The King's Man
Page 37
In the meantime, they could not regret what might have been. She and Kit had to find their own peace and make a life for themselves built on their shattered pasts. That would have to do for now.
Author’s Note
‘In February 1654, a Miss Granville hurled a brickbat at the Lord Protector’s Coach.’ So writes historian Antonia Fraser in Cromwell, Our Chief of Men (Panther Books Ltd, 1975, page 494). Ms Fraser never goes on to explain who Miss Granville was or why she threw the brickbat, but the throwaway line caught my attention and provided the basis for this story.
While Thamsine Granville, Kit, and their close friends and relatives are fictional, the rest of the cast of characters, including The Ship Inn itself, were very much real ,as were the plots they were involved in. Even Bordeaux and his English mistress, Mary Skippon, have their parts in the history books. The Ship Inn Plot and Gerard’s Plot both failed in much the manner described, with fatal consequences for the people involved. Bampfield, Henshaw and Wiseman were almost certainly double agents and Kit’s friend, Fitzjames, who was closely involved in Gerard’s plot, drowned on a crossing from France. His body was found washed up with incriminating letters in his pocket.
Mazarin’s agent, Baron de Baas, was the brother of a certain D’Artagnan of musketeer fame, on whom Dumas based his story. His disdain for the English court, expressed in the story, is based on his own observations.
John Thurloe ran a highly effective spy ring for most of the Protectorate and foiled not just these plots but the far more serious plotting of the Sealed Knot, which resulted in a small uprising the following year. Richard Cromwell famously described him as having “the key to wicked men’s hearts”. Whether he used the techniques I have attributed to him to secure their co-operation is based on my own supposition.
And who comprised the Sealed Knot? Well, Kit never did find out their names! Perhaps another time.
Finally, a disclaimer. The views expressed about slaves and slavery in the final chapter to this story do not in any way reflect the views of the author. However, sadly, they are based on contemporary writings of the period. The fate of the mostly Scottish prisoners of war sent to colonies such as Barbados was little better than that of the black slaves, whose importation from Africa had begun by the middle of the seventeenth century.
Thanks for reading The King’s Man. I hope you enjoyed it.
If you’d like to know more about me, my books, or to connect with me online, you can visit my webpage www.alisonstuart.com, follow me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/AlisonStuart14 or like my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/AlisonStuartWriter.
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You’ve just read the second book in my Guardians of the Crown series. The first book in this series is By the Sword. Watch out for the third book late in 2015.
If you liked this book, here are my other Escape books: Lord Somerton’s Heir and By the Sword.
This book was published by Escape Publishing. If you’d like to sample some more great books from my fellow Escape Artists, please turn the page.
BESTSELLING TITLES BY ESCAPE PUBLISHING…
By the Sword
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From award-winning author Alison Stuart comes a stirring historical trilogy about soldiers, spies, and the strong women that love them.
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Kate Ashley finds her loyalty to the Parliamentary cause tested when she inherits responsibility for the estate of the Royalist Thornton family. To protect the people she cares about, she will need all her wits to restore its fortunes and fend off the ever-present threat of greedy neighbours.
Jonathan Thornton, exiled and hunted for his loyalty to the King's cause now returns to England to garner support for the cause of the young King. Haunted by the demons of his past, Jonathan risks death at every turn and brings danger to those who love him. Finding Kate in his family home, he sees in her the hope for his future, and a chance at a life he doesn’t deserve.
In the aftermath of the Battle of Worcester, Jonathan must face his nemesis, and in turn, learn the secret that will change his life forever. But love is fragile in the face of history, and their lives are manipulated by events out of their control. What hope can one soldier and one woman hold in times like these?
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Isabel, widow of the late Lord Somerton, is desperate to bury the memory of her unhappy marriage by founding the charity school she has always dreamed of. Except, her dreams are soon shattered from beyond the grave when she is not only left penniless, but once more bound to the whims of a Somerton.
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Morag Farquhar is a woman in need of sanctuary. With a young relative in tow, Morag flees the only home she has ever known to escape her brother, Baron of Wolfsdale, and find sanctuary in the MacArthur stronghold. Pronounced barren by a midwife, Morag is of little value to her family, but a Godsend to Euan, a lover he can’t kill by getting with child.
Years ago, chance drew them together, and tangled their lives in ways they could never have imagined. This time their destiny lies in their own hands, but it will take courage and strong hearts to see it through to the end.
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ISBN: 9781760378141
Title: The King’s Man
Copyright © 2015 by Alison Stuart
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