The Stolen Crown: The Secret Marriage That Forever Changed the Fate of England (56 page)

Hugh le Despenser, struggling to reestablish his family’s good name, cannot refuse the king’s proposition that he marry an earl’s daughter. But even though the marriage is a beneficial alliance, Hugh is in love with another…

Far apart in age and haunted by the past, can Hugh and Bess somehow make their marriage work?

Trapped in the Wars of the Roses,

one woman finds herself
sister to the queen

“The Wars of the Roses come spectacularly to life in Susan Higginbotham’s compelling new novel about Kate Woodville, sister to Queen Elizabeth of England. A sweeping tale of danger, treachery, and

love,
The Stolen Crown
is
impossible to put down!
”

—Michelle Moran, bestselling author of
CleoPaTra’s DaughTer
“A
fascinating and compelling
look at a tumultuous era. Susan Higginbotham writes the perfect blend of historical fact and fiction.”

—Elizabeth Kerri Mahon, creator of the Scandalous Women blog atherine Woodville’s sister never gave her a choice. A happy girl of

modest means, Kate hardly expected to become a maker of kings. But when her sister impulsively marries King Edward IV in secret, Katherine’s life is no longer hers to control…

“A new King with a secret Queen; love and tears, loyalty and turmoil.

With a single stroke, Susan Higginbotham transports her readers into a
vividly portrayed past
, where the turbulent lives of her characters become very real. Probably
her best novel yet!
”

—Helen Hollick, author of the Pendragon’s Banner trilogy

“A tale of love, palace intrigue, and betrayal…
Susan Higginbotham

draws the reader under her spell
, her characters vivid and real: their voices, their loves, their losses. She brings the dead to life.”

—Christy English, author of
The Queen’s Pawn
includes bonus reading group guide

Award-winning author Susan Higginbotham’s expertly researched historical fiction delights readers. Her novels www.sourcebooks.com

include
The Traitor’s Wife
and
Hugh and Bess
. Higginbotham Fiction

$12.99 U.S.

has worked as an editor and an attorney, and she lives in ISBN-13: 978-1-4022-3767-6

Apex, North Carolina, with her family. Her website is www.susanhigginbotham.com.

• Praise Page
  
• Title Page
  
• Copyright
  
• Dedication
  
• Characters
  
• Chapter 1
  
• Chapter 2
  
• Chapter 3
  
• Chapter 4
  
• Chapter 5
  
• Chapter 6
  
• Chapter 7
  
• Chapter 8
  
• Chapter 9
  
• Chapter 10
  
• Chapter 11
  
• Chapter 12
  
• Chapter 13
  
• Chapter 14
  
• Chapter 15
  
• Chapter 16
  
• Chapter 17
  
• Chapter 18
  
• Chapter 19
  
• Chapter 20
  
• Chapter 21
  
• Chapter 22
  
• Chapter 23
  
• Chapter 24
  
• Chapter 25
  
• Epilogue
  
• Author's Note
  
• Further Reading
  
• Acknowledgments
  
• Reading Group Guide
  
• About the Author
  
• Also Available