There have been quite a few searches for an excerpt from my book His Last Mistress, so for those who haven’t seen the excerpt available on Amazon, here is an excerpt from the end of Chapter 14:
The plans for assassinating the King and the Duke of York were put in place. Disaster, however, thwarted their diabolical plans. Fire broke out at Newmarket, and the King and the Duke of York left earlier than anyone had expected. Nearly everyone who had been in the secret meeting was arrested and thrown into the Tower.
Someone had betrayed them. Had one of the men in the meeting room informed the authorities? If so, which one? Had someone been eavesdropping on them?
The Earl of Essex, fearing that his family’s livelihood and reputation would be tarnished were he to have a public execution, took a razor and slit his own throat in his cell at the Tower.
Hearing that Russell was carted away, Monmouth acted with haste. He was too clever and too quick to be caught. Soldiers inspected his various homes – those that he shared with his Duchess, those with Eleanor, and still he could not be found.
Monmouth hid at a friend’s home, and then with another acquaintance, and continued north from London towards Bedfordshire, towards Toddington, towards his love.
He rushed into the house and into the drawing room where Henrietta sat embroidering with Philadelphia. They were startled by the fear in his eyes.
“They’ve taken my Lords Russell and Essex,” he said, trembling, “and now they’re after me. I do not know if you still love me, Harriet. I do not know if you will ever forgive me, but I have nowhere else to go, and if indeed my time has come, I want only to die in your arms.”
You can purchase His Last Mistress in paperback and eBook in USA, Europe, Japan, and Canada:
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