第十七章：嗯，也许可以再加一个下午茶。（2/2）

“刚才的事……真的、真的太感谢您了！如果不是您，我……”

“请別放在心上，汤姆。”达希安温和地打断了他，

“我只是说出了我所见的实话。真正值得称讚的是你投入工作的心血。”

汤姆的眼眶一下子就红了，他用力地点著头，感激之情溢於言表。

达希安见时机差不多了，便说道：

“说起来，我必须承认我从未见过如此宏伟的马厩。作为学者我对这些血统高贵的造物也怀有几分好奇。

汤姆，如果你的工作允许，是否可以满足一位学者的好奇心，为我介绍一二？”

“当然！当然可以，先生！”这正是他求之不得的报答机会，汤姆急忙说道：

“这是我的荣幸！”

他立刻来了精神，带著达希安走向那些饲养著贵族坐骑的隔间，如数家珍地介绍起来：

“先生，您看这匹，这是凯兰爵士的战马『风暴』，它能一口气奔袭二十里格！

还有这匹雪白的，是吉迪恩阁下的爱马，听说有著精灵马的血统……”

达希安耐心地听著，故作好奇地问道：

“看来城堡里的绅士们对马匹都很有研究。那么，夫人们呢？她们是否也常来探望自己的爱马？”

“哦，当然，先生！”汤姆立刻回答，

“不过夫人们更喜欢那些性情温顺的马。

比如玛蒂尔达夫人就总爱来给她的那匹小母马餵苹果。”

他挠了挠头继续说道，“不过要说来的最勤快的，还得是萝赛女男爵阁下。”

“哦？看来女男爵阁下也是一位爱马之人。”

“是的，先生。女男爵阁下几乎每隔一天下午的时候都会过来，”汤姆毫无保留的说道，

“她总是一个人来，说是要餵她最爱的那匹栗色母马『星尘』，而且不喜欢別人打扰。

有时候，她还会骑著『星尘』去西边的农庄那边散步呢。”

农庄？

一个远离城堡耳目的地方。

对於一对需要秘密幽会的情人而言还有比这更完美的地点吗？

“西边的农庄？我听闻那边的土地保留著几分古老的风貌，想必景致一定很独特吧。

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作为歷史的研究者，我对这类地方总是充满嚮往。那里是贵族们常去的散心之地吗？”

“呃，那倒不是，先生。”汤姆诚实地摇了摇头，

“农庄那边都是些田地和佃户的屋子，除了干活的僕役，贵族老爷和夫人们嫌那里有泥土味很少过去。

唯有萝赛女男爵阁下时常称讚那里的开阔，是骑马的绝佳之地。”

“独自骑行去农庄？看来女男爵阁下不仅是一位爱马之人，更是一位技艺精湛的骑手。那边的路途想必很安全吧？”

“哦，是的，先生！通往西边的那条路途向来十分安寧，”

汤姆立刻回答，

“况且……况且马提亚斯阁下与他麾下的骑士们也时常在那片家族农庄的领地上巡视。

因此，安全是无须担忧的。”