Vivienne Brereton

The House of the Red Duke. Book Two Beware the Lizard Lurking Vivienne Brereton

The Howards are back! Larger than life and brasher than ever. A secret Twelfth Night wedding is about to take place far from Henry VIII's magnificent Christmas court at Greenwich. Heads will surely roll if he discovers the deception.




But when uninvited guests turn up in Cornwall, there's a new twist to the tale.




"I've always believed in making a grand entrance. On the battlefield, at court, in manor and at mass, at hearth and in harbour...in the bedchamber."




The hot-headed young King is hellbent on a so-called holy war with France, against the advice of Thomas Howard, the Earl of Surrey. Putting Henry at odds with his normally affable Scottish brother-in-law, James IV of Scotland.




On the other hand, the King's almoner, Thomas Wolsey, (who has become a thorn in the Earl's side) is very much in favour of the war as he contentedly watches his star rising at the Tudor court.




Across the Narrow Sea, Louis XII of France is trying to renew the 'Auld Alliance' with Scotland.

Tristan and Nicolas remain at loggerheads over pretty Ysabeau, the flirtatious young wife of their ageing neighbour.




"To Nicolas's annoyance, Tristan rushed over to help Ysabeau down from her grey palfrey and was rewarded by a smile that was as bright as a summer's day."




Valentine is still making mischief as she sees fit, particularly for Tristan.




Cecily is perfectly content in her beloved Zennor Castle in Cornwall.




But none of them know what Dame Fortune has in store for them. Will she allow them to follow their own paths...or does she have other ideas?