The Devil’s Diadem
Sara Douglass has won legions of fans around the world for her epic tales of sorcery, forbidden love, and heart-pounding action. Now, with the The Devil’s Diadem, she reveals her biggest adventure yet.In a world gone mad, is the Devil’s word the only one you can trust?A foolish monk stole the devil’s favourite diadem and the devil wants it back.It is mid-twelfth century Europe and Maeb Langtofte joins an aristocratic household to attend Adelie, the wife of the Earl of Pengraic. The earl is a powerful Lord of the Marches, the dark Welsh borderlands.Then a plague that has swept Europe overtakes England and as life descends into chaos and civil disorder, Maeb is about to discover that the horrors she survived at Pengraic Castle were but a prelude to the terrifying maelstrom which now envelops her and all of her countryfolk.Hell has come to desecrate England, and the only thing that can possibly foil its plans are the wits of one lonely, isolated and terrified woman.
Читать The Devil’s Diadem онлайн беплатно
Sara Douglass
The Devil’s Diadem
Dedication
Karen Brooks, you beautiful, amazing, courageous woman,
this is for you, with all of my love and all of my thanks.
Epigraph
Speak not the word, for remember that the wind shall carry your word to all the corners of the earth, as also to the ears of God and of the Devil both.
Traditional folk saying
Contents
Title Page
Dedication
Epigraph
Author’s Note
Map: Twelfth-Century England & Wales
Map: Pengraic Castle
Map: Twelfth-Century London
Map: The Conqueror’s Tower
Place Names
Maeb Langtofte That Was, her Testimony
Part One: Rosseley Manor
Chapter One
His footsteps tripped down the great stone staircase as if…
Chapter Two
I waited in that wretched little alcove for what felt…
Chapter Three
My days fell into an easy routine within the Pengraic…
Chapter Four
The next day began as had all my previous mornings…
Chapter Five
Naturally, fate and Lady Adelie conspired to make me break…
Chapter Six
I found Yvette and she went to Lady Adelie.
Chapter Seven
The next day passed in a blur of activity as…
Chapter Eight
We departed Rosseley shortly afterward. The king, Summersete and Scersberie…
Chapter Nine
We reached Oxeneford late in the afternoon. The king had…
Chapter Ten
The next day Evelyn woke me. She’d been up early…
Chapter Eleven
We left very early the next morning. I was glad,…
Chapter Twelve
If Lady Adelie had been too tired to pursue me,…
Part Two: The Death
Chapter One
Pengraic Castle was a marvel, but it also disconcerted me…
Chapter Two
I slept in the solar, for Mistress Yvette (who slept…
Chapter Three
There was no further chance for Stephen to return and…
Chapter Four
We went straight to Lady Adelie. I was thrilled to…
Chapter Five
Stephen asked me to go to the kitchen to order…
Chapter Six
Numbed by all that had happened, I nonetheless managed to…
Chapter Seven
Without Lady Adelie, Yvette, Evelyn and myself were purposeless. Having…
Chapter Eight
We lay together on the bed, side by side, our…
Chapter Nine
I found some water, enough to wash Stephen down, and…
Chapter Ten
This time was that of the Devil, I am certain.
Part Three: The Countess
Chapter One
I drank the hemlock, and was grateful and at peace.
Chapter Two
It took me years to understand why I did not…
Chapter Three
Evelyn came to help me back to bed, happily prattling…
Chapter Four
I lay awake for much of the night. I felt…
Chapter Five
The visit to the chapel to Stephen’s grave, and my…
Chapter Six
I sat up late into the night, stitching the earl’s…
Chapter Seven
Despite Prince Henry’s obvious desire for haste, we tarried in…
Chapter Eight
We married within ten days. I spent much of that…
Chapter Nine
Thus I became the Countess of Pengraic. A new circumstance…
Chapter Ten
The northern gates clanged shut behind us and I heard…
Part Four: The Conqueror’s Tower
Chapter One
I had hardly dared allow myself to think about the…
Chapter Two
I went to the chapel early in the morning on…
Chapter Three
I rose in the pre-dawn darkness, wrapping myself in a…
Chapter Four
I stood, smoothing the fine linen kirtle over my body,…
Chapter Five
‘Are you quite overcome yet?’ Lady Alianor said to me…
Chapter Six
I accompanied the king in to dinner, which was a…
Chapter Seven
We arrived home. I was exhausted and fraught. I could…
Chapter Eight
Raife took me back to court one more time before…
Chapter Nine
Raife arrived the next day in the late morning. There…
Part Five: Christmastide
Chapter One
Raife had hurried home for what Edmond liked to call…
Chapter Two
When we returned from the hunt we partook of a…
Chapter Three
‘How can you name my wife!’ Raife said immediately. ‘She…
Chapter Four
The hall was in an uproar. Many people were shouting.
Chapter Five
Raife hugged me to him so tightly he squeezed my…
Chapter Six
Winter was colder than it had been for many years.
Chapter Seven
The de Lacy’s manor hall sat atop a rise amid…
Chapter Eight
I stayed abed the next day, and only heard what…
Chapter Nine
When the morrow arrived, it was to discover that Edmond…
Chapter Ten
I tried to put the Templars and their accusations behind…
Part Six: The Bearscathe Mountains
Chapter One
I had been exceedingly unsettled by that chapel visit, and…
Chapter Two
I returned to our privy chamber, not answering Isouda when…
Chapter Three
We travelled in as small a company as possible. It…
Chapter Four
We started early the next day. It should be an…
Chapter Five
The weave scarring on Henry’s cheek looked black and deep…
Chapter Six
My mind simply would not accept that this was Edmond.
Chapter Seven
The next day we travelled to Pengraic Castle. It was…
Chapter Eight
Perhaps that day spent out of bed had wearied me,…
Part Seven: The Devil’s Diadem
Chapter One
We rode into London five days later. The last I…
Chapter Two
I sat up, slowly.
Chapter Three
I woke just after dawn the next morning. I lay…
Chapter Four
I was still out of sorts when I was summoned…
Chapter Five
Again, there was just Raife and Edmond waiting in the…
Chapter Six
‘Jesu!’ Edmond exclaimed, and I turned to look at the…
Chapter Seven
We went to the Tower and down the stairwell. I…
Part Eight: The Falloway Man
Chapter One
As I had known it would, terrible scandal erupted the…
