Arthur clutched the sheet music in his hand, silently cursing the ancestors of the bastard who arranged the seating, but as a seasoned political figure, he didn't let these emotions show.
Although he wanted to change his seat, speaking up directly might only make things worse.
After all, in Victoria's view, arranging for the Duchess of Kent to sit after Arthur was a way to demonstrate defiance to her mother.
She didn't care what others thought; perhaps in her heart, she just wanted to show everyone that Sir Arthur Hastings held a higher place in her mind than the Duchess of Kent. During her accession, this Secretary-General of the Police Commissioner Committee offered more assistance than her own mother.
Although Arthur hadn't figured out who had set him up, he was no longer the young man dodging bullets below the Tower of London. After traveling through the European Continent, he had learned quite a bit about maneuvering.
