Dedication

      Karen Brooks, you beautiful, amazing, courageous woman,

       this is for you, with all of my love and all of my thanks.

      Epigraph

      Speak not the word, for remember that the wind shall carry your word to all the corners of the earth, as also to the ears of God and of the Devil both.

      Traditional folk saying

      Contents

       Cover

      Title Page

      Dedication

      Epigraph

      Author’s Note

      Map: Twelfth-Century England & Wales

      Map: Pengraic Castle

      Map: Twelfth-Century London

      Map: The Conqueror’s Tower

      Place Names

      Maeb Langtofte That Was, her Testimony

      Part One: Rosseley Manor

      Chapter One

      His footsteps tripped down the great stone staircase as if…

      Chapter Two

      I waited in that wretched little alcove for what felt…

      Chapter Three

      My days fell into an easy routine within the Pengraic…

      Chapter Four

      The next day began as had all my previous mornings…

      Chapter Five

      Naturally, fate and Lady Adelie conspired to make me break…

      Chapter Six

      I found Yvette and she went to Lady Adelie.

      Chapter Seven

      The next day passed in a blur of activity as…

      Chapter Eight

      We departed Rosseley shortly afterward. The king, Summersete and Scersberie…

      Chapter Nine

      We reached Oxeneford late in the afternoon. The king had…

      Chapter Ten

      The next day Evelyn woke me. She’d been up early…

      Chapter Eleven

      We left very early the next morning. I was glad,…

      Chapter Twelve

      If Lady Adelie had been too tired to pursue me,…

      Part Two: The Death

      Chapter One

      Pengraic Castle was a marvel, but it also disconcerted me…

      Chapter Two

      I slept in the solar, for Mistress Yvette (who slept…

      Chapter Three

      There was no further chance for Stephen to return and…

      Chapter Four

      We went straight to Lady Adelie. I was thrilled to…

      Chapter Five

      Stephen asked me to go to the kitchen to order…

      Chapter Six

      Numbed by all that had happened, I nonetheless managed to…

      Chapter Seven

      Without Lady Adelie, Yvette, Evelyn and myself were purposeless. Having…

      Chapter Eight

      We lay together on the bed, side by side, our…

      Chapter Nine

      I found some water, enough to wash Stephen down, and…

      Chapter Ten

      This time was that of the Devil, I am certain.

      Part Three: The Countess

      Chapter One

      I drank the hemlock, and was grateful and at peace.

      Chapter Two

      It took me years to understand why I did not…

      Chapter Three

      Evelyn came to help me back to bed, happily prattling…

      Chapter Four

      I lay awake for much of the night. I felt…

      Chapter Five

      The visit to the chapel to Stephen’s grave, and my…

      Chapter Six

      I sat up late into the night, stitching the earl’s…

      Chapter Seven

      Despite Prince Henry’s obvious desire for haste, we tarried in…

      Chapter Eight

      We married within ten days. I spent much of that…

      Chapter Nine

      Thus I became the Countess of Pengraic. A new circumstance…

      Chapter Ten

      The northern gates clanged shut behind us and I heard…

      Part Four: The Conqueror’s Tower

      Chapter One

      I had hardly dared allow myself to think about the…

      Chapter Two

      I went to the chapel early in the morning on…

      Chapter Three

      I rose in the pre-dawn darkness, wrapping myself in a…

      Chapter Four

      I stood, smoothing the fine linen kirtle over my body,…

      Chapter Five

      ‘Are you quite overcome yet?’ Lady Alianor said to me…

      Chapter Six

      I accompanied the king in to dinner, which was a…

      Chapter Seven

      We arrived home. I was exhausted and fraught. I could…

      Chapter Eight

      Raife took me back to court one more time before…

      Chapter Nine

      Raife arrived the next day in the late morning. There…

      Part Five: Christmastide

      Chapter One

      Raife had hurried home for what Edmond liked to call…

      Chapter Two

      When we returned from the hunt we partook of a…

      Chapter Three

      ‘How can you name my wife!’ Raife said immediately. ‘She…

      Chapter Four

      The hall was in an uproar. Many people were shouting.

      Chapter Five

      Raife hugged me to him so tightly he squeezed my…

      Chapter Six

      Winter was colder than it had been for many years.

      Chapter