“Because the family who owns it, the Mulvaneys, opened it decades ago for tours and events like Piper’s wedding,” he said. “Can you even imagine trying to staff a place this large if you were the nobleman who owned it? It would hemorrhage money.”

“Having tourists and events to keep it operating in the black is smart,” I said. “I wonder what the original residents would make of that?”

“I think the original residents would be shocked by how magnificent it is. It certainly didn’t start out that way. At the time it was built, it was to compete with Arundel Castle in West Sussex. Both were established during the reign of Edward the Confessor,” he said.

“Okay, see, we don’t have names like that for old dead guys in America,” I said.

“Old dead guys?” Harry repeated, sounding like he was choking back a laugh. “He was our king.”

I shrugged and said, “Still old and dead. Tell me more.”

“About Edward or the castle?” He stood up and pulled me to my feet. Taking my hand in his, we continued our walk through the garden.

“Edward, of course,” I said. “I mean, while the castle is lovely, I really need to know why he was called ‘the Confessor.’ ”

“Understandable,” Harry said. “Besides, there’s likely a tour of the castle that could tell you more than I ever could, but Edward the Confessor, that I can cover. Edward was born in 1003 and was one of the last Anglo-Saxon kings of England.”

“Yes, yes, whatever.” I rolled my hand in a get on with it gesture. “But what did he confess? What did he get up to as king?”

“You’re going to be disappointed,” he said. “Edward didn’t confess anything, not really. He was canonized by Pope Alexander III but because he wasn’t martyred like his uncle, Edward the Martyr, he was dubbed Edward the Confessor.”

“Hmm. Not nearly as salacious as I’d hoped,” I said.

“He was known for his piety, so salaciousness was unlikely.”

“Didn’t William the Conqueror take over the throne after him?” I asked.

Harry looked impressed. “You’ve been reading up.”

“Some kings you remember more than others. Conqueror sticks in the brain more than Confessor.” I glanced at the castle. “No offense to Edward.”

Harry laughed. “The passing of Edward is one of those historical crossroads where everything changed, developing both feudalism and manorialism, the intertwining of the French and English cultures, and the commissioning of the Domesday Book.”

“Oh, I’ve heard about that,” I said. “That’s the book William the Conqueror commissioned so that he could raise taxes for his army by determining how wealthy his subjects were right down to the eggs in the henhouse.”