The Bastard King
Authors: Jean Plaidy
Contents
Harold and Edith of the Swan's Neck
This glorious novel chronicles the life of William the Conqueror, the bastard son of the Duke of Normandy, from childhood until his death in 1087.
He is destined to succeed his father as the Duke of Normandy but questions about his legitimacy mean he consistently faces challenges from potential usurpers in the Duchy to retain the title. He marries Matilda, the equally intelligent and ambitious daughter of the King of Flanders, and together they have many children.
In 1066, he crosses the channel from Normandy to England and seizes the crown from King Harold, Edward the Confessor's popular successor. This is the roller coaster account of his efforts to become sovereign and the events in his life afterwards, including his turbulent relationships with various members of his family.
Jean Plaidy, one of the preeminent authors of historical fiction for most of the twentieth century, is the pen name of the prolific English author Eleanor Hibbert, also known as Victoria Holt. Jean Plaidy's novels had sold more than 14 million copies worldwide by the time of her death in 1993.
THE TUDOR SAGA
Uneasy Lies the Head
Katharine, the Virgin Widow
The Shadow of the Pomegranate
The King's Secret Matter
Murder Most Royal
St Thomas's Eve
The Sixth Wife
The Thistle and the Rose
Mary, Queen of France
Lord Robert
Royal Road to Fotheringay
The Captive Queen of Scots
The Spanish Bridegroom
THE CATHERINE DE MEDICI TRILOGY
Madame Serpent
The Italian Woman
Queen Jezebel
THE STUART SAGA
The Murder in the Tower
The Wandering Prince
A Health Unto His Majesty
Here Lies Our Sovereign Lord
The Three Crowns
The Haunted Sisters
The Queen's Favourites
THE FRENCH REVOLUTION SERIES
Louis the Well-Beloved
The Road to Compiègne
Flaunting, Extravagant Queen
The Battle of the Queens
THE LUCREZIA BORGIA SERIES
Madonna of the Seven Hills
Light on Lucrezia
ISABELLA AND FERDINAND TRILOGY
Castile for Isabella
Spain for the Sovereigns
Daughters of Spain
THE GEORGIAN SAGA
The Princess of Celle
Queen in Waiting
Caroline the Queen
The Prince and the Quakeress
The Third George
Perdita's Prince
Sweet Lass of Richmond Hill
Indiscretions of the Queen
The Regent's Daughter
Goddess of the Green Room
Victoria in the Wings
THE QUEEN VICTORIA SERIES
The Captive of Kensington
The Queen and Lord M
The Queen's Husband
The Widow of Windsor
THE NORMAN TRILOGY
The Bastard King
The Lion of Justice
The Passionate Enemies
THE PLANTAGENET SAGA
The Plantagenet Prelude
The Revolt of the Eaglets
The Heart of the Lion
The Prince of Darkness
The Battle of the Queens
The Queen from Provence
The Hammer of the Scots
The Follies of the King
The Vow of the Heron
Passage to Pontefract
The Star of Lancaster
Epitaph for Three Women
Red Rose of Anjou
The Sun in Splendour
QUEEN OF ENGLAND SERIES
Myself, My Enemy
Queen of this Realm: The Story of Elizabeth I
Victoria, Victorious
The Lady in the Tower
The Goldsmith's Wife
The Queen's Secret
The Rose without a Thorn
OTHER TITLES
The Queen of Diamonds
Daughter of Satan
The Scarlet Cloak
Jean Plaidy
The first book in the Norman Trilogy
ON A HOT
summer's day in the year 1026, Robert, Viscount of Exmes, who was the brother of the reigning Duke of Normandy, saw a beautiful girl washing her family's linen in the River Ante which ran at the foot of the castle of Falaise, and his desire for her changed the course of history.
Robert, aged seventeen and the second son of Richard, Duke of Normandy, was of a nature to resent the fact that he had not been born the elder. That his brother â named Richard after their father â should have become the Duke when he, already known as Robert the Magnificent, should have to stand aside merely because he had had the misfortune to be born a year or so later, was unendurable. It was for this reason that he was endeavouring to take his brother's ducal crown from him, that he had captured the castle of Falaise, and was at that time in residence there.
It was certain that Richard would make an attempt to wrest it from him so the castle was well fortified and from the towers sentinels were on duty through the day and night, but Robert took time off to hunt the wild boar which abounded in the nearby forest; and it was as he was returning from such a hunt that the meeting took place.
Even during the first encounter Robert sensed the unusual qualities of the girl. She was undoubtedly beautiful but there were many beautiful girls in Normandy. She was young. Perhaps she had seen no more than fourteen winters. There was a pride about her and a dignity as she stood there, skirts above her knees exposing her white shapely legs while she stamped on her linen and sang a song which Duke Rollo had brought with him from the Scandinavian countries whence he came to the land of France with his warriors in their long ships and so plagued the King of that country that he had been forced to concede to him that land now known as Normandy.
The girl's long hair fell cape-like about her shoulders; her blue eyes were soft as she sang but the pride and dignity of a Viking's daughter was evident.
Robert, who had had no compunction in taking the castle of Falaise, would certainly have let nothing stand in the way of the gratification of his senses, and he desired this girl as he never had another. So he commanded his followers to return to the castle and leave him. Alone he made his way to the edge of the river, but if she noticed him she did not appear to do so; she went on stamping her clothes and singing.
âGood morrow, maiden,' he called.
She lifted her head and, as she looked at him, his senses exulted in the pleasure to come; she was even more beautiful than he had realized.
âWhat do you do here?' he asked.
âI am washing our linen, good sir.'
âI like you well,' he said. âWhence come you?'
âFrom the town,' she answered. âMy father is Fulbert, the tanner.'
âCome out of the river, daughter of Fulbert the tanner. Or shall I come to you?'
Her face flushed faintly. âNeither,' she answered. âFor I have my work and you are too fine a gentleman to dally with me.'
If she were afraid, she did not show it. He could stride into the river and seize her. Who would dare question the action of the lord of Falaise? Her family? Nay, he would quickly show them to whom they owed allegiance if they attempted to curtail his pleasure. He would cut off the hand of any man who raised it against him. Aye, and nail it to the door of his dwelling as a lesson to others.
Yet he did nothing. The dignity of the girl disturbed him. Strangely enough he was content to wait. It would only be a postponement. He had now sensed that quality in her. It should not be a quick encounter on the turf. He would prefer it in a castle chamber.
So he was content to stand there looking at her, the sun on her golden hair, she, poised like a deer or a gazelle, wary and by no means eager to obey the lord of the castle.
He lifted his shoulders and jumped on to his horse, and for a few moments remained looking down on her. She went on stamping the clothes. He hesitated. Should he seize her, teach
her to show insolence to the lord to whom she owed allegiance, or should he bide his time? She was very young; perhaps she did not understand what he wanted of her. She was a virgin child â perhaps even younger than she appeared to be.
He rode on to the castle.
She looked up and saw his retreating figure.
She knew him of course. She had had a glimpse of him when he came riding into Falaise. Her grandmother and her father talked of him and his mighty family.
âTrouble there will be,' her father had said. âFor Robert is not the one to take a second place. And second he must be, for his elder brother is Duke Richard's heir and that's all to be said of it.'