The King's Concubine

The King's Concubine
Anne O'Brien

A Sunday Times BestsellerEngland’s Forgotten Queens‘O’Brien cleverly intertwines the personal and political in this enjoyable, gripping tale.’The TimesPhilippa of Hainault selects a young orphan from a convent. Alice Perrers, a girl born with nothing but ambition. The Queen has a role waiting for her at court.‘I have lifted you from nothing Alice. Now you repay me.’Led down the corridors of the royal palace, the young virgin is secretly delivered to King Edward III – to perform the wifely duties of which ailing Philippa is no longer capable. Power has a price, and Alice Perrers will pay it.Mistress to the King. Confidante of the Queen. Whore to the court.Her fate is double edged; loved by the majesties, ostracised by her peers. Alice must balance her future with care as her star begins to rise – the despised concubine is not untouchable. Politics and pillow talk are dangerous bedfellows.The fading great King wants her in his bed. Her enemies want her banished. One mistake and Alice will face a threat worse than any malicious whispers of the past.Praise for Anne O’Brien‘O’Brien cleverly intertwines the personal and political in this enjoyable, gripping tale.’- The Times‘A gem of a subject … O’Brien is a terrific storyteller’- Daily Telegraph‘Joanna of Navarre is the feisty heroine in Anne O’Brien’s fast-paced historical novel The Queen’s Choice.’-Good Housekeeping‘A gripping story of love, heartache and political intrigue.’-Woman & Home‘Packed with drama, danger, romance and history.’-Pam Norfolk, for the Press Association‘Better than Philippa Gregory’ – The Bookseller ‘Anne O’Brien has joined the exclusive club of excellent historical novelists.’ – Sunday Express ‘A gripping historical drama.’-Bella@anne_obrien

‘There was … 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 (http://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: 2018-04-09

Table of Contents

Cover (#ud88b5f96-a28f-551e-baca-d28ff99560b8)

Praise (#u9af9bf7b-6419-5e10-8d90-88ee562d35e6)

About the Author (#ufb95f5ed-b043-5262-8a54-87709b18643c)

Title Page (#u415dc358-ce05-54bf-84bd-6b52c21eb739)

Copyright (#u2df37a93-b051-5c84-8e51-ad84b5c7f51b)

Dedication (#uccfd34d7-b38f-55a6-9339-7062560da983)

Acknowledgements (#ub3f8f602-47c4-5fe7-bc1a-e39bbc18904b)

Prologue (#ua9a017af-a957-5cc1-bac4-2e44010223f9)

Chapter One (#uf5a55b12-767e-53f4-935a-c285dd5ccb89)

Chapter Two (#uae2d92e0-c49a-5bff-bd3e-670df18c1c71)

Chapter Three (#u0dae22af-ac80-50d2-a311-6374a98d28a0)

Chapter Four (#u8a34be02-54e3-5d5d-ad3b-fa8344483d93)

Chapter Five (#u882a59bb-0dec-51cd-a3ba-ff267a1bc320)