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Less fortunate than fair
Hardcover
First published December 31, 1977
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November 30, 2020
This author has written a series of five books recounting the sexual exploits of Cicely Plantagenet, daughter of of King Edward IV, with almost all adult male descendants of Edward III beginning with her incestuous relationship with her uncle King Richard III in “Cicely’s King Richard.” I read 2 and a half of them—I couldn’t make it through the King Richard book-- finding them to be epics of sleaze.
Forty years earlier, in the 1970’s the author published three novels also chronicling Cicely and three men she loved. I decided it would be interesting to find out if her treatment had changed. This is the first of those novels telling of her love for her uncle King Richard III’s son, John of Gloucester. It begins shortly after the death of her beloved father who, on his deathbed, provided that his brother Richard should be Lord Protector of the realm. Cicely’s mother, Queen Elizabeth Woodville, has other ideas, seeking to gather the reins of power into her own hands. When Elizabeth is outmaneuvered by Richard, she flees into sanctuary with her five daughters and younger son Richard Duke of York. This gives a somewhat interesting perspective of life in sanctuary. Cicely has a somewhat cynical attitude toward her mother, but is fearful of her uncle Richard, especially after Margaret Beaufort informs them that Richard has murdered her two brothers (the Duke of York having joined his brother at the Tower). Her elder sister Bess, however, has long since fallen in love with her uncle and steadfastly maintains that he would never do such a thing.
There is an effectively dramatic scene where Richard comes to the sanctuary in the middle of a snowy winter night with the two princes in tow to prove to Elizabeth that her sons are alive and well. (At this point in “Cicely’s King Richard”, Cicely falls in love with Richard). Shortly thereafter, Elizabeth and her daughters come out of sanctuary and join Richard’s court. There, Cicely meets and falls in love with Richard’s bastard son, John.
She also becomes a confident of the dying Queen Anne who after two days’ acquaintance asks Cicely to help her hide blood speckled handkerchiefs, the evidence of her fatal illness from Richard. Cicely agrees, but surely this is pointless. John has already told Cicely he has seen these handkerchiefs and, surely, the queen’s ladies must be aware of the nature of her illness. Meanwhile, the lovestruck Bess is mooning about, trying not to let her feelings for her uncle show in her face—not altogether successfully. Interestingly, she knows that her love for her uncle is hopeless and an avowal of her love to him would only serve to alienate him.
Finally, Cicely, Bess, and John go off with the Earl of Lincoln to Sheriff Hutton to await the outcome of the king’s battle with Tudor. (They tried to shake off one of Stanley’s men who was shadowing them to learn their destination. I get that that Tudor wanted to be able to take them, especially Bess, into custody after a victory, but could there be that much of a mystery where they could possibly be located.) The group is joined at Sheriff Hutton by the princes who have been escorted by Rob Percy. (Odd that, why didn’t the author chose Francis Lovell who is known to have survived the battle rather Percy who didn’t?) The inhabitants at Sheriff Hutton spend a blissful few weeks, hawking, making love (yes, Cicely and John consummate their love), or trying to as Lincoln, Jack de la Pole) attempts to seduce Bess. Well, they did have to endure the company of that spoiled brat, the erstwhile Edward V.
When the news comes of Richard’s death at the battle Bosworth, John and Bess are out on a ride and Jack is somewhere wenching (I guess he wasn’t successful with Bess!) so Rob is forced to depart with the princes while Cicely stays behind to cover up evidence that they were ever there. They are taken into custody by Willoughby (mean) and John Welles (nice; and Cicely’s future husband). Willoughby hangs an innkeeper who refuses to take down his White Boar sign. They are met in London by the extraordinarily handsome Tudor. (I expect he didn’t flash his pearly whites…strike that, his blackened teeth.) He is also gracious, tut-tutting his displeasure that Willoughby tightly bond the hands of John and Jack. The book ends with Cicely crying with tears of relief that Tudor had greeted them with courtesy.
This novel presented a nice romance and has entertaining looks at Cicely’s life in sanctuary and at Sheriff Hutton. Bess has some complexity and does not remain a sappy lovestruck girl. There a few problems as already noted, and, it was almost always the “beautiful” Bess and the “handsome” Jack de la Pole. Altogether this is a much better book than any of the author’s trashy Cicely novels—but that was a low bar to clear.
Forty years earlier, in the 1970’s the author published three novels also chronicling Cicely and three men she loved. I decided it would be interesting to find out if her treatment had changed. This is the first of those novels telling of her love for her uncle King Richard III’s son, John of Gloucester. It begins shortly after the death of her beloved father who, on his deathbed, provided that his brother Richard should be Lord Protector of the realm. Cicely’s mother, Queen Elizabeth Woodville, has other ideas, seeking to gather the reins of power into her own hands. When Elizabeth is outmaneuvered by Richard, she flees into sanctuary with her five daughters and younger son Richard Duke of York. This gives a somewhat interesting perspective of life in sanctuary. Cicely has a somewhat cynical attitude toward her mother, but is fearful of her uncle Richard, especially after Margaret Beaufort informs them that Richard has murdered her two brothers (the Duke of York having joined his brother at the Tower). Her elder sister Bess, however, has long since fallen in love with her uncle and steadfastly maintains that he would never do such a thing.
There is an effectively dramatic scene where Richard comes to the sanctuary in the middle of a snowy winter night with the two princes in tow to prove to Elizabeth that her sons are alive and well. (At this point in “Cicely’s King Richard”, Cicely falls in love with Richard). Shortly thereafter, Elizabeth and her daughters come out of sanctuary and join Richard’s court. There, Cicely meets and falls in love with Richard’s bastard son, John.
She also becomes a confident of the dying Queen Anne who after two days’ acquaintance asks Cicely to help her hide blood speckled handkerchiefs, the evidence of her fatal illness from Richard. Cicely agrees, but surely this is pointless. John has already told Cicely he has seen these handkerchiefs and, surely, the queen’s ladies must be aware of the nature of her illness. Meanwhile, the lovestruck Bess is mooning about, trying not to let her feelings for her uncle show in her face—not altogether successfully. Interestingly, she knows that her love for her uncle is hopeless and an avowal of her love to him would only serve to alienate him.
Finally, Cicely, Bess, and John go off with the Earl of Lincoln to Sheriff Hutton to await the outcome of the king’s battle with Tudor. (They tried to shake off one of Stanley’s men who was shadowing them to learn their destination. I get that that Tudor wanted to be able to take them, especially Bess, into custody after a victory, but could there be that much of a mystery where they could possibly be located.) The group is joined at Sheriff Hutton by the princes who have been escorted by Rob Percy. (Odd that, why didn’t the author chose Francis Lovell who is known to have survived the battle rather Percy who didn’t?) The inhabitants at Sheriff Hutton spend a blissful few weeks, hawking, making love (yes, Cicely and John consummate their love), or trying to as Lincoln, Jack de la Pole) attempts to seduce Bess. Well, they did have to endure the company of that spoiled brat, the erstwhile Edward V.
When the news comes of Richard’s death at the battle Bosworth, John and Bess are out on a ride and Jack is somewhere wenching (I guess he wasn’t successful with Bess!) so Rob is forced to depart with the princes while Cicely stays behind to cover up evidence that they were ever there. They are taken into custody by Willoughby (mean) and John Welles (nice; and Cicely’s future husband). Willoughby hangs an innkeeper who refuses to take down his White Boar sign. They are met in London by the extraordinarily handsome Tudor. (I expect he didn’t flash his pearly whites…strike that, his blackened teeth.) He is also gracious, tut-tutting his displeasure that Willoughby tightly bond the hands of John and Jack. The book ends with Cicely crying with tears of relief that Tudor had greeted them with courtesy.
This novel presented a nice romance and has entertaining looks at Cicely’s life in sanctuary and at Sheriff Hutton. Bess has some complexity and does not remain a sappy lovestruck girl. There a few problems as already noted, and, it was almost always the “beautiful” Bess and the “handsome” Jack de la Pole. Altogether this is a much better book than any of the author’s trashy Cicely novels—but that was a low bar to clear.
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