Haunted Knights by Anna Markland

Author:Anna Markland
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Medieval
Published: 2013-06-08T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTY

They halted a short distance from the castle, several groups ahead of them queuing to enter the gate. Rosamunda opened her arms high and wide, her eyes bulging.

Adam too was awed by the splendour of Arundel. “You are right. It is huge. I’ve heard about it, but it’s my first visit.”

Rosamunda frowned.

Adam shrugged. “The Montbryces and the Montgomerys were never friends. My uncle, the First Earl of Ellesmere, considered Roger de Montgomery a cruel beast of a man. He treated him with the respect due a fellow Earl, but avoided him whenever possible.”

He glanced at Paulina. Her rigid spine and clenched jaw betrayed her fear. Adam was apprehensive too. He had often seen people smirk at and taunt Denis. There were no doubt people like Maudine Lallement and Letyce Revandel at Arundel. His gut clenched at the prospect of meeting the hore again.

Denis appeared relaxed as he helped Paulina stuff Topaz into her satchel under the watchful eye of Nox, but Adam had seen that icy calm before. His brother was preparing for the battle ahead.

Adam must prepare too. Not only must he protect Rosamunda, there would be people who would mock his deafness. And if they ever discovered his worse secret—

He dismissed the fear as unlikely. Only Rosamunda and Denis knew, apart from his family in Normandie. He was confident they would not betray him.

To calm everyone’s nervousness, he recited the history of the castle. “As you see, it commands the landscape. It was founded on Christmas Day in the year of our Lord One Thousand and Sixty-Seven.”

Paulina gasped. “Only a year to the day after the Conqueror was crowned at Westminster.”

Denis chuckled. “You know your history, ma petite.”

Lucien chimed in. “Paulina has always been rapt with attention whenever we have talked about the years of the Conquest. Of course, it took years after the founding to complete the castle.”

Paulina blushed. It gladdened Adam’s heart. Denis was making progress with his reluctant bride to be.

He decided to continue. Henry might be impressed if his unusual guests knew something of the castle he loved. “Oui, the Conqueror granted Montgomery large tracts of land and the Earldom, on condition he build a castle near the mouth of the River Arun, to protect coastal Sussex from attack. It’s also the closest to Normandie so reinforcements could be brought quickly in the event of a Saxon revolt, a distinct possibility in the early days of the Conquest.”

Denis took up the account. “Montgomery deemed he should have all of Sussex. He was furious when Ram de Montbryce was granted eighty six manors there. Oncle Ram in turn deeded several of them to his brothers, Antoine and Hugh. That’s how my stepfather gained control of East Preston, Poling and the remainder. The Conqueror was careful not to give anyone too much power.”

Adam snorted. Mention of Montgomery invariably set a Montbryce on edge. “Besides, the man did not fight at Hastings, whereas my father and his brothers played an important role in the Norman victory. Roger stayed in Normandie to keep the peace for William, who was his cousin, by the way.

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