The Wolf and the Dove
The Wolf and the Dove by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss 1974 Avon Books
This historic romance is set in 1066 Saxony when William of Normandy and his knights are conquering England and the Saxons.
Beautiful red-haired Aislinn is lady of Darkenwald, and Norman Ragnor kills her father and sacks the village with his knights. He claims Aislinn and rapes her. His leader Sir Wulfgar arrives and is angry with Ragnor for killing the serfs he needs to work his claimed land of Darkenwald. He takes Aislinn but refuses to rape her. He waits for her to come to him. Ragnor is obsessed with Aislinn and vows to get her back. Her bethrothed Kerwick also wants her but is chained with the dogs.
The first one-hundred pages is a battle of wills between Aislinn and Wulfgar who refuses to wed her and believes he can leave her and forget her when he grows tired of her. He hates women because his Norman mother told her Saxon husband, Bolgar, that Wulfgar wasn’t his son but a Norman’s child.
The three men fight for Aislinn’s favor with plenty of description about lusts. Poor Aislinn loses gown after gown as she tries to maintain her dignity. She falls in love with Wulfgar, but he won’t pledge love or marriage to her. Then Bolgar arrives with Wulfgar’s shrewish sister Gwyneth. She reminds Wulfgar he is a bastard and treats Aislinn like a slave and whore. She has her whipped, but Wulfgar’s loyal servant stops her. Aislinn’s mother Maida sinks into madness.
Wulfgar goes off to battle with his knights and runs into a family with a young widow woman, Haylen who wants Wulfgar and tries to seduce him. He calls out Aislinn’s name and realizes she is the only woman for him. He sends the family to the castle, and Haylen hints that she has been bedded by Wulgar, tormenting Aislinn more. How much can this poor girl take?
Woodiwiss contrasts the shrewish deceitful woman against Aislinn, who is kind and proud. Wulfgar is compared to Ragnor who is cruel and deceitful. You want them to pay for their cruelty and Woodiwiss delivers. Kerwick and Haylen learn the error of their behavior.
William is crowned king, and Wulfgar sends for Aislinn. He buys her gowns and a horse, something he swore he never would do for a woman. The King orders Aislinn and Ragnor to jousts with the winner claiming Aislinn. Wulfgar wins but does not propose marriage even though everyone is telling him he should wed her.
Aislinn is pregnant but is not sure who the father is. Wulfgar thinks he can send the child away to escape the shame of being a bastard as he was when he was a boy. Aislinn and her mother leave the castle because she won’t give up her unborn child.
Will Wulfgar go after Aislinn and claim the child as his own? Will Ragnor and Gwyneth seek revenge? Woodiwiss knows how to build to a final climax and deliver. She also turns in a little surprise that redeems the bodice ripper.
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