The door of the Buckingham Palace breakfast room was gently pulled open by an attendant, and Arthur walked into the dining room. The first thing that caught his eye was the sunlight streaming through the tall window panes onto Victoria's shoulders.
As usual, she did not sit at the head of the table but chose a small round table by the window for her meal.
The privilege of sharing a small round table with her was an additional favor granted to Arthur. Generally, as long as the Duchess of Kent was not present, she would arrange it this way, and Arthur had long grown accustomed to it.
Typically, Arthur would take the opportunity during breakfast to chat with Victoria about the news and gossip, or about the latest books being promoted by Imperial Publishing. If the conversation got lively, he might occasionally share some little-known anecdotes.
