The Recruit Read online

  Mary’s first husband, John Strathbogie, Earl of Atholl, is an example of this, but it was also true for many others (including Robert the Bruce himself). John’s mother was English, and in addition to his Scottish lands, he had holdings in Kent, England. Thus, choosing to fight for Bruce wasn’t a simple patriotic decision. He was a Scottish earl, but he was also an English landholder (possibly a baron), and by rebelling he put his English holdings in jeopardy.

  As I mention in the book, Atholl was captured with the ladies’ party in Tain (1306), imprisoned, and executed—the first earl executed in more than two hundred years. He did attempt to sway Edward by reminding him of their familial relationship, but Edward’s response was to simply hang him on a higher gallows as befitting his exalted status. Ah, that witty Plantagenet sense of humor. Atholl’s head was placed on a stake beside that of Wallace and Simon Fraser. He was certainly a hero, but his profligacy is my invention.

  Sir Adam Gordon is another example of the Scottish nobles who were put in a difficult position by the Bruce kingship. In the early years of the war, Sir Adam was considered a great patriot, fighting alongside Comyn and Atholl at Dunbar in 1296 (where his father fell). He seems to have escaped the capture and imprisonment that befell most of the other nobles, but was forced to surrender to Edward not long after the battle. Later, he fought alongside Wallace at Stirling Bridge (1297) and at Falkirk (1298).

  His reasons for allying himself with the English until the relatively late date of 1313–14 are almost a checklist of the above tensions: his mother was English, he was loyal to the deposed King John Balliol (enemy of Bruce), and his lands were in the troublesome borders close to England. It wasn’t until after King John died (1313) that Gordon came over to Bruce.

  Ironically, King Robert granted Gordon the lands in Strathbogie and titles of the now dispossessed Earl of Atholl (David, Mary’s son). Readers of Highland Scoundrel from my Campbell trilogy might recall these castles in the north. But the original Strathbogie and Huntly(wood) castles were located in the Borders.

  Sir Adam also served as surety for the release of William Lamberton, Bishop of St. Andrews. Lamberton was part of the peace envoy sent to Scotland in 1309–10 and was given leave to stay there for a few months. Why Edward would allow Lamberton, who was thought to be one of the instigators behind Bruce’s bid for the crown, to roam about Scotland is a mystery to me. One theory is that Edward trusted him because of the bishop’s close relationship with Pembroke (Aymer de Valence).

  This isn’t the first time I’ve used the Highland Games in the series. Although there is a (apocryphal?) story on the origin of the Games from the time of Malcolm III (eleventh century), I would assume they weren’t called that or organized to the extent I portrayed them. I decided to make them closer to tournaments—Highland style, of course—with the focus on sport and military prowess. Similarly, Highland “backhold” wrestling is thought to be very old, dating possibly from the sixth century. But for my Highland Games, I made the event more hand-to-hand combat than wrestling.

  The Pits of Hell, the clandestine tourney in which Kenneth participates, is my invention (inspired by the TV show Spartacus). However, the 1292 Statute of Arms for Tournaments, promulgated by Edward I to regulate tourneys, suggests that it might not be that farfetched. There was a revived popularity of tournaments under Edward I, but they died out under Edward III. The last one was held in England in 1342.

  I anticipated Henry Lord Percy’s purchase of Alnwick Castle (better known today as the Harry Potter castle) by a few months. It was actually purchased on November 19, 1309 from the Bishop of Durham for what is said to be a comparatively small sum. Today, Alnwick is the second largest inhabited castle in England and has been home to the Percys for over seven hundred years. Those of you who follow Princess Kate’s sister, Pippa, might recall her “friendship” with George Percy, one of Baron Percy’s descendants. It was also home to the Harry “Hotspur” (reference to his hot temper) Percy made famous by Shakespeare.

  Marriage in medieval Scotland and England is a very complex subject, which I’ve had to address many times in my novels. Clandestine marriages (those without banns and/or official ceremony) seem to have been common, but the church clearly didn’t like them and sought to prohibit them. There were the inevitable problems of proof (he said/she said), but they also wanted to prevent secret marriages because they were concerned with consanguinity. Ironically, I did a paper in law school on the subject (I wish I could find it!). Basically, persons within a third degree were prohibited from marrying. If you’ve followed the family connections above, you can see how easily that could happen.

  But note that even if the clandestine marriage was found to be “illegal,” it was not necessarily invalid. Special licenses appear sometime in the fourteenth century, but I decided to use a dispensation. In the course of my research, I was surprised to discover that a widow was not permitted to have the mass inside the church after the vows were exchanged at the church door.

  And finally, I adjusted the time of Edward’s invasion by a couple of months. The English actually marched from Berwick in August/September 1310, and were back at Berwick by November. Bruce apparently had advance warning of the invasion, and the path taken by the English troops was the one that Kenneth “discovered.”

  To my husband, Dave, who thinks the best wedding gift to ensure a long and happy marriage is a gag and earplugs (I bet you can guess which spouse gets to wear which!). With romance like that, I think my career choice is self-explanatory. But back to the book … Every team needs a utility guy. After fifteen years in baseball, a good portion of which was spent in that role, this one’s for you!

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  The fact that you are reading this book about seven months after I finished the first draft is a testament to the incredible team of people I have at Ballantine who crank up the wheels of publishing to warp speed. A huge thanks to my editor, Kate Collins, the copy editors, proofers, and everyone in production for all the hard work in doing so, and to Junessa Viloria for keeping it all on track. To Lynn Andreozzi and the Art Department for outdoing themselves yet again with my favorite—and sexiest—cover to date.

  Thanks also to Annelise and Andrea for keeping the business side of everything running smoothly so I can concentrate on the writing.

  And finally, to Jami for sharing the highs and lows on a daily basis.

  BY MONICA MCCARTY

  The Recruit

  The Saint

  The Viper

  The Ranger

  The Hawk

  The Chief

  Highland Warrior

  Highland Outlaw

  Highland Scoundrel

  Highlander Untamed

  Highlander Unmasked

  Highlander Unchained