Lady of the English - By Elizabeth Chadwick Page 0,205
take you into my service. My children adore you, we have missed your company, and you have proven your loyalty and valour to the edge of death.”
Her compliments washed over William’s head in a hot wave and he felt his face burning with pleasure and embarrassment.
“Lost for words?” she teased, her voice throaty with laughter.
William swallowed. “I have often dreamed of such a post but I never thought…” He shook his head. “It is an ill wind,” he said and suddenly a sweeping feeling of loss and sadness overtook his euphoria. He put his right hand over his face, striving to hold himself together. He had managed it for four months under the most difficult of circumstances. He wouldn’t break now, not in front of the Queen.
“William, I understand,” Eleanor said in a gentler voice than was her wont. “Take what time you need and report to me as soon as you are ready. Speak to my steward. He will see that you are provided with anything you lack. Go to.” She gave him a gentle push.
“Madam.” William bowed from her presence.
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Acknowledgments
M y thanks to the many individuals and groups of people who have worked behind the scenes to enable me to bring Lady of the English to fruition.
Carole Blake—my long-term agent and dear friend.
Rebecca Saunders, Joanne Dickinson, Manpreet Grewal, and Barbara Daniel at Little Brown—my enthusiastic editors and teamworkers.
Richenda Todd—also part of the editorial team and catcher of the continuity errors and surplus children. Any that remain are down to me.
Dominique Raccah, Shana Drehs, Beth Pehlke, Danielle Jackson, and Regan Fisher—my dynamic publisher and team at Sourcebooks.
The Romantic Novelists Association, where I have made many lasting friends and who offer such excellent support to their members.
The Historical Novel Society, which has done so much to promote the historical fiction genre.
The members of Historical Fiction online, who have created a forum where it’s fun to talk about all sorts of historical fiction, life, the world, and everything.
The many good friends I have made on Twitter across a diversity of interests.
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Elizabeth Chadwick
Thea Vincent—my Web designer at Phoenix Web Designs.
Roger, my husband—driver, companion dogsbody (or so our dogs inform me), soul mate, and champion ironer!
And last but first as well, my lovely readers!
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About the Author
E lizabeth Chadwick lives in
Nottingham with her husband
and two sons. Much of her research
is carried out as a member of Regia Anglorum, an early medieval reen-actment society with the emphasis
on accurately re-creating the past.
She also tutors in the skill of writing historical and romantic fiction. Her first novel, The Wild Hunt, won a Betty Trask award. She was shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists’ Award in Charlie Hopkinson
1998 for The Champion, in 2001 for Lords of the White Castle, in 2002 for The Winter Mantle, and in 2003 for The Falcons of Montabard. Her sixteenth novel, The Scarlet Lion, was nominated by Richard Lee, the founder of the Historical Novel Society, as one of the top ten historical novels of the last decade, and To Defy a King won the Romantic Novelists’ Association Historical Fiction Prize in 2011.
A penniless young knight with few prospects, William Marshal blazes into history on the strength of his sword and the depth of his honor.
Marshal’s integrity sets him apart in the turbulent court of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, bringing fame and the promise of a wealthy heiress as well as enemies eager to plot his downfall. Elizabeth Chadwick has crafted a spellbinding tale about a forgotten hero, an ancestor of George Washington, an architect of the Magna Carta, and a legend of chivalry—
the greatest knight of the Middle Ages.
The Legend of the
Greatest Knight Lives On
“One of the landmark
historical novels of the
last ten years.”
—Richard Lee, Historical
Novel Society
“I rank Elizabeth
Chadwick with such
historical novelist stars
as Dorothy Dunnett and
Anya Seton. Read The
Scarlet Lion and see why.”
—Sharon Kay Penman,
New York Times bestselling author of Devil’s Brood
William Marshal’s skill with a sword and loyalty to his word have earned him the company of kings, the lands of a magnate, and the hand of Isabelle de Clare, one of England’s wealthiest heiresses. But he is thrust back into the chaos of court when King Richard dies. Vindictive King John clashes with William, claims the family lands for the Crown—and takes two of the Marshal sons hostage. The conflict between obeying his king and rebelling over the royal injustices threatens the very heart of William and Isabelle’s family. Fiercely intelligent and courageous, fearing for the man and marriage that light her life, Isabelle plunges with her husband down a precarious path that will lead William to more power than he ever expected.
A Bittersweet Tale
of Love, Loss, and the
Power of a king
“The best writer
of medieval fiction...”
—Richard Lee,
Historical Novel Society
“Everyone who has raved
about Elizabeth Chadwick
as an author of historical
novels is right.”
—Devourer of Books
When Roger Bigod arrives at King Henry II’s court to settle a bitter inheritance dispute, he becomes enchanted with Ida de Tosney, young mistress to the powerful king. A victim of Henry’s seduction and the mother of his son, Ida sees in Roger a chance to begin a new life. But Ida pays an agonizing price when she leaves the king, and as Roger’s importance grows and he gains an earldom, their marriage comes under increasing strain.
Based on the true story of a royal mistress and the young lord she chose to marry, For the King’s Favor is Elizabeth Chadwick at her best.
Spirited Daughter.
Rebellious Wife.
Powerful Woman.
“Chadwick’s great strength
lies in her attention to
detail—she brings to life
all the daily humdrum of
the medieval age but also
seduces with the romance
of her characters and the
raw excitement of their
times. To Defy a King is Chadwick on top form.”
—Lancashire Evening Post
“You don’t just read a
Chadwick book; you
experience it.”
—Shelf and Stuff
The adored and spirited daughter of England’s greatest knight, Mahelt Marshal lives a privileged life. But when her beloved father falls foul of the volatile and dangerous King John, her world is shattered. The king takes her brothers hostage and Mahelt’s planned marriage to Hugh Bigod, son of the Earl of Norfolk, takes place sooner than she expected. When more harsh demands from King John threaten to tear the couple’s lives apart, Mahelt finds herself facing her worst fears alone, not knowing if she—or her marriage—will survive.