I do not love freedom; what I love is not having to kneel to anyone.
—Arthur Hastings
Afternoons at Buckingham Palace always seem a bit brighter than in other parts of London.
The pale winter sunlight gilds the glass windows, falling upon the study's carpet, creating a tranquility that instills a slight fear.
Victoria stood before the window, her hands folded in front of her, having stared out at the garden for half an hour with hardly a move.
She had already agreed to Viscount Melbourne's request to personally persuade Arthur to visit Dalhousie.
She agreed so quickly, even Melbourne was caught off guard.
For Victoria, if the situation in Canada truly had deteriorated to the point that only the Earl of Dalmo could intervene, then as the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, she felt obligated to undertake this heavy responsibility, fulfilling as much as she could of her promise to her subjects from her accession speech.
