside him, a man whose importance to Britain was equal to that of Horatio Nelson.

King William IV couldn’t help but ask, “What’s going on?

I haven’t been to the theatre in a while.

Is this some new form of performance?”

The Duke of Wellington just laughed heartily, pulling over a friend, Talleyrand, and touching his glass to the king’s, “Your Majesty, there’s no need to ponder the reasons behind this.

Just enjoy the surprise.

Speaking of delivering surprises, this young man from Scotland Yard is far better than your highest expectations.”

Talleyrand, with a glass in one hand and the other behind his back, said, “Although I usually do not delight in contradicting others, I must disagree with His Grace on this point.

This young man does not always bring good news; whenever I deal with him, he tends to make my experiences rather unpleasant.”

Lionel, who was cautiously waiting on the dignitaries, chimed in with a timely laugh, adding a bit more brandy to Talleyrand’s glass, “My lord, Arthur isn’t that bad, is he?

At least, I remember we had quite a good time at the golf course last time.”

Talleyrand shook his finger in response, “No, young man, golf is quite interesting, but the incidents I’m referring to took place on the way to the golf course.”

King William IV, curious, asked, “Did this Arthur offend you in some way?”

“Your Majesty, your guess is very close, but there is still a slight nuance you’ve missed.”

“So, what exactly happened?”

Swirling his glass, Talleyrand sighed, “That youngster won ten pounds from me on the way over.

If I calculate it, it seems this is already the seventh time.

I’ve never before encountered someone who can consistently defeat me in cards like that; the young man gives me an extraordinary sense of defeat.”

At these words, King William IV laughed heartily, “I really didn’t expect this!

It turns out that even you, Talleyrand-Perigord, can have off days!”

The Duke of Wellington joined in the jest, “Come now, it’s just ten pounds.

I heard you just received a little gift from the Netherlands not long ago.

Surely that’s enough to compensate for your minor losses at the card table, isn’t it?”

Talleyrand didn’t directly answer but instead took a sip of champagne and immediately began critiquing the crystalline liquid in the glass, “Fine drink!

I knew it the moment I tasted it; this is Hennessy Cognac, isn’t it?

It must be about ten years old, the flavor is rich enough.”

Lionel, upon hearing this, replied with a smile, “You really can’t hide any liquor from your palate.

Yes, this brandy was indeed specially transported from the Hennessy Cognac estate in Cognac, France.”

Talleyrand, with a smirk, softly chuckled, “Being able to identify Hennessy isn’t much of a skill; the aroma of vanilla, clove, and cinnamon is unmistakable even to a novice, let alone a connoisseur like me.”

The Red Devil, sitting on a sofa behind them, holding a glass, nodded in agreement, “That’s right, Hennessy is just so-so.

Remember to switch to something like Chateau d’Yquem next time for me to try.”

King William IV wasn’t particularly concerned with what liquor he was drinking.

Although the king liked to drink, he was not particularly picky about brands or types.

After all, he had done his time aboard ships of the Royal Navy, and even the finest wines couldn’t compare to the feeling given by the ship’s pale ale, for it contained the flavors of passionate youth.

More than the drinks, the king was far more interested in what the Dutch had given Talleyrand as a gift.

Unable to resist, King William IV asked, “Would you mind disclosing what the Dutch sent you?

Why haven’t I ever received gifts like that?”

Talleyrand merely smiled politely, “Your Majesty, it’s just a few trinkets really.

Someone as distinguished as you would hardly look at them twice.

If the Dutch presented you with fifteen thousand pounds, it would taint the entire Windsor Castle with the smell of copper, profaning and insulting your majesty.”

At this point, King William IV had a good idea of what was going on.

After all, Talleyrand’s character was widely known; in addition to being a celebrated European diplomat, he was notorious for corruption and bribery.

If the Dutch offered up fifteen thousand pounds, it was almost certain they intended for Talleyrand to handle some matter for them.

But that Talleyrand was unable to control his avaricious hands was not something for the King of Britain to worry about.

Such matters were better left to the King of France, Louis Philippe, to fret over.