On another National Holiday tour, our coach stopped at a site where the castle of Fotheringhay had stood.
This was the place where Queen Mary was beheaded but only a small sign on a
weed-covered field marked the spot of that historic event. It seemed as if the
country who kept her prisoner for years had chosen to ignore the fact forever.
Leave your comments for a
chance to win one of the four digital copies of Maid of the Midlands that I'll
be giving away today.
Blurb:
When Mary Queen of Scots is sent to Hafton Castle in the
Midlands, Matilda becomes her waiting-lady. The comely maid loves Jondalar, a
stalwart castle guard who returns her affection but places his greed to succeed
above all else. After Matilda nurses the queen through a fever, she rewards the
maid with a valuable ruby. Jondalar plots with the young lord of the castle to
rid the Crown of the captive queen in return for a promotion in the guard.But
when Matilda learns of the guard's
betrayal of the queen she must chose between loyalty and love.
Excerpt:Matilda shrank back against
the wall, horrified at what she had heard.
She cringed with every sure step taken by the guard as he retreated from
the lord's chamber.
For a time, Matilda was
unable to sort her thoughts. Then she
began to speak aloud, as if the sound of her voice could bring order to the
jumble of conflicting emotions roiling in her mind.
“Jondalar has betrayed
me. And worse still, has betrayed the
Scottish queen. Instead of guarding the
monarch as she traveled, he has made plans to kill her. And Lord Hafton is a party to the devious
crime.”
“How could the valiant guard
who has pledged his devotion and promised to wed me be guilty of such a vile
act? How could he plot against Queen
Mary who holds him in such high esteem that she has left a bag of coins for his
service to her?”
Matilda sank to the floor and
wept bitterly. After a time, when her
tears had subsided, she tried to piece her thoughts together. She could not tell her mistress what she had
learned for the young lord might deny it and send her away. And it was too late to persuade the guard to
stop the murderers, even should he be willing to do so for her sake. As if he might.
The maid sprang to her feet. “There is none to tell save the queen! I must warn Queen Mary of her perilous
plight.”