A Triple Knot - A Novel

Zusatztext 77514358 Informationen zum Autor Emma Campion Klappentext The critically acclaimed author of The King's Mistress brings another fascinating woman from history to life in an enthralling story of political intrigue! personal tragedy! and illicit love. Joan of Kent! renowned beauty and cousin to King Edward III! is destined for a politically strategic marriage. As the king begins a long dynastic struggle to claim the crown of France! plunging England into the Hundred Years' War! he negotiates her betrothal to a potential ally and heir of a powerful lordship. But Joan! haunted by nightmares of her father's execution at the hands of her treacherous royal kin! fears the king's selection and is not resigned to her fate. She secretly pledges herself to one of the king's own knights! one who has become a trusted friend and protector. Now she must defend her vow as the king-furious at Joan's defiance-prepares to marry her off to another man. In A Triple Knot! Emma Campion brings Joan! the "Fair Maid of Kent" to glorious life! deftly weaving details of King Edward III's extravagant court into a rich and emotionally resonant tale of intrigue! love! and betrayal. 1 Woodstock Palace November 1338 Joan's father, Edmund, Earl of Kent, was beheaded when she was not yet four years old. Yet even after eight years, she had only to close her eyes to remember how it felt to rest her head against his chest as he walked her back and forth, singing of fair maidens and valiant knights, her young bones resonating with his clear tenor. No nightmare could steal up on her when in his arms, no shadow creature dare approach. His warmth melted all pain. Her most precious possession was his drawing of a white hart seated on a lawn, a crown for a collar attached to a chain that pooled in the grass beneath. He'd had it embroidered on his cloaks and jackets--white hart, deep green lawn, and gold crown and chain. All long gone. Joan had found the drawing at the bottom of an old chest the previous spring. When she showed it to her cousin Ned, he confided that his grandam, the dowager queen Isabella, crossed herself whenever a white hart was mentioned in ballad or romance, a reminder of her part in Edmund's murder. She'd done nothing to stop the Earl of March, her lover and partner in rebellion, from beheading Joan's father for his loyalty to her husband, the king. Joan hated her for it. Unfortunately, Joan and the dowager queen were bound to each other. To atone for his uncle's unwarranted execution, the present King Edward, Isabella's son, had taken responsibility for Edmund's widow, Margaret, and her children, making them part of Queen Philippa's household. A cruel charity for which Joan was no more grateful than was her mother. So, through the summer and into the autumn Joan had bent to her work, embroidering the white hart emblem while keeping in her mind the charms of protection she'd learned from her nurse, Efa, and then, in secret, stitching the square onto a large banner, whispering a spell of power. Now she and Ned watched from behind a screen as Isabella and her ladies spilled into the great hall, taking their seats in a circle at the south end, where there was morning light for their needlework. Look up, Joan whispered, as if Lady Isabella might hear her. In the rafters just there. See how the morning sun lights up the white silk and the gold thread. Feel the power of my father's blood that flows in me and my brother. But the dowager queen had her head down, fussing with her embroidery frame, fingering the threads in her basket, choosing a color. At last, as she waited for her servant to thread her embroidery needle, Isabella sat back to survey the hall. Yes, Grandam, up! Ned whispered, crouched beside Joan. Though three years younger, he was taller than she, and considered himself her champion. Even again...

Product details

• Authors: Emma Campion
• Publisher: Crown Publishing Group
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 08.07.2014
• EAN: 9780307589293
• ISBN: 978-0-307-58929-3
• No. of pages: 480
• Dimensions: 131 mm x 203 mm x 24 mm
• Subject: Fiction > Narrative literature