As Wei Cong Fast inserted his gauntlet stabbing sword back into the scabbard, he looked up at the clouds floating in the sky, "Old man, it looks like it won't rain tonight." ”

Baldwin, a colleague in the Duke's Palace, who was standing opposite, put his saber back into the scabbard and habitually glanced at the sky above him. At this time, the sky is relatively dark, densely covered with clouds, although there are gaps in the sky, it still feels gloomy, and occasionally some faint sunlight can be seen through the gaps in the clouds. Then, he beckoned to several guards standing on the side of the small square, "Brothers, it's almost dinner time, let's go back." ”

Fast no longer waited for the weather and the others turned to walk back, grinning at Baldwin, "Old man, we only got back to Plymouth today, and we still have a lot of time to practice swordsmanship. ”

Baldwin, who walked up to him, glanced at him, "Well, there's a lot of time. It's just that... I have never forgotten the way Your Excellency beat me on board. ”

Fast was a little stunned and shook his head, "Why, Your Excellency defeated you with her swordsmanship, and you plan to wait for an opportunity to retaliate?" ”

"Revenge? My God, no, I want to speak of your Excellency's swordsmanship. Baldwin spoke calmly when he saw a young maid in a plain leotard hurrying in the direction of the two of them.

"Then what swordsmanship are you going to use to defeat Your Excellency?" When Fast's words came from Baldwin's ears, the maid came to the crowd and gave a quick curtch, then stood up and looked at them levelly, "Squire, which one is Baldwin?" ”

"It's me. Well, whose maid are you? Baldwin glanced at the maid.

"I am the maid sent by the housekeeper to serve Miss Isabel." The young maid paused after speaking, stood in place and looked up at each other, "Miss ordered, let you go to her room at once now." ”

"Old man, think about how to crack your swordsmanship." As Baldwin followed the maid away, he threw a word at his colleague Fast.

Everyone looked at the backs of Baldwin and the maid walking away quickly, and Fast turned his head to look at the guards beside him, and said with a smile, "Want to defeat Your Excellency?" Good idea! Guys, presumably only an arquebus can defeat her. ”

"Hahaha......" As Baldwin walked with the maid towards the borrowed house on the west side of the small square, he couldn't help but glance at the side of the maid's soft and quiet face, "Uh, do you know what your excellency has to do with me?" ”

The maid Rose was a little shy and didn't dare to look at his face, but looked at the road ahead and replied in a small and unnatural tone, "Well, I guess I asked you to send the letter out." ”

"Oh, I see. Well, maid, you... What is your name? Baldwin gradually developed some affection for this quiet, elegant maid.

"Rose." After a long time, a word came out of the young maid's mouth and gently spit out.

Isabel stood in front of the window, looking at the streets and houses outside the window with a wine glass, when she suddenly heard the voice of the maid Rose behind her, "Miss, the squire Baldwin is here." ”

Immediately, he turned and glanced at the two men standing near the door. He walked back to the stand table and looked at the pile of letters on the table that had been tied with ropes and sealed with fire paint, and then raised his eyelids to look at the Duke's palace guard, "Baldwin, now deliver these letters to the postman at the royal post post in Plymouth." ”

After saying that, he took out a small money bag from the drawer and gently placed it on the table, and commanded, "If the postman refuses to deliver the letter or cannot deliver it to the recipient, here is some money to be paid to the postman." ”

After a pause, he commanded again, "If the postman still refuses to deliver the letter, tell him that there is a letter addressed to the Duke of Richmond."

"Yes, Your Excellency." Baldwin nodded and walked over to the stand table, holding several letterboxes in his arms, and a question came to mind, "With so many letters, how can I tell which letter is addressed to whom?" ”

But when he saw a small piece of paper with handwriting attached to each letterbox, he didn't ask any more questions. When he finally took his purse and was about to leave, Isabel stopped him, "Baldwin, I know it's almost dinner time, and you can use the rest of the money to buy some meat and drink, you don't have to give it back to me." ”

Baldwin tied the money bag around his waist and left the room with several letterboxes in his arms, the maid Rose chased after him from behind and walked side by side with him and smiled, "Squire, Miss asked me to carry the letter for you." ”

He glanced at the maid who was a little beautiful and smiled, and thought to himself, "This maid looks very good, now you can find a woman who suits you to marry." However, can you still perform your duties for Your Highness if you are married? ”

"Baldwin, you idiot, you're going back to the North, there's no way you're going to be with this maid."

At this thought, Baldwin still handed the letter to the maid Rose, "All right, you come with me to the stables. ”

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At 7 a.m. the next day, a well-dressed Isabel left the room in good spirits, and went with two maids to discuss the sale of the goods with Captain William Hawkins. When she arrived at the Hawkins family's three-story house made of limestone and Dartmoor granite, she was surprised to see dozens of men dressed as businessmen gathered in front of the gate on the first floor of the house, in groups of three and five talking about something. From time to time, hearty laughter erupted from the crowd.

Several of the merchants, who had seen her at the docks, had respectful smiles on their faces and immediately came to her to salute her. The rest of the merchants, who did not know her, also learned her identity and title after some inquiry, and gathered around her to salute and greet her.

Isabel nodded reservedly and asked curiously, "Gentlemen, it's only 7 o'clock in the morning, and you're here for... Which goods? ”

A smiling merchant glanced at the others, then looked at her and smiled and said, "Miss Isabel, of course we are here for these goods. ”

The other merchant stroked his beard, nodded and smiled softly, "Miss, you know that Plymouth can only rely on the woolen wool produced by Exeter to export to the European market in exchange for all kinds of goods that the people desperately need. However, we would like to be able to buy a variety of rare goods from the Spanish overseas territories in the Americas. ”

Isabel knew that the goods she had exchanged for a large number of black slaves from the Spaniards were basically scarce goods of good quality and high prices. However, she never imagined that these goods would be so popular in England. Now, she regretted that she had come back too soon, and that she should have plundered a few more Portuguese merchant ships of black slaves for scarce cargo.