Wheel of Fortune

This is Howatch's fifth saga book, published in the mid 1980s, after her 2 American novels and before she took to writing about the Church of England. It starts in the Edwardian age, the year before World War One... It is based on the history of Edward III, his sons the Black Prince and John of Gaunt, and his grandsons, Richard II and Henry IV. Robert Godwin (who represents the Black Prince) is the eldest son of Bobby Godwin, an Anglo Welsh squire; he has always been in love with his cousin Ginevra (based on Joan of Kent), who was reared with him, almost as a sister. Robert is a very difficult cold obessive man, and when Ginevra who was 2 years older than him, eloped with a young Irishman, some years previously, he never got over it. He is very clever and ambitious, and has become a great success as a barrister in London. He also is planning to become an MP. He has had some mistresses but he rather dislikes women. Now in 1913, Ginevra suddenly returns from New York where she has been living, with her 2 young sons, because she has lost her husband Conor Kinsella in a shooting incident. Robert is determined to win her this time.. but he then learns that his father seduced Ginevra when she was only 16.. and it was because of that that she had run off and married another man. Ginevra is flighty and beautiful, and has not always been a faithful wife to Conor Kinsella, but she and Robert have an affair and he persuades her to marry him. They live in London, and there is no overt breach with his parents, but Robert hates his father for ruining Ginevra's youth. However before long, the marriage has its difficulties. Declan, her elder son goes to Ireland to live, because he hates his stepfather, and Rory stays with Ginevra. But she is desperately hurt by Declan's leaving. Then war breaks out and Lionel, one of Robert's brothers is killed at the Somme. Ginevra finds Robert difficult and cold, and he is occasionally violent with her. When the war ends, Robert and Ginevra have had a small son, Robin, but he tells her that he wants to give up the bar and politics and become a climber. Ginevra is horrified. She tries to persuade him that this is a crazy idea, but he tells her that he has put up with her wanting a Society lifestyle, for a few years and he hated it. He has had enough. He has been an MP during the war, and wished that he had not become involved in the legal field and politics. Now he intends to resign and train as a mountaineer. Ginevra realises that he is really unhappy because their marriage has proved a mistake and now he's trying to escape from the situation into another of his obsessions, climbing. But she can't persuade him of this. He tells her they will have to live in Wales, to save money, and she reminds him how difficult it will be for them to live near Bobby.. and he says he does not care if she finds it difficult. He won't be there, he will be off climbing most of the time and if she finds it hard to live near the man who abused her as a girl, it's her hard luck. Ginevra is afraid that she cannot persuade him- he is so obsessive and selfish, and she herself is worried that she may be pregnant again with an unwanted baby. Then Robert has some health symptoms.. and finds that he has multiple sclerosis, which may mean that he winds up in a wheelchair. He now knows that climbing is completely impossible for him. He will have somehow to adjust to a restricted life at home and give up law and climbing. He offers her a divorce, because he feels that she would never be able to cope with an invalid husband... but she surprises him by telling him that she is his friend, even if their marriage has not worked out, and she will go back to Gower with him.