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Jezebel
Eleanor De Jong
Jezebel, a young princess of Tyre, is destined to be married as a pawn in a political game. Determined to rule her own life, she begins an illicit affair when Jehu – a visiting prince – arrives at court. But when Jezebel is told she must marry Ahab, the king of Israel, Jehu believes she has cruelly betrayed him.Years pass, and each nurses their own secret. Jehu, unable to relinquish his love for Jezebel, grows bitter and twisted. But he is unaware of Jezebel’s greatest secret – that he is father to her eldest son, the heir to Israel’s throne.As her husband ails, Jezebel gradually assumes control of Israel. But hatred of her is being fanned by firebrand prophet Elijah and the terrifying Elisha. As they plot her downfall, Jehu circles closer and it seems the die has been cast one last time. Can Jezebel finally take control of her own destiny? Or has her time already passed?Taking the ancient Holy Land as its backdrop, Jezebel is an epic tale of love and loss. Reworked from the original Biblical tale, it charts the struggle of a strong and passionate heroine fighting for her beliefs against all odds.With its sumptuous package, Jezebel will delight fans of The Borgia Bride and the Red Tent.
Eleanor de Jong
Jezebel
Copyright
This novel is entirely a work of fiction.
The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
AVON
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A Paperback Original 2012
First published in Great Britain by
HarperCollinsPublishers 2012
JEZEBEL. Copyright © Working Partners Two 2012. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
Eleanor de Jong asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
HarperCollinsPublishers has made every reasonable effort to ensure that any picture content and written content in this ebook has been included or removed in accordance with the contractual and technological constraints in operation at the time of publication
Source ISBN: 9781847562555
Ebook Edition © DECEMBER 2011 ISBN: 9780007443215
Version: 2018-07-19
Contents
Cover (#uaf010e0a-6c70-5a8d-a0e3-1e5f4a34fb4d)
Title Page
Copyright
Map
872 BC – Girl
Chapter One
Salt spray glistened in the stallion’s mane and stung Jezebel’s…
Chapter Two
There was indeed a faintly frosty welcome when she returned…
Chapter Three
Later that evening, Jezebel entered her father’s crowded chambers for…
Chapter Four
In the sharp morning light, Tyre looked almost more beautiful…
Chapter Five
She was late to the banquet that night, having spent…
Chapter Six
Jehu held his hand out to Jezebel as she stepped…
Chapter Seven
‘Hail, Hail!’ cried the crowd at the head of the…
Chapter Eight
The next morning it was not the unfamiliar light that…
Chapter Nine
‘This city was built to keep strangers out,’ murmured Jezebel…
Chapter Ten
The chambers she had been allocated were a pleasant surprise.
Chapter Eleven
In the light from flickering lanterns, the young woman stared…
Chapter Twelve
Jezebel tried to sit still on the couch in her…
Chapter Thirteen
In the light of dawn the Palace did seem more…
Chapter Fourteen
A few days later, Jezebel stood in front of a…
Chapter Fifteen
The hot and barren summer did little more than stifle…
Chapter Sixteen
Jezebel recovered quickly from the birth and within two days…
Chapter Seventeen
From the roof of the Palace, Jezebel could see the…
Four years later 868 BC – Mother
Chapter Eighteen
‘Yahweh has blessed the House of Omri once again!’ cried…
Chapter Nineteen
The energy of her fury abated during a sleepless night…
Chapter Twenty
The courtyard was already crowded with crates and chests as…
Chapter Twenty-One
She didn’t dwell on Jehu’s unceremonious departure for long. As…
Chapter Twenty-Two
The trees in the Palace courtyard were just beginning to…
Chapter Twenty-Three
That evening in the King’s office, Ahab sat at his…
Chapter Twenty-Four
She couldn’t reach the city before the processions of priests…
Chapter Twenty-Five
Ahab had been sitting on his bed, head in his…
Eight years later 860 BC – Queen Consort
Chapter Twenty-Six
Jezebel shifted her weight on Ahab’s throne. At least none…
Chapter Twenty-Seven
But that afternoon, Balazar insisted on a private audience with…
Chapter Twenty-Eight
‘Come away from the window,’ said Beset. ‘You will catch…
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Boaz thrust open the Council Chamber doors.
Chapter Thirty
Jezebel carefully removed the Consort gown before going up to…
Chapter Thirty-One
Jezebel made a great fuss of Athaliah that afternoon. They…
Chapter Thirty-Two
The Palace felt empty after Balazar and Esther returned to…
Chapter Thirty-Three
Though night had long since fallen, the Council Chamber was…
Chapter Thirty-Four
In the days that followed Naboth’s death, the mood in…
Chapter Thirty-Five
Athaliah grabbed her mother tightly, sobbing into Jezebel’s neck, her…
