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AUTHOR’S NOTE
I had a lot of fun doing the research for this story, but I confess, I am no historian, and I was left nearly tearing my hair out over various things, as some of the information I wanted to know was quite difficult to find.
I have endeavoured to be as historically correct as possible, but this is pure fiction, so you may have to forgive me for taking a few liberties.
Try as I might, I was unable to discover whether Eleanor was actually in England at the time of my story – she was certainly in Messina in the March, bringing with her Berengaria, Richard’s betrothed, but she did not stay for the wedding, which was held in May, so it is possible that she might have been where I needed her for those few days. It would certainly have been easier for me if this intrepid woman had lived sedately in England, doing embroidery, but then she would not have been the fascinating woman that she was, and she would have been a less interesting addition to my story. It has been impossible for me to find a definite date of birth for her, but it would seem that she was born between 1122 and 1124, so for the sake of my story, I have used the later date.
According to my research, John was at loggerheads with William Longchamp around about this time, but I have allowed him a few days off for the sake of my story.
With reference to Giles’ pasty, pastry in medieval times was not always like the pastry we know today. Certain pastry was extremely hard and used purely as a container for the contents, but in my research I also found mention of softer types of pastry, so because I enjoy the humble pasty, and couldn’t bear to make Giles throw any of it away, I have made his pasty entirely edible.
The Battle of Lincoln, which took place over Whitsuntide 1217 was a real problem for me, as it would have been very difficult for Giles to have kept his appointment. Fortunately, the corresponding date in the future will be on May 24th, a little later than in 1217, so I have allowed him to arrive at round about the same time as Marion.
Lastly, and I say this with my tongue firmly in my cheek, providing John with epinephrine does seem to have done the trick, as nowhere in history does it mention his allergy to bee stings. Maybe we will keep that piece of information between ourselves.
I have tried not to make any historical blunders, but it is inevitable that I will have got something wrong. I hope, however, that any blips I have made have not prevented you from enjoying my story.
I should like to thank my historical beta readers, Marie Cockburn and Angie Copping for their invaluable help. Any blunders I have managed to steer round have probably been as a result of their input. Any medieval morasses I managed to land in were entirely due to my own lack of knowledge.
Thanks also for the unstinting help of my other two beta readers, Heidi and Marie, both busy authors who are kind enough to guide my fledgling efforts.
Other books by Loretta Livingstone include
Fiction
Where Angels Tread
Beautiful and other short stories
Four Christmases
Poetry
Rhythms of Life
Jumping in the Puddles of Life
Hopes, Dreams and Medals
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Photograph of author by Nicola Louisa Sharp
Loretta Livingstone lives with her husband in a beautiful area of the Chilterns. She started writing verse but has now branched into the world of fiction. Her strong Christian faith often comes through in her writing. You can find more about Loretta and her books on her website www.treasurechestbooks.co.uk or at Amazon.
Loretta says of her books, “Above all, I want to leave my readers with smiles on their faces.”
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