The Traitor's Wife (2 page)

The following, and my policy of trying never to have more than two people with the same first name speaking at once, may be of use to the reader. It does not purport to be a genealogical table; children and spouses who played no part in the events here are generally omitted. Major characters are all listed here; minor characters are listed when I thought their inclusion would aid the reader. Titles are those that individuals bore when they are mentioned in this novel.

The Royal Family

Edward I, King of England, married to Eleanor of Castile and Margaret of France.

Edward II, Prince of Wales and later King of England, son of Edward I and Eleanor. Married to Isabella of France.

Joan of Acre, daughter of Edward I and Eleanor. Wife to Gilbert de Clare and Ralph de Monthermer. Countess of Gloucester.

Mary, daughter of Edward I and Eleanor. Nun of Amesbury.

Elizabeth, daughter of Edward I and Eleanor. Wife to Humphrey de Bohun. Countess of Hereford.

Edmund, son of Edward I and Margaret. Earl of Kent.

Thomas, son of Edward I and Margaret. Earl of Norfolk.

Edward III, later King of England, son of Edward II and Isabella. Also known as the Earl of Chester and the Duke of Aquitaine. Married to Philippa of Hainault.

John of Eltham, son of Edward II and Isabella. Made Earl of Cornwall in 1328.

Eleanor, daughter of Edward II and Isabella. Later married to the Count of Guelders.

Joan, daughter of Edward II and Isabella. Later married to David of Scotland, later King of Scotland.

Adam, out-of-wedlock son of Edward II by Lucy, a peasant girl.

The Church

Robert Winchelsey, Archbishop of Canterbury (1294).

Walter Reynolds, Archbishop of Canterbury (1313).

Simon de Mepham, Archbishop of Canterbury (1328).

William Melton, Archbishop of York.

Walter Langton, Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield (1296).

Roger de Northburgh, Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield (1322).

John de Hothum, Bishop of Ely.

Walter Stapeldon, Bishop of Exeter.

Adam de Orleton, Bishop of Hereford, later Bishop of Worcester (1328) and Bishop of Winchester (1333).

Henry Burghersh, Bishop of Lincoln.

Stephen Gravesend, Bishop of London.

John Salmon, Bishop of Norwich (1299).

William Ayrminne, Bishop of Norwich (1325).

Hamo de Hethe, Bishop of Rochester.

John Stratford, Bishop of Winchester.

The Clares

Joan of Acre, Countess of Gloucester. Daughter of Edward I and widow of Gilbert de Clare, late Earl of Gloucester.

Gilbert de Clare, son of Joan and Gilbert. Earl of Gloucester.

Eleanor de Clare (Eleanor le Despenser), daughter of Joan and Gilbert. Married to Hugh le Despenser the younger and William la Zouche.

Margaret de Clare (Margaret d'Audley), daughter of Joan and Gilbert. Countess of Cornwall. Married to Piers Gaveston and Hugh d'Audley.

Elizabeth de Clare (Elizabeth de Burgh), daughter of Joan and Gilbert. Married to John de Burgh, Theobald de Verdon, and Roger Damory.

The Despensers

Hugh le Despenser (“the elder”). Later Earl of Winchester. Married to Isabel Beauchamp.

Hugh le Despenser (“the younger”), son of Hugh and Isabel. Married to Eleanor de Clare.

Hugh, Edward, Gilbert, John, Isabel, Joan, Eleanor (Nora), Margaret, and Elizabeth, children of Hugh the younger and Eleanor.

Aline Burnell, daughter of Hugh the elder and Isabel. Widowed from Edward Burnell.

Isabel de Hastings, daughter of Hugh the elder and Isabel. Married to John de Hastings, her second husband, and Ralph de Monthermer, her third husband.

Thomas, Hugh, and Margaret, Isabel's children by John de Hastings.

Margaret de St. Amand, daughter of Hugh the elder and Isabel. Married to John de St. Amand.

Philip le Despenser, son of Hugh the elder and Isabel.

Nicholas de Litlyngton, out-of-wedlock son of Hugh the elder.

Earls and Their Kin

Edmund Fitz Alan, Earl of Arundel. Married to Alice, Countess of Arundel.

Richard Fitz Alan, later Earl of Arundel. Married to Isabel le Despenser, daughter of Hugh le Despenser the younger.

Edmund Arundel, son of Richard and Isabel.

Andrew Harclay, Earl of Carlisle.

Piers Gaveston, Earl of Cornwall. Married to Margaret de Clare.

Joan, daughter of Piers and Margaret.

Amie, out-of-wedlock daughter of Piers.

Gilbert de Clare, Earl of Gloucester. Married to Maud de Burgh.

Humphrey de Bohun, Earl of Hereford. Married to Elizabeth, daughter of Edward I.

Edward de Bohun, Humphrey and Elizabeth's son.

Thomas, Earl of Lancaster.

Henry of Lancaster, Earl of Leicester. Later Earl of Lancaster. Brother of Thomas, Earl of Lancaster.

Henry de Lacy, Earl of Lincoln.

Roger Mortimer of Wigmore, Earl of March.

Aymer de Valence, Earl of Pembroke. Married to Beatrice and to Marie de St. Pol.

Jean Bretagne, Earl of Richmond.

John Warenne, Earl of Surrey. Married to Joan of Bar, granddaughter to Edward I.

Richard de Burgh, Earl of Ulster.

Maud de Burgh, Richard's daughter. Wife of Gilbert de Clare.

William de Burgh, Richard's grandson, later Earl of Ulster. Son of John de Burgh and Elizabeth de Burgh.

Guy de Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick. Married to Alice, Countess of Warwick.

Thomas de Beauchamp, Guy and Alice's son, later Earl of Warwick.

The French Royal Family

Philip IV, King of France (1285 to 1314).

Louis X, Philip IV's son, King of France (1314 to 1316).

Philip V, Philip IV's son, King of France (1316 to 1322).

Charles IV, Philip IV's son, King of France (1322 to 1328).

Isabella, Philip IV's daughter, Queen of England.

Philip VI, Philip IV's nephew, King of France (1328 to 1350).

The Scottish Royal Family

Robert Bruce, King of Scotland (1306 to 1329).

David Bruce, Robert Bruce's son, King of Scotland (1329 to 1371).

Donald, Earl of Mar, Robert Bruce's nephew.

Others

Hugh d'Audley, friend of Edward II, husband of Margaret de Clare.

Bartholomew Badlesmere, steward to Edward II.

Robert Baldock, Chancellor of England.

Henry de Beaumont, lord.

Simon de Bereford, associate of Roger Mortimer of Wigmore.

Thomas de Berkeley, keeper of Edward II.

Maurice de Berkeley, Thomas's son.

Ingelram Berenger, knight to Hugh le Despenser the elder.

Roger Damory, friend of Edward II, husband of Elizabeth de Burgh.

Benedict de Fulsham, pepper merchant.

Gladys, damsel to Eleanor le Despenser.

John de Grey of Rotherfield, knight.

Thomas Gurney, associate of Roger Mortimer of Wigmore.

Gwenllian, nun of Sempringham and daughter of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, Prince of Wales.

Joan of Bar, granddaughter of Edward I, wife of Earl of Surrey, and friend to Queen Isabella.

Alice de Leygrave, former nurse to Edward II and damsel to Queen Isabella.

John Maltravers, associate of Roger Mortimer of Wigmore.

William de Montacute, friend of Edward II.

William de Montacute, the elder William's son, friend of Edward III.

Ralph de Monthermer. Married to Joan of Acre, daughter of Edward I, later married to Isabel de Hastings, daughter of Hugh le Despenser the elder.

Thomas, Edward, and Joan de Monthermer, children of Ralph and Joan of Acre.

Roger Mortimer of Chirk, uncle of Roger Mortimer of Wigmore.

William Ogle, associate of Roger Mortimer of Wigmore.

Simon of Reading, knight to Hugh le Despenser the younger.

John de Ros, lord.

Thomas Wake, son-in-law of Henry, Earl of Leicester.

Isabella de Vescy, sister of Henry de Beaumont and lady to Queen Isabella.

William la Zouche. Married to Alice, Countess of Warwick, and Eleanor de Clare.

Alan, son of William la Zouche and Alice.

William, son of William la Zouche and Eleanor.

Part I

MAY 26, 1306
TO
NOVEMBER 24, 1326

P
RINCE EDWARD AND PIERS GAVESTON HAD SLEPT TOGETHER AND TOO LATE, neither of which was at all unusual. Edward was the first to awake. “Up, Perrot.”

“No.” His beautiful friend yawned and rolled to his side.

“You must. We have a wedding to attend. And what if my father finds you here?”

Piers considered. “Apoplexy?”

“At the least.” But his friend made no move to leave the bed, and Edward did not press the matter.

“So it is your niece who is getting married. It occurs to me that I have hardly seen the girl.”

“Eleanor is but thirteen. She has spent some time lately in my stepmother's household, and then she stayed at Amesbury priory with my sister Mary for a time too. She has just lately returned for her marriage.”

“I cannot for the life of me understand why girls go to convents before they are married. One thinks that the company of elderly virgins would be dampening to marital ardor. Now if they went to brothels at least it would be educational and practical.”

Edward swatted his friend with a pillow. He said a bit wistfully, “When Eleanor was younger, I used to row her and her brother in my boat. Her sisters felt it was too unladylike, so they would never go along. But she loved it. She and Gilbert used to stick their noses in the air and pretend I was their boatman and shout orders at me.” He stroked his friend's hair. “I am sorry my father gave her to Hugh le Despenser. I would have liked her to be your wife.”