Wolf Wood (Part One)

In 1436 a dispute arose between the people of Sherborne and their abbot over the ownership of a baptismal font. Before it was settled, the abbey was burnt down and a bishop murdered. Some saw the hand of evil at work and blamed Alice de Lambert, a newcomer to the town, accusing her of being a witch. Others saw Alice as a saint. Wolf Wood is set in the turbulent years of the late middle ages. The old feudal aristocracy is losing control, a new middleclass is flexing its muscles, the authority of the church is being questioned, law and order have broken down and England is facing defeat in France.
Part One describes the events leading to Alice's marriage to Harald Gascoigne of Wolf Wood Manor, the gentle son of a ferocious family. The Gascoignes head one of the private companies fighting for the English in France. They protect Alice from her enemies. She and Harald are drawn into their violent world.
Part Two begins in the spring of 1441. Accusations of witchcraft force Alice and Harald to flee to France with their small son Steven. Harald joins the service of the English Commander in Chief, Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York, as a personal secretary. Steven watches his father at work and is fascinated by the world of espionage and intrigue.
Part Three begins in the spring of 1455. The younger generation has become of age. England is defeated in France and the country slides into civil war. Steven becomes a close friend of the Duke of York's son, Edward, and works for the Yorkist cause as a double agent. Steven's friend, Maud, becomes Edward's lover.