A Love Concealed, page 14
However, after some contemplation I decided to leave the story as it was, for John truly was a descendant of Robert the Bruce and Bastian did organise regular masques for the queen’s entertainment, so it was entirely possible that it was through these masques that John and Margaret met.
Sisters in trouble
Because they were relatively insignificant members of Scottish society at that time, there is only a limited amount known about John and Margaret, but she is recorded as one of the party of four that escaped Holyrood after Riccio’s murder—read more about this by joining my mailing list and getting your copy of A Love Departed, which is exclusive to that group.
There is also evidence that Margaret and her sister were left as wards of Persellands after the death of their parents. He allegedly held the sisters captive for several years in their home, Carwood House, near Biggar, instead of finding husbands for them as he should have done, having received the gift of their wardship and marriage.
In 1554 when they came of age, they took the unheard-of step of taking him to court in Edinburgh. He boldly denied the charges, but it’s unknown how the case was decided.
With all of this background, I was convinced that Margaret would have been something of a man-hater, and that the man she married must have been exceptional, to change her mind—and there I had the premise for this novel!
Mary’s favourite bedchamber woman
Margaret Carwood is noted in several places as the queen’s favourite, and this may have been why it was her that accompanied Mary on the escape from Holyrood.
She joined Mary’s court in 1564 (Mary only arrived in Scotland in 1561), possibly through some influence of Mary Fleming, one of the Maries and half-sister to Margaret’s guardian, Laird Persellands. It is unknown what she did between 1554 and 1564, but, perhaps because of Persellands, she had not married.
It is said that the queen had some hand in arranging the marriage between John and Margaret, so I have used that in this story.
A grieving widower
It appears that John may have had a child from a previous marriage (he and Margaret had four sons and a daughter). There are also records that John’s family home in Perthshire, Fincastle House, was rebuilt in 1640. Nearby Bonskeid House burned down more than once, so I used this information and some artistic licence to provide his background, and his need for a wife.
Looking at ancient maps and records of the area showed that John’s estate contained a lime kiln and lime quarry, so that gave me the idea of how he might have got involved in the plot to kill Darnley—the gunpowder had to come from somewhere!
Can I recommend some further reading?
Further reading
For readers who are interested to know more about Mary Queen of Scots, the best books I’ve found are:
Mary Queen of Scots and the Murder of Lord Darnley by Alison Weir
Mary Queen of Scots by Antonia Fraser
Glossary
Baillie: Bailiff, an officer of local government
Barmkin wall: (see Curtain Wall)
Borders (The Borders): The southern counties of Scotland, adjacent to the border with England
Bowsprit: A spar extending forward from the prow of a ship
Caliver: A light musket
Constable: The person in charge of a castle when the owner is not in residence. The caretaker
Crenel, Crenellation: Crenellations are the stepped walls of a castle, with crenels being the lower cut-outs, and merlons the higher parts
Curtain Wall: An external wall protecting the internal buildings and structures of a castle. Usually includes defensive towers
Dirk: Dagger
Ewe: A female sheep
Garron: A small, sturdy Scottish pony (see Hobbler)
Gavotte: An old French dance
Gibbet: Gallows
Glower: An angry or sullen stare
Great pox, the pox: Syphillis
Hobbler: A small, sturdy Borders pony (see Garron)
Keep: Castle or tower
Limmer: A scoundrel or rogue
Paillasse: A mattress of straw
Palfrey: A riding horse particularly suitable for a woman.
Partlet: A woman’s garment covering the neck and shoulders, worn especially during the 16th century
Pavane: A dance
Pease porridge: A dish made from peasemeal, ground from yellow peas
Pend: An alleyway between houses
Piquet: A card game for two players
Port: A fortified wine. Also, a gate, usually within a city wall
Posset: A warm drink of wine and curdled milk
Pox: See Great Pox
Primero: A card game
Privy Chamber: Private room
Privy Council: A body of advisers appointed by the sovereign
Reiver: A thieving rider
Sabbath: Sunday
Thon: Scots word for that or those
Thurible: A chain censer, swung by Catholic clergy
Turnpike (gate): A barrier where a toll was charged
Characters
Names in bold are real historical characters.
* * *
Alexandra Cranstoun - Master of Horse to Mary Queen of Scots
Anthony Standen: Mary’s page
Archibald Campbell, 5th Earl of Argyll
Bracken: Duncan’s horse
Christina Hogg: Mary’s servant, Sebastian Pages’ fiancee
David Riccio: Mary’s beloved Italian secretary, killed in March 1566
Duncan: John’s manservant
Elizabeth Gordon, Countess of Huntly: Scottish noblewoman, wife of George Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly (deceased) and mother of the 5th Earl
Ember: Margaret’s horse
George Gordon, 5th Earl of Huntly
George Seton, 7th Lord Seton: half-brother of Mary Seton and Master of the Queen’s household
Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley: Mary’s husband and cousin
James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton
James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell: Member of Mary’s Privy Council and Lieutenant of the Borders
James Stewart, Earl of Moray: Mary’s half-brother, illegitimate son of James V, member of her Privy Council
John Fleming, 5th Lord Fleming: Brother of Mary Fleming
John Fleming of Persellands: Guardian of Margaret and Janet Carwood; illegitimate son of Malcolm, 3rd Lord Fleming and half-brother of Mary Fleming
John Stewart of Tulliepowries, 3rd Laird Fincastle: Highland laird
Margaret Carwood: Heiress of the family of Carwood of that Ilk, and chamberwoman to Mary Queen of Scots
Mary Fleming (Flam): Lady-in-Waiting to Mary Queen of Scots
Mary Seton (Ebba): Lady-in-Waiting to Mary Queen of Scots
Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots
Nicholas Hubert, ‘French Paris’: Bothwell’s page
Philibert Du Croc (Monsieur du Croc): The French ambassador
Robert Nau: French doctor. Physician to the French ambassador
Sebastian (Bastian) Pages: Valet and master of ceremonies to Mary Queen of Scots
William Maitland of Lethington: Mary’s Secretary
William Taylor: Darnley’s valet du chambre
About the Author
A native Scot who lives in the hinterland between Edinburgh and the Borders, Belle loves to write about Scotland and its history.
In addition to writing historical romance, she rides dressage, teaches skiing - and pens prize-winning sci-fi, urban fantasy and contemporary romance as Roz Marshall books2read.com/rl/RozMarshall, and cozy mysteries as R.B. Marshall books2read.com/rl/RBMarshall
Find out more about Belle and her upcoming books by joining her newsletter: subscribepage.com/joinbelle
Also By
By Belle McInnes:
Mary’s Ladies
Scottish Historical Romance telling the story of Mary Queen of Scots:
A Love Divided
A Love Beyond
A Love Concealed
By Belle McInnes, writing as R.B Marshall:
The Highland Horse Whisperer series
Cozy Mystery set in Scotland (and London for the prequel):
The Secret Santa Mystery
A Corpse at the Castle
A Right Royal Revenge (releasing 12 Oct 2020)
A Henchman at the Highland Games (due early 2021)
By Belle McInnes, writing as Roz Marshall:
The Celtic Fey series
Urban Fantasy / Young Adult Fantasy set in Scotland (and the faerie realm):
Unicorn Magic
Kelpie Curse
Faerie Quest
The Fey Bard
Merlin’s Army (due in 2o2o)
The Celtic Fey (Books 1-3. Also in paperback)
Secrets in the Snow series
Sports Romance / Women’s Fiction set in a Scottish ski school:
Winter Arrives
Skiing with Santa
A Dream for Hogmanay
Fear of Falling
The Snow Patrol
My Snowy Valentine
The Racer Trials
Snow Blind
Weathering the Storm
Half Way Home stories
Young Adult Science Fiction set in Hugh Howey’s Half Way Home universe:
Nobody’s Hero
The Final Solution
Scottish stories:
Still Waters
Bibliography
Bingham, Madeleine. Scotland Under Mary Stuart - an Account of Everyday Life
Campbell, Alexander, (1802). A Journey from Edinburgh Through Parts of North Britains
Coventry, Martin. The Castles of Scotland
Dunbar, John G. Scottish Royal Palaces
Fraser, Antonia. Mary Queen of Scots
Hale, John. Mary Queen of Scots
Harrison, John G. The Royal Court and the Community of Stirling to 1603
Hislop, Malcolm How to Read Castles: A crash course in understanding fortifications
Historic Scotland Mary was Here: Where Mary Queen of Scots went and what she did there
Historic Scotland Stirling Castle: Official Souvenir Guide
Kincaid, Alexander. The History of Edinburgh, from the Earliest Accounts to the Present Time
Lynch, Michael. Queen Mary’s Triumph: the Baptismal Celebrations at Stirling in December 1566
Mahon, R.H., Major-General. Mary Queen of Scots, a study of the Lennox Narrative
Marshall, Rosalind K. Queen Mary’s Women
Mikhaila, Ninya & Malcolm-Davies, Jane. The Tudor Tailor: Reconstructing sixteenth-century dress
Nau, Claude. The History of Mary Stewart: From the Murder of Riccio Until Her Flight Into England
Pearce, Michael W. The jewels Mary Queen of Scots left behind
Schiern, Frederik. Life of James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell
Thomson, Thomas (1768-1852). Diurnal of Occurrents - from a manuscript of the sixteenth century
Weir, Alison. Mary Queen of Scots and the Murder of Lord Darnley
Yellowlees, Michael James: Dunkeld and the Reformation
* * *
Many web articles and wikipedia entries
Acknowledgments
I am indebted to Angie, Mairi and Ben, my proofreading and beta-reading team, who added extra polish and value to my scribblings.
Belle McInnes, A Love Concealed
