I am delighted to be sharing news of the publication – yesterday! – of the latest historical fiction from TONY RICHES, Bess: Tudor Gentlewoman, the story of Bess Throckmorton who became the trusted confidante of Queen Elizabeth I. Bess is the sixth book in Tony’s Elizabethan Series.
Find out more about the book here and read an intriguing excerpt.
What is the book about?
“A thrilling portrait of a remarkable woman who witnessed the key events of Elizabethan England.”
Bess Throckmorton defies her notorious background and lack of education to become Queen Elizabeth’s Gentlewoman and trusted confidante.
Forced to choose between loyalty and love, duty and desire, will she risk her queen’s anger by marrying adventurer Sir Walter Raleigh without permission?
Entangled in a web of intrigue, from the glittering Palace of Whitehall to the cells of the Tower of London, Bess endures tragedy and injustice, becoming a resilient, determined woman, who takes nothing for granted.
Can she outwit her enemies, protect her family, and claim her destiny in a world where women are pawns and survival is a game of deadly consequences?
This is the true story of the last of the Elizabethans, which ends the story of the Tudor dynasty – and introduces their successors, the Stuarts.
Read an excerpt
Richmond Palace 1590
Bess flinches as the queen’s accusing voice, rapier-sharp, echoes in the crowded privy chamber of Richmond Palace, silencing the chatterers of court. ‘You stare at our ladies, Master Raleigh.’
Walter Raleigh laughs, and Bess notes the glint of mischief in his dark eyes. If the queen wants sport, she will have her wish. He raises an eyebrow and studies each of them in turn, resting on the lined face of the queen’s oldest companion.
‘Which of your ladies, Your Majesty?’
‘Bess, for one.’ The queen turns and stares at her with the cold intelligence of a hunting hawk.
Bess prickles with danger, but risks a smile. The queen plays her games with them, yet this time she is right. They have become close since Walter returned a hero from Ireland, but the longer they keep their secret, the better.
Walter bends on one knee, his rich voice confident and sure. ‘Ah! My beloved queen and goddess of my life. Who shall me pity, when thou dost me wrong?’
Bess guesses his words belong to one of his unpublished poems, too flattering. She holds her breath and her heart pounds against the confining stays of her tight bodice. The queen is in good spirits and cackles at his quick-witted reply. He knows Her Majesty well, but it’s a dangerous game they play. Good men and women have been thrown in the Tower dungeons for less.
* * *
The ivy-covered door creaks in protest as Walter pushes it open. He ushers Bess through the arched stone entrance to their secret place, a walled rose garden in the palace grounds. The white roses, reduced to thorny stems, wait for their chance to bloom, and the brick-paved path gleams with the evening frost.
One of the older groundsmen claims the garden was a favourite place of Anna of Cleves, who lived in the palace after her divorce from the queen’s father. Bess understands why she found solace there. Once the wooden door closes, the walled garden becomes a tranquil sanctuary, an escape from the world.
To be together unchaperoned is a dangerous risk, but Bess enjoys the innocent thrill of outwitting her overprotective mistress and her gossiping ladies. This secluded corner of the palace gardens is out of bounds to commoners, and the walled garden is unlikely to encourage visitors until the winter chill passes.
Bess is glad of her warm woollen shawl, a gift brought from Ireland by Walter. The River Thames is frozen again, and their breath turns to mist in the still air. She pulls off one of her white gloves and reaches out to caress his cheek – a brief caress, but full of longing.
‘Was it luck, or good judgement?’
He takes her hand and kisses it. ‘I learned the power of poetry to turn the queen’s head from my friend Edmund Spenser.’
She smiles. ‘You took a risk, so luck played a part.’
‘As always, but you have to roll the dice to win.’
Bess studies his face, trying to decide if he is a man she can trust, and recalling her late mother’s well-intended warning. The queen is a jealous mistress.
He grins. ‘The Privy Council has yet to pass a law against us meeting – and if they did, I confess I would still be tempted.’
‘For the life of me, I fail to understand you.’ Bess frowns. ‘You are one of the most eligible bachelors at court, yet they call me the plainest of the queen’s ladies. You are a gifted poet, but I am not tutored, and struggle with reading and writing. You are wealthy, and I have only thirty-three pounds a year as the queen’s gentlewoman—’
He takes her in his arms and kisses her on the lips to silence her. ‘You caught my eye from my first day at court, and I know you sensed the connection between us.’ He kisses her again, with more passion. Bess holds him close, enjoying this precious moment of intimacy.
Her voice is soft as she speaks. ‘I’m surrounded by the queen’s ladies, yet I’ve suffered great loneliness since my mother died. I have four brothers, but even the closest, Arthur, has become a stranger to me, and has his own family.’ She smiles at a memory. ‘My mother warned me about you.’
‘What did she say?’ His eyes flash with concern and he holds her closer, as if to prevent her escaping.
‘My mother was an astute judge of character, but if I were to believe even half the stories about you, I wouldn’t be here now.’
‘My reputation as a philanderer is a cruel jest, put about by those who envy my closeness to the queen.’ He gives her a mischievous look. ‘I’ve even heard that they say I am the queen’s lover.’
She laughs. ‘I once thought the rumours could be true. They say my lord of Essex now has that thankless task.’
Walter shakes his head at the thought. ‘I’ve also been lonely for many years past.’ He unfastens the silver clasp of his fur cloak, draping it over her shoulders, and whispers, ‘My poor mother warns me if I don’t marry soon, she might never see her grandchildren.’
‘Well, we must be sure not to disappoint your mother.’ She kisses him, and whispers in his ear, ‘I love you.’
‘Would you marry me?’ Hope echoes in his voice and his eyes hold hers, as if longing for her answer.
Bess chokes back tears. ‘My father bequeathed five hundred pounds for my dowry, but my mother was persuaded to lend the money to Henry Hastings, Earl of Huntingdon. She tried her best to have it back, even petitioning the queen, but told me it is a debt he will never repay.’ She shakes her head. ‘All I have are my mother’s pearls, and goods of no great value—’
He takes her hand and stares into her eyes. ‘My income from licences for the import of wines is enough to keep us in comfort. Her Majesty granted me the traitor Babington’s confiscated estates, my estates in Ireland show promise, and I own a flotilla of ships.’
‘Why do you need a flotilla of ships?’
He looks thoughtful for a moment. ‘God willing, my ships can make my fortune with my colonists in the New World.’
Bess knows he can provide for her, but her position as a gentlewoman of the privy chamber means this choice is not hers to make. ‘What do you think the queen would say if you ask permission to marry me?’ Her voice wavers, and she holds her breath, sensing her future hanging in the balance.
‘That question, Bess, will be the gamble of my life, and put everything I’ve gained at risk. But what is my life, if not with you?’
* * *
Book details
Bess – Tudor Gentlewoman was published by Preseli Press on 2nd May 2025. It is currently available as an eBook for Kindle (other formats to follow) and can also be read in Kindle Unlimited.
Buy links
About the author
Tony Riches
Tony Riches is a full-time UK author of Tudor historical fiction. He lives with his wife in Pembrokeshire, West Wales and is a specialist in the lives of the early Tudors.
As well as his Elizabethan series, Tony’s historical fiction novels include the best-selling Tudor trilogy and his Brandon trilogy, (about Charles Brandon and his wives).
For more information about Tony’s books please visit his website tonyriches.com and his blog, The Writing Desk and find him on Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky and Twitter.
Pingback: Tony Riches: Bess – Tudor Gentlewoman – Carolyn Hughes