Cruel As the Grave (31 page)

With Shadow leading the way, they reached Gracechurch Street in late afternoon. Pretending to stagger under the weight of Nell's packages, Justin was about to enter the alehouse when he heard his name being called. Gunter was standing in the doorway of the smithy, beckoning to him.

"A messenger has been looking for you, Justin," he said. "The queen wants you."

~

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AUTHOR'S NOTE

John's conniving is a matter of historical record, as is the siege of Windsor. Justin's participation was, of course, a case of dramatic license. Unlike my historical "sagas," my medieval mysteries have a mixed cast, those who actually lived and those who live only in my imagination. There is no need to document Eleanor of Aquitaine's subsequent history, or that of her sons, but readers might be interested in the fate of one of the secondary characters: Master Serlo of the Mercer's Guild eventually became Mayor of London.

As I explained in my first mystery,
The Queen's Man
, there was no Bishop of Chester. Chester lay in the diocese of Coventry and Lichfield, and although the title Bishop of Chester was used during the Middle Ages, it was an unofficial usage. And as I invariably mention in my historical novels, I use the medieval Welsh spelling for St Davydd, as this is more phonetic. Modern Welsh would spell it
Dafydd
.

In researching
The Queen's Man
, I discovered that medieval detectives labored under certain handicaps, among them, no DNA testing, no fingerprints, no forensics. But in
Cruel as the Grave
, Justin and Jonas did not have to worry about warrants or the admissibility of evidence, so perhaps it all evens out. As long as I get to write about Eleanor of Aquitaine and her fascinatingly dysfunctional family, I have no complaints.

S.K.P.

February 1998

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I'd like to thank the following people in particular for their support and encouragement: My parents, the most loving critics any writer could ask for. Valerie Ptak LaMont, who did so much to keep Justin and me on course. Kyle LaMont, who provided insight on Justin's estrangement with his father. Earle Kotila and Jill and John Davies, who help me to keep the faith. The editor who has been my mainstay from my first book tohopefully my last, Marian Wood. My longtime English editor and friend, Susan Watt. And my agents extraordinaire, Molly Friedrich and Mic Cheetham. Lastly, I'd like to thank the readers who welcomed my first venture into the mystery realm, and were generous enough to write and tell me so. Feedback from readers is truly worth its weight in gold.