As treason and alliances unravel, King Henry VII’s court teeters on the edge of war while Princess Catherine of Aragon and shadowy foes vie for England’s fragile future. As England hunts for the missing heir Edmund de la Pole, Catherine fights for financial independence and a voice in foreign affairs. This novel also follows her lovely lady-in-waiting, Estrella de Salinas, Baron Willoughby, and a young Thomas More, who will shape Catherine’s fate in surprising ways.
My Kick-Ass Back Cover Description:
Treachery brews on foreign shores, and England stands on the brink of war.
With his enemies multiplying, King Henry VII faces a dangerous political crisis. Edmund de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk, a Plantagenet claimant to the throne and known traitor, has fled to the Dutch Empire, seeking refuge under Emperor Maximilian’s protection. Determined to secure Suffolk’s extradition and eliminate the final threat to Tudor rule, Henry is willing to pay any price… even if it jeopardizes England’s fragile alliance with Spain.
Complicating matters is the plight of Princess Katharine of Aragon, now a widow in mourning and left in limbo at Henry’s court. Her dowry unpaid and her future uncertain, Katharine becomes a symbol of fractured diplomacy. In a desperate attempt to restore favor, Henry offers the Spanish embassy the use of Durham House, a grand castle on the Thames once graced by Queen Elizabeth of York, his beloved wife.
But danger stirs within the castle’s storied walls. A string of thefts and mysterious visitors coincides with the arrival of the king’s secretive comptroller, casting doubt on Henry’s true intentions. Whispers of treason and hidden loyalties still surround Suffolk, and not everyone in the court has abandoned the Yorkist cause. As tensions rise, Katharine proposes a daring solution to repair the alliance, one the king may not accept.
When a young and ambitious Thomas More introduces a stranger into their midst, the shadows lengthen, and the halls of Durham House become a nest of secrets. Beneath the looming presence of the Tower of London, plots unfold that could alter the destiny of England once more.
A taut, atmospheric tale of espionage, shifting loyalties, and Tudor politics, this installment in The Tudor Throne series will captivate fans of Philippa Gregory, Hilary Mantel, and richly woven historical suspense.
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The Story Behind the Story
I adore the character of Estrella Salinas in my novels. She is such a sweet and precious young woman, in contrast to her more mercurial companions. The real-life friend and favorite of Catherine of Aragon, the historical Estrella was named Maria. In an act of unparalleled loyalty to her former mistress, she defied Henry VIII’s refusal to let her visit Catherine on her deathbed. Struggling through a snowstorm on a horse, she fell off and injured herself, then turned up at the castle door pleading for help. The keeper let her in, whereupon she locked herself in Catherine’s room and refused to emerge until her friend had died. Now, with that to inspire me, how could I not write her a series of perilous adventures and romance?
In this novel, Estrella is still quite young, but pines for Baron Willoughby with her entire heart. A noble knight in contrast to Charles Brandon, who messes around with the ladies of the court, his dashing manner, steadfast refusal to back down when pushed into a corner, and deep fondness for Estrella, Willoughby is easy to love. I set their quiet, building romance against the dramatic time when Catherine of Aragon left the home of Margeret Beaufort for her own home of Croydon, on the Thames.
The bickering Spanish makes for an entertaining backdrop, as we get to know each of her ladies and their temperaments. But then came the fictional subplot, in which they discover an unexpected secret in their midst. I like to explore deeper themes with all of my stories, and this one asks, if you are doing something wrong for the right reason, is it still wrong? The climax leads to a dashing chase up the Thames in a storm for my black-clad enforcer, Sir Thomas Lovell, who, along with the help of Willoughby, arrives to save the day (or can he?).
Best of all, this is the novel where I truly get to spend time with Thomas More. He walked into my story at long last, ready to make a difference and to befriend Catherine, who needs allies at this time in her life. Their gentle theological debates and discussions were among some of my favorite passages to write, and there is even a little spark of attraction between them, because if you ask me, they would have been perfect for one another. You know, in a different version of reality. One in which none of their trials, hardships, and sacrifices ever happened, but they met and married as two people from the same class and lived far away from court.
It never happened. But it could have had life been different…
