BLAST, BLITZ, PROMOS, REVEALS, & TOURS . . . : SPOTLIGHT w/EXCERPT - HISTORICAL FICTION - KATHERINE TUDOR DUCHESS (The Brandon Trilogy, #3) by Tony Riches

Katherine Tudor Duchess

The Brandon Trilogy, #3

by Tony Riches

Publication Date: October 1st 2019

Preseli Press

eBook & Paperback; 328 pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

BLURB
Attractive, wealthy and influential, Katherine Willoughby is one of the most unusual ladies of the Tudor court. A favourite of King Henry VIII, Katherine knows all his six wives, his daughters Mary and Elizabeth, and his son Edward, as well as being related by marriage to Lady Jane Grey.

She marries Tudor knight, Sir Charles Brandon, and becomes Duchess of Suffolk at the age of fourteen. Her Spanish mother, Maria de Salinas, is Queen Catherine of Aragon’s lady in waiting, so it is a challenging time for them all when King Henry marries the enigmatic Anne Boleyn.

Following Anne’s dramatic downfall, the short reign of young Catherine Howard, and the tragic death of Jane Seymour, Katherine’s young sons are tutored with the future king, Prince Edward, and become his friends.

Katherine and Charles Brandon are chosen to welcome Anna of Cleves as she arrives in England. When the royal marriage is annulled, Katherine’s good friend, Catherine Parr becomes the king’s sixth wife, and they work to promote religious reform.

When King Edward dies, his Catholic sister Mary is crowned queen and Katherine’s Protestant faith puts her family in great danger – from which there seems no escape.

Katherine’s remarkable true story continues the epic tale of the rise of the Tudors, which began with the best-selling Tudor trilogy and concludes with the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

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EXCERPT

The hunting party returned with a handsome stag draped over the back of a horse. Katherine heard young Henry describing each detail in an excited voice to his doting mother. It sounded as if Duke Charles had made it easy for the king, by employing an army of beaters to make sure their quarry didn’t stand a chance.

Later, Katherine mingled with the servants to see the sumptuous banquet served to the king in the great hall. She knew something of how much this short visit had cost them, yet understood how the duke saw it as a good investment if it restored his place at the king’s side.

Course after course of game pies, exotic fishes, sugared fancies and puddings were served with flagons of the duke’s best wine, saved for such an occasion. It looked as if the evening was going well until King Henry cursed the lack of progress in securing a divorce from Queen Catherine.

‘It seems I must visit France myself to secure the support of King Francis,’ Henry gave Duke Charles a critical look, ‘and it’s my wish that my dear sister shall travel with us.’ He took a deep drink from his goblet. ‘I recall that the King of France has a deep affection for you, dear sister, which I intend to turn to my advantage.’

Katherine, watching in the background, saw Lady Mary catch her breath. It would mean being second in importance to Anne Boleyn. Even her recent trip to London had taken a toll on her poor health. She was in no condition to sail across the Channel to France, even if she wished to.

Lady Mary failed to keep her voice from wavering. ‘My physicians advise me against travel, dear brother, although I would ask you to convey my regards to King Francis.’

King Henry stared at her for a moment, his eyes as sharp as a hawk watching a lure. He looked as if he was trying to decide whether Lady Mary was defying him.

‘That is a great shame, sister. We sail in October, so you will reconsider if your health improves. In the meantime, you will lend Lady Anne your French jewels.’

Katherine understood the significance of the king’s demand. Lady Mary thought she’d fooled the king into believing she had no French jewellery left. Several of the precious jewels had been used to help in times of financial hardship, and the rest were promised to her daughters as wedding gifts.

Somehow the king had learned the truth. They all knew that if she had to lend her jewels to Anne Boleyn she would never see them again. King Henry had found a clever way to punish Lady Mary for her criticism of his conduct, and reward his mistress at the same time.

As the evening drew on, Katherine felt tired and was preparing to retire for the night when she heard raised voices coming from the banqueting hall. She had spent the whole of the king’s visit blending into the background, so felt confident that no one, even the king, would notice her. She set off towards the great hall.

On her way she found Alice in the servant’s corridor. Alice turned to her and looked a little shaken. ‘It’s the king, my lady,’ Alice whispered. ‘I fear he is a little the worse for drink.’

‘Did you hear what he said to the duke, Alice?’ Katherine was intrigued and concerned. If the duke fell from favour once more it would affect them all.

‘It seems he is angry with His Holiness the pope. He was shouting that he will not allow the pope to treat him as he has done – and that the pope has no power over him.’

Katherine opened the servant’s door a little wider and peered into the great hall. Duke Charles sat with his back to her, with King Henry opposite him. As she watched, one of the king’s servants refilled his goblet with wine. King Henry leaned forward in his chair and scowled across at the duke.

‘I have resolved to celebrate my marriage to Lady Anne in the most solemn manner possible, Suffolk. The necessary preparations must be made straight away.’

Katherine was about to slip back into the dimly lit passageway when she felt someone’s eyes upon her. She looked across the table to the side of the king and saw Thomas Cromwell studying her with a look of recognition.

With a curt bow to the king, Cromwell excused himself and slipped away, only to appear a moment later at the doorway. Katherine and Alice stepped back into the dimly lit corridor as Thomas Cromwell forced his way in and closed the door behind him. He scowled at Katherine.

‘Katherine Willoughby.’ He made her name sound like an accusation. ‘I wondered where you’d escaped to.’ Cromwell seemed to fill the narrow passageway like some great black-caped bird of prey.

Katherine froze to the spot, intimidated by his stern tone. He thrust his florid face too close to hers and she caught the smell of sweat and stale beer. She’d heard the duke saying how, despite his background, Cromwell took Wolsey’s place as the king’s right-hand man and was now the real power behind the throne. As she stared into his dark eyes, Katherine understood why.

Author Info
Tony Riches is a full-time writer and lives with his wife in Pembrokeshire, West Wales. After several successful non-fiction books, Tony turned to novel writing and wrote ‘Queen Sacrifice’, set in 10th century Wales, followed by ‘The Shell’, a thriller set in present day Kenya. A specialist in the history of the early Tudors, he is best known for his Tudor Trilogy. Tony’s other international best sellers include ‘Warwick ~ The Man Behind the Wars of the Roses’ and ‘The Secret Diary of Eleanor Cobham’.

For more information please visit Tony’s website and his blog The Writing Desk. He can also be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

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Katherine Tudor Duchess

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