Chapter 60
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: Fair and Square (2)
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London, Mayfair.
This affluent neighborhood, home to the highest echelons of society even in London, the heart of the British Empire, was lined with elegant townhouses.
Viscount Melbourne, the leader of the Whig Party, also favored a luxurious townhouse in this area when he stayed in London.
The interior of the grand building, constructed in the fashionable Georgian style, was adorned with the finest furniture and works of art, reflecting the Viscount’s wealth and status.
In the drawing room of this lavish residence, Viscount Melbourne was holding meetings almost daily in preparation for the upcoming election.
What was peculiar was that despite these near-daily meetings, Viscount Melbourne conversed with only one person at a time.
To be more precise, while many members of Parliament visited, the last to leave was always the same man.
That man was John Russell, the third son of the Duke of Bedford and a prodigious talent of the Whig Party who had entered the House of Commons at the age of twenty.
“It is a great relief to hear that preparations are going well.”
“My Lord Viscount, has there been any change in the Conservative Party’s reaction?”
“There is no sign that they doubt our proposal. They did ask for a general idea of how we plan to set things off, but that was out of concern that other members might act rashly if they knew nothing. So I gave them a vague outline.”
“Well done, my lord. In fact, being too secretive might have aroused suspicion. It’s better to leak a moderate amount of information.”
At first, he had wondered if all this was necessary, but now Viscount Melbourne had steeled his resolve.
Dirty or not, in politics, one had to win first.
As the leader of the party, it was a billion times better to be a leader who won elections, even if it meant wading through mud, than one who played clean and lost.
“Since we’ve decided to set this off on the day Parliament is dissolved, you understand there’s no turning back, don’t you? How about we check everything one last time?”
“I will continue to check until the day before the plan is executed, but you need not worry too much. The loose ends have been thoroughly tied up, and we have laid several layers of camouflage. Above all, the Conservative Party will be the one covered in this filth, so we have nothing to lose.”
Thinking it over again, it was a truly brilliant strategy.
On the surface, it seemed to be targeting the troublesome Daniel O'Connell, but the real targets were the Conservative Party and the parliamentary seats in south-central Ireland that would become vacant.
If they achieved a proper outcome here, it was safe to assume there was at least an 80% chance the Whig Party would secure a majority in the next election.
Viscount Melbourne glanced at the benevolent face of the strategist who had conceived this perfect plan.
From what depths of such a passionate reformer’s mind did such a chilling strategy spring?
But on the other hand, perhaps that was proof that John Russell was the right man to lead the Whig Party after him.
No matter how lofty one’s ideals, a politician who couldn’t win an election was nothing more than a delusional talker.
“Is there anything else I can do for you at the end?”
“The later the Conservative Party catches on to this plan, the more effective it will be. Please continue to monitor them for any unusual movements.”
“That won’t be difficult. I already secured the Prime Minister’s promise to do nothing, so even the slightest move on their part will be immediately obvious.”
To achieve reform, they needed seats, and to get those seats, they were willing to do things that seemed a bit petty.
Having accepted Russell's idea, the time to stop had long since passed.
The upcoming election. This time, it was time for the Whig Party to return to power.
***
“So this is certain, then? I had a feeling something was off.”
Just as I suspected. When it came to these kinds of insidious plots, my intuition was never wrong.
“It cost a considerable amount of money to dig this up. In fact, if we hadn't specifically monitored Viscount Melbourne's townhouse from the start, as you suggested, Young Master, I doubt we would have been able to extract this much information.”
“Money? How much did you spend?”
“You can assume we used the entire retainer we received from the Conservative Party. The men who carried out the job were incredibly tight-lipped, so we had no choice but to persuade them with a hefty sum.”
“Good work. It wasn’t our money anyway, so as long as we found out, that’s all that matters.”
Even if it cost more than expected, we had ultimately achieved our goal without spending a single penny of our own.
It was a good thing I’d demanded a hefty fee from them in the name of a retainer.
“But it’s impressive that you managed to get the Prime Minister’s approval. I never thought the prideful Conservative Party would hire a detective agency.”
“We couldn’t let on that the Conservative Party had noticed something was amiss. In reality, fewer than five people within the party know how this is actually proceeding. The rest probably think they’re genuinely cooperating with the Whigs.”
“Still, thanks to this, it’s been proven that our company is more than capable of delving into political incidents. We’ve also reconfirmed that for matters like these, it’s better to use the British Detective Agency rather than the James Detective Agency.”
“The James Detective Agency is known to have you as its director, after all. It’s best not to do anything that could be held against us, even slightly.”
While the name James was incredibly common in Britain, if someone truly dug into it, they could certainly discover his connection to the House of Count Aaron.
It meant they could find a link to me, even though I planned to sever all ties on the surface next year.
Of course, I had left those traces intentionally, but that didn’t mean we didn’t need to be careful.
Besides, it was only right for the British Detective Agency to handle slightly risky and potentially dirty work like this.
That was why I had split the intelligence organization in two in the first place.
“By the way, just as you said, Young Master, the political world of this country is a real den of vipers. I never imagined such schemes were so rampant.”
“Isn’t it great? Thanks to that, we get work like this, and I feel a sense of accomplishment for having started the company.”
I felt a strange sense of pride as I scanned the thick pile of reports in front of me.
Although I had pointed them to the target, it was impressive they had managed to gather this much evidence in such a short time.
“Shall we take a closer look? Primary surveillance target: Viscount Melbourne. Confirmed that he continuously held meetings with Whig MPs at his townhouse. No other changes, but John Russell was consistently the last to leave each meeting, so detectives were assigned to him as well.”
“To attack O'Connell, the Whigs' best method is to mobilize the press. So, we focused on whether people connected to John Russell or Viscount Melbourne were contacting newspapers and weekly magazines close to the Whig Party.”
“John Russell's secretary was confirmed to have contacted reporters from the Morning Chronicle, the Spectator, and the Examiner. We bribed a reporter from the Spectator to confirm the full story… It seems to have been resolved rather simply and cleanly.”
“They were only worried about the Conservative Party, so they probably never imagined we’d be tailing them. The information from the bribed reporter has been cross-checked, so it should be fairly clear what the Whigs are aiming for.”
“Daniel O’Connell once killed a man, and they’re going to make an issue of it… I remember hearing about this before. But as I recall, wasn’t it a legitimate duel?”
“Strictly speaking, the laws of this country do not recognize dueling, so there’s no such thing as a legitimate duel.”
As James said, the laws of the British Empire outlawed private duels.
This meant that, since there was no statute of limitations on murder, they could prosecute Daniel O’Connell as a murderer if they so chose.
However, given the public sentiment of the time, prosecuting someone for a death in a duel would only backfire and provoke backlash.
They must have judged it that way back then, which is why it was swept under the rug. And now they’re trying to reignite such an incident?
“If the Whigs are trying to attack O’Connell in Ireland with such a flimsy pretext, they don’t deserve to be in politics. Or are they trying to provoke a riot in Ireland by forcing O’Connell into prison?”
“Of course, it’s neither of those. There’s a bit more explanation further down.”
“Ah, you’re right. I was so dumbfounded I missed the last part. So… the man who died in the duel with Daniel O'Connell was a former soldier named John D’Esterre. He served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars, and out of guilt for killing him, O'Connell still provides financial support to D’Esterre’s widow.”
“But it’s not just financial support; there’s another kind of relationship. The intelligence suggests O’Connell has been carrying on an affair with the widow, who has since remarried… What is this third-rate trashy novel? They’re going to use this? Really?”
“Isn’t it true that the easiest way to tarnish a morally upright politician is with bribery and adultery? It seems the Whigs plan to attack Mr. O’Connell over his relations with women.”
Of course, when it comes to propaganda, the standard practice is to take a truth-based incident and add a slight distortion.
It was an objective fact that Daniel O’Connell had killed John D’Esterre in a duel twenty years ago.
It was also true that he had promised to support the widow financially for the rest of her life. So, the intention to spin a story from this was understandable.
“But the quality is just so shoddy. Isn’t there something more to it?”
“I don’t know. They might have secured some plausible circumstantial evidence of an affair. If they present evidence that’s impossible to deny, it’s bound to cause chaos.”
“No… you’re not suggesting that O’Connell is actually having an affair with the wife of the man he killed, are you? In the first place, if the woman had any sense, she wouldn’t have positive feelings for the man who killed her husband in a duel, would she?”
“Perhaps this is something you could confirm with Mr. O’Connell yourself, Young Master? It may seem absurd, but if the Whigs are preparing to release this, they must have something up their sleeve.”
True, Viscount Melbourne and John Russell wouldn’t just release such a flimsy, sensationalist article without a second thought.
But still… even if, for the sake of argument, this were true, would it be enough to remove O’Connell from power in Ireland?
It would certainly damage O’Connell’s morality and clean image, but isn’t the accusation too crude?
It might be different if O’Connell were having affairs with ten women at once or using his position to force himself upon other women.
But trying to oust him over just this seemed impossible, no matter how I looked at it.
“The method of attack itself isn’t bad, but it’s just too crude. Bring me the records of everyone John Russell and Viscount Melbourne’s associates have met. All of them.”
“Yes. The records have all been kept. I’ll bring them right away.”
James immediately left the room and returned about five minutes later with dozens of pages filled with dense writing.
“This is a record of every individual John Russell, Viscount Melbourne, and their aides have met over the past few days, along with a brief summary of their identities.”
I silently flipped through the documents, page by page, setting aside the names of people who stood out.
Perhaps we had missed something because we investigated under the assumption that they would attack O’Connell through the press.
If that were the case, the real objective was likely…
“William Smith O’Brien? A former Whig MP and a current member of the Irish Repeal Party. Why did John Russell’s aide meet with him?”
“The Whigs have apparently been approaching former Whig members of the Irish Repeal Party to persuade them to switch sides. Of course, not a single one has agreed.”
“Right. That may be, but while they met other MPs once or twice, they met this man five times, didn’t they?”
“They did meet him quite a few times. But O’Brien has no connection to the press or the duel from twenty years ago, so he was lower on our investigation priority list.”
It was standard procedure to investigate people connected to the newspapers first, and since it had yielded results, there was no reason to reprimand him.
It was possible that the Whigs’ political machinations were indeed that shallow.
However, if it were just Viscount Melbourne, I might believe it. But with John Russell, his likely successor, also involved, I felt there had to be something more.
I might be overreacting, but in this game of deception, thinking ‘this should be enough’ was a one-way ticket to ruin.
“This isn’t enough information. It seems I’ll have to meet O’Connell myself.”
Victoria was scheduled to dissolve Parliament after William IV’s funeral, so there was still some time.
I could draw my conclusions after the full picture of the puzzle came into view.
***
When engaged in a battle of wits, the most dangerous thing is to assume your opponent is dumber than you.
You must always remember that if you are wary of them, they can be wary of you, and if you can lay a trap, so can they.
This wasn’t a turn-based game where only one side could act on their turn; it was a real-time battle.
Naturally, I couldn’t forget the possibility that just as I was watching them, they could be watching me.
So, I wasn’t foolish enough to go and meet O’Connell openly.
Considering my residence might be under surveillance, I disguised myself in the dead of night, slipped out through a secret passage I’d had built, and had a carriage waiting at a distance drive me aimlessly all over London.
If they still managed to tail me after all this, well, I’d have to admit they were one step ahead.
“So you went all the way from Mayfair to Lambeth without stopping? Aren’t you tired?”
“I took a nap in the carriage, so I’m fine.”
“Hmph… There’s nothing wrong with being cautious, but was all that really necessary?”
“Let your guard down, and you’re gone in an instant. This is no time for you to be complacent either, Mr. O’Connell. Do you have any idea what’s happening beneath the surface right now?”
As I sipped my coffee and asked nonchalantly, O’Connell nodded lightly.
“Of course, I know. The Whigs have been busy approaching our members, asking if they’d consider switching sides. Naturally, not a single one has.”
So, was their contact with other MPs, besides O’Brien, a way to create a smokescreen?
If so, John Russell, the presumed mastermind of this plan, might be even sharper than I thought.
“It’s more than that. It seems they’re dead set on crushing you this time, Mr. O’Connell.”
“This isn’t the first or second time those bastards have tried something. Last time, they tried to frame me with some ridiculous bribery charge.”
“This time will be different. It looks like they’ve put a great deal of effort into this operation.”
A look of irritation naturally clouded O’Connell’s face as he listened.
Considering how he had been relentlessly harassed by British politicians and journalists for the past few years, I honestly felt a bit sorry for him.
For me, all those incidents had been valuable data, but for him, they must have been nothing but a source of rage.
“For you to come and tell me this in such secrecy, it must be a much bigger deal than before. I’d be grateful if you’d tell me.”
“There’s something that bothers me this time, so I’ll need you to confirm a few facts for me, Mr. O’Connell. Would that be possible?”
“You’re trying to help me by bringing valuable intelligence. Of course, I’ll answer. Ask me anything.”
Well then, since we’re both short on time, I’ll step on the gas without hesitation.
“The Whigs are planning to make an issue of your relationships with women. Have you ever, even once, met with a married woman?”
“What? What in the… Are you telling me those madmen in the Whig Party are planning to brand me as some kind of degenerate?”
Pure, unadulterated anger and disbelief, without a hint of panic. Looks like this isn’t it.
“In that case, was there some kind of issue with William Smith O’Brien, a member of your own party? I’ve heard some talk within the party about a faction called ‘Young Ireland’ or something of the sort.”
“No… why has the topic suddenly shifted there? That’s just an internal matter.”
Unlike before, O’Connell’s face now contorted with vexation.
Bingo. So the women issue was just bait to divert attention, and this was the real play.
It seemed my uneasy feeling had been right on the mark.
Though it had been a roundabout path, I felt a small thrill of excitement rather than annoyance that the Whigs had constructed such a multi-layered defense.
It was because, unlike before, I had a feeling this would be an exciting battle of wits.
Now that I had a rough idea of their line of attack…
Let’s see who is closer to the ideal of a true British politician. From this moment on, let’s settle this, fair and square.