The Blacksmith's Wife (Elisabeth Hobbes).

"The Blacksmith's wife" - это книга, написанная Элизабет Хоубс. Этот роман рассказывает историю двух персонажей - кузнеца Хала Данби и его жены Джоанны Сольер, которая была отвергнута своим избранным рыцарем. Однако обстоятельства заставляют их заключить брак и это вызывает много сомнений и проблем в их отношениях.

Elisabeth Hobbes, “The Blacksmith’s Wife”, is a well-crafted historical romance in which the main character is rejected by the heroine of her dreams, only to fall in love with his future bride after after an affair.

Centred on 15th-century London blacksmith, Husband Hal, famous for his “fearsome big forge and an even more fearsome temper”, Joanna reflects that “her future husband was n’t about love”. Rejected by knight Gerard, she claims to be content with living out her life in penury.

Many years later, after numerous unsuccessful marriages have left the old fatherless beauty devastated, Joanna accepts the proposal made to her by Lord Baldwin’s son Sir Geoffrey, only for her mistrust of knights to return. As she comes to terms with her new betrothal, she runs into her rival, smithy Hal (“big, brawny, kind and – from his looks – not at all interested in women”), on her way back to her father’s place outside London. Even though she rejects him as a fellow artisan, his courage and polite manner win her over – so much so that she keeps hearing his voice in her head for days on end.

Only once Hal returns to London and becomes head hosier, does Joanna find herself face to face with him during the celebrations marking George’s coronation. Much to her horror, Sir Geoffrey asks if she would care to join him and their friends to a brothel suggested by one of the bootmakers himself trying to win Joanna’s attention. Banishing her previous fiancé, Joanna, alone in disguise, sneaks out of her guesthouse after the revelry has started and heads towards George’s chambers, reassuring herself that she is still unhappy in love. All but ignoring his company, she recites poetry to the dismay of her unwanted suitor, in no mood to switch her affections. In an attempt to prove herself to Joanna and win her hand, Geoffrey ditches Balmoral (which is historically accurate for Hertfordshire, it’s rumoured) and uses riches to the local labourers, convincing them that, despite the earlier marital problems, two powerful families supporting the Smithy and Kneebone Societies would be ideal candidates for marriage. Thinking about the ruling classes has a dramatic effect on Joanna in understanding where her true worth lies and she finally accepts Geoffrey after he wins her friendship. Faced with a joining dowry, they both fall in with the dashing, noble, bandy-swilling Randy Morris and set off for the Hay Tangiers Charterhouse Abbey for a wedding to take place. Having not wasted time waiting for them to reach the Abbey, the Groom with ten pages, five mothers-in-law and three fathers-in-laws get there before them and illicit romance takes place as Hal returns to his mill in Kent soon after his unfortunate journey to up north.When he arrives at his town, rather than stay previously drafted to King’s hall for men, who can be largely found dancing to jollify them while being poorly paid at best, facts in family history from Hal return ripped memories coupled with an overridden fate return job offer from the southerners for its royal pasture in consort. It also transpires that Joanna will be sent to Hal if she wishes to be followed by him against her will. With little time to spare, Hal rides north, followed God alone knows how far behind by Joanna once her release from said royal custody is secured.