13 January 1937.
London, House of Commons
A bone-deep chill swept through the streets of Westminster.
Inside the neo-Gothic shell of the Palace of Westminster.
It was the first parliamentary session of the New Year, but the mood was far from festive.
The chamber slowly filled with Members of Parliament, scarves tucked into waistcoats, brows furrowed more from global tension than weather.
The world had changed too much, too quickly.
At exactly three o'clock, the Speaker entered and the low murmur subsided into silence.
The session opened with formalities.
But everyone waited for the same man.
Anthony Eden, the Foreign Secretary, rose to speak.
At 39, Eden was striking in both dress and demeanor meticulously tailored, soft-spoken, a man of diplomacy rather than bombast.
But today, his usually calm eyes held a certain conviction.
