The Devil’s Diadem

Derheste: Deerhurst

Donecastre: Doncaster

Dovre: Dover

Elesberie: Aylesbury

Etherope: Hatherop

Eurvicscire: Yorkshire

Exsessa: Essex

Fenechirche: Fenchurch

Glowecestre: Gloucester

Glowecestrescire: Gloucestershire

Godric Castle: Goodrich Castle

Godstou: Godstow

Hamestede: Hampstead

Hanbledene: Hambleden

Herefordscire: Herefordshire

Holbournestrate: Holborn

Lincolescire: Lincolnshire

Lincolie: Lincoln

Meddastone: Maidstone

Monemude: Monmouth

Oxeneford: Oxford

Oxenefordscire: Oxfordshire

Pengraic Castle: this is a fictional castle, but it is situated atop Crug Hywel, or Table Mountain, at the foot of the Black Mountains in Wales.

Pomfret: Pontefract

Ragheian: Raglan

Redmeleie: Redmarley D’Abitot

Richemont: Richmond

(in Yorkshire)

Saint Edmund’s Burie: Bury Saint Edmund’s

Sancti Albani: Saint Albans

Scersberie: Shrewsbury

Sudfulc: Suffolk

Sudrie: Surrey

Summersete: Somerset

Walengefort: Wallingford

Walsingaham: the two conjoined villages of Little and Greater Walsingham in Norfolk.

Wincestre: Winchester

Witenie: Witney

Wodestrate: Wood Street

Wodestoch: Woodstock

MAEB LANGTOFTE THAT WAS, HER TESTIMONY

In the name of our Saviour, the heavenly Lord Jesu, and of His beloved mother, the blessed Virgin Mary, greetings. Pray hear this testimony from your humble servant, Maeb Langtofte that was, on the eve of her dying. May sweet Jesu and His Holy Mother forgive my sins, and let me pass in peace, and forgive me the manner of my passing.

My faithful servant and priest Owain of Crickhoel writes down these words and in some places will speak for me when I no longer have the breath. Brother Owain has taken my confession and offered me Godly advice these past thirty years. He has been a good and faithful friend to me and I pray that his reward in the next life will reflect this.

My life has been one of sin, but no sin has been greater than that of my young womanhood. Pray sweet Jesu forgive me, forgive me, forgive me. I did what I thought best and yet I am stained with mortal sin. Pray sweet Jesu do not apportion blame on Brother Owain for what he writes. His pen may wield the words, but it was I who wielded the sin.

Sweet Lord forgive me my lack of trust, and forgive me my lack of learning, for in both I have failed you in this life. I pray that in my next life I can redeem both sins and failures to you. I thank you from my heart for the gift of the Falloway Man, for without him I could have no hope of redemption. Your grace and love of this sinner, this womanly fool, is unending.

But I waste time, Owain, for I do not think I have long left in this mortal life. So we shall begin, and it is fitting I begin with that day I met he without sin, the one, shining, uncomplicated love of my life, Lord Stephen of Pengraic.

PART ONE

ROSSELEY MANOR

CHAPTER ONE

His footsteps tripped down the great stone staircase as if from heaven — their passage rich with joy and authority. Their lightness and pattern told me he was tall, athletic and undoubtedly young; happy, for those footsteps surely danced in their delight of life; confident, and therefore a member of the great nobility who lived in this manor house, for no one else would have dared to so skip through the majesty of the central vestibule.