The Traitor's Wife

Praise for
The Traitor's Wife

“A noblewoman pays the price for her loyalty to an unpopular king

and her unfaithful husband…conveys emotions and relationships

quite poignantly…entertaining historical fiction.”

—
Kirkus Discoveries

“The dialogue is excellent, the characters are well formed and

vibrant… Higginbotham's talents lie not only in her capacity for

detailed genealogical research of the period, but also in her skill

in bringing these historical figures to life with passion, a

wonderful sense of humor, honor, and love.”

—
Historical Novels Review Online

“Higginbotham has stirred to life a girl who is naïve and passionate,

impulsive and loyal…an endearing, involving story, made so by the

unconventional characters of Eleanor and Edward.”

—
Reviewer's Choice

“Higginbotham makes history come alive…
The Traitor's Wife
is a tale

of intrigue, betrayal, loyalty and passion.”

—
BookPleasures

“All the ingredients for a great tale: [love], treason, war and murder.
Couple this with Higginbotham's clear passion and knack for accuracy,
and this book is a can't miss…this novel was a joy to read.”
—
Read and Review

“Beautifully researched and incredibly captivating,
The Traitor's Wife

is a book you won't want to put down. Susan Higginbotham's

vivid portrayal of life during Edward II's tumultuous reign makes

for fascinating reading. Highly recommended!”

—Michelle Moran, bestselling author of
The Heretic Queen

“Once I began
The Traitor's Wife
, I couldn't stop. When

the electricity went out one night, I actually found

myself reading by flashlight!”

—Sharon Kay Penman, bestselling author of
Devil's Brood

“
The Traitor's Wife
brings to vibrant life a woman of determination

and courage, who became entangled in the colorful, often lethal

intrigues of Edward II's court. A captivating, well-paced read, full

of the dramatic passions of an era that has often been written about

but never from this particular point of view. Readers will

flock to the wit and verve of Eleanor de Clare.”

—C. W. Gortner, author of
The Last Queen

“With each new layer, this tremendously researched novel just keeps

getting better. A worthy mate to Marlowe's play
Edward II
,

Higginbotham shows the subtle side of pain.”

—David Blixt, author of
The Master of Verona

“Susan Higginbotham has delved into a dark period of

English history and given us a more sympathetic look at

a king of dubious reputation—Edward II.”

—Anne Easter Smith, author of
A Rose for the Crown

“In scope, historical accuracy, and authoritative voice, this

novel reads like really good biography. In dramatic force it reads

like exceptional fiction. The maelstrom of death and destruction set

in motion by the avarice, betrayal, and revenge prevalent in the

English court of Edward II is a cautionary tale of

human frailty skillfully delivered.”

—Brenda Rickman Vantrease, author of
The Illuminator

and
The Mercy Seller

Copyright © 2005, 2007, 2009 by Susan Higginbotham

Cover and internal design © 2009 by Sourcebooks, Inc.

Cover design by Kimberly Glyder Design

Cover Image (c) Bridgeman Art Library: Portrait of Saskia van Uylenburgh

(1612-42) in Rich Costume (oil on panel) (detail) (see 244316), Rembrandt

Harmensz. van Rijn (1606-69), Gemaeldegalerie Alte Meister, Kassel, Germany

Sourcebooks and the colophon are registered trademarks of Sourcebooks, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems—except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews—without permission in writing from its publisher, Sourcebooks, Inc.

The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious or are used fictitiously. Apart from well-known historical figures, any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

Published by Sourcebooks Landmark, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc.

P.O. Box 4410, Naperville, Illinois 60567-4410

(630) 961-3900

Fax: (630) 961-2168

www.sourcebooks.com

Originally published in 2005 by iUniverse, Inc.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Higginbotham, Susan.

The traitor's wife / Susan Higginbotham.

p. cm.

1. De Clare, Eleanor, 1292-1337--Fiction. 2. Edward II, King of England, 1284-1327--Fiction. 3. Le Despenser, Hugh, Baron, d. 1326--Fiction. 4. Great Britain--History--Edward II, 1307-1327--Fiction. I. Title.

PS3608.I364T73 2009

813'.6--dc22

2008039530

Printed and bound in the United States of America.
VP 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Dedication

Characters

Part I: May 26, 1306 to November 24, 1326

i: May 1306

ii: February 1308 to March 1308

iii: June 1308 to July 1308

iv: February 1309 to February 1310

v: March 1310 to June 1312

vi: June 1312

vii: September 1312 to April 1314

viii: June 1314 to July 1314

ix: October 1314 to April 1317

x: November 1317 to December 1318

xi: July 1319 to January 1321

xii: February 1321 to August 1321

xiii: October 1321 to March 1322

xiv: October 1322 to March 1325

xv: April 1325 to September 1325

xvi: October 1325 to October 1326

xvii: October 1326

xviii: October 1326 to November 1326

Part II: November 1326 to June 30, 1337

xix: November 1326 to February 1327

xx: February 1327 to April 1327

xxi: June 1327 to September 1327

xxii: December 1327 to March 1328

xxiii: April 1328 to June 1328

xxiv: July 1328 to February 1329

xxv: March 1329 to December 1329

xxvi: February 1330 to March 1330

xxvii: April 1330 to November 1330

xxviii: January 1331 to February 1334

xxix: December 1334 to June 1337

Afterword

Hugh and Bess

Acknowledgments

Reading Group Guide

About the Author

To my family

N
OBLE FAMILIES IN FOURTEENTH-CENTURY ENGLAND GENERALLY NAMED their children after the royal family and after their own close relations, which militated severely against variety and in this novel resulted in a plethora of real-life Edwards, Hughs, Eleanors, Joans, and the like. In keeping with my personal preferences, I have not changed the names of any of the historical characters in this novel, with the single exception of Eleanor's damsel Gladys, who is actually named Joan in the record in which she appears.

Married women or widows, when referred to separately from their husbands, were not necessarily known by their last husband's surname or by their maiden name. The thrice-married Elizabeth de Clare is referred to in records as Elizabeth de Burgh, from her first husband's name, while Isabel le Despenser, also married three times, is referred to as Isabel de Hastings, from the name of her second husband.