Lord Hawkesbury reacted swiftly. Knowing where this man from Mainz was trying to steer the wind, he immediately said, "This is not on the agenda for this conference, and matters between our country and Portugal require no explanation to you. Let us return to discussing the mobilization of the Imperial Army."
The look he gave Hilger was already laden with menace.
Yet the latter acted as though he had not seen it at all, shaking his head vigorously. "No, no, my lord, I think this is very important. You see, your presence in Graz shows that your country intends to play a key role in German affairs, and your country's diplomatic credibility will determine whether all this can be carried through." He wore a perfectly harmless smile. "Therefore, I hope you can explain to everyone when your country intends, in accordance with the century-old Anglo-Portuguese offensive and defensive alliance, to dispatch an Expeditionary Force to South America."
Yes, Mainz as a country might not wish to offend powerful United Kingdom, but he was merely a parliamentarian, and he did not care. The French would protect him, for one thing—but even without that, he would have dared to publicly debate everything he had said today in Parliament. He was carefully verifying United Kingdom's diplomatic stance. His Majesty the Emperor ought to thank him for it.
With dozens of pairs of eyes fixed on him, Lord Hawkesbury's face darkened even further. Gritting his teeth, he said, "This is a bilateral agreement between United Kingdom and Portugal. It is not for some petty state to meddle in—"
Before he could finish, Oldenburg's diplomat, Kretschmer, stood up and pointed at Hilger, shouting, "Ridiculous! Someone actually doubts United Kingdom's strength and credibility?
"Let me tell you, United Kingdom's strategic deployments naturally take the overall situation