King's Pawn

by Joanna Makepeace

Cressida Gretton had little use for marriage, but when Richard III ordered her to wed her enemy, Martyn, Earl of Wroxeter, she decided that charm rather than tantrums would be her weapon of choice. Yet no sooner did she meet her betrothed than a tender passion settled in her heart. So she did what she could to incite Martyn's protectiveness, and his wrath, all the while hoping for an admission of love. But as her husband left for battle, Cressida was treading a perilous road herself—did she dare admit her aching love for a man who might never return it…before it was too late?

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Also writes under the pseudonyms Margaret Abbey and Elizabeth York.

Joanna was born in a Leicester of working class parents who were keenly intelligent and supportive and loving throughout her childhood. Unfortunately, she was born with a dislocation of the hip joint, which meant she spent a great deal of early childhood in and out of hospitals. However, they did have a hospital school and she learned to read early, so that she was devouring Dickens, Dumas, and Sabatini at seven and attempting to scribble stories (novels even) at about 11 years old.

Reviews

[Pauline Calkin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Richard III asks his loyal supporter, Martyn, Earl of Wroexter, to wed the young daughter of a Welsh knight whose support Richard needs. Martyn is reluctant because he still mourns his betrothed but will do as the king wishes.

The intended bride, Cressida, is also reluctant. She loves her home and does not want to live at court; she also has doubts about the king who had deposed his young nephew. Her suspicions are fed by her neighbor, Howell, who has Lancastrian sympathies. Her father takes her to court where she blunders into a tilting yard where a knight is at practice, endangering her life as well as that of a squire and horses. Cressida is upbraided by the knight who treats her as a child. The knight is Martyn.

The couple is wed, but Martyn refrains from consummating the marriage, thinking Cressida is too young. Meanwhile, Cressida becomes a favorite of the ailing Queen Anne and Princess Elizabeth’s BFF. When her Lancastrian friend Howell comes to London, he plants the suspicion in her mind that Elizabeth and the king are romantically linked. She witnesses the king’s deep grief after Anne dies and is deeply moved, realizing her suspicions were unfounded. As she changes her attitude toward the king and becomes a firm supporter, she also falls in love with Martyn. After Martyn is grievously wounded at Bosworth, Cressida obtains a license from Elizabeth allowing travel outside the country in order to smuggle Martyn to Burgundy.

This is a tale of historical romance that gives us standard characters: the innocent but spirited heroine and the brooding hero. The bodice ripping is very restrained, however, and the plot contains a nice bit of intrigue. The book also paints an appealing portrait of the people who populated Richard’s court. Not a bad book.

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this as a 2-in-1 omnibus of medieval christmas novels but I was disappointed to discover that the christmas period lasted only for the first 80 or so pages. Despite this, it was good, if a little heavy on the political situation at the time. Cressida seemed to change from resentment to love pretty quickly too.

[Linda]

Didn't finish. Spoiled brat heroine and stupid into the bargain.