The Fugitive Queen

Description for THE FUGITIVE QUEEN by Fiona Buckley: It's 1568, and Mary, Queen of Scots, is Queen Elizabeth's captive. Forced to flee Scotland after her husband, Lord Darnley, dies mysteriously, Mary is now a "guest" at Bolton Castle in northern England, where she plots her escape and covertly pursues her claim to her cousin's crown. Rarely have the historical stakes been so high, and rarely has Mistress Ursula Blanchard been caught in such dangerous territory. Herself an illegitimate daughter of King Henry VIII and half sister to Elizabeth, Ursula has served in the past as a lady of the bedchamber and, more important, as a spy for the Queen. Now, Elizabeth once again sends Ursula on a perilous and secret mission. She must carry a confidential message from Elizabeth to Mary, who is a woman of legendary charm and charisma. Will Ursula, too, fall under Mary's spell? Can Ursula trust Mary's promises? Did Mary have her husband killed? Ursula travels north with her young daughter