The Masked Messenger

Catalog Description *The Masked Messenger: The Maid of Gresham Grange* by Herrick Johnstone is a historical romance set in autumn 1651 during the English Civil War, specifically the final struggle between Royalist forces and Cromwell's army. The story centers on Guy Carlington, a devoted Cavalier from Northumberland whose family has suffered losses in the Royalist cause, and Charlotte Challoner, daughter of a Puritan colonel. The two families, once friendly, now stand opposed politically—Charlotte's brother Robert is a fierce Roundhead officer committed to exterminating the Royalist cause, while Charlotte secretly harbors Royalist sympathies and romantic love for Carlington. Their relationship faces severe obstacles as civil discord deepens. The narrative establishes the domestic tensions at Gresham Grange, the Challoner estate, where military preparations and family conflict converge, introducing Charlotte's character in vivid detail and suggesting an encounter with a mysterious Captain Luther Ling.