Chapter 50 - Deliberation

 "Yes? Bring it on! Let me see what His Excellency Major James has written to me!" Earl Thomas knew his brother very well, just a major in the navy, what could be so important.

 Since his father's death, his contact with his brother James had dwindled. Rarely like today.

 Thomas Leo Shearsley, Earl of Southampton, was a prominent political figure in England.

 As a young man, he followed his father, who was a royal official, into the Tudor court, and became private secretary to Thomas Cromwell, the Lord Chancellor, and then Henry VIII's Secretary of State, one of Henry's principal advisers, and Lord Chancellor.

 After the death of Henry VIII, he was promoted to Earl of Southampton () by the Duke of Somerset, the same year that Edward came to the throne.

 Historically, he was later removed from the office of Lord Chancellor by the Duke of Somerset, in the same year.

 Probably out of spite! He supported John Dudley, Earl of Warwick, in the year, took part in the coup that overthrew the Duke of Somerset, and swung his way back into the center of power in England.

 However, before he could enjoy the Privy Council couch, he was expelled from the Privy Council in the year. This shows what a failure his political career was!

 By this time the Lord Earl had returned from London to Southampton Harbor, where his family was located.

 The Lord Earl opened the envelope unobtrusively, leaned back in his chair, spread out the letter paper, and glanced at it with a slight glance of his eyes.

 Suddenly, the Lord Earl sat up straight, his eyes wide open, staring straight at the letter without once blinking, the corners of his mouth slightly curled up, and the letter in his fingers tensed up.

 After reading for close to three minutes, the earl adult only rubbed his eyes and put down James' letter, thinking carefully. The butler on the side was also very sensible and did not say anything, standing by the desk with a look of being at his disposal.

 "Is it really for the Navy that the King came to Portsmouth?"

 "What does he want with the navy? Is it to deal with the Duke of Somerset in London?"

 "But! Isn't the Lord Duke the King's uncle? Why deal with the Duke of Somerset?"

 The Count took his time to think, question after question popping into his head.

 The earl's head began to ache at the thought, and the lord earl then thought of his heir, three-year-old Henriothesley, who was liked by the earl for his cleverness of mind. So he remembered his son's smile to ease the nerves of his brain.

 His son was also the historical 2nd Earl of Southampton - Henriothesley, in fact the most famous belongs to his son, Henriothesley - 3rd Earl of Southampton.

 Not only was he favored by Queen Elizabeth I, fought in wars, loved poetry and drama, and was a patron of many poets, playwrights, which included William Shakespeare, yes! That's the great opera man Shakespeare. It was for Shakespeare that he became famous in later times.

 According to wild history, (wild history yo! It's none of my business!) He was not only Shakespeare's patron, theater fan, and lover of the same sex, but two of Shakespeare's works, Venus and Adonis and The Passion of Louise, were dedicated to him, and all of Shakespeare's Sonnets, which contain ambiguous language indicating Shakespeare's love for this beautiful man. (And here's the proof!)

 "The servant is now dedicating to Your Excellency a vulgar and crude poem, whose presumptuousness and blasphemy are not to be mentioned; and the servant, with this weak and tender article, has gone so far as to wish to attach himself to the pillar of the village, which will invite the criticism of the object, and which is also not to be mentioned. However, if Your Excellency does not hesitate to condescend to accept this celery offering with a smile, then it is not only the honor of the servant, but also excessive, and I swear that I will spend my life's leisure time to do my best to engage in the work of poorly living up to Your Excellency's favor in order to encourage myself."

 --Dedication to Venus and Adonis

 "Marn! You call your wife over here for a moment!" The Count thought for a moment, but called his lady over for a moment to help with the reference!

 "Aye! Honorable Lord Earl!" Steward Mann quickly answered, and he had always been very conscientious in fulfilling the Earl's commands.

 In a few moments, Butler Mann led Mrs. Jenny to the study.

 Only to see Mrs. Jenny dressed in a noblewoman's outfit, regardless of how the face looked like, just the big mountains in front of her chest earned a lot of bonus points.

 With the cosmetics used by the nobles on her face, her skin looked extraordinarily smooth and pink, her light red lips, her long blonde hair, and the smell emanating from a mature woman in her thirties, she was truly a seductive creature.

 No wonder Earl Thomas was in his thirties and still managed to produce an heir. Unfortunately, I also don't know if it's because he didn't know how to abstain, but he met God at forty-five.

 "My dear madam! Your arrival is such a delightful thing!" Seeing his lady's attractive body slowly coming over, the Lord Earl felt himself suddenly refreshed and his brain relaxed.

 The Count rose hastily and helped his lady to sit down on the seat beside him, holding her delicate jade hands and not letting go of them tightly.

 "My dear Lord Count! What could have disturbed you!" Mrs. Jenny raised her red lips lightly, her voice was very sheepish, teasing her husband.

 "Has His Grace the Duke of London come to invite you again?"

 "Jenny! Stop laughing!" Earl Thomas had a black line on his face, for the matter of being put on the spot by Duke Edward, it was a scar he would always have.

 "The main reason I called you over this time is that a letter came to me from my faraway brother in the navy!" The Count glanced at the gate and signaled the butler to come out before carefully explaining to his beautiful lady.

 After five minutes of time, the Lord Earl explained that he was very thirsty, and seeing Lady Jenny's beautiful look of contemplation on her face, the Lord Earl was even more thirsty.

 "My Mr. Earl, the King, who is far away in London, has come to Portsmouth, as I see it, for the navy!"

 "My Lady, you are in agreement with me, but why would the King pull the strings of the Navy?" The Lord Earl voiced his question, expecting his lady to have an answer.

 "I'm afraid it's about power!" The Countess spoke slowly.

 "But! Isn't the Duke of Somerset his uncle?"

 "Doesn't the king need to be pro-regime? He is compiling feathers!" The Countess put Earl Thomas to the question, leaving only the dainty laughter of the coquettish lady.

 "Then we can turn to the King!" The Lord Earl concluded, "and give Edward Seymour, the lucky entrant, a taste of what it's like to lose power!"

 Thinking of this, Earl Thomas' heart could not help but feel a lot of relief, looking at his own delicate lady, the Earl could not help but rise a physiological desire.

 "My Lady, I think the Rioseley family needs more heirs!" The Lord Earl instantly picked up Lady Jenny and headed for the large bed in the study.

 So the whole study echoed with moving voices, and the poor Lord Steward stood outside the great door of the study, suffering this torment in silence.