(Beatrix isn't completely clueless, there's an obvious guess or two as to what Anne isn't grasping. But jumping from "what" directly to explaining plurality in complete detail seems potentially overwhelming, so she's slowing the conversation down a bit.)
(... plus there's a distant possibility that the confusion stems from elsewhere, and she'd like to at least check before barrelling onward.)
no subject
(Beatrix isn't completely clueless, there's an obvious guess or two as to what Anne isn't grasping. But jumping from "what" directly to explaining plurality in complete detail seems potentially overwhelming, so she's slowing the conversation down a bit.)
(... plus there's a distant possibility that the confusion stems from elsewhere, and she'd like to at least check before barrelling onward.)