Not only did Viscount Darlington's eldest daughter feel that the baron's estate was shabby, but even the knight's daughter, Isabel, disagreed with the baron's estate. Not to mention what kind of aristocratic manor Caroline lived in, even the stone iron fence gates and guard houses of her own family, the Asker Manor, looked more majestic and aristocratic than the gate of Baron III.

On the surface, it seems that the Baron Latimer's domain and manor were already showing signs of decay when they passed into the hands of the eldest son of the third generation. However, appearances don't tell the whole story. Perhaps, this is just an illusion that deceives the eyes of the world?

Of course, there are some things that the two men did not know, that Mrs. Latimer, Catherine Newell, had already married Edward Borough, Baron II of Lincolnshire, before marrying the Baron III. Two years after the death of her first husband in the spring of 1532, she married the twilight Baron Latimer III with the property left to her by her first husband, becoming a baroness again.

Isabel, who had no way of knowing the answer, could not answer Caroline's question, so she could only shrug her shoulders and spread her hands, indicating that she was also helpless. Jumped off his horse and walked to the fence gate, and looked at the house on the left and around it. Finally, shouting, "Is there anyone here?" ”

It was a long time before she noticed that the door to the sergeant's quarters seemed to have been opened. An elderly sergeant with a beard and a cuirass and skirt came slowly to the gate of the fence and stared blankly at the group of uninvited guests outside the door. With his mouth slightly open, he pondered and said, "Are you ......?" ”

With her previous preconceived impression of the estate of Baron Latimer III, Isabel was no longer surprised by the appearance of this gatekeeper at this time, but smiled indifferently: "Sergeant, my partner and I are from Richmond County, and we were invited by Mrs. Latimer to Lord Latimer's estate. ”

The old sergeant glanced at the two short swords on her waist, then at the team behind her, and gradually relaxed his vigilance and said, "Since you were invited by Madame, do you have an invitation letter?" ”

"Yes, I have letters from Madame to me." Isabel pulled a letter from her riding boots and handed it to the sergeant through the fence door.

"I'm sorry, miss, I can't read, you can read it to me." The sergeant did not take the letter and said with an apologetic smile.

"Such a guard sergeant, such a manor gate, it is not difficult to explain the reason why Mrs. Latimer and her two children were abducted by the rebels." Isabel thought to herself, and opened the letter that Madame Latimer had written to herself.

Soon, the sergeant hurriedly opened the two iron barred doors and lowered the party into the baron's manor. After saluting Caroline, who was on a horse, he said, "Miss Caroline, please follow this road with Miss Isabel all the way to the manor, and you will reach the lord's manor." ”

When Isabel and Caroline led the team slowly on a quiet path lined with street trees on both sides of the baron's manor, Caroline said curiously: "Isabel, when I met Lady Latimer in Lord Darcy's castle, she and her two children were not dressed in tatters. Why is her husband's estate so decaying? ”

"I don't think this will be her first marriage. Did you notice the two children of the Baron? It looks completely different from her appearance. ”

"When you say that, I think of some of the past. Whoever cares, maybe the baron is a nobleman who doesn't like to spend money. ”

"That's right, whatever."

When the party came to a stone bridge not far from the manor, Isabel looked at the river below the left side of the bridge and said, "Lo and behold, Lord Latimer also has a pond for fishing. ”

Caroline rode on the right side, looking at the water on the right and the river that stretched into the distance and said, "This is a river, not a pond for fish." ”

"I read that right, it's a pond for fish."

"It's a river, not a pond."

"Carrie, I swear to God, this is definitely a pond."

Caroline's eyes widened and she didn't speak, then she suddenly turned to the standard-bearer who was following behind her and said, "Ernest, do you think this is a river or a pond?" ”

Ernest, holding the family coat of arms and flag, looked straight ahead with his eyes and said with a serious expression: "I'm sorry, Miss Caroline, but I didn't find out whether it was a river or a pond under the bridge in the course of my duties. ”

"Carrie, you don't have to argue with me. When you see Mrs. Latimer in a moment, won't everything be clear? ”

"Well, if it's a river, you're going to take off your clothes and get into the water to catch a few crustaceans."

"No problem, what if you lose?"

Carrie gritted her teeth, glared at her eyes, and said word by word, "If I lose, I'll take off my clothes and get into the water to catch crustaceans." ”

Isabel smiled secretly, but her face was very solemn: "God testifies, you and I, who have noble blood, can not break the oath we have made. ”

As they spoke, the group followed the two on horseback to an open area, and they were greeted by a Gothic-style manor-style building. A manservant standing in front of the manor stepped forward to ask, and after a few words of conversation, the manservant turned and walked eagerly towards the inside of the manor's gate.

In a few moments, the mistress of the manor, Madame Latimer, and a maid came out of the door with elegant steps. When they saw the two Carolines standing in front of the horses, they greeted them with smiles on their faces, and the three of them saluted each other. Later, Isabel asked Euphemia and Ernest, who was holding the flag, to come and greet Mrs. Latimer.

Catherine Newell admired the three young ladies in front of her and the eldest son of a knight, and said with a smile: "Miss Caroline, I have not seen you for a long time, and you are still so noble and elegant. And Miss Isabel, all about your nobility, including your short sword, has left me with memories that are difficult to erase. ”

"Well, and this young Miss Euphemia, your appearance makes me see at a glance that you and Miss Isabel are family."

Ernest stood in front of Catherine like a knight, and his serious and serious expression made Catherine laugh softly: "Quasi-knight, today is the second day of Easter, and you should spend the day of Jesus' resurrection with a happy mood." ”

At this time, Caroline, who was standing on the side, habitually smiled and said, "Mrs. Latimer, I and Isabel crossed a stone bridge in the manor. I wondered if there was a river or a pond for fish farming under the stone bridge. ”

Euphemia didn't know what to do, and whispered beside Isabelle, "What does Caroline mean?" ”

Isabel whispered in her ear, "I made a bet with her that whoever lost would jump into that pond and catch some crustaceans." ”

Catherine didn't quite understand why Caroline had thought of this, and she looked at the smile on Isabel's face again. Subsequently, she seemed to guess something.