July 20

Following his return from the French campaigns, Baron Thomas Brattleby commissioned the Great East Window to celebrate the safe delivery of his heir. On this sweltering July afternoon, the Bishop of Lincoln joined the family beneath the vaulted stone of the parish church. As the sun reached its zenith, the light pierced the newly leaded glass, casting a crimson and azure hue over the kneeling congregation. The centerpiece depicted Saint Margaret trampling the dragon, a tribute to the Baroness Margaret’s survival through a harrowing labor during the prior winter's frost.

Local chronicles record that the village was granted three days of respite from field labor to celebrate the dedication. Casks of ale were broached on the green, and the Baron distributed silver pennies to every widow of the manor. The ceremony served not merely as a pious offering, but as a firm declaration of the Brattleby line's continuity. Even now, the fragments of that medieval glass remain, though weathered by the centuries, a testament to a father's gratitude and the endurance of the Brattleby blood through the perils of the Middle Ages.

When a member of the high clergy or a wandering friar of repute arrives at the gates of the Manor, the House must respond with a balance of humility and stature. It is the duty of the Seneschal to first meet the visitor at the outer bailey, offering the traditional draught of watered wine before the guest dismounts. Only after the visitor's rank is confirmed should the Baron or his immediate kin descend to the great hall's threshold. To ignore a servant of the Church is to invite spiritual censure, yet to over-adulate a mere vicar is to diminish the dignity of the Barony.

During such an audience, the seating must be arranged with meticulous care. A visiting Bishop is entitled to a chair of equal height to the Baron’s own, placed to the right of the host. Conversation should remain focused on the state of the diocese and the welfare of the parish, avoiding the vulgarities of local taxation or hunting disputes until the second course of the evening meal has been served and the chaplains have retired.

Begin by preparing a robust hot-water crust using the beef suet and finest wheat flour, ensuring the walls of the pasty are thick enough to withstand the heat of the bread oven. The venison must be cut into small, uniform cubes and marinated for four hours in the red wine and rubbed thyme. Mix the meat with a generous handful of currants and the ground mace, which provides a necessary warmth to counteract the gamey richness of the fallow deer.

Once the pasty is assembled and the lid is crimped with the Brattleby seal, wash the exterior with beaten egg yolks to achieve a deep golden glaze. Bake in a moderate oven until the pastry is firm and the juices within have thickened into a rich gravy. It is traditional to serve this dish cold to travelers or as a hearty accompaniment to a midday hunt, allowing the flavors to meld over several hours in the buttery darkness of the larder.