Isabel looked at Lady Frances Howard of Surrey, who was smiling, then glanced at the sky on the upper left, and then looked at the other person's face: "Well, it doesn't seem like there will be confusion between my two identities, right?" ”

"Not really. However, I can refuse to accept your advice as a privy counsellor to His Highness. But if you tell me as a godmother, I will fully accept your opinion. Frances, who maintained the manners of a countess, looked at her gracefully with her hands on the lower abdomen of the shackle skirt.

Isabel glanced at the row of spectator stands on the left side of the bow arena, "Frances, let's go over there and sit down and talk, okay?" ”

The two sat leisurely on chairs behind the stands, with nannies, nurses, and maids standing on one side. Isabel leaned back in her chair with great ease after returning the little viscount to his mother: "It feels so good. Frances, you should know this feeling of mine. ”

The nanny maid took the baby from Frances's hand and stood to the side, Frances's upper body still in her manners, puffing up her chest to admire the thriving woods and the lawn behind her, "I know. Uh, did you just give your opinion as a godmother? ”

"yes, if I hadn't been Thomas's godmother, I wouldn't have paid attention to his upbringing."

"That's good, I accept your opinion. So, when do I need to give my child the foods you just mentioned? ”

Isabel has never been married or had children, so she has no choice but to try to remember the TV shows or Internet information she has watched when she adds complementary food to her baby. After pondering for a while, he said vaguely: "Well, you can give it to your child outside of lunch and dinner." ”

"Oh, can you be exact?"

"Well, after waking up in the morning, in the morning, after lunch, at 3 or 4 o'clock in the afternoon, at 8 or 9 o'clock in the evening, you can feed him some more breast milk before going to bed."

Francis nodded, and looked at the nanny, nurse, and nurse maid standing on one side holding little Thomas: "Do you remember what the godmother said?" ”

The three young maids saluted her in unison: "Yes, ma'am. ”

Then the two began to talk casually, and when the conversation returned to the estate given to the Duke of Richmond by Henry VIII, Frances spoke with interest about her later life: "When Thomas is a little older, you can move with His Highness to Goodwood Manor, so that you can better educate and care for him." ”

Isabel looked at the other party's hopeful eyes and smiled helplessly: "Do you know, every day when I walk into Nottingham Castle, I feel that there are a lot of complicated affairs waiting for me to decide or issue orders. In addition to dealing with His Highness's retainers every day, I also have to patrol His Highness's territory many times to check if there is any chaos in the county border. ”

"If someone is found to be committing an offence in the county, the Governor of the Security Army, who is also assisting the magistrate, in apprehending the suspect."

"I know what you're trying to tell me is that you don't have much time to do your godmother duties. Don't worry, I'm not going to accuse you of neglecting to educate your children in order to fulfill your duties as a substitute supervisor. ”

Then Frances turned the subject to the Duke of Richmond, and laughed at the young Duke at Durham Castle: "I can imagine the young Highness in the Northern Council." Isabel, do you think he's going to miss you? ”

"Of course, I suggested that he move to Durham Castle. At the very least, I don't want the king to be disappointed by the neglect he might have in his office. ”

"Your Highness has you as a true partner, and this is also God's arrangement." As soon as Frances finished speaking, she immediately remembered a question that the Duke of Richmond had discussed with Isabel after her marriage.

Glancing at her hesitantly, "Isabel, I know you said that you don't want others to interfere in your love life, and what kind of lover to marry." Now, do you still think so? ”

Isabel stared at the pristine forest to the east of the archery arena for a long time, and did not speak. I don't know how long it took for me to say leisurely: "I just hope that there is no politics, no interests, and no mutual exploitation in my life with my lover." ”

Perhaps, this is what she really thinks. Coincidentally, this pure love view of hers would coincide with that of Catherine Howard, a cousin of the Earl of Surrey. It's just that one is never able to find a lover who makes his heart beat, and the other is less than 20 years old and has been in love for many years.

Although it's June in the summer, the mild sunshine is unusually pleasant. When a pleasant Isabel glanced in the direction of the Earl of Surrey's house, she saw a young, lively figure walking briskly in her direction with Frances.

"Good day, ma'am." Katherine Howard, dressed in a half-new shackling skirt, stood in front of the two with a smile on her face and curt.

When Frances smiled in response, the cousin of the Earl of Surrey saluted Isabel again. When Frances asked her to sit down beside her, Catherine, who was full of curiosity about everything, said incomprehensibly to the empty bow field in front of her: "Madame, there is nothing here, what are you doing sitting here with Miss Isabel?" ”

"Soak up the sun. Catherine, don't you think the weather is good today? ”

"Well, it's really comfortable, and it's not raining." As soon as Catherine finished speaking, she saw a longbow that Frances had placed beside her, and said with a smile: "Madame, you also want to practice archery?" ”

"No, it's Miss Isabel's."

Previously, when Frances introduced the two of them to know each other, she did not mention anything else about Isabel. So, at this time, Catherine was very curious about what her cousin-in-law said, and glanced in the direction of Isabel: "Miss Isabel, do you know how to bow?" ”

Frances didn't have much affection for the child from a poor relative's family, "Isabel, I'm going to take care of the child." If you want, I can have Catherine here with you. ”

Isabel nodded, "Okay, we can talk about it later." ”

As soon as Mrs. Surrey had left with the babysitter, nurse and maid in her arms, Catherine sat down beside Isabel. Curiously glancing at her face: "Isabel, can I call your name?" ”

Isabel smiled and nodded, and Catherine asked again, "Do girls from the north use longbows?" ”

"Catherine, why do you ask?"

"I have heard that the Highlanders are very cruel and will enter the north at any time to plunder their property and abuse women and children." Catherine, who knew little about northern society, was at odds with a young woman from a prominent aristocratic family.