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Harald Gascoigne grabbed his son's horse Willia in his stirrups and looked ready to take on the world His brother, Guy, said that was a natural reaction to injury Soressive stance

'We're back!'

The boy yelled at the top of his voice and Harald tried to calm him

'Sister Alice told you to stay quiet'

At the ot' He turned to Harald 'She is a beautiful lady I think rasped the boy's hand and lied 'Your '

'Willia the stairway that ran down the outside of the old house from her private suite of rooms She rushed to William's side

'Godfrey said you'd been hurt He said you fell off a wall'

'I fell of a pulpitum'

'A what?'

'A pulpituht now Sister Alice stitched et ets done properly or I won't be able to go to France with Grandfather and Uncle Guy …'

William babbled on and Harald led the horses to the stable The yard squelched under his feet Piles of hay lay about, wasting in the rain He took his seeing glasses froly

After only three days' absence the signs of neglect were everywhere When the cat's away the mice do play He muttered under his breath and headed for the hall Half-a-dozen young irl with them

'Who are you?'

He strode in and bellowed at her

'I' woman dropped a bundle of clothes and shuffled backwards

'No, you're not I've never seen you before' Harald pointed his riding crop at the door 'Get out Go back to where you belong'

He turned on the boys

'Get to work'

The girl scuttled off and the boys followed her into the yard Harald walked around, peering behind partitions and turning over bedding to see if there were any there The place sh Scraps of bread littered the floor The table was sticky with beer and garments were strewn everywhere He looked for items of female attire and found none

The contrast with John Baret's house couldn't beJohn had chimneys and his servants kept the place clean Harald's father believed chis Realat the end of the hall, adding to the grime The as da the wall before escaping through a louvered turret in the roof