Reproduced by kind permission of His Grace the Duke of Bedford and the Trustees of the Bedford Estates.
I discovered some other fascinating tidbits as I wandered around historical research sites. It’s true that the Tudor crown, which sits on the table behind Elizabeth in the Armada Portrait, was picked apart and melted down by Cromwell’s government in 1649 – along with almost the entire collection of crown jewels. And at one time the crown jewels actually were hidden in the sub-crypt of St. John’s Chapel in the White Tower. Historical record also shows the future queen’s childhood friend, John Dudley, was held in Beauchamp Tower when Elizabeth Tudor was a prisoner. And there’s a story that a child, whose parents worked at the Tower, brought Elizabeth a posy of flowers which may or may not have come from Dudley. There is speculation that something about Elizabeth and John Dudley’s relationship changed after that time. Maybe it was the shared experience of fear, or maybe it was something more …
And finally…
Thank you so much for reading Tempting Fate. If you enjoyed this book, your review on Amazon or Goodreads would be very appreciated. You can find more information and my blog on www.immortaldescendants.com.
I sincerely appreciate hearing from readers, and thank you, again, for joining Saira, Archer and Ringo on their adventures in time.
~April White
The Accolades
The people without whom sanity would be optional as I wrote this book deserve trips to Tahiti. But barring that, VERY SPECIAL THANKS (in shouty caps) are in order. Mom and Valerie, you leave no room for self-doubt, and you are the standard-bearers for the unconditional support of moms. Angela Houle, you are an extraordinary editor and an even better friend. That the two are not mutually exclusive is as awesome as it is shocking.
Alexandra, Tania, Linda, Jess, Maria, Dawn, Jill, Sara, Patty, Heather and Silvia; there is a special place reserved in heaven for readers who slog through beta drafts. May yours be filled with good books and great wine. My Hopeless Romantics Book Club; There. Are. No. Words.
My amazing boys, you are my reason for breathing. And Ed, my heart and soul, you inspire me. And if there are sexier words in the English language than those, I don’t know them.
Copyright 2014 by April White
All rights reserved. Published by Corazon Entertainment
Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA
No part of this publication may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher.
Cover design by Edward Gorsuch
Cover clock image by Zyllan http://www.flickr.com/photos/zyllan/5436985592/
Cover digital texture by Skeletalmess
Edited by Angela Houle
First American edition, June, 2014
Table of Contents
Run!
Monger
Shaw
Archer
Schooled
History
Found
The Attics
London
Playing With Fire
Survival
Fight or Flight
Battle Lines
A Thief
Thieving
The Genealogy
Leaving a Mark
Preparation
Discoveries
Time Stream
Morgan
St. Brigid’s School
On the Road
Getting In
Inside
Elizabeth
The Plan
Dudley
Wyatt
An Assignment
The Garden
Visions
Escape
Aislin’s Cuff
Seers
Wards
The Bear
Chopped
Sight
Plan A
The Sword
Tom
Goodbye
Home
Map and History