## Chapter 191: I Haven’t Even Gotten On The Carriage Yet!
The time in the cafe flew by. As the Viscount Melbourne and Mrs. Norton delved deeper into their conversation, with Eld’s occasional contributions about high society connections, Arthur’s blank sheet of paper gradually filled with information.
**Name:** George Norton
**Social Connections:** From the distinguished Tory family, Norton; younger brother of the 3rd Baron Grantley; his grandfather, the 1st Baron Grantley, Fletcher Norton, was once the Speaker of the House of Commons.
**Social Status:** Former Tory MP for the York constituency; practicing barrister.
**Political Leanings:** Right-wing conservative Tory; ardent supporter of the former Lord Chancellor of Great Britain and Tory conservative figurehead, the Earl of Eldon.
**Education:** Graduated from Balliol College, Oxford, and the Lincoln’s Inn, London.
…
**Name:** Caroline Elizabeth Norton
**Social Connections:** From the merchant family, Sheridan; her grandfather was the renowned British writer of comedies of manners, Richard Sheridan.
**Note:** Richard Sheridan was a member of Parliament, belonging to the Foxite Whig faction. He served as Treasurer of the Navy during the coalition government of 1806-1807, formed by the Tories and the Foxite Whigs.
**Social Status:** Unknown female writer; member of the Blue Stockings.
**Political Leanings:** Left-wing radical Whig.
**Education:** A grammar school for girls in the outskirts of London.
…
Arthur paused his writing, biting his pen cap and muttering, “I never knew Mr. George Norton was a former York MP…”
Eld was busy prying open an oyster shell, “Yeah! I thought you knew him, you’re a York man, right? You don’t even know the MP representing your own hometown.”
Arthur frowned, “I didn’t vote for him, I don’t even have the right to vote, how would I know who represents me? You’re saying that as if you know who the MP is for your hometown of Nottingham.”
“Of course I do.” Eld swallowed a mouthful of oyster juice and wiped his hands with a handkerchief, “George Bentinck, the Whig, he just announced his victory in Nottingham.”
“Who?”
Eld looked at Arthur’s bewildered expression, finished his oyster, and said, “George Bentinck, the younger son of the Duke of Portland, a distant relative of Lady Cowper and the Viscount Melbourne. Even if you don’t know him, you should know about the Bentinck family, the hereditary Dukes of Portland, right? They are known as the traditional top three ducal families within the Whig party, along with the Cavendish family, the hereditary Dukes of Devonshire, and the Spencer-Churchill family, the hereditary Dukes of Marlborough.”
Arthur nodded, stroking his chin, “I know about the Churchills, they later became Prime Ministers.”
“Prime Ministers? No, no, no.”
Eld waved his hand, “The Churchills were at their most glorious before the Prime Minister role came about. But the power of the first Duke of Marlborough, John Churchill, was almost like a Prime Minister. He teamed up with Prince Eugene of Savoy of the Holy Roman Empire, and together they beat the French King Louis XIV into submission.”
Arthur pondered what Eld was saying, and after a while, he came to his senses, “Where was I? How did you change the topic so abruptly? Right, I was saying that Mrs. Norton’s husband was actually the former York MP. Didn’t Mr. Mill mention that he was going to York this afternoon?”
Eld, upon hearing this, slapped his thigh in surprise, exclaiming, “Oh, my! How could I forget about that? Does that Mill kid know the newly elected MP for York? The one who defeated Mr. Norton?”
Arthur frowned and asked, “Do you have a list of candidates for the York constituency?”
“Where would I get that? But if you want one, I’ll ask around the Admiralty for you after we finish eating.”
Seeing that he didn’t have it, Arthur waved his hand, “No need, I’ll wait for the next edition of the London Gazette. The election results should be published soon, it’s not like it’s a big deal.”
As they were chatting, the conversation from the table next to them suddenly stopped.
The Viscount Melbourne picked up his hat from the table and put it back on his head. He gently comforted Mrs. Norton, “My dear lady, wait for my good news. I happen to be meeting with Henry at the Almacks Club today. I’ll ask him if he has any news about the next Lord Chancellor.
While we don’t know who will get the position yet, I assure you, whoever becomes Lord Chancellor, I will request a judicial position for you, for your happy family life, and if possible, I will try to get him to arrange it in London.
By the way, why don’t you come with me? I’ll introduce you to Henry, he’s a very kind man, I’m sure he’ll be willing to help you too.”
“I…” Mrs. Norton seemed a bit hesitant, “I haven’t received an invitation to the Almacks Club. According to the rules, I shouldn’t be able to go there, should I? The rules at Almacks are always strict, I heard that the Duke of Wellington was once locked out because he arrived too late… William, you’ve helped me so much, Almacks and all that, let’s just forget about it…”
The Viscount Melbourne just smiled and extended his hand to Mrs. Norton, “It’s alright, Caroline, be confident. You should consider not whether you’re worthy of Almacks, but whether Almacks is worthy of you.”
“William…”
Eld and Arthur both lowered their hats, pulling their necks into their collars.
Under the watchful eyes of two pairs of shifty eyes, the Viscount Melbourne, accompanied by Mrs. Norton, left the cafe and got into the black carriage waiting outside.
Eld, seeing them leave, suddenly popped his head out of his collar, took off his hat and slammed it on the table, letting out a sigh of relief, “Got it! Although we didn’t see Mr. Bentham today, it wasn’t a wasted trip. We got to watch a realistic family drama that even the old Vic Theatre wouldn’t have.”
But Arthur, sitting opposite him, clearly didn’t share Eld’s good mood. He held his hand to his brow, his expression fluctuating.
A judicial position?
And it has to be in London?
What a coincidence, he just happens to know someone who fits the bill.
Arthur’s hand slipped, he couldn’t help but tug at the hair on his temples, muttering under his breath, “Damn it!”
“What’s wrong?” Eld asked.
Arthur pursed his lips and replied, “Eld, things are bad. The magistrate of Westminster just retired. If George Norton takes his place, I probably don’t need to fight with Rowan Hall anymore, I might as well just resign.”
Eld scratched his head, “Is it that serious?”
Arthur muttered, “Of course! Have you forgotten? George Norton is a supporter of the former Lord Chancellor, Earl Eldon, who after the Peterloo Massacre, advocated for the enactment of the Six Acts to suppress the subsequent workers’ movement.
During the French Revolution, the Pitt the Younger government’s suppression of political gatherings and censorship of publications was also spearheaded by him. Besides, he opposed the emancipation of Catholics, the abolition of the slave trade, and the revision of the Bloody Code. I’ve never seen him agree to anything in my life.
Just to get him to loosen up about revising the Bloody Code, Sir Robert Peel spent his days in the House of Commons and in newspapers defending him, constantly praising him, just to appease the old man and get him to sign the resolution.
Now that the Tories are gone, Earl Eldon is gone too. I thought it would be easier to pass some bills in the future, but who would have thought that after sending Eldon away, I would have to face his staunch supporter, George Norton, directly in the magistrate’s court.
What’s even worse is that I was planning to recruit some capable students from the University of London to join the police force as prosecutors. What is the attitude of the Tory diehards towards the University of London? They won’t even give us a Royal Charter. If our people are standing at the prosecution table, will the Tory diehard judges give us a good face?”
Arthur didn’t say anything, but as soon as he did, Eld’s heart sank, “This doesn’t sound good!”
He turned his head to look at the Viscount Melbourne who had already left, and slapped his thigh, “Oh, my! Your Lordship, you’re being foolish! A Whig, yet seeking a judicial position for a diehard Tory, is he love-struck?”
Arthur quickly picked up his coat from the back of the chair, swung his arm and put on the coat, “What he’s smitten with, I don’t care, but I need to follow up on this.”
“Where are you going?”
“Of course, to the Almacks Club.” Arthur said, “Didn’t you hear the Viscount Melbourne? They’re going there.”
Eld rolled his eyes, forming a circle with his thumb and middle finger, flicked the small black pearl next to the oyster shell away in disgust, “But do you have a permit? The Almacks Club isn’t a place anyone can just walk into.”
Arthur didn’t bother arguing with him, he grabbed Eld’s collar and pulled him up, “Don’t worry about it, just listen to me once we get there, I say we can go in, we can go in.
Eld shrugged, looking doubtful, “Ha? Arthur, although I always respect you and know that you’re good with a sword, I suggest you don’t try to barge in. The guards there are very strict. Most importantly, those guys responsible for security there are all armed with flintlock pistols. Arthur, listen to me, don’t lose your life for the sake of face. But this kind of thing, usually I don’t need to advise you, you should know better. Oh… right, you actually dared to suggest that, does that mean…”
Eld’s eyes lit up, he slapped his hand, pointing at Arthur, “Right, I almost forgot about your side job. LPS, you’re in intelligence, are you planning to sneak in, or do you already have an inside man at the Almacks Club?”
Arthur looked at him with the eyes of someone looking at an idiot, but the situation was urgent, he didn’t care what was going on in Eld’s head.
Arthur dragged him towards the door, “Just listen to me when we get there, don’t say anything stupid, don’t do anything stupid, do what I tell you to do, don’t ask why, don’t give me any excuses. As long as you can promise me you’ll do these things, I can definitely take you to the Almacks Club for a night out.”
Eld, upon hearing this, slapped away Arthur’s hand on his collar, straightened his clothes, and said in a righteous tone, “It’s not about Almacks or not Almacks, it’s about our friendship. Arthur, for you, buddy, I’m going all out this time!”
Then, Eld lowered his head and asked in a low voice, “Are you sure you can actually get in?”
Arthur didn’t say anything more, he hailed a public carriage, stepped into the carriage, and slammed the door shut with a bang, “Almacks Club, thank you.”
Then, under Eld’s stunned gaze, the carriage, leaving a trail of water, sped away.
After a while, Eld finally reacted, “Hey! I haven’t even gotten on the carriage yet!”
(End of Chapter)