Historical
Fiction Virtual Blog Tours Presents…
Brandon
— Tudor Knight
By
Tony Riches
From the author of the international
bestselling Tudor Trilogy comes a true story of adventure, courtly love and
chivalric loyalty.
Handsome, charismatic and a champion
jouster, Sir Charles Brandon is the epitome of a Tudor Knight. A favourite of
King Henry VIII, Brandon has a secret. He has fallen in love with Henry’s
sister, Mary Tudor, the beautiful widowed Queen of France, and risks everything
to marry her without the King’s consent.
Brandon becomes Duke of Suffolk, but
his loyalty is tested fighting Henry’s wars in France. Mary’s public support
for Queen Catherine of Aragon brings Brandon into dangerous conflict with the
ambitious Boleyn family and the king’s new right-hand man, Thomas Cromwell.
Torn between duty to his family and
loyalty to the king, Brandon faces an impossible decision: can he accept Anne
Boleyn as his new queen?
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Excerpt
April 1505
Cold rain dripped from the brim of
Brandon’s hat as he waited in the shadows at Anne’s back door. He cursed and
tried his secret knock again. Candlelight glimmered through the gap between the
closed wooden shutters, so he knew she was at home. He was beginning to wonder
if she would ever answer when the door opened.
Anne Browne leaned out and glanced down
the narrow street, then ushered him inside before anyone could see. She looked
beautiful, in a cornflower-blue silk gown, and wore a fine silver necklace with
a pearl pendant, his present to her last New Year’s Day. Her dark hair,
normally plaited under a fashionable French hood, hung loose and lustrous,
reaching over her shoulders.
Anne’s father, Sir
Anthony Browne, had been the king’s standard-bearer and an important man at
court. He’d found her a position in the Palace of Westminster, which was how
she shared her lodging with two ladies of the king’s household. As they were
away at Richmond Palace, Anne had the lodging to herself – a rare chance to
entertain in private.
Brandon, at over six feet tall, had to
duck his head under the wooden roof beams in the low-ceilinged room. He glanced
around out of habit to make sure they were alone. There was always the risk of
being discovered, yet he felt more at home in Anne’s cramped lodgings than in
his Uncle Thomas’s grand manor house in Southwark.
A welcoming log fire blazed in the stone
hearth and beeswax candles lit the room with a soft yellow light. Brandon
pulled off his damp coat and hat while Anne poured him a goblet of warmed mead.
He sipped it gratefully and felt its sweet heat warm his throat.
She studied his face and frowned. ‘The
bruising is worse.’ She reached out a hand as if to touch his swollen cheek but
stopped herself and let it fall to her side. ‘My mother used to make a poultice
from parsley – or perhaps it was daisies – for the bruising.’ She gave him a
mischievous look. ‘I don’t think I’ll find either at this time of night
though.’
He drained his goblet of mead. ‘I’ll
live.’ Taking her in his arms, he gave her the long, slow kiss he’d been
looking forward to all day. He liked the soft touch of her hands on his back,
holding him close. The delicate scent of lavender aroused memories of their
first time together. With reluctance he pulled himself away and gave her a wry
grin. ‘It might have been worth it, after all. I have news. Good news.’
‘You’ve been spared a flogging?’ She
raised an eyebrow.
He smiled. ‘It seems my luck is changing,
for the better. Sir George Talbot has agreed to put my name forward for the
King’s Spears.’
‘His personal bodyguard?’
‘The king’s yeomen are his bodyguard.’ He
had to think for a moment, and then decided to be honest with her. ‘In truth,
the Spears are something of a club for gentlemen adventurers – I’ve yet to
learn what they get up to all day. The important thing is I’ll be one of the
king’s trusted men.’ He heard the pride in his voice.
‘You already are. You’ve been serving at
his table for how many years?’
Brandon frowned as he tried to remember.
‘Three, maybe four – but this is different. The king takes little enough notice
of his servants.’ He realised she was teasing him.
Anne looked thoughtful. ‘You’ll be paid
more?’
‘Of course.’ He grinned.
‘Enough to make an honest woman of me?’
There was an edge to her voice.
Brandon studied her face, unsure what to
say. ‘I need the forty pounds’ worth of estates which would make me eligible
for a knighthood. Then we shall talk of marriage.’
‘You talk of being a knight but do you
think it will ever happen?’ She sounded doubtful.
‘I do. My father and my grandfather were
both respected knights, and one day I will be too. This chance with the Spears
is just the beginning. I’m going to make a name for myself, Anne. The King’s
Spears are chosen men. If we go to war against the French we’ll be made
captains and commanders – and I’ll be in all the jousts now, not just filling
in when everyone else has fallen off.’
It was the most heartfelt speech he’d made
in a long time and he believed the truth of his words. He’d somehow won over
the Lord Steward and been offered the chance he’d been waiting for since
becoming a servant of the king.
She pulled him closer with a look of
concern. ‘You will take care? I’ve seen good men horribly wounded and even
killed at the king’s jousts...’
Brandon kissed her again to silence her.
‘I promise to take care. That’s how I will become famous – by winning.’
Giveaway
During the Blog Tour we will be
giving away a paperback copy of Brandon-Tudor Knight! Enter HERE!
Giveaway
Rules
• Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on
March 19th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
• Giveaway is open internationally.
• Only one entry per household.
• All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
• The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.
• Giveaway is open internationally.
• Only one entry per household.
• All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
• The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.
Tony Riches
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.
Great Except. Tony's book always impress.
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