Excerpt From  
THE DEVEREUX CURSE

Frances fans away the rising heat in her belly. Her baby has decided to dance a merry jig. Philip and his new friend stir up the dust in the tiltyard, and the baby turns each time Philip turns, it kicks each time Philip makes a run at the barrier. Philip has come home to Barn Elms early from court today, bringing the earl of Essex in tow. When Philip introduced them at Whitehall a few weeks ago, the earl refused to be called Lord. ‘Just plain Robert, if you please, Lady Frances,’ he said. She told him that if that was the case, then he was to call her plain Frances. At which he laughed, saying, ‘Plain Frances does not do justice to your beauty, my lady.’ Blood splotched her cheeks in an irksome display of embarrassment, burning much like they do today. At least she can blame the sun.