"It isn't much like hiding, I'm afraid." When you could practically see the castle from your street corner and everyone in town knew who you were and where you worked, there was little enough privacy to be had. But he was given to holing up inside and ignoring the world at large. It was less presumptuous than worrisome - his house wasn't exactly set up for entertaining. "I used to keep a house much further south, but it became impractical. It's easier to stay in town."