A persistent Caroline Swift is preoccupied with the eyes of Mrs. Latimer, Catherine Newell, hoping to get an answer in the first place. It's probably because she wants to win too much, she needs a chance too much to prove to Isabel that she won't lose to her at everything.

Madame Latimer smiled silently, glancing at the guards and the carriage that had come with the young ladies. After turning his head and saying a few words to the valet maid, he looked at Viscount Darlington's daughter gently: "Miss, it's still early, you can go with Mr. Ernest, Miss Isabel, and Miss Euphemia with me to meet your lordship first, okay?" ”

When visiting a nobleman's estate, the owner of the manor is always a must-see. Caroline had no objection to Catherine's proposal, and looked back at Isabel and the others: "Let's go, go and meet Lord Latimer." Also, I'm not going to cancel the game. ”

Euphemia glanced at Caroline, who was getting more and more serious, and didn't dare to laugh out loud. After handing over the flag with the family crest to Herbert, Ernest straightened his clothes and saber and stood in front of Isabel without squinting. At this moment, a middle-aged woman who looked like a housekeeper and several male servants hurriedly walked out of the manor.

The middle-aged woman came to Mrs. Latimer and saluted: "Madam, do you have any orders?" ”

Catherine was curious about the different behaviors of several young noble men and women, but looked at the middle-aged woman with unusual calm: "Helena, arrange a resting room for the guests' guards, and let the horses and carriages be led to the stables." Uh, get some more food and ale for the guards. ”

"Yes, ma'am." Butler Helina heartily agreed.

"Everyone, please come with me." After giving instructions to the butler, Catherine spoke to the crowd.

As they followed Madame Latimer into the manor-style house, towards the parlor where Baron III was, Euphemia walked beside her sister and whispered a chuckle, "Caroline seems to be serious about this gamble. Luckily, she's just going to make you jump into the pond to catch crustaceans. ”

The two walked behind Ernest, and Isabel smiled and said, "What, are you afraid that she will ask me for a duel?" ”

"Yes, there are always people who are injured or killed in a duel. If there is a duel between you and her, I don't want to see anyone hurt or killed. ”

"Effie, I've actually dueled her more than once. Look, aren't Kali and I okay now? ”

"Quiet, this is Lord Latimer's manor, not Asker's manor." Ernest, the eldest son who walked first, turned around and scolded his two younger sisters slightly.

"Understood." Euphemia pouted at her eldest son and said disapprovingly.

Baron Latimer III, who is in his twilight years, likes to be quiet and does not like to be surrounded by noise. So, after a brief meeting with the baron, the baron's wife arranged for them to rest in the back garden, drink or enjoy some fruit tart.

The baron's back garden is actually a small lawn carved out of the forest behind the manor-style house. The ancient, strong, and dense trees that surround the lawn are shaded by the afternoon sun. Everyone sat under the shade of the tree and listened to the singing of the birds in the woods, and talked about the Easter that had just passed.

The arrival of many guests also brought long-lost vitality to this long-dormant manor. Madame Latimer invited the two children of the baron into the garden, and felt the laughter of the young noble men and women. While the children were laughing with the guests, Mrs. Latimer asked Caroline to accompany her to a wooded path in the forest across the lawn.

Catherine put her hands on the lower abdomen of her floor-length skirt and said gracefully, "Carrie, why did you ask such a question when I met you today?" ”

Caroline looked up at the birds jumping among the treetops, and recalled, "Because after entering the manor, Isabel and I found a river. She said it was a pond for fish, I said it was a river. Later, I made a bet with her that the loser would jump into the water and catch a few crustaceans. ”

Catherine, who is only 25 years old this year, couldn't help but laugh as she listened quietly. Caroline frowned slightly and looked at her, "Is it really ridiculous?" ”

After laughing, Catherine, who returned to the demeanor of a baroness, straightened her upper body and continued to walk, shook her head and looked at her: "It's not this gamble that's ridiculous, it's you and Isabel." Both you and her insist that you are right and are unwilling to compromise with each other, which shows that there is a fight between you and her. ”

Caroline tilted her head and thought about it and said, "Well, you're quite right. ”

Catherine continued, "I suppose you often lose to Isabel in such fights, don't you?" ”

"Well, not only today's gamble, but also drinking, swordsmanship, fighting, and archery skills are not as good as hers. So, I thought about what I could do to restore my dignity. ”

"Carrie, what would you do if I told you that you still lost today's gamble?"

"Forgive my sins, my God."

Catherine smiled and walked on, glancing at the dejected Caroline beside her and said, "Do you remember what you said to me in Lord Darcy's castle? ”

Caroline nodded slowly, and Catherine looked at the sunlight shining through the dense foliage and said gently: "At that time, you told me and the children not to be afraid, and told me that Lord Darcy and the other leaders of the pilgrimage movement wanted something from the king, so they went to capture the noblewomen and children and negotiate with the king's representatives, and these people would not harm me and the children." ”

"Later, when my children and I were released back to the estate, I often had a question on my mind. Perhaps, Lord Darcy and the leaders of the pilgrims did not see what was hidden behind the gamble, and that was why they lost the gamble with the king. ”

As the two walked slowly to the middle of the forest, Catherine spotted a small squirrel squatting on a treetop eating food. While looking at the little squirrel's furry tail, he said, "You and Isabel have a somewhat similar gamble to the one of the pilgrims and kings. It's because you don't see what's hidden behind the game that you lose to Isabel. ”

Caroline hurriedly asked, "What is it?" ”

"A king who owns an entire kingdom will not compromise with pilgrims, and Isabel happens to see the truth of things, so she insists on her opinion."

"The truth? Are you saying that there is really a pond for fish under the stone bridge? ”

Catherine pointed to the middle of a meadow to the left of the two of them, and said with a smile, "That's the end of the pond." ”

Sure enough, in the clearing between several large trees, the end of a pond as wide and narrow as a river appeared. Baron Latimer built his fish pond like a river across the hinterland of the estate.