The Traitor's Wife Read online

  Praise for The Traitor's Wife

  “A noblewoman pays the price for her loyalty to an unpopular king

  and her unfaithful husband…conveys emotions and relationships

  quite poignantly…entertaining historical fiction.”

  —Kirkus Discoveries

  “The dialogue is excellent, the characters are well formed and

  vibrant… Higginbotham's talents lie not only in her capacity for

  detailed genealogical research of the period, but also in her skill

  in bringing these historical figures to life with passion, a

  wonderful sense of humor, honor, and love.”

  —Historical Novels Review Online

  “Higginbotham has stirred to life a girl who is naïve and passionate,

  impulsive and loyal…an endearing, involving story, made so by the

  unconventional characters of Eleanor and Edward.”

  —Reviewer's Choice

  “Higginbotham makes history come alive…The Traitor's Wife is a tale

  of intrigue, betrayal, loyalty and passion.”

  —BookPleasures

  “All the ingredients for a great tale: [love], treason, war and murder.

  Couple this with Higginbotham's clear passion and knack for accuracy,

  and this book is a can't miss…this novel was a joy to read.”

  —Read and Review

  “Beautifully researched and incredibly captivating, The Traitor's Wife

  is a book you won't want to put down. Susan Higginbotham's

  vivid portrayal of life during Edward II's tumultuous reign makes

  for fascinating reading. Highly recommended!”

  —Michelle Moran, bestselling author of The Heretic Queen

  “Once I began The Traitor's Wife, I couldn't stop. When

  the electricity went out one night, I actually found

  myself reading by flashlight!”

  —Sharon Kay Penman, bestselling author of Devil's Brood

  “The Traitor's Wife brings to vibrant life a woman of determination

  and courage, who became entangled in the colorful, often lethal

  intrigues of Edward II's court. A captivating, well-paced read, full

  of the dramatic passions of an era that has often been written about

  but never from this particular point of view. Readers will

  flock to the wit and verve of Eleanor de Clare.”

  —C. W. Gortner, author of The Last Queen

  “With each new layer, this tremendously researched novel just keeps

  getting better. A worthy mate to Marlowe's play Edward II,

  Higginbotham shows the subtle side of pain.”

  —David Blixt, author of The Master of Verona

  “Susan Higginbotham has delved into a dark period of

  English history and given us a more sympathetic look at

  a king of dubious reputation—Edward II.”

  —Anne Easter Smith, author of A Rose for the Crown

  “In scope, historical accuracy, and authoritative voice, this

  novel reads like really good biography. In dramatic force it reads

  like exceptional fiction. The maelstrom of death and destruction set

  in motion by the avarice, betrayal, and revenge prevalent in the

  English court of Edward II is a cautionary tale of

  human frailty skillfully delivered.”

  —Brenda Rickman Vantrease, author of The Illuminator

  and The Mercy Seller

  Copyright © 2005, 2007, 2009 by Susan Higginbotham

  Cover and internal design © 2009 by Sourcebooks, Inc.

  Cover design by Kimberly Glyder Design

  Cover Image (c) Bridgeman Art Library: Portrait of Saskia van Uylenburgh

  (1612-42) in Rich Costume (oil on panel) (detail) (see 244316), Rembrandt

  Harmensz. van Rijn (1606-69), Gemaeldegalerie Alte Meister, Kassel, Germany

  Sourcebooks and the colophon are registered trademarks of Sourcebooks, Inc.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems—except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews—without permission in writing from its publisher, Sourcebooks, Inc.

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious or are used fictitiously. Apart from well-known historical figures, any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Published by Sourcebooks Landmark, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc.

  P.O. Box 4410, Naperville, Illinois 60567-4410

  (630) 961-3900

  Fax: (630) 961-2168

  www.sourcebooks.com

  Originally published in 2005 by iUniverse, Inc.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Higginbotham, Susan.

  The traitor's wife / Susan Higginbotham.

  p. cm.

  1. De Clare, Eleanor, 1292-1337--Fiction. 2. Edward II, King of England, 1284-1327--Fiction. 3. Le Despenser, Hugh, Baron, d. 1326--Fiction. 4. Great Britain--History--Edward II, 1307-1327--Fiction. I. Title.

  PS3608.I364T73 2009

  813'.6--dc22

  2008039530

  Printed and bound in the United States of America.

  VP 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  CONTENTS

  Dedication

  Characters

  Part I: May 26, 1306 to November 24, 1326

  i: May 1306

  ii: February 1308 to March 1308

  iii: June 1308 to July 1308

  iv: February 1309 to February 1310

  v: March 1310 to June 1312

  vi: June 1312

  vii: September 1312 to April 1314

  viii: June 1314 to July 1314

  ix: October 1314 to April 1317

  x: November 1317 to December 1318

  xi: July 1319 to January 1321

  xii: February 1321 to August 1321

  xiii: October 1321 to March 1322

  xiv: October 1322 to March 1325

  xv: April 1325 to September 1325

  xvi: October 1325 to October 1326

  xvii: October 1326

  xviii: October 1326 to November 1326

  Part II: November 1326 to June 30, 1337

  xix: November 1326 to February 1327

  xx: February 1327 to April 1327

  xxi: June 1327 to September 1327

  xxii: December 1327 to March 1328

  xxiii: April 1328 to June 1328

  xxiv: July 1328 to February 1329

  xxv: March 1329 to December 1329

  xxvi: February 1330 to March 1330

  xxvii: April 1330 to November 1330

  xxviii: January 1331 to February 1334

  xxix: December 1334 to June 1337

  Afterword

  Hugh and Bess

  Acknowledgments

  Reading Group Guide

  About the Author

  To my family

  NOBLE FAMILIES IN FOURTEENTH-CENTURY ENGLAND GENERALLY NAMED their children after the royal family and after their own close relations, which militated severely against variety and in this novel resulted in a plethora of real-life Edwards, Hughs, Eleanors, Joans, and the like. In keeping with my personal preferences, I have not changed the names of any of the historical characters in this novel, with the single exception of Eleanor's damsel Gladys, who is actually named Joan in the record in which she appears.

  Married women or widows, when referred to separately from their husbands, were not necessarily known by their last husband's surname or by their maiden name. The thrice-married Eliz
abeth de Clare is referred to in records as Elizabeth de Burgh, from her first husband's name, while Isabel le Despenser, also married three times, is referred to as Isabel de Hastings, from the name of her second husband.

  The following, and my policy of trying never to have more than two people with the same first name speaking at once, may be of use to the reader. It does not purport to be a genealogical table; children and spouses who played no part in the events here are generally omitted. Major characters are all listed here; minor characters are listed when I thought their inclusion would aid the reader. Titles are those that individuals bore when they are mentioned in this novel.

  The Royal Family

  Edward I, King of England, married to Eleanor of Castile and Margaret of France.

  Edward II, Prince of Wales and later King of England, son of Edward I and Eleanor. Married to Isabella of France.

  Joan of Acre, daughter of Edward I and Eleanor. Wife to Gilbert de Clare and Ralph de Monthermer. Countess of Gloucester.

  Mary, daughter of Edward I and Eleanor. Nun of Amesbury.

  Elizabeth, daughter of Edward I and Eleanor. Wife to Humphrey de Bohun. Countess of Hereford.

  Edmund, son of Edward I and Margaret. Earl of Kent.

  Thomas, son of Edward I and Margaret. Earl of Norfolk.

  Edward III, later King of England, son of Edward II and Isabella. Also known as the Earl of Chester and the Duke of Aquitaine. Married to Philippa of Hainault.

  John of Eltham, son of Edward II and Isabella. Made Earl of Cornwall in 1328.

  Eleanor, daughter of Edward II and Isabella. Later married to the Count of Guelders.

  Joan, daughter of Edward II and Isabella. Later married to David of Scotland, later King of Scotland.

  Adam, out-of-wedlock son of Edward II by Lucy, a peasant girl.

  The Church

  Robert Winchelsey, Archbishop of Canterbury (1294).

  Walter Reynolds, Archbishop of Canterbury (1313).

  Simon de Mepham, Archbishop of Canterbury (1328).

  William Melton, Archbishop of York.

  Walter Langton, Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield (1296).

  Roger de Northburgh, Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield (1322).

  John de Hothum, Bishop of Ely.

  Walter Stapeldon, Bishop of Exeter.

  Adam de Orleton, Bishop of Hereford, later Bishop of Worcester (1328) and Bishop of Winchester (1333).

  Henry Burghersh, Bishop of Lincoln.

  Stephen Gravesend, Bishop of London.

  John Salmon, Bishop of Norwich (1299).

  William Ayrminne, Bishop of Norwich (1325).

  Hamo de Hethe, Bishop of Rochester.

  John Stratford, Bishop of Winchester.

  The Clares

  Joan of Acre, Countess of Gloucester. Daughter of Edward I and widow of Gilbert de Clare, late Earl of Gloucester.

  Gilbert de Clare, son of Joan and Gilbert. Earl of Gloucester.

  Eleanor de Clare (Eleanor le Despenser), daughter of Joan and Gilbert. Married to Hugh le Despenser the younger and William la Zouche.

  Margaret de Clare (Margaret d'Audley), daughter of Joan and Gilbert. Countess of Cornwall. Married to Piers Gaveston and Hugh d'Audley.

  Elizabeth de Clare (Elizabeth de Burgh), daughter of Joan and Gilbert. Married to John de Burgh, Theobald de Verdon, and Roger Damory.

  The Despensers

  Hugh le Despenser (“the elder”). Later Earl of Winchester. Married to Isabel Beauchamp.

  Hugh le Despenser (“the younger”), son of Hugh and Isabel. Married to Eleanor de Clare.

  Hugh, Edward, Gilbert, John, Isabel, Joan, Eleanor (Nora), Margaret, and Elizabeth, children of Hugh the younger and Eleanor.

  Aline Burnell, daughter of Hugh the elder and Isabel. Widowed from Edward Burnell.

  Isabel de Hastings, daughter of Hugh the elder and Isabel. Married to John de Hastings, her second husband, and Ralph de Monthermer, her third husband.

  Thomas, Hugh, and Margaret, Isabel's children by John de Hastings.

  Margaret de St. Amand, daughter of Hugh the elder and Isabel. Married to John de St. Amand.

  Philip le Despenser, son of Hugh the elder and Isabel.

  Nicholas de Litlyngton, out-of-wedlock son of Hugh the elder.

  Earls and Their Kin

  Edmund Fitz Alan, Earl of Arundel. Married to Alice, Countess of Arundel.

  Richard Fitz Alan, later Earl of Arundel. Married to Isabel le Despenser, daughter of Hugh le Despenser the younger.

  Edmund Arundel, son of Richard and Isabel.

  Andrew Harclay, Earl of Carlisle.

  Piers Gaveston, Earl of Cornwall. Married to Margaret de Clare.

  Joan, daughter of Piers and Margaret.

  Amie, out-of-wedlock daughter of Piers.

  Gilbert de Clare, Earl of Gloucester. Married to Maud de Burgh.

  Humphrey de Bohun, Earl of Hereford. Married to Elizabeth, daughter of Edward I.

  Edward de Bohun, Humphrey and Elizabeth's son.

  Thomas, Earl of Lancaster.

  Henry of Lancaster, Earl of Leicester. Later Earl of Lancaster. Brother of Thomas, Earl of Lancaster.

  Henry de Lacy, Earl of Lincoln.

  Roger Mortimer of Wigmore, Earl of March.

  Aymer de Valence, Earl of Pembroke. Married to Beatrice and to Marie de St. Pol.

  Jean Bretagne, Earl of Richmond.

  John Warenne, Earl of Surrey. Married to Joan of Bar, granddaughter to Edward I.

  Richard de Burgh, Earl of Ulster.

  Maud de Burgh, Richard's daughter. Wife of Gilbert de Clare.

  William de Burgh, Richard's grandson, later Earl of Ulster. Son of John de Burgh and Elizabeth de Burgh.

  Guy de Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick. Married to Alice, Countess of Warwick.

  Thomas de Beauchamp, Guy and Alice's son, later Earl of Warwick.

  The French Royal Family

  Philip IV, King of France (1285 to 1314).

  Louis X, Philip IV's son, King of France (1314 to 1316).

  Philip V, Philip IV's son, King of France (1316 to 1322).

  Charles IV, Philip IV's son, King of France (1322 to 1328).

  Isabella, Philip IV's daughter, Queen of England.

  Philip VI, Philip IV's nephew, King of France (1328 to 1350).

  The Scottish Royal Family

  Robert Bruce, King of Scotland (1306 to 1329).

  David Bruce, Robert Bruce's son, King of Scotland (1329 to 1371).

  Donald, Earl of Mar, Robert Bruce's nephew.

  Others

  Hugh d'Audley, friend of Edward II, husband of Margaret de Clare.

  Bartholomew Badlesmere, steward to Edward II.

  Robert Baldock, Chancellor of England.

  Henry de Beaumont, lord.

  Simon de Bereford, associate of Roger Mortimer of Wigmore.

  Thomas de Berkeley, keeper of Edward II.

  Maurice de Berkeley, Thomas's son.

  Ingelram Berenger, knight to Hugh le Despenser the elder.

  Roger Damory, friend of Edward II, husband of Elizabeth de Burgh.

  Benedict de Fulsham, pepper merchant.

  Gladys, damsel to Eleanor le Despenser.

  John de Grey of Rotherfield, knight.

  Thomas Gurney, associate of Roger Mortimer of Wigmore.

  Gwenllian, nun of Sempringham and daughter of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, Prince of Wales.

  Joan of Bar, granddaughter of Edward I, wife of Earl of Surrey, and friend to Queen Isabella.

  Alice de Leygrave, former nurse to Edward II and damsel to Queen Isabella.

  John Maltravers, associate of Roger Mortimer of Wigmore.

  William de Montacute, friend of Edward II.

  William de Montacute, the elder William's son, friend of Edward III.

  Ralph de Monthermer. Married to Joan of Acre, daughter of Edward I, later married to Isabel de Hastings, daughter of Hugh le Despenser the elder.

  Thomas, Edward, and Joan de Monthermer, children of Ralph and
Joan of Acre.

  Roger Mortimer of Chirk, uncle of Roger Mortimer of Wigmore.

  William Ogle, associate of Roger Mortimer of Wigmore.

  Simon of Reading, knight to Hugh le Despenser the younger.

  John de Ros, lord.

  Thomas Wake, son-in-law of Henry, Earl of Leicester.

  Isabella de Vescy, sister of Henry de Beaumont and lady to Queen Isabella.

  William la Zouche. Married to Alice, Countess of Warwick, and Eleanor de Clare.

  Alan, son of William la Zouche and Alice.

  William, son of William la Zouche and Eleanor.

  Part I

  * * *

  MAY 26, 1306

  TO

  NOVEMBER 24, 1326

  May 1306

  PRINCE EDWARD AND PIERS GAVESTON HAD SLEPT TOGETHER AND TOO LATE, neither of which was at all unusual. Edward was the first to awake. “Up, Perrot.”

  “No.” His beautiful friend yawned and rolled to his side.

  “You must. We have a wedding to attend. And what if my father finds you here?”

  Piers considered. “Apoplexy?”

  “At the least.” But his friend made no move to leave the bed, and Edward did not press the matter.

  “So it is your niece who is getting married. It occurs to me that I have hardly seen the girl.”

  “Eleanor is but thirteen. She has spent some time lately in my stepmother's household, and then she stayed at Amesbury priory with my sister Mary for a time too. She has just lately returned for her marriage.”

  “I cannot for the life of me understand why girls go to convents before they are married. One thinks that the company of elderly virgins would be dampening to marital ardor. Now if they went to brothels at least it would be educational and practical.”

  Edward swatted his friend with a pillow. He said a bit wistfully, “When Eleanor was younger, I used to row her and her brother in my boat. Her sisters felt it was too unladylike, so they would never go along. But she loved it. She and Gilbert used to stick their noses in the air and pretend I was their boatman and shout orders at me.” He stroked his friend's hair. “I am sorry my father gave her to Hugh le Despenser. I would have liked her to be your wife.”