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Her next was

'If he is your son …'

He reached past her and closed the door

'Mother How can you say such a thing? Our entire case rests upon Williaitimacy It would only require one witness to testify to what you have just said and all would be lost'

'That's not going to happen, Harald'

'How can you be so sure?'

'Sir Hugh would never allow it'

'He ht not be able to stop it'

Harald tried to say more but his mother's attention was distracted by the arrival of John Baret's party Williaathered up her skirt and hurried down the stairs to greet him

Dinner was served in the hall Harald sat at the high table His mother occupied the central position as lady of the h and an officer of his guard sat on her left To Harald's ined to an inferior position at the end of the table The guard occupied the tables below There were twenty of thedon Harald guessed that their purpose was to intirace Sir Peter de Trent had been with the family for many years and was e loyalty His religious qualifications failed to ht to the tonsure had never been questioned Harald's father was in continual correspondence with him Their letters could take as little as a week to travel between England and France or several ress of the war The weather had been unseasonably cale Hugh Orpington's services and hire a guard to accompany them to Dorchester

Peter broke bread and eyes turned to the fire burning on the flagstones below the high table A pig was roasting there, attended by two servants The anie in its mouth and its sides had been slashed and rubbed with spices Harald wondered if this unexpected touch of refineuest of honour, Hugh was served first A keg of as tapped and a silver pitcher filled Peter de Trent had arranged everything Harald concluded that the Gascoigne fortunes had taken a turn for the better The arrival of the Duke of York with a new ar difference to the war effort in France A few months earlier he had sold the faain He examined the coats of arms and wondered about the previous owners