Chapter 2: 0002 The Nobleman's Cleanliness
In April, the grass grows and warblers fly.
Lorraine stood in the inky meadow in front of the manor with her bayonet in hand.
He wore a white shirt sized like cardboard, a black vest over it, breeches underneath, plain white riding boots over the breeches, and gold-rimmed gloves on his hands.
He stood straight and serious. His left hand was backward on his waist, and his right hand was forward with his bayonet raised high.
The thin, long blade overlapped the center axis of the body in a single line, with the tip of the sword just blocking the center of the brow.
The shiny gauntlet curved towards his opponent, and the fist that clenched the hilt of his sword was tucked into his chest so as to hide the fingertips, which were slightly whitened from the exertion.
It's a fencing lesson.
His teacher and opponent was the middle-aged gentleman across the street with the beautiful eight-beard, and his father in this life, Elijah . Baron Drake.
Lorraine nodded slightly to Arya.
Elijah raised his sword in return and said, "Don't hold back, I'm not like those mediocrities at sea school."
"Yes, Father."
Responding softly, Lorraine snapped out his sword.
He heaved his foot to the ground, his bayonet angling like a viper toward his opponent's throat.
Arya flicked her sword away, stepped in a sideways spin around to Lorraine, and raised her hand.
The sword was aimed at Lorraine's arm, and Lorraine could only turn back to collect his sword, cross-block, and counterattack.
Elijah instantly took a step back.
Between one retreat and one advance, not only did he avoid Lorraine's second sword, but he also suddenly rose to speed like a spring, and the tip of the sword stabbed straight towards Lorraine's brow.
So fast!
Lorraine was shocked in her heart.
In a moment of crisis, he sidestepped his neck and allowed the gale to graze his cheeks while raising his elbow to frame Elijah's arm.
This is not a fencing maneuver at all.
Caught off guard, Elijah's center door was wide open, and Lorraine took advantage of the situation by bulldozing in close and sweeping the ground with a side kick.
Boo!
The shins of the two men slammed heavily together in a single touch.
Lorraine leapt back and nudged the ground, spinning to recoil, and just as she was about to strike her sword, Elijah suddenly said, "That's it."
Lorraine so close to missing the brakes ...
He came to a lumbering halt, gasping for air twice in a row before he stood up straight, raised his sword, and nodded his head toward Arya as he had done at the beginning.
Servants came up and offered towels and also picked up the two men's swords.
Wiping a thin bead of sweat from her forehead, Arya said with displeasure, "Lorraine, you're distracted."
"I was thinking about Mr. Henry's declaration."
"Mr. Henry? That smug redneck from the New World?"
"It is better to be free than dead, the countryman can't say such a thing." Lorraine laughed bitterly, "North America is ready for bloodshed, but from what you say, England does not have a similar realization."
"Because they don't deserve to be treated as opponents yet."
Elijah gave a disdainful laugh and pointed his finger towards the parasol not far away, "Go on, Helena is waiting for you."
Lorraine followed Arya's arm to see a blue-dressed noblewoman standing under a parasol.
She had the same curly black hair and brown eyes as Lorraine, a gentle look, and was waving gently at Lorraine.
Her name is Helena, Helena. Arnason, Lorraine's birth mother in this life, a Viking and a pagan who believes in her ancestors.
She was the conqueror of Iceland, Yinger. A descendant of Arnason, originally an Icelandic fisherman, she later met and fell in love with Elijah at sea, and bravely moved to England, becoming that [most unwelcome barbarian] in the aristocratic circle.
England's nobles are unkind to Helena, who is unwilling to renounce the faith of her ancestors, and even though she has been faithfully in love with Elijah for seventeen years, no one is willing to officiate at their wedding.
So legally speaking, Lorraine is still a bastard, a peculiar bastard who is favored by his family and has never been wronged because of his status.
Lorraine admires Helena's courage in pursuing love and respects Elijah's generosity to his lover.
As a devout Puritan, he not only accepts Helena's belief in her ancestors, but also allows Lorraine to follow Helena's beliefs without baptism or religion, even inheriting her middle name from her mother's surname, and grandly branding herself as a pagan.
If that's not love, is there any love at all?
Lorraine greeted her quickly and took Helena's arm.
"Mother."
"I just saw you foul." Helena nudged Lorraine in the side of the head, "What a little slicker."
"It's just a shame it wasn't thorough enough." Lorraine shrugged once, "If I could have brought my father's arm just now, that sweeping kick would have knocked him down."
"A true gentleman would never let himself fall in front of a beautiful lady even if he broke his leg."
Elijah interjects and walks up, taking Helena from Lorraine and asking with concern, "What are you doing walking out here? Don't forget you're coughing and it's not a good time to blow."
"My husband and son are going sailing." Helena coughed lightly, "A little coughing is just a little cough, not worth wasting my time with them."
In this moment, the servants set out tea under the umbrella.
The three of them took their seats against the round table, and Helena took off her gloves and asked softly, "What were we talking about?"
"Lorraine thinks the rednecks in the New World will start a war and is worried I'm not prepared."
"War?" Helena frowned, "At this time of year?"
"No need to worry about me, Helena." Elijah patted Helena's hand, "While Baltimore only has fishing boats, the Lion is the newest third class ship. In the face of seventy-four large caliber cannons, the end of all resistance is doomed."
"But they have a long coastline, and you can't leave your own defense zone or even fire at will." Lorraine absentmindedly added milk to her black tea, "Father, I want to quit school."
"Drop out?"
Lorraine's sudden attack caught both Elijah and Helena off guard.
Elijah frowned deeply, "I know you want to serve on the Lion early. But by dropping out now, you'll have to start as a sailor and trade three years for one ..."
"I can become captain straight away." Lorraine interrupted Arya, not bothering to look at the surprise on his face, "I want you to give me Francis's privateer's license and lend me three thousand ... no, one thousand pounds. In three years at most, I will take a fleet of ships to the New World, both to make up for your shortcomings and to make a profit for the family."
"You're going to be a merchant?" Elijah was incredulous, his face red with anger, "Drake's scion is actually going to be a merchant?"
"Uncle Fran and Uncle Mitya were the family traders, even Francis . Drake was a privateer when he was young ..."
"Francis wasn't a noble when he was a privateer, and Fran and Mitya ... they were outcasts!"
"Just a castaway in name only." Lorraine put down the milk jug and sat upright, "Father, you and your brother will need a good fleet of privateers as a tactical supplement after the war in the New World ..."
"That's not something you should be thinking about!" Elijah snapped, standing up, word for word, "You should be thinking about how to be a good Navy man, not a profit-seeking businessman!"
"Father ..."
"I think your vacation is too long. From to-morrow, pin leave to board the ship and let Sir Layton take good care of you."
"... is."
Looking at Elijah's angry back, Lorraine was bashful and full of helplessness.
He realized that he had overlooked the state of the UK.
After the Glorious Revolution, the constitutional monarchy of unity without rule was basically established in Britain.
But the power of the country remained in the hands of the conservative newer aristocracy, of which the Drake family happened to be the representatives and stalwarts.
In the view of these nobles, the only proper way for the children of the family is to go into politics and the military, and when they can't, being a scholar or a doctor won't hurt the family's face. But they can never become merchants and lawyers.
These two professions lack stance, are profit-seeking and hedonistic, and have a reputation that is at odds with the traditional aristocratic cleanliness of character.
While the family cannot do without them, those who are actually responsible for practicing in the clan are often illegitimate children who have been nominally expelled from the family.
Lorraine felt depressed.
How appropriate, I'm not just a bastard child with a good root ...
He thought to himself, but didn't dare say it to Helena's face.
He just couldn't have imagined that the first obstacle in his pursuit of his dream would be the unselfish care of his family.
This is really ...
Helena coughed softly, "You're ... too reckless ..."
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