Perhaps standing for a long time, the Duchess walked back to her lord's seat, turned around, and sat down. Turning his head to look at the maid behind him, "Amy, you move the chair to my seat for Miss Isabel." ”

Being on an equal footing with a duchess means that it is possible to have the status or power of a young lady? Isabel didn't think Mary would be as thoughtful as she was, or that she would just make a friendly gesture to her.

Isabel silently accepted Mary Fitzroy's arrangement. As she sat down next to Mary, the smile on Mary's face proved her guess. I saw Mary holding the wine glass that had drunk about half of the cider, and smiled: "Isabel, I was very surprised by your conversation, and let me know a lot about things that the people of the north have never heard of. ”

Isabel looked at the empty parlor and a manservant in the far corner, "You are the Duchess, and I am only a retainer of Your Highness, so I should let you know everything about the North." ”

"Isabel, I didn't know you before, I thought that you were with Your Highness for ......" Mary's face was a little red, and she didn't continue to say the next words, "Now, you have made me see a different you." So, don't always think that I'm just a respectable duchess, you're a retainer who does his duty. ”

"Uh-huh, I know, you also want me and you to be the best buddies?"

"yes, if you can be the best buddy with Frances, why can't I?"

Isabel smiled indifferently, raised her arm and put the glass to her lips and took a sip of the mixture. I only heard the Duchess Mary laugh in her ear and said lightly: "Isabel, can you tell me why you love this life?" ”

"What life?" Isabel glanced back at her.

Mary stared curiously at the short sword at her waist, "dressed in a man's costume and a knight's armor." However, I have discovered that you are not wearing the sword that the knights often use. ”

Isabel spotted her gaze and only smiled crookedly: "My father, Sir Augustine, the magistrate of the county, was a knight before serving His Majesty. So, under the influence of my father, I also began to learn the skills of knights. ”

"Well, there is a knight father, and it's normal for you to be interested in the knight's skills. Go further to learn and train, huh? ”

"That's right. Because of the need to learn knightly skills, I got used to wearing men's clothes. ”

"So, what about these two short swords? Do you like to fight with two short swords? ”

The two valets standing behind Mary also walked up to Isabel curiously to take a closer look. Mary smiled when she saw that her maid was the same: "Amy, Kelly, you also want to see Miss Isabel's sword?" ”

The well-behaved Amy quickly turned around and bowed to Mary, stood up straight and whispered, "Madam, among the ladies and ladies I have come into contact with you, I have hardly ever seen a woman like Miss Isabel. ”

Kelly, who was on the side, also smiled after saluting and said, "It was not until I met Miss Isabel today that I learned that noble women could not only do household chores and be proficient in needlework and embroidery, but also learn horseback riding, hunting, archery, swordsmanship, and falconry, which were loved by knights. ”

After hearing the maid's words, Mary also became a little excited: "I once heard my father say that before I was born, my aunt's daughter, Queen Anne Boleyn, had learned a lot about French culture and etiquette when she was a waitress in the French court. ”

Queen Anne Boleyn, the mother of the "Queen of Innocence", and Mary's Norfolk family, Isabel certainly knew about it. However, she didn't want Mary to see what else she knew, so she glanced at Mary sitting on the left, "Madam, I don't have the good fortune of Queen Anne Boleyn to go to the French court to learn the ways of the court." ”

When Mary heard the word "luck", she immediately remembered the tragic end of her cousin Anne Boleyn's decapitation 4 years earlier. His face darkened, and the excitement vanished. Looking into the distance of the meeting room, his tone also became a little weak, "Isabel, it's not a bad thing not to have the luck of not going to the French court to learn the ways of the court, is it?" ”

The two maids, Amy and Kelly, immediately noticed Mary's change in mood and quietly shut their mouths. Even though Isabel knew that Anne Boleyn's beheading was a political conspiracy, she couldn't say anything. Now she felt that the time for small talk was almost over, and she had to finish her work of touring the Duke of Richmond's castle and domain.

At this time, a living room manservant walked into the living room with his head slightly bowed, holding several sealed letter tubes in both hands. After greeting Mary and her, he came to her: "Your Excellency, this is your letter. ”

Mary's mind was drawn to the letters held by the man-servant, and she asked the man-servant, "Are these letters addressed to Your Excellency?" ”

"Yes, ma'am."

"Who sent the letters?"

The manservant hurriedly flipped through the letters and recalled, "Madam, the letters addressed to your Excellency are those of Lord Lancashire, of Lord Latimer, of the Magistrate Sir Francis, of Lady Walton, and of Lady Frederick. ”

Isabel shook her head slightly: "Why did all these people choose to write to me today?" ”

When Mary heard so many nobles and noblewomen writing letters to Isabel, she quickly smiled and glanced at her: "Isabel, you have once again surprised me. Tell me, who are these nobles and ladies? ”

Thinking about the work of the patrol, Isabel stood up and faced Mary: "I'm sorry, ma'am, but today I have to go to inspect His Highness's castle and territory. So, I can't talk to you anymore. ”

"Why are you going to patrol the territory today?"

"Madam, today is Friday, and the time I chose to patrol the territory this week is one, three, and five."

"You mean Monday, Wednesday and Friday?"

Before Mary could say a few more words, another valet from the drawing-room walked in. After saluting her and Isabel, she announced: "Madam, Your Excellency. Your Excellency, Sir Augustine, the Magistrate, has sent for you to report to you, and to make your immediate appearance at the Magistrate's Court. ”

One thing after another, Isabel's brow furrowed. Turning around and glancing at the two male servants, "You send all the letters to my room." And you, go and tell the person sent by Your Excellency the judge, and I will go to the court at once. ”