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A Tapestry of Treason
Anne O'Brien
‘Gripping’ The Times ‘Fans of Philippa Gregory and other historical fiction writers will love Anne O’Brien’s A Tapestry of Treason’ Yours Her actions could make history – but at what price? 1399: Constance of York, Lady Despenser, proves herself more than a mere observer in the devious intrigues of her magnificently dysfunctional family, The House of York. Surrounded by power-hungry men, including her aggressively self-centred husband Thomas and ruthless siblings Edward and Richard, Constance places herself at the heart of two treasonous plots against King Henry IV. Will it be possible for this Plantagenet family to safeguard its own political power by restoring either King Richard II to the throne, or the precarious Mortimer claimant? Although the execution of these conspiracies will place them all in jeopardy, Constance is not deterred, even when the cost of her ambition threatens to overwhelm her. Even when it endangers her new-found happiness. With treason, tragedy, heartbreak and betrayal, this is the story of a woman ahead of her time, fighting for herself and what she believes to be right in a world of men. Praise for A Tapestry of Treason ‘O’Brien’s page-turner vividly brings to life the restriction of women, and the compassion and strength of this real-life figure from medieval times’ Woman ‘Anne O’Brien does not disappoint... there are so many twists and turns... If you love Philippa Gregory or Alison Weir, you will love Anne O’Brien too’ My Weekly ‘A wonderful novel... a rich, gripping, enchanting read. Anne’s vivid writing took me straight to the year 1400 and kept me wonderfully lost there throughout’ Joanna Courtney ‘A detailed portrayal of a fascinating character’ Woman’s Weekly ‘An engaging novel of political intrigue’ Choice Praise for Anne O’Brien ‘O’Brien cleverly intertwines the personal and political in this enjoyable, gripping tale’ The Times ‘O’Brien is a terrific storyteller’ Daily Telegraph ‘A gripping story of love, heartache and political intrigue’ Woman & Home ‘Packed with drama, danger, romance and history … the perfect reading choice for the long winter nights’ The Press Association ‘A gripping historical drama’ Bella
Praise for (#ulink_2a26128d-f868-5ad8-a85d-913aa2945075)
Anne O’Brien (#ulink_2a26128d-f868-5ad8-a85d-913aa2945075)
‘O’Brien cleverly intertwines the personal and political in this enjoyable, gripping tale’
The Times
‘[A] fast-paced historical novel’
Good Housekeeping
‘Anne O’Brien has unearthed a gem of a subject’
Daily Telegraph
‘A gripping story of love, heartache and political intrigue’
Woman & Home
‘There are historical novels and then there are the works of Anne O’Brien – and this is another hit’
The Sun
‘The characters are larger than life…and the author a compulsive storyteller’
Sunday Express
‘This book has everything – royalty, scandal, fascinating historical politics’
Cosmopolitan
‘A gripping historical drama’
Bella
‘Historical fiction at its best’
Candis
ANNE O’BRIEN was born in the West Riding of Yorkshire. After gaining a BA Honours degree at Manchester University and a Master’s at Hull, she lived in the East Riding for many years as a teacher of history. After leaving teaching, Anne decided to turn to novel writing and give voice to the women in history who fascinated her the most. Today Anne lives in an eighteenth-century cottage in Herefordshire, an area full of inspiration for her work.
Visit Anne online at www.anneobrienbooks.com (http://www.anneobrienbooks.com).
Find Anne on Facebook and follow her on Twitter: @anne_obrien (https://twitter.com/anne_obrien)
Also by (#ulink_886a4918-5014-5295-b5ee-6bbca0fc1dcf)
Anne O’Brien (#ulink_886a4918-5014-5295-b5ee-6bbca0fc1dcf)
VIRGIN WIDOW
DEVIL’S CONSORT
THE KING’S CONCUBINE
THE FORBIDDEN QUEEN
THE SCANDALOUS DUCHESS
THE KING’S SISTER
THE QUEEN’S CHOICE
THE SHADOW QUEEN
QUEEN OF THE NORTH
A Tapestry of Treason
Anne O’Brien
ONE PLACE. MANY STORIES
Copyright (#ulink_d3c0bf4c-a848-5920-9b7c-0d98fbc31ee3)
An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
1 London Bridge Street
London SE1 9GF
First published in Great Britain by HQ in 2019
Copyright © Anne O’Brien 2019
Anne O’Brien 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.
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.
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable 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.
Ebook Edition © August 2019 ISBN: 978-0-008-22548-3
Note to Readers (#ulink_797ea746-2977-57ab-9992-35714f5adedf)
This ebook contains the following accessibility features which, if supported by your device, can be accessed via your ereader/accessibility settings:
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Page numbers taken from the following print edition: ISBN 9780008225476
With all my love, as always, to George, who immersed
himself in this tale of medieval politics and high drama.
A born Lancastrian, after reading of the
devious exploits of the House of York, he remains
a dyed-in-the-wool supporter of the red rose.
Cast of Characters (#ulink_768bfe7b-4c29-51d1-88a0-2458fad9bd75)
The Royal Court in 1399
King Richard II.
Queen Isabelle de Valois, Richard’s second wife.
The House of York
Edmund of Langley, Duke of York.
Isabella, Princess of Castile, now deceased, mother of the three York children:
- Edward of Norwich, Earl of Rutland, Duke of Aumale, later Duke of York.
- Constance of York, Lady Despenser, Countess of Gloucester.
- Richard (Dickon) of Conisbrough, later Earl of Cambridge.
The Despensers
Thomas, Lord Depsenser, Earl of Gloucester, husband of Constance, father of their 3 children:
- Richard.
- Elizabeth.
- Isabella.
Henry Despenser, Bishop of Norwich, in silent sympathy with the York and Despenser conspirators.
House of Lancaster
King Henry IV, son of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster.
Joanna of Navarre, Duchess of Brittany, second wife of King Henry.
The six royal children:
- Henry (Hal), Prince of Wales.
- Thomas.
- John.
- Humphrey.
- Blanche.
- Philippa.
John Beaufort, Earl of Somerset, half-brother to King Henry.
Henry Beaufort, Bishop of Winchester, half-brother to King Henry.
The Holland Family
John Holland, Earl of Huntington, Duke of Exeter.
Thomas Holland, 3rd Earl of Kent, John Holland’s nephew.
Joan, Duchess of York, second wife of Edmund of Langley, sister of Thomas and Edmund Holland.
Edmund Holland, 4th Earl of Kent, lover of Constance of York.
Madonna Lucia Visconti, an Italian lady with a large dowry, Countess of Kent, wife of Edmund Holland.
Alianore, daughter of Edmund Holland and Constance of York.
The Mortimers
Edmund Mortimer, 5th Earl of March, a child in captivity in Windsor Castle.
