To start with, THANK YOU for reading this and trying to help me preserve my sanity (well, what's left of it lol)! I am a voracious reader (anywhere between 200-600 books per month, depending on length, writing style and topic) so while not remembering all the details of a particular work is not unusual, not being able to really put anything pertinent or searchable into the Google is driving me into Bedlam. Here's what I can remember
Author: first name starts with A-J (likely but not concrete, possibly Amanda as a name); no harlequin since my page minimum is 200 and they must have at least 3 books similarly-timed or -themed available.
Genre: Historical Romance
Setting: Northern/northwestern england/possibly Scotland, and London, specifically palaces and the tower of London
Era: 1300-1750, though by memory seems more like 1450-1600
Names:
Heroine: ? a ward of the monarchy
Hero: Stephen or Steven, ward's escort and member of either the Royal Order of the Garter or of Bath
Antagonists: Caroline or Catherine (queen) and husband Richard (really unsure of that one, king) a northern Peer and new King.
Other characters: Ward's roommates (likely sisters, with one having the name or both the surname Violet, call them the sisters), new queen's mother and mother-in-law, servants who sneak the girls food/sewing/information, and a child who is possibly in the care of the ward.
Plot (what I remember, may be out of order): Though made a ward years prior, and would've been a ward regardless of who is the monarch, at some point in the not-too-distant past, she was a "companion" to the new queen, but treated more like a glorified servant even though they are cousins, because the queen believes they were in competition for the king and that she defeated the ward, though the ward really dislikes him, king or not, and the queen is really a snotty heifer. Anyways, the king still had ideas of making the ward his mistress and/or a political pawn, so he sends our hero to escort her to London (I really think a lot happens before this in northern England, but can't remember). He would really like to marry her himself, except he doesn't feel like his birth is high enough for her, or something of that nature.
Anyways, he gets her to London, where she finds Stephen protecting her from the king, and the queen in a tug-of-war between her mother and mother-in-law. She knows the king still wants the ward despite being married, which increases their enmity. Due to that and other personality conflicts, the Queen has the ward inprisoned in the Tower of London with the sisters, which basically just means that she can't come and go as she would like, and that no one will give her any useful information. She befriends servants to help her before Stephen can send his to assist her, and they bring her simple things at first, like extra food and her nice clothing, then embroidery (I specifically remember her offering to embroider a dozen prie-deux or kneelers, requested by the queen's pious mother-in-law, just for chance to escape the tower for a while and see Stephen), and on to information.
The most memorable scene that I can think of is the coronation if her cousin as queen. The ward and her roommates are still stuck in the Tower rooms, which overlook part of the courtyard. She cannot see much, but she can see part of the procession toward Westminster (or back, to the palace?). I remember her not being able to see a specific part that she wanted to, which I think was the child that she looked after, or simply cared for, carry the crown, but more specifically that she was able to see her beau in his blue order robes, which I believe was the Honorable Order of the Garter, as I seem to remember it having dark blue outside with light or white lining, rather than the lighter outer blue of the Order of the Bath.
As much as it seemed to be while typing, it's really not very much, plot-wise. Hopefully someone else will know the book and be able to point me in the right direction! Thank you very much for taking the time to read this, and if this sounds like a book you would like, just let me know and I will put it up for you!
Author: first name starts with A-J (likely but not concrete, possibly Amanda as a name); no harlequin since my page minimum is 200 and they must have at least 3 books similarly-timed or -themed available.
Genre: Historical Romance
Setting: Northern/northwestern england/possibly Scotland, and London, specifically palaces and the tower of London
Era: 1300-1750, though by memory seems more like 1450-1600
Names:
Heroine: ? a ward of the monarchy
Hero: Stephen or Steven, ward's escort and member of either the Royal Order of the Garter or of Bath
Antagonists: Caroline or Catherine (queen) and husband Richard (really unsure of that one, king) a northern Peer and new King.
Other characters: Ward's roommates (likely sisters, with one having the name or both the surname Violet, call them the sisters), new queen's mother and mother-in-law, servants who sneak the girls food/sewing/information, and a child who is possibly in the care of the ward.
Plot (what I remember, may be out of order): Though made a ward years prior, and would've been a ward regardless of who is the monarch, at some point in the not-too-distant past, she was a "companion" to the new queen, but treated more like a glorified servant even though they are cousins, because the queen believes they were in competition for the king and that she defeated the ward, though the ward really dislikes him, king or not, and the queen is really a snotty heifer. Anyways, the king still had ideas of making the ward his mistress and/or a political pawn, so he sends our hero to escort her to London (I really think a lot happens before this in northern England, but can't remember). He would really like to marry her himself, except he doesn't feel like his birth is high enough for her, or something of that nature.
Anyways, he gets her to London, where she finds Stephen protecting her from the king, and the queen in a tug-of-war between her mother and mother-in-law. She knows the king still wants the ward despite being married, which increases their enmity. Due to that and other personality conflicts, the Queen has the ward inprisoned in the Tower of London with the sisters, which basically just means that she can't come and go as she would like, and that no one will give her any useful information. She befriends servants to help her before Stephen can send his to assist her, and they bring her simple things at first, like extra food and her nice clothing, then embroidery (I specifically remember her offering to embroider a dozen prie-deux or kneelers, requested by the queen's pious mother-in-law, just for chance to escape the tower for a while and see Stephen), and on to information.
The most memorable scene that I can think of is the coronation if her cousin as queen. The ward and her roommates are still stuck in the Tower rooms, which overlook part of the courtyard. She cannot see much, but she can see part of the procession toward Westminster (or back, to the palace?). I remember her not being able to see a specific part that she wanted to, which I think was the child that she looked after, or simply cared for, carry the crown, but more specifically that she was able to see her beau in his blue order robes, which I believe was the Honorable Order of the Garter, as I seem to remember it having dark blue outside with light or white lining, rather than the lighter outer blue of the Order of the Bath.
As much as it seemed to be while typing, it's really not very much, plot-wise. Hopefully someone else will know the book and be able to point me in the right direction! Thank you very much for taking the time to read this, and if this sounds like a book you would like, just let me know and I will put it up for you!