## Chapter 240: Friend of Women (4k4)
A small building on the streets of Mayfair, London.
The bright sunlight streamed through the glass, illuminating Lady Norton’s delicate makeup. As if her concise and powerful motto echoed in the air: “Yes, we are beautiful.”
Perhaps due to the prolonged family disputes over the past few years, Lady Norton, despite sitting still and acting as a model without any expression, had a hint of inexpressible fatigue in her eyes.
Arthur and Disraeli, each with a stool, sat opposite her. These two usually chatty young men were unusually silent, both feeling an inexplicable awkwardness.
They realized that accompanying a married lady for a portrait session should be done by her husband or lover. What were they doing here?
The painter beside them gently lifted his brush, dipped it in the palette held in his left hand, and casually dabbed a few strokes on the canvas. He occasionally looked up at Lady Norton, then immersed himself in his obsession with the art of painting.
Logically, he shouldn’t have noticed Arthur and Disraeli behind him in this state.
But perhaps the atmosphere in the air was too cold and desolate, even the painter who was concentrating on his work couldn’t bear the reactions of the two. He stretched and said, “Let’s take a break, Lady Norton. You can walk around now and loosen your stiff back. Sitting for too long makes your body’s curves look unnatural. And for the two gentlemen behind me, would you like some tea? Just sitting there like that must be boring.”
Hearing this, Lady Norton slowly stood up and said apologetically to Arthur and Disraeli, “Gentlemen, although I would love to discuss the manuscript with you during the breaks, my back is really hurting. I think I should go out and move around. It might not be appropriate for me to say this, considering you have been waiting for so long, but I feel it might be a mistake to waste your precious time here. Maybe we can talk about the manuscript another day?”
“The manuscript?” The painter said, “Actually, you can talk here, Madam. Just moving your mouth won’t affect the completion of my painting.”
Lady Norton was surprised and said, “Is that so? I’m sorry, this is the first time I’ve had a portrait painted. I have no experience.”
Arthur nodded with a smile, “Let’s talk about it when we get back. You go out and move around, Madam.”
Lady Norton nodded slightly and then walked down the stairs step by step, supported by the male servant at the door.
Seeing Lady Norton walk away, the atmosphere in the studio began to liven up.
The painter, while rotating the brush in his hand, said, “Mr. Hastings and Mr. Disraeli, right? Although it’s normal for gentlemen to accompany ladies for portrait sessions, two at once is quite rare. I thought only Italians and Frenchmen would do this. Did I leave Britain for too long, has the wind of my beautiful homeland changed?”
Disraeli, hearing this, just shook his finger and said, “Sir, please don’t misunderstand our relationship with Lady Norton. We are truly here to discuss the manuscript with her.”
The painter picked up the coffee cup beside him, “I hope so. But looking at the two of you, you both seem to be unmarried, right?”
Arthur asked, “How did you figure that out?”
“Simple, just from what the gentleman sitting beside you said just now, you two gave yourselves away.”
“How so?”
The painter smiled, took a sip of coffee, and said, “Because only you unmarried lads want to talk business or reason with women in a serious manner. I tell you, if you want these lovely ladies to agree to something, being stiff or talking normally usually doesn’t work. I learned that after I got married.”
Disraeli asked with confusion, “What happened after you got married?”
“What happened? My God, listen to what you’re saying!” The painter rolled his eyes, “Let’s just say, you can’t imagine how difficult it is to deal with my wife. She would often ask me a question, answer it herself, and then spend half an hour explaining why my answer was wrong.”
Disraeli’s eyelids twitched as he heard this, “But you didn’t answer, did you?”
The painter warned, “Young man, if you get married in the future, you should never say this to your wife. Otherwise, her mouth won’t stop for half an hour. You understand what I mean? She doesn’t care if you answered or not, she just wants to scold you for being wrong. It’s entirely based on her mood. If you know how to coax women, she is simply the most adorable angel in the world. No matter how unreasonable your request is, she will agree. But if you don’t have that ability, even if you pluck a star from the sky for her, she will ask you why you didn’t pluck the moon. After you pluck the moon, she will ask you why you didn’t pluck the sun…”
Disraeli asked, “What if I pluck the stars, the moon, and the sun?”
Arthur said, “Then she’ll say: Darling, why didn’t you spend that time you spent plucking these things to accompany me more?”
The painter couldn’t help but point at Arthur, “Young man, you learn fast! It seems your manuscript plan today will go smoothly. As a reward, do you want to come and get a portrait painted by me? While you’re still young and have hair on your head, keep a souvenir for yourselves.”
Speaking of this, the painter also took out two business cards from his jacket pocket and handed them to the two.
Arthur lowered his head and glanced at them. The content of the business cards was not particularly complicated, but the string of titles and experiences attached to the iris flower pattern made Arthur understand that a portrait painted by this gentleman would probably not be cheap.
Name: John Attle
Born in Britain, a portrait master who learned his art in the Apennine Peninsula. He dedicated his life to pursuing romanticism in the combination of man and nature.
A painting prodigy who held a private exhibition in Rome at the age of fifteen. A leading figure of the new generation of academic schools, praised by the royal painter Sir Thomas Lawrence.
Former lecturer of watercolor portraits at the Roman Academy of Arts, current professor of pastel painting at the Royal Academy of Arts, and head painter and responsible person of Attle Studio.
Although Arthur wasn’t very familiar with romantic painters, art academies, or Rome, as a not-so-authentic British gentleman, he knew that in this island, anything related to the royal family, regardless of quality, would not be cheap.
Although Mr. Attle was smiling, in Arthur’s eyes, this thirty-something-year-old, charming, and sought-after artist seemed to be staring intently at his not-so-ample bank account, ready to swipe away a large portion of it.
Although people often say that works of art will appreciate in value over time, especially after the artist’s death.
But Arthur thought Mr. Attle was still too young. As a cautious investor, he wouldn’t spend half his fortune gambling on Mr. Attle’s sudden death.
Just as Arthur was thinking about how to politely and tactfully decline the offer, Lady Norton, who had finished loosening her stiff body, pushed open the studio door and returned to her seat.
Seeing this, Attle could only helplessly wink at Arthur, “Let’s chat later. Remember what I said, you two can chat with Lady Norton about the manuscript now.”
Following Attle’s words, Disraeli was the first to speak, “How are you feeling now, Madam?”
Lady Norton was confused by Disraeli’s sudden question, but she still responded politely, “Thank you for your concern, I feel much better after moving around.”
“So, have you decided what kind of novel you want to write?”
“Hmm…” Lady Norton laughed helplessly, “Honestly, there are quite a few things I want to write lately. But if you suddenly ask me, I really don’t know where to start.”
Seeing this, Arthur suddenly smiled and said, “Actually, when Benjamin first asked me, I didn’t know what to write either. But at that time, he told me to just write about things you are most familiar with and care about. And so, there is now this “Hastings Detective Collection.” Madam, if you have no clue, why don’t you start from your familiar perspective, like me.”
Lady Norton maintained a smile as she said, “Thank you for your suggestion, Mr. Hastings. But unfortunately, I’m not as knowledgeable and experienced as you. I’m just an ordinary, vulgar woman, like you see. I got married soon after I turned sixteen. My family had arranged a husband for me, but I insisted on choosing myself. In the end, I still met the same fate as those arranged women. You must have met my husband, he’s the magistrate of Westminster. Did you two get along well?”
Arthur felt a little embarrassed upon hearing this.
If he directly followed Lady Norton’s words and condemned Mr. Norton as an inappropriate villain, it would obviously not be in line with social etiquette.
But if he praised Mr. Norton, it would make Lady Norton dislike him.
And most importantly, according to the latest intelligence from the London Police Intelligence Bureau, since the couple attended the Coburg concert together six months ago, their relationship seemed to have eased. The best proof of this was that the couple, who had been separated for a long time, lived together again.
Therefore, Arthur didn’t understand whether Lady Norton’s resentment was still as strong as it was six months ago.
And what puzzled Arthur the most was that, according to intelligence, Viscount Melbourne would occasionally visit the Norton residence. When Mr. Norton was not busy, he would personally send his wife to the Home Office to have a friendly chat with the Viscount.
This bizarre and complex relationship, which Arthur couldn’t comprehend, naturally pushed the intricate and complicated relationship between the three to a new height.
This kind of extremely complicated emotional connection could probably only be untangled by Eldred.
But unfortunately, Eldred might have already been in the mouths of cannibals.
With the enemy’s intentions unknown, Arthur pondered for a long time and finally decided to play it safe, choosing a slightly more tactful way of saying, “Although Mr. Norton was a senior lawyer before, he had been focusing on the trivial matters of Parliament before returning to be a judge. It takes time to adapt to a new job, I can understand that.”
Arthur’s words both saved Lady Norton’s face and pleased her.
But what Arthur didn’t expect was that Lady Norton didn’t seem to intend to give Mr. Norton much face.
“Sigh… I knew it. He hasn’t even warmed up to his position as magistrate, and he hasn’t even recovered all the legal knowledge he lost for years, yet he’s already thinking about the Public Prosecutor’s Office. It’s like his last election defeat, the base hasn’t been solidified, and he’s already going after the swing voters. In the end, he didn’t get votes from either side and could only sneak back to London to vent his anger at me.”
Lady Norton’s words were simply ordinary complaints, but Arthur quickly extracted key information: “Mr. Norton wants to go to the London Public Prosecutor’s Office? Oh, I almost forgot, it seems they’re planning to appoint a senior royal counsel as the prosecutor. Since Mr. Norton was appointed as magistrate, it means he has been practicing law for more than seven years. Looking at it this way, he does have a chance.”
Lady Norton just shook her head, “No, Mr. Hastings, you don’t understand him. He only practiced law for seven years, and he didn’t handle many cases. He just followed his family’s arrangements,混個七年, and got the title of royal counsel. If he had worked hard like you, I wouldn’t say a word. But the problem is, he didn’t.
Since becoming a magistrate, his biggest pleasure is to go around and build relationships. If he becomes the prosecutor, he’s bound to cause trouble. But he doesn’t even have the self-awareness for such a simple matter. It’s simply ridiculous. He has repeatedly had the audacity to ask me to plead with William for him, and he said those nasty things. You wouldn’t believe how he treats me. I’m not a shameless person like him. Oh! My God! All this, it’s more bizarre than fiction.”
Having said this, Lady Norton couldn’t help but say to Mr. Attle, “Please add an emerald necklace and a few ruby rings to my portrait.”
Attle was stunned upon hearing this, “But Madam, you’re not wearing any of these ornaments today!”
Lady Norton gritted her teeth and said, “I know, I don’t have these ornaments. But I feel I’ll be choked to death sooner or later. And once I’m dead, he’ll definitely remarry soon. I want to make that new woman go crazy trying to find these ornaments, so he can get what he deserves. I swear, even if I’m dead, I must make him restless!”
Arthur heard this and suddenly said, “Madam, I think if you really do this, you might be hurt before you hurt Mr. Norton. Not only that, you might also hurt Viscount Melbourne.”
Lady Norton was stunned, “Why is that?”
Arthur replied, “Think about it, you don’t have these ornaments, but they appear in the portrait. If Mr. Norton sees this painting, he will definitely say that these ornaments were gifts from others. Isn’t that…”
Arthur’s words were barely finished when Lady Norton suddenly woke up as if from a dream, “Oh my God! Mr. Hastings, you’re right, I can’t do that. But… if I don’t do anything, I feel a little unwilling…”
Arthur heard this and suddenly a smile appeared on his lips. He just smiled and said, “It’s okay, have you forgotten? You still have your pen. If you ever meet with misfortune, we will try our best to make these things public for you. Of course, this is on the condition that you are willing.”
(End of Chapter)