Anne Basset enters the dangerous household world of the Hungerfords and later the court of Henry VIII, where family scandal can become a weapon. Rumour, sexual coercion and accusations of treason threaten everyone connected with a disgraced noble name. The companion story follows a young woman learning how quickly patronage and protection can turn into exposure.
The Hungerford scandals reveal how vulnerable women could become when a powerful household collapsed under charges of sexual misconduct and treason. Anne’s movement toward the royal court does not free her from that danger; it simply changes its scale. The story uses the Basset and Hungerford connections to explore patronage, coercion and survival under Henry VIII.
Philippa Gregory
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Elizabeth Fremantle
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C. W. Gortner
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David Field
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