The Lady's Protector (Highland Bodyguards #1) (24 page)

Although this is a work of fiction, one of the great joys of writing historical romance is weaving a fictional love story into the rich tapestry of people, places, and events that the historical record gives us. As with every book I write, I got to learn so much through research, and I just can’t help but share some of it with you!

Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of research for this story came from a character whom we hardly saw—Thomas, Earl of Lancaster. Lancaster was the first cousin of King Edward II. He boasted numerous titles, including the Earldoms of Lancaster, Leicester, Derby, Lincoln, and Salisbury, as well as a collection of Baronies and Lordships. At the height of his power, he was thought to be the second richest man in all of England, second only to his cousin, the King.

Although Lancaster fought alongside King Edward I (“Longshanks”) against Scotland, when Edward II came to power, a deep rift opened between the two cousins. Lancaster wasn’t pleased with how much money, resources, and time Edward was spending battling the Scottish, especially after the Battle of Bannockburn in June of 1314, which was an utter disaster from an English point of view.

Leading up to Bannockburn, Lancaster formed a group of nobles who attempted to restrict the King’s power. Called the Ordinances of 1311, the rules it laid out attempted to establish a parliament of nobles who would have the power to circumvent Edward and restrict his ability to make decisions and spend money.

The English army’s loss at Bannockburn was seen as Edward’s ultimate failure. Although many historians estimate that the English outnumbered the Scots two to one, King Robert the Bruce led the Scots to what would become a decisive and pivotal victory over Edward, who had to flee from the battlefield to save his own life. (And a quick side-note on Sir William of Airth, who dies a terrible death in my story a few months after Bannockburn—he was actually killed on the first night of fighting at Bannockburn while guarding the baggage train, so at least he didn’t have quite as bad an end as I fictionalized for him here.)

After Bannockburn, Lancaster all but became the King, coercing Edward to cede power and allow Lancaster to rule in his stead. Without spoiling too much of the historical details (because Lancaster may make appearances in later books in my Highland Bodyguards series!), Lancaster was no more effective than Edward in quelling the Scottish rebellion, and he met a decidedly unhappy end in 1322.

Lancaster did indeed hold many powerful fortresses throughout England, including Clitheroe Castle, where he meets (the fictional) Isolda in my story. Interestingly, Clitheroe Castle dates back to the era of the Norman conquest, and it is the second-smallest stone-built keep in all of England. Because it was so small, Lancaster and others likely added other buildings, such as a great hall, outside the curtain wall to keep up to date with all the modern conveniences and accoutrement of fourteenth-century castle living.

Lancaster is also responsible for the creation of Dunstanburgh Castle. He commissioned the construction of Dunstanburgh, which sits on the North Sea coast in Northumberland, in 1313.

Part display of Lancaster’s power and wealth, part defensive stronghold against Edward II’s reach, Dunstanburgh is situated on a promontory that juts into the North Sea, thus giving it only one side as a point of entry. That side boasts three artificial lakes to protect the castle and a curtain wall which encloses almost ten acres of land, making it the largest castle in Northumberland. Several towers were built to provide lookout points and protection for the castle, including the formidable three-story gatehouse tower.

Although the town of Embleton existed before the castle was built, Lancaster may have had plans to relocate the town’s population to have Embleton serve as the castle’s nearest village. Some of Embleton’s villagers likely helped dig the artificial lakes and erect the curtain wall as part of their feudal duties to Lancaster. Master Elias, the Master Mason of the project, was possibly Elias de Burton, a mason who had been previously involved in the construction of Conwy Castle in North Wales.

Lancaster may have only ever visited the castle once or twice in his lifetime. It was the work of my imagination to have Lancaster send his former mistress and their illegitimate son there to keep them out of sight in the remote, unfinished castle. However, Lancaster did have one and possibly two bastard children. He was bound in an unhappy and childless marriage, which ended in divorce. Several years after Lancaster’s death, though, accounts of an illegitimate son named John began appearing. John became a scholar of theology (which is why I placed him in the care of monks in my fictional representation of his childhood).

As if the existence of an illegitimate son named John who became a scholar of theology isn’t enough of a juicy historical tidbit, here’s another: Lancaster was indeed in communication with Robert the Bruce and other Scottish freedom fighters. He even gave himself his own code name: King Arthur. He fancied himself to be building a glorious kingdom, with Dunstanburgh as Camelot. All he had to do was play the Scots against Edward to claim the English throne for himself. Unfortunately for him, those treasonous letters to the Scots in which he called himself Arthur were used against him when his fate took a turn in 1322.

But let us set aside our dear old Earl of Lancaster for now. There are several other historical (and non-historical) notes worth pointing out.

Though I mentioned Sir Philip Mowbray and Stirling Castle only obliquely in this story, the history of both is fascinating. Stirling changed hands between the Scottish and the English several times during the Wars of Independence. Mowbray was a Scottish-born gentleman, but he held Stirling Castle as its Governor on behalf of the English before the Battle of Bannockburn. Mowbray switched his allegiance from the English to the Scottish side, and after the battle, he was placed in charge of the castle briefly once more. However, Robert the Bruce ordered Stirling to be slighted, meaning several of its defenses were torn down or destroyed so that it could never be recaptured by the English and used against the Scottish in warfare again.

As I explained in my note after Highlander’s Return (The Sinclair Brothers Trilogy, Book 2.5), which is Burke and Meredith’s love story, Brora Tower is an invention of my imagination, though Brora is a real place. As I have cast it, the fictitious Brora Tower is about ten miles inland of the (very real) Dunrobin Castle, which served as the Sutherland clan seat for centuries. Roslin Castle is also fictitious, though the Sinclair clan did make their home in the farthest northeast corner of the Highlands.

Fearn Abbey, where Ansel and Isolda travelled to recover John, still stands today. It is located near Cadboll, not far from Dunrobin and Brora (and for those of you who read Desire’s Hostage (Viking Lore, Book 3), you may remember that Cadboll was the site where one of the most famous Pictish carved stones was found around 800 AD). The abbey was originally built in the 1220s about fifteen miles from its current location. It was relocated in the 1230s onto more fertile land so that the monks who lived there could farm.

I took the opportunity to showcase the celebration of Samhain at the end of my story. Samhain was one of four seasonal Celtic festivals, with its particular focus on the end of harvest season and the beginning of darker, colder days. Traditionally, Samhain was celebrated from sunset on October 31 to sunset on November 1, one full day. Festivities included bonfires, apple bobbing, chestnut roasting, pranks, and several other merry activities.

But Samhain was also a reminder of the coming of death. It was thought to be a time of liminality, when the border between the living and the dead blurred. As such, young men would sometimes go door to door, with their faces covered in masks or smeared with ash, asking for offerings to appease the underworldlings they were impersonating. If you haven’t guessed yet, this is where the modern celebration of Halloween comes from!

A quick note about my portrayal of Scottish clan plaids worn as kilts. Although scraps of multicolored wool tartan have been discovered in Scotland dating back as early as the third century AD, kilts as we think of them today weren’t worn until several centuries after this story takes place. Nevertheless, Scots did wear plaids as shawls or blankets tossed over their shoulders. I decided to include plaid around my male Scottish characters’ hips because nothing says Scottish historical romance quite like a man in a kilt!

Thank you for traveling back to Medieval Scotland with me, and I hope Ansel and Isolda’s love story has made your heart sing, as it has mine!

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The Lady’s Protector
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Highland Bodyguards Series:

The Lady’s Protector
(Book 1)

Book 2 coming summer 2016!

The Sinclair Brothers Trilogy:

Highlander’s Ransom
(Book 1)

Highlander’s Redemption
(Book 2)

Highlander’s Return
(Bonus Novella, Book 2.5)

Highlander’s Reckoning
(Book 3)

Viking Lore Series:

Enthralled
(Viking Lore, Book 1)

Shieldmaiden’s Revenge
(Viking Lore, Book 2)

The Bride Prize
(Viking Lore, Book 2.5)

Desire’s Hostage
(Viking Lore, Book 3)

Other Books:

Wish upon a Winter Solstice
(A Highland Holiday Novella)

The Sinclair Brothers Trilogy:

Go back to where it all began—with Robert and Alwin’s story in
HIGHLANDER’S RANSOM
, Book One of the Sinclair Brothers Trilogy. Available now on Amazon!

He was out for revenge…

Laird Robert Sinclair would stop at nothing to exact revenge on Lord Raef Warren, the English scoundrel who had brought war to his doorstep and razed his lands and people. Leaving his clan in the Highlands to conduct covert attacks in the Borderlands, Robert lives to be a thorn in Warren’s side. So when he finds a beautiful English lass on her way to marry Warren, he whisks her away to the Highlands with a plan to ransom her back to her dastardly fiancé.

She would not be controlled…

Lady Alwin Hewett had no idea when she left her father’s manor to marry a man she’d never met that she would instead be kidnapped by a Highland rogue out for vengeance. But she refuses to be a pawn in any man’s game. So when she learns that Robert has had them secretly wed, she will stop at nothing to regain her freedom. But her heart may have other plans…

Garrick and Jossalyn’s story unfolds in
HIGHLANDER’S REDEMPTION
,
Book Two of the Sinclair Brothers Trilogy. Available now on Amazon!

He is on a mission…

Garrick Sinclair, an expert archer and Robert the Bruce's best mercenary, is sent on a covert operation to the Borderlands by his older brother, Laird Robert Sinclair. He never expects to meet the most beautiful woman he's ever seen—who turns out to be the sister of Raef Warren, his family's mortal enemy. Though he knows he shouldn’t want her—and doesn’t deserve her—can he resist the passion that ignites between them?

She longs for freedom…

Jossalyn Warren is desperate to escape her cruel brother and put her healing skills to use, and perhaps the handsome stranger with a dangerous look about him will be her ticket to a new life. She never imagines that she will be spirited away to Robert the Bruce’s secret camp in the Highlands, yet more shocking is the lust the dark warrior stirs in her. But can she heal the invisible scars of a man who believes that he’s no hero?