Normandy 1067---William may have conquered England, but it
is a conquest of a different kind that one English earl
has in mind.
Fresh from his defeat of King Harold
at the Battle of Hastings, William of Normandy has
returned home in triumph, accompanied by the English
nobles he cannot trust to leave behind. For Waltheof of
Huntington, however, rebellion is not at the forefront of
his thoughts. From the moment he catches sight of Judith,
daughter of the King’s formidable sister, he knows he has
found his future wife.
When Waltheof saves Judith’s
life, it is clear that the attraction is mutual. But
marriage has little to do with love in medieval Europe.
When William refuses to let the couple wed, Waltheof joins
forces with his fellow rebels in an uprising against the
King. William brutally crushes the rebellion, but realizes
that Waltheof cannot be ignored. Marrying him to his
niece, he decides, is the perfect way to keep him in
check.
But is the match between the Saxon earl and
Norman lady made in heaven or hell? As their children
grow, Waltheof and Judith must choose between their
feelings for each other and older loyalties. At the same
time, the reputation of Waltheof’s Norman acquaintance
Simon de Senlis continues to flourish. The son of
William’s chamberlain, he shares a special bond with
Waltheof, who rescued him from being trampled by a horse
when he was a squire. Now Simon enjoys the confidence of
both the King and the rebel earl. And when tension between
the two ignites once more, it is Simon who is set to reap
the reward.
Based on an astonishing true story of
honor, treachery, and love, The Winter Mantle is
historical fiction at its very best, reaching from the
turbulent reign of William the conqueror to the high drama
of the Crusades.
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