The Lodestar

Torn between two worlds…

When Christopher Heron’s favourite and much loved sister, Meg, marries Sir Robert Drakelon, against her family’s wishes, Christie makes a vow to be there for her whenever she needs him. 

Meg’s dreams of an idyllic married life are shattered almost immediately. Innocent and naïve, she accepts the ways of her husband and soon falls pregnant.

At the prospect of becoming a father, Sir Drakelon is overjoyed, and employs the help of his sister to take care of Meg in his absence. 

But this is bad news for Meg and it soon becomes apparent just how dangerous the situation is for both herself and her unborn child.

In desperation, she reaches out to Christie, hoping he fulfils the vow he once made her. 

Despite his inexperience, Ambitious Christie has just secured a position in the services of the Duke of Gloucester, Richard Plantegenet. Eager to demonstrate his worth and capabilities, he dedicates himself to moving up through the ranks.

When Meg’s cry for help reaches him, Christie is torn between keeping his vow or embarking upon a potentially victorious achievement over the Scots. Split between honouring his commitment to Meg and forfeiting the good will of the Duke, Christie pegs Meg’s concerns down to her pregnancy and continues with the army.

A mistake that will cost him a great deal …

When the news of King Edward’s death hits, the country is devastated. The King’s son, young Edward, is next in line to the throne. While preparations are made for his coronation, the most brutal truth emerges and the Duke of Gloucester finds himself becoming King. 

Christie, now closer than ever to the King, knows the truth behind his succession. But the truth must stay buried, there is too much at stake and the new King’s life is in danger. 

Will Christie learn from his errors and find a way to put his ambitions to the side for once?

Full of secrets and drama, The Lodestar is the epic conclusion of the Heron series.

‘A gifted storyteller…who can conjure up a period of history so that we can smell, hear and see it’ – Sarah Harrison, author of The Flowers of the Field

Pamela Belle was born and bred in Suffolk, the daughter of a local prep school headmaster. She went to the University of Sussex, and went on to become a primary school teacher. The Lodestar is the concluding novel in the four-volume Heron saga.