The King's Concubine. Anne O'Brien

in England a shameless woman and wanton harlot called Ales Peres, of base kindred … being neither beautiful nor fair, she knew how to cover these defects with her flattering tongue …’

      —A historical relation of certain passages about the end of King Edward the Third and of his death

      ‘It is not fitting that all the keys should hang from the belt of one woman.’

      —The Bishop of Rochester

      ‘… no one dared to go against her …’

       —Thomas Walsingham, a monk of St Albans

      About the Author

      ANNE O’BRIEN taught history in the East Riding of Yorkshire before deciding to fulfil an ambition to write historical fiction. She now lives in an eighteenth-century timbered cottage with her husband in the Welsh Marches, a wild, beautiful place renowned for its black-and-white timbered houses, ruined castles and priories and magnificent churches. Steeped in history, famous people and bloody deeds, as well as ghosts and folklore, the Marches provide inspiration for her interest in medieval England.

      Visit her at www.anneobrienbooks.com

       Also by

      ANNE

       O’BRIEN

      VIRGIN WIDOW

      DEVIL’S CONSORT

      The

       King’s

       Concubine

      Anne

       O’Brien

      This is a work of fiction. References to historical events, real people or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

      All Rights Reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Enterprises II B.V./S.à.r.l. The text of this publication or any part thereof may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, storage in an information retrieval system, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.

      This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the prior consent of the publisher in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

      HQ is an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd

      Published in Great Britain 2012.

       HQ

       1 London Bridge Street

       London

       SE1 9GF

      © Anne O’Brien 2012

      Fleur Adcock, Poems 1960-2000 (Bloodaxe Books, 2000) reprinted

       with kind permission of the publisher on behalf of the author

      Map and Family Tree acknowledgement Orphans Press Ltd

      ISBN 978-1-408-96981-6

       Version: 2019-04-12

      Table of Contents

       Cover

       Praise

       About the Author

       Title Page

       Copyright

       Dedication

      Acknowledgements

       Prologue

       Chapter One

       Chapter Two

       Chapter Three

       Chapter Four

       Chapter Five

       Chapter Six

       Chapter Seven

       Chapter Eight

       Chapter Nine

       Chapter Ten

       Chapter Eleven

       Chapter Twelve

       Chapter Thirteen

       Chapter Fourteen

       Chapter Fifteen

       Chapter Sixteen

       Chapter Seventeen

      Epilogue

       Other titles by the author

       Extract

       Author Note

       Read all about it …

       About the Publisher