Anne O’Brien - A Tapestry of Treason

ANNE OBRIEN was born in the West Riding of Yorkshire. After gaining a BA Honours degree at Manchester University and a Masters 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.

Find Anne on Facebook and follow her on Twitter: @anne_obrien

VIRGIN WIDOW

DEVILS CONSORT

THE KINGS CONCUBINE

THE FORBIDDEN QUEEN

THE SCANDALOUS DUCHESS

THE KINGS SISTER

THE QUEENS CHOICE

THE SHADOW QUEEN

QUEEN OF THE NORTH

A Tapestry of Treason

Anne OBrien

ONE PLACE. MANY STORIES

An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd

1 London Bridge Street

London SE1 9GF

First published in Great Britain by HQ in 2019

Copyright Anne OBrien 2019

Anne OBrien 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 authors 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

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OBrien cleverly intertwines the personal and political in this enjoyable, gripping tale

The Times

[A] fast-paced historical novel

Good Housekeeping

Anne OBrien 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 OBrien and this is another hit

The Sun

The characters are larger than lifeand 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

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.

The Royal Court in 1399

King Richard II.

Queen Isabelle de Valois, Richards 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 Hollands 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.

Roger Mortimer, his younger brother, also in Windsor Castle.

The Percys

Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland, a man of authority, ambition and conflicting loyalties.

Sir Henry Percy (Hotpsur), Northumberlands son and heir.

Those to be found in aristocratic households

Friar John Depyng: King Richard IIs soothsayer.

Ralph Ramsey, one of King Henry IVs esquires, rewarded for his loyalty.

William Flaxman, another Court minion in receipt of the Kings generosity

Richard Milton, agent of Constance in the Windsor plot.

A locksmith who paid for his conspiracy with his life.

Richard Maudeleyn, a clerk, who played the role of Richard II.

William Maidstone, Constances chivalric champion.

Sir John Pelham, a staunch supporter and counsellor of King Henry IV.

And in Wales

Owain Glyn Dwr, stirring rebellion in the west and claiming the title of Prince of Wales.

February 1399: Westminster Palace

E ntertain us, sir.

Since my invitation caused Friar John Depyng to step aside in a display of speed impressive for so corpulent a figure, I smiled a brief show of teeth to soften my command. If it please you, sir. We desire to take a glimpse into the future.

Friar John, not won over to any degree, dared to scowl. Divination is not for entertainment, my lady.

Unperturbed, my brother Edward, forcefully large, grasped his elbow and drew him along with us. You would not wish to refuse us. It would displease the King if your being disobliging happened, by chance, to come to his ear.