The Devil’s Diadem. Sara Douglass

      PLACE NAMES

      Where possible in The Devil’s Diadem I use contemporary place names.

      A list of the twelfth-century place names used in this book and their modern-day equivalents follows (an explanation of terms can be found in the Glossary).

      Badentone: Bampton

      Bearscathe Mountains: the Brecon Beacons in Wales

      Bergeveny: Abergaveny

      Blachburnscire: Blackburnshire

      Bochinghamscire: Buckinghamshire

      Bouland: Bowland

      Brimesfelde: Brimpsfield

      Cantuaberie: Canterbury

      Chestre: Chester

      Chinteneham: Cheltenham

      Cicestre: Chichester

      Cirecestre: Cirencester

      Craumares: Crowmarsh Gifford

      Crickhoel: Crickhowell

      Depdene: Forest of Dean

      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.

      He would be one of the older sons, a prince in bearing if not quite in rank.

      There was a flash of gold and silver as he passed the doorway of the little shadowy alcove in which I sat, waiting. He was tall and golden-haired, bedecked with jewels and vibrant fabrics and with a glint of steel at his hip.

      I was dazzled, even by this brief glimpse of a member of the Pengraic family.

      Then,

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