CASTLE INTRIGUE

 

In the case of Harold DeSpencer, his entire life had been a mixed blessing. He'd been given a disgustedly Saxon first name of Harold and yet he was the current land owner of a large Norman estate, bequeathed to him by his Norman parents. He'd been the third born, however, his eldest brother, Henry had been killed in battle a few years past and the second born, Phillip had passed away from some frightful illness that had put the entire castle in panic. Fortunately, only two other peasants had succumbed.

Even those events had been a mixed blessing because he'd loved his heroic older brother, Henry. He would have gladly given up his inheritance if it could have brought his brother back from an untimely end. But then, even father Michael had not the power to raise the dead, even though he could forgive all sins, spiritual and temporal.

His mother had perished in child birth and both mother and daughter had been sent to the New Jerusalem forthwith. His father had fallen off a horse on a hunt just six month past and now, Harold DeSpencer, just 18 years of age was master of the castle of Thornton and the lands appertaining there to. He was the last survivor of what had been a quite prolific family. The vagaries of fate certainly were frightening. Who could say when Harold would be destined to cross the final frontier?

 

 

He walked the battlements looking out over the grassy headland which surrounded the village that clung to the outer edge of the castle moat, like some artificial parasite. According to stories handed down from his great grandfather, Edmond, there hadn't been a village there when he started building the early version of the fortress. Since that time, massive stone blocks had replaced the wooden palisade and they even had a blacksmith and full time miller on property. Harold grinned to think of it. They were pretty advanced in the year of their lord, 1169. The Christians had even invaded the Arab held Holy land with some success and the church administered by Rome, flourished and prospered . Yet, Harold was uneasy.

The negotiations for a suitable marriage with a strategically placed neighbor weren't going very well. His nights were even more lonely than his days. He'd had a few flings now and then with a few of the town wenches, but they'd soon gotten married off to village riff raff, once they'd been discovered to be in a family way. At least he knew that his seed was fertile when it was time for him to do his duty.