The Queen's Rival Read online

  Praise for Anne O’Brien

  ‘O’Brien cleverly intertwines the personal and political in this enjoyable, gripping tale’

  The Times

  ‘O’Brien is a terrific storyteller’

  Daily Telegraph

  ‘A gripping story of love, heartache and political intrigue’

  Woman & Home

  ‘One of the best writers around…she outdoes even Philippa Gregory’

  Sun

  ‘The characters are larger than life…and the author a compulsive storyteller’

  Sunday Express

  ‘A fast-paced historical novel’

  Good Housekeeping

  ‘This book has everything – royalty, scandal, fascinating historical politics’

  Cosmopolitan

  ‘O’Brien’s page-turner vividly brings to life the restriction of women, and the compassion and strength of this real-life figure from medieval times’

  Woman

  ‘A gripping historical drama’

  Bella

  ANNE O’BRIEN was born in the West Riding of Yorkshire. After gaining a BA Honours degree in History at Manchester University and a Master’s in Education at Hull, she lived in the East Riding for many years as a teacher of history.

  Today she has sold nearly half a million copies of her books worldwide. She lives with her husband in an eighteenth-century timber-framed cottage in the depths of the Welsh Marches in Herefordshire on the borders between England and Wales. The area provides endless inspiration for her novels about the forgotten women of history.

  Visit Anne online at www.anneobrienbooks.com.

  Find Anne on Facebook @anneobrienbooks and follow her on Twitter @anne_obrien.

  Also by Anne O’Brien

  THE VIRGIN WIDOW

  DEVIL’S CONSORT

  THE KING’S CONCUBINE

  THE FORBIDDEN QUEEN

  THE SCANDALOUS DUCHESS

  THE KING’S SISTER

  THE QUEEN’S CHOICE

  THE SHADOW QUEEN

  QUEEN OF THE NORTH

  A TAPESTRY OF TREASON

  Copyright

  An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd

  1 London Bridge Street

  London SE1 9GF

  First published in Great Britain by HQ in 2020

  Copyright © Anne O’Brien 2020

  Anne O’Brien asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

  A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

  This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

  Ebook Edition © September 2020 ISBN: 9780008225513

  Version 2020-08-20

  Note to Readers

  This ebook contains the following accessibility features which, if supported by your device, can be accessed via your ereader/accessibility settings:

  Change of font size and line height

  Change of background and font colours

  Change of font

  Change justification

  Text to speech

  Page numbers taken from the following print edition: ISBN 9780008225544

  With all my love, as always, to my husband George.

  He has accompanied me in my close companionship with

  Cecily Neville, Duchess of York (whether he wished to or not).

  ‘Dame Cecily, sir, whose daughter was she?

  Of the Earl of Westmorland, I believe the youngest

  and in grace her fortune to be the highest’

  CLARE ROLL

  ‘Cecily, wife unto the right noble Prince Richard, late Duke

  of York, father unto the most Christian Prince my lord

  and son King Edward IV…bequeath and surrender my

  soul to the merciful hands of Almighty God my maker’

  CECILY’S WILL

  Cast of Characters

  The House of York and its Household

  Richard, Duke of York

  Cecily, Duchess of York, King’s Mother

  Their children:

  - Edward, Earl of March, Duke of York, King Edward IV

  - Edmund, Earl of Rutland

  - George, Duke of Clarence

  - Richard (Diccon), Duke of Gloucester,

  - Anne, Duchess of Exeter

  - Elizabeth, Duchess of Suffolk

  - Margaret (Meg), Duchess of Burgundy

  The House of Lancaster

  King Henry VI

  Queen Margaret (Marguerite) of Anjou

  Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales

  The Nevilles

  Richard, Earl of Salisbury, Cecily’s brother

  Anne, Duchess of Buckingham, Cecily’s sister

  Katherine, Dowager Duchess of Norfolk, Cecily’s sister

  Richard, Earl of Warwick, Cecily’s nephew, son of Salisbury

  Daughters of Warwick:

  - Isabel, wife of Clarence

  - Anne, wife of Gloucester

  George Neville, Bishop of Exeter, Archbishop of York, Chancellor of England, Cecily’s nephew, Warwick’s brother

  The Beauforts

  Edmund, 2nd Duke of Somerset

  Henry, 3rd Duke of Somerset

  Edmund, 4th Duke of Somerset

  The Woodvilles

  Richard Woodville, Earl Rivers

  Jacquetta, Lady Rivers, (once Duchess of Bedford)

  Their children:

  - Elizabeth, Queen of England

  - Anne m. Viscount Bourchier

  - Antony, Lord Scales, Earl Rivers

  - Margaret m. Earl of Arundel

  - Mary m. Earl of Pembroke

  - Jacquetta m. Lord Strange

  - John m. Katherine Neville, Dowager Duchess of Norfolk

  - Lionel, bishop of Salisbury

  - Katherine m. Duke of Buckingham

  - Eleanor m. Lord Grey of Ruthin

  - Martha m. Sir John Bromley

  Two sons by Elizabeth Woodville’s first marriage to Sir John Grey:

  - Thomas Grey, Marquess of Dorset

  - Sir Richard Grey

  The Yorkist Royal Family

  King Edward IV

  Queen Elizabeth

  Their children:

  - Elizabeth

  - Mary

  - Cecily

  - Edward, Prince of Wales

  - Richard, Duke of York

  - Anne

  - Katherine

  - Bridget

  Rob Woodhouse, the Royal Fool

  Burgundy

  Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy

  Charles the Bold, his son, Duke of Burgundy, husband of Margaret of York

  France

  King Louis XI

  Contents

  Cover

  Praise

  About the Author

  Booklist

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Note to Readers

  Dedication

  Epigraph

  Cast of Characters

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three
<
br />   Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Why Write about Cecily Neville?

  And Afterwards

  Travels with Cecily Neville, Duchess of York

  Acknowledgements

  Extract

  About the Publisher

  Prologue

  A Domestic Interlude in the Most Loyal House of York

  Cecily, Duchess of York, to my youngest son Diccon, on the occasion of his seventh birthday celebrated here at Ludlow, on the second day of October in the year 1459

  Today, my son, we mark the day of your birth.

  You will have unwrapped your gifts by now, among them a fine dagger from your father with a damascened blade. He persuades me that you are old enough to own such a weapon. It belonged to him when he was a boy. He has the scars to prove it. Ask him to show you them when he has a moment of leisure. It is not a bauble and you should treat it with respect. I will confiscate it if you use it unwisely.

  From me you will have discovered the book of stories of Greek heroes which you are now able to read. They all use their swords and daggers with care.

  Enjoy the special day, with all the family here together, although you will be disappointed that the promised tournament will not happen. Your father has much on his mind with so many of our soldiers billeted in the castle and in the town, but your brothers have something planned so that the day does not go unmarked. The cook will make your favourite Payn Ragoun to be served at the end of dinner; it is the day of your birth so I will accept a little indulgence.

  Remember to thank the Blessed Virgin Mary for your life and health.

  Remember your duty to God and to the King, whatever happens in the coming days.

  Remember your duty to your family of York.

  Do not forget to attend Mass.

  I have also given you an illuminated Book of Hours that belonged to me when I was a young girl. I know that you will be tempted to write in your own birth-date in the page of October. Do not do so. It is a masterpiece of clerkish work and will not benefit from your scrawl in the margins.

  From your loving mother,

  Cecily, Duchess of York

  To my Lady Mother, Duchess Cecily, on the evening of this second day of October 1459

  My tutor says that I must give you gracious thanks for the gifts, and prove that I can write well.

  My father showed me the scar where his first dagger hacked into his wrist when he was skinning a rabbit. I promise I will not do that. My father said that he was too busy to show me the rest. I have not written in my Book of Hours. But one day I will. One day I think it will be important to me to mark the day of my birth. I promise I will write it neatly.

  I have started to read the book of Greek heroes. I have decided I would wish to be like Achilles, to live bravely and to die well, even if I am not very old when I meet my doom.

  I enjoyed the Payn Ragoun, although George ate more than I did. He says it is his right because he is three years older than I am.

  I hope it makes his teeth drop out.

  I have also had to hide my new dagger from him.

  From your dutiful son,

  Diccon

  Cecily, Duchess of York, to her son George

  I wish to see you in my chamber immediately after Mass.

  It has come to my notice that you have not yet learned the lessons of either generosity or humility, or family affection. Gluttony, I must warn you, is also a sin.

  Do not put me to the trouble of coming to find you in the stables. You will not enjoy the consequences.

  Because I know that you will take heed and learn from your mistakes, I remain your loving mother.

  Cecily, Duchess of York

  Cecily, Duchess of York, for the immediate attention of the Duke of York

  Richard,

  I warned you that Diccon was too young for such a gift. George is suffering from a severe attack of envy so that Diccon has already had to fight to keep possession of his dagger. They have both been blooded and show signs of battle, but our younger son has emerged victorious. He might lack the physical bulk of George but his spirit is strong.

  I advise you to make no mention of their colourful afflictions when you next see them. Do not praise them for any false courage. I have dealt with the matter.

  I think this will find you before I do, when you at last return to the castle.

  I know that you have much on your mind and that you will say, rightly, that it is my role to supervise the education of our sons, but sometimes a word of paternal admonishing would not go amiss.

  In exasperation,

  Your loving wife,

  Cis

  Chapter One

  The Death of Loyalty

  Duchess Cecily teaches a lesson in Ludlow Castle, October 1459

  We were in occupation of one of the corner chambers in the old gatehouse keep at Ludlow Castle because it was a good vantage point from which to detect approaching marauders. Despite the lack of light and the all-pervasive reek of damp, I lit candles then unrolled the precious scroll with a flourish. It was a line of succession, drawn as a tree with thorny branches, all the way from the first man and woman on earth, Adam and Eve, enclosed in leaves and flowers in the Garden of Eden, to King Henry the Sixth, our present crowned and anointed King of England.

  ‘Hold down the corners,’ I said to my children.

  My two elder sons already knew this lesson well, as did my elder daughters, Anne and Elizabeth, who were wed and living in their own households. Here with me were my three younger offspring. Margaret, more frequently called Meg, at twelve years was adept at reading and could work it out for herself. George at ten, and Richard, known to all as Diccon to avoid unnecessary complications in our domestic dealings, the youngest of my sons who had not yet achieved eight years, were still in the process of gleaning information on old alliances. It was time they knew of their profound inheritance. Indeed, in the circumstances, it had become an urgent affair.

  George slouched over the table edge, pressing down hard with his whole hand, while Meg applied her fingertips with neat precision. Diccon had his elbows splayed along one edge, leaning close to survey the pattern of lines and names.

  ‘Do you see the roundels, painted next to each name?’ I pointed to some of them, the closest to us today and the most highly coloured, all capped or crowned with gold. ‘The scribe has included a picture of each King, and his heraldic symbol so that you might recognise him.’

  They peered over the document, sufficiently engrossed, even George who preferred weapons to books.

  ‘Our King Henry.’ George pointed. ‘Our cousin.’

  Meg placed her finger on a sword-wielding figure, two branches above. ‘That is the fourth King Henry.’

  ‘He was my mother’s – your grandmother Joan’s – half-brother.’ I traced my finger down from that fourth Henry to his son, the fifth Henry, and then his grandson, the sixth, our present King. ‘These Kings – all three Henrys – are from the House of Lancaster.’

  ‘
Why is the fourth Henry the only one with a sword?’ Diccon asked.

  ‘Because he used the sword to slice through the branches of the tree. There.’ I pointed to the break in the branches. ‘Henry cut the order of succession and deposed King Richard.’ I watched as a frown furrowed George’s brow. ‘The fourth Henry is what we would call a usurper.’

  ‘What happened to Richard?’ George asked.

  ‘He died. In Pontefract Castle.’

  ‘Did Henry have him killed?’ Meg asked.

  ‘No one knows.’

  ‘I wager he did. He is fierce in the picture.’ Diccon looked impressed.

  ‘What do you learn from this?’ I asked.

  ‘They are all branches of the same tree, from father to son. Except there, when the Lancastrian Kings took over.’ Meg regarded me with her solemn stare. Her eyes were forthright, her chin stubborn, her countenance often firm-lipped and unsmiling, but I thought she would grow into a handsome woman. My husband said that of them all she was most like me, and perhaps he was right. She was developing a strong will. ‘Would it have been better to keep Richard, whatever his faults?’ she asked.

  ‘The Lancastrian Henrys have brought us a peaceful and strong country,’ I stated. ‘Victory abroad in battles against the French. Richard may not have done so. And Richard had no son to follow him. It is important to have sons.’

  ‘Is our King Henry a good King?’ Diccon asked.

  ‘Sometimes he is not well,’ I suggested. ‘Sometimes he needs good advisors.’

  ‘Like our father?’

  I regarded Diccon. My other sons would be as tall and broad and fair as the painted angels on the walls of my private chapel. Diccon would be neither tall nor broad, and his hair was the dark of a raven’s wing. He was the image of his father, who had more wiry strength than powerful muscle.

  ‘Yes, like your father.’

  But King Henry’s worthiness was not a subject for discussion. We were stepping on the quivering ground of a morass that had recently begun to weaken the solid foundations of our vast, far-flung family.

  ‘But where does our father fit on the branches?’ George asked.

  I pointed further back than the deposed King Richard, to the great third King Edward who had won battles at Crécy and Poitiers and thus defeated the French.