cover image Lady in Waiting

Lady in Waiting

Denise Domning. Topaz, $5.99 (0pp) ISBN 978-0-451-40771-9

This atmospheric historical narrative is set in the court of Queen Elizabeth I, a time and place rife with political and anti-Catholic intrigue and the ever-present threat of losing one's head. Country-bred heiress Anne Blanchemain, who has come to serve Elizabeth, finds herself the pawn of her fanatically Protestant grandfather and the object of a wronged and vengeful noblewoman's plot. Kit Hollier, who has pledged his life and honor to regain his family's lost titles, is coerced into seducing Anne, but instead finds himself as her dancing instructor--by monarch's order--to improve the unpolished Anne's skills. Well-written, well-researched, with an accurate portrayal of Elizabeth I, it's a little slow-moving until the plot(s) finally thicken. Domning (Autumn's Flame) throws in too many `twases and `tisn'ts, but this is otherwise recommended. (Jan.)