Isabel, who was sitting in the hall of Hornby Castle, took a glass of fine wine and glanced at Baron Montigall II Richard Stanley, who was sitting on the throne on the left, "I'm sorry, Your Excellency, but this money can't buy an armed merchant ship. Even old merchant ships, I'm afraid, can't be bought. ”

Richard had little contact with her, and did not trust her to the same extent as the Earl and Lady of Lancashire. When I heard her frustrating answer, I couldn't help but feel a little anxious, "Madam, since you can't buy a merchant ship, why do you insist on raising this money?" ”

"I insist? Damn, it's all because of Jacob and his wife's obsession with sugar and spices. After a few sentences, Isabel took a sip of wine and continued: "Your Excellency, the inability to buy an armed merchant ship does not mean that the money will be useless for its other uses. ”

For a time, Baron Montigall regretted that he had promised to pay 200 pounds. However, because of the dignity, status and status of the nobleman, he still wanted to hear some words of hope from the other party's mouth. Thinking about the other party's answer, he tried to keep his emotions in a steady state, and said gently, "Madam, I would love to hear your explanation of the purpose of this money. Either way, my £200 is worth a year's worth of repairs to Lancaster Castle. ”

"Your Excellency, you are right. The £600 grant could be counted as part of my armed merchant ship. If my ship sinks in a disaster or war, I can return your principal to you. Isabel casually spoke about her own possession of the armed merchant ship Nemesis.

"Madame, you have... A merchant ship? Richard expressed some skepticism about her words. He knew that merchant ships were different from horses or carriages, and that merchant ships needed a sea or river to anchor in a certain port. From what he knew, only Liverpool, a royal town, could moor small boats such as fishing boats.

Isabel keenly sensed a change in the other party's mood from the baron's tone, and glanced at the other party with a reserved smile, "Your Excellency, do you think my ship is anchored outside a small fishing village in the north?" ”

"Well, ma'am, I don't know how you got a merchant ship. However, I am sure you will not lie. ”

"Yes, Your Excellency. Of course, my merchant ship is currently anchored in the town harbour of Plymouth in the south. If I wanted to use it, I could always write to Captain Hawkins and ask him to sail the ship north. ”

It can be said that Baron Montigall, who almost never left the lands of Lancashire, was struck by the fact of what she said. He found it difficult to talk to him anymore, because some of the things he was talking about were more than he knew about on land. Examining each other in silence, he finally spoke, "Madam, how did you own a merchant ship?" ”

Isabel leaned her back entirely on the back of the bench to keep herself comfortable, rubbing her fingers over her glass as she said, "Grant." Your Excellency, the grant I have raised from the Duke of Richmond and his retainers has given me my own armed merchant ship. ”

Baron Montigall's eyes remained motionless as he looked at her countenance, "Madam, how much grant have you raised from the Duke of Richmond?" ”

"Well, I think it's 3,200 pounds, which isn't a lot."

"3200 pounds?! My God, the Duke of Richmond will lend you so much money? ”

"Your Excellency, this is true. God is above, I will not lie. ”

The fact that Baron Walton's daughter could borrow thousands of pounds from the Duke of Richmond, who commanded the nobles and knights of the northern counties, was not an ordinary thing in Baron Montiger's view. There must have been some kind of relationship between the young and powerful Duke of Richmond and this well-behaved, well-behaved young aristocratic woman who seemed to have received much education.

Baron Montigall soon understood the "relationship" between the Duke of Richmond and Isabel, and perhaps the married royal duke was courting each other. The baron didn't ask any more curiously, knowing that he could not compete with Henry VIII's bastard. One is the king's illegitimate son of a superior nobleman, and the other is just a hereditary minor nobleman who lives in the remote, impoverished county of Lanxia, and no one will believe that this hereditary minor nobleman can take something or something away from the king's illegitimate son of a superior nobleman.

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On Saturday afternoon, Isabel left Hornby Castle with a £600 grant and a group of guards. After nearly four hours of riding, she returned north from her father's domain to Baron Walton's estate, which she was familiar with. As the party followed the country road through the large ancient forest hunting grounds north of her father's domain, Isabel led the Andalusian horse into a fork in the road on the right side of the road.

The road forks in the road to a clearing in the forest, where there are two houses for servants and several houses for falconry and dog training. As Isabel rode to the servant's house on the south side of the clearing, a manservant stepped forward and took the horse for her. Isabel jumped off her horse and commanded the manservant, "Go and fetch the falconier, the dog trainer, and the hunting ground keeper, I have something to say." ”

The manservant agreed, and asked another younger manservant to inform the lord's daughter of the person he was looking for. Soon, four falconers, four dog trainers, and six rangers who were hunters trotted to the open space in front of the house. After everyone saluted the lord's daughter, Isabel announced her decision to the crowd, "Ladies and gentlemen, my father has granted my request. So, a summer hunt will be held here soon. ”

Then she said, "Falconier, dog trainer, how about the falcons and hounds sent by Lord Lancashire, can they take part in the summer hunt?" ”

Edmund Girard, the falconer given to Isabel by the Duke of Richmond, had already become the most senior servant in the hunting grounds. Edmond, who was standing at the front of the other 13 full-time servants with duties, nodded respectfully to her, "Madam, the falcons and hounds sent by Lord Lancashire need to be further domesticated until they follow our orders before they can participate in the hunt. ”

Isabel nodded, "Well, there may be a few nobles coming for this summer hunt, so you have to do your best to find the prey you can hunt to satisfy the nobles." No matter what, I can't let my parents lose face in front of the aristocracy. ”