Chapter 2395 - 315: A True Knight Cannot Be Bought

In that summer, a black carriage once again moved with its usual calm rhythm into London’s ancient palace complex.

The twenty-one-gun salute of the coronation ceremony still echoed in the ears of the London citizens, the thundering cannon fire and smoke seemed to bid farewell to the feat this carriage was about to accomplish.

Who is the master of this carriage?

No one else but Executioner Arthur Hastings from the Tower of London and his assistants.

He sat in the carriage, holding that exquisitely carved cane, silent.

Six years ago, it was he who, following the orders of the reactionaries, issued the suppression command to the London Police Force.

Now, if Hastings himself were to die under the "guillotine" blade, what crime should we fabricate against him? Even if people tried their hardest, they couldn’t find any concrete explanation within the court’s dossiers and White Hall’s declassified documents.

However, due to a twist of fate, Hastings’ opponents in 1838 provided quite a suitable theme.

They intended to sacrifice Miss Flora Hastings’ reputation to bring down the rising political star above White Hall.

Opinions regarding his feelings for Miss Flora Hastings varied throughout history. Some believed Miss Hastings was just one of the many passersby in his long life, while others thought Arthur Hastings had sincere feelings for her.

Perhaps even Hastings himself did not expect to be embroiled in the whirlpool of emotional entanglements, fighting for justice for a woman trapped in rumors.

Miss Flora Hastings, that young and pure life, gradually became a sacrificial offering to the cold and ruthless rumors and slander. She stood there, torn by the unleashed rumors, stood at the center of a prejudiced society, facing unstoppable malice.

To stand up for such a lady is a matter of human decency, a noble act that compassionate gentlemen ought to do. But for a political animal like Arthur Hastings, such a heroic charge was indeed rare.

From the perspective of that time, no one would have expected the Flora Hastings incident to have such a profound impact on mid-19th-century British politics.

Victoria, whose reputation had been good since ascending the throne, suffered a significant blow because of this.

When Viscount Melbourne and Victoria sat in an open carriage under the blue sky and entered Ascot Racecourse, a hiss came from the stands. And when she stepped off the carriage and entered the Royal box, there was even a shout from the stands: "Lady Melbourne!"

The crowd burst into a laugh, then turned to stare at Victoria, who wore a slightly embarrassed look, and the visibly uneasy Viscount Melbourne. The hissing came from two Tory women, namely the Duchess of Montrose and Miss Sarah Ingestre.

Victoria was furious about this, noting in her diary that day: "Those horrible women should be whipped!"

She knew why they were booing; these spectators were standing up for Miss Flora Hastings.

More ironically, when the slender Flora walked into Ascot Racecourse, the crowd burst into a burst of enthusiastic and lasting applause, in stark contrast to the treatment Victoria received.

The carriage rumbled away, and on the way to Buckingham Palace, Hastings still had many things to contemplate.

Perhaps at this moment, his heart was not yet filled with hatred as it would later be. Because no matter how things stood, he could still comfort himself, as there was still a chance to salvage the situation. He had some influential friends in the court and Parliament, especially Robert Peel, Viscount Melbourne’s rival. Perhaps the Conservative Party could successfully keep the Whig Party in check, preventing them from acting rashly.

However, how could Hastings foresee that, at this critical moment determining the future direction of British politics for the next thirty years, the event’s progression would be faster than a train from London to Birmingham?

Several factors turned this humiliation into a nationwide scandal, drawing London’s attention for a whole year.

Firstly, Viscount Melbourne’s refusal to calm the rumors and punish Dr. Clark, undoubtedly, the so-called rumor of Miss Flora possibly still being pregnant was fueled by his lingering doubts and personally driven.

Secondly, Fleet Street’s imagination and continuous reporting on the incident, coupled with Victoria’s harsh words with her mother, further twisted the truth.

The Whig Party wanted to use this to overthrow Hastings and expel the only Royal Steward with conservative tendencies from Victoria’s side.

The Conservative Party, refusing to sit still, led by party leader Robert Peel, steadfastly defended their political influence at Buckingham Palace, and tried to use this to undermine the Melbourne Government’s credibility.

As for the infuriated Hastings family, harmed by the rumors, they devoted themselves to restoring Flora’s reputation, striving to find out who fabricated the slander.

Flora’s mother decided to plead directly with the Queen, writing a very strongly worded letter to Victoria, which conveyed through the Duchess of Kent as the widow of the first Marquis of Hastings, in order to protect her daughter.

She demanded the Queen publicly denounce the slander to show her outrage, the letter concluded with: "Especially for a female monarch, women of all social classes in Britain will have high hopes for her protection and empathy, regardless of their noble or humble origins."