The final chapter of Lyon in Disguise, which releases December 17 and is currently on preorder, is set around the York, England, and specifically York Castle. At the time the story is set, meaning late 1812 and early 1813, York Castle was used as a prison and a place for hanging of criminals. The last chapter of the book is set against the hanging of a group of Luddites, men set on destroying the machinery robbing them of their jobs in the factories.
What should we know of York Castle? William the Conqueror had the castle built in his hope to control all of northern England. The year was 1068. However, both York Castle and the Old Baile castle across the River Ouse were burnt to the ground in 1069 by the Danish and the English Northerners who objected to William’s rule.
Willliam’s solution was to pay the Danes to leave England and to fight the Northern English and have them submit. With not takers to a battle, in his anger, William, quite literally, burned a path of destruction across the north, with the City of York and Yorkshire itself left in ashes. This campaign was known as “Harrying of the North.” It involved the destruction of settlements, crops, and livestock, leading to widespread famine and death. It was a warning not to go against William again. Once William had control, York Castle was rebuilt in timber and included a moat and other water defenses.
In the center of York, on a high motte, resides Clifford’s Tower, the last remnants of York Castle. Over a century later, tragedy would transpire at the castle. Richard Jones on Great Castles tells us a tale dating to March 1190. “In March 1190, an anti-Jewish riot erupted in the streets of York, and many of the city’s Jews took refuge behind the seemingly impregnable walls of the castle. However, the rioters, led by Richard Malebisse, set fire to the tower. The terror-stricken Jews, faced with either burning to death or taking their chances against the howling mob outside, chose to commit mass suicide.
“The caste was rebuilt in timber, and then, during the reign of King John, work was begun on a stone fortress, which was completed by Henry III. In 1322, the royal forces defeated a Lancastrian army at Boroughbridge, and one of the rebel leaders, Roger de Clifford, was hung in chains from the tower. Soon afterward, the building acquired the name by which it is still known: Clifford’s Tower.
“Not long after the castle’s transformation into the impressive stone edifice that overlooks the city today, unsightly red stains appeared on its walls. The people of York quickly connected these to the Jewish suicides of 130 years before and soon whispered in guilty tones that the blood of the dead Jews had caused the blemishes. Although in recent years, it has been shown that the discoloration is caused by the presence of minute quantities of iron oxide, or rust, in the stone, the fact remains that no other stone from the Tadcaster quarry that supplied it contains any trace of such minerals!”
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Lyon in Disguise: Lyon’s Den Connected World
A handsome rake meets his match in a red-headed enchantress who is his enemy!
They may be on different sides of the law, but Lord Navan Beaufort is not going to permit that to stop him from protecting Miss Audrey Moreau. Navan has never thought truly to love anyone, but when he laid eyes on the red-headed beauty, his world shifted. Unfortunately, the lady appears to prefer Lord Alexander Dutton to him, though Navan has rarely had the opportunity to speak to her privately. That is, until he saves her from a fire one miraculous night. From there forward, she is his hope. His future.
Miss Audrey Moreau depends exclusively on her Uncle Jacobi for a home and protection. The man rescued her from a bayman’s plantation in the West Indies when she was five; yet, she well knows the “Marquis of Honfleur’s” schemes. She thought once Jacobi was caught, all would be well, but even from his jail, the man means to rain down harm upon her.
Can two lost souls find happiness together, when everyone in whom they had previously placed their trust have left them alone in the world?
Tropes You’ll Love:
- Enemies to lovers
- Self-declared bachelor
- Friends to lovers
- Adversaries
- Damsel in distress
- Best friend’s sister
- Different worlds/experiences
- Soul mates
- Emotional scars
- Fish out of water
Read in Kindle Unlimited!
Enjoy book one in a new series within The Lyon’s Den Connected world by Regina Jeffers.
Book 1 – Lyon in the Way
Book 2 – Lyon’s Obsession
Book 3 – Lyon in Disguise
Book 4 – Lost in the Lyon’s Garden
Book 5 – Lyon on the Inside
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