False Mistress

Still serving Catherine of Aragon in 1528, Thomasin distrusts Anne Boleyn but cannot avoid the influence of her family. After an accident takes the Marwoods to Hever Castle, Anne’s mother entrusts Thomasin with a private task. The obligation places her between the Boleyn household and the queen she has sworn to serve, just as a former love returns to complicate her judgement.

At court, Catherine’s supporters devise a desperate plan to draw Henry VIII away from Anne by placing another woman in his path. The chosen false mistress must attract the king without appearing to threaten him and must accept the danger of Anne’s retaliation. Thomasin becomes entangled in the plot, where preserving her honour may require betraying one of the powerful women whose rivalry is reshaping England.