Quantock Hills, Somersetshire, late October 1848
Kate wandered through the burial ground beside St. Mary the Virgin Church in Holford. When she was a little girl, the red stone structure lay derelict, known to be haunted by a Roman Catholic priest who had refused conversion and then executed during the reign of Henry VIII; a lesser known martyr of the Reformation. Recently rebuilt and refurnished the church appeared neat and proper, but the burial markers still proved somewhat eerie, especially at this time of year as the days grew shorter and nature prepared for winter. Kate spent a few minutes considering the lichen covered gravestones, and wondered what noble knights lay beneath. She gathered the skirt…