EXCERPT: Marguerite~Hell Hath No Fury!
- 1brookallen
- Jul 30
- 5 min read
When I was a child of only eight or so, I fell in love with English history. It all began with Camelot. The legends of Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table consumed me. I read every book I could find and couldn't wait until the day I could actually visit Great Britain and her many castles. When my parents finally took me on my first trip to Europe, England was our first stop. I roamed the Tower of London, revelled in a visit to Windsor--even the part that was later destroyed by fire. Then there was the joy of seeing Winchester and Old Sarum--oh how delighted I was at seeing that enormous Round Table hanging on the wall!
Soon after coming home, my cousin Kay, who also loved Britain and traveling there, gave me a book on the crowned kings and queens of England. I had already been hooked, but have since maintained an intrigue in all things British. So, it's no wonder that some of my favorite books are about English history.
Today's guest author is no stranger to Brook's Journal. In fact, she has visited us here at least twice. She's one of the most prolific writers I know. And what a talented lady! She designs her own Tudor costumes and founded a group of historical re-enactors focusing on the Tudor period. She restores antique doll-houses, operates a B&B, and is a master gardener! Oh, and of course, she's a well-known author, too! Be sure to scroll down and see her plethora of novels, for she has a fascination for the Medieval and Tudor periods. No wonder I love her work so much!
Welcome back to my blog, Judith Arnopp. You know you're welcome here ANYTIME! And readers, get ready for her newest novel, for Hell hath no fury like Queen Marguerite!
Read ON, everybody!
Marguerite: Hell Hath No Fury!
By Judith Arnopp
1481 - Dampierre-sur-Loire, Anjou
I am the dowager queen, and I should be in England, housed in splendour, lauded, pampered, surrounded by royal grandchildren but instead I am exiled, confined to this backwater in France. Queen of obscurity, of notoriety. I curse each day as it dawns, bringing another unendurable four and twenty hours in which to think … to remember. Little more than a pauper, I am a pensioner of King Louis. I am exiled, ousted and excluded from the country over which I once ruled. Defeat sits heavily on me. My body pains me, my heart aches and my mind is tortured. How did it ever come to this?
I am a victim of treason, betrayal and regicide. Yes – regicide, the cold-blooded murder of an anointed king and the theft of his crown. Gentle Henry, my husband was brought low by the ambition of the cursed Duke of York and his devil-spawned son.
Even while serving the fifth Henry in France, York chafed against Lancaster, smarting each time a better man was shown greater favour than himself. He coveted riches, he coveted power, no matter the cost, and he sneered at Henry’s efforts to reign peaceably.
The moment I arrived in England as Henry’s queen, I became the focus for York’s hatred. He despised me as a foreigner and a woman, and believing their claim superior to that of Lancaster, the House of York coveted the crown for years. They misliked the way Henry heeded my advice. My directives influenced the king more often than York’s and oh, how that wounded him!
For a long time, our mutual dislike simmered, increasing and spreading like bubbles in a boiling pot until it became so hot, so virulent that it overflowed, splitting the court asunder and forcing cousin to side against cousin.
As England’s noble houses wrought violence against themselves and kin slaughtered kin, dark clouds gathered over England and the rivers ran with blood. With York so close to the crown he could almost grasp it, civil war was inevitable. Spurred on by his kinsmen and his litter of flea-ridden pups, York reached out for what was mine, and in the end, he took it.
On the day we slew York and his son at Wakefield I thought we had won, but his spawn soon replaced him. The repugnant Edward took up his father’s banner. Edward the regicide, the usurper who killed my son, and murdered my king. They locked me away but even when I begged to be allowed to die, he forced me to live.
My life since has been worse than a thousand deaths.
I can barely recall the young, green girl I once was, unskilled in policy, and a stranger to the country I would come to love.
ALL ABOUT THE BOOK
Marguerite: Queen of England
From the moment Henry VI's new queen, Marguerite of Anjou, sets foot on English soil she is despised by the English as a foreigner, and blamed for the failures of the hundred years war in France.
Her enemies impede her role as the king’s consort and when Henry sinks into apparent madness, her bid to become regent is rejected. Marguerite must fight, not only for her own position but to maintain Henry’s possession of the crown.
The ambitious Duke, Richard of York, seizes control of the country, thrusting Marguerite aside and inflating the mutual hatred between the houses of York and Lancaster. But the queen refuses to relinquish power and fights determinedly for the rights of her son, Edward of Lancaster.
The long and bitter civil conflict, that has come to be known as the War of the Roses, commences.
ALL ABOUT JUDITH
A lifelong history enthusiast and avid reader, Judith holds a BA in English / Creative Writing and a Masters in Medieval Studies. She lives on the coast of West Wales where she writes both fiction and non-fiction. She is best known for her novels set in the Medieval and Tudor period, focussing on the perspective of historical women but recently she has written a trilogy from the perspective of Henry VIII himself.
Judith is also a founder member of a re-enactment group called The Fyne Companye of Cambria which is when and why she began to experiment with sewing historical garments. She now makes clothes and accessories both for the group and others. She is not a professionally trained sewer but through trial, error and determination has learned how to make authentic looking, if not strictly historically accurate clothing. A non-fiction book about Tudor clothing, How to Dress like a Tudor, was published in 2023 by Pen and Sword.
She runs a small seaside holiday let in Aberporth and when she has time for fun, likes to garden and restore antique doll’s houses. You can find her on most social media platforms.
Her novels include:
A Song of Sixpence: the story of Elizabeth of York
The Beaufort Chronicle: the life of Lady Margaret Beaufort (three book series)
The Henrician Chronicle: comprising of:
A Matter of Conscience: Henry VIII, the Aragon Years (Book One of The Henrician Chronicle)
A Matter of Faith: Henry VIII, the Days of the Phoenix (Book Two of The Henrician Chronicle)
A Matter of Time: Henry VIII, the Dying of the Light (Book Three of The Henrician Chronicle)
The Kiss of the Concubine: a story of Anne Boleyn
The Winchester Goose: at the court of Henry VIII
Intractable Heart: the story of Katheryn Parr
Sisters of Arden: on the Pilgrimage of Grace
The Heretic Wind: the life of Mary Tudor, Queen of England
Peaceweaver
The Forest Dwellers
The Song of Heledd
The Book of Thornhold
A Daughter of Warwick: the story of Anne Neville, Queen of Richard III
Marguerite: Hell Hath no Fury!
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***This title is also available to read on KindleUnlimited***
Thank you so much for hosting me on your blog, what a glowing write up too. Thank you, I love it xx
Thank you so much for hosting Judith Arnopp today, with an intriguing excerpt from her compelling novel, Marguerite: Hell Hath No Fury!. Take care, Cathie xo The Coffee Pot Book Club